Under Construction

I have gone insane and am no longer able to update my blog…

JUST KIDDING!

My Insanity Check  is being relaunched in June 2016

Soon you will be able to once again tune in and be entertained, encouraged and/or challenged by my blundering attempts at finding sanity in my crazy life.

If you would like updates on how things are going or what will be changing you can contact me by email at myinsanitycheck@gmail.com (Subject: Updates) or follow me on Instagram.

I hope you’ll join me in laughter and tears as I learn to balance the six elements of my life; Daughter of the King, Wife of a {former} Marine, Mother of 3, Group Home House Parent of 27+, Friend, & Artist. 

In June with the website launch I will also be launching my new series

#LITTLEMOMENTS

#LITTLEMOMENTS will focus on the little moments in our every day lives that encourage us and get us through the insanity of life when we want to give up and bury our heads in the sand. Contact me for more information if you would like to be a contributor to #LITTLEMOMENTS 

Local Photographer, Eve Thrasher, will be featured in June’s #LITTLEMOMENTS
check out her work at http://www.evethrasher.com

I’m moving on

Wanted to let y’all know I am in the process of moving on. 

WordPress.com was a great place to start my blog but I would like more control over the content on my site. 

This weekend I will be pulling my hair out attempting navigate the scary roads of owning, designing and hosting my own website. 

Say a prayer.

Wish me luck. 

And look for my new site to launch this summer (sooner if I don’t get lost on those scary roads). 

Send me an email at myinsanitycheck@gmail.com if you would like to be added to the newsletter and receive updates. 

With the new site I am excited to announce a new feature called Little Moments. This is where myself, guest bloggers, and anyone interested can share the Little Moments in their lives that have the biggest impact. Again send me an email at myinsanitycheck@gmail.com if you would like to be a contributor.  

Until we meet again!

Meet Connor

 

This is my first ever house plant.

Something snapped in me yesterday.

I wanted a plant of my own.

My oldest two have successfully grown many plants with their fathers aid and by golly I was going to as well! 

Last fall I turned 50 old cans and 50 wine bottles into candle holders for a charity fund raiser (I still have dozens left if you would like to make a donation!). 

I selected one of the refurbished cans and re-purposed it yet again. This time into a planter.

I love power tools so I drilled a few holes in the very bottom and along the lower rim (for drainage).  If you don’t have or don’t like using power tools a hammer and nail works as well. 

 

Next I filled the bottom with river pebbles (the hubby has EVERYTHING needed for garden related projects).  

 

While I worked on the planter the hubby mixed up some of his special soil for me (and insisted on filling the planter).   

 

In Conner went.  

 

I then I selected a special place for Conner to live.  

 

I chose to make his home outside my kitchen window. There is a little ledge out there and my hope is seeing him whenever I use the sink will remind me to water him.

Wouldn’t you know it. Today was my first day to water Conner and God took care of it. (I am choosing to look at it as a blessing and not assume even God knows I’m likely to kill Conner!). 

I am not certain what type of plant Conner is. My two year old decided to savagely pull the weeds…and plants…along the driveway of the empty house next to us. Yet, regardless of the trauma Conner went through or where he came from, he is now a part of our family (this wouldn’t be considered plantnapping would it?!?!). 

Little Moments

June of 2014 our family experienced a tragedy. Our dear friends went from living 1.2 miles away to living 275 miles away. 

There were many tears that June (it was also the month we discovered the 2 month old suckling at my bosom had an MSPP intolerance). Despite the move we have been blessed to see them relatively often.   

Okay so this is what I remind myself and my kiddos even though mentally I’m screaming: “relatively often???? Who are you beeping kidding? They are literally over 200 times further away than they used to be! We never ever see them! Woe is me! Boo-who-who! *stomp* *kick* *cry* 

I’m sure now you can see why I assure myself, oh yeah, and my kids  that we see them relatively often.  

  

None of that matters today because the wait is over.

Our dear friends are back in town. Even though I won’t get to see my friend, I will get to watch her two bigs. 

The excitement was extreme and the squealing was deafening as we went to “their” park. The oldest three talked non-stop about the times they used to have at said park. 

For the record in this case “talked non-stop” is not an expression.  These kids literally DID NOT stop talking. My oldest was red in the face and I had to remind him to take a breath! 

 

The day is not over and the waterworks will be extreme when it ends but in the words of all five kids.

THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!  

What happened to March?

WOW! A month has gone by since I’ve had a chance to sit down and write! An entire month! It feels as though I blinked my eyes and March disappeared.

So far in March:

We spoke at a week long missions festival AND I over came my fear of public speaking! I *pause for affect* actually began to enjoy talking in front of people.

We were blessed to have two new girls come into our lives and our home then saddened to see them both run away.

We drove 9 hours in one day so two of our girls could have family visits. (Bonus: we got to a LONG over due visit with one of our former girls. Also got to see our friends that left us for another part of the state.).

I have been covered in vomit, that was not my own, 4 separate times on 3 different weekends by 2 of my children. Not a record I EVER want to break.

I have been trapped in a room with five awesome ladies and by the hair of our chinny-chin-chins we were able to solve the clues and “escape.” (For the record none of us actually have hair on our chins!)

I have spent seven hours putting box braid extensions in one of my girls hair.

I am working on two different guest blog posts for two separate sites -by “working” I actually mean “thinking” about what I am going to write.

I spent almost a week knocked out with the flu.

Easter was spent on the couch with three very sick kiddo’s.

Our Little Miss spent 6 hours at 2 hospitals having 5 different tests run on her kidneys and bones (more about that in a later post).

I sent off the first two chapters of my book to the editor!

I have been dealing with things from my past that have been rearing their ugly heads. God and I have been wrestling with the best way to work through it.

We got to watch one of our girls bust her butt to get a job, enroll in college, and earn more high school credits than the school expected. We’ve also watched her get mad and swear she was done and going to give up. By the grace of God she has not given up yet.

I have mourned for a friend who had to say goodbye to the woman who raised her.

We have been blessed by ladies in the church who have brought us meals.

Every day we are more and more thankful for the work God is doing on our health through Plexus.

I have been encouraged, humbled and inspired by the words in John 8:31-59.

Maybe it is because my fever has broke or perhaps it is the Plexus talking either way I cannot wait to see what God brings us for the month of April!

Change is Good

It has been 16 days since I started taking Plexus. Even though I am still having some of my digestive issues I wanted to share with you 10 changes I have already noticed.

1. You can no longer see every rib and vertebra in my back – aka I’ve put on some weight, which was my goal.
2. I wake up less groggy – my morning brain fog seems to have lifted.
3. I no longer have INTENSE coffee, sweets, red wine and bread cravings like I usually do – slightly sad, because I do love my coffee, sweets, bread and red wine!
4. I no longer take 600-800mg of ibuprofen every other day – I have taken ibuprofen twice in two weeks and it was only 400mg each time.
5. I drink coffee because I love the taste – not because I need it to calm my nerves.
6. I am not overwhelmed as easily – I enjoy doing things again instead of dreading everything.
7. I have gone from an all day slump to a 2 o’clock slump – which is when my kids nap and a perfect time to enjoy a snack and a cup of coffee.
8. The hubby says I don’t “snap” at everyone (as much) and the kids say I am fun again – humbling but true.
9. I don’t remember the last time I had a headache – it used to be that I could not remember the last time I DIDN’T have one.
10. My trips to the bathroom have been cut in half – bet you were dying to know that!

The craziest thing to me is this; I noticed all 10 of these changes within the last 16 days and 10 of those 16 days it was ‘that time of the month’ and I was fighting a cold!

For those of you wondering what I have been taking, here goes:

1. 1 packet of Plexus slim 30 minutes before I eat breakfast
2. 2 capsules of Plexus XFactor with Aloe with lunch
3. 2 capsules of Plexus megaX at bedtime
4.  1 capsule of Plexus ProBio5 at bedtime

When I placed my first order I also ordered Plexus XFactor Family Chewables for my children. They love them.

I did NOT order the Plexus Bio Cleanse even though it was recommended. It was more expensive and with as skeptical as I was in the beginning, I did not want to do a cleanse OR spend more money.

If you have never done a cleanse before, generally whatever symptoms you are experiencing get worse before they get better and I did not want to deal with that.

Next week I will be dealing with that.

I order the Bio Cleanse and with that I also plan to cut out some key trigger foods from my diet for the first 2-4 weeks.

I will keep you posted and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ask if you have any questions. The change for me in just 16 days has been HUGE and I have several friends who struggle with health issues and I would LOVE for them to find relief like I have so far. Even though I don’t want to sound like one of “those” annoying Plexus people, the changes in my health really have been amazing and have given me inspiration. That’s what I want for others. Relief from pain and inspiration.

For me personally, I believe that the only true way to find relief from physical, emotional or mental pain and have hope is by accepting the work Christ did on the cross for each of us. By placing your faith in Him, believing that He is the one true God, that He died for our sins and on the 3rd day He rose again you can find peace and hope that will get you through ANYTHING this world has to offer. I also believe that God has given us many different fruits, minerals and vegetables on this earth to aid in our physical healing.

Creative Spaces

I don’t know about you but when I write, draw, or paint I want a place that will motivate, energize, and inspire me. 

Before I let my creativity flow I take a moment to set up my “creative space.”

My “space” looks different based on my location. If I am working at home I make sure my back is to stuff like this.  

  Yuck, who could work with this disaster lurking in your face (Even if it did result in a counter full of amazing energy bites).

If you are the type of person that could work in the face of a household disaster can I just say you are AWESOME! 

No joke, I really think you are. 

I hate the internal unrest that fills me when my “work space” is filled with messes. 

Anywho BACK to the topic at hand: Awesomely set up creative spaces.  This was mine this morning. 

 Can I just say creativity in the foam of my latte and caffeine in my veins seriously gets my creative juices flowing!

What does your creative space look like? I am serious I would love to see it.  

Comment below and paint me a picture of it. If it’s outside your home tell me where you go (I’m always looking for new places to work and lurk). 

As a budding photographer and a visual learner I love pictures. Grab your phone and take a picture. Email it to me at myinsanitycheck@gmail.com or post it on Instagram and tag @myinsanitycheck 

I cannot wait to hear from you. 
 

Writing Woes

This morning I decided February is the month I am getting my book to my editor! I got up early found a quiet place and got all set up to continue revising my novel. 

  

Then I sat down and discovered almost five pages I had worked on didn’t save! 

I wanted to quit! 

I won’t but you bet your butt I’ll be fantasizing about it in my dreams tonight. 

The pages that didn’t save are from the section of the book I had the HARDEST time writing and revising. 

Thankfully I have a husband that supports and encourages my writing and a friend that sends me messages like this.  

 

You know what? She was right. In my opinion what I wrote tonight was WAY better than it was before. I’m actually really excited about it. 

The day has gone from writing woes to writing wahoos.  

Writing in someone else’s shoes #2

There is sadness in me that cuts so deep it tries to consume me. It is like a beast determined to devour. One wrong move, one wrong word, and I will be consumed.

No one knows, no one can see it. I smile through the pain. I laugh through the tears. I am the master of disguise.

Friends see me as the one they can always count on. Strangers turn to me with their pain. Dependable.

Sarcasm, quick wit and quicker reflexes are what have kept me alive. The pain I face every day when I look in the mirror motivates me to keep doing what I do. To keep others from enduring this pain.

The people I help see me as calm, cold hearted. They don’t understand their pain adds scars to my “cold” heart.

I look at you and see someone hiding their pain like me. What do you see when you look at me? Can you see past the black leather and red curls? Can you see the pain that drives me?

Who am I?

It’s HERE!

 I am so excited to get these packages in the mail today!

Now I must go read all of these: 

  

Before I take all of these:

  
I will let you know how it goes!