To Be?

So we get a phone call last Thursday telling us that Morgan is still on tour and that they would call us on Tuesday to fill us in with further details. Well it is now Wednesday evening and we still haven't heard a thing? Talk about leaving a family hanging! Like come on, it isn't exactly a nice thing to do, toy with the emotions of a family. I guess the best thing to do at this point is to prepare as if he is leaving and if he doesn't, well that is great! I guess I've been preparing myself for this for months, I'm not naive enough to believe what the military says until it happens, lol.
What many people don't understand is that it isn't like a normal job. Things change on a moments notice and a soldier is expected to be prepared for it... and if that soldier has decided to take on the responsibility of a family then he/she needs to make sure his family understands the way things work. I hear so many stories of wives and parents etc... giving the soldier a hard time for having to go as if he has control over the situation. I certainly understand people's frustrations, obviously we love our family member who is in the forces but I don't think it is fair to take out those frustrations on that person. It is a flow of emotions and making a soldier feel guilty or giving guilt trips for doing their job just disgusts me.
I just wish that everyone really could really understand how important it is to support our troops. I'm not just talking about families of the troops but the public as a whole. I don't care if you support the mission or not, just support our soldiers... and their families! I personally don't feel that the public really knows what it is like for a family... the anxiety and stress and the life style change. Think about it for a second... When my husband is gone it is going to be just me with 2 kids, 1 dog, 3 cats, a house to clean and a property to maintain along with EVERYTHING else... and no family living within hours of me! I know some people up here but not many, it is a little scary to be completely honest. Sure I have family who say if I need anything they will help and are supportive and so on, but what are they going to do from hours away? I totally get that people can't drop their lives on a dime because I'm having a bad day and need time to myself, or maybe I get sick and want to spend the day in bed. In a way it will be like being a single mom but I'm just going to be isolated from everyone. My only hope is that this will make me stronger and will also make my marriage even stronger, though sometimes I wonder if that is possible because it is so strong already!
To all of our troops who have started their journey to Afghanistan, have a safe trip! We look forward to having you walk on Canadian soil again soon!

Maxx Scoop Small Spaces

I've been given another really cool opportunity from Matchstick to participate in a word of mouth marketing program! And am 1 in 25 women in Canada who got to receive this great, free, Purina Maxx Scroop Kit which included: 1 Cozy Corner Cat Litter Box, 1 Purr-fect Paws Litter Mat, 1 Rubbermaid Litter Caddy and Scoop, 3 Purina cat treats and 5 Full value coupons for Purina Maxx Scoop that I can share with other women who have cats and live in small spaces like I do!
Right away when I saw the Cozy Corner Litter  Box I loved it! It has a very nice appearance to it and the fact that it fits into the corner is great since it takes up space but is still large enough for my big fat 16 pound cat Jack!

Today I picked up the Purina Maxx Scoop for Small Spaces kitty litter for the very first time ever. I am looking forward to trying it and seeing all of my cats (3 of them) reactions to it. I love that the Maxx Scoop Small Spaces is 99% dust free! I absolutely hate cleaning the litter and getting dust in my eyes! I am very anxious to see for myself that those days are gone! Plus who really enjoys the dust that the cats create on their own when they use the litter box? I sure don't. Well I guess seeing is believing so I look forward to getting back to you all in a few days to let you all know about my experience with this product and I am looking forward to it being a positive one!

I will be getting a few other people to try the Maxx Scoop Small Spaces with me and am looking forward to their feedback on this as well. I encourage others to try this on their own and comment on here to let us all know their experience as well! You can go to www.trymaxxscoop.ca for your chance at a free full value coupon for this product!!! Thanks everyone!

Ouch!

So for the past 10 days (give or take) my neck has been so very sore! It feels like someone punched me in the left side of my neck and I can't move my head properly : ( I have no clue how or why this has started but it is pretty bad at this point, it feels like it is running my life now. I'm scared to move in certain ways, can't sleep the way I would like to or even bend over and pick up my baby.
I've tried everything, hot and cold on the spot, muscle relaxers, advil, hot bath/shower, massage, adjustment to the back and neck. Anyone else got any ideas? Whatever is pinched isn't letting up!
Tonight I woke up in bad pain so instead of going to the walk in clinic, where they can't give you anything or really do anything for you anyway, I went to the hospital. The Dr. there said by my symptoms (the pain, the location, the cold and numb feeling) would suggest to her that something is pinched and she tried to explain to me what probably happened. She seemed to know what she was talking about. She didn't think it was likely that a disc had slipped or anything but did say if in 5 more days I have no relief from the meds she gave me than to go in during the day and get xrays. Ugh... that means waiting!!! I hate going into the hospitals during the day, it takes forever!!! Oh well if that is what I need to do than I will since I want this to stop. I've pulled things in my neck before, but nothing has ever lasted this long. I should have asked the Dr. if maybe I am lacking something in my diet that could cause something like this to linger... potassium maybe? Maybe I should stock up on bananas? Couldn't hurt to give it a try I suppose! Something for me to google in the morning... well it is morning but the meds are kicking in and I'm going to be out soon. So on that note I'll keep you posted. Chow :)

To Be Or Not To Be... That Is Still The Question

Tour... I'm sure some people are still wondering... Well so am I. My husband goes back into work on Monday so we hope to find something out then. At this point I don't have a clue what the military has planned for him. He may be put into the 10 percent pool which means that he would be "on call" if they needed someone to up and go overseas in a moments notice or maybe he will still be going in May (which we haven't heard anything so it doesn't seem too likely right now but I guess with the military you never know) or maybe nothing?
I've asked my husband how he feels about this... not what he thinks other people think he should feel but what he feels (I find he needs to separate the two sometimes since he always seems to be too considerate of other people's feelings rather than actually saying what he feels). Of course like I knew part of him wants to go, he wants to be there... He is a soldier through and through. On the other hand he is a Daddy and that is the most important thing in the world to him. Missing time with your baby is something that money just can't buy and it isn't like he hasn't done his time there... 3 tours and all. But there is always that big part of him that feels he needs to be there, to help his "brothers" out. He does not like the idea of staying behind but he also doesn't like the idea of leaving us behind. I guess that is a lose-lose battle for him... and for me.
Of course I want my husband to be home with me and the kids but I could never make the choice for him. He needs to figure out what he needs to do... either way I'll be here... probably planning more things for him to renovate lol. But it is not a choice I feel is in my power or should be in my power. Sure I give an opinion... a positive and negative to each side to be fair. I guess my way of thinking is that whatever choice he makes I don't want him being able to blame me for making the choice for him if it was a wrong one.
Well maybe Monday will tell a story of what is to come... Whatever happens my support is where it belongs.

Almost There!!!

After almost two months of being showerless I finally had a shower tonight! Not to say I didn't have a bath during that time period, but being without a shower is a lot harder than I thought! The bathroom is almost done, we are inches away from the final touches... I almost think I am dreaming this up!
The final things we have to do are: the grout on the floor, baseboards, install the sink, and decorate! This should all be a horrible memory by Friday lol. Well the nightmare isn't over yet... There is still the matter of the hardwood floors... ugh! But that should move along much faster than the bathroom did. Morgan is getting a couple of his buddies to lend a hand, one who just recently did his entire house so really knows his stuff! I'll be buying them lots of beer and food to make sure the job gets done.

Well there is my update! Enjoy the before and almost done pictures! Isn't the old bathroom awful?! LOL

Stop Being So Sensitive Over Sensitivity!

Are you one of those people who feels like everything bothers you and you swear up and down that you aren't trying to be picky, it is just that you are sensitive to so many different things? It can really become overwhelming and almost demoralizing. Sometimes it feels like every product out there is made for "normal" people. Well the good thing about living in the year of 2010 is that "normal" almost doesn't exist anymore, so we "sensitive" people are finally getting the help we need to live "normal" lives!
I had the opportunity to review Crest and Oral-B products through MS&L (for free!) and to be transparent, my sister works at MS&L but please know that this in no way affects my personal opinion and honest review. I can't wait to tell you about my great experience with these great products!
In my package I received a tube of Crest Pro-Health tooth paste witch has a sensitive shield! It also protects against cavities, gingivitis, plaque tartar while it whitens and freshens your breath! Now I don't know about you but I usually never like the texture of the sensitivity tooth pastes (I guess you could say I'm sensitive to texture too lol) but the Crest Pro-Health feels nice and smooth and is easy to brush on and rinse off.
I tend to have really sensitive teeth, from hot and cold, and from what I hear that can happen while you are pregnant. Well I just had a baby less than five months ago and it hasn't seemed to go away yet... until now! This tooth paste has brought me back to where I was before my pregnancy. My husband has been using it along with me and he doesn't have very sensitive teeth. He usually hates the sensitive tooth pastes that I buy and will go out and buy his own but he has been using this with me for the past couple of weeks and said he has no problem sharing this kind of tooth paste with me. So it doesn't matter what your teeth type are, anyone can use it and enjoy it.
The next most important part of cleaning your teeth is cleaning them with the right tooth brush. I've tried other electric tooth brushes before and it felt like my brain was going to vibrate out of my head, but the Oral B Vitality Sensitive Clean does not have the over the top vibration that feels like you are brushing your teeth on a washing machine. The extra soft bristles are gentle on the gums and still removes plaque and gives your teeth a great cleaning, like you just left the dentist chair! I love going to the dentist so I love having that feeling every day.
The thing I have always despised the most was flossing my teeth!!! My gums are so sensitive that just even thinking about it makes them want to bleed. With the Crest Glide Pro-Health for sensitive gums it makes that horrible little job not such a big deal anymore. It slides through my teeth easily and my teeth are very close together. The texture of the floss feels nice and smooth, not like string which I have noticed with some other brands! 
I guess the lesson here is that even with all of our sensitivity needs we can still be "normal" eat what we like and not have to worry about the effect it might have. We can accomplish healthy teeth and gums just as easily as anyone else can by using these products as directed and seeing your dentist on a regular basis. Having a healthy smile has never been so easy... Especially for us sensitive people!

Can't Move

You gotta love a really good night's sleep, waking up and having one of those big stretches that feel great and then --------- OUCH! I pulled something in my neck, how freakin convenient, I can't move! Seriously, not a good thing with all that we have going on. My poor husband is trying to renovate and take care of the baby this morning while waiting for the building inspector to come and look at our plumbing. I feel so bad but I can't move and wow does it hurt!!!
I guess the only good thing about this is that I won't have to feel guilty today about staying in bed reading the last of the Twilight saga lol. Those books are seriously addicting, however, they don't beat out my love for the Harry Potter series.
So the renovations are still going... after the inspection today we can call and have the contractor come in to do our dry walling, that is as long as we pass our inspection... we passed our electrical already though! So once that is done we can really start pulling the pieces of the bathroom together. I'm getting pretty excited to see the end result, and I really hope I don't decide I hate something that I picked since there is no way we are changing anything at this point! Oh the joys of turning a house upside down!!! lol... well it isn't over yet... still have the hardwood flooring to install through out the livingroom, hallway and master bedroom. How am I not bald from stress? lol...
Well this is becoming more painful for me the longer I try and type, so bye! lol