Back Again

Well it has been a very long time since I have updated my blog. A lot of things have happened in the past year and I have faced many challenges along the way. It has been a very trying time and I am still coping with many of the challenges today. The biggest thing that I am dealing with today is the fact that I have been diagnosed with Lupus. It is a chronic autoimmune disease that has no cure. Looking back now I realize that I have most likely have had it for several years. Once I learned about what Lupus was, I soon began to put all my symptoms together like a puzzle. It all finally made sense why I always felt so weak and sick. I had experienced 14 out of 16 symptoms listed under symptoms of Lupus throughout the past several years.

I had ongoing low grade fevers that would make me very weak, extreme fatigue, body aches, chills, hair loss, chest pain, constant headaches, mouth ulcers, rashes, tingling in arms and legs, fingers and toes turning blue and being very cold to the touch, when getting a cold or flu I would get really sick and take longer to get better than most people do, I have had numerous kidney infections, dizzy spells, memory loss, confusion, swollen hands and eyes, I would get very weak and lethargic after being out in the sun, and the cold effects me as well, (in the winter I sometimes wear 2 pairs of socks, 2 shirts, and use about 4-5 blankets just to keep warm) my husband thought I was crazy! I did too. Well now I have the answers to all these symptoms I have had.

Lupus is a very hard disease to diagnose. This past August I started to get sick again. Day by day I seemed to get worse. I was extremely tired. No matter how much sleep I got I was still so tired. It got to the point that I would take a shower and then have to lay down for 5 min. then do my make-up and lay down again and so on. It got harder and harder to do things without feeling as if I had just run a 5 mile race. I had constant low grade fevers. I had dizzy spells, chest pain, shortness of breath. My hands and arms would tingle. I had pain in my knees and thighs that wouldn't go away. I had always had pain in my knees and ankles, but it would come and go. In August my knees and thighs started hurting daily and the pain would not go away. It got so bad that their were many days I could not walk. I couldn't understand what was going on, but I knew I needed to see a doctor.

I am thankful for the day my friend Tammy told me to go to the doctor. We were at a birthday party and we were just talking. I knew that she had something called Lupus, but I didn't really know that much about it. I know the spirit was speaking through me when I turned and asked her what Lupus was. She told me about it and how it affected her. Some of the things she mentioned were things that I had also experienced. I then told her about some of my symptoms and about this on going pain in my knees and thighs. She told me that I had to see a doctor and that she would keep on me until I did.

The following Monday I called and made an appt. I had listed all of my symptoms to show the doctor. She examined me and then told me that I had a nodule on my thyroid and that could be causing all of the symptoms that I had been feeling. I then asked what about the possibility of it being Lupus? She then told me that we need to check the thyroid first to rule out cancer. That really scared me. Throughout September all I did was spend time having one test after another. My red blood count was really low, so I was anemic. I tried several pain meds. that did not help. One actually helped, but I had an allergy reaction to it. I soon learned that my thyroid function was fine, so that ruled out cancer. I still have to have a biopsy of the actual nodule to see what that shows and if it needs to be removed or not. Since it didn't look like it was cancer my Doctor
sent me to see a Rheumatologist. I had more blood work done again.

A few weeks later the diagnosis came in. Two of my blood test results tested positive for Lupus. One was a double strand DNA test that was positive and the other had to do with my blood. I was told that my blood was thickened but not yet at a danger zone so I wouldn't be on blood thinners, but it was something that we needed to keep a close eye on. This is common, many Lupus patients have problems with their blood, including anemia and increased risk of bleeding or blood clotting. It can also cause inflammation of the blood vessels , a serious complication responsible for 7 percent of lupus-related deaths.

I have learned a lot about this disease over the past few weeks. Right now I am on a medication that I have to take twice a day. I am also on steroids and pain meds. Some days my legs hurt so bad I can't walk and other days I am so fatigued that I can't accomplish very much. I have learned that I need plenty of rest. In December I will have blood work done again to check my blood levels. Right now I am considered to be having a Lupus flare up. That is when your symptoms get really bad. It can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. The symptoms can be mild to severe. Getting sick can also cause a flare up. I am taking medication now to help reduce my flare up.

Back in May I had Pleurisy. This is an infection of the lungs. I felt like I was having a heart attack. I could hardly breath and the pain was awful. I even passed out one night. I could not get up and walk to the bathroom without running out of breath. My body was so weak. My left lung swelled so much that it begun pushing on my ribs. One of my ribs actually still sticks out. I was on breathing treatments as well as other meds. I really felt like I was on my death bed. It took more than a month to recover. I have now learned that Pleurisy is one of the conditions you can get from Lupus.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that instead of just attacking foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses, your immune system also turns against healthy tissue. This leads to inflammation and damage to various parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain.

While their is no cure, there is an 80-90% survival rate. People with lupus have a life long battle dealing with the many flare ups and symptoms that come along with the disease. Lupus as well as other chronic autoimmune diseases are called invisible diseases. You can look fine on the outside, while no one can see the effects of what you really feel inside.

It is very hard to face having a chronic disease, but it is a relief to finally have a diagnosis. I am hoping to be able to feel better soon and enjoy doing the things I used to do. I have found many blogs about people living with Lupus. They use their blog to express their own journey and their daily trials. It is very encouraging to be able to relate to others that go through the same thing that you do. I hope that I can do the same.

Yesterday I would say that I had a pretty good day overall. Last night my legs hurt throughout the night. Today my legs and neck hurt. My hands are stiff and ache. I have had a few dizzy spells and ringing in my ears, and I am very tired and weak. Each day I wake up not knowing what I will feel like, but I am thankful when I do feel good. I need to learn to make the most of those moments.

Snow much fun!!!

Last week we headed up to Flagstaff to play in the snow. We enjoyed 4 days of adventures. The drive up was just beautiful. There was so much snow. Flagstaff had just had a snowstorm a few days prior to our arrival that brought anywhere from 20 to 30 inches of snow on the ground. We were thankful that all roads were open and that we were able to go. I have been to Flag many times before during snow season, but never when there has been so much snow. The whole town was just blanketed with snow. We arrived in the evening on Sunday. We checked in, unloaded the car and then went to our clubhouse to hang out. Not even 5 min. after we got there the power went out. We were informed that this happens quite often during the winter storms and that we should have power back on very soon. Well since we couldn't go back to our condo and cook anything we decided to go out for dinner and then come back, hopefully the power would be back on by then. Wrong! We came back just over an hour later, by this time it was dark and we could see that the entire area was still without power. We went back to the front desk to see what was going on. They informed us that we would have power within 4-6 hours!! Whoa! It is already like 20 degrees outside and dropping. Luckily we had a gas fireplace in the living room and a hide-away bed. So that is where we all camped out huddled under many covers. By this time it was only 7 pm. Ashley fell asleep rather quickly and the rest of us just tried to stay warm. About 10pm I decided that I was too uncomfortable being squished and still cold so I went downstairs to our bedroom. No matter what it would be cold, but at least I would be comfortable. I had 2 layers of clothes on, 2 pairs of socks, a beanie on my head, a robe and 5 blankets covering me. I finally got comfy and just dozed off when bada bing! the power came on! It was a little after 10pm. Finally some heat!! We cranked the heater, turned out the lights, put the news on. While watching the news, a reporter mentioned that an area of Flagstaff is in a blackout and over 3000 people are without power and that it should be back on within the hour. I was so thankful that it was already back on. Well we were not able to enjoy the heat for very long. About 30 min. later the power went out again!! At this point I was so exhausted I did not even care. I was able to sleep a little. The power eventually did come back on a little after 1am. We had gone without power for over 8 hrs. I am just thankful we were indoors and safe.

These pictures were taken when we arrived at our resort. Noah and Ashley enjoyed playing with all the snow. They were so excited. We had just stayed here last October so it was neat to see how different everything looked. Here they are out on our balcony. I wouldn't let them throw snow at each other so they had fun throwing snow at the arcadia door.
The next day we headed out to Meteor Crater. Me nad VJ had gone before but it was the first time for Noah and Ashley. We knew it was going to be windy that day but really had no idea until we got out of our car. Ashley almost blew away, well actually we almost all did! The winds were over 50 miles an hour. Ashley was terrified to go see the enormous crater, she thought the wind would just take her away. Vj and Noah were too cold, so I was the only one who went out to see it. I had to hold on to the rails for dear life but managed to take a few quick pics and then go into the museum.

A little while later Ashley and Noah decided they would go out and look at the crater real quickly. Ashley was out there for just seconds before she ran back inside. At least she was able to see it up close and I was able to snap 1 picture of her. She put on a smile and a brave face but she was really terrified.Noah was freezing but walked around for a few minutes. He was scared to let go of the rails even for a second. You can tell by my hair how windy it was. I look relaxed but the force of the wind was holding me against the rails.

That evening it began to snow just a little. The next morning we woke up to this.

It was so pretty!! So off we went up the mountains. We enjoyed the next three days just sledding!

Much to our surprise, Noah was not scared at all. He watched for a little bit and then decided to give it a try. After that he was hooked! And he is actually a pro at it! He could maneuver his sled so well and go so much farther than we could and he only fell off a few times.

Ashley also loved sledding and had no fear. However she fell many times. There were a few times that she flew off and I could not believe that she was ok. This is a prime example. See how happy she looks! Not for long. I was able to get these pics as she tumbled down the mountain.And then boom!
A look of shock. What just happened? And then she figured it out and then the tears. She actually was not hurt and cried only for a minute before going back up to do it all over again. She had many tumbles like this one. She is one brave little girl!However, at the end of the last day Ashley had her last fall and was done!!Even me and Vj had a blast!!We can't wait to go again. We are going to try and go again this year before all the snow melts.

Little baby bird

We have a Dove's nest in our backyard, everyday Ashley goes out to check on her bird, it has become our family pet. The bird has had babies five times now, Ashley thinks it is the neatest thing. So one day when Vijay was outside a baby bird hopped into our garage. Ashley was so excited. We soon realized that it could barely fly and assumed it had fallen or flew out of it's nest. So we scooped it up and let Ashley hold it, she was in heaven. We kept it for awhile and then we let it go in our backyard. The next morning the baby bird was gone. I guess it finally figured out how to fly. Ashley said her wish came true. She always wished she could hold a baby bird and she finally got her chance!

We took a trip to California last week! We had such a good time! We stayed in San Diego for a few days and Los Angeles for a few days. We went to Sea World, Disneyland and the beach! It was a little chilly so we did not plan on going in the water. Of course the kids still managed to get soaked!
This is one of my favorite pictures of them at the beach. More to come from our trip later.

Here are some pictures from a photo shoot I did last week. The little boy was so cute and fun to work with. Such an amazing personality. The Mom had her baby the very next day.

Silly girl!! Ashley is really into me taking pictures of her lately. She wants to tell me how she wants me to take them. Today she wanted me to take a picture of her jumping on her bed. Then she wanted me to take pictures of her lying down looking at a Justice catalog, posing this way and that way and telling me all the cool things she would like to have. She is so girly! On the weekends she is constantly changing her clothes. She always wears dresses or skirts. She is also into doing her hair, always putting it into a ponytail and then a claw clip so that it is sticking up all over the place. She will do her hair over and over again until she thinks it is just perfect. She is growing up way too fast!

Tackle Football

One of Noah's favorite things to do is play football and since we finally got most of our backyard finished, that is all he wants to do. Of course Ashley loves to play with him. Until she gets hurt, which inevitably always ends up happening. But she just gets right back up and goes at it again.TACKLE!!

Well, I am back! Everyone has been asking when I intend to update my blog, so I have finally found the time to do just that. These pictures were taken on Mothers Day weekend. Me and the kids drove up to Prescott to spend the afternoon with Grandma. While there we went out for a nice lunch and attended an art festival. The weather was absolutely wonderful! It was also a delight to get away from the city and breathe some fresh air.







Here is Ashley at it again. "Hey Mom! take a picture of this!" And so I did! We will see what she thinks of it a couple of years from now.






Tree hugger!









At the art festival, they had a group of performers roaming around showing off their talents. This pleasant lady found Noah and escorted him to jail. Noah was slightly apprehensive but he reluctantly complied and she gently urged him on. Once there she placed him in the jail cell and locked the door. The inmate that was in there kept trying to talk to Noah and joke around with him. Noah was having no part of it! It was so amusing to watch how Noah reacted. He just stood there pensively waiting for us to rescue him from these foolish people. Even though he knew it was make believe (I think) he still just didn't know what to think about all of it.

I just love this photo of Noah! His expression says it all!


Ashley enjoying an enormous snow cone.

Roller Blading

Yesterday after church, the kids came home and did some roller blading around the house. Noah has always got his roller blades on and then 5 minutes later he is done! He wants to try so bad but his fear of falling outweighs his desire to learn. Yesterday though, he really wanted to try. Ashley who is the daredevil out of the two of them has been rollerblading since she was four. So she decided to help Noah out and show him how the speed queen does it! He tried and pretty soon he was doing really good. It was the funniest thing, he looked so tall and skinny with these huge boots on, tight fitting pajamas and wobbling like a one year old. They had fun and Noah was still a little scared but slowly got the hang of it and was able to go a little faster.

Poor Noah

Poor pitiful Noah, he is still so sick. It seems as if every holiday he has caught a bug. He was even sick during Thanksgiving. So anyways he has still had a cough and fever. This afternoon as I once again checked his temp, I noticed that his right eye was a little red. I asked him if it was itchy and he said yes. Oh boy! So off to urgent care we went. Let me tell you, that place was a zoo! It took a whole three and a half hours before we got out of there. Only to be told he has lost three pounds, has an upper respiratory infection with some wheezing. And yes, pink eye! Yuck! Noah is already freaking out about having to put drops in his eyes. I will be lucky if I can get them in. I am just hoping he is a little better on Christmas Day!

I took this picture of him the other day when he was having a spurt of energy. He was pretending to be a sad little kitty. Isn't he cute!

Countdown to Christmas

Wow! Christmas is almost here! Am I ready? Not Quite! But I am finally out of school and have a two week, much deserved vacation! I still have not wrapped a single present, done any holiday baking, mail my Christmas cards, and still have some shopping to do. I have to cram all of this in somehow. These past two weeks have been crazy. Last week I had a bladder infection, Grandma came for a visit, and I took lots of pictures. This week was tougher! School has been busy and the students and Teachers are all ready for Christmas break. It was a busy and fun week. Vijay hasn't had a day off since last Thursday and has been working 9:00-10:00 every night. Noah has been sick all week. He started off throwing up then came the fever, and then a head cold. I don't know what he has got but he has been a real sicky. It's so different to see him when he is sick, he is a completely different kiddo. He has pretty much been lying around here and there all week. Here are some very sweet pictures of him doing just that.


I love this one! He looks so angelic. He sleeps like this alot. I have many pictures of him like this. His Teacher told me it is a sensory thing. Hmmmm and I just thought he was praying in his sleep! Just kidding.




Noah has become a huge fan of T.V land. It is a channel that shows classic t.v. shows. Here he is watching I Love Lucy. Among his favorites, are Good Times, The Andy Griffith Show, I Love Lucy and The Jefferson's.

Look at those amazing brown eyes. Noah you are so sweet!

Ashley is always up to something. Here she is revising her Christmas list for the 6th or 7th time. She adds something new and then takes something else off. It is a very sad crumbled up list. She has asked Santa for pretend kitchen toys to add to her collection, a penguin webkinz, kitten slippers, and crafts. She also tells Santa, " You are a very kind and nice person. You are the best!" Love Ashley. awwww! She keeps bugging Noah to make a list but he doesn't want to. He says that Santa always gets nice things for him and he will take what ever he gets. Pretty simple for me. He does however tell me that he wants Star Wars toys and some new books. You got it sweetie!

Here are some pictures I took of Ashley yesterday.

They turned out so cute. This will be her 7th Christmas. I can't believe it. Time just flies.





Well I hope everyone out there has a wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season!

Do you remember this cutie? Last time I took his pictures he was waiting for his baby brother to be born. Well, he has arrived! He is soooo tiny and looked so cute in his little Santa outfit. Last weekend I took some Christmas pictures of the whole family. Here are some of my favorites, enjoy!

Ashley and Baylee

Here are some pictures of Ashley and Baylee. They are the best of friends.
I love these of Ashley!

Chatting, laughing and sharing some secrets!! They have so much fun together! They have known each other since birth and are only a few months apart.

Baylee

Here are some pictures of Baylee. Isn't she adorable? She is my best friends daughter. I have been doing pictures of her since she was one years old. Here are just a few of my favorites. We took so many. It was very hard to choose!

Pressley Family

I have been doing pics. of this family for the past three years. It's amazing how time flies and how quick they grow.

Here are some pictures that I did yesterday. The Mom is going to have her baby this Saturday. She wanted some pictures of her and her son before the baby was born. Her son was so cute and very cooperative. I will be doing pics. of the new baby in a couple of weeks. I can't wait!!

Here are some pictures of a photo shoot I did on Monday.


This is Colten, I have been doing pictures of him since he was a tiny baby. He just turned four and is still such a cutie.

This is Cody. He and Ashley are only 4 days apart. They went to preschool together.
This is Tyler, he is such a handsome guy!

Here's the whole family. Jaime, Matt, Tyler, Cody and Colten.

Keith Photo Shoot

Here are some pictures of a photo shoot I did this past week. You might recognize the litlle guy (Carter) I did some of him a few months ago. He is such a little gentleman.

Carter

OliviaSydney Alexis



I am doing bookings now for my yearly Christmas sessions. I am filling up quickly and will only be doing them until the second week of December. I am also doing something a little different this year. For all my regular customers: I will be sending all of you an e-mail with my new info. and pricing.

Beautiful Sedona

We took a trip up to Sedona a few weeks ago to see the beauty of fall. It was so amazing! We went to this little spot called West fork. It was really windy and cold so we could not stay as long as we would have liked. I did get some really good pictures and wish I had taken more. I think we will have to come back to this spot every year.

Check out my Slide Show!