So, I realized (by prodding from a fellow KAer) that I haven't been here in awhile.
My life since last I visited (with fun pictures too!):
Sept: Our family joined a local Pirate Re-enactment group, got assigned to a local ship called "The Wild Irish Rose" and I am the Bosun. The Brethren of the Great Lakes is only 4 years old, so we're in the beginning stages of things. Our ship consists of a couple families that are focusing on teaching history (in pirate garb) to local schools, events and thru the yearly Pirate Fest and other things. Creating costumes for everyone has been quite the fulfulling task for me! FUN FUN FUN!!!! whoooooo!! We're working on some skits and sword fighting to perform and I'll be giving some classes on historical food this summer.
These costumes were 'thrown together' in one week for a cold leukemia walk in October. brrrrr. The winter is being filled with costume tweaking. Hubby's behind the kids, he has no name yet. I'm Jacqueline (jack of all trades, master of none). We've got Dolphin Danie, Palamino, Red Ruby, Stink Bomb, and Lil' Rummy.
November brought on worse seizures with my daughter and the docs were very concerned one day that she was going Status Epilepticus. (a very bad thing to have happen) She had 4 grand mals & 3 smaller ones in one day. Thankfully, one of them was in front of the neurologist who determined they were medicating her wrong. After 3 days of being drugged on Ativan (horrible, horrible, horrible experience that made me think she had brain damage) she finally stabilized and now we're seeing our 9 yo daughter's personality, maybe for the first time. Kinda frustrating to have to re-teach some things to her, but we're glad that is the worst we have to deal with for now.
My pain has been managable after working with the trigger point therapist quite a bit. He taught me the places in my armpits/ribs/arms/shoulder blades to work to relieve the horrible daily headaches.
I have been working the past couple months on using herbals to help heal my adrenals and thyroid. My original doc who started me on natural thyroid meds for autoimmune thyroid wasn't helping anymore and was insisting on chelation therapy and other expensive therapies to help my reverse t3 balance out better. I stopped meds and found a new doc. Started synthroid and have been doing better for a couple months now, but the heart palps are coming back. egh..
I also started drinking infusions of herbs which have helped me and my hubby in astounding ways:
stinging nettle: adaptogen which helps heal adrenal stress, stop brain fog and is intensely nutritious for bones, joints, etc. Mild diuretic too, without reducing the potassium or other electrolytes.
red clover: a hormone balancer and anti-cancer herb. My hormones are all over the place and this seems to help.
oat straw: good overall tonic for body and energy ('sowing wild oats' phrase comes from this herb)
comfrey leaf: (not root) is good for memory and clearing brain fog.
Vitamin C: scurvy symptoms... look them up. The symptoms that are the beginnings of scurvy are fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, irritability, bleeding gums, etc. I found out the FDA's RDA of Vit C is at the lowest possible level that keeps us from being comatose! And not too many of us get the daily Vit C that we need. Low Vit C adds insult to injury when you have spondylitis!
There is more to each herb than what I wrote. So far, I've noticed the stinging nettle has helped the most. When I am sluggish or even cold, I'll eat some of the seeds or drink the dried leaf in a smoothie and within an hour I'll start warming up and waking up. My hubby & one daughter notice the same things. I am in awe of it all.
For me, the brain fog vanishing is the best thing in the world. I hate walking around in a daze, getting nothing accomplished. I am at a place where my head is clear and on my bad pain days, I am not in such a bad place anymore. I have quite a bit of joy (inspite of re-gaining all the weight I had lost a couple years ago...grrr... stupid thyroid) and my hubby is so much more compassionate now that he's getting his body & mind in balance too. It's actually freaking me out to see the dramatic changes.
I got a used piano just before Christmas and am excited that I can still play. It's like my fingers remember everything I had ever learned. I can't play quite as well as before because my hands are pretty stiff, but that's ok. (I started playing since 1st grade and was church organist by 9th grade, back when they still had pipe organs!)
mmmm, let's see. What else... still homeschooling. We started a magazine and publish a new issue about every other month where the kids are learning to design their own pages, learning journalism, writing creatively, getting other kids to submit articles, etc. It is very impressive!
Lend Me Your Pen 
My eldest has been 'hired' as Brethren of the Great Lakes staff photographer and is working on a business plan to start being a serious photographer in 2 years.
Yeah, I've been quite busy. Surrounding myself around positive, giving and caring people has helped me a lot too, esp on the bad days. To know that I am loved and cherished just because I am ME is a wonderful healing tool too.
I'm still fighting the VA to get better compensation. Been already determined Unemployable by one part of VA, just gotta get the money side of the VA to cooperate fully.
So that is about all I can think of for now. Not sure anybody really cares, but I decided I'll chat anyway! LOL!
The costumes are great and you look fantastic! 
Will be a growin me own stingin nettles in pots (keep the cats orf!) an makin tea... good tip. 
