Hypereosinophilic Syndrome Video

It's been a trying few weeks for me as I'm flaring with my disease, Hypereosinophilic Syndrome (HES).  I wish that I could pick and choose when to have flares, but I can't.  For those of you are that don't understand my disease I thought I'd post a YouTube video of a few people that have HES.  It's an extrememly rare disease and none of us seem to have the exact same symptoms, but this video will maybe help you understand some of what I've been dealing with lately.

True Moment Tuesdays: Thou shalt have no Mums....

Photo Credit: Love to Know Garden

The weather is changing and Autumn is knocking on my front door!  I love this time of year!  I love everything that comes with it...cooler temps, bonfires, colorful leaves, harvest moons and of course, MUMS!  Every September I go out to a local farm and purchase mums to put in my front yard.  Yes, I could plant perennials, but that's not the point of this story! ;)

Last year was like no other year...except one small thing.  I didn't have money in my budget to purchase mums.  One day I headed out to buy my mums anyway...I'm a little hard headed sometimes!  I spent several minutes picking out the mums that I wanted and that's when it happened...
I heard that Still, Small, Voice that I've come accustomed to knowing over the years.  The voice of God that speaks so soft, but so strong to your heart.  Do you know what I'm talking about???

We had quite the conversation in the Mum patch that day.  It kind of went like this:

God:  Why are you buying mums?

Me:  Because I like them and buy them every Fall.

God:  But you don't have the money in your budget.

Me:  So...I want them anyway.  There's always ways to come up with money!  (Ha!)

God:  Why do you want them?

Me:  Hmmm...(God made me think)...Hmmm...Because they will make my front yard look pretty!

God:  Pretty for WHO???

Me:  Hmmm...(He's making me think again)...The neighbors!  :)

God:  Why do you care what the neighbors think of your house?

Me:  Hmmm...(I had to think some more)...Because it reflects who I am.

God:  Who are you?

Me:  (more thinking...)  I'm Yours, God.

God:  Do YOU reflect who I am???  

Okay...you can kind of see where our conversation was going.  After thinking A LOT more I put the mums back  and went home empty handed.  I knew that God said "NO" to the mums.  He knew that the motive of my heart wasn't right.  I called one of my friends and told her my "mum story" and asked her to keep me accountable to my decision.

It was really hard to leave my landscaping empty last Fall, but that emptiness was a constant reminder to me of what God had taught me that day.  He taught me that "things" can get in the way of who I am in Him.  "Things" aren't supposed to come before God.  My self-worth and value are wrapped up in Him alone and NOT in what I possess, look like, etc.

I'm glad that I experienced this moment with God.  I'm pretty sure that every time September comes around and I start seeing Mums I'll also be reminded of this conversation with Him.  I love how He speaks to my heart and teaches me in my every day moments!

  “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” – Exodus 20:3.

True Moment Tuesday's (TMT's) are a new feature here on Spot My Eye Savings.  Go here to see what TMT's are all about!

Series: Becoming Debt Free...2009

It's been awhile since I've written in this series.  I've had to pause and process my thoughts before continuing on. Thanks for hanging in there with me while I've done that!

I had taken a break from coupon shopping after my sister-in-law, Kara, passed away.  I eventually started plugging away at it again and decided to start sharing what I had learned with other people.  In April of 2009 I had my first "big" coupon class.  Up to that point I had just been sharing the information with friends and family.  I never really intended to continue teaching coupon classes...it's just something that kind of happened!  :)  I'm thankful for the opportunity that I've been given to meet so many people...I like meeting new people!

During this time we were also being very convicted about our budget.  Here's an entry that I dug up out of my archives from August, 2009.

Are any of you Dave Ramsey fans? I've heard a lot about him for the last several months. A good friend of mine just finished taking his class, Financial Peace, and is letting me borrow her materials. Brian and I have been listening to one CD every evening after the kids go to bed. We've learned a lot.
Anyway, as I mentioned in my last post, we're starting a new budget. I've always had some sort of budget, but nothing at all that comes close to my new one. We've also started using the "envelope system" as part of this budget. That's where you take cash and put it in an envelope and only use what's in there for that certain category of the budget. This keep the lovely debit card from tempting us from spending more. Not only that, but we actually know how much is allowed to spend on certain items. I really think this will be a good thing.
We have a goal to be DEBT FREE in the next 3 years except for our house. Barring no major catastrophe's I think this is very possible...maybe even sooner than 3 years. As we get closer to the goal I'll keep updating on here. The only thing that will be hard is actually sticking to the plan! If we can keep our eyes on the goal, I think we can do it!
If you'd like to read more on Dave Ramsey just go towww.daveramsey.com


So are you wondering how we're doing with that goal?  Since I had written that post we've had many things happen on this journey called, "Life."  The latter half of 2009 was stressful for us emotionally and financially as my health was taking a turn again...and not for the better.  


Tune in next week for the continuation of this story...I promise it's almost done!  ;)


Did you miss the previous entries in this series?  Just go HERE to view them all! 

True Moment Tuesdays: Potty Training

Sometimes a pictures says a thousand words.  This was taken about 2 years ago while potty training my daughter, Emalee.  She wasn't thrilled AT ALL about the idea and resisted as much as she could.  One day I sat her on the potty and when I came back to check on her she had moved the step stool over so that she could rest her arms on it.  I couldn't help but capture the moment!  

True Moment Tuesday's (TMT's) are a new feature here on Spot My Eye Savings.  Go here to see what TMT's are all about!

For my sister...

For my sister...the one that has a rare disease just like me!  ;)  Love you!

What I've been up to this week...

This week was the first week that ALL 3 kids had school and I had some free time without them.  Emalee is in preschool 4 half-days per week which really gives me some time to get some of those fun projects done w/o her "helping" me.  I don't mind having a helper sometimes, but I get so much more done w/o my little helper if you get my drift!  ; )

The photo above is of a basket that I spray painted glossy white.  It was a horrible, awful, dark brown color, but I really like the shape of the basket.  For the life of me I can't remember where I got it!  Anyway, I spray painted the basket, let it dry, painted it again, let it dry..etc....until I got every nook and cranny covered.  I had some yellow & orange floral fabric that I found on clearance at Walmart that I made a liner with.  Next, I added some yellow ribbon for a bit extra pizazz!  I plan on using this basket as a center-piece on my new kitchen table and maybe fill it with fruit!

The other craft project I completed this week was my "Faith" wall hanging.  It was brown when I received it from a friend a couple years ago.  I painted it red then.  This week I added the colorful polka dots.  I think it spiced it up a little bit and will hopefully coordinate with some of the new changes I'm making to my kitchen.  I feel like it's still missing something, but I don't know what.  Any suggestions?  I'm really not that artistic so I'm impressed with myself this week!

Next week I might paint a cabinet that I have in my living room.  I'd like to distress it, but I don't know how so I need to read up on the "how to's" before I proceed.  I also have plans on sewing a purse!

Are you doing any crafts lately?  What are you making?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

True Moment Tuesdays: You Take the Good, You Take the Bad....

Update on my appointment...

I saw my Hematologist yesterday.  My blood work has not changed and I still remain anemic and have low blood counts.  I was certain that she would change my chemo, but she decided to leave it where it's at.  Basically, she said that my HES is more under control right now than it's ever been, so that's a huge praise!  The chemo is responsible for that.  However, it's also responsible for taking the good and the bad blood cells!  Right now we've decided not to change anything and to just wait it out and see if my body adjusts.  IF by some chance my counts continue to go lower then we'll look at changing things up.  Right now they're low, but acceptable.

At times I feel like the lady in the photo above...caught in a maze and not knowing what's around the corner or what turn to take next!  The good thing is that I have my family, friends and faith in the Lord to walk the maze with me.  Unlike the lady above...I'm not alone!  :)  So, I choose to carry on!  I may have to slow down a bit, but life has to be lived and I refuse to get caught in the maze of self-pity and fear.

That being said...I will be changing the way I post on this blog.  I know that I've already warned you on that!  Honestly, although I've thought a lot about it, I still just don't know what that will look like yet.  I do know that I can't catch every new deal out there and post them anymore...besides, there are several blogs doing that anyway. I hope that you'll stick around and ride out the new changes with me!
~Heather

Series: Becoming Debt Free...Death Is Not Dying

While writing the series on Becoming Debt Free, I've been going back in my journal and reading past entries I made.  It was my intention to continue this week with something different...  However, I found an entry in my journal that really touched me while working through my grief after losing Kara.  Honestly, it has nothing to do with debt, money or savings and really doesn't belong in this series other than I feel the need to share it with my readers.  In fact, you might even cry if you listen to it.  So don't say that I didn't warn you!

If  you've ever experienced the loss of someone that you dearly love, I encourage you to continue reading.  Here's the exact entry from my journal:

As this year draws quickly to an end I've been reflecting on all the many blessings and sorrows this year has held. With the death of Kara, our family experienced loss in a way that we had never felt or experienced it before. However, in the midst of all the grief, all the loss, all the pain that I was feeling, there was a constant joy that I can't explain other than to say that it was the Lord holding me up, giving me peace and reminding me that "death is not dying."

A few months after Kara's death I was driving the boys across town. The radio was on and I was listening to a testimony of a lady (Rachel Barkey) that had cancer on "Revive Our Hearts." What I heard playing that day has been a huge blessing to me. I just listened to it again a few days ago and felt that I needed to share Rachel's message. It's a message of hope, courage, and faith in the midst of the storm. I hope that you can carve out some time to listen, be blessed and be reminded that "death is not dying..." It's only the beginning of our eternal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
http://deathisnotdying.com/fullvideo/

True Moment Tuesday's...

The cells that wreck havoc on my body!  

This has been a rough week for me.  I don't like rough weeks, but unfortunately, due to my disorder, they can't be avoided all of the time.  Right now it's almost 10 a.m. and I'm still tired and could sleep more.  Why?  Because I'm horribly anemic at the moment.  My chemotherapy is showing its ugly head again.  Sometimes I think it's out to get me!  The very thing that I'm taking to help my body is also it's worst enemy in some ways.  Isn't that ironic?

I don't want to bore you with too much medical terminology, but in simple terms here's what's going on.  I'm taking the chemo so that it will lower my white blood count (that's where my disorder is).  In return the chemo is lowering my white AND my red blood counts.  Chemo can't differentiate between the two blood cells yet.  It will be a remarkable discovery if scientists figure out how to make that happen!

Anyway, my red count is super low right now which has caused my anemia.  It's been hard for me to function this week.  I've been tired and very sleepy.  I've had an on-going headache for a few weeks (due to lack of oxygen to the brain), my heart has been racing, etc.  This is all caused by the lack of red blood cells circulating in the body.

So, if you've been wondering why in the world my posts have slowed down over the last several days...now you know!  I'm trying to be very wise with my time and energy right now.  Most of that is focused on my 3 kids and taking care of them and things around the house that need done.  All 3 kids will start school this week so hopefully I'll be able to get some more rest during that time.  I'll also be going to the doctor again next week and I'm sure that we'll be making some decisions then on what course of action to take.  Until then, I'll still be around....just not like I used to be until I feel better again.  Thanks for being patient with me during this time.
~Heather


True Moment Tuesday's (TMT's) are a new feature here on Spot My Eye Savings.  Go here to see what TMT's are all about!