A New Year.

So a new year is going to begin soon and I want to take a moment to thank God for the blessing to have made it this far. I have heard about many deaths and many tragedies that have happened in the past year and the many people who have not been able to make it to this new year.

Every year, I always make resolutions that I never end up keeping.
This year, I'm going to make goals. Obtainable goals that are not impossible to keep.

My goals include:
-Having a more positive outlook on life.
-Have a better relationship with God.
-Find healthier ways to take out stress and frustrations.
-Go back to school and stay in school to be on the road to the career I want, (Sports Management: Marketing and Public Relations. Focus, hockey. Haha!)
-Spend a lot more time with Kaiden doing fun things.
-Have one full time job instead of three part time jobs.
-Become more organized in all areas of my life.
-Get out of debt.


I'm sure I will end up coming up with more, but there are the more important ones to me.
What are some goals or resolutions have you all come up with if you're someone that does this every year?

I would like to hear!! Send me an email, kraazylovee@yahoo.com.

Hope everyone has a good time tonight whether you are at home with family, out with friends, or out with strangers! Be safe and PLEASE don't drink and drive! Have a great New Year's!!

Happy things!

So I thought of yet another thing to do on this blog, not that the other things I wanted to do have happened thus far (and they will now that I have direct access to a computer!).
I will ask random questions to random people on my facebook and post the questions and answers on here. Why? Because I want to see and show my readers just how people can be so different, yet so alike! I will never post anybody's name on here unless given permission. If there are repeats or differently worded repeats, that's because more than one person said it.

But I'm actually kind of excited for this little project. Just hope it works out!

So the first question I asked is:

What makes you happy?

The answers I have gotten so far (and will continue to edit as more come in):

-Time with family.
-Looking back on the past and realizing where I could have gone and where I am now.
-Seeing how much I have grown in a short period of time.
-Making others proud of me and my accomplishments.
-Never giving up when life got rough.
-Music.
-My family and friends.
-My family and friends.
-When my grandson hugs my neck so tight that I can hardly breathe.
-The thought of her wanting me as much as I want her.
-Knowing that my children and grandson are happy, safe, and healthy.
-My daughter and family.
-My nephews.
-Being around family.
-Video games.
-Given opportunities and chances to change my destiny.
-My kids and best friend.
-Sleeping in.
-My family and friends.
-Raising my kids and watching them grow.
-When I feel the baby kicking my insides.
-My family and friends.
-Knowing bills are taken care of.

-My boyfriend, dogs, and kitten.

-My son and fiancé.

-Having a roof over our heads.

-Having food in our house.

-Knowing my family is there for me.

-Having a job.

-My fiancé raising my son as his own.

-My friends, family, and kids.

-A rainy day at my clean home by myself.

-Salvation and God's promises.

-My nieces and nephews.
-My mom.
-My boyfriend.
-Work.
-Music.
-Sunsets and sunrises.
-Life.
-Friends.
-The future, the thought that one day everything could be beautiful.
-Writing.




Now I will give my answers:
-My son, everything about him.
-God.
-Church.
-Music.
-Detroit Red Wings.
-Hockey.
-Relaxation time.
-Feeling of accomplishment.
-Family and friends.
-Sleep.
-Seeing friends that live far distances that I usually get to see very often.
-That first sip of a fresh Dr. Pepper from the fountain machine.
-Beautiful, breath-taking pictures of nature, also seen in person.
-Sunshine.
-Water of nature (oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, etc. I swear I should be living on the waterfront.)
-Palm trees.
-Heat. (I don't sound like I should be living in Michigan!)
-Getting comfortable in bed.
-Cuddling.
-Hugs.
-Kisses.

Sooo many things make me happy and I need to remind myself of this every time I feel down!
It may help you, too!
If you fight depression, or feel down in the dumps more than you would like, you could write a list of all the things that you love or makes you happy. Then, look back on that list when you need a reminder. It may help, who knows!

Let me know what you readers think! Feel free to email me at kraazylovee@yahoo.com and let me know any questions, thoughts, or comments on such things that you would to see me talk about! I'm always open for suggestions! :)

Good Morning

Good Morning everyone!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend so far! I am spending some of it about 45 minutes South of me with one of my best friends for her birthday. 

We went ice skating at the Western Michigan University ice skating rink. That was pretty cool because for a while I was on the same ice that Danny DeKeyser from the Red Wings had been on before. Not a big deal to most, but it was to me. 

After that, we went to Steak n Shake where we had the WORST service I had ever had by that restaurant. Thankfully, it wasn't the one that I normally go to, but everything from the start was messed up to the bill. It sucked and we vowed to never go there again. Unfortunately, we did have to go back there because Kaiden had left his blanket there and we didn't know until bedtime.

After eating, we went bowling and all of us had so much fun.

We came back to Laura's boyfriends house where Rob's daughter, Rowan, and Kaiden were playing very well. They are so cute together. 

We watched movies and pretty much passed out around 2 am. 

When I get home today, it's cleaning time and hopefully a nap!! :)

Hope everyone's day goes splendidly. :)

What do you do?

What do you do when you have reached your limit with everything?

Today has certainly been one of those days where so much crap has been slowly (or quickly) building up to the point where you just SNAP at whoever is the closest to you?
That has happened to me today and although I am very sorry to the person who I snapped at, I'm just at my end with everything.

I'm trying to make things work for everybody...everybody but myself. And that's what's wrong here.
I need to look after ME too. My son and I come first.

I hope everybody else understands, and the ones that love me and actually want the best for me will understand. And I'm so blessed to know who most of them are.

What I do when I have reached my limit is cry. Cry and yell at people.
Then I listen to music, something upbeat that I can sing at the top of my lungs to.
And vent to someone who doesn't interrupt.

Then I am calm.

It's a certain cycle and I absolutely hate when I have to go through it.

But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

Christmas Part 2.

WOOOOOOT!!!

This post is not being written from my phone, but from my new computer!!
Spoiled? Yes. But it won't last much longer. That's quite okay. But for now...I am having a WONDERFUL Christmas and I hope that everyone else is as well! :)

I got many things that I wanted and then some.
NHL 14 Xbox 360 game.
Laptop.
Vacuum.
Picture Frame.
Scrapbooking Album.
GPS.
Darren McCarty autographed book!
Red Wings garden gnome.
Socks.
Cookbook.
Red Wings book.
A collection of Red Wings games.

I love each and every one of them. :)

My parents, who usually don't get much except from each other, also had a very good Christmas.

There were screams and tears, mostly from my sister and I. All in a good way.

We all got things that we weren't expecting, and that's really a fun time. If you know what you are getting, where's the fun in that?

So now that I have a computer at my readily access, lack of postings will be inexcusable.
Hope you all have a wonderful day with family and the ones you love!

<3

Christmas part 1.

Merry Christmas, everyone! :)

It is officially Christmas day and like ALWAYS, I'm awake in the early hours. I really don't try to, but my body never lets me sleep in on this day. I'm not even that excited for the day. Well, sorta. I pretty know what I'm getting because I accidentally saw my list with what's crossed off and such. So I do know that this may be my last post done on my phone! :)

And that I may be busy on my xbox, playing the 360 game of NHL 14. 

I am pretty spoiled on Christmas, I will admit. 

It will only last for so long, and seriously it doesn't matter much to me anymore on what I get. I usually end up buying whatever I want eventually, haha.

I'm starting a new tradition this year and so far it seems to have gone well. My brother and sister have both stayed over night last night and they and my son have unwrapped the presents that I had bought for them. Then we went to eat dinner at Applebee's and made cookies to decorate in the morning. We would like to continue this tradition with our families when we are older and married with kids. I think it shall be fun.

Christmas, however, is definitely NOT about presents. It's about celebrating the birth of Jesus and what it meant to the world that night MANY, MANY years ago! He is the reason for the season. I forgot about the church service last night until my dad told me he went. I'm not used to being a member of a church around Christmas time, so it really slipped my mind.

Well, I'm off to take some meds and sleeping pill so I can get some rest this early morning. 

I will post again today!

I hope every has a blessed day and a very Merry Christmas!

Updates and a look back on 2013.

Hey everyone!
I know, like always, it's been a little while since my last blog post. And, as always, I have been just a tad busy. I am happy to say that I have been working for Jimmy Johns for 4 weeks now and I am finally loving it! I wasn't so sure at first, because to be honest, I don't like being the new person who knows nothing! I was literally scared of the phones because I didn't feel like I knew the menu well enough to be able to take the phone orders and would do whatever I could to avoid them. Nobody showed me how to prep my deliveries either. The in-shoppers always did it so I didn't really know. But, I have finally gotten a hang of how things work around there. Even on Monday, I just grabbed a phone when it rang and, for bragging rights, I did AMAZING! My manager was happy. On Tuesday, I grabbed the first phone call and when I hung up, another phone rang, then again, then again, and it was to the point where my manager had to tell me to stay away from the phones! Haha, and she also gave me a compliment and said that she'd been listening to me on the phones and that I totally rock. :)
So I am comfortable there now and finally got out of my shyness a bit and starting to ask questions without feeling stupid.

Although things are going well with Jimmy Johns, I am still going to try for Subway management through the company I work for at the gas station. I had talked with the Subway owner and the District Manager of our Subways and we are going to have me try a couple of days at Subway and see how I like it. If I do, we will proceed on with a formal interview and figure things out and hopefully continue on to training for management. I am very excited and feel like I am at the right place this time with management wants. I am not doing it just for the money anymore like I was before.

So 2013 has been an interesting year I would have to say. Although it's not over yet, I'd like to take a little look on the year so far and point out the most significant events to me.

- Kaiden turned 4 years old and not really a toddler anymore.
- Kaiden started PRESCHOOL!
- TWO of my best friends got engaged and married this year! A congratulations to Chrissy and Dave Southern (8-3-13), and Stephanie and AJ Parks (12-13-13). :) I love you guys!!!
- Another one of my best friends got engaged. Taylor!
- An adorable baby cousin was born on my late grandmother's birthday and shares the same name as my son. :) My cousin's name is Kaiden Scot Roest and was born on 7-30-2013. He is such a precious little boy and I adore him so!

I mean, these events were the most important ones for me. They may be insignificant to others or others may not hold such events as these that happen to their friends or family as important as I do. But I love my friends and family and am very happy when such events happen for them!

Well, it's back to work for me. Hopefully soon I will have a computer so I can update more often, the app on my phone is kind of hard to work with.

If I don't post again before Christmas, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)

Stop the torture

Lately I am being tortured.

Not physically.

More mentally and emotionally.

By my dreams.

Weird, right?

Well to start off, I had done a post probably a couple of months ago about feeling left out when it comes to relationships and love. And to be very honest, I had not been very focused on the subject for a while. 

Then the dreams started.

I call them the "Boyfriend dreams."

In each dream each night, I have a boyfriend. He's not the same guy or anything, but just the fact that each night I have this boyfriend figure just annoys me.

Then a couple nights ago, the worst one happened.

See, I have never been in love with a significant other. Just lust and what not.

But this dream, I was sooo unbelievably happy and in love. I still felt it when I woke up and it made my heart hurt.

When I talk about the dream, it even right now, I start to tear up because now I know what I am missing and it literally hurts me to have that void. 

And last night, yet another boyfriend dream.

One of my best friends thinks it's a sign of yet to come. If so, great, happen already! If not, then stop the emotional torture already and STOP!

Hopefully tonight I don't have one. Or at least don't remember it.

I need this

I was talking to my mom about the possibility of me working for subway as a manager tonight and everything she said pointed to,

"I don't think you can do it."

Even though she didn't say those words exactly, I know that's what she meant. She always tries to deter me from trying to be in management. She doesn't seem like she believes in me. And I need her to. I need to her support in this..she's the one helping with my son. 

I don't WANT three jobs forever. This is a great opportunity to help me get and stay on my feet.

She just doesn't think I know what it takes to be a manager. Really. Because she knows everything that I know and think.

I have been in a management position when I was 19, almost 20. I was too young for it and couldn't handle it then. That was 3 years ago. I'm 23 now and have learned so much more since then. I have been placed in situations where I was acting manager, and at the gas station, I'm pretty much just like the assistant manager.

I am also a VERY observant person when it comes to people. I notice the little things that most would overlook. I also watch a lot. I watch our subway manager  do her work at times. I am just interested in how things work and yeah, I'm pretty nosy. I will admit it. 

But when people tell me that there is more to this or that than I think, it instantly angers me. Nobody but God and I know what I think, feel, see, and know.

And right now, I just need support to take a HUGE step in bettering my son's and mine lives. 

Is it so hard for someone to just support me? Nobody else seems to.

Opportunities abound!

So lately I have been stressed with my money situation. About a month and half ago, I had to move out of my friends house and back into my apartment for financial reasons. It's a bitter sweet thing, but I really miss seeing my friend as much and the adult companionship. I've been working on paying off what I owe her and many other people and bills.

I gave up some hours at the gas station to work more for my dad at a better pay, but that didn't work out and I couldn't fully get my old hours at the gas station back. So my paychecks have been significantly less than what it was before.

Because of this, I had decided to find a third, yes THIRD, job.

I applied for a delivery driver job at Jimmy Johns through craigslist and really didn't expect anything to come of it. I don't usually have good luck when it comes to applying for and passing interviews. So I was surprised to get an interview. 

When the interview came, I did less than my best to be quite honest. I thought I was doing poorly, until she noticed my mother'a ring and asked about it. I told her about my son and we went on to converse about how I am a single mother  with no help from his father and that u worked two other jobs and lived on my own.

She seemed to like me and noticed I have a hard working ethic and gave me a menu to study for a quiz to get the job.

I studied for a week and had the quiz this past Tuesday.

I passed with a 97%!

I was offered the job and was given a set schedule that included no weekends and no nights! It also helped get me to where I needed to be to afford all my bills and expenses and paying people off!

Well before this, I had contacted the subway owner of the subways with our gas station company and asked about an opportunity to be a subway manager. She was also my previous District Manager and I had spoken with her about being a gas station manager before and nothing came of it. So I also thought nothing would come from the subway management either.

I was wrong. 

Yesterday, she spoke with my manager and asked what she recommended and the subway manager at the one in our store (she would be training me), told me the subway DM would like me to work a few days at Subway and see how I like it and then if I do, we would talk about Subway Management.

To be honest again, I haven't prayed much about it, and right now I feel I should. I would really like to know which way God would like me to go. 

I feel so blessed to have these opportunities and I feel like things are finally going to start going a little smoother! 

I hope every one has a blessed day and remember to smile!! :)

Make your dreams a reality..

So yes, I pretty much suck at keeping a blog. I always get tired, busy, or just plain forget. I always make these promises about a new post about this at this date and it just never happens. If I still have any readers at this point, I'm sorry for lack of postings!

I will try, and I really mean TRY, to stay on top of these postings. This goes for my Red Wings blog as well.

So years ago, I used to write all these different stories, yet never finished any. And these stories, I thought, were pretty damn good for a middle school and early high school writer. I always had these ideas that came to mind so often that I couldn't just stick to a story at a time.

It came so easy to me because I always based my characters on me and my friends and family, and created these storylines that I honestly wished were true. In just about all of the stories, the main character (based on me) would always have either a big brother or a twin brother.

I have always wanted a brother my age. Sure, I have a brother. He's my baby brother and I wouldn't trade him for any other brother. But, I wish I had someone to "protect" me. Who would beat the crap out of any guy who dared to hurt me. So I always penned myself with one.

Nowadays, I can't write for anything. No ideas just flow to my mind like they used to. My life has changed so much since then, what with having a child. Since I always based my characters around the people in my life, I find it hard to write about a woman with a child and can't bring myself to write one without a child.

I was on my way with my dad to a Red Wings game this past Thursday and was thinking about what I want in my life. What would my dream future be? I have finally figured out what I want to do in a career and what my dream job would be. I want to major in sports management and minor in marketing. Working with the Red a Wings would be my ULTIMATE dream job, though I would be happy just working with any hockey team. 

This is where my story writing comes in. I have finally found a storyline that I could see myself actually finishing with a real ending. 

I could write about my dream future. I could write about doing my dream job working with a hockey team and falling in love with a hockey player who would my son just as much as he would love me. 

Is it far fetched? Maybe. But aren't most dreams out there? It doesn't mean it's impossible. 

Who knows? With all my research about working with a hockey team and other areas if research, it might become a stepping stone to reality. 

Thanks for reading my long rant. Maybe I will be post some excerpts from my story. :)

Yet another topic

So I have so many topics that I want to talk about, yet never get around to. Despite this, I have yet another topic I want to raise awareness about: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. I will be doing research on all topics this weekend and will be posting at least one post about each of my four topics: Phenlyketonuria, Asperger's Syndrome, Congenital Heart Disease, and COPD. 

I have recently found out the exact reason my maternal grandfather has died 12 years ago from COPD and I would like  to raise some more awareness about the disease, especially since November is COPD awareness month.

I hope everyone will come away from my blogs learning something new.

Things change.

So my little sister got married at 17, just two weeks shy of 18. When she did, it was kind of hard to get used to the idea. My dad and I didn't really like her husband for various reasons. They were also 1000 miles away in Florida. This was 9 months ago.

This weekend, my dad, mom, Kaiden, and I were able to travel to Florida to see my sister. We didn't know what to expect. 

More the most part, we are pleased with what we saw. Their marriage was going well and it was clear to see there was an equal partnership, which was a worry for me because I felt he always spoke for her while they had lived up here. I was so happy to see their communication skills in their marriage was great. Dan was so much more tolerable and it was wonderful to see my father and him get along. I'm so sure that it was a big relief and weight off of my sisters shoulders to have them get along as well. 

I am so glad we were given the opportunity to visit them and see how they are doing.

The only thing I did not like was the area they were living in, but if that's all they can afford right now, it's still a place to live and I know they are grateful for what they have. 

Things have changed, but they have changed for the better and I'm very happy for my sister and brother in law. <3

Apologies

Sorry for lack of posting. Life has been crazy. My laptop has still taken a crap, my phone had been acting up, and I had been moving. 

Just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't forgotten about my posts. 

I will post again as soon as I'm able to. 

My computer sucks

Soooooo.
Again my computer wants to be a pain in my butt. Apparently, I need a new battery.

I never thought about downloading the Blogger app onto my phone until now. So my updates can be more regular than before.

Stephanie, feel better! :) My roomie is sick and needs her rest! Kaiden and I are staying at my parents tonight and watching the Red Wings game.

Well here was a quick update! Be back again soon!

Changes in my life

Hey all!
So it's been awhile since I last updated and I did on PKU and a little about their diet. I was thinking last night about other things that would be considered important for others to know and be aware of. So I've decided to add one more thing to talk about with Asperger's Syndrome and Phenylketonuria.
Congenital Heart Disease. My paternal grandmother passed away due to congenital heart failure in February of 2011. She was and still is very important to me and someone that I admire.

Posts on this will begin soon.

I've been pretty busy working lately and updating my Red Wings blog with preseason games. If you follow that blog, another post on there will be up tonight as the Red Wings take on the Bruins at the Joe Louis Arena.

I've decided it has come time for me to leave the gas station. I haven't officially put in my notice...I'm waiting until my manager comes back from vacation. It's looking like I will be done there in mid-October. I will be working full time for my dad and it will bring less stress and better schedule.

I don't feel like I'm moving anywhere within the company at the gas station. I was supposed to be covering for my manager while she is on vacation, but the higher ups wanted someone else instead of me and I'm tired of waiting around for an opportunity when it feels like excuse after excuse is being made as to why I can't at that time. Although it hasn't been said, I feel like very, very few people really has any faith in what I can do and how I can handle management. Nobody will ever know unless they give me the chance to show and that's not available to me.

So I spoke with my dad about fulltime and he finally has enough for me to do. He needs me more than the gas station does and I know that he will appreciate the hard work that I will be putting into my job with him. At the gas station, there is a salary cap that a cashier can make and I have reached that and have no other way of making more money than moving up.

The sermon my pastor gave last Sunday reminds me of this situation. He was talking about how when your back is against the wall and all options are exhausted, you just gotta move on. I really feel that this applies to me right now. I don't want to be stuck in a job that I make so little with so much stress and bullcrap that I have to put up with.

This is probably one of the best moves for me to do, no matter how hard it will be. I've never quit a job before. I got fired before, yes. But I have never voluntarily walked away from a job. Almost 2 and a half years with a job, knowing that I'm one of her best workers, knowing that she appreciates me...that's what's going to make it hard to do. But I know my manager will understand. She knows being a cashier is not a career.

I'm a single mom. I have to do what is best for my son and I.

Remember to always smile and I hope you are looking forward to my next post! :)

PKU- Food Post #1- Low Protein

Hey all my patient readers!
Finally here is the first post about food that someone with PKU cannot eat.

A low-protein diet is usually prescribed to people with liver or kidney disease, or people with metabolic diseases such as Phenylketonuria. People with PKU need a low-protein diet because of the lack of enzymes that break down the protein within the body. Since protein is needed, a Phenylketonuric gets their protein through powdered mixes. The state of Michigan provides this special mix to my brother for free, a very fortunate thing. These mixes are pretty expensive!

Foods a PKU-er can not have are obviously the high in protein foods such as meat, cheese, eggs, milk, yogurt, peanut butter, etc.
My brother never eats cereal with milk and I always forget when he comes to stay the night. One time, I even poured the milk in his cereal, gave it to him, and he just looked at me like I was crazy. It's normal for me to have it, but not for him.
He doesn't always stick to his diet, though.
Max loves cheese and likes to sneak it. My mom will be cleaning the living room one day and find wrappers from Kraft American cheese single slices. Not just one, but many. It's hard to help him control his diet when his impulses take over and he sneaks foods he knows he shouldn't.
He never eats meat. He has eggs once in a while, but very much or very often. If my mom allows him to have eggs, other foods have to be watched to make sure he doesn't have too much phe in his system.

It is very important to track the amount of phe a PKU-er has a day. This helps ensure he or she gets just the right amount of phe each and every day. Too much or too little of phe can cause major mood swings and changes in behavior. Too much phe can also cause brain damage in a young child. That is another reason why it is very important to start the low-protein diet as early as possible.

I hope this was a good start to understanding types of foods that my brother and others like him can't have. I know it's not much, but that's why it's called a start. ;)

Remember to always smile! :)

Racist?

Hey all.
Soo the good news is that my computer is back up and working! Therefore, more posts will be coming! I still have yet to start on the newest PKU post, again I apologize! Life has had me pretty busy the past few days. Today was my day off, however I was kept busy with getting things done before the trip and seeing one of my best friends and my niece from up north.

My post today is about what happened to me on Thursday at work. It was probably my breaking point at the gas station.
Over two years ago, a neighborhood woman (let's just call her "M") had gotten banned from our store for stealing. This was before I started working there, so I have never met her. She plays a lot of lottery numbers everyday and seeing as how she wasn't allowed in our store anymore, she would have her boyfriend, daughter, daughter's boyfriend, friends, etc. come down to play her numbers.
Well, her boyfriend played them early last week and went to pay for them with his debit card. Well, the card got declined and he said he'd come back to pay for them after work. He never showed and we couldn't cancel the tickets because the drawing had already happened and clearly these numbers were losers or they definitely would have come back to get the tickets.
So my manager decided that we would NOT run any of their numbers until these ones had been paid for. $62 worth!

My manager was at a manager's meeting this day and M's daughter E came in with her boyfriend C. When they came up to pay, I asked if the numbers C wanted me to run was M's. He said yes, and that's when I told them that I was told not to run the numbers.

Wellllllllll. That didn't turn out so well. E got very defensive and started calling me and my coworker Libby racists and that we were discriminating. E and C are black and Libby and I are white.
That wasn't the point whatsoever in this ridiculous argument. I kept saying, no it's not and E kept saying that it was. This goes back and forth until she said, "Ohh you better shut up before I slap the shit out of you."
My manager told me right then and there that I should have called the cops for being threatened.

In the end, the cops were called after being continually harassed by that household and there is now a "No trespass" order put on E. If she came into the store, the cops would instantly be called and she could be arrested. It had gotten that out of hand.

It just irritates me when there are arguments between black people and white people, the word "racist" is just thrown out there. At least in my experience, this is what I have seen. Not all black or white people do this, I know. I just have seen too many situations and have too many experiences with it. I used to work around the "ghetto" type of people who like to argue with the words racist, racism, and discrimination.

I feel that not enough people are actually educated in the definitions of these words.
Racism/Racist: The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
                              (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/racism)

Discrimination: Treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit, partiality, or prejudice.
                              (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Discrimination)


There was absolutely no racism or discrimination going on when I told them that I would not play the lottery numbers for M.
As I kept telling them...just pay the money owed and you can play the numbers again.
Really not that hard.
It really didn't have to go as far as it did.

Situations like this just made me decide not to go for management.
Situations like this just make me lose even more faith in the human race and today's society.
It was absolutely ridiculous.

Well, there's my rant for tonight.
40 hours until we are on our way to VACATION!

Remember to smile. :)

Apologies!

Hey all!
So sorry about the week or so of no activity. Everything's been crazy and a couple of nights ago, my computer decided to act up terribly. Right now, I'm borrowing my dad's company's laptop for the night. Must return it in the morning before working at the gas station. But I will start hand writing posts and put them on here at the next available time.
Speaking of time! I have about 6 more days until Great Wolf Lodge! I'm beyond excited and in dire NEED of a vacation before I snap and hurt someone!

All joking aside, I really do feel the need for one. I feel so overworked lately and just exhausted.
I am actually looking for a new job and hopefully work for my dad longer. I feel like nothing is going to happen with the gas station and with all the bullcrap that has been going on there lately with a bunch of drama that some "grown adult" women in their 40s want to start, it's just very tiring and irritating.
Just like this computer. It's making it very hard to type this post, so this will be it now. Like now, I can't enter to start a new paragraph. Ridiculous. I will start getting a post together tonight about some Phenylketonuria and types of foods PKUers are allowed and not allowed to eat. Remember to smile! :)

The feels.

Hey all!
So after trying this church out yesterday, I LOVE IT!
Yesterday's service actually hit pretty close to home, not only to me but also to my father. If anyone reading this knows the story between my father and my brother-in-law...it's no secret that my dad does not really like him. But there things during yesterday's sermon that stuck to both of us about thoughts about others and how Jesus really cares more about the origin and thoughts from the heart.
So this affected my dad because of my brother in law.
And it affected me because of my feelings towards a previous co-worker of mine.
And the fact that I know my thoughts.
I will admit right now that I just about critically judge anything that I think is weird. Because I don't like it. It's different when it comes to my friends. That's like honestly, if I tell them they are weird because of something they do that I think is strange...it doesn't bother me. I love each one of my friends...best friends or just friends. I love each and every one of them and would not change a single thing because every little thing makes them who they are.
Pastor Gary really struck it to me when he was talking about these thoughts of "I don't like..."
And of course, just giving every struggle, every painful thought, everything to God...and that just made me feel better.
I've honestly felt better since yesterday.
I find myself catching the bad words that about slip my tongue. I catch myself starting to think the, "I don't like..." thoughts. I catch myself starting to stress over things that aren't in my control that I can't change. The things that only God can, but won't be able to until I give my full trust in him.
One of these things is entrusting in him that I won't be single forever. And for me, this is a big issue to just let go of. Basically because I feel like if I let go of it, nothing will happen and I will be single forever.
So that's going to be a slight struggle because I still don't want to wait more years and I still feel like I will be in pain from the void part in my heart where that special someone is supposed to be. And that's what a lot of people don't understand about me.
Even just the thought of letting go of it is giving me a slight anxiety attack.
But that's going to be one of the ultimate tests of my faith in God. Just letting him deal with it.
Doesn't mean that I won't stop looking...just not looking as hard.
Because I truly want to believe my soulmate is out there.
I just don't feel that special.

Another reason why I need to let it go is that it's making my super jealous of my best friends.
I have one best friend who just got married about 2 1/2 weeks ago, one best friend getting married this October, another best friend getting married next year, and another best friend who is getting married in 2015.
I want to be super happy and ecstatic for them. And I am happy for each and every one of them. But I am also incredibly jealous because they have found their soulmate. And that's not fair to them. But it's one of those feelings that I can't just tuck away or hide away. Jealousy is stuck on my heart like a leech.
So that's yet another thing that I need the Lord's help on.

For any readers that do not believe in God...please understand that I am not trying to push my religion and beliefs on to you. What you believe or don't believe is your choice, but I won't hide my beliefs any longer and will express them. My intentions are not set out to try to convert anybody into believing what I believe...but I will not shy away from anyone who sincerely wants help and guidance in that area of faith.

I am starting to forgive myself, but still have a long way to go.

Remember to smile! :)

Church and Customer Appreciation Day

Hey all!
So today is when I try out a new church for me and see how I like it. Every church I've been too so far has either been too big where you don't really know anyone or too small and the people are judgmental of the fact that I am an unwed, young, single mother. This church is supposed to be "alternative" which basically means non-judgmental...so I'm excited to try it out and see.
My dad and youngest sister are going too!

Onto Customer Appreciation Day!
Every year, my company does Customer Appreciation Days at all of our stores, where there are giveaways for cool prizes and free food! This year, our theme is "Pit Crew" which for us is a play on our store name of the Pit Stop. What's cool about it is that the Mobil 1 racecar will be at our store for customers to see. :) So we get to have cool shirts that say "Pit Crew" on them and one of my co-workers is going to do live music. He's really good!

This happens on Wednesday for us and so I will post pictures of that day because I will definitely be taking some!

When songs do this.

Hey all!
Ever had a song that you just happen to randomly hear as you're listening to the radio, phone, ipod, etc, and it's like it just relates so well to your life at that moment in time?
I love when songs do that. They just seem to jump out at you more and make you feel better in a way...and gives you a new song that you can feel like you connect to.

Some of the songs that do that to me are mostly country music (of course!).

"I got off track, I made mistakes. Backslipped my way into that place where souls get lost, lines get crossed, and the pain won't go away. I hit my knees now here I stand, there I was now here I am. Changed." Changed by Rascall Flatts.

"I'm changed for the better. More smiles, less bitter. I'm even starting to forgive myself." Changed by Rascall Flatts.

"He's mine, that one. Got a wild-hair side and then some. There's no surprise what he's done. He's every last bit of my old man's son (throw in daughter instead). And I'll take the blame and claim him everytime. Yeah he's mine and he will always be the best thing that ever happened to me. You can't turn it off like electricity. I love him unconditionally." He's Mine by Rodney Atkins.

Those are just a couple of songs that I can remember to make examples of for right now. I'm getting pretty tired and thinking about heading to bed soon!

Remember to smile! :)

Testing my patience.

Hey all!

So after yesterday...I really believe that God was testing my patience. Anybody that really knows me knows that I have just about no patience at all. I absolutely hate waiting and I absolutely hate being bored.

Well...I was straight bored for about 5 hours yesterday, seeing as how I was stuck on the side of the highway because of a blown tire in my dad's work van. I was coming back from Chicago with a really expensive rotator for a forklift and some forks. Going 70-80 miles per hour, I am lucky that I was able to control the van and move to the side of the highway with no other damage done to the van, other cars, or myself.
Unfortunately, I moved to the wrong side of the highway. Since I was passing people in the left lane, that's where the tire blew so I moved to the median.
Then my dad called a local tire company (since I was an hour south from home), he told them it was an emergency and they said they were hurrying. Well it had gotten to be an hour and my dad had given me the phone number to call them and so I did. They told me there was a call ahead of me and that it would be another hour/hour and half before they got out there.
Mind you, I'm in a hot van with no A/C, no water...just warm pop. I was also wearing black sweatpants because I thought it was going to be a cooler day. I was wrong.
So I'm sitting there already for two and half hours before the tire company FINALLY shows. They put the tire on, and then we went to check the mileage. T
The battery was dead.
Frick.
Tire guy doesn't have jumper cables, the van didn't have jumper cables. So my dad called his mechanic that was a half hour away from me and he came with his jumper box. Still had to wait there another 45ish minutes.
The jumper box didn't work and he had no cables.
You can probably imagine that by this time, my dad is angry, and I was crying.
I just wanted to go home.
Well, Doug and I went to get a new battery. And that got installed in the van and I was finally on my way after 5 hours.

So I fully believe God was testing my patience. Not that I had much a choice really. But still.

So that's an update on me right now. I have to get off and get ready for work. I got a short Saturday shift that an hour of it is taken up by the store meeting. So that will make it go by faster. Not to mention I have one other person with me at the whole time.
I have tomorrow off. I will be going to church, then home to clean. So I'm sure there will be at least one post on the Asperger's and one post on PKU.

So everyone remember to smile! :)

Changes!

Hey all!
I've decided today that there are going to be some pretty good changes in my life.
I have been talking lately about trying to move up in the company I currently work for...but today has made me wonder if I really want to be a manager at one of our stores. There were some things that were missing and it was a big deal. My manager even cried out of frustration. I don't want to be like that.
I chose to go towards management because I felt that was the only position I could have that was better than a cashier.
Today, I've started to look at other jobs. Something that pays better and can give me ONE fulltime job instead of two part time ones. I'm exhausted between the two and it's not fair to me or my son to give all my energy to work.
My patience has worn very thin...and I'm not sure that I can wait longer for the higher ups to see that I would be ready to accept a management position in some way. I have a son I need to make a better life for. As it is, I'm still technically considered low-income...but I'm getting closer to lower-middle class...I want to be out of poverty.

I have dreams of owning my own home and other things like a boat and beach house.
I'm not saying these things will MAKE my happiness...they are things that I've ALWAYS wanted since I was young.

I have also decided to go back to church and I am going to try out this church nearby. I've seen floats of theirs in our July 4 parade the past couple of years, and I just checked out their website and I am very interested in seeing if this is the church that I can belong to.

We will see on Sunday! :)

Remember to smile! :)

Asperger's Syndrome Introduction

Hey all!
Here is my post about Asperger's syndrome.
Asperger's Syndrome belongs to the group of disorders called pervasive developmental disorders, along with Autism. Somebody with this type of disorder may find it difficult to make friends because of social awkwardness and lack of understanding of social cues that is naturally picked up and learned by somebody who does not have a developmental disorder of any sort. Because of this, a person with Asperger's may find it also difficult to relate to anyone else.

Symptoms listed on WebMD.com about Asperger's Syndrome include the following:
-Very hard time relating to others.
-Like fixed routines.
-May not recognize verbal or non-verbal cues or understand social norms.
-May have a flat style of speech.
-May lack coordination, facial expressions, and body postures.
-May be clumsy.
-May have poor handwriting or other motor skills (such as riding a bike).
-May have one or a few interests, or may focus intensely on a few things.
-May be bothered by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes and textures.

I compared these symptoms to my sister, Gabrielle, who has actually been diagnosed by a doctor with Asperger's Syndrome.

-I do believe and see that she does have a hard time relating to others. There are certain things that she believes should be handled in a certain way. This is because that's how she feels she would handle whatever the situation is if it happened to her. She seems to have a hard time understanding there are other factors that goes in different types of situations...that others have different backgrounds than she does.

-I personally asked her if she prefers fixed routines over unstructured routines. She replied that she likes a fixed routine because it "feels...better. It's neater, I like things with neatness and organization."

-Having a hard time relating to others and not recognizing social cues or norms, to me, go hand-in-hand with each other. Gabrielle has no filter on her mouth. She will say whatever comes to her mind without thinking if it's appropriate to say or not. This has gotten her in trouble in relationships with friends and family, and with her teachers at school.

-I don't see any flat style of speech with her. Her pitch and tone do not seem the same all time...it changes. She does use some "bigger" words for simple things that kids her age normally wouldn't use...but I don't know if I would say that's because of her Asperger's.

-I had to ask her if she felt that she is clumsy because I am not around her all the time and from when I am around her...she doesn't seem to be anymore clumsy than I am. But according to her, "Actually, I am. Just ask Audrie and Zach, they could fill you all in on that!" Audrie is one of her best friends and Zach is her boyfriend who also has Asperger's Syndrome.

-Her handwriting is...very poor! Enough said. Anybody would be able to tell you this.

-I asked about her interests and focus on things. She replied, "Yes, I focus on the littlest details, and will spaz out when something's off. I have a big interest in angels and Bakura (some anime character). I draw them all the time. Oh, writing and drawing are also my fascination."

-I also had to ask about being bothered by loud noise, lights, etc. She replied, "I hate the feel of jeans, and light stroking touches on my arms and legs. I also don't like extremely bright lights, or flickering lights. Some smells I don't like, but I like peaceful smells. And I hate loud chewing and snoring and anything blaring in my ears (music doesn't count.)"

This is all I am doing for this post, since it's such a LONG one, but very informational!
Sorry for the length!
Remember to smile! :)

What a weekend it has been!

Hey all!

So I broke a promise. I said I'd post this weekend with some Asperger's info. Thing is, I was very busy and also not feeling good!
I watched my cousin's daughter overnight Friday and all day Saturday. She is one very active, energized, talkative 7 year old. I love her dearly, but man! I was kept on my toes with that one.
I took her, my son, my brother, and my sister to Lake Michigan in the early afternoon, and then to a local park that has a pretty cool playground and splash pad. So most of my day was spent outside and I got SUNBURNED!
Sunday, my brother, son, my grandfather, and I went to John Ball Park Zoo. Later on that day, the sunburn really got to me and I felt sick to my stomach and sooo tired from Saturday with lack of sleep. I ended up passing out earlier than I usually do which helped because I got a lot of sleep and made me well rested for today at work.

Today, I learned that beginning Thursday, I will be refreshed on how to do the deposits and paperwork so I will be able to do them when my manager is on vacation. This gives me a chance to show my district manager that I can do the job and show her how I handle it and hopefully encourage her that I AM ready to move up in the company.

Meanwhile, I am just getting by in work...working hard and sometimes longer than usual so I can get things paid off and move on in my life. I am hoping that by next July I may be able to own my own house!

Well that's all for this post. In a few minutes I will be uploading a post introducing Asperger's Syndrome!

Remember to smile! :)

It could always be worse.

Hey all!

So I know I complain about being single like all the time. But today just really put me back into the reality that I actually do have it good. I have a job, I have family, I have friends, I have shelter, I have food, I have the necessities in life.

Today, my manager had to leave the store in late morning to take care of a family emergency with her mother and one of my friends came into my work crying because of an uncle passing away, two days after also losing her cousin.

I am very fortunate to not have had any family emergencies or deaths of close ones. Being single is nothing compared to those hard times and I give thanks to the Lord for all that I have going for me.

If you are very down about anything, remember...IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE!

Remember to smile! :)

Not sure

When I see people with their significant other... It makes me want to have my own boyfriend. And I do want to get married one day. But just the whole thought of getting to know someone and going through that awkward first part really scares me.

I may want a boyfriend...but I'm not desperate. I won't take the first guy to give me a compliment or say hi. It takes something special for me to connect with them. I need that connection.

I'm not a toy.

I'm not here to be used.

So I build up walls. And only the guy meant for me will be able to tear them completely down. 

I apparently have to wait...something I HATE doing. 

But need to do nonetheless. 

With that tidbit of thought..

Good Night for me! 

What a week

Hey all!
Again, I'm sorry for the lack of regular posts. It's been a crazy week. I've been training one of my friends at work and it's going awesome. Tomorrow is my last day training her and next week she goes on her first solo shift and trains on opening and closing the store with a couple of my co-workers.
Yesterday, Kaiden and I went to the park for about two hours and it was kind of nice until I got tired and my legs started hurting.

I am so looking forward to my vacation in a few weeks. I need the break from work, refresh, and recharge!

Well, that's all I got the energy to write for right now.

As always, thanks for reading!

Sorry

Hey all, sorry about lack of posting.
It's been a very emotional and stressing week. But at least the week is almost done and soon will be my day off on Saturday. I will try to post more the next few days...but if not..don't worry! I'll be back on Saturday for sure! I'll even have interesting stuff for you to read about work and about Asperger's Syndrome.

Hope your week is going better than mine!

Love is CERTAINLY in the air! Except for me.

So, I have had one best friend get engaged some months ago, another best friend also get engaged some time ago, another best friend get married yesterday, and now, a 4th best friend just got engaged last night!


Although I'm VERY much happy for each and every one of them...I still can't help but wonder when will be my turn? I keep being told that my day will come, there's someone out there for me, I just gotta be patient, etc...but none of those reasons give me any sense of contentment, hope. In fact, each and every day, it tears at me a little bit and a little bit more. I can't help but honestly feel that my time will never come.

Honestly. I don't think I'll ever get the chance to live my dream of becoming married, have a man love me, and have more kids...

I just don't understand why I'm not allowed to be loved in that sort of way. :(

Well...
as always, thanks for reading..

hey all. i apologize for the ill punctuation in this post. i am currently posting on my phone and it does not allow me the ability to do such. i came to post because i just wanted to say that i created a new blog just about the detroit red wings. i will post the address for that blog later, or you can just visit my profile and see my new blog there. i hope you all enjoy.

Phenylketonuria Talk

Hey everyone!
As promised, I'm going to post more about Phenylketonuria.
I have already said that PKU is a rare, inherited metabolic disease that someone is born with only if either both parents are carriers (as is the case with my parents) or one of the parents actually have the disease themselves.

Early detection is important, as letting it continue on with no intervention will lead to brain damage. Not to worry, though! Every hospital in the United States is now required to include testing for PKU as part of the newborn screening. A PKU test is done within the first two days of the baby's birth. All that is done is pricking the heel of the baby and collecting some blood samples and sending them off to the laboratory for testing.

PKU is classified in a few different groups. The first group is called Classical PKU. This the most severe and common form of PKU. My brother, Max, belongs as part of this group. Their dietary restrictions are higher than either of the other groups. The second group is called Mild or Moderate PKU. Their dietary restrictions are in the middle range, more than the third group but not as much as the Classical form. The third group is called Benign PKU. My 18 year old sister has a best friend is part of this group, where there is no dietary restrictions, but still have the morphed gene of PKU.

Dietary restrictions are SUPER important. It matters very much how much protein one gets...as a Phenylketonuric does not have the ability to break down protein and Phenylalanine.

I will post more about what types of foods someone with PKU can and can not eat too much of, later.

Below are links to the websites where I got this information. If interested, you can check out more about PKU as well!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/phenylketonuria/DS00514/DSECTION=tests-and-diagnosis
http://www.npkua.org/index.php/pku-facts

As always, thanks for reading!
<3

Wedding!!!

Hey everyone!
Today is my best friend's wedding!!!!!! :) I'm super excited to see her get married to the love of her and Dallas' life. Today is going to be amazing. :)
Sorry that this post is short, I will be posting more later on today and maybe even add a picture of the bride and groom.!

I hope today finds everybody well!

As always, thanks for reading!
<3

Busy day!

Hey everyone!
Today's been a busy day for me. After having two days off from the gas station...it felt like a Monday to me today. I was very happy to find out that I don't have to work on Sunday so I actually have a FULL weekend off! No place of work is going to find me there before 7:55 am on Monday!
Not to mention, I was "training" a new girl today and all next week. I say "training" because she actually worked at another of our stores before and so it's more of a refreshment for her.

That means that I get to take my VACATION! First week of September, my roomies, my son, and I are going to Great Wolf Lodge, pretty much an indoor water park and hotel. The week after, my manager is taking a vacation and I get to run the store in her absence. HOPEFULLY! Fingers crossed that my district manager lets me?

So yeah, I'm pretty excited.
With my next two days off, I'll be attending one of my best friend's wedding!, and go see my baby cousin again. <3 :)


http://www.nicumomssupport.com/

The above link is to the pre-mentioned best friend's blog! She's all about premature babies, after having her own preemie who I'm proud to call my nephew. :)

And below is a picture of Baby Kaiden. :) My newest little cousin. <3

 

 

This weekend, I will also be posting more about PKU and started posting about Asperger's Syndrome. :)

 

As always, thanks for reading!

<3

Randoms

Hey all!
Today as I was driving, I saw a woman pushing a baby in a stroller almost get hit by a Hummer because the driver was not paying attention to the fact that she had the right of way to cross at the intersection. Thankfully she was paying attention to stop walking when she noticed the driver was going to turn and not wait for them. I didn't hear what the lady was saying, but it was clear by her body language that she was angry. I can't blame her. I'm a other and I would feel the exact same way and tell the driver off as well. It's sad that there are so many drivers such as the person driving that Hummer that do not pay attention to their driving. That's how accidents happen.

On a different subject...how many of you have had some type of experience that you felt was paranormal? I swear that my dad's shop is "haunted." There have been quite a few occurences, like hearing voices and knocking on doors when no one is around, etc. One time, I have even walked into the parts room (located in a corner of the shop) and immediately heard my name whispered very clearly into my ear. It made me stop and look around instinctively.
I bring this up because when I got back to the shop from driving for a part earlier, I walked into the shop and heard what sounded like Joan (my dad's secretary) talking in the parts room. When I walked into the office, however, she was there at her desk...talking to no one. When I asked her about it, she said she hadn't left the office and that she thought she heard ME talking in the shop.
CREEEEEEEEEPY!
Also, as I was taking my short paid break and reading a book, Divergence, I happened to look up at the same time the door opened and no one was there doing it. It had been completely shut and no drafts whatsoever were going through the shop. Sure enough, I was so freaked out that I refused to continue working in the shop, punched out and continued reading until closing.

Now that I'm at home, I can relax and hopefully go to bed early to catch up on sleep. I'm exhausted.

Later!
<3

August 1, 2013

Hello all!
Today started with me actually being very lazy. I slept in, which felt so great, and just laid in bed for another 45 minutes after waking up. I finally got up to get ready for work and dropped my Kaiden off at my parents' house and headed to my dad's shop. It is honestly quite boring here sometimes. It can get kind of lonely. There is my dad's secretary and I enjoy talking with her...but then I never get stuff done. Today, my goal is trying to tackle the task of organizing the parts room, writing orders for parts, labeling more things, and trying to get rid of a mess of filters in the shop area that my dad has been bugging me about for over a month now.

Pretty exciting stuff, yeah?

Part of my job for my dad is to make sure my Grandpa has his pills. Today, I went to go fill a new weeks worth and found him sleeping in bed just a little before 11am. This is kind of unusual for him...and has me a little worried. He is currently in a nursing home since he can't exactly take care of himself entirely. He is one of their most independent residents and does not need much assisting, but needs enough assisting that he can no longer live by himself and take of his own self.

Two years ago, his wife of 50 years passed away. She was wonderful woman! She was very much loved by everyone she has come into contact with. A very Christianly lady who loved everyone and always saw the best in all. Her funeral brought many, many people and I miss her so incredibly much each and everyday. If I miss her this much, I can't imagine how much Grandpa misses her. She was the love of his life.

I could honestly go on and on about my Grandmother and all that she has done...but that will just have to be a post in the future.

She would have turned 80 years old two days ago on July 30.
<3

Later!
<3

Nights when I can't sleep.

Ever have those nights where you are laying in bed trying to sleep...but thoughts keep running through your head and won't shut up so you can get some shut eye? Tonight is one of hose nights. I'll feel so tired but when it comes to actually closing my eyes to fall asleep...I just can't. I have so many things running through my mind. Today was my very rare day off from both jobs in the middle of the week. I was so looking forward to spending much of the day in my room. But that is far from what happened.

Around 8:30am I took my roomie and a best friend to work down the street. Conveniently her work was right next to a Meijer so I figured I would go in and find something to bring my newest baby cousin. Couldn't find anything I really liked in a decent price range, but did run into another best friend. 

(I will explain right now that I do have 6 friends that I consider to be my best!)

Tay and I chatted for a bit as she worked and I finally left her in peace (lol!) and went home to get ready to visit my cousin Alex's new baby boy. Note this now...I leave my house about 10:30am. 

I go to Once Upon A Child and find very cute clothes for baby Kaiden. (First double name in my large family)

I get to the hospital about 11:45ish and stay until about 2:45. I did not want to stop holding the precious little boy. :) 

After the hospital, my dad calls and needs me to run some parts to his mechanic that is about an hour south of us..making it a two hour trip. NOT how I wanted to spend my day off...working. On my trip back, I talked another best friend and she was having trouble being able to get the things she needed for her wedding that is THIS Saturday. (EEK!) :) I spent a few hours with her and did not get back home until a little after 9:30. 

I had a very active day. But I am glad that I got to see some important and wonderful people and speak to two other best friends via phone and texting today as well. All I needed to do was talk to Jackie somehow and I would have talked to each of my best friends all in one day. That, readers, is a rare occurrence. 

Well now that I have been able to vent out some of those racing thoughts...I suppose I should try and get some shut eye. 

Good night, all! 

Thanks for reading.

<3

The introduction to Phenylketonuria

Hey everyone!

I just want to start out my journey of blogging with a topic that is very dear to my heart: Phenylketonuria. As I have mentioned in my first post, my 13 year old brother has PKU. I feel that it is important for as many people as possible to know and understand PKU, as anybody could be a carrier of the gene and not know it until their child is born with PKU. My family has never heard of the disease until my brother was born and sent us through a blind journey.

Phenylketonuria is an autosomal recessive genetic defect that affects in 1 in 10,000-20,000 in the United States. If untreated, PKU can lead to brain damage. There is no "cure" for PKU...it is a lifelong disease and is treated with powdered formula mix and dietary restrictions.

Max drinks his formula through a sippy cup/water bottle because, to be very frank, the formula STINKS. But it's where he gets his protein from. My brother has the most severe type of PKU that is called Classic Phenylketonuria. He can not have meat or a lot of dairy products. He has to watch his Phe levels in all that he eats. If he has too much Phe in his system, he will have the biggest mood swings and attitude I have ever seen.

I can NOT stress enough how important it is to control levels of Phe beginning at an early age.

That is as far as I'm going to go for tonight. It's getting late for me and I have work in the morning! I hope everyone has a good night and hope I have sparked enough interest in learning more about PKU.

Thanks for your time!
<3

Here is a picture of my baby brother and I!

Introduction

Hey everyone!
My name is Olivia and this is actually my very first time blogging. One of my best friends, Chrissy, has introduced me to blogging and I've decided to give it a try!
A few things about me: I'm a single mom of a very handsome and silly 4 year old boy named Kaiden. I work two jobs- the first for my dad with his forklift mechanic business, and the second with a local chain of gas station convenience stores in West Michigan. At my dad's work, I am the Parts Manager and Administrative Assistant. I pretty much restock mechanics on a daily basis, run parts to customers, pick up parts, and do whatever errand my dad needs me to do. At the gas station, I am a cashier who is aspiring to move up into management. I'm basically my manager's right hand girl, a person my co-workers turn to when they have questions...my manager always brags about how I know just about everything about our store, even about things that she has no clue how to handle.

I am the oldest of four kids. I have an 18 year old sister (Sydney)who is married and living in Florida, a 15 year old sister (Gabrielle) who has Asperger's Syndrome, and a 13 year old brother (Max) who has Phenylketonuria (PKU). My dad, Gabby, and I are pretty avid Red Wings fans. I love my hockey and I personally don't believe there is any better sport.

On this blog, I will mainly be talking about the things I have just mentioned above. My son, siblings, work, family, Red Wings, Asperger's Syndrome, and PKU.

I hope I don't disappoint any readers!!

Thanks for your time.
<3