I Confess...I Am Blessed

<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/FridayConfessionalMamarazzi.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>I Confess...

Today is Big Daddy's Birthday and there are so many things I truly love about him.

I love how he works so hard to take care of our family and provide us with comfort and safety. He has an ugly long commute in a car that is falling apart but he never complains. He picks up extra shifts whenever he can so we can do fun things and see fun places.
I REALLY love that he is always up for trying something new, like a mud run...
I love that he is handy and can do DIRTY jobs like maintaining our cars...
I love that he is also really sweet with Coco, she is def a daddy's girl...
I love how kind and sweet he is with my Mima. He always takes the time for a story she has told a million times especially the one where she met him before me and knew he would be perfect for me. Which isn't true, but he always smiles and says, "Yep, you knew before any of us that we were a perfect match, thank you for that."
I love how he is handling the teen years with our darling daughter. It has been rough to watch them from afar but he is taking it all in stride and their relationship is a beautiful thing.
I Confess...

She really is growing up soooo fast, she turned 17 yesterday...these days are long gone but she is still and always will be his little girl. I love the work he put into her early years, the Daddy/Daughter dates and always being the one to take her to and from school. This is one of my fave pics of our little family (you can see me in the reflection of his sunglasses).
I Confess...

He is my best friend. There is no one I would rather spend time with than him. It doesn't even matter what we are doing...as long as we are together...
I love that he will do ANYTHING for our nieces and nephews. Anything...even magic.
I Confess...

We moved here to be closer to family and be a bigger part of our nieces and nephews lives. I love love love that the boys will call Big Daddy to do something with them for Scouts or just to see if he can take them to the skate park. The love they have for him and the love he has for them is a beautiful thing.

He is also ridiculously handsome...just saying.
I Confess...

I even think this face is sexy...I am easy like that.
Happy Birthday to my wonderful, smart, sexy, funny, generous, supportive, loving, handsome, brilliant, HILARIOUS, fantastic husband. My Happily Ever After! I love love love you, I am so thankful to have you as my best friend and my everything. Thanks for loving me the way that you do, it is perfectly perfect. I am so blessed.

Dental Anxiety?

I use to really enjoy going to the dentist. Getting my teeth cleaned, walking away with a prize and I especially loved hearing that my smile was perfect. No need for braces on this girl.

Then I had a dental emergency in my young adult years. My wisdom teeth came in FAST and broke a molar. I didn't have dental insurance and the broken tooth wasn't taken care of and abscessed. The pain was unbearable. By the time I went in to the dentist the only option left was to have the tooth removed. Three weeks later I had my wisdom teeth removed and suddenly I found myself scared to go to the dentist.

For the first time in my life I had a serious dental anxiety and honestly, I am nervous about going ever since. From one bad dental experience in my life, I haven;t had a serious problem since, but I STILL carry anxiety.

After talking to family and friends I found out I was not alone. A lot of people have dental anxiety.

A quick search on Top Dentists lead me to this VERY helpful information about Dental Anxiety, so I thought I would share it with y'all...

“Nothing personal, Doc, but I hate the dentist!” Have you ever said this? Dentists hear it every day. Most don’t take it personally because they understand that many people have a fear – or even phobia – of the dentist, which most likely stems from past dental baggage and unpleasant experiences.

Many of today’s dentists try to help people enjoy the process of dental care by minimizing discomfort. They know that many patients had bad experiences with fillings or tooth extractions as a kid. Even though today’s techniques are much different, these phobias become ingrained in people.

Combatting Dental PhobiasMany dentists now use nitrous oxide as a mild sedative to facilitate relaxation. Patients also get flavored topical anesthetics that are applied for five minutes and completely anesthetize the tissue before they get injections that will numb them up. Today’s treatment rooms are also much more comfortable. Patients can wear sunglasses to decrease visual stimulation and listen to music through headphones. This is called audio analgesia. These types of visual and auditory analgesia help to take the edge off.

Another cool trick: when a dentist gives an injection, they can wiggle your lip or use a machine to vibrate the tissue to further confuse the nerves, so you feel wiggling and vibration and not pain.

Medication to Calm the Fear
Many dentists are now using anxiolytic agents (in pill form) to relax patients before and during their appointments. These drugs make people feel sleepy and help produce a more relaxed state so their dental work can be completed. These medications include Valium, Alprazolam, Ativan and Clonazepam, as well as sleeping agents like Halcion, Sonata and Ambien.

Lastly, there is intra-venous sedation, which uses sedative hypnotics and muscle relaxants to fully sedate people for their dentistry. Most people are familiar with this because it’s what’s often used for wisdom tooth extractions.

So don’t let your fear keep you out of the dentist’s chair! Instead, openly discuss your fears with your dentist and allow him to help you figure out what will make you comfortable while you receive the treatment you need.

If you also suffer from dental anxiety I totally recommend using Top Dentists to help you find the perfect Dentist for you that will help calm your fears and provide you with extra gentle dental care.

More Would You Rather? WWTK wk69

Welcome to We Want to Know. Wednesday's Q&A

Hosted by Mamarazzi and Crazymama<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/WWTKbutton-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="null"></a></center>Would You Rather was soooo much fun last time that I, Mamarazzi, thought we would play again for this week's We Want To Know questions...

{one} WYR...Never be able to look in the mirror again or always get dressed in total darkness?
{two} WYR...Receive $50 a day for the rest of your life or $50,000 right here and now?
{three} WYR...Have extreme narcolepsy or have a bad case of tourette's?
{four} WYR...Be able to rewind 24 hrs 3 times a year or consciously control your dreams?
{five} WYR...Be fluent in every language around the world or be the best in the world in a category of your choosing?


{one} WYR...Never be able to look in the mirror again or always get dressed in total darkness?
Getting dressed in total darkness is something I could adjust to. Never looking in the mirror again would be a hard adjustment. I can hardly pass a reflection without looking at myself. Is that totally vain, or totally normal?

{two} WYR...Receive $50 a day for the rest of your life or $50,000 right here and now?
$50 a day. It would add up quick if I wanted to save for something, or I could easily blow it everyday too. Lunch with friends one day, pedicures the next...having the extra cash daily would be rad.

{three} WYR...Have extreme narcolepsy or have a bad case of tourette's?
I already blame my potty mouth on Tourette's Syndrome all the time. Might as well make it legit. Much better than falling asleep all the time with narcolepsy, I might miss something.

{four} WYR...Be able to rewind 24 hrs 3 times a year or consciously control your dreams?
Rewind...All. The. Way. There are so many really great days that I would love to do over and enjoy again and the occasional bad day that I would like to rewind and change. I already have pretty good control of my dreams tho, I don't always remember them.

{five} WYR...Be fluent in every language around the world or be the best in the world in a category of your choosing?
How awesome would it be to be fluent in ALL languages? I would love that. To be able to just walk up to someone and start talking would be so cool and make traveling way easy!!

Happy For a Little "Normal"

<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/MyHappyList-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>This week Big Daddy has training for work so he has a "normal" schedule. He usually works 10pm-6am but this week he works 6am-2pm. I am so HAPPY that we are sleeping at night and working during the day.

I usually work and sleep when he works and sleeps but this will be changing NEXT week when school starts. So having this week to get on a "normal" schedule is awesome.

But having late afternoons and early evenings together is what really makes me HAPPY. I love love love love this schedule.

Big Daddy and J have their birthdays this week. Celebrating people I love makes me VERY HAPPY!

J has plans with friends. She is turning 17 y'all. SEVENTEEN! Can you believe that? It is kind of blowing my mind a little. I was a little sad when she didn't want to try and make plans to hang out with us. Then I was HAPPY she has friends who want to do something special with her. J doesn't really have people on "that side" of the family who help her foster friendships, so she has a hard time making and keeping friends. Knowing she has something she is looking forward to and won't just be "hanging out at home" is fantastic!

Big Daddy and I will be making our way to my in laws B&B for a few days...one of our HAPPY places for sure! We will spend some time in San Francisco...HAPPY.

AND

We are going to meet up with Crazymama and her Hubz who will be in San Francisco on business. I cannot wait to "meet" Crazymama. She is one of my very first readers when I started blogging waaaaaaaaaaay back in 2007 and I just love love love her! I am so HAPPY we are finally going to meet face to face and bask in each others FABULOUSness. Seriously, it is gonna be RAD!

Speaking of bloggy friends...we went and picked up some mail at our old house (Big Daddy's cousin is renting it now) and there was a birthday card in there that has been waiting for me since April. My sweet friend Aubrey from High-Heeled Love. What a fun surprise!! I sent her a note right away thanking her, she was probably wondering why I hadn't thanked her this whole time...embarrassing. Thanks Aubrey, Good Mail makes me VERY HAPPY!!

So HAPPY things going on now and HAPPY things to look forward to makes this weeks list very HAPPY!

REMINDER: This is the last week to enter my giveaway for a $50 Target Card! The winner will be selected and notified via email on Sept 1 (so make sure your email is enabled).

I Confess...It Is Recycled.

<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/FridayConfessionalMamarazzi.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>I Confess...

I am TOTALLY recycling this post from back in 2010...because I love you and I have nothing to confess this week. It is 6am Friday morning and this post is just now going up.

I was going to skip it but I knew y'all would be by for the linky and well, I love you and did n't want to let you down.

You. Are. Welcome.

My big confession is...

I MIGHT be addicted to adding speech bubbles and text to pictures of Big Daddy.

Purely for my own amusement. Well, and for YOUR amusement too...of course.

He really is a good sport about it. He even has a Facebook album dedicated to all of the "comic strips" I have created.

Cuz he is super awesome like that.

And he is SEXY...see?

One day he came home with this HUGE burrito.

I said, "Whoa, that is like the size of the puppy!"

He disagreed.

Then he held Coco in one hand and his massive burrito in the other.

They weighed the same.

Big Daddy takes our nephews to the skate park a lot each Summer. He thinks because he WATCHES them skate and do tricks that he can do them too.

Hmm...what do you think?!

Chillin' while Illin' WWTK wk68

<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/WWTKbutton-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="null"></a></center>
As you may know Crazymama had a few weeks of bed rest and a miscarriage leading to two surgeries She is on the mend but it all left her wondering how others deal with illness/ medical drama. So here are Crazymama's questions for this week:

1. If you are sick in bed how do you entertain yourself? TV, books, sleep?
2. Do you share your medical drama with the world or keep it to yourself?
3. Do you pray, send healing thoughts & hugs or good vibes to friends when they are ill or sad?
4. If someone offers to bring in dinner to you or your family, do you let them?
5. If you could ask for any meal or treat when you were sick/sad/healing, what would it be?

1. If you are sick in bed how do you entertain yourself? TV, books, sleep?
Most of the time if I am in bed I am sleeeeeping...or trying to. We don't have a TV in our bedroom, since we don't have a problem coming up with our own entertainment in there. Yeah, I said it.

If I have a cold or flu or something I try to get as much sleep as I can, it knocks it out faster the more good sleep I have. But in between I will catch up on my recorded shows or watch the Hallmark channel for some sappy movies.

2. Do you share your medical drama with the world or keep it to yourself?
The serious stuff I keep to myself. My family would be shocked if they knew how much I have kept to myself regarding my health and how many miscarriages etc. I have had. People might feel like they have a right to know everything that goes on in a loved one's life, but I disagree.

3. Do you pray, send healing thoughts & hugs or good vibes to friends when they are ill or sad?
All of that. If I say I am praying for someone, prayers are going up on their behalf. Sometimes that is ALL we can do for one another...and in reality it is a lot.

4. If someone offers to bring in dinner to you or your family, do you let them?
Yes. Though an offer is rare. I think I have made more meals for people than I have ever received, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be of service to someone.

5. If you could ask for any meal or treat when you were sick/sad/healing, what would it be?
My mom's chicken and dumplings...both J and Big Daddy know how to make MY Feel Better Chicken Noodle Soup recipe and it is goooood. But I love me some chicken and dumplings when I am not feeling well...especially my mom's, but I haven't had her recipe in like 20 yrs.

Happy THAT Is Over!

<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/MyHappyList-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>Did you see my NEW deal for Sponsors? Check it out ---->>> over there on the sidebar. I will be making a BIG announcement and hosting a giveaway soon, but you can check the details by clicking that "Your Ad Here" button...you don't want to miss this!

Now on to My Happy List...

Oh. My. Goodness.

What a weekend. I had a 3 day migraine that had me feeling like chopping my own head off.

I am so HAPPY that it is finally gone and that by the time you are reading this the whackadoodle side affects of the meds will be gone.

I hope.

I am so HAPPY to live close to family.

Big Daddy worked a double shift so that meant I really didn't see him for a few days. Overtime makes me HAPPY, I love the extra money...but I miss Big Daddy, especially when I am not feeling well.

My sister Amy came over and took care of me. She brought me some food, that actually stayed down and a Mr Tall Dark and Handsome...

Diet Pepsi from a fountain, over iceballs, in a cup with a lid and a straw.

Hellooooo lover!

I really appreciate that Amy took the time to check in on me, she didn't have to do that.

My whole family had been gathered to celebrate the August birthdays in our family...we have 5.

So it was nice of Amy to think of me after the celebration and bring by a little love and throw the ball for Coco for a little while.

Which made Coco VERY Happy...it also gave Coco a little time off from "taking care of Mama"
This happens to be an older pic (I miss my long hair) but she is usually WAY up in my grill whenever I get sick.

Coco's love makes me HAPPY.

But when you have a migraine that won't go away and a 7lb Chiweenie sitting on your head it is hard to find the HAPPY in it all.

I am also HAPPY that I am well enough to take my CPR training today!

Once I get that certification we can schedule our home visit for the last step of our Foster/Adopt license. HAPPY!!

More on the private blog...have you been following me there?

So what is making your Happy List this week?

I Confess, So Please Forgive Me?

<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/FridayConfessionalMamarazzi.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>I Confess...

I feel like I am being the worst bloggy friend ever.

I use to pride myself on replying to ALL comments via email (IF the comment came from a cool blogger, being cool means you have your email enabled).

I use to also follow everyone who commented on my blog back to their blogs to leave a little reciprocal comment love.

I Confess...

I use to spend sooooo much time doing this. I would give up sleep, housework, whatever to get it all in.

I Confess...

I really enjoy the friendship and connection with my fellow bloggers.

Lots of you have become my real life friends and I cannot imagone my world without you in it.

So I am feeling the guilt.

I Confess...

I have a hard time finding balance when it comes to blogging.

I LOVE blogging....100% because of the friendships I have made.

I Confess...

I feel like y'all have been so wonderful and supportive, I really appreciate that.

I have LOVED watching your children grow and celebrating milestones with you.

I adore you for sharing yourselves.

I Confess...

I am going to really TRY to get back to the blogging I love and get better about email replies and comment reciprocation.

Because I love you, yes YOU.

Can you forgive me?

Would You Rather? WWTK wk67

Welcome to We Want to Know. Wednesday's Q&A

Hosted by Mamarazzi and Crazymama<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/WWTKbutton-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="null"></a></center>Hows about a little game of "Would You Rather" for this weeks questions? Crazymama is taking some time to rest and let her family and friends take care of her this week. Drop in and leave her a little love on her blog would ya?

{one} WYR...have your own private jet or your own private island?
{two} WYR...be very good looking or very smart?
{three}WYR...have the ability to be invisible or the ability to fly?
{four} WYR...have the ability to read minds or control the weather?
{five} WYR...be able to hear any conversation or take back anything you say?

MY answers...I cannot wait to visit everyone today and see how y'all are answering!

{one} WYR...have your own private jet or your own private island?
Private Jet...for sure. I have so many friends and family I am dying to see. Having a private jet would be rad, providing I have money for gas too. I am right right? I mean why else would I have a private jet.

{two} WYR...be very good looking or very smart?
I guess this has already been decided for me since I am both drop dead gorgeous and scathingly brilliant *hair flip*. That would have been a tough one to answer otherwise.

{three}WYR...have the ability to be invisible or the ability to fly?
Invisible. This littel trick could get me into all those "members only" places and I could see what all the fuss was about. Plus I always wonder what people say once I leave the room, so..yeah.

{four} WYR...have the ability to read minds or control the weather?
Control the weather. I love a nice 70* day with a little breeze, just to blow my hair a little so I can keep it sexy.

{five} WYR...be able to hear any conversation or take back anything you say?
The ability to take back what I say would be amazing. I have a quick and sharp tongue sometimes and do not always word things the way they need to be worded. It can and has caused misunderstandings. There are a few things I have said that I would love to take back.

And, since RULES make the world go 'round...
All posts for We Want to Know should include:
1. The darling *NEW* WWTK button
2. A link to your co hosts Mamarazzi and Crazymama
3. Link up your actual WWTK post NOT just your blog URL, thanks, I hate having to fix links!
Links must lead to WWTK posts that contain the WWTK button. Posts should lead to Family Friendly blogs. Blogs containing explicit language and/or sexually explicit content should contain an "adult content warning", or risk being removed from the link list. Kthanks! 

Happy...even if it means losing my dangerous curves!

<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/MyHappyList-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>I am HAPPY that I learned a little more about Metabolic Surgery this week and I decided that I am going for it.

If it can eliminate my Type 2 Diabetes I am all for it...even if I lose some of my SEXY curves in the process.

I wasn't planning on even talking about this on my blog.

Mostly because it is private, but also because I don't want to hear people's opinions AND I don't want anyone thinking I am doing this for weight loss.

Cuz, really. I. Am. Not.

Big Daddy had Gastric Bypass almost 4 years ago and lost 145 lbs in a year. He did it for weight loss and overall health. I am HAPPY that he has kept off the weight and that he is now enjoying his new body.

At the time of his surgery I was heavier than I am now and still NEVER considered doing it until recent studies showed how it was eliminating diabetes HAPPY!!

When I first started researching Metabolic Surgery and asked my Doctor about referring me she looked at me and laughed and said, "Uh, yeah you do not qualify, your BMI is not high enough!"

Which is true...and I admit her reaction did make me HAPPY..haha.

But then I asked her about the Type 2 Diabetes that I had and the studies showing that the surgery is eliminating within days of surgery, before any weight loss has occurred.

She was HAPPY that I had done my homework and gladly referred me.

I am HAPPY that I will be meeting with my surgeon on Aug 23 to make a plan for surgery.

I am HAPPY that I shared this, even if I am a little worried about judgment...I can't help myself, I am just not that thick skinned...really, just ask my doctor ;)

This also seems like a good time to let you know that I lost 17 lbs on Creative Bioscience's HCG diet. The one thing that it didn't do, that I was hoping it would do, is get my blood sugar in order. So I am not totally HAPPY about that...and 500 calories a day is hard y'all.

So what is on YOUR Happy List this week?

I Confess, I Like Making Money AND Giving It Away

<center><a href="http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g328/OurDandelionWishes/FridayConfessionalMamarazzi.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>I Confess...

I am gonna be flooding my blog with ad posts for the next little while.

I hate doing it, but I love the money I make.

I Confess...

I worry about annoying my readers, but at the same time I totally understand when my blog friends do ad posts.

You all understand right?

I wouldn't blame y'all for posting ads everyday. I totally get it and support you!

In fact, if you are looking for a way to make a little money blogging I can help.
Go ahead, click that button. It contains my referral code and it is how I make GOOD money doing ad posts on my blog.

I Confess...

If you apply to SocialSpark and they accept your application I will send you a lovely gift.

AND

If you apply using my referral code you will automatically be entered in a drawing for something super fabulous...a $50 Target Gift Card.

Just let me know you applied and the name you used and you are entered.

If you want extra entries share my referral code http://izea.in/rjiY   with your readers, tweet it, share on FB and you will get 10 extra entries...let me know what you do to earn more entries, one comment for each thing you do it fine (ex: I tweeted @HolleeAnnCFG)

I will notify the winner via email on Sept 1...so make sure your email is enabled.

I Confess...

I LOVE turning my readers on to ways to monetize their blogs...this is just ONE amazingly easy way to do it!

So, what are you confessing this week?