I am sitting in a parking lot at Fort Riley in front of my son’s barracks writing this. Robert tried his best to get the brakes on his truck fixed but was still having issues, and there is only so much George could do over the phone and video chat. 

Robert called last night and asked us to come down and help him out, so here we are. I’m happy he has learned it is okay to ask for help. I’m also proud of him for taking on the task and seeing it through. He got the line installed and has the front brakes working but the ABS is causing havoc with the rear brakes. Hopefully all goes well, and we will be headed back home in few hours.   

I’m along for moral support and to press the brake pedal when it comes time to bleed the lines. I’m not much help in the cold, it’s 25 degrees which isn’t bad until you factor in the wind, and it has a bite to it. 

I have so much left to do before everyone is home for the holidays. I’ve gotten all the window plastic installed. With the help of my dad’s weird ladder, I was even able to cover the portal to Antarctica, which was placed high in the stairwell of our beloved money pit. If we are ever to replace windows, that one is first on the list. 

Come spring we have some structural issues to fix on the north side of the house and lots of insulating to be done. The “to do’s” are never ending it seems. 

I’ve been working at putting things back in order and attempting to get a bit more organized. I never set a New Year’s resolution, but this year I am working at getting my “Zen” back. I’ve been so scattered this past year, I feel as though the world has tried to pull me apart in all the different directions. Home, my happy place, has become so chaotic and unorganized that it’s no longer a happy place to be. I have been working at making it so again. 

I have to get back to a regular routine with exercise and diet being at the top of my priority list. For me to be able to focus on what’s important once again, I’m going to have to deal with the stressors that are right in front of me and go from there. First get the house in order, and second keep it that way. Next get back into my Bible and pray that the rest will work itself out. 

My biggest stressors are the things that I have no control over, and being the control freak that I am, makes that a hard lesson to learn. I know in my heart I have no control over certain aspects of life, but my hard head continues to let those things worry me. 

I’ve had the privilege of meeting several new doctors this year, and I don’t see next year being much different. This autoimmune stuff is difficult to live with when I’m not exercising and eating like I’m supposed to. In the last nine months, I’ve had to make so many drastic changes in my life. My family tries their best to keep up and remember that I can’t have certain things, but I honestly don’t expect them to remember all of it, as it is a lot, and for now it’s ever changing. It is mostly trial and error. If I eat something and feel cruddy after 24 to 72 hours, I remove it from my diet. In a couple weeks I try it again, just in case. More often than not, it’s permanently removed. 

Gluten was the first to go after a long conversation with my aunt, and then dairy. I still struggle with the dairy. Chocolate is one of my favorite food groups! I am hoping to have a diagnosis soon, more really for my piece of mind than anything. If I’ve learned anything from my family’s medical history, it’s most likely not going to be anything simple or easy. For now, I just refer to whatever it is as my “gremlins.” LOL! 

The man folk seem to be making progress with the pickup, from the sound of things, brake pads will be next on the fix-it list! Thankfully I’ve gotten to stay warm and cozy in the car. It’s times like this I love and appreciate my hubby even more. The wind is gusting so hard it rocks the car, and he is hanging right in there helping my boy.

From my crazy house to yours, Merry Christmas! X’s & O’s