A new family member

I am behind in writing because I have been so excited about the website that my friend Rachel and I have finally launched after working on it for four months. cushingstories.com

We have a new family member....meet Molly!

Ryan and I went to our old stomping ground to do some paperwork. Grandma Sally, Ryan's mom, so generously watched the kids for a couple days so we could make the trek to Placerville and get that done. THANKS MIL!!! Lets go back a little bit. My mother passed away four years ago and lately more than ever I have been really missing her. She used to have this dog named Azuma that was a Shih Tzu. So the other day I got the great idea to get one that looked just like Azuma but a girl. I don't know why I thought this would make me feel better but well....honestly....it does. I looked on Craigslist all the towns on the way to Placerville (which is a lot) and actually found one. She is a pure bred but we didn't get her papered so she wasn't as expensive. You know me....I like to save money.

We decided to leave early so we could spend the night at our good friends house Carla and Greg. They had a new puppy too so I knew she wouldn't mind if we picked one up along the way lol. We were going to get a hotel but Carla wouldn't let that happen. Made it better anyways since we could chat for awhile before the next morning when we had to do all our errands. My dad wasn't going to be home so I didn't want to bug my step mom since they go to sleep early anyways. Carla and I had a great time. Greg and Ryan are good friends too so they were laughing it up too. We went to Denny's which used to be our little stop when we wanted to get out with them and leave the kids at home. We can be a little rowdy sometimes because we laugh so much. It was a fun time! We talked and had fun watching the puppies be with each other.

The next day after our errands I knew my step moms birthday was coming up. We went and got her flowers, candy, balloons and a card. She loves Chocolate so that worked out well. I drove by the house three times but she was always out lol. I had told my dad we were coming but not to tell her because we wanted to surprise her. Finally we ended up just leaving it on the stoop for her to see once she got home. :)

All our paperwork got signed and we were off to head home. Ryan and I.....and Molly :) We tried waiting around town as long as possible so we could drive and go see my BFF Laura when she got off of work. I knew we wouldn't have much time since we were going to drive 6 hours home but I couldn't go through there without seeing her and her family. Her kids (my babies) loved Molly. They played with her the whole time and just had a blast. Wore her out for us for the drive home. I love seeing Laura. We have been friends since we were 12 years old. I cant believe its been 26 years of friendship and she still loves me haha! We didn't have tons of time to stay and it was almost dinner for the kids so we headed out with promises of them coming to the Ranch this summer to feed the new lambs and calves. I cant wait to see them!

Apparently driving home seemed too long so we called Grandma and asked if she would watch the kids till the next morning. She said yes. She is always so amazing and helpful. Seriously some days I don't know what we would do without her. She drives 3.5 hours just to help us. Anyways we decided to stay half way in Reno and do some food shopping the next day on the way home. I found this super cheap hotel room at Circus Circus for 29.00 for a King Suite. I know they do that so people will come and stay and gamble but....we don't gamble so we just got the great deal. Molly was behaving the whole time and we decided to give her a bath for the first time. Man oh man did she look different HA!

By the next day we headed off to home after doing food shopping and normal shopping of clothes for the kids. I swear we arrived 30 minutes before we had to get the kids and go to their basketball games. Only Jacksons team was playing this time but Joshua's class had the bake sale. Jacksons class had the feed of which we were working. It was a long couple of days but good ones. I miss my friends already but was so happy to see them even if for a very short time. I am glad we got Molly! While I was in Placerville I went to my moms grave and showed her my puppy. I also gave her a pepsi which is something my mother was so addicted too. She LOVED Pepsi! I know in my mind she is not there that she is in heaven but it felt good to be there and just say hello. I love and miss my mom. Now I have a little puppy that will stay little that reminds me of her everyday! Sounds crazy since we have other dogs.....but it makes me feel better.

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Cushingstories.com Thunderclap Campaign

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Please go support this campaign by Cushingstories.com to increase Cushing's awareness.  Once we get 100 supporters (by February 22, 2015), our campaign will be forwarded to celebrity Thunderclappers to pick causes they care about and tweet to their followers. Its free and easy as just clicking a button. I can see who has followed it so please let me see your smiling face!

Thanks for your help!

 

NEW WEBSITE IS UP AND RUNNING

I would like to tell you all about the new Cushing's Website. It was made by a good friend of mine Rachel Wilson and I. When I first found out about Cushing's I didn't know where to look for Videos, Blogs and Stories of others. This website has it all!!!! It just got launched today after 4 months of working on it! Please share with others......you never know who it will help out!

www.cushingstories.com

Thank you to all of you who submitted stories, videos or your blogs to help others. Without you we couldn't of done this!

Love, Rae

Date night!

Let's be real....when you have four teens everyday is a busy day! Saturday doesn't mean things slow down just because it's a weekend;)

Jason,our youngest teen, had his 8th grade basketball away game. He had two actually. This time it was kinda painful for the kids bec they lost by a lot. I think those are learning situations though because you look for what was good and learn from the rest. We have 5 kids playing again this time so hey had no subs. For some reason they kept playing the same play over and over so the other team caught on quickly. They will learn and grow. I was super impressed because my son made a basket!!! This was his second game ever and first year playing and he made a basket!! I cheered so hard my throat hurt ;) Was a proud momma!

After we came home  we watched the videos I took and commented on what we could do better and watched the basket Jason made oh you know....ten times lol ;)

Next was date night! Kids were gonna stay home with a couple movies and some gumbo I made and we were having adult night. I think it's really important for a marriage and for the kids to see that we enjoy going out with each other. Our lives revolve around our kids and they know that. They even tell us that we should go out more and laugh more. Funny since we are always laughing. Sometimes as a parent though things get busy and it's schedule or no time or pickin up kids here or there. Just have to take that time. If your kid had an event to go to you would make the time......that's what we should do for ourselves too. I am glad we do date nights or even date lunches and love to spend time together. 

Okay so our friends asked us to go on a double date to the movie "American Sniper" and out to Chinese food. We happily accepted. We are good friends as a couple but bog hour husbands are best buds so that's super nice. Don't you hate it when you go out as a couple but he guy or the girl doesn't like their spouse? We don't have to do this which is so nice!

We went to Chinese and talked adult talk.....life. It was refreshing. Then we went to the movies. So it was kinda funny because I am a popcorn addict but recently I stopped drinking my coveted Diet Pepsi about month ago so when I ordered large popcorn extra butter and a diet soda my husband laughed. Hey it's my date night. As we sit though and I took my first sip.....it tasted like crap to me!!! I walked back and got a water bottle and Ryan drank my drink.

The movie was excellent and although I knew the story on the legendary sniper I didn't know the ending. Don't worry I won't spoil it for you!!!! Or will I? Just kidding I won't. It was a really good movie and what a great story! I admit I cried and it made me think of all those amazing soldiers who have helped their brothers and their country. My father served, my sister, brother in law and my grandparents, my husbands family, our friend who was with us that evening and even my ex husband for 6 years.  

After all was said and done...we had a great time with our friends. So much so we decided to go bi weekly to the movies together. This will be huge in itself considering we haven't been to a movie in forever and well he closet movie theater is 47 or so miles away;) 

It was a good night, with good friends and we were blessed to have the time to do it;)

Seriously they are weird!

My kids seriously are weird! Just like Ryan and I. Today was their last day of finals! Woot Woot! I never saw bigger smiles to be done with finals this whole week. Josh was finally cleared to play Basketball after his concussion from practice so Josh went to an away game tonight. Jackson went the other way to another away game for the Varsity. When both of them are in two different places we stay back with the other kids.

We picked up Cassie and Jason and took them food shopping tonight and to do some errands. They are seriously funny kids. I am so happy they get along so well. They are always laughing and teasing each other. Just plain ol having fun. On the way to the store I said that I am kind of tired to Ryan. Cassie pipes in with "that's because you have four kids duh". Then Jason asked, "why did you have so many anyways?" I said it was because I had Cassie and Josh and then these two boys came along that I loved just as much. I love you all. Then Jason laughed and said ,"Enough to never be able to sleep again?" I just laughed and told him of course!

Jason and Cassie

Its been a kind of interesting day. I found out from my Dr that I am low on a hormone that might make me have to take shots for the rest of my life. They are really expensive too (1500 a month). Thank goodness insurance will cover it but its not something I really wanted to do. I will find out more on my next Dr visit. I am growth hormone deficient. Yes adults have this. Its from probably when they took the tumor off my pituitary they might have gotten a little too much. So we will deal with it as we go. Might help my tiredness every morning. I swear ppl think I sound like I am sleeping till like 11am ha! When in fact I get up at 445 with Josh most days for Basketball.

Anyways I have been working on my website for CUSHINGSTORIES.COM with my partner Rachel who is also a Cushie. We are almost complete although its taken us almost 3 months to get enough stories, videos, blogs....
I am rather excited about it! I think its really going to help others with this disease. Plus it gives hope with stories of remission (like me). Between having a family of 6 and everyone being pretty active it has taken us along time to finish it. This Sunday though it will be complete so check it out.
www.cushingstories.com

While I was working on the website Ryan asked what we wanted for dinner. I think that is so romantic when a husband sees you are working hard on something and instead of asking what's for dinner.....he asks what you would like:) Steak Salads it was. We love steak salads and since I am trying to low carb it a bit this sounded super yummy to me.

After our delicious dinner Ryan and I went crazy ha! Have you ever lost something that you knew you JUST had? Our debit card was by the computer because we had just finished paying off our cruise and we could not find it ANYWHERE! We both saw it at the same spot. Then you start to hypothesis where it could be. I seriously thought maybe we threw it away and looked in the trash. GAG! After hand washing and him walking around in circles looking for it. BAM....there it was. He had moved it with some of his work paperwork to his desk LOL. Seriously I think the kids thought we were crazy but we were getting more of a work out looking for it in the house than they were playing Wii HA! Thankfully we found it and all is good.

Here are Cassie and Jason playing Wii......Dancing to a song! Dance Dance 2015
click here...Jason/Cassie Dancing to Wii

The night is winding down. Jason and Cassie are still playing Wii. Ryan is working on work paperwork and I am just waiting for the phone call to go pick up the boys from the school when they get back. Seems like a normal Friday to me. Both Jackson and Josh won their games. Jackson got all 4 free throws and Josh played hard the last quarter of the game!

Jack getting ready for Free throw

Defence! Joshua

Except for this.......shhh....and its a secret. We will see how many of you actually read this but I am thinking of getting another puppy that was born 4 weeks ago. She looks like my dog growing up and is so cute! Thinking. My heart says yes and my mind says no since we already have four dogs that we love very much. Jackson has Ninja, Jason has Maggie, Josh has Jasper and Ryan has Sierra. Cassie has her cats out in the barn she is not a dog person. So that leaves me lol.....right??? What wins out? The heart or the mind. A good friend of mine once said to think with my head not my heart because I am such an animal lover.

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Seriously Dying!

My Mouth is on FIRE!!!! All I can say is you cant have a romantic lunch date with your husband when your eyes are watering, your mouth is on fire and you are practically crying and drooling! HA!

I am dying!

Today I went to the Chiropractor. My neck has been out for some time and I just wake up from the pain of it. Ryan came with me today and got adjusted too since his rib was out again. We decided to have a nice lunch before we had to go back and pick up the kids. They have been off school half days this whole week because of finals. Its not like they can get off the bus and just walk to the house because its miles....

Anyways Ryan was laughing so hard. It started like this....Me telling him he looked cute. He decided to do poses for me since I said I was going to blog this lol. BEFORE I even knew I was about to wish I had a fire extinguisher for my mouth. So it started normal just like these pictures.....

And ended up with me looking like this.....

I couldn't eat it if I tried. The lady who served us said to me that it says "Diablo" which means "Devil?" like Devil HOT!!! My goodness my shrimp was so hot. Did I say it was so hot yet? HOT HOT HOT! Anyways I put it to the side to take home so Josh could eat it because that kid LOVES hot food. Apparently my Cajun ancestry skipped me and went to him. Even the spicy eating all the time child had a hard time with this! I took pictures to have proof. HA!

Josh thinks its way hot too

So moral of the story is...ASK! Ask what really is in there and if you are going to have to sit next to a fire hydrant to be okay after you eat it.

So much for trying to be low carb right now ha! I probably would of been better with a taco or enchilada. :)


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Twins? Tahoe? FUN!

When your three year old niece tells you that all she wants for her Birthday is for her cousins to come play with her.....you listen:)

Between Jason's Basketball game and school we weren't able to make the 5 hour drive to Mariah's 3rd birthday. Since we lucked out and it was a three day weekend we decided to get a house and pet sitter and head over to see our nieces. Mariah just turned 3 and Kylie is almost 6. Love these girls and they love, love their cousins!

Its funny when you see the interaction of teenagers with their little cousins. You would think they thought they were too good to do something but they get down on the ground and have tea parties. I love seeing how excited my nieces get with the kids.

Now Kelly is Ryan's twin sister. Kelly is older by a couple of minutes. As we are all growing older she doesn't say that as much now ha! My mother in law Sally came down too so we all could get together. It was really fun. I am very lucky because I get along with my mother in law. I know ppl are used to hearing the "MIL" jokes or "oh my MIL is so horrible she says this or that" but I am blessed to really truly like her. We could even hang out without her son, my husband....GASP! I know right!

I love Ryan's family a lot. They mean the world to me and 7 years ago they took me and my children in as their own. I am sure I get on their nerves or get cranky sometimes but they have been there for me through everything. My MIL even has taken me home from the hospital and taken care of me a few times. She will drive hours to come see us and even to watch our house, animals, kids anytime we need her to help out. Most of the time 9 times out of 10 she offers before we even ask. That in itself is pretty amazing!

With a blended family of four teenagers you would think ppl would treat the kids differently....but they don't. They are all told the same things..."I love you", "Use your fork properly", "How are your grades?", "You are so funny" ETC. Its nice to be apart of such a fun, entertaining family.

Anyways on to the day! Kelly and Dave and the kids had everything set up for us to stay there. Its not easy having a family of 6 come to stay. Kelly is always the very gracious host and I am thankful for that. Where they live they have a community pool that is apart of the package so we always bring our swimsuits come rain, shine or snow (hey its Tahoe). The first thing we did was head on over to the pool after our greetings and hellos. Dave stayed back and Grandma Sally (MIL) stayed back to start cooking dinner for everyone.

We had so much fun. I am so impressed with my niece Kylie who is five. She swims around with her goggles and flippers like she is a mermaid. I really think she should go into the swim team because she is an amazing swimmer. She can be like her Auntie Rae Rae and do swim team all through all her school years. She cracks me up because hooked onto Jason and wouldn't let him out of her sight. Love that kid!

Mariah went back and forth from the hot tub to the pool with us. She is so cute with her little ladybug life jacket. She would swim from Ryan to me to Jackson and Cassie. She was all over the place too just swimming and smiling away. She would keep going to Ryan or I so we could throw her in the air. Mariah would be thrown and go underwater and come up smiling wanting more.

Cassie and Jason were swimming with the kids a lot and hot tubing with us all. Then the craziness ensued!!!! Josh decided he was going to belly flop off of the diving board. He went and did it and SMACK! straight to the belly. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO DO THAT ON PURPOSE? Teenagers are weird creatures I tell ya. After him doing it about 3 times Jackson decided to do it also. What were they thinking? I do have to say out of the four kids Josh and Jack are always the dare devil ones. The other two are the watchers lol.  I tried getting Josh on video tape but the Video ran out and after that solid good belly flop he was done with doing it. So Jackson decided to do one and only belly flop before we left. I cracked up because he held his face and his well..."jewels" as he calls it and SMACK!! down he went. I actually got that one on video and you can see it by clicking this link! I am telling him not to waste my time because my phone was at 3 percent and we had 60 seconds of video left hahaha! He came up all smiles but had a bloody nose. We learned our lesson....if you are going to be crazy enough to do a belly flop...DONT hold your face because it will smack your nose! Click here to see his Belly Flop Jacksons Belly Flop

So as you can see teens can be crazy. We all went back to Kelly and Dave's house, showered and were pretty hungry. Dave had finished BBQ the chicken which was delicious and Grandma had finished all the yummy goodies to go with it. We all ate and watched a movie.

Fast forward to the next morning. Everyone is everywhere lol. I announce that I need to go to the donut shop to get us all donuts as everyone is eating cake from the birthday party ha! Collins family definitely has a sweet tooth:) We don't have a donut place anywhere near us where we live and I just wanted a donut considering I had decided to start low carbing the next day! After everyone's breakfast we did what we do best......Ryan helped him mom on her laptop on how to use it, Kids studied for their finals and took turns playing with the girls. I played Connect Four with Mariah and taught Mariah and Kylie how to play Candy land. Connect Four with a 3 year old is pretty interesting. Its basically match the color haha and Mariah saying "I got you!". LOL..... I loved watching Kylies wheels turn in her head on Candy land and really understand it. Such smart little girls! Uncle Dave showed the kids a helicopter and Kelly was just making sure everyone had what they needed for everything. She is organized like that which I love.

Around lunchtime we decided to all go over to a little Mexican Bistro Place with clean good foods. We had Grandma, Donna (her bff), our crew of 6 and then took the little girls so Mom and Dad could have an hour or so of peace:) We went to go meet Amber and Austin which is Ryan's bff. Amber is also a twin. She grew up with Ryan and they were always Babysat together. Amber and Austin are amazing. They are the only couple I know that liked each other in middle school. Dated each other in High School and after High school got married. They have only ever been with each other their whole lives and are still very much in love. I love seeing them. Ryan loves it more though because they have always been so much apart of each others lives.

The kids say that Austin is like a really big 12 year old and they always fight on who gets to sit next to him or who is going to talk to him first. Amber is this amazingly smart gal who I think has a heart of gold. I liked her the first instant I saw her. We had a great time at lunch and everyone talked, ate, and talked some more. Soon it seemed like 15 minutes had only gone by but it had been almost 2 hours. We had to say our goodbyes but we knew we would be seeing them probably in the next couple weeks closer to our house. As we were leaving they gave us this huge box of t-shirts and sweatshirts for the kids. Its all logos from their shop that they own called IN YOUR FACE SIGNS AND TEES. I love places that are family owned and ran! Check out their website if every interested....  In Your Face Signs and Tees

So the day was already getting to the point where we had to pack up and get ready to go. I already was missing the girls before we even left. I love being able to see everyone and have fun. I love the joking and all the memories. We had a 5 hour drive home and kids had to be back by bedtime so they could be well rested for Finals Week. We all gave our hugs and said our "see you soon" and headed on the road to go home. It was a fun short little trip and I am glad we did it. I am thankful for Dave and Kelly's hospitality. Its not easy having 6 ppl come to anyone's home. We will be back soon. Until then.......

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