Where has Dawn been?

"Where have you gone too Dawn?" "Are you coming back to blogging?" are common questions I've had e-mailed to me since October 2010. Not to fear my readers, I am alive. =) I thank you for your concern and asking about me (you know who you are).

Just where have I been? If you keep reading, I am doing a quick recap of each month for you.

Am I coming back to blogging? Maybe, I don't know. My love / hate relationship with the computer comes and goes in spurts. So if I don't post again for several months, just know I am having downtime from computerland.

Shall we begin then? =)

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March 2011

For the past 4, 4.5 months Robert and I went back mainly to eating cooked food, including meat. Why? We got lazy. That plain and simple. Oh sure, we did still enjoy cooked vegan food, but our raw food stopped and in came some fast food. Ugh!

We also did not exercise at all. Why? We got lazy. We got complacent.

In the 4.5 months, I gained 18.2 lbs. back. But, I've kept 86.6 lbs. OFF! \0/

I weighed in at 193.2 yesterday (in October, my last blog post with pictures, I was 175 lbs.).

Robert has gained 32 lbs. back! Kept off 14 lbs.

So, as of yesterday (March 14th), we were just eager to get back to exercising (walking / running / the gym) and back to nourishing our bodies with raw, living foods, juicing, smoothies, and some cooked vegan food.

I am so excited! I feel so...ALIVE again. I really do.

Oh, cucumbers and carrots, how I've missed you so.... =)

I will probably use my blog again for accountability, so for the time being you will see various blog postings again.

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Hmmm...what else has transpired in March so far. Ah yes, Robert celebrated his 32nd birthday on the 8th. He had a good day. Got a gift card for Best Buy from mom, got a card and $50 from me, and his co workers gave him a card and bought him a little cake.

We went to the vegan resturant in Dallas, Spiral, for his birthday meal.

Then we were headed to Best Buy, but we got a flat tire. Thankfully we were in the parking lot of BB and not on the expressway somewhere.

We have free roadside assistance with our insurance so we called them out and they came and helped us out.

By the time they were done though, Best Buy was closed, so Robert went another day and got some DVD's.

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I've had some health issues transpire and ambulance / hospital bills that are insanely way to high. Somehow I know Yahweh will work it all out (we don't have health insurance).

To make a long story short, I am severely anemic. Like, really, really bad. So I am taking 975 mg. of iron a day to raise my poor hemoglobin.

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The reason I was rushed to the hospital was for a week off and on my heart was racing / beating out of my chest and I couldn't catch my breath (no I wasn't having panic attacks). This happened off and on while I was reading, sitting still, sitting at the laptop, eating etc.

On one Saturday, it happend 5-6 times back to back and that was enough for me to call 911 out.

My EKG's, blood pressure, blood sugar, pulse, etc, fine. Ah but a blood test from the ER showed a really low hemoglobin level, which I found out could trigger heart episodes like that because my heart has to work harder to get blood to it being anemic and all.

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Oh and before I go on. I will say I recieved the BEST care in the ER at Mansfield Methodist Hospital. The nurses, staff, were fantastic and so nice. Thank you so much! I will definitly choose this hospital to birth any future children in. =)

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The ambulance / fire department people were great too. So thankful for them.

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After this hospital visit, I had to go and find a physician I can call my own since I hadn't had one.

I found a cute little clinic in my town that caters to patients with no insurance / low income families.

They are really nice and are run by volunteers. I pay $5 for doctor visits, $20 - $35 for dentist visits and I think it's $30 for chiropractic visits.

So with that, me and the physician assistant are working at getting my iron level back to normal. I don't have any other mineral defecincies, no diabetes, nothing wrong with my kidneys / liver, etc, no high cholesterol.

I had a touch of anemia when I was in the Army (and I was a big meat eater back then). They have me some iron pills and that was it. No follow up, nothing, and of course, me being 18 at the time, I didn't even think of following up on it.

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But anyway....I go back April 15th to get blood drawn to see if my hemoglobin has went up (I'm pretty sure it has already. I've only been taking these pills 2 weeks and my hair has grown back thicker, my nails have gotten better, and I feel energized and ready to take on the world).

February 2011:

I am sure you all have heard about the ice storm, then snow storm in DFW Texas. Here are some pictures. =)

Also in February our hot water heater exploded in the house (it's located under our stairs in the hallway) so water, water, everywhere! Oy vey.

We had to pay for a water restoration team to come out with fans / dehumidifiers, plus replace the padding.

Also had to pay a plumber and buy a new water heater...all out of pocket of course (I won't even mention the amount this mess set us back. Yes we do have homeowners insurance but our deductible was so high it didn't cover anything).

We won't be taking hot water for granted again...I took some mighty cold showers while waiting for the water heater to be replaced, so thank you Yahweh for hot water. \0/

Janurary 2011

Went to a ladies lunch thing at Sister Leslie's house (she's in the middle). We all brought a dish for lunch. Then sang hymns and gabbed and fellowshipped. It was really nice.

From L to R: Jessica, me, Leslie, Kelly, and Kathy.





Tabby over at http://www.plaintorahkeeper.blogspot.com/ , her husband and 2 girls came to Texas for a visit in the middle of January! We hadn't seen each other since 2009 so this visit was much needed.

I don't even remember all that we did. I know we went to Mardel, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Super Target, Spiral (twice, per Tabby's request...hee hee), a tearoom for lunch, Hobby Lobby, Ripley's Believe It or Not, Whole Foods, ummm...I can't think right now, my mind has gone kaput, but we were busy every single day they were here. It was fun though.

And in the evenings, we would gather in the breakfast nook the hotel had and do Bible readings together. Ahhhh, so refreshing it was. =)

Here are some pictures from their trip here.

(P.S. Please remember Tabby and her family in your prayers. They went through a house fire and have to start all over again. Nobody was injured, but if you've been through a fire you know how crazy it can be. Thank you.).

At Hobby Lobby before heading to the fabric section. What's better than fabric shopping? ;-)

Vegan Ginger Peach Pie from Spiral.

Portobello quesadilla from Spiral.

Philly 'steak' sandwich from Spiral.

Lunch at the tearoom. We all had vegetarian sandwiches which are fantastic by the way. =) Gotta bring my hubby to this place. Sure it's a little 'foo-foo' girly-ish, but men go there too. =)

At Ripley's Believe it or Not.

Ripley's Believe it or Not.

Picking out some new Bibles at Mardel. Aren't we, in the United States, so blessed to be able to carry a Bible on us and not be thrown in prison, beaten, or worse? Cherish those Bibles. Wear those pages out.

Sure you can read your Bible online or on your phone, but there is nothing like holding a hard copy of Yahweh's love letter to us.

The 1st night they were here. Me, Tabby and her daughter Julie in the hotel lobby.

This is actually a waterfall behind us in the hotel lobby.
















December 2010:

Robert's Army unit had a military ball. I knew what transpires at military balls (lots, LOTS, lots, of drinking, cursing, worldly, horrible music among other things).

Then why did you go? You may ask. For my husband. The past 2 years he went alone and hated it, so this year, I decided misery needed company and I went with him. ;-)

The moment the soldiers were allowed to be released though, we bolted out of there.

I can't do this again next year, I just can't...lol. He may have to be on his own.

Anyway, here are 2 photos.

November 2010:

My long time best bud, Nancy, (since we were 7 years old) and her daughter Ava (6 months at the time) paid us a visit in mid November.

I had more pictures to share but it seems my computer ate them because they aren't on here. Ugh! Oh well. Here are some I was able to acquire.

We had so much fun and her visit just flew on by. :-(

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So, that is a short recap of my life. If you've read through this whole thing, you are one brave soul. =)

Well, I am off to eat supper, pick up hubby from work, then we are hitting the gym.

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Yahweh bless and keep you. May His face shine upon you....always.

~ Dawn

P.S. I apologize for any spelling mistakes...spell checker isn't working at the moment and I am in a rush to get out the door. =)