Bent not Broken...

Bent not Broken... 

Wow. ... It has been since November since I have blogged.  I was totally shocked to see how much time had drifted between posts.  I mean, It was not like I was doing anything important... Only running a household of 8, including my dad and his health issues... Trying to be supportive in his endeavors that included him going through a divorce and his health declining and Nick with his issues mentally that were so hard to navigate through... We have had so many things that have transpired since the last post.  I need to put my thoughts on paper.  I learned a long time ago that pen to paper never lies... I need to put my thoughts out into words.  I can harbor them in my head for a period of time but eventually I have to release my thoughts and feelings.. I have always used this blog to express my feelings and it has never been for anyone else other than myself... My thoughts and what I reveal to others is and always will be my business. I have the ability to isolate and not allow my feelings to be heard or seen.. This helps no one...

My dad passed away on April 8th, 2018 at 9:03 pm at my home here in FLorida where he had been living with us over the last year and a half. My sister, Melanie and I were with him and he transitioned difficultly and head strong, staying true to who he was his whole life and I assume where we get most of our bull headed from.  He was trying so hard to stay here with us.  It was a very painful, spiritually breaking, emotional ordeal.  His last breaths replay in my mind over and over... One comfort we did get was being able to talk to him almost to the very last hour he was here... He responded to Melanie and I every time we said " daddy " . 

 We were supposed to be in Dublin Ireland the week he passed and after 42 hrs of zero sleep I decided that he could not leave here without having heard bag pipes.... A very kind woman came within an hr of a blind message to her on Facebook begging her to please help us fill this wish... I climbed in the bed with my dad and dozed off for a few minutes and when I woke up, she was here... She played Amazing Grace and he opened his eyes and I know that he heard them... It was surreal...  

 He had gone through a trying divorce that had left him heartbroken and broke... His health had declined so quickly from when we were in GA in March to visit Family.  I knew in my heart and I believe he did too, that it would be his last ride home... To Georgia... To see family and such... We talked on the way home and I asked him if he was scared to cross over.  He replied he was not scared to cross over, Just scared to leave us.  I was and am still dealing with losing my dad.  I have suffered so much  grief in the last 5 yrs that I was sure that losing my daddy would break me, unable to be put back together.

  I am honored that I was able to take care of him, and he was my constant companion.  I am very lonely still... Even in a house full of people, life is different and I find that my head is not so easily cleared.  My dad always got me.. He just got who I was... If you know me personally, you know that I march to the beat of my own drum, I do not kn

ow how to filter my thoughts and sometimes I get a little rough around the edges, especially if you are hurting my family or friends.... And do not even think about hurting a child.  

I have tattoos, piercings, and usually a crazy color hair.... I have a different perspective on life and how to handle challenges we encounter.  

I actually was at a School event for Noland and was in the bathroom stall when a couple of other moms came in as a group and they were talking about me and how embarrassed my kids must be with me showing up with pierced arms,  blue hair and something about my having tattoos... I asked Noland if that bothered him and he said " mom, you always say to be you, and nobody else.... that is just You... " I am not embarrassed.. ( just so you know the outcome of that situation, I opened the door of the stall and they all turned white.. it was 3 of them, and I just walked to the sink, washed my hands and walked out) No reason to get below them... These are just stupid examples of how my dad " got me " he never thought anything about what I believe spiritually or how I dressed or wore my hair...  I don't break that easy... 

I prefer to handle things in the most mature manor initially, but I have also learned that I can  assault you and never lay a hand on you... The monsters in my mouth get me into trouble sometimes.... 

We all bend... some of us break... In the highest winds of some hurricanes there are trees that survive... They bend and the wind tries to take them out and they are sturdy and planted and they just bend.. not break... I think that we all have had a crossroad we have come to in our lives at some point where we thought we were broken.  I have felt this way a lot.  I have been studying how to have deeper meditations daily and how to use my mind over dealing with the pain I feel physically.  I will never ever ever have a day where I am pain free.  

That is where acceptance plays a key part in my journey here, but not really relevant for this blog...

 I began to plant ideas in my head about how broken I was.  The broken feelings began to orchestrate how I lived my life.  The feeling of not being whole begins with questioning everything on a daily basis... It wrecks your emotions and robs you of joy and happiness. I let it reside in my heart and mind for a long time.  Recently, I have had to take control of those feelings.  It is difficult to release negativity.  I did not think that it would be such an uphill battle.  I have had to let go of a lot of feelings and just be PRESENT... I can not weigh myself down with what will happen with my disease.  I can not carry the uncertainty of Nick's future, but I can say that every day I try hard to be better than I was yesterday.  I can put things in place for my children so that the burden of all those feelings is lifted.  I can and do have the power to BEND AND NOT BREAK.  I AM NOT BROKEN. 

Our life is chaotic and some days just down right awful... Navigating a family that is blended is difficult to conquer; add a special needs child and a chronic illness and you get AAAGGHHHHHH.

I am learning, like I said before on how to just be here... now... and while most things have to run a schedule here because Life... duh? 

I am grateful to have someone who has stayed when the seas were rough, and promises to love us through it while we love him through life as well...

Josh, I have not blogged in a while, I want to say that I know that I am cared for and loved by you and you do more worrying than I do usually... I know you have encountered more in the time we have been together than you probably ever have. 

 It is hard to come home to what is sometimes an upheaval of behaviors that Nick is throwing around or holding your wife because she can't stand up for a long period of time after you have been working all day.

I also want you to know that I appreciate you and everything that you did for my dad.  He did love you and maybe you and him shared different views, but that's what makes us all who we are.  The last couple of weeks he was alive I know you both got to share some special times together and you will never ever hear " leggggs" from ZZ top and not think of him after you and dad blared the music that night.  I am sure he told you things that were maybe not so important to you, but you listened and he got to share some " guy " stuff.  Thank you will never be enough.... He loved you..   

You do matter and I hope we show you how much we love you and I hope we get to have our Forever After... This forum is a little more public and I may or may not should even be sharing this directly to you here on this blog, but that is how important it is to me for you to know your role in " our " world.  Always know that I love you and I appreciate you and I know that if we continue to go at life together we will be the lucky ones... The ones that can say we made it... Even through all the chaos, cussing and coffee...  I look forward to seeing your FACE every day and cant imagine a world without you in it.  I love you to the moon baby !! 

So, until next time and there will be a blog soon... Remember to always be kind, Love the one you are with and always say I love you... Life is short... Eat the cake and buy the shoes...

Love, The Ptaks and the Tribe... 

#walkwithapurpose #iknowmyworth

It has been a minute since I blogged.  Life gets messy and even though this has become one of the most therapeutic avenues for me, I tend to put it on the back burner even when I need to get all the jumbled up mess in my head laid out on paper. 

This one will be a doozy for most of ya;ll... I am going to touch on some rather sensitive issues that I have been dealing with internally.  If you do not want to read something real, intense, and possibly insensitive to some issues; I recommend we say our good byes and you catch the next blog. 

I used to blog what was in my heart, then I started worrying about what others thought of my blog and how it was presented with my feelings fully frontal.  I am in a space where I do not care anymore.  This blog was created for me to channel my feelings and thoughts and it really never has been about anyone reading it.  I took into consideration feelings of those that might read it and think that something pertained to them...  Hey, if you read it and your guilty of it, that is on you.  I am simply laying down my feelings. 

Every day I find inner strength.  I little whisper that says, " you got this "  YOU !!!! Sometimes I hear that little whisper on a loop every 30 seconds.  Sometimes I only need to hear it once.  I do not know where the strength comes from to support what I deal with on a daily basis.  I do not know where the strength has come from to continue living when all I wanted to do was not be in this physical world.  I wanted to be with Jeff.  December 19th, is around the corner.  The day my world changed forever.  The day when I ignored that little whisper for several months and barely existed.  I had to find a reason for every breath for a while.. And then...

I got angry at everything and everyone.  See, I was still trying to exist and everyone else around me was trying to forget that we existed after he left this world.  I got a lot of " well, God needed an angel " Really?  by the way, that is not a comforting thing to say to anyone.  Just FYI.  I got pissed, I found a fire that was burning and it finally wanted to do more than merely survive.  It wanted to LIVE.  That is what Jeff Harrison would have wanted for me and the boys.  To LIVE.  He loved life and he lived it tot he fullest... from sun up to sun down.  It was even hard to find him in a bad mood for any reason.  He followed a spiritual path and helped people and I believe that is how he lived so happily.  He never focused on his own issues, always trying to help others...

The boys... They became my world.  They already were my world but even more so after the loss of their daddy.  We managed to put the pieces together and survived.  We held onto each other in the rough water and when the demons calmed and the water was smooth, we found solace in the fact that we had our memories, we had our " Jeffisms" I continue to celebrate their dad and encourage them to tell their stories and keep his memory alive. 

Justin, the boys are too young to read this, however, I know you will.  I love you to the moon and back again and I am sorry for anything that I have done that created you to have to be the one in  "charge " at times.  I was very selfish and just could not function.  Just know that I did the best I could and I love you so much.  You are the only person who has ever heard my heartbeat from inside. 

Brett, I love you to the moon as well.  Your dad loved you and was so proud of you.  I hate that distance has kept us from seeing each other but always know that I love you...

Life has continued to muddle on.  We have been able to make new memories.  I have learned that not everyone loves the same way you do.  I have learned that not everyone is mindful of hurting your heart.  I have learned hard lessons about love.  I have learned hard lessons about friends... I am not a fair-weather person.  Never have been, never will.  When I make promises to love you, I mean it... Through the good and bad and the messy and the obnoxious, through being broke and rich.  I have learned lessons that I never thought I would ever have to learn.  See, I am who I am all the time.  I am neurotic about certain things, we all are... You are lying if you say you are not.  I do keep some things close to my heart because of fear.  Fear that if I hand you my heart 100% you will choose to use it like a grenade and shatter it.  I did not develop these fears on my own.  The fears are what has been revealed through other's actions.  Some friends, some Family.  

Let's talk about the word HATE.  You can not take words back.  Once you say them, they are irreversible.... I very rarely have ever used the word HATE.  I can not think of one person I hate.  Despise, yes... HATE is a strong word.... I recently had the word used in a situation/ conversation I was having.  The person said that they hated several individuals.  This person has ever right to be upset with the situation, has every right to dislike the people.  The person using the word HATE had been done very wrong and been treated very badly... but I still can not get over the fact that HATE never wins... It has never solved a problem yet... However, I can still hear those words... Hurts my heart... Shatters it !!! 

It is not Nick's fault that he is the way he is.  Fourteen years ago I started fighting for him, to protect him, to be his voice and make sure that he was loved.  He came into this world addicted to everything, brain bleed, weighing under 2 pounds.  I will always protect my children... All of them.

This is what makes me happy happy happy !! Four wheels move the body and two wheels move the soul.  My soul craves the wind on my face, the ability to just feel everything at once.  It is my escape.  RA has taken my ability to just ride when I want to on my own bike... I am working on that though.  Ha Ha Ha... Not much has ever kept me from doing what I want to do.  Stay tuned... 

I believe in always being kind.  I believe in trying to let go of the negative.  I believe in energy and good vibes.  I believe that love and light can be found anywhere if you are willing to be in the light and stay out of the darkness.  I want to be a better me.. a better mother, friend, wife and daughter.  I want to succeed in some of the things I have had on the back burner.  I want to LIVE. 

Then, there is this guy here... Josh, I am so grateful to have you and your kiddies and family in my world.  I know that it gets messy and crazy and I hope that we can begin to imagine growing old together.  I hope you know how much I love you and I want you to be my happily ever after.  

This blog probably was a gut punch for some of you, It is what it is.  My kids will always be my reason for breathing and I will always try and do the next right thing...

Trying to find my Happy again !!! 

Hugs and Love

Love the one you are with, and I am serious.// If you can step out on the one you are with, it's not love... I promise.  If you can say things to the opposite sex that you would say to the one you are with, it's not love... It plants seeds that require building trust... Trust is not given over night.  

Don't hurt each other... Be KIND

Hugs from the Ptak's and the gang of H's

I

Life... Happens while we are busy making plans...

It seems to me that we choose living with regrets instead of letting them go.   I try to stay humble in all my endeavors and kind.   I want to teach my children that if you are kind first, sometimes that is all you have to be.   I have had people challenge me about my way of handling situations and making remarks that i have taught my boys to be "doormats"  i wholeheartedly disagree.   I have been on my earthly journey for quite some time now. I only want to help where i can,  love as deep and passionately as i am able,  make memories and continue to conquer my demons...

I write so that my thoughts have a soft place to land..   Otherwise my words become like weapons,  slicing and plowing through others words as they come at you all while trying to call this a "conversation "  well,  here is what i do...  (i am sharing some secrets with you all...  Be grateful..  Hahaha) 

My way of dealing is to just shut down..  Shut down...  I do what i do  necessary to survive all while smiling and no one else has any idea what is going on in my head..  I typically do not run around without a plan B.   

I have tried to put my self-worth at the forefront of everything. I have gotten lost in the trenches of life. Finding yourself searching to keep everyone and everything balanced,  sometimes, things fall. I have my thirst again for me...  My self-worth.  Have you lost yours?  

I am now conquering my health issues. My body shutting down,  no relief in 7 weeks of bones and joints swelling...  Im so SICK of being this way. I try to be in the now. The positive, but im totally not being honest...  Im sick...  Im holding on !!!

Stay true to you... Never be the heel. That is the worst feeling in the world... Trust if you can...  If its broken,  hope the universe saves you and allows you to trust again...  Love the one your with!!! 

Michelle 

Words, shatter like glass

I was thinking today that it is really hard to know what someone else has experienced in life.  There are certainly similarities or situations that we all encounter through out our journey here on Earth.  My path is one I would not wish upon anyone.  I appear to smile through the daily pain that I experience every minute of every day... 365 days a year.  I appear to be able to Navigate through the puzzle of Autism, Marriage, and blending a family.  It is not easy.  I have always taken people at face value. I have always believed that if you put kindness out into the Universe, You get kindness back.  I am learning that is not the case.  I choose to love people when it is messy and I love them hard.  I learned a hard lesson about loss and how quickly life can change.  In the blink of an eye, everything is different, yet everything has stayed the same.  While you are surfing the wave of life and tumbling around onto the shore as the tide pulls you away, your body in turmoil and your head spinning, it is like trying to figure out how to walk again.  You have to crawl first is what I learned.  I did that.  I got untangled from my underwear and finally the tide went back to the crashing waves out in the Ocean and left me to my own devices and I was able to get a firm grip on what I had to deal with.  I was scared.  I did not want to do life.  I did not want the sun to come up again.

The sun did rise and it set that next day when I had prayed it would not.  It has continued to rise and fall every day since then and I was able to start walking and figuring things out.  I know that my head gets wound up tight a lot and I only have the last 20 years of my life to share experiences from and most days I just feel lost....

This is what I choose to do.  Nothing will change my past and I do not want to erase where I come from.  I deal with things on a level that I hope you never have to experience.  I will always wear my pain in the grandest of gestures that I can acquire... No one can take your pain away, you have to figure out how to deal with it.  You have to learn how to cope...  Cope... that is a key word in survival whether it is emotional, physical, or spiritual.

I have had to love people from a distance.  Some family, some friends... I still love them, but for whatever reason, the intimacy between myself and those people faulted in some way.  I have learned that some people like the idea of loving with no conditions but do not know how.  It is not something we are born with.  I believe learning to love with no conditions requires being loved in that manner at some point in your journey here.  I have to be careful because I tend to allow myself to love so hard that it hurts me... Because I want you to have the same hard, messy love I have for you for me.  

We are not careful with our words.  We say things that we do not mean, and we respond with knee jerk reactions of our emotions.  I remember a time where it did not matter if you said something ugly to me or reacted to me negatively, I just let it roll off my back.  I used to say I was " comfortably numb "  Those were the days... I wish I could be that way again... 

Hopefully this blog finds you in a great space and ready for a new season that is upon us, once the heat finishes melting all of us... Take care of you and yours...

My goal is to love beyond measure... Even if it hurts...

From us to you.. Be kind... Love the one you are with...

Michelle 

When your lost... What do YOU do ??

I find that when we are lost,  we still hold onto things that make us comfortable.  Sometimes, i think it can be as simple as a familiar food or a familiar face..   A connection to a song...  I know when i am lost,  i tend to search frantically those things that make me feel better. 

I know that writing is a release for me.  It helps to put it on paper. 

"pen and paper don't lie "-Jeff Harrison

Most days i move right along and enjoy the memories of the past.   I have separated my life into two compartments...  Before Jeff passed away and after Jeff passed away. 

The days that followed Jeffs death are blurry...  I did not know who i was.   I thought i was doing ok. Chances are I was not...  I can not remember a time in my life where i felt so lost. I am lost now. I can not find my way. I can not figure out who i am. 

I know that i  am hurting emotionally. I am watching so many things spiral out of control. I run in circles trying to be the best me i can be. Trying to be  Wife,  a mother,  a maid,  a caregiver and i just cant do it...  I cant. 

I get tired of people telling me that they didnt hurt me. That's not their call...  I know my heart and it is shattered for so many reasons... 

I miss my people. The ones who hold me up when i am falling.  I got to see my sister for a few minutes and it was good for my soul.   I miss her and my squishy and my mini me.   I miss my mom. 

I feel like a tumbleweed lately...  Not grounded...  Fearful of my future,  uncertain about life in general. 

Nick is struggling again..  He is becoming aggressive and acting manic.   Send him some good vibes.    I am a mom 1st and i will always fight for my kids.   I promised them i would never abandon them and i love them unconditionally.   Right now,  life is just hard. 

Sorry this was not a very happy post. It is honest and raw

Hello.... test 1..2..Is this thing On ?

We ponder through life with the ability knowing when the stove is hot we stop touching it.   Our hearts are another story.   We have our hearts broken by people we love  co workers,  kids,  and friends...  Exactly hOw many times do you touch a hot stove before you are DONE. ??? I think we want to give more chances to those we love because we are all souls...  I spend a lot of time reflecting on how i treat people and if i am ever somebody's "hot stove "  i never want to be that to anyone,  especially someone i love. 

I also am learning that how i treat others is most likely not the way i will be treated in return.  I like to think that expectations of how i do something or interpret something is how others will too.   This is very much not the case. 

I have had so much chaos in the last 3 years that i have allowed the chaos to dictate my soul and how i respond to situations. I have lost site of the fact that life is short and none of us are promised tomorrow. 

My treatment was manufactured defective...  So it failed.   I have wanted to meet my demons half way and co sign coping behavior that is not healthy just to feel something different. I have been desperate in my attempt to reason with my demons and just this one time make it ok.   It ia not okay.   I am learning that even i have limits that are in that grey area so to speak...  Where i justify my actions. 

I go toe to toe daily with more than most people deal with in a month. It is part of my journey here.  I believe in loving as hard as I can, living life to the fullest every day, and remembering to feed my soul when needed.

  I think we generally get caught up in our own "pool" so to speak.  I love the water and love swimming.  I feel the best when I am surrounded by water.  However, in my head I spend a lot of time treading water, trying to figure things out,  Making sure everyone's feelings are accounted for. Usually, mine are the last feelings considered.  

I have been struggling lately because my treatment failed, it has been 2 weeks since my treatment and I knew right off the bat that something was wrong. I tried to wait it out and and hope it would Kick in.. Never did.   I had to literally beg Jansen pharmacy to replace it... 

I understand it is very expensive and they want to make sure it is legitimate but it was hell for a week waiting on it and going through the process of having it replaced.  I picked it up yesterday and had the injection last night.  I feel a bit better, just going through the side effects and hoping it sticks this time.  If not, I am at the end of my rope.  There are zero treatments left for me... I will not go back to the way I was.  I will NOt.... I would find some way to have relief.. So, i am not sure if going through these trials here on our earthly journey are supposed to make me stronger or kill me.  So far, I have avoided death... I will continue to fight... RA will not WIN... I will try to always remember how much I love to SWIM...

I am broken, ask anyone that knows me... You are too... We are all a little broken, but it's ok because if we never break, we can not appreciate the devine art our cracks make once we begin to heal... It makes us unique in so many ways.  I am glad I am broken.  I find solace in broken people... I love old and broken furniture, I enjoy creating something new and allowing the broken parts to take center stage.  

In the grand scheme of things, we are supposed to love each other and be kind.  If we can do that, we can create the most amazing positive energy for each other.

Spend your time doing what you love, love what you are doing... surround yourself with people who love you and always be there for each other.

Love the one you are with, 

From our world to yours, Love always the Ptaks and the gang of H's

It aint your mama' blog

The last couple of weeks have been,  how should i put it?, hell!!!

My dads divorce finalized...  Wow,  amazing what you are awarded through the court when you lie and choose not to work and create hardship to another soul.

To say that my dad was screwed over is an understatement.

We have been moving forward as best we can. The truly saddest thing i have witnessed is watching my dad grieve over his time while married and feeling as if he failed.

I spend a lot of time with him and he has Barlow,  but he had another dog and he got permission to have her at his apartment and instead his now ex wife put her to sleep...  My boys were devastated. They have loved Katie since she was  Pup...  She was about 8 yrs old....  So the boys have loved her most of their life...  I just do not understand how someone becomes so cruel.   I am not writing this in hopes that she sees it and gets upset. I am writing because it helps me to process thoughts...



I am glad daddy has Barlow. He is the sweetest big burly dog ever.

So...  We made the move to Lynn Haven. Its nice to be close to everything and dad but because of the financial mess Dad ex wife left him in it put us all in a bind...  I was not able to follow through on some issues i was going to resolve. It will happen,, just a little later than i had figured. I hope my Friendship stays in tact with the very special people i am referencing. I love them to the moon.


Onward and upward from here on out...

We are learning to be happy again.   Fountain was a gift to begin with. One i could never repay,  but in the end it almost killed us.

 It took our happy away. It was 1000 miles a week on 2 vehicles, it was hard to get to the kids and it almost claimed our marriage.  I am not putting out our dirty laundry,  just telling the truth. We wanted to make it forever but circumstances changed and dad has had to come and live with us...

We are finally settled down and have dad all situated and he is making this home...  Barlow loves the yard and is getting used to all of us. It is really hard not to lose myself amidst the chaos and the being needed by so many.

We are doing ok..  Getting better by the week...  Keep sending light and love. We need it...

Patty Cake, Patty Cake, BAKER ACT....

Writing is a way of releasing what we feel, how we feel it, and for me, it allows me to compartmentalize my feelings and organize what and how I need to react.  

It is no secret to those close to us that we have had some issues this week with our Nicky.  It started somewhat over the weekend.  I noticed him talking super fast, not sleeping, and not eating a whole lot.  Nicky eats... if he does not do anything else, he eats.  I should have been clued in but life is happening all around us and we sometimes lose sight of what is happening right in front of our faces.  Using the expression " Can not see the forest for the trees "

Monday it really kicked in.  He had some behaviors at school... We had a long talk with him.  A report was sent home... Tuesday it was the same thing all over again, just amplified.. These behaviors teetered on Mania.  Confirmed as Mania on Wednesday.  He ran from me into a Hwy.  He ran from me at the Psychiatrist Office.  I did not know where to go, so I went to the only safe place I could think of going.  His therapist.  He witnessed him beating his head, crawling on the floor, it has been so hard to watch my child decline in such a manner that resembled a rabid animal.  I loved on him, I begged him to stop his behavior because at some point I have no way to protect him from the laws that explain that he is a danger to himself.  I need to keep him from hurting himself.  

I was in a room full of people who care for him and myself.  We are not strangers... So, Wednesday I begged his psych dr to please let me take him home with the hopes of rearranging his meds would be the key.  I promised to have Nick at the office this morning at 7:30 a.m.  

We arrived at the office and Nick took off.  I got him back into the therapy center and he ran 2 more times.  Once we went back to see the Dr.  he already had the paperwork done for Nick to be Baker Acted.  ( Basically, involuntary admission to a mental facility )  

Nick was taken by a Sheriffs patrol car in the back seat to the Mental Health Hospital.  I met the sheriff there.  We began the intake process.  One of the hardest things I have had to do with Nick.  He had no idea at that point that he was going to be staying without me.  Once that was revealed to him he began to cry and cry and cry... I held him and promised him this was to help him.  We endured 4 hours of this turmoil and emotion.  

Then the psychiatric visit to evaluate began.  We were told at that point that they could not take Nick as a patient because of him having Autism.  They could not care for him. They resented the Baker Act and sent me back to our Psych Dr.  

I was told the Medical Director, the psychiatrist and others were going to staff Nick's case in the a.m So we shall see.  As of right now, we are making the med adjustments and encouraging Nicky with positive rewards for positive behavior.  

This has been a very long week.  I have not felt Strong, I have felt defeated.  I have felt like I am carrying so much on my shoulders that I can not eat, sleep or function.  However, I keep getting up and continuing the fight... My boxing gloves go on just after my lip gloss. Sometimes I do not think I am the right person to fight, then I put down my toothpick and pick up my sword.  

I know we have lots of support... I am eternally grateful for my hubby and my little heartbeats that help us steer through the rough waters... Once we get to the other side, and we ALWAYS get to the other side it is smooth sailing and a lot of grateful hearts.  Please keep us in your thoughts as we navigate through these rough waters... From our Family to yours... Always be kind... Love the one your with and always say I LOVE YOU !!

The gang of H"s and the Ptaks... MWAH

Do you color outside the lines?

I believe that most of us grew up hearing " oh no, you need to stay in the lines... It is so much prettier when the picture is done if you stay in the lines. "
Whether you heard it from your Sunday School Teacher or your School Teacher, we heard it...  I think metaphorically, no one has ever really stayed in the " lines "  We all pushed the boundaries, bared down a tad bit harder with that crayon than we needed to and Oops, there it was... we went outside the lines... Then, just for good measure, we did it again.  Or maybe some of us were just not good coloring pupils... We did the best we could, and that was that.

Life is like making choices to stay in the lines... Be everything society tells us we should be.  Men and Women should be a couple, races should never mix, PTO members should not be tattooed and pierced... Stay in the LINES people... Same sex marriage should not be discussed, that is coloring outside the lines... Suicide, oh, do NOT discuss this... this is basically scribbling all over the paper. Mental Health... that is another one we should never discuss...

I say, color outside the lines... it's your paper, do what you want.  I do not understand why one person believes to be better because their damn picture is colored inside the lines.  Maybe my picture is " abstract art " We do not have to listen to society, we do not have to live by society standards.  I see so many hateful acts regarding Race, Sexual preference, judgement... It makes me sad,  My sister has a WIFE and they are happy... They catch a lot of grief and I know my sister has lost friends over her choice.  She is happy.  That is all that matters to me.  I hate that they have to live in a society where people act out on what their opinion is of someone because of who they married.

As for suicide... I will probably hit a nerve here,.... We have to talk about it people.  It has a stigma attached to it and it needs to be heard.  Kids need to know where to go to talk to someone who can help them, but no... shhhhh don't say " suicide " only weak and cowards kill themselves...

My mom almost got that phone call... But I am here and I am happy and have lots and lots to live for and lots and lots of love that surrounds me.  I am grateful to be here. I have a story and I was not cowardly and I was not selfish.  I talk about it and I will never do that again... ever !!!

My cousin, well, he succeeded two nights ago.  We played as kids and lost touch through adulthood, but I hurt for my Aunt and Uncle and what they are going through right now.  It is not our place to Judge.  It is our place to LOVE...

I think that we all have probably gulped pain to keep someone else from feeling it.  It is hard... We
do this out of love... So, it all boils down to this... we are ONE race HUMAN, we all bleed Red, no difference.  If we can all act accordingly, the world would be an amazing place . This is a dream, I know...

I think this is beautifully worded to describe me.  

Monsters in my Mouth...

Our family has gone through a lot this past year.  We will overcome and persevere and always come out on top.  Its the climb that is rough.  I have no doubts.

Love the one your with, Always say I love you, BE KIND

From the Ptaks and the little gang of H's

How do you get away from you?

No matter how hard we try, we can never get away from ourselves.  I know for a fact, I have tried.  I am my worst critic, my abusive lover, my own bat carrier.  I have tried multiple times to get away from ME !!! 


I am unsuccessful every attempt.  I suppose that when we get comfortable in our own " skin " that is when we conquer the ever present demons that live within us.  I feel like most days I wake up, suit up, put on my boxing gloves and go to fight.  More often than not, it is me against the world.  Me against Insurance companies, Me against Doctor's offices, Psychiatrists, Pharmacies, and me against Me.  Am  I enough ? I never feel like I am.  Do I do enough for my kiddies, do I do enough for my husband, my family, my friends.  I have anxiety that resides within me trying to get out, to get out into the world, to face me, to knock me down... I hold it in most of the time, but then it only takes a small issue to make it explode. 

Most of my days are good days.  My health is always an issue, but I am not in the way I was years ago, totally dependent on others for simple care, living in a wheel chair and having to utilize a walker.  I will not go back there.  I know what I have to do for me today.  Yes, it is one of those anxieties that resides in me.... I just have to keep suppressing the anxiety and be stronger than it is. 

Recently, I decided that I would try and obtain help for my anxiety issues.  The first thing that anyone wants to do is throw medication at it.  I tried what they prescribed, I reacted to everything that was suggested... That was a total fail.  I am learning that I have to make some changes, hard changes in my world to simplify my life.  I can no longer handle the negativity that I live in.  I can no longer surround myself with people who will not allow me to grow spiritually, emotionally, and lastly, I can not surround myself with situations that cause great stress that impede my ability to be physically well.  I will not reveal what these changes are, a lot of them are within myself.  I have to do better for me.

I have spent some time lately at the eye Dr.  I have sjorgen's syndrome, a gift from Rheumatoid Arthritis...  I will be on eye drops for the rest of my life.  Not the end of the world, considering what it could have been. 

I have not blogged since June.  There has been so much to really blog about that I got a little overwhelmed.  I am trying to make a commitment to blogging, it helps me sort my emotions and I am the most honest when I am writing.  I am still working on my book, it has been on the hack burner as of late, but that will be changing soon.  I am also working on a support group in Bay County, a safe place for parents, and guardians to come to and share their experiences, resources, and just be with others that are walking down this path.  Autism can be a very isolating feeling.  I feel very alone most days.  I feel like most people want to understand Nick, but just can not.

Life is moving right along.  The new school year is underway and all the kiddies are doing well so far.  I hope to start school too in the Winter Semester.  I also hope to get back to GA for a visit really soon.  I miss my family and friends.  I will leave you with this...

I am removing toxic people from my world.  I will always be kind, however, I will not continue to be a doormat for anyone, or allow them to take up space rent free in my head...

Always say I love you, be kind, Love the one you are with !!

The Ptaks and the gang of H's

Transmissions, seizures, chest pains, and oh yeah... Leukemia

I have been trying to figure out how to blog all of the things that have been happening in our world.  It has been crazy, crazy, crazy... not to mention emotional and physically exhausting.  We have had some pretty heavy stuff going on.  I know most of you know I ended up in a situation where my Tahoe needed a transmission and I ended up having to get a new/used vehicle.  Not exactly what I wanted to do... The Tahoe was paid for and with the expenses we have with Nick's travel and meds it was not the 1st choice, but it is dependable and we are comfortable and grateful to have a " ride "

Here is what you do not know.  The day my transmission went out, I had taken Nicky out of the house for a short trip because we were doing the 72 hr EEG and video EEG and we had been cooped up and needed a little fresh air.  We took a drive to the market and on our way home, it went out.  Here I was with Nick and a million leads with the backpack and the recorder and we were not supposed to be away from the video machine for that long.  It took us forever to limp home,  I had stopped on the side of the road when I got a phone call from Mom and Randy.  He had been seeing his primary Dr. for some abnormal labs.  Nothing too much to worry about, but they felt like he should see an Oncologist, for ruling out any other things that could be going on.  The labs had been ran and the appointment was that day to get the results.

Mom said well Randy does have something.  It's Leukemia.  It is the best kind of Leukemia to have.  People live relatively normal lives with it and he has to be monitored and carefully watched.  The numbers have to stay within the normal/dormant range for him to not have to have any chemotherapy.

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, also known as chronic lymphoid leukemia, is the most common type of leukemia in adults. CLL affects B cell lymphocytes, which originate in the bone marrow, develop in the lymph nodes, and normally fight infection by producing antibodies.

For those of you who are like me, you " hear " the part where it's the " best " kind of Leukemia to have, but your eyes and your heart are splitting into two and leaking everywhere.  I just wanted to go straight to GA and hug Randy.  He has been my constant cheerleader in every way.  It broke my heart.  I asked a lot of questions and had lots of concerns.  I just could not believe it.  I know, I know.... At least it is the good kind of Leukemia... it was still just really hard to swallow... I think moreso for me than him.  I hung up, not dare telling them that I was stranded on the side of the road and hoped that I would make it home with Nick....

I could feel my frustrations creeping up and the surrender of will wavering in the balance.  I wanted to drive straight to GA.  The yearning to be with my family was almost unbearable to stomach.  I knew it was not possible, I had to get HOME.  

We made it home, I was a hot mess.  I was stressed, scared, I had no idea what I was going to do. I started getting Nicky settled and my phone rang again.  This time it was Randy, he said, look, I do not want to alarm you but we are at the ER with your mom.  She began having chest pains and we stopped at the fire department and they said she needed to go to the ER.  We are here, they are running some tests and trying to get her blood pressure down.  I did not know what to say.  My mom has never had blood pressure issues.  

In one hour, my mode of transportation was eliminated, my pops had been diagnosed with Leukemia, and my mom was at the Hospital with chest pains... I wanted to set my hair on fire and run down the street.  I needed to be with them.  I was so worried about them both.  My mom was admitted that evening and once they got her blood pressure regulated, she was released and followed up with a stress test 3 days later.  They cleared her from any blockages and she will need to be monitored by her cardiologist pretty closely... 

This is where Grace finds us... Going through the motions of life and trying to make since of it all.  We are all doing well now and we know that we have each other... 

Sending you lots of love,

Josh, Michelle, and the kiddies...

Blogging has been on the back burner while life keeps trucking on.  I have needed to share what is in my heart but most of the time I can't keep track of what I need and what I want. 

Life has been crazy Crazy crazy here in the Ptak/ Harrison house.I need to figure a way to remove stressors in my life but I have no idea how to do it.  I think it boils down to learning how to cope differently... I don't know. I'm failing at life right now. I'm not positive. I'm not me.  I'm lost in the translation of what is expected of me and what I can actually do. I enjoy simplicity. I despise chaos. I need organization. I can not do Willy nilly by the seat of my pants. I do not live in limbo real well and here lately that seems to be where I stay.    

I love what this excerpt recognizes in love.  It is truly finding the best happiness in those we love I adore my husband and I try every day to make sure his happiness surpasses my own.  I think that finding the pieces of one's own soul is one of the hardest things to accomplish because it forces us to feel.  It untangled feelings that we have made a choice to ignore.  I always want to be here for Josh.  I always want to build him up... Never tear him down.  I Am married to my best friend.. He loves me beyond my ability to love myself. He loves my children and he respects where I come from.  It really is that simple to find the goodness that is connected to you through someone that loves you unconditionally... 

I keep going, even when I do not think I can go another minute.  Some days it is grief, some days it is my illness, some days it is Nick and his behaviors... Some days it is simply blending our families.  Bottom line is I keep going... I do not want to adult sometimes.  My dad had his strokes in October and as a family, the stress has been immensely intolerable at times.  I am so grateful to have my daddy here and he is doing pretty well most of the time.  I assumed a lot of responsibility for him and am happy to do it, it's just hard...

Our furry dynamics changed in our home recently... rip Izzi we miss you !!!

We also had to make changes with our sweet Precious. She lives in Georgia now and is spoiled rotten just like we spoiled her rotten here. We miss her terribly but I know that it was best for her. Dozer is finally perking up after the changes. That makes us happy. 

Life is always crazy around here but it's OUR crazy and even when we look like we don't know what we are doing, we do.. We should get some of Nicks results soon from the neurologist and we can tackle that giant once we know what we are dealing with.  Everyone is happy happy happy! Malays has been doing her school production "Annie"  she had a solo and I am so proud of her.

Maddy was "cool cat " this month at her school and was on the morning show.  Way to go maddy!!! 

Jaycob is improving at school and has been enjoying seeing his mom and siblings since she is so much closer.  

Noland is gearing up for his school field trips and is also improving his grades. 

All in all we are ok !!! 

Hope this finds you and yours well. Love the one you are with. Always say I love you.  Be kind 

Michelle