Since my dh passed away in September I have not been sleeping well, but I have been sleeping. Anywhere from 5-8 hours a night. I have a Fitbit charge that tracks my sleep. I have also had alot of anxiety the past few months due to various health issues, which most have turned out to be a result of my anxiety. I have been taking a magnesium supplement. Sunday night I literally did not sleep at all, zero, zip. No matter what I did I could not get to sleep. Monday night, because I was so exhausted, I slept good, 8 1/2 hours. I felt the best yesterday that I have for months, was hoping maybe it was a turning point. Last night, again, I could not sleep at all. I even took 5 mg of melatonin and no sleep. Finally, at 7:00 this morning, I took Benedryl. Slept for 2 hours. I am so exhausted I can barely walk and haven't even thought of eating this morning. I have a horrible headache. Is there something else out there that will help me sleep. I would prefer natural supplements instead of prescription sleeping pills. I am no good to anyone here, and I still have 2 that I am homeschooling. Please, offer any suggestions you can think of. I also run a diffuser with lavender in it. I am getting desperate here.

I used to get it done when I got my hair cut. When I went a long time between cuts, I tried Olay Facial Hair Remover and it works very well. Even my hairdresser said she would just continue with that and not get waxed. I do get my eyebrows waxed.

This is the point that I am at right now, and am living with much guilt and many regrets. I had not seen a primary care doctor for 8 years, even though I knew I was at risk for a serious disease. I knew the warning signs and did occassionally self monitor myself, but I should have been having routine blood work at least every couple of years. But I felt good, my dh was having medical issues and I went a few years without monitoring myself. When my dh passed away suddenly early September, I felt an enormous responsibility to get as healthy as possible. I went very low carb and did start monitoring myself. My numbers were pretty good. There was the concern though on what were they when I was not taking care of myself. I started having other weird symptoms, scary ones. I spent way too much time on Dr. Google. Enough to really worry what was going on. I had an appointment with my OB/GYN so I had him run basic blood work and the numbers came back pretty good. More symptoms started so I decided I needed to find a primary care doctor. Every doctor I researched and thought would be a good fit were not taking new patients. It was unbelievable. Finally, I called a local hospital physician referral line and they set me up with an appointment with a fresh out of residency doctor. Took all my blood work, my self-monitoring numbers, and laid everything on the line to him. He looked at everything and said I was perfectly healthy, healthier than most that came in the doors, and that it was all stressed related. Looked at my numbers, told me they were fine, I did not have a problem, and told me he would not even have me monitor myself anymore. Did offer to prescribe something for stress, which I refused. All I needed was peace of mind, and he gave that to me. Well, symptoms continued plus more got worse at times. I knew that just from my history alone, he should have ran blood work, even though my numbers were good. So after I couple of weeks worrying I called and had him run the blood work. He left a message that my number was slightly elevated, but no follow up was needed. But my concern is still what were the numbers the past few years, when my diet was not good. In the meantime, I started going to a chiropractor and some of my symptoms got better. Others did not. I have spent the last month trying to find a new doctor to see me and again no one was taking new patients. Finally, through a friend who personally knew a doctor, I have an appointment in two weeks to address some issues. Could some of the symptoms be due to stress. Absolutely. I truly hope they are, because the alternatives can be quite serious. Living with the guilt I have that I did not do everything to keep myself healthy and the fact that I am the only parent know for my kids still at home is overwhelming. I feel like I have let them down, and even that I have left my dh down also. I am sorry this has gotten so long. My hope is that no one makes the mistake that I did. I have seen the value of regular checkups, even when you are feeling good.

My problem is finding a doctor to go to. After my dh passed away in September, I decided I needed to get healthier. It's been all downhill since then. Weird symptoms keep cropping up. Scary ones, and I have had alot of stress and anxiety that something is really wrong. I have not had a primary care doctor for a number of years, too many. I started getting really concerned about certain things, so before my yearly check-up with my OB/GYN (who I absolutely love), I asked if he would run the standard blood work that I have not had for years. He did and my numbers looked really good, except my cholesterol was very slightly elevated. A couple weeks later, I started getting weird symptoms that freaked me out. Did some research and found a couple of primary care doctors I thought would be a good fit. Not taking new patients. I called a local hospital's physician referral line and they made an appointment with a new doctor that just finished his residency. Spilled everything to him, completely everything. Told him I spend way to much time on Dr. Google. Brought by lab work, blood pressure readings, blood sugars for the last two months. This is what I was most concerned about. He looked at everything, brushed off everything as stress, told me I was perfectly healthy, healthier than most who come in. There are more details I could get into, but he missed a very basic test that he should have ran. More symptoms started. I called his office and asked him to run the basic test and he did and it came back slightly high. He went back into his chart that I could see on patient portal and added information to cover his butt. No confidence in anything he told me. So, I have spent that last month trying to find another doctor to see me. 90 percent are not taking new patients. One doctor's office took all my information, symptoms and why I needed to see the doctor, and told me they would put it on the doctor's desk and she would review and decide whether to see me or not. Took a week, office called and said she couldn't fit me into her schedule. So, I am still looking, need to be seen soon, and can't find a doctor who will see me. It has been very frustrating and to be honest, my faith in doctors has taken a nosedive. I am so stressed and anxious all the time.

When my brother committed suicide by jumping off a bridge and no body was found, my SIL had to keep paying the premiums until the court declared him dead. But here in Missouri, it was only two years and they issue a provisional death certificate so life insurance could be claimed. I think it is 5 or 7 years before they will issue a regular death certificate.

About a week after my dh passed away suddenly in September I needed to go to Walmart to get food in the house and other necessary things. As I was walking up to the store I burst into tears and had to go back and sit in the car for awhile. It seemed so wrong to be doing something so normal when things were so not normal.

My heart goes out to your entire family. Unfortunately, I do very much know how you feel. My dh passed away suddenly in September. It has been very difficult the past few weeks getting ready for Christmas. So many memories. My youngest is 13. There is a lady here locally that takes and makes teddy bears out of clothes. My nephew's wife had this done for my brother's (who had passed away) family. I did not have the heart to do it this year, as I have not been able to go through his belongings yet. Just can't do it. But I hope to have them made for next Christmas. I have the shirts that he wore the first time he held each grandbaby, so will use them for their bears. I will have around 20 bears that will need to be made.

My dh passed away suddenly in September and I so dread Christmas. Thanksgiving was very tough for all of us, and I can't even imagine what Christmas will be like. My youngest is 13. We are starting to decorate for Christmas to try and keep up our normal traditions. We are trying to think of things to make it a little different. My 13 you asked me yesterday when I was going to start making Christmas cookies, as I usually make lots. I hadn't even really thought of it before he asked. If it was up to me, I think I would just forget Christmas this year, but am trying to keep up my spirits for the kids. This is so incredibly hard.

This is a favorite of ours, too. It is on the Thanksgiving menu every year!

As many of you know, my dh passed away suddenly in early September. My dd got engaged a month later. We are looking at an early May wedding. We are trying to be as economical as possible. We expect maybe 100-125 people. She would like a full reception. We are considering doing the food ourselves. I have a very good pulled pork recipe that could be made ahead of time and frozen. We might possibly buy a few sides from a homeschooling family that is in the catering business. The thought of this is overwhelming. So, any thoughts on whether this can be done cost effectively would be appreciated.

As someone who lost their dh six weeks ago very suddenly, I can relate to the shock you must be feeling. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your entire family.

I'm going to throw this out there. I have a friend who quite a few years ago her daughter had violent vomiting episodes. She searched for answers for a long time and her daughter was finally diagnosed with Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome. It is similar to an abdominal migraine. Be aware though that there are very few doctors who are actually familiar with this. My friend searched for a long time for a doctor who dealt with patients with this and found one 3 hours away.

Ok, here is my vent: 1. It's been 5 weeks today since my dh suddenly passed away and still no death certificate. I can't do ANYTHING without the stupid death certificate. I have an appointment at the Social Security office on Thursday. They tell me to still come, but things won't be processed until they receive the death certificate. I got a second letter from the life insurance company stating they need documents sent in to process the claim, and I don't have the stupid death certificate. 2. In the past 5 weeks, I've been to the ER because I wasn't paying attention and jabbed my hand with scissors and it required 6 stitches. The Er doc put me on a precautionary antibiotic that totally wrecked havoc on my gut and I ended up at Urgent Care for dehydration. Was told by that doc that the Er doc should have told me that if my cut looked ok I could stop the antibiotic after 3 days. I've had some random leg pain for the past few days that has me freaking out since my dh died from a pulmonary embolism with absolutely no symptoms. Why can't I just concentrate on grieving without having to worry about more health issues than I've had over the past 5 to 10 years! 3. I have the most wonderful, wonderful kids (they are adults) . They have really stepped up here at home. I still have a 13 yo, 16 yo, 18 yo, 20 yo, and 25 yo that lives at home. My 27 yo ds will be moving in temporarily while he looks for a house to buy. I went away for the weekend with my sister-in-law to visit my dd and grandbabies who live about 4 1/2 hours away. Was good for me. Got home yesterday and saw that my 25 yo and 27 yo made a trip to Sams while I was away. I have large containers of food all over the house of things we really don't eat, or at least didn't. Large container of in the shell peanuts, large boxes of raisins, large containers of applesauce, a 12-pack of canned corn. I don't use canned corn, we like the taste of frozen corn better. I felt I was losing control of my house. Why couldn't I just appreciate what they tried to do, instead of feeling that way? 4. I'm not sleeping well at all. Hard to go to sleep and then wake up early and can't go back to sleep. It's so hard sleeping in an empty bed. 5. For the first time in the past 35 years, I am going to have to buy my own health insurance and that scares me to death after hearing some of the horror stories about the Health insurance Marketplace. Ok, vent over, thanks for letting me get it all out.

Yes, he is an estate lawyer. There will be what is called a "pour-over" will also.

As most of you know, my dh passed away suddenly two weeks ago. The support on this board has meant everything to me. There are so many details I need to take care of, I need to update my will. My lawyer strongly advises that I do a trust instead of a will. He said most people do trust now a days instead of a will. I'm just not sure though. I little background info, I have two minor children at this point, ages 13 and 16. There are some assets, but not a huge amount. So, I guess my questions is what do most people do, trust or will?

I wanted to share this memorial of my dh that my son-in-law posted on his Facebook page. My father-in-law was a serious man of constant faith and unparalleled commitment to his family. He told me about how he used to work two back-to-back jobs when he was younger to support his growing family. My mother-in-law would pack him two paper sacks for his day. One was for his lunch break at a local car maintenance shop and another for dinner when he drove across town to work nights at another shop. After a 14 hour day, he would wake up and do it again. When the family house got too small to contain 10 kids on a single floor with one bathroom, he decided that his house needed a second story. Using his built up time off work from never taking a vacation, he decided (against all shocked looks of "are you insane") to do 100% of the work by himself. Sometimes he worked over 24 hours straight to be ready for inspections and finish on his self-imposed deadline. I would have thought these two stories were apocryphal had I not witnessed his indefatigable work ethic when he volunteered to help when Jennifer and I built our new home. He took time off work to help me put in laminate flooring so we could save a little money. When he would come to visit, he would always be prepared for our next project. I would get off work on a Friday evening expecting the project to start first thing on Saturday, only to find he had left from home earlier than expected and was already half-way finished with that weekend's project. He was the kind of man that reminded me that virtue and virility have the same Latin word right there at the beginning. The virtue that he inspired was unquestionably masculine and paternal in the proper sense -- every day he took up the cross of sacrifice as a husband and father. There was nothing soft about him, yet I witnessed tender moments when he kissed his grandkids or used his special hum to get each of the babies to sleep. He once told me of a remark made by the doctor after his wife of then 25 years had just delivered their 10th and last child. The doctor had thought that after 10 kids some of the joy, wonder and expressions of love might be gone, but no -- that doctor was shocked to find the same face of awe and wonder that a new dad might have on this the new old dad of 10 kids. Our last conversation was about how he had found a place near a job he was working for us to get matching garden statues of the Blessed Virgin. He was going to buy them both (over my protest) for the simple task of helping him get his office computer setup for the company he had started. He handled the highly complex process of testing and controlling air flow and quality at local hospitals. I think he had used that reason three or four times over. The nearby job site turned out to be the place where he would unexpectedly collapse earlier this week. I know my father-in-law would prefer to remain in obscurity. He was a simple man who didn't ask for recognition or credit. I got the sense that sometimes it was hard for him to accept a thank you, when, for my part, I was constantly worried at how inadequate paying in only words had been. He may hate that I posted about him after his death, but his story deserves to be known. It is the story of a simple man who sanctified his life through an unflinching commitment to his true vocation -- his calling by God to be the husband for 38 years and the father of my wife Jennifer and a role model for me. Requiescat in pace.

Thanks, Lisa. I have bookmarked Braving the Broken website and hope to start reading tonight. The blessings and support have been truly amazing. So many details to take care of. I think I'm just numb right now. Thanks everyone here for your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Services are over and we are just stunned by the love and support of everyone. So many people came from all over. My dh was a quiet man unless you really got to know him. He was very highly regarded for his honesty and integrity in both his personal and professional life. There is such a hole in my heart right now. We married at 18 and were married for 38 years. He truly was the love of my life and I miss him greatly. I am thankful that I have all 10 of my dc and all 7 of my grandbabies here. They have been such a help and comfort to me. Our youngest is 13, so please pray as we go forward. Again, thank you so much for all the love you have shown me.

Thank you all for your kind words. We are still just shocked and stunned and getting the funeral plans in place has been almost surreal. All of my kids are here except for one daughter who is making the long drive from Montana. Five of my grandchildren are here and they are such a comfort to me, even though all but one are too young to understand. My oldest granddaughter, who is almost seven, will just come up and hold onto me for dear life. Even though we live over 4 hours away, my dh was such a huge part of their lives. Again, thank you all for your kind words, prayers and thoughts. I might lean on you alot these next few months.

Yesterday my dh was working out of town about 3 hours away and collapsed and passed away from a pulmonary embolism. We have 10 kids with the youngest being 13. We also have 7 grandchildren who loved their grandpa dearly. Please pray for our family. We are truly heartbroken.

We have hardwood floors and a lab mix dog. A couple of months ago I bought the Shark True Pet Liftaway. Absolutely amazing! I got it at Kohls on sale with a 30% discount.

I am going to give you my experience as the helper. My dd has 5 kids with the oldest being 6 1/2. They live 4 hours away. With each one I have left my house when she was in labor and stayed for two weeks after. But, I truly do everything I can to help. I cook, clean, do laundry, drive my grandkids to preschool, change diapers, give baths, do bedtime, help homeschool my gdd, etc. Living so far away, this is my time to bond with the newborn grandbaby. And it has helped form the very close relationship I have with each grandchild. I keep the rules and schedule of the house, and in NO way ever interfere in the way they discipline my grandchildren. I have told my dd that she can tell me at anytime to go home and I would not be hurt in any way, shape, or form. I always stay the whole two weeks. We go there about every 4-6 weeks. We have always been welcomed. My dh is finishing a schoolroom in their basement for them. We are a close family and families are there to help each other. I was there this past weekend. My dd and her dh took advantage of a free babysitter and went to dinner Saturday night. We have told them that if we are there to feel free to go and spend time together. I have no doubt that it is not this way for everyone. There is no way I would have wanted my MIL to stay after having my babies. But she only lived 5 minutes away and helped in other ways. I must be doing something right. After my latest granddaughter was born at the beginning of May, the last night I would be there I told my dd if they wanted to, to get out and go to dinner. When they came home she told me that my SIL told her he wished I could stay forever!

I know this subject has been brought up before so I thought I would share my experience. In 2013 I bought the new Miller Levine Biology book with teacher's access directly from Pearson. I had to sign an affidavit stating that I was a homeschooler. Used it for to dd and then did not use it last year. When I went to sign on to my account the teacher's resources had disappeared. I have seen post that this has happened to others here. Was not very hopeful and had even purchased Apologia Biology at a used book sale. My thought was possibly combining the two books if I could get the teacher's resources back. After reading an old post here that stated not to go through Pearson customer service, but instead to go through k12 tech support. I sent an email yesterday, again not very hopeful. They were very quick to respond and gave me things to try. When that still did not work, they asked for my id and password and fixed the problem. I now have my teacher's access back! Very quick and very helpful. Thought I would just post this in case it would be helpful for others.

Has anyone used or plan on using Lands of Hope and Promise put out by Catholic Textbook Project? According to Cathy Duffy reviews it is very in depth. I like the looks of it, but am not sure if it is a good fit for my ds. I wish I could see samples of the teacher's manual. I do have the teacher's manual for All Ye Lands. Is it similar in the approach? Any opinions would be very helpful.

Can anyone who has ordered and received this curriculum give an opinion on grade level? Thanks.