Close to Home

Be Back Shortly

2009-09-10T15:15:00.003-04:00

Do you remember me? A lot has been going on here with us, so I have not had any time to blog. (waaah) I hope to be back soon with lots of "ketchup" blogs as MckMama calls them. Until then, I hope this post finds you all doing excellent.

I don’t…

2009-08-26T00:39:00.000-04:00

This week I am joining Jenna from Jenna's Journey for “I don’t Wednesday”

I don’t…

~like to wear shoes (unless they are flip flops)
~cook, unless I have to
~play video games
~have much will power
~know the books of the Bible in order (even though I should)
~pray as often as I would like bc I don’t think I am too good @ it. :(
~like movie Star Wars (or any science fiction movie)
like to get my picture taken AT ALL…EVER

OK, that is enough “I don’ts” for this week.
Wanna play along? It’s fun!!! Visit Jenna’s blog for more “I don’t” Wednesday

it is just around the corner…

2009-08-24T15:42:00.001-04:00

…

CHRISTMAS!!!

It is exactly four months from tomorrow.

Just 122 MORE days!!!

I am a little excited!!!

Big Brother

2009-08-22T02:00:00.000-04:00

Do you watch?
I almost wish I didn’t, but I do. Each season (year) I say I am not going to watch the next one, but it ALWAYS drags me back in.

This is mainly the only reality show I watch. I have finally broken myself from The Bachelor/Bachelorette.
I have never been on the American Idol or Survivor train. My Mom lives & breathes American Idol.

So do you watch reality tv? If so what?

on a roll…

2009-08-21T13:02:00.001-04:00

Since we will be moving in with my Mom & step dad in about 10 days, I have been on a cleaning & purging spree.

We plan to sell, give away & donate a lot of our furniture as it is time for new. I have NEVER had an BRAND NEW furniture. EVER. (with the exception of my mattress) Everything I have ever bought or been given has been second hand…”new to me”. Which has never bothered me, bc most everything I had looked new and I was thankful for it.
But now is the time for me to get to pick out my own furniture. I found an awesome discount furniture store here in our town and they have the BEST lay a way plan ever. You pick out what you want…put a down payment on it (whatever amt you want) then make payments (in any amt) every two weeks until it is paid. At which point you pick up your furniture.
Isn’t that GREAT? There is no holding fee, no financing charge, etc. It can not be beat. Plus the prices are cheaper than if you go to the larger retail showrooms.
We are ordering our couch this weekend. We have been paying on it for the past 6 weeks and have just one more payment to make and it will be ours. It will of course go into storage until we move out of my Mom’s, but it will be nice knowing it is ours and it is waiting on us. Next we are looking for a new dining/kitchen set. Part of our new furniture is going to be a Christmas gift from my family. (how great is that?)

I am so anxious to set out on this new journey.

So far we have sold a couch & chair for my Mom (they are taking our our current set for their basement). I am waiting now on someone to come and pick up our dining table & chairs. And up next to go is a large dresser & our patio table.

I also have a large box of clothes to donate to the Goodwill.

So how often to you replace your furniture? Do you buy new, used or get hand me downs from friends/family? How often does your style change?

WW: Collin~a self photo

2009-08-19T01:39:00.000-04:00

We are outta here…Good news & not so good news

2009-08-18T02:10:00.000-04:00

The time has come.

The good news is…

We are moving…in TWO weeks!!! Yikes…lots to do!

The not so good news…

We will (temporarily) be moving into my Mom’s house. UGH!!! Really it is OK. She has plenty of room for the 3 of us and it will allow us to SAVE SAVE SAVE. :) That is always a plus. We will be @ my Mom’s for about 5-6 months.

We will start house hunting again around Christmas/New Years.

This is bittersweet for us. It is the first home we have ever owned. It is the house we moved into as a family of 3. It is the house we have renovated for the past 4 yrs. It is the only home that Collin knows as his own. But life changes, people change, circumstances change, most everything changes, so we must change with it.

Lots of changes are still coming.

Advocare = a skinnier, healthier you

2009-08-17T13:53:00.001-04:00

Have you heard of it?

This is the weight loss program I have been on for the past month. It started out with a 10 day cleanse, followed by a 14 day challenge. It is pretty simple to follow. No sugar, or at least small amounts of it. Semi low carbs, calories, sodium. No fried foods.

I am not counting pounds lost. This only discourages me. ;) So instead I am basing my success on how I feel and how my clothes fit and how many sizes I go down.

So far I am down 2 pant sizes. GO ME! I have mainly lost in my arms, thighs, bottom, face and yes the boobs, an entire cup size.

I am continuing with the 14 day challenge part again. I had the most success with it and decided to do it again.

If you are interested…check out their website and if you have any questions feel free to ask. If I don’t have the answer I will get it for you.

https://www.advocare.com/09072103/default.aspx

I am so excited about this because since having Collin four years ago, nothing seemed to help me lost the extra lbs….and this has. :)

WW: I scream, You scream, We all scream for ICE CREAM

2009-08-12T00:10:00.000-04:00

Community Day @ the Fire House

2009-08-11T00:31:00.000-04:00

Recently we went to one of our local fire departments Community Day, How could we not when Collin is such a huge fireman fan.
Here are some pictures from our day.

inside one of the MANY firetrucks

look how big those tires are! As tall as Collin. (39”)

Daddy & Collin on another fire truck

inside the SWAT vehicle

the front of the SWAT car. Collin LOVED all the radios in there.

they even offered a free lunch of hot dogs, pizza, chips, water or soda

Collin & Daddy with the MedFlight helicopter

We even got to watch it take off on a run before we left.

This was so much fun for all of us. We got there a little later than we would have liked to due to church. So next year we will go to first service so that we can do more.

Don’t you just love when the community puts together free family fun?

If you did not see my blog late last night, check out my previous post. :) THANKS!

Has it really been 2+ weeks?

2009-08-10T20:55:00.001-04:00

Well in case you had not figured it out via my absence, I guess I took a (not so) little blogging break. It really was not planned. Honest.

We have been busy. There are a lot of changes coming up for us in the next few weeks and months. I am apprehensive about some and excited about others.

Collin is doing absolutely wonderful other than he is STILL in his “terrible 2’s” @ the age of 4. If all goes well, he will be weaned from his seizure medicine by Thanksgiving. Praise God!!!

Preston will turn the “big” 30 this friday. We are not doing anything too exciting though. Saturday his family is going to come over for pizza, cake & ice cream. (YUMMM) I can not wait bc I have been on a “diet” for the past 21 days. It was a 24 day challenge. My last day is wednesday. I plan to continue with the program, but will take sat & sunday to enjoy the birthday festivities. Sunday we are celebrating my step dads 50th birthday.

I plan on blogging more about the “diet” I have been on soon as well as some of the changes that are coming our way. So if you have any questions about anything, please feel free to ask and I will answer.

I hope you all are having a nice summer. Can you believe it is almost over? (and is “over” for some of you as far as you are back @ school)

I hope to not be absent for any more long periods. Thanks for sticking with me. MISS YOU ALL!!!

Prayers for Stellan & the MckFamily

2009-07-26T14:31:00.001-04:00

for details please visit my charming kids or follow MckMama on twitter.

1 month post-op

2009-07-23T23:16:00.001-04:00

One month ago today we were sleeping in Collin’s hospital room after his brain surgery.

This is Collin earlier today…just one month later.

What a difference a month makes.

In this past month Collin has done very well. He is back to his ornery self and has remained seizure free. Praise God. His incision is healing well. The sutures are all gone now and his hair is starting to grow back in.
He still wears a hat most of the time when we leave bc he thinks people will laugh @ him. ??? I have no idea where he got that idea from.

On Monday we have a check up with the CNP in neurology. This check up is mainly for us to get his seizure medicine refilled.
In October we will go for his MRI to see if the surgery was truly a success.

We have been staying busy around here.
Our weather has been un-seasonably cool. I am enjoying it. I am not a fan of the humidity.

We are trying to make plans for a quick NYC trip for my birthday in Oct. I have always wanted to go to NYC. I am so excited.
And if I can find a nice cabin the three of us will be going to the Smokey Mts. in TN for Thanksgiving.
Lots of things coming up. I can not wait.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T00:34:00.000-04:00

McRae Family

2009-07-16T16:11:00.001-04:00

Meet the McRae family.
Dad-Aaron
Mom-Holly
Kids-Olivia, Kate & Will

Just two and a half weeks ago their lives were changed when they found out their middle daughter, Kate, age 5, has a brain tumor. She has since had a craniotomy and bc of the location of the tumor it could not all be removed. She will start chemo, most likely next week. They (the docs) do not want her to have radiation bc of her age and other issues.
Since finding the tumor they have not left the Children’s Hospital in AZ.

They can use our prayers. I have been following their story @ their Caring Bridge site.
The road ahead of them is long, but they know the Great Physician and all he is capable of. He provides us with miracles each day. He knows the road that lies ahead of sweet Kate as He has already walked it. She will not go through anything that He is unaware of and He will never leave her side.

As if dealing with this was not enough for them, they found out today that their son, Will age 3 (I think), has a growth on his vocal cords and will need to have surgery soon to remove it. the Dr. does not feel that it is cancerous, (Praise God) but none the less Will does need surgery which will require general anesthesia and come with a recovery period of its own.

This family covets our prayers for their children and for themselves. That they will be able to divide their time and be there for both of their children in their times of need while not leaving their oldest daughter, Olivia out.
Please prayer for the children and their individual needs, but also for strength,rest and wisdom for the parents. I can not imagine what they are going through right now.
Please also pray for all the doctors involved in both Kate & Will’s treatments and surgeries.

THANKS.

Don’t you just love the blog world and how we can all come together to prayer for those who need our prayers that we may never meet this side of the pearly gates?

God is AWESOME!!!

You can visit their Caring Bridge site for more info and updates below.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate/journal

Collin, back to himself

2009-07-16T00:38:00.001-04:00

If it were not for the small(ish) patch of hair that is still missing (but slowly growing in) and the scar on the top of his head, you would not know that this boy had brain surgery just 3 short weeks ago.
We are getting back to our life as we knew it prior to the surgery/recovery. Collin can be around kids again and go out and about. So that makes us all happier.

We are back to working on our ABC’s. He knows them, but boy is he stubborn when I try to get him to tell me them or sing the song etc. He goes to pre-school in the fall. Just 2 days a week. I think he will love it, but he is not too happy about it when you mention it to him now.
This Sunday he will get to return to church with his friends. And then tuesday he can go back to childcare in the evenings while Daddy goes to FPU (financial peace university by Dave Ramsey)

I will try and get a picture of his head tomorrow and post it. It looks so much better than the last pictures I posted. :)

Wordless Wednesday: an odd place for a nap

2009-07-15T14:16:00.001-04:00

Happy Independence Day

2009-07-04T17:07:00.001-04:00

HAPPY 4th of July
from all 3 of us @ Close to Home

Celebrate your faith, family, friends & freedom today.
And Thank a soldier…past present & future for fighting for ALL of those for you.

not for the faint of heart

2009-07-02T13:07:00.001-04:00

There you have it…you are warned.

This is another post mainly for me and for Collin when he is older.

Saturday we were able to change his bandage for the first time. I use the term “we” lightly as all I did was snap pictures. I do not deal well with anything medical show-ish. I am better at small bumps, bruises and boo boos.
Thankfully for us, Daddy is GREAT with the gory stuff. So he lovingly and patiently (as I snuck in with the camera trying not to look too closely) removed, cleaned, medicated, & re-bandaged Collin’s head.

Want to see???
It is not for the faint of heart…

is that not an ornery face?

can you say O U C H !!!

“ahhhh” he thinks it is All done.

polysporin bandage DONE!!!!

…until next time (tomorrow) that is.

wordless wednesday

2009-07-01T11:26:00.001-04:00

all about Collin

2009-06-29T19:01:00.001-04:00

first let me apologize for not posting sooner. Things have been crazy around here to say the least. Not to mention I came home to a broken laptop. :( (good news though, I got a NEW one) YaY!!! Oh and paid cash for it. (hubby is taking Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Univ.)
And I wanted to take some time to clear my head and remember the details to have for us for Collin later.

Most of you follow me on facebook, so you know most of what has been going on. For those of you who don’t and for me to have a clear recollection, here we go.

We arrived @ Children’s last tuesday just before 8AM. We were to be there by 8:10am for surgery @ 10:10am.
We check in, fill out a couple forms and are immediately called back to the “holding” room, where the nurses, anesthesiologist, Dr, etc come to check Collin over, ask questions of us, and go over the procedure once last time.
Things move rather quickly for awhile. Our young adults Minister from Church comes by to see us & Collin and to pray with us prior to the surgery. (He also has a son Collin’s age and they are our neighbors)
My Mom & step dad arrive and we are just hanging out WAITING. and waiting and waiting.
During all of the waiting Collin was able to go to the Ocean Room and pick out a toy. All kids having surgery get to pick a toy from the Ocean room, which is basically a large closet FILLED to over flowing with toys.

Collin chose a Dr’s kit…how appropriate.
And he proceeded to use us as his patients.

When the Nurse Practitioner came in to check Collin out, she asked if she could get anything for him…he said “a drs suit”. What he wanted was a pair of scrubs like all the drs were wearing. She told him she could not get him a pair in his size, but she could get him a hat, mask and shoe covers. He agreed and she came back with them…

the future Dr. Collin ;)

And the waiting continued, so we were allowed to go to the toy room, where Collin could pick out a couple toys, games or books to occupy some of the time.

He has been wanting this very book from Kohl’s for a long time, so this really helped to pass the time along.

We also opened presents from our cousins in Indiana. THANKS Susie & family…Collin says “these are the BEST cars EVER”.

and the wait continues
Finally @ 12:05 pm (TWO hrs after he was to be in surgery) they came to get him. And we were off to the waiting room.

I did not get any pictures of them taking him bc he was crying and I was crying and my Mom was crying and it was just a mess.

The surgery itself was to take 1hr…and @ 1;10pm Dr. G came in to talk to us. He did find an abnormality and was able to realign Collin’s pathway for his spinal fluid to drain. He had been re-absorbing the spinal fluid prior to this. He was a little concerned bc when he first went into Collin’s head he did not know where he was at…turns out bc of the dilated ventricle he was not in the correct spot and had to come out and go back in. He thought there could be some temporary nerve damage to Collin’s left side, but assured us that it would only be temporary. He tells us he will order a CT scan for the morning to be sure.
Now just more waiting until Collin is out of recovery.
Shortly Dr. G comes back in to tell us Collin is starting to wake up a little, but it will take some time and that he decided to go ahead and have the CT scan done today.
WAIT
WAIT
WAIT
About an hour & half later they come wheeling Collin out of recovery for us to join him for his CT scan. He is groggy, but alert and wants either Me or Daddy to be with in his sight at all times.

His Thomas (aka Comfy) blanket and Handy Manny (aka his son) got to go into surgery with him.

He lays real still for the CT scan and now we are on our way to his room.
Once in his room he is in and out of sleep, but does not complain about pain.

his bandage is in the shape of a heart. One nurse commented that in the 11yrs she has been @ Children’s she has never seen a heart bandage. We have no idea who did this as Dr. G was surprised as well. :)

The CT scan showed no damage and Collin is moving both sides of his body equally. :)

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Collin does get sick three times…mostly from the anesthetic. He eats some crackers and popsicles and drinks sprite.

Collin sleeps pretty good through out the night and still does not complain about the pain. He does not act too much like himself, but that is to be expected.

The next day, he is allowed up to move around some and that makes him feel better, but he still wears out easily. What do we expect the poor boy just had brain surgery.

The view just outside of his window was of a HUGE playground.

About 3:30-4pm we were released to come home…YAY!!!

THANK YOU ALL for your prayers and words of encouragement. They have meant SO much to us. The blogging world is AMAZING!!!
I just LOVE how so many come together through the Lord and the internet.

We go back to Dr. G on Monday for a follow up and will have another MRI in Aug-Sept.
If all goes well, after the MRI we should be able to start weaning Collin off his seizure medicine. That will be another PRAISE!!!

Tomorrow is the day

2009-06-22T23:06:00.001-04:00

Please keep Collin covered in prayer today.
As most of you already know he is scheduled for brain surgery @ 10:10am @ our Children’s Hospital.

A quick recap incase you are new to my blog or have not read about Collin’s past medical condition.

August 2006-
has a partial seizure
goes through a series of tests (eeg, ct scan, MRI) where we find the right ventricle is larger than the left. The neurosurgeon does not seem to be to concerned at that time bc Collin is growing and thriving as most boys his age. We all decide to keep an eye on the ventricle by routine MRI’s.

2007 & 2008
Numerous MRI’s all show no change and things are “ok”.

April 12, 2009
while getting ready for Church Easter morning, we notice Collin is not responding and most likely having his 2nd seizure, the first one in almost 3 yrs. We take him to our local hospital where he is treated and then sent to Children’s. We are again scheduled for more tests and to see the neurologist.
April 27, 2009
Collin goes for his EEG…all is normal on it
April 28, 2009
Collin wakes up vomiting and goes into another seizure. We are taken by squad to the hospital and after being checked out we are given an anti-seizure medicine to start him on.
The following week we see the neurologist and she refers us to the neurosurgeon.
June 1, 2009
We go for Collin’s MRI and to see the neurosurgeon. The MRI now shows that the ventricle is not only larger, but that it is pushing “things” out of its way making it harder for the spinal fluid to drain properly. We are given three choices…
1. do nothing & wait
2. have a shunt put in to drain the fluid
3. have the surgeon go in with a camera to see what exactly is going on and then proceed to realign a pathway for the spinal fluid to drain, thus relieving the pressure on Collin’s brain and therefore (most likely) stopping the seizures allowing Collin to stop taking the seizure medicine. The neurosurgeon sends us home to do our own research, get a 2nd opinion, PRAY and come back with a decision.
We did just that and went back with the decision to go with option 3. It seems the best one for Collin. With the best long term results.

This surgery is pretty quick, about an hour and will leave us in the hospital for 1-2 days. Once home Collin will be on restriction from outdoor play or climbing, but other than that can go back to life as he knows it.

THANK YOU for all of your thoughts and prayers. I will update when I am able to.

Please lift Stellan and the MckFamily in prayer

2009-06-18T20:27:00.001-04:00

for more details & to stay updated check out MckMama’s blog: my charming kids
or follow her on twitter

Continuing our prayers in Ohio for Stellan and all of the MckFamily!

Tuesday June 23, 2009

2009-06-17T12:22:00.001-04:00

10:30AM…
Collin will be having surgery.

We went back to the neurosurgeon this past Monday. After discussing at length our options, the risks, the procedures, recoveries, etc. We decided it was in Collin’s best interest to go ahead and have Dr. G proceed with the surgery.

The surgery itself will be about an hour long. It will consist of him drilling a small hole into the upper part of Collin’s head and sliding in a tiny camera to take a look. Depending on what he finds, he will proceed to use an instrument to re-align the pathway between the two ventricles, thus allowing the spinal fluid to drain properly again. If he feels this is not an option once he is in there, he can close up and go in at another spot on the lower part of Collin’s head and place a shunt to help relieve the pressure that is there and help with the draining.
The shunt is a last resort. And yes it could go in the same spot he will be going into with the camera, but it is safer to put it in from the bottom, rather than the top according to Dr. G.

I do apologize for my lack of medical knowledge/terminology.

Please keep Collin in your prayers over the next several days/week.
The incision should not have much pain as there is no muscle where they are going in at.
We will spend one-two nights @ Children’s and then he will be able to come home on some restrictions for two weeks until he goes back for a follow up with Dr. G.

Thank you all for your prayers & concern for our little boy.

There is a very good possibility that this surgery will eliminate the seizures and therefore the need for the seizure medicine.

I will keep you updated as I can.

My ABC’s

2009-06-05T03:07:00.000-04:00

I saw this on a few other blogs and thought, ‘what the hey, I will do this too’.

A - Age: 30
B - Bed size: Queen
C - Chore you hate: laundry bc it NEVER ends
D - Dog's name: no dogs
E - Essential start your day item: a shower
F - Favorite color: red
G - Gold or Silver or Platinum: Silver
H - Height: 5'3"
I - Instruments you play: none
J - Job title: Mother of one
K - Kid(s): Collin (4)
L - Living arrangements: Husband and son
M - Mom's name: Martha
N - Nicknames: Kel, Kel-Kel, Aunt Sissy
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: 1999 cervical cancer surgery
P - Pet Peeve: liars
Q - Quote from a movie: I am AWFUL @ remembering lines from shows or movies, sorry
R – Right or left handed: left
S - Siblings: 2 sisters and 2 brothers
T - Time you wake up: about 9am
U- Underwear: lol…whatever is comfy…no thongs though
V - Vegetable you dislike: any veggies that is cooked
W - Ways you run late: slow moving son, over sleep
X - X-rays you've had: teeth, chest
Y - Yummy food you make: oreo pie, (YUMMM), cheesy potatoes
Z - Zoo favorite: monkeys

Now YOU know my ABC’s, next time won’t you share yours with me?
(to the tune of the Alphabet song) ;)

how does this happen?

2009-06-04T00:47:00.000-04:00

how is it that these are sock mates? Why when I wash socks does one come out so much larger than the other???
Can anyone tell me the answer to this???

Wordless Wednesday: a new “do”

2009-06-03T00:54:00.000-04:00

before

after

Collins MRI results

2009-06-02T11:42:00.001-04:00

So yesterday Collin went back to Children’s Hospital for another MRI (he has had several since 2006) and to meet with our new Neurosurgeon (our previous one moved to AZ) and get the results of the MRI.
His appt was in the afternoon, so this is what we started our day with…

Collin walked smack into the hutch in the dining room. AND did not even whimper.

The good news here is he is fine and it looks 100% better today.
Always a plus we were seeing the neurology dept. :)

So, onto the appt & results.
I first want to disclose that I am just a Mom, I am not a Dr. nor do I play one on my blog. I do not have the knack for medical terminology that MckMama has, unfortunately for me & you.

I can not remember if I addressed this before, so just in case I did not, I will catch you up. Back in 2006 when Collin had his first seizure, the ER here @ our local hospital ran a CT scan, where they found one of his ventricles (on his brain) was slightly larger than the other. This sent us down a long road of trying to find out why and what to do. While it was decided by us, as well as his Neurosurgeon @ the time to just monitor it since he was excelling in all other areas and it seemed he was still able to drain the spinal fluid properly, so there was no use in doing a risky “brain” surgery if it was not absolutely needed.

At today’s MRI and follow up it was shown to us that the ventricle is still enflamed (larger) than it should be and it is starting to push things out of the way and could be causing pressure to his brain, thus causing the recent seizures. Though they can not be sure. (remember he had an EEG and it came back NORMAL)
Because of the ventricle pushing “things” out of the way, it is the Neurosurgeon’s opinion that the spinal fluid is no longer draining properly, but is being absorbed elsewhere.

This needs to be fixed and leaves us with 3 options…
1. do nothing and wait (since Collin is thriving in all other areas)
2. a shunt
3. going into the brain with a camera to see with human eyes what exactly is going on. And then reconstructing a path for the spinal fluid to drain.

All 3 options have risks. We, at this point are leaning towards option 3, but have not decided yet. We will meet back with the Neurosurgeon in a week to a month, after we make our decision to get things started.
We are placing this in God’s hands and trust him fully that we will make the best decision we can for Collin. I wish that I could say by doing that it makes this easier for us, but we are still struggling with this.

Please continue to lift our son in prayer that we will make the best decision for him.
THANK YOU!

and the winner is…???

2009-05-27T14:36:00.001-04:00

the envelope please…

oh wait, I did not do it that way this time.
I used Random.org to choose my winner.
(sorry no picture bc my camera batteries are dead and are being charged)
So with out further ado…the random winner is…

Kelly from Our Family Ramblings!

So Kelly are you wondering what it is that you win?
Me too!!!

You get to choose…but I get to give you your choices.
There is ALWAYS a catch, isn’t there. (sorry)

So what will it be…a gift card to…
1. Target (I will have a hard time not spending it prior to sending it to you, but I will do my best) lol
2. Sonic (they do do gift cards, right?)
3. Starbucks
4. VISA gift card
5. gas gift card

Just send me your choice along with your address and I will get it this week and get it in the mail to you.

CONGRATULATIONS and thank you to everyone who played along.

You asked…I am answering

2009-05-26T13:11:00.001-04:00

Last week I asked you to send me your questions and I would answer them. I apologize for being tardy in posting this…last week got CRAZY busy and I lost track of time. SORRY!

So here we go…
MiMi from He And Me + 3 asked…

Where did you and hubby meet?

(this is a picture of our actual high school)

Great question MiMi! Thanks!
The short answer: we met in home room our Junior year of high school. Though he is insistent that we met while riding the bus prior to this.
In homeroom, we sat next to one another. I was (and still am) a talker, so I would chat with him, but never really knew him. We had numerous friends in common, but never really hung out.
The long answer…Fast forward five years after graduation and we “re-met” while I was out with friends. I had just gotten out of a bad 4 yr relationship. I was NOT looking for a relationship, but slowly through a great friendship (which remains) it became more and more. Six years later, here we are married with Collin. :)

MiMi also asked:
If you could live anywhere and vacation anywhere...where would they be?
Well in case you did not know, I live in the Buckeye State of Ohio. And while I am a HUGE Buckeye fan I would LOVE to move to Tennessee. Preston and I were married there and can not wait to go back. (possibly for Thanksgiving this year)

And as for vacationing…I would also pick TN…there is so much to do there and it is BEAUTIFUL!!! But, I would also LOVE LOVE LOVE to visit Alaska, possibly an Alaskan Cruise. I am a huge fan of winter and have always wanted to go to Alaska for an extended vacation. Experience the weather and the day light & darkness they have 6 months of.

Kelly from Our Family Ramblings! asked:
If you had one thing to do over, what would it be? Why?
Hmmm…this is a tough question. I would be lying if I said I had not thought about this before. Honestly though I am a firm believer that our pasts make us who we are today. Mistakes and all. I was very lucky that I had a Dad who allowed me to make my own mistakes and not and have me (only) learn from his mistakes.
That being said, I would not do anything over too drastically, but I would have liked it if I were more out going in school. I was always too shy.
I have become, through the years, more out going and not as shy, though I still am when I meat someone new.

Shannon from Sunshine and Open Hearts asked:
Where was your honeymoon?
Technically Shannon, I did not have a honeymoon.
My husband & I were married in Gatlinburg, TN where we stayed for four days. However,Collin, my Mom, step dad, step sister, her boyfriend & their son, my husband’s Mom, step dad, Gma & Gpa, Aunt & Uncle ALL came with us. We rented a large cabin in the Smoky Mts. And if that were not enough to not consider it a true honeymoon…Aunt Flo showed up as well. (sorry if that was TMI)
We have talked about possibly having a honeymoon in the future, but I think with Collin seizures he will be coming with us. :) If/when the time comes for a honeymoon, we will be going back to TN. We LOVE it there.

(these are pics of the cabin we stayed in during our “wedding” weekend)

Stacey from McCrakensX4 asked:
Was Collin an easy pregnancy?
Yes, he was an easy pregnancy (only threw up twice, no complications etc), but he was a HARD delivery. After being a week late, I was induced…went through 24 hrs of labor and still NO baby. So I was taken in for an emergency c-sec. Collin was moving up the birth canal rather than down it. (???)

(sorry I have no pics on this computer of me while I was pregnant, so this one will have to do)

(collin on the way home from the hospital)

Stacey also asked:
Did you have any weird cravings while you were pregnant?
NO, I did not. In all fairness though, I have weird cravings when not pregnant, so I am not sure what would be considered weird for me during pregnancy.

Tarah @ Eyeglasses & Endzones asked:
What is your favorite brand of jeans?
Levi’s hands down. I also wear Gap and Old Navy jeans, but if I had to pick just one brand and ONLY wear those, it would be Levi’s.

Tarah also asked:
Do you have a favorite book? Other than the Bible...something you could read over and over again?
Hmm…I would have to say Chicken Soup for the Soul books…other tthan those, once I have read a book, I am typically done with it. I guess if I have not read the book for a long time I could re-read it. (I also do not like to watch most movies over & over) And as a bonus to this question…my favorite type of book to read is either an auto-biography or self-help type (ie: Chicken Soup for the Soul, etc)

Thank you so much for ALL of your questions. I enjoyed answering them all.

As for the winner, I will be back a little later with that info. I have to get lunch for a hungry little boy. ;)

What an AMAZINGLY TRUE song, please listen

2009-05-17T17:15:00.001-04:00

We sang this in chuch this morning and now I can not stop listening to it. I may need to go and buy the cd.

ENJOY!!!

Questions Give~Away

2009-05-14T13:02:00.001-04:00

I have seen several blogs do a question & answer post and I thought I would give it a shot.
Though I am pretty much an open book, so I am not sure there is anything you don’t know already. So I thought I would make it worth your while. ;)

I will leave the comments section open through out the weekend and one day next week I will post all the questions with the answers. And randomly choose one person’s question as the winner.

As for what you will win…I am thinking a gift card to someplace. Not sure where yet, maybe I will let you choose. We will see.

So get those questions coming. I look forward to seeing what it is you want to know and answering them.

Wordless Wednesday: “pot” head

2009-05-13T13:10:00.001-04:00

sorry for the quality of the picture, I took it with my cell phone. ;)
And for the record…I have no idea what is on the floor next to the rug. I am looking @ it now and don’t see anything. Weird!

Update on Collin

2009-05-11T14:34:00.001-04:00

Hello Ladies (and gentlemen if there are any that read my blog) ;)
I want to apologize once again for my abrupt absence. After getting my laptop back, we discovered that it was NOT fixed after all and it had to go back. For now I am using my husband’s laptop. Have I mentioned that I do not enjoy using the desktop? Laptops spoil you. :)

Collin had an appt with a nurse practitioner in the neurologists office this past friday. She specializes in seizures. We absolutely love her. We also have a husband & wife neurosurgeon and neurologist.
Collin’s EEG read normal after all, which is good. He has a 70% chance of out growing the seizures if they go un-diagnosed as to why he is having them. If he goes 2 years with out having another seizure, they will try & wean him from the Keppra. (YaY)
He goes next month for an MRI. They did notice on his last MRI (in Jan. 2008) that he has 2 small scars on his brain. No one seems to know why he has the scars or if they are causing the seizures. The NP thinks it is unlikely they are causing them, since he went almost three years with out having a seizure at all. The only way to find out if the scars are causing the seizures would be for him to have a seizure while hooked up to an EEG. This is almost impossible.

THANK YOU all for your continued prayers.

Wordless Wednesday: nap style

2009-04-29T08:45:00.001-04:00

another seizure

2009-04-28T15:17:00.001-04:00

This morning I woke up to Collin vomiting. After the first episode he was responding to me with short one word answers. I cleaned him off and laid him beside his bed on the floor to get the sheets off the bed, when he threw up again. This time he would not respond to be with words, just with mmhmm's and uh-ah's. By this time I was on the phone with Preston to see if he had noticed anything this morning before leaving. I hung up with him and called 911, as Collin was not responding by now at all.
A few minutes later they arrived and off we went to the hospital. The ride in the squad found Collin still not responding verbally, but like he was trying to come out of the seizure and was falling asleep. I guess from what I was told by the medics that it is normal for a child to go to sleep after a seizure.
Once at the hospital he got a work up of his vitals, but they mainly let him sleep. Then he had blood work and numerous Dr's, nurses, aides, PA's & students came in and out. The Dr. spoke with our pediatrician and with a neurologist who gave Collin's EEG from yesterday a quick read. She saw a couple trouble spots on it that could indicate a seizure disorder.
We were RX'd Keppra to prevent the seizures as well as diastat to stop one in progress. He will be seen next week by the neurologist to get a more in depth read of the EEG and for another work up by the specialist.

Right now he is back to acting just like himself.
PLEASE keep him in your prayers. And I will update you as we know anything.

A little of this, a little of that

2009-04-27T20:31:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we went for a drive to a nearby lake. We are thinking of moving there, once our house sells.
Isn't it beautiful? (yes, since you asked...I did take that picture. Oh, sorry you didn't ask!)

We also went for ice cream while we were there. Yummm...

Today was Collin's EEG. We won't have the results for approximately 10 days. He did GREAT. He listened and followed all the instructions he was given, including falling asleep. I was so proud.

Since he did so well, his Maw-kle (pronounced Ma-Kohl and is what he calls my Mom, his Grandma) bought him the Imaginex Bat Cave he has been wanting. He was thrilled.

Since so many of you asked...NO I did not make the cake, but my sister did. It is a hobby of hers and she does not do it for a living, just for family. It took 8 cake mixes and many lbs of icing. But it was SO GOOD!!!
She also made his first birthday cake...

I just realized that I may have too much time on my hands. Why? Because each time I share pictures with you I first run them through scrapblog. It is a great (mostly) free online scrapbooking site. Never tried them out? You won't be sorry you did, but be warned first...it is ADDICTING!!! www.scrapblog.com .
I would have included a picture of Collin from his first birthday party, but I do not have any of them saved on this computer. :( Sorry.

I am watching Dancing with the Stars as I work on this and I am very upset that Melissa is injured and won't be dancing this evening. I hope she is all right and able to return next week. I am nervous what this will mean for her & Tony.

Tomorrow we have someone coming to give us an estimate on a new fence. We are also looking for someone to install a new bath tub for us. This is one of the few things Preston is not comfortable doing on his own. What lucky buyers we will have (soon)...a new fence, a new tub, a new electric hot water heater, a freshly stained/painted deck, newly painted shudders, a 2 yr old remodeled kitchen, all new plumbing and electric, new carpet and wood floors through out, a three year old furnace. (the list could go on) I will be so glad to move on from here.

I think this post is long enough. More tomorrow, possibly. :)

One last thing... PRAISE the Lord...Stellan was discharged from Boston Children's Hospital earlier today and will be returning with his MckMama tomorrow to his home and many siblings and Father. What a sweet reunion that will be. Please say a prayer for MckMama and Stellan for a safe flight home tomorrow.

NITE!!!

Collin's 4th Birthday party

2009-04-25T18:44:00.001-04:00

Last saturday we celebrated Collin's 4th birthday here @ home. We invited a few friends and family. This year was much smaller than the years past. We had roughly 25-30 people here, in the past we have had 50+. (what was I thinking?) It was so much nicer, with it being smaller. :)

Here are some pictures from the day...

since his birthday his newest favorite toy is imaginex stuff. (they are pretty neat) He also got a big wheel, a new tv (a small one), a construction claw, and a bug catcher kit/belt that he LOVES. I think that is it, but I am still not sure. Can we say it altogether now... S.P.O.I.L.E.D.

time for a change

2009-04-24T03:59:00.000-04:00

Well, what do you think of the new Monkey look? This blog is mostly about Collin and our life with our small family of 3, so I wanted my blog to reflect that. For now at least. :)

IRL (in real life) I am famous for re-arranging my furniture. Sometimes as often as weekly. (crazy, I know) So that obsession spills over to my blog, I guess.

So, tell me what you think. Unless you hate it, that might hurt my feelings.

Collin goes for his 4 yr check up today with the pediatrician. I will post about it later if there is anything to share. He also goes on Monday (4/27) for an EEG to help try and dx what happened on Easter.

I am still working on getting the pix together from his birthday. Once I do, I will post them. I am still not sure how he is 4 yrs old...already.

What happened to this little baby?? (sorry for the quality, it is a scanned picture)

He is now a 'big' boy!!! :( :)

as heard from Collin...

2009-04-23T15:38:00.001-04:00

"Mommy, boys wear make-up. Them do.

They wear boy make-up, Mommy"

Wordless Wednesday: Chef Collin

2009-04-22T02:35:00.000-04:00

and another, just so you all know that I don't allow my 4 yr old son to cook over fire alone...

Better late than not at all

2009-04-21T23:03:00.001-04:00

My apologies for being so late in posting this today.

Our thoughts and prayers have been with the MckFamily all day. Here you see Collin sporting some orange in support of sweet baby Stellan.

I am back! Wow...what a day friday was. Whew...

2009-04-21T16:49:00.001-04:00

Hello fellow bloggers. Boy, have I missed you. For the past month (roughly) my laptop has been out being repaired. It is back now and so am I.
I do not enjoy using the desktop computer, so I have not been around much. I am hoping to get caught up this week and stay caught up.

A lot has happened since I last posted. Well since I last regularly posted that is.

I first want to thank you all for your prayers for Collin. To see him or be around him now you would not know anything ever happened to him. (strange) This past friday we took him for his ER follow up appt with his pediatrician. She seems to be more concerned than what I originally thought she would be. I guess this is good, as she is being very thorough. On Monday (4/27) we will go to Children's @ Home clinic for an EEG. We also have an appt with a neurologist and possibly an MRI and appt with a neurosurgeon.
For now Collin is back to acting just like himself with no signs of anything being "wrong". I have heard from many of you as well as some IRL (in real life) friends that sometimes children have seizures and they amount to nothing long term and they just grow out of them. I pray this is the case, but leave it all up to Him. He knows the plan he has for Collin and we just have to play it out and trust in Him.

This was Collin's 2nd "seizure". He had a similar one back in 2006. From that they did find that his right ventricle (on his brain) is larger than his left ventricle. His spinal fluid was draining properly, so it was decided that we would just monitor it through MRI's. To this day, nothing has changed re: the enlarged ventricle and the spinal fluid continues to drain properly. So this may or may not be related to the "seizure".

Please continue to keep Collin in your prayers and I will keep you updated. We did get an RX for him. It is a shot of sorts that can stop a seizure in progress. It is a precautionary thing really and I pray we never have to use it.

Collin turned 4 over the weekend. I hope to have the pictures up from his party etc later this week.

On friday evening, the night before his party I was at the store with my Mom when I get a call from my husband that our hot water tank is leaking. ??? He called the plumber who came out looked at it, called his boss and informed us that our tank was not up to code and he could do nothing for us until it was. ??? Hello...I have a lot of people coming tomorrow for a party and you are telling me I will have NO water???? WHAT?
So, lots and lots of $$$ later...it was determined that we could do away with the gas water tank and its violations and install a new electric water heater. Doing this would save not only time, but LOTS of $$$. So we opted for that and made the appt for saturday morning first thing, so that we would have water by the time of the party that afternoon. Lucky for us Preston's good friend is an electrician and was available to come and hook it up for us. (YAY) So, friday night, 11pm-ish. We leave our house to head over to my Mom's for Preston to get a shower. We get home only to find the police sitting along the side of our house. We get out...walk back to the side where they are and discover that someone has wrecked into the telephone/electric pole in the back of our house and knocked down a piece of our fence. ???? Again...HELLO...I have numerous little kids coming the next day for a birthday party outside in this very yard. UGH!!! (am i being tested here? is this candid camera???) Luckily we were able to tarp off the area where the fence came down to keep the little ones out of harms way.

WHAT A DAY!!!
Here are a couple pix of the fence.

The good news is we will be getting a new fence which we desperately needed. :)

HAPPY EASTER!!! where am I? and a prayer request for my son.

2009-04-12T20:29:00.002-04:00

Hello fellow bloggers. I want to apologize for my lack of blogging lately. A lot has been going on around here and I have been staying busy and not on the computer too much. This may be because my laptop got ill and had to go in for repair and I do not enjoy the desktop as much. I should have the laptop back in a couple weeks. (YAY) Collin's 4th birthday is in one week. I have been busy making all the arrangements for that and getting everything together. I will have LOTS of pictures to share with you all once I get my laptop back. (I can not load my pix to the desktop) :( I would like to ask you all to add Collin to your prayers. (notice I am using his name, so that he can be prayed for by name) This morning we woke up for church, I went to get a shower and get ready. Shortly after Preston (husband) did the same. Collin remained "sleeping". (he was awake, but not up running around yet) I came downstairs to get something out for him to wear to church and he was laying on the floor looking up @ the ceiling. I went over and said "Good Morning Collin" and got no response. So I said it again and again and started talking to him begging him to answer me. By this time my husband heard me not getting a response and heard the worry in my voice, so he came running down. He picked him up, started actiing goofy trying to get him to respond and still nothing. So offer we left for the hospital. (what a ride that was) We got there and went straight back, he was hooked up to machines, etc and still nothing. The nurse started an IV line to try and aggitate him into responding. Which worked...somewhat. He started screaming "OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH" over and over again. And then "Mommy". I was standing right beside him holding his hand and his head and it was like he could not hear or see me. (talk about scary) He went in for a CT scan which revealed nothing we did not already know. After contacting the Dr. on call for his pediatrician it was decided to send us to our Children's Hospital about an hour away. Collin & I got to ride in the ambulance on the way there while Daddy followed us. They checked him out there thouroghly, but since it is Sunday and Easter, an MRI was not done. Collin started acting more and more like himself, so after 7.5 hours we got to come home. First though we went to the cafeteria bc none of us had eaten all day and anything sounded good. His DX...most likely a seizure. (a motionless one, which they refer to as a partial seize) He had one of these when he was 16 months old (he will be 4 next week) and has had numerous MRI's to monitor it. We found out when he had the first one at 16 months that his right ventricle on his brain is larger than his left one. It continues to drain properly, so they just keep an eye on it through the MRI's. Until today he has been a happy and healthy little boy. (not so much as one ear infection in his life) They are not certain this was a seizure it is just the best dx they can come up with, without this happening in the hospital while being monitored. Tomorrow I will be on the phone making calls to set up appts with a neurologist and a neurosurgeon as well as for an MRI and an EEG. We would really appreciate your prayers. I hope each of you enjoyed today with your loved ones and that your Easter was blessed.

Wordless Wednesday: C's 1st Easter

2009-04-08T10:27:00.006-04:00

Sorry, I could not pick a favorite!!!

Wordless Wednesday: rewind about 3.5 yrs

2009-04-01T00:02:00.002-04:00

* PLEASE don't tell my hubby that I shared this with you all. ;-) ha

Wordless Wednesday: it runs in the family

2009-03-25T03:57:00.001-04:00

Please Pray for Stellan

2009-03-23T12:08:00.002-04:00

for updates or for the history of Stellan you can check out MckMama's blog @ my charming kids. THANK YOU!!!

Mosaic

2009-03-20T04:29:00.000-04:00

I saw this on a few other blogs and thought it looked like fun. Would you like to make one for yourself? Just follow the directions below and be sure to let me know so I can check out your mosaic.

1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page, pick an image.
3. Select the size of boxes as 3 by 4.
Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker .

Use these questions in each URL box!!!

1. What is your first name? Kelly
2. What is your favorite food? mexican
3. What high school did you go to? LHS
4. What is your favorite color? pink
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Josh Duhmel
6. Favorite drink? root beer
7. Dream vacation? Alaskan cruise
8. Favorite dessert? strawberry shortcake
9. What you want to be when you grow up? teacher
10. What do you love most in life? the Lord
11. One Word to describe you. blessed
12. Where do you live? Ohio

1. Grevillea Ned Kelly with native bee, 2. Mexican Shrimp plant, 3. Lancaster High School, 4. Pink for the Cure, 5. Josh Duhmel & the Gap in San Antonio, 6. Root Beers, 7. Alaskan Cruise, 8. Strawberry shortcake., 9. Hey Teachers leave the Kids alone, 10. Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit., 11. Blessed, 12. Lancaster, Ohio

90 Minutes in Heaven

2009-03-19T03:38:00.000-04:00

This is a MUST read book. I sat down last wednesday to start it and I did not get up until I had finished reading about an hour later.

I do not want to give any of it away in case you do read it, so I will just tell you what the back of the book says...

" On the way home from a conference, Don Piper's* car was crushed by a semi that crossed into his lane. Medical personnel said he died instantly. While his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, Pipe experienced the glories of Heaven, awed by its beauty and music. "

*Don Piper has been an ordained minister since 1985. His story has been covered by national media outlets including Newsweek, The Today Show, The 700 Club, At Home Live, and TBN's Praise the Lord. Piper leads conferences and retreats throughout the United States and abroad.

If you read this book or have read it previously, please let me know your thoughts. I learned a lot and it has left me feeling relieved re: my passed loved ones.

Wordless Wednesday: a new "do"

2009-03-18T02:42:00.000-04:00

A little project

2009-03-17T03:28:00.000-04:00

My Mom (finally) gave me this cupboard that I have been wanting for several years now. It belonged to her Grandmother and was pass to my Grandma and then on to my Aunt. When my Aunt moved she gave it to my Mom. And now, almost 12 years after my Grandma passed away it is mine. I am so thankful. I love getting furniture (or anything for that matter) that has been passed through my family. Most everything(but not everything) in my house has come from family and I love it that way.

This particular cupboard has been painted and painted and painted and painted some more. I have no idea how many colors it has been in years past, but the ones I can remember are blue, green, burgundy, and purple. My Mom painted it purple about a year ago. Well I have nothing purple in my house, so it had to painted again.

BEFORE

I got to work on it yesterday and restored it to its former color of....
burgundy. ;-)

AFTER

I have every intention of buying some nice dishes to put in there someday, but until then my "everyday" dishes will have to do.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T00:26:00.000-04:00

Are you wearing green today?

check out last year's St. Patrick's pic and see how much my "baby" has grown up.

My name is Irish (first name) and I think we have a touch of Irish in us from down the line somewhere. I know we don't really celebrate this "holiday", though I have drank my fair share of Shamrock shakes this year. To me St. Patrick's Day was always my Grandma's (my Mom's Mom) birthday.
So HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA D. She is in Heaven now, but if she were still with us on earth she would be 94 yrs old today.

Now run to your nearest McD's and get yourself a Shamrock Shake before they are gone for another year. ;-)

Not Me Monday

2009-03-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

Welcome to...

Well it is Monday once again. How do they get here so quickly? Bc they follow the weekend, that is why. ;-)

It was NOT ME who got in the car at 11pm (almost) and drove across town to get a shamrock shake bc the McD's closest to me was out. Those shakes are not that good and I could certainly do with out.

It was NOT ME that decided to quit buying groceries (mostly) in an effort to eat out more and help to boost our economy.

It was NOT ME who was awake until 4am wed night/thurs morning bc C took a two hour nap from 9:30-11:30 PM and would NOT go back to sleep.

It was NOT ME that went to pick up my sister's step son from school last week in my pj's @ 3:30 in the afternoon. Are you kidding...I get up, shower and get dressed EVERYDAY.

It is NOT ME that keeps coming up with projects around the house (inside & out) even though we are selling. Who wants to put more money into a house that they are selling? NOT ME, that is who.

It was NOT ME that said they were going to downsize C's birthday party this year, only to make the guest list out and discover it is longer than the previous year(s).

OK, I think that was it for NOT ME this past week. For more NOT ME fun go check out MckMama @ my charming kids .

20 & Counting...The Duggar Family

2009-03-12T01:08:00.000-04:00

What an inspiration. (no, not to have 18+ children, for me anyway, but I would have loved to have had that many brothers & sister's growing up) I recently bought their book and I read it cover to cover in less than one day. Needless to say, nothing else got done that day.
If you are a fan of their show on TLC (we don't get that channel any longer =( ) this is a must read book. I learned A LOT.

If you read it, let me know. I would love to hear what you think.

WW:When I grow up, I want to be _______.

2009-03-11T00:27:00.000-04:00

What type of Bible do you use?

2009-03-10T00:35:00.000-04:00

I am in the market for a new Bible. This makes me sick bc the Bible that I am using was my Dad's. He read it and gave it to my Mom after their divorce back in 1987. He wrote in it to her. When he passed away she gave it to me.
I love that Bible for more reasons than just the sentimental value it holds. Well, it turns out that bc I was in a hurry and a little upset with my husband, for what I can not remember, I jumped out of the car in a hurry and a huff and the Bible jumped out of my hands into the rain. :'-O (this is me crying, sobbing rather)

See what happens when we huff around and get upset for NO reason!!!

The Bible is salvageable. It is a little "puffy" around the edges wear it was wet the most and it is still readable, etc. However I do not want to take anymore chances with it.

Plus I am really wanting a study or devotional Bible. There are so many Bibles out there that I am just wondering what your thoughts are and what Bible you use and or like/recommend.

THANK YOU!!!

Sorry...

2009-03-09T00:16:00.001-04:00

I must apologize for my absence. It was not planned and nothing was/is wrong.
Thank you to those who emailed to check on me. You made me feel special.

I just abruptly took a short break from the world of blogging. Not really sure why. I just felt I needed a small break. I did pop in & out on a couple times, but did not post many (if any) comments. I will be catching up with you all this week, I promise.
I have missed each of you. You're like family now. :)

We had a couple play dates this past week. One was with my (step) sister & her son. My (step) sister is pregnant and scheduled to be induced this thursday. She is having another little boy. How exciting. :) I can not wait.

We also had a friend of ours from high school and her husband and kids over for lunch and a play date. It was lots of fun too. My friends oldest (a girl) is just a month older than C. He LOVED having kids to play with this past week. He will LOVE pre-school come fall.

My friend's husband made dessert...fried ice cream. It was yummy. Once we make it and I write down the recipe, I will share it with you. YUM!!!!!

I started "working"...sort of. Our church needed help with their childcare on tuesday evenings and thursday mornings, so I signed up to help out. I find that each tuesday I am dragging myself there, but once there I have so much fun with the kids. C comes with me and he enjoys this time too, but wants his Mom to help with the babies instead of his age group. HA
I think the only reason I am dragging myself there is bc we leave about the same time P gets home from work. And we don't get back home until 9:30 and I am usually beat. 20-30 3-8yr olds can wear you out FAST. ;)

Well that is a quick round up of what is going on here. I can not wait to see what you all are up to.

Sunday's Scripture

2009-03-08T01:52:00.000-05:00

Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
Acts 4:30

Wii Fit or Wii not Fit

2009-03-02T14:44:00.000-05:00

My awesome husband finally broke down and bought me the Wii Fit this past weekend. (YAY) I decided I would start first thing today, and I did. Boy, was I surprised.
You see I do not think of myself as overweight. Sure I need to lose a few, ok more than a few pounds, but even knowing that, I still don't think I am fat. But, the Wii Fit, he thinks I am. (wah) And now I am down in the dumps. (ugh) He thinks my Wii Fit age is 49...I am ONLY 30 Mr. Wii Fit!!!
Why do I call the Wii Fit a man? Because a woman would NEVER tell another woman she is 19 years older than she really is. And a woman would never tell a fellow sister she is fat even if she could stand to shed a few pounds. It is in our (unwritten) Sister Diary Journal, that we all follow. That is how I know the Wii Fit is a MAN. MEN!!!
I am going to keep at it and show it who is boss. Call me fat and I will show you!!! ;)
On a lighter note...I beat my husband records on a few of the exercises. This is HUGE...bc my husband is Mr. Fit!!! AND I ate a salad for lunch. Go me!!! ;)
I'll let you know how it goes.

Sunday's Scripture

2009-03-01T01:49:00.000-05:00

I have seen this verse on several blogs and I just love it. It speaks volumes.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

Wordless Wednesday: Daddy & Son time

2009-02-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Priceless!!!

(this is C's makeshift bed in our bedroom. He calls it his motor home of course) ;)

Do you have time to "waste"

2009-02-24T01:40:00.000-05:00

If you are a Mommy, then probably not. I know I don't. Well I didn't. Lately I have not been able to sleep too well at night. P goes to bed around 10-11pm. Now you would think, after a full day of cleaning, cooking, picking up around here, running errands, dealing with a 3.5 yr old, I would be out before my head hit the pillow. Well, that would not be the case AT ALL. I am wide awake. Usually until 1 or sometimes 2am. (and once in a while even later) WoW...how do I function? I am extremely lucky bc C will sleep in usually until 10-10:30am. (he goes to bed with his Daddy, other wise he is up @ 4AM, NO THANKS) ;)

So what do I do for this spare couple of hours? I blog, I catch up on your blogs, I catch up on my email, I facebook, I read, etc.

Well that is until I found this website... www.sporcle.com It is a fun site where time will fly by. I am new to this site, so I am not sure what all it offers, but I am addicted to its game area. It challenges you on all different types or categories. Examples, do you know all the states? or their capitols? or even their largest cities? Do you know ads or trademarks for companies? Do you know all the Presidents? Or the most popular baby names? Do you know characters or catch phrases from sitcoms? The list goes on and on.

Really, you must check it out. And if you do, let me know what you think.
I am also fairly new to facebook, which is also a great way to "waste" time you don't have. ;) Seriously though, it is a GREAT way to keep in touch with friends & family. And even to track down a lost friend or loved one.
There are so many great things out there...we need to go to congress to get them to extend our days to like 30 hours, so we can still do all these things and spend time with our families and friends.
If you are on facebook and want to be friends, send me an email. I would love to get to know you even better.
Isn't the internet AWESOME?

Boot Camp for little boys

2009-02-23T01:16:00.000-05:00

"terrible two's" HA ... "treacherous three's" is more
like it

C @ 2 yrs C @ 3 yrs

Why do "they" call it terrible two's? We are having treacherous three's here. They are much worse than the two's could ever hope to be. HELP!!! ;)

C will be 4 in April. (I can not wait) I am hoping that he wakes up on his birthday leaving 3 and the behavior that came with it behind. :)
This is my prayer. (honest)

In the past few months we have seen a different child. And not for the better. No, for the worse.

Please, don't get me wrong...he has his days, weeks even where he is the best little 3 yr old he can be. Loving, sweet, well mannered, helpful, etc. But then, just one thing goes wrong for him and it is all over. A new boy emerges, one that I do not recognize. And with this "new" boy, comes a "new" Mommy. And I must add, I do NOT like the "new" Mommy either. She is mean and she yells, mainly bc that is the ONLY way she can be heard over the screams of the "new" boy. That, and it is the only thing that has worked so far for the "new" boy. YIKES. It makes the "old" Mommy's head hurt.

So this week we, (I) decided to try something new. Boot Camp!!! I locked C out of his playroom. All he has to play with are his instruments (bc somehow they were over looked and left in the family room), his story book reader, a handful of blocks that came from some hiding spot, one dinosaur, and a small Thomas fire truck. In his bed he has Salty.
He will not be allowed back into his playroom until he is listening a majority of the time. We are also putting him in "time out". I am not sure this works, but we are trying it out. The rule for time out is he has to face the wall and no crying (I am so mean) for three minutes. (one minute for each year). You would think this was easy...no it is not, not for him. He is in time out for two, three or four times longer than he would have to be, just bc he won't stop screaming.

I guess staying home with him all this time, I have not realized a lot of this until this past week when I took him to church with me while I working in the childcare in the evening. WoW...he really opened my eyes. Out of 20+ kids, mine was the only one that would not listen to me, his own Mommy. He was also the only one that had a screaming fit and chose to sit out TWO different times. What an eye opener.

I am determined to tame this "monster" I have created. Please pray for us. I will keep you updated. And if you have any suggestions, PLEASE send them my way.

Doesn't he look SO innocent?

C-3.5yrs

Sunday's Scripture...

2009-02-22T00:25:00.001-05:00

My apologies for missing last week's scripture. I took an unplanned blog break for a few days. (need to rejuvenate)

So my verse for the MIL last week was sent to me by MiMi @ He & Me + 3 .
Thank you. :)

Be still and know that I am God
Psalms 46:10

And this week's verse was suggested by Lisa @ MY JOURNEY THROUGH INFERTILITY . Thank you too.

For he will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways
Psalms 91:11

Several of you have written and asked how my MIL is doing. Thank you for your concern and prayers. To the best of my knowledge she is doing ok. I have not spoken to her personally for a while now. She has kind of pulled away from everyone and everything. So we give her space. I am not sure this is the best thing, but it is what she seems to want. We think of her always and keep her in our prayers. I suppose that is all we can do for her now, until she is ready for more.
I continue sending her the verses each week, but have not heard from her regarding them. I hope they mean as much to her as they do to me. I have learned a lot from doing this for her. I am currently looking into some type of devotional for her. And possibly a Chicken Soup for the Soul book.

If you have any more verses you would like to share with me. I would greatly appreciate them. I love getting them and reading them too. I have a bulletin/dry erase board in my kitchen and write Bible verses on there to go back to through out the week.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Do your kids watch...

2009-02-21T01:29:00.000-05:00

PBS is one of the few channels we still get. Which is a good thing, bc C would be lost with out this show. He LOVES it and so do I. It is very educational. We have four or five of their dvd's too.

If you have not seen this, check it out. You can go to www.pbskids.com to check for your local listings.

Be sure to let us know what you think.

Prayer Request

2009-02-20T18:18:00.001-05:00

Jen @ Home... Hands Full, HEARTS Full, Quiver Full! has asked that we here in bloggy-land band together again in prayer for her friend's son, Isaiah.

The details follow...(I took this from her site)

"Isaiah was born with all of his "insides" on the outside.

Because of his problems...He needed a small bowel transplant. He's never really eaten or enjoyed eating food-he is mostly tube fed.

Jen and her hubby and other 2 kids took turns staying with Isaiah-sacrificing "self" for this sweet child. He has been in and out of the hospital for years.

They thought the transplant worked......It didn't.......
Jen called yesterday to tell me that they had to remove ALL his new bowel...it was destroyed. She has asked for prayer for her family. Isaiah is in unbearable pain and I'm sure Jen is too......of a different kind. The mommy kind-the kind I pray I never have to face.

If he makes it through...He will be listed for another transplant immediately.

Because of Jen and Aaron.....Isaiah KNOWS JESUS!! Praise the Lord for that.

Please join with me in prayer for my dear friend and her only boy. I don't even think Jen knows what a blog is but I HAVE SEEN the bloggy community come together in situations where prayers need to be lifted up-GOD DOES MIRACULOUS THINGS through these crazy computers.

Pray I'll know what to say & that whatever I say will comfort her. Pray that Isaiah's suffering will cease."

"O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief." Psalm 143:1

ch cha changes (around the house)

2009-02-20T13:08:00.001-05:00

Good Afternoon fellow blogger friends.
I thought I would share with you a couple changes we made here at our house. (nothing too major, don't get excited) ;) HA

Remember this...

well I changed out the stand, and now have this...

(I think it looks MUCH better. What do you think?)

Another change in our kitchen...

this is the best picture I have...notice the white bakers rack back there? We got rid of it and replaced it with this...

I think we may buy another one of these pantry cupboards. There is just enough room on the wall there for a second one. (I measured) ;)

***we are about to get ANOTHER new table...courtesy of my Mom. The table in the above picture is stable and only seats 4, period. My Mom's table is round, but has a leaf, maybe two, that make it oval and able to seat more. (just in case) Plus it is just a NICER table all around. :) I will share it with you once we get it, in about 10 days.

Here is our last change and it is also in the kitchen...I do not have a before picture bc when I took pix of the house I did not show this wall. Though the pantry cupboard USED to sit in this spot along with our recycling bin. (recycling bin = eye sore, so it is now in the laundry room) ;)

Have you noticed that I use these "cubical" things through out my house? They are great for storage. I think we have 8 of them total.
4 for the play room (toys, puzzles, games, books, etc)
1 in C's bedroom (dvd's, pictures,more books, etc)
1 in the entry (great for shoes, mail, gloves, hats, etc)
1 in the family room (as seen in second picture above)
1 in the kitchen (as seen in above picture as well)

In old houses you have to create your own storage. :)
We are a little closer to having our house listed on the MLS. YAY!!!
I'll keep you posted.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

The Bloggers Prayer

2009-02-19T05:34:00.000-05:00

The Bloggers Prayer

Lord help me to learn to spell without spellcheck, manage to visit all that visit me, and post regularly - all in 5 minutes a day, so that I can clean house and take care of my family. Help me to not look at every occurrence in my life as a blog post, and to quit taking pictures of weird things to share as well. Please Lord, help me to stop talking about my blog friends as though they are next door neighbors or someone I have known all of my life. And help me dear Lord, to think of something witty and wise to post tomorrow.

This rings true for me...how about you???
I found this somewhere a few months back. Now I can not remember where. If it was from you, please let me know and I will give you proper credit. Thanks!!!

Wordless Wednesday: A makeshift train of toys

2009-02-18T04:31:00.000-05:00

A child's Imagination & a few answers to your ?'s

2009-02-17T13:19:00.001-05:00

this is C's make-believe motor home. Let me break it down for you...
the car towards the front is obviously the motor part with the passenger seat right beside it.
the chair he is sitting in is his living space/couch
the other chair towards the window facing the window, C informs me is his bathroom/shower.
The fire truck next to Salty (the dog) and sweeper is his fridge. (bc the yellow seat opens)

Don't you just love what kid's come up with on their own? He was so proud of himself for this.

Some of you asked questions re: my last post where I showed you an RV we looked @ and loved.

1. No we have not bought one yet. While we are aggressively looking @ them, we have not bought one yet and are unsure just how soon we will be buying one. We want to a have plan in order for when the time comes. First on the list is for our house to sell. And while I listed it on a local for sale by owner site, it is not truly on the market yet and won't be until a few more things are finished. (soon I hope)

2. We would love to come visit each & every one of you once we do buy one and are able. That is part of the reason for buying an RV, so that we can travel more and not rely on nasty hotels or expensive inns, or family.friends SO MUCH. And of course we would love to have you & your family join us too. Soon...I promise. Thank you for the invites. How FUN!!! Can not wait!!! :)
Maybe I could go on a blog tour...feature each of you @ our stop/visit with you. Oh the FUN times. Hmm...can hubby get paid for this somehow? Does anyone need new carpet or flooring??? Ok, I better come back down to earth out of dreamland now. :) Seriously though, P needs a traveling job, one where we could go with him though, of course.

3. This particular RV is nicer than my house. It is amazing what they can do with them these days. The storage in them is AMAZING. Seriously. The only drawback in the one bedroom, but the couch is a pull out and like I mentioned, there is plenty of room in the bedroom for a small mattress/bed. C sleeps with us a lot during the winter anyway. (bc we have an old house that is HARD to heat upstairs)

4. Since you asked...YES we will be living in this FULL TIME for 12-18 months.
Do you think we are crazy??? Honestly, I would LOVE to know your thoughts.
Here is why...I have said this numerous times before...I want to live more simply. How much simpler can it get? A place for everything and everything in its place. And to be honest not a lot of room to keep buying "stuff".
Also, togetherness. We want to become closer as a family. Neither of P, nor myself grew up in close knit families. My parents divorced when I was 8 and we split our time between my Dad, my Mom & my Grandparents. While my family is "close", we did not do things together as a family much at all. My Dad's work did not allow for it one, and well a Father on his own with two young daughters made it hard to do a lot of things.
P's family did not and still does not do a lot together. They all live there own lives and catch up when they can.
We want to give Collin more of a togetherness that we did not have. AND we want to take him to explore the different states and such too. Lots of family vacations. Little ones and big ones. :)
Another reason...I learned when my Dad passed away very unexpectedly that life is INFACT short. We do not know when our time here on earth will end. For this reason alone, I want to do this now and not wait until we are older, like most couples do. There is NO time like the present.
We are lucky bc my Dad owned about an acre & a half of land in the "country". It is now city, but still the country feel. My sister lives in our childhood home and after talking to her, she has agreed that we could put the RV on the property. (technically the land belongs to both of us, but she has lived in the house for the past seven years)

So when the times comes and our house sells. We will then buy an rv and proceed to live in it until we feel our time has come to again buy, build, or even rent a home.

We think this will be an adventure. And something that can only be done while we have one child. If I find myself pregnant we will have to cancel this plan to live in the RV. Not enough room for a family of four, I am afraid. Not full time anyway. ;)

We found one...

2009-02-12T04:03:00.000-05:00

Monday P took the day off and so we headed out to look @ RV's again. We are getting closer to actually buying one and wanted to see what our local dealer had to offer.
After almost four hours looking and comparing and narrowing down...we think we found THE ONE.

a more defined kitchen area with MORE
cupboard space then I have in my HOUSE.

dining area across from kitchen

even a fireplace (wow)

the entertainment area            the bedroom (king size bed) & room enough
comes with TWO lcd tv's            for C's toddler mattress too

For some reason I missed getting a picture of the BEST part...this model comes with a washer & dryer. YAY!!!   The couch pulls out into a bed as well. And there is even storage in the dining chairs. (crazy)

This model only has one bedroom, which is a negative, but offers everything else we were looking for. So I think we are willing to trade the 2nd bedroom for all the extras this model offers.
But look at this other models second bedroom...

it sleeps up to 10!!!
Isn't that AMAZING???? (for an rv?) It also has a 1/2 bath off of it. But the living area is non-existent. (bummer) Just a small seating area right across from the kitchenette and booth table.
Well, you can't have it all!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Salty goes to Target

2009-02-11T04:36:00.000-05:00

FYI: Salty is C's doggy and he was 'cold' and needed to wear a jacket for his day out, per C.

A budding artist?

2009-02-10T11:33:00.001-05:00

P found this on the wall in the hallway last week...

and the "artist" with his work

This is not the first time. Over a year ago we were coloring and I went to answer the phone and came back to find crayon on the wall behind the couch. And just a day or two ago we found ANOTHER drawing in his playroom on the wall. We think he made that mark about the same time as the above marks. (since) He has lost ALL pens, pencils, crayons,markers, paints, etc for the month of February.

Is it wrong to take a picture and then punish??? ;)

Do you Twitter?

2009-02-08T20:50:00.001-05:00

Well, do you? If so, then you can now follow me on twitter. Or stay caught up with my recent twits, by looking to my right sidebar.
It is fun, easy and free. So try it out!!!
But, please be warned it can(and will) become ADDICTING, much like blogging.

Sunday's Scripture

2009-02-08T05:31:00.000-05:00

Trust the Lord with all your heart and don't depend on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5

PTL: Harper is home in Arkansas

2009-02-05T23:19:00.001-05:00

Woo~hoo!!!
Praise GOD!!!
Harper was released from the hospital in Tulsa, OK today and is now home with her Mommy & Daddy in Arkansas.

God is SO good!!!

Again, thank you all for your prayers!!!

The HAPPY family :)

Wordless Wednesday: bye bye tv

2009-02-04T06:01:00.000-05:00

He just wanted to give the tv a hug bye.

Tour of My Home

2009-02-03T21:07:00.001-05:00

As of this afternoon our house is for sale. (YAY) Please say a quick prayer this journey is a quick and smooth one for us. THANKS.

We are still working on the final touches, but it will all be done SOON.

A couple weeks ago a dear friend and fellow blogger, Monica from life on the hilltop suggested that I take you on a tour of our home. Our first home, before it sells. I thought this was a GREAT idea and decided to take her up on it. :) Thanks for the super idea.

WELCOME to Our Home!

Please, come in... our entry way

through the doorway to your left, C's playroom

the original fireplace and tile work (sits across from the window in the above pic) Yes in the playroom.

and then on into our family room

the door on the right will take you upstairs, but before we go there...

Let's take a peek into the kitchen, shall we?

We had a much larger kitchen table and just down sized to this one.
It gives us so much more space. We love it. We call this "room" the dining AREA, bc it is connected and open to the kitchen.

I was really hoping for black appliances, but since we are selling, no need for them now. :) I just LOVE the walls in the kitchen.

and this is the ceiling above the kitchen...

next we will go into the half bath, which is right off the back of
the kitchen.

Our laundry "room", which is just a closet is behind these doors
in this 1/2 bath...I will spare you that though. ;)

Are you ready to head upstairs? Ok...

You have already seen our master bedroom, but incase you missed that post, here ya go.

on to C's fire truck bedroom...

Next we will go take a look at the office, which could also be a
3rd bedroom.

it is a small bedroom. The door behind the white chest,
overlooks the kitchen area with the raised ceiling and rail.

and last, and maybe least our full bath
Which will be getting a tub, very soon. :)

the toilet area...if you REALLY want to see it. ;)
just a side note...the trim still needs to be put down in this room, so please don't mind it. :) (thanks)

I hope you enjoyed your tour of our home.
Please come back again soon.

SICK

2009-02-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

I should have known this was coming. C has had a cold for the past two weeks. You know the one where the cough hangs around for what seems like forever?
Well as of yesterday I have started showing signs of this same cold. Today I was down for the count with a sore throat, painful cough, and a killer headache. I was so thankful that P was here most of the day to help with C. And that he took C with him when he left this evening for a couple hours. I got some rest, but don't feel much better. (YUK...Mom's can not get sick)

On the bright side...C is feeling better. He still has a touch of it in his nose, but his cough is almost ALL gone. YaY.

My Mom bought us one of those plug in things that you put the scented strip into. (did that make sense?) The strip smells like VICKS, and is supposed to help you breathe easier. Well, I think they work. At first though they are S.T.R.O.N.G. The package suggests putting a new one in (which lasts up to 8 hrs) about an hour before going to bed. I think their reasoning for this is to get the bulk of the smell out there. Let me tell you...it about knocks you out when you open the package. But hey, if it works, I am all for it.

Well, I am off to bed. I hope to feel a little better tomorrow and be around a little more.

Have a great night.

Sunday's Scripture

2009-02-01T09:32:00.001-05:00

I just realized that I did not post the scripture from last week, so here it is...
Jan. 25th
Psalms 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call on him in truth.

And this week's scripture was sent to me by MiMi @ He & Me + 3

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Thank you MiMi.

and the winner is...

2009-01-30T01:20:00.001-05:00

envelope please...(woops we did not use an envelope)
and the winner is...

Jen from Home... Hands Full, HEARTS Full, Quiver Full!

AND

Monica from life on the hilltop

AND

Lisa from MY JOURNEY THROUGH INFERTILITY

Yes, I decided to choose three winners. And I can do that bc it is my blog and my give-away. ;)
I just thought, this is a Pay It Forward and what is better than Paying It Forward X3. And now these three ladies will Pay It Forward @ their blogs. So be sure and check them out and stay tuned for their give-aways. All three of them are AWESOME ladies. And I consider myself blessed to "know" each of them.

Jen, I think you are the only one I need an address from. If you could email it to me please... closetohomeblog@gmail.com (Thanks)

And for all three of you...I will be getting your things together over the weekend and heading for the (dreaded) post office early next week. (weather permitting of course) ;) I will be sure to let each of you know once your package is shipped.
THANK YOU so much for participating.

Snow, Ice & Staying warm

2009-01-29T13:11:00.001-05:00

Well just like a lot of other people we have gotten all kinds of snow and ice. P has not worked in two days now and we are just hanging out at home staying warm. (or at least trying to)
Take a look at our snow & ice...

Since there was no way we were venturing out this weather yesterday, we stayed in and played some games with C.

he won @ bingo

he also won @ Candyland

but I won @ Ladybugs :)

He also played fix it man...

We finished our day off by watching a movie. (sadly not Fireproof, but rather Happy Gilmore) :)

It was a fun day, had by all!!!

A New Look

2009-01-29T01:30:00.001-05:00

What do you think of my new look? I really like it. Thank you so much to Emily @ Blog Necessities. She was AWESOME to work with. If you are looking for someone to help you create a new look or complete makeover for your blog, check her out. :)
Thank you too, to Lisa @ MY JOURNEY THROUGH INFERTILITY. She is the one who clued me into Emily via her own blog makeover.
THANKS to both of you Ladies!!!
I appreciate this very much.

Wordless Wednesday (update) Praise the Lord!!!

2009-01-28T22:44:00.001-05:00

Today Kelly & Scott got to hold Harper for the first time.
Praise the Lord for he is Good!!! All of our prayers have been heard and answered.
If all continues as well as it has been, they could be headed home early next week.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for ALL of your prayers.

God IS Good!!!

Pay It Forward GiveAway!!!

2009-01-27T11:45:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago MiMi @ He & Me + 3 held a Pay It Forward give-away and I won. (woo~hoo) This was the first thing I won in bloggy-world and was so excited. :)
As part of my winning her Pay It Forward, I agreed to hold my own Pay It Forward Give-Away. :) So there is no time like now to have it.
The rules are as follows...

1. leave me a comment (bc WHO does not enjoy some comment love?) for ONE entry
2. link back to my give-away post on your own blog for a SECOND entry (but be sure to tell me you did so)
3. if you are a follower (or become a follower) of my blog you get a bonus THIRD entry. (bc I love checking out new blogs and making new friends along the way)
4. If you win the Pay It Forward give-away, you agree to host your own Pay It Forward give-away on your blog.

Is that simple enough?
This give-away will end at some point this week. (not too sure when) I like leaving you all with a little mystery. :)

Not Me Monday

2009-01-26T12:23:00.001-05:00

Well it is Monday again. How is it that Monday comes so quickly, when Friday takes forever to get here?

So, do you want to know what I did not do this past week? Me too...
Let's review...

I did not make Oreo cake to serve at Bible study, only to get sidetracked and not offer it to anyone. (gasp) Who would do such a thing? NOT ME!!!

I then did not proceed to eat above mentioned cake as my dinner that evening bc I was hungry and did not want to fix dinner so late.

I did not let C, go and stay with his Mackle (Grandma) Saturday night, knowing that she had a cold and did not feel well. (hey, she told him he could and he had a cold too, so no harm, no foul, right?)

I did not guilt P into taking me to dinner after dropping C off @ my Mom's bc we were kid free. Never, I would not do something like that...I would not have to. P would WANT to take me to dinner. :)

Ok, well I am certain there is more that I did NOT do, but right now I can not think of it. Maybe next week.

For more of this NOT ME madness, check out MckMama @ my charming kids .

****believe it or not this was my second post today, to check out my first click on the link below (or just keep scrolling down) ;)
http://kellyatclose2home.blogspot.com/2009/01/as-asked-by-my-sweet-son.html

As asked by my sweet son...

2009-01-26T12:03:00.001-05:00

let me start by saying, I "never" wear dresses. (ever) I can honestly say in C's (almost) 4 yrs of life he has not seen his Mommy in a dress even once. I used to wear dresses/skirts ALL the time and just got tired of them. So...yesterday I were a DRESS to church and then to my (step) sister's baby shower.

When leaving the shower, C was walking slightly behind me and he said...
"Mommy, why? Why Mommy did you paint your legs black"?

I laughed so hard I could not even answer him. Once we got back home, I told P about it and we explained they were "hose" and he again said...
"they aren't hose, firemen have hoses".

So P explained they are pantyhose, to keep Mommy's legs warm since she was not wearing pants/jeans.

I guess that sufficed him, bc he has said nothing more about my painted legs.

Where does the time go???

2009-01-23T17:48:00.001-05:00

I have no clue how it is almost 5:30 pm already. WoW. I need to get started on dinner, yet it seems like I just had breakfast and I skipped lunch.
C & I got up about 9:30am...which is sad to say a little early for us lately. (did I really just admit that???) ;)
We got ready right away and my Mom came over. We went to Tim Horton's for breakfast (love their bagels) and then to Target bc, well the week is not complete for me if I do not make AT LEAST ONE trip to Target. (with the economic slowdown and stores closing left & right, I can not let Target be one of them) HA! I tease P (all the time) that we may lose our house (kidding) our car (kidding) and have to sell anything else we may own (again kidding) but I can NOT let Target go under. ;)
(they really should pay me for ALL of my support)

Anyway, now that I got off track...after going to Target we went to get C's haircut and bonus, my Mom got her cut as well. My little guy now looks like a BIG BOY again. How is it that by trimming his hair he ages so much??? Does this work for me as well? If so I think I will keep letting my hair grow...forever. ;)

After the haircuts we ran to the post office and back thru Tim Horton's for my Mom to get more coffee. (she is addicted) And then we came home. C played with his new puzzles he got and I started working on organizing some online pictures...take a look...

What do you think? I am going to try and keep up with ALL the pictures we take and do a page or two each week of online pages. Maybe this will motivate me to start scrap-booking IRL again. (I wish...no motivation here)

Now it is time to figure out WHAT to do for dinner. And I am not even hungry.

Have a GREAT evening.

HARPER UPDATE...

She is doing so much better. Still a long road ahead of her and her parents. They have lowered her oxygen levels to 43% (I think). Which means she is breathing (more) than half on her own. PRAISE THE LORD!!! Thanks again for ALL of your prayers. If you check out Kelly's blog, ( Kelly's Korner ) you will see that a reader of her blog gave her life to the Lord after logging in and reading about Harper and the miracle that she was, is and continues to be. AMAZING. In regards to this lady Kelly says...

"Every second of the last week has been worth it for that fact alone. And we truly mean that".

You MUST check out Kelly's blog. She is an inspiration to us ALL!!! Please continue to keep Harper & family and ALL the NICU babies in your prayers. THANK YOU!!!

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-22T16:19:00.001-05:00

Today I am thankful for my healthy, happy little boy, C.
With all the sick babies and kids that we keep hearing about and praying for, I can not help but to PRAISE the Lord that C is a happy, healthy little guy.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

2009-01-21T22:47:00.001-05:00

About a week (or so) ago I won MiMi's (@ He & Me + 3 ) Pay It Forward giveaway. (YAY) It is the first blog giveaway I have won. :)

Today when I got back home from running errands, sitting on my front porch was this... (ok, so that is not my front porch, but it was too cold to stand out there to take a picture) ;)

I could not wait to open it and find out what was inside...

The first thing I see is a card (I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting cards, they are more important to me than gifts) ( I still have the cards from MY 1st Birthday)

Here is the rest of what was inside...
a five week devotional booklet with pen, a yummy smelling candle, a cozy pair of socks, hand lotion (which those of us who live in the mid-east NEED this time of year, DRY skin) and my FAVE FAVE FAVE a snowman chapstick. (the chapstick matches the lotion)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU MiMI. I LOVE IT ALL!!!
I browsed over the devotional this evening before our Bible study and found it interesting that the first devotional is for the book of Hebrews. This is the book we are studying in our small group. So I will have extra insight.
THANK YOU so much, you could not have done a better job.

This was so much fun.

By participating in MiMi's Pay It Forward, I have agreed to also Pay It Forward. So please stay tuned. In the next week (to 10 days) I will be holding my own Pay It Forward giveaway.

favorite memories

2009-01-20T13:25:00.000-05:00

My dear friend and fellow blogger Hilltopper from life on the hilltop, tagged me to share my top 4 in each of the categories listed.
Here they are...

favorite memories of 2008

#1 30th Birthday get together with just the girls

#2 watching/witnessing all the new things C is learning each day

#3 starting my blog & making awesome new friends

#4 going on a date with just P to see Fireproof and have lunch @ Cracker Barrel.

favorite movies of 2008 (not necessarily 2008 movies)

#1 Fireproof

#2 Sweet Home Alabama

#3 Catch Me if You Can

#4 CARS

favorite foods of 2008

#1 one of the specials that Olive Garden had over the summer, can not remember the name of it. (argh)

#2 pb toast

#3 veggie pizza

#4 tacos

favorite places of 2008

#1 home

#2 Aha

#3 Target (how SAD is that?)

#4 church

events in 2008

#1 C's 3rd birthday & party

#2 announcement of my (step) sister's 2nd pregnancy & her wedding

#3 P starting a new business venture

#4 our FIRST wedding anniv.

things i liked in 2008

#1 buying our (much needed) and new (to us-2005) car/suv

#2 getting new carpet in most of our house & finishing the interior painting

#3 having monthly family dinners with my brothers/sisters and Mom & step dad

#4 being able to spend another year @ home with C. (Thank you Lord, for the small things)

things i look forward to in 2009

#1 C being 100% potty trained. (we are almost there)

#2 becoming closer to Jesus and honoring him more each day

#3 selling our house

#4 getting pregnant

Now I will tag 4 to play along...
#1. MiMi @ He & Me + 3
#2. Lisa @ MY JOURNEY THROUGH INFERTILITY

#3. Susie @ Mommy, Just One More Minute!

#4. Nancy @ Faith, Family & Friends

C goes to the "Motor Home" Show

2009-01-19T23:55:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we took C to the Annual Boat & R show. He has been asking to see "inside" the motor homes, so we thought this would be perfect for him. He had a blast. And has asked repeatedly to go back again. He is now ready to sell our house and buy one. (me too) ;)

this one was a mini pull behind camper

he kept calling this the "driving" room. HA

My 2 Boys ;)

all buckled up & ready to hit the road

taking a break before leaving. it was a long haul to the car.

bye bye

***Harper Update...

I just want to Thank each of you that has lifted Harper, Kelly & Scott up in prayer. God is listening and Harper is improving a little at a time. PLEASE continue to include them in your prayers.

Here is an update from Kelly's blog (Kelly's Korner)...

"We were able to meet with Harper's doctor today for the first time since she has been there. It was a very good meeting. He gave us a lot of details. It was very difficult for me to sit and listen to him talk about how sick my little baby is. Our families felt it was very positive but it was just scary for me. Basically it is a long and gradual process. They believe she got an infection which has caused the problems with her lungs. They think her heart and brain are both good. Very, very slowly - they are trying to get her off the oxygen that is supporting her lungs. They think ECMO is a final resort. We will most likely be here for weeks. Her numbers seem to improve little by little and we do have a lot of hope. She is critical but stable."

would you like to know more?

2009-01-18T22:33:00.001-05:00

Lisa @ MY JOURNEY THROUGH INFERTILITY tagged me to tell you all 16 things you may or may not know about me. I enjoy doing these, bc I always enjoy sharing more with you and even more, I enjoy learning more about all of you.
I am not sure that I can come up with 16 things that I have not already told you, but I will give it a shot. :)
ENJOY.

1. I had no intentions of getting married before I was 30 and no intention of having kids before I was 35. I had C @ 27 and married P @ 28.

2. While I was pregnant with C, I wanted a boy SO BADLY, that everyone was just sure that I would have a girl. (obviously they were wrong) ;)

3. I am a very picky eater.

4. I would like to have red hair. (like Marcia Cross, from Desp. H-wives)

5. Until I had C, I did NOT cook...AT ALL!!!

6. I always wished I came from a big family.

7. I would love to have twin boys.

8. I do not like to have my picture taken, never have.

9. I have never once smoked a cigarette. (not even one puff)
( I am VERY proud of this, since my Mom, Dad and sister ALL smoke/d)

10. I love the show/family Jon & Kate +8 and want to meet them some day.

11. P & I have been trying to get pregnant for seven months now, with no luck. :(

12. I collect Boyds Bears.

13. We (as a family) made the decision to turn off our cable for 2009. We are now deciding to turn the tv completely OFF. (as it getting rid of it)

14. I was excited to 30 and did not dread it at all.

15. I am ten months older than P.

16. P and I sat next to one another in homeroom for two years, went to school together for four years and had a lot of the same friends, yet never "knew" each other until "meeting" in 2002. (I knew who he was and vice versa, but we did not talk, hang out, etc)

So there you have it...16 things you may not have known about me. :)
Now for the hard part...picking who to tag for this.
I am going to tag any of you ladies who have not yet done a getting to know you post. (or at least not done one recently) I enjoy getting to know each of you more. Please let me know if you choose to play along.

And please continue to pray for Harper. She is in stable, but very critical condition. She is also showing some improvements. She and her family have a long road ahead of them.
God is AMAZING and if you want to see that amazement yourself...check out Kelly's blog,Kelly's Korner and read her posts re: the outpouring of support they have been shown by fellow bloggers.

Sunday's Scripture

2009-01-18T00:29:00.000-05:00

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Update on Harper

2009-01-17T17:43:00.001-05:00

First Thank you for adding Harper & her family to your prayers. Keep it going, she is improving.

Last night she was sent to Tulsa, OK instead of the Children's Hospital in Little Rock, as they had no room for her. Here Father and his parents went there with her and her Mom and her parents stayed behind as Kelly was not yet released from the hospital. (that should happen today and then they will drive to Tulsa)

Harper is doing better each hour. She may not need the bypass machine after all, which is AWESOME!!! God is so good!!! His miracles NEVER cease.

Scott & Kelly are so touched by the out pouring of prayers and support everyone is showing them.

Isn't it amazing how us blog addicts and sisters in Christ can pull together for the greater good?

We are all so blessed.

For continued updates on Harper's condition please check out Kelly's blog...Kelly's Korner

Prayers Needed for Harper

2009-01-17T00:19:00.001-05:00

Many of you know Kelly from Kelly's Korner .
She went in to the hospital today to deliver her precious Baby Girl Harper. For details please check out her blog. It is late and I am tired and I do not want to mess any details up.

PLEASE pray for new Mom, and daughter. Harper is not doing well and has been flown to a nearby Children's Hospital to their NICU.

For those of you who do not know Kelly. She is a very spiritual gal, who gives God all the glory all the time, even in this very troubling time. She suffered for infertility for years and turned it all over to God to bless her with a child.

She is still, through this, giving God the glory he deserves.
PLEASE pray for her daughter to pull through.

We all know first hand that PRAYER works.

Scott, Kelly & Harper you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Many many hugs and prayers to you.

I had an interview with...

2009-01-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

Stacey from McCrakensx4 .
Here is what she asked and my responses...

1. What have you gained since starting your blog?
Oh my...I have met some AMAZING women since starting this journey. I am reminded everyday just how important sisters are and how we pull together when they need us. Even if we have never "met" them. I see each day the miracles that the Lord works in each of our lives and I am so thankful to have this thing we call a blog to share with all of you while you share with me too.

2. How many TVs do you have in your house and what is your favorite TV show?
4 tvs (yikes) 1 has just a dvd player hooked up to it and another 1 is hooked up for C's games.
None of them have cable.
My fave show...not sure really...I like so many...
Jon & Kate +8                    Brothers & Sisters             Rita Rocks
Samantha Who                   Desp. Housewives             Gary Unmarried
Worst Week                       Private Practice
Property Virgins                Grey's Anatomy

See why I need to have my tv SHUT OFF??? ;)

3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
please don't laugh...but Alaska. I have always had a weird obsession with Alaska.

4. What's under your bed?
extra blankets and my exerciser

5. If you had one day to do anything you wanted, with no limits, what would it be and why?
I am sure this would change depending on the day and my mood, but my answer this day is...get all my bestest girls together and go shopping around the world, by plane of course. (shopping, eating, laughing, worshiping, sharing, etc)
I would do this bc I think it is important to set aside time to just get together with the girls and forget everything else. It makes us better wives, Mothers, and friends. And who would not want to go on a shopping spree all over the east coast? (or west coast?) :)

Would you like to be interviewed? If so, just let me know in the comments and I will send you your questions. :)

I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better. Wanna know more??? ... stay tuned bc Lisa from MY JOURNEY THROUGH INFERTILITY tagged me and I will be posting 16 things you may not know about me soon. :)

Baby It's Cold Outside...

2009-01-16T14:41:00.001-05:00

We ventured out today in the negative degree temps. (I was sick of sitting here starring at the walls) The good news is after a few hours out and lunch the temps are now above 0. It is now a humid 7 degrees. (ha ha ha) Hey it is better than negative 7! :)
The bad news...my pipes to my washer are FROZEN!!! Wah...I really need to do laundry. I am working on that now and if it is not fixed when P gets home, I will be taking my laundry to my Mom's to do.
P took my car today bc his work van has NO heat. It went out this week and he can not get it fixed until next week. So he will be using my car whenever possible. Can you imagine NO heat in this weather??? Yikes.
In other good news...our house is toasty today. Yay! Normally it is COLD in here. (no matter what the heat is set on and no matter what time of year) It is an old old old house. (build in 1899) (doesn't that qualify it as an antique?)

Here is a picture of C all bundle up for the cold. (I even put pj pants on him under his jeans for an layer and added warmth)

he does not like when I zip AND button his coat all the way up. Today it was a must.
Do you notice that the sun is shining bright through the windows, even though it was -2 at this time? :)

and it is still falling...

2009-01-15T00:40:00.000-05:00

I took these about 6:30pm or so last night.

We have around 5-6". And it is to be in the negatives tonight.