December Currents:

Current Reading List: The Vow. Although I have several different ones started it's been a few months since I started them. I have been reading The Vow while I wait in the carline to pick up the boys from school.

Current Playlist: I just usually turn on the radio to Magic 96 for christmas Tunes!

Current Food Favs: Venison summer sausage, goat cheese, homemade pepper jelly and Ritz crackers (all together)! Also I love the Peppermint Mocha liquid creamer for my coffee!

Current Wishlist: I would love to say my Momma but heaven is much sweeter than life here on earth but oh how I miss her!

Current Need:  To get my Acadia's windshield fixed where a rock cracked it a couple months ago. To get the relector fixed on the back corner where someone hit me.

Current Triumph: Dealing with Momma's death with God's help and not medication.

Current Annoyance: My neighbor's facebook page. She is also my Dad's preacher's wife. Someone commented on her page while one of my 6 year old twins went to my desk and when I got back from a phone call......he asked what sh*t was. The "f" word had also been typed. When I asked her why she left it up there she said if we only knew where these people had come from. That she and her husband were just beginning to get through to them.GRRRR! Apparently folks from the church (sho are fb friends with her) saw it too and were very upset. As of last night the whole post was deleted. She neer apologized. No problem though. I just hope her children never see those type things.

Current Addiction:  The Peppermint mocha liquid coffee creamer! Divine!

Current Blessing: My children! In light of the recent current events (shooting in Conniectcut) I am loving on them more and holding them tighter! Also, they help keep me busy and not focus on Momma's death as much as I would without them.

Current Outfit: Jeans, white long sleeved tee with hot pink tee from Lulu's over it, Nike Alvord 10's

Current Excitment: Making cookies and delivering to the neighbor above. Get togethers and parties coming up. Seeing the smiles from our twin boys on Christmas morning.

Current To-do's: Make mixes for some gifts. I am doing cocoa mix and bean soup mix as well as dilly dill dip. Make my families white chex mix and oreo balls.

Current Favorite Stuff: My new wreath for the front door and my new teacup Chorkie puppy!

Merry Christmas!

Homemade Gumbo

I am trying my hand at homemade gumbo. Here is the recipe!






As Served By: LuLu's, Gulf Shores

Ingredients

• 3 pounds medium shrimp, heads on
• 2 pounds claw crab meat, picked for shells
• 4 crab bodies, if available
• 4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped in their own juice
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium head celery, coarsely chopped including leaves
• 2 ½ pounds okra, fresh if available, cut in 1/4 –inch pieces, or frozen cut okra, thawed
• ¾ cup vegetable oil or bacon grease
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 8 cups shrimp or seafood stock, heated
• 2 to 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2tablespoons dried thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons LuLu’s Crazy Creola Seasoning

2 to 3 tablespoons LuLu’s Perfect Pepper Hot Sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cups green onions, finely chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Ingredients

De-head, peel, and devein shrimp. Reserve heads and shells for later use. Pick through crabmeat carefully for shells. Refrigerate shrimp and crab until ready for use.
Fill a medium-sized saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Drop tomatoes carefully into boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool. Skins will slip off easily. Remove cores and coarsely chop tomatoes over a bowl to retain as much juice as possible. Set aside. (If using canned tomatoes, I cut them up in eights.)
Place chopped onions, bell peppers, celery, and okra in separate bowls. Set aside.
To make the roux, heat vegetable oil or bacon grease in a 10-quart heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, gradually add flour, whisking continuously. Continue to whisk roux , adjusting heat as necessary to keep from burning. This may take 25-35 minutes or until your arm feels like it is about to fall off and the roux is a dark mahogany color. Be careful; if the roux burns, you will have to start all over again!
Carefully add chopped onions to roux and continue stirring with a large wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes. Onions will sizzle and steam when they hit the hot roux so caution is advised. Seasoned gumbo cooks have roux battle scars on one or both arms.
Add bell peppers and continue stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes; add celery continue to stir constantly for another 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should now resemble a pot of black beans.
Add tomatoes and stir well.
Slowly add the heated stock.
Add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, bay leaves, oregano, basil, Creole seasoning, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well. Bring gumbo to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour.
Add okra and bring back to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat again to maintain a slow simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or a day (until okra has lost its bright green color and is cooked down like the other vegetables). If gumbo gets too thick, add a little water. If too thin, continue to simmer uncovered.
At this point, you can cool the gumbo. It’s always better the day after it has been cooked, although I’ve never had a complaint when I served gumbo the day I made it. Remove from heat and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then place pot, uncovered, in an empty sink. Fill the sink with water and ice around the stockpot. Stir gumbo every 15 minutes to move the liquid to facilitate cooling. Gumbo will spoil if cooled improperly. When completely cool, refrigerate it, uncovered, for a couple of hours before placing it in an airtight container.
Reheat gumbo slowly to simmering. Thirty minutes before serving, add green onions, parsley, and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add shrimp and crabmeat. Mix well. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit for at least another 15 minutes while seafood cooks. It will stay hot for a long time. Adjust seasonings and serve over cooked white rice with French bread and butter.

Gone But Not Forgotten

 

It's been almost 3 weeks since I have written and one week ago today we laid my sweet Momma to rest. The above pic was taken last Thanksgiving (2011). I still cannot believe she is gone. It just hit me that come Mother's Day I won't have my Mommy. 36 is just too early to lose her. She was only 68 years old. Momma passed away on Black Friday, it was truly a black day. We were all gathering around her bed. She was at my parents house and was very confortable. She went in peace, in HIS peace and HIS time. Please continue to pray for our family as we learn how to live life without her. Til we meet again, Momma. I love you!

Day 8: I Am Thankful For Sleep

I never realized how thankful I would be for a full nights sleep and my own bed to sleep in, until now. My brother and I have been taking turns staying with our parents to have one of us to help take care of Momma. The nights can be long but we are thankful to be able to take care of her. I am also thankful for sleep and my own bed. Blessings!

Day 6: I Am Thankful For My Freedoms

On today we have have the ability to voice and exercise our freedoms fought and gave to us by so many gone on before us. You see freedom was nor ever will be free. Someone has to suffer, die and pay consquences for those freedoms. Today was the most swonderful way to exercise our freedom, by voting. No matter who you vote for (which it really does matter to me-LOL!) you should take advantage of that freedom. Exercise your voice, let it be heard. Praise God we are free! No matter who takes office in the Oval Office in the new year, God is still in control! Blessings!

Day 5: I AM Thankful For: Time

I am so thankful for each day, each hour, each minute that I am given to love my family. To just be here is such a gift. You know we are not promised tomorrow. Yesterday was a rough day for Momma. We got here settled and calm so I went home to see my precious children and husband for a couple of hours. When I came back Momma was in less than stable condition. The Hospice nurse was called, meds were switched and life was a vapor, literally. Family was there and we were given time. My Uncle and Aunt drove in from North Carolina, when my Uncle sit down beside Momma she smiled. It was the first expression of the afternoon for her. As the next few hours progressed Momma came to life and was talking, vividly. She ate the most she had eaten in days and we were given a little more time. We know this is the high before the low and before the end, which will be Momma's beginning in heaven. So today I am thankful, just thankful for the time God has extended us. Thank you Lord for this time. Blessings!

Day 4: I AM Thankful For MY Sister-In - Laws!

Today has been a hard day for our family. My Mom was doing quite poorly earlier in the day. My brother's wife cooked for our whole family today, a delicious roast, carrotts and potatoes and 2 kinds of pudding for Mom. She also sent jello and some other other items. She took blankets and bedding home and laundered them since our washer was full. She also picked up some meds for Mom tonight. She is so precious.

My husband's oldest sister despite having to get up at 3:30 am to go to work came at 5pm and stayed with our boys while John came and stayed with me at my parent's house. When I got home she had done laundry and dishes, put things away and straightened the house up as well as played with and read to our sweet boys.

Thank you Lord for these two precious ladies that our boys get to call "aunt"!

Blessings!

Day 3: I Am Thankful For My Children

I am thankful for our children! Our boys are now 6 year olds who never hold a dull moment. They give the best hugs and when they say, "I love you, Mommy" it melts my heart. I my dream was always to become a wife and a mommy. Thank you Lord for my blessings!

Day 2: Thankful for My Husband

My heart is so full. The road we are going down is not an easy one but I praise the Lord for giving John to me. We have been married for 14 years we dated 23 months prior to that. He is my rock and my heart. He knows me better than anyone, he can say what I am thinking before I can. :)

We have been through so much. He has taken on a load so I can be with my Momma during these days. He has taken on extra duties with the boys and with household things as well as farm things. He holds me and wipes my tears. He prays over me and my family. He loves me unconditionally. He is wonderful! Thank you Lord for choosing such a wonderful husband for me.

Blessings!

Day 1: Thankful for Momma

I am so thankful today. I have had the most rotten attitude the last few weeks and have not been able to see my blessings. A few weeks ago on our 14th wedding anniversary my Mom's care was relinquished to Hospice. Life has been hard and a few months is just not enough. Now with her quickly declining life time has been reduced even more to just a couple of weeks. While the Lord above is the only one that knows how many breaths we have left, Hospice is pretty accurate most of the time. To see Mom declining so rapidly has been undescribily painful. We serve a good God but HIS plans are often not meant to be understood.  Trying not to question HIM, I decided tonight to just praise HIM.

I am so thankful for the 36 years I have had with her. I sleep with the "daughter" throw over me each night that she gave to me two Christmas' ago. The last thing she bought me herself.  I treasure the Friday night talk to had while lying in her bed just 2 days after Hospice came in. I had no idea that would be the last conversation that she would be able to actively participate in.

Headed back to my parents' house to give Momma her breathing treatment, give her meds and tuck her in. I am blessed! While my heart breaks multiple times a day while taking care of her. I praise HIM. When I carry her, I carry the "yellow umbrella". And praise God, HE carries us ALL! Blessings!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkLdP7zkxr0&feature=endscreen&NR=1

Coming Back

Hello all my blogger friends! I am unsure of where to start, since I have been away for so long. Life tends to get in the way sometimes. Today happens to be Haloween 2012. I intend to start posting again tomorrow on a regular basis. We've had sickness, death and life to take over the last few motnhs. Lots of changes coming in 2013. We are tired. Life is hard right now as we prepare for yet another death in the near future. Only God knows the time. See you tomorrow! Blessings on you all!

Time To Let The Cat Out Of The Bag

Well, today was it! Got married? Nope, already did that..mmmmmm 14 years ago. Pregnant again? Nope, not sure we'll ever be blessed like that again. Adopted a baby? Nope, that fell through in February.... at least for now. What could be our big news????? It was John's last day on his current job.

John is working on the farm now and is a full time, year around employee of our farm!!! We are beyond excited! We had been praying for some time that God would show us where he needed to be. His company was closing it's door to short hauls and drivers being home nightly and only doing longer hauls when my parents offered him the position. We are beyond excited that he will get to be home more, lots more and tuck the kiddos in EVERY night. It also means he will be learning some new skills (more on pruning, thinning, fertilizing, spraying and those things that he has never had much to do with, until now). He already knows how to pick, haul, deliver and such. We also will be buying our first cows and our horizons will be expanded! He did take a cut in pay but not by much and we will save gas money and wear and tear on a vehicle too. We sold our old mini van and are back down to two vehicles so the savings on auto insurance will help too!

His schedule is much more flexible and that is a welcome! He also will be getting on with the county as a school bus driver. That will help with insurance cost and bring in an extra almost $800 a month. We are so blessed!!!! So, here's to our endeavor!

Picture Dump

The swwt puppies we have raised on a bottle and treated as our own babies.

The momma to the puppies (the black one) Mollie Lou and the daddy (the tan one) Jake.



Mason sporting his new specks!

John getting the wasp nest out of the boys' playyard.

The men folk relaxing in front of the tube.

Our sweet Mia thinks she is human stretched out on my loveseat outside on the front porch. LOL!

May Menu

Here is what's on our menu for May! What is on yours? Are you trying any new recipes?

                          MAY 2012

1 Chicken fingers, butter peas, mac & cheese, fried okra

2Cube steak, butter peas, mac & cheese, sautéed zucchini

3 Ribs, baked beans, potato salad

4 Take out: Pizza and wings

5 Enchiladas, rice, beans and salad

6 Pork chops, apples, green beans, rice

7 Sloppy joes, slaw, oven fries

8 Milk gravy, biscuits, sausage, cantaloupe

9 Tilapia, corn, green beans, slaw

10 Chili dogs, chips

11 Chicken fingers, peph peas, mac and cheese

12 Burgers, oven fries, salad

13 Beef stew, cornbread

14 BLT’s, oven fries

15 Spaghetti, bread, salad

16 Nacho Bar

17 Squash, peph peas, fried okra, potato salad, cornbread

18 Homemade pizza, wings, salad

19 Grilled steak, salad, baked potatoes

20 Taco salad, chips and salsa

21 Chicken fingers, corn, squash, salad

22 Take OUT: Boys choice1

23 Kraut and wieners, fried potatoes, , pintos, mac & cheese

24 Burgers, chips, salad

25 BBQ pork potatoes

26-30 Vacation

31 Cheeseburger mac, peph peas, salad

DESSERTS:

Chocolate cake, Homemade ice cream, oatmeal raisin cookies, strawberry pie, Chocolate pudding, fresh fruit, Chocolate pie

Surgeries and Happenings

Things have been a little crazy around here. Not sure why I am saying that as they always seem hectic to me! LOL!


On Tuesday the 3rd I took Aunt Mary for chemo and to see the docs. They had told her maybe 2 months with treatment (that was the Friday before Christmas). Here we are almost 4 months out and she is doing pretty well. The chemo has some terrible side effects! Her infusion ran for almost 3 hours and we were gone for almost 6 hours. Please keep her in your prayers. We just celebrated her birthday this past Friday. Cancer is EVIL!

Easter was great and we are so blessed. My parents' Labradoodle "Mollie Lou" had her puppies also. She had 7. She laid on 2 and killed them, one was still born and the other one somehow got out of the dog house and lost it's body temp and died. That left 3. She never produced any milk and just wasn't sure how to Mommy to them. I talked with the vet and decided to bring them home and raise on a bottle. They are all black and boys. They are two weeks old today and just precious but I tell you it's like having triplet newborns! When we brought them home they were eating every 2 hours! It's gotten better now. Only one has opened his eyes a little. That is to be expected since they were about a week premature. They are thriving and now we are looking for good homes for them both the end of next month.

 Last Wednesday the 11th I had punctal plugs put in both eyes. I was awake and it was done in the eye doc's office without any numbing drops just antibiotic drops. It is to help increase my tear production from the top ducts (the plugs were done to the bottom). It was very uncomfortable! I still feel like I have 10 somethings in my eyes. I go back to the eye doc tomorrow for my follow up. I also ordered new eyeglasses since my script has changed so much.
I also had a dental appointment before the eye surgery and had a crown cemented and 3 more fillings.

Tuesday the 17th I had bladder surgery. They did it without making an "external incisions" but they made a 3 1/2  inch internal one and then I have some metal type sutures attaching the neck of the bladder back where it goes, they also used a sling and tape to hold it on position. I have had to train the bladder to function again...NOT FUN!  I am still in the uncomfortable part of the pain, lots of pressure and very swollen. they gave me a lot of gas to knock me out. Instead of the normal 2 breathes it takes most folks it took me like oh SEVEN! LOL! I am moving slowly and steps are bad....BAD! John was off work with me for 3 days and learned how to be Mommy when needed! He had an eye doc appointment and took the boys for dental check ups all by himself! :)

I managed church today just for preaching and that pew was oh so hard. Today is my father-in-law's first birthday in heaven and I rode with John and the boys to the cemetery and to get milkshakes from Jack's!

We have some great changes coming our way and many prayers have been answered concerning John's job situation. more on that next month when things are finalized! God is so good and we are so blessed!

Easter 2012

Not Ready

The last few weeks have blown by and if I might say they have been rather intense. Since the boy's birthday I have taken 4 different folks to various doctor's appointments and chemo treatments. I have been scheduled for a rather invasive bladder surgery as well as eye surgery. I wish the eye surgery were lasik but my eyes are in too bad of shape for that. I also have had two more crowns cemented and seated as well as 6 fillings. I brush my teeth FOUR and FIVE times a day and floss and swish and I do NOT drink sodas. I just have bad teeth! Both my parents had dentures by age 22. I hope the boys inherit their Daddy's oral genes! :)

I have been letting things slide since others have been deemed more important. With all the death and sickness it just doesn't seem like Easter time. I have always been "on the ball" with all things holiday! Not this time. I ordered the boys pants and a shirt for Easter. Neither fit them correctly and I have not taken them back. I have resorted to letting them wear last years attire,AHEM...if it fits. If not i will run to Wal-Mart and pick up some khakis and a polo. I am not even sure what hubby has to wear since his weight loss. And since my AHEM weight GAIN I am not sure if I have clothes either. My parents have decided that I need not cook and we will just get take out for Easter lunch. This is NEVER heard of in the south at least at our house. I am totally okay with it though....for some odd reason.

I have not dyed eggs with the boys or read the Easter story for that matter. Their Resurrection Eggs have sat alone in the closet as well. I am actually okay with this.....most all of it actually and am not stressed at all. I do and will talk with the boys about Jesus being "Alive and well" and how blessed we are. John is singing his first solo at church (Easter morning no less) and does not even have the soundtrack to listen to for practice and he is as calm as can be. While we are not ready we are okay and God has a plan. Perhaps we will figure it out before out Sonrise service Sunday morning! :) Happy Easter!!!!

Boys' 6th Birthday Party!

Here are the actual pics of the boy's cowboy party. They had a blast and were so much fun!


Waiting to blow out their BIG #6 candle!

John

Mason

John was just a little bit excited (LOL!) and Mason was quit happy to have a basketball each!

They were even more excited to have an adult size basketball goal their very own! :)

The "theme".

Pawpaw still has it! He hit a "3"!

Some of the yummy homemade cupcakes. That was chocolate buttermilk cupcakes with chocolate and vanilla butter cream icing! All homemade! ;)

Two tired yet happy 6 year olds with Nana and Pawpaw at the end of their party day! Pawpaw was not asleep....just closed his eyes for the pic. LOL! We are SO BLESSED!

The Actual BirthDAY!!!! March 22, 2012

John (on the left) and Mason (on the right) opening gifts before school on their BIG day!

I went to school to eat lunch with the boys. Here is Mason!

Here is John!

I got to make cupcakes and take to school for their special birthday snack that afternoon. You would never have believed that Mason (on the right) had the flu and strept earlier in the week and had missed several days of school.

Mason opening a few gifts from my parents that afternoon!

John is loving his new basketball shirt from Nana and Pawpaw!

Loving Pawpaw!

The boys getting birthday love from Nana!

The boys had a great birthday but the party is yet to come!

Happy 6th Birthday, John and Mason!

Where does the time go???? My sweet boys are 6 years old today! I am blessed far more than I deserve and God is so good! Please goes to April 18, 2008 and you can read just how good HE has been to us and the boys' "story". There are 4 parts! I will post more with pics this weekend as that will be their "big" party. I am going to eat lunch with them today at school and then have a special snack with their classes this afternoon! They had doughnuts with Nutella for breakfast and opened a few gifts from their Daddy and I. Can't wait to see what the rest of the day holds! God is so good!

Book Reading

So far in The month of March I am not doing so well with my reading list. You can view it here. I finished no books in the month of February. Actually I did finish one in February (The House That Cleans Itself). that is a total of 4 for the year (now that we are 11 weeks into it). I am currently working on Modern Parents/Vintage Values, Storm Warning, The Husband Project and The Unhealthy Truth. Perhaps if I only read one at a time, I could at least finish one and more quickly! LOL!

So what are reading? What are your reading goals this year?

Something is Missing, Perhaps "Someone"

It took a very long time for us to conceive our twin boys. We tried for about 7 years, then did fertility for about 4-5 months. We did very low dose/low key meds/procedures. We were blessed that it happened quickly once fertility "things" were started. We were both "the problem". LOL! That looks stupid on paper. We lost triplet baby at 7 1/2 weeks. We were blessed to have our boys, who were very sick for a very long few years but now are fairly healthy and will be SIX next week!

God is so good! We knew early on that IVF was not an option for us, nor was adoption. Now, at the ripe ole age of 35 with many, many irons in the fire and health issuses that linger I find myself looking at one of those options again. You see a few months ago there was a family member that became pregnant and not in the best of circumstances. She (John's 3rd cousin)had just graduated high school, was not married and wanted to go to college. The Father is on mental disability living with his Mom in a travel trailer who is also on mental disability and is not your stand up citizen. We offered to pay the medical bills and take care of the baby's Mom while she was carrying the said child. She wanted more ($$$). We had a few stiff conditions and things went south. To make a long story short. The child is two weeks old today and precious. I took some things to the Mom (who is living with her grandparents) for the baby. I held her and when I left I felt empty. I will not go into the fact that we are good parents who are stable in EVERYWAY, goes to church, loves God, yadda, yadda, yadda. The Mom does not work, is on every available government aid provided and a few days ago was "hanging out" in Wal-Mart to get some time "away" while the Grandmother kept the baby.

So, While I would love to adopt THAT precious baby (girl). I am praying that God opens a door somewhere else for us to parent a baby (girl) else where. My heart hurts for this "other" baby cause I know what she will and won't have and what we could give her. God has a plan. John is opening up to the idea of it. He did say that when God opens that door he will be ready.

Now, you know my heart and intermost feelings. Also let me say we have "fostered" before. An older male child that was in theraputic care. Feeling on that: WE WILL NOT GO THERE AGAIN! ;) Enough said.

I will wait on HIM! Blessings!

Friday!!!!

This week has went by rather quickly! Here's what's happening around the home and farm.

WEDNESDAY

• I went shopping, mainly taking some clothes back that didn't fit John, that he had gotten for his birthday. I hit Wal-Mart, Kohl's, TJ Maxx, Target, Publix and Aldi.
• Got a deal on 1# packages of fresh strawberries for $.79. I have never seen them this cheap!
• I spent some time relaxing and just reflecting on life.
• By the time I picked up the boys at school I had one of the worst migraines I have had in a long time. My meds did not even help.
• The church youth came and picked up a tv that we gave them for the rec room.
• I fell asleep on the couch at 9pm, was in bed by 9:30pm and did not wake until 6am Thursday morning! Whew! I was one tired girl!

THURSDAY

• Bought groceries, went to the pharmacy, post office visited with my parents.
• Made 16 containers of strawberry freezer jam! YUM!
• Changed the printer cartridges.
• Did one load of laundry and did NOT get it put way.
• Ordered some jeans online from Kohl's for John and used my Kohl's cash.
• Did the boys birthday invites.Mailed them out.
• Called the insurance company.
• Ordered some gluten free, organic cereal for us and Mom, from Amazon.
• Found a condo on the beach for early summer vacation.
• Made chicken pot pie via Paula Deen recipe and salad for my brother and his family
• Made beef pot pie and grape salad for my parents
• Made chicken noodle soup (homemade) for my aunt
• Made hamburgers and salad with chips for us for supper.
• Cooked 12 #'s hamburger meat for freezer and divided into 1 # packs.

FRIDAY

• Went to dentist, post office and pharmacy
• Visited with my parents
• School called, Mason had allergic reaction outside (eyes affected). Put in 2 script drops and checked the boys out. It was 1:30pm and all they had left was p.e. and snack.
• Did 2 loads laundry
• Cleaned out and went through pics of John's family that had been in our closet. Took them out of frames and added frames to yard sale pile.
• Put together new (dirty) laundry organizer.
• Visited with brother-in-law and sister-in-law when they came by.
• Went through the birthday party stuff for the boys party next Saturday.
• and now to spend some time with the boys making bead art.
• Ordering pizza for supper!

Tomorrow holds promise of yard mowing, then Outback Steakhouse for a (week) late birthday dinner for John!

What's the weekend looking like for you? Do you go out to eat on the weekends?

Blessings!

Master Bedroom

This is our master bedroom. We redid it last year with a new bedroom suite, new linens, lamps, decor, curtains, shams, pillows and duvet.

We love our master bedroom! It has so much light and is so relaxing!

Blessings!

How Was Your Day?

"Don't Judge each day by the harvestyou reap, but by the seeds that you plant." -Robert Louis Stevenson

Lasting Time and Sweet Memories

The last few weeks have been a blur. I literally have been flying through the time. Our church family provided almost a dozen meals in a matter of two weeks....we are forever thankful. Almost every night there was enough for my parents and my aunt as well. Praise the Lord!

Mom was very sick once again. Daddy and I had her to the doctor twice and the hospital once in two days time. Little John was not himself and feeling quite badly. I had been canceling appointments left and right. John had been off work for 2 weeks.

On Tuesday February 28th John and I discussed the fact that I had to keep my dental appointment the next day as I had a tooth cracked and broken and was in pain. Nor was the situation good that close to my MRSA infected sinuses. Thankful that I am on the Doxycycline and felt as "safe" as anyone could in that situation. When i walked in the dental office (this is a great group of females who love the Lord), I explained that any given time I may need to leave due to my father-in-law's declining condition and impending death. We had been told just two days before that his eyes were "fixed", his toes had already curled and he had no food or drink for 48 hours. The dentist prayed over me (mainly for peace and comfort) as she started her work.

At 9:53am I got a text from John that read, "He's Home!" My heart dropped, because I knew John was there by himself and I wanted to be there, ASAP! As the dentist finished as quickly as possible (with a temporary crown) I texted our preacher's wife and thankfully our preacher was able to be there in 2 minutes with John. I arrived 18 minutes later. The smell of death is like no other, it lingers with you always. You never forget it. John was taking things well, better than I would in that situation.

After the funeral home came and picked up the body we went to pick up a few last minute things and pick out a casket spray. I had never purchased one before and the cost was completely on us (as John is the only biological child and the 3 half sisters wanted to purchase a simple wreath). We were floored at the price, not that we minded and thankful we had the money but $425.00 surprised us. We also had a 5x7 framed of the boys sitting with Pawpaw McRae in their cowboy gear and cowboy hats he had bought them at the rodeo the year before. We had a sweet arrangement with 2 red roses attached to it and it was set in the corner of the casket.

That afternoon we picked up the boys after school and came home. We told them Pawpaw was in heaven and all better now. That he was happy and he and Mawmaw were together again. John got really sad and had a few tears but Mason cried out for the longest. After supper they seemed fine. John had some questions but was very "grown up" about things. The boys kept telling each other (and anyone that would listen) that if we all let Jesus live in our hearts that we would get to be with Pawpaw McRae and Mawmaw one day in heaven. So sweet!

On Thursday we went to the funeral home and made the final arrangements while my brother took my Daddy to the orthopedic surgeon. We had more errands to run that day and the visitation was that night. We let the boys go for a little while and "see Pawpaw" one last time. As the crowd started pouring in our music minister and his girlfriend took the boys back to the house and kept them while we finished up at the funeral home. Our church had brought a sandwich tray, all the condiments and bread, a gallon each of milk and tea. It was a welcome sight upon our arrival at 8:30 that night.

The funeral time had to be moved from 2pm to 11am the next day as it was tornado Friday and the sky was more than eerie! By the time we reached the cemetery it was 80 degrees! After the funeral we elected to come home and we had some friends to bring some food over. Our church had offered to cook for the WHOLE family but John just wanted some time to ourselves. School had let out early and the boys had ridden the bus home with my brother and was at his house playing. Before the weather turned early he brought them home and we just chilled out.

Daddy found out with an MRI that he tore the cartilage in his left knee but the overall structure of the knees are in great condition to be 78 almost 79 years old! So happy for that. He is doing therapy and goes back next month.

I had to cancel my Mom's appointment with the rheumatologist that morning and she was getting worse, much worse. I got it rescheduled for Wednesday of this week. We saw the doctor and he could not believe the shape she was in. She was using a cane and still not walking well. The tremors were back with a vengeance and her fever was 102.8 when we got there. It is the http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/polymyositis/DS00334. You read more about it in the link. Not only has she been out of remission for over a year but it is at the worst it has been, leaving her mostly in the bed and unable to do common everyday tasks and feeling awful. She got an iv infusion as well as her Prednisone increased from 30mg daily to 60mg daily. It has been 48 hours since that and she is a good bit better! We are hoping for even more improvement. We go back in three weeks.

Wednesday afternoon we learned that my sister-in-law's Mom's cancer (brain tumor) has come back and the prognosis is not good. She will start experimental treatments next week. They are a very private family (and if you are related please keep it to yourself and just lift them up in prayer).

We cherish your prayers a this time. God is good and merciful and just and I am holding on to HIM for my strength! Blessings to you all!

Getting Back on Track

The list is LONG today. I intend to blog on the last few weeks and may write it today but will publish it tomorrow or later today. My aunt (Lynn) and uncle (Darril) are driving in from North Carolina this weekend to help take care of my other aunt (Mary, that has stage 4 cancer). The boys need haircuts tomorrow and somehow I am pulling off a surprise birthday party for John on Sunday (complete with a football theme and I have bought NO decorations yet). It will be okay! LOL

Some of the things I hope to accomplish today:

• Print off my Bible calendar pages for the month of March
• Hire someone to paint our master bath and kitchen
• Do devo
• Make bed
• Take Aunt Mary's garbage can to her house
• make March menu plan (I am a little late)
• Return some emails
• Find a rental for our spontaneous beach vacation
• Call Mom @ 9am for meds
• Call Mom @ 3pm for meds
• Call Mom @ 9pm for meds
• Go to Piggly Wiggly and buy meat (steaks, ground round)
• Make broccoli salad
• Make grape salad
• Run dw, unload dw
• Clean all bath mirrors
• Clean bath and kitchen counters and sinks
• Vacuum
• Sweep and mop kitchen and both baths
• Boys to school
• Go get boys from school
• Clean both toilets
• Finish thank you's and mail them
• Post Office
• make lunches
• get boys breakfast
• check pay stub
• Dust (everything)
• Get dishes back to Connie
• Blog
• Balance checkbook (this is scary, it hasn't been done since before John's Dad passed and the casket spray alone was $425.00!)
• Order invites, horns and hats for boys party (March 22)
• Exercise
• Bath, get ready
• Pedicure
• Take a form to the school nurse

Praise the Lord that's all, I don't think i could fit anything else in there! LOL!!!! I am so blessed and God is so good! Thank you all for reading!

Life, Death, Grace and Helplessness

I have so much to say. My heart is so heavy. My computer has been in the shop since Friday evening. We watched tornados once again come and disappear Friday evening. We buried my father in law Friday morning. My Mom is very sick once again. And then another cancer diagnosis for a family member that had been in remission. A wonderful church family, blessings on food, prayers, calls, prayers, texts and visits. One of our little boys sick for days with high fever and tonsilitis. Grace, God's grace................ Thank you Lord, for your grace.

I be back soon with a detailed post.

Blessings!

"Reaching" by JenMom

This is one of my favorite blogs. Please read her post. So thought provoking.........

http://lotsofscotts.blogspot.com/2012/02/reaching.html

I love the quote: "When you reach out to help others, pay close attention to who you are reaching over in the process."

Blessings!

Time

Where does the time goes? It seems that time flees so very quickly these days. Perhaps it is because I am getting older? Or perhaps because life is so fast paced and there is so much to do.

John was off work all week last week and will be off this week as well, taking his shift at the nursing home watching over his Dad, until he falls into the arms of our Lord and is taken home. It seems as if the wait is taking forever. It is so hard to watch his Dad suffer. His Dad's final request was to have family by his side at all times until his passing.

He stays "out of it" most of the time. He is on a full 10 liters of oxygen with a bagging mask on his face. He is down to less than 130 pounds (normal weight for him was 180-190). He eats very little, maybe a cup of applesauce or oatmeal for breakfast and that is it. Maybe some juice or iced tea. All medicines have been discontinued EXCEPT liquid morphine and ativan. His color is yellow at times and gray sometimes. The doctor released him from his care in ICU at the hospital into the care of Hospice at a local nursing home. Unfortunately his insurance coverage does not pay for a sitter. We were told last Tuesday by the doctor that it could be anytime, that day or a week. Tomorrow will be a week. Only the Lord knows the time and the hour when He calls us home!

With weak speech and deep breathes he ever so often asks, "What are we waiting on?", or says, "I am ready to go." He is 83 years old, if he sees April he will be 84. The congestive heart failure, organ failure, non alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver (late stage 4), pacemaker, COPD and emphysema are just more than his body can take. He has signed a DNR and just wants to go see his wife, Marilyn that waits on him "in the sky".

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are
a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." - James4:14 NIV

It has been a long few weeks trying to keep things going around, home, take care of others that are sick, keep things as normal as possible for the boys and fight this awful MRSA infection. Staph infection is awful. Now it has moved into my eyes as well and they hurt so badly. I hope to get to see the eye doctor today to get a prescription for Lotemax. It is a steroid type eye drop and helps so much during these flare-ups. In the meantime, Mom has a doctor's appointment this morning and she is not doing well at all.

We are wasting not a moment, time is precious!



We are praying for peace during this time. God is good and He always prevails! Thanking the Lord for our blessings! Hope your day is blessed!

Making Sense of MRSA

It has been over a year since I was first diagnosed with MRSA of the sinuses. I've had just the old fashioned staph infection of the sinuses but then this. We have staph all over our body. Staph is produced in the sinuses, it generally exits your body via your sinus fluids and saliva. My problem is a little different. I have a very low sinus cavity on my right side. As a matter of fact I have some roots from teeth in that very cavity. That cavity does not drain properly. As a matter of fact I have t keep is washed out with saline and salt water (at least a quart a day). If I don't it pools in the cavity, stagnates and forms a crust (sore) over the cavity. The smell is worse that awful. IT is like rotten flesh and it is there until the sore comes off, the fluid is released and it is washed out and the antibiotics have taken hold. The typical sulfa drugs used to treat MRSA I am allergic too. We normally use Doxycycline with a compounded antibiotic nose spray of sorts. I met with the infectious disease doctor recently and my choices are becoming quite limited. I am using the typical regime for now. My other options are pic line or iv antibiotics via hospital stay. The important thing is to keep the MRSA from getting in the bloodstream. Also another concern is that if it got in the bloodstream how quickly it could make contact with the brain. To say I am overwhelmed is an understatement. It is not terminal and I am blessed so I just hold on to that.

The pain and pressure is also a lot to deal with. There are times that the front of my face feels like it could just "pop off"! If I bend down too quickly I have found myself getting up from the floor.

I had sinus surgery for reconstruction(due to breathing issue) and to clean out infection and add silicone to bones to strengthen them. a couple of years ago and that was successful. This however is a whole new story. We have known for a while that this other surgery is a very needed option and I just don't want to think about it. I am running out of options. To break it down this surgery would reconstruct most of my face. There would have to be broken bones, screws, plates, possible cheek implant, teeth pulled and teeth implants added, all while building up that sinus cavity. Dealing with all we are right now is just a hard place.

So, that is where we are with my health. We are trying our best to keep me out of the hospital since we are expecting John's Dad to pass anytime, my sick parents and aunt and so on so forth. I currently have no broken skin lesions (sores outside the nose/sinus cavities). So we are very thankful for that! If you have a extra prayer for healing and another for wisdom they would be much appreciated! God is good and we are hanging on to HIM! Blessings!

Two Weeks Worth

The last two weeks have been anything but easy. There have been so many changes that have taken place. I thought I might update, so here goes.

Lent is upon us and I have not only decided to give up facebook for those 40 days but send some form of card/letter encouragement to those around us. Facebook has become a big part of my life, perhaps too big. I want to spend more time with God and His word. I want to become the Christian He wants me to be.

I have gradually started the defriending process on facebook. Those of my"friends" that were negative or tried to bring my husband and family down, I see no reason to keep as "friends". I mean would true friends do that?! True friends would uplift you and your family!

I found and am using a new stylist only 3 minutes from my house! I love her and she does great work for a much less price! The regular highlight and cut was about $125 now I pay $65. A cut alone was $25, now is only $10! Woohoo!

We are still loving our new church family! They have been helping us with the boys, bringing supper and even bringing a few paper products/groceries.

John has had to use this week as vacation, to be able to receive a paycheck for it. No unfortunately we are NOT on vacation. My father-in-law was taken to the er Saturday morning for fluids building. Sunday we were told to call the family to say their last good-byes. He has been moved to the nursing home and under hospice care now. He has congestive heart failure, copd, stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver and emphysema. He is being kept sedated with Ativan and is being morphine for pain. All other meds have been stopped and he has not been eating/drinking. He is 83 years old with a pacemaker and all "life saving measures" have been stopped. All organs have been declared "in failure".

My Mom is still having a very hard time with the muscle disease. Her brain injury is much better. We recently celebrated her 1 year date of her incident. My Dad will have to have a double knee replacement soon. His head pain is much better.

The boys are accelerating in school and have even been invited to "The Young Author's Conference"! There were only 3 children from each class invited. They both have helped in writing and publishing a book! So excited for them!!!

Lil John has been very sick with sinus infection and upper respiratory illness. He is on Zithromax and Bromfed DM.

Mason fell last Friday toward the end of the school day. I was in the car in the car line waiting on them to come oout. The teacher that was subbing for his regular teacher came and got me. She told me I needed to park my car, that Mason was hurt. Scared the daylights out of me! He had been tripped on purpose and before that the little boy had hit him in the head and afterwards the little boy even laughed at him. I found out this week that that same sub had a recent arrest record and this morning I found myself in a meeting with the principal. He is new to that position andwas not aware of these issuses at hand. He is a friend of my my brother and sister in law's and attends church with them. He was also my 5th grade teacher.

I believe in 2nd chances and forgiving but someone with a recent arrest record (2 arrest for keeping her kids out of school and one -this school year for shoplifting) in a classroom of Kindergartners?! Ummm, NO! Her daughter is in Mason class and she is having to repeat Kindergarten this year because she missed so much school last year!

Mason and John just finished up basketball season last Saturday. This past Monday night was their basketball banquet. They have enjoyed it so much! If your children have never played Upwards Sports I HIGHLY recommend it! The way they teach Godliness, have devotion and learn memory verses is a great thing!

Our sweet little "Princess" the Labradoodle that we raised on a bottle is now a 14 week old, 18 pound ball of fur that is biting everything and everyone in her path. She refused to pad train to potty and tore her potty pads apart. She chewed on everything and was just a menace in the house. She is settled outside in her new dog fence and with a nice, warm Igloo dog house! She will be allowed to run free on a regular basis once she grows a little and can keep up with Mia, the border collie (that weighs a whooping 80 pounds!).

We celebrated my Mom's birthday (her birthday is on Valentine's Day) the weekend before Valentine's Day with family, grilling out and sweet time together! She is 68 years old! So blessed to have her still here with us!

We have had a mild winter this year with little cold and no snow. We are breaking ground and getting ready to plant crops. Trees have been pruned and we mowed grass yesterday!

The boys will be 6 next month and I've got to get on the ball and get their party supplies ordered!

That's what's going on in our world! How is yours going?

Blessings!

Not Missed

I have spoke of us leaving and church and going to a different one on different occasions. We have found one that we like and feel comfortable that this is where God wants us, at least for now. It is a small church only a few minutes (3 minutes to be exact) from our house. We are excited to be a part of it and our boys love it. The people are kind and more than welcoming. We are excited to be apart of it. Yesterday was our second Sunday to attend and our first Sunday night to attend.
Last Sunday I posted a status on facebook about the message (bridling your tongue). Yesterday I did the same (except the message was on patience).

Here is my status from facebook: Another great message today at church......on patience. Patience is something I don't have too much of these days. Lots of ugliness going on these days and I won't be part of it (hence the defriending button). Anyhow I know how to have patience and I will. Kicking my ugliness out of the way and letting God move in deeper to my heart..........right where HE should be. Lord, help me be more of you and less of me! AMEN! God is so good!!!! "By your steadfastness and patient endurance you shall win the true life of your souls." -Luke 21:19 (AMP)

Keep in mind the reason we left was becuase we are never missed or checked on when we are out and with all the sickness around us we have been out about as much as we have attended. Sunday school teachers nor children church workers EVER have called to see about the boys, even during hospital stays. Noone has ever sent a card or called, nothing.

Last night, our previous preacher's daughter left a comment, something along the lines of we have your irs statement for tithes at the church, didn't know ya'll were going anywhere else.....lol. I commented and told her we didn't need it, we'd already had our taxes done and used our bank statements. They could just toss their statement. Of which she replied that she would let them know and thanks.

This morning her first comment was gone, she had deleted it. She didn't bother to say, we've missed ya'll or anything. My point is I want to be missed. I want to be loved. I want to be prayed for. I want these things but more importantly I want them for my children. Anyhow, what's done is done. I have forgiven them, even though they may not know they were in needing of being forgiven. God loves us all! Praising God for our new church home!

February Menu Plan

Here is my menu planner for this month. What's going on your table this month?


1 Tangy Pork Tenderloin, Green Beans,Brown Rice
2Roast, carrots, potatoes, chocolatepudding
3 Spaghetti
4 BLT’s, Oven Fries,raisin oatmeal cookies
5 Shrimp salad
6 BBQ stuffed potatoes
7 Chili, cornbread, Shoney’s peach pie
8 Enchiladas verdes Pg. 225, beans,rice, salad
9 Chili dogs, fried potatoes
10 Fried okra, peas, potato salad,cornbead
11 Chicken helper, leftover veggies
12 Steak, baked potatoes, salad
13 Taco salad, strawberry pretzel salad,chocolate covered strawberries
14 Breakfast casserole w/ sausage andcream cheese, fried apples
15 Hm Chicken noodle soup, sweet potatobread w/ pineapple butter Pg. 89
16 Hm beef stroganoff, green beans,Buttermilk salad
17 Ribs, beans, potato salad, fruit tray
18 Lasagna, bread, salad
19 Burgers, fries, salad, pb cookies
20 Santa fe soup
21 Chicken pot pie (Paula Deen recipe),pear salad
22 Fried chicken, green beans, mashedpotatoes, gravy, biscuits
23 Butterpeas, cornbread,mac&cheese, fried potatoes, sauted squash, fried green tomatoes, peach cobbler
24 Potato soup
25 OUT
26 Gravy, biscuits, sausage
27 Nacho bar, CB Oatmeal cookies Pg. 96
28 Pizza, wings (OUT) 29. Shrimp fet. alfredo

A New Month!

Well, it appears that February is upon us! I wanted to review my New Year's Goals.

1. Blog daily. I blogged 15 times compared to the 31 I wanted to. However, it is better than just once.
2. Take more pictures. I haven't really, although I have taken several of the boys @ basketball games.
3. Read Bible daily. Most days but not all. I did say read through it in a year. I am now striving for a chapter a day.
4. Read 2 books or more a month. SUCCESS! DONE! I have read Gabby, Money Saving Mom's Budget and Organizing for Life.
5. Read more to the boys. DONE! Almost everyday.
6. Restart daily devo and prayers with hubby. Starting today.
7. Read and pray as a family. Not done . Ashamed to say.
8. Declutter and organize. A work in progress, however I would say I am 50% PLUS there in the house.
9. Toenails have yet to be painted, however, feet are in better shape!
10. Paint and redo master bath. I have the color picked out! :)
11. New kitchen counter tops. Maybe late fall.
12. Stick to defined budget and put $$$ back. Sticking with budget. No $$$ back yet.
13. Finish cookbook and gt to publisher. Not yet.......
14. Get back to "magic number" weight wise. Not yet but on my way! :)
15. Organize pics/clean off sd cards. Not yet.
16. Use kinder and more encouraging words with family. Trying and struggling daily.
17. Surrender and trust more fully in God! Yes and continually working on.

How are your goals going?

Bless Those Children

Saturday night after a morning of basketball and after the Circus that afternoon we went to eat Mexican. We chose a little place that we adore called Habernos. We went in and ordered. We all had an entree, three of us had sweet tea and one had milk. We also had some yummy cheese dip with our on the house chips and salsa. Usually John and I order water not from the money aspect but from watching the waistline aspect. We typically eat out once a week. We live on one income, oew no debt and all of our bills are paid. We are working on building savings for each child to attend college and we have a little nest egg of our own, although it would not cover retirement at this point. We are comfortable.

I never and I mean NEVER remember a time in our lives where we dragged our children out to a restaurant, ordered for myself and my husband and told them that could not eat there because they had already eaten at home. If we could not afford for them to eat we would stay home cause we certainly could not afford for us to eat either!

Saturday night as we were finishing our meal up a couple about our age, well dressed came in and was seated behind my husband and Mason. They also had their 4 children with them (somewhere between the ages of 5 and 12). The mom ordered a beer and the dad some other type of alcoholic drink and the children each had water ordered for them. I heard two of the older boys ask if they could have some chips and the mother told them no, they had already eaten. When the waiter came I could not believe my ears! The mother ordered, the father ordered and when the waiter asked what for the children, the mother said nothing. The children ever so quietly protested and asked to order, the youngest one even crying. Yes the mother refused and told them to just shut up, they had already eaten.

It was bad enough that my own children were witnessing such behavior from a grown woman, a mother no less but to hear her speak to them in that tone with those words. Mason actually started praying right at our table for "their mommy to have a kinder heart". We quickly finished our meal. The woman proceeded to have not one but two more drinks and the man another one as well, but yet they would not let their children eat. God help us, what is this world coming to?!

When we got in the car the boys wnated to pray for that family and we did. I wanted to say something to that woman, actually if I were being honest I would tell you that the anger in me made me want to slap her jaws. That was not the Christian thing to do and I refrained. What would you have done? Would you have said something?

I just cannot imagine telling my children they couldn't eat.................

Stomach Virus

The last week has been trying. The stomach bug has hit and is attacking the McRae household with a vengeance. Last Thursday I picked the boys up from school and we barely made it by my parents for Lil John to use the restroom. He had diarrhea. He told me he had had it that day at school too. It had it the rest of the afternoon and then that night he had started vomiting. He ran a fever with it too. The nest day I kept both the boys home since Mason had been exposed as well. Friday they both seemed fine except John's tummy hurt some.

Saturday they had a basketball game and they played. Everyone seemed fine and we just rested the rest of the day.

Sunday none of us felt too good so I kept the boys home from church while John went to finish cleaning out his Dad's apartment. We met John in town and went by the nursing home to see his Dad for a quick visit.

Monday I sent both of the boys to school as they felt fine. When I picked them up I found out that 3 students had checked out of John's class sick. By the time we made it home and through the door, Mason had diarrhea. That lasted on and off until after bedtime. At 11pm he started vomiting.

He had diarrhea and vomiting constantly for over 24 hours and he didn't eat for 40 hours. We kept him hydrated with Gatorade. In the midst of all of this I called the peds office on Wednesday am for Zofran.

The peds office had been closed Tuesday due to a tornado touching down in the area. 2 were killed and over 700 homes damaged or destroyed. Please pray for these!

As Wednesday progressed Mason was a new child, feeling so much better. He was up and playing and I was a happy Momma!

However, as Wednesday wore on I got sick. Thank the Lord for Zofran and Imodium. I still feel rotten today and am in pain from the diarrhea and dry heaving. Hoping this bug leaves our house soon. The boys missed basketball practice Tuesday night but have a game Saturday. We also have tickets for the Circus that afternoon. Here's to a healthy house of McRae's soon!

Has the tummy bug hit your house or area? Blessings!

Pin Pointing Saturday

Today has been eventful to say the least! Here is a breakdown of the day. First off, the boys missed school yesterday due to a stomach bug. Thankfully they are much better and food is staying put. It is no fun picking chunks out of carpet and emptying poo out of pants and underwear just so it can go into the washing machine. Thank you, Lord for a great washer with a sanitary cycle! :)

1. 6:00am up, get ready, try to get boys to eat some dry Cheerios and have some Gatorade
2. 7:30am get cooler ready with snacks and drinks (it's our turn to pack these for gameday)
3. 7:50am pick up my Daddy and head to the gym for boy's basketball game
4. 8:30am game starts
5. 9:30am game over (we won 18-10 - WOOHOO!)
6. The rest of the day was kind of a blur........ate breakfast @ Jack's
7. home, change, relax, John heads to nursing home to see his Dad, watch tv, play Legos
8. eat lunch (the boys only wanted cheese, crackers and Gatorade), then nap (1pm)
9. 3 up, John home, get ready, find coupons for supper, go get John a new phone (his is going out)
10. drive to Trussville (almost an hour away), CVS, Verizon, Chic Fil A, Sam's (the boys love playing on the ipads)
11. home by 8pm, boys in bed by 8:30. Cookies baked and coffee made. John and I head to our master bedroom retreat to tv/computer it.
12. 9:50pm I blog and get ready for bed.........

Goodnight and blessings!

Cowboys

The boys love the cowboy lifestyle. Mainly they love the jeans, boots, buckles, horses and hats! LOL! They have decided to have a cowboy themed birthday this year. Their birthday is in March but it will be here before we know it! They want us to grill hamburgers and hot dogs. I will make bronco baked beans and we will have choctaw chips and dip. I am having a friend to make a cowboy cake with 2 smaller cakes with the boys' names. I would love to find some metal pie tin type plates for serving up the grub. I think we are going to keep the family/friend list a little smaller this year. We shall see how it all pulls together! Do you have ideas or suggestions?!

Blessings!

Hard Times

When people refer to "hard times" it usually pertains to money or finances. However, these hard times are just that, difficult days. We got John's Dad settled into a local nursing home Tuesday evening. He is content there but sad. He had worked right up until 3 weeks ago, as a transportation manager for a Chevrolet/Dodge dealership. His credit card and keys were turned in and last paycheck picked up. We are currently cleaning out his apartment out and should finish this weekend. Dividing pictures up and sorting through his life, mind boggling. I feel like I am invading his privacy, John is just so sad and disgusted. These are hard times. We had breakfast with Sandra (half sister and husband that have been helping) and Kerry yesterday morning, just to sit and have a normal conversation. We had a nice time but then back to the apartment.... back to sifting through life, making decisions what to do with this and that. What to keep for sentimental reasons. I can only imagine how John feels. This is his only parent left and he will lose him soon too (say the doctors- 8-10 weeks at best). It is so hard not to question God. We know that all things work for the glory of HIM. Just please pray for John, Sandra and John's Dad the next few days. This transition is nothing but just plain hard times.

Blessings!

Not Sticking To It

I am sticking with my new year goals, well all except the blogging one. I am having a hard time finding time. My father-in-law is very sick and it has taken an additional toll besides caring for my parents and aunt. I have also had a tummy bug.

My father-n-law has finally been given a true diagnosis of Cirrhosis of the liver (non-alcoholic type). He is in the final stages of this disease. The home health nurse said he might have 8-10 weeks left. He can no longer stay alone, is on a walker and O2 full time. He doesn't know when he needs to use the restroom. Sometimes he talks out of his head or sees things or people that are not there. He goes from grey to yellow. He eats very little and is staying swollen for the abdomen down. We took the boys by his apartment yesterday to get some pictures. We will be moving him today or tomorrow one to a nursing home in the same town where he lives. One of John's half sisters is a supervisor there and knows the nursing staff and such. She has been helping us with him ever since their Mom died (almost 3 years ago).

There are 2 more half sisters, John is the only biological child and closer to his Dad than the girls. Their Dad is still living and is a part of their lives. There are some hard feeling from one of the sisters grown children that we are not bringing him home with us and taking care of him here. They will just have to get over themselves. (They have not stepped up to help). John works outside the home and there is no way to keep a normal life for our boys, do their activities, me work and continue to take care of my folks and aunt, nor can I lift him. Please pray for us as we watch him transition to the next life. Man knows not when this will happen but the Lord does and we are trusting in him.

I hope to be around and post more often but we will see! Blessings!

Today's To Do List

1. Read Genesis 12-30
2. Make beds
3. Take meds
4. Feed pets
5. Load/run/empty dw
6. Sweep kitchen and entry way
7. Clean kitchen sink
8. Clear/wipe kitchen counters
9. Plan/cook dinner
10. Wipe bathroom sinks
11. Empty trash
12. Do laundry
13. Read to boys
14. Exercise
15. Quiet time
16. Prepare tomorrow's clothes
17. Clean bath mirrors
18. Clean light fixtures and change bad bulbs in bathrooms
19. Clean out purse/wallet
20. Pay/file bills and balance checkbook
21. Clean toaster
22. Change boys hand towels
23. Clean out my nightstand
24. Send thank you card to Connie
25. Soup to AM/AP/MD
26. PO
27. DG-carpet cleaner/milk
28. Call Peds East-print out for last year
29. Mop kitchen and master bath
30. Vaccum
31. Iron and put boys stars on shirts
32. Take Christmas stuff down
33. Organize spare bedroom
34. Clea out fridges' freezers
35. Clean tiolets
36. Check Mom's meds

Oh my! Maybe this will be today and tomorrow?!