Home Schooling, Should I?

Home schooling has always been close to my heart. I believe in the concept and think it is great. However, I do not think it is for everyone. I have tried it once and after meeting a wonderful lady a few weeks ago that home schools her 7 children (she currently has a couple that have graduated), it has come into my mind and I cannot get the idea out!

I talked to DH about my desire to be more available for my boys and that the stress of relying on others (and they are truly a blessing!) has been hard on me. We have decided that we would pray about me quitting my full-time job at the end of the summer. I will still need to work to purchase food and gas but DH's paycheck would pay for essentials. I may have the opportunity to nanny a little one but if that doesn't work out, I will look for work outside the home a couple days a week during "Mom" hours.

What does this have to do with home schooling you ask? Well, I have brought up the subject to my boys and we have agreed to attend the Curriculum Fair here in Chattanooga in late July. DH isn't sure if this is a good idea since the last time I home schooled, it was very stressful! I explained that there were many, many, many factors that contributed to that stress. It was my FIRST year, I was miles away from my friends that were home schooling and didn't have the funds to meet up regularly; I did not know the intranet could be such an information outlet as well as a network through blogs, and on and on. Oh, and I was pregnant!!

So in light of all this pondering, I have been asking myself why I want to try this again. The first thing that comes to mind is that home schooling would be convenient. I know, this is NOT a good reason to home school and I am working that out in my mind!! The next thing is that I will be able to focus on my boy’s spiritual growth more. I would be able to schedule structured time for them to study and worship and pray. I will be there to help them when they have questions or are in situations that are confusing. Another reason is the flexibility for them to be involved in activities including volunteering. We recently volunteered (DH and I) at the Creative Discovery Museum and learned that they have a youth volunteering program for home schoolers as well as those in school. I have researched the local home school organization and see all the opportunities that are available for kids and it excites me.

The cons for my boys include being able to participate in sporting activities since they are very involved. But, the local home school group offers sports, just not all of them. They want to see their friends but I know they will have the opportunity to make new friends through scheduled get together’s with other home schoolers. They will miss out on school trips but I see that they will have the opportunity to be more involved in church activities where they can take mission trips which to me is more important anyways.

Ok, I think I'm done for now. I needed a place to write down my thoughts before they drove me crazy. What do you think?

[Oh and Mom if you are reading this, I was going to talk to you about this at some point but I guess now there's no time like the present :)]

Breakfast for Church

DH and I voluntered to cook for our Sunday School class.  I had fun spending a day baking! Here is what I did!

I made a blueberry sour cream pound cake  a puff pastry filled with eggs, sasuage, potatoes and cream cheese.  I made two of each and froze them for my girl's get together the next weekend (which I posted about before this, sorry!)

This was the star! I made a sugar cookie as large as a pizza.  I covered it with cream cheese and sugar combined and then placed the fruit on.  It was great!  I will definately make this again!

Blueberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

from "Don't Panic: Dinner's in the Freezer" by Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell, & Bonnie Garcia

nonstick cooking spray

3T dry bread crumbs

4 C flour

1/3 t. salt

1 1/2 C light sour cream

1 t. baking sod

3/4 c butter, softened

2 3/4 C sugar

2 t. vanilla

3 eggs

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 C blueberry, fresh or frozen

Yield: One 10 inch tube cake or two medium loaf pans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 10 inch pan or two medum loaf pans with cooking spray and dust with bread crumbs.  In medium bowl, stir together flour and salt and set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine sour cream and baking soda; stir well.  Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.  Gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating until well blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.  Add lemon juice and beat 30 seconds.  Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beating at low speed.  Begin and end this process with flour mixture.

Fold blueberries into batter.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 dgrees for 70 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack: remove from pan. 

Breakfast Strudel

from "Don't Panic: Dinner's in the Freezer" by Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell, & Bonnie Garcia

4 frozen puff pastry sheets
11 eggs
2 T. fresh chives or green onions, chopped (optional)
2 T. unsalted butter
1 C frozen hash brown potatoes (I used fresh potatoes)
1 C red and/or green bell peppers, diced (optional)
1 C sasuage, browned (turkey, pork or beef)
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 T. water


Yield:  4 strudels

Thaw pastry sheets to room temperature, about 30 minutes.  In a large mixing bowl, wish eggs and chives (or green onions) together. Set aside.  In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and peppers; saute 5 minutes.  Add sasuage and blend.  Add egg mixture to the skillet and scramble just until set.  Season with salt and pepper.  Take egg mixture off burner and stir in cream cheese.  Cool.

Unfold each pastry sheet onto a piece of waxed or parchment paper that has been lightly dusted with flour.  Trim the pastry on the left and right corners in a downward angle.  Make up to 10 slits at a downward angle on the left and right sheets.  Spread the egg filling down the center, dividing the mixture between each pastry sheet.  Braid the pastry sheet.  Mix remaining egg and water together.  Brush each strudel with egg mixture.  Wrap each strudel in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, and freeze.

On serving day, thaw strudel.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place strudel on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart
From Cooks.com

Make a cookie tart from recipe below
1 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 C fruit

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a small mixter bowl until smooth.  Spread evenly over cooled cookie tart or crust within 1/2 inch of edge.  Arrange fruit as desired on top of cream cheese mixture.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.  Slice into wedges.

Sugar Cookie Recipe
by allrecipes.com

2 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Gradually blend in dry ingredients.  Roll dough into a tart pan or onto a pizza sheet Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

I hope you try these recipes and enjoy them as much as we did!!

Relationships

I told my DH that I would not post this story but it is just too good not to!!  In the future, this could turn out to be quite embarassing, but sometimes that is just what parents do, right?

Ok, here is the story:  I was in my local supermarket one evening this week and I spotted one of the cheerleaders from my boy's middle school.  I know this girl because last year she had a crush on #1.  As I approached the check out, her Mom told me she needed to ask me a question.  She wanted to know if I would allow #1 to go to the 8th grade dance with her daughter.  I must admit, I did know a little history of this situation and you will learn it as the story continues. 

I told this Mother that #1 did not want to go to the dance with her daughter because he had a girlfriend and did not want to hurt his girlfriend's feelings (I do not condone my boys having girlfriends but have learned that I can not prevent it either. That said, I try to inforce that God created my boys to like girls and that is natural.  However, the rules in our home state that my boys are not allowed to talk to girls on the phone, hold their hands or kiss them.  In my eyes, then why have a girlfriend????).  I was then informed by this girl that #1 and his girlfriend have broken up (WHAT?).  I did inform them that I find out all my information through one of #1's friends Mom's and that I did not that #1 and his girlfriend had broken up.

The Mom then asked me again if #1 could go to the dance with her daughter.  I did proceed to tell them that I was aware that this girl asked #1 to go.  Her response was, "I didn't ask him."  Hmmmm...interesting!  I asked her if she gave a note to #1 asking him to the dance and she agreed that she had.  I then told her that when I asked #1 about this (I learned this information from his friends Mom, remember?) he told me he threw the note away without reading it because he knew what it was going to say and he did not want to go to the dance with her.

The Mom again asked me if I would allow #1 to go (she is very persistant!).  I told her that #1's Dad and I had discussed it.  I told her that I didn't want him to go but that his Dad thought it was ok so we would have to discuss it some more and #1 would have to let her know.  This whole conversation was quite comical!

When I got home, I decided to talk to #1 in private (as not to embarrass him infront of his brother) about his love life.  I told him I had seen this girl in the store and about our conversation.  I asked him about the break-up with his girlfriend.  He confirmed that they had broken up.  When I asked why, he said she broke up with him because he was BORING!

HA! I was so excited to hear this I put my hands up for a high five (two of them actually)!  At this point, #1 was very confused as to why I was so excited! I told him that I was so proud that he was boring because if he wasn't then that would mean that he was paying too much attention to the girl and probably doing things he shouldn't be doing.  He still looked at me kind of funny but it didn't matter because I was so proud!!!

We ended the conversation with me telling him he shouldn't worry about girls anyways and he agreed! He even told his best friend that he didn't want a girlfriend and just wanted to concentrate on hanging out with his friends.  Wow, we might actually be doing something right in this game of parenting!! 

Being Faithful

I attended church last night, this is not a usual for me on Wednesday nights.  You see, I was there to attend a meeting for an outreach I am volunteering for.   Unfortunately I missed the meeting but decided to stay so #3 could attend the kids program (it was his first time and he was very excited).  I know that in Christ, there are no coincidences! 

I walked into the sanctuary late but at just the right time for me.  The pastor was talking about how people always want to quit when things get hard.  This is SO me.  Christians are so easy to quit their marriage, their church, their job when the going gets tough.  BUT God blesses faithfulness and will give us the strength to STAY (or stand Eph. 6:13) if we lean on Him.

This message came at a perfect time in my life.  Luckly, I am in a good place in my marriage right now so that is not the area I needed encouragement in but I struggle with discontentment and it usually affects the job I am in.  There have been lots of changes at my job and it makes me unhappy at times and I tend to try to look for something different.  But last night, I realized that if I stay (or stand) that I will receive the blessing that God has for me.  I have NO doubt that God has placed me in this job (read this post: http://myhandingods.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-new-adventure.html) so I need to trust that He is in control and that he will get me through my bad days!

God has already begun to bless me in the relationships I am gaining at my job!  This is something I could never do on my own, it is all from Him and I am so excited! I thank you God for the women you are placing in my life and what our future holds!

I hope this message touches you the way it touched me.  I have already had the opportunity to bless someone with this message and hope that if your reading this post, that you are blessed too!

What Would You Do With Three Wishes?

If I had three wishes, what would they be? I know the rule is that I cannot wish for more wishes.  I remember Solomon in the Bible wished for widsom and he recieved so much more.....

I would wish for all my debt to be gone! I would love to have the opportunity to not HAVE to work to pay bills but rather work to enjoy what I am doing.  I would love to be available for my boys and all the activities they are involved in!

I would wish for my husband to be healed and his body to be in good health.  This would allow him to exercise the way he wants to and to lose the weight he is trying so hard to lose!

I would wish for my boys to find true love and happiness through God's leading.  I want them to have a wonderful life full of laughter and success.  That success doesn't need to include money or fame, but love and fulfillment. 

Ok, those are my three wishes.  How about you?  What would you wish for?

Creative Writing

I really do have a desire to blog regularly but I just can't seem to think of what to write. That is where this website comes into play: http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/

I found this when I searched for creative writing ideas and I am very excited about where it will take my blog and my writing skills in general. I hope this will help me gain more followers!  I would love to hear your comments about what I am writing about!


So, see you soon with my first "Creative Writing" post!

Chicken Enchiladas

I mentioned in a previous post that I had the privilege of taking food to a friend of mine that just had a baby.  I love being able to give to others and it's just icing on the cake when what I give comes from what I love to do, cook!

I made chicken enchiladas, spanish rice, refried beans and a cappuccino cake with peanut butter frosting.

I don't have any photos to post but I can explain the process in case you would like to try it!

I cooked some chicken I had extra and when cool, I shredded it.  I added taco seasoning to the chicken, added some rotel and set aside.  I got an enchilada seasoning packet and followed the packet directions.  To assemble, I took a flour tortilla, dipped it in the enchilada sauce and placed in a 9X13 baking dish.  I filled the tortilla with the chicken mixture and some cheese and rolled it up.  This step is repeated until the entire baking dish is full.  Then I ladled the rest of the enchilada sauce over the entire dish and sprinkled it with cheese.  It bakes in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until hot.

The rice was so easy and flavorful! I have to give credit to my bloggy friends for the recipe!  I cooked instant rice in 1/2 chicken stock, 1/2 tomato sauce.  When it was done, I added corn and seasoning. My DH loved it!

To make the refried beans, I purchased two cans of pinto beans, added cumin and salt and mashed in a electric mixer until slightly smooth.  Then I cooked it on the stove in 1/4 c of oil.  Season again to taste and eat.  This was so easy and delicious that I think I will never purchase canned refried beans again :)

For the Cappuccino Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, I have posted the recipe below.  When I was at Wal-Mart looking for instant espresso powder, all I could find was cappuccino powder so that is what I used and thus changed the name.

 Ingredients

For the coffee cakes:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for pans
1/2 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
2 sticks butter, softened, plus extra for pans
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, plus 2 yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions
Special equipment: Stand mixer and 4 (3/8-pound) mini loaf pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour mini loaf pans. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together the sour cream and espresso until dissolved.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well incorporated. On low speed, add half the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Add half the sour cream and mix until combined. Repeat with remaining flour and sour cream. Pour into prepared loaf pans filling halfway with batter. Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.
For the frosting: In stand mixer, mix together butter and peanut butter over medium high speed until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.
Top mini loaves with peanut butter frosting.

I hope you try these recipes and enjoy them as much as my family did! Please let me know by posting a comment.

101 Things in 1001 Days - Update

It is a new year and so as I was scanning old posts, I remembered my "101 Things in 1001 Days" post and thought an update was in order, so here you go:

5. Grow our own herbs - We did this in the Spring but found that we didn't really use them.  The only herb we used reguarly was the garlic chives I got from a friend.  I don't know if we are going to plant these again.
36. Get an amazing camera - This I did! I got a Nokia that I love! I really need to post some updated pictures, I know :)
45. Be a blessing to others when I see a need and have the resource to fill it - This is something I want to be on-going, but I was able to provide a meal to a family that just had a baby and it felt so good!
 47. Start a simple garden - We planted a garden in the Spring and had plenty of veggies.  We were able to cook fresh produce and even give some to our neighbors.  I look forward to doing this again this Spring.
54. Celebrate another year of marriage with DH - Marriage is HARD but I am happy to report that my DH and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary in 2009 and will soon celebrate our 17th! God is GOOD!
61. Have a family picture taken - We did this and even our dog was included.  I will post soon, I promise!!
73. Make and deliver homemade Christmas gifts to all my neighbors- I did this this year and had SO much fun doing it! DH and #3 helped me! It was great being able to visit our neighbors as we delivered them just before Christmas!  This will be a yearly tradition!
76. Keep up with garden for an entire growing season - I have to admit that our garden did get a little over grown at the end, but we kept up with it pretty much until the end.  Now we will have to dig up the old when we plant the new this Spring!
86. Take dancing lessons with DH - Well, we took one dance lesson, does that count?  It is just too expensive to take private lessons and we never went back to the classes.  Life just seems to get too busy and in the way sometimes!

Ok, that is my update. Not bad, but not good either.  I need to review these more often and try to complete more this year.  The deadline is October 15, 2011.

Girlfriends

I recently read a blog (http://momminitup.com/being-a-mom/connectedness/) about connecting with other women. This was my comment:

It is refreshing to hear someone put these feeling into words. I have lived in the city I’m in for over 2 years and still do not have the close friends I so desire and that I had at my previous residence. Reading your blog helps me to know that I am NOT crazy! Thanks for the encouragement and the hope that I can and “will” find others like me that I can connect with. I work full-time and as my boys get older, my life gets busier but girlfriends are SO important to me that I HAVE to make time for them! I hope you keep busy with many friend visits!

I was the 13th comment on this blog entry which tells me I am not alone! I guess I just needed to add an entry to my lonely blog that doesn't see me much and this is what was on my heart! Thanks to all those women that have touched my heart! Call me and we will get together soon!!

My New Adventure

God is so amazing. I know you already knew that, but sometimes when you can see Him move in your life (at least me), you feel special and loved. Not that I don't feel loved by God, that isn't what I'm saying. Ok, this is coming out wrong. I just want to give glory to my God for the great thing He has done in my life!!!

Onto my adventure. Well, I have turned in my resignation at my current employer and am embarking on a new adventure. One that is very unfamiliar and outside of my comfort zone but God opened the door and I am happily walking thorough it with the confidence that if He knows I can do this then I can. I can do all things through Christ!!

Here is the story: On Monday I applied for an Admin. Asst. job I saw online. By the end of the day I received an email back stating there would be two interview times the next day. That was quick and it kinda made me nervous cause in my current job, the end of the month is the busiest and the date was June 30th. Thanks to God, it was no problem to duck out for a couple of hours and attend the 10 am session. It was a group interview with eight women including myself. Now, I've never been in a group interview before so I wasn't sure what to expect. The employer apologized for the group setting but explained that over 200 people applied for the job and since he needed someone soon, this was the easiest way he could see to weed people out. I can totally understand!

So the process took one hour of talking around a conference table and ended with a tour of the campus. The interview was enlightening, for me at least. I went into it thinking that I would love to have a job where I could multi-task and keep myself busy and walked out thinking this could be the kind of job that would make me feel as though I am helping the community and not just get a paycheck. It opened my eyes to see other opportunities for this fulfillment. I always figured I would have to work in a ministry setting or a church to feel as though my job was helping someone other than myself. Even with this revelation, I wasn't sure what the outcome would be. I felt there were women in the room that were more qualified and some that were less qualified. No one else had experience in the same industry as me.

I returned to work and received another email before the 3pm interview session. It said that I had made it to the next level and that he would like me to come in for a second interview. I was very excited and replied with a convenient time but also said that if that didn't work for him, then I could be flexible.

I left for the day and later that evening, I checked my email and had a reply from him. It stated that he wanted me to call him to have a discussion. I figured the time I gave him from the previous email was not good and we could reschedule so I told him such when I called him back. He said that was not the case and that he wanted ME for the position. Yes, you heard that right! No second interview, just come in to discuss salary and benefits and whether or not I would accept the position.

Now, this was crazy! I was in shock and really couldn't speak! When I could finally speak, all I could say was, "Thank you!" He had two GROUP interview sessions with who knows how many people and with NO second individual interviews he picked ME! Now, if that isn't God, I don't know what you would call it!

I went back to see him on Wednesday evening and accepted the position. I did ask him how many attended the 3 pm session and he told me 15. So out of 23 people, he picked ME. Yes, I think I am still in shock and am so thankful to God for giving me this opportunity! I will be embarking on a new adventure into uncharted territory for me, but I am confident and excited. I will start on Monday, July 13th.

Landscaping

Our Memorial Day weekend was full of outdoors activities. My DH got the itch to landscape and he did such a great job. Check it out below.

This is our dog Tasha. She is a great dog even though there are times I wish we DIDN'T have a dog! If I had to have one, it would be her. Anyways, back to the yard, my DH bought some solar lamps and placed them around the driveway and in front of the house. You can kinda see them on the right side of this picture.

He is perfecting the front flower bed. Doesn't the red mulch look great? Yeah, I thought so too!

Of course, DH had to personalize it. I thought the "C" would have looked cheesy, but I kinda like it! What do you think?

Another area....

And from a different angle.

I must say that I was quite impressed and think that DH should consider landscaping as a second job...no not really, but it is an advantage to owning a home and we are enjoying it! Thank you Lord for our beautiful home!!

Vegetable Garden Update

Remeber when I posted the pictures of us planting our vegetable garden? Well look at it now. Isn't it beautiful? We cut lettuce tonight and DH says there are so many more veggie's we will be able to pick soon. He already wants to make the garden larger next year. I am so excited!!

Less of me

I was reading in John 3 this morning and the statement that John the Baptist made really impacted me!

John 3:
27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ[j] but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.
I want to become less so that God can become greater!!! I have finally got back into my morning "quiet time" routine and it is so refreshing. I attended a kids retreat a couple of weeks ago and God really touched me. He renewed my love for Him and time spent with Him. I needed to repent for being lazy and complacent. Plus, life really sucks when I am not in right relationship with God. He is so awesome and loves me so much that I am stupid not to spend time with Him and let Him show me what He has for me everyday. So, my quest is to continue to spend time with Him and grow in Him. To become less so that He can become more in my life.

The kids retreat really stirred my desire to get involved in ministry again. Last night I got to help our church prepare for VBS. Although I will not be able to be a volunteer the week of VBS, I was so glad to be of some service! It made me sad that I won't be able to volunteer since my heart really wants to be there but I am praying that God will make a way in the years to come!!

Thank you Father God for loving me so much. Thank you for sending Jesus to die so that I may have life and have it to the full. I desire more of You!

DH's Daddy Funeral

My DH's Daddy passed away on Monday after a month long hospital stay from his third stroke. He was 68 years old and lived a really good life. We are back in South Louisiana staying with family, which is best for DH right now. Thanks to everyone for your prayers during this trying time and please continue to pray for DH's family.

Here is the link to the Funeral Home's Website and the obituary for DH's Dad:

http://www.acadianfuneralhome.net/sitemaker/sites/acadia0/obit.cgi?user=herman-comeauxsr

He likes it, he really likes it!

I have had so much fun reading all the frugal blogs and learning how to make so many things we eat from scratch. However, getting my family on board has not been as fun! The kids are much easier to convert since they have to eat what I give them but DH is used to "store bought" items. Well, I think I've finally found something I can make from scratch that DH likes and I feel that it is cause for celebration!

So, I am celebrating "homemade bagel day". I made a batch yesterday and I only have this one lonely one left! Yay! I hope this encourages all the other Mom's who are trying to be frugal and making their everyday breads and snacks from scratch. I will continue to try and convert DH while I have fun and save money!!

God's Will is not our will

I know it's been a while since I've written and I am sorry! Life has gotten the better of me. Anyways, DH is back at work and God has really done a work in his life during the time he was off of work.

Now we are facing another crisis as DH's dad is in the hospital after having another stroke. He is still in a coma so we are heading down to see him. We decided to keep the kids at home with Nana and Papa so it's just us. We so appreciate all the prayers from our friends and I will try to keep everyone updated through here.

It's amazing to see God work through our trials. We have been so blessed financially and these times have brought me and DH closer together. We continue to lean on Him and look forward to see what good will come from this (Romans 8:28).

DH Update

I just wanted to let everyone know that my DH is home from the hospital but still out of work. His knee is still swollen but the rest of his leg is better. He is terribly bored but has been cleaning and cooking so that makes me happy :)

Please keep him in your prayers. Pray that he heals soon and gets to return to work. Pray that God will provide the finances for us to pay the bills.

Thanks to everyone who has kept us in your prayers. They mean more than you know! God is faithful and has and will continue to carry us through this trial. Like the Word says, trials make us stronger! We love all of you!!

Hospital Days

This has been our life for the past few days. DH started to get a bacterial infection on Sunday, we went to the Dr. on Monday and he was put on antibiotics. By Tuesday afternoon, the swelling in his left leg was getting worse so we went back to Dr. The Dr. suggested that DH go to the hospital and we have been there ever since.

Here is the inside of his leg. Below it's the outside of his leg.

It just started to blister today. I think you could get a better idea if I had the good and bad legs together cause this view doesn't look swollen, but believe me, it is swollen. We still don't know when he is going home but we do know the antibiotics are working thanks to his blood work. Please keep us in your prayers and I will keep you updated on when he gets to go home!

Disney

Disney has a promotion for 2009 – get in free on your Birthday. My Birthday fell on a Saturday this year so why not take advantage? I invited a girlfriend and we were off last Friday, headed to Orlando, FL. It’s a 9 hour trip but with two ladies chit chatting, the time sure did fly!

We left on Friday, checked into our hotel and then headed to Downtown Disney. I had never eaten at the Rainforest Café so that is where we decided to eat Dinner. The experience was fun and entertaining. The next morning, we ate breakfast at Starbucks and then headed to Epcot (my favorite park).

We started our day in Future World, rode all the rides and headed to World Showcase to eat lunch in Mexico. Amazingly, we completed all the countries in 5 hours, it took my family of 5 two days to complete the park. We had enough time to head back to Future World to see the shows we didn’t have time for that morning. We planned to eat dinner in Japan since I have never eaten Japanese or seen a Hibachi Grill. We arrived at the restaurant and didn’t have advanced reservations so we had to wait one hour.

I brought my liquid Tylenol (I cannot swallow pills) but it got lost in the car so I didn’t bring it into the park with me. I started feeling bad on Thursday before our trip like a cold was coming on and I started the day with a rum-dum headache. It progressed throughout the day and by the time we got to eat dinner, I had a migraine and was very nauseous. The show was great and I ate the first course, but by the time my entrée ($27 steak) was cooked, I was too sick to eat. My dinner ended with the waitress bringing me a piece tiramisu with a candle, a paper chef hat and Happy Birthday sung to me in Japanese. I so wish I would have felt better to enjoy it.

My girlfriend was so great! She lead me through the park to our car, drove to Walgreens to get medicine and then to the hotel. I was so upset that she was unable to watch Illuminations (the Epcot finale show)! It’s so beautiful and she has never seen it. But I thank God for such good friends!

She dropped me off at the outside door to the hotel and she parked the car. I made it to our room and into the bathroom and tried everything I could not to throw up. I have a phobia of throwing up and haven’t done it in about 15 years. During this time, my friend came and went a couple of time which seemed odd. I made it into bed (without throwing up) and she came back and told me that she had locked the keys in the car.

At about 1:30am I woke up and the nausea was gone but my head was still pounding. I changed from my clothes into my PJ’s and took my Tylenol. Sunday morning I felt much better! My girlfriend jumped into fix it mode and worked on getting our car unlocked. Thanks to her husband and AAA, we were back on the road by 10 am.

We had a blast and have decided we will make it an annual trip. We will hit 4 parks in 4 years. Next year, I will bring my Tylenol into the park and she promises to not lock the keys in the car. Sorry that I don’t have any pictures, she was the camera person and will get me a CD this weekend. Until then, see ya!

Super Bowl Sunday

Wow, what a game, don't you think? We had the pleasure to spend Super Bowl Sunday with friends. The only catch is that we were rooting for the opposite team. This creates a very fun challenge for DH and so he went all out!

I know, he's kinda scary, but he is harmless really! The mowhawk was great! My DH is so creative! #2 got in on the action too. Too bad our team lost :(

Well, until next year!