LEAP YEAR SPECIALS

Check out these specials good only for Today, February 29th, 2008!

I want to try that pasta and I LOVE Christianbook.com.


Thanks to imommies for the great links...

Give me the spoon and I'll do it myself...

She looks the way I feel today!

It's fun to live in a 1979 ranch style home because...

When you are bored, you can climb the walls... LITERALLY!

That's all folks...

It's been a heckuva week here at the tiny house in the village.

I had a wonderful, dare I say, reunion with my Bible study gals on Tuesday night. It was delicious. I wish I had the time to do that every week. We prayed and prayed and prayed. It was good.

Wednesday was the PET scan. On the way into the big city I remember that I forgot my sedative that the pharmacy filled the script for in early January and I have been staring at since in the vitamin cabinet. I hoped that I could keep from squirming long enough for that 1 hour wait and 30 minute scan. Grant me the serenity...

The nuclear med tech really knew his stuff this time and when I asked about putting the radiation in my port instead of poking around in my arm he jumped back and said, "ahem...well, we try and avoid sending radioactive material directly to your heart." Oh, yeah, I guess that would be smart, DUH! So then I was asking about nursing and he said breast milk is okay after it's frozen for awhile because radioactive material decays and it would be fine to offer it to her after being frozen a few days, but she could not nurse. Luckily I have weaned her off this month and we are done with breast milk. Oh, and since I was asking he also offered up the following advice, "You probably should avoid holding the baby for today at least, that radiation will centralize itself in the middle of your body (in the bladder) and she shouldn't really be exposed to that." Yeah, that makes sense. If you put me in dark room, I would have probably glowed.

One and a half hours later I was walking out the front door of the cancer center. It was short and sweet. During the agonizing 5 hour wait for the doctor to read my scans and my labs we went shopping for exercise equipment. It probably would have been a much more pleasant experience had the saleslady not been a 90 pound toothpick with hair, who politely said, "You look great for just having a baby..." My hair was matted to the back of my head, my makeup was smeared and I was wearing a hospital bracelet. Had it not been for my husband and the little munch kin in the carseat, she may have thought I just walked out of the mental hospital...

Finally we got to visit with Dr. Keppen. He announced the news with a disclaimer. The Hodgkin's is gone but... I guess the scan showed a spot on my left ovary. It could be a cyst. He was not sure and he stated that he really had no experience with any other cancers so I should get it checked out by someone else. Anyway, the Hodgkin's is gone. GONE! He wants to see me again in 6 months. That's the end of that.

Thanks again for the prayers and support over the last few years. You can close this case and call it a success. I am extremely grateful and passionately indebted to my God, my family, my friends and my community for the awesome ride to wellness.

May God Bless you all.

What's the moral of the story?

After a long weekend of being doped up on Wal-phed, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and cough syrup I started up the old third vehicle to pick up the kids from preschool/kindergarten. There is a 20 minute layover between the time that #2 gets done and the time that #3 is released from school. The low fuel light came on while I was waiting so I decided to head the not quite 10 miles over to the nearest gas station and fill 'er up to kill the time. We were almost there when the truck stalled and I let her roll to a stop on the shoulder while I looked at the miles. I was sure I should have made it but the vehicle wouldn't even start. So, I told my 4 year old and 4 month old to hold tight and I would hike it the mile or so left to the station and call because, in my haste, I had left the cell phone on the kitchen counter (yet another reason not to make decisions while doped up on cough medicine). I stepped out into the SD wind and thought to myself what a bad idea this was. I made it only about 500 feet when a young man in a big truck rescued me and took both me and the kids home. Was it luck? I will let you decide. I think it was living in the village that saved me more than the luck. I am glad he stopped though. Some people may not have. It wasn't until I got home and started thinking about how bad it would have been stranded on the highway in below zero weather that I started trembling.

The moral of the story? Man I am glad I live where I live.
AND
I wish my little village could support its own gas station...

A HUGE thank you to Ryan from the Humboldt tire and automotive service for saving me and my children today. I thank the Lord for people like you. I wonder if you know what a blessing you are?

UPDATE: The van blew up on the way home from work today, too. Praise the Lord it wasn't me and the kids!

Countdown to PET scan...

Been sick with something all weekend. My throat is sore, I am snotting on everything and I have had fevers off and on and the cough oh the cough... and to top it all off it looks like I messed up my countdown widget. I am too tired to change it so I just deleted it. PET is scheduled for next Wed. the 27th, 'till then I am trying to recover from whatever hit me this week..

So far I am the only one in the house exhibiting symptoms...

#3 looks like the blue eyed baby giant...

brotherly love...

Today at preschool #2 was learning about all the different people who love you, moms, dads, sisters and brothers...to which he matter of factly said, "my sister hates me."

They are currently in their rooms because of how much they have been showing their 'brotherly love' since we've been home from school today...

Sacrificial love

This morning as we were getting ready for the day I said to my oldest child, "Are you getting excited for your Valentine Party, I am!" To which my super exhausted crabby coming off the night shift hubby said, "I hope you're not excited for Valentines Day cuz' you didn't get anything."

So, after crabbing to my friends in personal emails I decided to look up the true meaning of this not too often in our household celebrated day and here is what I found. It's a pretty short but sweet summary of the history of St. Valentine by a Baptist Pastor named Kurt Strassner.

It was interesting to me to find the Christian roots of this holiday and how the day is actually in remembrance of sacrifice. St. Valentine was willing to sacrifice his life to fight for the union of a Christian marriage when an emperor completely outlawed marriage in Rome. Pastor Strassner goes on to remind us of Jesus' example of sacrificial love for us. It's a good read. Thanks Pastor.

Clean enough...

It's a good week when I get a shower in every other day. Seriously. I could probably braid my leg hair. If I would have to put myself in a category, I would say I was a morning person. Nothing gets done after 8:30 pm in my house. NOTHING. This morning I cleared the supper dishes off the table exactly 2 minutes before I served a nutritious meal of expired Fruit Loops. Morning person or not, I savor those last few minutes of shut eye before I get up for the day. Perhaps it has to do with getting up every two hours to change a diaper and get a bottle. It would probably make most sense to get in the shower daily after she takes her last feeding around 5 am. But I can't. I won't. My feather pillow beckons me...

So today is the every other day day. It is also clean the baby with more than a washcloth day because I tried cereal mid-morning thinking perhaps I could get her to sleep longer than a couple hours and all it did was make her spit up this clear spit with flakes in it, all morning. She soaked through two bibs and onto her (my first Christmas) outfit. She was a smelly Nelly. So, after I took my son to preschool I took her into the bathroom and put her in her bouncy and hopped into the shower.

I shampooed, scrubbed my face and conditioned. Then I grabbed her and sudsed her up. She LOVES showers, baths=not so much. The cereal must have made her thirsty or at least more aware of the purpose of her mouth and tongue because every time the water came near her face she began to lap it up like a puppy. Then when I propped her on my shoulder, she quickly found that little dip near my collar bone and started slurping. It tickled me and I laughed out loud. She laughed back at me which made me laugh even harder. I was glad daddy was sleeping because I am sure if he would have heard us he would have proclaimed me a mad woman. I tried to rinse off all the slobber she got on me and herself but I can't guarantee that the shower did much more than just get rid of the milk spit up smell, at least temporarily. It'll have to do for another day and a half...

Not ever really Wordless Wednesday

Hey mom we want to show you something cool!

Hurry up and take the picture I don't like wearing my brother's undies and I think they're wet...

Baby it's cold outside, again...

It's cold and snowy and well, that makes it a perfect time to have a baby don't you think?

My brother had a baby girl yesterday a little after noon. She is beautiful. 7 lbs. 2 oz. and a ton of dark hair. Mommy is well, recovering at the hospital.

Congratulations brother and daddy of two under two. Your life is gonna be a lot different now...

keeping busy

Last night, after we came home from the dentist #1 busied herself with Barbies. That left me to deal with #2 who was in no mood to play dolls. So we put together 3 jumbo puzzles, played catch with the nerf ball and a baseball glove, laced 10 under the sea lacing cards, played princess memory, played hot wheels and colored 2 robot pictures; all before 7:30 church while I was making supper and juggling a 3 month old.

This morning I had to plan something that would occupy him for longer than 2 minutes. So I got out the art stuff to make valentines.

First let me say that I believe Valentines Day is just a marketing gimmic to get mom's to buy tons more candy for kids and another chance for us to give in to commercialism by buying princess cards for the girls and superhero cards for the boys. In my almost years of dating plus marriage to the same man; perhaps 3 or 4 of those I have recieved a gift of (what else) chocolate or flowers. He's no romantic, but I knew that coming into this relationship (if you can decide that when you are a seventh grader). Besides it being generally a holiday geared toward adults and perhaps classroom parties it really has no meaning whatsoever to me.

That said I am frugal and when I garage sale or thrift shop I pick up leftover cards, art supplies and what nots for 10 cents here and there and put them in my art tub. Then when we need a project I get out the art tub and we go to town. This year I had 3 or 4 superman valentines that we cut and pasted on a empty coffee can for my son's mailbox to take to preschool. I then cut enough cards out of construction paper for all his friend and let him go to town. It kept him occupied for several hours this morning. All I had to do was make a list of his classmates names for him to copy. Now, being the perfectionist I am, I was tempted to make him keep his work area clean and have him put matching things on the cards; so I had to busy myself so as not to ruin his creative experience.

A fellow blogger posted a yummy oatmeal twist recipe and I wanted to try it out. As I was preparing the ingredients I saw two overripe bananas on the counter that needed to be dealt with and I had a handful of mini chocolate chips that needed to be included as well. I also wanted to use my new silicone bread pan I picked up while thrifting last weekend (seventy-five cents at the salvation army). So here is the recipe I came up with.

Banana Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Bread
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 whole wheat flour (you can use all white, but I like to try and be healthy:)
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix these dry ingredients together and set aside. In a larger bowl cream
1 stick softened butter
gradually add
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 2-3 whole)
1/4 cup buttermilk (meaure 1/4 milk remove 1tsp and add vinegar to make buttermilk)
On the slowest speed with mixer or by hand gradually add the flour mixture until batter is even with no lumps. You may add nuts if you like or chocolate chips in my case. Pour batter into loaf pan Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. YUMMO!

not so Wordless Wednesday...

remember those noises I was hearing in the window well awhile back? This picture made me think of that.

#3 is talking more everyday. As soon as I stopped recording she went crazy with talking...isn't that how it always works?

this was in my inbox this morning...

Dear Lord, I thank you for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through Your eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth of my wrongdoing, and receive forgiveness.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -- to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that You change people and You change things for good reasons. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every one of my family members and friends and their families . I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than You. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly..

This is my prayer.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

It's okay...my letter to the editor

One of my favorite pieces of children’s literature I actually first read when I was an adult. The Okay Book was written by Todd Parr and embraces all kinds of human differences. His words speak to children about acceptance of everyone even those people who have freckles or wear two different kinds of socks. The world is a diverse place but there is room for all of us, every one.

Diversity probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you think of our little village. But, I believe my town has a wonderful mosaic of people with a treasure chest of awesome talents.

Through my recent experience with the Horizons group I have come to realize that we have some amazing people who call this place home. I am not just talking about the successful, educated professionals, either. I know that our poverty level is only judged by our pocket books, because we are rich in quality of life.

This little corner of the universe can certainly count it’s blessings; there’s the store owner who spends more time at the store than she does at home, the mechanic who (if you ask him to) will pick up your car at your home to service it, the busy farmer who (on his way home from a 12 hour day) will stop long enough to scoop out your driveway, the beauty salon that cuts hair way past my bedtime, the cafe that doubles as a provider of hot meals to those of us who can’t get up or out to feed ourselves, and the list goes on and on. Our community not only supports an elementary school and a high school, but a preschool, child care center, swimming pool, city park and campground, two ball fields and a watering hole. How many other communities with a similar population can say the same?

The outpouring of kindness and generosity that my family experienced during my recent illness is hard to describe in words. Not a day goes by without an encouraging word from someone, not to mention the countless amounts of meals, care and financial support that came for us with perfect miraculous timing. This is an excellent example of the richness that is found in our community. Genuine care and compassion is just another normal day in the life here in my town.

It goes without saying that I have a tremendous amount of appreciation for every single unique person in this community. Collectively we form a beautiful, special life for each other. I joyfully celebrate the love that my neighbor has for me. I make every effort to teach my children that same unconditional love, which isn’t too difficult because all they have to do is call this town home.

I failed cheerleading tryouts in the 7^th grade, but that can’t stop me from shouting from the top of my roof. “I LOVE MY TOWN!”. You may even see me do a cartwheel or a somersault. (I would if I could) This is the best little village in the whole wide world. All our unique talents and character traits make up one enormous and wonderfully magnificent collage. It wouldn’t be the same without your piece. Kindness is beautiful, isn’t it?

tugey wugey...

Among my circle of blog friends there has been a few posts about tugs, the spiritual kind. You know the feeling, when you feel that there is something you should do, you just haven't been given all the details. Yet, you are called to action.

I have been praying about something that has been happening in our tiny town for a while now, years I think. For most people it may just be something to talk about at coffee or even just roll your eyes at. But it pushes and pulls and squeezes at my heart. It hurts me. It hurts my family. It hurts my friends. It hurts the quality of life in my community.

I have been up at night praying about how I could be of use to help this situation. Then, on Friday, I got a phone call. It was pretty obvious that the Lord was trying to tell me something. This time I heard Him, loud and clear. Stay tuned for updates...

I'm a big kid now...

I am an idiot.

Just got my tax return rejected by the IRS because I entered #1's SS# wrong. This would be okay with me except for the simple fact that I did the exact same thing last year.

*sigh*

guess where I am going?

hand sanitizer...CHECK

small amount of cash...CHECK

carseats out of van (just in case)...CHECK

sister coming down from up North...CHECK

someone to watch the kids for an indefinite amount of time...CHECK