And Yet Another Loss

Some of you may remember that we just had our dog, Boomer, put down 10 days ago.  This morning I went upstairs to my bedroom and found our cat, Frankie, had passed away.  We got her back in 2000 when she was about a year old.  She was a very gentle cat, especially when my son was a toddler.  He could lay on her and pull her around by her tail and she would just let him.  She had a very distinctive meow and beautiful green eyes.  Frankie - you will also be missed. 

My Birthday Surprise!

This is a sticky post. . . First let me start by apologizing to anyone who I had scheduled a review with for 3/22 - 3/26.  My husband is taking me away this weekend as a surprise for my birthday!  He gave me the note below earlier today:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

For my lovely wife, who I love more than anything in the world, what do I get her for her birthday. . .

I thought of diamonds, cars, even stitching supplies, but nothing really seemed like what she would really like.

So in a moment of desperation, I selected a night on the town:

Unfortunately Gurnee was really busy, so it will not be our town (so please pack an overnight bag).

I think a nice dinner is in order, so a nice outfit would be good to pack.

And because I am still "concussed" from the Crazy Trail, I guarantee there will be dancing.

Swimming is an option, so just in case.

When should we do this "extravaganza" of a night?????  I hope you have no plans for the weekend of 3-22, as we will be leaving our residence about 1 in the afternoon, returning sometime Sunday afternoon.  Do not worry, no plane trips, this will be all driving.

More details to come as my concussion clears, but for now above is all I can remember (other than I really do love you).

Is this not the sweetest thing ever???   So, for those reviews I had scheduled this weekend, I will try to get them up early next week.  And for those that were scheduled at the beginning of the week - I will not be doing the reading this weekend that I thought I would be doing, so they will probably be late as well.  But this is probably the coolest thing anyone has ever done for me - so I am going to go get a good night's sleep and plan on having a good time!  Happy reading to everyone!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

This is my daughter singing "O Holy Night" - might want to keep your volume on medium to low - it can get quite loud at times. . . MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I'm a Grandma!

Isn't she beautiful! Kalii Faith was born at 5:15pm this evening. She is 7 lbs 3 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. Mother and baby are both healthy and doing fine!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEXII!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEXII!!  I LOVE YOU!!! JUST CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE 17 TODAY!

Reality

Well, if you have been reading my blog for any amount of time, you will have realized that my posting has gone down in the last six months to just the bare minimum.  I wanted to take a minute of your time to let you know what was going on in our lives (and ask for prayer - if you are the praying type).

In April, we found out that our 16 year old daughter was pregnant.  It definitely threw our family for a loop.  Pretty much sucked the air out of any energy I had for reading/blogging.  At first, she was very adamant about keeping the child (a girl) and raising her, finishing high school, going to college.  We didn't feel that we could discourage her one way or the other, as we didn't want her to resent us for making her give up the baby/or keep the baby.  This needed to be her decision.

As time has passed though, our daughter has decided to enter into an open adoption with my sister and BIL.  They have been trying to have a baby for years, and had even tried to adopt a baby from Haiti, but with no luck. She has realized that with school and work, that her baby would be spending more time with caregivers than with her and so feels this would be the best thing for the baby.

My emotions have been all over the place. (and we won't even talk about how my husband has been feeling)  Once I had accepted the fact that she was actually pregnant (well - still haven't fully accepted that. . .) and that she wanted to raise the baby I tried to come to terms with what my role was going to be in this child's life.  I knew that even though I said that SHE was going to be the baby's mother, that a lot of the child's care was going to fall to me.  Made me realize that I really did not want to have another baby.   Then when she decided to pursue the adoption, it took me awhile to accept the fact that the baby was NOT going to be here.  Because she is being adopted by my sister though, I still get to be a grandma (as well as an aunt. . .) 

I know that the closer her due date comes (10/29) the harder everything is going to become.  I am not sure how much of a support system that I am going to be for my daughter after the baby is born and goes home with my sister - as I cry at kleenex commercials.   Her first day of school is coming up in a couple of weeks - she will be starting her junior year of h.s. - and she is a little worried how people are going to act around her/with her.  She wasn't really showing when school ended last year, and she is definitely showing now.  I don't think she realizes how much bigger she is going to get in the next 3 months.  So please just keep us in your prayers.

So, as to blogging - my reading has been picking up, but I have been very slow with reviews.  I hope to begin to get caught up on reviews this month and my goal is to be fully functioning blogwise again by Sept 1.  So, if you have stuck with me through this hiatus - thank you so much, and if you have just recently started reading my blog - please stay tuned! 

Ignore the date in the picture - finally figured out how to change my camera!  Here is a pic of my daughter as we waited for a boat last week on vacation to take us to Shell Key. (We were in St. Pete's, FL)

R.I.P. Colby (2000 - 2011)

The top pictures are from just a couple of years ago - the bottom 2 are from last night.  She got diabetes a year ago and quickly lost sight in both of her eyes.  We were able to keep her blood sugars stable until last month, and then they started going really high again.  Over the weekend she stopped eating and drinking.  I already had a vet's appt for her this morning for some labs, but instead of the labs, we just had her put to sleep.  She couldn't even stand up this morning.  It wasn't until I put the photos next to each other that I really saw how bad she had gotten.  She was a really good dog. Favorite memory is probably how she used to try to "catch" the water when it splashed out of our pool, or a hose, or a squirt gun.  She loved to chase that water.  R.I.P. Colby.

Warren Pride Award

My daughter was presented this morning with a Warren Pride Award at her school.  There was about 8-10 kids who won the award for the Nov/Dec months.  It was really cool to see her honored out of the 1000's of kids in her school!  The teachers nominate kids and then a committee picks the final winners.  They are chosen on academic excellence, school spirit, making the school a better place, most improved academically or one more that I can't remember! 

Anyway - this is what her Spanish teacher had to say about her:

Lexi is a very bright student in Spanish 1 and has a lot of friends in class. She does not let this become a distraction but instead is continuously helping other students in class.  She is extremely patient, kind, and positive in her attitude.  Lexi will give up her own time to help someone understand a concept.

Here she is with Dr. Brierton, principal, reading her nomination and presenting her with the award.

Lexi I am so proud of you!!!

HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY TORI!!!!

My daughter called me out on the carpet this morning!  I didn't do a post on her birthday and Tori - I am so sorry!  Not an excuse - but that computer virus I had has thrown my whole week off. 

My beautiful first daughter was born 18 years ago yesterday. (Look at all that hair!)  My water broke three weeks early - I wasn't even through lamaze classes yet!  I went into the hospital on Saturday night, but still, labor had not started.  Sunday morning - still no labor - so I was induced.  My lamaze teacher, Deena, came to be with me and help me through labor and delivery since I was CLUELESS!!! as to what I was supposed to do.  Looking back, this was probably a good thing! 

I remember watching Lady and the Tramp for the first time while waiting for Tori to be born.  Does anyone remember the series Life Goes On?  This was one series that I really loved to watch and I remember Tori was just born as the show was ending that night.  Isn't that a weird thing to remember? 

Tori is currently living with her grandma in my hometown in Iowa and working.  She loves to sing and plays the piano beautifully - and has composed some of her own songs.  Maybe you will see her on American Idol someday!   Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Tori through the years.

Do you think she looks like me?  (me at 6yrs old)

Tori's graduation picture

Sweet 16 - Happy Birthday Lexi!

Sixteen years ago today I was giving birth to my second child.  It was actually labor day and also my step-father's birthday!  I am thankful that it was a holiday as that meant my husband was home.  I ended up having a seizure and stopped breathing.  Lexi was born about an hour later by emergency C-section as it turns out I was toxemic and had developed eclampsia.  As it was a second child it was not something that anyone was looking for - and my blood pressure had been normal.  Of course, I had been having lots of kidney infections, fevers and my vision had gone blurry a couple of times.  The doctor knew about everything but the blurred vision - and maybe that would have tipped him off that there was something else going on - so now I tell everything that is not normal!

Lexi ended up in Milwaukee Children's Hospital for 16 days as she had a seizure right after she was born.  They think that it was due to her lack of oxygen when I stopped breathing.  She has been fine ever since though!  And at 5'9", being born 4 weeks early didn't stunt her growth at all. . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEXI!

School Started!

I can't believe that today was the first day of school for my sophomore!  Where did summer go?  It is strange to think also that my oldest daughter won't be going to school for the first time in 13 years either!  Well, we had to take a couple of pictures this morning so I had to share!

Thanking God

I am just thanking God today for keeping my 15-year-old daughter from serious injury.  She was at the top of our basement stairs today when she took a header.  She was holding some lids for those large storage totes - so when she reached for the railing they were in her way.  As she screamed all I saw where her feet going up in the air.  She went down 7 steps head first, thankfully the tote lids were under her face and chest so they acted sort of like a sled.  Her legs took the brunt though - being dragged across the lovely linoleum with the metal edges that are on stairs. Her head did hit the wall at the landing as the "sled" didn't stop. We spent the afternoon in the ER - for a couple of hours she was just very lethargic - hardly speaking - sort of zombie like.  She had a cat scan and x-rays of her left shoulder and wrist and her right knee. We are chalking the zombie like state up to shock.  Thank God that everything came back normal.  She is just going to be sore for a few days and is going to be sporting some massive bruises on her legs - especially the right one.  She is bruised from her thigh to her ankle, in various places. It has been a very tiring day!

Prom 2010

We interrupt this book blog to bring you mom's brag time.  My daughters went to prom tonight - one is a senior - the other is a freshman, but she is dating a senior - so I just wanted to show off some pictures!

Ok - I will return you back to your regularly scheduled book blog!

Happy Easter!

So, even though today was a little chilly - and we ended up getting some thunderstorms tonight - earlier this week we hit an unseasonably warm 80 degrees.   This is what happens to chocolate bunnies hidden in cars when that happens:

But - thankfully we had other goodies to fill the space left by these bunnies!  And we ended the day with some real eggheads!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween From My Family to Yours!

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Is it H1N1?

My son (who will be 5 in 12 days) started coughing yesterday and complained of a stomach ache off and on - then about 6pm last night started running a fever. I took him in to the doctor first thing this morning and left feeling worse than when I went in. He basically told me that the only flu's they are seeing right now are H1N1 as regular flu season hasn't hit yet. Since our state just got the H1N1 shot yesterday - he said it is already too late - that we are already in the middle of the epidemic and that shot takes about 4 weeks to reach its maximum effectiveness.

So - he did a nasal swab on him and they have sent it out - results should be back tomorrow. Unfortunately I now have to worry about him - and the possibility of my other 2 girls getting it - and then there is me. . .

I have a disease called Wegener's Granulomatosa. I was diagnosed about 15 years ago - and have been taken to the emergency room 3 times by ambulance - hospitalized 3 times (only once from the ambulance trip), have had blood clots, seizures, pneumonia, voice loss for years at a time (I'm not kidding), arthritis and even just stopped breathing once - they think my throat swelled or collapsed or something. . . Anyway - Wegener's affects nose, throat, lungs (so - respiratory) and kidneys. Thankfully I have never had kidney involvement. The treatment I am on is an immunosupressant drug called Methotrexate - So, in addition to being at high risk - I also have a lowered immune system. So - if my son has H1N1 - what are my chances of avoiding it? Anyone wanna make a bet?

And for the curious bunch out there - for more information on Wegener's.

Also - Bobbie at Book Reviews by Bobbie had a great post on H1N1 today..

Marriage Retreat

I spent the weekend in lovely Delavan, Wisconsin with my husband of 7 1/2 years at our first marriage retreat. If you have never been on one, I highly recommend it! We had a great time. The speakers, Kurt and Kristin Sauder were humorous, insightful and very charismatic! The first night we spent talking about building our marriage bank, and what we felt were deposits and withdrawals. The best part of the meetings were after the meetings - discussion sheets were provided and you got to have some alone time with your spouse. I cannot believe how easily my husband opened up when it was someone other than me (even if it was a piece of paper) asking the questions! Even after years together, there were things that were important to him, that I didn't realize were THAT important.

As the weekend went on, there were other meetings - Respecting your husband (for the women) and How to Become a Romantic Stud (for the men) - There was also a meeting called You Are Here - which had you remember back to how it was when you first met - and what attracted you to the other person to begin with. On one of these discussion sheets it asked what you would like to change in your marriage and I wrote down - Spiritual time together. My husband asked me what I meant by that, and I said that I would like to pray together. He said - you know that is hard for me. I told him that it was hard for me, too. And we left it at that.

At the Sunday morning service, before we all left to return home - the leaders led us in a prayer by couples - First he would say - men, pray about this aloud with your wife, women, pray about this aloud with your husband... (like what you were thankful for in each other, etc) One of the women's prayers was to be about another couple who were struggling. Instantly a woman came to mind who I hadn't heard from in about 6 months. We have kids close to the same age, and occassionally got together for playdates, but just hadn't been able to connect in a while. I also knew that finances the last few years had been tough for them. That is who I chose to pray for with my husband.

Then - the best thing happened - we got to renew our vows with 50+ other couples. Talk about a moving experience. When that tear rolled out of my husband's eye, I knew that I was in the right place!

Well, we packed up and came home and as I was checking my email before bed, I almost fell out of my chair. There was an email from the woman who I had prayed about, who I hadn't heard from in 6 months. It just said that I had been on her mind a lot and she would like to try to get together and see a movie or go out for dinner. God still answers prayers! It was also wonderful to be able to share this with my husband - the one who had trouble praying out loud. I am hoping that it will get easier from here!!!