Miles sweetlies (made up word!)

Miles said some cute things today and I needed to document them; so here goes!!

We went to breakfast at Egg'lectic. I love our special time when we go to breakfast. Everyone that works there knows us, and is entertained by Miles!! Pam, one of the hostess' started the ritual of when Miles finishes his breakfast, he can come to her for a quarter to get a gumball. We haven't seen Pam in a while, but she was back today, she spent some extra time catching up with us. During her time at our table, Pam taught Miles how to build a pyramid out of jelly singles. I gave Miles a few $1 bills to give to our server as her tip and when he looked down to notice them, he delightfully exclaimed "Look! There's a pyramid on it!!" Pam and I looked at each other in shock! I don't like to brag, but it was definitely a proud mom moment!! Smart boy he is!!

A sweet moment came today when we were at the dentist with Acilia. I was rubbing my head and mentioned I had a bit of a headache. Miles came over said "Mom, I can kiss it for you! I have lot's of kisses in my mouth"  :*)

Favorite picture in April

I went through all my April pics from my 365.. I had a tough time choosing just *one*! I am a rule follower, so it took a minute, but I did settle in on this shot. It's so "random" and "springy" and "fun" and overall I really just love it! :) I hope you do too!

Life is so cool!

I am a big believer in God putting people and "things" in place to discover the right path. Sometimes those things are unexplainable or seem to be from out of nowhere, but I definitely see the big picture and always think "is this a piece to the puzzle of my life?"

One of those "things" happened today, and I am in awe of the coolness, yet I am not quite sure what it means yet!

I had an architect here this morning to talk about the reality of my home plans; I showed him around my house as he was leaving. I was pleased that he suggested a few minor changes (easy, no cost changes!!) to amp up the curb appeal to bring in buyers. Our house is on "For Sale By Owner" so any free, professional advice, I soak up like a sponge!!! As soon as he left I got to work taking the screens out of my porch (per his suggestion) to open it up and modernize it a bit. (Hubby probably won't be too pleased with me about that, but that's another story!) I was working hard, was on my last screen and someone pulled up in front of the house "Are you the owner of this house?" she asked. "Yes I am!" I offered to grab a house flyer for her, since our box was fresh out. She asked if they could come in and see it! I thought to myself "boy am I glad my beds are made!!" I told her they were more than welcome!! So, they came in. Cute couple :)
Turns out the husband was a new pastor for a church nearby, one that I had never heard of. (a church I looked up immediately after they left!! I am curious that way!) I couldn't help but think how cool it would be if a pastor moved into this house!! I won't get too excited because what are the odds of them thinking it was perfect and being ready to buy it, but by a few of the comments they made through the tour, made me think they've lived in a home like our's before (read: OLD home) and they seemed to have a good experience :)
There are two types of people who buy homes:
The type that LOVE old, charming homes...dream of living in one someday.
and the type that have "been there done that" and realize that they are charming and cute, yet they are work and sometimes not the most rewarding kind of work :)  (I may have another post up in the near future about the "joys" of being a homeowner to a home that's over 100 years old!)

I got a bit off topic, but when the couple left, I had a cool feeling inside that said "Keep moving on this track Karrie, you are on the right path!"

Inspiration

I am obsessive. Did you know that? Well, now you know :)

I obsess over the latest and greatest in my life and right now, this instant is no different. I know I mentioned we "sorta, kinda, are in the process of thinking about building a home" well, that is enough to inspire me to get to work in my mind on all the "steps" involved.

Find a lot. Design the home. Find doors. Pick exterior color. Cabinets. Floors. Landscaping! I could go on all day!!!! I repeat we have not committed to this idea, but my brain hasn't gotten that memo and I am going nuts with possibilities!!!!!!

On a side note; I have decided not to take the A&P course I had signed up for this summer. It was feeling rushed and I was having a hard time with care for the kids while I am gone 11-5 two days a week! I've decided to find a CNA job for the time being to keep my registration current. I attended the nursing advising session last week and you must be active on the CNA registry. Mine will lapse in March if I don't work. Glad I found that out sooner rather than later, I would have been peeeeeeeeeved if I had to take a $600+ class over due to a minor misunderstanding! :)

Carry on!
Oh, and who saw What the Sell? last night?? I took pics of the TV (hubby was laughing at me!!) when I was on...I will be posting those on my 365 blog today :) And you can catch the rerun on TLC tonight! (Titled "God Save the Queen")

You Capture- Pink

PINK

Love the little "pop" of pink in the flowers!

I happened to have on a very PINK shirt today!

Dedicated to Kris @ Thrify LA Life

TUNE IN TONIGHT!

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING! I am going to be famous....well, for 15 minutes of fame that is ;)

I will be on one of the "What the Sell?" episodes tonight! Check your local listings :) It's a fun show to watch, the fact that I am on it, is just a little bit of a perk :) :) :) ENJOY THE SHOW!!

Maybe the perfect one just isn't out there....

I have been on a hunt since 2008 to get out of the house we live in and find one much more suitable. I've found homes along the way that seem like they could work, but there is *always* something that doesn't work; and even if *I* love it, Al does not. We are cool like that :) We are opposites. It used to be a source of complete and utter frustration but lately, I am learning that the things that Al and I disagree on are actually areas where I find that need improvement on my part. Al's ability to "sit on things" in a way that makes me nuts, translates to me learning some patience for example. Same applies to homes I am finding. I have the ability to look back at the homes I loved; that Al didn't care for and in hindsight realize they were not the right home for us. Well, there is something you don't know about my childhood. I was a bit of an artist. I fondly remember sitting in my room for HOURS drawing floor plans for houses. As long as I can remember, it's been my dream to live in a home that I designed. To me; dreams I had were always so far out of reach I had just assumed that they would never happen. My creativity is a bit faulty in that way. I dream big.  In recent weeks, Al and I have been discussing the possibility of building a home. One that is suitable for our needs. In a conversation yesterday, I found myself telling Al "It seems too good to be true. Building a home that I designed has always been a dream of mine" Al replied "Maybe I can make your dreams come true." then he reminded me of dreams coming true for him, me having a kidney match for him was an example he used. I can't argue that one!
I've begun drawing up plans and allowing myself to get excited about this possibility. Finding myself asking "can we do this?" Al seems pretty convinced we can! He is a rare breed. He has unbelievable abilities when it comes to handywork. He takes the DIY of life and turns it into a professional, seamless job well done. It's something about him that I am so amazed by! He's incredibly talented. When he tells me "we could do this" I believe him!
It's so very overwhelming. The thought of finding a piece of property. And the thought of literally building a home custom to our needs from the ground up. Deciding every inch of the home; every outlet, every window, every piece of drywall. Al and I are a good team in that way though. I design, and he builds.

*This is not a final act; we are just contemplating at this point; but excited nonetheless!*

Team Al and Karrie :)

My friend Brooke

Last year I posted about how thrilled we were to have a pregnant one among us (Nena was pregnant with her first child!)

Now, I am thrilled to express my prayer for my friend Brooke! Brooke is in her final stages of her first IVF cycle. Retrieval is loosely scheduled for Tuesday (as long as the little follicles growing in her ovaries are ready by then!!), meaning, prayerfully that Brooke will be in the "pregnant" category *very* soon!!!!!!!! I have been blessed to have such amazing friends in my life especially having grown up with a few of them and being the first of my group to have children, it is just beyond my ability to contain my excitement that these girls who I hold so close to my heart are joining my journey as mothers!!

May God bless you Brooke and Brad on this journey to parenthood! You will both be amazing parents and I can't wait until the day I get to meet your future firstborn!!

Happy Easter!

I am feeling a tug on my heart to write my personal testimony. I am praying about it and will hopefully get the words out soon. Today would have been the perfect day to share a testimony; but the words aren't here quite yet, so God's plan for that will come when it comes and I am ok with that. Today is Easter, I am here reflecting the love Jesus has for each and every one of us. It's a true blessing and it makes my heart smile.

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... (NIV)

Another course complete

I've been on this school journey since the summer of '08. How many people do you know that started college in a summer speech course? Likely I am the only one ;) Oh and I must remind you I had a 4 year old and a 3.5 month old at the time as well!
I have come a long way. I have enjoyed each and every course I have taken which I will checklist for you here:
Speech
English
Certified Nursing Assistant
Psych 1100
Psych 2237 "Developmental Lifespan"

I feel accomplished! I really do! I am working slowly but diligently to complete my goal of applying for the Associates degree in Nursing program by next year!

There has been a method to my way of selecting courses. Speech is something I was terrified of. I HATE speaking in front of others. It was a bold move, but I decided to get it out of the way first. I figured if I could complete that course and still be standing, I was off to a good start :) Let me recommend to you that if you do not like speaking in front of others, but MUST take a speech course, do so in summer! The class is of smaller size as well as most young adults who are taking summer classes don't want to be bothered with coming to class. I had a really small audience each time I had to get up to give a speech! Boy was it nice!! I ended the course with a different perspective...I felt empowered to get up and speak!
Second course was English. I opted for a flex learning course. I met with my instructor one on one for a weekly appointment. Between those appointments I was to write papers. I was so quick with my writing and I believe only once I had to fix my first draft, I finished the course early! I will admit I love writing, so it was quite easy for me, but the struggle was learning the "institutional" way of writing, the whole APA style references, correct grammar, no add ins (I like exclamation points and smiley faces if you've never noticed!)
The next course, my CNA was strictly to ensure me I was on the right path. I figured if I couldn't complete my CNA course, I should not be bothering with moving forward with becoming a nurse. My CNA course was AWESOME!! I loved it so much, I left yearning to be in scrubs in a hospital setting!!
I took two semesters off after my CNA course because literally a day after finishing the course was the day hubby and I went in for our transplant surgery! I had planned to take the first semester off, then when I went to register for the summer classes, our funds were low. Every class has to be paid for outright. Nice not to have student debt, but it's a struggle to come up with a couple hundred dollars each time I sign up for the next class.
I completed Psych 1100 with no problems, enjoyed the class and now I have the Developmental lifespan under my belt which I thoroughly enjoyed!!! I enjoyed it so much my grade reflected :) (Warning, proud moment coming!!) I finished the class 2 weeks early. Our instructor has a method that if you do well enough on your first two tests and do all the coursework, you could have enough points to skip the final and still get an A in the class...I am so happy to report that I was one of those students! Today was my last day of Developmental Psych and I have a few weeks off before starting my summer A&P which I must admit, intimidates me!! I have heard horror stories about taking A&P in the summer, being equivalent to suicide! Shorter class time (8 weeks instead of 12 or 16) and a lot of memorizing when you want to be enjoying the beautiful weather! I pray I am ready!! :) Pressure grows each semester to keep my 4.0!

The unfortunate land of "in between"

I find myself in an "in between" world more often than not. Some things are more serious than others and I am grateful down to my toes that this year's "in between" is a lot more tolerable than last year's "in between" (marriage instability is about as hard on the emotions as it comes!! THANKYOUVERYMUCH) but I still find myself going through emotions and obsessing over things. The Lord is faithful in reminding me to just "be still". I am a 30 year old female who doesn't do "be still" so well. I want to be productive, I want to *make* things happen. Some things in life can't be forced. That is a tough lesson. I am impatient. The Lord brings forth things in my life to build my patience. I am sure of it. How else does one learn something without learning "how" to do it? It's about getting back to basics. Figuring out what it is what we want, and then figuring out what it is that we "can" do and then molding wants and "cans" into one unified beautiful being. So even though my marriage is stable and I have many blessings in my life, I still am left yearning to build that "life" I envision. The life of stability; in a home we feel we can stay in forever, in a budget that rewards us with savings, in cars that don't drink gas like they've been in a dessert; in a job that I have completed schooling for! I am stuck in a land of in between; looking forward to many things, and reflecting on the past.

Land of in between
courtesy of Google search

WIWW

This is my first time participating @ The Pleated Poppy; not even sure I did it right but thought it looked fun anyway :)

WIWW= "What I Wore Wednesday"

new jeans from Kohls. I love the pockets!

sweater/jacket from Von Maur. I love the ruffle details!

You Capture-Spring

"SPRING"

I have taken a few weeks off from You Capture, the themes haven't inspired me, much to my dismay! They've been great topics! This week is "Spring" and I was hung up on the fact that spring means flowers, tried to step a little bit OUT of the box and capture more than just flowers...although couldn't resist *some* flowers!

*disclaimer, the home pictures are NOT my home, I just noticed cute Easter decor while driving home today*

Hyacinths smell HEAVENLY!

April Showers :)

Prayer

This week is the epitome of Holy for me, I bring to you my concerns about how I pray. I have a confession; prayer is a huge struggle for me! I have been asking that God helps my heart speak to him in a way that is not anything but true needs; but it ends there. I start to pray and about 99% of the time my thoughts get jumbled and I lose my track of mind then I end up apologizing for my lack of getting my point across! God, for being All Holy sure makes me feel at ease in my life but with prayer I clam up! I follow two guidelines from the Bible when praying:

Matthew 7:7
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you."

Matthew 6:7-8
"and in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.


Here is my hang up...if God's will for me is what it is; how the heck do I pray what he already knows? He knows what's best for me, and what his will is for me, I am just walking the path he reveals to me. Take the drought in Texas that is causing a state of disaster with fires for instance, my prayers are with Texas, my heart is there to pray but will my prayer actually change God's will? God has the master plan, he created the master plan, I fully trust HIS plan so how can I pray and ask for what *I* think is the right plan? My prayers usually go something like this:
God if it is in your will, please comfort those that are suffering and those that need peace. You know what is best for them, you have the power to declare their wellness through hurt or tears, you have the power to keep them safe when they feel alone. . . .

It feels generic. I am pleased to have found that when you don't know what to pray to pray the Lord's Prayer:

Matthew 6:9-15
Pray then like this:
Our Father who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
     on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
     as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.
Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil
     For thine is the kingdom and the power and the Glory
Forever and ever; Amen.

Is that enough? I feel like I am missing something, how do you pray? Is it directly from your heart even when you don't know what to say? Or do you have a method? I would really like to hear!

Debates and opinions

I have my beliefs. I have always had a desire to know where I stand but have never felt completely educated on subjects because I would rather live my life instead of following the news. News is good for telling me the weather, but telling me what's going on in the world? It's a bit skewed! Who do you believe? The media ? Who finds the entertainment spin and puts that on the truth to get something that's not quite the truth? Kinda confusing if you ask me! I have always admired my brother and my dad for their innate sense when it comes to politics. My beliefs are directly in line with theirs, so they are sort of my "go to" guys when I want to know educated facts.

I put a lot of time and energy into researching parental methods and fine tuning my skills as mom. I believe I have a solid base with how I approach parenting. What do politics and kids have to do with each other? Well, government and media seem to be zeroing in on what we as parents do when raising our children. I have a big beef with a few things. Here me out.

Children in cars. Should it be illegal to leave your children in a car if it's done so in a way the parent has kept safety top priority? My personal opinion is ABSOLUTELY NOT! Prime example. I regularly stop to grab bagels in the morning. We are often running late and there is no reason why I should bring my kids ages 7 and 3 with me when they can stay safely and content in the car as they wait for their breakfast. We pull right up to the front, there is a huge window and I can see the car from where I am. I am usually in and out within 3-5 minutes depending on the line that day. The children stay in their seats and the car is locked. I do all I can to ensure a safe experience and in turn I am hoping my 7 year old picks up on some independence in her mind. It's good for kids to feel they are being "trusted" with responsibility. What's happening though is paranoia. NOT that something is going to happen to my kids while I am inside getting bagels for a few moments, but the paranoia that I am somehow going to be reprimanded or worse *arrested* for this very act. It feels risky. I feel pressured to make a choice that puts me in an uncomfortable position. I am mom, I know what's best for my kids, yet I keep hearing stories of mom's just like me getting into BIG trouble for leaving their kids in the car. I refuse to believe their situation is exactly like mine, considering I am within my legal rights...(10+ minutes for children under the age of 7 is illegal in Illinois; I have actually printed a copy of that law so if I do get "caught" I am educated on my rights as a parent.) maybe they left their kids longer  Moral of the story is; media/law enforcement is planting seeds in parent's minds and we are left to question our instincts. Let me tell you something, we were given instincts so we can do what's best for our family. God given blessings to keep safety close by. There are people out there that are NOT responsible but I firmly believe they are not using their instincts or thinking about what is best for their children, they are simply being careless or negligent. When the laws start putting parents that should NOT be parents, and parents who truly believe they are doing what is best for their children and are acting out of love in the same mix, I have a problem with that!

Another topic: Vaccinations. I can see both sides, I really can. I have two children and I have used two approaches to vaccines. Acilia; my oldest, had every vaccine that was recommended right on schedule because I trusted that my doctor's knew what was best. Acilia never had any adverse reactions to her vaccines and completed them on schedule. "Perfect little mom right?" Well, that's how the pediatricians office perceives it. With Miles I took a different approach. I am not fully against any vaccines except chicken pox (this is a virus that though in rare circumstances has proven to be fatal; for the vast population chicken pox are harmless. I disagree with vaccinating against chicken pox). With Miles though I felt that I wanted to slow his vaccinations and create our own schedule. We did the vaccines that were a direct threat to him as a tiny infant and from there we have worked with the doctor at our own pace. I believe 100% he will be complete by the time he starts school so it worked out perfectly for us! Except the "guilt trip" they lay on you. I have had to sign forms that I had refused such vaccinations, etc. I realize doctors need to cover their behinds when it comes to healthcare, but it's just one more area I feel parental wishes and instincts are being overshadowed by politics. I have a major issue with flu shots! Most people I know get them. I don't, my kids don't. I will tell you why...the flu strain changes each and every year. The past flu is what the shots are based off of but they can not predict what is to come. So you are basically getting a shot that will only prevent certain illnesses. If it's not across the board going to protect you, why put it into your body??

If these are hot button topics for you, I welcome your thoughts!! I hope I have not offended anyone, I will close by saying, these are just my opinions! When a parent takes their child(ren)'s best interest and makes it their focus for raising them, I believe you can't go wrong! Kudos to parents across the board!!! Our job is tough and the ones that care enough persevere and become the best they can be, for the love of their kids!

Mom badge

I am typing at 3:42 am. Been up since 1:36 am. What woke me? Well, of course it was puke! Nothing is more jarring in the middle of the night than a good dose of puke. Miles is the victim. Poor poor child! I always wonder why God created puke and better yet, why he made it so horrifying to watch come up. Miles hasn't had the pukies yet in his short life, one more milestone we can add to the list. Miles has a habit of climbing into our bed in the middle of the night (know where this is going?) I awoke to hear a "cough" and feel a splatter on my face and instinctively cradled him and ran to the bathroom. The weird part is we thought it was a fluke. I swear it had not much of an odor, it was a cough instead of the "wretch" and overall it was just a weird incident. He was acting fine almost goofy once he was awake enough to be coherent.  45 minutes or so passed, I had set up towels on the floor by his bed, a bin for puke just incase and cleaned everything up, set up camp on the floor in his room and was expecting to try to go back to sleep. Then it happened. This time there was no denying it was the real deal. Poor baby. I will say he tolerated it really well. So I have a system when the kids have the pukies, and now Miles gets the "joy" (lack of better word?) of sleeping on the couch with me. We have "drop cloths" and towels and everything washable covering the couch and the floor. Hand sanitizer and wipes ready for use! Puke bin present and has been used several times since we came down here. I have a channel called "Baby First TV" on that plays instrumental lullaby's and shows soothing images through the night. So peaceful. Well aside from the puke :(
Finally Miles seems to be settling in as I type this, first bits of sleep since waking up the first time. I hope he's done for the night. Maybe I will try to catch a few winks myself...though it usually isn't too deep a sleep! I am thankful for my instincts of waking up quickly! Most recently it saved Miles from falling out of my bed. I swear, strangest thing how mom instinct works, I was in a deep sleep one night and didn't even know he was in our bed, when suddenly he started to roll and I caught him right before he knocked his head on the night stand. Happened with Cya once too. She has been known to sleep walk once or twice. I remember once long ago dozing off for the night in my bed when suddenly I awoke yelling "CYA!" she was just outside my doorway about to go down the stairs!! I pray that instinct stays with me always; it's a great tool!

My day

I may have spent my day outside enjoying the beautiful weather
I may have gone to my friend Hilary's house and admired her preggo belly
I may have rushed through Target in hopes to get Miles home for a nap
I may have cheered out loud when I saw they had the Archer Farms blueberry streusel bread
I may have mourned the fact that I was to have no quiet time this afternoon since Miles missed his nap
I may have offered to let hubby work late even though he was supposed to be home to watch the kids
I may have gone to the doctor today for my yearly check up
I may have coached a woman (pregnant with her first child) about using "gravity" during natural childbirth!
I may have noticed how relieved she looked after learning that information! :)
I may have had a bit of baby fever today!
I may have been irritated with the nurse for not being more accurate with my weight!
I may have still weighed 13 pounds less than last year's visit!!
I may have been told I am 5'6.5 when I've been *almost* 5'8 in the past.
I may have shrunk! Seriously! I thought that happens later in life!
OR
I may have believed my nurse measured me wrong.
I may have been pretty impressed that my doctor who delivers hundreds of babies, still remembers when I gave birth to Miles 3 years ago; because it was a crazy fun first for the hospital kind of delivery :)
I may be able to tell when my husband works with all men; because his language changes ;)
I may have to clean my ears with soap after listening to that language!
I may have burned my blueberry streusel toast while typing this post!
I may have melted when I was putting my kids to bed, I feel so blessed! They are just so precious to me!
I may be sitting here at 9:12 without hubby home, even though he left at 6:30 am.
I may be praying extra hard for him so he is able to balance work, family life and rest!
I may be feeling overwhelmed about life!
I may be sitting here wondering what the heck will happen in our life in the next few months!
I may feel completely unsettled not knowing where we are going to live and when we are going to move!
I may have been heartbroken that my 7 year old was crying real tears over the fact that she lost her DS at her cousin's house.
I may have also been content with the fact that she is learning a big lesson about taking care of her things!
I may have just last night had to threaten to take her bikes away if she leaves them outside again!
I may be too tough on responsibility, but I really want my kids to learn that they clean up after themselves!
I may be sitting at the computer right now when I should be showering and getting to bed!
I may have a whole paper to write tomorrow for my Lifespan Psych course because I have been putting it off all week!
I may have published this post once, but went back to add more
so now, I will officially say
I may be FINISHED! :) Good night!


I may have taken the opportunity to snap a pic with Miles since we both had hats on!



Challenge Day 31- LAST DAY!

Free day. Whatever you like!



I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge! There have been creative, thought provoking, silly and downright hard to answer topics, but I am so glad I completed this challenge. It was fun and now it feels good to be finished!
I hope my answers have given you a chance to get to know me a little bit better and today being "FREE DAY" I am willing to take a step out there and do a "TRUTH OR DARE" topic. We are just on the computer, so DARE may be a bit tricky, but I will be a good sport. ASK ME ANYTHING! I will dedicate a whole post to your question, and link back to you the question "asker" unless you want to remain anonymous although if you are asking a question that leads you to want to be anonymous, maybe you should rethink whether the question will make me blush!!! So ask away :)

I leave you with a beautiful picture I captured this morning, we saw a hot air balloon, so of course THAT'S what I was trying to get a snapshot of! Wouldn't you know the balloon came up as a speck in the sky in the pic (camera phone pics are horrible quality!!) BUT the sun shining is so vibrant! Makes me happy :)

Digital world

The beginning of the school year was met with a typical piece of paper. A "supply list" for the new school year. On that list was a disposable camera. I didn't think much of it, after all you can still find them in the stores so it was an easy "check" off the list. Last week's field trip I noted Acilia's teacher snapping away as the kids moved about learning. Then after school we were given a bag containing a note with instructions and the disposable camera that had Acilia's name on it. "Please develop the film in the camera and return the prints to school." is what the note said. I didn't realize just how long it has been since I had prints developed from a film camera until I went to Walgreens to drop the camera and could barely figure out how to say what I was trying to do! "I'm here to, uh...I'd like to have some, uh, film developed" I then quickly mentioned how it's been years since I had been in to develop film; hoping to explain why I had a sort of "stumbled" moment in my brain. Digital world is what I have been immersed in and you don't realize how far technology has come until you step back into the world right before it. It was a funny little time capsule moment and it just made me stop to think how quickly life moves and how we sort of just naturally adapt.

courtesy of google search

Happy Monday-April Showers

Rained this week, so perfect chance to get a shot of "April Showers"

Challenge Day 30

Your spouse or significant other

My husband Al, (short for Albert) is one of a kind. He has a phenomenal work ethic. Started out as an electrician when he graduated high school and today at the age of 32 has been running his own successful electrical business for 5 years. He wears many hats as husband, father, business owner and still finds it within himself to be goofy and crazy and fun. His kidney's failed after battling a virus at the age of 12 years old. He endured going through dialysis and a kidney transplant (his father was his willing donor!) 14 years later his transplanted kidney was failing; so he had a second transplant (I was his donor!). I pray that we have many years of health with this kidney! The competive side of me wants my kidney to last longer than his dad's kidney did! ;) 

Al is a fighter and he works hard to protect himself. Having something like kidney failure in your life is bound to teach a few things about how precious and fragile life is.  Maybe a little too much; as his wife of 6 years I still feel as though I haven't fully gotten into his heart and soul to see him for who he really is. I see his soft side with the kids though. He's a loving father who demands respect but will roll around on the floor wrestling and giggling with the kids.

Al loves riding his motorcycles. He has two bikes currently; both are up for sale though :) Even though he will always love riding and tries to be as safe as he can, he's at a point where he would be ok to sell them and move onto something more family oriented.

At our baby shower in '02 testing some of the gifts :)

taking a break with all the kids last Halloween

Family picture

Al and Me many o' years ago!

Need ideas!

Tomorrow marks 100 days since I started the 365 photo challenge at my other blog Why not 365

It's such a milestone, I am a little intimidated to come up with pictures for the day, I would like it to be something fun...any photo ideas? Someone! Anyone!! Help a girl out!

Challenge day 29

Your dream vacation.

I haven't traveled enough to even know what I think is "dreamy". I do know I have a list of places I would like to visit such as:

Niagara Falls

California

Grand Canyon

I also know that we traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last September and that was pretty much a perfect trip!! Pictures below :)

Medical talk

I took my CNA course at the end of '09 and I am always amused when I see hospital abbreviations and know what they mean! I went with Acilia's class on a field trip today and was thrilled that it was at a hospital. (I know, I'm weird!) The kids went into a room and walked through exactly what happens when a child is admitted to the hospital. It was so cute, they randomly selected some of the kids to be a part of the skit. Acilia got to be the patient. She giggled the whole way through. She is totally my daughter! (My mother in law refers to me as "Giggles" *giggle*) the first thing I noticed when we walked in was a sign above the mock bed "NPO" my heart fluttered as I said to myself "nothing by mouth" is what it means! :)

Last week my grandma had to go to the ER for abdominal pain. I jumped at the chance to take her, not only to be there for her but because I take any chance I can get to go to the hospital (Did I mention I am weird?). I worked hard to follow as the nurses spoke in their code and envisioned the day I am in their place. Though it's not my intention to be an ER nurse, no matter where you are in the hospital you are caring for patients and it's just such a special job!
Turns out grandma had a hernia they needed repair so they admitted her for surgery. We went to see her the following day, she looked fab I must say! This woman for being weeks away from 88 is a tough little cookie! :)
I was almost insulted when on the outside of her room was a sign, with a leaf and "RTF" on it. Which means "risk to fall". Yup. They probably assumed since she was 87 that she could potentially fall; but she lives on her own and gets around just fine! I didn't mind the extra precautions though! Afterall, would I want them to provide care any less than the best? RTF also means extra attention since they have to monitor more closely the activity of the patient!

That's all for now with my amusement! I leave you with this picture (if you follow my 365 blog you've already seen it!)

That's my little actress in the bed :)

Speech, speech, speech, speech!

I noticed today that my blog has reached 50 followers!! I want to say a personal thank you to each and every one of you who think what I have to say is interesting enough to read on a regular basis! I am honored!! I write because that's how I organize my thoughts, and it's sometimes a little crazy to think that people actually *read* what I am putting out there, but overall each comment and each follower means more to me than just keeping my thoughts to myself! :)

So, without you, my blog would be a heckuva lot more boring! Thank you for choosing my blog to follow and feel free to use this post as your place to make suggestions or just give me a pat on the back for a job well done! *wink*

Love to you all!

This is my happy face!

Challenge Day 28

If someone gave you $1,000 to spend on YOURSELF, what would you buy?
 

I would probably take a spiritual trip. Someplace that it's me and nature in a spa type of atmosphere. Not sure $1,000 would cover that whole trip though, so maybe I would just put it in the bank to save up for something like that :) :) :)

Images courtesy of Google 

Challenge Day 27

Your favorite meals or recipes.

You are talking to a girl that eats quite a bit of food! I go through stages of "favorites" right now I am loving chicken taquitos...I just buy them in the freezer section at Jewel, how's that for an easy recipe? :)

The best meals are the ones that are made FOR me, not BY me :) :) :) Homemade mashed potatoes and gravy are awesome! Pot Roast with extra carrots! Comfort foods!

I have a lot of great recipes, but I really just wing it most of the time. I am a stove top kinda girl, skillets are my best friend with olive oil as the nonstick base. I love putting chicken in a skillet with rosemary, sea salt and lemon juice. The family goes crazy for it! I also love stir fry type meals...just last night I took fresh cooked broccoli, frozen corn, noodles and the leftover chicken and spruced it up with some water (to keep from drying out) and lite soy sauce. Simple and tasty!!

Challenge Day 26

The best gift you’ve ever received.

Finding out I was pregnant with my firstborn child. It was a complete shock to me and something that changed my life. I went through so many emotions as I adjusted to the idea of becoming a mom even though that was something I had always wanted! Looking back, timing was perfect! I feel truly blessed!

Acilia Rhiann born 6/20/03