tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87000606994975488162023-11-16T13:07:01.837-05:00Promises and SecretsAmieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-74869997014483939532014-03-10T22:16:00.000-04:002014-03-10T22:30:33.997-04:00Gluten Free FriendlyWhen you have to eat gluten free, often times you feel very isolated. Stop and think for just a moment of all the times in your life where food is involved. Then, imagine yourself in each of these different scenarios:<br />
<br />
*Birthday party<br />
*Pizza party<br />
*Potluck<br />
*Eating dinner over someone's house<br />
*Holiday dinners with friends and family<br />
*Restaurant buffet<br />
*Wedding reception<br />
*Graduation party<br />
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Food is involved in each one of these situations. In most cases, there is no way of knowing what each of the food offered contains, or, in the case of birthday cake or pizza, you already know that it is simply off-limits to you.<br />
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Unless you personally made the food, you have no idea what ingredients were used, and you are forced to ask many, many questions to try to determine what exactly is in each dish.<br />
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If you are a normal person (like I used to be), you don't think anything of eating whatever food you want to at potlucks, or over people's houses, and you don't have to religiously study all the food labels in the grocery store. If you accidentally eat something that isn't "good" for you, you probably won't regret that decision to eat that particular food for hours upon hours, or even days. Think about the worse case of stomach flu you have EVER had, and that is about close to the picture of me within about 2-3 hours of eating something that contains gluten.<br />
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When I first started eating gluten free about 7 years ago, I didn't know anyone else who had to eat that way. I got in touch with a local Celiac disease support group, and met others who, like myself, weren't avoiding gluten because it was some new fad diet they could try out to lose a few pounds. They were avoiding gluten so they could avoid ending up in the hospital (again) or to avoid getting cancer. When you have Celiac disease, consuming gluten is like consuming rat poison. Would YOU willingly eat rat poison? Unless you are a glutton for punishment.....probably not.<br />
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After awhile, I became more familiar with what I could safely eat, and what I could not. I wasted more money that I care to add up on food that was sub-par at best. When a tiny loaf of bread costs almost $5, you think very carefully before buying it, just so you can try one bite, find out it tastes like sawdust, and throw it in the trash!<br />
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Fast forward to today. Today, I was stopping in to Meijer to get one of my gluten free staples: English muffins. The last couple of times I went to purchase some, they were out of them. I am a creature of habit, and I eat the same things all the time (other than dinner) until I am sick to death of them, then I move onto something new. English muffins have been part of my diet for a little while now, and when all of the sudden......POOF! No English muffins? Tell me it ain't so!<br />
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Today, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I even saw some actual GRASS peaking through the melted snow. It was brown, but it was still grass!<br />
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I had a little spring in my step, and high hopes that today would be the day that my beloved English muffins would be in their usual place in the freezer section.<br />
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As I rounded the corner to the aisle where they are kept, I saw another woman reaching for the Udi's bread. I am a "chatty" person, and think nothing of making idle small talk with random strangers. I asked her if she also had to eat gluten free, and she said that she did. We went on to discuss the reasons why we each liked our particular choice. She asked me if the English muffins actually tasted like English muffins,and I said that while it had been over 7 years since I had tasted an English muffin, it was as close to the <i>real thing</i> as I could remember. I grabbed two packages, and went off to get my Tinkyada spiral noodles. Yes, they must be spiral. I think they taste better.<br />
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As I was standing in the check out line, I started up a conversation with the woman behind me. She told me that she baked cookies for a living and sold them at places like farmer's markets. She worked alone, and she mentioned that she did quite well. I asked her if she made any gluten free cookies, and she said that she was just starting to include them. She made peanut butter chocolate chip, and was working on perfecting a snickerdoodle cookie next. I also asked her if they were good sellers, and she told me that the few times she had taken them to sell, she had completely sold out of them in just a short time!<br />
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I encouraged her to keep making them, and that she should even think about making more varieties. She mentioned after the snickerdoodle, she wanted to try a cranberry, macadamia nut, oatmeal cookie. YUM!<br />
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In the few minutes I was in the store, I encountered 2 different people who either had to eat gluten free, or were striving to make the lives of those of us who do a little more pleasant.<br />
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A few weeks ago, my pastor came up to me at church and mentioned how, now that he knew that I had to eat gluten free, he was starting to notice all the places that offered gluten free food. He has even arranged for there to be gluten free communion bread for me, and anyone else who needs to eat gluten free. How sweet is that?!<br />
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More and more restaurants are beginning to offer gluten free menus for their customers. I recently saw on a television commercial that Olive Garden (a place that I have not frequently visited since my diagnosis because of their very limited menu for people like me) is now offering gluten free pasta. Did you hear that? GLUTEN FREE PASTA!<br />
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It is definitely a new day for gluten free people!<br />
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The thing I miss the very most though are donuts. I told my girls that, if I knew for sure that I was going to die (I would have to know FOR SURE because it is NOT worth it any other way) the one thing that I would eat would be a real, honest-to-goodness, donut. I am sure that some day, when I make it to Heaven, God will have the most delicious donut with the name "Amiee" written on it, waiting just for me. I told my girls that if I do happen to die, I want to be holding a donut (preferably something chocolate) in my hand when I am in my casket.<br />
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I am only partially kidding...<br />
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Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-78903324599386821862014-02-11T22:51:00.000-05:002014-02-12T00:02:55.391-05:00Olympics and HamstersIf your family is anything like mine, you have been watching a whole lot of the Olympics. We have been watching so much of it, that my youngest daughter begged to be able to watch anything BUT the Olympics! Full House won over figure skating tonight. She said, "I am SO tired of watching skating! They do the same thing over and over again. Skating...spinning....throwing.....couples. I've seen it ALL week! Can we PLEASE turn it?"<br />
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I am not one of those people who have to watch every single minute of every single event. I am more of a, hey....it's on.....I might as well watch it... type of fan. But, it does only come along every four years, and it would feel un-American not to watch at least some of it and root for "our" Olympians. Right?<br />
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I just got done watching the women's freestyle skiing, which made me feel like the most uncoordinated person on the face of the earth! The one and only time I went skiing....it wasn't pretty. I could barely ski down the hill frontwards. These women? They were doing all kinds of flips and tricks, and skiing down the hill BACKWARDS!<br />
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Then there is ladies figure skating. I have been ice skating only a few times in my life, and I could barely manage to not have to hang on to the walker while skating! Yet, here I sit, along with the rest of my family, pretending we are Olympic judges.<br />
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"Look at how slow she's going compared to the tiny 15 year old girl from Russia!" Yeah....like I am one to talk.<br />
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Ice dancing? I can barely dance WITHOUT skates!<br />
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The luge? I would probably be hurdling to my death. As a child, I almost impaled myself on our wooden toboggan. Remember those? All wood and sharp metal? Ahhh....those were the good ole' days.<br />
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I do have one question: Why did they choose to have the winter Olympics in a part of Russia that is not known for having the correct winter temperatures? They said that today, the temperatures were in the 40's, and the snow was like mashed potatoes. Why didn't they have it in Siberia? There's plenty of cold weather and snow there!<br />
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Of course, they could always come and take some of the snow from around here. I guarantee you no one would mind. Free snow, Russia! Take all you want! Think warm thoughts, Amiee.....warm thoughts...<br />
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On another note, my youngest daughter's beloved hamster, Daisy (2 years old), was found dead in her cage last night. Here she is in happier times:<br />
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The good part? She was all curled up with her head buried under the bedding, and she just looked like she was sleeping. My daughter went in to feed her, and then came to the stairs and told me that she thought Daisy was dead. I asked her why she thought that, and she said, "She isn't breathing". Okay then...<br />
<br />
I had heard horror stories from other friends who had hamsters that lived a long time, and was dreading how she would eventually die. Hamsters are not known to live long lives. Two of our friends hamster's hair had all fallen out, and they had turned purple. The poor hamsters were absolutely miserable. One friend had their cat eat their hamster. Another had lost their hamster through a tiny hole in the wall, the hamster became trapped, and eventually died in there. Compared to the other possible ways she could have died, going to sleep and not waking up sounds so much better.<br />
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We still have my middle daughter's hamster, Henry, that is living. We got him and Daisy on the same day. I'm afraid it's probably just a matter of time for him too. Even though you try to prepare yourself, and your kids, for your pet's inevitable death, it's always tough. You get attached to those cute little buggers! I am going to pray that he dies in his sleep, just like Daisy did.<br />
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Here is our dilemma now: How do you bury a dead hamster when it's winter? Since we do not live in a warm climate, the ground here is frozen solid, and I do mean solid. Trust me on this.<br />
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Some of the nativity people are still out there from Christmas. I have tried to dig them out, and I was successful in getting one of the wisemen, along with Mary (who is holding baby Jesus), Joseph, and the cow. Yes, apparently there was a cow at Jesus' birth. Not sure why there was just a cow, and not a donkey, but that is what the light-up set came with, so just go with it. However, the other two wisemen will have to remain out there until warmer weather hits and some of this snow melts. Their cords that make them "light up" are frozen to the ground, which makes THEM frozen to the ground. Of course, because of all the snow, the one wiseman is completely covered with it, and the other one just has his head sticking out of the snow drift. It kind of looks like he was beheaded or something. So sorry, dear neighbors. I tried.<br />
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Anyway, currently, Daisy-the-much-loved-and-adorable-hamster, now resides in a makeshift coffin (Glad container), covered in bedding, in the hamster <em>morgue</em>, otherwise known as the cold garage.<br />
<br />
One of our friends told us to be sure that we didn't forget about her being in there. She said her parents put her hamster in the garage when it died in the winter, and then forgot about it. Later on, she found just the tiny hamster skeleton hidden in the garage. Yikes!<br />
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My daughter wrote a very touching story today about Daisy. It caused tears to well up in my eyes, but it also made me laugh a little too. She was very honest in it. She said that she loved Daisy so much, even though she made her room smell bad. Ha!<br />
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Good-bye, sweet Daisy. Even though you sometimes smelled bad, we will all miss you...<br />
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<span id="goog_144728487"></span>Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-3777582581603390812014-01-15T15:05:00.000-05:002014-01-15T15:05:52.143-05:00Resolutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As my extended family and I gathered before the clock struck twelve on New Year's Eve, we all shared one good thing that happened to us in 2013, and one "resolution" we had for the new year.<br />
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While we all had many things that we would like to see happen in 2014, we all focused on just one thing that we were going to share with everyone. Some of those resolutions were: losing weight, being more dedicated in their job, doing well in school, getting "abs", learning to read (this was said by a kindergartner), eating healthier, taking more naps (Ha!) and buying a house, just to name a few.<br />
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When it was my turn to share, I said that I while I have been doing better at it, I wanted to be sure that I had a more consistent relationship with the Lord.<br />
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This does not mean that I don't have other things that I would like to see happen this year, because I certainly do! However, I have come to realize that this is one very important area that, in the past, has often been neglected.<br />
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Just like all of you, the past couple of years have been filled with many blessings, but also many soul-crushing situations. As a family, we have faced challenging medical conditions, betrayal by friends and family (who we thought were one way, but in reality, were quite another), heartbreaking situations with those we love that we can do nothing about, death of loved ones, and major, life changing decisions that had to be made.<br />
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There were times in this past year, when my soul was so burdened and distraught that I truly felt like I was all alone. During this time, I learned to cling to God in a way I'm not sure I have ever before. He showed me that though this world I live in is filled with things beyond my control. HE would always be with me. I learned to stand on his promises, and pray for those I love. I am not able to change a person's heart....but GOD can!<br />
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I have always loved the hymn, "In Christ Alone", but this year, it has new meaning to me. It truly is in Christ ALONE that my hope is found. He is the only one who promises to never leave me, nor forsake me.<br />
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In Matthew 16:26, it says, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?"<br />
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If you put that towards common resolutions people (including myself) make, it would go something like this:<br />
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"What good will it be for someone to <u>lose weight</u>, yet forfeit their soul?"<br />
<u><br /></u>
"What good will it be for someone to <u>eat healthier and exercise more</u>, yet forfeit their soul?"<br />
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"What good will it be for someone to <u>do well in school</u>, yet forfeit their soul?<br />
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"What good will it be for someone to <u>be more dedicated to their job</u>, yet forfeit their soul?"<br />
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Now, YOU fill in the blank with one of YOUR resolutions:<br />
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"What good will it be for ME to<u> </u>, yet forfeit MY soul?"<br />
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Makes it more personal, doesn't it?<br />
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If you don't know Christ, nothing you can do this year will matter in the end. <br />
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There is NOTHING more important than having a personal relationship with Jesus. <br />
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Nothing...<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-10281181388513888332014-01-02T22:04:00.000-05:002014-01-02T22:13:58.345-05:00December ReviewWhere did December go? I can hardly believe that it is already January, not to mention, a brand new year!<br />
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In the month of December, we....<br />
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Decorated the first Christmas tree at our new home<br />
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Created snow people out of socks</div>
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Made cards with stamps....even Henry the hamster got in on the action!</div>
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Tossed around snowballs...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfzSlbtT3UTLMUBFJiOOqYmFBpzLWKwBJO3RIGZ0rOvKdnjoYJ8JzEWySLo2NP06ILGq-qkDRpCxVO364kzz_pTgQVGnAewhzWwWXOiLVjef8-uE9wU47MC57YX5-YLBHT4tf4ON3wNM/s1600/karis+snowball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfzSlbtT3UTLMUBFJiOOqYmFBpzLWKwBJO3RIGZ0rOvKdnjoYJ8JzEWySLo2NP06ILGq-qkDRpCxVO364kzz_pTgQVGnAewhzWwWXOiLVjef8-uE9wU47MC57YX5-YLBHT4tf4ON3wNM/s320/karis+snowball.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...while ice skating...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlDqWQQsaMbUTWCsONskbf7NnPftKLbyso3Hc8MsnPxme4v-IZ2aybdq1jqmcKvmj-xeULuEHmqMdwQEO0vsiXuC7r0EKVCRgMC6Lec4ebj9eSXUGc3l-LDuFO2OxA0AtWkWOi9JlgM4/s1600/karis+skate+snowball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlDqWQQsaMbUTWCsONskbf7NnPftKLbyso3Hc8MsnPxme4v-IZ2aybdq1jqmcKvmj-xeULuEHmqMdwQEO0vsiXuC7r0EKVCRgMC6Lec4ebj9eSXUGc3l-LDuFO2OxA0AtWkWOi9JlgM4/s320/karis+skate+snowball.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...on the frozen lake</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3G_uFZLNUMN5g33p8JKAx1E4Ur-Cv0-X1yIX3yW-v3LApJaM-RWP8y_T84MFN-SunRl4kLCos3xhLrJ6MRn2-1gMrpvaTPsrpe5_BC_7ab2G6CndM7WacNLXF-RWk_Yc4WNsxbcJ_vmM/s1600/karis+ice+skating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3G_uFZLNUMN5g33p8JKAx1E4Ur-Cv0-X1yIX3yW-v3LApJaM-RWP8y_T84MFN-SunRl4kLCos3xhLrJ6MRn2-1gMrpvaTPsrpe5_BC_7ab2G6CndM7WacNLXF-RWk_Yc4WNsxbcJ_vmM/s320/karis+ice+skating.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Went to a Snowball dance</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxjEq7mEb9rqfoxhvNr7gsPn8VlvRtpufcs2fj2dJpduYxLMfqF60-wyrHkt6vzcVHpe0DGG0OU74VqSIpqyUSbVRaBbjxbVOMEZj8ovSrzgpaZ8RA44bZVDrDjc3jULUE46HRTvSQY4/s1600/liv+and+ian+will+smith+pose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxjEq7mEb9rqfoxhvNr7gsPn8VlvRtpufcs2fj2dJpduYxLMfqF60-wyrHkt6vzcVHpe0DGG0OU74VqSIpqyUSbVRaBbjxbVOMEZj8ovSrzgpaZ8RA44bZVDrDjc3jULUE46HRTvSQY4/s320/liv+and+ian+will+smith+pose.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Spent quality time together</div>
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<img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZl4FFHCNDIzBhQ-mz6HdWFiWyM_wUBVoQtBsil6HFLT0whFZZcAIV1zcEW1gugEaVtmYmFR5H-LWoQwZ1XVdbQqMQ3uRyl-ot9ul7nmppLrFlbteiiTmGBmbBkS_Vrzm-aK8EGYwGso/s320/john+and+haven.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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Enjoyed the lights and the sweet smell of apples and cinnamon</div>
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(this is my "Whoot" owl Scentsy warmer)</div>
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Crafted a wreath for the door </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sGoOaaKV7UarYSnanK0CXM1f0M4Q6qsOkgQ3qPEZ-qj11w6bMpTGx3s2ciwIvie8xiRCCWlXk7TH_QSKpo8vBtqHQvyCD6Cs6sCWHS7vTNXNZkpZcFnLOa4c2-5ZimJzno87hDQekZQ/s1600/wreath+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sGoOaaKV7UarYSnanK0CXM1f0M4Q6qsOkgQ3qPEZ-qj11w6bMpTGx3s2ciwIvie8xiRCCWlXk7TH_QSKpo8vBtqHQvyCD6Cs6sCWHS7vTNXNZkpZcFnLOa4c2-5ZimJzno87hDQekZQ/s320/wreath+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Made a family Christmas card</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMg9qjVWW-xAP0xlcsRSTTq7ug8mq-0I-0nKpWlg2GXWPtPXJ-sdCYgd8aPXA3poDs4TUxz1wNJyHhRIIqT-89h5ZUtg3gQgGKH6ZT9j4H7bJTTdeZ9BW5f5In3pIg5IR1W1r6nG3Z6g/s1600/family+pic+cmas+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMg9qjVWW-xAP0xlcsRSTTq7ug8mq-0I-0nKpWlg2GXWPtPXJ-sdCYgd8aPXA3poDs4TUxz1wNJyHhRIIqT-89h5ZUtg3gQgGKH6ZT9j4H7bJTTdeZ9BW5f5In3pIg5IR1W1r6nG3Z6g/s320/family+pic+cmas+card.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Took pictures in the snow</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDAljcDNTORKDeSBGCfNvi_2hLe8Rnsq4C0Yp7F4GfDENYgH3MD44fJcRnCrjZUr_GRsZGthyphenhyphenqGJwtxaUfTDelu3u_WLbb2uBwaFgR3hRWvk7Ww6GHtZTn1dC2iYD8f7emA1S-H1qdco/s1600/haven+in+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDAljcDNTORKDeSBGCfNvi_2hLe8Rnsq4C0Yp7F4GfDENYgH3MD44fJcRnCrjZUr_GRsZGthyphenhyphenqGJwtxaUfTDelu3u_WLbb2uBwaFgR3hRWvk7Ww6GHtZTn1dC2iYD8f7emA1S-H1qdco/s320/haven+in+snow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Attempted to make a snowman</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8nECE8HsHH3EyNhZFXo55AvM64FSyW5Pci8yX-jori1eUDSityt3bA4dhYY78FDGLAGlYmsQ7FVzfJZHCZ6Q93-37kW9nKV7ziFLjXY6SEhg4wGih_PFJix6F2Kl6QVWDBaFSxC6be8/s1600/haven+snowman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8nECE8HsHH3EyNhZFXo55AvM64FSyW5Pci8yX-jori1eUDSityt3bA4dhYY78FDGLAGlYmsQ7FVzfJZHCZ6Q93-37kW9nKV7ziFLjXY6SEhg4wGih_PFJix6F2Kl6QVWDBaFSxC6be8/s320/haven+snowman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Exchanged gifts and dressed up all fancy</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f1k7qA9o_fJ-zBEIRT1ZajqesxwisVO9lL4Tmry9H7Nza-lDbZFTgmq2yqiv1G8RYBTTt4ui42NYo4P2NG-4ZwMnT1eX50pxNg536mppidZ8ZNuNTHH4swuRfrmqvdnaCGVgrU6fcXE/s1600/haven+cmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f1k7qA9o_fJ-zBEIRT1ZajqesxwisVO9lL4Tmry9H7Nza-lDbZFTgmq2yqiv1G8RYBTTt4ui42NYo4P2NG-4ZwMnT1eX50pxNg536mppidZ8ZNuNTHH4swuRfrmqvdnaCGVgrU6fcXE/s320/haven+cmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And partied until we dropped</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpXNxrgf3PwlJshN-pOE_P7VckJs29RVYf70i0OMA3XCckppPHBcLfYgsM4N9I-Y803Wwa9a7TwQKjUWffM78odfB1HBEpK_ioTJ8PPrGi7WCXsXW7Dpd9wzElnTPkhCPDiBJ2tMmM_g/s1600/kk+sleeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpXNxrgf3PwlJshN-pOE_P7VckJs29RVYf70i0OMA3XCckppPHBcLfYgsM4N9I-Y803Wwa9a7TwQKjUWffM78odfB1HBEpK_ioTJ8PPrGi7WCXsXW7Dpd9wzElnTPkhCPDiBJ2tMmM_g/s320/kk+sleeping.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijRJ3OjDexCrG_m5Smj9v6F1lfMkmUK2lWyO-fRrKi9RYWa10OsCTWwUeaS9I4fTW-SUx7TEk0k0u3gpQqFRACfVVMRl2ZFvj9HpHIdblM00XDOv8eDdUUftXBWhonkogqIOl-wV8YF0/s1600/My+signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijRJ3OjDexCrG_m5Smj9v6F1lfMkmUK2lWyO-fRrKi9RYWa10OsCTWwUeaS9I4fTW-SUx7TEk0k0u3gpQqFRACfVVMRl2ZFvj9HpHIdblM00XDOv8eDdUUftXBWhonkogqIOl-wV8YF0/s1600/My+signature.png" /></a></div>
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Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-14246876991361432182013-12-26T22:30:00.000-05:002013-12-26T22:42:40.907-05:00Probably A Good Idea Santa Didn't Bring Us OneIf you own a television, I am sure that you have seen this commercial for the My Spy Birdhouse at least once. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfncP_xJB9xpsm9zqcW6-xOVuYs8SdFVsLUFBKYbj_vinVTTmff2vcFhKE0Fy-EmyBEn1ucWiDIZdK5nDKWQlv_IYs-rt3GEsdrup40D1k15sKn4WXWW3C7DCHX2kwQrrjGuZzRIJjW8/s1600/my+spy+birdhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfncP_xJB9xpsm9zqcW6-xOVuYs8SdFVsLUFBKYbj_vinVTTmff2vcFhKE0Fy-EmyBEn1ucWiDIZdK5nDKWQlv_IYs-rt3GEsdrup40D1k15sKn4WXWW3C7DCHX2kwQrrjGuZzRIJjW8/s320/my+spy+birdhouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For those of you who have never seen it, here it is, for your viewing pleasure:<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2riVwsUt42U">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2riVwsUt42U</a><br />
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It looks like it would be good for hour after hour of good old fashioned family fun!<br />
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For the low, low price of only $14.99 (plus an additional $7.99 for processing and handling) we would be able to see the birds as they built their nests, and raised their families. Granted, other than the birdhouse being open in the back, and having suction cups, it doesn't look any more complicated than the birdhouses my girls have made during one of Home Depot's kids workshops, which were free. But still!<br />
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We love birds. We love watching them, feeding them, and photographing them. We even have a cockatiel bird as a pet. Here is Howie, perched on our Christmas tree. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgMVPdmELTZB8Yp18CiLeitvcaT0r2WCtHRVDrv_H0lEcdXJAlKnZBnpMCc9Ac8pVrFJRc_pYHxaOpDMua4sc0qbVtyawIngj4W-X7O0HHnGNKl-SNgTEME7wbGEVr_b0KVLerMwXQew/s1600/howie+on+tree+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgMVPdmELTZB8Yp18CiLeitvcaT0r2WCtHRVDrv_H0lEcdXJAlKnZBnpMCc9Ac8pVrFJRc_pYHxaOpDMua4sc0qbVtyawIngj4W-X7O0HHnGNKl-SNgTEME7wbGEVr_b0KVLerMwXQew/s320/howie+on+tree+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Isn't he presh? That is short for "precious". My daughter used it one time in my presence, and now it is my new vocabulary word. Feel free to steal it, and use it often. It will annoy your children.<br />
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So....if I thought that the My Spy Birdhouse would make a perfect gift for our family, why in the world did I not buy one? <br />
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Here is why: I was afraid that by buying one and attaching it to one of our windows, I would condemn an untold number of birds to their tragic deaths. <br />
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You see, our lovely home with the large windows is where birds like to kill themselves. Time after time, we have heard the loud, sickening <em>thump</em> of a bird meeting its untimely death as it flies like a Kamikaze suicide pilot directly into our house. I have lost count of how many innocent, naive birds have lost their lives, or have at least sustained some form of brain injury from our windows.<br />
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Earlier this year, we had some beautiful bluebirds around our bird feeder. The feeder was up high in a tree, far away from our death trap windows. The bluebirds flitted around, without a care in the world, until one of them flew SMACK into the window. The poor bird struggled unsuccessfully to get up, but it could not. To my absolute horror, the other bird started pecking unmercifully at him! I assumed that it was trying to kill him, to put him out of his misery, but after discussing it over with Hubs, we think that he was trying to help it up the only way he knew how. He kept flying around the other bird, and pecking at its neck, crying over and over to the struggling creature. If we could have understood his bird language, I'm sure he was saying something like, "Get up! Get up! It is not safe for you to be on the ground! Don't you know a fierce DOG lives here?!" Finally, he gave up trying to get the helpless bird, and he flew away. The injured bird just laid pitifully on the ground, still struggling to stand.<br />
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I hurriedly called Hubs over to the window, and pointed to the sad little bird on the ground. I got Hubs an old t-shirt and a box to put the bird in, and we brought him into the laundry room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWd8jvsmquu5itW9PuRP0SRv1GOd0_LOeQD6RSiOs71PIQb9hNCxmjpkCze37iVPyGsN5sPMkDIaakQlfzz6CJqSjQMfRv1n9qKy-lQ0BbSofMzQ6pYi-EYeYHAUU3wtxRyTIvTu6aJQ/s1600/blue+bird+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWd8jvsmquu5itW9PuRP0SRv1GOd0_LOeQD6RSiOs71PIQb9hNCxmjpkCze37iVPyGsN5sPMkDIaakQlfzz6CJqSjQMfRv1n9qKy-lQ0BbSofMzQ6pYi-EYeYHAUU3wtxRyTIvTu6aJQ/s320/blue+bird+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The little bird was shivering, and breathing rapidly. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecA4_z6qlCf-fmJu8DA0Bw1Dz9X6o5zzxGGqnnR8M-pb1SfB8Zog8Dm5j8W0KmiBcq2lTlP46A5HlEy55bzc4CBqLxO0v6ygxUpet_BfVdnBRzMWOtwScBwltE8PcbohixhGJDSicA5U/s1600/blue+bird+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecA4_z6qlCf-fmJu8DA0Bw1Dz9X6o5zzxGGqnnR8M-pb1SfB8Zog8Dm5j8W0KmiBcq2lTlP46A5HlEy55bzc4CBqLxO0v6ygxUpet_BfVdnBRzMWOtwScBwltE8PcbohixhGJDSicA5U/s320/blue+bird+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After looking him over, it seemed that he just had a few surface injuries, and a dirt encrusted, slightly bloody, rather unfocused eye.<br />
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I got out my bottle of eye drops and cleaned out his eye to the best of my ability. Once the dirt and blood were wiped away, he seemed to appreciate being able to see better. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjid052b5tiIMrbSv5nL_Wtq9cG6Pk-SFjO-mFQyMEnQRyPPtsjAtLY-cVSymDVUkE7tN-4cOg8f9hfGFWVvlMieGbRGPFzCx5vOgWfpu18t40RWadsOyNlOjkfHt65d9S_dUNdqDpQb-4/s1600/blue+bird+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjid052b5tiIMrbSv5nL_Wtq9cG6Pk-SFjO-mFQyMEnQRyPPtsjAtLY-cVSymDVUkE7tN-4cOg8f9hfGFWVvlMieGbRGPFzCx5vOgWfpu18t40RWadsOyNlOjkfHt65d9S_dUNdqDpQb-4/s320/blue+bird+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I placed him back into the warm box to rest, and try to clear his head. <br />
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After a little while, we went back in the laundry room to check on him. Hubs picked him up, and the bird immediately hopped onto his shoulder! In spite of smashing up against the window, it seemed like he was going to be okay.<br />
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When we were fairly sure that the bird was well enough to be on his own, Hubs placed him back in the box, took him outside, and let him go. He flew right up into the tree, and sat there for a bit, before flying away. Since that time, we have never seen him, or any other bluebird, in our yard again. It's as if he flew back to all of his friends, and warned them not to go anywhere near the birdie house of horrors.<br />
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While I still think it would be neat to have the My Spy Birdhouse, we will just have to be content to watch the wild birds from afar.<br />
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If you also have a home that birds like to fly into, what do you do to prevent this from happening? The birds in my backyard would be very appreciative of your advice...<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-61313543752463887492013-12-17T13:37:00.000-05:002013-12-17T13:52:01.867-05:00Inexpensive Gift Ideas For ChristmasIt's that time of year again, folks! Time for roasting chestnuts on an open fire (who does that sort of thing? Anyone?) singing Yuletide carols, and dressing up like Eskimos (unless, you happen to live in Florida). <br />
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Oh....and buying everyone and their brother something for Christmas. <br />
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Are you running out of money, AND out of inexpensive ideas for every teacher, neighbor, friend you want to give a present to? Then, feel free to steal my idea:<br />
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Christmas in a mug!<br />
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I love plants, and have quite a few of them. Just the other day, I was separating my plants (again) getting ready to give some friends and relatives some plant starts, when the idea came to me. Why not create an inexpensive Christmas present out of them? So, off I went to my local thrift store, to purchase some Christmas mugs. Now, some of you have never even set foot in a thrift store, unless it was to buy an ugly sweater for that annual office Christmas party. <br />
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Why not? Are you too proud to be seen in one? You would be surprised at all the treasures to be found there! That is a whole different blog post, but one thing you can find there this time of year is very low cost things for Christmas. For only 59 cents, at our local thrift store, you can get a like-new Christmas mug. 59 cents! That is even cheaper than going to the dollar store!<br />
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Here is an example of one of the Christmas plant mugs I created for a teacher gift:<br />
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If you don't already have plants, and you want to create a Christmas plant mug, you can buy a few starter plants at just about any store, and separate them out into several different mugs that you have filled with potting soil. I made sure to include at least three different varieties of hardy plants that transplant well. I used some festive garland I already had, and attached a little red bow. <br />
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There are many other things that would work well to put in a mug. By balling up tissue paper and placing it in the mug first, you can make it so that whatever you put in the mug will be elevated. Here are some other ideas for things you could put in a Christmas mug that would make great gifts:<br />
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*Hot cocoa mix and mini marshmallows<br />
* Cup O' Soup packets or any other "cup" food (my oldest daughter's term, and her favorite kind of food!)<br />
*Assortment of hand sanitizer, lotions, or chapsticks<br />
*Homemade or store bought candy<br />
*Assortment of different flavored tea or coffee<br />
*A variety of office supplies like paper clips, white out, erasers, etc.<br />
*Small notepad and pens or pencils<br />
*Golf balls and tees<br />
*Deck of regular playing cards or UNO cards<br />
*Ornament<br />
*Small frame with picture of kids (would make a great Grandparent gift!)<br />
*Nail polish and other mani/pedi supplies<br />
*Any gift card (iTunes, coffee shop, movie theatre, book store, restaurant, etc.)<br />
*Brownie, cupcake, or muffin baked in a mug (make sure the mug can be put in microwave or oven first!) Or, you could just write down a bunch of yummy recipes for mug desserts down on recipe cards that you make yourself. Need some recipe ideas? You can go<a href="http://www.number-2-pencil.com/2013/02/26/30-mug-recipes/"> here</a> for some inspiration.<br />
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If you cannot afford to give much other than the mug itself, fill the mug with little slips of paper of all the things you admire about the person you are giving it to. Who wouldn't want to read all of the things you love about them?! That's a true gift from the heart.<br />
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You could also make up coupons for those people you know well. Need to give a gift to a friend or family member with small children? Offer to babysit their little tikes so they can have a quiet night out! Some other ideas could be to shovel their drive, a meal given to them at a later time, pet sitting, free house cleaning, really whatever you can think of that is a labor of love that the person receiving the gift would enjoy! <br />
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Use your imagination, and I'm sure that you could also come up with some creative ideas on creating Christmas gifts in a mug.<br />
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Now, put on that Christmas thinking cap, and get busy! Only 8 more days until Christmas....<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-19958164598140515532013-11-11T21:57:00.003-05:002013-11-11T22:07:21.851-05:00Table Tipping Part 2Since the last time we "spoke", have you tipped over any tables?<br />
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If so, how did it go? Better than you expected? Worse? About the same?<br />
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Now, it's time to look at a totally different approach to table tipping. Those would be the tables that have been filled with the things that we, ourselves, have put there, either intentionally, or unintentionally.<br />
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Not only can other people pile things on our theoretical tables, but we can put things there ourselves. Take for example, bad habits that we never intended to develop, but over time, we have found ourselves entrenched in anyway. <br />
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It is said that it takes about 21 days to develop a habit; good or bad. I would say that for most people, it takes even less time than that for bad habits to stick, and more time than that to form good habits.<br />
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Other people can tell us what we need to do to change things, but until we genuinely want to change, things will remain the same way they have always been. Take for instance, someone who is a smoker. It is a rare person in this day and age that does not know the effects smoking has on a human body. You only have to look at the cigarette package warning label to know that smoking is probably NOT the best idea. Commercials appear on television, showing a lady in a wig, with a stoma in her neck, speaking about her experience with neck and throat cancer caused from smoking. The smoker may even know of someone who has died from the effects of smoking. And yet, they continue to smoke. Why is that? It's because, for whatever reason, they do not want to stop. Oh, they may WANT to stop, but they are not willing to do the hard things that are required of them to become a non-smoker.<br />
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Just like the rest of you, there are things that I want to change in my life. Some of my life tables have become cluttered with things that I never intended to be there, but have placed there any way.....by my OWN hands. People can tell me that I need to tip over those tables, but, unless I resolve to make those hard decisions myself, nothing will change. It is time to tip over those tables and start anew!<br />
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Most of us make some sort of resolution to start out the new year, such as losing weight, getting more exercise, or stopping a bad habit, but why wait until then? Why not start tipping over some of those tables now? Tables that YOU have piled high with bad habits, flimsy excuses, poor attitudes, unhealthy life choices, etc. <br />
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Just like last time, this type of table tipping may not be pleasant. It is not easy to take a good hard look at our lives, and realize that we have caused many of our own problems. Gulp.<br />
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How do you start making these necessary changes? By taking one baby step at a time.<br />
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If for example, you feel that your spending habits have gotten out of control, it's time to tip over that table and begin again. What better time to start than before the beginning of the most expensive season of the year...Christmas. Resolve to just simply spend less. Sit down, and figure out how much you can <em>realistically</em> afford to spend on each person (which will probably be a lot less than you <em>want</em> to spend on each person) and then, stick to it! Try to remember that while people do enjoy getting gifts from you, it truly is the thought that counts. <br />
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Other than a few key items, I really can't remember very many of the exact Christmas gifts that I received as a child. Isn't that sad? Through the years, my parents and other family members and friends have given me tons of gifts, but I can only count on one hand the ones I actually remember. Just how many gifts that you have given to others do you think they will remember years from now? Yeah.....not many.<br />
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If you want to exercise more, you could start out by attempting to do P90X every day (although, if you have been a couch potato prior to this, I wouldn't recommend it) or, you can do what a wise person once told me, and just start out by walking a little bit each day. Which one do you think you would be more likely to stick with?<br />
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What is it that you have been wanting, but have not been willing to make those hard changes that are required to get what you want? What are you waiting for? <br />
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The time to start table tipping is.....NOW!<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-20124905528516077532013-10-29T12:07:00.000-04:002013-10-29T12:08:20.944-04:00Table Tipping Part 1<span class="text John-2-13" id="en-TLB-23279"><sup class="versenum">13 </sup>Then it was time for the annual Jewish Passover celebration, and Jesus went to Jerusalem.</span><br />
<span class="text John-2-14" id="en-TLB-23280"><sup class="versenum">14 </sup>In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices, and moneychangers behind their counters. </span> <span class="text John-2-15" id="en-TLB-23281"><sup class="versenum">15 </sup>Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out, and drove out the sheep and oxen, scattering the moneychangers’ coins over the floor and turning over their tables! </span> <span class="text John-2-16" id="en-TLB-23282"><sup class="versenum">16 </sup>Then, going over to the men selling doves, he told them, <span class="woj">“Get these things out of here. Don’t turn my Father’s House into a market!”</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">~John 2:13-16 (The Living Bible)</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">When you think of Jesus, do you think of him this way? As a man who would use a whip to chase people out of the temple, while turning over their tables and scattering their money all over the floor? If you are anything like me, you probably think of him as more of a "turn the other cheek" kind of guy. One who sought peace in any and all situations. </span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">But that is just not the case. While he did strive for peace, he also would not tolerate certain things. And you know what? Neither should we!</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">Now, before you start writing me, telling me that what I am about to say has absolutely NOTHING to do with why these verses were written, I already know that. My purpose is not to take anything away from these verses, rather to show you how I feel we can relate to them in a different way. The more I thought about them, the more I realized each part of our lives is sort of like a table. These tables become filled with things we allow into our lives; good or bad. </span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">I have realized, in my own life, there are certain "tables" that need to be overturned. There are things I have put up with for far too long and while I may have been upset by them, I was not willing to tip over the table. The older I get, however, the more I realize some tables MUST be overturned for change to take place.</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"> While God does require us to love others, he does not command us to be their doormat. I am beginning to learn the difference between allowing myself to be taken advantage of, and tipping the table to bring about much-needed boundaries in my relationships with others.</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">In their book, <em>Boundaries,</em> Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend write, "Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership".</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">Perhaps you have allowed others to manipulate you, use you, take advantage of you...the list could go on and on. Maybe it is time to start tipping some tables!</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">Have you ever heard the song by Little Big Town, <em>Little White Church</em>? If you haven't, here are some of the lyrics:</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj"></span></span><br />
<div class="verse">
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">You've been singing that same old song</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">Far too long, far too long</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">Say you'll buy me a shiny ring</span></span><br />
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">But your words don't mean a thing</span></span></div>
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">
</span></span><div class="verse">
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">No more calling me baby, no more loving like crazy</span></span></div>
<span class="text John-2-16"><span class="woj">
<div class="verse">
'Til you take me down<br />
(Take me down)<br />
You better take me down<br />
(Take me down)<br />
Take me down to the little white church</div>
<br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://www.metrolyrics.com/little-white-church-lyrics-little-big-town.html#ixzz2j3sBuJGd" style="color: #003399;">Little Big Town - Little White Church Lyrics | MetroLyrics</a> <br />
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Sounds like a lady who did some table tipping of her own! <br />
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We cannot control how others choose to behave, but we can control how we respond to their behavior. What I do or don't do, say or don't say, shows others how they can continue treating me. If I put up with something, just for the sake of keeping that table upright, people are going to think that it is okay to keep filling my table up with disrespect, manipulation, bad behavior, etc. <br />
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Where do you need to create some healthy boundaries in your own life? In what areas are you allowing others to control you? Is it with your spouse? Your parents? Siblings? Friends? Co-workers? Children?<br />
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Now, I will warn you, people usually don't appreciate you tipping the tables on them. While you may not have liked what was happening to you in the past, you did allow it, so people have gotten used to treating you a certain way. When you put your foot down and say (in love) that you will NO LONGER allow yourself to be treated that way, people may not like what you have to say. The dynamics of your relationship may change, and it may not be for the better. That is the price you have to pay for table tipping.<br />
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If you have allowed others to fill your tables with things you do not desire in your life, it is time to tell them that, from now on, things are going to be different. They may still behave the same way, but you will no longer allow their decisions to affect you, or to fill your table. <br />
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Maybe you thought you had healthy boundaries in place, but over time, your <em>life fences</em> have fallen into disrepair, and it is time to do some necessary maintenance. A fence is only as strong as its weakest spot. It's time to re-establish those boundaries!<br />
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If you need to tip some tables, but are hesitant to do so, what is stopping you? How long will you allow others to fill up your table with things you don't want? How long will you allow yourself to be used, manipulated, and taken advantage of? The time to put a stop to it is NOW.<br />
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Let the table tipping begin....<br />
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</span></span>Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-66661684640645589982013-10-06T00:28:00.001-04:002013-10-06T00:28:41.299-04:00Taken For A Ride On A Saturday NightI have a bad habit of being ripped off when I go shopping. Hubs has often told me that I should carefully watch as each item is rung up, to make sure that I am being charged exactly what I should be, but I rarely do.<br />
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He first gave this sage advice to me when the girls were very small, after I had been accidentally overcharged on several items at the grocery store. Of course, I didn't realize it until after I was already home.<br />
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After he gave me his little speech, I told him that I couldn't possibly make sure that every single item was being rung up properly. How could I, when I was trying to keep the youngest from climbing out of the grocery cart seat, the middle daughter from wandering away, and the oldest from adding things from the conveniently placed candy shelf to the cart while I wasn't looking? Those things were WAY more important than being overcharged a few cents on a can of soup. To be honest, it just didn't seem that important. I figured it was a small price to pay for my sanity.<br />
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Now my girls are older, and are (usually) quite helpful when I am at the store. They actually UNLOAD the cart for me now, and I don't even have to ask them! I still have to keep tabs on the younger one, as she is still prone to wandering, but we are definitely making headway on that one.<br />
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So, there really isn't any reason why I couldn't watch as each and every item is being rung up. Except, that I don't. <br />
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I guess it's not fair then to become upset when I am overcharged. However, a little while ago, when I was charged for two motion sickness medicines instead of one (at $4.99 a pop!) I was a little ticked off. Of course, I was already home when I found out, so I didn't do anything about it. I chalked it up to a lesson being learned, and the next time, I swore that I would be more careful.<br />
<br />
Yeah....right.<br />
<br />
I admit, usually when I am shopping, I am in a hurry. We are a pretty busy family, and it seems that we are always running late to something. I usually do not have a long, leisurely time in which to shop, so that by the time we are actually checking out, I am staring at my watch, with panic starting to set in, that we will not make it on time to our next activity. Can any of you out there relate? Please, tell me I'm not alone.<br />
<br />
Tonight, Hubs and I and the youngest decided to order some Chinese take-out. Since we were out, I decided to swing by the store for just one item: La Choy Teriyaki sauce. Why La Choy? It is the only brand that I have been able to find that is gluten-free. I had already looked at my regular store, and they were out of it, so I decided to try the store that I don't shop at all that much.<br />
<br />
Hubs went to look through the store's garden center, to see if there was anything on clearance, while I fought my way through the mass of people to the other side of the store where the teriyaki sauce is kept.<br />
<br />
I looked in vain for that blessed bottle with the purple top. They were out of it too! In fact.....there wasn't even a tag on the shelf for it. I'm afraid that means that, *gasp*, the company may have discontinued selling it, or, the stores have decided to stop selling it because they have something against me. Yes, I'm sure that's the reason.<br />
<br />
Hubs called my cell phone to tell me that they had fertilizer/crab grass killer on clearance, so he was going to pick up a few bags, and I could meet him in the front. On my way there, I also decided to pick up some corn tortillas and GF English muffins, because, I am an impulse shopper. It is a rare occasion when I can go into a store, and ONLY buy what I came in there to buy. It's a sickness.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I had my items, and Hubs had his, so off we went to wait in line. Our Chinese food was only going to take "10 minutes" (that is what they always say every single time you call) and we were already running late picking it up, but we weren't too worried.<br />
<br />
The young girl seemed to have a hard time ringing things up as this was a special coupon day, but she managed, and we eagerly hurried to the car, the delicious taste of Chinese food already in our mouths.<br />
<br />
As we were getting in the car, I just so happened to glance down at the receipt. <br />
<br />
Gulp.<br />
<br />
I noticed the girl had charged me for not one.....but TWO English muffins. <br />
<br />
Now, since I was actually behind Hubs, and therefore I couldn't even see as the items were rung up, it was actually Hubs that didn't notice that we were charged double! Oh, how the tides have turned.<br />
<br />
He asked if I wanted to go in, or if I wanted him to, and of course, I told him that he may have the pleasure. <br />
<br />
He quickly went in, got his refund, and came back out. <br />
<br />
We had a discussion about how, if we wouldn't have noticed, we would have been out $4.99. Gluten-free items are not cheap, people!<br />
<br />
I decided to look at the other items we purchased on the receipt, just to make sure they were rung up correctly. <br />
<br />
I hadn't been with Hubs to know how much his fertilizer stuff was supposed to be, but when I told him that each of the three bags had rung up at $23.99, his jaw dropped.<br />
<br />
Apparently, the fertilizer was supposed to be $20.79 Oh, the humanity....<br />
<br />
Back in we go!<br />
<br />
Hubs went BACK to customer service, to get ANOTHER refund. After Hubs expressed his displeasure at being overcharged not once, but twice, the man gave him a store credit for $2.50, on top of the money that he was overcharged for the fertilizer.<br />
<br />
Knowing our ability to <em>forget</em> all about coupons, he decided to use it right then and there. Since he is a fan of Magic Shell, but he doesn't usually want me to buy it, he decided that, since we were given "free" money, he would spend it on that.<br />
<br />
We located the Magic Shell, and proceeded to stand in line.....again.<br />
<br />
As we waited in the long line, an older gentleman behind me asked me, "You aren't going to use that NOW, are you?"<br />
<br />
Thinking he meant the Magic Shell, and being very confused since I couldn't very well <em>use </em>the Magic Shell <em>now</em>.....I looked dumbfounded at him, and stuttered something about not understanding what he meant. <br />
<br />
He tapped the bag of fertilizer/crab grass killer, and repeated his question again. OH....he meant the fertilizer! Ha! I told Hubs the man had a question for him. Hubs reassured him that he wasn't going to use it now, but was just buying it because it was on clearance.<br />
<br />
By the time we were finally able to pick up the Chinese take-out, way more than 10 minutes had passed. It had been closer to an hour.<br />
<br />
The lady said that she had even called us, because she thought we weren't coming to pick it up! No, we were just trapped at the store.<br />
<br />
By returning to the store.....twice.....we were able to get back over $15, plus we received a "customer happiness" coupon (that is what it was called) which resulted in free Magic Shell for our ice cream. I'm not sure that $2.50 made up for it, but I guess it's better than nothing.<br />
<br />
I asked Hubs if he was charged correctly at the Chinese restaurant, and he said he didn't know.<br />
<br />
But, with the way our night had been going......<br />
<br />
Probably not.....<br />
<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-8759490067321126582013-08-14T15:40:00.001-04:002013-08-14T15:47:56.514-04:00He Knows My Name<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
I am not exactly a "household" name. I have family, friends, and yes, even aquaintances who know my name, but I am not someone that people talk about around the dinner table.<br />
<br />
And....that is just the way I like it. <br />
<br />
I am not very comfortable being in the spotlight. I am more of a person who just likes to blend in. I would hate to be famous, and never be able to leave my house without the whole world seeing a picture of me in my old t-shirt and jeans, hair looking messy, minimal make-up on, while pushing a grocery cart. Or, people hiding behind my bushes, just to get a picture of me while I'm taking out the trash.<br />
<br />
My <em>dirty laundry</em> isn't featured on the front page of newspapers or gossip magazines. I wouldn't want it to be, either! I do my best to try and present a picture to the public that I have it all together, and that everything is "fine"....even when it really isn't. <br />
<br />
If you have ever heard of Miranda Lambert's song, "My Mama's Broken Heart", there is a line in there that says, "you get a grip and bite your lip just to save a little face". Yep....that's me. <br />
<br />
Sometimes the things we go through are things that we feel comfortable sharing with others. But, sometimes, we don't, or we can't. Maybe it is just too personal, or we think that others couldn't possibly understand. Or, if they knew, they would think differently about us, so we just keep it to ourselves. <br />
<br />
That can feel very isolating. It can feel like we are all alone, floating along on this sea of life, with no one to turn to. No one who cares. No one who understands.<br />
<br />
Even though it may feel like that at times, we are NOT all alone. There IS someone to turn to. Someone who cares. Someone who understands.<br />
<br />
His name is......Jesus.<br />
<br />
There is a song that came to me today that explains this better than I ever could. It is called, "He Knows My Name", by Tommy Walker. Here are the lyrics:<br />
<br />
I have a Maker<br />
He formed my heart<br />
Before even time began<br />
My life was in his hands<br />
<br />
I have a Father<br />
He calls me His own<br />
He'll never leave me<br />
No matter where I go<br />
<br />
He knows my name<br />
He knows my every thought<br />
He sees each tear that falls<br />
And He hears me when I call<br />
<br />
<br />
As you are reading these words, how does it make you feel? Does it make you feel good that He knows your name? <br />
<br />
What if you don't believe in Him? Does he STILL know your name? Does he still care? <br />
<br />
Yes. He does.<br />
<br />
Not only does he know your name, but he knows your <em>every </em>thought. That is the part that tends to bother me. My e-v-e-r-y thought. Not just the ones that are filled with sunshine and roses. If you are anything like me, you think thoughts that you would NOT want others to know. You only let people see the parts of you that you want them to see. The parts of you that will make others think well of you. Not the ugly side of you. Not the part that is selfish, or unkind. Or, just downright awful.<br />
<br />
But.....he knows our every thought. He already knows you are thinking them. Why not just tell him? <br />
<br />
What if you don't believe in him? Tell him that. Ask him to show you that he is real. He will!<br />
<br />
If you are angry with him......tell him. He already knows you are! He can handle our feelings. <br />
<br />
If you feel like he is distant.....tell him. Ask him to let you feel his presence today.<br />
<br />
If you are sad or hurt.....tell him. Ask him to comfort you. He will!<br />
<br />
In Luke 12:7, it says that not only does he know our names, but he knows how many hairs are on our head. Can you imagine that? He counts each and every hair! I'm not sure why this is important to him, but apparently, it is. That just goes to show you how much he cares.<br />
<br />
It also says in Psalm 56:8, "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book."<br />
<br />
He keeps track of ALL our sorrows. Every one. He collects our tears in a bottle. I envision that in heaven, there is a bottle with the name "Amiee" written on it. It is a rather large bottle mind you, because I cry a lot! Usually not in front of people, if I can help it. But, even when no one else sees that I am crying, God sees. Not only does he see, but he catches all of my tears, and puts them in a bottle. He records all of my sorrows. He cares.<br />
<br />
I don't know about you, but that makes me feel pretty special!<br />
<br />
So, today, if you are feeling sad, or lonely, or depressed, and you think that there isn't a single person who cares about you, remember this:<br />
<br />
He knows your name<br />
He knows your every thought<br />
He sees each tear that falls<br />
And He hears you when you call<br />
<br />
Call on him today.<br />
<br />
He is there....<br />
<br />
* To hear the song, "He Knows My Name", follow this link <a href="http://youtu.be/gBmtGSuw04Y">http://youtu.be/gBmtGSuw04Y</a><br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-83300554567498942952013-08-11T23:49:00.002-04:002013-08-12T01:47:04.688-04:00Fighting For Meagan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
"Please pray for Meagan and her family. She has just been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma". This was the text I received from my friend in answer to the question we had all been asking ourselves. Did Meagan really have cancer?<br />
<br />
My heart sank. I just couldn't believe it. Not Meagan. I felt physically sick to my stomach.<br />
<br />
I first found out something was wrong with Meagan during a softball game. Hubs and my two older daughters were on a co-ed softball team with her parents. Meagan's Mom and I were talking, and she mentioned that Meagan had a lump on her neck that the doctors were concerned about because it was growing. <br />
<br />
At that point, there wasn't a whole lot of concern, because while cancer was a possibility, it was almost surely NOT that. Maybe it was just a swollen lymph node? I have had one of those under my arm, and while it was painful and scary, I just took some antibiotics and it went away. Yes, perhaps it was just that. <br />
<br />
The one doctor wanted to do a surgery to remove it, but why jump to conclusions? Why not just do some blood work first? See if there was anything to be concerned about. A second opinion was definitely in order. So, a second opinion was sought.<br />
<br />
Blood work was done. A biopsy at a well-known hospital was scheduled. Many prayers were said. We all hoped for the best. I was not expecting to get the text I did saying that yes.....Meagan has cancer.<br />
<br />
Meagan is a fourteen year old girl. She is my middle daughter's age. She is going into high school this year. She is on the track team. She is a fearless pole vaulter. I didn't want to believe that she could have cancer. Cancer doesn't happen to people I actually know.<br />
<br />
Especially, not to people who are MY daughter's age.<br />
<br />
And yet.....it had happened. The worst case scenario we were all hoping and praying wouldn't come true.....did.<br />
<br />
Her parents are shell-shocked. They knew that a cancer diagnosis might be on the horizon, but how do you properly prepare yourself to hear that one of your children has CANCER? You can't.<br />
<br />
Her sisters are scared. Who wouldn't be? They just want her to be okay.<br />
<br />
Since Meagan's diagnosis just a short while ago, she has already had three different surgeries in three weeks. She had one for the biopsy, one to test her bone marrow to see if the cancer had spread, and one to install a main line port for chemotherapy. <br />
<br />
In one day, she went from being a teenage girl who <em>might</em> have cancer, to a teenage girl who <em>does</em> have cancer. <br />
<br />
So, what exactly is Hodgkin's Lymphoma? Prior to Meagan's diagnosis, the only thing I knew about it was that it was a cancer that was in the lymph system, and that it wasn't Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.<br />
<br />
That night, I started researching. That is what I do. I research. It helps me to cope with things better. I typed in Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and I started learning about it. <br />
<br />
Here is some information I found on mayoclinic.com:<br />
<br />
Hodgkin's Lymphoma— formerly known as Hodgkin's disease — is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system. <br />
In Hodgkin's lymphoma, cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and may spread beyond the lymphatic system. As Hodgkin's lymphoma progresses, it compromises your body's ability to fight infection. <br />
Hodgkin's lymphoma is one of two common types of cancers of the lymphatic system. The other type, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is far more common. <br />
<br />
The only symptom that Meagan had was the swollen lymph node that was growing. However, other symptoms of this disease could be: persistent fatigue, fever and chills, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, coughing, trouble breathing or chest pain, loss of appetite, or itching. <br />
<br />
After her diagnosis, the first thing they needed to determine was what "stage" the cancer was in. There are four different stages. After all of the testing was done, they found out that she is in stage 2, which means that more than one lymph node is affected, but nothing below the abdomen. <br />
<br />
She went in on Friday to have her main line port installed, and she begins chemotherapy on Tuesday. Her Mom posted on Facebook that it was crazy how normal the abnormal becomes. They went from planning a fun family vacation....to planning surgeries, blood work, and tests. From planning school shopping for her freshman year of high school....to planning chemotherapy sessions. <br />
<br />
My heart is just breaking for this sweet family. They have already been through so much. You see, this is not their first child that has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Their middle daughter has Cystic Fibrosis. She has been through multiple hospitalizations herself. It took a long time for the doctors to figure out that she had this disease. She spent way too many years being misdiagnosed while she got sicker and sicker. Now, just as they were finally beginning to turn a corner with her illness, and she was starting to improve.....Meagan's diagnosis occurred.<br />
<br />
We live in a small town, with a small hospital, that is not equipped to deal with serious illnesses. So, whenever they have to have a surgery, testing, or chemotherapy, they have to drive almost four hours round trip. <br />
<br />
I know what that is like, because this is the same drive that I took with Hubs while he was going through his surgery to remove the basal cell cancer by his eye, and the subsequent visits.<br />
<br />
It is long. <br />
It is tiring.<br />
It is expensive.<br />
<br />
Time must be taken off of work. Child care must be arranged. Too many meals have to be eaten away from home. Too much money has to be spent to fill the vehicle with gas to get to and from appointments. <br />
<br />
And then, the medical bills start pouring in. Hubs' surgery alone cost $15,000. That does not count all of the prior visits before his diagnosis. We have great insurance, but we still had quite a chunk we had to pay out of our own pockets. <br />
<br />
Meagan's medical bills are just beginning. I can't even imagine how high they will go. The family is already dealing with bills due to their middle daughter's illness, and now, they have been hit with this.<br />
<br />
A fundraiser <a href="https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/18v2/meagan-s-fight-fund?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fb_share_stream.share&utm_campaign=dashboard_overview_T1&fb_ref=1236895">link</a> has been set up to try and help this family out financially, as they begin Meagan's fight. Every little bit helps! I know the family would be beyond grateful for every dollar. If you go to this <a href="https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/18v2/meagan-s-fight-fund?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fb_share_stream.share&utm_campaign=dashboard_overview_T1&fb_ref=1236895">link</a>, you can also learn more about Meagan and her family. <br />
<br />
Most of all, could you please keep Meagan and her family in your prayers? They are going through a lot right now, and could really use them. Pray for strength and courage, for their spirits to be high, that the chemotherapy would do it's job, and that Meagan can go back to just being a regular teenage girl. <br />
<br />
Where her only worries are trivial things like what outfit to wear on the first day of school, if a boy in her class will ask her to the dance, or whether she will beat the school record for the highest pole vault...<br />
<br />
No fourteen year old girl should have to worry about losing her hair, missing too much school, or being sick from chemotherapy....<br />
<br />
Please....help us fight....for Meagan.....<br />
<br />
Here is the fundraiser link:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/18v2/meagan-s-fight-fund?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fb_share_stream.share&utm_campaign=dashboard_overview_T1&fb_ref=1236895">https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/18v2/meagan-s-fight-fund?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fb_share_stream.share&utm_campaign=dashboard_overview_T1&fb_ref=1236895</a><br />
<br />
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Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-91316279489332948512013-07-11T02:57:00.000-04:002013-07-11T02:57:33.632-04:00How To Make The Most Of Your Public Library This Summer"I'm BORED!"<br />
<br />
We aren't even to the middle of July yet, but have you already heard these words uttered out of the mouths of your precious babes?<br />
<br />
My own children know better than to speak these words to me, because if they do, I will always have an idea of something *super fun* that they can do. Can you hear the sarcasm?<br />
<br />
However, I do try to keep the kiddos relatively entertained in the summer months. As I mentioned in my last blog post, this year, I decided to ask them what inexpensive things they would like to do this summer.<br />
<br />
One of the things on our Summer Bucket List was to visit the library. <br />
<br />
I am always amazed when I talk to people who don't take advantage of their public library. There are people who *gasp* NEVER EVER go to the library! Can we please have a moment of silence for these poor souls? <br />
<br />
Some of my girls' favorite childhood memories have been made at the library. We used to go there all the time, but since the whole crazy busyness of moving, we have kind of gotten out of it. We are changing that this summer!<br />
<br />
But, what exactly can you do at the library? Isn't it just a place to.....you know.....check out books?<br />
<br />
No, my dear reader. It is so much more than that. Of course, one of the major perks is being able to check out books, but there is a whole other dimension to the library that you may not even be aware of.<br />
<br />
Here is a Top Ten List of things your local library probably offers:<br />
<br />
1. Free Air Conditioning<br />
<br />
Is your house so hot that it feels like a sauna? Why not spend the afternoon at the library? Take advantage of <em>their</em> nice, cool air! Ahhh.....<br />
<br />
<br />
2. Books<br />
<br />
Duh. We already know that, Amiee. You ARE talking about the library. However, did you know that you can check out books that don't exist at *your* library? Let's say you want a particular book. In fact, you have been dreaming of reading it forever, but your small town library doesn't have it, and you don't want to purchase it yourself. If your library is anything like mine, they will most likely be able to get it for you through their inter-library loan program. All you need to do is ask the librarian to see if it is available, or order it through their online ordering system. They will call you when it comes in. It's as simple as that! I have been able to get many hard to find books this way.<br />
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Another thing that I was not aware of is that the library will even deliver books to people who are not able to leave their house for one reason or another. You do need to sign up for this special program, but what an awesome thing to do for people who would otherwise not be able to have access to books.<br />
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3. Movies<br />
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We are not a family that goes to the movie theatre very often. It is very expensive to do that on a regular basis, so we usually just wait until the movie comes out on DVD. You can rent a movie through Redbox for $1 and some change, but you know what price is even better? FREE! At our library, you are able to borrow five movies at a time, for a whole week. They have a lot of good titles, and though they are most likely not going to be new releases, they sure do make for a cheap movie night at home! They also have some really good documentaries, and I have used several of these for my girls for school and for classes I have taught at our homeschool co-op.<br />
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4. Magazines<br />
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Maybe you're like me, and you are a bit of a magazine freak. Magazines seem to <em>speak </em>to me. I can hear them whispering<em>....."read me</em><em>".</em> The problem? There are so many that I would love to read, but I don't want to pay a fortune for that privilege. I do subscribe to a few good ones, but there are so many others out there that I would be interested in reading if I was given the opportunity! Enter.....the library. The library subscribes to many, many different magazines. Their subscription is my gain! I can read and read to my heart's content! I can even check out some to take home, if I can't read all that I want to during my time at the library.<br />
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Do you know what else? Our library has a magazine exchange program. People who subscribe to magazines read them, and then they bring them in so other people can take them home and read them. You take some.....you leave some. It's a win/win situation. I encourage you, if you have a stack of magazines just lying around your house, take them to the library! Someone like me will thank you.<br />
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5. Computers/Printers/Copiers<br />
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Most libraries have computers that are available for people to use for free for a set number of time. Since we have internet access at home, I don't often take advantage of this, but during a time when we didn't, it was a lifesaver! You can also take your own laptop or phone into the library and access free Wi-Fi. <br />
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For a small fee, you can also print things off the computer. Maybe something like<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/126452702010236910/"> this</a>? I plan on doing this with my girls on some rainy afternoon.<br />
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Want to make a copy or two, but don't own your own copier? The library is your answer!<br />
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6. Coupons<br />
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I can just hear you now. "Coupons?! At the library? What are you talking about?" Yes, you did read that correctly. Coupons!<br />
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While your little cherubs are happily entertaining themselves, you can go through the coupons that are available. People will bring in their unwanted coupons (at our library, they are even all cut and sorted out in categories) so other people can use them. Score!<br />
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7. Classes, Crafts, and Activities<br />
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Are your little kids starting to drive you bonkers? Take them to story time! A friendly librarian will read them a story, and then do a craft pertaining to that story.<br />
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There will usually be a craft table set up at all times in the kid section, where kids can do a designated craft on their own, or even just draw and color.<br />
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Our library also offers fun activities for children of all ages. Here are some of the fun things they have planned this summer:<br />
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*Summer Reading Program<br />
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Your children will be rewarded for reading books. It's sort of like bribery, but hey.....whatever works to get those kids reading!<br />
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*Magic show<br />
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*Different amphibians and reptiles being brought in <br />
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*Rock Club (show-and-tell session about rocks, precious gems, etc.)<br />
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*Class on Origami<br />
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*Gardening (kids learn new things every week but also practice gardening themselves)<br />
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*Designing T-shirts<br />
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The list goes on and on. The library is definitely not just for reading books!<br />
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There are even classes for adults. Are you an adult who needs to learn how to use the computer? Your library may have just the class you need. Many libraries offer at least beginning computer lessons, among various other programs. <br />
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8. Games<br />
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Need to kill a bit of time between appointments? Go to the library and play a game! Most libraries usually have at least checkers, among other games. Teach your child how to play. I taught my one daughter how to play checkers at the library while her sister was at a violin lesson. You can also access many educational games on their child-friendly computers. <br />
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9. Research Genealogy<br />
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Are you interested in finding out more about your family history? Then the library is the place for you! Our library has a heritage room, where many different resources are available for you to begin your research. There is also a helpful librarian skilled in genealogy research who is available to assist you.<br />
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10. Volunteer Opportunities<br />
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Need something for your bored teenager to do this summer besides sitting around playing video games? Have them volunteer at the library. I talked to one of our local librarians, and she mentioned that they are always looking for good volunteers! Volunteering doesn't just mean re-shelving books and movies, although that is certainly one way they could help out. They also need volunteers to help run all of these incredible programs the library puts on. They could help out during story time or craft hour, or at one of the libraries many other activities.<br />
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One thing that I need to mention. Don't be one of those people who just drops their small children off at the library for the afternoon, so the library can watch them. If your child is not old enough to stay home by themselves, they are NOT old enough to be dropped off at the library! Little children need adult supervision, even in the library. This is not the job of the librarian. The library is not a day care center. The librarians are not babysitters.You would be amazed at how many people think that this is okay. It isn't. <br />
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If you don't have one already, it is time to get a library card! Make sure to get your kids one too, if they are old enough. There is a certain joy that comes over a child when they realize that they get to have their very own library card. With that magical little card, they are able to take home any number of books and movies that they themselves have picked out. <br />
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The next time you need an inexpensive way to spend a scorching summer afternoon, why not go to your public library? <br />
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You'll be very glad you did....<br />
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<strike></strike>Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-65089261939208008052013-07-05T14:28:00.000-04:002013-07-05T14:32:56.264-04:00Summer Bucket List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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School is out, and summer is upon us! <br />
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This year, I decided to ask all of my family members to make a summer "bucket list". When I mentioned this to Hubs, he said something along the lines of, "Isn't a bucket list supposed to be things you want to do before you.....DIE?"<br />
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Meh. Details.<br />
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Regardless, I told him just to roll with it, and make one already! <br />
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I promised that I would not reveal which family members said what, and these are in no particular order of importance. I tried to focus on things we could do as an entire family, but also, for things the girls and I could do during the day while Hubs is at work. <br />
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I told them to try to keep their ideas inexpensive, but I did notice that some of them are a just a tad bit over my $10 or under limit. Some will definitely NOT be happening, but I was told that I had to put them on here anyway. <br />
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So.....without further ado.......here they are!<br />
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*Buy straws (Gee.... I wish they were all this easy!)<br />
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*Go to the zoo<br />
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*Visit the animal sanctuary (we will probably wait to do this until the end of summer when my in-laws are here)<br />
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*Swim as a family<br />
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*Look at pictures of when the girls were babies<br />
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*Go to the mall<br />
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*Family fishing<br />
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*Tent outside in yard/woods or at a park<br />
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*Learn origami<br />
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*Buy a hula hoop<br />
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*Work on projects for the fair (to see previous projects, you can go here)<br />
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*Make crafts from Pinterest<br />
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*Go to pawn shop <br />
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*Make paper mache<br />
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*Get a giant bottle of bubbles<br />
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*Have a nature scavenger hunt<br />
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*Visit particular friends who live far away <br />
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*Get a kitten (this will not be happening, but a girl can dream!)<br />
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*Have a spa day<br />
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*Make DIY beauty products<br />
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*Nail painting party<br />
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*Go to the beach<br />
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*Make different kinds of popsicles (especially <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/385128205604351627/">these</a>)<br />
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*Buy a canoe or paddle boat<br />
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*Family canoe/paddle boat excursion<br />
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*Family bike ride<br />
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*Try new hairstyles<br />
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*Buy things for the lake (inner tubes, etc.)<br />
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*Go to the library<br />
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*Take family picture on the beach, then print and hang it <br />
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*Go to family camp<br />
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*Go to a local park, take pictures, and feed the ducks<br />
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*Go to a water park<br />
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*Camping with friends<br />
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Since I have three girls, some of these ideas wouldn't work well with boys, but perhaps there are things listed here that you could do with your own family. I was surprised by how simple some of their requests were! Most of these do not cost a lot of money......just time.<br />
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This summer, why not ask your own family members what would be on their summer bucket list? <br />
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Their answers just may surprise you....<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-55373065522735100702012-09-17T23:00:00.000-04:002012-09-17T23:01:47.124-04:00Filet-O-LegSince we are moving, our house has been in chaos. There are boxes, and totes, and objects strewn ALL over! <br />
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Last week, Hubs and I were reclining in the family room, after a long day of work/school/packing, when all of the sudden we heard the oldest call out:<br />
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"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Come quick! Come quick!"<br />
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I really didn't think much of it when I heard this. I knew that she had been playing with Henry, the hamster, and was putting him back in his cage. He tends to get all freaked out and crazy when you are trying to put him away, and he has been known to practically jump to his death on occasion. He has NO fear!<br />
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Here he is, the dare-devil himself. Isn't he cute?! He is holding on to the bars, peeking out, oh so innocently. If he could talk, I'm sure he would be saying, "Let me out!"<br />
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I heard my middle daughter run in there, since it is her hamster, and figured she would be able to take care of it. <br />
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Then, I heard her say:<br />
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"The oldest (replace this with her actual name) sliced her leg open!"<br />
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I told Hubs that something was going on, and he'd better go in and see what was wrong. I still didn't think it was going to be anything real serious. <br />
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We live in a house with three girls, and they tend to be....well....a little dramatic at times. I was sure that it was probably just a little cut, and we could just put a band-aid on it, and call it good.<br />
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I heard Hubs call my name, and I ran in there. He told me that we were going to have to go to the hospital......NOW. The oldest had sliced her leg open, and it was deep. It was so bad, that he needed me to go and grab some towels, and he was going to tie a tourniquet on her leg.<br />
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She looked at me, crying, and said, "Mom....I saw it! It's deep, it's SO deep!"<br />
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Hubs told me to hold her leg together with the towel, and apply pressure. I told him that I needed to go and sit down while I did it, or I was possibly going to faint. I don't do so well with blood! I hadn't even seen it, but I knew that if my usual laid-back-it-will-all-be-okay husband sounded a little panicky, then it had to be BAD!<br />
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We called our doctor, who is also a dear friend, and he told us to meet him at his office. Hubs carried her out, with me holding her leg the entire time. <br />
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I kept praying over her, telling her that it will all be okay. Her teeth were starting to chatter, and she kept saying how deep it was. She told me that I hadn't seen it, but SHE had. <br />
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This is my daughter who can't even stand to talk about blood! I told her not to think about it, that she was going to need stitches, but it would be fine.<br />
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When we got in there, I really thought that when we untied the towels that blood would start spurting out like a fountain. We had no idea if she had hit an artery. We had prepared for the worst, and tied her leg up nice and tight. <br />
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When they undid the towels, that was the first time I had allowed myself to look at her leg. It had bled, but not as bad as we thought. When I looked at the cut though, it made me go weak in the knees. I had NO idea that it looked like this.....<br />
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*WARNING! IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH, LOOK AWAY! VERY GRAPHIC PICTURES ARE POSTED HERE!*<br />
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All right....if you are still looking.....consider yourselves warned.<br />
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Here is a far away shot, that shows where on her leg it is located.<br />
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Here is a close up<br />
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Now that I have posted these pictures, I am starting to feel sick, remembering that awful night all over again. I did not realize that skin would "split" open like this when it is cut. It's a good thing I'm sitting down!<br />
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During this time, I was up at her head, and she had her hands over her eyes, refusing to look. Hubs was the one taking the pictures. I told him that he had to be the one to take them, because I couldn't!<br />
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She had to have stitches on the inside first, because it was so deep.<br />
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After this picture was taken, Hubs' phone decided to die. I didn't have time to grab my purse, where my phone was, so I didn't have mine. I barely even had time to put on my shoes!<br />
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While she was getting all stitched up, I was trying to distract her from what was going on. I am so proud of how brave she was! She didn't even cry. She was able to talk and even joke around. She said that the worst part of it all was the numbing shots she had to have before the stitching began. <br />
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When the inside stitches were done, it looked very neat and tidy, and it was completely closed up. The doctor said that he could just leave it like that, because it was very solidly stitched up, but he was going to put stitches on the top also, so it would leave a smaller scar.<br />
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Altogether, she had about 25 stitches put in her leg. OUCH!<br />
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Here it is, after she was all stitched up.<br />
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She thought that it would really hurt the next day, but said that it just ached a little. Nothing that some extra strength Tylenol and Motrin couldn't handle.<br />
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Today, she went and got the outer stitches removed. The inner stitches will take around three months to dissolve. She is relieved that the stitches are finally out, but other than the absence of the blue wire, it still kind of LOOKS like the stitches are in!<br />
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This was our first experience with stitches, as none of us, including Hubs and myself, have ever had to have them. Well....I take that back. I have had them, but the stitches you get from having a baby are in a whole other category...<br />
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We are very blessed that we have a wonderful doctor who is exceptionally skilled at stitching, and that she did not cut her leg any worse than she did.<br />
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I am now being that over-protective, annoying mother who is trying to eradicate any and all sharp objects from our home (like that is even possible!), and over-using the phrase, "Be careful!" <br />
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But, HOW did she cut her leg open in the first place? And, on what?<br />
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She said she was standing up on a chair, putting the hamster back in his cage. She jumped off the chair, like she always does, and felt a scratch. She said that is all it felt like.....a scratch! She didn't know that it was worse than that until she looked down and saw the damage. What happened was that there just so happened to be an 8x10 piece of glass from a picture frame on the desk (left over from a fair project), and the point of it was hanging ever so slightly over the edge. When she jumped down, it cut her, just as if she had used a fillet knife to slice open her leg.<br />
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When we came back home, I expected to see blood all over the place in the bedroom where it happened. But, there wasn't. There wasn't even very much blood on the glass itself. And the strange part? The glass did not even fall off the desk!<br />
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It was still perched there, just waiting for it's next victim....<br />
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Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-35763010600871372002012-08-26T22:47:00.000-04:002012-08-26T22:59:24.226-04:00Moving Sale<br />
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The time has come to face the reality that we just have way TOO MUCH STUFF! I had intended for several years now to have a garage sale, but it just never seemed to work out for one reason or another.<br />
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I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret.....garage sales are a lot of work!<br />
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Now, if you call your garage sale a "moving sale", then they are even MORE work! All of those neatly stacked totes sitting in your basement must be gone through, because you don't want to move, or store, anything that you don't want or need. <br />
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Hubs has been after me to get rid of my bread maker. He told me that the moving sale would be the perfect time to do so. He rationalized that since I never use it, I certainly was not going to miss it, and therefore, it should be sold.<br />
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While I may be rational in many ways, the way I feel about some of my things is NOT one of them.<br />
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Never is a strong word. While I have only made a few loaves of bread in it (in the....mumble mumble....years I have had it), I do have good intentions of making more! It's just that I forget I even own such a thing, as it is tucked away in the cupboard, and not out in plain view. Out of sight....out of mind.<br />
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I told him that I was willing to get rid of a lot of things, but the bread maker would NOT be one of them. End of story. The bread maker will be boxed up and moved along with some of my other irrational things I plan on saving....of which there are quite a few. Sigh.<br />
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So, the girls and I slaved and toiled for days, pondering over each and every item that we own. I had the girls go through all of their things, and unless there was a specific reason why they wanted to save it, they agreed to either sell it, give it away, or throw it away.<br />
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There they sat, remembering how they got such and such, and who gave it to them. As my oldest daughter hauled out all of her memories, she said it made her long for the time when all that mattered were Barbies and stuffed animals. Life was so much simpler back then.<br />
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We had fun reading over the stories my oldest used to write, and the music she composed when she played the violin.<br />
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We all said "Awe!" when we saw the pictures that contained my middle daughter's name, back when she couldn't make the letter "S", so she wrote it like a 2. <br />
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When we came across my youngest daughter's stuffed lamb that she always slept with as a baby, we stroked the still silky fur, and remembered when our special neighbors gave it to her as a present when she was born.<br />
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Memories are hard. We decided that if things did not have any memories attached to them, then into the sale they would go! But, if they did....<br />
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After several days of working almost non-stop, it was finally time to have the sale.<br />
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We priced things to sell, and then re-priced....and re-priced again. We did end up selling, and even giving away, a lot of our things. What is left is either going to go to Goodwill, or to a man who sends clothes, shoes, books, and stuffed animals to a missionary in Africa, who then passes them out to children there. It will be nice to know that our stuff is going to a good cause.<br />
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We had a lady that was smoking in our garage, while she was busy looking through things. I contemplated asking her NOT to smoke in MY garage, but since she was busy buying things, I didn't want to upset her. I am highly sensitive to smoke, but sometimes, you just have to deal with it, I suppose. If she wanted to smoke inside my house, or my car? That would have been a whole different story.<br />
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Can I give you a piece of advice, though? If you are a smoker, that is your right to do so. Smoke away! But....could you please be considerate of those of us who don't smoke? In my case, I already do not have the best set of lungs, and smoke just exacerbates my breathing problems. Thank you :)<br />
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A guy walked off with one of our items without paying for it. His wife had purchased a few things, and he either forgot, or just didn't feel like, paying for it. One of my daughter's mentioned that he had NOT paid for it, but I wasn't about to run after him over a $3.00 item. <br />
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Garage sales are the perfect opportunity to teach your kids about money in many ways. They can add up the prices, keep track of the money, and give the customer the correct change. I made sure to tell my girls to NEVER place the money the customer gives you in the box before giving them their change. If you do this, the customer can cheat you out of money by saying they are owed more change than they actually are. It has happened to me in the past. It could have happened this time, except for we had the money that he had given us in plain sight, so we could prove that what we said he gave us....he actually did. <br />
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We had several people who came to our sale who did not speak very good English. That makes things a little more.... interesting, as it is very hard to communicate. With one man, I made the mistake of talking louder, wrongly assuming that by doing so, I would somehow be able to get him to understand me better. I'm sorry, random stranger. Please forgive me. I'm sure I looked foolish.<br />
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We met a sweet couple who shared with us the touching story of how they ended up getting married. The lady told us that after a disastrous first marriage, she vowed to never get married again. That is, until she became reacquainted with an old friend. They started talking, and just hanging out together, until they realized that they wanted to share their lives with each other. She said that she hesitated, because she is quite a bit older than he is, but then realized that age is just a number, and when she was with him, she was the happiest that she had ever been. They looked like two teenagers in love. It was so cute!<br />
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We had a lady spend quite a bit of time re-folding and organizing all of our clothes that were strewn all over the table. Perhaps she didn't have anything better to do? We sure appreciated it!<br />
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We had several neighbors come over and reminisce with us about our time that we have spent in our house. How they have enjoyed watching the girls grow up, and would miss having us in the neighborhood. The feeling is mutual, dear neighbors.<br />
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The feeling is mutual.....<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-16284108579595473282012-08-13T22:44:00.000-04:002012-08-13T22:44:45.614-04:00Ch-Ch-Ch-ChangesRemember when I told you that we have our house on the market? We have had several showings since then, with <em>crazy cleaning</em> resulting each time. <br />
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My oldest daughter was feeling frustrated, and so she wrote this as her Facebook status:<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font: 12px/15px 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Dear people who are looking at our house tomorrow, you better buy it. Because this whole cleaning our butts off thing, is getting kind of old. And our butts aren't liking it very much. Thanks :)</span><br />
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We all had a good laugh over that one, because that is exactly how we feel! For anyone who has ever had your house for sale, you know exactly what I mean. <br />
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She wrote that on Sunday. On Monday, Hubs went away for business. We had the showing that afternoon. On Monday night, Hubs called me and said that we had received an offer on our house.<br />
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We began the negotiating process, and came to an accepted offer. All within just a few days time! <br />
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I have been frantically calling all around, looking for a place for us to live while our new house is being built. We are supposed to be closing around the first week of September, and then, we only have 21 days to vacate the premises. <br />
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The same day we came to an accepted offer on our house, we found out that it definitely IS basal cell carcinoma by Hubs' eye. We had gone to the dermatologist, like I mentioned before, and they did another biopsy. It came back that it wasn't cancer. But, the doctor did not feel comfortable just letting it go since we had already had the first biopsy show possible cancer. So, he had a 2nd opinion done on the 1st biopsy, and it came back as cancer. This was not the news we were expecting to hear, as they told us that their biopsy did not show any cancer.Talk about confusing! They told us that the 2nd biopsy was probably just scar tissue. The cancer is deeper than the eye can see, and the biopsy probably just removed the top layer. <br />
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We are now being referred to a larger hospital where he will be having MOHS surgery with reconstruction. The doctor feels like it is too close to his tear duct for him to perform the surgery. He told us that when you have cancer this close to your eye, you want someone who does this EVERY day working on you. This is something that can be put off for a little while, but since Hubs has already waited so long in the first place, we don't have a lot of time before it starts to make things more complicated to fix. It is already starting to get worse. <br />
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Add this to the hecticness of selling our house, and trying to find a place to live, and this Mama has been feeling the stress! <br />
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Oh, did I forget to tell you, that school will be starting up for us soon, and there are decisions that still need to be made in that area also? I have purchased some books, but there are still things I need to research and buy. Thankfully, I am not on the school system's timeline, and I can do school how I want to, but most importantly, WHEN I want to!<br />
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So, you will have to forgive me if I am a little quiet on here. I promise to try to update you when I can. I am going to try to pull together that elusive garage sale I referred to in an earlier post. No time like moving time to get rid of stuff!<br />
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Now, if I can just get the children to part with some of their stuff.<br />
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Oh, who am I kidding. I'm just as bad as they are....<br />
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Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-30445844414114941082012-08-03T10:05:00.000-04:002012-08-03T11:06:22.922-04:00Teaching Textbooks ReviewI HATE Math. <br />
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There. I said it.<br />
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Math to me, is like a foreign language. One I don't understand. Sort of like Chinese.<br />
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In my day to day life, I don't ever use any of the advanced Math that I was tortured with in school. I only ever took up to Algebra 2, and I barely passed that. Ahhh.....good nightmares.....I mean.....memories.<br />
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So, for a Math hating homeschool Mom, how in the world are you supposed to teach advanced Math classes to your kids?<br />
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Drum roll please.<br />
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Enter, Teaching Textbooks. <br />
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Have you ever heard of it? No? Oh, my dear, dear homeschooling friend. Allow me to enlighten you.<br />
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Here, is a photo of Teaching Textbooks, or TT as we shall call it from now on.<br />
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This, is Geometry, which my oldest daughter did this year.<br />
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TT starts at grade 3, and goes all the way through Pre-Calculus.<br />
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<a href="http://teachingtextbooks.com/v/vspfiles/tt/Geometry.htm">Here</a> is the link where you can learn more about TT.<br />
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I did not learn of TT until my oldest daughter was in 8th grade, and we were about to do Pre-Algebra. We have always struggled with Math, and let me tell you, I was NOT looking forward to <em>trying </em>to teach her this. <br />
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We had started out with A Beka, which we struggled through from kindergarten until 3rd grade. For those of you who are not familiar with homeschooling curriculum, A Beka is one of the most commonly used curriculums out there. <br />
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However, it is advanced. Which is great, if you are working with an advanced student. My girls loved A Beka for Reading, Writing, Spelling, and Vocabulary. Things they were good at.<br />
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For Math however, it was just too much. So then, I tried Bob Jones (BJU). Yet another GREAT curriculum. I have often used this for Science and History, and have even used it for Spelling and Reading for my youngest. <br />
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While BJU was more tolerable than A Beka for Math, it was still not a good fit. There are many, many more Math curriculums out there, but those are the ones that I tried.<br />
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I can't remember exactly how I first heard of TT, but whoever told me about it, I now consider her an angel, sent straight from heaven, to help this poor Mama out!<br />
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I was reluctant to try it, because let's be honest, if you clicked on the link, you will notice that it IS pricey. It is much more expensive than most homeschoolers are willing to pay, or can even afford.<br />
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But, I figured, why not? We were at our wits' end as how to best teach this subject.<br />
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We purchased TT, and it was love at first sight. We have never used another Math curriculum since!<br />
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But, Amiee....what is SO special about TT, you may ask?<br />
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Well, for starters, it is all done on the computer. First, the child listens to a lecture from a teacher, and while the teacher is explaining that day's lesson, they are actually demonstrating how to do it. So, this works for auditory and visual learners alike. <br />
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You can listen to the lecture as many times as it takes for the child to grasp the information. While it is also possible for Mom to "replay" the info, her voice does tend to get raspy, and perhaps, there may even be a hint of irritation that tends to creep in, oh say around the third of fourth time she has to explain it. Not so with the computer teacher! He is extremely patient.<br />
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Then, the child is given some practice questions, to make sure they truly understand the lesson. <br />
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There is always the possibility of being "helped" and you can always view the answer once you get it wrong a set number of times (to be determined by the parent). <br />
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Once the child is ready, they can then begin to answer that day's questions about the lesson. There are usually around 20 questions, which seems to be an adequate amount. There is plenty of review from previous lessons included also. <br />
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My girls liked that, in the younger grades, they incorporate games for "bonus" rounds, and there are cute little creatures who will talk to you along the way.<br />
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There is also a parent side, where you can actually see the grade book, how many they got wrong, and be given the choice as to whether to make them do it over again or not.<br />
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What do I like best about it? That I don't have to do hardly anything! Unless one of my girls just isn't getting it, then, we go over the lesson together.<br />
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The lessons are self-grading, which is not only an awesome feature for Mom, but it also tells the child immediately if they got the answer right or wrong. <br />
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*Several of the advanced Math curriculums are still not self-grading, but they are working on changing that. They still come with an answer CD, and answer key. The lecture is listened to on the CD, but the child works out of a workbook. Hallelujah! Algebra 2 is now self-grading! Can you hear the excitement in my voice? Hmmm? Can you?!<br />
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TT is taught in a way that just makes it easier for a child to understand and be able to grasp information better. If you don't believe me, type the words, Teaching Textbooks review into your search engine, and read about other satisfied customers.<br />
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I must admit though, that the oldest is now at a point where I just cannot help her in Math anymore. That is now Hubs' job. We also did have a dear friend tutor her in Algebra for a little while, because she just wasn't getting it. So, there still could be some additional Math help needed, even though you are using excellent curriculum. That's just the way it is.<br />
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If your child is advanced in Math, this may not be the best curriculum for you, as it does tend to go at a slower pace, or, so I have read from people who have Math geniuses for children. For example, if your elementary school aged child is quoting algebraic equations in their sleep, it might be best to find a more challenging curriculum. Or, perhaps you should enroll them in college classes.<br />
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Yes, it is pricey. But, to me, it is worth every penny! Has it made my girls LOVE Math? Well....no. I don't think there is a curriculum in the world that could do that! Each child has their own set of strengths and weaknesses, and Math is one of our weaknesses. Although my youngest daughter tends to have a more "mathematical" mind than my older two, she still doesn't love Math.<br />
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Another nice thing about TT is that you are allowed to sell the curriculum to others once you are done using it. That is not the case with every curriculum. So, this year, I sold my used TT on eBay for the first time, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much money I was able to get back from my investment! If you do an advanced eBay search on TT, you will see that they have an excellent resale value. <br />
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Since I have been using TT for such a long time, I now have quite a collection of them, and I no longer have to buy three different Math curriculums for three different grade levels. This year, I only have to buy Algebra 2. My wallet just did a sigh of relief, as my oldest is about to take a few college classes for dual enrollment, and we are required to pay for it out of our own pocket. But, that's a tale for another time.<br />
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If you are a fellow homeschool family, and you are in the same boat as we used to be, struggling through Math, day in......and day out.....why not give Teaching Textbooks a try? You'll be glad you did!<br />
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* I did not receive any compensation or free products for this positive review. <br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-21306037176139340442012-07-16T19:14:00.000-04:002012-07-16T19:18:22.976-04:00Riding The Crazy TrainYou know what I think is one of the greatest things ever invented?<br />
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Totes. <br />
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We certainly have our share of them at our house! Do you know why I love them so much? Because you can stash all of your junk in them, stack them on top of each other, and pretend you are all organized. <br />
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Hubs has this grand plan of having a garage sale sometime in August. Along with that, I am in the process of sorting through my 1,700 books that I have bought over the 10 years that I have been homeschooling. I am selling some of them on eBay, so I can afford some of the higher priced items that I plan to buy for the oldest who will be a...gulp.....junior this year. <br />
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In order to sort through stuff, you have to make one gigantic mess along the way! This means piles and piles and PILES of books stacked here and there and everywhere. <br />
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This eBaying stuff is a full time job, I tell you! First, each and every book must be found. In my case, this is often easier said, than done. When you have an entire set of something, it tends to sell better, and for more money. <br />
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Now, if you are one of those perfectly organized homeschool Moms, then you have dutifully stacked everything together at the end of the year, and all in grade order. <br />
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However, if you are like me, you sometimes don't even go through things, you just throw them all together into a tote, sometime before the beginning of the next school year. You may or may not remember to label what is in said tote. Along with the school books, which may or may not be together in the set they came in, may be a collection of other odds and ends you needed to find a place for along the way, such as old copies of bills, magazines, clothes a child has outgrown....hypothetically speaking.<br />
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So, when you have found what you think is the entire set of what you have, then you must go through each and every page in each and every book. Some of these books are 300-400 pages long!You are looking for highlighting, stray pencil marks (that you must erase), underlining, or random pictures that a bored child may have drawn. Not that any of MY children are ever bored in school. No siree, Bob. Each and every day here is filled with joy and happiness, and the girls are always eager and willing to learn. Ahem.<br />
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So far, my biggest money maker has been Teaching Textbooks for Math. I will be doing a review on this curriculum soon, so stay tuned!<br />
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In the midst of all of this mayhem, our realtor called and said that we had another showing. Which is like.....Yay! But, wow. LOTS of work to be done to get ready for it!<br />
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All of the many, many books had to be put back in the totes, although, this time, I tried to keep them separated so I would actually know what was in each one. <br />
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The stuff that I had gone through for the garage sale was just put who knows where. Will this garage sale actually happen? Only time will tell. All of the totes are now neatly stacked back together, and I am very hesitant to get them ALL back out to go through them again.<br />
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I was joking with Hubs, who does not find my disorganization funny by the way, that perhaps I should just label each tote "junk", because that would be an appropriate term for what is in at least half of them!<br />
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My girls cringe when I start "crazy cleaning" because they know that whatever I put away, there is a pretty good chance that they will never see it again. What can I say. Organization is NOT one of my strong points. Out of sight....out of mind. <br />
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My oldest daughter is away for several days, and I told her that, before she left, she needed to make sure her room and bathroom were clean for the showing. I told her that if she didn't clean them, that was okay.....I would just clean them for her!<br />
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Needless to say, before she left? They were both clean. Ha!<br />
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I always tell myself that I will deal with it another day. Why do something today, when you can put it off until tomorrow? Only....tomorrow never seems to come. <br />
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You think to yourself, "Self.....don't you own such and such? Yes, you do! But.....where did you put it?"<br />
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Then, on one of your crazy cleaning sprees, you find it, when it is no longer needed, or no longer fits the child you bought it for.<br />
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I am especially terrible when it comes to papers. They are never where I can find them. I make more work for myself that I really need to because of it.<br />
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Every year I tell myself that I WILL do better this year. This will be the year that I am super organized, have everything in it's proper place, and even perhaps remember where I put things.<br />
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Make me feel better. Tell me I'm not the only one who has no clue how to organize things! I have read all of the books, it's just like I am missing the organization gene or something!<br />
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I am seriously considering buying sock clips because I cannot keep the socks together after they get washed. We have totes that contain nothing but stray socks!<br />
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The totes they are in are not labeled, by the way. <br />
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So, if any of you super organized people out there have any tips that I can use to help organize my crazy life, feel free to leave me a helpful comment. It would be greatly appreciated!<br />
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Now, where did I put the girls' 4-H project papers? Perhaps they are in the tote with the stray socks....<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-48022135183568080382012-07-14T17:13:00.001-04:002012-07-14T17:13:41.737-04:00I'm Melting....Notice the title of this post? It actually has a double meaning.<br />
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One is, it has been incredibly HOT around these parts. I am so thankful that we have air in our house! I'm sure I would be a whole lot less pleasant to be around if we did not. When we bought our house, it did not have central air. To make matters worse, we did not have any windows in our main living area that would fit an air conditioner! We had to put a window air conditioner all the way back in our bedroom, and place fans to try to strategically blow the air to our living spaces. <br />
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That did not work out so well. So, the first thing we bought when we had saved up enough money was central air. And, we have NEVER regretted it!<br />
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Not only has it been blistering hot, but we have not had very much rain. AT ALL. The grass is so crunchy and sharp, that when you walk on it in flip-flops, it actually feels like little needles are stinging your feet! I was surprised that they did not cancel fireworks this year. Instead, they had the fire department hose everything down around where they were lighting them off. <br />
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All around you see brown grass. However, Hubs is adamant about having a GREEN lawn. Since we live in the "country" (and by that, I mean we live in a subdivision, right outside of town) and don't have to actually pay for our water (other than the electricity it takes to run the well) the sprinkler is going almost non stop. There are only several homes in our neighborhood who water their lawn, and the difference is striking. You can definitely tell who waters their lawn, and who does not.<br />
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Some people love when the grass gets brown, because then, they don't have to cut it! But, Hubs loves cutting the lawn, and making our yard look nice. We definitely have the <em>curb appeal</em> factor going on. Which is a good thing, since our house is for sale! Ha!<br />
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My other meaning for the "I'm Melting" title, is that my body is literally melting away! As of today, I have now lost a total of 17 lbs. I got some clothes out the other day that I haven't fit into in a while, and let me tell you, it was just like Christmas! I had even forgotten I had some of them!<br />
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I am trying to remind myself that nothing tastes as good as being skinny....err....at a healthy weight feels. Most of the time, it works!<br />
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Some of the things that I have been doing are eating more fruit (which is easy to do since it IS summer), salad, and drinking more water. I allow myself to have ice cream occassionally, but just a 1/2 cup. <br />
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When I say that, what comes to your mind? It does seem like an awfully small portion, doesn't it?! But, if you eat it reallllllly s-l-o-w, it's enough to satisfy your craving.<br />
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I also make a mean orange smoothie in my Ninja. Here's my recipe, if you can even call it that<em>.</em> I crush ice to make "snow" (that's a Ninja term on their infomercial) add a few tablespoons of orange juice concentrate, a few teaspoonfuls of vanilla yogurt, a splash of vanilla extract, a packet of Stevia, and blend away! It is yummy, sweet, and makes me not want ice cream so much. It's kind of like an orange creamsicle. <br />
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I try not to deprive myself though, because, who wants to live their whole life saying "I can't have that" every time? There are already SO many foods that are off limits to me as a Celiac, that I am not willing to tell myself that I can NEVER eat (you fill in the blank) again.<br />
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It's all about portion control, and moderation. And, if you slip up, you just forgive yourself, and start over again.<br />
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Inch by inch, pound by pound, it is slowly coming off. <br />
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17 lbs.....and counting......<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-23640449732702170582012-07-12T22:03:00.000-04:002012-07-12T22:07:58.094-04:00The Big "C"We found out this week that my husband has cancer.<br />
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He has basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer there is.<br />
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Not gonna lie, I'm a little freaked out about it all. I have heard though, from friends in the know, that this is not a big thing, although it sure feels like a big thing to me! I guess though, that if you have to have cancer, basal cell is the kind to have.<br />
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Still....the big "C" word? Scary....<br />
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It started out as a little bump by his eye. He didn't think anything of it. Just thought it was a little blemish or something. It started to go away....but it didn't... and it hasn't.<br />
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This had been going on for like 8 or 9 months. Yes, you read that correctly. Now, it is more like a "hole" that just.won't.heal. I tried getting him to go and get it checked out. He refused. He said that it was healing on it's own, it was just taking time. Men...<br />
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Finally, after the girls and I begged and pleaded, he finally made an appointment to go and get it checked out. Our primary care physician said he thought it looked like basal cell skin cancer. He sent him to an eye doctor to get it taken care of.<br />
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When we were in the office, filling out the multiple forms, I couldn't help overhearing a conversation. There was a lady in a wheelchair, who was being attended by another elderly lady. She was also filling out the required forms. Apparently, the elderly lady in the wheelchair was very hard of hearing, and also had trouble with her eyes.<br />
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We will call the two ladies Ethel and Mildred to protect the innocent. Their conversation went something like this:<br />
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Mildred: Now, Ethel (lady in the wheelchair), I'm going to read you this list of things, and you need to tell me which ones you have, or have had in the past. Okay? Here we go. Have you ever had the mumps?<br />
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Ethel: What? What did you say?<br />
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Mildred: THE MUMPS, ETHEL. HAVE YOU EVER HAD THE MUMPS?<br />
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Ethel: No.<br />
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Mildred: Okay....are you anemic?<br />
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Ethel: AM I WHAT?<br />
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Mildred: I ASKED YOU IF YOU WERE ANEMIC!<br />
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Ethel: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? <br />
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Mildred: It means that you have low iron levels in your blood.<br />
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Ethel: WHAT ABOUT MY BLOOD?<br />
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*Sigh* <br />
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And, so it continued. Through the entire list. Tuberculosis, measles, rubella.... could she possibly be pregnant? I think I could have answered that one for her, due to her advanced age.<br />
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This doctor also thought it was skin cancer, but Hubs still had to have a biopsy done, which was just all sorts of fun for him. Now, he is going to have to have it surgically removed. <br />
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This particular doctor could have removed it, but it would have had to be done in the hospital. He also mentioned that he may have to do a possible skin graft from his eyelid to close it up if the skin wouldn't stretch enough.<br />
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So....<br />
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We are going for a consultation with a dermatologist who specializes in<a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mohs-surgery/MY01304/"> Mohs surgery</a>. We know someone who had it done, and she barely even has a scar. We are praying that Hubs' cancer is not very deep, and that it won't be very difficult to remove. He should have had it done a long time ago...<br />
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I asked the doctor how he could have gotten it by his eye, since it is normally covered with sunglasses. He said that it was most likely due to sun exposure he received as a child. Back when he and I were kids, sunscreen wasn't really used very much, if at all. <br />
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I can remember getting so brown every summer with nary a sunscreen bottle in sight. Hubs can remember getting several bad sunburns. Now, we know so much more about the sun, and the harm that it can cause, that I make sure my girls slather on that sunscreen! I have even been known to offer it to others at the beach if I see that they didn't bring any with them.<br />
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*If you happen to get it in your hair, you can read <a href="http://promisesandsecrets.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-remove-sunscreen-from-hair.html">here</a> about how to get it out. It is one of my most popular blog posts :)<br />
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So, now we wait, which to me, is just sheer torture! I just want it to be over and done with already.<br />
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Like yesterday.<br />
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Hubs does not seem overly concerned about it all, but I think that I am sufficiently concerned enough for the both of us! He tends to want to know as little as possible, where as I feel the need to research everything to death.<br />
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I'm trying to remember this:<br />
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* ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ <em><strong>Isaiah 41:10</strong></em><br />
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* Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). <strong><em>Psalm 55:22 </em></strong><br />
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* Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. -<strong>Deuteronomy 31:6</strong><br />
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And, one last one....<br />
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* You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.<br />
<strong>-Isaiah 26:3</strong> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSg5BeCl3SqZeZ_jMHMCJXlsQyh6owCeyaqL4TvoaEJGakqH-fGYKwdJsOkV-4kxyxAomzJNKFkW0TXua4eKuW-buRSKH-shFUPcrgwGAk9MCGCwhHc4-8xbTiEKQcBAEGbhOnkUCHb8/s1600/My+signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSg5BeCl3SqZeZ_jMHMCJXlsQyh6owCeyaqL4TvoaEJGakqH-fGYKwdJsOkV-4kxyxAomzJNKFkW0TXua4eKuW-buRSKH-shFUPcrgwGAk9MCGCwhHc4-8xbTiEKQcBAEGbhOnkUCHb8/s1600/My+signature.png" /></a></div>Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-70287387827299475642012-07-01T14:37:00.000-04:002012-07-01T14:41:28.556-04:00Tie Dye, Tin Punch, and ChickensIt is once again time to work on projects for the annual 4-H fair. If you would like to read about last year's projects, you can go <a href="http://promisesandsecrets.blogspot.com/2011/08/at-fair.html">here</a>. Once again, my daughters signed up for WAY more things than they will ever have time to do, but what can I say, we are overachievers.<br />
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We got together with our club to try to get some of the projects done together. Getting messy with tie dye is always more fun with a friend!<br />
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Last year, my youngest wanted to make a pink and black shirt, but she went a little crazy with the black, and while I thought the shirt turned out pretty, she refused to take it in to be judged. She tends to be a little bit of a perfectionist on the things that she does.<br />
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Not sure where she gets THAT from.<br />
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So, this year, the rule was simple: NO black dye was to be used. AT ALL!<br />
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Now, the tie dye kit comes in a box decorated with all the many different kinds of designs that you can make. The designs they feature on that box are nothing short of amazing!<br />
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And....provided you had nothing else to do in your spare time, you <em>may</em> be able to pull one of those fantastic designs off.<br />
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However, we are working with kids anywhere from ages 5 to 15. The containers are drippy, and the dye kind of "sloshes" out the second the bottle is tipped over. <br />
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Hence the reason we had the kids wear these attractive plastic bags over their clothes. These were affectionately titled, "Wedding Dresses", coming to the run way soon! Rompers ARE all the rage this year.<br />
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My youngest wanted to make her initial on her shirt, but quickly realized she was not going to be able to pull that off. So, she decided to make a diagonal rainbow. I think it looks fabulous! <br />
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Notice, NO black was used this year.<br />
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My oldest did a sausage roll with her shirt, which is what you need to do to make a bulls-eye design.<br />
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My middle daughter made hers into a circle, which will create a swirl design.<br />
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With these designs, you can't tell what the actual design will turn into until you are have finished the entire process. The suspense is killing us!<br />
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We finished off our project day by starting out on our tin punch designs.<br />
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The key to making tin punch look amazing, is to use different sizes of nails to give your picture some variation. It is also important to make the nail holes evenly spaced, and the same size, which is easier said, than done!<br />
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Our friends live on a semi-farm, and they raise chickens. <br />
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Can I tell you a little secret? I am a little afraid of chickens. <br />
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This one kept squawking, and bobbing it's head back and forth, and coming up to me like she wanted to peck me. <br />
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I asked to see the chicken coop, and the chicken followed me in there. She clearly wanted to be back in there with her fellow coopmates. <br />
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I asked where the chickens laid their eggs, and she showed me their nests. There was one hen in there, squawking to all the other hens that SHE had just laid an egg, and that they were NOT to come near her.<br />
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I cannot imagine having to put my hand in that nest, to retrieve her precious egg. I was reassured that they don't do that to people, just to the other hens. <br />
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Even though some of my girls would like to raise chickens of their own, I think we will just keep getting our eggs already pre-packaged in an egg carton. <br />
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When you do it that way, there is also the benefit of not having to clean out their coop! <br />
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Although, that would make a good punishment....err....I mean consequence.....for a mouthy tween, or teenage girl.<br />
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</div>Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-30602855232700397032012-06-27T12:32:00.000-04:002012-06-27T12:32:57.046-04:00If These Walls Could SpeakAs I mentioned in last week's Hodgepodge, we have our house on the market. When you walk through our home, you will see some of the same things that are in everyone else's house....beds, couches, dining room table, kitchen, bathrooms, etc.<br />
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You may or may not like how we decorate. You may or may not think our house is the house for you. <br />
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But, will you see the stories that this house holds?<br />
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Will you know that this is the only house that our girls have ever known? We lived in a previous house when we had our oldest, but we moved here when she was only 11 months old. Our other two daughters have never lived anywhere else.<br />
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Will you know that these roses are the same ones that we had at our previous house, and I loved the way they grew there, so I made sure to get the exact same ones for my "new" house?<br />
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When you see this picture of Jesus (one of two) in our living room, will you know it's meaning? Will you know that this same picture (although in color) hung in my home as a little girl, and when I had the choice to choose between different ones, I chose this, because it always brought comfort to me as a child? Will you know that, while this may seem like just any ordinary Jesus picture, it is actually made from WORDS? If you look closely, you will be able to see the words clearly written.<br />
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When you see this sign that says "Love", will you know that we were given this at church, to remind us to love each other like Jesus loves? Will you know that this statue, the one with the bluebirds, was given to me by a dear friend? She didn't realize that I had always wanted one like this, because someone had placed this in my Gram's casket at her funeral, and now it reminds me of her.<br />
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When you look at our dining room table, will you just see a table, or will you see the many family dinners that have been served on it? Will you see the crafts that were made there? The hours of school work? The board games we have played?<br />
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Will you be able to imagine how much time and money have been spent on the school books that you will see on bookshelves all over the house? <br />
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When you look at our family room, will you know how long it took us to pick out just the right couch for that room? Or, how much we agonized over the color choices?<br />
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Will you know that Hubs and I sit here on most days, sipping our coffee, and talking about our plans for the day?<br />
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Will you be able to hear the music, as my two oldest girls practice their lessons on the piano?<br />
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When you see my kitchen, will you know how thrilled I was to finally get a refrigerator with an ice/water dispenser? Will you be able to see the many, many meals that have been prepared in this kitchen over the almost 15 years that we have lived here? Will you know that my Dad and Hubs laid the tile themselves? <br />
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In the bathroom, will you be able to hear the giggles as my little girls took bubble baths, with the tub so full of toys and bubbles, you could barely see them? <br />
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In the girls' bedrooms, will you know how much work went into redecorating them, so that they would be just the way they wanted them?<br />
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Will you know that this dresser, in my oldest daughters room, was mine as a child, and has been redone to reflect her taste?<br />
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When you reach the master bedroom, and you see this on my dresser, will you know that Hubs and I bought this on our honeymoon at Disney World?<br />
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Will you know that these handcarved wooden elephants belonged to Hubs' grandfather, who is now gone?<br />
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Will you know how happy just seeing this striped umbrella makes me when I look at it? <br />
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Will you know how much love and laughter, joy and tears, pain and sorrow, this house has known through the years?<br />
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If these walls could speak, you would....<br />
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</div>Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-89259118266033222942012-06-21T00:11:00.003-04:002012-06-21T00:28:04.841-04:00Summertime Hodgepodge<div>
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1. Summer officially rolls in with the Hodgepodge this week, for those of us in the Northern hemisphere anyway. What song says summer 2012 to you?<br />
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Keith Urban's, "Long Hot Summer".<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtfBxUTXRY&feature=share&list=PLD91B0EB85CD13E2C">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtfBxUTXRY&feature=share&list=PLD91B0EB85CD13E2C</a><br />
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Why did I choose that song? Well...it is only June 20th, and it was 95 degrees outside today. I have a feeling this is going to be a long, HOT summer! I am so very thankful that I live in an air conditioned house.<br />
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I also like this part of the song:<br />
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It's gonna be a long, hot summer, we should be together<br />
With your feet up on the dashboard now<br />
Singing along with the radio, it's such a beautiful sound<br />
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I will often put my feet up on the dashboard while Hubs is driving, and I am always singing along to the radio. I like to think it's such a beautiful sound, but I may be a little partial. <br />
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2. What's your favorite quintessential summer food?<br />
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Definitely watermelon! The only problem I have with it is, it is so hard to tell whether or not it is a <em>good </em>one, before you buy it. I recently bought one, and waited just a few days to cut it. I was really looking forward to tasting it's juicy goodness, but when I cut it open, it was extremely mushy and very unappetizing.<br />
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Does anyone out there have any tips on how to pick the best watermelon? </div>
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3. I've spent a lot of time traipsing up and down the NJ Turnpike in recent weeks. Did you know the rest areas on the turnpike are named after people who lived or worked in NJ? <a href="http://www.redcross.org/museum/history/claraBarton.asp"><span style="color: #6e698f;">Clara Barton</span></a>, <a href="http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/126"><span style="color: #6e698f;">Walt Whitman</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Fenimore_Cooper"><span style="color: #6e698f;">James Fenimore Cooper</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Pitcher"><span style="color: #6e698f;">Molly Pitcher</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Kilmer"><span style="color: #6e698f;">Joyce Kilmer</span></a>, <a href="http://www.thomasedison.com/"><span style="color: #6e698f;">Thomas Edison,</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Cleveland"><span style="color: #6e698f;">Gover Clevland</span></a> just to name a few. Of those I listed, who would you most like to have known and why? <br />
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I will choose Clara Barton, only because I did a report on her in the 5th grade. I remember that we made a sandwich board, and wore it around to some of the other classes and gave our presentations.<br />
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She was a teacher during a time when most teachers were men. She was a nurse in the Civil War, and she started the Red Cross. She was quite an inspiration for young women today! I would love to talk to her, and ask her what it was like for her back then, being a woman in a man's world. </div>
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4. At what age did you move out of your parent's house and what prompted the move? <br />
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I was 18 years old, and I was going off to college.</div>
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5. What's more satisfying to you-saving time or saving money?<br />
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Saving money. I LOVE getting a good deal!</div>
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6. Name something you think brings out the good in people.<br />
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Christmas. It is a time where people will dig deep in their pockets to help out charities, buy gifts for children who otherwise would not receive any, or even buy food for local food pantries. <br />
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People also seem kinder and gentler at Christmas time. It's like the miracle of Christmas gets a hold of you, and you just can't help but be a little nicer to everyone you meet.</div>
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7. This last question comes to you courtesy of Kathy over at <a href="http://edshunnybunny.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: #6e698f;">Reflections.</span></a>..will you be taking a vacation or a staycation this summer? If so where will you go? If a staycation is on the calendar have you made any special plans to fill the time?<br />
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We will be going to visit Hubs' family in Maine at the end of the summer. We are all looking forward to seeing them, but also, this year, we will be going to Bar Harbor. We have never taken the girls there, and they are eager to go. Hubs' brother lives there, and he has told the girls about all of the celebrities that vacation on the island, and eat at his restaurant. The oldest is also looking forward to all of the beautiful pictures she will be able to take while we are there. </div>
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8. Insert your own random thought here. <br />
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We currently have our house on the market, and we have a showing tomorrow. I am busy cleaning like a mad woman, trying to get rid of that "lived in" look. I am throwing things away right and left, and organizing drawers, cupboards, and closets. I know that when I look at houses, I always look in those places!<br />
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So tell me....do you?</div>
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</div>Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-82139295342041854342012-05-24T22:36:00.001-04:002012-05-24T22:36:27.825-04:00Funny FormsOne of my daughters was going to the chiropractor with me today, and since she is a new patient, she had to fill out the required new patient form. She was puzzled by some of the questions they asked, and so was I. Here is the (overly) sarcastic conversation we had while she was filling it out:<br />
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Me: You have to answer all the questions on this form about your health history.<br />
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Her: Uhhh....Mom? It is asking me, if in my entire life, I have ever had diarrhea. Really? Ever? Hasn't everyone, at one time or another in their life, had diarrhea? <br />
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Me: (laughing hysterically) I'm sure they have!<br />
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Her: (said with a Valley Girl accent) Liiiiiike, that one time...... I ate too much watermelon........does that count?<br />
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Me: (still laughing hysterically) I'm not sure, but I don't think that counts.<br />
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Her: Now, they are asking me if at ANY time in my ENTIRE life has my arm or hand been numb. It did get numb that one time I hit the ball too hard with the bat in softball.<br />
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Me: Yes, I imagine it did! I don't think that's what they meant.<br />
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Her: What about if I have ever had blurred vision? I always have blurred vision when I wake up in the morning!<br />
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Her: They also want to know if I have EVER had a chronic cough. Ever? Do they want to know about that time when I was six years old, and I was sick and coughing? What does that have to do with anything? Ever had a headache? Yes. Ever had an earache? Yes. Ever had...<br />
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Me: I think that they are just wanting to rule out serious illnesses. I'm sure that most people who fill out these forms can't really answer "no" to most of these questions!<br />
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Her: Do I have any problems with my prostate gland? Hmmm.....do I? (bats eyelashes)<br />
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Me: (can't speak I'm laughing so hard!)<br />
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And now you know what goes on in our house, behind closed doors....<br />
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<br />Amieehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279245244288075326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700060699497548816.post-63547556974622434152012-05-23T11:55:00.001-04:002012-05-23T11:55:18.924-04:00Secret To Success Hodgepodge<a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" /></a> <br />
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It's been awhile since I have participated in the Wednesday Hodgepodge, but I am linking up with Joyce once again :)<br />
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1. What's something you miss about the 1980's? If you're too young to miss the 80's how about the 90's?</div>
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I miss being able to eat anything I wanted and not gain weight. I had such a hard time gaining weight as a child. The doctor told my Mom to let me eat anything I wanted, and to even give me shakes to help me gain weight. I once had a teacher come up to me, and ask me if I was anorexic! I ate like a horse, and still couldn't gain weight. I didn't know how good I had it back then. Sigh...</div>
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2. Do you have a library card? If so, how often do you visit?<br />
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Yes, I do. I don't use it as often now that I have a Nook. I love my Nook! So many free books, and not enough time to read them all.<br />
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Of course, now that I have already bought one, or rather, been given one for my birthday, they have come out with a Nook Simple Touch that has a glow light. See? They always improve upon things AFTER I get them. I have to use a book light to see MY Nook in the dark. <br />
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3. What's the secret to success?</div>
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There are many possible answers to this, but since I have a high school daughter who is thinking towards college, I will answer it like I am talking to her. Success in a career is doing something you love, and getting paid to do it! </div>
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4. This is National Backyard Games week...what's your favorite backyard game?<br />
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We love playing Ladder Ball. It is a game that kids and adults can play together. And.... if just adults are playing.....well then, you can have some friendly competition!</div>
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5. If I dropped by today what would I find on your coffee table?</div>
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School books! Even though my kids all have desks of their own, it seems like the coffee table is where they choose to keep them.</div>
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6. Do you own a bicycle? When was the last time you rode a bicycle? Is that something you enjoy?</div>
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I own one, but I don't ride it. It needs the brakes fixed. </div>
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7. What's your favorite cheese?</div>
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Colby Jack, hands down! I have even said (jokingly) that if I ever have a son, that is what I would name him :)</div>
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8. Insert your own random thought here.</div>
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We are all looking forward to seeing my oldest daughter dance in her recital this weekend. Last weekend, I attended my little four year old niece's dance recital. She looked so adorable in her little tutu, and it made me remember how my daughter looked in hers at that age. Now, she is in high school, and only has two more years until she graduates.<br />
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Time sure does fly by....<br />
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