Five Cans of Lysol

Well, it is almost Christmas and 3/5 of my family is sick. We are praying that the end is near and that we will ALL be well by Saturday. So, I stopped by the library for a few minutes on my way to the store to pick up some Lysol. Merry Christmas everyone!

Hello, December

Just a small update because I know it has been more than 2 weeks. The family is doing well. I am at the library right now with the boy. He is doing some reading in a nice comfy chair while I catch up on some computer work. We had an awesome Thanksgiving break. We all got to go to visit my family in Tennessee. Always love having a good visit with family. (The great food was just a bonus!) We are getting some snow. Nothing too bad, but it has been so cold it is hanging out for a while.

I am doing well. Feeling about the same. I go back for another MRI in January and see the doc in February. My doctors moved offices and changed to a different hospital they are affiliated with. I am still going to have my MRIs at the same place even though it is at a different hospital. This is sort of what the one I go to looks like.



The man who runs the machine is extra nice. I went to another hospital once and the lady there was not bad, just not extremely friendly. I felt like I was bothering her by being there. Anyways, I need to get home so I can fix some dinner. Homemade pizza is on the menu for tonight. YUM!

The Big Day

Well, the day has come and gone. I have imagined what it would feel like for some time now ever since some of my close friends and family members have gone through this before me. I knew it would happen eventually, you just don't know how fast it hits you. What am I talking about? I am talking about my birthday. I have now been alive for three decades. That's right the big 3-0. All joking aside, I am really thankful to have been blessed to have 30 great years. I feel great, no major melt downs. :) I have actually been trying to post something that I am thankful for everyday on Facebook for November. That has helped me have a very positive attitude. So, I say bring on 30, 40 and beyond. I will praise God with whatever time He allows me to have here.

Is it the MS or just Me?

One of the difficult things with MS is that some of the symptoms can be everyday things. For example, I struggle with fatigue. But I don't know how much is MS and how much is just me. I am trying to take some new vitamins and hope that it helps. The key there is trying because I forget to take my vitamins. I have never had a great memory and another thing with MS is cognitive problems. Do you see what I mean? I left a pot of water on the stove and forgot about it. However, I was trying to multitask and also get some laundry done. Anytime my feet or hands fall asleep I wonder if it is related to the MS and is going to last for days or just for a few minutes like everyone else. I try not to over think it. But some days I think about all the weird stuff I do and wonder if it is the MS or just me.

I'm Still Here!

I just have a few minutes, but wanted to put in a quick update. We are all doing well. I am feeling about the same. Still tired most of the time, but I try to take a nap when I can. We are trying to eliminate some of our bills. So, we do not have Internet at the house right now. We are very blessed to live close to the library. I will try to come here more often to give updates. Prayers for my family right now would be great. There are some changes with my husbands job. I know that we will get through this and that God will provide. It is just a little stressful when you don't know how everything is going to work out.

On a positive note, my boy is 10 today. I can't believe he is already 10. He is such a sweet boy. He loves to read and build things with Lego's. He is also very funny and quick to still give me hugs and I love yous. He loves Jesus and we talk about spiritual things often. I am very blessed with three wonderful children. They make me smile all the time. :)

Good News

Today was the day for my appointment. The doctor was running a little behind. And by little I mean 50 minutes. I did say that I am working on my patience. Well, when I was called back the doctor went over my MRI results first. He said that I have a new lesion but it was not enhancing. That means it is new from my last MRI but it was not active at the new MRI. He said that this was good and that maybe my medicine was finally working because this was my first MRI with no active lesions. I am going to stay on the same medicine for now and I will have another MRI and follow up appointment in 4 months. Thank you for all of your prayers. God is good all the time. "I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." Psalm 63:4

Working on Patience

I am a little nervous about my appointment next week. I would like for it to be sooner so that it would be over already. Ugh the waiting. I know that from talking to the nurse we might get some good news. However, I am anxious to hear what the doctor says. Good, bad, more waiting, whatever.....just ready to know.

Update

I got some good news. I talked to the nurse at my neuro's office about my MRI. The MRI did show a small new lesion, but it was not enhancing. The nurse told me that my doc said to keep doing what I'm doing. I am taking this as good news that the medicine is working. I am still going to my appointment to see the doc in a couple of weeks. I will be able to ask him more about the results then. I guess he could still say that he wants to switch my meds when I go see him. If he does, I will deal with it then. I feel ready to do what it takes to slow this crazy thing down.

Also, I am going to start a new diet. I did some blood work at my PCP and I have elevated cholesterol. I would have never have guessed. It is not very high where I need medication. My doctor told me to work on it with diet and exercise. I wanted to start exercising anyways because I do need to loose weight, too. Hopefully I will be able to figure out a healthier way to eat and get my numbers to where they are supposed to be. I also found out my B12 is on the low side. So, I will be adding a vitamin, too. Maybe with all of these changes I will get some more energy. I have been extra tired. I am going to look at my new diet with things in moderation not totally eliminating things. I unfortunately love bacon and eggs and most anything fried. :) The good news is that I love fruits and veggies. But don't look for me to be eating oatmeal all the time. Yuck! Unless it counts in a good batch of no bake cookies.

Where Everybody Knows My Name

Ok, so is it a good thing when medical professional start to regonize you? I mean I think it is good when my doctor doesn't act like it is the first time we are meeting and even the nurses in the office. However, now that the MRI tech knows me, it hit me as funny. It made me wonder if he gets to see lots of people on a regular basis? He has done all of my MRIs except one. (There was a mistake on my paperwork and they sent me to another hospital.) Luckily he is very nice and so are the other people at the hospital. But still, struck me as funny.

Dream with a Deadline

I am working on becoming a director with my business. That is my goal for this year. I have my own business where I help pamper people and their kitchens. I don't know if I am supposed to put the actual name on my blog. I need to read up on that. I love what I do. I think it is fun and the flexibility is awesome. I wanted to share my goal with you. I am usually not one to share my goals. I think it is a fear of failure that keeps me from doing it. But I know that failing doesn't make ME a failure, it just puts me one step closer to my goal. It means I have found something that doesn't work. I will learn from it and move on. Those are some of the things that I have been working on in my training. I know that I can do this. I just have to work harder to get it. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Two Girls and a Boat

I have been on vacation. I didn't talk about it a lot because it was almost too good to be true. I couldn't believe it was actually going to happen. Even when I was there it was unbelievable! My sister-in-law and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas. We had never been on one before and had no idea what we were doing. However, we went and had a great time. I definitely want to do it again. We ate lots of food, saw some beautiful things and just got to relax.

Front half of our cruise ship



Back half of the ship



My bed in our "spacious" cabin



The other beds



The "window" was actually just a curtain covering the wall



Beautiful Beaches




My sis-in-law eating warm chocolate melting cake



Garden of the Groves



We are on a ferry boat. I didn't get a picture of the boat. It was not in the best of conditions, but we got a good deal on the ride. :)



To go on this trip a lot of people helped get us there and helped with our families back home. Thank you to everyone who helped. We love you guys SO much. You are the best!

First Day of School

Today is the day that my Little Bit has been long waiting for. Today is the first day of school. It is her first day of Kindergarten. She was so excited. I haven't cried, but have a touch of sadness mixed with my happiness and excitment for them. In addition to Kindergarten it was the first day for my other two as well, Seventh and Fourth grade.

Here are the little two with their backpacks loaded.



All smiles as I leave her in the gym with her class.

Making Memories

I know very little about space. But when I heard about the Perseid Meteor Shower this year, I wanted to see it. I thought it sounded so cool. (Actually when I was a kid one of the things I wanted to be was an astronaut. Hey, maybe that should be the next thing that is blogged about with the fellow bloggers. Just a thought.) I remember my dad waking me up at some point when I was a kid to see a meteor shower. I don't remember if it was this one or not. The Perseid Meteor Shower is visible around the same time every year so it could have been. Anyways, so I heard that Thursday was the best night to see it. The best time was after midnight, but I was afraid I wouldn't feel like waking up sometime after midnight. So, before the kids went to bed I asked them if they wanted to go with me to see if we could see a meteor shower. They said yes and were very excited. (I know they had no idea what I was talking about. lol!) I decided to go so last minute that I wasn't sure of where to go. We ended up in my brother-in-law's driveway. My son and I were on a sleeping bag in the driveway while the Little Bit was asleep in the car. My oldest was not home. It was very cloudy and we only had a small window of sky to watch. We were about to give up and go home when we saw one! It was so cool. We tried to wake my Little Bit and hoped to see another one. However, we did not see another one and laying on the ground was starting to hurt my back. (No jokes about getting old.) I want to do this again next year. And next year we will be better prepared with more blankets or maybe even a lawn chair.

Smile.....but not too much

So, the day after I took my steroid treatment I went to get a new driver's license. We are in a new area, so I had to do some special things because it was my first time getting a license here. Well, I had to take a vision test and the written test. I also had to bring in proof I was who I say I am and I live where I say I live. That meant I had to find my birth certificate, marriage license, social security card, and two pieces of paper that had my address on them. I read the driver's manual twice because I heard from people that failed the first time they tried. Even the lady who handed me my test said she failed the first time. She works there! Anyways, I finally got all of the papers I needed and passed the test. My new card just got here today. (They mail it to you. Supposed to be more secure.) My picture is great. (Can you tell that is sarcastic?) My face is really red from the steroids. Also, you have to hold your head in a certain way and if you smile you can't show your teeth. Oh well, who ever likes their new license picture? It did give me a good laugh today. :)

Another Treatment

I had my last steroid treatment for now. This was my fourth one since my last doctor's appointment. It is supposed to help my other medicine work better. Next month I will go for another MRI. Then in October, I will go to the doctor and he will let me know what the MRI says and what we need to do. Just a little update, if my MRI shows no change I will continue on with my daily meds, no more steroids. If my MRI is still showing progression of my MS, then we will change my medicine again. That is of coarse if nothing else changes. That was the plan the last time I saw the doctor. We will see. I will keep you posted. I have been slightly moody today, but not too bad. I took two of the kids with me to the office. Robin, my wonderful nurse, took the kids down to the kitchen and got them a snack. They didn't want to leave with me. What does it say when they will trade you for a cinnamon roll? LOL :)

Short and Sweet

Some of the blogs I read are making a list of some of their favorite things. So, I thought I would play along. These are a few of my favorite things (Yes, I am singing it in my head as I type that. Feel free to join me!) in no particular order.

I like singing and music, especially when I am in the car.

I like the way little kids think. 1 + 1 isn't always 2 you know. Sometimes it is 11.

I like the mountains and the country. It's where I come from. :)

I like to laugh and make people laugh. Sometimes I can be a little too sarcastic.

I like to read. I can get into a good book and have lots of trouble putting it down.

I like the idea of a garden. I say the idea of one because I have not tried to do my own garden yet. I do like the wonderful things that come out of the garden. Yum! Maybe next year....

So, there are a few of my favorite things. I could go on all day, but I won't. This is a list of the little things. It doesn't include the obvious things that I love (God, family, friends). You hopefully know how I feel about those. :)

Waiting

Last night I wrote about how waiting is hard to do. This morning my devo was about waiting on the Lord. "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psm 27:14 was the key verse. The devo talks about David having to wait a long time to be king after he was anointed. I love how God can speak to us through the Bible. One of the other verses was Lamentations 3:24, "I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'" I just wanted to share what I woke up to this morning.

Sunday Naps

Sunday naps are awesome. I don't really know why I love a Sunday nap. I just think they are wonderful. Today I had a 2-3 hour nap. I think that the heat plus my busy schedule had me tuckered out. There are only about three and a half weeks left of summer break before school starts. I am amazed again about how quickly time flies. This summer has been busy but fun. I am trying figure out what all I can do and what is too much. I want to do all that I can. I don't want to put things off for later. Really shouldn't that be how it is anyways. I am trying not to think about my next doctor appointment. It is still three months away. I am a little nervous. I know that whatever the news is, it won't be anything I can't handle. I am working on my patience. The waiting is what will drive you crazy. But seriously, back to the important things. Sunday naps are one of my favorite things. Try one and I think you will agree. :)

Camp

I just returned from church camp. It was a lot of fun. I love seeing the kids who are singing from their hearts, the adults who volunteer to show them Jesus, the adults who work there all the time to make camp work, everything. I am very tired, but everyone who was with us is. We stayed up way too late and it is hard to sleep well in a different place. I am going to rest tomorrow and try to get caught up on laundry.

Chicago

I just came home from an amazing conference in Chicago. I learned so much and had tons of fun. I am ready to get to work on my business. I am going to make goals and then reach them. I am working on my plan now. It is going to be amazing. (That was our theme, "Be Amazing!") :)

I had some exciting things happen in Chicago. I rode in a limo with way too many people in it. We looked like a clown car coming out of that thing! I also rode in a cab for the first time. I ate at new restaurants and tried new foods. I even tried to talk with people that I didn't know. I am already planning to go back next year.

Summer

Ahhhhh.....summer is here. My kids have been out of school for two weeks now. We have already been busy. Here's one of the first things we had to do.



We have been to church camp and to visit family.





Trips to the garden for some veggies.



We also found a fun park.







So far we have had a very hot summer. I am hoping that it cools down some this month. A girl can dream right?

One of these days, Alice!

When I was a kid, I actually thought that my grandpa was in the Honeymooners. I was young and he did look some like Jackie Gleason. That memory makes me smile. Today has just been one of those days. The ones that seem to never end. I have been in a funk most of the day. Well, I guess after lunch it started. I had a wonderful lunch with my sister-in-law and her boys. My day just went downhill from there. There were tears and pouts and calls for help. And that was just from me! (sigh) It is now bedtime for the little ones. I can still hear them talking. I don't think they know how sound travels. They don't even whisper! Maybe they learn that next year in school.

Anyways, some of my blogging friends are blogging about pet peeves. I have had such a day that I am drawing a blank. The only thing that I can think of is I don't like to read people's patooties. What does it mean when I read "Game Time" across the seat of your pants? I know I could try to just not read them, but it is hard when it is "PINK" in bold green letters. That's all I can think of right now. I am going to remind the kids that it is bedtime, again.

Trying New Things

Yesterday was the first day on my new medicine. I think that it helped some because I had a very busy day full of new things. First thing the kids and I did was to find the local farmers market. We found it and bought some sourdough bread. We did not buy any veggies or fruits. It was my first time buying at a farmers market and I couldn't decide what to get. We will definitely go back.

Next, we went to the library. The kids and I love the library. The library has started its summer reading program. The kids get points for books they read. They can save up their points and earn little prizes. They are also entered into a drawing to win various larger prizes for every 20 points they earn. We spent probably an forty-five minutes looking for books.

After we loaded our haul of books into the van, we went over to a downtown festival. They had booths set up and activities for the kids. They had a fire engine. They had 3 bounce things; a bounce house, a huge slide and an obstacle coarse. There was also some ladies set up with free pony rides, face painting and music. I am sure I am forgetting something. It was very fun. I am excited to learn about these local activities.

We left there hot and hungry. After lunch, I went to an MS expo. They had a few vendors and they had various speakers. It was actually an all day event. I went for the second half after lunch. I was able to hear from a few MS doctors. I had almost talked myself out of going because I was going by myself. I was nervous. But I am glad that I went. I learned some new information. I made myself talk to some of the vendors. I am still very shy at times, especially when I am by myself. I wanted to talk to a few of the people there, but I didn't. I will work on that next time. Overall it was a great day!

All Juiced Up

I went to the doctor's office today for my steroid treatment. I think that it is so weird that IV steroids can leave an awful taste in your mouth. Yuck! And I might be a tad bit sensitive today....and maybe tomorrow. And I won't be playing in the church softball league either. :) I talked to the nurse about being tired all the time. Of coarse, today I wake up feeling pretty good and almost talked myself out of talking to her. The doctor is going to write me a prescription for a pill to try. The doctor was at the hospital when I was in the office, so the nurse is going to mail me the prescription. I will probably get it later this week.

I also talked some about what is going to happen when I go see the doctor in October. When I go back in October, he is going to look at my MRI and see if the MS is still progressing. If it is not, I will stay on my current medication which is an injection every day. (Doesn't injection sound nicer than shot?) If there is still progression, then I will stop my current medicine and switch to an infusion medication once a month. Robin, the nurse, keeps telling me not to worry about it. She tells me that the medicine is so much better now than it used to be. I am still feeling ok. I am just trying to be prepared for my appointment in October. Sometimes, when I get in with the doctor, I forget all of my questions. Or he tells me something unexpected and I don't know what to ask. If you are praying for me, please pray for continued peace and wisdom for me and the medical team treating me. I still feel an overwhelming peace about everything. I know that it is from God. I sometimes still get nervous or even scared about what is coming, but I can choose to flip a switch and focus on the joy instead. (That's a little bit from Sunday's sermon for ya. Thanks, Ron!) There have already been positive things that have happened because of my MS. I just keep trusting in Him and taking it day by day. Here is a verse I read yesterday, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" Romans 15:13.

Sun & Fun

We have been busy lately. We went camping over the holiday weekend. It was very fun and very hot. My mother-in-law and I also helped out with Field Day at the elementary school. It was very fun and very hot. Are you seeing a theme? And today we went to the summer camp we go to for a grand opening of their new pool. It was also very fun and very hot. Summer is not even officially here yet. I wonder if this is a sign about how the summer will go?

Next week I go to the doctors for another steroid treatment. I get to see my MS nurse. She is so nice. I like her a lot. I am going to talk to her about being tired all the time. I am hoping she has some suggestions for me. I'm not sure if the heat is making me more tired or if it is the MS or even my medication. I have a very busy summer coming up with the kids being out of school. I will need some more energy to keep up with them!

Berry Pickin' Time

When I was a kid we used to go pick strawberries. One of my mamaw's favorite stories to tell about me when I was small is when we went strawberry picking. It has to do with me eating lots of strawberries. I was very red and so was her shoulder from where I was holding on to her. I have not been to pick strawberries in a few years. My mother-in-law had the awesome idea of going. I am so glad we went. It was so much fun. Have I ever told you that I love strawberries?

Here we are on the ride to the strawberry patch.



Just getting started.




We had one or two samples to make sure they were good.



Last night I was up late making strawberry jam and putting away the rest of the strawberries. I didn't get to take a picture of all of the berries we bought, but there were lots. It is a good think that my van has a large trunk. Did I mention that I love strawberries?

Kindness of Strangers

I had a very busy day yesterday. I felt like I was running all day. After I took the big kids to school, Little Bit and I went to the grocery. My goal was to be done before 10:00. It was for no other reason than to not be all day in the store. We actually did really well and left before 10:00. After I had loaded the car, a man came up to put my cart away. He was not working for the store, he was just being nice. I don't know about you, but that doesn't normally happen.

Then at the end of my busy day, I went back to the pharmacy. I had been there earlier in the morning to pick up a prescription and drop off a new one. When I got my wallet out I noticed that my debit card was missing. I could not find it anywhere. I remembered using it last at the pharmacy earlier. So, I went inside and asked for my prescription. When she came back, I asked if by chance I had left my card. And would you believe that it was on my prescription bag?! They had found it and put it with my order. I don't know if I drove off before they gave it back to me or if I had left it in the drive through thing. Either way I am so very grateful that someone didn't take my card. I know those are small things, but sometimes just the kindness of strangers can make your day.

Beyond Blessed

Today has been a long day. We had a multi-family yard sale at my house today. I do not know why being out in the sun makes you so tired. We sold a few things. The rest of the "treasures" went to the Goodwill after lunch. I also heard some sad news about someone close to me and it made me think about my own life. I am beyond blessed in my life. I do not know why I ever complain. I have an awesome family. They all are so loving and supportive. I love working with my Pampered Chef business. I have a Savior who loves me more than I can imagine. What else can I say?

Do Not Be Discouraged

Deuteronomy 31:8, "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." This is from my Bible study this morning. I love how the Bible can speak to you in different ways every time you read it. I am trying not to feel discouraged and this is one of the verses I had in my study today. Wow is all I can say. It has been two days since my doctor's appointment and I am still feeling well. I told God on the retreat that I am ready for what He has planned for me in His eternal plans. I am still feeling very peaceful about that. I am less worried now that I have given this over to HIM. I, of coarse, would still love to know what is going to happen. Who wouldn't? I think I just needed to be reminded that I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

The Results Are In

Well, I went to the doctor today. There was lots of waiting. The doctor could not find my MRI results. We waited again. They finally found my results and we went to go over them in the doctor's office. He said that there was a new lesion from 4 months ago. My medicine is supposed to slow down the progression of MS. Our new plan is to stay with the medicine I am on, but I am going to take IV steroids once a month for 4 months. Then I will do another MRI and see the doctor a month after my MRI. If this approach helps then I will stay on my current medicine. If it does not then I will go off of this medicine and put on a new medicine. I went ahead and did my first round of steroids today since I was already in the office.

How am I feeling, you ask? Physically, I feel the same. Other than that I am a little disappointed. I had a feeling that this was going to happen because last time my medicine wasn't working as well as we hoped. I was hoping I was going to be surprised to find out that it was working the way it is supposed to work. It sometimes takes a couple of days for all of this information to sink in for me, too. Right now, in this moment, I am fine. I am feeling all the prayers that everyone has been sending up for me. I can still feel HIS peace around me. I know He has a plan for me and my MS.

Braces

My oldest just had an evaluation for braces. She is going to get them next month. She will probably wear them about 2 years. And the funny part is, she is so excited. I made her appointment for next month after school is finished. She is actually sad that her friends won't get to see them until after the summer break is over. She is contemplating her color choices right now. I will have to post pictures after the process is over. Wish us luck in our new adventure!

Another MRI....

I had another MRI today. I am very lucky to not be claustrophobic. I go to an open MRI, but I can see how it can bother some people. I really like the place where I go. The people are really nice. I even know one of the ladies there. I had her daughter in class a while back. I go to the doctor next week to find out the results. This will make 8 months on my new medicine. Hopefully, the doctor will be able to tell if my medicine is working or not. Sometimes life is full of waiting. It is quite appropriate that at church with Ben's class the virtue of the month is patience. I still feel peaceful. I can see God working in my life. "I lift my eyes up the the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

Peace

I went to a women's retreat last weekend. It was called Savior, Please. Our guest speaker talked about her husband who had ALS. And she talked about her faith during the three and a half years he lived after his diagnosis. It was such a wonderful retreat. I went there looking for some peace with my MS. I was in a small group setting and we were talking about struggles with certain things. I shared that I have trouble with trust. I worry about having to depend on people. And worry about the unknown. After I shared that with the group, along with crying with no tissues, I felt more peaceful. I think just saying what I am afraid of helps. I also said that I am willing to do what God has planned for my life. I know that He has a different perspective on things than I do. His focus is on eternal things. So, my prayer is Savior, please help open my eyes to see things with your perspective. I am ready for what you have planned for me.

Balloons

I took the kids to the Balloon Glimmer. It is where several people bring their hot air balloons and set them up right before dark. Then they light their fire to light up the balloons. It is really cool.



It really makes me want to ride in a hot air balloon. I am working on a list of things that I want to do in my life. You know, some fun stuff on like a bucket list. So, hot air balloon ride is on the list. I will have to blog about the list later.

Family Ties

Did you watch Family Ties back in the day? Well, I did. It was a sitcom show about the Keaton family. Michael J. Fox was one of the kids in the show. I was reading an article about him in Reader's Digest. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at 30. He has had his ups and downs with the disease and has a couple of books out. They printed an excerpt from his new book. A couple of things stuck out to me. He said, "I realized that the only choice not available to me was whether or not I had Parkinson's. Everything else was up to me." I like that. It is the same with my MS. I did not choose this, but I can choose what I will or will not do with my life.

He also said, "Don't spend a lot of time imagining the worst-case scenario. It rarely goes down as you imagine it will, and if by some fluke it does, you will have lived it twice." I think that it a good thought. It also made me laugh a little. The part about living it twice. I am trying to live this way, but sometimes it is hard to do. I have read about lots of things that can happen with MS. However, I have also read about how it doesn't always happen that way. I need to focus on what IS going on with me and not what might be. I pray I stay focused on Jesus, knowing that He will not give me more than I can handle.

The Gift

My hubby has been working really hard at his job. He works long hours, but overall loves what he does. His boss wanted to give him something for working so hard. He gave us a gift card to Great Wolf Lodge. We were able to use the gift card to pay for two nights at this huge hotel that has a water park inside of it. It was so much fun.




The park was not crowed at all. We had to wait in very short lines or no lines at all. The hotel also had a show they did at the big clock tower in the lobby.




Along with the water park, they also have this interactive game you can play. You look for different items to become a Magi. You have a wand that makes pictures talk and different things open. The kids took turns with the wand. It was pretty cool.






We want to think of a very special way to say thank you to his boss for giving us this mini family vacation. It was such a great experience for all of us.

Kindergarten

My youngest is now signed up for Kindergarten. She will go to half day Kindergarten in the fall. I am feeling really good about it right now. I am excited with her about going to big school. She has been talking about going to school with her brother since last fall. So cute! I may have a different feeling about it when the beginning of school gets closer. Kindergarten is such a big step. But for now I am really excited about her going to school.

The Ausmi

Today was the MS Walk. Last year I didn't look into it until it was too late and I wasn't sure I wanted to do it last year anyways. So, it was my first time. I had about 12 people on my team. Pretty good for my first year I thought. It is okay that half of them are children. They still count! The walk is to raise awareness about MS and to raise money for research and support for families with MS. It was a 3 mile walk. I think that everyone had a good time.

Here is our team.



Some of us got a little tired.




Some cool kids!





There are some honorary members of the team as well. My father-in-law has knee problems and my sister-in-law broke her toe yesterday. So her and her children couldn't come. And my wonderful hubby was at work.



I just want to say thank you to everyone who donated money and/or time to the MS walk. I am praying that one day they find a cure for MS. I am doing very well right now with my MS. However, I do know that one day I could wake up and not be able to walk or do something else that I could do before. It is very scary to think about sometimes. I try to focus on what I can do. And I try to look at life differently than I did before. I try to not put off what I want to do. I enjoy life more because of MS. Does that make sense? I am just so grateful for everything that God has given me. He has blessed me beyond what I deserve. So, again, thank you to all the people who support me. I love you all.

So, I had a good day!

So, today my hubby had the whole day off from work. We had a wonderful day working in the yard and around the house. We played with the kids and had just a really good day. He also received a gift from his work for all of the hard work he does. I am so proud of him. He works so hard for our family. I love him so much. So, I had a good day!

12? Really?

My oldest is 12 today. Wow! Time goes by so fast. She is now in the 6th grade, middle school. She is already taller than my mom. I can see she will be tall like me. It is hard for me to get my thoughts together about this birthday. She is so special to me. I just love her so much. Here are some pictures of my "baby".

Here we are at a mother/daughter tea.




Here she is an Oompa Loompa in a school play.

Spring Break Part 2

We had an exciting Part 2 of Spring Break. The kids and I went camping for the weekend. We went with my mother and father-in-law and two of my sister-in-laws with their kids. We had a great time during the day playing outside, riding bikes, blowing bubbles, playing on the playground. We were next to a river and the park had a beach area. The kids found some worms and made sand castles.





The exciting part was the night time. My mother and father-in-law have a RV. They slept in the RV with the older five of the six grandkids. They slept very nice and cozy in the RV. I shared a tent with one of my sis-in-law's and the other had her own tent with a pack-n-play for her little boy. We have camped in October for several years and know that it can get cold in a tent. We both brought heaters to help with the cold. The problem with the heater in our tent was that it didn't work. I am not sure if it was too small for my big tent or what. The point is we were beyond COLD! Brrrr!

The next night they were calling for some rain. We decided to put my sister-in-law's tent up and stay all in one tent. The wind was crazy! I have never been in a tent with the wind so strong. We were even talking about what to do if the tent actually fell down. The good news is we were warm enough and the tent did not fall down. The trip was still lots of fun. I love to go camping. It is so relaxing and I love watching the kids play with their cousins.

Spring Break Part 1

The kids have spring break this week. The kids and I went to visit my family in Tennessee. We had such a great time. We had a birthday party for two of the kids' cousins. It was a really fun outside party.

I got to visit with my grandparents and some of my aunts and uncles. My grandma made us lunch one day. Yum! She even made me an apple pie. I love apple pie.

We also had a fun afternoon at a museum. It is called Hands On Museum. So, there are lots of fun things to do there. Here the kids are in the science lab learning about polymers and making silly putty.



The kids also had some fun outside. I almost forgot! On Monday, we had snow flurries! I don't know how I could forget. I didn't think to take any pictures of the snow but here is one after it warmed up.




We have had an awesome spring break so far. We still have three more days of fun planned.

Bows and Bunco

Yesterday I went to my sister-in-law's house so the girls could play and we could try to make some hair bows. We organized our ribbon and looked online for some tips. We have not attempted to make bows before but have wanted to try. We found a cool website with a simple bow to make first. They looked like this.



Then we looked at a bow the girls already had. And made this next bow.



We had so much fun. We also had Bunco later that night. The girls that I play with are awesome. We eat great food, tell stories, laugh and eat some more great food. Oh and we also play Bunco! In case you do not know, Bunco is a dice game. It is a good excuse to have a girls night. Last night we almost all brought sweets to eat. We were all overloaded on sugar! Next month we may make the theme meats and cheeses.

Princess Party

Well, my baby is no longer a baby! My youngest turned five today. Didn't someone say something about how the days can be long but the years just fly by? That is so true. She is always asking when she can go to school with her brother. Then when I tell her it will be after summer, she complains that it is such a long time! I have been blessed with three wonderful kids who love school. Today has been a great day. It has been full of pizza, cake and princesses! Happy Birthday to my princess!