Blog, blog, fizz, fizz...

Fee-beyo!!!

2011-04-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

For those of you not up on toddler lingo, that's "To infinity and beyond!" It's one of the top phrases to come out of E's mouth these days. He's usually flying Buzz Lightyear around when he says it but there have also been several characters (not just Toy Story specific!) to take flight in this household. :-)

Yes, saving those Burger King toys from the early 90's has finally proved useful! He has carried Buzz and Woody, well, to infinity and beyond, it seems! They go to church, the store, the bathroom (following me, of course)...everywhere that little boy goes, they go. Poor Buzz is showing it. His space suit is a little grayer these days.

We found a book at Lowe's the other day (yeah- Lowe's. Who would have thunk it?) that had most of the Toy Story characters tucked away neatly in the back of it (small plastic ones). It even came with a "play mat" (laminated poster of Andy's room). Oh my goodness! He has carried those tiny things around with him (some are too tiny to trust him with and have been put away) almost as much as his two big guys. It's so cute to see him setting the toys up and talking to them (who knows what he's saying) until he jumps up with one (or two) in hand and yells, "FEE-BEYO!!" LOL. Love it!

We are full into the "terrific twos." Hehehe..yeah. He's such a strong-willed child! He tempers that by being the sweetest, huggiest, "I love Mommy/Daddy-ist" little boy, though! Because he and I spend most of our days together, I miss out on the greeting he gives to Dillon when he gets home ("HI Daddy!" and runs to Dillon to be swept up in his arms). The other night, we had his aunt Misti come over and watch him while we went to dinner and ran some errands. I was the first to walk thru the door and it was so cool! I heard this, "HI Mommy!" and then he ran to me and hugged my legs (b/c I had my hands full). Hugging my legs might have been sweeter than wanting me to pick him up...it was the perfect little welcome that I needed. I LOVE THAT BOY!

Bedtime. Oh, how I long for you and loathe you. Most kids, I've heard, get to bed by 8pm and sleep until 8am. Some, it's rumored, even have to be awakened by their parents to get going in the mornings. Our kid didn't get that memo, apparently. Yes, we did get a taste of the good life a few days after the time change. But it was short-lived. He was still going to bed at the same time, but he was waking up TWO hours later. It was so freaky at first that we would end up going into his room to make sure things were ok (despite having a video monitor). Most mornings, we found that he was already awake but just not calling out for us. It was bizarre yet lovely. Oh, and super-sweet, too. One of us would go up (around 9am) and open his door and get a sweet, sleepy-faced two year old who was so happy to see us, he would simply say, "HI Mommy/Daddy!" and give us big hugs. Happy. HAPPY! Where did this child disappear to in the past week? It started with him waking up at 8:45 one morning. The next, 8:30. Dillon kept saying it wasn't going to last- that the sleeping in was a fluke. I didn't want to believe it. The next morning? 8:00. NOOOOOOO. Sigh. Today? 7:10. We're back to the way it used to be. He gets so distraught with having to go to bed. He says, "Night night, couch, Mommy," indicating he wants to sleep there with me. I'd love nothing more to snuggle with my boy, but I want him to develop independent sleep habits.

We are going to be switching pediatricians soon, not because something happened, but because we live too far away from Dr. Myint's office. Our current pediatrician (as in, the one we are switching to) is 5 minutes from our house. Yeah. With this kid, 5 minutes is GOOD! He is already proving to be a boo-boo magnet (but is such a tough kid!) that I figure the next time a doctor is needed, it's going to be something like that and NOT heart-related or illness related. It's good to have someone close by and the entire staff at that office is amazing. We just need to convince E of that!! ;-)

Heart stuff. Well, that's going well, as far as we can tell :-). We see Dr. Thomas in June. It's been almost a year since we've had his heart checked on. I can't believe we made it that far!! WOW! Please pray that things will be hunky dory and that Ethan will do well for the EKG and echocardiogram. Neither are painful but both require him to be still (and not cry too much). Yeah. I just hope it's never bad enough where he has to be sedated. He already wigs out just when we want to weigh him.

We are trying to get him out and about as much as possible. I know that his mind is like a sponge and I want him to learn, learn, learn!!! We wanted to take him to see Thomas the Train when he was in Grapevine a couple of weekends ago but it happened to be the same weekend as our heart walk (to raise $$ for CHD research) and we were too pooped. I felt bad but then realized that he'll never know what he missed out on. Still, I wanted to "make it up" to him, so we (me, Dillon, and Dillon's dad) took him to the aquarium in Fair Park this past Sunday. We rode the "train (DART rail)" and he thought that was pretty cool (sans all the stops). He was ready to get off each time the train would stop (and you don't realize just how many stops it makes until you ride with a 2 year old!). Once at the aquarium, it was hard to keep him contained. Our way of looking at the fish was definitely not his way. At all. One would think you'd start at the first tank and methodically make your way around. Well, this kid was like a pinball and he wore his daddy out!!

There were two really cool experiences we had while at the aquarium: seeing an octopus and petting stingrays. Yes, we saw sharks and albino alligators and teeny, tiny seahorses but the two things that really stood out was the creepy, red octopus and the velvety-soft stingrays. They have this exhibit next to the octopus/starfish tank that has rubber octopus tentacles hanging out so the kids (or adults!) can feel of them and pose for pictures, etc. Well, Ethan wasn't too sure about them until Daddy and I got them and pretended that we were gonna get him (tickling). After that, he was grabbing and pulling and swinging them around, happy as a clam. We saw the tank nearby and a little flash of red, so we squatted down to investigate (actually, I think E had pointed out the starfish). Well, here swooped/swished the biggest, creepiest octopus EVER! It was so neat to watch it move across the glass and make itself pretty much invisible in the darkness of the rocks. Even though the glass was made where you could really lean into it, Ethan chose to keep his distance. The stingrays were VERY cool. I admit, I was a bit freaked at first. They'll swim right up to you as long as you keep your hand still. One of the workers told me make a fist and a hoard of them flocked to it (kind of freaking me out). She said it makes them think I have food. Thanks, lady! I don't want to be taunting the very species which was the death of one Steve Irwin, the craziest crocodile hunter to ever grace this earth! But, seriously, we were assured that these guys were harmless. Ethan was content to play in the water (he'd get them out quickly if he was paying attention to the stingrays swimming up to check him out) and we kept warning him not to splash. He delighted in the fact that I fed the stingrays a little fish and a piece of shrimp. I think he was more mesmerized by the dead minnow in my hand than the creatures swimming around him. He did end up touching one. He left his hand in the water and was listening to something his Grampy was telling him and one came up and brushed against his fingers. He jumped! It was cute! All-in-all, it was a great way to spend a Sunday.

Well, blogger friends, I have written a novel. I need to update more so I don't have so much to say. Yeah, right. I always have a lot to say!!!

UPDATE on Annabelle. She got her new heart this week!!! Please pray for her as her body adjusts to living with a WHOLE HEART instead of half of one (she had HLHS) and for the family whose baby gave her life by losing his/her own.

NATHAN is home and doing well! He needs prayers for gaining weight, fluid balance, and being able to wean from his vent settings (trach). I know there's something I'm forgetting..

Please pray for all the heart babies- not just at Medical City, but around the world.

Thanks for hanging in there. I promise to do better.

Amy

Itzabouttimeforanupdate...

2011-03-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

dontchathink?

Wow. Our little charmer is growing up so fast! I can't believe some of the things he says and does these days! One thing we are having issues with is him sneaking upstairs to the playroom (while we are downstairs- distracted- like good parents ;0)). I'll usually either hear him stomping around on the landing between the two flights of stairs or hear his train going after he's successfully made it to the top. I've reminded him that he needs to ask first so we can watch him go up the stairs and make sure he doesn't fall and get boo boos. His prompt response is "sawwy" in the uber-most pitiful and repentant voice ever. He'll come give a hug and a kiss and then he's all happy again as he hops away to play. If caught in the act before too many stairs are climbed, he'll come over, say "Hop up" and reach up for one of us to scoop him up. Then, he promptly gives a kiss and a hug and then another kiss for the cherry on top and says, "Peeeeease!" Ok. What CAN'T we give him after that cuteness???

I try to jot some of the above examples of sweetness and hilarity into my notes on my phone, just because I want to remember the tiniest thing from when he was little. I mean, I was just thinking today about how it's so very hard to remember what it was like when he was a baby. These thoughts came to mind as I was staring at the back of his cute little boy head while he napped, snuggled against me, on the couch this afternoon. As I lightly played with his hair, I thought, "Where did this little kid come from and what happened to my baby?" It was then that I realized just how hard it could be to recall things from the past 2 years. Such a short span of time! What will it be like when he's 10? 20? 30? How in the world will I be able to cling to all these precious memories?!?! It saddens my heart- though each day there is something new that makes me smile or warms my heart. It seems like for every new memory, 10 are wiped out! Maybe it's me and my "hard drive." LOL. I'm old. This is why we blog....and why I need to blog more!! Argh!!

Right now, I have three pictures of my little man staring back at me as they are propped up on the front of my computer. Ethan is probably 4 or 5 months old in them. Looking at the pictures, I remember where we were and sort of what we did that day but, beyond that, it's hard to remember Ethan actually BEING 5 months old! One picture is of my dad holding him. Those photo ops didn't happen often as, each time we'd get back for a visit, his mind and body would be slipping more and more away. It went from me being a little nervous about him holding our little squirmy worm to him not being able to hold him at all b/c he didn't have the strength. The pic standing before me just now is so special, but it's hard to remember that there ever was a day where Dad COULD hold him and interact. Man, I'm thankful for pictures!!!! I can't wait to show Ethan tomorrow and hear him say, "PaPAW!" in the super-excited way he exclaims things he's discovered or notices. LOVE it!

I haven't blogged since my dad died, have I? Oh. Man...it's been a while, huh?

I kind of thought he would live for a lot longer. I know things were looking kind of grim, but he's one of the toughest cookies I've ever known and VERY stubborn (I had to get it from somewhere, right??). I just knew he'd tough it out another 5-10 years just to prove people wrong. Ah, but his heart was with my mom who left us in 2003 and, well...once your heart goes, your body is soon to follow.

Dad passed away on January 25, 2011 at 6:25pm. He had been batting urinary tract infections and had just been released from the hospital a couple of days before. It happened so quickly- questionable behavior around 12:30 that afternoon and then an ambulance ride to the ER. His lungs were filling with fluid. His body was shutting down. It happened quickly. It happened peacefully. I wish I could have gotten there in time. I had gotten word he was in the ER and that I should start thinking about coming home sooner (we had planned a trip for later in February). As things declined, we hurried to pack up the car (planning to drive through the night) but dear old Dad just couldn't wait any longer. I'm 100% ok with that. He needed the rest and release. I just hate it that he never got to hear Ethan say his name. We drove through the night, anyway, just so we could get there. It seemed like the thing to do.

Ok. What else is going on around here? Ethan knows most of the alphabet. He absolutely loves reading letters and will find them EVERYWHERE! He gets SOOO excited! It's so funny. It seemed like he wasn't ever going to get it. We've had his Alphabet Train since before he turned 1 and I used to sit in the floor and call out the letters on each block as we stacked them. Well, he wouldn't even slow down long enough to care and just delighted in destroying my stacks! It got to where if I thought about it, I would point out letters here and there. It really helps that he watches shows like "Word World" and "Super Why." I guess there's just something about a cartoon character that makes learning a lot more fun than listening to Mom. ;-) My thing is, he knows the letters in their capital form. How in the world do you teach them lower case letters? He sees lower case b's and d's and calls them "P!" ;-)

From a health standpoint, he seems to be doing great. He's still a grazer as far as eating goes, but he will pack away the strawberries and eggs if given the chance. He's not as big a veggie eater as he used to be (why does that happen??) but I'm just glad he eats! He burns it off as fast as he takes it in, though! We go back to see Dr. Thomas in June. Yes, June. It's been FOREVER since we've gotten a peek inside that little ticker and we are fighting the urge to see if we can move his appointment up! The ol anxiety is starting to creep up. I mean, he looks and acts GREAT but he was looking and acting great the day they found the scar tissue in his pulmonary artery and told us he'd need surgery. Ah, the woes of a heart parent! Man, though! After meeting so many heart families in the past two years, we consider ourselves very fortunate that this is all we are worried about. So many babies and kids have such uphill battles to face and some, sadly, have lost. You rejoice with the milestones but grieve (hard) for the losses. It hurts. It takes a big toll. Sometimes, I wish I'd never heard of CHDs.

Well, I think I've written enough for a month's worth of blog posts in just this one so I had better go.

Heart hugs and prayers for our friends: Nathan (hopefully going home soon after spending his first 9 months of life in the hospital), Bowen (recovering from his 2nd open heart surgery and doing great!), Garon (Tetralogy of Fallot- having a tough time), Kyle (post-Glenn and trach), Thomas (upcoming surgery), Caiden (upcoming surgery) and Annabelle (awaiting her sparkly new heart). If I have left someone out, I apologize. We pray for these little ones daily.

If you're in the Dallas area, come walk with us April 2nd as we work to raise funds and awareness for CHDs! It's $20 to walk (per adult). If you can't walk, give :0): http://imhwalkforchd.kintera.org/ldhs/ethankyle Our team name is Heart Budz.

Much love,

Amy

From my heart to yours..

2011-01-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

The writing bug always seems to nip at me in the wee hours of the morning. It would be fine if I didn't have a sweet little boy who knows nothing of the term "sleeping in." This post may not be what it would have been, had I let the urge to write overtake me...but, we'll see.

I know I've only posted a couple of times here about congenital heart defects. I guess the main reason is that I do a lot of updating on Facebook. Not about us, mind you- Ethan is doing just fine and there shouldn't be anything to report until we see Dr. Thomas in the summer (and that is a routine check up)- but because we're now part of a "family." I like to keep everyone in the know about "our" heart babies and kiddos.

It boggles my mind, even though I know the statistic "1 in 100," but it's crazy how many people we know now who have children with CHDs. You really don't realize just how far "into" it all you've gotten until you feel like shouting from the rooftops at the slightest bit of good news. Seriously. This happened to me just this week. I follow lots of little ones' stories on Facebook, Twitter, and through friends of our support group. There have been so many highs and lows and, sadly, a few losses. It seems like, lately, there was bad news after bad news (but only after GOOD news- that's where it gets ya. You finally see some light at the end of the tunnel and then someone reverses the tracks and you're sent careening somewhere entirely different for a while!). Well, after this, at least two families I know of got some really good news on their kiddos' status and that was enough to send me over the moon! Actually, make that three. A precious little boy was born, feared to have HLHS and it ended up he had an obstruction in his aorta (of the three outcomes the doctors prognosticated, this was the least invasive to repair). He had his surgery yesterday and is doing quite well. His parents literally witnessed a miracle in their son. I can't fathom the joy they must have felt- but I also know the fear of letting your baby go into the arms of the waiting anesthesiologist to take him to the OR to have his little heart operated on. What a roller coaster. Join with me in praying that their ride stays smooth and they are able to get home very soon.

I'm not sure where this blogsite is going to go. I don't know if I should keep it "random" or if I should just dedicate it to "heart stuff." My life IS pretty random, but the "heart stuff" will always be part of it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?

By the way, speaking of "heart stuff," Congenital Heart Defect Awareness week is coming up! Please be thinking of how you can give back to those who save tiny (and big) hearts. I have some ideas so, if you are needing help, look to this blog or shoot me an email or something. Our support group (Amazing Little Hearts) has some activities planned for those of you in the DFW area (including a blood drive!! GIVE BLOOD!) and I'm hoping to get something going with our very favorite pizza joint here in McKinney (as far as a fund-raiser goes).

Our friend, Matt Hammitt of Sanctus Real, has just completed a cool project filled with songs inspired by his family's CHD journey with their little heart warrior, Bowen. I'm so excited about this! I'm not sure when everything will be ready for release, but you can bet your sweet bippy I'll be blasting the news all over the Internet when I find out. His little boy is gearing up for his 2nd open heart surgery in March. Please check out Bowen's progress here. You can find out more about the band at www.sanctusreal.com.

Prayer requests:
Baby Annabelle- she will probably be listing for a heart transplant soon. This isn't the path they expected to travel down, but they are doing what they can to adjust and prepare.
Baby Nathan- what a tough little dude! He's trying so very hard to get out of the hospital before he has to have his 2nd open heart surgery (the Glenn). Things just keep cropping up to keep him there. Pray that he can get outta dodge soon!
Baby Caiden- miracle boy! Pray his recovery from his OHS yesterday is speedy and smooth
Baby Garon, who just turned 1 year old along with his twin, Aaron (BOTH boys have Tetralogy of Fallot)- pray that this little man can grow strong and get home to be with his brother. He's had lots of ups and downs lately.
Baby Bowen- his Glenn surgery is March 2. Pray that his blood sugar levels stay stable and he stays nice and strong and healthy between now and then.
Baby Hudson- had his Glenn today
Dylan- had his Fontan today.
Dr. Mendeloff- he is the surgeon making all these hearts whole (except for Bowen and Annabelle, who live out of state :-)).

Know that there are so many I haven't mentioned here- the pediatric cardiac unit is at capacity as we speak. Pray for these little ones and their families.

Thank you!!

Because I'm up way past my bedtime but wanted to update this..

2010-12-29T23:14:00.000-08:00

I'm copy/pasting what I just wrote on Ethan's CaringBridge page :-)

I can't believe 2010 is coming to a close already! It's been a great year for our family, despite my father's declining health/battle with dementia. If you think about it, please pray for him and those back in Alabama who are caring for him. I miss the "good ol days" when the worst thing that happened was a lost set of teeth. At this point, he's not able to get up out of a chair by himself.

Wow. Sorry for starting off with such a sad paragraph there! It's just that, I was reflecting on "our" year (as far as Ethan's heart health) and kind of looked past all the issues with Dad. I didn't want to leave it at "It's been a great year..." without including him b/c, while it's been a good year out here in TX, it's been kind of bad at times back home.

Soooooo...

We have had a big December! Ethan turned two, as you know, and we closed on a new (to us) home in the great city of McKinney. Since he's two, we could have gifted him the stairs in our home for Christmas AND his birthday, because he sure does love tromping up them and scooting (on belly or bottom) back down! Santa who? No, we couldn't do that! While we didn't get a great photo-op with Santa (the two pics we have, I'm practically in Santa's lap with Ethan clinging to me for dear life!), I tried explaining the wonderment of belief in preparation for next year and E did score some great loot from the jolly fellow clad in red. Next year should be a hoot!!

We had our annual Amazing Little Hearts holiday party on the 11th (the day after movers came and moved most of our stuff from our old house to the new, leaving my inlaws to figure out the rest- bless them!) and it was great, as always. It was really neat to see "new" families with their babies OUTSIDE the hospital- it's hard to believe Ethan was ever that small! It's also great to be able to see Dr. Mendeloff and Dr. Thomas in a more relaxed setting. Dr. M is still on level with Santa as far as popularity! There is always a long line to say thanks, share a hug, or snap a quick photo. We love our doctors!

Christmas Day, we joined the rest of our ALH families who could make it and took food to the Congenital Heart Surgery Unit at Medical City for staff and families to partake. What a hit! I have never seen so much food, and so much variety! We had traditional dressing and the normal veggies, ham and rolls, TAMALES (homemade!), HUMMUS, stuffed grape leaves, various salads and yummy desserts. We ate well and the nurses and staff were shocked at the spread we left for them. Our families are awesome! It's great to give back, especially after you've spent your baby's first Christmas (and New Year's) in the hospital.

One thing we can be thankful for through all of this (and all the ups and downs and losses I've seen in the lives of families around me, whether in person or via the Internet) is that we don't take anything for granted with Ethan. Sure, he tries our patience and sure we get onto him for different things but, we love that little boy more than anything on this earth and we know how special he is and how lucky we are to have him with us. He is definitely a firecracker but tempers that with amazing charm and sweetness. One of my favorite things he does lately happens at bedtime. Dillon and I have a routine where we both help get him changed and his teeth brushed and we both take him to his bed and let him "jump" in (after we've had our hugs and kisses). We then say our prayers and tell him good night. Used to, that would be enough and it's finally OUR time to just do whatever. For a while now, he's been calling out for us, usually with a "Yayayayayaya!" It is comical to make him wait and see what other forms of "Yayayayaya!" he comes up with. Every once in a while, he'll throw in a "MAMA!" or "DADA!" but it's mostly, "Yayayaya! Ya ya! Yayayayayaya!" Anyway, one of us will go in and he'll immediately lay down, expecting to be covered up and then we leave again. Now, when I go in there, he'll wave his hand towards the ground (asking me to sit in front of his bed), stretch out his little arm and say, "Hand," wanting me to reach thru the slats and hold his. This means I'm going to be at least 5-15 minutes in the hole on my "me" time but do you think I sternly say no and tell him to go to sleep? No way! I know these days are short and I love the feeling of his little fingers wrapped around my index finger (and sometimes my thumb if he's really ambitious and gets me with both his hands!).

I sit in front of his crib, stroking his little knuckles with my thumb and try and remember what it was like when those little fingers only took up 1/4 to 1/2 of my finger. Where has the time gone? My baby boy is becoming more of a big boy every day and it pierces my heart yet warms it at the same time. I love him with every fiber of my being and promise him every night, during the sweet time when he clings to my finger for all it's worth, that I'll not take a minute of our time together for granted, all the while asking God to help me be the mom that Ethan deserves. I pray for Dillon and me. I pray for our family. Sometimes, I sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or make up some other song that when I'm done, I wish that I could remember the words. I know these moments won't last forever.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read this. Thank you for joining with me in praying for families with heart babies/kiddos and those others who have kids who are facing serious health issues. Ben Clough and Bayleigh Phillips come to mind, as well as those who just spent their first Christmas without loved ones or lost loved ones (even yesterday- rest in peace, Susie). May 2011 bring you many blessings and that you will take the time to stop and appreciate life and the good AND bad around you for it's through the bad we learn to savor the good. God loves you. He has a plan for you in all this crazy madness.

Happy New Year!

Amy, Dillon and Ethan

LifeDiscipler

2010-12-07T22:52:00.000-08:00

Recently, I received a neat little gadget to test out and review. It’s called the LifeDiscipler (www.lifediscipler.com). Some of you may have seen it in the most recent Family Christian Stores catalog but for those of you who have never heard of it, rest easy. It’s the new kid on the block in the land of electronic Bible gadgets.

The LifeDiscipler looks like a small mp3 player. In fact, the “main button” underneath the screen resembles the wheel of a certain “fruity” mp3 player some of you probably own. It’s not quite as advanced, but it gets the job done and lends some familiarity and intuitiveness.

One thing I noticed right away (and the developer pointed it out in the letter he enclosed with the product) is that the LCD screen isn’t backlit. This saves the consumer quite a bit of money in the long run but, for this iPhone addict, it was hard to adjust to. I have a Bible app on my phone that I use a lot and I also read books via several other apps. The fact that I’m used to such a larger (brighter) screen kind of was a handicap to getting used to the LifeDiscipler. However, the makers weren’t thinking of only the techies when they developed the product. They have strived to make it as accessible as possible and as affordable as possible. Just know that you will need to be in a well-lit area to properly view the screen. Also, if you want to share (have someone look on with you), you’ll be better off just passing it back and forth.

All this talk and I haven’t really told you what the LifeDiscipler does! Well, it’s kind of like a concordance with a few more bells and whistles. Turn the gadget on (easy to find on/off switch on the back) and after the logo appears, the main menu greets you. Without reading the instructions, I was able to navigate the menu items without too much difficulty. It took a quick glance to see what the difference between “search” and “subject” was (both bring up the topical list from A-Z but when you click on “subject” to access the list, you can actually have the device send you verses on your topic in 15, 30, or 60 minute intervals. Find a verse you really like? There’s an option to add it to your favorites. Needing to hide His word in your heart? Scroll to the bottom of the verse (the same place where you’ll find the “favorites” option) and click “memorize.” It files each verse away for you! There are 44 different life subjects with more than 1500 verses. One downside that could be a potential hang-up for some is the fact that there is no one translation that the LifeDiscipler uses. Each verse is from a different version of the Bible. There is no way to edit this. Versions I have come across are: TNIV, NIV, NLT, NKJV, NCV. Again, not a major flaw- but to each his own.

The MSRP on the LifeDiscipler is $29.99. If you enter the coupon code “GROW20,” you will receive 20% off! This code is good through December 30, 2010.

For me, I still like the feel of the pages of my Bible turning in my hand. When I need to find a verse while on the go, I’ll probably use my iPhone. BUT this is a nifty little tool- especially for times when you would like to pass the time productively (while in a waiting room, on a coffee break, etc) and if you don’t already own a smartphone (or would rather chunk it out the window than spend another second with it!). If you just read that last sentence and agree with me, “Anger” is the third choice down on the “search” menu! ;0)

Homeless for the Holidays

2010-11-18T21:58:00.000-08:00

The nice people of BuzzPlant sent a DVD for me to review recently. It's called "Homeless for the Holidays" and we finally got to watch it tonight. In case you have an itchy clicker-finger, here is the movie's website: http://homelessfortheholidaysmovie.com

It seems like finding a good family-friendly movie isn't as difficult to find anymore and, for that, I am grateful. I am thankful that there are people who make sacrifices so that we can gather around the television without having to worry about covering little eyes and ears. "Homeless for the Holidays," while having some "cheesy" moments, doesn't fail to deliver in this aspect. The movie actually is approved by the Dove Foundation and I have to agree with their assessment. It's so refreshing to sit down and enjoy a show without any awkward moments. In fact, the only time I squirmed in my seat was when I tried to put myself in the lead character's and his family's shoes. Without giving anything away, this film has a great storyline and will make you think about your own life.

Cheesy? Yes- there are some parts that I hate to use that word to describe, but there is really only one scene that I think the movie could have done without and maybe the final cut won't have it (grocery store). As far as the "faith-based" part- none of that was cheesy at all. :-) Nothing was cut-and-dried or storybook- some things you think might happen won't. I like that it wasn't too predictable.

One of the best parts about this movie is that it's based on a true story. When you walk away from it, you won't be thinking, "Yeah, right! Like that would EVER happen!" Well, I hope that, regarding the things that play out in the ending, that these things never will STOP happening and that we will all strive to be like the Baker family.

If you get bogged down in the middle, please hang on and bear with the film. You won't be sorry. Ah, and watch the credits for some pretty funny outtakes!

I know this was done on a very small budget and I applaud the producers and actors and everyone involved. I'm very thankful for a film that makes my family think and reminds us what the Reason for the Season is all about. I hope that, as people view this movie, they will focus on the story and not so much the smaller details.

If any of you are interested, you can buy "Homeless for the Holidays" on DVD in select Christian bookstores as well as the website mentioned above. Here is the link again: http://homelessfortheholidaysmovie.com In fact, I just saw it advertised in our Family Christian Stores circular :-).

Happy viewing and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Amy

Heart strings yanked on, once again!

2010-10-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ok. I am full of restless energy tonight and I thought I would take it out on you guys. Yes, all three of you! ;-) I don't even know who reads my entries but, you are in for a humdinger tonight!! Maybe.

So, this "heart world" sure can take you for a ride. One minute, you are celebrating a victory and the next, you're trying to figure out what hit you b/c things change like *snaps* that.

Rest easy- Ethan is 100% A-ok. He is presently snoozing on the futon. YES, the futon (in his room). He has decided his crib is meant for WWF type moves and not for sleeping! I don't have to worry about him falling off the futon b/c it slopes toward the back so he's as snug as a bug in a rug. I love that kid so much. I got to spend all day with him (We were out all afternoon, just he and I and then Dillon is not feeling well, so once he got home from work, Ethan and I had more adventures on our own) and it was so much fun just watching him. We went to Chick-fil-a and after getting a few pieces of chicken and fruit into him, we headed into the play area. There were some older kids in there (the eldest being 6) and he had a BLAST! Someone was looking at our house today, so we had to be out for 2 hours. Usually, on days like this, we end up at good ol CFA (I'm surprised they don't have a booth named after us) and that means plenty of playmates for Ethan. We actually met a little boy who is a day younger than him! He was a firecracker and loved doing what the big boys were doing. I'm kinda thankful Ethan is a bit more reserved (now, if he were alone, he would have been jumping all over the place). I was a tad nervous that someone was going to get hurt, but they all did well. After that, we took a break to "eat more chikin" and then more playing. This time, his playmates were little girls. He LOVES little girls! I rested a bit easier b/c they weren't anywhere near as wild as those boys were! He had a great time. He had such a good time that he fell asleep while we were shopping at Target! Yup. Leaned right over on the handlebar of the shopping cart and nodded right off into dreamland. Poor kid! Once we got home, though, it was full-speed ahead and we played outside the rest of the afternoon.

Ok- back to what spurred me to write. I just wanted to make sure you guys knew Ethan was good.

"My" heart babies. They are mine because I pray for them, think about them, worry about them, weep for them, get excited when I see their pictures and want to buy stuff for them, just like a mom. Of course, I have NO WAY of knowing exactly what their mommies and daddies are going through, so don't get me wrong there! I just want you to realize how much I love these precious ones. Yes, even ones I have not met. I rejoice when things go well and cry and rail when they do not. Today hasn't been a day of rejoicing for at least two of "my" kiddos.

Little Bowen had been doing pretty well, heart-wise but just hasn't been able to have a good, steady blood sugar reading. His is waaaaay too low. Doctors are trying to figure out the cause and have even mentioned possibly transferring him to another hospital, which sent his parents reeling b/c they never imagined being in the hospital for as long as they have. Something I have realized is that, even though the "heart stuff" works itself out (for the most part), something else seems to crop up whether it's feeding issues or something else. It kind of waylays you (is that the proper spelling?). I know that Matt and Sarah are missing their daughters a lot and don't want to spend more time away from them than they have to. They had asked for prayers to that end and then today, Bowen started having seizures :-(. At the time Matt updated, he was acting normal but they think he could have had a stroke. I did some reading about hypoglycemia in infants and saw that seizures and other issues are part of the "side effects." Oh please, won't you pray with me that this was a one-time thing and that there are no lingering effects from what happened today? Pray that the doctors will figure out why his blood sugar is so low and find a remedy for it. Pray that Matt and Sarah will feel the peace that passes all understanding and that they would feel God holding them close.

Nathan has been doing fairly well. He continued to battle fluid build up and some other things (had to have a couple heart caths and a stent placed) but was able to feed from a bottle nipple a few times (even drank 40ccs of formula out of one! That is half of one of his feeds!!! Otherwise, he gets his nutrition via his g-button) Well, he was grouchy and fussy the past couple of days and ended up needing a blood transfusion today. He also had a bit more fluid than they'd like so they gave him an extra dose of IV diuretics. The IV is something he needs to get off of in order to go home, as well as learn to breathe using the home vent (different settings than the hospital vent). He was able to practice 4 hours yesterday but tuckered out. Because of how rough he had it today, they didn't want to push him. Please pray that things go back on the upswing for him. He's been in the hospital every day of his 4 months of life. He also has only had one of the three stages of surgery to restructure his heart (both he and Bowen were born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome), and the 2nd stage usually happens around 6 months of age. His parents would like to have him home for a little bit prior to that, if possible.

UPSWING ALERT! Greta has been having a great couple of days!! If you recall (I think I wrote about it), she was having a terrible time, post-Fontan, with fluid issues. I mean, they were pulling up to 600cc's of fluid off her little body! She had a couple of procedures (and heart caths) and something finally worked! She's starting to eat again and has no chest tubes and even removed her oxygen (yes, SHE removed it) last night. Her sats stayed where they need to be, so she's officially tube-free! They are hoping she gets to go home in the next couple of days. That would be WONDERFUL!!

So, after writing all that, I don't feel as jittery as I did when I started. I just feel like shouting from the rooftops for everyone to stop what they are doing and pray for these babies. 1 in 100 babies is born with a heart defect. It's estimated that 9 die per day. NINE babies. Every day. I just think about this and it slays me. One thing that has been plaguing me lately is this. Think about your child being born- maybe he/she was diagnosed prior to, maybe not- and then going through surgery and fighting through so many things and then not making it. How in the world do these parents cope? I know two very strong women who experienced this recently. I'm not sure I'll ever be brave enough to ask. I mean, it ripped my heart inside out when we found out about Ethan- both for his first surgery and his second. His second was so hard for us b/c he was 4 months old and we'd really bonded with him. We were terrified of losing him. Praise God that it wasn't his time and he made it through everything and is still with us. I am praying the same for the babies mentioned above. There are also several others that I've "met" via prayer requests online, whether it be Facebook, a blog or Twitter. Annabelle is having her Glenn procedure tomorrow morning. Another little one, Logan, is being transferred to another hospital to undergo a procedure soon, as his heart isn't in good shape right now.

Please pray for these and for the others out there yet to be diagnosed.

Thank you!!!

The Seven Minute Difference

2010-10-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

I was recently given a couple of materials to peruse and review. This is the first time I've actually been asked for a "formal" review about something and, I'll be honest, I'm a bit nervous. Bear with me :-)

Allyson Lewis has written a few books and I've had the privilege of reading The Seven Minute Difference over the past few weeks. To be honest, I have had the book for quite a while but just haven't found solid time to really "dig" into it til just about a week ago.

"The Seven Minute Difference." In this "microwave" society, the thought of something having an impact in just seven minutes (the average attention span of people- yes, I learned that from the book!) is quite intriguing, especially for this busy mom of a zany almost-two-year-old boy! Sign me up!

Ahhh. Were you thinking about a quick fix? This is a book, silly! The "Seven Minutes" part is only a fraction of the whole enchilada that Allyson lays out for us. It is the main ingredient, if you will, but we are talking about changing how you look at life and how you look at yourself. Where are you now and where do you want to be? What is your purpose in life? Oh wait. Too heavy? Well, I thought so, too, but we must take time to sit and really think about this kind of stuff if we want to do more than just eke our way through life.

This book is pretty much geared for professionals and entrepreneurs. People who run a business. Wait. People who run businesses manage people, right? They work with budgets, yes? They try to maximize efficiency and productivity, oftentimes wearing different hats. Hold on. Sounds like a position I'm familiar with. BEING A MOM! Ok. So, I read on and gleaned a lot of information- not only from this book but about myself. Yes, it's kind of like homework so be prepared to sit down in a quiet place and have something handy to write with. Better yet, break out your handy dandy "7 Minute Life Daily Planner." Don't have one? It's set to hit the shelves on 10/21 and is the perfect companion to Ms. Lewis' book I mentioned earlier. I have used both a notebook and the planner so far.

I haven't finished the book yet. I am only halfway through. I will admit that a couple of chapters didn't appeal to me because they did seem to be business-oriented (dealing with clients, networking successfully, etc) but I can tell you that some of the concepts presented gave me some ideas for the non-profit I help out with.

Would I, as a mom, purchase this book/planner? To be honest, I probably wouldn't. I am super-blessed it was given to me because I have learned a lot from it. The very first thing Allyson asks of us is to think about our purpose in life. Have you ever really sat and thought about that? She encourages us to look at our strengths and ways we can enhance them. Negativity? Get that out of your life! "Your negative illusions do not define you." Those criticisms you have for yourself? She asks how you think your loved ones around you would feel if you pointed out each and every one of their faults in the same manner you chide yourself. Wow. That is really some food for thought. She implores us to dream big: "Our dreams influence our actions and therefore help form the blueprint of our lives." This book has really given me the opportunity to sit and reflect on who I am and where I'm going. Goal-setting has always been really hard for me but she makes it easier by implementing things called "micro-actions." These micro-actions help give us momentum to plow through what used to be our mundane lives.

Passion. Dreams. Service. Priorities. Goals. Success. There is no room for failure or to dwell on past mistakes. Allyson provides the tools we need to get moving with our lives by not only sharing her experiences but also giving us another tool for achieving our life's purpose: "The 7 Minute Life Daily Planner." We must de-clutter not only our thoughts but our desks and our schedules and this book is something she devised to assist in this endeavor. It is broken down into 90 day segments because, she notes, in the business world, 90 days is plenty of time to gauge if a plan is working and goals are being met. It's also short enough to maintain motivation. I am just now getting into using the planner, but I hope to have some more feedback on it for you guys, soon. Just flipping through it has me kind of excited. There are pages devoted to sorting through mental clutter, daily progress reports where you can jot down those you've networked with, unfinished tasks and even how much water and exercise you got on a particular day! She leaves no stone unturned! We will see if it jibes with my "Stay-At-Home-Mom-ness."

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more!

[EDIT] I forgot to put the link in for the book/planner! Please click here to read more!

Amy

What's next on the horizon..

2010-10-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

I have another blog entry to post but I feel like I need to tie up some loose ends from my previous entry one.

A lot has transpired since I last wrote. Probably the most impactful was that Joshua and Ewan both earned their wings. Their hearts were made whole by the One who let us borrow them on this earth for a bit. Oh, you may ask, "Why give them life and then take it away?" Let me tell you that these two boys did more in their short days on this earth than many of us will in our lifetime. They have truly left a legacy. Yes, it hurts (It literally tore my heart in pieces and I can not FATHOM what it did to their mothers'!) but both moms were gracious enough to invite us on their journeys from birth to death- and I have seen miracles. Even though God didn't heal them like we would have wished, He did a lot of healing of hearts here on earth through their death.

Jamar got to go home to be with his family in Louisiana. I know that was a big blessing to everyone. Last I heard, he was being a bit of a sleep Nazi but doing well ;-).

Greta and Nathan have been duking it out with chest effusions and the like for several weeks. FINALLY it seems that dawn is breaking and things are moving in the right direction. I was able to see Greta this evening at our heart support group meeting and it was good to see her out and about. She is still in the hospital but they already removed her chest tubes and IVs and she's starting to eat again. Nathan has been able to take some formula by mouth for the first time since he was born- which is amazing! It's been baby steps (he's taken in 15ccs at the most), but he's not aspirating any of the milk and seems to be tolerating it well. They don't want to push him, but have allowed him to do a couple of feeds a day like this (he gets most of his nutrition via a mickey button in his tummy). His mom is meeting with the doctors tomorrow to discuss the plan of action for the future. I sure hope he is able to go home soon!!

Bowen is still doing well despite some feeding issues and low blood sugar. They did some genetic testing but I haven't heard if they got the results back on it. Just continue to pray he feeds well and the sugar thing gets under control soon so he can go home! Let's ask God to let him do this in time for Halloween so he can dress up with his sisters!

Lastly, Ethan may be coming down with something. He woke from his nap today barking like a sea lion. It was so strange. He was fine this morning and then all day before his nap (2:30pm). Not a runny nose- nothing. I let him go to the support group meeting tonight b/c once he woke up and got moving, he was fine. No cough. No whining. Nothing out of the ordinary. At the meeting, he romped and played. We got home and he was fine. Put him to bed and 2 hours later I hear the bark and then a cry. I go in and I was afraid he was having an asthma attack (he does not have asthma but Dillon and I both did as children)!!! He wasn't. His breathing was fine, sans a little "snottiness." Oh boy. No fever (same as today). Just the barking. He was pretty scared and wanted me in there for a few minutes. I have almost talked myself into just sleeping in his room tonight. The problem with that is, he's decided the past few days that he needs to sleep on the futon in his room instead of in his bed. Mommy will have to bunk in the floor. I guess we'll see if he wakes again before I go to bed (it's already midnight- I should be heading there soon but I have another entry to post!).

Talk to ya in like a minute!

Pulling on my heart strings..

2010-09-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

Not sure where to start with this post. Just feeling a bit "blah" and worried. We never asked to be in the "heart community." It's not something one really strives to be in. You don't choose it. It chooses you. Today, I wish it hadn't.

Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful for the lives the Lord has chosen to cross our paths with. We have made some dear friends through Ethan's diagnosis and hospital stays. Ethan is doing GREAT! But, we are part of a family now- one greater than the typical family tree could contain. When the surgeon delicately took a scalpel to Ethan's tiny chest, our lives became intertwined with families the world over. Actually, I'd say when the pediatrician called to tell me of what they saw on Ethan's echocardiogram the MORNING WE WERE TO BE DISCHARGED was the moment we became card-carrying parents of a kid with a "CHD." "1 in 100?" We had no clue how many families were going through or had already been through such devastation. This was our baby! Our (seemingly) perfect baby boy! In the words of many, "How could something that looks so perfect be so sick?" It was almost like a cruel joke.

Through our journey, we have learned so much. Firstly, we know a lot more about the anatomy of a heart! Secondly, we know that we are lucky. Ethan's defect(s) could have been so much worse. His outcome? Twenty or thirty years ago, there wouldn't have been much hope. Send him home to peacefully pass in his sleep. Have any of you watched "Something the Lord Made?" WOW- so thankful we are living in a time such as this where teeny tiny hears being operated on is nothing new (though still challenging and techniques/innovation change day to day). If you saw him running around, you would never even know he'd had his heart cut open and worked on, TWICE! He's a madman! Just tonight, he was doing almost back-dives off the arm of the couch (ok- back dive- singular! Once I saw him do the first and nearly had a heart-attack myself, I nipped that one in the bud!). Other families? Not so fortunate.

While this community is great for the times you need support, it's also tough because every day, you read a story (or more) of a little one who may not make it (or didn't). You are reminded that life is precious and not fair. You find yourself constantly pacing a virtual "waiting room" while checking for blog updates or Twitter posts or Facebook statuses just to make sure everything is ok. You hug your own "heart baby" tighter and sometimes wonder if everything truly is ok beating inside that tiny chest. You pray and ask God's comfort for things you don't quite understand and marvel in the strength He's given to you and others to get through things like this. You cry. You pray. You cry some more. You sometimes even get mad.

Tonight, I'm approaching the throne on behalf of Bowen, Ewan, Gavin, Greta, Jamar, Joshua, and Nathan. All of these awesomely precious kiddos are fighting their CHD (or complications from various procedures). Ewan and Joshua are truly in the fight for their lives. Please pray God's peace and healing over them as well as His comfort for their families.

Thanks for reading.

Lazy Sunday!

2010-09-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hola,

Well, since there's not much going on today, I thought I'd stop by and say hi. Hi.

We've had a pretty good day. Got a free lunch! How? Well, there's a new taco place going in near our Fuddrucker's. The other day, as we were going to grab a burger, we saw people milling around inside. Dillon went to see if they were open but was told it wouldn't be until Monday (as in tomorrow). Today, we found ourselves heading back to Fuddrucker's (haha) and this time, we saw people sitting down and eating. We figured they might be having a "soft opening," so we moseyed on in. As we finished up placing our order and Dillon got ready to pay, we were pleasantly surprised to find out they are training their staff and our meal was free! All in all, it was pretty good. The name of the place is Fuzzy's Taco Shop. They are a TX chain, I believe (started in Ft. Worth). I had the grilled fish sandwich and Dillon had the combo fajita plate.

After that, we went to visit the heart unit at Medical City Dallas Children's Hospital. Ethan conked out en route, so he and Dillon stayed in the car. I was going to drop off some supplies to one of the moms and say hi to whoever else was there. I got to peek in on one of our cutie heart babies and he was wide awake! Oh, so handsome! I heard he is doing really well and if his tummy will process full feeds, he can go home soon!! Another one of our kiddos is recovering from a tracheotomy. He has to stay another month (!) and then will transfer to another nearby hospital for more training for Mommy and Daddy. It's tough for both the cuties I mentioned b/c their family is from out of state. I can't imagine what that's like!

A new "heart baby" came into the world yesterday. His name is Gavin. He is currently in a hospital in Tennessee and I know his parents would appreciate your prayers. He was born with TGA- diagnosed AFTER he was delivered! Needless to say, his parents were in shock, just as we were when Ethan was born. Praise the Lord the doctor caught it early so things could get crackin.

Lastly, little Mr. Bowen is giving his doctors, nurses and parents a run for their money. A victory was celebrated when they took him off the ventilator but then the ol "one step forward, two step back" booger reared it's ugly head and, last I heard, he might have to be re-intubated. Please pray that's not the case and that there is no where to go but UP from here on out. As I said on his mom's Facebook wall, it's always frustrating when things finally start to go well with the heart (the reason they are in there in the first place) but then other things creep up. UGH! It's like there is no rest for the weary! Please keep the Hammitt family in your prayers! www.bowensheart.com

So, in closing, pray for:

Gavin (newborn- TGA)
Jamar (recovering well- hope they can get home soon)
Nathan (post-trach, doing well. Long road ahead but hope it goes by fast)
Bowen (post-vent, hope he doesn't have to go back on)
Greta (didn't mention her, but she is one of Ethan's heart buddies who had a setback after her release from the hospital and is back in- but due to get out of there soon)

Thanks!

Amy

2010-09-14T11:02:00.001-07:00

I need to get back to blogging! Holy cow, it's been waaaay too long! I've signed up to be a blogger/reviewer so I hope that will spur things a bit!

We are doing fantastic! For any strangers to this blog, we now have a little boy named Ethan. He is the love of our lives! He's growing and doing things each day (each moment of the day!) that completely rocks our world and gives us such satisfaction as parents. I can't wait to see what milestones he'll achieve next!

He had a rough start- born with a couple of heart defects (TGA/VSD/ASD). Yes, that was a surprise to all of us but Ethan handled it all like a champ. Today, you would NEVER suspect he ever had an issue unless he lifts his shirt and shows you his scar. He's 21 months old now! CRAZY!

We are trying to sell our house and get something that suits us a bit better. Dillon needs an office (with a door!) for when he works from home. We both currently have our computers in the dining room. Not good for conference calls! Ethan seems to sense the exact times Daddy is busy to try and get him to play.

I'm going to go ahead and close this as it has taken the better of two days for me to even finish it! Let me close with a request.

Matt and Sarah Hammitt's newborn son (he's currently 5 days old) is having severe complications from open heart surgery. He was born with a condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. He did great through the surgery yesterday but hit a few speed bumps in recovery and had a really rough time last night. He is currently on life support. Matt is the lead singer of Sanctus Real and I know many of you probably know his music. Visit www.bowensheart.com to learn about his heart- Bowen.

Wow, the Auburn game was depressing...

2008-09-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not even going to talk about it...(and they won)

Well, my schedule changed again. I'm now at the elementary school full-time. It's not because they didn't want me to travel, though. It's just...well, I guess they figure I'm only going to be around a few more months, so why not me (no one else wants to, I'm sure). One upside is my day finishes earlier but that ties in with the downside in that I have to be at work an hour earlier (it changed Dillon's routine a bit as my sis-in-law is staying with us and using the other bathroom...we all kind of leave around the same time). It's just a little more taxing to interpret for little kiddos. One, they have the attention span of fruit flies. Two, I'm like the bridge between them and a strong educational foundation and, three...well, see number two. It's a little scary!

My back's been bothering me, but not where you'd think. It's my UPPER back. It's only when I'm at work, so I'm sure it's from the extra weight and the nature of my job (signing..holding my arms up a lot). I do try and keep them down by my sides as much as possible. I think I have a little bit of scoliosis, so I am sure that, because it's around that area where I ache, that's the underlying issue. I go for a check up on Wednesday so I might ask her about that. Oh, and ha ha...I did something around the lower achilles area of my right foot today. I simply got out of the car and felt a little twinge. Who knows what that's about????

Other than the above issues, things are going fine. I officially have cankles, which I'm not that pleased about ;-). I'm hoping that from here on out, any weight gain will be the expected number and nothing excessive. I'm doing water aerobics twice a week, so I hope that helps some.

We got a lot of rain from Ike. I haven't been able to watch the news, but I've heard Galveston was pretty much devastated. My in-laws live in Tyler and they lost power today. I think Ike blew right through there.

Well, I don't have a lot to say. Y'all take care.

Not much to write about for now..

2008-08-24T18:29:00.001-07:00

That website I spoke of earlier is still in the works, so bear with us.

Well, the school year will kick off tomorrow. We got our schedules on Friday and I'll be splitting time between our 9th and 10th grade campus and the elementary school. It's sort of funny. I was told my home campus would be the 9th and 10th grade (high school) campus and then was asked (via email) if I'd be willing to transfer to the elementary school; that it would help me make my dr's appointments w/o having to take time off, etc...and, "Since it's only for one semester, it wouldn't be terrible." :p Yeah, that says a lot, eh? I politely declined. Interestingly enough, I am now practically spending the whole rest of the day at the elementary school with a 2nd grader. One class at the high school and that's it. Odd? I say typical. :-)

I guess we'll see how I do preggers and traveling from campus to campus. Also, I'll have to go out to recess (and I also have "specials" which alternates between MUSIC (ha ha ha..I hate music...try interpreting "The snake baked a hoecake and set the frog to watch it.."), art, and PE. LOVE PE. Art is fine. Music, not so much. I'm sure it will be ok. I just prefer the upper level kiddos.

As far as OUR kiddo is doing, he's kicking and rolling and poking and prodding. I'm still thankful for that. I keep having people tell me that it will start becoming uncomfortable soon, but I like the fact that I know he's "alive and kicking." Yesterday, I didn't feel him move and that got me concerned. I think I was just too busy to sit still and really feel him.

My family threw us a shower a few weeks ago in Alabama and the boy is set for a while as far as clothes go. We got a lot of clothes!!! One of my sisters is personally responsible for most of his wardrobe!! I'm really anxious to get our crib and a few other things b/c I want to get the nursery going. I can't do a whole lot...but I have the urge to NEST!! We got a bassinet at a thrift store the other day for $10! Can you believe it??? I was hoping to use the play yard we registered for (it has a removable bassinet thingy), but since we hadn't gotten it yet, I decided to take advantage of such a great deal. The crib we picked out converts to a toddler bed then a day bed and then a full sized bed. That's one thing I want out of our stuff. I know babies outgrow things quickly, so my thought is, if it costs a lot, it better last!!

Well, its time to go and get things ready for the week. Hope all is well with you guys!

Oh, I go for my glucose tolerance test on Wednesday and also another ultrasound. I am really hoping I'm not prone to gestational diabetes, but diabetes does run in my family. I've been doing pretty good as far as weight gain goes, but since the doctor made me cut out diet sodas (I also haven't had hardly any caffeine) as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I'm worried. I've been drinking water, juice, and decaffeinated things, but they mostly have sugar (other than the water, of course).

Anyway..better run!! I'll try to remember to check back in after my appointment (or at least the results!).

Take care!!!

Ok, Slicer...

2008-07-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

I actually remembered my password, so here I am. I don't have a lot of time to type right now, but I more or less just wanted to let all my readers (the 3 of you, I think) know that I'll be back and blogging soon. We will actually have a website, so I may just blog to let you know something's been updated, etc.

For those of you who don't know, we're expecting!!!! We found out that it's a boy and he will be due in December! The due date range is the 10-14. Dillon says as long as it's before Jan 1, whatever works! MOM (me) says, the 10th sounds really good. ;-) Here's a profile shot:

I'm off to Galveston tomorrow for a conference. Just keep us in your prayers and especially as I start back to work August 18. I'm not sure what campus I'll be at and I am honestly not looking forward to being preggers and navigating busy hallways teeming with teenyboppers. Just pray that I'll have patience and endurance. ;-) Also pray for our finances as we've been trying to budget as if we're already on one salary (I'll be a stay at home mom for a few years at least). Things have come up around the house (like broken A/C units) that have hurt the process, but hopefully, we'll get back on track soon.

Thanks and have a great week!!!!!!

Amy, Dillon, Baby Boy, and Giggs

Wow..December seems like so long ago!!!!

2008-02-22T20:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry about that!

Is this year moving quickly for you guys, too?

I feel like whinging a little bit (if I may use a little Carmel-speak). You know I don't blog unless I'm mopey, contemplative, or cranky...

I was at the Great Establishment of Christian Chicken the other day (if you have to ask, you don't need to know!), enjoying a lunch to myself. A cute little girl and her mom sat nearby (because I was pretty close to the play area) and I overheard her mom telling her they were going to switch out her kids meal toy for an ice cream. Amid the standard toddler line of questioning, she satisfied her little curiosity by confirming the situation by saying, "I don't like this, Mommy?" to which her mom replied, "No. You don't like that."

I realize that, for the sake of the situation, a Q and A session like that is probably warranted, yet working with the population I do (teens), something seemed to irk me about it. Isn't it funny how some parents say they want their kids to be their own person but yet don't realize that they're probably the biggest role model in their lives? This is scary stuff from where I'm sitting. Eegads... I'm not going to be able to get my point across anytime soon, but let me give an example. Little Joe has gotten a bad grade in Science class. He's not done any of the work, whines to the teacher, and badmouths whomever tries to guide him. He slacks and slacks and has his iPod at the ready, yet never has his books. Whose fault is this? You'd think you'd know the answer but I'm sure you can see what's coming. It's anyone's EXCEPT Little Joe's! What is wrong with this world when parents are storming the doors of our SENIOR (11th and 12th grades) high schools demanding their child pass and wondering why the teacher hasn't done anything to remedy this?! There's no accountability except on the teacher and the school. Why are our schools expected to raise our kids? That's pretty scary stuff, as it is...but that's another blog... These same little darlings are going to get out in the world and either be rudely awakened or perpetuate this crazy cycle of entitlement and indifference.

Argh. If we want our kids to be individuals and stand on their own two feet, we've got to give them a firm foundation to build from. No iPods or cell phones required. (What happens when you unplug a teen from his/her iPod? Has anyone tried this?? Do they self-destruct?)

Until next time...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2007-12-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

We couldn't get the camera centered properly to do a "family picture," but I guess this will do.

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and the happiest of New Years!

Please be safe, cherish every moment (even the craziest, crankiest, scroogiest, pull-your-hair-out-because-of-all-the-insanity moments) and don't forget that sometimes even the little things can be the greatest gifts ever given.

In this land of iPods, iPhones, Xboxes and Wiis, may we all take the time to remember the Reason for the Season and treasure the miracle of the birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Love,

Dillon, Amy and Giggs

So it's been awhile...

2007-12-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

(I added this photo of Dad and a shirt we got him for his birthday!!)

Sorry to keep everyone (all 4 of you?) hanging!!!

Not much has changed since my last blog, if you can believe it!! In fact, I'm morbidly cracked up at that fact. *sigh* The only thing that hasn't is that I never finished what I started, as far as writing went...ah, and my brief soccer career which was interrupted by a minor knee injury. The knee is doing better :-).

The career(s) du jour: teaching or physical therapy (PTA or PT? Not sure...pursuing either would mean a bit of an investment and that fact right there has me thinking, re-thinking, thinking more..and more...and....you get the picture)

Anyway.....

Dad came out for a 2 week visit. He flew back to Alabama yesterday. He's good, but the years are really starting to show, now. I'm just glad that the stroke he had back in October didn't set him back too much. He's not as spry as he was and I know it frustrated him that he couldn't tackle some little home improvement projects I have concocted (we tried stripping wallpaper in the master bath....holy cow. I think they used super glue!!! To avoid further physical therapy, we nixed that project for the time being).

Well, I just thought I'd pop in and get some dust stirred in my little neglected piece of cyberspace. Free antihistamines to all who stop by! ;-)

cough

2006-09-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Um.

I'm still here. I just haven't felt like blogging lately. I guess tonight, when I should already be in bed, is different. I am not sure how different, b/c I still don't feel like blogging...yet here I am. The thing is, I LOVE to sleep. It's like...one of my favorite pasttimes. Why am I still on the friggin computer then?!? What do I have against me that I would withold blissful snuggling with my pillow? I don't know. I guess I hate me...or something.

Didn't I mention before how I hate making decisions? I'm sure I did. *goes to check* Yeah, I said that. I probably have said it more times than I think, actually. Well, golly-gee I do hate it. Why? Obvious. One bad decision could lead to a myriad of others and then I'd be on this sick cycle carousel trying to find my way back home. Bacon or sausage? Scrambled or fried (hungry yet?)? Ok so those two don't really make for hard decisions, yet I tend to put the "breakfast" questions in my life up on that pedestal of "Oh man..what if I screw this up!?" Really now. Meat is meat and eggs are eggs. Why can't I see that?

I don't know what my deal is, but I need to let go. I'm tripping out over picking out insurance plans. Ha..nothing like a "what if" thing to completely screw up a "what if" mind!!!! You know...insurance. You're essentially paying for the "what ifs" in life. Of course, with me and medical junk...there are no "what ifs." Have you heard the one about me falling in the shower??? So, this one should be easy, eh? HA!

I just can't seem to figure things out. When I try to "break down" a situation in order to make the task easier, those smaller things end up multiplying like gremlins and becomes a honking heap of question marks. How the heck do I do that??? I swear. I need to channel this skill into something that actually pays the rent. Then I can really get away from my current job :p.

I need a hefty dose of optimism right now. Check that...I need a hefty intravenous dose of optimism. Be sure to add a few CCs of confidence too, while you're at it.

Is there a doctor in the house?

...

2006-08-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

*sigh*

I need a hobby. Actually, I have little hobby corpses laying around the house...perfectly good things I thought I'd love to do and was pretty pumped up about at the time of my epiphany...now just in that immortal graveyard of "should have dones."

I'm interpreting in an art class this semester. Oh my gosh, does it kill me to sit there and not be able to participate!! I can equate it to the first year I became a student athletic trainer instead of a student athlete. Oh my goodness...it was all I could do to stay on the sidelines!! I loved working with the soccer and basketball teams. When there was a break in the action, I could juggle a ball or shoot hoops. Football? We trainers would toss the pigskin prior to the players coming out for pregame warm-ups (we even participated in the Manager-Trainer Classic...an annual gridiron (flag) event where it was all fun and games until someone got hurt (broken noses, etc)).

My point? I can't sit still and let life pass me by (even if it's in 50 minute incriments in the classroom)!!! I'm really into this...I'm creative by nature and I need an outlet and quick!! Some days, I feel my head might explode. The problem is, I can't seem to channel this longing into one particular project. Example? I bought a slew of beginner's paints (art set) at Hobby Lobby a few weeks before school resumed. Did I crack it open? Nope. About the only thing I have done within the realm of creativity is frame some photos I've taken. I got great satisfaction in doing so and I'd really like to have some sort of service where if someone wants a particular themed photo (ie...a sepia shot of a dandelion in a field), I go and shoot it for them. LOL. I realize it's not a very lucrative endeavor, but my life's goal is to fill a need. That's what I do best, I think. Filling a need fills my need for filling a need. Get it? LOL.

I'm confusing myself now. I best go...

Anyone need a picture?? :-)

Bbbbbllllaaaaaahhh!!

2006-07-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

I just do not handle making decisions very well!!!!

My brain is still ping-pongging ideas about what I'd want to do for a living and, meanwhile, I'm stressed that Plano ISD starts back in early August with the staff reporting July 28. Add to that the fact that my oldest sister (and father) aren't coming in this year, which has me leaning toward going home for another visit pretty quickly. In a way, I really want to, but then I think about how I'll get there (drive=long or flying=uber bucks b/c of the short-notice) and the stuff I still need to get done here BEFORE (if I go back) school starts.

Oy, what a pain!!!!

I emailed someone from the teacher certification program in the elementary department. I want to see what she says and think on that a bit more. Dillon said there's another job opening at Mardel (the one who didn't hire me) and there's another opportunity I could work on, but I'm just not sure......

I don't like being unsure. Why must I make things so difficult...or why do they appear to be so difficult to me?

Thanks for listening.

Everyone's seen it, but I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon as well...

2006-07-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

:-)

There's also a survey going 'round about a box set and special remastered CDs being in the works. Pretty cool!!

Quick update on Jimmy:

He's doing pretty good. He's remembering a bit more which is good but also bad in that he is in danger of being over-stimulated and is also growing frustrated when he can't pinpoint what he's trying to say or remember. They are talking about moving him back to Tyler (different facility) soon. We'll go visit him on Sunday and let you guys know more.

He's truly a miracle and we're trying to get him to see that as well. Now, if we can only get him not to fret about his motorcycle!! Eeesh!! He still has gaps where he either repeats himself, plugs in something ambiguous, or says something that shows whatever we just told him didn't quite stick.

Please continue to pray for his family and for Jimmy. Thanks!

As for me, it looks like I'll be interpreting again. I'm such a coward. I can't find anything (even working at Lifeway or Family Christian doesn't look good as the manager won't even call me to set up an interview). I applied at a few physical therapy-related places and have heard zip. The facility offering teacher certification has been emailing me back, but I have to get a copy of my transcripts from one of my colleges and they will only accept requests in WRITING! No calls, no emails. That drives me INSANE. Oh well.

Well, you guys have a great weekend! We're hopefully going to get the windows tinted in the Camry. It's uber hot here!

I should update...

2006-06-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

I know most of you read the pirate ship, so you know Jimmy is still with us (there was a biggggg stink over the living will and the fact that not enough time had been given, etc). He's taken some steps (walked about 30 feet), sampled some Jello, said a few words, touched his pregnant daughter-in-law's belly (showing recognition that he remembered she is preggo), and snoozed a lot. He does have pneumonia, so I don't know how this will affect his recovery. They said he's still in that 4 day window where it takes about 4 for the heavy sedation meds to leave the system. Who knows with those ppl, though?? One of the neuros did read the wrong CT....TWICE...on 2 separate occasions....

If he continues to do well, they'll move him to a neuro rehab hospital here in Dallas.

As for me, I'm not fully enjoying my summer due to wondering what's next on the horizon. It's sort of a bummer when I do that to myself :p. Part of me realizes how nice it is to have summer off....and that part of me starts thinking about working in the school system (even if it's going back to interpreting...) which I DON'T want to do merely for the time off!!! The other part of me feels perpetually frustrated and confused over what I should/could be doing now. Yes, motherhood is a possibility, but I'd like to work up until that point (whenever it will be).

Also, I'm still kicking around the idea of taking my resume up to Women of Faith and leaving it with them, hoping they might have a place for me, if it's God's will. I just wish I knew what it is I should do.

Anyway, that's about it.

Oh well...

2006-06-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

Sorry I haven't updated. We left for Alabama May 24 and returned yesterday. It was a nice trip, though I'm convinced there's never enough time when it comes to vacation.

We ended up staying an extra day in Tyler b/c Dillon's uncle Jimmy is in ICU there. He was involved in an accident while on his motorcycle. Apparently, one car motioned for another to pull out into traffic (maybe assuming she was going to pull into the same lane) and that car pulled into Jimmy's lane of travel, hitting him. He wasn't wearing a helmet and isn't expected (at this time) to fully recover. The family is honoring his living will and will not try any heroic measures should he code out.

I wrote about this on the Pirate Ship, so I won't further repeat myself here :).

Ah, back to the "Oh well" title.

I didn't have any "Hey, YOU'RE HIRED!" messages while I was away, so I decided to give Mardel a call. The supervisor wasn't in, but they took down my name and number and said he'd call me back. Hours later, still no word, so I called back. He's not in now, but the person I spoke with let me know the position had been filled.

I didn't call LifeWay b/c of the tone that supervisor took the last time we spoke (When he said the ball's in his court now, which I took to mean, "Hey kid, don't bother me!"). I dunno. I might still call tomorrow.

I don't know what I'll do. The lady I've been meeting with via our "Employee Assistance Program" thru work has yet to order the vocational tests she mentioned weeks ago. My fear is that she's waiting so that I'll come back beyond my 6 free visits. (I had number 4 today) Meh, I don't care. When that sixth visit comes around, I'll shake the dust off my feet and order one online or something (a lot less than the $100/session fee with a counselor). ;-) I am horrible at those, anyway. I can feel my way around the questions enough to have just about the same outcome each time. I need one that will trick me ;-).

Being at the hospital sort of rekindled my "possible" interest in working at one; however, I know there's no "9 to 5" there.

Hehe....so goes my life.

As for home, things are fine. Dad's doing quite well for an almost 75 yr old. His and Mom's 50th would have been last Friday. He still misses her, but is moving on. I wish I lived closer. I miss him a lot. The rest of my family? Hmmm...some I can do without, but Dad and a couple of my aunts are priceless. They're all getting older and I fear that each time I see them will be the last.

Time for supper.

Feeling the need to write...

2006-05-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

It's 1am and I don't feel like going to bed. It's funny how that, in the early morning hours (Hahahha..that made me sound like a morning person for a minute there, eh?), I feel more energized to be creative, etc. Sometimes, it's almost like I'm making myself stay up, though.

I have a good soundtrack at this hour: DecembeRadio is keeping me company :-).

Here's a brief (haha..let's just see) rundown of this past week:

I applied at Mardel, Family Christian, and LifeWay
I interviewed at Mardel; the mgr at LifeWay is out of town til Tuesday
I felt like a dork when the mgr at Mardel gave me a math test
I found out that the teacher certification prgm runs throughout the yr, so if I decide this is something for me, I can jump in anytime
I got contacts and have worn them all of 2 times (contacts + Amy's early morning eyes don't equal a good start...can't even get them in!)
Thought about taking my resume to Women of Faith next week (which would now be "this" week)

I'm feeling sort of blah right now..a frustrated blah, but I dunno why. Sometimes, I feel like I live in a box and I just need to get outta there! I'm really finding that I need a creative outlet.

I've been seeing a Christian counselor. Did I say that already? Yeah. Had my 3rd visit today. Eh..it's ok. She's ordered some vocational tests for me to help in finding some direction. Not one meeting goes without relating something to my Mom, which is always good for a cry :p. Today, we got to my mom AND my kids in the Dominican Republic, so that was a LOT of fun :p. I guess it's just good to talk, though. I shared my spaghetti analogy with her today ;-). I wonder what she's thinking when we're done?

Well, good night, guys. I've talked long enough....sigh.

MMMMMMAYDAY!!

2006-05-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

Oy.

I gotta think that God has an excellent sense of humor.

I had a brief meeting yesterday with a representative of the teacher certification program I've been talking about. Yes, my science classes (Though heavily PE oriented) will count. Yes, they really need science teachers. Yes, it's a very lucrative discipline in the teaching world. No, I really don't have all that much time to decide as I NEED TO REALLY PIN IT DOWN THIS WEEKEND!!!

*in best Scooby Doo voice* "Uuuhhh??" "Ruh-ro."

I'm so frazzled, I dunno what to type first!! Hehehehehe...

I'm not at peace with any of it (then again, I'm not often at peace with any decision-oriented thing...except maybe dinner).

Here's the timeline:

I need to fill out an application and online interview ASAP ($50).
I need to get 3 references ASAP.
The orientation for science teachers is next TUESDAY.
The career expo/job fair for candidates is next WEDNESDAY.
The deadline for registering for the TeXes (test required to be able to teach) is next THURSDAY.
The study session for TeXes is June 3 (We were planning on driving back from Alabama on that day).
The TeXes test ($117) is June 10.
Science training is a weekend in June (5-8pm).
$450 training charge is due after application is processed. There's a $3200 internship fee and some others here and there. They deduct the $3200 out of your paycheck once you are hired. If I pass the TeXes (and a science pre-test to even get into the program), I'll get certified. I can teach without passing, but on a probationary basis, I think.

What I'm looking at is 4-8 life science or 9-12 life science. (because that's what is needed)

PE would be so much easier :p. They reserve all those type classes for coaches. I've already been told that the Biology needs at one school also involve coaching or cheerleading sponsorship. ACK.

I really don't know....

She said it would be very hard to find an elementary job.....

Dillon and I will talk about it later tonight, but mucho prayers will be appreciated. One of the last things the lady I spoke with told me was, "People shouldn't do this if they're just needing a job." I need to really explore my motives. I know that I'd be studying my rear off trying to relearn everything from 9th grade to college biology just to be prepared to teach it.

Thanks!

Hmm...

2006-05-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well....

Hello, readers! Not much is going on, but I thought I would update, nonetheless. You know me: wordy, wordy, wordy.

Actually, the office chatter has taken a serious detour so, I'm writing in order to focus on something else!!!

The PE job I was eyeing is now off the list. I guess it was filled.

The lady who was supposed to call me yesterday did call...only it wasn't til this morning and she called 5 minutes before I was to be in class!! She said she was out yesterday, so she didn't get my message til today.

She sounded pretty sure about my science classes and that we can count the higher-level "PE" science classes toward the required 24 credit hours. I dunno..I also mentioned that I was interested in elementary and PE. She (of course she is the contact person for the science dept) said that science teachers are in greater demand and there are virtually no PE jobs and also that elementary level teaching positions are very competitive.

As I have pondered this, I've come across maybe MY idea of what I'd like to teach. Then again, when I think too much, I start doubting!!!!! Anyway, I could see me using my love for medicine and my background in health to teach a myriad of those disciplines to kids who are TRULY interested in it. Ha. How many kids are truly interested in learning when they come to school? Maybe a handful. I'll take those kids. Send the rest to PE ;-). Nah. What I'd like to be able to do is have them learn without them REALIZING it. To me, that's the mark of a good teacher. I dunno if I can do that or not....but I might like to try. I wish I could teach PE too, though. I like that kind of stuff, as well.

Hmmm...

Then again....I just don't know what I'd do with upper-level kiddos. There is SO much disrespect going on in classrooms these days AND, if a teacher so much as looks cross-eyed at a kid, he or she could be fired!! What is UP with that?????

Running to the Light...

2006-05-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well,

I just wanted to write a brief update to let you guys know that I'm still hanging in there ;-). I still am not sure what's up for next year but, as I told September, I'm sensing there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Well, I know THE Light is shining a path for me. I just need to hone in. He's not letting go of me, and I'm so thankful!!!! I guess instead of clinging to the hair I wish to yank outta my head, I should let go and reach up to Him. Ya think? Yuppo!

As far as the certification from UTD, I've sort of nixed that route. Instead, our region offers alternate methods of certifcation. If you can spell, you can teach.
.
.
.
.
Just kidding!!!!

But seriously, they have a hardcore "speed" method of getting certified, as long as you hold a Bachelor's degree and kept a decent GPA thru most of your hours. There are certain requirements for those in the higher need areas, too. Of course, there are also tests, tests, and more tests to pass, but I hear they train ya pretty well. I phoned them today and, since the lady I need to speak with was busy, I won't hear back til Monday. (Science is a critical needs area, so that's what I asked about...and if I don't have enough "true" science credit (many of my classes post-Biology and A&P are "PE" science classes), I'll either do the early childhood generalist route, or PE.

I have also been searching different school districts' (around here) websites for job openings. There's a PE job in a town nearby, so I gave them a call. Basically, all I need in order to interview is either a teaching certificate OR a letter proving I'm enrolled in a certification program. Cool. I'm gonna have more info come Monday.

By the way, we were offered our contracts for next year yesterday afternoon. Oy. Since it's an "at will" kinda thing, I went ahead and signed mine.

So, that's it for now.

Thanks so much for praying for me. I still get overwhelmed and all blah every now and again, but it's getting better.

Oh well...

2006-04-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

Today's not been the best day (carried over from something last night), and my meeting at UTD with their Teacher Certification dept didn't go so well. Let's just say that, combined with an email I got at work (from work), my future is as cloudy as......well, it's just cloudy.

I'm having a hard time keeping my chin up, despite some good Bible reading I did earlier today. I even memorized a verse, but Satan just won't leave me alone. Ah, and wouldn't ya know it? I forgot the "address" of the verse!!! Anyway, it says, "Do not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time, your reward in heaven will come." (Ok, so that was definitely paraphrased)

I didn't do a focused study, mainly because it was too hard to concentrate in the office today. I have my pocket sized New Testament at work (would like one that is the complete Bible) and I basically read through verses I'd underlined in the past few years. When something spoke to me outside of that, I underlined and noted the date. I like doing that so that when I go back and look over different chapters, I can see how God was speaking to me at that particular time.

Anyway, not to sound like a whiny whinger, but I'm just tired of stuff right now and I don't know what to do. AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No comments necessary. Not that this was anything worth commenting about :p. I don't know why I even blog. I probably should just keep stuff like this in my own journal (especially if the purpose of my blogging is just to vent). *note to self: vent in journal* There's too much to read on the Net these days, anyway!!!

Ah, I'm rambling.

I'm a horrible blog reader....(edited)

2006-04-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

I misread on September's blog that Carmel had tagged me on her Xanga when, actually, it was September tagging me. Matt was the one tagged by Carmel.

I don't know that I know what Xanga is, but I bet it's a lot like this blogger dealio. I'm such a fogey....

Six things about myself....right?

1. I was unexpected. My parents had their "eenie, meenie, and miney" and didn't want no "moe," but 10 years later, they got me. I was a surprise to EVERYONE (and not a pleasant one to some..namely my sis closest to my age) and even decided to make an early entrance weighing in at 3 lbs 8 1/2 oz. If I were born a boy, my name would have been Jonathan Eugene. (So glad I was a girl!!). Coincidentally, my oldest sister was to have that name had she been a boy (She was also to be Laura Elizabeth, but that would have made her initials spell L-E-G, so she got Beth and I got the longer version).

2. My oldest sister thinks I'm wordy. Big shock to you all, eh? *Makes note to self to avoid sending out those stupid "Send this to your friends and then send back to me" emails asking to be described in one word....*

3. If I could have any talent(s), it would be to sing and play the guitar (but I'm so fickle in my thinking that that desire could change any minute). Oh..maybe I'd write a book. Children's, a bio, or fiction? Not sure....I am WORDY!!!! :p

4. My life's ambition is to serve others (I wish I could work with the crew of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or something like that). Sometimes my human nature gets in the way, though.

5. This is my first season to "watch" American Idol. *cringes* I am not sure why I bother...but I'm attracted to talent shows for some reason (even though it's more of a popularity contest....ugh).

6. I have VERY vivid dreams and can tell you almost every detail later.

Hear ye, hear ye....

2006-04-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

Oh...I dunno.

Matt just asked for an update. :p

I still haven't decided what I shall do for next year, though part of me wants to go ahead and let my supervisor know I won't be back (b/c most of me has already checked out, anyway).

Fear has its grip on me. I can take any job I am even remotely thinking about and find something "icky" about it and move on to the next prospect. "Icky" ranges from weird hours to uncertain elements. I think I have a psychosis. :p

I just need to "get quiet" and let God speak. I'm running so fast in circles that I'm sure He's trying to snatch me up and calm me down, though I won't let him (and we all know He's more than capable to stop me in my tracks. He's just waiting on ME.).

Sigh.

So, that's why there hasn't been an update. All I can think about is "next year" and a little bit about "right now." I have the ulcers to prove how stressed I'm allowing myself to get. Part of me feels like there's a human being walking this earth who knows what I'm supposed to do and if I can just find him/her, I'd be golden. Why is that??? Talk about weird....

Frustrating.....saddening.....maddening. :)

To educate or not....

2006-03-23T06:41:00.000-08:00

Quick blurb of the day...

I'm kicking around the idea of getting my teacher certification (probably early childhood. High schoolers frustrate me). I'm also wondering about pursuing any ventures that allow me to write (in lieu of or combined with teaching).

I dunno...

First day of Spring??

2006-03-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, first off, I thought we were going to have to go off to Home Depot looking for "Noah's Guide to Ark Building" this weekend. Now, it looks like we may need to break out our parkas as well!!

I can't believe the rain Texas got this past weekend!! Of course, we did need the rain, but did we need it to come all in one whack??? Wow!! Our poor Giggs had a rough time of it when nature called.

Yeah, so I haven't had much to write about since Spring Break came to an end, but I thought I should update this blog, anyway. What better than a rant about the first day of Spring? :-)

To be honest, I'm glad it's still going to be cool as far as the temps go. It's just WAAAY too hot in TX in the summer. Last year, I made the mistake of leaving my "yard shoes" out to dry after mowing the lawn and then hosing the greenery off of them. Well, I kept forgetting to bring them in and, when I finally did remember, they looked like a pair of leprechaun shoes!!! The toes were curled up and the soles were peeling off!!! Not again. Not again...

Not much else going on. I'll be sure to write again when more exciting things happen. Did anyone bring a pillow? I'm boring myself to sleep....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz *g'day everyone* zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A week off??

2006-03-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

Why, yes!!

Ok, so there is something positive about where I work ;).

I'm sad that it is already Wednesday and my week of bliss is halfway over. I haven't satisfied my main objective (which is a quite weird one for a vacation), which is to organize my closet. You might be thinking, "Oh..a CLOSET?? Big deal!! How long could it take??" Well, my friend, think that all you want. When the builders who erected this abode designed it, what they didn't provide in functional utility room and kitchen space, they more than made up for when it comes to the closets in our guest bedroom and master bath! I think I could put a twin bed in my closet (though whoever slept in there would freeze in the winter and boil in the summer, despite an air vent).

Anyway, more space means more mess (for me), so I need to regroup.

I have other mundane tasks, but I choose not to further bore you with the details....

I also have numerous gripes (mainly dental-related), but again, broken record.....

What else is there to write about??? ;-)

I found some shorts today!!! It's been HOT here lately, and I've only had workout shorts (funny, seeing as I don't WORK OUT anymore!!) to run around in. I won't mention how depressing my find turned out to be. But hey, I have something to wear that looks decent and didn't go much over my $10 budget.

Dillon and I played racquetball the other day, but we really need to get with some sort of exercise regimen. That pool was just calling my name...and I might see if it's really busy tomorrow (if I can dig up a suit that fits). I don't know if I'm brave enough to go up there alone, though. My other option is to go and shoot some hoops. I might just do that if it's raining here (there's an outdoor hoop at a nearby school). Worst case, we have an elliptical machine that hates me. I can always try and tame it (I hit my knees on the front part, for some reason...).

Boring boring boring.

Exciting vacation, eh? Oh well. I'm loving it!!! I don't want to go back go work :'(.

I need to not stress so much. I think I stress even when I don't think I'm stressing. The Internet is a great tool, yet it is also detrimental in that aspect. So much info is out there, it can be overwhelming (and needlessly informative). I've had a couple diagnoses come up in the past few weeks and I've been researching them (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Angioedema). I'm waiting on some labs regarding the Angio (not heart-related...that's what I thought at first, too!!). I actually "diagnosed" myself due to having a printout of my labs that my allergist sent me. Between the time I got them and the time he called me back to sit down and talk with him about the results, I'd used my results and symptoms to find what I figured I had. He agrees, but wants to make sure it's one kind over the other. If I do have it at all (which my bloodwork says yes), I hope it's Type II. As far as the angio is concerned, I've left that in God's hands. I need to do the same with my thyroid stuff. I mean, I'm not really worried about ME as much as I am the doctors. I don't want to be taking stuff unnecessarily NOR do I want to NOT be taking what I need to. Heh.....

Ok. I need to go to bed. Sorry for the rambling :).

By the way, I'm looking into getting a massage this week, too, if there are available appts!!! YAY!!!!!!

Sarcoidosis

2006-02-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

Ricky had a disease called sarcoidosis. When he was diagnosed at Mayo Clinic they told him he would probably live ten years, but the cousin who sent me this information believes it has been thirteen. I'm glad he's not suffering anymore. He was an organ donor and was able to give his eyes! :-) Ricky was 57.

This came from the stopsarcoidosis.org website-

What is Sarcoidosis? Sarcoidosis is a multi-system disease that causes inflammation of the body’s tissues. Inflammation is a basic, protective response of the body to injury or infection and usually causes warmth, swelling and pain. Inflammation from sarcoidosis is different. In sarcoidosis, the immune system does not function properly and lymphocytes, a type of blood cell, become overactive. These overactive lymphocytes release chemicals which cause granulomas (masses of inflamed tissue or lumps) to form in various organs of the body.

The inflammation of sarcoidosis can occur in almost any organ in the body.The disease name comes from the Greek words 'sark' (meaning flesh) and 'oid' (meaning like) and refer to the disease’s flesh-like tumors that were first observed on the skin of patients with the disease. It is pronounced SAR-COY-DOE-SIS.

What Causes Sarcoidosis? The cause of sarcoidosis is not yet known, there may be several. For example, an abnormal response from the immune system to one or more agents (bacteria, fungus, virus or chemical) may be involved. Genetic predisposition also appears to be important.

It's been a looong time...

2006-02-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

Sorry.

I just don't have too much to write about, for some reason.

We've been watching the Olympics, working, I've been going to doctor's appointments...just the same old mundane thing. Well, last weekend wasn't TOO mundane. We froze to death watching the U.S. Men's National Soccer team defeat Guatemala in an international friendly last Sunday. Woo! It was chillly! Dillon and I went to the U.S.'s practice session Saturday afternoon and the players voiced their surprise at the weather (and thanked the fans for coming out and enduring temps "Texans aren't used to."). The game was fun. We walked away with a 4-0 victory. Eddie Johnson scored his first goal in Pizza Hut Park (a soccer-dedicated facility that opened last August). It's too bad it wasn't as an FC Dallas player (he just got traded to Kansas City! Boo-hoo!!). Then again, to score one for the US has to be a great feeling. We'll miss him.

Have any of you watched the Winter Games? We TiVoed the closing ceremonies, but did watch the segment about the black soldier (Vernon Baker) who did so much for the Italians and our country back in WWII. It was such an amazing story. I'm still appalled at what lengths people will go to to avoid things/people who are different. :-( One of the most touching moments was when he was reunited with the Partisan soldier (who was 16 at the time) who helped him in battle.

Well, there is not much else to write. We have spring break in another week and I can't tell you how happy yet bummed I am. I know it's going to go by very fast :p.

It's almost Monday, so I'd better go and get things ready for work (and bed tonight).

Have a great week, all.

Before I forget.....

Rest in peace, Don Knotts and Ricky Gilchrist (Ricky is my cousin (my father's nephew). He passed away Friday night after battling a very rare disease. If you read this, please keep his family in your prayers. His wife is also battling cancer and I know she and his three children are having a rough time right now).

Stand back...

2006-02-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

SHE'S GONNA BLOW!!!!!

Ok. So maybe that was too dramatic. Don't panic. I'm O-K. Everything is OOOOO-K.

Actually, I had an epiphany while at work. It's amazing that my mind is able to do anything productive at the moment it did, but wonders never seem to cease.

I think I've nailed down the core of my frustration, as far as my job goes. (Oy, here she goes again, ladies and gentlemen).

I left my 7th period class feeling absolutely morally violated. Yep. It's amazing what these little teenaged critters can do to me, just with their words.

I won't get into detail about the things that passed between my ears (I really should get to walk around with headphones like the other (subconscious) filth-dodgers get to do, but I guess that wouldn't be prudent since my job is to interpret what I hear!). I will tell you that the bulk of the conversation I overheard (dominated by one guy) ran the gamut of drug use and sex. Those are probably the two most overused words when it comes to our fears about teens...well, let me tell you...if that conversation is ANY indication, we should be VERY WORRIED!!! :-(

We were in the library. I wasn't sitting at their table, but across the small area from them (towards the back, where some computers are). I could hear almost every word spoken. I would have been signing those very words had my student not been engrossed in her research on the project they were to be working on. Oh, how I wish I could have tuned them out as she did..... Instead, I tried reading the book I carry with me. I also felt a feeling I haven't really had since one time last year: the urgency to pray.

I prayed, not only for God to block my ears from the things that were invading them, but also for that boy and his friends. It nearly made me cry. I felt so out of control of the situation. I couldn't tell them to stop saying what they were saying. Moreover, I couldn't do what I TRULY wanted: I wanted to go over there and jerk him up and shake him and warn him that he's perpetually throwing his life away each time he does the things he says he does (and the way he spoke, he surely wasn't making it up).

If I were a teacher (or even a librarian, custodial worker, or computer tech), I could have said something to them. I could have at least walked over there and asked them why they weren't working. Instead, I finally caught the kid's eye (with a talent I've honed to a craft: the evil glare) and he just bobbed his head and said, "Hey. How's it goin?" There was some nervous chatter, mixed in with "I don't care.." and then he changed the subject a bit (but it then took another immoral spin, unfortunately). I even took out my notebook and acted as if I were documenting something.

Argh. I realize that, as a teacher, I would be limited as to what sort of "relationship" I could have with my students. I would hope I could "be there for them" at least to say some encouraging things in the classroom (or on their work) or even at parent-teacher conferences.

I'm not saying I'm heading down the educator path, but I'm just saying that this ethical "sit back and blend in with the furniture" thing isn't for me.

Thanks for listening. Emily, if you're reading this, I know you understand.

End of the Spear...Hitting theaters today...

2006-01-20T20:39:00.000-08:00

and me, square in the heart!

Grab some kleenex and extra cash (take out a loan!) for popcorn and coke and head to the movies this weekend. I wouldn't exactly call it the feel good movie of the year, but it's definitely worth watching. Oh, and I recommend staying put thru at least the first part of the credits. If you've seen Beyond the Gates of Splendor and are thinking, "I pretty much got the gist of the story...I think I'll pass on this one," forget that logic! There's a bit more expounding and it is pretty powerful stuff.

Ok..time for some of my rambling about what's going on in my head right now...

So, I was surfing around and decided to Google a few folks from the past. Surprisingly, someone that was close to my heart back in college came up as a honoree for 2004. Curious, I went to our alma mater's website and took a look. I thought it weird, b/c he graduated just before me, in 96.

Come to find out, he was also an honoree (in our field of study) for 2005. I saw a few other links and found out he got his Master's this past December. I started to cry. Weird, huh?

My emotions have been on edge lately (I'm pretty sure it's not hormonal, either) and this just sent me over (perhaps part of it was from seeing such a profound movie hours ago). I don't really want to divulge the bigger reason I think this got to me, but I will say that I somehow feel like less of a person knowing he has his Master's and I'm just floating thru life...a Summa Cum Laude graduate with her degree collecting dust.

Why does this bother me so? Why can't I just let God do what He wishes with my life (and actually tune into Him instead of wallowing in my many conjured up sorrows)? I just want to find my niche and feel complete for once in my life.

I was reading a book by Robin Jones Gunn (Christian Fiction). Many times, I can identify with the characters coming to life, right before my very eyes....their lives swimming thru my brain as I imagine what it's like where they are. To make a long story short, there was one in particular who had set her sights on something when she was young, achieved it as an adult, and was settled in a career that she enjoyed. Things changed, the job she had became sort of iffy, and another (seemingly odd) position came available. Instead of jumping in with both feet, she volunteered at first and found that she LOVED what she did. The pay was less, but there were other benefits. While she didn't take that job, it drew her closer to the Lord than she'd ever been (was a preacher's kid) and her obedience opened up a wonderful path for her that wound all the way smack dab in the middle of God's plan for her life.

Can I tell you that my heart leapt when the "odd job" came up and she realized that was the kind of work she was made for? It was like, "Hey, she is kind of like me (only she had a plan right after high school) and found her niche in sort of an odd place (she went from flight attendant to a camp facility coordinator) and really fell into step with the Lord." I envied her for a second.

Now, I also realize that these books can sort of be as bad as "soap operas" on tv...that we can tend to confuse real life with what we perceive to be real in the books. I think, however, that God could speak to me in this way, should He choose to. I mean, it would be the perfect opportunity, given I'm sort of unreachable at times.....

I don't know. Like I said somewhere on the pirate ship, my brain feels like scrambled eggs. I feel like I'm sort of grieving for the life I could have had (yet I have no idea what kind of life it should have been!! LOL). How ridiculous is that?

I can't make sense of much that's brewing in my head right now, so I guess I'll stop. Dillon wants so badly to figure out something to help me, but all I do is cry when we try to talk about it. Wanna see a guy fidget? LOL. Poor sweet hubby. He's a fixer, that's for sure. I am trying to train him to be a hugger first and fixer 2nd. ;-) I love him!

The day of bleh..

2006-01-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm finally letting my emotions catch up with me. If we're going to personify feelings, I much prefer it when my imagination runs wild, I tell ya!

I'm still feeling stuck: can't use my degree b/c it's been so stinking long since I got it that I've forgotten everything (geez!) and I'm having a hard time trying to like what I'm doing now. I honestly feel cornered. I'm so lost in my thoughts that I can't figure out what I like to do or WOULD like to do. I can't even pin one thing down without another thought bumrushing me.

Do any of you remember the Micro Machine Man? Yeah. That's how fast words fly thru my brain.

I'm getting back into the habit of doing daily devotional readings. Even in that, I have doubts. I don't expect God to all of the sudden rain down answers upon me, just because I'm getting back into the Word....but that's what Satan keeps saying my reason is. It's not, doggone it. I miss my time with God and I know He misses it a zillion times more. Honestly, I feel better talking with him since I'm actually taking the time to commune each day. It's not like he's this giant gumball machine that I plunk a quarter in each time I want something, fully expecting the best of whatever it is to fall out.

Anyway, I can't adequately describe how I'm feeling, but I just know I hate it. I've felt this way before, off and on and it really wears me out. I feel like there has to be someone out there who can point me in the right direction...I have this insane need to find that person and pour my heart out. I guess it's b/c I've poured it out to God and my impatient finite way of thinking has won out. I think it's because I'm realizing that so many years in my life have come and gone and I know I can't get them back. I almost wish I could be in college again and cling to those years I spent cramming facts into my brain. I guess I don't feel worthy enough to flip burgers at Mickey D's.

Fun blog, eh?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

2006-01-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

I am SO sleepy!!! Thank goodness I didn't have to sit in English class (my 2nd of the day..same subj, only different teacher and student) while they read to themselves. I love to read my books, but I'm just so tired today that I fear I would have fallen out of my chair!!!!

Well, interview #2 was a doozy. Not really in a good way. Someone called my supervisor here to check up on me, but I don't know which company it was. She sent me an email saying, "PLEASE, please don't leave....you CAN'T leave!! Someone called and I gave you a horrible reference!!" Hahaha. Funny lady, she is.

So, how is everyone out there doing? I felt pretty doggone overwhelmed towards the end of last week (kinda felt as if I had reached my breaking point). I got over it (for the most part). I'm starting to wonder if I'm just supposed to stay here for a while longer. Then, getting my teaching credential popped into my head (only for the 3rd time). I have no idea what to do. I'll just stay in this holding pattern and learn to adapt and like what I do, or else get the signal and go find what I like. :-)

Well, I don't have much to write about. Sunday was the 50th anniversary of the deaths of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Roger Youdarian, and Pete Fleming. "End of the Spear's" debut is coming up next week (wow!). I haven't seen the trailer on TV yet, but I have heard of those who have.

Have a nice week, everybody.

OH! Dillon and I joined our community center (rec center) Sunday. I am hoping to do some swimming as soon as I get over my self-consciousness of others seeing me in a swimsuit (assuming mine still fits). They are refinishing the basketball and racquetball courts, though and those don't open til after the 13th. I'm trying to decide of racquetball with Dillon will be a good thing. I tend to play to relieve stress...and that seems better when not done with a significant other. We'll see, I reckon ;-). It's been a while since I played (did so regularly in and after college when I worked at JSU). I hope we start doing more physical stuff. We both need to.

Take care, guys!

Amy

That'sone of the pics I took at Orange Beach.

Picture from Orange Beach

2006-01-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

Here is one of me and my crazy family (sorry it's a little dark). This includes my dad, 2 sisters, brother, 2 nieces, 5 nephews, one brother's girlfriend, and my hubby. Oh, and a partridge in a pear tree. Ok..so scrap that. There is a tree in there, though. Well, it used to be a tree....

We were supposed to be out there just as the sun went down. With all the bellyaching about having to drive (and then trek) down there for the picture, it's a wonder we made it at all!!!

Bloggedy, bloggedy, boo!

2006-01-03T10:20:00.000-08:00

We're back!

Our trip to south (Orange Beach) and north (my hometown of Southside) Alabama went well. Christmas with my family was.....entertaining, as always. We were there from December 22nd til New Year's Eve. After a quick stop in Tyler to pick up the dog and celebrate my sister-in-law's New Year's Birthday, we happily headed back Dallas. Ahhh..home, dirty home! I don't know when I'll get our Christmas decorations put away. I do know it's good to be back. I miss my family terribly, but I guess TX is growing on me. Or, maybe it's just being able to be the two of us (plus Giggs) again. :)

Wow! The End of the Spear hits theaters in just 17 days!!! January 8th will be the actual 20 year anniversary of the deaths of Nate, Jim, Ed, Pete, and Roger. We watched the documentary last night (I just haven't felt up to it til then) and we were crying like babies!!! Wow.... It's one thing to read the book and feel compassion for the family and friends who were left behind, but to hear their recounting of the tragedy just blew us away. You know, it was kind of like watching "The Passion." You hear of what Jesus did for us all your life...but to see it right there in 3D just tears your heart out.

We're going to see Narnia today and I'm going to personally inquire about EOTS. I wonder if we can buy tickets yet? Hmm...I'll have to check on that.

September, I don't know what they're doing about Canada.

Oh, gotta go!! Time to go see Narnia!

Sunday morning blog....

2005-12-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

Back by popular demand, it's the blog about nothing and everything!

So, I'm sitting in the living room alone on a Sunday morning. Well, no, check that. The dog has curled up on the couch and is snoozing. So, I'm sitting here in the quiet of Sunday morning, feeling as if I'm alone. Is that better? Hubby is sound asleep b/c he stayed up til goodness knows when watching a movie and wrapping my presents. Of course, I woke up at 4am hearing the paper rustle and I'm like, "Dillon??? What ARE you doing???" Come to find out, he can't watch and wrap at the same time, hence the late hour. Goober.

We rented a couple movies the other day (that's what he was watching), one for me (Monster in Law) and one for him (Fantastic 4). Fantastic 4 was a 2 day rental, so I lived in fear of 12 noon today and took it back at 11. I don't think Dillon ever had a clue I was gone. I also got donuts and pigs in a blanket. It's killing me not to have any (have to wait 30 minutes for one of my medicines kick in). Argh. My only question now is, should I go wake him? Hmmmm.....

I haven't heard anything from my job interview. It's sort of frustrating, yet I also know that God knows better than I do about matters such as this. It's awesome, that peace I have about stuff like that when He's involved (when I let Him be involved...er...acknowledge His involvement). It's all good, no matter what happens. Sometimes, it's easy to avert my eyes from Him, look at the choppy water and freak out. I only have little blips of those instances occuring now, though. I just tell myself to chill and let Him work. So, I'm chillin like a villain. (did I just type that??? OY!) I honestly don't know how unbelievers make it through life w/o having God to lean on or knowing He'll catch them if/when they fall.

OOH!! 5 minutes to donut freedom.....mmmmm...I'm so stinking hungry!!

Well, this blog about nothing and everything sort of is drab compared to my other one. I'll do better next time, I'm sure ;-).

Til then, have a very very Merry CHRISTmas and enjoy time with your family and friends. If anyone reading this finds themselves without friends or family this year (or maybe you are surrounded by them, yet feel alone), there's Someone who wants to be there for you and would give anything to spend time with you. In fact, He already has given up everything. No matter how worthless and unloved you feel, He loves you...CHERISHES you very much. His name is Jesus. No matter what anyone else tries to tell you, He'll never forsake you. He died for Y-O-U. No matter how dirty, no matter how empty you think you are, He's there waiting to fill you up. Just reach out to Him. It's as simple as that :-).

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Blogs away!!!!

2005-12-10T22:21:00.000-08:00

I am having a Seinfeld moment. Time for a blog about nothing....and everything.

Stream of consciousness typing, here I come.....................

I mentioned my job interview the other day. The job is looking like it might pan out for me, but it's not really cut and dry as to whether or not I will take it. I am not sure that anything in my life is as black and white as that. Black and white? Yin and Yang? Doesn't that mean that "in a little bad, there's always something good" and vice-versa? Seems like I heard that long ago...when the "surf-style" logos were in (in the 80's). I think our youth minister was warning us about symbols of our culture or something (like the "peace" sign being a broken upside-down cross). Wow. Haven't thought about that in a long time.

What to do, what to do?

Lost in limbo over here....someone throw me a line or something!

Is the room spinning for anyone else, or is it just me?

Wow. Have any of you guys ever done this? Just typed whatever came to mind? I have the idea to just type and not correct typos and stuff, but that bugs me too badly....can't happen. So, this is semi-stream of consciousness typing.

Have I mentioned the tree in my life? I know some of you have read about it on the Ship (and maybe here?? I forget where I type these days). Yeah...I call it my Career Tree or something..."Tree of Life" sounds too blasphemous b/c my tree certainly gives no life. It's like my life IS a tree though...I'm confused. Hang on....ok. I'm ok. I think.

So, you got me. I'm like a trunk (lotsa knots and crevices and stuff where I've let the termites get to me and eat away at my roots). Those spindly things branching off me are, you guessed it, branches. Those are the paths that are out there for me. It's like for each given day, I have a branch to explore. Maybe not even for a day...maybe the branch is thicker like a life path. I dunno...I'm just making this up as I go.

Part of this tree has no leaves. That's the part where bridges have been burned or the insects have choked the life out of the branches b/c I just sort of gave up and let them up there. Maybe there are no leaves b/c I haven't let those branches see sunlight or maybe I didn't dip my roots into any water or nourishment. Perhaps I didn't give them a chance to see what it's like to flower.

Job choices. What's next? Which way do I go? Teaching, helping, mothering, ministering....there's so much going on, yet nothing. No breeze, though I feel as if I'm caught in a tornado.

No doubt my tree is lacking the true foundation of the knowledge of the One who gives life to everything...Who knows everything about my "tree," from the little legs on the insects I let infect it, to which "leaf" has fallen and why. Even though I know I have the ability to tap into His resources, I feel like the little tree on a hill in the middle of a desert.

Did you guys hear a chainsaw???

More End of the Spear Screenings

2005-12-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

Feel free to pass this on:

Here are the latest additions of promotional screenings of the movie End of the Spear for church and ministry leaders around the country. Click on the links below for specific information on screenings in your city or you may want to let someone know about a screening in their city.
Dec. 13 – Philadelphia
Jan. 5 - Sacramento, CA
Jan. 5 – Washington D.C. (watch for time and location)
Jan. 5 – San Francisco (watch for time and location)

If you are a pastor, senior staff person, teacher, or community leader, please RSVP for a screening by following the instructions on your city’s invitation. Please include your name, your organization, screening city and show time, number of seats, and either your phone number or email. Seating is limited and your timely response is appreciated.

FAQ:

Can I host a screening in my city?
Our final list of locations for theatrical advanced screenings will be posted in the next Screening Update.
Will the movie release in my city?
End of the Spear will release in major metropolitan areas around the United States. This inspiring motion picture is scheduled to release in approximately 1200 theaters on January 20th. We are currently finalizing the list of theaters that will be showing End of the Spear. Find your nearest participating theater at www.endofthespear.com . For more information about participating theaters, group tickets, or theater rentals, you may contact 1-866-SPEARS-1 or check out the "Group Sales" page on the End of the Spear website.
What can I show to my group?
If you were unable to attend a pre-screening but would still like to get involved with this powerful project, please visit www.daretomakecontact.com. You can order a free “Dare to Make Contact” DVD featuring a 22-minute “Making Of” segment which can be shown in your group meetings. This DVD also includes a special 90-second preview of the film to show in your church or organization.

----------------------------------
This concludes my blog ad for the day. :-)

Had my interview with the medical group yesterday. Also had a weird week of multiple absences from work (allergies...weirdness). It was a crazy week, starting Tuesday. I had to take a 1/2 day for the interview yesterday. Sigh. No sick days left for next semester and only 2 1/2 personal days to get me thru til summer (unless I find another job).

The interview went quite well. I just have to decide if the extra days (right now, I'm working on a "school" schedule) is worth it.

That's all for now. Hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season.

2005-12-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

www.endofthespear.com For resources to help promote this film, go to: www.daretomakecontact.com

Go check this out!!! Call your theater and ask if they'll be showing it (you can also check the site, but I think it would be cool to let them know you're chomping at the bit to see this movie!).

Newsflash!!!

2005-12-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I might have an interview coming up sometime soon....

I have received several calls regarding my resume on Monster.com and most have been from insurance companies needing sales agents. Not my cup o tea.

Well, the other day I had a message on our answering machine from someone who works for a medical group. I finally got in touch with him today and they are wanting to set up an interview. I asked him what the position was (lol...he never told me and I guess he thought I was dumb b/c my resume clearly is geared for the position) and he said Physical Therapist Assistant.

More details to follow.

Wow!! Christmas is coming!!

2005-11-16T17:42:00.000-08:00

As I opened my inbox this afternoon, a shocking realization dawned on me. Thankgsiving is NEXT WEEK!!! Before you know it, we'll be dragging decorations out of the closet, and piling all sorts of paraphernalia on our poor leftover turkeys. (No, I don't mean husbands when I say that, either! Hahahaha!) Wow. Time flies...

Thus brings me to the reason for this speedy update: a wonderful Christmas concert that just might be heading to your neck of the woods. Steven Curtis Chapman and MercyMe will be teaming up (for the very first time!) to bring the joy of Christmas "to a heart near you." Reflecting on the true Meaning of CHRISTmas, the guys combine to minister us in word and song and "Rock around the Christmas tree" with all those who are brave enough to venture out into the "winter wonderland."

For more information, check out http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/ and be sure to click on "tour." There's also a pretty cool e-card to be found (and sent to your friends and family) at: http://www.buzzplant.com/thechristmastour/ecard1/

Bloggerific...

2005-11-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

Nope. Not feeling it today, but I figured I'd post an update fearing that Slicer is on the prowl.....

So, for those of you who don't know me but post spam-filled comments on my blog, I had a birthday this past weekend. I am now a proud member of the "thirty-somethings." Joy. No longer am I the big 3-0. I'm now 9 years away from the big 4-0, though. :p Nine years is a long time and it's also frighteningly short, especially if you're somewhat of a ragamuffin like me.

On the job front, there have been no dynamic flashes of light nor booming commands from God as to what to do. Why must He always use that still small voice with me? Maybe I should borrow one of my students' hearing aids :p. :-)

Seriously, though....I feel like I'm exploding inside....or caught in some sort of cyclone. I have so many directions I "could" go in, but have no idea which way is up. I definitely don't want to do the wrong thing......... I am so afraid of making the wrong move that I'm paralyzed in one sense, and chomping at the bit in another. I'm getting frantic and frozen with fright all in the same instance. How is that possible? I can't wade thru all the mire that's in my head. I feel like I'm near the breaking point.

Any counselors out there? Have fun :-)

Have a great week, guys.

(All is not gloomy and glum in my world, contrary to this entry.)

Monday, Monday..

2005-11-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

Well, how's everyone's week starting off? I hope to a roarin good start!

How's the weather been? I'm in some sort of weird biosphere or something. Is it springtime or fall???? I mean, the thermometer has been charting our temps in the mid to high 80's lately, so I just wanted to check. Whassup with that? However, I will say it's made for some nice days. It's just weird to be in November and still able to wear shorts and sandals. I'm not complaining, though. I prefer these temps to those that chill ya right to the bone. I mean, a nice night where it's cool enough to sip hot cocoa and sit before a crackling fire would be good...but I don't want blizzardy weather or anything.

We're doing well. The ripple effects of Kyle's life just keep rollin on out there. It's been good to read about other's memories of him (and hear some of Dillon's). I hate that I missed out on knowing him. And to think, we've passed thru Waco at least 4 times now. I wish we would have looked him up at least one of those times. Carpe diem, guys.

Not much else going on. We tried to take in a restful weekend w/ no travels to the inlaws. It pretty much worked. I should have taken the opportunity to straighten up the house, though. I know it's going to be a harder task to tackle during the week (I'm so tired when I get home).

Speaking of being tired....I think I'm crashing and burning guys. Things are getting to me more and more. I'm really starting to consider leaving this job...if not by the end of Christmas break...then at least by the end of the school year. Part of me wonders if I'm just in the "It's getting too hard...I can't....so I give up" mentality. I'm good at beating myself up and over-analyzing things. I do feel the need to spread my wings a little and this job really doesn't do it for me. The thing is, I still feel stuck. Where to go next?

I've posted a resume on Monster.com. It's for a Physical Therapy Aide. I feel that if I ever want to pursue that route, I gotta start "over" and work myself into it. The reason being is, though I've had a lot of the classes that are required to obtain an Assistant's License, I don't have everything I need. I sort of want to go that route before I take the plunge and apply for a Master's in PT. I'm not even exactly sure I want to do this, but it's an option b/c of my educational background (Bachelor's of Science in Exercise Science/Wellness, etc).

I took one of those career questionnaires. It said I'm more apt to be a writer/journalist! That's just it. There are too many choices...to many things I might like to do, but don't know how to go about doing it (and get paid). I feel like my life is slipping away and time's running out.

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!! Lifeline, anyone???

I've been in a perpetual state of confusion since my latter years of high school. I guess you can see how I've come about feeling as if I've been sucked into a vacuum.

Thanks for reading. Comments appreciated. Prayer even moreso appreciated. :-)

Tragedy...

2005-10-31T18:21:00.000-08:00

No words could do justice....but a recent post by Shaun Groves in his blog is pretty doggone powerful: http://www.readshlog.blogspot.com/

My husband was one of those young men who looked up to Kyle in their youth group and on the soccer field.

You're Home, Kyle. Rest in peace.

:-(

2005-10-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

That's all I have to say.

Auburn lost (grrrr....they almost deserved to lose....).

The Bills lost.

Manchester United tied Tottenham.

Texas' allergy/sinus season has blossomed in the Durham household.

And.....

Drumroll please.....

IT'S MONDAY!!!!

Hahaha.. Let the good times roll!!!

But, praise the Lord, the sun is shining, the air is brisk and the dream I had about oversleeping last night was just a dream!

Have a great week, everyone!!

WHEW!!

2005-10-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

Auburn won, but the first half had me on the brink of depression!!!!

We had a great time!! The motel we stayed at was an hour from Fayetteville. I was worried, b/c I had never heard of Alma, Arkansas and, well...some parts of that area are a little bit....country. I wasn't sure what we were getting into, but it was a very nice place in an awesome location.

I was so pumped for this weekend....I knew it would be like being amongst long lost family. It didn't disappoint!

Well, Friday night, I had to go to the front desk. As I was going down the steps, three folks were coming up, obviously Auburn fans. Come to find out, two of them drove up from Auburn and one lady was from Jacksonville! When I came back in, I met her grandson (I guess) b/c when I asked where he came in from, he said Auburn, but he was FROM Jacksonville. When I said I was a JSU grad, it blew him away. "Who would have thought that being 18 hours from Jacksonville, I'd run into someone who went to school there!" It was cool. :-)

It just kept on happening like that all around the hotel, at the mall, and when we got to the game on Saturday. Everywhere we saw orange and blue, there were exchanges of "War Eagle," and "Go Tigers!" We chatted with an older woman who was an Auburn alum and was there with her mom. Mom was from Gadsden, the daughter from Boaz, and her cousin knew my father. Not only that, but I played softball with one of their family friends who was the daughter of their best friend who also was my coach! Confused? It had the chance of becoming an amazing weekend when I found out my niece was with her dad (biological..it takes a real man to be a father) and that they were flying to the game. Not that I was certain he'd let her see me, but I tried calling his cell phone, anyway. We even scanned the crowd filing in, every chance we got. At the half, I was dejected (not just b/c of the score). There hadn't been any calls on my cell. Well, I called my sister back in Alabama and she told me Hannah ended up not going. Ha. Relief, yet I was a bit bummed. Oh well! We won, so it wasn't a total bummer ;-).

The trip home was uneventful, though Oklahoma roads leave lots to be desired. The scenery was beautiful, especially driving into Fayetteville from our hotel. I loved seeing the pretty fall colors as the leaves were changing. We're talking about going back for maybe a long weekend. There is an awesome lake surrounded by mountains and trees that we'd love to get out to.

War Eagle!! (Did you know that somewhere near Fayetteville there's an arts and crafts festival and mill named War Eagle? Hehehehe. I find that ironic ;-))

This coming weekend is going to be a real test for the team. Going down to Death Valley is going to be tough. I HATE it when we play LSU, much less at their house. Ick.

Pickle the Pigs!!!

2005-10-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of the year. We get to join a bunch of crazy Auburn fans and watch grown men chant "Wooo pig! Soooie!" while wiggling their fingers over their heads like cheerleaders.

What a strange world we live in. :-p

This Saturday, Auburn plays their first road game against Arkansas in Fayetteville. Dillon and I are driving up there tomorrow and plan to come back on Sunday. While I'm not that excited about seeing Auburn anywhere but on their home field, I can't wait to see if the leaves are changing colors in the Ozark mountains. When we went 2 years ago, it was majestic!!! Of course, the best part of the weekend is when our Tigers stomp the Razorbacks. Ah, if only it could be said with such confidence. Games like these always make me nervous. :-) Especially road games!!!! When we were in San Antonio and watched the Bills fall apart vs New Orleans, we were in the minority. We were heckled all the way out to the parking lot as the final minutes of the game ticked off. Yeesh. I hate that! Even if my team was on top, I'd heckle no one, sans my friends (who would know it's all in good fun). I wish they wouldn't sell alcohol at sporting events.

Well, that's about it. I had a much more interesting update to the vacation, but I already told most of my readers about it via email. For those of you who missed out on that lovely story, some yahoo(s) dropped what we think was a water balloon off an overpass and hit our car as we were going about 65 mph down the interstate. It shattered our windshield, mostly on the passenger (my) side. Praise God it wasn't anything solid, b/c it would have come all the way through. As it was, it bent in. When God gave man the idea for reinforced glass, He knew what He was doing!!!! We were close to my in-laws, so they came out and swapped cars with us and took ours to the shop on Friday. We were still about 2 hours away from Dallas, so I didn't want to even attempt to drive ours back. Yikes.

Other than that, our vacation was excellent!!!!!! (albeit humid) The Riverwalk was amazing and I found Tim Tams near the Alamo!! Hehehehehe... There happened to be a shop called "About Australia" there. I spotted it first and drug Dillon across the street. When he realized what was going on, he went straight to the food aisle and found them. Yay! I also got Alamo Crackers. Hehehehe....San Antonio's answer to the ever-loved Animal Cracker. :-)

Well, have a great weekend you guys. War Eagle!

Vacation, all I've ever wanted...

2005-09-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

*hoping to attack someone with that earworm...maybe....*

In just 5 days, Dillon and I will be on VACATION!!!! Woo hooooooo!!!!!

We're going to San Antonio. I have never been and I look forward to the often talked about Riverwalk.

We're actually leaving late Friday to take our "son" to his "grandparents'" house and then we'll leave from there on Saturday. We "plan" on going to Fiesta Texas, SA's Six Flags (making use of our season passes). Sunday, Dillon gets to watch his favorite NFL team (it just so happens they'll be playing in San Antonio, b/c of Katrina) play the Saints. (By the way, his team is the Buffalo Bills). Monday will be filled with sight-seeing, like going to the Alamo, among other things. Tuesday will probably be more of the same and then on our way out on Wednesday, we're going to cruise over to Austin so Dillon can show me around town. He lived there for about 2 years.

Anyway, I can't wait! I know this week is going to go by uber slow.

Oh, and I am feeling a lot better; however, I think my sinuses are going berserk. They realize it's fall and should not be 100 degrees out. I just wish TEXAS would realize that!!!! I have the worst headache this morning. Ugh!

Have a great week, guys.

By the way...

2005-09-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

There's something I've been meaning to post lately, and I keep forgetting.

For those of you who've been on the SCC boards and read the post about how there is a resumed hub-bub over NCAA mascots (and others), I was thinking about something.

What about Miami's college team???? Won't their mascot offend those affected by Rita, Katrina, and all those storms who came before them? (said a bit teasingly) How ironic that the Hurricanes are based in Florida, by the way....

Another thing that popped into my mind (just after Katrina hit). You know how so many want God taken out of all things "public?" Some still say He doesn't exist. Well, have you ever read the fine print on some insurance policies? "Acts of God" are not covered in certain claims. Hmm....interesting. He doesn't exist, and isn't wanted in the public sector, yet He can "act."

Thanks!

2005-09-22T15:55:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the thoughts/posts/prayers for my job "situation." :-) There haven't been any definite changes, but I've been at home the past couple of days with some sort of virus. In the words of my ever-thorough doctor, it's a "funky" virus. (Close your eyes, John...or don't let Vino see...it's Western Medicine at its best!)

Anyway, he's trying to determine if it's a side effect of the Tricor I'd been taking (for cholesterol), though I've been on that for over a month. It just hit me Tuesday after school. I went to phys therapy that morning (8am), went to work, had some pain in my right arm (just the "usual" interpreting kind I've been feeling), got home around 5 and then felt icky the rest of the night. I had body aches like you wouldn't believe and felt nauseated. No appetite. I called in sick for Wednesday.

That's when I saw the doctor. They monitored my pulse and said that since it was a little erratic, that was a sign something was going on and that the aches were not "phantom" (Or a result of all the exercises I did the morning I went to PT.. which I knew, having been atlhetic all of my life). Anyway, he put me on a steroid pack and tested me for the flu (came up negative), ordered some bloodwork (b/c of the Tricor, they need to monitor my CK levels and make sure the liver is ok), said I have tendonitis in my arm (did I mention the horrendous crick in my right shoulder??? Shoot me now) and told me to stay home!!! (Even if I wasn't sick, he wanted me to rest my arm and shoulder) You guys should have seen me loping around Wal-Mart yesterday, waiting on my prescriptions. I'm sure I scared people. Dillon made so much fun of me when he got home, b/c I walked with my head tilted to the left (It hurt to move to the right). I almost dropped something at Wal-Mart and nearly fell over :-p.

So, no work today. I feel a lot better, sans the fluid I feel in my left ear. I wonder if it's allergy/sinus problems? My throat is fine. Only my head hurts and I've managed to live off of some curly fries from Arby's today (I thought I'd be hungry after my fast for the bloodwork this morning, but no).

Sigh. Another boring blog day.

If you think about it, please pray for Dillon. He's wanting to get started on learning a new programming language that they took classes for last spring. Nothing has come of it, despite several promises. He's frustrated.

Thanks.

I promise a more exciting blog entry sometime soon...maybe....I dunno...;-)

Job-ish update (Job as in work....)

2005-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

not Job as in the Bible. I don't have it THAT bad ;-).

By the way, please pray for our favorite Aussie, Carmel. She's had a rough patch lately and spent a fun (ha) day in the hospital recently. Get well soon, Snickers!!!

Ok, the bell just rang. Let's see how fast I can type in 6 minutes....

I've been having some issues with my neck, shoulders and both hands. I went to physical therapy yesterday (initial consultation). As far as my hands go, I may have early onset Carpal Tunnel. :-/ Not good for the job I have. My therapist recommended I work part-time (that isn't an option). Anyway....perhaps this is a gentle nudge to get out of the profession. I don't know.

As for the rest of me, I will be going 2x a week to get treatment and do exercises to build up my shoulder muscles. I'm sort of excited about this b/c I've had trouble with muscle spasms for a long time.

Anyway, I'd better go. In the "general job" prayers you do for me, please add that about my hands and also that my therapist and I can get our schedules coordinated. Right now, it's iffy. The nature of my job doesn't allow for many substitutes. I'm just a bit frustrated and wonder if God is giving me an "out" in order to pursue something else.

I just found out we've been authorized to hire 2 more interpreters who are qualified. I just hope they turn up!! We make (almost) half of what starting teachers make. It depends on your level of certification.

I'm having a hard time today. I emailed my boss about all this. I hope it was the right thing to do.

Well, thanks again!

Amy

DirecTV ESPN GamePlan....BOOOOOO!!!!

2005-09-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

Or should I say, "Boo hoo."

We missed the Auburn game in more ways than one this weekend. Dillon decided that since he gets the NFL Sunday Ticket (He likes the Bills and we're kinda not in the part of the country where their fans are running rampant), he'd get me the ESPN college football package. The bad thing about the college deal is, I'm not guaranteed to see my team play each weekend like you are with the NFL deal. Anyway....

We went to Tyler b/c Saturday was Dillon's birthday. No biggie. We checked and double-checked to make sure we had the right time and channel for both our games this weekend. DirecTV showed the Auburn game to be aired 11:30 CST on channel 778. Whew. Good. Set the recorder for 4 hours, and go on our merry way.

What did we come home to? An hour and 19 minutes (?) of Michigan State vs. Hawaii. What? Actually, Dillon came home to it. I had to go to a baby shower with the female in-laws. When I got home (It wasn't exactly the most fun day I've ever had), Dillon was oh-so-kind to tell me we didn't get the game and, "I'm not kidding." (Because sometimes he DOES kid me about stuff like that).

We called DirecTV. Basically, there are no guarantees. The game was aired on 779 and "We should have checked to see that it was on another channel." Ok, WE WEREN'T HOME! "So, just because your site, the DirecTV guide, and everyone in America says the game is to air at this time on this channel, it may or may not?" "Yes." Someone (whoever gave them the feed) decided that 779 was where they wanted to send the signal. Nice of them to tell us.

I feel jilted. It's bad enough that, if I were in Alabama, I could have seen this game WITHOUT having cable television! It came on one of our local affiliates (JP Sports). How sad is that? We pay $.... to see a team at least every other Saturday...only never to actually see them?

What did DirecTV have to offer? "We'll give you $10 off your sports package for 6 months if you agree to one more year of service." Are you kidding me? IF we agree? How bout you give me the discount in order to encourage me to re-up with you guys? It makes sense to me. Goodness, I would have settled for $20 bucks off this month's bill, period.

Now, I'm afraid to go out of town on a Saturday. Isn't that sad? :-p Anyone, by chance, record the game? LOL.

Sigh. I'm bummed. I know there are bigger things in the world, though.

*Did you remember the victims and heroes of 9/11 today?*

If you're reading, would you say a prayer?

2005-09-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

I'm having job woes again. Not that I don't have a job...but because I feel I'm stuck in a holding pattern.

Most of you who know me probably understand my situation, so I won't make this a 5 paragraph dealio. My heart is somewhat heavy and I am starting to feel overwhelmed.

Most who get into the field I'm in (I'm assuming), don't do so for the money. However, I have it on good authority that there ARE folks out there who are being compensated VERY fairly for their work....and....we're not. To be honest, it's not that much about the money as it is I'm still trying to figure out who God wants me to be. However, as I'm scoping out the path, I feel an injustice is occurring. Plus, if I'm going to get paid a minimal wage (compared to the "standard"), I'm starting to realize I might as well do something that I like to do instead of something I feel obligated to do "just because I know the language."

Please don't assume that I think I'm "all that" or anything. I'm SOOO not!!! In fact, that's one of the reasons I'm thinking of getting out of the biz. It's one thing to hear a Psychology lecture and bring it to a level where I can understand it....but to translate it into another language for someone else to??? Ugh. Sensory overload. It can be a bit depressing when things get complicated and I get bogged down trying to figure out how to sign it where it makes sense.

There I go, straying from my promise not to make this long. What paragraph is this anyway??? Oy!

:-(

2005-09-04T23:45:00.000-07:00

They lost.

Auburn lost.

I know there are sadder things to write about....like the horrible conditions in New Orleans and how many lives were displaced or snuffed out by Katrina. I really need to take a break from all that. I thought watching my favorite team on Saturday would lift my spirits.

No.

As I had said before, we missed seeing it in live action b/c we attended a FC Dallas soccer match (which FC Dallas LOST...sigh). We got in late and Dillon really wanted me to watch the game (in-laws present). It was nearing 1am when halftime rolled around. I was so frustrated by then that I was ready to go to bed, fearful that if I watched any more, I wouldn't sleep or would have nightmares.

My faithfully nuts husband convinced me to hang in there and we started the 2nd half. My father-in-law and sister-in-law were troopers. Needless to say, I didn't have a really easy time of going to sleep because not only was the game bad, but the officiating was HORRIBLE!!! I wanted to throw a shoe at the TV. They were very inconsistent. How funny that the replay buzzers they wore (so that the officials in the booth could buzz them if a play was under review) wouldn't work. (We had SEC refs in the box and the opposing team's confrence supplied the ones on the field)

I don't care what anyone says. Brandon Cox played well, minus the 3 interceptions that were officially his fault (the other, his arm was hit as he threw). He hung in there and took some hits (ARGH>>>that should have been unneccessary roughness!!!!) and played all right for his first game as a full-fledged starter. I like him. I hope this doesn't shake him too much.

What about Obamanu and Aromashadu??? Were they awesome, or what???

I'm glad our defense picked up, else GT would have slaughtered us.

I'm bummed, even today.

I know. It's just a game. But I'm sad. Plus, everytime Auburn takes the field and I don't have my mom to cheer with (That lady was a football fanatic!!! All us Gilchrist women are, though) and brood with.....it's hard. My hubby is a great football buddy, though!

Ok, so, sorry this has pretty much isolated at least 95 percent of you (Slicer, I guess you are worth about 5%? I'm not good with statistics!! LOL).

Hope you all are having a nice Labor Day weekend (at least my U.S. mates).

Hey, a bright spot! The US beat Mexico and qualfied for the 2006 World Cup!! Woo-hoo!!!

Just thought I'd end it with that.

Slicer, feel free to hop on the bandwagon and vent with me. I don't think anyone else is reading at this point!!! ;-)

Not much to report...

2005-08-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

But hey, Manchester United won their match over the weekend (2-0) with Ruud and Rooney scoring for the Red Devils and, what's this? Our keeper, Edwin Van der Sar, had an assist?? Hehe...Rock on!!!

Auburn takes on Georgia Tech Saturday. Unfortunately, I won't catch the game in live action b/c we'll be at the FC Dallas soccer match. Slicer, if you're reading this, I may be avoiding your comments just like I do Sylvia's when we catch a Man Utd game later than it originally aired. It's going to KILL me to miss the game!! I really prefer watching them live, for some reason. I dunno why. It's not like I can change the outcome or anything!!

This week is trudging by. I almost added "very slowly," but that would have been a little redundant (can you tell I interpret English classes??). I can't wait until Friday. Then again, Dillon's folks come up early Saturday so that just means I have to do a lot of house cleaning between now and then. YUCK!!!

Oh yes!! We get a long weekend!! I need to make Dr's appts.....gosh, September (as in the month...not the Canadian!) surely snuck up on me!

New Orleans...does anyone else feel as helpless as I do? So sad....one of the history teachers said that the land is in such bad shape that it probably will all be ocean in 50 years. Wow....

Ok, so this is random. Well, I feel random today!!!!

Dillon's birthday is coming up. I'd tell you what I've gotten him, but there's a small chance he might meander his way over here to read my blog (it would be the first time, that's for sure!). I got a few of his presents like a week ago and it's killing me!!! (September 10 is the big day)

What else?? Hmm.. I had to email my dad a diagram so he could figure out how to get to his phone book on the cell phone. :-p It's my old phone b/c his messed up just before he came out to visit. Verizon let us activate my "old" one for $15 (his was too expensive to fix and we got it thru Radio Shack and they wouldn't honor the warranty). Anyway, I showed him everything (and gave him the book). Poor guy...he called the other night to tell me he can't figure out how to "get my numbers off there." (for at least a month, now!) Fortunately, we'd voice programmed mine in there so he didn't have a problem calling me! Anyway, I was trying to remember what my phone looked like and describe the steps to him but it was futile. He needs something with neon letters/pictures! So, I went online and found someone selling the same phone on ebay, opened the picture in Paint, and went to work. Oy.

I am sitting here waiting on a call regarding one of Dillon's presents....the wait is driving me crazy!!!

Well, I'll go and use some of this nervous energy elsewhere b/c if I don't, I'll write forever and ever about NOTHING!! Just call me Seinfeld.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar Eagle!

2005-08-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, my favorite (sporting) time of the season is upon us.

Manchester United has started their season off with a bang (2-0) and my Auburn Tigers will face their first opponent on September 3rd!

I've already seen a couple of my former favorite players in the Big Time (NFL) take a stab it the pros. Carlos Rogers needs to step up his conditioning routine. Ronnie Brown didn't play (I hope he's not holding out like Carlos did...and, if he is, I hope he's staying in shape!). Carnell "Cadillac" Williams had a few carries for 12 yards, certainly not the kind of numbers he had in a game at Auburn. But, this is their first season and some will probably see limited playing time. Still, I can't wait to see what unfolds this year (Jason Campbell also did not play...he's 3rd on the depth chart at Washington, so there ya go).

Yay! Fall! The changing of leaves and the cheering of fans enjoying "football" worldwide!! Yay!!!

SCC celebrates Christmas with a new album AND book!!

2005-08-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

(Taken from an article at www.stevencurtischapman.com)

Steven Curtis Chapman Spreads Holiday Cheer With New CD, Book. All I Really Want For Christmas CD To Release September 27th

All I Really Want For Christmas CD To Release September 27th; Tommy Nelson Shares Second Installment Of Shaoey & Dot Series With A Christmas MiracleNashville, TN (August, 2005) –

Platinum-selling singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman is ready to spread the holiday cheer this season with his Christmas CD, All I Really Want For Christmas, releasing September 27th on Sparrow Records. In addition, bookshelves will be stocked this fall with Shaoey And Dot: A Christmas Miracle (Tommy Nelson Publishing), the second installment of the “Shaoey And Dot” picture book series penned by Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth.

With more than one million of his Christmas titles sold to date, Chapman’s All I Really Want For Christmas is his 15th studio project in his 19-year career with Sparrow Records. This collection of 12 original and traditional holiday favorites includes new Chapman originals, such as “The Night Before Christmas,” “The Miracle of Christmas,” “All I Really Want,” as well a new version of the timeless hymn “Angels From The Realm of Glory.” Also included are Chapman’s renditions, previously recorded for his 2003 Hallmark release, Christmas Is All In The Heart, of “Silver Bells,” “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” and “Home For Christmas.” Ed Cash produces the new songs while Brown Bannister produced the songs from Christmas Is All In The Heart.

Rounding out the holiday project are a couple special appearances, one from country superstar Vince Gill who shares his voice on a new version of “Christmas Is All In The Heart.” Another special guest is Chapman’s first adopted daughter, Shaohannah Hope. Shaoey starts the CD off with her touching narration of “The Christmas Story” taken from the Book of Luke. She closes out the project, joined by her dad, singing her rendition of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas,” a special hidden track at the end of the CD. Shaohannah, now age 6, also appears with her dad on the CD cover.

All I Really Want For Christmas’ first single, the endearing “All I Really Want,” promises to be a song we’ll want to hear for years to come. The song focuses on a topic dear to Chapman’s heart – adoption. “All I Really Want” shares the story of a little boy’s one item wish list to Santa, asking not for toys at Christmastime but for a family. Chapman sings:

“All I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in, a shoulder to cry on if I lose and shoulders to ride on if I win / There’s so much I could ask for but there’s one thing I really need / All I really want for Christmas is a family.”

To promote the single, Chapman will be filming a music video in Los Angeles at the end of the month. The video will be directed by Brandon Dickerson who is based out of San Francisco. Dickerson will also be filming Chapman in another music video for Chapman’s song, “Remembering You,” the first radio single from Songs Inspired By The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

J. David Huffman, COO, Creative Trust, comments, “With All I Really Want for Christmas, Steven is giving what everybody wants for Christmas – a warm, emotive experience about all the joys of the holiday season for all ages.”"Steven has once again delivered a pristine offering of songs for this new Christmas album,” says Peter York, President, EMI CMG Label Group. “He has captured the emotion, wonder and miracle of Christmas and invites the listener to enter in." Chapman will do a nationwide tour this holiday season promoting All I Really Want For Christmas with friends MercyMe. Together they will appear in 21 markets beginning the day after Thanksgiving in Greenville, SC and ending December 20th in Indianapolis, IN.

Shaoey And Dot: A Christmas Miracle will be released by publisher Tommy Nelson this November, in time for National Adoption Awareness Month and the Christmas season. This story is a wonderful reminder of the miraculous love that makes every Christmas a special one while sharing with its readers the many joys of adoption.

“Shaoey and Dot are a charming duo in fun-to-read, rhyming stories with big, big messages,” said Vice President and Associate Publisher Dee Ann Grand. “Like the kid in all of us, Shaoey and Dot give and receive all the joy and fun of the giving season, but in the end, they learn the true, real miracle of Christmas.” The Shaoey and Dot series, named after the Chapman’s first adopted daughter, Shaohannah (Shaoey) Hope, was launched with the Chapman’s first picture book, Bug Meets Bundle, in November 2004. Filled with delightfully whimsical illustrations from Mary Beth’s brother, Jim Chapman, the Shaoey and Dot picture book series truly is a family affair. Jim Chapman also illustrated A Christmas Miracle.

All I Really Want For Christmas Track Listing (not final order):

Narration of The Christmas Story
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
All I Really Want
Angels from the Realms of Glory
The Night Before Christmas
The Miracle Of Christmas
Christmas is all in the Heart
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Go Tell It On The MountainSilver Bells
Winter Wonderland
I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Steven Curtis Chapman was honored with a Grammy Award this year for the 5th time, has an American Music Award as well as two certified Platinum and seven Gold albums, nine million total albums sold and 43 No. 1 radio hits, among numerous other honors. He is the most-awarded recording artist in the history of the Gospel Music Association with 49 Dove Awards spanning his 19-year recording career. His current recording, All Things New, is his 14th project with Sparrow Records as well as the title of his most successful tour to date, which hit 70+ cities nationwide. He also appears on the upcoming release Songs Inspired By The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe soundtrack releasing this fall and also has the first single going to radio, “Remembering You.” Chapman has performed at the White House and has appeared on such outlets as CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, Hallmark Channel and E!. He has also taken on the role of producer and record label founder, helping to launch the career of Casting Crowns. A passionate advocate for adoption, Chapman and his family have established Shaohannah’s Hope, a foundation providing information and financial grants to families who desire to adopt. For more information please visit http://www.shaohannahshope.org/ and www.StevenCurtisChapman.com.

Tommy Nelson, the kids division of Thomas Nelson Inc., creates and distributes products designed to expand children’s imaginations and nurture their faith. Named one of the top fifteen children’s publishing companies in North America by Publishers Weekly, Tommy Nelson publishes best-selling authors and brands like Max Lucado, Frank Peretti, the International Children’s Bible®, and Hermie and Friends™.

How did I get so old????

2005-08-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

Cholesterol.

That word held no meaning to me til about 4 months ago when I found out I have hypothyroidism. Thanks to a wellness screening at our school, we (my doctor and I) were notified that I had abnormal levels of both the thyroid stimulating hormone and triglycerides. Joyous. The bad news was, I had to take a pill for my thyroid. The good news was it might help level off my triglycerides. Only time would tell.

Well, boys and girls. I feel pretty old and out of shape because today, I received my little blue card in the mail. That card held the news that my triglycerides are really stubborn and do not like Synthroid (Well, more likely, they don't like my choice of food....then again, with them being so high, they probably DO like my choice of food and have little parties each time I open my mouth!). Oh well. It's too bad the Synthroid and my cholesterol didn't like playing together b/c now I have to take yet another medication.

The moral of the story? One, go ahead and get a checkup. If I hadn't gone to that free screening at work, I wouldn't have found out about my thyroid. One in 10 women are diagnosed with thyroid problems. They can lead to serious complications (try death) if left undetected. The same goes with junk that clogs up your arteries. It's kinda important to have blood flowing unrestricted thru your body.

Oh yeah...and eat your fruits and veggies. However, you've seen all those commercials with the healthy folks working out and eating right and still have high cholesterol. Sometimes, it's just genetics that deal you the icky high cholesterol card. Even if you're thinking you're healthy, get your blood checked. You never know.

It's past my bedtime...

(Anyone with advice on dealing with CHO, let me know, k?)

P.S. IT'S OFFICIALLY FRIDAY!! YAAAAAAAAY!!!

Bloggerific!

2005-08-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

I promise I tried to update you all last night. It's just that when I finally got around to doing so, the site was down for maintenance.

Well, we're closing in on the end of the first week of school here in good ol Plano, USA. It's not been too bad. There's been some adjustment among the 11th graders who just moved up from their high schools (we have 3 feeder 9th-10th grade schools and 3 Senior High (11th-12th)) as well as the teachers/interpreters. We're just used to block scheduling and the district went to 7 period days this year. What that means is, instead of having a set of 4 classes every other day (1st-4th on MWF and 5th-8th TTH or however the days work out), we have 7 classes M-F. The good thing is the classes are only 50 minutes now as opposed to A day classes being one hour and B day an hour and a half. Only having 50 minutes can be bad, too. Well, at least from an interpreting standpoint. It seems the teachers haven't been able to cram all they need into their 50 minute periods....efficiently. Sure, they get it all in, but our fingers are on fire!! LOL. Ouch. I need a massage.....

Nap time has been a necessity for me (and Dillon) in the afternoons. I just need to learn to nap more wisely. I can't just lay down and do one of those sissy "power naps" for 15 minutes. It takes me that long to get comfy!!!! I practically go comatose once the Sandman finds me. That's not so good when bedtime rolls around and I'm wired from my 2 hr siesta! I have, however, cut out much of the caffeine I used to intake. If I DO have any, it will be around breakfast or lunchtime. Nothing after 5. That could be why I'm dead at quitting time! ;-). More water is in my diet now, too. Yay!

Well, that's it. Nothing exciting yet. I'm so happy that tomorrow is Friday!!!!

I, I will survive...

2005-08-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

Howdy.

Day 2 is over and I'm already tiring of technical "teacher speak." :-p We kicked the day off with convocation at 7:30. Everyone in the disrict donned their school's colors and shuttled, carpooled or drove to Prestonwood Baptist Church (aka the "Baptidome") for our little "kick off" to the school year. Last year, it was held in the afternoon and, in my opinion, that's a much better time to get folks in the mood for kicking off (instead of kicking AT) something ;-). Actually, everyone was pretty with it (don't ask about how they were doing this afternoon...lol...can you say "glassy eyed??"). Me and 5 other colleagues had the...umm...privilege of interpreting the event. We have 3 Deaf on staff and since each sat with their respective schools, 2 of us were assigned to each. Gotta love teaming. I tell ya...I wouldn't have made it thru 2 hours of presentations, cheers, songs, and playful "educational" banter w/o being able to trade off with someone. Of course, when you "team," you are still on the clock in case the person you're working with needs a sign fed to them now and again (Emily will know what I'm talking about).

Since I got up at 5:30AM and I am a professed night owl, I managed to forget my glasses. It wasn't too bad and I got the chance to "swing (across town!)" home and grab them after it was over with. It's good I did b/c Giggs had found the dryer lint bucket in the laundry room and also got hold of a napkin to shred. Sometimes I wonder why we even bought a cross-cut shredder. We should just let the dog do it!!!

The rest of the day was more teacher meetings/workshops and interpreting them. Our shining monent was when the principal of the school we are working at (for the week...for me, anyway) stood and acknowleged what a great job we (interpreters) were doing and asked everyone to thank us (with applause). One of my coworkers said that in the 7 yrs she's been working at this school, that was the first time someone thanked the interpreters. It meant a lot. We were fried by the end of the day!!! "Administration" "Legislation" "Reformation" "Proliferation" Oh man...shoot me now!! LOL

On a side note, have y'all used Terra Server or Google Earth yet? Yikes!! You can zoom in to see your house!!!! (It's on the news....sorry for the diversion) Dillon's had it on his computer for a while. While it's neat to "visit" other places, it's kind of weird. I'm just glad it's not a live feed!!!! YIKES!

Melancholy Amy...

2005-07-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

Well, boys and girls, school's almost here. Say it with me now, "EEEEWWWWW!!!" Soon, chants of "5 more minutes, Mom...pleeeease!!" and cries of "The dog ate my homework" will resound over this great nation. I shall be thinking and pleading the former when my alarm goes off tomorrow morning.

Work for my district begins tomorrow. The summer has flown by. Absolutely sprouted wings and took flight like a rocket. I find myself wanting to freeze the moment. Perhaps it's b/c of too much TiVo, but the desire to pause time has almost overtaken me.

Did I use my time wisely this summer? No. I don't think I did. Did I make the most of every moment? Some days, but not many. Am I regretful? Of course. Now I find myself wishing I had more time..

Isn't that always the case? Well, except for when you're in the dentist's chair (even then, there's regret like, "Why didn't I floss (more)?" or "Man..I should never have eaten all that candy growing up!"). Ah, and when you're in school, there's nothing you want more than a break from it all! For some reason, 2 months isn't enough. Give us an inch and we'll take a mile.

I don't really have a point to make. If you are one of those who reads really hard between the lines, maybe you could glean a little bit of awareness of your lack of time-management skills or something. Or, maybe it spurs you on to grab life by the horns and have a blast. I dunno.

All I know is, I don't want that alarm clock to go off at 6 am tomorrow.

This is worth making a new post for...

2005-07-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

I was gonna stick it in the "comments" section of my last post, but hey...this one deserves some time in the limelight ;-).

MY NIECE JUST CLEANED THE LIVINGROOM! Complete with dusting, vacuuming, and a bit of tasteful rearranging. She even attempted to re-alphabetize our DVD collection (it's all out of whack)! I helped her finish that daunting task. Here's the kicker: no one asked her to!

Ok, so family visits aren't all that bad ;-).

Thanks, Kennedy. Need a job?

All in the Family....

2005-07-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Well,

I haven't been able to swing by for any updates b/c I've had my hands full the past few days. Some of my family has come out to the great sweltering state of Texas for a little visit. My father, oldest sister and her 2 kiddos made the 12 hour trek last Thursday. This is the week of her annual Mary Kay dealio in downtown Dallas, so they decided to squeeze in a visit with us as well.

I still have my sanity, and that's saying a lot ;-).

No, seriously. For someone who's 12 hours away from family most of the year, this visit is a sight for the weakened heart (even though the heart has hammered a time or two!). There was a soft place somewhere in there that longed to see someone familiar. It's great that the in-laws are only a couple of hours away, but I can't tell you how good it is to have Dad here. He's got shingles by the way :-(. Poor guy can't travel anywhere without getting sick. I know helping with my niece and nephew (10 and 13) hasn't helped his energy lately, either.

Not much to report. We spent the greater part of Friday shopping with Laura as she purchased some finishing touches for the convention (it started last night), then met my cousins from Ft. Worth for dinner. Saturday, we took Logan to play paintball. Fortunately, it was at a Celebration Station and not some random field out in the middle of nowhere (Did I mention it's blazing hot here???). So, we got to stay indoors while he suffered outside (in a mesh "tent-like" thing) and Kennedy played some games. Sunday, it was more playing as we went to the "grown-ups Chuck E. Cheese," Dave and Busters. That was a lot more fun (and had great food!) than the day before. The in-laws came up to join us and we took the train downtown.

Not sure what we'll do for entertainment today. I fear computer games and playing with the dog is becoming less alluring as time ticks by.......

Literati! Literati! Literati! Li-ter-aaaaa!

2005-07-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

Like my lil ditty there?

I think I might be addicted. Thank you, September :-p.

For anyone who's lived under a rock longer than me, Literati is a board game akin to Scrabble (but don't try to use your Scrabble vocabulary....Literati isn't up on all the lingo and your words will get *sniffs* rejected). It's on Yahoo!Games if ever you're interested. You can play with random ppl or you can host a table and invite whomever you know is signed on. (I think that's how it works) The world of technology never ceases to astound me, as I got to play 2 games with my great friend in Sascatchaswan last night/this morning. ;-) Yay!

Not much goin on around here. The fam is coming to visit on Thursday: Dad, oldest sis, her 2 kiddos. They'll be here a week. Laura's got a Mary Kay conference.

In preparation, me and the other fam did yardwork this weekend. Before you go, "Oh blah! What a way to spend a weekend!!!", we did manage to catch a rockin Third Day concert on Saturday night. :-)

Anyway, the yardwork was sort of forced upon us by Mother Nature in that she effortlessly blew our lone tree (in the front yard) over during a storm. In that one tree falling, I got my yard edged, shrubs trimmed, and various weeds pulled. We had a regular chain-gang thing goin. Everyone works, then everyone rests. It was a nice rhythm. It's always nice when there's more than one pair of hands working. I was introduced to the fine (or not so fine) art of trimming shrubbery. I felt like Mr. Myagi or something with my own lil banzai trees....or boxwoods...

The weekend went well, other than the work, and even our dogs got to have a little bonding time. My Schnauzer still hasn't recovered from visiting w/ his cousins (2 Bichons and one Schnauzer pup whom we lovingly call "The Pirhana"). He's done nothing but sleep the past 2 days!!

That's it from here. Nothing profound. I'll need all the brain cells I can muster in dealing with the niece and nephew this weekend.............

Listen to this song to make your heart feel better..

2005-07-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Any Sanctus Real fans out there? "Fight the Tide" is now playing in WinAmp on my computer. Their title track, "You Are Not Alone" is quite catchy.

Isn't it comforting to know we aren't on this journey alone? I know it feels lonely sometimes, but I'm thankful God finds ways to send little rays of sunshine through my melancholy clouds just to remind me that He's here. He's here, my Christian brothers and sisters are here...my cute lil puppy dog is here. I am loved. THAT makes my heart feel better!!! :-D

Does your heart ever NOT want to feel better? Is it anchored in a corner with a sulky pout on its face? I know mine puts itself in a happiness "time out" from time to time. Why is it so stubborn? It's FREE, yet it wants to be mired in sadness/despair. Frustrating, isn't it? Why does our stubborn human nature want us to be unhappy just for spite? That's what it feels like. We close the blinds of our soul to block out God's light. He's trying to flood us with it, but we're so doggone resistant.

Wherever you are, take those pity-party thoughts captive, throw open those blinds and chuck them out the window. Just do it. It will make your heart feel better.

:-)

Technology hostage..

2005-07-11T01:59:00.000-07:00

Since it's just me and the crickets (seriously..there are at least a couple plus some harmonious tree frogs outside right now), I thought I'd jot an update while waiting on DirecTV to call back.

While I avoided any store technological today, hubby didn't. We got another TiVo DVR tonight for the bedroom. Its hard drive is actually twice as big as the one we have now (in the living room), so we decided to put our existing one in the BR and install this one in here. Well, we had tons of stuff recording, so we had to wait til midnight. No biggie. I'm a night owl.

Apparently, the DirecTV/TiVo techies are updating their server. They told Dillon it would be about an hour (that was almost 2 hrs ago!). I guess, when you gotta update something, doing so during non-peak hours is good, b/c you figure you won't have many customers needing to connect something. Unfortunately, we are in that minority tonight/today/whatever. He took our number and said they'd call back. No biggie...we'll just play xbox or something. We just called back and they are still updating and don't know how long it will be :-.

Here we are. Sure, we could go to bed and just get the blasted thing hooked up tomorrow but, unlike with exercise, we are TODAY kinda ppl when it comes to technology. ;-)

Oh, and for the record (and to keep up my boring menu offerings) tonight's feast contained:

Chicken jambalaya (pasta) and sweet tea (Dillon added chips and hot sauce (read: salsa) to his dinner). We had lemon cake for dessert.

I won't bore you with breakfast/lunch.

Til later,

Street Team blues...

2005-07-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Anyone who listens to music and has branched out into this cyber world of ours knows that street teams are all the rage among record labels now. They know there are masses of fans out there who are chomping at the bit to see their favorite bands come to town and more fans means more $$.

I love the street team ideal: bringing the message to the masses BY the masses. Totally jive with that. There's nothing I like better than spreading the word about what an impact Steven Curtis Chapman has had on my spiritual walk and life, in general. I love doing that so much, that I signed up for his street team, as well as a couple others whose artists I relate to. The only problem is, sometimes the projects are beyond what I can do as a fan. Well...are beyond what I want to do, that is.

Take for instance, the "roundup." This is where a street teamer e-mails hordes of his/her friends, imploring them to join "The Force." This is one of the key strategies of those in power, and, as such, they reward their recruiters with great prizes. I don't mind emailing my friends who listen to CCM about things like this. What I don't like is that they have a target number of folks they'd like us to email. Needless to say, I don't have that many folks in my address book. And, if I did, not all listen to CCM, not all are in the age demographic that enjoys all things online, and I venture that some would be put off.

I want to spread the word about his music...not so much ask folks to join the team. If it means merely posting a link or something on a message board here and there, that's cool. But to personally invade someone's inbox is something beyond my comfort zone.

Am I a sissy fan for feeling this way? Comments?

By the way, if anyone reading this IS interested in joining, here are two of the teams I'm involved with: www.groundforcenetwork.com (use the referral code 1891, please) and www.themovement.fan2band.com. Hopefully, those links will work for you. Thanks for enduring that shameless plug.

Have a great rest-of-Sunday!

Whataburger

2005-07-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Well, today's dining didn't quite come off as healthy as last night's. For those who are just dying to know what was on our plates, here goes. Are you ready??

Breakfast: Chic-fil-A biscuits (buy one get one free, compliments of coupons from Celebrate Freedom last weekend). Yay for "Christian" chicken ;-) :-p.

Lunch: leftovers. I had a bratwurst sandwich with some olive spread on it....For those of you going "ewwwww.." the spread is hard to explain, but it's really good. Lotsa different olives chopped up, kinda like what's on a muffaletta (however you spell that). You can go have your very own lil bucket (ha) from SAM's for $6.42, I believe. Yummy stuff that has lasted quite a while (and has a long shelf-life, as long as it's kept refrigerated after opening). I think Dill had hotdogs and some chips and salsa (Texans call it hot sauce).

Dinner: Let me preface this by saying I spent WAY MORE TIME than should be allowed for a wife on a Saturday at electronics stores. Holy bovines! We ended up going to look for a wireless USB adapter for my father-in-law who is onlineshopaphobic (The only place you can find the exact one he needs is online). Well, there are other versions (hence our "hunt"), but that one is the ideal one.

Anyway, we are at one place and find something $20 cheaper than what he paid for it in their hometown (they don't have this particular store there). Well, we went ahead and got it for him, and he plans to return the one he got (He hadn't opened it. I know some of you were holding your breath over that one.). Weeeellll, we go to the next major chain and find something like the "coveted" one, only there was SOME question as to whether or not it would work. There was ONE left...the sales guy told me "Nope. Doesn't work with TiVo." Hmm...it was gonna be $4.99 after rebates. The bargain hunter in me wanted to cling to the box with all I had, but I put it down and we went on our way to the next aisle. There was a more pricey one, but the FIL wasn't at home to make sure it was compatible with his system (Bored yet??). We decided to go on to the NEXT major chain. We got as far as the parking space closest to our car when the phone rang. He wanted the one I had picked up. By this time, we're in the car, on our way out of the lot. I tell Dill to just drop me off and I'd go in and get the other adapter. I get in there and, guess what??? IT'S GONE!! I see the guy who helped us was busy, so I found another guy who checked the other place they had them and said it was the last one. :-S I'm thinking to myself, "Not 5 minutes was I gone, and someone got it?? The sales guy acted like it was useless! Hmmm...I'm gonna ask him what happened." Well, the patient bargain hunter was now looking for some retribution (whether warranted or not!). He finishes up with the folks he's helping and has spotted me. He seems to have conjured up 2 coworkers for moral support. The one on the right says, "Can I help you, ma'am?" I lock eyes with THE ONE in the middle and say, "Yes....that USB adapter. That's the one we need. Have any more?" He paused a sec and said "Hold on." Now, I don't know what happened, but here he appeared with the box in hand! I take the box and go to find Dillon in my sudden rush of victory. He's all bowing down to me and telling his dad that I found it, but now we have to wait and see if it's for sure compatible with their system and/or does THEIR store have it. Hmph. We wait. He calls, is hung up on (I'm sure, accidentally) and then is put on hold for longer than he's willing to wait (I'm sure the first try was what put him off...). We decide to go ahead and get it. If they find one at their place and it works, our plan was to keep the other one for ourselves and use it. (Should I mention that the rebates always come in twos or end up to be not as great as they did before you actually get the item up to the checkout counter and go thru the fiine print?)

After that, we headed to a Christian bookstore where I felt more in my element (it's close to the above mentioned electronics store). Got a good bargain book and the newest Veggie Tales DVD. Oh, and we also saw they now have spiral notebooks and folders with Christian artists on them. How funny, but kind of cool, is that? We actually found one with the Newsboys on it that we purchased for my sister-in-law as sort of a joke.

We decide to head back to the first store and return the first adapter we bought. I stayed in the car and started on the book I had just purchased while Dillon went in and braved the return line. A little later, he came back with this kind of "grin" on his face, though I knew it was more of the "Please don't kill me" kind. His dad had just called and said they found the adapter we'd just purchased at THEIR store. :-o Well, if it works with our system, we're keeping it!!

How does that tie into dinner? At this point, all ideas of"slow, healthy food" are being brutally devoured by my now "psycho" appetite. Whataburger was the closest joint and so there we went (to hubby's delight. He and his father share the Whataburger gene).

On the menu was:

Dillon: A1 Thick and Hearty (or heart-stopping burger) Meal
Me: Whataburger Jr. meal

Boy, now aren't you glad you stopped by to see if I'd written any exciting updates? :-

We're off to watch some soccer. US vs Canada on the Spanish channel. Fun stuff! The only thing I have understood thus far is the logo up next to the score. It's the famous golden arches with the words "Me encanta" next to it. I don't need to tell you what it means, though. Everyone knows Mickey D's is a universal language!

Hasta la pasta,

Amy

Man...

2005-07-09T01:34:00.000-07:00

It took me forever to figure out how to do another post!!! I feel like a dork now. :-p

Hey, anyone seen "My Cousin Vinny?" Geez...I shoulda had some v-chips and dip before watching that one. Lotsa language. If you're gonna watch it, go for the made-for-tv version.

Well, good night everyone....

Maiden voyage...

2005-07-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

Welp. Here I am. I've avoided the great cross-cultural blogdemic for far too long. Good news for me, b/c I can curb some of the creative boredom I've been feeling. Bad news for you, b/c I'm not that creative!!

*crickets chirp*

Anyone out there watch The 4400? I don't think it would have been on my must-see list had I not married a sci-fi junkie, but it's not that bad (don't tell him I said that). There's an episode playing as I type, which is why this first edition might seem a bit unorganized.

I honestly feel I have nothing worthy to contribute at this moment, except for leaving you with tonight's dinner menu (mainly b/c I'm full and I'm looking for filler for this post!):

Grilled bratwurst accompanied by zucchini, squash, and onions that were grilled in a cozy aluminum foil bag. Oh, and some sweet tea I made with my Iced Tea Maker. It was a wedding gift that I just decided to put into use a couple of days ago. Can you belive that?? It only took me 2 years! Ah, trying to wean myself off of cokes. Yes, that's right. I said "cokes," and I don't mean the kind that wants to make the world sing. Here in the South, any carbonated beverage (that can be bought under the age of 21) is a coke. Doesn't matter if it's Dr. Pepper, Mt. Dew...whatever! It's a COKE!

Have a nice night and thanks for reading!

Blog, blog, fizz, fizz...

Fee-beyo!!!

Itzabouttimeforanupdate...

From my heart to yours..

Because I'm up way past my bedtime but wanted to update this..

LifeDiscipler

Homeless for the Holidays

Heart strings yanked on, once again!

The Seven Minute Difference

What's next on the horizon..

Pulling on my heart strings..

Lazy Sunday!

Wow, the Auburn game was depressing...

Not much to write about for now..

Ok, Slicer...

Wow..December seems like so long ago!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

So it's been awhile...

*cough*

...

Bbbbbllllaaaaaahhh!!

Everyone's seen it, but I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon as well...

I should update...

Oh well...

Feeling the need to write...

MMMMMMAYDAY!!

Hmm...

Running to the Light...

Oh well...

I'm a horrible blog reader....(edited)

Hear ye, hear ye....

To educate or not....

First day of Spring??

A week off??

Sarcoidosis

It's been a looong time...

Stand back...

End of the Spear...Hitting theaters today...

The day of bleh..

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Picture from Orange Beach

Bloggedy, bloggedy, boo!

Sunday morning blog....

Blogs away!!!!

More End of the Spear Screenings

Newsflash!!!

Wow!! Christmas is coming!!

Bloggerific...

Monday, Monday..

Tragedy...

:-(

WHEW!!

Pickle the Pigs!!!

Vacation, all I've ever wanted...

By the way...

Thanks!

Job-ish update (Job as in work....)

DirecTV ESPN GamePlan....BOOOOOO!!!!

If you're reading, would you say a prayer?

:-(

Not much to report...

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar Eagle!

SCC celebrates Christmas with a new album AND book!!

How did I get so old????

Bloggerific!

I, I will survive...

Melancholy Amy...

This is worth making a new post for...

All in the Family....

Literati! Literati! Literati! Li-ter-aaaaa!

Listen to this song to make your heart feel better..

Technology hostage..

Street Team blues...

Whataburger

Man...

Maiden voyage...

cough