Here is a group pic from our weekend. There are a couple pics from the log ride you'll get a chuckle out of, so click on this pic and go to the photo gallery and check them out!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sheikra 8.17.08 Busch Gardens
This in no way shows how truly huge this ride is. That little car full of people at the top?.. is hanging suspended there before it plunged down that almost straight drop. It was awesome!
I took Chad, & Bri (& Justin) to Busch Gradens this past weekend as a birthday gift for them both. We rode this 3 times.. the 3rd time we were in the front row! We had a lot of fun. It was good to spend time with my older children, I don't get to do that often enough. Brianne is 24 now and Chad will be 22 on Thursday. They grow too fast.. I won't say they "grow up" since they acted like little kids most of the time! It was a blast.
I took Chad, & Bri (& Justin) to Busch Gradens this past weekend as a birthday gift for them both. We rode this 3 times.. the 3rd time we were in the front row! We had a lot of fun. It was good to spend time with my older children, I don't get to do that often enough. Brianne is 24 now and Chad will be 22 on Thursday. They grow too fast.. I won't say they "grow up" since they acted like little kids most of the time! It was a blast.
Idol Audition Registration 8.11.08
Every year I commit to do whatever the "Birthday Boy/Girl" want sto do for their birthday. This year Brianne asked if she could get 2 days. We were up and in line about 5 am on Monday for the registration process for Americvan Idol. Then on Wednesday the 13th (Bri's birthday) we were up an inline early again for the actual auditions. She didn't really expect to be chosen, but really wanted to be able to know she tried instead of always wondering "what if?" It was on her birthday, which was actually her day off as well, so no loss, just a fun time and a chance to make new friends. They said they liked her energy and she had a good voice, just not what they were looking for this season. They did alot of taping for the Jacksonville part of the show, so who knows, we may still end up on TV! I am very proud of her for trying out. I am very proud of her for that and so much more! We love you Boog!
Hunter & Pop-Pop 8.10.08
Hunter & I went to Gainesville so he could visit his Pop-pop. It is hard for children to understand when someone is sick and they can't see them for such a long time. Hunter was glad to see him and now knows he is okay and getting better.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Randy Update from Greta 8.14.08
I just talked to Randy's private duty nurse and he said that Randy had a great day. He did another cap trial on his trach tube today and lasted over 4 hours. This is helping progress to removing the trach totally. Hopefully by next week as well as he is doing. He also walked 22 feet today with his walker. This is his second time walking this week. He is really moving by leaps and bounds. I am very proud of him. He can be Onery at times but i can't imagine being in his shoes. I am going back up for the weekend on saturday am thru monday am.Randy also did another swallow study and they changed his diet again.We are working on getting him placed in a rehab here in jacksonville next week. they project it will take another 2 -4 weeks of therapy and then he can come home. i can't wait!!!!! A special thanks to my sister Robyn for flying in from Nashville to help me with Randy and to Terri Cole for placing the private duty CNAs in his room 24 hours a day. Without all those things in place I do not believe Randy would have progressed as much as he has done. THANKYOU
Saturday, August 09, 2008
A quick trip
Brian & I went to Niceville (west of Tallahassee) to attend his brother Alan's Air Force retirement ceremony. It was a quick visit, but we enjoyed seeing them and being able to be part of it. Alan incorporated some really personal touches that made his ceremony unique and showed what a considerate, loving person he is. He presented special coins to his wife & children and thanked them. He thanked and acknowledged his brothers, Dad, Uncle and Grandmother for inspiring him too. It was very cool. I posted a photo in the gallery, so go check it out. (click on the kids pic below this post and it will take you there.)
Brian & I enjoyed the time together. It is a shame life and schedules keep us from seeing the people we care about more often. So is you can't hug those you love today, give them a call and let them know you are thinking of them!
Brian & I enjoyed the time together. It is a shame life and schedules keep us from seeing the people we care about more often. So is you can't hug those you love today, give them a call and let them know you are thinking of them!
Friday, August 08, 2008
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
An Update from Greta today..
"I just spoke to Randy's personal sitter and she told me that the feeding tube was gone and Randy ate his first meal in 7 weeks. He had Cream of Wheat, Scrambled eggs and juice!!!!!!!!! Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love progress. He is still on the vent but doing well with his time trials. I will call her later today after the other therapists have come in and get another update. A very dear friend who owns a medical staffing agency has placed someone to be with Randy for both shifts on the days i can't cover him. This just started last night. This way he does not have to be restrained and he can get the help he needs right away for his personal needs. The catheter has been removed but he still needs help with the toilet issues. I can call Randy's room at any time and get an update and i can also have the phone put to his ear and he can hear my voice. As soon as he can talk i will send out the phone number so you can all talk to him personally. That won't happen until they downsize the tube in his throat. I will be with him tomorrow from 7 am to 7 pm and will get to meet the therapists myself. Keep the prayers going. I actually slept last night since he had the sitter in his room. i only called her three times. hahaha. I went to bed at 10:30 and got up with the alarm @ 6 am."
P.S. They did downsize the tube in Randy's trach today and he ate a real lunch too! Talking is still hard but these are major milestones for him.. and for Greta too! Thanks to everyone for their continued support!
P.S. They did downsize the tube in Randy's trach today and he ate a real lunch too! Talking is still hard but these are major milestones for him.. and for Greta too! Thanks to everyone for their continued support!
Monday, August 04, 2008
It's Brianne's fault!
It really is! It started with finding a nostalgiac gift for Chad's upcoming birthday. Then I decided to look for size 4 slim jeans for Tristan And I did find, bid on, and win 4 pairs for him at really reasonable prices! One of them ended in a last minute bidding war, and I was determined to win! Now I didn't bid the moon.. it ended at $5.50. But the idea that I may lose to a sneaky last second bidder drove me nuts. I must admit I was a tad bit competitive!
I had not been on Ebay in over a year. I hadn't even updated our address. Now there are several items I am "watching". One or two of them I plan on being that sneaky last second bidder that jumps in and gets the prize.. it's all Brianne's fault.. it really is!
I had not been on Ebay in over a year. I hadn't even updated our address. Now there are several items I am "watching". One or two of them I plan on being that sneaky last second bidder that jumps in and gets the prize.. it's all Brianne's fault.. it really is!
The news for now & How was your day?
I thought Friday was just a bad day for me. It seemed everything I tried to get done turned into a mess. Several things that were supposed to come through didn't and it seemed it was just a funky day. I have spoken with several people who also had a rough day on Friday. Maybe the moons were crossing Jupiter or something! How was your day?
Other news and updates;
Alexa is having new tubes put in her ears on Aug. 27th. She is still having a hearing issue in her right ear and her left ear keeps building pressure and shows signs of fluid again. It will be an outpatient procedure so she will come home the same day. Last time it only took a couple hours for us to be back home. I will let you all know how it goes and how she is doing.
Tristan has another recheck for his ears tomorrow. He has passed all his hearing tests with flying colors and seems to be doing well. I will let you know if they find anything else tomorrow.
Hunter has had some side effects to his ADHD meds he was on for the past year. They have changed his meds and he should level out and be back to himself in the next couple weeks. They aren't sure why he had issues after taking it so long, but his new meds have much fewer side effects to worry about, so far so good.
Chad is working delivering pizzas for a place that used to be open near the old house. They had a fire and decided to reopen north of where we live now. Brian & Chad know the owner. That worked out well!
The horses are doing good. I got to ride Tortuga last week. We started seperating her and Reese so they have calmed down a bit and are easier to work with. Barney & Lenny aren't so keen on having to share me, but they will all adjust. I just need a few more hours to my days, that's all!
Randy is breathing more on his own which will help alot toward his recovery. Some days are better than others, but he is more alert and becoming more active. Greta is running herself ragged, but it is a priority for her to be with him as much as she can. Our sister, Robyn, is coming out for the weekend to help so I hope she is able to get a break. I can only help in spurts and it doesn't give her much relief. Terri & I are working on a way to give her more peace of mind and more help, so we'll see how it goes. Keep the prayers and support coming for them, the road to recovery is still a long one!
Hunter is excited for school to start. We are still working toward the twins starting preschool at his school. Just waiting for the school board to do their evaluation. Seems to be a hurry up and wait thing with them.
That's the news for now. I am sure there will be more tomorrow, there always is!
Other news and updates;
Alexa is having new tubes put in her ears on Aug. 27th. She is still having a hearing issue in her right ear and her left ear keeps building pressure and shows signs of fluid again. It will be an outpatient procedure so she will come home the same day. Last time it only took a couple hours for us to be back home. I will let you all know how it goes and how she is doing.
Tristan has another recheck for his ears tomorrow. He has passed all his hearing tests with flying colors and seems to be doing well. I will let you know if they find anything else tomorrow.
Hunter has had some side effects to his ADHD meds he was on for the past year. They have changed his meds and he should level out and be back to himself in the next couple weeks. They aren't sure why he had issues after taking it so long, but his new meds have much fewer side effects to worry about, so far so good.
Chad is working delivering pizzas for a place that used to be open near the old house. They had a fire and decided to reopen north of where we live now. Brian & Chad know the owner. That worked out well!
The horses are doing good. I got to ride Tortuga last week. We started seperating her and Reese so they have calmed down a bit and are easier to work with. Barney & Lenny aren't so keen on having to share me, but they will all adjust. I just need a few more hours to my days, that's all!
Randy is breathing more on his own which will help alot toward his recovery. Some days are better than others, but he is more alert and becoming more active. Greta is running herself ragged, but it is a priority for her to be with him as much as she can. Our sister, Robyn, is coming out for the weekend to help so I hope she is able to get a break. I can only help in spurts and it doesn't give her much relief. Terri & I are working on a way to give her more peace of mind and more help, so we'll see how it goes. Keep the prayers and support coming for them, the road to recovery is still a long one!
Hunter is excited for school to start. We are still working toward the twins starting preschool at his school. Just waiting for the school board to do their evaluation. Seems to be a hurry up and wait thing with them.
That's the news for now. I am sure there will be more tomorrow, there always is!
Friday, August 01, 2008
How do I??
It is quite odd sometimes to have a thought and then happen upon something that is about that very same thing. I have had a very hectic day. Several things have gone awry and I was feeling stressed and frustrated. It was storming and the kids were wide open. I could feel my blood pressure rise, (which has been a health issue for me). I tried to decompress and thought "How do I change this about myself? How do I change my stress level and how I deal with it? How do I change such a big part of myself? How do I change my life?!
I was changing the channel on the TV to find something for everyone to watch and caught the beginning of Oprah. I think it was a repeat. She had Maria Shriver on. She has a book out called Just Who Will You Be? It is about her realizing at 51 years of age that she had been what everyone else expected her to be and had no idea who or what she wanted from herself. She lived a busy, hectic life and wanted to be "gentler" with herself and everyone else. She was always rushing around stressed out and chaotic. She was being supermom and superwife and the good daughter. But she had no idea how to be Maria. She was amazed at that age to have no idea what she wanted to be when she grew up. She was very down to earth and mirrored alot of things I have been thinking today. I will have to read her book!
I was changing the channel on the TV to find something for everyone to watch and caught the beginning of Oprah. I think it was a repeat. She had Maria Shriver on. She has a book out called Just Who Will You Be? It is about her realizing at 51 years of age that she had been what everyone else expected her to be and had no idea who or what she wanted from herself. She lived a busy, hectic life and wanted to be "gentler" with herself and everyone else. She was always rushing around stressed out and chaotic. She was being supermom and superwife and the good daughter. But she had no idea how to be Maria. She was amazed at that age to have no idea what she wanted to be when she grew up. She was very down to earth and mirrored alot of things I have been thinking today. I will have to read her book!
Decorating 8.1.08
This is something I put together to finsih off some empty spaces that bugged me. I put one between my bedroom and the sliding doors, this one near the boy's hallway, and one in the front entryway. This one is a bit smaller than the other two so I only used one cattail, the other have 2.. I know that will bug me, so yes, I will be getting another one to make them all even!
Finishing Touches
I have been trying to finish up little projects around the house. These are wall quotes that I found and really liked. The top one is on the wall in our kitchen dining area. It has been up for a while. The lower one I just put up in our front dining room over the window. They really finish off the rooms. Someday I'll be done!Thursday, July 31, 2008
Yum-A-Setta Recipe
Another blast from the past. I promised Nancy this recipe a while ago and just came accross the recipe box it was in. My notes say the recipe is from Edna Miller from Mount Hope, Ohio. It is an Amish recipe with a couple shortcuts..enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz. pkg of wide egg noodles
8 oz. of shredded cheese (your preference)
2 tblsp. brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef with salt, pepper, brown sugar, & onion. Add UNDILUTED tomato soup to meat mixture. Set aside. Cook egg noodles per package directions, drain well. Add UNDILUTED cream of chicken soup to noodles.
In a casserole dish, layer meat mixture, then 1/2 the cheese , then noodle mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz. pkg of wide egg noodles
8 oz. of shredded cheese (your preference)
2 tblsp. brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef with salt, pepper, brown sugar, & onion. Add UNDILUTED tomato soup to meat mixture. Set aside. Cook egg noodles per package directions, drain well. Add UNDILUTED cream of chicken soup to noodles.
In a casserole dish, layer meat mixture, then 1/2 the cheese , then noodle mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Lunch with Rick 7.30.08
What goofballs! This was the best photo out of three I took when we had lunch with Rick yesterday. We all had a great time. Thank You Rick!
A little house holds big memories..
I was driving home from my horse lesson on Saturday and happened to notice a few houses along the drive. Nothing big or fancy. In fact, they were rather small and a bit shabby. I wondered what the people who lived there were like. What kind of life they had.
When Brian & I were first married I found a little house on the outskirts of town. It was a small, shabby house. I didn't just see a run down, neglected, empty house. I saw a house that could be a home. A house we could fix up and care for. I found out who owned the house and set about convincing them to rent it to us.
That was our first "house". Since leaving my parent's home I had lived in trailers and apartments. When Brian & I first married we shared a basement apartment with his friend, Tim. That little house was a big deal to me.
It took alot of work, and alot of love, to fix up that little house, but it was some of the happiest times for Brian, Kierra, & I. Brianne was conceived the first week we lived there (after months of trying). It held good times and great memories for us. I think back to those times and can't help but smile and laugh over some of the adventures and mishaps we experienced way back then.
We took the small backyard full of overgrown, dead tomato plants and made it a green, grassy space for Kierra to play in. We repaired and painted room by room. We changed out light fixtures and faucets one by one. We made it ours. It had huge lilac bushes on either side of the front door. You could open the windows when they were in bloom and the scent would fill the house. I still love the smell of fresh lilacs.
I sometimes wish for the simplicity of our lives back then. That house wasn't much bigger than an efficiency apartment. But it was enough for us. We lived paycheck to paycheck on meager military pay. But it was enough for us. We have lived in many places since then. Yet none of the houses we have lived in ever felt as much like home to me as that little house in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I don't have dreams about going back to New Mexico, or New York. I sometimes dream about our house in Swaffham, England, but I dream most often of Wyoming.
It seems nothing is simple anymore. I find myself snowballed by so many things to do and not enough time to do them. My "to do" list is never ending. So it is not so farfetched that when I see a shabby, simple little house, I daydream about a little house in Wyoming that stands there still. I daydream about a life that was simple, and safe, and held so much promise for us and the family we had started. I daydream about lilacs and green grass, about sun and snow. And for those few moments my heart smiles and my life is simple again.
When Brian & I were first married I found a little house on the outskirts of town. It was a small, shabby house. I didn't just see a run down, neglected, empty house. I saw a house that could be a home. A house we could fix up and care for. I found out who owned the house and set about convincing them to rent it to us.
That was our first "house". Since leaving my parent's home I had lived in trailers and apartments. When Brian & I first married we shared a basement apartment with his friend, Tim. That little house was a big deal to me.
It took alot of work, and alot of love, to fix up that little house, but it was some of the happiest times for Brian, Kierra, & I. Brianne was conceived the first week we lived there (after months of trying). It held good times and great memories for us. I think back to those times and can't help but smile and laugh over some of the adventures and mishaps we experienced way back then.
We took the small backyard full of overgrown, dead tomato plants and made it a green, grassy space for Kierra to play in. We repaired and painted room by room. We changed out light fixtures and faucets one by one. We made it ours. It had huge lilac bushes on either side of the front door. You could open the windows when they were in bloom and the scent would fill the house. I still love the smell of fresh lilacs.
I sometimes wish for the simplicity of our lives back then. That house wasn't much bigger than an efficiency apartment. But it was enough for us. We lived paycheck to paycheck on meager military pay. But it was enough for us. We have lived in many places since then. Yet none of the houses we have lived in ever felt as much like home to me as that little house in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I don't have dreams about going back to New Mexico, or New York. I sometimes dream about our house in Swaffham, England, but I dream most often of Wyoming.
It seems nothing is simple anymore. I find myself snowballed by so many things to do and not enough time to do them. My "to do" list is never ending. So it is not so farfetched that when I see a shabby, simple little house, I daydream about a little house in Wyoming that stands there still. I daydream about a life that was simple, and safe, and held so much promise for us and the family we had started. I daydream about lilacs and green grass, about sun and snow. And for those few moments my heart smiles and my life is simple again.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Still learning!
Terri went out of town for the weekend and couldn't use her riding lesson for this week so she gave it to me. I took the lesson yesterday and am still feeling it today! I tend to sit more English when I ride and that seems to give me too much movement when my horse decides to run amok. So I took a lesson on how to "hold my seat". The posture is completely different and boy does my butt and lower back hurt today! The instructor said it hurt because I was still holding my posture, not relaxing, so I will have to work on that. It was a very informative lesson, Thanks Terri! You never know so much that you can't learn more!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Randy has moved to Gainesville
Randy has been transferred to a specialty hospital in Gainesville. (email me privately if you would like the address) I spent yesterday with him then grabbed a quick dinner with Greta when she got there. She is staying the weekends and then one night midweek. He was more awake and responsive when I got there than he has been in weeks. He stayed awake for a couple hours, then slept for 5. They are setting up his therapy schedule and seem to be on track to get him weened of the vent and on his way to recovery. It has been a long road and it is far from over. I think he is in the best possible place to get the job done. He had a tracheotomy done before he left the hospital and can't talk so it is harder for him to communicate. They are working to get him breathing on his own again and get that removed, but right now it is keeping him going. He is frustrated and ready to go home, so some days he fights more than he helps himself. I can't say I blame him. Keep them in your thoughts & prayers.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Catch me when you can
I have watched a series for a while now called "Army Wives" on the Lifetime Network. This season has hit close to home. One of the main characters lost her daughter in an explosion. It has been pretty realistic so far. The other night it dealt with going back to where her daughter was killed. She had helped a grieving father who lost his son in Iraq. The man said he wished he could go to the spot where his son was killed because that was the last place his son, Roger, was Roger.
She had been dealing with going back to where her daughter was killed and in the end of the episode she and her other daughter went there. It was very emotional. For me too! I can't help but think of where the last place "Kierra was Kierra". But I so much prefer to remember the last time I saw her, or any of the thousands of memories I carry with me of her. The show is almost too realistic. Not over dramatized or too trite. They have portayed grief from several perspectives and relationships. It is almost as good as therapy!
If you have not experienced such a close loss it can be hard to understand how I can still be so affected after almost 3 years. Why I am not "over it", or able to "move on". I will never be over it, and I think I have moved on, moved forward. I have had no choice. Life hasn't given me the luxury of being able to wallow, or dwell on it to the point of just staying in bed with the covers pulled over my head.
I am not as social as I was before, but I think it is more due to the responsibility of 2 more children than it is that I am emotionally unavailable. Of course my perception is from the inside looking out, not how others see me. If you invite me to do something I will try to make it happen. That is the best I can do, but I can usually work it out. When I am able to do something I try to call and see who can join me. But often I am too busy with too many things to think much about being sociable. So if you want to get together, give me a call. I don't bite (not lately), and I don't have any contagious diseases at the moment. It's just a matter of "catching me when you can!"
She had been dealing with going back to where her daughter was killed and in the end of the episode she and her other daughter went there. It was very emotional. For me too! I can't help but think of where the last place "Kierra was Kierra". But I so much prefer to remember the last time I saw her, or any of the thousands of memories I carry with me of her. The show is almost too realistic. Not over dramatized or too trite. They have portayed grief from several perspectives and relationships. It is almost as good as therapy!
If you have not experienced such a close loss it can be hard to understand how I can still be so affected after almost 3 years. Why I am not "over it", or able to "move on". I will never be over it, and I think I have moved on, moved forward. I have had no choice. Life hasn't given me the luxury of being able to wallow, or dwell on it to the point of just staying in bed with the covers pulled over my head.
I am not as social as I was before, but I think it is more due to the responsibility of 2 more children than it is that I am emotionally unavailable. Of course my perception is from the inside looking out, not how others see me. If you invite me to do something I will try to make it happen. That is the best I can do, but I can usually work it out. When I am able to do something I try to call and see who can join me. But often I am too busy with too many things to think much about being sociable. So if you want to get together, give me a call. I don't bite (not lately), and I don't have any contagious diseases at the moment. It's just a matter of "catching me when you can!"
I ain't no Rachel Ray!
I have been trying to fix fresh and healthy meals all this week. Last night I tried one of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals from one of her cook books that I have. If I don't count the extra 30 minutes from the power going out when I was just starting dinner, then it really did only take about 30 minutes. I fixed Pasta Carbonara, her healthier version, which was good, but Brian missed the creamy richness of the old fashioned version.
I did realize however that there is a primary difference between Rachel & I.. she does not have 3 small children, an older child, a husband, and dogs all around her while she is trying to cook! I felt like I had run a marathon once I was done. She also had reccomended Broccolini, a cross between kale & broccoli. She said it is so great because the stalks are tender and you can eat the whole thing, whereas most people only eat the florets on regular broccoli. We were excited to try it.. until I found out it is almost 5 times more expensive than broccoli! A bought a large head of broccoli for $2.50. The same amount of broccolini would have been $12.00. Not cost effective for our large family.
A bonus this week: I discovered Ziploc Zip-n-steam bags. You can steam almost anything in them. You just put your food and seasoning in the bag then pop it in the microwave. We have been using them for fresh veggies. Even the kids have eaten them up. There is no added water, just the moisture from the veggies. The flavor is fantastic!
I did realize however that there is a primary difference between Rachel & I.. she does not have 3 small children, an older child, a husband, and dogs all around her while she is trying to cook! I felt like I had run a marathon once I was done. She also had reccomended Broccolini, a cross between kale & broccoli. She said it is so great because the stalks are tender and you can eat the whole thing, whereas most people only eat the florets on regular broccoli. We were excited to try it.. until I found out it is almost 5 times more expensive than broccoli! A bought a large head of broccoli for $2.50. The same amount of broccolini would have been $12.00. Not cost effective for our large family.
A bonus this week: I discovered Ziploc Zip-n-steam bags. You can steam almost anything in them. You just put your food and seasoning in the bag then pop it in the microwave. We have been using them for fresh veggies. Even the kids have eaten them up. There is no added water, just the moisture from the veggies. The flavor is fantastic!
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