Monday's Magnet

In honor of the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree tomorrow evening, I decided to highlight this magnet. It was a gift from Dave and Josi.

It seems like there are a few key points which take place to mark the *official* beginning of the Christmas season. First there's the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which ends with Santa arriving on his sleigh.Then you can always count on the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes to put you in the mood for the holidays.Of course there's always a ride in a horse drawn carriage through Central Park on a snowy day to set that special mood, especially when you're with a cherished loved one.And last but not least, there's the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree! For me, this is always a seasonal highlight. I even do the countdown in my living room. I know, I'm a nerd.I've already started decorating the house and slowly it's being changed into a Christmas wonderland. I love this magical, yet sacred time of the year. Here's to a blessed Christmas season.

White Christmas

Today was a busy but productive day which ended with a super fun treat. For 10 years I worked with a young man as his home health care provider. Due to continued health issues, I am no longer working with him, rather I have other cases at this time. When you work with a family as long as I worked with his, you become friends... and the friendship often lasts long after the *case* has ended. Such is the situation here. As a special treat, the young man's mother, Rita, invited me to spend the evening with her family at Dutch Apple Dinner Theater in Lancaster. After a delicious dinner we watched the live performance of White Christmas.Dare I admit it, I have never seen White Christmas before. I loved it! Now I'm totally intrigued and would love to see the original show with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. I'll have to see if I can't get a hold of it. You never know what you're missing, do you?Thanks a million, Rita. I loved the show. You are a wonderful friend.

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

Today went by way too fast... and before I knew it the day was almost over. I didn't want it to end without giving thanks for the blessing I have in my life. I am grateful for cherished friends and loved ones. I cannot imagine life without them. I am honored to be the mother of two terrific young ladies. We may have our differences, however, life would be incomplete without Emile or Brie. I am thankful for our home, my employment, my improving health, the necessities of life which we enjoy, and those who serve us in the community. I am most grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for the anchor it provides in my life. What would life be without all the blessing I have? I truly am blessed beyond measure.

Happy Thanksgiving

Monday's Magnet

In honor of the engagement of Prince William and his bride-to-be, Kate, I decided to share this particular magnet. It was a gift from my friend, Sue C. She was able to go to London with her husband a couple years ago. Thanks for remembering me, Sue.

 

Fake or Real?

I must share a very sad tale tonight. When I was a child we were never able to have a real Christmas tree because my mom had asthma. Having thought back over things, I'm now convinced it wasn't just about her health, but also because having a real tree requires more effort. Anyway, when I finally had a home of my own, my former husband and I decided we'd get a real tree. I went out one night while he was working and found the perfect tree. It was beautiful on the tree lot. I paid $35 dollars for it (21 years ago). We put the tree up and filled the holder with water. The tree really was pretty. And it was the healthiest tree I could have ever got. I really didn't have to pour in much water at all. It was amazing. Um.... it was amazing until 1 week before Christmas. I came downstairs one morning and found my beautiful green tree was now a not so beautiful rustish color. It was UGLY. What on earth had happened overnight? I was furious! I took all the decorations off the tree and pitched it into the back yard. I put up the artificial tree I had used for a few Christmas's and that was that. I never tried a real tree again.

Fast forward 18 years or so. I was listening to a program about how to care for live trees. I finally figured out what had gone wrong. I NEVER knew you were supposed to re-cut the stump before placing the tree in the stand... so the tree can get the water. DUH!! Makes sense. Why didn't I think of that?

Now it's mid November 2010 and before I know it, I'll be putting another Christmas tree up. Here's my dilemma. My old tree was on its last leg last year. I now have to either get another *Forever Tree* (I like that so much more than artificial tree) or get a real tree.Here's what I've come up with.

Real Tree ~
Cost: $35.00+ (depending on size and style)
Tree Stand: $20.00
Christmas Lights: $20.00

Looks like at least $75.00 for one use.

Forever Tree ~
Cost: $98.00 (7.5 foot, pre-lit, pre-hinged, stand included)I was really thinking about getting a real tree this year since it will be Em's last year living at home during Christmas. I just don't know though. I can get a lot more use out of a forever Christmas tree. And as pretty as they are now, you really can't go wrong. I suppose I'd better decided soon. Christmas will be here before I know it.

Emile's Senior Pictures

Here are Emile's formal senior picture proofs.

Here are her two cap and gown views.

Granted these are just the proofs, however, I still think they're really good. I'll have to decide which one I want pretty soon. Em wanted something less formal for her friends so she also had her cousin, Anya, take pictures. We're waiting to see how they turned out, but Anya assured us that she got some good shots. I'm sure she did. I'll post more when I have the pics.

Monday's Magnet

I must begin my admitting that I totally forgot to post any of my Monday Magnet posts since Emile's birthday. My bad. I'm not sure why I forgot.. but I did. So here we go again.

The magnet I picked for today is a little *daisy* I made with Brie several years ago when she was a Daisy Girl Scout. We used wooden ice cream sticks that we painted and glued together with a little wood circle in the center. It has faded a little over time, but you still can get the gist. The flower reminds each Daisy of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. The blue center is earned when the girls recite the Promise, and each pedal color represents a specific part of the Law and is earned as each part of the Law is memorized and recited. It is as follows:

The Girl Scout Promise

On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.


The Girl Scout Law

I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

I tried to find Brie's Daisy Uniform for a picture, but I couldn't. I know it's here, I just didn't see it. There you have it... a magnet with meaning.

My Poor Aching Mouth

What began as what I thought was a sinus infection well over a month ago, has evolved into a trip to the dentist, a solid diagnosis, and over the past 36 hours, a case of excruciating pain.I went to my dentist last Wednesday and found out I had a significant cavity in between the two last molars on the upper right side. The very last molar will have to be extracted. My appointment isn't until Dec. 1st. When I made the appt., I was afraid I wouldn't make it until then due to the pain. The dentist gave me a prescription for an antibiotic and some Tylenol 3. Well, let me just say, my worst fears were realized AND the pain med did absolutely nothing.

This was a post I put on my Facebook page around 2am today... "If crying would help, I'd cry right now. This pain is not breaking. I just took 850mg. of Tylenol, 250mg. of Aspirin, 60mg of Codeine, and 65mg of Caffeine (in the form of 2 Tylenol 3's and 1 Headache Relief Tab) to try and relieve this pain. Obviously the dentist I saw on Wed. does not grasp the depth of my pain." Around 10:30am my family doctor, Dr. K., called me from Sacrament Meeting and I explained what was going on. He immediately called in a different antibiotic and pain medication. My sister, Cindy, picked it up shortly after noon and dropped it here at the house. Just before she did so, Andy and Keith (her son and husband) had given me a blessing. I was so thankful to have both the blessing and the medications.

I'm feeling much better now. I'm exhausted from not sleeping well for the last 2 nights. Plus being in that kind of pain is very draining. I'm now going to go to bed for a little while. I need some sleep. First thing tomorrow I'll be calling the dentist back and pressing to be seen sooner. There's no way I'll make it to Dec. 1st. This situation needs to be addressed immediately.

End of the Season

Tonight was the last night for the Bulldog football season... and obviously that means the end of the marching band season as well. With the last game over, this brings Emile's 4 years as a member of the Mighty Bulldog Marching Band to a close. Going into tonight's game, Em had mixed feelings. She didn't want the guys to lose their first game of District Playoffs, but on the other hand, she was also ready for the season to end because the weather is getting cold and she was tired of that part of it. Either way, there is always a winner and always a loser. For us, it meant we lost and Cocalico won. Here are some highlights from the evening.Now we end this chapter of Em's high school career. Before we know it June 10th will be here and my *baby* will be in her cap and gown receiving her diploma. Time is moving so very quickly these day.Emile, I love you with all my heart. I'm so proud of your accomplishments and I know you'll reach your goals if you work hard and NEVER give up.

One Down, Five to Go.

Today was my first class as part of my preparation for Gastric By-pass. I now have some more information about when I may be able to have surgery. While this is NOT carved in stone, according my my surgeon's nurse, we will be shooting for May. According to her, I have to have 6 months of supervised weight loss management in order for my insurance to pay for the procedure. This will allow me to take all 6 recommended classes and get a jump start on my weight loss. I will also learn new tools which will aid in my success and ability to maintain my new and healthier life.We discussed food labels and specifically what to look for. Post bypass, the protein requirements are vitally important. One of the main questions is how much protein can I get while consuming the fewest calories possible? Also critical is fat and carb amounts.We also learned about the food pyramid and how it applies to bypass patients. It is slightly different in what I will need post surgery.Of course, it goes without saying that portion control is mandatory. It's amazing how small a portion truly is. I love this visual. It clearly shows exactly what I should be aiming for in portion size.I am gaining tools I will be able to use in order to become healthy again. Actually, I'll probably be healthier and more aware of nutrition by the time I have surgery than I've ever been in my life. In addition to losing weight and having my health problems corrected, I also want to gain control over food... rather than food having control over me. Part of my success will be following the...

10 Commandments of Bariatric Eating

1. YOU SHALL INCLUDE PROTEIN AT ALL MEALS
Protein rich foods keep you feeling full long after you're finished eating.
2. YOU SHALL CHOOSE SOLID FOODS OVER SOFT, MUSHY, OR LIQUIDY FOODS
Solid foods fill up your pouch and stay in your pouch longer than soft, mushy, or liquidy foods do.
3. YOU SHALL NOT EAT AND DRINK AT THE SAME TIME
Doing so makes your solid foods mushy. No drinking for 15-30 minutes before and after meals.
4. YOU SHALL AVOID BEVERAGES THAT CONTAIN CALORIES
Liquids pass through your pouch quickly. Translation: Lots of calories without ever feeling full.
5. YOU SHALL TAKE SMALL BITES
Take bites only as big as a pea, pencil eraser, or a dime to lesson your chances of causing an obstruction and to slow you down.
6. YOU SHALL CHEW THOROUGHLY
Chew each bite 25-30 times or until the food in your mouth is unidentifiable.
7. YOU SHALL EAT SLOWLY
Allowing 20-30 minutes to eat a meal prevents you from overeating which can cause you to vomit and/or cause your pouch to stretch.
8. YOU SHALL STOP EATING AS SOON AS YOU FEEL FULL
Overeating can cause distress. Persistent overeating can stretch your pouch.
9. YOU SHALL STAY HYDRATED
Drink 6-8 cups of calorie-free, non-carbonated, caffeine-free beverages everyday.
10. YOU SHALL TAKE YOUR DAILY VITAMINS
Nutrient deficiencies are possible whether due to a lower food intake, malabsorption caused by weight loss surgery, or both.

And finally, we learned about goal setting and keeping a Food & Activity Journal. We each had to set at least 1, but not more than 3, very specific behavior, eating, and/or activity related goals. Here are mine for this month.

1. I will attend a support meeting and/or find a support person to work with.
2. I will not consume soda 4 days a week.
3. I will not drink beverages 30 min before after meals.

When I go to next month's class I have to turn in my journal page which insurance requires along with how a review with the nutritionist on how I did with my goals.

TODAY'S WEIGHT: 313

Gabrielle's Day

Me and Gabrielle at 1 month old.

Today is a special day for Brie. It's her 14th Birthday!! Gabrielle Grace entered the world a little early due to pregnancy related complications... just like Emile did. She was a tiny little peanut, weighing in at 6 pounds 14 ounces. She weighed only 6.4 when we left the hospital. She was so cute and Emile was such a good big sister from the first time she saw Brie.Brie always had a sweet nature about her. She smiled all the time.. from the minute she woke in the morning, right up to the end of the day. Her giggle was positively contagious. I always referred to Brie as my *boy* because she was into everything. She'd climb every chance she got. She loved bugs. She was adventurous and fearless. Boy did that ever change!Now Brie is a total girly girl. She HATES bugs. I mean she's terrified of them. She loves make up, shoes, clothing... pretty much fashion in general. Brie still has a wonderful personality and a great ability to make you laugh with the silly things she does. I'm so thankful to have her in my life. She makes me smile....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GABRIELLE!
I Love You...