A small relief...

Webster has assured me that my mistake was not as bad as it could have been - a small reprieve after my initial worry over my misspelling. I have corrected it for future use, but I am still working long and hard on the inside.

Oh the shame!

Well, I worked hard and long into the night on the wedding programs, and I knew when I went to bed it needed a fresh set of eyes to look it over . I had completed the cover and thought it looked very good (if I do say so myself), but upon further inspection by my very precise and red-pen carrying colleague it was discovered that I misspelled the street name of the new couple on the back of the program. Now, granted it was only one letter and probably no one will notice and mail will still get there should they use that address but still.....*sigh* My sister says it's no big deal, those 70 that have already been printed will just go at the bottom, but the perfectionist in me is just screaming that this can't be....but alas it is and I have the picture to prove it! Note the Street name says North Penial and it should be Peniel. I am somewhat frightened that the former could mean something that should entirely be absent from the wedding program, but perhaps not the wedding night, if you get my drift...why me?! This is the front. At least it looks good :)I think I am in for another long night.

Suddenly Something

The weather that is... Over the weekend the tempurature dropped nearly 30 degrees overnight and while I cannot be certain (as this is Oklahoma and the weather changes on a dime) I do not think we shall see summer again this year. We had our first freeze last night and finally turned on the heat. I used to love "no heat" nights when you could just bundle up and sleep all warm and snuggled under the covers, but that was BT (what we lovingly refer to as "before twins") when we didn't have to worry about teeny tinys.

It's now T-minus 12 days until my little sister's wedding and there is so much left to be done. I am working on her ceremony programs right now and I hope they turn out well. I'll post a pic once I get an entire one type-set, printed and assembled! She still has a million little different things to do but that's how it goes when you get down to the wire!

I don't think I mentioned it, but an update on Fred's treatment. It didn't work, so his Doctor took him off of it. He was very relieved, not that it didn't work, but to be able to get back to a normal life where he feels good. I had mixed feelings about it. But overall it did lower the amount of the virus in his blood and that is good. Hopefully new treatments will be be made available in the future that will have a higher cure rate plus be easier on the body. Whatever the case, I do believe God will take care of us.

Downtown

I really love working downtown! I like that it seems to always have life, somebody always going somewhere. I like the spastic artwork that greets you in the oddest places, and the whirring of the trolleys as they go by on the way to whatever stop they have next. I like that I can walk to anywhere I really need to go. My bank is across the street, restaurants are everywhere, and there is a really off-the-wall bookstore around the corner that gives away free popcorn whenever it rains or snows! You can't beat that!

There's just something about working around all these "suits" that makes you feel as if you are part of the mature world. Having never really reached an age where I feel grown up completely, this sometimes makes me feel better :) Of course, to ground me back into reality there is always the occasional homeless crazy that drops by like Mr. C.C., as we affectionatly refer to him, who loves closed captioning on t.v. and thinks he is going to marry Anna Kournikova (doesn't he know she's already married?), Maria Sharapova and any other female Russian tennis player he can find.Then he is going to open up his grocery story in Russia and he will get from here to there via train. Apparently, he has never seen a map and doesn't know that trains don't float!

Where can you find a better entertainment than Downtown?

A Silly Dream

I had a dream last night that I miraculously got pregnant ( I say miraculously because it took IVF to do it the first time). I think it all stemmed from a conversation I had with a friend who is expecting. We were talking about Doctors and how they seem to all point out to us our weight gains during pregnancy. Anyhow, in my dream I was 1) quite shocked and 2) very excited about the thought of not counting Weight Watchers points for 9 months. I remember thinking about how I was going to go have plate of chicken nachos at my favorite mexican restaurant! I crack me up (sad, how little that requires, isn't it?)!

On to other things now...
I have THE cutest story to tell you. Yesterday on the way home I was watching the girls in the back seat (yes, I should be watching the road, but they are so darn cute I have to look some!) and they were holding hands!!! It was the sweetest thing and it just melted my heart! I love those girls SO much, and it struck me this morning that it is really a different kind of love than I have ever felt before. Sure, I have loved people, my husband, my parents, siblings etc... but this is so much more protective than any other love. It's doesn't do it justice to explain in words, but I hope you all get the chance to experience it.

This is also week #12 for Fred in his treatment. By this time next week we will either be starting a 36 week journey to finish this, or we will be hoping for new treatments for Hep C in the future. I honestly don't know what I am hoping for. Of course, I want him to be cured, but part of me thinks with new treatments something less ravenous on the body might come along. No need to really think about that now...on we go...

P.S. I did get my Platinum edition Cinderella DVD! Thanks, Pam!

A Smallish Update

Our Garage sale went very well. We made enough to pay our flood insurance and enough to pay for the suddenly ill Durango. BLAH! There went my new stovetop! Oh well, maybe someday...

In other exciting news I should be receiving my brand spankin' new special edition Cinderella DVD today from my sister. I have been telling her for at least two months now that I expect it today! One year for Christmas, the only thing I asked for was Cinderella. It came out that year on VHS and I had to have it! Fast forward to many years later when my sister and I were in college and she was a nanny to 3 boys, she took it for them and it was never returned (I still have yet to understand what 3 boys would want with Cinderella -- oh well). I mourned the loss of my dear Cinderella, but alas I could not bear to replace it with another VHS from Ebay knowing that any day thay would release it on DVD. So, I have waited, and today I hope that unpatient wait will pay off! Pam, if you read this you know my expectations are very high! :)

Also, today is my dear Fred's birthday. I will not reveal his age, although, he probably doesn't really mind, but I want to wish him the happiest birthday of all! I love you, Fred!

Nightmares

The lovely picture at the right is why I think my youngest daughter woke screaming this morning at 6:20 AM. This giant spider has a web off the side of my parent's porch. The girls love to look at it (not too close, of course) and they always call it "bug". When I went in to check on the screaming Bekah, she was yelling "BUG!" I got the little flashlight (didn't want to wake up Rachel) to look in her bed and nothing was there, so I think she had a bad dream about "bug".

She was not about to let me leave that room without her, so reluctantly I went ahead and picked her up. Have you ever tried getting ready for work with an almost-two-year-old following you everywhere and "cleaning" every little shelf and drawer she can get her tiny little fingers on?! OY VEY! Let's hope for no more nightmares!

Well, the weather today is Fall-ish for the first time. It's absolutely beautiful outside today! Sunshine and 70 degrees! Just perfect! I love this time of year -- now if the trees will just start to turn... Although it made my husband go nuts because he decided we were doing a garage sale NOW! We have been slowly gathering things to have one, but have never had a free weekend. I guess it's here now. That should be just peachy (can you hear the sarcasm dripping from that one?). I am just hoping it goes well enough to pay for that new stovetop I've had my eye on to finish out our kitchen remodeling. That would make it all worthwhile!

FORE!

I have to tell you, my golf lesson was an absolute blast! There is SO MUCH to remember in a golf swing, but I suppose that's why people practice, right? There was so much to think about that I totally forgot to notice how hot it was outside or the fact that against all my hopes someone saw me swinging that driver like the goofy novice that I am. Our instructor said we both did very good for beginners and I can tell you that for as many times as I competely "whiffed", that I did hit the ball up in the air. I hope maybe I can practice and get a lot better!

Testing 1...2...3...

This hopefully will be my first successful attempt to post a picture!

This is what happens when you say, "give sister a hug and a kiss". It's a contact sport! Do you think we watch a lot of football at our house?

The week in reverse

So, here I am updating once again on a Friday. I can't believe I've let another week go by with only one update, but it's been a busy one!

The shower is tomorrow and I am SO not ready, but it's coming anyway. I hope it goes well and will be fun for Pam. Her surgery went well, but she certainly is still recovering. Her energy is not quite back up, but last night she finally sounded almost normal when she talked!

I never did make it to the fair, which is a total bummer! It ends on Sunday and I can't see myself getting there before then with this crazy weekend coming up.

In other news, for the first time in my life I am going to play real golf tomorrow. I am taking a golf lesson with my good friend from college and hopefully I won't make a complete fool out of myself. You know that Dodge commercial with Snoop Dog and Lee Iacocca where at the end they are on the golf course and Snoop makes that horridly funny golf swing? I am hoping that won't be me. At least I know I won't be wearing those awful clothes! HA! We'll let you know how that goes!

Finally Friday!

YeeHaw! That's all I have to say about that!

I actually have to work tomorrow, but it won't be bad. It's for Academy Day which, is always my favorite thing. It's for kids who are interested in attending West Point, Navy or Air Force academies. I really love seeing all these kids who are really the cream of the crop vying for these coveted and few spots. They are really all deserving, but unfortunately we can't send them all.

I am also busy trying to plan my sister's personal shower. It will be a week from tomorrow. I have so much yet to do and no time to do it! Plus she found out today that she will be having surgery for a deviated septum on Monday and that will be rough. Hope she recovers well for the weekend.

Other than that really I have no plans. The State Fair started yesterday and I love that! I am hoping I can get out there sometime, but that will probably require at least half a vacation day, which is fine! They have the best cinnamon rolls! I can smell them just thinking about them...although I won't indulge because 25 weight watcher points just isn't worth it! YIKES! So, I'll just have my roasted corn, I suppose! The weather is beautiful today and it's a shame I can't get out there now! Tomorrow it's supposed to heat up again, oh well, I know Fall will eventually come.

Ahhh, the sweet smell of Pigskin!

Alas! Football season is upon us! I spent nearly all my free time at home this weekend keeping an eye on the games as they were played. My Sooners picked up their first win of the season, we won't talk about last week, and Fred's Dallas Cowboys eeked out an upset over the Chargers. Unfortunately my Jets did not fare so well, poor Jets!

As a steady OU fan I found it difficult but did cheer as best I could for the Texas Longhorns as they played their butts off against Ohio State. I'll route for any Big 12 team before I do anybody else. I was glad to see they pulled out the win, but I fear my Sooners will have a tough time against them this year.

In Baby news the Rachel put her first two words together "More Crackers" LOL! It was just too adorable! They are saying new words every day and it's just amazing the things they pick up. I have to say though, my favorite has been Rebekah repeating "Amen" after Fred and I pray over them before they go to bed. She has done it ever night for the past 5 nights, and I tell you it just melts my heart! No wonder Jesus loved children they way he did. Their innocense is so precious!

September Already?!

I really can't believe it's September! My goodness! Before you know it you'll be scrambling to buy Christmas presents -- or not, as you may have to spend your Christmas present money to buy GASP! OY!

I just want to take a minute to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the millions of others praying for the devastated New Orleans area. I hope that order will be restored soon and the water will rescind and the area can be rebuilt. The lives of those that lost everything, I know, will never be the same, but I hope they will be able to get the help they need to move on. God Bless!

Genetics

It is so fascninating to me to see the things in my girls that I know came from either Fred or me. The strangest thing so far that I think is the Rebekah is totally obsessed with shoes. Now, for anyone who knows me, it easy to see where she got this, but I never really considered that it could be a trait passed down. I alwasy figured that somehow I just aquired this love for shoes sometime in my teenage years or so. But in talking to my mom and laughing about Bekah's need to put on any stray shoe she finds and walk around in it, she told me that at that age I too loved to wear shoes and that I even slept clutching them (and she has a picture to prove it!).

Last night we were at the Mall and we strolled past a Kiosk with thos sparkly mule slippers and they had a pair that was "Bekah size" so for fun I tried them on her. The girl loved them! She threw one giant fit when the mean 'ol mommy took them off! Oh we are in for it, I can tell. I suppose I can only blame myself, eh?

How things can change!

So 24 hours ago I learned that my boss was thinking of running for Governor, my-oh-my! Here we just thought he was going to run for re-election! Who knows what will actually happen. I just know he would be running against and incumbent governor who currently has approval ratings in the mid 60's. An uphill battle for sure! I guess we'll wait to see how all this plays out.

Could it be???

I am whispering as I write this, but could it be that we are moving out of the age of high chairs??? Last night my girls ate sitting at their little Spongebob card table in their little tiny chairs! Still eating with their hands though. We really haven't gotten the hang of utinsels for eating yet. But I am totally excited about this as I really loathe cleaning up those high chairs! We'll see how it goes as we just started this, but last night they sat very good at their table until they got full and then of course threw the food on the floor...ah well, one thing at a time right?

Nothing Much...

It was a really rough week last week and I am happy it is over. My boss was in town last week and we did a series of Town Hall meetings, which usually go well, but you never know what you are going to get with those. Then a good friend and colleague of mine lost her father last week. He was too young to leave this earth, 59, and my prayers are still with her and her family as they learn to move on in life with the hole it has left in their hearts.

The weekend was, as always, a welcome break from the normal routine. Fred completed weekend #4 with his treatment. Every weekend I notice very slight improvements in him. I hope this continues and he can eventually get to where it doesn't bother him at all! What a weekend we would have!

The biggest news of all for the weekend is...drumroll please... WE ARE NOW BOTTLE-FREE IN OUR HOUSE! HOORAY HOORAY! For anyone looking for tips, I HIGHLY recommend the Nuby cups. They are fantastic! I just have to say how much I love my little girls! I can not imagine life with out the joy they bring with their tiny smiles every day!

You all have a great week and I am going to try to update a little more than once a week! HA!

Another Monday

I can't believe it's Monday already! But, here I am working away already. We had a better weekend than last though, and I am happy to report that Fred felt well enough to go to church on Sunday. He still wasn't quite 100%, but he recovered with a really long nap on Sunday afternoon.

We also had a quite lengthy discussion about the possibility of me going back to school! I know what you are thinking -- I don't have the time -- but I think I can do it and I really want to. We still haven't got into specifics yet and I am still trying to decide between two programs, psychology or MBA, but I have some time before spring classes start so I can make up my mind hopefully by then.

In toddler news: The girls are sprouting teeth like crazy! Bless their hearts they have been really great teethers. I am so thankful for that. Rachel now has 6 teeth and Rebekah has 9. Also, their little feet are just growing like crazy. They got new sandals over the weekend. I was hoping they would make it thru the summer with the ones they had, but it was not possible. Their little toes were poking out the ends. We are now in a size 4! I can't believe it!

It's been a while

Since I posted last it seems the world has gone mad...or at least my world. Fred did start his treatment a week ago last Friday and it was not a good weekend. Saturday morning his was just exhausted and he slept until about noon. Got up and was feeling well and around 5pm said he wanted to go eat. So we loaded up the girls and went to eat. The minute our food got to the table he started shaking and the color drained from his face. I knew I had to get him home, we left all our food on the table (in hindsight I should have asked for boxes but food was not my first priority at that moment) and drove the 10 minutes to home. By the time we got there he had a 103 degree fever and said he was freezing. He went to bed at 6:30 pm with flannel PJ's and his robe on and blankets covering him. He didn't get up until 11:30 am on Sunday. He started to feel a little better on Sunday evening and monday he went to work, but said he still felt very tired. Tuesday was the same and Wednesday he crashed and felt awful. Thursday was the best day of the week as he felt almost normal he said then we started all over on Friday because he had to have another shot. This last weekend was not quite as bad, but he was extremely fatigued. I am hoping that as his body gets more used to this medicine the sypmtoms lessen and he can at least be functional on the weekends. The girls sure do miss playing with him on the weekends.

In other news last Monday, after that awful weekend, my sister called me at work to say she was taking my dad to the ER. He had been helping her move some things into her classroom and had passed out and she could not revive him. When he got to the ER his blood pressure was 64/47. Very low. It took them until the next day to get his blood pressure up, and we still don't know the cause of this. At first they suspected a stroke or heart attack, but tests showed evidence of neither, which is good, but still you would like to know what happend. The important thing is that he is doing better now and they have taken him off all his medications, including the one he was taking for high blood pressure, ironically enough.

This week at least has been better on the health front. But I have to say that I have the most wonderful friends here who, when all this happened, pitched in to bring me and Fred dinner every night of the week and even this last weekend. I can't tell you how much that lifted my spirit and helped me out! I have the best girlfriends EVER!

So, that's the update from my little corner of the world. I guess it's time to get back to work now!

A hodge podge

Well, here we are in the midst of a summer heat wave today. This is supposed to be our first official day over 100, with a heat index of 107 it feels pretty icky! It's supposed to be this way all weekend.

Tonight my husband will start his treatment for his Hep C that we found out he had. I am terribly nervous and feeling apprehensive. I have been praying he will be one of the blessed few who show absolutely no symptoms from this treatment. For those of you who don't know. There is only one treatment currently available to those with Hep C and it's success rate is aproximately 50/50. We won't know if it's working until 12 weeks into the therapy. There are too many possible side effects to write here, but some of the scarier ones are suicidal thoughts, depression, hair loss, extreme fatigue and severe flu like symptoms. Please keep us in your prayers as we start on this journey. Pray that God will sustain Fred and keep his energy at normal levels and that he will suffer no side effects from this. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Rachel has been, well, how can I say it... awful. Poor baby, it's not her fault. She has not been feeling well since Wednesday. The dr. thinks she is teething, and she is, but the poor girl just screams and screams. We are going to try some Hyland's teething tablets. I have been told they really work and at this point anything will help. She cries so hard and so long that she made herself sick once. This whole teething thing sucks!

In work news, a lady I worked a Dept. of Labor case for about a year ago called me today, Eve. She is the sweetest lady and made the cutest blankets for my girls when they were little - and she had never even met me in person. Then she found out that her daughter was having twins, and girls at that and there was a common tie there that we always connected on. Well, she needs help again and this time it's serious. She has breast cancer that has spread and she is currently undergoing chemo. I hope we can help her and I hope she survives.

In good news! I traveled to Muskogee yesterday for a work event and saw my contacts that help me in my VA casework. When I got there I said hello to my contact there, Cindy, and she didn't even recognize me! Now, for some of you that might not seem like good news, but since I have lost 60 pounds, to me that was great news! I was thrilled! :)

No big plans for the weekend really. I am just hoping it all goes smoothly with Fred and Rachel. One day at a time, I guess. That's always my advice to others so I suppose I should take it the same way.