With a heavy heart

A few weeks ago, I asked you to pray for my friend, Tracye. I am deeply saddened to tell you that on Thanksgiving night, Tracye went to Heaven. She was an incredible mother and wife. And like many of us, she made those roles her life's most important work. Tracye was a member of our Mom's group at church and book club and she could make the room burst into laughter just moments after entering. I remember at our book club Christmas party last year, she whipped off her wig to show us all her hair while cracking jokes. She was vibrant and generous, funny and entertaining and she was such a strong person. Trayce leaves behind a loving husband and three very young and beautiful girls. Please pray for them during this extremely difficult time.

I would not normally blog about something like this but since I asked you to pray for Tracye, I figured that I ought to share this too. Tracye blogged as well and she was a beautiful and engaging writer. She will be missed tremendously.

Flashback Friday

Here is a peek at our Christmas last year. Youtube stripped all the music off a few of my home movies. So, I am working on re-loading them. This was good inspiration for me to get all of our Christmas decorating done today:)

Thanksgiving Blessings to you and yours.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

— William Arthur Ward

Just a few words Wednesday

I cannot do wordless. I am too chatty.

The boys have always had a small tree in their rooms. This year, I let Kate completely pick hers out (and a few ornaments). Do you think Fancy Nancy has some competition? Yes, that is pink feather boa garland (just a wee bit tacky?) She loves to just sit and stare at her beautiful tree.



If you too would like this look, go to your local Hobby Lobby:) It was all 50% off too!

A few of my favorite things...

A few times a year I post things that I really love. They are usually just little finds that make me happy. As the holidays approach, I thought it was time to share a few of my favorite things.

~I LOVE Mercury glass and I have been collecting it since Dave and I got married (14 years). It bothers me a little bit that it is everywhere now (Pottery Barn, Target, TJ Maxx etc). But I still add to my collection every year. The following photo is not my house. It is from Katiedid (thank you Felicia). I have a ton of mercury glass but mine is never as artfully arranged as this. I saved the photo so I can be inspired:)

Images from KatieD-I-D

~ I love this little chenille snowman dress from Etsy. I ordered it for Kate and I cannot wait to see her in it. I have it already. I am just waiting until December.

~I love ballet flats and this year I have been able to find 3 great pairs. The two below are from Nordstrom and the brand is Me Too. They look so cute on and they feel like bedroom slippers.

~ We don't really need coats here but if we did, I would be very tempted to buy this for Kate. I think it would look best on a 6 year old girl. It is from Chasing Fireflies.

~ Ever since my friend, Lori made Kate and I snow cottages, I have loved them. I love the bottle brush tress and the glittery roofs. I have a small collection that I will share when I show our Christmas decorations. The collection below is from Room Service Home. If any of my loved ones are reading, I LOVE these. Hint hint...

~One day I was reading a HIT blog post about Glycolic acid pads and washes. I had never used them before but decided to try them. I LOVE Glytone. I use the step-up mild wash. It has made my skin so clear and so smooth. This really is the best move I have made for my skin in several years.

~As you may know from reading, I am extremely scent sensitive. I do not like 99% of most scents. Last week, I fell in love with a scent called Blue Linen from Caren. I bought the body lotion and this candle. It is a very light and clean scent. I simply adore it. I think I will find the soap and hand treatment in my stocking:)

That is all for now. I have some more but I think I will do a Part II in a few days.

Gratitude

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.

Margaret Cousins

Thank you for all the kind comments on my last post. It is one of my favorite posts because I can clearly see how far God has brought Will. I do want to tell y'all a little more...

That year was one of the hardest years for us as a couple... Dave's Mom was diagnosed with cancer the week (actually the day) Will was born. She died when Will was 8 weeks old and about the time we were finding out about his surgery. I had been a professor and was on leave but had to decide if/when to return to my career. Dave needed back surgery and had it 2 weeks after Will's head surgery. We were newlyweds as we had only been married about 2 years. And in hindsight, I probably had a case of the baby blues that year. I did not see a doctor but I know I was in a sad sort of funk. I was losing myself. You know what got us through all of that?

Certainly a lot of prayer but also, A Gratitude Journal. I had just seen it on Oprah one day and I immediately found a steno book and started writing down 5 things every day that I was grateful for. I asked Dave to do the same. Reading each other's lists opened up some topics of communication for us. And I got to see how grateful Dave was for me and vice versa. In a year filled with death, serious illness, surgeries and depression, we made efforts to focus on all the good things in our lives. Our marriage was so close during that time. I attribute a lot of that to our journal. I still have it.

There were days when there was little to write. For example, I am grateful I got the laundry done today. But by focusing on our blessings, we got through a tough time. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is in a rough patch. You will be amazed at how simply yet powerful it can be. And you must write it down....just thinking about it is not quite as effective.

And this story becomes more amazing. Will was NOT pleased that I posted about his struggles. he is a middle schooler and was feeling a little exposed. I get it. However, I relayed to him how many people it helped. Several people e-mailed me saying it was exactly what they needed to hear this week as they were struggling with something similar in their own lives. AND.....

This morning my dear friend, Diana e-mailed me asking our family to sponsor Baby Ciera. We have been sponsoring a child through Pearl River Outreach but thankfully our girls keep getting adopted:) So, it was time to choose a new one. I saw the list last week but could not decide. Today, Diana tells me that Baby Ciera was born on June 22nd (Will's birthday) and her special need is a protruding head on the back right side! Will's head protruded on the left but still the similarities astounded me. I about fell off my chair. Diana had not read my post about Will and she does not know his birthday. I am sure that God sent little Ciera's file right to our family to sponsor. So, meet our adorable little Bamboo Baby Ciera....

Sweet Little Ciera still needs 2 more sponsors. Go to Pearl River Outreach or email Diana at Diana@pearlriveroutreach.org to sponsor her or another child.

I am so excited to go see The Blindside tonight with a friend. Harry has strep throat so I didn't think I was going to be able to go but Dave is going to takeover so I can go. And I am trying really hard to stick to our healthy menus each week. I did not cook for the 2 weeks I was sick so I am trying to get back on track. If I post our menu, I am so much more accountable to not only buy the ingredients but to actually cook the meals as well. So, here is our menu for the week.

Grilled rib eyes (grilled portobello for me), baked sweet potatoes, grilled asparagus.

Gluten Free Pasta Fagioli Soup (crockpot)

Chicken Stir Fry over rice

Lemon, Garlic & Pepper Shrimp over gluten free pasta (recipe follows)

That should get us to Thanksgiving:)

Lemon , Garlic & Pepper Shrimp

1 pound of shrimp , peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons Lemon, garlic and Pepper Seasoning

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Leek, finely sliced, Discard upper greens (I often used green onions instead)

2 cups uncooked spinach, sliced into strips

4 Italian plum tomatoes

1/4 cup dry white wine (or whatever white you have on hand)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Angel hair pasta (we use gluten free pasta)

Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning. Preheat a 2 quart saute pan on medium heat. When rim is hot to the touch, add olive oil and heat an additional minute. Saute' leeks about 1 minute, add spinach and continue to saute' for 1 minute. Add shrimp and tomatoes and saute until the shrimp just begin to turn pink. Add remaining seasoning, white wine and lemon juice and cook for 2-3 more minutes (until shrimp are pink throughout). Serve over angel hair pasta.

I have been making this recipe since Dave and I were first married and we all LOVE it. So easy, healthy and delicious!

I am working on my favorite things to post this week too:)

Sunday Snapshot~ Will

Stephanie over at Ni Hao Y'all started spotlighting one of her children each Sunday. I have been wanting to participate and have finally pulled it together this week. This one is way longer than I imagine a snapshot is supposed to be. This is more like a portrait but I had so much to tell. Read it all...it really is an amazing story. Next time, I'll be brief:)

Our oldest son, Will had a rocky start in life. One night when I was 30 weeks pregnant with him, I was home watching ER. Dave was at a hockey game and I was enjoying some quiet time. On the show, Julianna Marguiles' character went into pre-term labor. I was so stressed for her character and I thought I too was having contractions. I called Dave and he thought I was just being a hypochondriac. I wondered if maybe I was imagining it. However, long after ER ended, my contractions were still happening. So we called the doctor and off to the hospital we went. I was indeed in pre-term labor and I remember the nurse telling me that I might have my baby that night. I was so scared. They administered breathine to stop my labor. it is a horrible medicine but it worked. I was put on strict bed rest and I had to take breathine around the clock. I loathed that medicine. It makes you feel as though you have had 5 cups of espresso!

Will's delivery was tough and he was born with a large bump in his head. Doctors told me it would go away and that newborn babies have lumps. But Will's did not go away and after a few months of my pestering, they finally sent us to a pediatric neurosurgeon. He immediately sent me and Will across the street for a CT scan. I did not even have Dave come to this appointment because I was so naive. The neurosurgeon told me to get the films and walk them back to his office immediately. At this point, I was getting nervous. He pulled me and Will into a storage closet to talk (his office was being renovated). He told me that Will had something in his skull that need to come out asap. I asked what it was and he said he had no idea. I asked if it was cancer and he said, "maybe." I told my pediatrician that I wanted a second opinion. He said, "Kim, there is no second opinion. Dr. B is the best pediatric neurosurgeon there is. People come from all over the world to see him. Do what he says." Will was about 4 months old and he was about to have head surgery.

So, we scheduled our firstborn son for neurosurgery. The mysterious lump was between the layers of his skull. So they removed a large part of Will's skull. He was in ICU one night and then in a regular room for one night. He recovered amazingly well. He sat up and said, "mama" for the first time just hours after his surgery. He was 6 months old. Here he is the day after surgery.

I have blogged briefly about Will's surgery before but I wanted to reiterate it today because he is such a miracle to me. The pathologist never completely determined what the mass in Will's skull was but it was putting pressure on his brain and he was not developing normally. He had speech issues, gross and fine motor delays, eating problems, oral motor issues, sensory integration issues, hyperactivity....you name it. He had asthma and allergies. We did early and intensive speech, oral motor, occupational and physical therapy with him. We did therapy for his sensory issues. I have spent A LOT of time in therapy offices over the years. Even as recently as a few years ago in VA, Will was still doing some therapy.

Fast forward to now. Will is amazing. He is on the Honor Roll in middle school (all A's and one high B in Math). He is in all Advanced Placement classes. His conduct grades are all excellent (this was not always the case as he was HIGH energy). He is well liked and so articulate. He is incredibly compassionate. He is often the one who asks me how I am doing or how my day is going. He is an incredible reader...sometimes reading 3 books a week (thick ones too). He is a phenomenal Lego builder and nerf gun warrior. However, those days might be coming to an end.

A few weeks ago, Will's art project was chosen for an exhibition at school. I am so proud of him. When Will was in pre-school, he refused to do the daily art projects. It was too messy for him and his sensory integration issues. Instead, his pre-school teacher did them and sent them home. I found out and asked her to stop doing them for him. For years, he did not like art and he thought he was not good at it. Until one year, at a Montessori school in Virginia, he had an art teacher named Ms. Alma. Will loved Ms. Alma and she ignited a love of art in him. She gave him such positive feedback.

I write this to remind myself of how very far God has brought Will. I write this because I know there are Moms reading this who have toddlers who are in speech, occupational or physical therapy. Maybe this will give you hope. I know there are Moms who are being told their children might have ADD. Teachers told me that for years with Will. Will does not have ADD and thankfully we never medicated him. Although I know some children do need that.

Yes, he had issues. He had a lot of them. However, with the right support, lots of prayer and faith, therapies, amazing teachers, and nutrition, he has blossomed into a calm, intelligent, artistic, funny, talkative, mature and kind hearted young man. Truly miraculous! I love you so much Will!!!!

This is Will's art project. The assignment was to make food out of toilet paper. Yes, those glazed doughnuts are TP! One of the doughnuts has a bite taken out of it. They were a big hit at the exhibition.

Taken with my I-phone.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

"Watch what you say to yourself....for you create your own reality."

Sean Stephenson

I heard this quote yesterday and I really love it. It can apply to so many things in life....gossip, stress, negative thoughts and talk. I especially thought about this holiday season. I am hosting a Christmas dinner party for my Bunko group in 2 weeks. It is a "pull out all the china, silver, crystal, sit down kind of dinner" for 12. My house is not decorated yet. I have not ordered my Christmas cards yet and I have not even begun Christmas shopping. My mind started snowballing to all that is coming up in the next few weeks....Thanksgiving, our wedding anniversary (the same night as the dinner), Harry's birthday and party, my sister and nephew's birthdays, a BIG Christmas party we are hosting at our home, etc, etc. Then I thought about this quote.
I can tell myself that I am SO busy and that I don't know how I will get it all done. I can say that I am stressed out and run around like a chicken with her head cut off. OR I can tell myself how luckily I am that we have all of these wonderful occasions to celebrate with family and friends. I can look for the joy in the Christmas music and decorations and the excited faces of my children. I can plan menus and cook for those I love. I can focus on the true meaning of Christmas... the birth of Christ.
A few days ago a neighbor e-mailed me with a GREAT idea of a couple of families meeting one night a week during advent for a potluck dinner. We will do crafts, read scripture, light the advent candle and have some fellowship with other families in our neighborhood who share our faith. I almost told myself that we were too busy. But then I realized that this could be the most important thing we do this season.
So when you are feeling crazy and stressed this season....remember we create our own reality. Every thought and action we have creates a change in our body and our mind. How will you create your reality this season?

Alleluia

I have a lot to post about but some will have to wait until another time. Thank you for all of the birthday wishes, cards, calls, e-mails and surprise packages:) I had a lovely birthday. I truly am blessed with loving friends and family and I do not take that for granted.

Tonight I want to blog about some cute things Kate has said/done.

Today before Mass, the choir was practicing a new Alleluia. Kate was a little upset. She LOVES the Alleluia and sings it nice and loud. She also does not like change and could not understand why they would change the Alleluia. She asked if the old one was broken. It was the cutest conversation and I want to remember it. So, I asked her to sing it for me tonight....

The priest was not angry but he was loud and ever since Kate got tubes in her ears...she thinks everyone is shouting;) His message, however, was very important today. He did say that we need to be "awake" in our lives. At which point Kate whispered to me that we should not close our eyes and sleep in Church. Hey--at least she was listening.

He spoke about the end of our time on earth. He asked us to think about what we would be doing to prepare if we knew that we would be meeting God in a few days. I have thought long and hard about this and decided that I would forgive those in my life who have hurt me and ask for forgiveness from any that I have hurt. I would also work harder to "Love one another as I have loved you." It was a good lesson because there is no time like the present to start living exactly as God wants us to live. What would you do to prepare?

I have a friend who is literally fighting for her life in the hospital right now. She has three young children and she is such a fighter. Your prayers for my friend, Tracye would be appreciated. Thank you.

How sweet it was

One of the things I love about Harry's school is that it is an International Baccalaureate School. It operates on a system of inquiry and the children study "planners" or topics for several weeks across all subjects. Their first planner this year was water. Harry learned everything you could imagine about water and he also learned that clean drinking water is scarce for many people around the world.

The second planner was about economics. The children learned about banking and interest and investing. They learned about business models and being entrepreneurial. Today, his class combined their knowledge of the two planners and held "disco desserts" to raise money to help build a well for a region without clean drinking water. Harry made the menus and was a waiter. Our family made truffles to contribute to the "restaurant" and they were a big hit! Some of the children prepared the desserts (we all sent some in), some were cashiers, others bussed tables or acted as host or hostess. The class raised $200 for The Water Project.

One of the hosts and Harry's friend

Two of Harry's buddies

The cashiers

Kate ate too much chocolate.

She had to run off some of the sugar on the playground.

Kate and I had so much fun at disco desserts. It was incredible to see the kids working together and the support of the community. Unfortunately, my stomach is still very queasy so I could not eat but Kate ate my share of desserts. It was so heart warming to see these young kids care about water for children in another country. I know that when I was in third grade, I did not have a global perspective. This afternoon made me very happy to be a part of such a wonderful school community.

Harry wins GOLD again!

Thank you so much for all the prayers and kind wishes and e-mails. I am finally starting to feel better. I lost a lot of weight and a lot of strength and stamina as I am just getting back to eating small meals now (a week later). I get dizzy and fatigued easily but I am slowly recovering. I am still waiting on test results. Dave has taken GREAT care of me and the peanuts this week. If you remember, I got deathly ill in the middle of the sleepover last week. Dave was stuck with all those kids on his own!

(How could someone this cute, be so tough?)

Now, onto more good news! Harry went to another Judo tournament Saturday with Dave and Kate and he took GOLD again. He talked about winning the gold all week because the winner would get an I-pod. He told me all week that he was going to win that I-pod and he did. I am so proud of his positive attitude, determination and focus. I hope these traits follow him into adulthood because they amaze me. He has another BIG tournament in Dallas in a few weeks and then the tournaments are over until Spring (a welcome break).

If you want to see a few seconds of Judo...here are his two mathces....

The first one is about a minute and the second one is 23 seconds and supposedly a very advanced move.

Harry has the white belt above.

Harry has the white belt in the one above!

NOTE: Harry is actually an orange belt but in competitions one person wears blue and one wears white.

P.S. Will still does Judo but he does not like to compete in the tournaments which we completely respect.

Quick update

Update: Thanks for the prayers. I got in with a very nice doctor who seemed really knowledgeable. (I don't have a primary doc here yet--shame on me.) He thinks I have salmonella. He ordered tests, and prescribed antibiotics, rest and liquid. If I do not improve asap, he will admit me to the hospital. I really hope to improve immediately.

I have gotten so many kind e-mails asking how am feeling. Thank you. I cannot answer them individually right now so I wanted to update here quickly. I was doing better yesterday and even started to resume a somewhat normal life. Then in the middle of the night, the stomach illness started all over again with a vengeance. I have a doctor appointment this morning. I will admit I am a little scared that something is really wrong. I am also scared the doctor will prescribe Nexium and send me home. Something is not right with my stomach. I so appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers. Please pray that the doctor finds the cause and treats me appropriately. Thank you, friends. I will update when I can.

Thanks for all the nice comments below. I bought Kate's shoes at the Disney store. We already had the costume from playing dress -up. So I bought the shoes and headband at the Disney store to complete the look. Here is the link. They are on sale now!

Please send some healthy thoughts and prayers my way. I have been really sick since Halloween night (right after I wrote my post). I have not been able to keep anything down at all and had to go get 3 bags of IV fluids and medicine last night. It was scary. The doc almost admitted me to the hospital because even the IV anti-nausea meds were not helping. Finally, a shot in my hip helped but I still feel awful...going back to bed now. I am completely drained.