2010...what will it hold?

Ahh it's the time of year when we can all sit back and think about what the new year will hold for us and what we hope to accomplish. Mostly for shits and giggles (I've never been good about new year's resolutions), I decided I'd give you a list of what I hope to accomplish and the resolutions I hope I can keep!

Hope to accomplish:

• The first thing on my list has to remain a secret. BUT at the end of January, I will share it with you.
  
• Finish 6 classes in my MBA program so that I am only 3 classes away from graduation
• Hopefully get promoted and in turn make more money!
  
• LOSE WEIGHT. This is not a resolution because I want this one to actually happen.
• Make a new friend.
  
• Paint my bathrooms.
  

Resolutions:

• Once and for all put judgmental Tiffany to rest and hope that she NEVER comes back
• Be more open minded toward different beliefs
• Read more...a LOT more
• Invite people over to my house more
• Treat my dogs like they treat me (like I haven't seen them in 10 years even though I left them 5 minutes before)
• Laugh a whole lot more than I did in 2009
• Smile even when it hurts

"too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around"
-Leo Buscaglia

A Few Favorites

As we approach the end of the year, there have been several events in my life that have made me realize how blessed I have been and how fortunate I've been to have the friends and family that I have.

In a sort of nostalgic way, I thought it'd be fun to share some pictures of things that have either made me laugh or continue to make me smile.

In no particular order:
1)My dog Abby who left us this year, but will always make me smile.
2) My sweet baby girl Bailey who knows just how to approach you no matter what mood you're in.
3) A tree that looks over my grandfather's grave. When I was younger, it was much smaller. Today, it is a huge reminder of how time will pass you by whether you are ready for it to or not.
4) My hubs who is doing what else? Getting free hugs?
5) My best friend and I on the night of her engagement party.
6) Me after Ash Wednesday. Never be ashamed to rock your cross!

"Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor the future
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life"

No Apologies

Yesterday, I wrote a blog post that was very personal and very difficult to write. Unfortunately, the post was taken in a way that it was never intended to be taken and in a bout of anger, I deleted the post. I regret that now.

I wanted to write a blog because I often have random thoughts and random rants that I want to write down and share with my friends and family and whomever else chooses to read this blog.

I am not going to apologize for anything that I write here. It is MY blog and it is for ME to express MY opinions. If you are offended by anything I write or feel like I am being fake on my blog, then YOU do not have to read it anymore. However, it is still my place for expressing whatever I feel like and I'm not going to apologize for doing so.

So here's to honesty. Here's to writing what I want to write, when I want to write it, and not deleting anything else because of anger, or hurt feelings.


"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. "
-George Washington

The world is a better place with certain people in it

I know that I've talked about my friend Janet before and that my few followers have read about her before, but I'm going to do it again be she deserves it!

A few months ago, I discussed liver donation with a select few of my friends. Long story short, I did research on living donor liver donation in case the time comes that I can be a donor for someone I love more than life itself. This discussion led to me registering on the state of Texas' donor website and signing up to be a bone marrow donor.

All I had to do was mention that I signed up to be a bone marrow donor, and my select group of friends followed suit and signed up as well. I was amazed at their willingness to do so and reminded of why they are such amazing people and why I love having them in my life.

Janet was contacted and told that she was a "perfect match" for a 10 year old boy suffering from Leukemia. There are 6 antigens that you are tested for and matched to bone marrow "needers". Being a perfect match means that you matched the recipient on all 6 antigens. Being a perfect match is rare, but gives more likelihood of success to the recipient. Survival rates after a bone marrow transplant are between 30 and 60%. Survival rates without a bone marrow transplant are 15% and below.

Janet is of course nervous about the whole donation process, but is charging forward and almost completely decided that she will donate bone marrow to hopefully save this child's life.

We need more selfless people in this world. We need people who can look at the situation and think "I can save someone's life by donating a small part of me that isn't necessary for my survival"

My life is better because I have Janet as a friend. The 10 year old boy's life will be better because a stranger is giving him the greatest gift she can.

"Man can never be woman's equal in the spirit of selfless service, with which nature has endowed her"
Mohandas Gandhi

If you would like to sign up to be a bone marrow donor, or to register with the state of Texas, you can visit this website and this website.

because it's Thanksgiving...

I thought that I'd take the time to write down some things that I am thankful for this holiday season. It might be cheesy, but if you love me, you'll read it.

1. My amazing family. Including my husband who puts up with all of my crazy meltdowns and reminds me that life is hard sometimes, but that's what makes it life.
   
2. My puppies without whom my days would end a lot sadder and my mornings would be so much less eventful.
   
3. My job. I have two amazing co-workers (in my dept) and one that I can tolerate and that's more than most people can say.
   
4. My friends...who keep me sane on a regular basis and remind me that laughter is the best medicine.
   
5. My camera. Boy has it captured some fun moments this year!
6. My bike. Also had lots of good times on my bike this year.
   
7. My backyard; it brings me peace on so many days.
   
8. My season tickets to the symphony with my pops. Classical music soothes my soul.
9. Doctors - for finally figuring out what is wrong with me.
   
10. sunshine and daisies. Because when you put sunshine and daisies into the universe, the universe gives you sunshine and daisies.
    

"To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude. "
-Albert Schweitzer

A little bit of vegetable in my life....

So I had laproscopic surgery about a week ago. I've been complaining of severe stomach pain for about 6 months now. And after having every test under the sun run on me, the last option for diagnosis was a laproscopic surgery to see what might be going on that wasn't showing up on pictures. Sure, I was nervous going into it but not really because I thought something was going to happen. More so because I was worried that the doc would get in there and find nothing worth curing.

Waking up from the surgery, I basically have a panic attack because that it what the surgical nurse and the anesthesiologist both tell me...she found nothing. It was enough of a panic attack that they shot some more anxiety medicine into my system real fast to get me to calm down.

Turns out that about the only thing wrong with me is my digestive factory doesn't work exactly like it should and a dramatic change in diet and exercise habits should fix me right up.

...So basically, I spent literally thousands of dollars this year to find out what I've known all along. Stop eating like a heffer and you'll stop feeling like one. Start treating your body better and your body will treat you better. Gee, thanks life, for not just letting me figure that out on my own (which I might have) and instead causing me to go through INTENSE pain and testing just to find out I need a little more fiber in my life.

My first goal is to get to the point where a bowl of raw broccoli is a good thing. Here's hoping.

Bike, meet Camera. Camera, meet Bike.

This is the bicycle I received for my birthday last June. Originally, I didn't want pink but I was told that when it was time to make the decision on whether or not to purchase the bike, pink was the only color available, so they went with it. It's cool though because it's starting to grow on me so I'm starting to get over the pinkness. And I just make sure not to wear any pink clothing while I'm riding the bike!

Last June, I also received a camera for my birthday. A very nice camera actually.
This camera to be exact. I love it and I love taking pictures, but I've realized that I'm not making the most out of the every day photo oppurtunities that are coming my way. So.....

.....today I went to the same store where my family purchased by shiny pink bicycle and got a basket for my bike!!! I'm so excited because now I can take my camera with me when the girls go bike riding! By girls, I mean my mom, my sister and me. My grandma comes too, but she walks cuz let's face it, not everyone should ride a bike!

Anyway, this is the basket I bought:

Things I plan to put in my super cool basket:

• camera
• water
• bread for ducks
• clothes (in case I bike to the gym HA HA!)
• anything that fits
  

I plan to take pictures of anything and everything that we encounter on our bikes. Mostly, we stay in my neighborhood which has a beautiful creek and a plethora of ducks that inhabit the creek. Most of the time they are friendly, but when they are hungry it can get a little crazy. I also plan to take pictures of anything funny that happens because let's face it, three girls riding around on bikes can be funny sometimes.

It's extra cool because it has a handle and can detach easily from the bike for ease of use. I'm so stoked. I realize that I'm not as cool as people who mountain bike or off-road or whatever they call it, but at least I'll cool with my camera, water, etc when I'm biking!!

Tens of thousands who could never afford to own, feed and stable a horse, had by this bright invention enjoyed the swiftness of motion which is perhaps the most fascinating feature of material life. ~Frances Willard, How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle

The things I often forget

This weekend was packed full of events and it helped me find something that I thought I had lost or was on the verge of losing: my faith.

Saturday, a select group of my friends helped me volunteer at the Network of Community Ministries in Richardson. The "Network"" as most people I know call it serves a very needed purpose in our community. They had out food, clothes and a lot of other things to families in need. We volunteered to help pass out pansies that people had ordered to help support the Network. Not only were the flowers beautiful, but the people who had ordered them were just generally great people. Needless to say, we had a great time and at the end of the day, were thanked for "making hungry people happy". I was reminded that though my faith has been shaken these past few months, my friends are amazing and I'm blessed to have them to lean on and volunteer with. So thanks guys!

Sunday we had a guest minister. Usually, when there is a guest minister, I'm not very excited. I tend to like the normal "staple" minister and don't always take well to new comers in the pulpit. This guy however, was amazing. His sermon was about a passage in Job. Job 10 to be exact. He hit on the fact that often times we want to turn our backs on God because He has done something to us instead of seeing that God is there standing beside us pulling us through the fire. It struck a chord in me and my family. We've been going through such a difficult time together, that it's been hard to trust that God is reaching his hand in and pulling us through; but the truth is, He is. He's standing in the darkness with us trying to be our light. It's our anger and stubbornness that blows the light out and leaves us in the dark. So although my faith is shaken, and although some certain friends of mine are not going to agree with this post (you know who you are! and I love you), it's true for me. I need to stop dwelling in the darkness and see the light that is waiting for me at the end of this very long tunnel.

I'm happy that I chose to go to church yesterday and happier still that I truly got something out of the message. When hard times hit, I encourage you to read Job. It's pretty much the ultimate bad times and the ultimate finding God in your time of need.


"Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets."

To tattoo or not to tattoo

As most of you know, I'm a fan of beautiful tattoos. I have one, or two depending on how you look at it, and I have never regretted getting them. I originally had a set of shooting stars that I liked, but didn't love. Now, I have a hibiscus flower that I share with my best friend. They're different enough to not be the same, but still beautiful and meaningful because we got them together. We were both going through difficult times in life and it's something that we will always share and I love that.

My hubby has a tattoo that he got when we were younger and dating. It is a symbol for eternity. As I've grown older, I've realized that he got it to mean an eternity with me.

I've ALWAYS wanted a tattoo on my right foot. I've gone back and forth between a dove and other things. Lately however, I've been thinking of getting eternity written on my foot. Boring, right? Well I would get it in Italian because hey, my maiden name is Italian and it's way prettier in Italian. So I'm torn. I'm torn between the beautiful, saving grace of a dove, and eternity with my hubby.

I welcome any suggestions. I think this will be the year that I finally get the tattoo I want. :)

Heart Hurt

When I was younger, my mom used to say that her heart hurt when different things would happen in her life or between my sister and I. I never really understood what she meant. To me, heart hurt must be something you feel with your actual heart. Either the muscles aren't pumping the right way or the blood isn't flowing exactly the right way. I couldn't grasp the fact that when she said her heart hurt she meant her emotional heart. The heart she had given to my dad, my grandmother, my sister and me so many years before.

Now that I'm older, I have an all too realistic understanding of what she meant all those years ago. In the past two and a half weeks, I have watched my sister crumble, triumph and crumble again. During her time of mourning, she has said more than once that she is not in physical pain, but that her heart hurts.

I also have a friend who was forced to deliver her baby 5 weeks early. While 5 weeks early is certainly better than 10 weeks early, he's still having his fair share of complications from being early. When I went to check on her at the hospital, she told me that she was not in any physical pain but that her heart hurt because her baby boy was having to spend time in the NICU recovering from being 5 weeks early.

I don't think heart hurt is a mom/girl thing. I think dads and guys have heart hurt just as much as girls do. I think that it takes a great maturity to understand where someone is hurting when they tell you they have heart hurt. I also think it is a difficult thing to overcome.

My only comfort in realizing what heart hurt is and watching my friends experience heart hurt is knowing that my sister, my friend, and I are blessed with amazing families. Families who are standing by us through both of our ordeals and reaching out asking how they can help. Not to mention the countless number of friends who have been by our sides while this is going on.

I certainly don't wish heart hurt on anyone, but I have a much greater understanding of what it is and what it means to feel it.

Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul.
-- Thomas Moore

I want to be a painter!

I'm not very artistic. I have a fancy camera, it sometimes takes fancy pictures. But as far as the creativity goes, I'm pretty limited. However, lately, I've been having this craving to buy things for painting, and to sit down and paint something. I don't really care so much what comes out, it's more the act of painting that I'm wanting to do. I feel like I have all these emotions running through my head and my heart and maybe if I sat down with a paintbrush, I could get some of that out onto canvas. I'm sure my first masterpiece will be complete and utter crap; but I'm kind of excited to try.

here's hoping I don't totally screw it up and manage to paint something worth looking at. You'll know if it's total crap because there will be no way that I'll post it on this blog, that's for sure!!!


"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time"
- Thomas Merton

Sometimes, life is just plain hard

Some of you know this because you're my real life friends and we've talked about it. Some of my internet friends may not know yet, so here it goes.

Last weekend, my sister lost her baby. She developed pre-eclampsia, a condition in which the mother's body basically attacks the placenta and breaks it down until the baby can no longer survive, or until the mother gets so sick, that the baby has to be terminated. She was six months pregnant. At six months, you have to deliver the baby. Last weekend was one of the worst weekends of my life.

I wanted to trade places with her. I wanted to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, even though I knew it wasn't and I knew that she was going through the worst time in her life.

She's getting stronger every day. I won't say that she's getting better, because she's not. She'll never be better. She is forever changed as is my family, as am I. We all lost someone we dearly loved that day regardless of his age. My nephew, my sweet baby nephew was lost to me that day and my life will forever be different.

We're in the process now of planning for his memorial service. He was creamted because none of us could bare to see him in a coffin built for a tiny king. I'm not sure when the service will be or where, but it will be the second hardest time in my life, I'm almost positive.

I keep reminding myself that this probably saved my sister's life. That my sweet nephew sacrificed his life so that my sister could live and so that she would know what to look for with her next pregnancies. It doesn't make it any easier to think of this terrible event in my life in thsoe terms. It doesn't bring my sweet baby nephew back to me.

I'm not sure how much more I can survive.

There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go.
~Author Unknown

some things that lift my spirits

So, some of you know and some of you don't, but my spirits have been pretty down in the dumps lately. Doesn't look like that is going to change anytime soon, so instead of talking about how depressed I am here, I decided I'd post some things that make me smile.

first up: Carson. How cute is this kid?
Second up: Keegan. Equally as cute as Carson! I love them both and I can't wait for them to get older so I can be their cool Aunt Tiffany!
Side note: he was totally pissed about the flash going off in his face....too funny.

My parents' new pup! She's adorable!
These are currently blooming in my backyard. I think I'm going to frame them and put them in my bathroom so I can start every day with bright flowers.

Songs that Change My Day

I live for music and basically see my life has been set to different songs throughout the day.

Here are some songs that you should listen to if you haven't, and listen to a lot more if you have.

• What if You - Joshua Radin
• Today - Joshua Radin
• Broken - Lifehouse
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
• I'll Be There For You - Bon Jovi
• Love Will Tear Us Apart - Broken Social Scene

They're all pretty mellow, but I love them. If you hate them, don't tell me. You'll ruin it for me.

Fudge Shoppe Cookies and School Speeches

First, I just want to take this time and this space to say that there is no better snack than the 100 calorie Fudge Shoppe Fudge Grahams snack. It is so amazing it deserves it's only holiday and I want to eat it every day for the rest of my life.

Second, I want to express my frustration over the whole Presidential address to school aged kiddos. I honestly do not understand what the issue was with Obama making a speech to our school aged children. I really tried to understand why certain groups (uh hum conservatives) were upset with Obama and why they would rather keep their children home than let them hear a speech given by our President, but I just couldn't understand it no matter how hard I tried.

Today, because I was at work, I was unable to listen to the President's speech. I did however read the text of his speech and I am more dumbfounded by certain opinions prior to the speech than ever before. I found Obama's speech to be very encouraging and uplifting. I found it to be challenging and exciting and a much needed message from a very public figure.

When I was younger, I thought the President was the coolest guy on the block. I didn't judge him based on whether or not my parents had voted for him and I sure as heck didn't care if he was Republican or Democrat. He was the President. I mean, really, what is cooler than that? Okay, maybe being Michael Jordan. But other than that? Being the Pres is pretty cool. I can't believe that parents would seriously consider shielding their children from a message from the President.

I think it's time for the conservative Republicans who keep fighting Obama on every issue to back down and admit defeat. You lost the election buddies. I mean, Obama is president for the next 4 years. Let's try and have some dignity and stop making up stupid arguments and stupid issues becasue we're all butthurt that our guy chose a stupid woman to run with him. (I mean seriously? Carrie Prejean would have been a better candidate!)

Man it feels godo to vent sometimes, doesn't it?

For me, the most disturbing aspect of the Republican political culture is how it puts its unquenchable thirst for power, domination and a radical ideology above facts, reason and the truth.
-Al Gore

Things to Ponder

I'm just going to start off by saying that I don't claim to be overly patriotic and I'm not one of those "American til I die" kind of people. I like America. I like living here, but I've always found myself to be more Texan than American. Hey, we were our own country, once.

Anyway, I've noticed that when famous politicians, former Presidents etc die, I get really pissed off at the businesses/establishments who don't lower their flag to half staff. I can think of two times in particular that this has seriously pissed me off. In 2006, Ann Richards, former governor of Texas died. I remember driving down the Dallas North Tollway and driving past a hotel who hadn't lowered their flag. I was so pissed by this that I googled their phone number and called them while driving to tell them that they were ridiculous. I remember saying something like "She was from Texas you assholes!"

Second time this has bothered me. Recently, Ted Kennedy passed away. As his funeral services and viewings were going on, most businesses etc had found the time to lower their flags. However, there were a few that did not take the 2 minutes it would take to do this and left their flags flying high. I'm not sure why this bothers me so much, but I just kind of feel like if you're going to spend the money to put in a flag pole and have an American flag, then you sure as hell better lower it when the timing is right.

My next thing to ponder -
Road rage. I realized this morning that when I'm driving and you piss me off, I'll call you something I would not normally say and I'll say it with pride. For example, this morning this woman was driving like a complete maniac. She cut me off, she cut off other people and then came back to cut me off again. I found myself screaming out a four letter word that under normal circumstances I find disgusting. I'll let you use your imagination to figure out what it was, but basically it's a word usually reserved for women and may or may not start with a c and end in a t.

I felt dirty after I said it, but at the same time, it felt good. I wanted to call her something terrible because I was pissed at the way she was driving. We're all trying to get to work, why should she get to drive like a maniac?

The remote control changed our lives.....The remote control took over the timing of the world. That's why you have road rage. You have people who have no patience, because you got immediate gratification. You got click, click, click, click. If it doesn't explode within three seconds, click, click, click, click.
-Sid Caesar

Do we ever get enough time?

My grandfather recently passed away and as I've spent some time discussing his life with my step-grandmother, I came to the realization that even if we would have had 10 more years with him, I don't think I would have felt like it was enough time.

Which caused me to ponder even further....if we knew the day we were born the exact day that we would die what would we do differently? Sure, we'd all like to say that we'd stop and smell the roses, take more time to enjoy the little things but would we really? If you think about it, hundreds of people die a day. A lot of them die from things that they knew would kill them and knew that the end was coming. Of those several people, you only hear about 1 or 2 who truly made the most of their time left here with us. So, if we knew from day one when the last day of our life would be, what would we really do differently?

Me personally? I probably wouldn't do anything differently. I've enjoyed every minute of my life so far and I am constantly learning or experiencing something new. I think if I knew my life was going to be over tomorrow about the only thing I would change is calling a few friends and making sure that they know exactly how much they've meant to me in my life. Other than that, what's the point of changing anything? You're still not going to have enough time to do everything you can think of and in the end, people are still going to wish they had more time wtih you (hopefully).

I think that if we're all living our lives the way we should be and we're all making choices that make us happy, then we're all at a place where we can say "I've enjoyed my life" .

If not, then maybe we need to do some soul searching and figure out what's missing.

The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances. -Martha Washington

It's official

It's official!!! I'm going to be an Aunt to another beautiful, bouncing, baby BOY!

His name will be Lucas Paul! I can't wait for little Lucas to get here!!! How exciting!

Bittersweet Goodbyes

In life we traditionally follow a certain path....we are born, we live, and we die. Many variations of this path can exist and we've all seen how different someone else's path can be from our own. However, in the end, we all die. We all come to the end of our journey and must say goodbye.

Sometimes, people pass and we never get a chance to tell them that last "I love you" or let them know how we feel about them. And sometimes, the gods of life smile upon us and let us have those final moments with the ones we love. This weekend was one such moment for me. My grandfather has decided to stop going to dialysis. As most of you probably already know, quitting dialysis is essentially signing your own death certificate as death is imminent and your life basically becomes a waiting game. My grandfather's last dialysis treatment was last Monday, August 3. That means that he has now gone 7 days without a treatment. According to various websites, dialysis patients who quit treatment can survive anywhere from 3 days to several weeks. However, the process isn't fun and is often very painful. Your kidneys function so that they can remove toxins from your body, and more specifically nitrogen. When you are no longer removing these fluids from your body, nitrogen builds up and causes a great deal of pain in your muscles. Additionally, the body becomes very bloated because you begin to retain fluids.

Yesterday, I went to see my grandfather for the last time. All of the above mentioned things were happening to him. His face was swollen, as was his abdomen, and it was very apparent that he was in pain. As I sat by his bedside, I found myself wondering if I had made the right choice coming to see him one last time. It was hard to see him in so much pain and harder still to try and figure out what I could say to him that would matter in my final moments with him. On the advice of friends, I kept the conversation light and mostly just sat by his side, holding his hand occasionally, and smiling big when he would look in my direction.

My grandfather also suffers from Alzheimer's. On any given visit, it's hard to know if he truly remembers you or is just being cordial. In my final moments with my grandfather, something different happened. As I leaned in to look at my grandfather's beautiful eyes for the last time, he reached up and cupped my cheek. He said "Hi darling" and smiled the biggest smile I've seen in years. (darling is a word he's often called me through out my childhood, especially when I haven't seen him in a while). I told him that I didn't think I'd get a chance to see him again, and he replied "That's okay". I leaned in, gave him a big kiss and told him I loved him all while trying to hold back the enormous amount of tears I could feel flooding my eyes. He simply replied "I love you too, baby" and kissed my cheek.

To say that yesterday was the hardest day of my life would be a gross understatement. While I do not regret being there because I can forever hold onto his final "I love you too, baby", my heart is absolutely broken.

UPDATE: Apparently I made it just in time yesterday. Today at about 2:00PM we lost my grandfather. While I'm deeply saddened by his loss, I'm also at peace. I know he was in a lot of pain yesterday and I didn't want him to suffer any longer than he already had. If it were possible for to my heart to break anymore, it has.

"Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death."

Yesterday, I gave blood for the second time this year. I know, I know, I could have done it more than twice given that it's August, but I'm a little slow sometimes.

Anyway, it made me realize that while a lot of my friends are very generous with their time and money, people often forget that giving blood is also an essential part of the way some of our medical treatments work.

Here are just a few examples of how your blood can be used to maybe save some else's life:


Red blood cells:

• used for treatment of accident victims
• used to replace blood lost during surgery
• used to treat burn victims
• used to increase the body's oxygen carrying capacity
• used for the treatment of anemia when it can't be medically treated

Platelets:

• used to treat bone marrow failure
• used to help treat leukemia and cancer patients
• used to treat low platelet count or other problems causing abnormally functioning platelets

Plasma:

• used during cardiac surgeries
• used to treat burn victims
• used to treat bleeding disorders when clotting factors are missing

Whole blood donations are the most popular form of blood donation and can be used to extract all of the above from your blood. I strongly encourage you to consider donating blood because you never know when you yourself might need some form of blood donation. The whole process can take about 30 minutes, but the actual blood donation can take as little as 5 minutes.

Think about it. You never know who's life you're saving.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

GOOD NEWS!

Got a second opinion today on my ankle and the verdict that he gave was to wait to have the surgery!!! He said that he tends to be a little conservative when it comes to cutting into people and that he doesn't feel like 4 months was necessarily a long enough period of time to decide to have surgery. SO I'm going to continue wearing the brace, and continue with the physical therapy exercises for another four months. If at the end of that it still hurts, then we'll reevaluate. Otherwise, I'm good to go!

Thank goodness he didn't think surgery was necessary. I would have died!

To have the surgery or not...

So....a few months ago while me and the hubs were in Boston, I rolled my ankle pretty much completely over and suffered a pretty bad sprain. At the time I was under the influence of a few alcoholic beverages and therefore didn't notice exactly how much pain I was in. Boy, am I paying for it now.

Okay, so after about 2 months of pain and being in a BIG boot, like the ones that go all the way up to your knee, I went to the orthopedic surgeon to see why it just wasn't getting any better. He recommended physical therapy and gave me a cortisone shot. A month after physical therapy and cortisone shot, I went back for a check up. Not much had changed and there was still significant pain and swelling in the ankle. He recommended arthroscopic surgery to go in and "fix whatever he could see" Hmm. Let me get this straight. Something is wrong. You don't know what. And you're going to cut into my foot to figure it out? hmm.

So, I've scheduled a 2nd opinion for Wednesday morning. My parents have had surgeries with this particular office as well as just about everyone else I know over the age of 40. So, it should be a better place to have the surgery just in case that is what I really need to do.

Any comments are welcome. They said it'd be 4 weeks of no walking on my foot followed by 6-12 weeks of recovery. No thanks.

I wish I were as cool as my friends....

So, I have these two totally awesome friends , Janet and Jeremiah. They are basically what any good young person would want to aspire to be. Successful, caring, generous, and most importantly, unselfish.

I think they're amazing 110% of the time, but this month, they decided to do something that not only takes an enormous amount of time and energy, but also takes a huge heart. They have decided to host a foreign exchange student for the Fall semester! It's insane. I'm not sure that I could do it! I think it is an amazing, amazing thing and again, I find myself overwhelmed with pride because I get to call them my friends.

Janet has written about it on her blog, which you can find here.

I can't wait to meet Kim! She's going to be here before we know it and I hope that she is as cool as she sounds!! Either way, what an amazing experience for Janet and Jeremiah, and Kim!

"Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment"
-Anthony Robbins

Not much to do...

I was sitting here and thinking that I haven't really updated my blog in too long. Well, I mean, I have, but it hasn't been that exciting. Anyway, just a few things to share and then I'll move on.

Here's what's been going on:

• been helping the bff get ready for wedding planning and wedding day bliss. It's been really fun and I think has brought us back to being super close which I love!
  
• Had engagement party for said bff and fiance. It was a blast. Here's a cute pic of us at the party. Got lots of compliments on my dress, which I also love.
• 
• Been sending lots and lots and lots of good karma to my very close friend hoping that she calms down and plans a successful wedding! She cracks me up but I worry about her having multiple panic attacks in the next few months! hopefully getting her save the date soon so I can gush over how cute it is!
• My other very good, close friend has a son who turned 3 this past weekend. His birthday party was a blast and I was glad to be a part of it! Here's a pic of him. You can tell he's super excited about his birthday!
• I already shared my sister's baby news, so that is basically old news until we find out the sex for sure and then I can start buying gender specific stuff! I can't wait! It's so exciting to have all these babies in my life!
  
• My nephew, Keegan, is approaching his first birthday super fast! I can't wait to celebrate his birthday. It should be loads of fun!

That's about all I guess. School is still going and is exciting for the most part. I like learning new things but distance learning (ie over the internet) is harder than you'd think!

I'll keep you posted. Life is crazy, as always.

BIIIIG EXCIIIIIIITING NEWS!!!!

I was waiting until the right time to post this, and now is as good a time as any! My sister is pregnant!!! She is expecting her first baby next January! Isn't that exciting?!

She went to a specialist last week who said that he was 70-80% sure she was having a baby boy! If it's a boy, they'll name him Lucas Paul. Which I think is so freaking cute! I actually love the name Lucas!

Looks like I'm going to be an Aunt to all boys until someone else decides to try for another one!

Here's keeping my fingers crossed for a niece somewhere!!!

A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.
-- Eda J. Le Shan

Been A While...

It's been a little while since I've posted anything fun, so I'm posting something fun. Well, not really fun, but it's something.

Things have been pretty chill. Working through my class assingments and wishing that it didn't take so long to persue a higher education. I'm ready to be done, but if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth it, right? (that's where you start calling me and telling me that I can do it, and you're proud of me - MOM!) ha ha.

My best friends, yes you read that right, friends are ENGAGED! (aren't they cute??) It's so very exciting. Basically, you take my two nearest and dearest friends, and you put them in a relationship and they turn out to be perfect each other and end up engaged! I'm super thrilled for them. AND it's a win win for me because I can see them both at the same time and not ever have to worry about it! SCORE! Although, I'll be in the wedding as a bridesmaid so for the wedding, my loyalties will lie with the bride. First bridesmaid thing to do, bridal show this Saturday. I'm excited! I never went to one for my own wedding, considering I had my dress picked out before I got engaged, so it will be a new adventure for me!

On a slightly more aggravating note, my orthopedic surgeon told me today that he thinks I shoul have surgery on my ankle since it won't heal. He said that given the amount of time that has passed, the ankle should really be better by now and if it isn't (which it isn't) then his recommendation is orthopedic surgery. My friend suggested that I come to her clinic and try a more wholistic approach. I'm not sure how I feel about that though. I'm open to suggestions, so give em to me if you've got em. I haven't made a decision yet, so we'll see what happens.

I guess that's really about it. Other exciting stuff is going on, but not anything worth mentioning really. heading to New Braunfels, TX this weekend for some much needed river time. If I remember, I'll take lots of photos for you to see!! Can't wait! I love the river. It's my favorite time of year!

"Personally, I've always thought dying on vacation was the better way to go...I do have certain requests about my passing, though. I hope that if I die in a plane crash, it's coming FROM a vacation instead of heading TO. I know, it's a small consolation, but I'd have a tan and would look rested at my calling hours"
Craig Wilson

Sad Day

Yesterday was a pretty sad day in my family. We lost one of our most beloved pets. You've seen her before, I've talked about her before. It was Abby. She was probably nearing 15 years of age and I'm sure that we were lucky to keep her longer than she was intended to stay. Although I'm upset, I'm not as upset as I planned on being. I think that's probably because I knew that she had stayed longer than most like her. I'm grateful that she waited until we got back from South Dakota and didn't die in the kennel. That would have been much harder to deal with.

Just a little note to say goodbye to my sweet puppy of 14 years. She filled a void that other pets left behind and she will always be my sweet, loving puppy.

Birthday News!

So, yesterday was my birthday. Which most of you probably already know, but in case you forgot, yesterday was the big day.

Anyway, the day was pretty amazing, and at the end of the day, I felt truly blessed to have the friends I have. So, here's a recap of the good news and the not so good news:

Wednesday I went to the Orthopedic Surgeon/Foot and Ankle Specialist (OSFAS) to talk about my ankle. It's been 8 weeks since the "incident" in Boston, and it still hasn't gotten much better. So, OSFAS examines my MRI and my ankle and says "there's definitely significant strain on your ligaments and some fluid in your ankle. We're going to switch you from the boot to a lace up brace and send you to physical therapy. If you're ankle isn't significantly better when you come back in 4 weeks, we're going to have to discuss more drastic measures like your surgical options". I. Almost. Fell. Out. Of. My. Chair. BUT I'm keeping my fingers crossed extra tight that 4 weeks will heal me and we don't have to have any drastic conversations!

On to the birthday celebrations!!

At first, I wasn't very excited about my birthday. I had been excited about it a few weeks ago, but the feeling just kind of dwindled as the actual day got closer. My parents call every year to sing happy birthday to me, and I guess I sounded terrible becasue my mom followed up by sending me a really sweet email to try and cheer me up. You know it's bad when your mom starts talking about the day you were born!!! So, that cheered me up a little and I tried to be excited about my birthday again. About mid morning I got a letter in the mail that said that my bffs Hilary and Danny had made a donation to the North Texas Food Bank in celebration of my birthday!! How awesome is that? Pretty freaking awesome if you ask me! Then, mid afternoon, I got a call from the receptionist asking me to come down to the lobby to sign for something....When I get down there, there was a huge cookie bouquet with my name on it! Also from the bffs Hilary and Danny. At this point, I'm really feeling the love. Also because I got about 1 billion messages from facebook, or text messages of people wishing me a happy birthday! And there were a few phone calls too! It was a pretty good day. In the afternoon, my co-workers threw me a cake party and we celebrated my birthday by eating "Create Your Own Strawberry Shortcake" it was delicious and again, I felt loved!

Onto the evening's festivities: Hubs wouldn't tell me where we were going or what he was getting me. I had thrown out about a bazillion places and gift ideas, so I truly had no idea what was in store for me. The evening started with me opening my present. If you're read my previous blogs, then you know what I asked for: a camera and a bicycle. Welp, low and behold there was a Nikon box in the bag!!! I asked for the Nikon D60, but a few months ago, we went to Boston and borrowed a friend of our sister in law's camera...a Nikon D40. Shortly after we got back, the friend told us that he would be selling the camera. I asked Hubs if I could buy it, but of course he said no. So, I was totally shocked when I opened the box and found the exact camera in the bag! It was truly exciting! For dinner we went to The Melting Pot, which sadly, I didn't really care for. The cheese and the chocolate were amazing, but the middle part of the meal was kind of lacking. I didn't feel like it was worth the money we paid for it!

Today, I finally decided to check the mail and there was gift card in the mail from my friend Janet! Janet is a strong believer in donating to different causes and actually donates to all of the charities I listed in my previous birthday blogs. So, instead of donating more, she decided to surprise me with a gift card that would help me towards my camera purchase!!! Again, I was totally shocked and excited!! I really do have some of the most amazing people in my life!

Tonight is dinner with the fam, and I'm really hoping for a bike...but we'll have to see!!!

I'll keep you posted!

Expansion on Birthday! Birthday! Birthday!

Okay, so now that I have some time, I thought I'd expand my thoughts on why I'm recommending that you donate to the various charities listed below.

1. Doctors Without Borders: Sheri Kirshenbaum wrote a blogpost about sexual assault around the world. She also spoke about an initiative that she is starting (with the help of other bloggers) called Silence is the Enemy. This initiative is designed to bring light to the situation in Liberia and other countries that have been torn apart by war. Although the war is over, many men still feel entitled to sex and are sexually abusing children 12 and under in drastically high numbers. You can read this article as published in the NY Times for a better understanding of the problems facing our world. Doctors Without Borders provides medical attention to the children and women that are affected by these gross and violent sexual assaults. We like to assume that because it's not affecting us, then things aren't really that bad. But the fact of the matter is that there are bigger problems in the world than the ones we run into every day in our home towns. Sexual assault is very real and the numbers are shocking.
   
2. North Texas Food Bank is the largest food bank in Texas (based on distributed pounds) and strives to create a hunger free community. They work with various food networks through out 13 different Texas counties to provide food to those who are hungry, and in need. According to their numbers, $1 can provide 4 meals worth of food to someone in need. Another impressive statistic is that about .97 cents of every $1 donated goes to hunger relief. That's some pretty good management, if you ask me.
   
3. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® was founded on a promise. A promise made between sisters. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® has now grown to be the world's largest grass roots network of breast cancer survivors and activits. Although no one in my family has been diagnosed with breast cancer, I am very aware of the effect it can have on women, and the effect it can have on families who lose someone to breast cancer. It is a long fought battle, and through donations and research, we have been able to learn a lot about breast cancer, but that doesn't mean that we've found a cure. I know this one gets a lot of publicity, but they're doing amazing work, so they deserve the help!
4. Fistula Foundation- A fistula is a hole. An obstetric fistula of the kind that occurs in many developing countries is a hole between a woman's birth passage and one or more of her internal organs. This hole develops over many days of obstructed labor, when the pressure of the baby's head against the mother's pelvis cuts off blood supply to delicate tissues in the region. This hole can result in permanent incontinence of urine and/or feces. A majority of women who develop fistulas are abandoned by their husbands and ostracized by their communities because of their inability to have children and their foul smell. Traumatic fistula is the result of sexual violence. The injury can occur through rape or women being butchered from the inside with bayonets, wood or even rifles. The aim is to destroy the women and the community within which the sufferer lives. Once committed the survivor, her husband, children and extended family become traumatized and humiliated. The Panzi Hospital in Congo is a pioneer in treating victims of traumatic fistula. The kicker about fistula is that it's a highly curable problem. It pretty much disappeared from the US and Europe by the late 19th and early 20th century because those countries were able to afford the kind of treatment and most women in those countries give birth with highly trained professionals in the room. It costs US$450 to provide one woman with a fistula repair operation, high-quality postoperative care, a new dress, and bus fare home. That's it. $450 to save a woman's life. Why would you not want to help?
5. The Hunger Project In Africa, Asia and Latin America, The Hunger Project seeks to end hunger and poverty by empowering people to lead lives of self-reliance, meet their own basic needs and build better futures for their children. Hunger Project strategies seek to build people's capacities, leadership and confidence. We train women and men, equipping them with the skills, methods and knowledge needed to take self-reliant actions to improve their lives and conditions in their communities. Our aim is to overcome the deep resignation people in the developing world often find themselves in as a result of failed development initiatives. The Hunger Project urges people not to wait to be rescued, but to take action now to meet their basic needs.

I think the things that we sometime take for granted are the things that are killing our brothers and sisters around the world. We are blessed to live in a country where health care is important, and where the majority of people can afford to buy food for their families. I've never had to miss a meal because my parents or I couldn't afford to buy dinner. I've never had to worry about whether or not I'd be able to have this surgery or this procedure done. I've never had to worry about anything that I didn't want to, really. My life has been lucky. I was born to parents who gave everything they had to take care of me, and I married a man who believes in saving for rainy days. My life has been blessed.

Not everyone's lives are blessed in the same ways our's are. Not everyone can afford food for their family every day, and not everyone can deliver a baby at their local hospital with highly trained professionals in the room. There are people out there who need our help. There's a saying about money. The saying goes that you can't take it with you when you die. How true that is. I understand that we are getting to the age where we have to start planning for our children. We need money to do that. We need money to maintain our houses and our lifestyles. But sometimes, it's worth it to not buy that extra pair of shoes so that you can help someone else who hasn't been as lucky as you.

My friend Janet has started an effort to donate to a new charity every month. I'm not saying you should do that, but if you ever wanted some ideas of different charities that you can donate to, she usually has a pretty good list.

"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver."

Maya Angelou

Birthday Birthday Birthday!!!

Okay, so my birthday is coming up (in case you didn't read the previous post, or pay attention to the title of this post, I'm reminding you)...

So in case anyone was wondering, here are a few things that I would LOVE for my birthday.

• World Peace (Ha!)

• Charitable donations to any of these fine charities:

1. Doctors Without Borders
2. North Texas Food Bank
3. Susan G. Komen for the Cure
4. The Fistula Foundation
5. The Hunger Project

Most of these charities are able to do a lot with very small amounts of donations..... If nothing else, it'd be cool if someone at least went to the website in honor of my birthday!

Okay, now on to the materialistic things that I want.

• A cruiser bike.... We have this great creek by our house, and I love to feed the ducks. I just hate walking all the way down there. I would love to have a bike so that I can cruise around my neighborhood! :)
  
• Nikon D60 with which to take super cool pics.
  

Ahh daydreaming is fun isn't it?

Anyway, to all my blog readers (the 4 of you) enjoy your weekends!!!

My blog is lacking lately.....

So, I'm not doing a very good job of providing thought provoking posts but I just haven't had anything to say......

However, just because MY blog hasn't been very great, doesn't mean that my friend's blogs are lacking.

Recently my friend wrote a blog post that was very personal, and probably very difficult to write. I admire her strength, her courage and most of all her bravey in writing this post. There are certain aspects of my life that I choose not to address. Not in my blog, not in my conversations with other people, not even with myself. Sexual assault is one of those topics.

I like having a blog, but in case you haven't noticed, I tend to keep it pretty light and hardly ever talk about anything too serious. I think it's heartfelt, courageous and needs to be discussed. I think she's dead on when she says that silence is acceptance. There are far too many girls out there who get raped or who are sexually assaulted and refuse to say anything because they're too scared or ashamed of themselves or for whatever reason, they'd rather keep it inside and to themselves than to tell anyone that something has happened. The sad truth is that girls often turn it on themselves and think that what has happened is their fault and that they're to blame. And to top it all off, it's not exactly an easy topic to bring up in every day conversation. I think that someday, the brutal truth of sexual assault will come out and people will realize how dire the situation really is, and that the time for action is now.

I am not asking you to donate to any cause or to any charity on my behalf. I am however asking you to look it up for yourself....read more about what is going on outside of our borders and in our world. Someone you know might be battling the memory of their sexual abuse and just might be someone who has been affected by the type of violence that can often surround sexual assault.

If nothing else, maybe you'll learn something you didn't know. Maybe it will inspire you to write your own blog post or to reveal some secrets you've been keeping. I for one hope that some day my secrets will be ones that I'm willing to share on my blog. At this point in my life, I don't have the courage to address the things that my friend does. I admire her and respect her for being courageous.


...if you wanted to donate, my birthday IS next week.....:)

"there are times when silence has the loudest voice"
-Leroy Brownlow

Bad Drivers Abound

Have you ever noticed that the guy who cuts you off is always the guy with the Ichthys on his car? And have you ever noticed that the lady who drives like a maniac is always the one with the little little stick figure kids all plastered on her back window?

I am seriously not joking here, folks. It's like the guy with the Ichthys on his car thinks he can cut you off because Jesus is with him or something. Like Jesus is going to save him from the collision he's about to cause. And the lady with the stick figure kids...well my guess is that she assumes that you're not going to hit her because you would feel bad running into a lady with 4 kids (2 boys, 2 girls) and 3 dogs.

The thing is though, it's totally out of hand. They literally have no shame when it comes to who they'll cut off or who to blow their horn at. They are the world's worst drivers! And the worst part about it is that they put those stupid things on their cars! Like we're all going to just excuse their driving habits because they're a Christian or a mom! Yeah right!

I for one will start honking my horn louder and maybe even throwing up the occasional "bird" if the timing is right! I encourage you to jump on this bandwagon and we can all teach these drivers that just because you have 4 kids (2 boys, 2 girls) and 3 dogs or because you love Jesus, it doesn't mean that we're going to roll over and let you drive all over us!

Should we live more like dogs??

I received an email sometime earlier this week that made the comment that instead of living our lives the way we do, we should take heed from our dogs and try to live our lives more like them. At first of course you immediately think of all the negative reasons why living like a dog would not be conducive to the world we live in, but then, if you take a second, and think about it....it's kind of great advice.

I can't remember the last time my dog was mad at me. I can't remember ever coming home and not being greeted by 8 sets of paws pawing at my leg for me to pick them up (okay, so I have dachshunds, they can't exactly knock you over with attention). I can't remember the last time my dog didn't curl up next to me when I was sick. I can't remember my dogs ever being in a bad mood, or barking at me because they were mad, or even a time when they didn't want to chase the ball until all their energy was exhausted.

I think that while the wording of this chain email was somewhat corny, the message was a valid point. Dogs always act like they haven't seen you in years when you walk through the door. Dogs always curl up next to you when you're not feeling well just to be near you. Dogs always exhaust their energy doing something fun instead of sitting on the couch watching TV. Dogs always make time for you. Dogs will protect you, their family, until the very end. My dachshunds have gotten in front of some pretty huge dogs to make their point known, and maybe the other dog would have destroyed them had I not been there to pull them out of harm's way, but they were still willing to risk minor injury to protect me.

I get that dogs don't have the same pressures and stress factors in their lives that we humans do, but there is something to be admired in their behavior. If we could just take time to be excited every time we saw someone we loved, my how the world would be different. And if we would just curl up next to the person we love when they're sick, just to be near them, my how the world would be different. If we spent our time doing the things that bring us happiness until we were exhausted instead of sitting in front of the TV or computer all day, my how the world would be different.

While I can't stay home and sleep all day like my dogs, I can take bits and pieces of their behavior and incorporate it into mine. I think dogs have the most optimistic view of all of us. They always see the sunny side of things, and they always live their lives enjoying every minute.
The email also said that a little boy made the comment that dogs are here for such a short period of time because they've already figured out how to live life and they don't need as long to live their life. It's a good point, but can you imagine how much fuller your life would be if you lived your life always seeing the happiness, the optimism and the joy in your life?

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.
~Gilda Radner

A great post by a great friend!!!!

I have many great friends in my life. Some I admire for the person they are and for the person that they make me want to be. My friend Janet is exactly that kind of person. Anytime I feel down or less than great, I can read something she's written about something she's doing, or a charity that she's donating to, and I feel better. I'm so glad that there are people like her in the world! And the best part is, I can call her my friend.

This is an amazing post that she wrote. I encourage you to check it out!
I hope that you all have someone in your life like Janet. Someone who can lift your spirits and make you want to be a better person without even knowing that they're doing it.

Life is too short to have regrets. Every action we take, every mistake we make all lead up to the life we lead today. Personally, I wouldn't have mine any other way!

An optimistic point of view...

I'd like to think that the majority of the time, my view on life is optimistic. Granted, I have my days where I would rather stay in bed, under the covers and pretend that the world is out to get me...but in all reality, it's just not in my nature to think the worst about things...or people for that matter.

This weekend, I had conversations with many friends, but one conversation struck me the most. This one involved a friend telling me that they didn't have the same faith in God as they used to because God took something away from them before they were ready to give it up. (I'm being vague here on purpose). My view on this particular situation is that a) it was probably time for the something to be given up b) its selfish to want to keep things because you're not ready c) there are other things in life that can make up for the somethings that we have to give up. I realize that sometimes, when we give things up that we don't want to, we often don't see the light at the end of the tunnel or the hand reaching for us to help us through the darkness. We want to get angry and denounce what we believe because it makes us feel better to stay angry and to not see the other side of the argument. But, at the same time.....when one door closes, another one always opens. Maybe we don't see it right away, and maybe it's not God who's taking the doors and closing them in our face and then opening new ones just as we run into the closed one. I do believe there is something bigger than me guiding me through my path whether that be God, Buddha, Gandhi, whomever. But maybe, if we took the time to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the hand reaching for ours, we'd be able to "handle" situations better in our day to day life.

I had someone tell me today that maybe I shouldn't take all my vacation time this summer in case a friend or family member died and I needed to go to their funeral.....I decided that I would err on the side of optimism and life my days thinking that everyone I love will have a happy and healthy year this year.

I just think that if we live our lives always looking behind to see what negativity is gaining on our heels, then we're living our lives always looking behind. We don't know the fate of the world, or what is going to happen in this life today or tomorrow...but what we can know and what we can control is our attitude about this day and this life. I thinking choosing the optimistic point of view in the end results in much happier outcomes. We worry ourselves until we've worried ourselves away and force ourselves to feel depressed and undo sadness.

I'm going to live my life with an optimistic point of view...and I hope you do too!

"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought."
-Peace Pilgrim

Okay, okay, a few days late....

This is going to be a big update, but it'll still be fun!

Let's start with....Boston.
Boston was a BLAST. I have about 900 pictures from the trip and each one of them absolutely amazes me. And no, it's not because I'm a super talented photographer, it's because the history and the atmosphere of Boston is absolutely amazing! I can't wait to go back! And if I could, I would totally move there. Husband refuses to leave Tejas. No problem with that, it's just kind of boring!

Anyway, we were sitting outside of a pub one day, and husband ran out to take this picture:
It was totally random, but hilarious at the same time. He is not normally one to run out and get free hugs, especially not from people with blue hair. Oh well, it proved for some good laughs and some more good drinks! Shortly after leaving the pub, I tripped on a cobblestone walkway (plus muffle your laughs!) and sprained my ankle pretty bad. I'm currently walking around in a boot to help stabilize the ankle. Yep, 3 weeks later and I get stuck in a boot! Lucky me! Anyway....we spent the next day at the aquarium and went on a whale watching tour! We saw about 6 whales, and one of them was the cutest little whale ever! he totally hammed it up for the cameras too, which made him even more fun to watch!

The aquarium had a special sea turtle exhibit and they've been working on helping turtles recover so that they can go back into the wild. I could watch sea turtles for hours, and this little guy really caught my attention. I think he liked having the attention too!
On our first day there (sorry this is all out of chronological order) we went to the Old State House and got a pretty decent history of Boston. This was my favorite statue from the Old State House. It was a statue dedicated to the Civil War Nurses and while this picture doesn't capture all of it's beauty, it captures a lot of it!
And of course, you have to stop in "where everybody knows your name.....and they're always glad you came!"
I probably called 10 people while we were at Cheers and tried to sing the song to them. Let's just say, it was interesting to them if nothing else!

OKAY! On to other things! Life has been crazy lately, and it hasn't slowed down one bit! I'm almost done with my second semester of school, and I have to admit, it's kind of nice to almost have two semesters behind me! This one was a lot longer than the last and that made it a little more difficult to stay focused, but I'm doing it and I'll make it through with great grades, hopefully!

this past weekend, my mom, grandma and I traveled to Beeville, Tx to attend a funeral of a family member. While the circumstances that got us there were not the best, we had a pretty good time and even managed to have some fun in the midst of all the sadness. My cousin Chris, has horses and works the rodeo circuit, and begged for us to come see his horses. Seeing as we never EVER get down his way, we all obliged and it turned out to be really fun! He has two babies on the ground and they were the cutest things I've ever seen.
This one is just over 1 week old!
And this one is just over 4 weeks old! He was more willing to come up and allow you to touch him. I guess he's a little more weened off his mama! I absolutely adore horses, and I'm trying to convince my cousin that he needs to give me one of his!

Things are mostly good. Husband has been very busy which helps speed the days up. We're gearing up for a trip to South Dakota for my cousin's wedding. It should be fun! It's going to be a long, long, long drive though! Road trips are fun, and this one should prove to be no different!

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
Lao Tzu

Wee Little Update

It's been a little bit since I posted last, so I thought I'd give a little update on what's been going on.

We went to Boston last weekend and it was amazing! I'll post on that later when I have my laptop with all my pictures on it!

I still have stupid shingles. It's like the Devil's disease or something! I swear it sucks! It feels like someone took sandpaper and rubbed it all over my arm! My arm feels raw and it just plain hurts. Doc gave me some nerve pain killers to help with the pain, but they make me loopy so I can't really ever take them except for at night. Oh well, at least I'm getting some good sleep out of the deal!

I'm getting a new fence! They should be finished tonight! I'm so excited! I've wanted a privacy fence for a while now, so this will be nice to have! Plus, it'll be better for outdoor entertaining, which I hope to do a lot of this summer. Too bad I have no pool, that always goes over better. But, I love having a backyard. The dogs love it too, so that helps!

School is going OK. It's still school, and sometimes it sucks, but at the end of the day, I'm glad that I'm doing it.

I'll post more later when I have my pictures! We had an AMAZING time in Boston and some of our whale watching pictures are pretty good!

"Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live"
-Unknown

Holy Jeez...

So today is Wednesday, which means that I have had this painful, annoying rash on my arm for almost 2 weeks (tomorrow will be two weeks exactly). I thought it was getting better after this weekend. I really thought that I was on the mend and that I would feel SPECTACULAR for my trip to Boston. Which by the way, is tomorrow. Boy, was I wrong.

I'm not sure if maybe I just did too much on Monday and so that wore me out and took me back to reality with a big slap in the face, or if the virus really is getting worse. The rash is about the same. I won't describe it, but if you're curious, you can go here to read about it. Mine actually doesn't look near as bad as it could. At the moment, it just kind of looks like dry skin. Anyway, that's besides the point. My point is that it seems like things should be better by now. I mean, I took all of the meds the doc gave me. I took time off work to rest, and took time off school to rest (which is a whole different story). So why am I not feeling 110%? This is so like me too. My body must really hate me or something. I mean, who else gets sick the week before they are supposed to take a super fun trip with their hubby? Oh, right, just me. With my luck, I'm going to end up in some Boston hospital waiting for death to take me. Okay, maybe that's a little over dramatic and it won't really happen, but it could....it seriously could.

I go back to the doctor today. Actually, while I will be going to the same doctor's office, I'm going to see a different doctor because she wants to "get a fresh perspective". Basically, she doesn't understand why I'm not feeling any better yet either....she sounded worried, but I'm trying to not let that stress me out...I mean, that's how we got here in the first place, right?

And to top everything off, I have class tonight. Basically, I'm going to be driving all over hell and back today and that always adds to my stress. Dallas drivers aren't the best. That's for sure.

So here's hoping I don't end up in the hospital in Boston, that I make an excellent grade on my exam next week....and that I can take care of everything I need to take care of by tomorrow.

Appreciate the woman you love

I really liked this message that I got in an email so I wanted to pass it along:

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.

Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Taking it easy...East Texas style

Spent some quality time with the fam this weekend, kicking back in front of a campfire and enjoying nature. I think it was a pretty good trip all around, and my immune system definitely needed the relaxation and fresh air. Let's hope the dreadful shingles are behind me and I can keep moving forward in this stupid illness!

Here are a few of my favorite pics:

This is Abby. She's about 15 years old now and all she did was sleep the whole time! She got a little bit grumpy with me for taking this picture, but overall, she is the best, most laid back dog any family could ask for. I'll be very sad when she finally leaves us.
"If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience."
~Woodrow Wilson
Early to bed, early to rise. This was the scene at around 7:00AM. All the meds I've been on have been conking me out pretty early, so although I was fast asleep in a super comfy tent on the ground (please tell me you caught the sarcasm), my body was ready for action at 7:00AM. I took a few strolls around the park but found this picture to be one of my favorites. I love it in the morning when the sun is just now coming up. It's my favorite time of day.
"Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise"
George Washington Carver

You knew the dachshunds would make it at some point!! This is one of their favorite things to do! Afternoon naps in the sunshine. Bailey (the girl bottom right) will lay in the smallest patches of sunshine to try and "sunbathe." She even rolls over on all sides to make sure that each side gets the same amount of time in the sun. Wilson (top left) just likes to be wherever she is. I bet if I mirrored my life more after them, I wouldn't have to worry about getting shingles!
"Happiness is a warm puppy"
Charles M. Schulz


What campsite would be complete without a hot, burning fire? This fire kept us warm for more than a little while. The boys (hubby and brother in law) did a really good job keeping it going and gathering an endless supply of firewood. I think BIL sacrificed some skin for some of the firewood (scrapes, cuts, spider bites) but in the end, we had warmth, and what more do you need, right?
"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire"
Marshal Ferdinand Foch

All in all, it was a great weekend. Although it might even be a little cliche, it was just what the doctor ordered!

And it definitely got me hyped up about going to Boston! Although I don't have my fancy new camera yet (still warming the hubby up to the idea) my sister in law's ex boss is going to let me borrow one of his!! I think I just might die I'm so excited!!!

Not sure if I've closed with this before, but I love it and I try to remember it often:

"Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going"