When life changes your plans

Wow, I had so many plans for this summer! I was gonna organize my house bigtime, Chris was gonna get all four floors torn up and redone, I would take the kids roller blading and walk lots with Lisa and her kids, etc. etc. Approx. 6 months ago or more I was having problems with nausea off and on. With a med change and such I blamed it on that, then it kept getting worse and I started getting heartburn. Pregnancy was a thought but no, it wasn't that! So after eating Uncle Rays BBQ chips and almost instantly getting heartburn I think.......I'm getting older and now I just can't eat really spicy stuff! Now I know what it is!!! Not so! We have a 50th birthday party for my sis (complete with Famous Dave's BBQ and about everything they serve, KFC, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudge, and a Juke Box cake) and I get sicker than I think I have ever been in my life! (Vomiting like 20 times) Ididn't eat much bbq but figured it must have been enough. Too make a long story short......that was Sat. night. By Monday morn I was still so sick I decided to drive myself to immediate care. (I wasn't sick the whole time, just off and on) The dr told me it was my gall bladder and he made me an appt. at the hospital to have tests done that day. I had an inflamed gall bladder, sludge, and gall stones. He did NOT want me to get one in a duct! I got so bad Tues. night that we went to emergency but they just gave me morphine and crazy pills! (Lortab) Wed. I went to the surgeon and he scheduled surgery for Friday. Sure enough.......a stone had gotten in the duct going into my gall bladder and stopped it up so hence the bad pain! Crazy emergency doc just wanted to get me out of there! 6 gall stones and gall bladder taken out and I was a happy camper! Well, not really! I heard all these awesome stories about how everybody felt so good afterwards that they either went shopping the very same day or had family over for a get together a couple days later etc. that I expected to feel awesome! Not so! It took me a week! Leave it to me!

Chris and Christopher took the oppurtunity to tear up what needed to be of the kitchen floor and put down my new hardwood! Chris cleaned the outsides of my cabinets, fridge, and painted and put up my kitchen border! It looks awesome. Buuuuuttttt.......my element in my oven had went out and when Chris went to pull it out to get the numbers off of the back the whole front glass shattered! Big time! I have to wait 7-10 days to get that in! So back to momma's to bake the cakes for Marilyn and Larry's 50th wedding anniversary! We came back home Friday, got the cakes decorated, went to the party Sat. then to Tab's for Chris to split wood, (mopmma went with us) Sun. BJ and Sam came home with us, and today I am sick with some bug that Brooke so sweetly shared with me! What a summer I have had! lol But I truly enjoyed all my time with momma even tho I was recovering from surgery etc. Chris plans to tear up the bathroom and large hallway either this week or next so that it'll be done before Brooke starts school. Christopher has to be at college by Aug. 18 and I try not to think about that! I will miss him so much!

Now that I have written a book trying to catch up I think I'll add the pics to this post! :-)

New Mexico Mission Trip

Christopher got a chance to go on a mission trip to New Mexico and while I missed him lots, I'm so glad he was able to go. He not only worked at the Indian Mission but he also went to the Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Colorado Rockies, and lots more. I'll add pics and such later but he'll need to tell me more about them so that I'll label them correctly. I AM glad to have him back home!!!!! :-)

A Wonderful Birthday

I had such a wonderful time with two wonderful friends! I am so blessed. Bro. Beers funeral happened to be on my actual birthday so Lisa and MiChelle planned a special day just for me a couple weeks later. They took me shopping at Greenwood to the stores of my choice, to Panera Bread for supper, and Coldstone Creamery for dessert! We had such a wonderful time. Ahhh, the memories even now. Lots of laughter, Flying mints, unbreakable water bottles (NOT), etc. This will now be a new tradition for each of our birthdays! I can't wait!!!!!!

Thoughts......

How in the world do you tell your children that someone so very important in their life has passed away? How do you try to explain the questions when you don't have answers yourself? In the human all I can think of is - But God, We NEED him! Rev. James Beers was so many things in our life. Not only mine and Chris' school administrator but now Christopher's. Friend, Prayer Warrior, Doctor, and so much more. Christopher drank in the knowledge that he learned from Bro. Beers. Bro. Beers even got Christopher to start eating healthier. My son who said that anything fried had to be better. :-) Political things, legal things.........we don't realize how heavily we rely on someone until we no longer have them. What a legacy he leaves and tho no one can fill his shoes it will take many people to help fill in the gaping hole that he leaves behind.
A precious friend of mine helped with this thought - At an airport there was a group of people crying as their loved one was leaving on a long journey, but there was another group cheering and full of glee. Their loved one had arrived home. As is with Bro. Beers. We are so sad to see him go and we're crying tears for ourself, but on Heaven's shore there is a group of people cheering and so happy to see him. God, please help me to be a better person so that I may be able to help fill the tiniest spot and to also be worthy of that honor.

Sunshine.......

I opened the blinds and the beautiful rays of sunshine peeking through did lots for my spirits this morning! I am so happy to see sunshine! Now......if I can just get over this bug that I have. I am thankful to be feeling better than I was. I might even have a little bit of motivation! lol That is.....after this cough med wears off and I'm not so sleepy. April has been a rough month with sickness. Both kids were sick and then me again.........

Momma is coming over tomorrow to spend the day with me and I so love being with her!

My dear, sweet hubby took Saturday and devoted it to me and took the kids and I out for breakfast and then took me to some stores that I had been wanting to go to. We went to Kohl's and my ragged, jean and pull over shirt wearing son got "Dress shoes, 2 ties, and dress shirts"!!! Wow, did he clean up nice for Sat. night and Sun! :-)

I bought a bunch of totes and plan on organizing Brooke's toys so that she can get to them easily AND put them away easily! lol The putting away being the key part here!!!! I also want to organize my yard sale stuff so that the garage isn't such a mess. I hope to get rid of alot at the yard sale and what's left.......I'll give to Good Will or some such store! I just don't enjoy keeping stuff around that I want to get rid of.

We had a great time camping with the Gilley's and Tooley's and look so forward to doing it again soon! I loved it!

All of us girls on the beach at the campgrounds!

Bubby helping Brooke reel her fish in. He hadn't caught anything yet and we stopped by to see the guys while they were fishing. Brooke just wanted to cast one time before we left. Bubby helped her and within minutes.....she had a fish!!! :-)

Group picture of us without Danny so.......

Here's Danny and Teresa! :-)

One thing Christopher MUST have on any trip! One of his guitars!!!!

Well, lest my post get too boring I'll quit and try to post some more highlights of my most exciting life later! lol

Sick of being sick

I just want to feel even kinda good! I had so many plans for this past week. I didn't have anywhere I had to go and I was going to spring clean and organize. I have to rest alot of times so I knew it would take all week and more. Then........I get sick. Monday morning I woke up with a sore throat and it all went downhill from there. Finally, on Thurs. I thought I was getting better and got a little motivation to do some cleaning and by that evening I was a mess. So.......after not going ANYWHERE all week and this weekend I still feel yuck. I guess I just made my blog a venting board. lol Spring Break is this week and I'm hoping it goes better. I'll just do what cleaning I can and hope that I feel good enough for us to go camping Thurs. and Fri.

Here is a picture of Brooke with her little monkey she wanted for her birthday. It's so ugly it's cute! :-)

Here is my 53 cent shopping spree at CVS! I'm trying to learn to play the register rewards game, by using those, coupons and sales. Brooke was pretty impressed. She kept saying...FIFTY-THREE CENTS???? lol

And now......my head hurts and I think I'll save anymore exciting news I may have for later! :-)

Peanut Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies

These are soooo good! I made them for Chris and Christopher and was hoping I wouldn't like them. No such luck!

Peanut Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies
1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Granulated sugar

1 recipe Peanut Cream Filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In bowl beat peanut butter and shortening with mixer on med. speed for 30 sec. Add brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in baking soda, salt, and as much flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour.

2. Form dough into balls, using a level tsp. each. Place 1-1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten by making crisscross marks with tines of fork dipped in suagar.

3. Bake 7-8 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack; cool.

4. Spread one tsp. Peanut Cream Filling on flat side of half of cookies. Top with remaining cookie. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Freeze unfilled cookies up to 1 month. Makes 4 dozen sandwich cookies.

Peanut Cream Filling

In medium bowl whisk together 3/4 cup peanut butter, 3/4 cup marshmallow creme and 3 tbsp. milk. Gradually whisk in 3 Tbsp powdered sugar.

Here is the cake, complete and set up at the reception.

It's a relief that it's over but the decorating part is so much fun!!!

My baby girl is now 9!!!! I just can't believe it! Time is going so fast........the older I get and yada yada! lol

Well, that's enough for now. If I told you all the drama that had been going on in our life lately you probably wouldn't believe me anyway! lol God has answered prayer in a lot of ways and I'm expecting more!