5 Weeks & 2 Days...

I sent my deposit check 2 weeks ago for my weight loss surgery (WLS). We fly out of Abilene to San Diego on the 4th of January, have surgery on the 5th and return on the 8th.

It's almost surreal and so exciting and yet seems really not possible. Hmmm... I am very excited and have been doing research about what to eat on my post op diet and what foods most people have problems with etc.

My friend Heidi had the same surgery on February 1st and we just realized we were similar sizes and the same height. Our weight was within 5 pounds of each other. She's now at goal (in August). I can't fathom that I could be at goal in 6-8 months. She's 141 and in a size 6-8 but of course she wants plastic surgery to deal with the skin. I just can't think about that. If I have to live a few years in spanx I will. Cause we will be SO broke for a while after this. But it will be so worth. I am praying my cholesterol improves and I have a HUGE shot at it resolving my diabetes. That happens for a huge majority.

Anyway - I just wanted to post an update.

Ah Boring...

My life seems SO boring as of late. All I do is work, sleep, work, sleep oh yeah and mommy the girls. Brian is gone 12 hours a day with Christmas lights and I am lonely.

Korie drove all the way from Las Cruces on Friday - her first long drive since going to college. She looks fantastic. :) I miss the butt. LOL. She's decided she's not so fond of biology thus she's changing her major from Biology (was going to be a chiropractor) to Social Work.

Salem is a mess. Seriously - what is it with turning 6 that puts a child to the task of trying their dear sweet mom's patience? She is SO mouthy. I think she spends more time in timeout or losing her precious marbles (she has yet to fill her jar).

Raina is a doll baby. Very clingy still but so sweet these days. Her tantrums are shorter and shorter lived.

So...nothing major life is good - not perfect but good. I am tired and need to do a million things but they'll have to wait until tomorrow.

No More Braces Ma!

Salem was re-evaluated today. She is still intoeing a lot - mainly on the left and especially when she's tired. The therapist thinks her hip strength is better and is not convinced that the intoeing is coming from the hip but higher up on the foot thus making the braces ineffective. So she wants to take the braces off for 3 months and stop PT and see how she does on her own. I already know she's far more clumsy without them. So I am not sure. But we're willing. I don't want her to have to wear them if they don't help. Skills wise, the therapist said Salem is age appropriate except in risk planning/assessment - like swinging and suddenly letting go rather than slowing down to get off. She lets go and falls off (has happened several times at home and at PT). But she thinks that is inattention rather than an actual skills problem.

So we'll see in February! We'll keep up with the horse back riding therapy and gymnastics to keep her active and I'll ask her PE teacher and horse back riding instructor to watch for any obvious problems now that she won't have braces. At horse back riding she wears boots rather than braces anyway and they give her huge support, but I want to know if there is a problem with the lack of them overall.

Keep her in prayers. Salem is VERY excited about not wearing them! :)

Can I Whine About My Day?

• It started early when Brian woke me up at 6:30 (my alarm goes off at 6:45) cause he couldn't get his new phone to sync and his ride was scheduled to be here at 7 to pick him up for his trip out of town.
• Then I only got 2 hours of work in today and I needed 3. That means I have 5 hours to make up in 2 days - 1 1/2 really as Sat we can only work til 12:30. And tomorrow I can't get much done cause Salem has her Jump Rope A Thon and a Pep Rally and mid morning I have a MOPS thing.
• Then I waited at the police department for 45 minutes with two VERY cranky kids while they searched for an accident report.
• Then after I immediately got in the car the insurance company called as they had already received a claim. It's our commercial policy. They had a fender bender last Sat. Pete was driving. It was his fault - this lady had a blinker on and was stopped so he thought that meant she was turning - she wasn't and went ahead and hit him.
  
• So this lady calls and we find out that Pete is not on our commercial policy! I know I told them because I specifically had to have Brian wait for him to drive until he was 21 in October 07. The lady gracious said they would cover the incident but we could expect a rise in premium due to the accident and adding Pete. Sigh.
• Then I get home and have 5 Christmas light bids to return - YEAH Money! Yuck trying to work around a 6 year old an a three year old without someone to run interference.
• Oh and we had to file a claim (the 1st ever) on our general liability cause in early October a day laborer we hired when one of our workers dad had a stroke and the other - a single dad - was out with sick kids - anyway - he hit a suburban with a mower and caused $800 worth of damage. So I had to send a check for the deductible today! He actually hit a vehicle with a mower. Sigh!
• Then the dishwasher repairman and drywall repairman got here at the same time and Raina walked in the room naked!I am tired
  

ACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK. Oh vent over! Sorry! I am just seriously stressing and trying to keep money IN my bank account and it keeps coming out.

The good news is I did spend $20 and get a new rug, 2 books and some playstuff for the girl's kitchen at Julia's preview to her garage sale tomorrow.

The Noonan Shirts Are Ready!!!

I am proud to announce the Noonan Syndrome T-Shirt is Officially Available. Take a look at the shirt that you all helped to design. http://www.fivehumans.com/noonansyndrome

I think it's beautiful!!! And eye-catching enough to spark conversation and is stylish and fashionable so anyone would be proud to wear it.

Aaron King | Third Human VP, Business Operations FiveHumans® write: "Now, this was definitely one of our more difficult designs which is why it took us such a long time. In going through all of the questionnaires, trying to figure out what the shirt should look like, no specific design or "phrase" or "statistic" seemed to embody what the shirt should be while still being stylish. So we looked at what we think is the most "powerful" thing about NS that we've ran into, which is the passion and the voices of the NS community. So we decided to take every one of the 5 words that were submitted to us in the questionnaires with an attractive design element and put a little bit of everyone who submitted a questionnaire into the shirt, so it is truly emblematic of all of you. Obviously, there were words that were repeated numerous times and the most positive, powerful ones we highlighted in a larger more bold text, with the largest of them all being, PROUD.

So, we hope you enjoy the design and realize that every single one of those words is what Noonan Syndrome means to someone, and it's something that we feel will get enough people to stop, look and ask, that the people within the community can spread awareness with their voices and their stories, with the shirt just being a tool for those affected to deliver their own message."

Please consider ordering a shirt. A portion of the proceeds will go the NS Support Group!

I almost lost my wallet today!

So I take my wallet with me to take Raina to LaRae's so I can get some work done. Raina was trying to put her little (doll) in Salem's car seat so I had to climb in and help her. I get out and get in the front and drive to LaRae's - less than 5 min away.

I left my wallet on the roof of my car. I normally always have my purse. I just was in a hurry.

So I leave LaRae's and go to the post office and then get in the car and go to get a drink and realize I don't have it and panic sets in and I remember putting it on the roof of my car. So I high tail it home and retrace my steps. I turn onto a MAJOR street just in time to see a lady get of her suburban to get the wallet. So she starts to take off and I start honking like mad and she sees me and stops. I get out of my car and actually hold up traffic! I told her my name and she looked in my wallet and kept looking at me so I think I scared her! I am SO glad I saw her pick it up. I was about to call and cancel my debit card and credit card.

Thank God. I hate that I do things like this lately! It's nuts.

More positive words...

I am sharing more positive words I saw on this blog. I encourage you all to remain hopeful and diligent and prayer.

Dare I say...This is the day for new things in America.

Some of us rejoice with the coming new and some of us fell asleep last night weeping for what that new may mean for this country. Either way, it is the reality. And I refuse for that reality to stifle my sense of possibility.

Now is the time for Christians to live the message of Christ. Maybe, more than ever before, we will be invited outside our comfort zones where living what we believe won't be easy. And dare I say, that may be the best thing that has happened to Christians in a very long time.

It's one thing to hold fast to traditional principles, but a completely different thing to act whole-heartedly upon them.

It's easy to say abortion is wrong, but hard to walk beside and support that woman who chooses life.

It's easy to think we should help the poor, but hard to write that check from our own bank accounts to do so.

It's easy to point out wrongs in other people, but hard to examine the many places we ourselves fall so short.

It's easy to point out problems, but hard to sacrifice our time to be part of the solution.

But, that's exactly what being a Christian is supposed to propel us to do. With grace and gentleness and humble spirits, we are to be more than a band of people labeled as conservatives. We are to actively be Christ's hands and feet in this world.

Jesus never called us to the comfortable life. He called us follow him through whatever life hands us.

Jesus never waited for the circumstances of the times to line up in his favor. He called us to follow him and be light in the darkness.

Jesus never bad mouthed the leaders of the day or demanded they change their policies. He called us to follow him and live out the truth through our right choices.

And in following Jesus, an air of excited expectancy will be breathed fresh in our souls.

In Obama's speech last night he said, "

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection."

Now is the time to be representatives of truth to all those around us. May we Christians be seen not as those who continue to strain against the unity of our country, but as followers of Jesus, those who help create it.

Now is the time... today is the day... to follow Jesus like never before.

Remembering Patti

Several years ago I became involved with Chemo Angel. I was Patti's Angel. She had Stage 4 Breast Cancer and wasn't doing well. You can read more about Patti here. I was Patti's angel almost a year when all of the sudden I couldn't reach her. It was hard not to assume the worst. I kept sending cards and small presents hoping the worst was not true but since the Chemo Angel organization couldn't reach her or a contact person they had to remove her from the program.

Eventually I found out that Patti had passed away in April 2004. It was heartbreaking especially considering that she left two young children behind.

A few months later I found out that Patti's husband passed away unexpectedly in August just 4 months after Patti's death. My heart was broken for those kiddos. I made it my job to stay in contact with one of their grandmothers. We made sure to send a Christmas package that year.

I think of those kids often and remember to pray for them as well. It would be SO easy for me never to be a chemo angel again but my short relationship with Patti changed my life. It again reinforced the idea to live for today and to treasure each moment.

One of the terrific aspects of Chemo Angels is the wide range of options for volunteers. You can sign up as a Chemo- or Senior Angel, a Card Angel, or refer a friend to the program. To learn more click on the link of above. And say a prayer for Sarah and Zack today. It's been 4 1/2 years since their mother's death.

Support & Pray For Your President

First off all I have to come clean and admit I voted for Obama. I can already hear the signs and see the heads shaking. My reasons are long and I was conflicted for months literally going back and forth until a couple of days before the election trying to decide. I prayed about this intently and researched and prayed some more. I finally had to accept that some of my Christian family and friends would really be frustrated and feel even betrayed by my vote. And that did happen with a few friends and family members. Some felt this made me prochoice or less of a Christian. So then I decided not to talk about it. I was confident in my choice but really I dislike arguing about politics and religion. Really what's the purpose? I know my decision was heart felt and whereas I don't think Obama was the perfect choice I thought he was the best choice in this election. The election is over so I won't go through my long list of whys. But since Wed morning I have seen friends and family who are seriously mourning the loss of McCain as president and many are downright ugly about Obama. So I thought I'd share this. It was sent to me yesterday and I totally agree. Let's unite together and pray and support our new president. If Christians united together and prayed we could seriously change the world we live in. And isn't that what people told non Bush supporters when Bush won? To pray and support your president even if you didn't vote for him so he would be enabled to be the best president he could be? And if you're an Obama supporter we still need to pray that he can and will do all he said he would do. That he would prove himself worth of our support. By J. Lee Grady - Editor of Charisma Whether you are happy about this week's elections results or not, all Christians must unite in prayer for our new president. Please don't forsake this responsibility. It’s over. We’ve reached the end of the longest, angriest and most nerve-wracking presidential campaign in American history. Finally the “I approved this message” ads have ceased. The endless robot phone calls have stopped ringing. The debates, and the annoying post-debate comments from “experts,” are history—until the next election cycle. More than half the nation is celebrating today while others are mourning. We are a divided nation, split into unhappy fragments by abortion, gay marriage, global warming, a failed economy and an unpopular war. Those who voted for Barack Obama have claimed a historic victory; some on McCain’s side are already looking for scapegoats. Politics is politics. But when I got up this morning, I turned all my attention to the fact that Jesus Christ is still on the throne. His government is what is most important. Regardless of who sits in the Oval Office, the Bible says “the nations are like a drop from a bucket” to God (Is. 40:15, NASB). That includes the United States. We may boast about being “the greatest nation on earth,” but He who sits in heaven has a different perspective. Let’s take a big sigh of relief now and remember that God is sovereign. I’ll admit this election did not turn out as I had hoped. I supported McCain primarily because I am pro-life and I prefer his small-government mindset. But now that the election is over, I’m not going to harbor bitterness toward Obama supporters or go into attack mode. Obama has been elected president of this country, and that means I have a biblical responsibility to support him in prayer—even if I challenge his policies. Whether you voted for Obama or not, you need to pray for him. Here are 10 ways I plan to intercede for him regularly: 1. Pray for Obama’s protection. We already know that some weird, neo-Nazi fanatics in Tennessee plotted to kill Sen. Obama during his campaign. Let’s pray that racist hatred is not allowed to spread. Let’s cancel every assassin’s bullet in the name of Jesus. May civility triumph over bigotry. 2. Cover his wife and daughters in prayer. It is not easy to live under constant media scrutiny. Pray for Obama’s wife, Michelle, and their two daughters, Malia and Natasha, as they face invasive cameras, nosy reporters, maniacal fans and dangerous enemies. Obama is not only a politician but also a husband and a father. 3. Pray that Obama will govern with God’s wisdom. God rewarded Solomon because he asked for wisdom instead of wealth, long life or vengeance on his enemies (see 1 Kings 3:11-12). Pray that Obama will order his priorities like that. Despite Solomon’s tragic character flaws, his legacy was wisdom. We can ask God to give our president the same grace. 4. Ask God to keep our president humble. Many great American leaders became corrupt after they moved to Washington. The fatal attraction of fame, wealth and power proved irresistible. The only thing that will guard a man or woman from this pitfall is humility. May God deliver President Obama from the curse of pride. 5. Pray for wise and righteous advisers to surround him. Godly leaders cannot do their job alone. Even the best leaders have failed because they trusted the wrong people. Pray that Obama will not select his counselors based on party, race, pedigree or political cronyism but on godly character and proven wisdom. Pray also that he will not allow secret traitors into his inner circle. 6. Ask for the spirit of reconciliation. Some segments of our deeply divided society want nothing to do with Obama now that he has won the presidency. Even some Christians will be tempted to harbor resentment and nurse political grudges throughout his term in office. Pray that God will grant forgiveness and healing so that leaders on all political levels can have constructive dialogue. 7. Pray that Obama will adopt pro-life convictions. Many politicians have changed their views on key issues while in office. In the 1800s some leaders who favored slavery later denounced it. In the 1950s some who opposed racial integration later became champions of it. Even though Obama won approval from many voters because he sanctions abortion, God could soften and change his heart. 8. Bind all evil forces assigned to manipulate our president. The specter of Islamic terrorism looms over the United States, and dark forces are ready to infiltrate. Our only hope lies in prayer to the God who is able to expose and outwit the schemes of the wicked. This is truly a time for spiritual warfare, and intercessors must not come off the wall in this hour! Pray that no foreign government, terrorist organization or demonic principality will use Obama as a tool. We must stand strong against the spirit of antichrist that promotes dictatorship, persecution of Christians and hostility toward Israel. 9. Pray that Obama’s door will remain open to the church. The loudest voices of secular culture—from Bill Maher in Hollywood to atheists in academia—would be happy if religion were removed from public life. Pray that Obama, who claims to have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, will unapologetically welcome Christian leaders into his company and seek their counsel. And pray that false religious leaders (who claim to know Christ but deny His power) will not have his ear. 10. Pray that our nation will enjoy God’s peace and blessing during the Obama administration. The apostle Paul instructed early believers to pray for all in authority “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:2, NASB). God’s will is for America to experience peace and prosperity so that we can continue to export the gospel to the nations. This must happen whether a Democrat or a Republican is in the White House. As we cry out for God’s mercy on our wayward nation, pray that He will allow us to be a light to the world as we finance global missions, feed and heal the world’s poor and share Christ’s love at home and abroad.

I...

I was tagged by Erin to do a "I prompt" list so here are my rambling thoughts.

• I am glad Halloween is over. I just threw out the candy (gave it away actually.
• I worry WAY too much.
• I have: a fantastic life... I am working on being more content.
• I dislike: doing laundry - especially putting it away. Which is why I am staying up late washing everything we own.
• I miss: my Papa. I always will. And Angel and Brynna.
• I fear: something happening to my kids or me dying and not being able to be their mom.
• I feel: mentally worn out
• I hear: Larrah laughing at Will and Grace
• I smell: pinesol
• I crave: sleep and a massage
• I cry: often
• I usually: never get my to do list done
• I search: for meaning...I am also the research queen.
• I wonder: what life will be like when I am old.
• I regret: nothing really. Oh sure I've made a TON of mistakes but Jesus forgave me so I try hard to let it go.
• I wish: I were more disciplined in a variety of areas
• I love: Jesus, Brian and the girls, my family, scrapbooking, MOPS, CSI, Biggest Loser, Diet Coke (don't drink it but miss it), chocolate covered almonds, Third Day, Air 1 Radio, Gymboree clothes, my girls in hair bows, Lindsey Cotton Photos, my computer, my boards, my house, my life...
• I care: a lot about most things and it wears me out. Sometimes you have to let go.
• I always: pop my fingers and toes and arms
• I worry: that I'll die without WLS before my time
• I am not: a patient person. When I decide I want something I want it NOW.
• I remember: fishing with my Papa. Man I miss him.
• I believe: in God, and in Jesus and love and family. Now I need to believe in me.
• I sing: fairly well. I can't listen to the radio and not sing.
• I don't always: keep a clean house. Well it's clean but cluttered.
• I write: seldom. I do type a lot!
• I win: arguments. LOL. Seriously I am like a dog on a bone. I think people let me win to shut me up. Except Julia! :) She'll challenge me.
  
• I lose: my mind a little each day.
• I listen: music constantly. It warms my soul and mellows my thoughts.
• I don't understand: why bad things happen to good people - like Stacy's baby dying today. It makes no !#!$#%!$ sense.
• I can usually be found: at my computer with my girls playing beside me.
• I need: to finish laundry!
• I forget: too much! I never used to forget anything.
• I am happy: I really am fairly happy. Even when dealing with all the crapola.
  

So I've had an off week

It started the 24th when I lost my camera. CRAP!

It carried over into not feeling well, having a busy week with school with a field trip, party and pep rally.

Then a friend unexpectedly came in on Wed and leaves tomorrow. I am SO glad to see her but it was an adjustment.

I had to do billing.

I trained for my new part-time job at Smart Locating.

My house is a wreck

And my to do list is HUGE.

And Christmas Light season started so I'll be a single mom for the most part of November. BLECH!

The good news is I got a surgery date - January 5!