Playing Catch Up .... Blog Style

The past week or so has been crazy busy.  Passover.  Easter.  Soccer.  School Field Trips.  You Name It.  Rain Storms.  Tornado Warning Sirens with some time in my bathtub fully dressed at 1am.

Rather than bore everyone with the details and some facts that no one would believe, here is a pictorial overview:

Girls in Kentucky

School Trip with Lily to the Zoo -- I live for this -- even if I only slept 2 hours the night before!

 We rode the bus together ... and Lily packed paper & markers 

so she'd have something to do on the ride.  

Hilarious! Busy. Busy. Busy.

I got to spend some time visiting Hannah's classroom & having lunch with her friends.

Friends from Hannah's class at lunch.  Such nice girls!!!

 Hannah was voted as STAR STUDENT AGAIN!!

Her THIRD time.  

It's a hat trick for my third grader!

I did a mini Passover Seder at home with the girls. 

Hannah LOVED it.  Lily not so much.  

The favorite part was pretending the grape juice was real wine.  

Hannah is making her fingers like "21"to show she is legal for the "wine". 

Dye eggs & a mini seder on the same night.  

Really, girls, you CAN have it all.  :-)

If we are going to do it all, why not do it all at the SAME time? 

Hannah is LOVING Spring Soccer.  

So fun for her & her team is undefeated ... again!!

She is wearing my sneakers ... the girl & I are the same shoe size.  

How did this happen?  Didn't I just give birth???

Ever heard of the Kentucky Derby???  

Hannah was given 2 tickets as a special gift for all she went through while she was sick.  

My friend, Brigitte Toth, in Palm Springs worked her connections to get Hannah invited.  

We feel like real Kentucky folks getting ready for the Derby ....  

Brigitte, I am still in shock ... THANK YOU!!!

More posts & more pictures to come soon.

All God's best from HOME in KY,

But It Looked So Big at the Store ....

This bag of mulch ... it looked HUGE.

It is huge.  Who is kidding who?  

That thing should cover Soldier Field.  

NOPE.

That bag covered 1 square inch.

Good thing I bought three bags ...

just in case.

The manufacturers of mulch are laughing at me right now.  I can hear them.

The kids were excited to mulch.  They were.  Really.

"To what?"

That's right, kids, the gardener is no longer in the budget.  

It's just us ...   

 so get busy.

Away we went putting those three bags of mulch out.  

On 3 square inches in the planter.

12 bags & 2 more trips to Lowe's later ...  we have completed one side of front of the house.

 

I am making my last trip so we can hopefully finish the other side of the front of the house ... 

because this side of the house 

 no look pretty!!!  

Spring is here & the mulching has been therapy. 

Despite our current challenges ... 

we've been through worse. 

"Give thanks in all circumstances .... " 1 Thess. 5:18a  

All God's best from HOME,

This & That ...

*  Sick, again! 

This is officially the sixth or seventh time Hannah has been sick this Winter / Spring.  All three of us have bronchitis & Hannah has been cranking the fevers around 103 for part of this week.  Unreal.  It's not Aplastic Anemia & it could be a million times worse but I realize why I get n.o.t.h.i.n.g done ... I have been a full time nurse since around November.  On top of already being the Full-time Everything, just add in nurse & call it a day. 

* Visitors to Kentucky

Jhan & Melissa were in town

They are dear friends from when I lived in Chicago (1994/95)-- I lived in their basement for a summer with my college roommate.  We made a mess.  Lived there for three months and trashed the place like 2 middle school girls.  I think the gift we gave Melissa was a cookbook for all her troubles.  I can't imagine.  She must have wanted to kill us.  Thanks, Melissa ... I really don't know if I'd have the patience or the sense of humor that you had while we trashed your basement.   While they were here they met my kids, encouraged my heart & took me out to the most amazing dinner I have had in a decade.  Thanks, Melissa & Jhan!!! 


Phyllis came to town ...

Phyllis went to nursing school with my mom & was instrumental in leading my mom to Christ.  She came to town for a conference & came a day early to see me & see the girls.  

 She is an ENERGY force but even she had a hard time talking over Miss Lily.  (No joke, Jane!!)  The kids had never met Phyllis but after telling her what a good friend she is to Grandma they felt like my mom's sister was coming to stay the night.  It was instant friendship & an instant audience ...Hannah's guitar was out in no time!!!  We talked, laughed & stayed up way too late.  I am so thankful for her encouragement, kindness & understanding.   What a gift. 

* On the Phone .... 

 For all of 10 minutes.

I swear.   

This child knows that when a phone is attached to my ear she can get busy with what she shouldn't be doing. 

 Her arms looked like leprosy for days.  

* Back to School ... 

Hannah loved Spring Break but was also super excited to go back to school this past Monday (of course, she's been home ever since with cough & fever... and will be home til Friday, thanks to orders from Dr. M.).   

 Waiting for the bus ... happy days!!!!

And last but not least ....


* One Guinea Pig ... 

Over Spring Break we were asked to pet sit a guinea pig for a friend of Hannah's from Girl Scouts.  Sounded easy enough to me.   We wouldn't even have to clean out the cage since the family would only be gone one week.  This family also moved from California last summer & apparently the family guinea pig came on a separate flight for the cost of about $1,000.  So needless to say, Coconut, was no ordinary guinea pig, she was (emphasis on WAS) a BELOVED GUINEA PIG.   My girls were LOVING her.  They couldn't get enough of her.  Holding her ALL the time.  Never putting her down & giving her attention & love galore. 

The second night that Coconut was here I was in the bathtub across the hall from Hannah's room.  I could hear Hannah & Lily talking to Coconut.  They were fine -- happy as could be loving on Coconut.  I was thinking that I have to get the girls a guinea pig because they love having her.  Well, I get out of the tub & stop in the room -- "how's Coconut?", I say.  "oh good, she's sleeping".  Humm ... I think ... sleeping?  sleeping with her eyes wide open & laying on her side????  "Hannah, is she dead?"  "No, mom, she's sleeping."  "Hannah, she's dead. ... she's not moving. ... do guinea pigs sleep with their eyes open!"  Oh my goodness!!!!!! Yes, dead.  I thought maybe she was just playing dead like an opossum but Coconut don't play dead.  Maybe we killed her with kindness?  Apparently guinea pigs can die suddenly or, as my Uncle Eddie said, this one did. 

RIP Coconut ...  We are so sorry!!!  

It was horrible but the family was very kind about the whole thing.  Maybe next year they will enjoy a Stay-cation like the rest of us normal folks. 

All God's best from the Great State of Kentucky,

Photo Shoot

My cousin Blair is here!! 

She is wonderful, helpful, kind, understanding, fun, caring & the girls L.O.V.E her.  Basically she is perfect.  And that is what I demand.  Ya'll know me .... wink-wink.

She came down for a few days & this is Hannah's Spring Break week.  We are having a great time staying up way too late & laughing our pants off (no explanation necessary).   

Blair is about to graduate from college so we did a photo shoot for her graduation announcements.  Her pictures came out amazing & we created a custom announcement.   I can't post the announcement but it looks so good & so professional.   I am just happy that Blair loves how it all turned out!

I am so glad to have my nice camera back!!!!!   At one location we took a few pictures of the girls & I.   The weather is awesome & Spring soccer season is here so I am sure we will be having a lot of photo opportunities in the weeks to come.

Here are just a few of the pictures from today.  

Look at my gorgeous cousin .... I feel so privileged that she asked me to take her pictures!! 

Actually, Hannah took this picture of Blair.  

Go, Hannah & Wow, Blair!

 Taking the next road in life!

 Beautiful!  We love you, Blair!  

Congratulations!!

 

 Us Girls and of course, "baby", who is always with Lily.

 Yes, my hair is super dark.  It's called Nice & Easy Foam, people.  Cheap, do it myself & voila, no more gray (except for those dang temple hairs!).  Too dark right now is better than too gray.  Think I will hire myself again in the very near future!

I told Lily to look, a cow was coming (and, well, that I love her & would lay my life down for her in an instant.  It was a tender moment.) 

But the cow thing just cracked Hannah up and made Lily look for a cow ....

 but turns out something else was coming ...  ...

Our dog had jumped out of the van for a potty break.  Oh my.

Fun times.  

I am so thankful for this week that Hannah is off from school.  It is so nice to not have to set that stupid alarm.  We are just kicking back, totally off schedule & enjoying being together.

I am starting to get excited for summer break ... coming soon!!!

All God's best from KY,

Camp for Courageous Kids

Last weekend Hannah, Lily & I went to Southern Kentucky for a retreat at Camp for Courageous Kids.  It is an amazing place that has camping adventures for ill children & we were blessed to be included for an awesome weekend!!!

Such a FUN weekend.  Well, it started off a bit longer than we expected because there was construction on the highway & we ended up in massive traffic (which virtually doesn't exist in KY).  Once we got off the highway & onto the back roads it was a gorgeous drive ... rolling hills, horses, cows, farms galore & just so beautiful.  What a state we live in .. I love it here!!!

Here are pictures from our weekend -- my camera is back from the shop & I could not be happier to be taking pictures of my two darlings.

We had a great weekend.    Hannah was on fire dancing all weekend & making friends with other kids.   When the dance music comes on she comes alive & shows a side of herself that few get to see.

What a treasures my girls are & how blessed I am ... even in the midst of one of the worst times of my life.

Lily took this picture of Hannah .. dancing it up with the staff & the other kids.  

 Dancing after every meal ... Hannah & our counselor, Katie.  (T - you'll love to know that Lily declared "T" & "Katie" go together, they sound alike)

 Hannah & her doctor dancing it up in the cafeteria area

 Craft time ... the craft area was AMAZING. 

 Girls making a craft together.

 Look, Mom, I made a microphone!!!

 Beading with Katie, our counselor / helper for the weekend.

 While Lily & I took a nap on Saturday, Hannah went to the beauty shop..... oh my!!!

 Hannah did Katie's make up & hair ... hilarious!

 Girls working the moves after dinner near the fire place.  

Lily is now posing in Hannah's "signature move"

 Love this prescription!!!!!!!

 This place is life changing ...

 So glad to have my nice camera fixed .. it is able to catch fun moments like this.

Thank you, Lord, for my sweet Hannah!!!

 A really good time to get away for the weekend & just be together!!!

All God's best from Kentucky,