Kentucky Derby ... From Home!

Hannah was off from school on Friday but 

woke up with both eyes stuck closed & pink eye in both eyes. 

On top of that, she didn't feel well so off we went to the doctor's office.   

The doctor took one look at Hannah & declared "you win the sickest patient of the day award."  Hannah has a double ear infection (again!) and tonsillitis plus pink eye.  The pink eye looks a ton better today just from having eye drops a few times. 

Needless to say, we couldn't go to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs today ... 

Big Time Bummer!!!

I called to say we wouldn't be able to use the tickets (and to get them back before the race!).  The group that donated the tickets to Hannah have been so kind to let her know that anytime she wants to come to Churchill Downs to see the backside of the track & pet the horses, just let them know.  

How nice is that?   

Well, sick or not, we enjoyed Derby day from here at home in between napping & eating!

and then we curled Hannah's hair ...

Lily said to me a few times in the morning as we were watching the pre-race stuff, "but I don't have a Derby hat!" 

I had not bought a hat for Lily since she wasn't coming with us to Churchill Downs - she was going to be at her friends house down the street & I really hadn't planned for a hat for her.   

So, not wanting Lily to miss any of our fun  -- I did what all moms with a glue gun would do, I made her a hat.  A little construction paper, feathers & paper flowers and we're "off to the races!!"   

And then I got dressed as if I was still going to Churchill Downs.  

Just for fun to take pictures from our deck.  

We love living in Louisville, Kentucky & the town is on fire right now with excitement for Derby time. 

It's a great time to be living in Kentucky.  Sick or not.  We wouldn't trade being here for anything!! 

God has been so good to us and I am so thankful for the normal of going to the doctor & coming home with eye drops & an anti-biotic. 

I know how different things could be & I never take any of this "normal life outside a hospital unit" for granted.  

Camera Fun

I am about to start a digital photography class taught by Lisa from thelongroadtochina.blogspot.com 

I've been stuck for years in the AUTO zone with my DLSR Camera so I am looking forward to finally learning about aperture, shutter speeds, F-Stop & more!

We got notes from Lisa for our first week's class & last night I started playing around with some of the functions on my camera (baby steps, baby steps, baby steps).

None of these pictures are amazing ... just me learning & playing with the camera while Lily was having fun at the park.  Then again, they are all pictures of Lily so they are amazing simply because of the subject matter!

I have A LOT to learn in the world of photography.  I know the class will all be fun and I will be able to capture my two girls in new ways from behind the camera! 

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Only 37 hours until The 137th Kentucky Derby!!!  

Hannah is off from school tomorrow in celebration of Derby weekend.  

That's a sure sign that you live in KY.   

Wow.

Our Tornadoes ....

Tornadoes have been all over the South & last week's destruction was just unreal. 

If you saw it on the news, you probably can't believe the devastation, the trauma & what it was like to be there.  Unless you were on the ground experiencing it, you have no idea what it was REALLY like in the middle of those tornadoes. 

Personally, the month of April was one tornado after the next: 

Many were real tornado wanings here in in our Kentucky county

while others have been symbolic tornadoes 

from trying to deal reasonably 

with an unreasonable person.  

Maybe it's just me 

but I believe that NO ONE can ever know what is REALLY 

going on in a marriage except for the two people 

that are in that marriage. 

It's just that way.

Unless you are the man or the wife:  

you REALLY don't know. 

You may think you know.

You might think you are the expert because 

you have known so & so for SOOOO long  ... 

and so & so can quote theology left & right 

but guess what? 

Only the two people in that marriage KNOW for real what has been going on 

& what kind of tornado warnings 

they have been living under & for how long.

So while the South has been blown over with storm after storm 

so has my life and the lives of my girls. 

It's been c.r.a.z.y.

You just can't believe it unless you are here walking in our shoes 

dodging storm after storm.   

None of the details will ever make this blog, 

but the personal tornadoes we are having to endure OVER & OVER 

are beyond belief. 

All I can do is be as much of shield as possible for my girls. 

Both of them have already been through so much in their short lives: 

THEY DO NOT DESERVE THIS!!

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"Let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."  

1 John 3:18

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,