VBS Operation Overboard

Our church's VBS program was a huge success! "Operation Overboard" was full of happy little kids enjoying learning about God:) The day before our week began, a bunch of us got together to decorate... TONS of blue table cloths and "sea" animals everywhere!!! The entrance hallway was my favorite...

Loved the coral reef in the sanctuary!

 I was very honored to have the job of feeding the children:) From planning, to purchasing, to prepping, and finally cooking everything, I had a GREAT time with an amazing staff. Our new preacher's wife was one of my assistants, as well as Makenzie's teacher from last year.

We made snacks the first night... "Sushi": Krispie treats wrapped in Fruit Roll-Ups with a Gummie Worm & "Oysters": Vanilla Wafers, filled with pink colored plain yogurt and a yogurt covered raisin, with mini chocolate chips as eyes!

 The second night was taco night with taco meat, salsa, cheese, and tortilla chips and grapes. Their snack was little "Aquariums": bagel covered with blue colored cream cheese, green colored coconut flakes and mini goldfish...

Our third night was super easy with sea shell pasta, sauce and a small salad. Our yummy dessert was blue Jello filled with Mandarin Oranges (aka little goldfish)!

 I forgot to snap a picture on night four... it was fish sticks, tator tots, apple slices and an awesome trail mix:)

All the kids and volunteers had such a good time! The highlight of the week was hearing the little kids thank me for their yummy food... filled my heart with love!

 Can't wait for next year!!!

GI Surgery

I met with my GI doctor yesterday at the UT Medical Center in Knoxville. Kaylie was very concerned, so she came along with me... and might I say, helped calm my nerves:) We reviewed my history of surgeries and family history of cancers, along with concerns that have been brewing. I have to keep a log for two straight weeks of my food/drink in take. With pain that comes and goes, she wants to see what might be irritating certain areas of my stomach. I had blood drawn, testing my pancreas, liver and for possible Celiac Disease (Gluten allergy).

Not to my surprise, she encouraged both an Endoscopy and Colonoscopy. What did surprise me was how soon... NEXT WEDNESDAY!?!? I guess I'll start the month of August off on the right foot, and a few pounds lighter LOL I had to pick up the Magnesium Citrate and HUGE container needed for the "prep"... OMG I have no words for my feelings toward this container...

I begin a special diet Monday, with the surgery scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. I'm very thankful that William has the authority to have a flexible schedule, taking the entire day off and not going back in until Thursday night. We're hoping to get a babysitter for at least Makenzie and Dannen. Kaylie is my little doctor-want-to-be, so she asked to go along:)

So, the fun begins... I'll keep updating as I can. I do ask for extra prayers!!!

Cow Appreciation

Chick-Fil-A is a big treat in our home. It's prices are a bit much for often visits, so when we go, we make an event of it LOL

Chick-Fil-A shares a "Cow Appreciation" Day every year. If you wear something as little as a sign, a hat, or a balloon "utter", you get a free sandwich. Well, when they say "dress" like a cow to get free food, watch out! This family goes all out:)

William and I were black with sewn-on white spots, while our kids were white with colored-on black spots. Could have been a better presentation, but I was so wrapped up in other things going on, that I forgot up until 4pm that night! (I think it's hilarious that William's KC Chiefs hat still joined the outfit- he always wears that hat!!!)

 We had to stop for gas before getting our yummy free food... I felt bad for William, standing there sporting his awesome spots... that was until a guy about our age said, "Did you go to Chick-Fil-A?" I couldn't stop laughing... they had a guy moment over a fast food joint!

I took Kaylie, Makenzie and Dannen last year while William worked... Oh, how I miss the pink utters LOL

I love finding these fun events!!!

Thankful for Insurance

Well, it's been just over three years since I saw my last doctor (minus a visit to the urgent care clinic for strep). We had insurance through William's work that thankfully covered through having Dannen and my tubes tied shortly thereafter. William switched jobs in the Summer of 2009, leaving me with no insurance. And there was NO WAY we were going to fork out a good $400/month just to add me! It's been nerve-racking, trying my hardest to not get sick with the absolutely crappy family history of illnesses. It's no one's fault for what happened to any of my family, just a bummer if things fall my way:(

With all three kiddos along, I actually enjoyed my visit! My doctor listened to all of my concerns, thanking me for the detailed list LOL (Gotta be prepared so I don't forget anything:P) He's the first doctor I've ever had who seemed to care and want to make a plan of action right away. He did the normal check-up, confirming my BP was great, and that there are few "fun" visits in store for me...

I have Tinea Versicolor, and have had it for years... something my Dad, Grandma and at least one of my Aunts endured. It's more annoying than anything... the discoloration of areas on my skin, feeling itchy (especially when it's humid), and the way people look at me (heck even my kids say, "Oh, let's play connect the dots!" grrrr lol). My doctor prescribed some topical meds to help while he runs a few liver tests, making sure everything internally is healthy enough to handle stronger medications to clear this away.

With my Mom having conquered both Breast and Colon Cancer, it's finally my turn to get in and checked. Most doctors say you HAVE to wait until the age of 40, but with a few things against me, I get to break the rules! I'm waiting to get the date for my first Mammogram. It's definitely not something I'm looking forward to, but you gotta do whatcha gotta do LOL

I'm also scheduled to visit with GI doctor for a Colonoscopy and Ultrasound of my upper abdomen. A few issues have been bugging me since having my Gall Bladder removed in 2008, so I need to get things checked out. Since my Dad passed away from Pancreatic Cancer, he wants to make sure everything is okay, also ordering a few tests. I tried to explain what the Colonoscopy entailed and my kids laughed hysterically... glad they find the humor in it LOL

I also am scheduled to visit an Orthopaedic Surgeon. My left knee is slowly but surely grinding away- LITERALLY... you can feel it grind and crack, and even hear it every time I bend my knee. It's more creepy than anything, but with it being unstable, there's a chance surgery is in my near future. Back in 2001, I tore my MCL, having surgery to fix it, scope the entire knee, and shrink the ACL. Everything went well but the shrinkage, showing I have Hypermobility Syndrome, wanting to bend past the normal range. When I went to have my ACL replaced, I found out I was pregnant with Kaylie LOL What a way to find that out!?!?! Thank goodness it's my left... this Mommy has too much to do... I can still drive:D

It's a bit scary thinking of all the doctor visits ahead. With a long family history of cancers and bad backs/knees, all I can do is hope for the best. Now that I have insurance, it's easier to breath, knowing I can actually get things fixed. It's hard feeling helpless, worrying about $ when your health is concerned. William has preached for years, saying, "Don't worry until you know what's going on!". Great words to help calm the stress... not sure what I'd do without William... without my kids... without my family and friends!

I'll update as I find out what's in store... heck, I might even take a few pics of some of the "fun" LOL

First Dentist Visit

There's always a first for everything... in this case it was Dannen's first trip to the dentist! William went with him, thankfully capturing the moment on his phone. I went with our girls, giving William and Dannen a chance to have "guy-time" together. He did great:) The dentist said all his teeth are coming in very nicely, with no cavities! Dannen's favorite part of the whole trip was getting a new tooth brush and getting a toy from the treasure box lol

Road Trip Fun

What a great way to spend quality time with family... drive nearly 3,000 miles over 11 states! Yes, our road trip this Summer was GREAT:)

We headed to Florida to help my mom and sister load up the moving truck one more time and move to Pennsylvania. Early 5am on Tuesday, June 19th started all of our fun. To our surprise not even five minutes into the trip, Dannen started the "Are we there yet?" and "How much longer, like 3 or 5 minutes?". (His favorite thing is showing he's three with his fingers and that he has five fingers on a hand lol) After about an hour, he finally stopped asking, but his funny little comments showed up ALL THROUGHOUT the entire trip! We were very lucky to have such well-behaved kids... they were loaded up with lots of goodies and snacks. I made travel bags, from their Thirty-One cinch sacs, full of crayons, markers, coloring books, story books, stickers, small toys, and journals. Thank goodness for preparation!

We arrived in Florida to a very happy Zamma and Auntie Tricia. They hadn't seen everyone since Thanksgiving. (I flew down in January to help them move from the East coast to the West coast.) Giggles and last minute packing ended our first night away from home. The next morning, William and my mom ventured out to get the moving truck... a WHOLE other story to tell, but short version: crazy mix-up lead to a 2 1/2 hour delay to our day lol. Just glad they got to spend some time together:) It took 5 hours for us to load everything into the moving truck... every once in a while all three kiddos would help bring an item or two out, mostly hanging out inside driving my sister nuts lol Mom needed to be careful, not overdoing it with her shoulder, so William and I pulled strength out of the air (seriously, I STILL don't know how we did it!) and got everything completed. To make a long day even longer, as soon as it was time to leave and attach her car to the moving truck, the sky literally opened up and poured on us... laying on the ground in a river of water, attaching metal chains under her car was one of the dumbest, yet entertaining things we've ever done!

Three hours later we arrived in Melbourne, at the same hotel we were married in back in June 2001. It was so nice to relax, especially since mom got William and I our own room, KID-FREE, for the night as a thank you:) I woke up early, and with a fresh cup of coffee in hand, relaxed on the oceanfront balcony, watching the sun rise... such a great surprise to see a sea turtle going back into the ocean... amazing! An hour later, everyone was up and ready to head North.

We were grateful to stop in Jacksonville for lunch and visit with my Brother-in-law and niece. He was off on an adventure as a member of the Coast Guard, so seeing him back home safely was a blessing. And of course, our kids LOVED seeing their little cousin, too!

With a 9:30pm arrival on the border of North Carolina and Virgina, everyone was ready to eat and go to bed. Pizza Hut had never tasted so good:) Mom and Tricia had a nice room to themselves, as we enjoyed a nice night together... William, Kaylie and Dannen sharing the King bed & Makenzie and me on the pull-out sofa. We woke up early and made our way toward finishing the last day of travel to Pennsylvania.

It was such a delight, pulling into the driveway at my Uncle and Aunt's home... not only did it mean we got out of the absolutely INSANE 3 hours of traffic just south of Baltimore through Philly, but seeing their beautiful home and smiling faces was very comforting. We got to meet my cousin's sweet girlfriend, whom someday I hope to see join the family- she's SOOO NICE and they're adorable together! Mom and Tricia were finally to their destination... safe and sound with family, ready to help transform part of their beautiful home into their new home:)

Saturday was full of more heavy lifting! This time, mom and Aunt Chris helped direct where all the items ended up in their new home, Tricia helped entertain my three kids and our adorable cousin, and all the guys helped unload the moving truck. This time there was a lot of help... thank goodness, because adding stairs and a ramp meant a mega workout was in store! I was glad to help move some items and get the chance to watch all the kids play together... brought back a lot of memories as a child, visiting my cousins:) After all the moving fun, my cousin came over and I got to meet her boyfriend and handsome little boy. Everyone enjoyed a nice night, relaxing and talking.

The next day was great! William got to help cook breakfast, which in our book with family is an honor:) My Uncle took my family and little cousin to Philly, where we saw amazing statues, beautiful sights along the river and the Museum of Art... the same place "Rocky" was filmed! And, you guessed it, we ALL ran up the stairs! William won, followed very closely by Makenzie. Dannen decided on the last two bunches of steps that he was done running, but surprisingly made it all the way up:) We enjoyed taking pics together and taking in the beautiful city. Kaylie had bounced around so much on the trampoline, forgetting to stay hydrated, so she spent a lot of the afternoon resting. That evening, everyone came over for a BBQ, including my Aunt's daughter, her husband and their little boy. We celebrated three people that night, Hollyn's, Kristen's and my upcoming birthdays with a yummy cake. Watching my cousins, which are now adults, play with my kids was sooo great! I miss not having a relationship with them as I would like (time and distance is a bummer), but hopefully we can make up for lost time now that I know they're only 8 hours in the car away! We're so thankful for the time spent with everyone in Philly:)

Monday morning meant good-byes to everyone, but we knew mom and Tricia were getting ready to start another chapter in their lives with family around... very happy for them both and anxious to see what lies ahead!

We headed to Ohio, arriving in the late afternoon. Nice to be off the road after another 7 hours of driving. That might have been the "hardest" leg of the trip, solely on the kid's part, as they were very excited to see more family. My cousin and her family welcomed us to their home and asked us to join them at their daughter's t-ball game. Everyone had a great time playing together! Glad we could cheer for Kailyn and see her having fun:) We ended the night with ice cream sundaes... what do kids do with sugar overload and the excitement of seeing each other again? Stay up forever having fun of course! So much fun:)

The next morning, we headed to our cousin's home, both of whom are Makenzie's Godparents to FINALLY meet their little kiddos. Big hugs right away and smiles all around meant I was super happy:) We've been trying really hard to meet up with Karen and Jerry, so this was an added bonus getting to see them. Both of our families drove to the cemetery where my grandparents are laid to rest... all the kids did pretty well, getting bored quickly of the absolutely nothing to do surroundings. Both daddy's to the rescue on kid entertainment while us mommy's cried and shared our memories of Grandma and Grandpa:) After a delicious lunch, everyone headed back to their house again for play and nap time before heading back to our cousin Rachel's house. Everyone played until it was time to head to my Aunt and Uncle's house for our family get-together. I just want to say how AMAZING it was to see so many family members on a Tuesday night, in the middle of the Summer! We LOVED seeing aunt and uncles, cousins and second cousins, and even my Great aunts and uncles:) I couldn't have asked for a better celebration! Birthday wishes, lots of hugs and smiles, recollecting of earlier times together... everything was perfect! I'm so thankful to my Aunt and Uncle for opening up their home and inviting everyone!!!

Our last day in Ohio was filled with LOTS of water and laughs lol My three kids and Rachel's two kids played for hours in the water slide and playground. Oh, to be young again... I'm so grateful for our time together:)

After hugs and promises of upcoming visits, we left Ohio Wednesday night, knowing the past 8 days of family and fun were truly a blessing. We visited many states, saw a lot of great landmarks, enjoyed a BUNCH of laughs, met never-before seen family members, shared memories of good times, and definitely made some awesome memories with so many people... THANKS SO MUCH TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU that spent time with me and my family. As I've said in the past, family means the most to me... sharing my family with yours fills my heart with so much joy:)

Here are some photos from our trip... I put most of them in the montage to view, but fell in love with these few...

Kaylie, Hollyn and Makenzie

Dannen and Kailyn

Kaylie, Dannen and Makenzie

Kaylie, Makenzie, Dannen and Hollyn

Isaac and Dannen

Here's to another road trip in our future! Big thanks to Uncle Brian, Aunt Chris and cousins Kairsten and Hollyn for sharing their home with my mom and sister and the wonderful hospitality while visiting (oh, and of course the "ahhh" moments I caught, watching my son especially enjoy time with Uncle Brian, missing my Dad but with a smile on my face:)), best of luck to Tyler and Kristen, Monica/Eddie/Jackson, Krista/Glen/Glen Jr. and definitely to my mom and sister on their new adventure! Thanks to Rachel, Rob and cousins Kailyn and Gibson for sharing their home and GREAT times around the table (LOL) & Karen, Jerry and cousins Isaac and Elizabeth for spending much anticipated time together and with our grandparents & Aunt Becky and Uncle Willie for the GREAT family get-together! So thankful we had the opportunity to see everyone in Ohio... Great Aunt Margie, Great Aunt Lou, Great Uncle Tom, Aunt Pam, Uncle Bill, Aunt Mary, Uncle Steve, Aunt Diane, Uncle Ted, and cousins Brittany, Jessica, Bevan and Tia. Can't wait until our next visit!!!

Kaylie is 9!!!

Our sweet little girl is 9! Can't believe Kaylie has blessed us as parents for nine years already:) Not a day goes by that we don't thank God for her birth. She is so full of knowledge, thirsts to be challenged in her school work, loves to sing, always has a book near-by, and most of all is our little Olympian-want-to-be in gymnastics. She's ALWAYS cartwheeling, back-bending, rolling, skipping, flipping over furniture and her brother and sister lol She's been given the great gift of flexibility and love for something we hope to help her grow with every year:) It's so much fun to take special time with her just to listen and interact. We're enjoying these younger years because she's already giving us a taste of what lies ahead in her teenage years... strong-headed, determined little girl wanting to make a name for herself LOL Thank you for being so lovable and loving to everyone... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAYLIE!!! :)

"Brave" Party

 The second Disney's "Brave" made it's debut, Kaylie begged to have a "Brave" birthday party! After seeing the movie the other day, we knew it was the perfect choice for our 9 year old little girl:) (*BTW it's AWESOME!!! Total tear-jerker, especially for this Mommy/daughter duo.)

Party day was filled with lots of red goodies and fun!

I made fruit "arrows" with straws, cut up watermelon and a strawberry:)

Makenzie was a great helper, getting everything ready!

Hawaiian Punch, Sprite & Raspberry Sherbert... YUMMY!!!

 Picture time with the "Merida" wig:)

 LOVE the freckles!!!

 Happy smiles from all the kids singing:)

 Another house full of kids kinda day!

 Kaylie and Lilah

 Makenzie (enjoyed a nice purple-frosted cupcake), Kaylie and Summer

 My Brave little girl...

 

Such a great party, full of friends, fun and good memories! Thanks to everyone for the gifts and spending time together:)

Spiderman!

 We've been waiting a LONG time for this movie... Dannen especially is a HUGE fan of Spiderman. So much that his room was almost that instead of Cars! With William working this holiday, I took the opportunity to watch this movie with our kiddos. Fourth row from the front, right in the middle... AWESOME!

There's a Target commercial that shows a little boy putting on Spiderman's mask, flying through the city, and eventually landing next to Spiderman on a glass building. The whole, "Nice mask" & "Nice backpack" lines were pretty funny... Even funnier was Dannen during the actual movie SHOUTING very loudly (when Spiderman is shown with his backpack) "Hey, that's Target!" LOL The entire theatre burst out laughing! Here's the site to view the commercial... TARGET/SPIDERMAN. So funny and definitely a memorable moment!

Needless to say the movie was GREAT and a hit with everyone:)