Waiting

I couldn't take the waiting anymore. The alarm is supposed to go off in 30 minutes and it took everything I had to stay in bed this long. Today is the day that Aiva is supposed to have her tonsils out. This has been a love hate day from the time we sheduled it. I know that I'm more worked up about this than she is. She has no clue what's in store and I know that's a good thing. I just remember back to when I had mine out when I was 18 and it was awful. I think the thing that I'm so afraid of is seeing the pain in her eyes as she looks at me 5 hours from now. I can barely stand to think of it. I'm sitting here balling and I'm hoping that once I get all this out I'll feel more at peace. I've heard stories from other kids who have had theirs out but it doesn't help the ache in my heart. This is my baby...I have to remember that God loves Aiva so much more than I do. Even though I can't wrap my brain around that one, I know it's true. I just pray that the moment we walk into that recovery room...the moment that we round the corner...the moment that we pull the curtain back...Aiva will not have that look in her eyes. That look that says, "Mom, you knew how it was going to be...you knew that it was going to hurt...you knew that there was going to be blood...but you still put me through this." Call me what you will...dramatic, over-reacting, ye of little faith, whatever...you don't know unless you've gone thru it. Guess I have a little glimps of what God felt like as he awaited the time for Jesus to be crucified. He saw that pain in Jesus' eyes and I'm sure it was hard to bear...the pain that said, "Dad, you knew how it was going to be...you knew that it was going to hurt...you knew that there was going to be blood...but you still put me through this." You probably knows what comes next...that's how much he loved him. That's how much He loves Aiva.

Tuesday's Tip

Tuesday's Tip comes all the way from high school...maybe middle school :) We were talking about home economics today and I told some of my friends from work that one thing I learned stuck with me all the way from back then. It has to do with coring and cleaning a head of lettuce.

Once you take the "head" out of the plastic bag, you hold the "head" with the core faced down. Bang the head against the counter once or twice until the core goes a little ways into the head. Turn the head with the core facing up and take the core out with your fingers. Run water over the head filling up the core until water starts flowing from the head. Pull off the "bad" leaves and store the rest in a bowl with a top or cover with plastic.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Meat & Potato Pie

Tuesday - Potato-Topped Mini Meatloaf

Wednesday - PB Pancakes

Thursday - Quiche Lorraine

Friday - PIZZA

Saturday - Broccoli & Chicken Pasta Toss

Sunday - Pepperoni Pizza Wheels

Five Star Fridays

#1 - Last night Ana and I had some cuddle time. Before bed she was coloring a picture and all of the sudden she said she was feeling a little tired and she climbed up in my lap and fell asleep. She felt so good sleeping in my arms that I didn't want to put her down because I'll never know when she'll do that again on her own. Made me think of my Karen Kingsury book, Let Me Hold You Longer. This link is to Karen giving a promo of her book as she reads it. Makes me cry every time :)

#2 - Lunch out with my friend Mandy :) We've been trying to get together for AGES and we finally made it work. Nothing like a baby on the way to give you a good kick in the butt :) I should mention it's her baby...not mine :)

#3 - It's the little things in life :) Nate, Ana and I walked to UDF this week for some ice cream while Aiva was at art. It was a little chilly but made my heart warm at the thought of summer being around the corner.

#4 - I got picked this week from Columbus Research Connection to do an interview on coffee. I scheduled it for next Friday but had to cancel today. Just to get picked was quite a feat in itself. I haven't done any work for them in months so I was happy that they called and wanted me to come in. Maybe next time!

#5 - Last but not least - scheduling to get Aiva's tonsils out. I'm ready for her to be a healthy little girl and not have to worry about meds anymore. Both girls have been sick a lot in their little life so it's exciting to know that Aiva can hopefully put all this behind her and move on to a normal healthy life.

That's my 5 star Friday...make it a good one :)

Thankful Thursdays

This evening I'm thankful that Aiva is scheduled to get her tonsils out. Even though I'm not excited for her or what we're about to go thru, I'm happy and thankful that she doesn't have to go thru having to go to doctor's and be on meds all the time once we have this done. She has literally been on meds ever since she was three so it's been a long 4 years. If it's not breathing treatments it's steroids, and if it's not steroids it's been medicine for strep. Hopefully it will all finally come to a close! This is something that I've wanted to have happen for a long time and I just have to get over the fact that she's going to be hurting for awhile but it's all going to be worth it. I'll keep you posted next week as to the details and what we're doing to prepare her but she's scheduled for Friday. I'm hoping she'll be OK for Easter! Keep us in your prayers!

Extreme Couponing

Yesterday I posted something about Extreme Couponing on my Facebook page and it got me thinking to explain why I extreme coupon. I must say that I don't go all out like the people on the TLC show but I do pretty good for my family and I do have a stockpile. Not a huge stockpile but I do stockpile the things we use all the time. I won't go to the store and buy 65 bottles of mustard but I have gone and "bought" 12 before - most of which I gave to the Westerville Area Resource Ministry. I've also "bought" 15 tubes of toothpaste that also went to WARM. I don't believe in having these large stockpiles in your basement - making your home a store in it's own. Maybe if you have large families like the Duggers but most of us do not. If I do "buy" large quantities of something, I generally give most of it to WARM. Lots of times I give away stuff - I've brought coffee creamer to my Monday AM bible study, brought stuff into other staff members, and took items to other family members. I like to spread the wealth if I can! The reason I got into stockpiling is because I found that I was able to save loads of money. My family was in a situation where we were low on funds and I had to think of ways in order to save money. Once I got into a routine, it was easy and I started to find ways to shorten the process and save more money. After doing it for several months I noticed that I was able to save quite a bit of money so we were able to put money towards different "wants" that my family had. Because I've been extreme couponing and stockpiling we've been able to:

-Enroll Aiva into art classes ($200 for eight classes - 4 sessions so far)
-Enroll Ana into karate classes ($189/month)
-Enroll Aiva & Ana into preschool ($135/month)
-Go on vacation to Myrtle Beach
-Nate is going on vacation to Wilmington, NC to see his brother
-Redecorating our living room
-Membership to the zoo

These a just a few of the things we've been able to splurge on because I coupon. If this is something you would like to get into, you can check out one of the blogs that I frequent. She not only give her opinion and thoughts on Extreme Couponing on TLC but she give you some good resources to go to to get started. Good luck and happy clipping!

Word-filled Wednesday

The "Word" of the day comes from 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says: 1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message) - No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.

The gal who is leading my new small group has used this verse in referring to our new study "Craving God", and it has gotten me thinking. I think my favorite part of this verse is at the end - he'll always be there to help you come through it. How comforting is that? How many times have you been "pushed past your limit"? How many times do we forget that God will never let us down? We need to remember that whatever we're going thru - money problems, marriage problems, problems with our kids, problems at work, problems with family - God will never let you down. He'll always be there to help you come through.

I think it also helps me remember that someone has always had it worse then me. Someone has gone thru the test of life and no matter how hard I've had it, they've gone thru worse. Makes me think of the pain and heartache that God had to go thru to see his one and only Son dying on the cross. He could have stopped it at any time but he didn't because he loves us so much. Do you love Him enough to ask Him to help you push past your limit?

That's your "Word" for the day...make it a good one :)

Tip for Tuesday

Tuesday's Tip is a goodie :) It's one of my favorite's because it always works! Do you like omelets but never make them because they're too hard. Look no further! worry no more! I've got an easy way for you to make an omelet plus they are delicious o! Here's what you do:

You will need:
-2 or 3 eggs
-a plastic bag with a very good seal
-a medium pot
-enough water to fill the pot about halfway
-a whisk
-a large spoon

You should also get other spices, cheeses, and toppings as desired.

#1 - Start heating your water, as it needs to be at a rolling boil to cook your food.

#2 - Crack the eggs directly into the bag and shake or whisk well. Add desired spices and mix again. Make absolutely sure that you have removed all air from the bag!

#3 - Put the bag(s) directly into the boiling water. Let them sit for at least 13 minutes to become fully cooked. Believe me, you don't want food poisoning for 3 days because you were too impatient to wait 13 minutes.

#4 - Carefully take the bag out of the water. You can be thrifty and reuse the bag, or just rip it open and "pour" it onto the plate. Ready for eating!

SO EASY plus the omelet is perfect! Hope you enjoy :) This is your Tip for Tuesday, make it a great one!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Homemade Mac & Cheese with Tossed Salad

Tuesday - Baked Potato with broccoli

Wednesday - Spaghetti

Thursday - Hamburgers and homemade Fries

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Quesadilla's

Sunday - Beef (I've got to get rid of some potatoes and beef :) )

Five Star Friday

#1 - I got to see my fair share of movies this week. I am such a movie junkie that it did me well to get caught up. I think when I'm old and gray and have to go back to work (due to the cost of living and inflation) I'll go back as a movie critic. Two good movies that I was surprised in was Country Strong and Life As We Know It. Next time I'll get to splurge will be in November for our anniversary. I can't wait!

#2 - I got to redecorate the living room and add a few things to the girls room. The living room looks great and I can't wait to see what the gang thinks. Looks much more appealing that what we had before. SO excited that I got a a new entertainment center! Looks awesome!

#3 - I got a new t-shirt that I'm dying to show Nate. It's from Francesca Batistelli and it says:

#4 - Had the hardest laugh today and it felt great! Duane Gray in our office was laughing out in the hall and I swear it sounded like a machine gun! I had to yell out to him what he sounded like and I couldn't stop laughing. Gosh...isn't it good to laugh!

#5 - Aiva learned how to text this week from "Grammy's" phone. My baby is growing up! My favorite part? She ended every one of her texts with "I love You Mama!". I knew my parents loved me but I don't remember them telling me often that they love me. I try to tell my girls and Nate at least a zillion times a day that I love them. Seeing Aiva's words on my cell phone just enforced that I'm doing a good job and letting her know that she's loved.

What a full week...5 PLUS Stars in my book! Gotta run...they're home!