21 days until Christmas can you say STRESSED?

After getting Gavin home Monday night I thought things would calm down & be quiet this week...but if you have been reading my blog this year you know that is NOT GOD'S plan for me in 2008. They say it is acid reflux still, however I would like to know why the meds aren't stopping it then...also that he has a protien intolerance so he is on a special formula that has nothing in it.

Tuesday was spent trying to catch up on grading the kids school and reviewing Tyler's literature. I needed to try to reinstall my OS on my desktop so I could get to my prayer warriors emails & update them, the photo's for the Rug Hooking blog so I could update one of the traveling rugs... it was not cooperating. The phone rang numerous times the last of which was my son asking if I could come watch Gavin so he could register for a class at the college. We packed up and headed over there around 2pm and he was back around 4:30. Here he is playing with Uncle Tyler (he pulled his tube out earlier in the morning)
The kids & I got home and started where we left off, Larry came home, we ate dinner (I think) and as I was trying to focus on the school papers the phone rang again, Tim needed help to put Gavin's NG tube back in, so I threw on a coat *yes it was actually chilly here* and drove over to help. When I finally got back home I had such a headache I fell asleep in front of the fire with my head on the chairs arm.

Wednesday was much better, although I didn't get the traditional breakfast in bed (I was awake before everyone else) I did have a relaxing morning while the family played with my gift...an antique looking radio that can play records (remember those?) CD's, Cassettes (some of you whipper snappers might recall them) and MP3 players it will also transfer them to MP3 or CD. So Larry and the kids dragged out all my old 45's (I was foolish enough to throw out my album collection, about 60+ albums in my 20's or maybe not so foolish after yesterday) and played them until I finished a nice long bath and made them go on a four mile walk at Ft. Fraser Trail. (I would include the link but my browser on the laptop now crashes if I open a second window)
We got home in time to clean up and have Sushi for dinner before heading off to our Financial Peace Class. David & Lori brought Chocolate Cake to celebrate the other Dave & my Birthday.

I have managed to do a few loads of laundry today before Gavin arrived at noon. I will be taking him home around 7pm to hook him up to his feeding pump and wait for Tim to get home from work around 11 pm. I am hoping to get those school papers graded after he goes to sleep around 8 tonight.

The few bags of small gifts I have will wait another day to be wrapped and Christmas decorations won't be going up until sometime next week as Saturday is Primitives Class/Piano Recital and the Church Christmas Party, Sunday I think I will be too tired to decorate since Larry flies out on business at 6am. Even my poor Christmas Swap Partner Yvonne is waiting for her gifts. . . sorry Yvonne. Soon I promise!

This was a banner on the trail that I just thought was very accurate



Blessings 2 U Friends

Scurrying around

We are scurrying around here this morning like little mice preparing for a cold winter....
Things are warming back up around here though :-( yes I am sad.

As a transplant from N.E. Illinois the thing I miss the most is Autumn...the cool crisp mornings when the sun seems to shine brighter than it has all year. When you can hear birds & small animals rustle through the leaves looking for those last few seeds & nuts to hide away for when the snow flies and food is scarce.
The quiet of sitting on the back porch bundled up with a hot cup of coffee just enjoying the peace and wondering what secrets my house could tell about the doctors that lived there for 140 years before me, about the children and their friends as they played under the 250 year old Silver Maple Tree.

Here you can wear an extra layer for an hour then the warm sun is heating things back up and those layers come right off.
While I hoped it would be cool for our camping trip this weekend and packed warm clothes it seems that I need to pack some shorts and typical Florida Fall attire too. Maybe Brooksville will hold true to her usual self and stay 5 degrees colder than any where else in Central Florida...at least for this weekend! Who knows maybe I will see the elusive Skunk Ape.

The morning started with our family tradition of Breakfast in Bed for the Birthday Boy, another card & a small gift for now. We are racing around to finish up before Larry arrives home, he had to work 1/2 a day and get tags for the vehicles....seems they expired the beginning of September, on his Birthday.

I am packing the laptop & camera as I hope to have wonderful photo's to share with you.


Blessings 2 U Friends

Happy Birthday - Blessings

Well as much as I hate getting older, and my Birthdays in the past usually involved my gifts being 'combined' with my Christmas Gifts (which doesn't mean bigger or bettter).
Today was nearly the perfect birthday!

We we were going to also go to the Henry B. Plant museum to see the Victorian Christmas Stroll.
Sparky didn't remember going 10 years ago (he was only 5) and obviously neither did Mini Martha, since she was only 10 months old

I got to sleep an extra 45 minutes, after the 7am text message from my oldest daughter (THANK YOU JESSICA) wait until your 23rd Birthday!!!!

After waking up with a horrible headache (I watched Pictures of Hollis Woods, the Hallmark movie and cried the entire show) I grabbed some acetaminophen and aspirin with a cup of coffee crawled back in bed for the Traditional Birthday Breakfast in Bed. Wheat Free Blueberry Pancakes with REAL Maple Syrup, Sliced Bananas with Almond Butter (peanut butter with almonds not peanuts). I had 3 gifts to open with Breakfast ...a small Ironstone style pitcher

a copper heart mold

and a lovely handmade ornament from Mini Martha
I also received a Birthday Card with my favorite Characters from Jessica"

A Belgian Birthday wish from my long lost Braski and his wife
"le jour de gloire
happy 36th missy
us from over that big body of water"

I also received Birthday wishes from the PRHG this morning

Even THE QUEEN stopped to post a note


So it started out to be a PERFECT DAY. Right before we were heading out the door I see a small brown and white dog bolting down the back hill through our bushes, realizing Sparky forgot to let Otis in 15 minutes ago. Don't know if the dog was in the busy road behind our house or not but he wasn't injured!
After loading the car up and hitting the bank for cash it was off to Tampa

I got to see photos of the Smokey Mountains (via a National Geographic Sparky brought along) I got to hook on the way, listen to Newsboys/U2/and Pirates Of the Caribbean/Louis Armstrong then we saw Johnny Depp as Jack full size Statue

We ate Soft Shell Crab and ate a Sushi place, stopped at BALLARD Design where realized some of the things they have I can now purchase direct through the wholesale company they use woo hoo!

I bought two balsam cedar sachets for Hubby at Caswell and Massey, purchased a large measuring spoon to match the one I won from CM a few years back at William and Sonoma

saw the mirrors and butterfly decorations at Neiman Marcus again
Had a Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Iced Coffee and Chocolate Mint Brownie do you see the small piece left, I shared it with my dear hubby



So do you notice what is missing?

Look closely


That's right my iphone, apparently you must use a credit card and we only brought cash and checks.....LOVELY do you think they could warn you on the commercials? Or maybe the online Apple Store?, or maybe when you go to the actual stores link to get DIRECTIONS they might tell you that you can only purchase an iphone with a CREDIT CARD?????

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

I did get the new OS Leopard for my mac and iwork , so now I can work on our brochures and the CM database for the area group
Oh and I got a $40 dollar boob job
Yes after nursing 4 children they are back where they belong
thanks to my new Victoria's Secret Bra.

The kids were too funny as neither one would come into the store (remember we are talking one is a 15 yr old boy) Mini Martha kept beeping her father from the entry telling him "Stay out of the lingerie store" each time he would go out & the minute he came back to check on my total she would beep him again.

We didn't end up going to the Museum either. All in all an almost perfect day.
Just received another e-card of my favorite Characters from my downline and dear friend Cheryl