A Little More Kitten

Look what Katie found!
I want one with my name!!

Welcome Back! Hope your weekend was fabulous. I've been burning up my comp time and taking days off from work, so I'm all confused as to what day it is... today is my Monday.

So what happened over the weekend? Well, a lot of shopping. Mom is finally feeling a bit better (she's battling the shingles) so we went shopping after work on Friday. And again on Saturday. I'm so glad she's feeling better. She said this is the worst pain she's felt in her life. 60+ folks, get your shingles shot! :)

Sunday, we missed church AGAIN. I'm really missing church, the learning and the people. We have all been so sick and haven't made it in a while, but next week I'M GOING. Anyway, we missed this week for a family reunion.

I totally ripped this pic off from All Recipes,
but click here for the yummiest recipe.

I made squash casserole and hummingbird cake. I have the BEST recipe for squash casserole - everyone L.O.V.E.S. it. I do add garlic and Perfect Pinch to mine. And the hummingbird cake was very moist and tasty, too! Here is the recipe for it - the only change I make is to sub half the oil for applesauce.  While I'm on the subject of food, let me recommend the All Recipes app for your phone. I'll whip out my phone in the grocery store and make sure I'm getting all the ingredients I need while I'm there.  Love it.

Being cute and adorable is a tough job, so Macy was knocked out on the way home from the family reunion.  She wanted to play with the big kids so bad but they weren't interested.  But she really did have fun and ate so good! I told AH (Sweet Niece #1) we had a family reunion on Sunday and she really perked up.  "Food!" she said! Ha!!! Definitely plenty of food at a Southern Family Reunion.

Have I mentioned here that I have FIVE (1,2,3,4,5!!!) cousins who are expecting right now? I'm spending my nights sewing felt friends as part of my gift.  I'm searching for books to match the animals. Won't that be cute? I found a farm book this weekend to go with all the farm animals.

The last thing I'll bore you with - one of our election workers and I ran into each other at Walgreens (when I was buying my purple reading glasses <3!!) and I wanted this kitty cat Post-It note dispenser.  However, I would not pay $10 for it.  She's one of these guru couponers and she got it for me for $2.50!! SERIOUSLY?! YAYAYAYAY! So happy! I'm gluing a little pink bow to one ear so she'll be a cousin to Hello Kitty (which I adore, yeah, I know I'm old but I still love HK). This cat makes me so very very happy. How could you not just feel warm and fuzzy with this kitten sitting on your desk?

Ok, I'm off to concentrate and be focused.  My lunch break is over for the day.  Have a great week!

Friday's Letters - Woop woop!

Dear Friday's Letters,

I'm so glad it's Friday.  I'm almost always glad it's Friday! :) The week has been a mismash of work and play, but all in all, it's been ok. Let's start on these letters, how about it?

Dear God, Thank You.  Although my news isn't perfect, it's better than what I feared.  I've tried hard to just breathe and have faith that You have the larger picture in mind. I failed many times over the past two months, but you keep picking me back up and giving me a hug. Thanks for your love. And thanks for surrounding me with so many great Christian people who encourage me and pray for me - it's so wonderful. THANK YOU.

Dear Week, two DR appointments in one day isn't exactly fun.Especially when I discover I need READING GLASSES in addition to my contacts? What what? So I'm on a quest to find cute reading glasses. I really want purple.  AND then the tummy doctor said all my tests continue to be normal. *sigh* Yes, that's good! But it also leaves us somewhat shooting in the dark to address the pains and sickness I get sometimes with eating. Fun stuff.

Macy at the Children's Museum

Pink fingernails and piggies

Sweet niece #2 and me. :)

Dear Macy, you've been such a sweetie and I've enjoyed every moment with you.  The Children's Museum and lunch with MawMaw, PawPaw and your Mommy was such a treat! Then painting your fingers and piggies - you are too cute!! I love you and your sister so much!

Dear Timehop, I love seeing what I was posting about or talking about this same day in years past.  I find it interesting that this is the blog I posted 365 days ago:  Listen. Pray. Faith. 

Can you see him hiding??

There he is!  

Dear Great Pumpkin, Ok so you had us fooled for a while thinking you were a squash plant. Then you showed your colors and you are a volunteer pumpkin, in our flower bed at work! I toss my frufru pumpkins in the end of the flower beds at the end of autumn, so I guess that's where you started.  However, since you are dangling over the edge of the flowerbed, you aren't going to last too long.  We have to figure out how to get you back in the bed or support you somehow. (see here and here for FruFru Pumpkin tutorials)

Dear SheReadsTruth, Congratulations on your new app! It's beautiful! I'm currently going through Ruth, and I so enjoy it.  I am disappointed in having to pay for plans (sorry, being honest) when YouVerison plans are free? But the beauty included in everything you have to offer, it's great. And the community I can plug into is also great.  Check it out if you haven't already folks!

Dear Weekend, you promise to allow for little rest, so let's get out there and enjoy ourselves!  Ya'll have a great weekend and we'll see you back here next week!

Happy New Week!

Hello Darlings! Posting a quick hello before I head for home. (Trust me, I'm ready to go home.)

This weekend was mucho fun! Saturday Macy had the time of her life:  it started with breakfast out, then we hit two playgrounds, rode the train in the mall, rode the kiddie car, kiddie helicopter, kiddie carousel, had an Elmo cookie,... I can't even remember what else! She was loving every minute of it. :)

I wish you could have seen her waving at everyone - it was so cute!

Mom and I hit Verizon where we tried to figure out how much their bill would go up to get both Mom and Dad a new phone, Mom's being a smartphone. It's insane! Now I remember why I like Straight Talk so much. Heaven help!

Unfortunately, that afternoon I became very sick and again, slept at Mom & Dad's house. All my tests are coming back normal, but something still going on, so please keep me in your prayers.

Sunday, Mom and I didn't make it to church, she's still in pain with the shingles. (pray for her, too!).  But I did get rest in, which was so very much needed. Even tried my hand at deviled eggs, which I don't eat but know Mom & Dad like them. I combined three random recipes, so hopefully they were ok.

Did I show you these pictures earlier? It's from when we celebrated my brother's birthday. Katie really had Mace decked out so cute!  These are some of my new favorite photos.

I'm trying hard not to worry so much about whatever is going on with me. I talk to God, I say - God, I know you see this.  I know you see inside and you know what's going on. Please give me the courage to keep on keepin' on and have faith that you've got this. I have three more doctor visits lined up in the next two weeks.  It's funny, I knew I needed to get 140 hours of overtime off the books before September. Well, this is one way to do it! I'm also taking some time off to just spend with Macy at children's museums or going visiting or whatever while Katie gets her classroom ready at school.

Ok folks, tomorrow is double doc appointment.  Wish me well and say a prayer! :) If you are a spiritual person, feel free to post your favorite Bible verse in the comments.  I think it would be really neat! :)  This is what I keep telling myself over and over:

for sale here

Thanks ya'll, I'll update again soon. And one more thing - tell me what you think of the button and burlap monogram before I make a bunch of them and ya'll all think they are cheesy!

Fridays Letters 7-18-14

Happy Weekend! :) It's time for Friday's Letters!

This is now framed and in my hallway. Love it!

Dear God, thank you for taking care of me through these ups and downs. Bumpy road? Well, yes. But as I was passing the print made by Paulene that hangs in my hallway, I felt you right there with me. "Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything."  Yes indeed. And thanks to all of you who have prayed with me.  No answers yet, but we are ruling out more serious issues. :)

Dear self, you must quit crying every time you get scared or nervous. And you have to learn to control your emotions and quit being so scared and nervous. :)  See above!

Dear crafty people, this is what I made last night while watching Big Brother (love that show, my dirty little secret).  I'm not sure I'm the best at it, but what do you think? Is this cute or annoying? Give me feedback, please! (I bought a massive box of buttons at a yard sale years ago and haven't done a thing with them. I finally sorted by color and am trying to find uses for these things. I love how some still have bits of thread and fabric in them!)

Dear Sweet Niece #2, you are such a trip. I love seeing you grow, learn, how you put things together in your mind, how sweet you can be, not as impressed with the sass but it comes with being 2, I think. It melts my heart when you run up to me and hug me around the legs, or hug my neck so tight.  I firmly follow the advice of a Disney Princess - I always let you let go of the hug first, because I want you to know you are loved.  

Celebrating Uncle Clay's Birthday!

Dear God (again), thanks for letting me appreciate your scenery and artistic expression in the drives to and from work (or the dr, or whatever). It's just good stuff. 

Ya'll have a great weekend and we'll see you back here next week.  

It's not Monday?

My first thought was to wish all of you a Happy Monday! But it isn't Monday - it's TUESDAY! I was off yesterday have yet more tests run.  This one wasn't bad - it was an echocardiogram of my heart, which is indeed skipping beats, but the tech said it wasn't anything to worry about. Let's hope!

So I'm back at work today, a new desk, so nice! I recycled tons of old papers and feel so much better in this new cubbyhole.  It's quieter, too! SO thankful, noise can really get on my nerves sometimes.  Like I become exhausted from all the noise, Noise, NOISE! (get the Grinch reference - haha).

Not only did I come back to work on a Tuesday, but there was a package waiting on me from a drawing that I won from Fabric Editions in Greenville, SC. I actually won TWO things, one to share with a friend! :)  Check it out - snuggle blankets for infants! Boy and Girl. LOVE IT! :)

I'm so excited, I want to pull out my sewing machine and get to work! I think it's something even I can do and not totally ruin :) Its says for beginners so I'm trusting it is telling the truth.

Then they accidently sent me someone else's prize and said to keep it. So here is the other prize I received when I came in today. It's supposed to make a tote bag but I don't see me making that.

Anyway, it was a nice way to come back into the office. My weekend was pretty good, too. Both Sweet Nieces were home and I got to spend a little time with them.  These two make me so very happy, and they love each other to pieces.

Adore! We had smore's on Sunday night at Mom & Dad's house.  AH is an excellent smore's maker and loves doing all the work. I'm totally game for that! Little Macy just love eating them up! She was covered in melted marshmellows by the end.  Wide open all the time! 

I'm off to get my toes did.  I have another test on Thursday and if they are going to knock me out, I at least want to have decent looking feet!  Ya'll have a great week - catch you later on! :)

Friday's Letters - 7-11-2014

Get this poster here! Love it!

It's been forever since I did a Friday's Letters, so here goes!

Dear Paulene- I LOVED your photos from your Alaska trip.  This and Ireland are definitely on my bucket list.  And it is helping convince me to get healthier so I can meander about the footpaths and hike the glaciers without keeling over dead from the exercise.

Dear Raynore, Brooke, Patricia, & Sherry - ya'll have been so good about checking up on me and my family through this medical drama.  THANK YOU and thanks so very much for your prayers. I have felt such an outpouring of love and concern and it's just humbling.

Dear Big Brother, Happy Birthday! I am so thankful for your happiness, thankful you are my brother and that you brought Angela into our family.  Your sense of humor is wacky but so much fun! Hope your 43 bday is the best!

Dear crafty people - I've added new posts to Pressed Clovers, both on Facebook and on the blog. And on Pintrest! I'm trying to get back into the habit of posting. :)  (Here is my creations page on Pintrest)

Dear shingles, feel free to wrap up and go away so mom can get some relief from your horrible pain. I'm taking her to the dr in the morning, hopefully he'll have some suggestions for getting this over with quickly.

Ya'll have a GREAT weekend and I'll see you back here soon. :)  :)

Enough of the Drama!

Ok, so you now know my family life is curretly full of medical drama. But that's not fun and exciting to share, now is it? So here, enjoy a photo dump of the past several months. Something much more enjoyable to check out on a blog! :)

Some more photos from the Fourth of July - Macy L.O.V.E.S. corn on the cob! :)  Look at her wild curls going crazy! She has the most fun hair.

And here is little miss enjoying her sandbox/pool.  This pic just cracks me up for some reason.

And two funny phone pics for your entertainment.  Sweet Niece #1 and me, cheesing it up for the camera! :)

And just because I can... because it's my blog and all that, here are a few pieces of scripture I've screen shotted and will add to my journal book later this week:

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:18

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."  Psalm 46:1

"The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  i will advise you and watch over you."  Psalm 32:8

And I like this one:
"In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us.  For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words."  Romans 8:26
I just really like the thoughts of this.  Even when I don't know what I need to pray for, the Holy Spirit is there looking out for me, praying on my behalf for things I can't understand and in ways that are beyond mere words.  WOW.

My friend Paulene is in Alaska right now and while she is there, she posted this message:
"Let every breath praise the Lord." Now, if you think like that, what changes would you make to your life? Oh holy cow, I'd make a lot. LET EVERY BREATH PRAISE THE LORD.  So, with this in mind, I go to the dr tomorrow understanding there is a larger picture at work here.  Maybe it's a chance to meet a doc who is a great Christian, to show me God's got me covered in every way. Or maybe it's a doctor that needs to see Christ at work through me? Who knows, I guess I'll see tomorrow. But regardless, I'm thankful I am one of God's children - and I'm learning how to praise Him (and failing along the way, but that's ok, He still loves me!)

Filling in the gaps

Curious where things went from my last post? Oh it's been an adventure...

My sister, after leaving the ER with instructions to make an appointment with her gynecologist in the morning, went home to wait. When her husband called to make an emergecy appointment, he was told they couldn't do anything until the next day. After leaving a message with the nurses station, she called back and said they would do an ultrasound that day, thankfully.  After the ultrasound results, Katie ended up in emergecy surgery - so glad she didn't have to wait another day! The DR was great, she's home recovering.  So thankful for the prayers - God really took care of her through this.

Meanwhile, I started having tightness in my chest and shortness of breath so I ended up in the ER night before last.  After a ton of pills and bloodwork, it seems my heart is ok, but maybe my GI needs to be looked at a little closer.  After the rough night I put in last night, terrified something would happen and I would be alone (I ended up sleeping at my parents' house, and they have Macy, too, so their house was FULL!), I'm ready to figure out what is up.

~~~ Well... I see I never posted this. So let's just update the update how about it? ~~~

I have had a total of two ER visits, four dr visits, one cardiolodist visit with tests to follow, a heart monitor for two weeks (currently in testing mode), tummy dr scheduled for Wednesday. Think I've met my deductible? Hahahaha! But I'm feeling better, I'm eating again and that's a good thing. I dropped about 15 lbs In a week. 

Mom, however, is now battling shingles.  She's in quite a bit of horrible pain, so can you pray for her now? She said it's the worst pain she's ever felt. If you are 60+ I encourage you to get the shingles shot because this is rough stuff. 

We all felt bad for the Fourth of July but we were together and in this awesome great nation, so we celebrated. Macy was too cute, as you can see here for yourself. 

Macy has been a trooper with staying at MawMaws house, going to the sitter, staying at my aunt's house - she has been so good through all the changes. So thankful. 

We explained that her Mommy's belly was hurt so she could sit on Mommy's lap or have Mommy pick her up right now. In this pic, she hugged Katie and said, "Don't worry Mommy, I'll take care of you."  Oh yes, tears to my eyes. Sniff sniff. 

Let's not forget Macy's big sister, who took her first flight to FL for a martial arts competition, where she did very well!! 

Check out that fierce face and focus!! So proud of her - she does so well in this and practices really hard. I'm pretty sure her competition was a good bit older than her, so just more impressive the accomplishment. Go girl!! 

So that's life in a nutshell. I'll end with this: I know I fail God everyday. I know it and I hate it. But He never fails me and never stops loving me. Wow, so thankful to be one of His children, to have Him as my Heavenly Father. 

Ok I'm going to bed. Night y'all!!