This and that...

UGHHH!!!!!!! is winter ever going to end?

There that's out of the way

Phoebe started back to school today. She is doing much better, only needs pain medicine in the morning and before bed, so definately better. Her speech on the other hand is ...eek..not good. Right now the tone of her voice is even different than before. Not sure if that is typical but it is at a much higher pitch than ever. Her hearing is definately way better. But her words, not so much. Because her throat hurt so bad she started talking without moving her lips, mouth, tongue, so her word formation is not right. Hopefully this is a temporary problem. Her speech teacher will be shocked, I think.

We had 3 inches of snow last night....i am so ready for spring...outside...fresh air....this winter has been a long one.

This morning I watched the end of Toy Story 3 with Ava. Not going to lie I cried. Not because of Andy leaving but because Beth graduates in 3 months. The time has flown by. She has become a beautiful young women. We are so proud of the person she has become. As parents we try to raise them to be caring, responsible,hard working, and with a desire to serve Christ, and here we are at her launching time and I'm not ready. She has 2 college options and she is still not settled on what or where. We are praying that she will know that she knows. The picture is Alex and Beth at the Christmas concert. This coming Wednesday Beth is turning 18, I can't beleve it. She was always so full of life and very outspoken, you never had to wonder what she was thinking, because she has freely shared her opinion (much like her father). She is looking into business as a major but I can't see her at a desk, she is very much a people person. She is also looking into x-ray tech and ultra sound tech I can totally see her doing that she is such a people person.

Anyhow enough of my ramblings. There must be somthing I should be doing.

Rest of the recipe

Rhubarb Dump Cake


4 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1 box 3oz strawberry jell-o
1 white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup melted butter
cool-whip optional ( but necessary)


heat oven to 350

place rhubarb in 9x13 pan,sprinkle sugar and jell-o over rhubarb

mix: white cake mix,water and melted butter. Pour over rhubarb,spread over the entire pan

bake: 45 minutes or until golden brown

serve warm with whipped topping

Our Confinement...

Well so far ..pretty good. The first day was definately the best so far. Yesterday was rough, she had a lot of throat pain and is barely talking, but it will get better. Today she woke up crying again but it didn't last too long. She still needs pain meds every 3-4 hours and plenty to drink.
So we our going to the library this morning to get new books, movies and magazines. That is another positive to this confinement I am reading; because I have the time. And that is wonderful. So that being said the book I stayed up reading until midnight (yeah I did) I highly recommend if you are looking for a fun light hearted read
" The Pioneer Woman, from black heels to tractor wheels" go ahead and get it you won't be disappointed. As a wife and mother it was too real and funny. I'm giving it to my daughter to read before I take it back to the library.
The other thing I'm doing is cooking/baking. And the dessert I made last night was AWESOME!!! i will put the recipe up it was easy and delicious


Rhubarb Dump Cake
4 cups rhubarb chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg 3 oz strawberry jell-o
1 pkg white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup melted butter
Whipped Topping

Place rhubarb in 9x13 pan sprinkle on sugar and jell-o.

Anticipating....

"how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news," Isaiah 52:7a


"Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up." Proverbs 12:25


"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." Proverbs 25:25

Surgery update...

Well I am happy tp post that phoebes' surgery went very well. Praise the Lord!!!! Today we are home resting, at least that's the idea. We got the call to show up an hour earlier so we scrambled to get everything around and left the house. Which was good because it cut down on last minute anxiety. We got there and Dan dropped the 2 of us off and took Matt to college. we went right in and they started prepping her right away (although surgery was 2 hour past that). They gave her the "special pink" medicine and it was quite amusing watching her. She , could barely lift her head off the bed and then she would slide back down in the bed and start the process all over again, at one time she got the gigles...we taped this on Dan's phone..it was quite funny....she would crook her index finger and say" come here I have a secret" and then when we leaned in close just start to giggle...and at one point she looked at Dan and said "there are two of you one big and one little". She was almost already asleep when they rolled her away. The surgery took an hour and then she was back.
She really struggled with waking up the first time, she was in full panic mode...it was very difficult to watch her be so frantic. the nurse actually came in and gave her the medicine through the IV again to calm her down. We watched her "sleep" it was sad, while she was out she went back to the keening sound she would make when we first came home...you know the kind for self soothing...that low in the throat noise. Dan and I were both surprised she could still do that...so many memories locked away. Anyhow when she came around the second time it was our girl...she was ready to recover.
We stayed 3 hours and then could bring her home. The ride home was good she was very reserved. We got home the other kids gave her the attention she needed and she settled in for the night. Around 10 pm she wanted to know what was for dinner...umm you had it remember the jell-o? The popsicle? Nope she wanted to chew and swallow...NOT ALLOWED.
This morning she got out the mac and cheese and wanted it, not for breakfast but for lunch, she is now counting down the time till lunch. Such a funny kid, but because she is doing so good I will let her have it.
She has already done 6 pages of her school work this morning. She has done amazingly well ;the Drs. had us scared about her recovery but so far so good. She is quite the little trooper. She is home for awhile so we will need to keep her busy so she doesn't over do which would be her tendency, lot's of movies and coloring and some craft projects,plus books lot's of books.

Psalm 20

1May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

2 May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you

support from Zion.

3 May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.

4 May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

5 May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

6 Now this I know:

The Lord gives victory to his annointed. He answers him from His heavenly

sanctuary with the victorious power of His right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God!!!!

8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

8 Lord, give victory to the KING!!!! Answer us when we call.

News

We recieved Phoebes' surgery date it will be March 21. Please pray for her. Sheis having her tonsils and adnoids out and tubes put in her ears. We are happy to finally be getting this all taken care of.

Rant.....ignore if you want to...

So yesterday while I was volunteering at my kids school, there was a discussion about the pee wee league football program. I was only partly paying attention because we don't participate in this activity. And the other Mom quite boldly said the big reason that this football program wasn't "growing" was because the parents were LAZY what ? I tried to be nice and let it go, but then I couldn't I looked at her and told her I took offense to that comment. We have never done it wouldn't do it but that did not make me LAZY!!!!!!
Now if you do fine for you but that's not the point the point is what an awful thing to say about other parents. We're lazy because we don't want to run our 1st grader to night practices 4 times per week, and play games on every Sunday in the fall. Excuse me we attend church and try to spend time as a family because the week is so crazy we need a day. I told her it was too time consuming and expensive and maybe not everybody wants to play football. Ever think of that? Well my dander was up not gonna lie. You can say alot about me but lazy isn't one of them and to just geralize everyone into that excuse was crazy. We allow our kids to play soccer, basketball,they do choir,band,afterschool clubs, youth group, 4-H and numerous other things don't tell me I deny them; so not true!!!! Since when do they get to do everything they want and that I'm a bad parent for not allowing them to do whatever they want. Hello if they want to do drugs we should allow it, support the habit per chance? Come on people wake up, your the parent not activities director for your childs every whim.
Ther I'm done now, i feel better. Please i meant no offense to footballl families (because we are a soccer family) just don't judge other parents choices.


Now have a great day