Computer Related Injury, Perhaps?

On Monday morning, as I was making our bed, pulling the sheets up, I felt a muscle pull. However, it was short lived and didn't bother me the rest of the day.

Later in the afternoon, after going swimming with friends and coming home to take showers, as I was towel drying my hair, I felt the muscle pull, and it didn't go away.

I've pulled some muscle in my lower neck/left shoulder and for the last two days, it's been close to unbearable. Last night in the middle of the night, I was up icing it, and crying it hurt so bad. After an hour of agony, I actually woke up Steven to try to rub out the kinks and knots.

This morning, both of the girls had dental appointments. As I was talking to our dentist about her recent back injury resulting from lifting her laundry basket, she suggested I go next door to the Chiropractor to see if he could perhaps work me in. He could! And our pediatric dentist was gracious enough to let me leave the girls in the waiting room of her office to finish watching the movie they started during their cleaning.

The chiropractor took a couple of Xrays and should me the scoliosis in my spine that I was diagnosed with when I was Hannah's age. He also showed me how my shoulders slant to one side due to the tension in my muscles. And the final xray showed how my neck is curving the wrong way. He asked a couple of questions and it was determined that how I prop myself up on pillows at night to watch TV in bed was causing damage to my neck and neck muscles. He adjusted my neck and did a couple manipulations and started the process of getting my muscles back to where they should be.

This evening as I write this, I'm still in pain and discomfort. But I do feel the visit with him this morning helped. I actually see him again in the morning for another visit.

When I was telling my Mom and good friend, and even later this afternoon when I was telling Steven about how the Chiropractor said about watching TV in bed, all three of them were willing to bet it's how I sit at the computer and how many hours I've been spending at the computer.

When the television season ended back in May, Steven and I began going into the office in the evenings after the girls were in bed. Him on his computer, me on mine. We've watched very little TV in recent months in the evenings, we've found things on our computers to keep up busy - online games, catching up on blog readings, etc, etc.

So for the time being, I'll be trying to stay away from sitting great lengths at my desktop computer - and will get back to being familiar with our laptop, which is what I'm writing this post on this evening.

Here's hoping for a much better night, and a successful appointment at the chiropractor in the morning.

School Starts...A Week From Today

School starts a week from today and I've been thinking about how the changes that school starting will bring to our family, Rachel is starting Kindergarten. And there will be about 3 - 3 1/2 hours EVERYDAY that neither of the girls will be home. Kinda makes me sad thinking about my baby going off to Kindergarten and gone everyday of the week.

But then, as I sit here thinking about it, listening to the girls bicker and fight and wrestle and whine to one another, perhaps next Tuesday can't come quick enough.....LOL.

Matronly Hair

Over recent years, when the Christmas cards start to roll in, often accompanied by pictures of the growing kids, or pictures of the entire family, I've noticed something about a few of our friends families'. There are two specific families that stick out in my mind whereas in the picture, the Mama looks extremely matronly. I've stared at those pictures, and stared at those pictures and it all comes down to their hair cuts and styles. They have mature looking hair cuts and styles. No longer long hair, but short, styled, and colored.

I really like my hair the length it is now. It's actually grown about 1/2 inch to an inch since I cut all my hair off for donation. I'm not sure I'll let it ever grow so long again. And then it hit me - I now have matronly hair!

Vote!! Vote!!! Vote!!

This here is the McNamara Family and they need YOUR vote!They are a family of eight that participated in the Chick-Fil-A Cow Appreciation Days, where the whole family put on their best Cow Face and actually went out in public, all in hopes of winning this contest of getting Chick-Fil-A for an entire year!!!

They need your vote, So if you're on Facebook, and you're a fan of Chick-Fil-A, then please visit this link, and vote for the McNamara Family. They would appreciate your vote! You can vote everyday until August 31!

No Fail Fish

A few months back, after the fish tank sat without fish for well over a year, I emptied it, cleaned it, set it all back up again, and let it sit for about a week before we made a trip to PetSmart to get fish. We all picked out our favorites and happily came home to put the fish into our tank. We enjoyed them for a week or two, and then slowly they all started to die off. I took several back to PetSmart and come to find out they'd advised us too many fish in our tank. So the tank sat empty again. Sad and looking lonely.

A week or two ago, I emptied the tank out once again, cleaned it all up nice and shiny. And I put some "No Fail Fish" in the tank for us to enjoy for many, many weeks, months, and possibly years to come....Pretty cleaver, huh?

Back to Normal...

...Or the normal for the time being.

Vacation is over, Steven is back to work today. Back to the normalness of him in his office all day, working. Back to having to think of what to cook for dinner every night.

For us girls, we have two weeks before our 'normal' hits. Two weeks from tomorrow, the girls both go back to school. Yea, our summer break is quickly coming to an end.

So what should we do today? The heat detours a lot of thoughts I have in my head to do. For instance, it's supposed to be in the 90's in Anaheim, where Disneyland is. Who wants to be outside in that heat? And I'm not really in the mood to pack up and head to the beach, as much as I long to be back at the beach, it's the packing and loading up I don't want to do. Perhaps a trip to the pool to keep cool!?!? Perhaps just staying indoors out of the heat and smog? Perhaps backpack and lunch box shopping and new shoes for school? We'll figure out something...

Once thing is for sure, these next two weeks are going to fly by and I'm going to be wondering where our summer break went!!

Pismo Vacation 2009

Like I had on my Facebook Status yesterday, "All good things must come to an end, and that includes vacation". Our big vacation for the year has come and gone and now we're home trying to adjust to the extreme heat.

Vacation this year was our family's vacation spot in Pismo Beach at the Seacrest Resort Hotel. Our family has been vacationing here for over 20 years and holds a lot of great vacation memories. Steven and I also spent a few nights of our honeymoon here in 1996.

It was going to be just us and my parents this year, as Robbie initially didn't think it would work out for them to go, but days before our departure, we found out that he had made reservations just days before and had planned on surprising us all once we were up there. So the entire family was together for vacation. It was great!Robbie and Grace and the girls, as well as my parents all arrived on Sunday. We were due to arrive on Monday. Because of the route to Central California, you either have to go through Los Angeles, or way out of your way around. We did something different this time, because we already had family up there with rooms to hang out in until we could check in to our own room at 4:00, we loaded the car the night before and left at 5:30am to get through LA before the Monday morning traffic hit, and we were successful! We surprised the family when we arrived shortly after 9:30! It was nice getting up there so early in the day, it gave us practically another whole day of enjoying the grounds and cool weather.

It wasn't too long after being there, that all the girls wanted to go in the pool. It wasn't even 11:00 and there we were enjoying our vacation already, the girls swimming, and me sitting poolside, soaking in the fresh and clean air and cool weather. We walked to Downtown for lunch and strolled through a few of the shops and walked the pier. We then walked on the beach back to our hotel. For dinner that night, we went to McClintoks. A family tradition when in Pismo, dinner was GREAT as always. Thanks Mom and Dad! When I made our reservations back in March I asked that we have a room on the same floor as my parents. It's easy that way in just sending the girls down the hall to Gramma and Papa's room. However, when we were finally able to check in, our requests were not honored and we ended up on another floor at the opposite ned of the tower. It was a huge bummer, but all in all, it worked. The hotel has recently been remodeled and updated and they did a great job. This was the view from our balcony.Tuesday we camped out on some tables on the patio all day long. We ate lunch out there, the kids and Dads went in the pool and some of us sat and read books, I think we played a game or two, and later in the evening we BBQ'd dinner, we were simply taking in the beauty of our surroundings and enjoying the beautiful weather. It nice and relaxing and it was much needed.Wednesday, we kinda all went separate ways in the morning. Mom, Dad, Grace, and McKenzie went on a car ride. And the rest of us headed down to the beach to make a sandcastle and play in the water. Within ten minutes of castle building, the girls were bored and left Steven and I (mostly Steven) to finish the castle. Wednesday evening, it was discovered that my brothers car would not start, and long story short, they had to have their car towed to a mechanic on Thursday, the day we were all supposed to head for home. We couldn't very well leave them behind and let them suffer all alone, so we extended our stay through Friday. My parents, however, headed for home Thursday morning.

We spent the morning all bundled up in jackets and long pants and even dawned our tennis shoes, it was so chilly. But we weren't complaining for we knew what awaited us at home. We had lunch on the patio, making due with some leftovers we had, went for an afternoon swim, and then out to dinner at a fancy smancy Italian place. Hannah and I went down to the pier shops once again and enjoyed the sunset from the pier and called Gramma and Papa and we waved to them on the webcam. Friday morning we were up and packed and ready to hit the road shortly after 9:00. Knowing it was a Friday and we had to go through Los Angeles we hit the road earlier than we had originally planned. We enjoyed one last breakfast from the hotel before pulling out of the parking lot directly behind my brother and sister in law. Our girls didn't want to leave and wanted to stay longer, they didn't realize we already had stayed longer than originally planned. It took a few minutes of tears, but soon, they were settled in for the long car ride ahead of us. When we left Pismo Beach yesterday morning, it was 60 degrees and overcast. Nice and cool. As we drove the four hours home, we watched the temperature gauge climb all the way to 102. We had heard Southern California had finally been hit with a the extreme heat and we weren't looking forward to it. Thankfully, our house was cooled off by the time we got home, thanks to my Mom and Dad coming over to turn the air conditioning on for us. That was very much appreciated.

It's always sad when vacations come and are behind us. Despite having the reservations, we weren't sure if we were going to end up making the trip this year due to a paycut a few months back (but praise the Lord it was given back two weeks ago!) and not knowing whether or not we should spend the money. But family vacations have special memories for me growing up, and we knew we'd make new memories this trip, so we went. I'm extremely grateful for the time away. And as always....hope we can go back again.

Total Relaxation Mode

Ahhh, Vacation. It's a wonderful thing.

I know I've been slacking in the blogging department, but I wanted to check in. Things were kinda crazy busy last week and the weekend was full.

But as of today, we are on vacation, and as I sit here, typing this quick post, I sit here in our hotel room, the girls alseep in one bed, all tuckered out from playing in the pool, from a walk to town and then back, and our evening jaunt to to pool/jacuzzi. Steven is in vacation 7th heaven with a cup of decaf coffee in one had, his iPhone in the other, and I on our laptop. the roaring sound of the ocean coming in through the cracked sliding door. The 37 inch HDTV hanging on the wall is providing the mood lighting for this evening. LOL.

Yes, we are in total relaxation mode. Vacation mode. I don't care if you don't eat a single bite of your hamburger and yes you can still have ice cream mode. I have no stresses, no worries, not a care in the world at this moments time. :)

And with that....I shall go lay on the plush bed and fall asleep to the sound of Bedtime Stories and dream of what lies ahead of us for tomorrow!

Free Slurpees

It's summertime and we've been taking advantage of no school, thus the slowness in blog posting. :) However, what says "summer" more than a nice cold refreshing Slurpee!?!?

On Saturday, 7-11-09, Seven Eleven stores will be giving out free slurpees in honor of their 82nd anniversary!! I know where we'll be heading on Saturday afternoon, how about you?

Celebrating the Life of the 'King of Pop'

Like a good majority of people this morning, I had the television on, watching the coverage of Michael Jackson's memorial service at The Staples Center today.

I tuned in just as the golden casket was being placed into the hearse that would transport the body of 'The King of Pop'.

As I sat there watching the continual coverage of the drive from the mortuary to the downtown entertainment center, I was amazed that they'd closed several of the Los Angeles freeways to accommodate the funeral procession. Miles and miles of freeway literally shut down to make this transport go more smoothly. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of peoples morning commutes affected because of the freeway closures.

I was amazed at the masses of people that stood on freeway overpasses just to get a glance of the hearse and all the cars that followed.

I am amazed at how much money the city of Los Angeles is putting out for this event. Thousands and thousands of dollars, maybe even more, being spent to have 1800 police officers on duty in and around the area, the money put out for the use of The Staples Center, the countless other expenses of the morning. There isn't any sign of a recession in Los Angeles today - hotels are without vacancy, L.A. restaurants are expected to be busy this afternoon and into the evening.

What I've seen so far of the Memorial Service has been nice. A great tribute to Michael's life, to his music, to his humanitarian works. Our era has truly lost a great musical icon. And I hope his heart was right with Jesus when he died...

The Holiday Weekend

Whew! What a busy weekend, I need one more day just to rest.

Our 4th was a nice one, a very busy one, but nice. Spent time with family and friends and even took in a concert by The Riverside Blues Club at the California Speedway. They did an awesome job and looked like they were having fun.

Our church gathering was huge. A lot bigger than last year and they are figuring between 250-275 people came through throughout the afternoon. That's a lot of people to host at ones house. God bless John and Kelly for their wonderful hospitality!

Sunday morning we woke to car issues with Steven's car and had to adjust our day accordingly. Hannah had a birthday party to attend for a little girl who she's known since Kindergarten. It was a pool party, which was good for her in keeping cool, but hot for the Mama's on the sidelines.

Looking ahead to this week...it's going to be a good, but busy, week. It's the week before we head out on vacation and I CANNOT wait to get away and relax for a few days atop the cliffs overlooking the ocean. There's laundry to be done, packing to be done, sand toys to gather, and an oil change on the car to be done. This week can't end soon enough. LOL.

Happy 4th of July

The morning is starting out cool and crisp and it's nice. But it won't be too long and it'll be a scorcher, that's for sure.

A lot of festivities go on on this holiday - BBQ's, parties, fireworks.

But how often is this day just looked at as a day to get together? To party?

How often is the reason for this holiday overlooked, or minimized?

I think on this 4th of July, we need to reflect on the meaning of this special day. We need to remember the reasons why we celebrate - our freedom, our independence from an overbearing and unjust country. Especially this year, as we are slowly seeing some of our personal freedoms subtly being placed on the chopping block and voted upon.

Happy 4th of July! However, you may spend the day, be safe, have fun, and remember what the day is about, and truly be thankful.

Three Day Weekend

Thanks to the 4th of July holiday falling on Saturday this year, a lot of people have been given today off, thus making it a three day weekend! It's true for our house and it's starting off to be a nice three day weekend...not getting out of bed until after 7:00am, cinnamon rolls in the oven as I type, thoughts of needing to prepare my dessert for tomorrow. It's feeling like a kick back, easy going, kind of day.

A relaxing day at home will be good, because the next two days are FULL! Tomorrow my Grandmother is hosting lunch before family members head off to the California Speedway for the big Red, White, and Cruise festivities. My brothers band is playing and is the opening act for Taylor Hicks! So we'll be heading out to support the band. And then we'll be heading to the church family festivities where I heard they are anticipating 240 people showing up! They are roasting a whole pig in addition to the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers and all the sides imaginable.

Sunday is church and then Hannah has a birthday pool party to attend in the afternoon. Most definitely a busy couple of days ahead of us.

What are your plans for this fine three day weekend??

Summer

All the Southern Californians that were complaining about the 'June Gloom' a few weeks back, outta be shot and hung out to dry. LOL.

It's official, hot summer temperatures have hit Southern California.

There were a few days last week where the temp reached triple digits. This week it's been close, but still just hovering below that century mark. The humidity has been BAD and just makes it all around miserable. I cannot imagine what it'd be like to live in the South. No thank you!

Perhaps today will be the day we fill up the plastic pool...