Old Guys Rule!!!

This afternoon, family and friends gathered together to celebrate my Dad's birthday. He turns 60 this coming Tuesday. My Mom has been racking her brain for months as to what we could do to celebrate this momentous occasion and what we had was an "Old Guys Rule" birthday bash!Mom put a lot of thought into some things that would make the party special and themed just perfect for my Dad, in her creativeness, she put out all kinds of his favorite snacks and candies - Peanut M&Ms, dry roasted peanuts, Boston Baked Beans, jars of licorice, his favorite soda - Squirt, baskets of Fritos. It was fun and creative!Some longtime family friends, who are also Mom and Dad's card playing friends, joined us for this special occasion. It was a great afternoon of cards, playing Guitar Hero, the girls playing, Uncle Bart teaching the girls Checkers. We all were having a great time, just relaxing and fellow-shipping. On the menu for dinner - Mom's famous Spaghetti, an awesome salad, and killer bread. Gramma had a few helpers in the kitchen with the bread!After the great dinner, and some clean up, we sat around chatting some more and reading over the list of things that my Mom and I had come up with the last couple of days. A list of 60 Random Things. It was funny and quite a few laughs were made...at my Dad's expense. Dad with his Mom. Next was gifts. Dad got some things he wished for - like a new shovel and an 50 foot extension cord, he got a digital frame already loaded with 75 pictures of family to place on his desk at work, some cool "Old Guys Rule" shirts, and a couple gift cards!The cake was the last of the planned festivities, Dad's favorite of course, a chocolate cake with white frosting. I tried a new frosting recipe and LOVED it! It was a buttercream frosting and it was just as easier to decorate with as it was yummy. I cut the cake into layers and made a chocolate chip buttercream filling and that made the cake even more special!Yes, we put 60 candles on the cake. And by the time we had them all lit, sung Happy Birthday, and Dad blew out the candles, the candles were but small stubs of wax. LOL. Check out Rachel and McKenzie in the background
'helping' Papa blow out the candles.Papa and his granddaughters.
My Dad and Mom. I LOVE, LOVE this picture!It was a fun afternoon with family and a great time of games and fellow-shipping. It's hard to believe the big celebration has come and gone and in just a few days my Dad will be "halfway to 120!"

Quote for the Day

"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God,
then we will be a nation gone under."

~ Ronald Reagan


Need I say more???

Lice In The Preschool...AGAIN!

Rachel had a notice in her cubby today that she may have come in contact with lice at school this week....this is the third notice in the last two months!!! And would you believe it's the same child??

I know, I know, it's a hard thing to get rid of. But obviously they aren't working hard enough at it at home to get rid of it. You have to clean your sheets, stuffed animals, throw out hair brushes, etc.

They are obviously getting rid of it enough for her to pass initial inspection at school, and then at some point during the morning, she starts itching and scratching and they have to inspect the entire class!

I'm just hoping and praying that Rachel doesn't get it.

Back to Normal

I'm back to feeling normal this morning. Aside from my gums being a little raw and my tooth being sore. Mentally, I'm good. Whatever the dentist gave me to take the edge off and make me so relaxed...it was some GOOD STUFF I tell you! I came home from my appointment and took a two plus hour nap, and was back in bed, asleep, shortly after 9. I slept GOOD!

I remember bits and pieces of the procedure. Which is good and bad. I am a person who likes to know what things are going on, especially when it comes to my health, procedures, etc, (it's the Nurse in me), and I have no idea what went on. LOL.

The dentist did tell Steven that the crown in which she had to drill through had a cavity/decay beneath it. She told him I may have to have the crown taken off and something down to it. What, I don't remember. It's really weird not remembering.

Thanks Mom for keeping Rachel all day and Hannah after-school and feeding them dinner and getting homework done...oh and for making us dinner. It was YUMMY! And thanks Dad for going with Steven to get the car. Man, I really know how to disrupt a day, don't I??? LOL.

My Root Canal Experience

Yea, let's just start out with warning you all that I am still under the influence of some narcotics and I'm still fuzzy headed from time to time. That alone should clue you into how my appointment went.

I have been busy for days leading up to today, which I think helped me not to think about it. If you remember, I have a high anxiety level when it comes to dental appointments. But I went into my appointment feeling pretty good. It was the Peace of the Lord, I'm sure.

They got me into the chair, got situated with my iPod and my worship music, and they went to town numbing me. Then my dentist explained to me that she needed to put a rubber dam up for my safety due to the medications and stuff they'd be using. She put it on and panic set in. There was too much in my space and I was on the verge of loosing it. She took it out and said the only other way she could do it is if they knocked me out, but that would have to be done another day because I had no driver with me (see, I thought it'd all be okay and I would go and come home on my own). I welled up in tears and explained that I was here now and it had to be done and that I'd try it again. Both my dentist and her assistant were so caring and full of compassion. They had the medications to do the procedure on me, however I would need a driver to come pick me up. So I called Steven, and it was arranged that he'd come for me when they called him and said I was ready to be picked up. I called my Mom to have her ready to go get Hannah from school. My bases were covered.

They gave me the pills to take, and then placed one under my tongue. I got re-situated with my ipod and my favorite worship songs playing. I think it took about 45 minutes for it all to kick in. They kept monitoring my blood pressure, which was extremely high following my break down and panic attack, but over time it came down and I became more and more relaxed. They started the procedure and just as my dentist said, I wouldn't have a care in the world. I fell asleep. I remember a few things.

But it's over.

It's behind me.

I'm not in any pain (but will take some Motrin soon to help ward any oncoming pain off).

And I don't remember much of the procedure. And in the future, if I have to have any major work done again, THIS is the route I will go, only next time I will bring a driver with me. :)

Monday. Monday.

I fell into bed last night absolutely exhausted. With putting on Hannah's party on Saturday, and then helping a friend with her daughters party yesterday, and the extreme heat wave (95+ degrees) that has fallen upon us, I was wiped out. And as if I could get any more tired, I looked ahead to all that this week holds for me and I'm worn out just thinking about it. LOL.

First of all, I am beaming with gratitude and praising the Lord for an answer to prayer. We received word from our school district this afternoon that our inter-district transfers for the upcoming school year have been granted and they are singed and ready to be picked up as of tomorrow morning! That's the first place I'll go as soon as Hannah is dropped off at school tomorrow morning. It's a relief to know where the girls will be going to school and now I can start on filling out this huge kindergarten registration packet for the school district in which we attend. Thank You Jesus!

Tomorrow is a busy day. And with the extra errand of running to the school district it's just one more thing to cross off on my list, happily. There's preschool for Rachel and then Hannah has a consult with an orthodontist tomorrow afternoon. At her cleaning appointment the end of January, it was discovered that not only is she missing adult teeth, but she has an issue with a couple of adult teeth on the bottom coming up weird. So our dentist suggested we consult with an orthodontist. I'll be taking her out of school early for that. I've NEVER taken her out of school early. But we're the first on the books for the afternoon and maybe we won't have to wait too long. I'd like to make it back in time for the PTA meeting. We haven't met since before we went off track in February, and it'll be nice to catch up on the going ons of the school.

Wednesday morning, I have my root canal. I'm currently on antibiotics in preparation for it. I'm not nervous, but perhaps it's because I'm too busy to think about it. LOL.

The other thing that's on my mind and I've been helping my Mom with the preparations for is my Dad's big 60th birthday dinner this weekend! My Dad turns 60 on the 28th, but we'll be celebrating this weekend with a special dinner at my parents house. I can't go into too many details about it here on the blog just yet, cause Dad reads my blog, but look for a full report with lots of pictures next week!

It's dinner time, and I can hear the natives getting restless. So it's off to the kitchen I go...and after the dinner clean up, perhaps a song or two on Guitar Hero!

A Weekend to Party

Today is Hannah's birthday party. It seems rather weird to actually have her birthday behind us and yet are still celebrating. I think in years past, we've always the done the party the weekend before her birthday. But because last weekend was Easter, we had to go with the weekend after.

The party is this morning. I made it this morning so that people could have the rest of the day for themselves. It seems like Spring weekends are so busy with other parties, ball games, etc., that I thought it would be best to do the party from 10-12. Those few hours will go by quickly, but Hannah is excited to be having friends over to her house.

The cake is made. I am pretty impressed with myself. Hannah's party theme is Hannah Montana and what better shape to make the cake into than into the shape of a guitar!She came home from school yesterday to find it on the counter and absolutely loved it! She thinks her friends are going to be impressed. I'm just glad it turned out like I had envisioned it. LOL.

My mind not only has been in every direction thinking about Hannah's party today, but a dear friends daughters birthday was yesterday and when asked what she wanted to do for her birthday, her daughter said she wanted "a party like the ones Hannah's Mommy does". She loved Hannah's tea party last year and that's what she was hoping for. So, tomorrow afternoon after church, I am helping my friend give her daughter a birthday party...a tea party. I'm in charge of the table and my friend is doing the food. Her Daddy is currently deployed so hopefully this will be a fun celebration for her, and hopefully a memorable birthday despite her Daddy not being here.

And with that, I should go and finish last minute things as the party here starts at 10:00!