Serenity

Jennifer and I have talked about bringing our moms with us to Serenity for a long time.  We never thought they'd come, but with all the stress my mom's been under, I decided now was the time to push my mom to come.  I couldn't believe it when she agreed.  Jen and I made appointments for 80 minute massages, but didn't want to over do it with my mom, so we scheduled hers for 50 minutes.  She was having none of that and had us change her massage to 80 minutes as well.  Ha.

Yesterday was spa day and per routine, our first stop was McAllister's Deli in Destin.  Lunch was wonderful.  The food was great and we laughed and laughed.  It was just what we all needed.

 Jennifer and I are getting giddy at this point.  If my mom only knew, she would have been floating too.

Before

 After



My mom now understands the slightly goofy look Jennifer and I get when we talk about Serenity.  She's ready to go back this morning :)  I am too.  Those 80 minutes flew by.  If I were a millionaire, I'd go to Serenity every week.

Playing in the Florida Sun

It was cold and windy when we left Maryland.  Yesterday was a perfect, Florida winter day.  We had sunshine and blue skies.  It was in the 60s, not too hot and not too cold.  I've been dreaming of this weather.  I'm keeping my eye on the "significant snowfall" that's predicted for our house this weekend and I'm so thankful we are here and not there.  We spent most of the day with Dan's family yesterday.  My mother in law has quite the collection of bikes and scooters and the kids always have a ball playing on Nana's driveway.

 Nana has deer that come into her back yard so granddaddy installed a deer feeder.  Jaelyn helped him stock it with acorns.

 Joan might hate me for this picture, but I love it.  Daddy Doe's old wheelchair turned into a play toy and Joan joined in for a ride.

 It's not Grandmother's if there isn't a crazy game of Hungry Hungry Hippo at some point.

Chill'in

So after not getting to come to Florida on leave this summer... Not counting the Advanced EOD course in June...we are back in Pensacola. I am ready for some family time and a couple weeks to recharge. Hopefully we all get well while we are here and can stay well on our return...forecast for Maryland? "significant snowfall forecasted for Christmas". Teehee teehee.

D On the iPad

The Road Trip

This was the best road trip by far we've ever made.  I love that my kids are old enough to entertain themselves.  I have distant memories of Jaelyn screaming non-stop from Atlanta to Pensacola.  THOSE were long road trips.

Dan got home about 2:30 am on Saturday morning; so he slept and I got the car as packed as I could.  Once he was up, packed and had filed his travel voucher at work, we piled into the car and headed for the interstate.  I'd say we left town around 2ish.  We didn't make it very far on day one.  I have no idea where we stopped actually.  It was somewhere in Virginia about 250 miles from our house.  That's not very far for a 1,000 mile road trip.

For entertainment, the kids had coloring books, ipod shuffles,DSs, activity books, toys, 2 DVD players, an Ipod nano with movies loaded on it, an Ipad and 2 Iphones with kid apps.  I also bought old timey headphones that go over your head instead of ear buds that start to hurt little ears after a while. I think we were well covered :)  Normally I spend the trip in the back with the kids playing "entertainment director," but this time, I road in the front with Dan in peace and quiet.  The storage cubbies I made worked great!  I need to modify that just a tad, but I think we'll keep using them.



Sunday was a long day, but we made minimal stops and arrived around 8 pm.  We are so excited to be here.  It's going to be a great Christmas!

Bloggie Give Away

My friend is doing a give away on her blog that is really cool.  Go enter and tell her I sent you so I'll get an additional entry.  See, I have ulterior motives for sending you.

Tires and Such

When planning a thousand mile road trip, over the holidays no less, there is a lot of preparation.  The oil in the car must be changed.  The tires must get inspected...FAILED.  The best deal on tires that we could find was at the Toyota dealership, shockingly enough.  It makes sense to go there because I also get the oil changed there and they can rotate the tires while they are changing the oil.  Win win for me and my tires will last longer.  Yesterday was my planned day for Toyota and errands after Caden had stayed home from school sick the day before.  I got to Toyota at 10 for my appointment and sat with my book to wait.  At noon, my service rep came to tell me they'd just looked at my tires and they didn't order the right ones.  Someone was on their way to another store to pick them up.  Seriously...how long does it take my Toyota dealership to change a tire, you wonder???  Apparently, it takes them one hour and 5 minutes each AND I was getting FOUR tires.  Do I need to say seriously again?  I talked with the service manager and I did get a coupon for a free outside detail and wax job, but still.  Four and a half hours of my life was gone.  I got home in time to pick up a few things before the kids came busting through the door.

Errands will have to be today unless the medicine I just took for this stupid cold kicks in the wrong way and makes me want to sleep.  At this rate, I'm not sure we are ever going to hit the road to Florida.

Nana

You know, not everyone loves their spouse's parents or grandparents, but I do and I'm sad today for Dan's Grandma. Nana was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and had a mastectomy.  Today, she learned that her breast cancer has metastasized to a small spot on her rib.  They have a treatment plan in place and will start right after Christmas.  God knows all the details.  Will you please pray for complete healing for her?  I just hate that she's going to have to go through any of this.  Is it okay if I say that November and December have sucked this year?!

Asthma

Most normal people probably don't want their kids to have asthma, but honestly, I'm glad to hear someone use the word.  Since Caden was a baby, he's been sick with a yucky cough every winter.  We would go back and forth to the pediatrician and they would always say "upper respiratory infection."  It gets really frustrating, to the poing that I don't want to take him to the doctor.  He's been coughing horribly for the last week and a half and I finally took him to Dr. K tonight.  I should stop and say I LOVE Dr. K.  She's wonderful.  When I think about her treatment of Allie and discovering the weird CO2 thing...not every doctor would have sent us for a sleep study following an ADHD diagnosis...she's just awesome.  Back to the story, tonight, she must have spent 5 minutes listening to Caden breathing in and out.  She listened to his crackling, wheezing cough.  She asked me about his history and finally said "this feels like asthma to me."  So many doctors have asked "does he have asthma?" but no one has ever said "this is asthma" to me.  It's a relief to have an idea of why he goes through this every winter.  After a breathing treatment, we were sent to the pharmacy to pick up three medicines:  prednisone, albuterol and flovent.  I'm praying we have a peaceful night.  After the long coughy nights he's been having, we could use a good night's sleep.

I'm Ready

The house and the car might not be ready for our trip, but I am!  I still need to get a few things in from outside, but it's too cold and windy to go out today.  Maybe tomorrow.  Anyone want to come clean my house so it's clean when I get home?   I also have to get 4 new tires for the van on Thursday.  I had the oil changed last week and my tires FAILED their inspection.  Oops.  For some reason, I've always taken care of the oil and maintenance on my cars and Dan's taken care of the tires.  I think I might have just been assigned a new job. 

Anyway, the point of my post...I bought my last few Christmas items yesterday.  Everything is wrapped and stacked and ready to be loaded into the van.  I bought a roof top carrier and I think we'll be needing it.  It's going to be the best Christmas.  I can't wait to see eyes light up when presents are opened.

Could you pray the kids get well?  Dan took Allie to the ER Saturday night.  She has an ear infection.  I think she also has a sinus infection.  The doctor gave her antibiotics so it should take care of two birds with one stone.  Caden sounds like he's coughing up a lung.  I'm taking the whole gang to the doctor this evening to have him checked out.  Jaelyn and I have pesky coughs too, but no where near as bad as Caden's.  Tis the season to be sick, I guess.

Dan, get home quickly from the high desert so we can hit the road!!!

A Blast from the Past

Like most of us, I want my kids to experience the same things I did as a child.  I loved playing games and I am loving introducing my kids to my favorites.  We have Boggle, Operation, Uno, Mancala, Monopoly, Connect Four...you get the picture.  I used to play Rack-O at my Grandma's house and I've been on the hunt for it for about a year.  I found it at the mall the other day and we have had so much fun playing.  One day, Caden's homework was to put numbers in order from lowest to highest...we played Rack-O for his homework!

So, what are your favorite childhood games?

A Sewing Project

We are getting ready for our annual holiday road trip to Florida.  I thought it might be nice to make some sort of pocket sorter to hang on the back of the seats in the car.  The kids' stuff always ends up on the floor...out of reach.  It's a pain.  I'm hoping this will fix it.  I spent about $20 at Joann's today on supplies and spent a couple of hours sewing.  The first one took the longest, but by the third, I knew exactly what I was doing.  It wouldn't have been so bad except I have a stupid sewing machine that makes me want to throw it across the room.  One day I'm getting a new one and I asked Dan today if he could arrange for us to blow up my old one.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed :p.

Anyway, while they aren't perfect, I think they turned out really cute.  I bought clear vinyl for the pockets so we can see exactly where everything is.

Update to Prayer Requests

I just thought I'd update and let you know Danny's Grandma had her PET scan and biopsy.  They'll get the results on Tuesday.

Also, it's been a hard few days for my mom, but they've started the difficult task of dividing things and preparing my Grandma's house to be listed.  Things have been civil which is really all I can ask for at this point.  My mom has stood up to her sisters and fought the battles that were important to her and let other things go.  I'm proud of her.  Please keep praying for my parents as there's more cleaning out to do next week.  My mom just wants to get these tasks behind her.  She needs to grieve in her own way without all of this to deal with.  On a bright note, I've planned mine and Jen's Serenity Spa day and my mom is coming with.  It's going to be fun!

Bushels of Smurf Berries - Learn a Lesson From Me

Last week was a pretty boring, normal week.  I sat down at the computer several times, but I couldn't think of a single thing to blog about...until I talked to my mother in law on the phone this morning.  I can't believe I didn't think to blog this story.

Well, so we have iphones with fun little apps that we let the kids play.  We never thought a thing about it because you need a password to purchase anything through itunes.  Since the kids don't know the password, we thought we were safe, until Smurfs entered our life that is.  I downloaded this harmless looking little app for the kids to play.  Their goal is to grow smurf berries in order to raise money to build a new smurf village.  Sounds fun and harmless, right???  At least, that's what I thought until Dan called me mid-last week to tell me one of our children had purchased 2 bushels and a wheelbarrow full of smurf berries.  You are probably thinking that a bushel of virtual smurf berries can't be that much.  I almost fell out of my chair when I learned there were charges totaling $136 on our credit card bill for the silly things.  Seriously, one hundred thirty six DOLLARS.  Itunes thankfully refunded our money and we have put further restrictions on our phones so that "in-app purchases" now require an additional password.  My friends have all thanked me for the little lesson and I'm thanking God and Itunes that we aren't out $136!

Prayer Requests

My parents went home today.  We had a great Thanksgiving visit.  I'm sad for the reason they came, but happy that they were able to come and breathe for a week or so before going home to deal with reality of settling my Grandma's estate with 2 of my aunts who, well, aren't very nice, to say the least.  Would you pray for God's grace and love to fill every aspect of that situation?

Also, Dan's Grandma is having a biopsy tomorrow to check a spot on her rib.  We need good news.

How to Put Up a Christmas Tree: Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 - Unroll it

Step 2 - Plug it in

Step 3 - Hold it up

Step 4 - Stand back and enjoy

Ta Da...a Christmas tree that is ready to go at a moments notice

 

And that folks, is how we do it!

Merry Christmas from us and Bob, our blow up tree!

PS  I'll be back after Christmas to show you how to take it down :p.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

I get Kraft Foods Magazine and this cake was on the cover of the holiday issue.  I bought all the stuff to make it to take to Dan's Thanksgiving party and then went out of town.  I've been waiting for another occasion to make it and the girls' party was the perfect opportunity.  This cake was awesome.  I got many compliments.  My only word of caution is that it takes a long time to make: an hour and a half to bake, another hour to cool before chilling it in the fridge for two more hours.  It was worth it though!

What You Need

1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
7 eggs, divided
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

1.  SPRAY 12-cup fluted tube pan with cooking spray; pour in chocolate syrup.

2.  BEAT cake mix, water, oil and 3 eggs with mixer 2 min. or until well blended; blend in sour cream. Pour over syrup in pan.

3.  BEAT cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended. Add remaining eggs; mix well. Blend in evaporated milk and melted chocolate; gently spoon over cake batter in pan. Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray, sprayed-side down.

4.  PLACE tube pan in shallow pan. Add enough water to larger pan to come at least 2 inches up side of tube pan. Bake 1 hour 30 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate 2 hours. Invert cake onto plate; remove pan. Serve cake topped with COOL WHIP.

*Tips:  Size-Wise Since this layered chocolate cake makes 24 servings, it's the perfect dessert to serve at your next party.

*The cream cheese mixture sinks to the bottom of the cake batter in pan as the cake bakes, forming the mousse layer at the top of the unmolded cake. To unmold cooled cake, use long thin spatula to loosen cake from side of pan. Place plate over cake pan; invert cake onto plate. Gently remove pan. Spoon any chocolate syrup remaining in pan over cake.

*To prevent overflow, check cake pan to confirm it is the required 12-cup size. Just measure 3 qt. (12 cups) water and pour into empty pan to verify the volume before using as directed. If you only have a 10-cup fluted tube pan, reserve 2 cups cake batter before pouring remaining batter into prepared tube pan. Continue as directed. Reserved cake batter will make 9 cupcakes. Bake as directed on cake mix package

Let's Party

The girls' Brownie Troop had their Christmas party last night.  It was a whole lot of craziness in a little bitty room.  Between all the girls, their kindergarten brothers (there are 5 of them) and their parents it was packed.  Miss Deb gave the girls their patches and try-its they've earned so far this year while everyone was still focused and paying attention.

We had a ton of food for dinner.  I made barbeque meatballs and a chocolate mousse cake (recipe coming soon!).  After dinner, the girls ripped through their present exchange.  Allie got fingernail polish from a friend and a little caboodle box from Miss Deb.  She was squealing in delight over her girlie presents.  Jaelyn got a new Zhu Zhu pet and the caboodle.  It was perfect for her.

I thought this picture was perfect...it's what is left behind after 13 girls open 2 presents each!

Our Gotcha Day Tradition

Seven years ago tonight, Dan and I were standing in an orphanage in Samara, Russia waiting to pick up our baby girls.  We had no idea of the adventures and changes our lives were going to go through at the time, but wow, what a ride it has been.  It hasn't always been easy.  As a matter of fact, a lot of it has been down right hard, but God has orchestrated every minute of it.  I am forever thankful that He gave us our girls (and our little man).  The Marriott in Moscow was decorated with beautiful gingerbread houses so every year on Gotcha Day, the kids and I decorate houses.  Dan and my mom joined in tonight and apparently, this is the first Gotcha Day Dan has been home for because he says he's never helped decorate them.  And trust me, I would have enlisted his help if he'd been here.  It's like our wedding anniversary...as long as he was at the main event, the rest is just a bonus (right?).  The kids look forward to this activity every year and this year was no exception.  We had a wonderful time and my Dad was kind enough to play photographer for us.

I dug into my adoption box for the first time and pulled out Russian coloring books and paper dolls to give the kids.  I've been waiting for them to be old enough, but not be too old, to appreciate and enjoy them. 

Decorations...Coming Soon

It's that time again...Gotcha Day - the day we "got" Jaelyn and Allie forever!

Shopping, Movies and Such

This has been a great week.  We've done what we normally do when Grandpa and Baba come to town; we've played and had a ball.  Mom has needed to be distracted, and I can't think of a better way to distract her than to take her shopping.  I've finished shopping for just about everyone on my shopping list and I helped my parents find something for the kids. 

We took the kids to see Tangled on Sunday and it got 14 thumbs up!  The girls loved the whole princess thing and Caden loved the fighting and chase scenes.  It was a great story without all the rude humor and bad language that are so prevelant in kids' movies these days.  It'll be one I buy to keep.

Dan and I have also managed a date night.  Those are few and far between for us so it was a real treat.  We had dinner at PF Changs before heading to see the new Harry Potter movie.  I'm not sure Dan appreciated me squeezing his hand, but I appreciated him not snatching it away.  There were some tense moments.

Anywho, we've taught Baba and Grandpa how to play Mancala and had an Uno tournament last night.  The next few days will be filled with lounging with library books and the nights will be filled with kids' activities.  We are thinking of visiting Port Discovery on Saturday and then Baba and Grandpa are heading home on Sunday.  They'll have a few weeks to get their house straightened out before we head that way for Christmas.  Then they've bought tickets to come help when Allie has her surgery mid-January.  After that, we'll be heading back to Pensacola in February for a quick weekend to celebrate my Grandpa's 90th birthday.  I think I'm blocking out March as a month to sit at home and do nothing :).