Emma's Spine

Many of you know that I went to Bible College in British Columbia. I made lots of friends there, but moving back to Ontario and staying here, well, I lost touch with many of them over time. Now, because of Facebook, I am begining to find many of those friends! One of them is Corinna. She's an amazing mom of 4 kids, and wife to Keith (who's romance story is similar to mine!). Most recently she started a blog all about her daughter, Emma. Emma has scoliosis. Yesterday she underwent a grueling day long (I believe like 8 hours or more!) spinal surgery. Emma's story can be found HERE! I would like to encourage you to pray for Emma, her parents, and her other siblings. This was HUGE. GOD WAS AMAZING!! Sorry, that should read God IS amazing!! He is continuing to provide the peace and assurance that this family needs when they need it! As a mom, I am marvelling at the strength that these parents are showing!! Corinna and Keith, if you happen to be reading this, know that you are being prayed for across the country, and potentially around the world!! There is no other way to describe this, but GOD.

Cupcake Bites

I recently found this blog, Bakerella! She has some fabulous recipes! The one that caught my eye tho... was these cute cupcake bites on a stick!! I didn't put mine on a stick. I didn't want the grade 3 boys at school to turn them into some kind of weaponry ;) LOL!

I did make them, and indeed you do NOT need the entire can of frosting. Had I only read it in detail BEFORE I put the whole can in!! Oh well, they turned out and taste DELISH!!

So I am taking these to school tomorrow for the kids Hallowe'en parties :D I bet they will be a huge hit! I baked a chocolate fudge cake, used cream cheese icing, and rolled them. Then I dipped the bottom in Merckens milk chocolate, the tops in Merckens white chocolate and then dipped it in fall themed sprinkles while the chocolate was still wet.

Kids and Cell Phones

Why do kids want cell phones? Why do parents think that children should have them??? I honestly don't think the logical reasons that some folks give for their children having cell phones is ... well, logical!! Do you not remember BEING a child... a kid, a teen, etc?? Did you ALWAYS tell the truth about where you were going, who you were with, etc?? (ok, I did... there wasn't an ounce of rebellion in me at all!!). So you give your child a cell phone, so you can know where they are at all times, who they are with, what they are doing, and when will they stop doing that and come home. So a cell phone... unless they are supposed to be playing in traffic, or on train tracks where it will be obvious from the background noise... who is to say your child is where s/he says they are!?

"Hello, Mom?"
"Yes, darling."
"Yeah, I'm just at Susie's house, and I wanted to let you know."
"Ok, thank you! Please be home by 9."
click.

HA... your sweet darling just outsmarted you, and she's not at Susie's, but she's walked to the Avondale by herself, well, WITH Susie... but def NOT at Susie's house. You believed her. She tricked you. Cell phones. Ugh.

I'm not saying YOUR child is like that, or will be, nor will mine. It's possible I suppose. It's a matter of trust. Trust between parents and their children. I'm trying to build that kind of trust NOW with my children, so that when they are just *dying* to have a cell phone, it won't be such a huge issue. Ok, so in 10 years, it might not be an issue at all, as it will all be by video, and this will be for naught.

So... I'm content to let my children be children for as long as possible... they grow up tooooooo fast as it is, why rush it?!

Confessions Of A CF Husband: The Latest

Confessions Of A CF Husband: The Latest

Pray for Tricia!

There's a blog I follow. I have been following it for many, many months now. I don't know this awesome family personally, I feel like I do. He is so forthcoming about their struggles with a micro-preemie baby, undergoing double lung transplant surgery (Tricia), and now Tricia is struggling with PTLD, which is a form of cancer that is sometimes found in post-transplant patients. I won't say much more, as Nate says it so much better and from the depths of his heart.

Here is the latest post from Confessions of a CF Husband:

Tricia's PET Scan (Monday morning) shows that the chemo has done very little to affect her PTLD, and, in fact, some of the spots in her lungs have grown, and the lymphoma has possibly spread to a lymph node in her chest (outside of her lungs). They are stopping the current R-CHOP treatment, since it is obviously not doing her any good, and performed another biopsy on Tuesday morning.

That is literally all we know at this point. We arrived home late last night. We should hear back from Duke later this week about what the biopsy shows and what they recommend next.

We are very discouraged as we very distinctly recall the cancer doc telling us a few months ago, "If this treatment doesn't work, Tricia is in serious trouble..."

Nate

If you pray, please do so. Please ask your friends and family to do so. This family, among many many many families I realize, needs us to hold them up in prayer to the God who brings all comfort and healing!

Thanks everyone :)

15 minutes and more!

I started to tidy up my scrapbooking area. It quickly escalated into more tidying around the basement...plus some other long overdue junk getting KICKED TO THE CURB!! Well, some of it is getting kicked to Freecycle including books, shower doors, the crib, books and other misc STUFF. YIPPEEE!!!

Michael ripped out the toilet and the vanity/sink last week, and next is the tub from the front bathroom upstairs. Just calling the garbage people now to come for the toilet and the tub (what a motivator for him to get it out!) :D Now to get the flooring stuff and get the front hall/old bathroom done so we can have a mud room!! WINTER IS COMING! (did I really say that?!) Michael is off to L. St. Amand for trip 1 of 2 to get patio stones. The shed is getting built!!

Back to scrapping... so I've made a little 'area' for my new Big Shot, just gotta get a storage something or other figured out for the dies that I have right now. I've got paper in a box to recycle (not good pappers!!)... and I am PURGING... i should photograph some of this stuff for the yardsale... hmmm, tonite, while CSI, Grey's and ER are on! Maybe...

I've got photos that need to be hung up! I bought 3 'floating frames' at JoAnn's today. They are super cool, and I fully intend to hang up the kids school photos this year! :D I got a cool wall vinyl thing to hang up with them about 'family'. I can't wait!! I also purchased a plate stand to put my scrapbook pages on display (thanks to KAREN T for the inspiration for that!).

This purging feels GREAT!! I should sleep well tonite :D

I'm on a roll!!

I WON! I WON!! I WON!!! :D

WHOOOHOOO!!!! I just got this email:

Looks like it's your lucky day - http://laylekoncar.typepad.com/6degrees/2008/10/winner.html

Please reply with your mailing address and we'll get a Garland Product kit in the mail to you in a few weeks when all of the products are in stock.

Thanks for playing!

Layle Koncar
Director of Marketing
Scenic Route

I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT!!! SUPER HAPPINESS HERE!!!

This is what is in the kit:
"The Garland Product Kit includes 5 sheets of double sided cardstock, 1 Scrap Strip, 6 background sheets, 1 12"x12" die cut shapes sheet, 1 12”x12” die cut alphabet sheet, 1 sticker embellishment sheet, 1 chipboard embellishment sheet and over 200 alphabet stickers." I want to post a picture, but I can't seem to do it.