fifth

THANKS to my sister-in-law Amy for answering the call for questions so that I'd have something to post!

What were you doing 10 years ago at this point in your life?

Let's see... 10 years ago, I was in the midst of student teaching in my last year of college. I was teaching middle school band at a great school in northern Virginia. My mentor teacher was very experienced and very good at his job. I guess it speaks to how he thought of me and trusted his classes to me that he took A LOT of sick days that year. I was essentially an unpaid sub, although the school had to hire an official sub to sit in the room with me while I taught the kids. It was a great experience. I could have stayed there to work the following year - the assistant band director was retiring and they told me they'd have hired me. Too bad I was moving south to be with my man...

Did you expect to be where you are now?

NO! If you'd told me while I was student teaching that I'd have been away from teaching music for these past 9 years, that I'd be a YOUTH PASTOR of all things, I'd have scoffed! God has surprised me with every move he's made in my life and I fully expect him to continue to do so. I am not surprised that I'm married with children. I am SHOCKED that I live in Florida and have for the past 6 1/2 years! I am not a fan of heat! Why do I live here?!?

If there is something major in your life that you could do differently what would it be?

I wish I would have saved money more when I was younger and single. Realizing that even though we've worked REALLY FREAKING HARD at eliminating all our debt and building up our savings over the past 4 years, it might all disappear due to some upcoming events that I can't really go into here is making me so mad. If I'd been this disciplined earlier in my life, we might not be in as tight a spot as we are now. OR, I'd have been more studious in Math and Science, since all of the sudden I've found myself wanting to someday become a Certified Nurse Midwife - but I know much of the coursework would be very difficult for me. Much more importantly, I wish I had spent more years following Jesus with my heart and life. I'm eternally glad God is so welcoming to sinners and those with hard hearts.

fourth

GAH. We're only 4 days into NaBloPoMo and I'm already struggling. Here goes nothing:

• Henry tied his own shoes this morning! Just one more thing that will render Timon and me obsolete in a matter of a few more years. Love that boy.
  
  
• Maria's acting so big. Today she's 14 months old and it feels like in the 2 months since her birthday she's matured LIGHT YEARS. She said and signed "shoes" the other day and it was super cute and sweet. Love that girl.
  
  
• I'm still not feeling 100% well. I still have lots of sinus pressure and congestion, plus sore throat and slight cough. If I haven't improved within the next week I will for sure be headed back to the Dr., because I can't think of anything better to do with $80.
  
  
• I'm really wanting a steak dinner right now. (Hi, HONEY!!!)
  
  
• I'm avoiding talking or thinking about the accident right now, and I push those thoughts aside every time they pop up. I've become a very fearful driver and see potential accidents all the time. It's really fun.
  
  
• It's SO nice to walk outside and not feel bodily assaulted by the hot and humid air. It's by no means what I would consider Autumn, but it's tolerable.
  
  
• Anyone watch the series premiere of V last night? I thought it was really cool and that it will be a suitable fill-in for LOST until it comes on, and then after LOST ends this season I can see V taking its place.
  
  
• [A special personal bullet] Amber, thanks for reading! The picture you're looking for is in a post from September 2008... happy hunting! Now, go do your homework and get yourself back to youth group soon! We miss you, too.
  
  
• It was fun a while back to get and give interview questions from and for other bloggers... if anyone's up to it, I'd appreciate it! Let me know in the comments.
  
  
• If any of the non-blogging readers (all 2 of you) want to ask questions for me to answer here, ask away.
  

third

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic.  I make no apologies for the outfit.

second

Henry’s November class project… Gobble Gobble!

first

Maria, settling down for a Sunday morning nap with her new big-girl pillow.
 

that’ll do, pig… that’ll do.

So, what’ve you all been doing for the past week?  Really?  That sounds fun.  Me?  Oh, not much.  Just having SWINE FLU.

When I last posted, I’d spent 2 days home with Maria having a sinus infection and pink-eye that had developed after a cold.  I had a cold too; coughing, stuffy nose, etc.  Thursday morning I felt ok at work, did my usual stuff, and picked the kids up at 3-ish.  I came home and laid down on the couch, suddenly feeling much worse.  By 6 I felt like I’d been hit by a truck.  Apparently one of the characteristics of H1N1 is the speed of onset, and I can attest to that.

I laid low until Friday at 3 when I went to the dr.  He confirmed my suspicions and prescribed Tamiflu.  He suggested staying away from the kids and Timon as much as possible – fortunately, we have some friends whose parents have a winter home here where I was able to stay for 6 days.  It was so hard to be away from home and family, but we are blessed that I didn’t have to be around spreading my germs.  If we had a second bathroom in the house, we probably could have just confined me to the bedroom here.

Saturday and Sunday were the worst days.  I seriously considered having Timon take me to the ER because I was so overwhelmingly sick.  I’ve never been that ill in my life.  Timon brought me some food and I managed to eat those two days.  By Monday the aches and chills were subsiding, on Tuesday and Wednesday I continued to improve.  Thursday afternoon I came home.  Right now the main issues I’m having are sinus pain, slight cough, and fatigue, which the dr says can last 7-14 days.  I was on the fence about getting the vaccine for H1N1, but after having it I highly recommend getting it as soon as you’re able.  I’ve heard stories from others about not having it too bad, but like I said, I’ve never felt this terrible.  I hope none of you get it! 

Tonight, Timon has taken the kids to our friends’ neighborhood to go trick-or-treating… I’m just not up to walking around in this still-awful heat.  I hate to miss it, but here’s a photo of the karate kids:

chicken tortilla soup

I do not boast when I say that last night I made the best chicken tortilla soup of all time. It's not bragging when it's the truth, right? Anyway - there was a recipe in the Food Network magazine and I only used it as the basic guide. I couldn't find one key ingredient it called for so I made a substitution. Clearly it was fine since we all ate it like crazy last night and I just now ate the rest of the leftovers.

First I put half a large yellow onion (chopped finely) in a pot with a little olive oil over medium heat. When it was good and soft I added 2 14oz cans stewed tomatoes, one can condensed tomato soup, one small can ro-tel original, and one small can mexican red sauce (I found this brand). Use a stick blender (or I suppose you could put all of this in a food processor) and puree the mixture until everything is blended, with only small chunks of tomato remaining. While that's heating up back in the pot, boil two chicken breasts with vegetable bullion. Shred that when it's done cooking. Add about 2 cups chicken broth to the tomatoes, add the chicken. At the last minute I decided to throw in about 1 cup of frozen corn. Let cook on med-low for 45 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro (aaaaand THAT RIGHT THERE is where I lose Jen & Barb, among others [ANTI-CILANTRO WEIRDOS]), shredded cheese, and plenty of crunched up tortilla chips.

In non-soup news, Maria has pink-eye and a sinus infection. She was looking pre-tty pitiful this morning and was unbelievably clingy and whiny. I took her to the pediatrician this morning and she is now snoozing away in her crib. We're praying we don't all get the pink-eye since it's so contagious and she touches everything she possibly can all the time.

But don't dwell on Maria's crusty eyes... go make yourself some soup!

<interesting title here>

Henry started taking Karate recently.  He had to try it for three weeks and then decide if he wanted to continue and he chose to keep going.  It’s once a week and most of his class also goes to his elementary school (in various grades).  He got his uniform last week and is very excited about it.  (You just might see this on Halloween because we are cheap very creative.)

We went to an outdoor concert on Saturday night, the first cool night since last April.  It was really nice to sit and eat under the gorgeous sky (photos to come another time) even though I forgot our fancy appetizer at home and all we had was KFC, carrots, and dip.  The kids were great and the evening ended with really great fireworks. 

tender-hooks (tenter-hooks? whatever.)

That's how I feel these days. I wait for the other shoe to drop, the ax to fall, the stuff to hit the fan. Right now my attorney is handling the traffic ticket, the insurance is (I hope) handling the property and bodily injury liability claims. My body is in a constant state of tension. Occasionally my mind allows itself to function normally, like a person who is capable, cheerful, and not in a CONSTANT STATE OF PANIC. But then I move my body and it all comes flooding back. The lights, the van in front of me, the BAM of the Cadillac hitting me. I relive my last lawsuit, remember the day I got served with papers the day after Christmas on our way out the door to the airport demanding $200,000 of me. I can't come through THE INTERSECTION in the same direction as I was going that night, not even when someone else is driving.

Yes, I've talked it out with people - OVER AND OVER until if I have to tell the story one more time I'll shriek. Yes, I practice deep breathing, relaxation and prayer. Yes, I've taken more Unisom than I'd like in an effort to sleep more deeply and restoratively. (Never more than 2-3 times a week.) Yes, I have a feeling it's going to take a very long time to feel free of the fear and anxiety that's taken root.

We went to a soul-rocking concert on Saturday night. I've been glad to listen to this song on repeat since then. All I need is a sunrise, just a moment of dawn.



(I know my more emotional posts really make some of you, if you're still here, uncomfortable. I won't say I'm sorry about that.)

sweet babies

We went to the zoo when the girls were here… we’d seen a photo in the paper of my favorite primates and their new teensy baby and I was so excited to see what the mama would be doing with baby (the zoo hasn’t announced the gender yet) – would she still do her swinging display during their song? Turns out, she DOES! With the baby clutching onto her! Can you STAND IT?!?

Mama was very nurturing and hands on with the baby after they finished their song. It was so sweet. If that’s not rotting-your-teeth-out sweet enough, we saw this little girl, just 14 months old, nursing on her mama right in front of everyone! LOVE IT!

She is so cute and mischievous… after she finished her meal she was wandering away from her mother and climbing all over the place.

The old dude seemed less than thrilled with our presence.

There were other little ones hanging around, and others possibly being created (those turtles are “enjoying each other’s company” nearly EVERY time we go there). And the best part is we got to take the four cutest ones home.