Feb 28, 2010 | Tennessee, Travel, United States
Friday I went with my daughter’s school to Memphis .
(What used to be STAX recording studios where so many recording stars got their starts.)
It was well worth the trip just to see this. Fantastic museum with something for everyone.
The kids ate lunch there while we took off for the
Pink Palace museum. The boys really wanted to do the Children’s Museum (which is awesome too) but they are no longer in the
ASTC and I couldn’t justify paying $50 for the less than an hour we had to play.
(If you don’t know about the benefits I highly recommend it. If you join one museum in the system you get into museums all around the world FREE! For a family it really adds up. We manage to work in at least one every trip we take and it saves us from $50-$100 a visit.)
They had a great exhibit on the history of chocolate which made us all very hungry!
The Parke’s Circus model
This was a powerful museum. Very emotional.
It’s amazing that so much happened in our nation, not so long ago.
The teacher that organized the trip played Dr. King’s last speech at the end of the tour and had the kids sit outside (where MLK was shot) to listen.
I can’t get over how intuitive this speech was.
Dr. King
“And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Feb 24, 2010 | Uncategorized
The weatherman last night said it might snow on Friday!
ARGH.
I’m so sick of cold weather.
Dreaming about gardening and itching to get started.
Here are some of my plans for my mess of a yard this year:
- Chicken coop (I want about three hens)
Something like this?
Or this?
- Hutch for our sweet bunny (he is much stinkier than the hamster and think he needs a place to go outside, at least in the daytime hours)
How cute is this hutch with a “green” strawberry roof?
This is cute too.
- More in my garden this year, and veggies around in strange places. I’m going to try and maximize my space. Check out Urban Ton for more info on city gardening. I broke down and got some of those hanging tomato planters. I know, I know, but a good gardening friend swears they are wonderful! Also thinking about doing some raised beds our of haybales on the unused side yard.
- Re-working our fish pond. It’s had a slow leak and the liner doesn’t seem to stop it. Since the dog loves to swim in it (he is a lab) I was thinking about just cementing the rocks in place and painting a liner on instead of putting the vinyl one back in. Also I want to redo the waterfall to make more of a “splash!” 🙂
Something like this? (ours is square)
- The kids are wanting to expand/improve our playfort into a tree house type fort for the bigger kids that they are (Going to get them to help me on that one.)
I like this one (but they will think it’s too sweet, I’m sure.)
Feb 23, 2010 | Uncategorized
Sweet baby, did you know then that you would
explore caves and oceans,
be in at least four war zones,
live in seven countries,
travel to many more,
and
(scariest of all) have six grandbabies
before your 65th birthday?
******
Yes, looking at that mischievous grin I think you did.
What adventures are you off to now?
I can’t wait to find out!
******
Happy Birthday, Mom!
I love you!
Feb 22, 2010 | Uncategorized
The Green Phone Booth had a post about the Huffington Posts’ “The Week of Eating In.”
It starts today!
The Challenge?
See if your family can NOT eat out for an entire week.
Beyond that,
see if you can make your food from scratch (not a box!)
We are in!
We are in the minority I think because we don’t eat out very often. I like to cook (sometimes) and like to know what is going into my family’s tummies. Also, we are always disappointed when we eat out it seems.
But…
on Mondays we ALWAYS eat out due to the fact that the kids have: school, dance, guitar, until 7pm, which makes us get home around 7:30PM. Makes for a long day for little ones. I’m going to attempt to throw some snacks in the van and then have pizza dough rising at home so we can make fast pizza when we walk in the door. Not sure if it will work but we’ll try!
It seems that once you start planning meals, that the rest comes much easier. No stress as to “What’s for Dinner?” No questioning on the kids’ (and hubby’s) parts.
It’s so expensive dining out with a family of five, even if you are eating kids’ meals! Eating out three times probably equals two weeks of groceries for us.
Some great sites for meal planning/recipes and such are:
Farmer’s Daughter
Feeding Five for Fifty
Make it From Scratch
Meal Planning
*My recipe blog isn’t great yet, but I have some recipes here.
Post a comment if you are in on the challenge! Also we’ll have an update next Monday to see how it went (if I made it through today without caving…)
Feb 19, 2010 | Uncategorized
I haven’t been wanting to write about this…
I went to my specialist (reproductive endocrinologist) to have my 3rd ultrasound…
Background info:
I have P.C.O.S. along with a small tumor on my pituitary gland that causes all sorts of hormonal havoc. After I realized when I was in my 20’s that five years is not a normal time frame for most people to get pregnant, I started asking questions.
“Are night sweats normal for a 24 yr old?”
“Shouldn’t I have more than 3 cycles a year?”
No doctor would listen. I was thin, healthy in all other ways. They did no tests and told me it was normal. (IT IS NOT.)
I started taking herbal supplements for menopausal women and in a matter of months I was pregnant with my Emily.
When she was two we started trying again.
Three years and four miscarriages later I got mad.
I researched online and in libraries and read two wonderful books “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” by Toni Weschler and “Women’s Bodies-Women’s Wisdom” by Dr. Northrup when I realized I had P.C.O.S. It took almost year and a half to get someone to test me for it. And the result?
“Oh, we are happy to tell you we discovered your problem.”
“Hmm,” I said.
“P.C.O.S.!” the doctor beamed.
Not wanting to do anything the doctor wanted me to (drugs, drugs, or drugs) I changed my ways.
- No red meat. (Organic wasn’t available then, probably would be fine but I still avoid all red meat.)
- No milk but organic milk. (Stopped drinking soy milk also because it has estrogen like components.)
- Almost all organic veggies.
- When I’d start getting hot flashes I’d use natural progesterone cream for a few months.
Guess what? I got pregnant with my second, then third kids.
I also demanded progesterone shots and took a daily baby aspirin.
Healthy miracle babies later I thought I was over all this.
I got pg in early December and thought it would be okay this time, now I knew what to ask for.
No.
Two, almost three months later at my 3rd ultrasound…
“No heartbeat.” the doctor said and walked out of the room.
In his office he had the nerve to say:
“I didn’t do anything wrong, there’s nothing I could have done.
“This happens with OLD moms.”
OH HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT, I AM ONLY 39!
*In my head: (“Hey doc, have you not been my doctor for 11 years or even read my record? The other four miscarriages were in my 20’s!”)
“There’s nothing I did wrong. There’s nothing I did wrong. Nothing I did wrong.” he said.
“Any questions?”
I was in shock. Too upset to cry.
My mom said in the lobby…
“That jerk didn’t even offer you a Kleenex.”
My conclusion. Infertility sucks. So does P.C.O.S. (And most doctors even worse.)
But…
Even if I do feel broken and inadequate right now,
I have an awesome mom who worries about me having a tissue,
I have three wonderfully, miraculous, phenomenal kids,
I have a supportive, loving, sexy, husband who loves me.
THEY are my heart that won’t quit.
