New

Today is the start of a new day! It is also the start of a new job. Until I get acclimated to this newness... I will be taking a short break from my blog. I am hoping to be back in two weeks ready to share all of my adventures with you! Until then, enjoy whatever NEW things come your way!

Lamentations 3:22, 23

Did I really just do that?

How do I get out of this one? I don't think I can... It sure is making me laugh, though! One of my precious daughters walks in and says "Mom, friend's name (all privacy is protected here on this blog... most of the time!) just called another friend (see previous parenthesis) a bad word and I don't know what it means. I think it was something like BH or VH or something. What is it?" Now, let me interject right here that on a somewhat-regular basis, I have a cuss word inventory with my kids. They get to tell me all the words they aren't supposed to say (so I can see what the schools are teaching my children, you know, the real life education they get while getting an education?) and I tell them the literal meaning. So far, it has kept my kids from cussing or using inappropriate language, because the meanings of the words are so silly and you can get your meaning across without demeaning yourself by using cuss words. At least, I hope it has worked so far. And, I love hearing what words my kids think are cusses. (stupid, looser, heck, and yes, the four letter ones...) Ok, back to the story...
So I, the mom, the wise one, reply "Did she say the word b**ch? Is that what she said?" Child answers, "I'm really not sure. But what is that word mommy? Is it a bad word? What does it mean?" I'm too busy storming out of the house to answer. I might have said, yes it is a bad word, but I really don't remember... I go outside and holler across the yard "Child! Have you been calling someone a bad word?! We don't use bad words at THIS house!" She then explains to me that she didn't say a bad word, she said the initials BH which stands for Butthead. But, no she wouldn't say a bad word over here. She knows not to. At this point, I am very proud of myself. I do not double over laughing. I contain my composure and remind her that I would appreciate it if they talk nicely about other people. She says "Yes Ma'am" as sweetly as can be. At this point I start yelling at everyone to get in the car, cause we're goin' to church! Which is where I need to be to confess my sin of teaching my child how to cuss.

Wordless Wednesday - What I want to be when I grow up...

When my daughter told me that instead of an actress, she wanted to make cakes, I jumped on it! We made our own marshmallow fondant and this is her first fancy cake! It looks like her career as a cake decorator is starting off wonderfully!

For more Wordless Wednesday, please visit 5 minutes for mom and jolly mom.

My Many Miracles - it's only routine

As I've mentioned before, I just passed the year anniversary of when I was given another chance at life. My life was almost taken, but God gave me another chance. I know we have new chances every morning. As a follower of Christ, I believe that I have a new chance ANY TIME I need one. But when you see your life fading, and possibility of death from Earth fast approaching, it changes your perspective. At least, it did mine. Did it ever! Before I get into all the details of what happened, I want to share with you what I wrote a few weeks after my "near death" experience. I didn't know it at the time, but I still wasn't out of the woods. As I look at the date, I wrote this exactly a year ago this week! Enjoy the glimpse into one of my many miracles!

it's only routine... and on a 'lucky' day
On 08-08-08 the world was talking about what a lucky day it was. For me it was a day I was to have a very routine surgery. One night in the hospital, two to four week recovery time. No big deal. The surgery went fine. Or so they thought. In recovery they realized it was not good. But it was a day of luck! What was going on? My blood pressure was crashing. There was internal bleeding. When they checked it out, emergency surgery was needed. I remember hearing bits and pieces of it and knew there was trouble. From what I understand, here is what happened: I was hemorrhaging and something else was going on with my blood. I went into shock and my body was attacking my blood. It was going from bad to worse. I know my doctor prays before each surgery and pictures The Great Physician behind him guiding him and giving him wisdom. I need to inform him that in my case, God stepped in and carried me. I wanted to live. God took the team of doctors and preformed a miracle. He carried all of us. And I survived! My blood pressure was very unstable and my blood was doing funny things. I had 12 or more transfusions among other blood stuff. I have 2 clots, one in my lungs and one in an arm. They put a filter in my lungs to protect against any more clots and the one that is there. My veins didn't cooperate and I had to have a central line put in. I swelled up and it made movement very difficult. After a few days my lungs started filling with fluid and started to collapse. I ended up staying in the hospital for 12 days. The road ahead is filled with doctor appointments and different kinds of treatments. We still don't know what is going on with my blood. Not all the numbers are running normal. I still have clots and will have to have the filter removed when the clots are gone. Walking is slow and I have to take it really easy. Through it all, God held me close. Jesus was my companion at the darkest moments. Without the miracles and mercies of God, I would not be here. I am reminded of that everyday and am so happy to be alive. My outlook is one of freedom and grace. I see God's smiles all around me, through people's prayers, through phone calls and emails, through offers of help, through the bird that plays on the tree outside my window. God has shown me there is a new path for me, a new way to live. I no longer have a job so I can have as long as I need to heal. I no longer feel oppressed by the outside things I was beholden to, things that didn't really didn't matter. I was given a gift in this. A gift of life and a gift of a new path. It really was a 'lucky day'. Thank you God!

Swagbucks

Have you noticed the swagbuck button on my sidebar? I'm laughing as I read that sentence, knowing that some of you that read this blog are not quite blog-savy yet... sidebar??? button???? swagbucks???? Just for fun, I'm only going to answer the question "Kimberly, honey, what is that swaggy thingy?". (If you add layers of southern drawl and add "I swanny" to the end, you'll get a complete impersonation of my mom!) Enough already! Just tell us about Swagbucks!

Yes Ma'am!

Swagbucks is a search engine (a google thingy) that gives you "swagbucks" for using it to look things up! It randomly awards people swagbucks. You may or not get one when you use it, but if you use it enough, it will add up! If you sign up under me, just by clicking the button on my sidebar, I'll get swagbucks! If people sign up under you, you'll get swagbucks! So why do you want swagbucks???? You redeem them for free stuff!!!! They have all kinds of things... mp3 downloads, music, games, movies, and my favorites... gift cards! I've gotten 2 Amazon gift cards worth $5 each and am almost to my 3rd! You can even trade in swagbucks for real bucks with paypal! And who doesn't want money! So get signed up, people!

A cool thing... they do not send you spam emails! The emails are only for activating your account and info about your prizes!

One more cool thing... they give out swagcodes all the time. Right now, if you click on the "special offers" in the red box, skip the offers, you will get a code. Copy it and type it into the box on the home page that says Enter swag code (under your name and how many swagbucks you have).

Any questions? Still wondering what a button or a sidebar is? I'll answer the best I can... I swanny!

Wordless Wednesday - It's that time of year again!

Back to school time!

How did your first day go? What about the morning of?

Kids are still happy!

Angela had a much better day! She said "It's all good now!"

Smiles around our house!

For more Wordless Wednesdays,

visit 5 minutes for moms

and Jolly Mom.

First Day of School... Mom's point of view

Whew! We made it through the day! I thought about the kids all day and wondered what they were doing... if they were having a good day... how their lunch was... simultaneously enjoying the peace and quiet! It was amazing... I got to watch what I wanted on TV! (So... I didn't actually watch TV, but knowing I could watch what I wanted when I wanted without interruption was a luxury!) I cleaned the whole house top to bottom! (OK... ENOUGH of this fairy tale! I did get the bathrooms done...) I completed my whole chore list! And had time to spare for a nap (and play on facebook, and blog, and chat on-line...)!
Picking up the kids from school was filled with excitement and anxiety. I didn't even make it to the playground because there were too many moms to catch up with on the way! Instead, my kids met me by the cars. (We don't do car line, we do backdoor walkers, otherwise known as mom's social time!) They all came home with smiles and excited stories. Evelyn walked around singing how much she loved school! (SHOCK! Excitement!!!) Amber had stories of her friends and is so excited to be in class with a close friend!

Angela's bff since preschool is in her class! She did have a hard time because a girl in pigtails kept touching her birthmark. It was a bit too much for her... Angela asked me today why God gave her the birthmark. I don't have that answer. I told her that. I also said "So you can show the world what beauty really is!" After talking for a while about what else went wrong that day, she was fine and ready for a good year. We both just hope the kids get used to her birthmark pretty soon so they will stop asking questions. This is something we go through in any new situation and it gets better.

The bus for Emily didn't get home until almost 5 o'clock! I was going crazy and really curious about her day. She loved it. It is a challenge, to find her classes and know how it all works, but she is really excited about it. She was glowing with excitement for all this year holds. The best part... the girls all kept talking and talking and sharing and sharing and were happy. As soon as dad stepped into the house, he took time to sit with each child and hear about their day! I'm so thankful the girls want to sit and share with their mom and dad the events of the day. The first day of school! And to clear up the sock drama... that child has decided socks are not quite so bad after all and will wear them to school. Now to see if we can keep the hair drama to a minimum! (I'll take those dramas!) Mrs. Tickle, did she live up to her name??? Evelyn says YES!

Our annual picture outside the school! Smiles this year!