Leaving for Las Vegas

I am not going to be around for awhile. Going to Las Vegas with family. I know, we must be crazy as temps out there are in the 100's. The boys are super excited. I have not been to Las Vegas since the mid 1980's. Mark and I were in our 20's, we stopped to look around. In the early 1990's we passed by Vegas on our way to Zion National Park. They had built the Luxor (pyramid hotel) then. Anyway, it has been years and everyone tells me it is completely different now. My brother invited us to come, he wanted to get all the family together. I am not too keen on the Vegas scene, but I am giving it a whirl to be able to spend time with family.

We visited with my in-laws today, had a great visit. I welcomed my father in-law to the skinny club since we are both skinny from not being able to eat much. He is doing better and will be getting his kidney stone removed next week on Thursday. Then two weeks after that he will start his cancer treatment. Your prayers are much appreciated.

Thankful Thoughts

Today I had to take Brandon to the orthodontist to get his braces. His appointment was scheduled for 7:20 AM! I waited quite awhile and was able to read a few magazine articles. One article was on observing the sabbath. I liked what the author of the article was trying to convey. She used the example of her great grandmother who rested on Sundays. Basically, the writer was trying to say that it is a good idea to take time out to rest during the week, even if it is only for a few hours. And also, that we should not feel guilty doing it. I like that! And I like that my husband is always telling me to take time out to rest, he is so good to me.

Another article I read was about a couple who adopted an orphan from Russia. He was diagnosed with RAD and ADHD, same as my boys. The couple in the article went through a very difficult patch in their marriage as a result of adopting this boy. As I read the article I understood the pressures they went through, the pain and hurt of it all. At the same time, I remembered the struggles Mark and I had. At times we still run into struggles, but the Lord has been very gracious to us. Reading that article made me realize how much the Lord has done for our family and how thankful I am.

Eric had a good time guarding the fireworks stand with his Dad. He came home and slept most of the day. The cute thing about Eric is that he could not sleep until I got back home from taking Brandon to the orthodontist. Once home, I sat in our recliner and Eric laid on the couch and fell asleep. Mark did not get to sleep, he had to go to work. So I packed up a picnic lunch and brought it down to Mark at his work. Brandon, Mark and I sat in the car which was parked in the shade and had a nice lunch together. A cool ocean breeze blew into the car as we enjoyed our lunch. I am so thankful to live near the sea.

Well, I better get into the kitchen and serve up some of that peach cobbler I made for dessert tonight. Wishing you all happy summer days and things to be thankful for.

Lady Bird?

Bird visited a long while with me today. Eric took this picture. We have noticed that Bird has some dark feathers coming in. It looks like Bird is a gentleman rather than a lady. We are learning so much about sparrows from this little bird. Bird comes by everyday, sometimes only once a day and other days 3 or 4 times. Today Bird wanted to take a nap after his lunch. He sat in the plum tree and I stood by the tree. He would open his eye and make sure I was still standing there every so often. After awhile I got a chair and sat down and Bird came down and sat in my hair. He also sat on my shoulder and chatted with me. ;-)

Today was just a lazy day, we did not do much. I do not know what is wrong with me, but I have not felt well. I have been very tired, more than normal. I stopped taking the Arimidex. I decided that I do not want to take anything. I feel crumby enough as it is and these drugs make me feel worse with all their side effects. So I am just going to limp along as best I can with what I have. At least my pain level is down, but I still get that queezy feeling quite often. I have an appointment with my bowel doctor next week.

Tonight all of us are going to bed early. Mark belongs to a group of parents who run a fireworks booth in an effort to earn money for charity. The parents all sign up for different shifts. Mark signed up for the 2 AM to 6 AM guard duty. He will be doing it for the next 3 nights. So things are going to be out of sorts for a bit. The boys want to do guard duty with him, so he is going to let one boy a night join him. The boys are so excited; its cute.

Thank you!

To those that responded to my last post, thank you very much!!! Your comments were so helpful, a gift from the Lord. The other night I was talking to Mark and telling him about the women I have met through blogging. As I told him, I began to realized what an incredible blessing you all have been. How the Lord has used each of you to help me. And I hope that I have been used to bless you as well. Isn't the Lord so good to us? Praise Him!

Well, your prayers have worked because my Brandon is getting better. Granted, he is still sick, but he is over the worst of it, I hope. Also, my father in-law is getting out of the hospital tonight. He got a blood infection from the procedure he had done in Arizona in May. They also found an abscess by his pancreas. His white blood cell count was sky high, but now it has gone down into normal range since administering IV antibiotics. Mark took off work today and drove out to see his parents who are presently in California to begin cancer treatment. Of course the treatment for cancer has been delayed, but at least my father in-law is getting good care now.

Lady Bird is still coming by. This morning I went out to turn the sprinkler on and she swooped down on me to say "Good morning!". I still feed her. Today she sat in the tree to be near me while I was on the phone on the back patio. I love her!

Eric is having a nice summer vacation so far. He has been chatting with friends on Facebook. He hooked up with one of his old teachers who had moved to Colorado Springs. She is out in California visiting and he got to have dinner with her and a group of his classmates. Today he went to an old friends' house and he is going to spend the night. This Saturday he is supposed to bike to the beach with the Boy Scouts and next weekend he is going hiking. I am so proud of him for all the good friendships he has made and kept over the years.

Chit Chat

Busy, is how things have been.

Exhausted, is how I feel.

Talked to my endometriosis doctor on Friday, going to try the Arimidex (which is used after breast cancer treatment to suck estrogen out of the body). Have to try it. My pain level is down and I have noticed I am able to eat more, but still something wrong in there. Might be able to live with it. Taking it on a month by month basis.

Went to my niece's graduation and party. My niece is a very accomplished young lady. Her parents (my sister) are so proud.

Got all my books ready for the book sale. We have lots of books. Hoping to make some decent money. Eric turned in his final project for my history class. It took a bit to get him to do a good job of it. He is so capable, but lacks effort. Sigh. Have to grade it and enter it into my books. Do my final write ups, etc. and submit the paperwork.

Mark & I took Brandon out to lunch and gave him his graduation present & card. He felt blessed. He has come down sick, so I am mothering him. I do not feel well myself, body aches and a bit of a scratchy throat. Going to need a nap.

Boys

This is a picture of my boys cooperating and getting along.
I just had to snap this off, despite them saying "Mom!".
It was so nice to see them like this.

When I opened my freezer this evening I found the Invisable Woman from the Fantastic Four.
When she is cold she turns blue, when warm she is clear.
The boys have a tradition of breaking out their favorite toys when summer vacation begins, so when I see her in my freezer it is officially summer vacation.

This is something Eric built with Knex.
At the top is a ping pong ball.
When the ball is released it goes through the maze he has built.

This is Brandon with his army men.
He has always loved to put things in rows since he was a toddler.

I know, this is a very odd picture.
Actually, I am documenting my son's bad habit of not throwing
his trash away. Since I was going to take a picture he picked it up.

Here he is laughing after throwing the banana peel away.

We had a nice day.

Been Thinking

I love to write, but it is hard when there comes a flood of emotions. At those times it is best to be quiet and reflect. To sort out the mess. In untangling the emotions I came face to face with a verse of scripture after tripping over my slippers. It is written on a cross that hangs on the wall by my bed. A familiar verse, "In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path." Proverbs 3:6. Looking at that verse the Lord spoke to me very clearly. I realized that I have done what this verse says.

When I was in college I laid out a fleece about meeting the right man. When I wanted children I went to the Lord. Before I adopted my boys I went away by myself to pray. And before I had my surgery, I went on my knees in prayer. Staring at this verse, I realized He has directed my path. All this flood of emotion has been an attack of the enemy. I got hit, but not without good reason. It is an area that the Lord wants to work on.

Whatever your calling, remember… spiritual growth impacts our fruitfulness. The longer we’ve been believers, the greater our service should be. That does not mean tasks will be highly visible. Satan tries to convince people that some jobs are trivial. But the moment a believer falls for that lie, growth is stunted. God will promote those who put forth the best effort, no matter what the task is. ~Charles Stanley

The society that we live in does not respect the stay-at-home mother, but the Lord does. In His eyes my work here is important. When I work hard at the job He has given me, I please Him. There are days when I feel like giving up; that I am not able to make a difference. In those times I need to let go and let Him take over. I need not think on my feelings, but I do need to think of others'.

I remember the Lord speaking to me in the hospital when I had sepsis (which nearly killed me). He spoke to me through several people. I was chosen to stay, because my work is not finished. Because He wants me to take care of my family. This is His work for me, this is what He deems important.

NOTE: The picture above is of my boys when they were in elementary school.

Lady Bird, Etc.

Recently, a friend of mine asked about Lady Bird, so I thought I would give an update. Lady Bird still comes by everyday and I feed her while she sits in one of our trees. She flaps her wings at me letting me know I am her mommy and she wants food. Today I noticed she has grown some more, I tell her she is becoming a big birdie. Since I am going away for the weekend I have asked the boys to look after her.

My pain started up today which made the day a bit harder to deal with. Since it is the end of the school year things are extra busy. And to be honest, my sons drive me nuts, there is just no other way to put it. If you knew my sons you would know why I say that. Trying to keep my two boys in line is the same as working with wild horses. One of my sons rigged up something so that he can view his Facebook account while doing research on-line. Sigh. My younger son does not want me to leave home this weekend. He asked his Dad if he could come with me.

My sister in-law lost some weight so she gave me some of her clothes that do not fit her anymore. She buys very nice clothes so I was blessed that she thought of me. I think it is the Lord's way of taking care of me. They are size 4, which is what I wear now, but they were a bit too big when I tried them on. Rather than give them up, I did some sewing and took tucks. It will be wonderful to have some quality shorts & capris for summer.

Enjoying the Quiet

After dropping the boys off at school I came home to a quiet house. I set myself down on the green monster on the back patio. The weather is perfect, not too hot, not too cold. A soft ocean breeze blows. Here is a picture of the "Redneck" sofa with my rabbit companion.

Bun loves to snuggle. She jumps up on the sofa when anyone is nearby, letting us know she is ready for pets. I slipped her a few blueberries, her favorite treat. Lady Bird stopped by for a bite to eat. Here is a picture of her friends busy at the bird feeder I have made.

Tomorrow we are going to our local memorial park to place flags on the graves of persons who served in the military. It is something we do with scouting. We have been doing it since the boys were little. Also, Corrie ten Boom is buried in our memorial park. I have been bringing flowers for her that past few years since finding her grave. The Lord used Corrie in an amazing way, read about an awesome story of forgiveness here. There is also a ceremony that we attend on Memorial Day at the memorial park. Mark and I have been going since before we received the boys. We have a tradition of getting donuts in the morning, the boys love that. This year we are planning on riding our bikes to the ceremony which should be fun.

Update

Today we had our interview at the high school and it went very well. Our humble thanks to all who prayed for us. The principal was impressed with my sons. He said that he could not tell us that we are in and he explained why, but we should get a letter next week letting us know. The feeling was that if he could he would tell us we are in. We celebrated with ice cream afterward.

Lady Bird is still visiting us. Brandon has been the one feeding her most these past two days. I did get to be with her this evening. She sat on me for a bit and she pecked my jewelry, she likes sparkly things. Sometimes I cry when I think of her. I just want to scoop that little bird up and hold her forever. She is like a bit of Heaven.

My father in-law had his procedure done. They got a stint in and the kidney is draining, but they were not able to get the stone out. So he has more procedures to go through, but he has decided to continue with that after the cancer treatment is done.

I took some more hormone today, I did not want to be dragging for the interview. After taking it my spots of endo flared up. At least I know where the endo is. Only problem is the spot at the vaginal cuff. My endo doctor told me he will not do surgery there (too risky). God knows and His grace is always sufficient. I have decided that I am going to try Arimidex for the pain. Right now, we do not see an open door to scheduling surgery.

Empty Cage

Lady Bird's cage sits empty at night, I have not had the heart to put the cage away just yet. I miss her quiet little night time cheeps. She visited me quite a bit on Monday. Since I put the bird seed out the sparrows are always at my house. Lady Bird blends in with all the other birds so well it surprises me when she flies out from them. Other times she calls me, but won't come to me. Monday I brought the containers of meal & wax worms out to her and that suited her just fine. She sat in the tree or she would come down on the grass to eat. She has breakfast, lunch and a mid-afternoon feeding. At the mid-afternoon feeding she will fly right to me as soon as she hears my voice. Sunday we had a good afternoon visit, she was content to rest on my shoulder while I went about my business in the kitchen. She nibbled at my hair. Monday she came in the sunroom for a visit, but the boys were being a bit rowdy so she did not stay long. I am blessed that she is doing well, it comforts my heart so much.

Monday evening the boys found a baby raven (a big baby too, big enough to fly, but seemed a bit weak). Eric was thrilled to have it perched on his arm. In the morning I noticed the ravens were quite active and I saw them chase a hawk out of the area. Hmm. Anyway, my boys brought this baby raven home, but I had to draw the line. I decided Eric should put it in a quiet spot. As he was carrying it two adult ravens were following him. One of them swooped down on him. We placed the baby in the quiet spot. Eric went to check on the baby after a trip to the library, but the baby was gone, so hopefully it was reunited with its parents.

Mark got a call from his mother letting him know the latest news about his father. The doctor that he was working with quit the practice and so his case got taken over by another doctor. My father in-law is having a procedure done on Wednesday to break up a stone that is blocking his kidney. Right now the kidney is not functioning properly because of it. I know this weighs on Mark's heart, but even so he has a happy countenance for us all.

I have been doing alright, but having trouble with being tired during the day. At night I can fall asleep on the sofa, but for some reason when I get in bed I lie awake. I think the pain and menopausal symptoms have me messed up. I feel I am lagging behind in too many areas or just barely keeping up. Sigh.

First Night Without Lady Bird

I am getting a little teary writing this post. Today was a busy day for us. My men went to Scout-O-Rama early this morning. After they left I fed Lady Bird and then let her outdoors. She came back for lunch and was very hungry. After a bite to eat she left. My men came home for lunch and shortly after that we went to my niece's 13th birthday party at the roller rink. We had a grand time and I enjoyed skating. (I still have a bit of spunk left in me. LOL) After the skate party we stopped by home, I called for Lady Bird, but she did not come. We gave the kitties a bite to eat, put the rabbit in her hutch and then left to join family for dinner. We came back about 7 pm. Lady Bird is usually in bed at dusk. I called for her, but she did not come. Now it is dark. I am hopeful that I will see her in the morning. I hope she is safe where ever she is.

Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful spring day here in sunny Southern California. There was a cool ocean breeze to go with our day. Lady Bird wanted to go flying early in the morning. She came home for a bit of lunch and then went back out. In the afternoon I did a little bit of gardening while the boys sat on the porch and read books. I took some random pictures around the cottage that you might enjoy.





After our nice time on the porch we started moving furniture. The boys got the green monster sofa out of the house. We put it on the back patio for now. After sweeping floors, washing baseboards and whatnot, Eric and I sat on the sofa outdoors. It was actually very wonderful to sit out there with the cool breeze blowing on us. The rabbit jumped up on the sofa and we had fun petting her. We just enjoyed each others company while Brandon was having fun on his Facebook account.

Lady Bird came home around the same time that Mark did. She was one tired little birdie. She fell asleep perched on my arm. It was so cute! Mark took me out for dinner so I did not have to cook tonight. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant which was an extra wonderful treat for me because my tummy has been having an exceptional good day. Yipee! Afterward, we went over to my brother's to pick up the sofa. We had fun visiting for awhile and then we went on home and got the new sofa inside the house. We really like it. The color is perfect, it really brightens up the room and actually makes our tiny living room feel bigger (I wish it really was, but oh well).

What a Day!

It was a homeschooling day today and it started out with the boys' computer being on the fritz. Eric kept trying to get it going, but it just would not boot up. Later in the day after school was done Eric helped me with some shopping. When we got home, Mark was already home. We wondered why he was home early. He explained that he bent over to pick something up and heard something rip. It was the seat of his pants. LOL I noticed that pair was looking a bit worn, but did not think it was that bad.

We went on a family bike ride, afterward, Eric spent time in the garage tinkering. Both Mark and I are always telling Eric not to get into things that he shouldn't without asking. Well, that always seems to fall on deaf ears. I was sitting at my computer when I heard a sound from the garage that was out of the ordinary. I called to Mark and told him he better get out to the garage and see what the boys were up to. I am so glad I was not the one to go out there. Eric had started a fire. Thankfully, with his Boy Scout knowledge he was able to put the fire out, but not without scorching a rug. The sound I heard was a big flame igniting. I am not going to say how the fire started, but we are blessed that our son was smart enough to put the fire out correctly.

After that, I got a call from my sister that my Uncle passed away. He had taken care of my grandmother for many years and the last time I saw my Uncle after my grandmother had passed away, he let me know that all my letters had meant a lot to her and that I had made her happy. Now he too is gone.

Lady Bird went flying today. She knows her way home and comes to the backyard and calls. I come out and call to her and she flies to me. She is always happy & hungry when she comes home. She usually rests for a bit and then wants to go back out. Today she took another bath and Eric and I snapped off some pictures.

Eric took this picture of her shaking herself off.

I took this picture of a wet bird.

Here she is sitting on the towel fluffing her feathers.

Surprise!

Today Mark brought me these flowers when he came home from work. It was such a lovely surprise! It really meant so much to me because the past few days I have been struggling with pain and bowel troubles. Even so I am trying to keep up with my homekeeping duties. I am behind after being on Danazol. Below is a picture of the baby bird which I have named Lady Bird.

We have had her a week now and she has been a joy even though it takes a lot of work to keep her fed. She has fattened up and the bald spots have filled in with feathers. She is full of spunk and hops around her cage happily cheeping at us. She has taken to flying about at times, but needs a little work on landing.

Today was a busy day of homeschooling, laundry and cooking. Last week the boys had SAT 10 testing so there was not much school work to be done. Good thing I tried the Danazol last week. Today I needed to be teaching and I am thankful that I am back to my regular self so that I can teach. Below I am sharing pictures of what I cooked for dinner hoping it will help inspire you in your cooking.

Here is a lovely pot of Red Beans.
They were served with brown rice.
(The recipe link says to use "kidney" beans, I use "red" beans instead.)

A lovely green salad.

Some garlic bread I made up.

For dessert we had Butter Pecan ice cream.
Happy meal making!

Homemade Things

The boys and I decided to stay home to rest today. The TEA Party rally and the bike ride really took a lot out of my body. I have been catching up on laundry, which is much needed as the boys will be going camping this weekend. For today's post I thought I would share all things homemade. I hope the pictures are inspiring.

Banana muffins with coconut on top.
The pot on the stove contains soup as seen below.

Used the ham bone from our Easter ham.
The soup has beans, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, Italian parsley
and a can of creamed corn in it. My men loved it.

This is a pan of mashed potato biscuits.
Yep, I used leftover mashed potatoes.
They are absolutely delicious!
Here is the recipe.

This is my strawberry applesauce.
Berry simple to make.
Just peel & chop apples and some strawberries.
Place in a pot with 1/2 c. water & sugar.
Add a cinnamon stick.
Bring to a boil, then simmer till tender.
Remove the cinnamon stick and then use a hand
blender to make it nice & smooth.
Yum!

This is a treasure I got for Easter from my
sister in-law. She crocheted this bunny
and chick. I love them!

And last, but not least, this is the handiwork
of my son, Brandon and his Dad.
Brandon had to make a model of the solar system for
science class. The sun is a paper lantern that Brandon painted.
They did a fantastic job on it.

Happy Easter!

This is an Easter present from Mark, that was waiting for me when I got home from running around town vainly searching for Easter grass. What a blessing it was to come home to these!

Yes, I went to four stores and none of them had any Easter grass at all. I wonder what is happening in the world? I kept putting off getting grass because I thought I had some stored away. Well, when I could not find it I went to the crowded stores. I ended up buying the expensive paper shreds just so I would have something.

Today has been a good day for eating. The endometriosis has settled down and I have been able to eat without dire pain. Yeah! But on the other hand I have been off of the hormones for over a month now and the symptoms of menopause have set in. My back aches, I am having hot flashes, mental fogginess, etc. Sometimes before a hot flash I have a bit of anxiety set in. It is a horrible feeling, but doesn't last long, just lets me know a hot flash is on its way. When I was taking hormones for awhile I felt so alive, it was nice.

It has been a busy day preparing for Easter dinner at our house. Lots of cleaning to do, which the boys helped with. Also, got the ham and got what we need to make sour cream coleslaw and baked corn. My family members are bringing the rest of the meal. Speaking of family we got a call from Mark's father (who lives in Arizona) that did not bear good news. My father in-law has cancer. They have caught it early, so he has that going for him. He has talked to friends and been told about a clinic here in California near us that is very good. At times like these I do wish that our modest cottage was not so little, but we will find a way. Also, my mother in-law is going to be having knee replacement surgery next month. I have not heard any more news regarding my uncle, but I will find out tomorrow.

Well, I would love to chat some more, but I have pineapple muffins to bake and Easter eggs to color with the boys (they still love to do it at their age) and then I have baskets to fill and eggs to hide. I'm a busy mom and I love it!

Beautiful Day

Today I woke up feeling better than I have felt the past few days. It was a beautiful day filled with sunshine and a cool breeze, the kind of day where you want to open the windows. I stayed home doing laundry and cooking all day. Mark taught the boys math in the morning after our breakfast of homemade pancakes and bacon. In the afternoon he ran errands and worked with the boys in the garage doing various fun things. For lunch, we enjoyed soup and salad with homemade strawberry applesauce and a butter cookie for dessert. After lunch Eric went in the garage and did some work on our bicycles, after doing so he convinced all of us to go on a family bike ride. When I came out to get my bike, Eric had decorated the basket on my bike with roses and paperwhites from my garden. We all had a great time riding together. I felt a bit out of shape, I think because I am not completely well yet. It felt good to get out in the fresh air and sunshine, especially with those flowers on my basket. After the ride I took the flowers inside and put them in a vase. The paperwhites smell so good and will remind me of my special bike ride (and my son's love).

Rough Week

If you are looking for one of those blog entries that is sweet and nice, this post may not be your cup of tea. At our house there are struggles with one personality grating on another. Life here at the Little Blue Cottage is not all roses. In my writings I hope to show how God can work through the tough times in life. I have written about my health journey, but today I am going to write a bit about life with my boys.

This week was one of those weeks where a mother struggles with teenagers that have a mind of their own. The suggestion that one get dressed goes unheeded because a video game is much more enjoyable. Then there was the time I asked my teen to clean up his room and he said, "When I grow up, I am not going to marry someone that is a neat freak." Oh, there was the incident where someone pulled an electrical cord out of the outlet in the sunroom and pulled out the wall panel with it. Then there was the time when a pulley was rigged up to a telephone pole and I caught the doer of this deed before he hoisted himself up the pole (electrical wires and all). Yes, there is never a dull moment here at the Little Blue Cottage.

Thankfully, I am coming up on a weekend alone. Praise God for Boy Scouts! With all my men going off camping this weekend, I get some much needed "alone time". And this time I am feeling well enough to enjoy myself. Aaahhh.

On the Menu

Today I am practicing the art of thrifty cooking.

Dinner:
Pinto beans with bacon
Jiffy corn muffins
Spinach Delish

For dessert:
Banana pudding & whipped cream

The latest update is that the boys have been driving me nuts with their antics. This weekend they are going to Camporee where they will be competing with other troops at various events. My oldest son is an expert at knots and lashings. He can do all kinds of fun stuff. Here is a picture of something he did today.

A neighbor cut down a couple of trees and she said that my son could have some of the branches. Of course he took them and got rope from the garage to make this little stretcher.

On another note, I am sending a copy of the tests I recently went through up to my endo doctor. After enduring yet another bout of horrible pain, I have written a letter stating that I want surgery. As for the endoscopy, I have not heard a peep. We put in a call to my bowel doctor, but did not get anywhere. If I don't get the scope I am not going to be too disappointed as I am sick of all these scans and tests. And I will be seeing my bowel doctor in April and I'll just tell him they never called. And I will be telling him that I am ready to have someone take a look inside.