Monday, March 31, 2008

Margaritanator

For Christmas I got a Margaritanator.. It is the coolest thing ever.
It shreds the ice on top and drops it into a blender where you add all the yummy stuff to it.Then it blends it all together in this creamy frozen yummy-ness.

I have made orange dreamsicles, pomagranita martini's (frozen) and Strawberry Mango margarita's... Now before I add any alcohol to it, I make sure and pour 3 small glasses for the kids, then I add the vodka and we all sit down for a yummy treat.Tonight I was making a Strawberry Mango Margarita and decided to throw a Banana into it.
PURE YUMMY-NESS. It was sooo good, I had to send a glass to my neighbor.

Have a great night,,, I will
Shel

Saturday, March 29, 2008

My day today.

Today started off as a pretty good day.

We decided that the kids had such a crappy Easter vaction so we took them to the Science and Industry Museum for a fun day before they go back to school on Monday. We drove into town, because its still pretty cold out, and I didnt want to get stuck walking around downtown all day, or having to rush around to catch trains and busses. It was a really great drive.
We ended up getting a family membership and that allows us to bring 1 person free every visit.
Who wants to come to the museums???

We saw the glass exhibit, the submarine, had lunch their, and saw only 1/2 of the top level.
We were pretty exhausted and decided to call it a day, and since we now have a membership we can come back anytime we want. We took a drive up and down Lake Shore Drive, and pointed out other Museums, the Millinnium park, the fountain, Navy pier, and SOX stadium (whooop whoop) Then we decided to come home, and made a really yummy dinner.

THEN the kids started fighting!
How do they go and start fighting after such a wonderful fun day?
Now they are stuck at the table till bedtime. All they can do is read or write. I LOVE this punishment.

Now I am looking forward to Chris coming home from the store and making me some mint, chocolate, chocolate chip cookies.. YUMMY !

Shel

Friday, March 28, 2008

Dove of the day.

When I am down, it helps to blog.
I was doing a "dove" of the day before, I think I'll start it back up.

Today's "Dove" of the day....

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast -
you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.
Eddie Cantor


I like this quote because my grandfather just passed away, and it's times like this that we are reminded that time goes too fast. We should all slow down, enjoy the things around us, and make lots of memories.

Shel

Favorite Foto Friday (FFF)



I follow many peoples blogs daily.
Some are friends, some are family, some are kids with cancer, some are just blogs I come across visiting other people's blogs. One of my favorite blogs I still follow has a very fun thing she does on Fridays.. Its called Favorite Foto Friday's (FFF.) Every week she posts different pictures based on a theme. Its so much fun to check in and see what each new weeks theme and photo's will be.
This week's theme is "The Eye's Have It".
Here is my Favorite Foto for this theme.....
This Photo was taken in the NICU when Ashlyn was born.
I just look at this picture and see such gentle, loving, proud eyes.
I just feel so much warmth with this picture.

To this day, 2 1/2 yrs later, Ashlyn still has them wrapped around her finger.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Shel

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Goodbye Grandpa in Milan!

My grandfather, Virgil Leo McCollum,
passed away Good Friday at 3:30am.
He was surrounded by family in his final moments.

Chris and I took the kids home on Thursday to see him, as we found out they were expecting him to live only 2 weeks. We got there Thursday night at 7:30pm and he was crying out. I alerted the nurses and they and Chris thought he was having hiccups. They said that he wasnt able to be woken up for most of the day. We talked to him and told him how much we loved him. During the hour we were there he started breathing funny and was trying to cough, but was too weak to do so. I again alerted the nurses. They gave him some more pain meds, and said that he had been slowly progressing all day, but it was all normal. We left at 8:30. The family got a call from the Hospice at 10:30 saying that we needed to come up, as he wouldnt make it thru the night. Personally, I couldnt go, but most of the family went up. They held his hand, they told him it was ok. They told him how much they love him, and in his final moments they prayed.
Its so heartwarming to me that he was surrounded by so much love.

The visitation was Tuesday night, and the funeral was Wed. morning.
It was a very nice funeral and Military Honors at the cemetary.

I still can not believe he is gone, but I am truely greatful that he is in a better place and is no longer in any pain.

I miss you already Grandpa.

Shel

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Grandpa

Hey everyone,
I dont have the greatest news. My Grandpa, Dad's dad, has been suffering from liver disease for a while now. He didnt look very good before Christmas and went to Texas as he always does for winter. My dad had to go bring him home a couple of weeks ago because he is not doing well at all. He has lost so much weight and doenst have much energy. We went home this past weekend for the St. Patty's parade and during the visit home we got a call that he was going to the ER via ambulance. When we went to see him, he looked bad... real bad.
I have been an emotional mess ever since. The doctors have decided he will not be going home, and that it is now time for Hospice. They have signed DNR papers and now have taken him off all meds except for pain. They are saying it can be anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks.

Although this is very hard on us emotionally, I have to try and believe that he is going to a better place where he will no longer be in pain. I told Kathryn that we have to look at this as a gift from God, as it is not all that often that you have notice that someone is passing and you get that chance to say goodbye. Right now Grandpa is concious and aware of what is going on so we will be taking the kids home tonight to give him their love and goodbyes.
Kathryn painted him a picture of fishing as that was her and his thing to do.
Ashlyn wanted to paint too, so she finger painted him a picture.
Brandon has been working very hard on his school report on the state of Kentucky, and wants to give Grandpa his speech. Grandpa has always been very proud of their school work and has always encouraged them to do their best.

There is not much else to say.
Please pray for peace and comfort for my Grandpa.
He will truely be missed by his 3 children, his 3 children in laws (?) his 7 grandkids, his 13 great grandchildren, his extended family, and his friends.

I love you Grandpa !!
Shel

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Katey has braces



Yesterday we took Kathryn to the orthodontist for X-ray's and a consultation.

We have been worried about her teeth since she was very young as she has a horrible straight bite and mashed her baby teeth gone. She also has a pretty good crossbite.

The Orthodontist was wonderful with her and had her cracking up laughing. She was so comfortable with him. He said because of the way she bites that her jaw is actually twisting, so he wants braces to hopefully pull her jaw straight and widen the roof of her mouth as well.

They had a cancellation and actually was able to get her in right away. Katey was so excited as she HATES her smile. So she got her braces and picked blue rubber bands to go around them.

Today she is a bit sore but is doing really really well.

Shel

Friday, March 7, 2008

Day 3

I feel great still!

Today I did a yoga workout this morning and plan on doing a walk tonight. I am trying not to snack today when I get bored. It kinda defets the purpose if I workout then snack. I really want to give this my all, and really stay with it. I dont know how many times I have said I am gonna do this.. This time I am, and Cassie is gonna keep me motivated. She calls me every morning and tells me to get off my butt or get my shoes on.

I am really proud of her, and I am proud of myself. I cant wait to go to Mexico with her and enjoy our new selves.

Tomorrow Chris and I are taking the kids downtown to the Science and Industry Museum.
We will be doing LOTS of walking. I am looking forward to a day with the family doing something fun.

Have a great day,
Shel

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Working out

Cassie and I decided that we really need and want to get healthy and loose weight.
She has a wedding she will be in next Aug and wants to look good in her dress, and she has had some health concerns with her weight. I talk all the time about loosing weight and feeling better about myself. So we decided we need to motivate each other and loose weight together. We also decided that when we meet our goals we will take a girls trip to Mexico.

Today was day 2 of working out. We both have digital cable and have exercise tv, so since we have the same workout we can do it together. Its really nice because we put the phones on speaker and keep motivating each other to keep going, and that we are doing a good job. We have started easy so we dont overwork our muscles and are in too much pain to work out the next day, but we are doing 2 power walks a day. They are each 1 mile and only take 25 mins.
I feel GREAT. I am so excited we are doing this together and cant wait to meet my goal.

Thanks for doing this with me sis, I sure do love you.
Shel