MOCHA MORNINGS

Buccal Swab Kit Last week I joined the  Be The Match Registry , the National Marrow Donor Program, and today I received my swab kit for tissue typing.  The Registry was brought to my attention a week or so ago when updates about a Be The Match Drive were popping up in my Facebook news feed from people in my hometown.  I investigated this a little further and found out that if you are interested in joining the registry to be a potential donor, but aren't available to attend a drive, you can simply apply online at  www.bethematch.org  and they will send a kit to you in the mail.   There are a few guidelines to be a member of the registry: you have to be between the ages of 18 and 60 you must be willing to donate to any patient in need you are required to meet the health guidelines as outlined on their website. Once you receive your kit, as I did today, you simply swab your inner cheek with four separate cotton swabs to give a sample of your c...

Why just set one New Year resolution?  I find that when I do this I either forget about it or get bored with it.  Instead I have chosen to set a number of goals in hopes that I will be able to accomplish most, if not all of them.  Also, writing them down, blogging them and/or posting them on a social network is an excellent way to actually remembering the goals you have set for yourself as well as feeling that you are being held accountable for achieving them.  This is the first year that I have publically announced my goals.  I am hoping it will inspire me to follow through with them and I hope it also inspires others to set and work towards their own goals.  2012 Personal Goals: Read through the Bible in one year using  this chronological plan. Keep Ridiculously Delicious updated weekly with meal plans and new recipes. Plan blog posts a week in advance. Eat healthy, exercise faithfully and drink a lot more water! Get at least 7 hours of sleep a nig...

You never know what a new day is going to throw at ya. This week our 11 year old fell at school causing the ball of his femur to slip off the growth plate. After emergency surgery on Wedneaday and three screws later, he is beginning to learn to walk with a walker and will be coming home today. If you believe in prayer, we are asking for some. He has a long road ahead of him. Three screws through the femur to hold everything in place.

Moral of the picture....slow down and ENJOY Thanksgiving!  Christmas will be here soon enough! HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS!

On, On, U of K, we are right for the fight today... No wonder they're not playing Marist, I was looking at the wrong date...WEDNESDAY strikes again!! Ever have one of those days that starts off with wet hair in 18 degree weather, dealing with drug seekers all day and then come home to a burnt crockpot meal? And those were the highlights of my day. As my friend Pamela said this morning, "Wednesday, you are Monday's vicious little sister." So, in hopes to turning this day around at the last minute I am indulging in three of my favorite things...a good Grisham book, a good beer and a GREAT basketball game! Go Cats! Shock Top....one of my favs. Picked up a copy of  this, his latest, earlier today...

My office is pretty bare. I have a plant, that surprisingly is still alive, two computers, basic office equipment and beige walls. Oh, and a few skeletons, mainly of the spine. Yesterday school was out to celebrate Columbus Day and so E spent half the day at work with dad and half a day with me. Like most every Kindergartner he loves to cut, color and paste. After every worksheet he completed he would cut out the pictures. This one in particular he stapled to a post-it and tacked to my board. As he describes it, "the tooth is chasing the boy and girl and they are running away to watch the boy shoot the basketball." Now, who needs fancy artwork of Yellowstone hanging on the wall when you can have this? To me this is priceless stuff!

c licking around on pinterest tonight i found this and got a good chuckle from it, mainly because at work today i got a message from a patient stating she injured herself ANTELOPE hunting, however google voice typed it out as CANTALOUPE hunting. For a moment I was questioning whether I was working for a Pain Management doctor or one specializing in behavioral health... Thanks, Courtney V. for pinning this.  I needed the laugh. 

Video taken from some folks in Washington..... Last night my husband and I were having casual  conversation after he arrived home from Colorado and that is when he starting spitting out the odds of the satellite that was falling from space actually hitting someone.  "Say what?"  I've been so wrapped up in my new job and getting the kids from here to there, I haven't seen the news in a few days and had no idea what he was talking about.  I think the odds were something like a 1:32000 you could get hit by a piece of the UARS satellite that was now plummeting to Earth. WOW.  Those odds were pretty good, (this meant like 3 people in our town could get hit) and a whole lot better than the odds of winning the lottery  Right then and there I decided that I wasn't stepping foot outside til this thing entered the atmosphere and landed and deep down I secretly hoped it would hit our house we have for sale in Texas so that we could be done with that whole process a...

"Chocolate is the greatest gift to women ever created, next to the likes of Paul Newman and Gene Kelly.  It's something that should be had on a regular basis."  - Sandra Bullock I think that pretty much sums it up...

WTC site 11/2009 9/11/2001 ~ I was sitting at my desk in my office when I got a phone call informing me that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers in NYC.  While on the phone, the person on the other end who was watching the news coverage, announced that a second plane crashed into the other tower. For the rest of the day the entire HIM department listened in horror as the Pentagon was attacked and then as a fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.  I frantically emailed one of my best friends who lived in NY and luckily heard back from him that he was okay and that the hospital he worked at was in lock down and waiting to treat survivors.  I remember the fear as I was driving home and seeing gas stations out of gas and the ones that did have gas had lines of cars miles long, waiting.  Stores were closed and people were in full panic mode.  The entire night and following day was spent glued to the television, it absolute shock.  It...

I carry it in my purse and they fear it. I love it.

Obviously, I have totally been ignoring my blog.  Life has been crazy and blogging has been at the bottom of my to do list. However, things seem to be calming down (yeah, right) and I have found my way back to Mocha Mornings. I have been intensively working on my page as my little guy naps and I am actually quite pleased with its little face lift. Next on today's agenda, feeding the kids lunch.  For some reason they get really cranky when you don't feed them....

I must admit I am currently a little obsessed with the movie Julie & Julia.  Honestly, I watch it practically every day.  I love to cook.  I love to eat.  I love to watch movies.  So, there you go.  The movie inspires me.  It makes me want to set goals for myself, which in turn makes me feel accomplished.  These past few months I have just felt over-whelmed.  I babysit three small children, plus have four kids of my own, plus I am a preschool teacher two days a week.  By the end of the day I have no desire to cook, which makes me very sad.  However, I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Our last day of preschool was yesterday and in two weeks I will no longer have the extra munchkins that I babysit! No more snotty noses, dirty diapers, continuous screaming and crying or graham crackers crushed all over my house! So, the more I watch Julie & Julia, the more excited I get about the upcoming summer months which w...

This morning before school Ethan was silently sitting in the dining room eating a bowl of Corn Flakes and I was in the kitchen whipping up school lunches with a toddler hanging from my leg.  Then, out of the blue, I hear, "My name is Ethan and I can do COOL tricks!" ...and then he takes another bite of cereal. After breakfast we proceeded to get ready for school.  Since today is picture day, instead of his uniform, he could wear "Sunday Best".  After getting dressed and being very upset that he was having to wear long pants and not shorts, he asked, "Today we go to PE and how am I suppose to run in this?"  I let him wear his Silly Bandz bracelets and then he was okay with wearing the pants. Go figure.

w hen you have four kids, date nights are few and far between. so, when we do get a chance to run away from all the chaos our favorite place to go is this charming little coffee shop in our town.  open late on friday nights, this has become our hang-out.  we recently have discovered the benifits of bribing our 13 year old with 10 bucks and unlimited time on the PS3 in exchange for baby-sitting his three younger brothers so that his boring parents can escape to their favorite cozy little spot, order a hot caramel mocha and play their favorite card game..."boo".  and oh how i look forward to that hour and a half of bliss, all week long!

it's been a busy summer so far, but it's been a great one.  our  trip to Hawaii was absolutely amazing.  our visit with family from kentucky has been relaxing and enjoyable.  our day trips have been fun and adventerous.  and our walks at night, trips to the ice cream store and swimming with friends have been filled with laughs and unforgetable memories.  funny how the act of balancing kids, housework, meals and just life in general always seems easier in the summer! 

b efore... a fter... today's to-do list call cpa to double check taxes are ready to file double check pay off amount of student loans print off dave ramsey budget worksheets catch up on donation documentation call and take sonic survey for a free route 44 drink wash dishes do laundry sweep downstairs mop downstairs water plants call about relay for life info bible study meal plan make out grocery list get refund at grocery on item i was charged to much for water dog clean bathrooms entertain, feed and care for kids blog eat something, sometime shower prepare dinner clean up after dinner kids to ymca for family swim grocery shop pour myself a glass of wine sit down and develop a budget with my hubby (reason why i need the wine) and my husband wonders what I do all day!

i t amazes me how much satisfaction i get from picking up my pen, placing it on my notepad and scratching through my to-do list. such a simple task, but such a sense of accomplishment. my to-do list is never-ending, but that is okay. my mind is running 24/7 with things that need to be done, i.e., pick up the baby's immunization record from the pediatrician, clean out my desk, take donations to food pantry, plan meals for the week, transfer clothes from washer to dryer...you get the picture. if i didn't write it all down, i don't think i would ever get anything done. funny how with all the technology and fun little gadgets we have these days to keep us organized i still get enjoyment out of writing stuff down and marking it off.

17 February 2010 Ash Wednesday 1st day of lent As of today I am quiting facebook during Lent to strengthen my relationship with God. What an awesome feeling. During this time I am going to focus on my scripture reading, which I have been slacking on,digging into our daily devotional book, "Cultivating Fruitfulness" that our church is starting on Sunday, and finishing the book "Taking Care of the ME in Mommy" by Lisa Whelchel (Blair from The Facts Of Life). Farewell Facebook...see you after Easter!