Our week was E-E-E-Extraordinary!

We spent last week talking about all things that start with letter "E."

Ok, well maybe not allllll things ... just FIVE things haha

We focused on the following "E" subject matter: Eyes, Ears, Elephants, Eggs & Earth
Our color this month is yellow as you can see from our first craft of the week. We started new monthly goals, memory verse and so on.

Simple enough right? You'd be surprised how you can make full blown preschool lessons plans from easy subject matters! :)

We had a busy week outside the home, so we spent both Saturday and Sunday playing catch-up on our preschool activities and lesson plans. It doesn't matter what day or time we do it and THAT, is what I love and works so wonderfully for us!!

Thought I'd share the fun!

All about Eyes.

All about Ears.

We read an odd little book that we had gotten from the library to go along with our theme of eyes and ears called "I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes!"

I couldn't help but laugh when it talked about "I love you, nipples -- east and west" and when it talked about "I love the parts my friends don't see: the parts that poop, the parts that pee."
          Hahahaha really??!! I know, I'm so mature!


Getting in some Elephant & Earth themed crafts.

 And we of course are always incorporating therapy and some fun. :)

Already Missing It ...

With the last few days being cooler (yesterday was down right COLD!), I am already finding myself missing the warmer, bright, sunny weather.

I live for Spring and Summer, and Fall NEVER lasts long ... its like Summer then BAM! Winters here with all its ugliness :s!

It seems like I can't get enough outdoorsy time, in the sun, smelling the fresh air, having the breeze in my hair and face ... I just love it!

And seriously, its so sad ... I'm already going through pictures mourning for the winter to come haha.

I really enjoy, and feel extremely fortunate, to be so close to a beautiful lake. It is something I don't take for granted, that's for sure!

It truly is my oasis.

 

 

 

 

Like I said, gorgeous huh?

Who WOULDN'T want to spend their time here?!?

Life in a Jar

Haven't really been blogging much lately. Pretty busy it seems and when I can get them, naps sound better!

I've been reading a new book lately too and that takes up more of my time as well.

Its been great that I've gotten back into reading more regularly. Always loved it, but college kind of zapped my "reading for fun" and even though I've read a few books here and there, it took a long while to really get that desire back. Glad I did because its rewarding to have your mind learn ... take you to different places.

The book I'm reading right now that I borrowed from Justin's grandma is called Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project. I think there are several people in the family (maybe Aunt Terri and Haley?) that have read this book too as its based on a true story about a Holocaust Hero and the Kansas Teens who discovered and revealed this marvelous woman by the name of Irena Sendler.

I think this book has been so special to Justin's grandma because the teens in the book where from a town called Bronson/Uniontown (Justin's grandparents live in Bronson ... his mom, aunts & uncle were raised there) and so its more personal when they talk about places and things. Pretty cool I think. The book even talks about how one of the girls worked at a place called The Chicken Shack which is not only good greasy food, but like the only place in Bronson haha. For me, I connected with these high school girls because they are about my age, I could relate to their own personal struggles that are shared in the beginning of the book and I think its awesome the impact they have made on a global scale.

Each year there is something called National History Day, in which half a million kids across the country participate, and the theme back in 2000 for these girls was "Turning Points in History." Uniontown is a small place ... I think I heard somewhere around 300 people? ... and even growing up in Claflin (another small town), I've never heard of a National History Day project. I don't think its something our school participated in other than maybe briefly talking about it and making a bullet board display in the hallway?
          I wish we would have made it into something so much more meaningful. And who knows, I might have not cared back then, but when the opportunity isn't there, you're never given the chance too either.

In this story, one of the high school girls, her name was Liz, came across an article torn from a magazine called U.S. News and World Report from what I think was the March 1994 issue. It captured her attention.

Most people remember the well known movie Schindlers List? Well, this article was about "The Other Schindlers" and there was a little blurb about a Poland social worker named Irena Sendler, who went by the code name "Jolanta" and how she did endless heroic acts to save the lives of so many Jews after Hitler built the Warsaw Ghetto in 1940 and herded more than 500,000 Polish Jews into the ghetto walls. These Jews were starved, diseased with typhus, plagued by fleas, filthy and simply waited to die from lack of all basic needs or to be liquidated by their tyrant.

Sendler specifically saved nearly 2,500 Polish Jew children by smuggling them out of the ghetto in a variety of ways such as in sacks under putrid soiled rags or in the back of an ambulance. She gave them new identities and buried their real, natural names in bottles in her own garden so that one day these children would know who they were, where they came from ... have their original identity back.

I don't think people can really comprehend what 2,500 people looks like. If Uniontown was/is around 300 people, then she saved a town that size more than eight times over!! That's insane! And she didn't just save 2,500 children, she saved countless families ... she truly changed lives forever!

In the mist of everything ... everything that was going on, all that was being endured by everyone at that time ... who thinks to write these children's names down so that one day they can know who they really are?
          An optimistic person with a vision, with a plan ... one who believed every child deserves to know their true name and history ... a person who EXPECTS goodness to prevail!

In one portion of the book it is written ...

... "There was no end to people's imagination and daring. One orphan, Aron Stefanek, was thin enough to escape under the coat of a man leaving the ghetto on a work brigade. He slipped his bare feet into the man's boots and held onto his belt; the man's coat, when closed, made the skeletal boy invisible. Others were smuggled out in garbage bags ... morgue wagons provided another escape vehicle. Sedated orphans, who looked half dead already, were placed among the corpses."

 

Completely horrifying.

 

Later in the book, as soon as word began to spread about camp liquidations, Irena went from saving orphans on the streets that were near death, to actually coaxing parents out of their "healthy" children at a chance for at least the children to survive. The parents demise was as predicted, unavoidable.

 

Here is a picture of Irena back in 1939 when she was 29 years-old.

The face of a true hero in my opinion.

I'm only half way through the book, but now being a mother myself, I can't imagine someone asking to take my child in an attempt to save them, knowing that if they were caught, they would be slaughtered on the spot and yet even if they didn't get caught right away, they still might end up perishing. If these Jewish parents did not trust Sendler, did not try to provide better for their children, if these children ended up staying with their parents, they'd surely die right along the side of everyone else. Somehow, knowing the odds, it would still be incredibly difficult to give up your child ... your children. There would be no words to describe that. To know you'd never see them again? Gives me chills to think how life must have been. Even in the words that are written, I still can not imagine the horror of it all. Its so easy for people to forget, to know what life was, what it could be. I remember reading that Sendler said "In my dreams I still hear the cries when they (the children) left their parents." You just don't forget that kind of stuff. I imagine she spent her entire life reliving all the these moments whether in her dreams or nightmares.

When the girls started this project, they relentlessly searched for information regarding if Irena was still alive, and if she had died, then they wanted to locate her tomb.

To their shock, she was still alive and in 2001, the girls were fortunate and blessed enough, that through raising money and donations, they were able to fly to Poland (several times) and meet Irena in person.

Here's a picture of Irena in her late 90's.

The first third of the book was about the school-aged girls struggle to research and uncover the Sendler story, to design and enact a play regarding the subject matter and so forth. Right now, for me,  I'm in the most interesting portion of the book where its written as if Sendler is recalling her experiences and giving accounts of her heroism. I love the fact that when Sendler's story was being discovered and told, she was in fact still alive. She only recently passed away in 2008 at 98 years-old.

Amazing!

Ok, so I didn't plan on writing so much about a book, but history is interesting and when written well, it's comes to life. To see something so triumphant come out of such horror ... its inspiring.

I've always thought that one person ... ONE PERSON ... can truly change so much. Irena was a perfect example of this. The girls from Uniontown High School were an example of this.

I could only hope to be as inspiring, as courageous ... so selfless ...

To be this kind of person in the most horrific of times, is without a doubt the biggest testimony of love and heroism at its finest.

One Month Down

Jocelyn started her preschool at "POWERful Beginnings Academy" over a month ago now.
          (We started school early -- we're overachievers -- I know! hahaha That's one of MANY beautiful things about homeschooling! It actually never ends once you are in the mindset)

Best part about it all so far?
          She is LOVING it.
          I'm LOVING being Jocie's teacher.
          And by God, she's really doing well.


{This would now include me.
I already know that Jocie can FEEL that I SEE HER
... that I EXPECT her to succeed!}

I'm not sure what it is, but this homeschooling thing is really working well for us.

Really anyone can homeschool. Often times most parents are already teaching -- "schooling" their kids -- but it really comes down to intentions. When you do things intentionally, for me, has changed everything. Not sure if I'm explaining this very well, but most of these things we have been doing all along, but now I have more direction, vision, motivation, purpose if you will ... and it changes everything for the both of us!

I feel like I've worked hard to plan, prepare and implement this new program for us and it feels amazing that we are already reaping the rewards. Before I talk about all the good stuff, let me just be clear, the first week of school was rough, rough, ROUGH!!!

It seems like every time you try something new (ie a new workout routine, a new diet, a new sleeping schedule, new job ...) anything and everything is against you, stresses you to the max, seems impossible ...
          It was a struggle of love.

That is how the first week went for us. Not the entire week, but a big chunk of it. We had many appointments we had to go too which took nearly all day, Jocelyn couldn't seem to keep nastiness from coming out of both ends, she wasn't sleeping a wink, Justin was gone, I had a million things that needed to be done ... the list was LONG!

I often found myself taking hour by hour ... even minute by minute with keeping my eye on the prize.

Needless to say, we prevailed!

With a month of school under our belts, Jocie has already shown me that although things may take us longer, that she is gradually learning and able to demonstrate that she understands. Learning how to tap into her expressive communication is such a challenge for us both (her finding ways to tell/show me, and me finding ways to help her do that) and its an areas we are really starting to make progress with.

For the month of August we focused on the following:

• Color: red
• Shape: simple line (ie attempting to make a line with a marker ... right now, I'm happy with her simply HOLDING the marker and if she makes a scribble, then AWESOME.)
• Letters: A-D
• Number: 1
• Personal Name: identifying first name
• Manners: please & thank you
• Song: Itsy-Bitsy Spider & Patty Cake
• Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:31 & Psalm 139:14
• We change our manners, song & memory verse bi-weekly
• Book of the Month: "Designed by God: So I must be special" (EXCELLENT book for kids!)
• Fine Motor: color on vertical surface, sorting toys, peg puzzles and wooden blocks
• Gross Motor: crawling, pushing-up on all-fours, transitioning from all-fours to sitting & standing next to bench

For this first month, I planned for 5 days a week and its worked well. I might switch things up to actually planning 4 days a week because of appointments, bad days, etc. Its SO EASY to over-plan and its important NOT to do that. But what people often do not understand, is that if we aren't doing something with Jocelyn, she often is doing just that ... nothing. So in theory, we really are helping her learn, teaching her, all the time unless she's watching a show or something because we have to help her even with simple play.

Here were the themes for each week:

• First Week - Letter A - Ants, Apples, Alligators, Alphabet and Airplanes.
• Second Week - Letter B - Bears, Bugs, Balls, Bubbles and Birds
• Third Week - Letter C - Color, Cookies, Cats, Car and Clouds
• Fourth Week - Letter D - Dots, Dad, Dogs, Dentist and Ducks
• We will spend this next week reviewing everything and then start on new colors, letters, themes, etc.

We would read 1-2 new books about each of the subject matters (thank the Lord for the library!), the book of the month and of course we couldn't forget her favorite books throughout the day. The girl LOOOOVES to have books read to her! Just this past month alone, not including her favorite everyday books, she's read/heard 43 NEW books! :)

We've really done a good job of juggling things like her energy levels or mood to maximum our learning. If she needs a break, we take it. If she needs her paci to focus, she can have it. If we need a repetitive noise to help pattern things like the metronome, we use it. These kinds of things simply are not possible in a traditional school setting.

We did a great job intermixing therapy, hands-on activities, field trips, socialization and playing with toys.

A bit of our fun.

{Swinging at the park, looking for different colored flowers at the Gage Park rose garden, shopping at the store for theme related things like apples, cookies, etc. These are also "therapy" activities and she doesn't even know it ... double whammy! :)}

{Having fun with friends is the best!}

{Incorporating therapy}

At the beginning of each week, we design a letter page using the theme for the day. Sometimes its fun for Jocie, and other times, its plain hard to do. Its a good way to intermix learning, fine motor and communication all in one. Unfortunately, all those things are difficult for Jocie but we still have to try.

{A for Ant, B for Bear, C for Color & D for Dots}

A snap-shot of the first week.


{I can't believe she spent 15 mins taking tiny bites -- then spitting it out -- of the apple. She did NOT like the alligator craft, and in hindsight, I should've picked a different color to paint the airplane  because it looks like we all crashed and died haha But hey, it was another way to incorporate the color red.}

Snap-shot of our second week.

{Jocie enjoyed finger painting the brown bear with cool whip -- so tasty haha! When we did our "B is for Bugs," we went hunting for bugs. It worked out perfectly that we found butterflies because hey, "B" is also for butterflies. She thought that was pretty cool.}

Its hard to see, but Jocie LOVED the glow in the dark bubbles! :) We got a little crazy with it and started flinging it everywhere. We're messy. That's the best part! Everything cleans up -- that's my motto! :)

Snap-shot of our third week.

Snap-shot of our fourth week.

So far this week has been pretty low-key and its been nice for both of us.

We will be ready to start new stuff next week! Pretty exciting! :)

Daddy!

Today's preschool theme is all about ... D is for Daddy!

I was so tired last night since I had been up and running since before 3am, I took a Tylenol PM, crashed by 9pm and slept until 6am.

Totally awesome!

And what did I wake up too? Daddy had gotten up early with Jocie, made coffee, was already pushing her morning water and hanging out together. Seemed appropriate for our theme today AND I got a little mini break ... which virtually never happens.
     Nice little surprise for mama! :)

Our morning started slow.
     REALLY slow ... like came to a complete halt haha

{I've never seen Jocie fall asleep in less than two minutes, on the floor, with nothing AND on her side to boot. She's the sweetest thing!}

After a short nap, we got busy with our school work.

Since daddy was such a sweetheart, we made him a card to go with a new recipe we were going to try: Double Chocolate Pecan Squash Bread. Ok, so the card and baking was already planned, but he deserves it anyways. I thought I'd find a way to use all this squash we have and give him some extra veggies.

To make the baking easier on Jocie and I, while she watched a short cartoon about "Daddy & Me," I measured out all the ingredients into separate bowls so she could help me pour things in without having to wait on me. I thought it would help keep her interest and the conversation flowing. Man oh man was she a cranky pants. She totally didn't want to participate at all. But as you can tell, she didn't mind tasting everything after. We at least had to taste if the batter was good because seeing how I've never made this, I didn't want it to be terrible for daddy and his co-workers.

Do you see that look in Jocie eyes -- that cranky, "I want you to leave me alone" look? -- the girl doesn't HAVE to talk for you to know what she's saying haha.

After we dropped the card and sweet bread off to daddy, no joke, less than 5 minutes later he texted me saying it was good and completely gone. I supposed it was pretty tasty!!

We also did lots of other preschool things and attempted to burn off all that sugar she ate ;)

It's been a great morning and the afternoon is totally flying by. I should definitely get off here and be productive. You should see this house of mine. Total mess. We used waaaaay too many dishes haha.

Mom Jeans

Does anyone remember that Saturday Night Live skit about mom jeans that had Tina Fey in it? Its been so long ago but I remember it clearly. Pretty sure it made me laugh.

I went online to look for it and found this video. Click HERE

Before today, I might have ran across this and gotten a laugh or two. Seems harmless enough right? Normally I'd say it is.

I really am ashamed to say that I've snickered at women who have worn jeans like these asking "Why oh whhhhhy? Do you NOT own a mirror?" I of course wouldn't say it to their face. I wouldn't REALLY be trying to be mean or hurt her feelings. So why say it at all or snicker to myself? Why make a comment to whoever is with me? Why do that if I didn't REALLY want to be nasty towards a woman for how she dresses??

We've all been there right? Thought similar things.
HELLO! People of Wal-Mart? Don't tell me everyone doesn't know what I'm talking about.
Thinking a woman is wearing something too tight, too short, too relieving, etc.
     Why do we care so damn much?
          And women are the WORST! We are TERRIBLE to each other!

Food for thought for myself I suppose.

After today, I suspect that for me, this type of thing will stop effective immediately. Or at the very least, I will be MUCH MORE aware of my mouth.

Today Jocelyn and I had a Neurosurgery appointment at Children's Mercy. With all the construction going on, it takes us around two hours to get there, unload, get to the clinic, check-in and so on. Then only to spend however long in the lobby and at the appointment itself (today it was two hours all together) and then we had another two hours to get home.

Before I rant for a minute. Here are some images of Jocelyn's brain.
Her CT from November 2012.

And her MRI from February 2013.

I have CD's of all of Jocelyn's million CT's and MRI's, but I like having printed images as well. I've seen these before, but its nice to see good shunt placement and a fair amount of space between the brain and skull. More than likely her brain has decompressed more since the images, but her ventricles remain enlarged & asymmetrical, and her actual brain tissue is growing at a slower rate. Nothing we can do about that though. Besides, its not the size of the brain that matters ... its how its USED that matters! ;)

Dr. Igbase is always so genuine and kind to us. He told me that Jocelyn has already "far surpassed his expectations." Not sure how to take that exactly (did he really expect so little?), but I'm taking it as a compliment. He held my hand, said "wow" a couple of times, expressed how proud he was of all of us and I lost count of how many times he called Jocie "remarkable." Made me smile.

Bare with me while I rant. Sorry, I just HAVE to get this out!

As Jocelyn and I are sitting in the Neurosurgery clinic doing some preschool activities and waiting for the world to stop turning (I'm so dramatic, but geez, you wait FOREVER!), I'm looking around the room and I hear these two younger girls talking about an older mother nearby. Trust me, if I could hear them, so could the lady they were talking about.

These two younger girls looked like friends perhaps and the child that was with them was being a typical youngster running around the room. Its hard to not be jealous or envious when you see a kid, in a neurosurgery clinic, doing that and acting so "normal" when so many kids that are there for appointments are profoundly physically affected.

The girls started discussing this woman's frizzy tattered hair, lack of makeup, dark puffy eyes that could easily be mistaken as tombs, her larger than desired girth and of course ... her mom jeans.

I watched this older woman juggle her large severely handicapped son trying to make him comfortable and soothe his loud outbursts, while attempting to entertain her much younger daughter, decipher the ever annoying feeding pump error signals and beeping, while filling out paperwork, answering the staffs questions at the front desk, silencing her phone after it rang four different times ... the chaos was endless.

As these girls so mindlessly (and loudly) picked apart this woman's appearance for their own laughter, I felt so much anger towards them. I fiercely wanted to defend this woman ... this saint ... this without a doubt under-appreciated, never-gets-a-break, would-give-anything-for-her-kids woman. All I could think about was punching these girls in the throat and then going over and wrapping my arms around this older lady, hugging her tight, telling her how beautiful and remarkable she was, reassuring her what a phenomenal mother she was ...

           ... I didn't get that chance.

Part of me hesitated because I wanted to pretend she couldn't hear them, part of me didn't want to make a scene ... make her feel even worse ... and before I knew it, they had called her and her entourage back to see the doctor.

I started to think about how others perhaps perceive me. Yes, today my hair was washed, I'm wearing clean clothes and although I have no make-up on, my teeth are clean. Bonus points for me??

And the bad part, many of us mothers that have a child with so many special needs, feel even more pressure to prove ourselves to everyone. Its absolutely not right, but I make a conscious effort to look nice when I go to appointments because you get treated so differently. You're taken more seriously. Perceived as a "good parent." That you've "Got your act together" or a "Good Provider" and simply are viewed and treated entirely different.

          ... Do looks REALLY matter that much?? Sadly, in some way, shape or form ... it does!

It was painfully obvious to me that these girls had NO CLUE what this woman sacrificed and endured each and every single day. How her love for her son ... her family ... is what pushes and drives her to give everything to them and often times leaves nothing left over for herself. You see, she comes last ... she has too ... somebody has too?

I saw myself in this woman so easily and my heart ached for her ... for myself. People simply do not understand what its like for your child to not be able to communicate.
     I hear, well, your daughters a baby so that's expected. NO! She's freaking THREE-YEARS OLD!

People don't understand what its like to continuously clean vomit, blow outs and change diapers. Which will very likely happen for years on end. There might not be an end for us like there is no end for so many other parents that have children with disabilities.

People don't understand how exhausting it is to load, unload, load, unload a two-part wheelchair, pile 2-3 bags on top of it and then only to lift your toddler to add to the mix. The constant lifting and straining for your precious child and equipment is so physically taxing. Its on a whole other level.

People don't understand what its like to have to take 15-20 pictures in the hopes that you get one that you can share with others.

People don't understand what its like to be out with friends and get the looks, the stares, the questions ... it NEVER EVER stops. And your friends often don't see it or hear it. You think you've gone crazy or are LOOKING for people to be mean or rude, but you AREN'T imagining it!!

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind questions when someone's being sincere and trying to understand ... that is different than the toxic sly remarks that so many often make.

People don't understand those dark circles and disheveled look is because your kid never sleeps and its not because of your own doing, its because their brain does not want to cooperate. Or that they were up late trying to find that special something to trigger some interest in their child. Or that there is simply no time to care about how you outwardly look when there are entirely too many other important things on your plate.

Its easy for people to say "You have to take care of yourself" or "You need a break" or "Your family needs you strong and healthy." NO KIDDING!!! Us mothers know that!
          Easier said than done.

I'm in a really good place with juggling Jocelyn's therapies, homeschooling, the house, being a wife, making time for myself, etc ... but that most certainly hasn't always been the case and I'm sure it won't be peaches and cream in the very near future either. That's just how life is.

And trust me, I know a lot of this rings true for many mothers ... whether their kid has extra "needs" or not. That's why so many moms are caught wearing ripped pants, a crappy looking shirt with both new and old stains and we are lucky if we brushed our hair and have our kids out the door.

I'm not trying to scold or bash theses younger girls, because the truth is ... sadly ... is that I use to be THEM!! Before life hit. Before experience. Before I truly had a reason to sacrifice. Before I knew love and true importance in life.
          Sometimes ... I still am these girls. :( I don't even like to admit that.

And do you know what I did today after witnessing and feeling all these things??

Let me tell you real quick.

Jocie and I were finished with our appointment and I needed to change her and get her some lunch. When I got to the bathroom, she had soaked through her clothes and wheelchair. I dread with this happens because Jocie is entirely too tall and heavy for the baby changing stations. There is no long counter or any other alternative area to change her. Even at a CHILDREN'S hospital, those small changing stations are it. Luckily we have a yoga mat attached to wheelchair, but I still hate putting that thing on the nasty floor.
     You have to do what you have to do.

Like usual, I found a handicapped stall, and as I'm stripping Jocelyn down, changing out the wheelchair, changing her diaper, getting new clothes on her, etc. I hear this lady come into the bathroom and start using the toilet next to us.

Mind you, Jocelyn and I are keeping to ourselves, not bothering anyone and its not like we are in the hallway, asking for ANYONE'S opinion or anything ... and like the coward this lady was ... she waited until she had washed her hands and then from behind the safety of our stall door she says "You know, these floors are disgustingly filthy. You'd think you wouldn't want to have your child laying on the floor to catch God knows what."

With that last statement I opened our stall door (we had just finished up) and just when I thought I was going to completely come unglued, she exited the bathroom.

Do you know what my first thought was when I saw the lady?? What I said under my breath?

          "NICE MOM JEANS!!!"

Really?! Rrrrrrreally Angie??!!! I'm so mature!

I just had this whole epiphany about the whole "mom jeans" thing, about being so superficial & degrading and that's what I thought?

She of course didn't hear me (and she deserved to get an ear full about minding her own damn business!), but later I was so disappointed in myself. Where was my filter. Why did I instantly take it to ugly town about her looks or how she dressed. Its never a good idea to spew whatever pops into the head. I was really really disappointed in the way I thought and ESPECIALLY after what went down in the doctor's office. I was mad at this lady for opening her big mouth and offering her two cents that I never asked for, I was mad for all the people that do this to me ... to us ...
     ... I'm sure I said that because it was already on my mind and her backside was what I saw as she B-lined it to the door, but still.

I had a lot to think about on the way home today. I still have so much growing to do, there is always room for improvement.

So much junk rattling around in my head right now.
I need to end the rant for sure!

We truly are no better than our fellow neighbor!

Things That Made Me Smile ...

... when I really didn't want too.

There were plenty of things today that did NOT make me smile today. Specifically, the majority of the day being spent watching Jocie vomit, clean her up, worry about her and then repeat numerous times. I hate when she gets into these vomiting spells and it is so hard on us both. Her, for obvious reasons; and for me, because I feel so helpless and frustrated. Makes me sad. I truly am so exhausted tonight!

Luckily, after nap time, we got to restart the second half of the day as I had hoped and prayed for.
     So very VERY thankful!

Things that I found throughout the day that made me smile ...

• A new workout.

• Playing around with the graphics of a cute photo of Boogs.

• Going to Buffalo Wild Wings and getting some delicious wings. I will forever love hot wings.
• While at BWW, hearing the lady in the bathroom stall next to me singing her heart out to Piano Man like no one was listening. She was good too!
• Watching Jocie squirm, giggle and scream with delight simply because Daddy was whistling.

Take home message?
     There is ALWAYS something to smile about!! :)