Testing Updates

Okay, so we met with the a couple of the doctors regarding the kidney transplant and I am indeed a possible match for my mom. Hubby came with me so he could ask any questions that he had and I was glad that he was there with me. So needless to say I can donate my kidney, the next step I believe is that they will meet with a committee to decide if it is still in the best interest of my mom and myself and then they will let me know. I did say I wanted to wait till I finished my master's program. The only thing I worry about is the recovery for myself and my mom. My hubby will need to take time off work to watch the kids since I will not be allowed to do any lifting of any sort for three to five weeks and I'm not sure if he has enough time built up to take off and so any time off that he takes that isn't vacation or sick leave will have to be unpaid, which I don't think we can afford that, so if we can arrange help for the time that he can't take off then we will be okay. My dad has offered, but he will be taking care of my mom, so I'm not sure how that will work. I know that if the committee says yes and we proceed, I'm sure will we'll get it worked out, it is just trying to figure it all out now that is a bit stressful.

Merry Christmas

It is Christmas Eve and I've just finished cleaning the house getting ready for tomorrow. The kids are enjoying a snack and soon we will start making some sugar cookies for Santa, this is probably the first year the kids really understand, for the whole month of December I started using a nice/naughty checklist and every time they were naughty or nice they got a check mark. We counted our check marks and afterward Sweetpea exclaimed, "yeah, I get presents!" She had 17 nice marks to her 12 naughty marks and Bubba has 17 nice to 11 naughty marks. I don't know what to do now as the naughty/nice checklist was working great....I may have to think of a way of somehow continuing the list....think, think, think.
I'm looking forward to tonight, we have no plans, but I think we will read some Christmas stories, drink hot coco, and play some games with the kids. As a child we would watch old home Christmas videos, which were always fun and embarrassing and it seems that as a child Christmas always had this special magical glow on Christmas Eve with the anticipation of Santa and his tiny reindeer and the older I got the glow became dimmer and dimmer, so I have to say I have a renewed sense of Christmas spirit since having the kids, it feels like the magic of Christmas is back from when I was a child and I look forward to my children experiencing that magic and joy the season brings. And since having kids, it has also made me appreciate the season and want to give back, so we did purchase some items for the less fortunate. It really is true that the more you give the more you receive, in every sense of the word. It is definitely a trait I want my kids to learn and appreciate.

Anyway, I want to take this moment to wish everyone a wonderful holiday, may it be joyous, filled with laughter, good food, and the ones you love!

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Where Dreams Come True....

Well we have come back from our spur of the moment trip to Florida, we were gone about a week. We went to Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, and Orlando - it was a busy time, but the kids really enjoyed it. They loved the beach and couldn't wait to put their feet in the water, we built a sand castle and just had fun at the beach chasing each other. The weather was wonderful, couldn't have asked for better weather.

We went to St. Augustine, drank from the fountain of youth and I finally found the spanish bakery that we would go to as a child and of course, it was closed by the time I reached it, errr. I was so dissappointed.

Then on to Orlando and the kids were in their glory...I was concerned that the kids might be a bit young for it, but they both were so excited. Bubba got to meet and greet with some characters from Disney Playhouse and he really enjoyed the Muppets 3D at Hollywood Studios. Sweet Pea went to Bibbity Boppity Boutique and had her hair and make-up done, Grammy purchased a princess dress to add to the expeirence and watching the whole experience and her expressions were priceless, she doesn't get to wear nailpolish or get to play with makeup, so this was a real treat for her and the Fairy Godmother in Training thought she was a hoot, we then waited in line for an hour so she could meet the princesses and again seeing my little sweet pea light up was worth the wait, she got to take a picture with all three of them and got to spend a few minutes with each individually and together, it was great. This was my first time at the parks with my kids and it really made me appreciate the magic that surrounds the whole experience because Olivia really believed that pixie dust was being sprinkled in her hair and she really believes that she got to meet the princessess - the innocence of childhood, a wonderful thing.