I Shall Be Healed

My sister urged me to share this story.

I have a bum ankle. I fell down a flight of stairs about 18 months ago and never had it looked it.  When I went for my physical, I mentioned it to my Dr. and she gave me a referral to an orthopedist.

4 x-rays later and oh, about two minutes with the Dr., I was told that I might have had a break, but it might only have been the way my bone developed.  He could prescribe physical therapy, but my life sounded really busy, so he would give me the letter and I could try and find somewhere closer to my home.

But, I should know that I don't have to have a bum ankle.  That it could spontaneously heal.  Huh?  Really?  Somehow, I didn't think that spontaneously healing would occur 18 months after the fact.

Picture this:

Revival meeting tent set up.  Crummy sound system playing bad gospel music.

Healer (in a bad white suit) at the front of the crowd calling me forward.

Him telling me that "You shall be healed!" (Slap to the forehead)

"I can walk!" 

Wait.  I could walk before, but now my wrist hurts from slapping him back.

Yeah, guess I keep stretching it and be okay with having a bum ankle.

Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me

I'm having a feel sorry for me day.  Which translates into whining.  I try not to have days like this, but today, it caught up with me.

I had to take two of the girls to the Emergency Room in September on separate occasions.  Well, we got the EOB's back from the insurance and the two visits are going to be about $1100.  Gasp! 

So, I called the billing department today to have them resubmit the bills, because they billed the visits as ER instead of UrgentCare, which I thought it should be.  Ugh!  They don't offer UrgentCare at that site anymore, so it only gets billed as ER services.  Then, there's the surgery (3 staples is surgery?)  and that was a separate Dr's bill and surgery fee at $500.

Christmas is officially cancelled.  We're broke!

Step Back Satan!

We have more than lots of people and plenty for us. 

We have a roof over our head, beds to sleep in, the propane is already paid for our heat for the winter (and we have sweaters and socks to wear when I set the heat at 66).

We have plenty of yarn for me to make afghans and slippers (guess I'll have to figure out how to read a pattern).  I have plenty of material to relearn how to sew.

We have plenty of food in the freezers and the cupboards and the money to buy more.

We have too much stuff.  So, having bills just means a decrease in our buying things for Christmas, but it doesn't limit our ability to make and give from the heart.

Sometimes, I just need to take that step back, give myself a mental slap, and realize that we have plenty and that God always provides.

Yep, It's Here

Went to bed with the threat of snow today, but the biggest thing the weather had for us was winter weather advisory.

Hmm.

Checked the weather this morning.

Let's just say that the forecase changed, a little bit.

We had been upgraded to Winter Storm Warning with the possibility of 2-8" of the white stuff.  Well, I think we're already at the 2 and there is no sign of stopping.

It just figures that the first snowstorm of the season, I've got to go to town and go to the dentist.  Wish I could call them and change the appointment, but I probably won't get back in until May.

So, say a prayer that everyone else remembers how to drive in this crap, ah, stuff and that I'm fine on the first trip in the new van and driving like a grandma.  The older I get, the more cautious I get.

Another Thing I Never Thought I Would Say

Last night, after Bob got home from work, we were talking in the kitchen.

Fixit was in the kitchen, wandering around.

We didn't notice anything amiss, until we both looked at her and realized that she wasn't just pretending to be a puppy.  She was going to take a drink FROM the dog's dish.

No!  Don't do that. Don't drink from the dog's dish!

But, Mama, I'm thirsty!

Then ask us for a drink in a cup from the sink.

Sigh.

We Get An "A" for Effort

Saturday afternoon, we decided to go to a local church for 4 o'clock Mass, as a family!!!!!  Everyone loaded in the car and ready to go.

Something kept nagging at me. I KNEW something was going on, but darned if I could remember what it was about this parish this weekend. 

No.  We're good. Keep going.

We literally got within 500 feet of ABVM parish and I remembered what was so important about this Saturday.  CONFIRMATION!!!!!!!!  With THE Bishop, not just A Bishop.

Ugh....  Momentary panic.  Do we go?  Can the kids handle it?  They had about 25 people getting confirmed during Mass.  They would really learn something. I would get shivers watching them receive the Holy Spirit.

The state of the parking lot and the local streets decided it for us.  Church easily holds 400+ people and it was GOING TO BE PACKED.  No way were we going to get through Mass without a toddler meltdown and probably of Epic Proportions.

Saturday Vigil at our home parish is a no go, because we don't have Mass until 7 p.m., which is better than it used to be at 8 p.m.  However, my kiddos would never be able to stand that.  And with the time change, going to Mass today would have been over snack time - which is never a good thing to interrupt.

So, I'm giving us an "A" for effort for trying to get to Mass this weekend.

I Want My House Back

If you know me, you realize that I am a lazylaid-back housekeeper.  On any given day, I have 3 to 6 children in this house ranging in age from 2 to 8.  This group of children is enough to mess up complicate any cleaning scheme.  In fact, my husband and I have always been pretty good at "The Flight of the Bumblebee" emergency cleaning when people are coming over.

So, for me to admit that I need to be able to see my cupboards and that my living room needs to get about 3 feet bigger on every side is actually a huge accomplishment.

My husband made huge strides towards us being able to gain room, make that REgain room.  He put the flooring down in the newly remodeled guest room/craft room.  He still needs to do the closet, but we can actually put the bed back in there, so I can get back on the front porch.

Then, we will be able to move the extra craft supplies that I purchased at an estate sale, that are currently inhabiting the new game closet, will be able to at least go into the craft room in a stack, so I can list them on Ebay.  Then,, we can finish the games closet by painting and putting the shelves.  This will allow us to move the MOUNTAIN of board games from the front porch to their home in the game closet.

By clearing off the front porch, I can guarantee that I will have a home for the hundreds of cookies that will be decorated during our annual cookie decorating party, which is ONLY 5 weeks away from today!  Gaaaaacccckkkkk!

This knowledge that the cookie party is coming up sooner than I thought it was, is probably the reason that I NEED a clean house.

Another thing that has to happen is for my canning things to be finally put away.  After I finish another couple of batches of apple, cranberry, cherry relish tomorrow, I think I will finally be done and can put away the steam canner. 

The craft room/guest room will also have to have a shelf for food storage, because I have never canned so much food as this year, and every place that I have ever used is currently stuffed to the brim with home canned goods.  I need another shelf.  Then, the "extra" table that we set up in, oh, August, will finally be able to be moved into the craft room.  The crafting stuff currently residing under the "extra" table will be able to find their home in the craft room. 

Then, as a final step, at least for finding my home again, the other crafting stuff hiding upstairs will be able to go into the craft room and the toys will be able to move from the living room to the upstairs hiding area.

I'm going to gain at least 80 square feet of living space between the kitchen and the living room.  My house is going to feel huge.

I can't wait.

Field Trip to the Children's Museum

I'm only a few days late posting this, I'm blaming it on having to download pictures (never on not being able to get my butt in gear!)

Friday, my hubby, took the day off, so we could have a family day.  (Hurray!) 

We contemplated taking the kids to a matinee movie, but there wasn't anything we wanted to watch or that I thought was appropriate for our kids. (I'm pretty strict about what I let them watch regarding rating and quality.)

Thanks to Grandpa, we knew that IHOP was having their "scary face pancakes" all day.  So, the kids got their free breakfasts.  Bob and I each ordered a breakfast with some extra sausage or ham and shared with the kids.

Bug's requirement of eating at a restaurant. Check.

Next, we headed to the Building for Kids, which is Appleton's Children's Museum!  Thanks to my sister-in-law, Bonnie, who suggested it and asked us to check it out for her.

We ALL had a blast!  We were there for just over two hours (could have spent more time, but I couldn't figure out how to get into the parking garage and the parking meter only gave us 2 hours...I found the entrance to the parking garage after we left....)  The kids played solid for those two hours.  I think Bob and I had just as much fun watching them as they did playing.  I took a TON of pictures.

2-story treehouse with net bridges connecting the branches

Fixit playing in the giant garden

Bug & K have the "whole world" in their hands

Isn't this COOOOOL!?  Bug is sliding down the aorta!

K is peddling to light a street lamp, that I forgot to take a picture of.

Even a fire engine!

You have to be serious when you're heading to a fire.

Then, there was the WATER ROOM!  I think we spent half hour in there.  They even provide rain coats for the kids to wear, otherwise they would be SOAKED!

What a great day.  And as a total side effect, I think we all recharged our batteries.