Still Here

Still here.

Still sewing.

Lots of pics to post.

Costumes.

Myrtle Beach.

Photoshoots.

Good heavens. Make it stop.

: )

Don't forget me.

I'll be back.

I Survived

I have been sewing like a madwoman. I'm almost done with the armoire and the tea pot...I will have photos soon.

In the meantime, Joe and Emma had a 6th grade field trip to Gettysburg.

It was very cool -- I had never been there before.

Other than being hot, it was a great day!

Oh yeah...and we had to wear matching shirts -- my goodness.

They had this very cool oil painting ... it was a huge circular mural and they added special lights and smoke to highlight different parts of the battle. 

We toured the museum. The toll in human life was unbelievable. I cannot imagine the horror.

Then we toured the battlefield ... stopping along the way to learn a little more.

The Gettysburg eternal flame.

The battlefield.

The Virginia Monument -- each of the states who participated in the war built monuments to their fallen sons.

The view from little round top.

The kids hiked up their tower to get a better view.

silly boy.

I love spending time with my kids.

They are such great people!

Flying Colors

Little Miss Katie had tubes put in today. 

I actually think it was more traumatic for me than it was for her. (At least she got a popsicle when it was all over.)

She has long had a distrust of doctors but we have finally convinced her that doctors are very nice and really want to help us.

So...we got up early...got everyone ready and dropped off at the neighbor's to await the bus while we drove to the surgery center.

We got all gowned up and had some time to chill in the playroom.

Then they came to get us for the surgery.

Everything was going great until we hit the OR.

Katie knew immediately that this was not someplace she wanted to be and she lost it.

Oy vey.

Why the heck did I think I could do this?

She started flailing her arms and legs and screaming bloody murder.

They asked me to pin her down while they got the mask on her and put her under. She would not be consoled.

Even after she stopped struggling and was obviously under she continued to cry.

I really did not want to leave her while she was still crying, but the anesthesiologist said that she no longer knew I was there and that I should leave. It was so hard.

Seriously...what was I thinking?

But...she was done in less than 10 minutes and super chipper. No ill effects from being under.

The first thing she said was, "Dad, why are you talking so loud?"

lol! Her hearing test showed she had a temporary hearing loss...so we hope this means that too has been taken care of.

Now...our only hope means that she too will no longer be quite so LOUD.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

I know it's only a minor surgery, but I still worried and it helped knowing you were thinking of us.

xo

Remember that post about my beautiful new office?

Oh...how I wish for beautiful. Really...i'd settle for clean.

It's a total disaster right now as I finish up the costumes for the middle school play.

This month is pretty much lost to me...but...it's going to be worth it, right?

Joe was good enough to model the clock for me.

I figured if Katie and Becky knew it was a clock I was on the right track.

First Class

Joe became a first class scout today and we are so proud of him!

He worked so hard. There is so much involved in making progress in scouts...service projects, swim lessons, camping. He is well on his way to becoming an eagle scout and we are looking forward to helping him continue his progress.

Way to go Joe!

Menu Monday

Last week was a disaster -- cooking wise.

I just cannot do a home improvement project and manage to keep the house clean and cook.

So we ate a lot of fast food and frozen dinners last week.

But my project is done...and menus are back on. 

O have been trying to lose weight...all these menus have taken their toll on my waistline. uh...you know. that, six kids and a whole lotta chocolate. : )

I tried atkins for the last couple of weeks, but I thought it was too restrictive to be realistic for me. I found myself missing veggies. who knew?

So, next week I am going to try south beach. It's a little more moderate...so this week I thought I would fill in the gap with recipes from skinnytaste.com -- I am hoping that these taste good...because they look amazing!

Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Shallots

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Lightened Up Creme Brulee French Toast

Broiled Pollo Sabroso

Seared Scallops, Grapefruit, Arugula and Spinach Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry

And seriously...going to make these:

Nojito

And in the spirit of full disclosure...I fell off the sugar wagon this weekend. White Chocolate Bread Pudding at Sweetwater. 2 of Janet Cherry's freaking amazing lemon drop cookies. A little chocolate. And birthday cake.

Oy.

When I fall...I fall hard.

But, even though I didn't lose any weight not eating sugar...I did feel better and I plan find a way to eliminate (most) sugar from my life. I think there is nothing wrong with the occasional treat -- but it was really more a way of life for me. 

I did manage to go 3 weeks without it. That's a big deal for me. And it gives me hope.

AND... i'm 93 days without caffeine. 

the fun zone

It seems like just yesterday that Joe and Emma were born. 

And somehow that seems like a million years ago.

These tiny little people came into the world at just 4 pounds and 5 pounds. And look at them now.

12 years old. And they have both earned their Faith in God award (a program for children 8 to 11 at church). And now are ready to graduate to the young men and young women's programs (a program for youth 12 to 18 at church).

It feels like such a big step...and all the more poignant because there are two of them. 

And we celebrated in style ... with a party at skate and fun zone ... including skating, laser tag, video games and more. The kids had a blast! 

They thought the fun machine was amazing. 

I am so proud of these kids and the good choices they make. They are truly wonderful.

Happy Birthday Joe and Emma! 

sis boom bah

All the Beatty's are cheerleaders.

It's true.

Troy is a cheerleader.

His mom is a cheerleader.

His sisters are cheerleaders.

And by cheerleader, I don't mean the kind that wear uniforms and carry pom poms (well...maybe Troy is that kind of cheerleader too).

But...I mean the kind that always root for you. Always cheer you on. Cheer you up. Tell you how you can do it.

I am not a cheerleader.

I know. Shocking.

In my defense, I am only a Beatty by marriage. : )

I tell you all this to give you a little context.

This morning Katie was trying to zip up her coat.

She said, "Mommy, I can't zip up my jacket."

I said, "If you wait a second, I'll help you."

She said, "No Mommy. You are supposed to say keep trying, you can do it! Just keep trying."

Apparently...I need to practice my cheerleading skills.

Personal Space

We ate frozen dinners, had piles of laundry, and just spent a week with the house in chaos.

Why?

Because I finally got my office done -- my own office. my own space. yay.

We moved Troy out of the office and made some space for him upstairs.

And...so I spent some time moving everything out of the room. I painted, put up new shelves and got everything put back in. I still have more craft supplies to move into my office, and plan of purging anything that doesn't fit into my office - can't wait for that!

here are the BEFORE photos:

and here are the AFTER photos:

the walls are a pretty, pale gray and i love my little reading nook. i'm so happy to have my own space!