Five Question Friday #25

Well, it's Friday. And all I have to say is, thank goodness! It's been one of those crazy, busy weeks. I'm personally, looking forward to just hanging out with my family this weekend. One phenomenal thing happened this week. Our friend Hillary, and her darling baby girl got to come home this week. On Monday. Patrick and I, got to be part of the team that brought them home. We were so happy! Both are well, on their way to recovery. It's such a blessing.

Then we had all those crazy storms this week. I just wanted to get my hubby, and our kiddos, and hide out! We got through the storms. No injury to us, or our home. We are very blessed. And praying, for all of those, who were directly touched by the storms.

Yes, it's been one crazy week. But there is always good, among the chaos. My kiddos have been extra loving this week. We're getting ready for family. They're coming to visit next week, for Thanksgiving. Can you imagine? Thanksgiving is in less than a week! And I get the honor of hanging out with this amazing lady, for a day or 2, this weekend. Daniella and I are super excited! I guess I should get started on this week's Five Question Friday.

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood? That's tough. I have a few songs that I love. But now that I have kids, "You Are My Sunshine" always brings a smile to my face. All 4 of my kids, just love to sing it. :) I've also been known to turn up "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." You know, as I'm cruising home, from a fun day.

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one? For years, Patrick and I could barely afford life. And until Ethan was born, we had a little 3 foot fake tree. We actually still have it! When we started to make a little money, and had a sweet baby boy, we decided on a few things. One being, we'd always have a real Christmas tree for our kids. And I have to say this, I LOVE it! I just adore the smell. The tradition. Both Patrick and I grew up with real Christmas trees.

3. What are you thankful for? I'm thankful for my family. And their health. We had a scare this week. With the weather. And it put things into perspective for me. I've watched my friend, and everything she's been dealing with. I'm just grateful, that my family is happy, healthy, and well taken care of. We have food on our table, and a roof over our heads. And so much love. What else could we ask for?

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today? I'm a big fan of the 1940-1950s fashion. I'd love to dress like that. In those gorgeous dresses, that women wore all the time.With the cute hats. And even the aprons. It just seemed like such a glamorous time. Can we go back?

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank? My hubby takes care of it. But we try to not let it go under half a tank. I think our insecurities from our "poor days," still drive certain things in our life. Like keeping our gas tanks full. I still remember counting pennies, to fill up our little car. Just to get to the hospital. I'm telling you, I've lived on both sides. And I'll never forget those feelings.

I'm in LOVE with the Nate Berkus Show

I can't lie. I didn't know about the Nate Berkus Show. I've heard about it, from a few different friends. But I had never seen it. I had seen Nate on Oprah. And I adored him. Recently, I stumbled on the show. My life has never been the same since!



Literally, that 1 hour block, has changed my life. Nate has some of the best people on his show. Everything from cooking to decorating to fashion. So many tips. Lots of great new websites, blogs, and new places to look and explore. I've learned so much! Now I have a show to tivo and watch when my little ones are napping. By the way, those cupcakes, I'm so going to try them! :)

I'm Going to Miss Him!

Way back when, I started watching Live. Regis was hilarious! I didn't watch all the time. But I watched whenever I was home from school. Mostly while I was hanging out with my grandma. Then I went off to college, and med school. There were very rare days, that I'd have off. But I always tried to start my days off, with Regis.

I watched as he looked for his new co-host. And I silently prayed, that it would be Kelly. She was so fun! So much like Regis. They seemed good together. When I got pregnant, and pretty much left the "working world," Live became my show. Every morning, I'd watch Live with Regis and Kelly, as I did laundry. Yes, all these years later, I still watch. Not every day. But most days.

My favorite part of the show, is the first 15-20 minutes. Otherwise known as "Host Chat." The silly stories, their opinions, sports updates, family pictures, all of that. I LOVE it!!! When I've been feeling bad, or sad, I could count on Regis, to make me laugh. :)

This is the beginning of Regis' last week on Live. I'm sad. I can't lie about that. Every day, they've been counting down. And my heart has been getting heavier, and heavier. No one will ever take Regis' place. I hope that he continues to have a public job in entertainment. Because I'm sure going to miss him, every morning. My coffee and laundry, just won't be the same.

Five Question Friday #24

Goodness gracious! I'm exhausted! This is the second Friday, in a row, that I work. And while that doesn't sound like much. They've been 18 hour days! I haven't worked hours like this, at the hospital, in so long! Since before Logan was born. Now I have 4 kids, this is nuts! I'm going to bed now. I need some rest. Did I mention, this was the craziest day to work? Yes, 11/11/11 did something to the people. The hospital was just nuts! So here is this week's Five Question Friday. Before I fall asleep on my laptop.

1. What's the last thing you spent too much money on? For my family...we went over our winter jacket budget. But it was well worth it. My kids needed new jackets. For me? I just bought myself some makeup and makeup brushes. I spent more than I had planned too. But it should last, for a very long time! And well,  mommy needed a treat. :)

2. What celeb chef would you want to make you dinner? I don't even have to think about it. Hands down, Paula Deen! Hello! Southern cooking. Melt in your mouth food. And Paula Deen! I'd just LOVE to watch her cook. And get to talk to her. Paula are you reading this? Let me know when you're in my area. ;)

3. Where do you hide things when visitors pop over or do you let them see the real deal? I'll admit it. I don't. You get what you get, when you come to our house. I used to throw things in the closet. But that was just a disaster. Now I just try and stay on top of it. And if someone comes over, and there are some toys on the floor. Well, the kids have to put them away. And I'm not going crazy if my kids' homework is on the kitchen table. Or there are snacks on the counter. We live here. And our house is clean, but lived in.

4. Who is your oldest living family member? Patrick's abuelita. She's almost 100. We're blessed to have her in our lives.Wow! Do you think Patrick will live that long? That would be cool!

5. What is your favorite DQ treat and/or Sonic drink combo (ie: cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper)? I'm traditional. I like a good dipped cone at DQ. And I enjoy an Ocean Water at Sonic. Yum! Now I want a sweet treat. :)

Bones

I missed Bones last week. And I've had it at the top of my list, to watch, since Thursday night. It still hasn't happened. And it looks so good...



I've waited since last May, to see what's going to happen next. I guess I should stop blogging. Maybe I can catch part of an episode, while I'm trying to wake up. And before my kiddos get up. But somehow, I can't get myself out of bed. And we don't have a TV in our room. I could just watch it on my laptop....

Is there any show that you've been waiting for? And that you still haven't seen. This is the one for me. My hubs first got me interested in Bones, during the Summer 2010. It was our guilty pleasure. We'd stay up late, on the weekends, and watch. I'm pretty sure, that we watched 3 seasons, that summer. Maybe we need to make this a weekly, TV watching, date. It could be good...

Blogging and Fall Nail Polish

First of all, I don't usually blog this much in a week. But I'm pretty sure, that I've blogged every day this week. I'm blaming that, on me, trying to fix my blog. No lie! So I'm signed on. Working here. And I say, why not? Like when I was searching for some yummy nail polish. Tonight. I put into google, "Fall nail polish." And this picture pops up...

I searched and searched for the source, but nothing was working. Don't you HATE that? I really wanted to know, about each one of these colors. All I was getting from google, was that the page had been moved. :( Any way that you put it, I'm loving these colors!

I'm never going to buy a Chanel nail polish. I'm not that crazy! I could probably buy 5 nail polishes, for that price. And well, I'm almost 100% positive, that you can find Logan, Daniella, and I at Target tomorrow. Looking for similar colors. Yes, this mom of 4, is dying to paint her nails, these delicious colors!

I Want...

I happened to catch, all of 5 minutes, of GMA this morning. It happened to be a crazy morning. One that was supposed to be easy going. Patrick was taking our 3 oldest to school. I was going to just hang out with Daniella. Taking down Halloween decorations, fixing my blog, and maybe taking Daniella to Target. Who doesn't like a random trip to Target?

But things got a little crazy. Logan forgot his backpack. So I made the "mad dash" to get it to him. It was super important this morning. "Show and Tell" day. My car was giving me a bit of trouble on the way home. I stopped and left it off at the mechanic, and waited for a ride home. Yes, I caught the last segment of GMA. As Daniella and I walked through the door. It was a good thing too. Look at what I saw...

I first heard about this book from Lola. But I hadn't seen it. And I didn't know when it was coming out. But the stars aligned. I got to see this cute turkey cake. That Buddy was teaching America how to decorate. The perfect addition to any Thanksgiving! Actually, Daniella made me promise, that we'd make that turkey. But who am I kidding? The second I saw it, I was already making plans. And honestly, who doesn't want to semi-bake and decorate like Buddy? I've always wanted to semi-bake like the Cake Boss. And if I can learn something about decorating, that's a total bonus!

Add this to my Wish List. I'd tell Patrick to get it for me, for Christmas. But I don't think I can wait that long. I know, I'm bad! Tomorrow, Logan's class is going to Barnes and Noble, for a field trip. Daniella and I are also going. It wouldn't be a bad thing, if I stumbled on a copy or 2 of this book. Because I hear, my good friend, is also wishing for a copy.

Grab Some Coffee, Let's Chat

The last few weeks have been crazy. And busy. I've tried to keep up. I've typed, organized, decorated, shopped, spent time with friends, enjoyed my family. Did I mention, I'm also in charge of 12 fundraisers from right before Halloween, to New Year's. I'm exhausted!

But I've been blogging. Trying to keep up with this little sweetheart. That I've grown to love, over the last few months. But honestly, I haven't been checking my own blog. You know, typing in my url, and reading. I was trying to respond to my comments. But nothing was working. So I contacted Blogger. And waited.

Meanwhile, I was still blogging. The other night, after the kids were in bed, Patrick and I were just hanging out. I was blogging about our sons, and my hubby was catching up on e-mails. I'm pretty sure Patrick was wondering what I was laughing at. He headed to my blog. This blog. And quickly asked were my posts were.

My response, "What are you talking about? They're on the blog." When I looked at my blog from his laptop, there were only a handful of posts. Nothing since mid-September. When I looked from my laptop, I saw everything. What was going on? So I got on the family computer. Again, it looked like the blog, that I saw on Patrick's computer.

I quickly contacted Blogger. I crossed my fingers. I didn't panic.Why? I type and save all my blog posts on Word, then I post them on Blogger. I'm still waiting to hear back. It's so frustrating! Something similar happened in late July, or early August. It wasn't so bad then. I'd only been blogging for a few weeks. In less than an hour, I had everything fixed.

I'm taking things into my own hands. I'm going to be re-posting things. I'll post them on the same date and time, as the original. I told you I was a little odd. I just don't have the comments, that were posted on each post. Has anyone else had any trouble like this? Any problems with Blogger? I've had some issues blogging. And I've only been at this since June...

But I'm staying positive. I just don't want people to think I'm weird. Blogging about things from July. Or posting 10 posts in a day. I'm just trying to fix things here. Heck, I'm still learning here. And I find it a success, when I can post 3 times a week. :)

I'm also trying to figure out, how Lola posted that top banner. How does she get certain labels up there? I'm going to have to call her. I want that! Maybe I'll link my twitter and Facebook pages too. So much to do. I hope I find the time. Friends, is blogging always this complicated?

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween everyone! How was everyone's day? Are you already all "Halloween'd out?" We're not. And we've been at it since Thursday! Yes, Thursday. Logan had his Preschool, Halloween Day. Since he only goes to school Tuesday-Thursday, Thursday was our day to celebrate. Logan, Daniella, and I dressed up. We packed up our Halloween cookies, that we made and decorated. And all those bags for the class. It was such a fun day. Daniella got to be in the parade too. She was loving it! Getting to hangout with all the big kids.

Friday was also a crazy day! We all headed to the hospital, right after Ethan and Madelyn were out of school. Dressed up. To hangout with some of the kiddos and their families. There were lots of crafts, cookie and cupcake decorating, and some fun movies. We had a blast! It didn't hurt that Patrick came out, dressed up like Dracula. The kids loved it!

Friday night, we all "vegged out." Ordered pizza, and watched 3 Halloween movies. Patrick worked. Secretly, I can bet, that he's been looking forward to this week. You'd be surprised by the people you will see in the hospital. Crazy!

Saturday night, Patrick and I headed to the Halloween Ball. It's a fundraiser for the hospital. That I've been slaving at for months! It turned out great. And Patrick and I had an incredible time! Lots of good food, fun friends, raising money, and dancing the night away.

By Sunday, I didn't want to get out of bed. But the 2nd of the hospital fundraisers was Sunday. A Family Event. A Halloween Carnival and Trunk-or-Treating. So much fun! All the hospital staff came, dressed up, and with their families. A lot of money was raised. The hospital is trying to add another "Playground" for the kids. And they're so expensive!

And today hasn't disappointed either! Ethan and Madelyn had their Halloween parties at school. Oh ya! More Halloween treats. The 5 of us dressed up. The entire school was so fun! It was a like a Halloween Carnival. The different booths had fun Halloween games, that were educated. So fun! Patrick came by, during his lunch break. Dressed up! So that we could all enjoy a "Goblin Lunch" together. :)

After school, we came home. The kids were so excited! We made a yummy, Halloween inspired dinner. It was a special dinner too. Patrick was able to join us. Honestly, from Monday-Friday, we rarely have dinner as a family. My hubby usually doesn't come home until the kids' bedtime. Sad. But true. Tonight, was definitely a treat!

Our regular babysitter came by. She handed out candy for us. I didn't want to miss the trick-or-treating. But I also didn't want to be the only neighbor, not handing out candy. And our family went trick-or-treating. I've never seen so much candy in my life! Tomorrow, our kids are going to pick out their favorites. Then, we're going to donate the rest. To the troops. I'd rather that they have our candy. And it not go to waste. Yes, our family had a great time! I can't wait until next year. Now I'm  going to go enjoy some chocolate...

Five Question Friday #22

Is it just me, or has life gotten ridiculously busy as of late? Yesterday, we had our first Halloween activity. Logan's class party and parade. Logan, Daniella, and I got dressed up. And we had a great time! It's always fun to hangout with good friends. And eat 4 cupcakes, covered in a pound of frosting. :)

This weekend, is also going to be filled with lots of holiday fun. And lots of work for me. I'm in charge of the big Halloween Fundraiser tonight and tomorrow. Wish me luck! I better get my Five Question Friday done. Before I run out of time!

1. Do you prefer cotton, silk, or flannel sheets? This completely depends on the season. Most of the time, I prefer cotton sheets. There's just something about getting into bed, with crisp, cool sheets. Heaven! But in the cold winter months, you can't go wrong with some warm flannel sheets. Nice and toasty warm!

2. What time zone are you in? In the EST. Convenient when trying to find the time, for National broadcast TV stuff. :)

3. What is your favorite part of the holiday season? Just one thing? Not possible! I LOVE the smells, decorating, cooking, baking, spending time with family and friends, and the music.Oh, and the lights! Wrapping paper, ribbon, and stuff like that, also make my day. :) Really, I love it all. There's not much that I don't enjoy, between October and January.

4. What is your favorite "wintry" drink? (It doesn't have to be an "alcoholic" drink!) I'm a big fan of my husband's "Spicy Hot Chocolate." I'm not sure what goes in it. But it is good! I could use a big mug right now.

5. In your opinion, what is the worst job in the world? I don't know. But those poor souls that have to clean the bird poop off of bridges and overpasses. That has to be pretty horrible. Just imagine the smell...

Lash Out Loud

I've mentioned this a few times on here, I enjoy makeup. I'm not very talented, in makeup application. But I try. When I was a teen, I yearned for makeup. To be able to buy it, and wear it. My parents were strict about it. Finally they gave into my constant pestering. If I could afford it, I could wear it. This jump started my work ethic!

My first purchase was Maybelline Great Lash. And some random lipstick and lipgloss. Did you notice that? I remember the mascara. But the lip products, not so much! I honestly wore Great Lash mascara until after my first daughter was born. I'm not lying!

I don't know what it is. Great Lash was my favorite! It never failed me. Not once! And I stuck to it. Later, I got into Max Factor 2000 Calorie. That was such a miracle worker! And I owe that tidbit, of makeup knowledge, to Lola. Who bought me, my first tube. Unfortunately, Max Factor picked up, and moved across the pond. I was on the search for another perfect mascara.

I'm going to get honest here. I'm a little bit of a cheapskate. Who wants to spend $20-25, every other month, for mascara? Not me! I'd rather save that money to buy a good moisturizer, or perfume. Not mascara. For the last few years, I've been trying out all kinds of mascara. I'm pretty sure, I've tried every mascara at the drugstore.

Covergirl's Lash Blast is what I've settled on. I liked the look of my lashes. It's waterproof. Without killing my lashes! And I have that full look. I liked it. But I wasn't "In Love with It." Do you know what I mean? In steps in my friend, Manders. She introduced me to Maybelline's new mascara, Lash Out Loud.

When I found out about Lash Out Loud, I had to go out and buy it. Immediately. And I was instantly in love! I'm not lying. On our way home, after a long day, I had Patrick stop at CVS. With 4 sleeping kids in the car, I raced in. Bought 2 tubes. I just knew that I'd love it. I've been using this mascara for almost 2 weeks now. I haven't found anything, that I don't like about it. That funny shaped brush, well it does wonders for your lashes!

You might wonder, why I'm so passionate about my mascara. The truth is, my daily makeup includes mascara and lipgloss. That's it. I run errands like this, take the kids to school, go shopping, pick up my kids,  etc. Don't tell my wonderful Mother-in-Law. She's such a lady. And believes passionately, that a woman should get all dressed up, have her makeup done, and her hair looks amazing. Every time you leave the house. Her daughter-in-law, well rarely gets all done up. For those every day type of things. But you can guarantee, I'll be reaching for this pink and green tube, for a very long time!

Our Sons and Lights

Let me start off by saying this, in our family, we LOVE the holidays! All of them. We try to make every holiday so special. But the one thing, that Patrick and I have never been really good at, is putting up lights outside. I just don't know where to start. And Patrick is always working.

We never decorated outside our home, small apartment, or house, until Ethan was born. Then we bought some lights. When we lived in the SW, and had 2 small children, we paid the interns to hang our lights. And usually, we had them over for dinner too. It was great! And then, after the holidays, they'd come back, take them down, and put them all away. Bless them!

When we moved out here, we had a little more money, and a lot more home. We invested in some new lights. Previously, we'd been using Christmas lights, that had been my in-laws. We loved them! But couldn't find enough to cover our new home. Because those lights were from the 1960s. Patrick and I decided on clear lights. And we bought so many!

Nowadays, we pay a group of guys to come put them up. Yes, I still have no clue where to begin. And Patrick is still working over 100 hours a week! So our wonderful gardening buddies come help us out. Over the last few years, we've added some cute Christmas signs. And a few fun characters. Including a Santa. But nothing too crazy. No music. No blinking lights.

But recently, the "Halloween House," has been all over the news! My sons are so into it. Every time it comes on the TV, they have to watch it. The other night, Patrick looked up the video on YouTube. And my sons were in heaven! Then they noticed, there were other songs. For over 2 hours, Patrick and the boys watched these videos. This is their favorite!



Now our sons are begging Patrick, to decorate our house. To add some music. Get lots of fun lights. Oh, I think we're in trouble! I found some papers this morning, for "plans." For this Christmas. And next Halloween. I think Patrick needs to start studying holiday lights...

Dressing Up

Halloween costumes. Usually, they're an easy subject around here. We order Halloween costumes in early September. That way we get, what we want. Oh, and with my first 2 kiddos, I got to pick out their costumes, until they were 5. Yes, when they started school, they wanted to pick out their costumes.

But this year was a whole other issue! Life got busy, and before I knew it, it was mid September. OK, it was only 2 weeks off schedule. Not too bad. I sat each one of our kids down, and we searched for their perfect costumes. Logan and Daniella knew exactly what they wanted to be. Months ago!

Logan wanted to be Mr. Potato Head. It had been talked about, since the summer. My son is only 3! But he knew exactly what he wanted. And we were OK with that. Until, we couldn't find the costume anywhere! He hid under his bed for 2 hours, before finally agreeing to find something else. Too bad I'm not crafty. It doesn't look like a hard costume to make. Maybe I should really invest in a sewing machine...

We compromised on a Train Conductor. "Just like Thomas' friend." I don't know. Logan said it. I just went with it. And he was happy. When the costume came in the mail, he was over the moon! But the Mr. Potato Head, he's still asking about it. We'll get to that in another post...

Daniella was easy as pie! Since we went to Disney World, and honestly, before that, she's been all about Minnie Mouse. This costume happened to be on the front page. Although, there were cuter ones, she was hooked on this one. I also picked up some tights and cute shoes. Let's just say this, our baby knows exactly what she wants. Exactly! I'm starting to believe, our 2 youngest are going to be more opinionated, than our oldest 2. :)

Costume picking took a little more time than I thought. Especially when it came to Madelyn. She couldn't decide what she wanted to be. There were some pondering and searching going on. Lots of talking involved. Asking of friends, what are they dressing up as. Changing our minds. And finally settling on a Gypsy. I don't think Madelyn was 100% sure, when we ordered it. But now that she has it, I'm positive, that she's so happy with her choice. And all the gold jewelry that we bought too! Pretty fancy for my 1st grader...

I've said it at least a hundred times before, Ethan is so easy going! He's just like Patrick. When we visited NASA this summer, he was over the moon. My son, is totally a science and math kid. OK, he likes sports too. But you know what I mean. On the ride from NASA to our hotel, he turned and told me, "Mom, I want to be an astronaut for Halloween. Because I want to work for NASA when I grow up." Really? Easy as that. It took us all of 2 seconds, to decide on which costume he wanted.

And that left Patrick and I. We need to dress up for this "Halloween Ball" that we're going to attend. We don't usually dress up as a couple. But we thought it would be fun. And we don't have to worry about warmth. We're going to be wearing these costumes to the ball. And our costumes from last year when we take the kids trick-or-treating. Dracula and a witch. After lots of talking, dying with the prices, and negotiating, we settled on Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. Isn't that fun? I can't wait until Halloween! It's going to be fun. The makeup and jewelry are going to be so fun too!

And honestly, I can't wait to see my hubs dressed up! I'm telling you, this is going to be a fun Halloween. It's going to be so busy. But I'm positive that we're going to enjoy ourselves. And for next year, I need to remember, to get our order in earlier. It was a little stressful this year. I'm sure Logan would appreciate that. Did I mention? He's still talking about Mr. Potato Head...

Five Question Friday #21

Friday already? This week is flying by. Probably because I've been so busy. I feel like I just can't get on top of things. Around here anyway. But I'm hopeful. And so ready for the weekend! Not that it's going to be slow going. No, it's going to be crazy busy! But Patrick will be home. And I won't feel so bad, for working on all this fundraising stuff. While our kiddos watch movies. Time for some Five Question Friday. You know, before I fall back asleep. And forget about all my responsibilities. Know what I mean?

1. Where do you escape to when you've had enough? Escape? That rarely ever happens. But we have a small room, at the top of our house. Like an attic reading nook, type of a place. Patrick and I have put a comfy couch, an amazing chair, a small TV, radio, and lots of books in there. And when one of us needs a break, we tell the other, "I'm going to visit heaven." Maybe we're up there an hour or so, while the other handles the house and kiddos. But it's the perfect place to unwind. You feel like you're a million miles away. In reality, you're just a few feet away from the family. Our kids have no idea about this space...

2. What shows are you watching this fall? Which I'm I not watching? Literally, I'm losing sleep over these new shows. And the old ones of course! I try not to watch TV, when my kids are awake. But I'm loving Mike and Molly, 2 Broke Girls, Hart of Dixie, Unforgettable, New Girl, Raising Hope, Glee, Revenge, Suburgatory, The Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, The Secret Circle, and Bones. Man, you'd think I didn't do anything else. But I definitely don't see every episode. Many times, I watch weeks late. But these are some good shows.

3. What was the longest roadtrip you've ever taken and where did you go? That's easy. When I moved to go to college. Southern California to Boston. After that trip, I didn't drive for at least a month! It was a beautiful drive! Except that we drove, for at least 18 hours at a time. In a cramped car, stuffed with all my stuff. But if I had to do it again, I would. In a heartbeat!

4. Do you plan on taking your kids to Disney World? We took them this summer. We went on a Disney Cruise, and spent some time exploring Disney World and all of Florida's fun stuff! Maybe in 5 years, we'll get to go again.

5. What is something people would surprised to know about you? I'm really hard on myself. I have so many patients for other people. Especially my kiddos and hubby. But I'm very short with myself. I almost can't handle it, when I'm not good at something. Or I fail at something. I really beat myself up about it. Crazy! Since I'm such an "easy going person."

Children of the Plains

I've been seeing all these ads for ABC's Children of the Plains. And I wanted to watch it so bad! But this past weekend, we were so busy! I knew I wouldn't be home. Thank goodness for DVRs.

I finally got to watch this special, last night. And I cried. I cried like no other! What a sad, sad story. I can't believe people still live like this. I shouldn't be that surprised. For years, Patrick and I, lived in a southwestern border town. We saw so much poverty. Poverty that you'd expect to see in another country. Right here.

Patrick and I also worked at the "Community Hospital." It wasn't unusual to see patients, who couldn't afford basic healthcare. Heck, lots of them couldn't afford food. I remember one family in particular. Their daughter had broken her arm at school. It was a pretty bad break. Her parents and siblings were staying the night with her. We had managed to get her a private room. Brought in some blankets and pillows. Our surgery was scheduled for early the next morning. Something like 3 or 4 in the morning.

But what I remember was, dinner. We had just gotten them into their room. I didn't understand them. At the time, I barely understood Spanish. The little girl was on some pain meds. And didn't want to eat. Her little sisters quickly jumped at the idea of eating her dinner. There were 3 of them.

When I came back, to check our patient, I couldn't help but notice, the older siblings looked hungry. The entire tray was completely cleaned. I wondered out to the hallway. And I found a diet aide. Asked if we had any extra trays. Which is normal for the peds units. We get lots of kids who don't want to eat. Usually because of the treatment that they're getting. We found 5 trays that hadn't even been delivered. And we took them to the room.

Not only that, but I brought in a few fruit plates. This family was so excited. They ate. Shared everything together. And the little bit of food that was left over, the mom neatly packed it up. And asked if there was a place she could save it. This was the first time I'd really seen "real hunger."

Patrick and I were both working this case. And Patrick knows Spanish. After the kids were all asleep, the dad came out to talk to Patrick. He was seriously worried. Worried that he couldn't pay the bill. But he knew that his daughter needed the help. Worried about how much he'd owe for the meal, that his family had just had. Worried that  he wouldn't be able to pay for the follow-up care, that we knew would be needed.

We all felt bad. Patrick guaranteed this man, that we'd do everything we had to. To make his daughter 100% again. After all of that, the medical bills would be dealt with. We'd help him find a way. All the food, don't worry, we'd find a way to account for that. He believed us. And Patrick was on his way, to find a way, to make this work.

Hours later, the surgery was a success. We'd also had contacted a local donor to the hospital. Who agreed to take care of the bill. And the team, we got together, and found the family some help. You see, most of us were residents. We all lived in tiny apartments, with 5-6 figure debt, and little money. I went into this a while back. But we wanted to make a difference.

We contacted some builders, and volunteered our time. We spoke to donors, and collect food.  Less than 6 months, after this little girl's surgery, the family, and many people from the hospital, were building a new house. This large family, had shared a 2 bedroom home. With dirt floors, a leaky roof, and no insulation in the walls.

With a communities help, we got this family going. A new home. 3 bedrooms. Nothing crazy or fancy. But it was functional. Had a working stove, heating, walls, floors, it was safe. Lots of people came together. We were making a difference. And it felt good.

The sad part is, this is just one story. One family. One patient. In a sea of people. In a community were poverty is commonplace. We lived in a community were kids didn't go to school, because they couldn't afford supplies. And uniforms. A place were kids only ate at school. Where you'd see parents working 2 jobs a piece, but still couldn't afford electricity and food. When temperatures dipped, people didn't know what to do.



This special, it just brought everything flooding back. To those days. When I'd see poverty daily. When your heart broke, just because of the people you met. When you knew, you were doing everything you could. But somehow, it felt like it wasn't enough. It was tough.

I applaud ABC. Their work on this, was phenomenal! I don't think people realize, just how much poverty is right here. Here in the USA. Not just in Mexico, or Africa. But right here. In our country. Our children are going hungry. Our citizens, are barely surviving. This story, about these amazing children, just broke my heart. There has to be a way, to make communities like this, prosper. We need to find a way, to truly help these people. To make a real difference in their lives.

A Little Fun

I had planned on blogging, about our weekend today. More specifically, Patrick and I's Date Night. But I'm getting old. And last night, kicked my bootie. Patrick and I have been relaxing all day. Very unusual for us! But we're enjoying it. The kiddos are in bed. And I'm catching up on a TV show or 2.

In so many words, I'm not really in the mood, to blog about my weekend. I'm ready to relax, and go to bed. But before that, I did want to blog about something. That's because of Trina. And this fun "Fill-in-the-Blank," that she had on her blog. So here I go. I promise to blog about our fun tomorrow!

1. My current obsession is decorating our home. Our kids' rooms are essentially, the only "finished" part of our home. And after chatting with Lola, I really want to get started on this. Maybe we'll convince her to come back here, and do the job for us. :)

2. Pinterest is something I always want to sign up for. But I always get sidetracked on the internet. And I forget. This might be a good thing. I can imagine, spending way too many hours, on Pinterest!

3. My greatest strength is multitasking. I'm really good at that! I've gotten good at doing 20 things at once. And I'm pretty sure, it's a good thing.

4. Self doubt/worth is my greatest weakness. I've been working at it for years! Hopefully, one day, I'll feel better about myself. I see this as an ongoing project.

5. My life is perfect right now! I've never been so happy. My family is happy and healthy. Our lives are moving in the right direction. And things seem to be falling into place, for our family. We're blessed.


6. In high school I was not really cool. I was quiet. A nerd. And part of a Dance Team. That I never really felt like I belonged in. I'm glad all of that, is now behind me.

7. When I’m super tired my body aches, I can't think straight, and at some point, I get incredibly moody. It's not good. And I'm trying to work on that.

Five Question Friday #20

We're planning on a busy weekend. I'm just crossing my fingers, that Logan is up for it. He's been under the weather, for about a week now. But he was feeling much better yesterday. What does our weekend look like? Some fun race stuff today, and tomorrow.

Then Sunday, we're getting a babysitter. Patrick and I are going out for a fun Date Night. Our friends, from the southwest, are performing a show. It should be a blast! I can't wait to see Lola perform! A total bonus, it's for charity. This should be a good time. Honestly I'm so excited. Patrick and I don't have a lot of Date Nights. Especially ones were we dress up. In all sorts of ways, this is going to be a good evening.

Before I go crazy, or we're late, I better get moving on my day. Patrick took the day off. Our older kids even had the day off of school. See sometimes, the universe works for us, to have some family fun. OK, enough chatter. Here's this week's Five Question Friday.

1. Do you prefer your ice cream in a bowl or in a cone? In a bowl, with lots of toppings! Yum. That sounds really good right now. Don't forget the cherries on top!

2. What three things do you love the smell of? Fresh roasted green chili, roasted corn on the cob, and a freshly baked cheesecake. You'd think I was hungry or something... None food related smells, a fresh cut Christmas tree, fresh cut grass, and sweet newborn babies. That need to bottle up the newborn baby smell. I miss it!

3. Giftcards or no? (In regards to gift giving...) It depends. For kids, I like to give gifts. I love to see them rip open the wrapping paper. I also like to give gifts to close friends and family. But you know, there are those tough people. I think it's good to give them giftcards. Or people that you really don't know. Ya, sometimes, giftcards are just necessary. But I really don't like to give them out.

4. What sports did you play in high school if any and do you still play them? I played volleyball and soccer for years. As a kid. Before high school. By the time I got to high school, I joined the Dance Team. Equally as fun. But I do regret not playing sports in high school. I played some soccer in college, on a co-ed team. But that was too violent for me. I don't play sports anymore. But I do workout now. Something I didn't do before.

5. Were you in band in high school? What instrument did you play? In elementary and middle school, I played the flute. Again, I'm not sure what happened. I went to high school, and I didn't join the band. I was more focused on academic stuff. Which made my parents happy. So they didn't push me to continue with the music stuff. They knew I wanted to be a doctor. The Dance Team was the only other thing I did, besides academic stuff, in high school.

Love Her So!

I'm pretty sure, that I've mentioned these 3 things, on my blog before. 1. I  love to cook. 2. I love Paula Deen. 3. I don't watch much TV. Earlier this week, Daniella was napping. And I was holding a sick and sleeping Logan. Our house was ridiculously quiet. In the middle of the morning. Something that just doesn't happen much. If ever.

With a sleeping 3 year old, sprawled across my body, I started to channel surf. And I saw her! Mrs. Paula Deen. In all her glory. I had no clue what show it was. I just knew it was Paula Deen. And she was amazing! I lay there, and watched. Between, it was the Dr. Oz Show. I have many issues with that show, but it was Paula. And I wasn't changing the channel!

Paula Deen is so real! People she made me cry. As usual, she was her fun loving self. But Dr. Oz got Mrs. Paula all emotional. And she began to cry. Why? Because she was talking about her battle...with smoking. A life long battle. That she just can't kick. She was so real. People, I've never seen Paula so vulnerable. Never! It was heart touching.

I've been a HUGE Paula Deen fan, for years! So much so, a few years ago, I planned an entire Anniversary trip, around visiting the Lady and Sons. I have every Paula Deen cookbook out there. I might even have a few, really good shows, of Paula Deen's taped. :)

This interview just made me a bigger fan of Mrs. Paula's. I don't know what it is. I just feel like she could be my grandma, or something. Maybe my best friend. I just feel like she is real, could be one of us. You know what I mean? She's not a crazy celebrity, that has lost complete touch, with reality. She's just like you and me. And guess what, Paula's got a new cookbook!

The second I heard about that, and finished watching the interview, I crawled off the couch. My 3 year old son in my arms. To rush order me a copy. I got it the next morning! And I've managed to cook 3 things already. Yum! Paula is just amazing! I wish we could be BFFs. I know that we'd get along. I just know it!

Thankful

A few weeks ago, I got to spend about a week, with a good friend. Honestly, we've only been friends for about a year now. Sad, but true. At the time we lived about 2 hours away from each other. At one point, we lived a few minutes from one another. But had never met.

Then a year ago, she was in a pretty horrific car accident. Hillary was in labor. Her midwife was driving her to the hospital, and they were hit by a drunk driver. The 2 of them, and Hillary's baby, almost lost their lives. Immediately, our dear friend Lola, was on the phone. Calling Patrick. Was there anything he could do. Would they be OK? Could we be there for Hillary? Lola was going to catch the first flight East, that she could.

That was a year ago. Both Hillary and her baby have had countless surgeries. Both are looking at dozens more. The man that that hit them, is know serving a sentence of 150 years. Hillary's divorce was finalized. She is back in touch, with her younger brother. And a new, and amazing man, has fallen from the sky, into their lives. He is the strength that Hillary needs. The daddy that this beautiful baby deserves.

Yesterday, was a day to celebrate. Celebrate that this beautiful baby girl, is now a year old. Her health is improving. We all hope, that shortly, she will be able to leave the hospital. For the first time in her life. We all hope, that these 2 amazing souls, will be able to live life again.

All of this got me to stop and think. To Thank God for everything I have. For the health and safety of my family and friends. To be grateful for everything that we have. Even the ridiculous pile of laundry. That never seems to disappear. Or the hectic mornings. The sick little boy, who is staying home from school. Or being so far away from our families.

If I woke up tomorrow morning, with only those things that I thanked God for, would the important things be there? All I need is my kids, Patrick, a home, the ability to feed my children, and provide them with all the necessities. The rest, it's just icing on the cake. Something about yesterday, made me stop and think. Think about the way we are living life.

Sure, I'd enjoy a family trip this winter. I have my eye on a new camera. For about 2 years, I've been wanting to redo our bedroom. I've found myself pining, over beautiful plants, for our yard. Which are all so expensive! Of course, I'd like a little extra money, to spend on frivolous things like clothes and makeup. But at the end of the day, those things don't matter.

Not at all. What matters is family, health, and faith. At the end of the day, I couldn't imagine life, without those 3 very important things. Hillary and her story, have taught me so much. It's touched my heart, in ways that I'd never expected. It's made me a more faithful person. And I've grown. If I woke up tomorrow, with only the things that I thanked God for yesterday, I'd still be the happiest woman on Earth!

Dr. Hart

Let me start off by saying, we don't watch a lot of TV in our house. It was never a rule. We just had other things, to fill our time with. Mostly, we like to play games, read as a family, and be outside. Even before Patrick and I had kids, we weren't much of TV people. Probably because when we weren't studying or working, we were trying to catch a few ZZZ's. Life as an MD,  guess.

Recently, while I was waiting at my kids' school, one of the other moms came running to my car. I was a little nervous. Was I parked somewhere I wasn't supposed to be? Was something wrong with one of my kids? Why was this lady running so quickly?

Well, all was well. This other mom just wanted to talk about TV stuff. Like, was I watching "Hart of Dixie?" Nope. I hadn't even heard of it. What is this show about? I'm thinking, it has to do with the South. Hello, Dixie! But as this other mom kept talking, I instantly knew why she thought I should be watching it. It's about a doctor. A young doctor.

Somehow, all these people, think I should be watching all TV shows, about doctors. Yes, I'm an MD. Married to another MD. But honestly, I don't watch every doctor show out there. In fact, I don't watch much TV at all. But I thought I'd give it a try. So I asked what channel it came out on. She said the CW. I almost wanted to laugh. ALMOST! You see, I've never watched a show on the CW. I just figured it was a channel, targeted at teens.

Tonight, I gave it a try. Honesty, it was pretty funny. Now that we live in the South, I understand a lot of this show. Something, a few years ago, I didn't know anything about. I probaby wouldn't have understood some of the jokes. But you know what, it was funny! And when Patrick got home, I was cracking up.



You see, I save my TV watching, until after our kids go to bed. After I watched the 1st episode, I immediately wanted to watch the rest. I'm saving the episodes that I'vee missed, for later this week. But honestly, give it a try. If nothing else, you get to laugh a little, and forget about "real life." Next Monday, I'll definitely be watching Dr. Hart again.

The Big 8

Eight years ago yesterday, I became a Mommy. For the very first time, I had a teeny tiny baby, that depended on me. Yesterday, that baby, our son Ethan, turned 8 years old! Where in the heck, did the time go?

It's crazy, I knew almost nothing about babies. Or mothering. What I knew, I had learned in medical school. I knew how to medically take care of a baby, but not really know how to take care of a baby. Patrick and I had been married just over 2 years. We'd been together for a few years. But married just 2 years. I had known that I was ready for a baby.

My last day of being a resident was both a relief, and a complete anxiety attack. I knew that I wouldn't be a full time MD. I was going to be a mommy. 100% of the time. We were in a different state than our families. In a completely different city. Patrick was easily working 120 hours a week. And we had just had our son.

In so many ways, October 7, 2003 forever changed our lives. We could never turn back. We can never quit this job. We're parents. From that day forward, we were parents. It was everything we dreamt of, and so much more!

In the last 8 years, I feel like we've all grown so much. Our family has gotten bigger. Patrick and I know value more important things. You know, chats with our kids, family dinners, and family vacations. I'm so grateful for Ethan, he changed our lives, and our family. Forever. 8 years ago, I had no clue what life had in store for me. Today, I'm so happy to have become a mommy to this amazing little soul. And for the 3 amazing souls that came later.

Five Question Friday #19

It feels so good, to finally have the temperatures cooling down. It makes me so excited! I'm a big fan of Fall. Tonight, we're going to have a birthday dinner for Ethan. And tomorrow, we're going to have his birthday party. Ya, it's going to be a busy weekend. So I better get going on this week's Five Question Friday.

1. What is your go to comfort food or sweet? My "Go-to" comfort food is meatloaf and mashed potatoes. And my "Go-to" sweet is chocolate. Yum!

2. What is the most romantic place you've ever been to? Patrick rented a cabin in the mountains. This teeny little cabin. When we were residents. Loved that place! The entire time we lived in the southwest, we'd spend one weekend, a year there. Just the 2 of us. It was gorgeous! In the middle of nowhere. Just us and nature. Makes me want to go back.

3. What is your favorite thing about fall/Halloween? One thing? That's tough. Since this is my favorite time of year. I'd have to say, the food. Nothing tastes quite like Fall food. The soups, stews, baked goods, yummy teas, delicious coffee. Oh, it just makes me hungry thinking about it.

4. How would you spend 24 hours alone? I'd catch up on sleep. I haven't had a really good night of sleep since college. People, that's a good 15 years. I miss good sleep. Heck, a full 6 hours sounds good to me. :)

5. Does you husband bring you flowers? Are you the bring-me-flowers type of girl? Yes, Patrick brings me flowers. Yes, I'm a "Bring me flowers" kind of woman. Early in our relationship, it was coffee. The man knew exactly what I needed. Later it was chocolate. Now it's flowers and a note. I love that my hubby is so thoughtful!

Ethan's 8 Years Old!

Dear Ethan,

Happy Birthday Big Boy! We just can't believe, that you're already 8 years old. I swear, just yesterday, I was holding you in my arms. All cuddled up, in a teeny tiny blanket. Snuggling you. And loving every second of it! I was also scared to death! Because you are my first baby. And your Mommy didn't know much, about being a Mommy. And your Grandma lived far away. Yes, I was scared.

But 8 years ago, we welcomed you into our little family. You completed our family. To be honest, your Daddy and I were scared to death. But we were so excited! I can say that now. We'd dreamt of the family we wanted. Ethan you made all those dreams come true.

I don't know which memories rank higher, cuddling you when you were days old. Or watching you, just a few days ago, make the winning goal. Every day with you, is filled with such fun and excitement. I love how excited you get about your science class. How sports are now the center of your universe. Something that I must admit, came as a shock to me. But makes me smile just the same.

It's been such an adventure watching you grow up. I enjoy every single day. Listening to your days at school. Your adventures with your friends. It makes me smile every time, I see you biting your upper lip, while you read. Just like your Daddy. My heart almost burst from the love I have for you. And the love you have for your brother and sisters. Nothing makes me happier, than bedtime. When the 4 of you kiss each other good night. Something that means so much. When you are all older, I pray, that you are still that close.

Son, you've changed my life. I such a positive way. I enjoy every moment that we have together. It warms my heart, that you are becoming such an amazing young man. More than anything, I want you to know that your Daddy and I love you. More than words could ever say. Happy 8th Birthday!

Love,
Mommy

I Can't Wait!

Very recently, the weather started to change around here. That excites me, in ways that I can't quite put into words! My Fall decorations are already up. I've been enjoying cool mornings, with the perfect spiced coffee. We've even bought Halloween costumes. But the one thing that I'm still waiting to do is, pull my favorite pot out...

Yes, I'm waiting for the perfect night. The perfect cool night, to make a yummy soup or stew. I can't wait! Even Patrick was mentioning this yesterday. This pot, is almost, our official mascot of Fall. I think I have a few days, until I get to make some magnificent soup. If only I could find the perfect potato soup. I've been hunting for a recipe, for a while now. A lady that I once worked with, made the most perfect potato, cheese, and bacon soup. It was so creamy. The perfect meal on a cool night. Anyone have a good recipe?

It Scared Us All!

I don't know if I've mentioned this here, but I'm a bit of a makeup lover. This is a love, that happened "later" in my life. My teenage years didn't find me spending hours on my makeup. Heck, I was lucky to manage mascara and lipgloss.

My college years didn't fair much better. I was too busy trying to fill my brain with chemistry and biology. I wanted to get into medical school. Makeup was my last priority. In med school, and later as a resident, I just craved sleep. I was happy to just get a shower.

Something happened though. During my first pregnancy, I found myself shopping. A lot! Something that I had never really done. Between buying crib bedding and onesies, I stumbled into the makeup aisles. Then to the makeup counters.

I was never a woman that liked trendy makeup. Or lots of color. I'm more of a natural woman. Pretty and light shades. Something to add the "Wow," without the "What the heck do you have on your face?" Along the way, I found the "Beauty World." The place, where I'm sure, women must spend their entire paychecks, on new beauty products.

Later, when I started watching YouTube, I was both intrigued, and mortified by these makeup collections. How in the heck? When and how do women collect that much makeup? More importantly, why? But while I was watching those videos, I was learning about new products, and companies.

Before I knew it, I was a fan of MAC. Don't get me wrong, I would never go and by $100s worth of makeup. But I do appreciate a new eyeshadow or lipstick, every few weeks. So one day last week, I found myself at the mall. With my kids. We needed to stop by and pick up a few things. And I thought, why not go by the makeup counter. That's when the good day we were having, went horribly wrong. Because we stumbled upon these pictures...

In an instant, 3 of my kids were gripping my legs. In an almost panic. Ethan calmly told me, "Mom, I think we should go. My sisters and Logan look like they are going to flip out." He was right. For the first time ever, my heart was beating so fast. My palms were sweaty. I was panicking. My kids were about to have an all out "freak out."

We left. I never actually made it to the counter. Instead, we stopped for ice cream. Then a calm trip to Target. For a new toy. My kids deserved that much. We had made it past, all these crazy clown pictures. They were all over the MAC counters. I have to admit this, these pictures are bizarre.

I'm wondering what MAC was thinking. Do they really think, that these clown pictures, are going to sell  more makeup? My small kids were freaked out, just by the mere sign of them. I could just imagine the jokes Patrick could come up with. I'll tell you one thing, I'll be cautious about taking my kids with me next time. That might mean, I have to avoid a few future purchases. But I'm a Mommy first. A makeup lover second. And if some creepy pictures bother my kids, then they bother me too.

Five Question Friday #18

It's finally Friday. Don't you just feel like some weeks, just drag on? This week has felt like that. I think I'm just tired. Possibly coming down with something. Or maybe we're just trying to find a rhythm still. I don't know. But I'm just happy the weekend is here. Let's get the Five Question Friday underway.

1. Do you apologize to your kids if you're wrong? Yes, I think it's important for them to know, even grown ups can be wrong. We're also the kind of parents, that believe in parenting by example. It's tough, but I think it's beneficial.

2. Do you have a class ring, Letterman's jacket, or similar obscenely priced high school "must have"? Yes, I was one of those kids. I had a Yearbook, Letterman's jacket, and a Class Ring. Now 2 of the 3, are stored in the attic. And my ring is in my jewelry box. A piece of jewelry that I wore for 10 years, I probably haven't worn it in over 10 years.

3. If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would you choose? My late twenties. But I'd like to be done with school, and being a resident. I'd like to have all my kids by then. And I'd want them to be small. Pretty much, my life now, just me in my late twenties.

4. What is your favorite (unused) baby name? Unused baby names, that's both tough and easy. For a girl, Emily. And for a boy, Jason.

5. If you could make your child like something what would it be? I'd like for my kids to always be adventurous and hardworking. I think those are very important life skills.

Wickedly Cute Pillows!

I think I've mentioned on here, a time or two, that I really enjoy the Etsy shop, Little Miss Momma. Have you checked out Ashley's blog? It's also a must see! But I recently came across some of her Halloween pillows, and I'm struggling not to go and buy them all! They'd definitely add some fun to our house.

How about a little trick or treat fun? I think these would be perfect in a chair. Looking outside. Something fun to greet visitors.

Or these cuties! I'd love to put a dozen of these, on our couch. In the family room. Because they're so fun and playful!

Maybe you're feeling a little wicked. This would be a fun pillow to add into the mix. Definitely a conversation starter!

But my favorites are these "Wicked Witch" pillows. Perfect! And do you notice how cute, all these pillows look together?

Yes, I've been dreaming about adding these beauties, to our house. And our Halloween decor. What do you think? Something you like too? Do you have any other fun, and festive ideas for me? I'd love to hear about them. I'd also love to find some new Etsy shops, to fall in love with. :)

I Miss...

Last month, I spent some time with my friend Hillary. And her beautiful baby girl. In a few short seconds, I fell in love, with this sweet baby girl. And within minutes, I missed having a baby at home.

I miss the sweet baby smells. All the cuddling. The baby coos. I miss those delicious, half sleepy smiles. I miss late night feeds. Time talking, when the house is fast asleep. I miss sweet fingers tightly holding onto my fingers. I miss itty bittie clothes on laundry day. I miss sweet lullabies. I miss tiny toes to kiss. And silly baby hair to comb.

Yes, I miss having a baby in the house. Our baby is now 2 1/2 years old! Where did all the time go? Almost 8 years ago, I became a mommy. I never realized how quickly the years would fly by. And how sad I'd be, when I could no longer have a sweet baby to hold.

I miss my babies, being babies. But I'm so happy to watch them grow. Something about this trip, just made me think, I'm never going to have babies again. I can't lie, it makes my heart ache. There's just something about a sweet baby. In about twenty years, I'll happily welcome some sweet grand babies.

Five Question Friday #17

I'm feeling a little crazy this week. I'm getting the finishing touches, completed for Ethan's birthday. On a side note, when did my baby grow up? He's going to be 8 years old! I've also been looking for birthday stuff for Logan. His birthday is in December. In our family, the boys' birthdays are in the Fall. The girls' birthdays are in the Spring.

Other than that, I'm still trying to find a rhythm. 3 of my kiddos are now in school. I've yet to figure out some work days. And I just volunteered to be a Class Parent. Oh, and I got voted to be the schools' VP of the PTA. I'm still now sure how I feel about that. Did I mention? The hospital also volunteered me as a Fundraising Queen. Pretty much, I have to organize some upcoming events.

But I'm trying, to not let all of this get to me. I'm enjoying all the one-on-one time with Daniella. I'm secretly loving it! It's really allowing me to soak up all of our time together. And really enjoy my baby. I'm trying to keep her as young as possible, for as long as possible. Does that makes sense? I think I'm still kind of wanting another baby. So I'm trying to make my baby, stay young. I hope that makes sense. Anyway, here are this week's Five Question Friday.

1. Dream job...realistic and completely unrealistic. My "realistic" dream job is being a SAHM and MD. I think that's going pretty well. Don't you? For about 6 months now, I've averaged 3 days a month, as an MD. Just enough to keep me interested in medicine. And keep me sane. More importantly, tons of time with my family. My "unrealistic" dream job...I need to think about this. I'd enjoy something involving traveling, shopping, and tons of spas. Any jobs like that out there?

2. Do you fart in front of your significant other? I was so weird about this. I completely hid this, well into my marriage. I'm positive, that Patrick, really believed women didn't fart. I know that we're both MDs. And he should know better. But I'm positive that's what he thought. My MIL is so lady-like. I'm almost 100% certain, that she's never past gas before. No I'm not lying! But during my 1st pregnancy, I had the worst gas ever! It just showed up during my last trimester. After that, I figured why try and hide it. My hubs knows I'm human.

3. What's the furthest you've ever traveled from home? How far and where was it? When we were first married, we definitely couldn't afford a real honeymoon. But Patrick and I promised, the first time we got a decent amount of money, and we had a home, we'd go on a trip. When Patrick got this job, immediately, we knew what we had to do. We planned a trip. Called our parents. And Patrick and I went to Paris. For 10 days. It was heaven! Honestly, it has been the only trip we've gone on, without our kids. That wasn't for work. We really need to do some kind of trip, to celebrate our 10 years of marriage.

4. How do you celebrate birthday for your kids? Family only or friends? ... Alternate for those without kiddos: How did you celebrate birthdays as a kid? On their actual birthdays, we have a family dinner. Just Patrick, the kids, and I. The birthday kiddo gets to pick the menu. And of course, we have cake and presents. Then on the weekend closest to their birthday, we have a birthday party. We invite friends and family. Honestly, usually just friends, and grandparents come. We live pretty far from our families.

5. Fave thing about fall? Just one thing? I can't do that! I LOVE FALL! I love the colors. Warm and rich. I love the smells. Spicy and comforting. The cooling weather couldn't be better! I enjoy cooking soups, stews, and comfort foods. Baking is a must! Nothing is more comfy than boots and chunky sweaters. Oh, and lots of cuddling with my family, and cozy soft blankets. Yes, I LOVE FALL!!!

Serenity

Immediately, this prayer came to mind. Patrick and I, came out to Tennessee. Our good friend, and her baby, have been through so much! It pains me so. My heart just breaks for them. Both of them. To have gone through so very much, so much hurt and pain. I don't really want to go through all of it. I think you should read the story from Hillary, herself.

Recently, a colleague of ours, contacted Patrick. If he'd be interested in this surgery. We all agreed. It was for such a good reason. I called my parents. And they agreed, to come and stay with our kids. For about a week. Because Hillary needs us. Plans were made. And here we are, in Tennessee.

The surgery was completed. A complete success. Complicated and long. But successful. Patrick and Dr. Sam were the lead surgeons. I sat with Hillary and her brother. As we were updated, I would explain to them exactly what was going on. I tried to keep my friend distracted. To keep her mind off of what was going on. I did everything that I could, to be a good friend. A comfort. A solid support.

Baby C is now doing well. Actually, better than expected. Which is such a relief. My friend and her baby girl, deserve such a good life. To be healthy. To be happy. I want that for them. For these amazing souls. I've only known for just under a year. But I swear to you, I feel like we've known each other for a lifetime!

This prayer, was just perfect. As an MD, we are trained to think,that we can do it all. We should be able to fix every problem, that comes our way. Every single time. But in reality, we know that we're just human. Not every situation is fixable. It's unfortunate. Heartbreaking.

The Serenity Prayer, was the one prayer, that I had hanging in my locker. The very first day that I worked at the hospital. At the beginning of every shift, I read it. And at the end of every shift, I read it again. It's the one thing, that gave me courage, when I was full of fear!

Yesterday's surgery, required courage, wisdom, and serenity. We all pray that Baby C will heal. Completely. That she will have the same chances in life, that my own kids have. I pray that God gives grace, wisdom, and patients to my friend. Most of all, I pray that God gives my friend strength. This is a long road that she's on. She needs all of our strength, love, and prayers. Please say an extra prayer, for this beautiful family.

Halloween Wreath

I was just searching, for a fun Halloween wreath idea. I want something really fun, for our side door. The one that our family uses, to come in and go out through. As a family, we rarely use the front doors. Those doors, are used for company. And they already have gorgeous wreaths on them.

I've been searching and searching. I seen some black wreaths at Target. But they're pretty pricey, for what they are. Nothing fancy. And honestly, nothing too fun. Basically, they're wreaths made out of black flowers. And they were $40 a piece. Not too fun. Now you know why, I was so excited, when I saw this picture.

Let me start out by saying, I'm not a "crafty person." Not at all! I want to be. I'm just not there. Yet. I'm trying to be more and more crafty. This might just be the project, that turns me into a "Crafty Maven." :) This wreath looks like it's made out of a wire ring, some tulle, and some ribbon. Possibly, the tulle is just tied on? I can handle this!

Looks like Daniella and I have to take a shopping trip. I want to make a big wreath like this. I'm pretty sure, we'll all enjoy it. Just something fun. To make the whole family smile.

Five Question Friday #16

I'm going to admit it. Having 3 kids in school, is kicking my butt! I can't get a schedule down. I feel like I'm always racing around. I need to seriously sit down, and get me a good schedule going. If not, Daniella and I, are going to go crazy. Her naps are getting cut short. Dinner has been late, all week long! And I'm going to need, about 20 cups of coffee, every day! With that, here is this week's Five Question Friday.
1. If you had a weekly newspaper column, what would you name it? Babbling Brooke. Hey, that could be fun. Now I just need to find a newspaper, that needs another writer.

2. Who is your mentor/inspiration? This is going to sound a bit cheesy, but my hubby. Patrick is so good, at so much. His heart, is ginormous! My hubs is so caring, loving, patient, and the most faithful person that I know. Patrick is a hard worker, always puts his family and friends ahead of himself, and loves to give back. I've always aspired to be like my husband.

3. What is your wake up beverage of choice? Coffee, coffee, and more coffee. This is hilarious! From the time that I first got pregnant with Ethan, until after Daniella was 18 months old, I didn't have a single cup of coffee. That's years people! This coming from the "Coffee Queen" herself. But I didn't drink it  for years. My drink of choice was cranberry juice. And while I still drink a glass of cranberry juice, every morning, I'm coming back to coffee. Especially since the school year started. I'm actually drinking half a pot, a day now. I need to slow down there.

4. Would you wear your mom's clothes? You know what, ya. I would. My mom is a very stylish lady. She has some amazing clothes! My mom has developed this amazing "Classic Style." Everything that she has, is classic. Great looking. And amazingly tailored. Now that I'm thinking about it, "Mom can I raid your closet?"

5. When you were a kid, did you put posters on your wall? If so, what were they of? I became the "Poster Queen," as a teen. Do you remember Tiger Beat and Seventeen? I had subscriptions to both. My walls were covered with bands, 90210, and gosh, anything from those magazines. Crazy!