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.