Do you ever just feel like shopping?

I am definatley in a shopping mood. If you have ever read Confessions of a Shopaholic, well, I confess that is me but I am on a MUCH smaller scale. It is probably a good think I am not rich because i might shop all the time. When the character, Bex, describes shopping and how happy it makes her..I totally get it. But, we differ in a lot of ways. I will NEVER pay full price. It is very very rare that I do. I love a bargain and will not buy it unless it is. It is not fun for me to shop and pay full price. Tottaly ruins the whole experiance. Well, I have to take this back a little. If I am shopping on etsy or something like that , I do pay the asking price. If it's handmade I undertsnad the work that goes into it so I will happily pay the price. But, otherwise. no. But, it's half the fun to me to hunt for the bargain. Like a couple of weeks ago I got the best pair of levi's jeans at JC Penny for $8 and a cute shirt to go with them for $4! Brand new and really cute. I needed a gown for an event back in July I found one for $14. It was orginally $200. It doesn't matter that I left the dress at home and had to buy a new one once I got there, right? I still plan on wearing the orgial dress somewhere. It is huge and bright orange but I think really really pretty. Maybe I just need to wear it to the grocery store or something. lol
I am also different from bex in the fact that I don't always buy anything when I go shopping. More times than not I just window shop and that is still just as fun. i am not all that materialistic but something about going to the mall, I just love! Since NM is comming out there are a ton of new things I want. But, I will have crossed new lines on insanity if my whole closet is filled with T related stuff! But, here are a few thing I am drooling over. See, this is fun..virtual shopping!
I normally prefer handmade Twilight stuff because the people who read the books get it. But, this stuff is pretty cute!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...not yet anyway

i have been sooooooo busy!!! i mean really crazy insanly busy!! Oct. is normally crazy for us anyway but we added two conventions to the mix! We were in Orlando then Chicago and then The caving convention we go to every year. Then to top it off this weekend was GoldRush in Dahlonega. It is a HUGE festival right on our town square! Being a manager at a restraunt on said square I got to work this weekend. It wasn't too bad I had to run the shows Fri. and Sat. night. Just really really late nights.
I have badly neglected my etsy site. Which today I am going to do some housekeeping on it and restock. I have gotten into stamping lately and I made these really reallu cute necklaces for Halloween. You will have to stop by and look. they should be up in the next few hours!

www.scarlettadesigns.etsy.com

Amending nat's birthday fantasy

Natalie commented that the only thing missing from her fantasy birthday was some Twilight. So, it being her birthday I had to correct that. So, here you go Natty.
After we eat all the wicked Cake (because in this fantasy, cake is calorie and fat free) we are walking home and we get harrassed by some guys and this guy comes to our rescue. Better?

Happy Birthday, Nat!

Happy Birthday to my awesome friend, Natalie! I think I have the day right. That would be so typical if I got the day wrong. But, in case I am right here is the birthday day I wish I could give Natalie.
First i would arrange for someone to bring you breakfast in bed. We have to be real ( a little) If I tried to drive to your house and bring it to you, I would oversleep and it would have to be lunch.
Then we would spend the day in a great spa getting facials and mani pedi's
Then we would go to our own private ColdPlay concert and this is would be your cake (and it would say "happy Birthday, Natalie" Not Zoe. lol

Happy Thoughts

So, I realized that my posts recently are very "debbie downer" type. So, much I I am getting tired of myself. LOL So, to change my attitude and attempt to be more upbeat. I will show you there have been good things going on. I have been going a little stir crazy waiting on my consultation with the surgeon next week. I am hopinghe will say "oh, it was a fluke. Your fine. Surgery can wait." My friend told me that was called denial. lol I told her Denial is a nice place to visit. lol ANYWAY, We Bella finished her first year of Kindergarten and it went really well. I hated having to work so much. But, her teachers were awesome. They always greeted her with hugs and that helped. We had very few days of crying and not wanting to go. She finished the year with Feild Day. She got a first place ribbon for Simon Says. It cracked me up that she didn't get a ribbon for a foot race or tug of war but, Simon Says. I was proud. lol Bella is also taking swimming lessons. We are hoping it "clicks" this year and she will swim. Keeping my fingers crossed that the third year of swimming lessons will do the trick. She starts Vacation Bible school next week. So, we are doing good. depite my complaints and gripes, I am very thankful for every moment and every second.

So, it didn't work out. Things got too stressful and too crazy. I'm kinda at a loss for words. This was extremly hard. I could go on and on about how crazy things were and how this was effecting my family. I feel so bad for the baby. But, I have to think of my family first. We were trying to do something good and trying to help a baby. There was so much we didn't count on. I'm trying not to be too detailed since this is public blog and who knows who will read it. But, basically, we had no support from DFACS. We were kept in the dark about evcerything. I know that is to be expected in Fostering but this was excessive. The last person who was supposed to be calling the shots, was. Joe and I had a meeting with the Social Worker's supervisor on Friday. We had several concerns for the way this was headed. She apologized over and over. We dropped him off for his visitation and when I came back to pick him up the supervisor met me at my car and said she had great news that they found a great placement with a family member for the baby. They were excited about it. She thanked us and apologized again. She also let me know that this is not the typical fostering situation and she hoped this didn't deter us from fostering int he future. next time, if there is a next time, we will definaltly try to foster a child from a different county. This town is way too small!!! I wasn't expecting to not have him come home with me. I feel like this has worked out, but it was hard just to get back in my car and walk away. I wanted so bad for it work out and to help this baby. The supervisor told me that we had served a good purpose and she felt like it happened for a reason this way. Because the family member he went to wasn't able to take him last week and if we hadn't been there he wouldn't have had anywhere to go. But, since we were there he had a good home until the family member could take him. That made me feel better. It was still a miserable day. I had some great friends go shopping with me. They were very supportive. however, when I went into work to pick up my check, the Baby's mom had been there all day and told people that I just abandoned her baby at the DFACS office. That Joe and I had showed up at DFACS and just dropped him off saying we were done. No one belived her. But, it hurt. AGain, too small of a town! I felt I had to defend myself and say that is NOT what happened. We didn't know he wasn't comming back home with us. Having to walk away was so hard and continues to be hard and to have someone throw it in my face just hurts. We never expected any of this. We had the best intentions and hopes. Just a week ago, we weren't expecting a baby at all. And now, ..gosh my head is spinning and I have all kinds of new hurts. This wasn't the right time for any of this, Joe and I knew this. But, we thought we should try for the baby's sake. I firmly believe there is a reason for everything. Right now just sucks. I know I was vague and cryptic and if you call or email, I will explain. But, because this is a public blog I have to be this way.

Mi Vida Loca!

Sooooo several posts ago I was talking about a gorl who brought her baby into my work a lot. Well, no said baby is living with us. it kinda snowballed and just happened all of the sudden. He was living with her family and that didn't work out and Joe and I voluntered. Honestly, I didn't think it would happen because we don't really know her or the baby. But, We just felt like this is a child in need and we should step up and it least put it out there. Last Thursday we got a call from DFACS asking if they could do a homestudy. So, Joe came home from work and they came and did the homestudy and we were sent for drug tests and background check. I still didn't think it would happen or if it did it wouldn't be that fast. But, yesterday they called us at 3 to come it at 4 and by 5 he was home with us. this is temporary as his Mom is working to get him back. I hope she does because I know she loves him. I can't say this isn't stressful and at a time when I have been trying to cut the stress in my life down and this may not work out. But, I felt "called" to try. I don't say that lightly. I just felt like things were laid out to at least try to give him a safe home for at least a little while. The baby is just awesome. He is the smiliest baby. you can just look at him and he will give you a huge smile. I am not worried about him. He is great. the stress comes from the people in his life. There is a little drama that we are trying to stay out of at all cost. If we get drawn in we are not going to do it any longer. Bella is our first priority. So, if it even looks like things will be stressful for her. We will end it. So, there you have it.

Seriously funny

Can't wait for November

It's my pity party and I'll cry if I want to!

Let me get this out of the way first. I am very grateful to be alive, I am VERY thankful for my Doctors and modern medicine, I LOVE my family, my Mom is being super Mom, and my husband is super supportive. All that being said, I am going to have a pity party. I promise that after this post I won't do it again. I'll suck it up, put my big girl panties on and deal with everything straight on. But, just for this post...
Pardon me, but I'm pissed. I had so many things fun planned for this summer. So, many things I was looking forward to. (I know that by going through this now, it will alow me to have a ton of other things to look forward to) I have trips planned, little day trips with Bella, get togethers with my friends, family vacations. But, I'm on pause and in Limbo.
I had my horrible test yesterday. It was described as unplesent. A BIG WHATEVER TO THAT!! It was horrible! I was in what they called a Twilight sleep. Yep, I did giggle when the nurse asked me if I have ever been put in a Twilight sleep. I thought "every night". (I don't have to keep reminding you guys I'm a nerd, right? It's understood at this point) But, then they sedated me. Tottally not a fun Twilight sleep. They need to change the name. Anyway, they sprayed the back of my throat to numb it. But, then I just couldn't swallow and started choking on my own spit and they had to use the suction. The funny thing about the sedation part was that the Dr. would order the nurse to give me the medicine through my IV then leave the room. he would come back and I would be just sitting there looking at him, then he would order more and leave again. He did this two times. I guess I was supposed to be out with the first, but I am still the ADD child that everything works in reverse on. My Mom would give me medicine when I was little, that was supposed to make me drowsy and it would rev me up instead. Sorry mom! Finally it worked, but I still remember the bite guard and my body trying to throw up while they put the scope thing down my throat to look at the back side of my heart. It was miserable. But, I did go to sleep at some point because apparently i was back for two hours but it seemed more like 20 minutes to me. One minute I was gagging and people were holding me down, the next my mom was putting my cupecake converse on my feet. (thanks again, Nat) I had really expected the Dr.'s to say that the hole they were trying to see better wasn't a big deal and we aren't going to worry about it. I got the call from the Dr. on the way home. He said it was bigger than they thought and it needs to be closed. Apparently, the Dr. who did the procedure had already told my family that it wa sbig, but I wasn't all there for that. When I got the call, I just cried. I don't want this. I know the procedure to fix it is not as bad as it could be but , i still don't want it. I don't want to worry my family or friends. I want to be the strong one who takes care of them. To make things even more frustrating, I can't get into see the surgeon until June 25. My Dr's office is trying to get me in sooner. I'm just nervous because they are pretty sure that I did have a TIA or mini stroke and this opening or hole they found was the cause and I am at risk for having a full blown stroke. That's why I feel like I'm in limbo on pause. So, there you have it. That was my pity party. I promise not to do it again.

hmm..I've been avoiding this post

Well, I had my Cardiology appointment on Tuesday. I have been avoiding writing about it because I am just ...well..I don't know. I guess just not wanting to deal with it.
A couple of years ago I had a echocardiogram because of my SVT stuff. When I talked to the Dr. about the findings, I was just expecting the same old same old. I have had I think at least 4 and nothing really ever comes from them. SVT is one of those things that you have to see it while it's happening. But, this time the Dr. said "well, we found a hole in your heart" I was stunned and I asked him what that means and he said "well, it's the size of a pinpoint and it means that maybe when you are a lot older after a long trip you could have a stroke" I was really hurt by the way he just swept it under the rug. I asked my primary care Dr. about it and he said if it was that small to not worry about it and take a baby asprin, which I do. So, when I went to the neurologist following the episode a few weeks ago I mentioned this. He said we needed to check this out and so that is what sent me to the cardiologist. One I had never seen before. i was really impressed. He really listened and asked a bunch of questions and took his time. But, he was concerned about the possible hole because he said this could be the cause if it was in fact a TIA (aka mini stroke). He sent me to the Eco Lab at Emory hospital. The Dr. called on his cell phone and talked directly to the person who would be doing the Echo. I was impressed I didn't have to wait and I liked everyone was communicating. He also let me know the person doing it was the best. So, I went again expecting nothing special. Same old Same old. I had myself convenced that the hole wasn't really there that they had made a mistake and that was why it was just swept under the rug so to speak. But, after taking just a few minutes on different areas, but spending what seemed like forever on just one spot, i kinda figured they found it. She left and said she was going to get a Dr. He was super nice and let me know that they did see the hole. They saw blood going in between the wall of my heart and they weren't sure if it was a whole or a gap. It was explained to me that when we are in the womb our hearts are more or less open and blood and other stuff mixes and then if grows together. Kinda like curtains clsong. It overlaps and seals. They are wondering if mine didn't seal since they see the moving through that wall. Apparently it is somewhat common but they are concerned since i had that episode. He said a whole bunch mroe but it is a way long story and this is already a super long post. But, basicallly I have to go in to the hospital on Tuesday and have this procedure where they sedate me and stick this thing down my throat so they can see the back side of my heart, where they think the problem is and then do something called a bubble test. NONE OF THAT souds like fun. But, that is what's going on just so everyone knows. If I haven't called or retuned calls, this is why. I have been busy with this and working a lot. But, I am scaling back the work because I am overwhelmed. So, again, we shall see.

More Disney Pics because we are Disney Dorks

So, we had a wonderful week last week. We went to DisneyWorld. After what happened two weeks before we weren't sure we should go. Several people were worried about us going, including me. But, I really really wanted to have this family time. I work so much I feel like Joe, Bella, and I are never together at the same time. But, the trip went great. The pictures speak for themselves. I am going to post more tomorrow. I haven't downloaded from the second camera, yet. I was such a goober when bella met Cinderella. I cried! Very embarrassing! But, It was right when we entered the Magic Kingdom. They randomly pick people to grant wishes to and right when we walked in the picked Bella and took us into Exposition Hall and this man called out "announcing princess Bella" and he dropped a curtain and Cinderella was right on the other side and said "well, Hello,Princess Bella" Bella's face was priceless. I just started crying. i couldn't help it. Disneyworld does that to me. Also, I couldn't help but think that two weeks to the day I was laying in a hospital bed unable to speak right, read, and had trouble walking. At that point I was so scared of what was to come and if things were going to return to normal or get worse. So, to stand there with Bella and Joe at Disneyworld was just such a blessing. I am so grateful. I am so scared it will happen again, but I am trying to not worry and just treasure family time.

Still frustrated

I went to the Dr. yesterday and what an ordeal that was!?! My awesome friend Tiffany drove me. Since it is about an hour from our house and Joe had to work, Joe wanted to make sure I had someone with me. I'm so thankful she went. She was so helpful, but also offered comedic relief. We got there at 6:45 a.m. I met with the Dr. and he said he thought everything made him think it was a T.I.A. or a mini stroke. He said it didn'[t have anything to do with my chiari. He also said he wanted me to meet with another neurologist that could help me more. He left the room to set up the appointment and came back in to tell me that the Dr. was in the building and he was going to get him so he could meet with me now. My Mom had arrived by this time and we were both thrilled. I was super bummed at the idea of having to wait more weeks to see another Dr. for answers. So, we met with the others Dr. and I was so relieved to have my Mom. I know I am a Mom myself and a grown adult, but sometimes I just want my Mom. AND she was a big help filling in the timeline of last week's hospital visit. He also said everything would lead him to believe it was a T.I.A. as well. But, since I had three "episodes" in a two hour period, that would mean I would have had three blood clots and that seems unlikley, but everything points at a T.I.A. but he wantd to do more tests to rule it out. Does that make sense?He said it could also be this other thing, but I forgot the name. It was a big word that started with an H that is a type of migraine that was caused by something weakening the left side of my brain at that time. He said whatever it was at that time, not enough blood was getting to my brain. he sent me down to the lab to get blood work done. When I was taken back the lady started to take blood out of my right arm and discovered a mass. She said it looked like a blood clot and she wasn't going to take blood from that arm and I had to go back up and see my Dr. She took blood from the other arm. So, we went back up to my Dr. to have him send me down to radiology for an ultrasound of my arm to make sure it wasn't a clot. The mass had gone down a lot by the time I got back to get the ultrasound. She said I could go because i had blood flow. We finally left the hospital at 2:30. So 8 hours at the hospital and I still feel like i am where I started. But, all the Dr.'s were excellent and really listened and seemed dedicated to helping me figure this out and prevent another "episode" So, the next step is a cardiology appointment May 5th. So we shall see.

So, I have had a crazy week. I hav been thinking about blogging, but not sure what to say. I haven't wanted to worry anone needlessly, but I am up late because of tornado warnings and thought I would just go ahead and post.
Exactly a week ago I was sitting at my Mom's house posting about our wonderful Easter. We stayed the night at my Mom's house. Joe went to work and I slept in. When I woke up I checked my email and my Tm stuff. I answered a few and posted a little and then as if a switch had been flipped I couldn't read. I could at that point, see just fine, but th words didn't make sense. It was like I didn't know how to read. I got a little panicky and went and got my sister. By this point I was a little lost. I couldn't see very well and was having a very hard time talking. It was like there was a disconnect from my head to my mouth. Then my right arm went numb. My Mom and sister decided I needed to go to the er. On the way to the hospital it kind of went away and then came back two more times in the car. Each time lasting 5-10 minutes. The last time in the car was the worst. The right side of my face went numb. It was so weird. half my tongue, half my mouth, half my face was numb. My right arm was completley numb and my heart felt like it was racing. It was awful and so scary. I didn't get a Ct scan or an MRI for a good two hours after the last "episode". I was realesed eight hours later. The Dr. said he wasn't really sure what happened. They didn't see any signs of a stroke in my scans. But, the first Dr. who treated me in the ER wrote "stroke protacal" on my chart. The Dr. that released me said I needed to see a neurologist because he wasn't sure what to do and I was stable. He was honest enough to say if it was a heart attack or a gunshot wound it would be more up his alley, but this was outside of his payscale. At the time I wanted to strangle him for saying that. But, now I really appreciate that he wasn't so full of himself that he could admit he didn't know and he didn't give me some guess that would stop us from trying to figure out what really happened.
So, thanks to my Mom and Kelli I have an appointment with a specialist in neurology on Wed. When I was pregnant with Bella I found out I have a Chari malformation. Basically, it means part of my brain hangs down in my neck a little and can put pressure on my spinal column. There is a good chance that this is the cause of what happened. I have spent the week being scared. I have been really overwhelmed by how great everyone has been. If nothing else this has shown me that I hav a lot of pople in my life that love me and I am truly thankful for all of them. I know I have actd a little cranky and a littl grumpy to some people this past week and I am really sorry. i am just frustrated and scared and it's comming out as grumpy. I am so grateful for everyone's support right now. hopefully, after my Dr.'s appointment on Wed. I will post that is was nothing just a fluke.

Happy Easter

We had a great Easter and I hope everyone else did, too. Holidays are hard because we live far and our parents live not close to eachother. So, we really have a hard time splitting the time. This Easter we just went to my parents house. I had to work Sat. night and didn't get home until 2a.m. and then I HAVE to read before I fall asleep. (a little OCD of me, but it's my nightly unwind ritual and I like it) So, we had the best intentions to go to church, Joe's parents, and then to my parents. But, Big Shock, we over slept. Brenna had a similar issue and she spent the day with her in-laws. So, we had a small layed back Easter and it was really nice. We missed all the people we couldn't be with. Bu, Joe and I rush around ALL the time. We always are on a schedule and it was really nice just t be in one spot and get to enjoy the day. Oh, I cut my hair AGAIN! It went much better this time, but I have mixed feelings about it. I love it in the mirroe, but I look like a goober in pictures. Well, whatever.

For whatever reason the link for our Etsy site was not working. So, I am posting it again. www.scarlettadesigns.etsy.com

i am going to be dork for a minute (who am I kidding? It's a way of life for me!) But, I just saw someone from Forks, Wahington read my blof. I think I know who that someone is. (Hey! TJG) But, I still thought it was neat!

New Etsy store

Okay, awhile ago I said I would share what I have been working on. I just uploaded a bunch of stuff, but not all, to my new Etsy store. My friend Andrea and I decided to open the store together. This way we can be each other's motivators and cheerleaders. So, we just post when we are finished with something. Right now, it's just the stuff I have made. But, I know Andrea has some really neat things in the the works. The things I have listed are just a few of what I have done. I have had so much fun creating this stuff and I hope you guys like it, too. I also make personalized pendants. I have one with Bella's picture on one side and her name on the other. So, check it out.
http://scarlettAdesigns.etsy.com

Frustration

Joe and I have gone back and forth about more kids since Bella was born. I know the answer and I think I have always known, but have been to scared to admit it. We definitely want more. But, how our next child gets here is another thing...I have health issues. getting pregnant is not an issue. But, staying healthy while pregnant is another. If you were around me when i was pregnant with Bella, you know what I am talking about. I couldn't drive, had HORRIBLE headaches, would lose my vision and speech sometimes, and I had issues with my heart. I almost completely lost my appetite in the beginning and lost weight. All that being said, somehow I feel that it would be fine a second time. Either stupidity or just hopeful, not sure. I know those close to me hope I don't have another baby. I understand their fears for me and I also understand it's stupid to risk my health. It's selfish. I know. But, something inside my head says it will be fine. We have thought about adoption. we have thought about that even before Bella was born. I have no doubt we would love another child as our own. i have a strong pull towards wanting to adopt. But, money is a huge issue. I guess I should say Lack of money is the issue. This is the frustrating part. There is a girl that comes into where I work and she has a three month old little boy. She is friends with a lot of people that work with me and she would just get dropped off at the restaurant and sit with him for hours. Sometimes my whole shift. I would hold him and carry him around. He is so precious. I can tell she loves her son, but there are somethings that worried me. Obviously sitting in a restaurant for hour and hours with an infant is the first thing, but there is a lot more. She is on probation and has a history of drug use. She said she was clean and I believed her. But, when I went to pick Bella up from school I saw another women carrying the same baby around. I know it was rude, but i had to ask. She told me she was the baby's step- grandmother and she was taking care of him now. Because his mother was in a lot of trouble and was in jail. She had to go pick him up from a local bar at 2 a.m. one night because his Mom was too drunk. I am happy someone is taking care of him, but it made me very sad for him. I can just see a future of back and forth between grandmother and mother and his mom in and out of jail. Hopefully, it won't be this way. Hopefully, this is a wake up call to her. But, the odds aren't good. It makes my heart hurt. I know it's wrong and a little self righteous of me, but I wish I could take care of that baby. I have no claim to him and he obviously has family members to take care of him and love him, but I wish he could have something stable.

Misc.

I have been absent from everything. All i have been doing is working. I just counted and I have worked 30 hours so far since Monday and I am supposed to work a double. So, 12 more hours. I'm not complaining AT ALL! I am grateful to be working and I really do love where I work. But, I miss my Bella and Joe. I have been trying to make the time Bella and I have special. Just Bella and I went to Fernbank Museum on Monday and we had the best time.

I was tested and I FAILED BAD BAD BAD!!

So, if I were a paranoid person and also thought the world revolved around me, I would think that someone from Wal-Mart read my blog and decided to test my resolve as far as boycotting Wal-Mart. Because today I was tested and I failed...miserably. They found my weakness....they have Twilight shirts for cheap, I mean really cheap. I crumbled and got two. ****I am hanging my head in shame*****They even had a flat screen tv by the shirts playing outakes from twilight. So, like a fool I stood there and watched the tv. Bella then looked up at me and said "why is everyone excited about twilight?" I just shook my head and said "I have no idea"

ummmm...REALLY?!

There are so many things about this picture that I am questioning. I think I could design a better dress..I take that back I think Bella could do better than that.

Spoiler

Don't watch if you are reading the twilight series or intend too because this will give everything away. Otherwise, it is one of the funniest things EVER!! *****it takes a minute to load, so if it gets "stuck" rewind and start over to give it time to catch up with itself. Also, Pause the music on my blog first*********

Walmart

Okay, so I try not to be contiversal or political on my blog..well anywhere really. I am trying to live stress free, which is a tall order these days. But, simply..my heart can't take it. I internalize stress and I have some heart issues, not big ones, but stress will turn it into big ones. ANYWAY, I just watched "Wal-Mart: The High Cost Of Low Price". Everyone should watch this. I already have disliked Wal-Mart, but I have thought about it as a "nessacary evil". For example: I like to do crafty things and living in this small town, we do not have a craft store. We have a Hallmark type store that tries to have craftt things, but not really. So, I head to the Wal-Mart when i need something. But, if Wal-mart wasn't here, there would probably be a great craft store with a bigger selection and better quality products. But, Wal-Mart is here. So, we don't have independent craft , shoes,or clothes stores. Wal-Mart shuts down the independent retailer and shuts down towns. I understand that their prices are cheap and especially now that means a lot. But, if you do ALL of your shopping with one company and that one company does NOT buy American, all of our money is going over seas. It's a vicious cycle. Think about a small town full of small shops, then Wal-Mart comes in and it offers products at a much cheaper price so everyone goes there. So, the stores start closing because no one is shopping there. So, jobs are lost and now you HAVE to shop at Wal-Mart. If there is just one store in town, where do you work? Wal-Mart. So, you shop and work at Wal-Mart. Kind of sounds like the old "company store" thing. I am sure this is hard to imagine in a big city, but it happens a lot in small towns. next time you drive through a rural area try to find the "down town" area of a small town and then find the Wal-Mart. I could go on and on. I could tell you about the little town that my family is from and how it used to have a vibrant main street full of stores, but now it's mostly empty, but the Wal-Mart has a full parking lot. But, just watch Wal-Mart:the high Cost Of Low Price. I am going to TRY to not shop at Wal-Mart again. I say try because like I said, I live in a small town and we do not have many options here and money is tight. But, I am not supporting a store like this.

It's my birthday! WOOHOO!

My friend Natalie posted a little fantasy birthday for me! You have to head to her blog and check it out. For the record, I would want the first cake!http://happyhavoc.blogspot.com/2009/03/its-glass-is-half-empty-day-whiny-whine.html
http://happyhavoc.blogspot.com/2009/03/its-glass-is-half-empty-day-whiny-whine.html

Sorry I f I left you hanging with that last post. It was a scary weekend. I am sure kelli would think that is an understatment. Kinsey is my sister, Kelli's youngest. She is not even 2 yet and has spent a good portion of those 1 1/2 years sick with something that noone can figure out what it is. She has had a HORRIBLE rash. when I say rash..well...it doesn't really even begin to describe it. You can head over to her blog and look a few posts back to see what I mean. Fortunatly that has cleared up. But, last week kinsey was sick with what her Dr. diagnosed as the flu withought doing an actual test. She was on Tamaflu but got worse. Thursday she had slept all but two hours of the day. So about 20 hours and her diaper was dry. So, Kelli called the nurse line or Dr. I am not sure which and the told her to take her to the ER. There, they thought cancer was a possiblity but it was ruled out. Still scared us all to death. They kept her overnight. But Friday she took a turn and things went down hill. i don't have all the specific numbers and all the medical details. But, her blood level should have been at 11 and it was at 4.6. Because of this her heart was having to work a lot harder than normal and they were fearing cardiac arrest. this is when I posted the last time. We all ran straight to the hospital to be with them. When I saw her she was so white. I cannot even explain how what she was. Her lips were even white and she was just lathargic. So sad to see her that way because she is the exact opposite. She enede up having two blood transfusions and was finally released on Sunday. The scary thought is they still do not know why this happened. she appointments with Dr.'s to try to find out. It could happen again. So, as of right now she isn't completley better but she has improved. We still need prayers an positive thoughts. Shawn was laid off last week and Kelli is in school. Things are tough. I know they will get through this, but I wish they could win the lottery or somehting. So, they would at least not have to stress about money and could just be with eachother.

I do not have time or a lot of details. I am literally running out the door to go back to the hospital. I just know the power of prayer. I guess I just feel helpless and this is all I know to do. Kinsey is reall really sick and we need major prayers today. PLEASE!!! I will updat elater.

So, let me give background first so this doesn't sound weird. When I used to teach Tae kwon Do there was another higher ranking instructor who taught at the same school I did. I was the only female instructor and it was tough. not everyone was super nice. But, this one guy was. he helped me with my forms and gave me pointers and just an all around nice guy. Don't get the wrong idea. He was just a good friend. joe liked him a lot, too. I have always gotten along better with guys as friends and being married it not all that approprite to have guy friends. but, this guy would hang out with Joe and I and he is just a stand up nice christian guy with no other motives other than being a good friend.
he moved to Texas a few years ago and we tried to keep in touch but we somehow lost touch. but thanks to facebook he found me yesterday. he is in the Army and stationed in Afganastan. I can't tell you how much I hated to hear that. We talked for awhile on Facebook this a.m. Weird, it was nght there. He has gotten hurt. Not seriously and he has recovered. I just got frustrated with the news. All we hear on the news is bad and how much people hate us and whiny whiny people. If I have to hear about the economy one more time...... But, intrest in the soldiers still fighting for us has kind of gone away. I'm guilty of it. But, to see pictures of my friend there jolted me back. I don't care where you stand politically or what you think about the war everyone should be praying or thinking positive thoughts or whatever you do. They are there fighting for us. When we were chatting this a.m. we started talking about protesters and that crazy Cindy Sheehan women (she was the one who's son died in iraq and she turned into a big protester) and I said she is such an idiot and I was glad no one listened to her anymore. he said he felt sorry for her andyes the protesters "bolied his blood" but that's what he was there fighting for. So, we could say what ever we wanted and have that freedom. What a good attitude! I tend to just be bitter. So, i am stepping off my soap box, but I just wanted to share. I am on a mission to send him double stuffed oreos. I used to send care packages to Joe's brother when he was over there. i loved to do it. Something small, but I felt like I should be doing something. i asked my friend what I could send and all he wanted was double stuffed Oreos. We shall see if they make it. He said his family has tried to send him packages and they have never made it. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Cupcakes

Aren't these the cutest? I want them! But, they are $49.99!!!!! So, it's not gonna happen. I do have a birthday next week. But, our trip is probably my Valentine's, Birthday, and Anniversary, and Christmas present and I am NOT complaining. If I never get another gift again, It was worth it!! I feel like I should be giving gifts instead. So many people helped us take this trip. From nice people at work who helped me get out early the night before we left, to a friend who watched our animals, to my sisters who were supportive and didn't make THAT much fun of me for going to Forks, to my parents who took such good care of Bella for us. Thank you, Thank you! I feel very blessed with such good friends and family.
A friend just got these for her daughter and I thought they were adorable. For whatever reason, I love cupcakes. Not just to eat them, but I think they are so cute. It probably has to do with Bella's love of cupcakes and that we have to make them so much due to her allergy.

Day 7

Okay, this is the last post I will make from the Pacific Northwest. We had a full day and we are tired! We woke up early and headed into Seattle. I had an article that I ripped out of a Budget Travel magazine a year ago. I had no plans to come here, but it looked like a neat town. The article was a walking tour of the downtown area. I can't believe I kept up with it. We walked forever. we went to this really cool Japanese store. It was huge and filled with everything from housewares to Sea Urchin. They had a neat food court,too. We ended our walking tour at the Pike's market. It was overwhelming. It was packed. But, a really neat place. the last thing we did was get drinks and a snack at the Athenian in the market. My dad had sugegsted we go there and i am glad we listened. It was my favorite part of the market. Crazy mix of tourist, locals, and fisherman. We sat in a tiny booth next to big windows that looked out over the water. We had yummy Thai food for dinner.
We have had a truly truly amazing trip that I will NEVER forget. Seattle was really neat, but the Forks area is my favorite. The whole area is almost magical with the huge trees and amazing vistas. (that's a Joe word) I was so excited to see where the book was set, but even if there was no twilight I would have been happy to spend a week here. So, I am thankful to the book for pointing us in the right direction. I hope with all the attention it doesn't loose the charm.
Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. It has been fun to share this with everyone.

Day 6

Again, I have to be quick because we are running out the door. Yesterday, we had another great day. We headed out to Mt. Rainier. It was further than we thought, but a nice drive. We stopped at Cabela's, which is a lot like Bass Pro Shop. But, acording to Joe, there is a difference. We spent awhile there. I figured Joe had put up with my Twilight stuff all week, I could sit in a camp chair and let him wonder. We then headed to the mountain. We did not expect all the snow. There was a ton. Most of the park was closed because of the snow, but we got pretty far up the mountain. They had an area just for playing in the snow. I wished Bella was with us because she would have loved it. We spent most of the day at Rainier. It is amazing. We headed back to the city and went to the flagship R.E.I. I know I complained about chain stores in my last post and then we went to two. lol We headed back towards our hotel and found a dollar theatre. We had the best dinner. We shared a huge Gyro chicken salad with Pitas. it was sooooo good. We then saw a movie and headed back to our hotel.

Day 5

I was so sad to leave Forks. It was such an amazing place. There si so much to do and see right around the town. I could have spent days more there. But, we moved on to Seattle. We woke up early on Wed. and headed out to try to find Elk. We had only seen a squirel and a racoon on this trip. We did find some and pretty fast. We headed back to the Hoh Rainforest. The drive out there is beautiful. We walked around for a little bit and headed back into town for breakfast. Again, we had a huge breakfast. The yummiest veggie omlet ever!! We finished up some last minute souvenier shopping and headed out of town. Again, beautiful drive. The drive by Lakce Crescent was unreal. The lake provided a perfect mirror image of the mountains. i know I keep saying the same adjectives, but I can't come up with anything better. We wanted to drive up Hurricane Ridge, but it was closed. We drove as far as we could and got some great pictures. we took a ferry from kingston into the Seattle area. On the ferry I kept telling Joe to look at this neat cloud and he said "honey, that's not a cloud that's Mt. Rainer." beautiful! Our hotel is just a little out of town in an area called Bellevue. thanks to my sister in-law we got a really great rate at a Marriott. (thank you, Kim) This area is a lot like Buckhead. A big change from forks. I am sure I will like Seattle better. I'm not really into chain stores and restraunts and this area is full of them. However, I was very happy about the Barnes and Noble we walked around in last night. So, we are off today to get a better look at Rainer.

Day 4

We had another wonderful day! I will keep this short. We are leaving Forks and heading for Seattle. I am sad about leaving. Forks is just amazing!
Yesterday, we slept in for the first time on the trip. We ate at Sully Burgers for lunch. They have a burger called the "Bella Burger" I decided I was not going to get it just for the name. but, it had everything on it I would want so i got it anyway. it was one of the best burgers I have had. It even came with fake vampire teeth! After that we headed back into LaPush and hiked to Third Beach. it was a long hike out to the beach and then over drift wood. it was beautiful. We walked down the beach to the left and there was a waterfall comming off the cliffs into the ocean. it was just beautiful. We then headed up to the Makah Indian reservation. it's about an hour drive. It is the furtherest North West you can get in the Contential United States. Again, AMAZING!! We got there in time to hike out to a point and watch the sun go down. After that we drove back to Forks and had dinner.

Day 3

The problem with this trip is that I can't decide what my favorite day is. Everyday has been wonderful and yesterday was just awesome. We woke up early and had another huge breakfast. Biscuits and gravy and a big waffle with strawberry topping. We split it, but still. From there we walked downtown. That sounds misleading...downtown Forks is maybe 5 little stores and two asian restraunts and a mexican restraunt as well.I am not being negative, i love that is so small. There is a store that is completley Twilight stuff. Can you belive I did not by one thing? I didn't not one. I did get postcards and Forks magnets in the pharmacy and I might go back for a sweat shirt. But, to be able to do this trip, we are on a super tight budget. We then walked to the highschool and then back to our motel. All the tween girls had checked out of the Twilight themed rooms. So, they let me go peek in. We then went to Tina's house (see post below). After that, we drove around and looked at the twilight sights and then drove to Lapush. In case you haven't read the books, La Push is an Indian reservation. Again, no words. The reservation itself was intersting. We deove by a trailer with a totem pole being worked on in the front yard. You can tell that money is not pletniful. But, it was
beautiful. First, Second, and Third Beaches are in La Push and they are breathtaking. First Beach was easy to get to. You could drive right up to it. I hate to keep saying "beautiful" over and over agin, but I just can't come up with the right words. There were people surfing. I had on my down coat with a big insulated rain coat over it, with mittens and hand warmers and I was freezing and they were surfing! They did have on wet suits, but still!!! Second Beach was tougher to get to. It was a nice hike in and then you had to climb over a ton of driftwood. After my fall the day before Joe was trying to hold on to me. I tried in vain to explain it was a slick log that made me fall. We walked along the beach and then sat down on driftwood to watch the sun go down. Again, no words. Amazing. The hike out was a little spooky. It was sooooo dark in the woods heading out. We headed back to Forks and had pizza delivered. I was the one to fall asleep almost as soon as I was done with my pizza. I think we have gotten more sleep on this trip that we have in the last month. Joe was amazed that he slept 12 hours the night before. He usually get home from work around 10 or 11 (sometimes later) at night and gets to bed around midnight only to wake up by 6 to go to work. He was pulling 14-16 hour days before we left. Poor guy. If he did come home early it was so I could go to work. He was working 7 days a week, too and I work Friday, Sat., and Sunday nights. So basically we never saw eachother. So, this trip has been awesome. Just to get to talk and hike and even just eat a meal together. We can't really afford this trip and it kinda exhausts me to think about how hard we will both have to work to get back on track money wise. But, I wouldn't trade anything. Again, I am thankful!