A Lifetime of Love

studying. - I have a test tomorrow in one of my classes, and other than making flash cards to help me remember the material, I haven't studied. writing social studies lesson plans. -I am writing a unit lesson plan on candy. I have to develop and write up 8 lessons to include in the unit. I chose 5 th grade, so I have to meet U.S. history standards (my favorite subject!) and have spent countless hours scouring WWII exhibits at the Smithsonian's online exhibit, watching file footage of Pearl Harbor, listening to Presidential radio addresses, and researching WWII newspapers, advertisements, and other government documents. My problem? I find the material fascinating and want to include too much in the lesson. I am having difficulty deciding what to use and what to ditch (as I think it's all important). researching past candy advertisements. -one of my lessons is on advertisements. I want to compare ads of today to those 50 and 100 years ago. Then the kids will invent their own...

I know I don't live in Massachussets, but I think if you read the proclamation below you'll realize the prevalence of CDH is rather high, and this is an effective way to spread the word about CDH and honor those who have been affected by it. Through Carole I came to learn about CDH, and I am so glad I did. Carole, this is for you and Joseph. . . Commonwealth of Massachusetts A Proclamation His Excellency Governor Deval L Patrick Whereas Often a life-threatening birth defect, congenital diaphragmatic hernia is an opening in the diaphragm that allows the abdominal organs to push into the chest cavity, causing the limitation of lung growth; and Whereas According to Children's Hospital, a congenital diaphragmatic hernia occurs in every one in 2,500 births in the United States; and Whereas Proactive diagnosis and appropriate management of fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia minimizes the incidence of emergency situations, dramatically improving survival rates; and W...

First, let me begin with the news about Kiana . Her mass is pretty much gone with only a small, residual spot remaining. The doctor is confident it was an infection in her bone and contributed to the pain in her hind legs. She probably got some type of puncture wound (from a stick or something) that was too small for us to notice, causing it to become infected. The vet took her off her arthritis medication because her hips look better, too. We have to monitor her behavior over the next 2 weeks to determine if the pain was mainly caused by arthritis or the infection. If she begins to show signs of pain, we'll put her back on the medication. That was a huge answer to prayer and I thank God for teaching us the lessons we learned but also sparing her life (at this point). Second, Paul made it safely to Iraq on Wednesday. He called my sister and has emailed a couple of times. She seems to be doing okay, but is dreading returning home to an empty apartment. I don't blame her! Kaylee ...

Before I begin, let me just tell you that Th's favorite channel on television is Food Network. He especially loves to watch Ultimate Recipe Showdown, and every night before bed, he is allowed to watch it if he a) had a good day at home/school and b) took a nap. I was up late last night for moral support for TJ . He has some Microsoft tests he has to take, and he took one yesterday and has another one scheduled on Friday. Anyway, he was up late working on homework and needed some computer help. He asked me for assistance, and I offered to stay up with him in case he ran into some more difficulty (it was with Excel, not anything to do with hardware). He said, and I quote, "You're the Excel expert." And I am because of my military training. Crazy, huh. I joined the A.F. to work on airplanes yet I left being an expert on Excel. It's because I created spreadsheets to track different aircraft tools and equipment more efficiently, and you know the saying, you learn by do...

My sis made it late last night with Kaylee. She (my sis) seems to be doing okay considering what she is facing. I spoke to her on Thursday and could tell she was very distraught and trying her best to keep it together, at least until after seeing her husband Paul off on Saturday. I called her about 3:30 yesterday to see where she was. She hadn't left yet. She was at the Marine base until about 1 with P. and was so emotionally drained she went home to nap before driving here. I can't say I blame her. . . I had difficult sleeping Friday night. I kept thinking about her. I experienced a similar situation with Carole the days leading up to Joseph's birth. I really, honestly, with all my heart believe that times like that, the Holy Spirit is prompting me to pray. So I did. I just kept trying to put myself in my sister's place. The fear she must be facing, the uncertainty . She was telling me everything P. is going to be doing in Iraq, and I must say, he will be facing death...

I am still brought to tears when I read the account of Christ’s crucifixion on the Cross. I am still brought to tears as I read the prayer for me, for all believers, He prayed before His betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17:20-26). Yet, above all that, I am deeply saddened that so many people of this world do not know Christ as Savior. Even worse, in my opinion, are those who claim to be children of God yet the focus of their Resurrection Sunday (Easter) is on a rabbit, eggs, and baskets of candy. Why? What is the point? It was Christ who died for the sins of the world, not a rabbit. In our family, we bake Easter cookies to provide a more concrete understanding of the importance of the empty tomb (see recipe below). We don’t do baskets, egg hunts, or candy unless they are given as a gift from a family member. My kids received “Easter” cards yesterday in the mail and Th said, “It’s not my birthday. Why did _____ send me a card with a bunny on it?” I smiled inside and thanked th...

I'm applying what I've been learning from my bible study (I lead a bible study with some friends of mine). This week's topic: being thankful for ALL things, even the bad. So, Th finally was well enough to return to school today after missing a week. However, I had Ta and T.G. at the doctor yesterday. T.G. has an ear infection so she was put back on oral antibiotics in addition to the antibiotic ear drops I am already giving her. Last night, I started with a sore throat and ear aches and Ta started with a fever. I rushed him to the doc so a flu test could be given within the 48-hour time period. Guess what- it's not the flu. It's strep throat! Since T.G. is already on an antibiotic, I'm not too concerned about her. I am concerned for myself and Th since his immune system is still weak from just getting over the flu. I have a regularly-scheduled OB appointment in the morning so I'll just deal with the soreness until then. All this with TJ out of town at Micros...