Slowly it's reaching everyone.

Scott, my brother-in-law, went to FL to be with family, while he was there he came down with THE 24 hr flu. When returning home, his brother Mark also got sick with THE 24 hr flu. Ari came down with THE 24 hr flu on Tuesday and I almost took him to the children's hospital. He would throw up and go limp. This went on for a few hours. It was very scary. Around 6pm on Thursday (Thanksgiving) I got THE 24 hr flu and upchucked the first course of my Thanksgiving meal. A few hours later Ivy followed in my footsteps and Nate close behind with THE 24 hr flu. Yesterday (Friday) we were pretty much under quarantine. No body wanted to visit with us because they didn't want to get sick, but today we find out that Scott's mom got THE 24 hr flu yesterday evening, and my mother got THE 24 hr flu at 3am this morning.

Amy and my dad are the only ones that haven't gotten sick that have been exposed to it.

Hope this doesn't happen at Christmas time!

Weekend Getaway

Nathanael and I recently took a trip to Charleston, SC.  It was a little weekend get-away 

without the little ones.  We had a really great time.

Nathanael was my personal Bellhop!

The first full day we were there we went on a 2hr Sailboat tour.

Then we went and got our bicycles out of the car and rode around the historical downtown Charleston where there are many shops and resturants.  The weather was perfect and it wasn't really all that crowded.  We chose to eat dinner at an Irish Pub and the food was amazing!

The second day we decided we were going to go to the USS Yorktown Museaum.  

Here we were able to walk all around the Aircraft Carrier.  I didn't realize how big it acutally was. There were dinning halls, Drs offices, kitchens, bathrooms, bunk rooms, ect.  

The tour took us 4hrs just for the USS Yorktown.

We also were able to go inside a destroyer, coast guard ship and a submarine.

We were planning on having dinner on a cruise ship, but once we figured out the total cost, we decided to put together  our own romantic dinner and head back to the hotel room.  We decided on Gormet Pizza, Wine, and a grand finnally of Tiramisu from Whole Foods Market!

While we were visiting the USS Yorktown we ventured into the giftshop and picked somthing up for both of the little ones.  I think they liked thier little sailor hats and pirate booty.

This ones for you Jamie!

Actually this was for Estella and Ivy's birthday, but though you might like to take a look at it. Its a horse farm! Everything you see here is edible except the horses and the pumpkins. The horses were given as gits to the children to play with, and the pumpkins were the birthday candles.

More Fondant!

I'm so glad that I'm not actually eating all these cakes. This is the latest one that I did in my class tonight. I know it looks kind of weird...its really just supposed to be a cake of all the different things we learned tonight...nothing too amazing.



I think this looks like a piece of fabric or something draped over the side. I really didn't like the way it was looking at while I was in my class, but after looking at these pictures....it doesn't look to bad.


The flower cut outs are really supposed to be daisies....I was just using them as a filler on the cake...we will learn how to make the daisies next week...so stay tuned for more pictures.


I can see there being a lot of potential for Fondant...I just wish it tasted better. When I use up all that I've bought, I'm going to try to make some from scratch...it uses marshmallows...I've heard it tastes better.

Another cake.

Its not the way the final cake was supposed to look...
but here is my final product.
I really didn't have enough time to make 40 roses plus leaves.
I also didn't make enough cake to make it tiered.
I'm happy with the outcome though...

Ivy's Bday cakes!

Cake one: Confetti cake with buttercream icing.

Cake two: Strawberry cake with hand-made whipped cream icing.
Fresh strawberries are placed randomly around the back of the cake.

I think the Cake two was the most liked...or atleast I liked it the most!

So much to do.

I believe at this point in my life, I have more things to do than I ever have before.

* Make "Thank You" cards for Ivy's b-day party. ASAP

* Create and sew Estella's cape by Oct 24.

* Sew two miniature couches for Ivy and Ari. ASAP

* Finish Amy's blanket. Eventually.

* Find, Price, and Organize things for Garage Sale (next weekend!)

* Bake and construct a two tiered cake and make 40 roses (with leaves) out of fondant by Tuesday.

* And mentally plan for (and possibly start) packing for storage and traveling.

And none of this includes taking care of 2 children, and working 30ish hours a week.

I am noticing that today is a very peaceful day...God must be present!

I have a friend...her name is Heather. She is fabulous with a sewing machine! She currently has some handmade items up for sale on Etsy. I am just about to start a project of my own...in which Heather has given me great guidance. I'm going to be making a cape for my niece...she wants to be Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween. Any who...I post all this to tell you...check out Heather's stuff...

I'm trying to encourage her to sell on ebay as well that way she has a wider range of views to her creations.

She is capable of doing just about ANYTHING!

Ps. Heather, I'm not letting this go! :)

Happy Birthday Ivy Mae!

Ivy's b-day was this last Monday. We traveled to Ohio to celebrate with friends and family. The night before the party, my brother gave Ivy her gifts since he wasn't going to be able to attend the party. Ari LOVED the necklaces! Watching him with the necklaces was almost like watching a cat on catnip. My brother also gave them both a pair of wax lips as you can see!

I love lips!

Kissy Kissy Wooo Wooo!

Scalpel please!

As soon as I get them I will post more pictures.

I hate, I hate, I hate...

...Insurance companies, Billing companies and Collection agencies.

Last October (2007 that is). Ivy, Ari, and I were in KY visiting family. While we were there, Ivy hurt her arm late at night and I took her to the ER. We were advised by the nurse to have Ivy checked out, and were told that it would be covered by our insurance company. It took a while to receive the first bill stating what the insurance company would cover. Well, when it came, it stated that we stilled owed $70 for the x-rays that were taken.

I have been in contact with the Radiology company and my Insurance company trying to get this whole thing sorted out. I last called the Radiology company on Aug. 27th and was told that they would put a note on my account and that everything would be OK as long as I stayed in contact with them. Well...

Yesterday I opened our mail and received a letter from the insurance company stating...and I quote..."The claim was denied because we need additional information from (the radiology company). You are not responsible for this account. We have told (the company) to stop billing you."

Today my neighbor came over to bring us our mail from the weekend (we where in Ohio). In the mail there was a letter from a collection agency stating that my account from the radiology company has been placed with their company for collection.

Oh I was SOOO mad. I called the collection agancy to tell them that I'm not responsible for the bill and that it should never have gone to collections. The lady on the phone told me that this would effect my credit and that (of course) she couldn't do anything about it, but that I had to call the radiology company.

I called the radiology company and (I'm not exagerating) waited on the phone for 10min and finally decided to leave a message. I just recieved a call from the radiology company and she was surprised that the collection agancy told me to call them. I kept VERY calm...but was very stern with her and explained how I was very upset with the company for sending it to a collection agancy after I was told that everything was fine. I read her the letter from my insurance company how I shouldn't be recieving any other bills. She asked if I would fax it to them...I explained that I didn't have a fax machine, but she could call the number on the letter...I also informed her that she should have recieved a letter because at the bottom of my insurance letter there was a CC: and then the radiology name.

She said that she would pass this on to her supervisor and then I would get a call back in 2 days. She informed me that I have 30 days from the date it was given to the collection agancy before it would effect my credit. I will be very TICKED if they don't take care of this within 30 days! There are only 19ish days left (counting weekends).

GRRR.

Tea Time

For her birthday, Ivy got a tea set from Grandpa Steve and Grandma Vicky. We decided to wait till we got back in TN to play with it, that way nothing would get lost and left behind. I promised Ivy that if she was a good girl, when I got home from work I would help her have a tea party. While Ivy and Ari were in the bath, I put some blue food coloring in the water in the tea pot, and red coloring in the water for the cream. I filled her little sugar bowl with real sugar. After her bath she put on one of her new dresses and a pair of shoes to match. If you notice next to Ari's chair...he didn't want to be left out...he got to wear the blue shoes!

Speechless.

It seems more real now than it was a few months ago.

Today when I got home from work I was listening to the answering machine. I had to delete a few messages of myself before getting to the one I'd like to inform you all about.

Nathanael recruiter left a message informing us that Nathanael will ship out January 13th for basic training. I, as a mommy, had many emotions pass through very quickly. The most profound thought was that I have a few decisions to make...ie...when to stop working, where to take the kids, and how to be a single parent mom for 2-3ish months. I know I'm capable of such things, I just want to make sure I make the right decision. My current plan is to be a nomad for the 2-3ish months. Leave the house we have here in TN and visit family in Nashville, Ohio, and SC. Since I'm not sure where we will end up, I have no idea when we will be able to visit again, so I thought it would be nice to have some time together before we are off into the unknown.

I'm going to need lots of prayer between now and then...and well, during that time also. If I do go with plan A (nomad), the kids and I will technically be homeless, meaning we won't have a place to call our own, we won't have our own things, and we will basically be living out of a suitcase the whole time. I don't want to fall into the trap of spoiling the kids because they don't have their toys, but I also don't want them to go crazy because their entire world has been flipped upside down either (not that those two things are opposites). However there are many positives to plan A... Visiting family is very important to me, and I'm sure family would like to see us as well, or atleast the children! :)

And don't think that I have forgotten about Nathanael. He needs prayer too. I'm glad that I will have the support of family and friends during this time. Nathanael will be going through tough things mentally, physically and emotionally. He will need all of us more than ever. I will be sure to pass out any info possible for those who would want to write him a letter to help keep his spirits high.

Well, thanks for reading, and I'll let you know more when I know more.

Family Heritage

A true granddaughter of Grandma Rose!

This girl loves to cook...

And loves to feed!

So you think you can dance??

You be the judge!

Strawberry Idol?

Our day out.

Today Nathanael had school, so I thought I would take the kids to a water park. I got them all ready, swimsuits and all, and out we went. We drove 30 min to get to the park only to find that now you have to pay for parking!! That wasn't so bad, but what was worse there was noone at the park except for a creepy looking man with a metal detector. I would have paid the couple bucks to let Ivy and Ari play with other kids knowing there were other mothers about...but not with this creepy man so close and me being the only adult around.

My plan was to visit a friend of mine after we played at the park, and since we weren't going to the park I decided to head over to the bakery she works at...but before we got there, Ivy had to go potty...so we pulled into Walgreens parking lot...After getting into the restroom I noticed that my shirt was wet where Ari had been resting against me...yup you guessed it, his little swimmy diaper wasn't doing the job. I hadn't brought any diapers in with me, but pee was just driping from him so I took off the swimmy only to find a puddle of pee in it...nothing had been absorbed...Then what does Ari do? Yup...right again, He peed all over the floor while I was trying to clean off his legs. After getting him all cleaned off, I held him against me and used my purse to cover his bum and we all walked out to the car...i wish someone had a camera at this moment...I finanally got him some dry clothes...and then we were off.

We met up with Carol at her bakery. Ivy and Ari both wanted a cupcake so I let them pick out the ones they wanted. Ivy got a pink icing one and Ari picked the chocolate one. The cupcakes were both O-SO-GOOD!

Congrats!

Brendan's album just got reviewed on Indie Vision Music.

My find!!!

I went yard sailing *yes I spelled it that way on purpose!* today with a friend of mine. The last place that we stopped at, I found my treasure!! This first picture it is a little hard to see, but that is the name Emily engraved on what I believe is silver...whether its all silver or just silver plated I'm not sure yet...none the less...it is my name!! I couldn't believe it when I saw it!! How much do you think I paid??

$0.25!!!

It is a done deal!

Nathanael officially joined the Air Force on Thursday, August 7th, 2008. He leaves for basic training in January. Nothing else is decided at this point in time...I'll keep you "posted"

One week down.

Ivy left last week about this time, and she will be gone for one more week. She went to Ohio to spend time with family. My sister and grandmother took her to Ohio. She is staying most of the time with at my dad's house. She went to KY for the weekend. And I hear that she gets to go to Kings Island on Thursday!!

My sister has posted some pictures of Ivy having a good time...check them out if you get the chance.