Mascot Fun

Today was the press conference to announce HipHop's birthday so we all went to Bill's work & had a blast with all of HipHop's friends. Adrienne LOVED the Philly Fanatic...especially his feathery tail. Matthew loved Phlex the Phantoms mascot & is sitting on Mad Dog's lap, the mascot for the Wings. And Madison just loved the whole thing & at one point announced to everyone that they should do a HipHop birthday dance. Hip Hop liked that idea so they all danced. What great fun it was!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HIP HOP! We love you!
From your biggest (& littlest) fans

Strange weather

My mom & dad sent these pictures of their home in Grand Island, NY (North of Buffalo). We certainly don't see snow like this in Brookhaven...But we did have some strange weather here on Sunday.

We took the family to ACME for a food shopping outing. As we were leaving we had all the kids piled in the cart when Bill said..."Oh we better hurry, it looks like a storm is coming!" Not 2 seconds later, it began pouring rain and hail stones the size of lima beans! Bill opened the trunk & literally threw the girls over the seat. I grabbed Matthew & put him in his seat, ran around back & had the thought "Do I help Bill with the groceries or save myself?" Can you guess what I chose? Yep...I continued running & got in the car while my poor husband was pelted with wind, hail & soaking rain. It was quite an adventure. Of course when we finally got in the car & drove away...it all stopped.

So mom & dad...Thanks for the pictures. I hope you thaw out well & have a good week!

Happy Friday!

It is a cloudy & cold Friday morning and Bill has a game tonight. We enjoyed a good breakfast together before he left. It was nice telling jokes & singing songs. Adrienne had the best joke of the day.
"Knock, Knock"
"Who's there?"
"Turnip"
"Turnip who?"
"Turnip the heat it's cold in here!"
Well we will miss daddy today...but we can always check him out online. Here's the link to HipHop's website where you can see his new van and view some funny videos. Our favorite is the Holiday scare tactics with the 3 inflatable HipHops...check it out & have a great weekend!
http://www.nba.com/sixers/mascot/index.html

My Boys

Yesterday was a difficult day for Bill. Unfortunately I was not much help to him, so this morning I wanted to make him smile & I knew this shot from our recent trip to Great Wolf Lodge would do it.

I love you honey. I'm sorry I was unaware of all that is going on at work, but I want you to know that I will be praying for you all day today. I am blessed to have a husband who loves me & his children passionately & who will always put the best interest of his family before all else. Your parents named you well...William means "Determined Guardian".

Have a great day honey!

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

Occupation: Wife, Mom, Teacher, Cook, Maid AND Physician Assistant

I sometimes wonder why I even went through 2 years of PA school costing $50,000 (which by the way, by God's kindness we were able to payoff) to now be at home full time. I know I will always be able to return to work if I need to & I am grateful for that. I do love medicine. I marvel at how God made the body & all it's systems & how they all function together to give us life. Just think about the human eye with all the rods & cones (remember anatomy?), and a built in lens...how amazing is that!
Well, speaking of the eye, now all 3 kids have conjunctivitis...Matthew had it first and is much better. Adrienne had a mild case & received her drops like a champ. And now Madison has 2 puffy, red & draining eyes...YUCK!
Well this morning I realized that over the past 6 years I have been able to care for my children as a mom, but also as a PA. Here are some of the medical conditions I have seen...
Conjunctivitis
Otitis Media & Otitis Externa
Eczema
Croup
RSV
URI
Asthma
Pneumonia
Viral Gastroenteritis
Large Bowel Impaction
Head, Chin & foot lacerations
Radial Head Subluxation (Nursemaid's Elbow)
...just to name a few.

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm...I like that word.
I think of Adrienne leaving her gymnastics class yesterday. "Mom! That was so much fun and I did GREAT!"
Boy was she enthusiastic. I love that about my kids (and my husband for that matter).
I just read this quote by Henry Ford the other day...
"You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasts are fighters. They have fortitude. They have staying qualities. Enthusiasm is at the bottom of all progress. With it, there is accomplishment. Without it, there are only alibis."

Author Anne Ortlund (See "Books we are reading") follows this quote with these comments...
"Enthusiasts are fighters. They don't let their family life just go with the flow and surrender to the avalanche. Enthusiasts have fortitude. They're willing to be separate from all that is cheap, vulgar, desensitizing, degrading. Enthusiasts have staying power. They maintain godly habits which, over the long haul, build them into winners."

Ok, I get it... so even though I am not 4 anymore and it has been a long time since I took a gymnastics class, I can still take my daughters example & be enthusiastic. Enthusiastic about the important role I play as a wife and a mom, about my home, about my family & friends, and above all else... about my Savior...who became nothing & died in my place so I could live.

Thanks Adrienne for your example. I'm glad you had fun & yes...you did do GREAT!

Longing for Springtime

I can see it! Light at the end of the tunnel!
17 days till spring! Yipee! The tunnel for us included a difficult season with Bill being away many nights, the entire month of January filled with sickness, pneumonia, stomach virus and a trip to the ER, and many cold days spent in the house..."hybernating", as my mom calls it.


Well as you could guess, everyone has been a bit antsy lately, tired of being couped up. Madison found a new pair of goggles Nana & Poppy got her and put them on & pretended to swim laps around the house. She did not want to take them off so she continued to wear them while learning fractions. She said it helped her focus...(maybe she should wear them everyday!) And speaking of Spring...don't forget to move your clocks ahead Saturday night!