Making the Best of it

I know I haven't posted.  I just haven't had the time.  I just haven't had the strength.  Emotional or physical.  Here's a quick recap:

Mary Lou{my stepmom} and dad were on a cruise. Tuesday, ML told dad she was dizzy and collapsed. She was unconscious and not breathing. An EMT on vacation started CPR while the ship doctor got up there. They had to zap her {you now...use the PADDLES} and then got her back. The Coast Guard flew in to get her from the ship and flew her to Miami. Since they were in the middle of the ocean and there wasn't room, dad had to stay on the ship until the next morning when they docked in the Bahamas. Meanwhile, Tracy {my step-sister} and I decided we would fly to Miami. Then we decided to go to Houston where their RV was and drive it there so they would be able to get home at their own pace (we weren't sure when she would be able to fly). Once we got to Houston, we found out the keys we had didn't work, so we ended up getting a flight anyway.

In a nut shell she went into cardiac arrest. The ship dr. said that she was lucky, most don't even make it to the helicopter.

After being up for over 24 hours, we got here early Wednesday, and it was bad, very bad. They had her on a ventillator, and sedated. It broke our hearts to see her that way. I picked dad up from the airport a little later, and by the time he got there, she was starting to wake up. She was very scared, and had no clue what was going on. She fought us all afternoon. She was determined to get that tube out of her throat!!!   It was so bad {her being combative about the tube in her throat} that they had to put her in restraints and keep her sedated.  They kept weaning her to where she was finally breathing about 80% on her own and waking up every 15-30 minutes. Then we tried to take her off the vent to no avail. A little while later, we finally got her to breath on her own and they took the vent out!!!!  PTL!!!!!

It took her a little bit, but she knew who we were, but nothing else.

This morning, she's at least back to her normal self and by that I mean that she is not a happy camper about being there, and she's sounding more like herself...although, she still has memory problems. She has lost her short term memory, and we're not sure why. The doctors are great and have been in contact with her cardiologist in Waco, and they all decided that she definitely had to have a defribrillator and a pacemaker. They plan on doing this in the next couple of days. She still doesn't know where we are, what happened, or why she's in the hospital. We go through the whole story with her literally 40 times a day. We're hoping her meomory will come back...she remembers everything up until the cruise, but nothing going forward.

Dad...well, he's hanging in there, but is very emotional. This is very hard for him. Since he lost my mom, the thought of losing ML too is just about to break him. He does good most of the time, but when she just can't remember, he breaks down.

Please keep her in your prayers, and if you would, please say one for all of us, we need them!  We're just drained.  We're all a little scared about the memory problem, and all scared about her heart.

Product Review

Okay, I know all of us are online shoppers.  And one of the great things about blogging is that we all talk and find new "stores" to shop at.  I've been given the opportunity to work with a great company: CSN Stores.  This place is any girls dream!  The have over 200 sites to choose from, which of course makes looking around so much fun!  You can find anything from corner TV stands to kitchen ware to outdoor stuff...they have sooo much to offer! I looked around for quite a while and finally found what I wanted to do my product review on.

This is just perfect for Caroline!  Real kitchen stuff that's just her size so she can help me cook!  I can't wait to try it out!  Watch for the full review and take a look at all their stores!

The Texas Blues

 

Rockin' the Peacock

Let me tell y'all, my Caroline...she just cracks me up!  I can't even begin to tell you how funny she's been this week!  I've tried to write down snippets, or keywords of things she's said or done, but...I have no clue what they mean!  It's been a long week!  Earlier in the week she went on and on about how some kids she knows spell Mississippi.  "...momma, some kids spell it like M-I-double S-I-double S-I-double P-I.  They don't really spell it, not like I do.  I spell it all out M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I."  And I have no idea what prompted this conversation either.  It was literally out of the blue, like it just popped into her little head.  And yesterday morning, she wakes up, like she wasn't really asleep, and just starts going.  She talked non-stop all the way from getting up until I dropped her off at school!  The very 1st thing she said to me yesterday morning was about how tired she was because she didn't sleep at all that night.  Yep, you heard me, she says she got no sleep last night!  What 7 year old says that?

Anyhoo on to the point of the post!  We get our prescriptions filled at Target, so when we're waiting on one, we wander around the store for a bit.  I've fallen in love with the Liberty of London stuff sprinkled throughout the store!  So cute!  I've been very good and refrained from buying it though...really I have!  And trust me, it's been hard!  But I started noticing a theme.

Do you see the ongoing theme here?   Now, I am not in any way knocking the Peacock pattern just so you know {Trina, I promise}!  It's just been showing up sooo many places lately.  I'm beginning to think it's a sign!  LOL!  Then another day I needed to run by the mall and get a new eyeshadow base, I use one that Clinique sells, thus the trip to the mall!  I hardly ever go to our mall...it's very small and has very limited selections, plus I never have the time!  So, back to the point, I was waiting to ask a saleslady for what I needed, and I was looking at the eye shadows...and I spot the most awesome, fun color ever!

I grabbed a q-tip and put a little on my hand to see if I liked it on.  It was such a great pop of color!  I thought, "hmmmm....would I really wear it though?".  I mean, I like bold colors, but I'm always a little chicken to try and pull them off.  But, it wasn't so bold that I thought it would just sit there unused!  So I said, "I think I'll take this color" to which the saleslady says to me, "OH!  Peacock!  You'd totally rock the Peacock...with your blonde hair and green eyes, yea, you'd rock the Peacock!"  So what does any 31 year old mom do when a young 20 something hip girl tells you that?  I bought the Peacock!!! LOL!  Now I'm not so sure about rockin' it, but I'm gonna give it a go!

But what makes this whole thing so off the wall for me is that I have a super sweet bloggy friend Trina, who writes Fabulously Frugalicious {well, I'm not sure if she calls it that anymore or not!}, who has been onto something for a long time!  She loves peacocks, and has such an amazing style!  I think she must have known that there would be a huge trend with her favorite thing!  But who could blame her?  The colors in a peacocks feathers are gorgeous!  Anyway, you should really stop by and say hello!  Not only does she have great style, but she's an awesome child of God, mom & wife, and a sweet southern girl!  Any way, you may wonder why I'm going on and on...well, since there has been all this peacock talk, and I've seen it so much lately, I bought a little lovely to share with her {you'll have to email me your info!}!  I'm not telling what it is...it's a surprise!  But sorry Trina, I will tell you that I didn't get you the Peacock eyeshadow...you're already a makeup junkie and I figured you already had a similar color!

What are your favorite things?  Things you adore?  Something that if you see the pattern, or color you just have to buy?  Or, your kids favorite?  Be looking for a post in the next week or so on mine and Caroline's favs!  Have a great weekend y'all!

Thought Filled Thursdays

-Can anyone please explain to me why at 31 I have acne?  I mean really!?!?  I just don't get it.  Right now I have the biggest zit known to man front and center {well a little to the right actually}on my chin!  I mean I know I used to kindof smirk to myself in high school when other girls complained about their pimples, but I wasn't mean about it, so this just isn't fair.  And I really just want to cry about it!  I know, I know..I need to get over myself.  This just plain stinks!

-On another topic, do your kids "sass/correct/back talk" you?  I can't decide if Caroline is a "know-it-all" or if she is sassing me sometimes or if she is just truly telling me something with good intentions!  It's no secret that she is too smart for for her own good, but there's times when I just don't know whether to discipline her or crack up laughing.  She most definitely corrects you if you're wrong about something which I can't stand, but in a way I'm proud of her for knowing what's right.  So lately I've been telling her that yes, she may be right, but, she has to watch how she says things so that people don't think she is being sassy!  For instance, this is a usual phrase out of her mouth, "...actually mommy...{example: it was 7:23 when we got home}."  Sometimes she's so literal!

-We'll be making Resurrection Cookies again this year.  I posted about them last Easter, and I hope some of you will share this great experience with your kids this year.  It was such an eye-opening thing for Caroline when we did each step.  I hope you get to share this with your family!  If so, be sure to let me know how it went!  This week in Caroline's folder I found this:

What a great time to get this!  I'll be able to tell her how much They love her too!  It sure makes a momma know she's doing something right!

-I'm starting to get excited!  My birthday is a month away!  Yay!  My dad used to joke that I have birth month!  Ha!  I sure wish I did!  Anyway, I'm scoping out my wants to give hubby a few good hints!  I think I really want some new charms for my charm bracelet!  Here's a few I love!

James Avery Charm Bracelet

-I have finally decided I have to give up Dr. Pepper.  I will never loose any weight if I can't let it go!!!  I plan on making the switch to Diet DP this weekend!  And then...30-Day Shred, please don't hurt me!  Actually, I'm not sure that I will get to do the Shred with my back being in such a sorry state!  I may be reduced to only walking!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Holiday!