Show us your Singles: Meet Megan!

Hi there! I’m so excited to introduce you to my friend today!

 

This is Megan!

 

Megan is newly 30, lives in the Arkansas River Valley, and has a successful career as a Accountant for a local oil and gas company.  I’ve known Megan for almost 9 years and she is one of the most honest, FUN, down-to-earth, REAL people you will ever meet!

So what should you know about Megan?

Megan’s family is very important to her. She loves spending time with her family, especially her nieces and nephews! She is a self proclaimed PANK - “Professional Aunt, No Kids”!

One of Megan’s very favorite things to do is travel. She most recently returned from a trip to the Bahamas, and has also visited Mexico, Italy, and Ireland!!

One of the things I like most about Megan is her involvement in our community! She is on several different boards in our community and is also involved in many organizations. According to Megan, “You can’t complain how things are where you work/live if you aren’t willing to be proactive in making it the community you want.”

Other things of note about Megan:

• She is a Catholic Christian.
• She loves watching and listening to live music. Her favorite music is Country which she thinks is a good thing b/c that’s what makes its way here the most!
• In her down time, she enjoys reading. One of her favorite authors is Nicholas Sparks. Since so many of his books are made into movies, she likes reading the book right before the movie comes out, and then goes to see the movie!

Megan has such a fun, outgoing, and genuine personality. She’s got SO much to offer the right man. One thing I admire most about Megan is that she knows what she wants and refuses to settle. She values herself and knows that the right man IS out there for her. If you think that might be you, or you know of someone you think would be a great match for her, please leave a comment and I’ll get you in touch with Megan! :)

A week full of sickies

What. A. Week. I’m tired. When we left off, Reed had been sickly and had been called in an antibiotic.

Well, that antibiotic TORE up his little belly. He had dirty diapers one right after another all day long. That in turn made his little bottom AWFUL. Just awful. Neither of my kids have ever had a bottom that bad, even when Reed had a straight 10 days of diarrhea last fall. He was in so much pain and it was so sad. Zach had to work at a basketball game Monday night and I was home with the kids, and Reed was almost too much to handle. I was changing diapers every few minutes which would result in a screaming fest. I didn’t give him any more of the antibiotic and just prayed he’d sleep.

He woke up Tuesday and the dirty diapers had slowed some but his bottom still hurt. We got him some probiotics and the meds getting out of his system helped drastically. He came home with Zach Tuesday evening and seemed to have perked up considerably.

Ava and I went to gymnastics and as soon as she got to me waiting on her she said “I’m so tired.” And then her teacher walked up and said she had told her she was tired several times. I thought that was a little odd. On the way home I asked Ava if she wanted dinner and she said no. As we pulled into the garage she told me she had to go to the bathroom. I hurried her in the house and went back out to unload the car when I heard her crying. And I knew. I walked back in the house and she had thrown up. Thankfully she was in the bathroom and even though she didn’t quite make the toilet, I was SO thankful we weren’t a minute later or I would have had that all over my car.

She didn’t really seem like she had a bug but we erred on the side of caution and didn’t let her have anything to eat or drink even though she asked. We did finally let her have some water about an hour later, and 30 minutes after that she ate a couple crackers and fell asleep. She slept the whole night so we woke up Wednesday thinking it was just a fluke.

Reed woke up MUCH happier and seemed to be back to his normal self so we got him ready for school even though I’d planned to keep him home if his bottom was still hurting. Ava woke up and got dressed and could barely move off the couch. She kept saying she was just tired. She said she didn’t want to miss school but we could just tell she needed to stay home.

She just laid around most of the morning but never said what was bothering her even when I asked her what hurt. I checked her temp and she had about 100.2 fever. I noticed she was digging in her ear and asked her if it hurt and she finally told me it did. She was sooooo pitiful. I called and made a dr appt for the afternoon. Zach came home around 12:15 and we switched off so I could go to work.

I had been there only a little while when I got this text. I called Zach and told him to call the doctor and tell them we were bringing Reed too.

So I left to meet them at the doctor at 3:45 and we had to wait about 45 minutes. Ava just sat on one of our laps and was in and out of sleeping. Reed was a wild child and hard to corral. They finally called us back and the took Ava’s temp and it was 104.3!!!! No wonder she felt so awful. The doctor came in a short while later and confirmed her right ear was infected. He gave her the award for the worst ear all week! Reed’s left ear was “very, very red” so I can only guess it was infected when he was sick on Friday and that the medicine had started clearing it up. We left with a prescription for both kids and headed home.

We’d been home around 10 minutes when I saw a text that the prescriptions were ready. I headed to go pick them up and when I got there she told me that they weren’t ready and actually didn’t have any in stock. Umm… ok. I asked about the text and she said it was a mistake. Great. So she tried calling about 4 other pharmacies and no one had enough of the medicine for Ava. I could have gotten Reed’s but he wasn’t the one who needed it so badly. I went out to the car and tried calling two other pharmacies and then just cried. I called Zach and then my mom and decided to call the dr back. I got the answering service and finally got a call back. The dr sent a new prescription to a different pharmacy. He was going to let Reed have the one he’d already prescribed but was going to give Ava the one Reed had previously been taking. I wasn’t crazy about this but didn’t really have a choice. About that time, my mom called and said she’d found the meds at the pharmacy that she used and she had given them the kids info and the pharmacy to call to get the prescription and told me to hurry before they closed at 6:30. It was 6:15 so I flew over there and thankfully got the meds. They didn’t have the right dose for Ava but they had one that was 2x so they gave us that and just cut the dose in 1/2. Why no other pharmacy didn’t think of that I don’t know but I was SOOOOO grateful to these people.

This pharmacy just happened to be in the little shopping center that contains Chick-fil-a. So, after the day I had, I felt like I had earned a milkshake. And it was GOOD! Ava also asked for a sandwich and since she hadn’t eaten all day I was happy to offer her anything that she would eat.

She still feels pretty yucky today and is still running a small fever. Reed seems to be ok and is full of energy now that his bottom doesn’t hurt so bad. I am PRAYING that we can leave this sickness behind and that we can all be well. It seems as if we’ve had one sickness after another since November. I know that’s part of it and we’ve done it, now I’m ready for it to be OVER. I am thankful for many things though – that Ava got sick at home, that this is all this week and not next week while Zach is out of town, that Zach and I can tag team since it’s a busy time at work for both of us and for my mom for helping us out so much. I’m also thankful that even though this week has been physically and emotionally draining, these illnesses are small. We are able to treat them with a simple antibiotic. And for that I’m extremely grateful. I pray for those parents who deal with kids who are really sick on a full time basis.

All that being said, I’m ready to kiss this week GOODBYE!

A Reed Update – 15ish months

Reed has past 15 months old and is well on his way to 16 months, and 18 months, and TWO! WAAHHHHH!!!!! I haven’t done an update on him lately so I wanted to do so as there are some things I want to remember about this age.

• He is still the SWEETEST baby boy. I love him. When he looks at me and says “Mama” my heart almost explodes!
• He is chattering up a storm. He has a fairly long list of words for this: Dada, Mama, Sister, school, shoe, sock, hi, bye, go, uh-oh, more, cookie, Papa, please, thank you, and poopoo. He surprises me often with a new word. In fact, over the weekend, I’d made cookies for a bake sale, and told Ava she could have one later, and Reed took his paci out of his mouth, said “cooook-eeee” and grinned at me! Funny how they know things so early.
• He listens and helps very well. Every morning I ask him to hand his lunch to his teacher and he carries it over to her.
• One morning at school he got a book out and went to sit on the carpet where they have story time. After he “read” it, he put it down and got up. I told him to put it away and he picked it up and put it away. I was very proud of him!
• Tantrums are in full force. Legs kicking, back arching, body going limp. Check, check, check. Sometimes I just have to laugh at him. Others I want the floor to swallow me up.
• He typically sleeps 10-12 hours. He still takes two naps most days at home, but has more or less transitioned to one at school.
• In the next month, he is going to transition to the toddler room at school. (SOB) He will be in with some older kids, will start napping on the floor, have a set schedule, and etc. I know it will be good for him and he will have fun, but it makes me sad that this is already here. (However, I’m not sad about the $25/month I’ll save from this! holla!)
• He wears 18 month clothes but will be in 24 months very soon. He is wearing a size 5 shoe and a size 5 diaper. He weighs about 26 pounds and is 32 inches. He is growing like a weed.

• Reed’s four molars have all finally come in. WOOHOO! It was a horrible process for him. I assume he’ll get his canines in the next few months and we’ll have no break before two year molars. ha!
• When Reed wants something or someone, he walks over to it and lifts his arms and opens and closes his hands really quickly. LOVE LOVE when he does this to me.
• When he gets really excited about something, he breathes in very deeply and makes the funniest inhaling sounds and then lets out the giddiest laugh. Love his laugh and giggles.

• Life with this little boy is never dull. He is SO funny and makes us laugh.
• He is also the happiest, sweetest little love. He is my little buddy and I’m so, so grateful for the joy he brings to us!

still alive

This past week was brutal, friends. Work was busy, I was tired, and then Reed got sick. We’re still here and still kicking though.

Monday, Zach and Ava had the day off. Zach got up and cleaned out the garage. I’m SO grateful he did because it looks SO good and it’s so much easier to maneuver in there! After he worked in the morning, he and Ava met me for a lunch date!

Mid-week I woke up in and the result of my morning not going right put me in a BAD mood. Our DVD player was messed up so I wasn’t able to do my workout. I was frustrated I didn’t get my work out in and I was frustrated I got up early for nothing. In reality, it wasn’t a big deal but it threw my day off.

So, these smiles….and a 99cents Sonic drink helped pull me out of my funk.

I had a busy work at week, including two full days of checking schedules which resulted in this each day:

Ava celebrated her 100th day of school and had to take 100 of something. Every week after dance, she gets a Tootsie Roll and she LOVES them so we decided to send those. I made her count 10 sets of 10.

We had dinner out on Thursday and I forgot Reed’s sippy cup. He thought having a cup with a straw was the best thing ever.

Friday afternoon my mom picked the kids up from school and called to tell me that Reed had refused his lunch and his snack. If Reed’s not eating, something is wrong. She called me back to tell me he had fever. Zach was planning to go to the grocery store when he got off and instead, went to check on Reed. He called the pediatrician’s office right before 4:00 and they said they don’t make appointments after 4:00 unless the nurse okays it. The nurse called back around 4:15 and said they’d have to talk to the dr. Around 5:30, they finally called and said they were calling him in an antibiotic and that if he wasn’t better in 72 hours to call. He’s some better but still isn’t eating very well and has been very fussy all weekend. He’s very congested and snotty. I’m hoping the antibiotic will kick in soon (if it’s even something that can be helped) and will be back to his happy self soon! He is currently like this:

He won’t let me hold him. It’s so sad. He gets little bursts of energy but they are over very quickly. He’s not running fever so I don’t really think it’s the flu. I guess if he’s not better in the morning, we will be calling the doctor back.

I’m going to go ahead and hope this week is better than last!

Chicken Parmesan Bake

Sunday night I made a Chicken Parmesan Bake for dinner and it was delicious! I actually saw this floating around Pinterest almost two years ago, and I made it probably a year ago, and then never made it again. I’m not sure why because we all love it. And I love that there is no coating or frying chicken involved, but that you get the same textures as real chicken parmesan!

This is not an original recipe from me, but I am going to make it easier b/c the post where I found this has the ingredients listed, but the directions are in a video. Who wants to watch a video every time they want to make a recipe? Ain’t nobody got time for that. So I’m going to help you out by giving you the directions too!

Chicken Parm Bake – from Food Wishes

Ingredients:  
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 5, but they were huge!)
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped basil
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put olive oil in a 9x13 baking dish. Add crushed garlic and mixed pepper flakes and spread around to evenly coat the dish. (You can leave out the pepper flakes but I LOVE the little beat of heat and extra that it brings to this dish!)

3. Put your chicken breasts in the dish. (The first time we made this I cut my chicken up and baked it like that. This last time we just used the breasts, but pounded them to make more thin).

4. Pour your marinara sauce on top of the chicken and spread evenly.

5. Sprinkle chopped basil over the sauce.

6. Sprinkle 1/2 of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses on top.

7. Time for the secret ingredient: croutons! Don’t skimp with a cheapy brand. Get something with good garlic flavor! Pour these on top and spread them around so that they cover the dish.

8. Add the rest of the cheese on top of the croutons.

9. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (cooking time will vary based on the size/thickness of your chicken breasts).

10. Let rest for a few minutes before serving! The top of the croutons will be crunchy and the bottom will be a little softer from being in the sauce – just like your traditional chicken parm!  Serve with pasta, salad, and if desired, some garlic bread for an easy, yummy meal!

Bon appétit!

Weekend fun!

Zach was gone most of the weekend for All-Region, so the kids and I had a lot of alone time. I picked them up Friday from school and told Ava we could have Chick-fil-a or pancakes for dinner. She chose pancakes!

We had a quiet evening Friday night. Ava and I hung out on the couch watching movies until it was time for her to go to bed. Zach got home around 9:30 and I crashed shortly thereafter. I was exhausted.

Saturday we met some friends for a lunch date! The kids were excited to be leaving the house!

They were also excited to eat! When Reed saw our food, he kept saying “ooooo-ooooh” in a two tone voice. so cute! 

We got some lovely looks from a “perfect mom” – you know, the kind whose kids are angels ALL the time. Yeah, that one. Her poor kid looked like she would rather be with us b/c our kids were obviously having more fun! ha!

It was a really nice weekend weather wise and I told Ava if she took a nap, we would go to the park after. She and Reed had so much fun running around and climbing! Reed thought he was as big as Ava and could do all she did!     

Ava had wanted to take her bike to the park but I talked her out of it. She asked again to ride on our way home, so we got out of the car, loaded up the bike stroller and took off! She went the entire way around our block, which is quite long! I was proud of her!   

Saturday night after the kids were settled, Zach and I watched Trouble with the Curve. It was a good movie…. until about 20 minutes from the end when the DVD stopped playing. Ugh! Thanks, netflix! I didn’t want to miss the ending b/c it stopped working right before the climax so we will have to finish when the replacement disk arrives!

We went to early morning church and after we got home, we had work to do. Zach headed to the grocery store with the kids while I started some major deep cleaning. I worked most of the day and managed to get three rooms done. Sadly, they were the smallest and easiest and there are too many too go, but at least I’ve started.

We had a newish dish for dinner tonight. I’ve made it once before and that was a while ago. Every one loved it! It’s Chicken Parm Bake and I’ll share the recipe soon!

Zach and Ava get the day off tomorrow. I’m so jealous. I’d love another three day weekend, but all in time I guess. Zach has another busy week and I have several things I need to get done at work, so hopefully we’ll have a good week! I know it will be the weekend again before we know it! have a lovely week!

Confessional Friday

 

My introduction to Confessional Friday is actually a confession: I have no clue what to blog about these days. None. Zip. Zero. So, having confessions is actually a good way to do it. You can link up with Leslie and make your confessions too.

• This is the first full week of work I’ve worked in three weeks and I.AM.POOPED!
• I’m not even sure I have more than two confessions. ha.
• I confess that Wednesday night, Ava went to sleep after I did. Mother of year for sure.
• I confess that the amount of crap stuff we have to take for a night away is absolutely RIDICULOUS!!
• I confess that I can’t stop thinking about our beach vacation. So what that it’s not until summer. It’s gonna pull me through til then!
• I confess that this week was our first week back to gymnastics and dance – and that I didn’t miss it at all over the break.
• I confess that even my confessions are boring right now.
• I confess that I have been spending more time reading and I love that. I really enjoy reading. Downside? I’m staying up waaaaaaaay too late.
• I confess that we watched two seasons of Parenthood in two weeks. Granted, one of the weeks was after my surgery and we had A LOT of down time. We’re really enjoying it. Suggestions on series to watch after we catch up?
• I confess I really hope to get my blogging mojo back soon.

Have a happy weekend!!!!

Slower pace

It seems that we’ve been pretty lazy lately.

Laziness = not doing much = few pictures = little blog content.

On New Year’s Day, Ava decided she needed to fix her own hair. It looked lovely. :) She was SO proud of it.

Reed went back to school last Wednesday and was excited to be back with his friends and the familiarity of his routine. Zach and Ava still had the day off Wednesday so they had a little daddy/daughter breakfast date at Chick-fil-a. I LOVE the joy on her face here! 

Thursday night as we were eating dinner, Reed had finished his, and he all of a sudden realized that Mickey Mouse was at the bottom of his bowl! He just kept staring at it like he couldn’t believe it!

Most school mornings, Ava wakes up on her own. The two days she went last week we had to wake her up and she was none too happy. She looked sleepy on the way to school, and I think she still had a Christmas break hangover!        

We had a very low key weekend. We need a new mattress for our bed so we went Saturday morning and browsed at one store. We had both kids so we weren’t very productive. We did get a start as well a ballpark of prices so it wasn’t a total bust.

Yesterday I told Ava to go lay down and rest and she argued with me that she wasn’t tired. I told her to lay down anyway and found her 10 minutes later like this.

So, see, we aren’t very interesting lately. And ya know what? I kinda like the slower pace and don’t mind if it sticks around for a while! Fingers crossed!!!

2013

New Year’s Resolutions typically go out the door as quickly as they come in. there IS something to be said for bettering yourself or making changes that improve your life. I don’t think those should be limited to once per year though.

I’ve seen many people instead choose a word that will be theirs for 2013. I thought and thought on this and could think of words that would fit some areas of life but weren’t all encompassing. I was starting to sweat it a little because here we are, six days into the new year, and I hadn’t come up with anything.

Then all of a sudden it hit me like a freight train. My word? THANKFUL.

It’s easy to be thankful for all of the stuff we have, or when things go right. But I want to be thankful more.

I want to be:

• THANKFUL when trials are placed before us. This is when we really dig down deep and find what we’re made of. It’s also a great time to draw closer to the Lord.
• THANKFUL when things don’t go as we want imagine or hope for them to go. SO often, I am guilty of being upset or angry when we long for something, hope for something, pray for something, only to be told no. Some things we may never understand, but more times than not, we see why something didn’t work and it is ALWAYS a blessing we didn’t understand at the time.
• THANKFUL for the annoyances in every day life. If something or someone is bothering me or annoying me, I’m lucky to have that. House that’s overflowing? We’re blessed with too much stuff. Kids that don’t sleep? We have healthy kids. Car too small? We have a car that works. I’m readjusting my attitude to find ways to be THANKFUL for all things on daily basis.
• THANKFUL for the days that make me want to pull my hair out. Tomorrow is not promised, and even if it’s a bad day, it’s another day I get to live.
• THANKFUL for the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY!

“In everything, give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Project 366: Weeks 51 & 52 – THE END