Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!  Thirty seven years today!  That is an accomplishment to be proud of.  Congratulations!

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Happy Feet

Recently our two year old daughter Happy Feet went on a one week vacation...without us.  Red Shoes had surgery and lots of recovering to do, so my mom came and picked her up and took her home with her.  She lives about two hours away.  Before her vacation we hadn't ever spent a night a part.  We had always wondered how she would do, and there was always that fear that she would be terribly homesick.  Well, this girl, she proved us all wrong.  What was going to be a couple days turned into a week and she loved every minute of visiting her grandparents farm in Nebraska. 
She got to go swimming   EVERYDAY. .

She got to play with COUSINS...

Is this an exasperated Nana, or does she just have water in her eyes?  Hmm...

She got to spend time with her cousin who is just about a month younger than her.  They shared a SUMMER COLD. 

THANKS Mom, Dad & Jessie for taking good care of Happy Feet!

 She had such a fun time with you! 

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One Pan Noodle Stroganoff

This recipe comes from church cookbook that I have.  It's a really easy, kid-friendly, not many dirty dishes kind of recipe. 

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 can (10 1/2 oz) beef broth
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
3 c. uncooked egg noodles
1 c. sour cream
2 T. parsley

Cook beef, onion and garlic.  Drain off fat.  Drain mushrooms and reserve liquid.  Add broth, lemon juice, mushroom liquid, salt and pepper to skillet.  Stir in noodles.  Cover and simmer 12-15 minutes or until noodles are tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in sour cream and mushrooms.  Heat, but do not let boil.  Top with parsley. Pin It

Pre-School Open House

Red Shoes took us to his pre-school open house last night.  He attends a wonderful school that he looks forward to going to everyday.  He has teachers who work hard and expect a lot.  They are wonderful and we are so thankful for them.  You couldn't ask for better first teachers.  Red Shoes started attending when he turned three.  It's amazing to see what he has learned since then. 

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Monster Cookies...yum!  A perfect combinations of salty and sweet.  I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com.  It won't disappoint.  It does make a ton, so have a big mixing bowl ready.

Image taken from Google Images

Ingredients:
1 cup margarine, softened

2 cups white sugar
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 cups peanut butter
6 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 teaspoons baking soda
9 cups rolled oats
1/2 pound candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (M&M's)
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


2.In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, white sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs, two at a time, then stir in the corn syrup and vanilla. Mix in baking soda and oats until well blended. Stir in the chocolate candies and chocolate chips. Roll dough into 2 inch balls, and place 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork.


3.Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes, before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
 
I like to take them out when they are still a little gooey. Pin It

Sunshine Basket

A few ladies from our community and local church brought Red Shoes a "sunshine basket" following his recent surgery.  It was such a thoughtful gift and it really did make him feel better.  The idea behind it is that the child gets to open one gift a day for however many days (9 in this case).  At the end of the nine days hopefully they are feeling all better.  When the backpack was delivered there were nine ribbons hanging out of it. 

Red Shoes got to pick one ribbon and pull that gift out of the backpack.  Red Shoes didn't quite get the concept of only opening one gift at first.  At first I think he thought it was a mean trick.  He caught on quickly though.  The first thing he would do each morning is run to the backpack.  We would tell him as soon as he finished his medicine (which he hated) he could open a gift.  It helped us out tremendously!  This gift was such a blessing to all of us. 

Notice the ribbons hanging out of the backpack

Day 1- Red Shoes loved these...just throw the capsules in water and they become little safari sponges. 

Opening up a gift on day 2

Here's what it was...place in water and it becomes a

regular sized super-hero wash cloth. 

Day 3-  A truck and school bus.

Day 4- A Bumble Ball.  just pull the string and it goes crazy!

Day 5- A Teddy Bear Soldier

Day 6- A Roaring Dinosaur

Day 7- Three Race cars

Day 8- A Sticker book, coloring book and crayons

Day 9- A Doctors Set

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Pharyngeal Flap Surgery- Day 9

Yes! Things are Improving!

For the first time since Red Shoes' surgery I can FINALLY say that things seem to be looking up!  Red Shoes' dad took him to the park this morning.  I don't think they stayed too long because he still wears out pretty quickly. 

It's so good to see him out of his pajamas!

After that we took Red Shoes to see Toy Story 3.  It was a little risky, but we thought he would probably be able to make it through the movie.  He was super excited when we got to the theatre.  He's only been to one other movie.  He was younger and his attention span wasn't too good at that time.

 

Ready to watch the movie...he has his 3-D glasses and sample muffin (he never ate it).

Toward the end of the movie Red Shoes was getting tired.  He went right to sleep on the ride home. 

I thought this afternoon would be like other recent days...a 4-5 hour nap.  But my boy had other ideas.  I was surprised...He wanted to EAT! I put some butter and grape jelly on soft bread and he ate it up!  Progress!

Yes, I know, the pajamas are back!  He insists on wearing them every afternoon whether he naps or not!  What a great day this has been!

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Pharyngeal Flap Surgery- Day 8

Nothing new to say...still hurting!

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Pharyngeal Flap Surgery- Day 7

Will it really be one week since having surgery tomorrow?  I guess the days have been running together.  I don't really have anything new to share.  Red Shoes still is in pain and not eating too much.  I weighed him today and he has lost 3 1/2 pounds since surgery.  Hopefully he will rebound quickly once he feels better.  He slept most of the afternoon again today, that's got to be helping him.  This picture was taken when he was complaining about his throat tonight. 

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Pharyngeal Flap Surgery- Day 6

We've been needing to give Red Shoes his pain medicine every 4 hours religiously, even through the night.  Last night was the first time that we stretched it to 5 hours to see how he would do.  We figured that he could probably use the uninterrupted sleep even more.  It went pretty good.  When he woke up this morning he was in pain, but 15-20 minutes after taking the medication he was in good shape. 

Our neighbor girl came over this morning and played with him. He really enjoyed that. She is one of his favorite people. When we were at the hospital he was crying and wanted to see her.  He would tell you this morning was the highlight of his day.


He finally seems to be starting to catch up on some sleep.  So thankful for that. He slept from 1:00-4:45 woke up for his 5:00 medicine, fell back asleep by 5:25 and then slept until 6:45.  I think that helped him a lot! Pin It

Pharyngeal Flap Surgery- Day 5

We saw a little bit of improvement out of Red Shoes today.  He wanted to go outside this morning...so grateful that it is a lot cooler.  He was outside about 45 minutes and then he was ready to come in and put his pajamas back on.  He was really worn out.  The next two hours were pretty bad for him...until he could get his next dose of medicine.  After that the rest of the day was pretty good.  His appetite seems to be improving.  However, he wants a lot of things that he can't have right now.  He can only have soft foods for 3 weeks, and he can't have anything fried, spicy or crunchy.

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Pharyngeal Flap Surgery- Day 4

Not many changes today.   Red Shoes' medicine seemed to wear off a little faster than normal, so that made for a hard day.  He received a singing Alvin and the Chipmunks card in the mail and that made him really happy.  During the times that he was feeling good he would open the card and dance around.  It seemed like there wasn't a lot of in between today.  He either felt really good or really bad. 

We were able to get him to eat a little mashed potatoes and gravy.  He's still not too interested in food, but he is drinking good. 

We're encouraged by some of the sounds we are hearing him make.  He doesn't feel like trying too much, but there are some subtle differences already.  Pin It

Pharyngeal Flap Surgery- Day 3

Today has been filled with many highs and lows for Red Shoes.  He seemed to feel decent this morning and was taking his medication pretty well.  This afternoon has been bad for him.  When I tried to give him his 4:00 meds he ran into our bedroom and hid in the closet.  When I opened the door he was just trembling because he was so scared to take the medicine.  Since then he's finally been able to rest.

One of the highlights of the day was a sunshine basket that some ladies from our community brought over.  It's a cute backpack filled with presents for Red Shoes.  Each present has a long ribbon on it that hangs out of the backpack.  He's supposed to pick one ribbon each day and then he gets to unwrap that present.  The card said, "by the time you get to the last gift, hopefully you'll be feeling better".  What a cool idea!  I think the sunshine basket deserves a post of its own one of these days.  Red Shoes loved what he unwrapped today...it was Magic Grow Safari Animals.  You put these little capsules in warm/hot water and they turn into Safari Animal sponges...he enjoyed watching the transformation and then playing with the sponges.    What a sweet gesture from some special ladies. Thank you! Pin It

Pharyngeal Flap Surgery- Day 2

Brian stayed in the hospital last night with Red Shoes since I'm ready to have our baby any day.  It was a bad night for both of them (which we totally expected).  The nurses had to put some special monitors on him because his heart rate was too high.  He kept working himself up. 

Brian called this morning at 4:00 a.m. asking me to please come to the hospital.  Red Shoes was crying and wouldn't sleep.  We were all happy to see one another.  Even when I rocked him he still didn't go to sleep for a LONG time.  I've now seen waaaaaay too much Handy Manny and Special Agent Oso!

Red Shoes slept for about 2 hours this morning, which I would say was his longest span of sleep since he's been in the hospital.  When he woke up he wanted to get out of bed and go to the playroom.  That was a nice surprise. 

Brian did a really good job encouraging Red Shoes to try eating and drinking.  He did so good that this is what happened:

I couldn't believe it!  Red Shoes got discharged from the hospital!  He was pretty happy to have the IV come out. 

We have to be very timely with his pain meds.  When it gets close to being time for the next dose he's in a lot of pain.  It really hurts him to take the medication and he puts up a pretty good fight to avoid it.

We are so thankful to the doctors, nurses, care assistants, etc. that made Red Shoes' surgery successful and little more tolerable.  They are a pretty special bunch. 

Oh, and as far as his speech goes...I can't tell too much yet, but I can hear a difference when he says "dad".  It actually sounds like a "d" now. 

It's still going to be a long road with lots of therapy, and Red Shoes will have to learn that he CAN make new sounds now.  It's so exciting though! This was the best birthday ever...to have my Red Shoes home again. Pin It

Pharyngeal Flap Surgery- Day 1

Surgery went well today, but it's been a long day for all of us.  

 Red Shoes before surgery-playing in the waiting room...things are good.

All ready for surgery and playing with a racetrack...still good.

We handed our Red Shoes over to the nurses a little after 10:00 a.m. this morning and didn't get to see him until around 1:30. We met with the surgeon and she said everything went well. She let us know that there would be a "trumpet" in his nose. They insert this so that if kids forget to breathe out of their mouths they can use the trumpet to breathe out of their nose.  This is because most of the area that allows you to breathe through your nose has been sealed up with this surgery. 

Post surgery- trying to rest with mom, but pretty uncomfortable. 

I'm holding oxygen up to his mouth.  He's doing a good job keeping his oxygen saturation levels at a good level though.

 Snuggling with dad

It's been hard for Red Shoes to get much rest today. He's been very uncomfortable and at times inconsolable. The ENT let us know that this is probably the most brutal surgery she does. She said that his throat be very sore, along with the back of his neck.

He will be able to drink out of a straw and won't be limited to a liquid diet, but rather a soft diet.

I wish I could fast forward a few days, or wherever that point is where he won't be in so much pain.

Here's hoping for a better day for Red Shoes tomorrow. Pin It

Red Shoes is Ready!

I talked to Red Shoes about his surgery on Saturday.  Pharyngeal Flap Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday.  Usually I wait until we are on our way to the hospital.  It just seemed like we should talk about it sooner this time though.  I didn't get the reaction I was expecting... 

As soon as I told him he ran into his bedroom and grabbed his backpack and started filling it up with toys.  Then he pointed to his mouth and wanted to leave right then!  He wants to talk so badly! 

Every morning since he's done the same thing.  He totally understands. 

We are so hopeful that this surgery will work.  If you have a chance, please pray for Red Shoes. 

Thanks,
Casey Pin It

A Fathers Love...What a Witness

In church on Sunday I felt really emotional.  Could be that I'm going to have a baby, or that Red Shoes has surgery in a few days.  Whatever the case my heart was in a pretty raw state. 

For the last few months there's been a man who we sit in front of.  He's there with his son who is probably in his early to mid-twenties.  His son is mentally handicapped. During the worship portion of church he loves to sing.  He doesn't know the words, he won't ever know the words.  There are people who look back at them curiously.  Five years ago I think I would have been really distracted by him too. 

Since having my own children my heart has changed.  Because you know what?  It doesn't matter that he doesn't know the words or that his singing is off key.  I truly believe that his is the most purest form of worship.  It is so apparent that he is singing out to our Lord with everything he has. 

And his dad...what an inspiration he is to me.  His is a love so deep, so strong, so courageous.  I listen to this dad, encouraging his son, letting him know when the song is over and letting him know when he needs to stop singing  He does this with such love, patience and grace. To me he is a beautiful illustration of how our Father, our Creator, loves ALL of us. 

Check this out... Pin It

Shrimp & Crab Boil

My aunt, uncle and cousin visited last night.  We thought it would be a great time to have our annual shrimp boil.  We started doing this about three years ago and haven't missed a summer since.  It's so fun and SO good!  Since the beginning we've been using a guide from the blog, Skip to My Lou. Go to this link to get a handy shopping list and directions. 

Here's what was in our boil:

• Zatarain's Crab & Shrimp Boil in bags
• Salt
• Onions
• Lemons
• Sweet Corn
• Red Potatoes
• Kielbasa
• Shrimp
• Crab Legs

It's been REALLY hot here, so instead of doing this inside on the stove, we borrowed a turkey fryer and cooked everything on the porch.  Here's some pictures of the process.

Getting the water boiling...

Boiling the potatoes and corn with the spices, salt and garlic

Happy Feet making sure the job gets done right

The Seafood Boilers

Everything but the shrimp is in...

Everything just thrown out on the table

Let the feeding frenzy begin

Cheddar Biscuits to go with the meal.  They are like the ones you get at Red Lobster.

And for dessert...a Jello Poke Cake

One of the best parts of this meal is the clean up.  Because you cover your table with newspapers and freezer paper you can just grab it and throw it away.  If you've never hosted or been to a shrimp boil you need to do this.  Oh, and usually I go to the library and pick up a Zydeco CD. Not this time though....

Somehow I failed to get a picture of my sweet aunt Kathy.  Probably because she was filling up cups for the kids, or doing something to help me out.  So...here's Kathy, not at the shrimp/crab boil, but still Kathy.

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