My co-worker Kerry and I had the opportunity to visit Maryville University in St. Louis for a 2 day preview of the school. We eagerly signed up for the trip looking forward to having the opportunity to experience Maryville, see St. Louis and spend 2 days off campus. We flew from DFW to St. Louis early Thursday morning and were greeted by enthusiastic Maryville recruiters. They treated us to snacks, meals and showed us a fabulous time not only on campus but in St. Louis as well. I am impressed with the school and look forward to suggesting it to several of my future CHHS grads.
A few highlights of the trip include: eating on “The Hill”, tasting toasted ravoli, eating a concrete at Ted Drews, visiting the St. Louis arch at night, having my very own hotel room and buying Gooey Louie Butter Cakes
We headed home for yet another weekend on Friday night! This time we were able to celebrate good times at Amy Gibbins and Jaon McConnell’s wedding and my 33rd family birthday party.
Amy and Jason were married in Houston on Saturday night at St. Pauls UMC. The reception followed at the Junior League of Houston. It was so much fun for us to celebrate Amy’s happiness and marriage to Jason. Amy was a beautiful bride and Jason is one lucky groom. We had a great time hanging out as a family and dancing the night away.
On Sunday we celebrated my 33rd birthday. After church we had a Mexican themed lunch at home complete with chips, queso, tacos and tamales. It was delicious. I also scored some great gifts from my family and a new pair of running shoes from Matt. I loved that we were home and I had the opportunity to celebrate with my family.
I was able to celebrate my birthday with two more parties. Bill and Glenda Cherry invited Matt, Dean and I over for a birthday BBQ and my team at school shared a McAlisters Deli lunch. Both were delicious and oh so fun!
Spring Break 2011 will live in my memory forever! Originally I had big plans of potty training Dean, enjoying play dates with friends, and loving on my sweet little man. Unfortunately, our spring break went much differently. On Monday morning Dean and I were sitting in the doctors office where he was diagnosed with a severe case of Hand Foot and Mouth disease. I had no idea what we were in for when I walked out of that office.
HFM was one of the most horrible experiences I have had as a mother. It was so heart wrenching to watch my little boy be in so much pain. There wasn’t enough Motrin or Benadryl to help him feel any relief. He would sleep a maximum of one hour at a time, and wanted nothing more than to be held or cuddled. Through out the course of the week Dean did not eat for 7 days and lost a total of 3 pounds (10% of his weight). My heart goes out to any parent who has to watch their child suffer. Dean, thankfully, healed quickly but it made me think of every parent with a terminally ill child. God bless them!
Dean was sweet enough to share the HFM love with me. I had a cut on my finger that became REALLY REALLY infected thanks to the bacteria in his mouth. After multiple trips to the doctor and a round of strong antibiotics my finger is on the mend. It’s been a month long healing process I’m hoping that I’ll be fully healed in about 2 more weeks.
By the end of the week Dean was beginning to feel better and we were able to plan a play date and enjoy a few family outings. I am looking forward to summer and the fun that we will get to have. Hopefully we can avoid any major illnesses. I need a spring break do over!
This year for lent we decided to give up eating out! Matt and I didn’t think this would be a big deal since we only eat out once a week. Well, we should have looked at the calendar and realized that we would be making 6 trips to Houston in 8 weeks! This has made our commitment a little harder. Matt has done a great job packing picnic lunches for us to eat while traveling, our family has been accommodating by cooking when we are in town and Matt and I have worked hard to keep each other on track. I am looking forward to Easter and celebrating the resurrection of Christ but I am also looking forward to eating a meal at a restaurant! Thank you Jesus for food and great places to eat it!
Our sweet family friend Amy Gibbins is getting married! My family hosted a shower for Amy to celebrate the big event. The shower was also just a good excuse for Dean and I to take a weekend trip to Houston.
Dean played with Logan, Morgan and Emma while we enjoyed some family time. They made funny faces, helped Dean with his shoes, and showed him how to play Barbies. Dean was fond of the Ken doll. I think the kids are finally at an age where they can all play upstairs with out adult supervision. It was nice!