Lots of Lyme meds and supplements!

Was filling my medications this morning and thought I would share a picture of the pills I take daily!!

Happy Day after Easter

We had a great time with family on Easter. I was very happy to get a new picture of my kids together!!

Waterloo boy from Ethiopia won't let amputation slow him down

Waterloo boy from Ethiopia won't let amputation slow him down

Shopping Spree

Apparently technology is not my thing. Be sure and implement your parental controls. Five year old little girls can do a lot of damage! Sabrina felt the need to purchase six or seven movies last night. Thank you Amazon for being so helpful!

Culinary Arts!

In previous years, Culinary Arts was Noelle's favorite class. This year she has been unable to participate. However, when West High decided to field a team for a state competition and a member was dismissed, Noelle was asked to join the team! For three weeks Noelle was pushed to her physical limits with numerous practiced and hours on her feet. We all decided it was worth it! The competition was held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Eight teams participated and two teams from Waterloo got first and second place. Both teams were first year teams. Noelle's team actually got second which was OK with us. It would have been hard for her to put in the time to participate in the National competition in Baltimore in April.


The first part of the competition involved being judged either on knife skills or cutting a chicken. Each four person team was assigned two members to each task. Noelle DID NOT want the chicken! She did fantastic. Note the judges pad in the corner of the picture. They had judges and photographers right next to them all morning.




The cut up chicken reassembled for judging. Her culinary arts teacher had never even cut one up before. Great thanks go to Mrs. Tracy Hulme, her teacher, and Blake Landau, the mentor chef for both Waterloo teams!



Noelle's main task was making the dessert, a lemon curd. Yummy!





After she finished the lemon curd she helped with the other courses. Here she is shaping a potato croquette.



The hardware!

Two are better than one!

Today is my man's 47th birthday. I think I will keep him. I have been thinking about the things I love about him. Here are just a few:
A: awesome, athletic
B: bird feeder
C: changeable, curious
D: daring
E: explorer
F: friendly
G: gentle, generous
H: helpmate
I: intelligent
J: joyful
K: kind
L: loony
M: married to me, massuer
N: naturally nice
O: original
P: perceptive
Q: quality
R: random
S: sexy, smart
T: tailor-made, tree lover
U: unique
V: virtuous
W: warm-hearted, wild game chef
X: xtra good daddy
Y: young at heart
Z: zealous

I need you, baby! Happy Birthday!

Lyme Update

Did I mention my mom and dad have both been diagnosed with Lyme? This is crazy. In a couple hours Noelle and I will head to Columbia, Missouri to visit Dr. Crist for our second visit. Noelle's access to others struggling with Lyme through the internet has been a tremendous blessing but also a source of great questioning. More so for her than me. Every patient, every doctor, every course of treatment is different. She wants to know she is getting the best shot at healing. So we are looking for confirmation that Dr. Crist is the best route.

Also, I am looking for Noelle to be motivated to follow all the recommendations. She does a great job with eating gluten-free. In fact, she hardly eats anything which isn't good. Her stomach is perpetually upset. Which is why she never wants to take the recommended medicines and supplements:( I feel strongly, from what I have read, that taking all of them would eventually be very beneficial. But she needs to believe that. I can't force feed her.

She is doing great with the online classes she is taking through our local high school. She has gone to class about once a week. She is on track to complete the eight credits she needs this semester to be on track to graduate on time. She is awesome!