Week in Review - It's Been A Difficult Week

I've wanted to post a few times this week, but time kept getting away from me.  How I would love a day when I can do absolutely nothing.  Just sit around watching TV, which I haven't done in awhile.  Some days I miss that.

Molly is scheduled for her surgery tomorrow.  She has been getting steadily worse this week, though you wouldn't know it from her demeanor.  She is still as loving and affectionate as ever, even if she doesn't have the same amount of energy or spunk.

The surgery can't come soon enough.  The tumor on her belly appears infected, and I mean badly infected.  It oozes, and has turned dark, almost green, and it smells awful.  I discussed with my daughter today that I'm concerned it might become gangrenous, which would be devastating.  Even if she comes out of the surgery well, which of course is our hope, there is no guarantee we will have her with us for very long.  We are both convinced this is a cancerous tumor, and more than likely it has spread, though we don't know to what extent.  We have to wait for the surgery, then make a decision as to her future.  It's not something any of us is looking forward to.

My son E had a very busy school week.  He had an English paper and presentation to finish and send in.  He started quadratic formulas in algebra which were complicated to learn.  There was a science quiz and a review portfolio which he just finished today.  Music history is usually just reading, but this week he had a review and critical thinking paper, class discussion, and lab to complete.  Usually he doesn't have to work on the weekends, but this time he worked both yesterday and today, with a Hope assignment still not completed - it should be done by tomorrow.  There's about 8 weeks of school left so of course it gets hectic as we approach the final stretch.

Work was also really busy this week.  Many of the students we tutor took their ACT exams this weekend, so they're done with tutoring.  New students that have been on a waiting list are now starting this week, which meant lots of paperwork had to be completed.  As busy as we were, I had to help with tutoring a few kids.  Two of our teachers were sick - one had kidney surgery and the other had a kidney infection, so both were in the hospital at the same time.  MM arranged their students as best she could, but there simply weren't enough teachers to go around, so I was assigned homework help students.  Since they were all elementary school age it wasn't a problem, but I felt like I would never get my work done.  Thankfully everything fell into place and I think we're back on track, but I have to say it was pretty stressful.

Then Friday, my "day off", started off at 6:00am.  I went to bible study where we finished studying the book Daniel by Beth Moore.  It was such a great study that I'm actually sorry it's over!  Afterwards I came home to do schoolwork with my son, make lunch, then take him to the doctor.  He has a rash on his left hand, a very itchy rash.  When it first appeared I thought it was ant bites.  As more bumps appeared in clusters, I thought it was similar to what he'd had on his eye, so I had him put on the cream they'd given him for his hand.  It did nothing.  It kind of looked like eczema, which he's had before, so I got him eczema cream.  It got worse.  The skin around his thumb was cracking, and it was very painful.  So I took him to his regular doctor, who believes this is a fungus based on the fact that it's only on his hand and the hydrocortisone made it worse.  He prescribed a cream, and antibiotics because of the cracked skin.  I'm keeping an eye on it; it seems better, but if I don't see enough improvement by Tuesday I'm gonna have to take him to see a dermatologist.

As exhausting as my week had been, I was looking forward to cleaning my home on Saturday and then relaxing.  That wasn't meant to be.  My kid's father showed up after two weeks of not seeing or calling any of his children.  He put on a show of concern for E's hand, and suggested yet again that we get rid of Molly because he blames her for E's allergies and anything else that happens to him.  He actually asked if any of us could catch what Molly has.  Since when is cancer contagious?  He finally left without E, because he didn't think E should go out with his hand looking the way it did.  Meanwhile, once again, I was left feeling angry and resentful and bitter, which I absolutely hate feeling, but he brings out the worst in me.  It is so frustrating that he acts like he's so concerned about his kids, then he disappears for a week or two.  It took several hours before I was able to calm down - that, and a trip to Target ;-).  I looked through the tops for clearance items, and found 3 tank tops and a v-neck, each under $10.  I don't usually recommend retail therapy, but I needed to get out of my house and focus on something else.

This week our Sunday school class was challenged to learn Psalm 23 by hard.  And let me tell you, it was hard!  I know bits and pieces of it, but I've never learned it straight through.  For some crazy reason, I thought I'd learn it in the King James Version.  It sounds so beautiful with all the thee's and thou's, but honestly, what was I thinking?!  I actually made it harder on myself.  I was relieved to find out everyone else had a hard time learning it as well ;-).  We are gonna continue working on it this week.  I printed it and put it up on my fridge to help me remember it.

That's my recap for the week.  It has been rough, and I don't think the coming week will be much easier, especially with Molly recovering from surgery.  If you think of her during the day, please say a prayer for our puppy.  We love her dearly, and just want to see her get better.  Thanks y'all.  Goodnight, and God bless.

The Week In Review

I had every intention of posting yesterday.  I really did.  But we don't always do what we want, do we?  We plan, but God commands.  I decided to give more of a recap, instead of posting separately for yesterday and today.

Yesterday was a pretty busy, non-stop type of day again.  We woke up to rain, and went to bed with rain.  It rained on and off all day long.  Thunderstorms woke us up in the morning, but thankfully the rest of the day was quiet.  It was hot, muggy, and dreary.  School was good; my son got caught up on all his assignments.  Unfortunately, his cold was making it difficult to focus, so he did 4 hours worth of work and left it at that.  Since he'd done an extra hour of work earlier in the week he was able to finish early and rest, which is what the body needs with a cold or flu.  He's feeling much better today; not 100%, but certainly not as bad as yesterday.

After school I threw a load of laundry into the wash, then got ready for bible study.  I look forward to our Thursday night study because Beth Moore teaches like no one I know.  I wore a pair of dress pants because, with weather as yucky as we had, I didn't feel like getting dressed up.  That was my thought process, anyway.  I ended up looking pretty dressed up in my navy blue pants, navy blue long sleeved v-neck, and cream colored scarf.  I wore a pretty pair of cream colored heels too, because I don't have many closed shoes.  Living in Florida means sandals, flip-flops, open-toe shoes, that sort of thing.  I also have sneakers, but I wasn't about to wear dress pants with tennis shoes.  I did my makeup pretty quick, and it turned out lovely.  I got there on time (I'm always on time everywhere, which is unlike the South Florida culture), and enjoyed some fellowship with the ladies.  Then we sat down to our study.  Once again, the teaching rocked my world.  Honestly, we here in the US take prosperity for granted.  We complain about what we don't have, when there are people in this world who lack the basic essentials.  We're so busy trying to keep up with the Joneses, that we don't appreciate the fact that, compared to most nations of this world, even the poorest American is wealthy.  It cut me to the core.  I am so blessed - how dare I complain and whine about what I don't have?!  God reminded me that we're to show compassion, not feel it.  It doesn't do anyone any good if all I do is have pity, then turn and walk away.  I have to be willing to do something!  It gave me a lot to think about, and plenty to repent from.

After I got home, my daughter wanted to tell me all about her day.  She literally followed me around the house talking away, which is why I didn't get to post.  I was exhausted by the time she was done.  Besides, I wanted to get to bed early.  My cousin asked me to babysit her youngest son, so I had to be up and ready when he got here the next day.

Unlike yesterday, today was chilly and cool all day, without a cloud in the sky.  Those who live in Florida know, the weather changes in the blink of an eye!  I'm kinda hoping the whole weekend is as beautiful as today - it was gorgeous the entire day!

I thought I was up pretty early, but I was finishing up getting dressed when the little guy showed up at the door.  He's in pre-k, but he wasn't able to go to school.  He has eczema.  When the school teacher saw it she said the school needs verification that it's eczema and not impetigo.  His mom made a doctor's appointment, but the doctor can't see him till tomorrow and he won't be allowed in school till he gets medical clearance.  He's a sweet little 5 year old boy, and I'm always happy to have him here.  As long as he can watch his favorite TV program, Super Why, he will behave like a little angel.

E did his one assignment for English (and got a 90%) and attended his Hope live lesson, then he watched documentaries on Netflix because he was all done for the week.  It was a much easier day for him, which he totally appreciated.

After school was done and our little guy was picked up, my daughter and I headed to the mall.  We have a baby shower to attend tomorrow.  It's a brunch style shower, so the ladies will most likely be dressed very casual.  My clothes are mostly dressy, or around the house type of clothes.  I have 2 pairs of jeans that I wear occasionally, which are hand-me-downs from my daughter.  I wanted some jeans of my own, something more appropriate and dressier than what I have but still casual-looking, and New York and Company had a sale going on, so that's where I headed.  I found two pairs of jeans, one pair a dark indigo and the other a very dark grey.  I wasn't sure what size would fit, so I got a size 8 and a size 10.  On top they fit fine, the 8 better than the 10, but the length...either I'm shrinking or these things were excessively long.  I mean like, even with a pair of stilettos they would be too long.  I was sure I hadn't pulled any jeans from the tall section, so I didn't understand why they were so long.  Then my daughter heard one of the sales associates say that this particular style came in one length.  Obviously that length was extra long :P.  I didn't want to get something that I'd have to hem or get altered, so I went back and got a pair of skinny jeans and a pair of ankle length "boyfriend jeans" (why any woman would want to wear her boyfriend's jeans is beyond me).  I picked up both in size 10 and headed to the dressing room.  I tried on the ankle length jeans first; they were enormous on me.  I was afraid they were going to fall off!  Well, maybe not that big, but they were really big.  So I asked my daughter to get me a pair in a size 8, and she went ahead and got the skinny jeans in a size 8 as well.  I tried the ankle length in size 8; still too big.  I could say right now that I was frustrated, but what woman gets mad because she's smaller than a size 8?  My daughter went back for a size 6, and in the meantime I tried on the size 8 skinny jeans.  Perfect fit.  She brought back the size 6 ankle length jeans.  Another perfect fit.  Which is why I always try on clothes before buying them.  You never can tell what's going to fit, and it's better than making another trip to the mall.  I didn't get anything else, because I didn't find anything else I liked.  NY & Co has always been a favorite store of mine because I find clothes that are stylish while still age appropriate for me, but what I saw today was a lot of clothes geared towards a more youthful demographic.  Even my daughter said, "Sorry mom, but it looks like NY & Co is trying to bring appeal to a younger crowd."  Not what I wanted to hear, but I had to agree.  My store is a-changin'.  :'(

We got some really cute baby outfits for tomorrow.  Our friend is Puertorican like me, but she lives in Sweden with her husband.  She's visiting family, and a quick baby shower has been organized so she can take stuff back with her.  She specifically asked for baby clothes, because she says they're really expensive in Sweden.  We found some adorable outfits at The Children's Place that were super discounted, and which I think she's gonna love.  We are so happy for her, and happy to be able to share in this joyous celebration of new life with her.

So now we're back home, I just finished having dinner (fried chicken, shells with white cheddar cheese, and mixed veggies), and now I'm gonna do my nails.  I haven't figured out what I'm gonna wear to this baby shower tomorrow, but of course I want to look as pretty as I can!  Good night ya'll, be beautiful!

Monday, Monday

Monday is a fresh start.  It's never too late to dig in and begin a new journey of success.

Mondays are always busy for me.  A new school week, new menu plan, new items to add to the old schedule.  I don't hate Mondays, though.  I look at it as a new beginning.

School started at 10:00 am today.  We were all kind of slow this morning because it was so dark out.  It was a hot and muggy day, totally the opposite of yesterday with its cool breezes and clear skies.  We got rain on and off all morning, and even when the breezes picked up in the afternoon, they were warmer than what we'd gotten the past week.  Of course, it's supposed to get back down into the 50's tonight, so the weather roller coaster ride continues.  

So anyway, school began with music, Hope, and science.  At noon my son paused to take his algebra online class, and I made Southwestern style chicken soup.  Days like these call for soup.  I'd bought everything to make the soup except the tortilla chips, because I knew we had some.  What I didn't know was that they'd gone a bit stale.  I still ate them, but my son E wasn't too happy.  Oh well.

After lunch we finished working on science, and he took his quiz.  He's got a 90% so far, but the teacher has to grade a couple of essay questions.  It was a normal sort of day; he got all his work done and completed his required 5 hours, so we're both happy.  It looks like it might be a slower day tomorrow, but we'll take it one day at a time.  He's doing well so far, so I'm pleased.

I started working on my daughter's taxes.  It looks like she's gonna have to pay, which she's not happy about.  She has to pay her own taxes for her church job, and while we did the worksheet and figured out how much she needed to pay, it seems it was short.  I'm looking to see what can be done additionally to get the amount down.  I feel bad for her; she was counting on getting some money back, but instead she's gonna have to dish out about $200.  That's gonna put a dent in her savings for sure.

I have to share this amazing quote from Beth Moore from the Daniel bible study:  "A sovereign, powerful God sits upon His throne, and nothing misses His gaze.  He will right all wrongs.  I do not know how, but I know Who."  Amen!  Thank You Jesus!

And with that beautiful thought I leave, saying Goodnight and Pleasant Dreams.  God bless.

Thoughtful Thursday

God has given me much to think about, courtesy of our women's bible study.  The book of Daniel is fascinating, but hearing it taught by Beth Moore is just plain mind-blowing!  I still have goose bumps!

My day started off slow.  My son had no live lessons today, so he was taking it nice and slow.  I had a list of things I wanted to take care of, but my focus was elsewhere.  I've got a stye on the lower lash line of my left eye, and it is driving me nuts!  It itches, but when I touch it, it hurts.  It's not extremely swollen, and since I wear glasses it isn't very noticeable.  But I notice it, because I feel it constantly, and it's annoying!  I tore the house apart looking for the ointment I'd bought awhile back, but it was nowhere to be found.  I decided, since today is Thursday, and this week is grocery shopping week, I'd just take myself over to Winn-Dixie, check out the sales, and pick up some medicine for my eye.  So that's what I did.  Thankfully, I was able to find the ointment.  Sadly, the sales weren't as easily found.  I was hoping they'd have some good meat sales, but there was nothing.  I got a large package of ground beef, then went back for a smaller one so that we could have tacos for lunch.  I did buy a few things we needed, but I'll have to figure out the menu for the next two weeks based mostly on what's in the freezer now.  That was a bummer.

E worked on music, leadership, and algebra.  We went over the algebra lesson after he watched the last two videos.  He's studying statistics now, which can be tricky.  When the teacher had taught the lesson, he was totally confused, but after hearing the videos it seemed like he was understanding the material.  I guess I was wrong.  He got a 70% on his test.  It was especially upsetting because there were only 10 questions, and he got 3 of them wrong.  All three were on the difference between the mean and the median, so that's what we're gonna have to go over again.  I'm really glad that there's online tutoring available, so he can go to the tutoring session and ask about these examples.  The resources available to homeschoolers is greater than what was available to him in public school.

My son R put the computer tower together, but for some reason it's not working.  It's off the dining room table for now, but he's gonna take it apart again and try to put it back together, which means my space will be taken over again.  He's so frustrated, because he doesn't know what he's doing wrong.  His buddy is coming over tomorrow to help him out.  I'm betting it's something really minor that he missed.  It usually works out that way.

So after school I showered and got ready for bible study.  I put on a pair of khaki green jeans, thinking it would be cold out again like it's been the past few nights, but it wasn't that cold at all.  From the forecasts it looks like our temperatures will be going up and down the next few days.  I had to be really careful with my makeup so I didn't irritate my eye more than it already is.  The ointment is helping but it's still sensitive.  All the ladies who came were on time - a pretty unusual feat!  The study today was on Daniel chapter 3, where Daniel's three friends are thrown into the fiery furnace.  When Beth Moore started comparing being thrown into the fire with our trials, and how God sometimes will deliver us from it, sometimes He'll deliver us through it, and sometimes He'll deliver us to Himself, I had to put my jacket on.  I was shivering!  At first I thought I was cold, but then I realized it was the teaching that had me trembling!  I took plenty of notes for my study this week.  At the end all we could say was, "Wow!"  Every woman there was feeling the same way.  It was a powerful study, with plenty to meditate on during the week.

What else happened today?  Oh yes - I ordered the Complexion Rescue, and the shade I settled on was...natural.  As pretty as the tan looks, it's too dark.  Not by a whole lot, but even a little bit isn't going to look right if it doesn't match the rest of me.  I ordered from Ulta with my discount coupon and reward points, so that the $29 tube ended up costing me $21.62, tax included (shipping is free for this product).  I'm really looking forward to adding this to my collection.  I love the way it looks and feels, and for a "no makeup" makeup look, it's perfect.

Well, it's just about time for bed.  I'll be praying for my poor eye to feel better tomorrow.  Have a blessed evening, and pleasant dreams.  Good night.

Simply Sunday

Today I did something I don't normally do.  Something completely out of character for me.  Today I went to church in pants.

I should clarify that I'm not against women wearing pants to church.  I don't believe that women wearing pants are any less spiritual than women in dresses or skirts.  I just prefer going to church in a dress.  It was ingrained in my head as a child that one should always look their absolute best when going to church because that's where you worship God, and God deserves our very best.  My best clothes are dresses and skirts; well, actually, most of my clothes are dresses and skirts.  I have a few capris that I wear around the house or to go exercise, and a couple of jeans that I wear when we go to concerts, but for the most part I wear dresses and skirts most everywhere.  Today, however, it was cold outside.  Fifty-two degrees with a cold breeze blowing.  I know, for the rest of the country that's summer weather, but when you've had temperatures in the upper 70's and low 80's and all of a sudden they drop down to the low 50's, you feel it.  When I let the dog out, I felt it for sure.  I'd looked through my clothes last night and had chosen a dress to wear, but I was not about to wear anything that didn't protect me from the cold.  Thankfully, I do have a couple pairs of dress pants left over from my work days.  These pants are probably 8 years old but they are my favorites.  A couple of years after I'd stopped working, I gave almost all my dress pants to Goodwill because they were sitting in my closet and never getting used.  Some didn't even fit me anymore, but most were just taking up space.  I kept two pairs of dress pants: a navy blue pair, and the ones I wore today.  They are a dark tan with a very light burgundy and gold pinstripe.  Both pants are neutrals, so I can wear them with anything, but most importantly, if I need to go somewhere dressy and it's cold out, I have something nice to wear.  I paired the pants with a brown long-sleeved button down shirt, and a beige argyle sweater over it.  I also wore a very, very old pair of brown pumps.  I've loved those shoes for years, but after wearing them today I realized I'd kept them way too long.  They were falling apart on the inside, making them extremely uncomfortable.  Once I got home, they went into the trash.  They weren't even good enough to donate.  It was a shame, since the rest of the outfit looked great.  Those shoes were a fail.

My makeup turned out so nice!  I decided to wear the new warm colors I'd gotten from Bare Minerals because they were neutrals, making them perfect for the outfit.  The colors were on point!  It was a very soft look, totally appropriate for daytime.  This could become my go to look for everyday.  It was that pretty.

Church service was absolutely beautiful.  Pastor spoke on the importance of prayer, then called up several people in our church who are sick, to anoint them with oil and pray over them.  One was a young girl who had been in my Awana group.  Today is her 13th birthday.  She has been battling leukemia since last summer.  The cancer is in remission, but she's still having to go through the treatment protocol.  She is doing her last chemo this month, then must go in for maintenance for several months.  We have been praying for her daily, and it was a joy to see her with her family in church today.  This child has been talking to her doctors, nurses, and other patients in the hospital about her faith and hope in Jesus.  She is such an inspiration!  We also prayed for one of the boy's Awana leaders who has terminal cancer.  This man loves The Lord and serves Him with such passion.  He is a great husband, wonderful father, devout servant...it's a privilege to pray for people like him.  There were many others that were prayed for, and the presence of the Holy Spirit was felt so strongly that I could not contain the tears.  When I think that this world holds over 7 billion people, yet God hears each and every one of our prayers, it fills my heart with such comfort and joy, that I cannot express it.  We serve an awesome God!

I started my study of Daniel for this week - chapter 2, the first 12 verses.  It's one of my favorite sections of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar's dream.  I've studied this before in church, but I'm really enjoying Beth Moore's breakdown.  She is such an incredible bible teacher!  Definitely my favorite Christian author.

Other than that, it's been a quiet sort of day.  I did a couple of loads of laundry; one is still in the dryer.  Tomorrow the new school semester starts up, so it'll be a busy day.  I am once again thankful that God has seen fit to allow me to homeschool my son.  I cannot thank Him enough for His unending love and grace.  God has been, and continues to be, so good to me.  How I wish the entire world would appreciate His goodness!

That's all for this installment of Life At My House ;-).  Have a blessed evening folks.

How Quickly Things Change

Hello, and welcome to another installment of, "Where the heck am I?!"  Yesterday temperatures were in the low 80's, and I had the air conditioning on because it was so stuffy and humid out.  Today the morning started out cloudy; not just regular clouds, but big, ominous clouds that threatened rain, and lots of it.  I checked the weather channel, and sure enough, they promised lots of rain and thunderstorms.  We braced ourselves for what was to come.  It didn't.  We got a drizzle, with no thunder whatsoever, no even in the distance.  Then the temperatures started to drop.  The humidity was replaced by a chilly breeze.  Right now it's in the low 60's, and we might get into the upper 40's by tomorrow morning.  My kids say that Florida is the Bi-Polar State.  It can be hot and sunny one minute, cold and rainy the next.  It's amazing how quickly things can change.

Take me, for instance.  I felt awful yesterday; I spent the day doing absolutely nothing.  I had no energy and no desire to do a single thing.  This morning I got up feeling way better.  So much so, that I dusted the furniture, vacuumed and mopped the floors in the family room, dining room and kitchen.  I was on a roll!  It was like my battery had been recharged, and I could keep going, and going, and going...till my kid's father came over.  It's amazing how that man can drain all the happiness out of whatever place he steps into.  He was bringing some papers over, and I thought he was picking up E to spend the afternoon with him, but he about a half hour later.  I think he was wanting me to feed him, since he got here as I was whipping up some mashed potatoes.  Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.  It's like he still doesn't get it; we've been separated for 3+ years, and it hasn't been pleasant.  To this day he has not admitted that he's done anything wrong, or that he is sorry.  I'm not going to pretend it's okay, like his family has done.  What's wrong is wrong, and he's gonna have to face that reality, here on earth or before the Judgment throne.  For his sake, I hope he does it here.

I finished week one of my Beth Moore study, so now I'm kind of caught up with the class.  This study is different than any other video bible study I've done.  Usually we study the material, then watch the corresponding video and discuss it that week.  With the Daniel study, we watch the video first, then do the daily workbook assignments.  Since I'd missed the first week I had to get caught up.  I was there for week two's video, so now I can start doing the homework for it.  I have Sunday - Thursday to work on it, but Monday starts a new school semester, and Wednesday we have Awana, so I'm going to have to take that into account and make sure I do my workbook assignments in the mornings.  It's a really interesting study; I won't have any problem picking up the book and getting into it.

It's my turn to bring breakfast for my Sunday school class tomorrow, so I decided to bake a cake.  It's an applesauce spice cake, one of my favorites.  The house smells of cinnamon and nutmeg and absolute yumminess.  I won't frost it till tomorrow morning, but I did my hair today because I won't have time to do it in the morning.  Sunday mornings are busy enough; I don't want to have to get up at 5am just to blow dry my hair.  I'll still have to stop off at Winn-Dixie to buy rolls and probably some ham spread, so we can have a complete breakfast.  What, you don't consider rolls and cake to be a complete breakfast?  Don't worry, there'll be coffee too ;-).

It's Saturday, so I'm going to go exfoliate and moisturize my face so it's squeaky clean and beautiful for church tomorrow.  I like looking my best for worshiping my King.  Oh, I should mention, I've continued with my water drinking experiment.  My skin is most definitely more hydrated; I've always suffered from dry skin, but now I notice it's become more normal to dry.  Actually, my t-zone has become slightly oily, an oddity now that the humidity has gone down.  It might be hormonal, of course.  I'm going to keep drinking and increasing my water intake to see how my skin is affected.  Obviously I don't want oily skin either; no one wants break-outs at my age.  But it sure is nice not to have skin as dry as the desert either.  This is one change I'm enjoying.

So, that's it for today.  I'm hoping this change in the weather will last.  I'm hoping the change in my skin will be for the better.  Mostly, I hope the changes in my life will only improve me daily.  Good night folks.

Finally Friday

Fridays are usually filled with activity at our house.  Whether it's school, shopping, laundry, or cleaning, something is always going on.  But not today.  Today I may as well have filmed an episode of Veggie Tales because that's all I did all day.  I vegged.

I wasn't feeling well; not sick, just yucky.  My head was achy, my back hurt, and I felt nauseous all day.  No, I'm not pregnant.  Quite the opposite.  There's certain times of the month when a girl just doesn't want to do anything but sit around.  So that's what I did.

The kid's dad came over looking for his mail.  He had the nerve to ask why the kids hadn't approached his mother at the funeral.  The same man that ignored his children the whole time we were there, wanted to know why his kids hadn't gone over to his mother, who has basically ignored us for the past 3 1/2+ years.  I told him that, and said we weren't there to make a scene, just to honor his grandmother.  He quickly changed the subject, but it irritated me even more than I already was.

Thankfully, I have my Beth Moore bible study to lift my spirits.  I'm already on week 1 day 3 and I only just started the study yesterday.  I'm certain I'll be caught up by the time Thursday rolls around if I keep up this pace.  It shouldn't be too hard - this book is almost impossible to put down!

My friend IV was extremely excited today, because she found out what artist is going to be performing at the Dade County Youth Fair this year during Christian music night.  It's Brandon Heath!  We love us some Brandon Heath!  I loathe going into Miami (the traffic is exasperating) and I'm not a fan of the fair, but I will put up with it just to go see Brandon Heath.  It was some much needed good news for the day.

Another highlight of the day: I got a 20% off coupon from Ulta.  This is great, because it means I can buy the Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue with this coupon and the $3 off I have on my membership card.  A sample is supposed to be included with the eyeliner pencil order that shipped today from Bare Escentuals, and I am really excited to try it out!  I've used a tinted moisturizer sample that I got from Ulta and it works well under my foundation; Complexion Rescue is a tinted moisturizer, but it's also a BB and CC cream, and it's supposed to be hydrating.  All the things my skin is craving!

I put a nice piece of London broil in the crock pot with some onions, carrots, and beef broth.  This is set on low to cook overnight.  It takes anywhere from 10-12 hours to cook a roast in the crock pot.  The nice thing is, when we get up in the morning, the whole house smells delicious!  Heck, it's smelling wonderful already!

That's gonna be it for today.  Hoping for a better day tomorrow; trusting God for all my needs.  Good night ya'll.