Spooktacular

I feel like I have a million and one things to blog about and no time to do it ever! I have been so swamped! Today the girls and I attended the Manhattan "Spooktacular" at the local zoo. Basically, all the kids dress up, and visit the zoo. Lot's of local businesses have little tables set up and the kids trick-or-treat each booth while checking out the animals. We couldn't have asked for better weather! It was rainy and chilly this week, but the sun was shining today! I attended the big event with my two neighbors/girlfriends and their kiddos. We had a great time...and I documented the trip with my photography, as usual!

Happy Halloweenie blog readers!

Disaster in the kitchen!

Faithful blog readers. I realize it is way to late to be blogging, but it is most important that I share with you my latest adventure while my fingers are still warm from typing my school work and my mind is still in work mode. I always have this ingenious plans to share my thoughts and divert my blogging until the moment is so far removed I am unmotivated to share. So, here I go...

I must say that in light of my recent week, my precious small group ladies have served me with some of the most delicious cuisine. I was reluctant to receive meals, after all...I am not ill. However, with some kind persuasion, I hesitantly accepted the free food with gratitude.

This evening one special lady provided us with the final meal on the schedule...a delicious tortellini dish complete with salad, bread and fresh baked home-made, nut-free chocolate chip cookies. My only task was to preheat my oven to the normal 350 degrees, and heat the pre-made dish for 20 minutes. If only my life were this simple.

Rebekah was approved to return to school tomorrow. She had a cheer leading clinic with the varsity cheerleaders from the high school, so I drove her to Riley for practice from 5-7. Dinner was delivered at 6:00ish.

After cooking for the said 20 minutes I opened the oven. The adventure began at that precise moment. I must confess I am not too familiar with those aluminum foil casserole dishes. I can count on one hand how many times I have used one, and each of them was for ear candling and not baking. I am sure you can guess what is about to unfold. The story continues...

I grab an oven mitt and slide the dish towards the edge. "This is going to be a two mitt dish," I think. I start to lift the dish when I feel it give way. If only I could replace and re-evaluate. No, it is too late, a shrapnel of creamy tomato sauce splatters down the oven door and into that little space between the door and the oven. In the panic I shovel bits of tortellini into the dish with a spatula. How could this have happened?! In the moment I realize I am shoving pasta bits into the bottom of the oven door. Quick! Grab a screwdriver and open this area and perhaps the pasta can be saved! (At this point I am clearly out of my mind!) Handy with my junk drawer tools I unscrew the first corner screw. The tension should have proved a warning. The second screw comes out and all of a sudden I am sitting on the floor, covered in pasta drippings, the glass front of the oven is now in my lap, and the handle is thrown to the wayside while the door slams shut with pasta oozing out the bottom. The rest is rather obvious...aside from the fact that at that moment I had to place the glass front on the cabinet, leave the mess and load up in the van to get Bek from camp.

Just so you know, if my marketing degree does not prove financially beneficial, I will certainly find employment in the assembly line of the Whirlpool oven factory. AND, although the stock market seems to be faltering, I would encourage you to buy your stock in Clorox Wipes...my purchase alone should keep you afloat. I used the entire contents of one jumbo tub of wipes to clean my mess! Ahh, so is a day in the life of Lindz. Would we expect it to be any other way?!

PS...the saved pasta was delicious, and I even managed to salvage enough for leftovers tomorrow! It's the little things that keep us smilin' in the end!

PS I Love you

Just for the record...this movie should come with a warning label: Do not watch this if you are alone, in love, stressed, emotionally inclined, if you have a heart, if you are a woman, if you are in a relationship, if you are going through a breakup, if you are sick or stuffy, and ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE LOW ON TISSUE!!!!

I have wanted to see this movie since I saw the previews, but have not added to the Blockbuster Que for fear my privileges may be revoked. Jeremy's TDY (Temporary Duty) marked the perfect occasion to edit the Que to my liking rather than super action and superhero flicks.

While Mom was here for a few days we decided to sit for a chick flick. Oh my goodness!!! Talk about a tear jerker! Ladies and gents, I would heed my warning before reserving, but know that I did love the movie. It was a unique storyline...and provided an emotional cleansing that I think was way overdue!

AND my new favorite tune of the week came from the soundtrack...
Love you 'til the end by The Pogues

Update and a wait

So I know many of you are wondering what our latest information is on Rebekah. For those of you who read this regularly, the wait has probably been so long that you have called me to get the run-down, but for those of you have haven't here's the latest...

Rebekah's blood work revealed standard levels of white blood cells and so forth. The question is, why the norm when she is so sick? They took her blood on what was probably the worst day of her shingles. The doctors expected the levels to be all sorts of wacky, but instead they were in normal range. Are her levels, although normal in range, high for her? Why aren't they off the charts as expected? This was not at all what the medical staff expected but nothing can really be determined until we do follow up blood work on the October 14th.

Her major organ function results came back indicating high levels of electrolytes in her liver, but normal kidney function. The elevation could be from the medication, but again, we will just have to wait on comparative blood work.

Her "differential" did not merit a smear. This is doctor talk for...the physical characteristics of her blood cells looked normal, so closer analysis was not done.

The good news is that her shingles are healing and she looks much much MUCH better! We are hoping to have her back in school by Tuesday.

Mom came in on Wednesday night. She was received with open arms from all of us! It is such a blessing to have reinforcements during a time like this. She stayed until Saturday, and I must admit the house seemed a little empty without her here. I was so thankful to have her here for the last few days!

Now we just sit and wait. That is the hardest part! Please keep Bek in your prayers...this is a rather scary process, but I know that God will be glorified regardless of the outcome. She is so loved...and not just by her maker and her family. We have been flooded with phone calls and emails. We covet each of your prayers. Thanks so much for all of you who have checked in on us. We will keep you posted as news comes in.