Thankful Thursday

* I am thankful for a stable job (for this week anyway) that I actually enjoy on most days.
* I am thankful for an awesome husband and amazing daughter that love me regardless of my faults.
* I am thankful for great family.
* I am thankful for a God that forgives me of my sins.
* I am thankful for my home.
* I am thankful for my fabulous friends.
* I am thankful for the beautiful sunshine.
* I am thankful that Jesus died for my sins so that I am saved and will spend eternity in heaven.
* I am thankful for my health (even though I feel cruddy right now) and my families health.
* I am thankful for my Church, that I love.
* I am thankful for my husband's employment that he enjoys.
* I am thankful that I have so many reasons to be thankful.

New Specs

Madelyn picked up her new glasses today. When she heard the phone message that her glasses were in you would have thought Santa Claus was at our house. She was super excited.

Ryan and I cannot understand how she could see before glasses. When we look through them all we see is a blurry mess and she said she can see with them. Who knew??




The glasses make her beautiful blue eyes look even bigger which takes some getting used to, but of course as her parents we think she looks absolutely darling!

H1N1 or Seasonal Flu?

Madelyn started running a fever on Halloween. Her fever bounced between 100 - 102.6, depending on the amount of meds in her system, for three days. Madelyn rarely gets fevers when she is sick. She has never had a fever last more than a day. She felt absolutely miserable with a runny nose and nasty cough to go along with her fever. We didn't bother with a doctor's appointment because we assumed they would just tell us it was the flu and send her home. We've been told that most doctor's aren't even testing for H1N1 anymore because that seems to be all that is going around. She has been vaccinated for the seasonal flu but this could have been a different strain of the virus. We won't ever be 100% sure that is what she had but we have our suspicions.

H1N1.....or......


seasonal flu.....


Either way, it was pitiful sight to see.

But, I'm happy to report that Madelyn's fever finally broke this morning and she has been fever free ever since. We are still keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that she is over the worst.

Sick Lil' Sweetheart Bat

Our Halloween morning started out well (literally speaking) as we headed downtown Augusta for trick or treat street.





By the end Madelyn was complaining that she was really thirsty and her stomach hurt. She said she just wanted to go home. She also mentioned that she thinks she is too old for trick or treat to be fun and she wouldn't be going back next year. :(
When we arrived home Ryan noticed her head felt rather warm. I took her temp. and it was just barely over 99. About thirty minutes later I took her temp. again and it was 101. I know she isn't feeling well because she hasn't even attempted to go outside and enjoy the beautiful day. She has stayed under covers on the couch all day watching movies, which is very unusual for her.


Our sweet lil' sweetheart bat will likely be spending her Halloween night indoors and not going house to house raking in the candy. I guess it is a good thing that she isn't a huge fan of candy, but I know she as really looking forward to going.

Give me an A, Give me an H, Give me an S

What's that spell??? AHS!!!
This week Madelyn participated in the annual Augusta High School cheer/dance clinic. A bunch of little girls practice cheers and a dance routine for an hour and a half two evenings during the week and then perform with the cheerleaders during the first half of the AHS football game. After each practice Madelyn reported to me that it was a bit too lengthy. She enjoyed hanging out with the High School Cheerleaders and shaking her booty, but by the end of the first quarter of the game I could tell she was bored.
Our team got our a$$es handed to us so it was nice to be focused on the little cheerleaders and not the mess that was happening on the field. Painful!

Dressed and ready to go cheer.


Madelyn & Kenzie




Getting ready for the National Anthem




About the time she was getting bored with cheering...

Parent/teacher conferences

Madelyn's p/t conference was yesterday afternoon. Ms. Watts had nothing but good things to say about Madelyn, which makes us very proud. She said she is a good listener, follows instructions well, and gets along well with all the other students. I was concerned about Madelyn being too chatty and she said that isn't a problem at school. Madelyn seems to have a knack for Math. She obviously didn't get that from either of her parents. Her reading level is at the first grade level, but a tadbit below the class average. This caused me (not Ryan) some concern, but Ms. Watts assured us that Madelyn has made huge improvements since the beginning of school. She expects that Madelyn's reading level will continue to improve and reach the reading standards.
I walked away from the conference a bit discouraged and completely humbled. As a parent, I want to believe that my child is the smartest of the class. Hearing that she is below average in a subject was disheartening. So I went home gave Madelyn a great big hug and told her how proud I was of her hard work and then we picked up a book and began reading (as we do every other night).
Ryan gave me words of encouragement by reminding me that most importantly Madelyn is kind to others and that her reading average is not what matters in the big scheme of things.

The Annual Beer Fest

For at least the last five years Ryan and I have attended the annual Beer Fest in Wichita. My employer has a silent auction and cash and carry at the Beer Fest which has proven to be a great fundraiser for the agency. Drunk people love to spend money!! Ryan and I have volunteered the last several years at the cash & carry booth. We get a t-shirt and free admission to the Beer Fest. We work the first shift which ends at 2:30pm and then spend the rest of the time sampling beers. Good times! This year our friends, Brandon and Lisa, also volunteered and our friends, Chuck and Rachel, came for sampling. Beer Fest never disappoints and we always have a great time.
After the Beer Fest we rode the trolley to Old Town to hang out at Heroes for a while and then made a stop at Whiskey Creek for drinks. We stopped at another bar on our walk back to the car and quickly discovered that it was a gay bar. Although the fellows wanted to get a drink we convinced them otherwise.

Here are just a few of the pics from the evening.


It was nice to see Daniel Boone at the Fest.


Me and the girls and some random drunk guy.


Ryan tackled Chuck and was going to throw him in the fountain.


Chuck may have been a dancer in his past life.


This fellow beer fester purchased a blow up Marlin and Rachel convinced him that I saved Marlins as a hobby.


No title needed for this picture.


A freshly picked elephant ear for fanning Rachel


Iron Cross performed on the trolley


AHHHHHH


I think we threw more popcorn than we ate here.


A piggy back ride from Brandon...I think they just came out of the gay bar.


And even gymnastics on the trolley

It was a blast as always and I was one of the few that held my food down the entire night!!