Head is Pounding

I shared earlier that I have been fighting off a sinus infection. The worst symptom of these are the huge headaches. I find that they steal my ability to think straight or focus on much of anything and my patience levels plummet. I went to the doctor and got some antibiotics and the past couple of days the headaches were pretty much gone and I felt like I could take on the world. I was so much more productive and it was great.

This morning I woke to a headache again and it makes me so sad. I truly think there is something triggering my allergies which in turn affect the sinuses. Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to effectively combat it so I am at the mercy of these frustrating allergies. I fear my to-do list is gonna suffer miserably today. After having some good days I find this such a downer. I am off to take some tylenol and a hot steamy shower and say a prayer for help in functioning through my day.

And I've been telling my kids NOT to write on the walls...

This guy in Kentucky made the news because he decorated the the walls of his entire basement using only sharpie markers. It is pretty clever. But don't show this to my kids because I don't want them to get any ideas. I don't think their art skills are quite up to this level yet and I don't feel a real need for full scale crayon drawings throughout my home.

Down to double digits

washing #2
Originally uploaded by greenjellysnakes

Did you notice that according to my little baby in a bubble on the right that there only 99 days to my sweet little blessing's due date? We are into the double digits now!

I really do enjoy being pregnant, even with all of the maladies associated with it. There is nothing quite like carrying your child and watching your belly grow and feeling those sweet kicks. It is a special closeness and bond. However, I really can't wait to hold that sweet little newborn baby. There is also nothing like that precious little gift, fresh from God.

I have my first ultrasound scheduled in 3 weeks. The dilemma we have now is to decide if we are going to peek and see if it is a boy or a girl. 4 out of 5 of our little ones were surprises. Only with our last little girl did we peek. It was fun because we brought all of the children to the ultrasound appointment and we all found out together. This time I think I am leaning towards being surprised. As a good friend told me, it is one of life's last great surprises. I suppose we will have to take a family vote.

Trying to get my Ooomph back

Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine
Originally uploaded by napalm nabuco

I know that I have been too quiet this week. I have been fighting a sinus infection and it has wiped me out. My head aches and feels about 3 sizes too big for the rest of my body. Since I am struggling to just get through my required daily duties, blogging has taken a backseat. Besides, it is difficult to write something coherent when your head is in a fog.

I had an "aha!" moment when I took my son to the allergist on Tuesday. He is talking about taking special care to up his medication this time of year because he is most sensitive to molds which are bad now. As he is talking, the lightbulb went off in my aching head. "Duh, Trish, this is YOUR problem!" Every year about this time, my sinuses start acting up and it hangs on until about mid January. This about the same timeframe that the doc was talking about for my son. Obviously, my problems are allergy induced. I left there and called my family doc and got some meds and found out what I could safely take while pregnant to combat the allergies. Next year I will start fighting them in August and hopefully I can have a clear sinus/pain free Fall and Winter next year.

So, I am taking my meds and doing everything I can to clear my sinuses which includes lots of fluids and using one of these. I know. Everyone's first reaction is "Ewww!" But don't knock it until you try it. Over the years I have tried various meds to decongest and clear my sinuses and this is the ONLY thing that I have found that helps at all. Sometimes you just gotta do what works!

More Sleepless Scrappin'

Another scrapbook layout completed during my restless night. The text reads, "There is no better comfort than in the arms of a sister." That seems fitting for this photo of my one and only son with 4 sisters, huh.

The page can be found here with credits if you are interested.

Sleepless in Indiana

I think God prepares you during pregnancy for the sleep deprivation you face with a new baby. It must be a hormonal thing, but if I wake up in the middle of the night, I have a terrible time falling back asleep no matter how tired I am. My body is exhausted, but my mind kicks into overdrive an won't let me rest. Unfortunately, my bladder has been waking me most nights (another pregnancy thing), so I have been up a lot.

Last night I decided to get up and do some scrapbooking and make good use of my awake time. This is one of the pages that I completed. The photo was actually taken by my daughter. I have become quite lazy with the camera lately because she has spoiled me by taking tons of photos - and the are really good. It is so nice to have a bunch of great scrappin material right at my fingertips. I love the expressions of my girls here. It just makes me think of sweet companionship. The page can be found here with credits.

Is Global Warming on the Wane?

As I wake up on this crisp Autumn morning, I ask the question, "Is global warming on the wane?" Ok, actually it is not me that asks it, but this is the title of a great article I just read in the 2009 Old Farmer's Almanac. A condensed version can be found online at the almanac's website here, but it is worth finding a copy of the real thing and reading it.

The article speaks of how our planet's climate has been cycling for as long as we have been recording these things. Solar physicists believe that our sun has much to do with these cycles that cause the earth to either warm or cool. To quote the article, "Our Sun is a variable star. Its most notable variables are brightness, or irradiance; eruptive activity, including solar flares and geomagnetic storms; and cosmic rays. These variables manifest in cycles of 11, 22, 88, 106, 213, 429, and more years." It appears that these cycles have a much greater effect on global warming and cooling than do the carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere because although carbon dioxide levels have slowly risen over the last half century, the earth's climate has cycled from warmer to cooler to warmer to cooler several times.

Many scientist are now saying that we are most likely heading into the next ice age, relatively speaking. They are monitoring the ocean temperatures and can clearly see that they are holding less heat. It seems that we are heading into a cooling cycle.

There has been much hype in the media about global warming. We must remember that the news media makes it's money when they can stir the pot and get people upset. I do believe that carbon dioxide levels are higher today than they were a century ago. However, I think we, as humans, think much to much of ourselves to think that we play a major role in the earth's climate changes. There are things MUCH bigger than us that come into play (i.e. the Sun). And even beyond the huge cosmic factors affecting us, I also believe that there is something even bigger than anything we can see controlling everything - that is God, the Creator of it all. Yes, we have been charged with the task of caring for this planet, and we should do our best to do so, BUT I think we need to keep ourselves in perspective. We are so small compared to God and the forces in the universe. Let us remember this when the media attempts to strike fear into our hearts. Let us also remember that the Creator of everything is who is in control. He truly does "have the whole world in his hands."

How much would YOU pay for a caramel apple?

Even though I have been trying to eliminate e-mail by un-subscribing to many newsletters, I just can't seem to bring myself to get off the DeBrand's Chocolate e-mail list. Come on - it's chocolate. And chocolate makes me happy - especially DeBrand's chocolate.

Anyway, I just got an e-mail saying that it is officially Fall because the caramel apples are now available at DeBrand's. Don't these look luscious? They are double dipped in caramel and then milk or dark chocolate. If someone wants to get on my good side, a gift of one of these would serve them well.

But wait...can you guess how much one of these babies costs? $5...or maybe $10? No, if you want to sample one of these delights, it will set you back $23.00! Yikes! Yes, that's for ONE apple. I will say that although I have never had one of these, I have seen them in the DeBrand's store and they are huge. One apple can be sliced and used for dessert for the whole family. But at $23, our family won't be sampling one of these anytime soon. It is fun to dream...and drool, though.

12 Weeks Until Christmas

Did you realize that it was time to start counting down to Christmas? The holiday season is upon us! Simple Mom reminded me yesterday that it is time to pull out my Holiday Planner and start getting to work.

Last year, I made the investment in this e-book holiday planner and it was incredibly helpful. The planner is designed to break up all the tasks needed to be done for the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years) into weekly segments so that by the time Christmas rolls around everything is done and we can celebrate without stress. I didn't keep up with all of the tasks every week, but I found this such a benefit for us. I got much more done than I usually do, too. Most year I have really good intentions to do lots of baking and make a lot of my gifts, but I always run out of time. Last year I got a lot of this stuff actually done!

Although I highly recommend this e-book, if you don't have money in your budget to spend, Simple Mom is doing something similar on her blog. It is worth checking out. If nothing else, this is a good time to start thinking about your Christmas budget, who you need to buy for, and what holiday projects you are going to tackle this year. Lets make sure that this Christmas is a merry and stress-free one so we can focus on the REAL reason for the season, the true gift of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I Love Fall!

There is nothing better that waking up to a beautiful crisp fall day. The sun is shining upon the golden corn fields. Those corn fields make the most delightful rustling sound as the breeze blows. It is gorgeous and just makes you thankful to be alive! Can you tell that this is my favorite season?

I really need to get outside and shoot some photos. These are from a few years ago before we had our SLR camera. It was when we were building our house and I was in the habit of taking photos everyday to document the progress. I also managed to get some beautiful shots of the golden corn and beautiful blue sky. The fields around us are planted in rotation so they alternate between corn, beans and wheat. I have to say that seeing corn in the fields is my favorite, though. I am loving the fact that this year we have corn both in the field behind us and in front of us.

What is your favorite season? I love the golden colors of Fall along with the crisp air. You get similar temperatures in Spring but they are accompanied by humidity and rain and mud. Alternatively, the Fall gives you dew on the grass and mist in the air. It is perfect for sitting outside in the evening around a fire. We have done that several times already this year. The kids love roasting marshmallows and making s'mores, watching the harvest moon rise over the corn, and witnessing the stars appear and trying to figure out the constellations. Such wonderful simple pleasures!