Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wishing you all safe travel and a wonderful Thanksgiving day!!

And here's a riddle for you:

Susan has invited her family to Thanksgiving Dinner. As her plates are not the best, Susan wants to buy new plates – one for each person at her Thanksgiving Dinner.

There will be a grandfather, a grandmother, two fathers, two mothers, four children, three grandchildren, one brother, two sisters, two sons, two daughters, one father-in-law, one mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law.

At least how many plates does Susan need to buy?

**Note: Some members of her family are listed more than once (after all a father is also a son etc).

Did you figure it out?

Click here for the answer.

How Many Ways ...

Can You Pose With Your Hands?

Yesterday's Fun

Yesterday's Ohio State vs Michigan game day was fun! ("We missed you, Sam!")

Cayman was dressed from head to toe with Ohio State spirit:




















Ohio State won!! 42-7

We ate lots of good food:

• Sausage & bean soup served with sour dough bread.
• Cheese balls and crackers.
• Pasta salad.
• 7 layer salad.
• Popcorn; homemade and chocolate covered popcorn.
• Sidney & CeCe baked chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies.

We played games, except Cara. Somehow she managed to get out of it.

Here's a few pictures of our family-fun day!!

Big Game Day!!

Today is a very big day! This day only comes once a year. It is a much anticipated day. People dress up for it, get together for it, lose sleep over it, paint their face for it, and prep the barbecue for it. What is this day?

It's the Ohio State vs. Michigan game day!!

Two years ago when the Buckeyes crushed Michigan at the Horseshoe we watched the game from this view:**It was the epic battle between the Number One versus the Number Two.**

Today we will be watching the game from Uncle Mark and Aunt Cara's living room.

I love it when the family gets together!

Go Buckeyes!!

Stream of Conscious Mind

I don't know what to blog but I feel like I should blog because I haven't since Tuesday. I think about stuff to share all the time but when I am at the computer I forget what they are. I was thinking that maybe I should keep a notepad out and jot down the ideas as they come to me.

Back in high school, I had a writing assignment in English class to complete on the stream of conscious mind. It was a simple assignment. All I had to do is write what would come to my mind. These papers were entertaining to read because a single composition could contain several different topics.

So let's just see where my stream of conscious mind takes me right now:

Cayman's sitting in her BeBe Pod spinning her toy. She is so cute. Mike and I were just talking yesterday about our moments we still get when we become overwhelmed with anxiousity about Cayman's delays, but then all we have to do is take one look at her and it melts away. Cayman had a Genetics appointment yesterday. The doctor has a strong direction on why Cayman was born with all her anomalies. It's a particular syndrome that is linked to a specific gene mutation. Blood would have to be drawn and sent to a lab for an indepth gene analysis. We opted out of it for now. We know Cayman and having a name to her condition doesn't change anything for us or her. We did not feel it was important enough to put Cayman through another needle stick. We have the written order though so if Cayman ever has to have blood drawn for something else the gene analysis order can be filled then too without an additional needle stick. We're not against finding out if Cayman has this syndrome. It's just not of great importance to us. Like I said before, it doesn't change a thing for us.

My stream of conscious mind keeps getting interrupted. Mike is playing a new shooting video game. Every couple minutes he keeps showing me the "tricks" he's learning. He is very entertaining to watch. When I mean watch I mean watch him, not the TV screen. I secretly videoed him once while he was completely enthralled in a video game.

interrupting again....

This video of Mike was so funny. I told him about it and he seemed quite offended that I did such a thing but once I showed it to him he himself was rolling on the floor in laughter over how silly he looks. I highly doubt Mike will allow me to share this video with all of you.

interrupting again..

Cayman is getting tired of sitting in her BeBe Pod. So I am going to rap this up and go feed her some pureed carrots. Eating pureed foods has not been going the best. Perhaps my next blog will be more about that.

Lots of love to you all,

Kristen

Tag, You're It!!

I was tagged by my blogging friend Aimee.

Six random things about me............

1. I no longer have that hangy-ball thing (the uvula) in the back of my throat.
2. I have to eat breakfast food no matter what time it is when I wake up even if it is in the afternoon.
3. I've been to 7 different countries.
4. I have a night-time routine; Every night before I can go to bed the kitchen has to be cleaned and the living room picked up. If I don't do this it takes me longer to fall asleep because I'm laying in bed thinking about the mess. I like to say, "Don't start tomorrow with today's messes." Which can also be applied relationally or spiritually too. :o)
5. I own every episode of "I Love Lucy".
6. I have a drawer full of journals I have written dating as far back as 1988.
   

So now I am tagging the following:
Tiffany
Tara
Sarah
Carey
Valerie
Shannon

Here's how it works.
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself.
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Steps to Sitting

You might remember this corner chair Cayman had over the summer that gave her the assistance she needed to sit up.
Then she graduated to the BeBe Pod once she was able to hold her head up by herself.Her head control has improved enough that we can now focus more on her trunk strength.
This is her latest prop. It is a Lean on Me Bolster from One Step Ahead. It's a lot of work for her. She doesn't quite make it a single minute in it before she topples over but she tries hard. You'll see that in the video.

My Thankful List

Most days I feel like I must be the most blessed woman on earth.

Mike is a wonderful husband that listens so well to my needs and cares deeply for me.

Cayman is my precious girl and I feel how dear each day with her is when only a year ago we weren't certain if she'd still be with us.

I have my days though. Today was one of them.

Perhaps it was from being stuck inside all day. Or it could have been from spending most of my time organizing Cayman's medical files (something I should have done a long time ago). The many phone calls I made today scheduling new doctor appointments could have done it. Or perhaps it was the phone call Mike received saying they hired someone else.

Whatever it was I found myself having to pull back from the bitter anger I felt and reflect on all that I have to be thankful for.

I made a list:

• Mike, my dearest friend.
• Cayman. I wanted to be a mom so bad and this little girl made that dream come true!
• God-for His unending love and wisdom.
• My mom-the strongest and wisest woman I know.
• My family.
  
• Mike's family-an awesome group of people that are a lot of what God intended a family to be.
• Our apartment-even though I miss living in a house, I am grateful that this apartment cushions our needs very comfortably.
• Spending more time with Mike since his lay-off. I adore this man. I could still spend 24/7 with him.
  
• My brother-for always being able to make me laugh.
  
• Our home church family. Their love and prayers have made such a difference in our lives. We don't get to see them very often. We now attend a church that is closer to where we are living.
• Our Tuesday night Bible study group. Such awesome people that only add to the reasons why we don't want to say goodbye if Mike has to relocate for a job.
• My blog family - Our readers, our commenters, the friends I have made through this blog...you have all helped me grow and be a better person. Many of you have thanked me for sharing our life with you, but really we thank you for reading and caring about our life. It's meant so much.
  

That's not where my list stops. I could keep going on but it's time for this mama to get some sleep and start tomorrow with a good attitude.


"Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it." - Anne of Green Gables

Cardiologist

Cayman had a Cardiologist appointment yesterday. After viewing her chest x-ray and a full physical assessment Cayman was discharged from their care.

Yes!! One healthy baby!! One good report!! One less Doctor!!

In the Christmas Spirit

As soon as it gets cold outside, even before the first snow fall, I am in the Christmas spirit.

I start to make Christmas shopping lists, decorate, hum Christmas carols, and anticipate the joy of seeing extended family, even though Christmas is still a few months away.

Mike, as most do, has a difficult time understanding this strong "Christmas bug" that hits me so early, even before Thanksgiving.

Mom created many Christmas traditions in our family. One of those traditions was bringing out the Christmas tree way early.

My dearest mother is the reason why I am the way I am.

I enjoyed this email from Mom today. Oh how it fueled my Christmas spirit!

I believe Madison has been bitten by the Christmas decor Bug!!!

She just sits and stares at the lit but undecorated tree.... has to eat beside it...she lays under it (I like to do that too) and looks up .... she is fascinated with the stockings and hangers and ribbon and everything that goes along with it.... just raisin' another Snider girl who is sensitive and loves Christmas more than just one month or two out of a year...the male world will just have to adjust.... :o) ......gotta get the Christmas music a going... we are watching Santa Clause 2 right now...... such a magical time for all with child-like hearts..... may we never change!

Love and Prayers and kisses to my other two darling daughters!!!!

Mom XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

I'm glad to see Madison will grow up knowing the same tradition as I did.

I just might have to send Mike on some errands and secretly dig out my tree from storage. :o)

I adore the fresh life the glow of a Christmas tree breaths into an everyday room.

Scrap Page

The Mothers' Milk Bank of Ohio has a memory book as a way to honor all the donors. Each donor can contribute a scrap page to this memory book as a meaningful commemoration of their donation if they so choose to do.

An excuse to scrapbook?...heck yeah I'll do it!!!

Here's my finished page.
And here's what happens when Mike puts me in charge of baking cookies while I am scrapbooking. Whoops!

My Personal Top Tens

What I'm not crazy about

1. Crowds.
2. Mail piles.
3. Unfinished projects.
4. Nasty Ohio winters.
5. Spit up with no burp cloth handy.
6. Mike's cold feet touching me.
7. Clothes hanging out of dresser drawers.
8. A wrinkle in my sock.
9. Pant-in-shoe disease (when the pant cuff gets stuck in the top of your shoe when you walk).
10. Dead car battery (Our van apparently needs a new battery. We've had to jump it twice.)

Modern Conveniences
I wouldn't want to live without

1. Labtop.
2. Digital camera.
3. Adobe Photoshop.
4. Scanner/Printer combo.
5. Email/internet.
6. Cell Phone.
7. GPS.
8. Automatic van door opener.
9. Google 411.
10. Washer & Dryer.

Things to see & do before I die

1. Visit Hawaii.
2. Tour Italy.
3. Take a cruise.
4. Give blood.
5. Horseback riding.
6. Own a house again.
   
7. Take Cayman to Cayman Islands.
8. Whale watching tour.
9. Swim with the dolphins.
10. Overcome my arachnophobia.

Things I would totally SPLURGE on if funds were unlimited

1. Build our dream house.
2. Pottery Barn decor.
3. Regular spa treatments.
4. Personal trainer.
   
5. Travel the world.
6. Professional photography.
   
7. Yarn.
8. Gourmet food.
9. Clothes.
10. Convertible.

The BEST feelings

1. Being with Mike and Cayman at home.
2. A totally clean and organized house.
3. Good health.
4. Strong connection to God.
5. Financial security.
6. Hearing Cayman laugh.
7. Christmas time.
8. Receiving blog comments.
9. Watching Cayman accomplish milestones.
   
10. Being unconditionally loved.
    

I tag anyone that reads this and wants to create their top 10 list. If you do post your top ten I would love it if you left me a comment telling me so I can come check out your Personal Top Tens.

8 Months Old

**Checking out her tights**

• You get very excited by kicking your feet and smile when you see a familiar toy.
• You get very quiet and still when we show you a new toy. At first you are very reluctant to even touch it.
• You laugh and smile when we bounce you or throw you up in the air...of course you never leave our hands. We are very careful with our precious angel.
• You still love to watch football with Daddy.
• You absolutely hate peas. One time we fed you peas and you refused to eat any pureed food for a week!
• You wake up around 7 a.m. every morning.
  
• You wear size "6 month" clothes.
• You weigh 13 pounds 6 oz. - we're working on trying to get you to pack on the pounds that you have lost from your last hospital stay.
• When we want to pick you up we hold out our hands and say, "Up?". You now recognize this gesture and kick in excitement when you want to be held.
  

A New Look

I have a new found interest...

HTML's

My smart husband gave me a 101 lesson and now I'm able to do more than just change the background to my blog but also create a colored box around the posts and sidebar. I also created the dashed lines that separate each post and framed the pictures with a white line, and more.

This is a huge deal to me because I am very technology challenged.

If you were on my blog yesterday and noticed that the colors kept changing, that was me messing with the HTML'S.

I'm ecstatically proud of myself for learning my way around the HTML. Don't laugh if you're an expert in it. These things are naturally above my head. Mike has already had his share of laugh that I pluralized HTML. He thought that sounded funny.

I love being able to personalize my space!!

If you think it's difficult to read let me know.

Also Cayman is 8 months old today. So you know what that means...I'm going to dress her up and take lots of pictures. Of course I'll post them later, so stay tuned.

One Year Ago

I am responding to my public's cry for more pictures and stories. Let me first just say how terribly cocky and loved I feel that there are so many that enjoy traveling our journey with us daily.

One year ago today Cayman looked like this:This was the ultrasound where we found out the exciting news that we were having a girl! It is also the ultrasound that told us that she would be born with hydrocephalus. It is difficult to think back to that day, but it's so beautiful to see where we are at today. We have been so blessed.

Here's Cayman a year later (the bunny slippers are almost as cute as she is!):

Vote

Good luck to the McCain-Palin campaign today. They earned my vote.

God Bless America.

A One Cent Check

A few months ago, we canceled our contract with At&T to go with another provider. Apparently AT&T over charged us $.01 on our last statement.

I feel completely silly taking this check to the bank to cash it, but yet I can't throw it away. I stuck it to the front of the refrigerator until I could decide what to do with it. A month later it's still there because I can't determine what I should do about this one cent check.

It's a check right? A check should be cashed. But then I'm reminded, it's just a penny. The trip to the bank would cost me more in gas than this check is worth. And once I get to the bank and hand it to the clerk I am going to feel completely stupid for cashing a check worth one cent.

So there it hangs on our refrigerator, staring at me everyday. It's presence is annoying me.

If you received a check in the amount of 1 cent what would you do with it?

Hey Uncle Tyson...

this is for calling us A BUNCH OF NERDS!!

**Uncle Tyson doing yoga on the Wii Fit.

To read the "NERD" comment go to this post and scroll down.

A few things about my brother...A.K.A. Uncle Tyson:

• He cracks jokes all the time. He has us rolling in laughter often.
• Sarcasm is his main form of communication.
• When he was a young boy he wanted to grow up and be a major league baseball player but instead he became an accountant.
• He has very handsome baby blue eyes.
• Will Smith is his hero.
• He gives very warm, embracing hugs.
  
• He is a very talented athlete.
• His two main flaws are he supports OBAMA and he's been known to drink breast milk. :P

And ladies, this guy's single. :)

Happy November

Happy November 1st!

Cayman's happy it's November...are you?