Sleeping Stranger at Airport

Yes, I was bored.

Thankful Thursday: Talent & Bravery

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for snap peas. I love everything about them. They are just so refreshing and I love the snap to them (perhaps that's where the name comes from..hehe). I love them plain, dipped in dressing or hummus...really any way!

I'm thankful for morning walks. Mckenna isn't a sit in one place kinda gal. And in the stroller she normally doesn't last very long. But the last several days, she's been content in the stroller much longer than normal (about 40 minutes), so I've been able to sneak in a 2 mile walk with her. I do have to narrate the whole thing..."Look at the bus"..."do you hear the birds. Listen for them with your ears"...but she totally loves it and I figure it's a good "learning time"...yup, I'm THAT mom.

I'm thankful for a talented hubby. Ronnie has spoken to three different groups this week (this weekend in Missouri, one in Phoenix Tuesday, and one in Tucson on Wednesday). I had the pleasure of hearing him on Wednesday. Now, I know my opinion is a little biased, but he is just so good at what he does. I am the kind of person that gets TOTALY nervous to speak in front of groups (I even hated the first day of classes in college when you had to say your name, major, etc). But he does it with such ease. He will never admit it, but I think it's just his gift from God and I'm glad he's actually using it. There are some opportunities during each talk not only to raise awareness and knowledge about CF, but to bring glory to God...and he does both so well. Ok...lovefest over :)

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for the opportunity to speak with the next generation of respiratory therapists. I was invited to a couple of different colleges this week to show the future RTs a "face of CF". I of course first apologize that it's my face, but then I go into a day in the life of a CFer. I explain what I do, I explain the worst case scenario, I explain the best case scenario. I try to give them a view from 10,000 feet but also up close and personal. Lastly, I implore them to choose a different career if it's just going to be a job to them and not a life changing opportunity.

I'm thankful for my brave girl. One of the millions of things I love about Mckenna is that she doesn't stay down for long. If she gets hurt, after a little bit of comfort from mommy or daddy, she's right back on the horse. This morning at the park, she banged her face going down a big slide and it actually drew a speck of blood. After a hug from daddy, she smiled and then ran up to the same slide and went again. That's my girl!!

I'm thankful for marriage. I was reminded again this week how great marriage and commitment can be if you're fortunate enough to experience it. It takes a special woman to deal with men like me, and fortunately, I found her :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

I Love College Towns

Whenever I'm lucky enough to travel to a college town, I absolutely love it! There's just such a different vibe between a town with a university as it's pulse than a big city or a town without a college.

I was in Columbia, MO this weekend and was able to take a tour around town and spend some time on the campus of the University of Missouri. I also walked up and down "the strip" to see all of the local watering holes, pizza places and college apparel stores. It's funny how "the strip" changes from college to college yet stays the same. Know what I mean?

These days you have to have your Fro-Yo place, pizza place, some type of asian cuisine, usually American Apparel (or a store much like it), and so on and so forth. Just like the same big box stores like to stay together, so do the typical college strip stores.

I also LOVE to see the stadiums and arenas on campus. As you know, I'm a sports nut and nothing makes me happier than a cool looking football stadium. (I also saw where the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals play and their stadiums just don't do it for me). I don't know if it's the architecture, the story behind the stadium or just my vision of it packed with 1000's who love their team, but I do know I thoroughly enjoy them. In fact, when I'm hospitalized down in Tucson, I also make sure to swing by the football stadium on the University of Arizona campus to see if there is anything new.

Campus tours are also something I really enjoy. Campus tours on the east coast or midwest are even more awesome because of the age of their buildings. UofM actually reminded me quite a bit of UofA with the red brick buildings outlining a big strip of grass (we call it "the mall"). UofM however in general just has much prettier buildings. Here's a few pics:

So anyway, pretty random, but that was my weekend. Big thanks to the folks at University of Missouri Children's Hospital for inviting me to speak to their folks at the CF Education Day!!

A Weekend "Vacation"

Ronnie was out of town from Friday-Sunday, so it was going to be just me and my baby home alone. I didn't think that sounded fun (I never do...I get spooked) so I thought it would be a perfect time to spend the weekend at my parents'.

So Friday after dropping Ronnie off at the airport, Mckenna and I headed up to my parents' house for a little weekend "vacation". Mckenna totally LOVES being with her Nana and Papi and all the fun things there are to do at their house. Friday afternoon my mom and I ran some errands, while Mckenna and Papi got to spend some quality one-on-one time. They played and even snuggle up for a nap together!

Saturday we had a fun-filled day. We walked to a park with Nana and played. We swam in the pool with Papi. We watched endless amounts of songs on YouTube. And mommy got to go for a nice bike ride on Nana's new street bike with Papi. It was a blast.

Sunday was another active-packed day full of swimming, walks, playing, you name it, until we went to get daddy at the airport in the late afternoon. When we got back to our house, the three of us went for a nice bike ride and played at the park, played at home, had dinner, took a bath, and Ronnie and Mckenna snuggled up before bedtime.

Mckenna is totally in love with being in the pool. She asks to go in the "poo" (pool) and loves "mimming" (swimming). As soon as she's in she asks for her toys and is ready for a good time. She is just getting the hang of putting her face in the water and loves blowing bubbles. We need to get her into some swim lessons so she can be a little fishy in their pool in no time.

It is so incredibly nice to have my parents close. It was amazing to get to spend time with them for my sake, and for Mckenna's sake. It warms my heart so much to see the little relationships she has with her Nana and Papi. They each have their own little things they do together, and really just their own little unique bond. I totally love watching them together and I REALLY appreciate all of their love, support, and help for this single-momma for the weekend. We are so blessed!