Shoo Fly!!!

Thankful Thursday: Google & Granola

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 a loving baby. Mckenna isn't a snuggler, for the most part. She's a mover and a shaker. But she is a little lover. She picks up her baby and hugs and kisses her. She plants one on us at random times during the day. She rubs her dad's arm so gently as she whispers, "da da" when she wakes him up in the morning. I love that she's a lover. I hope she stays that way!!

I'm thankful for Google. Anyone who knows me knows I am a googling queen. When we did IVF with Mckenna, I googled EVERYTHING. When I was pregnant, I googled everything! When we look for good recipes, I google. When I have a strange symptom or ache or pain, I google. When Mckenna has a problem, google is there. When Mckenna had tummy issues while nursing, I actually found the issue, before the lactation consultant. I LOVE GOOGLE. That said, most would tell you I need to lay off the Google reading because half the time a headache looks like a brain tumor on Google :)

I'm thankful for our core class. Our core class is awesome. It has transformed our stomachs in just a few months time. I certainly don't have abs like a body building ninja, but with some more time, maybe I'll get there with our core class - HA! A girl can dream, right?

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for a bright and shiny sun! Here it is late November, and the high here in Chandler today is 79 degrees. There's not a cloud in the sky and no wind of note. Running errands is a joy in this weather and exercise is absolutely perfect. To be honest, I don't know why people live anywhere that there's snow (Spoken like a guy who has only lived in Arizona :) ).

I'm thankful for granola. I recently added a granola parfait to my nutrition plan and I love it! I put 1/2 cup of Quaker Natural Granola on top of 1 container of Yoplait yogurt. It tastes super yummy and it provides just the right balance of satisfied but not stuffed.

I'm thankful for additional computer monitors. I've been using a small TV that I use as a second monitor while working on my laptop and it has done wonders. I feel much more efficient and it seems like I'm able to work faster. It could also all be in my head!

So, what are you thankful for today?

My Nutrition Plan

Many people have e-mailed and asked about my nutrition plan and what exactly it is that I eat, so I thought it would be a good idea to write it out in a blog so others could take a look. I just finished this new nutrition plan (since I'm now focusing on lean muscle building) so I'll have to let you guys know what I think about it in a month or so!

You'll see that it is split up into two different plans - weight lifting days and cardio days. I will have 4 weight lifting days a week, 2 cardio days a week and one rest day. They don't have to be the same day every week, but whichever day I'm on (weight, cardio or rest) will dictate what I'm eating that day.

Note: This is not intended to replace any nutrition plan that your CF dietician has prescribed to you. I've never had an issue with weight gain, and therefore, can adjust my diet based on how I feel/look/trying to accomplish. For peeps with CF that need to gain weight, these plans will not be the best, especially the cardio days. However, you can modify these plans to work for you, and if you'd like some help in doing so, please let me know!

If you have any questions, please let me know!

_____

Cardio Days

Breakfast 1 @6:15am

1/2 cup Quaker Natural Granola
1 Yoplait Light Yogurt
1 Whole Egg
2 Egg Whites
2 Flaxseed Oil Pills

Total Calories: 437
Total Grams of Protein: 23
Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 55
Total Grams of Fat: 12

Breakfast 2 @9:00am

1 cup Skim Milk

1 Yoplait Light Yogurt

1 Medium Banana

3/4 cup of Blueberries

2 tbs Dextrose

1/2 tsp Beta-Alanine

Total Calories: 450

Total Grams of Protein: 15

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 94

Total Grams of Fat: 0

Lunch 1 @11:30am

4oz 93/7 Ground Turkey

1 Multigrain Tortilla

2/3 cup Sante Fe Veggies

4 tbs Salsa

1 scoop CytoSport Whey Protein

2 tbs Dextrose

1/2 tsp Beta-Alanine

Total Calories: 580

Total Grams of Protein: 57

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 59

Total Grams of Fat: 14

Lunch 2 @2:30pm

4 oz Mahi Mahi

3/4 cup Steamed Broccoli

1/2 cup Cooked Brown Rice

Total Calories: 220

Total Grams of Protein: 23

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 25

Total Grams of Fat: 2

Dinner @6:00pm

4 oz Chicken Breast

3/4 cup Steamed Broccoli

2 oz Cooked Yam/Sweet Potato 

Total Calories: 214

Total Grams of Protein: 23

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 23

Total Grams of Fat: 2

Grand Totals for Day

Total Calories: 1901

Total Grams of Protein: 142

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 257

Total Grams of Fat: 30

Weight Lifting Days

Breakfast 1 @6:15am

1/2 cup Quaker Natural Granola

1 Yoplait Light Yogurt

1 Whole Egg

2 Egg Whites

2 Flaxseed Oil Pills

1 cup Skim Milk

Total Calories: 527

Total Grams of Protein: 31

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 67

Total Grams of Fat: 12

Breakfast 2 @9:00am

1/3 cup Coach's Oatmeal

3/4 cup of Blueberries

6 tbs Egg Whites

2 scoops Monster Milk

1/2 tsp Beta-Alanine

Total Calories: 640

Total Grams of Protein: 67

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 64

Total Grams of Fat: 12

Lunch 1 @11:30am

4oz 93/7 Ground Turkey

1 Multigrain Tortilla

4 tbs Salsa

2 scoops Monster Milk

2 tbs Dextrose

1/2 tsp Beta-Alanine

Total Calories: 700

Total Grams of Protein: 75

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 59

Total Grams of Fat: 20

Lunch 2 @2:30pm

4 oz Mahi Mahi

3/4 cup Steamed Broccoli

1/2 cup Cooked Brown Rice

Total Calories: 220

Total Grams of Protein: 23

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 25

Total Grams of Fat: 2

Dinner @6:00pm

4 oz Chicken Breast

3/4 cup Steamed Broccoli

2 oz Cooked Yam/Sweet Potato 

Total Calories: 214

Total Grams of Protein: 23

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 23

Total Grams of Fat: 2

Snack Before Bed

1 cup Skim Milk

1 rounded scoop of Casein Protein

1/2 tsp Beta-Alanine

Total Calories: 220

Total Grams of Protein: 32

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 19

Total Grams of Fat: 1

Grand Totals for Day

Total Calories: 2606

Total Grams of Protein: 253

Total Grams of Carbohydrates: 278

Total Grams of Fat: 49

**On weight lifting days I will also give myself some cheat calories (up to 400 or so) to indulge on some candy, desserts, etc

Rest Day

My rest day will consist of a mix and match of the two nutrition plan. If I'm happy with my weight gain, I'll eat lighter, if I'm not, I'll eat more

______

So, there you have it! Like I said, I'm just starting this, so we will see how it works out. My goal is to build lean muscle and not pack on fat. I used a similar nutrition plan as the cardio days every day for the past 12 weeks and lost 20 pounds and 8% body fat! Proper nutrition and exercise can work wonders my friends.

My Thoughts Kalydeco

Ran onto this old post I wrote about my thoughts on Kalydeco. Updated it with some current information. Hope you enjoy.

I am sure you are aware of this.  What does the CF population in general think about this?  Does it help you?

The CF community is in one of two camps concerning this: uber excited or feeling that its bitter-sweet.

This particular drug will only work for those in the community that have the G551D mutation. It's estimated that in America, that number stands at somewhere between 2000 - 3000. So, obviously those patients and their families are over the moon right now. There are also many (me included) that are super excited for them and know that this is a potential step forward for the CF community at large.

Then there is a portion of the community that feel happy for "them" but sad for themselves or their kids. Most of this camp has the most common mutation, DF508 (I have two copies). So far, a drug for our specific mutation hasn't yielded great results. We're all hopeful, but I'm not holding my breath for anything ground-breaking for at least 5-10 years.

(Update: The results weren't a slam dunk, but they weren't terrible either. I may have to go with 3-7 years instead :) )

So in short, it was an amazing day for many of my friends and a huge step forward for all in the CF community. I'm pumped over here!!

I guess my view is that they figured out a delivery system for genetic modification, right?  That seems HUGE to me.  This drug, when taken, will correct the genetic mutation in certain cells, yes?

Are there any other drugs that actually correct gene mutations on the market, CF or otherwise?  Just seems like a huge thing to me.

It's big, but we're still a ways away.

The real issue with CF, and ultimately the effectiveness of these drugs, is that there are over 1600 mutations affecting the cell and CFTR in different ways (thankfully not over 1600 different ways, however). This new drug works for those with G551D, because it actually gets the "door" (CFTR) on their cell wall to open up and exchange sodium, potassium, water, etc to a level within "normal range". The key here is that their CFTR is actually on the cell surface to begin with.

The challenge for those of us with the DF508 mutation, is that our CFTR is "stuck" on the nucleus of our cell. They are currently trying to get the CFTR away from the nucleus and to it's proper place on the cell wall. If they can do that, they will in theory be able give this new drug to us as sort of a one-two punch.

I'm not sure whether or not there are other drugs on the market that are similar. This drug doesn't correct the mutation, it's correcting the result of the mutation.

Looks like there are between 2000-3000 WORLDWIDE that can benefit from this drug, not just America.

They have said lately that it will eventually be able to benefit others outside of the G551D mutation, but even then, the majority of people with CF will not see the benefit.

So in short, we're closer than we were yesterday, but not as far as we'd like to be tomorrow.

'Tis the Season

I love this time of year. We are finally in the mist of the holidays. For me, the holiday season starts on Thanksgiving day, and I LOVE the feeling of the holidays.

For Thanksgiving we went down to Ronnie's mom's house, and enjoyed Thanksgiving with his entire extended family. There were all the traditional dishes: turkey, potatoes, stuffing, casseroles (my whole reason for eating on turkey day is casseroles), and every dessert you can think of...YUMMY! As always (and as we should) we totally over-indulged. I felt sick by the time we got in the car to head home...but it was so worth it. The best and worse part about Thanksgiving at someone else's house is that you don't have leftovers to eat the next day. You miss out on another day of deliciousness, but you also avoid the calories.

Starting the day after Thanksgiving I think it can be "Christmas time". So we did all of our Christmas decorations (lights, tree, home decor, etc) Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We blasted Christmas music and really got into the spirit. I LOVE when the house is all decorated for Christmas. It gives the whole house of feeling of excitement and warmth. I'm so happy Thanksgiving was a early this year so I could enjoy the decor an extra week!

We also did a little shopping this weekend. We aren't Black Friday shoppers. I love a good deal, but I hate chaos. I hate the feeling of being frenzied. And therefore the craziness of Black Friday isn't for me. That being said, we did venture out on Friday morning just to people watch. We headed to an outdoor shopping mall near us and just strolled after Mckenna got up, before her first nap. The air was crisp. Christmas music was playing. It felt like fall. Thankfully it was tame, so I didn't feel anxious with crazy deal freaks sprinting about. We did pick up some clothes for Mckenna for a steal...so maybe next year I will morph into a crazy deal freak myself and push down my anxiety for the day!

Welp, that was the start of our holiday season. I cannot wait for it to cool off even more so we can enjoy some hot chocolate all day long. The Christmas music is a permanent fixture in our lives now. The excitement for Christmas is building. It's the most wonderful time of the year! (Said in sing-songy voice to the tune of the song).

When do the holidays start for you? When do the Christmas tunes start blaring and the decorations go up?

Our Little Pianist

Thankful Thursday: Thanksgiving & Thankfulness

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 Thanksgiving food. Just thinking about all the things that I get to eat today makes me mouth water. I cannot wait to stuff my belly full of holiday goodness!!

I'm thankful for family. I'm am so blessed to have such a wonderful family! I am excited for the family I get to see today, and excited for the holiday season with my parents back in AZ!!

I'm thankful for being thankful. I'm thankful that Ronnie and I take time every week to assess what we're thankful for. Some people do it the whole month of November, but why not all year round? I'm thankful we stop and smell the roses and count our blessings 12 months a year...it makes like sweeter!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for a nice winter lawn. It's been a while since we've had a backyard full of grass (long story). Today was the day that the lawn was able to be cut for the first time since over-seeding (a couple of times) and I must say, it looks beautiful! I don't think it could get anymore green and it looks and feels super lush. Now if only we could have as much success with our summer lawn!

I'm thankful for ground turkey. Before I started making healthier food choices, I never really gave ground turkey a thought. Now, I eat it almost every day. Wether it's a turkey taco, a turkey burger or a turkey frittata  - I love me some turkey. If you've never tried a turkey taco, give it a whirl! Just add some taco seasoning and cut up onions and green chilies while the meat is cooking. Put the cooked meat on a whole wheat/grain tortilla, top with salsa, and chow down!!!

I'm thankful for Thanksgiving!! I'm pretty much thankful for any day that I get to hang out with family, and Thanksgiving Day is certainly no exception. There will be about 35-40 of us inhaling turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn...and I'm sure about 10 desserts. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!

So, what are you thankful for today?

Last Chance to Register for Outrun CF's Gobble Wobble

TODAY is the last day to register for the Outrun CF virtual race!! The Gobble Wobble will happen tomorrow and we want YOU to join us!!! This is your chance to virtually run, walk, jump, crawl or skip with hundreds of people across the world all in the name of Outrunning CF. Sound like fun? 

Here's the skinny (if you registered before November 1st, your skinny is here) -

Step 1 - Click here to register for the virtual race and to get more facts about the event. (You can also check out this blog to get another cyster's perspective on the event)

Step 2 - Spread the word! Share your commitment to the event with family and friends. Encourage them to sign-up and join you on race day.

Step 3 - You have one day to train for the tomorrow's virtual race, so you better start now!! (this can include, but not limited too - walking, jogging, skipping, crawling, eating better, jumping or doing nothing)

Step 4 - Get on CysticLife.org and share with the community what you plan to do for the virtual race and encourage others to join. Share your training tips with CL and of course update your profile picture featuring your groovy new shirt!

Step 5 - On race day, tomorrow, November 22nd, walk, run, jog or skip your selected distance at your selected location. Take LOTS of pictures and post them on the Outrun CF Facebook Fan page (be sure to become a fan if you're not already) and you can also feel free to tag me in them (I love seeing the pics!).

Step 6 - Give yourself a pat on the back and a big bowl of ice cream for a job well done...after your Thanksgiving feast of course!!

I'd like to personally invite all of you to take part in this season's Outrun CF virtual race! Remember, this is a virtual event that ANYONE can participate in no matter WHERE you are! How cool is that?!?!

**The money raised by this event is evenly split between the Rock CF Foundation and CysticLife Foundation. We both use the money to support our programs that support the CF community**

REGISTER TODAY!!!

The Ineffective Vest Treatment

inCourage System by RespirTech

If there's one thing I'm guilty of, it's not getting the most out of my Vest each and every time I strap it on.

Here's what an ineffective Vest treatment looks like:

I sit down at my computer desk and load my nebulizer cups with whatever medicine is due. After loading the cups up I place them on my desk in the order of which I take them. After my inhaled medications are all set to go, I reach over the back of my office chair and grab my Vest jacket (For those that are wondering, I happen to use the inCourage system by RespirTech). After my Vest jacket has been buckled on and the tubes coming from the machine are attached, I'm ready to rock!

The next order of business is to decide which pre-programmed set I will use. Depending on how long that particular session will be, between 30 minutes and 1 hour, I select program 1, 2, or 3. There is also a "quick start" option, but I tend not to use that very often. After selecting the program, I start shaking and then stick a neb into my mouth.

This is where the ineffective Vest treatment begins...

As soon as the Vest starts shaking and the neb starts puffing, I immediately get on to the tasks of the day. Whether it's e-mail, bills, social media, CysticLife, surfing the web, or more e-mail -  the one thing I'm usually not as engaged in is my treatment.

My breaths tend to be shallow in nature. I barely cough the entire time that I'm shaking. I never inflate my lungs fully. I allow the Vest to continue whether or not I feel that it's effective. Then, after 30 minutes or an hour, my Vest will stop shaking and I will move on to the rest of my day.

As I alluded to earlier, there are many times that I do not cough once in a Vest session. Now, the question has to be - is that the Vest's fault or my fault? If you know me at all you know how I will answer that question.

Ineffective Vest sessions are my fault. If and when I start doing engaged Vest treatments every time I put the thing on and then continue to receive an ineffective treatment, we can talk about what role the Vest can play in not making me cough.

Until then, I need to change the way I approach a Vest treatment if I would like a different outcome.

Hers's where you come in. Have any tip or tricks that you use for a more effective Vest treatment?

Fun with Friends

Thankful Thursday: Solids & Organization

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 solids....because I'm still not really eating them. I'm still unable to bite down fully and avoiding getting food into the back of my mouth (except to swallow of course). And boy oh boy do I miss crunchy, chewable foods! I am so thankful that they exist and I will never take them for granted again.

I'm thankful for organization. As Ronnie mentioned in his post yesterday, we've been doing some organizing and man does it feel awesome. I'm so thankful for the areas in our home that are now a little more organized.

I'm thankful for ice cream. Because I'm limited on what I can eat, I figure getting plenty of calories...from ice cream...is a must, right?! I have been milking this whole thing for all it's worth - making sure I have ice cream daily! I'm pretty sure it's just what the doctor ordered.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for a wife who knows what I need. Mandi saw that I was a bit "off", so she did something about it. And, as any perfect :) wife, she knew exactly what needed to be done. When I went off to bible study, she got to work. I came home to a super clean house, organized pantry, organized office closet and organized hall closet. I still don't know how she got everything done in just 1.5 hours!!!

I'm thankful for an organized office. As I alluded to in yesterday's blog, organization is essential. It's especially essential if I want to be efficient while working. Seeing what Mandi did while I was away inspired me to get my office organized...with Mandi's help of course!! We moved furniture. Put away papers. Threw out unneeded stuff. It feels like an entirely new room.

I'm thankful for a more relaxed nutrition plan. After 12 weeks and many pounds down on the scale (more on that later), I'm thankful that I'm able to loosen the belt a bit. I had not eaten sugar for 12 weeks, so the first day I was able, I had a bite of birthday cake. Yup, just as good as I remember :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

Organization is Essential

I think we'd all agree that we need water to survive. We could all make a case that food is necessary. Those of us in the CF community would not do so well if treatments were taken away. I may be reaching here (okay, I'm definitely reaching here), but I'd like to add the act and the finished product of organizing. Mandi and I recently finished an organization project (and by "and" I of course mean, mostly Mandi) and I can't tell you the difference it makes.

I was starting to unravel a bit in the chaos known as my office. I had papers strewn all over the place, used medication vials that missed the trashcan shoved into a corner and documents to be filed were piled a mile (That's some Dr. Seuss stuff right there!!) high all over my desk.

Mandi saw that I was "off" and after working her magic, that has all changed.

I've identified 5 things that are a result of an organized office that I hope convinces you just how essential organization really is.

An organized space re-energizes.

I was really looking forward to get to work today. Instead of worrying about what I was going to tackle first or the order of which I was going to check stuff off the list, I was instead focused on how eager I was to actually get it done. Today, it feels more like an opportunity then work. I'm very curious to see how much more efficient this makes me and how much more productive, as a result of energy, I'm able to be.

An organized desk makes it easier to "check stuff of the list".

One of the biggest keys to getting stuff done and being productive, is to know what actually needs to be done! It's also helpful to have some semblance of order by which things need to be done - whether they are time sensitive or because I need to check off box "a" before moving on to box "b". With most of the stuff that was on my desk put away into their proper places, I am now able to clearly see (literally) what needs to be done.

An organized room helps to "de-stress".

You've probably read in past blogs that I've written that stress is not something that I struggle with often. I have to say though, yesterday I was starting to feel the tightening of my scapula muscles which for me is a sure sign of stress. I didn't know which way was up and which way was down when to turn left or where to turn right, all I knew was the way I was going about how my "office" was running was not the most efficient.

An organized file system makes it easier to pull vital material.

I can't tell you the number of times I've said, “I know I put X,Y or Z in this pile”. I then spend 5 to 15 minutes searching for X, Y and Z instead of actually working on X, Y and Z. If I can save 5 to 15 minutes a day as a result of actually being able to locate various files and documents, I will have an extra half an hour to 90 minutes every single week to get stuff done! I'm practically drooling thinking about it :)

An organized office is nice to look at.

My office now looks like a working environment. It doesn't look like some college kids dorm room or a gigantic “catchall” closet (we have one of those too!). When I walked into the office this morning it just felt nice. It felt more open, more comfortable, and more conducive to getting as much done in a day as I possibly can. Most of us are visual creatures by habit and an organized office is not only pleasing to the eye but pleasing to, I (wahhhhh wahhhhh).

So what about you? Have you organized a particular room in your house lately and also experienced the “organization high"? What did you organize? Any tips you can leave on how to become a better organizer? All tips are welcome as we plan on implementing this to other areas of the house!!!

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~Winston Churchill

Learning From My Wisdom Being Gone

Just like that, my wisdom is gone. But I learned so much.

On Friday the inevitable happened. I finally, at the age of 26, had all my wisdom stripped from me. I knew it was coming, I had known it ever since the first little bit of wisdom sprouted, but I wasn't prepared. Thankfully, I learned a lot from the experience.

On Friday, I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed. I thought I was in the clear. Most people had them out in high school, maybe college. Anyone else, I thought, just got to keep their wisdom in tact. Boy did I think wrong. About 6 months ago, my bottom right wisdom tooth started coming in. I was referred to an oral surgeon who x-rayed and told me that all 4 needed to come out. "They will cause you problems," he said. "It's a matter of when, not if." That's all I needed to hear. So I scheduled the extraction (is that what it's called?!) for Friday. I wanted to wait until I would be done breastfeeding so my little love didn't get anything into her milk (meds from me being knocked out and pain meds if I needed them). Plus, I just wanted to delay the inevitable...we all do that, right?!

So Friday, I went in to have them steal my wisdom. It was knocked out (twilight), so I don't remember any of it, but judging by how my jaw has felt since then, they were not gentle nor were they kind. Perhaps they would have been a bit nicer if I was awake? I guess I will never know.

Honestly, I don't know what I expected. Most people tell you how bad it stinks. That it's miserable. But I didn't really think it through I guess. I thought it would be no big deal...afterall, I did hear how bad labor was and still feel jealous of people I know in labor! Ha! I have been able to cut the soreness with just some Advil, but man I'm sick of not using my mouth to eat, to talk, to drink, to swallow normally, you name it. But I did learn some stuff through this process, so I'll share it:

1. I'm a talker. This one comes as no surprise to anyone that's spent more than 30 seconds with me. But I guess I never quite realized how much I talked, until I couldn't....FOR DAYS. I feel like a grenade ready to explode, full of worthless, pointless things I want to say. I know I have nothing profound to share, but all those little stories, thoughts, exchanges..I WANT TO BLOW UP NOT HAVING THEM! I'm sure it'd been the best weekend of Ronnie's life on the other hand - HA!

2. I'm a texture gal. I have had to eat soft (read: no chewing necessary) foods since Friday, and honestly, I'd rather just not eat. I'm the kind of gal that doesn't really like ice cream, unless there's something inside of it I can chew. Don't give me soup, unless it's chunky. I want to chomp down on something with some crunch, not just place something in my mouth I can swallow as is. I always kind of knew this, but didn't realize just how much I needed texture until I didn't want to eat at all this weekend.

3. People think you're mean when you don't move your mouth. Give it a shot. Talk to someone and barely move your lips/mouth. People look at you like you're being rude. I tried to slip in, "I had my wisdom teeth out," in every conversation because otherwise, I just looked like a puffy, expressionless meany!

4. I make a cute chipmunk. Said no one ever.

5. I can live without water, but no one would do it. I am still alive, even though I have had very little water this weekend (or any liquid/food). I usually drink about 100oz/day of water, so this is quite the change. I am glad to see I don't die without it (I supposed eventually I would!) but I'm certain it's not good for me. Back to water drinking, ASAP!

Welp, that's it. That's what I learned through having my wisdom taken from me. If you've curious, I think today I'm on the up and up and just praying I don't get those dry sockets people talk about!!

Cat and Mouse

Thankful Thursday - Post Office & Treatment Options

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 my mom. My parents were in town this weekend and my mom is in town all week. My mom watched Mckenna while I got stuff done and it was awesome. They had so much fun together. Mckenna loves her Nana!

I'm thankful for nice post office workers. I had to mail 218 shirts this week which have to be individually weighed and postage put on which usually takes forever and I hold everyone up. Well my delightful post office worker was a gem and made it as enjoyable as possible. Thanks Joann!

I'm thankful for breastmilk poop. Yup. I said it! Now that Mckenna is eating all solids all the time it makes for stinky diapers. It makes me miss and be thankful for the first 6 months of straight breastmilk poops...not great but not terrible either!!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for treatment options. I'm testing out a new product that can supplement for a Vest therapy that is easier to travel with. I'm of course thankful for the opportunity to test it out, but also thankful for it's "compactability". It's made my last couple of trips easier and may end up being a good option for me. (I plan to write a full review on the product at a later date)

I'm thankful for trail mix. When I'm on the road, I eat a lot of trail mix. Probably too much actually. It's just so easy, tasty and (mostly) nutritious that I can't seem to stay away. In fact, I had over 1000 calories of trail mix yesterday - whoops :)

I'm thankful for those who give of themselves and expect nothing in return. Nothing I can really add to that but a big THANK YOU and you don't go unnoticed. 

So, what are you thankful for today?

My Prayer for the President

Lord,

I pray that the man you allowed to be in the office of the President seeks You first about all else. Before his party. Before his friends. Before his influencers. Before the people he serves. Before his own beliefs.

I pray that he recognizes his world-wide influence and it can be used to show the Goodness of You. That the love You show to him can be seen by many here and across the globe, by the love he shows for the lost, the weak and the defenseless.

I pray that you convict Him of Your convictions. That he leads based on Your Word and not the word of others. Be his moral compass God and lead him onto a straight path of righteousness.

I pray that my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ can recognize that Your heart is deeply saddened by the ideals and beliefs held by some in this nation and around the globe.

I pray that we start to align more closely with Your ideals and Your beliefs. May we serve the poor. Protect orphans and widows. Spread the Good News. Pray. Fast. And live out the Word in action and not just voice.

Give us the strength to avoid unrighteous anger, sexual sin, divorce, lying, retaliation, hatred, worry, and judgement.

Lord, may your name be glorified by the way we live each day as individuals and as a nation.

Be with our President these next four years and use him as a tool for the furtherance of your Kingdom here on Earth.

Amen.

Everyone can vote...even this guy!!

For a second there, I thought this article was about me :)

Man Who Eats Breakfast At Dunkin' Donuts Every Morning And Enjoys The 'Saw' Films 

Allowed To Vote

YOUNGSTOWN, OH—According to records obtained from the Mahoning County registrar’s office, local man David Kearney, who eats breakfast at Dunkin’ Donuts every day and is a passionate fan of the Saw film franchise, is actually allowed to vote in today’s general election.

Reports confirmed that Kearney, 34, enjoys sitting down in a Dunkin’ Donuts location and eating a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant each morning before work, has seen every Saw movie multiple times, and is freely able to play an active role in the democratic process like every other registered voter in the United States.

“I just can’t get going in the morning without a Dunkaccino,” said Kearney, who possesses the right to visit a polling center and help decide, quite literally, the political direction of the entire nation over the next four years. “They’re so good. Goes great with a Boston Kreme.”

“And you gotta love the Munchkins, man—I usually get a half dozen of those,” added the man who will help choose the next president of the United States, which, reportedly, is the most important and powerful position in the world. “I’ve got a Dunkin’ Donuts Perks card, too, so it’s pretty cheap.”

Sources also said Kearney, whose ballot counts as much as any other Ohio resident in determining which candidate receives the state’s crucial 18 electoral votes, owns all theSaw films on DVD and frequently watches them at home on weekends. Due to his residence in the highly contested swing state, the man who willingly and excitedly went to seeSaw 3D on opening night will, reports indicated, actually have a larger impact on determining the outcome of the election than voters in virtually every other state in the country.

“I think the original Saw is my favorite one—that one’s awesome—but Saw IV is a close second,” said Kearney, whose decision will ultimately shape the country’s future when it comes to such areas as the economy, unemployment, foreign policy, women’s rights, financial regulation, tax reform, health care, immigration, and literally every other major issue. “Gotta love the crazy tests that Jigsaw sets up for his victims. So cool. I really love the gory parts. They make it look super real.”

Numerous sources reiterated, once again, that our Constitution has entrusted a person who wears sweatpants in public and posts user reviews of porn videos online with one of the most important and fateful decisions a human being can make.

Furthermore, sources added, millions of people almost exactly like this person are also given an equal say in our democracy.

At press time, Kearney was reportedly finishing a Vanilla Bean Coolatta before walking into a voting booth to cast his ballot.

See the original article here at The Onion.... (there is some foul language that I took out of the original)

(For those who don't know, The Onion deals exclusively in satire) 

Mckenna's Birthday Pics!!

Although Mckenna's birthday was a couple of weeks ago, we waited to have the party until Eric and Nancy were in town to celebrate. The party was flawlessly put together and executed by my wife-extraordinaire. She is seriously amazing and somehow is just good at everything. We took a bunch of pics so I thought I'd throw a couple on RSBR so you guys can see how it went down. Enjoy!

Gift table

Picture wall 

Sugar Cookie Decorating Station  

Sharing a sugar cookie with mama

Sidewalk chalk

Posing for the camera

Signing "Happy Birthday"

Looking forward to some cake!!

All done!

Present time

The gift bag doubles as a purse!!

Blog from the road...Literally.

What I'm doing right now I would not suggest to anyone, nor would I recommend it. I'm on my way to the airport and I realized that I hadn't yet written a blog for today. Usually, I'll post a cute video of Mckenna, but much to my surprise we have not taken one lately.

So, I decided to do the next best thing and blog from the road. I'm currently driving down the interstate on my way to the airport.

I did not have the necessary blogger app to write this blog, so that was the first that I took in order to make this happen. After downloading the app onto my iPhone I was off to the races and now here I am talking to my phone while it writes my blog.

Isn't technology amazing? I'm pretty involved with that every day yet I still marvel about how awesomely cool it is. It's funny to think back to the times that we didn't have access to all of this technology. And of course my first thought is, "How the heck did we do anything?"

Let me stress again that what I'm doing is in no way say nor smart. In fact this probably makes me an even bigger idiot than I already am.

So with that said, and the fact that I'm approaching the airport, I'll close with this...


(Hopefully, the image showed up at my blog. I don't see it in the post, but I'm hoping it's there.)

PS - There may be a ton of grammatical and spelling errors in this blog. Please ignore them :)