Hi.... AGAIN!!

It's been a while since I have written, so I will catch y'all up on our past 6 weeks. Feb. 21 - 23, we spent in the hospital with our sweet girl. We were trying to figure out why her blood pressure and heart rate were dropping during the middle of the day and also, why she was having palpitations frequently- very scary for sure. -For those who do not know, Samantha was born at 34 weeks because she was in tachycardia- she has been on heart meds her entire life until she had her ablation in April of 2011. After her ablation (surgery to destroy the extra pieces of electricity around her heart) she was put back on medicine and has been at the same dose that she was on prior to the ablation because the procedure unmasked other arrhythmias.- Back to the hospital- the cardiologists and her EP dr decided to take her off of her medicine and put her on telemetry (heart monitor) and keep her at the hospital to observe her (her last dose of meds were given on 2/22 in the am). Samantha did great, her heart was strong and they were not able to detect and issues at that time. Samantha enjoyed the child life specialists that came in and brought fun things to keep her busy and she also enjoyed getting to eat Mc Donald's and Chipotle chips and cheese- we never eat out! GG and Pop also came to help Mommy and Daddy and we were all so happy to have the company! The following week, we met Samantha's new cardiologist and we really liked her. She had an ECG and an EKG and both looked good- next the dr ordered a 24 hr halter monitor that records every heart beat. The dr also told us that she wanted Samantha to increase her fluids to 60 - 80 oz per day (hoping this would keep the palpitations at bay). Fast forward 5 weeks.... Samantha is doing great! The halter reading did not detect any issues and she has not had a problem to date. I truly believe our prayers have been answered. I don't know if this is 'forever', but I like to say that it is a 'for now' and enjoy each and every day together!

The funny thing is, that when we were in the hospital with Samantha, there were a lot of tears and emotions (from me of course). I was so afraid to let them take her off of the meds. The 'what if's' that ran thru my mind were not positive to say the least. I prayed and prayed for peace and for Samantha to be well. What I didn't realize until recently, is that all along, our prayers were being answered, I just had to let go of the control (and as a mom, that is really hard to do!) and let God's plans work in her life and in ours. I'm not sure what tomorrow holds, but I do know that today was great and that is what matters.

I hope that everyone had a great weekend with their families, friends, loved ones, etc.

~Casey

Lent

We are now in the Lenten season and this is a time to take the focus away from our selves and put our focus back on Jesus.  We do this by giving up something that we really like for Lent and using this time, energy, etc. to put our focus back on Jesus and His 40 days and 40 nights, walking thru the desert, bearing the Cross.  So, this year I thought long and hard about what I am going to give up and the one thing that I rely on when I am having a bad day is my ice cream.  Yes, I know that it sounds crazy, but thru everything, ice cream was the one thing that would make me feel better.  I am going to take these moments, instead, to pray and to think of what Jesus went through for all of us.  I guess what I am saying is, instead of feeling better from a scoop of ice cream everyday (and yes I look forward to that scoop everyday) I am going to take the focus off of myself and use this time to thank Him for dying for our sins.  I hope that everyone has thought a lot about what they are going to give up for Lent, or even better, what they can do for Jesus during this Lenten season. 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend with their friends and families. 

Love,
Casey

Pizza Pockets!

Sorry that it has been so long since my last post.  I have been a very busy momma and with that being said, I figured out a quick and easy dinner that my daughter and husband love!! 

Ingredients are:
1 can of Pillsbury crescent sheets (not crescent rolls)
mild cheddar and mozzarella cheeses
spaghetti sauce

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spread the crescent sheet on the parchment paper.  take a spoon and dollop the sauce in 4 spots on the bottom half of the dough.  Then sprinkle both cheeses over the sauce.  Fold the top 1/2 of dough over the bottom and using a pizza cutter cut it into 4 pieces.  Using your fingers press the edges together so the sauce and cheese stays inside the pocket.  Bake for 8-10 min.  They are YUMMY!
*You can add other things to the inside of the pocket; pepperoni, spinach, sausage, etc.

I hope th you all enjoy these as much as we have!! I will post pics next time I make them- they get eaten so quickly, I have not been able to get a picture.

Have a GREAT day!
~Casey
   

Happy New Year!!

What a wonderful few days we have had with family around! We have shopped, cooked, sewed, knitted, played, etc!!! We have definitely been busy bees around this house! I can not wait to see what 2013 has up 'its' sleeve- I am very optimistic that there are many blessings in store for us this year!

I was thinking of resolutions today and then we talked about it at the dinner table this evening and our daughter asked me what a resolution was. I thought to say its a promise that we make to lose weight, be healthier, etc. Instead, I told her that it is something that you do- so with that, she is resolving to knit caps for the children at the hospital that need hats to keep their heads warm. What a great idea! I thought that walking as a family on the weekends is good idea and I think I am going to do something for myself (maybe an art class, more golf lessons, etc.) I am going to also continue to volunteer and be an advocate for congenital heart disease and food allergies. I am so happy that Samantha 'gets it'- she really makes me proud! So, with that, what is your resolution?

I hope and pray that everyone has a wonderful year full of many blessings!

- Casey

Eggless Bread Pudding!!

I was looking at all of the crescent rolls that we had left over from Thanksgiving (about 15 or so) and thought that I should use them to make something yummy- and then it hit me!  Bread Pudding!  I made an eggless bread pudding with skim milk and it was yummy!

I preheated my oven to 350 degrees and then I tore up the rolls and placed them in a greased 9X13 pan.  After that, I took 1/2 cup of sugar and sprinkled it on top of the rolls.  Next, I poured 2 - 2 1/2 cups of skim milk on top of the rolls and added some semi sweet chocolate chips (1/3 cup) sprinkled on top.  I then 'squished' the bread down with the flat side of a fork so the rolls would soak up the milk.  I placed the pan in the hot oven for 40 - 45 min.  It will puff up some.

After taking it out, I made an icing of powdered sugar and a tiny, tiny bit of water (it should be as thick as icing that you drizzle).  Slice the bread pudding and pour the icing on to each ind. slice.  I hope that you all enjoy this as much as my husband and I did!  *side note- my husband said that it tasted even better the next day.  He warmed it up in the microwave and then did the icing.  Good luck and Enjoy!

~Casey

  

Thankful

It is funny how we all say how thankful we are for the people in our life right now and the loved ones that we have lost.  Instead, we should be thankful for all of the people in our lives, good or bad, because that has helped to shape and mold us into the people that we have become.  Maybe we have gained a bit more compassionate or even have the ability to stand up for ourselves.  I feel as though everyone has been placed in my life for a reason and I am grateful for the many relationships that I have had along the way.

My parents are a gift- God gave me the best parents in the world and the best brothers, too!  My husband is my ROCK and I am not sure where I would be without him.  Our little girl is a precious angel and because of her, I now know the true meaning of LOVE!  Our nieces are perfect and beautiful and our nephews are wonderful, too.  I am thankful for my sweet sister in law and am grateful that she makes my brother happy!   I have great cousins, aunts and uncles - I just wish that we could see each other more often.  My mother in law and father in law are fantastic, loving people and I am so happy that they are mine.  I am also thankful that Samantha has 4 grandparents and 2 great grandmothers that she knows and loves very much.

My friends~ the saying goes 'Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.'  For my family, this is very true.  I have had friends in my life for a long time, for a short time and for some time in the middle of life.  For everyone of you, whether we speak or not, I am thankful for you.  I have learned something from each of you that has helped me grow as a person.

I am going to end with a quote, but before I do, I hope that everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving and has time to sit around the table to remember all of the people who have touched their lives.

'People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.  When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do'   -unknown

~Casey

The Great Pumpkin

When Samantha was diagnosed with her peanut/ tree nut allergy, so many thoughts ran through my head- How will I explain this to other parents? How will I be able to keep her safe when she is away from me? And then Halloween creeped up on us and 'OH MY GOODNESS WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO??'  "She can NOT go trick or treating!!" (that was my initial thought) But that is not the right way to handle the situation.  So, I was talking to a friend one day and she suggested that 'The Great Pumpkin' come and visit our house (kind of like Santa, Easter Bunny, etc).  AH HA! What a great idea!  So, now, Samantha goes trick or treating just like everyone else, the only difference is that I carry safe candy for her and her friends to eat while they are out together.  At the end of the evening, we give our candy to the other children.  By the next morning, 'The Great Pumpkin' has visited the house and left a little (non edible) gift for Samantha.  This seems to work well for us and I hope that it gives some parents a good idea for their children that deal with life threatening food allergies.

  

2009

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2011