HELP!

Ok, it's official....Matthew is acting more and more like a teenager.  GOD HELP US ALL!  The back-talking and sassing is even worse than usual!  He won't be 13 til summer & I can only imagine what we're in for then.  I guess that also means he's feeling better, though so that part is good.  :-) 


Scott got a new prescription for his glasses this week.  His sports glasses came in on Friday, but his regular glasses have not.  I thought that was a little odd, but as long as he can see, I'm ok with it.  He doesn't really like his sports glasses, but I want him to wear them anyway since his old prescription is so much weaker than this one.

I thought I had submitted some pictures online to be developed at Wal~Mart.  When I went to pick them up, they told me the order had not gone through.  Wah!  So, I guess I'll need to submit them again after I get paid.  I had some 5x7's made for our bedroom of Jason & the boys and of myself and the boys.

Dad was in the hospital this week for 4 days.  He is home now.  His heart was in pretty bad shape for a while there, but I think they've gotten it straightened out...for him anyway!  I'm hoping to be able to go see him in March or April.  I'll be working a few weekends in February so it'll have to wait til then.  Please continue to keep him in your prayers.  Also, please pray for Jason as he attempts to find work here.  We could really use the extra income.

That's all for this week.  For those of you who get this in e-mail form, you can go here to see this post with accompanying pictures as well as  prior posts with those pictures of the boys at the park from a couple of weeks ago.

Love,
Dea

No SNOW!

This post will be short today mainly because I'm cold and not up to typing much!

Well, apparently, our little part of Texas is the only part of the country that didn't get snow over the weekend.  The boys were bummed!  ON a happy note, though, last Thursday, Jason had to take Matthew to the doctor because we thought he had pneumonia.  He didn't; THANK GOD!  She put him on a Z-Pack and some steroids just to be cautious and because she could tell that he DID have bronchitis.  Since it had only been a month since his surgery, his pediatrician is being more cautious than usual I think.  I'm okay with that!  Apparently most kids that have the type of surgery Matthew had are 15-16 years old instead of 12 so all the doctors are curious to see how he does.  :-)

I do solicit prayer for my dad, however.  As most of you know, Dad has had trouble with is heart for over 30 years now.  Today, he called my brother to take him to the doctor because he'd stopped breathing momentarily.  For now, they have him in the hospital back home trying to take off some of the fluid that has accumulated around his heart due to his Congestive Heart Failure.  Hopefully he'll be home tomorrow.  I'm worried about him 'cause of course I'm a Daddy's girl...even though I'm nearly 38!


Anyway, hope everyone stays warm and toasty!

Love,
Dea

He's BAAAAACK!!!!

He’s BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!

Just think…4 weeks ago, this was Matthew in his hospital bed 2 days after surgery.

And this is him today!

Jason went with us for a change!

Gotta take one with a Longhorn in the background since we’re in Texas, right?

It was a beautiful day!  The wind was a little cold, but we had a great time

(Can you tell Scott HATES having his picture taken???)  

The other day, we took Matthew to his 3 week post-op check up!  Dr. Custer was very pleasantly surprised that he is progressing so quickly!  I thank God that he did Matthew’s surgery.  I couldn’t ask for a kinder pediatric surgeon to take care of my son!  God has answered many prayers for this family especially over the past month or so.  To HIM be the glory!

Today, we took the boys to a little park close to Belton Lake.  It’s oh, around 8 miles from where we live.  It’s typically where we swim in the summer, but we wanted to take some pics for our family in Georgia since we didn’t send out Christmas Cards this year.  I apologize if you were looking for one & didn’t get one.  It was kinda crazy with Matt’s surgery & I just forgot ‘til it was too late to mail them.  Anyway, here are some pics from our outing today.  Hope you enjoy!

It was a beautiful day!  The wind was a little cold, but we had a great time!

I hope everyone has a blessed and Happy New Year!  My plan is to try to update our blog every Sunday this year.  (We’ll see how well THAT works!)

J

Until next Sunday, Keep warm and Keep Praying!

Love,

Dea

Thursday Ramblings

Today I just thought I'd do a rambling post...like the rest aren't, right?

Anyway, it's been a busy week.  Matthew had his appointment with Dr. Custer on Tuesday, and he got a glowing report.  He's doing fabulous.  We've got to remind him to sit up straight so the cartilages that were removed will grow back straight, but other than that, he's awesome.  Also on Tuesday, Jason went to the school and picked up Matt's homework, textbooks, etc, then it was back to Temple to visit with Matthew's PCP.  He has to check in at least twice a year because of the ADHD meds he's on.  She said he was doing great and we didn't have to go back til summer unless he got sick.  Tuesday night, I took Matthew to his Boy Scout Troop's Christmas Party.  (The troop didn't know we were coming so they were surprised to see him up and about.)  A good time was had by all, but by the time we got home, Matthew was exhausted by his day & slept like 10 hours!  HA!  (For a kid who usually sleeps maybe 6, that's a record!  :-)  )

Scott's been a real trooper the whole time.  He's been wanting some alone time with Jason & me and we're going to try to make that happen really soon.  I go back to working days next week so that should make it a little easier for us to schedule one-on-one time with each of the boys.  Scott's Christmas party at school is tomorrow, and he wants us to go, but I think Jason will go while Matthew & I stay home.  I'm working for a co-worker tomorrow night & will want the sleep & Matthew probably would be overwhelmed by the noise of a classroom full of hyped-up 4th graders!  Scott's gotten a stocking hat that has elf ears on it that he likes to wear backwards.  When he does that, he says he is the "backwards Spock".  bwahahahahahaha!  Can you tell we've been watching the new Star Trek movie a lot lately??!!!!

Jason has been looking at jobs to apply to after Matthew goes back to school.  (YEA!)  He's really hoping to get out of truck driving and into something inside and less physically demanding.  I hope so too.  I don't like the long hours he has to put in when he's driving, and I don't want him to go back over the road, either.

My job's going pretty well.  I do solicit prayers for an upcoming registry (credentialing exam) I plan on taking after the 1st of the year sometime.  I need to pass it to keep my job, and I'd get a small raise also.  Please keep my niece, Andrea and her family in your prayers also.  Her hubby, also named Jason!, is in the USAF, and they're moving to Hawaii from Maryland in Jan.  Tough assignment, huh?  I know moving's a hassle, so they'll need all the prayer they can get!

For now, that's it around here.  What's going on in your neck of the woods???

Love,
Dea

Home at Last!

Matthew was discharged on Saturday.  We made it home around 2:30 in the afternoon & I took a nap.  Matthew was in a tremendous amount of pain Saturday night, and he didn't want to take his pain medicine.  So....Scott, Jason and I were up with him for nearly 5 hours Sat night/Sun morning.  I finally convinced him to take it around 4 a.m.  Sunday after he woke up, I talked to him about his pain meds & he understood that we were trying to keep him from hurting, and he's been very compliant since about taking them.  Sunday evening was MUCH better.  He laid down with me in my bed & slept ALL night!  (no pain, no screams, no whimpers!)

So far this morning, he slept til 6:30, got up for 15 minutes, took his meds, went back to sleep & got up again around 10.  He has eaten breakfast, and now he is sitting in our living room watching "Night at the Museum".  I think his favorite part is when the monkey (Dexter) steals Larry's keys.  Tomorrow, he has an appointment with his surgeon, Dr. Custer.  I personally think he's awesome!  He really has a way with kids that a lot of doctors don't.  Matthew just loves him.  Also tomorrow, Matthew and Jason will take a trip to school to pick up his work and maybe talk to some of his teachers at lunch time.

Incidentally, my parents came down, and I don't know what we would've done without them here to help.  Mom & Dad would stay with Matthew during the day so I could work at night & Jason could stay with Matt in his hospital room.  My sister, Cindy, and her husband, Tim also came by & checked on Matt nearly every day.  They really lifted his spirits.

Love,
Dea

No Tubes, No Drains, NOOOO Problem!

Sorry, Jeff Foxworthy, but it was too perfect of an opportunity to pass up!  :-) 

Matthew got all of his drains out Friday: catheter, epidural, and drainage tube for the blood that would seep from his chest.  He did really well with all of them except one.  Ya'll can probably guess which one THAT was!  He is off all pain meds except Tylenol 3 every 4 hours, and he takes that in tablet form.  (Trust me, that's a good thing! Thursday night, every time Jason & his nurse would try to get him to swallow the liquid pain meds, he'd spit it out or just refuse to open his mouth.)

It's currently 4:12 A.M. Saturday morning.  I know this is an odd time to blog, but he woke up around 2:30-3:00 in pain, took his meds, went back to sleep...BUT...I'm still up!  Guess I've been working nights too long, huh?  Anyway, the plan is for him to go home this morning if we can get him to go to the bathroom and IF the surgeon says he's good to go.  He's walking around a lot without any help and with every step, you can see his color and attitude improve.  He complains mostly about his sternum and back hurting.  I'm sure the back pain comes from lying in this silly hospital bed all week.  He can't lie on his side or belly for a while.  His sternum hurts cause they had to basically break & re-shape it in surgery to get the pressure off his heart & lungs.

For those who've been wondering, Scott has been sleeping at the hotel across the street from the hospital with my parents who came down to help us.  They'll be going home Sat or Sunday.  (I am hoping they stay one more day, but knowing Mom & Dad,they'll leave Saturday!)  Jason's been dropping Scott off at school in the mornings, then we go home & sleep til the bus drops him off.  Next, Jason wakes me up, I shower & we head back here to spend some "family" time with Matt. (Scott & Matt have been playing the Wii in the hospital Playroom every chance they can.  Hmmmm....maybe they oughta get a Wii for Christmas?) 

Friday night, Mom & Dad came over & sat with Jason and Matt while I took Scott to Barnes & Noble for a "Polar Express" Party.  They read the book to the kids, served them hot cocoa & cookies, then did arts & crafts.  The "little" kids made ornaments out of felt paper, and the "big" kids made gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and icing.  I wish I would've taken a picture of Scott's house cause it was really good!  He is my artist!

I actually remembered to take some pics of Matthew earlier tonight, but I forgot the USB cable to the computer again!  (the one that connects the computer to the camera for downloading)  Maybe when we get home, I'll remember to download them and post pics so ya'll can see him.

Please let me know if there's anything we can do for you guys.  We really appreciate all the prayers, text messages, e-mails and facebook posts letting us know you are there for us.

Love,
Dea

Up and At 'Em

Happy Hump Day Everyone!  It's literally been a hump for us today!  Matthew had a temp of 100.7 overnight, but all day it's been right at 98.  :-)  He's been up all day, walking around and playing the Wii in the Playroom here at the hospital.  His IV has been disconnected, but they left the "heplock" in to give IV pain meds if needed.  He still has his epidural and catheter.  (Like most "men", he doesn't like the catheter AT ALL!) 

Last night, he looked at me, and told me to "Tell Dad to stop snoring.  He's too loud & I can't sleep."  Jason was sleeping in the parent's bed next to the window at the time so it was pretty funny.  Also, Matt has been eating much better ( M&M's and Butterfingers) and drinking so that's a good thing!  Granny's been keeping him busy and making sure he gets a bath every day.  For those who know my Mom, this isn't a surprise. 

His surgeon came by this afternoon while I was home sleeping, and he said that if he continues to improve, he'll probably get to go home this weekend.  I had planned on posting some pics of Matthew, but I forgot the USB cable that attaches the camera to the computer so it'll be another day.  Hopefully I'll remember to bring it tomorrow.  I am headed to work so Jason will be sitting with him tonight.  Fortunately, I work at the same hospital so I can periodically come check on him.  I work on the ground floor, and he's on the 4th floor so it's not too bad.

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support.  We really appreciate all of you.

Love,
Dea & Jason

Surgery Time!

Yesterday was Matthew's surgery to repair his pectus excavatum.  For those unfamiliar with this, it is where the cartilage that holds the ribs to the sternum is too tight and makes the sternum cave in onto the lungs and heart.  He had kind of a rough night, but right now he is sleeping peacefully.  Today will be the hardest day of all.  The pain will really hit today.  We've got to get him out of bed and walking.  He isn't going to like that at all!  He has an epidural for pain, but any movement makes him hurt.  Over the night, he had a fever of 103.7.  NOT GOOD!  It's common to have a fever after surgery, but it's still scary when it's my son with the fever.

Right now, as I'm typing this, Jason is snoring in the "parent's bed" in Matt's room, and I'm sitting in the chair next to Matthew's bed holding his hand when he whimpers and watching movies on TV.  My parents are in town all week, and they'll be here shortly to "relieve" me.  (Like I'm gonna leave when he's in here!)  I want to scoop him up and wrap him in a great big bear hug, but I'm afraid it'll hurt him too much.  Please pray that when he gets up today that his lungs will expand like they're supposed to so we can avoid pneumonia.

Love,
Dea

I want to Sing and Dance

Tonight, Scott had a play!  Can you guess what character he was?  :-)  I love the fact that he got to wear something I made for him!  I'm not terribly good at making things like this so I was pleasantly surprised by it!

The 4th graders at his school were all in it, and it was called "La Isla Bonita" like the old Madonna song.  Needless to say, a good time was had by all!


On a more somber note, Matthew will be having surgery on Monday, Dec. 6 to correct a malformation of his sternum (breastbone). (For those interested, it's called pectus excavatum.)  Please remember us in your prayers.  He will be in the hospital for at least 5 days afterwards.  I will be posting updates on here periodically during the surgery and after for our friends and family who aren't close enough to visit.

I hope everyone has a most fantastic Thanksgiving!

Love,
Dea

Dabbling in the "no-no's"

Today, I've decided to tackle a couple of issues that have come up recently in Facebook and private e-mails from my friends.  Politics and Religion

I don't usually get too involved in politics, but just let me say that whatever "side" you are for, please make an informed decision this fall when you vote, and PLEASE VOTE!  I've had several people assume that because I'm from the South, that I'm a Democrat.  I've also had several people assume that because I'm a conservative Christian that means I vote Republican.  I'm neither.  I look at ALL the candidates and try to make an informed decision based on what MY personal thoughts and convictions are. 

That being said, I try not to vote for someone who is obviously anti-Christian.  That is my first and foremost decision.  I do not want someone in office who will try to tell me that my faith or how I choose to practice it is wrong.  This country was founded on Christian principles, and I believe that's what we need to go back to.  I know several people who are non Christian...Muslim, Buddhist, etc.  I'm not trying to belittle them, but it is my right and my conviction to follow Jesus Christ.  He is the ONLY way to Heaven.  If that upsets you, then maybe you don't need to read this blog.  I was raised in a strict Southern Baptist home.  i.e. no drinking or dancing.  People still think it's weird that I can't dance & rarely drink.  I just have no desire to do so.  I don't have anything against people who do, it just isn't for me.  I'm far from perfect and sin just about every time I turn around, but I believe in a God who is faithful and just to forgive me if I repent and turn to Him.

Enough of my rambling.  School has started here, and the boys are enjoying it so far.  Matt seems to really enjoy being in band and learning to play the trumpet, and Scott is loving being in 4th grade and learning about geography and science.

Love always,
Dea

Hey Baby It's HOT Outside!

WOW! Ok, so my intentions to post quicker this time didn't work. :-) LOL OOPS!  We are safely in Texas.  Our things are still in Arkansas so we're trying to get home to at least get our things out of the house and into a storage shed so we can move them when we can.  As most of you are aware, my boys are very active in Boy Scouts.  I recently attended a leadership course for Scouts called WoodBadge.  It was a blast!  This is a picture of my with Darral Green, one of my favorite District Executives in Scouts.

It was held over 2 weekends...one in mid-May and one the first weekend of June.  We had it at Rogers Scout Reservation outside of Booneville, AR. It was HOT AND HUMID both weekends, but we learned a lot about each other and how to be more effective leaders...both in Scouts and in the "real" world.  

Scott and Matthew seem to like it here in Texas although they say it's too hot!  HEE HEE!  Just wait until it gets to be July and August!  Everyone I work with says that's when it really gets HOT!  Yes, that's me with red hair and the blue cap on!  I thought it was time for a change.

So, my question for the day or will it be for the month???  HA!  My question is, have you ever moved and had to adjust your recipes accordingly due to climate differences?  such as humidity...or lack thereof...or change in elevations?

Love Always,
Dea 

Spring is a Time for CHANGE

WOW!


I didn't realize it had been that long since I'd posted something! OOPS!


So much has happened, it's hard to know where to start! Ok, here goes, I HATED the job I took in Ft. Smith so I left it. I will start working in Temple, Texas on Monday, April 12. SO>>>>>that means I have 2 days to pack! ARGH! Jason & the boys will stay in Arkansas until the boys get out of school in June. Then all of them will come join me.

We're right at $6,000 for Matthew's service dog for his autism. We need to raise $5K more to meet our goal.

I'd better run & pack! Hopefully, I'll remember to post quicker this time!

Dea

Sunshine, Spring and Scouts

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Spring to officially arrive and banish these cold temps til NEXT year! As most of you know, I am not a cold-weather person. I don't like winter or being cold AT ALL! It hit 60 degrees earlier this week, and you would've thought it was summertime at the Shatterly house. Matt & Scott wanted to wear shorts to play outside. HA!


Matthew crossed over into Boy Scouts recently. This is a picture of him, Josh, and Tyler at the cross-over ceremony. Matt is the one in the back row. He's quite a bit shorter than they are so we let him stand on the bridge we use to cross over.

We have flowers already blooming in our front yard do you? We have Easter Lilies, Pink Hyacinths and Purple Hyacinths. I LOVE hyacinths. I love how they start out looking like bells then pow! There's a flower there! :)

Anyway, sorry for the short post, but it's been crazy today! I started work at Sparks in Fort Smith 3 weeks ago, and we've been pretty busy so I don't know when I'll get the opportunity to post again, but til then, Hoppy Spring!

Dea

Hey Baby It's COLD outside!

BRRRRRRRRR!!! I don't know about you, but it's been below freezing for so long here in Arkansas that we're not quite sure how to handle it. You know people in Ark. are not exactly cold weather fans! LOL! The boys really liked being out of school for a few days because of the snow, but they're really not big on playing in it. They play for about 5 minutes then come in whining cause it's "TOO COLD"! Hee Hee! I remember playing in the snow all day when we were out in the winter, how bout you?

On a happier note, I GOT A JOB!!! I started Monday, the 8th of February at Sparks Medical Center in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. I am working in the Cath Lab as a Peripheral Vascular Tech. In case you're wondering, a PVT checks carotid arteries, veins in arms and legs and arteries in arms & legs for either clots or blockages (Stenoses) . These blockages are usually caused by excessive plaque. The clots can be caused by a variety of reasons.

I am hoping to get my digital camera fixed and ready as soon as I start getting paid so I can post some more pics on here.


Love all!

Dea

Arctic Arkansas!

Can I just say for the record that I DO NOT LIKE WINTER! I DON'T LIKE BEING COLD! That's why I live in Arkansas & not Montana or Canada! Seriously! It's been like in the 20's for a week! And tonight, it's supposed to be in the single digits! WITHOUT A WIND CHILL! With the wind chill, it's supposed to be like -20!!! WHAT??? When I was in Alaska, I expected that, not here! We've been letting the dog come in and sleep in the laundry room at night. Last night, we put the cat in there with him. Jason said for about 30 minutes, he kept seeing her "arm" and paw come under the door trying to get it opened. Apparently, she didn't like her roomie! HA!

We went to Georgia 2 days after Christmas to visit Jason's family. For those of you who don't know, he grew up in central Georgia around 30 minutes outside of Macon. It's a lot like here in Arkansas except instead of rocks everywhere, they have red clay everywhere. AND I DO MEAN EVERYWHERE! We got to visit his parents, his brother and nephew, a couple of his aunts & uncles, and his cousins. We even brought his youngest brother, John, home with us to help us with the boys. (I decided against working in Memphis, but John's here to help us in case I DO get meaningful employment!) I LOVE visiting his family! They have accepted me like I'm one of them...do you know how hard that is to find in in-laws??? The boys had an absolute blast! A couple of Jason's cousins have kids around the same age so they played like they'd known each other FOREVER! Isn't that fun???!!!

For those who are wondering, I didn't take the job in Memphis cause it was gonna end up costing as much if not more than where we are now! And with us still paying a house payment here, it just didn't make sense! So I'm back to looking. :-)

Love Always,

Dea

P.S. Leave me a comment telling me about what you did over Christmas! Did you work, play or sleep????

Winter Ramblings

First off, I want to say, I have no pictures!

My camera is doing something REALLY weird! It'll take the pictures, but one side is really washed out...almost like the flash isn't working correctly except I'M NOT USING THE FLASH!

I wanted to show you the new winter coat I found for Matthew the other day! It is fleece-lined and according to him...really really warm! I found it at our local Tractor Supply Store for $38! Who knew TSS carries kids' coats??? I didn't! LOL

Yesterday, at his Christmas party at school, Scott & one of his buddies were playing and he hit is forehead on the corner of a wooden bookcase! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?? He has a giant goose-egg right smack in the middle of his forehead...and it has a slight cut as well. He told me last night before he went to bed..."Moma, my head doesn't feel so good." Ya think? I took him to see the doc & no concussion or skull fractures, but he was wheezing. Hmmmm...I took him in for his head & they check his lungs? Anyway, we're gonna try some preventative inhalers & see if that helps his asthma. Jason wants to get him tested for allergies since most asthma is caused by allergies. What do you think? Should I get him allergy tested?

Now on to the exciting news! I got a job! It's located in Memphis, TN so we'll have to move, but I just feel a REAL peace about the whole thing. I do covet your prayers, though. See, I'll be moving to Memphis in the next couple of weeks while Jason and the boys stay here until school's out for the summer so it's gonna be interesting! At least it's close enough that I can go back & forth on the weekends & watch Scott play Upward Basketball. Do you have it at your church? If not, see if your pastor would be willing to look into it. It not only teaches basketball, but it also is a wonderful outreach ministry! We have kids from all over come to learn basketball! While they're practicing, the coaches have devotions and talk about God's love for them and what Jesus did for them by dying on the Cross. Then, during the games, at each half-time, there's either a testimony or a devotion for the parents and grandparents. So in actuality, we're reaching the WHOLE family! Isn't that great?

Onto Matt's service dog. We have an on-going fundraiser on-line. We receive 50% of every sale to go toward his dog. :) Go to:www.currentfun.com. If you get anything, when you check out, pick Arkansas for the state and then you will have to pick the organization you want to help. Ours is called "4 paws for ability in honor of matthew shatterly".

Until Next Time, Merry CHRISTmas!

Love & Hugs to all!
Dea

White Christmas?

This is our Christmas tree from last year. I FINALLY got it up again 2 nights ago. Well, the boys put it up for me and decorated it. They did a very good job. I'll have to take some new pictures in a few days to post. But on to more exciting news!
Ok, ya'll, I have a legitimate job offer that I accepted! It's in Memphis, TN which is a little farther than I had planned, but I've felt this tremendous peace from GOD ever since I got the call. it feels like HE reached down and gave me a big HEAVENLY hug! Like He was telling me it'll be okay. I don't know about the rest of you, but when that happens to me, I just feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Jason has gotten a promotion of sorts. Instead of driving, he's now a dispatcher. I'm not sure HE thinks it's a promotion, because it's not any more pay, but the hours are more reliable AND he's not out in this horrible weather we've had lately!

Anyway, you can follow me on facebook as well as here. Hope to hear from ya'll soon!

Love always, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dea

What Next?

Wow! A lot has happened since my last post!

I was laid off 2 weeks ago! I was in utter shock for about a week and a half! I always thought that since I work in healthcare I was immune to that happening. GUESS NOT! So I have joined the ranks of the unemployed. :( WAHHHH! The day after I got laid off, I filed for my unemployment. I won't get it til either the end of this week or the beginning of next week. The first week you're out of work, they don't count...they use it as a waiting period. I have been searching, though so hopefully this will be short-lived. :-)
Jason nearly surprised the you know what outta me! He offered to work more hours so I could be a stay-at-home mom. WHAT AN OFFER! I would like to try it, but we cannot afford it at this time. The boys are enjoying me being home. They come home to cupcakes, cookies, etc. YUM!
I am also actually cooking real food for a change! SURPRISE! This is a recent meal: homemade mashed potatoes, sweet peas, meatloaf and bread. Anyway, til next time, hope all is well with you & yours!

Dea

This is gonna be a short one, I think. :-) Scott, the 8 year-old, and I both have the flu....good-old-fashioned flu. Not Swine Flu or stomach flu. We went to the doctor yesterday. When I went to the pharmacy to get our prescriptions for Tami-flu, antibiotics and cough medicine, it was over $230! Needless to say, I didn't get all of them. I got all of Scott's and my antibiotics. That alone was over $120! The antibiotics were for Scott's ears and to (hopefully) act preventatively for me....I have a terrible cough and the doc was afraid it would turn into pneumonia. He also told me that here in Arkansas we haven't gotten enough flu shots from the feds to give to everyone and by the time we did everyone would already have it and it wouldn't do any good. I think we caught Scott's in time as I've been giving him Tami-flu and he has perked right up. I feel like I've been run over by a train!

This pic is from earlier this summer when we ate at one of our local Mexican restaurants, YUM!

Anyway, hope all of you have a happy Halloween and watch out for the little spooks as my Dad would say!

Love all,
Dea

Happy Fall Y'all!

Don't you just love the colors of fall? Especially when we have a ton of colors like this year. I'm sure it's because of all the rain, which we get tired of, but you have to admit, it makes for GORGEOUS fall foliage! :-)

I took most of these pictures yesterday when I went with Matthew's class on a field trip to Petit Jean State Park. It's outside of Morrilton, Arkansas. For those of you who have never heard "The Legend of Petit Jean", here's a link...I hope. :)

www.petitjeanstatepark.com/history


Matthew just loves going on hikes! Even though it was BITTERLY cold on our hike, he had a wonderful time and chattered all the way home. (Rather suits a "Shatterly" to chatter, huh? Hee Hee) Anyway, we hiked down to the Rock House Cave and also down the Bear Cave Trail. We got to see the "Skull" rock. The kids thought that was pretty cool! :)

For those who are following our exploits in trying to get Matt a service dog, we are at $3200 of the $11,000 we need. I'm waiting to hear back from the local Kiwanis Club to see if they'll be able to help us with a fundraiser or 2.

We had our AWANA Grand Prix on Wednesday, and Scott won 2nd Place for "Character". He didn't even know what they were talking about when they called him up to get his trophy!

It was funny!

Well, until next time, happy fall and you can e-mail me or leave comments anytime!

Love all!
Dea