A Nursing Student

I have a nephew who is taking up nursing in the Philippines. My husband and I are paying for his tuition and other school needs, like textbooks, projects, etc. Thankfully, he is almost done. He's got a few more case studies to complete. After that, he will be reviewing for the board exam. The school was considerate enough to allow him to participate in their graduation ceremony in March of this year, even though he still had a couple of minor subjects to take. I guess they allowed him to do that for the reason that he was a transferee. The school where he came from did not require those subjects at all. Anyway, he plans on coming to the US to work as a nurse once he gets all the necessary steps accomplished. I understand there's gonna be a lot of exams to take to be able to work here in the US. But, I am confident enough that he will make it with flying colors. He's a pretty smart and talented young man. God bless him!

Super-fantabulous Awards

Thanks for passing on these Super fantabulous Awards to me, Liza of Mommys Little Corner. I appreciate it! 

I am passing these awards to my friends :  Ems, Maricel, Sugar, Joy, and Cathy. Enjoy!

On Weight Gain

A couple of nights ago, I made 5 slideshows with a total of 250 pictures. Most of the pictures were of the kids. My family in the Philippines have been asking me for pics, especially of the little ones. But, I was too lazy to go through thousands of pics in my iPhoto. Well, the other night, I finally did it. I then sent them the links to the slideshows. We were chatting while they watched them. Guess what one of my nephews said? "Auntie, you look like you've gained quite a bit of weight. Your arms look huge." Gee, thanks! He was right though. I recently gained weight because I eat a lot with no exercise. My husband has been prodding me to join Curves, which is just two blocks from our house. Honey, do I really look that big now? Anyway, I promised him that I will join Curves sometime next week and get back in shape. And, if I won't lose all these unwanted fats, especially in the tummy area, should I dare take Anoretix? Hmm . . . he got quiet!

Surgery Was A Success!

Thank God Roger's knee surgery was a success. He had the surgery at 2:45 pm today. I just dropped him off at the hospital because he didn't want me to stay there with the baby in the waiting room.  So, I took one of our clients shopping. We shopped until we dropped :).  

Anyway, I came back to the hospital when he was already at the recovery room.  He said that everything went very well. The surgeon was really good. He actually was awake during the procedure and was watching the whole thing in a big screen in front of him. But once in a while he dozed off. Now, he is walking better and is busy assembling the ceiling fan that we got yesterday. It's the second ceiling fan, since the first one we got was left at the parking lot and disappeared. 

Fire Safety Training

My husband and I have been running our Adult Family Home for over three years now. As AFH operators, we are required to have at least ten hours of training every year to keep our license. One of the training that we participated was on Fire Safety.  It was one of the best that we have ever attended. I have to admit that sometimes when I attend these training/seminars, I just do it for the record. Why? Because of these reasons . . .  it's either boring to death or nonsense to me. However, this one training that we attended was not one of those. The Fire Chief who conducted it was so good. He sure had a lot of good things to say and was very knowledgeable on the subject. One of the practical things I learned that really stayed with me all these years is to make sure I know where the fire exits are and which one is the closest to me whenever I am inside a building. He said that you should look for the exit sign or signs as soon as you are inside  an unfamiliar building or place. You never know what could happen while you are in there. Now, I still do that. I probably drive hubby nuts sometimes. But, hey, for what it's worth, I'll keep doing it :). 

A Sequel to "It's Gone"

Hubby was not satisfied with what the Walmart CS lady said about the ceiling fan. When he asked her if she looked outside, she said that somebody did. He just could not believe that in a small town like Rice Lake, somebody would actually steal a ceiling fan. So, after picking up our son at the kindergarten, he went straight to Walmart. I was actually fine about losing it, but he wasn't. He was optimistic that he would find it somewhere in the parking lot or inside where the carts are stored. Well, guess what? It wasn't there! It's gone forever! Merry Christmas na lang to the person who took it home. Poor husband, he really felt bad about losing it. Anyways, he picked up another one before leaving the store the second time around. Now, he is assembling it to replace the one in the kitchen. I just finished re-painting the kitchen and the old one does not match the new look of my kitchen. 

It's Gone!

We just got back from Walmart to get a ceiling fan with lights and other stuff. Unfortunately, my husband forgot to load it in the van. Because it was so cold, he asked me to wait inside the store with the baby while he loaded our stuff. If I came out with him, I would have noticed the big box underneath the cart. Anyway, he called the store right away. The customer service lady went out to check, but it wasn't there anymore. Apparently, somebody took it home with them. What a bummer! How could they bring home something not theirs? I guess, we will have to get another one. At least, it was not the most expensive ceiling fan out there. But, still it's a loss.

Knee Surgery

My husband has been using crutches for two days now. His right knee went out on him while we were shopping at a local hardware store. There was no warning at all. He was carrying the baby when he went down on the floor. I was talking to the saleslady and I heard this really loud noise, like somebody hit the hard floor with a baseball bat. I looked and they were both on the floor. The loud sound I heard was the car seat that hit the floor. Thank God baby was on her car seat or she would have been hurt badly. She bit her lip which caused a little bleeding. Other than that, she was Ok. 

That knee already underwent a surgery many years back. It even has some kind of metal inside it right now. Today, he saw the orthopedic. They did some x-rays, EKG, and blood tests to make sure there is no infection. The bottom line, he's going to have another surgery on that knee sometime next week at Lakeview Medical Center. Hopefully, that will correct whatever the problem is.

On the lighter side, when he went in for his blood work  at the new Marshfield Clinic, he made a comment on how huge their chairs are. They sure are huge! I have been there many times before and after my thyroidectomy, but that was his first time. Anyway, the lady said that they have several patients who barely fit in those chairs. Wow, those people are huge! They sure could use Fenphedra and other diet pills to lose weight . . . if they want to be healthy and in better shape.

"Do Unto Others What You Want Others Do Unto You"

Almost every Sunday after church, we stop at EconoDeli to have lunch. It is about a mile from our home. It is a part of a huge grocery store where we get most of our groceries. For three years now, since we moved here, this has become our tradition. There is nothing fancy about this place. But, their food is good, the price is right, the place is clean, and most of all we get to meet people from other churches who also come there to eat. Sometimes, we even get to enjoy a short visit with friends and new acquaintances.

Now, there is this old guy, pictured above, who is considered their oldest customer. Not age wise, but in the sense that he has been coming there to eat and do grocery shopping since the store was built in 1937. Since he retired and has been living alone, the Deli becomes like his kitchen. He comes there for lunch and dinner everyday. The second generation Deli owner has been very kind to Mr. V. He gives him 50% off on all his meals and stuff.

The reason I am talking about him is that every time we go there for lunch, he comes straight to our table. Sometimes, he will even meet us at the door. Then walk with us to our table. He will stand there for the longest time and just talk about anything that comes to his mind over and over again. He will talk your ears off! He does this to every customer who smiles and acknowledges him. But it seems like he gravitates more to us than to anybody else at the Deli.

Last Sunday, he did it again. This time, I was getting really ticked off because he stood very close to the baby and held her hands while talking to us or the baby. I am not a germ freak. But, when it comes to my baby, especially this time of the year when colds and flu are everywhere, I am not too thrilled when people touch my baby's hands. She is a thumb sucker and I hate to see her sucking the germs from other people's hands. Who knows where that person had been and did he wash his hands? It's ok I guess if I know the person well.

Anyways, this guy just stood there from the time we got to our table until we were done eating. He told us that most of the people eating there that day was from his church. I said, well, why don't you go there and talk to them? He just said " Nah, that's ok". I was like, can't you get my point? Sensing that I got irritated already, my husband got up and excused himself, which made Mr. V to move away from me and the baby. He did give way to Roger but got back to where he was standing as soon as hubby was away. I was getting pissed off all the more. He kept talking to me and I would not answer nor looked at him. Standing behind him now was my husband. He gave me this look which told me that I needed to be patient with this old man.

He was right. I was being selfish and impatient there. This guy doesn't have anybody else to talk to. He is alone at home and the people from his church won't entertain him. Maybe a few would consider talking to him for a minute or so. He just feels so at home with us. Then I remembered one of Joyce Meyers' podcast that I recently downloaded to my iPod about this certain issue that she herself had to overcome. One time she was at a clinic and this old man struck up a conversation about his health issues. Evidently, this guy had some memory problems, as well. Thus, kept repeating himself over and over again. Joyce wanted to do some reading for her next seminar and tried to ignore the old guy after a while. Then God spoke to her. "If this was Billy Graham or the president, would you entertain him with attentiveness"? That opened her eyes. She stopped reading and continued talking to the guy. She realized that someday, she will be old like him and would need somebody to talk to. 

Time will come when I will be like this guy. How would I feel if nobody would pay attention to me? The golden rule remains true, do unto others what we want others do unto us.

I then took a picture of Mr. V talking to Mahalia as a reminder of what God wants me to do and how He wants me to treat this old man. I'm sure he would not mind if I tell him next time not to hold baby's hands. I just have to be honest and straightforward rather than being mean or something. What do you think?

My Husband, The Researcher, Takes His Time

I have written recently about some of the things I have learned while blogging. Technically, I know I am still newbie. I have often asked my husband, Roger, to help me with something and then teach me how to do it. He has a knack for learning how to do something from scratch and then passing on what he learned to me. 

However, I have also been able to learn a few tricks which I have taught him. I have been reading about web hosting and I found out that it really matters what web hosting service I choose to host my site. Roger is pretty content with the one that he is using and since it is free, he is not looking to switch any time soon. But if he were to see what is really available out there, he just might try something new. I like to see what real customers of different services are saying about their experiences. If a service gets a high web hosting rating, then I can take a closer look at it. If it gets a low rating, then I don't have to waste valuable time. 

Roger would enjoy reading some of the web hosting tutorials that I have seen. He likes to read up on something and really research it before he buys. He researched and read articles and talked to other users for three or four years before he bought his first computer. Can you believe that? Well, that is just his way. 

Some services have received web hosting awards. InMotion Hosting has received "Best of"  awards in five out of twelve categories (including budget hosting) of hosting in the month of November. That's the most awards of any hosting service on that particular review sight. They might be worth checking out.  

Whether you are looking for hosting for a blog, a forum, for e-commerce or email, it is a good idea to shop and compare and see what others are saying about those services. Honey, are you reading this ?

My Little One-eyed Pirate

This is one of the costumes I got after the Halloween. They were already 90% off. It was like a steal almost. I picked up three sets for Mahalia, two princess costumes and  a butterfly for playing dress-up. Josiah got three sets, as well. This is one of them, a one-eyed pirate outfit. He has been watching "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" lately. It's one of the Veggie tales movies. That's why he is so into pirates these days. As soon as he gets home from school, he would go straight to his playroom and put this on.

Oh, the christmassy background? Well, I have been busy putting up Christmas decor the past few days. I am not done yet, but I am getting there :). Too early, huh? :)

Which Web Hosting Service Is Right For Me?

I have been blogging for about six months now and learning more and more as I go. Before this blog, I had zero experience or knowledge about publishing on the web and the issues that come along with that. One of the things that I have learned that is really important is having a good web hosting service. I have to admit, I didn't even know what a web hosting service was until after I was blogging. I was using one but didn't know what it was. The service I started with and still use is Blogspot.com. Basically I started with them because they are free and they make getting started easy. But, there are limits to what I can do here and sometimes I wonder if there is a better service out there with more options.  I have gotten to know some other bloggers and read about their problems with their web hosting service.  Two issues that come up often are down time and capacity. Lately, I've come across more and more blogs who are temporarily unavailable because the servers they are on are down or they have gone over their capacity limit. It's really disappointing to go to a favorite blog or website and find that they are unavailable because of these issues. And maybe they do not even realize right away that their pages cannot be viewed. 

I learned about this site online where you can find out about many web hosting services in one place. I can read web hosting reviews there and find out what real customers are saying about the services they have used.  That way, I can learn from other people's experiences whether bad or good, before making a decision. They also have a web hosting  blog there with lots of really informative articles posted for those who want to be more informed about the ins and outs of web hosting and what's going on in the industry. And it really is an industry. There is so much info in one place and it's all very readable and well-organized

Pssst . . . Baby Is Sleeping!

Yesterday, I was so busy going through one of our residents' closet. She's got tons of clothes that she no longer wears. Now, that Christmas is coming, she will be getting tons more from her family and friends. So, I took the unused and old ones out to donate to Goodwill.

Anyway, while I was doing that, Mahalia was on her exersaucer. She was playing with her balloon and at the same time watching Kids Praise. She was near the bedroom door. I was just a few feet from her. I was so preoccupied that I never noticed her getting so sleepy. When I looked, she was already out. Am I a terrible mother or what? I sure felt bad about it. Have you done something like this, moms out there?

My Horse Riding Experience

Twice I tried horse riding, but it was too hard for me. The first time was at our school fair. I almost fell off. That scared the daylights out of me! The second time around, I had so much fun. But, I was just riding along with a friend. 

If you belong to the horse-riding community, I found a great site where you can get some really good and helpful information. It is called TheEquestrianCorner.com. They also offer horse riding apparel and equipment that will help you have a safe and comfortable ride. All their products are of premium quality at affordable prices. They have a complete selection from english saddles to gifts, and many more. Ordering is easy and 100% secure. 

Don't forget . . . The Equestrian Corner, for all your horse riding needs, as well as your horse of course!

First Snow Of The Season

Every first snow of the season brings back a rather scary memory. Four years ago, I went shopping the day after Thanksgiving with a friend. We knew it was gonna snow later that day for the first time that year. But, somehow, it came a lot earlier than the forecast. Afraid of getting stranded, we headed home after about 15 minutes or so of heavy downpour. The roads were already slick by then. While driving, I kept my focus and tried to remember what my husband told me to do when it comes to slippery and tricky road conditions. Back then, we lived about 25 miles from the shopping area. When we were about 2 miles from home, I lost control of the vehicle. Apparently, I hit some ice and the car slid off the road. We landed on the ravine. If it wasn't for that big tree that stopped the car from going down further, we probably would have ended up in the lake. Boy, was that scary! Thank God we were ok, but not my 2-year old car. I totaled it! When the police officer came, who happened to be a good friend from church, he told us that he had already responded to three more accidents in the last few hours. One had two fatalities while the rest had some really bad injuries and were airlifted to the nearest big hospital. Then we found out later on that there were around 17,500+ accidents that same day alone all throughout Wisconsin due to the bad weather condition. Though I lost the car, I was grateful that God kept us safe from harm that day.

Invitation To Las Vegas

"How would you like to come to Las Vegas for a break?" A former colleague of mine who now lives in Las Vegas asked me this questions. She is an elementary school teacher there who is enjoying life as a single gal. I told her that I would love to since I have never been there. I am not into casinos, but I would love to see Las Vegas anyway. There's got to be more to Las Vegas than casinos. She laughed at me because she's a casino girl. 

Las Vegas is actually in my travel wish list. The only problem with her invitation is that she lives with her aunt and family. I don't think I would feel comfortable staying there. I  would probably have to find a hotel las vegas. I know there are many hotels there that are affordable and yet have very nice accommodation. 

Boy, this plan really sounds good. I hope it won't just be a plan, but would really come true. I sure could use a good break! 

Operating Our Own AFH

My husband and I have been operating an Adult Family Home for over three years now. Last month, the County did our re-certification. It was a lady on-the-job training who came to re-certify us.  As we expected, she was by-the-book. Good thing she was very nice about everything though. 

One of the major preparations that we had to do was to make sure all our insurances are up-to-date. We have to have so much liability insurance per rule. We shopped around quite a bit but could not find any insurance company that would give us that much coverage under our category. There was nothing we can do. The County finally agreed to what we got. This is an issue that has been encountered by other AFH operators, as well. We are also required to have our vehicles insured with a coverage that the County has set for us. This is very important. Otherwise, we would not be allowed to transport our clients in our vehicles. With that said, we shopped for a company that has cheap auto insurance plans and yet gives good coverage. I would like to think that we got a very good plan right now. If something better comes up, we will just have to switch. I am not sure though how easy that would be. Hubby would know better. He is really good at stuff like this. 

These are just some birds-eye view of what it takes to operate your own AFH. It isn't always a bed of roses, but fulfilling in some ways.

It's Christmassy Here

You will probably laugh at me for what I have been doing the past couple of days now. I have been busy putting up christmas decor around the house. Yes, I know . . . I know . . . I am not in the Philippines anymore. It is not a common practice here in the US. But, hey, I can't wait! Thankfully, Hubby is fine with it. He thinks it is cool and makes the house looks more cheerful. The kids are loving it, too! In the Philippines, it is nothing unusual to do this. As a matter of fact, we start decorating for christmas as soon as the "ber months" start. This is one of the many Filipino traditions that I am still holding on to. Last year, I started doing this after Thanksgiving, which I normally do. This year is different. I just can't seem to wait :). I will post pics here once I get the chance. How about you? When will you start decorating for Christmas?

House Repairs Almost Done

It's been seven weeks now since we started the repairs of the house that my husband and I purchased in the Philippines. I could not believe it is taking this long! I guess it was such in a bad shape that it needed a lot of repairing. The last time I saw pictures of it, it was looking great already. The outside was not painted then. Now, that it has been painted, it should look nicer. My parents should be moving in anytime soon. As far as I know, the work is almost done. It just needed some finishing touches. Tomorrow, a guy will come to get the measurements for the gate. They were told that it only takes a few days to get the gate done. I can't wait to see the house in person. Well, it wasn't a cheap project at all, like what we first thought. Prices of building materials have gone way up. Thank God for my in-laws who helped us in this project financially. A big thank you also to all the advertisers and companies I work with for giving me assignments. 

Colds, Colds, Go Away

It has been a loooong two days for us. My kids and I have been fighting colds for two days now. I don't have it as bad as the little ones, which is a plus. Otherwise, it would be a lot harder to take care of two little sickies if you yourself is hit badly. It's that time of the year when the weather starts turning cold and people tend to stay indoors more. 

The littlest is having the hardest time coping with this. She has trouble breathing which makes her cranky. Her appetite is also affected. It's already 3:40 in the afternoon and she only had 5 ounces of formula so far. She just won't take the bottle. Hubby called the clinic and is now waiting for the pediatrician to call back. 

Last night was pretty rough. It seemed like no position would make her comfortable. She probably woke up 3 or 4 times. We finally had to transfer her to our bed so she would go back to sleep. Hopefully, she will sleep better tonight and get over this colds soon. We could all use a break!

She Is A Joy

She sure is! I am talking about my little girl, Mahalia, who will turn 11 months this Friday. The other night, I was pretty upset about something. Though she is still a baby, she has a pretty sensitive spirit. She came closer to me and sat on my lap. With her sweetest voice, she whispered saying, "Mama . . . Mama . . . Mama". Yes, three times with an irresistibly sweet smile on her face. I kind of ignored her for a while there. Since she did not get the response she was probably hoping for, she leaned closer to me and kissed me on my cheek and nose. She kept giving me kisses until I responded to her. I just melted! 

My little girl is so sweet and so precious. Of course, my big boy, too! He is a good big brother to Mahalia. She calls him "Kuya" which means "Big Brother" in my native language. My, I still could not find the exact words to describe how blessed we are to have one of each, a boy and a girl. They are truly a blessing from God! Because I married in my mid thirties, I thought I would never have kids anymore. Thank God He opened my womb and gave us these two very precious little ones.

Presidential Election Day

The much awaited day has finally come for Americans to cast their votes. Hubby voted early today right after dropping our son off at school. I hope you, too, will go out to vote and let your voices be heard on this very important election.  Exercise your freedom to vote and yes, Vote Wisely!!!

My Son's Favorite Wagon

When I had my firstborn, he was showered with tons of gifts by friends and family. One of the gifts he got was this Red Radio Flyer Kids Wagon that grandma and grandpa gave him. Such a neat little wagon, which became one of his favorites. He loved to ride in that wagon and cruised around the neighborhood. 

If you are thinking of a perfect gift this Christmas for that precious little one in your life, this is definitely an A1 gift! You can order this online at simplyuniquebabygifts.com. Right now, it is priced at $179.95. Why pay the retail price of $219.95 somewhere else when you can get it cheaper? Plus, shipping is FREE! This is just one of the kids wagons that they carry. They've got many more styles and models to choose from. Additionally, they sell all kinds of baby gifts that are simply unique. Make your baby and kids shopping easy with Simply Unique Baby Gifts!

Where I Stand On This Presidential Election

Somebody asked me in one of my posts whether or not I can vote. I can't! I am not a US citizen and I have no plans of becoming one yet. Maybe in the future I will consider that option. We'll see. Since I was also asked who I would vote for if I can vote, well, my husband and I will vote for McCain.  If you want to know more about our stand on this election and why, please visit my husband's blogs at www.thenightiscoming.com and www.lifewithrog.com. Enjoy reading his posts! Comment, if you may.

Halloween

Last Friday, my son did not want to go to school for the reason that it was Halloween and they are gonna have a Halloween Party in school. He is only in Kindergarten, but he has his own mind. When we got the letter about their school's Halloween Party, we asked him what he thinks about it and if he would like to participate. To our surprise he didn't want to. He said that he does not care about Halloween and all the ugly stuff that comes along with it. Well,  I don't blame him! Way to go, my son! He did want to go to the Prince of Peace Party in our church that night. 

Pray and Vote Tuesday, November 4th!!

If you are like me you probably have spent many hours sifting through the assortment of emails and news reports of all the concerns and warnings regarding this Presidential election. There are so many people across this nation whose hearts are so burdened for the future of our country and this upcoming election on Tuesday.

One thing stands out clear concerning the real legacy of our next President. His real legacy won't be the economy or the war, but the Supreme Court. The next President of the United States will appoint at least 2 and maybe 3 Justices in his first term. If he serves two terms, it could be 5 Justices - there are 5 of the 9 on the court 70 years old or older! Since the trend is to appoint younger Justices, the next President will most likely shape the Court for the next 30-40 years! This means that we are not voting only for a President, we are voting for the Court we want for the next generation! The vote we cast on November 4th will do more to shape the culture we give our children and grandchildren than any other vote of our lifetime!

Without question, no institution, organization, or agency, has shaped the current culture of America in the last 50 years more than the Supreme Court! You don't need millions of people, the majority in Congress or the President to shape the culture of America. You only need 5 people - the majority of the Supreme Court! Five people can permit millions of unborn babies to be killed, can legalize homosexual marriages, remove parental rights, put God out of schools and government and rob us of our godly heritage.

If you don't know where the candidates stand on the Court and dthe kind of Justices they would appoint, read the USA Today, October 24, 2008 article. It makes their positions very clear.

We must pray like never before for God's will to be done in this election. Here's some thoughts concerning praying for the election:

1.) Repent for your personal sins and the sins of our nation. 2 Chronicle 7:14

2.) Pray that any deception would be exposed. 1 Corinthians 4:5

3.) Pray that righteousness would be exalted. Proverbs 14:34

Remember : Politicians are not our hope. God is our provider and help. We do not fear, but trust in the living God. It is our responsibility to pray, to be informed, and to VOTE!

A message from Pastor Virgil Amundson

Senior Pastor, SLFG, WI

Published by permission