Plans Derailed

If you were to ask me if I was a planner at first I would say no. The reason is because I don't plan long term things. My calender, and brain, can only go one month out...max! I do however like to have a routine for the day, aka plans. I like structure and consistency in my home. I like to know what I am making for dinner the day before it comes. So when summer was coming to an end and I was making plans for the coming school year I got very excited. I found fun lunch and snack ideas for Broderick, morning routine including healthy breakfast, making beds, brushing teeth and Bible time with the kids, after school routine including relaxing, chores, homework, and playing, what days I would clean, grocery shop, and hang out with friends. I could not wait to get these things started. I knew that the first couple of weeks I would need to be super patient with Broderick due to him adjusting to all day school so I didn't have to high expectations for the after school part and knew we would ease into that! You might be thinking one of two things: That sounds great, how is it working out or You are crazy why do you like routine? I don't have an answer to the 2nd question. But to the first question...it hasn't been happening. It all sounds good and looks good on paper, but this whole situation with my leg has kinked things. We heard a message at church a couple of weeks ago on planning. You can go here and listen to it. It was really good, but I left and didn't really feel like a was a planner. Boy was I wrong. Just because I plan day by day doesn't make me any less of a planner. I have been learning that I need to take each day at a time. And while it is good for me to have some sort of structure in place I need to learn that it is okay to be flexible also. I still try to do all the things mentioned above but realize it is not the end of the world if my kids eat cereal every morning for breakfast or watch 2 shows instead of one after school it is okay. We are muddling through this life and trusting the Lord with each day.

This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad.
Psalm 118:24

The sun is NOT my friend!

Last week I had 2 moles removed. One on my back and one on my lower leg. I unfortunately found out yesterday that the one on my leg was melanoma. Today I am going back to the doctor for them to remove more skin off my leg to make sure it is all gone and does not come back. You might be asking yourself, what is melanoma? How serious is it? Do I need to be checked? Thanks to the nice dermatologist I got sent home with a book called, "If you are concerned about melanoma." So I have all the answers for you.
First: What is melanoma? Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. (There are 3 types - basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. Basil cell is the most common in fair skinned persons, squamous cell is the second most common in fair skinned people, melanoma is more serious type of cancer than the other two. There are all different types of melanoma. I have superficial spreading melanoma, the most common type. This type travels along the top layer of the skin for quite some time before it spreads to deeper layers. (I knew a year ago I needed to have my mole checked out.) It usually looks like a flat or slightly raised discolored patch with irregular borders. It's colors can be black, blue, brown, tan, red or white. (Mine was flat, dark and very irregular, but small.) In women, they are most often located on the legs. But are also common on your upper back. (Where both of mine were.)
Second: How serious is it? Due to mine being in the upper layers of my epidermis it is not that serious. If I would have let it go, it could have spread to my lymphatic system. That is why the first thing the doctor said to me was, "Removing those moles could have saved your life."
Third: Should you be checked out? ABSOLUTELY!!! I know we all love to be tan, because fat looks better tanned. But this is the only skin you are going to get. Go to the dermatologist, if you need a recommendation I can give you one, be checked and wear sun screen!
All that to say, I go back today and get more removed off my leg - which I am NOT looking forward to! I have to go be checked every 4 months and get more moles removed. I am not going to lie, I was very scared yesterday. After talking to the doctor and reading my book I feel a little better. I just know that now I need to be extra careful!

The Great Outdoors

Camping is something Rob and I both grew up doing and still love to do. Grant it, we don't go often at all, but we do love to do it and are excited to make it a regular part of our family. I think back to my childhood and I have great memories of camping. This weekend we went camping with my mom and step dad. Now what they do I don't know if I would call it camping or not. They have a camper. Either way...we had a great time! Rob and I slept in the tent and the kids of course thought it was great fun to sleep in the camper. We had such beautiful weather! It was nice and cool during the day and chilly at night! Great weather to put on some comfy clothes and cozy up by a campfire.

A little family time around the fire!

We went out on the boat Saturday which was a little chilly, if you can't tell.

And of course we ate s'mores, mountain pies, and a ton of junk food. My mom got these marshmallows as big as your head! Broderick could barely get it into his mouth. Too funny!

My favorite things about camping:
S'mores
Feeling like time just slows down
Playing board games
Being outside
Going on walks
Looking at the stars
Sitting by the fire with just my hubby and talking
Watching my kids entertain themselves with sticks
Eating...A LOT
Sleeping outside
Bug spray
No TV, video games, computer
(We kind of cheated this weekend. My mom and step dad have a TV which we did not really watch. I told you, I don't know if what they do you can classify as camping. And we do have cell phones with Internet.)

We had a wonderful time and I really can not wait to go again!

Preschool, oh, Preschool

This little darling of mine LOVES school. I think she asked me everyday over the summer when school started again. Well, on Monday her wish came true. If you can't tell my the picture she was super excited! We picked out her clothes the night before...her choosing of course. I tried to take her shopping last week for a new outfit to wear which went a little something like this:
"Carys, I am going to pick out a few choices in the store for you and you can pick from those."
"Okay mommy."
I picked out about 3 outfits and showed them to her.
"I don't like any of those."
"Ok...let's try a different store."
We walk in another store and she sees an outfit, that is long sleeved and pants, and her eyes and big and she gets a huge smile on her face! All the while I am thinking that is the ugliest outfit in this store and it is way more than I want to spend.
"Carys, that is a winter outfit and it will be warm the first day of school. We are not getting that one. "
"Fine. I am not getting anything you pick out then."
Really!? I mean, really!? How old are you again, because if I wasn't looking at you I would think you were 13! Needless to say we left with nothing after that sweet comment and she had to pick something out of her closet!

Don't let that sweet face fool you...she has lots of sass! Anyway, she has the same teacher Broderick had when he was in 4 yr old preschool. She is amazing and I can't wait for the year to get underway. Carys had a great first day and was so excited to go back again today! I pray God blesses her with a great year of growing in him and learning lots of new things.