[life] Those Teeth Are GONE! #22

22. Get my wisdom teeth out (umm TOTALLY DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS but I know I have to... at least according to my dentist, psh) ICK ICK ICK.
Completed January 17th, 2013

I did it, I did it! Oh yeah, yeah, yeah! (picture Marlin from "Finding Nemo" singing)

I was so anxious and terrified about having my wisdom teeth removed: not so much about the procedure, but about the anesthesia (like I told you about here). But the anesthesia wasn't bad at all!

I went back into the room, they reviewed everything with me, and then stuck the IV needle in my hand without the medicine. I told them I was anxious, so they reassured me that it would be very natural and I would feel my eyes get heavy, as if I had just taken a Tylenol PM or something. As soon as they did put the meds in the IV, they laid me back and started putting gauze in my mouth and the breathing thing in my nose. About 5 seconds after they put the meds in the IV, I felt my left shoulder go numb. WEIRD FEELING. It was strange because the IV was in my right hand, but I felt it first in my left shoulder. Hmm. Anyways, my eyes starting blinking very slowly, and THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER is being sat down in a chair in the recovery room (an hour and a half later). Whaaatt!!!

I was of sound mind when I "woke up", although they said I walked down the hall from the operating room to the recovery room- don't remember that! My mouth was full of gauze, but I asked them if I was rude when I woke up and they said no (before I went to sleep, I apologized in advance in case I did something crazy because I've never had anesthesia before... but I was a good girl, I guess)! They laid me back in the recovery chair and brought in Nate to sit with me and they explained everything to him. I remember all of that, but still was kind of fuzzy. I told him to take a picture of me:

Mouth full of gauze. And apparently I got cold during the procedure, so they covered me with a blanket. I have a heart monitor on my finger and a blood pressure cuff on my arm, and the taped part of my hand is where the IV was. I was able to leave about 20 minutes later to go home, and my mom had come in town to stay with us as well! So nice of her.

I stayed in bed all day Thursday and Friday. Thursday, as my numbing-ness (?) started wearing off, my mouth/ears started to hurt, so they brought me ice. I'm also on three types of meds (pain killer, one for infections, and one for swelling) plus a mouth wash, so my stomach has been queasy at times as well. And I can't really eat anything yet... I've had Jell-O, ice cream, milk shakes, mashed potatoes, and tiny bites of french toast, roast w/toast, and macaroni and cheese (all little bites and covered with syrup or gravy to make them soggy). I'm ready to be able to open my mouth fully again!

By Saturday, my mom had left because I hadn't really felt bad, wasn't in a lot of pain, and had no swelling. We are all very surprised at how well I'm doing! After she left, Nate and I decided to get out of the house to go shopping and walk around (an hour away: big mistake). I felt so nauseous from the car ride and then walking around, I was pretty dizzy. So on the car ride home, I laid my seat down all the way and tried to sleep. I didn't get sick, but I hate when my stomach feels like that!

 

So I am home from church today getting another day of rest. We don't have school tomorrow, but we have a retreat and a work day, so not sure if I'll make it to that either. All in all, after hearing everyone else's horror stories (some positive though) about their wisdom teeth extractions, I am so glad that mine is done and it wasn't that bad! I go back Thursday for a follow up, and hopefully my stitches will be gone by then. But thank you to everyone who prayed for me: I am proof that if you are terrified about anesthesia, it will be FINE! Thank you Lord for carrying me through!

Happy Sunday!

"Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 106:1

[life] Wisdom Teeth

So... I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed tomorrow.

Yeah.

It's on my 30 before 30 list, so at least I can nix that out tomorrow!

But to be honest, I am pretty nervous. Not about the actual procedure, I trust that they know what they're doing. I'm sure the pain afterwards will hurt, but I have all my medicine for that. However... I have never had an IV/anesthesia before, and it blows my mind that a needle in your arm can administer medicine to make you relaxed and then fall asleep within seconds. Seconds. SECONDS. WHAT.

So... short post tonight, but if you are awake around 6:45/7am tomorrow, could you say a prayer for me? For nerves to calm... for peace... for anxiety to go away... And that I'll actually be a grown up? Ha! I keep telling myself it's not that big of a deal. Trying to convince myself, the good ol' self pep talk. We'll see how it goes! No posts until I am of sound mind... I'll be on pain meds too. Haha!

Happy Wednesday!

 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

[make] Valentine's Candle Jars

I have never really decorated for Valentine's before, but there are just TOO many adorable ideas on Pinterest to not try even just one! I was inspired by this Valentine jar from The Pleated Poppy: she decorated with a doily and twine, but I took it a bit further with patterned paper, burlap, and lace.

After this adorable project, I am now loving the decorating for all holidays... Yes, I am now one of those people! But before you get nervous, no I'm not going to go all out like I do at Christmas, Halloween, during the Fall... Just a few touches of pink-y love here and there for Valentine's Day. See what I mean?

As I shared last week, I just recently made a runner for our kitchen island. I used some Mason jars I had lying around and put tea lights in them to add some "flair" to our island. They are so cute: however, they have been the first ones hit up for Valentine's decor! See what I did below.

Scrapbook paper folded in half: I drew half of a heart, then cut on the line to make the perfect heart (I could've used my Silhouette to cut out the hearts, but this was just as easy, if not easier).

 

My plain Mason jars were then hit up with burlap... just use a hot glue gun to secure the burlap snugly around the glass. 

 

 

I used pink and white lace scraps my Grandma gave to me last year. No rhyme or reason, just mix and match colors with sizes and hot glue to the paper. I then used sheer pink and brown ribbon to secure the heart/lace to the burlap (no gluing the heart to the burlap: that now leaves me lots of options for other holidays)! I love how the sheer ribbon isn't noticeable and therefore your attention is on the heart.

 

Pretty, pretty.

What do you think? I love their subtle glow once they are lit, and the hearts/burlap/lace combination is lovely! Perfect for a season of love. So, now it's your turn. Do you decorate for Valentine's? Share please!

Happy Monday! T-minus three days until my wisdom teeth extraction... Yikes!

"And these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

See where I link up: Monday Made it @ 4th Grade Frolics, Blog Hop @ Naptime Review, Tips & Tricks @ Stringtown Home, What I Whipped Up Wednesday @ Sugar and Dots, Craft-O-Manic Monday @ Craft-O-Manic, Link Party @ Uncommon, Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts, Show Me What Ya Got Linky Party @ Not JUST A Housewife, {Wow Me Wednesday} @ Ginger Snap Crafts, Link Party @ Destination: Craft, The Creative Spark @ Clean & Scentsible, Before & After Party @ Thrifty Decor Chick, Weekend Wrap-Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello, What I Wore Wednesday @ The Pleated Poppy

[dwell] Living Room Rug: Help Me Choose!

One of my goals this year is to purchase a rug that actually FITS our living room. Our living room is rectangular shaped: I wouldn't call it huge, but it's pretty big. However, we only have a 4x6 rug from Ikea on the floor. Embarrassing. I mean, it's been fine for the time being (almost three years... yikes), but we really want the space to feel more cozy, and we think a large rug will do just that!

Here are three of my favorites, all of which are from Urban Outfitters. And they're pretty reasonably priced: a)which is a surprise coming from Urban, and b)for 8x10 rugs, which are usually ridiculously expensive, yet the size we need for our space.

This zigzag rug is fantastic! Love the soft gray and white. I believe the 8x10 rug would be $169. Not too shabby for a rug this size!

I like the navy in this rug: and the herringbone pattern is so pretty: subtle, yet full of oomph! The 8x10 rug would be $199.

I think this pattern is so sophisticated and sleek. And again, the soft gray would be a beautiful choice (our current 4x6 rug is gray). So pretty! This is on sale for $169, woot!

Which is your favorite? Help me decide! I'm leaning towards either of the grays because we are used to that color already. But which pattern?! Or should I take a chance with the navy? Decisions, decisions. Too much of a good thing. What does your living room rug look like? Or do you have wall-to-wall carpet?

Happy Thursday!

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." Psalm 91:4

[wiww] What I Wore Wednesday

So I'm still getting lots of wear out of my Christmas/birthday gifts, plus my favorite necklace from a local boutique, and my favorite boots from Payless (circa 3 years ago). Sorry for some repeats: oops!

 

Green shirt: Forever 21

Necklace: Local boutique

Boots: Payless

Jeans: Forever 21

 

Blue shirt: Charming Charlie's

Jeans: Forever 21

Boots: Payless

Necklace: Forever 21

 

Shirt: Old Navy

Necklace: Forever 21

Purple pants: Walmart (I KNOW)

Boots: Payless

 

[My comfy outfit when I just.wasn't.feeling.work]

Black slacks: no idea, I have had them forever

Black flats: Famous Footwear (Rocketfish)

Long Sweater: Target

Lace top: Charming Charlie's

Necklace: Local boutique

Happy Wednesday! Linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy!

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

[teach] Brain Breaks

Kindergarteners are antsy. There just isn't another word to describe it. They can't sit still for too long or be without something engaging. Gotta love the mind of a five and six year old!

To reign this in, we use "brain breaks" at our school, roughly every 20 minutes (or at least, we aim for 20 minutes), to give the kids a break from what they are doing. In college, it was called a "state changer". It shifts their attention and gives their brain a chance to rest and recharge. We use the Conscious Discipline program, which talks about this in further detail.

Brain breaks can look like a variety of things:
-Stretching (head/shoulders/knees/toes/change it up every time, the order and/or speed)
-Rubbing ears
-Breathing three times (we have fun, silly breathing techniques: the exhale should be longer than the inhale)
-Singing/dancing with audio only or audio plus a video
-Moving locations
-Many, many more

I wanted to share three fun videos I have "pinned" on Pinterest that have been used in my classroom: mainly so they will be on one page. These are YouTube videos, so click the link to go to their YouTube page to find more fun songs! My kiddos have so much fun with these. Enjoy!

 

 

Happy Tuesday!

"Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp." Psalm 149:3

[make] Island Runner

 

We finally took down (most of) our Christmas decorations this past week/weekend. The house looks so sad and empty now! But it needed to be done and I am glad it's behind me! Putting it all up is the fun part... taking it down is just the worst. Ugh. But I digress.

Once I removed my Christmas-y centerpiece/decor for our kitchen island, it looked so sad. Empty. Just blah.  It needs to be functional for setting things on during meal time or unloading groceries, but I also want it to be pretty while I'm walking by it the other 90% of the time. (And there is a red stain on it from Christmas... just ignore that. I tried a Magic Eraser... nothing. Any ideas?)

Luckily, I had some extra fabric from our entryway curtains that I had to cut down (they were waaayyyy too long). It was the perfect length for a runner! And it has the same green color that the kitchen backsplash is painted in, so double whammy. Here's what I did:

Cut. Pin. Sew. Iron. Lay out. Decorate with mason jars and tea lights! Easy and simple, yet effective. And it matches the kitchen walls! Win win. Since these photos were taken, I have also added some of our prettier cook books on the right side, along with a jar of cookies. You have to have them easily accessible! And by the way, please ignore my messy kitchen in the background :)

Happy Monday! Four more days until Friday: you can do it!

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

See where I link up: Monday Made it @ 4th Grade Frolics, Blog Hop @ Naptime Review, Tips & Tricks @ Stringtown Home, What I Whipped Up Wednesday @ Sugar and Dots, Craft-O-Manic Monday @ Craft-O-Manic, Link Party @ Uncommon, Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts, Show Me What Ya Got Linky Party @ Not JUST A Housewife, {Wow Me Wednesday} @ Ginger Snap Crafts, Link Party @ Destination: Craft, The Creative Spark @ Clean & Scentsible, Before & After Party @ Thrifty Decor Chick, Weekend Wrap-Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello, What I Wore Wednesday @ The Pleated Poppy 

[new.blog] Journey to Mrs. Caudle

Hello friends! Just wanted to pop in and let you know that my friend Holly started a blog!

She is such a sweetheart: a 1st grade teacher, crafter, and currently wedding planning for her upcoming nuptials! Head to her blog, Journey to Mrs. Caudle, and follow her! You will love reading all about her classroom, crafts, and wedding things!

Happy weekend!

[love] "It's The Holiday Season!" Recap

"and Santa Claus has got a toy for every good girl and good little boy..."

Gotta love Christmas music (and I am SO sad it is off the radio)!

Nate and I had a wonderful Christmas holiday! We spent a week out of town driving back and forth between Dallas (my family) and Tyler (his family), which are both about 4 hours from our house. It was a wonderful week catching up with friends, family, playing games, shopping, staying up very late, and eating delicious food!

Nate and I also celebrated our birthdays! Our birthdays are four days apart with Christmas Eve and Christmas in between, so it is a c-r-a-z-y five days, in all, for the celebrations! But we wouldn't have it any other way... although fingers crossed we have a baby in a month other than December! Of course, we would be fine with it- but you know what I am saying.

Here are some (er, a million) pictures from our wonderful holiday, celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior! Welcome to our world, baby Jesus!

Road trip! Chloe in her pajamas. Yep, we're those dog owners.

Oliver in his Santa suit!

The pups being introduced to Clara, our three month old niece! Adorable.

They matched in plaid! So cute. Love that big ol' bow!

She's such a good baby. Doesn't mind being passed around!

We built a gingerbread house with our nephew (4 year old), Wyatt! So fun!

Look at that face!

Okay, if you know our pups, you know this picture is impossible. They are both laying down, being still and quiet, amidst the chaos of opening gifts. Wow. We were so proud!

Nate with his grandparents!

Nate and his brother being goofy, laughing about a gift.

The wholeeee gang (from Nate's mom's side): love them and I am so blessed to have married into a wonderful group of people who love one another and put Christ first in their families. So blessed!

Family photo op!

Now to Dallas: a WHITE CHRISTMAS! Forgive my hair, Yikes. Thanks snowy wind.

 

My hair is under control once inside. Geez. And the pups are modeling their new sweaters that Santa left them at my parents' house!

 

The pups experiencing snow! Chloe saw/played in snow three years ago, but this was Oliver's first time (at least with us: we adopted him when he was 8 months old) in snow!

 

Opening, in my mom's' words, "little gifts" because our big gift IS A CRUISE IN APRIL!!! YEAAHHH! So excited! But they cheated and got us presents anyways: we had agreed no presents so we could all save $$$ for the cruise! Sneaky folks.

Birthday time! Me with my best friend, Emily, at Benihana, the birthday tradition for mine and Nate's birthdays every year. YUM. I know it's a chain restaurant, but seriously their filet mignon is amazing.

Us with our daddy's (mine sitting by me, hers sitting by her). We took a picture with our mom's too, but it came out all blurry. Ugh. Love this picture of the four of us though!

Back at my parents house for cookie cake (another tradition for mine and Nate's birthdays)! Emily is back with us, along with Scott & Sam, the newlyweds, and mine and Nate's best friends! Scott is a youth minister, so he and Nate share the ministry bond. Sam and I love to craft/create together and share ministry wife stories with one another. We treasure their friendship! If only they didn't live four hours away! 

So these pictures aren't in order... but look at me with my honey! He's so cute!

And back at the house... best friends!

Make a wish: Happy Birthday to us!

Love us! And Nate and Emily like each other, I promise.

Before we left town, my mom's family came over for chili and a game night. After all the aunts/uncles left, my cousins stayed and we played Boggle! Nate and I had never played: we all had a blast and stayed up until after 1am! Love nights like that with family and friends!

Are you still reading? A million pictures, I know! We had a wonderful time. Love when we are able to get together with family and friends! So how was your holiday? Busy? Travel plans? Do tell.

Happy weekend!

 "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." 2 Corinthians 13:14