Music Monday-George Strait

So I'm hoping to get back to my usual Music Monday posts!! This week's song is by George Strait: The Breath You Take. I thought it was a great song and I love country music...and plus it goes along perfect with CF and lung transplants!

Enjoy! I'm sure many of you have heard this song already! Remember that life is not about the breaths you take, but about the moments that take your breath away. I know i've had many of these moments, especially since my transplant! And I'm so blessed to be able to experience these special moments. With the holidays her, keep that in mind!

This video is from the recent CMA awards. The lyrics are not in it. But here is the lyrics to the chorus:

"Life's not the breaths you take
The breathing in and out
That gets you through the day
Ain't what it's all about
Ya just might miss the part
Life's not the breaths you take
But the moments that take your breath away"

Random

This is a very random comment....

I figured out a way to make me take a quick shower and not linger.....have a cockroach on the celing above you :)

I HATE bugs...especially cockroaches. I spent the whole time talking to the cockroach while in the shower making sure he wasn't moving any closer to me.

Sorry...I know that was completely random :)

On another note...we have fall Break this week. We get a whopping 1 day off of school. It's technically 2 days, but we are always off on Fridays. This doesn't mean no studying...just no classes. And my Thursday is already booked with appointments. I have my mid-term evaluation with my clinical instructor. I also have a CFF Meeting.

I travel to transplant clinic tomorrow. My health has been holding up, but over the last week or so, I feel like I'm going downhill. I've also started to spike low grade fevers over the last few days. I'm also extremely SOB and more tired than usual. So I'm leaving class early tomorrow (which is a 1st) so I can get to clinic in time. They only have transplant clinic Wednesdays and most of the time they are done by 12 noon. I have to go at 6:00 am to get labwork and chest xray. Then I'm going back to class at 8am until about 10:00 am then hopefully be over at the hospital/clinic by 10:15. Thankfully campus is right next to UAB Hospital, where my transplant center is. And thankfully our instructors are not teaching us anything new tomorrow in skills lab since we are off on Fridays. We are just reviewing what we learned last time. So...I'm hanging on by a string, and I still think it's awesome and feel blessed that I have not been in the hospital since January. I plan to keep that going...but may need a boost of something. I never knew how stressful and exhausting this would be!

I still have the 3 fractures in my foot. They discovered at my last appointment that I have 2 stress fractures instead of 1. I don't really have any pain, but my ortho doc said it would take 6-8 more weeks to heal (and that was 3 weeks ago).

I'm sorry I'm lacking on blogging. Today is the 1st day I've sat and watched TV for a few hours...and that's only because I skipped my morning class and they let us leave early from our afternoon class.

I started watching the news coverage of the Chilean (is that spelled right?) Mine Rescue. I had no earthly idea this had happened. I told my Mom that I need a current event review every few weeks because I never get to watch the news...lol! Isn't this rescue amazing!!

I will post a report from my clinic appointment tomorrow!!

Do you Have Substance?

Sarah, over at Stand Tall Through Everything has given me a very honorable and sweet blog award. She has awarded me the “Blog With Substance” award. Thank you Sarah. You are an awesome person and have such a strong and positive attitude, despite life's challenges. I really admire your strength!






As part of my acceptance post, I’m supposed to sum up my blogging philosophy, experience, and motivation in 5 words. So here they are:

Awareness
Inspirational
Passion
Resourceful
Fun

Now I am going to give the “Blog With Substance” award to other blogs that I really like and enjoy reading. I find these blogs very informative and filled with "substance" (no matter what it is). The "authors" of these blogs are amazing. So it's definitely worth a visit!

Katelyn Elaine : I am so glad we "met" and quickly became blogger friends. She is always very encouraging and inspirational. Her blog is filled with all kinds of substance!!! Her life always sounds interesting and I really enjoy reading her blog!

Brandi at Every Breath I Take: Brandi and I are friends in real life as well as "blogger world." I love hanging out with her and she really puts an effort into making a difference in the CF Community. Her blog provides resourceful information, but I also really enjoy just reading about her "life." She always has a story to tell and loves to travel!

Michelle at A Cure 4 Lil' Chris: Michelle is an awesome Mom and documents pretty much everything on her blog (like a diary, but with pictures). Her kids are precious. Ever since her son was diagnosed with CF, she has become a huge advocate and is really involved in the CF Community. She loves interacting in the CF Community and Blogger World. Michelle will post informational and resourceful things on her blog, as well as fun things her two little kids are doing! Definitely stop by her blog!

Ronnie at Run, Sickboy, Run: Talk about substance, Ronnie has it all! From information and resourceful posts regarding CF, to stories about his daily life and newlywed life, his life experiences, and much more. Ronnie really tries to be a role model and motivator for those with CF or those families with CF. He has really taken a huge step and is now making a huge impact in the CF Community. But he also shares fun stories from his life that are non-CF related. Definitely give Ronnie a visit! His blog is FULL FULL of substance!

Thanks again Sarah for this blog award!

Checking In....

So much for the idea of posting more often :) I've actually been pretty busy despite being on a break from school right now! I have had tons and tons of babysitting jobs, which has been great!!!

I thought I would share this interesting little bit of info....I woke up last Wednesday with a swollen right foot. And when I say swollen, I mean major swollen. You couldn't even see my ankle bone, nor feel it. It was swollen on the top of my foot, and on the left side and underneath of the leg. I was like, what is the heck is going on. I didn't think much of it til later that afternoon, when my Dad urged me to call my TX coordinator. So I did that, and she told me to watch it and call her the next day. And to keep it elevated as much as possible. Usually the causes of swelling are: infection, injury, or blood clot. So the next day, it was a lot better when I woke up, but got worse gradually throughout the day (after I had already called my coordinator). I was already going to the doc Friday morning for some lab work, and she had told me to call her when I was done with an update on the foot. I told her how it had gotten worse the day before and it was a lot worse Friday morning. So we opted to do a xray and ultrasound. We really didn't think it was an infection, because the swelling site wasn't red, and my WBC count was normal. It wasn't injury...and she didn't think it was a blood clot, but wanted to make sure. So after waiting for about 4.5 hrs, I finally got the ultrasound and xray.

My coordinator called me several times Friday afternoon....first with a report that nothing was wrong, and they would just do lasix to try and remove the fluid. Then she called me back after my TX doc had reviewed the report and said I did have a blood clot. However, it was a superficical blood clot and not a deep thrombosis, which are the ones that can travel to your lung and heart and block off blood supply. Thank goodness. It was in my right calf vein, and the treatment is warm compresses and elevation, but to also not be immobile...to resume normal activity. Because immobility is usually a cause (although I definitely had not been immobile). So anyway..the swelling is almost completely gone as of today. Hopefully it has dissolved for the most part. Just thought I would share that with you. I haven't had any swelling since right after my transplant, due to fluid buildup/steroids. SO....be careful, and if you ever get swelling like that all of a sudden....get it checked out!

Will post again soon!! I am staying busy gearing up for our Great Strides Walk this Saturday.

I hope everyone is having a great week. Please keep my friend Tony in your prayers, as he is fighting for his life. He is a CFer and was transplanted last July. He has been fighting a bad infection/bacteria since November, and has just taken a turn for he worse.

Take Your CF Deductions!!!!!

Join KnowCF members members LouLou, VMHoward and Julie in their first video conversation about Taxes and CF! I have not listened to this video yet, but based on the topics covered, I am very interested. I highly recommend checking this out, as a lot of CFers and CF family members are not familiar of what they can and can't deduct on their taxes related to CF!

**Moms/Dads**....definitely check this out if you are unfamiliar of what you can deduct! Look at the Nutrition and the Back at Home topics below!

This topical video series (three segments) focuses on United States tax law and deductions that may be allowed for health reasons. This engaging team has worked hard for your benefit, doing extensive research, sharing their stories, and designing a meticulous yet simple-to-grasp spreadsheet for you to model as you organize your own savings possibilities.

Three of the KnowCF e-Patient members, Lauren, Victoria and Julie have organized information on CF healthcare costs and tax deductions. These Health Opinion Leaders (HOLs) explain which expenses qualify for deduction and how to track expenses. They have created roughly fifteen minutes of engaging and polished footage on this very valuable topic.

These are the topics they will cover: (I have not listed every single topic and question. You can visit the website for more information and details)

1. What sort of medical expenses are deductible?

2. What is AGI or adjustable gross income, and how do I know if I should itemize or just take the standard deduction? How much do I need to have in deductions in order to be able to use them?

3. Can a caregiver use these deductions too?

4. What about special equipment and materials for cleaning my nebulizers?

5. What about things we wouldn’t be doing if it weren’t for CF, such as special disinfecting cleaning products and HEPA filters for indoor air purification?

NUTRITION:
6. Obviously healthy people eat food, how do I know what I can attribute to CF?

9. Are my vitamins deductible?

8. My child drinks nutritional drinks recommended by the doctor. Are those 100% deductible, or must a percentage be deducted that would not be attributable to CF

EXERCISE:
11. Is there a way to deduct my gym membership?

CF CLINIC:
12. the travel to my CF center deductible? Can I deduct miles to and from the doctor?

13. Can I deduct anything related to my transplant?

14. What about when my child is inpatient, can I deduct visitation mileage, parking, hotel and food?

BACK AT HOME:
15. Are home improvements deductible? / Can I claim home improvements that I made as a deduction?

16. Can I deduct the cost of trash?

17. How do I deduct electricity?

Click here to visit the KnowCF website! I personally have never come across this resource website. It branched from the CysticFibrosis.com Website. It looks like it can be very beneficial.

ACCESS - SHARE - GAIN AWARENESS

Another Weekend-Wrap Up

Once again, I haven't had much time for blogging. Therefore, I'm doing a wrap-up post, updating from the last week or so.

This week was my spring break. I had 2 goals: catch-up/get ahead on my school work, and do some scrapbooking. Unfortunately, #2 goal didn't happen. The first goal was partly accomplished. This week flew by so quickly, and I wish I was so much more ahead in my school work/studying.

I did several CFF volunteer stuff this past week as well. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday involved meetings regarding CF Great Strides. Friday also included speaking at our Children's Hospital Child Life Services Retreat. Myself and our local CFF director presented at this retreat. Then afterwards, we met and discussed more on Great Strides. I also attended a bridal tea on Saturday, and babysat multiple times since last weekend. So all-in-all, it has been a busy last few weeks.

Time is definitely flying by, and the end of the semester is drawing near....which means one thing: I better get on a roll and study my heart out so I can do really well on the last few remaining exams. YIKES!

A Health Update: things have been going pretty well. This weekend hasn't been the best however. I'm really hoping I'm not getting sick. I'm only 2 weeks out from my TOBI, so my only option would be to start the inhaled Colistin. I'm going to give it a few more days and see how I feel. My back pain has been going back and forth. I also started exercising...YAY! I'm really trying my best to keep it up. I've also been making myself drink water, as I don't really put forth much effort to accomplish that on a daily basis. I know my body needs lots and lots of it, so I'm trying extra hard to drink 1 bottle per day (I use to drink 1 bottle per 2 weeks). I did get in some good sleep this week, which as helped my energy level some.

In other news...my curtains (valences) are finally up in my room!!! Also, the manufacturing company that makes the decorative stool I bought at Home Goods is willing to ship me one from their warehouse in California. She is charging me the same retail price plus shipping. I was surprised she offered that to me, since they are a wholesale company. She checked all the local stores and no one carried the product nor had ordered on the next shipping cycle. So I think I'm going to accept her offer! I will post a picture soon that shows the valences and everything together (my bed isn't made currently...lol).

This coming week includes a project due for my Nutrition Class, classes, another CF speech, another CFF meeting for Great Strides, an Auburn Singers Concert for my cousin, and 2 PT appointments for my back.

A few more things....today is Brandi's birthday....so head on over to her blog and give her some birthday love!

Have you voted for Jada Bug? Click here to vote! Only 8 days left! And you can vote once each day!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Once again, here is an update post from the last week or so. I promise I will get back into frequent posts, it has just been a little crazy, especially with school.

A lot of my "free time" has been spent studying. I had two more exams last week. My next exams are in about 3 weeks. I also have a project due in 2 weeks for my Nutrition course.

An update on my health: things have been pretty stable lately. The only thing really bothering me is energy level and just being really tired. I'm hoping to get back into exercising soon, now that my back pain has subsided some. I finish my TOBI inhaled antibiotic on Monday. I will give myself probably a week or so to see how I feel before approaching the subject of starting inhaled Colistin. I am hoping some of my lab values have returned to normal from the last clinic appointment back on February 10th. My transplant coordinator has not made me come back to get them recheck. She is just going based on my symptoms. I will probably go to clinic for a follow up appointment in April, if all goes well the remainder of this month.

In about 2 weeks, my 2nd most busiest time of the year will begin. April and May are always insanely busy. One reason is because I'm taking classes again. Also, we have all of our CF Great Strides Walks within those 2 months as well. And I always try to volunteer at as many as possible. I also have 1 wedding in March in Louisiana, and another one for a cousin here in April. Then there are several birthday parties, Easter, bridal tea, etc. Also, I am continuing to speak for the UAB Benevolent Fund, which coordinates and controls which charity organizations UAB supports. I spoke the last week in February. I'm speaking again this coming Tuesday, then again on the 24th and 30th of March .

I have also had a few babysitting jobs recently, and have a few more coming up. I hope those continue, as its my only source of income :)

I'm still finalizing a few decorations in my room. I changed out my light switch plate on the wall. It was the basic bright white standard plate. I bought a bronze metal finish one at Target yesterday. It matches my decorative accents in my room as well as the wall color better than the stark white.

I'm hoping to get my curtains (Valences) up tomorrow as well, but I need my Mom's help on that one. I also bought a decorative ottoman-like stool for the end of my bed. I wanted something to put there that I could use to set clothes out one, etc. In my former room upstairs, I used my big, nice chair for stuff like that. But now my chair is out in the den, because there wasn't enough room in the bedroom. I love this stool...it matches my room perfectly (especially my wall art above my bed). I wanted two of them, but HomeGoods only had 1. I've been checking back frequently to see if any more come in stock. One of the ladies that work there said they should get some more in...so I'm really hoping they do. The company that makes this particular decorative furnishing is only a wholesale businesses and I can't find any online stores that carry their products. We only have 2 HomeGoods stores in Alabama. So if any of you ever see a duplicate to this...let me know :) I really want a 2nd one!!

The design matches my wall art almost perfectly!!!! And the material of the stool is suede-like just like my comforter on my bed!!!

If any of my blog followers are local and are not participating in a CF Great Strides Walk currently, I highly encourage you to do so! You can click on the Great Strides Widget at the top right of this blog for a link to my personal team. Or you can send me an email! SUPPORT CF!!

I think that is about it...not much to report.

Novartis CF Facebook/Twitter Resources

The CF Team at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is delighted to inform you that CFVoice has just joined the 300 million plus people on Facebook, where more than 45,000 are fans of CF-related pages. Novarits is proud to provide an online community for people living with cystic fibrosis. CFvoice is a place for motivation, inspiration and connection to the CF community.

Christopher Morgan, the fictional character from the Becoming Christopher and Christopher Chronicles films has joined Facebook and the 13 million people on Twitter. Christopher Morgan was created by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation as an educational resource for the cystic fibrosis community. His story is inspired by research and interviews with people with CF, their friends, healthcare providers and caregivers. Join today to start receiving CFChristopher's tweets and to become a fan on Facebook.

Check out the CFVoice Facebook fan page for great CF content. This gives the CF Community another CF resource to keep up-to-date on CF-related news. And plus, most of us are on Facebook anyways, so it will be very convenient.

Tuesday Tid-bits

Sorry for the lack of posting this past week. It's been very very busy. So once again, this is sort of a "catch-up" post.

*Tomorrow I have my follow-up transplant clinic appointment from being in the hospital. Hoping to get good results....really have no idea how things are going to turn out since I'm still fighting the pseudomonas.

*School is busy...I had a physiology lab exam last Thursday and an exam in my nutrition and health course today. It was pretty hard, so not sure how I did. I do feel pretty good about my lab exam though, but won't get my grade until this Thursday night.

*I had a great birthday weekend. I can't believe I'm 25 yrs old...yikes ;)
My parents took me out to dinner Friday night.....and I had some really really good food. My mom and I went to get some ice cream afterwards at Coldstone Creamery. Brandi and I ate lunch out on Sunday. We had a good time and she was sweet to treat me to some good Chinese food. Sunday night we did cake and ice cream at home. And the birthday celebration will continue this week as my parents will give me my gifts probably this weekend. So it's been a stretched-out birthday....kinda nice. My brother's birthday is the 19th!

*All of my wall art/hangings are finally up in my new room...yay!! The last thing to do is put up my valences on the windows. The scrapbook room is completely done...now if I can just get some time to actually scrapbook. Here are some pictures of it:

*It is freaking COLD COLD here, especially the last few days...and will continue throughout the week. Maybe some snow flurries this weekend???

*I have been given an opportunity to speak to a group of people about CF/transplant at UAB next week...very excited about that.

*I am hoping to make some progress on my Great Strides Team this weekend...as far as writing my letter, sending emails, etc. The walk will be here before I know it.

*I have been busy babysitting the last 2 weeks....4 jobs in 1.5 weeks...pretty good. Now, if I can just keep that up, i would be good. I'm hoping to get one or two Valentine's jobs this weekend, but I'm not entirely sure if it will happen or not.

*I can't believe Alli from The Batchelor TV Show chose her job over taking a risk and staying for Jake. I don't normally watch this show, but for some reason have been hooked to it this season. I'm rooting for Tinsley now :)

Well, I think that about wraps things up! I will post tomorrow with a clinic report. I hope everyone is having a great week.

Wrap-Up Wednesday

Ok...so my promise of blogging more obviously didn't happen last week nor this week. It has been SO SO crazy, I just haven't had time to blog. In addition, my computer got a virus the end of last week. So I had to take it to get it removed and just got it back and set up in my new room yesterday. So today, Wednesday, I'm going to do another "catch-up" post. BEWARE: LONG POST (but I do hope you will read it)

I have officially moved downstairs...YAY! I really love having my own space. I was going to post some pics of my scrapbooking area, but my computer is not cooperating right now. So I promise I will post those later this week, hopefully sooner than later. Sorry! I finally have all (or most) of my scrapbooking stuff organized. Now I can finally start scrapbooking (I'm so far behind).

My bedroom is complete, with the exception of my wall art, decorations, etc. I had to buy a new desk because the one that I had in my "old room" was too long. In addition, it was really heavy and bulky, and we were not sure we could get it out of the hall and down the stairs without disassembling it. So my Mom is going to use that desk. I also bought some cute valances for my windows, and are hoping to put those up this weekend as well (I didn't have curtains in my old room). The valences are "suede/velvet-like" which exactly matches my comforter. The colors are exact too...and even more exciting was that they were on clearance at Target!!

Ok...so a few more things just to catch you up on.......

Thank you to those who left comments on my blog regarding Emily Mulkey's passing. It's been tough...but ok. For those of you who would like to write a response to Emily's Memorial Service, a letter to Faith, Jason or another family member, or simply express how Emily's life has affected you, changed you, encouraged you, or inspired you (whether you knew her or not), you are welcome to comment on her blog (specifically by clicking here). These will be printed and bound for the family.

Ok...onto another subject. I had a visit with my ENT last week....only to find out my sinuses looked really good. I was a little confused, as my transplant team as well as myself thought my sinuses were the culprit of this last admission with pneumonia. It may very well have been, but no one knows for sure. My ENT did a culture just to make sure everything was ok. And about 1 week later, the nurse called me to say that my culture grew out moderate pseudomonas. So I am back on Cipro oral antibiotic for 3 weeks...yay! My body is tired of antibiotics...needs a break. But I could tell I was very junky...so I'm glad he did a culture. I started doing an occasional Xopenex inhaled neb treatment to help get the junk out. I also start my inhaled TOBI this weekend. I'm trying to stay well and OUT of the hospital.

School is going ok....I bombed my 1st physiology lecture exam this week...yikes. I knew I wasn't 100% prepared. It's been hard coming in 3 weeks into the semester...still have some catching up to do. I'm praying I can bring my grade up. I have my 1st physiology lab exam tomorrow (Thursday). I also have a nutrition class exam next week as well as a project due.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is going to be a very busy day. It is my 25th BIRTHDAY. I have my 3 usual classes, including my physio lab exam. I also have a nursing school application session where I will be informed of everything I need to apply to nursing school. I'm excited about that!

One more thing...I have been experiencing some severe lower back/hip-area pain. It is really bothersome and really painful. Please pray that this resolves quickly, as it is interfering with going to classes, driving, sleeping, etc. I am attending physical therapy like I have been, and doing some other things to try and relieve the pain. Thanks!

I think that about wraps everything up! Sorry for the long post....I'm going to do my best to update and blog more frequently!

Friday Fill-In

1. No, we will NOT upgrade the shipping at our cost (an inside joke at work).

2. Please don't paint at the old kitchen table.

3. I watched the steam rising from the hot cup of coffee (or tea) and thought: that looks nice and warm; too bad I don't like coffee or tea ;)

4. Everything is going to be okay.

5. I'll take the "C" average I got in anatomy...totally worth it and not upset about not making an "A" or "B" at all.

6. The recent news on Tiger Woods is very sad, his actions were very inappropriate and I can't believe some people chose him as one of the most outstanding athletes of the year (at least from my point of view).

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a Christmas party involving good, yummy chili, ornament Dirty Santa and good fellowship with other godly women; tomorrow my plans include babysitting and more babysitting (and a few errands if time allows) and Sunday, I want to go to church and enjoy the last Sunday School before Christmas and the last one before our long time teachers retire; the day will probably involve a little bit of shopping if I have enough energy!

Music Monday

SOON-AH WILL BE DONE

I had never heard this song before until Saturday night at the concert I attended benefiting Cystic Fibrosis. It was an alumni of men who participated in the famous Huffman High School Chansoniers Chorus from the years 1972-1997 (or rather, those were the ones who could dedicate and commit their time to doing the concert). Back in May, a retirement reception was held in honor of the choir director who had been at Huffman High School for many many years. At the retirement party, some of the members of the choir started singing and thought it would be fun to get together and do a concert. In the midst of planning the concert, they decided why don't we support a couple of charities while doing this. They stated that they would have loads of fun, but at the same time making a difference in the lives of those affected by the charity they would choose.

Anyways...to make a long story short, this particular high school men's chorus became very popular and people from all over the state use to travel to hear them sing. This weekend, people from Tennessee, Georgia and all over Alabama drove to attend this concert. I'm not sure how much the tickets cost, because mine was free, but both show times were sold out. An awesome $10,000 was raised for EACH charity, for a total of $20,000!!! I think the choir director said the sanctuary held maybe 750 people? It was a very neat experience and the best singing by a men's chorus I have ever heard! And the neat thing was that the majority of the songs were Christian or faith-based.

This is one of the songs the Chansoniers sang. And NO, this is not them singing....but this particular group sounded good when I looked on YouTube :) I hope you will take just a minute to listen to it. I think it is an awesome song...lyrics and how it sounds musically! Enjoy!

ROLL TIDE!!

YAY!!! The University of Alabama Football Team beat Florida in the SEC Championship yesterday!! It was such an awesome game and I am so proud of how they played!!! ROLL TIDE!! I don't think too many people expected them to win, and definitely not by as many points as they did! Last year, they lost to Florida in the SEC Championship!



Now we get to play Texas in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship! Bama is traveling to Pasadena!! It's been awhile since Alabama has competed for a National Title, let alone won the SEC Title!!! But I have confidence that they will do very well! GO BAMA!!!!

Thanksgiving Friday Fill-In

Thanksgiving Edition of Friday Fill-In! If you are interested in participating, click here.

1. Wait! Wait, don't forget the cherry on top!
2. Eating dinner is usually followed at once by watching television.
3. The trouble is i have a hard time getting comfortable.
4. I would love to be in a tropical setting man, many, many miles away.
5. With a faint pop here and there, my neck feels better!
6. Winters can sometimes be shadowy and ominous (although not too frequently in Alabama).
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to resting, maybe watching a movie, tomorrow my plans include attending an anatomy study session, building my lymph node, and maybe doing a little bit of shopping; and Sunday, I want to go to church and study some more!

Friday Fill-In!

Here is this week's Friday Fill-In! If you are interested in participating in this fun, Friday meme, click here.

1. The last band I saw live was several bands, including Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys, Jeremy Camp, and Sanctus Real, at Winter Jam 2007. (I don't go to concerts too often).

2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is spending time with family!

3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is partly complete, but still a ways away from being completed.

4. Thoughts of passing my anatomy class fill my head WAY TOO MUCH.

5. I wish I could wear any type of shirts/dresses/outfits without worring if it "pulls" too much on my back.

6. Bagpipes played at my College Graduation this past May. It was very nice and interesting to hear...a fun vibe!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting some studying in, maybe watching a movie as well; tomorrow my plans include resting, studying, and running some errands; and Sunday, I want to try again to make it to church!

Student With CF Wins 17K Scholarship

Solvay Pharmaceuticals announced the 2009 Thriving Student Achiever, Amanda R. In honor of the 17th year of the SolvayCARESSM scholarship program, Amanda was awarded an educational scholarship totaling $17,000. Amanda’s attitude about life is truly inspiring!

"CF is a part of me and who I am, but it runs alongside me and does not stand in my way," said Amanda Rudd, 2009 SolvayCARESSM Thriving Student Achiever and student at Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake City, Utah. "Earning the Thriving Student Achiever scholarship has lifted some of the financial burden of attending college so that I can focus on my studies to become a dental hygienist.

"Solvay Pharmaceuticals congratulates Amanda on being named the 2009 Thriving Student Achiever," said Dr. Stephen Hill, president of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "She embodies the positive attitude and spirit of all of our outstanding scholarship recipients, who are each role models for the CF community."

As a fellow CF patient, I think you’d love to watch Amanda’s video! Click here to view her video and list of accomplishments! (I tried embedding the video but it didn't work..sorry)!

Since 1993, Solvay Pharmaceuticals has donated more than $2 million dollars in scholarships to high-achieving students with CF. For more information about the SolvayCARESSM Scholarship program, click here!

When You Thought I Wasn't looking...

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

A message every adult should read because children
are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my
favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a
prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always
talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care
of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have
to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come
from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you
cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and
wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when
you thought I wasn't looking'

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, friend) influences the life of a child. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Jane's Giveaway!

Do you ever wonder how your life has changed since you started blogging! I'm sure many things have changed in the last year and a half or so since I started my blog (or wrote my 1st post)!!

Jane, over at Moonflowers, Mojitos and Me, is giving away a $100 Target gift card in honor of her 200th post!! She recaps some of the major things that have changed since she started her blog as well! Head on over to her blog if you are interested in entering the contest! Who doesn't love Target, right???

Here are the rules ...

1 entry for commenting on this post
1 entry for following my blog
1 entry for following me on twitter
1 entry for tweeting about the giveaway
1 entry for blogging about the giveaway

And ... most importantly ... when you comment, make sure you tell Jane how many entries you get. And make sure to mention @jane2581 when you tweet!

Congratulations Jane on your 200th post!

Contest ends Friday, October 16 at 5PM CDT

Pier 39 Sea Lions

While on my babysitting trip to San Jose/San Francisco, we went to the Fisherman's Wharf on Saturday. Within the area, we walked over to Pier 39 (one of the piers at the Fisherman's' Wharf). Pier 39 is famous for its sea lions (seals)!! And all I have to say, is that I was EXTREMELY entertained and fascinated by all the sea lions!!! We stood there forever just watching and laughing!!! Certainly an amazing thing to see!!! Here are some pictures and history/facts about Pier 39 and its sea lions.


The sea lions camped out in PIER 39's West Marina have been endearingly coined, "Sea Lebrities." The noisy (it was funny listening to them "bark" and make so many noises!) sea lions started arriving in herds/groups, taking over the docks in January 1990 shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. At first they numbered from 10-50, but due to a plentiful herring supply, available dock space and the marina’s protected environment, the population grew to more than 300 within a few months. Each winter, the population can increase up to 900 sea lions, most of which are male. The seals come and go as they please! During most of the year, there are at least 100-500 sea lions. The highest count is more than 1,000! During the summer months, there are times when no sea lions visit K-Dock (Pier 39). They migrate south to rookeries (birthing and breeding grounds) off of Southern California and Mexico. But in recent years a small group stays year-round at PIER 39's K-Dock.


These California sea lions use Pier 39 to "haul out" or come out of the water to rest. Biologists believe the sea lions stay at Pier 39 because there is plenty of food nearby, the docks are protected from storm waves and are easy to haul out on, and sea lion predators (great white sharks and orcas) do not come into the bay.


It is illegal to feed wild sea lions as well as other marine animals. These sea lions find their own food in the bay or ocean areas! Sea lions are "opportunistic" feeders, which means they will eat whatever fish are abundant in the area at the time. They mainly eat herring during the winter months.

The Adult male sea lions weigh up to 900 lbs and have a bump on their forehead. The female adult sea lions way up to 250 lbs. However, most of the sea lions at Pier 39 are males. The females stay back at the rookeries (birthing and breeding grounds) off of Southern California. Harbor seals are white with black spots or black with white rings and are silvery grey when wet! There were lost of Harbor seals here at Pier 39 when we were there!


(this sea lion was floating on his back...can you tell ??)

If you ever get the opportunity to visit San Francisco, I highly recommend checking the sea lions out!! (beware though...the smell is AWFUL, but worth it)! We had so much fun watching them!