Since it has been a long time since the last post, I have been sitting here trying to think of what, if anything, has gone on that is actually exciting in my life. Hmmmmm...well, here goes.

Reed's room did get painted. Reed painted the ceiling, which I have great difficulty with. I painted the trim boards on Saturday and rolled the walls on Sunday. My hands and wrists were not happy with that but no one else was volunteering. Mike did the corners and along the trim boards and half of the window trim before he quit (his wrist hurt him too much). I think Reed must have finished the rest of the window sometime during the week. I ordered a bedspread and shams and when we get the room all put together, I will post a picture.

Since my hands and wrists were so swollen, I scheduled an EMG for next week. I get to go and see Dr. Hayreh for this test. Hopefully we can figure out some sort of solution for the problem. I have too many things to work around that I really need my hands for! I may not like the answers but I REALLY don't like the problem either.

Can't believe Lent is here already! Ash Wednesday came and Mike and I went to the 7 a.m. mass. I always kind of have a "thing" about Ash Wednesday as a few years ago I had a seizure during the evening mass. I think it was due to not eating enough during the day, so I always am relieved when I make it through Ash Wednesday seizure-free. I went to bed Wednesday night not feeling too hungry, but a snack would have been nice. I awoke just after midnight, however, feeling like either I needed to be sick or eat something. I tossed and turned for about 45 minutes to make sure I wasn't going to throw up and when I started to get "the shakes", I decided I needed to get up and get a snack. Off to the kitchen I rambled for a few crackers, some string cheese, a piece of cinnamon toast and a drink of water. Feeling much better, I crawled back into bed and then it hit me. How blessed am I that I can just walk into my kitchen and grab food whenever I am hungry (or even when I am NOT hungry!)? I thought about what it would be like to have that physical feeling that I just experienced and not have anything to eat or some even have no kitchen to go to. The Lord has truly blessed us.

The town is going girls' basketball crazy as the team is set to play in Des Moines against Pella Christian on Tuesday morning. I will be in Mason City that day as stated above and Mike has pigs coming into his pig buildings all day so neither of us will be going.


Today brought the Smith family a precious new member. Justin Trulson (my ringbearer) and his wife, Beth, had a baby girl! Ellyn Marie weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 20 inches long. Our whole family is super-excited to have a little girl. For a while there, all we had were girls, girls, girls in our family. After Gabby was born, there was a span of almost 20 years before then next girl was born and in between there were 7 boys born to the family. Ugh! Katelyn Hejlik broke the streak but we have had another boy born since and now we're back to sugar and spice and everything nice once again. My sister is going to spend a few days with the new family to help Beth. Justin is really busy right now at work and won't be able to take off for the first week. Beth's mom passed away about a year before they were married so my sister is a welcome help. She can't wait to hold her and we are all anxiously awaiting pictures of the new blessing.