After 2+ weeks of being without my laptop, I am back in business.  I should have been more proactive when I started having to hold the cord in with my right hand and attempt navigating with my left, but that's not my style.  Did you know replacement cords are stinkin' expensive in stores?  I refused to pay $70 for a universal adapter, so I searched Ebay and found one for $7.85 with free shipping.  Yep.

Let me catch you up:

1.  We have a date for the kidney transplant.  Dad and I will undergo surgery on September 8th which is now less than two months away.  Prayers are beyond appreciated. 

2.  Molly's MACE surgery is two weeks from today.  When we scheduled it I didn't realize school would be starting a week earlier than it always has in the past.  Please pray for an easy two days of prepping for surgery (in the hospital) and a quick recovery.  I really feel this is going to give her an independence that she hasn't had before.  The middle school years begin for her this August and I'm just refusing to utter one more negative or anxious word about them.  These are going to be three years of Molly developing confidence and making solid friendships and growing in her walk with the Lord.  Amen!

3.  Parker has been at cheer camp this week, but it's been held locally so we've still seen her every day.  Well, we didn't see her last night because the girls had a sleepover in the lodge at Lake Fort Smith.  Today we'll watch them perform their new material.  I hope she'll enjoy this year.  She had some sad feelings again this week when the realization that she gave up choir camp for cheer sank in.  This will be her last year to cheer as she's decided it's fun, but she'd like to have time in high school to explore other opportunities.  She's really a pretty wise girl underneath that beautiful head of hair.

4.  Third children are blessings -- no way around that!  Lilah just continues to keep us in stitches with her comments and her wardrobe choices.  Jamie told me the other day (and this is weird) that growing up he had always wanted a daughter like Cyndi Lauper...  Uhm, he has one.  I've got to document her "at-home" get-ups.  Her very favorite thing in the world is a pettiskirt of Molly's from a few Christmases ago.  It could actually still be worn had LGB not spilled nail polish on it.  But, she loves to pair that with a glitzy top or a bikini top.  She throws on some beads and sports a pair of heels (which she is quite good at walking in) and feels pretty good about herself.  Love, love, lover her spunk!

5.  TV is ridiculous these days.  I had a minute when we came in from swimming yesterday since Lilah had fallen fast asleep and Molly was consumed with computer time after having been in withdrawls for a couple of weeks.  My remote stopped on BRAVO on a show titled "Pregnant in Heels."  The two minutes I spent on it proved it to be just like all the other reality stuff I hate.  (What happened to real reality TV?  This "perfect life" stuff just isn't reality at all and it makes me ill.)  I am considering pitching a redneck alternative to the network that would represent a more realistic view of pregnancy, at least in the South.  I have decided it will be called "Knocked-Up in Flip-Flops."  It's a hit already, don't you think?

6.  School for me starts August 3rd.  Whoa.  This summer has flown by and I'm not ready.  Our book club has met twice and been good; I've had two days of English department professional development.  We're adopting Common Core standards and I'm way more than excited about this.  If you aren't familiar with Common Core, check out commoncore.org and read the reports first.  Good, good, good stuff.

7.  I'm hungry.  Corn Flakes are calling my name.  I've got to go inside (I'm enjoying the pleasant breeze on the deck) and begin working on this hair of mine.  The only thing to do is straighten it since I have to be fit for the public today.  My hair, in its current state, is taking about 40-45 minutes to straighten these days.  Then, of course, it doesn't do anything once it's straight, so I put it in a ponytail.  But, the straight pony looks much better than the  curly-frizz-poof pony.  I have an appointment one week from Tuesday and drastic measures are going to be taken.  I hope my husband is still speaking to me afterward! 

8.  Have a great Friday!