6 in 13

So, I'm sitting in my doctor's office yesterday, and she tells me that despite the fact that she really hoped my cyst would go away, it hasn't. It's gotten bigger. Big enough that she's worried. It's causing me pain. We've waited 5 months in the hopes it would go away. But it's still hanging around. It's time to remove it surgically. She talks about the surgery, and everything that's involved in great detail. And this is why I trust and respect my doctor. She's professional and knowledgeable, yet she puts things in terms that I can understand. And then she tells me that she really feels like it would be best to remove my ovary too. And when I start to ask her why she feels the need to remove my ovary (even though I already knew why), my voice cracks and starts to quiver. And when she starts to explain it to me, her voice cracks and starts to quiver too. She explains to me that my ovary just doesn't work properly. It never has. And as long as I keep it, it will continue to produce cysts and I will continue to need surgery every couple of years. And that's when she tells me that I've had 6 surgeries in the past 13 years. 6 in 13... Do I really want to have another surgery in a couple more years, and put myself and my family through this again? And this is why I've come to really like my doctor. She gets it. She gets me. She understands that this is something we both wanted to avoid, but for my long-term overall health and well-being, it is time to do something more permanent to take care of this recurrent problem. And that is why I've decided to have the surgery and say goodbye forever to my bum ovary and the pesky cysts that like to hang out there.

My surgery is scheduled for Thursday, February 3. Prayers for a smooth procedure and speedy recovery are greatly appreciated.

The 12 Days of Whataburger

As most of you probably already know, I love a good deal. But I really love good deals when they involve free food, especially when there are no strings attached in order to get the free food. Enter The 12 Days of Whataburger...

Now let me just say that I really enjoy Whataburger's food. But I also want to say that I really appreciate the fact that in every single Whataburger restaurant that I've ever been to, they all have signs in their windows that say, "In God We Trust." Love it! And as if I needed one more reason to love Whataburger, every year at Christmas they celebrate the holiday by giving away free food. REALLY... free food (no purchase required)! You just walk in with your coupon, and they give you free food. And, they will give you one free food item for each person present in your party. You've just got to love that!

Here we are on the 8th day of The 12 Days of Whataburger, and I just picked up 5 free Whatachicken sandwiches for dinner. But before I threw away my receipt, the fact that I saved close to $20 caught my eye. Wow! And that got me to thinking... I wonder how much money I would have spent on all this food. So, I looked back to the past 7 days of Whataburger:

Day 1: free breakfast tacos
Day 2: free onion rings
Day 3: free drinks
Day 4: free chicken strips
Day 5: free Breakfasts on a Bun
Day 6: free fried pies
Day 7: free Justaburger kid's meals

I determined that for my family of 5, we have received close to $100 worth of free Whataburger food so far this month. Pretty cool, right? So, if you haven't signed up to get your free Whataburger food, you may just want to click on this link and sign up now, while you still have 4 more days to go.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

When it comes to Christmas decorations in my neighborhood, you've got...

The Good*

The Bad**

And The Ugly***

* I've told Hector that if this house ever goes on the market, he WILL buy it for me. I simply love it. I would sell all my possessions just to be able to call this house my home.

** Fake red and white poinsettias inside the home might be okay, but outside the home is NOT a good idea. I mean seriously, who are they trying to fool here? We all know they're fake (and a bit tacky too, if I do say so myself). Sad thing is, I bet this home owner is so proud of this.

*** Every time I drive by this poor, deflated Santa and Rudolph, all I can think to myself is that Santa and Rudolph were obviously the unfortunate victims of a Texas home owner taking their right to bear arms, and shoot to kill any trespassers on their property just a bit too far. Poor Santa and Rudolph.

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

Adorable

Made these ornaments at my Mothers of Preschoolers group meeting last week. Simple, fun, and they make me smile every time I look at them. Started with a wood cube, glued down some scrapbooking paper in Christmas designs onto all the sides (except 1 side where the picture goes), glued down a picture of my kids onto each cube, screwed a little hook into the top and wrapped a piece of ribbon around it... done! Just wanted to share because I think they are adorable!

Double Take

Earlier today, I stumbled across a picture of Isaac, and right behind that picture was a picture of Samuel when he was almost right at the same age. Sometimes, the resemblance in my boys makes me just do a double take.