Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Priceless Picnic Pics

Family Picnic | 07/09/2011Family Picnic | 07/09/2011
Handsome had his first taste of Watermelon and Snow Cones. The Snow Cone was a huge hit!

Family Picnic | 07/09/2011Family Picnic | 07/09/2011
Dancing, Smores and more Snow Cones! Izzy loves to dance and had quite a few nifty moves!

Family Picnic | 07/09/2011Family Picnic | 07/09/2011
A huge inflatable water slide that kept Emmy's attention for hours and hours!

Family Picnic | 07/09/2011
Clowns making balloons, face painting, lots of treats and goodies and a very hot and sticky good time! This is what Summer is all about. =)

Be sure to check out my giveaway, ending this Friday! And on a final note, take a look at Handsome's dance floor moves. haha!

Friday, July 8, 2011

PSF | Hospitals, Carnivals, & Fireworks, Oh My!

I miss blogging on a regular basis. I can remember a time when I made several posts in one day. Now I am lucky to get a couple up a month. I could say that I'll get better and make an effort, but then something happens and the blog has to be on the back burner. So bare with me as I try to catch up "the somethings" that have left me busy and absent.

Let's start with the fact that my whole family, myself included, have been ill for many weeks. I'm guessing it's about 3 weeks now. A nasty strain of the cold came our way and left one heck of a mess. It's Summertime and we've been hit by more germs than I think we had all of last Winter.

The colds started out simple enough; coughing, sneezing, runny nose. Then came the fevers and the vomiting. Then came the Asthma attacks. Then came the Viral Pneumonia. Our last stop was the hospital, where Alexander stayed for a week. And even after that, a follow up left 3 of us with double ear infections and ruptured ear drums.

Alexander's hospitalization. 06/25-06/29/2011


Izzy's strain came and went fairly quickly. I'm guessing she picked it up from school and brought it home to share. :) A first for us, having to deal with the germs that come along with a child in school. Father's Day was the last day everyone felt well. So, we are almost at 4 weeks now. :)

Father's Day | 06/19/2011Father's Day | 06/19/2011


Emmy and Alexander were hit the hardest. Both ran fevers up towards 105 and both of them had their Asthma triggered by whatever virus hit. I was able to keep Emmy home and under constant care, but she was quite miserable. She stopped eating and barely drank anything. Laying on the couch, in and out of sleep, was how she spent many, many days.

Alexander was another story. Being that he's only 10 months old, he had less of a fighting chance from the get go. He sent us to the ER twice, in distress and having a really hard time breathing. Finally, on our second trip, he was taken via ambulance. He was transported to our amazing Children's Hospital where he stayed for a week, fighting to keep enough oxygen circulating through. Alexander was a whole different kind of baby. He was lethargic and sad. He barely smiled, moved or had any inclination to play. He wanted to snuggle.

Since it was a Viral Pneumonia, there was little that could be done to actually fight the illness. We had to keep him comfortable and in stable condition. For days he had to stay on oxygen because he couldn't keep his 02 readings above 80.

I'll tell you, it was one of the worst moments in mine and Hubby's life. To have a child so sick and in the hospital, plus two other children who were ill and needed us, was a very hard place to be. It's something I wouldn't wish any parent would have to experience.

Alexander's hospitalization. 06/25-06/29/2011Alexander's hospitalization. 06/25-06/29/2011


We are still dealing with a few of the aftershocks of those weeks, but we are all on the mend, thankfully. And I really hope that's the last time we have to go through that. :)

We did manage to enjoy the holiday. It was time that we headed out of the house and back into the real world. :) Grandma insisted we hit the Fourth of July carnival in a nearby city. The kids loved it! The girls rode every ride they could and Alexander has his first taste of Cotton Candy. :)

Carnival | July 4th, 2011

Carnival | July 4th, 2011


Carnival | July 4th, 2011Carnival | July 4th, 2011


And that evening, the girls did their Fireworks. Bags and bags of sparklers lit a dark corner of our yard. I'd have to say that it was a nice way to end a rough couple of weeks and begin our Summer of fun. :)

4th of July | Fireworks4th of July | Fireworks


This post is part of PhotoStory Friday this week!
Give me your best shot at Better in BulkPhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and Lolli



Two posts in one day! Be sure to check out the GIVEAWAY too! Enter to win!

Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies | Review and Giveaway

New Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies; My excuse for waking up in the morning and having a brownie for breakfast. haha!

Even without being asked to do this review, I was a huge fan of Fiber One products. I'm one of the guilty people who knows that her fiber intake is not up to par, but when I came across and tried Fiber One products, I was really delighted. My favorite are the granola bars, soo yummy!

Anywho, this time I'm here to enlighten you about brownies. Chocolate and Peanut Butter brownies!

Fiber One and General Mills, along with MyBlogSpark, provided me with a yummy prize pack to try out these new brownies. First off, they are a lot bigger in size than I would have thought. :) Secondly, they are soft! Thirdly, they are Chocolate and Peanut Butter! And finally, yes, Yummy!

"With new Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies, you can have an unbelievably satisfying and wholesome treat in two delicious flavors. The Chocolate Fudge brownies are made with chocolate-flavored chips and topped with a dark chocolate-flavored drizzle, and the Chocolate Peanut Butter variety contains peanut butter chips topped with a peanut butter drizzle. " -MyBlogSpark/Fiber One/General Mills

Eating your share of fiber each day can be tough, but with the new Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies, it's a great tasting excuse. Even my Littles enjoyed them!

"With 5 grams of fiber, which is 20 percent of the Daily Value of Fiber, the new brownies are a smart snacking choice." -MyBlogSpark/Fiber One/General Mills

So, do you want to try some Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies? Of course you do! All you have to do is leave me a comment. Any old comment about anything. :) One winner will be chosen and the prize pack pictured above will be mailed to you.

Time starts now! I'll choose a winner next Friday, the 15th! Enjoy!