Christmas Cards

I've been thinking I am a slacker.
I know I am often a slacker...
This year I am feeling guilty about not doing Christmas Cards.
I had big plans....
But could never get all my family together for a picture.
So...
What do you think about New Year's cards?
I had a cousin do this once.
I liked it.

Is it totally lame to send a Happy New Year Card instead?
Still with the newsy letter and picture?
As it happens because it's the holidays
my whole family is present and accounted for
So pictures are finally an option.

I'm doing it.
If you don't like it.
They all end up in the same place after they're read anyway, right?

Double Up

This is my loot from the Smiths coupon savings.

Every coupon used valued at $1.00.

Price at Register before coupons $216.67

Spent $110.12

Saved $106.55

I will be the first to admit that this whole coupon thing

would work better for me if I was diligent.

However, the two times Smiths does this a year

have paid above and beyond for my Newspaper.

Plus....

I love watching the money go off.

I love even more getting stuff for free. :)

Because of this....

Yes you heard me
Because of this.....

I have sore arms, a sore back and feel like I've had a huge workout.

So 2 hours and 45 minutes later...

because of that....

my house looks like this...

The beds aren't made.

The Christmas decorations still sit in their boxes

all over my living room

and the laundry is not done!

Sigh....

Remind me why I love snow?!?...

What a difference a YEAR makes....

One year ago today
We were here.....

It says the 31st because I didn't get around to taking a picture
Until after midnight.
Benjamin just out of a 5 hour surgery
at Primary Children's Medical Center.
It was his fourth surgery.


Below are pictures of the following weeks.
Ben was nearly 16
He weighed 83 pounds and was
5'1"tall.
He has had all kinds of needles, tubes and procedures.
PICC line
NG tube
NJ tube-feeding tube
Port a Catheter
Iv's
Folio Catheter
An abscess the size of a softball
drugs of all kinds...
and pain....
He went to school with an IV for a few weeks
with a feeding tube from his nose for a few weeks
He spent nearly half the 2009/2010 school year
on Home and Hospital...and still managed to get good grades.

Here is a picture taken
just after he had a scary heart rate of 150
a fever of 104
and pain beyond belief.
This is after the meds finally took effect.
I was always amazed that he would find his smile.
But he did.

Here is a picture of the needle they would shove into his clavicle
where his port was located.
Here he is with his tower...
and his many pumps.
Some of his best friends were nurses.

Almost tubeless and feeling so much better.

Over the last three years he has spent 100 days in the hospital.

And endured it all with a smile.

Here he is today.

5'6 and 3/4.

132 lbs.

That is a 49lb weight gain

5 and 34 inch growth in one year.

He is Healthy

Eating what he wants

Pain free.

Driving

Enjoying high school

dating and friends.

Lovin' Life and Looking good.

(if I do say so myself)

See what I mean..:)

P.S. Check out my previous post today to see Booklyn as a Southern Belle