Oh yes....this will be fun...

I am not afraid of much...well, snakes...I am very afraid of snakes.  And I don't like being home by myself at night...in the dark....  So I guess I do have some fears.  One of my BIG ones is related to my teeth.  I HATE tooth pain.  I know that no one LIKES tooth pain, but I like to think that my fear of tooth pain may be a little greater than the average person.  I had quite a bit of teeth work done when I was a kid (that happens when you have several cavities and are missing two front permanent teeth).  Some of my most vivid childhood memories are sitting in the dentist chair, full of laughing gas and feeling that HORRIBLE nerve pain caused by that wretched drilling tool.  So you can imagine my excitement when I started having one of my very back teeth bother me.  Yeah...I was thrilled.  

I finally realized that it wasn't going away on its own and made the trip to the dentist.  I love my dentist.  Not because he is the best dentist around (he might be; I don't know and let's be honest...I don't care) but because he doesn't cause me pain.  The hygienist apologized for having to take the x-Ray and the dentist was SUPER gentle.  Whew!  

Well, the Endodontist that he referred me to made up for all of the non-pain I felt by my visit to my non-pain dentist.  I opened my mouth expecting the same consideration.  I had somehow convinced myself that he could figure out what was wrong with my tooth without touching it in any way.  Clearly I was wrong and maybe my expectations were slightly off, but that doesn't excuse him from BANGING on my teeth with his wicked little hammer.   And that wasn't even the worst!!!  No, no..then we took our air pressure thing and shot it with it.   What?!?!  This was proceeded with "ok. So I need you to tell me when it starts hurting and then tell me when the pain ends".  So, let me get this straight, you are going to intentionally cause me pain?!  Awful.  It was just plain awful.  

Diagnosis...cracked tooth.  Solution....root canal.  Oh yes....this will be fun.

Science Fair

About every three years my kids have a science fair.  This year both girls participated. Sara did a project by herself and Ashley partnered up with her best friend Zoe.  

Much to the delight of Nathan and I, Sara choose a project that involved chewing gum.  If you know Nathan and I you know we love gum.  Sara tested the longevity of the flavor of gum.

Ashley and Zoe did something a little colder.  They tested how different substances impact the speed of melting ice.  

They both did a superb job, earned As on their projects, got blue ribbons and had fun with their experiments.

New adventures....and not just for me....

Well, it has been a whirlwind of adventure around here since Christmas.  I have had a couple of fun things that have come my way that I have decided to full advantage of and I thought I would share one of them with you.

I am now, officially, a travel agent.  I am so excited about this.  I absolutely love to travel and love working with people.  Plus, I think paperwork can be fun (which Imrealize is weird). So when an old friend was telling me about her company, I took the plunge and joined her.  I work as an Independent Contractor for Global Dream Vacations.  Check out the website www.globaldreamvacations.com or email me at karen@globaldreamvacations.com to find out more.  And let me help you plan your next trip.  You can also "like" my Facebook page for travel tips and destination ideas.  It is Karen Horn-Global Dream Vacations Travel Agent.  Also, feel free to pass my name on to your friends and family.

Recent Loves

Winter is hard on me...at least it has been the last few years.  I'm not sure why.  It didn't used to bother me.  Maybe it is my current job as when it gets cold and snowy, I can't get out with the kids, and by the time they leave, it is dark.  Whatever it is, it has been hard.  So this year I have been trying to be proactive about not wishing the days of January and February away.  These days count too.  I realize my attitude is internal and can't be control by externals, but here are some recent externals in my life that have been helping my internal attitude......

Recent loves...

My new Bluetooth speaker for my iPad.  I love it.  And our recent favorite pandora channel has been film scores.  If you wander into my house, it would not be unusual to hear us playing "name that movie" as we hear the soundtracks.  It has really made me want to track down Dances With Wolves and watch it again.  I had forgotten how great the soundtrack to that one is.

On the theme of music, this year we have started somewhat of a dance party ritual after breakfast. We crank up the music and enjoy the scurrying of brushing teeth and putting coats on. Our current favorites are Galaxies by Owl City (we have a choreographed dance from summer camp that goes with this one), Let it Out by Switchfoot and Greater by MercyMe (this is our youth group theme song for the year). It has really added some life to the beginning of our days.

Jamberry nail wraps....I have awful nails that typically look, well, awful.  Polish just cannot keep up with my lifestyle.  And, while these don't last quite as long as some have claimed, they do last a very long time on my nails.  And looking at flowers on my nails helps make me feel happy.

I have a one cup coffee coffee thing that I picked up at World Market over Christmas.  It cost me $6 and I love it.  I'm not sure the official name of it.  It is a large, ceramic cup that cone coffee filters fit in.  It tapers at the bottom to fit over a coffee mug.  And it, of course, has a hole in the bottom.  You boil your water, pour it over your grounds, wait for it to fill your cup and you are good to go. I love it!

The all school spelling bee is this morning. This is Ashley's fourth year participating in it.  She really can spell....she can spell much better than I can which really isn't saying much..  Anyway, the nerves tend to get the best of her. This morning at breakfast "success" as a parent was seen. All her siblings prayed earnestly for her...and not just that she would win, but for God's peace and His perspective and His glory to be seen.

Light Greek yogurt...several in my house are on special diets for various reasons.  The one thing we can all eat is light Greek yogurt.  I definitely should be buying stock in it.

You know that moment when you are at a friend's house that has older children for dinner and at the end of dinner you are so impressed because their older kids got up from the table, cleared the table without being asked and the proceeded to do the dishes without being asked?  And you think...how did their parents do that?  And will my kids ever do that?   Well, that happened last night only it was at my house! I was so proud.  And if you asked me how I did it....honestly, I wish I could share my special formula, but I have no idea how it happened.  Thankful for God working in their hearts!.

And, finally, I am so very thankful it is not as cold as last year.  Can we all just say Amen to that!!