Week Before Christmas and All is Well

First and foremost, I want to THANK everyone for their prayers for my dad. His surgery went well, and he is recovering very nicely. Yeah!! Dad!!! I don't have the Christmas pictures uploaded yet, so this will be a pre-Christmas Post. (Mikeys partially to blame, because all the pictures are on his phone!) Our grass here is very very thick. It does not make for good putting like Bermuda in AZ. Caleb loves to golf, and misses the putting. So Mikey built him his own putting green. They got plywood, cut it, weather proofed it, and covered it in putting green material. Caleb has been outside every. day. for. hours. and. hours. I think he likes it. The weekend before Christmas Zachary was in a parade with his cub scouts. It was a lot of fun, and just down the street from us. The people in the parade threw out candy to all the kids. So did Zachary. He only kept 3 pieces in his pocket for himself. Caleb had fun waving to everyone.

Zachary loved the whole experience and wishes they had parades all the time. I grew my very first potatoes! I just took some store bought ones, that seemed a little old, stuck them in the ground, and a few months later, we have our own! Look at this poor butterfly. Mike went to work, and came home with this on the car. Almost in perfect condition, except for being dead. So he actually drove around with it for a few more days. The kids called it the 'cars tattoo'. Christina is getting to where she is enjoying doing a little cooking since she is in a culinary class in school. Who knows, maybe her and Uncle Owiee will have their own restaurant someday. The boys had alot of fun setting up the Christmas tree and hanging up the ornaments on it. I do have pictures of them decorating somewhere, but they must be on Mikeys phone. Mike of course got his yearly task of setting up Christmas lights outside, while I set up the candles and decorations inside. Christina supervised it all. While I was gone the dinner job fell to Mikey. They had Mac N Cheese probably more nights than he will admit, but he did some homemade cooking as well. This is meatball subs. I explained a few tricks to him, and they kids said it was sooooo yummy! While in AZ my brother Frank had a going away party and a culinary school graduation party at his house. He will be moving here the middle of Feb.

This is Frank and I with my cousin Trina. We had fun growing up together. It was so wonderful to see her again. Our 3 generations. Gramma Ann, Mom and me. Aren't we beautiful? Mom, Uncle Bruce, his fiance Mauri, (Jan 24 is the wedding! Congratulations!) It was a fun party. There were alot more than this that showed up, and apparently it ran till 6am. I'm glad I went back to moms that night! Mikey, the kids and I are headed this morning to Naples thru Friday. As usual, Mike has out done himself. We will have a private beach cottage on a private island. Oh my! Not sure if there will be WiFi or Cell phones, but if so, I will try very hard to get him to send me all the Christmas photos so I can post a Christmas blog before the New Year one!

Michelle's Christmas Poem

My brother Leonard and my Sister In Laws story and picture were posted on Times Square. The screen is about 80 FEET tall! Here is her Christmas poem that she wrote herself (!) to her family and friends.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the Mattingly house Not a creature was stirring except the cats with their toy mouse. The stockings were hung by the fish tank with care As the smell of a Yankee holiday candle filled the air. The children were finally asleep in beds, With clean diapers on and a fresh bottle by their heads. With me in bed and Ray sleeping on the couch, That spiked eggnog we had really knocked us out. When suddenly on the rooftop I heard such a clatter. I slowly limped out of bed to see what was the matter. After making it through the toy obstacle course at last I peered through the blinds across our neighbors grass. The moon shinning down on the freshly fallen rain Cast eerie shadows upon our windowpane. There were no sound of reindeers or sleigh up top, Only a few ravens making a midnight stop. I felt like returning to bed, but I paused and stayed. Then I closed my eyes and started to pray- God, thank you for allowing me to be a mother and a loving wife, And thank you for letting me live to see this night. Thank you for my husband- my hero, my friend. May we both live to be 110. I then kissed my hubby on the forehead And checked on the children asleep in bed. This night needs no jolly old man in a red suite, With rosy cheeks and big black boots. All it needs is what I have right here, A family that I cherish and love so dear. And to all our family and friends, north, south, east and west, May your holidays be merry and your lives be blessed. Merry Christmas for the Mattinglys

Our Country Christmas

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Michelle & J.J.'s Ordeal & Press Release

This post is in honor of Michelle, Leonard, Elektra and J.J. They are all survivors of an extraordinary situation. Michelle, Leonard, we are so happy that Michelle, and J.J.'s recovery is nothing short of a miracle for you all, and all of us that are so blessed to be in your lives. This is posted in Stanfords Press Release. It will help explain to those of you that prayed along with us, but were not completely sure of exactly what is was that was happening to Michelle and J.J. Emergency liver transplant and cesarean save pregnant mom with preemie baby. STANFORD, Calif. – Michelle Mattingly’s liver was failing so fast that doctors at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital thought the baby she was carrying – still 14 weeks before his due date – was doomed. It would be miraculous enough if they and their colleagues at Stanford Hospital & Clinics could save the life of the mother, who had fallen into a coma.

Over the next few days, the transplant team had to reject two donor livers. The first did not match Michelle’s immune system; the second contained cancerous cells. Finally, with time running out, a third liver became available. “They told me that if the liver wasn't a match, Michelle's chances were very slimThey told me if that liver wasn’t a match, I would need to start making funeral arrangements,” Leonard said. Luckily, the organ matched. At 11:03 a.m. Aug. 8, Druzin’s high-risk obstetrics team delivered John, who was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit at Packard. Esquivel’s transplant team immediately began operating to give Michelle a new liver. The transplant worked. “To end up with the mom and child surviving all this is unbelievable,” said Esquivel. “The strength of being at a place like Packard is the ability to have world experts in all fields collaborate on very unusual cases like this,” Druzin added. After the operation, Michelle spent about a month in the hospital, gradually regaining awareness and healing from her surgeries. As a preemie, John stayed nearly three months at Packard Children’s before his mom, dad and sister welcomed him home in November. Michelle is still adjusting to her unexpected transplant and the unexpected birth of her son while she was in a coma. “When I was told what happened, I thought, OK, it’s done,” she said. “I wasn’t mad or angry. I just thought, what am I supposed to learn from this? What can I teach someone else?” Her entire family has a new appreciation for organ donation. “You don’t realize what it means until you see it in action,” Leonard said. Doctors at Packard Children’s and at Stanford Hospital say both mom and baby have excellent prospects, and the family is now joyously preparing for John’s first Christmas. “We’re going to go a little crazy with gifts for the kids,” Michelle said happily. “It’s definitely their Christmas this year.”

WE LOVE YOU ALL!

MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOUR FAMILY FOREVER AND EVER.

Its the Little Things We Do

In November, Christina had a friend spend the night. Her friend drove her own car over. After dinner they went out. They got home sometime around 2am. I went out to get the newspaper at 7:30am, and the car was not out front. I assumed that Natalie just dropped Christina off, and went home. So when Natalie and Christina started yelling at 10:00am "Wheres my car?" I knew we were in trouble. At first we thought it was stolen. Then I remembered the next door neighbor asking us a week or two earlier, if we had called and had their car towed. So the girls went next door and asked them what happened to their car. Turned out that the HOA had towed theirs and apparently Natalie's. It cost her parents $110. to get it out of the impound. Well, you know me, I wrote several emails to the board asking for explanations. I argued, 'how are we suppose to know that there is no over night parking? We didn't get CC&R's when we moved in. As we had never had anyone park in front of our house before. Wheres the warnings?' I complained up and down and left and right. Now look whats in our neighborhood. Also a mass letter was sent to all the homes, stating that there is NO overnight parking. Well, at least NOW we all have proper warnings. $110. to late for Natalie's parents tho.

Christina decided recently to play Chef and Supergirl at the same time, and broke my blender right in half.So, I just HAD to use my birthday gift cards and buy these. I was going to buy a new crockpot, since mine is ancient, (Seriously, it was a wedding present to Chris and I), but Macys did not have the one I wanted. Maybe for Christmas.... I love my hand blender. I love making soups in my old crockpot, but I always had to let it cool down, then scoop it out into my blender to puree them. Now I can do it right in the crockpot! Yes, I know, it is the little things that excite me.

Last weekend Mike pulled out our Christmas boxes. We haven't unpacked them, but at least they are out of the attic, and the Halloween ones are now up there. While out in the garage the boys saw the big box that the Papa Bill Jeep came in, they unfolded it and were playing in it. Mike told them if they helped clean up the den and living room, he would make them a play house out of it. It has a door, and windows. The boys took markers to it after I took these pictures, and drew lots of designs all over their house. Mike set up a TV in the window, put their couch in it, and thats where they at lunch at. Its now folded back up in the garage to make way for the Christmas Tree, but its there to pull out and play make believe again anytime they want. They don't need presents. Just the boxes!

Christina got to take her first trolley ride in San Fransisco. Yes, she dyed her blonde hair brown. Yes, it was against my wishes. Yes, I KNOW, I use to make my hair all different colors when I was a teen. But that doesn't mean I have to be thrilled about her dark hair! She's still beautiful tho, Whether it is brown, purple or orange. My brother Frank with our nephew JJ. That is short for John Jakob. Before Michelle got pregnant with him, Leonard had a dream that said "Name your son John Jakob, and he will be Ok." So they did, and look, He's not just ok, he is beautiful! Mom holding her grandson. I can't wait until I get to hold him. But he will probably be walking by that time, unfortunately. :( Look at how big Miss Elektra is getting!! She's adorable! Christina made the soccer team! So now I have to pick her up from practice. Thats the only stinky part of it. Practice or games everyday, lots of driving. At least gas prices are down to $1.78! That makes a big difference!

Our Happy Thanksgiving

I think I will change my layout almost every time I post a blog! I love all the different ones out there. But I am sooo not ready to add the Christmas one. Not yet. I can never get into Christmas until a week or so before it. Don't know why... Just cant. Oh well. On to more fun topics. Did everyone have a nice Thanksgiving? Since living here in Florida and not having family around, our last 2 Thanksgivings have been quite different than we ever had in AZ or WA. Last year we spent the day at Universal Studios. This year we were going to go to my coworkers house, however, on Tuesday, Mike got a work call in Fort Myers. Then he got a call in Naples. Both places had issues that may or may not of been resolved by the fix he did. Which meant, he would work until late Wed evening, drive home, then possibly have to go back very very early Friday morning. So we did a typical Mike and Corinna move. The boys and I went with him, and we stayed until Friday. (Christina flew to Uncle Leonard's & Aunt Michelle's in CA, and the rest of my family drove/flew there as well). The hotel Mike found was typical for us. A one bedroom with full kitchen. Plus it had cocktail & hors d'oeuvres from 5-7, and Wed night BBQ night. Perfect! Free food and drinks!! A heated swimming pool, and a 5 hole putt putt course.

The boys had a blast swimming. The water was warm, and they just jumped right in.

Here, Caleb asked Mike to write "daddy" on a piece of paper, and he wrote 'booger' instead, so Caleb put him in time out.

I had premade some Pumpkin Ginger Soup and Salad to take to Diane's, so we decided to pack a cooler and bring it with us, along with carrots and a few other goodies. We stopped at the store and picked up a rotisserie chicken, 100% natural potato flakes (no fake crap), and Natural Turkey Gravy. I used the maple syrup from the full breakfast the hotel provided, and made maple glazed carrots. None of us are pumpkin pie eaters, so we bought vanilla ice cream (for Zachary) and Caramelized Pear and Candied Pecan Ice Cream, and whipped cream for us. Everything was waiting for me to quickly prepare in our kitchen when we got back from our boating excursion. We debated about what kind of boating trip to take. A Chartered 93ft Luxury Yacht, fancy lunch or dinner included? A chartered fishing excursion? Or rent our own party boat and explore by ourselves. OF COURSE we picked the by ourselves one! We left early Thursday morning, and spent until 5pm on the boat. What a wonderful fun time we had!!

There were about 6+ dolphins out frolicking in the waters. Unfortunately we were so busy watching them that we didn't take any other pictures.

Caleb loved driving the boat!

So did Zachary. Mommy just watched them, and enjoyed the ride.

Here, there was one lone bird following us, and I threw a piece of Chex Mix Cereal up, and he caught it. The next thing we knew, there were a dozen birds following us. We kept throwing the cereal in the air, and most of the time the birds caught it! This was while we were cruising along at 25 mph!

Bye Bye city! Key Islands, here we come!

hmm. I am not sure who is driving our boat. Zachary?

We bought a dozen live shrimp to fish with. Zachary enjoyed helping watch the pole.

We are all water signs. The only thing missing in our wonderful Thanksgiving on the water was Christina.

We caught a fish! Turned out it is a Lady Fish. While it is edible, it has many many small bones, and can easily turn mushy when cooked. It is a bottom feeder fish. We put her back in the water after a short time. But it was still fun catching one.

She was about 22 inches.

We actually snagged another fish. It must of been a HUGE one, because Mike felt it grab, and then he had to hold on. It thrashed for a second or two, and then broke our pole in half. See ya!

There were dozens of birds just sitting and enjoying the scene.

While we were fishing we parked at a Key Island. The boys enjoyed running up and down and picking up seashells. Zachary even found two sting ray skeletons. Unfortunately, as I type this, I remember that they were packed into our snorkeling gear bag, which we didn't unload. UGH. The smell is making me very sick right now. GROSS!! Memo to boys: Lets leave your smelly sea creatures behind from now on!

Almost 11 years and still as in love as ever. AWWWWWW.........

This pictures says it all for me. My toes in the sea water = Happiness.

We had a fun day! Of course, now Mike is begging to get a boat of his own. After all the bills are paid off, and the Surprise house sold, then YES. Until then... We will enjoy these moments as much as possible. And be THANKFUL for all the blessing that we do have.

It is pouring rain today, and there are tornado reports. So I will stop this blog, and post the rest of the pictures I was going to post later.