Feeling Stressed...

As we approach the new year, I am:  happily thinking about how I get to plan a 7th birthday party for the best little boy in the world; thankful that Kevin and I both have jobs to go back to on January 3; and getting excited about my beautiful Hannah playing softball in the spring.  But I am also feeling uber stressed about money with the change in my insurance that's coming.

Now let me start by making a disclaimer.  Trust me.  I know that this is a bit of a "first world" complaint.  I know that there are people all over the world without a roof over their heads, with no food to eat.  I absolutely get the whole "let's put things in perspective" thing, and I thank God everyday...multiple times a day.  But that being said...I'm going to gripe and stress and whine here, and I don't want to hear any of that thrown back at me.  Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I just need to vent a little bit.

So here it is.  In an effort to save money, our school district decided to switch insurance providers.  Before they did this, though, they sent us information to look over so that we could voice our opinions.  So I looked it over, and I voiced my negative oppinions...which is not something I normally do (so that should be your first big clue as to how bad this change was going to be for my family).  I got a response back that very kindly said something to the effect of, "Oh, I'm very sorry to hear of your circumstances...thank you very much for your feedback...it will be used to help us make our decision." 

Here's another disclaimer for you:  I'm sure that this change in insurance has probably saved the district quite a bit of money.  Which means it has probably helped to save some jobs.  I get it, and I am so happy for those people that get to keep their jobs.  HOWEVER...

There were 4 plans for us to choose from.  So I pretty much just had to pick the one that would suck the least.  I don't want to get into all of the nitty-gritty details, but suffice it so say that it all comes back to me and my pesky leukemia.  It's just screwing everything up.  I didn't like any of these plans, so I tried to get coverage for the kids elsewhere.  But this country's new health care plan screwed that up for me too.  "No child can be denied coverage."  Sounds great, right?  And it truly is:  if a parent has coverage, then his/her children are automatically covered...regardless of how sick a child might be.  That's awesome.  Really.  But that means that insurance providers don't need to offer children only plans anymore.  Well that sucks.  Since no one else will cover me with my leukemia, the only way to get my kids covered is through my work.  So there I was, back to square one...picking the plan that sucked the least.

Well, I did that.  And not only is it going to be about $175 more per month, but my meds are going to be $65-$165 more.  The coverage of some things is not as good either.  Add in higher (albeit slightly) office visit and general prescription copays, and there we are....screwed over.  It's not like we're getting raises to help off-set some of the cost.  Things are going to be tight around the Prickett household, that's for sure.  (and I thought things already were...)  And I know that all of the other district employees I've talked to about this are going to feel the pinch, too.  But I think that those with serious/chronic illnesses are getting the worst of it.

Allright.  I guess that's enough self-centered whining for one day.  I'm glad I got that out.  Now I'll go back to focusing on all of my blessings and reminding myself that things could be worse (and are for a lot of people). 

• Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

• Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

• Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

• Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

The Day Before Christmas...

'Twas the day before Christmas, when all through the place
All the prep work was done, and even the test-tastes.

All the stockings were hung, and had been for quite a while.
With arguing children hoping Santa was in denial.

The children were drving their parents a bit crazy.
Their uncle took them to the park so as not to be lazy.

With Grandma in her church clothes, and the rest of us too,
To Christmas Eve mass is where we all flew.

When what to my wandering eye should appear,
But kids dressed as Mary and Joseph drawing near.

With a little old donkey they went to a manger
To bring into the world its glorious savior.

More rapid than eagles, His praises were sang.
Prayers were said and bells were rang.

Now Mason and Hannah, now Logan and Taylor.
On to the family Christmas Eve dinner.

As I cleaned up the dishes and we passed presents around
In through the door, Kevin came in with a bound.

He was dressed all in clothes warm enough for the cold
We were glad to see him...both yound and old.

Now that all were here (except those in Georgia out of sight)
We could truly say, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night"!

:)

It's a Wonderful Movie...

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  It is the time of the year for family, friends, shopping, baking, church-going, anticipating, giving, celebrating, singing, and....movie watching.

There are so many Christmas movies out there, but these are my favorites.  I know, I know.  Some of these aren't actually Christmas movies, so much as they are movies set during Christmas, but whatever.  They're awesome, nonetheless.

In no particular order, here we go:

Hillarious.  Classic.

Touching and quotable.  :)

Best soundtrack.

Simply magical!

Fan. Tastic.

The kids love it, too.

Never actually seen the whole thing, but the parts I have are superb.

Gets me every time.

Love, love, love.

I mean, come on!

Cheesy, but I still like it.

A relatively wordless blog for me today, but now it's your turn.  What are your favorite Christmas movies?





25 Random Things, Part 6...

Here I go again on my blog!  I think this is the longest I've ever gone without blogging.  I've thought about it many times, but I just haven't found the time...and if I tried, I could not get my scattered brain to come up with a blog topic.  So today, it dawned on me.  It's time for another 25 Random things!  So let's get started...

1)  The song above has always been one of my favorites.  It reminds me of my days at the Pizza Hut in Abilene.  I would play this song on the jukebox during slow times of the day.  And maybe tried to reenact some of those car-top dance moves on some of the tables when nobody was looking.  And yes, you're right.  It was awesome!
2)  On school picture day, even the teachers have to get their pictures taken for the yearbook.  And one of the "perks" is that we get a free photo package.  But what on earth am I going to with 30 pictures of myself, hmm?
3)  I went to see Breaking Dawn (the newest Twilight movie, for you less awesome folks out there) with some friends from school 2 nights ago.  I've never once said they're the best movies ever, but they are good mindless fun...which is just what I needed.
4)  I'm so looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving.  I love my family!
5)  The worst part about being so busy lately is that I haven't had time (or energy) to bake.  I miss it.  So guess what I'm doing with my time off next week?!  H-e-l-l-o stand mixer...long time, no see!
6)  Kevin is watching Fast Five right now.  And some how the terrible acting has me in a trance.  It's like a car wreck...I can't look away.
7)  I'm going to go see the new Footloose with my mom, sister, and newest sister-in-law when I go home.  Delightfully cheesy fun, here we come!
8)  3 out of the last 5 items were movie related.  Don't worry...I bet there will be more.
9)  I've really been chomping at the bit to decorate for Christmas!  It truly is "the most wonderful time of the year".  But I refuse to do it before Thanksgiving.  I just can't.
10)  It appears that I have a very warped sense of how old I am.  Sometimes I feel like High School was only yesterday.  Like I'm still a good 10 years younger than all of the parents of my students.  But then I look in the mirror and see that's just not the case.  I am about the same age as most of them now.  I have the same crows feet and laugh lines that I see on their faces.  When did that happen?  Sheesh.
11)  I stumbled across this quote recently:  “The quickest way for a parent to get a child’s attention is to sit down and look comfortable.” ~ Lane Olinhouse  I'm finding it quite fitting today (and everyday, really).
12)  I saw the trailer for The Hunger Games movie the other day.  OMG...I'm so excited!  http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2402131481
13)  I just spent what might be some of the best $10 I've ever spent:  a DVD 3 pack with The Money Pit, The Burbs, and Dragnet.  I love me some old school Tom Hanks!
14)  Bradley Cooper is The Sexiest Man Alive 2011.  Maybe not my top pick, but I ain't complaining.
15)  I'm about to start reading The Best of Me, the latest Nicholas Sparks book.  Looking forward to it.
16)  When Kevin and I first started dating, he watched WWF wrestling fairly regularly.  I can't say that I ever cared too much for it, but there were a few guys that I enjoyed:  Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kevin Nash were good, but The Rock was the greatest.  As we know, The Rock is now Dwayne Johnson.  But he came back to wrestling last Monday, and I have to confess...it was pretty awesome.
17)  My friend, Katie, pointed out that the music we listened to in High School is now called "Old School" on the radio.  Ouch.
18)  You know who I love?  I love Mayhem.  You know, from the Allstate commercials?  Fantastic.
19)  Even Kevin's got a touch of the baby fever.  So much so that we really started wondering if it would be possible for me to go off my medication for a year or so to have another baby.  So I checked with my doctor.  And I think I knew better, but to make a long story short...it's a no go.
20)  What is the deal with those Latisse eyelash growth commercials?  It sure seems like a lot of risk for some eyelashes.  But maybe that's just me.
21)  Claire Danes has always been able to make me cry.  Ever since My So Called Life...when she cries, I cry.
22)  I found Starburst Jelly Beans at the store the other day.  I have to say...I was pretty stoked.
23)  I have always wanted to ride in a limousine. 
24)  Kevin and I watched a few middle of the night episodes of Saved By the Bell a week or so ago.  It was glorious.  I grew up with those Bayside kids.  They were the best.  They were certainly better than the California Dreams kids.  And WAY better than The Suite Life kids these days.  But maybe I'm just biased.
25)  While we were in Vegas, we stumbled accross a little art gallery in one of the hotels.  It was for a guy named Peter Lik.  (I know...the jokes that come to mind with a name like that...)  But I fell in love!  His photos are a-mazing!  I would LOVE a coffee table book of his, but they're like $80-$100...which is rediculous.  But just check these out! http://www.lik.com/thework.html

Two Down...

If you remember a few posts ago, I started a bucket list for myself.  Well last weekend, I was able to scratch 2 of those things off the list.  Last weekend I went to Vegas...and saw Garth Brooks in concert.  Can I get a what, what?!  All-in-all, it was a pretty fantastic weekend.

Here's the story:

Thursday
Kevin, my brother-in-law, 2 of their friends, my friend Katie, and I go out to the Casinos on Freemont Street in old Down Town.  You know, the place with the neon cowboy and cowgirl.  But it also has a giant (over 5 football fields long) LED screen canopy that makes it seem like it's daytime, even at 1:00 in the morning.  And let's not forget the topless ladies, cross dressing guys, and people in costumes (from Kiss and Elvis to Zack Galifianakis and the baby from Hangover). 

Friday
We walked (and walked, and walked, and walked) the Strip.  Who knew there would be so many stairs, by the way?  We start out at the Venetian.  We go to Caesar's Palace and the Mirage with everyone.  Then Kevin and the others who have already seen what Vegas has to offer split off and go do some more gambling while Katie and I tackle Vegas on our own.  We went just about everywhere to see as much as we could (including an outdoor establishment with a very cute server where we got a very refreshing beverage, and hanging out at the House of Blues) so that we could get an idea of what we wanted to go back to.  We experienced a couple of Vegas buffets, and got ready for the big night. 

We had a taxi drop us off at the Wynn hotel with 10 minutes to spare.  When we get to the door, we ask the guy where the theater for the Garth Brooks concert is.  He tells us that it's actually at the Encore right next door.  (Now, if you've ever been to Vegas, then you know how sprawling these hotels are.  They span quite a distance.)  But he says that it's OK, because all we have to do is go left and there will be a sign and a door that will lead us to the Encore.  Well, we speed walk left...and keep going, but there's no sign.  So finally when we get to a door, the stupid curve of the hotel has brought us all the way around to the opposite end, putting us a good half mile from the entrance we needed.  So what's a girl to do?  That's right...we run...down the strip...at night...in our 3+ inch wedge shoes.  OMG, you should have seen us.  We only tripped twice (once each).  For anyone who knows how clumsy and out of shape I am, you'll know what a feat that was.  So we finally make it into the right hotel and have to subtly speed walk to the other end of it to get to the theater (right on time, mind you), only to have to walk to the end of a long winding line waiting to get in to the theater.  But we made it, so that's all that matters, isn't it?

And the concert?  Well...I'll  blog about it later, for sure.  But let me just say that it was pretty much the best, coolest, most amazing thing ever!

Saturday
We wake up and go back to our favorite Casino (New York New York) for breakfast.  We hung out for a little while, then Kevin and I went on a date.  And by date, I mean:  walk all the way to Caesar's to go to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for lunch, decide after looking at the menu that the lunch menu didn't have anything that Kevin wanted to try, walk all the way back to New York New York, call everybody else, and have lunch together there.  After lunch, we went to a crappy duelling pianos performance, put on our Rangers gear, and settled in at the Excalibur bar to watch the game.  We were super excited, and super optimistic...until around the 6th inning.  Then we couldn't take it anymore. So we had dinner at Peppermill (a Vegas-y breakfast/lunch/dinner/bar/diner place)...with the largest portions ever.  Then the gang dropped Katie and me off at the Bellagio so that we could see the fountains at night.  So cool!  But then we had to walk all the way back to the hotel...again.  Once we got back to the hotel, at only 11:30, we weren't quite ready to go to bed on our last night.  So we stopped by Dick's Last Resort (located inside our hotel) and listened to a band finish their set and watched a couple of hootchies dance with each other (thus keeping us and everyone else from dancing).  But then the band finished, the DJ took over, and the skanks left.  So we got our groove on with some other people, including 2 couples from Canada...who told us that they were from Canada...over and over.  But they were a lot of fun.  We danced for a good 2 hours, and then called it quits.

Sunday
The next morning; between all of the walking, climbing stairs, running down the strip, and dancing, we woke up quite sore.  But we powered through and headed back to New York, New York to have our gourmet desserts for breakfast.  Then we said good-bye to Vegas and flew back home, exhausted but pretty satisfied with our trip.

A HUGE thank you is in order for my parents.  They stayed with the kids while we were gone and chauffeured them to and from school, softball practice, a football game, school testing, movies, and church...plus shuttling us to and from the airport.  I've said it before, but I'll say it again...they are the coolest!

Plexers, Wuzzles, and Logic Oh My...

Some of you might be thinking...what on earth are plexers and wuzzles?
                                               
Well, they are word picture puzzles that tend to get you  tholostught.  I LOVE them.  I think they are so much fun!  My first experience with them was when I was a kid.  My mom got a sheet of Christmas themed plexers (from one of her sisters, I think), and I've been hooked ever since.  They are super clever.  Some, of course, are easier than others, but they're a great way to tease your brain every now and again. 

I don't have much else to say about them, so I'll just share a couple that I found online, as well as links to some others.  Have fun!

For more, you can check out:
http://www.wuzzlesandpuzzles.com/wuzzles/ (which just might be one of the coolest websites I've ever seen...)
http://www.princeton.edu/~distract/allpuzzles.html (look under wacky wordies for some themed plexers)
http://myfunteacher.com/plexers.htm


And while we're on the topic of brain teasers...  Did anyone else love Logic Problems as a kid?!  (OK, yes.  This post is really allowing me to unleash my inner nerd.)  In case you weren't as nerdy awesome as me when you were in school, this is an example of a logic problem ('m sure you'll recognize it when you see it):  

If you're interested, here's a fun little website with some logic problems that you can play online (but be careful...you could easily waste hours on here...):  http://www.puzzles.com/projects/LogicProblemsArchive.html

ENJOY!

One Hundred...

Alright, alright.  Calm down everybody.  I'm excited too, but there's really no need for confetti.  :)  Yes it's true...this is my 100th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know some people blog religiously...several times a week.  As you know, I am not one of those people.  I just don't have the time.  So I figure 100 posts in just under 2 years is still pretty good.  My posts have ranged from serious to funny, personal to general, sarcastic to thoughtful, whiney to grateful.  I don't get near the amount of comments that I used to (whether here or on facebook), but I don't care about that near as much as I used to either.  This has just been a creative outlet/way for me to vent.  And if anyone else has gotten anything from it (memories, a laugh, a new perspective), then that's just icing on the cake.

So I was thinking that on this most momentous of occasions, I would do a little recap of sorts.  I'm going to link some of my favorites from the last 100 posts!  Sounds like fun, right?!  Well get ready, folks.  Here it comes!

Memories...

Ending of an Era...

Favorite Things...

Top 5...

Autobiography...

The Kids' Latest... (which is not really their latest anymore)

Old Already...

Firsts...

The Power of Prayer...

October...

Movie Mash-Ups...

Feeling Lost...

Letters to Myself...

Photo Challenge...


OK, so maybe that was more than a few of my favorites.    :)   Oh well.  I guess that's all for now.  I hope you enjoyed the look back at my at my first 100 posts...I sure did!