A busy week . . . . .

Well, I made it through Monday - not very well typing with those nails, but done.  I am getting used the them a bit.  However, I have an appointment on Friday to have the re-shaped rounded, a little shorter and all one color.  I like having long nails and love the smooth feel of the polish.  You see, I used to be a nail biter; was until sophomore year in High School.  Then I began to grow my nails out and polish them.  I would run my polished nails on my lips instead of biting them.  It was a great replacement for the biting - no harm.  :)  Still like the feel.

Two scout nights are done.  Monday was the Oconto Falls troop meeting and the boys are preparing for the big fundaiser scout Spaghetti Dinner and silent auction.  As if helping wasn't enough I volunteered a Spa Basket, a Jam and Bread Basket, a Basket of home made cards and the last is a 'Dessert A Month'.  I already have the Spa Basket done, with all the christmas sales and a great liquidator store it was great.  I also gathered as many cards that I had already done and a really cool basket from Mom, I didn't have to make too many.  Then there is the jam from my Dad.  I have 4 pints, add a cutting board and bake a fresh loaf of bread Sunday morning - couldn't even attempt that without my bread machine.  I  . . . do not make bread.  At least not a very edible loaf.    Lastly, the 'dessert a month'.  I will have a list of each month's dessert with a plate of powder sugar covered brownies.  I will post pictures this weekend.

Tonight was going along with the Church scout troop to the Archery Range - Wade's.  Everytime I go there, I think of Bry.  She helped start the Archery club at our high school.  Wade even had a HS archery club hoodie on tonight.  The boys did fairly well.  Although, there is a reason I do not work regularly with 12-14 year old boys.  You get the idea.  :)

I love being busy and have had to learn how to RELAX.  That's been a dirty five letter word for me for like ever.  It is somewhat accomplished in Mexico, but disappears when we are back home.  Sometimes, life throws things at me that make me slow down.  I felt bad for my family this Christmas.  I ended up with a bulging disc in my lower neck the first weekend in November.  Bad timing.  Right as we begin to kick into high gear for the holidays.

That first month was pretty bad.  I was trying to follow Fred's direction, but it was constant pain.  I couldn't sit, stand, lay or sit without pain.  Then I began taking pain meds to sleep at night and that was a great improvement.  Next was ice.  15-25 min of every hour.  Ice is nice.  :)   Still wasn't getting more than 30-40% relief and at times was unbearable.  Your neck holds up your head and if you can't ever relax those muscles that are spasming, the muscles just clamp down harder.  No position ever allowed any relief.  After a month, Fred mentioned the 'S' word - Surgery.  No way.  OK what do I have to do?  Let me try this again - only better.  I iced more often, meds to help sleep.  Ibuprofen 3X a day, cut out anything extra - got rest.   So, very few Christmas decorations went up, only baked a few Christmas goodies.  Did lots of shopping online for presents.  I am so grateful that I did not have headaches with this.  Just want to take that ice pick out of my left trapesius muscle!

Now that I have finished my second day back to work after vacation, I need some ibuprofen, but have not needed any pain meds for sleeping in over a week.  I think I will ice each night, to keep the inflamation at bay.  It really is doing much better.  I want to keep it that way.

All this and it is only Tuesday.  :)

Keep smiling and the world smiles with you.
Luv ya,
Bren

GO PACK GO!!!!

YES WE ARE READY FOR SOME MORE FOOTBALL!!!!!!!   WHOO HOOO!!  SUPERBOWL XLV!!!!!

Ok, so I did not wear a Packers shirt to church today, but will to work tomorrow.  I may invest in a forest green blouse that I could wear over my packers yellow shirt and be all set for church.  Yup, that's the plan.

Have an awesome day and even if no one smiles with you - keep smiling.
It makes the day more fun!  :)
Luv Ya, Bren

Not quite done

So many things going through my mind.  I really enjoy our vacations to Mexico and a few years ago I mentioned to my sister that she & I should go, just the two of us.  That evolved into the four girl cousins on our mom's side going.  Well, we are going to plan to go October of 2012.  I know, so far away, but as adults we all have complicated lives and jobs.  It will be so much fun!!!!!  Now we just have to decide which of the Palace Resorts we want to stay at.  Oh, the decisions we have to make sometimes.

Then there is the Packers game tomorrow.  Living near Green Bay, this is such an exciting game!  You can feel the excitement in the air.  I am sure some fans will have trouble sleeping tonight and tomorrow they will watch every sports analyst in the morning.  How do I get away with wearing my packer shirt to church tomorrow?  :)

These are picks I took at the Packers Family night in August.  It was fun and enough of the 'Packers Experience' to cross attending a Packers Game off my bucket list.  It is awesome to cheer for the team in person!!!!  Lambeau Field is not very big as stadiums go, so there is a real close feel to everything. 
Very Unique.

Luv, Bren

Back from vacation

   Well, it was a great vacation!  It is always a treat to go to our favorite resort, Aventura Spa Palace in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  Being in Wisconsin in January can be very cold.  So, it is cold when we leave and cold when we come back.  Wednesday the 19th our conversation poolside in 85 degree warmth was whether the 75 degree pool water was too cold.  Coming home on the 20th to the high temp of 14 degrees, changed our perspective of the cold 75 degree pool - we now thought it would be great to be back in that water.

Vacation time brings a new side of you.  Fred was getting a massage one day and I had time on my hands, so . . . . I got acrylic nails.  I liked the medium pink and when the manicurist asked me if I would like French tips, I said OK.  I was thinking of the pink base with white tips.  Nope - just the pink.  Trying to type with these things is quite challenging.  I don't know if I will keep them or not, yet.  I may opt for a little shorter and rounded, not square.  Oh, please over look the chubby fingers.  My fingers don't look quite so sausagy in the colder temps.

 

  I do want to say how nice it was to have Tim home with the younger children while we were away.  He hasn't been home since the summer for Gwen's wedding.  He really enjoyed himself and it was nice to meet Lindsay.  The kids also liked having him home, to keep that big brother connection.

   With warmer clothes and stuff to do on our calendar, we should have enough to keep us busy and our minds off of the cold.  It is back to work, boy scouts, cheerleading and preparing for Solo & Ensemble in March.