Archive - August, 2009

Click! Click! Snap! Snap!

August 14, 2009 in Lana's Journal with 13 Comments

A while back, Dave and I decided that for Carmen’s Make-A-Wish trip, we should rent a camera lens to capture the vacation. For the past year or so, we have been using a 50mm lens. Wonderful lens but we wanted something more versatile for this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

I found a company that rents lenses, Lensrentals.com. A few weeks ago, I placed a reservation for the lens we wanted. I commented in the memo section that we are super excited about renting this lens as we are going on our daughter’s Make-A-Wish trip. I got an email back with this, “We’ve reserved your lens and wish for your family to have the lens with our compliments for your trip. There will be no charges other than the shipping.” Both Dave and I got tears in our eyes when we read the email. Today we got the lens in the mail and we are going to have fun! I may have to kiss it goodbye when we mail it back! :)

The picture below was a quick shot taken with the new lens. At the end of each week last year, Lauren brought home her school folder. Every week she drew a picture of Carmen on the back of her school papers. Sweet, huh?! I often wish that Carmen’s biological mom could know how much Carmen is loved.

Laurens Carmen Drawings

Vegetable Soup and Buttermilk Cornbread

August 13, 2009 in Lana's Journal, Recipes with 7 Comments

I haven’t cooked anything in three whole months but last night I suddenly decided it was time. Dave was very surprised to find dinner ready when he got home from work! Let’s just say that we have been eating cereal and sandwiches or eating out for the past three months. I still feel nauseous but I can look at food again so I am HAPPY!

I love this very simple vegetable soup. You can substitute all fresh veggies but I was going for easy!

Vegetable Soup

  • 1 package frozen mixed vegetables (corn, green beans, carrots, peas, etc.)
  • 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 extra can of whatever veggie you would like (I put an extra can of green beans)
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 6 beef buillion cubes
  • 6 cups water

Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

I love this soup but I adore it with cornbread. I like salty, dry, not sweet cornbread.

Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

  • 2 cups corn meal (white or yellow – doesn’t affect taste)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1-1/2 cups buttermilk (I always buy low fat)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter, for skillet

Preheat oven to 450°F. Stir together all of the ingredients except for the butter. Put the butter in a cast iron skillet and melt on top of the stove. Pour the cornbread mixture on top of the butter while the burner is still on and leave on top of the stove for a couple of minutes. (I have this theory that this will make the bottom of the cornbread crunchy but I don’t actually know if that is the case!) Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes. Cornbread will be done when golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the skillet.

Vegetable Soup and Cornbread

Who’s Your Favorite? Piglet? Eeyore? Tigger? Pooh?

August 11, 2009 in Lana's Journal with 10 Comments

One of my goals for the two weeks that Lauren is in New York with her grandparents is to finish sorting, cropping and fixing pictures for Carmen’s slideshow. I was supposed to have all of this done before her third birthday but obviously I didn’t get that done! So, for the past week, I have been looking through pictures.

Today I found pictures from Disney World. We went for one day in March 2008, after the Tay Sachs conference weekend. We ate lunch at the Crystal Palace and got to meet the Winnie the Pooh characters.

Isn’t Piglet cute!?

Lauren, Piglet and Carmen

Poor Eeyore, always sad.

Lauren, Eeyore and Carmen

Tigger bounced right up to say hi!

Lauren, Tigger and CarmenDefinitely our favorite. Pooh.

Pooh and Carmen

Weary

August 10, 2009 in Lana's Journal with 2 Comments

The past couple of weeks have been rough. Family, friend and personal issues, sickness, death, funerals, etc.

We said goodbye to beautiful Stephen who lost his battle to GM1-Gangliosidosis. Dave, Carmen and I went to Stephen’s funeral on Saturday. I knew it would be a hard funeral to attend. This little boy was the same age as Carmen. And he was such a beautiful child. But, I didn’t realize how hard it would hit me that we will be saying goodbye to Carmen someday soon. I know that in my head but I don’t think my heart can be ready. Please pray for comfort for Stephen’s family.

We found out that a classmate we knew at LeTourneau University, Ryan Williams, died last week after a plane crash in Kenya. We didn’t know Ryan personally but LeTourneau is small enough that everyone knows everyone. Ryan worked for AIM, an evangelical nondenominational missionary society, as an air mechanic. Please pray for comfort for Ryan’s wife, Dawn, and their four children.

We have also been praying for sweet Karen who was recently diagnosed with LCH Histiocytosis.

***

Despite all the difficulties this week, we have had some good.

Carmen is doing OK right now. We kept thinking she was brewing pneumonia but so far she has remained healthy.

I am now 14.5 weeks along and the baby is doing great! In a little over a month, we will find out if the baby is a boy or girl.

Lauren is having a blast with her NY grandparents and cousins! We are so glad that she has this time to just have fun. Lauren starts kindergarten end of August (eek!).

Dave and I have had time to reconnect. We went on a date to Roy’s Place (a sandwich shop). I think I grossed Dave out with my onion rings, BLT, and bowl of pickles! Let me tell you that onion and pickle breath is not good!

Here is a recent picture of happy Lauren:

Lauren in front of flowers

 

Prayers Needed for Karen Vi

August 7, 2009 in Lana's Journal with 10 Comments

About two months ago, my friend Jamie and her husband Danny brought home their lovely little girl, Karen Vi. They adopted Karen from China. Yesterday, Karen was diagnosed with LCH Histiocytosis, a disease in which there are too many white blood cells. The disease is affecting Karen’s skin, spleen and colon. She will start six weeks of chemo treatments and then will receive treatments for a year.

Jamie was my best friend in high school and my maid of honor in our wedding. Jamie and Danny also have a little boy named Caleb who is almost two years old.

Please pray for this family and especially for this sweet little girl!

Here is a picture of Jamie and Karen Vi.

Jamie and Karen Vi

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