What the *&@%* are they thinking?

Okay, I know that's a bit of a drastic title. But I am just livid. Let me explain. I work part-time at a local foster care agency. I have worked in this field for about 5 1/2 years. I know that foster parents have one of the hardest jobs out there. They care for some of the most neglected, abused, abandoned children in our communities. They sacrifice a normal life for themselves and their biological children in order to serve the children who have had so many difficult experiences.

But that is not what I am upset about. I'm upset at Govenor Baldacci and the DHHS who are proposing DRASTIC cuts to the foster care and adoptive families. The state has a budget shortfall - I understand that. I also understand that there are a lot of ways to cut the budget, such as adminstratively and through unnecessary programs. But what the state is planning to do is to cut foster care reimbursement rates by 30%! Not to mention that they have already cut the respite and rec funds that took effect immediately.

Unfortunately, the state doesn't seem to recognize that cutting foster parent's reimbursement rates is going to do several things:

1. Foster parents will either not take new placements and/or have to relinquish their current placements. This is not because foster parents are "in it for the money". It is because it requires money to support these children, many of whom have several mental and physical health issues related to their previous histories of abuse and neglect.
2. As a result of the first event, more and more children will end up in residential, hospitalization, on the streets, or in correctional facilities. That, in the end, will cost the state hundreds of thousands of more dollars. The state says they will utilize kinship families more as well as "continue to support foster families" in ways other than financially. This falls on deaf ears when foster parents are experiencing the second cut within the past 4 years.
3. Children who do remain in foster homes will have less support and intervention since many foster parents who currently stay at home to take care of these children will have to go get a full time job to survive. That means that the children will end up in day care and other places that really can't meet their needs. The foster parents are highly skilled, trained individuals who give so much of their lives for these children. So now, they are going to have to go out, get a job, and only be able to work with the children 2-3 hours in the evening instead of being available whenever the children need them. (Note: most of these foster families have one parent working while the other parent stays at home with the children due to the number of appointments and services the children have).

Even if you are not involved in foster care yourself, you probably know someone who has been a foster parent or who has adopted a child. These cuts are also affecting people who have adopted and received an adoption subsidy. They signed a contract with the state and now the state is changing that contract by lowering the subsidy. I encourage everyone to speak up and contact the state legislators who will be voting on this budget soon. Tomorrow there is a hearing at the State House and there will be testimony from foster parents and others involved in this situation. But the more people speak up and write to the decision makers, the more chance we have of making a change to this ridiculous budget proposal.

Ever Have One of Those Weeks?

Have you ever had one of those weeks when nothing seems to go right? Yup, I have.

That's all.

Working Out

So in my quest to work out 3 times a week, I had it all planned out to go to Planet Fitness today. I had packed my bag of clothes, brought my Access bar, and my ipod. I even remembered my earbuds, which I always seem to forget so I end up just staring up at the tvs without any sound while I work out.

I had a long day at work involving a lot of paperwork. It actually went by quite quickly and I got a lot accomplished. But my shoulder was sore the whole day and I just wanted to work out to help loosen up my muscles! So I drove to the gym after work, got out of my car and started walking towards the doors. Then I looked in my bag, which felt a little light. Well, that's when I realized I had forgotten something incredibly important - my sneakers! And it wasn't like I was wearing shoes that could work for the gym - I was wearing my black dress boots. Not gonna happen.

So I promptly turned around and went back to my car. I drove home and opted for one of my workout videos. Not the same, but at least I did something.

Lesson learned: Don't forget your sneakers when you got to the gym!!

Moxie was lost... and now he's found!

Scott and I are at a marriage retreat this weekend, so our dogs are staying with other people. Mia is at my mom's, and Moxie is some wonderful people from our church's home. Last night, apparently they had friends over for dinner and Moxie had lots of fun playing with them. When they were leaving, Moxie and the other 2 dogs were outside. Well, when the friends started driving down the driveway, Moxie decided he had so much fun that he wanted them to stay. So he ran after them. And he ran and ran out the driveway. Ahhh!!

Scott R ran after him, but he was gone. Then Karen and Scott went looking for him until super late (or early in the morning). They called us this morning to tell us that Moxie was missing and they still hadn't found him. Well, I called home since our number is on Moxie's tag. Someone had called and said they found him, but it was not clear whether they were going to hold onto him or leave him by the road or what. So I tried calling the guy, but I couldn't reach him. We talked to Karen again and told her that, and she also called the local animal control to find out if anyone had turned him in.

Well, it was a rather emotional morning since I didn't really know if Moxie was okay or not - if he was out in the woods somewhere, laying beside the road, or safely inside someone's home. This afternoon while I was out in Camden, Karen called to say the guy had called back. Apparently they had taken him home and let him stay in a crate in their heated garage. They had also fed him!

I was soooo thankful that he is found!! Yay! I am so glad and now I don't have to worry anymore...

SNOW Much Fun!

Anyone who lives in Maine knows how much snow we have right now. But for those of you who don't live here, it's A LOT! Here's a few pics of the fun we've been having with snow lately. (Note: Fun does not involve driving in the snow, shoveling the snow, or paying to be plowed out every other day!)

My Best Christmas Present!

Well my friends, Christmas Eve was a good day. Let me share... we got up slightly late, but not too much, because we knew we had a big day ahead of us. I cleaned up the kitchen (it was a MESS) while Scott prepped the living room. Then I made us a big french toast and bacon breakfast, which we ate in bed, because that was the only place we could find to sit in our home!

After cleaning up breakfast, the fun began. We began installing our new laminate flooring in our living room. For those of us who know us, you know that we've been working on this remodel for several months (4 years actually, but this past 4 months we've been doing the living room and dining room). So it was really exciting to actually be able to put the flooring in. Amazingly, Scott and I didn't argue the whole time. We worked together and got it installed in about 3 hours! Then, we took a lunch break and relaxed a bit. After that, we got back to work with arranging furniture. It was hard to decide where to put everything, but we finally decided - for now.

Of course, the room is not completed. We still have to paint the top border and paint and put up the trim. But, it is SO WONDERFUL to be mostly done the room. We can now actually sit and relax in the room, and it looks so good! Anyway, here are some before, during, and after pictures:

A Christmas Song

Two days away from Christmas... wow, I can't believe this year has gone by so fast. I am so excited for Christmas - I love this holiday. But as our pastor pointed out this morning in his sermon, we have to remember why Jesus came to earth: to die. When you think about that, it makes you even more appreciative of the gift He gave us. In that light, I want to share some song lyrics from a song I heard this past week. It is becoming one of my favorite Christmas songs. It is by Flyfleaf, but it's one of their softer songs. Here it is:

Christmas Song
A frightened virgin teenage girl
Receives a message that defies the laws of this world
All she can do is weep and nod
She's to bring into this world the Son of God

God's angels sound their trumpets
And blow their horns
Tonight the long awaited savior is to be born
The goodness bound by Satan it has been torn
With this baby's precious brow ready for thorns

A star appears fulfilling ancient prophecy
There's an ounce of fear as wise men follow faithfully
The Virgin Mary brings forth the human savior
And this future king sleeps soundly in the manger
Soundly in the manger

God's angels sound their trumpets
And blow their horns
Tonight the long awaited savior is to be born
The goodness bound by Satan it has been torn
With this baby's precious brow ready for thorns

Tonight He is born so one day He can die
To heal hearts that are torn and live the perfect life
So He hang upon a cross and we can take His life
So we can live as sinners
And He can pay the price
Tonight He is born so one day he can die
But He will rise again

God's angels sound their trumpets
And blow their horns
Tonight the long awaited savior is to be born
The goodness bound by Satan it has been torn
With this baby's precious brow ready for thorns

Virtual Christmas Letter

As opposed to sending out a letter to every family member and friend on earth, we decided to write a virtual Christmas letter here online! Enjoy : )

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from snowy Maine! This year we've had more snow than usual, and now we're in the midst of another snowstorm. Today we're supposed to get 5-8" plus sleet and freezing rain. Oh the joys of living in Maine! We hope that wherever this letter finds you, you and your family are happy and healthy this year!

Scott and I have had a very full year. One thing that has kept us quite busy is Scott's job as the youth pastor at Church of the Open Door in Hampden. In March, we had our annual Winter Retreat for the teens, and this year we combined with another local church and went to Fairhaven Camps for the retreat. That was a lot of fun, despite being snowed in at the church for the first night (and sleeping on the floor). Later in the year we went to New York with 3 teens on a Group Workcamps missions trip. Although we had a small group, God still taught us a lot on that trip. The theme was "Renovate", and while we renovated other people's houses, we were also learning about how God wants to renovate our hearts and lives.

In the past few months, we also did a trip to a local farm, Treworgy Orchards, and did the corn maze there with the youth. That was followed by a large bonfire at one of our volunteer's house. Finally, we had a Christmas party for the junior high and then one for the senior high the following day. We had the traditional Yankee Swap, but instead of having the kids purchase gifts, they had to find or make something. Then, we collected donations from them to put towards a gift through World Vision's Christmas catalog. Our group chose to donate some chickens and a goat to families in developing nations. We raised over $200 between the two groups!

Scott is still enjoying his job a lot and is often amazed that he gets paid to tell kids about Jesus! We have many students coming from the local public schools. We also have many students who come from other churches that do not have youth group programs. We are very blessed to be a part of their lives, and we learn a lot from them. In the fall they surprised us with a bunch of cards and a gift certificate to Dysart's. Thank you guys!

As for me, at the start of the year I was still working full time and had just recently started a new home business as well. This has been an exciting year, as I have been able to cut back to working part-time. I am now at Families & Children Together as a Family Advocate, which is a fancy way of saying I'm a case manager for foster children. I enjoy the job a lot - it's 20 hours a week, flexible hours, great co-workers, and wonderful families to work with.

My new business has been going well also. I've been helping others get safer, healthier products for their home, and also earn some extra money if they want to. In October, I advanced to Director IV, which is much more than I originally thought I'd do last year at this time. However, it has truly been a lot of fun, and I feel blessed to be a part of such a great company and support team. In August, Scott and I went to Altanta, GA for the convention. Mom and Paul also went with us. We had a lot of fun despite the 90+ degrees weather every day (we were inside most of the time).

One other exciting event of this year is that we added a new family member. No, not a baby... we got a puppy! His name is Moxie, and now he's about 8 months old. He is a black lab, and we got him from our friends when their dog had a litter of puppies. He's been a spunky addition to our home. He's still learning how to behave appropriately, and I often find him with laundry strewn about the bathroom or licking out a pan on the stove. However, we do love him, and he and Mia love to play together.

Another thing that has kept us busy this year has been renovating our home. Most of you know that we bought this house 4 years ago with hopes to renovate. We did a lot before we moved in, and have continued since then. But the living room and dining room have been neglected as it was such a big project. We were able to start tackling this project this fall thanks to my business income. We are in the middle of painting the two rooms, and soon we'll be putting down the flooring! We'll be sure to post photos here when we are done, so be sure to visit often.

Thank you all for being a part of our lives. We pray that God blesses your family this Christmas as much as He has blessed us!

With Love,
Esther & Scott
(and Kira, Mia, & Moxie)

The Loud Ones Get All the Attention

I've noticed that most of my photos on here are of my dogs. So I thought I'd share some photos of my beautiful cat, Kira. She's not as loud as the dogs, but don't worry, she still gets lots of attention. Plus, she gets the privilege of being upstairs when the dogs are downstaris...

This last one is my favorite! Tell me what you think.

Long Overdue Post

Ok, I know it's been a while since I've posted. I've been busy, and our internet keeps going on and off. The most exciting thing that has happened recently is that we have a new front door!!! YAY. On Saturday (while I was at the church warm and cozy working on Christmas crafts), my hubby and his friend put in our new front door. It was probably like 10 degrees with 30 mile an hour winds... but they got it in! And not a moment too soon! We got hit with a huge snowstorm on Monday, so it was great to have the new door and not be getting a huge draft into our downstairs.

So, thank you Steve! And Scott! Now, on to finishing the mudding so that we can finally paint!!! I want to paint.... yes, I'm strange, I enjoy painting. I am still hoping we might get at least the dining room done so that we can put up a tree before Christmas. My house is not looking festive at all!

That's it for now. It's 11:30pm and once again I am up way to late.

Reforming Society and Friendship

Last night, our good friends Peter and Shannon invited us over for Thanksgiving leftovers, along with our friends Steve and Jess. I was so excited because, you see, Scott and I went to two Thanksgiving dinners and did not have any turkey. Scott's dad had requested ham, so we had ham on Thursday. Then my uncle requested ham, so we had ham on Friday. I was bummed because I love turkey and it's Thanksgiving!!!

So, at Peter and Shannon's, I got to have turkey. YAY! Plus, I got to spend the evening hanging with friends. We talked about all kinds of things, but here's a quick overview of our discussion:

• How Christianity today is not reforming culture; it is either forming a sub-culture or conforming to culture
• The need for chairs at out church instead of pews, and how that is now possible thanks to a sizeable donation
• How the education system is failing our children - they get to college and don't know how to read or write well, and they lack life skills
• What to do about a broken bed
  
• The state of missions today, and that many people would rather give money than give of their time
• How crazy our pets are and all the stories to go with this (and how long it's going to take Peter and Shannon to finally get a cat!)
  
• How the church is failing our youth by not helping them deal with serious issues such as premarital sex
• The next activity we are going to do - which is either go to the Texas Roadhouse followed by a movie, or the dinner theater at a local church

Yup, I think that sums it up in nutshell. Basically, we are going to reform society, the church, the education system, all while having tons of fun with our friends!

The Total Money Makeover

I recently started reading "The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey. It was recommended to me by a leader in my business. Jeff said that our company had given it to the top leaders to read, and that he recommended it to everyone. It's a book that contains a lot of common sense, but also a plan for how to pay off debt and secure your financial future.

Last year at this time, I don't know if I would have been ready for this book. But over the past year, I have started to envision becoming financially free. I can truly see paying off car loans, student loans, and eventually our mortgage as well. Last year at this time, this probably would've sounded crazy to me. But I've seen that it can actually happen. I have friends in my business doing it, and I know I will be soon as well.

And I believe anyone can do the same. I definitely agree with Dave on several points. One, debt has become so common that we hardly blink when we take out a loan for something. We Americans tend to buy, buy, buy without thinking about the consequences. 90 days interest free, and we buy it. Bonus points, cash back, new credit card offers... the temptations are everywhere. Dave talks about how important it is that we stop using credit cards and use cash or your debit card instead.

Another point he talks about is paying down debt using the "snowball" method. He basically says to take everything you can and start paying off your smallest debt. Then add that payment to the next highest debt, etc. I am excited to start this and have already figured out how we can get rid of our non-mortgage debt in the next 2-3 years. I don't want to try and summarize his whole program in a few paragraphs, so I recommend you buy the book. I got it off of overstock.com and actually got an additional discount thanks to my business.

If you decide to get the book, let me know. I'd love to know what you think!

To Write or Not to Write

The other day at work, my supervisor gave me an unexpected compliment. She asked me if I had ever considered writing. She was handing me one of my reports that I have to write on my clients, and noted that I am a good writer. Needless to say, I was flattered, and it made me feel good. You see, I have always enjoyed writing. As strange as it seems, I thrived on writing papers in high school and college. I'd much rather write a paper for two reasons: 1. I learn a lot more by writing than by memorizing facts, spitting them out on a test, and then forgetting them, and 2. I enjoy putting words to paper.

So, back to the discussion with my supervisor. My answer was, yes, I have thought about it. It's one of those dreams I have in the back of my mind. Someday I'll write a book. Someday I'll write articles about travel, politics, or business. Someday I'll write my story. Well, who knows, maybe someday will be sooner rather than later. For now, though, I'll have stick with letting out my writing juices at work and in the blogosphere...

Midnight Madness

Last night we had quite an ordeal here. It was midnight, yes, midnight. I was FINALLY going to bed (so much for going to bed early starting this week). Scott was already sleeping soundly, and I went downstairs to let the dogs out one final time. I let Mia out on the chain and took Moxie on his leash. When we headed back for the door, Mia had wrapped the chain around a tree and couldn't reach the door. So, I unhooked her, ready to open the door and let both dogs in at the same time. That's when the madness started. Mia ran towards the door, and then did a 180 and headed back around the cars toward the backyard. I thought, oh, she's probably just gonna get her pink ball, which she had somehow lost in the grass with it being so dark out. So I took Moxie in and stuck him in his crate, and then went back outside to get Mia.

Back outside, Mia was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't just down on the slope where she had lost her ball. She wasn't in the backyard. Then I heard her - she was off in the woods to the side of our house! I started calling for her, whistling, all the things I usually do, but to no avail. She was on something's trail and wasn't about to come back to me. So I went inside to get some food, because that is a huge motivator. I took the dish and food outside, and starting clinking it around so she could hear. Then I yelled, "Mia, come get some food, come get a treat!" Still nothing.

Soon I started to panic, thinking "What am I gonna do? It's midnight, it's freezing out here, and it's pitch dark!" I ran inside, went upstairs and woke Scott up, telling him what was going on while running back outside. We both were outside before you knew it, and we could still here Mia's tags jingling off in the woods. But we couldn't get her to come back. Then I started walking up the road, because she seemed to be heading through the woods parallel to the road. I kept walking, but at that point we couldn't hear her anymore.

I went back over to Scott and started crying. I just didn't know what to do, and I felt horrible because I was the one who let her loose, albeit accidentally. I stood there praying that God would just make her come back, and that I wouldn't lose my dog. I started thinking I was going to have to get in my car and drive up the road. Just as I was about to head up to get my keys, I heard jingling. Then we saw Mia running towards us from the road. I was so thankful, but angry at the same time. We grabbed her when she was close, hooked her on the leash, and went back inside.

It was finally over, but once inside we told Mia how naughty she had been. It's hard because you don't want to yell at your dog when the finally come to you, but at the same time, you want them to understand how bad it is to leave like that. Anyway, I am just so glad that she returned, and that she didn't get hurt or hit by a car. I finally was able to go to bed - a lot later than planned!

The Pink Ball

So we have a pink ball. It's one of those Planet Dog balls for dogs, obviously. We also have a blue one exactly like it. I try to buy 2 of everything now, so that Mia and Moxie won't fight. Ha! The always want whatever the other one has. Anyway, the pink ball has now moved up to the top of Mia's list. She holds it in her mouth, squishes it, drops it and picks it back up, uses her paws to play with it - you get the idea. It's an obsession! She even sleeps with it. If I come downstairs at 5am to use the bathroom, the pink ball is on her dog bed right next to her. If I reach down to pat her, she quickly grabs it so as to keep me from taking it.

It's hilarious when Moxie gets the ball from Mia. Mia is never sure what to do. She doesn't let go of the ball very often, but when she does, Moxie occassionally is quick enough to grab it (he's a little dopey). Then Mia runs after him, and he loves playing keep away, so he just runs and runs and avoids her. He is actually quite good at that, despite being slow at other things. Mia occasionally just grabs the ball right out of his mouth, but usually Moxie gets distracted and drops it, and Mia immediately reclaims her prized possession. Oh, my dogs... they are funny. As long as Mia doesn't swallow this ball like she did the purple one, I'll be happy.

Favorite TV Shows

Recently, Scott discovered that we have "instant watching" availability on Netflix, meaning that we can sign into our account and watch movies, tv shows, etc online. So he started watching "The Office". I had heard a lot about this show and watched bits and pieces of it a few times, but I never really got it. Well, since he started watching it, I have started doing the same thing. Now, I'm addicted. Forget "King of Queens" and "Friends" - I'm now going to have to get "The Office" on DVD. I think it's one of those shows you could watch over and over, and it would still be funny.

Anyway, as for other shows that I am into right now, I have to say there's not a whole lot. "Lost" is one of my faves but I guess it's not back until January. My guilty pleasure show is "Desperate Housewives", which is sort of drama/comedy/romance. I know, I know, many people think it's ridiculous (my husband included), but it actually does have a pretty interesting story line. And, since we don't get cable, I don't get to stay current with my other favorite show, "Smallville". I need to watch Season 6 - I'm waiting for Netflix to send it to me.

I think that's about it for shows for now. Any other suggestions out there? Not that I need to spend more time watching tv...

Funny Dogs

This morning when I was getting ready for work, my dogs were being hysterically funny. Mostly Moxie, the black lab pup. He does this thing where he acts like a cat - he puts his head down low, crouches his body a bit, and stalks our other dog. Well, it's always funny when we see him do that, but this morning it was hysterical.

Picture this: Mia is tied outside minding her own business, digging around in the pile of branches, probably looking for a squirrel. Scott and I are inside getting ready for the day. Scott was about to take a shower when I looked outside and saw Moxie. I motioned to Scott to come look out the back window with me. We look out and see Moxie way down in the back yard (he's tied out on the run), and he is crouching down, walking slowly toward Mia with this intense look in his eyes. He did this for probably about 20 feet before he actually decided to "attack". When he "attacked" (i.e. ran full speed towards Mia with his front paws going up to tackle her), Mia started running away super fast. It was hilarious! Scott and I were laughing so hard.

I don't know what it is, but I have never seen a dog do this before. It's something you see cats do all the time when they are going after their prey - you know, crouching and being really quiet and then full on attack - but I have never known a dog to do it. Perhaps we'll catch it on video sometime and win lots of money on America's Funniest Videos...

My Day's Events

Crazy busy day today! I left the house at 7:30am (a few minutes later than planned) and then hit Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast. Then I drove to Machias for team meeting - yes, that's right, Machias. It's quite a drive but it is beautiful this time of year. Not sure how that's going to be mid-January. I arrived a few minutes late due to the major traffic to get across Bangor and Brewer. After the meeting, I headed home and made a few calls on the way.

Back at the office, I worked on several issues and finally got a conference call together which was really important. Then I left a bit early because I realized I was going to get my hours due to going in early yesterday and today. So I headed over to Bangor Christian to watch the girl's soccer game. I saw one of our youth group girls play, and that was nice since I hadn't gotten to any of the games yet. Scott met me at the game and then afterwards we headed home.

At home, I took a nap because I was really tired from staying up too late the past few nights and getting up earlier than usual. (The ride back from Machias, I was struggling to stay awake). It felt really good to rest for a little while. Then I forced myself to wake up because I had a business call to do. I spent the rest of the evening working on my business, except for break for dinner - which my wonderful hubby made for us! It was a good night for business, as I helped someone on my team and also did some stuff for myself. Finally, I got done and relaxed! Now I'm debating on watching another episode of King of Queens, watching The Office on my netflix account, or just getting ready for bed. I know which one I should do... we'll see if that happens.

Dancing

I am not a good dancer. Growing up in a conservative Pentecostal family, dancing was a "sin". Even when I was in high school and my family wasn't quite so rigid, I still didn't learn to dance. That was mainly due to going to a Christian school where dancing was also not allowed. Of course, my friends and I would have our sleepovers and dance the night away - but in the privacy of our own bedrooms. I never learned to truly dance.

During college, dancing was okay. I went to a Christian college, but they had dances and such. Again, I usually just went for the social piece and didn't really dance. If I did, I probably looked ridiculous. And, my boyfriend/fiance at the time was not around (he was several states away), so I definitely didn't do any slow dancing.

At my wedding, there was no dancing. Mostly because of not having the space at the reception center (it was a low budget wedding) and because my grandparents probably would've keeled over if there had been dancing. Scott and I went to other weddings with dancing, and I made a feeble attempt when dragged onto the dance floor with my hubby.

I think I've gotten a little better with this dancing thing over the years, but I've still got a long way to go. I've been on a few trips with mostly women (business trips) that involved dancing, and I did give it a try then. But that was okay because there were other people who looked just as unskilled at dancing as I am.

So, last night Scott and I were at at wedding, and some of our friends were there too. We did dance a few times, but we were really put to shame by the Mexicans who were there (the groom was Mexican). It was so fun to watch them. I could picture myself doing all the moves, but then when I'm out there, I'm probably looking like a fool.

Oh well. One area in which I have truly changed over the years is how little I care about what others think about me. It's fun to dance - so who cares if I look ridiculous? I managed to get my hubby out there for one faster song (which I prefer to dance to), but then he left me. I stayed out there dancing with Peter and Shannon and random other people. Fun.

Well my friends, when are we going to take those dancing lessons? We want to follow in Jason and Sarah's footsteps - literally.

Headaches and such

Well I am so bummed because today did not go as planned at all. The first part of the day did - got up, showered, went to meet with someone for my business, came home. But by the time I was home, I started to feel my headache coming back. It had started Saturday and therefore I hadn't done much Saturday other than the youth group Harvest party. Well, it was feeling better yesterday, but it came back today. So I took a medication with my lunch, but I didn't notice much change.

Then, after lunch, I decided to lay down instead of work on my business. I just felt like I couldn't make my calls because I couldn't really think straight. Urgh. Anyway, I layed down and ended up sleeping for 3 hours!!! Crazy. When I finally woke up, I felt a little better but still a little funky. Mostly it's my head, but I think that all the work we're doing here at our house is causing me to have some sinus/chest issues and that's really annoying. So I took care of the dogs and started to get ready for youth group. Then I realized that I really didn't feel up to going out, which is frustrating because I hate missing youth group. I miss being with the kids, so I really hope that everything went okay. I'm now sitting here deciding if I can eat something for dinner... I'm hungry but I want to eat something that will help me feel better.

Anyway, I guess this is a weird post... all to say that I hate getting these headaches (which the doctors have told me are migraines) and I'd like to find out what is causing them. I also hate it when I don't accomplish what I wanted to for the day, but I know the world won't come to an end and I can work on some things tomorrow evening. Hopefully I'll feel better by then!