RANDOMNESS #1 - I don't know if you are aware, but this week is officially HOMECOMING WEEK 2014.
I also don't know if you are aware, but kids in high school go just a little nuts during this busy, fun, eventful week.
They dress up as something or someone different ever day.
Disney Day.
Roxie chose to be Darla from Finding Nemo.
Tacky Tourist.
And she was very, very tacky.
I was SO proud.
There will also be a bonfire, a Powder Puff Football Game, a Pep Rally, a Parade and then a GAME!
It is almost too much to comprehend.
And it is only Tuesday!
Homecoming Week has got to be the LONGEST (and most exciting) week of the year for a high school student.
RANDOMNESS #2 - Our weekend date went well. Mike and I decided to see The 100 Foot Journey which is a movie about food... and love... and more food.
On our way to the restaurant, I read my text messages, and my friend, Nancy, asked what we were doing because she and her husband had a night without their girls.
This impromptu double date was just what the doctor ordered, and we had a very good time catching up on news about kids, work and life in general.
And because the movie was about food... and love... and more food, when it was over it was unanimous we walk to Mugshots and eat hamburgers.
Because we were starving, you see.
All in all, a delightful, well-spent evening!
RANDOMNESS #3 - Wedding News - Melia had a Bridal Tea Sunday afternoon, and it was ever so wonderful.
Take a look...
The Tea had a beach theme...
And it was as cute as it could possibly be.
Roxie, Monica and Abbie.
It was a time for cousins to reunite.
Roxie and Grandmother.
The gifts went on and on and on.
It was a "sea of gifts," if you will.
Melia had a special seat to open some of her gifts...
And she kind of liked it.
My sister, Bev, made the signs for the Tea.
My sister, Bev, is incredibly artsy.
I am not.
Lisa, Melia's Mom, and Melia.
Lauren, the Flower Girl.
Roxie and Katie heading out.
Austin came toward the end... just in time to load the gifts.
Melia and Austin.
Just waitin' for the big day.
Baked Chicken Salad Pie
You will need the following:
Pie crust
3 cups cooked chicken, diced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 to 1 cup sweet yellow onion (sautéed in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter until translucent)
1/2 cup celery, diced (sautéed with the onion until translucent)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 small can water chestnuts, diced or sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1-1/2 cup shredded cheese (divide in half)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with 3/4 cup cheese. Mix well.
3. Pour into the pie crust.
4. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, sprinkle the last 3/4 cup cheese over the pie.
6. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more. The pie should be set in the middle and crust golden brown.
Just so you know...
Everyone liked this dish a lot!
Way Back When...
This was first posted in September of 2009.
Roxie's Birth Day Story - Part Two
Now where did we leave off... Oh, yes. Mike and I were scheduled for testing at UAB. It was scheduled for May 1.
Bear with me just a moment while I share something that happened before the May 1 appointment. (It is relevant, I promise. God's hand at work.) Joshua was invited to a birthday party at the local park in town, and he and I ran/waddled (respectively) into the park gates. He ran to his friends and began playing, and I looked for a comfortable bench to rest my weary, but as yet, unswollen feet.
I found myself sitting next to a young woman named Laura, and we began a conversation. At the time, she was working with families with Downs' children, as well as other disabilities. I began asking her many, many questions, and she answered them all calmly and in a wonderful matter-of-fact tone. I told her about my test, and she reassured me... not necessarily that the test was probably wrong, but about how our family would be able to handle a special baby. I came to the party anxious, sad, unsure of my abilities as a mother, but thanks to Laura, I left with a peace and reassurance that the Faulkner Five (to be) would not only survive, but thrive. It was my first of many, many lessons in living one day at a time. (Regarding that lesson, I am such a SLOW learner.)
If you have read Josh's Journey, I would now like to mention the Laura I sat with on that park bench a little over 13 years ago is the same Laura I called when Josh was at his worst. The same Laura who told me she loved me, and then put me with the doctor God wanted for us. Coincidence... I think not! God's sure and steady hand in an unsure and unsteady world... I know so!
Okay. Back to May 1. Mikie and I dropped the boys off with Grandmother and headed to UAB for the special ultrasound which looks for ten signs of a Downs' baby. We sat for a few minutes holding hands before they called us back. We prayed, stood up and walked into the ultrasound room. A wonderful ultrasound tech named Michelle started the ultrasound. (I later met Michelle again at church... We have sons the same age, and I am proud to say she is a friend to me. She and her husband have lifted our family up in prayer these past years, and they have never NOT stopped to talk to me or Mike to ask how Josh is doing. She's a very special person. Once again... Coincidence that a wonderful Christian woman was performing this stressful test for me and Mikie... I think not! God's sure and steady hand in an unsure and unsteady world... I know so!)
The test went quickly. One, two, three, four... Nothing was showing up on the ultrasound as being abnormal. Five, six, seven, eight... Still nothing. Nine and ten. Nothing. Nada. The things they look for on an ultrasound to determine if the baby has Downs' were not there. The blood test had been a false/positive. As far as they could tell, the baby did not have Downs'.
We were very calm. Then Michelle leaned down and said, "Did you want to know the sex of the baby today?"
Up until that time, if anyone had asked me what we wanted, I was honest. I consider myself a little boy mom, but I would have loved to have a little girl. When we were worried about the health of this baby, the boy/girl thing literally flew out the window. I answered, "It doesn't matter either way, but we have always found out."
"Well, it is definitely a little girl," she said.
"Are you 100% sure?" I asked.
"Pretty sure," Michelle responded.
"Wow," Mike and I said. But let it be known, we would have said "Wow" if it had been a precious little boy, too.
I didn't mention it before, but we had four "incidences" during Roxie's pregnancy. It was May 1, and we had already had two. We thought the rest of the pregnancy would be smooth sailing. However, we had two more obstacles to overcome before Roxie was considered "okay." I'll talk about those a little bit on Friday!
DISCLAIMER - Please know I am not comparing this pregnancy to other women who have been through so much more in terms of having difficulty conceiving, having special need babies, having extremely difficult labors, having babies in NICU and many, many other hardships. This is very simply Roxie's Birth Day Story. This is her beginning. She knows this story backward and forward, and I tell her this story every year because I want her to see God's hand in her life from the very, very beginning.
Remember, everyone has a story to tell, and that is all this is meant to be... Roxie's Story.
Have a phenomenal Tuesday. I'll be back Friday (AT SOME POINT) with Homecoming News, Wedding News, Mother Sitting in Corner of Bathroom Rocking Back and Forth, Back and Forth News, Roxie's Birth Day Story - Part Three... and so much more.
Take care, and I'll talk to you the end of the week.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
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