Sarah's Surgery

We're four days post-op, and Sarah is doing well!  I wanted to take some time to decompress from the last few days and to write down all that's happened so I can remember it.  I wrote about Sarah's surgery a few weeks ago, so you can learn more there as well.

Back in December we saw an ENT in Springfield for Sarah's recurring ear infections, and he suggested that Sarah get ear tubes and an adenoidectomy.  We thought that Sarah's anti-reflux surgery could be a good time to do these other two procedures, so on Thursday, January 18 we went to an ENT in St. Louis.  Initially we were disappointed that we drove all the way there because immediately he said his threshold for doing this surgery is six ear infections in a year, and Sarah only had four.  We thought we'd totally wasted our day, but while we were there I decided to ask him about Sarah's "leaky" eyes.  He said that's an ophthalmology issue, and he suggested that we go down one floor straight to the eye center and request an appointment.  The scheduler was able to get us an appointment for the next Wednesday, one day before Sarah's surgery, with the promise that if Sarah needed something done that they could do it the next day.

Robert's dad, Ray, came up to visit us on Monday and stayed with us until it was time to go to St. Louis.  We all road together, and it was so nice to have an extra adult in the car with Sarah.  The drive went well, and we only had to stop twice.  We ate lunch at Imo's Pizza, and then he dropped us off at the hospital.  While at lunch I got a call from Haven House saying that Robert, Sarah, and I could stay the night with them for free!  I had applied with Ronald McDonald house a week before and hadn't heard anything, so this was definitely last minute and totally a huge blessing!

At 2:00pm on Wednesday we met with an optometrist named Dr. Timmerman.  She was so incredibly sweet and awesome with Sarah.  She seemed like she was about my age or maybe just a bit older.  She listened to me tell her about how Sarah's eyes had been tearing and dripping since she was two weeks old.  She did a full eye exam and dialated her eyes.  Once she did the dialation eye drops we got to go to a play room for half an hour.  It was great!  Two story slide, tons of toys, and Sarah got to pick out a sucker.  We went back to Dr. Timmerman.  She said Sarah is far-sighted but that she compensates well and could grow out of it during her early elementary years.  She diagnosed Sarah with nasolacrimal duct obstruction.  Basically, hear tear duct was clogged and too narrow so tears couldn't properly drain.  This effects 5% of infants, but it spontaneously clears up in 90% of those children during the first year of life, so I guess mathematically that would mean that only 0.045% of children still have obstructed ducts after one year of life like Sarah, so I guess you could say it's fairly rare.  Since Dr. Timmerman is an optometrist she couldn't do the surgery.  She said Dr. Leuder the ophthamalagist would need to do it.  He was scheduled to be doing clinicals with his students at Washington University in St. Louis on Thursday.  His scheduler, Rhonda, pulled some major strings, and Dr. Leuder had compassion for us and totally rearranged his schedule so he could do the probing in conjunction with Sarah's bilateral ureteral reimplantation.  Praise God!!!  For the surgery, Dr. Leuder would take a probe down Sarah's inner eye tear duct and clear out the duct with pressure and grinding around the probe.

Dialated eyes

We loved all the cats in the hospital

After our appointment we walked to a park nearby, and Sarah actually fell asleep on the walk.  We just sat down on a park bench, and Sarah napped for half an hour.  Then we met up with Robert's mom, and she took us to Haven House.  This place was such a blessing!  We got to stay there for free and have dinner and breakfast the next day.  Serina ate dinner with us there, and then we went to the play room and craft room.  Serina and I went and got ice cream for us all, and we enjoyed it in our room.  Serina gave Sarah a bath because she was supposed to get all cleaned up in preparation for her surgery.  Serina headed back to her hotel that was attached to the hospital, and Robert, Sarah, and I settled in for a terrible night of sleep.  We had a queen bed and two twin beds.  We never share a room with Sarah, so we expected a bad night of sleep.  While trying to fall asleep Sarah asked, "Umm...I was just wondering, when are we going to the beach to get seashells?"  I think she thought we were on vacation.  Another time she came over to me and said, "Daddy isn't talking to me.  Can you open his eyes?"  She eventually fell asleep in bed with me from 10:00-2:00, but we were all awake after that.  I got to take a nap for an hour, and Robert and Sarah napped for 30 minutes, but other than that we were up for the day.  Sarah couldn't eat anything, so at 7:00 we gave her apple juice, and after that she didn't get anything to eat or drink until after surgery.  Robert and I took turns going to breakfast so she wouldn't have to see us eat. 

Napping in the park

Playing at Haven House

Crafts at Haven House

Ice cream for her last food before surgery

Robert's dad had stayed the night with a friend, and he came to Haven House at 8:00 to pick us up to go to the hospital.  Sarah fell asleep on the way to the hospital and slept in the parking garage for 45 minutes which was nice.  We went into the hospital to meet Serina and checked in for pre-op at 9:45.  Robert, Sarah, and I went back with Nurse Luci, and she did things like take Sarah's height and weight, blood pressure, and temperature.  A variety of doctors and nurses came in and out.  I think we saw a doctor and nurse for ophthalmology, urology, and anesthesia.  Sarah got to play with a mask like the one they would use to put her to sleep.  It was strawberry scented which she liked.  She put on fish pajamas and socks.  We had some time to kill so we went to the play room in pre-op.  The hospital had play rooms everywhere you turned which was really nice.  While we were in the play room our good friend and worship minister Derick showed up.  What a cool surprise!  He and Robert got to talk while I met Dr. Coplen the urologist for the first time.  He was so kind.  I learned that Sarah's condition is even more rare than I had realized.  VUR effects about 10% of children, but that's for every grade of reflux, 1-5.  Most of those kids have a 1 or 2 and grow out of it.  I know that Dr. Coplen is only 1 of 150 people in the world with his certifications.  St. Louis Children's Hospital serves all of the midwest, and he's the only one who does this particular surgery in the area, and he said he only has to do this surgery ONE or TWO times a month!!!  I couldn't believe it.  It made me wonder if Sarah could be the first person ever needing bilateral ureteral reimplantation and nasolacrimal duct surgery at the same time.  Surely, right?  I asked Dr. Coplen, and he said if we have future biological children that he can pretty much guarantee that he or she would have some grade of VUR.  He said it's most common in people with blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin.  It actually made me kind of surprised that I didn't suffer from it. 

We went back to the pre-op room with Dr. Coplen, and he went over Sarah's ultrasounds and x-rays again.  Sarah kept talking about poop with everyone she saw.  She told Dr. Coplen that she doesn't like bladders, and he said, "You're more of a poop girl, huh?"  My friend Jen's parents live in STL, and they came to visit us and brought a teddy bear and blanket.  Such a sweet surprise!  Derick and Jen's parents ended up staying through all of the surgery.  20 minutes before the surgery they gave Sarah some medicine to help her relax so she wouldn't be as nervous about going off to surgery.  It made her very loopy and relaxed.  She was entertained playing with Serina's arm and Robert's beard.  We carried Sarah to the final door and said goodbye.  Robert and I stayed in pre-op for half an hour, and then Dr. Leuder came out to tell us the surgery was successful.  He said Sarah's right duct was actually more clogged even though her left eye looked more teary which happens occasionally but is very uncommon.  His nurse gave us instructions for caring for Sarah.  We're doing a thick eye drop daily for a week, and we never did end up needing to use the nasal spray to prevent nose bleeds.  Her eyes look so clear now!

We went back to the waiting area to join up with the other five and all went down to lunch.  I didn't want to leave the area, but the front desk worker had my phone number if they needed anything.  Eating lunch and talking kept my mind off of things.  We went back up stairs and only had to wait maybe another hour.  Dr. Coplen came out and told us the surgery was successful with no complications.  Her vitals had stayed stable the whole time.  He closed the incision by stitching underneath the skin and putting dermabond on top.  It looks really good! 

Half an hour later we got to see Sarah in recovery.  She was still very asleep, more so than I had expected.  She cried out in pain a few times as she was waking up, so I just snuggled her.  Nurse Sarah took us upstairs to her room.  Because it's flu season, the hospital has been backed to capacity and Sarah had to get a roommate.  The roommate had already arrived and definitely got the bigger half of the room with a couch.  Our side was pretty microscopic.  The roommate was crying a lot at first as she had just had ear tubes, adenoids removed, eye surgery, and tonsils removed.  She calmed down some, and the family was nice.  As Sarah was starting to wake up I was telling her I love her, and her first words were, "I love you, too."  So precious!  Her voice was very scratchy from the breathing tube during surgery.  She also hated the IV and catheter and asked to take them out a lot.  They had trouble getting an IV in for surgery and had had to try three times.  She had dried blood in her hair from the surgery which was kind of pitiful.  The first evening was kind of a blur, but I know at one point Ray and Serina left to get us food, and I know that I spent some time watching Sesame Street with Sarah.  We got to meet Dr. Coplen's resident, Dr. Song, who had helped with the surgery.  He was incredibly nice.

Our tiny half of the room

On Wednesday Sarah had asked that her first meal be Cheerios, and that's what she got and enjoyed when she wanted to eat.  She was good at drinking water which made me happy.  Since we had a shared room the staff said only one parent could stay the night which was for the best because there really wasn't room for a second person.  We decided Robert would stay the night because he can sleep through bad conditions more easily.  I said good night around 8:30 and went back to the hotel with Serina.  Robert and Sarah had a good night, all things considered.  As good of a night as you can when you're being checked every two hours. 

Robert called at 5:30 on Friday morning saying that Sarah wanted me.  When I got there at 5:45 she had fallen back asleep and slept for two hours.  Serina and I went down to the cafeteria to get breakfast.  At 6:30 Dr. Song came by and took out her catheter.  Sarah was so glad!  She peed on the potty three times in the first hour.  It was painful for her because every time she needs to pee her bladder has a muscle spasm.  Her pee had blood in it and still does which is normal for the first week.  When Dr. Coplen came by at 8:00 to check on Sarah she had just peed on me so he said he'd come back at 12:00 to check on her.  We were really bummed because we wanted to leave and go home as soon as we could.  After he left we got Sarah a "ticket to ride" as they call it and pushed her around in a wagon and took her to the play room.  We got back to the room and Dr. Song came by again.  We told him we thought we were ready to go.  He said he'd call Dr. Coplen and ask if he could discharge her.  Just a bit later they both came by.  That really made me happy!  They discharged Sarah, and within half an hour they were taking out the IV.  Sarah got nervous last minute because the tape hurt when it was getting peeled off, but she was glad to have out the IV.

We wheeled Sarah out to the car in her wagon.  I picked up a muscle spasm medicine and a pain killer at the hospital pharmacy, but Sarah hasn't needed them.  So thankful!  Even since the first day Sarah has only needed Tylenol and Motrin to manage the pain.  Who else could have an abdominal incision and eye surgery and only need OTC pain relief?  Wow! 

Happy girl with her tots

I had been nervous about the drive home, thinking that the car seat would be uncomfortable, but it went really well!  She slept for an hour and a half, and then we stopped for lunch at Steak n Shake.  While we were there Sarah asked to walk around which was her first time to walk.  She enjoyed saying hi to other guests.  The last two hours of the drive home Sarah was awake and happy.  When we got home Ray headed out, and we had about an hour before my parents got to our house.  The three of us all took a nap together.  My parents got here, and the second she woke up she told her Grandpa, "I need my Andy's ice cream!"  He had promised it to her before surgery. :)  We ate dinner together and did lots of holding and snuggling the first evening.  My parents spent the night, and I'm so glad.  We tucked Sarah at 8:00.  She went to sleep well.  I had set my alarm for 1:15 to give her more medicine.  When I went in to wake her up she was burning up.  I took her temp in her armpit and it was 101.4 which is like 102.4 in your mouth.  I woke up everybody and was kind of freaking out.  I called the 24 hour urology nurse line, and two minutes later Dr. Song called me.  He said to let the Tylenol and Ibuprofen work for an hour and take her temp again.  Half an hour later she threw up all over Grandma, but 30 minutes after that her fever was almost gone.  Dr. Song called me back at 8:00am and asked how Sarah was doing.  She had taken a couple of little naps after throwing up but hadn't slept a lot, but I told him the fever was gone.  He said sometimes people get fevers after surgery, but that as along as it goes down it's okay.  He also said she probably threw up because she had Ibuprofen on an empty stomach.  There's still a chance of a UTI the next few weeks as her ureters heal, so that's why we really need to keep an eye on the fever to make sure it isn't indicating a UTI.

 Saturday we all hung around the house.  Sarah mostly wanted to be with Grandma, so Robert and Dad went grocery shopping, and I picked up and did laundry.  Saturday evening my dad went home so he could go to church on Sunday.  Saturday night was quite a bit better.  She woke up twice but didn't have a fever or sickness.

Quick ride up and down the street to get some fresh air

On Sunday we stayed home and watched church online.  My dad came back over after church, and then Robert went up to church in the afternoon for student activities.  Dad left after dinner, and Mom spent the night again.  Sunday night was really good.  Sarah slept from 8:00pm-8:00am with one wake-up from 10:00-11:00.

Robert went back to work today.  Sarah's appetite came back yesterday I'd say.  She's still wearing a diaper just because she's peeing so often as she heals, and she can't hold it well.  It seems to comfort her to know she won't be having an accident.  My dad came over after work today for a bit, and he and my mom just left.  I want my mommy! :)  Sarah really is doing well, but it's been so great to have them here.  We're supposed to stay in away from other people for the first week.  We don't want other children to accidentally injure Sarah. 

As far as recovery goes, bladder spasms should be done soon.  She should be feeling like herself in the next few days.  The stitches and glue are starting to dissolve and should be gone in the next week or so.  She has a renal ultrasound on February 16, and a post-op appointment with Dr. Coplen on February 19.  Both are in Springfield which is fantastic!  At the appointment we hope to get the all clear so we can stop giving Sarah her daily medicine.

Through this whole experience I have been so thankful for the support of our friends and family.  They have been so thoughtful through praying for us, bringing Sarah gifts, giving us food, and checking on us.  We're thankful that Sarah could have these two surgeries to get her healthy and improve her quality of life.  We're thankful that she made it through the surgery well.  We had such great medical care.  The doctors are excellent and kind.  Besides Sarah's health, I'm most thankful for the peace and calm that I felt during Sarah's surgery and hospital stay.  I had been concerned that I would be very anxious and a nervous wreck the whole time, and I know that the peace came from the Holy Spirit.

Thank you very much for your love and support!

Natural Headache Relief

I first recall getting headaches on a regular basis when I was in 8th grade.  I'd take Ibuprofen but didn't notice much improvement.  I struggled with them off and on in my teenage years, but then it really escalated shortly after we got married.  Every day I'd wake up with a dull ache in my head and a burning sensation.  I described it as feeling like I'd been hit on the head with a hammer and having fiery hot spiders crawling around my brain.  Obviously, I've never actually experienced those things, but that's how I imagine this felt.  So I went to neurologist.  He was very intelligent and a good communicator.  He enlightened me about the differences between headaches and migraines.  Migraines aren't just bad headaches.  They don't go away with OTC medications.  They run in families.  You have a slightly different structure to the base of your skull.  He said, "You have a migraine right now, don't you?"  I said yes.  He told me he could tell because one of my pupils was dilated.  So interesting!  But ever sing learning that I have noticed that to be true for me when I'm experiencing a migraine.  Anyway, he got me started on a daily medication that really helped a lot, but once I got pregnant with Sarah I needed to get off of it.  While I was pregnant I didn't have too many migraines, but when I did it really stunk because I could only take Tylenol.  I actually had one of the worst ones ever the day I found out I was pregnant.  After Sarah was born I had every intention to get back on the medicine, but the migraines just never got horrific like they had been.

Like I said, I've never been one to take Ibuprofen and feel better half an hour.  Robert is the total opposite and is a new person half an hour after taking Aleve, just like in the commercials!  Any time I would get a migraine I pretty much knew that I would feel like that all day, and then sleep it off through the night.  Of course, this doesn't work great when you have a life like all of you probably do.  It's hard to "push through" a migraine and take care of a two year old all day.  So I started trying to educate myself, and I've come up with an arsenal to combat migraines that is working really well for me.  I want to share my positive experiences and knowledge with you, dear reader, just in case you suffer from migraines and could benefit from what I've learned.

1. Intervene as soon as possible - At this point in my life, I've learned that my migraines don't just go away.  They're only going to get worse throughout the day, so if at all possible I need to intervene as soon as I started to feeling one coming on.
2. Have a cup of coffee every morning - Various OTC medicines like Excedrin have caffeine in them, and for me I've noticed that if I have one cup of coffee right away when I wake up it really helps me prevent migraines for the day.  I don't drink more than that because I don't want to be jittery, and I try not to drink it any later in the day except for on special occasions so it doesn't interfere with my night time sleep.
3. Peppermint oil on trigger point - I totally wasn't an oils person, but since having Sarah I care more about what comes into our house, and I don't like the idea of having lots of chemicals around that could be deadly if ingested.  So anyway, I've gotten a bit into oils, but I'm not expert.  However, I can speak the praises of peppermint oil!  Seriously.  I rub this into the base of my head, my temples, or my forehead, and it starts providing relief almost instantly.  I love it!
4. Diffusing peppermint oil or lavender oil - Robert got me a diffuser for Christmas, and I've been enjoying it.  I've always like lavender for its scent and relaxation, but I've also started enjoying peppermint for the nausea associated with migraines.
5. Rice sock or cool eye mask - It changes, but every time I have a migraine I can easily tell if a hot rice sock or a cool eye mask is going to feel better.  My rice sock is not fancy.  It's literally a long tube sock with dry white rice in it, and I heat it up in the microwave for two minutes.  My cool eye mask stays in my refrigerator so it's ready whenever I need it.  Both feel good over my forehead/eye area or on the base of my skull.
6. Himalayan salt massage rocks - I mentioned in a previous post, that I'm not about to get into whether or not Himalayan salt ionizes the air or if that's even necessary, but massage rocks are awesome when you go to the spa, and these are just as great to have at home!  I like heating them up and rubbing them on my jaw, temples, head, and neck to provide some heat and pressure.
7. Magnesium oil - In 2017 I read a book called Sleep Smarter and was introduced to the benefits of magnesium oil.  Probably about five years ago I had learned about magnesium's ability to prevent headaches and calm anxiety, but when I took the supplements they made me really nauseous and were tough on my system, so when I learned about magnesium oil I was intrigued.  The author, Shawn Stevenson, presents scientific evidence that magnesium is best absorbed topically, so through something like an oil or a lotion.  I was able to buy magnesium oil from a local health food store, but I'm sure you could get it on Amazon easily as well.  I spray it on the bottom of my feet every night.  Since it does make them a bit oily it's nice to do it at night since I'm not trying to walk anywhere, but you could also just put on socks after putting it on.  Stevenson also recommends putting it on your chest, but I noticed that the oil was leaving grease stains on my clothes, so you've been forewarned.
8. Mouth guard - Previously, I told you that I've been diagnosed with TMJ and clenching my jaw in my sleep.  I got a custom-fit mouth guard and was really hoping that it would work since it was fairly pricey.  Within two days I was sold!  It's been a month now, and I have absolutely no dental pain, and I have to also imagine that clenching my jaw all night was not helping anything in the migraine department.  Often, when you grind your teeth your spouse notices and says something because it's a very annoying sound, but clenching your teeth/jaw is silent, so your spouse doesn't know that it's happening in the night.  My dentist could tell by the signs of wear on my teeth that I'm a clencher, so the next time you're at your dentist ask him if he can see signs of clenching or grinding.  Honestly, the mouth guard doesn't bother me at all when I sleep.  It has yet to fall out while I've been sleeping.  I was used to it after maybe five days.

I hope you notice some relief by implementing these tips!

Sarah lately

Sarah is at such a fun age!  We definitely have our share of "terrible two" moments, but mostly I think she's just discovering the boundaries and figure out how the world works.  I just wanted to give a random update on her life.

She has developed a huge sweet tooth, and her absolute favorite is ice cream.  She's really enjoying oranges and grapes for fruit.  She likes crackers, dipping her food into sauces, soup, and string cheese.  She really loves helping in the kitchen which is a lot of fun.  She specializes in dumping in ingredients, stirring, shaking spices, and taste testing.

She absolutely adores Mittens.  It's pretty cute, and Mittens puts up with it well.  Sarah will come home and declare, "I missed you baby Mittens!  I love you!"  Sarah made her a picture the other day and said, "I made this for you, Coco.  Do you like it?"  She enjoys brushing Mittens and giving her treats every day.  She gets sad that Mittens doesn't always want to participate in her ideas like taking a bath with her. haha!

Sarah has always enjoyed listening to books, but her interested has really increased lately.  She enjoys filling up her basket and checking out books at the library.  She enjoys curling up in someone's lap and reading a good book.  She's also started "reading" books by looking at the pictures and telling stories.

She enjoys art: coloring, painting, Play-Doh, , singing, playing her guitar and the piano.  She usually has a song to sing even if it's just, "I'm looking for my shoes.  Where are my shoes?"

She frequently comes up to us to say she loves us and that she wants to give us a hug or a kiss.  It's the absolute best!

She absolutely loves bath time and could stay in there for hours if I would let her.  She likes her foam letters, cups, bath Crayons, and bath baby so much.  She likes to go "swimming" in there, too.

She enjoys playing with Barbie's which must be hereditary because my mom and I both loved Barbie's.  They really hold her attention, and it's fun to see her imagination really soar.

Sarah is an extrovert and gets energized at play dates, playing with family members, and play with her friends (students at church).  She lights up with a group of friends and gets so silly.

She stays dry at nap time about 90% of the time, and we've started letting her wear underwear then.  Just have the night time diaper left! 

She went to the allergist recently.  In summary she's allergic to the whole world other than cats. ;)  Seriously though, she was allergic to everything except for three things: the two types of trees that we have and the one type of pet that we have.  Kinda cool, huh?  The doctor was great with Sarah, and we have a treatment plan to try to give her some relief.  She was very brave and a trooper!

Robert's Books 2017

Robert also tried to read more in 2017 and hopes to challenge himself in this area even more in 2018.  He's going to take over this post and tell you about the books he read in 2017.

I did not read as much as Amy this last year, but I did up my game. I read slower and more methodically than most people so if I say a book is long and you are a fast reader it may not be that long for you. My favorite books of the year were as follows from three to one: The Compelling Community, Parenting, Desiring God.

1. Mere Christianity

Mere Christianity is a book from C.S. Lewis taken from a radio show he did during WWII. The book answers what the basics of the Christian faith are. A more challenging read that will require you to stop and think a few minutes every so often.

2. Desiring God

This book has probably shaped my theology more than any other book besides the Bible. John Piper expounds upon his personal theology that he calls Christian Hedonism. His main point is that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. This is a very challenging book where you will have to read over sections multiple times. Piper never claims to be easy, but you will be richly rewarded with some of the most eloquent and moving writing you will ever read.

3. The Pleasures of God

This is the "sophomore album" so to speak to Desiring God. This book elaborates on the idea that God finds His ultimate pleasure in Himself and the things He does. Not as thrilling and moving as Desiring God, but still a good book.

4. Church Discipline

Jonathan Leeman is a very easy to understand writer. He takes complex ideas and makes them very easy to understand. This book is about how the church should approach discipline. Pretty straight forward and an easy read.

5. Church Membership

Membership is the basis for a healthy functioning church. Leeman outlines how membership in the church is how we tell the world who Jesus really is.

6. Student Ministry that Matters

Simple, quick book encouraging student pastors to stay focused on what is really important in ministry.

7. Family Worship
 
This is a small book written by Donald Whitney about how a family can practice worship within the home every day. The principles are practical but difficult to apply without the help of the Holy Spirit. Good encouragement for how fathers in particular should be the leaders of their family in worship.

8. God and Politics
 
Short book on how we should view politics through the Christian lens. Nothing really life-changing.

9. Adoption

Short book on how we should view adoption and the sanctity of life. Good, quick read.

10. Every Waking Hour

I really wanted to love this book seeing as how I know one of the authors, but it is so academic in nature it never really "swept me up." The book is about how a Christian should view work. The principles in it are theologically sound and a good challenge, but it is a dry read for the most part.

11. Simple Church
 
I love research. This book is full of research that shows all of us in church leadership are way over complicating how we do church. This book encourages us to trim down on what we do at church to be more effective and focused in our approach to ministry and evangelism. Loved this book, and even though it is longer it feels like it reads quicker.

12. The Compelling Community

This might be in my top three books I loved this year. This book challenges us to make church a place that people actually want to be at. It challenges us to be the kind of people that nonbelievers want to be around. Excellent read!

13. The 12 Week Year
 
This book was assigned to our staff by our pastor this year. If you are into organization, accomplishing tasks, and spreadsheets this book is totally for you. The premise of this book is that we get too bogged down by trying to plan out an entire year all at once. This challenges the reader to break up their planning into measurable and reachable 12-week goals. Their research shows that people who plan this way are far more effective than those who do not.

14. The Ideal Team Player

I chose to read this after the author spoke at the Global Leadership Summit. The book lays out the characteristics of the kind of person who makes a good team player. Fairly easy read.

15. Onward

I really wanted to love this book. The concept and the author gave it great potential, but I couldn't get into it. Every chapter seemed to be just a variation on the theme but not enough to make it interesting.

16. Parenting

Challenging. That is the one word I would use to describe this book. Tripp knows how to write and has a lot of experience in parenting and pastoring. Do yourself a favor and read this book. You will not regret it!

17. Exposition: Revelation

This and the next book are commentaries. Not exactly page turners for the every day reader, but these are phenomenal little commentaries for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of the scriptures without spending a lot or having a seminary degree.

18. Exposition: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus
 

Christmas Presents

We’ve had a week or so to enjoy some of our new Christmas presents,  so I wanted to tell you about some of our favorite unique gifts.

Sarah got these plastic serrated knives:

She loves helping us in the kitchen but can’t be trusted with real knives yet, of course. Since these are serrated they really can hit things like bananas and lettuce. She loves really getting to help, and we like knowing they’re safe for her to use.

This was our family game this year:

When I was searching for a game for us to buy I just wanted something f that Sarah could understand and something that wouldn’t drive Robert and me nuts. This game is great! We all like it! You roll a large soft cube with colors on it and draw a corresponding colored card. The different cards are categories like finding colored objects around the house (find something red, make an expression (make a surprised face), count (pat your head seven times), animal noises (bark like a dog). It teaches colors, taking turns, counting, and creativity. And there isn’t a loser. Everyone wins! Perfect for a two year old!

This is kind of an unusual concept - Dry brushing:

Have you ever heard of it. It’s supposed to increase circulation/blood flow. I’m not sure if it works, but I do know that I love getting scratched and this feels great on my arms, legs, and back!

Robert likes frying things, but we don’t like how unhealthy it is, and I don’t like the smell. Enter the Air Fryer:
 
I’m pretty sure Robert has used it every day since Christmas. It makes great French fries and sweet potato fries. It also made good chicken.  For enough fries for the three of us Robert uses about 2 Tablespoons of oil, but after they're cooked at least a tablespoon of oil is left on the pan, so we're consuming less than a tablespoon of oil total between the three of us.  Pretty healthy!  Robert likes that he can start it up and leave it alone while doing something else in the kitchen.  It doesn't require frequent stirring.

Himalayan salt massage stones:
 
I love getting a good massage, and these stones are great!  We made the purchase at Bed Bath & Beyond, but Amazon sells the same item.  They get fully heated in 1-2 hours, but you can leave it on as long as you want.  It's heated with a very small light bulb so it doesn't waste much electricity.  I'm not sure about the negative ion air purifying stuff that it says it does, but I do know that they feel great, and it's actually really pretty when it's plugged in.

Pressure cooker:

We've used this once so far to cook a whole chicken.  Robert couldn't believe how fast it cooked.  I'm excited to use it on a regular basis, and I know Pinterest has a million recipes for it.  Have you used one?  What are some of your favorite recipes?

We also got annual family memberships to the zoo and discovery center, which are great activity options!

What were some of your favorite Christmas presents this year?