lazy day

Today has been restful and relaxing, besides having to take two quizzes. We all slept late. I got up around eight and ate cereal and then I went back to bed until around one. (I told you it was a lazy day.) We did not have to be at the hospital at all today. Tomorrow is a big day, we will be at the hospital from 7 am til around 7 pm. Tuesday will be another day off. Wednesday we meet with Dr. Barlogie. That will probably take all day. We spoke to a nurse a few days ago and she seemed to think Mom's treatment will begin immediately since we live far away. We ate at Outback last night, yum. We had leftovers for lunch and we will order in for dinner or send Dad to go get something. We also have to make a Wal-Mart trip. I hate Wal-Mart, but it is a lot easier than stopping at the drug store and the grocery store. I will be going home Thursday or Friday because I have a finance test Sunday. I really should not even be taking that finance class right now. I am praying for a C.

Chris and I talked for a long time last night, like an hour and a half. We haven't really talked that much since I have been gone. We didn't really talk about anything important, just silly everyday stuff. Talking to him makes me miss him worse. He said that Brooks is good. Chris stayed at his mom's house a few days, and somehow Brooks discovered how to get out of his crate. I think he is escaping the crate because he is looking for me (haha). Chris is now having to deal with the Houdini dog. I think it is so funny. I told Chris to not even put him in the crate and just let him hang out in the house but Chris is afraid he will eat the couch. Brooks could easily eat the couch if he wanted, and I don't think Chris can handle that right now :P

cancer sucks

We bought my mom a cap today that has "Cancer Sucks" written on the front of it. It came from the cancer center gift shop. 70% of the proceeds from the gift shop goes to a beauty salon in the hospital that helps women with cancer. And they give free wigs to people going through chemo. I think that is way cool. Anyone that has been diagnosed with cancer or had family members with cancer of any kind knows that the statement on the hat is very much true. We are hanging in, just taking it a day at a time. Everyone at the hospital has been super duper nice. Nice people make the entire process a little bit easier.

I have been trying to study. Marketing is going well, finance is going a little bit slower. Enough about school. Good news, The Company Store had the shams and decorative pillow that matched the quilt I bought on eBay. The stuff is on clearance so the entire collection is not available, but I kept checking because sometimes returns and exchanges are re-listed for resale. I ordered the pillow yesterday. The shams became available this morning while I was at the hospital and my blackberry was being a crackberry and I could not order from my phone. (Perhaps this happened because I was in the basement of the hospital.) I texted Chris and I was like, "Call me quick, I need a favor!!!" I am sure he thought something was wrong. He called me and I told him that I need him to order those shams, and he did. He asked me why we needed two shams, and I told him because I said so, and then he proceeded to tell me he did not know what shams were. Oh Chris. He thought a sham was "the thing that goes on the bottom of the mattress." He learned something new today. Anyway, my guestroom should look something like this, except the walls are green. I have this really cute wrought iron heart to hang above the bed. I also have a green antique mirror from the 50's that will go somewhere.

Chris said that Brooks had an encounter with a chicken snake this morning, but he is okay. I am glad I was not there, because a snake would definitely induce a panic attack of some kind (even if Brooks is not involved). Sometime this weekend my parents and I are going to go to the movies to see Wall-E if my mom is feeling okay. There is a brand new IMAX theatre about two minutes from our apartment. There are several restaurants and places to shop (Target, Lifeway, PetsMart, pretty much anything you can think of) within ten minutes of the apartment. I am sure we will find something fun to do tomorrow.

be still

Wow, tomorrow is June 26. I cannot believe how fast everything has happened! It seemed like we would never reach this point, but then everything kinda fell into place and here we are. My family is just beginning a long journey. We drove by the hospital today, so we would not be late or lost in the morning. The way everything has worked out amazes me. God is in control. We could not have planned this situation out ourselves. The more I think about it, the more I realize how powerful God is. I am so thankful that I have parents that I can care for. I am thankful that I have an understanding husband. I am thankful that my dad has a great job so he can be here without worries. I am thankful that my mom's faith in God is so strong; I have no idea how people can go through situations like this without His grace. I am thankful that God has put my family in a situation where we can travel so that my mom can receive the best possible medical attention. I am thankful that God remembers His people and keeps His promises. I am excited to see what will happen next. A little scared too, but then I just remember one of my favorite verses:

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

red starburst are my favorite

I am sitting in our hotel in Little Rock. Mom did really well traveling so we decided to keep driving. We will not check into the apartment until tomorrow night. We don't have to be at the hospital until Thursday. The trip was good. My dad kept the air conditioner on HIGH (yes HIGH) the entire trip. We stopped at the Mississippi state line, then we stopped in Olive Branch, Mississippi, for a Wal-Mart trip and at Chick-fil-A for drinks. We stopped again somewhere (I am not sure where) in Arkansas for dinner, and the again at a rest area about forty-five minutes from Little Rock. The Durhams and the Cordells and the Morrows sent us two huge boxes of snacks and a basket with note cards and crosswords and things like that. I opened a bag of starburst and I ate all of the red ones I could find. That can't be good this close to bedtime.

I just won my bid on eBay on the comforter for the guest room. I am working on the guest room stuff and I am not even home! Yay me! The comforter I wanted was from The Company Store and they ran out of the size I needed. I thought I would check eBay to see if they happened to have it listed, and they did! What are the odds? The only thing is the person that I bought from is a new seller so let's just hope I get the (right) item that I purchased. And The Company Store no longer has the shams to match, so maybe those will turn up on eBay soon.

Brooks was super-sad this morning when I left. He watched me load the car. He was very excited because I usually pack the car and then get his stuff and we go to my parents'. But today I said, "No, Brooks stays." The look on his face broke my heart. Chris and I said a pretty quick good-bye since he had to be at work really early. We didn't really dwell on me leaving. But Chris did forget his eye doctor appointment tonight and I am not sure if he ate dinner...poor Chris. I miss them both terribly :*(

leaving tomorrow

Well, I have packed my suitcase. Everything except toiletries. I am really sad about leaving Chris and Brooks, even though I am sure they will find something fun to do while I'm away. I am about to get ready to go to Birmingham to meet Chris. He is getting new glasses and wants me to help pick out the frames. I think we may eat somewhere yummy.

Prayer requests:

• Please pray for my family as we travel
• Pray for the medical staff that will be caring for my mom
• Pray for my mom-she has some difficult tests and treatments to go through
• Pray that my mom and my dad and myself keep good attitudes during all this!

guest room (sort of)

Well, my tests are over. That's all I am going to say about that. My brain is FRIED. I am just not cut out for studying all day, three days in a row. I am waiting on Chris to get home. He decided to go to my parents' house and get the the bed for our guest room. (My dad is re-finishing an antique bed that my grandparents gave me, and he is not done yet, but Chris went to get the frame and mattress set until then.) His friend Paul went with him to help. Like I wasn't busy enough, now I have to move/organize all of the junk out of the guest room so we can put the bed in there. My inversion table, Brooksie's crate, a pile of yard sale/Goodwill stuff, a steam cleaner, and a sewing machine-shouldn't take long to move. I also have to wash clothes and pack and complete an online quiz. I came home from school and cleaned because our house was getting gross. I left Brooks outside while I cleaned because he always tries to sniff whatever I am doing, and I don't like him being around all those chemicals at such a close proximity. He thought he was being punished, like always. My priorities have shifted tremendously the past few weeks, in a good way I think. No one is going to die if there is toothpaste on the mirror or dishes in the sink or laundry in the dryer. If I get the guest room in order tomorrow, I will try to post pictures. If not, then I will post pictures when I get back. Hopefully I can make the room a comfortable guest room sometime before Christmas (but no promises). If you're in Tuscaloosa, stop by and see theshubertfam-we have a place for you to sleep now!

running late

I am not running late. Chris woke up late this morning. Surgery starts at 7am. He woke up at 6:20am, and we live about 45 minutes from UAB. I hurried and made him an egg sandwich and coffee so he could eat on the way. It was not a good start to Chris's day.

I went back to sleep and feel very rested. I have lots of studying to get done. I have almost completely figured out how to use my financial calculator. Chris told me that would be the hardest part of the class, and I thought he was crazy! But it is true. The problems aren't that complicated, it's just tricky to punch in the numbers! Go figure.

Last night my parents and I met up with Chris after my mom's doctor appointments and we went to Dreamland. I heart Dreamland. I made myself sick from banana pudding! Then I rode home with Chris. (My dad had to do an inspection close to my house yesterday so he just came and picked me up.) I was glad I didn't have to drive. Jasper is a long way to be in the car alone. I got two sundresses from Forever21 last night too. Very cute. Chris stood outside the dressing room with 30-something items I tried on (without complaining). Such a good husband. Even more randomness-Wednesday night Chris and I were sitting on the couch and the doorbell rang. It was 11pm. I expect something to be wrong if the doorbell rings late at night. Chris went to the door, and no one was there. Crazy neighborhood kids. Or weirdo neighbor guys. I am not sure which.

Tonight we are going to Britt and Brittney's house to eat dinner. YAY for me not having to cook! Sunday I have my finance test at 11am (I guess it's best to get the worst over with first) and my marketing test is at 3:30pm. I will have a little break in between to study. Sunday night I have to clean because our house looks like a train wreck (at least we have clean sheets, haha). And I have to pack Sunday/Monday because we are leaving Tuesday for Arkansas.

Chris just called and said he wasn't late for work-it must have been some kind of record.

I have a confession to make...

It's June and I still use Christmas hand towels in the kitchen. Well, they are snowman hand towels. I don't use them as cute decorative hand towels, but just to dry my hands and wipe things up while I'm cooking. Chris was folding clothes the other day and pointed out that we shouldn't be using Christmas towels unless it's Christmas. I told him that it really didn't matter because until then, I was the only person that knew. Since he said that though, it has bothered me. I guess it is snowing somewhere, right? And why can't every day be like Christmas?

(Oh, and I changed the settings on here so anyone can comment, not just gmail account holders.)

picking up the pieces...

This morning while Chris was getting ready for work, he walked by our room and asked me if I knew that Brooks was in the bed with me. I mumbled "no" and that it didn't really matter or something like that. (Brooks usually gets in the bed with me when Chris leaves for school/work, but I guess he didn't feel like waiting this morning.) I got up a little later, and there were RED PAW PRINTS all over my sheets!!! Apparently Brooks got in a little bit of red dirt while he was outside this morning. Hmmm. More work for me. So I washed the sheets.

My neighbor-friend Brittney called me around ten this morning. She found out she got a teaching job. YAY! I cooked lunch and she came over (with Strawberry cake from Edgar's Bakery) and we ended up hanging out most of the day to celebrate. While I was cooking, I was about to make sweet tea and I knocked the pitcher off the counter and it shattered into a billion pieces! It really scared Brooks. I put him outside. I think he thought he was in trouble, but I did not need him stomping through glass while I tried to clean. When Brittney got to my house, I was crawling around on the floor looking for microscopic pieces of glass. (FYI Bread slices work really well for picking up those super-tiny pieces. Just press down all over the surface and VOILA-no more glass shreds!) About fifteen minutes later, the kitchen was back in order and we ate lunch.

I said earlier that I would talk about the ducky toy. Brooks has a stuffed duck toy that stays at my parents' house. Brooks is a shredder and a very aggressive chewer, and I don't buy him soft toys like that. And the duck also squeaks. Squeaky toys are not allowed at our house. (I know, I know, a huge shedding yellow dog stays in the house, we feed him table food and his own ice cream and let him on the furniture, why wouldn't we buy him squeaky toys???) Every time we arrive at my parents', Brooks goes to find Ducky. He loves that toy. But it stays at my parents'. Saturday when we were at Wal-Mart, I just glanced down the dog aisle and saw a "Ducky" toy. The next thing I knew it was in the buggy. When I pulled that toy out of the Wal-Mart bag, Brooks was so excited! (Brooks expects something every time we come home from the store. I am not even kidding. He sticks his head in every bag to see what we got him.) He has walked around the past four days squeaking that toy. And he hasn't shredded it yet. Every night, Brooks takes Ducky and puts him in his dog bed. It is so weird. I told Chris I felt bad for not buying him a toy like that sooner.

Brooks and his beloved Ducky McDuckerson:

Please remember that Brooks put the duck in his bed, and that this is not a posed picture. I totally realize how bizarre I am about this dog, but he is so funny. He is really good company during the day (even though he mostly sleeps.)

so I may be away from my husband (and dog-child) for a month?!?!?!

One week from tomorrow my parents and I will be on our way to Little Rock. I don't really think it has registered in my brain that I might be gone for a month! Chris and I have been together 8 years, and I don't think we have ever been apart for more than a week? I am already homesick. I am at my house this week. I have two tests on Sunday (double yuck) and Mom finished radiation today. I will go to Jasper Thursday and stay the night, but I will be back at home Friday before Chris gets home from work.

Weekend Recap:
Friday: Chris got home after me. I cooked chicken and made pineapple-kiwi salsa...YUM!
Saturday: We slept late (7:30 am) and went to Cracker Barrel and Wal-Mart and Sam's. We bought Brooks a "ducky" toy...more info and pics on that later. My parents came over and we grilled steaks for Father's Day. I made a Snicker's Pie...YUM! We also rented movies-Jumper and Semi-Pro. I do not recommend either movie.
Sunday: We went to church. Chris's BFF Paul came with us. The three of us ate lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. I had a review class at UAB. I also had a TON of online quizzes to complete.
Monday (Not a weekend day, but I don't work, so I guess it was like a weekend day): I slept late and I got up and washed clothes and studied a little, but not too much. My allergies are driving me CRAZY! I sneezed all night last night. I think I ate something I am allergic to...I watched The Price Is Right. (FYI I watch The Price is Right every day, so I am not sure why this event is included in my post.) Chris got home from work around 3. We got ready and went to eat with The Shuberts, his Uncle Jeff, Aunt Donna, and cousins Kaity and Kelly. Fun times. Now I am back at home, I should be studying but I am procrastinating. I am the champion of procrastination. Chris is asleep beside me on the couch. I guess I should wake him to get in the bed so he can rest and go to work tomorrow. And I am going to go study now.

Brooks and Quinn Finally Meet

My good friend Megan got married about three weeks after I got married, in August 2006. I got a dog after I got married. She had a baby after she got married. Last night the dog and the baby got to meet. Both were equally curious, and probably equally terrified, of the other.







Brooks has never been around a baby, and Quinn probably has never been around a dog as big and hyper as Brooks. It was really funny. I made a lot of pictures, but dogs and babies are wiggly and it is really hard to capture good moments. We had a good visit with Megan, her mom Becky, and Quinn. My mom thought Quinn was WONDERFUL! (It's because he is wonderful.)

dog vs duck

Brooks had just spotted the duck flying towards him.

Last night we went to the lake. My dad, my mom, Chris, me and Brooks. We put Mom in the Club Car so she wouldn't have to walk. We forgot Brooks' duck decoy, so we were just letting him fetch a stick and swim around and play. We were having a nice time. I made lots of pictures. The weather and lighting was great. Then all of a sudden, this white duck came flying down and tried to attack Brooks while he was swimming!

Can you see Brooks' webbed feet?

I went into panic mode. Brooks is a very domesticated pup, and I didn't know if he had what it took to battle the duck. Brooks started swimming away from us and towards the duck and I panicked even more. I was yelling, "CHRIS DO SOMETHING!!!" I even put my camera down because I thought I was going to have to jump in and save my dog from the crazy duck. Brooks finally started swimming back towards us, but the duck was following him! When he started swimming back, I realized that I didn't make any pictures of the event so I snapped a few. The pictures are blurry, but the entire situation was hilarious. It was really hard to for me to watch what was happening and make pictures. No animals were harmed. When Brooks got out of the water, I threw a rock in the lake to make the duck swim away. I didn't realize that ducks were that aggressive.

i heart sociology (warning: crazy rant follows)

Everyone asks me what my major is. I always want to pretend I don't hear the question because I know the typical response that I will get. When I tell people that I am sociology major, I usually hear something like "What are you going to do with a degree in that?" or "That's nice, but you'll never make any money." First of all, my major is MY choice. And second, how does my salary concern anyone but me and my husband? I personally do not think God intended for everyone to make at least $200,000 annually. People I meet for the first time (as well as people I already know) say these things! Chris's med school classmates and physicians seem to be the people that have the hardest time understanding why a person would choose a degree in sociology.

~Flashback: I was a business major when I first started college. I made HORRIBLE grades. Like so bad that I almost got kicked out of college. I even went to class, but I had no interest in business management! I think business is so boring! When Chris and I got married, I worked full time and went to school at night to finish some of my core requirements. I decided to make a plan for school. I made a checklist with goals. I took a sociology class for an elective and I LOVE LOVE LOVED it! My professor was not that great, but the topics that we covered fascinated me and I had to learn more! I carefully read the catalog for sociology, and I decided that it was a good fit for me and my personality. I talked to Chris, and we prayed about it. I met with my business advisor, and she helped me get an appointment with a SBS advisor. My business advisor also told me I only needed three more classes to get my minor in management. I changed my major in spring 2007. (I also had to talk to Ol' Dave aka my scholarship and explain to him why I changed my major.) I quit my job in summer 2007. Chris and I decided that I would be able to go back to school full time. Actually, God provided the opportunity and we took it! I now make A's and B's and I enjoy learning! I have also met a lot of cool people share my love for sociology. End of flashback.~

So here we are, summer 2008. I have four classes remaining (assuming that I pass these two online summer classes). I feel that God has placed me where I am for a reason. I have met so many wonderful people from my department. I think some pretty cool internships are going to come my way too! And as for what I am going to do with my degree...hmm I have several options: (1) I could continue to stay at home and be a housewife, take care of my mom, play with Brooks (you get the idea) or (2) I can go to grad school for counseling, and/or (3) I can apply for jobs with DHR or ADMH. I am not exactly sure what I am going to do, but everything else has fallen into place, and I have no doubts that my life will go according to His plan.

I think the purpose of my rant is to encourage people to do what the WANT to do (as long as it glorifies God) and not worry about what other people think. People questioning me doesn't bother me; I love telling my story. I think the tone people use when asking is what bothers me so bad. I just don't really like unsolicited advice or rude comments. I am glad of the major I chose. Sociology is about evaluating and learning about people. I know that God will use it in some way to serve others and I can't wait!

Some of my favorite sociology classes: The Sociology of Religion, The Sociology of Mental Health, Marriage and the Family, Drugs and Society, Deviance and Control.

Now I am going to go think of a polite response for the question, "What are you going to do with a degree in that?" Any suggestions? Does anyone else feel like they have to explain themselves or their situation to everyone?

I should be packing...

but I'm not. I washed clothes and took online quizzes for marketing all day. I made C's on my quizzes. Whatever. I am so over my business classes. I guess I'll have to study super hard so I can do well on my test.

Yesterday our friends Britt and Brittney moved into our neighborhood. Britt goes to school with Chris. Last night we cooked dinner for them and today I made soup for lunch so they wouldn't have to worry about unpacking/cooking/cleaning. Tonight they made peanut butter ice cream (YUM) and we hung out over there for a while. Now I am back at home. Brooks was mad because he wanted to go and we left him by himself. Chris is getting ready for work tomorrow. He is super excited about his job. Brooks and I are getting up early tomorrow to make our weekly trip to Jasper.

Friday I got a haircut and color. My friend Morgan is in beauty school and I let her fix my hair. She did a fantastic job! I will try to post a picture later this week. (This little part of my post doesn't seem to belong here-random random-but I am too lazy to change it.)

My mom went to church today! I know she was glad to get out of the house for a reason other than a doctor appointment. Last week went really well, and I know this week will be even better. Chris and I decided that I should go to Little Rock with my parents. It is a hard decision, especially if she has the bone marrow transplant while we are up there. We could be gone for a month!

Right now I am struggling with my own selfishness. There are things that I don't want to do but I know are the right things to do. And there are also things that I want, even though they are selfish and ungodly. I think doing the right thing is waaayy harder than doing the easy thing. (Does that even make sense? Well, it does in my mind.) I have been really whiny lately which is not good either. I know God is trying to mold me into something different for His purpose, but I am really struggling. Our Sunday School lesson was even about this! But for some reason I am just having a hard time getting my worldly thoughts to comprehend God's greatness.

too tired to think of a title

Well, I have almost survived another week. I am ready to be back at home. I miss my husband. And my dog. And my bed. It gets a little bit harder every week to leave Chris and come to my parents' house. I am not complaining, though. Just thinking thoughts. Chris and I also have to work out the arrangements for the Arkansas trip.

Chris is at our house working on his final...last test of medical school year one...HOORAY! Only 20 more years until Chris will be finished with school. (Just kidding, sort of.)

I tried to work on some of my stuff for my online classes, but I can't seem to concentrate. I am taking two online classes; finance and marketing. Online classes seem to have more work than regular classes. December just can't get here fast enough. I have been looking at grad schools, but I am not sure if grad school is for me. It seems like a responsible choice, but I am not sure if I want to go to school for two more years. Or if I am smart enough or motivated enough. I am supposed to start applying for jobs in August, since that is the beginning of my last semester. Chris and I have had a lot of "grown-up decisions" to make lately. Hmm.

My parents and I met Chris for dinner after Mom's radiation therapy. It was nice. We had fun.

Here is a picture from today:

I updated the CaringBridge account last night, so please visit it! I guess I will mostly post updates about Mom on CaringBridge, and not so much on here, but I am not sure yet.

Tuesday night Beth came to my parents' house for a visit. I hope she doesn't mind that I call her my pregnant friend. We were all very glad to see her. She is absolutely the cutest pregnant lady ever! I cannot wait to meet Baby Olivia!

Okay, so this post seems to be more random and unorganized than any other post ever. So now I am going to go work on finance stuff and pack so I can head back to Tuscaloosa tomorrow. Happy Friday!

Why Arkansas?

The phone rang this morning while mom and I were getting ready to go to her radiation treatment. The caller id said UAMS. It took me a minute to realize that it was The University of Arkansas Medical Sciences-the myeloma institute! We were not expecting to hear anything this soon. Mom has to be in Arkansas on June 26-July 1 for a consult and several tests. Then she will see a physician on July 2. We're not sure yet if they will begin the stem cell transplant then or if we will go back later. When I tell people that we are going to Little Rock, Arkansas, for cancer treatment everyone looks at me like I am crazy. Sam Walton (you know, the founder of Wal-Mart) passed away from multiple myeloma. His family donated a lot of money to UAMS for research, and it has become one of the top places in the world for multiple myeloma treatment. So that's why we are going to Arkansas. The second day of radiation went very well, by the way.


I also decided to make a caring bridge account to keep everyone updated while we are out of state: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rejinakeeton. I just set up the account, and it doesn't have any information on it yet. I am working on it, in all of my spare time.

1 down, 9 to go!

We are back home from radiation treatment numero uno. Mom did really well. She is not supposed to be sick or lose her hair or have any other side effects. Yay! Her doctor is getting everything set up for Arkansas, but we don't know any details. She also did physical therapy this morning before we went to St. Vincents, and she is getting stronger every day! God is revealing so much to me and my family during this time. I cannot wait to see what He has in store for us. The phone calls and cards and emails and food people have sent are overwhelming. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!


I had to go by Jasper Wal-Mart on the way home from the hospital. I saw TONS of people that I knew, and I haven't been in that Wal-Mart in forever, so I did not know where anything was! Mass confusion. I also got up at five this morning, which only added to my confusion. I talked to my pregnant friend, Beth, on the way home. (Hey Beth & Olivia!) I feel like a terrible friend since I have only seen her two times since she has been pregnant, but I hope I can see her soon since I am in Jasper so much. When I was in Wal-Mart, I bought some Ghirardelli chocolates for my mom-she earned them today. More updates to come...

weekend review

Chris took his test on Saturday. He passed. YaY! After his test, he decided that he wanted to help Brooks and me in the flower bed. Somehow we managed to convince him to do most of the work, and we just sat there and watched.

We still have one more shrub to plant, and we are going to put hosta around for a border. It doesn't look like we planted that much, but the plants are supposed to get a lot bigger. I got the idea for the layout from Better Homes and Gardens. We moved the hydrangea bushes to the backyard, since they are pink and don't really coordinate with everything else. OK, so these pictures don't look that spectacular, but we are happy with the work so far.

Before & After

After we finished with all of that stuff, we grilled burgers and fried pickles. I am so serious. We also played MarioBrothers on the NES. I totally won.

Sunday we went to church and then we went to eat lunch with our sunday school class. Fun times, fun people. Chris told redneck stories about guns and strip pits and fishing and such. We love our sunday school class. Everyone is really nice. (I found out that people actually read my blog, and for some reason I think that is really funny. My blog is just so random and full of run-on sentences. I just type about whatever is on my mind. So thanks to everyone that reads it.) Then I had to go to school for an online class orientation. We came home and I finally got to make an apple pie. Chris did the hard part, peeling and chopping the apples. Then while the pie baked, we made chicken tortilla soup. The pie is yummy, but not very pretty. I need to work on my dough-rolling skills. We made some pictures of Brooks with "the flashy box." Brooks did really well with the first few photos, then he started getting angry.

Brooks, sitting in my lap.

Brooks, being mad

Listening to the rain