Sign #1 -- You're on your 5th round of antibiotics since October!

Sign #2 -- You know when your Doctor wears a new shirt!

Sign #3 -- Your latte tastes like mud!

Sign #4 -- People aren't surprised when you call in sick...cuz EVERYBODY's got the bug!

Sign #5 -- You're sick of soup!

Sign #6 -- Your nose is brighter than Rudolphs!

Sign #7 -- You know when Heartland is overcharging you on your co-pay! (They wanted to charge me $75 for something that's covered 100%!!!)

Sign #8 -- The last two checks you wrote were for the same doctor's office.

Sign #9 -- Menthol is your favorite scent!

Sign #10 -- The checkout girl at the pharmacy knows you by first name!! 

These little signs have all happened to me over the last couple of months!  I declare HEALING from the top of my head to the tip of my toes!

I have a kidney ultrasound done tomorrow AM as well...just to make sure nothing's going on there!

I covet your prayers as I work myself well!!

UPDATE - Have been poked and prodded more today.  Kidney ultrasound was this morning so hopefully will know the results in the next day or two.  Then went to get my blood drawn as my ObGyn wanted to check a bunch of stuff...only 10 tubes of blood...no biggie!  The lab dude was fantastic as I don't even have a bruise!

I don't know about you...but I'm tired of winter! Not only am I tired of winter, but I'm tired of complaining about just how awful it's been!  Driving to church in our latest 4 inches of wet slushy snow today...was an adventure!  I'm so sick of winter that I just had to Spring up my Xanga page!!

Not only that, I sat and reminded myself of the fun times my hubby and I had the last several months!  So below is a little photo montage of the good times of the last 4-5 months!  Enjoy!!

September - Thank God we got our neighbor's tree cut down prior to...

Our house is on the Right!

THIS!!!  (in Dec!)

October - My step-sista's Pam's wedding. Afterwards, Curt & I took out the Big kids for ice cream & a movie!

November - An Early Arrival...

Silas decided he wanted to be a November baby instead of December!

We spent Thanksgiving in Manhattan...Kansas!  Had a lovely dinner with Curt's brother's family and parents.  But I forgot my camera!  Shoot!

December - A trip to Tulsa for an early Christmas with family! While we were there we went to Pryor, OK to see my Dad's brother and family, my Uncle Howard!  This included a game the guys made up on the spot...we like to call it Redneck Soccer.  Uncle Howard was the goalie and his post was on the roof of his house.  Then my brother, Andy, and Curt proceeded to try to kick the ball totally over the house...a near impossible task I might add!!

In the country you make up your own games!

Then there's always a cruise around the country with Uncle Howard to see the sites!  Here's Jacob enjoying the breeze!

Back at Howard & Janet's house...sitting around the bar solving the world's problems...

Kleeman Kouzins...The Next Gen

An Early Christmas with the family at Christmas...everybody was cuddling!

And then my cousin Bill & Cindy's girl, Bailey's 2nd Birthday Party!

Sassy, eh?

Christmas - At Word of Life for Christmas Eve & then family time at Dick & JoAnn's, Curt's Parents!

New Years - Included a little road trip to Dallas with The Queen and her husband, Tom West, and my hubby and I to...The Cotton Bowl!

EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas...

The Parade...

And the best part...winning the game!!  Go TIGERS!!!

So yeah, maybe January & February has been a little frigid of late...but there was fun prior to that and will be some exciting times coming up...

SUCH AS.....

My 9th REAL birthday!  For the first time in my lifetime it's on a Friday--for those not good at math...my first Friday b-day in 37 years (I was born on a Tues!).  I will probably have a real fun day at work on that day and then follow it up with Friday night church.

The following weekend is...Birthday Weekend!  A family tradition that has gone on for many years as two of my step-sista's and I have our birthday all in one week.  This year, will be minus one sista (she'll be in Colorado skiing!) but we'll be up one brother, who usually doesn't come!  Cool!

Then in April is Curt & I's 2nd Anniversary!!

So you see...there are good things to look forward too!  My birthday will be here before you blink and then we'll be one step closer to green grass, flowers and rain!  Before you know it we'll be complaining about how hot it is!!  (Oh for that day!!)

So rethink your negativity to this winter drudge and count your blessings folks!  It'll put a smile on your face before you know it!

My 4 year old nephew, Jacob Thomas, called me this past weekend with this same announcement.  It's the best news of the year this far!!

I'm SOOOO excited!! 

What's the best news you've gotten thus far in 2008??

Well, it's been a long weekend and the week is already zooming by.  I had a fabulous weekend celebrating my friend's babies coming.  Saturday morning, Liz and I headed to our dear friend Jen Owen's baby shower and had a delightful time playing games, eating yummies and watching Jen open her gifts.  After that...Liz and I had a plan to complete a marthon of registering for baby gifts at Target & Walmart's super centers in KC since the shower is planned for in about 2 weeks and the baby wasn't due until Dec 2nd!  By the time we got done we were both tired...the 10 hours we were together paid off and she could rest assured she was ready for her baby shower!

Sunday was a lovely day of going to church and watching football with the Gann's.  (Really...I go for Rick's famous popcorn!!  It's the bomb diggety!)  We've now spent a couple of Sunday's watching the games with the Gann's which has been a ton of fun.

So Monday roles around and I completed a full day of work- THANK GOD (my energy is returning slowly, yet surely).  I was on the phone with someone and then realized missed a call, it was Liz.  My voicemail message from her said, "Ah...Libby, you're gonna think this is a joke.  But it's really not.  My water broke this morning and I'm at the hospital having my baby!"  A hunderd things are flying through my head...prayers for Liz and the baby's health and safety and....oh my goodness....she hasn't had her shower yet!!!  (Other than a surprize gift card shower.) Thus she has nothing but a stack of gift cards to tend to her early arrival!!!  Of course that was last on Nathan and Liz's minds as they had other pressing issues at hand.  (Pardon the pun!)

I volunteered for Aristole (their dog) duty and to run to Target to get the barest of essentials to get them by until the shower in 2 weeks.  Thankfully I had remember Liz's tastes and had the registry to help me pick just the right items...pj's, mittens, hats, baby wipes, blankets, etc.  I had so much excited energy about the baby coming and was so relieved to have such a task to put it towards a good cause!!  So much better than sitting and twiddling thumbs waiting and praying...but mind you, I was praying without ceasing!!

I made my final visit at the hospital at 10:30ish and Liz was at 8 cm and more than ready for the little guy to make his final appearance.  I dropped off the stuff, nicely organized and then left to see to Aristole's nite-cap routine and then headed home.

About 11:30 pm I got a call from Gramps (Rick Gann) stating Silas had arrived and was crying his lungs out.   Praise the Lord!!!

Final stats:
Silas Isaiah Gann
5 lbs 15 oz
18 inches

Momma and baby are doing fabulous.  And Daddy is sure a proud poppa!!  Here's some pics for those of you a long ways out!!

Baby Silas Isaiah Gann

Silas & Daddy

Mom refreshed after a shower, with baby Silas!

The first family photo!!

Aren't they a beautiful trio??  God is so good!!

It's been a week since I've posted so I thought I'd write a little something.  Finally got all the lab and test results to my ObGyn's office.  After I got the results of the CT scan which stated the uterus was not a prominent, I stopped worrying about that issue.  But then after talking to the RN at the ObGyn's office, I found out that they wanted a further look.  They are worried because of it's size and that it wasn't obvious at my last visit last December.  So I go for a pelvic ultrasound done by them in their office in Kansas City on Thursday at 2 pm.  Please pray that we get this thing figured out quickly and that the doctors will have great wisdom in how to handle the issue and insure the fact that Curt & I can still have kids.  Oh how the devil would like me to believe that I can't or won't -- but we all know that's a lie from the pit of hell AND how famous he is for his work in this area.  Well my God is bigger and greater and I'm covered by His Covenant!  So chew on that, you dumb devil!!!

I've also had a miserable cough and finally got another chest AND sinuses x-ray this morning.  Robatussin wasn't touching the cough so I finally got some prescription strength pearls that I'm to take 3x/day - although I'd love to take them 4-5 times if I could!!

Other than that, my energy is still not what it should be.  I'm resting as much as I can and still trying to work as much as possible...which is challenging when I'm already missing two 1/2 days this week due to x-rays and doctor's appointments.  Of course then a car breaks down and an unexpected bill or two pops up in the mail.  Devil...just stop it!! I'm tired of your mess!!

So, keep me in your prayers!  Pray I will be fully healed and catch up with work!

On the positive side of life...Curt & I went to a beautiful wedding for my oldest step-sista and had a wonderful time with family.  We took the teenagers out for ice-cream and a movie one night too...I told them no haunted houses cuz Aunt Libby does NOT do scary!! 

God bless you and thank you so much for all your prayers!

I got anxious and went ahead and picked up my CT results yesterday.  I'm not a doc, but basically it states that I have a hiatal hernia (which explains the pain while eating & coughing!), calcifications in both ureters (the tubes that run from your kidneys to your bladder) and a small umbilical hernia.  That in itself made me feel better, just knowing what the report had to say.  Curt & I meet with Dr. Buckles tomorrow to go over the results and see what's next.

I've worked a 1/2 a day today...and now getting ready to get my hairs fixed up by the QueenofChocolate's daughter Miss Chels!  Then I have a meeting tonight for an advocacy group that I'm chairperson for.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers.  I feel them at work.

Big hugs my Xangaland family!!

The good news -- my blood panel came back all within in normal ranges, including both my blood sugar & cholesterol!!  YIPEE!!!

The ultrasound was not nearly as exciting.  There seems to be a "markedly enlarged uterine fibroid" which extends to my belly button area and cysts on both of my kidneys.  Dr. Stephen Buckles seemed more concerned of the fibroid and asked me, "Are you finished having children yet?" My reply, "Nope, haven't started yet!!"

They had me scheduled for a CT scan for Monday...I just hated waiting that long and having to miss yet another day of seeing my schools.  When I got out of Buckles office I immediately called the CT lab to see if I could move my appointment up.  I hadn't eaten that morning - just in case more tests/labs were needed, and that made it possible for me to go and get my CT this afternoon at 1:30.  Praise God!!!

I've been anxious since Wednesday and just have really felt something more was going on than a mere bladder infection.  Although, further testing does show that I have a pretty extreme bladder infection!  Buckles even upped the big guns on my antibiotic to help that one out.  He also gave me something for my nerves.

It was pretty scary realizing that the future of me being able to have kids could be riding on this issue.  But then God reminded me of my good friend Laura Edwards who is currently in Pennsylvania recovering from surgery to remove what they thought were 3 uterine fibroid cysts (turned out to be 15!!).  She found an amazing doctor, after everyone back here recommended a hysterectomy, who could remove the cysts and save the uterus.  I immediately called her cellphone.  Larry answered.  He said she was doing really well.  I then told him my news that I just got today.  Larry was so kind and said, "Libby, Laura's done all the research.  This guy is great and he's here if you need him.  You can still have babies and lots of 'em!!"  Larry's such a great guy...I even cried on the phone and he handled it pretty well.

Who knows if I'll have to go that far to be treated.  But all in all, I know that God is good and faithful.  I think God's giving me peace...and that the nerve pill is starting to work. 

Please keep me in your prayers.  I've always have worried about my age and having kids.  By the time we start trying to conceive I will be 36 and that will mean I'll probably be 37 when I have my first baby.  Another reason why I'm trying to lose weight so that I can do everything possible to see a precious bundle of joy in my arms.  I know that this is all part of God's plans...but sometimes the unknown is just plain scary.  I want to have a healthy, whole child and be healthy myself.  I guess God's just trying to line up my body.

Thank you for being there for me!!

God bless you all!!

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!!  It started Saturday night with chills.  Sunday I slept two thirds of the day with on/off fever spikes and was TERRIBLY achy.  Just regular old flu stuff I thought.  Monday...a little better but still a tad achy and fever hot/clammy/sweating bouts on and off.  Monday night...I developed a very intriguing pain in my sternum that radiated around a rib and "landed" smack dab between my shoulder blades. I knew it wasn't my heart...as my pulse seemed fine.  But it started to make me a tad anxious.  I prayed and went to bed, believing I would be better in the morning!

Tuesday morning...did I sleep on a concrete floor??!?  I was in more pain that when I went to bed.  Called my Dia, my loving step-mum and RN, who lives in Tulsa.  She was concerned that it might possibly be gallbladder.  I did then start to notice that my pain in my sternum and between my shoulder blades got worse every time I took a bite -- with also a clammy breakout with a tad of nauseousness.  She told me to go to Urgent care.

Went to Urgent care...felt a little weird as I thought I was feeling a little better.  Only to discover I had a 100° temp, urinary tract infection, a red right inner ear, and they thought heartburn/gas/reflux, with possibly a viral something on top of all that!  I left with prescription strength antacids, Cipro (antibiotic) and PRN Loratab for pain AND a list of primary care doctors.

Immediately after getting in the car, I called Dr. Stephen Buckles office to establish myself as a new patient.  They were able to get me in the next morning (Weds) at 8:40 am!  Awesome!

Went to Buckles office and before I had even finished filling out my paperwork I was taken to an exam room...and 30 seconds later the Doc comes in.  I gave him my spiel and he asked if I had a chest x-ray or ultrasound yet.  Nope!  So he gave me orders for a blood draw, new urine analysis, chest x-ray and ultrasound.  I was out of his office by 9:05. 

The lab was 2 doors down.  I was fortunate to get the owner of the place to do my blood draw!! He took one look at my tiny veins and pulled out a butterfly needle (very tiny needle)!  I was very impressed as usually they go ahead and use the big needles and dig!  It was painless!

I then headed down another 2-3 doors and got my chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound.  I did fine during the x-ray, but I didn't realize that the ultrasound was going to take as long as it did-- so the longer I was there the more anxious I got while the young lady prodded my body trying to take pictures of all my lovely organs.  About an hour or so later I was out of that office.

I get my results either today or tomorrow.  I'm still feeling really weak, but my fever is gone.  I still get occasional pains when I eat and a sweaty/clammy reaction.  Loratab makes the pain go away...however I think it may be giving me some of the sweaty/clammy stuff.   UGHHHHH!!

All that to say...I've missed 4 days of work as a self-employed business owner, where there is no such thing as a sick day...only time to make up!!!  Which means trying to find places to make up 4 days worth of kiddos!! Yippee!!!

I pray that God heals me, that the Doctor has wisdom and  finds the root of all this evil so we can nick it in the bud!!

I covet your prayers as I just don't feel like myself!
Sorry to be such a downer!
God bless!

I've spent today off and on trying to go through hundreds of photos online of my husband's missions trip.  He's currently either on a train or in Turkey.  I got the joy of speaking to him and a couple of his new friends today on the cellphone.  I signed him up for the International call plan...cheap for $5.99/month...not so cheap the per minute fee of $1.99-2.29!!  YIKES!!!!  Needless to say we've only chatted a couple of times and only for 15 minutes...but that still adds up VERY quickly!!!  Thank God the customer service agent with the cellphone company said it will take 2-3 months for those calls to show up on our bill...in the mean time we will both have to save our pennies to pay for it when it comes!!  Smile!

For those who don't want to play "Where's Waldo" through hundreds of pictures below is the City and day number (if there is one) and then the # of the picture Curt is in.  There a several really good ones of him.  One way to aid in your search...he's typically always wearing a black MU hat and has a small bag that he wears across his body.

You can reach the blog about his trip at:
http://www.riverultion.net   - Click on the big picture at the top of the page to go to the daily blogs.
Thus far I've seen him in pictures in:

1.  Romania - # 91 and 108
2. In Varna, Bulgaria... Day one - he's in 44 (I think) and 91 is a really good one of him and another guy on the trip.  Day two - he's in a yellow shirt 13 - this is definitely a Waldo moment!!
3. Nova Zagora - I've seen him in #33, 37, 66, 77, 89
4. Kazanlak - Day One - #36 and Day Two - #s 22, 166

While in Sofia their hotel room didn't have air conditioning...which made him and his roommate Bob seriously consider walking 2 blocks and getting a room at the Hilton!  It's about as hot there as it is here!  At one point his carry-on was lost...only to be found the next day in the people's room next door.  (Gypsies helped deliver the luggage that day...and several had missing pieces of luggage!!).

I've had the Geek Squad here most of the day installing my new desktop computer for Sonshine Therapy Services, my therapy business!  Now the house is wireless too!  YEAHHH!!  Which will allow for Curt & I both to be on the computer at the same time!  Oh what luxury!!

I have several large projects I'm still trying to wrap up before Curt comes home Thursday night.  The biggest being turning the finished part of the basement into a little "den" get-away for Curt.  That way if he wants to watch his WWE wrestling, ultimate fighting or anything else I don't allow on while I'm home (I absolutely HATE violence!!) he can retreat to the den to enjoy.  Currently that area has been the dump and store area since we've been married.  Somewhere in there is a twin bed!  Craziness!

I aslo have a great deal of kids to see this week AND reports to write, not to mention I already have had some of my teachers call me telling me of meetings I need to attend!  I-yi-yi!!!  I need at least one more month of summer!! 

Hope all is well with you!  God bless ya!