Christmas Card Carousel

I wanted to join in on Faith's "Christmas Card Carousel" because I love to get Christmas cards. However, I have been lazier than normal this year and am just mailing our Christmas cards and I didn't want to post it on here before all of our family and friends got it in the mail. So, I created a "Smilebox" card for everyone to enjoy.


Have a very happy holiday!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Don't forget to visit Faith's blog for more wonderful Christmas cards!

Our Home at Christmas

Welcome to the McCarl's house for Christmas!

We were very excited to get all of our Christmas decorations up this year because it is the 1st year that we've had our own home. I knew that all of our family and friends would want to see everything so I thought I would post pictures here. Then, I saw that some wonderful ladies host "Home Tours" in which everyone goes on their blog and posts pictures of their homes at Christmas. It will be so exciting to see all of the different homes.

Well, here are the pictures. We have just your basic Christmas decorations this year.

Enjoy our wonderful home!!

The front of our house. I like this the most- especially because of the snow.

Our front door. Home Sweet Home!

The garland going up the stairs. It goes all the way up.

Our Christmas tree. Most of the ornaments have special meaning. We actually couldn't find all of our ornaments since we still have unpacking to do.

Our very basic stockings. I don't really like them but they are okay for this year. Of course, the pink one is Patsy's.

Mat's manger scene. He was given this by a youth group that he worked with in college. I know he was so proud to finally be able to put it out.

Our beautiful wedding chapel. Mat's mom gave this to us the first Christmas after we got engaged. Maybe one day I'll have the whole village.

I hope that you have enjoyed our home. Have a very Merry Christmas!

-Jessica

P.S.--Check out these links for pictures of more wonderful homes:

http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/

http://www.wearethatfamily.com/2008/12/its-time-to-share-your-tree.html

http://asoftplacetoland-kimba.blogspot.com/2008/12/youre-invited.html

http://tipjunkie.blogspot.com/2008/12/virtual-tour-of-homes-holiday-addition.html

**If the picture links don't work, just type in the address that is on the picture. I'm still learning how to link things.

Update

I thought it might be time for an update to the blog.

I had to return to the doctor today because my pains have become worse and more widespread. As soon as I saw the regular doctor that I have been going to, she called a specialist and sent me right over to them. After talking with him, he came up with two things that he thinks are strong possibilities. I don't want to reveal these on the blog but I will let you know when I get an actual diagnosis. He has done several more blood tests and I should get the results tomorrow. I am also on antibiotics in case there is inflammation or an infection somewhere. If I do not start feeling better by Monday, I have to call back, go back in, and possibly have more invasive tests than the ones I have had.

I have to stay out of school again tomorrow and I am not one that is easily relaxed unless I'm sleeping and I feel bad that I have to be out of school again. I trust the substitutes I have had but they're just not me. I also work with wonderful ladies who are "holding down the fort" for me.

Please keep me in your prayers. Also, pray for Mat. He is such an understanding guy and is really trying to keep me positive and do everything around here. He's getting great at picking up dinner and doing dishes and taking out the trash!

Hopefully I'll have a diagnosis soon. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!!

Bad Movies and Snow

Happy Sunday!


Last night, we had Mat's "Bad Movie Club" at our house. It was a lot of fun and everyone seemed to have a good time. The movie was definitly horrible. If you haven't watched "Laserhawk" and want a horrible movie, it is for you. The meatballs and "Puppy Chow" were a BIG hit! Mary and Charles (Mat's sister and her fiance) had the wonderful idea to order pizza. GREAT idea!! We had lots of good food and friends.
Our best friends Courtney (yes, Courtney a guy) and his wife Ericka stayed after everyone else and we watched "Stepbrothers". It was a funny movie and we love spending time with Courtney and Ericka.

Here are Mary and Patsy hanging out before the movie started. Once people starting arriving, I completely forgot to take pictures. Patsy LOVED Mary. She sat with her or on her most of the night.

Also last night, it snowed!! It started a little in the afternoon and kept going. Of course it was just a dusting but it was so pretty. I love snow and can't wait for it to snow some more. Patsy didn't really know what to think of the snow. She would run outside, step on the cold grass and run back in. I think she needs doggy shoes.

Mat standing on the deck in the snow.

Patsy looking up at her Daddy wondering how long we were going to make her stay outside.Standing in the snow on the deck. Mat and I were out in the yard and she just wanted to be on the deck.

I don't know if I like the snow.Can I go in now?

Thank goodness!! Being outside in the snow is so rough.The deck after all of the snow. So beautiful!


Our Sunday has been spent relaxing. We even took naps this afternoon. Believe me, it is a big deal when Mat takes a nap. He has been sick this week so he really needed it. Luckily he seems to be over the bad part.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a good Monday!

-Jessica

P.S.- Sorry that the pictures are all different sizes. I am still learning the whole picture sizing thing.

Fun-filled Friday

Okay, so my Friday wasn't so fun-filled but oh well. Hopefully your's was better.

I had my MRI and CT Scan done this morning. The MRI went very well. I had no problems with the injection (except a painful arm) and I wasn't as nervous as last time. Thanks to my sweet hubby who went back with me and help my leg the whole time. My CT Scan wasn't as easy but no major problems there either. Because I haven't been drinking a lot, they had trouble finding a vein and had to poke me like 3 times. Oh and the 1st time, I think they thought if they moved the needle around and kept pushing it in, something would happen- that was fun (NOT!). Overall, everything was okay. Now I just have to hear my hubby say to drink drink drink (water) for the next two days. I'm supposed to drink water so that I can get all of the injections and dyes out of my system.

My night is going to be spent making "Puppy Chow" and cleaning for Mat's "Bad Movie Club". "Puppy Chow" is a cute name for Mat's Aunt's White Chocolate Chex Mix. It is one of the best things ever!! She made it the first time I met her and I am addicted. I never think to make of it except at Christmas but I can eat it for weeks because it makes so much. Mat's "Bad Movie Club" is a group of his friends that get together once a month and watch a horrible movie (and I mean horrible). Tomorrow they are watching the movie at our house. I'm so worried because I need to get our house cleaned up and ready for our first group of visitors. It will be fun once everything is done. I'm also making the "Puppy Chow" and Mat's Mom's famous meatballs (Mat's favorite!). Hopefully everyone will have a fun time.

Well off to make "Puppy Chow", clean up, and try to relax.

Have a good weekend!

What's Happening

This week has been one crazy week! My students at school have been a little more active than usual and I haven't felt great. That makes for a bad combination!

On a much better note, I have two students who have finally learned to write words. Yes, they are in first grade and just now writing real words. These two students have been writing letters all year. Like if they wanted to say "My favorite color is blue", they would write something like "Bdoielfjiojwoa". Well, TODAY was the day that it happened!! We had read "The Gingerbread Man" story and they were writing their own stories. One of my new writers came to show me his story and it was real words. I could read it!! I was so happy that I just can't describe it. Then, a few minutes ago, I was reading their journals at home and my other new writer wrote a whole sentence in her journal and every word was spelled right. I could not believe it!! I just started crying and of course had to explain to Mat why this was a big deal. I still don't think he understands but it is just amazing to me. It makes all of the bad days worthwhile. I could not be more proud of these two students.

Switching topics -- Tomorrow I go for more medical "tests". I have to have my yearly MRI for my enlarged pituitary gland. Over a year and a half ago, my neurologist made me have my first MRI and they found that I have an enlarged pituitary gland. It must have been nothing because he barely mentioned it. However, when my regular doctor found out about it, she insisted that I have MRIs each year and keep an eye on things. I don't know exactly what it all means and I don't want to Google it for fear of what I'll find out.
I also go tomorrow for a CT Scan. A few weeks ago, I woke up with horrible pains in my side and back. After having an ultrasound, the doctor found that I have a cyst on my right ovary. Apparently it is small but I have go tomorrow for the CT Scan so that my doctor can decide if I should have surgery or if it might just go away. Hopefully she'll decide soon because I have been in lots of pain this week.
Please pray for me tomorrow. I hate MRIs because the first one was a horrible experience and I hate drinking the liquid for the CT Scan. I'm gonna need a nap after all of that. :)

Well, I guess that is enough information for now. Have a great Friday!

Not Me! Monday

Happy Monday (and December) to all!

Mat still isn't thrilled about blogging so I can make this all about me. Right?!

A great blog that I have found and become addicted to- http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ - always has "Not Me! Monday". The author of the blog, so cutely named MckMama, writes about things that she has not done - okay, it is a joke that she has actually done these things. It is always so much fun to read and get a laugh out of all the things that she has not done. So, since I know you all love to laugh at the crazy things I do, I thought I would do my own "Not Me! Monday" and tell you about some of the things I have not done this past week (and remember- they are things that I have done). Enjoy!!

I did not waste my weekend and avoid reading articles for my research project until Sunday night.

I did not only take pictures of the dog at Thanksgiving. I would not do that because I am not crazy about my new dog. And, my husband and I are not considering getting another dog to join our sweet little Patsy because we think she is bored.


I did not fuss with my husband about how we were going to put up garland around our door. Garland? We would never argue about garland!



I definitly did not eat about 5 pieces of pie in the past 4 days. It was Thanksgiving weekend and someone had to eat it but that would not be me.



I most certainly did not have my husband buy me a new mixer at the Target sale because I'm too lazy to find the one that is still packed up somewhere.

Oh, and it definitly has not been 3 months since we moved in and there is not still a basement full of boxes left to unpack.



And back to that research project for graduate school- I am not sitting here posting on my blog instead of writing that research paper.




This isn't a lot but hopefully you got a laugh. I'll try to remember more and if this is a hit with you all, I'll do another "Not Me! Monday" next week.