1. My family. Each and every one of them!
2. My children. Brad is my little scholar and Jake is my little tornado of toddler energy! :)
3. My Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Without HIM, I would be lost in more ways than one.
4. My husband. He loves me even with all my flaws.
5. My house. We are blessed to have a beautiful home. It's not perfect, but we love it just the same.
6. My Pastor & his wife. What a blessing!!!
7. The Bible. "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth". God's Word to Man.
8. Coffee (yes, I said "in no particular order"!).
9. The goats that ate the coffee "beans" that made them stay up that caused their owner to discover the coffee. Yes, I am thankful for goats. I love coffee that much. http://www.ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=68
10. Southern food. Being Southern. Deep fried yummy goodness. Especially tomorrow, deep fried turkey. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/deep-fried-turkey-recipe/index.html
11. The mall
12. Bare Escentuals. It makes me look human! Although I have not worn a single iota of make-up in 24 days, because I am taking part in "Natural Beauty November" with good friend Ida Mundell & about 50 other ladies on Facebook.
13. My car. I have a Suzuki XL7 & I really like it! Fits family of 4 plus luggage and two Golden Retrievers! :)
14. Speaking of Golden Retrievers... how could I forget?! My pets Max & Cody! (and newly acquired kitty Static).
15. Cookies. I love cookies... and with that...
16. ...milk
17. My cell phone. Or should I say the new cell phone I am getting on "Black Friday". LoL
18. My friends. I have the best friends in the whole wide world. You know who you are!
19. My church family. They are truly like FAMILY. They are absolutely there 110% when you need them, and even before you realize that you need them.
20. Digital cameras. I don't know how I survived with rolls of film before, and I love being able to capture all the great moments that are my life.
21. Bacon. That stuff is awesome!
22. My DVR. What did I do before it existed?
23. Bradley's piano talent that God blessed him with. He is magnificent!
24. Jacob's silliness. Boy keeps me on my toes!
25. Hans' kindness. My husband has such a heart for others.
26. MOPS. I love my Tuesday meetings with some of the most amazing ladies I have ever met. Each mother is different but we do share that common bond all the same - we are MOTHERS.
27. Florida "winters". No snow, but it gets cold enough to frost my windshield! :)
28. Wal-Mart. It's a love/hate relationship really.
29. Baby kisses.
30. The tears that come when you laugh for too long.
31. Children laughing.
32. Health.
33. Happiness.
34. Love.
35. Chocolate.
36. Calendars. Without one I would not know what to do from day-to-day!
37. Cruise ships. Ain't no other way to travel in my opinion. (If you don't like my grammar, see #10)
38. Down comforters
39. Coca Cola in a glass bottle
40. Christmas lights
41. My job. I work for the Gecko. :)
42. Iced tea.
43. God's grace.
44. Hair dye.
45. Tylenol. On days that are a little too much to handle!
46. Prayer. Also for days that are a little too much to handle.
47. Flowers.
48. Music.
49. Google.
50. Sleep.

Tuesdays at the Table

Welcome to Tuesdays at the Table!

Today's host is Andrea at All the Small Stuff!

The rules are simple: If you would like to post a recipe and participate, do so on your own blog, and then mention hers in your post. Then go to her blog and sign the post with the link to your recipe. That way, there is a collection going... make sense?

Here is my recipe for today. ENJOY!!

CHICKEN PICCATA

Ingredients

1. 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2. 1 egg
3. 3 tablespoons lemon juice
4. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5. 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
6. 1/8 teaspoon paprika
7. 1/4 cup butter
8. 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
9. 1/2 cup boiling water

Directions

1. In a small bowl, beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl or dish mix together the flour, garlic powder and paprika. Dip the chicken in the egg/lemon mixture, then in the seasoned flour.
3. In a large skillet, melt butter/margarine and brown the coated chicken pieces.
4. Dissolve the bouillon in the boiling water, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Pour liquid into skillet. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, turning chicken pieces after 10 minutes, until chicken is tender. Garnish as desired and serve.

"On Fire" for the Lord

I don't wanna be, I don't wanna be a casual Christian

I don't wanna live, I don't wanna live a lukewarm life

I wanna light up the night

With an everlasting light

I don't wanna live the casual Christian life

The lyrics above are to a song that we sing at church on occasion, but lately they have been hitting really close to home. I would say since about the beginning of August, both my husband and I have been just ignited to learn more and more about God's Word. I guess you could say we are "on fire". Hans has been working with our church, Highlands Baptist Church, and during our Wednesday night prayer service has been attending a class lead by our associate pastor called "Operation GO", which primarily focuses on winning lost souls to Christ. Then, on Thursday evenings, he goes on visitation and soul winning with our good friend Brian, then meets with him afterward to further study the Bible.

Bradley is also just beaming with God's light. Several weeks ago, he started begging me to be able to join the church choir. Now I know that they have a few teenage kids in there, but I did not know what the "minimum age" was, so to speak, so I just told him to wait a couple more years.

Apparently, that was not the answer he was looking for. He continued to pry and ask, until finally I said, "Alright Brad, let's go ask Miss Sharon and see what the age is". (Sharon is our Pastor's wife, the leader of the choir and also Brad's piano teacher. She wear's many hats, and is such a lovely woman of God). We went up just before the Sunday evening service started two weeks ago and Bradley asked her how old he had to be to join. Since she knows Bradley and knows that he is mature for his age and very disciplined in his studies and his music, she said he can join now. Bradley was SO EXCITED that he was just smiling from ear to ear for the rest of the service. He had his first practice and "performance" last week and he already loves it.

After the morning service on the way home from church, Bradley told me that he wants to do as much as he can for the Lord, "even if that means going to another country to be a missionary". I told him to just wait and listen for God's direction if that is where the Lord is leading him, and whatever the cost his daddy & I will pay for every penny of college that it takes to prepare him for the Lord's work. I am so proud.

What am I doing for the Lord, you ask? Well, right now I have further deepened my Bible study time and have been working on reading more Christian books and my devotionals...

...and thanks to Brad's example, I have also decided to join the choir - though I have a enormous fear of not only speaking, but singing in public. Lord willing, I will be just fine during my first "performance". I am trusting HIM!

Til Next Time,

Kim

PS: Here is a video clip of the children/adults from church singing the previously mentioned song on the way back from camp this summer... http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=423863597991

It's That Time of Year Again...

...are you ready? It's back to school time!

Wow - the Summer has come and gone. It feels like just yesterday Bradley just got out of school and finished fourth grade. But lo and behold, Bradley starts school *gulp* tomorrow! He was supposed to start on Monday - but an amazingly wonderful thing occurred. Let me explain...

In second grade, Bradley began school at Sikes Elementary - which is a wonderful school and I have no issues with. I found out soon after he started there that our area also has a charter school, South McKeel Elementary Academy. You have to apply and the wait list is extensive. So extensive that in fact when I applied for him to go, they let me know not to count on him getting picked until middle school. Wow!

Fast forward to 2 1/2 weeks ago. All Sikes school supplies and uniforms have been purchased, just waiting for school to start. I am sitting at home about to make dinner, and my phone rings. The Caller ID says "South McKeel". Never in my mind did I think it was about the wait-list. Well, it was - they said they had an opening come available in fifth grade, and did I want him to go to the school. this. year. I hesitated for a moment just because it was such a huge decision and not a lot of time to make it. I put the secretary on hold, talked to Hans for all of 30 seconds, and accepted.

Now, after donating the school supplies we purchased for Sikes and buying all new supplies and uniforms (that were only available at a uniform distributor in Clearwater) - Bradley is now a South McKeel Wildcat!

He is so excited, and I am for him as well. We went to orientation yesterday and his teacher seems like a great lady. The school facilities are immaculate, and the orientation was very organized and not at all chaotic. When we arrived we picked up a manila folder by the office that had his name & teacher on it. From there we went to the cafeteria as instructed, and then purchased him an agenda, deposited some $ into his lunch account, bought him a "spirit" shirt that he can wear on Fridays...  Oh, and I joined the PTA. :)

We also found which bus he is going to be riding. Ah yes, my little boy is going to be taking a bus to school for the first time ever! 

The school runs from K-12, meaning he will graduate from here. Also, since he got in, Jake automatically gets in when he starts Kindergarten. No wait!

Well, that's my little blurb about the craziness that has been occurring in the Reller household lately. Get ready for a good year!

Secrets of a Busy Mom

See that logo above? TOTALLY NOT ME. Yes, I can multi-task, but I find shortcuts here and there that help me through a busy day with 10-year-old and a 2-year-old. Today, I am going to share one of them in the hopes that it will help with your munchkins as well!

Today's tip:Quick lunches for growing boys (or girls, whateverrr! I have two boys so that's what I'm going with.)

Bradley has recently been going through yet another growth spurt. Which means that he can have two helpings of dinner and still manage to whine "Mommmmm, I'm still hungry!". After a long day, that is the last thing that I want to hear, especially after feeding him, Daddy, Mommy, and Jakey - we're all out of whatever "dinner" I prepared that night.

I was beginning to find that lunch was the same way. He could easily eat through an entire box of Kraft Mac & Cheese or a can of Chef Boyardee and still look at me and tell me he needed more to eat. Not his fault, he is a growing boy! (Now, to take out that second mortgage to FEED this growing boy eating me out of house & home...)

One thing that I have found that he likes, it is CHEAP, and fills him up and still has leftovers :::drum roll please:::

Regular ol' pasta & sauce. 

Pick a shape. Penne, spaghetti, rotini, whatever floats your boat. Cook according to instructions. Costs about $0.79 - $1.29 a box, and when you get them on BOGO at Publix, cut that in half.

Pick a sauce. We tend to stick to red sauces in different variations. Some with cheese, some with veggies added, he likes them all (a plus!). After pasta is drained, put in a big container and put toss with sauce. Sauce costs about $1.79-$3.50 per jar, depending on what brand you prefer. Again, get it on BOGO and stock up and you cut this in half.

Feed the boys, then store remainder in fridge. Lasts very well, in my opinion is better than the canned preserved stuff, and it makes a ton of leftovers!

Hope this helps! Now, back to the 100 other things I have to do today ... ;)

Toy Story 3!

Yesterday, I took both of the boys out to see Toy Story 3 while Hans went and volunteered at the Fire Department. It was a yucky, rainy day, so going to the park or any place outdoors was not an option. This was Jacob's first movie in an actual theater. We have been to the drive-in a few times and he loves that because well, he can run around while the movie plays!

As we were in line buying tickets for the 2:40pm showing (it was about 2:20pm at this time), the time that was available changed to "SOLD OUT". The next showing wasn't until 3:45pm, so we had some time to kill. Brad was hungry, so we walked across the way and went to Crispers for a late lunch. As you can see, the boys were rather happy with that decision. :)

Then after Crispers, it was movie time! Jake behaved rather well. We were seated right on the aisle, so like any normal toddler he did decide to climb over me and play on the stairs, but I just picked him up and brought him back to the seat. When he realized he was watching a ginormous movie again, he settled down. :)

Here are some photos I snapped right before the movie got going...

FYI - Toy Story 3 was great! I totally cried. Seriously. Yes, I know it is an animated movie... but yep, I teared up at the end. :oP

The cakes I made for Jake's birthday...

Happy birthday, Jake!

Happy 2nd birthday to our cuddly...

Baseball loving...

Toy chewing...

Adorable...

Cookie Monster!

Happy 2nd birthday, Jacob!

Love, 

Mom, Dad, & big-brother Bradley

(and of course, Cody & Max, too!)

"The Jesus Touch"

Yesterday was the last MOPS meeting of the semester until we start back again in the fall. This meeting is also known as our "Tea & Testimony" meeting, and it was incredible. They had a special lunch for all of us with Asian Salad & Croissant, and of course "tea" and lemonade. There was laughter and there were tears.

One of the highlights for me was when the Pastor's wife of First Baptist Church at the Mall, Angie Dennis, came up to speak to us. She taught us on Mark 5:21-34, which I had heard before but when I was much younger. Here is the passage:

Mark 5:21-34 (King James Version)

 ²¹And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
 ²²And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
 ²³And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
 ²⁴And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
 ²⁵And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
 ²⁶And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
 ²⁷When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
 ²⁸For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
 ²⁹And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
 ³⁰And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
 ³¹And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
 ³²And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
 ³³But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
 ³⁴And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

She then explained to us many things about the passage, and it was such an encouragement on how she applied it to our lives - how Jesus healed the woman because she had faith in Him, and how he took notice. She explained her own testimony, of how she had an emotionally absent mother and a difficult upbringing both parentally and with people in school. She explained her heartache and fear when she found out a few years ago that she had breast cancer that she is still fighting. She then let us know the joy she felt when Jesus saved her and she met & married her husband, Pastor Jay Dennis. 


Later when she was going over the passage more thoroughly, she made sure each of us had a piece of tassel in front of us. You see, in the Bible in Mark 5:27, the garment that Jesus wore more than likely had a trim of tassels to it, and was what the woman mentioned would have touched. When she touched it, even though there was a tremendous crowd of people all around Jesus Christ, he noticed. He noticed HER, and her faith, and her pain. Mrs. Dennis let us know that when we pray, Jesus takes notice. She shared some quotes that I really loved:

• Faith is praying with our eyes on God, not on our difficulties.
• Faith is not about running in the dark, but walking in the light.
• Faith is not believing what people say about God, it's simply believing what God says!

It was also interesting to know that this is the only time in Jesus's ministry that he ever refers to someone as "daughter". What an encouragement to us - to know that in our times of pain and suffering, our Heavenly Father is there, and will hear our plea when we need him. The tassel she gave to us was to put in our Bible to remind us of this story, and gave us five things to remember when we are facing our own trials to remind outselves:

1. I know that God loves me
2. I know that God is good
3. I know that God is a God of miracles
4. I know that God speaks through the Bible
5. I know that heaven is real!

I am sure I didn't explain the passage quite as eloquently as Mrs. Dennis, but it touched me, and I just felt compelled to pass it along. 


Have a wonderful day,
Kim Reller

Bradley's Piano Recital

Every year in April, Bradley's piano teacher (who also happens to be the pastor's wife at our church) holds her annual recital to showcase the student's progress.

Last year, Bradley played "Moonlight Sonata" by Bethoven. This year, Bradley decided he wanted to try and tackle "Canon in D" by Pachalbel. He did really well - surprisingly well even! He had not been able to practice a great deal since the infamous surgery at the beginning of the month, and the last week that he had been practicing, he struggled a little when the tempo picked up. However - for the recital - he nailed it! I am so proud of him. :)




ENJOY!!!

-The Rellers

Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce

Tonight I planned on making BBQ Chicken Calzones for dinner, and I always have BBQ sauce on hand in the event I need a yummy condiment to something. I was going through my ingredients list for the calzones and I had everything. Onion, check. Bacon, check. Chicken, yep, check. BBQ sauce. I opened the fridge and lo & behold I was out! However, Jacob was napping and Bradley was very content playing his Wii and I hated to bother either of them. What was I to do?

Well I will tell you what I did. I searched online and found a decently rated BBQ sauce recipe and I made it my own! You know what - it turned out amazing, and was super easy to make. It only took 20 minutes and a few ingredients that I already had on hand! I can honestly say I doubt I will ever go back to purchasing store brand now that I know I can make the good stuff on my very own stove top.

For all you that want it, here is the recipe. Makes about 16 ounces and will keep well in the fridge for weeks. ENJOY!
-------------------------------------------
Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 onion, peeled and diced
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (or to taste, if you like spicy then go for it!)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1) In a medium saucepan, mix lemon juice, onion, distilled white vinegar, water, brown sugar, prepared mustard, ground black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper and vegetable oil. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 20 minutes.

2) Stir ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and liquid smoke flavoring into the mixture. Return to boil, then remove from heat. Refrigerate until ready for use.

Bradley is HOME!

I am writing to you this morning from the comfort of my sofa… which means that Bradley was discharged! YAY!

Following the surgery Bradley had not been able to really eat or keep any food down. Wednesday evening the doctor determined that Bradley’s lack of appetite and nausea was due to the morphine drip that he was on. So he made the wise decision to take him off of that and simply put him on oral Tylenol w/ Codeine, as this is what he was to be on when he comes home, anyway. Bradley wasn’t in a whole lot of pain anyway so he was fine with that. Plus, I know he wanted to eat, he was just scared because everytime he did he felt like he was going to be sick! L

So, that evening they made the switch. Within a few hours, Bradley polished off two small slices of pepperoni pizza, a corndog, and a cup of milk! The doctor said that if he can eat a good breakfast on Thursday morning and keep it down, then he can go home. Yesterday morning Brad had six “French toast” sticks, two slices of bacon, and a glass of milk – so the doctor bid us farewell and sent us on our way! We cleaned up at the Ronald McDonald house where we had been staying, and then we made the haul back to Lakeland – it took just over an hour, not too bad. We got home yesterday at about 1:30pm.

I just wanted to thank all of  you for your kind words, emails to Bradley, cards, and all around love and support. I know that is what has helped him to recover so nicely and he definitely enjoys each and every email & card he receives. He is sleeping right now but yesterday was able to have a couple friends over and laugh & giggle with them (while in bed of course), and that made my day. I know he will be just fine.  J

Thanks again & God bless each and every one of you,

The Reller Family

Surgery Day - Evening Edition

Well, surgery day has almost come and gone, and Bradley did GREAT. Thank the Lord!

We arrived at the hospital a bit early to look around, then decided at 1:30pm to see if it was OK to go ahead and check in. It was, so we went ahead and did that. Soon after, a nurse came and we all were able to go back with Brad for his pre-op physical and medical history review. Then, we met with his DR who advised how long the procedure would take and what we can expect. After meeting with him, we met with the anesthesiologist and two other nurses that were  going to be a part of the procedure. Bradley asked a lot of questions and they were all wonderful and answered them all to put his mind at ease. They gave him a dose of Tylenol to help with the "after surgery" headache he may get. The doc was ahead of schedule so at 3:00pm my sweet boy was wheeled back to the operating room and I kissed him goodbye.

I cannot tell you how slow the two hours he was in surgery went. I read a magazine and talked with Hans & played with Jacob. My mom & her friend Dean met us up here for the last half of the wait and that was by far the worst. I kept wondering, "shouldn't he be done?" and just before the two hour mark, one of the nurses came back to tell us that he did great and that the doctor was just finishing up and he would be moved to recovery. Shortly after he in fact was, and then once he was coherent they came out, told us what his room number would be, and that we can go wait for him up there and he would be there with us in about five minutes.

When I saw Bradley wheeled into the room, I was mixed with a sense of relief that he was here and alright, but also teared up a bit because I know that he was uncomfortable. The incision site that they showed me was far larger than I was told or had anticipated. I was initially told about 2" or so and my baby has about a 4-5" cut along the lower part of his tummy. Luckily, they did give him a morphine drip and he showed me how well he knows how to push that button! One click, and he is o-u-t. He has been asleep most of the evening. He woke up to see me & grandma (Hans & Jake had to leave for the night to sleep), and then our Pastor John & his wife Sharon came by, along with our good friend Kim's parents, Jack & Dianne. He was up for them, too. But after that he just went back to sleep.

Thank goodness he is alright. Sore and uncomfortable, yes. But he is here. Safe. Alive.

I am going to "sign off" for now and try to catch some rest before the nurse comes in and checks his vitals again. I'll try and update more tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for all the prayers and support, it really means the world to us.

God Bless,
The Rellers

Surgery Day - Morning Edition

Well, the day has finally arrived - Brad's day that he has his ureter reimplantation surgery. We got a call last Friday from the hospital and his surgery is scheduled to begin at 3:30pm, which is about three and a half hours from now. However, we have to be at the hospital at 2:00pm to check-in. At that point he will have a physical and then we will meet with the anesthesiologist and the doctor so they can tell us what to expect.

We are staying at the Ronald McDonald House in St. Petersburg, with is literally one block from All Children's Hospital. This way, we can both alternate staying with Bradley in the hospital, and staying with & entertaining Jacob while Brad has the surgery and recovers. We checked in here last night, and the people and the place is simply amazing. Last night Seminole United Methodist Church came here and prepared a ginormous Easter dinner for all the families staying here. There was more food and desserts than any of us could possibly eat in one (or two) sittings! There was turkey, ham, fried chicken, lasagna, and all the trimmings you could think of. Then for dessert they had cookies, pineapple upside down cake, banana pudding, brownies... the list goes on and on! The people here are so welcoming and we are thankful that there is a place like this to where we can be right by Bradley and still feel like we are at home.



This morning we took it pretty east. Actually, we took it realllllly easy. We decided that since we are so close to the water and are literally in downtown St. Petersburg, that we would break out Jacob's stroller and our walking shoes and just go and walk through downtown and explore the place. We came across spectacular condos that line the downtown sky, old brick taverns tucked away between homespun coffee houses and bistros, and then my favorite - we found a gelato shop. Oh my word. If it wasn't 9:00am, I would have ordered a chocolate hazelnut waffle cone of the fabulousness... and quickly! But, I was a good girl, had a sample and said I would "come back later" (which I definitely plan to before I leave!). We also went to the St. Pete Pier and watched the sunlight cascading over the Gulf of Mexico. There were crazy huge pelicans there and you could feed them (by purchasing fish from a little bait shop on the coastline), but we opted not to. There had to be at least 30 of the birds! They were harmless, but Bradley wanted nothing to do with them.

Right now we are back at the RMDH and Brad is next to me watching some music videos on YouTube, while I am updating this for all to read. He is taking this so well right now. He has moments of fear and worry, but they quickly pass when Hans & I assure him that he is in good hands - God's hands. For now, we are relaxing until two hours from now when we arrive for check-in and the chaos begins. I plan to update more tonight. Until then, please keep us in your thoughts & prayers.

God Bless,
The Rellers (Hans, Kim, Brad, & Jake)

My love of ......... breakfast

Yes, I am writing a post about how much I love breakfast. I have only realized this again in the past couple months or so. Let me explain...

You see, I never used to be a "breakfast" person. I could simply grab a cup of coffee and be perfectly fine until lunch. I just didn't crave or need a whole meal, I suppose. That is until I began working at Academic Financial Solutions as a consolidation loan processor back in 2004. 

Breakfast became kind of like a social gathering. All of us girls in the processing department would go down to the cafeteria together and get a breakfast sandwich, or some eggs with cheese, whatever floated your boat - every morning! It just sort of happened one day, then became a habit for all of us. We would get our food and then grab our coffee and go back to work. It gave us a little break first thing in the morning and was overall, a fun start to the day. 

Then, I began working at GEICO and you can't really "come and go" as you please like I was able to with the office job I had at AFS. So, because sleep is my second best friend (besides coffee), I would rather sleep more and not eat breakfast than to wake up early and eat, then go. Sad, I know. 

However, recently on my days off, I have become more and more obsessed with making a big breakfast! Whether it is just for me and Jake, or for all of us on a Sunday morning - breakfast has somewhat made it back into at least a small part of my routine! We (well, I) have also dubbed Saturday night "breakfast for dinner" night. Hans loves the sweets - pancakes and/or french toast - so this is a perfect way to have a treat at the end of the week. Hans laughs that I created this day especially for my obsession with love of breakfast. I just told him it adds to the kid's routine and gives them something to look forward to & remember when they grow up. Now, back to my affection for all things breakfast. This morning for example, on my impromptu day off - Jacob had a fried egg and turkey sausage with some orange juice. Let's just say I was a bit more hungry...

I made (for myself only, mind you): two scrambled eggs, two strips of bacon, a piece of toast (with 0 calorie spray butter if that helps...maybe...), a bowl of grits, a cup of orange juice, and a cup of coffee. And I ate. It. All. On a side note: Isn't it sad that I am the only one in my house that likes grits? These boys! Oh well, more for me...

So, are you a "breakfast person"? What is your favorite breakfast food?

My poor, sick babies...

So sorry that I have been MIA ladies & gentlemen - but I have been called for duty for a much more tedious, time consuming task!

My boys are sick. :(

It all began on Tuesday afternoon. Jakey's nose started running, and that is not usually a good thing. Then later that evening, the coughing began. Uh, oh. Next came the lovely 101.5 fever on Wednesday morning - and then when I got Bradley up for school, he started to cough! Nooooooooooooo! Bradley was a just a touch warm and he said he wanted to go to school and he didn't seem too bad, so I let him go. Meanwhile, Jakey was a mess all. day. long.

He cuddled and wanted to be held all day. He took an almost three hour nap. His fever finally went down but his nose was pouring like a faucet. His cough was just miserable - all congested - my poor lil' guy! At this age there is really nothing you can give them other than Motrin or Tylenol to help with the fever, so he has to just deal the best he can with the cough and the nasal funkiness.

Bradley came home at 2:45pm after school and immediately said he wasn't feeling well and wanted to lie down. Now moms, you know when your (almost) 10-year-old says that he wants to lie down mid-day, something isn't right. He felt warm but when I took his temp it was normal. I gave him some lunch, then later some dinner, and he just stayed in bed all day watching TV. When he woke up this morning, his temp was 100.1, his cough had become more fluent, and he was congested. Then, Jake was getting warm again to boot. Off to the doctors we go!

Of course, after a call-out-of work for me, two co-payments for the doctor's office, a 102.2 temp on Jake, a strep swab for Brad (Oh my goodness, he freaked...), and an hour later of time for all of us... we find out "It's just a virus" and "It will run it's course". *sigh* Does anyone else realllllly hate it when the doctor's tell you this? I wish there was just some magical medicine for these so called "viruses" that I can just give to my babies and make them feel better. But nope. So far there is not...

So today, after all of that... Jake is on his second nap and Brad is still laying down in his room, watching a movie I rented for him at Redbox. Hopefully this yucky virus leaves the Reller home soon - without coming to Hans & myself first! - that way we can have our happy (healthy!) boys back... :)

Weigh In: Week Nine! (and other miscellaneous what-nots...)

Alright... to start things off, let's get right to the weigh in so that *everyone* knows how we are doing (everyone as in, all three people that read this, I think... haha).

I lost 1.6 more pounds this past week, putting my total weight loss at 13.8 pounds. Hans evened out and therefore he is still at losing an amazing 18.8 pounds!

I am so thrilled with my weight loss. I am 3.2 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight with Jacob, and 11.2 pounds from my "goal" weight. I am almost there! Victory is close... and I should be there by Summer - aka "bikini" season. :)

As far as the other happenings in the Reller household, they mainly include getting everything together for Bradley's surgery on April 5 (can we say endless sea of FMLA paperwork?!), finishing his Science fair project for this year ("Will Salt, Sugar, or Spices [aka Cinnamon] Affect Plant Growth?" - due 3/26), running to/from church, getting Jake a new "big boy" bed (thank goodness he loves it and therefore, transition was smooth as silk!) work, gym, eat, sleep, repeat. I feel like I barely have time to sit still, which is my "excuse" for the ridiculously late update here.

On a side note, my other project (thanks to this past week's MOPS meeting) is organizing my house. Mainly my kitchen at this point. So far I have purchased a utensil holder for the counter by my stove (somehow I think I may have been the only person on the planet who did not have one), and a holder that was put on the back of my pantry door to hold plastic bags, aluminum foil/saran wrap/wax paper and the like. I also found an amazing deal on a separate cabinet/pantry for my kitchen similar to this one, and the best part is I found it on Craigslist - for $10! The lady was moving and she wanted to get rid of it, so I happily took it off her hands! Now I have some place to put my fruits, bread, and other baking items other than on top of my counter and therefore, declutterizing! (Feel free to share the word with your friends, LOL).

Also, yesterday was my birthday, and therefore I now the ripe, old age of 26. Does it feel any different, you ask? Nope. In my mind I still feel like I am 20. Haha!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week - and maybe over the next couple days or so I will update periodically what is going on here and not everything. All at once. Once a week! :)

Til next time, I leave you with a picture of Jakers in his new bed, sleeping... Zzz Zzz Zzz Zzz...

 

I almost forgot! Weigh In: Week EIGHT!

As you can see by the previous entry, I was more than a little distracted yesterday! I am just going to get to the point. Hans won. The hubbs did it - by a LANDSLIDE!

He lost 4.6 more pounds (HOLY MOLY!!) and therefore, whooped my butt "wins" this week! May I just add that he has lost a total of 18.8 pounds? My hubby is lookin' gooooooood! :)

I lost nada. zero. zilch. I am the same as I was before. Down to the penny. But, I didn't gain either. Whoop, whoop! :)

I will definitely be a better "updater" next week. Right now, the laundry calls...

My Brad-Monkey and the Case of the Uncooperative Right Kidney!

...Well really, it isn't so much "the right kidney" as it is the valve that connects the ureter from the bladder to the kidney.

Let me explain.

My oldest, my awesome, smart, wicked cool Brad-Monkey began having some pain when urinating last November. I figured he may have a urinary tract infection (since I have had one of those stinkin' little devils before), so I took him to the pediatrician who confirmed it. No big deal, was sent home with antibiotics and we were good to go for about two weeks or so.

Then, the UTI came back! Poor baby.

Back to the doctor we went, and this time more antibiotics ensued, but before we left, he set us up with an ultrasound at Lakeland Regional Medical Center as a precaution to make sure all plumbing works correctly, and that there is nothing wrong causing the UTI's and that this is all a fluke. OK no problem! End of November, ultrasound was done. UTI was gone and had stayed gone, so I thought this was all just a "waste of time". My boy was fiiiiineeee. Fine-O-fine.

Ultrasound results came back to his pediatrician - he has a duplicate collection chamber in his right kidney. Say what? I asked the pediatrician what this meant, he said usually nothing at all, just a medical fluke, only meant that he has two collection chambers for fluid in his kidney instead of one. We will go ahead and use this little guy as our guide for the next set of "explanations":

So, his pediatrician wanted us to follow up with a pediatric urologist - to be on the safe & clear side. Okay! So, next appointment set... We are now at February 2nd, 2010, because that is the soonest that I could get with this particular doctor that he referred us to. We saw him after he himself arrived an hour late to the appointment and he agreed that Brad did have a duplicate chamber, but he wanted to make sure that when the urine collects in his bladder and he urinates, that the fluid does not shoot back into - or "reflux" - into the kidney, causing infection. He then ordered what is called a "VCU" test. This was done on February 19th at St. Joseph's Hospital - and lets just say Brad was not happy. At. All. Catheter + 9 year old boy = not a fun experience. The test involved placing a catheter in, filling his bladder with "blue dye" and then taking many x-rays to see what the fluid did & went. Took all of a half hour, then a stop to Dairy Queen for my big guy and we were on our way home. Results would not be known until our next appointment with the urologist, which was yesterday...

*sigh*

The whole time I told myself "Brad is fineeee", he wasn't. As it turns out, the fluid does come back into his kidney and collects, due to a non-functioning valve in the right kidney's ureter that connects to his bladder. This is what has been causing the multiple UTI's. What threw me (and Bradley) back was when the doctor said that "Not to worry, we'll just do surgery and it will be corrected". What? Surgery? I had no idea that this was at that level of seriousness. Speaking of levels... the type severity of the reflux is scored in levels, or grades, measuring from Grade I (not serious, barely any reflux at all) to Grade 5 (major, severe reflux, ER type situation). Brad's severity measured between a 3 and 4. So, this is why he has to have surgery.

Talk about a wake-up "stop the presses, what just happened here" call.

To top it all off, the doctor said the "S" word (surgery) in front of my Brad-Monkey. My first born. He immediately began freaking out, crying, thinking he was going to die (he wasn't). The doctor was great with him when he saw his anxiety and answered all his questions ("Am I going to feel anything? Are you going to cut me open? How much? Where? Will I have a scar?What tools are you going to use?" Yes, he asked what tools the doctor was going to use. He's too smart for his own good.) When he was done with the questions, he just wanted to know where/when/how long, and wanted to talk to other people who have had surgery to find out how it works and what happens because honestly, Hans & I have never been "put under" for any type of procedure.

When I got through talking to the doctor today, asking the questions I didn't want to ask in front of Brad & scare him, this site basically sums up all that I learned about the procedure he is going to have done. http://www.ucsfchildrenshospital.org/education/ureteral_reimplant_surgery/index.html

And so it begins... yesterday and today I researched the different hospitals that we could have the surgery done at, and we settled on having the procedure done at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL. The new facility just opened January 9, so everything is brand-spankin' new. Each room has a 42" LCD TV, games/Disney Channel/Nickelodeon, phone, sleep area for the parents, and filtered internet on the TV for Brad. Plus, a 2nd floor rooftop play area & ICEE machines (yep, only the best, haha), video games, and a breakfast cart that comes around each morning that they can take whatever they want from, and however much that they want - donuts, eggs, bacon, toast, etc...! Here are some photos I found online:

  

The surgery is scheduled for Monday, April 5, 2010, time still unknown - they will call me the Friday before to let us know what time to be there. He will be in the hospital at least until Wednesday, maybe Thursday. Afterward, he will be out of school until the following Wednesday or Thursday. I have already applied for FMLA at work, and Hans has four weeks vacation saved (wow!), so he is taking off two weeks. 

I will definitely be keeping everyone posted, and ask that all of you add us to your prayers. We can use them! This is going to be a rough few weeks.

Thanks!

The Reller Family

Weigh In: Week Seven!

This week was fantastic, no complaints here. I have become quite addicted to the Spin & YogaFit classes that are offered at Gold's Gym. I found a new one last Wednesday morning, called "Spin & Pump", so I decided to try it. It is brutal, but it really makes you feel sore great when you're done. It is basically a combination of a Power Pump (strength training/resistance) class and a Spin Class. You will be doing a few minutes of cycling for cardio, then you will stop and break out the resistance bands they provide, lace them under the handlebars, and work your back/chest/biceps/triceps etc. Then, you do ab crunches. On. The. Bike. Then, several more minutes of cardio, and then you do push-ups on your handlebars (yes, you stop pedaling). It's insane, but sickly oddly amazingly enough - I love it! Plus - all this is paying off, big time. My pants need belts now. My old shirts look really baggy on me. For my birthday in two weeks - I am going to be getting new clothes!

Hans has also been doing great! He loves to run like I do, so he will go to the gym and run a couple miles, then go into a spin class. Or YogaFit - don't let him fool you! He has done this a couple times...! He is also on his last notch on his belt - so he has definitely toned up! *whistles*

Eating healthy has gotten 100x easier. I subconsciously check labels at the store now, so I know what I am getting ahead of time. Then, I also allow myself to "cheat" every now and again, because I know that I will be working it off later that day. Tuesday mornings at my MOPS meetings is definitely a "cheat" day. I cannot pass up all those yummy casseroles! Hans is also doing phenomenal in this area. He has dubbed Monday night as "Chicken Caesar Salad" night. Bradley even likes it!

Anyway - on to the RESULTS!

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Hans did not lose this week, but he did not gain either, so he is even to last week. 

I lost 1.4 more pounds, putting me at losing approximately 1.005% of my weight, and am now up to losing 12.2 pounds TOTAL!

You know what - I am tired of counting who "wins" or "loses". We are BOTH winning here because we are both getting healthier and losing the excess weight we have gained over the years! From here on out, I will not be counting winner vs loser. I will just post our results for all to see!

How much weight will we lose next week? Will Spin and those crazy Yoga poses turn me into a pretzel? Stay tuned!

Week Six: Weigh In! (and crazy Yoga stories...)

Here we are already, week six. Who would have thought we would have made it this far? Not me! This week was the first week we really "slacked off". We had family in town for Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend and I did not go to the gym for 5 days straight. Then, we tried to watch what we are for the most part, but there were some times where we had some splurges, like ribeye steak and potatoes for Valentine's Day. Believe it or not, I actually missed going to the gym! Not to mention when I finally went back today I thought spin class was going to be the death of me. Then, I was crazy enough after that torture class to go to YogaFit.


Now, for those of you not familiar with YogaFit - think yoga, but changing poses really frequently. You actually sweat. Your pulse goes higher. It's amazing for toning and stretching and balance, and you get a bit of cardio in there, too! 


Yesterday, my awesome instructor Danielle was introducing a few poses I have never tried in my life. I am so sore today! Good sore, but I cannot tell you how many times I fell over. My balance was terrible after not doing anything for a few days! Here are some of the crazy examples of the poses we did: 

Half-Moon (I had to use a block under my right hand - I fell so many times!)

Reverse Triangle. Ouch! It still amuses me in this photo how happy she is... 

Ah, Warrior Three. How you always make me wobble...

The funny part about all of this is: No matter how difficult the class, I always am PSYCHED to go to them! It gives me a sense of accomplishment to know that I not only went to the class, but I made it through alive! :)

Hans and I just assumed that we would either gain this week, or keep it level since we didn't really workout all that much and weren't as strict as usual with the "fat intake". 

However - see the results below!

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Hans lost 1 more pound, putting him at losing approximately .535% of his weight, and is now up to losing 14.2 pounds TOTAL!

I lost .8 more pounds, putting me at losing approximately .571% of my weight, and am now up to losing 10.8 pounds TOTAL! I will call this one an even draw this week, since we are so close to each other's scores!

Who will win next week? Stay tuned!