Wow...it's been a very long time since I blogged, almost 4 months.  I seem to spend most of my writing time on Facebook.  I really should get back to blogging more. 

So, what's been up the last several months?  Well, August/September began our 4th year of homeschooling...and so far it's gone fairly well...despite a few interruptions.  In September we made an unexpected trip up to NH for Brian's grandfather's funeral.  He was 90 years old and had a good long life, so while that was a sad event, it was also a great trip as well.  We were able to spend time with family, especially Brian's brother from California who we hadn't seen in over 5 years.  We were also able to get in a visit with a couple of dear friends.  Plus the weather in NH was fabulous...sure beat the hot & humid 90's we had been having in FL during that time.   Because it was an unexpected trip, I did make Bridgette bring some school work with her.  One of the reasons I LOVE homeschooling is the flexibility!  I had her bring her TLP (Total Language Plus) work and her math...having her do a little extra than she normally would, and then when we got back, she could set those aside for a week while she got caught up on everything else.

Then October brought about the vacation that Brian and I had planned back in March.  To celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary we spent 4 fabulous nights on Anna Maria Island, at this glorious little villa...that seriously was nicer than our own home!  We were able to relax on the beach or at the pool.  We ate great food especially The Sun House Restaurant  that was literally the best dinner I've ever eaten out!   Bridgette stayed with my parents while we were away...and yes I gave her school work to do that week as well!

October also brought us a second vehicle!  Back before Brian's grandfather died, his parents decided that it was time to take his driver's license away.  So since he would no longer be driving, we made arrangements to buy his grandfather's van.  It's a 1997 Plymouth Voyager, with fairly low mileage for it's age.  Every October Brian's parents make a trip down to FL with their motorhome to winter it at their place here in FL (they haven't permanently moved down yet...but it's coming very soon!).  So Brian made plans to fly up and drive it home, following his parents down in the motorhome.  He'd already purchased his plane ticket when his grandfather died, or we would have planned to drive it home at that point.  

I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it is to have this van.  I love driving it.  We'd been without a second vehicle for over a year, and it was okay at first...but after a while I started to feel trapped...and it was getting really old having to plan EVERY time I needed to go somewhere.  Plus now we have a vehicle where we can go places with my parents and be comfortable.  My parents have a Toyota Prius, and it's a nice car...but Brian is too tall to sit in the back...so me, my mom and Bridgette sit in the back.  Which when they first got it was fine, Bridgette was still a "little" kid then, but once she became a teenager it got kind of squishy for the three of us!

Let's see, November...right now we are anxiously awaiting the end of this week, especially Bridgette who finally after 12 weeks of school - get's a real break!  We are looking forward to Thanksgiving...my parents are coming to our house this year.  And next year we are hoping that Brian's parents will be down here permanently and maybe they can host Thanksgiving?!?!

Traditionally we decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, so we are also looking forward to that.  I am truly going to enjoy the season this year.  We have family gifts taken care of...in fact we sent our nephews & niece's gifts home with Brian's parents to save on shipping as they were big presents.  This past spring Brian won a telescope at the staff & faculty banquet during the door prize drawings where he works.  It was a really nice telescope, but unfortunately where we live there is too much light pollution...so we decided to give it to our nephews (ages 11 and 8) for Christmas.  They live in the boonies, and should be able to see lots of stars, and since they are also a homeschooling family it's really a perfect gift for them!  Our neice (age 4 1/2) is getting all the furniture and the house for Angelina Ballerina (that used to be available through American Girl) which belonged to Bridgette.  We had already given her the Angelina doll and clothes and books for her birthday and she loved it! 

For us...as a family with my parents...we are getting Disney passes for Christmas!  Disney has a new option for Florida residents.  It's a week-day only seasonal pass (good for a year)...which is fine for us (again the flexibility of homeschooling!) and allows Brian to take a day off  every once in a while!  Plus being only a half-hour away, we can just go after he get's out of work for a few hours and not feel like  tourists trying to get it all in during the day.  There are black-out dates with this pass, so our first time going won't be until Jan. 4th, but it gives us something to look forward to after the holidays are over.  Not to mention that Bridgette get's an extra day off added to her Christmas break!

Well that about covers it for now.  I'm going to try not to stay away so long next time!

Well in about 2 1/2 hours my baby will officially be a teenager!  Yes she turns 13 in that brief nanosecond of time between the last moment of February 28th and the first moment of March 1st!  She is only 3 1/4 in Leap Years...but acting very much like a grown up young lady (who occassionally has moments of teenager-itis!)  Not only is she a teenager now...but she is also maybe an inch away from being taller than me (which when you realize how short I actually am isn't that big of a deal)...and already is one shoe size bigger than me.   SIGH!    But oh well she is my beautiful girl and I love her very much!  So Happy Birthday Bridgette!

Okay so I said I wasn't going write anymore about this cough...that was until I got some new information that puts a whole new light on the situation.

This whole thing for me originated at church...and subsquently my parents got it too...my dad has been more like me while my mom hasn't been nearly as bad...but still coughing none the less.  We went thru all kinds of thoughts of what it might be.  Wondering about bronchitis or pneumonia...but the symtoms weren't really matching...none of us had fevers at all...and it was the strangest thing to have this horrible choking can't catch your breath  and sometimes so violent that it would cause you to throw up cough one minute and feel perfectly fine the next. 

My joke the whole time was...I feel fine till I'm not, then I feel fine till I'm not again!

Well I gotta love my dad....he did some research and found some info on Whooping Cough and bingo....

que lights and bells and buzzers etc...I think we have a winner folks!  

 Here is the link to an awesome website on  Whooping Cough

This website described pretty much what I've been experiencing this whole time!  Also on this website there are audio clips of what whooping cough sounds like...I played one a little bit ago, while Brian was asleep next to me...he woke up when it played and asked if I was recording myself coughing! 

AH HA...that was confirmation enough for me!  

From what I read I do believe I'm nearing the end of it...which the average duration is about 7 weeks (I also have to insert here that I overcalculated in my previous post when I said it had been almost 6 weeks...it shoud read 5 weeks not 6)...but it can last for up to 2-3 months or more in severe cases.  I don't believe mine to be a severe case and truly think that it's almost done...however even if it does continue for another 2 weeks or more at least I know what it is now and at this stage of the game there isn't really any "treatment" that will help much - so I still have to wait for it to run it's course.  

You can continue to pray for me and my family and church family that everyone will be protected from severe cases of this illness...that anyone who has it will recover quicker than expected and those who haven't gotten it won't get it.  My poor parents haven't been in church almost a month now because of this, and in our small church it's really noticed when people are out sick!

I am thankful that my daughter most likely won't get it  (at least from this outbreak) because she is still young enough that the vaccination she had when she was little is still protecting her.  Apparently the vaccine wears off as you get older...thus the reason I got it.  I don't know about Brian, he said he thinks he had whooping cough when he was a kid...and I just read this from the website which makes me feel so much better...

When there is no immunization against whooping cough in a population, most will have had the illness by the time they are five years old and will remain immune for the rest of their lives because the illness builds up good antibody levels, and because these antibodies are being boosted by frequent contact with the organism.

 And to that I say a HUGE  PRAISE GOD...cause that means I don't ever have to go thru this again!!!!

Since my bloggy friend Gina at tlpgina left me a comment in regards to this long lasting cough I've had...going on 6 weeks now.  I thought I would post an update about it.   Yes this coming Thursday will be 6 weeks since this beastly thing began.  She had asked if I had gone to the doctors yet...to which my response was no.    Unfortunately, we don't have the money to afford insurance on me or my daughter (my husband's work pays 100% for his, but we are responsible for the rest of the family...and our budget being strapped already just doesn't have room for it...which is scary when you think about it...but we are trusting God for his protection from anything serious)   So if you think of it you can be praying for us - 1) that nothing serious will happen to either Bridgette or I  and 2) that our financial situation would change so that we might be able to afford insurance again.   Another reason for not going to the doctor was that we knew it was a virus...based on the experience of the others at our church who have already had it or are dealing with it now...and so there was really nothing to do but wait it out.   Even my dad who had perscription cough meds didn't find that they helped all that much...so I really didn't miss out on anything by not going to the doctor.

Okay back to the update on the cough...I do still have it, but it is much, much better.  They are not nearly as frequent,  I'm not coughing up stuff as much (a little every once in a while - but nothing in comparison to before).  And I only woke up once last night/early morning which was a blessed relief...I actually feel like I got a GOOD night's sleep last night!   Aside from some other unpleasant personal side effects which I won't go into, the scarriest thing about all of this was when (for about a week or so) I would cough so violently that I actually couldn't catch my breath...and well breathing is kind of an important thing to do!   One of the families at our church actually had their 6 month old hospitalized and on oxygen because of this cough...I know how bad it was for me...can't imagine the same thing with a baby.

So I will make this the last of my cough posts (other than maybe later just to say it's all gone!!!) but know that I am doing better and I say  thank you to any  who have prayed for me...it's been greatly appreciated!

Have a great rest of the week!