46/365 Valentine's Roses

While grocery shopping today, I discovered that all the Valentine's flowers were 50% off. Well, anyone who knows me knows that I love a bargain and I just couldn't leave these gorgeous flowers sitting there feeling unloved. After all, it wasn't there fault that they weren't chosen before February 14th!

So I found a home for them.

45/365 Valentine's Day at Disney World

For Valentine's day, we took a break from housework, cleaning, lesson plans, grading and life in general and spent the afternoon at Disney's Magic Kingdom. It was cold and crowded, but a lot of fun.

There weren't very many "must-do's" for this visit, but the one I did have was to visit the Hall of Presidents and see the newly added Barack Obama Animatronic. I love this exhibit for many reasons. First, I love history - even the Disney version :). Second, it's a great place to sit and rest at Disney. It's warm in the winter and cool in the summer and it's 20 minutes of not being in a line or on your feet :)

I love the redo. The music is great, love Morgan Freeman as the narrator and I think they did a great job on the presidents.

Here's Honest Abe - his speech always brings tears to my eyes.

Introducing - the Presidents

President Obama's speech

You can see a cool video (that I didn't do) on the changes here.

We also went through the Pirates of the Caribbean ride - I think for the first time since they re-did it a while back with the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow. I liked this light fixture inside

Of course we had to get Mickey bars!

And get our picture taken in front of the castle

Later on we enjoyed the fireworks from Tomorrow Land. What an amazing view!!!!!!!

Check out how bright the finale is - it actually lights up the trees in front of me!

44/365 Valentine's Flowers

My sweet husband surprised me with a lovely bouquet of flowers for Valentine's Day.

43/365 Dinner with friends

We enjoyed a much needed dinner out with friends.

This was the light fixture over our table

42/365 After Care fun

Life is slowly getting back to normal and the kids I work with are glad to help out!

Happy Birthday little one!

41/365 - Finally home from Miami

This morning I woke up in Miami. I took two quick photos of my dad's orchid before heading to a nearly dawn meeting at the hospital.

Day 4 of the hospital visit. We went very early to the hospital to meet with the doctor and got some good news. The scan showed no malignancies!!!!!!!!

My dad was able to go home today, so I went home too. What a long few days.

This is my message to those of you who smoke (like my father) - QUIT.

Quit. Just quit. Don't wait till next year, next job, next whatever. Quit now.

Quit before you get pneumonia, emphysema, COPD or cancer. Quit before you have a heart attack or a stroke. Quit before it's too late.

Just quit.

This was the notebook I jotted down names of medications, test results, questions and such while dad was in the hospital.

40/365 3rd day in Miami

This is the orchid Dad chose for himself just 2 days before this hospital ordeal happened. It's so lovely.

3rd day in the hospital. The big scan was today, but we won't get results until tomorrow (hopefully).

Dad is feeling better and better. He was able to get up and walk around today. We're hoping he'll get to go home tomorrow.

He felt good enough to show my mom all the things he hated with the new Facebook change :)

This is the view I have of my brother most of the time. Face down in his cell phone :)

I do have to say, he's been a rock during this ordeal. My baby brother really stepped up and held things together when I wasn't here. I'm so thankful for that.

39/365 Day 2 in Miami

Second day in Miami and I took two quick pics this morning. This is Sundae cat, who is still a kitten and oh so cute.

This is the cat my family has nicknamed Grandma Kitty. She belongs to a neighbor, but comes over to my parents yard to sun herself in the mornings.

Day 2 in the hospital and things are ok. No heart attack, no stroke, no clots. Tomorrow there is a very important test to see if something in his lungs might be malignant. Today we are waiting and glad to be able to do so.

This is the view we had from the window in his room. Thank God for a private room and a lovely view from the 6th floor.

My dad is starting to feel better - as you can tell. He can't stay away from Facebook and work. :)

He got these socks on Sunday and fell in love. He loves that the gripper stuff is on top and the bottom, so they fit either way. Very cute!

My mom has been by my dad's side nearly the whole time. She exhausted, worried and stressed, but still so lovely.

38/365 Really hard day

Today was not what I expected at all.

It's been a really hard day. My brother called me with the unexpected news that my father had been taken to the hospital with chest pains. I took these pictures as I drove into Miami - nearly 35 minutes before kickoff for the Superbowl which I passed with barely a thought.

The good news is - no heart attack. The hard news is that he's sick and we'll have to figure out how to get him healthy again.

So here are the only pictures I have for today - the Miami Sky Line on Super Bowl Sunday.