Be Aware, Be Very Aware

Dear Friend,

I'm sorry for the long absence. My only excuse is every day life. But, I come to you today to discuss a topic that is not every day life for most people, but does affect the every day life of approximately 30,000 Americans. I'm talking about Cystic Fibrosis or CF.

Why am I discussing this now? May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month.

Why does this matter to me? My younger sister, Ashley, is 22 years old and fights Cystic Fibrosis EVERY DAY! I will discuss more of her story at a later time.

What is Cystic Fibrosis? Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that causes mucus to build up and clog some of the organs in the body, particularly the lungs and pancreas. The build-up in the lungs can cause lung damage, which in turn can lead to a need for a lung transplant. So, that's the professional explanation of it. Plain and simple? CF is a genetic (meaning passed down from parents) disease that affects most of a person's body. A person with CF usually has some kind of breathing problems, including but not limited to Asthma and frequent lung infections, like bronchitis. CF also affects the digestive system due to the extra build-up of mucus preventing digestive enzymes from getting to the intestines. The body needs these enzymes to break down food, which in turn prevent the body from getting the nutrients that a body needs to stay healthy. (This is actually a VERY basic explanation. I will provide links at the end of this post where you will be able to find more information.)

How does a person get CF? Plain and simple? Again, it is a genetic disorder, which means that a person can only get it from their parents. In saying that, the parent does not have to actually have CF themselves to pass it on. A person with ONE CF gene is a carrier and can pass it on. A person with TWO CF genes actually has CF. In order to have CF, a person has to get ONE gene from EACH parent. A parent can only pass on one gene, even if the parent has CF and two genes. So, look at the diagram below: Two parents who each have a CF gene have a 1 in 4 chance of having a child WITH CF, 2 in 4 who will be carriers, and a 1 in 4 who will not have CF or be carriers. Obviously, the chances of being a carrier lessen when only one parent is a carrier and there is no chance of a child having CF.
What are symptoms of CF? The most common symptoms are:

• Very salty-tasting skin


• Persistent coughing, at times with phlegm


• Frequent lung infections, like pneumonia or bronchitis


• Wheezing or shortness of breath


• Poor growth/weight gain in spite of a good appetite


• Frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements


• Small, fleshy growths in the nose called nasal polyps

Now, in saying that, there are over 1,400 separate mutations of the CF gene, so the severity of the symptoms or actual appearance of certain symptoms vary.

What is the average life expectancy of a person with CF? As of 2008, the average life expectancy rose to 37 years. In 2000, the average age was 32 years. This is due to all of the new research that is being done to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis!

One little statistic for you: More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two.

So, please, help us find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis! You can support a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis by going to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Website.

*I found most (if not all) of my information on the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation website. All generalizations were taken from my experience growing up with a sister with Cystic Fibrosis.

Wish I'd Read That Challenge

Dear Friend,
I have found one more challenge that I have decided to participate in. Royal Reviews is hosting Wish I'd Read That Challenge which is challenge for all the books that you wish you had read. I have numerous books that I should have read growing up, but did not. So, I plan to read those for this challenge.

Challenge Guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
2. There are four levels:
--Curious- Read 3 books.
--Fascinated-Read 6 books.
--Addicted- Read 12 books.
--Obsessed- Read 20 books.

3. Any book format counts.
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December 2010.

I have chosen to only commit to the "Fascinated" level at this time, but hope to level up during the year. I hope you will choose to participate in this challenge with me! If you choose to participate, head HERE to sign up!

Fascinated by this Challenge,
The Stay-at-Home Mom

Romance Reading Challenge

Dear Friend,
I have found yet another Reading Challenge to participate in! Royal Reviews is hosting a Romance Reading Challenge with four levels of participation!! All sub genres of Romance count.

Challenge Guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. There are four levels:

--Curious- Read 3 Romance Fiction novels.

--Fascinated- Read 6 Romance Fiction novels.

--Addicted- Read 12 Romance Fiction novels.

--Obsessed- Read 20 Romance Fiction novels.

3. Any book format counts.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December 2010.

I have set my goal at "Obsessed." This is another challenge where all books cross over, so these 20 will also go towards my other challenges!! So, head on over to Royal Reviews and sign up!!

Your Book Crazy Friend,

The Stay-at-Home Mom

Where is my book?

Dear Friend,
I've had another book to review for you for over two weeks, but I have lost my book! I began and finished it while Hubby, Son and I were in Huntsville (Story will be on my personal blog by the end of the day, hopefully!). But, after coming home, closing two Pampered Chef parties, beginning a third Pampered Chef party, washing clothes, having two Thanksgivings, a photo session, editing pictures, decorating for Christmas, shopping for presents, and wrapping presents, I have lost the book.....

And,.......

I have absolutely.....

NO IDEA....

Where to start looking!!

So, I promise, once I get all the presents wrapped, the decorations up (yep, there is still more to put up), and my living room cleaned, I WILL find the book and post the review for you! It was a really good book though! I guess I'll just have to leave you wondering.......

Wondering where to start,
The Stay-at-Home Mom

Things I've Learned Thursday

Dear Friend,

My intentions were to do this post last week. Instead of a "Things I've Learned," I'm making this a "Thankful Thursday" in honor of Thanksgiving last week. So, these are the things that I am thankful for this year:

1. My husband. Jud is the love of my life and my very best friend. I am SO extremely thankful for him. I love you, Juddy Buddy.
2. My son. Wesley is a happy healthy child and a pure miracle in my life. I love you, my sweet boy.
3. My family. I have the best family that I could have ever asked for, immediate and in-laws! I love all of you and am so thankful for every one of you.
4. My health and my family's health.
5. The love of so many wonderful people.
6. All of the wonderful friends that I have, real life and bloggy friends! I love every one of you and am more thankful for you than you know.
7. The wonderful life that God has given me. Everything from the way we live to all that He has given me.
8. To live in a free country and to the soldiers that fight for our freedom!

I know this is late, but my life has changed so much in just a few short years. I wanted to do a post in honor of Thanksgiving and all I'm thankful for. And, as for the Things I've Learned, to never neglect to tell those that you love and are thankful for that you love them and are thankful for them!

Thankfully,

The Stay-at-Home Mom

I found that recipe I promised you!

Dear Friend,

When I was in third grade, our class had a Thanksgiving Feast a couple of days before we got out of school for the Thanksgiving holiday. We had all kinds of delicious goodies, including one of my favorite holiday treats, pumpkin bread.

Our next door neighbor was a very dear friend of my mother’s, and she also adores pumpkin bread, so I snuck out an extra piece to take to her on my way home from school.

She enjoyed her treat and asked me if I happened to have gotten the recipe. Disappointed, I said no and promised to get it for her the very next day.

The next day at school, I made sure to get the recipe from my teacher so that I could take it to Mrs. Paulann. I couldn’t wait to get off the bus that day and give her the recipe, which she was very happy to have and said that she would make sure that she would make both of us some for Thanksgiving.

She made good on her promise, as I had made good on mine and told me that she would make sure she would keep that recipe in a very special place.

Two years ago, during a beautiful fall afternoon, I was opening presents at my bridal shower. When I opened Mrs. Paulann’s gift, I took the top off the box and opened the tissue paper to reveal a note from her. She said that marriage is like a recipe – made up of a lot of different things that come together to make something wonderful. Things like: faith, and trust, and faith, and kindness and love. She said that we had to take care of each other and cherish each other, like she had with that recipe that I had given her so many years before. She said that it was time that it returned to its original owner and now that Darren and I were starting a life together and would soon have a family, we should enjoy the recipe as a family, and so she included the original recipe that I gave her 16 years ago.

It is so special to me and it just truly makes the holidays something magical, so I wanted to share it with you (as I wrote it).

Pampkin Bread

• 3 1/4 cups purpos flour
• 2 tea spoons bacon soda
• 1 tea spoons nutmeg
• 2 cups pampkin
• 1 cup oil
• 1/2 cup nuts
• 1 1/2 tea spoons salt
• 1 tea spoons cinamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 eggs

1. Grease 3 loaf pans.
2. Heat oven to 350 degres.
3. Add flour, sugar, bacon soda, salt, and spices into a large bowl. Stir to blend.
4. Add pampkin, water, oil, eggs, and nuts.
5. Beat and pour in to pans.
6. Bake for 1 hour.

I hope you and your family it enjoy it as much as we do!

With a happy heart,

A Working Wife

Pages Read Challenge

Dear Friend,

As you probably guessed, I have found one more reading challenge to take part in! Kathrin at Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic is hosting a second year of Pages Read Challenge.

The rules are:

1. Pick a number of pages you'll be attempting to read in 2010. It doesn't matter whether your goal is 10,000 or 100,000. You can always up your number as we go along, so you don't need to go all up high with your page count.
2. Write a blog post about it in which you will keep track of your page count.
3. Comment here with your goal number and a link to you blog post (if you have a blog - otherwise, just leave a comment with your name and the goal number). I'll then add you to the list of participants below.
4. The challenge starts January 1, 2010 and ends December 31, 2010. Only pages read after the New Year has begun count for the challenge.

This challenge sounded easy enough to do with the other two challenges that I have chosen. I plan to set a goal of 40,000 pages to begin with and hope to up it later. I hope this one might be one that you join with me on, for the fact that you get to choose your own goal!

Goal minded,

The Stay-at-Home Mom