Happy Halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! 

I love decorating the house...and I love the process of deciding what we're going to dress up as!

So...for your Halloween enjoyment.  Here are some pictures of our house, decorated for Halloween.

I hope you enjoy...

I'll get you my pretty...

A few pictures from years past!

Happy Halloween!!!!!

Lots of Posts rolled into 1

I know that the last time I blogged, I said I was going to work on posting once a week!  I realize I'm a few weeks behind.  But, to be fair, there's be A LOT going on around here! 

So...this post you're going to get 4 posts out of one!  YAY!!!!

Post #1

On October 6th, 2010 my Grandma Whetsel went to be with Grandpa in the great big Antique Mall in the sky (written as Stephanie Plum would say it)!

Here are a few of the things I cherish, about Grandma:

~ Grandma and Grandpa used to sell antiques, specifically Depression glass!  When each of the Grand-daughters (and we are GRAND) turned 11 or 12 years old, Grandma had us pick a pattern of Depression glass.  Every year from then on, for our Birthday and for Christmas, we would receive a piece of our Depression glass as a gift.  I chose "American Sweetheart." 

*Side note: Chris and I didn't register for fine china, because my plan was for my 'American Sweetheart' to be my fine china.

I tried to take a picture of some of my pieces on the shelf, but it didn't turn out well, and it was hard to see the pattern...here's a link that has some nice pictures of what my pattern looks like.
http://pottery-glass.shop.ebay.com/American-Sweetheart-/34127/i.html

~ Grandma and Grandpa went to Florida every year for the winter.  She would bring us back, gallons of sand from the beach.  We would play on the back patio for hours, making (what we called) Kokamonio, out of the sand and berries from a nearby tree.  She would come outside and have Kokamonio pie, Kokamonio stew, Kokamonio tea, Kokamonio this or that!

~ She used to make us hot tea and bring it down to the basement, with iced cookies.

~ She ate Peanut butter and mustard sandwiches.

~ She would read us James Witcomb Riley poems, and when we finished the book, she took us to Greenfield to show us his childhood home.

~ She willingly handed over the scissors, when Heather and Brigette made me come upstairs to ask for them...so they could cut the Barbie's hair!  ;0)

~ She used to spend the night with me at the hospital, and she would tell me stories about her childhood, and her Mom's childhood. 

~ She used to sing "Oh What a Beautiful Morning!"

At the gravesite, my Brother-in-law, Shawn (he officiated) asked me to read a verse that describes Grandma perfectly.

Proverbs 31: 10-31
A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field and buys it; out of her earning she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at nights.
In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, and suppllies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.


I miss you Grandma...and Oh what a beautiful morning it was indeed!


Post #2

October 9, 2010...Chris and I celebrated 6 years of marriage!

We had planned to go to Chicago for our Anniversary this year, but instead, we got to celebrate Grandma's life this morning.

We didn't buy cards...

We didn't buy each other gifts...

But we were together...and that, is more precious to me than anything else!


Chris took me out for dinner at Matteo's, on the square in Noblesville.

My husband is not an Italian food fan (per se), so the fact that he chose an italian restaurant surprised me.  But we had a nice time together!

I love him more now, than I did the day I married him!

Post #3

I had a follow up appointment with Dr. Eigen, my Pulmonologist, on October 13th.

Of course, I did Pulmonary Function Tests...



wait for it...




wait for it...



My lung functions went up 18%!!!!!!!  YAYER!

Now, if you recall, I went on home IV, not because I needed/had to, but because I wanted a tune up (since it had been so long), and I was hoping it might bump the lungs upward!

Good golly did it!

So, we decided to remove the PICC line...on that Friday, October 15th.

Here's my arm the morning of the 15th:

Here's my arm at about 6:00pm that evening (about 30-45min after it was pulled):

I'M FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Post #4

October 16, 2010...Chris and I decided to go to the Pumpkin Patch!

What's more fun than going to the Pumpkin Patch just the two of us?????


Obviously, the answer is to take Heather, Killian and Keegan along with us!

We went to Stoney Creek Farms...and good gracious, this place has changed since we used to come here in Elementary school.  It's HUGE!!!

They have all kinds of fun games and activities to participate in...and it was a gorgeous day to try it all out (well, most of it anyway)!

Chris, Killian, Keegan and I did the Duck races...I, being the lover of ducks that I am, of course won the game!  *No pictures of this, as I was too busy WINNING!!  hahaha


Killian rode the Pedal cars

Keegan...well, he was Keegan

They jumped and slid on the jumping pillow

Crazy Boys...



Coming Soon...

Halloween Decorations at the Elliott house ;0)

Here We Go...

Why yes, it has been FOREVER since I updated my blog...I'm so sorry!

Life has been completely crazy lately, but...

I LOVE my new job as a school nurse!  LOVE IT!!!!

The kids are crazy, immature, and down right hilarious!  I can't believe some of the things they come to me for!  It's amazing.  I'll have to share some stories another time! 

...and I promise to do my best to update sooner, next time.  Seriously, Immunizations were consuming my life for the first part of the school year, and now that they've died down, I can hopefully find some sort of normal routine for my week, and I really want a blog update to be part of it. 

So, I'm starting today! 

___________________________
Here We Go...

A few weeks ago I had some MAJOR seasonal allergy issues going on! 

They were driving me CRAZY!

Well, after a few days of Benadryl and Claritin, my allergies seemed to dwindle, but the cough remained...

Then 2 weeks ago, I was doing laundry on a Saturday, and I came up the basement stairs with a 1/4 full laundry basket, and had to sit down to catch my breath! 

NOT OKAY!!!!! 

I'm not a happy person when I have shortness of breath.  It slows me down, and reminds me that sometimes my CF believes it should be in charge.  I, however, feel much differently than my CF and like to show it who's boss!  

I started percussing 3 times a day, as opposed to my normal twice a day routine!  I text my pulmonologist (cuz we're cool like that) and he put me on Cipro (an antibiotic)! 

I was still feeling shortness of breath , but was getting a little better. 

I thought back and realized, "Holly, you haven't been in the hospital, or had any kind of a 'tune up' since July 2005."



I have to tell you, I am EXTREMELY proud of myself for this! 



5+ years I've gone without needing I.V. antibiotics.  Without being stuck in a hospital bed for weeks, bored out my goard and not sleeping at night because NO ONE sleeps in a hospital! 

I mean, truly, this is a beautiful thing.  To have been born and not expected to see elementary school, or more likely even, my first birthday...and I've gone 5+ years without needing some serious medical tuning!  AMAZING!

I'm in awe of this blessing from God. 


~ HE gave me wonderful parents:

who stayed up night upon night to listen to me breathe...

to give me my treatments, even when I fought them on it...

to be my voice, when I couldn't be or was too afraid to be...

to be proactive and tell the doctor's when they thought I needed more...

to be my advocates to tell the doctor's at 3am that 12 sticks for an I.V., they still couldn't get, was enough, and that I needed sleep more than the medication at that very second...

to allow me to hit the therapists with my I.V. board, because I'd told them time and time again they were pounding too hard, and they just wouldn't listen...

to stay with me night after night in the hospital, because I didn't want to be alone (even though I was in my teens and twenties)...

to treat me the same as they treated my sister, never treating me like I was fragile because of CF...

to teach me that I can't let CF stop me, and that I'm bigger than it is!



~ HE gave me a wonderful sister:

who stuck up for me, when I was too little to stick up for myself...

who wanted so desperately to stay with me in the hospital when I was sick, but wasn't allowed because of her age...

who spent the night, in the bed with me, when I was in the hospital my freshman year of college, because she was an adult now, and she could...

who brought my nephew to see me in the hospital, and talked the woman downstairs into letting him come up to the floor even though it wasn't their policy...

who PRAYED, and continues to do so, for me and my health!



~ HE gave me my wonderfu husband

who didn't let CF come between him and me...

who married me, in sickness and in health...

who, for reasons unknown to me, LOVES me...

who, even though he thought I was crazy when I mentioned it to him last week, is going along with me going on home I.V.


Yes...you read that right...I'm going on home I.V. (10-1-10 at 9:00am)

Not because I need or have to...but because I'm being proactive.

I'm making the adult decision...

I've gone 5+ years without needing a tune up! 

I still don't 'need' a tune up...and I'm sooo very proud of this!

But it can't hurt!  It can only make my lungs better!


...and to be honest, the better my lungs are, the better I'll be!

...and the better I'll be, the longer I'll be here!

...and the longer I'm here...

The longer I can praise God, and thank HIM for the blessings HE has given me! 



...and really, isn't that the point?  ;0)

The Story of the Elliott's

I've had a request to hear the story of Chris and I!  I hope you enjoy:


~  Once upon a time, in a land about 1 hour and 15 minutes from here, a precious little boy was born...

Christopher

About a month later, just around 5 blocks from here, a precious little girl was born...

Holly

...and they grew up

Graduated from High School...

and both ended up at Anderson University!

I had been at AU for 2 years at this point, and was working for the campus Police and Security Services.  It was the summer of 2000, and I was working a saturday morning.  One Saturday each month over the summer, new, incoming students (freshmen and transfers)come to campus to register for classes, take entrance exams, and get their student I.D. 

To be completely honest...I don't remembe this part of our story.  I worked every one of those Saturdays that summer, and I can't tell you how many annoying new freshmen I met on those days.  They thought they were the bomb...I was there to bring them back to reality. 

So, per Chris, he came up, said something "cool" to me, and I was like, "Sit down, and smile."  I took his picture, and he thought I was a jerk.

*So was our first meeting...again, per Chris

However, because I don't remember it, here's where our story starts for me ;0)

About a week before classes started, I moved into Myers Hall...

Myers Hall is the upper classmen dorm, and the dorm that many transfer students get moved in to.

Chris (a transfer student) moved down the hall.

Yes, it's a co-ed dorm....at a Christian University.  We both lived on the second floor (there was a fire door between the guys and girls).

I knew Chris' roommate Stew...

 

My sister had just gotten married that weekend before, and I had about a billion of those little fake gold rings that you can buy at a craft store.  So I went down the hall and "proposed" to all the girls on my floor.  When I got to Chris and Stew's room I proposed to them too. 

Chris had no idea I liked him...he thought I was just being silly proposing to people...but I couldn't very well just propose to him or it would've been super obvious!  So I had to propose to Stew too (sorry Stewby, it's the truth...I never really wanted to marry you)!

A few weeks later, I invited Chris and Stew to come to my parents house for the Pendleton Homecoming Parade!  After the parade we went to Applebee's for dinner...

Here's the first picture ever taken of us together!

After that night, we started hanging out alot, but didn't really start dating until a few months after we met (October 14th to be exact). 

We'd take walks on campus at night, and talk about anything and everything.  We would always end up at Warner Auditorium (it's no longer there).  Sitting on a bench outside, this is where he kissed me the first time and where he first told me he loved me!

 We dated for a little over 3 years.   With lots of crazy memories in between!

Christmas 2003,  Chris went home to spend Christmas with his parents and I was with my family. 

The day after Christmas, he called me and said he was ready to come back to Anderson because he missed me.  He wanted to take me out to dinner that night because we'd had a small Christmas. 

He showed up at my door, with a red rose! 

We went to Indianapolis,  to the Cheesecake factory.  While we were eating his jacket fell off his chair and when a woman pointed it out to him, he practically freaked out...

I was like, "What's your deal, it's just your jacket."  He responded with, "Well my phones in there, I don't want it to get stepped on and broken."

After a yummy dinner, we headed downtown toward Circle Center Mall (Chris told me we'd walk around the mall, and I was wanting a new wallet, so we could look for that).  When we got there he turned the opposite direction of the mall.  I thought he was turned around, because at that time we didn't go downtown very often and didn't know our way around it as well.  I kept trying to get him to go the othe way, and finally he said, "I can't take you on a horse carriage ride if we go THAT way!"  

So we went on a carriage ride downtown, and around the circle.  It was an odd kind of warm the day after Christmas that year.  I remember thinking..."maybe he's going to propose on the carriage ride."  

No such luck, the carriage ride finished and we started for the car.  Much to his dismay, I "forced" him into the mall to look for a wallet.

We headed back to Anderson, and stopped at his apartment.  I thought we were going to watch a movie at my house.  He said he needed to stop for something, so this didn't strike me as odd when he walked out with a plastic bag.

Chris lived 2 blocks from campus.  He drove on to campus, and up the Myers Hall drive.  I looked at him quizically.  He instructed me to get out of the car.

We walked up to the door, Chris pulled out a rose and handed it to me.  He told me, "This is where we first met!  We're going to take on a walk down memory lane!"

We then headed to Reardon Auditorium.  He pulled out another rose and said, "This is where we had our first date.  We came to a Jennifer Knapp concert."

We got back in the car.  He told me we had one more place to go, and asked me if I knew where it was.  I was pretty sure I did.

We pulled up to the front of Warner Auditorium.  All the benches were pushed to one spot next to the building so Chris pulled one over to where we always sat.  He asked me to stand on top of the bench (Chris is 6 foot 4, so this way we were more on the same eye level).  He told me to close my eyes.  I did.

He said, "This is where we had our first kiss and where I first told you I love you."

"Open your eyes."

Chris was on his knee, with the ring, and he asked me to marry him.

Here's one of our engagement pictures:

 

We graduated in May 2004 (the last class to have commencement in Warner Auditorium before they tore it down) and were married on October 9, 2004 (just 5 days shy of our 4 year dating anniversary)!

A picture from one of my bridal showers!

And have lived Happily Ever After since...

What my Bar Keepers Friend (and my Hubby) taught me about Faith

Chris and I moved in to my Grandparents house almost a year ago.  My grandparents are the sole owners of the home, they had it built in 1953. 

We have a well, and we have rust in our water.

When we moved in, well actually prior to moving in, we cleaned the house from top to bottom...and I mean top to bottom!!!  There's isn't a square inch of this house that hasn't been touched by Chris, my Mom, Dad, or I to make it the lovely, clean, white walled, new carpeted, new flooring that is is today!

However, due to the fact that our water has rust in it, unfortunately, the sinks and the bathtub have have this annoyingly yellow/orangey stain near the drains. 

I'm a pretty clean person, I don't like for my house to be messy, or for there to be toothpaste, or a glob of soap left in the sink after it's been used.  So, to be perfectly honest, I haven't been real jazzed with the fact that these stains have been looming under me (literally) since we moved in.   Chris told me I should use some Bar Keepers Friend, and the stains would come right now...but what would he know about it...so I ignored him and moved on. 

I was embarassed to have to tell Kevin and Erin (when they stayed for our birthday party) that the shower truly was clean, even though it didn't so much look like it.  Chris again told me I should use the Bar Keepers Friend, again I ignored him.

I've sprayed with bleach cleaners, left in sit for a good while, then scrubbed and scrubbed, and been able to get some of the yellow/orangey stain up, but never to where it was fully gone.  Chris told me over and over that I should use Bar Keepers Friend, and over and over again I ignored him.

My sadness over this staining issue affected me greater when I started noticing a hint of that yellow/orange rearing it's ugly head on our brand new bathroom sink that we installed in the front bathroom right after we moved!  But it came out when I scrubbed, my concern lighted a little.

Then...last week...it happened!

Chris cleaned off the stovetop, and in doing so put the burner grates in our kitchen sink.  They put a square rust ring on my sink bottom....ergghhh...so he said, "don't worry, I'll clean it up with my Bar Keepers Friend!

...and he did, and it came right up

...it was AMAZING!

So last night I'm cleaning the bathrooms in preparation of company this weekend, and I decide I'm going to try out my Bar Keepers Friend on the tub and on the back bathroom sink.

I clean both as I normally would, with the bleach cleaner, and then I pour on my Bar Keepers Friend, and let it sit, for about 2 hours.

and then....

I began with the tub, and lo and behold...the yellow/orangey annoying stains practically wiped away! 

...again, I was AMAZED.

I yelled for Chris to come in and look at the tub...

Being the wonderful husband that he is, he didn't say I told you so, and just told me he thought it looked great.

I moved to the back bathroom and began on the sink...it looks like we put in a new silver drain.

There are no rust stains at all.

*Side note: I realize this is probably not that interesting to you right now...but it will get better, I promise.

My Bar Keepers Friend saved my bathroom tub and sink from their demise, and all is right with the world again.

The moral of my story:  My husband was right (yes Chris, that's in writing, and will be on the world wide web until the end of time).  He and my Bar Keepers Friend taught me, that when things seem hopeless, whether they be large or small...

if you have faith in yourself, those you love, and the tools God give you, you make anything shine like new!

The BIG 3 - 0, Oh my!!!

To be perfectly honest with you...30 does not freak me out!  Not in the least.

Now, knowing that in the next 10 years I'll be turning 40, does freak me out a little.

I don't think 40 is old, mind you...it's just that me, being 40 seems crazy.

Me being 30 actually seems crazy, but it doesn't freak me out.

I mean, when I was born, they didn't expect me to ever turn 1...let alone make it to 30.


*Side note: I'm listening to aol's Awesome 80's station and it makes me happy ;0)

Back to the blog :)
Yet, here I am...30 years old.  Let's ponder on this for a moment. 

When I was little, I thought 30 was old.  I mean, my Mom was in her 30's...and when you're a little kid, you think your parents must have been around when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and that they witnessed Jesus' teachings firsthand.

The thought of being 30 never even enters your mind. 

Throw on top of that, a chronic disease, and the odds of hitting that big of a milestone greatly decreases even more.


But you know what? 


I LOVE IT!

I love knowing that I beat all the odds that the medical professionals put in front of me. 

I love knowing that the dreams I've had for myself, I've made a reality.

I love knowing that I didn't let CF get in my way.

I love knowing that the dreams I still have are no farther out of reach than any of the dreams that have already come true.

I love knowing that when I was born,  the life expectancy for someone with CF was 8 years old, and that today it's 37.5 years old...and I love knowing that when I turn 37.5 the life expectancy will be even higher...or better yet...I love knowing that by that point, we may have a cure for CF!!!!!

So the BIG 3- 0 doesn't scare me...I happily embrace it actually! 

So, thank you, to all of you wonderful people who have helped make these 30 years so wonderful for me! 

I look forward to the fun that the next 30 will bring, and the 30 thereafter!

The Many Happenings of the Elliott Household

I realize I've been a bit absent here lately...sorry about that. It's just that the last few months have been packed full with all kinds of things.

...and so begins this post!

I'd like to begin by saying that Chris and I are soooo blessed! For many reasons: Our Faith, Family, Friends, Health (this kinda makes me giggle when you consider that I have CF and he has Diabetes...but none-the-less it's true), Jobs, etc...

April was Crazy

...and by Crazy, I mean CRAZY!!!!  So CRAZY that even now, I only have time to give you a smidgen of info about what happened during the month...I can't even get to May!

Bonus:  I learned how to uploads pics to my blog!

It began with my trip to Michigan (for a genetics conference), where I got the chance to visit the Michigan Elliott's (let me explain...Chris is the youngest of 4 boys, all the guys and their families are scattered in a straight line up I-69 starting with us in Lapel, and ending with the Michigan clan). Sadly...we hadn't seen them since way before Christmas (don't ask me to pinpoint the time frame...I haven't the foggiest idea, and feel bad enough about that as is) so I delivered Christmas presents to the kids (the adults draw names, and neither of us had each other).

It was so good to see the kids. The little ones have come out of their shells, and it warmed my heart when Isaac climbed up on my lap to sit with his Aunt Holly!

Sorry I don't have any pictures to post of the kiddos, I haven't moved those pics to the computer yet.

 

I was "up north" beginning Wednesday the 14th to Friday the 17th. When I got home Friday night, I frantically cleaned what I could with huge anticipation and excitement for the arrival of 2 of my favorite people on the planet.

Meet the Clemons..aka: The 2nd Cutest Couple on Campus...Chris and I are the Cutest :)

Saturday was a busy day preparing for Saturday night...Chris and My 30th Birthday Party!!!

You heard that right...Chris and I turn 30 this year (he already has, I have 19 more days)!

We had a throw back, rollerskating birthday party, at the Anderson Roll Arena.

Check out our cakes (Thanks Mom and Dad): 

...AND, to make it even more fun, we asked for no gifts, but donations for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!!! Yayer!

Sexy Legs and Pretty Beak were responsible for keeping an eye on the money, and making sure that everyone got their "Holly's Hope" bracelet as they came in the door.

Killian and Keegan made special shirts for our birthday party:

The party was a BLAST...Thank you everyone who came, and everyone who donated for the walk-a-thon!!!  We really appreciate your support!!!

After the party, we caravanned to our house for a bonfire!

When the bonfire fizzled, the few people that stayed moved inside with us, we began playing Drinko (like plinko, only you drink the shot your chip goes into), and the party continued from there...it was a good birthday.

Kevin, you did a great job of making sure the party ran good!  I'm so proud of you!

___________________________________________________

Heads up peeps...

CF Walk is this Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the James A. Dillon Park in Noblesville.  Registration begins at 9am, Walk starts at 10am.

Hope to see you there!

*I plan to update you on our vacation to Myrtle Beach soon!