Happy Halloween

Joe made homemade chilly today, and it was GREAT!!

Percie on her way to grandmama's house. She wasn't too excited about her pink caterpillar Halloween costume.

Elroy was the bug man!!

Molly the lady bug!!

Percie the pink caterpillar!!

Holly the bumble bee!!

The 3 bugs!!

Percie not loving being a pink caterpillar!!

Mama sitting on the front porch with the bugs waiting for trick-or-treaters. We did have 6 trick-or-treaters come by mama's house. Little kids dressed up are so cute!!

Percie and I both feel much better today!! Yay!!
(The doctor said I would, but I didn't really believe him!)

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Rae

The Sickness has Hit the Hooker Household

Poor Percie is sick! She woke up in the middle of the night sick at her stomach. Okay, so this may be TMI, but I have to share this because I just can't believe it. She is so good about never pottying in the house, even when she is sick. Not only does she ask to go outside to potty, but she asks to go outside when she has to throw up. I am not kidding!! I think it is awesome because it is one less thing that has to be cleaned up.

It is kind of like when your first child is so good, you worry about having another one because you wonder if you could get lucky twice.....well I don't know if we will ever get another dog one day because Percie has totally spoiled us!!

When I called the vet this morning, they said to bring her right in. They are pretty familiar with Percie because of her recent trips to the vet this year. This is all the medicine that Percie has to take. She also got 3 shots while we were at the vet's office. They tested her for everything under the sun, and of course all of the test results came back negative. So all of this medicine should cover whatever it is!! She is already tons better, and has slept most of the day.

I am also a little under the weather. It started Monday when i got home from work. I felt nauseous and weak, so I went to lay down. I slept all the way until Tuesday night. I thought I might just have a 24 hour bug, but when I took my temp Tuesday night I had a fever, so I decided I needed to go to the doctor Wednesday with all of the flu that has been going around.

They did a flu swab for the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu, but both came back negative. The doctor told me that the flu swab is only 56% accurate. Great.....so I may have the flu and I may not. I had all of the symptoms for the H1N1 except the cough. (And really I just don't like to cough, so I don't breath deep enough that I have to cough.) I also have double ear infections and a sinus infection so the doctor started me on an antibiotic and a decongestant. I already take 3 allergy and asthma medicines a day, so these meds were on top of the meds I already take.

Remember me blogging about the precious 3 and 4 year-old girls I teach at church on Wednesday nights, well, I didn't want to take a chance at giving them the flu. SO I called one of their moms and asked if she could teach for me. She was more than happy to, because no one wants this flu!! She stopped by on Thursday and brought me this sweet card that she and the girls had made me!! Isn't that precious!?!

This is where one of the girls wrote my name! Isn't that sweet!?!

You can see where one of the little girls wrote her name, and I'm pretty sure Mrs. Anne wrote the rest!! It is hanging on my refrigerator. I really appreciate them making this for me, and I also really appreciate Mrs. Anne teaching for me at the last minute!!

Well, so last night I started feeling this crazy back pain. I was planning on going back to work today, because I don't think I had fever yesterday. I did not sleep well because of the crazy back pain. I say it is crazy because I have done nothing but lay in the bed for 4 days. I couldn't imagine how I had pulled a muscle or whatever. I told Joe about it this morning and he started poking on my back where I said it hurt. He told me he thought that was my lung.

I talked to mama, and she agreed. (And they were both kinda freaking out because I have asthma and they say asthma patients are more likely to get pneumonia after having H1N1.) So after I took Percie to the vet, I came home and started calling the doctor's office. It was either busy or rang 15 times and no one answered. We got a little rain last night (well maybe a lot of rain) so I thought their phone lines may be out or maybe they had to close because of flooding. Mama was on her way to teach her class and offered to stop by there and see what was going on. They were there (thank goodness!) and their phone lines were out. (Because I think she and Joe were about to haul me off to the emergency room, and that is the last place I wanted to go!) She called me and said that they definitely wanted to see me and to come at 1:20. They ran blood work and it did not come back good. (I'm so glad they have their own lab in the doctor's office.) So they did a chest x-ray. (I'm so glad they have their own x-ray machine and x-ray tech in the office.)

The doctor came in and showed me the x-ray. Sure enough...I have pneumonia!! He said we caught it pretty early. (I say we because I really didn't think I had it! If Joe and mama hadn't pushed me, I probably wouldn't have gone to the doctor today!) He gave me an antibiotic shot and a steroid shot and told me to keep taking all of my same medicines they prescribed me on Wednesday. He said I should start to feel better by tomorrow!! Yay!! I hope he is right. He also said that I should feel much better by Monday and even be able to go back to work!! Another yay (since I have been off since Tuesday)!! The only negative he told me is that I could have this back pain for up to a month. Yuck!! I'm not excited about that, but he said just because my back hurts doesn't mean it is not getting better so that is good.

So the moral of the story is...well besides listen to your mother and your husband...that I can totally understand how someone could have pneumonia and not know it until it gets bad. I'm sure they just think they just have some crazy back pain like I did!! I have had pneumonia before, and it did not feel like this! It's just crazy!!

I also hate it because I had so many fun Halloween things planned like carving pumpkins (which I am going to do even if it is after Halloween. I have already gotten the pumpkins and stuff to carve them with), Harvest Fest, trick-or-treating at my work, a costume contest at Joe's work that I was going to take Percie to, trick-or treating at Joe's work, lunch with Carie, Annslie, and Natalie, and Natalie's Halloween get together. It was going to be so much fun, not to mention there were going to be so many things to blog about. So sad!

Now I just pray that Joe and mama don't get it. They have been great nurses!!
Thanks mama and Joe!!

Rae

ASU Homecoming Weekend 2009

Warning: You are about to be overloaded with pictures!! I hope you have a minute (or 2, or 3)...

Look who went to visit Nanny and Poppy.....
Percie was so happy to have Molly and Elroy visit her Nanny and Poppy. She had a great time introducing them to her doggy mama, Angel, and her doggy grandpa, Max. They all got along great! I wish I had a picture of all 5 of them, but it was hard enough to get these 3 in a picture!!

Doesn't Elroy have a sweet face!?! He is so photogenic. (Why can't Percie be that photogenic?) He still needs a happy home. If you know anyone who wants a pit bull/boxer mix, please let me know!

We went to Jonesboro Friday night to eat at Ed's Catfish with Joe's family. Here is Jordan's mama helping him take a drink. Isn't he cute!?!

Rylee cheesing with her Uncle Joe at Ed's.

Jordan playing with his Elmo jacket. I just thought this picture was too cute!!

Saturday, October 24, 1902, is Delta Zeta's Founder's Day. This year ASU's homecoming happened to fall on founder's day. All of the alumni were invited to the DZ suite for a reception and the founder's day ceremony. This is a group picture of the alumni who came to the event. It was so much fun, and thank you for inviting us!

April and Jennifer at the suite.

It was also Beth's 29th birthday, so the girls were sweet enough to get her a cake! She was so excited!

Natalie and I in the suite. Our stickers say Delta Zeta loves ASU!!

This is Amanda and Jennifer. They were freshman when I was a senior. I was their new member educator when they were new members. I think only 4 of the 40 something new members from that year made it the 4 years of college and graduated as active Delta Zetas! That was a wild group...to say the least! But we had a lot of fun!! I am so proud of these girls for making it all the way. Jennifer is now Delta Zeta's CCD. They are so lucky to have her!!

After we left the suite, I went in search of a Red Wolf cheerleader outfit for Rylee. She wanted one to wear to the game so bad!! Then it was off to Lazzari's to eat lunch. Man I miss Lazzari's! That is the best Italian food!! Here is Joe enjoying his Lazzari's. (Joe and I went to Lazzari's our first Valentine's Day we were together. Awww!)

Natalie (baby Bella) and James joined us for lunch. They both went to ASU and share our love for Lazzari's. (As do Maranda and Josh. We didn't know it, but we only missed them by a few minutes eating at Lazzari's! Haha!! Maranda and I used to order their Cesar Salad's to go ALL the time when we lived together. They were good and cheap. I think they cost $3.50 a piece if I remember correctly.)

Then it was off to the tailgate parties. This is me and Trent. It was so great to see him!! It has been a while!!

I also got to spend some time with Elizabeth. This girl is as funny as ever!! We laughed a lot!!

And we got to see Conrad. He made us laugh even more...if it was possible! He brought up all kinds of old memories. Anybody reading this remember Elizabeth standing on "her" stump outside the Sigma Pi house screaming "I'm a tree" and making all of the sig pi pledges be her branches!?! Too funny!! We also talked about how sad it was to see the old sig pi house torn down! But I'm so happy they have a new house on Fraternity Row. (And it is wonderful....by the way!!)

Delta Zeta had a tent in Tailgate City this year, and it was great! Here are a bunch of us alumni posing in front of our letters. Someone pointed out that we all had on black. I thought that was too funny!! Great minds think a like!!

Here are Jennifer and I in our twinkie outfits!! When Nick saw me for the first time the first thing out of his mouth was, "You are dressed just like my wife!!" Too funny. We even had our Delta Zeta howls for the Red Wolves stickers on opposite sides to balance out the picture. I love Jennifer to death, and I wish she and Nick didn't live so far away so we could see them more than once a year!

Samantha (my grand big sis) and I at the DZ tailgate. Her precious daughter, Madi was with her (in the cutest red and black tutu), but she fell asleep before I got to take her picture.

I even got to see Maranda for a minute. It was great to get to talk to her!!

Then it was off to the stadium. Joe and I took Rylee her Red Wolf cheerleader outfit we found, and she was so excited!! It was the only size 6 left in the town of Jonesboro!! I think she makes a pretty cute Red Wolf cheerleader!!

Rylee and her sign. "Aunt Rae take my picture with my sign!"

Sweet Jordan in his Red Wolf football jersey. He makes a pretty cute Red Wolf football player, too!

He was so proud of the Red Wolf tattoo on his face. Too cute!!

Uncle Joe and Rylee cheering on those Red Wolves. They played Florida International at 6 p.m. The game was not televised! (Thank goodness, because it lasts at least an hour longer with all of the extra breaks! I mean....I love football, but come on!!)

Rylee eating a SNOW CONE at the football game. This girl is the only one I know who would eat a snow cone in 40 degree weather. I was FREEZING!! (and I forgot my jacket)

This is the ASU Band. (I refuse to call them "The Sound of the Natural State". So cheesy!! They were the Marching Indians until they changed the mascot, and they changed to "The Sound of the Natural State". Oh well. They are still pretty awesome even though they have a cheesy name!!) I can't believe it has been 11 years since I was out on that field. And look....all of the flags are together. I might have done it for more than a year if they had been that good when I was in school!! Ha!!

Rylee fell asleep during the game. Doesn't she look sweet!?! It amazes me that kids can fall asleep with so much going on around them!! ASU did win 27 to 10!! (Thank goodness!!) Go Red Wolves!!

After the game Joe was nice enough to take me by the new Sigma Pi House. I love it!! I got the grand tour, and let me tell you.....it is nice!! I wish I had taken pictures, but I think I was too in ahhh!! There were great memories made at the old house, but I'm sure there will be many more made at the new one, too!!

The dogs stayed outside playing the whole time we were gone (from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.). So they were so tired when we let them in that night!! Here is Elroy asleep on the bed. He slept like this all night!!

Here is Molly passed out!! Haha!!

And here is Percie snoozing!! Too cute!! I wanted to get Percie's picture in her ASU shirt, but there wasn't enough time. It was a busy, but great day!!

On Sunday morning, we went to church with Joe's family. Then it was off to lunch at The Front Page Cafe. It is their favorite Sunday lunch spot. They have pass arounds like fried okra, white beans and ham, and corn bread. They also throw rolls! Rylee always wants to catch her own, but I'm pretty sure that would end with a roll on the floor (and a melt down soon to follow), so Uncle Joe or poppy catches her rolls for her!

Here is Rylee and her peace sign. Too funny! Joe and I got her this vest and we took it to lunch on Sunday to give to her, and she had to put it on right then (even though it did not match her dress at all). I'm glad she likes it!! When I saw it, it just screamed Rylee!

Here is Rylee's plate: grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and fried okra. That is a girl after my own heart, well except for the fried okra. I don't do okra!!

Jordan saying cheese for the camera. He likes to get so close for me to take his picture!! Haha!!

I had a great Homecoming Weekend 2009. It was great to see everyone!!
Believe it or not there are more pictures I wish I had taken!!
That will just have to wait until next year!!

Rae

WOW

Play-do,

Play-do,

and more play-do!

Getting ready to read our bible story.

Eating our snack of goldfish (they requested that I bring goldfish this week. They are so funny! They requested graham crackers for next week!)

Joe and I are teaching the preschool class at my church for WOW (Worship on Wednesdays). I have really had a great time with these little girls! It is kinda crazy, but there are no 3-5 year-old little boys at our church right now, so I always have 4 or 5 little girls! It has been so much fun!! I'm so thankful for this opportunity. They are all so sweet and just talk, and talk, and talk...(you get the point). I took some pictures of them tonight, and they thought it was great!! You can tell they know what to do when they see a camera!!

Joe is definitely getting an education about little girls!!

Rae