Thursday, August 21st...

The first day of 2nd grade seemed to go pretty well for Kaylor. Erik said he had to get out and walk her to where she would be lined up and as soon as she spotted a couple of friends, she took off.. He took that as a good sign that she wasn't anxious any longer.. lol.. I picked her up at 11:15 from early dismissal and apparently she freaked a little.. She was w/ a classmate's mom and had tears rolling down her cheeks. Although there were still tons of cars & kids around, she got the feeling that I wasn't coming to pick her up.. Poor girl.. I kept reassuring her that I have never forgotten to pick her up and never will.. She said her teacher is nice, and she has a couple of friends in her class.. And something about they are the ONLY class in the school that is doing something gumball related.. Not sure yet on the details for that. Here is the new 2nd grader:





Recipe share... This wasn't a favorite by any means, but a pretty good dish all and all... When asked if it should go in the "keep & make again" or "toss", Kaylor's reply was "Success!" I was surprised to hear that, so needless to say, I'll make it again!

Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti

• 1 package (8 oz) spaghetti, broken in half
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp. tarragon (I used marjoram in it's place)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the chicken, 1 cup cheese, soup, milk, tarragon, salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain spaghetti, add to the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Also, on another note.. We just found out there Erik's cousin's husband, Jason (he's the same age as Erik), was taken to the hospital last Friday. His arm was convulsing and they did not know why. After further aggressive testing, they found spots on his kidneys and issues in his brain, and a couple of other serious medical issues. We just found out today that there is a lesion on his kidney that tested positive for cancer, he has a lesion on his brain w/ spots on the pituitary gland and a large mass in his stomach. The cancer has metastasized. They are going to remove the kidney and start radiation for the spots in his brain. This was completely unexpected and I'm sure devastating to hear for them. Please say a prayer for Jason.. I know that you don't know Jason or his family, but they need all the prayers that they can get right now.. *Another update I just got from Erik.. Apparently there is cancer on his hip as well.. This poor guy..

Hug your family... you just never know what you could be dealt w/..