I'm Alive ;)

Alive and well in Arkansas
Trying to get used to the slower
pace of life in such a small town.

We did go into Little Rock on Saturday
to check out Gusano's Chicago style pizza
and hit up the farmers market

I am almost finished unpacking
Still have Noah's room and my scraproom
We worked on the garage on Saturday evening
and I ended up hurting my back so we took Sunday
to try out a new church and relax

Missing my kiddos who are visiting family in
Houston and excited to see their reaction when
they finally see the house

A Whirlwind

Lots of stuff has happened in the past few weeks.

• I had my doctor scare.
• Heath was offered a job in another state.
• He accepted said job and found out on Wednesday that he had to report to work Monday morning (May 18th)in Little Rock.
• We took the kids to Aunt Christi's on Friday and then drove to Little Rock.
• While we were in route we received a call from our realtor, who was going to show us about 20 houses for rent (or houses that have been on the market for a while and the owners are willing to rent) over the weekend, saying that his wife was in labor and we were on our own for the weekend.
• We arrived in Little Rock after 1 a.m. and began composing a list from newspaper/internet ads and started calling Saturday morning to try to set up showings because we needed a realtor to view all the houses we had previously planned to look at.
• We had a difficult time getting a hold of people and were only able to walk inside about 6 houses all weekend. We spent most of our time driving through neighbor hoods that we had heard had good school districts looking for FOR RENT signs.
• This weekend just so happend to coinside with my PMS so one minute I was saying "it's ok God is going to lead us to the PERFECT house for us with/without a realtor", and the next minute I was fighting back tears thinking ARE WE REALLY DOING THIS AGAIN?
• Saturday the kids stayed the night with my mom and my mother met me here in Tulsa on Sunday night.
• Heath is staying in Little Rock throughout the week and will be coming home on the weekends, until we can find housing there and the kids are out of school. He also found out yesterday (his first day on the job)that he will be traveling to the Jonesboro, AR area for at least the next couple of months. Isn't that like bait and switch or something?
• We were told in the beginning that his relocation package would be the same amount if not a little bit more than last time. We found out on Friday that the amount was $3500 less than what we had expected. Then today after some recalculations it is $2000 less than what we expected and that is the final number.

I am so frustrated with all of this. It has been a uphill battle but I know that my husband made the right decision taking this job. I know that God has blessed him with this opportunity and I know that God will see this move through to the end. He is with us and is going before us. I just have to keep reminding myself of this. It is easy to just throw your hands up and say "I QUIT" it is much harder to do what you feel God is calling you to do. Too bad it can't be the other way around! LOL!! :)

Moles

had a dermatologist appointment today
and I must say I don't think there is
anything more humiliating than having
someone look over your entire body with
some sort of odd magnifying apparatus

Cause REALLY some parts of me just don't
need to be magnified.

on a side note: I can't even think about the word
MOLES without thinking of Larry the Cable Guy

I was tagged by my sweet friend Ashlee last week, and due to all the hair pulling finals I had to take, I am just now getting to it.

What's your current obsession? music,owls, hedgehogs, toadstools, and mermaids
What's your weirdest obsession? ummm....see the list above
What are you wearing today? flip flops with jeans and a tee of course
Why is today special? well.... I'm breathing so I say it's off to a good start ;)
What would you like to learn to do? I would love to learn to play the piano, sew something more than straight lines, knit/crochet..... the list is endless
What's the last thing you bought? Fish .... it's what's for dinner
What are you listening to right now? Jason Mraz and my new neighbors russelling around upstairs.
What's your favorite weather? I like it HOT HOT HOT (I have some sort of weird cold intolerance that I blame on my thyroid or lack there of)
What's your most challenging goal right now? becoming a NURSE....finishing my degree, with all these moves it seems to be getting further and further out of reach
What do you think about the person who tagged you? Ashlee is super sweet and creative.
What's your favorite guilty pleasure? No Bake Cookies --- I just luv em' but only make them once or twice a year because I just can't resist them
Favorite vacation spot? I like Mexico .... but there is the swine flu issue
What would you like to have in your hands right now? a cup of coffee I am freezing but don't want to turn the heat on
What would you like to get rid of? All of our excess STUFF ..... living in a tiny apartment with the majority of your belongings in a storage building for a year really makes you think
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Italy or Iran
What language do you want to learn? spanish for work purposes but italian just because it is such a beautiful language
What super power would you like to possess? i don't know
What's your favorite thing about the city you live in? ummmm.... the fact that there is virtually NO TRAFFIC
What's your favorite piece of clothing in your closet? my seven jeans and my simple shoes
What's your dream job? NURSE
If you had $150 now what would you spend it on? if I was spending it on myself probably some actions for Photoshop
Do you admire anyone's style? I think there is something unique about everyone's individual style so I guess I admire you ALL!!
Describe your personal style. comfy and casual
Who's fashion show would you want tickets to? could I stay home and read instead
Who's closet would you like to raid? no clue
What are you most proud of? My family .... our love for Christ and each other
If you could choose one person who had passed to have lunch with who would it be and why? my son
If you're tagged...get to answering! Copy the questions and tag some of your friends just to tick them off!!(love that)
1. aloughridge
2. Nicole Maki
3. Janine
4. Angela

Ultrasound

I had my ultrasound yesterday and everything went really well. He did see some scar tissue and commented that my carotid artery was smaller than normal and asked if I was getting adequate blood flow to my head.

Ummmmm I hope so

LOL!!

then again maybe that is why i am so crazy

The best news is that I don't have to see an endo for 6months. That is BIG people. HUGE
I have been seeing a doctor every 6 wks (lots of blood work) for nearly 2 years now.

Super excited.

Now I can focus on more important things :)
thank you all so much for your prayers and support

Finally... heard from the dr. today

they finally received the full report - the doctor reviewed it in it's entirety and called me
The doc thinks that what showed up on the scan may be my throat or more precisely the saliva in it. He wants to do an ultrasound to be sure, but because my tumor markers are low (thyroglobulin levels) he is leaning toward that. Thank you so much for your prayers.

In other news it looks like we will soon be relocating to Little Rock, AR.
We are still waiting to find out the specific relocation package we will be receiving but as long as it is similar to what we have received in the past it will be all systems go.

Heath scored some tickets to see the Jason Mraz concert last night. It was amazing and I must say the Plain White T's also rocked the house. We had a great time thanks to some friends of ours who were willing to keep our kiddos. It was the second time Heath and I have gone out on a "date" since moving here in 2007. Really fun night!!!

just wanted to say

Just wanted to say that I am in a much better place today.
No more gloom and doom.
I think this stuff is always scary for me but when I look at the big picture, really, what is there to be afraid of. This can only go down a few different ways.

A. it is a growth of cells that we just need to watch closely
B. it is a growth of cells that we want to eliminate via more radiation
C. it is a growth of cells that require both surgery and radiation
D. it is a growth of cells that may require surgery, radiation, and chemo (or any combo of these)

The good news is, this isn't my first rodeo. And as crazy as that sounds it does make this less scary, for me at least. I haven't said anything to the kids yet and I probably won't until I have more info. Hopefully my doctor will have the full report (scans and write-up) on Monday. At this point we are just waiting on 1 doctor.

fingers crossed for option A

Abnormal

So I broke down and called the dr's office late this morning
only to have to leave a message of course

and when my phone call was returned it seemed that I would
soon wish I would have never called at all.

Apparently I had some abnormal results but because they didn't
have the full report yet I am not any closer to knowing what that means
Is it BAD, REALLY BAD, or just something we need to watch?

My dr's office was very kind and understanding and apologized that they didn't have a full answer, assuring me as soon as the info gets to them they will call me immediately. They also put in a call to the dr. who was supposed to read the scan at the hospital but she doubted they would hear back today.

All of this should make me feel better but ....

So I made my hubby take me to Chipotle to lunch and I hit up a few garage sales then to top it off I treated myself to a pedicure. I'm feeling better ;)

Thanks for your prayers

Turn of Events

Today in an odd turn of events
it seems hubby was offered the
same position he applied for, only in another state.

hmmmmm

did I mention it was over 6 hours away from where
we live now..... and not anywhere closer to Houston

darn decisions

Shock and Awe

So we did get some news tonight

Not mine but my husbands

Sadly he didn't get the job he applied for

I feel horrible

I can't change the outcome

and I have no control

It seemed as though he was a shoe in but I guess it just
wasn't meant to be.

Waiting (im)patiently

Just wanted to pop in and say I am still here...waiting impatiently
This week is just a week of waiting I guess.
Me waiting to hear about the cancer stuff.
And Heath had a interview for a job last week that would give him some more freedom and a raise. He was told he would hear something on or before Friday. This will determine if we stay in this city or if we continue to push forward with heading further south.

Exciting times!!!!

Have I said how d*mn impatient I am.

Scan Day

Today marked the end of a week and a half of appointments. :) I had my Whole Body Scan today, but it will be next week before I get the results. The hospital here has only one doctor who reads these scans so hopefully it won't take too long. The waiting is always the hardest for me. I am not the most patient person. The technician did let me see the scans and there was some radio iodine accumulation in my thyroid bed, as well as my bladder and colon. Since I no longer have a thyroid I am not sure if there is supposed to be accumulation in the thyroid bed but I do know that having it present in the bladder and colon is normal. I will update when I know more.
Thanks for all of your prayers.
God Bless

Radioactive once again

So this morning, after getting the kids to school, I had a couple of appointments. The first was somewhat of a surprise. I had some blood work to check my thyroglobulin levels. It was really funny because I looked at the tech and said "I don't think I am supposed to be getting my blood drawn", to which he replied "ummm well ma'am that's what it says here"
WELL ALL RIGHTY THEN
at this point what is one more stick gonna matter ;)

Then it was on to the Nuclear Medicine department where I was privileged to meet and visit with 2 other families. Families who were there for cancer testing as well. I was able to meet a young boy. I listened as he complained of his IV, asking his mother if they could take it out now or if he had to have it in all day. I listened as his mother tried to make him comfortable. Before long we struck up a conversation on the usual hospital talk, how extremely cold they kept it and how we wished we had brought in jackets. They were there to find out if he had cancer. A boy no older than my own 10 year old son. A sweet and funny boy who told me how he loved his surprise baby sister even though they were 8 years apart. How is 13 year old sister wasn't as thrilled with the announcement of a new sibling. How he looks out for his little sister, and funny stories of his corgi who can catch a baseball. A boy I won't soon forget and a boy I plan to spend some serious time on my knees in prayer for. I encourage you to pray for him too.

There is such a strange bond between people who have experienced this monstrosity and even those who have come so close to the edge of it. It can't be explained in words. Sometimes it is a look - sometimes in words shared - but most importantly it is the strength we draw from one another. I don't know how to describe it but every person that I have met either online or in person who has faced cancer has given me something, a piece of them. Something that tells me over and over that no matter how much I want to shove this cancer thing in the closet forget about it and pretend it never happened, that I can't, that I shouldn't. That I have to go to these appointments, I have to do everything in my power to make sure this doesn't come back. And if one day it does come back we will catch it early, because of these tests.

That being said I found it so ironic today that I voluntarily ingested a radioactive pill that had to be encased in a protective lead container as it traveled across the country to protect others. hmmmmm....... ok I had to get my funny in

Injection Two

Yesterday was injection #2
much less side effects - a little nausea
and a monster of a headache but other
than that all was good.

Whooo hoo!!!

injection day one

Today started as most, getting up, getting the kids ready for school, fed, and out the door.

But then I made my way to the doctor's office for the first injection. My week is filled with appointments. Injections on Monday and Tuesday. Ingest radiation on Wednesday. Then a Whole Body Scan (WBS) on Friday.

I have had these injections only once before and had only mild side effects (headaches with some tiredness). This time around it doesn't seem like I will have it as easy. My injection was at 9am and before noon I had some nausea, by 3 it was dizzyness, mild headache, nausea. I layed down from about 4-6. Then tonight it was full on vomitting - out the mouth and nose to the point of micturition. There were moments I was wondering when I would get my next breath. Disgusting I know but it is the raw/unedited truth.

Fingers crossed that tomorrow's injection comes with fewer side effects.
Now to try to muster up some energy to get a little bit of school work done. If not I may just go to bed.

getting real

let me preface this by saying - Most days I am so thankful - I have been blessed beyond measure. However - last week was particularly difficult and I wrote this post which I thought about deleting, but then realized it is important that we admit to ourselves and to each other that we don't always feel the way we want to or the way we feel we should. These are my feelings and this is my blog it is about time they were reintroduced....

I don't know what it is lately. I just haven't felt like myself. I like to analyze and make excuses like, "Well, it could be PMS" or "I am just stressed out because of school". But in reality I think it has more to do with the fact that I am about to go through another round of testing. Testing to see if the cancer has returned. I don't really understand why these tests that are designed to save my life (early detection) can trigger these feelings. I think it is mainly fear. Fear in something that is out of my control. I feel frustrated because something that I didn't want - something I never asked for still has such a hold on my life. It dictates that I take pills for the rest of my life at the same time each day. It dictates never ending doctor appointments that leave me with statistics that may be good for "cancer patients" but don't really feel good for ME. It leaves me feeling angry, and then in full circle fashion I feel disappointed in myself for having these feelings because so many others have it so much worse.

Easter

a boring narrative to follow:



This was our week to volunteer in the Nursery at church and since we were going out of town we switched to the early service. This meant we had to get up SUPER EARLY to get everyone ready and out the door.



After Church we had to stop by the house to let Gracie out and then we were on the road.



About 2 hours later we met 2 of my 3 younger brothers, my niece, and my parents at Pizza Inn were we had our Easter dinner buffet style.



Visted friends while my parents took the kids to get presents for Noah's birthday and something for Makenna as well.



Drove to my parents house were I was able to meet my newest niece (she is about 2.5 wks old) Honor Marie. Photo still to come.



Headed back home stopped at Taco Mayo and Dairy Queen



Didn't take one single photo of my kids this Easter- weird - totally didn't feel like Easter and the weather was nasty - cold and rainy

preggers?!? are you kidding

Imagine my surprise when I recieve a phone call from my doctors office saying they need me to go in for a pregnancy test on Thursday. Here is how it went:

Me: What?? Are you sure because there is NO WAY I could be pregnant. That door has been closed for quite some time.
She: Have you been surgically sterilized?
Me: Well "I" haven't but..... and then there are those darn pills the doctor has prescribed to help level out my hormones.
She: I am sorry Mrs. Samples but we are required to have you take the test before we administer radiation. Radiation can cause severe birth defects and even death in a fetus.
Me: Well that make sense.

guess what --- I took the test and I am NOT pregnant
not to mention the amount of radiation I have had has probably shriveled my eggs to where they now resemble raisins anyway

Spring Break Recap (Part 2)

So I must say that I had a wonderful nights sleep at the Hilton Hill Country Hotel Spa. The bed was one of the most comfy beds I have ever slept in. We purchased a Sea World package with the hotel that included breakfast. I was thinking it would be something like bagels, donuts, and cereal. I was WRONG and it was delicious. It was a buffet with anything you could have dreamed for breakfast. YUMM-O

We were off to Sea World from there. It took us 1 hour to get there and we were only1.1 miles away. That should have been our first clue but we were just excited to be taking the kids for the first time. It was a complete mad house once we arrived. Apparently it had rained the 3 days prior to our arrival so everyone had came on the same day. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. Noah was in his wheelchair and was bumped/leaned on/ and practically ran over the majority of the day. I could tell he was frustrated so we are hoping to try it again when he is no longer handicapped. It was pretty sad ... we even had people crowding us in the handicapped seating section (people who were not handicapped and were not with someone who was - they just arrived to the show late and didn't have seats) My mother in-law even had some grown man yelling at her. The worst part is that there wasn't staff anywhere to be found. Totally had me wanting to yell SECURITY like Bon Qui Qui. If you haven't seen it click this link. It is hilarious!!!

The kids loved the shows. We saw Viva.

Believe (the Shamu show).

The Cannery Caper (this was the kids favorite)
Makenna and Heath rode the following rides
Steel Eel

Journey to Atlantis

After our day at Sea World we were on the road back to Houston and arrived around 1a.m. We were exhausted.

Tuesday afternoon we spent with the Railey's (some of our bestest friends) enjoyed some turkey burgers and that evening we headed to Melissa's (heath's sister)for a sleep over.

Wednesday Melissa made yummy waffles for breakfast and we spent hanging out with Melissa and the kids - Heath went to the golf course with Cris for a bit.

Thursday we had a play date with Molly and family (Konrad and Levi too). It was so great to catch up. The kids got to play with one of Levi's bunnies. It was so cute.That evening Heath and I went back over to the Railey's and we had a Game Night. The Richert's came over too. It was a blast.

Friday morning I had breakfast with Tonya and her daughter at Panera. For lunch we ate out at my FAV restaurant in Houston, LUPE TORTILLA. Their margaritas are seriously the best I have ever had and the beef fajitas melt in your mouth like candy. Saturday was our last day in Houston. Melissa and the kids came over to play during the day and that night we went to Melissa's for dinner and one final hoo-raw. I think we all had tears in our eyes when we left. I miss the kids being able to spend time with their cousins and I know they miss it to. Thankfully summer vacation is right around the corner.

Spring Break Recap (part 1)

We started our trip out with the LONG drive to Houston. It rained the majority of the trip. We did stop outside of Dallas to have lunch with Wendy at Olive Garden. Since she is preggers we let her pick the eating establishment. I didn't get any pics of our lunch we were too busy visiting and eating, but let's just say she is quite possibly the cutest little preggo person I have ever seen.

We ended up arriving in Houston just in time for dinner. Melissa and the kiddos where at Ken and Drema's to meet us and the PAR-TA had officially begun. The kids had a great time. Heath hooked up the Wii for them and they had a blast playing American Idol.
Saturday we hung out. Makenna, Drema, and I went and got mani/pedis and around dinner time we began a game of Monopoly that lasted until about 1:30 am when I finally gave up and surrendered to Drema and all her da-gum hotels ;)Sunday we were up bright and early to begin the drive to San Antonio. We had a yummy breakfast about half way there at this lovely place.

I plan to photoshop these people out of the photo at some point just haven't yet. Upon arrival we headed toward the ALAMO and after a small fortune in parking fees we started walking (Noah of course was in his wheelchair) The place was packed and when we realized we wouldn't be able to maneuver Noah and his chair inside with all the people we decided to just tour the grounds and take in the scenery.

Then it was up toward the Market for us. I loved that you could just walk everywhere. The architecture was beautiful.

Some shopping

Early dinner at Mi Tierra

A little of the Riverwalk (wasn't really wheelchair friendly)

Off to the hotel

Making smores in the hotel firepits

I am having some blogger trouble getting photos uploaded so tomorrow I will update with our adventures at Sea World and the rest of our vacation.

Home Again

Home again, Home again, jiggity jig

We made it :) We had a wonderful vacation. Only wish it was a week longer so we weren't GO GO GOING the entire time. I think we need a vacation from our vacation. The kids both ended up sick. Noah puked in my car (mostly on the throw he was using to snuggle up with) and Makenna doused the bathroom last night. Not sure if it was car sickness, bad food, or some sort of virus. They are both better today and unless someone pukes again, they will return to school tomorrow.

Planning to update with vacation details and photos later this week but for now I have to focus on my school work because, well school wasn't out last week but I was gone for 9 days. You do the math. ;)

What's been up?

I have been trying to be more productive by spending less time on the pc and more time getting things done. Thus the lack of blog posts. I am a little behind on school work, not really behind but I was trying to stay 1 week ahead due to our upcoming vacation and now I have resigned to turning in assignments on their due dates.

Yep, you heard me right! I said VACATION. We are heading south for that warm sunshine. First to Houston. I seriously {HEART} that city. Then to San Antonio. Lots of fun ahead! We have never taken the kids on vacation. We usually just take a week off and visit family or relax. But this year we have decided to spend two days in San Antonio and one full day at SeaWorld. Now if you know my children you will understand why this was an obvious choice for us. Noah has said that if he could go anywhere in the world he would go to Austraila and his second choice was SeaWorld in SanAntonio, and Makenna, well she just likes to GO and she loves her grandmommy so anything involving the two is perfect for her.

I can't wait but if you don't see me much for the next week just know that I am trying to get things in order for our trip.

Many Blessings

Been awhile

Seems to have been awhile since I last posted. Things have been a little crazy here with Noah's surgery and then just adjusting. Noah was in a lot of pain for the first 5 days or so. He is doing so much better now. Now we are just adjusting our schedules and for the last two days I have made it to the school with time to spare. By the time he is out of the wheel chair my arms will be so toned ;) you wouldn't imagine the workout you can get by pushing a 100 or so lb. boy around and loading and unloading him and the wheelchair several times a day.

OK now that I have posted and don't feel quite as guilty about abandoning my blog I can move on to the rest of my to do list..... which includes enjoying these ;) (photo to come)

Hope you all have a blessed day.

:(

Noah was running a fever of 102.6 degrees and complaining of a sore throat so we took him to an Urgent Care facility. His rapid strep test was negative but his throat was really red as well as one ear so the doctor wrote an Rx for antibiotics.

I have to admit that this getting up in the middle of the night is not as easy as I remember. I have been getting up with Noah every 2 hours to give alternating pain meds. Usually by 6 I start begging Heath to get up with him. All of this lack of sleep has us both ragged.

Hoping that tomorrow will be a better day for us all.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The Good: Noah and Makenna played on walkie talkies and Makenna took the dinosaur bingo game in the bedroom to play with Noah :)

The Bad: Noah was in pain all day even with the pain meds that he is taking.

The Ugly: I am sleepy, grumpy, and not a very patient mommy to my daughter today :(

Really seem to be struggling with her. I know she is having a hard time seeing her brother hurting and a lot of it is because of that but I am going to have to have some boundries with this girl or I am gonna pull my hair out. Sounds like she and I need to have a "big girl" talk.

Valentine's Day Surprise!

Heath and I usually don't do much for Valentine's Day for each other, usually we just do a card with a handwritten message. So imagine my surprise when he comes through the door with this.

He picked out the vase and all of the flowers himself...he did GOOD...REAL GOOD!

I'm just sayin'

(Photo of Noah and Makenna watching Zach and Cody on the Disney Chanel before surgery.)

Thank you all so very much for the prayers you have been sending up for Noah and our family. They are being answered. God is so good!

Noah is doing really well today and just had his first meal since 6pm on Wednesday. He did have some trouble yesterday/last night with nausea/vomiting, but nothing that a carpet cleaner can't handle.

We were originally told he would be in walking cast and that he would be able to walk from his wheel chair to the toilet. However, last night upon discharge from the hospital we were told that there was to be no weight bearing on his legs what so ever. Thankfully I talked to the doctor a few today and he said after about 48 hours that Noah could go to the restroom on the casts but the rest of the time he needed to be in the chair and have his legs elevated.

The heel cord/Achilles tendon is made up of several vertical strands which connect the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the calf to the heel bone. The surgeon went in and made several cuts halfway into this tendon alternating from one side to the next. He then casted Noah just below the knee with his toes peeking out. His feet are flexed upward to enable the heel cords to grow back together lengthened.

Noah picked red casts, and he is very excited that Bruce Joy (Heath's favorite local tattoo artist) is going to draw some artwork on them. Noah will get these casts taken off in 4 weeks, they will do mold impressions for his braces, and then he will go immediately into a second cast for 2 more weeks. Following the casts he will wear the braces for 6 months.

Please continue to pray for peace and a quick recovery for Noah, that his heel cords will have lengthened sufficiently and that the procedure will not need to be repeated again.

PLEASE remember not to give your child a full hershey's chocolate bar .....even if they really want it .... and even if you feel bad that they had to have surgery.... and even if the doctor says he can eat whatever he wants

because you just might end up having a car that smells like hershey's flavored puke ..... I'm just sayin'

Surgery

Noah's surgery is tomorrow and my stomach is starting to turn. Nerves I guess. He will be having surgery on at 3:15 to lengthen the heel cords on both legs. He will be in a wheel chair for 6 weeks (casts on both legs)and then braces for 6 months. I am not sure how we are going to keep him from getting antsy being restricted for so long. He is like any other little boy I know -- FULL of ENERGY ;) Nicole suggested a few new video games and I am thinking that might do the trick LOL. He loves to draw so I am thinking a cool sketch pad and some new pencils too.
Any suggestions?

Neighbors and a little NOT ME!!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
________________________________________
Neighbors can be a blessing and a curse it seems.
Now that I am dwelling in an apartment I have come
to realize that I have some of both kinds of neighbors.

these yummies were from Kat and Summer.

and no I DID NOT let my kids eat them for breakfast.... nope not me ;)

Blackberry

Heath got me a blackberry curve and I must admit I love it. I already feel more efficient. Plan to get a fun bright case for it soon.