tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84343633578309075312024-03-13T05:03:40.931-05:00RN Travel Family (now settling down!) and Frugal LivingOur life has changed so much, it's hard to cover it all in a few, short sentences! I will talk about Travel Nursing, Family, Faith, Frugal living, couponing, Spina Bifida and health issues.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-6384236979563357302017-09-26T16:01:00.000-05:002017-09-26T16:01:18.268-05:00Shrimp Dip for chips!!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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So, I was thinking about dinner… we have hot dog buns that
need to be eaten. We had chili yesterday, so I don’t want more chili today.
What to make to go with them that will be semi-special and filling? Growing up
my mom would make a special dip for parties and gatherings. It was for chips…
wavy/ruffled chips but made them seem so special. I have the supplies, so why
not! Mom told me it came from my Aunt Teri, I don’t know where she got it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Shrimp Dip</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdmv2EKMmOkRHCNZJKClLNl-LQO65Zfc5QajcL34B95Fy9E1sieaQQrnqWG8kq9fz4hdgRzKzxzWZiTH4TJt74IlfNzJyIkfL0KjdYthLBm3me9T6EQu5uNfMwi5dDcOtEPsN1VSRldNE/s1600/2017-09-26+15.29.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdmv2EKMmOkRHCNZJKClLNl-LQO65Zfc5QajcL34B95Fy9E1sieaQQrnqWG8kq9fz4hdgRzKzxzWZiTH4TJt74IlfNzJyIkfL0KjdYthLBm3me9T6EQu5uNfMwi5dDcOtEPsN1VSRldNE/s320/2017-09-26+15.29.22.jpg" width="320" /></a>½- ¾ cup of Chili Sauce</div>
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½ - ¾ cup of Mayo (mom uses miracle whip)</div>
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8oz cream cheese, softened</div>
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¼ cup chopped onion</div>
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2tsp horseradish</div>
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4 ½ oz can of tiny shrimp (rinse and drain) </div>
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Cream mayo and cream cheese, add everything else <u>Except</u>
the shrimp, blend well. Stir in shrimp by hand and chill. </div>
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Soooo easy! But the trick is to use a good sturdy chip like
Ruffles or Wavy Lays.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9M0ZmdduBhOBz650MQUUt8rUxBLWpgseFipYbZjPR7WwYhpmcQS47H_dXLX9GhHN3pFmXxheBFK0kdd1CC5TWaeZ2iitVpRS034CnyKlwMEjUYSKXJGvQNtVXDitD3cyL9U0_qoqgwEQ/s1600/2017-09-26+15.37.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9M0ZmdduBhOBz650MQUUt8rUxBLWpgseFipYbZjPR7WwYhpmcQS47H_dXLX9GhHN3pFmXxheBFK0kdd1CC5TWaeZ2iitVpRS034CnyKlwMEjUYSKXJGvQNtVXDitD3cyL9U0_qoqgwEQ/s320/2017-09-26+15.37.13.jpg" width="153" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXbmnk6oc83DyY7dwwhSG54cOYP_UogwBp0nttN4Yy9VGJra0PneA2UGZcLOmBW1ngqszSmGCCqfrLGul41FA0k92tlxTdcPuz3UaeK1v3iXlT_5wccP00hwsFYcuqW2OaReQRI7VAup9/s1600/2017-09-26+15.32.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXbmnk6oc83DyY7dwwhSG54cOYP_UogwBp0nttN4Yy9VGJra0PneA2UGZcLOmBW1ngqszSmGCCqfrLGul41FA0k92tlxTdcPuz3UaeK1v3iXlT_5wccP00hwsFYcuqW2OaReQRI7VAup9/s320/2017-09-26+15.32.02.jpg" width="153" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0H4fpPm4HJ-3rJ2QePRO_sqq87dnhXn7Ipmqu4wALn_7ScxCuK-IOUITzAkYFm127BHPO7KGcpZg3clSvhoq85GBhsVQ75goT-2DZbiXVTTe8FzkYeN1YaP2hQ8eZCAzA9M4nNserkDem/s1600/2017-09-26+15.34.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0H4fpPm4HJ-3rJ2QePRO_sqq87dnhXn7Ipmqu4wALn_7ScxCuK-IOUITzAkYFm127BHPO7KGcpZg3clSvhoq85GBhsVQ75goT-2DZbiXVTTe8FzkYeN1YaP2hQ8eZCAzA9M4nNserkDem/s320/2017-09-26+15.34.24.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
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<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Extra tip: </h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While chopping the onions, I went ahead and chopped extra,
we’ll use them on the hot dogs tonight, and I like to keep some in the fridge
for morning eggs. </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-67827281624440638272017-09-26T14:43:00.002-05:002017-09-26T14:44:23.357-05:00Onion Gouda Melt- or Lunch!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h2 class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf028tb_a23nJW-_bHgA0-zm9SOtjLBtcCpzNZ1X1SiWv1QRmwgTUwBl5zXPmEZWThnYoXzmByhnauHmXsWRzPcvXcg4C12eiAHxzJA99bmzi-RP-dL-S-rIbQZb06EfVP5SxZCbkf5F9p/s1600/2017-09-26+13.12.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf028tb_a23nJW-_bHgA0-zm9SOtjLBtcCpzNZ1X1SiWv1QRmwgTUwBl5zXPmEZWThnYoXzmByhnauHmXsWRzPcvXcg4C12eiAHxzJA99bmzi-RP-dL-S-rIbQZb06EfVP5SxZCbkf5F9p/s320/2017-09-26+13.12.33.jpg" width="153" /></a> Onion Gouda Melt</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, our lives have been on an adventure. I am not the
greatest at making regular posts, but I do check in on Facebook. So, friend
request me there if you really want to follow along my crazy ride of a life! So
today I don’t want to focus on catching up, just a quick fun post. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLmi2OqdpTRgkyUQ8nNgIYtX_HS5ulwmnjSD-H2MVzhOvULE7WhGBapULDLApq9NKj-91VL4pFQFRL5cX1GDOtt7MOQNg4aJPm89gWClODq6XLDKZNGQtsYxugEwk3u2IKgvUJggUJ54a/s1600/2017-09-26+13.13.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLmi2OqdpTRgkyUQ8nNgIYtX_HS5ulwmnjSD-H2MVzhOvULE7WhGBapULDLApq9NKj-91VL4pFQFRL5cX1GDOtt7MOQNg4aJPm89gWClODq6XLDKZNGQtsYxugEwk3u2IKgvUJggUJ54a/s320/2017-09-26+13.13.20.jpg" width="155" /></a>I have not been doing well with going through my food
supply. When we were moving all the time, I would stop shopping, take inventory
and plan meals out to finish up what we had, so we didn’t move food around the
country, more room for stuff. Since settling down, I haven’t had the need to go
through everything and more space to stock up. Now, we have too much stuff and
I want to reduce some spending for a bit. While I have not gotten up enough energy
to do a full inventory, I am looking at what needs to be used up and planning a
few meals around those things.</div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35PY1FXCH5JgR50OXK6cuMZzWcIVNc8emRz5NIxzV0HTwc6kuLaS4b3n_14ZLnAFNv2ObxRZrC4jY-i7iopJdcypu9MQFm1hqzcX-hz85uC5p-HCLui5dFgjqQWlNbobL4GETfIUFjdcW/s1600/2017-09-26+13.35.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35PY1FXCH5JgR50OXK6cuMZzWcIVNc8emRz5NIxzV0HTwc6kuLaS4b3n_14ZLnAFNv2ObxRZrC4jY-i7iopJdcypu9MQFm1hqzcX-hz85uC5p-HCLui5dFgjqQWlNbobL4GETfIUFjdcW/s200/2017-09-26+13.35.01.jpg" width="96" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciOKLzrxbytBDT7qb-ey8ceMRFGCImlsLTbr1qX1XanLIff3v8aOVWNPaZt88PytrIyRGsVHZFQu6JIEpl8s66BxZGAdFb1RURPkoB7LueM3iTPgyi-mdkC04HSiXRRgjhNJyypWyeiPH/s1600/2017-09-26+13.12.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciOKLzrxbytBDT7qb-ey8ceMRFGCImlsLTbr1qX1XanLIff3v8aOVWNPaZt88PytrIyRGsVHZFQu6JIEpl8s66BxZGAdFb1RURPkoB7LueM3iTPgyi-mdkC04HSiXRRgjhNJyypWyeiPH/s320/2017-09-26+13.12.54.jpg" width="155" /></a>Today, I decided to use up an old roll of French Bread. It
really was past it’s best-buy-date, but since it had to bake, I knew we’d be
safe eating it. I opened and removed it from the package. I put it on a
parchment covered cookie sheet and sliced down the center of the roll. Opening
it to a larger flat dough. I then covered it with a bit of leftover Onion
spread… if you have never tried this stuff… it is amazing! I then used some
basic ham lunch-meat and slices of Gouda cheese. I baked it for 20 minutes at
350. Once out of the oven, I lightly dressed it with Onion dressing and
sprinkled 21 Seasoning Salute. So yummy!! There was only the 3 of us for lunch,
but it was all gone!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpngxYx4tv-R2oOuYSl4myxx_PvsfmiAzBzxWsq7SE-pjede5UBodsrEIQDitBCidig3Kl2g50fN7T8kPGKJ_9m554vFXz-sZJCdc-dlO4gEuz6DOfD_MpsjSXs8iJPjvOnpYmvfN_ie0/s1600/2017-09-26+13.35.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpngxYx4tv-R2oOuYSl4myxx_PvsfmiAzBzxWsq7SE-pjede5UBodsrEIQDitBCidig3Kl2g50fN7T8kPGKJ_9m554vFXz-sZJCdc-dlO4gEuz6DOfD_MpsjSXs8iJPjvOnpYmvfN_ie0/s640/2017-09-26+13.35.10.jpg" width="640" /></a>You could probably find other seasoning, dressing or mixes to use, or
even dressings, but I loved the play on the strong onion flavor here. We are also
a family that enjoys onions… so if fit us!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-92107951284446018312016-10-27T10:52:00.000-05:002016-10-27T11:05:03.888-05:00Random tips for using Baking Soda!Baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, helps regulate pH—keeping a
substance neither too acidic nor too alkaline. When baking soda comes in
contact with either an acidic or an alkaline substance, its natural
effect is to neutralize that pH. Beyond that, baking soda has the
ability to retard further changes in the pH balance, known as buffering.
This dual capability of neutralizing and buffering allows baking soda
to do things such as neutralize acidic odors (like in the refrigerator)
as well as maintain neutral pH (like in your laundry water, which helps
boost your detergent’s power). It’s a simple reaction, but one that has
far-reaching effects for a number of cleaning and deodorizing tasks.<br />
<ol>
<li>Add to soak water for beans- research dating back more than 25 years found that adding baking soda to the soak water of dried beans before
cooking (about 1/16 teaspoon per quart) significantly decreases the
content of the raffinose family of sugars.</li>
<li>produce wash— just put some baking soda on a damp sponge, scrub and rinse.</li>
<li>Remove baked-on residue by shaking a generous amount of baking soda on
pots and pans. Then add hot water and dish detergent, let sit for 15
minutes and wash as usual.</li>
<li>Make your own bathroom scrub by mixing ¼ cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add vinegar to give it a thick, creamy texture.</li>
<li> Clean the dishwasher and coffeemaker by running an empty cycle with baking soda.</li>
<li>To shine tarnished silver, combine three parts baking soda with one part
water. Rub onto silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly
and dry.</li>
<li>For instant relief from bug bites, sunburn and poison ivy, mix baking
soda with a little water and apply it directly to the sore.</li>
<li>Pour in 1 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup hot vinegar to quickly unclog the kitchen drain. </li>
<li>Make a fluffier omelet by adding ½ teaspoon baking soda for every three eggs.</li>
<li>Use a pinch in a gallon of freshly-brewed iced tea, to take out the bitterness and prevent cloudiness.</li>
<li>Discourage weeds by sprinkling baking soda into the cracks on your driveway and walkways.</li>
<li>Mix a little baking soda into your conditioner and lather on your hair to keep it healthy and resistant to split ends.</li>
<li> Have heartburn? Create an antacid by mixing ½ teaspoon of baking soda with ½ cup of water.</li>
<li>Exfoliate your skin with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part
water. Apply gently with your fingertips in a circular motion, then
rinse</li>
<li>To clean a toilet, add ¼ cup baking soda to the bowl, swirl, then scrub.</li>
<li> Scrub away ground-in dirt and neutralize
odors on hands with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, or 3
parts baking soda to gentle liquid hand soap. Then rinse clean.</li>
<li>Surface Soft Scrub For safe, effective cleaning of bathroom tubs, tile and sinks–even
fiberglass and glossy tiles–sprinkle baking soda lightly on a clean damp
sponge and scrub as usual. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry. For extra
cleaning power, make a paste with baking soda, course salt and liquid
dish soap—let it sit then scour off.</li>
<li>Clean the Microwave, sprinkle baking soda on a clean damp sponge cleans gently inside and outside the
microwave and never leaves a harsh chemical smell. Rinse well with
water.</li>
<li>Clean the Oven, sprinkle baking soda onto the bottom of the oven. Spray with water to
dampen the baking soda. Let sit overnight. In the morning, scrub, scoop
the baking soda and grime out with a sponge, or vacuum, and rinse.</li>
<li>Clean and deodorize your vinyl shower curtain
by sprinkling baking soda directly on a clean damp sponge or brush.
Scrub the shower curtain and rinse clean. Hang it up to dry.</li>
<li>Remove light-duty oil and grease spills on your
garage floor or in your driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and
scrub with a wet brush. </li>
</ol>
Hope these tips will help you.<br />
I am participating in activities and missions and occasionally might receive free products from ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda. <b>#BakingSodaDoesThat #ad!</b><br />
<b>Join me is receiving some fun project ideas and free products... just click </b><a href="http://h3.sml360.com/-/yqj3" target="_blank">HERE</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-6466158332121839712016-09-22T08:00:00.000-05:002016-09-22T08:00:24.254-05:00Fake It "Til You Make It!!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegTUbJ4ZQWoFtCaiJ6vAL9SmNb0A-nhOx2-X859DDEsL5A9iJxd2mcO2teavAinAdKfAmSgfKTeGPE5iOUZ97CUIJja0IVpclfENbGmDYSnNK4dPlbnWkTZafsbbxOt-_5AksQZrSerym/s1600/fake+it.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegTUbJ4ZQWoFtCaiJ6vAL9SmNb0A-nhOx2-X859DDEsL5A9iJxd2mcO2teavAinAdKfAmSgfKTeGPE5iOUZ97CUIJja0IVpclfENbGmDYSnNK4dPlbnWkTZafsbbxOt-_5AksQZrSerym/s400/fake+it.jpeg" width="400" /></a>I was doing some philosophical thinking today. I have been
working with the boys on acting more grown up, doing things like a grown up
should do and being more confidant in everything. </div>
I have told them, “Fake it ‘til
you make it.” Meaning when you have to do something you don’t want to, instead
of being grumpy and letting everyone know your unhappy, fake a smile and
pretend you’re enjoying yourself until you find you really are enjoying yourself.
I don’t allow lying, but everyone needs to know how to put on a smile and just
do what needs to be done.<br />
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So that got me thinking about people who grumble about
everything. Tell me, what kind of person would you rather hang out with, #1: A
person that treats life’s tough times as the end of the world? Or #2: A person
who treats troubles as just a bump in the road that causes a course correction.
I like to think that everything happens for a reason and that there are lessons
to be learned. My life is not planned out by me, it is an adventure that I am
on and learning new things at every turn. When something happens, it’s for a
reason. It’s time for a course correction and keep moving on the journey.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Back to bad attitudes, think of a person you don’t like to
spend much time with or that complains a lot. Now, think of something nice
about that person, or anything good. It’s hard to think about the good things,
right? All your brain can think about is the whining voice, complaining or
crying. Is that the kind of person you are sharing with the world? Is that what
you want to be remembered as? If not, “Fake it ‘till you make it!”</div>
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<br /></div>
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I saw a video on Facebook the other day, a mom talking about
how she doesn’t care if she’s not her children’s best friend. She didn’t care
that they were mad at her, because she didn’t want to be their friend, she
wanted to be their mom. I have always said that too. But my kids do like me,
they want to spend time with me, sit by me, even when they have a chance to
spend time with other kids. Does that mean I am too soft on them? Not if you
know my boys! I have always follow a belief that kids know that if you are
willing to “SAVE” them from themselves, that means that you will save them from
the hurt of the world. That means that it’s my job to correct their behavior
and actions how I see fit. So while I have been saving them, they have learned
to trust me. With that trust comes love and respect. That in turn makes them
want to spend time with me. Other kids, adults and teenagers are unpredictable compared
to me. I always tell my boys the truth, even “Yes, a shot will hurt.” And made
them be accountable for their actions.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJHMgVa2bXQag8wV4s_DzTPRIEqAdkxgseGaATmrFOCqfSteL2RMluHxswiUELARcC5Mgi4E7HPir8fqveuzWXkLME-iJG7d0E1rw_tXGyxtYSTLqW76H749iiEeEMkQ4-8g0WuASJ_uK/s1600/Confidence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJHMgVa2bXQag8wV4s_DzTPRIEqAdkxgseGaATmrFOCqfSteL2RMluHxswiUELARcC5Mgi4E7HPir8fqveuzWXkLME-iJG7d0E1rw_tXGyxtYSTLqW76H749iiEeEMkQ4-8g0WuASJ_uK/s320/Confidence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So now, how do I teach them confidence? It’s hard for a
young teenager to be confident in the world today. They hear so much going on
in the world and yet they don’t understand it all. It’s hard for an adult to be
confident too! I guess some of confidence is “faking it!” I am just as nervous
as the next guy. I wonder if I look alright for certain events or if I will
meet anyone new. I question myself after an event and wonder if I could have
done or said something different. I am sure that I am not the only one! But how
do you teach that…... I am trying to by sharing like I just did, showing them
by example. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know, it’s funny how I can go on from 1 little starting
point…... but I did warn you all that I was doing some philosophical thinking
today!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-51433805787102411082014-03-17T23:11:00.001-05:002014-03-17T23:11:29.306-05:00A Turning Point: Anger or Control! & Updates, Family Fun and New Goal
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, we have been busy around our home
the last couple of weeks. We have been enjoying ourselves and sharing
time with friends. My last post was almost a month ago and since
then, not much has changed on the job front. We know we will be
waiting until around the beginning of May to make any plans. Until
then, we are just going to enjoy our life. Marty has been working and
the boys have been doing their school work. My Jonah bible study
class finished up and will be starting a new study this week.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf860HCwVDvR7u_rVwCyn9kMtKKyrOhbMhhci_lRY-R74_m-J7WrdLHtntzdo2e5w4rMi9V1lgRp5vR0cgD-odH4xa5cpxDBrzreoLNee4g0hwdbMmCmL3jpMA07bRPAMK38lHVvDYCcld/s1600/2009-02-25+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl9bValdJnsOJ4MP-K_kstxomvpck_b9cv-qRip3MMj2PHE7GpQanRqrAsV1pRFAuWN3QN2czfWTnWnrt04r2FSWzC65b__nczhAWP7DAiwcH_NMJjgysgkdkYR8MLnuHut40zUv7HU7S/s1600/2014-02-24+14.09.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl9bValdJnsOJ4MP-K_kstxomvpck_b9cv-qRip3MMj2PHE7GpQanRqrAsV1pRFAuWN3QN2czfWTnWnrt04r2FSWzC65b__nczhAWP7DAiwcH_NMJjgysgkdkYR8MLnuHut40zUv7HU7S/s1600/2014-02-24+14.09.18.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf860HCwVDvR7u_rVwCyn9kMtKKyrOhbMhhci_lRY-R74_m-J7WrdLHtntzdo2e5w4rMi9V1lgRp5vR0cgD-odH4xa5cpxDBrzreoLNee4g0hwdbMmCmL3jpMA07bRPAMK38lHVvDYCcld/s1600/2009-02-25+001.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Updates & Family Fun"</span></span></span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> I'll cover the last 2 weeks of
February..... We had the cold bug go through the males of the house,
yes I avoided it! We then had sleep over and a field trip day to the
zoo. Note the pictures, Ryan is growing up since the first time we went there! Spring 2009 and February 2014</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fun with 3 pre-teen boys and riding the train! Long day but
worth the fun. We went to the Botanical gardens and Children's
Garden, neat place. We have to go back, we ran out of time!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We then went into March with our
insurance through Marty's employer kicking in, Medicaid switching to
a HMO type plan base. Then after having reported all the changes and
turned in all the documentation needed, Medicaid was canceled on the
10th. Oh well, got eye exams done on both Marty and I.... still
waiting for the glasses to come in. I have been working on the
garden, mostly covering and un-covering the garden. The weather has
been crazy with 82 one day and dropping to 14 by the next evening.
Not to mention bringing freezing rain with it. I need to get my
seedlings out of the house and into the garden before they die from
lack of root space! More sleep overs and hanging out with friends.
Those fill my time and I enjoy that more than anything.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We also went on a short ½ day mission
trip. We joined our church youth for the afternoon on their mission
field during spring break. The youth hosted a mini Vacation Bible
School at a low-income apartment complex, working with an
organization that has lots of groups doing the same. The boys friend
plays guitar and writes his own songs. So we practiced 2 songs and
the boys performed them for the VBS kids. It almost didn't happen,
the complex had a “rough” crowd, there was a fear of bully type
behavior and our youth/children's pastor was concerned for the boys
feelings. We gave the boys the info and warned them of the fears,
then gave them the option to back out. They didn't! While it wasn't
perfect, after having to quietly speak to a few rowdy ones, a few
others really seemed to connect with the message of the music.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We continued our day with joining the
Dance class at Scottish Rite Hospital, we attended this class last
year but they have changed the schedule to Wednesday nights,
conflicting with our church schedule. After having a ton of fun, the
boys were now hungry, so off to Ihop for some dinner. Long day filled
with so much fun and fellowship! </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Finished the spring break week with
some great family fun. For 2 days no body got dressed, we played the
Wii 1 day and watched recorded shows the 2<sup>nd</sup> day. We even
ordered pizza and grabbed snacks instead of cooking 1 day! Lazy
family time, but together!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></h4>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Turning Point: Anger or Control” </span></span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">During all of this fun, the bible
study finished up Jonah. I had a few more Jonah moments, but was more
reflective, not pensive. A verse that got me really thinking; <span style="color: magenta;"><u>The
</u><u>Lord</u><u>
said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?” <span style="color: #f6b26b;">Jonah 4:4</span></u></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEits__9Av6AZ14GYvzckDM19zCqeCYZEpbdB7vmgabfgkbwza8K5B6Wzm_BtiSm3aDrumPBqeMh1yh3-7CxjQhgRdcWva8uFKjqBvIYfvdu5pVGH-hzVj1W_bIT_xgL4gO6wT_i1L5aeCPd/s1600/Caution+God%27s+work+in+Progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEits__9Av6AZ14GYvzckDM19zCqeCYZEpbdB7vmgabfgkbwza8K5B6Wzm_BtiSm3aDrumPBqeMh1yh3-7CxjQhgRdcWva8uFKjqBvIYfvdu5pVGH-hzVj1W_bIT_xgL4gO6wT_i1L5aeCPd/s1600/Caution+God's+work+in+Progress.jpg" height="259" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Do I have reason to be angry at God? I
always have refused to blame God for any troubles, always thought
that was the worst thing I could do. I can't get angry at Him, He is
God! Right?? But, should I be allowed to feel angry, if only for a
moment? Should I just get it out? While I never placed blame on God
for any troubles, I would say that it was meant to be a lesson,
somewhere in whatever was going on, there should be a lesson to
learn. But when the trouble hits you back to back, you wonder what
lesson are you missing. The angry comes, but you direct it at
yourself first- “You are missing the lesson! You did something
wrong and still haven't learned what God wants you to learn!!” Just
questioning yourself, your every action, word etc, looking for the
wrong doing to explain why things are falling apart around you. If
that doesn't get you answers, you then start looking at your spouse-
“what have they done wrong? Where are they slipping? What reason
(blame) can be causing the trouble in your life?” Then starts the
cycle of guilt, “I have no right to blame my spouse; I shouldn't
question their faithfulness; I have a bad attitude!” etc. So, anger
is there all along, it's just directed different. But when we get
angry at ourselves, are we also getting angry at God? For me, that is
where I needed to go. I needed to hear the words, “It's OK to be
angry at God!” I had been placing this blame on my shoulders and
trying to find the answers, working so hard that I was doing it
again.... taking control! Here it is again, that ugly bug that grabs
us, takes a hold, multiplies like fleas and we can't get rid of it!
CONTROL!!!! I was trying to find a way to control the “why” it
was all happening. Anything I could do but get angry at God, because
to get angry at Him meant that He was the one in control of it all!
I'll say that again, “If I were to get angry at God, that means He
is in <i><u><b>control</b></u></i> of the circumstances that I am
in.” We all know and I believe, He will take care of us in our
times of need, but do we acknowledge that He is in control and may
have caused them? The troubling times are reminders that He is in
control, not just over the solutions but over the causes as well. Now
I know most folks would/ will disagree with me on this. Most say that
God doesn't punish or cause bad things to happen, it's the devil that
does it. Well, sometimes it is the devil but the bible does tell us
God punishes.<span style="color: magenta;"> <span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">“Whether
for correction, or for His world, Or for loving kindness, He causes
it to happen.” </span></u></span><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><strong><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">Job
37:13</span></u></span></strong> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, God CAUSES it to
happen. That means He does control it all, the good and the bad. See,
here is my reminder and here is my lesson to be learned; He is in
control, not me. So, I let go! I don't have to worry about what, how
or why, I just need to be me and enjoy my family, where-ever we are.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now, letting go doesn't mean not doing
what I am supposed to do. It means to let go of the worry and the
reason's behind it all. If you don't think about the why, then most
of the worry goes away with it. So, we are paying our bills, spending
our time and money on what we need to and even on some of the wants.
We are not worrying about saving for the rainy day that always seems
to come. But you want to know what keeps happening when we do that,
the money we “need” comes right when we need it. I give to others
more freely and spend on my family. I still am frugal, but I stopped
hoarding the money. I had a $100 bill in my wallet for almost 2
months, worried that if I spent it, then some emergency would happen
and then I would be left feeling guilty that I had spent that last
$100. Sound familiar? Well, so finally I went through and spent all
the money in the bank account to pay all the bills I could. Next day,
there were checks in the mail to cover the bills I couldn't. So then,
Marty get's the job and get's his 1<sup>st</sup> pay check, I again
paid all the bills.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now I still had this $100 bill in my
wallet, but now I didn't need it as much as it was a security
blanket. Then for some reason I had to break that $100, needed to use
cash for some reason and only had that left. A few days later, a
friend let me know they were having some struggles and were short on
funds. I was able to give all that I had left from that $100 and help
someone else that needed it. If it had still been in that $100 bill,
my friend might not have taken it. See, life keeps going and I have
to remember, I AM NOT IN CONTROL... GOD is!
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, now this week we start a new bible
study, on Nehemiah. I am looking forward to more “moments” of God
speaking to me. I hope I help to inspire you, or spark you to re-look
at things and stop trying to control things.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">"New Goal" </span></span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGtLc2Ppz4zLxUKTs0r58-qI7wuXrA1ucFWkvLpMz9AUCFhNojq7Jxi5u94mpOEChR8liejakd3WpwrtuYUb6jcxSPB3LG6RQ8jxvbJZAGneE3PR4ys7MXF-ofgaUfKW8BYrLcrhmPH1m/s1600/praying-hands-childs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGtLc2Ppz4zLxUKTs0r58-qI7wuXrA1ucFWkvLpMz9AUCFhNojq7Jxi5u94mpOEChR8liejakd3WpwrtuYUb6jcxSPB3LG6RQ8jxvbJZAGneE3PR4ys7MXF-ofgaUfKW8BYrLcrhmPH1m/s1600/praying-hands-childs.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Also, our new family goal... work on
our prayers. The boys offer our mealtime prayers, I have now
challenged them to “5 finger prayers” which is 1 prayer or praise
for each finger (and the thumb) during their mealtime prayers. We do
a quick run down before we start, so everyone gets to help pick the
5, also that way we all are really focused on those 5 prayers.This has been helpful and we hope our prayers are getting answered. Have a blessed day!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-19949504712213930692014-02-25T18:17:00.000-06:002014-02-25T18:17:22.061-06:00An Update and Another Jonah- What's Important?
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDcraM-g4T0VRs12ev4jAwJPEDOadKrhRBrVP4RnfkdyyGukaUGhufv4DgSimtikz06_NRmBqmH1KVsuKeGnK7GoVqpYSf-QQhyY9Sy2YFmqgzsMGadXpjanOkyxpbNH-6Hq6j3JSFuBk/s1600/jonah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDcraM-g4T0VRs12ev4jAwJPEDOadKrhRBrVP4RnfkdyyGukaUGhufv4DgSimtikz06_NRmBqmH1KVsuKeGnK7GoVqpYSf-QQhyY9Sy2YFmqgzsMGadXpjanOkyxpbNH-6Hq6j3JSFuBk/s1600/jonah.jpg" height="76" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So about 2 weeks ago I did a post
titled, <a href="http://rntravelingfamily.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-struggle-to-find-me-while-looking.html" target="_blank">“My struggle to find.. me while looking for God's direction!"</a> and during the writing of that post I had some personal
revelations. Some people have read it and told me in person their
feedback, all have been supportive. I have begun to call that post,
“A Jonah </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Moment</span></span>” in reference to the bible study class and it was a
Jonah moment of realizing that I was making a bigger mistake by
keeping everyone at arms length so they couldn't see my weaknesses.
Well here I am again, life has thrown some new curve balls and I am
looking for some new answers. While working on my bible study, I had
another “Jonah Moment!”
</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's start with the last 2 weeks,
Marty got a travel contract and started working nights again. He is
back in pediatrics and working Congenital Heart Surgical Intensive
Care unit (his real nursing love!) The kids and I are getting our act
together with schedules and getting schoolwork done as well as
spending time working with another friend that is home-schooled as
well to do some group activities. We have got a garden started
outside and seedlings growing inside. Life is beginning to feel back
to <u>normal.</u> Yea, I spoke too soon!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3LxwcOA_iaSlJQwoq7qPhB1yjQ-2cfypgEJq0Ws4mQEqq0-zZ6KotsipENv9xH9bp1lvm0PLjkG142yScP0QF8jrrRYXCNBEhqtBW90IEFktG5eR5pjwdX0geYL6eqRRV74C94H1IPx-/s1600/2014-02-23+07.17.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3LxwcOA_iaSlJQwoq7qPhB1yjQ-2cfypgEJq0Ws4mQEqq0-zZ6KotsipENv9xH9bp1lvm0PLjkG142yScP0QF8jrrRYXCNBEhqtBW90IEFktG5eR5pjwdX0geYL6eqRRV74C94H1IPx-/s1600/2014-02-23+07.17.30.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivFfr6PLHir2c9meID4eW7sdmU5gEIR1IsyebApYW9EZYbMN2dBKnIjYe-9RDkcOD2Wsv7vYW0Lm1bqi3NBX3pZH2saPCTmVUch5EGNL9gLgqlRLbzQk71-M6TZi8N6l5rHAMIZWf2utQ/s1600/2014-02-20+18.48.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivFfr6PLHir2c9meID4eW7sdmU5gEIR1IsyebApYW9EZYbMN2dBKnIjYe-9RDkcOD2Wsv7vYW0Lm1bqi3NBX3pZH2saPCTmVUch5EGNL9gLgqlRLbzQk71-M6TZi8N6l5rHAMIZWf2utQ/s1600/2014-02-20+18.48.06.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The plan was, let Marty work the
contract while we wait for his Texas nursing license comes through
and continue to look for that permanent position in the mean time.
The contract is through mid-May and could have a possibility of
extending if needed. The pay is good and we have benefits starting
soon. Then we got a letter last Saturday from Texas Board of Nursing,
they want to transfer his application to another department for
further review and he will not be allowed to work as a nurse in the
state of Texas as a nurse starting the end of the current contract,
until the other department is completed their review and he is issued
a Texas license. They also state that the review will take a minimum
of 4 months and could take longer than 4 months to complete. So,
Marty can't take any permanent position in Texas and can't take an
extension on the contract, at least not as a nurse.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So now what? The kids are planning on
going to preteen camp with church this summer, Andy was just talking
about Spinal Bifida camp this summer. We started the garden and have
been making our plans for growing it. The kids have also made a good
friend and enjoy spending time with him. We have a house full of
furniture and appliances (some that we are still paying for) so what
would we do with all of it?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijW5NJZyeC9ggXMmfyR1jXerdVkKKmNPykRjGM0rb0yhYxIpDJjUo3Vp_3vwpDs14_JKSMZ1GJmdasU-yMZn_yYigJ39J2p1D7B4oBEPydyp2GY6xhi-lK8g8AO3TNiS8pBHmQfhn7n0hf/s1600/blank+road+signs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijW5NJZyeC9ggXMmfyR1jXerdVkKKmNPykRjGM0rb0yhYxIpDJjUo3Vp_3vwpDs14_JKSMZ1GJmdasU-yMZn_yYigJ39J2p1D7B4oBEPydyp2GY6xhi-lK8g8AO3TNiS8pBHmQfhn7n0hf/s1600/blank+road+signs.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What are our options? Well, Marty could
take a travel contract out-of-state without us for 3 months, so the
boys could attend their events and camps. During that time we can
hope the license comes through but no guarantee it will and then
what if it doesn't?? We could put things into storage and travel with
him, boys would miss everything. Marty could find a job that doesn't
require a license, few a far between and at a lower pay rate than RN.
We could just sell off everything and hit the road again with no
plans of returning?
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, let's talk about my “Jonah
Moment”. This week was asking for my most wildest dreams, I was to
think about my “divine interventions” of late, and come up with a
dream that would be the most phenomenal outcome. Well, for me that is
hard to do. I really don't have too many dreams. Yes I have, “It
would be nice,” statements, but as for real dreams I don't have
them. Long term plans- I don't make them. Our lives have been too “on
the fly” for far too long, I have stopped dreaming big. So I sat
there thinking, I even asked Marty- he couldn't answer either.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cDzPUdqucy1g5UuCD3Y2hF0l1YbV5OH9LAbtgnTUpkcV2v9Tii1xQidol1K8pSPcokIhuvviCGDDMurdsg2o89Iy3ddfaB34dfr3AddilcQbdTQwKSsxdl9W6nnFc12DAPoWfE7LJhAo/s1600/greenhouse+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cDzPUdqucy1g5UuCD3Y2hF0l1YbV5OH9LAbtgnTUpkcV2v9Tii1xQidol1K8pSPcokIhuvviCGDDMurdsg2o89Iy3ddfaB34dfr3AddilcQbdTQwKSsxdl9W6nnFc12DAPoWfE7LJhAo/s1600/greenhouse+garden.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I finally wrote about what I would
really want if I could have anything. “A home, truly our home with
a yard and a garden, income- enough to meet our needs and more for
our wants, extra to share and give without worry. A 2<sup>nd</sup>
car and the 1<sup>st</sup> one to be in good repair.” That's it! I
wish our car was fixed and we had a home of our own. I wish we had an
income source that took care of us and wasn't going to disappear at
the end of a contract or with a licensing agency delay. Seems too
simple right?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well then later in the same day's
assignment, it covers simple obedience and talks about remembering
people who made an impact in your life with their small ways of
simple obedience. I thought of the older woman from our first church,
she continued to come to church and share her love of God with all
while fighting cancer, never loosing faith that God was in control of
her outcome. And then there was Skip, he always has a smile on his
face, it was only missing when something was gravely wrong. He had
migraines that would sometimes remove that smile and he said he was showing God's love through his smile. Because of his smiling attitude, his
coworkers threw him a “Roast” party, they told his wife that Skip
was the only one they could do that for, no one else would be able to
take the punches without hurt feelings.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then the lesson asked me this
question. “God can do beyond that which you can imagine as He uses
your obedience as a foundation for what He is building. Consider this
and record your thoughts.” Wow, after thinking about these 2 great
people and their ability to show God's love at all times, how can I
even ask for anything. Here is my response, a prayer.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> “Lord, I know my dreams are not too
big for You. But I also know that You have a plan for me, and my
dreams may not match that plan. I don't want to ask for that dream
because I don't believe my dreams are important. It's only Your plan
that I live for. Amen.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2_kpvapfSFBuhDyBsgDBpo_QE78bKML_Vi1O6PeSkLALWzWYrVz4SEg2dBWQS0MBtQPbH7YN7Ait6-N2WVgvj9r3CQx_m3oFkf2KRdoWRF-scEuj43zj3wNm11TisujwXVHZK3aFJnVb/s1600/god+direct+my+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2_kpvapfSFBuhDyBsgDBpo_QE78bKML_Vi1O6PeSkLALWzWYrVz4SEg2dBWQS0MBtQPbH7YN7Ait6-N2WVgvj9r3CQx_m3oFkf2KRdoWRF-scEuj43zj3wNm11TisujwXVHZK3aFJnVb/s1600/god+direct+my+life.jpg" height="186" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now while this statement seems so
selfless, it also became convicting. See, it's not just a measure to
God that I feel my dreams are not important, I realized it's in
general that I tend to believe my dreams or desires are not
important. That I am not important. We all want to feel important, in
some way. I want to feel important too, but I also feel that I don't
deserve to feel important. That I am some how wrong in wanting to
feel important. Crazy, but I think I am not alone. The biggest
problem with thinking that way, it's like I am saying to God, “You
were wrong! I am not worthy of anything. Stop saving me, because You
made a mistake.” Now who is the one who is making the mistake? God
doesn't make mistakes. Part of the week's study was talking about God
changing His mind, not because He made a mistake. But because He has
compassion and mercy for His children. It's because of His love for
us that we know how to love. There is no greater love than the love
that comes from our Father. He didn't create me to not deserve
feelings of love or importance. I am correct in my thinking that I
live to be used by God for His plan, but I also need to remember that
it can include my own wants. He created me to have feelings and
desires, He only asks that I be humble and obedient. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOTTNjfrGSt_sSmnw75TYx0vDP7PqJqt7_-URUFUf-IPAY1tcLgVHF26i8yyThce1PxvhClTucN1i8vd-f2-dV1z3NPzi_tyvjtPW-UsGs0S0t1m5BsL1tf5XY1zFvsrzVGtVZfOpahwB/s1600/feel+important.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOTTNjfrGSt_sSmnw75TYx0vDP7PqJqt7_-URUFUf-IPAY1tcLgVHF26i8yyThce1PxvhClTucN1i8vd-f2-dV1z3NPzi_tyvjtPW-UsGs0S0t1m5BsL1tf5XY1zFvsrzVGtVZfOpahwB/s1600/feel+important.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> It comes back to this, it's ok for me
to want to feel important. I have to remind myself, I am important!
While I may live for God's purpose, He wants to know my dreams. Who
knows, He may use them for His purpose?
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-69410933628301262552014-02-13T18:00:00.002-06:002014-02-13T18:00:59.136-06:00My struggle to find.. me while looking for God's direction!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDcraM-g4T0VRs12ev4jAwJPEDOadKrhRBrVP4RnfkdyyGukaUGhufv4DgSimtikz06_NRmBqmH1KVsuKeGnK7GoVqpYSf-QQhyY9Sy2YFmqgzsMGadXpjanOkyxpbNH-6Hq6j3JSFuBk/s1600/jonah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDcraM-g4T0VRs12ev4jAwJPEDOadKrhRBrVP4RnfkdyyGukaUGhufv4DgSimtikz06_NRmBqmH1KVsuKeGnK7GoVqpYSf-QQhyY9Sy2YFmqgzsMGadXpjanOkyxpbNH-6Hq6j3JSFuBk/s1600/jonah.jpg" height="123" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So I have been taking a woman's bible
study class at my church. It's called, “Jonah, Navigating a Life
Interrupted” and as you can see from my posts, the last few months
of my life have been interrupted! I knew all the right answers the
first few days, but I wanted to find the answers I didn't already
know. I looked and read, I studied my bible and the study guide, and
I looked into myself to see what I was missing. I even continued to
work my way through Experiencing God bible study hoping that between
the 2, I would find the answers I was seeking.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What answers, you ask.... I wanted to
know why the troubled times seem to bother me more this time than any
of the past events.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some of you know me and my family well
enough to know what I'm talking about. Through my son's short life,
he has racked up 14 surgeries and over 20 hospital stays. We were
told he would never walk, or that he would have trouble walking even
with assistance devices such as walkers or crutches, he walks and
most folks don't realize there is anything wrong with him. Through
most of these “events” I have never seemed to loose my cool. I
have handled everything very calmly.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This time around, it has been
different. During the hospital stay and first few weeks after, I
didn't have any problems. But as the weeks went on, I seem to have my
agitation grow. Yes, this time around it wasn't my son but my husband
who's health had been the instigator. I still had faith that God was
in control and knew that He was going to get us thru it all. But
there was still a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, a bit of
confusion and probably a bit of depression. I couldn't figure out
what I was supposed to do about all the bills, about the job, how to
take care of it all and meet the obligations. I didn't know how to
talk to Marty about my feelings, for fear that would make him feel
guilty. I felt a disconnect from him as his health had kept him from
even being able to share our bed for over 2 months. On top of that I
had to make sure my children didn't see anything but a strong parent
so they wouldn't have any fears over everything.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrptLPs5HSOTuLrS0C78nTSdXarAiEb_xTISgSGCWYkjmDOfmG7DdvV_8yugIawlrX_vv1jFbJtyCsnCyRzitGTHhllyKlkeUNK7zifHzZ6Fu4R3bGxVCnJVD0-cQSjj3V2uFtJIW-K21/s1600/feeling+switch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrptLPs5HSOTuLrS0C78nTSdXarAiEb_xTISgSGCWYkjmDOfmG7DdvV_8yugIawlrX_vv1jFbJtyCsnCyRzitGTHhllyKlkeUNK7zifHzZ6Fu4R3bGxVCnJVD0-cQSjj3V2uFtJIW-K21/s1600/feeling+switch.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here are some notes I wrote in my study
guide;</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Never let them see you sweat! I have
a hard time letting others see me down. I have been trying to trust
and lean on others. To give them the blessing of being helpful. It
feels like a backfire. It feels like people see me as a “Needy,
Whiner.” Before I was a “Strong woman,” “Nothing ever gets
her down!” But maybe it was more of, “She's cold heart-ed. It
Doesn't bother her!”
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Confused is what I am and questioning
my self worth, my self view and wondering if what I thought I was
showing to everyone was what everyone was seeing.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Another note;</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“I can't say that I ran. I can only
say I have been confused lately. I am having trouble “hearing”
God's directions. Somewhere I probably have “not obeyed” and
maybe that's why my confusion continues.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“I feel like I am missing something.
I don't know what directive I am missing/ not following.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“I question/ OVER-question my every
decision.”
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5lsIjSYzL4Rahqg3Y49xnCfTIv6yqooeMJUrUWBgd7cPeBmoWIX9_GZ0PtYuuEMstxtp2W6SFXjJi4ox_wncz04dq4KYY86ScWljcvMDd_zP7qX13p185Cwxancddl6uhVdQIzNi3rY2/s1600/Recovering-Control-Freak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5lsIjSYzL4Rahqg3Y49xnCfTIv6yqooeMJUrUWBgd7cPeBmoWIX9_GZ0PtYuuEMstxtp2W6SFXjJi4ox_wncz04dq4KYY86ScWljcvMDd_zP7qX13p185Cwxancddl6uhVdQIzNi3rY2/s1600/Recovering-Control-Freak.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This last week, in the middle of the
week I made a new discovery about myself. Maybe the direction I was
looking for wasn't an directive of “Go” but a directive of
“Stop!” See I have a control problem. I have been in control of
everything around me, partly by my doing and partly by circumstance.
With our traveling lifestyle, Marty left most things up to me to be
in charge of. From that I took control of so much that it became a
joke that all Marty had to do was the phone interviews for the jobs
and show up to work when I told him to. But that “joke” should
have been my clue. I was in control of too much.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I find myself now looking back and
realizing that there is negative response that comes with control. I
now can look and see the times that it bothered me when Marty
wouldn't or couldn't tell me every detail of conversations or events
of his day. Bad right? It wasn't born out of a want to control him,
but a want to control the world around him. I'll say it again, I
wanted to control the world around him. Now yes, that would control
him to a point as well, if he didn't have access to sinful
environment then I was controlling the chances of him sinning. But on
the flip side, I began to need to control him and out of that became
a mistrust of him. I began to look at everything he did, look for
ways that he might be hiding something from me. See, I had lost
control over the everyday things, so I needed to fill in that gap
with another thing to control. I even began to think he was hiding
something from me when he would get out of bed before me, like he's
doing much between 6:30am and 7:30am when I got up!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Through the last few months the ability
to control the finances have gone out the window. I lost that “fix”
that became my addiction over the years. That addiction has turned me
into an ugly person some days. I know that most people wouldn't call
it an addiction, but to me it seems to be one.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You see if you look back to that 1<sup>st</sup>
note, “Never let them see you sweat!” well that's a control as
well. I had to control what everyone saw of me. I had to control my
actions so that no one would know I hurt inside. That part of my
control comes back to childhood pain. If I was strong enough, if no
one could ever see me cry or break, then they maybe they would still
be my friend in-spite of my fat and ugly body. Yes, my head says that
is crazy.... but my heart has always felt it. My mom used to say to
me, “You have to loose weight or no one will want to be your
friend.” “It hurts me more than it hurts you to hear the kids
call you names, so you have to loose weight.” And then at the
dinner table my father would say, “You don't need to eat, you have
enough fat to live off of for at least a week.” And my brother
would join in. Eventually my brother and I had a discussion where he
admitted that he thought I would loose the weight to shut them up. He
knows that doesn't work. As for my folks, well I know they are never
going to change, they are never going to apologize or even admit they
ever said anything like that, so why bother even bringing it up. I
let their hurts go a long time ago, it's the peers that I can't seem
to let go of. You see, I never did have any friends that stuck around
as a friend for very long. They only came around me when they needed
something from me, so I never needed anything from them.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHj5qwpCXtcajPmMoF5GioNzBnzXT3riTySGc9ReOHJF6lRz6owwD8SHt9dTq-4Qst_9DEnEYp5wga96S20OZol6RZGzrVM9Gqhvwtv2TpuyGL5HjIx6DMl6SHPRPZeZpS1F1QgswLKQ1/s1600/fake+smile+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHj5qwpCXtcajPmMoF5GioNzBnzXT3riTySGc9ReOHJF6lRz6owwD8SHt9dTq-4Qst_9DEnEYp5wga96S20OZol6RZGzrVM9Gqhvwtv2TpuyGL5HjIx6DMl6SHPRPZeZpS1F1QgswLKQ1/s1600/fake+smile+quote.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Wow, that's it. I never needed anything
from them! I never let them see a need. I never let anyone see a
need. I have only 1 person that I call best friend, she has been the
only one to ever get close enough to knowing me that she knew, KNEW,
when I was hurting. I didn't have to say anything, I didn't have to
ask for anything, she knew the tricks I used to cover my feelings.
And I feel so guilty for calling her, for dumping on her all my
trouble. I feel guilty for letting her “see me sweat.” She was my
friend in-spite of my hiding me.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, the bible study has opened the door
for me to look at myself more than my circumstance's. I think that's
a big part of what it is supposed to be doing. Of course we still
have a few more weeks and who knows how many more things I will learn
about myself during that time.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-84084589670423449742014-02-13T15:34:00.002-06:002014-02-13T15:35:09.948-06:00Short, Sweet and to the Point Update!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYJZddrC6KnuVP4SGpTn5dkPlNbiWZzxbjTYHgjdIutSXnxOFVLT2qny4fOwWRHqUAofaa_oxeowUTjBWjYXh9pXKGaHhdKnE8vL8zbIrJDDgt3gunJR8NVFzmE009N3bB8xc7WFa4M7n/s1600/new+update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYJZddrC6KnuVP4SGpTn5dkPlNbiWZzxbjTYHgjdIutSXnxOFVLT2qny4fOwWRHqUAofaa_oxeowUTjBWjYXh9pXKGaHhdKnE8vL8zbIrJDDgt3gunJR8NVFzmE009N3bB8xc7WFa4M7n/s1600/new+update.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have been working on some other posts
and I realize they are long ones that will not be posted for awhile.
So I need to make some smaller posts in the mean time. Here is a
quick run down of the last few weeks.
</div>
<ul>
<li>Short term disability insurance company
sent a check (out of the blue) for a few more weeks worth of coverage! So the bills were paid in time. Praise the Lord!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Andy went through some testing and
Doctors appointments, made some more appointments. All is good for
now, just have to wait until after the end of March before we can
start to put all the pieces together and get a better understanding
of what is going on.
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>We were approved for food stamps and
Medicaid came through.
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Marty had 2 job interviews, 1 has
already informed us he didn't get the job, the other- who knows?</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Marty took a travel contract for the
next 3 months, locally. That means, we have income that will start to
come in the next 2 weeks and it should last for at-least 3 months.
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I started taking a Woman’s bible
study at church on Wednesday mornings and repeating the same class in
the evenings. Yes, I am trying to focus myself that much!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Because of the class, the boys have
made a stronger connection to another homeschool boy their age. I
have grown closer to him and his grandmother. We now all spend
Wednesday afternoons together working on some group teaching
subjects.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The boys have had a sleep over and a
field trip to Sea Life Aquarium with a fun side trip to Lego-Land
Discovery Center.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The boys are working well on school
work and Dad is the grader for all schoolwork, That means I just have
to help with the work and fill in the grade-book with the final
scores.
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The taxes are done!!</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is probably more that I am
missing, but this is a pretty close list to all that has been going
on. Short, sweet and to the point. Hope you all are having a blessed
day and month.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-75191942619888853052014-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:002014-01-30T07:00:03.821-06:00What started this whole mess!!
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Friday, October 11<sup>th</sup>, 2013
around 7:30pm our lives changed. We had started watching a movie as a
family and had turned on the oven to preheat, we were going to have
some frozen pizzas for dinner. Marty, my husband, was on the couch
with our youngest and felt a discomfort in his right shoulder, so he
decided to readjust his position. The next thing I knew, he was
kneeling on the floor, gasping for air. After a few minutes of
calming him down and trying to assess what was the cause of this and
what “this” was, we all dressed and climbed into the car for a
trip to the emergency room. I knew some of what was going on was a
panic attack, which was in response to the not being able to breathe.
OK, I get that part, but why was he having trouble breathing? Years
earlier, around 12-15, Marty had a “BLEB” (bubble/blister of lung
tissue, like a weak spot on a balloon or inner tube) pop on his lung
that caused a pain similar to pulled muscle, just more intense. My
first assumption this night was that was the case again, just the
pain was making it difficult to breathe.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The car ride was difficult for him, the
pain increased with the position in the car and vibrations of the
road. We got to the Emergency room and they sprang to attention
because he was having chest pain. We knew it was not heart related
but they have to check that out first because of the possible
complications. Again, fine let's go. So, they take him back and then
ask me to fill out a slip of paper that just asks for his name and
age. I sit with the kids in the waiting room and start trying to
decide what to do with them. I made a call and got a church member to
come get them. Got a chance to go back talk to Marty for a minute,
tell him what the plans are for the kids and bring them back to see
him for a minute before sending off.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">All the immediate heart tests are
negative and the staff have calmed down. Now we wait for a chest
x-ray. The Doctor thinks he can go to x-ray, he seems healthy
enough..... he's been given some pain killers and aspirin as well
they had him on oxygen. Soon after getting back from x-ray the Doctor
comes in to tell us, the lung is partially collapsed and it will
require a chest tube to be inserted. He will also get an admission to
the hospital as long as the chest tube is in. The chest tube will
stay in maybe a day or 2 for the lung to heal up, the lung Surgeon
will tell us more the next day. The process of getting information
and then waiting for it to happen is frustrating. They give you the
information, then take 1-2 hours to do the action. I got to sit/
stand in the room and watch the whole procedure, interesting and I'm
not squeamish when it comes to other peoples blood, only my own. We
then sit around waiting for another 1-2 hours before they come to
take him to a room. We live only 10 minutes from the hospital, we
entered the Emergency room before 8pm, yet it was going on 2am before
he was settled in a room for the night.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> I finally leave him settled in for the
night and go pick up and kids. I then need to stop and get gas, find
a drive thru for myself and get the boys home and to bed. Up the next
morning and packing things for Marty, he's texting me a list and
adding more! I get things loaded up and we're off to see him. He
already has a visitor, another church member that I had called the
night before, and seems to be doing well. They had taken him down for
a CT scan of the chest and lungs, the lung Surgeon is supposed to be
in later to talk. The boys take off with a church member to hang out
with a friend and we continue to entertain visitors for church while
waiting for the Surgeon.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Early afternoon, the Surgeon comes in.
Yes, it's a BLEB that has popped and caused the hole in the lung.
Bad news, the CT shows more that could cause more damage and he wants
to do surgery to remove them. So, we now schedule surgery for Monday
morning. They are going to remove these BLEBS and rough up the
surface of the lung to make it stick better to the chest wall, this
will help keep air out while it all heals. Think of 2 pieces of bread
and spreading jelly on them, now stick them together so an air pocket
can't form between them from the little holes in the bread. A new
chest tube will be placed as well. After surgery he will be in ICU
for at-least 1 day. Then it will be another 3-5 days in the hospital.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Wait, um did my world just stop
spinning??? Yeap, life was just turned upside down. Marty, my rock,
my dear husband who is almost always by my side is going to have a
major surgery and be in the hospital.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoFWh8I7Aq_tBGeBrMIWt-l7SmWl20Ni7a_G6c_RWxdM_5_TLpVYjtlOQ4LXodtSA1MB-8_N54YtCG6jhrbL8bpcpiY0CvaiQxhyqih4VBDqZtxHoDf08Kdky8xMbRwa8-lmJB_IZujqD/s1600/2013-10-14+17.37.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoFWh8I7Aq_tBGeBrMIWt-l7SmWl20Ni7a_G6c_RWxdM_5_TLpVYjtlOQ4LXodtSA1MB-8_N54YtCG6jhrbL8bpcpiY0CvaiQxhyqih4VBDqZtxHoDf08Kdky8xMbRwa8-lmJB_IZujqD/s1600/2013-10-14+17.37.27.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> No time to take that all in, at-least
no time to let it slow me down. You see, I'm the one everyone depends
on. I now need to go make the phone calls while Marty gets some rest.
I have to find some lunch, it's almost 2:30 and the cafeteria closes
for the day at 2:30. I grab a quick bite, no phone signal so can't
make calls yet, so I rush myself. Then outside to call my mom, his
mom and his sister. Give the church secretary a call so she can pass
the word around there.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Back in to check on him and think
about what to do with the kids. What is the polite amount of time to
leave your kids with friends without over stepping? What's the best
way to ask if someone will help by taking them for a few hours? Are
they really willing to keep them longer or are they just saying it to
be nice and should I know that? On top of that, I keep thinking of
how strong I need to show I am for the kids. If I freak out, the kids
will not handle this as well, they need a strong parent to feel safe
and protected. I also am the person that never lets anyone see me
break. (More on that in a different post!)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> I go pick up and kids and grab some
dinner. We take it back to the hospital room to have dinner as a
family. We all watch some TV with Dad, like most nights, then head
for home around 9pm. The next morning, the boys get a ride to church
and I am to go have church with Marty, we're going to watch a sermon
online. Andy forgets his bag of supplies, the boys are going to spend
the afternoon with another church friend, so I now have to run by the
church. Of course most folks who see me want to know how things are
and whats going on, I talk for a few and get going to the hospital.
We have a calm day and I again head out to get the kids and dinner,
only to find they are still out eating a late lunch with friends and
we make arrangements for someone else to drop them off at the
hospital later. So I grab dinner for just the 2 of us and spend some
more time alone with my husband. I haven't had this much time alone
with him in years! The kids arrive via church visitors and again we
leave around 9pm.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Monday morning arrives early, we are
up and at the hospital by 6:15am. Our deacon and youth/children's
pastor arrive in time visit and pray before we all to head down to
pre-op. The boys and deacon to the waiting room, pastor and I with
Marty. Short wait time, all the pre-op questions and last check in
with the surgeon, it's now time for a last prayer before he goes into
the Operating room. Now we head back out to join the rest in the
waiting room. We all head down and get some breakfast. Then back to
the waiting room. The surgery takes about 2 hours and the Surgeon
comes out afterwards to give me a short consult. “It's done, he's
doing good. They've got him in recovery and soon he'll be moved to
ICU. They'll let you know when you can see him.” And that's about
it. This Surgeon is a man of few words, really!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> The boys and I were supposed to go to
a Pumpkin farm with friends from church but it's rainy and cold out.
I call them, the kids can just stay in and play together for the day.
So I send the boys off with the pastor, he'll drop them off, and
continue to wait for Marty to get out of surgery with our deacon.
BTW, our deacon is great and we love him like an uncle. He also
co-teaches the boys Sunday School class, so they know him well too!
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> While the surgery takes about 2 hours,
the recovery and moving to the ICU, took another 2 hours! I send our
deacon off after we finally get to see Marty. I then go grab lunch
and make the phone calls. Marty's parents and sister are going to fly
down the next day and stay through Friday. They are going to stay in
a hotel, so I don't have to worry about the house being clean. I
still have to make all the update calls to them and the rest. I also
need to find out what time to go get the kids and what/where everyone
was eating for dinner. “Some laundry needs to be done,” that
thought flashes through my head as I am dialing the phone, along with
the rest of the list that never seems to end.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Tuesday dawns and we again head for
the hospital. Today we have brought along things to do because we are
planning on staying all day, no going to visit friends. Besides,
family is coming. It's a long day, they move Marty out of ICU to a
regular room in the late morning, his family sends text messages to
let us know they have landed and are dealing with getting a rental
car, going to check in to the hotel and grab some food before coming
to the hospital. They don't get there until almost 4pm. We all visit
for the next 2 hours. They are tired and hungry so they head off
before valet parking closes at 6pm. I run out and grab some dinner
for us, then the boys and I go home for the night. Wednesday brings
more of the same except the family take the boys down for a late
breakfast, then they go back to the hotel for lunch and a nap. The
Surgeon comes in and removes the chest tube. Marty's level of
discomfort seems to be related to the pressure of the tube stuck in
his side??? I guess that might be uncomfortable! His family gets back
later as the boys and I are heading out for dinner at church.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Thursday brings a new day. Marty has
been trying to prove he's well enough for a discharge. See, he has
been on the Pastor search committee at church and there is a special
meeting that Thursday evening in regards to that search. Once Marty's
family arrives and the talk turns to this subject, it begins to spark
disagreement. Comments are made that are not polite, some tears are
shed and his family steps out for a moment. I make plans to leave, I
don't want to continue this and cause any more issues. They step back
in and ask to take the boys out for lunch and shopping. Off they all
go. The conversation continues, just now through the phone and text
messaging between Marty and his family.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Marty also does get the discharge
order. But can't seem to find a supplier to get the walker to the
hospital. We finally agree to have it delivered to the house and get
out!! Drop off the prescriptions on the way home. Get him settled and
the walker arrives! Then off to pick up the medications, pain level
is high from the travel home. I'm back home in a flash with the
medications, he is relaxed. The boys will be returned around 5:30pm,
we need to leave around 6pm for the meeting. We're cutting it close
but we make it. It's a great evening and Marty is happy.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> That night we manage to get him up the
stairs to the bedroom. After packing in the pillows around him to
make him comfortable, I'm left with a limited space to sleep. Neither
of us gets much rest. The next morning I get him settled downstairs
and he tells me that his family is coming for brunch, he told them I
would cook it! I panic for a minute and then start planning.
Pancakes- got enough supplies, little bite-size sausages- got enough
those. The the boys decide they want waffles! Ok, still can do. So,
got the brunch stated and had a great time. They had a plane to catch
so, off they went.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Marty needed a nap, he had decided
that he was not going upstairs anymore, so the couch was made comfy
for him. I took the boys and went to the pumpkin patch, we did the
trip in under 2 hours since I didn't want to leave Marty alone too
long. Made dinner that night and started our new lives of Marty's
recovery. It was slow going, and he good days and bad. We never seem
to leave the house except to take him to a doctor's appointment or
church.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Andy had an appointment 2 weeks later
at Scottish Rite, it didn't go as planned. It was with Neurosurgery,
a Doctor I had never met before but the previous Dr. had left the
practice and I didn't care for him anyway. This doctor decided to
“tap” Andy's shunt, stick a needle in the reservoir for drawing
cultures or checking pressure levels. He didn't like the pressure
level, so he wanted us to go to the hospital and get further
evaluation and testing done. That is another story, but we ended up
staying in the hospital for 2 nights that we didn't need to! In the
mean time, I got Ryan doing the cooking and feeding of his dad. Folks
from church were great and offered to take Ryan, but he was needed to
take care of Marty who couldn't stand long enough to cook, yet.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> So we got to talking about how between
Marty's hospital bills and now Andy's, our out-of-pocket maximums
would now be met and that hernia that he had been dealing with for
the last couple of years should be addressed. He was already on short
term disability and this way he wouldn't have another stretch of
missed work. So we talked with the lung surgeon and got the go ahead
from him. Met the general surgeon and scheduled the surgery, 2 weeks
after Andy's hospital stay. It was supposed to be a spinal block with
a little sleep juice, no full anesthesia, and day surgery. Ended up
with the spinal taking longer to wear off and pain that was difficult
to control that first night, so he spent the night.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> So now I have had one of my guys in
the hospital every other Friday night over the last 4 weeks. I'm
ready for a break at this point. We make it through the next 3 weeks
and break the streak. Marty is now focused on his hernia recovery and
the lung recovery is almost complete. In the mean time, the short
term disability insurance has only been covering about ½ of his
normal wages since we have to pay his employer for our portion of the
health insurance. Now the insurance company has decided that Marty
should be recovered enough to return to work, unless he has the
Surgeon fill out a form. We take it to the Surgeon, he fills it out,
we fax it in. Then we wait. About 1 week goes by and we receive a
check with a note, “It has been calculated that you should be able
to return to work on Dec 20<sup>th</sup>. This is the wages for the
Dates of November 28<sup>th</sup> through December 19<sup>th</sup>.
Your case has now been closed and should your situation change,
please contact us.” That's it! BTW, the form the Doc filled out,
“Estimate date return to work- January 15<sup>th</sup>.” The
letter stating the same came 2 days later with an added line that
they would require addition statements from a Doctor if we disagree
with their decision. “A note from a Doctor would not be enough
proof.” So starts the phone calls, they keep asking for more notes
from the doctor's office, they keep sending it to them. So far, I
guess the doctor didn't write enough notes to satisfy them. We even
got copies of all the records and faxed them in ourselves since they
said they didn't get them all. Since faxing in the records, we have
heard nothing.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1NFaM4eqOfHALvGvvo6bpjLZWpvwpgPsHWvZAPr2weFJijSuWYhk7JwGhyphenhyphenzm8zywQ2FTDb7CQP1ZGqu6YgtkSv9FJbQl6DuHfsIoIDYio1WV3ZjVaQCaAfcJYuN9QShOzj7WN1C0UrUr/s1600/2013-10-18+21.03.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1NFaM4eqOfHALvGvvo6bpjLZWpvwpgPsHWvZAPr2weFJijSuWYhk7JwGhyphenhyphenzm8zywQ2FTDb7CQP1ZGqu6YgtkSv9FJbQl6DuHfsIoIDYio1WV3ZjVaQCaAfcJYuN9QShOzj7WN1C0UrUr/s1600/2013-10-18+21.03.59.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marty's side a week after the lung surgery.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> The other hat that dropped during this
whole adventure, Marty's employer informed him that he needed to get
his Texas nursing license. Now, we knew that it was needed and
dropped the ball on that before all this happened. At the same time,
he is completely legal to work under his North Carolina license which
is still good until October of 2014. So we start working on it, they
then make it clear he can not return to work until he receives the
license. That is a problem. The Texas board of nursing can be very
slow at issuing the licenses. We sent the paperwork and the fee in
November. They cashed the check and sent an email, they had changed
the application and he needed to fill out the new one and mail it in.
BTW the old form had the wrong fee, we had over paid by $20 but they
have a no refund policy! He does that, and nothing. As time gets
closer to him returning to work, he sends an email back and gets an
automated response, “out of office until January 6<sup>th</sup>.”
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Because of the disability insurance no
longer paying, we push up the Doctors appointment and ask for a
release to work. He gets a release back to work for January 7<sup>th</sup>,
just 2 months after having the hernia repair and 3 months after
having lung surgery. So he takes the release and copies of the email
into work on Fri before the 7<sup>th</sup>, “Anything else I can
do, is this enough proof that the Texas license is coming?”
Everything looks good and it's all accepted. He meets with his direct
supervisor and plan his schedule. Then Monday the 6<sup>th</sup>
arrives with a phone call, “We've changed our mind. You need the
full license. You can not return to work.” So, they have changed
their mind. Then on Tuesday, they call and tell him that they have
decided to give his position away, but they will find a position for
him when he returns. Ok, still a chance to return to work, but maybe
time to start looking for a new job. Maybe one that respects their
employees and understands when health problems arise out of the blue?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The latest, we received a certified
letter from them. “Since you did not get your Texas license, we are
going to accept that as your resignation. We are terminating your
employment as of January 20<sup>th</sup>, 2014 and any benefits you
have, i.e. health insurance, will end January 31<sup>st</sup>, 2014.
You'll be receiving COBRA information in the mail at a later date.”
Again, UMMM WHAT???? So, now because the nursing board hasn't issued
the license, he quit? Yet, “We are terminating....” says, they
decided. While we already got the idea that he needed to look for
another job, we thought we still had a chance if the license came
through before another job did.
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Now it is late January and the bills
are piling up. I have started to ask others for help.... big stretch
for me. We are surviving, but I have applied and are now receiving
food stamps to help. Not sure where we stand on receiving Medicaid
yet, but it's also been applied for. Was told that are car (only 1
car for the family) is worth too much money to qualify for the
“traditional” assistance funds. There are some hoops I go jump
through to fight that, but is it worth it? Marty has been filling out
applications everywhere, and had 1 interview and couple of phone
calls, another interview is scheduled for next week. We'll see how it
all works out.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-67280585266107450282014-01-29T16:47:00.001-06:002014-01-29T16:47:15.102-06:00It's a LONG story!!
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUmHCDwuk7j2pgGyZDyHiG5NKwmqBArrnBJSMt7dPObhfJOtFbKlkVwoXDY4iQTr7t2idvY4Zm-K_PhvMqGcdgy8LYhOdGl2VTbBGcBiDgGVPnruOlFzBjeOqD3TWcTPZIEqlO5_nPLOR/s1600/long+story+t-shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUmHCDwuk7j2pgGyZDyHiG5NKwmqBArrnBJSMt7dPObhfJOtFbKlkVwoXDY4iQTr7t2idvY4Zm-K_PhvMqGcdgy8LYhOdGl2VTbBGcBiDgGVPnruOlFzBjeOqD3TWcTPZIEqlO5_nPLOR/s1600/long+story+t-shirt.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>So, it's been awhile since I've done a
blog post. It's been over 3 long months. The last time a post went
up, it was a series of scheduled pre-written posts. During the time
those posts were going up, our life was going down! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It's a LONG STORY, one of those- "Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt to Prove It" types of story's. I am working on a
series of LONG posts to help catch you up. The first one is almost
ready, may even be later today or 1<sup>st</sup> thing tomorrow.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> After I get you all caught up, I am
working on writing a series about our life events from the past. I have
had so much going on, that I started to reflect at how I have handled
past issues compared with how I am handling the current ones. I need
to write it all out, so I can reflect better and get a grip. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I know
that we have not had a life that came anywhere close to be called
“normal” but maybe I can share some insight that can help someone
else on down the road. So bear with me, as my posts may
start to seem like a big pity party. I am not meaning for it to make
you feel bad for me, I am just being truthful to you and myself.
Every detail counts as a possible learning experience, so if I leave
any out, then I am not telling the whole truth. That's my promise to you and to myself! </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-48234766107349732792013-10-13T16:56:00.000-05:002013-10-13T16:56:00.088-05:00Budgets and Financal Planning, UHHHGGGGGGGG!!!
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UXJVyU_17j9sAdH5sCLuR5RRYX6Nb6CSxB0zezzAzlSQ1HhrsHCvcmMY_W63ipOQZmLt1bGCzJJdkexJhrDLllel0Xq3bpuL_ONrz63P9QlhvoMQVfOhReZT9ZXPBzHkNFxscTNL_YVm/s1600/budget+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UXJVyU_17j9sAdH5sCLuR5RRYX6Nb6CSxB0zezzAzlSQ1HhrsHCvcmMY_W63ipOQZmLt1bGCzJJdkexJhrDLllel0Xq3bpuL_ONrz63P9QlhvoMQVfOhReZT9ZXPBzHkNFxscTNL_YVm/s320/budget+sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So, I have working on a few projects lately. I have been trying
to re-do our family budget and get some things paid off, I worked on
the yard some, I have a container garden going for the fall, and
still have a list of projects for church. The budget is what I have
spent most of the last week on. I have downloaded free programs or
trials, and in-put in my info, but yet none still meet my needs. One
program wasn't easy to use, yet it had a great list of budget line
items to keep track of everything, even regular gifts and Christmas
gifts. So, I tried to print the report with all of the line items, it
wouldn't print!
<br />
Over the years I have used lots of different programs and books.
None ever met my needs exactly, so I would stop using them and let
them fall away. The best things I ever did was just to use a pencil
and notebook, but even that has it's downfalls. (My handwriting is
almost as bad as my spelling!)
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-XKhNwNK4fJsC8QHwCtz7lGJxyAjZ1k1TQJSSvpZFtHF__NCy_RZv4CeiO92Q60HSWxJgV3gUo008TlWL2MqMwSFFK4DRhigGxdjo90tkkElGB4Ln7VlijDh1BdsW87o0EqVuJfztJ1T/s1600/piggy+budget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-XKhNwNK4fJsC8QHwCtz7lGJxyAjZ1k1TQJSSvpZFtHF__NCy_RZv4CeiO92Q60HSWxJgV3gUo008TlWL2MqMwSFFK4DRhigGxdjo90tkkElGB4Ln7VlijDh1BdsW87o0EqVuJfztJ1T/s1600/piggy+budget.jpg" /></a> Years ago, we had a bank account with a small local bank. It was
totally free checking, but they had no ATM/debit card. They plain
checks were free and no limits on writing them. But, they did not
process digitally, so Walmart couldn't take them. The lobby was open
9am to 5pm M-F & 9-Noon on Saturday's and the drive-thru was open
7-7, M-Saturday! The plus to this, you might over spend by writing
checks, but you couldn't over spend by hitting the ATM or with a
swipe of the card. Back then, things were tight for us. To avoid over
spending, we decided not to write any checks. We spent only cash,
went to the bank to withdraw funds and got money orders to pay the
bills. We could only spend what we had in our pockets, if we didn't
have enough and the bank was closed.... oh well!
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFrL3_usKbWuv_bg2UbHu3aCTCXCl5_t4M12mnyzR5OVsNaYJPTkHMUXnBWrs8UnmGCh8z25HOdtnxzD8a5OK57AZ0TOXubUGvpCbH7F3MfKfEJ95rakBUz2LALSE1C2KwgZ9-xeYaR2-/s1600/budget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFrL3_usKbWuv_bg2UbHu3aCTCXCl5_t4M12mnyzR5OVsNaYJPTkHMUXnBWrs8UnmGCh8z25HOdtnxzD8a5OK57AZ0TOXubUGvpCbH7F3MfKfEJ95rakBUz2LALSE1C2KwgZ9-xeYaR2-/s200/budget.jpg" width="200" /></a> I had set up an envelope system back then for the bills. I would
write the bill name, due date, and amount on the outside. I would
“fund” the envelope throughout the month, as I added or took away
money, I keep a running balance. I also put the months down, as I
paid for each month, I crossed it off so I knew when the payday came
around if I needed to fund that envelope or not. If emergency repairs
came up, I would go to the different envelopes and decide if we could
borrow from it for that month. Yes, I had entertainment envelope and
other extra's so borrowing from them was easy. We both knew where we
stood financially all the time.<br />
Now a days, we have all the bills being paid by bank draft
automatically, it's sometimes hard to keep track of and remember when
they are supposed to hit! On top of that, there a few bills being
paid by check, so waiting for them to clear and checking the bank
balance has become an everyday job. After keeping up with all of
that, I found we have forgotten to budget for the extra's. We don't
have much in the way of college savings for the boys. I also don't
have much of an emergency fund. I try, but sometimes it just gets
treated like an extra windfall of funds to do something fun with.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-xwHpaO76pzjgvt03NFz7HvCnK-wAYZzJ2WDfBHy-XoPuw6TlH8AQhRZn8maQFV7uEEb6m54Sp1gDR3LUj0HZt7zFEd23MdsaiKdgJl-9nx8GiZ5QfBFx3x8qSURbfPTOJvzomDXDxbi/s1600/budget+worksheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-xwHpaO76pzjgvt03NFz7HvCnK-wAYZzJ2WDfBHy-XoPuw6TlH8AQhRZn8maQFV7uEEb6m54Sp1gDR3LUj0HZt7zFEd23MdsaiKdgJl-9nx8GiZ5QfBFx3x8qSURbfPTOJvzomDXDxbi/s1600/budget+worksheet.jpg" /></a> I have been working on different parts of our finances over the
last year. We have been working on our credit ratings, and improving
them. We have opened some new lines of credit, paid off the car, and
now I need to get the FULL budget planned. I challenged my church
family to up their personal tithe's, we are doing that as well. We
have enjoyed our summer and paid the bills, but we did not really
follow a budget. Now it's time to buckle down!<br />
I still have to plan some more of the budget out, but at this
point I am going to tell you, we are going to live very tightly for
awhile, so we can be free to enjoy more later on! My goal is to have
at least $2500.00 in the savings account at all times. Yes, that's a
lot of money, but when an emergency hits it's usually close to
$1000.00! Also, that will be enough to cover the bills for 1 or 2
months. We have some credit card debit and a few other loans we need
to just pay off and get off the books. We need to start saving for a
new/2<sup>nd</sup> car and would like to think about buying a house
down the road. All of those we could get better rates and lower
payments if we plan ahead and save for.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9iS_4hBQGP-PcFr93uzEwAEHGLHF612XMdRMwucclmPQYbZkvNbv_kAUN-RbswH2zB_qAeBuHQaCAjzufToc7CRFwuXEjfUcrdZU9wHmE4Y07xTsDT73SfECQyVwZRiTZ53uTmfA1md4/s1600/on-a-budget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9iS_4hBQGP-PcFr93uzEwAEHGLHF612XMdRMwucclmPQYbZkvNbv_kAUN-RbswH2zB_qAeBuHQaCAjzufToc7CRFwuXEjfUcrdZU9wHmE4Y07xTsDT73SfECQyVwZRiTZ53uTmfA1md4/s200/on-a-budget.jpg" width="200" /></a> What financial challenge do you want to take on? Give yourself a
goal for something, and make a plan to reach it. Small steps are just
as good as large ones! Tell me about it, and I'll tell you about
mine. I want to be held accountable and encouraged, I want to share
in my celebrations. Put God first in these decisions and ask Him for
direction, then listen and go for it. He will reward hard work.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-35969995993892456242013-10-12T09:00:00.000-05:002013-10-12T09:00:03.352-05:00Yard work!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenPVp2j7py0X-orTU_rncuH_paCWrnBCQ2GT_Bt2wQostho5hL3WItPWLHNUG8mPAvFIyCzGH9-2HgYbj1dqA_99CQxQwVkOdwa566Hi3ziq2coSPd-UOdLASLGumO6yeukJYNYO7k_Qx/s1600/2013-09-23+12.02.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenPVp2j7py0X-orTU_rncuH_paCWrnBCQ2GT_Bt2wQostho5hL3WItPWLHNUG8mPAvFIyCzGH9-2HgYbj1dqA_99CQxQwVkOdwa566Hi3ziq2coSPd-UOdLASLGumO6yeukJYNYO7k_Qx/s320/2013-09-23+12.02.47.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
So, we live in a rented townhouse. We have great space and like our neighbors. The problem is the HOA lawn care. It's awful and has been causing problems with bugs, ants in particular. The last time they trimmed between the driveways was in the beginning of July. The ants have been a huge problem and we have found them attacking dead bugs in the garage so it is safe to assume that any dead bugs in the grass/ weeds are also feeding the ant population. So, we have been treating the ground around the house with any bait stations, but they have become in-effective. While on a shopping trip to Lowe's/Home Depot, Marty purchased a string trimmer. He then spent a few hours cutting all the grass around the house and between the driveway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLj-_BBJWwGHYycre59eCSJ5TqS7qgDJQTqg9-Ly3fPanSV8dAwgJkcUEOMvDC5EzGHI8RbGOiYRsj-vWfQ4qoRm_wTm2mqKuEZ-1iKkKrTQH2PfdC4MExh6RlPMfIHpleRulxQF3Oxud/s1600/2013-09-23+11.12.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLj-_BBJWwGHYycre59eCSJ5TqS7qgDJQTqg9-Ly3fPanSV8dAwgJkcUEOMvDC5EzGHI8RbGOiYRsj-vWfQ4qoRm_wTm2mqKuEZ-1iKkKrTQH2PfdC4MExh6RlPMfIHpleRulxQF3Oxud/s320/2013-09-23+11.12.50.jpg" width="240" /></a>Once he was done, I realized that he couldn't get everything really good because the neighbor had some pots with weed growth wrapped around them and making it hard to trim around. So, we left a patch un-trimmed and I talked to the neighbor a few days later. After being told that only 1 pot had a real plant in it, I asked if I could remove them and clean the area more. That started the fun. As I pulled a huge weed out of a half empty pot, I found out, (real quick) all the dirt had been replaced with a Fire Ant NEST! So, I quickly dropped the pot and weed, grabbed the ant/bug spray and soaked it all down. I did this several more times, after stirring up the dirty and pot more. Then I moved the 1 "plant", it was sitting up against the house and had what looked like a dirt piled up on 1 side. Nope, another Fire Ant Nest! So, more spraying and stirring. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Jrq8mS-AWECJ_gRl3H_G4Q_mi0q5NlHyXOe4_3dSJPbUgKROmg2cYdW5O15R8EyDjQCR6c4f9YAce-p36g0G_TTM_4tvncou0iBITI2WWM-A3e8xlFudP7FwkWNEw902b_OvQd-29MAH/s1600/2013-09-23+10.43.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Jrq8mS-AWECJ_gRl3H_G4Q_mi0q5NlHyXOe4_3dSJPbUgKROmg2cYdW5O15R8EyDjQCR6c4f9YAce-p36g0G_TTM_4tvncou0iBITI2WWM-A3e8xlFudP7FwkWNEw902b_OvQd-29MAH/s320/2013-09-23+10.43.00.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKM_dYKiajf3G3FZFECbqwHf7MNFaAoLnvnaztYSkNVBxJYI8ZsA7ej2ft_V_IIm4VkQqDbvVId7MQsQdDpXrRoP5BFKEJLSOTgJfk9PG29lnPBHKs0pCWa5tz6jlwPC5Jnufr3Do1YNZW/s1600/2013-09-23+12.13.57.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKM_dYKiajf3G3FZFECbqwHf7MNFaAoLnvnaztYSkNVBxJYI8ZsA7ej2ft_V_IIm4VkQqDbvVId7MQsQdDpXrRoP5BFKEJLSOTgJfk9PG29lnPBHKs0pCWa5tz6jlwPC5Jnufr3Do1YNZW/s320/2013-09-23+12.13.57.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mzovzRid1gskyv7Gd2yOEh5EuLiwxYH5oMTCqcvMeRKNiqiwoxUoNNgov2HL9UfngUxVLLWP2fp2pi3zlu2ffFb6tO6R11AkyxZXZdR0dqh0hHGDmsIlUPboSG5NFVSAbzl1X___BuaK/s1600/2013-09-23+11.10.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mzovzRid1gskyv7Gd2yOEh5EuLiwxYH5oMTCqcvMeRKNiqiwoxUoNNgov2HL9UfngUxVLLWP2fp2pi3zlu2ffFb6tO6R11AkyxZXZdR0dqh0hHGDmsIlUPboSG5NFVSAbzl1X___BuaK/s320/2013-09-23+11.10.36.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now, I started to find that we needed to do something bigger to control the weeds and the ants. So, I started to dig up some granite tiles the neighbor had put down years earlier, she was hoping to control the weed growth. Then I got out my landscape fabric and went shopping for rocks! The boys and I spent about 2 days and under $50 to clean up the space and cover it with rocks. We even washed the tiles off and re-used them. The color of the rocks looks great, after a good washing!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_PXhP1w3jodOcR99OVa12VIyphWHftlBs5kK6yjnFbzwZm10zEooAAx5vHD_FdcfV3D6AB4-ODAEtJS7a6urmWmsdzzxI63cOF28LYweVosX3-AR3_BGI3gUdA2SJzCkgwfEI5CIveTN/s1600/2013-09-23+18.17.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_PXhP1w3jodOcR99OVa12VIyphWHftlBs5kK6yjnFbzwZm10zEooAAx5vHD_FdcfV3D6AB4-ODAEtJS7a6urmWmsdzzxI63cOF28LYweVosX3-AR3_BGI3gUdA2SJzCkgwfEI5CIveTN/s400/2013-09-23+18.17.36.jpg" width="300" /></a>Yes, I used a fireplace screen to help hold down the fabric while pouring the rocks.<br />
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We are still trimming the space between the driveways, even went ahead and cut the neighbors weeds on the other side of their driveway, found another Fire Ant NEST over there, but we treated it quickly. Before the project, I was getting bit at least once per week while just sitting in my garage watching the kids play. I can report now, I haven't gotten bit since we did this work. That's $50 well spent!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-83948639582414254652013-10-11T09:00:00.000-05:002013-10-11T09:00:04.634-05:00Baseball time again!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwyxkKscRg0efrlS2LHgzQ3-y8QubIiSJV1NsLlqGD0ugahsFJhHdoSqX-o9LgnjChzTsiBLxRtBNXNRC4TfOpKjc8yT4IQ3OsJi_HHBXAVisJsr3u8f_gWH5Og5igRH3X3ATE-JEyTZq/s1600/2013-09-28+09.11.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwyxkKscRg0efrlS2LHgzQ3-y8QubIiSJV1NsLlqGD0ugahsFJhHdoSqX-o9LgnjChzTsiBLxRtBNXNRC4TfOpKjc8yT4IQ3OsJi_HHBXAVisJsr3u8f_gWH5Og5igRH3X3ATE-JEyTZq/s320/2013-09-28+09.11.30.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx6uAc_dOUNioTXOsib1ava5bUiQr7KQKZhwnNTiapGC8arIuxFZlFY3V2Q93LufhuWwSRxfOZ5pmPkj34jp0Qi5z9SmMLtym2fce9qOfAFfqE3jaKos_1kK5zP_7iGmEhUfHyO6Puywi/s1600/2013-09-28+09.10.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx6uAc_dOUNioTXOsib1ava5bUiQr7KQKZhwnNTiapGC8arIuxFZlFY3V2Q93LufhuWwSRxfOZ5pmPkj34jp0Qi5z9SmMLtym2fce9qOfAFfqE3jaKos_1kK5zP_7iGmEhUfHyO6Puywi/s320/2013-09-28+09.10.46.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Andy has started baseball again. His first game was 2 weeks ago, last week game was canceled because of the rain and wind. He has only 4 more games, they only play for 6 weeks. This group is a great group for these kids who can't play at the same level as their peers. I wish Andy would try harder, and don't think this will make him try harder. But I am grateful that even tho' he doesn't have a drive to play sports, he at-least gets a chance to play in a way that allows him joy.What you can't see very well is, Andy is at 2nd base.<br />
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There are a few kids that would never have a chance to say, "I play baseball." These kids find the fun playing with this group. I can't say enough good things about them. They are The Miracle League of Frisco. They are part of the nation wide organization, we chose the Frisco one because of it's location and the other sports they offer. I hope you folks check them out.<br />
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Speaking about checking out, come on out to a ball game. This Saturday, (October 12th) it's at 11:30am. The next week, 10:30am, and then 9:30am. The final game is at 8:30am, you see that pattern? The only double times was the first game at 8:30am and last weeks rained-out game was 11:30am. The games are only 1 hour. Come a cheer these kids on.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-64900860503056355012013-10-10T16:51:00.002-05:002013-10-10T20:34:11.381-05:00Another great shopping trip!So, about 2 weeks ago I did a marathon shopping day. I took Marty to work so we could have the car, Andy had a Eye Dr. appt. We did 5 stores. I spent $261.36 and have enough food to last 2-3 months. It's hard to say all of my exact savings were, lots of my shopping was just getting the best price, not using bunches of coupons. I did use some, and some stores will still give you the savings compared to their own regular prices. So here is some of the run down;<br />
Albertson's, Total spent- <b>$112.65</b>, Savings calculations on the receipt- <u><b>$203.47</b></u><br />
Tom Thumb; Total<b> $32.26,</b> Savings<u><b> $11.75</b></u><br />
El Rancho; <b>$57.90</b> <br />
Fiesta;<b> $8.54- </b>is what I paid for- 6 cans of spaghetti sauce, 35 oz of spaghetti pasta, 35 oz of elbow noodles, and 3 lbs onions.<br />
Rio Grande;<b> $50.01</b>- 8 lbs of sugar, 10 lbs of potatoes, 1 loaves of bread, 3 pack tortillas, chip, 4 lbs bnls/skls chicken, 3 pks bologna, 4 pks hot dogs, 6 frozen pizzas, 2 heads of lettuce, over 2 lbs of pears, and over 1 lb bananas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aXvdjEjwzntzAkbY9DHvrbKd0hJBdRonRTUBq-L_x4L7vY0Z5laBexQXOnjnp3c8jawjeGG42rYJjB-yucOTxhjD9lwVdqdAXkKWJw0MuFxy-ZbJrEDmb_DHvvWhQPRKrDhDxojMWApH/s1600/2013-09-26+14.50.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aXvdjEjwzntzAkbY9DHvrbKd0hJBdRonRTUBq-L_x4L7vY0Z5laBexQXOnjnp3c8jawjeGG42rYJjB-yucOTxhjD9lwVdqdAXkKWJw0MuFxy-ZbJrEDmb_DHvvWhQPRKrDhDxojMWApH/s320/2013-09-26+14.50.21.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAb9gDJCBvWatubCJaonWqh3Wr2uSk1sMxiRI0OEp5krlhidFZM74zDAhJSAiG-f4Yd65J_O-FKG9stWrJM1aZ-5CMPGeG6ilXhBvCJNRvkxE9SWyyUyzgUFrvU6E8jSVu4ivwiqbIHhE/s1600/2013-09-26+14.49.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAb9gDJCBvWatubCJaonWqh3Wr2uSk1sMxiRI0OEp5krlhidFZM74zDAhJSAiG-f4Yd65J_O-FKG9stWrJM1aZ-5CMPGeG6ilXhBvCJNRvkxE9SWyyUyzgUFrvU6E8jSVu4ivwiqbIHhE/s320/2013-09-26+14.49.40.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Lqqr-EvLa2pk2AsuKhVd3l9AucroYIn_meJgXtZV3NgzlzUeEzMSA44QwN8vCqOzNqFHFBNBfOpAIH6NXvndmJqtS_iDa3xgeddVMZ9alcBV1WzD36990u9UGnBmSkgU67bKNo3Zd4LR/s1600/2013-10-10+20.24.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Lqqr-EvLa2pk2AsuKhVd3l9AucroYIn_meJgXtZV3NgzlzUeEzMSA44QwN8vCqOzNqFHFBNBfOpAIH6NXvndmJqtS_iDa3xgeddVMZ9alcBV1WzD36990u9UGnBmSkgU67bKNo3Zd4LR/s320/2013-10-10+20.24.50.jpg" width="240" /></a>What did I get?????</h4>
Things like canned and frozen veggies, soups, cookie mixes, toilet paper, facial tissues, pizza rolls, biscuits, coffee, canned tomatoes, crackers, pork tenderloins, tilapia fillets, cheese slices and shredded, butter, BBQ sauce, mayo, canned chili (for hot dogs), salad dressing, bananas, pears, lettuce, tomatoes, pizzas, corn tortillas, flour tortillas, tortilla chips, sandwich bread, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, bologna, sugar, bnls/skls chicken, hot dogs, cantaloup, gr. peppers, onions, cilantro, cucumbers, bacon, smoked sausage, chorizo, gr. beef, cabbage, ketchup, cheeseburgers, turkey roasts, spaghetti sauce, pasta noodles, and potatoes.<br />
Not bad..... not all are convenience foods but some are, we like to make quick lunches and I like to have a quick meal on hand if church runs late or we have other things going on. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xjDVge0VC33KMIrUZmJoTpMPe9phx8-r9K6h1mayp29z6uAw8GqTdrRPRZ85rZvcx9oi-jPWZymhfL6VRzZORjHVJwST5vrvnxNg1xv3iByTX92VjUGlvH7wFWwOtdGGP2EYBrMIlDRQ/s1600/2013-10-10+20.26.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xjDVge0VC33KMIrUZmJoTpMPe9phx8-r9K6h1mayp29z6uAw8GqTdrRPRZ85rZvcx9oi-jPWZymhfL6VRzZORjHVJwST5vrvnxNg1xv3iByTX92VjUGlvH7wFWwOtdGGP2EYBrMIlDRQ/s320/2013-10-10+20.26.25.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhPIAtUNTuENQ1r6BmBMkzZKYcD9LV2yPsYBnk97F64gZdypXAIzkcB_wBr0IoqYRgfOp3cmhGUaKyDt1nM9zKoEFR0peYU-9DgQsmMl6qqSSHMhnOqaI_jgHY-Qq38tp9U7GWtQT9uJw/s1600/2013-10-10+20.27.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhPIAtUNTuENQ1r6BmBMkzZKYcD9LV2yPsYBnk97F64gZdypXAIzkcB_wBr0IoqYRgfOp3cmhGUaKyDt1nM9zKoEFR0peYU-9DgQsmMl6qqSSHMhnOqaI_jgHY-Qq38tp9U7GWtQT9uJw/s200/2013-10-10+20.27.07.jpg" width="150" /></a>The kids and I spent an afternoon making an inventory list of just the pantry and freezers. (Small deep freezer and refrigerator freezer.) For those who know me, I got a small deep freezer for $25 at the church yard sale, it works great! My list ended up being 4 pages long after I typed it up. We check off items as we use them and plan meals without opening the freezer. I have been doing this for years, of course usually its a smaller list. When we were still moving around, I would make the inventory list about 5 weeks out from a move, then plan meals to use it all up. I couldn't move the refrigerated or frozen stuff, and panty items just take up space and weight. I still deal shopped when we were moving, I just didn't stock up so much. Right now we have 8 large cans of tomatoes and 5 regular sized ones! <br />
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I have always said, if you want any help with shopping, just ask. I love helping others and am more than willing. I recognize that frugal shopping is a God given gift. I enjoy sharing that gift with others. Even if you don't live in the Dallas area, I can help you find the deals for your area.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-41885626587188662162013-10-10T13:35:00.001-05:002013-10-10T13:36:04.904-05:00A little rant about being a SAHM! (Stay At Home Mom)<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I just read some comments to blog post about being a SAHM and how hard the job really is. In the comments, folks called it a "Mommy competition." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am one, proudly! I also homeschool my boys. I
just spent the morning climbing on the roof to clear the dryer vent.
Why, so I could do the laundry! I could have waited for my husband to
come home and do it, but then what time would I have left to spend with
my husband? </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Life is filled with choices, every woman can be a SAHM. EVERY woman,
even the single ones. I knew a woman that was a SAHM while she raised 7
kids, home-schooled them and did it after her husband left 2 days after
delivery of #7. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have been a SAHM while following my husband’s career of traveling
around the country, moving every 3-6 months. We choose to have only 1
car, eat out rarely and to be tight with our money. We can afford for me
to stay home because we choose to.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I don’t think it’s a competition, it’s a choice. I wouldn’t choose to
work, because that would be a choice to allow others to raise my sons. I
wouldn’t choose to send my boys to public school, because that would
mean allowing others to decide what they are to learn. Both would also
allow others to reap the rewards of watching my kids grow, their joy
when getting a math problem that was difficult, or reading for the first
time. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You say that you couldn’t be a SAHM yourself, why not? Most answers I
get to that question…., “My kids would drive me nuts!” I say, but if
you were the one setting the standards and rules, along with enforcing
them, how could your children be so crazy? They would know what was
expected of them, the rules wouldn’t be changing based on who was in
charge, so their behavior would be more in tune to what you want. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Then there is the thought that I am in some way judging those who choose to be working moms. I am not judging you, I am stating way I choose to be at home. My priorities are what they are for me. Yes, you could take my arguments against "kids driving you crazy" as a judgment. But I just can stand people putting the blame of their choice on the kids. It's not the kids that are keeping you out of the home, it's your choice!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If you think you can't choose to stay home because of money, your wrong. It is not about money, it's about the money you think you need to have/spend. No one ever goes to court and tells the judge, "He forced me at gun point to buy a new car every 2 years!" No, that is a choice. I choose to be frugal and to plan my shopping and meals around a price that I am willing to spend. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There are so many other things in our lives these days, that are NOT choices. I did not choose for my son to have Spina Bifida. But I did choose to love every day and every moment I have with him. I can choose how I deal with it. Hiding from the hard truth and hard work is not going to make him be the best he can be. It's the hard work that I chose to do that has allowed him to walk without braces or crutches or walkers. It's the choices we made that allowed him to receive the care he needed to make him the best he can be. If I had hide from it or given up because it was going to be too much hard work.... I would have done what the Doctors wanted me to do, ABORT. But I didn't run from it, I didn't give up because it was hard work. I faced it head on not knowing if he would ever walk or even if it would take his life, I faced the unknowns and the hard work head on. And I am reaping the rewards every day!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>So, I am not judging you for your choice, I am judging you for your excuses and for placing blame were it should never be placed, on your children! </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, yes... I am ranting a little. Don't take offense, just be truthful to yourselves.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-71949521834003660682013-09-06T09:00:00.000-05:002013-09-06T09:00:07.655-05:00Why and How We HomeSchool!
<h4>
Why do we homeschool?</h4>
Because it was the best for our family at
the time Andy was supposed to start Kindergarten. We had decided to
start traveling with Marty and we could not get Andy into an online
learning program. From that moment, we knew we had made the best
choice. Ryan has a bit of Dyslexia, mild but has some trouble, and he
was not ready to sit and do desk work until around 8 years old. If he
had been in public school, they might have labeled him a ADHD kid and
demanded medications. He also would have been in trouble a lot. Andy
has lots of trouble with his hand writing and creative thinking, he's
very logical and likes to follow directions....to the letter!
<br />
Both boys get the extra attention they need and I have been able
to be creative in finding what helps them each, given their personal
limitations. With Ryan, I used games. If he could read a word
correctly, he got a chance to shot a basketball. He could bounce
around the room, on the couch, as long as he tried to read the word
on the flashcard. Not sit at a desk and do desk work. With Andy, we
were able to find a handwriting program that worked for him.
<br />
Another bonus to homeschooling for us, the boys know what makes a
friend a good choice. (or bad choice!) They have learned that they
have the freedom to choose friends and have the right to refuse to be
friends with others that could be a problem. They also know how to
socialize with kids not their age. They both enjoy helping and
playing with younger kids as well as sitting back and spending time
with older kids. They are learning about age-appropriate behavior and
skills. It's fun to watch them change their own actions based on the
age of the child they are playing with. I watched Ryan with a 3 year
old child at church on Wednesday evening. The little one was swinging
around a pole near the beverage table, Ryan put himself between the
table and the pole and gave the child an arch to go through. While it
made it fun for the young one, Ryan was blocking the child from being
able to accidentally bump the table and make a mess. Smart kid!!
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Even chores can be
an learning opportunity. </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHYpnCPb3RMsXC9v5EvgYN6D8pvLs9AQ92Gx9_TbvRVpDBZ7lkNUOxfjhrK3a5l7DUatgpRaN1bRjvHDU74W6MncUe4yjIKfgMzrMDuxHfDhwb9Hfa8C7cYV8qBJe4a8QmyMNwXx-k_rH/s1600/chore+chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHYpnCPb3RMsXC9v5EvgYN6D8pvLs9AQ92Gx9_TbvRVpDBZ7lkNUOxfjhrK3a5l7DUatgpRaN1bRjvHDU74W6MncUe4yjIKfgMzrMDuxHfDhwb9Hfa8C7cYV8qBJe4a8QmyMNwXx-k_rH/s200/chore+chart.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
They also do housework/ chores and know how to grocery shop. My
kids are going to be able to live <br />
independently and successfully when
they turn 18.I use a chore chart. Each child has duties to do every day and
they both have the same chores on different days. Even chores can be
an learning opportunity. They know how to do the laundry and help
with that every week. With my kids, they learned colors sorting the
dirty clothes, learned some counting and pairing with socks. They
learned to carry the folded clothes and helped me put them away. They
can put a shirt on a hanger and put away sock balls. Now they can
fold almost anything and put everything away.
<br />
My kids know how to cook some basic things and are learning more
cooking skills all the time. They are responsible for lunch almost
every day. Either they make it or they are helping make it after
planning it. They are learning how to clean the bathroom and already
help with cleaning the rest of the house. My kids help with sweeping
floors, yes not perfect but when they practice they get better. When
younger, they held a dust pan for me or got the broom out for me. I
had them practice sweeping in garages, not a big deal if they miss
some but nice bonus of having a “cleaner” garage.
<br />
They also have a checklist of the daily routine things like
brushing their teeth or taking their pills. They know what they are
supposed to do but the checklist helps to remind them and get them in
a habit/ routine. They also learn how to make lists, as well as following through them.<br />
Most of you know, I am a coupon shopper. My kids know how to coupon shop as well. How much math skills does that take? I have been teaching them budgeting skills too. They also help with long term project planning and inventory. While all of these things are not classic "school work," they certainly help to teach them how to be well rounded grown men! I know, I am training good husbands and their wives will thank me, (and their father) one day.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-89888892700380321372013-09-05T07:55:00.000-05:002013-09-05T07:55:38.138-05:00Behavior Correction Our Ways and More!
<h3>
First, some thoughts on behavior and rules, the way we do it. </h3>
Wow, there are some days when the kids just won't listen. Those
are the days that I get the most frustrated. We have some basic rules
in this house, the top of the list? Do what you are told, right away,
and without arguing! I demand, yes I said demand, immediate
obedience. “No I don't want to tell you why I want you to pick up
your room, just do it!” I know that it might not conform to
societies standard, but I have learned a lot in my 20+ years in
daycare and my years of being a mom.
<br />
Kids want rules and structure. Does that mean a tight schedule
where everything is planned out? No, that means basic rules and
consequences, with follow through! From day 1, there are rules. There
are punishments. It is my job to make sure BOTH happen.
<br />
Child psychology will tell you that from birth, a child wants to
feel safe. If you don't keep them safe from harming themselves, they
won't trust you to keep them safe from the rest of the world. That's
what rules mean to a child. Yes, most of this is subconsciously. So,
this translates to rules and punishments, done consistently.
<br />
Immediate obedience, if a child is running into the street and a
car is coming, you want them out of it immediately. Do want to take
the time to discuss why? When a child learns immediate obedience, you
can keep them safe first. If you want to teach them the why's, teach
them to ask, AFTER they have shown the obedience part!
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcF3eWJjviJK1GJAxdvBe8sqxlW7Iu6PF4Xtn6JYjzT58MAbGh6HlGpcmgNdnJYhhHrJ_Gy7RmxD0tdlQhTljywMUO2iCNikikXBJ-hXt3WU71QOfohnqiLJbuO_MOkdN0qZXfKbz2IUX1/s1600/joy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcF3eWJjviJK1GJAxdvBe8sqxlW7Iu6PF4Xtn6JYjzT58MAbGh6HlGpcmgNdnJYhhHrJ_Gy7RmxD0tdlQhTljywMUO2iCNikikXBJ-hXt3WU71QOfohnqiLJbuO_MOkdN0qZXfKbz2IUX1/s200/joy.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>
Another top rule I have, Do all things J.O.Y.-fully! That stands
for Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. It has an extra
meaning of nicely, without complaint as well. But when their behavior
or attitude is showing signs of not good, I just ask, “Are you
doing/ speaking with JOY?” That is usually all I need to say to
correct the behavior.
<br />
While these basic rules are usually enough to keep things good
around here, sometimes it is not enough. Then comes the spoon. Yes, I
hit/ spank my kids with a spoon. Would my hand work? Yes. Wouldn't my
hand be softer? Yes. Wouldn't my hand be less threatening? NO!! My
kids know when they have pushed the limits too far and that they are
getting a spanking, they can see the spoon in my hand. If I used my
hand all the time, what would they think when I was coming in for a
hug or to wipe something off their clothing? They might be scared
that I was going to hit them. I don't want them to fear me, just fear
the spoon. They know what it takes to get a spanking from it! It also
has another effect, I only have to ask, “Do I need to get the spoon
out?” and the behavior quickly corrects! So, how often do I use the
spoon? Probable less than 1 time per month. I might take it into my
hand, tap the counter with it for attention, and then lay it back
down again, about 1 time a week.
<br />
Why do I not have to use my spoon more often? Because they know
that my rules are there to keep them safe and to teach them how to be
Godlike men. I use all kinds of punishments; nose in the corner, no
TV, no bike, no toys, early bedtime, more schoolwork, and of course
bible verses. I like using the bible verses for most “crimes”.
They have to look up and find 5-10 verses on a subject like lying or
fools. Then they have to write them down, the whole verse and where
it's found. If that isn't enough to correct the behavior, each might
get written 10 times. By then, it should be memorized. If not, write
it 10 more times!<br />
My kids also know that punishments are far worse if crimes are
witnessed by others or done outside the home. They know that as a
homeschool family and former travel family, that we can be judged
more by others. CPS and family court judges might be more likely to
THINK we are not good parents because we have less roots than other
families. Some officials also like to think that homeschoolers are
just too lazy to get their kids to school everyday, that's why they
claim to homeschool, that there is no “real” schoolwork going on.
My kids do school work and they do learn.
<br />
<h3>
Now, some ideas and thoughts about family time. </h3>
<h4>
These are just my opinions and thoughts, don't take offense or feel judgment when it is not intended. (Disclaimer now posted!) </h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxK0aNbkbGKu9QzNkcmx6XzgkW54Mg6TfapGOW681KDUMzbaUXvtj39ENsw6N_jGjHezSM-bVIzXRb_6j0L5bw1lCcxENTvAMtEIB8tExwJybzeOQXALWqrSzI6OtMF4EKFZdXSNaC0d2/s1600/busy+everyday+calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxK0aNbkbGKu9QzNkcmx6XzgkW54Mg6TfapGOW681KDUMzbaUXvtj39ENsw6N_jGjHezSM-bVIzXRb_6j0L5bw1lCcxENTvAMtEIB8tExwJybzeOQXALWqrSzI6OtMF4EKFZdXSNaC0d2/s1600/busy+everyday+calendar.jpg" /></a>While my boys are perfect, they are good kids. Some say they are
one of the best behaved kids around. They still push the limits, and
get into trouble. We strive to teach them based on their mistakes and
improve their behavior. I think homeschooling has allowed us to spend
more time together that we have been able to catch the behavior
problems early on and to start correction faster. I wish more
families made the choice to spend as much time together as possible.
I know some families feel the need for 2 incomes or are single
parents, but what about the times your not at work? Do the kids
really need more than 1 extra activity per week that cuts into that
family time? Do they need a TV in their room to watch their shows
while your in the other watching yours? We have only 1 TV in the
whole house. Everything gets DVR'd so we can watch appropriate shows
with our kids, and save the rest for after they go to bed. Yes, we
might not get to watch “our” shows until 3 weeks later, but we
also know what our kids are watching all the time. Do you sit down
together at every possible meal together? We do! My kids always sit
at the table for meals, we do have special occasions when we eat in
the living room while watching TV. Yes we eat with the TV on
sometimes, we hung it up on the wall with a swivel mount for that
purpose. But we are still doing it together.
<br />
What about the household chores/ tasks, how are they going to get
done if we are spending all that time with our kids? Well, we do
tasks together! The kids help with the laundry, they bring down a
load to go in the washer, I am pulling the load out of the dryer.
They carry it up to our room for folding and start folding. I finish
switching the loads and go join them in folding. When they were
younger and couldn't fold much, they helped sort and matched up socks
for me to fold.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaOzFQZWScgRoah_TBZSI26mFk-xbnNM06niCkVYdpjSORGXQ2fwfLnQ2587JLU2qqv8cUR8hKeGK1ZLbMNHs2E1uy9PCPRlCh4aDVFIRLHkUH5Fv9q-0s9XwB9wTIuwMoU9_IXqUpytd/s1600/2013-09-03+12.14.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaOzFQZWScgRoah_TBZSI26mFk-xbnNM06niCkVYdpjSORGXQ2fwfLnQ2587JLU2qqv8cUR8hKeGK1ZLbMNHs2E1uy9PCPRlCh4aDVFIRLHkUH5Fv9q-0s9XwB9wTIuwMoU9_IXqUpytd/s320/2013-09-03+12.14.24.jpg" width="240" /></a> What about the weekends? Do you have so many activities planned
that you are just a taxi service or is the whole family involved? Do
you plan anything special for your family or does everyone just do
their own thing? Yes the kids are going to want to play with their
friends and ride their bikes, especially if they are so busy during
the week with school, activities and homework. But do you limit their
time for the sake of family time? Make a rule of 1 sleepover a month,
whether at your house or at a friends. Then make plans for 1 family
activity per weekend, whether on Saturday or Sunday after church.
Maybe it family movie night with homemade pizza (made together of
course), or frozen pizza and ice cream sundaes. An afternoon water
balloon fight on a hot day followed by everyone cleaning up together
might be fun. A snowball fight after a snowfall or a Nerf gun fight
is good inside or outside depending on weather. Make paper airplanes
and fly them around the room, younger kids can help decorate them.
<br />
Get some glow in the dark paint, a small funnel and a cheap clear
ball. Put some pain inside the ball and swirl it around. Now charge
it up under a lamp and after dark, go play kickball, catch or with
older kids, dodge ball! The next weekend since you have the paint,
tape some shapes on their bedroom walls and paint some designs.
You'll all have fun that night looking at it after dark when your
tucking them in for the night.<br />
What about bedtime? Do you “tuck” them in every night? Do all
the parents in the house participate? Growing up, my father didn't,
we gave him a kiss while he sat in his chair watching HIS shows or
reading the paper. My mom would tuck us in but by the time I was
around 5<sup>th</sup> grade or so, there wasn't much of that anymore.
My boys are 5<sup>th</sup> and 6<sup>th</sup> grade age now and we
still BOTH tuck them in. They want it and can get emotional if daddy
fell asleep on the couch and might not make it to tuck in time! (Poor
Marty gets up around 3:30am for start getting ready for work and
tends to be very tired by 9:30pm.) When on vacation and all the kids
were in 1 room, we tucked them all in.
<br />
I'm no expert and I am not judging anyone, I am just giving you
an insight into our lives and asking you questions to make you think.
I try to learn new things all the time and I am an information
gatherer. I “feed” off of information and believe that the more I
know the better decisions I make. I love new ideas and like to share
my ideas. I don't want you to feel like you have to do the same but I
hope it inspires you. Look at your life and decide if something might
work for your family.
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-45507475953532441482013-09-04T09:00:00.000-05:002013-09-04T09:00:05.772-05:00I Love Containers!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iSaPqmejTPrRF6gRANcpWAwv9Ak_bWv7bCexZURAAxtvqUmD_ALPBsjEHA12_kpSecY7bwnwHjfyla0fnpHpjJDsKAuUR_2zXyiDNnyo564LMFIIvmfyhgMnJtNR2J4310kxinMNoJEd/s1600/2013-09-03+14.35.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iSaPqmejTPrRF6gRANcpWAwv9Ak_bWv7bCexZURAAxtvqUmD_ALPBsjEHA12_kpSecY7bwnwHjfyla0fnpHpjJDsKAuUR_2zXyiDNnyo564LMFIIvmfyhgMnJtNR2J4310kxinMNoJEd/s200/2013-09-03+14.35.28.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yceOIxZB_kWOQtfkTVhzec5O16MBonx7PwFn3rFy6p6BCDYqR4jPQX4QXSTp5yOsr_VP8UfOu9kG5qxRKraHmOL6Rhr4pOxIUtja-KYHu9G9MfO6P6fNW4qSGwYWBEyR9UvgZY2v_mm1/s1600/2013-09-03+14.35.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yceOIxZB_kWOQtfkTVhzec5O16MBonx7PwFn3rFy6p6BCDYqR4jPQX4QXSTp5yOsr_VP8UfOu9kG5qxRKraHmOL6Rhr4pOxIUtja-KYHu9G9MfO6P6fNW4qSGwYWBEyR9UvgZY2v_mm1/s200/2013-09-03+14.35.34.jpg" width="150" /></a> Most who know me have found out I LOVE containers. Boxes, tubs, jars and baskets just to name a few. I might not be the neatest person, but I like to "contain" my clutter. I went shopping on Sunday afternoon with my son, Ryan. We went to Goodwill, Tuesday Mornings, Cost plus World Market and Pier 1. We had the best luck at Tuesday Mornings. I found the perfect box for what I wanted. The townhouse we live in is great, but the bathroom is not laid out ideally. I like to keep my feminine products near the commode and trash, that means keeping them in the open. So, Ihave been looking for the perfect container to house these items and found it!I now can keep these within reach. Yes I have lots of variety, I get samples and keep stocked up based on sales! <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmUzR36K0Bwy-OJ5bQGObddbrPPVx5ohBtC8ecYIAnTLNhmLixhAR4j-6ZvbrgXV-yspCSkXYtuBkCkcqYAEd3GMK2XROoxjoW6Xl1aToUYf1VsfPfPMpIJzVUx8S4igeIRNVh4izjYVI/s1600/2013-09-03+14.36.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmUzR36K0Bwy-OJ5bQGObddbrPPVx5ohBtC8ecYIAnTLNhmLixhAR4j-6ZvbrgXV-yspCSkXYtuBkCkcqYAEd3GMK2XROoxjoW6Xl1aToUYf1VsfPfPMpIJzVUx8S4igeIRNVh4izjYVI/s200/2013-09-03+14.36.50.jpg" width="200" /></a>Speaking
of bathrooms, what about TP? I have a couple of solutions. the first
one I did for our bathroom was someplace to keep a few rolls in reach
and a place to keep the reading materials. (We all have reading material
in the bathroom!) I found a wicker magazine rack at a yard sale. It holds what I need it to and looks good doing it! Then the 1/2 bath, only need TP but easily found by
guests. I found this tall metal flower can to work perfect.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOHYoacCyOxdxYCGM0TuD3jgrZhB46475a2rPSAw3N9PVhYT6eTTAtXmdx-DKVmDnkkkUdQYM3_Z1oISeqBcLZSQ1jcNeljGCdDN9rlhvgWU-aNfpPIgxzt3haxkKhNycp2iPtm5KZJ_B/s1600/2013-09-03+14.57.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOHYoacCyOxdxYCGM0TuD3jgrZhB46475a2rPSAw3N9PVhYT6eTTAtXmdx-DKVmDnkkkUdQYM3_Z1oISeqBcLZSQ1jcNeljGCdDN9rlhvgWU-aNfpPIgxzt3haxkKhNycp2iPtm5KZJ_B/s200/2013-09-03+14.57.50.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhmpDmX8oT57vkfDZKxGNn-UIqyD9JXV_As38zZg0bzmNB8BExk-dgPIipZ76RQq3wZxWo61cbLxQwRj1usKBmJ1wNH6bzmalRj2qAo-PW1nDtEc5guae8lJ28bNYVSEh_Qap_cdkf6F1/s1600/2013-09-03+14.35.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhmpDmX8oT57vkfDZKxGNn-UIqyD9JXV_As38zZg0bzmNB8BExk-dgPIipZ76RQq3wZxWo61cbLxQwRj1usKBmJ1wNH6bzmalRj2qAo-PW1nDtEc5guae8lJ28bNYVSEh_Qap_cdkf6F1/s200/2013-09-03+14.35.45.jpg" width="150" /></a>The boys bath, their sink is close enough to keep it under that.
Then came the stock-pile TP <br />
storage, I am known to have lots when I
find a good deal I stock up! The kids moved this need up
the priority list when they ripped the packaging to shreds and left a
pile of TP sitting in the hall. We don't have a linen or storage closet
in this place. At Goodwill I found this box, no lid but it will work for the open shelves we have in our hall upstairs. I did find some great Plastic wicker containers at Tuesday Mornings after I found this one. I decided this would work just fine for what I wanted and it was only $3.00, so a great bargain!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpBZj3kJYdi9W6ba2Cul8J1SfybjRQNE1E-JP73LbWY3Nyzycfwp2nf33wXIchy1VM81vCxKg_2fVE_6m8YdgAXQ7Av5ccRpsGvWyzPxwUM-bK3cGT4eMjq-K7M-IhXjhjeca3iiejBh1/s1600/2013-09-03+14.58.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpBZj3kJYdi9W6ba2Cul8J1SfybjRQNE1E-JP73LbWY3Nyzycfwp2nf33wXIchy1VM81vCxKg_2fVE_6m8YdgAXQ7Av5ccRpsGvWyzPxwUM-bK3cGT4eMjq-K7M-IhXjhjeca3iiejBh1/s320/2013-09-03+14.58.05.jpg" width="240" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxaF7Cyid7M_odCVhOSAYXo-85aCvdPhLSHX9Id7-2T6a_gJFAB3hhaIXbSsX0eysmmcVoPkZEf4v2U7lvcIXexPL41TAI6U4h3Mb2QgGl7OpKqa5EodXTT91TlbrefZQe1n8atEkylTD/s1600/2013-09-03+14.37.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxaF7Cyid7M_odCVhOSAYXo-85aCvdPhLSHX9Id7-2T6a_gJFAB3hhaIXbSsX0eysmmcVoPkZEf4v2U7lvcIXexPL41TAI6U4h3Mb2QgGl7OpKqa5EodXTT91TlbrefZQe1n8atEkylTD/s320/2013-09-03+14.37.20.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJls2Htx1mLEwWCniKZWX25bHYkyh0M6khsQhq0f5tMbqfT4FyagVL4nLJOf3Kz4jPXZSNcfCTIvApcGjaLR3G1EInPkE-LKAWE6HxOXW6RQyP435iuDpZzfEbOhpl1uY3Zr9Q0CtHsQ2w/s1600/2013-09-03+14.44.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJls2Htx1mLEwWCniKZWX25bHYkyh0M6khsQhq0f5tMbqfT4FyagVL4nLJOf3Kz4jPXZSNcfCTIvApcGjaLR3G1EInPkE-LKAWE6HxOXW6RQyP435iuDpZzfEbOhpl1uY3Zr9Q0CtHsQ2w/s200/2013-09-03+14.44.07.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQgO5cxSzFOdF_bCoD7kNcsK33vbY5WaPzavhDoPIU5t3jgrRStBjCF81X5d6PdVMWsKjD2bNAmiPog49u2Sl92DG72QqTjdgjUSaI5mmFaCXqRbo_vNsRfCwcuC9h8PVEU5b-rxMfBWS/s1600/2013-09-03+14.45.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQgO5cxSzFOdF_bCoD7kNcsK33vbY5WaPzavhDoPIU5t3jgrRStBjCF81X5d6PdVMWsKjD2bNAmiPog49u2Sl92DG72QqTjdgjUSaI5mmFaCXqRbo_vNsRfCwcuC9h8PVEU5b-rxMfBWS/s200/2013-09-03+14.45.07.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Now, since I was covering my favorite storage solutions, I thought I would share a few more! For those neat little laundry drop-in's, you can never get the bag to "zip" back closed and when less than 1/2 full they like to fall over. I bought this plastic container at Walmart in the food storage aisle. It holds 4 or more bags of the drop-in's and/or will hold the powder later on if I want. A word about the powder, when you store it in the box it comes in, it clumps or the kids spill it easily when helping. The container has a locking lid, so it reduces those risks. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLMTH5ga6fiiRKHSAcdBOSaGScdzrCVRwOhnVoUA1-uhXz2TbbxdIPKM5oUdzIwi8alG2zGlH66_d-nypSb1eKMv28k1vcaGg2mcHASrm6oJeQggv40sFusARDD6E2-ycxUu1P7RBvSQ2/s1600/2013-09-03+14.45.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLMTH5ga6fiiRKHSAcdBOSaGScdzrCVRwOhnVoUA1-uhXz2TbbxdIPKM5oUdzIwi8alG2zGlH66_d-nypSb1eKMv28k1vcaGg2mcHASrm6oJeQggv40sFusARDD6E2-ycxUu1P7RBvSQ2/s200/2013-09-03+14.45.47.jpg" width="150" /></a> I even have a tub that I keep light bulbs in. Never worry about them dropping out of their packages, getting smashed when something gets stacked on them, and the kids can bring you the tub while not touching them. (The oils on your hands can make them burn out faster.)<br />
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Next to the open shelves upstairs, I have a small chest. Andy has lots of medical supplies that he doesn't use on an everyday basis but he needs to be able to get to them. Also the first aid kit, ace bandages and medical gloves can take lots of room on a shelf, and look disorganized. All this stuff has found a home in this chest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxGO9b-oHOmE6MJgBYNiGhINY-fVxWc8XATuNB_v1Ttfahq6DKH2F1vj4z_fHqUtV_VVgXo734gBwkJUOxX0AdkZ09CE4DPSo-8WFboI-4D94j9jj2Sb5uLs0TBs-L_aCNXvBUmRxlR-3/s1600/2013-09-03+14.41.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxGO9b-oHOmE6MJgBYNiGhINY-fVxWc8XATuNB_v1Ttfahq6DKH2F1vj4z_fHqUtV_VVgXo734gBwkJUOxX0AdkZ09CE4DPSo-8WFboI-4D94j9jj2Sb5uLs0TBs-L_aCNXvBUmRxlR-3/s200/2013-09-03+14.41.06.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31qgWUBp8fcK-OSZxwQ4hfavUdY6B1js0rc7hT1qbW6v0DlMCPcByW3W-zf8Z7GCPF0cFwCMpXx6IMsb0SYHzmaDKkKDng3s3VMUyAWf-FOGV-NjyL-ycYbeXT7_BTjsSSCHwhMx_DCPi/s1600/2013-09-03+14.40.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31qgWUBp8fcK-OSZxwQ4hfavUdY6B1js0rc7hT1qbW6v0DlMCPcByW3W-zf8Z7GCPF0cFwCMpXx6IMsb0SYHzmaDKkKDng3s3VMUyAWf-FOGV-NjyL-ycYbeXT7_BTjsSSCHwhMx_DCPi/s200/2013-09-03+14.40.54.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Another storage solution I have, those "over-the-door" shoe organizers. Mine has everything from peperoni packages and muffin mixes to bags of pasta and Ice Cream mix in it. But the best part, the bigger pockets at the bottom hold granola and protien bars for the boys. They can not only reach, but they can see in to choose. Any snacks that are for them, I put in the bottom pockets. I also keep gum and breath mints in upper pockets to grab on the way out the door for church or long car rides.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLSGNvIhP-27AjCm4T3adQa1n68RTBwdyylBv3BE6Yh0pUDzxBzN52qySGT5VzYbsSiZCvVLUORa_SzvIiZgNyqzcBU6qfGPy9O4UHWQPnfi3MLBScRGV0H1b6j3g0YvJoFycifzN6ffC/s1600/2013-09-03+14.42.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_b-zTdUVN1HsxHwaZCTtsAtUgKhi5QWJK79_9zcwsH27DXW08ckQiREJbpIYfey1OgxbE-8VtAiidHREdxhZRaFdsaxfnLOxqkzxGEe5kbiNsO38OoDFhWwNzYM6BtorqlWTBVHMUeaa7/s1600/2013-09-03+14.43.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_b-zTdUVN1HsxHwaZCTtsAtUgKhi5QWJK79_9zcwsH27DXW08ckQiREJbpIYfey1OgxbE-8VtAiidHREdxhZRaFdsaxfnLOxqkzxGEe5kbiNsO38OoDFhWwNzYM6BtorqlWTBVHMUeaa7/s320/2013-09-03+14.43.10.jpg" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLSGNvIhP-27AjCm4T3adQa1n68RTBwdyylBv3BE6Yh0pUDzxBzN52qySGT5VzYbsSiZCvVLUORa_SzvIiZgNyqzcBU6qfGPy9O4UHWQPnfi3MLBScRGV0H1b6j3g0YvJoFycifzN6ffC/s200/2013-09-03+14.42.49.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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So, there you go. Some of my storage solutions and maybe an idea or 2 for you. If you have any other ideas, or need some ideas, let me know. I enjoy finding solutions!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-50574652563922899892013-09-03T12:28:00.000-05:002013-09-03T13:14:05.224-05:00How we do Back-to-School Photo's and Home Schooling!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPP8_H0E4_Uuxu-MShEnicqwwCJN4H3OLmrO8PYoGj7YwOiiEiWP4C-8qww5S-FlAD74s9oHo2hJzrkhxCM5NAorCYUFN3VCRusPTkxnI2_6UBvMgKUgP-0V23FUHMB1agCpfBeF_VrIE/s1600/2013-09-03+12.17.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPP8_H0E4_Uuxu-MShEnicqwwCJN4H3OLmrO8PYoGj7YwOiiEiWP4C-8qww5S-FlAD74s9oHo2hJzrkhxCM5NAorCYUFN3VCRusPTkxnI2_6UBvMgKUgP-0V23FUHMB1agCpfBeF_VrIE/s320/2013-09-03+12.17.35.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent">Everyone
has been posting their back to school photos for the last few weeks. I
don't have any since we home school. The boys have their assignments,
they take care of their work on their own, and ask for help when needed.
We "teach" more on the fly, when the opportunity and location is
presented, our classroom is the world. <br /> This morning, Ryan had his
work done and is back outside riding his bike. Andy is a bit slower, he
slept in later, so he is still working on his work. They both have done
their bible studies and some chores are already done. We'll work on
making lunch soon and then enjoy spending the day together.<br /> Don't
get me wrong, I enjoy seeing the back to school photos and yes we are
missing out on some of that. But what I do get????? All day with my boys
and I wouldn't have it any other way! So, here are our Back to School
photos. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oxuTQ011RgSPcthIBpSOITTlMF-21Yl5Vd9t50T1d7fomHGq7NPFRZrezDuUUDR4v7IyxHy5sbral8YS8DcUZGCrp0xISNUmD6Gn2WfAwT2fT6n8PlubfwVgwAQel_YHL8XMTZll5HCy/s1600/2013-09-03+12.13.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oxuTQ011RgSPcthIBpSOITTlMF-21Yl5Vd9t50T1d7fomHGq7NPFRZrezDuUUDR4v7IyxHy5sbral8YS8DcUZGCrp0xISNUmD6Gn2WfAwT2fT6n8PlubfwVgwAQel_YHL8XMTZll5HCy/s320/2013-09-03+12.13.45.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0TEGE3bPaZMrvXn9a449M4KEgF_guc316FUbVLiHm9QbIjDoW_Q54zUVB6VmMu8WNiEWr7FZHs7PyAGKxqWLHJrQMCUUKZzM0GbDOILpJTcIkdOuvmZ9eIxUKDwfDw2xoRPIoQkoU0WO/s1600/2013-08-31+17.13.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0TEGE3bPaZMrvXn9a449M4KEgF_guc316FUbVLiHm9QbIjDoW_Q54zUVB6VmMu8WNiEWr7FZHs7PyAGKxqWLHJrQMCUUKZzM0GbDOILpJTcIkdOuvmZ9eIxUKDwfDw2xoRPIoQkoU0WO/s320/2013-08-31+17.13.00.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26GtLk2NKJfa2Biic0yBMNQis8rvmvOh5didahu6bkA4od6JSAoxm37nhxHKWC40FuajLMUB2xDSdnNBWzDjRj09DJhEvfuS_FiOWTKYt9oOQZudyzOkxSEnIzIuCK7RWM0QtDlXBu9u5/s1600/2013-08-30+17.48.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26GtLk2NKJfa2Biic0yBMNQis8rvmvOh5didahu6bkA4od6JSAoxm37nhxHKWC40FuajLMUB2xDSdnNBWzDjRj09DJhEvfuS_FiOWTKYt9oOQZudyzOkxSEnIzIuCK7RWM0QtDlXBu9u5/s320/2013-08-30+17.48.12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79TECKgdhtr5vyWLssD682rPO4C-L7gLYiuIz6klhIpk_rM9pRrrqZTDEjifWogRf2qqqeCUbVcnpkZwlluFEPabFtD-0WZAZoOWyDGvxHlQ0wKHiwAsqqJxZoQ2w6plqHkJONP-mqdqU/s1600/2013-08-31+15.22.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKbuXC7cgaqH2b2jeXIodrN8dDYIdnqnI0YH3TyiFa57lRzZEoxuZ1fN9yXIE3sQkzU9l3zU_7mqsTDoQE6HE7eVQfq45Wxi429JTKoz9bgEyHKFVqn_fFMNZThzMiH38i6nAhCoH8nYa/s1600/2013-08-31+17.19.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKbuXC7cgaqH2b2jeXIodrN8dDYIdnqnI0YH3TyiFa57lRzZEoxuZ1fN9yXIE3sQkzU9l3zU_7mqsTDoQE6HE7eVQfq45Wxi429JTKoz9bgEyHKFVqn_fFMNZThzMiH38i6nAhCoH8nYa/s320/2013-08-31+17.19.30.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Yes, we like to have fun. We might have Nerf gun fights..... I win alot since they tend to bring me all the bullets! I find an educational experience in everything. Nerf, hand eye coordination and awareness of surroundings, comes into play when they learn to drive! Lego construction; building a strong foundation, following directions, and other physic's lessons. Even riding a bike has lessons to learn; rules of the road, awareness and avoiding accidents (or thinking fast!) <br />
We go to the store and learn price comparison, price per unit and other math. Standing in a line we learn patience, thoughtfulness of others. We learn time management skills and project planning skills from the independence I give them. (They plan out how to get their work done and still play outside before it gets too hot!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79TECKgdhtr5vyWLssD682rPO4C-L7gLYiuIz6klhIpk_rM9pRrrqZTDEjifWogRf2qqqeCUbVcnpkZwlluFEPabFtD-0WZAZoOWyDGvxHlQ0wKHiwAsqqJxZoQ2w6plqHkJONP-mqdqU/s1600/2013-08-31+15.22.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79TECKgdhtr5vyWLssD682rPO4C-L7gLYiuIz6klhIpk_rM9pRrrqZTDEjifWogRf2qqqeCUbVcnpkZwlluFEPabFtD-0WZAZoOWyDGvxHlQ0wKHiwAsqqJxZoQ2w6plqHkJONP-mqdqU/s320/2013-08-31+15.22.03.jpg" width="240" /></a>Going to church we learn that God is with us always and we must always behave as if today is Judgment Day. We will have to answer for our actions, the good as well as the bad.<br />
We can learn from anywhere and everywhere if we just look for the opportunities. Ok, getting off my soap box now! I love my days with my boys. They always want hugs, they would never go to sleep at night if I didn't still tuck them in. I love watching the joy on their faces when they figure out something, or complete a hard assignment. I get to hear their conversations, and hear them tell each other that they love them. I get to be the first one they ask questions of, and am able to decide if it is something they need to know yet or should they be older!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOa6cq8XRPAZpYLda1T3kq4CxncZRVaca0bjeYphjtkEhPcUS53gzX98Fpa_GSRTASAkQmq-2FPEFuivY-orah0XwT2EuaCmpR-Dsgapv6me45rMBvf4NFGSD0ffA-N_8YRzNXyiVt1rC5/s1600/2013-08-31+14.49.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOa6cq8XRPAZpYLda1T3kq4CxncZRVaca0bjeYphjtkEhPcUS53gzX98Fpa_GSRTASAkQmq-2FPEFuivY-orah0XwT2EuaCmpR-Dsgapv6me45rMBvf4NFGSD0ffA-N_8YRzNXyiVt1rC5/s320/2013-08-31+14.49.42.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I hope you get a chance to find those moments with your children, even if you send them to public school. Look for the fun and the educational times. Enjoy them, the kids will not stop growing up. And one day, they'll be gone!<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-72207630970668385922013-08-27T18:51:00.001-05:002013-08-27T18:51:18.544-05:00Our Vacation!!<h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagJE3QF8sj0bvm9NZLwhdzOai-0rkQm9EBy5z7Qx2RAWk1K81lCYdZ_33A1OlHw5WLinacZquC0YvDIy4Bovcn6I-tiFmTweYdmXeHh32DRQ7O8cm6SZwTnRatsGqJxolVW6NFKJHpTPg/s1600/Trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagJE3QF8sj0bvm9NZLwhdzOai-0rkQm9EBy5z7Qx2RAWk1K81lCYdZ_33A1OlHw5WLinacZquC0YvDIy4Bovcn6I-tiFmTweYdmXeHh32DRQ7O8cm6SZwTnRatsGqJxolVW6NFKJHpTPg/s200/Trailer.jpg" width="200" /></a>Yea, life is still going on and keeping me from posting more updates! LOL </h3>
So, we have been having some fun the last week. We packed up last Tuesday and hit the road by 6:30am on Wednesday morning. Headed up to Chama New Mexico, through some rain and lots of elevation changes, gas mileage went from 300 miles a tank to only 160 mile a tank. We pulled in around 8:30pm Mountain time. Not a bad drive, just long!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjrkOL1_-9_c0MP0OxsJx6kH00FBTZ34E2PpwJDMj74q2IL0PedehlotcegIjxyxBZkOjI5VvT6toPG82H2eY_0mYYz6DcmehlYkHpj7DcVPMHubCvbZV6v-gSiWokRyaBPCffyFPh_VW/s1600/2013-08-18+19.55.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjrkOL1_-9_c0MP0OxsJx6kH00FBTZ34E2PpwJDMj74q2IL0PedehlotcegIjxyxBZkOjI5VvT6toPG82H2eY_0mYYz6DcmehlYkHpj7DcVPMHubCvbZV6v-gSiWokRyaBPCffyFPh_VW/s200/2013-08-18+19.55.29.jpg" width="150" /></a>Got everything unpacked and settled in at our friends home. The kids bounced off the walls for awhile and then settled down to sleep. The parents sat up talking til after 1am! The next morning the kids were up and ready to go by 7am.... not the parents!<br />
Had a great time visiting, exploring the sites, enjoyed some great food and even all went out to dinner 1 night! Monday morning rolled around with sad faces and breaking hearts.... it was time to pack up and start heading for home. The rounds of good byes had some tears and then we were off around 10am.<br />
We had decided to make a few stop and see things on our way home, we didn't feel like rushing. We also planned on finding a hotel and spending the night somewhere around 1/2 way. So, the 1st stop we decided was a truck stop, to buy a power inverter, to be able to charge the tablet's that were keeping the boys entertained!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgwacBFx1TCWCX4aurXhC2EKrWjBJtvzg3f_4y6jiaDXZHatfeoDLD_uv5x_jujwRIfM6JVk5ik5xBP6c1-jVYCfTP6UcOxTG7uuNOT9bVyUvsGlUDPO5oWgj9qEA3n5cfmeYsGqrF7QL/s1600/2013-08-26+18.57.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgwacBFx1TCWCX4aurXhC2EKrWjBJtvzg3f_4y6jiaDXZHatfeoDLD_uv5x_jujwRIfM6JVk5ik5xBP6c1-jVYCfTP6UcOxTG7uuNOT9bVyUvsGlUDPO5oWgj9qEA3n5cfmeYsGqrF7QL/s400/2013-08-26+18.57.48.jpg" width="300" /></a>Then around 6pm, we stopped at The Cadillac Ranch. It's just west of Amarillo, TX and has 10 Cadillac's 1/2 buried in the ground, standing on end. These cars are covered in spray paint. You are allowed to be creative and graffiti the cars. It was a really neat site if you stopped to look at where the paint had changed the texture and stopped the rusting/ weathering of these cars. I had a lot of fun taking some neat pictures. Yes, somewhere along the years I have always gotten a kick out of taken pictures of textures. There are more pictures at the end of this post!<br />
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After that stop we decided to head for the Giant Cross and we thought we would find a hotel near there. The Cross and the display around it were amazing. The kids really enjoyed it. There is a gift shop, but the selection is limited to general religious items and had very few souvenirs for their location. I also was disappointed in their prices, a CD of the builder talking about the Cross was $20. Too much for so little. They also only had about 4 other items for souvenirs, none very good and priced very high. Anyway, I got some pictures just before the sun went down, we went into the gift shop before they closed, then took a few more after dark.<br />
We then decided since it was after 8pm, it was time to find a hotel and dinner. Well, we ended up not finding a hotel until 10 pm, dinner was McDonald's... not very good one. There is not anything around the Cross, so if you want to go, do what we SHOULD have done, plan on staying in Amarillo for the night.<br />
We got up late this morning, Marty around 7:45am, me around 8am and last up was Andy around 8:30am. Went down and got some breakfast and was back on the road by 10am. We drove through town and by an old Route 66 gas station/ restaurant that was refurbished by 2003, and was the basis for Ramon's car paint shop in the Disney Car's movie. It is listed as a historical place and now is used to house a museum and the local Chamber of Commerce. This is in Shamrock, TX.<br />
We continued our drive home, with lots of gas stops as the gas mileage seemed to drop the whole trip! Stopped in Denton to grab some lunch and made it home around 3pm. It's not 6pm, and I already have the second load in the washer, Marty has washed the bugs off the car and the kids have ridden their bikes some. The plans for the rest of the night is to eat some dinner and watch some TV before the kids go to bed early.<br />
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Marty is back to work tomorrow at 6am, and then we have church in
the evening. Everything is going to be back to normal and the usual
activities. I'll check in later this week, or I'll try to! Today's post
was a quick one, and an excuse to post some of the pictures I took. I
hope you enjoy!<br />
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Don't forget to keep scrolling down to see more photo's!</h3>
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More texture photos.</h4>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-45974777911552506152013-08-06T13:47:00.002-05:002013-08-06T13:48:15.210-05:00Sorry, It's been awhile!<div style="text-align: left;">
So, I know it's been awhile since I've put up a post! So much has been happening around here and with everything going on, the blog got pushed to the back burner. Going back to the end of June, first part of July. A wonderful gentleman from our church passed away, we didn't know him well but our best friends from NM did. They came down for the memorial and stayed with us. It was a whirl-wind weekend, we had to get the house ready for another family to stay. Then so many folks wanted to spend time with them so we had an impromptu BBQ here so more folks could share their time. We had 13 adults and 7 kids running around, playing music, talking and the ice cream maker going! It was a blast.</div>
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The next week, the boys had to be packed up and sent off to church camp. The left on Wednesday morning, and returned Sunday afternoon. Over the weekend while they were gone, Marty and I just chilled out. Then when starting the laundry, to have clean clothes for the boys, the dryer decided not to heat anymore! New dryer, only 3 months old. So, that had to be fixed on Monday and then the loads of wet clothes the boys brought home, cleaned! </div>
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I had a Dr. check-up, well just a quick visit for RX refills as she didn't have any openings for a full check-up. With Marty's job change we have had a change in insurance. Also, had to switch Andy's SSI Disability and Medicaid to Texas. That has taken most of my time lately. I have gotten appointments for the boys, myself and working on the dentist appointments. </div>
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We had Soccer Camp at church, in place of a traditional VBS. All week, we had to be at church at 5pm until almost 9pm. It was hot, Marty was camp nurse, the only medical staff, and we had a few having problems with heat exhaustion. Being the spouse of the nurse, whenever a kid needed to sit inside and be watched, it became my job, so Marty could get back onto the field. It was a great week and no problems. Had Dr's appointments for the boys this week as well. Ryan's weight is up, a little more than we want. He is working on watching his eating and exercising more. </div>
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We then had gotten a call from the Irving Chapter of AMBUCS. They are an organization that helps special needs kids and adults with bikes and sometimes build ramps for homes. The National Convention is in Fort Worth this year and they were gathering some folks to receive bikes at the convention. Andy was on the list. So, we had to get to downtown Ft. Worth by 10am on Saturday the 27th. Got his bike and then had to take it apart into 3 pieces to fit in the back of the Highlander. We then spent the rest of the day trying to find a way to haul it around! The bike is so big, the traditional bike carriers would not fit. We looked at a platform the would go on the hitch, not big enough. We also knew we would need to be able to carry a bike for Ryan. We ended up going to a trailer store and buying a 5x8 ft box trailer. We looked at a 5x6 and 5x8 ft open, flat bed trailers. The 5x6 had small tires and would only allow up to 45 MPH speeds. The 5x8 was only 200lbs lighter and the cost was only $900 cheaper, at that point, why not get the closed for more security and that way we can pack more items like camping gear and use it more! We then went an bought Ryan a new bike! I had a coupon for 5% off everything at Target and we found a 7 speed bike on sale for $40 off regular price. That is his early Birthday gift. </div>
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The same day was a work day at the church. We are getting new air conditioning for our sanctuary, it's been out for over 7 months and we have had to use our fellowship hall for everything. The electrical work was one of the last things on the list of work to do for the day and was scheduled to start around 5 pm. We got there at 6pm and were able to help a little. Well, Marty was a help, I just watched! We finally left there around 8pm, a long day!</div>
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That next week was my birthday! I have been dreading it! Yes, now I'm 40, yes I know it's only a number. But still, it brings you to a point of focus. What have you done with the first half of your life, what accomplishments, what happened to your goals and such. Also, you realize that you are not getting any younger and the weight you have been saying you need to get rid of is still there. It's a milestone that brings reflection and time for re-dedication/ re-focus. </div>
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So, I have signed up for my first 5K. I also signed up Ryan to do it with me. Between his need for some weight control and my BIG need for weight loss, I am hopeful that this will do us both good. It's a Color 5K, they throw "Color Bombs" at you throughout the race and by the end you are covered in different colors! It should be a fun way to get some extra encouragement to keep going. At first, the thought of 5K was daunting, but then I looked it up and realized, it's only 3.1 miles. When you think about a SLOW walking pace is around 2 miles per hour, 3 miles shouldn't take that long. Marty and Andy will have to watch and take pictures! Neither of them were interested anyway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoPIvkRAOg9KugA_-_ISaKq51YGRDHovmeZkW3aTsZKWSrXI_sS7ADbwx2S-CMSxgI7le4cDdAMsqKnSVZtV29qNApbLduqY9zPAIJUef6Y-EjiOlaxNTq14MJxua8djhFUIZYTry0x6g/s1600/church+hawiian+falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoPIvkRAOg9KugA_-_ISaKq51YGRDHovmeZkW3aTsZKWSrXI_sS7ADbwx2S-CMSxgI7le4cDdAMsqKnSVZtV29qNApbLduqY9zPAIJUef6Y-EjiOlaxNTq14MJxua8djhFUIZYTry0x6g/s320/church+hawiian+falls.jpg" width="320" /></a>So, the boys and I went shopping on Thursday, to buy me some birthday gifts, new clothes. I found some great ones and the boys had fun helping pick them out. Plus, I got them on a great deal! Then on Saturday, the church children and families went to Hawaiian Falls water park. We stayed all day, had fun and got pink skin (sunburns), not too bad on most but a few! We already have a plan to go on the 17th, they have a special day for special needs folks and their friends and family, with special pricing of course! We decided to stop at the customer service area and ask about renting a cabana for that day, glad we did because the ones we like the best had only 1 left to rent, we paid and got that all set up. </div>
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So, now your all caught up on our lives. We are planning a trip to NM to visit with our best friends, going for Ryan's birthday. We have been just taking care of things around the house, Marty has been painting and working on the church website. I have been working on the choir folders and helping with music needs. We have to help Marty with his lawn care day at church this Saturday, always hot, but this week the forecast in days in the 100's and heat index warnings. The neighbor has her granddaughter this week, the kids are out in the garage playing and have been riding their bikes. I am thinking it's time to make some lunch and get back to work around the house. I have been working on organizing all the papers in the house. Bought a filing cabinet and a label maker, didn't think it was too bad until I realized we have got papers shoved everywhere! I need to find a supplier for Andy's stuff, one that takes both insurances! </div>
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Talk to you all later. Yes, I am going to try real hard to post sooner than 6-7 weeks. Remind me if need be!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-88301421475031879782013-06-25T09:33:00.001-05:002013-06-25T09:33:35.344-05:00Catching up after busy weeks!It's a never ending battle to catch up on things when you keep busy.
Life doesn't take a break and allow you one. We've been busy around
here. While Andy was at camp, I went to the Southern Baptist Convention's Annual Meeting in Houston. Ryan stayed at home with Chris staying here with him, they went swimming both days at the Starrett's house. Marty worked and came home sick 1 day.<br />
It was a crazy week,<br />
<i>Sunday</i>- Andy off to camp, Marty meeting at church, Ryan and I clean up and make a room/bed up for Chris, Marty home- I leave for Youth night, I bring home dinner and all off to bed.<br />
<i>Monday</i>- Marty at work, I finish laundry and pack for Houston, Chris arrives and go over everything with him, I get picked up and am off to Houston.<br />
<i>Tuesday</i>- Marty- work, Ryan and Chris- swimming, me- in Houston<br />
<i>Wednesday</i>- Marty- work then home sick, Ryan and Chris- swimming then church, me- Houston then home for 15 minutes then go pick Ryan up from church, pick dinner up for Marty and me.<br />
<i>Thursday</i>- Marty- work, recovery for me, unpack, sort and pick up from the few days gone.<br />
<i>Friday</i>- 5AM- Take Marty to work, Ryan & I- pick Andy up, home- unload, shopping for B-day present, Parent's night out at church- 6PM drop boys off, Marty- still working- late, Me- pick boys up at 9:30pm, off to pick Marty up from work, Grab dinner drive thru for Marty and I, home around 10:30pm.<br />
<i>Saturday</i>- 9AM Top Golf for Andy's last practice before tournament, Lunch then B-day party at Foreman's, swimming party, home around 8pm<br />
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<i>Sunday</i>- Church, Father's Day lunch, shopping for Andy's tournament- gloves, shirt, new driver club.<br />
<i>Monday-</i> 5AM- take Marty to work, 12PM pick-up Fernanda, 12:30PM pick-up Marty from Work, 1:15PM check-in at golf tournament, 2PM- tee-off, run home, Marty change clothes, grab drive thru lunch, back to the golf course, 4:30PM lightning, rain- start dinner and awards at the tournament, 6:30PM sky is clear, dinner/awards over, pool party is starting- we head home.<br />
<i>Tuesday</i>- still catching up on laundry, Marty done with work early, go window shopping at pop-up campers, Scottish Rite for golf clinic, dinner and home<br />
Wednesday- Laundry-still, church<br />
<i>Thursday</i>- Marty work, me- paperwork, bills, housework <br />
<i>Friday</i>- Marty work, on-call day means late night, me- kids, laundry, more paperwork, bills<br />
<i>Saturday</i>- Drop Marty & Ryan at church for lawn care, Andy & I go to Hawaiian Falls to get tickets, back to church, help with lawn care. Lunch drive-thru, home change, off to Hawaiian Falls for the afternoon, home, change and off to dinner, home, movie, bed.<br />
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<i>Sunday</i>- Church, lunch, Me- meeting at church, family- meeting at church.<br />
<i>Monday</i>- Marty- off, work around the house, Me & Ryan- church to help move things around and do choir folders, Home- grocery list, Andy & I- grocery shopping, dinner for all and movie, bed.<br />
<i>Tuesday</i>-TODAY.... take Marty to work, Me- blog and paperwork, Boys & I grocery shopping, Inspection by Garland City, Scottish Rite golf clinic, Marty from work, dinner (somewhere in there)<br />
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I have a long to-do-list this week as well. I have ordered some supplies to help organize, unfortunately they are all coming in different shipments. I am really behind on my coupon clipping, never get caught up there it seems. With all the changes in insurance and permanent move, there seems to be so much paperwork to be done. I am working on getting the boys ready for pre-teen camp coming in 2 weeks, planning a family vacation trip in August and need to get a Doctor's appointment for me and really everyone in the family!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-61585678592402800192013-06-25T08:11:00.003-05:002013-06-25T09:34:16.012-05:00Andy's 1st trip to Spina Bifida Camp<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiPIRluwEgExcxatqyMaLnos_FXxvjBzhNrzHXb8mES_HXU_NLdGVA3XUvpa6h8P0Penh7Ygd3TdHiKk9FedgL2b5tLBCQ0HPC-LizYnDyfusK-hNaPiWNDFxol1hpOvsmVVOhkWxmW32/s1600/bus+wave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiPIRluwEgExcxatqyMaLnos_FXxvjBzhNrzHXb8mES_HXU_NLdGVA3XUvpa6h8P0Penh7Ygd3TdHiKk9FedgL2b5tLBCQ0HPC-LizYnDyfusK-hNaPiWNDFxol1hpOvsmVVOhkWxmW32/s400/bus+wave.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVeBFK1LFUY-_DMvCkF4WqvIAf3oUbNacEPWGNV315l49V7H28dYQ7CirdJzyyhYyStbBV0v5TlrMoEZMB9GEkoqHpZ2vmtOs-3ptleN64nIQHMaGQToAI6Wvi8ikYZ96LZgjjqjH14lB/s1600/the+bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVeBFK1LFUY-_DMvCkF4WqvIAf3oUbNacEPWGNV315l49V7H28dYQ7CirdJzyyhYyStbBV0v5TlrMoEZMB9GEkoqHpZ2vmtOs-3ptleN64nIQHMaGQToAI6Wvi8ikYZ96LZgjjqjH14lB/s320/the+bus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXSxctd_n0TA1GYtPqkTJLU3XQp9NEmCYZqB3O6oCL1YJYAyfvLt2n6IwcHfemQF_5zRy4o44-AljMq1eCYKu8bGBF3TCb6Ve6g5D9kWv21qCSQWY1WlJoG1oWH_YaOOMTguzUjmsJccy/s1600/wheelchairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXSxctd_n0TA1GYtPqkTJLU3XQp9NEmCYZqB3O6oCL1YJYAyfvLt2n6IwcHfemQF_5zRy4o44-AljMq1eCYKu8bGBF3TCb6Ve6g5D9kWv21qCSQWY1WlJoG1oWH_YaOOMTguzUjmsJccy/s400/wheelchairs.jpg" width="400" /></a>We took a day and did all the shopping for everything he needed. Then the laundry and packing, finally we were off to Scottish Rite for a 9:30am appointment on Sunday morning. They do last minute pre-camp health check-in's and go through all the med's while filling pill keepers for the week. We get through all the check in stuff, he does a craft and then get a small tune-up on his wheelchair. He has not been fitted to his chair in over 6 years. (Need to get a full tune-up and fitting done soon, just in case.) We all grab lunch and then they start to load up the buses. They have 3 large tour buses, 1 for larger kids in Wheelchairs, it has a lift and they can then transfer into a bus seat. Then for smaller wheelie kids that can be carried onto the buses and those who can walk (with or without assistive devices) ride the other 2 buses, there is 1 for girls and 1 for boys. Then they load all the wheelchairs in a large box truck. <br />
The camp is 1 1/2 hours away, SW of Dallas. There were some issues with traffic in the Dallas area and then 1 of the buses was having mechanical problems. The buses all stayed together and made it down ok, they used a different bus for the return trip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPeHxa3HLT4PA4xDTbgOTLjPhdKNKInPMw4JDSNsWaDiHkIoTwZuJJOWfonwOBkpwKrNz-UgnOlHwX3CVvGC7ZrXTSvrxzQnj0usEPERFDjDFfvD7fMgobEfewkyrakEDMOfmbDxkqlzz/s1600/camp+gerbil.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPeHxa3HLT4PA4xDTbgOTLjPhdKNKInPMw4JDSNsWaDiHkIoTwZuJJOWfonwOBkpwKrNz-UgnOlHwX3CVvGC7ZrXTSvrxzQnj0usEPERFDjDFfvD7fMgobEfewkyrakEDMOfmbDxkqlzz/s320/camp+gerbil.gif" width="320" /></a><br />
Andy got to do all kinds of neat stuff all week at camp. They had a wildlife experience time, he got to hold a gerbil and pet a snake, he didn't like the snake much! They had a Wizard of Oz theme night with a yellow brick road and a Hollywood Dance Night with Red Carpet. That night a cabin mate offered Andy some cologne and told him to use 3-5 squirts, Andy puts on 9 sprays! The big fun event was a camp-wide water fight complete with a fire hose being used! We bought him a super soaker for this event, he liked using a small traffic cone and a bucket of water better! They do this event every year, they cover the wheelchairs in plastic bags, stretch wrap and duct-tape. All the staff are involved, Andy said the nurses were lined up on the med-hut porch with syringes filled with water. He went horseback riding, participated in archery, climbing wall, swimming, canoeing, cook-out, camp-out, pottery, and fishing.<br />
Of Friday morning, Ryan and I went to pick him up. They had everything all set up and ready, signs for each cabin's belongings, shade tent for check-out and water for the heat! The fire trucks rolled in with helpers to unload the belongings and wheelchairs, also to help get kids off the buses. The box truck arrived first with the chairs, then the buses. They unloaded most everything first and then the kids. By the time Andy got off and to us, we had all his stuff and were able to put everything in the car before going through check-out.<br />
At check-out we got a DVD of camp photo's and video's. As we all watched it, Andy was telling us that he was going to try other things next year! So, he is already planning on going again, that means he had fun.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-64107094647505312242013-06-07T17:57:00.001-05:002013-06-07T17:57:02.055-05:00Busy weeks!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7qk8qgMOHgAxdSwGE_wjUHMPiBPOw8OsOchqpM7t-l5WyDESV-8a_9708g9XfSufLPfnl1jbypK_J0d-ZGdylYy20DIxz3ZyGNNA8cbF25CzlrsZFaBzuYs0pdI5T8ZiwFqN2pULWATs/s1600/busy+calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7qk8qgMOHgAxdSwGE_wjUHMPiBPOw8OsOchqpM7t-l5WyDESV-8a_9708g9XfSufLPfnl1jbypK_J0d-ZGdylYy20DIxz3ZyGNNA8cbF25CzlrsZFaBzuYs0pdI5T8ZiwFqN2pULWATs/s400/busy+calendar.jpg" width="400" /></a>So we've been real busy lately. I have also had things to get done while Marty is at work, so if I want to car I have to get up at 5 AM and drive him to work at 5:30. It makes for a long day and I am dead tired by the end of the day!<br />
Last week was the first day of Tues-night golf. First was off to Top Golf (3-5pm) for Andy to practice for his golf tournament. Then grabbed dinner on the way to Scottish Rite (6:30-8pm) for golf lessons. Ryan gets to participate if there's enough room and golf clubs, there was. On Wednesday evening was the last night of AWANA with a church wide Ice Cream Social! Lot's of folks came out for that. It also was sing up time for Summer All Star's Wednesday Night program including soccer, and for our summer VBS/ Soccer Camp. I am continuing the role of secretary/ registration desk for these activities, so I was somewhat busy (I had some helpers, Thanks). <br />
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That weekend was our Yard Sale Fund raiser for camp for both the pre-teens and the youth. We also had a car wash going at the same time. I spent time here and there over the last few weeks getting ready for it, I was the chairperson. The kids and I spent most of Friday helping get everything set up. My folks also were still close by and wanted to see us for 1 last visit Friday night, so after picking Marty up from work, grabbing a late lunch, and running back to the church to do more setting up, around 7pm we all headed up to McKinney to eat dinner and have Ice Cream at Dairy Queen.<br />
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Then on Saturday morning, the whole family got up to church at 6:30am to finish set up and started the sale at 8am. I sent Marty and Andy off around 10:30 to go attend a 1 day special event for physical impaired kids and adults. He had lots of fun. Ryan and I stayed back at the yard sale, the sale ended at 3pm then started the cleanup. We loaded all that was left over into a donations truck, put away tables, vacuumed, and set up the fellowship hall for Sunday service. With all the great help, everything was done by 4pm. I took care a few more things and then Ryan and went and took care of the choir folders for Sunday service. By the time we were done Marty and Andy were on their way back to the church to get us. We got out of there shortly after 6pm. Long day!!<br />
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Sunday morning started with Sunday School class, then service, sing with the choir and then slip out the door to check on what else was needed for the fellowship meal lunch. I ran home to put together a salad and grab the coleslaw we had forgotten to bring, back to church for lunch. We had a special business meeting and on the way home around 3:30pm. I had a little while at home before I was off again. I had told some of the youth that I would try to come and hang out during the youth program on Sunday evenings. I went and picked up 1 at 5pm, off to church. At 5:45pm, head out to pick another 1 from work at 6pm, back to the church. Hangout until after 8pm, run to grab some take out dinner (Marty was to tired to cook, and so was I) and stop to fill the gas tank before going home! Dinner and bed!<br />
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Then started a new week! Monday- I was lazy all day! Tuesday, took Marty to work, did some errands and then pick Marty up with a change of clothes for him, and Golf events! Wednesday first night of All Stars, worked the registration table, took care of choir folders, choir practice afterwards and home around 8:30pm. Thursday, took Marty to work. We needed to do some shopping for items Andy will need at camp next week. He is expensive!! Pick Marty up when he finally got done after 8pm! Dinner on the way home and then bed for the whole family!<br />
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Today I have been going through the packing list for Andy. Have the kids cleaning up their toy room so Chris can have a room to himself when he comes to stay next week with Ryan. Marty will have to work, Andy will be at Spina Bifida Camp Sunday through Friday and I am going to the Southern Baptist Convention in Houston Monday through late Wednesday. I started to realize that I also need a packing list! We also need some labels for Andy's camp stuff, so I ordered some from Staples online and a stamp to share contact info with new friends. We have to run and pick them up later.<br />
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Tomorrow Marty has to be at church by 9 am for lawn care, Andy has another practice at Top Golf 9-11am and then we need to finish washing clothes and packing for both trips. We are missing church this Sunday as Andy needs to be at Scottish Rite at 9:30 am for his pre-camp physical, then get all the check in process done, lunch ate and ready to get on the bus at noon. Marty has a meeting at church at 2:30 and then I am going to the youth program again in the evening. I have to be ready to go on Monday around noon, Chris will be coming over at that point so I'll have to cover things with him then. I'll be picked up around 2 pm to head down to the Southern Baptist Convention in Houston. I have signed up for extra break-out sessions at breakfast time and lunch time on both days. There also is a movie screening of Grace Unplugged on Tuesday evening 9pm- 11pm. We'll head back to Dallas after the day is over on Wednesday late afternoon. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76eeucEwbc60PCI7rhuUrq-_V4dxeOWRa42_Ed9Hn7DzhLFZ7kcuJBODUQxOl-Ik9ncNC3jq6ryzlXVaIGF22ABg3cNvjpFu2LNwoDiyOrpys7GKWNwXlzZ8vZfTp7KULpPivyK4iQepO/s1600/running+clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76eeucEwbc60PCI7rhuUrq-_V4dxeOWRa42_Ed9Hn7DzhLFZ7kcuJBODUQxOl-Ik9ncNC3jq6ryzlXVaIGF22ABg3cNvjpFu2LNwoDiyOrpys7GKWNwXlzZ8vZfTp7KULpPivyK4iQepO/s200/running+clock.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Andy gets back from camp on Friday around noon time and then there is a Parents Night Out event at church that evening. Top Golf again on Saturday morning, then church on Sunday. <a href="http://community.tsrhc.org/page.aspx?pid=531&tab=0&frsid=1097" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andy's Dallas Golf Tournament</a> is on Monday around noontime. Then it will be Tuesday so he'll have the golf lessons at Scottish Rite again. <br />
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We don't have anything planned until beginning of July, when the kids go to pre-teen camp with church. And then at the end of July is VBS/ Soccer Camp week. Fathers day is going to be a quick blip! But at least we know the kids have something to do this summer! LOL We also want to find Ryan some rec department activity to participate in. He's starting to get jealous of all Andy's activities. <br />
So, there's the update and forecast..... I will try to catch you up again soon! Forgive me and don't give up on me if I don't check in that often for awhile.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434363357830907531.post-90684926011459496552013-06-03T12:32:00.000-05:002013-06-06T07:01:29.153-05:00Andy's Birthday, remembering back to the pregnancy 11 years ago!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b-xTQQ3z2T7OXxrT1Hu7-NZFayHso4qfHxXD951YNGFZsVIkj8Xg11smwmek2Gkmcgh2YZIyFlXLovkgU-dvPFIo5Z8nka0R8uMIao-bfbT-RQQ8uxOuxv9LEJ2bmizbvAxX34h6lPad/s1600/Andy+and+Ryan+2+195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b-xTQQ3z2T7OXxrT1Hu7-NZFayHso4qfHxXD951YNGFZsVIkj8Xg11smwmek2Gkmcgh2YZIyFlXLovkgU-dvPFIo5Z8nka0R8uMIao-bfbT-RQQ8uxOuxv9LEJ2bmizbvAxX34h6lPad/s320/Andy+and+Ryan+2+195.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">My
baby is growing up too fast! He was born 11 years ago, on Friday, May
24th at 10:03am. He weighed in at 3427 grams (7 1/2 lbs) and 48cms (19 inches) On Saturday May 25th at 6:30am he had his first or 14
surgeries. They said he might not ever walk, or would need assistive
devices like braces and walkers. Today he runs and walks with no
assistance, is very smart (spells better than me!) and is above all, a
happy, God-loving child. My miracle, (Dr.'s said I would never have
children), my oldest, my son!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"> When I started my journey into mommy-hood, I didn't know what to expect. I knew that I always wanted to be a mom, but was told so long that I couldn't have children I was starting to believe it. It was an unusual start to the pregnancy. The first weekend in October of 2001, Marty and I went camping, we were checking out a time-share campground. The whole weekend we kept talking about how nice the place was and since it had an adult only clubhouse and activities, we could find ways to be happy and enjoy spending time without having children in our lives. We had been told, again, earlier that spring that we could not get pregnant. So all summer and into the fall, we had been spending time together finding a way to make a life without children. For the 9years before that summer, every choice we made was with the plan of how this or that would work with children in the picture. Now we had accepted that there would be no children. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">A month after that camp-out, I got up on a Monday morning and decided to take a pregnancy test. Don't know why but I had an old one sitting in the cupboard so I took it. It had a faint 2nd line! I called Marty in to look at it, he didn't even know what having 2 lines on a pregnancy test meant. (this was before nursing school) Off to the store we went to get a new test kit. After letting Marty read every box in the store and choosing what one he thought was the best, we head for the checkout only for Marty to ask, "What happens if this is negative?" I answer, "Wait a week and re-test." We do a u-turn and head back for a 2 pack! After we get back home I re-test..... positive!! After all these years of trying and not getting pregnant, I want a blood test and Dr.'s confirmation! So I call the office and get in that day. They re-test and take blood, tell me to stop taking my medications and hand me a prescription for pre-natal vitamins. I also need to find a different Dr. as that one was a General Physician, need a good OB. So I call around, find one in Raleigh and have an appointment for the next week. Get the lab results back on Wednesday, I am 2-3 months along??? That next appointment they do a Ultrasound, I am 10 weeks along. Everything looks and good and we set up the appointments for the next 2 months. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">The next few months are great, we tell my folks, call Marty's folks and tell everyone else! We celebrate Christmas, my Mom fills a small pink stocking with gifts and a blue one. There are gifts for the new baby under the tree. My mom and Marty are convinced that it will be a girl, I tell them it will be a boy since they think it's a girl! LOL We decided that we don't want to know the sex until birth. I am having an easy pregnancy and no problems. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">The week between Christmas and New Year is my lab appointment for a "tri-panel" blood test, it is now a "multi-panel" test. This test looks for indicators of Trisomy 18, Downs Syndrome, and Neural Tube Defects. I didn't think anything about it at the time, just another test for me. A week and a half later, I get a call. The lab results are not normal, they want me to go to a special Ultra Sound clinic and meet with a genetic councilor. I ask what do the lab results indicate, "possible Spina Bifida." I had never heard of it before. We start researching and go talk to a friend at the health department. Everyone tells us not to worry, there are false lab results like this one all the time. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">January 10th, 2002 we go to the Special clinic and meet a genetic councilor. She talks with us for awhile and asks us if we want to abort if there is something wrong with our baby. We know at this point that Spina Bifida doesn't affect intelligence, only physical problems. We let her know that if there is the slightest quality of life for this baby, it's ours and we will not throw it away. We then go back into a room for a "level 2" ultra sound. The technician is very nice but very calm, she does the looking and we can't see the screen. She leaves the room for a few moments and brings back in a Doctor we have never met. He says, "We see the Banana Sign and the Lemon Sign but we can't see a defect clearly. We know this baby has Spina Bifida just not exactly where. We still want to do an Amniocentesis to confirm, so please sign this release form." He hands me a pen and a form, then starts to get ready for the procedure. We start mumbling, and he says, "Well I guess we can give you a few minutes to talk it over but we need to do this." He leaves the room and the tech steps out for a few after handing me some tissues. I am numb at this point. I try to talk but everytime I open my mouth I just cry more. Marty is standing next to me and just looking at me asking, "What does this mean?" I want to answer him, but again I just keep crying. I calm down, the tech comes back in and we sign the form. The Doctor comes in and does the procedure then asks if we have any further questions or would we like to schedule an abortion. We tell him no, we are not aborting. He directs the tech to help by showing us the pictures and do further measurements with the ultrasound and he leaves. She is great, she showed us the pictures and explained the findings. We are now feeling better, so back into the genetic councilors office we go. Again we are asked if we want to schedule an abortion. "No!" We answer again. We don't stay long, talk very little, I remember asking her questions and she kept just telling us to go home and wait for the results. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">A week later she calls with the results, our baby has Spina Bifida. During this time we have been doing some research. I had asked her about a surgery that could be done while still pregnant at that 1st appointment. She had responded with, "Oh you don't want that surgery, those babies die. It doesn't work." Well, in our research, it does work. In fact there was a national study getting ready to start to compare the benefits to the risks. So when she called I asked her why she had lied, "Well, I thought you didn't need all that info. You just needed to go home and deal with the new news. And I thought you might want to abort the baby anyway!" Really??? I told her that no, I would not abort. I also would have like more info, how can we make informed decisions without the information? I then asked her for the sex. She says, "Why do you want to know? I thought you both wanted to wait for birth to find out?" "We want to name the baby. We want to talk of our son or daughter has Spina Bifida and this is what we are going to do for our baby!" So, it's a boy! "Great, that means Andy has Spina Bifida and who do we need to see now to learn our next steps to make Andy be the healthiest kid we can?" She is stunned, she is expecting us to crumple with grief. Not us, we are ready to meet it head on and make plans for a great future with our miracle baby! We looked into doing the surgery, no insurance would pay for it, and we would have had to pay $34,000.00 up front. There would be travel to either San Fransisco or Philly and lots of other restrictions on top of that. Andy's level of defect (L5-S1) was still being debated on... benefit verses risks. The risks were high... 90-100%, preemie birth 30-35 weeks, gestational diabetes, not to mention possibly loosing the ability to carry another baby ever again or any future pregnancies would then carry high risk for preemie as well because of the surgical scar tissue. We decided against it, the benefits for his level were not that great and we could give him a stronger start if we could "cook" him longer.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">The next few months went along with preparations for Andy's arrival. We had lots of extra Doctors appointments, changed Doctors to a Fetal Maternal Specialist. Delivery was planned for June 11th at UNC Chapel Hill. They have the NICU and the important Pediatric Neurosurgeon Specialist that will need to perform Andy's first surgery within 24-48 hours after his birth to close his back. We met with the head of the NICU to discuss the details of his hospital stay, how things work and what to expect. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">We met the Spinal Bifida clinic staff and the Physical Medicine Specialist at UNC. </span></span></span>We had lots of ultra sounds to check his development and to watch for possible complications that can effect Spina Bifida kids. And asked close to a dozen times, "Do you want to abort?" and answered everytime, "NO!"</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">My in-laws came to visit in March and we re-painted Andy's room and painted the extra bedroom. Marty and his Dad worked on tiling the bathroom we had started to redo before the pregnancy. Marty and I finished the rest in April. My folks came back to North Carolina from Florida in mid-April. The baby shower was planned and happened on May 19th. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">We started calling around and looking for a Pediatrician that could handle a special needs child and would be able to work with all the specialists Andy would have.We found a great practice in Raleigh and were told that there was a meet the staff event for new parents on Monday, May 20th in the evening. So we drove down and got to the office to find the event had been cancelled. When we explained our situation and what we were looking for in a Pediatrician, the desk gal went to talk to a few of the Doctors. She came back and said that 2 of the partners wanted to meet us and talk. We spent only about 20 minutes talking to them but walked away knowing that these were the Doctors we wanted. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">On Thursday, May 23rd, we went down to UNC for our 37 week check-up and twice weekly BPP (Bio-Physical Profile) an ultra sound that measures growth, breathing, movement and fluid. We had been doing these visits twice a week since the 32nd week. We had the ultra sound and were at the appointment when my Doctor starts the conversation with, "We had a meeting Monday about Andy and we want to make some changes to the delivery and schedule." Well, it seems that they are concerned with how big he is growing and that he is not going to wait for June 1th to be born. Because of the opening in his back, they do not want him to go through labor, they want to do a C-section instead to be able to control the birth. According to the ultra sounds, he is around 7-8 lbs already and can gain 1/2 to 1 lb a week during the last few weeks. My Doctor is also going be out of town the week before his scheduled delivery date and wants to deliver him herself. So the plan is to do an Amniocentesis and confirm his lung development, then plan the C-sections for the following week. We agree to this plan and they find that we can do the Amnio after lunch time. We grab lunch and go in for the Amnio. My Doctor is able to do the procedure herself but has to have the Attending covering that department review and sign off on it. So this little 4 foot 10inch woman comes into the room to review everything and says, "I want to help deliver this baby too. I am free tomorrow morning, so let's do it tomorrow!" </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">Ummmmmmm, Wait a minute. "The last I knew, the neurosurgeon was on maternaty leave, is she back? And we don't even know if he's ready to come out yet!"</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">She pats my belly and says, "Don't worry hon, we'll take care of this." </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">Well, she talks for another minute to my Doc and leaves the room. My Doc is calm and says don't worry about anything, she'll call me later with the results. So we head home.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">About 2 hours later, 10 mins after walking in the door, the phone rings. It's my Doctor, "Yeap, he's fully cooked! Why don't you be here at 8am and we'll deliver him?"</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">"Ummm, Ummm???"</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">"We know he's ready to come out, why not get it over with. We'll see your then, bye!"</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">Stunned???? I was! Well there starts the whirl wind. I now have to call my parents, Marty has to call his. We have to double check and make sure we have everything packed for the hospital, make arrangements for the dog and cats to be taken care of. I call my mom and just tell her that Andy's birthdate has been changed, she asks for the date and I just tell her the date, May 24th. "Ummm, Ummm, UUUMMMM...... That's Tomorrow!!!!" Yeap, dirty trick I played!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">So, the next morning, we left the house at 6:30am to make the drive down. My folks met us there and at 10:03am, Andy was delivered into this world. He was passed across the room by his legs, they didn't want to touch his back. Then I got to catch a glimpse of him before the NICU team whisked him away to the NICU. Unfortunately for me, the maternity floor was filled and I had to wait in the recovery room until 5pm to get a room. That meant I couldn't go to the NICU to see Andy. My folks and Marty got to visit and hold him all day, I had to wait. When I finally got into my room, lactation was there and I had to learn about and use the pump. So, it was 5:30 before I got to the NICU. I got to spend the evening holding him, loving on him and enjoying him. The next morning they took him to surgery before I got there (15 minutes early). After surgery, he had to stay on his belly and we could not hold him for a few days. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">During surgery, Andy started crashing. They had to put a temporary covering on his back and flip him over to start CPR. He responded quickly and was fine after that. I don't remember how long that first surgery took, but we didn't get to see him until late afternoon. The rest of the week went un-eventful, and by Wednesday, he was ready to go home as soon as he gets his circumcision. A mix up in scheduling, he has to wait for Thursday afternoon for the circumcision. So one more night. Everything goes well with that and we are home before dark on Thursday!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">So, there is the start of Andy's life and my Mommy-hood!! I'll try to write more soon about the surgeries and the experiences we have been through. Life has not been easy, but we have come through it all together and stronger for it. </span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798462256289014473noreply@blogger.com0