Day Five .. I survived ... barely

Okay, okay, I knew I should have planned for this day as soon as Darrell told me he was going into work at 6am today ... but no, we got in late from the Parent Teacher conferences (gotta write about that in another entry) and I stayed up last night like I was gonna have my normal routine. What a mistake!

First, I got up BEFORE Darrell at 4am because I thought I heard something in the kitchen and of course, it was nothing .. so then I make my way back to the bedroom when I remember .. oh yes, Darrell and Ethan need their jeans dried to wear today ..why didn't I wash that load of cold water clothes say Monday or Tuesday? I put their things in the dryer, turn it on and head back to the .... no wait, Darrell needs 3 onions chopped to take to work for some sort of "potluck" today. I chop the onions, put them in a bowl .. okay, where is the top for the blasted bowl!!!???????? (I need to bridle my tongue) Oh here it is! Okay, now for 30 minutes of sleep, well .. I might as well iron Ethan's school t-shirt and jeans, but no the jeans are in the dryer, so I will lay shirt on the ironing board and iron the jeans as soon as they dry.

Well, let me check to see if Beth Moore has added the info for the Fiesta Siesta next year .. I wanna make sure I get my ticket before they sell out. YEAH! She has! .. ohh, let me call the hotel and see if I can make a reservation this early in advance .. call .. ok, no, not until next week. Okay .. by now it is 4:45am and I just read about the 5am club last night and say ok, I will give it a try. So I started and finished my devotion - Listening to your conscience and by now Darrell is up ready to go. I make him an oatmeal packet (I make them instead of buying them and it has been so much CHEAPER) to take to work and get some snacks together (long day for him) and put everything together with his onions. Thank goodness I didn't have to make him lunch.

I lay down on the sofa because if I go back in the bedroom now, DeClan will be staring me right in the eyes. I fall asleep at 6am and then around 7:10am, Ethan and Austin are whispering trying NOT to wake mommy up! I jump up, get their oatmeal in the pan, but the water is taking waaaay tooo long to boil. I dump it all in the microwave, turn it on. I give Ethan his morning meds and head to the back for wash ups (they got baths last night)diaper changes and fresh new clothes for the younger two. Everyone heads to the table and highchairs for the oatmeal and make a quick egg sandwich for me to grab when we leave for school. Now I need a shower. I make EVERYONE stay still in my room while I get showered and changed and then make a mad dash to the front for the carseat for DeClan. I look at the clock and it is 7:40 .. oh now .. we HAVE to be there by 7:55 so Ethan can be IN his seat by 8:00am. (Darrell usually takes him .. whew there is no way!

We get to the school, I pop open the door, Ethan gets out w/ a quick brush of the hair and wipe the milk mooostache off the lips and says goodbye! I swing around to the parent parking lot, get the younger men out and go to the school office to fill ALL THE enrollment paperwork Ethan forgot to bring home Monday!!!! I fill out the paperwork, get back in van, run 4 errands and come home ..... only to discover that Ethan does NOT have lunch. We get back in the car, get back to the school, ALL of us get out, go to the cafeteria, load up Ethan's lunch account, say hi to Ethan (who is glad see the $$$, errr, ME)

We get back in the car to run 1 more errand. BY now it is 2:15 and Ethan will get out around 3:15 .. get it? 3 trips to the school today ... now we are home, the baby is napping and I am about to make, excuse me, call for dinner from the pizza joint up the street and throw some lettuce, onions (had some left from this AM), tomatoes and cucumbers in a bowl, serve it with a smile and fall into bed.

I REALLY love being a wife and mom, but as my friend Chrystal once said - Being a Wife and Mother Ain't for punks !! Pardon Me!

Hide and Seek

Running around, crawling on the floor with your two year old playing "hide and seek" - 3.99 for the Ben Gay needed afterwards
Finding the 2 year old hiding in the kitchen pantry eating Cheetos with orange fingers- PRICELESS!

On the second day of school my son's teacher gave to me ...

Who is in school anyway? Me or Ethan (10)? I have so much homework, papers for this, papers for that, sign this, copy the water bill to verify we live where do .. (I know we live here, I just paid the mortgage) send email address to the 4 new teachers Ethan will have this year to make sure they like to communicate via email? Okkkkayyy ... and have it all back by tomorrow. They didn't ask for a copy of the marriage license, but I better get a copy of it just in case. Homeschooling looks soooo good right now, especially since I had to get up early to make lunches for Ethan and hubby since I didn't do it last night....oh yeah and iron ye ole clothes since I didn't do that last night either. Oh yeah and meet the teacher night is Thursday, so I better get myself and my closet prepared for the interview, ummm, I mean, meeting. Gotta go now .. I must finish din din before hubbie comes in and out (church night tonight) and make sure the homework sheet I saw in Ethan's folder gets checked and back in the backpack before the cock crows.

The first day of school .....

Well, well, well. It is the end of the first day of school and I can say that I am rather pooped! Ethan was not expected to be back at school on time, but by the grace of God, there we were. All 5 of us, at his old school, on the first day. We had the two youngest in the double stroller with camera and smiles in hand. We had not met his teacher until today, (this school district has meet the teacher night AFTER the first few days of school) but she seemed nice. Ethan saw a few staff members from last year, which comforted him, because this school district rezoned everything and a lot of people (teachers and students) he knew last year are all at new schools today. BUT GOD .. we asked for a transfer so he could come back to this school and after hearing our request would be denied, it was granted! School sure seems different than when we were in school, (I used to hate hearing my mother say that), but it really does. I was shocked to see so many young, litte children walking to school today, ALONE! ... ALONE! I cannot imagine my child's first day of school and he is walking alone to school. I know the world has changed, but man .. a 5 year old with a key around his neck, walking to school. You godda be kiddin' me! Anyway, I pray for those students and their families, because you don't know why those babies were walking alone, but God please watch over them.
Anyway, this will be Ethan's first full year of moving from class to class and I pray he will not get confused with that. We have been praying for his teachers and anyone who comes in contact with them - - that God will soften their hearts and they will work with him. Not give him the answers just to move along, but work with him to help him understand and master what he is learning.
I will be going to bed soon .. Austin and Declan just about beat me down today .. I was sick this morning .. but I still needed to tend to their needs and finish the school supply list. (SMILE) I prayed and asked God to let the two of them nap early, so I could sleep this yuckstuff off and they did just that, BUT when the sleep was ooooover ... they were hanging from the ceiling fans at home and at Wal-Mart. Have you ever TRIED to shop w/ an active 2 year old who is coaching his baby baba how to scream and yell .. just so they can hear their voices?Have you ever listed all the things you do as a mom for your hubby and family? The list is NEVER done and their always seems to be more "things" than hours in a day .. Oh, sorry, that is another blogentry. oooppsss ..

Anyway, glad to say, today is almost over, but I am glad we had it to do, because that meant that Ethan's summer journey has ended and now it is time to move on with our lives and his testimony!

I love to cook ..

but lately I have NOT been to stretch my wings with the new additions around here. I learned to cook by watching others around me. My mom once told me she had no idea I knew how to cook (she thought I didn't want to learn) and I never cooked while at home. When I got to college, I had no choice but to cook to feed myself on my 10.00 per week allowance. To my surprise, all I had seen for soooo many years, sunk in. I want to share some recipes I have learned over the years .. I hope this helps someone - - these are some quickies .. more to follow ..

Chicken Tetrezenni (sp?) Okay, chicken spaghetti ..
1/2 can of Cream of Celery, 1/2 can Mushroom Soup, 1/2 block Velveeta Cheese (more if you like) 1/2 onion, 1/2 cup milk, chicken broth to loosen and spaghetti noodles. Mix it all together and put it in the oven at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Spinach Quesadillas
Take 2 flour tortillas and place mexican cheese mix, bell peppers, onions, spinach (bagged in the produce section) between the two tortillas like a sandwich, press together, put on the GF grill for 5 minutes. If you don't have a grill, place the quesadillas in a cast iron or any skillet and flip after 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Cut in fourths with a pizza cutter. You can add any meat to the mixture if you desire. This is how I got the kids to start eating spinach. They didn't even realize they were eating it. Now they love it.

JT's Quick AB (ankle biter) Baked Ziti
Cook a 1/2 package of ziti noodles. Mix 2 cans of diced tomatoes italian flavor w/ a sprinkle or two of dried basil, a dash or two of black pepper, and diced bell pepper. You will also need any ground meat. Brown your meat. Layer the bottom of a 13 x 9 cake pan with the tomato layer, add a layer of italian mixed cheese, then add browned meat. Continue with the layers until you have reached the top of the pan. Then add diced mozzerella cheese throughout your layers and then add a final sprinkle of italian cheese mixture. (Can you tell we like cheese around here). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. MMMMMMM good, Freeze leftovers and bring it next month. (HeHe) You may or may not want to add salt, I try to use FRESH ingredients INSTEAD of salt.

Terms of Endearment

Don't ever think your kids big or small aren't listening to EVERYTHING you say. I affectionately call my husband, HONEY and today I was yelling for him, but he didn't hear me and then my two year old says VERY LOUDLY ... HONEY ... HONEY .... I am still on the floor laughing! Sure glad I don't call him something else!

Still learning to blog and taking a brief break ..

Hello there .. I pray all is well with you! I am still learning how to blog and have recently discovered some new tricks thanks to some new blogs I have been exposed to and tips that have been provided. There have been some things I have been wanting to do, so I am working on my blog and trying to "get things in order" around here. School is just around the corner and our household is all a buzz, because our oldest, Ethan (10) is going back and we need to get him ready. WOW, this wasn't supposed to happen. BUT GOD! I am also trying to "teach" the 2 year old a few thing or two, he is just too doggone smart for his britches! Also have some new chicken reciepes to help us get back into school mode, so the pots and the pans are a flyin' as well! Whooohoo!
So I will see you later ... I'll be back next week.

Our oldest - Ethan (10)

It occured to me today as I was reading another blog, that some of you may not know the wonderful story our son Ethan. When I seriously began blogging, we were well into his seizure history and I was mainly writing so our family and friends could keep up with what was going on over here. I have mentioned bits and pieces before, but I want to fill in the pieces of the puzzle that are missing.
God is soooo amazing, He has healed my son! Ethan came home after surgery earlier than expected and is now doing Godceptionally well!
To God be the glory, great He has done and He has been faithful!

One Month Ago .....

Can you believe it? It has been a month today. A month today we were at the hospital facing one of THE most hardest days in our lives! BUT GOD! We just wanted to let you know how well our oldest is doing and the things we continue to pray for. We continue to say thank you to our Lord and thank you to for standing in the gap.

1) We found out that the tumor was NOT cancerous

2) They did NOT get it all out, but a big chunk of it. There were fragments of the tumor left. At this time they do not pose a problem, but our son WILL have to have MRI every 3 months for the next 2 years, then 3 times a year, then 2 times a year and so and so on. He WILL also have to continue to take medication. The doctors will not reduce the amount of meds he takes until NEXT summer. They say he will always take meds .. studies have shown that patients taken off the meds altogether have seziures later in life. There is still a chance for him to have seizures now, but they are slim. If the fragments grow, they will do radiation and chemo treatments. We are praying we NEVER have to deal with that! We still have to watch him, BUT thank God, not as closely.

3) He will be tested at different times this fall through the school and his neuropsychologist to see where he is developmentally. One of his doctors told me that he expects without any seizures our son could very well return to where he was BEFORE all of this - - Yahoo! We will have to stay on him like hawks - - but I do not want to be on him all the time, but pretty close. We have a lot of catching up to do, but we welcome the challenge.

4) He continues to have headaches, although not as many. He knows when to tell me when he wants to meds.

5) He WILL start school on time.

6) If you saw our son, you would have NO idea, this boy had brain surgery 4 weeks ago. Praise God!

7) He has told us, we are kissing him WAY TOO much and asking too many questions. In his words, what is deal?

8) We simply cannot believe how many questions our son is asking us!

9) Our son is planning his own 11th b-day party in Kentucky (November)

10) God continues to be faithful!

We will provide periodic updates on our son or as something develops, but we mainly wanted you to know what God has done, is doing and what we expect Him to do through Jordan's life.

Oh and our son has told us that God was in the operating room July 13th!

Thank you again and again ....

BUT GOD!!!!

Just when you think you have it all figured out .. BUT GOD

Just when you throw your arms up in frustration .. BUT GOD

Just when the doctors say there is nothing left for us to do .. BUT GOD

Just as they told us my son would be different AFTER his surgery .. BUT GOD

Just as they said my son's vision may be affected .. BUT GOD

Just when they said his life was better with controlled seizures rather than doing the surgery .. BUT GOD

Just when the money ends, but there is more month left ... BUT GOD

Just when you are at your wits end .. BUT GOD

Just when you think you have prayed your last prayer for that lost loved one .. BUT GOD

Just when you say, there are no more good men .. BUT GOD

Just when you say, we will NEVER have a house, BUT GOD

Just when you say, you will NEVER have children ... BUT GOD

Just when you say, one income? In this day and age? BUT GOD

My oldest son who brain surgery recently told me, mom, our God will NEVER leave you or forsake you, He is ALWAYS with you!
Hebrews 13:5-6 "Let your conduct be without covetousness, and be content with such things that you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you,' so that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.'"
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels (our bodies) , that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. Troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might also be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus might also be made manifest in our mortal flesh."

My man

I have spoken of the wonderful husband God gave me 12 years ago, but last weekend, I was challenged to stop whining about what isn't, feeling underappreciated and throwing silent and sometimes not so silent temper tantrums and thank God for this truly wonderful man. I was challeneged (on more than one occasion) to not only make a list of the good things about him, but for the next 30 days TELL HIM. I think I do this, but maybe not as often as I should. In a world when marriages are falling apart DAILY, thank you Lord for my man FISH who said 12 years ago, divorce WILL NOT be in our vocabulary and I told him, I will follow him as he follows the Lord and my mom said "Don't mess this up!" ... So as the kids say today "I know he's got it going on, therefore, so do I. "

My man ... (in no certain order)
1) is my best friend
2) a great provider
3) LOVES his family
4) comes home EVERY NIGHT
5) Cooks breakfast on Sunday
6) Prays with our family and his sons individually
7) Is faithful to ME
8) Takes the trash out
9) Folds clothes (Ohhhh, how I hate to do this)
10) loves older people
11) Still opens my door
12) is a protector
13) Tell me he loves me, all the time
14) Gives me a goodbye and a hello kiss when he leaves and comes home
15) Prays, prays, prays
16) drives us around on the weekend
17) Lifts the heavy stuff around here, including me and kids when neccesary (SMILE)
18) Made sure I have the "good car".
19) Wakes us up to go to church and is there every Sunday (except vacations, illnesses)
20) Keeps himself healthy and MY MAN LOOKS MARVELOUS!
21) Calls me 3 times during the day to say I love you and check on me and the boys
22) Will go grocery shopping, if I let him (hahaha)
23) Calls his grandmother EVERY week
24) Kills the bugs, Geckos/Lizards and snakes around here ..UUUGGHH (There is creek next to our house that I thought would so peaceful! Sometimes this means me and kids wait patiently in one room until he gets home from work .. Yikes)
25) Mows his own lawn
26) Plays games with the boys and ME (hehe)
27) Is a patient instructor for me
28) Asks what do I want
29) Is using his Heavenly Father's example in raising his sons
30) Loves me unconditionally (This ain't easy)
There are so many more things he does, but these are the ones, that make me swoon!

Proverbs 18:22 NIV
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.
Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

A mini vacation .. right in our own backyard

My oldest is doing Godceptionally well and we were given the clearance to go out and do almost all the things we haven't done in four years, let alone since our family union was created in 1995. Still seems scary to let him do anything involving his head, because we have had to keep him away from basketball, football, soccer and ice hockey and now we can let him do these things (?) Well, it will take me and the hubby some time to say okay. Anyway ... since the funds this summer are a little TIGHT, I have been trying to find ways to create summer memories for the family, but also see what goodness the Lord has created around us. I was on a wesbite Everyday Cheapskate and it has been suggested that just like you go to the visitor's and convention bureau when you go out of town, do the same thing in your own city and you might be amazed at what is in your backyard. I did just that, plus took some notes from some friends and whalla .. a mini vacation without spending a lot and we didn't even need a hotel. We did make hotel night for the kids though. We let them order pretend room service, stay up late, and sleep in our bedroom. The kids got to sleep in our bed. I don't own a digital camera, so as soon as I get the pics developed at Wally World, I will drop them in this entry.

We rolled out $7.00 today for the whole family including my baby sister and my neice and visited a local splash park and had ball. You can take your own cooler and snacks and sit on the grass or on the concrete seats they provide (be careful though, you WILL get splashed) and the kids, even my Chunky Monkey (the 8 month old) had a ball.

We plan to go bowling, play golf, go swimming at a friend's LUXURY pool, go to some museums, go to IMAX theater, zoos, some local tours, eat pizza/popcorn while watching movies at home at night and whatever else we can find to do for the remainder of year, but definitely for the rest of the summer.