Keeping It Together

Afternoon Revelations

2011-08-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

While shopping with the kids, an overzealous shop owner moved her arms wildly in the air to drive home a point. This caused my heart to skip a few beats, hurt as if a knife was scrapping inside it , and I slowly shuffled out of the store. Coming back home I received a concerned email note from a friend whom I've never met in person expressing concern for my health. =)
All this reminded me of how very fragile this shell in which I'm now living has become. But I have no fear of my future, I know where I will go when I can finally throw off this bag of bones like an old robe. In a wonderful, exciting, anticipatory look into my future I can not wait for the sweet day to come when I can go home!!!! =)
The Psalms
46
God Is Our Refuge and Strength
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Al'amoth.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear,
though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,
the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be moved:
God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved:
he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;
he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder;
he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah.
I'm not meaning to sound depressing at all, I just had this very peaceful revelation about my troubles here on earth and my awesome, glorious, and never ending future. I wanted to share it with my friends. This world is NOT my home, I'm just passing through. =)

Spring Time Thoughts

2011-04-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

As I look down the road of my life, I see a turn up ahead......

Good things yet to come

Our Thursday Afternoon

2011-04-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

This was the week when Jungle Man went fishing with his friends, so I've kept the kids and I busy. Thursday was spent underground in Skyline Caverns near Front Royal, VA (one of the cutest small town ever to loose a battle with Walmart- but that's another post)

Big Brother Noah helped out by taking care of the boys and being an arm to Nana when she needed support. While I stayed with Trevor, Annabelle became the photographer for us. Here is her view of the caverns.

First, she seems to have very much enjoyed the gift shop. (heehee)

OK- that last item there is not for sale. =)

From the shop, we walked through a door, down some stairs and there we saw a pond, and a fireplace.

And then, we walked on into the cavern itself.

A great day spent spending our money locally.

The Ocean Over Me

2011-03-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

I saw an image today that pierced through my soul and brought forth such longing as had been held back previously. To think, in an instant, that to not do something dangerous, something more, something brave, something stupid, I would die. My soul would wither away into itself and, like a plant gone too long without water, I would live the rest of my life as merely a husk. Something dry and empty.

As I sat there, in my cozy chair, a smile spread over my face and tears filled my eyes. The lines of Thoreau kept playing themselves in my head, "...that I had not lived. .. that I had not lived... that I had not lived." I want to feel the power of the earth move me. I want to stand on the bow of ship on a stormy sea and feel it tip and not know if I'll make it to the crest of the next wave. I want to run fast and long and feel my lungs burn, the wind in my face.

I want to break out of this life and these rules. I want to feel alive

(Sorry about the crappy stock photo. )

Monday Musings

2011-03-07T05:41:00.000-08:00

I sometimes get the feeling that life is just too staid, too short, too small, too confined for the dreams I have. Yet, my dreams are not that big. Sometimes society and it's rules smother me.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life” ~Henry David Thoreau

Random Quote:

2011-01-20T05:45:00.000-08:00

Nolan's (5yo) song to me this morning:

"Well I was boooorn, whenever we were mAAAried,
And the next daaaaay, it snowed.

You are the best mOTHer, in the whole world,
Because you doooooo, whatever I waaaaaant."

May all my children love me as selflessly. =)

~Heidi

Homeschooling Give Away!!!

2010-12-31T06:08:00.000-08:00

I have a ~FREE~ Shirley Grammar Level 4 & Shirley Grammar Level 1 Homeschooling Kit up for grabs!
All I ask is that you pay shipping to you. Can you send this info on to someone who needs it? These Kits retail for $70, and I really don't want to just drop these off at Good Will.

Stone Soup Supreme

2010-12-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

My morning in prose:

Old Mother Stucky went to the cubby
To get her poor brood some food.

But when she got there, the cubby was bare,
Which her poor brood thought was quite unfair.

"No oatmeal!!" they cried, "No cereal! No milk!"
And only just a few eggs, I think we've been bilked!"

So away to the kitchen this harried Mother flew,
With only just a few eggs, and a fresh loaf of bread too.

With some fresh buttermilk, and the eggs, and the bread,
She mixed up some French Toast with a nod of her head.

She sent Child 3 to get just enough This,
She sent Child 4 to get just enough That.
She kept Child 5 from eating the fat.

This call from her kiddos she heard in dismay,
"Stone Soup is for lunch, or dinner, or snack!
Stone Soup for breakfast? I think you're quite cracked!"

Yet when all hands were at rest, and the table was laid,
The Stucky brood ate. How was Mother Stucky repaid?

No smiles, no hugs,
No "Thank You's" or cheers.

Just the knowledge for this Mother that in upcoming years,
The kids will be grown, and times will be lean, and each will know how to make Stone Soup Supreme.

Done and Once Again

2010-12-16T04:59:00.000-08:00

I've often wished that I could have theme music with each post. Sometimes I think it would be quite appropriate. Anyhow.

The van broke down yesterday. On the highway. Filled with kids. (the van not the highway) And lots of angry traffic. During rush hour.
Mother was not amused.
Father was not amused.
They became not amused at each other.

I write this because I think it's amazing how quickly I can go from the heights of happiness to the pit of despair (insert gravely voice). How wonderfully loving God seems when I think that my life is on the right track, and how quickly I change to feeling abandoned.

I'm thankful for a God who loves me. If my salvation were dependent on my faithfulness. . . . well. . . I just wouldn't be, would I?

So ,even though my sky seems as if it's falling today. My God is faithful and is bringing me down this road of life in order to make me closer to Him.

It's all good.

Oh crap- I've burnt the oatmeal and the Trevor is throwing food. Here we go again

~VOTE!~

2010-11-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

To-day, alike are great and small,The nameless and the known; My palace is the people’s hall, The ballot-box, my throne!

–John Greenleaf Whittier, American poet (1807–92)

~What'cha Doin' Tomorrow?~

2010-11-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I get to exercise my duty as an American citizen: I vote.

I've been reading so much about this "duty" and our "right", but I don't seem to find much about the importance of voting wisely. "Vote your conscience" has been touted, along with some saying that we need to vote to support our President. That last one strikes me as odd, I can not remember a President asking for support during a mid-term election before.

When I step into that booth tomorrow, it will be with 2 thoughts in mind: to vote to uphold the Constitution of the United States as it was written by our forefathers, and to give my children a better country for tomorrow.

How interesting that, as far left as the media is on a regular basis, this same media supports the right during elections. Has anyone else thought of it? This media gets Republican numbers for rallies wrong as a matter of course, but get close to an election and all they do is pump up the numbers of our ranks. WHY? Could it be to lull the Right into a comfier spot on the couch. "Well, everyone else is going to vote. I'll stay home."

Could it be to empower the Left even more? "We'd better get out there and make our voices heard!"

Think about it.

I know that I'm not in the minority here. I feel like it often enough though. "Freedom of Speech" has slowly seemed to become Freedom of Left Speech. In public, thanks to Political Correctness , I am no longer welcomed to voice my thoughts as they might differ from the person next to me. How many of you have felt the same?

So tomorrow I will squeeze into that booth with as many of my children as space will allow. I will show them how and tell them why I vote. I implore you each to do the same. No one else can vote for you. If you choose to stay at home and allow someone else to vote for you, it won't happen. Only you can make your own voice heard.

I am the silent majority and I vote.

~Word to the Wise~

2010-10-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

Did you know that if you take a small child who, after being sleep deprived the night before, ran around out-of-doors all day in an attempt to loosen musous, then give said child copious amounts of herbal tea while inhaling herbal breathing treatments, and place that same child in a comfy chair to sleep, THAT. . .

small child will have his lower limbs affected by severe loss of blood due to sleeping in chair, wake up in hysterical screams while running around the living room because he is disoriented, then will so suddenly loose control that all of the herbal tea that the "Wise Mother" gave him will end up in a line from the living room to the bathroom but never quite make it into the toilet? In the form of urine?

I'm just sayin'.
       So you know in the future.
             This just might happen to you.
                     So don't laugh too hard.

At the Breakfast Table...

2010-10-27T05:09:00.000-07:00

Five yo brother, "When I grow up, I'm gonna name my wife after you."

"No! You cna't name your wife. Know why? Because her Mother's going to name her. But you can name your daughter tho...", 7yo brother.

"Well, I'll name my daughter after you then."

"You know what? If I have twins?" Continues 7yo bro, "Well I'm going to name one Chip and the other Dale. How cool will THAT be???"

Random Quote:

2010-10-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

"You see, getting your wife to hunt means that you have all your best things in one place . You have your woman, your gun, and your knife!"
~Jungle Man

2010-10-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Firing offense: NPR axes Juan Williams for opinions on Muslims & post-9/11 travel

So really. . . what ever happened to FREEDOM of the press? Political correctness is becoming the downfall of Americans. What has become of this once great nation of strong people willing to die for their beliefs?

The Home Fire is Surely Burning

2010-10-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

I walked up to my house in the dark last night. Just on the stroke of 9. I was alone. Sans children. I had been so for the past 3 hours. It was my Knit Knight, you see. I was returning to my Jungle Man, and I felt so exhilarated after having been given the night off.

My key in the lock. The knob turned. My door opened. My Jungle Man heard and met me there at the door. A big smile on his face, asking me how it all went. As I followed him into the house, he sat down and turned the show off he had been watching. He sat there, smiling as I related the events of the night (we knitters are a wild, crazy, sarcastic lot I tell ya.). He then shared with me the goings on of the kids and what they did while I was away.

Once we settled down to watch the show (Season 6, episode 3, Star Gate: SG1. It rocks. 'Nuff said.) We cuddled as he kept kissing the top of my head. (silly guy) Then we paused for the dog's potty break, and we teased and bantered as he made us both some Ramen Soup and hot green tea. He lovingly added my honey and stirred into the tea before handing me both the tea and my bowl of soup. He would smile as I slurped it down. (He thinks I'm cute)

When the episode was over, it was my "bed time".
(Now this needs explaining. I have my "bed time" each night. This means that I sleep loooooong before he does. I get up each day at 6am, and he sleeps in until 10. So I sleep for a few hours on couch, and he'll wake me so we can go to bed together.)
So he walks up stairs, gets my favourite blanket- the one my grandmother made by hand that's so extra soft and cozy- and proceeds to tuck me in with a kiss goodnight.

As I lay there, listening to the next episode of SG1 begin, I marvel at the love this man has for me. His desire to protect me is so very strong. He loves to take care of me. I am completely secure knowing that he thinks first of our family in all that he does.

He asks so little in return for all of this. I honor him as my head. I endeavor to see that his needs are met (hot tea each and every morning for one) and that his children and his home are taken care of in a manner which will please him.

Politically correct? Not on your life!
Does it bring me happiness? You bet your pretty little bonnet!

So, gentles all, I am a most wonderfully spoiled woman.
And I couldn't trade it for a castle or crown anywhere.

3 Days in the House...

2010-10-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

So,
What makes my boys go from this:

To this:

Try 3 solid day indoors.

Wow-za!

On the Mom-front:

I'm learning to ignore the noise and listen to the sweet sounds insted.

I hear olders playing with youngers. I hear a big brother being patient enough to explain and teach a little brother how to saddle a hores (Even if younger bro IS the horse) I hear a Sister full of love for a baby brother, taking time to make him feel like one of the big boys.

So perhaps the sun will come out soon and dry out the mosh-pit that was once my back yard. However, I'm sure that there's still more I can learn until then

~To Everything There is a Season~

2010-10-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

Good morning all,
Have an extra mo' ? Well, take a look over at my friend, Lori's blog! She has a cute and fun giveaway in progress. (It deals with candy folks)

It's all for the love of her sister!
(and- no- I didn't get any extra credit with her for sharing this with you. ;-)

2010-10-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

In my in-box this morning was this: (Names have been removed)

"________had an assignment in science class to write a letter to the tobacco companies telling them not to market to children (as if they do). Here is what _______ handed in:

Dear Tobacco Industries,

        I'm so sorry the liberals are trying to put you out of business completely. It's wrong and it shouldn't be done. I completely understand that all you are trying to do is sell tobacco. You're not trying to kill people! I know you try hard to warn people that what you sell can cause cancer or other problems if used excessively. It's not your fault if people get sick or even die from using your products. It's their own personal issue! They have no right to blame you for their problems. As for kids, it's really only the parents' fault. If they can't control their children enough to prevent them from smoking before a certain age, that is their problem. It has nothing to do with you!   A suggestion would be to make your warnings bigger and bolder on the products. If people still don't heed to your warnings, and, abuse their bodies, oh well for them. This is supposed to be a free country. You have the right to sell tobacco products freely.   Don't let the liberals get you down!!! Just try to persuade people to not abuse their bodies with your products. Good Luck!


                ____________________, age 11

_______got 100% "

This was too funny not to share! Heeheeheee.

Thanks to the Momma who let me share this! Hope each of you gets a smile as well. =)

Hit Me!!

2010-10-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Friday morning Rickshaw lessons for Trevor:

Keep in mind that it didn't rain all summer and has since rained weekly with the advent of Fall. Hence the mud and grass combo in the messy back yard. But as a wise man once said, "I'm not raising a lawn, I'm raising kids!"

Either way, this was way too funny for me not to share with you. Nolan jumped out of the cart just before I started filming simply because he did NOT want to whip his George! George was angry because Nolan wouldn't whip him and then Nolan became pouty because he couldn't play. Funny.

~Thursday Showers~

2010-10-14T05:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats freshly laundered sheets swaying in the breeze.

Unless those sheets were left on the line over night, and unless that breeze is laden with big, heavy drops of rain.

So the master plan for the day?

Finish this here post.
Get my breaky on
School with the kiddos
Fire in the fireplace
Make some hot chocolate and pop some old-fashioned popcorn
Watch Little Women (even if the boys don't like it) Because today is just calling for some comfort.
Wait for one of you to knock on my door so we can add to the joy!!!

Take care and stay cozy wherever you happen to be!

So Long Summer, I Knew Thee Well.

2010-09-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, October is here- despite my best efforts to keep it at bay. I've just not wanted to see this summer end. Yes, this is the worst drought that I can remember here. The Shenandoah Valley is renown for it's fall foliage, and folks travel here from all over the world to see it. I doubt they'll do it this year. Most of the leaves are dropping from the trees already- burnt and dried. Our apple harvest seems to be comprised of old fruit, simply because the fruit was dried on the branch. I've been soaking them in order to peel them. (Something I've never had to do before)

Even so, I have enjoyed all of the heat, all of the dryness, and all of the sweating. My memory of last winter is still too close to the surface to let summer 2010 go without a fight. But alas, I have lost. It was inevitable, I'm afraid.

And so, to you, dear, dear Summer 2010, I leave you my fond memories. . . .

Of impromptu picnics put on by the kids:

Of trips to our Nation's Capital in order to honor fallen Heroes and ignite the spark in new Heroes hearts:

A summer of hikes :

World-wide Knit in Public Day:

If it looks as if we were melting- we were. It was hovering around 100 that day. But brave knitters we be!

Of numerous random shots taken with Mom's camera when she wasn't looking:

muddy, muddy boy!

A summer filled with constructive play:

A summer filled with lofty designs and soaring heights:

My view for most of the day. . .

......because I was doing this.

And for Jungle Man's birthday, Momma paid for a trip in the clouds:

I hope that your summer was as filled with family, love, and good times as was mine and ours!

Look out Fall. . . here we come!

My Email this Morning

2010-09-23T04:59:00.000-07:00

The following was found in my in-box this morning. I hope it brings you in some way closer to God.

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life?
And I respond:
In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity..
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life.
The goal is to grow in character, in being more like God, or in our case, Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life..
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD..

The Brave Monk

2010-09-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

My George is reading a book which has us both very excited. It's about Martin Luther, the monk who started the protest against the Roman Catholic Church, thus starting the beginnings of the Protestant faith.
This book is a primer with Veritas Press Phonics Museum. It is a 2 year curriculum with which we have been VERY pleased. I have given you an excerpt of the story below.

The Brave Monk

written by R.C. Sprowl, Jr.

illustrated by Mark Ammerman

Martin was a monk.

Monks spent time with the Bible and with God.

While Martin was alive, no one but monks and some men were able to get to the Bible.

When Martin spent time with the Bible, Martin did see all that the Bible said. The Bible said that all men must put their hope and trust in Jesus alone to have life with God. But men of the Church said that men must work hard to be holy for God to love them.

........

The plan was to get men to do what the Church said, not what the Bible said.

......

The angry monks said, "You must be silent and state these things no more, and so spare the public your mistakes. You must take back the things you have said. You can not be correct when the Church tells is you are not. You are to blame for those who will not submit to the Church, but abide by the Bible, and hope and trust Jesus alone to save them...."

........

Brave Martin said, "I do not care that you have such anger. I can not be silent. I must relate what the Bible has said. Strike me with your blades; hit me with your spades. I will not state that I am sorry. Here I stand. I can act in no other manner. So help me God."

......

He did want all men to be able to spend time with the Bible and to note what God has said. Martin Luther was a brave monk for he did revere God. Martin put his hope and trust in Jesus alone to save him, and he had never-ending life with God. Those who love God give thanks for the brave monk Martin, for he did state what the Bible said and did not take it back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was raised in the Lutheran Church. I didn't leave until after I was 17. However, I never knew Jesus until after the age of 21, so the truth and message of Martin Luther fell on closed ears. (The pastor of that particular church was a cruel man who spread lies about the gospel ,so I question if I ever even heard this then.)

How excited George and I were to read ( and re-read) this wonderful story! I was able to remember most of my history lessons (I'm a geek and loved LOVED Chaucer) and explain to George all about the selling of indulgences. How large his eyes became when I told him of the power of the Church back then and how the Bible was not available to all, or even most.

For some reason, this book is awaking in me a sense of the present. At any rate, I just felt a need to share this with you; even if my thoughts are all amok. =/

Vaya con Dios,

~The Sunday After~

2010-09-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

First, thank you each for lifting us up in prayer to God. Because we do not have a physical church family, each of your prayers means so much.

The ER was everything you'd expect an understaffed, overworked, mid-construction phase emergency room to be- and so much less. If you've read about our LAST VISIT, then you'll know all about the fantastic parking this hospital offers.

Jungle Man was already in a wheel chair lined against the wall when I arrived. I looked at him, then walked up to the window. I asked the nurse for help. She was hostile. I told her about his AD condition. She was hostile. I thanked her and walked to my seat. She was hostile. (I need you to see the link there. Please know that I got that link from simply typing Autonomic Dysreflexia into my Google search. Less than a minute of my time. Remember.)

We waited. We waited a long time. Children came in on gurneys from ambulances. Two folks came in having heart attacks. It was very busy. The whole waiting time, I watched my man turn paler and more pale again. Jungle Man was just staying very calm and very still. When they finally came to take him to draw blood, I assumed he'd be right back. I waited. I waited. I watched TV. I decided that there was no reason to worry as I was reminded of 2Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." I prayed.

The nurse came to me and asked if I'd like to go back and be with him. Like most things in life, I just assumed things were normal. (I'm a fairly trusting person) We rounded a corner and she said something about him getting a little "light headed" when they drew blood. My Jungle Man was on a gurney in a room: head down, feet up, cold as a cadaver and sweating. My jaw dropped. "A little light headed" was meant to mean "passed out and it took 6 folks to put him on that gurney so now we're afraid to move him at all and we thought we'd come and get you but act as if everything was completely normal." She explained to me that as soon as his blood pressure rose back to acceptable levels, (his systolic had dropped into the 90's), that he would be returned to the waiting room until they had space for him. I went and felt his head, his feet- they were like ice. He told me he was not cold in the least. I began to cry.

At this point I stopped that same nurse, in the middle of the busy hallway, and began to speak to her a little more loudly than was good. I explained to her that his Dr. believed him to have AD, that I'd already told the staff and no one. no one. had looked it up. That there was a set procedure that the ER was supposed to follow and NO ONE had even looked that up. That AD is a potentially life threatening condition and that not ONE PERSON had treated his condition thus. I don't think that I'll ever go into a situation like that again with being armed with knowledge.

When faced with a potentially life threatening condition and a law suit for gross, negligence to boot, she did what any smart person should: get a Dr. involved. Within 5 minutes my man had been wheeled into a room and and ER Dr. was reviewing his chart.

They needed to wait for his blood work to come back and so we waited some more. This time, tho, he was able to maneuver the bed in such a way as to bring some small relief to his back. Because of our last visit, and some visits like this prior to our marriage, we were expecting the same treatment. Go in. Be seen. Get an anti-inflammatory shot. Go out. But when the Dr. came in, he was very concerned because the blood tests showed that he had so much Ibuprofen in his system (that's an NSAID) that the Dr. was concerned that Andrew's kidneys might go into failure. I never knew this about NSAIDs, I knew that they were the cause for his bleeding ulcer, but never knew this. And so the staff was given the job of finding another med to give Jungle Man that would take down the swelling, w/o hurting his kidneys.

The Doctor began questioning Andrew about his history. And again, as before, Andrew started repeating himself. He was unsure of things, and would ask me, he then would be asked a similar question and forget the answer again. He would repeat himself as if he was answering the question prior, but still be unsure of specifics and have to ask me. Each time the Doctor would raise his eyebrows at me, and I would give him a look as if to say, "yup, it's the pain doing this to him, that's why we're here." I'm glad that the Doctor never brought it up in front of Jungle Man. He doesn't remember it happening and this only seems to happen when the pain gets severe.

We were finally given the proper medication, the Doc gave him the diagnosis of "back pain". ahem. We were sent home and reached our door at 2am. My lovely neighbor had silently watched our sleeping children that whole time. What a blessing she was and is to us. (Thanks Amanda)

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Andrew doesn't want to take his medication for fear of being called out to work, he can't NOT take his meds or we'll be back in the ER. He is asking God for a new job. There is one that is opening up soon, but it will take the hand of God to orchestrate Andrew being given this job. Could you please spread the word as you feel led? He won't be able to get into UVA until December and until that time we are moving one day at a time. God is all powerful and working all this for our good and His glory.

Vaya con Dios,

~Please Pray For Andrew~

2010-09-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

As I sit here, I have a view of Jungle Man in the next room. He is moving about, gingerly, trying to find a relief for his back. The lights are off .

We have been blessed these past few weeks with a reprieve. His back had become manageable while he and the Doctor have been learning what works and what doesn't. They have hit upon some few things which make this whole mess livable. Once the correct meds were found, then he was allowed home each day in order to take them at a set time.

Life was moving again.

That is, until this past Friday night. His work let him know that he had to go "on-call" whether he could or not. As far as his medication limitations (i.e. no heavy equipment operating) well, he'd have to find a way to just not take them. So here we are, Wednesday evening, and he is pale and pasty, his blood pressure keeps shooting up (last check it was 158/102) and he can't see well.

He has been accepted into the Case Study at University of Virginia, but that isn't until the end of December. Until that time, his Doctor is willing to just see him every few weeks to check on him. (Not that I agree, but I also am way too close to this to be very objective)

He just told me that we're going to the E.R.

Your prayers, as always, are coveted right now. Please pray for Andrew's pain to go away, and the God give him wisdom. Thank you all, dear friends.

Who's Got The Button?

2010-09-15T13:50:00.001-07:00

And some days, I just wish there was an "Atta Girl!" button somewhere in the house. . . .

Giving Him Bac kTo Himself- Part 2

2010-09-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

I was planning on writing this post a few days ago. I was planning, then, on writing this post tonight. I was planning on writing about something different. So glad that I'm in such good control of my life. jk.

I've been wanting to write about giving Jungle Man back to himself. About how I prayed for wisdom and God began to measure it out to me. And now, after so much time has passed, I can no longer remember well the exact events that brought me to today. I can vividly remember kneeling next to him (was he on the couch?) and promising him that the two of us could go on with my strength for a while. Promising him that I had enough in me for 2. Pleading with him not to give up on loving life, not to give in to everything from which we've fought so hard to stay away.
I can remember thinking, then, that he didn't believe me.
                                                  But I continued to pray and move forward regardless.

Then I can remember spending time just looking at my man. Remembering what it was that attracted me to him 12 years ago. Taking time to remember just what it was about him that made him stand out in a crowded room. Thinking back to the two of us racing our cars down a back road one afternoon just because we could. How he would park his car under the window (my room was above the garage) just so, after we'd said goodnight, I could race to my room, draw up my window, and bend down while he was standing on his car roof below- stretching up- to give me a kiss. I spent some time remembering all of these things,
                                              I remember wanting to get that Man back.

That desire struck me so hard one day. It was a sudden blow to my very soul. I knew that somewhere, under all of the weight and burden of carrying our family alone for so long,   under the pressure to be someone he is not in order to make me happy, under all of that- my Jungle Man was still there, waiting to be let free. And I wanted to be the one to free him! Oh, it was such a strong, driven, desire! I wanted to be able to take what I know now, and apply it to then. To start over indeed! I reckoned, that if a man could be widowed, and his new wife could make or break him,. . . well then. . . I wanted to be that new wife! I wanted to start over in the middle of our unhappy life and give him the wife he never had!

And somehow, somehow I knew down to my very bones that this was completely possible.

I wrote a silent, hidden list on my heart of all of the things my Jungle Man was but had been driven down and hidden. I would add to the list, and refine it consistently. And then, just as suddenly, I knew I was ready for action. Just like that, one day I knew that I needed to begin working towards my goal.

It began with small things really. Little gifts of time, a trip to the book store, an afternoon at home with no interruptions, taking the kids out so that he could be at home to rest- all of these things I did to begin strengthening an almost broken spirit.

I began to take more responsibilities on myself. I felt a need to show him that indeed I could do these small things (laundry, keep the home, buy groceries, train the kids, have family fun) without work on his part. Oh, it was glorious those first few times he came back rested and refreshed! He would look at his family with new eyes, and dive right into their midst with tender love and enthusiasm.

The next stage of this growth in us both came so naturally that it was almost impossible to tell when it began. But it's gonna have to wait until next time, cos I'm falling asleep as I write.

Vaya con Dios,

Super Woman I am Not

2010-09-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Friends,
My baking has grown beyond my expectations and I have each of you to thank.

THANK YOU!

Because of this great demand, I am finding it impossible to keep up with the baking while homeschooling, doing housework, and just plain living life. I have now reached my limit before having to rent an industrial, FDA approved, kitchen. This is not feasible during this season in my life. Therefore, I need to get a good idea of exactly which of you wants what & when. I have some Friends who order only bread, some only cinnamon rolls, and others who order both . Some want it every week and others every off week. Whew!

Due to my limitations, I will now need to have all orders in to me by Wednesday night. I will then have all of my pick-up orders baked & ready by Thursday afternoon, and all of my delivery orders baked & ready by Friday afternoon. I will no longer be able to bake to fulfill all orders, only a set amount per week. So, if your order can't be met in one week, you will be put on the top of the list for the following week. (Does that make sense?)

Again, I can't thank you each enough. I would love nothing more than to be able to do this full time, but my duties as a wife and mother need to come first. Lord willing, in a few years, I'll be able to expand this into something more. But for now, my shoulder muscles are thrilling at the idea of baking less.

Vaya con Dios,

Giving Him Bac kTo Himself

2010-09-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

We met March 8, 1998.

We married June 1998.
I can remember the very first time I saw him walk into a room. It hit me like so much cold water . He didn't notice me. (I'm fairly good at hiding- it's in my name, after all.)

I can even remember when we were formally introduced. I was moving through a doorway and he was there, next to a friend. I said something original like, "Hi" and then went to hide under a table.

But the first time we actually talked was March 8, 1998. I was at a friend's house working on the computer. (The internet was still a strange, new beast) and her hubby took a call from Jungle Man. The three of them had attended New Tribes Bible Institute together and they were both happy that Jungle Man had moved down here. So in walked Jungle Man. I was in a corner doing my computer thing.

The first time we touched was that same evening. He said that he could help to take some small splinters from the palm of my hand. I agreed, and then held back a scream as he conjured a knife of biblical proportions from somewhere on his person. It was the size of a small dog- I swear.

From that moment, until somewhere in the middle of 1999, we saw each other every day. Every. Single. Day.

I was totally and completely addicted to him. I was a sponge, soaking up every bit of anything he had.

And you know what? It never occurred to me that he might want some of me in return. Never. Not once. Not in 10 years did I think of giving back. So for all of that first decade I took. I took everything and thought how wonderful it must be for him to have a wife so obsessed. "Who wouldn't like this attention?" I asked myself.

However, in year 10 some things changed. None of them for the good. Life threw us some major curved balls and there we were, too wiped out to start again, too sad to continue. I remember looking at him and vowing that things were going to change. I was going to change. And in my own clumsy way, I began to be different.

The first thing I realized was the need for wisdom.

I began to pray earnestly for wisdom, knowing that God has promised to answer this prayer always. And He did. And He does. Daily, moment to moment.

This summer has been a season of great change in my heart and in my actions. None of them perfect, but all of them one clumsy step forward at a time.

I read a sermon once where a pastor called himself a "Cracked Pot", meaning that he wasn't perfect but flawed. I would rather see myself as yet a lump of clay. Clay not yet hardened or fired. Clay that is still malleable. So, I will tell you more of this season as I am Molded further into the Heavenly Bride who God wants me to become.

Good night,

~Breaking Free~

2010-08-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

As I sit down to type, my chair is nestled in and amongst crispy, crunchy dirt. The kind of dirt that accumulates under and around the best dusted furniture. Dust bunnies are roaming the floor like so many tumble weeds. It's 9.37 on a Monday night and I am redecorating my living room.
AGAIN.
I did just do this about 2 months ago.
This past month I re-arranged my dinning room.
I am currently in the midst of a major overhaul of Annabelle's room- even down to designing a custom built bunk bed complete with reading nook. This bed is still just rough wood needing to be sanded and finished.

And yet, here I am. . . surrounded by my furniture, floating in the room, and I'm restless.
I've been a pack-rat in a past life. I kept things. I surrounded myself with them. "I am the sum total of what I own.", to quote my mother.

But I'm different now. This change has been growing in me for some time. It started with our last move, 3 years ago. I held a yard sale our first month here. I got rid of STUFF. I made over $700 with it. When it was over, I walked into my house and felt some strange, new, thrill. I felt FREE! The whole process had been absolutely cleansing.

I then began a systematic sweep of each room of the house. With each full box bound for another yard sale, I felt a weight lifted. I felt clean.
I held another yard sale.
A year passed and then I held our last sale, after Trevallion was born. I looked around my house. Closets were empty of junk, the basement had only Christmas decorations and some long term storage (maybe 10 boxes in all), There was no hidden stuff lurking anywhere that could bog me down.

I only wish now, while writing this to you, that I was better able to explain this feeling. Have you ever had a pain removed? I think we all have had pain, but have you ever lived with it for a time, then had it removed suddenly? Most people with whom I've talked, will tell me that they never realized exactly HOW much pain they were in on a day-to-day basis. Only removing the pain showed the sufferer how bad it had been.

This freedom is kind of like that.

I never was aware of the pressure and weight of the ownership had on my spirit.

Currently I have so few "things". I have a great soap dish from China that I bought from a friend's sale. I have some beloved antique pieces of furniture that I've owned longer than I've owned my Mrs. title. So what would happen, I ask myself this evening, what would happen if it was suddenly ALL gone? All of it. Take out even the couch. Get rid of the books. How many clothes can be taken out of the closets?

I see myself standing in the middle of a great , clean, pasture- arms flung out wide- and turning in a circle of clear air and freedom. Freedom to look around this life and say "I am ME!!!! What you see is really all of me. Nothing here can define me, I am this soul living in this shell. I don't want the trappings any longer!!!!!!"

What I think is that this is all symptomatic of something larger.

I only wish that I knew what it was.

~A Promise~

2010-08-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I've mostly taken this past summer off. Not many posts beyond the absolutely necessary. Thanks for everyone who's understood.

So just this quick note on a Saturday morn to say, now that school has begun, I will endeavor to post regularly once again.

I have so much to tell you about our summer! Maybe I'll even get caught up and tell you about our current day-to-day?
Who knows,....
crazier things have happened.

First Day of School is Done!

2010-08-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

To amend our book choice a little bit. To teach our kids to read, we use Veritas Press Phonics Museum. It is, without a doubt, the best thing I've ever seen. It is pricey, at $200, but it is also a 2 year program. Stretch that out over 3 kids, and it's only around $33/ year per boy.

So why does it rock? As an example, today George read a book with the words Buccaneer, flagship, punishment, surrender, and swirling. He didn't bat an eye at the size of the words, and stumbled a bit on the reading. I'm not going to give a commercial for PM here, we just really like it. =)

* Books and Larnin' *

2010-08-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

Since everyone else is doing it:
here's our school schedule for the upcoming year. We've kept what worked from last year (not as big of a list as I would have liked) and we're introducing what (we hope) will be one of our final "big changes" in our quest for Our Home School.

For the past three years, we've been faithful followers of the Classical approach to learning. After three years, I can tell you, I'm still a firm believer. It works, it's logical, it follows the path we all seem to take when learning something new. HOWEVER.
I do not have 45 minutes to spend on one subject with one child. It just isn't practical for the life we live.

So the School Principal and the head Teacher (aka Jungle Man and I) sat down and wrote up a plan for what we want in a curriculum and what life we want to live. Then we spent a few weeks flying through the vast reaches of cyber-space searching, looking for the top ten. We sent away for their info in the mail. (I still have a love affair with paper and prefer to have a book in hand) The next step was to see exactly how practical these each were. Our motto: Even the best book is useless if never used. So many, many got chucked into the bin at first sight.

Now, weeks later, our books have been ordered, and they are beginning to trickle in. I usually get all giddy at the doorstep and wonder if the UPS guy gets such warm welcomes at every home. ;-p
And here they are Ladies and Gen'men.
. The Stucky Tribe 2010-2011

Veritas Press History
Singapore Math
Landmark Freedom (for everything else)

Ta-da!

I Stand Exposed

2010-08-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

If ever a sickness has settled into my heart, it's name must be SLOTH. I have been fighting this illness for more than a few days now. It's not as if I haven't been productive. I've painted (2 coats) Annie's room and then emptied, moved, painted (2 coats) and filled again, the floor-to-ceiling book shelf for her "new" room. I've helped to engineer the new bunk bed for her room as well. The bottom is a crib mattress mere inches from the floor while her top is a twin. More on that to come, I guess.
My point is- I've been doing nothing but exactly what I want, while shirking the things in life for which I am exactly responsible.
Laundry?
              it'll do it's self.
House cleaning?
             overrated
Cooking?
              ok- i can't get out of this one
The Kids?
             they can play outside and take care of each other (ouch)

The back yard looks like, well, as if kids have been running amok.

All of this has settled into my soul and made me angry and discontented.
I've been here before, I just don't want to do the work to get out of it now. And now, true to every law of nature, the kids are following suit. Angry, discontented, and sloughing their work off to anything they can.

I'm not asking for much, really, just what I want, when I want it. Is that too much to ask?
Hmmmm?

So I decided to write this all down. I guess it won't make me more responsible- I have those already and am just ignoring them. I'm thinking that now I've exposed myself.
I'm a foney today.
The word is out.
A secret no longer.
I'm being lazy, and it's a sick disease that infects everyone who comes in touch with it.

So now I'll go and take my medicine. A big, huge, dose of WORK.

This is so much cheaper than therapy. =)

Monday

2010-08-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry that my posts have been so serious lately. And while I'm looking in my life for the little things that make me smile and laugh day-to-day, there's nothing too blog-worthy about them. I am, however, plunging into home improvement projects like never before. (photos to come soon)

I need to thank every person who has prayed for us. Thank you so very much. Andrew continues to have pain, although your prayers coupled with the meds have made things easier for him.

I'm afraid, really. I'm afraid and selfish. No matter how valid the concern, I can't justify my fears and worries. I have questions swimming in my head. Hundreds of 'what ifs'. While I know the answers to them, I worry nonetheless. Is it even alright to be so in love with another human being? My security, my friend, my strength, he stands between me and the world.

His trip to the Neurosurgeon today netted us nothing new. We were told exactly what we thought already. We were told to see a Neurologist. It'll be a few weeks before we hear back from UVA Medical Center.

Thank you for your continued prayers of wisdom and ease of pain for Andrew

~He Leadeth Me~

2010-08-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
- Refrain:
  He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
  By His own hand He leadeth me;
  His faithful foll’wer I would be,
  For by His hand He leadeth me.
Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.
Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

A Poem

2010-08-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

Running Away
By Karla Kuskin

Running away
From the rest of today
Running away
From you.
Running away
From "Don't do that"
From all of the things I must constantly do
I feel too young
I feel too old
For a hundred helpings of being told.
Packing my head
Taking my feet
Galloping down some familiar street.
My head is a bird.
My heart is free again.
I might come back
When I feel like me again.

Health Update for Wednesday

2010-08-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to describe how good God is, nor how He works in wondrous and mysterious ways. It's true. He can. He does

I don't know what to write. So much has happened in a few days.
Mid-morning Tuesday Jungle Man phoned to tell me his pain was unbearable. Could I please get in touch with the Doctor and find out what's going on?

It took numerous phone calls to the Neurosurgeon's office (I've been calling him a neurologist- oops) After all of my attempts failed to reach a live voice, I packed Annabelle into the van and we drove over there. They were nothing but fantastically helpful at the office. After a wait of about 5 min, I was told that - indeed- Jungle Man's MRI was being read right at that very moment by the Doc and his Physicians Assistant. I'll be getting a call shortly.
I smile, thank her for her helpfulness, and race home to wait by the phone.

The phone rings.
It's the P.A.
She wants to tell me that not only is his MRI completely unremarkable, but it's also totally age appropriate. There are no signs of a previous injury at all. Nothing wrong.
I was speechless. . . then I got my second wind.
"Did you scan his whole back?" I ask
"No, just the lumbar region."
"OK, thanks for all of your help."
Afterward she tells me that she's referring us back to the General Practitioner and thinks we ought to see a Neurologist. (But she doesn't give us a referral) At the time I was put out about that fact. But God is leading us down the path He has chosen for us. (My path has a lot of weeds I think)

Jungle Man came home Tuesday night and started doing some research into his symptoms. After a grueling entire 5 minutes, he comes up with a condition to which he seems to have all of the symptoms. We printed it up.Evidently, this condition causes the blood pressure to rise quickly and dangerously high. People with this condition can die of a stroke if it's not dealt with correctly.

So, yesterday morning I call the GP as soon as he's taking calls. I talk to the head Nurse there and she wants to see him that afternoon. (This is the Lord at work because she actually created a slot for him which didn't really exist.)

Jungle Man gets to his 2:10 appointment at 2:30. Oops. They tell him to wait until 4 for the last slot of the day. He does. What a blessing this turns out to be. He tells the PA the whole loooong saga up to this point. He said she got a funny look on her face, and when he pulled out the paper we'd printed, she said she was trying to remember that exact thing! The PA is going to referr him to UVA Medical Center for a case study there.

I see how wonderful this is. I do. I am just getting so numb from all of this. It's so very hard to watch him stay up every night in so much pain he can't think or talk. He crashes only when his body shuts down entirely. I'm fearful when I have no right to be. In my head, I know that I am a child of God, He bought us with a high price, He is refining us. But, in my heart, I'm fearful nonetheless. It hurts to watch the one you love be in such pain as this.

Please continue to pray for us. Andrew needs to have an abatement from pain. Also, he is unable to work as much as he needs. Please pray that I have strength and wisdom with the children, home, their schooling, and all of the added responsibilities now with Andrew's health. His brain shuts down now and he forgets little things.

Thank you everyone,

~Tuesday Update~

2010-08-03T04:58:00.000-07:00

We went for Jungle Man's MRI e-a-r-l-y yesterday morning. Other than a few problems such as him getting his shoulders stuck and pulling the pads out with him, the MRI was uneventful.

Here's the way our Neurologist works:

Get appointment to see Neurologist.
See his PA instead. She's kinda like a Bouncer at a bar, you need to get past her first in order to get where you wanna go. IDK if our Dr. is so important that he must worry about paparazzi or what?
Make an appointment for MRI plus appointment to actually meet the Neurologist. (However, these are 2 separate things and there must be at least one week between them)
Go to MRI
Come home
Call Neurologist. Speak to his secretary.
Make request that Neurologist read MRI scan. (No joke, we were told to call for this cos otherwise- I guess- the doc wouldn't know to do this?
Wait
When the Neurologist has read the scan, he will get his PA to call us to read the results over the phone.
Wait for our appointment to actually meet the Doc.

Meanwhile,. . . . . back at the farm:

The vibrations from the machine pulled his back out of whack and he needed to take some more of those pills he hates. Ya know- the 'funny' ones where he can't drive?

By lunchtime he was over the pain and pills sufficient to go to work for light duty.

I had a great time with the kids. We did school, a little laundry, and went to the library. The older ones are really pitching in to help and it's a wonderful blessing.

Jungle Man came home and was in large amounts of pain again from the truck. He took some more 'funny pills' and just went comatose while waiting for them to take effect. I would ask him a few questions, get an answer, and then. . .
all of a sudden the swelling went down and he looked around as if he'd just awakened. He asked me what I was doing. I told him we were going to watch a movie since he said he didn't care. (I'd asked him- remember?) He had no real memory of me asking him.
I'd call that Pain.

Spring from 2 years ago

So please, if you could remember us in your prayers. We are asking God to speed the process with the Doctor, and to get rid of Andrew's pain. We are asking for wisdom for both us and the medical staff involved.

Thank you all

~Jungle Man Update- Thursday~

2010-07-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

Jungle Man went to work yesterday. However, in hindsight, we don't think it was the best idea. His pain is much different than anything he's dealt with before. He describes his pain as if he has a "brain freeze" headache all of the time. His 'catch 22' is the pain medicine prescribed helps, but he isn't aloud to drive while medicated.
Sooooo, those of you who know Jungle Man, know the route he has opted: no pain medication.

When faced with the question:
"Food and shelter for your family or no pain?"
Which would you choose?

So tomorrow will see us at the Doctor. I'm happy, relieve, excited, and scared all at once. At least, after tomorrow. we'll know more than we do right now.

Thank you all for your continued prayers.

Dream

2010-07-29T05:09:00.000-07:00

Attention Passengers.
Welcome to Dreamland.

In case of mid-night emergencies the exits are at side and foot of the bed. In the event that the temperature drops, blankets have been placed for your warmth.

Tonight's dream- brought to you by Spicy Food Pictures Ltd.- is about an underground mall that curiously is also outdoors. You will be running for your life and hiding from the Evil Villain, while keeping your children safe and quiet. Any movement or sound will be detected by the villain and you will all be roasted alive. But fear not! Jungle Man (being played tonight by Bruce Willis) is here to save the day! He will battle the villain and keep your children from harm.

So do not get too scared.
Jungle Man will conquer the ultimate villain. . .
Mothra.

~Tuesday Update~

2010-07-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

(please ignore that date- i can't figure out my camera yet)

The Doctor's office opened yesterday morning at 8:30. I was at their front desk at 8:40. I asked around and was given info about getting an appointment, but the system was down in the hospital ER so the booking secretary couldn't help me just then. That's OK- I took down her name and drove home. (I live 5min away) As soon as I hit the door I called the booking secretary (and used her name- more flies with honey and all.. .) She took down my info. I asked if there was a special list he could go on- ya know- in case there are any cancellations? Sure thing, so glad to help. Blah. blah. blah.

So around lunch time the prayers were healing him where the Vicatin, Hydrocodone, and steroids weren't able to. Jungle Man was downstairs on the couch and feeling a bit less pain filled. He took the call when it came in.
Sure, he says, that'll be fine, he says.
"When's your appointment for?" I ask, heart in throat.
"Well, they can't get me in for 2 weeks."
"Oh." says I, and inwardly groan.

I wait until around 3 and call NOT the booking secretary, but the Doctor's personal assistant. (Another name I'd grabbed at my 8:40 visit) I ask her if she could PLEASE do me a favour?
"I need someone to help me, could you please give me some help?" (This, I've learned, is the magic question when dealing with someone who has the power to help you or brush you off entirely)
"Well, I'll see what I can do. What seems to be the problem?"
I then ask her if we can be sure that this next appointment- two weeks away- can be certain to have a MRI, and x-ray scheduled. She's curious to know why those things weren't done in the ER. I tell her our ER story and she is shocked,
"I had NO IDEA he was in that much pain! Ya know. . . I had a bunch of cancellations this morning. Let's see what I can do."
"Really?? Oh that would be so fantastic of you!"

SO now, Jungle Man's new appointment has been moved up to THIS Friday morning! God is good, God is great.

Today, Andrew went to work and was on light detail. His job consists of driving 300+ miles per day, so the jury is still out on how "light" his work will be.

Thank you all who have been praying. It is humbling to watch God so work in our lives right now. Please continue to lift our family up to God. Ask for the pain to be taken away and that wisdom be given to all who are involved.

Thank you and God Bless,

~Please Pray For Andrew~

2010-07-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

I'm asking for prayers now.

Jungle Man is still in almost unbearable pain. He's telling me (when he's able to talk at all) that he can feel his vertebrae rubbing together. Tomorrow will begin with many calls and a trip to the Doctor's office. I've been told that if I'm there in person, it should facilitate the ease and priority of our appointment scheduling. So please say a quick prayer for us.
Please ask that:

We are given wisdom during this time,
we are put at the head of the line for his appointment, and that
Jungle Man (Andrew, if you want to call him by name ) is given a rest from his pain.

Also, could you share this post so that others might pray for our family as well?
Thank you all and God bless,

God is on His throne

2010-07-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Not as if I was planning on being in the ER this afternoon. Nope. I was supposed to be watching two good friends become husband and wife. But sometimes life intervenes.

Jungle Man stayed home from work Friday. Not in order to have a 3 day weekend, not even because he was sick. Nope. Jungle Man's back was severely out of whack. (That's a medical term. really. I looked it up. It's right after thingy and before what's-it) We went to a Doc at the Urgent Care and was told to see our personal Doctor. We were also given a scripts for prednisone, hydrocodone, and something else. All Jungle Man took was the prednisone to get the swelling under control.

So here's the back story:
When he was 14 he hurt his upper back while riding in the jungle on a dirt bike. However, due to lack of adequate medical care in his neck o the woods (HA! punny) he just did the best he could with what he had. Then, at 16, he happened to hit the back of his head with his feet- With his FEET- while being silly on a water slide. However, since he still was HERE, (and broke), there wasn't anything he could do. Praise God that he was in the water so that he was able to allow his feet to hang for about an hour before attempting to walk.
Now both of these injuries were severe and both happened out of the country where medical care wasn't available for this sort of thing. So fast forward to the age of 19-20. He's living in the states now and starts to have pain. He passes out. A few times. He ends up in the ER. He gets some MRI's. He is told that he needs his spine fused in 2 places. He walks away unwilling to have major spinal surgery at 19, and unable to pay for it if he was.
So NOW, after waiting more than 10 years, he finally has health insurance. Praise be to God for this gift!

I had to tell you that story in order to tell you the rest of this one.

So I'm getting ready for the wedding and Jungle Man is non too well. He realizes that he has no shoes for the shindig and sets out across town to pick up a pair of loafers. I continue on as before.
The phone rings.
It's Jungle Man.
He's bad off. I can barely hear him.
He says he's having trouble walking.
He doesn't know if he can make it home.
Walking, he says, is taking a lot of concentration to get his legs to respond.

In times such as these, I follow this rule: I won't let myself freak out or cry until all crisis has passed. This way I can be of maximum help.

Phone calls are made, kids are re-dressed for play, bags are packed, we go to the ER.

Once again our Oh-so-benevoent-medical-center is re-vamping their ER. To facilitate our process, they have introduced valet parking. For a hosptial- I kid you not. (Have I mentioned before that we don't feel as if we belong here? Just sayin' ) I can drive my own car thank you. I can walk too. So I meet Jungle Man inside. The Security Gaurd tells me that 'Oh yeah, he's just inside the hallway there.'
Nope.
No big, brawny, bearded, babe in that hall. Nurses haven't even seen him. They look him up.
"So you've lost my man?" is all I keep thinking.
I'm taken all the way around some sort of tricky rat-maze and there, in a corner tucked away is my man. Looking ashen and ill. No room yet.

Then the waiting game starts. You know how to play. You sit. Your loved one is ill. They walk by. You sit. You wait. You pace. They walk by.
Well, Momma don't play that game. Not ever. I hate HATE hospitals. I hate the breeding ground for germs and the feeling that a Doctor's time is more exspensive than my own. So Heidi played that game for about 5 mintues and up I popped and walked right into the nurse's stattion. So I got some help pretty much right away.

Now, I'm not saying that Jungle Man was worse off than any other patient. I certainly saw folk who needed- and were getting- prompt attention. All I asked for was a drink for him. (It was 107 outside) So now the nurse comes over and begins helping us. She was a doll. Even found me a comfortable chair.

By the time the Doc got around to our side, Jungle Man couldn't walk unassisted. The nurse was told give him a shot of something in order to get the swelling down. She told him to "drop his drawers" with a smile on her face. Pretty funny.

When all was said and done, we were out by supper time and he felt relief. But here's the best part: the ER doc gave him a refferal (needed for our insurance) to the exact Neurosurgeon we were wanting to see! So now, Monday morning, I'll be setting up an appointment- the first of manny- for Jungle Man to begin his journey towards a repaired spine!

"God is good" is an understatement.

~Cruisin' For a Bruisin'~

2010-07-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

OK Mr. Man,
You're attempting to look cool.
I get that. I really do.

You've even taken the great measure to wear the cap on the side like that.

YO.

And then you get into that PT Cruiser.
Ahem.
I see the sticker on the back. The one that makes your car look like a decepti-con. OK, so still going for the coolness points, and I'll begrudgingly give you one extra for trying hard.

BUT. . .

You've lost it A L L with that life-like sticker.
      Of
            Your
                         Chihuahua.

Happy Birthday George Byron

2010-07-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

We had two children in the fall of 2002. One big brother. One little sister.The American norm. We were content. The two were old enough that we could travel. My body was in pre-child conditions. Life was good.

BUT.

But I really wanted another baby. Really. Really. Jungle Man wanted another baby. Friends told us we were crazy.

And, for the first time we tried to get pregnant- on purpose! Months went by and we were still negative. It was heart breaking. An opportunity was made available for me and the kids to visit relatives in Florida. Jungle Man told me to go and that we'd just take a break from it all. So we left.

But in Florida I got sick. It was yucky. Soooo very dizzy. I took a test. Negative. *Sigh*. My sickness was so bad that I was unable to even look at food. I took another test. Negative. *Sigh* Then walking around in the Florida heat became difficult. Another test was purchased. Another negative. *groan*. After 5, yes FIVE, negative tests, my cousin came to me one day and threw her own pregnancy test at me from across the room. (She'd been going through a similar thing) She handed me the phone, told me to take the test, phone and myself into the bathroom, and pee! All the while Jungle Man was on the other end of the line just waiting.

I don't know what was so magical about Cousin's test, or that phone, but this time I got those 2 lines! Woo-hoo! I returned to Jungle Man some time later and we were just on cloud nine.

But I was so very very ill. My skin actually would turn shades of green- just like in the cartoons. Seriously. I just kept thinking that it all meant that my baby must be super healthy- right?

Flash forward to week 11. The magical number that everyone seems to shoot for, "Just make it to 11 weeks and you'll be fine." I wasn't. It took all I had to get dressed each day. The home suffered. Jungle Man was very worried.

I remember the two of us sitting at the kitchen table one evening. We were just sitting there, he was holding my hand. I was listless. Then, all of a sudden, I ran to the bathroom. He came to the door and asked if I was alright.
"No. Something's wrong. I think I just lost the baby."

He moved into action mode quickly. Hospital was called. Kids were taken to Grandparents. We arrived at the E.R. I was just crying. I was in a large amount of pain. It was horrible. I never want to go through anything like that again. Hours crawled by while hospital staff ignored us. I lay on a gurney in a corner and they just let "nature take it's course" There was nothing they could do. Not now.

After an eternity, we were wheeled into a room and they took an ultrasound to see if a DNC was going to be necessary. The tech turned the screen away. Then he coughed. Then he said, "Umm?" Then he was silent. He clicked a few times, moved the thingy a few times, and walked out. After a few, short minutes, a Doctor entered and took over the thingy and the screen. "Umm." He said.
"Yeah, we already got that from the fist guy."
"There's still a baby in here."
"Huh??"
The smile broadened across his face as he turned the screen in our direction and showed us. With eyes beaming he showed us the heart- beating so strongly. He showed us how everything was perfect. Then he gave us the bad news.
"Over here is where the twin was.. . ."
What else could he say?

After that day, I never stopped bleeding. The whole pregnancy was a fight to keep this baby alive. I was on total and complete bed rest. I was aloud to get up for the bathroom only.

Into the third trimester, the bleeding became very intermittent and I was given the freedom of slow, careful movement. I walked- a lot.

I have a labor story, but there just wasn't much to it. We went for our last checkup and the Dr told us I was going to go in the next 24 hrs. We drove home. My Jungle opened the van door for me to get out. My foot hit the ground. My labor began. We got to the hospital. Nurse checked me. Told me I was only 6 cm. Inputted my personal info, washed her hands. I said, "Baby's crowning."
She said" That's not possible."
"Tell that to him, cos he's coming now!"

And out shot George Byron. Just like that.
Jungle Man left me in the able hands of the doctor while he stayed with George. I looked into the eyes of the Doc and said ,"Shouldn't I be delivering the afterbirth?"
"Yup. You sure should." He answered, as if he ran across this problem every time. You see, I had closed up immediately after the birth, so the doctor had to open me up with his hands and then give me a DNC right then and there. It a rare condition, but none to pleasant.

Our George has been a fighter from the start. We've always believed that God knew he needed more time to himself in order to develop. You see, for some reason, my uterus wrapped itself around a section of my placenta (Kinda like how a tree grows around a sign or fence) so there really was no way I could loose him.

He gives me pleasure each day, a strong Mr. Steady personality in a sea of sometimes chaos. He loves tools and is quite the grease monkey. We call him monkey boy. There is never a time he's not climbing something. He simply loves his brothers and will cry if he has to talk about his love for them.

Happy Birthday my George.

Don't Tar and Feather Me. . . Yet.

2010-07-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Since a "cold front" came through our town last night, the temps dipped all the way into the 80's. Brrrrr. So, around 3 am, I opened up the windows and let some fresh air into a home that's been running on A/C for too long.

I love fresh air.

So this morning, it was no surprise that those windows were still opened wide when "The Boys" (George, Nolan, and Trevor) started running through the house screaming at the top of their lungs. They were playing some game where one was chasing the others. The guy who was "It" was screaming something non-too appropriate and I was forced to run after them before someone on the street heard them and called the cops. Seriously. It was THAT BAD.

"Shhhhhhhh! This game needs to stop and you ALL need to stop saying that anyhow.. . . . Where did you hear that in the first place?"

"On that nature video from the library."

"Ummmm, I don't think that's right George. No nature video we've ever had would say ANYTHING like that."

"Sure! It had the snakes and crocs... all about BITE power!"

Use your imagination folks. We live in the South.

Despair & the Beach

2010-07-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

I'll warn you at the beginning that this is a "dumping" post. Meaning that I'm dumping lots of thoughts which may (or may not)be related in anyway.
Here goes.

Today the kids and I went to a local beach (just a small lake really) with a good friend. (I can't call her an OLD friend cos she's younger than me, but we've been friends longer than I've been Mrs. Jungle Man) So we went to the beach. It was hot. Like, 90 by 10am and into triple digits by noon kinda hot. I took some video and thought I'd share it with you, but I couldn't figure out why Blogger takes 1/2 hr to download 4 mintues of footage. So just imagine cute kids swimming and splashing.

There. Done.

We left the beach before lunch and were home, enjoying God's great gift to man: air conditioning, by 1:30-ish. Then it was naps all around and a movie before going out to play when the heat went down.

The heat advisory stays in affect until 11 pm tonight, though. But I'm NOT complaining. Not at all. I remember THIS , and THIS , and THAT , and even THIS all too clearly. So no complaints at all! Just sayin'- it's hot.

I've been afraid to post lately. Afraid to put my thoughts down, or even to think about much at all. I've been hunkered down in my physiological storm cellar, just waiting for the tough times to pass. Fear and anger, bitterness and jealousy have been sweeping over me like so many ocean waves.
I've not been able to sleep.
Jungle Man and I haven't been getting on too well.
It's been my own little, personal corner of hell on earth.

And I've not wanted to write about it.

As much as I told myself how alone I was, God was there with me. These past few months have been a hell of my own making- no doubt about that now. I'm able to look back and see how many times He shared his love with me. How many times he reached out to me, to turn my head back to see Him.

Yet each time, I turned back into myself. Back into my misery. Back to my own, personal rebellion.

And my family suffered.
My marriage suffered.
I suffered.

I was brought to my knees a few weeks ago. Literally. Just thrown down out of despair, and fear. I cried out to God. I cried out to the One who can fix all my problems and take away all my fears. You see, I am owned by a jealous God. He bought me with a price. He's not gonna let me go any ttime soon. Ever.

Fantastic Find!

2010-07-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

So, while I was searching for a putty knife in and among Jungle Man's tools, I came upon these beauties:

Now, I forget how I acquired these. I think they were salvaged from an old hunting shack on my parents almost-a-farm. But the point is- I NOW OWN THESE BABIES! Whooot- whoot!

Annabelle and I have been wondering what to do with them. While she and I have come up with some ways to use them around the house,.... we're wondering what you think! What would you do with these?
How would you change them (if at all)?
What functionality could they serve?
They have fantastic detailing:

What do you think? Please tell me- they are just itching to be used!

Thursday

2010-07-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

And sometimes....

life falls apart regardless.

Flagman Ahead

2010-06-30T03:57:00.000-07:00

Recently, My life has been like a car trip. As has my relationship with God.

I imagine myself at the wheel of Nellie, the Astro van. *I also see my hair as a mess, what's up with that?* As I'm driving up to a red light, it suddenly turns green!
"Yay God!" I say to the kids. Then we continue on my way. Around the next corner is some road construction with a flagman. As I drive up, the flagman lets me through, only to block the other cars behind me.
"See how much God loves me?!" I shout to the windshield.

Two blocks down the road, we get stuck behind a bad driver. (Cos we all know that I'm NOT one of those! =0) I try to pass, only to have this yahoo shift into the center. I ride his bumper only to have him slow down. I time it juuuuuuuuust right and floor it- we make it around the crazy driver. *Sheesh*

Once again, all is right with the world until the next hill. As I top out of the rise, I see a line of cars forming. *GROAN* Traffic backs up behind me. *SIGH* We're moving so slowly that I'm able to track the ant's progress next to Nellie's tires. *GRRRRR*
It's finally our turn to pass the wreckage, having missed it by just minutes.

So what I'm wondering is this: why am I not seeing the entirety of my life as a blessing? If God had given me what I wanted, might I have been in the accident? Why am I so likely to praise God at the green lights in my life, and not during those times when he purposely slows me down (or stops me all together)?

Matthew 10:27 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
³⁰But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
³¹Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
³²Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
³³But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

Here's to learning to praise God in the midst of the construstion sites in my life...

Define Friends?

2010-06-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Facebook friend: Someone whom you may or may not recogonize when meeting face-to-face. If you do remember them as a FBF, then it is likely that you might only remember their latest update.

Blogging Friend: Someone whom you've never met face-to-face, about whom you know most things, and would gladly hug when "meeting" for the "first time".

If Only~

2010-06-28T06:09:00.000-07:00

You ever think you were right? A deep-down-I'm-justified-so there kinda right?

I have.

Come to find out, I was wrong.

Wish I had a time machine.
I'd go back about a decade or so and do it differently. Maybe make less mistakes.

I wish being wrong came with it's own eraser...

Issues

2010-06-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

So, at 2.43 am Wednesday morning, I'm on day 3, week 2 of this crazy sleep-deprivation thing. And it's finally getting to me emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It's not too good for my marriage either.

I'm very frightened. I'm scared because I'm angry at God. (I know, that in order to be grammatically correct, I should use "with" instead of "at". However, I don't believe that God is angry with me, and therefor I'm all alone with my anger issue. )

I look around me, and see so much stuff. I see things and I see money. I see time being spent as if it were a deep spring, continuously flowing forth new every moment. I see all that we don't have. I feel each day flying out before me as I try to grasp it. There is so much to do, so much to teach, so much to accomplish. There is only me. There is only this day. And there it goes. Gone. Today will never come back again, and I could have made it better.

So the next day begins. Wake at 6 am, walk then stretch. Breakfast, boys up and out while I check emails. Hair, face,,teeth. Trevor's diaper and breaky. Start laundry. Boy's chores. Bible time. School & Trevor down for nap. Break for lunch and clean up. Flip laundry. Finish school. Daily tasks (bread, butter, clean, errands ). Yard work. Boys bathed. Dinner prepared and eaten. Kids to bed. Fall asleep on the couch while awaiting Jungle Man's arrival. Get his dinner, then back to sleep. (Only sleep won't come back these past two weeks)

So I'm angry at God because no matter how we pray, it doesn't get answered. Oh, I know all about the "sometimes His answer is No". But all of the time? Really? 11 Years worth of NO? I see so many with so many blessings and wonder why God is forgetting us? Not asking for much here. Are all of these folk living such lives free of debt? How are they managing?

I'm looking back over the years and I'm surprised that so much time has gone by. Wow . I'm afraid that one day, all too soon, we'll be in the twilight years wondering where the time went? It'll be too late, then., to begin our dreams.

So I'm making what I hope is the best of this life for the kids. But every day I resent God. I don't understand this. I don't know what this all means. WHY? I don't understand what He wants from us. I don't know why He's making us wait for life more abundantly. What does God want from me and what does He want from my relationship with him? If a relationship is about giving, then how much of myself does He want? All of me, right? So what happens if I can't and He won't?

And I'm afraid. I'm afraid of being punished for this. Since all sin has a consequence (and don't think it doesn't) how am I going to pay for these thoughts?

I'm tired of not living our dream. Maybe I want something different than Jungle Man. Maybe my desires are holding us back. Maybe my anger towards God is stopping Him from giving Andrew a new job. Maybe...

~Out on a Limb~

2010-06-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

At this moment, I have only one tree on my property. Just one.

It has not always been so. There once was a majestic scotch pine in the front yard. It was cut down, however, twenty years ago by the previous owners. Now there is only one tree. It has been there for three years, a wonderful, little, ornamental cherry. I know, because I planted it there myself.

My back yard is different in only one respect. In my back yard there are NO trees. Not one. (Sumac is not a tree, look it up) I have only two bushes in my backyard: hibiscus, and lilac.

Why all this info about her landscaping, you ask?

With all of lack of tree-ness, can anyone explain to me why-oh-why-oh-why do I spend 50% of my yard time picking up sticks and raking leaves?

I appreciate my neighbour's trees and all of the shade they provide. I particularly love how his branches sweep against the side of my house and rip my shingles off one by one. Swish. Swish. Swish. But what I love the most is how I have no qualms at all when I rake his sticks back into his hedge and back onto his property.

Just Another Day....

2010-06-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

(Original post from Tuesday, March 9, 2010)

So. Beautiful Weekend. Warm weather. That shiny ball in the sky came out. (What's it called again?)
A grrrrreat day for grillin'! I'm a grillin' fool. Partly cos I'm usually a fool, and partly cos I'm a pyromaniac at heart, and partly cos I'm lazy and when you grill there's just less mess! So off to the Land of the Wally to get my propane tank exchanged.

And so the fun began....

*Note: when built, ours was the biggest Wal-Mart east of the Mississippi. Just sayin' so you can visualize.*

There we are, Nolan and I, wending our way through the many isles. Stocking up on food and sundries for the week. Our cart overfloweth. Up to the register where we greet the nice checkout lady. (I love to talk with them and usually try to go to the same women- life's short- make friends.) For once in my life, I remember to ask her to add the refill exchange to my order,
"OH!! I need to exchange my grill!!"
She gives me the look that I see on so many faces everyday. "Ummm,.....what????"
I think a minute and try to slow down,"I need to get a thing for my grill?"
She still isn't understanding me and is starting to look around for an interpreter.
I try again," Oh!! Sorry. A new tank! I need to get my tank filled! Haha (nervous laugh) Cos I bet everybody wishes they could come here and exchange their grills, huh?! Haha." (Just trying to elicit a smile from her, folks.)

So now I have my long receipt in my grubby hand (I've been shopping, right?) And I'm waiting by the register for the Customer Service Lady who's been called to assist me. We agree that, by the time I put my groceries in the car, load up the Nolan-ater, and head all the way around to out-door area, that she will have someone there to exchange my tank. Hmmm, sounds a little dodgy, but I go ahead with the plan.

Nolan helps me load the back of the car with everything. (I need you to picture so much stuff that it's piled up to the windows in the back) And then we must put on seat belts because Nolan ain't gonna go anywhere with that thing unbuckled (at least, so he tells me). And we travel all-the-way-around-to-the-other-side-of-the-huge-store, double park even though the sign tells me I can't, and we wait.....and wait....and wait... I look into the rear view mirror to keep a good look-out on the store exit for my Propane Tank Exchange Person and I wait...and wait....

I think that, maybe, the PTEP just doesn't see me. Parked, as I am, in front of the Propane Tank Exchange area. So I drive back around the front of the store, attempting to park almost directly in front of the store doors. Then, out of nowhere a minivan stops- schreeeech!- right where I was going to be! And the worst part is that I'm now catty-wampus and can't move!! My front end is inches from his rear, and my back end is blocking one whole lane of traffic!! (5 kids after all, right?)And there I sit, unable to reverse due to the steady stream of angry drivers traversing my rear, and unable to go forward due to the van in front who stole my clearly labeled, "I saw it first illegal standing space". And I sit some more, and some more. (I'm really trying not to loose my cool because Nolan is right there next to me.) After what seems like an eternity (Probably only a few minutes, but come on!!) the man in the van sees me and begrudgingly nudges his van forward a few precious feet so I can drive outta there!

Now, I just KNOW that I've missed my personal PTEP. So I decide to park the car and walk back into the store. And, to make it easier on me, so I won't have to come back to my car, I take the empty,greasy tank with me into the store. I stop at the very friendly greeter person. He's talking with a very nice lady who can't seem to comprehend that she needs to get a sticker on her return items prior to bringing them in the store. So I stand and wait, and wait some more. Now.... remember... this is a pretty day out there. The sun is out. And streaming down into my car windows and heating all of that frozen food and supposed-to-be-kept-cold pork. "Forget this." I think.
I just take Nolan by one hand, prone tank in the other and proceed to Customer Service. I'm a customer, I want service, preferably before the ice cream melts. I walk up to the lady there and keep a big smile on my face. (More flies with honey and all) I laugh as I tell her my ordeal to date. She just stands there. Stock still. A look of horror on her face. Now, maybe there's a huge booger in my nose just dangling, but I don't think she'd be able to see it from her distance.
"Ummm, that thing is not supposed to even be in here!" Then she breaks into very uncomfortable laughter/giggle.
"Well, maybe you could help me then?"
Up goes that talkie to her mouth..... "Sure thing, ma'am! Just take that thing out of the store and Assistant Manager Ron will be out to help you with that tank exchange. Just get it out of here. "
I turn to obey, and she adds, "No! Like, now! It's not aloud to be here. Go out the door."
"OK, but there is a door and I do have to go in that direction to get there.."
"Oh- ok- just go."

So Nolan and I are now laughing because this could only happen to me, right? This kind of thing happens all of the time- just to me.So I round the corner. Exit door in sight. When, off to me left, the friendly greeter person accosts me," Where did you come from?!!!" (Friendly not me, I see, hmmm?) "How did you get that past me????"
Retorts come to mind where I'm sarcastic as I explain that I used both my, brains, feet, and legs to walk past him while he was too busy to do his job..... but I let it fly and just keep walking.

Rounding the final stretch! Tank exchange in sight! Nolan and I pick up a fun cart (fun because it's for plants so it's a two tiered affair and he sits on the bottom- we make a game because life is short) And we are back at our starting point. And we wait.. and wait, ... but there! In the distance!! Our PTEP- none other than Assistant Manager Ron- is huffing and puffing (holding his tie in place) to our propane tank rescue. YES! I smile. I laugh. I start to joke with him about the whole affair, but it's clear that the disgruntled greeter man has gotten to him first and filled his head with all sorts of lies. As he reaches for his keys to end this epic tale (Wait for it, folks) he realizes that he doesn't have those keys and goes storming off to get them. (Like I said, only me) I'm laughing with tears now. I'm very perplexed that no one else is finding this as funny as I am. I call Jungle Man to explain my now more than 1/2 hour overdue-ness.
In the middle of it all, I see a Customer Service Rep get out of her car, run across the parking lot to me, and unlock the tank. She yells back to her car's driver to walkie Assistant Manager Ron that she's got it under control. (I'm totally reminded of scences from any number of WWII films, but I choose not to bring it to her attention) I laugh and offer some good news,
"Don't worry! This only happens to me , and I won't need another refill for a few months at least! Haha!"
No go. Nope. Not even a smile.

So now. Finally. Nolan and I have the tank. We have the groceries. We have the car. We get home.

So glad I could be the sunshine to everyone's day at Wally World.

You're welcome.

~Heidi

Baby it's Cold Outside!

2010-06-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

(Original post from Sunday, November 29, 2009)

We have an old house. It's not as old as some, but it was built in the early 50's. So,... old enough. Along with this old house, comes it's fair share of cosmetic problems. We've been so very blessed really. But I'll save that story for another time. =p

Now, our home has an old furnace which runs on heating fuel .We also have 2- 250gal tanks to hold said fuel. (For those of us with math phobia, I'll assist. ) That's 500 gallons of heating fuel!!!!!!!! Hmmm, at around $200/100 gal. we just can't afford to fill up for the winter. But God is good!! (Think I'll say that again) God is good! Our blessed home has a fireplace. !! My parents live around 1/2 hr away and have a kinda-sorts farm. It's kinda a farm in that it's 89 acres. It's sorta not because they do absolutely nothing with it. All of their acreage is wooded. (God is good) So we are going to be able to heat out house this winter for nothing but sweat equity! (God is good)

So this past week and all day today we have been getting wood to heat our home.

I L-O-V-E everything to do with wood heating. I get up early every morning and coax the few lonely coals into a roaring, hot fire with the help of my 2 little men. Nolan gets the "fire bucket" first. This is kept full (by the sweat of his own brow) with kindling every day. We also collect all of the used dryer sheets. Used dryer sheets are great for starting a fire cos the chemical in them melts first, then sticks to the wood, is highly flammable, and yet burns off slowly. So he loves throwing these on top of the kindling. I'm convinced that all children (and me) are unabashedly pyromaniacs. My George has the very manly task of getting the wood from the front porch.

He sighs his manly sigh (I think he thinks it makes the job seem more important) and, after putting on shes and coat, trudges out still in his jammies. The boys love it when the fire can go on living without me, cos then they both squeeze together in front to watch. There they remain, soaking up the warmth, for about 1/2 hr every morning. Childhood goes by so slowly.

While the boys and I found, dragged, and cut wood on Friday. Annabelle stayed inside with Trevor. It was horribly cold, with strong winds and gusting rain for most of the day
. So she helped us all by keeping Trevor warm and safe, and making us hot chili with cornbread! Yummmmm!

The boys found that they could carry thing MUCH faster and MUCH more fun if they each had wheelbarrows. George, being the older of the two, had to have the biggest. Which suited Nolan just fine. =)

Then on Sunday we all went with Daddy to get the "real" wood cut, split, loaded, and brought home. Trevor had his first ride in the tractor, too cute to pass up!

God is Good.

Thanksgiving: Stucky Style

2010-06-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

( original post from Thursday, November 26, 2009)

I am reading 2 books at once. That's quiet a feat for me because I lack much free time. So the book that I read cover to cover and then start again is this one. Then there is this book that I happened to pick up, sans jacket, from my mom's kitchen the other week. I have to think that they came together perfectly at a perfect time in my life. So my plan is to have an old fashioned Thanksgiving with my children. Jungle Man is on call so we must plan the day as if he's going to be out.

I begin by asking myself how I can keep the spirit of the family up and happy with the "on-call" cloud hanging over our time with Dad. The other problem I see is what will happen when he does get called away and I'm a single parent with 5 kids and no particular place to go. Then I was sent a link to Knights and Maidens Gathering, and I am given a fairly new look on family time.

So, Monday morning I sit down with my ever present weekly schedules (one for each school kids- a spreadsheet I got here) and realize..... Thanksgiving is THURSDAY??!!!!!! I smile rather sheepishly and ask Mr Jungle Man (aka- the Principal) if we can toss school this week in exchange for some old fashioned work.

Now that I have my go-ahead, the rubber meets the road. We spend Monday afternoon hauling wood from my parents kinda-sorta farm. Noah, Trevor and I load the farm truck, and run a load over here. Dinner is late and not the least tasty: some horrible melding of stirfry and curry that we each had to muscle past the gag reflex. But hey! I reason that I'm learning to get it all together and so the bad meal on top of a half day of school, tons of laundry, and spending a few hours loading wood, plus having a clean house at the end of the day is still a big success for me. =)

Tuesday dawns cold so I start soup with the boys after breakfast. Chicken soup is my favourite. Yummm. We have to bake bread and I get 6 loaves made plus some granola (see here for a recipe) and then make sure to get a double batch of pie dough put in the fridge. Noah and George spend time shinning my 2 pieces of silver at the table. Why they think this is the "cool job" I just don't know. Boys. =p

Tuesdays are also milk days so we take a trip to the farm. God is good, and this week there is an extra half gallon for us! I've been hoping there would be extra because we're gonna need it for our dinner on Thursday. Back at the house I get the biscuits in the oven and we get another special treat, Daddy is here for dinner!!!! Whoot whoot! Into the soup I've added something new and the boys plus Jungle Man can't seem to stop talking about it: barley, who knew??

Wednesday. One day to go. The bread that Noah cut and cubed on Monday is perfectly dry and I put it in a container waiting for the dressing stuff. I look at my two 'gentlemen helpers' (George and Nolan), and declare them my "Shadow Helpers" for the day. Everywhere I am, they must be as well. They jump up like two soldiers. They help get the baby into his backpack and we're off! After the morning chores are done we take out all of the "pretty dishes" that I packed away years ago. After these have been cleaned, we clean off the side board. You need to see my sideboard any day of the week. It's my catch all. I keep my laptop, bill holder, pencils, school papers, and anything else on there. Well, it was designed to hold the food- a staging area- for big meals and I wanted it to be special. So clean it I must. Laundry must be flipped, apples must be peeled, cut up and made into pies (OK- this part wasn't work at all), bookshelves straightened, and the cream must be separated.

Did you know that cream (I'm talking raw milk here) won't whip if less than 2 days old? Yup. Tried it once and all I got was butter-ish-ness.

I totally copp out Wednesday night guys. I cave in. I have a weak moment, really. Wednesday night I make pizza. Sigh. (It is good tho =p)

Did I mention what I did with Annabelle all day? Nothin'! She cleaned the living room from top to bottom, and did floors! Plus she cleaned both toilets in the house, helped with dinner, AND kept the kitchen clean!!!! That's MY daughter! =-)

Thursday dawns and I'm up at 6,.... with no alarm clock thank you very much..... Annabelle makes breaky for the kids as usual and then we get started! She and I work in the kitchen all morning and into the afternoon. ( Noah takes his younger bros to the park to play and then into the "Man Cave" to watch a movie. I explained early on that if they were in the kitchen I'd make them work)The stuffing from scratch is awesome with raw milk, butter, and spices! Yum! We wash, cut, cook, and mash 10 pounds of potatoes. I have no idea who thunk up this idea as the seven of us only eat less than half of that at dinner. Annie and Jungle Man simply adore mashed sweet potatoes so she single handedly washes, peels, and cuts them for her and her Daddy. The broccoli is steamed to perfection and then the cheese is added. (Although a few pounds are cooked, none remain as my kids eat it like candy.) Annie gets out my Grandfather's gravy boat and pours in the black olives. Everyone here loves black olives, even Trevor eats them. I alone remain the sole olive hater in the house. Annie even has the time to peal and cut the 2 mangoes we purchased. (Jungle Man was raised here so we eat mangoes on holidays for him)

Now the chicken comes out absolutely perfect. I mean it. I have no more juice in my camera's batteries, but I tell you now, it is ready to grace the pages of any Betty Crocker cookbook. The stick of butter I use to rub on the bird and then push under the skin help it come out nice, moist, and juicy. ;-)

After Annie opens the sparkling apple cider and the drinks are poured, our family sits down to the best Thanksgiving meal ever.

So, after this very long post, what am I thankful for? I am thankful for my children, and for knowing a God who loves them more than I do. I am thankful for my husband's job, and for the wisdom to know to be thankful. I am so thankful for God. Because to whom shall we give thanks, if not our Creator? Why else did the Pilgrims bow their heads all those long years ago?

I now have this song stuck in my head. I'm glad.
=-D

Happy Thanksgiving!

We're Not There Yet

2010-06-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

(Original post from Sunday, November 15, 2009)

I've been learning more lately about the idea of blooming where I've been planted.

If I spend time out of every day dreaming of where I want to be, what I'd be doing now if my world were perfect, aren't I robbing myself of contentment? If I, instead, where to hold those thoughts captive, and replace them with thoughts of how to make my current life better for myself and my family- wouldn't everyone around me be more blessed? How am I showing those around me that I'm happy with them, if I spend time thinking that I need things to change in order for me to be happy?

So... back to learning contentment.

Tricky, that.

I think I need to start with just that. Holding my "dream-y" thoughts captive. Not letting them escape into the working part of my brain. (A relatively simple task if you knew how small that part is) Then simply turning those times into productive thought-time.

Learning to change my action process into what I can do now, today, this moment, to change in some small way my home for the betterment of all.

For my, for the kids' sake, for Jungle Man's sake, I need to be a forward-thinking-contentment-making-momma.

The Plan:

2010-06-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

(originally posted Sept 22, 2009)

The Plan...

So today is the beginning of a new schedule of sorts. Yes, when we started school I spent a few weeks getting prepared and devising a great beginning schedule for us. But now- 4 weeks in- I've made notes of the flaws, written, and revised, and the result culminated in today's change.

Not a big change though. I had all of the kids waking up earlier- and at the same time. I have some minor changes with lunch- I no longer am responsible for any of it. (And there was much rejoicing!) I've done more work with block scheduling so each kid gets more of my time.

So, by 10 I was wiped out and not on schedule at all. I hadn't started laundry, let alone flipped the second load. I hadn't even sat down to talk to the older ones about their zoo reports. (And I'll bet they try to get out of it- the sneakies!) My four year old kept acting like a four year old needing a nap. Sigh. It's times like these- the ones when I want to scream and throw a tantrum all my own- that my Jungle Man reminds me,

"It's better to be behind on a good schedule, well thought out; than be on time with no schedule at all."

So I plod. With "one foot in front of the other" mentality, I eat my 'elephant of a day' one bite at a time. This gets me through most of the day with time for a phone call with a good friend, I see the kids clean and to bed, I see my house clean, and my Jungle Man home in relative calm, and with no yelling ( there was much rejoicing!)

*Sigh* Tomorrow will be better, I'm very happy to say. Here I am at the end of my day and I feel as if I've conquered something. When I figure it out I'll let you know. And that's something.

Lions, Elephants, & Camels! Oh My!

2010-06-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

I took my kids to the National Zoo today. It was perfect. The day never got above 80, and the wind was blowing. The zoo was almost empty of people. So much so that I saw more toddlers walking around than full strollers. There was a smile everywhere. Not that every person was smiling mind you (parents will get frustrated and 3 yr olds will scream no matter where I go) , but it was a happy day to say the least. We never waited a bit to see the giant panda, and there always seemed to be zoo volunteers ready to talk to my kids. My 15 year old son took a friend and they were free to roam sans parental guidance.

Like most outings with my kids, I do some thinking ahead of time and schedule some extra learning into it, just to be mean and viscous. That's just how I roll. We're going on a hike? Bring your science notebooks. Going to the library? Pick out 2 nonfiction for every fiction. Going to see an exhibit? Write about it afterward. Going to the zoo? Bring you science notebooks, choose an animal, draw it in it's habitat, and (for the older ones) be prepared to write a report when we get home.

So when we hit the parking lot, I have a list of what to see: giant pandas for my daughter, lions for the 6 yr. old, and octopus-es (octopi?) for the 4 yr old. The 1 yr old didn't seem to care. (Also, when we hit the parking lot, we get hit with the $20 parking fee!!!- but that's another story)

Because I'm so ready, so together, so with-it, when I put the van in park I'm the first out and getting the lunch on the table before anyone else can blink. I'm the first to pack up and start up the hill. I already know the first stop- lions. "OK kid, out with the notebook and pencil. Ready, set, learn! Okaaaaay, that's over. On to the next stop!"

Yeah. It goes on like that in the reptile house as well. Photo op! Over here! Look at this! OK, maybe not at that- shouldn't the mating gators get a room? But you get my point. I have a schedule to keep people!

Then we hit the invertebrate house . As we walk around in the semi-darkness- the only light emitting from the tanks of star fish, crabs and Nautilus-es (Nautil-i?) we spy the octopus. It is huge. Beside her (it was a she) there sits a little old lady volunteer, taking notes on how happy the octopus is. (This is this ladies job- I swear.) Well, I pull out the science notebook along with the pencil and prepare to impress this woman with how smart my kids are. "Go ahead, draw your octopus!"

"NO"

Now, my Nolan is completely in love with the entire invertebrate class. Seriously. We have books, he gets them in the place of toys at any gift giving occasion. I am unable to keep him from upending any stone garden structure. There are worms under there! He will study pictures for hours. And now, at the National Zoo, standing with nothing but glass between him and the object of his 4 year old desire, AND right next to Happy-Octopus-Inspector-Lady he plants he feet and just can't move.

He is breathing though. I can see the glass fog up every few seconds. His lips are moving ever so slightly, saying something only the octopus can hear. But I'm on a mission- he's just not read the memo yet. So I open the notebook to the first blank page, put the pencil in his hand, and remind him that this is the animal he chose. Nothing. I tell him- more firmly this time- that he needs to do this for school. Nada. I take a deep breath and tell him he must do this. Zip. I remember the little old lady watching this melt down of my perfect idea. I sigh. I reach way back to some happy moment and remember why we teach as we do. Then I drop the notebook onto the floor and just stand with him. My son. My lover of invertebrates. We watch as the octopus breathes and we talk to the lady about how, we ask questions about her, and we get as close as we can. My Nolan is spellbound. Utterly.

Now, the rest of the day is fun. The rest of the day goes much more smoothly than the first part. And, to be honest, the octopus isn't't even his most memorable part (the Komodo dragon is). But I remember. I learn something today, and NOT about panda bears or orangutans (meringue-o-tangs to my 6 yr old). I learn that my children don't learn the lessons I want them to, when I want them to learn. I learn to watch them, in love, for the teachable moments that a busy life wants to drowned out. I learn that this one mother can still be taught by one little boy.

Stop and watch the octopi.

(Originally posted Sep 21 2009)

She's Crafty, or: How to Assimilate a Non-Knitter

2010-06-16T16:00:00.001-07:00

Ladies and Gents, I've done it! The impossible! The K2 of problems.

I've given my daughter the knitting bug!

Oh, I've been waiting for years (she's 11), and she's been taught to 'knit'. But she's stubborn, and putting down her needles one day, pronounces, "I'd really like to crochet, I just don't like knitting."
"WHAT????!!!?!" Not like knitting?!!? What's not to like?!? And then, to kick her poor mother while she's down, CROCHET? That was low.
Now, don't get me wrong. There's gals I know who do amazing things with hooks and thread. But how could this happen to my daughter? Haven't I raised her right? Is she low in some kind of vitamin? Did I not hold her enough as an infant??? CROCHET?

So, like any wise knitter, I back off. I mention it to her not again. I think, "I can lick this, I'll just have to bide my time." I come up with a master plan. I begin leaving my yarn magazines in the bathroom... and remove all other reading material. I start calling her over to feel my newest addition to my stash. I teach her to smell the yarn. We talk sheep. I spend time on ravelry.com looking at patterns and asking her advise.

And then a low blow of my own: I start knitting with friends who knit. This step is crucial I think. Now, you need to know that I have 5 children. Yup, 5- and she's the only girl. Ah-ha! Now you see it, I leave her to steep in testosterone impregnated rooms while I go off with the gals. "I'd love to take you sweety, but you don't knit."

I've always thought that, in order to start knitting, one needs to find something one really, really, really wants to knit. It doesn't matter so much the level of difficulty, as much as the level of desire. (Therefore: there are no non-knitters, just people who've not found the right pattern yet. ) So there she is, steeping, and feeling the yarn, until the day I look up knitted animals. Awww yeah baby! She's all over that screen like white on rice. And these fit in your hand!

http://knittycat.vox.com/library/post/springtime-peeps.html

So I print the free pattern right away, put it in a sleeve, and present it to her before dinner. She just gawks at the pattern as if I've given her a dozen roses. She then runs to my needle satchel and, together, we find the right size and perfect colour (gold) to knit her beloved Pink Petunia. I smile and go about getting dinner on the table. As I sit down to eat, a sight meets my eyes that would melt the heart of any knitty-mom: my sweet daughter has brought her yarn to the table, inserted her shiny dpns, and is stroking the yarn saying, "I just can't stop thinking about my pig!"

So here we are, 24 glorious hours later, and all she's talked about is knitting her pig. She's learned to purl, how to knit in a car (not so much as how, but more that she can), and how to use double pointed needles. I've just kissed her goodnight with the promise that, "Yes, we will be able to knit tomorrow."

*Sigh* What a wonderful life

(originally posted Sept 2009)

Musings...

2010-06-16T15:58:00.003-07:00

I've recently begun to wake up to the idea that I am a person. Yes, yes, I am a mom, a wife, a lover, but I am a person! I've been learning to take time to discover what joys I can find in life. It's funny to think that most of my joys are already around me, and have been for a long time. I'm learning to appreciate, then, what joy I have around me.
I am a teacher to my small school of 5. From high school to diapers, I find I teach all day. When my feet hit the floor each morning to well after the oldest turns out his light, I'm teaching.
My Husband works, on average, 60 hours per week. That's 300 miles a day, folks. So I'm constantly learning to shift myself to be there when he needs me, and to not get lost in the process. We have a great cell phone plan.

Clueless... Once Again

2010-06-16T15:54:00.001-07:00

I know that I'll never be the sharpest tool in the shed. And it's really no secret that my hair is naturally blond. I do keep smiling because I have no idea what's going on, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. (Well, not too anyways.) The joke in my house is that I get there... eventually.

So the question I have is this: why do I get all bothered when someone on Facebook posts something to me as if it's an inside joke, and I'm still clueless?

Hint: if you post something to me that ends in "well, you know!!lol" I really don't.

(Originally posted Sep 2009)

My Inner Librarian

2010-06-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

As a young girl I wanted to be a Mommy. Original ,I know. I think my sister and I also played school bus driver on occasion. This usually involved driving our bikes up and down the street, pulling in front of mailboxes, and yelling into invisible rear view mirrors. But It always came back to Mommy.

That is until I fell in love for the firs time. It wasn't some boy (that happened MUCH later) It was books. Not reading mind you, I could read well from Dr. Seuss up through The Hobbit.I became a librarian's Assistant somewhere in my 6th grade year, and I fell in love with books. . What joy! I was there when she unpacked the big boxes of new books. She taught me how to catalog, label, and put the library card into each one. I would spend untold hours cruising the aisles of that small school's library. The librarian baked cookies and gave them out to students who memorized poetry. I belonged. I knew what I wanted to do with my future. I would become a librarian!

But life happened somewhere between there and here. College was put aside for that original dream: Mommy. I fell into mommy-hood as I have everything else: with all my might and main. What joy to teach my own children to really love books. Not just good literature, but the books themselves. The binding, the smell, the way an old book feels- everything. To see the older ones cry out in dismay of a younger brother drools on a favorite book. To see their own joy in opening a new book and hearing it's binding crinkle.

And now I feel as if I've (almost) come full circle. I've discovered how to catalog and spreadsheet my way into a new, more (almost) organized, school-home life. And I sit perched over my screen past 11pm on a school night, researching. My husband smiles, and says I'm cute. Cos, I'm his little librarian.

(Originally posted in Sept 2009)

And the World Still Keeps Turning...

2010-06-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

So, I never realized how much of myself was in that old blog. You know. The one I can't seem to import. (Grrr) So I've stayed away from this one cos I'm poutty and that's just the way I roll sometimes.

So be patient with me here. Change is hard for me and I'm trying my darnedest to import my old blog.... even if I have to do it one post at a time....

Take care,
Heidi

2010-06-11T20:04:00.001-07:00

WHAT?!!!!? And now it's doing it all over again?!!? This stupid template is following me from one blog to the next?!!? ARE YOU SERIOUS???

From My Old Blog...

2010-06-11T20:02:00.001-07:00

Monday, January 11, 2010

Winter Dress Code

I happened to think of my camera (and it had batteries) this week and was able to get some funny pictures of the kids:
Now this one causes a few questions right away.
#1: Who put the headband on Trevor.
#2:Why would they do such a thing?
#3: Why does he think this is cute?
#4: Who dresses the doll with a superman cape?
#5: Wouldn't the baby taste better with Mrs. Dash?
#6. Do you think he's a bit to young to be taking vitamins for men?

The next photo is proof that girls are not the only ones to dress up a baby. I give you exhibit A:

Here is Trevor in his latest business suit, all dressed up to work in the office cortesy of his big brothers. Please note that dog has no idea why this has been done to the baby, but is looking at the guilty party. Exhibit B:

Now, one day Noah will see this on my blog. One day he will be cross with me for taking a pitcture of him when he'd not had time to do his hair (note the bedhead). One day he will turn around and flat out threaten nursing homes at an early age.......

But that day ain't today babyyyyyy! So feast your eyes on exhbits C &D:

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, I tell you again: big brothers can and do dress up younger siblings.

Now on to the next photo. While talking on the phone to a good friend, I observed my only daughter and her feet.

Now, I know that she's not color blind- she's too much the artist for that. And I also now for a fact that the matching pair are in her dresser drawer. So why these 2 socks are on her feet, and the sister pair are wiaitng for another day is beyond me.

Ilove socks. I really do. So I really love what she's doing here. I love Pippi Longstocking-ness of the whole thing. Too cute.

The final subject today is just a story in pictures. A story of a sibling photo gone awry;

The picture that didn't get taken was the one where he smacked her in the head just before pulling her hair. She thought the sippie cup would be less of a weapon.

That's all folks,
Heidi

Grrrrrrrrrrr

2010-06-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I now have to re-design another blog... from scratch.....*grooooooaan* Please have patience with me folks.....

Whew!

2010-06-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Holy Bloggy Batman!
How in the world I just totally erased all that nice stuff over at my old blog I will never know!! What was THAT about??? I don't have you great readers posted anymore *SOB* and I can't find my lnks or anything! *gasp*

So now I'm starting out all over again... all for the sake of my "artistic freedom".

I hope to see you all sign up to follow me again here. (She says eying a few more than others, ahem) =)

Have a great weekend. I will be enjoying myself HERE on Saturday, and then Jungle Man and I have a date!! Whoot Whoot!!!

~Heidi

Keeping It Together

Afternoon Revelations

Spring Time Thoughts

Our Thursday Afternoon

The Ocean Over Me

Monday Musings

Random Quote:

Homeschooling Give Away!!!

Stone Soup Supreme

Done and Once Again

~VOTE!~

~What'cha Doin' Tomorrow?~

~Word to the Wise~

At the Breakfast Table...

Random Quote:

Firing offense: NPR axes Juan Williams for opinions on Muslims & post-9/11 travel

The Home Fire is Surely Burning

3 Days in the House...

~To Everything There is a Season~

Hit Me!!

~Thursday Showers~

So Long Summer, I Knew Thee Well.

My Email this Morning

The Brave Monk

~The Sunday After~

~Please Pray For Andrew~

Who's Got The Button?

*Giving Him Bac kTo Himself- Part 2*

*Super Woman I am Not*

Giving Him Bac kTo Himself

~Breaking Free~

~A Promise~

First Day of School is Done!

* Books and Larnin' *

I Stand Exposed

Monday

~He Leadeth Me~

A Poem

Health Update for Wednesday

~Tuesday Update~

~Jungle Man Update- Thursday~

Dream

~Tuesday Update~

~Please Pray For Andrew~

God is on His throne

~Cruisin' For a Bruisin'~

Happy Birthday George Byron

Don't Tar and Feather Me. . . Yet.

Despair & the Beach

Fantastic Find!

Thursday

Flagman Ahead

Define Friends?

If Only~

Issues

~Out on a Limb~

Just Another Day....

(Original post from Tuesday, March 9, 2010)

Baby it's Cold Outside!

(Original post from Sunday, November 29, 2009)

Thanksgiving: Stucky Style

( original post from Thursday, November 26, 2009)

We're Not There Yet

(Original post from Sunday, November 15, 2009)

The Plan:

The Plan...

Lions, Elephants, & Camels! Oh My!

She's Crafty, or: How to Assimilate a Non-Knitter

Musings...

Clueless... Once Again

My Inner Librarian

And the World Still Keeps Turning...

From My Old Blog...

Monday, January 11, 2010

Winter Dress Code

Grrrrrrrrrrr

Whew!

Giving Him Bac kTo Himself- Part 2

Super Woman I am Not