Been a while...

Its been a while and I haven't updated in a few months.  It is the final month of the year and I couldn't be more thankful. My kids are healthy and happy, I have added an extended family to the mix, and love taking care of their kiddos.  I have a roof, clothing, food, and  a blessing for a husband.  I have finally started playing with my digital scrapping again, finally starting to feel creative again.  Anyway just checking in, have a blessed day!

 October was a challenging month for my Boo and her balance...ouch!

 Still a girlie girl, I love my Jaime Bug!

 My Hero - Reid

 Mommy's Precious Little Fairie Princess

 A wonderful holiday meal with the family!

A wonderful blessing of an Evening out with my Husband!

 Ryry, one of my now extended family and a joy to have around! :)

 Handsome Boy!

 Typical weekend when Jo has friends over...lol...they all end up playing the Wii

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!

Finally some peace & random thoughts...

Thank you LORD for the peace you've placed upon my household this week!  It is a miracle!  Cooperative kids...housework/chores getting done, and a 4 day weekend with hubby!  What more could I ask for, well plenty, but I will be just thankful for what I have.

I do not like the daily teenage drama, and 8 yr olds with attitudes...5 year olds that are tired and frustrated with school...but it is part and parcel with being a mom.  I just have to take a deep breath, count to 5, and pray for them.  It is frustrating when I try to get them to talk to me and I just can't figure out what is bothering my kids...some days I am totally clueless!  I do give it my best though and prayer does the rest.

Had a Facebook post pop up the other day that said,"Tonight my kids were being overly dramatic and I thought, "I wonder if Jesus looks down at me and thinks the same thing?"" It made me stop and think.  How often are we (The Christian Body) doing the same thing...being dramatic, throwing tantrums, and acting like a two year old?  It is the battle with the flesh, that we fight on a daily basis, and unfortunately there are days where it wins.

How do I battle the flesh, pray, praise God, and do my best to bury myself in His Living Word (a.k.a. The Bible)...he is my strength and inspiration.  Is he yours?

Freezing time and growing older...

Time is just flying by, and I know that as a Mom there are moments I would like to freeze time and keep my kids young forever...

 

 

My oldest is turning 15 in a few weeks, and is enjoying the swim team.  My son just started Kindergarten.  My eight year old is almost constantly telling me about a new boy she likes it seems to change every few weeks, and my youngest wants to go to school like her sibs.  Pretty soon, my little nest is going to be empty...
In just three short years we will have three adult children in our family, and our youngest will be in school full time!  Two years after that four young adults...it seems like a person just blinks and all of a sudden they're all grown up.  Where did the time go.  My heart aches for the time when they were little and I could cuddle them and love on them all I wanted to...

but on the flip side of things...

I can't wait for them to grow up, and watch them succeed in life.  I can't wait to see them making their own way in this tough world, because I know I have done my best and prepared them as much as I can.  I know they're going to have trials and tribulations in their lives, but I also know that they'll pull through and be stronger because of it.  They have their Faith, and their God, to pull them through.  They have the unconditional love of us, their family, so that no matter what happens they have somebody to turn to.

I am thankful for each and every moment.  A lot of the memories are frozen in time and at least in pictures they will be little forever.  I will always have them to look back on and remember, but I will also value the person they are becoming.  I will cherish them, I will miss them, and I love them...but I need to remember sometimes that it is all part of growing up and growing old.

Praise GOD and UGH, Teenager frustrations!

Thankfully, Doc says I am fine.  He says what we are dealing with is a Pseudopapilledema and it is a anomaly I was born with...my optic nerves are malformed, but not to the point that it causes issues with my vision.  Just the same they will have to monitor and test me every three months for the next year...sigh...mostly just thankful it wasn't the news we/I was fearing...

Now just got to get my life back in order, my ducks in a row, and move on.  Kids start school next week...life has been busy with swim practices, and fundraisers.  The kids all have their supplies, and are ready for school.  I need to plan out my days while they are gone so I can get everything done and still spend time with my Emma bug/Hubby...

Jo has been on a new med for about two weeks now...they put her on Concerta it has its pluses and minuses...I do not enjoy the grumpy manic like symptoms she gets when they wear off in the evening.  Thankfully she is still eating good and sleeping good at night.  I am loving she is not bouncing off the walls and is focusing better. The one peeve I do have, however, is the teenage behavior of being argumentative about everything. This behavior is driving me batty, those and the "I CAN'TS"...when I know she is really truly capable of the stuff she is asked to do.  She is capable of being and doing so much better!

Over all, though, I am thankful for my life...the joys, challenges, sorrows, and triumphs make life worth every minute. I take time to thank God for each and everyday, made even more poignant by the scare we had with my Eyes...

Crazy days...

So anyway there are 12 days left until the kids start school...my daughter joined the swim team...and we have a major appt on Sept. 1 where maybe, just maybe we'll get some answers. 

I know that God doesn't give us more than we can handle, but there are days were a person can feel completely overwhelmed!!!! I know in the long run things are in HIS hands and things will turn out the way HE wants them to...but it still leaves me tired, scared, and overwhelmed.

No one asked me if I wanted to be in the car accident that has messed with my back for life...it has cost me the ability to keep up on my home. What used to take me two hours by myself is now taking me a week with help...and its not even willing help! 

No one asked me if when I had a routine eye exam, if I wanted to have a problem that has gotten me two referrals and now I have to see the Neuro-ophthalmic specialist to make sure I don't have a tumor, or cancer...I am praying it is something small or something that can be fixed...

I guess it boils down to the fact that I don't like feeling so helpless in situations like these...I don't like having to think about what will happen to my spouse and kids IF something were to happen to me.  I don't like having to worry about who is going to look after my daughter after I am gone...

Thank God, I have a loving God who I can turn to, and a wonderful husband that can hold me tight and tell me things are going to be alright.  Thank God that I have friends and family that love me, pray for me, and support me through all this...If not, I would be a mess and probably in the loony ward by now.

So I guess what I am saying is Cherish every moment, make sure your affairs are in order, and most of all LOVE unconditionally with everything you have, because you never know when God is going to call you HOME!

Ok, so school is around the corner...

...and I can't wait.  They are driving me batty and I am counting the days!  I love my kids but I am looking forward to getting the break...and having the food bill go back down.  It amazes me how much they eat.

All in all though, its been a great summer.  Time at the lake swimming, surprise flowers from the hubby, my son learning to ride a two wheeler, my daughters coming for a visit (including the adopted one.), hubby - building and finishing the kayak, trips to the chiropractor, and lots of trips to the library.  We also love our family dinners at the in-laws...so looking back there is a silver lining; irreplaceable, and wonderful time with all my loving children...time that is going by too quickly...that is oh so precious.

29 more days....

Zoo trip...

Well Friday was a family day...we went to the Zoo in Tacoma, almost free...complements of the local library.  It was fun and we all had a good time.  This was Emma's first trip that she actually might remember.

We started the day headed to the In-laws to drop off our four legged furry kid for Grandma to babysit.  We really couldn't leave him miserable in the kennel while we were off having fun.  Then we headed toward Tacoma...5 mins after hitting the road we heard the inevitable...are we there yet?  As well as, "How much longer?" we found stuff for the kids to do and all was quiet then.

We got to the Zoo and spent three hours wandering around.  Halfway through Daddy ended up carrying Emma most of the way lol...

We also managed to catch "Harold's Exellent Adventure!" and then caught a carousel ride before heading out.  Our favorite part was the Clouded Leopard Cubs though!  Absolutely worth the 20 min line to see them. 

Finally we headed back to the In-Laws for a wonderful dinner before heading home.  We most always enjoy our time there with the Parents and Nelson's Grandmother.  On the way home things got exciting...about half way home the car started to shimmy really bad...and then a series of rapid, loud thunks...we had thrown the tread to the tire.  Thank GOD it stayed filled and didn't blow out, God had his angels watching over us.  We pulled to the side of the road, and Hubby took care of it and half an hour later we were finally headed home again...all in all a fun and exciting day to be had for all!

URGH!!!!

Today has just been one of those days...you know the ones that never seem to go the way you want them to.  It seems like every little thing has gone wrong!  I love my kids, but you know what I get tired of the nit picking, whining, and arguing once in a while.  I know it is to be expected with a large family, and only amplifies when I have my three girls here from my husbands first marriage.  It is like they bounce off each other...dominoes for the rest of the day.  It is a big sigh of relief when they go home and leave me with just the four here.  They are a challenge to but not quite so bad most of the time.

See the challenge gets exciting when dealing with the day to day, when you have a special needs child, who is almost 15 and three other children under 10.  The oldest one on some days can be like handling three children just on her own.  I thank God for her though, the gifts that come along with the disorder are something that makes it worth dealing with the rough days.  Then on top of this toss in a mutt that is German Shepherd, Sharpei, and Lab all rolled into one-you add a furry toddler to the mix especially since he just passed the 1 year mark.

 

Things have been pretty stressful lately but that's fine, I know that all in all that things will be ok.  God's wondrous grace will get us through, and occasionally I will get those oh so needed breaks, and time to myself.  I get to see my kids healthy, happy, and cared for...and at the end of the day it is all worth it!  Now off to make dinner...and get some quality time with my family.  Have a good night, and may the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. Please remember to take time to praise, and thank God, it brightens his day!