I know the snow is still covering the ground. The temperatures is still low and it doesn't feel like spring quite yet, but I am itching to start my spring cleaning. I could be because of all this talk of possibly having to move to a new house and needing to get this house ready to sell. I see cobwebs everywhere, and fingerprints smeared on the walls, toy marks on the floors and muddy doggy prints on the linoleum. It doesn't help that I have been sick and couldn't do much of anything for 2 full days. That makes me want to go nuts! I am finally feeling a bit better and I just want to be 100% so that I can get out and do things and clean my house and.....
You name it...there are a thousand things I could be doing. I tried out a new recipe tonight too. I love to bake and I have refrained because I have been doing Weight Watchers and didn't want to screw up my success. But...alas...the muffin tins are calling to me....
So, Todd applied for a new job. A job that he would absolutely LOVE. A job that would require him to use his Spanish speaking abilities frequently. A job that could potentially mean better pay. A job that would mean that we have to move away from our wonderful beloved home, and friends in Saint Joseph, MO and move to an area near Jefferson City, MO.
Sniffle....sniffle...
Okay...I've done my crying for now. It makes me sad, but I can't stand seeing the sad countenance of my wonderful husband when he comes home from a job he doesn't enjoy. He goes each day because he knows that he needs to. He goes because it is his responsibility. He is wonderful. He comes home and tries so hard to keep his job at work, but when I can see it in his face...he is sad at work...it makes me want to cry. I want to see my husband happy at work again.
I asked him to pray about what to do and I left it in his hands and told him when he decided, then he could bring it to me and we could pray together.
Do I want to move...heavens no. But if the Lord wants us to move then He will make it happen. He will provide the way for us to do this. As Nephi said, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)
If we are meant to move, then the Lord will provide the way and everything will fall neatly into place. I have seen it happen so many time. I have great faith that it will happen again if we are meant to go.
I also have faith that He will help ease the sadness that will come from leaving my wonderful friends. He eased my sadness when I had to leave my family behind in Maine. He will do it again.
I am so thankful to be so blessed. I am thankful for a wonderful Husband, for loving parents who taught me the gospel, for extended family who love and support us, for 5 awesome children who constantly teach me to be a better person, and for the most wonderful friends who love me for who I am; who accept me and forgive me of my faults; who are always there for me. I am truly blessed.
Before we know it the snow will be melted away, new grass will begin to sprout, the birds will again fill the trees, new life will emerge, and warm weather will appear. And then......it will get really really really HOT!!!
Enjoy each day. Find joy in each moment. For we are all blessed!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Never Say Never!!!
I have learned over the last few years that it is not a good thing to say I will Never do something because inevitably I end up doing it. Then I chuckle to myself...lesson learned...and do the thing I said I would never do. I'll give some examples. I have a wonderful friend who bought a house and it was a split level with the two car garage as part of the basement and in the back yard sat an above ground pool.
#1 - I said I would never buy a house where the garage was a part of the basement because it takes out a lot of storage space. Good point...but the house we currently own is almost exactly the same setup as my friend's home.
Never say never!
#2 - I said I would never buy a house with a pool in the backyard because it would be too much work. Yup...it is a lot of work...but our kids love our pool!
Never say never!
There is a Tim McGraw song that says Never say Never and I completely identify with it!
Next item up for examination...I have another dear sweet friend who nursed her babies for a much longer time than I ever have. Her youngest was nine months old and she couldn't leave him with anyone because he would cry so much. I've told her this before...so this is not news to her! I said I would never have a child who was so attached to me that I couldn't leave them with anyone. LOL!
#3 - I had my little girl about 15 months ago. I chose not to immunize her and one of the doctor's recommendations was that I should nurse her until she was 2 years old. She is now 15 months old and is still nursing, but the best part of all is that I can't leave her with much of anyone without her screaming. It's terrible. She isn't even comforted by Todd, much of the time. And this friend of mine just laughs at me.
Never say Never!
Why do we make such rash judgments? I see how is it so silly and yet I will do it so quickly. For one...it is being judgmental of others and the choices they are making and then for another it is unkind. So I am trying really hard to remember not to say those words..."I'm never going to do that".
One of the hardest decisions I have had to make came recently. I have fought it. I have talked several times about how I would NEVER do it. And here I am again. Doing what I said I wouldn't. I have felt very hypocritical. I still feel badly about having to make this decision, but I know that it is right.
We have a son, Alex, who has ADHD. We have tried every remedy that I could find. Every supplement that I could afford. Even the gluten free/casein free diet was tried for six months. Each of these items would work for a time and then stop working. Alex has a really low self esteem. He will tell you he doesn't think he can do things. He doesn't think that he is very smart at all. He thinks he can't read very well. He doesn't have very many friends at school. This year is the first year that his grades have been really sliding. In the past he had A's, B's and a few C's. I figured that was pretty good considering that he was struggling. That's average. So, I continued trying the natural remedies.
This school year, however, he started out doing a fantastic job at school and gradually everything has begun slipping. He was almost kicked off the bus for bothering other children relentlessly. The Principal and I worked together and he was able to bring his MP3 player on the bus so that he would leave the other kids alone. Thankfully that worked really well. He is being sent out of the classroom to do his work because he gets distracted so easily. He wasn't finishing his work because he couldn't concentrate. His grade card showed one F, a couple of D's, a couple of C's and an A and a B. That F just blared at me. It was fluorescent. I felt so bad for my Alex.
I just so happened that not too long after that we ran into a Sister from church in the store and some how we got on the topic of ADHD. She has triplets and they each have a different form of ADHD. After a lot of work trying to help them she put them onto a medication that has worked wonders.
As she told me her story about her son who asks for his meds because he knows how much better he does when he takes them, I cried. The Spirit spoke to me. I knew that I needed to pray about what to do to help Alex. So, I spent a lot of time praying. I will not just jump into something like that without first knowing it is right. So, after much prayer and pondering a thought came to me that just blew me over. "How long will you let Alex suffer while you continue trying to find the right natural remedy?" At least it was something to that effect! Right then and there I knew what I needed to do. I didn't want to do it, but I knew. I put it off. I waited. I felt like a hypocrite. I wanted to help Alex. I just couldn't watch my child suffer through life anymore. So, finally I called the Doctor. I was nervous to even go talk to him. I love this Doctor, and I don't say that loosely. I do not like very many Doctors but Heavenly Father blessed me to be able to find this one. He is great. He is supportive of the natural and is a wealth of knowledge about the natural. I prayed for help as I talked to him. I explained why I felt we needed to try something (all the while holding tears back) and this wonderful man just nodded in acknowledgment.
He took a moment to talk to Alex and explain what we were talking about. He put it into words that Alex could understand. It was fantastic. He told Alex that there is nothing wrong with him but that there is something very right with him. He explained that Alex's brain goes so quickly that when the teacher and students are talking it's like they are talking r e a l l y s l o w l y. After a few minutes of listening to the doctor talk really slowly (to give me an example) I was frustrated. He said that's what it is like for Alex. So we need slow his brain down a little bit so that he can catch what everyone is saying without getting frustrated. The Doctor told him that he is a very smart boy and that by the time Alex is an adult he will probably be smarter than the Doctor. He also said that most of the really neat inventions that are created come from people with ADHD. They are really intelligent people with a lot of creativity.
So, after some advice from the Doctor I went home feeling a lot less like a heel. Friday morning we tried the medication for the first time. I wrote a letter to school informing them and letting them know that I need to know if they see any adverse side effects.
Alex came home and I asked him how his day went. He sent it went "Amazing"! He finished up a pile of work that he had been unable to finish before because he was so distracted. He also was not sent out of the room to work. He was able to stay in his class. That alone is worth it. I don't care what people say. I know there are many who will disagree with the decision that we have made, but I KNOW with all my heart and soul that I did what I needed to for Alex....NOT for me. That is all that matters. Heavenly Father is the ONLY one who knows what will help Alex the best. Not me. So, I went to Him for help. So many times the answers I get are not what I want to hear, but they are always what will be best.
I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who is patient with me as I stumble through life. I am grateful for family and good friends who are supportive especially when we have to make hard choices.
#1 - I said I would never buy a house where the garage was a part of the basement because it takes out a lot of storage space. Good point...but the house we currently own is almost exactly the same setup as my friend's home.
Never say never!
#2 - I said I would never buy a house with a pool in the backyard because it would be too much work. Yup...it is a lot of work...but our kids love our pool!
Never say never!
There is a Tim McGraw song that says Never say Never and I completely identify with it!
Next item up for examination...I have another dear sweet friend who nursed her babies for a much longer time than I ever have. Her youngest was nine months old and she couldn't leave him with anyone because he would cry so much. I've told her this before...so this is not news to her! I said I would never have a child who was so attached to me that I couldn't leave them with anyone. LOL!
#3 - I had my little girl about 15 months ago. I chose not to immunize her and one of the doctor's recommendations was that I should nurse her until she was 2 years old. She is now 15 months old and is still nursing, but the best part of all is that I can't leave her with much of anyone without her screaming. It's terrible. She isn't even comforted by Todd, much of the time. And this friend of mine just laughs at me.
Never say Never!
Why do we make such rash judgments? I see how is it so silly and yet I will do it so quickly. For one...it is being judgmental of others and the choices they are making and then for another it is unkind. So I am trying really hard to remember not to say those words..."I'm never going to do that".
One of the hardest decisions I have had to make came recently. I have fought it. I have talked several times about how I would NEVER do it. And here I am again. Doing what I said I wouldn't. I have felt very hypocritical. I still feel badly about having to make this decision, but I know that it is right.
We have a son, Alex, who has ADHD. We have tried every remedy that I could find. Every supplement that I could afford. Even the gluten free/casein free diet was tried for six months. Each of these items would work for a time and then stop working. Alex has a really low self esteem. He will tell you he doesn't think he can do things. He doesn't think that he is very smart at all. He thinks he can't read very well. He doesn't have very many friends at school. This year is the first year that his grades have been really sliding. In the past he had A's, B's and a few C's. I figured that was pretty good considering that he was struggling. That's average. So, I continued trying the natural remedies.
This school year, however, he started out doing a fantastic job at school and gradually everything has begun slipping. He was almost kicked off the bus for bothering other children relentlessly. The Principal and I worked together and he was able to bring his MP3 player on the bus so that he would leave the other kids alone. Thankfully that worked really well. He is being sent out of the classroom to do his work because he gets distracted so easily. He wasn't finishing his work because he couldn't concentrate. His grade card showed one F, a couple of D's, a couple of C's and an A and a B. That F just blared at me. It was fluorescent. I felt so bad for my Alex.
I just so happened that not too long after that we ran into a Sister from church in the store and some how we got on the topic of ADHD. She has triplets and they each have a different form of ADHD. After a lot of work trying to help them she put them onto a medication that has worked wonders.
As she told me her story about her son who asks for his meds because he knows how much better he does when he takes them, I cried. The Spirit spoke to me. I knew that I needed to pray about what to do to help Alex. So, I spent a lot of time praying. I will not just jump into something like that without first knowing it is right. So, after much prayer and pondering a thought came to me that just blew me over. "How long will you let Alex suffer while you continue trying to find the right natural remedy?" At least it was something to that effect! Right then and there I knew what I needed to do. I didn't want to do it, but I knew. I put it off. I waited. I felt like a hypocrite. I wanted to help Alex. I just couldn't watch my child suffer through life anymore. So, finally I called the Doctor. I was nervous to even go talk to him. I love this Doctor, and I don't say that loosely. I do not like very many Doctors but Heavenly Father blessed me to be able to find this one. He is great. He is supportive of the natural and is a wealth of knowledge about the natural. I prayed for help as I talked to him. I explained why I felt we needed to try something (all the while holding tears back) and this wonderful man just nodded in acknowledgment.
He took a moment to talk to Alex and explain what we were talking about. He put it into words that Alex could understand. It was fantastic. He told Alex that there is nothing wrong with him but that there is something very right with him. He explained that Alex's brain goes so quickly that when the teacher and students are talking it's like they are talking r e a l l y s l o w l y. After a few minutes of listening to the doctor talk really slowly (to give me an example) I was frustrated. He said that's what it is like for Alex. So we need slow his brain down a little bit so that he can catch what everyone is saying without getting frustrated. The Doctor told him that he is a very smart boy and that by the time Alex is an adult he will probably be smarter than the Doctor. He also said that most of the really neat inventions that are created come from people with ADHD. They are really intelligent people with a lot of creativity.
So, after some advice from the Doctor I went home feeling a lot less like a heel. Friday morning we tried the medication for the first time. I wrote a letter to school informing them and letting them know that I need to know if they see any adverse side effects.
Alex came home and I asked him how his day went. He sent it went "Amazing"! He finished up a pile of work that he had been unable to finish before because he was so distracted. He also was not sent out of the room to work. He was able to stay in his class. That alone is worth it. I don't care what people say. I know there are many who will disagree with the decision that we have made, but I KNOW with all my heart and soul that I did what I needed to for Alex....NOT for me. That is all that matters. Heavenly Father is the ONLY one who knows what will help Alex the best. Not me. So, I went to Him for help. So many times the answers I get are not what I want to hear, but they are always what will be best.
I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who is patient with me as I stumble through life. I am grateful for family and good friends who are supportive especially when we have to make hard choices.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
January 2010
The holidays are over, the dried out Christmas tree lays haphazardly in the falling snow beside the back door, the house is cluttered with toys, the dishes are piling up, the mail is overflowing from the mailbox...
School has started again and I guess it is time to put my house back in order. They canceled school yesterday for -14 degree weather. Yikes! Today there is an early out. I wonder if I will get time to clean and declutter my house!!
I love sharing the holidays with my children and have a lot of fun with them while they are here...but they have caught cabin fever. They can't go outside, or don't want to, because it's so cold. They are tired of playing with each other because that is all they have done for the last few days! They fight, and yell and scream and start hitting and kicking. I strongly dislike wrestle time, as it causes harm to others. So, I was so hoping for school to start....and yet...I want to sleep-in some more!!
We will see what the next couple of days brings. It is supposed to be even colder. Yeesh! I wish my kids liked to read! TJ does but the others don't very much. I need to find a way to change that.
So, on to the decluttering of my home. I only have about an hour before they come home. I better get busy!!
School has started again and I guess it is time to put my house back in order. They canceled school yesterday for -14 degree weather. Yikes! Today there is an early out. I wonder if I will get time to clean and declutter my house!!
I love sharing the holidays with my children and have a lot of fun with them while they are here...but they have caught cabin fever. They can't go outside, or don't want to, because it's so cold. They are tired of playing with each other because that is all they have done for the last few days! They fight, and yell and scream and start hitting and kicking. I strongly dislike wrestle time, as it causes harm to others. So, I was so hoping for school to start....and yet...I want to sleep-in some more!!
We will see what the next couple of days brings. It is supposed to be even colder. Yeesh! I wish my kids liked to read! TJ does but the others don't very much. I need to find a way to change that.
So, on to the decluttering of my home. I only have about an hour before they come home. I better get busy!!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Christmas Countdown!
The countdown is on the calendar...along with two other countdowns...and it gets confusing. One counts down to Christmas...of course. One counts down to Max's eighth birthday and the last one counts down to Alex's 10th birthday. Wow! And I count down the hours until the kids will be tucked into their beds and the house will be quiet! This week has been crazy with 3 snow days off from school. The kids have gone stir crazy and I have been sick, so I couldn't do anything fun with them. Oh well. There will be other days!
Today I am feeling better, but not 100% yet. I made Max's birthday cake today. I used my Mom's recipe for both cake and frosting. I can't wait to see how it turned out. It is a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and peanut butter frosting as the trim and writing. Looks tasty to me!
I am trying to figure out what in the world to buy for my wonderful husband for Christmas. I had an idea but he didn't like it...and it was too expensive. Most of the things he wants cost way too much and therefore he continues to live without them. For myself, I have lists of books, music and random other stuff that I would love to have that are pretty inexpensive. I asked him why he couldn't come up with a bunch of ideas for me to choose from. He then proceeded to tell me two things that he wouldn't mind having. I need to find something perfect for him. Something that means a lot to him. I am stumped. I don't like giving meaningless, useless gifts. I want it to be something he would really enjoy. Send ideas my way!!
Today I am feeling better, but not 100% yet. I made Max's birthday cake today. I used my Mom's recipe for both cake and frosting. I can't wait to see how it turned out. It is a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and peanut butter frosting as the trim and writing. Looks tasty to me!
I am trying to figure out what in the world to buy for my wonderful husband for Christmas. I had an idea but he didn't like it...and it was too expensive. Most of the things he wants cost way too much and therefore he continues to live without them. For myself, I have lists of books, music and random other stuff that I would love to have that are pretty inexpensive. I asked him why he couldn't come up with a bunch of ideas for me to choose from. He then proceeded to tell me two things that he wouldn't mind having. I need to find something perfect for him. Something that means a lot to him. I am stumped. I don't like giving meaningless, useless gifts. I want it to be something he would really enjoy. Send ideas my way!!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Crazy Week!
This has been a crazy week already and it's only Wednesday. Lyssa woke up with a yucky runny nose on Monday, so I called and ordered more Silver right away. We were almost out. She has not been sick at all this first year of her life. Amazing. What a contrast between her and the boys. They were always sick. I was always at the doctor's office and they always had an antibiotic. After much change in out lives we are sick less often. You can't prevent it 100% of the time, but you sure can make a huge difference in the health of your family.
So, because she is never sick, she is very fussy. All she wants is Mommy to hold her and carry her and nurse her. I have had so much to get done. You can't get a lot done with a sick child either. It is now Wednesday and I am almost done with what needs to be done for tomorrow night. At least I have tomorrow during the day to wrap things up.
I am craving some quiet time with a good book right now. I think I might get a little of it too! I am also in need of some exercise. I have not done well lately with that at all. I got all out of whack during the summer and it's like pulling teeth to get back into a good routine again. If Lady Bug would sleep better at night I could get up early, but I can barely drag myself out of bed at 6:30am just to get TJ up for school. It's nuts. I know that exercise will help reduce my stress and will give me more energy and yet I just can find the energy to do it. What a vicious cycle. Ugh!
I am going to go upstairs in the quiet living room, sit on my comfy couch, put out my book and escape to a new world for a while!
So, because she is never sick, she is very fussy. All she wants is Mommy to hold her and carry her and nurse her. I have had so much to get done. You can't get a lot done with a sick child either. It is now Wednesday and I am almost done with what needs to be done for tomorrow night. At least I have tomorrow during the day to wrap things up.
I am craving some quiet time with a good book right now. I think I might get a little of it too! I am also in need of some exercise. I have not done well lately with that at all. I got all out of whack during the summer and it's like pulling teeth to get back into a good routine again. If Lady Bug would sleep better at night I could get up early, but I can barely drag myself out of bed at 6:30am just to get TJ up for school. It's nuts. I know that exercise will help reduce my stress and will give me more energy and yet I just can find the energy to do it. What a vicious cycle. Ugh!
I am going to go upstairs in the quiet living room, sit on my comfy couch, put out my book and escape to a new world for a while!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Good Health
Don't they say that you don't appreciate something until it's gone. Well, I think that sometimes I take for granted that I am in good health. Then on days like Monday I wish and pray with all my might that the pain will somehow go away.
I have had a burning in my upper abdomen, just below my sternum. It is usually accompanied by gas and bloating. It is very painful. Monday I went to bed with a warm rice bag against my tummy. Tuesday I woke up feeling better but not 100%. Later in the afternoon the pain started in again. I wanted to curl up in a ball. But I had to go to the church that night, so I had Todd get me some Pepto Bismal to help ease the pain. After talking to my awesome Chiropractor we determined that it might be an ulcer. He asked me if I was stressed and I just laughed. I have learned that when I think I am not stressed, I usually am. So, he started me on a supplement to help. Wednesday morning I was doing better but by the afternoon I was starting to hurt again. I took a nap and started to feel better. Today, Thursday, I have felt pretty good; Just tired due to not feeling well. I have still been taking the supplement and I am also making sure to eat bland foods. Saltine crackers are my friend. I am hoping that this will heal quickly and I will be able to eat normal foods again. The only kicker is that I need to find a way to relax and not get stressed out!
One way to help my stress is to keep up on my budget. I am doing that this week and it helps me feel better about our finances. Whew! I'm still working on other ways to reduce my stress. I know that I can do it with the Lord's help. That is the only way to get through; with the Lord by my side. I am so thankful for Him and His love for me.
I have had a burning in my upper abdomen, just below my sternum. It is usually accompanied by gas and bloating. It is very painful. Monday I went to bed with a warm rice bag against my tummy. Tuesday I woke up feeling better but not 100%. Later in the afternoon the pain started in again. I wanted to curl up in a ball. But I had to go to the church that night, so I had Todd get me some Pepto Bismal to help ease the pain. After talking to my awesome Chiropractor we determined that it might be an ulcer. He asked me if I was stressed and I just laughed. I have learned that when I think I am not stressed, I usually am. So, he started me on a supplement to help. Wednesday morning I was doing better but by the afternoon I was starting to hurt again. I took a nap and started to feel better. Today, Thursday, I have felt pretty good; Just tired due to not feeling well. I have still been taking the supplement and I am also making sure to eat bland foods. Saltine crackers are my friend. I am hoping that this will heal quickly and I will be able to eat normal foods again. The only kicker is that I need to find a way to relax and not get stressed out!
One way to help my stress is to keep up on my budget. I am doing that this week and it helps me feel better about our finances. Whew! I'm still working on other ways to reduce my stress. I know that I can do it with the Lord's help. That is the only way to get through; with the Lord by my side. I am so thankful for Him and His love for me.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Colin
Colin was a brave boy. He loved to pretend. He had blond hair and mischievous blue eyes. Some times he would pretend to be a pirate. Other times he would be an explorer. Today Colin was a scientist. He was looking for bugs, and toads and worms and other things that boys like. Then he saw a big fat toad hiding in the flower bed. Colin’s eyes grew wide. Hurray! A Toad! He reached down and swiftly grabbed the back of the toad. He held it up to admire his catch. A grin spread across his face. He hugged the frog to his chest and said, “ I will call you Toady.” He loved his new toad. He held Toady out in front of him to examine him. Toady had dark circles on his back and he was kind of a gray color on his legs and belly. He played and pretended with Toady and they became great friends. But then Toady slipped out of his hands and hopped quickly away into a muddy drain. Colin was sad. He missed his friend Toady. Each day when Colin would go outside to play he would look for Toady, hoping that he would find him again. Then one day Colin was playing near some mud in the backyard and he spotted Toady. Hurray! Colin quickly gathered Toady up into his arms and hugged him again. At last they could play again. He pretended that Toady was a super hero and he flew him through the air. Then Colin’s Mommy told him that Toady probably didn’t like to play that way. So, Colin just held him while he walked around the back yard.
This is a true story. I find it so cute how kids love to play with animals and reptiles and such, but I always wonder how traumatized the poor things are when the child is done flying then through the air like Superman! I found this on my computer when I was cleaning out today and thought it was a cute story to share! Have a super day!
This is a true story. I find it so cute how kids love to play with animals and reptiles and such, but I always wonder how traumatized the poor things are when the child is done flying then through the air like Superman! I found this on my computer when I was cleaning out today and thought it was a cute story to share! Have a super day!
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