Gettin fit

Yesterday, Matt surprised me with a Wii Fit. Good heavens is that thing keeping us entertained!
Matthew has already put 60 minutes into his Fit Bank today. Which is a silly little piggy bank that tells you how many minutes you've exercised.
Dillon is currently using it, even though he has a fever and a headache. He's had some meds, so he thinks he is well enough to do basic step aerobics. Crazy kid.
Matt did tons last night, and later I worked up a good sweat in 30 minutes.
My problem is that Emily has a sensor that senses when I'm doing something. For instance, she can be totally fine and happy playing, and then when I sit down at the computer she comes crying to me to hold her. It's the same with anything Wii related. She's fine, I pick up a remote and she's crying. So this could prove to be a challenge. Last night I had to wait until she was asleep, but then I'm too awake to be able to sleep.
I currently have a goal to lose 22 pounds in 3 months. That's the most and longest it would let me do. I have so much more to lose, but that's as far as it would go. I'm not off to a good start since today it told me my weight was up from last night. Phooey on it!
Ok I'm off to go hula hoop while Emmie is happy.

SCORE!

Today is the annual half off sale at the thrift store chain here.
I was there before opening and there was already a crowd!! INSANE!
Anyway, I got 11 pairs of jeans for the boys, 4 pairs of denim shorts (one pair for each boy), 2 pairs of jammie pants for Collin, 4 church dresses for Emmie, 4 dress shirts for the boys, a hat for Zachy, a book for Dillon, and 5 other shirts for the boys. All in great condition and all for $53!!!! WOOOHOO!!! When I was checking out, there were two men arguing over who got my cart!! CRAZY!!!
I think thrift shopping is not only economical but also great for the environment!

Be still my beating heart

We took the kiddies to the shoe store this evening. Dillon is forever telling me he needs new tennis shoes.
They asked if we needed anyone measured, and we thought, 'what the heck, we'll measure everyone'
She pulls out the kid foot measuring contraption and starts measuring. When Matthew put his clod hopper on the cold metal, she said, "oh, you need the adult measurer". I had been walking away when I heard, "adult". I whipped back around and said, "what did you just say?!"
She then grinned at me and said, "yep, men's size seven"
I asked if she was sure, and she said she was.
I nearly fainted.
It seems like yesterday that they told me he was no longer in toddler sizes, how in the world can he be in adult sizes??
And then, to top things off. I tried on a men's size seven imitation croc and to my dismay, it fit! It was a bit snug, but it fit.
A couple of days ago, I was marveling at how little Em's hands still are. I called Matthew into the room to measure his hands. I told him that his hands were just the size of Em's. Soon, they'll be enveloping my hands.
He says he can't wait for his growth spurt. I can. Babies grow up way too fast.

Today

I just got home from having a pedicure. Oh sweet relaxation.
I told Matt that he needs to encourage me to do this more often, because I always talk myself out of spending money on myself. But how refreshing it was.
Now we are getting ready to leave. Matt is taking our eldest kids and three kids from church to see Prince Caspian. I'm taking my three little ones to the mall to get some more webkinz and to play and to get ice cream.
Should be fun for everyone!

Horrible thought

Last night, as I was tickling Zachy I was hit with this thought.
He has a machine. A machine that tells his heart to beat.
And I suddenly got sick, as I thought, "what if something happens to him?"
It's probably not likely that anything tragic will happen to him regarding his heart, but still.
A machine tells his heart to beat.
I couldn't bear to lose him.

Oh that Happy post again

I have numerous pictures on my camera. But I am at the mercy of Matt to get those on my computer. He wonders why I even have to do a happy post. I tell him I don't have to, but that I want to so I can be reminded of the positive.
Right now, I can tell you that yesterday Matthew had a really great appointment with a new nuerologist. We will be redoing his MRI in 6 months to a year because there is a questionable spot somewhere on the right side of his brain. I so cannot remember where or what exactly the doctor said. I used to obsess about new findings, it must be saying something that I can totally forget what was said! This doctor actually seems to care, which is such a breath of fresh air. He is concerned about the mass filling Matthew's nose. Says the ENTs must look at it and discuss it. We saw ENT two weeks ago, and he said nothing about it. We see a different ENT in June. He will be setting us up with the craniofacial clinic here on base. Finally. After three years here, we are getting somewhere.
This all makes me happy, so we can just consider this my happy post!

Dairy Allergy?

I think Emmie might have a dairy allergy.
At first I was leaning more towards chocolate, because she always spits up after she has chocolate. But last night, she had ice cream, and that came up too. I wonder if it is the milk in milk chocolate.
Interestingly, cheese doesn't do this to her. But it could be because she doesn't ever consume enough cheese. She drinks soy milk, so I don't know about regular milk. I'm going to buy some soy ice cream tonight and see if anything happens. Maybe it's sugar!

My little koala

Collin is our little koala bear.
If you happen to be laying on your side, he will surely lay on top of you, wrapping his arms and legs around you. He loves this.
I told him last night that if there is ever a webkinz* koala bear, I'm buying it for him. He told me that it might cost too much money. I told him I didn't care, my koala Collin needs a koala of his own.
I know that he is going to outgrow this very soon, so I cherish every koala hug from him.

* I know there are many other types of koalas I could get him, but for now, the webkinz are huge in this house, so that's what I said.

I may need a vacation

Seriously folks, I am beat. Totally and completely wiped out.
I don't know why.
I don't have it in me to do much of anything. I am totally and completely dreading VBS this year, and if it were up to just me, I wouldn't do it. But alas, Matt is in on it too, so we will do it. And I know we'll be glad we did, but right now, I don't wanna!
In the last three years, I have spent one night in Houston, and a couple of very stressful nights up in the Dallas area. That weekend near Dallas was not relaxing one bit.
I'm thinking that maybe if we just got away for a weekend, I could just rest. But, that isn't going to happen.
We have commitments the next two weekends and the next weekend Matt leaves for Honduras. Writing that almost sends me to tears. I am so, so tired. He can't leave me for two weeks to deal with VBS on my own. As soon as he comes home it is time to have VBS.
We are going to Missouri at the beginning of August, but I'm not sure I will survive that long.
In case you aren't up to speed with our plans, we were going to take a month off and go up north. But alas, Matt couldn't get longer than a week off of work. My bil and sil are moving to Missouri. We are going up to help unload their truck and to see family. My mil and fil are helping them move, and Matt's grandma and Aunt are coming down too. So we will spend our vacation seeing his family. I'm glad that we will at least get to see half our family.
But, will I last that long?

A New Era

My kids are really into webkinz lately. They love them so much. And so do all the other kids at church.
They spend lots of time chatting online and playing games with each other.
In addition, my phone rings all the time. And it's no longer for me. It's always for the boys.
How did this happen? How are my kids suddenly this old?
Where has the time gone?

Happy mother's day

To all the mom's out, and especially the ones in my life, happy mother's day.

I know I missed my happy post yesterday, but I am determined to do it. We reformatted our computer some time ago, and now I don't know how to upload my pictures, so I always have to wait on Matt.

We are going to Sea World today to celebrate me..hehe...actually, to celebrate my kids who made me a mom. Without them, I'd just be plain old Bekki. Because of them I get to be "the best mom ever".

Why'd I have to ask??

Do you ever say something, or ask a question, and immediately wish you hadn't done it?
I did. Today. Only it wasn't immediate. It was after the answer was given that I realized I really didn't want to know. Too late. Now I have to deal with my feelings about it.
Zachy had an appointment with his electrophysiologist today. The good great news is that he was able to lower the energies of his pacemaker significantly. The machine says that with these settings his battery should last eight years. Which is a huge improvement over 3-6 years. The doctor said he was sure it'd last until he was ten, probably longer. Praise the Lord. Turns out, his leads were placed in a prime position that requires less energy to be used to let the heart know to beat. If you ask me, God was in control of that. You see, the doctor struggled with getting the leads placed. His right atrium was full of scar tissue from his previous surgery. So to have them placed right where they should be..none other than God.
And then, I asked him. I asked him what Zachy's life expectancy was. Because no one has ever told us. Because really, kids with TAPVR are just now starting to live into adulthood, so it's really an unknown. But based on his repair, and now the pacemaker the doctor said he should live into his 50's or 60's. And this is really going on having a pacemaker, not really taking into account the TAPVR.

This isn't long enough.

I know nothing is certain. I know that. And I also know how blessed we are to be able to raise him into adulthood, when so many other parents don't get that. But still. I'm sad.
I just need to process this. Then I can move on, and focus on the good.
The doctor told us that he fully expects there to be better technology in Zachy's life that could greatly extend his life. And I believe that. I just need to get through this right now. The possibility.
And I'm not sad for us. I'm sad for his wife, his children, his grandchildren. How much they will miss out on a wonderful person.
I know it's not the end. I have faith in a wonderful God who doesn't want His children to hurt. Someday, all of this will be of no matter. And that's what truly matters.
Like I said, I just need to process all of this so I can move on.

Zachism

Walking into the mall today, Zachy said to us, "when we get another sister, she will be mine"
Ummmm..ok?

Wow

Oh man, I would LOVE one of these.
Win a Free Ergo Baby Carrier from Along for the Ride

Outta the mouths of babes

Zachy: When are we going to Heaven?

Me: When Jesus comes back to get us.

Zachy: But that will take forever

Me: It may take awhile, but He promised He will be back to get us.

Collin: Yeah Zachy, He has to wait because he is busy making lots of animals for us!

Zachy: How will He get here??

Collin: On a cloud

Zachy: Ohhhh on a ladder cloud!!

Happy Thoughts

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday. She makes me very happy! I couldn't ask for a better mom or grandma for my kids. Would you believe that she's only 19??



I'm looking to get more diapers, and I'm looking into these. I have a wonderful on line friend who is sending me one of hers to try out. I'm very happy to have such wonderful friends!



This pacemaker that has given life back to Zachy makes me happy indeed. No regrets at all about getting it. The spark of life is back!



Being able to spend time together as a family..on a regular basis. It hasn't always been like this, and I don't take a minute for granted.




I've lost 5 pounds...FINALLY