I just have to say..

I have the BEST husband in the world. He doesn't read my blog, but I wanted everyone to know just how much I love him and how wonderful he is.
I have been having a really hard time the last couple of weeks. All sorts of things have been bothering me. And he has walked with me every step of the way to get through.
While someone we know would say, "you're just being an emotional woman," Matt hasn't said it or even thought it. I think. And I say that because he has specifically said how much it bugs him when said friend says that.
On the other side of all this stress I have no doubt that I will be a much stronger person. I always am. But going through it always really stinks.
So to his parents, thank you for giving me such a wonderful man to share my ups and downs with.
And to Matt, should you ever read this, I love you more than you can ever imagine. Thank you for being my very best friend.

Heart Walk

I've really slacked this year. But the HeartWalk is November 8, and we will be walking it.
If you'd like to donate to this very worthy cause you can donate at MY PAGE

I know, I know

I know I said I was going to post pictures, but the Matt swooped in and stole the computer from me. Then I lost my umph.
And as you know, I'm in a bit of a funk. I'm trying SO hard to get out of it.
But I'm SO worried about Zachy and it's hard to be happy go lucky when you are worried about your precious baby!
So please, just bear with me, after next Wednesday I expect to be able to hop on here and report that his heart looks GREAT!
Please, just pray for him.

PSA

I went and voted today. It was quick and easy.
Everyone should do early voting, it's so speedy. It sounds like there will be long lines on election day, but if you go now, you won't have to deal with that.
So go. Now. What are you waiting for??
And then pray your hearts out for the leaders of this country!

Keeping my head above water

I'm feeling better. Sort of.
Matt and I talked for a long, long time last night. I know what you're thinking. "What, MATT talks for a long time?" Why yes, he does. Of course, it is sometimes hard to keep the occasional snore from sneaking in, but he did well last night.
After my last post, things kept piling up. And not like things to do, but emotions. Some different things had been said, not to me, but about us, and it just made me go hmmmmm. And it pushed me a little further down.
But, I'm fighting my way back up. Things are good. Our lives are really, REALLY good, just sometimes challenging.
I must remember these things in order to keep from drowning!
I think I might go do a photo entry for you all! That's just the way I'm feeling today!

Forgive me

I realize it is too early for Christmas music.
We've been listening to it for weeks. And I'm always sad when it's over after Christmas. So, I'm putting it up here, to put you all in the spirit of Christmas. Plus, it lifts my spirits and I really need it right now.
So please, forgive me!

Drowning

What a far cry from the last post, where I said I was full. I still am. I just feel like now I'm drowning under all the fullness.
Things are going well. I just have a lot to do, and it's ok. It's all good. But there is something that is weighing so very heavy on me. I had been telling Matt I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders, and I didn't know why. Just now, it hit me.
It's amazing how something can stress you out so much that you push it far down and pretend to not be worried about it. But it is still there, festering, weighing down like a ton of bricks.
What is worrying me, you may be asking.
Zachy.
All his telephone reports from his pacemaker have been great. But, in the last few weeks, he has gotten so very tired. He can no longer make it through a day without crashing. It's de ja vu, and quite frankly, it scares the life out of me.
His pulse is hanging in right at 80, so the pacemaker is working. Why could this be happening?
I'm scared. So very scared. Since being paced, they haven't measured his heart. They said it would take a while for it to go back to his normal size, but at the same time, they have never promised us that it would return back to normal. What if it hasn't? What if he is still in the early stages of heart failure? Why am I even going there? Everything will be great. He sees his doc the first week of November. But in the meantime, I'm scared. I'm so very, very scared. Something seems off. I'm praying for something like a growth spurt, but I don't know. Would that knock a 5 year old kid out, every. single. day.? He had been doing so well...what's happening??

Trying to catch up

Boy oh boy..I am struggling here. Which, I decided is a good thing. Things are going well, very well in fact. And I am full. When I am full, I don't feel as much of a need to write on a blank screen about my life. After all, there are many people around me enjoying watching my life. But then, I realize that there is family, outside of the family we have made in Texas, that is still really interested in our lives. There are grandparents who wonder what their grandbabies are doing. Best friends who wonder what their bosom buddy is doing. And so I must write.
I wanted to add loads of pictures, but that would take too much. Hopefully, I can get a photo entry up later.
So let's see, where do I even start?
We are members of a homeschool group that gets together every Friday. The kids love it, but let me tell you, it is really interfering with my day. I find that as the Sabbath rolls around, I'm still so far behind in preparation. I was just telling Matt this, and realizing that I need to get my bootie in gear. The kids are making such great friends and I'm enjoying my adult time too. I need to find a way to make this work better.
Last Wednesday, we(me and the kids) drove to Houston to the NASA space center. It was homeschool day there. This really deserves an entry all to it's own, but it's going to have to go here.
Driving through Houston was crazy. For some reason, I expected all the high rises to be all repaired. But from far away you could see, amongst the glass walls, the brown from the windows being boarded up. Along one part of the freeway the trees on the side of the road were all blown apart and down. Power lines were leaning. Blue tarps covered the roofs that had been ripped off. But what we saw the most of was the signs. Imagine the golden arches, you know that type of sign? With the light in the middle and plastic surrounding it? They aren't made for hurricanes. Many, many signs were blown out. The space center is south of Houston, and the further south we went, the worse it was. It was crazy. I've never seen a town after a hurricane before, so this was new to me.
When we finally arrived at the space center, we drove into a parking lot full of 12-15 passenger vans. I told the kids to look well because only at a homeschool function will you see so many big vans all together! The center was closed to the public, and it was totally packed. It was so good to be surrounded by like minded people! And I was also struck by the amount of special needs kids I saw. I often hear, "oh I could never homeschool, I have a child with special needs" Kids with special needs can hugely benefit from being homeschooled, in my opinion. Anyway, it was great.
All the space stuff was really great too. And I could go on and on, but I'm tired, so I won't.
The oldest kids are still doing rehearsals for Willy Wonka Jr. The show starts November 14, and it will be nice when it's over. They love it, and will do it again, it's just time for a break.
Pathfinders has also started, so the kids are really busy, all the time.
I was just voted in as head deaconess at church, so I'm spending any free time I have trying to organize the rest of the deaconesses. It's a job that has kind of gone to pot over the last few years, and I'm trying to fix it.
Sunday, we are having one big giant party for all four of the boys. Three have August birthdays, and Dillon's is in October, so we are just having a big party. I do hope it is fun, and the kids have a good time. It's been chilly and rainy, and I hope it passes. We are planning a luau in the evening, so pray for the weather.
OK, that is what's been going on, in a nutshell. I'm sure I've bored everyone, and that's ok, at least I won't forget these busy days!

Slacker

My goodness, I'm slacking here.
Last week was insanely busy, and I have lots of pictures to share.
What I don't have is the umph it takes me sit and upload them all to my computer and then here.
I need to get to it though, because Wednesday, we are going to Houston, to the Nasa Space museum for homeschool day. We are all excited about it (not the drive and getting up an insanely early hour to get there by 9 though!).
It is also the first night of Pathfinders, Wednesday, but the kids and me will have to miss.
Anyway, at some point, I really will get here and write something interesting!
For now though, it's off to teach my children.

The gum chewer

Zachy asked me the other day, "why did God make love gum so much?" Only it still sounds like "why did God make me lub gum ho mut" I said, "I don't know, He just wanted you to enjoy gum" He responded with, "cause you know, I really don't want to be THE gum chewer"
I'm thinking this is a result of hours and hours of listening to Willy Wonka stuff.