Things to do before Disney

The time is getting near! So very excited.
Things left to do:

~get the van's oil changed and all that good stuff that they do.

~get haircut

~oh yes, pack

~and most importantly, NOT contract swine flu. Yes it is here. Right here. Schools are closed, parks are closed, we cancelled Pathfinders and adventurers tonight as a precaution. I am actually looking forward to getting out of Texas. I realize there will be lots of germs at Disney, but this all just seems RIGHT HERE.
Must focus on a wonderful vacation!!

Best gift ever

Back in 2001, my in laws bought Matthew and Dillon sit and spins for Christmas.
They used to light up and play music. To change the batteries is a huge undertaking, so we never have.
They still hold the same attraction they did way back then.

Later Gators

We're off to the condo for a few days.
I'll see ya when we get back..and then it will almost be time for Disney baby!!!
WOOHOO!!!!!

Busy busy

The feet have been pedicured. The nails manicured. The brows waxed. And the pocketbook exhausted.
Well, not really, about the pocketbook, but my mom and I have been having loads of girl time fun.
Today was spent shopping. Only not very fun shopping. But she had a good time, and really, I'm all about pleasing the madre!
Tomorrow we are headed out of town to a condo in a neighboring town. Time for some R and R, in time for our Disney adventure!
The boys are all with grandpa down at the beach today, and it occurred to me that I didn't send them with sunscreen, so my boys will likely be burnt to a crisp! Poor fellas!
Matt and my mom are currently making homemade spaghetti and Emmie is looking at pictures of babies and "talking" to them.
Good times y'all..good times.

Please, oh please forgive me!!

I was on such a roll. Posting once a day, sometimes twice. And I know you were all just dying to read the next entry from me.
Then, my mom called and said, "we'll be there early!" And ta-da..they were here!!
So, yesterday was spent cleaning up and being with my mom. Today too.
Well, actually, today was a different story. Filled with a trip to the doctor for my UTI, a trip to the pharmacy, and a trip to a neighboring town to pick up baptism gowns. What a pain all of that was.
I'm going to try to write a real entry tomorrow, but right now, my mom is calling! Must obey!

Darn that DQ

I know..two posts in one day...when I'm supposed to be seriously working here...what am I thinking?!?!?
I'll tell you what I'm thinking.
I'm thinking why oh why is DQ advertising a chocolate truffle blizzard?
How can they do this to me???
Do you know how heavenly that sounds??
How badly I want to shimmy right on over there and devour one??
I need to vacuum the van out, and wash it. There is a car wash right next door to a DQ! I keep thinking, "hmmm, I'll just go clean the van and snag a blizzard while I'm out!" ACK!!
They I have every intention of sabotaging my weight loss efforts, I'm sure of it!
Them and the stupid makers of Easter candy!!
MUST. RESIST.

Edited to add...I was searching for a yummy looking picture to go with this post when I came across the horrifying news that one medium sized blizzard has 1020 calories!!! Are you kidding me?!?!?! Why? WHY? WHY?!?!?!?

Oh me, Oh my

So much to do...so little time.
And yet, I find time to write in my little blog.
We all have to have priorities...right?!?!
My mom and step dad are coming to visit on Friday.
Collin is bouncing off the walls about this. And the great news is, their room is spic and span because he is so excited that they are coming. Not only are they coming to visit..but they are staying for a sleepover!
However, I still have so much to do.
I have to be at the church every night until Friday night. And that is just wreaking havoc on my plans to get my house in order.
I want need to get my house clean, the van clean, the lawns mowed, and the garage clean.
These things would be trucking along at a much quicker pace if it weren't for the week of illness that gripped our family.
I'm so far behind on laundry because I spent last week washing the germy laundry.
This is our last week of school until June, so I have to push the kids to get the current lessons finished up so we are at a good stopping point.
Oh my, I cannot wait for our vacation. Which, incidentally, will be upon us before we know it and there is still a lot of shopping to be done before then.
If anyone wants to come and clean my house for me, I'm all for it!!

This is not good, not good at all...

Yesterday was our nephew's birthday.
He is the eldest child of Matt's brother.
He turned five years old.
Five is a big milestone. It is going from little boy, to big boy. It's a rough one for many mommies.
As I was thinking about him and how his mommy must be feeling, this thought popped into my head...'he's five, they still get 13 years with him, that's good'.
OK, now, I realize this may sound illogical. But in my twisted little head, people grow up and get married when they turn 18. It happened that way for me, why not everyone? I realize that in reality, we are the minority. Oh, I hope so.
Because the very next thought in my head was, 'oh dear...Matthew is almost 13, leaving us a mere 5 years with him'

FIVE YEARS?!?!?!

NO!! This cannot be. That isn't long enough!!!

People used to say we would be so glad when our kids get to be that age, and we will want them to leave.

I cannot see that happening. I can't fathom it.

We only have five years to get things right. I worry every day about screwing up my kids, and somewhere in the back of my mind I figure we'll get it right...one of these days.

But one of these days is going to be here and gone before I get it right.

This isn't good. Five years?? Five more years to be able to fully enjoy my boy? The one who made me a mother? The one who means so much to me? The one who makes me laugh every. single. day?

I'm sure I'm overreacting, and maybe he won't fly the coop in five years. And even if he does, that doesn't mean our relationship is over. But it will never be the same. When he flies, he'll take a piece of my heart.

How did we get here?

One of my favorite songs has always been 'Beautiful Boy' by John Lennon. Mainly because of one line...

Life is what happens to you
while your busy making other plans.

Boy, isn't that the truth.

I'm vowing to embrace every moment with my kids, because they are gone, way too fast.



Can I just say that my biggest desire for him is that in five years, in twenty-five years, for the rest of his life that he is still unashamed to say he loves Jesus.

*yes, I realize this is all a bit dramatic, but it hit me like a ton of bricks, and I had to write it down.

Happy Easter

"He is Risen" By Del Parson

Now, after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,[a] and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
--Matthew 28:1-6

And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:4-5 (NLT)

Go ME!!

I have lost 20 pounds! GO ME!!
In January, I set a goal to lose 20 pounds by the time we went to Disney World. Everyone said that would be so easy, but it hasn't. It's been very, very hard. And I've wanted to quit many times, but I kept on pushing forward.
I don't know if I can count the last 2 1/2 pounds because they are a result of my time with the porcelain throne yesterday, but I'm counting them anyway!
What totally stinks though, is that after 20 pounds, you really can't tell a difference in the way I look. Tells you how much I still have to lose!
But still, I'm proud of me.

HOORAY

Last man standing

Matthew, Zachy, and Dillon all succumbed to this bug last night.
Leaving me the last man standing.
Only, I don't know how long I'll be standing...not feeling so hot right now.
At least, though, we are getting it all over with. My mom is supposed to come visit the end of next week, so I'm glad to have had this and be done with it.

One of these girls

ONE OF THESE GIRLS



IS NOT LIKE THE OTHERS



ONE OF THESE GIRLS



JUST DOESN'T BELONG



OR



DOES SHE??!!



I think we'll be paying better attention to where the markers are!

Science Fair

We are now up to three people affected by this intestinal bug. Matt didn't make it through the night last night.
But since I know you all don't want to hear about any of this, how about some pictures from the science fair??
In no particular order because I'm lazy!


Dillon being judged.



Collin talking with his first judge.





Zachy and Collin did theirs together.



Waiting on judges..




Emily ran around all day making silly faces with her shirt...she's a nut.






What happens when you have baby fine hair that's been in piggie tails all day when you decide to take them out!



Look at all the people.



Matthew being judged.


So there you have it...the science fair in a nut shell. The kids had a great time and it was such a good experience. They're already talking about what to do next year!

Two Down, Five to Go

Emmie started vomiting tonight. And Matt says he's not sure he'll make it through the night.
It sounds awful, but I wish everyone would get this all at once so we can just be done with it.
Collin hasn't thrown up since mid afternoon, but is so weak and pale still. I hope tomorrow brings him happy things.
Wish us luck!

Things could get ugly around here

This isn't the entry I had in mind for today.
But this morning, Collin came and stood in our room. Said he was going to throw up, then froze. I tried to get him to move to get to the bathroom, but no such luck.
Ick. I hate vomit.
A friend from church just went through this with her whole family. And from the sounds of it, it wasn't pretty.
Matt said things were slow at work so if we all had to get sick, this was a good week to do it! What is he thinking? We are NOT getting sick. No way, no how.
Except, it spread like wildfire in the aforementioned friend's home.
If I suddenly disappear, say a prayer for my family that this is short lived!

Review Monday

I hope everyone had a great weekend.
Ours was busy, filled with evangelistic meetings at church.
However, on Sunday I battled a migraine all day that knocked me out. I was so sick to my stomach and basically did nothing all day. Matt took the kids to church, and I stayed in a supine position all day.
Today is a new day though, and I'm feeling much better.
We did manage to have some fun this weekend!
Saturday night, Matt and I watched Mamma Mia!

We had both wanted to see it, and finally decided to rent it. I absolutely loved it. I know it got mixed reviews, but it was right up my alley. I'm normally not a Meryl Streep fan, but she was adorable. I can't get the songs out of my head, and am tempted to change my blog songs from Disney to Mamma Mia! songs. We'll see.
Also, on Saturday, I received a book in the mail. It's called The Miracle of Me, and it was written by Amy Pedersen.

You might think that after having five children, I'd be done with pregnancy books. But nothing could be further from the truth. I love pregnancy books. When I'm pregnant, I read them religiously, even the ones I've read before. Amy sent this book to me, and I couldn't be more thrilled. This book is great. She wrote when she was pregnant with her second (I think) to help her old child understand what was going on in Mommy's tummy.
Now, if you buy this book expecting to know all there is to know about pregnancy, you'll be disappointed. But to help an older child it is perfect. Each week consists of a 4 week poem about the baby's development, and it includes phenomenal pictures of baby in the womb. My favorite part, though, is the ruler that shows baby's size. It really helps to put things in perspective. I give this book an A+. Thank you, Amy, for sending it to me!
And that's it. Now we are on to school. And back to the library to return videos that are due. Here is a reason I don't like the library. Dillon was so excited to read his book. He read the 9 chapter book in 3 days. Figured if he read 3 chapters a day, he'd be done in 3 days. Now, he wants a new book. But guess what. He can't find the book to return. I'm sure it's tucked safely in his bed somewhere!

How sweet it is

A couple weeks ago, Matt preached at a neighboring church.
The church is tiny, and doesn't have Cradle Roll.
The boys all went to Sabbath School and Emmie and I stayed in the sanctuary with Matt while he prepared.
She was so silly. She would literally strike a pose, wait for me to take her picture, then move on to another pose.
I truly have no idea how it is that I have such a darling daughter.



I wish this picture had turned out a bit better.



"hmmmmm, I sure wish there was money in that plate!"



Em and Matt



I think this picture should be in one of those emails that goes like crazy around the net. Have you ever seen anything so precious?



Matt...concentrating..



OK, I stopped moving, now take my picture!



What a cheeky girl!



Taking a break from all that posing.



Look at my pretty dress!

Zachy's Heart

I have asked you, in the past, to pray for Zachy and his lack of endurance.
He saw the doctor last week, and I figure the least I can do is share with you what happened! How generous, I know.
A pacemaker works in a couple of ways. First, they set a threshold for minimum beats per minute. Zachy's is set at 80. So, anytime his heart rate drops below 80, the pacemaker strikes. Which, is essentially all the time.
The other way it works is by sensor. This is for activity. There is a crystal in the pacemaker, and basically, when it jiggles, it tells the pacemaker that the person is active and needs a higher pulse rate.
Before November, the crystal hadn't been activated. He was able to raise his own heart rate when he was active.
In November, they activated it. So, when it jiggled, it told his heart to beat at 120 beats per minute.
What the doctor expected to happen was that after the pacemaker got the beats up, his heart would take over and function like a normal heart and allow the heart rate to go down naturally.
On Monday, he saw his doctor.
They drew out the information from the pacer and a bar graph showed up. Different heart rates. 120 and 80 had high bars. The rest were basically non existent.
What was happening was his pacer would tell his heart to get up to 120 bpm, then as soon as he stopped moving, his rate would crash down to 80 bpm. There was no gradual decline. Just sharp drops.
Talk about tiring a person out!
Dr. Bush has now set it so that after the jiggling stops, his heart rate will decline slowly over ten minutes.
We are back in the wait and see how it all plays out stage. We are praying this will help tremendously.
When we stop and think about it, it totally amazes us. Nothing about his heart working is natural. They did turn the threshold down to 40 on Monday to see what happened and his heart dropped immediately. The doc still says he isn't pacemaker dependent, which only means that he won't die without being paced. But he is currently being paced nearly 100% of the time.
We are so thankful for technology, and the fact that our little boy is here with us.
~~~~~~~

Totally related to absolutely nothing...why in the world can't someone invent a universal power cord? I have pictures to upload for you, but cannot find the cord. I just used it, and now it has disappeared. I have a gazillion other cords, none of which fit. It seems so simple to me...one universal cord.
It would certainly make life easier!

Overheard in the Van

The boys were talking about things that were the biggest.
For example, was the galaxy or the universe bigger?
Who could outdo the other with what was biggest.
Matthew whispers to Collin, "say heaven"
Collin yelled out, "HEAVEN! Heaven is bigger than the universe!"
And the boys got to chatting about whether or not God was bigger than heaven. What His head sticking out the top of heaven?
Collin says, "heaven is the biggest...and someday it's going to be our home!"


So precious. How is this happening? I don't think it's us. I'm just thankful.

April Fool's Day

Yesterday was April Fool's Day.
When I was a kid, every year, my dad would tell me my cat died. And every year I would believe him and cry. Every year, it was a joke.
I've never been a huge fan of the day. Mainly because I cannot tell a lie to save my life.
The Internet has changed that.
I can type and entry and no one can see the look on my face! Then I can sit back and fool people!
There is no dog. Well, there is, that picture was taken from the San Antonio Humane Society site, and there are lots of doggies there needing adopting. But, there is no dog in this house. No way. No how.
My sister fell for it hook, line, and sinker. When I asked if she'd read my blog she just said yes. No emotion in her voice. So, I figured she knew. I said, "man, I was hoping to get Mom with that, she'll never know it's April fool's day!" Then she said, "THAT WAS A JOKE?" And proceeded to tell me she had many opinions that she was going to keep to herself. But I wanted comments. I wanted to know I'd fooled people. I'm greedy like that! So she commented, and even tried to lure my mom into commenting. Well, it didn't work. I'm not even sure my mom has read this. I did, however, trick my mother-in-law. Hehe...oh that feels so good. I'm always the gullible one of the group.
So, the entry was a joke.
I also told the kids we didn't have to do school. They weren't happy with that joke.
Poor Matthew, he has my lying ability and tried to tell me something several times but cracked up every time I looked at him. Just like me.
Last night for Pathfinders and Adventurers I brought "meatloaf". It was chocolate rice krispie treats with chunks of fruit snacks in it. When someone brings a slice of that, and tells you it's meatloaf, it really looks like meatloaf. One boy refused to eat it. He wouldn't even touch it. Even after everyone told him it was chocolate. But before they figured it out, more than one kid said, "uh..no thank you, I'm not hungry". Matt says when they ask their parents for meatloaf they are going to be so disappointed and say they want the kind Miss Bekki makes.
It was great.
We had a great day gagging each other all day long.
How was your day? Did you fool anyone??

We Are Being VERY Bad Tenants

When we moved in here, we specifically looked for a house that did not allow pets.
If you recall, Emily is very allergic to animals and spent almost her whole first year on breathing treatments twice a day.
Well, the boys desperately miss their animals.
And so, we decided to be bad. Very bad.
Meet Delilah.

Isn't she the cutest thing ever? She is part bassett hound and that was enough to remind me of my favorite dog, Biscuit.
So far, Emily is terrified of her, but that's ok, because the boys absolutely adore her. She'll get used to her.
As for her breathing, we'll just have to wait and see. If she goes back on treatments, she goes back on treatments.
The thing is, we have to lie. Which is hard, but if we don't we'll be kicked out.
The timing isn't all that great though, because of our Disney trip, but we'll figure something out.
We are just so excited to have a new puppy!