Welcome Gracelyn Rose

My sister had her baby today! Our very own Georgia peach! Gracelyn was born at 9:44am and weighed 8lbs 9oz. She was 20 1/4in long. Mom and baby are doing well. Auntie, not so well. It is killing me that I am not there to hug, kiss, and love on my newest niece. The distance btwn us was not too bad, until this morning. I long to be there. When Libby was born, I got to cut her cord. This time, I won't get to even see Gracie until she is 3 months old! A long weekend trip to GA/AL is sounding better and better. not that it's really all that feasible. I would feel horrible going and leaving the kids behind, yet taking them makes the trip over $700.

Anyway, she has arrived, they finally settled on a name and all is well. I would rather like to put a rush order on Christmas getting here! That's when they will come to visit!

woke up this morning and...

No headache. Whew! Since I have been sick with this cold, i cough thru the night and wake with a headache. Of course, stress probably has a small roll in it all too. I posted about my cousin's baby Lilly. Well, Friday I got a msg that my A Bev was taken to the hospital and at first we knew very little. It was very stressful. One of those moments that literally drop you to your knees to beg the good Lord for mercy! My friday started with a call from my mom. She told me that my sister was diagnosed with PUPPS. Her blood pressure was also pretty high and she is swelling quite a bit. However, her OB said they would leave it for now as the C-section is scheduled for Monday. Then mom went on to tell me that baby Lilly is not doing quite as well as we had thought. They cannot get her sodium levels to lower. And the hospital doesn't know why they are so high. In order to attempt to lower them, they had to give her an IV solution and strictly monitor her fluid intake, while they attempted to lower the sodium level. In the process, Rachel was unable to feed Lilly at all. no breastfeeding, no bottle of expressed milk, nothing. Bc it is such a delicate process, she could take in no other fluid, other than thru IV. It was nerve racking for the family. If they dropped her levels too quickly, it could result in seizures, coma, even death. If they don't get them dropped the same things could happen. Add to all this that the hospital told the family t hey have never dealt with this type of syndrome and they can't find anyone/anywhere else who has. They are going at it blind and Lilly is a pioneer. But wait there's more. Rachel's mom had to come back home because she has to work (cannot afford time off and has two pt jobs to try to keep their house). Her sister and dad are down there right now. But, Chris, rachel's hubby/Lilly's dad, has to return to work tomorrow for much of same reasons. He cannot take time off under FMLA bc he is the sole provider and they have to pay their bills. it's horrible. He will be in Port Huron, his wife and baby in Detroit, a few hours away. My heart breaks. And I want so bad to be down there for them, but i have this cold (maybe bronchitis) and the last thing any of them need is to get sick from me. So i have to stay away. I am hoping that by the end of this week I will be feeling better and able to go down there. Please keep prayers coming. For Lilly, for the family.

After my conversation with my mom, i started doing housework. I walked past the computer and noticed a msg from my A Jean and stopped to read it. She was letting us know that A bev was in the hospital and she was heading up north (about 2.5 hours). She knew very little. It was a stressful time waiting for word from someone to let us know how she got there, why she got there, and what was going on. Then we got word that she was in exploratory surgery but as the "telephone game" goes, info gets distorted. we were told that they were going to operate bc she had a hole in her stomach but the xray showed air in her chest that shouldn't have been there and they were leaning towards gall bladder issues. well, none of that added up quite right to me. A lil later we discovered she was in exploratory surgery, there was a hole, they had to find where the hole was and she could possibly come home with a colostomy bag. Wow. So much to digest in a morning. As it turns out, she has a perforated ulcer and she came thru surgery well and they will keep her a week. Please keep her in your prayers. She has so graciously given up the life she had built down state to move up north to live with gma and look after her. The nearest relative to them is about an hour away. we need prayers for a speedy and full recovery and for everything to fall into place.

On a positive note, an old friend contacted me (gotta love fb) and mentioned getting together for coffee one day after kids go to school. We have stayed in minimal contact over the years, because, while we met when we were about 4 yrs old, it turned out that several years later, my uncle and her aunt were married (My uncle Ken/Aunt lisa) so thru family functions and such, we see other from time to time. But, like most things, life gets in the way and we did not stay close. Well, about 2 yrs ago, she moved to a house down the road from here. I am looking forward to coffee time with an old friend and hopefully building a new friendship. I have let friendships go to the wayside over the years only to realize I am now 30 yrs old, my only real friend lives hundreds of miles away and I just haven't built any newer friendships. I never seemed to take the time. So my goal is to work on that.

Well Makenneh and I are making a Christmas list. I know, who wants to think about that right now. But, I want to start shopping while I have the extra money. so, I am gonna get off here and work on her list. Please keep the prayers coming!

Welcome Lilliana

My cousin Rachel had her baby September 10th at 10:07am. She weighed 6lb 8oz and is 20 inches long. Her name is Lilliana Elizabeth.

There were some complications and I would like to ask for your prayers and thoughts. Lilly was born with a syndrome known as Agenesis of the Corpus Collosum. That means that the part of her brain that connects the right and left hemispheres, the Corpus Collosum, is partially or completely missing. She was having some difficulty with breathing at birth, but has since gotten better. She was sent a few days ago, via ambulance to Children's Hospital of Detroit, for further evaluation. It has been a rough couple of days for the family as they digest all this new information and come to terms with the diagnosis. Rachel is doing well...she knows that Lilliana is a gift from God and she loves her no matter what.

I started posted this a few days ago and was interrupted, so I will finish with the updates from the past few days. She passed her vision and hearing tests. Her heart and lungs are functioning good. They did an MRI yesterday late afternoon. We are awaiting those results. IN the meantime, they have noticed that her sodium levels are too high and they don't know why. So, until they can figure that out, she will remain at Children's Hospital. The doctor said it could be a day, or it could be two weeks. Praying that it is something that can be managed and that she can come home soon! You can view her hospital pics by clicking here.

School is in full swing for the kids and me. Sebastian has gotten a lot better about going. I do not have to hear "I don't like school" every night and every morning. I do not know if/what his teacher is doing, but I did tell her about it in the note I sent her. She requested that each parent send a note telling her about our child so she find the best way to reach them. I think that is so awesome. You can tell she genuinely loves her job. I think she is going to be a positive influence on Sebastian and hopefully reshape his dislike for school.

Makenneh ended up not getting the teacher I requested because that teacher moved to a different building. So, the weekend before school started, I received a letter that she had a different teacher. Makenneh was very disappointed. She was really looked forward to having hte other teacher and she cried alligator tears. I assured her that this new teacher sounds very nice and read her the letter from the new teacher, pointing out the similarities they shared, such as a love for animals. She came home on the first day and was happy with the new teacher. My mother in law attended the back to school open house (bc I had class) and so was able to meet the teacher. The teacher uses hands on methods to teach kids and it sounds like the learning is going to be a blast in this classroom. For instance, to teach kids about money, she lets them earn "money" by good behavior and such. Then, once every so often (not sure if it's weekly, monthly, or what) she lets the kids use their earned money to shop at the store. The store is a bunch of small items she has purchased herself at dollar stores or whatever. The kids will have to learn how much money is needed to purchase what they want, how much change they should get back, etc. Very neat idea.

I like all my classes, except Art Appreciation. The teacher is a flake. And talks in monotone and goes on and on for the entire class, using powerpoint. With no point, it seems, to her lecture.

Mom and dad are in Georgia. They left Sept 11. They won't be back until Oct. 8th or so. Carrie was excited to be able to have them there for that long. Her C-section is scheduled for Sept 20th. She is hoping to be in the new house (in Alabama) by then. I don't know how realistic that goal is, but at least they have extra hands down there right now to help with it all.

Well, that's about it for me tonight. I feel like i don't have much time anymore to sit and think about things to post on here and when I do have things, well, i don't have time. So, til next time, take care and please keep Lilliana and the family in your thoughts and prayers!

Back to school

For me! I started today. Only had one class from 10-1120-Fictions of Desire. That will fulfill my Literature requirement. This entire semester is spent doing just that. It almost seems crazy that you can obtain an Assoc. Degree and still need more and more "gen ed" classes. But, if I want that magic paper and those extra letters after my name, I have to do what I have to do.

It's quite a difference attending a University vs a community college. For one thing, the financial aid aspect seems to be quite faster. I went to the campus on Fri to get my books and discovered that I needed to "opt in" to have money sent to the bookstore on my behalf. I was unaware of this. However, the Financial Aid lady told me to go to student services and request they mail my check on Monday because they were all set to be mailed. I walked in SS office and Voila, she offered to give me my check right then and there....but "this will NEVER happen again, don't expect it, don't say anything, and I just need to see your ID." Sweet! Even if I had to wait for it to be mailed on Monday, I still would have it a lot sooner than I would have going to Mott. They don't disperse their money til October or so.

Wednesdays I leave the house at 9am and will not return until 1030pm. Crazy. I do have a 4 hour gap in there where I have no classes, but because it is about a 35 min drive one way, it isn't feasible to drive home. I will use that time for studying, homework, R&R, whatever.

I cannot wait for the kids to go back to school. They have become quite bored and troublesome. They pick at each other, whine, cry, throw fits, have attitudes and it is just simply time for back to school. I do not understand why we have not gone to a year round schedule. It just makes more sense. They did so well for the first part of the break, but 2.5 months straight is just simply too long. And this summer was full of activity....unlike most of our summers....we went camping, to the zoo, road trip to Georgia. Not to mention, we have the pool, a large yard, swings, family get-togethers, picnics, cook-outs, went to softball game, football game, they have been busy. Just not busy enough, i guess. Makenneh is very anxious to get back to school. She has been for about 2+ weeks now. Which is about the time they started really acting up.

I have most of their school stuff ready. I have a few more things to buy. I haven't received a list from either teacher yet and surmise it will come home with them on the first day of school. Hopefully they are like last year's list and are very minimal. IN fact, most items were just suggestions/if you want kinda things. They do already have crayons, colored pencils, pencil box, pencils, glue sticks. (Well, Sebastian probably won't need any of it).

Well, I am off here. I have to read 19 chapters of The Awakening by Kate Chopin before Wednesday's class.

THe hardest thing

was pulling away from my sister in GA. Everything inside me was screaming to stay!

To catch up....Jeremy, the kids and I followed my sister and her family to GA to help them get moved in. We stayed the week and headed back home Saturday night. We arrived back in MI this afternoon. We had a great time; I celebrated my 30th birthday in GA with my sister. But, all great things must come to an end. I knew it was going to be hard to say good-bye....but I literally felt like a piece of my heart was being ripped from my chest and being left behind. I cannot imagine my life without my sister nearby. I cannot imagine going more than a day or so without seeing Liberty. And now, I must go months and months at a time. My heart is broken. I feel empty.

I did fine on the drive home, hitting it hard once I crossed into MI. But, as I pulled off our exit, the tears came...tears because nothing will ever be the same. When I pulled in our driveway, i couldn't hold the sobs back. Carrie won't be stopping by later on, or tomorrow....or the next day,....in fact, not until Christmas.

I may come back and post some tales from our adventures in GA....but for now, i am mentally, emotionally, and physically drained....i drove straight thru (minus a couple quick naps).

It's only been a couple months....

So i thought I would check in and leave a lil something. I registered today for fall at the university! I am not too thrilled about the classes I have to take, but I will suffer thru them because it gets me where I want to be. I had to take another science class, Economics, Literature, art, and political science. All classes I have been dreading. So, now I get to take them all in one semester!

The kids are doing great...although they are driving me crazy. You know..half thru summer break, they are bored and restless and well, our summer has been hectic. It started on Memorial day with me landing in ER with kidney stone (9mm). The entire month of June was shot with me being miserable with a stent in my kidney. Constant urge to pee, pressure, pain, and discomfort. Pain meds were my constant companion, meaning I was almost always groggy. We did manage a camping trip that was fun. I was even able to enjoy it despite the stent. Thank God for portapotties that can be placed strategically among trees and hidden behind sheets and towels so I could use it when the sudden urge hit. I would not have made it thru the trip without one! I finally got the stent out on July 2nd. The same day my mother in law fell and broke her elbow. But she had no insurance and didn't think it was broken, so she lived on motrin and ice for a week before finally going in. I had to take her to the insurance place one day, then the next to a free clinic who sent her for xray and to the ER. That was a 12 hour day, the same day as my sister's going away party. Needless to say, I got to her party late. Since then, I have been running her all over, trying to balance that with helping sis prepare for moving, planning a baby shower (that was held the 17th) and almost forgetting that dad's 50th bday was on the 19th and something had to be planned for that! I became quite irritable about the whole thing. I just want my life to be MINE. For a moment. I have had no Me time since camping. It has been go go go ever since. I think it will finally slow down. And hopefully we can do some things with the kids so they aren't so bored and whiney.

Jeremy has been working with a family friend setting up pool tables and playscapes. It has been a huge help in several ways. It gets him out of the house, helps the depression of not working, and gives us some extra money. It's not a full time gig, just on call sort of thing. If he could continue doing that at even a semi-regular basis, it would be great.

Right now, both kids are sick. Mak more so. She has been running a fever and feeling lethargic. THe doc isn't in tomorrow but if she isn't better come thursday, i will take her in. It may be darn tonsilitis again.

My sister and her hubby are in GA right now for a few days to find a house. Talk about procrastination. They got there on Sunday and that night Carrie ended up in ER with another of her migraines. She gets them so bad when pregnant. She ended up in ER again last night or this morning bc of it but is now feeling better and they were going out to look for houses today. She said they didn't have much luck today and were going to go to Alabama tomorrow to look, hoping to have better luck. Because the shop he will be working in is right on the border, they can live either place. AL is cheaper taxes, more house for less $ and probably the best option. If you don't mind a daily time change as you cross the river! LOL.

I think that about sums up my life for the past couple of months. I am hoping for a slow down, so i can actually enjoy some of this summer before back to school! Hope everyone is having a great summer!

A bit of sun and some...irony?

Today was our Family Memorial Day Picnic. I always look forward to it, every year. It's at the local park and we get to see family we don't see often. The weather was beautiful, even though it was a bit hot for comfort. But no rain, no high wind, no cold temps. Just lots of sunshine, an occasional breeze, family, food, fun and conversation. We came home and sat at the patio table, in the shade and just relaxed. Until the mosquitoes invaded. Overall it was a great day.

Then, I had to take Makenneh's medicine to my sister's house because she went home with her tonight. On my way home, I stopped at Walmart, because dad wanted some sherbert. In the checkout line, I noticed the cashier had a tattoo wrapped around her bicep. It was kinda big and lots of words. I was curious. When it was my turn, I able to read it....the center was a circle with the work Karma written on the top and bottom of the circle (kinda forming the circle actually). Around her bicep was the words: What goes around comes around. I wasn't a fan of the tattoo but I like the saying. It certainly seems true in a lot of instances....goes along with: You reap what you sow. Well, as I was leaving the store, I notice a familiar figure off to my left. I could only see her backside and took a second look to see if it was indeed someone I knew. As she turned and the man with her entered into my line of vision, Why I almost wanted to vomit. Or run. Or scream. Or begin pounding on them. I just looked away and pushed my cart much faster. I realized that I had had every intention of leaving the cart in the store, as I only had two bags. However, upon the sight of them two, my brain froze and I just sped up my exit. My heart began hammering, my stomach knotted, and tears began stinging my eyes. And who do you wonder, could cause such reaction? A despicable man I once knew. The wretched man my Aunt Dawn called husband. The man so undeserving of such a title. I hate when our paths cross. The sight of him angers me, sickens me, saddens me. I wish I had the nerve to confront him on such an occasion. Although, it's probably best that I don't. However, I do believe that should he ever try to talk to me, I will be far less than polite. And I may start spewing off at the mouth very unpretty things. But, things that stay bottled inside me, that resurface every time I see him or hear his name. I got home from the store and went to my facebook. I began to write something about my little encounter and then I recalled the cashier's tattoo. Funny how life works. I thought, yes, Karma. What goes around truly does come around. And so therefore, I will pray for you. And I did. Maybe not the most generous prayer, but not an evil one either, as tempting as it is. After all, what do you pray for a man who most likely caused his wife's untimely death, who more or less disowned his own daughter, all for the sake of another woman and her brood of children? Karma: What goes around, comes around...

I am loving these beautiful nights. All but the pesky mosquitoes. If not for them, I could sit out there all night. It's peaceful, the nightlife is singing their chorus, and it's cool, not so humid. Pleasure.

Makenneh's last day of school is the 16th, Seb's is the 3rd. And we are counting down days until our camping trip June 24-29th. I haven't been camping since Makenneh was Libby's age. And we have never gone as a family. Jeremy wasn't able to go that time because of work. I am looking forward to it and hope everything goes well. Jeremy doesn't like the camping in crowded campground (he grew up camping on state land, rustic and all), Dad get's testy when it's time to prepare/load up and head out for an adventure and then again when it's set up time and take down time and sometimes in between. Mom likes to hang out at the beach and dad prefers the shade of the campsite; mom likes to go out sight-seeing, dad likes to stay at camp site. Mom gets huffy because dad doesn't want to do those things. Dad gets mad because mom gets huffy. Carrie and Sara are both pregnant, as is my cousin Rachel, who is supposed to also go. So, 3 preggo ladies in the hot summer sun with raging hormones. Gee, the more I think about it, maybe I do want to stay home. LOL. NO, we will give it a whirl and hopefully everyone brings along their best attitudes.

Water Worms....no not a nasty slimy kind of parasite but a water toy. My mother in law gave SEbastian one today that she had bought at a charity auction a couple years ago. The thing was absolutely neat. Even dad had fun with it. However, it only lasted about 20 mins before Jeremy tried overfilling it and popping the bladder inside it, rendering it useless. Sebastian cried. I googled water worms and only found one site with the right thing....for 9.00 plus s&h. Mother in law only paid $1 for the thing.

Well, I am off here now to try to get some sleep. We are having some family over tomorrow for a cookout and hopefully the rain holds off. Hope everyone is having a safe and happy Memorial Weekend and please remember the reason we celebrate such a day...to honor those who have sacrificed their lives so that we may enjoy the many freedoms we have. Speaking of which, while at the family picnic today, one of my uncles brought a paper about a distant family member who had served during one of the wars. He received a medal and the one thing that stuck out was that he enlisted in June and died in Aug. Two months. He was a medic and his plane was shot down. Two months. That is just crazy.

I made it here

I made it here, finally! Feeling a tad frustrated. I had every plan to continue my education. I still do. However, I desperately want to get our own place...so much so that a cardboard box under the overpass is sounding more and more inviting. So, I thought I would apply for some jobs. With a job, we could rent my sister's house for a year while saving up to move to GA. I would enroll at GSU and go until I had that mighty Masters degree. The job hunt-not going so well. Then, I get a letter in the mail from Mott Comm College that I am no longer eligible for Financial Aid because I have earned 93 credits. First off, my transcript only shows 87. Gotta call and check on that. Then, will this effect my overall financial aid eligibility or just at mott? Don't know...something else to find out. I received letter from SVSU regarding cost of attending vs financial aid/student loans and it appears to my untrained eye that I am still about $8k short a year. Don't know how that could be unless there is some issue with financial aid. If that be the case,I will not be able to go back to college as there is no way in hell i can afford that. I am lucky to afford the gas to get me there and back. All this has my overwhelmed and quite frankly, depressed. I have to keep fighting the urge to stick my head in the sand. I have come too damn far to just give up that easily. Without at least a bachelors degree, all this hard work is almost useless. Most jobs require bsw minimum. Most actually want the MSW. I told Jeremy the other day that we just need a break, somewhere, somehow. Something has to give for us.

Add to this stress.....my baby sister is LEAVING in about 2 months. And taking with her my niece and another niece still in the oven. I try not to even think about it, but the truth is, just writing it is making cry. I am soooo happy for her but that selfish part of me doesn't want her to go. I know she has to and I would do the same if I were in her shoes. But she is my sister, my friend, and so much a part of my everyday life. Well, enough of that....gotta dry those tears up.

All by myself

I had the house to myself for a few hours today. Of course, i spent it reading the next chapter in my Race & Ethnic relations book and then taking the quiz. But, i had peace and quiet to do it in. Woohoo. The reason for the empty house is not so good though. My mom and uncle Ken went to the hospital because my uncle Brian is having quadruple bypass surgery today. They wanted to be there for their sister to support her. It is a 5 hour surgery and so that will make for a long day. I was unable to go because Jeremy is helping Ralph load up some scrap and take it in. That meant I had to be here to get Seb off the bus and then I have to pick Makenneh up from girl scouts at 430 and be to class by 6. Wednesdays are always so busy for me. Glad I only have two more of them. WEll, not two more wednesdays, hah, but two more of wed night class.

Today is Makenneh's 7th birthday. I cannot believe that little girl is already 7. Where have the years gone? I made a cake today for her, even though I hesitated. We have had so many bday parties around here that I am partied out, cake and ice creamed out. But, i didn't want her to feel left out because we had cake on seb's bday. So, i made one for her.

I got the letter in the mail detailing graduation. I've known it was set for May 1st, but now I have times, and all the details. I am graduating with High Honors. And that journey isn't over yet...i start at SVSU for my bachelors degree in Aug. I hope to get through it as quick as possible. I am ready to be done with school.

Well, Seb is outside and I need to go check on him. Take care and hopefully i can get here to post more often

Just a couple pics

Daddy-Daughter Dance. We haven't gotten the pictures back from the school yet, but this is one I took before they left. They waited in line over an hour to get their pic taken at the dance. We decided that next year we will just take the pics and skip buying them at the dance....leaves more time to dance.The kids started their own "kitchen" band. Pa says Makenneh actually has rhythm. Either that or pa is tone deaf. not sure which is true. LOL.
Kids after the egg hunt. It was impossible to get all 4 of them looking at the camera, smiles and all. This will have to do. We have some better pics on Mom's camera, but I am at my mother in law's so don't have access to those pics right now.

I finished my internship today, officially. I will go in on Friday and then maybe do one day a week. If nothing else, it adds to my resume. In two weeks I will fill out the application for my Social Service Technician registration. I will also be buying my cap and gown soon for graduation. I don't know if I posted this yet or not, but I go May 17th for my transfer orientation at SVSU. I start there Aug 30th. Exciting yet a bit nerve racking. I will be transferring from a community college to a university. new place, new town, new, new, change, change. But, change is supposed to be good, right. I know I will do just fine. Just a bit nervous.

Not much else to type about. Kids are on spring break...i am not. I hate it. Every night and every day I must remind myself that I AM NOT ON BREAK. I keep finding myself thinking, "oh it's spring break.....ahhhhh, relax. Then, reality hits and it's run run run, until i feel i am coming and going all at once. At least I don't have to pick Makenneh up from brownies or Bible Club. That takes two things off my plate for the week. Yet, i still run ragged. makes me wonder how i do it when they aren't on break. Today, Jeremy's teeth started hurting him severely and suddenly. They were flared up a couple weeks ago, but it went away and well, he is stubborn. This time, i started making calls until I could get something done. Being broke and no dental to speak of, well, requires some calling around, frustration, even some tears. I felt so damn helpless. He was in so much pain and nothing i could do. I finally got through to the community clinic and was able to take him in. Of course, this was about 1130 am and I had a 230 appt scheduled with a client at my internship....and she only wanted me doing her application. So, nothingl ike needing to be at two places at once. The solution: Take Jeremy, wait with him until I had to leave to head to the senior center. I kept dozing off at the clinic. Sure I was snoring, I was sooo damn exhausted. And frustrated. You have to hurry up and wait around there. And he was miserable and grumpy and can you please ask them how much longer it will be? And do they have any salt so I can gargle...i can't taaaakkke this any more. He was like a caged rat. It was horrible. I had to run him down to Burger king to get some water and salt to gargle with. The lady there was less than pleasant....we ordered a burger, so there should have been no complaint. When I asked for salt, she generously gave me one little packet. Whatever, he was so mad..he took it and did what he could with it. And back to the dental clinic to hurry up and wait. THen i twas time to head to the center for the appt. I finished that up and as I did, Jeremy called to say he was done. I went back to clinic, picked him up, ran to store to get a few grocery things and back home, 30 mins before my wed night class begins. He was Rx'd tylenol 3 with codeine and penicillin. He took 2...and well, i knew he would probably be out and unable to watch kids, and given that I would be late, and I was completely exhausted, i emailed my instructor and explained that I wouldn't make it to class. Is your head spinning yet? Thankfully my sis had called that she was bringing over dinner. Talka bout a Godsend. While I don't care for goulash and that's what she had, I was thankful that I didn't have to worry about cooking dinner. Now I need to get ready for bed so i can get some sleep and get up for class in the morning. Gah.....im ready for a long break.

My Birthday Boy!!!

Today my baby turned 5 years old. He informed me that he's getting old!!! LOL. We had a great day. He did not have school (PT conferences) so he got to spend the day with mommy. Jeremy had to work with cousin yesterday and today, so we woke the kids up a few minutes early so that SEbastian could get his present from us....a Little Tykes basketball hoop. We wanted to give it to him in the morning so he could play with it today. Then I had to go to class to take a test. When I got home, we went to lunch with both grandmas and came home to cupcakes from Uncle Matt and Aunt Sara!!! Spongebob cupcakes!

I let him invite his class to Huckleberry junction and we are doing that later this week. I didn't want to have kids feeling left out, so we invited all 17, because I figured most would not come because it's a work night and about 20 mins from where we live. I got lucky, in that 6 RSVPd. I am nervous though that other parents may have sent the message with their children. I got that notion because while at the Children's Museum on a field trip last week, one set of parents had said that they told their son to tell Seb...well yeah, that message never made it through! That made me wonder just how many parents had that ummmmm great idea! So, six friends are manageable...

On the 10th we are going to have the family party here for both kids because Makenneh's bday is the 14th. Every year I swear we will skip a party, but it never works out that way...this year is Seb's 5th and well, that is a milestone bday...kindergarten and all. THen i didn't want Makenneh to feel left out, and then family starts asking..."when's the party...and well, before I know it...I'm roped in. Oh well, it is so nice to get together and have fun once in a while. And the gift of life is certainly worth celebrating!

Libby will be one on the 2nd! I can't believe it! They planned a big party for her...because not only is it her 1st bday, but her last bday up here with family bc they move to GA this summer.

Matt and Sara put a bid in on a house from an auction site. It is the next road north of our house...They won the bid and are set to close on Makenneh's bday. They also found out t hat they are expecting their 2nd. They haven't made a huge announcement yet bc she just took a home test and hasn't been to doc yet. But, from the looks of it, are family is growing by leaps and bounds.

I know I am jumping all over but that's what happens when I neglect the blog for a month. So much to say. I have pictures I want to share of sebastian's field trip and of all the kids coloring Easter Eggs this past Sunday. But, it is already so late and i know that takes forever and well, i need sleep. Hope this update satisfies anyone's curiosity and hopefully i can make it here more often to post updates or tell funny tales.

Happy Spring and Happy Easter!

Can you believe it?

I am really here, posting on my blog. Nevermind that it after midnight and I should be in bed. Everyone is asleep, I can get on the computer, I can do as I please. OOOOooooh!

I think I have decided I like a full class load better than this 3/4 load. I feel so unbusy and I find myself procrastinating worse than ever. I have a test and a paper due on Tuesday (don't feel bad for me, my load is quite light actually) and I have not done any of the reading for the assignment and very minimal studying for the test. I cannot bring myself to sit and do it. I try and I get sidetracked. Tomorrow I will have to force myself to get some of it done at least.

The kitchen is pretty much done, save for a few minor details. Dad made a huge pantry that still needs doors, the front door is being replaced (but haven't gone and bought it yet) and then a piece of trim has to go up after the door is replaced. The outlet covers need to be picked out and purchased and other than that, I really think we are done to the final touches of putting things away. At any rate, we can once again cook in the kitchen, sit at the table and it is wonderful! Today I was a cooking fool. I made 3 batches of a casserole (one for mom to take to her cousin's house...she just lost her son. He was 31 and died in his sleep) and I made two cakes (again, one for mom to take). We also have a new dishwasher...built in and not portable like the old one. Very nice! I promise to take pics eventually. LOL.

Everyone has been getting sick around here lately. IT seems to be almost ongoing for some time now. But the past week has been especially rough. Seb got diarrhea on wed night so i kept him home thurs. that continued through friday. Today he has been fine. Makenneh and I were snuggled in her bed friday night, sleeping, when she wakes up to say "Mom, i think im gonna puke!" I flew up out of that bottom bunk bed faster than I ever realized my oversized body could move. I reached to flip on the light to help and out it came. All over the floor. No stopping it. Oh my gosh the smell was wretched. Absolutely wretched. I start to try cleaning it up, i gag profusely, to the point I thought I would lose the contents of my stomach. She stands by the bedroom door and next thing I know, she is heading for the bathroom with diarrhea. The poor thing was stuck on the toilet for quite some time with the garbage can in front of her just in case. Meanwhile, I continue with the clean up. I sprayed so many things the room probably smelled of something i dare not mention. I did not care. It was gagging me. Makenneh lays down on the couch and I get the first mess cleaned up. This time, I put a sleeping bag under her and bring her a grocery bag lined bucket to do her business in. I sit in the chair nearby and read my book. She drifts off to sleep. All seems well. I doze off and she is back up puking. It happened one more time after that and then I was finally able to get some sleep. What was left of the night. Today she felt much better. Jeremy got sick today...and I had a queasy stomach. I can't tell if mine was from having to clean up after her or if I was actually getting the bug. I don't want it. I just realized I wrote a whole entire lengthy paragraph about my daughter getting sick. I so do need to get a life. LOL.

My sister is in Georgia right now with her family. Her hubby is checking on a business offer he received. They have been down there for almost two weeks. She called today to say that they are going to come home in a few days, button up things at home, and in four weeks they will move to GA. She told me to start looking for jobs down there and of course, there are several options off the bat for us. I will ahve to look into universities to decide where to go to get my BSW. The plan is to let the kids finish up school and try to move this summer. I would prefer to not pull them out of the school year. We obviously have some loose ends to deal with before we can even think of moving like that. But, I truly feel this is the door the Lord has opened for us and we need to walk through it, even if it is outside our comfort zone. I have thought about how many people (myself included at times) will complain that God does not answer prayers. In many instances, I think he does by providing us with the opportunity to get there. However, we are so busy looking for our wishes to be dumped in our laps all neatly packaged. In the meantime, God has maybe provided us with an opportunity, but we choose to either ignore the opportunity, think of the obstacles in the way or we take the answered prayer and give the credit to someone else or take it for ourselves instead of thanking God for the answered prayer. It reminds of me something I read sometime (may have been in the church bulletin, words from the pastor) of the man who is running late and prays to God for a parking spot as he drives around the full lot. He comes to a parking spot and rather than saying Thank you, God, says, "Nevermind God, I found one." Now, of course, this little story is not based on a specific true happening, but it is what we tend to do nonetheless. All that to say, I feel that this is our answered prayers. This opportunity was given to us by God and it is for the taking. Sure, there are things that scare me about such a huge move. I have never lived outside of the town I live in now...(at least not more than 15 miles from where I was raised). I have only been out of the state I live in a few times. But, I feel the time is now. A fresh start, a chance to achieve our goals, to grow, to do well. I am excited, even if I am a little nervous, too. The timing is even perfect. We have NOTHING to lose. Work is scarce around here, my schooling is almost done (at least this leg of the journey..i graduate in May) and we are living with my parents. We have nothing holding us back...no overmortgaged house, no careers. We have family but they will never be more than a visit away. And in time, i am sure we can get dad on board with joining us! LOL. The plan is to try to move this summer. It would be perfect. However, if it doesn't work out that way, we will look to plan B....which would include waiting a year, if need be. Either way, I feel it with every fiber of my being that this is what is intended for us. Jeremy should be able to get his license there, he will have a job, no problem, and i can attend college down there to finish up my BSW. He has an aunt that lives 8 hours south of where we plan to live, an uncle that is about 4 hours south, my sister will be in teh same area, my only true friend will only be 8 hours away. And no more Michigan winters! And as my brother in law said, we gotta get out nwo because we don't know where the light switch is so we can't be the last ones out of this state! lol.

Well, it is now after one am and I am tired and need to get to bed. I am glad I was able to get on here nad finally post....now it's off to rest my weary head!

Good night all

Still here

just don't get much time on computer. I just wanted to check in. CLasses are going great. Internship going well. Kids are doing well.

I will try to stop in later and write more. Kitchen still torn up......shoudl be done in the next day or so, but i am not holding my breath. Ran into all sorts of obstacles.

Prayers

Are needed. My Uncle Harold went to the hospital a couple days because he had a heart attack. They had trouble stabilizing him and things are not looking so well. His kidneys weren't really functioning (he is diabetic and has kidney failure prior to the heart attack), bladder not working, filling with fluids. And because of all the health issues, it created an almost standstill. His oxygen levels were low and wouldn't stabilize. He suffered a major heart attack last night, they have him on complete life support, put in a stent and did a heart cath. They also started dialysis. For now, he is stable and I hope and pray that he continues to improve. However, the realist in me knows that nothing short of a miracle from God will work. The hospital has told the family that they are doing all they can. With God, all things are possible. But, science/medicine is limited in its ability.

With my dad and Uncle Ken (the Ken from dad's side of family) were able to be in the room when Uncle Harold was saved. That happened yesterday. Right now the hospital had said only his wife could go in the room. She argued that his daughters have to be able to see him. So, they agreed to let them go in for 10 mins on the hour and rotate. It rather frustrates me that they make these stipulations in a situation like this. He is on full life-support, in a medical-induced coma, and so the stimulation of having his grown daughters at his bedside together should not create a problem. Right now, he is being sustained by machine, not on his own. Machines do not register emotion. However, if it ends up being that he doesn't pull through this, having this time to be at his side will mean something and can help provide closure, should it come to that. Yesterday when they were trying to stabilize him, I understood the need to limit/control visits. It just doesn't seem it should be such an issue today.

WEll, I am at my internship and need to get productive. Please keep my uncle and the family in your thoughts and prayers.

Sink please

The kids riding the elephant




Ok, going to attempt to just download some circus pics tonight...

In the meantime....

I am so ready for this remodeling to be DONE. I am tired of being cramped...no room to maneuver, no kitchen sink to do dishes (not that i like doing dishes, but doing them in the bathroom sink is very unkind), limited meal options bc of limited cooking options. I am just tired of it all. The vinyl floor covering is going down tomorrow (hopefully, that is the plan). I pray that it goes smoothly. After that, the cabinets can go in. Dad is making the countertops, as he discovered he has quite a knack for it when he made one for the small cupboard he put in a few years ago. The downside is he is working 6 days a week and trying to get over being sick. So, time is limited, energy sparse.

Jeremy is getting on my last nerve. Love him to pieces and lately, well, I would like to tear him to pieces....He has been so grumpy and unbearable. I can't stand it. He is getting sick and well, for some reason, men just can't handle that. I reminded him that it is not our fault he is sick. He is also stressed over this project as my dad is quite particular about things, Jeremy has never done anything of this caliber and well, everything that gets done is said to be wrong. I told my dad that nobody wants to get this work done bc they are afraid of being wrong....bc he gets so grumpy about it. My uncle has literally lost sleep over it all, worrying about doing some wrong and pissing my dad off. It's ridiculous. So, I know that adds to Jeremy's grumpiness. I am trying to teach him that things are what they are and rather than try to swim against the current, sometimes, you just have to give in and go with the flow. It saves your health.

School is going well. Parking sucks, but classes are great. I found out last night in my Leadership class that the college offers a Leadership certification. I am 2 classes short of earning it. I was unaware of this program beforehand or I would have been sure to take two more qualifying classes to get the certification. Oh well.

And on to Makenneh...the more I read about Oppositional Defiance Disorder, the more I am convinced that Makenneh has it. Her behavior is beyond normal bratiness. Of all the techniques, suggestions, etc that I have tried...nothing seems to work. She is so demanding, spiteful, angry, and unpredictable. She can be fine one moment and then the slightest thing sets her off into a tirade. I was reading one article about it and it mentioned walking on eggshells around the child. BINGO. That's how I feel. I am trying to stay one step ahead of the next episode. It's downright exhausting. I need to call and make her an appointment or at very least, see if we can get a referral to a therapist. She can be the sweetest of children, but then I am always waiting for the foot the drop and hell to break loose. I praise her to no end, I love on her, I play with her, read to her, talk with her, bring her along for outings, but even the outings are scary for me bc i never know when the explosion will occur or what will set her off to lead to the explosion. Just typing about it stresses me out. I have found that when I keep my voice almost low and soothing, it seems to lessen the tirade. The problem seems to be getting everyone else on board. I have been stressing that it is best not to yell at her, as that just turns into a power struggle. Speak level and remain in control. Hopefully her behavior will improve. At this rate, I won't survive teen years.

Well, she is up still, so I have to get her to sleep. That's the other issue with her...she cannot go to sleep at night.

Good night all

checking in

I sat on here with clear intents of uploading pics, using slide.com. I had most of the pics uploaded and clicked the wrong thing..and all that work was gone. I do not want to try again this late at night. So, I will try to work on it tomorrow, or some day soon. It is so hard to get a moment on here between my mom and Jeremy and their addictions to games....and then my schedule. But, I will try.

We took the kids to their first circus on Sunday. They loved it and we had a great time. The cost is outrageous. But, I was glad we were able to take the kids and have a family outing.

I have a little secret....I have to post it here...and those of you who are related or close....shhhhh!!! But I am way too excited to hold it in! My sister is pregnant!!!!! She told me earlier that she is 4 days late. I told her to test! Finally, she did and called back to say it was positive. She isn't ready to have it announced to the world just yet, as I think she is still absorbing it! But, I have to share. Ia m so excited. Libby will be about 18 months old when she becomes a big sister!

Well, I am off to bed. I have a full day on Wednesdays...with my internship and then my leadership and development class. Plus tomorrow Kenneh has girl scouts and the parents have a short meeting when that ends. Plus, cookie money is due for the first round of sales, so I have to squeeze in time tomorrow to collect from the last few people. And sales still continue until March 17, so if you want some girl scout cookies let me know! Money will be due March 17!

Take care and Good Night!

still under construction

What started as a fairly simple remodel has become quite lengthy. One thing always leads to another. Got the cupboards ripped out, decided now was a good time to replace floor covering...started tearing into floors and discovered Joices needed replaced, then decided to dig out the crawl space...and on and on. Needless to say, we are into week 2 and the entire kitching/dining floor is gone....down to the dirt. They have to put up makeshift flooring to allow us bathroom access at night. We have been staying with mother in law because it's just far easier than trying to maneuver over there. It's looking like it will be a couple more weeks at least. It will be great when it's done, but i am over the cramped, disarray that is our living quarters at the moment. Washing dishes in small bathroom sink, can't find anything when you need it, limited dishes accessible. Oh the joy! but, mom found the flooring she likes and they will do that throughout the house.

It's a vinyl, but the reviews are great. And it looks so real. And the best part is, it is clearanced at .49/sq ft.


Our New Year's eve was decent. I was expecting a quiet, calm, family night. My mother in law decided to invite her old neighbor and she brought her boyfriend. We were unaware of this until they were on their way. I let them play cards, I played with the kids. Jeremy finished up the game and came in with the kids and I. We watched the ball drop..well, Sebastian fell asleep about one minute before. He just couldn't hang in any longer. Overall, it was nice though.

Makenneh's new thing is, she pays attention to those darn infomercial products and has to come tell me all about the great closet organizer you can buy that keeps your clothes from getting crumpled, or the cat scratch pad that is safe for your cat, and on and on. She is like a walking infomercial. But, it says it's free, mom. It's safe for..., it's, but wait, there's more.... LOL. So funny.

Well, she wants me to play Wii with her. It's just the two of us here, as mother in law is at laundromat. So, im gonna play a game with her then try for a nap. Just maybe!