What a week!

It all started Monday morning and the week has done its best to roll right over me.  So when I was trying to figure our what I made this week...well the only answer that came to mind was ..... MESSES!  Yep, it was that "good" of week! 


Pre-inflating the new MicKey button
to make sure it didn't leak before
putting it in Nate's side.



Monday morning 5am Mr. Workman went to connect Nate to his feeding tube while I was showering.  He soon discovered Nate's Mic-Key button (which is the part that goes through Nate's side and into his stomach) laying on the bed next to Nate.  It was dry so it had been out for awhile.  The hole for a feeding tube closes quickly, if the tube comes out...so needless to say PANIC ensued after this discovery.  We had some spare part such as a variety of sized catheters left from Jon's problems with his button, and we were able to get a smaller sized catheter in the hole to keep in from closing up more.  However, due to the awkwardness of the catheter and limits of what tape can hold, Nate kept pulling out the catheters!  Very stressful morning!  PLUS Ed's car was in the shop so he HAD to take a sick day so I would have a car to get Nate's new button.

So Monday was a wreck of a day,  Mr Workman and I got to put in Nate's new button ourselves at 2:30pm when the supplier finally found it.  We immediately hooked a VERY grouchy Nate to eat and he went to sleep.  We assumed our excitement for the week was over, but it was just starting!

To fast forward through the highlights, that evening we went to get the Prius from the garage and they would not accept our check because the check number was not printed in magnetic ink at the bottom of the check near the routing and account number.  The bank was already closed so we couldn't just go get cash.  No car until Wednesday afternoon!  Grace has the National Christian HomeSchool Basketball Championships playoffs in Springfield this week so I took her to grandma's before coming home and crashing in bed.



Anita at In His Image did take some
awesome new photos of Nate this week.



Tuesday:   Grace's team lost their first game of the Championship and the orthodontist found a cavity at her appointment today. Our babysitter for Wednesday had to cancel at the last minute.  A BIG thank you to Layna who agreed to babysit with less than 10 hours notice!  Saddest part of the day was my cousin Carla was transferred to the Hospice House in Omaha.  This is Mr. Workman's long day with college class so when he got home at 10pm, I was exhausted.

Wednesday:  Was THE immigration appointment for Nate.  It went well, but no answers were reached so time continues to tick on when we could be forced to return him to Haiti.  Everyone tells us not to worry because its being worked on, but nothing seems to be happening!  As a cherry on the top of the day, Mr. Workman messed up his substitute plans for the day!  I knew I had let home stresses get to him to have something like this happen!  BUT we did get our car from the garage with cash and Grace's team WON their game today.



Carla & I around 1975



Thursday:  My cousin Carla passed away.  When you have a large family, you have members who everyone knows because they are a friend to everyone, they value family connections and they are at reunions and gatherings.  Then you have others that only their immediate family know.  Carla is one that everyone in our large family knew and loved.  Her obituary written by her nieces does a great job of explaining the wonderful life Carla lived.  The sadness is overwhelming...  (Grace got her cavity filled today and her team WON again.  Mr. Workman had parent teacher conferences tonight & it was a half day at school AND 6 months ago I agreed to speak at a Springfield HR group luncheon today.  I ran behind all day, but got it all done thanks to Sis. Anderson's help with my kiddos.  Finally, got the kids to bed and worked on taxes until Mr. Workman got home.  Not my best work today, but the day is done and sometimes that has to be good enough.)

Friday:  The kids are out of school and I was exhausted already.  I made spaghetti & meatballs for lunch in hopes of leftovers for supper....wrong!  The kids ate 60 of 64 meatballs and 4 of the 5 pounds of pasta for lunch!  Overall fun day with the kids.  We played, but they also entertained each other so I could get some of my work caught up.  They were SO good overall.

Today:  This morning we learned that Hannah's special education teacher, Bonnie Gary, had a brain tumor discovered yesterday and it is being removed today.  We are asking friends to add her to their personal & church prayer lists.

For this God is our God for ever and ever:

he will be our guide even unto death.--Psalms 48:14

My Crock Pot Favorites!

I love my crock pots! Yes I said pots. Plural. It is not uncommon for us to eat 3 or 4 meals a week out of the crock pot. A couple years ago, after the tornado, I used a crock pot daily and our construction workers would say the delicious smells were very distracting. One worker said that he never let his wife cook in a crock pot because it all tastes the same. A bowl of roast & veggies later, and he was asking for some recipes to take home along with the crock pot that he said he would be picking up on the way home! It made me feel good to know that it wasn't just my imagination that crock pot meals are super flavorful.

Italian Chicken

4-6 chicken breast (frozen or thawed)

1 cup chicken broth or other liquid

1 block of cream cheese

1 packet of Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix

Toss all this in the crock pot in the order listed. Put on the lid and place on low for 4-5 hours if thawed OR 5-6 hours if frozen. Stir in some cheese (such as 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of parmesan) and serve over pasta or rice. I sometimes add broccoli and/or slice mushrooms or carrots to the pot at the beginning for variety. It’s ALL good!

Okay so the next 2 recipes involve cooking wine (salted) and
I know this is not acceptable for some people so a possible
substitute is chicken broth with meat tenderizer added.
Red cooking wine is found near vinegar in most stores.

Slow Cooked Beef Roast

6 or 7 celery stalks trimmed

3 to 5 lb. beef roast (thawed)

1 to 2 cup(s) of red cooking wine depending on roast size
1 can Campbell's Select Harvest French Onion Soup
1 can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom*
1/2 to 1 lbs. of carrots**
2 to 3 lbs. of sliced or cubed potatoes**
5 to 8 sliced or quartered mushrooms**

Place a single layer of celery on the bottom of the crock pot like a grate to keep the meat off the heat at the bottom. Add the ingredients in the order above. Put the lid on and set the crock pot on low for 8 to 10 hours (depending on the size of the roast). Stir before serving.

*Brand doesn't matter, unless you want it to be MSG-Free.

**Optional.  I rarely add the extra mushrooms.

Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs lean stew meat

1 lb mushrooms (washed & quartered)

1 cup red cooking wine

1 onion (chopped)

1 clove of garlic (optional)

1 bay leaf (optional)

1 t. cracked pepper

At the end:

    2 T. cornstarch

    2 T. Dijon mustard 

    1/2 cup of sour cream

Put all the ingredients in a crock pot and stir. Set on low and cook for 8-9 hours. After 8-9 hours, you need to thicken the juices and add two final ingredients. In a microwave safe dish, combine 2 T of cornstarch with 2 T of water and stir together. Then ladle off 1 cup of broth from the crock pot into the cornstarch mixture. Stir and microwave 30-45 seconds at a time. Stirring each time the microwave stops until the mixture boils. Then stir this thickened liquid into the crock pot and stir. Finally turn off the crock pot and stir in the mustard and sour cream. (I like to mix some dill weed into the sour cream before adding it.) Then serve over egg noodles. We especially like it with a slice of crusty hot French bread on the side.

Cake That Won't Make It to the Church Dinner

This past Sunday was our Pastor's Anniversary of 19 years of service to the Lord at our church.  I was intending to bring a dessert that is a crowd pleasing favorite, but as usual my crowd at home got to it first.  The cake is called Mexican Chocolate Cake and my Aunt Treva gave us the recipe years ago.  It is great for church dinners or other large groups because it bakes in a flat "cookie" sheet (mine is 12x17x1) so when serving a big crowd it makes at least 24 servings (20-3x3 pieces and 4-2x3).

When I was in college, a small Italian restaurant had a very similar cake that they sold for $2 per piece and they called it Texas cake.  It wasn't as good as my aunt's recipe, but it would help satisfy the craving (especially since this is not a cake to be baked and left sitting in an apartment with 1 or 2 people to be tempted to eat it all). 

Mexican Chocolate Cake

1 stick butter

1/2 C. vegetable oil

2 squares unsweetned chocolate OR 4 T cocoa

1 C. water

2 C. flour

1 t. baking soda

2 C. sugar

1/2 C. sour milk* 

2 eggs

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

*Add 1 1/2 t. vinegar to "sour" the milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine butter, oil, chocolate, and water in a sauce pan.  Heat on medium low until fairly smooth.  Remove from heat.

Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, milk, eggs,  and cinnamon in a bowl.  Add the first mixture and stir.  Put the mixture in a cookie sheet (no oil, spray, etc) and bake until done (about 35 minutes in my oven).  Test doneness with a tooth pick.  Let cool for about 20-30 minutes and add the icing while the cake is still warm. 

Icing

1 stick butter

4 T. cocoa

6 T. milk

1 pound powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped nuts such as pecans (optional)

Combine butter, chocolate and milk in a saucepan and stir over medium low heat until smooth.  Remove from hear and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Ice the cake while the cake is still warm.  After it cools, garnish with pecans or other nut, if desired. 

AND last but not least, find a safe hiding spot for the cake until you're ready to serve it.

Laundry Soap Savings

With gas prices on the rise, I am sure we are all looking for co$t saving ideas.  So with my blog theme this month being "Made in March", I'm going to start the month with a new favorite inspired by Marie at Cottage Homestead.  About 2 months ago, I made my first batch of liquid laundry soap and I've perfected it now to the point that it is my FAVORITE fresh clean laundry smell.  Plus it only cost $.86 per 64 loads!  Yes, I'm sure I did the math right, and this meets the h.e. requirements for energy efficient front loaders!  I have featured the ingredients on the margin of my blog through Amazon, if you have trouble finding anything in your area.

You will need:

1 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap (if you don't have heavy stains, Ivory works fine)
1 1/2 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT Baking Soda)
3/4 Cup Borax
Lemongrass or other Essential oil (optional)

It is also VERY helpful to have a funnel and a slotted spoon.

Pre-fill 5 one-gallon jugs 1/2 full of water. (I use distilled or pre-boiled water to prevent bacteria growth...most people use tap water.) If you are going to add an essential oil, then put about 5 drops in each jug with the water. I use lemongrass oil for a wonderful clean smell and it is an antimicrobal so it helps kill stuff like ringworm, athletes foot, etc.

Next grate the bar of Soap (I use a cheese grater). Put in a pan with 8 cups of water. Warm over medium heat until completely dissolved.  Turn down the heat if it starts to boil. (This is where the slotted spoon is helpful because the water gets really milky and its hard to tell when its melted. I always let it go a couple minutes extra after I think it is melted.)  

Remove from heat and make sure it is not boiling.  (It will look like the picture above.)  Stir in the Washing Soda and Borax. Add 2 gallons of water & stir some more. (I use distilled or pre-boiled water to prevent bacteria growth.) Then top off each 1/2 filled gallon jug. Put the lid on & shake.

Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup per load. (We have very hard water.) Shake the jug before each use & I usually shake each gallon once a week so the gel doesn't get thicker at the bottom.


BTW-It will gel, but not always to the same thickness. Using distilled water increases the thickness of the gel.

SAFETY NOTE:  Since you may be reusing milk jugs, apple juice containers, or other already labeled containers, it is important that kids know it is NOT food.  For a free sheet of Mr. Yuk stickers, go the the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for the address and directions.

Faith

I decided to finish February with

my own personal version of Hebrews 11

...not that mine is in anyway inspired, but it is a partial listing of modern heroes of faith whom I know personally and who have inspired and encouraged me in my Christian development. 

It was great fun to write

and I encourage you to consider documenting your own "heroes".

  _____________________________________________________

Faith is the foundation of hope and the proof of God’s unseen presence. For by it, people who I respected as a child taught me about our Lord’s power. Through their testimonies, I learned that the Lord who formed the Universe from nothing is just as powerful today as He was at creation.


By faith my grandparents learned about God’s gift of salvation, accepted that gift and sought to live by Christ’s example in the Word of God.

By faith during the heat of summer, my grandfather would turn off the church air conditioner when the preaching started so he and others could hear the message; by this action he showed me that I should respect the message of a pastor over my personal comfort.

By faith I was taught how to give to others, when funds were tight, my grandparents reached out with loving care and their limited means to help neighbors, showing equal compassion towards the saint as the sinner and with gifts often given in secrecy.

By faith, my parents taught me the importance of tithing on whatever you have, if it is money or livestock or garden produce, God is the giver and I must be a good steward to make sure 10% blesses others.

By faith, at age 5, I prayed for a little brother and by faith, my parents adopted, showing me that real families really love each other, no matter how God brings them together or the challenges they face.

By faith, Grandma Dee set an example of regular church attendance and insisted on attending church even on vacation because we need to learn from and encourage each other in the Lord.

By faith a church member named Velma demonstrated how to tithe on her talents as she made two beautiful new dresses a year for the pastor’s wife.

By faith a piano player named Ms. Morris, arrived every service to play the church piano for over 20 years, she was not discouraged by low attendance or impressed by high attendance, her example is the reason I can gain joy from singing hymns in my car and humming praises in the shower even if God is my only audience.

By faith a country preacher named George Taylor and his wife Hilda were called to serve as local and foreign missionaries, from limited earthly resources they received numerous opportunities to teach and to preach to small and large crowds in remote areas of Missouri, Arkansas and even Haiti.

By faith Hilda taught Sunday school and vacation Bible school so that a child like me could accept Christ as my Savior and begin to grow in knowledge of the Lord.

By faith, lives were shaped by Christian school principal Mr. Wass who set forth a bold vision of Christian service for the children under his leadership, who would become soldiers, firefighters, law enforcement, pastors, pastor’s wives, missionaries, teachers, Sunday school teachers, business owners, Godly parents and so much more.

By faith, Sunday school teacher Jane Meyer taught teenage girls about why Christian husbands were important, how a Christian man will act, and how to pray for our future Christian husband.

By faith, my first supervisors and co-workers Barbara Richardson, Bob Barker & Jim Harriger, who patiently showed me the complexities of Christian service, as they consistently demonstrated compassion and expected accountability, but without either action being dependent on the other.

By faith, families who had adopted children shared with us their struggles, their love and their passion for bringing orphans home. Their bold confidence in God’s plan for their families encouraged and helped sustain us during the toughest times of our first adoption.

By faith, my husband and I added more children to our home, having overcome challenges and having witnessed countless miracles of healing and providence; knowing friends would be fervently praying with us and for us as we stepped out in faith; and based on the testimonies of others, having all confidence that our God is more than sufficient to meet needs yesterday, today and tomorrow.

My brother

I've never talked on my blog much about my little brother Daniel.  Since he passed away in 2007, it has been hard to come to grips with his unexpected death.  My brother had a huge impact on my life.  Perhaps so huge that even almost 4 years after his death, I am still realizing and processing the full weight of the loss for me personally. 

Daniel (age 1) & I (age 6) 

Daniel was the most pesky little brother that you can imagine.  He came into my 5 year old world and turned it upside down!  I have tales of mean tricks, hair pulling, wrestling, arguing, and purposefully annoying me.  However, I'll only tell you my side of those stories...just like the ultimate fight where I had him pinned and he spit and squished gum into my very long hair so it had to have a chunk cut out of it....the result was not pretty.  However, once again you will only hear my side.  Let's just say Daniel taught me to love REALLY annoying people, and he taught me to ANNOY the people that I REALLY LOVE! LOL!

As we grew up, Daniel always thought he was big enough to do what I was doing.  If I went with friends to a movie, he thought he could too.  If I got to go to camp, to Aunt Jean's house or anywhere, then he begged to go on his own or with me too.  When he was about 12 and I had started driving, our age difference was REALLY starting to annoy him, but one day in a style that only Daniel could do, he let me know that he didn't care anymore that I was older, AND he truly SEEMED not to care!  I asked him why he didn't care, (I might have been enjoying irritating him with my new freedom with a car.) and he said very nonchalantly, "You're older, you're going to die first."   From then on when age difference came up, I was reminded that my expiration date was going to be before his...as we got older he would even adjust my expiration date to be sooner for the stress that my type A personality carried. 

Dad, Daniel (age 4) & I (age 9) 

Since Daniel's death, I've realized that only a pesky little brother will adjust your expiration date based on your stress levels.  I've also had to realize what life is like without someone to share your history.  Sure my parents were there, but they weren't in the back seat "pit" of the 1973 Chevy Charger trying to argue without getting caught!   There is a whole OTHER set of stories there!

So you may be asking, how else did your brother impact your life?  Well, he did teach me more than how to to love REALLY annoying people and how to ANNOY the people that I LOVE.  Daniel shaped my view of adoption as being just as "real" of a family as any other, even though I had no siblings by birth, I was sure I had the REAL deal for a brother!  We were a family forever, no matter what!  When Daniel was diagnosed with schizophrenia, it was a big adjustment for our family to realize that in many ways Daniel and I had switched expectations.  I as the "disabled" child was living independently, while Daniel the free spirit, super talented child would need help at various times taking care of himself while he battled with his own mind.  Through the toughest times of schizophrenia's episodes, mom and dad modeled again for me that "real" families struggle and adjust and struggle and adjust together.  I never doubted it.  I just hadn't yet realized how tough some family struggles could be! 

After Daniel's diagnosis, I mourned for the brother that I had once enjoyed such witty banter with, especially as he would converse about far off plans without logic, reason or reality to ground the conversation. However, a new side of Daniel emerged that was fun loving, but quieter. He enjoyed listening to others and just checking in for no apparent reason at all hours of the night and day. His calling my work to chat with me, the "executive director", during my workday was not real convenient and I never learned to fully appreciate or accommodate this new side to Daniel. I was simply too busy to think our time together might be short.

I appreciate the time he took with my kids. Daniel was a fabulous uncle. He connected with each child differently and perfectly for their personalities and interest.  He was especially good with Hannah who at that time could be very difficult to reach out to and get a meaningful response, but they spoke each others language...music and food.

On May 14, 2007, I stopped for my kids to give Daniel his birthday cards a day early.  He had forget that the next day was his birthday which seemed unusual, but he seemed to be doing well.  We had a nice visit and I hurried off to get on to something else.  The next morning mom called before 7am to say that Daniel got sick in the night and it was serious.  She had called an ambulance when his flu symptoms started including breathing problems.  He lost consciousness within minutes of arriving in the ER.  Later on in the day on Tuesday, on Daniel's 29th birthday, we would learn that he had a colloid cyst in his brain and recovery was unlikely.  By just after 4pm on the 17th, Daniel had passed away.   My parents seemed stuck unable to move and I laid out funeral plans for the brother who knew that I would die first.   He was buried next to our grandparents on May 19th.  It was exactly 29 years before that we had first held him and that he had made our family complete.

Grandma Dee

Grandma Dee was a VERY special lady in my life.  Her real name was Eulah D. Bailey, but we always called her Grandma Dee.  Although she wasn't my biological Grandma, our family permanently adopted her in about 1974. 

I first met Grandma Dee when I was a baby.  I do not remember our first days together, but apparently I was a huge fan of hers from day one.  However, my fondness for her caused some hard feelings.  Her sister Beulah had been babysitting me and had asked Grandma Dee to babysit me for a few days when she was not available.  Grandma Dee was always very honest with me about being asked to watch me.  I can still hear her saying, "Your mom asked me to watch you and I told her that I didn't know anything about taking care of kids like you, but she convinced me to try it.  And well, you just liked me a lot and we got along really well.  Your mom asked me to keep the job, and I had just retired from the shoe factory and my husband had died a few years before so I had time to watch you."  I would always ask with a smile, "What about your sister?"  Grandma Dee would always answer with a smile, "She never has really forgiven me for taking her job."

Grandma Dee had the best stories!  She was born in 1910 and was 63 years old when she began babysitting me.  She had raise 5 kids and worked at a shoe factory for decades.  The noise in the shoe factory had caused nerve damage in her ears so there was always "crickets" as she would call them.  Grandma Dee was one of the few surviving children after the 1925 tornado destroyed the DeSoto School.  She would tell of how loud the tornado was and how she and her sister just kept running until they were away from the building and the flying bricks.  Grandma Dee said about 30 kids died and a lot of their friends and neighbors died too.   She also had stories of how she met her husband at a Tent Revival when she was sitting in the car pouting about having to be there.  She explained how in 1927 at age 17, she walked along the railroad tracks with her few belongings to go get a marriage license with Tom.  She would laugh about how as newlyweds, they lived in her in-laws living room until after their first child was born.  They had been married 42 years when Tom passed away.

Grandma Dee was young at heart!  She was so young a heart that she was one of the few adults who remained "cool" and "smart" during my teen years.  Grandma Dee could make even a trip to Wal-Mart an adventure.  She loved to try new products from her small disc camera (a trend that didn't last long) to her lava lamp to a new nail polish.  She had young taste buds and loved pizza, specifically Supreme (hold the green peppers) Pizza Hut pizza, and she had a soft spot for good fried chicken.  For her 85th birthday, my mom took her to a restaurant that she had always wanted to go to, but she had never gone because the restaurant had a bar.  However, she really wanted to try their famed fried chicken.  She lamented, "What if I see someone from church?"  Her daughter Betty said, "Say hi." and laughter followed from everyone!  So at age 85, Grandma Dee entered a bar for the first time in her life to imbibe on fried chicken and she loved it! 

Grandma Dee was a devoted Christian woman.  She had more Sunday school attendance pins than one shoulder should ever hold.  No matter where she went, she was in church on Sunday.  There was no debate!  One of the things I still remember fondly was how much she loved a good storm.  It seemed unlikely that someone who lived through a deadly tornado would love storms, but Grandma Dee believed that Jesus would return when a lightening storm came out of the east.  (Based on Matthew 24:27)  Every storm, she would run to the window to check the direction.  As a teen, I would tease her that she just wanted to be the first to see Jesus. However, what impressed me was that her faith that was so strong and her desire to see Jesus was so real that she was at the window as soon as the clouds darkened for EVERY storm.

Grandma Dee babysat me while my mom worked in a gas station that my folks owned and operated while dad was in college.  She taught me to walk.  She went to doctors appointments in St. Louis with us.  She was a big part of our family by the time my dad graduated college and we were ready to move to southwest Missouri to be near my mom's family.  Each year she would come stay with us for at least a month and sometimes longer.  Grandma Dee vacationed with us, celebrated with us and was a big part of our plans for Summer adventures.   

My husband got to meet Grandma Dee and my daughter Grace got to meet Grandma Dee before she passed away in the Fall of 1998.  When her daughter Betty called and told us of her death, of course there was great sadness.  Grandma Dee had shared so many great memories with us.   She had literally encouraged me from taking my first steps to graduating college.  However, with the sad news, I couldn't help but smile as I thought of Grandma Dee finally seeing Jesus...needless to say, even now there is rarely a storm in life or in the atmosphere that doesn't make me long for the encouragement and love of Grandma Dee. 

Blog Plans

When this month began, it was my intention to focus my blog on people who have inspired me.  The idea being a theme for Valentine's Day, but then it snowed, and snowed, and snowed. Our kids who go to public school have not been in school since January 31st!  Our homeschooled kids are finding it very distracting to have everyone at home (including Daddy for a few days).   We don't expect for school to resume until Valentine's Day on Monday!  So as school resumes, I will resume my plans for this month's blogging.  I doubt that I'll cover as many people as planned and two people are getting moved to their "holidays"....Mother's Day and Father's Day.  However, hopefully the stories will remind you of people who inspired you, loved you and created good things for you!

March's theme will be "Made in March".  I'll be sharing some of my favorite recipes, homemade gifts and cost saving tricks.  I will be showing desserts like Mexican Chocolate Cake (the richest sheet cake ever!) and super moist applesauce cake. Plus I'll show how I save money by making things like laundry soap, dishwasher soap, and more.

Snow Days Survival

I usually love snow days and vacation days.  I enjoy having the kids home so we can play as a family.  The kids enjoy special these times together as much as I do,  However, it has now been a week of snow days.  A week of cabin fever.  A week of too cold to spend much time outside, and I'm worn out!  We've cooked a lot.  We've ate a lot!  We have read, watched movies, played computer and board games for HOURS.  Some of us have played in the snow.  Some of us have done sewing, lesson plans, grading, sorting and cleaning.  HOWEVER, we are all ready for it to melt now.  Even David, who we believe prayed and ordered up these recent snow storms, is ready to go back to school. 

So as I face yet another snow day tomorrow and the possibility of 1 to 5 more inches of snow, I am making plans quickly to make it fun, stress free and hopefully one of our last snow days this school year!  Today I got to reduce my cabin fever by going to teach a college class, but I'm afraid the kid's cabin fever is worse than ever!  Grandma and grand-dad came to visit today too and Grand-dad took Corrine to the library (one of the first days that they have been open).  Unfortunately, her outing seems to have made her cabin fever reach a critical need for more outings! 

This abundance of snow days has even our biggest snow day fans wanting it to melt.  David was quizzing me for new ideas of activities to do because he was bored, and I suggested he play in the snow.  Much to my surprise, he whined, "Not that again."  As I look at the forecast tonight, I must say I whined, "Not that again." This is officially TOO much of a good thing!

Waiting...

Do you ever get tired of waiting?  Well, due to our family's experiences with adoption, we know many families interested in adoption.  Some of these friends are done with their adoption(s).  Some are just getting started in the process or planning.  And a few are waiting.  Their paperwork is done.  They are in a spot where they have finished their preparations and now it is out of their hands.  There is nothing they can do to speed the process and their only possible influence over the process is through prayer.  These few friends are waiting and many are getting exhausted by the wait.  They are in the stage of adoption that I struggled with the most. 

With Hannah, the waiting lasted 9 long and seemingly eternal months.  There was times that my anxiety was so high that I was sure my heart would stop beating due to the tightness of my chest and neck.  However, finally the call came and travel plans were made.  Then we had to wait 2 of the longest weeks of my life for the date of our departure to Ecuador.  We had only seen two picture of Hannah, but we were in love.  Our trip to Riobamba, Ecuador was exhausting and a story of its own, and when we pulled inside the gates to our hotel at 7am, we had been traveling non-stop for 30 hours.  The taxi driver named Patricio told us that due to arriving so much later than planned, we could get cleaned up and settled in, and he would take us on to the orphanage.  We tried to not let our excitement show too much, but our luggage was inside and we were back in the taxi before Patricio had returned from the restroom!  (We did look in the shower and decided that we were still cleaner than it was.)  The drive to the orphanage seemed forever, but I timed it so I know it was actually 12 minutes....until our wait was over.

With David and Vanessa, the wait was 26 months.  Words cannot describe how long those 26 months were!  I was determined to follow Philippians 4:6, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  I tried and I prayed.  I REALLY tried and REALLY prayed, but my anxiousness to have my children with me was reducing my patience with others.  Each month our children in the pictures grew.  Each year that passed, their need for the loving stability of a family...our family....was more evident. 

One day I was having an exceptionally BIG pity-party.  I knew no one must be as worried or longing for their children as much as me, and I had let my resentment stall my devotion time until mid-morning. Reluctantly, I began my devotion time by reading Ephesians 1, and immediately verses 3 through 5 jumped off the page and into my heart.  There it was!  Who had waited longer?!  He had!  Why hadn't I realized it before!  I read the beginning of verse 4 again, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world".  God had waited for a relationship with me since "the foundation of the world".   God had waited for me to seek His forgiveness and be made holy through Christ Jesus so that I could be in His loving and perfect presence.  In fact verse 5 said so that I could be adopted into His family through Christ!



Photos of the end of some of our waitings.



All my life I had known John 3:16 and that God loved me, BUT I was 34 years old before I realized that He had lovingly waited for me from "the foundation of the world"...before He even formed me.  I was humbled.  For the remaining year of our wait, I had confidence that God understood my desire to have my children home, and I turned my prayers towards thanking Him for waiting for me and asking Him to prepare our home and to prepare our children for our future together.  God answered these prayers.  David and Vanessa had a remarkably easy transition into our family.

I'll never understand why adoptions must involve so much waiting.  The feelings of discouragement and the doubts that the adoption will ever happen can be overwhelming.  However, I do know that God knows more about perfect love and waiting than me.  I pray constantly for our friends who are waiting and for the protection of the children who are waiting for them.  I pray for the preparation of their new home physically, mentally and spiritually.  If you know someone waiting on an adoption, please pray for them.   And if you're waiting on an adoption or anything else important to you, please take comfort in knowing that God understands waiting from "the foundation of the world".

If you would like the readers of this blog to pray for your adoption process, then please leave your first name and any specifics that you would like prayed on your behalf AND by all means update us when your wait is over. 

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation

 of the world, that we should be holy and without blame

before him in love: --Ephesians 1:4 

And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious

unto you,  and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have

 mercy upon you:  for the LORD [is] a God of judgment:

blessed [are] all they that wait for him. --Isaiah 30:18

Eat Our Way Out!

We have a lot of snow!  In our area of Missouri, we usually get freezing rain and rarely over 4 inches of snow.   When this storm's accumulation passed 14 inches...well, that almost made this a storm of the decade!  (The ice storm that took away the power for over a week and destroyed our trees a few years ago remains as the #1 storm of the decade.)

So (or should I say "Snow") now we have a problem...removal!  Even though we live in town, the city is cleaning only the main roads.  A few neighbors fought their way out today, but several tried and went back home.  This problem had me thinking and I thought I had arrived at the perfect solution.....eat it!  Yes, seriously, my kids ate 3 days worth of food today SO if we make snow ice cream, then I figure my crew could reach the main road in 48 hours!

"Snow" I experimented with several snowy recipes today.  Paula Deem offered up one that I was sure would be tasty, but too high calorie and too expensive....she uses sweetened condensed milk, but then again she makes good money and does not have as many (non-paying) mouths to feed as we do.  The recipe below is from a friend's friend.  (Thank you to Kathryn Gold's friend!)

"Snow"  here is the "BEST" Snow Ice Cream Recipe:
‎1 gallon of snow
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
just shy of a 1/2 cup sugar (1/2 cup was a bit sweet)
dash salt

Mix all ingredients except snow.  Dump over the snow & stir.



Some of our crew eating their weight in snow!



"Snow" my kids loved it, as I expected they ate bowl after bowl of it, especially Hannah, Vanessa, David and the twins.  However, WOW!  They got major hyper....crazy hyper...."snow" hyper that I took a nap and left their Dad in charge! 

 

"Snow" I'm back to thinking....until I find the answer, I think I'll cook some sugar free foods and enjoy having the kids & hubby all at home watching movies, arguing over board game rules and fighting over computer time.  People tell me that someday when the kids are grown, I'll miss these times.  Well, people are probably right because then it will just be Mr. Workman and I at home watching movies, arguing over board game rules and fighting over computer time. 

52 Million Kids Who Can't Change the World

Of course, I don't remember the night that I was born, but many of my family remember it well.  Overall, they seem to mostly remember the crying, praying and worrying. In fact my own grandma was so worried that she couldn't remember my name, only part of the list of physical problems, and only after a couple days, would she realize that I was named after her.  The shock of having a child for whom the doctor could not say, "She has all her fingers and toes.  She is perfect." was felt not only by my parents, but by my grandparents and aunts and uncles.  By the time I have memories, I had already shown my family that I was an active and happy child. The family had decided to let me do whatever my non-disabled cousins did and just let me show them what I could and couldn't do for myself. The grieving was over and my parents had located specialists, met other parents with children with more severe challenges and we knew that the road ahead was do-able.



Me at 11 months



Exactly two weeks after I was born in 1973, the Supreme Court handed down rulings on Rowe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton on January 22nd.  Since that time, few children have been born with my disabilities which had been occurring every 3 to 5 years.  Among those who have been born is the cutest little boy named Landon who lives in Louisiana and a 10 year old girl born in Korean.  I have always felt a burden for the unborn children and the families making decisions of life and death while grieving and usually without accurate knowledge of the potential of their child.  My burden was only intensified when I realized that the news of the unborn child's disability is often paired with the assumption by medical professionals that an abortion will be scheduled.  This crisis point seems like a poor time to be making life and death decisions especially since trusted medical professionals frequently try to steer this decision towards abortion.

I have often been confused by how a medical school can turn out 2 highly skilled class mates, one a high risk OB physician and one a pediatric cardiac surgeon, YET the high risk OB is more likely to send an expectant mom to an abortion provider than to their cardiac colleague.  Reproductive medicine seems to now view its rolls as prevention of unplanned pregnancy, infertility treatments and gatekeeper to make sure all babies born meet society's stringent standard of perfection.

When I found out I was pregnant with Grace, I was 23 years old and was in the ER with the worst flu of my life.  I had a better job than most 23 year olds and I was buying my home.  However, I was also single and my pregnancy was unplanned.  The ER nurse gave me a list of abortion providers as the doctor gave me the news.  The next day I called my ob/gyn, who let me know that due to my disability, I would need a high risk doctor.  I already knew the risks of my hip not being able to hold together, but was surprised to learn that the referral was out of fear that my child would be disabled, not due to my hip problems.  (My disability has no known risk of being inherited.)  I then went to an amazing high risk doctor named Dr. Dix.  Later she would find out that I had a dermoid cyst growing and would soon be competing for space with my baby.  Dr. Dix was the doctor whom I needed.  She inspired confidence and built a vision of a successful pregnancy.  Unfortunately, her partner doctor at the time was just the opposite.  During visits with him, he would advise dangerous extensive testing, exaggerate the risks of my health situation, advocate abortion with handfuls of pamphlets and he would tell me that I had been brain washed by people into believing that disabled people had a quality of life like mine.  He assure me that I was a rarity.  However, due to many lengthy stays in a children's hospital and though working for a disability rights organization, I knew that I had more knowledge about the "quality of life" of disabled people than this dangerously misinformed doctor.

Needless to say, I couldn't help wondering about others in the waiting room on days that this doctor was seeing patients.  Most were young and had limited education and limited life experiences.  All of us were trusting our doctor to know what was best for our babies, but at least one doctor in that office seemed to have his own agenda, which he obviously thought guaranteed "perfect" babies.  Dr. Dix removed my cyst at 24 weeks.  It was a surgery that had some difficulties, but it was successful.  Unfortunately, her partnering doctor delivered Grace while Dr. Dix was out of town.  I was in labor for 46 hours, which I believe could have been shortened, but I think the doctor was seeing this as a way for me to pay the price of not following his advice.  He had warned me that Grace would probably be small and have a host of problems so after she arrived weighing in at 9lbs 4oz and 21 inches long, the doctor never really said anything else to me.

I was offered abortion resources at every turn and occasionally someone would suggest adoption.  However, rarely was I just simply congratulated that I was about to be a mom.  When I think of 38 years of legal abortions in the United States, I am overwhelmed by the over 52 million moms-to-be who didn't feel congratulated, who were not celebrated and who didn't feel that their kid could change the world.   As a Christian, I do not believe that sex makes a baby, but God allows babies to be made through sex at just the perfect time and in just the perfect way for each one to complete His will.  Each child has potential beyond the conditions of their birth because God has a plan for each mom and each child. 

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. --Psalms 139:14

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:

the fruit of the womb is his reward. --Psalms 127:3

BTW-If you are a mom or a mom-to-be reading this, "Mega Congratulations!" 

January's Progress

Gloominess Postponed:

Well my gloominess are lifting or at the very least, being postponed until April or May.  Besides more and more unexpected projects keep coming in at work and home, so I really don't have time to be gloomy right now! 

Pantry "Eat Down" Continues:

The great pantry "eat down" challenge is heating up.  A few days ago our most picky eater Corrine was on the verge of a meltdown as her favorites started disappearing and she thought she was facing PBJ sandwiches for the rest of the month!  Corrine was advocating cleaning out the cabinets by giving it to the food closet because (and I quote) "those people will appreciate this stuff, unlike us".  So I have started posting the next couple days' menus in advance and everyone seems happier knowing what creative uses I've found for our supplies.  I made a few costly errors in planning the use of the pantry surplus since I did not take a full inventory before starting the menu planning.  For example,  I used all the frozen hot dogs before finding the frozen hot dog buns so I had to go buy more hot dogs.  However, I think we are on schedule of the "eat down" to end on or about February 4th.  Tonight I made the last roast.  Still ahead of us is orange roughy, tilapia, 3 packages of corn tortillas, 2 chickens, 1 turkey breast and a few beef ribs....plus lots of canned veggies and dry beans.  We have a few things that I always buy in bulk so they are not part of the "eat down", but they are nice to help me fill out the menu. 

Plans for After the "Eat Down":

When I teach business classes we encourage leaders of manufacturing businesses to consider JIT inventory management which views inventory as waste because it is money spent, but not in use.  JIT or Just-In-Time was developed by Toyota in the 1950s and I'm going to be the nerdy housewife/adjunct business instructor who tries to put JIT to use in the area of my groceries and household goods.  I already realize a set amount of inventory is needed to maximize the cost savings of bulk purchases and to be prepared for an emergency.  However, these surplus items are going to be planned into the menu and grocery list so that last month's emergency supplies are the beginning of the following month's menu.

  Using this JIT inspired method, I think I can achieve the following:

1.  Fresher food and no waste due to expiration

2.  Less clutter in the cabinets

3.  Fewer trips to the grocery store.  It should be 3 to 4 trips per month.

4.  Greater variety of foods and dishes with more nutrition

5.  Better use of coupons and sale items through planned meals

So I'm already working on February's menu and shopping list; I'm locating coupons and finding new ways to $ave!  It is not my goal to reduce what we spend on household costs, but rather it is my goal to get more usable "stuff" and to get better usable "stuff" for the $1000 per month that I spend.

(If I can figure out how, then I'll post my February plan and costs as I go through the month.  Plus unlike Dilbert's cartoon below, hopefully Wal-Mart and other retailers will keep doing what they do best so I won't need such an overstocked pantry.)

Blues & Birthday

I've had the "gloomies" for about 2 weeks.  I'm really not sure exactly why because it seems to be several things combined.  I was reading a friend's blog earlier this week, and she explained parts of  how I'm feeling better than I ever could. 

She wrote of her emotions:

Happiness when spending quality time with my children and husband.

Anger at myself for overeating and having poor self control.

Overwhelmed with having a hectic, busy, dirty, chaotic house.

Worried about my children.

Embarrassed to go to the gym and work out.  (I don't embarrass easily, but mine would be...Too lazy to load up the babies and to go to the gym and to unload the babies and to work out, etc AND angry at myself for being lazy)

Frustrated at the ignorance of some people.

Anxious about our finances.

Irritation from problem children.

Enraged by said children's behavior at times. (I get much less patient than I want to be when trying to write coherent reports for work and take care of the kids.)

Exhausted most of the day.

Hopeful.

I was so glad to hear another mom, whom I respect, give voice to these sometimes overwhelming feeling.  Strangely enough I found it encouraging.  I am so thankful for Kim being willing to write so honestly about her feelings...and mine!

My birthday outing was great.  Mr. Workman took me to Cafe on the Route for the first time.  It was featured on Diners, Drive-in, & Dives on the Food Network.  The food was amazing and Mr. Workman had reserved us the table directly in front of the fire place.  It was a lovely evening.  I had really hoped for going to do something like see a play, rather than just going to eat since I feel like I already do enough of that at home.  This feeling of disappointment is rare for me and I think it was brought on in part by my hope for an activity with the potential of chasing away the gloomies.  Oh well, I guess I've got to beat the gloomies some other way.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God. – Psalm 42:5-6a

New Year

I love New Year's because I love organization!  New Year's is a chance to get re-organized and to improve on last year's spreadsheets.  Menus, budgets, and goals all get re-adjusted to better meet the needs ahead.  These are prayerful considered in an effort to make our priorities match with God's priorities for the money and resources that He provides.  This year we have an ambitious budget with the goal of living off our base income.  Things like my teaching, Mr. Workman's translating, my unexpected contracts at work and hopefully nice tax returns will be going  to achieve the following:

1. to help us quickly pay off the $4500 in medical bills we accumulated in October 2010 (deductible & co-insurance time)
2. to put braces on Corrine's teeth
3. to pay into our emergency fund to bring it back up where it was when the boys arrived
4. to finish fencing the back yard and pouring a concrete patio
5. to install a new deck with a ramp into the backyard
6. and if all this is accomplished...then saving to fund our emergency fund by an extra 50%
7. and if God REALLY blesses, then a second washer and dryer hook-up and a super large capacity washer and dryer

We had hoped that this would be the year we added a van or other vehicle that could transport us all at once, but reality has hit that it is not in the budget this year.  As many of you know, Mr. Workman and I try to live as debt free as possible...medical bills and mortgage still haunt us, but someday we'll get them licked too!  

So as part of getting the household budget off to a good start, this month we are going to "eat down" the pantry....We have a lot of mixed supplies (lots of can goods, some mixes, many cereals, frozen meat, frozen wheat bread and frozen veggies) so I'm only buying baby formula and what is needed to make meals out of what we have already.  So far in 2011, we have had pancakes with bacon, lasagna, cheesy broccoli potato soup, and tonight's dinner is16 bean soup with beans with cheese sandwiches and pumpkin pie.  Tomorrow's dinner will be crock pot chicken risotto with Normandy blend veggies and maybe a bunt cake.  Needless to say this is going to get tougher as the month continues....kind of like my own "Iron Chef" challenge.  I'll keep you posted.....

Christmas

Mr. Workman and I were discussing tonight (well, this morning), how our measuring of a good Christmas has changed through the years.  We mused that Christmas used to be measured by things like....how good the gifts were, how tasty the food was, and how much fun the gatherings were.  It amazes us that we now measure Christmas by things like how much time we got to spend doing fun holiday stuff with the kids, having resources to have good gifts for each child, and getting to share the Biblical Christmas story with our children.  By the current measuring stick we had an amazing Christmas! 

Serious Christmas celebrations started with a get together at my parents home on Thursday.  Then Friday night, my folks came to visit and as is traditional we opened gifts after dinner.  As part of this tradition, dinner is take out and usually pizza.  This year it was pizza, pasta and bread sticks.  Then after dinner we rearranged the family room furniture and passed out gifts.  We usually start with the youngest and go to the oldest, but this year we skipped Nate until after Grace because he was being so good watching everyone else. 

The twins seemed confused at first, but after a few packages, they were ready to play and it was hard to keep them busy opening more while Grand-dad and Dad assembled and added batteries to toys.  The race track, that I almost didn't buy for them, surprised me by being the twins and Matt's favorite toy.  Matt got a "Cozy Coup" car and wanted to take it outside to play immediately.  He was pretty disappointed when we told him no because it is dark and very cold. 

Matt was our most excited child and he kept asking, "Mine?"  When we said yes, he would smile so big.  David was our next most excited and he was definitely the easiest to photograph.  He knows the "drill" and was facing me as he opened most of his gifts.  Jon obviously didn't realize that he was included too because when Corrine brought him his first gift, well...he almost leaped out of his chair!  Jon loved everything!  I had picked out two awesome toys for him that had buttons that he can reach and press.  Jon approves of my choices and has played with them non-stop.

Vanessa got a doll and lots of clothes including a fuzzy pink sweater, which she hugged when she opened the box.  It was very cute!  Hannah's favorite gift was a pair of super soft, fuzzy socks that Grace had gotten for her.  Corrine loved it all and Grace got an unusually large gift...a laptop!  She thought we had wrapped her Christmas in my old laptop box so she did not realize that she actually got a laptop until she reached in the box.  Great fun!

Nate opened his gifts last, after the other kids, and he was more interested in Jon's toys and the ribbon than in his gifts.  However, by Christmas morning he was ready to play with his too. 

Christmas Day was filled with kids playing with new toys, watching new movies and sharing a huge turkey dinner.  What a great celebration!

Luke 2:4-14



4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Rain on my parade

No matter how rarely it happens, it happens too often.  It causes a dull hurt that I usually avoid to coming rushing forward into full consciousness with great pain.  When I was in high school, there was a grocery store that I avoided because this seemed to happen a lot when I went there to shop.  What am I talking about?  Well let me tell you what happened this time and then my pain may make more sense.

Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, Mr. Workman and I were attending a church Christmas dinner at a buffet style restaurant.  The kids were excited and Vanessa used her walker from the parking lot to the back meeting room which was a LONG walk.  We were all excited for her.  Our whole church group clapped, whistled and cheered as she walked into the banquet room.  Each of them have prayed and shared in the journey with us with all our kids so they know what a big step has occurred for Vanessa.  Christmas cards and well wishes were exchanged along with enjoying a great meal with great conversation and laughter.  It was a great day!

Then we gathered our crew and were making our way to the front doors.  It was indeed like a parade!  Daddy with Nate and his oxygen, Corrine with the twins in their stroller, David with Matt & Hannah, Grace with Jon, and finally me with Vanessa all traveling together in a line to the front door.  Then an older gentleman stopped me and told me that he went to an amazing church and he offered me a business card for the church.  I recognized the church.  I explained to the man that I was glad he had a great church and we have a great church too, in fact we had just finished a wonderful meal with our church family.  He looked disappointed, and walked away. 

Then this gentleman somehow cut around the tables and stopped Mr. Workman.  He began with the same introduction and Mr. Workman gave him the same response that I had.  The gentleman responded shaking the business card, "Listen I had cancer, this pastor prayed and the cancer is gone...something to think about with the crew you have."  Mr. Workman took the card, smiled and walked on....BUT there IT was AGAIN! 

It is so frustrating and hurtful that apparently some people believe we would be better, happier people if everyone could, walk, talk, see, hear and be "normal".   Even more frustrating is the failure of this man of faith to recognize the healing that we have already enjoyed.  We have experienced many miracles in our family and Daddy was carrying one HUGE miracle...Nate!  Furthermore, these miracles were performed by God, not by our pastor.  Sure our pastor and church anointed with oil and prayed, but God did the work.

As a mom, these "faith healers" are even more hurtful to me than when they just try to "heal" me.  Like any mom, I think my kids are about perfect and for anyone to suggest that they would be better another way is a BIG insult.  I know one thing for sure and that is that the Lord has given my kids (or will give them) everything they need to complete His plan for their life...I don't want them waiting on some pastor to try to give them something that God in His Divine plan knew was not needed. 

Illness needs healing, like Nate's heart and lungs.  Conditions like Downs Syndrome and cerebral palsy are a part of who the person is...just like hair or eye color.  To pray for healing would be like praying for eye color to change (or bigger boobs like the cartoon).  Many times people have prayed for my limbs to be "restored", and then they have told me that it didn't happen due to my lack of faith.  When I told them that I just prayed that they would grow another arm and it didn't happen so they may have faith issues too, then these same people say I'm mocking them and God.  In an attempt to avoid appearing to mock God, I now just pray that God will give them manners and teach them gently about faith. 

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. --Psalms 139:14

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. --James 5:14,15

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.--Philippians 4:19

Holiday Buzz....

The upcoming Christmas celebration has our house buzzing!  The kids are so excited. We are so excited!  BUT the volume is unbelievable!  Ed's parents gives us money each year to buy the kids gifts from them.  My parents do most of their own shopping, but I help with part of it, especially for ones like Jon and Hannah.  Then I shop from us.  As the piles of presents grow so does the curiosity of the kids.  However, they have all done well to leave the presents alone, except for one....Baby Nate!  He can reach one stack in our bedroom and as soon as I put him on the floor (no matter where) he crawls as fast as he can for our room and that stack of presents. 

I'm behind on getting Christmas cards out due to a Mr. Workman turning off the power during an update and corrupting the file with our Christmas DVD.  Hopefully, by the end of this week, Christmas cards and DVDs will be in the mail.  It has been stressful making a whole year's worth of video in a couple weeks.  Everyone will just have to be understanding that this year's DVD will not be the usual style or quality, but there will be a DVD!

This week we will also start the beginning of making Christmas goodies.  The kids are all excited, especially Corrine and David who are my two main kitchen helpers.  We have our groceries and they are ready to mix, bake, and most importantly TASTE all the treats.

This coming Sunday is the Christmas program and there is still many preparations to be made for it!  In fact, I'm a bit overwhelmed thinking about it since our kids made up a majority of the cast!

I've been looking for some elves to come help me and the older kids get the Christmas tree up this year.  So far I haven't found any elves, but hopefully yet this week.  Mr. Workman works every weekend until Christmas due to debate tournaments so he won't be able to help decorate until right before Christmas, and I hate to say, "Honey, now that your vacation is finally here, I've got a few thousand things for you to do..lets start with the tree."  We did agree that this year we would skip the outdoor decorating and some of the "not baby proof" upstairs decorations like the foyer tree and my snowmen collection.  But the upstairs ledge is lined with poinsettias as is the table (15 in all) and some of my favorite wall hangings are up so it definitely looks like Christmas.

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day;

their old familiar carols play,

and wild and sweet the word repeat

of peace on earth, good-will to men!"--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Milestones

Yesterday was such an emotional day....I have not cried that much in a long time and for such a variety of reasons! 

First tears of my day came from news that a 10 year old with schizencephaly (same condition as Vanessa) had passed away overnight after a sudden acute complication/illness.  His mother is a part of a group of moms who all have kids with this rare congenital brain malformation.  We all communicate regularly with each other so even though we live hundreds and even thousands of miles apart we feel a close bond.  We can share things that most people wouldn't understand because other people would still be asking what schizencephaly is/if it can be fixed/etc.  We share fears, victories, ideas and most importantly we share a hope that the specialist don't usually have for our children.  Hope is probably our strongest bond, but this year the group has also shared grieving...too much grieving for one year.  Tears had just flowed for a beautiful angel in October, but now again so close to Christmas.

The second tears of my day came as I updated Nate's Caringbridge.  It has been 1 year since his open heart surgery.  I re-read entries from a year ago causing tears and prayers of thanksgiving.  It is hard to believe that a year has passed since the surgery.  So many milestones...1st tooth, crawling, sitting, more teeth, pulling up, babbling, and growing to double his pre-surgery weight and over 9" in height!  So many sicknesses...bronchiolitis, fevers, ear infections, pneumonias and with the support of praying friend, Nate fighting it all off!  I don't know if I have mentioned it lately, but he is one of the sweetest babies in the world!  Nate is such a blessing to our family!

Out to see the movie "Tangled"

The last tears of the day were brought by Vanessa.  She did something ordinary for most folks, but extraordinary for her.  Something that has been a goal of mine for her.  She went out to do something in the community without her wheelchair, without being carried...she went to a movie using only her walker!  I know the irony of a wheelchair-using mom having the closely held goal of her child walking, but you have to remember that I was able to walk from about age 2 to 7 with a brace and then from age 8 to 17 with a prosthesis.  I know the freedom that being able to stand and walk without physical assistance will bring to Vanessa.  Our next goal is to go to Wal-Mart with her walker to buy some clothes, but we will probably wait until after the holidays.  She needs more time to build up her endurance and she currently has me worried that she is having some new seizure activity.  Please keep her in your prayers as we get a new EEG after the holidays.  I'm praying that I'm just an overly anxious mom and that she is not having seizures.  She is such an amazing kid!