Thank God It's...Monday?

Yes, I am so excited it is Monday. I couldn't wait to write today's blog entry. I was so blessed by everyone's comments and e-mails last week. It is so awesome to know that one person's life can touch someone else's, even if it is only in a small way. The truth is that it's the small things that really make a difference in the big scheme of things. So, thank you to everyone for reading!

The weather was beautiful this weekend. When it is nice outside, my family doesn't spend any time indoors. We just can't get enough of the beautiful sunshine. Scott always has an ongoing list of projects to complete, so he can keep himself pretty busy in the garage. Clay got a plastic tool set for Christmas, so he likes to help Daddy "fix" things.

It is so amazing how early in life a little boy shows preference to the typical boy toys. No one had to point him to the toys that are meant for boys or tell him, "no playing with baby dolls." From the time he was able to choose what he played with, he chose them on his own. Now, I wouldn't have a problem with him playing with his sisters' toys. In fact, he did carry a doll around for about 5 minutes one day. I'm just glad to know that my husband finally has a little buddy to hang out with and do all the things that boys do.

Speaking of hanging out with a buddy, I would like to share something I learned about my husband recently. Scott and I are taking a marriage class called "Dynamic Marriages." So far, it has been life-changing. We have discovered so much about each other that we never knew before. It's like we are dating again.

Each week, we have daily homework assignments. A few of the assignments must be completed together as a couple. The topics are different every week.

Last week's topics were 1. Communication and 2. Recreational Companionship. Up until doing this assignment, I thought that Scott and I had no common interests in the area of recreational activities. I mean, we both like to go out to dinner and to see a movie, but I never thought there were other things beyond that. For example, I love rollerblading and Scott would probably die trying to rollerblade. He likes to go hunting and I have no desire to sit in a deer blind for hours, waiting to shoot something. I like acting in plays and he would rather have an elective surgery than be in a play. He loves watching every single type of football game that airs on television from Friday to Monday nights. I can tolerate about 10 minutes of football and then I'm ready to go hang out with the ladies in the kitchen. As you can see, our tastes are quite different. That's why I was pleasantly surprised by our homework results.

The assignment was for each spouse to go through a very long list of recreational activities and rate each one from -3 to +3 based on how much you disliked or liked the activity. After that, we were to go through the list together and total each activity's score. Anything that scored a 6 was an activity that we would both enjoy. The list had everything for yachting to taxidermy. Yes, taxidermy was listed as recreational. Weird!

After getting together to complete the assignment, we discovered that we had a lot of common interests. We would both like to play tennis. We have tennis rackets that we have never used, so now it's time to use them. We both enjoy going on walks and I can't even understand why we weren't already doing that. Scott likes to play golf and I'm interested in learning to play golf, so I'm really excited to have him teach me. The list goes on...

Besides coming up with a list of activities we can do together, I discovered how important it is to Scott to do these things with me. Boys may grow up to be men, but they still just want someone to "play" with them. Having his wife as his #1 buddy is very exciting for him. Sure, he is thrilled to have a son who will work alongside him in the garage doing "boy stuff." But spending time with his wife is in a category of it's own. After all, I am his best friend.

So this week, my goal is spend more time doing recreational things with my husband (remember the weekly goal thing). No, I'm not going to drag him to the mall with me or expect him to sing karaoke somewhere. Instead, I'm going to focus on the things that we would both enjoy. After all, it's not about what we are doing that matters. It's about who we are doing it with (as long as it's legal). When I married Scott, he was the person I vowed to spend the rest of my life with. Now, with our new list of fun stuff to do, the rest of our lives will be very exciting.

This week's challenge: Go on a date with your spouse. If you're not married, go find a spouse (just kidding!). Spend time with those you love. After all, they are the people that God gave to you.

Rollerblading with a Pro

Happy Friday!

I have decided not to post a blog on the weekends, since we are so busy with kids' birthday parties, sporting events, and just getting outside as much as possible. Speaking of being outside, I thought I would share a funny story about my favorite outdoor sport: rollerblading.

I started rollerblading just after Anna was born in 2001. I loved going to the skating rink as a child, so I thought rollerblading would be fun. After learning the hard way that the brakes were on the back by falling flat on my face, I was good to go.

The first summer of rollerblading was focused on just learning how not to fall. I wore every piece of protective gear they make, so at least I looked like a professional.

The next few years, I got pretty good. I can skate forwards, backwards and can spin around in circles. And, I can go FAST! While this all sounds great, there is still one little dilemma- I can't use my brakes. I mean, I know they are in the back (remember, learned the hard way), but just can't use them to stop myself. So, I run off into the grass to stop.

The grass method of stopping was working for me... until a few weeks ago.

In the past, I have always invited friends to skate with me. My 13 year-old, Morgan, skates with me, too. However, she has a tendency to leave me behind.

The friends that have skated with me are usually on the same level as me. They have skated a few times or may have roller bladed in high school, but none are avid rollerbladers... except Jennifer.

Jennifer and I talked about getting together to Rollerblade for almost a year before we actually did it. So, a few weeks ago, I dusted off my skates for the first time this Spring and decided to "roll" on over to Jen's house. She was excited to join me. She said she hadn't skated in years, so she had no idea what condition her skates were in. I'm thinking," Okay, I'm going to have to take my time and be patient with her today." Little did I know, I was dealing with a pro.

Out come the skates: name-brand, high-dollar skates that the pros wear. She put on her gear and off we were. After skating just one block, I realized it was me that she was going to have to take her time and be patient with. I was eating her dust!

We started out on flat ground, so the braking problem was not an issue. I can coast to a stop when the ground is flat. After a while, we decided to take some of the walking trails through our neighborhood. The walking trails are a lot of fun because they are winding and hilly.

There we were, skating through the trees on the trails and having a blast. So far, I wasn't having any trouble keeping up with Jen or with stopping with my brakes. She showed me how to get into the right stance to use the back-brakes without falling on my behind. I practiced the technique a few times and it seemed to work for me, at least on level ground.

Just as we were nearing the end of the long trail, all of my newly learned braking skills went straight out the window. The trail was very curvy at that point, AND downhill! I panicked! I totally forgot everything Jen had showed me and started skating out of control. As I got going faster and faster, I realized I only had 2 options. My choices were to skate off into the grass, resorting to my old method of stopping, or continue skating out of control down the trail until I got to the street at the end and risk falling on the pavement. I opted to skate off into the grass.

Skating off into the grass usually would have worked for me, except that I was skating WAY too fast. The minute my skates hit the grass, my body was going faster than the grass would let my feet go. I tried to run with it, which is very hard to do in skates. After a few steps, my body flew through the air and landed face-down in the grass. OUCH! It felt like my shoulders had pushed up into my brain. I wanted to just lay there until someone could come rescue me.

Then, behind me I heard Jen calling, "Are you okay." She passed by me, in that perfect stance, using her brakes to slowly skate down the curvy path. She looked so professional. My pride got the best of me; so I stood up in a very cool manner and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just worried about this grass stain on my shorts." Inside, I was thinking," How in the world am I going to get home in this much pain?" I guess this was one of those rare instances when pride can be a good thing. I couldn't dare tell my pro-skater friend that I couldn't skate home, so I swallowed my pain and skated home, anyway.

Jen and I haven't skated together since that day. I plan to invite her again this weekend. So Jen, if you are reading this, be prepared for my phone call. This time, I will master the braking technique that you showed me. After all, my pride depends on it.

Have a great weekend, everyone! Try something new... just be careful that you're not doing it with a pro.

A Special Request

My 6 year-old, Anna, was born with a rare chromosome disorder known as Monosomy 1P36. What that means is that she is missing a segment of genes on one of her #1 chromosomes. What it means for her, developmentally, is that she is very delayed. At age 6 1/2, she does not sit up unassisted, cannot walk or speak a single word. As far as her health goes, she is doing well. Many children with her disorder have trouble with seizures, severe reflux, lung problems and other serious health issues.

Anna has been very blessed by a pretty clean bill of health and a very happy disposition. She had issues with reflux, but they were resolved by a very successful surgical procedure. She has dealt with seizure disorder, but is currently seizure-free. This is probably one of the most important aspects of her health and well-being.

The children with Anna's disorder who struggle with seizures have a very difficult time. I have two close friends who I have met through our children. Both of their daughters suffered with seizures. One of the little girls, just 1 1/2 years younger than Anna, passed away last Spring.

At that time, Anna had relapsed from a 5-year period without seizures. It was difficult for me because Anna's seizures threatened her life, also. During an episode, she would stop breathing and turn completely blue. I knew that if this sort of episode happened during the night while I was sleeping, there was a chance I would lose her, too. During that time, I had to fight very hard to find peace. I know that God has been taking care of Anna since the day she entered this life. Yet, I found myself wanting to fight with God about what was best for her. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that it didn't matter what would happen because God was in charge and His plan for Anna's life was the right plan.

In August 2007, her seizures stopped. She was put on a medication that has very little side-effect. Since then, she has been her normal, happy, energetic and giggly self. I am thankful that she is once again seizure-free. Yet, at the same time, I sympathize with my friend whose daughter still struggles with uncontrollable seizures.

Yesterday, she informed me that her daughter's seizures are now lasting up to an hour at a time. They have exhausted every type of treatment, surgery and medicine known to help seizure disorders like this. Nothing has helped. The doctor has told them that they are left with 2 options: 1. take her to the E.R. each time to be put into a medicine-induced coma or 2. keep her home and watch her closely so she doesn't die during an episode. Neither choice sounds acceptable to me, so I ask for your prayers.

To those of you who know God's miraculous healing power, pray for Holly. I ask you to pray that God lay His hands upon her and heal her body of these seizures. Many of you prayed for Anna during her ordeal and have seen, firsthand, what God can do. I believe He can do the same for Holly.

If you are reading this and have never asked God for anything, its never too late to start. Whatever your needs are today, He knows. Whatever you have thought to ask for, He is waiting for you to ask. If you have ever felt like He wasn't listening, He was. He always listens. Today is the day to start trusting Him.

One Proud Mama

Ever have those days when everything goes right and you are kinda surprised by it? Well, yesterday was one of those days...

It started out the same as always. I got Anna and Morgan off to school, wrote my blog, read my devotional and, most importantly, drank my cup of coffee. I really enjoy my coffee!

I had to go to the grocery store, since I never made it on Monday. So, we got ready to go and made it to the store before lunchtime- which is a miracle in itself. I seem to have the hardest time getting ANYWHERE before lunchtime these days. Thank God I don't have to get to a job on time! I'd be fired. Getting to church by 8:30 Sunday morning is hard enough.

Okay, so back to the story...

We made it through the grocery store without too much fighting between Sarah and Clay, meaning they didn't beat each other up as they sat side by side in the red car cart. On a side note, the red car cart is this gigantic cart shaped like a car with steering wheels that hold 2 kids. While it does a great job of entertaining the little ones, maneuvering the monstrosity 'round corners and down aisles should be an olympic event in itself. Yet, I'd rather push that cart and keep them entertained than push a regular, boring cart. It's actually a pretty good workout.

While at the store, Sarah spotted the baby bananas. She insisted that we buy them for her favorite monkey, Curious George, a.k.a. Georgie. Georgie is Sarah's pal. He goes everywhere that we go. She sleeps with Georgie, plays outside with Georgie, and even puts him safely in a cubby at church each Sunday. If he gets lost, everyone in the house frantically searches for him until he's found. Needless to say, Sarah loves Georgie very much. Seeing how much it meant to her that I buy the baby bananas no bigger than my thumb, I bought a bundle just for Georgie. I even took a picture of him, sitting on the counter with his bananas. See picture below:

We had so much fun doing Georgie's "photo shoot." Seeing how much Sarah loves Georgie just touched my heart. My daughter loves him so much that she even wants to buy food for him and take his picture. She's one proud mama to that monkey, which makes me one proud mama, too.

After our photo shoot, the rest of the day went just as well. I actually got the chance to mop the floors and wash all of the laundry. I even went through their closets and packed up the clothes that didn't fit. It was a productive day.

After dinner, I had to take Sarah to gymnastics. She just moved up to higher class and last night was her first night in the new class. I have to brag a little and tell you that she did awesome! She not only kept up with the other girls, but even did better on some of the skills. Then, she did her cartwheel so well that her coach showed her how to do a one-handed cartwheel and told her to practice that for the rest of the time. I got tears in my eyes as I watched my 4 year-old do what she loves best. Yes, I may be a little emotional, but what can I say? I'm just one proud mama.

Days like yesterday is what it's all about. It wasn't some out-of-the-ordinary day or anything. Just a day that went well. A day to just appreciate what God has given me. A day to look at the simple things and be proud. A day to remember on those other days that don't go so well. After all, life is not perfect. Life is full of it's ups and downs. But if we will focus on the good times, it will be a little easier to get through the rest.

Sarah on the trampoline:

It is Okay to Cry

I tried to get to the grocery store all day, yesterday. When I left for the bank and store at lunchtime, my son threw a fit in the car. After trying to calm him down at the bank, I decided to give up and go home. I had plenty of chores waiting for me at home, anyways.

Shortly after arriving home, my aunt Sandra called. Even though she is my aunt, there is only a 5-year age difference between us; so we are more like sisters. She lives 3 1/2 hours away and has a houseful of boys who keep her very busy, so we don't get to talk much. It was perfect timing because I had just been thinking about her that morning and thought to myself that I would call her when I had time. It's funny how God arranges that!

We haven't had a good conversation in over a year, so we ended up chatting through our kids' entire naptime- 2 1/2 hours! We talked about everything 2 moms could talk about. It was so refreshing!

Towards the end of our conversation, Sandra shared with me the struggle she has with dealing with the loss of her second son, Jacob. Jacob would be 3 1/2 years old now, but died just before being born in June 2004. His umbilical cord got wrapped around his neck and tightened just days before his due date. There was a funeral. Sandra had some of his things framed to hang in memory of him. She also took pictures of him and created a special photo album. And then, about 6 months later, she and her husband decided to get pregnant again and Jaden was born the following summer. Baby Justin followed 2 years later.

Sandra expressed how difficult it is, even today, to think about Jacob. Each holiday is a reminder that he is not here. And while it seems like no one else remembers him, he is so much a part of her heart every day. She cried, but said she felt silly for crying about it. I encouraged her to cry as much as she needed. Even though I can't understand completely how it must feel to lose a child, I know how important it is to cry when you need to cry.

I pray that I never experience the loss of a child. It is a pain we never want to feel. If, however, you have experienced such loss, CRY! Cry as much as you need. It is releasing and lifting. God is holding every single tear that you shed in the palm of His hand. He gave us those tears for a reason. He knew that our lives on Earth would bring all kinds of painful experiences, so He gave us the gift of tears. When you feel like you are all alone and no one in this world can understand exactly what you are facing, He completely understands. He invites you to bring your whole heart to Him. Trust Him.

I look at the day before me. I don't know what it holds. I trust that God will give me what I need to get through this day. He always does! Sister, He has equipped you, too. Be brave, be strong, and cry if you need to.

A Day to Reflect

As I sat at my computer this morning, my 18 month-old son ran around the kitchen in his fuzzy blue pajamas, looking for something to climb on. My 4 year-old was busy watching "Curious George" on PBS and drinking her chocolate soymilk. This is the norm for my mornings.

Just as I got an idea for my first blog, I heard the kitchen chair behind me start scooting across the floor. I turned around to see my son standing on the chair at the cabinet, digging in a box of vanilla wafers. Vanilla wafers...hmm... not the best choice for breakfast, you say? I agree. However, this was not the first food I offered him for breakfast.

I started my Monday, as usual, with a new weekly goal. You see, this year I decided that I would set weekly goals that are more attainable, rather than stress myself out with some New Year's resolution that I would end up breaking by January 15- my usual day of defeat. So far, the weekly goal thing is going okay.

This week's goal: to eat a new healthy food. The food: Kefir (a liquid-type yogurt very high in good bacteria). My first response to kefir was to gag and spit it out. I hate milk products. I like cheese, but anything that resembles milk makes me sick. However, my son thought the kefir was delicious. I even added fish oil to it to give him DHA, which is good for his brain (I'm secretly hoping that he'll be the next Einstein). Poor kid has no idea!

So... after giving him the kefir, I also gave him a bowl of completely organic fruit salad left over from our Easter lunch on Sunday. For some reason, he loved eating it yesterday, but decided to throw it all over the floor today. Then, when I took the tray of food away from him, he threw his cup of kefir on the floor, too. What is a mother to do? Answer: feed him vanilla wafers so he won't go hungry and fail on day 1 of this week's weekly goal.

Bummer!

Even though I have failed at my goal for the week, I reflect on my life's successes. I realize that with every moment I felt like I had failed, there is another moment when I felt like a total success.

My son may have eaten vanilla wafers for breakfast today. My daughter may have watched too many hours of television while I sat at this computer. And I'm sure that if I thought about it, I failed at something while my 2 older daughters were getting ready for school this morning. However, I am raising 4 beautiful children who look past all of my faults and love me just because I'm Mommy.

As I sat with my family in church on Easter Sunday, I cherished the love I had for each of them, dressed in their Sunday best and sitting like perfect little angels. My husband held our 6 year-old on his lap and I held our 4 year-old as we watched a beautiful illustration of Christ's death and resurrection. I can't imagine anything more successful than raising a family.

So... today I focus on the successes of my life. And since I failed at my weekly goal to eat a healthy food, I eat a piece of chocolate candy from the Easter basket.