Proof that babies snore

I recently had to undergo a radical hysterectomy and surgical repair of damaged tissue and muscle when I got home 48 hrs later, Veronica had a 102 fever and really didn't want to do anything, but lay in bed with me...here she is in her favorite position, snoring away. By the way, I am now a little over five weeks post op and I feel really good. I started back to the gym this week and I've been able to do more and more every day.

A Lesson in Humility

Humility is an important virtue, not humiliation. Many people confuse the two. Humility means to put others first and yourself last. True humility comes from realizing God's greatness and allowing His greatness to shine thru our weaknesses.
Children are a great example of forcing us into humility. Just when you think you have something down pat, they prove that there was something you never considered; therefore, you don't know as much as you think you did. You'd think after seven kids I WOULD know a lot about raising kids and life in general, but the more I have the more I realize I don't know!
Recent events have taught me much in the way of humility. Being at the mercy of others for my care, nutrition, health and *sanity* have been very good for showing me what control I've exhibited over others for so long that lines blurred and how much pride was exhibited in having said control. This has created a whole new dynamic between myself and my husband, as well as the kids and their dad. It is amazing what happens when mom doesn't butt into and run everything in the home! On another note, I don't think my house has ever been messier! Kids just don't have the same qualification on "clean" that mom does ;)

One, Singular Sensation, every little move she makes...

Veronica is 18 months old. In her short life, she has kept all of us busy. She is the only one to have 1) broken a bone; 2) swim in the toilet whenever she gets the chance; 3) put away silverware quite ingeniously (I will have to shoot a video tomorrow so I will have it to jog my memory when I am in the old folks home); 4) ride in an ambulance; and finally 5) have to stay the night in a hospital...oh wait, Katherine was born in the hospital, so she did stay two nights in the hospital because that was before they kicked everyone out at 24 hours...military hospital = 3 days!

Her most recent escapade had us all in stitches. In one of her "empty the cupboard" moments, she found a potty chair and began to cart it around. She then turned it into a game of peek-a-boo. Til the bowl got away from her! Thankfully it had been cleaned and put away after its last user was done with it...umm but Kimberly used it in a much different way!

I just wish we could figure out how to keep her out of trouble without leaving marks....I think they really discourage parents from using ropes to tie their children down!

Oh, and if any of you are wondering why I complain about this child so much....these smiles are for the camera. This is the most disagreeable, unhappy child I've ever known, well, except my friend Kim. We were due very close, but Dominic couldn't wait and came early. He, too, is a very cross and unhappy baby. Maybe it is just a July baby thing.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

We drove to Texarkana on Friday, so we could attend the Koebel-Stewart wedding on the 1st in Bossier City. Amid threatening tornadoes and horrendous storms, we set out hoping to head it off before it hit, too badly. We had nothing to worry about....I've seen and drove through much worse!
Little did I know, the most challenging part of my weekend, was yet to come. I go to check in and the desk clerk informed me that some woman just came in looking for me-by name?! I hadn't told anyone we were coming as our family health has been a little unstable and I didn't know if we'd even be going until the last minute. When we left, everyone was doing fine, except I wasn't feeling well, but I figured I'd gut it out. Anyway, the strangest thing was "she" apparently said that she needed to catch up to me since I had her kids?! Weird.
We then go into the elevator...Stephen let V walk in...she promptly went over and pressed the emergency call button! Ugh! I had to run back to the front desk clerk and have her cancel it as I couldn't cancel it in the elevator. I got "the look."

Our room was cheaper than anything in Shreve/Bossier and much nicer. Clean, two queen beds and a pull out couch, with a kitchenette and big bathroom...we were in heaven! Kat and Paul weren't there as work filled their schedules, but the rest of us got a nice dinner @ Applebees and two hotel rooms--yes, I said two, because we had to switch at 9pm when Kimberly 'accidentally' locked the bathroom door and no one knew how to unlock it. After all the excitement, I decided that letting them stay up to ring in the new year wouldn't be all that bad, so we settled in our beds and turned on an old Twilight Zone....mom would have been so proud! When that was over, I noticed Kim & V were sound asleep, on me-and they were feverish (great!). The kids soon realized that going from 2010 11:59 to 2011 12:00 wasn't the big deal that they thought it would be and everyone said goodnight and fell fast asleep, except for the youngest two who woke up to their second wind right as the others dozed off....ahhhh, the life of mom.
The next day went smoother and we were off by 10...in plenty of time to reconnect with old friends for lunch and hit the church in time for the wedding. Grace was beautiful and revisiting with the bride's family and also the Grete's was the icing to our cake! I was so glad we'd made the effort and the kids, while a little bored as they didn't remember everyone (we did move three and a half years ago) had a good time.
Now, for the next wedding on the 8th, we're hiring a sitter, so I can actually enjoy the wedding!

Christmas 2010

I love Christmas, but this year it has really been a struggle. It has been one illness (setback) after another. The day after Thanksgiving, Veronica developed croup & coughed and cried her way through the next several days (first dr. visit, Prednisone to help her breathe). Within a few more days the kids each fell to strep throat and after a week of my natural cure-all they weren't any better and Lauren's pustules in the back of her throat appeared to be filled with blood and she looked absolutely horrible. So back to the doctor we went! After arguing with the doctor that the kids HAD strep (he doubted my diagnosis until the swab came back positive), I left with two prescriptions for Augmentin. Calling the pharmacy a few days later I said I needed more and they refilled it...for the third child (unbeknowst) to them. Three days later, Kimmy appeared at breakfast a bit spotted...looked like prickly heat. Thinking it was scarlet fever we returned to the doctor, who doubted my diagnosis as she never had a high fever, but was perplexed as to what it could be...by the next day we knew it was an allergic reaction when she had some difficulty breathing and was covered from head to toe with huge hives (the tiny spts gathered together in the night to gang up on her). I called the doc immediately and they wanted her to finish the baby's Prednisone, take Benadryl by the handfuls and then called in more Prednisone...she was on that for five days. 24 hours later the first child began to feel sick. A violent stomach virus invaded our home and kept us captive for the next several days. Thankfully each of us only had it maximum nine hours, but it was hard! Two of the kids broke blood vessels in their faces...yes, they'd thrown up that hard! Paul came home and got it...then a friend came to play a week later; he got it within 12 hours. Friends came to help out after Veronica got into the medicine cabinet and we were transported by ambulance from the ER to the children's hospital and had to stay a fitful night of monitoring...those friends got sick! I feel like putting a quarantine sign up on the front door! Amidst this, Advent passed quickly and quietly. Before we knew it, it was just a few days from Christmas and we'd done little to no preparation.

I quickly sounded the troops and we got a tree (sadly without the whole family, but daddy was sick, Kat was working and well, it just didn't work out for us this year). Thankfully I'd done my shopping quite early this year, so that was almost all done. But baking would have to be content to wait a year. We did a few things, but not nearly what I usually did!








We still managed to pull off Christmas successfully! The kids had a blast and we got to enjoy family and friends over the holiday! We missed those who are far away from us, but know that the coming year will be full of excitement with two friends daughters getting married, Katherine graduating and entering college next fall, Megan getting a driving permit (heaven help us) and continuing to compete in swimming. Stephen has his calendar filled with scouting events and Veronica has us all running around trying to keep up with her (and keep her safe). Hope everyone has a joy filled Holy-day!

no pics?

Okay, some of you may be wondering 'why no pictures?' Well, there is a very good reason for that. I have seven kids and a few have cameras...my memory cards keep disappearing and for some reason, my camera has become strangely attached to those things. Other reason is my card reader that I used to have for the computer was dropped into the toilet one day, then rolled over by the office chair the next, so that isn't working. Finally, Paul is a computer hog. He bought me a laptop two years ago so I could sit with the kids while homeschooling and use it as a teaching tool, as well as keep up with the gradebook better...I wouldn't be hidden away in an office for hours grading papers and entering grades while the kids ran amok. IN THEORY, this all seemed like utopia, right? What really happened is Paul decided he needed to "borrow" the laptop to take with him on the road (or air if you want to be technical about it) and I've barely seen it since. It is always strangely attached to his lap. On those rare moments when I do get to steal on for a bit, you will know because there is actually a lot more activity on fb and there were pictures because I could use the card reader in the lapbook.
About a month ago we had a storm of monsoon proportions...it happened to catch him right as he was exiting his car to walk to the terminal for work. His computer got soaked (as he did). It took several days to dry out, but it still works-just not well. I'm assuming now that Paul has finally purchased a new "netbook," that he will lovingly bestow, umm return, the crappy lapbook back to me...we'll see.

To trust in His love and Mercy. God is good; all the time.

Been fighting off tears all day. A friend of mine, not anyone that one might call "best" in a childlike sense of the word, but one whom I "connected with" instantly is moving in three weeks. Not anywhere close, either...from Tennessee to Alaska-It will be quite an adventure for their entire family...all 14 of them! Yes that is right, 14. They have 12 children with no sign of slowing down ;) I admire their dedication and obedience to God and all His gifts! In my weak moments, in those moments when I don't think I can stand being in the same house with my kids or husband, Kim has always told me what I needed to hear. Sometimes it is just, "I know, I've been there and other times she has a kernel of wisdom that only comes from years of similar struggles. She is younger than me, but with more children than me, her loss of patience, frustration and tears probably outnumber mine. Kim isn't someone I get to talk to often or see that often, but like that old pair of shoes in the back of the closet, you take them out and put them on every now and again because they are comfortable and good for your spirit. Kim, if you are reading this, I don't consider you like an old pair of sneakers because you are smelly, dirty and stained, although I have seen you postpartum, lol! I will miss Kim because those moments will be gone. I probably should have been a better friend, but well, too late for that....
Another friend was in for her yearly MRI of her brain. She has a history of a brain tumor and actually had one removed 15+ years ago, but nothing had really developed or changed since then, until now. Lorrie is my neighbor and truly like that loving, picking on, chiding sister way. She smokes, I drink and we sit outside letting mosquitos eat us up while we share our frustrations, joys and of course laughter, lots of laughter. Our kids almost always get along, our husbands get along, and they live close by, which all makes for a convenient friendship. Sometimes I feel like we are both fumbling around in the dark for the lightswitch to illuminate our busy lives. They have four children and she works full time on the weekends...and by that I mean two 12 hour shifts. Tomorrow she is seeing a research doctor regarding this new MRI. After that she is seeing another specialist who does a gamma knife. Right now she knows not what her fate is and she is very concerned, as well all are. I went by to see her today, shared a glass of wine and thought, "what would Todd & the kids do without her?" I don't like to go there. I don't verbalize it and I know her computer is broken, so she won't be reading this anytime soon. But, the worry, stress and pain that she is going thru is immense. She keeps saying, "I trust in God, I trust in God..." and funny enough that seems to be my issues with God as well (must be the control freak in me). Pray for Lorrie, pray for their family; pray that the multiple meningiomas stop growing, that they aren't cancerous and can be operated on, pray for healing.
Pray also for my friend Kim and her family as they embark on a cleansing and trust in God in an entirely different way. They are moving to AK in the hopes of a better future for the family, without a thing to weigh them down, except what can be stuffed in a suitcase. This must be freeing in some ways, but scary in others and I pray for God's will in all things. Amen.