Today was my first day back to work for the first time in a long time. As many of you know, I've been working from home on an as-needed basis for the past 16 months. But today was the start of what will be a month and a half full-time run.
I forgot what it's like to sit in a chair for the majority of the day. I forgot what it's like not to have to answer a bazillion questions from curious children. I forgot what it's like to work with adults!
It should be interesting to see how this next month and a half goes...especially considering my children are being taken care of by a different care-giver every single day! Aside from being watched by my sisters this week, they'll not be in the same place two days in a row for the next 45 days! I must say, though, that they'll be in the care of the best care-givers around!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Surgery Reschedule...ment
Since we found out a couple of days ago that the company Seth works for is changing insurances, we're changing our surgery date. The insurance we have now (one which no one has ever heard of) didn't pre-approve us for Madison's Otoplasty. (If you're totally lost as to what I'm talking about, see here, here and here.) Up until this point, we were going to go ahead with the surgery anyway, and pray that some/most/all of it would be covered. Now that we have another option, we're going to go ahead and take it. At the very least, we'll have a head start on our 2009 deductible.
So anyway, instead of Madison going in for surgery on the 22nd, it's now changed to January 5th. I'm a little bummed we had to change the date for two reasons: 1: She's actually supposed to be in school that day, instead of starting her two week Christmas break, and 2: I'm supposed to be working the whole month of January in the office. I hate to have to take more time off than necessary since I'm sort-of "filling in". I am, however, happy it's being postponed because Seth and I promised Madison she'd have her own (newly decorated) room after the surgery. This gives me more time to complete all of the little projects I have planned for her little "Garden Paradise".
So instead of painting Mathias' current room this weekend, and moving a ton of furniture, Seth and I may be able to finish our Christmas shopping.
There's a novel idea...
So anyway, instead of Madison going in for surgery on the 22nd, it's now changed to January 5th. I'm a little bummed we had to change the date for two reasons: 1: She's actually supposed to be in school that day, instead of starting her two week Christmas break, and 2: I'm supposed to be working the whole month of January in the office. I hate to have to take more time off than necessary since I'm sort-of "filling in". I am, however, happy it's being postponed because Seth and I promised Madison she'd have her own (newly decorated) room after the surgery. This gives me more time to complete all of the little projects I have planned for her little "Garden Paradise".
So instead of painting Mathias' current room this weekend, and moving a ton of furniture, Seth and I may be able to finish our Christmas shopping.
There's a novel idea...
Monday, December 15, 2008
Weekend in Chicago
As you know, if you've read this post, our company Christmas party this year was a 4 day trip to Chicago.
Here's a little re-cap of this past weekend:
We left the office at Noon on Thursday, and made our way via Tourbus to Chicago. We played cards, watched movies, chatted with friends and, if we were lucky, caught some shut-eye. 9 1/2 hours later, we arrived at our hotel: the Hyatt McCormick Place.
The view of the city from our room was spectacular! And it's so big, it touched the horizon!
When we arrived Thursday night, the Bears were playing in Soldier field, and we could see the game on the JumboTron
Friday morning, we left the hotel at 8am to head to Burns Harbor for our Steel Mill Tour. Arcelor Mittal is one of the mills our company buys steel from. Although they weren't running at full capacity on this particular day, and a bar of steel got jammed in the machine that stretches it into coil form, it was a very informative tour, and very interesting.
Abbey and I striking our hot model poses in our HOTT Mill Tour GetUp
Molten hot steel about to be poured from the ladle
The steel was poured into bars, and left to cool. These particular bars are still red hot.
These "StarWars" looking vehicles were used to transport the bars to a different facility to be stretched into thin coils.
After the tour, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our big night. We all met in Steve and Anne's suite to "mingle" and play a game. My team won the game, and the prize was $100 cash!
One HOTT buncha gals! (L-R: Sue, Jeannie, Mandy, Abbey, and myself)
And our husbands (plus Bob, who's wife couldn't make the trip to Chicago). L-R: Aaron (Jeannie's), Bob, Joe (Sue's), Brooks (Mandy's), Ben (Abbey's), and Seth (Mine)
We ate a delicious supper at Carnivale Chicago, then bussed over to the Ford Theatre for a Wicked experience!
Aaron and Jeannie at Carnivale
Seth and I
Steve and Anne (the ones we all have to thank for such an amazing experience!)
Saturday morning, we met again in Steve and Anne's suite to break into teams for a scavenger hunt. A portfolio of clues led us all over the McCormick center campus. And, once again, my team were the winners! This time, the prize was a T-Shirt and a DVD. Oh, and $100 dollars was given to everyone who didn't win the game the night before. So we were all winners!
After the hunt, a bunch of us left for shopping on the Magnificent Mile, Michigan Ave. Abbey and Ben, Aaron and Jeannie and Seth and I ate lunch (and dessert) at The Cheesecake Factory.
Saturday Lunch at The Cheesecake Factory!
Sunday morning, we checked out of our hotel, and left for home, but not without an amazing church service at Willow Creek Community Church. I've never been to a "Mega Church" before, but I have to say, it was a good experience. We spent the first 25 minutes of the service singing Christmas Carols, and then, instead of a message by Bill Hybels, Gary Haugen, of International Justice Mission, spoke. He gave a moving message of hope-of men and women in foreign countries who, for most of their lives, have been exploited and abused, until attorneys and officials partnering with IJM are able to bring them to justice.
After the service, we hopped back on the bus for the trek home. We were worried about blizzard rumors in Minnesota and wanted to make it back in one piece. As it turned out, we pulled into the office parking lot around 8pm.
I have to say, I'm really glad to be home with my kids again, but this past weekend was a nice vacation with my husband and some friends...and I can't wait for the next one! (hint, hint) :D
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
QUICK Little Update...
Since Seth and I leave tomorrow for Chicago, and all I've done to prepare so far is laundry, I really have to make this brief...
We've finally set a date for Madison's surgery: December 22nd. It's the first day of their Christmas vacation, so she'll have plenty of time to heal before heading back to school in January. We still don't know if insurance will cover it, as they've said that we don't need prior authorization from them to proceed with the surgery...I'm taking that to mean nothing's guaranteed...so you can pray for that :
Madison turned 6 on November 19th! I can't believe I have a six year old! Six days later, I had my golden 25th birthday. Seth and I went out to Applebee's (one of our favorites) and when we got home, my sisters and mom were at my house to surprise me! Seth brought out a cake and everything. It was a nice surprise.
Well, that's all I have time for today. I'll post pictures and more when I get back from Chicago!
Toodles!
We've finally set a date for Madison's surgery: December 22nd. It's the first day of their Christmas vacation, so she'll have plenty of time to heal before heading back to school in January. We still don't know if insurance will cover it, as they've said that we don't need prior authorization from them to proceed with the surgery...I'm taking that to mean nothing's guaranteed...so you can pray for that :
Madison turned 6 on November 19th! I can't believe I have a six year old! Six days later, I had my golden 25th birthday. Seth and I went out to Applebee's (one of our favorites) and when we got home, my sisters and mom were at my house to surprise me! Seth brought out a cake and everything. It was a nice surprise.
Well, that's all I have time for today. I'll post pictures and more when I get back from Chicago!
Toodles!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Madison Update
I'll do my best to update you on our "Journey to Otoplasty" :D
Yesterday afternoon we met with Madison's potential Otoplasty surgeon. (There are actually two we were looking at, but one has a lot more experience and is about 50% cheaper.) I'll call him "Dr. J." Dr. J. (And his amazingly helpful nurse, Marie) were very kind and patient with us and Madison as we had many questions and concerns.
After his evaluation of Madison's ears, he came to the conclusion that there were three things "wrong" with them. The first and second problems were that the bowl (the area right outside the opening to the ear) was not only bigger than "normal", but it was also separated from the head. The third problem was that there's no crease in the upper cartilage of the ear. The surgery would not only correct these three problems, but he would also take off a small bump that Madison has on the tip of her left ear. (As long as you're in there...) He called her condition "Lop Ear". We had many questions about insurance (I guess we have one that no one has ever heard of...not very reassuring), which Marie assured me that she would take care of right away. Once they let us know whether we'll be paying out of pocket or not (we'll have the surgery either way), we'll schedule her appointment. We'd prefer to do it over Christmas vacation since the transition back into school will be easier that way.
So I guess you can be praying that insurance sees this procedure as preventative/emotional instead of cosmetic, and also for Madison as she seemed pretty nervous about the whole thing-at first. However, this past Saturday, when I was out of town, she did tell Seth that she thought about it and would actually like to have the surgery!
Yesterday afternoon we met with Madison's potential Otoplasty surgeon. (There are actually two we were looking at, but one has a lot more experience and is about 50% cheaper.) I'll call him "Dr. J." Dr. J. (And his amazingly helpful nurse, Marie) were very kind and patient with us and Madison as we had many questions and concerns.
After his evaluation of Madison's ears, he came to the conclusion that there were three things "wrong" with them. The first and second problems were that the bowl (the area right outside the opening to the ear) was not only bigger than "normal", but it was also separated from the head. The third problem was that there's no crease in the upper cartilage of the ear. The surgery would not only correct these three problems, but he would also take off a small bump that Madison has on the tip of her left ear. (As long as you're in there...) He called her condition "Lop Ear". We had many questions about insurance (I guess we have one that no one has ever heard of...not very reassuring), which Marie assured me that she would take care of right away. Once they let us know whether we'll be paying out of pocket or not (we'll have the surgery either way), we'll schedule her appointment. We'd prefer to do it over Christmas vacation since the transition back into school will be easier that way.
So I guess you can be praying that insurance sees this procedure as preventative/emotional instead of cosmetic, and also for Madison as she seemed pretty nervous about the whole thing-at first. However, this past Saturday, when I was out of town, she did tell Seth that she thought about it and would actually like to have the surgery!
Halloween 2008
Baby boys make good horseys. "Eee Hee"!
Batman says, "Hello"!
Our little Ladybug with her matching Ladybug baby.
My handsome men!
Freshman walker trying to get the hang of his new "head"...
Top-heavy costumes cause falling and tears.Thursday, November 06, 2008
My Little Habit-Breakers
My children never cease to impress me!
For a good chunk of Madison's life, she's been a nail biter. There are worse habits a child can have, but this one struck a nerve with me. You see, I too, am a recovering nail biter. And I remember feeling very self-conscious of my hands as a child. I didn't and don't want Madison to feel that way. So I shared my story with her; I told her of my embarassment of my short, non-pretty nails, and my struggle to quit biting them. Only when I realized that when they were long, they sounded really cool when I drummed my fingers, was I finally able to quit ;D.
Madison must've taken my sob story to heart, because now her nails are longer than most almost-six year old girls can grow them! Now, I don't really care if Madison's nails are long, short, backwards, upside-down or sideways. If she's happy, I'm happy. But I can't tell you how proud I am that she was able to kick a habit that some people struggle with for years, all on her own!
As for Malachi, he's had a "lithp" since he could talk! Have you met his brother and "thithter", Mathiath and Madithon?
At Mal's 4 year check up, I mentioned my concern for his speech impediment to his doctor, whose wife happens to have a degree in speech therapy. He recommended that we bring it to Malachi's attention (again) and try to encourage him to ssstressss his ssssses. That was five months ago, and today Malachi can say "Mississippi" correctly without even thinking about it!
I know I'm their mother, and I "have" to say this, but "My kids can do anything they put their minds to!"
For a good chunk of Madison's life, she's been a nail biter. There are worse habits a child can have, but this one struck a nerve with me. You see, I too, am a recovering nail biter. And I remember feeling very self-conscious of my hands as a child. I didn't and don't want Madison to feel that way. So I shared my story with her; I told her of my embarassment of my short, non-pretty nails, and my struggle to quit biting them. Only when I realized that when they were long, they sounded really cool when I drummed my fingers, was I finally able to quit ;D.
Madison must've taken my sob story to heart, because now her nails are longer than most almost-six year old girls can grow them! Now, I don't really care if Madison's nails are long, short, backwards, upside-down or sideways. If she's happy, I'm happy. But I can't tell you how proud I am that she was able to kick a habit that some people struggle with for years, all on her own!
As for Malachi, he's had a "lithp" since he could talk! Have you met his brother and "thithter", Mathiath and Madithon?
At Mal's 4 year check up, I mentioned my concern for his speech impediment to his doctor, whose wife happens to have a degree in speech therapy. He recommended that we bring it to Malachi's attention (again) and try to encourage him to ssstressss his ssssses. That was five months ago, and today Malachi can say "Mississippi" correctly without even thinking about it!
I know I'm their mother, and I "have" to say this, but "My kids can do anything they put their minds to!"
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
America, The Beautiful
Malachi was playing with his Leap Pad this morning, and a book containing some patriotic songs. The songs would play without any words, but that didn't stop Malachi from singing the words he thought belonged in the songs at the top of his lungs.
For the song "America, the Beautiful", instead of singing the words,
"Oh Beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain",
he sang the words,
"America, America, there's nothing like you, too!"
For the song "America, the Beautiful", instead of singing the words,
"Oh Beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain",
he sang the words,
"America, America, there's nothing like you, too!"
Monday, October 27, 2008
Big Decision
This is a long story, but bear with me...
About a month ago, Madison's school nurse stopped me in the hallway of her school. She explained that during their annual vision/hearing screening, the attending physician noticed a "foreign object" in each of her ears. We were concerned, naturally, and asked her about it. She said that she remembered putting a small stone from the school playground into the opening of her ear, and that it "fell" the rest of the way in.
Anyway, I took her to her family doctor, who tried very hard to remove the objects herself, but ended up referring us to an Otorhinolaryngologist (ENT) in the area. On our way there, I called Seth to meet us at the other clinic, as Madison's Dr. and Nurse had a tough time keeping Madison still for the attempt at the objects.
To make this long story a little shorter, Dr. M. (The ENT) retrieved the objects, a small stone in the right ear and an even smaller yellow bead in the left, (What?!) not without a little pain, screaming and blood from Madison.
But she's okay now. Her ears have healed nicely, and she's presumably learned her lesson.
But, the point of this post is this:
While in the Procedure Room with Dr. M., he mentioned noticing that Madison's ears protruded a little. We, of course, said that it didn't bother us ;D and that Madison had never complained about them, but that we'd talked briefly here and there about having them "fixed", not realizing exactly what that entailed. He explained that Madison's ears were a little underdeveloped, the fold hadn't fully formed, which is what causes them to stick out. He said that he could do an Otoplasty, a procedure where he would cut a football shaped piece out of the cartilage of her ear and stitch it back, closer to her head, creating that fold. Dr. M. said that they generally like to do these surgeries before the patient turns 5, so that the cartilage is softer and more pliable. After the surgery, which the patient is asleep for, the patient would wear ear-muff type things for a week, and head bands to hold the ears back for another six weeks after that.
Our dilema is this: Madison is turning 6 in a couple of weeks, so we've passed our "deadline". We feel the crunch to make a decision soon. My concern on the one hand, is that even though Madison has never complained about her ears, or anyone teasing her as a result of their protrusion, she one day may develop a complex. But on the other hand, one adult I've spoken with, who had the procedure as a child, complains that her ears are still sensitive to any touch.
Seth and I have been in prayer about this many times in the past few weeks. We would appreciate any input on this situation. If anyone knows of anyone who has had an Otoplasty done, or anyone who maybe wishes they would have ;D, we'd be curious to hear their story. And of course, we'd appreciate everyone's prayers on this matter. Thanks!
About a month ago, Madison's school nurse stopped me in the hallway of her school. She explained that during their annual vision/hearing screening, the attending physician noticed a "foreign object" in each of her ears. We were concerned, naturally, and asked her about it. She said that she remembered putting a small stone from the school playground into the opening of her ear, and that it "fell" the rest of the way in.
Anyway, I took her to her family doctor, who tried very hard to remove the objects herself, but ended up referring us to an Otorhinolaryngologist (ENT) in the area. On our way there, I called Seth to meet us at the other clinic, as Madison's Dr. and Nurse had a tough time keeping Madison still for the attempt at the objects.
To make this long story a little shorter, Dr. M. (The ENT) retrieved the objects, a small stone in the right ear and an even smaller yellow bead in the left, (What?!) not without a little pain, screaming and blood from Madison.
But she's okay now. Her ears have healed nicely, and she's presumably learned her lesson.
But, the point of this post is this:
While in the Procedure Room with Dr. M., he mentioned noticing that Madison's ears protruded a little. We, of course, said that it didn't bother us ;D and that Madison had never complained about them, but that we'd talked briefly here and there about having them "fixed", not realizing exactly what that entailed. He explained that Madison's ears were a little underdeveloped, the fold hadn't fully formed, which is what causes them to stick out. He said that he could do an Otoplasty, a procedure where he would cut a football shaped piece out of the cartilage of her ear and stitch it back, closer to her head, creating that fold. Dr. M. said that they generally like to do these surgeries before the patient turns 5, so that the cartilage is softer and more pliable. After the surgery, which the patient is asleep for, the patient would wear ear-muff type things for a week, and head bands to hold the ears back for another six weeks after that.
Our dilema is this: Madison is turning 6 in a couple of weeks, so we've passed our "deadline". We feel the crunch to make a decision soon. My concern on the one hand, is that even though Madison has never complained about her ears, or anyone teasing her as a result of their protrusion, she one day may develop a complex. But on the other hand, one adult I've spoken with, who had the procedure as a child, complains that her ears are still sensitive to any touch.
Seth and I have been in prayer about this many times in the past few weeks. We would appreciate any input on this situation. If anyone knows of anyone who has had an Otoplasty done, or anyone who maybe wishes they would have ;D, we'd be curious to hear their story. And of course, we'd appreciate everyone's prayers on this matter. Thanks!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Field Trip
This morning started like any other Monday morning. That is, until I realized (at 7:30) it was the day of Malachi's field trip to the Fire Station- a field trip I had agreed to chaperone!! I showered and threw on something presentable, and we were out of the house in 30 minutes...okay, 35. However, once I reached the school, a look into my glove compartment revealed NO current car insurance papers! Mal's teacher was forgiving, saying to just get them in when I could. (Which I did, right after we returned to school...I don't think I've ever driven so carefully!)
However, that's where the drama in my day ends. I actually had a really great time with Malachi and the six other students in his class! (Besides the teacher and another chaperone.)
Mrs. B. had the children do a worksheet before we left for the field trip. While the children were coloring their pictures, one little red-headed boy, assumingly the class clown, looked at me and said,
"Who's that?"
Mrs. B. explained that I was Malachi's Mommy.
"Is she a Pre-Schooler or is she just here to tell jokes?"
But the very best part of my day was as we were walking back to the van, and Malachi, who was a couple of paces ahead of me, turned around and said, "Mommy, I'm so glad you could come with us today."
However, that's where the drama in my day ends. I actually had a really great time with Malachi and the six other students in his class! (Besides the teacher and another chaperone.)
Mrs. B. had the children do a worksheet before we left for the field trip. While the children were coloring their pictures, one little red-headed boy, assumingly the class clown, looked at me and said,
"Who's that?"
Mrs. B. explained that I was Malachi's Mommy.
"Is she a Pre-Schooler or is she just here to tell jokes?"
But the very best part of my day was as we were walking back to the van, and Malachi, who was a couple of paces ahead of me, turned around and said, "Mommy, I'm so glad you could come with us today."
Friday, October 10, 2008
Shameless Plug
Although I don't see many comments to my posts, I know my readers are out there. And for those of you who live in the West Central MN area, please take note:
Tomorrow, October 11, from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm, my friend Alison will be having a Scarf Sale at LuLu Bean's Coffee House in Willmar. She offers a wide variety of scarves at GREAT prices, as well as some bangle bracelets and handmade baskets.
For more information, check out Alison's website: http://www.alijboutique.com/
I'll see you there!
Tomorrow, October 11, from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm, my friend Alison will be having a Scarf Sale at LuLu Bean's Coffee House in Willmar. She offers a wide variety of scarves at GREAT prices, as well as some bangle bracelets and handmade baskets.
For more information, check out Alison's website: http://www.alijboutique.com/
I'll see you there!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Chi-Town, Here We Come!
Last week, the company I work for sent out an e-mail requesting that we reserve 4 days in December for a possible Christmas Party. This made sense since the past couple of years, the party was scheduled too late for some of us to attend, due to prior committments. Of course, I thought that meant that the party could land on any one of those days. Much to my great surprise, today we received another e-mail saying that we would be taking a tour bus to Chicago to spend ALL FOUR days celebrating Christmas as a company! We're told there will be "mandatory events, optional events and plenty of free time".
No, you don't understand - 4 DAYS with some of our CLOSE friends, going to CHICAGO with NO CHILDREN!!!
No, you don't understand - 4 DAYS with some of our CLOSE friends, going to CHICAGO with NO CHILDREN!!!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Guilty
It's true what they say: The number and variety of pictures gradually tapers off with each child. Seth and I neglected to get Mathias in to have portraits taken until after his first birthday! But I'm so glad we did, hopefully you will be too!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
The Greatest Feeling in the World
My older two children went to my in-laws yesterday morning, so for the remainder of the day, it was just Mathias and I.
We spent the entire day just playing together. He's learning to walk, but only has the confidence to take one or two steps before taking a nose dive into the floor. He loves it, though, and praise is enough to make him do it again and again.
After his nap, I went up to get him from his crib, and for the next 15 minutes, we sat on the couch and cuddled! I can't explain the feeling I get when my active one year old wants to put his day on hold to just rest his head on mommy's shoulder! I think I would describe it as the greatest feeling in the world. I am so grateful that for the past year I have been able to spend every day with my children.
We spent the entire day just playing together. He's learning to walk, but only has the confidence to take one or two steps before taking a nose dive into the floor. He loves it, though, and praise is enough to make him do it again and again.
After his nap, I went up to get him from his crib, and for the next 15 minutes, we sat on the couch and cuddled! I can't explain the feeling I get when my active one year old wants to put his day on hold to just rest his head on mommy's shoulder! I think I would describe it as the greatest feeling in the world. I am so grateful that for the past year I have been able to spend every day with my children.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Bliss
Yesterday was a GREAT day!
It started off with school. I left right at 8, in order to get the kids into their classrooms with their indoor shoes on by 8:20. I got Malachi situated in his room, and went to check on Madison, who's generally pretty "lolly-gaggy" in the morning. But lo and behold, she already had her shoes changed, had hung up her jacket, and was heading into the classroom!
Since I still had 25 minutes until Bible Study at church started, I decided to plop Mathias into his stroller and walk (since it is only across the street :D) And it was a beautiful morning! Bible Study was great, we're doing The Patriarchs by Beth Moore. It's so full of information, which I love, so it leaves me wanting more!
After Bible Study, Mathias and I walked back to the school to pick Malachi up from PreSchool. We were a couple of minutes early, so I let Mat explore while I chatted with another mother.
We went home, had a great lunch, and Mathias went down for his nap easily. Aside from a few phone calls, I spent the remainder of the afternoon scouring my kitchen. I'm talking, take everything apart, and ruin your nails, scouring. It was GREAT!! It just feels so great getting to deep clean my house without children biting my ankles!
After supper I decided to tackle my dining room table, much of which contained artsy-craftsy coloring supplies. Typically, we keep things of this nature in the cluttered, highly disorganized bottom drawer of our buffet...but no longer. I went out and bought a plastic 5 drawer organizer and transplated the arts and crafts to the basement, leaving, imagine that, an empty drawer.
Now, I don't want to spend every day like yesterday, but I actually enjoyed myself!
It started off with school. I left right at 8, in order to get the kids into their classrooms with their indoor shoes on by 8:20. I got Malachi situated in his room, and went to check on Madison, who's generally pretty "lolly-gaggy" in the morning. But lo and behold, she already had her shoes changed, had hung up her jacket, and was heading into the classroom!
Since I still had 25 minutes until Bible Study at church started, I decided to plop Mathias into his stroller and walk (since it is only across the street :D) And it was a beautiful morning! Bible Study was great, we're doing The Patriarchs by Beth Moore. It's so full of information, which I love, so it leaves me wanting more!
After Bible Study, Mathias and I walked back to the school to pick Malachi up from PreSchool. We were a couple of minutes early, so I let Mat explore while I chatted with another mother.
We went home, had a great lunch, and Mathias went down for his nap easily. Aside from a few phone calls, I spent the remainder of the afternoon scouring my kitchen. I'm talking, take everything apart, and ruin your nails, scouring. It was GREAT!! It just feels so great getting to deep clean my house without children biting my ankles!
After supper I decided to tackle my dining room table, much of which contained artsy-craftsy coloring supplies. Typically, we keep things of this nature in the cluttered, highly disorganized bottom drawer of our buffet...but no longer. I went out and bought a plastic 5 drawer organizer and transplated the arts and crafts to the basement, leaving, imagine that, an empty drawer.
Now, I don't want to spend every day like yesterday, but I actually enjoyed myself!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Awwwe!
This is the family photo taken for our New Member brochure at church. Our gifted photographer granted my wish, not only by giving me a copy of the photo, but also the copyright...and that's not all, she didn't charge me a dime! (And did I mention that she only took one shot?) Thanks Meagan!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Big, BIG Day!
Wednesday was a day of firsts in our family:
Mathias's First Birthday
Malachi's First Day of Pre-School 
Madison's First Day of Kindergarten
And to top it all off, Madison lost her first tooth!
And to top it all off, Madison lost her first tooth!
Labor Day Weekend 2008
We had a great Labor Day Weekend this year, despite the fact that Seth wasn't with us on Saturday, and was instead preparing the hunting land for hunting season.
My parents, my kids, three of my siblings and I spent Saturday at my Aunt Vicki and Uncle Alan's house about 2 1/2 hours from here. We talked, we laughed, we skied, we tubed, we ate, we went home happy! Here's a photo re-cap:
My parents, my kids, three of my siblings and I spent Saturday at my Aunt Vicki and Uncle Alan's house about 2 1/2 hours from here. We talked, we laughed, we skied, we tubed, we ate, we went home happy! Here's a photo re-cap:
Liz and Malachi Tube it Up!
Brittany and Madison show 'em how it's done!
Dan and Mathias enjoy each other's laughs.
Our gracious host, my aunt Vicki and myself.
Malachi braves the treacherous tides in his "paddle boat"!
Liz teaches Madison some of her moves from the Ski Team.
Even the van ride wasn't so bad!
Monday was spent with family, playing card games at our house. Paul and Amy came up and hung out for most of the day. All in all, it was a great way to end the summer!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
David Update
This past Thursday, David had his follow up appointment with the surgeon. They ran a CAT Scan and did an X-Ray, and David's still waiting on those results.
Apparantly, David has some little blister-like things inside his lungs. He called them "blebs". What happened with the lung collapse, is that one of these blebs burst, creating a small hole in his lung. The oxygen escaped into the area just outside his lung, which eventually created more pressure outside his lung than inside, causing his lung to collapse. We don't know how many of these blebs he has, nor whether or not he has them in both lungs, and we won't know that until the test results come back. The surgeon told David that he has the option to have a procedure done that would prevent this sort of thing from happening again. What they would do, is somehow make three small incisions on each side of his body, going in to staple each of these blebs. It's an optional surgery, but if he doesn't have it done, there's a 30% chance this could happen again.
David wants to take his chances.
After I spoke with David, I thought about his options. What if he does have these blebs in both lungs? What if one burst in each lung at the same time? 30%? That's a high chance that this could re-occur. I called my parents to let them know what David had said. I asked them to try to convince him to have the surgery. My dad also told me that this isn't the first time David had had these chest pains. Just a few weeks prior, while on a trip to Utah with his youth group, David had opted to stay the day in his hotel room due to similar chest pains.
Please pray for David as he faces this decision.
Apparantly, David has some little blister-like things inside his lungs. He called them "blebs". What happened with the lung collapse, is that one of these blebs burst, creating a small hole in his lung. The oxygen escaped into the area just outside his lung, which eventually created more pressure outside his lung than inside, causing his lung to collapse. We don't know how many of these blebs he has, nor whether or not he has them in both lungs, and we won't know that until the test results come back. The surgeon told David that he has the option to have a procedure done that would prevent this sort of thing from happening again. What they would do, is somehow make three small incisions on each side of his body, going in to staple each of these blebs. It's an optional surgery, but if he doesn't have it done, there's a 30% chance this could happen again.
David wants to take his chances.
After I spoke with David, I thought about his options. What if he does have these blebs in both lungs? What if one burst in each lung at the same time? 30%? That's a high chance that this could re-occur. I called my parents to let them know what David had said. I asked them to try to convince him to have the surgery. My dad also told me that this isn't the first time David had had these chest pains. Just a few weeks prior, while on a trip to Utah with his youth group, David had opted to stay the day in his hotel room due to similar chest pains.
Please pray for David as he faces this decision.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
David
Yesterday, my parents brought my 18 year old brother David to college to begin what will be his junior year. They attended a welcome barbeque, got David settled, and left for home. Some time after they left, David began texting them about some chest pains he was having. Mom told David to go and see the campus nurse. David went to the campus med. services only to find no one there. Since my other brother Paul and his wife Amy live near campus, my mom tried to reach them to take David to the hospital, but both were working. David had to wait until they were done working to get him to the ER, where they discovered that he had a collapsed lung.My mom dropped my Dad off at home, and headed 2 1/2 hours back to David. As far as I know now, David's been discharged, and Mom and Brittany crashed at Paul and Amy's to wait for the pharmacy to open.
Please pray for David. I know God allowed this to happen for a reason, but your prayers are coveted for a quick and total recovery.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
I've Been Tagged!
My good friend Jeannie, whom I love and who's always got good child-rearing advice for me, has tagged me for some random info.
Here are the tagging rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag
Here goes:
1. I bit my nails from the time I cut my first tooth (not literally) until 4th grade, when I realized that if I didn't bite them, I could drum my long nails on the desk and it sounded cool.
2. My parents were originally going to name me Helene Clarice. (Blech!) Helene after my dad's maternal grandmother, and Clarice after my mom's mother. But, fortunately my dad came up with my given name before I was born. Rachel is just a name they liked, and since my dad's middle name is Louis (after his paternal grandfather), he just decided to give me a more feminine version of that: hence, Rachel Louise.
3. I HATE scary movies. Hate.
4. I have a stupid human trick. I can lick my chin. My tongue is freakishly long. But for some reason, I can't lick my nose. The talent is picky.
5. I took eight years of piano lessons, from four different teachers, but I'm still extremely nervous to play in front of people without a band or something to take the attention away from the piano.
6. I put my tongue in front of my top teeth, under my upper lip when I'm concentrating. I think it's hideous, but Seth thinks it's cute.
You're it:
Amy- There's still a lot I don't know about you
Jackie Sue- I've read your "101 things about me" post and think you can probably dig up some of those for your post. You're very interesting and very entertaining ;D
Becca R.- Is there anything I don't know about you?
Teresa- I miss you!
Anne W. and Alison W.- I know Jeannie tagged you, but I'm really not sure there are many more people who read my blog!
Here are the tagging rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag
Here goes:
1. I bit my nails from the time I cut my first tooth (not literally) until 4th grade, when I realized that if I didn't bite them, I could drum my long nails on the desk and it sounded cool.
2. My parents were originally going to name me Helene Clarice. (Blech!) Helene after my dad's maternal grandmother, and Clarice after my mom's mother. But, fortunately my dad came up with my given name before I was born. Rachel is just a name they liked, and since my dad's middle name is Louis (after his paternal grandfather), he just decided to give me a more feminine version of that: hence, Rachel Louise.
3. I HATE scary movies. Hate.
4. I have a stupid human trick. I can lick my chin. My tongue is freakishly long. But for some reason, I can't lick my nose. The talent is picky.
5. I took eight years of piano lessons, from four different teachers, but I'm still extremely nervous to play in front of people without a band or something to take the attention away from the piano.
6. I put my tongue in front of my top teeth, under my upper lip when I'm concentrating. I think it's hideous, but Seth thinks it's cute.
You're it:
Amy- There's still a lot I don't know about you
Jackie Sue- I've read your "101 things about me" post and think you can probably dig up some of those for your post. You're very interesting and very entertaining ;D
Becca R.- Is there anything I don't know about you?
Teresa- I miss you!
Anne W. and Alison W.- I know Jeannie tagged you, but I'm really not sure there are many more people who read my blog!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Journey
Next Sunday, as the whole of both of our Worship Services, we all will be taken on The Journey.
This is a musical interpretation of the journey one would take traveling through the Tabernacle in the Wilderness into the Holy of Holies, as the Priests would have done. Our Music Pastor has arranged several familiar musical pieces to depict the experience through each "Station" of the Tabernacle.
These include: The Outer Court, The Bronze Altar, The Bronze Laver, The Inner Court, The Lapstand and Shrewbread, The Altar of Incense, The Veil and finally The Holy of Holies. Pastor Mark will have MultiMedia to explain each of these stations.
I'm excited. I think this will be an awesome experience, not only for me, but for my children as well. We may have to whip out some Exodus a couple of times this week to get them prepared!
This is a musical interpretation of the journey one would take traveling through the Tabernacle in the Wilderness into the Holy of Holies, as the Priests would have done. Our Music Pastor has arranged several familiar musical pieces to depict the experience through each "Station" of the Tabernacle.
These include: The Outer Court, The Bronze Altar, The Bronze Laver, The Inner Court, The Lapstand and Shrewbread, The Altar of Incense, The Veil and finally The Holy of Holies. Pastor Mark will have MultiMedia to explain each of these stations.
I'm excited. I think this will be an awesome experience, not only for me, but for my children as well. We may have to whip out some Exodus a couple of times this week to get them prepared!
Thursday, August 07, 2008
"Get Out Of Cleaning Free"
Between preparing for our upcoming garage sale this past Saturday, spending three days in the Cities, and the garage sale itself this weekend, Seth and I, as parents of students attending our local Christian School, were supposedly required to clean the school last night. But upon arriving, (rather bitterly on the part of one of us, I won't say who,) we were told we needn't be there as our oldest wasn't going to be a full time student yet this year. It was our one-time-only "get out of cleaning free" card and this was our only chance to use it!
Hmm, what to do with our "free" time... oh wait, there's still plenty to do... how about those garage sale signs?
Hmm, what to do with our "free" time... oh wait, there's still plenty to do... how about those garage sale signs?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A Day at the Beach
Yesterday, my friend Alison invited us to spend the day with them at the campsite that they're staying at this week and next. We had a grand time splashing in the water, and of course, doing what we do: chatting the day away!
Mathias getting a feel for the water
Madison: Look Mommy, a fish!
Malachi, bravely going neck deep!
Mommy, watch me jump!
Time to shower off...
Peek-a-Boo!
Great friends!
Thanks Alison, Ethan and Emri for a great day!
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