So, RIGHT NOW, we’re watching the after-effects of a minor car crash on the street next to our house.
(No one is hurt. In fact, they’re all laughing and smiling as they assess the damage. It’s a small town…)
I’m watching my neighbor, the policeman. He’s off duty, but he’s there to lend moral support. He just spat on my curb.
And I realize…that men spit a lot. Women don’t.
Any theories WHY?
Most of you are probably too busy to read about how busy I am. 
That’s never stopped me before.
Boy. This is a challenge. I’m in the middle of so many un-related things. How to put them together in a post? I guess I’ll just dump it all in the bowl and throw it in the blog oven. (That’s where the title comes in.)
My Dad is in the hospital. Long story short, he suffers from adrenal insufficiency. That means he has zero adrenal gland function. At the slightest cold or over-exertion, his electrolyte levels (among other things) go wacky. When he falls ill, it happens suddenly. His numbers (blood pressure, sodium, potassium, heart-rate) can flat-line in a matter of hours. When he feels good, he carries on a vital and active life - for a 70 year old. (Thing is, he’s almost 84.) When he’s punk, he’s got to have help - NOW.
We’re still trying to figure out how to give my parents the space they need (and retain what we need too,) to help them stay as independent as they can for as long as they can, yet be *there* when they need us. It is all okay, it is just something we are learning to handle. A year ago we were eleven hours away, and that felt helpless. They are trying to learn how to live with such a fragile medical condition; yet to live life to the fullest as they still enjoy doing. Mom is learning to catch his illnesses before they reach critical mass, so she got him to the hospital quickly this morning. He is doing pretty good tonight - we’ll see what the night and morning brings. I was at the hospital today with the baby and our 12 year old daughter. I’m glad we’re here close, and I’m thankful to have older boys who can watch our little boys in an emergency.
We’re three weeks out from the big Fiftieth Wedding Celebration for my parents and my mom’s twin and her husband. Since my siblings all live 10 hours away, this is pretty much my party to plan and carry out. I’m sweating a little bit - but I think we’ll be able to pull it off okay. (Small beans, right? Plan on a simple program and refreshments for 200 people or so….Yeah, maybe…but what about those 8 children that tag along with me? Like I said, I’m a little nervous about setting it all up.)
Two weeks after that is Jeff’s parent’s Fiftieth Celebration. That one is in Minnesota, and Jeff’s brother Gene is carrying much of that load. (Thank you, Gene!) That one involves something like 15 hours of driving ONE WAY with EIGHT KIDS and CRAZY GAS PRICES in a HUGE VAN!!!! (Those thoughts make me a little weak, as well….)
Our school year is almost wrapped up. Most of the kids are down to one subject or so. Yay! Now it is time to compile all of my records, put away the books, clean out the drawers, and plan for next year.
The boys (15 and 13) are pretty sure they will be working some this summer doing grunt work for local farmers. Jake, our eldest, begins driver’s training in just a few weeks. That scares me a little, but I think Jake will be a better driver than I am. It will be nice to have an extra driver in the family!
Here’s a few pictures from Mother’s Day. That was also the day that we set aside time to specifically dedicate Mariam and her life to the Lord. It was so meaningful!
She’s six months old now, and is teething on her top two chompers. See the slobber on her Daddy’s shirt? :) He’s such an old hat at this by now, that he could care less.
She thinks he’s pretty special. He thinks she’s precious. They’re both right.
Thanks for the Mother’s Day roses, honey. :) You surprised me!
Hope you all are doing well -
Holly
has pushed my girl right on over the edge.
Dear God,
I’ve never been wise enough to know what’s best for me.
YOU CHOOSE.
I spoke sternly to him today,
regarding how he treated his sister.
He nodded, and accepted.
Then,
When afternoon came,
hopped on his bike.
Thirty minutes later,
he returned…
carrying a beautiful,
heavy,
Bleeding Heart Bush
he knew I wanted.
Paid for with his lawn mowing money.
I forgot that the house was messy.
Forgot a lot of silly things, really.
Then, tonight,
once he was in bed,
I crept back upstairs
wrapped my arms ’round his neck,
and said “thank you” another time.
Just a few more years
and he’ll be grown,
and I won’t be able to do that.
But this memory, and he,
will forever remain
where precious things reside
in the storage spaces of
my spirit.
Of GARAGE SALES.
Not to brag or anything….but I do know my garage sales.
I just won Owlhaven’s Yard Sale Finds Contest. (That’s where she shows you some loot, and you have to guess the price.) I came within .49 cents.
(I will bask in that small victory all day. Thanks, Mary!)
Heather and her children (from An Untraditional Home) are offering some art classes for children.
Doesn’t it look wonderful? Spread the word!
Sometimes it helps to think outside of the box when it comes to the “extras” our kids need. I know that I used to think that piano lessons (or guitar, or…choose your instrument) had to be once a week at the cost of $12 to $15 per half hour.
Things became tough when I had more than one child who displayed musical talent, and I needed to find a way to provide lessons for those who desired them.
I’ve handled this several ways.
First - if you have an older child who is exhibiting strong knowledge and skill, you can ask them to teach one of your younger children. (I pay the older child a little bit to make it worth their time.)
Option two: Ask the piano teacher if they are willing to alternate children. The first week Johnny takes a lesson, the second week, Sarah takes a lesson. Each child still gets two lessons a month. You have cut your cost in half.
Currently, we are practicing option three: Because we have to drive 35 miles to get to the teacher’s house, we have asked if she would take two of our students only once a month. Our teacher is an established woman, who truly is teaching piano because she wants to help children who really want to learn, and she agreed to our proposal. Choose your teacher wisely. Look at their student load, their stage in life. Of course you want someone who is skilled and competent, with a good personality…but the ideal teacher might be someone you did not initially think of! Ask around your community, your church. Beat the bushes if necessary.
We have been able to cut the cost of piano lessons by 80 percent. We receive piano lessons for two children, for a cost of only $20 a month. I personally like that the children have a longer amount of time in between lessons. It allows them to thoroughly know a piece of music AND it limits our driving. With eight kids, limiting outside commitments makes life much easier. So although each child only gets one lesson monthly, they are STILL getting instruction. If they play two instruments, or have other lessons and commitments, it certainly does make juggling it all more manageable.
I have heard of other parents who negotiate music lessons for their children by trading yard work, house cleaning, or home cooked meals for the teacher. If your children want lessons badly enough, there are often ways to find what they need. Just be willing to dig deeply for situations that might seem untraditional, and don’t be afraid to ask! You might be surprised at how willing someone else is to help you out!
For more frugal tips, visit Biblical Womanhood.
Surely you’ve all seen this by now, but Nate and Tricia Lawrenson have brought their baby home! Less than two months ago, Tricia had a double-lung transplant and Gwyneth only weighed 2 lbs. 12 ounces. What an amazing amount of progress in such a short time (Gwyneth now weighs 4 lbs. 10 ounces.)
Is anything too difficult for God? Can anyone count the prayers that have been sent up for this young family?
Blessed adjusting, Nate and Tricia!
This wraps up my friend Mary’s story. I’m so thankful she shared it with us. I wish we could have shared more…pictures, and details…because I would have liked for all of my friends here to really know Mary and to see with their own eyes what God has done in her family. There are just too many people and children involved for that to be the best choice - but hopefully you have been able to see how God is with us and how He works through even our darkest of experiences. Mary has been through years of devastation, afflicted by trials that could have crushed her: a divorce she DID NOT WANT, a rare cancer that could have claimed her life at any time, and a difficult surgery and recovery. As I understand it, she now lives with one lung, and was taken physically to the brink of death in order to destroy the cancer. (And that would be an extreme oversimplification of what happened…) At any time, she could have despaired and felt that her story was over. It was not over, though, He is STILL working in her life and in the lives of those who read her story. We both pray that you will be blessed, that your faith will be renewed, and that if you personally are going through some tragedies you will be able to focus your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) Please continue to hold Mary’s family in prayer. She is expending much time and effort right now to help her Mom since her father has become ill; and she also has two girls who are graduating this year.
Recovering from the 8+ hour surgery was not the piece of cake I thought it would be. I don’t really remember the first couple of days after the surgery, but about 5 days into my recovery the Doctor stopped by my room to check on me. He sat down in the corner of my room he said to my husband and me this surgery was like having a lion take a bite out of your side. Hum…what a way to make a person feel better! Actually it put the gravity of the surgery even more into perspective for me. I spent 10 days in the hospital and then went to an Extended Stay hotel where I could rest quietly, but not far from the hospital. My husband became the most amazing nurse. He took such wonderful care of me. For some reason after the surgery my sense of smell and taste was completely out of order. Every scent was magnified and every flavor was overpowering. My dear husband tried everything imaginable to find foods that I could tolerate and avoid smells that would throw me into a nauseous state.
We were at the hotel a couple of weeks and unfortunately this was during Christmas. I couldn’t imagine not being with my children at Christmas, but we were doing what needed to be done to save my life and they understood that. However, much to our surprise my brother and sister-in-law asked us if they could bring the children out to see us! The arrangements were made and they made the 12+ hour drive to see us. They were able to stay just a day and a half, but that was the best medicine I could have received. It just made me want to try even harder to get better so I could go home. My precious children were so excited to see Mom and I was so excited to see them. We had never spent that much time apart before. I know it was terribly difficult for them to see me as I was after my surgery. I left being a fairly energetic mom and now I could barely walk and hugs were painful. But nonetheless we were able to be together for that short time and it meant the world to all of us. I’ll never be able to repay my brother and his family for sacrificing their Christmas for us!
We were finally released by the Doctor to return home on December 30th. My husband immediately packed up the car and we headed home. My daughter’s birthday was on the 31st and I wanted to be home as close to her birthday as possible. Looking back I can’t believe I made that drive, but obviously God had his hand of protection on us and it all went smoothly. It was such a blessing to finally be home. Now I had to learn how to “live” again. I had chemotherapy and radiation yet to come and just healing from the surgery was going to take much longer than I expected.
During this time God blessed us with just an amazing outpouring of love and help from so many friends. We had meals brought to us for several weeks after we returned home. My mom helped me the first couple of weeks and then she had surgery on her shoulder so she wasn’t able to help any longer. Taking her place was a dear friend who had been my neighbor for many years. She came every morning and helped me get up, showered, dressed and ready for the day. It took me about 6 weeks before I could handle those things on my own. Another friend took me to all my chemo appointments and sat with me the 8 hours it took each time. She would pack us a little picnic lunch and tried to make a positive out of a negative experience. When it was time for my radiation treatments another friend from church organized a group of women to take turns taking me to each appointment. I had treatments 5 days a week for six weeks. EVERY day someone showed up to take me to my appointment. This allowed my husband to continue working and supporting our family. We were so amazingly blessed. I can’t even convey how God provided for us!
As the year wore on my children wanted to continue in their various activities as they should have. I had always been their biggest cheerleader, attending each event, ballgame, etc. I didn’t plan on stopping that now. So I went to their concerts, plays and little league games. Sometimes I had to sit in the back row incase I needed to make a quick exit. To the ballgames I always had garbage bags on hand in the event I got sick, which happened on many occasions. Most games I had to sit in the van and watch from afar, but I was there! They never complained and many times would tell me it would be okay if I didn’t come, but I can say God gave me the strength to be at almost all of their activities.
I could go on and on expounding on all the many blessings and gifts that God gave us during this time and continues to provide for us. But it would take more space than is available. It’s been 3 ½ years since my diagnosis and surgery. My health has had its ups and downs. I was able to go back to work for 2 years, but last fall I had to take a leave of absence and am now on disability. As the cancer is completely gone – PRAISE GOD - the side effects from the treatments have caused damage to my heart. Due to that damage I don’t have the energy I need to work. But I am able to be home all the time with my children, which is a huge blessing. God has a plan in everything. I have held on so strongly to the verse: “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 This verse continues to guide my life.
Sometimes I get down and wonder why this had to happen to me. Why can’t I run and play and do the activities I once was able to do with my family. Why can’t I have the strength to maintain my home without the help of others. Why can’t I take my girls for a shopping excursion instead of just going to one store and then having to go home because I’m so tired. But then I am reminded that I need to be thankful that I am just here, alive, loving, hugging, listening, talking, sharing with my family and friends. God had different plans for my life than the “normal” person I thought I should be. God set me on a path that would allow me to share with others of his amazing gifts of peace, love, friendship, healing and on and on. If I were “normal” I wouldn’t have this story to share with others. So, I guess being “normal” isn’t all its cracked up to be. I’m on this path, it will be interesting to see where God is taking me now…
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