Our whirlwind life lately!

I haven't actually blogged in so long. Life has been quite busy, but I thought I should put up a synopsis of some of what's been going on with us. First of all, for 6 months of the past year we have had relatives staying with us at our old house. First was Mike's cousin who needs some help and Mike helped to get into his own apartment with a room mate through DMR so that was a good ending, and second was Mike's brother and his family. This was a very trying time for us, though we tried to do the right thing, we had some trial through it all.

My husband was a salesman for a heating and cooling company for over 2 years. He had gone to a few different states for training at various times including Texas, Illinois and Georgia. When he was in Georgia, he fell in love with the center there, the area and the hospitality of the people. From that time on, he had the idea we would move there.

Eventually, he talked to different friends he had made from different states in the company, and a friend down in GA helped him to get down there. Mike had his interviews and the plans were set for him to start work there in Jan. We were semi-packed since November, and 3/4 packed right after Christmas. The date was moved up a few times so the date was reset to Jan 25th to start work down there.

We found a gorgeous 5 bedroom house that we were approved for in a nice neighborhood. I was excited to be living in the bible belt and where homeschooling is quite popular, therefore there would be even more available to us! All we were waiting for was the funds to come in from the company for moving expenses. We waited and waited and wondered why they hadn't arrived and how on earth he could start work without them. Therefore we couldn't secure the house or the utilities at that time. Then one day, 10 days before our moving date, some higher ups in the company called Mike and offered him a general management position. My hubby is good at what he does and I think it makes sense that the district didn't want to lose him. You would have expected us to have been excited, a promotion is such a big deal! However, the new location was to be Buffalo, NY and not only that, but Mike was *supposed* to have been promoted before, only for the company to TOTALLY drop the ball, so we did not at all trust them.

Back in the summer, Mike was supposed to be interviewing for a GM position, and headed down to PA to interview for that. Come to find out, the DM was thinking of him more for a DSM position (district sales manager) which means he would have to travel 5 days a week! That is a step back for us, not forward, and the pay was also. My husband is very good at what he does and made a decent income, what was hard was that since he was ONLY commission with no base salary it came in spurts. We certainly didn't want a pay cut for a positon with TONS more responsibility and taking him out of our home for 2/3 of the year. NOT. COOL. AT. ALL. At this first interview the DM was selling him on the DSM position, and Mike, wanting to get his foot in the management door was seriously considering it.

Mike then had his second interview with some people in Long Island, NY. It well also and they mentioned how they thought he would get good as a GM. Music to our ears!! A few days later, Mike received an email saying Congrats into the GM program, along with a schedule for 9 weeks of training in TX. Wonderful! We were so happy, celebrating, and telling everyone! Mike felt relief, and knew from that moment on that he didn't want the DSM position at all.

You would think that would have been the beginning of a new life for us. HOWEVER, a couple days later when he met with his DM, he was expecting his DM would congratulate him but insstead he was told that it was a 'mistake' and that they are asking him to not take the class etc,... We were devestated! We were hurt and felt betrayed. Mike stayed professional though, said no thank you to the DSM offer, and fixed it in his mind to be happy as a salesman if that's what was going to be. And he did.

His center had a lot of problems which made doing his job difficult. There wasn't team work, and he couldn't trust others to do their jobs which resulted in him working mega hours doing both his job, and checking up on others since his name as a salesman was on the line. Mike is no complainer, he tries to solve problems and the at the time current managment didn't want to consider his ideas, and it was a frustrating environment. It was during this time he put in to transfer to GA. He got approval from his boss, and from his DM. And there we were waiting for the funds. It was 10 days before when we were supposed to move when the call came in to offer him a GM position. You can now understand why we were worried and not trusting. Wondering if this was simply to thwart his moving or what, but not wanting to believe that. Then on top of that, Georgia to upstate NY! Sun to snow! Oh boy what a decision!! Then, this is what he had always wanted, to be in managment.......

We thought about it for not long at all, knew he had to take the position, yet we were feeling so deflated. Not a normal reaction at all when receiving a promomtion, is it? So, ten days before moving we accepted, and put aside our plans to move to one state, in favor of moving to another. Soon we found out that the position wasn't his quite yet as it had sounded, but he had to interview for it, down in TX. It was policy. Are. You. Kidding. Me?!. He as assured that unless he dropped the ball that the position was his. He was being reccomended by certain people which meant a pretty much guarantee he would hold the position. We did not expect that. So for 2 weeks, which seemed like forever and a day we waited. Finally after him sending another E-mail stating that we have given our notice to our landlord and were supposed to already have been moved out and all the other reasons why we have to move and have postponed it due to this position offer, he got an interview date. He flew down, met and interviewed ALL DAY with six different big guys at corporate, which went very well. Soon thereafter, he was told the position was his. However we had to wait longer still because they had to move the guy that was currently there to a new center, so there was some logistics and timing that had to be figured in.

Finally the day came when he had a start date mid-Febuary, and we found a house in a town half hour from where he'd be working in a little hill town, where there were tons of hills, horses and snowmobiles. We found an 8 bedroom to rent, which had a creek running thru the far back of the yard and a good size established garden, which was a plus to me! We traveled here to see it, and signed a lease the next day, leaving our deposit. YAY right? Wrong! A week and few days later, we get an Email from owners saying that their own move had fallen through, and they were backing out of our lease and returning our deposit. I was crushed! How could this happen? Where would we go now? It was hard to find that house, a house with at least 4 bedrooms that would accept my two cats and little dog.

It was a very trying time. I thought we were so blessed with this job and this house and now nothing was certain. AGAIN. If God had a plan I surely couldn't see it. I just prayed and prayed that we would find a suitable house in a safe to live area, somewhere my adolescent boy couldn't find trouble every direction he looked which seemed to be the way it would be if forced to live in the heart of the city.

Mike came out to NY to work and stayed in a hotel while we stayed in MA for 3 weeks. While he was out here he was able to look for houses easily after work. There were only 3 houses that had 4-5 bedrooms and accepted pets. The first one was out of our budget, in a nice area, but I hated the house and it was too much money anyhow. The second one, I did not see, but Mike did. It was a viable option and in our budget. The third house was a house we would have never though to look into on our own, yet our realtor had it come up as an option fitting our needs. When we drove up to the house, I was amazed because all along the road, as far as the eyes could see was Lake Erie. It was a huge expanse, almost like the ocean, it stretched as far as the eyes could see, and was covered with snow, looking like a endless white plain. The outside of the house was impressive enough. When we walked up to it, I jokingly said "ok we'll take it" and laughed before even going inside. When we walked through the house we got very excited, oohing and ahhing. I later facebooked "I just saw the most beautiful house I have ever laid eyes on or stepped inside. So beautiful I could have cried. I almost imagined some Jane Austen characters bustling by." Everything, right down to the antique fixtures screamed my name, as if the place were built FOR ME. I also thought the place was way out of our league. I didn't really expect anything to come of it. I totally felt detached emotionally because of my belief, which was a good thing because I am really sick of the emotional roller coaster rides I usually take with everything. Come to find out it was OURS to rent!!!!!! What a wonderful blessing to us. I am totally THRILLED that the first place fell through even though I was devestated at that time.

This is the view from our enclosed front porch this morning, this was shot thru two layers of glass windows:

Mike is learning the position, and having to work late at times to just keep his head above water, because of course that wonderful 9 weeks training in TX doesn't happen again until THIS fall, so he is learning a lot of it the hard way. WHEW! I am confident all will work out and we get to enjoy this beautiful house and lake for 2 years. My two older children are in safe and wonderful school systems, and my 3 youngest continue in their homeschooling ventures. I even met a new friend here at the second homeschooling group I attended. She has been such a blessing to me, has given me so much info on groups, the cooperative we are now attending, things to do, places to shop....I really don't know what I would have done without her, she is a joy to know. I coudln't be happier right now. So that is where we are now. Let's see what comes next....

UPDATE:
In 2008-2009 school year, my son was in 5th grade and we were really really struggling with our district to get him into a special placement to address his needs. I prayed and prayed and prayed for this placement for Mike. They fought us tooth and nail and refused to budge. Agreeing would have cost the district money. Then the year ended and he went to middle school for the 2009-2010 year, which we are still currently in. The placement here was better, but there were still issues. We loved his teachers here though, and the experience was such a relief compared to the elementary school experience with this son.

We moved here in March, and after looking over my son's IEP, our current district called and spoke to his teachers back home. They decided to give him an out of district placement, a private school placement at that, EXACTLY what we had been fighting for in MA and been refused. WE didn't even ask!!! It was handed to us!! ANSWERED PRAYER! With everything that had been going on with the job situation, the incredile ups and downs, I was so focused on that, that ashamedly it took a little bit of settling in to realize that this was answered prayer. No it didn't happen immediately, it took a year, yet it happened so seamlessly and easily when the time was right. Just had to share!! PRAISE GOD!

It's been awhile......AGAIN

I am such a slacker blogger lately! I have been feeling like time is getting away from me. There just have been so many appointments, part of the territory with children in general, never mind when there are special needs involved. I have a standing play date once a week with an old-time friend of mine, and preschool co-op once per week with Aiden, let's not forget one swimming lesson per week for all four boys (getting the most out of one stone there!!), and AWANA on Wednesdays, and we have some type of get together once per week. I have also been babysitting two full days per week for the last 6 months.

It doesn't sound like too much for a family of 8, but the next thing I know it is afternoon, time to pick little boys up, and the snowball is rolling faster right up till bedtime. I feel like I can barely keep up, and the house is never quite the way I would like it to be running. WHEW...blogging has fallen to the wayside. I don't know how those "supermoms" do it. I just want to be at home with nothing extra to do for a solid week (grin), putter around our house, arranging things, messing with the garden and not fearing having enough time, get to all those little things that really make a difference, and that I have been really missing lately.

Today is a mental health day. I cancelled a dentist appointment, and I am not sorry. We will be home all day doing what needs doing, and every other day this week we are busy. I'm going to get lots of laundry put away, counters cleaned, rooms freshened up, read some of The Pursuit Of God by A.W. Tozer, breathe. Tonight I'm going to take my time and cook something with joy and hope Mike will be home to partake with us. Maybe we'll even break out a game, though I enjoy a game without little pieces to worry about, say charades. hmmmmmmm......
I hope to have some pictures of *something* to share next time.
Have a beautiful week~

*update 6:27pm*
Just realized that we missed the swim lesson today. I am not one bit sorry. Dh reminded me a few minutes ago, and I honestly forgot all about it. I SO needed this day at home to do what needed to get done, to refresh myself with reading etc,... and to be able to make a really nice dinner with my love put into it and family time rather than the usual (lately) irritation while trying to cook something mediocre and eat it fast enough to get out of the house and to wherever on time, and then to arrive back with no time or energy for homework. I wish I could have more days like this. Weird thing is all winter long we didn't do much, but I was lonely and bored to tears. I need some balance and some down time more often.



I came up with this version of chicken parm tonight, plugged into a nutritional calculator and it came up to 454 calories per serving, so I am quite pleased with myself. It was actually delicious as well, and the info input is saved for easy tracking next time I make it. =)

Here's the recipe:

trim chicken parmesan



Ingredients

1 lb. of whole wheat pasta

3 pieces of chicken breasts

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup romano cheese

1/4 cup shredded parm cheese

1 Tbsp granulated garlic

1 TBSP basil

1 tsp dried parsley



Nutritional Info


Fat: 9.8g
Carbohydrates: 48.4g
Calories:453.4
Protein: 42.9g



Set a pot of water with a pinch of salt over medium high heat to boil for the pasta. Add the pasta once boiling, and cook according to package instructions. When done, top with 1 cup of the sauce and divide up between six plates with a piece of the done chicken.

Take 3 pieces of chicken breast and butterfly cut them so you have six thin pieces. You may also use mallet to flatten if you have very thick pieces.

Next, mix 1 cup plain panko bread crumbs with 1/2 cup romano cheese. Add 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 Tbsp basil and 1 Tbsp granulated garlic. Take chicken and coat in this bread crumb mixture.

Line 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper. Add the coated chicken so they are not over lapping.

Top each with an equal amount of the half cup of sauce, then equally top each piece of meat with the 1/4 parm cheese.

Place in 375 degree oven 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Number of Servings: 6

Long Time No Talk

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted. My camera cord is missing so I'm unable to upload any pictures until I ask dh where he stashed them. We've slipped into a normal routine again, and are enjoying the milder weather. Two days last week were sooooo hot we had the air on! Now its back to the 60's and being quite cool in the morning and evening. Spring is back!!! We took advantage of the cooler temps and baked cookies today. :)

It's been easier to get up early this week, thank God! I've had this veil of fatigue over me for MONTHS now and suddenly yesterday I realized I hadn't been as tired all of the time for a couple of days (I was waking up tired previously). Funny how we suddenly notice days later that an issue is gone. My dh likes to blame fatigue on lack of working out but I had been working out everyday, that was not the reason for it.

Last Sunday our church did a laying of hands prayer time for me upon my request. Some of you may know that 2 years ago I was dx'd with MS. I also have some personal struggle that I've had my whole life. I know God can heal me, and so I've asked many times. I figured I'd better do what the bible says and have some deacons/elders lay hands on me and annoint with oil. It is such a privilege to be part of a local body of believers who are willing to do just that.

Still thinking on the homeschool vs. school decision. I like the idea of homeschooling and get all idealistic when pondering it. The reality of the situation is the toll it may take on me, and the amount of time dh will be able to be involved, and how it may affect my reationship with eldest (challenging) son. As things stand, it would all rest on me, and with six children and my health issues, I am not sure we are considering the decision for the right reasons. I am afraid I am leaning toward hs for selfish reasons and that scares me. I feel as though I have been going through almost some sort of a mid-life crisis. And yes I am too young for that, I am only 34, but reality is I have a 17 year old, so all in all life experience wise I am not that far off. haha The thing is that for 17 years I have never been without a small child at home, I have always had a little one. Now, my youngest is 4 and ready to start school, and my eldest will graduate high school next year. I am not sure of how I will find my place in this world with such a big life change. See what I mean? That is pretty selfish, and fearful. Also I cannot compare my eldest (challenging) son to other school kids, he is a special case and not necessarily a direct product of public school just as he is not a direct reflection of his parents. He is his own person, with very real (PDD & depressive disorder) struggles, nothing typical, as evidenced by our other five children. For now I am just going with the flow as usual and if we decide 100% to do it, we will take it from there, and if we decide against it everything will be in place to proceed next year where they are.

Tonight I am making simple skillet fried chicken breasts, and the adults chicken will be drowned in Frank's red hot for a low fat buffalo chicken flavor. I am off to get the next batch out of the pan. Hope you are having a beautiful week!!

update 5/26/09--
I realize I have been wishy washy. That is not the character trait I wish to have or cultivate!! I am allowing fear to rule once again in my life. As soon as I think I have that figured out, I catch it peering around the corner again. I need to write down our reasons, pray about it, and then stick to it. I need to make a long term decision. Some people are fine with telling themselves, well we will do it and take it one year at a time. I cannot do that. When things get tough, or fear peers in, it will be too easy to waver. I need to recognize this whole process as a life-long process, the big picture looks so much different and do-able in that perspective. They don't have to know it all today, I don't have to teach it all this year, it is a life-long process of learning. Yes there are goals we will shoot for by certain timeframes, but it is not nearly so fearsome to realize we have time! It is simply LIFE. Our eldest special needs son will remain in school as he needs the utmost structure and a lot of services. Our three youngest will homeschool. I need to pray for wisdom, peace, and stability.

~Good Day~

Today we went to that preschooler homeschooling co-op as guests, and it was nice to get Aiden together with other children to do some fun learning together, while still having the security of momma. He seemed to like it once he warmed up! It was on the property of a Lutheran church, in a really nice preschool/daycare type room, BIG too! It seemed to be a good fit, and we were allowed entry to join. It's once a week for 3 hours, with an hour in the middle for lunch and free play. :)

Yesterday Mike really showed how fired up he is about these boys getting homeschooled. It's still a bit surprising how strongly he is feeling and how quickly/suddenly. If that's not a clear direction, I don't know what WOULD be. I am looking at the curricula out the there, and I am liking how Bob Jones looks, yet I haven't actually seen it in person. We're going to our local convention at the end of April, giving us the opportunity to thumb thru the curriculum choices we are thinking over, which alone is priceless enabling us to make a decision we will be happy with. Alpha Omega is also offerning 20% off at the convention, though we won't be able to take advantage of that since we need to save our pennies.

I am so glad that I am able to get established in a routine with Aiden now, so that when the boys begin after this current year it will be that much easier. A friend I met recently online that goes to another local church gave me some other info to look into and I feel so much better not being alone in this. I am feeling strong, and also determined that this is the right choice this time, and no matter what happens I will not allow it to deter us this time.

“Failure is not final; it is merely the opportunity to start over again wiser than before.” --unknown author

Our family is in need of reformation, we only have so much time left as our eldest son turns 11 soon, and our 7 year old is picking up on some of the attitudes/behavior eldest son has displayed over the years, even as we tried to prevent that from happening; and let's not forget our 4 and 6 year olds. We need our childrens' hearts first and foremost. I will obey God's leading and trust Him to bring that about in our family, perhaps this is the avenue it will take in our case. Fear has no place in my heart, God did not intend for us to walk around in Fear, allowing it to rule us. His perfect love inside of us will drive that fear out!
I have seen God's power firsthand, and nothing short of miracles as our marriage has been transformed from chaos and hopelessness to beauty and joy in the last four years. I know He can and wills to do that for our children as well. We have to be faithful to do our part.

Enjoying a daughter's talents...

for wrapping my Christmas presents!! WOO*HOO! My 13 y.o. hasn't yet realized the hassle of wrapping presents and finds it fun....so she is wrapping all the kids gifts other than the couple lil girls gifts I already wrapped this morning, and her own of course. What a relief let me tell ya! I fully recommend taking any help you can find, especially if you have a large family.

As for the other kids, they are quite rowdy today and driving me really nuts. My house is getting leveled, which is not ok with me, and getting into things, etc,... The baby is sleeping now, and lunch is cooking. Soon I will begin preparing the chocolate cream pie, and festive fudge we will be having for our family dinner on Sunday. I'll post the recipes below:

A chocolate cream pie with whipped topping.
INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, cut in small
pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pastry shell, 9-inch, baked
.
Chocolate Cream Pie Whipped Topping
.
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
PREPARATION:

In top of a double boiler, combine sugar, cornstarch,
chocolate, and salt. Stir in milk. Cook mixture over
boiling water, stirring constantly, for about 10
minutes, or until chocolate mixture has thickened.

Continue to cook for about 10 minutes longer, stirring
occasionally.
Gradually stir half of the hot chocolate mixture into
beaten egg yolks; return egg mixture to the double
boiler, stirring well. Cook over boiling water,
stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from
heat; stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour
filling into a baked pie shell.

Chill chocolate cream pie thoroughly in refrigerator,
about 3 to 4 hours. In a mixing bowl, beat cream with
confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
until stiff. Spread over chocolate cream pie and
return to refrigerator until serving time. Store
leftover chocolate cream pie in refrigerator
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FESTIVE FUDGE
Ingredients:
3 cups (18-ounce) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
(NOT evaporated milk)
Dash salt
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Line 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil. Butter foil;
set aside.

Line medium-sized heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt
chips with the sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat;
stir in nuts if desired and the vanilla. Spread evenly
into prepared pan.

Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting
board; peel off foil and cut into squares. Store
covered in refrigerator.

Yield: about 2 pounds.

Enjoy the special weekend with your families.

Not Again!

Believe it or not, there is yet another health crisis going on. Not a big deal, for that I am thankful, but it is enough to have kept me out of church yet another Sunday. I am getting pretty upset, and I miss being together at services with my family. :(

We missed about 4 weeks back when Aiden had the Mystery Rash which we couldn't be sure was contagious or not. Then we got to go back, and I have had bronchitis for a month, and a killer sinus infection. We've been going anyhow, but it had been getting harder and harder trying to keep from coughing and having to excuse myself. I hadn't been able to get to a doctor, since we had a lapse in our health insurance. I finally was able to go to the dr with having our insurance reinstated and start on meds last week. I can finally sleep at night. What a relief! I've still got a cough, but not like before. We missed a week or two here or there from me being just so exhausted and us being unable to get there in time. We go to the 8:30 am services since Mike has to work for noon on Sunday, so we cannot go to the 11am one.

Then, just as things were looking up, Danny developed pink eye and went to the Dr. on Thursday. He was starting to clear up and what happnes last night? Yeah, you guessed it...Little Aiden developed a really nasty case of pink eye, also in both eyes. So yet again we were unable to go to Church. Am I crazy to feel like we are being attacked here? I don't want to be one of those people who blame every little thing on the evil one, I am careful not to give him too much credit, I will not put my focus on him. It IS starting to feel that way though. Our church's Christmas play is tonight, and dh has to go since he volunteered to help in the nursery, however our own kids will be unable to attend and enjoy it now because I am unable to go. NICE! AARGH!

Please send up a prayer for us, friends, as you are able. Thanks, and I am enjoying reading your news as well.
HUGS!!

JOY

Where has my joy gone? Lately I have been in a slump. The house is shabby, the children are whiny and push to the extreme, I am cranky and uninspired, our meals have come in prepackaged boxes. YUK, this is NOT the way our life should be. We need to get back to what is important, and it needs to start with me.

Things don't need to be perfect or even going great to experience Joy. Joy is not the same as happiness in the worldly sense, it isn't dependent on certain circumstances.
I choose Joy and it comes from my Father, my Savior, my Creator. What a miracle! Jesus has filled in the gap where I fall short. He came to MY rescue. I am a child of God, the Creator of everything, and he has a plan for me. I have every reason to rejoice! Things don't have to be running smoothly around here for me to rejoice, but maybe if I am obedient to God and rejoice in Him, rather than ourselves, things just might run smoother as a side effect.

OK, I am motivated! Thank You Lord! I am going to get off this computer and do all the things that need to get done so that we can have a timely dinner and get to AWANA tonight without being all harried in the process. Have a GREAT day!

Back to the mystery rash

Well, Aiden still has the hive-like bumps. The other dry skin type rash that started after the hive-type bumps has cleared up mostly using dove soap generic and cvs moisturizing cream (it's like a body butter with no scent or color).

We have also been trying Aiden on Lactaid for two weeks now, to see if that helps, to no avail. He is breaking out less frequently, but some decided to appear just this morning. How strange! I just can't figure it out.

Lady Jonine advised me that if he has a milk protein allergy the lactaid will not help as that has to do with milk sugar. I also stopped cooking with the whole wheat, however as I read more and more I am learning wheat is in most everything. I just get overwhelmed with the idea of bringing him to an allergist. He's such a tiny little guy. I'm not giving up and I am thankful this allergy, whatever it is, isn't a serious threat to his health. Like I told the doctor, I'm sure it can't be healthy, after all his body is having a reaction (The Dr.'s don't see it as a big problem); On the other hand, I'm glad it's not an emergency.

I'm Excited!!

I am excited. Autumn was going to a perfectly good middle school for 2 years, and began the third and last year there this year. She has been a solid honor student for the entire time she has been at Fairview. Suddenly they decide since she lives out of their district (across the street, right on the dividing line actually) that she would have to transfer to the other middle school. Well, we enrolled her and she has been miserable ever since. She cries to go to school, apparently she got thrown into a team (there are 3 teams in the 8th grade and then 5 homeroom teams within that. All the kids in each homeroom, have classes together all day long in each class) In other words, she got thrown into a homeroom with a bunch of rough clique girls. They just sneered and made her miserable, without doing anything that could actually be considered harassment. My daughter started crying to go to school. She has not done that since Kindergarten, and she is in 8th grade!

My husband and I decided to do what we could do, I wasn't willing to send my daughter somewhere she would cry over and be sick over every single day. I wasn't willing to take my daughter's hard work and honor status and throw it out the window. I wasn't willing to allow my daughter's spirit to be crushed. We decided we would homeschool her for the remainder of the year if an agreement could not be reached between the parties.

Mike first went to her "new" school and talked to her guidance counselor. He said he doesn't see why she couldn't have just stayed at the other school, seeing she hates it so much, and that they have made exceptions before, especially in the middle of a school year AND for an honor student. Then Mike went to the other school and talked with the only person available-the vice principal. Later, he called to follow-up with the principal, the person in charge of making the decision and was told she was at the "new" school speaking to them about Autumn. She finally called Mike and explained that the "new" school would be willing to work with Autumn and find a way to make it work. (we are still amazed that the school would go thru so much effort to evict so to speak such a good student) Mike explained to her that we would do whatever it took, and go as far as it would take to get her back to her "old" school. He had already called the superintendant and left a message with him. The superintendant cooincidentally happened to be Autumn's last principal at the "old" school and knew what a good kid she was. Finally a decision we fought for was made and Autumn is being allowed entrance back into the "old" school. She will be re-enrolled on Monday, she just won't be extended transportation, which is fine by me. Autumn is just thrilled and I am happy and proud of Mike as well. I only hope she will be placed back in her old classes so she won't have missed too much!

Poor Little Tyke!

Well, on Friday I took Aiden to the pediatrician's for his re-check on the rash. It still didn't look typical and hadn't spread much in the two days since we had last been there. The doctor ended up ordering a venous blood test to determine for sure what it was. Since he was due for a lead test, we were able to kill two birds with one stone, so that was a good thing! The doctor said that when a child comes down with Chicken Pox, they have to tell the Health Dept., and they contact the family to try and find out where it came from. Well, I hope they have fun trying because we really don't go anywhere! We haven't gone to anyone's house with him in over a month. The only place besides a grocery store I have taken him is the church nursery (no one there has it--and we're hoping no one got it from Aiden). There were a few kids here for his b-day party, but thankfully they were immunized. Other than that, I just have no clue. We often go for a ride in the van just to break up the day, but the only place we go in is to the grocery store.

Well, back to the blood test. I felt so bad! He hadn't a clue why these people were hurting him. He cried/whined all the way home, even with his binky. The good news is by now he has forgotten all about it and now we will know for sure. He's not having any complications but should a child in the nursery end up with it, we will know what it was, without question.

Could it be?

Chicken Pox?!!! It's been 10 years since I've laid eyes on Chicken Pox. It stormed our house in 1995 when it first infected Autumn's cousin, moved on to Autumn, and then waged war on 6 month old Felicia. The thought of a vaccination seemed so welcome.

We've since had 4 boys and not one of them has had to suffer with the itching & scarring so many of us remember not so fondly. Well, that's all changed. Last Sunday in church, when we were picking up the boys we were told Aiden had a rash. A pediatrician was called down to the nursery to check him out and she thought it was probablly chicken pox. I was mortified! I felt so bad. He did have a few bumps on his face, but I hadn't thought anything of it. For one thing, all of our boys have majorly sensitive skin, and Daniel gets bumps/rashes often. If he gets a common cold and has a fever, he will break out from it in blister type bumps. He never seems any worse for it, it just looks bad. I guess I had gotten so accustomed to that, that a few bumps on Aiden's face didn't impress me one way or the other.

We took Aiden to the pediatrician's yesterday and I showed the rash to the doctor. He didnt' seem to be worried about it until I kept pressing him. I really wanted to know if it was or wasn't chicken pox so I could let the church nursery know like they had asked me to do. Finally he studied them really seriously with his light and said that it COULD be chicken pox and asked me to bring him back on Friday to re-check him. It really is different from the Chicken Pox I remember, the one that took over our whole body and made us miserable. This kid seems perfectly healthy other than the runny nose we all are dealing with and the rash. The rash is pretty contained and only started spreading yesterday. I wonder why it is so slow moving!? Is it really Chicken Pox? Why wouldn't the doctor have known right away? hmmmmm...... For now, he is being quarrantined until the doctor is sure he isn't contagious.

Summer of Change

This summer was great. I began a home ec curriculum with my daughter(TOD-KAH). My 13 year old learned the basics of Square Foot Gardening, is learning some biblical doctrine, and accomplished a couple of basic sewing projects. These things were slow going as there are six children, and 3 of them are still quite young, our time to pour into these areas are limited. However, I could detect a sense of accomplishment in her that brought me joy and great encouragement.

I shudder when I remember the days, lost in depression while the children zombified themselves in front of the TV, or wandered around outside the home looking for something to do. Praise God that my eyes have been opened and he raised me out of that miry pit before it was too late for them! Now I am excited, excited to introduce my children to Christ and teach them useful skills that keep their hands busy, their minds out of the world, and encourage them by seeing the fruit of their own hands. They are preparing for their future and building wonderful memories of time with mom.

The love I have for my husband has deepened and widened more than I thought was possible. Watching him become the godly man I have prayed before in front of my very eyes is nothing short of a miracle. We used to be stuck in our sins like in quicksand. Our whole life was held back. Now, we have vision, and it is amazing. We've been freed.

Instead of hanging out in bars or gossiping with the Joneses, my husband is self teaching woodworking alongside our older boys (ages 4 and 7). What a useful skill to learn as a boy and bring into adulthood with you. He's showing them when and how they can protect their sisters. He's also spending time to learn keyboarding with a great little book, Keyboarding for Dummies. He's making the most of the time he has at home with his family. He's taking in God's word and teaching his family. All the Glory belongs to God. Most people who knew my husband and where he came from probablly wrote him off, they would be amazed if they knew him today. People who knew us last year would be amazed if they were a fly on our wall this day. We are a new creation in Jesus our Savior. I'm excited to see what is next!

Gratefulness

I'm so grateful for the turn my life has taken. I'm not famous, or the CEO of a multi billion dollar company, or an extremely successful artist; I'm am a child of God. How extraordinary! For so long I couldn't fully appreciate this. For so long I felt I was a Christian because I believed in God and his Son who died for our sins and rose again on the third day. Yet nothing changed. I continued in my sinful ways. I didn't murder my neighbor, I didn't steal, I just lived my life like any ordinary person in the neighborhood. Therein lies the problem. I didn't stand out from the crowd and I didn't reflect Jesus to anyone, I wasn't walking with Him. How extremely blessed I am that I have finally truly become a Christian. I have been reborn! I am changing in ways I and those close to me can see. I am finally believing ON Him, trusting him, and obeying God's word. That is where the difference is. I am stepping out in Faith and living according to his will, even when it's not easy, even when things don't make sense. He is so good! Our family has done a turn around, and all the glory is His. Without him we would have no hope, no destination. We have vision thanks be to God and we are raising up our children for Him.