Sunday Scramblings

So I am not blogging about big Buckeye games anymore. I think my blog is jinxed. But I have to say that the Buckeyes played a good game and I am still proud to be a Buckeye this am. Those boys have nothing to hang their heads about.

This is our first weekend without Matt here. So far it still has the "daddy is on a business trip" feel to it. Matt travels so much, especially from January to July (which won't be even half that in Japan, woot!), that we are used to fending for ourselves. Once we hit about 10 days I am sure reality will start sinking in.

Friday night after Emily's practice the kids all stayed for a 3 hour open gym. I used that time for myself (Just like a orovo user treating herself for the night). Went to dinner (and not fast food), got my toes painted (it was the best pedicure I have ever gotten) and treated myself to Starbucks (note to self: No more lattes at 8 pm). I figure there won't be many more opportunities for myself in the next few months so I took advantage of it. Then somehow I wound up with 4 extra kids (I deserve mother of the year) for the night, bring me to a total of 7 kids. I was totally outnumbered.

Yesterday morning I went grocery shopping. Matt would die if he saw how much I bought considering I am supposed to be thinning out my never ending food supply around here. (Note to self: Look into finding food shopping addict help group) We then had Chris's football game, where they put another line in the win column, remaining undefeated for the season. Afterwards we went to dinner with our neighbors to a Japanese Steakhouse that opened here in town. The owners are actually from Tokyo so I was able to practice some of my Japanese with them. My teacher would be so proud. Then of course we had the game.

Today I am using the morning to get our house back in order. Trying to get everything ready for Matt over the past few weeks has turned my usually organized house into a land of chaos. I just need to figure out where to start. This afternoon the kids have their Japanese lesson and then mine follows that.

Over the course of the next few weeks I need to start going through drawers and closets weeding out what we will take with us and what we will put in storage. It is easy deciding furniture and such, but the small things, not so much. One of Emily's teachers had been overseas in Germany for 4 years. She told me that it was funny to get their storage back after that time and see what they had put in there.

So there you have it. Our boring weekend in a nutshell. And you will hear no complaints from me. Of course if my children do not stop slamming doors and chasing each other screaming how horrible each other are I may have to start blogging from prison (note to self: Check into Internet access availability in jail).

On a side note I have a few friends that I would love to have some extra thoughts for. First, our good friend Kate's (her DH is Matt's BFF) dad was diagnosed with lung cancer on Wednesday. Jim is an awesome man and I ache for the family. Then my extra special friend Jamie was rushed to the ER and had emergency surgery yesterday morning to remove her gall bladder. During the surgery they found some issues with her bowels and she is having another surgery this am to correct that. All of this came out of the blue and is so strange considering I was just there 2 weeks ago. Finally, my ultra-talented kick butt friend Val is having surgery on Thursday. When it rains it pours, huh? So many things going on and I hate not being there for any of them. I just hope they know that they are never far from my thoughts.

Raising Kids in Today's World

Who are kid's role models today? How many kids look towards those they see on the big screen as to how they should model their lives? Lindsey Lohan has been in and out of drug rehabilitation several times. Britney Spear's life is a mess and now her little SIXTEEN year old sister is having a baby. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie... need I say anymore?

I recently started reading the book Every Young Woman's Battle: Guarding Your Mind, Heart, and Body in a Sex-Saturated World. Emily will be 12 (sigh...) in three weeks. She is in middle school. I know other kids around her are getting into the whole "boy/girl" thing. I know she is confronted on a daily basis between school, on TV or even in society with something of a sexual nature. We do not want her learning the wrong things from other kids at school, TV or just from the fear of being afraid to ask. I know to some 12 seems very young to be worry about this. But in today's world, 12 is actually late. Middle school children are engaged in sexual activities or experimenting. Middle school girls are getting pregnant. There are things I hear everyday that make me want to lock my kids away and never let them out. But instead I just pray for God to keep them safe and guard their minds and bodies from all the worldly things.

Being the parent of three children in today's world is terrifying. I worry about boys treating my girls properly and I worry about my son treating girls properly. I know the mistakes that I made in my life and I want to give my kids all the tools needed to make the right decisions themselves. I want them never to be afraid, no matter how much wine it make take on my part, to come and talk to me about anything. I have been told several times that it is unrealistic to assume my kids can remain virgins until they are married. But I honestly disagree.

Growing up I didn't understand my parents. But today, being a parent myself I understand the fears and worries they had. And looking back I made so many wrong choices. I just hope somehow we can allow our children to learn from our mistakes, but yet at the same time let them know that no matter what, we will always love them.

So if anyone has advice, please please please pass it my way. With the exception of one good friend, I have no one with kids my age. It is like the blind leading the blind here and I need all the help I can get.

Quick Prayer Please

You may remember me posting about Sami and I visiting my great aunt in Indianapolis this past May. My aunt has been like a grandma to me over the years. A few weeks ago she tripped and broke her hip and shoulder. She had some complications following surgery and my mom called today to tell me she had been rushed back to the hospital and isn't doing well at all.

So if you could, please keep my Aunt Pauline in your prayers. Thank you.

Especially Heather

You may remember my post about Heather a few weeks ago. Heather is this amazing woman who just a few short weeks ago was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She is only 32-years-old. Yesterday she had surgery to try to remove the tumor and right now she is in recovery and stable.

Heather and her husband have a beautiful daughter who by all medical standards should have died 5 years ago. And now a husband and three small children are facing the fear of losing their mom and wife to a horrible tumor. And through all those trials and struggles I have never "met" two stronger people anchored in their faith.

A few days ago Heather posted this on her blog entry:

I read your comments about how “amazing” and “strong” and “inspirational” I am, and I smile, because in reality I am no different than you. Its great to hear those things, I won’t deny that- but the truth is I had a horrible horrible thing placed in front of me, for the second time in my 32 years, and I had to face it. I, just like with Emma Grace, didn’t have any other option but to walk through this. The amazing, strong and inspirational part of my story is due to Christ alone. He alone carried me through this with Grace, and continues to do so. If I had to walk through this without Him, there would be so much anger and hate in my posts- because my heart without Him is nothing short of disgusting.

Anger, bitterness, and hatred are Satan’s tools. They steal the hope that has been given to us at such a huge price. There are people that I haven’t been able to pray for in years, yet I find myself praying for them now- even in the midst of this, Christ alone gives me that strength. He reminds me that His love is not just for those I deem worthy, because I am so unworthy myself. His love is far reaching, it is all compassing, and in all honesty it is completely undeserved by any of us.

I guess what I am trying to say, and failing at miserably at is this. Let it go. Embrace Christ’s promise to never leave or forsake you and remember that He, in His darkest hour, asked that God take the cup from his hand. But God didn’t. And Christ continued to walk the path that he knew would lead to his death. Some relationships will never heal. Some hurts will never subside. Yet Christ’s love is sufficient to mend what we cant. He will not leave you, especially in your darkest hour.

Don’t let Satan in. That is one of the many things I have learned in the last 7 days. Whenever I feel that pull of anger towards someone, I pray for them. Whenever my heart feels bitter about something, I lay it at His feet.

Because, hear me very clearly, life can change in the blink of an eye. In the end, our entitlement means nothing. Our anger means nothing. Our bitterness means nothing.

Our testimony is all we will leave behind.

Wow. Can I just say how much I feel that entry was written for me.

Go to Heather's site. Read it. Hear about her amazing strength, courage and unfaltering love for God. Then offer her prayers of healing, comfort and hope for not only her, but her husband and children as well. She is living proof that God does answer prayers.

A Day To Remember

Today marks the 12 year anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. I remember watching the coverage with my college roommates and being in shock. It was my first real look at hatred and being old enough to understand what was going on.

So today, as we still try to understand what happened in Virginia only 3 days ago, please take a moment to remember the 168 people who were killed and the 800 that were injured in Oklahoma only 12 short years ago.

Perspective and Strength

Blogs can be a very powerful thing. It is amazing how words on a page can impact a person. Yesterday, posted on several blogs that I often read was an entry asking to pray for a woman named Heather. I have never met 95 percent of the people's blog that I read. But I can say that I think this one blog has impacted me more than any other I have read.

Heather and her family have been through hell and back. She and her husband have three children, almost the exact same ages of mine. Their last daughter, Emma Grace, is a miracle. At 5 months old she received a heart transplant and due to some complications she is on the list for another one. Heather's strength and faith in God alone when she writes about Emma Grace is amazing.

Yesterday Heather was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She is 32, the exact same age as me. She has three children and a husband who love her dearly. She has been through so much already that I can't even begin to question where God is in all this. But when you read her words, she knows that no matter how she doesn't understand it, she knows God is there.

This woman amazes me. Visit Heather's website, read her story and lend her your thoughts and prayers. Then sit back and thank God for today because you never know what tomorrow will bring. I pray that Heather's words will help bring perspective into your life. I know it did mine.

Family News

My mom called me tonight to tell me that my uncle had been rushed to surgery. My parents were eating dinner with my Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Dale and he collapsed while clutching his chest. An artery or a vein (my mom wasn't sure which) had ruptured/split and they were trying to repair it. Please keep him, my aunt and my cousins Todd and Kim in your thoughts.

On some good family news, I found out yesterday that I am going to be an aunt again. Matt's brother Adam and my SIL are expecting their third child in October. Congrats Adam and Steph!

Now I just need my little brother and SIL to call and tell me they are expecting. Come on Scott, you aren't getting any younger :-) I can't wait.

Preschool Woes

One thing about living in a high growth area is the number of preschools versus the number of kids needing a preschool.

Back in Illinois I had picked out the perfect preschool. When I moved here I missed preschool hell, I mean registration, by 6 months. You miss registration and you pretty much are out of luck. So I crossed preschool off the list for Sam to do at three, never realizing that if she wasn't in a three year old program the chances of her getting into a four year old program was almost as great as winning the lottery. I have been calling preschools as far away as 25 minutes to hear "no spots for next year" or "we will have 2 spots for about the 50 that signup". Some schools for those few remaining spots have a lottery system. Other schools parents will actually camp out the night prior to get that precious spot. Now I guess I should admit that I did call two that had spots. One was $350/month and the other was $550/month. That would buy me alot of college tuition. I just want to scream "It's preschool people, PRESCHOOL!!" Do people really pay that much money to learn how to color and use a pair of scissors? My kid better be doing algebraic equations for that amount of money.

So I had decided to try the lottery system for one preschool and camp out at another if I don't win the lottery at the previous school. And after that, other than putting our name on waitlists, I was going to **gulp** teach her myself.

This morning I got a call from someone in our playgroup telling me that she talked to the director trying to see what our possibilities are for next year. She told her that there is a good chance someone in the 3 year old program was leaving January 31 and a spot would open up. This would guarantee us a spot next year if we took this one. I called and Sam and I went today to visit. It is nice. Nothing like the program in Illinois, but I really liked the teachers, the director and the program. We are number 10 on the waitlist for this possible spot. The director said that she doesn't think the previous 9 want the spot, so if this spot does open up I have a great shot at getting it.

So please, please, please keep your fingers crossed that this spot does open up. Two people from playgroup go there and two little boys from our neighborhood are in the three year old program. Too many coincidences? I hope not.

More Prayers For Hayden

For those who have read my previous blogs, you know I am following a story of a little baby who lives near me in NC that has one of the same issues that Allison had –– Pulmonary Vein Stenosis. I just read that little Hayden Grace is back in the hospital. Can you please keep this little girl and family in your thoughts and prayers.

You can read about Hayden here.