Vacation!!!

Vacation! I sooo look forward to going on vacation. I love the packing, the dreaming of what we will do when we get there, all of it. However, before you can go on vacation, there are so many things to do that it is hard to fit everything in. We leave tomorrow to head to North Carolina and then onto Atlanta, Georgia. Just a few hours left to get everything done, but I am sure somehow we will get it together before rolling out in the morning.

Ever since Alan started his own business, it seemed we really had an even greater need for taking some time off and getting away. Having your own business means hours and hours of work and sometimes it never leaves your mind. We have had a change in our lives lately, though. A few weeks ago, Alan was offered a job back in the area that he used to work in. He decided to take the job as our lives had gotten very difficult financially and we knew that a different job would make it easier on everyone financially. So, he has been working at the new job for about three weeks. He still has much to do with our business, though, and he is teaching me to take over some things, as well. I wrote a long post about the transition, but haven't been ready to share it yet. It was an emotional time to watch the man I love leave a business that he has nurtured for four and a half years. It had always been Alan's dream to have his own business and it was even better for him to have his family employed and be able to provide for them.

This vacation will be different this year because we only have three children going with us. I keep finding myself thinking about what Ashleigh will want to do when we are away and then I realize she will be here in her little house taking care of her new husband. Just the way things should be.

Have a good week next week everyone!

"Duffers for Davin"

I have had a bit of an absence once again from blogging. This time it was due to a little golf tournament called Duffers for Davin. 7 years ago, our Pastor at the time in NY started a golf tournament to raise money for Davin to go to special therapy that insurance doesn't cover and is very expensive, but very productive. 7 years later, it is still going strong, it is just not in NY, but in NJ. Yesterday was the 7th annual NJ Duffers for Davin and it was a great day! We had over 110 golfers and everyone seemed to have a great time. It is always such a big day for our family and of course, takes a lot of time and dedication to get it put together in the first place. We had a great committee who all worked so hard for the last six months. This golf tournament has provided all of the money for Davin's therapy and this year I am even more thankful than ever before. This year, while watching Davin be still and lose so much muscle mass, I knew that there were the golfers and sponsors that stood behind us and would enable Davin to get the therapy he needs to get back on track. It is truly a humbly experience to have so many people involved in our lives year after year. There are people who faithfully come to the tournament year after year. Thank you everyone!

News Flash! Boys Growing Way Too Fast

Okay, I have been doing pretty good with the fact that I have ADULT daughters. Yes, Ashleigh is now happily married and Bethany just finished up her junior year of college and will soon turn the big 21!!! I still had my little boys to focus on. They still need me for lots of things. There are still lots of school things to do and papers to sign and schedules to figure out. I could feel good about still having my 2 boys at home. I was NOT however ready for what has been happening now. Cheney's school just had their senior class graduation last night. That means that Cheney boy is officially a SENIOR!!! When did this happen? How could this be? To add insult to my injury, I just recently learned that Davin has been in 9th grade ALL year long! I thought we were keeping him in 8th grade this year and somehow that had made me feel much better. He was still in junior high. I still had years to go before he would be graduating. I know you all have your mouths open wondering how I could have missed such a big thing as knowing Davin's grade. I admit that occassionally (and sometimes more often) I miss some details. However, with the kids I am pretty on top of things. Last year at Davin's IEP, we decided to keep Davin in 8th grade for one more year since he can stay in school until he is 21. No one told me that had changed. So, all year I think he's in 8th grade with just really large junior highers. There is no sign that says what grade the classroom is at Davin's school, so I just go on in my little 8th grade bubble. Now here I am, with a senior and 9th grader. I am a bit shocked that this part of Cheney's life is almost completed.

I have to say that I am so thankful to God for allowing me the honor of raising these children. I am thankful for all of the lessons that He has taught me through this child and parent relationship. I have learned so much about his unconditional love and mercy through raising my kids. I am thankful for even the hard parenting moments when I think that nothing is working. I know that God has had those feelings with me. Will she ever learn? Will she ever rest in who she is in me?

I guess it's okay to have older kids. There is always something new to learn and to teach at each stage of their lives.

I Found It!

This is a picture from the Murder Mystery Dinner we did at my church in NY. The Bethany that you all know and love has a lovely look ;) on her face and is all the way to the left and my daughter, Ashleigh is right next to her. They looked so cute with these elephant ears. I don't remember why they were elephants, except that the theme was "circus". The whole concept of this mystery dinner was great. It was based on a Bible character and you tried to figure out who is was. However, in reality it was very confusing and probably the best thing about the night was the costumes and food we ate. It still made for nice memories!

Bethany, while I was looking for this picture, I found MANY more pictures of you, so I will be sharing some of those later!!

Boring Blogger

As much as I love going on my blog and catching up with all of my blogger friends, I am usually at a loss of what to write. That comes as a surprise to me since creative writing was one of my favorite things to do in school. I will have to get a bit more creative!!

Tonight we will go to youth group. Now that Awana is over for the school year, we head back into Wed. nights with the youth group. Boy is it a tough transition for me. Last week went a bit better, but the week before, I was really struggling. Although I enjoy both ages, younger kids is probably more of my comfort zone. The bigger kids can overwhelm me when there are large groups of them. Plus, I am not a "large group" person, so that increases my anxiety of it all. Last week did go better, though, and I am thankful for that.

In the meantime, Alan and I have been praying and praying about some decisions, but the Lord has said WAIT. That is a difficult thing. It seems that we have been waiting for quite a few years now, but God knows. He knows what our needs are and He knows what is best for us. So, we will keep praying and waiting upon Him and His perfect timing. It sure is hard when His timing is so different from mine;) Another lesson...

Busy, Busy Weekend

This holiday weekend was filled with tons of business, and definitely lots of cooking. One of Ashleigh's friends was turning 21 on Saturday, so Ashleigh and her other friend had planned a surprise murder mystery dinner. Alan and I and our siblings and their spouses had done a murder mystery dinner when Ashleigh was little and I think she has very fond memories from that, so it seemed like a great idea to celebrate Rachael's 21 birthday! And it was. We spent much of the day on Saturday cooking lots and lots of lasagna and chicken alfredo. We also made this awesome garlic bread that all of my kids love. We also got out the chocolate fountain that I had bought for Ashleigh's bridal shower and cut up fruit and stuff to dip in it. That is always so yummy!!! The dinner was so much fun, but I am afraid we mostly forgot to eat. There was so much to think about and remember and there were questions that we needed to ask other characters! It was a blast and Ashleigh and Kendra did such a good job thinking of everything. This picture shows me threatening to reveal some secrets that the maid had been keeping...

On Monday we had some of our family over and had a cookout. Memorial Day is such a great time to stop and think about the huge sacrifice made by so many. I am proud that my grandfather, my father-in-law and husband have all served their country in the armed forces.

It was a great weekend, although the Chapmans are on my mind so often. I keep thinking of their huge loss and also how they are ministering to their son. I think having teenage drivers in the house has connected me to that part of the situation. It happens in the blink of an eye. Keep praying for this family.

I hope you all had a great weekend!!

Basement Cleaning is Yucky

My big job for the last couple of weeks has been to get the basement clean and organized. So, today since I am home for the whole day, I am hopeful to get the majority of it done. Bethany has organized all of her part and so I am encouraged that I can do the same. However, I really HATE basements. As a general rule, when we look for a new house, which we have done countless times over the last 23 years, I don't even go into the basement. I just don't like them. I don't want to be in them and I really hate to clean them. But, we live in a pretty small house and need the space in our basement for storage, etc. So, I am off to clean some more after I feed Davin some lunch. That will be a nice break.

Moms

I was riding home from church yesterday and thinking about my Mom since it was Mother's Day. I was thinking of some of the ways that she has inspired my life. I was truly blessed with a great mother. She never made mothering look hard and she always seemed on top of things. I always knew she was a good mom and I have always appreciated the example she set before me.

Five years ago, that was taken to a much different level. Five years ago, last month, my Dad suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and nearly lost his life. By God's grace, his life was spared, but he had to learn EVERYTHING over again. He could not walk by himself, shave, eat, and many of his words got very confused. My Mom became less of a wife and more of a caretaker. I have watched her for five years be exactly what my Dad has needed her to be. Sometimes that was different things and she always rose to the challenge. Did she have discouraging days? Yes, but she continued on. Could she have made different choices that would have made her life easier? Yes, but she didn't. She chose to do what Christ would do and I am so thankful for the example she has been to me.

Things are so much better for my parents now and we rejoice continuously over what God has done for our family. Even five years later, we still see improvements and it is so fun to watch. My Mom has been an incredible example of patience.

Thanks Mom.

What a Week, What a Week

I knew right off the bat that this week would be busy and it has been! On Sunday night, we had our Awards Night for AWANA and I was able to hand out many awards to my adorable Sparkies! They did such a great job and it is always amazing to me how much scripture they can memorize. It was a fun year. On Wednesday, we had our Awana Fun Fair! It was so exciting, but there are many, many details required to get that together and when we finally left the church around 10:30 pm, I was very ready to go home! We did have so much fun, though. Yesterday Davin had an EEG to see if he still has seizure activity since he has not had a seizure for over four years. Praise God! Today I will drop Cheney off, go to PBU and help Bethany pack up her room and move back home from the summer. It is so hard to believe she will finish up her third year of college. Yeah Bethany! We will rush back, unload the car and get Cheney ready for his junior/senior formal (prom) tonight. Whew! (Oh, I almost forgot that in the meantime, Ashleigh will come and get Davin off the bus and pick Cheney up. I am very thankful for helpful kids.) I am a little bit tired from it all, but it has been an exciting week with lots of good things in it.

I have missed all of my blogger friends while I have been absent. I think my busy season is about to end, so I should be back much more often! Martha, Kristina, and Tracy, thank you for visiting me in Facebook land:)

A Biker, A Thesbian, and a Sicky

So, it has been a busy few days. Bethany stayed home from college for a couple of days because she had a virus that had her down. Was she a bit more dramatic than maybe she needed to be? Well, maybe, but how often is she sick? I can give her extra pity once in a while;) Cheney has been busy getting ready for his play. It is two weeks from tomorrow! Yikes! So much to do. They have been working on building the set and getting their lines down. Cheney just loves doing plays, so it is a good busy for him. Davin went to PT on Monday night and we were talking about his dream of having a bike. Davin has wanted a bike since he was about 5 years-old. We have had to wheel him out of more than one store while he cried and cried because he wanted to sit on the bikes a bit longer. So sad. A bike for Davin costs over a thousand dollars which is ridiculous, but what can you do? Anyway, at therapy, they had a bike that kind of worked for Davin. It didn't have enough support for him, but with a few extra hands, it was fabulous! Davin was beside himself the entire time he was riding it. I had to run out to the car and get Cheney so he could see this dream coming true! It was so fun and we left with many smiles on our faces.

In the meantime, Alan and I have been weighing some big decisions and spending time in prayer concerning those things as well. Life changes and moves on and we want to be following the Lord in all that we do.

A Little Road Trip

Davin and I just got back from a little road trip! On Thursday we headed out with some kids from our youth group to check out Cedarville University. Cheney and Alan had already been there, but Davin and I had not seen it, so off we went. (I think it is in the running for colleges that Cheney is considering at this point.) Davin could not have thought the trip was any better! He loved everything about it. He loved the long, long, long car ride. He loved the tours. We also visited Grove City College on the way to Ohio. He loved where we stayed. He just loved everything. It was funny. While we were at Cedarville, I got to visit one little teenager from upstate NY that I used to teach as a Sparky and then later when she was in junior high. That was very nice. We also got to see friends of ours who moved a couple months ago. Fun! It was a long, long ride for a short stay at the college, but I must say it was nice to visit Cedarville. I really appreciated the attitude that I got from the students. Chapel was wonderful and the spiritual energy was wonderful to be around.

Happy Birthday My Friend Martha!

Okay, I know I am copying Martha, but I still wanted to wish my friend Martha a very happy birthday. When I moved to upstate NY, Martha was the first person I met who really reached out to me. I remember having a lengthy phone conversation with her, soon after moving to NY, and finding out that we had many similiarities. We have several children who are close in age and some of our kids remain friends even now that we have not lived in NY for four years. Martha's family has been a blessing to ours many times over the years. It sure meant a lot to me when Martha, Bethany and Josh took the big trip down to NJ for Ashleigh's wedding.

Martha, I hope you have a wonderful day. You have been a wonderful friend to me and I am so thankful for you! (I do wish I had a great picture to put here, but I don't have a scanner at home, so try to picture one of the many glamour shots that our girls took of themselves over the years;)

A Spring Break

This week my Bethany had her spring break. It is so nice to have her home. She is just a bright light in our lives and I always enjoy being around her. Today we are going to make cookies together. We were a mean-cookie-making-machine together when we made about 120 cookies for Ashleigh wedding reception. Today our goal is much smaller, but we will have a nice time being together. I am so thankful for children who have grown into such beautiful people.

Not Much To Say

So I have been MIA quite a bit recently from the blogging world. I do check in from time to time, but to tell the truth, I just haven't had much inspiring to say. I guess there have been lots of things to think about, pray about and read, but not much to blog about.

Alan and my middle kids were away for most of this week on a skiing trip. So, it was just Davin and me at home. We made out just fine, but boy was it quiet. (okay, except for the dogs)

This weekend Cheney will take his SATs which is a big deal to him. After that, we will head over to the Awana Games (formerly the Olympics!) to watch my Sparks team claim a victory???!! It will be a great time, I am sure. The Awana Games are always so much fun. It seems like just a few years ago that my girls and Bethany were practicing the games. They were so serious about it. They had such a good time and even won a couple gold medals along the way. My girls are coaches this year and are as excited as ever. I am hoping their excitement will spread to the girls and everyone will be so pumped up! If I were Martha, I would have one of the pictures of the girls competing to put up, but I don't know how to do that with old pictures. Martha???

Some Deep Stuff

Today we went to a beautiful memorial service for a man that I did not really know. I know his wife, though, and two of his children (daughters) have been in senior high since Alan and I have been sponsors. I am especially close to his youngest daughter. There were several testimonies of what this man meant to so many people. He had many struggles in his life, but God triumphed and this man let that be known to the people he came in contact with. They spoke about what a godly example he was in his business life, his home life and his ministry life. They spoke of the love he had for his children and his wife. They even read the words this man had written when he and his wife had a rededication ceremony quite a few years into their marriage. It left me humbled and thinking. What am I doing that makes a difference? What will I leave behind and am I making the most of my time on earth for Christ? Will I be pointing others to Him? It was a beautiful challenge and I will certainly be praying for this beautiful family as they begin their walk without their father and husband.

As I sat there I could not help but realize that this was in my future as well. If the Lord tarries, either Alan or I will be asked to give the other spouse back to the Lord and begin our walk without each other. It is not a sad story that is only told by a few people, it happens in every marriage. I don't think any other funeral has ever touched me so deeply or made me think so much. Maybe I was more vulnerable to deep thoughts because I have spent a whole week listening to wheezing and moaning, maybe I was more vulnerable because I am a bit older now. Maybe it was different because those children that sat up front saying goodbye to their father were the same ages as three of my children.

Whatever the reason for my deep thoughts, I am thankful. I am thankful for Christians that leave such a huge mark on others and an incredible example for me. I am thankful for the challenge that I received today. I am thankful for the reminder that Alan and I have only a certain amount of time together and I need to take advantage of every day. I am also so thankful to know that this is not the end. Since Christ is my Savior, heaven is my destiny.

No News is Good News???

Okay, not necessarily. I haven't posted lately because there was not too much to say. It has been a long week this week.

First of all, snow camp was great. We talked about boundaries. Boundaries in our thought life, tongue, actions. Such a great topic. There is so much to think and ponder about concerning that, no matter what your age. It was great to be with the kids and catch up with many of the teens. We made movies one afternoon and that was so much fun. We were divided into teams and we came up with videos that had to do with boundaries. Fun!

Well, I got home on Sunday night and Bethany thought that Davin had a fever. Yes, he did. He has been sick all week with that whole fever, coughing thing. Poor thing. He just can't seem to be totally on track since the surgery. In addition to the sickness, we have been to the orthopedic doctor (all is okay with his hip, by the way - great news! He can begin PT without any restrictions now.), the pediatrician (to make sure this sickness wasn't worse than a virus - it's not!), and today we went to the neurologist.

I am hoping for a better week next week for Davin boy. Poor thing to have to be in the house for so many days again. At least this time, there is no cast!

Davin Update

I finally was able to speak with someone from the orthopedic doctor's office yesterday. Davin is not to do anymore exercises or PT until he is seen on Monday. I am feeling a bit better because he is MUCH less sensitive about his leg than he was on Monday and Tuesday. Thank you for your prayers.

Alan and I will be heading to Snow Camp with our teens for the weekend. I am praying that Davin will be fine. His sister, Bethany is hanging out with him for the weekend and I know he is in great hands.

Nicknames

I kept Davin home from school today because his hip/leg is still really sore. I never heard back from the doctor which is really odd. I always hear back from him. I checked and double checked that they have my right phone number and I called again today, but so far, nothing. So, we are heating Davin's muscle, taking motrin and resting.

So, I decided since I was home, I would bake cookies and that lead me to thinking about my kids and the nicknames that I call them. When I was little, I didn't really have a nickname and I always wanted one. When I was in high school, some girls on my softball team gave me one and Alan calls me Heath. When we had kids, I wanted them to have nicknames. Just a silly thing, really, but they each have many.

Ashleigh - her sister and most all of her friends call her Ash, but I never call her Ash. By me, she is most often called Loubie, but she is also Sissa, Sissy, Loubie Lou.

Bethany - known by most everyone who knows her at all as Ben or Bennie. She is never called Beth by anyone who knows her well except my father occassionally calls her that. By me she is also Baby Girl, Bertina, Alyssa, Boop, Booper, Sissy.

Cheney - He is Cheney Alan, Chey, Chey-Chey, Chener, Brudder, brother, Bud.

Davin - We all have lots of nicknames for Davin. He is Bubby, Bub, Davin Boy, baby boy, snoodle and I think Bethany sometimes calls him Peanut.

Did you have a nickname growing up? If you keep your name a secret, you might not want to share, but if you don't mind sharing...

Tears and Fears

Last night we were doing Davin's stretching during the Superbowl. Davin started screaming and crying and even after we were done stretching (the side he had surgery on) he cried and cried, shivered and quivered. We each took turns holding him and trying to comfort him until he was doing much better. He slept fine last night, but when I got him up this morning, anytime I touched or moved his left leg/hip, he screamed, cried and shivered. It was terrible. I continued to get him ready for school, thinking that the PT could look at him for me and tell me if he should be seen by the orthopedic surgeon. Davin is always happy to go to school, but the bumping just to get him on the bus had him crying again. He cried the whole time they were strapping his chair into the bus. Poor thing. I did not know what to do. Get him off the bus? Would he calm down? Would he get bumped at school? Had we hurt him seriously? I ended up letting him go so I could get his PT's opinion and then I called her. She encouraged me to call the doctor which I did and am still waiting for a call back. In the meantime, I am beside myself picturing Davin at school screaming with tears streaming down his cute face. So, I called school and talked to an aide in his class. She assured me that Davin was "all smiles" (I certainly had not been thus far today.) and that he was doing fine. So....we will wait for the doctor to call and prayerfully Davin was not hurt and he is just sore. It is the worst when you feel like you hurt your own child and it could have been avoided. It is something I have struggled with ever since Davin was diagnosed since CP is a brain injury. It is not something genetic that happens to the baby. It is an injury and since I was the one carrying him, it was very hard not to feel like I had not protected him. Oi, so I give him back to God. God knows and God loves Davin more than I even do.

Tagged By My Friend Martha!

Martha tagged me, so I will try to come up with 7 random/odd facts about myself that I have not shared before. Maybe Alan can help me...

1. I hate to have my clothes get wet.

2. I do not like anyone's feet to touch me.

3. I have a hyphenated last name.

4. I am constantly thinking about how fat my chin looks.

5. I wish we would have had more children.

6. I sang and danced at our youth group's Lip Sync a few weeks ago.

7. I rarely ever read directions.

I do not think there is anyone left to tag, so I will not tag anyone this time!