A Journey

This Christmas has been a journey for me in more ways than one. We took the entire break and drove down to be with family. We had to carefully schedule our days to maximize time with each side of the family AND have time with friends. I have really struggled lately with trying to figure out where I belong.

I know I don't belong in the town I went to high school in. I still have loved ones and some wonderful friends there. I have some of my longest standing friends there, but, it doesn't feel like home. I truly just feel like a visitor, even though, I could tell you where everything is and where everyone still lives.

We then went to another side of Georgia. I know this isn't my home because I have never lived there. We have been lovingly invited several times, but, we don't belong there. It is always nice to visit and see the family we have there, however.

After that visit, we went back to the town we spent our entire married life in. We were welcomed back with open arms by some more recently made lifelong friends. However, there were so many changes in just six months, I was astounded. It kind of felt like home, but, it was more of a "this is where I came from" feeling. I am very excited to be here and get to see the friends and family we left in this town. I am happy for the love we have been shown since we have been here. It lets me know, we belonged when we were here.

The last leg of our journey begins in about a day and a half. I can honestly say, I am ready. I am no longer struggling with where I belong. I know where I belong. I belong with my family, wherever it is. I belong where God has placed us. I belong where I am. I am making a difference where I am. I am making new friends where I am. I am building new relationships where I am. Will they take the place of the old differences, friends, and relationships? NEVER! I have just been given a wonderful opportunity to replay things I have done before in a new setting. :)

'Tis the Season...

For me, it is the season of rush around and try to get everything done! Oh my goodness! I do, truly, love the holidays, but, they can be stressful. We get started right after Thanksgiving getting ready for...not Christmas...BIRTHDAYS!!! Nathan and Matthew were born on December 8th after 19 hours of labor and THEN a C-section. They got to come home from the hospital on December 11th...just in time for their Daddy's birthday on the 12th.

I have to plan a birthday party, get birthday presents, and figure out how to treat my husband well for his birthday, also. It gets a little stressful! I try to do it all with a smile. The boys just had a sleepover with some of the new friends they have made here in Ames. They invited six boys. Four were able to come. I limited them this year. Last year, we had a dozen boys. It was still exhausting! I usually plan their birthday for the weekend before their birthday so, I don't have to overlap theirs with his.

For Chris, I usually try to either take him out to dinner, or fix him dinner at home with the kids and some of his favorite goodies. Of course, there are presents for Daddy, too. I refuse to wrap any birthday presents in red and green paper. There are no Santas on the boys gifts. I want their birthdays to be distinct from Christmas.

I established ground rules years ago for my December birthday people. I said, first of all, there are TWO children, they get TWO presents. Second, their birthday is in December, it is a BIRTHDAY, not Christmas. If their birthday was in July, they would get presents in December and July. The get two DIFFERENT presents in December. I don't like combination birthday/Christmas presents. That seems so unfair to me. I try to abide by that for Chris, too. I am sure there are some people who would wonder why it is a big deal, but, to me, it is. I want them to have separate, unique experiences.

This is the first year our tree has been up by the first of December. I told Chris when the boys were little that I would not put a tree up until after their birthday. I didn't want Christmas to come first. I told him that when they asked we would do it. They asked this year. They even decorated it themselves. My little boys are growing up.

Daylight Savings Time

WOW! It was dark here by 5:00 and pitch black by 6:00. I will like driving to work in some daylight, but, it will be difficult to get used to the darker evenings. 6:30 feels like 9:00 right now! It gets darker here earlier than in TN, so, I am going to have to figure out how to reset my internal clock so I don't feel like a total night owl!

I woke this morning at 6:30. UGH! Who wakes that early on purpose?! Only people who got to "fall back". When I woke, I heard three of the four children already downstairs playing games on the Wii. Abbi came and got in our bed. Of course, she had already awakened me in the middle of the night. At exactly 1:45 AM, I heard, from her room, across the hall, "I said to stop it! BENjaMIN!!" I guess Daylight Savings affects all of us :)

The sun was to set today at 5:02 PM. That is soooo early! I guess we can start eating dinner by candlelight, just to set the mood for the holidays. It is going to feel weird to be grading papers, making the kids do homework, or cooking and cleaning with it so dark out. However, once the snow hits, I know I am going to love looking out on a moonlit night and seeing all the sparkly little crystals reflecting the light!

I Like Halloween

I like Halloween. Oh my goodness! Did I really just say that?! I mean, my husband is a minister! I was raised in church! What am I thinking? Seriously. I LIKE Halloween.

I think it is fun. I don’t let my kids dress like ghouls or murder victims. I let them dress fun or silly. The boys liked to be superheroes for a while. Abbi loves being a princess or fairy. It is fun to let them dress up and do makeup.

I like candy! I don’t take the kids candy, by the way. They are usually pretty generous. Benjamin told me last night he was giving me some of his candy because he wanted to take care of me “really well”. J I have no problem with my kids going and asking people for candy because it is the only time they are ALLOWED to go and ask people for candy!

I understand why many churches have begun their own traditions, as long as they are for the right purpose. It bothers me when they say they are there to keep kids from worshipping the devil. I think ANY holiday can be what you make it. There are safety issues nowadays that people worry about. We didn’t have to worry so much about them when we were kids. This year was the first that my oldest two were allowed to go without us. However, they were with two friends and had three cell phones between them. The youngest two still had to go with Mama and Daddy.

I figured out something the other day. There is another really good reason why I like Halloween. It almost makes it feel as if fall is over and winter is beginning. For me, it also signals the Holiday Season. Once Halloween is over, we have Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to! Now the fun REALLY begins!

Raising Twins V

One of the most pleasurable things about having twins is getting twice the love. Nathan and Matt have always been loving boys. Nathan will tell you right now that he is a "Mama's Boy." He left for school the other morning, got about half a block down the road, turned around and came back because he had forgotten to hug me. That made my day.

The boys not only love me, the love their daddy, their siblings and their grandma. They fell in love with their sister when she was born. They were only two, but, SO protective. We were in a store once and Abbi was riding in the stroller. Some little boy came up trying to touch her. Well, her "big brothers" would have none of that! They both came over and started grunting at him and pushing him away! However, I did have one problem with them when she was little. They NEVER left socks on her feet! She would be in the swing, happy as can be and the boys would go by and take off her socks. I am not quite sure why they did this, but, they did it constantly.

Now, the love they have for their sister is different. They take care of her in different ways. I have seen her wake up in the morning, come downstairs and curl up in one of the big boys lap. I have seen her stop at the third stair up on her way down, hold her arms out and her big brother wrap his arms around her and carry her to the couch and sit down with her. Do they fight? You better believe it. They can annoy each other to death.

I am looking at them right now. Abbi is sitting on the couch with Matthew. They are watching TV together. She has her legs stretched out across his. She just laughed at something he said. They look after her when they play outside. I really worry about when this girl starts dating...any boy she chooses has a LOT to live up to :)

Why Read?

If you walk in my front door, the first thing you notice is the built-in bookshelves. I was very excited to find these in our house. In the last house, we had two floor to ceiling bookshelves and they were full. Technically, these shelves have two sets of four shelves each. However, I have too many books for that. We have books going all the way across the top of the shelves and lined on the floor using the floorspace as extra shelving. These shelves are FULL. Nothing broke my heart more than having to take FOUR bins of books to the used book store to divest myself of before our big move.

Books are lined up all the way across our shelves, with books sitting sideways on top of the other books. I can't help it. I love books. I love book series. I love for my kids to read books and book series. I will admit, we do have a shelf and a half of DVDs on these bookshelves, but, I also have books all over the house. There are several books in my room. My mom has a bookshelf in her room with some of my books on it. My daughter has a bookshelf in her room with a lot of books on it. My sons all have books in their rooms.

I love to read. I read anything and everything. I run the gamut among authors. I read from many different genre. I have favorite Christian fiction books, and I have read the Twilight series. I like Dan Brown, Dean Koontz, and John Grisham. I have several favorite Christian authors from different genre, as well. I read and re-read books by Tracie Peterson, Janette Oke, Judith Pella, and Frank Peretti. I don't listen to other people's opinions about books. I want to find out for myself. I hear hype and controversy, and then I have to read. I want to know what has people up at arms. It never fails to amaze me that no matter what I read, I learn something.

I do not let my kids read just anything they feel like. I have read all of the Harry Potter books, the Percy Jackson books, and others in that genre. I read them because I wanted to read them first and decide if my kids should be allowed to read them. I like to read books for content to see if I approve of them for my kids. Have I said "no" to books? Yes. There are some that I don't think my kids are mature enough to read yet.

I am proud of the fact that I am multi-faceted in my reading. My kids are multi-faceted readers. I like to read before I go to sleep. It relaxes me. My two oldest boys have gotten into the habit of reading before they go to sleep. I see books beside their beds and it makes me proud. I don't just see books. I see novels. They have read classics like David Copperfield by Charles Dickens and new classics like the Harry Potter series. They read quickly and absorb all. Matthew learned enough on the history of Egypt by reading FICTION that he is now a unit ahead in Social Studies!

In my personal opinion, if it gets a kid to read, let them read it. I don't think that all kids should read anything they feel like. Of course there is plenty of trash out there. I KNOW that there are books I have read that I do NOT want my kids to read. This is one reason why I read before they do. I feel like as long as a piece of fiction is not challenging my personal beliefs or those I am trying to instill into my children, then, they should be reading. I discuss books with my kids. I talk to them about what they are reading. They WANT to share with me and ask me questions as they read. This is why from the time they first start school, teachers comment on their vocabularies. They are well-read and well-spoken because I have taught them to love reading. They know the value of it. They enjoy the experience. They learn while having fun. I am so proud that they read and like it!

Public Schools vs Homeschooling

I teach in a public school. I always have. I have always wanted to. My children go to public schools. I am a product of public schools. My husband is a product of public schools. It really bothers me to hear people bashing public schools and talking about how much better homeschooling is than public schools will ever be.

First of all, before anyone gets offended, let me say, if homeschooling is the choice you made, more power to you. If you have the finances, time, organization skills, and energy to homeschool your children, good for you! It is not something I would enjoy, nor prefer to do. I like teaching one subject, and teaching older children. I can tell you right now, my youngest would make me insane were I to try to corral him and teach him multiple subjects by myself.

I understand some people's reasoning for choosing homeschooling. The ones that bother me are the "religious" ones. "I don't want my child exposed to that", " I don't want my child being a product of the world", "I don't want my child to hear some of the things they will hear in public schools." I ask this, where did Jesus minister? Where would He minister? Public schools are my ministry and my children's ministry.

I get to be a living breathing example of Christ every day in a public place. I get to show my students God's love by being an example of His love. I get to show compassion and teach the Word without ever saying a word. My students know where I stand and how I believe without my ever having to preach to them. How? Because I LIVE it in front of them. They know I go to church, they know I don't use profanity, or give in to a lot of the temptations they have seen. I answer direct questions, but, I do not automatically tell my students how I believe. That is not what I am there for. I am there to be an example. I am there to live a Godly life in front of them. I am there to show them God's love in action.

My children are a light to their world. How do I know this? Because they tell me. My youngest is six. He was explaining to his Daddy this morning (I had already heard the story) about his friend at school who does not believe in God. Benjamin continues to tell him that God is real and God does exist. It is our job to teach them about God at home, which we have done and to put them where Jesus would have been the rest of the time.

The last couple of weeks...

have been some of the most difficult of my life. We all suffered with Daddy for a long time. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's seven years ago. Three years ago, he went into a nursing home because he had to have round-the-clock care. Two years ago, he began to lose the ability to control a number of his bodily functions. A year ago, he quit speaking at all. He was given six years. He made it seven. That is a testament to Daddy's stubborn streak.

Alzheimer's is so difficult to deal with. It is hard to watch someone suffer and lose their faculties. It was especially hard to watch Daddy. He was always a hard-working man. He was also a young man. Daddy was diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer's at 52 years of age.

He could talk a person's ears off. He loved to talk about his girls. He was so proud of his daughters and grandchildren. He was always pulling out pictures to show people. He would ask people, "Guess how many grandchildren I have now?!" And he liked to say, "I'm young to have so many grandchildren, huh?" He was constantly talking about our accomplishments to anyone who would listen and probably some who didn't want to :)

I learned a lot about my family the last couple of weeks. I learned that my mother is stronger than any of us thought she was. I also learned that she and Daddy faced the reality of his disease a long time ago when they pre-planned a number of things for his funeral. I re-learned that my sisters are amazing women who are strong, thoughtful, and caring. I learned that the men we married are strong and helpful. I learned that the grandchildren are all tender and sympathetic. They all respond to the emotions around them and are some of the most loving children you have ever seen.

I learned a lot about my friends this week. I learned that I have more forever friends than I ever thought I had. I had friends willing to spend hours at my side, take time off work, or drive long distances to support me. I had friends send cards, money, and flowers.

I learned that I work for an amazing school system. I received cards, money, and flowers from a system I have only worked for since August. I had people step in and take care of business for me in Iowa when I had to be in Georgia. When I returned, they were sympathetic and caring. Even my kids were sympathetic and thoughtful.

Even though I have struggled, been stressed, sad, and temperamental, this experience has made me stronger. I have learned that my capacity to love has helped me get through the pain. The love I have given has been returned hundred-fold. I am so thankful for the people God has placed in my life, those for a reason, those for a season and those forever.

I Am Blessed!

First off, let me apologize for not keeping up in the last week or two. Back to school has gotten to me. I caught a "back-to-school cold/virus/general crud thing". I have been coming home and crashing. I am even behind on grading papers for work! I jumped in with both feet and got the kids started doing work immediately, so, I have no one to blame but myself :)

Anyway, this crud I have had has reminded me how truly blessed I am. My husband, mother and, children took over running things for a few days so I could try to get well. Of course, if I had listened to my first instinct and taken a day to rest right off, I probably would have gotten over it sooner, but, I didn't listen.

Chris took care of dinner three nights in the last week. He fixed me something for breakfast nearly every day (He knows that when I am sick, if I have to do it, I probably won't). He took care of the kids and getting them to do their chores. He helped me organize and clean our bedroom today, even though I know he didn't want to :)

Mama took up some of the slack with the housework. She cooked dinner two nights in a row. She made breakfast this morning. She always does the laundry and kept up with that and helping the boys keep up the kitchen. She has also been handling the grocery shopping while I have rested. She is getting really good at matching up the coupons and sales. I have taught her well. Now, I have to convince her that occasionally, it is ok to NOT have a coupon!

The kids have been cleaning a lot today. Of course, most of the mess was a result of them, anyway. They tend to NOT clean up after themselves if they are not reminded constantly. So, today was make-up day. They also took good care of me all day on Saturday. Abbi brought me breakfast in bed, the boys brought me a cushioned half-chair to sit on my bed. They also brought my computer and charger upstairs so I could spend the day watching "hulu". I had orders to stay in bed. I tried, but, eventually made my way downstairs and into the living room to spend time with everyone and watch football. I can't miss football! Even though I didn't get to watch my Dawgs, I still enjoyed some awesome family time watching college ball!

So, I said all of this to say, that I know I am blessed. I have had a rough week fighting this thing off. I spent all day Friday resting/sleeping/watching TV. However, with my family there to make me laugh, and try to make things easy, I think I can get through anything.

Raising Twins IV

I had all of these wonderful ideas of how it would be to raise twins. I initially said a lot of "I will not's" and "I would never's". I said I wouldn't get them confused. Oh my gosh!! They looked so much alike that we had to do something! Their hospital bracelets stayed on them until they were about three or four months old! We didn't take them off until the boys outgrew them! They were so difficult to tell apart! We only knew for a while that Nathan was "Baby A" and Matthew was "Baby B", so, that is what we used to tell them apart. Once their personalities and looks became a little more pronounced, we didn't need the bracelets any more. They still confuse me once in a while. Luckily, now, I can even tell their voices apart!

I said I would NEVER give them rhyming names. I managed to do that, sort of. Matt is actually Christopher Matthew and Nathan is Nathanael Loander. Nathan and Matthew was close enough to rhyming for my taste. Then my goofy cousin said he was going to call them "Matt" and "Nat", which had never occurred to me, and I nearly lost it on him! I finally just said, "he is not a BUG!!" So, problem solved. Then, Nathan THOUGHT about letting his friends call him "Nat" until Mama put her foot down.

I said I wouldn't be one of "those" parents who dressed their twins alike all the time. I lied. It started with baby shower outfits. It became convenient. It also became a habit to buy two of everything when shopping. It became a way of keeping track. Two boys in the same shirt were a lot easier to keep up with in a store or somewhere else than two boys in different outfits! Also, I couldn't put one boy in a baseball outfit and a ballerina outfit! I mean, come on! There's only so much cute stuff out there for boys, anyway! I still buy two of most everything. Now, I do it just so they won't fight over shirts, pants, shoes, etc. I may get the same shirt in a different pattern or color. I may buy six of the same pair of jeans, just because they are boys and the same size. Besides, this way, technically, they each have double the wardrobe!

What a Week!

This week has probably been one of the most difficult since the move. I won't say it has been THE most difficult, because there have been MULTIPLE weeks with difficulty! :) However, three trips to the emergency room, working a full week, and the kids going back to school do tend to add up to a difficult week!

Monday was my first day working with my new faculty. I went back to work after spending the weekend cleaning up the mess in the basement that was left from the flooding that week. I got home from work to find my mother not doing well. She was in her bed, wouldn't focus on me, and could barely speak. I called 911 while she fought me, trying to take the phone away because she didn't want to go to the hospital. I won. Turns out she had a mild stroke. She was hospitalized overnight, blood taken repeatedly, and came home the next day.

Tuesday was more meetings, listening to speakers, and working on lessons a bit. However, I had to leave early to take care of Mama. Once she was released from the hospital, she needed monitoring.

Wednesday was a LONG day. I had to be at work at 7:30. I didn't get off until nearly 7:00. We had meetings, speakers, some time in our rooms, and Open House. I got to meet the parents of a number of my students as well as some students. I was EXHAUSTED when I got home!

Thursday, when I got home, fixed dinner, and got ready for our walk, Abbi asked me to look at her arm. I took her to the bathroom and cleaned it with peroxide. I told her to leave it open so it could get some air while we walked. She burned it Monday evening on the side of a baking pan. After our walk, I looked at the wound, again. It was red, raised, puffy, and had a red streak running up beyond her elbow. The burn was just above her wrist. Trip number two to the ER. She had either a strep or staph infection. The doctor didn't feel it necessary to run a $300 test, so, started treating her with two antibiotics, plus, topical ones.

Friday, back to work. (I worked, Thursday, too :D). When I got home, Abbi's arm was more red and puffy, with a second streak running up her arm. BACK to the ER. The doctor was great. He was patient and asked us to give the meds another 24 hours to start working really well. Chris and I agreed. We then went and got some groceries, fed everyone, and I pretty much collapsed.

What have I learned from all of this? One thing I have learned is that it is ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry. I initially thought Mama was having a panic attack. I also initially thought that Abbi would be ok with topical treatment for a couple of days. My instinct kicked in over my brain. I am so glad I listened to my heart rather than my head! I have learned that I am tough! I can deal with lots of things that have been thrown at me (but, I don't WANT to have another week like this one!). I have learned that the closer we get to getting something started for our church plant and building relationships, the harder we are going to be fought! As I said in my facebook status on Thursday morning, anticipating the first day of school...BRING IT!!

Culture Shock

This week has been quite a time of adjustment for me. I went back to work and the kids went back to school. It is always difficult going back to work when you have had over two months off. Getting up at 6:00 AM every day has been a real adjustment, too. However, It's nothing like last year when I had to get up at 5:00 AM and sometimes earlier.

Thursday and Friday were the first student days. There are always adjustments to be made on these days. Lunch always runs over and afternoon classes have to be adjusted. That is just the nature of going back to school. I have never been in a school where lunch actually ended on time the first few days. It is all a part of the process.

The culture shock for me came with the students. After teaching in an inner-city school, my new school seems SO DIFFERENT! The first difference is in the attitudes of the students. I have students eager to learn! They want to know what we will be doing. They want to listen. They want to be taught! I think the major reason for this difference in attitude is that most of these students don't have to worry as much about where their next meal is going to come from, who is going to beat them, or if there will be a shooting in their neighborhood or house tonight.

Another culture shock for me has been the facility. The school is only a few years old. I have supplies! There is equipment to be used. There are science lab kits, microscopes, slides, chemicals, and MANY other things available to me in the STOREROOM off my classroom. I also have funds available to purchase more things. I don't have to stress as much about what I am going to do for labs or how to pay for it.

Yet another surprise for me was that I am not having to check the kids for dress code every day. Of course, with any school, there are guidelines to be followed. However, I am not having to make sure shirts are tucked in, belts are on, pants are pulled up, and the proper colors are being worn. It is so surprising to look at kids and see the variety of clothes they can wear to school, just because they want to.

I literally felt like crying yesterday because it felt so simple! Discipline? Seriously, when I asked the students to settle down, they did. When I asked the students to do an index card with information, they did it and the room fell silent. Today, I gave a writing assignment. They did it. They didn't complain about having to write in Science. They stayed quiet while they worked. I honestly didn't know how to handle myself.

At lunch yesterday, I actually took a picture of my room and sent it to Chris because the room was still clean! There was nothing in the floor except a small slip of paper. These children are respectful! I had one boy run back in today and grab the three sheets of paper that had fallen out of his notebook before he walked out of the room. They push their chairs back under as they leave! This is so amazing to me. Last year, I had to clean my room before the custodians could clean my room. There was always a HUGE pile of paper balls, broken pencils, colored pencils, etc. that had been left in the floor.

I am not trying to glorify my new job. I am not trying to make it sound like it is so much better than what I had before. I just feel so blessed. I realize that there will be days that I find difficult. I realize that there will be students who push my buttons or test limits. I know that I will be just as exhausted after a long day of teaching as I was (trust me, I felt it today!), but, I am just so thankful to be given the opportunity that I have been given. I love to teach and it is all the better to be able to do it with a willing audience :D

Some Couponing Thoughts

I used coupons for quite a while, then, I stopped. It got to be too much work. What I wanted wasn't always on sale. I had a coupon, but, it didn't bring the price down enough. I didn't have coupons for what I DID want when it went on sale. The Sunday paper didn't have many coupons in it. There were all kinds of reasons why I stopped. But, I did get started again.

The first thing that got me started again was CVS. I had started using their CVS bucks again. I then started matching up the bucks with coupons and getting better deals. Then, I started thinking about using them again in grocery stores. After that, I found out about coupon websites and manufacturer sites. You can download and print your coupons! This was amazing! The final kicker for me was when I learned of a couple of grocery stores that DOUBLED coupons! That was amazing! So, a $0.60 coupon is now worth $1.20?! Are you kidding me??? I am IN!

I learned from a great website that caters to southern stores that groceries tend to go on sale in six-week cycles. If your favorite brand is on sale, stock up with at least six weeks worth. In the long run, this WILL save you money. When you can use a coupon on top of a sale price, it always comes out better, check the ads. Once you check the ads, match your coupons to the ads. Something that is buy-one-get-one free is MORE than 50% off when you add a coupon! I like more than 50% off! It makes me feel good!

I was saddened to learn that there are no stores in Iowa that double grocery coupons. However, the average price of groceries here is a bit lower. So, in Tennessee, I was always shooting for at least 55% savings on my bill. Here, my goal is at least 45% savings. I feel I have really accomplished something if I can make that. Case in point: I have to feed a family of seven. Our average grocery bill for a month is less than $500. This includes toiletries, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies. Also, I bought school supplies for four children. I also stocked up on a number of things for them to have throughout the school year. I spent less than $100 on ALL of their school supplies together.

Here is the last thing I have to say on this topic. You will ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS do better if you shop grocery and drug stores with coupons and sales than you will ever do at major retail or bulk shopping stores. They may have the cheaper price initially. However, when you get a product in their store, and add a coupon, you will never save 50% or more on that item. In grocery stores, you can always save when you match up the sales with the coupons. I rarely pay more than $1.50 for some of my children's favorite NAME-BRAND cereals. (You know, the kind your mama told you not to eat because it would rot your teeth out...still got all mine, thanks Mom!) I NEVER pay more than $1.00 a box for microwave popcorn. Deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, etc...I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I paid actual cash for these things due to CVS bucks (which I can't get anymore, waaaaahhhh!!!) and Register Rewards at Walgreen's. Try a few of these tips and see how they work for you! Feel free to message me any time if you have questions or want help getting started!

Kids Are Funny!

I love to laugh. We do it a lot around our house. I tend to have a quick wit. Chris has a dry sense of humor that catches people off guard. The kids got a combination from both of us. They also just make observations that we find hysterical on occasion. They all get us from time to time. Nathan and Matt are at an age where they are catching on to more adult humor. Abbi notices girly things and gross things and reacts in hysterical ways. Benjamin got the biggest dose of humor from both Mama and Daddy and we end up in stitches quite often. Here are a few examples:

Nathan (age 5) was outside with his Daddy. Chris looked up and said, "I see a red bird!" Nathan looked at his Daddy and said, "I see a redneck!"

Matthew (age 3): We were in Lowe's looking for foam insulation. He looked up and saw the large rolls of attic insulation all shrink-wrapped and packaged together. He then looked at me and said, "Mama! That's a big ol' roll of toilet paper!"

Abbi (age 6) was testing me quite a bit that particular day. I finally told her she was "annoying me". She said, "ME? Annoy YOU? Nonsense..."

Benjamin (age 5): After our recent vacation, Chris was complaining about having gained some weight. Matthew then said something about his nickname being, "hubby". Benjamin said, "No! His nickname is chubby!"

Matthew (age 10): I was frustrated with Matthew for trying to discipline his younger brother. I asked, "Did you give birth to him?" Matthew answered, "That's highly illogical!"

Benjamin (age 5): Nathan had been aggravating him and he said, "I wish I was a girl cause then I could hit Nathan cause boys can't hit girls!"

Benjamin (age 6) I had asked him several times to go to bed. Around the fourth time, I finally said, "Benjamin, will you PLEASE go to bed?!" He answered, "Whatever you say...Sweet Cheeks!"

We get these things and more quite often. I am beginning to feel I should carry around a notebook so I can write all of these things down when they happen. I know I will never remember all of them, later. However, I do appreciate my children for all the good laughs they have given us, so far!

I Am A Nerd

I have to admit that I am a nerd. I am a bookworm. I love Science. I like to learn. I buy books so I can read them and read them again. I get excited about things that make people look at me funny. I like watching TV shows that teach me things.

Before our move, I had the heartbreaking (to me!) chore of thinning out our books. I took three bins full of books to the used book store. I mean literally, three large Rubbermaid totes. We put books in yardsales, as well. However, we still have a dozen shelves of books right now as well as at least two more totes in the basement full of books. I had to keep some of them! I had to keep books that the kids would want to read (which they do! YAY!) I had to keep the classics. I had to keep the books that Chris wanted to use as references. I had to keep the books that I wanted to use as references. I can't make it without some amount of books! I have purchased books since we moved, too.

What do I read, you ask? Everything. I am the type of person who has to decide for myself. I need to read it instead of listening to the hype. I want to know what gets everyone up at arms. My books run a WIDE range! I recently went to Border's Books and bought three books. One was on the creatures in the deep ocean. One was on Inca and Aztec history. The other was a Christian fiction novel written by an author I like and the second book in a series I had begun. I love book series. I like to read continuing sagas. I also like numerous authors. I have read all the Harry Potter books. I have read all of the Percy Jackson books. I also read Janette Oke and Tracie Peterson. They are two of my favorite Christian fiction authors. I read Dan Brown and Frank Peretti. I read John Grisham and Ted Dekker. I avoided the "Twilight" series forever. Then I found a copy of the first one, got started reading, and couldn't put it down. I devour books. Chris gets really jealous of my ability to tune out and tune in to my book. Yet, while, I am reading, I still know what is going on with the kids. I can watch TV and read at the same time. It makes him crazy (not a far trip...).

I love to watch the Science Channel, Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC, etc. I enjoy being taught about how things happen. I like learning about new animals found in the jungle. I relish learning of theories behind development of various species. I thrive on watching shows about Egyptian history and the discoveries made in Egypt. I get excited when I get the opportunity to watch a show teaching the history behind the Bible or the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

I thoroughly enjoy taking my kids to places where they can learn. I like to plan day trips to dairy farms. I make plans for them to get dirty picking vegetables at a vegetable farm. I spend time with them going to gold mines and panning for gold. We have grubbed for gemstones. We have gone to zoos. We have gone to aquariums. We plan to go to the Amana Colonies. We plan to go to Living Heritage Farms. I am constantly looking for ways to have fun and learn at the same time. I can't help it. I am a nerd :)

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

I have always liked thunderstorms. I enjoy watching them roll in. I like seeing how the clouds darken and change. I like how they cool things off. I like watching the patterns of the lightening. However, I think I have had enough.

We need time to dry out. We need time to clean up. We need help cleaning up. When I say "we", I mean Iowans. Those of us in Ames are really struggling with this water. I made a couple of trips today and was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water. There are fields that look like lakes. There are streets that look like creeks. Records are set and records are broken. I took this excerpt from the Ames Tribune:

Update, 7 p.m.: Skunk River sets record crest

The South Skunk River crested Wednesday more than a foot above record flood level, according to the National Weather Service.

The South Skunk River crested at 26.7 feet near U.S. Highway 30 at about 10 a.m. The previous record was 25.6 feet, set on June 26, 1975. Flood stage is 20 feet.

The river was at 26.2 feet and falling at 5 p.m.

The river rose to 19.3 feet at West Riverside Drive. The record level was 20.9 feet on June 17, 1996, and flood stage is 14 feet.

Squaw Creek at Lincoln Way came within inches of the 18.5-foot record set on July 9, 1993. Flood stage is 9 feet.

The creek was at 18.5 feet and falling at 5 p.m.

Both waterways are forecast to fall below flood stage Thursday.

The next chance for rain is after 1 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

• • •

We are literally surrounded by water. The Skunk River is one one side of town from us. The Squaw Creek is on the other. I couldn't even get out of Ames to go to Boone, the town my school is in yesterday. Water had receded to the point this morning that I could go over one of the roads that was closed yesterday. Chris was able to work today, but, it was modified routes. There are still roads that are inaccessible.

Now, we are hearing more storms are on the way. Starting tonight and into tomorrow. We have flood warnings until 7:00 tomorrow night. There have been EIGHT water main breaks. The water restrictions are starting to get to me. I honestly don't like having to use bottled water to cook. I made the kids re-use bath water last night. I then made them leave it in the tub to help flush toilets. I boiled water for us to store. There have been companies donating water, and that is wonderful. Lesson learned on the water. From now on, whenever I see bottled water on sale, I will be purchasing and stocking up.

However, the expense of having to purchase unexpected things like paper goods I wouldn't normally buy is getting to me. The seepage in the basement has really frustrated me now. We had so many boxes down there that are now ruined. There were also thing stored in those boxes. I plan on spending the day Saturday sorting through and working through the mess. Unfortunately for me, Chris has to work Saturday. I am going to have to do it with the children's help. We are also going to have to put out a lot of money for plastic totes. I apologize if I sound whiny here. I am just getting frustrated. I am ready for the rain to be over. I don't want to have to worry about what is in the basement being ruined by a little bit of water seeping in.

I know that we have been blessed way more than some other people. We are still in our home. We have not had to evacuate. We do not have standing water or mud in our basement. My family is healthy and safe. Thank you, Lord for these things. Help me to continue to be grateful for the gifts we have been given. But, Lord, please, we have had enough!:)

A Test of Faith

This week has been possibly the most difficult one since our move. In the seven weeks we have been in Ames, we have had three hailstorms, two tornado warnings, multiple thunderstorms, two power outages (one for 41 hours), and now the flooding. The one thing I keep hearing from people is, "Welcome to Iowa!" However, I am learning, that this really is NOT a typical summer.

Today, my emotions have run the gamut. I have had fear, relief, worry, stress, exhaustion, and exasperation. However, the most predominant emotion I have felt has been thankfulness. The office Chris works out of is just a few miles from our home. He was called in around 1:30 this morning to help sandbag the place. Then, he was asked to drive the shuttle and help evacuate stranded students. When he got off work, I had to experience the fear and worry. He couldn't get home! Every road he took, he ended up having to find another route. It took him nearly three hours to get home. I was very relieved when he made it!

I was exhausted before I ever got out of bed. I had stayed up late reading and listening to the storm. I do like thunderstorms. I finally went to sleep a little after midnight. Then the phone rang for Chris to go to work. Then, he called around 6:00 AM to tell me he was stranded. Benjamin was in my bed and restless. Then, Chris called again about 45 minutes later to say he was still stranded. Then, Benjamin woke up. Well, I had to give it up and get up, too.

The flooding started getting worse. There are three highways in/around Ames that are closed. We are essentially locked in right now. Luckily, there are a lot of places within walking distance for us. However, supplies are difficult to get through. Then, came the water main break.

There is a water main that runs under a creek here in town. The creek (Squaw Creek) has flooded to such a point that the ground underneath it shifted. The main burst and now creek water is mixing in with the clean water and we are under water restrictions. I boiled water on all four burners, filled as many things as I could with water, made tea and filled ice trays. The news said for people to not take showers or flush toilets. That is a little exasperating.

Thankful. Yep. I am thankful. I am thankful that our house is mostly dry. There is just a little seepage in the basement. I am thankful that we have plenty of food for a few days. I am thankful that the Fareway grocery store chain set up a transfer truck full of water and was giving away two gallons of water per family member for every vehicle that drove up. I am thankful that my family is safe and dry. I think James said it best, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds." (James 1:2 NIV) I am considering this a joy because, I know God sent us here. I know we are here for a purpose. And I know, we wouldn't be facing trials right now if "someone" weren't scared...

My Baby Boy II

Benjamin was a very easygoing baby. He only had ONE little quirk. He REFUSED to be weaned. He could drink from a cup, eat solid foods, had a mouthful of teeth, but did NOT want to stop nursing before naps or bed. He would scream and scream and scream until my heart broke. In the end, this turned out to be a very good thing for him.

We got one of the scares of our lives when Benjamin was 16 months old. We were having a normal spring/summer. Benjamin had been outside playing along with the rest of the children. We were walking up the back stairs of our house and he yelped. It was a warm day, so, he had on shorts and no shoes. I looked for what had made him cry out. He had a little scratch. It barely broke the skin. It didn't even draw blood. I didn't think anything about it. Kids get scratched all the time. This was my fourth child. I had seen WAY worse with the older two!

Around five or six days later, Benjamin seemed kind of listless. He started running a fever off and on. He didn't really want to eat, just nurse. I figured it was no big deal. He was always around other kids, so, he had probably picked up something. The next day, he was running more fevers and spiking. I noticed a rash on his leg. The scratch had healed completely. But, the rash looked funny. It was red and raised, and mottled looking. I didn't like it and Chris didn't either. We called the doctor. They told us to bring him in a side door because of the rash. They didn't want to expose other children.

When we got to the doctor, the doctor took one look at the rash and said for us to take him straight to the hospital. He called the pediatric unit and told them we were on the way. My baby had developed a staph infection from that little scratch! Benjamin had no fever at that moment. The hospital was less than 0.2 miles from the doctor's office. We went straight there, parked, went inside and up to the second floor. Benjamin started feeling REALLY warm. We sat down, a nurse took his temp and it was 104.9! He had spiked that quickly!

I was terrified. Benjamin was crying and wanting to nurse. I started nursing him. He sat up, and lost most of it. Here I was, covered in it, and no other clothes to wear. Chris had to leave and go get clothes and such for both of us. Some kind nurses found some scrubs for me to wear while I waited. My poor baby was so sick!

They started him on antibiotics immediately. He didn't respond well. They had to try multiple sites for his IVs. Every night, Chris and I had to take turns sleeping in the hospital crib with him. The hospital rules were he had to be in the crib. However, HE wouldn't sleep without touching one of us. For the first couple of days, the only nutrition he got came from nursing. He wouldn't or couldn't eat.

The doctor had to try four different antibiotics. Benjamin still didn't respond to the treatment. He kept spiking fevers. He kept getting sick and the rash was spreading. In a last ditch effort, the doctor put him on Vancomycin. Benjamin had also yanked out every IV and they finally had to put the new one in his little forehead. Vancomycin is one of the strongest (and most expensive, over $1,000 a dose) antibiotics out there.

It finally worked! He had been in the hospital 8 days before the Vancomycin was used. In all, he was hospitalized for 10 of the longest days of my life! He acted like he had never been sick by the time we left. In the end, I guess God knew what he was doing by making my child so stubborn I couldn't say no to the continued nursing. It helped save his life. However, I finally got stubborn with him a month later and got him weaned :)

Iowa

Iowa is beautiful. I am learning some about the history of the state. I still have lots to learn, of course. Things are very wide open here. And flat! Every once in a while, we come across some rolling hills, but for the most part, it is pretty flat.

The town we are in, Ames, is really nice! The University of Iowa is here. It was built in the 1800s! Agriculture is a huge field of study for this school. There is also a college of veterinary medicine at ISU. The school mascot is the Cyclone. I will never forget my beloved Dawgs, though. Ames is so SQUARE! Most of the streets run parallel or perpendicular to each other. Literally three lefts make a right. You are always headed directly in one of the compass directions when driving around here. Not like in the south where you are headed north, turn right one time and are suddenly headed south!

There is corn EVERYWHERE around here! I keep teasing Chris telling him to stop on the side of the road so I can run over and pick some real quick. There are stands on street corners where you can get fresh corn all week. On certain days, there are Farmer's markets where one can get all kinds of fresh vegetables. I found a couple of places that let you pick your own vegetables and fruit. I LOVE doing that! The only thing better would be having my own vegetable garden!

The weather here has been VERY unpredictable! For the most part, we have been having some mild days. However, our first two nights, we were welcomed with hail storms. We have had a couple of days every week that have been in the 90's, then thunderstorms blow through, cool it off a bit, and we have mild again. Tonight, when Chris and I walked, it was 86 degrees, but the heat index made it feel like 101! So, we have storms moving in tonight. Hopefully, we won't have to go without power for 41 hours again!

Raising Twins III

Bear in mind that Chris and I were technically still newlyweds when we had two babies. We were married exactly 9 months and two days when we brought home two babies. We had known each other 11 months when we brought home two babies. It is a good thing we had two first because we didn't know any different. We had nothing to compare it to. We just did what we needed to do. Diaper changes were done assembly line. When one woke up to eat, the other one would be awakened and fed. They were pretty easy babies once we figured them out.

I was stubborn at first and thought we would just do it all by ourselves. Poor Chris had started back to school and was working full-time. I didn't last long nursing and had to supplement when I did, so, I gave that up after about six weeks. Chris would wake up some nights long enough to put a bottle in a mouth and go back to sleep. I took care of the burping, changing, and back to bed. He would get up in the morning, get ready for work or class and I would have a day with babies. A lot of mornings, he would ask if I wanted my "bed bugs" before he left. They slept longer in the bed with me.

Our first New Year's together, we had two three-week-old babies. I was exhausted! Around 11:30 PM on New Year's Eve, I got both babies to sleep. Chris had been asleep for a while. On the STROKE of midnight, both babies started wailing! My "newlywed" husband didn't move. I truly think he believed if he didn't move, they would stop crying, like some dinosaurs whose vision was based on movement, the babies would stop if they thought nobody was there. I said, "HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR!" Then, Chris moved. He slowly reached down, and pulled the covers over his head, afraid of what I was going to do next. Well, I got up, picked up two babies, handed him one, and we put them back to sleep. It was shortly after that I called in the "Grandma Cavalry" and we slept for ten hours straight :D

Some Cooking Thoughts

08/06/2010

First of all, I don't claim to be a master chef, nor the world's greatest cook. I just enjoy what I do and try my best to take care of my family. I have been cooking for a LONG time. I started bugging my mother when I was around nine years of age to teach me to cook. Because it wasn't her favorite thing to do, she started teaching me. Mama was a good cook, she was just very basic. Mama didn't make her own sauces or experiment much. That's what I like to do. My sister told me she isn't impressed with me because she does the same stuff all the time. But, she did point out that she doesn't do it with the passion that I do it with.

There are just a few things that I absolutely cannot do without when it comes to my cooking or baking. One thing that I MUST have is butter. REAL butter. I only use sweet cream butter and salted butter more often than not. Another thing that many of my main dishes, sauces, and marinades must have is garlic. Whether it is fresh or powdered, I loves my garlic. I even use it on burgers. It just always gives that little hint of somethign extra. In a lot of my baking, I prefer butter-flavored shortening. It has a lower smoke point than butter and adds a bit of extra moisture.

One of my FAVORITE ingredients, that I add whenever I get a chance, is bacon. I know it's bad for you, but, MAN I loves me some bacon! My youngest son loves it, too. when he smells it cooking, he yells, "Bacon!" It reminds me of the commercials for dog treats! When I was pregnant with him, I used to crave just the smell of bacon and onions cooking together!

I think it is essential to have different types of flour on hand. I use cake flour for cakes and cookies. It makes REALLY light cookies. I use bread flour when baking all my breads, including banana bread, pumpkin bread, etc. I use self-rising flour for biscuits, rolls, and homemade pancakes. I keep all purpose flour for everything else. I also always have at least three types of sugars on hand, granulated, brown, and confectioner's. I try to never run out of these things because I never know when a baking mood is going to hit me. If I don't have my ingredients on hand, it really becomes a pain to have to run out and get something.

I love come up with new recipes or improve recipes I have. My family and friends reap the benefits. I know I sound like an old Southern cook, but, that's pretty much what I am! My roots are deep in Southern soil, but, I like to branch out quite often. However, you will NEVER take my butter and bacon away!

The Preacher's Son III

08/05/2010

After taking a full three seconds to think about it, I said, "Yes" to Chris's proposal. We began making plans for a wedding shortly after that. In between, we worked, went to class, talked on the phone, and spent as much time together as possible.

We had a schedule worked out. He came to see me every day of the week except Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I went to see him and go to church with him on Wednesdays and Sundays. On Saturdays, I had to work both of my jobs and so, we just talked half the night away.

We decided to get married in March. There were several reasons we decided to get married in March (yes, it would only be two months after we met!). First, we would have money after getting our taxes done. Second, we were killing ourselves (and my grades!) trying to spend time together. There were many a night we fell asleep on my couch or Chris had to pull over on his way home to take a short nap because of sheer exhaustion! We also decided that my spring break would be a good time to have a wedding.

Chris did everything he could to help with the wedding. He helped plan, listened to all my ideas, and helped spend money :) He was also really good at trying to keep me happy. One day, I was having a particularly bad day at work. He showed up, driving over an hour, just to bring me a gorgeous arrangement of roses. I was a little spoiled.

March the 6th rolled around. I spent much of the night before sewing the last of the beads on my dress. I didn't sleep well. The morning dawned and it was rainy. As the day went on, I got more nervous. Finally, the hour before the wedding arrived. My ONE concern was, IS HE THERE? I kept asking my friends if they had seen him. Was he really going to show up? Someone saw him, so, I knew he was still hanging around out there.

FINALLY!! Time for the wedding. The music starts. I am waiting my turn. I see him standing there. I make my way with my daddy to this guy I have only known for two months. He looks so handsome. Am I really doing this? Too late not to now. The ceremony keeps going and then he sings. He sang, "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx. Suddenly, I am a married woman. :)

The Preacher's Son II

08/04/2010

The date is now January 5, 1998. Chris went to work and took a nap. I slept away my morning classes and went to my afternoon ones. When I got back, I paged him. Hey! It was 12.5 years ago! Anyway, he called me back. We talked for a couple of hours. Then, he said something about wishing he could see me. So, I gave him directions to my apartment in Cleveland. He drove over an hour to see me in person.

He looked better this time. Not quite so formal, albeit a bit messy. (I took care of that after we married, some of THOSE clothes disappeared, mysteriously) Well, we spent the evening talking. LATE into the evening we talked. I sat on the couch. He sat in a chair. Since it was right after Christmas, there were still decorations sitting around. He was playing with a piece of holly while we talked. He then said, "You know what I was thinking? I was wishing this was mistletoe." I played REALLY hard to get and said, "Who says you need mistletoe?" Our first kiss. The sweetest, most toe curling kiss I had ever had :)

Chris drove to Cleveland again the next day when he got off work. Once again, he stayed until the wee hours of the morning. I wasn't getting a lot of rest or a lot of school done. We just couldn't seem to STOP talking once we got started! It was almost as if we were making up for a lifetime of NOT being with each other.

On Wednesday, I had to work. Chris didn't drive to Cleveland because he had to help his Daddy with the church service. When he got out of church, he called me.We talked until two or three in the morning, once again. Trust me! You DON'T want to know about the phone bills!

On Thursday, January 8th, Chris came back to Cleveland to see me. We had gotten VERY comfortable with each other. We learned a lot in a very short amount of time. We still spent so much time talking! We couldn't get enough of each other or just spending time together. We had moved to sitting together on the couch when we talked. During the course of our conversations, we got to aggravating each other. I am a pretty ticklish person, and so is Chris. In the course of this teasing/wrestling, we managed to roll off of the couch. Chris broke my fall by landing on his back. I landed smack on top of him! How embarassing! He then looks at me and says, "I had a crazy thought." I waited. He said, "Do you wanna get married?"

The Preacher's Son

08/03/2010

Chris came along at a time in my life when I honestly wasn't looking for anyone. I had decided (after a really bad break up) that it was time for just me and God. I didn't need a guy, didn't want a guy, and was going to work and (finally) finish school. Who cared that both of my YOUNGER sisters had gotten married already?

Enter my mother. She and my dad started going to a new church. She loved the church, loved the pastor, and loved the pastor's son. She KEPT telling me I needed to meet him. I needed to talk to him. I would like him. He led worship, he sang in church, he played the trumpet, he was single, he was my age, he wasn't dating anyone, blah, blah, blah! I was happy the way I was! Leave me alone! MOTHER! He is TWENTY-FIVE years old, lives with his parents, and works at Bi-Lo! I DON'T think so! Little did I know she was harassing him, too. Showing him my picture, telling him I was in college, blah, blah blah.

So, one Sunday, I showed up at church (drove an hour to do it) so she would shut up and leave me alone. I walk in, she is thrilled. Chris comes out of the back. I am not impressed. He was ok. I didn't like his hairstyle. It was too old for him. Mama calls him over and introduces us. He shakes my hand, says, "nice to meet you," talks to Mama a minute and walks away. I'm going, "wow, jerk." I drove an hour to be here. Oh well, your loss.

THEN, we see the girl. Oh, yes. He had a girl at church with him that Sunday. My mother is incensed. "He told me he wasn't dating anyone!" I'm going, "YAY!! Now she will leave me alone!" After church, we go to my car because Mama wants to ride to the house with me. Well, I have a cup leaking and pouring soda all in my car (my purple baby!). I told Mama I was going to take it inside the church to throw it away, I couldn't just throw it out. I'm not a litterbug! Anyway, I wanted to give the pastor's son one last chance to see what he was missing...(keep in mind, I was young, cute, and skinny, then). So, then, I took Mama home.

I went back to Cleveland that night because I had to work. After work, I tried to call Mama. I couldn't get her. I tried, and tried. Daddy was at work and hadn't heard from her. I finally got in touch with my grandmother. She told me Mama had been in an accident. I got in touch with her at the hospital. She asked me to call her pastor and tell him what had happened. UGH! Ok, Mama.

So, I called Pastor Lumley. I let him know she had been in an accident. She had blacked out driving, but was ok. He told me, "Chris is just kicking himself. He knew she wasn't feeling well at church tonight and feels like maybe he should have followed her home or something." I told him to tell him not to do that and asked if he were there to make sure he would get the message. So, he says, "Yeah, hold on. I'll get him." UGH!! I didn't want to TALK to the guy, just give him the message!

So, Chris gets on the phone. It is nearly midnight. I have classes the next day and he has to work, so, I try to make it short and sweet. I mean, he had to be at work at 6:00 AM. We got off the phone at 5:30 AM because he needed a shower. I went to bed and missed classes that day. The date was January 4-5 1998...

My Baby Boy

Benjamin is the baby of the family, and well does he know it! He is probably the most precocious six-year-old you will EVER meet. This kid has done things that he knew was funny since he was a toddler. He waits for his audience to look and lets it fly. He has an extremely quick wit!

When I got pregnant with Benjamin, I thought I wanted another girl (little did I realize at the time that his sister would NEVER have stood for another girl having a place in HER daddy's heart!). Well, that 20-week point comes along, and we find out, it's a boy. I was a little disappointed. At least I was until Chris pointed out that he was perfectly healthy and I should be thankful. So, I got thankful, but, I did put in ONE request. The first three were as blond and blue-eyed as could be when they were born. So, I told Chris I might not have gotten a second girl, but, I was HOLDING OUT for dark hair! I needed at least ONE child I could lay claim to!

My pregnancy with Benjamin was pretty uneventful until about 32 weeks. We were coming back to TN from GA after spending Christmas with the Lumley side of the family. I started having pains. They started coming five minutes apart. Well, when Chris found out, it was straight to the hospital. Labor stopped, I got to go home and rest. Well, Benjamin wasn't very patient and I had to go back a couple more times. Finally, at 36 weeks, after being in labor AGAIN, the doctor did an amnio, checked his lungs and we did a C-section. He was GORGEOUS! 6 lb 8 oz and 19 1/2 inches long (imagine if he had cooked four more weeks!) AND he had a HEAD FULL of black hair! It stood up everywhere! Chris blamed it on the fact that all I ever wanted to eat the whole time I was pregnant was Italian or Mexican food LOL!

Then he started having trouble breathing. He had "wet lung". He had aspirated amniotic fluid right before his birth. So, they took my baby away. They had to take him to a hospital 30 miles away with a NICU. Well, we had LOTS of folks praying. By the time they got him to the other hospital, he was off the CPAP machine. The next morning, he didn't even need oxygen. I made the doctor release me from the hospital (idiot that I am) a day and a half after having a C-Section. I wanted my baby!

So, we left the hospital to go to the other hospital. The nurses were already in love with Benjamin. He was such a good baby! When I saw this child, I was flooded with love, emotion, and tears (AND milk! Can you say painful? Oh my gosh! My milk had REFUSED to come in and the second I saw him, that changed! I nearly drowned the poor kid the first time he tried to nurse!). Anyway, he was ready to go home and I was ready to have him there.

Well, the dark hair stayed dark, the eyes got even darker. He now has these chocolate eyes he uses on everyone with these huge long eyelashes that make them even more lethal! I will leave this with an example of his wit. Last night, he crawled into our bed after the puppies had been settled down. Chris rolled over to his side and said, "Goodnight, Irene." I said, "Who is Irene? Benjamin, do you know who Irene is?" He said, "No." I said, "Do you think it's Daddy's girlfriend?" He said, "Maybe..." I said, "Maybe?" He said, "Maybe he's cheatin' on you!" Which, of course, brought him a round of tickles from Daddy. Precocious, I say, precocious...

My Daughter

My daughter is a joy, an angel, a diva, and a terror! She is such a loving child. She sat with me in church this morning with her head on my shoulder, holding my hand, fingers interlocked. She is absolutely the sweetest child...when she wants to be. We had the two boys when I got pregnant with her. Chris informed me, "Alright. You've got your two little boys to spoil, I WANT my little girl!" Of course he knew, that was totally up to him, I just had to get her here.

My pregnancy with Abbi was so easy! I had very little morning sickness, worked a full-time, on my feet job, had no health problems. I DID have some cravings, though! I would go on my lunch break to different restaurants to get food. I would go to one for a BBQ sandwich and another for cheese tater tots and a hot fudge sundae. Or go get a fish meal at one and to another for a hot fudge sundae. Or, I would get a salad at one and get a hot fudge sundae at another...seeing a pattern here? Also, EVERY night I ate either a bowl of Lucky Charms or Count Chocula before bed. How much weight did I gain you ask? 12 pounds. I know, sick, right?

Anyway, 37 weeks later, here comes Miss Priss. You may not know that "Abigail" means "a father's joy". Let me tell you how she proved this. The doctor was concerned because she was three weeks early. I kept going into labor and finally at 37 weeks, he decided to take her. Nathan and Matt were so big, we did a C-section and had decided to do one for Abbi, too. Anyway, the doctor was concerned about her lungs. He was afraid they might be a bit under-developed. Well, start the surgery. He makes the incision, and gets her head out. She starts screaming. Most babies don't scream this soon. Abbi decided to let everyone know she was here.

She continued to scream. One shoulder out, screaming, two shoulders out, screaming, belly, butt, legs, more screaming. They take her to clean her up, she screams. They take her to weigh her, she screams. By now, EVERYONE is laughing. Someone said, "Nothing wrong with THOSE lungs!" She weighed 6 lb 12 oz, was 19 1/2 inches long and THREE weeks early. AND, she continued to scream.

Chris walks over to check on her. She is laying in the bassinette, still screaming. Chris tells her, "It's ok, Daddy's here." He put his right hand down beside her. She reaches out with her left hand, grasps his pinky, and STOPS screaming. It was instant. That was the second I lost my husband to another woman :)

Raising Twins II

Now that the boys are 11, I sometimes wonder how we survived! (Actually, sometimes I how THEY survived!) They were constantly getting into things, there wasn't a child safety device they couldn't figure out. They took off cabinet ties, door locks, and outlet covers! I had a sitter once tell me she thought her house was child proof but it wasn't Nathan proof! We brought their sister home from the hospital when they were two. Chris tried to go into their bedroom. The doorknob nearly came off in his hand! He called for Matthew, handed him a screwdriver, and asked him what he was supposed to do with it. Matthew then proceeded to continue working on the screws in the door!

Matthew has always been a fast learner. He has always been inquisitive. Once, when he was four, he came to me and asked, "Mama, why does people have teeth and cows don't?" I explained how they do, but they are used for different things than people teeth, they weren't used the same. He then asked, "Mama, why does cows not use their teeth the same as people teeth?" I THEN proceeded to tell him about tearing, shredding, and grinding teeth. After a minute, I said, "You know Matthew, that was a VERY smart question." He responded, "Oh, I know. I'm very smart. I think I'm gonna be a genius one day..."

Nathan's intensity comes through in many things he does. The one thing Nathan does REALLY well is get scared. I have NEVER heard a boy scream like he can, which, of course, makes him a target occasionally. Probably the best time he got scared was a complete accident. I had begun reading this LONG series of books, THICK books. It was late at night in the summer, last summer to be exact. It was probably after midnight. I was reading with the book propped up on my chest. I had no idea that Nathan had come in the room. I had one leg out from under the covers. As Nathan walked by my foot up to the top of the bed to tell me he had had a bad dream, his hand brushed across my toe! Well......needless to say, I was a LITTLE startled. I started screaming and kicking BOTH feet up and down in the bed! I knew I needed to stop screaming, but, couldn't! Chris was laying on his stomach and FLIPPED up to his back and nearly fell backwards off the bed! Meanwhile, Nathan begins screaming and dives over me, headfirst, into the middle of our bed. Well, then, I started laughing and couldn't stop. Poor Nathan. We finally all settled down and went back to sleep, after I held Nathan for quite some time and apologized profusely. By the way, I am still not sure how Chris stopped himself from falling off the bed!

Raising Twins

I don't even know where to begin with this post. Raising identical twins is a joy, a pleasure, and a challenge! You may not know that Chris and I were married 8 weeks and found out I was 6 1/2 weeks along with twins! That brings all kinds of excitement and panic! The most important thing was for me to do my VERY best to keep them in as long as possible and get them as big as possible. This is NOT as easy as one might think considering I am 5'3" tall! I was ALL baby! The boys were born three weeks early and I measured as if I were 8 weeks overdue!

Well, my healthy baby boys started out at a healthy 6 lbs a piece and 19 inches long. Give a quarter pound and quarter inch to Matt over Nathan. Now it's about 5 lbs and 3/4". They were so identical we had to leave their hospital bracelets on them until they outgrew them! Luckily, by then, we could tell them apart :P

The most fun thing about Nathan and Matt is that their personalities are so distinct! Even in the womb, we could tell they had different personalities. Nathan is VERY intense! He is the go-getter who jumps into any situation and has a ball. Matthew is more analytical. He is more laid back and thinks about things a bit more than his brother who is gung-ho. However, together, they have ALWAYS been mischevious.

Their mischief knew no bounds when they were little. It is a little more controlled and precise now. They REALLY plan it out. One of the earliest bits of mischief they got into was when they were 18 months old. They were in the nursery at church. The nursery worker watched them sit down together. They had name tags on their backs. They took the tags off of each other, swapped, and put them back on the other one. Oh yes! They started early fooling people. Once, when they were 10 months, they INTENTIONALLY looked at me every time I called their names. However, NATHAN would look when I said, "Matthew" and MATT would look every time I said, "Nathan". They did this for a couple of minutes! It was VERY intentional.

Another bit of mischief they got into was when they were around two. They were supposed to have been taking a nap. They were in our bedroom. After a bit of time, I told Chris that I smelled something, and it smelled sweet. Then he smelled it. So, he got up and checked on the boys because it seemed to be coming from our room. I hear Chris say, "BOYS!" He then reaches for the light switch, turns it on, causing the ceiling fan to come on and a CLOUD of baby powder to come flying out the bedroom door. They had emptied the ENTIRE bottle of baby powder all OVER our bedroom!

I will leave off for now. There are so many more stories I could share, but I will save them for later. I hope you enjoyed this!

Being Lonely

I have learned a few things about myself with this move. I am sure many of you already realize I am quite the social being. I am used to being able to hang out with people whenever given the opportunity. I am used to being able to just go or call someone and spend time with friends and family. There was always something to see or do and someone to be with.

Well, now, I have nobody to be social with! I have met a few people, but, it's not quite time to call up and say, "Hey, Girl! Let's go to the movies!" I have had to rely on Chris for entertainment, but, I have to think it all up! Poor guy, he even had to go see "New Moon" with me.

Growing up, I was always the new kid. To compound things, I was shy (YES I WAS!! Don't roll your eyes at me!) I was the epitome of the kid hiding behind Mama's skirts. Well, I feel like the new kid all over again. With the military, you kept in touch with your friends from the last assignment for a couple of months, and then it all changed. You made new friends, they made new friends and you were forgotten. I have just this morning realized that this has been part of my problem.

I have been up here feeling lonely and friendless. I have had that mindset that my friends have already moved on and made other friends. I haven't called them like I should. I have sent text messages and picture messages, but, not contacted people. I have been too afraid that they wouldn't have time for me or that they were busy and I was interrupting.

Then, I realized a few days ago, these are the same people I talked to EVERY DAY! If I am missing them, they are at least noticing the silence of their phones from me NOT calling every day like I used to! DUH! My pastor had a way of saying, "It's not about YOU, Dummy!" That is striking me in the forehead right now because, I was the one who left! But, when we left, they were feeling the pain of my leaving, too. So, in reality, they are probably feeling the pain of our separation, too.

I owe a big apology to a few people. I am not going to list names for fear someone might be left out. So, I will just say, I love you, I am sorry, please forgive me :) I will try to do better. It's ok to call me and ask why I haven't called because right now, I feel like a jerk. Love to ALL my people!

Beginning a Blog

Well, this is my first attempt at a blog. I have had several people suggest I start one. Of course, the main reason they want it is to get their grubby hands on my recipes! Anyway, I think this may be fun, I will need advice from people on how to do things, though. I am so challenged when it comes to things like this. Any suggestions (worded nicely!) on ways to improve this page will be welcomed :) I intend to post recipes, coupon saving tips, and I am sure family anecdotes will find their way here. Thanks for stopping by!