http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/drewsfamilytx/577513/

My friend, Marsha, and her dear family need our prayers.  Dozer, her three year old son, died in a drowning accident last night.  I can't begin to imagine the heart break and agony of losing a child.  Words seem so useless, but prayers are powerful!

With a very heavy heart,

Rebecca

Callie did really great the first few days, and has been up and about quite a bit.  She has climbed, and also fell some already.  But, for the past couple of days, she has been really edgy.  The least little thing just sets her off. 

I am assuming that it is just the frustration of having the cast on. 

Rachael has not felt great today, she was able to make it to our church's first service, though.  But, then she had to go home shortly afterwards.

Hannah has felt horrible all day long, and was not able to go to church at all today.

Luke, Abby, and Lily have been fine.

Joe Ray had to go back to work today (which he really did NOT want to do) because his vacation was over.

As far as homeschooling,

Luke wants to learn how bees make honey, and he wants to take a tape player apart to figure out how it works.

Abby worked some on her letters this past week.

Lily has been coming to me and spelling a few words.

Well, she is getting to go home today!   Yesterday we could have gone home, but Joe Ray and I did not have peace about leaving the hospital just yet.  One of the major reasons being that we live about three and a half hours from the hospital.  Plus, we would have had to added an extra hour to gather the other children and our things. 

Thankfully, the doctor was very understanding of our concerns, and had no problem with keeping her for a night.  And, it has made the world of difference.  Now, she is eating, drinking, playing, and back to being her independent self.  And it is sooo good to see her personality back.

Here she is right after they brought her back from recovery

And here she is feeling so much better!

Notice her pink cast!

Here she is talking to her Dadda on the phone

And here she is talking to Hannah on the phone

Back to her old self!!

Now, to keep her happy while we make the long drive home!

Callie is having surgery on her leg today!   We had to drive down last night, because we live three hours from the hospital.  We left after church, and got in about 10PM last night. 

Since Callie had slept some in the car on the way there, she did not want to go back to bed when we got in.  After a snack, I got her ready for bed and got the other children settled. (We only had Hannah, Luke, and Abby with us.)  When it was time for Callie to get settled in, she really was not interested in sleep.  She thrashed and rolled and kicked until about midnight.  This was especially hard for me when it came time to get up at 4:00AM!

We arrived at the hospital just before 6:00AM.  We got to go straight to the pediatric floor, and then had a nurse help us get registered in.  Here is a pic of Callie when we got to our room.  Can you tell that she is making herself at home!?!?!?

And here she is getting some sugar from her Dadda!

Then, it was time to change into a hospital gown.  This was not well received by our little princess!  She really did not want to wear the gown.  It didn't matter how cute is was, or what it had on it.  She did not want to put it on.

She wrestled with it for a while, and then eventually ended up with it turned around backwards.  This made her a little happier, because at least she was wearing it HER way!!

Here she is playing "shy"!  We know the truth, though!!

Her nurse had noticed her sucking her left  thumb, and wanted to make sure that this thumb was free and available for comforting her after her surgery.  So, she wrote on her hand, "sucks left thumb"! I thought that was sweet of her to think of that.

Then it was time to go back for an MRI.  They had already given her some "happy meds", so she was floating at this point.

We just got a call from her doctor, and she is heading over to recovery.  He removed the tight band of tissue around her bone that was pulling and causing tension which made the bone grow crooked.  She has a cast for now, and no hardware in her leg!  So, we will just wait and see how long it takes for her bone to grow straight on it's own.  Please keep us in your prayers!  I don't think she is going to be very happy about having a cast.

This is a test!

Yep!  It worked!  I made you say "Awwww!"

Hello!

I, again, apologize for neglecting this blog.  I do not have any excuses other than LIFE.  Our life has turned from being focused on homeschooling and training our children;  to keeping up with doctor appointments and surgery dates.

As time allows, Id love to go back and fill everyone in on all of the details and such.  But, for now this entry of way-too-many pics will have to do.

Rachael and Callie

Rachael and her cousin, Ellen

Rachael and LilyGator

Rachael is fourteen ,and growing into a beautiful young woman.   She is taller than I am, and I am very proud of her.  For those of you that are new to my blog, Rachael was diagnosed with Chiari malformation and Syringomyelia last year.  She had a brain decompression surgery in October. 

She had began taking piano lessons and was excelling.  After only 19 half hour lessons, she had began to work on Fur Elise!  She amazed her piano teacher and I with her natural ability and devotion to music.  I never had to remind her to practice.  She loved it.  But, sadly, because of her shoulder pain, she had to set piano aside for a season.  We are hopeful to find the cause of her pain so that she can return to her beloved piano soon.

Hannah

Hannah playing her guitar

Hannah and Rachael

Hannah riding in the car.....taken by Hannah!

Hannah is growing by leaps and bounds.  She is eleven and is a joy and delight....most of the time!  She is loving having a sewing machine and enjoys cooking very much.  She is quite good at it, too!  Sadly, Hannah has started having some symptoms of Chiari.  We pray that this is not the case, but will have her evaluated since it is a genetic disorder.

Luke the brave with his adoring sisters!

Luke with his catfish (she was pregnant!) O.O

Luke and Abby

Luke is eight and such a helpful young man.  He is our resident trash man (for the fee of $1 a week), and he is great at helping to take care of his younger sisters.  He has really come a long way in helping out and is a huge asset to our family.  He loves to draw and play any type of sport.  He also enjoys music and astronomy.

Abby

This is Abby(left) and Hannah(right).

Abby on her birthday!

Abby is six, but is more like a teenager than a little girl.  She wants to grow up way too fast.  She is loving and enjoys helping me in the kitchen.  She is like a shadow some days...but I know that there will come a day when I miss having her around. 

LilyGator

LilyGator is four and so very smart.  By three, she knew all of her letters and sounds, and could even sight read some words.  She is just so bright.  There is not much time right now, but when I can I try to spend some time working with her because she loves to learn so much.  She even says her ABC's in her sleep!!  Other than eczema, her only issue would be some Sensory Integration that I am seeing.  It explains alot of things that I have wondered about.  Also, if I can better understand her, then it helps me to help her.

Callie

Callie and her Dadda

Callie: "I'm innocent.....really."

Callie on the fly!!!

Callie: "I'm just cool that way!!"

Callie.....hmmmm.  She is a very busy and smart, yet mischievous, little girl.  She will turn two soon, and is quite a handful.  I love her energy and spunk.  But,  I can't wait until she is cleaning more messes than making! (:  Our lives would be quite dull without her.

Callie will be having surgery on Monday for a leg deformity.  Her left tibia is growing with a curve because of fibrous tissue adhesion that must be removed.  This has caused her legs to be uneven in length.  Hopefully, this will be a minor surgery.

Here is a pic of her x-ray and leg:

Oscar, our cat!

MASS as in Many-A-Seasons-Since I have posted!!

Ok, I'll leave the humor for the professionals!  Anyhoo, I just wanted to bring my blog friends up to speed on what all is going on with us.

My oldest, Racheal,  whom was diagnosed with Syringomyelia and Chiari malformation had decompressions brain surgery on the second of this month.  The surgery went very well, and she is recovery nicely.  She has noticed many improvements and is better.  However, she still has Chiari, and will have to deal with the symptoms on a daily basis. 

For the past few days, she has been waking up with a terrible headache (not pressure like before, though), and has back and shoulder pain.  She is better, but she just stil has symptoms to contend with.

Hannah that had the hip fracture from a trampoline accident, is continuing to have pain from that hip.  She has been on and off of crutches since July.  We are hoping to find a doctor that can answer our questions about why she is hurting.

Luke is showing some signs that he may have the Chiari like Rachael.  We are debating on whether to hurry up a visit for him with Rachael's neurosurgeon in North Carolina, or whether to give it more time to see if he improves or worsens.

Abby is doing well.  She is becoming more helpful and mature each day.  She is so good to help me with Callie.  That is until something more exciting comes along!

Lily is good, too.  Thankfully, she has not had any more tonsil episodes so far.  We are watching her and hoping that she won't have to have them taken out like Rachael did.  But, if they do need to come out it would be easier while she is younger, rather than waiting til she is older.

Callie is pulling up and crawling so fast all over the house.  She came back from North Carolina with such attitude and personality.  The other kids were just amazed at how much she had changed in the three weeks that we were away.

Well, other than having some hair fall out, trying to keep my sanity, and never having time to do my nails, I am doing good.  The Lord has been so good to me!!!

I am so sorry for neglecting my blog. I never dreamed I would be an absentee blogger! O.O

However, life has been insanely crazy lately.  I will attempt to give the very short version of it all....

1.) I started a caring bridge page for Rachael...www.caringbridge.org/visit/rachaelyoung in case anyone would like to check in on her.

2.)Hannah is back on crutches.  We are so sad that our tigger has yet again lost her bounce.

3.)Callie had tubes put in her ears this week.

4.)Lily, Luke and Abby are hangin' in there....bless their little hearts!

5.)I fell and cracked my ribs (not officially confirmed, but some things you just KNOW!!!) a month ago...I still can not lie down in bed at night.  So, I am having some sleep deprivation issues.  Do you think lugging a 22lb chunk around could be contributing to this???  Hmmmmm....

6.)We have lost a vehicle.  My very first (and only) mini van finally had to be let go.  The transmission in it gave up the ghost, and so we were forced take what we could for it.  It was sad seeing it loaded up and hauled off.  For some reason, my vehicles mean something to me...I get so sentimental about them.  I really do love my suburban, though.

7.)My parents just recently returned from an mission trip to Russia.

8.)In homeschool news, Lily is learning her letters and sounds, whether I teach them to her or not.  She has an insatiable desire to learn them.  Abby is having a few speech issues that I plan to work on....like saying "t" for "ck" sounds.  Luke is learning everyday, and still love money counting above all other activities!!

Thanks for reading, and I will try to not go so long without an update....I said I'll try...make you no promises, tell you no lies!!!

Here is a quick update with where we are....

Callie is going to have an eeg to make sure she is not having seizures.  She probably has acid reflux, but I do not see this being the cause of her episodes of screaming.  If not seizures, then possibly night terrors.  I assume these would be caused by the memory of her traumatic experience in the hospital having the spinal tap, IV, and catheter all in one day!

Lily, Abby, and Luke are doing well, other than some dental issues that Luke is having.

Hannah can now walk without her crutches!!!  We are so elated!  She still does limp some, but hopefully that will resolve with time.  She still hurts occasionally, but is so thankful to be better.  So much so that she rode a bike around a lake this weekend!!

Rachael is still having head pain, dizziness, and nausea.  We learned that her MRI revealed that her pituitary gland is enlarged.  We are working on getting her into a pediatric neurologist.

Your prayers for our family are coveted.

Here are some pictures of the kids!

Callie at 4months old

Callie being silly

LilyGator~2 years

LilyGator with goggles

Abby~4years

Luke~6 years

Hannah~9years (and her Granny-Do)

Rachael~12years

And all of my Young Youngin's

Hope you enjoyed!

 I wanted to blog about all of the things swirling around in my head.  I need a "notepad" to jot all of the junk down on...so my blog seemed like the perfect place.  Since, it is MY blog after all.  But, I wanted to give everyone advance warning so that they can choose to stop reading at any point.   Ok, you were forwarned!

Where to begin.....

Callie -

Callie is my ideal baby.   She is very laid-back, and rarely cries.  Many times I feed her just because I know she needs to eat, not because she has let me know that she's hungry!  (Insert a jaw-drop emoticon here!)  I have never had such an easy baby!!  It is just wonderful, BUT it makes me feel so guilty.  I feel such guilt for not being a better mom to her.  I worry that she won't develope properly since she is spending so much time in a swing or car seat.  She gets pushed to the back burner so much these days....not a literal burner, of course!  She has had these strange episodes of whimpering in her sleep, and eventually leading into a full blown scream.  When I try to console her, it does not seem like she even recognizes my voice.  I have to get her to wake up before she will smile at me.  It is really disturbing to witness.

Lily -

Lily has ecsema, a cold, and string for hair!  Really.  That childs hair gets so mangled, it takes me almost an hour sometimes to get it all picked out!!!   So, I have this debate going on in my head over whether or not to cut it.  It is so beautiful, but the torture of having it brushed out is horrible.

Abby -

Abbs is my clingy child.  She loves to be with me, and share my personal space as much as possible.  I am concerned about having shoes for her, and sometimes feel like she needs more of me than what I am able to give.  She does not have any physical problems, thank the Lord!

Luke -

Benjamin Luke had a tooth pulled the other day.  Yes, in the midst of therapy and Rachael having a migraine headache, I had to drive 45 minutes to take him to the dentist because of an absess.  He has had many dental issues that I just didn't feel like were being treated aggressively enough by our current dentist; so, I decided to switch him to a pediatric dentist.  It is hard to make the drive (especially twice in a week),  but I think this dentist will be a better fit for him.  Plus, he loves to go there because of the toys and cool games to play.  Poor little fellow has had so much discomfort and pain from his teeth.  Like I have said before, they are just going to rott out!

Hannah  -

Well, my Hannah is scheduled to have a cortisone injection in her hip.  I am so worried about her.  She has already been through so much pain, I just want her to be able to wake up in the moring pain free.  I also am considering trying another children's hospital to see if they can help her any.  I don't want to leave any stone unturned when it comes to getting her the help that she needs. 

Rachael -

My soon to be a teenager, is having so many symptoms right now; I don't know where to begin.  Her sleep pattern is off, the headaches are debilating, dizziness,  and she is just wiped out all of the time.  She is like a totally different person than she was a few months ago.  Of course, my mind runs the spectrum of all of the possibilites, and then I worry even more.  And so, as soon as I can get to it, I need to have her ENT look at her and see where we need to begin.  We are trying an anti-inflammatory diet, and so I am having to buy new foods for her to try.  I am also trying to just buy healthier foods for all of us because I know it is the best for my family.

Joe Ray -

He is working long hours, and we do not see him very much. 

Me -

I need to :

catch up on laundry

catch up on housework

do spring/winter clothes swap

clean out suburban

deap clean house

clean and organize the garage

clean up yard

get the toilet in hall bath fixed

get the living room fan light kit fixed

get back to walking every day

have the suburban fixed

check on bills to be paid

balance bank statement

find bank statement

make a trip to the grocery store

do my nails

try to plan a trip to the hands on museum so that our membership isn't a waste of $$$

straighten my desk

clean the church - and pay Ricky for mowing the church yard

Buy more acidophillus

reschedule my song recording

remember to check calender for dr's appts

remember to check calender for birthdays

Ask JR if he wants to replace our mattress now or just wait

write long overdue thank you notes

send pictures of kids to our friends/ family

need to get Callie's pictures taken and write in her baby book

think about upcoming birthdays

call my mortgage company about them paying someone else's tax bill with my escrow

The list could go on and on, but for time sake, I will just end it here.  These are just some of the things that are just constantly swirling about in this mom's head.  Is it any wonder I call my children by the wrong names?

Ok, now about the singing thing.  I truly do not know what song I am going to sing.  I can't even begin to select one, since I don't know what music they have, and I don't really know how much time I will have.  I also am just not at a point right now where I feel like singing.  I go to bed late, and wake with Lily early every morning, so I am exhausted.   These constant trips to the ER and doctor's appointments are just wearing me out!  My house is so neglected, and I don't feel in a singing frame of mind right now.  However, I will do it, eventually.

It does feel better to clear some of this stuff out of the forefront of my mind.  IF you read through it all....bless your heart!  I know my whining doesn't make interesting reading!  If you happen to think of us, pray, please!  We truly need them right  now.  Thank you.

Ok, I am going to share here something that I have not shared with very many people.  Thankfully, very few people I know IRL read this blog, so I feel safe!

I have decided to try to record a song.  There is a little theatre in a small town near us that actually records songs for you in an actual recording studio.  I have always loved singing, and secretly dreamed of being a professional singer.  I consider myself a singer already, but not a very good one!  There has been a constant struggle in my mind whether or not it was my flesh, or a call from God. 

Well, after much prayer and consideration, I will attempt to record a song, and just see where it goes.  I have NO preconceived notions nor expectations.  I really am just looking forward to actually hearing myself to "see" what I sound like.

My desire to sing is strong, but my desire to serve and honor the Lord is stronger!

May HE always be praised in my life and song.

Well, I am trying to do better.  I don't have much to blog about, but I can at least recount the last 72 hours! 

Well, to start with, we had a bit of stomach bug to go through out house last week.  It was one of those deceiving type, where you think you are better but your not.  So, we were on high alert, and bland diets for a while. 

Thankfully, we made it through 48 hours of noone getting sick, and so we felt safe to take a mini-trip to a town not far away.  The hotel we stayed at had a heated indoor pool that was very nice.  The children just wanted to swim all of the time.  They had such a blast, and we really enjoyed the time with Dad. 

Well, we decided to eat lunch at a New China Buffet type place.  Rachael decided to try all kinds of things, including clam.   Sure enough, by that evening she was having stomach pain and nausea.  It also concerned me when she broke out into a rash.  I then decided to give her a phenergan, and let her sleep it off....for by this time it was 3:00am.  Today, she had some more tummy troubles, and was pretty weak all day. Quite odd to me!

Our neighbors invited the kids over to go to the mud hole (go 4-wheel riding), and they also got have cake an ice cream that was left over from a birthday celebration.  They came home with lots of stories to tell.

I have mountains of clothes that need to be sorted and packed away.  It is that time of year where some days are down right hot, and then some are cool.  Very frustrating!!!

Hopefully,  I will soon figure out how to post pics straight from my camera, and be able to tell about a massive hair ball the LilyGator managed to get in her hair! 8-O

Oh, the shame of going so very long without blogging!!!  Forgive me...can you ever find a way? 

Well, I won't begin a long list of excuses.....no time.  Life.  That is just it.  Life has happened.  Yes, Callie Rebekah was born early one Saturday morning.  Actually, it was just barely Saturday!  She is healthy and gaining very well.  Today, she weighed in at 16 lbs!    And she is only three months old!!!  Sure enough, she is doing great.  We are so thankful for her, and enjoy her immensely.

Hannah's hip is giving her fits again, which is quite discouraging after going so long with no problems.  They think that bursitis may have set in, but we will have to have yet another bone scan to make sure there is not a fracture.  They even have mentioned a steroid injection!!!!  I truly hope and pray this will not be necessary.

Abby is cute  as can be, and has become my little helper.  She wants to share my personal space with me ALL the time!!  I have to resist the urge to shoo her off to play so that I can work alone.  It is so crushing to her to be put off.  I get to reap the fruits of my labors when she brings me the most beautiful flowers she can find from our yard.  It just melts my mommie's heart!!

Lukeman is becoming such a little man.  He is also very helpful mostly, and has taught himself to read.  He is so interested in learning and discovering. He loves his new little sister,too!  I love to get to witness this.

The LilyGator is still the dominant predator of the house, but is calming down somewhat.  She absolutely loves her baby sister, and always raises her voice an octave whenever she speaks to her.  We always can tell when she is talking to Callie because of her tone of voice...it is just so sweet to see her little sister mellow her out!!

Then there is Rachael!  Boy, Oh, Boy!!  She is taller than I am, and even smarter on rare occasions!!   I 'd like to know something, though.  How is it that these creatures come into this world, and hang out for a while; and then suddenly, they begin to think and act like they know more than we do?  How is this???  They have never voted for a president, or paid an electricity bill; yet, they are convinced that their way is the smarter way!?!?  Overall, though, she is a beautiful, charming, and intelligent young lady.  I sometimes look at her and am just amazed.  Other times at look at her and am just AMAZED! O_O    Ahhh, the joys of parenting!

I realize more and more how that I am here to glorify God, fulfill His purposes, be a helpmeet to my dear husband, and be humbled by half a dozen Young youngin's!

For some reason, blogging has been one of the first things that has had to go since I became pregnant!  I don't really know why, but my creative juices are just not flowing like they were before!

As for an update...

LilyGator is beginning to show intrest in pottying!  She is still sleeping in our room, but I am not sure where to move her to.  I like her being back in my room because it is darker and quieter there.   When I need to put her down for nap or bed, then it is nice to have her out of the other kid's rooms.!  We're still working on a solution for this one.

Abby is getting so very anxious to see this baby!  She has declared to me several times that this baby is taking too long!  She can't wait!

Luke is in need of lessons on money.  He has this love for money that no matter what I say, doesn't seem to sink in!  He wants to earn dollar bills, so he can go to Dollar Tree and buy junk toys!  I am fine with him earning money, but it is what he wants to do to earn the dollars!  "Mommy can I wipe off the table for a dollar?" is frequently the type thing I hear.  He wants to make the money, but not earn it!!

Hannah is working on spelling.  She taught her self to read, and so didn't get the phonetic basics that she needs to be able to spell.  She has a hard time sounding out words...even basic ones!

Rachael is scheduled to have her tonsils removed the end of this month!  I will be 38 weeks pregnant!  I know it is cutting it close, but I think it will be better to get it done before the baby comes!  I am praying that her recovery time is quick, and that she will actually feel better after they are gone!

Well, that is about the extent of our world.  Not very exciting, huh?  I guess when you are in survival mode, there just isn't much interesting going on!!

Well, I entered the contest on www.inashoe.blogspot.com, but I doubt my guess will win!   What you do is go to the blog, post a comment with your guess of how many products will be in the new Vision Forum catalog. 

Here is a link to the contest:

http://inashoe.blogspot.com/2006/10/win-whole-lotta-vision-forum-goodies.html

So get your guesses in by October, 13th!

Happy guessing! :-)

Well, let's see!  Where do I begin!?!? 

My dh has changed jobs, and this has somewhat disrupted our routine.  He has more unpredictible hours, because of the initial training and getting acquainted stage.  Hopefully, he will eventually be able to set into a regular schedule at some point.  He will now have to drive a distance to work.  Before, his job was in the town that we live in, and I don't like not being where he is.  :-(

My dishwasher has been acting up lately!!  This is me pleading with the Lord to please have mercy on me and spare it!!   It is a Kitchenaid, and came with the house; so, it has served for many years.  But, I like it and don't want to have to replace it at this time!  It is quiet and washes the dishes very quickly.  I am afraid that the popcorn kernels, that someone ( I will withhold the name of the minor involved) accidentally dropped in it, may have clogged something somewhere.  The last few cycles it does seem to be getting better, though.  Thank the Good Lord!! 

Well, I now have just a couple of months or so before baby is born. With the past four children, we have found out for sure what the gender of the baby was.  Well, with this baby, we have not gotten that assurance, just a "I think it is a..."!  This is really bugging me!  I normally have a name picked out, and have began to bond with child....and enjoy not having to call it "it"!  Oh, well!  I guess we will just have to have patience and wait and see.

I have a HUGE garage cleaning ahead!  Anyone have any suggestions or tips.  Should I unload onto lawn on a sunny day, or just take it square inch by square inch??  This is a biggy for me on my "to do before baby comes" list.  Afterwards, we should actually be able to use our garage for what it is intended for.

I have a baked spaghetti in the oven for lunch at church today.  I had frozen my spaghetti in a glass pyrex dish.  What was I thinking?  Well, I didn't have a metal pan to use, so the glass was my only 9x13 choice.  I was at a loss as to how best to cook it.  I decided to thaw it in the microwave, and then put it in the oven on a low temp.  It thawed nicely, and is now baking.  Yeah, no broken glass!!

Enough rambling for one early morning....I must be off!

I can't believe that my blog became one of those blogs that get abandoned!!  I have randomed blogged and found many that had not posted in months, and wondered how anyone could forsake such a valuable treasure as a blog.  Well, life happens!

Our family has just spent that past four weeks tending to the sick.  We have had numerous viruses, or at least as far as we know, going through our home.  Hopefully, we are getting better and are going to be able to enjoy a season of health.

I would love to say that through all of this, we were able to accomplish great and wonderful things in our homeschooling, but unfortunately, math is the only subject being mentioned at this time.  I keep hoping for the day when I am organized and things go as they do in that imaginary, perfect homeschool in my mind. 

The Lord has been so good to us, I don't want to appear to be complaining.  There are several families that I know of that are dealing with very serious illnesses, and so we have so much to be thankful for.

Praying that the Lord grants our bodies health, and that we will remember to praise Him in whatsoever state we are in!

Ok, here goes.....

What is the name of your homeschool?
Young Minds Christian School

How did you come up with that name?

Seemed like a good name for our Young youngins'!!

Look to the left of your computer monitor. What is there?

Dictionaries, a speaker, and a pencil holder

Where do you keep you unmatched socks?

In the drawer where the mate should be, or I don't keep them at all!

What habit are you trying to break?
The bad habit of not spending enough time reading the word of God.

What were you doing just before you got online?

I was preparing snacks in the kitchen.

Now.... YOU ARE IT!! Go tag 5 people.