A year ago, I never thought about Haiti. I didn't even really know where Haiti was on a map. I didn't know the history, the poverty, the government. I didn't know a single name of a town or village in Haiti and I certainly didn't know the capitol of Haiti.
I never gave a thought to Haiti. NEVER !!
I didn't know. I was unaware of their poverty, needs, struggle. I was too busy living my life.
Jan. 12, 2010 at 4:53 p.m. a 7.0 earthquake changed all of that. I'll never forget being stunned as I watched CNN and the coverage of the rescue attempts. I saw my first glimpse of Haitian people. I was crushed for them. I've always been a very sensitive person, feeling deep emotions and crying for people I don't know. I couldn't turn away. I thought about them day and night. I prayed and cried out to God to save them.
I had no idea that 6 months later I'd be on a plane to Haiti for a medical mission trip. I had no idea how Haiti would force itself into my heart and that I'd have an obsession with learning more about the history, the people, and their current struggles. I had no idea I'd make Haitian friends during my 15 days there. I never thought I'd write letters and keep in touch. I never imagined I'd keep a file folder in my bedroom drawer with letters from my new Haitian friend. That I'd cry when I would receive his letters. I never knew how much Haiti would be on my mind. I couldn't have imagined I would lay awake at night and sob for their pain.
I never dreamed I'd be heading back for a second time. I'm leaving Feb. 5-12 to do another medical mission trip with Samaritan's Purse. I'll be working in the Cholera tent hospital. I am thrilled to have another chance to love, bring hope, and encourage the Haitian people who have taken over my thoughts and invaded my life in so many ways.
Since my first trip in July- I've felt like I've had one foot in Michigan, here with my precious family and my other foot in Haiti. I've longed to go back. Begged God for an opportunity to go back. God is good to give me a passion for Haiti and a deep to desire to help.
My second trip was supposed to be Jan. 22-29, but Samaritan's Purse called me and asked that I switch to Feb. 5. So, now I count down the days, make lists of what I'll need to take, and anticipate the lovely people I will encounter. I can't imagine the horror of seeing very sick patients with Cholera. I want to be a servant and an encourager. I want to bring hope.
If you are reading this, would you de-lurk? I would love to know if someone, anyone, is out there, reading my personal stories and to know that you haven't forgotten Haiti. Leave a quick comment. I could care less about growing a blog and getting readers. But, if you are there, and care about my story, I'll continue to write. :)
800,000 people still live in tent shelters. 10% of the rubble has been removed. Cholera has killed 3,600, the number goes up daily. There is much to be done in Haiti.
NEXT UP: Please come back to hear a wonderful story about my dear Haitian friend, Marc. He felt God had forgotten him, he was hopeless, helpless, and alone. But God found him and changed his life.....and now God is using Marc to help the Haitian people survive Cholera.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Grief on the Side of a Haitian Road
Before I left for Haiti I began to pray that God would cross my path with one special person there who I could really help or have an opportunity to make a difference in their life. It was a reality, that daily that would happen, since I'd be working on a medical mobile clinic, going to places where the people may have NEVER had medical care ever before, or going to a tent city where the people lived in total filth and squalor, and needed hope. I just wanted my time there to really matter and for God to use me in big ways. This trip was something I have wanted to do for a very long time.
While I was there, on day 11, while finishing up a quick breakfast at the Samaritan's Purse base, waiting for our daily devotion time, we got word that there was a horrible accident up the road. There is no 9-1-1 there, our medical team of 5 nurses and a paramedic were the only responders. We grabbed our very limited medical supplies (2 small emergency kits and a bucket of IV solutions) and jumped in vehicles to go to the accident. I was thinking it would be two cars and several people. When we got there, my heart dropped. I immediately felt a sense of panic and shock spill over me. Two large transport trucks crashed head on, at a high rate of speed. People in Haiti cram into them and ride on top. There were bodies everywhere. There were 60 people involved and 5 of us to help them.
We all split up and ran, I ran to the back of one bus and there were bodies laying all over the road. Haitians were screaming, crying, moaning in pain. My brain couldn't even comprehend the scene. For some reason, I felt pulled to run to the weeds on the side of the road, stepping over bodies as I ran. My eyes fell to a small child, about 3 years old. She was unconscious but still breathing. Her chest was crushed on the left and she had a badly broken leg in several places. People started bringing me bodies of others, a young man who was moaning and holding his belly, a young girl who had a huge wide open gash above her eyebrow that was bleeding heavily. I had one of the medical kits so I ripped it open and held a gauze over her eye, while trying to comfort the others who were brought to me. The whole time I kept saying quietly, "Help me Jesus.....help me Jesus" I had no medical supplies that were of use really, that was so frustrating. Meanwhile, my other medical friends were at other areas of the accident doing what they could. The driver of one bus was killed immediately, his passenger was trapped in the vehicle with his leg nearly ripped off. My brave friend, Miriam crawled inside the vehicle and used a belt to tourniquet his leg and started an IV on him. He was still alert and oriented. She was so brave! My other nurse friend on the trip, had to climb into the back of one of the trucks to see if there were any people that were still alive. She marked the dead with a sharpee marker.
Meanwhile, I got an IV started in my little 3 year old. There wasn't much I could do, with the limited supplies I had, but I just couldn't leave her....I knew in my head, I could maybe be helping someone, but I just felt drawn to be right there, at her side, praying over her, doing what I could. I continued to help those around me, but we just didn't have supplies to do much.
I pray I never forget her little face. Her hair was in little braids all over, she was beautiful and had long eyelashes. She had polka dot shorts and little orange plastic shoes. I had no idea who was with her on that bus. She was all alone in the weeds, like she had been thrown there.
Other Samaritan's Purse workers, though they had no medical skills, heard of of the magnitude of the crash and brought vehicles up to the road from the base. We began to load patients into the trucks to transport them to the tent hospital about 20 minutes away. I had to choose who of all my "patients" would go. I pointed to the ones I thought were critical, the young girl with the deep gash above her eye, a man whose ankle was completely twisted and bleeding heavily, the young man with severe abdominal pain, and another young girl with belly pain. When we had them loaded, I picked up my little 3 year old girl in my arms, got in the front seat of the truck and told Brian (a S. Purse worker who would drive us) to GO!!!! I held her in my arms, tried to keep her IV intact (I had no tape so I had to hold it in place), and tried to be as gentle as I could. I knew her best chance was to get her to a place that had more supplies.
Tears began to stream down my face, I just could not believe what was happening and what I had just been a part of. Being a nurse, I've of course seen some things, but never on this scale, and not having medical supplies to help was very frustrating. I prayed the whole way to the tent hospital, and whispered to her that Jesus loved her and that everything would be okay. I begged God to not let her die in my arms. Several times I thought she did.
Meanwhile, I was aware of all of the bloody, hurting people in the vehicle. I reached my hand back to comfort the girl, who we placed in the back seat, she seemed to quietly be praying, and I heard her moaning and I knew she had internal injuries.
We pulled up to the Dr.s Without Borders tent hospital and I told Brian I was running with my 3 year old and to get help to unload the others. I looked him in the eye and yelled, "DO NOT LEAVE ME HERE ALONE" I didn't know where we were, I had no phone, no money, no way of knowing how to get back to our base. It was a strange thing to say, but I felt afraid and didn't want him to leave me. I ran with my 3 year old in my arms, I had no idea where to go with her, but people saw us and started pointing. I ran to where they pointed and found a room with several exam tables. It seemed to be a triage room of some sort. Other vehicles started pulling up from our base, loaded with patients, so suddenly, the "hospital" became overwhelmed. They clearly could not handle this many patients, who were so critical.
I laid my girl on a table and her IV fell out. I ran to a room next to where I was, somehow, I just had instinct that this room was a supply room. I found IVs, and grabbed some and ran back to her and started two. I had to hang her IV bags on the window using gauze as a tie, they had no IV poles or hooks. It is amazing to me, looking back, how God would lead me right to the things I needed. This hospital had very basic supplies, no x-ray ability, and I knew very quickly this wasn't going to be a good outcome. A Haitian Dr. of some sort, came up to where I was and in broken English asked what happened. I started spitting out the things I knew she needed, a chest tube (they didn't have one), blood products (didn't have any) and other things. He tried to straighten her broken femur and used a piece of cardboard to hold in in place, I taped it while he held it. We got oxygen on her and checked her Hemoglobin with a rapid finger prick test, it was 4 (should be 12) I knew she was bleeding internally and it would be a miracle if she lived. I stayed by her side for an hour, doing what I could, praying, whispering in her ear that Jesus loved her. When I put a tube down her nose into her stomach, all that came out was blood. They had no suction, so I used a syringe to pull the contents out. I had to use a bulb syringe (like you use for babies when they have snotty noses) to keep the blood out of her mouth and nose. I felt like I was in a bad movie, with the limited supplies we had and seeing all the bodies all around me, and they just kept coming and coming.
An hour or so after arriving, a Dr. walked by. I again, had some inner "knowing" that he was important and could help us. I grabbed his arm, and he saw the little girl. I pointed to her chest and tried to quickly explain her injuries. He was French yet understood and told me, "Bring her quickly!" I found out later, he was the "Trauma Dr." and he had been in the operating area of the tent hospital helping the passenger who had his leg nearly ripped off, and other patients that we transported there. I picked her up from the table, grabbed her IV bags, and ran after him. We went into the operating/trauma area, and again, I felt shock and panic flood over me. There were bodies everywhere, it looked like a war scene. A nurse there was yelling directions and orders, there was chaos everywhere. He pointed to a table and I laid her on it. She moaned once in awhile, so I knew she felt pain, but mainly, she continued to be unconscious. I saw the Haitian Dr. that had worked with her earlier. They started to look her over and I knew I needed to go and leave her. Tears dripped down my face as I walked away from her. I grabbed the white jacket of the Haitian Dr. and he looked at me for a brief second and we grabbed hands. It was like I was saying to him, "Take care of her" and he somehow knew. He gave me a supportive look and squeezed my hand. I'll never forget that.
I walked out dazed and feeling completely overwhelmed with emotions. I found Brian outside the hospital with my other medical friends who all had their own stories to tell. The hospital had called in all of their staff to assist with the influx of patients we had brought them, so we knew we should get out of the way and let them work.
I found out a few hours later, that my little, sweet precious girl, died. I'll never know her name. I found out her mother died too, the man whose leg was nearly taken off, and 17 others.
As hard as it was, I feel God led me to her, so she wouldn't die alone in the weeds. Alone on the side of the road. It has taken me 5 months to be able to type out this post. I think of her every single day, and have had hard days trying to get memories out of my mind. I'm finally in a place where I can think of that day and her, without crying and feeling sick. I don't want to forget her face, so now I force myself to recall every detail of her face. I want people to know the trials that Haitians deal with on a daily basis. No real medical care, dangerous roads with no speed limits, and unsafe transportation.
This is already long, so I'll end for now. I have one more story of God bringing me a special person, sort of redeeming the trip for me. God let me end this trip of a lifetime on a good note. Stay tuned and come back for my next story.....a story of God bringing hope to a desperate man, and of a friendship that will now last forever.
While I was there, on day 11, while finishing up a quick breakfast at the Samaritan's Purse base, waiting for our daily devotion time, we got word that there was a horrible accident up the road. There is no 9-1-1 there, our medical team of 5 nurses and a paramedic were the only responders. We grabbed our very limited medical supplies (2 small emergency kits and a bucket of IV solutions) and jumped in vehicles to go to the accident. I was thinking it would be two cars and several people. When we got there, my heart dropped. I immediately felt a sense of panic and shock spill over me. Two large transport trucks crashed head on, at a high rate of speed. People in Haiti cram into them and ride on top. There were bodies everywhere. There were 60 people involved and 5 of us to help them.
We all split up and ran, I ran to the back of one bus and there were bodies laying all over the road. Haitians were screaming, crying, moaning in pain. My brain couldn't even comprehend the scene. For some reason, I felt pulled to run to the weeds on the side of the road, stepping over bodies as I ran. My eyes fell to a small child, about 3 years old. She was unconscious but still breathing. Her chest was crushed on the left and she had a badly broken leg in several places. People started bringing me bodies of others, a young man who was moaning and holding his belly, a young girl who had a huge wide open gash above her eyebrow that was bleeding heavily. I had one of the medical kits so I ripped it open and held a gauze over her eye, while trying to comfort the others who were brought to me. The whole time I kept saying quietly, "Help me Jesus.....help me Jesus" I had no medical supplies that were of use really, that was so frustrating. Meanwhile, my other medical friends were at other areas of the accident doing what they could. The driver of one bus was killed immediately, his passenger was trapped in the vehicle with his leg nearly ripped off. My brave friend, Miriam crawled inside the vehicle and used a belt to tourniquet his leg and started an IV on him. He was still alert and oriented. She was so brave! My other nurse friend on the trip, had to climb into the back of one of the trucks to see if there were any people that were still alive. She marked the dead with a sharpee marker.
Meanwhile, I got an IV started in my little 3 year old. There wasn't much I could do, with the limited supplies I had, but I just couldn't leave her....I knew in my head, I could maybe be helping someone, but I just felt drawn to be right there, at her side, praying over her, doing what I could. I continued to help those around me, but we just didn't have supplies to do much.
I pray I never forget her little face. Her hair was in little braids all over, she was beautiful and had long eyelashes. She had polka dot shorts and little orange plastic shoes. I had no idea who was with her on that bus. She was all alone in the weeds, like she had been thrown there.
Other Samaritan's Purse workers, though they had no medical skills, heard of of the magnitude of the crash and brought vehicles up to the road from the base. We began to load patients into the trucks to transport them to the tent hospital about 20 minutes away. I had to choose who of all my "patients" would go. I pointed to the ones I thought were critical, the young girl with the deep gash above her eye, a man whose ankle was completely twisted and bleeding heavily, the young man with severe abdominal pain, and another young girl with belly pain. When we had them loaded, I picked up my little 3 year old girl in my arms, got in the front seat of the truck and told Brian (a S. Purse worker who would drive us) to GO!!!! I held her in my arms, tried to keep her IV intact (I had no tape so I had to hold it in place), and tried to be as gentle as I could. I knew her best chance was to get her to a place that had more supplies.
Tears began to stream down my face, I just could not believe what was happening and what I had just been a part of. Being a nurse, I've of course seen some things, but never on this scale, and not having medical supplies to help was very frustrating. I prayed the whole way to the tent hospital, and whispered to her that Jesus loved her and that everything would be okay. I begged God to not let her die in my arms. Several times I thought she did.
Meanwhile, I was aware of all of the bloody, hurting people in the vehicle. I reached my hand back to comfort the girl, who we placed in the back seat, she seemed to quietly be praying, and I heard her moaning and I knew she had internal injuries.
We pulled up to the Dr.s Without Borders tent hospital and I told Brian I was running with my 3 year old and to get help to unload the others. I looked him in the eye and yelled, "DO NOT LEAVE ME HERE ALONE" I didn't know where we were, I had no phone, no money, no way of knowing how to get back to our base. It was a strange thing to say, but I felt afraid and didn't want him to leave me. I ran with my 3 year old in my arms, I had no idea where to go with her, but people saw us and started pointing. I ran to where they pointed and found a room with several exam tables. It seemed to be a triage room of some sort. Other vehicles started pulling up from our base, loaded with patients, so suddenly, the "hospital" became overwhelmed. They clearly could not handle this many patients, who were so critical.
I laid my girl on a table and her IV fell out. I ran to a room next to where I was, somehow, I just had instinct that this room was a supply room. I found IVs, and grabbed some and ran back to her and started two. I had to hang her IV bags on the window using gauze as a tie, they had no IV poles or hooks. It is amazing to me, looking back, how God would lead me right to the things I needed. This hospital had very basic supplies, no x-ray ability, and I knew very quickly this wasn't going to be a good outcome. A Haitian Dr. of some sort, came up to where I was and in broken English asked what happened. I started spitting out the things I knew she needed, a chest tube (they didn't have one), blood products (didn't have any) and other things. He tried to straighten her broken femur and used a piece of cardboard to hold in in place, I taped it while he held it. We got oxygen on her and checked her Hemoglobin with a rapid finger prick test, it was 4 (should be 12) I knew she was bleeding internally and it would be a miracle if she lived. I stayed by her side for an hour, doing what I could, praying, whispering in her ear that Jesus loved her. When I put a tube down her nose into her stomach, all that came out was blood. They had no suction, so I used a syringe to pull the contents out. I had to use a bulb syringe (like you use for babies when they have snotty noses) to keep the blood out of her mouth and nose. I felt like I was in a bad movie, with the limited supplies we had and seeing all the bodies all around me, and they just kept coming and coming.
An hour or so after arriving, a Dr. walked by. I again, had some inner "knowing" that he was important and could help us. I grabbed his arm, and he saw the little girl. I pointed to her chest and tried to quickly explain her injuries. He was French yet understood and told me, "Bring her quickly!" I found out later, he was the "Trauma Dr." and he had been in the operating area of the tent hospital helping the passenger who had his leg nearly ripped off, and other patients that we transported there. I picked her up from the table, grabbed her IV bags, and ran after him. We went into the operating/trauma area, and again, I felt shock and panic flood over me. There were bodies everywhere, it looked like a war scene. A nurse there was yelling directions and orders, there was chaos everywhere. He pointed to a table and I laid her on it. She moaned once in awhile, so I knew she felt pain, but mainly, she continued to be unconscious. I saw the Haitian Dr. that had worked with her earlier. They started to look her over and I knew I needed to go and leave her. Tears dripped down my face as I walked away from her. I grabbed the white jacket of the Haitian Dr. and he looked at me for a brief second and we grabbed hands. It was like I was saying to him, "Take care of her" and he somehow knew. He gave me a supportive look and squeezed my hand. I'll never forget that.
I walked out dazed and feeling completely overwhelmed with emotions. I found Brian outside the hospital with my other medical friends who all had their own stories to tell. The hospital had called in all of their staff to assist with the influx of patients we had brought them, so we knew we should get out of the way and let them work.
I found out a few hours later, that my little, sweet precious girl, died. I'll never know her name. I found out her mother died too, the man whose leg was nearly taken off, and 17 others.
As hard as it was, I feel God led me to her, so she wouldn't die alone in the weeds. Alone on the side of the road. It has taken me 5 months to be able to type out this post. I think of her every single day, and have had hard days trying to get memories out of my mind. I'm finally in a place where I can think of that day and her, without crying and feeling sick. I don't want to forget her face, so now I force myself to recall every detail of her face. I want people to know the trials that Haitians deal with on a daily basis. No real medical care, dangerous roads with no speed limits, and unsafe transportation.
This is already long, so I'll end for now. I have one more story of God bringing me a special person, sort of redeeming the trip for me. God let me end this trip of a lifetime on a good note. Stay tuned and come back for my next story.....a story of God bringing hope to a desperate man, and of a friendship that will now last forever.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Leaving My Heart in Haiti
Wow...my last blog post was Aug. 2009. I figure at this point, any of the 5 of you who ever read my blog to begin with are long gone......
Note before I begin..the picture above is horrible! It was 1,000 degrees out with 98% humidity.
In July 2010, I went to Haiti to volunteer as a nurse with Samaritan's Purse. I went all by myself, but met a group of 11 other nurses from all over the USA and what a bond we now have. I still keep in touch with almost every one of them. I was there for 15 days. I never in a million years would have imagined how that 15 days would change my life and my heart forever.
I'm planning to go back to Haiti Jan. 22-Feb 1 to help with the Cholera relief. I wanted to start up my blogging again to hopefully share my experiences in Haiti. I just don't want people to forget the people of Haiti. The suffering and poverty are extreme. My perspective has been changed forever. I appreciate things so much more, I give thanks to God so much more.
When I was in Haiti the first time, I stayed at the Samaritan's Purse base in Leogane, Haiti (The epi center of the earthquake). I worked on a medical mobile clinic. We would pack up our supplies daily in our hired Haiti driver's Land Cruiser and head out to a different tent city daily. I worked along side a Haitian Dr. and nurse, another nurse from the USA, and Haitian translators. Sometimes we would have a Billy Graham Chaplain with us to minister to the people who were waiting for clinic.
Our clinics were held in the middle of a filthy tent city. We had a canopy tent to shade us as we worked in 115 degree HUMID heat. I've never been so hot and sweaty in my entire life. It was the most rewarding work I've ever done, next to being a wife and mother.
We typically saw 90 or so patients a day. The Haitians would line up at 4:30 in the morning, waiting to be seen. Sometimes mothers with children would sit in the hot sun, all day long, waiting to see the Dr. They had no water, no food,. Yet they NEVER complained. The children were so good, they sat quietly.....all day long. They had nothing to do, nothing to play with. The highlight of my day was playing with them at our short break time. They would smile and laugh. I would give them stickers and they loved them. They would hover around me for the rest of the day. Waiting for a smile or tickle. I fell madly in love with the Haitian people.
I loved being able to hug them, pray with them (we prayed with every single patient that came to the clinic) and care for their medical needs. They were so thankful and receptive to prayer and love.
Hopefully, I'll have time to share more stories of my time in Haiti and my upcoming trip. I left part of my heart in Haiti. I am obsessed with following what is going on there. I pray many times a day for them and for my friends who I met and are still working there. I have cried so often for their suffering and for those who have died from Cholera. I can't wait to go back and share God's compassion and love with them again.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Hoarders
So after a long day of cleaning, mowing, weeding, laundry, chasing the dog, grocery shopping, and endless other duties, I crawl into bed and need a moment of mindless TV to wind down. Last night I turned on the TV and got sucked into a show about real people who hoard. OH DEAR.....this was so unreal to me. Their homes are PACKED to the top with STUFF STUFF STUFF and more stuff.....garbage, old rotting food, and junk. One guy had so much stuff, his bathroom was packed to the ceiling and he had to go to the Y every day to take a shower. Food in the freezer was bulging and they still refused to throw it away. Many are faced with eviction unless they clean the place up. A team of therapists and cleaners go in and help them work through the stuff and they help them get rid of things. I seriously felt my skin crawling as I watched. These people really can't help it ....I mean they have deep seated emotions that go along with the hoarding, but the condition of their homes made me seriously itch all over.
I have the total opposite disease.......throw everything away disease. I'm almost OCD about clutter and organization. I get a little anxious when things are messy and when their is clutter sitting around. I'm ashamed at some of the things I throw away......seriously, you would not believe it. Perfectly good clothes, shoes, stuff......... One time I accidentally threw away our TV remote control because I was on a mission with a black garbage bag to clean up and I go on these rampages and start tossing stuff......oooops. My husband has asked me more than once to stop throwing away his golf magazines. ( I hate when they pile up.) I'm the FIRST ONE people come to when something is missing, they assume I've thrown it out (usually I have.) I get defensive about it. :)
I try to be less wasteful now, when I go on a cleaning rampage. Our Goodwill store has a drive up window which makes me very happy. I pack up stuff I want to get rid of and drive through. This week alone- I took a perfect computer scanner and copy machine to the Goodwill. We don't use them and I couldn't stand to let them sit in our storage closet.....it bugs me to have stuff we don't use sitting around. So I took them to Goodwill. At least it is a tax write off.
Other things I can't take to Goodwill- I simply put down by our garbage can with a FREE sign on it, and I'm not kidding you......usually it is gone within an hour. It is almost a game we play....one time I had our kid's old bikes down there, and before we could even walk up our 200 foot driveway from the garbage can, someone already stopped to pick up the bikes. Yesterday I put my son's old mattress down there and within ten minutes it was GONE. I can put ANYTHING down there and it is always gone. Furniture we don't want, an old swing, old bikes, a dresser mirror. Probably the hoarder people coming to get my stuff. We help each other.
People make comments all the time about my clean and freakishly organized home, I'm not bragging about that.....because seriously sometimes being a freak cleaner stinks. I don't have the OCD thing that makes me wipe doorhandles 500 times a day, or scrub until my fingers are bloody, but I have a strong need to have things constantly organized and neat. I can live with some dishes in the sink off and on and my kid's toys laying around.....it is the organization thing that gets me- not having clutter and stuff laying around. I can never rest until things are clutter free and organized again.
I remember being little and making my bed really slowly and neatly and running my hands over my fresh made bed to get all of the wrinkles out. I also remember always needing to have my stuff neat and "just right" in my room. My grandma had a mild case of hoarding, and I remember always feeling like I needed to clean after being at her house. She would have coupons laying everywhere......papers, bags, magazines, just stuff all over the place, packed in every inch of her space. Her basement was like a treasure hunt, she had so much clutter and stuff down there.
I'm so bad, I even need to keep my Recycle Bin on my computer cleaned out, and I always delete all emails I receive and send......it bugs me to have my inbox filled up with junk.
See.......I'm sick. Maybe soon there will be a show on TV about people like me.
I have the total opposite disease.......throw everything away disease. I'm almost OCD about clutter and organization. I get a little anxious when things are messy and when their is clutter sitting around. I'm ashamed at some of the things I throw away......seriously, you would not believe it. Perfectly good clothes, shoes, stuff......... One time I accidentally threw away our TV remote control because I was on a mission with a black garbage bag to clean up and I go on these rampages and start tossing stuff......oooops. My husband has asked me more than once to stop throwing away his golf magazines. ( I hate when they pile up.) I'm the FIRST ONE people come to when something is missing, they assume I've thrown it out (usually I have.) I get defensive about it. :)
I try to be less wasteful now, when I go on a cleaning rampage. Our Goodwill store has a drive up window which makes me very happy. I pack up stuff I want to get rid of and drive through. This week alone- I took a perfect computer scanner and copy machine to the Goodwill. We don't use them and I couldn't stand to let them sit in our storage closet.....it bugs me to have stuff we don't use sitting around. So I took them to Goodwill. At least it is a tax write off.
Other things I can't take to Goodwill- I simply put down by our garbage can with a FREE sign on it, and I'm not kidding you......usually it is gone within an hour. It is almost a game we play....one time I had our kid's old bikes down there, and before we could even walk up our 200 foot driveway from the garbage can, someone already stopped to pick up the bikes. Yesterday I put my son's old mattress down there and within ten minutes it was GONE. I can put ANYTHING down there and it is always gone. Furniture we don't want, an old swing, old bikes, a dresser mirror. Probably the hoarder people coming to get my stuff. We help each other.
People make comments all the time about my clean and freakishly organized home, I'm not bragging about that.....because seriously sometimes being a freak cleaner stinks. I don't have the OCD thing that makes me wipe doorhandles 500 times a day, or scrub until my fingers are bloody, but I have a strong need to have things constantly organized and neat. I can live with some dishes in the sink off and on and my kid's toys laying around.....it is the organization thing that gets me- not having clutter and stuff laying around. I can never rest until things are clutter free and organized again.
I remember being little and making my bed really slowly and neatly and running my hands over my fresh made bed to get all of the wrinkles out. I also remember always needing to have my stuff neat and "just right" in my room. My grandma had a mild case of hoarding, and I remember always feeling like I needed to clean after being at her house. She would have coupons laying everywhere......papers, bags, magazines, just stuff all over the place, packed in every inch of her space. Her basement was like a treasure hunt, she had so much clutter and stuff down there.
I'm so bad, I even need to keep my Recycle Bin on my computer cleaned out, and I always delete all emails I receive and send......it bugs me to have my inbox filled up with junk.
See.......I'm sick. Maybe soon there will be a show on TV about people like me.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Goodbye Summer
Where did August go? It is coming to an end and I barely remember it.
I've been purposeful about my time on the computer. I get so much done when I don't get sucked in by a good news story, blog, or email. I get on, check mail and get off. I hope to keep to that pattern as fall approaches and we get back to school, and back to all the activities.
There is so much to do in a day. I've been trying to make healthy meals, exercise as much as I can- I'm so thankful, because I really do love to exercise, it makes me feel so energetic and I can tolerate the ups and downs of life better when I sweat. We have been busy staining our huge deck, what a chore!!!!! My son started his first year of football last week -they have practice four nights a week for 2 hours each night. We all go as a family and sit and watch him. He is really loving it, and I'm so proud of that. The coaches work them hard- they run a lot and do so much conditioning, yet he never complains and he looks forward to going back each night. I'm so thankful that even though we homeschool, we have the opportunity to be involved in things like this. It is good for boys to be with other boys, roughing each other up and having coaches who inspire them but work them hard.
We will start our homeschooling the day after Labor Day. This is our 7th year. It will be a hard transition after a long summer, but being more scheduled will be good for all of us.
Our puppy has started to go on my 4 mile daily walks with me, he does great. He seems to really like it. I started him slow, going 2 miles the first time, 3 the next, and now he does 4 miles no problem, even running at times. It wears him out, but he needs it.
That is the update-busy days, mowing, yard work, keeping the garden weeded, keeping the dog from chasing the cats, playing with my kids, watching movies with my husband. Life is good.
Kelly
I've been purposeful about my time on the computer. I get so much done when I don't get sucked in by a good news story, blog, or email. I get on, check mail and get off. I hope to keep to that pattern as fall approaches and we get back to school, and back to all the activities.
There is so much to do in a day. I've been trying to make healthy meals, exercise as much as I can- I'm so thankful, because I really do love to exercise, it makes me feel so energetic and I can tolerate the ups and downs of life better when I sweat. We have been busy staining our huge deck, what a chore!!!!! My son started his first year of football last week -they have practice four nights a week for 2 hours each night. We all go as a family and sit and watch him. He is really loving it, and I'm so proud of that. The coaches work them hard- they run a lot and do so much conditioning, yet he never complains and he looks forward to going back each night. I'm so thankful that even though we homeschool, we have the opportunity to be involved in things like this. It is good for boys to be with other boys, roughing each other up and having coaches who inspire them but work them hard.
We will start our homeschooling the day after Labor Day. This is our 7th year. It will be a hard transition after a long summer, but being more scheduled will be good for all of us.
Our puppy has started to go on my 4 mile daily walks with me, he does great. He seems to really like it. I started him slow, going 2 miles the first time, 3 the next, and now he does 4 miles no problem, even running at times. It wears him out, but he needs it.
That is the update-busy days, mowing, yard work, keeping the garden weeded, keeping the dog from chasing the cats, playing with my kids, watching movies with my husband. Life is good.
Kelly
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Weekend Events
Sorry for the last cranky post. :) I'm better now.
However........I should have added buying our puppy the MOST annoying squeak toy on planet earth......as part of my things that make me go grrrrrr. It needs to have an unfortunate accident today. (They toy not the puppy- he is a keeper.)
Braden my 11 year old son and his friend, our neighbor boy, set up camp in our back yard all day yesterday. We live on 3 acres, so they have plenty of room. They set up near the fire pit so they could have a bon fire. They ran flashlights out there, then bug spray, sleeping bags, games, treats....it was a whole day of work. Last night my husband started a very small bon fire for them, so they could roast marshmallows-they did that, but then started running and jumping over the fire.....WHY??? Boys LOVE fire.....they threw everything they could find into the fire, sticks, toys from the yard (hey...should have had them throw the squeak toy in there), cans, his sister...okay, no he didn't.
Anyway........the campers made it about 2 hours and were back in the house by 9:30 complaining about mosquitos. So much for that. They camped downstairs while watching "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel. Almost the same right?
Today it is raining which messes up several of our plans-Brooklyn had a swimming party to go to (moved to tomorrow now) and we had a golf outing fund raiser for our friend with cancer. Instead we are going to watch a family movie and camp on the couch. YAY!!!!
Happy weekend!
However........I should have added buying our puppy the MOST annoying squeak toy on planet earth......as part of my things that make me go grrrrrr. It needs to have an unfortunate accident today. (They toy not the puppy- he is a keeper.)
Braden my 11 year old son and his friend, our neighbor boy, set up camp in our back yard all day yesterday. We live on 3 acres, so they have plenty of room. They set up near the fire pit so they could have a bon fire. They ran flashlights out there, then bug spray, sleeping bags, games, treats....it was a whole day of work. Last night my husband started a very small bon fire for them, so they could roast marshmallows-they did that, but then started running and jumping over the fire.....WHY??? Boys LOVE fire.....they threw everything they could find into the fire, sticks, toys from the yard (hey...should have had them throw the squeak toy in there), cans, his sister...okay, no he didn't.
Anyway........the campers made it about 2 hours and were back in the house by 9:30 complaining about mosquitos. So much for that. They camped downstairs while watching "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel. Almost the same right?
Today it is raining which messes up several of our plans-Brooklyn had a swimming party to go to (moved to tomorrow now) and we had a golf outing fund raiser for our friend with cancer. Instead we are going to watch a family movie and camp on the couch. YAY!!!!
Happy weekend!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Things that make me go hmmmmmmm
Hi, I'm alive- in case anyone wondered.
We are on the last days of summer count down....I feel it slipping away-so I've been FORCING myself to slow down and enjoy quiet, slower days. I've said no to things, even if they were fun. Because of it, my kids have been able to play outside for HOURS AND HOURS, run, play in the sprinkler, play with the puppy, make up fun outside games with the neighbors, swim, and it has been priceless.
So- things that make me go hmmmmmmmm (more like grrrrrrr)
1. Dying of thirst after a long walk and going to find someone drank up the last grape low cal Gatorade that I was dying for and didn't put anymore in the fridge. :(
2. Taking my puppy out potty, he goes, we come back in and 5 seconds later he pees on the floor. Hmmmmmm ????
3. The people who let their pet bunny go outside-I assume because they were tired of caring for him and now he is hopping all over their yard looking for food. I put a bunch of our bunny's food in a ziplock and snuck over there and dumped a bunch of food in their yard so he could eat. GRRRRRRR
4. The credit card company that just called me trying to sell identity theft protection-after nicely saying, "No thank you I'm not interested" she kept going on and on and on....and at the end said, "If you have any questions call 1-800-bla bla bla bla...." REALLY FAST....like why bother to tell the number...am I writing it down- NO ---- do I memorize numbers-----NO!!!! Do I care.......NO!
5. The economy bugs me.
6. I was out shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding and all I could find was either- 1. Grandma dresses with big, ugly flowers and bold prints, or 2. Teenie bopper dresses that were 5 sizes too small, skimpy, and short.
7. Drunk Drivers who drive with their children in the car- drive down the wrong side of the highway and kill themselves and their children. (In the news today)...REALLY BUGS ME!
8. People who ask you a question, you start to answer, and then they start looking away, uninterested, while you are answering them.......why???? Why ask? RUDE!
9. When you put yourself out there-ask for a prayer request to a friend, and they never ask you about it again......like to follow up and act like they care. Hmmmmm
10. I'm a clean freak and have an awesome Dyson vac.....it has a clear container that catches all the gunk you vac up......I vac 3 or more times a week-yet have to empty the canister every time, because it is FULL of gunk....where does that stuff come from? GROSS!! (Maybe I don't want to know the answer to this question.)
That is good for today- just a few irritations on my mind this morning. :) Happy Wednesday to ya.
We are on the last days of summer count down....I feel it slipping away-so I've been FORCING myself to slow down and enjoy quiet, slower days. I've said no to things, even if they were fun. Because of it, my kids have been able to play outside for HOURS AND HOURS, run, play in the sprinkler, play with the puppy, make up fun outside games with the neighbors, swim, and it has been priceless.
So- things that make me go hmmmmmmmm (more like grrrrrrr)
1. Dying of thirst after a long walk and going to find someone drank up the last grape low cal Gatorade that I was dying for and didn't put anymore in the fridge. :(
2. Taking my puppy out potty, he goes, we come back in and 5 seconds later he pees on the floor. Hmmmmmm ????
3. The people who let their pet bunny go outside-I assume because they were tired of caring for him and now he is hopping all over their yard looking for food. I put a bunch of our bunny's food in a ziplock and snuck over there and dumped a bunch of food in their yard so he could eat. GRRRRRRR
4. The credit card company that just called me trying to sell identity theft protection-after nicely saying, "No thank you I'm not interested" she kept going on and on and on....and at the end said, "If you have any questions call 1-800-bla bla bla bla...." REALLY FAST....like why bother to tell the number...am I writing it down- NO ---- do I memorize numbers-----NO!!!! Do I care.......NO!
5. The economy bugs me.
6. I was out shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding and all I could find was either- 1. Grandma dresses with big, ugly flowers and bold prints, or 2. Teenie bopper dresses that were 5 sizes too small, skimpy, and short.
7. Drunk Drivers who drive with their children in the car- drive down the wrong side of the highway and kill themselves and their children. (In the news today)...REALLY BUGS ME!
8. People who ask you a question, you start to answer, and then they start looking away, uninterested, while you are answering them.......why???? Why ask? RUDE!
9. When you put yourself out there-ask for a prayer request to a friend, and they never ask you about it again......like to follow up and act like they care. Hmmmmm
10. I'm a clean freak and have an awesome Dyson vac.....it has a clear container that catches all the gunk you vac up......I vac 3 or more times a week-yet have to empty the canister every time, because it is FULL of gunk....where does that stuff come from? GROSS!! (Maybe I don't want to know the answer to this question.)
That is good for today- just a few irritations on my mind this morning. :) Happy Wednesday to ya.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Summer Days
Happy 4th of July!
The 4th is our twin's birthday. They turned 11 years old. We always make them birthday pancakes for breakfast complete with candles.
We have had a great weekend. My husband has had off for three days and we have enjoyed every minute of it.
Friday we packed the car up and drove an hour to Kensington Park which is near Detroit. There is a huge lake and a bike path that goes all the way around. 9 miles. You can deter off and go on actual mountain bike trails if you want to. We did that this time and had so much fun. We rode 20 plus miles. We were all so tired. At one point, I think we were lost.....we had no idea where the trails were leading us (however, we knew we were still within the park-but we had no idea if we had another 10 miles to go or 3). The trails were really hard and I was really proud of our kids because they hung in there and rode up really steep hills. Brooklyn learned the gears and figured out the hills are MUCH EASIER in 1st gear!
We had a great time and our legs were VERY SORE at the end of the day.
Yesterday we had the birthday pancakes for the 4th and the kids opened their gifts. Then we packed up again and drove an hour to Battle Creek for the Air Show. It was an all day event with many neat planes doing tricks. The Thunderbirds were the final act and they were AMAZING.
Finally, at the end of the long day, our kids put on a fireworks show for us. We bought them a big kit packed full of fireworks (safe for kids) and they spent an hour setting up the show for us. They wrote a big sign on the driveway in chalk, "Welcome to the Fireworks Show" and they put our chairs out with a little table in the middle, drinks of water, bug spray, and beach towels on each chair. It was so cute. Then they worked together to put on the show. Braden was the fire cracker lighter and Brooklyn was his assistant who put the burned out firecracker in a bucket of water (smart of them).
Today we are having a bbq and birthday cake to cap off the weekend.
I hope you are enjoying summer-wherever you are. Life is a gift-enjoy it!
Blessings,
Kelly
The 4th is our twin's birthday. They turned 11 years old. We always make them birthday pancakes for breakfast complete with candles.
We have had a great weekend. My husband has had off for three days and we have enjoyed every minute of it.
Friday we packed the car up and drove an hour to Kensington Park which is near Detroit. There is a huge lake and a bike path that goes all the way around. 9 miles. You can deter off and go on actual mountain bike trails if you want to. We did that this time and had so much fun. We rode 20 plus miles. We were all so tired. At one point, I think we were lost.....we had no idea where the trails were leading us (however, we knew we were still within the park-but we had no idea if we had another 10 miles to go or 3). The trails were really hard and I was really proud of our kids because they hung in there and rode up really steep hills. Brooklyn learned the gears and figured out the hills are MUCH EASIER in 1st gear!
We had a great time and our legs were VERY SORE at the end of the day.
Yesterday we had the birthday pancakes for the 4th and the kids opened their gifts. Then we packed up again and drove an hour to Battle Creek for the Air Show. It was an all day event with many neat planes doing tricks. The Thunderbirds were the final act and they were AMAZING.
Finally, at the end of the long day, our kids put on a fireworks show for us. We bought them a big kit packed full of fireworks (safe for kids) and they spent an hour setting up the show for us. They wrote a big sign on the driveway in chalk, "Welcome to the Fireworks Show" and they put our chairs out with a little table in the middle, drinks of water, bug spray, and beach towels on each chair. It was so cute. Then they worked together to put on the show. Braden was the fire cracker lighter and Brooklyn was his assistant who put the burned out firecracker in a bucket of water (smart of them).
Today we are having a bbq and birthday cake to cap off the weekend.
I hope you are enjoying summer-wherever you are. Life is a gift-enjoy it!
Blessings,
Kelly
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
I Need an Energy Drink STAT!
I'm popping in to quickly update on the chaos of our lives- (like that cotton commercial...the touch...the feel of cotton-the fabric of our lives) this is THE CHAOS OF OUR LIVES......
It is all my fault.
I'm exhausted this week-the kids are back from camp (love having them home) however, WOW....the peace ends the MOMENT they step foot into the car for the drive home. GONE...forever...until next summer...no more peace and quiet, long days reading on my hammock.
This week is VBS week- so that means UP AND OUT early-we stop and pick up our car load of friends and hit the road in the VBS express.
I finally finished the 8 million loads of dirty camp clothes. Socks that will never again be white, towels that smelled like death, tennis shoes that scare me and should be incinerated for the safety of the earth and all of man kind.
The puppy is a blast-but I'm exhausted. He is doing GREAT in his kennel at night, no more crying unless he has to go potty. He is so fun, but it is like having a baby in the house again. I can't sit down for 5 minutes without needing to get up to pry something (like the couch) from his mouth. I am OCD about taking him potty so he does not go on my carpet. We took him to the Vet Monday and all is well. We named him Dakota. :) He is my buddy. He follows my everywhere and lays at my feet.
Life is good! There is no "break" in summer- but oh well!
It is all my fault.
I'm exhausted this week-the kids are back from camp (love having them home) however, WOW....the peace ends the MOMENT they step foot into the car for the drive home. GONE...forever...until next summer...no more peace and quiet, long days reading on my hammock.
This week is VBS week- so that means UP AND OUT early-we stop and pick up our car load of friends and hit the road in the VBS express.
I finally finished the 8 million loads of dirty camp clothes. Socks that will never again be white, towels that smelled like death, tennis shoes that scare me and should be incinerated for the safety of the earth and all of man kind.
The puppy is a blast-but I'm exhausted. He is doing GREAT in his kennel at night, no more crying unless he has to go potty. He is so fun, but it is like having a baby in the house again. I can't sit down for 5 minutes without needing to get up to pry something (like the couch) from his mouth. I am OCD about taking him potty so he does not go on my carpet. We took him to the Vet Monday and all is well. We named him Dakota. :) He is my buddy. He follows my everywhere and lays at my feet.
Life is good! There is no "break" in summer- but oh well!
Monday, June 15, 2009
My Kids Come Home Today!
Today is arrival day-my kids come home from camp! I can't wait.
We have missed them so much. It is really hard to have NO CONTACT with your kids for a whole week-who you usually spend 24 hours a day with-every single day.
They have a BIG surprise when they get off of the bus today!
They are coming home to this:
We got them a puppy (for their birthday on July 4) they have NO IDEA! I am picking them up at church where the bus from camp will drop them off and the puppy will be with me. I feel so bad my husband can't see the SURPRISE meeting but I'm going to video tape the whole thing. I'm taking our neighbor girl who is Brooklyn's friend and she is SOO EXCITED for our kids - when I invited her to come pick up the kids her eyes got so big and she was so excited.
This little guy is so much fun. You know, you just can't have too many pets at our house. Seven pets seems like a good number (4 cats, a parakeet, a bunny, and a dog.)
The puppy is 6 weeks old and obviously is a yellow lab. We haven't named him because we want the kids to have input. He is really fun and so sweet.
I think this next picture is the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life. The puppy was outside with my husband last night as he worked in the garage and the pup fell asleep on his back WITH HIS LEGS STRAIGHT UP IN THE AIR...and he slept like that for about 20 min. I snapped a pic.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Day Two of Peace
Today is day two of my peaceful week.
Yesterday, on day one...my peace was instantly taken when at 5:00 p.m. the camp nurse called me to tell me my son was having some asthma issues. We increased his asthma medication to two times a day, hoping to ward off more severe issues. He was fine but wheezy. He was having a great time in spite of it all. But, the mom in me instantly worried and felt a little panic come over me. I prayed through it and felt God's peace as I realized he is in excellent hands and he is very good about knowing his symptoms and when he needs help.
I found peace again, when at 5:30 my friend reminded me that the Beth Moore Esther Bible study was starting at church at 6:30.....she talked me into going. I'm so glad I did. This is my 5th or 6th Beth study and I LOVE them. I know I'll learn so much. I've already done 2 days of the homework today. :)
Today I mowed the lawn (no small task- it takes 2 1/2 hours) and weeded the garden. I'm a dirty mess but the lawn looks great. It is raining now, so I finished just in the nick of time.
Off to shower and figure out what is for dinner. No calls from camp today-so that is a good sign. I've been praying all day for my son's protection and good health-I so badly want him to have a great time.
Yesterday, on day one...my peace was instantly taken when at 5:00 p.m. the camp nurse called me to tell me my son was having some asthma issues. We increased his asthma medication to two times a day, hoping to ward off more severe issues. He was fine but wheezy. He was having a great time in spite of it all. But, the mom in me instantly worried and felt a little panic come over me. I prayed through it and felt God's peace as I realized he is in excellent hands and he is very good about knowing his symptoms and when he needs help.
I found peace again, when at 5:30 my friend reminded me that the Beth Moore Esther Bible study was starting at church at 6:30.....she talked me into going. I'm so glad I did. This is my 5th or 6th Beth study and I LOVE them. I know I'll learn so much. I've already done 2 days of the homework today. :)
Today I mowed the lawn (no small task- it takes 2 1/2 hours) and weeded the garden. I'm a dirty mess but the lawn looks great. It is raining now, so I finished just in the nick of time.
Off to shower and figure out what is for dinner. No calls from camp today-so that is a good sign. I've been praying all day for my son's protection and good health-I so badly want him to have a great time.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Day One of My Week of Peace
Today is day one of no kids for a whole week.
I woke up and MISSED THEM right off the bat.
Darn it.
But I know they are having so much fun. I prayed for them before I even got out of bed.
And then.........
I remembered......I have all day-all to myself. My husband left for work and won't be home until late tonight because he golfs on Wed. nights.
Last night I made my husband and I a big salad with grilled chicken for dinner. I lit a candle. We ate in complete peace and silence. Dinner is one of my favorite times, we are really BIG on eating together as a family-great conversation happens at our dinner table. But last night was NICE. We had ADULT TALK. I could focus on my husband and what he was saying.
Today after I woke up-I scrubbed a few floors (couldn't help it) and then laid on the hammock with my cat and enjoyed the birds singing. We live on 3 acres out in the country-about 6 miles from civilization-so we have total peace out here. What a great way to start the day. I prayed and came up with my plan for my day.
I went for a 4 mile walk-listened to a great podcast on the way. Took a shower, drove through McDonalds and got a $1.00 HUGE diet coke on the way to the Humane Society where I walked dogs for 1 1/2 hours. Came home-hit the hammock again and read. Took a 10 min. nap and read.
Later- a chick flick all to myself compliments of NetFlix- I might eat a bowl of cereal and M&Ms for dinner.
Missing my kids- but loving my quiet days. I think I'm weird because I have NO DESIRE to interact or socialize while my kids are away.....I could go spend great quality time with friends but I just feel like a recluse and taking it easy.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring- I hope it is JUST LIKE TODAY!
I woke up and MISSED THEM right off the bat.
Darn it.
But I know they are having so much fun. I prayed for them before I even got out of bed.
And then.........
I remembered......I have all day-all to myself. My husband left for work and won't be home until late tonight because he golfs on Wed. nights.
Last night I made my husband and I a big salad with grilled chicken for dinner. I lit a candle. We ate in complete peace and silence. Dinner is one of my favorite times, we are really BIG on eating together as a family-great conversation happens at our dinner table. But last night was NICE. We had ADULT TALK. I could focus on my husband and what he was saying.
Today after I woke up-I scrubbed a few floors (couldn't help it) and then laid on the hammock with my cat and enjoyed the birds singing. We live on 3 acres out in the country-about 6 miles from civilization-so we have total peace out here. What a great way to start the day. I prayed and came up with my plan for my day.
I went for a 4 mile walk-listened to a great podcast on the way. Took a shower, drove through McDonalds and got a $1.00 HUGE diet coke on the way to the Humane Society where I walked dogs for 1 1/2 hours. Came home-hit the hammock again and read. Took a 10 min. nap and read.
Later- a chick flick all to myself compliments of NetFlix- I might eat a bowl of cereal and M&Ms for dinner.
Missing my kids- but loving my quiet days. I think I'm weird because I have NO DESIRE to interact or socialize while my kids are away.....I could go spend great quality time with friends but I just feel like a recluse and taking it easy.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring- I hope it is JUST LIKE TODAY!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
A Whole Week All To Myself
This is my son waving goodbye from the bus!!! This morning we sent our kids off to church camp for a whole week. They look so forward to it all year! Many of their friends from church are going and they always meet a lot of new friends.
It is EXHAUSTING preparing two kids for a whole week away....the lectures never end. I even crammed in a few in the car on the way to church where the camp bus picks them up. Moms try hard to sneak lectures in between conversations. That way we don't sound so bossy, yet we get our instructions in. I am well aware that every single thing I said goes in one ear and out the other, once they step foot on camp ground.
Don't forget to use bug spray. I sure hope you guys have a great time.
Don't put your wet towels in your suitcase with all of your clean clothes. I'm really going to miss you guys.
Oh......and don't forget to brush your teeth. Won't it be fun to sleep in your sleeping bags?
Be nice.
Have fun. Change your underwear!
Oh.....and pay attention during chapel.
Wear sunscreen.
Write me.
And then they are off........my precious kids driving off in a bus on a five hour journey to camp. I always get a little teary. And then I remember......
A whole week to MYSELF..........no little people, no messes.
I ADORE my kids, but we are together 24/7....every minute of every single day. All day-every day....and they are probably excited to have a little break from me.
They will have a week of FUN and learning more about God, and eating smores, and fishing, playing, getting dirty, not brushing their teeth, throwing clothes all over the cabin......
And me, I'll be enjoying long workouts at the Y, reading a stack of books, taking a nap, catching up on Email, having a date or two with my husband, or just doing NOTHING!!!!!! My laundry will be cut in half, food will stay in the fridge longer than 5 minutes, and I can clean the house and it will STAY THAT WAY.
Last year when they went I had a million plans, scheduled myself too much, and was an over-achiever. This year.....NO WAY- I've got no plans and I'm keeping it that way. I need REST. I want to use this time so I'm a better mom when my kids return. I fervently pray for them daily, for their safety and for God to grow their knowledge of Him during this time at camp. I pray for me to grow in patience, wisdom, and love so I can be the best mom I can be.
Now...I need to go, I have an appointment with my couch, a book, and some major CHILLaxin!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Girl's Night Out
Last night was GIRLS NIGHT OUT!
Having friends is good for the soul.
We have 23 kids between us-we don't get out much! We had so much fun!
Some of our kids had a sleep over-while the ladies were out on the town.
We ate dinner at Houlihans and then went to Starbucks. We laughed so much and talked until our throats were sore.
I got home at midnight, which is way past my bedtime. I can't even stay up until midnight on New Years Eve!
The best part was when our friend Dawn stopped in for a quick hug-her husband was just diagnosed with cancer and he has been in the hospital for 10 days. She was on her way back to the hospital to spend the night with him. We all got to give her a hug and maybe for just five minutes she could get her mind off of the trials her family is going through.
To the people at Houlihans who wanted a nice, quiet dinner out.......we are very sorry for our loud laughter and non stop picture taking-we are mothers of many children who rarely get to go out, have a meal where we don't need to cut up someones food, clean up a spill, or get interrupted 52 times. Be thankful we only get around to a girl's night out two times a year!
(These are two of my friends: Julia and Kimberly)Thank you God for friendships that endure over time-sister's in Christ who love each other and make time for each other.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The Orange Dork Suit
The 5-K was a huge hit. The rain stayed far away and it was such a fun night. This is my son who did the 5-K in 29 minutes and won 2nd place in his age group. Might I add he had no training schedule for weeks leading up to the 5-K, he just put on his running shoes and did it cold turkey last night. NO FAIR!
I saved a child's life at the 5-K, good thing I was there. Okay..so I put a band aid on his scrapped knee....still, he might have bled to death if I wouldn't have used my skills to help him. Beyond that we had no major medical mishaps.
I forgot all about getting my picture taken in my dork orange suit....I was busy saving lives people, I didn't have time for silly pictures...however, don't be sad! In the above picture if you look behind my son you will see a bright orange glowing person (a fellow worker). Don't stare at the picture for too long you might burn your retinas. But you get the idea of the dork-ness factor.
Here is a picture of the kids running in a 100 meter race
I think this next picture is so funny- my husband better not quit his day job to become a photographer. Here is my nice arm in the picture of my son crossing the finish line- I was trying to high five him.
Finally, my kids often hijack my camera and when I try to upload pictures onto my computer from the memory card I find surprises like these:
She deserves having this pictures put in the public forum for all the world to see. :)
In closing, my husband and son have been downstairs for two hours trying to learn the Axle Foley song from Beverly Hills Cop on our keyboard. They found it on YouTube and now are obsessed with learning it. They are getting close! We live an exciting life around here don't we?
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday Report
How can it be Friday again already? I wonder why it is that when you are a kid time goes V E R Y slowwwwww and when you are an adult...time goes VERY FAST!
Life can slow down already.
So it is Friday- everyone loves Friday. Our church is having a big 5-K event tonight. They have fun things for kids and a 100 meter kid race. Usually I WOG (walk/jog) in the 5-K but this year I'm "working" by carrying the medical radio. (I'm a nurse) so they position us throughout the course and we wear BIG BRIGHT ORANGE VESTS..that you can see from a mile away- they say MEDICAL on it ! We have cool ear pieces that make me feel like I'm in the FBI or CIA....or secret service. Very cool! We all communicate to each other during the race and respond to any medical needs. (Hopefully there are none!) Anyway, so no wogging for me tonight...I already did my 4 miles this a.m. so I'm good. I can indulge in a hot dog or two guilt free! :) Now, we are just praying the rain holds off for us!
Maybe I'll surprise all 7 of you and have my kids take a picture of me in my BRIGHT ORANGE DORK OUTFIT tonight. :)
So the nurse thing...yea, I am an RN...but I haven't worked officially in about 5 years. When I did, I worked at one of our local hospitals on the cardiac floor. I worked nights 7 p.m.- 7 a.m. that about killed me! I only worked per diem- one shift a week, once my kids were born, but when I did work, I'd have to stay up all day to care for my kids, work all night, and then come home and stay up all day to ...yes....care for my kids. I used to be so tired, it took me the whole week to recover from that crazy shift. One time I was so tired after working all night and being up so long, I was giving my kids, who were babies at the time, baths..and I looked down and oooops...my daughter was in the tub with her socks and diaper on. I was too tired to realize it. Not good!!!! I was scary back then. One time I fell asleep as I was waiting behind a school bus who was picking up kids in front of me-on my drive back home from work.
I keep my license current, just in case....you never know. I doubt I'll go back to ICU or cardiac nursing-too intense and stressful, but Hospice nursing sounds like something I'd be good at-if my emotions could hack it (my husband thinks not). But for now, I'm thrilled to be a stay at home mom, and I use my nursing skills on the medical response team at church and at events like the 5-K. Good enough! Plus, it comes in handy when I have a sick kid, puking cat, or injured husband.
Happy Friday......God bless any of you who come back here more than once...I ramble so much, I feel sorry for you. :)
Life can slow down already.
So it is Friday- everyone loves Friday. Our church is having a big 5-K event tonight. They have fun things for kids and a 100 meter kid race. Usually I WOG (walk/jog) in the 5-K but this year I'm "working" by carrying the medical radio. (I'm a nurse) so they position us throughout the course and we wear BIG BRIGHT ORANGE VESTS..that you can see from a mile away- they say MEDICAL on it ! We have cool ear pieces that make me feel like I'm in the FBI or CIA....or secret service. Very cool! We all communicate to each other during the race and respond to any medical needs. (Hopefully there are none!) Anyway, so no wogging for me tonight...I already did my 4 miles this a.m. so I'm good. I can indulge in a hot dog or two guilt free! :) Now, we are just praying the rain holds off for us!
Maybe I'll surprise all 7 of you and have my kids take a picture of me in my BRIGHT ORANGE DORK OUTFIT tonight. :)
So the nurse thing...yea, I am an RN...but I haven't worked officially in about 5 years. When I did, I worked at one of our local hospitals on the cardiac floor. I worked nights 7 p.m.- 7 a.m. that about killed me! I only worked per diem- one shift a week, once my kids were born, but when I did work, I'd have to stay up all day to care for my kids, work all night, and then come home and stay up all day to ...yes....care for my kids. I used to be so tired, it took me the whole week to recover from that crazy shift. One time I was so tired after working all night and being up so long, I was giving my kids, who were babies at the time, baths..and I looked down and oooops...my daughter was in the tub with her socks and diaper on. I was too tired to realize it. Not good!!!! I was scary back then. One time I fell asleep as I was waiting behind a school bus who was picking up kids in front of me-on my drive back home from work.
I keep my license current, just in case....you never know. I doubt I'll go back to ICU or cardiac nursing-too intense and stressful, but Hospice nursing sounds like something I'd be good at-if my emotions could hack it (my husband thinks not). But for now, I'm thrilled to be a stay at home mom, and I use my nursing skills on the medical response team at church and at events like the 5-K. Good enough! Plus, it comes in handy when I have a sick kid, puking cat, or injured husband.
Happy Friday......God bless any of you who come back here more than once...I ramble so much, I feel sorry for you. :)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Rest and Recover
I'm in a rest and recover mode. After a very busy year of homeschooling, running kids to activities, teaching Bible study, and the usual hectic stuff that comes during the months of Sept-May....I'm LOVING the down time. I'm two weeks into our summer break and I'm finally just now starting to feel calm and relaxed. The first week I had a million projects that I couldn't seem to get to during the crazy school year.
We changed my son's bed from a loft bed into a normal bed, and I painted his whole room a new color and we cleaned really well and went through his drawers and closet. I love to get rid of stuff!!!!!
I went through all of our school curriculum and books and got rid of a bunch of stuff we don't need at the used book sale our homeschool group has each year. Then I went through all of my catalogs and planned our next year of school and made a list of the books I need to buy. I'll place my order in the next few weeks. I like to get my school books early so I can go through them, make my plans and set up our schedule early....then I am all ready to start in Sept. This is our 7th year of homeschooling coming up-6th grade WOW!!!!
We planted our garden, power washed our deck, weeded our landscaping, put mulch around all of our trees, cleaned the garage, and I cleaned out our storage closet downstairs. I feel on top of my game now!
This past weekend we duck sat our neighbors ducks. They have a really nice duck condo down by their pond. So we would just go over 2 times a day to feed them and give them fresh water and let them out to swim in the pond.
Yesterday the kids and I went and volunteered at the Humane Society. We took dogs for walks and played with the cats. I love going there. Then we went to the Library. My kids are reading like crazy right now. I love to read too and I have a book I'm almost done with and then 4 more waiting for me when I'm done. I'm also reading the book of Job in the Bible right now.
So, that is the update. Sorry for my rambles. My brain is coming out of a fog of hectic and crazy schedules and we are enjoying a slower pace, days with no place to be, and free time.
We changed my son's bed from a loft bed into a normal bed, and I painted his whole room a new color and we cleaned really well and went through his drawers and closet. I love to get rid of stuff!!!!!
I went through all of our school curriculum and books and got rid of a bunch of stuff we don't need at the used book sale our homeschool group has each year. Then I went through all of my catalogs and planned our next year of school and made a list of the books I need to buy. I'll place my order in the next few weeks. I like to get my school books early so I can go through them, make my plans and set up our schedule early....then I am all ready to start in Sept. This is our 7th year of homeschooling coming up-6th grade WOW!!!!
We planted our garden, power washed our deck, weeded our landscaping, put mulch around all of our trees, cleaned the garage, and I cleaned out our storage closet downstairs. I feel on top of my game now!
This past weekend we duck sat our neighbors ducks. They have a really nice duck condo down by their pond. So we would just go over 2 times a day to feed them and give them fresh water and let them out to swim in the pond.
Yesterday the kids and I went and volunteered at the Humane Society. We took dogs for walks and played with the cats. I love going there. Then we went to the Library. My kids are reading like crazy right now. I love to read too and I have a book I'm almost done with and then 4 more waiting for me when I'm done. I'm also reading the book of Job in the Bible right now.
So, that is the update. Sorry for my rambles. My brain is coming out of a fog of hectic and crazy schedules and we are enjoying a slower pace, days with no place to be, and free time.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday Stuff
I love Sundays.
I love Sunday School and church! I love seeing friends and worshipping God together.
Our kids have been having so much fun today. They make each other a treasure hunt. They hide clues all over the yard and draw maps. Then they leave a surprise at the end of the treasure hunt.It has kept them busy for hours yesterday and today. Brooklyn left Braden a dollar at the end of his hunt yesterday- that is so cute. He gave it to God today! Doesn't that just warm your heart?
Today she left him a small bag of M&Ms at the end of his hunt. He left her a coupon to play a board game together-which they did.
Now they are out in our Suburban playing "Rocket ship" they sit in the seats upside down and pretend they are flying into space. They are so creative. I heard Braden ask Brooklyn if she would be his flight attendant today in the rocket ship.
Some days it seems they want to rip each other's eye balls out, other days they get along so well. That is a great thing about twins, they always have a playmate!
I have a stack of books to read- I get so excited about books. A sweet friend handed me a book today at church-she bought it for me, just because she knew I loved books so much. I can't wait to read it. She bought me: Too Small To Ignore-Why the Least of These Matters. It is the story of the President and CEO of Compassion International and how he became involved. We sponsor a Compassion child-Shivan who lives in Uganda. I have her picture on my nightstand in a frame. I consider her one of my children. I love her so much and pray for her often. I love to get letters from her-and write her back! I've been praying that God will make a way for me to go meet her someday in Uganda.
Soon I'll go out on PATROL to check on all of my animal friends on my 4 mile walk. :)
My heart is heavy with prayer needs of so many people in my life today- I'm praying for my sister's health, friends with cancer, lost souls, my husband's knee that is really hurting, and my friend Krysta (Hi Krysta) who is adopting a baby!
Psalm 131:2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul.........
Happy Sunday!
Kelly
I love Sunday School and church! I love seeing friends and worshipping God together.
Our kids have been having so much fun today. They make each other a treasure hunt. They hide clues all over the yard and draw maps. Then they leave a surprise at the end of the treasure hunt.It has kept them busy for hours yesterday and today. Brooklyn left Braden a dollar at the end of his hunt yesterday- that is so cute. He gave it to God today! Doesn't that just warm your heart?
Today she left him a small bag of M&Ms at the end of his hunt. He left her a coupon to play a board game together-which they did.
Now they are out in our Suburban playing "Rocket ship" they sit in the seats upside down and pretend they are flying into space. They are so creative. I heard Braden ask Brooklyn if she would be his flight attendant today in the rocket ship.
Some days it seems they want to rip each other's eye balls out, other days they get along so well. That is a great thing about twins, they always have a playmate!
I have a stack of books to read- I get so excited about books. A sweet friend handed me a book today at church-she bought it for me, just because she knew I loved books so much. I can't wait to read it. She bought me: Too Small To Ignore-Why the Least of These Matters. It is the story of the President and CEO of Compassion International and how he became involved. We sponsor a Compassion child-Shivan who lives in Uganda. I have her picture on my nightstand in a frame. I consider her one of my children. I love her so much and pray for her often. I love to get letters from her-and write her back! I've been praying that God will make a way for me to go meet her someday in Uganda.
Soon I'll go out on PATROL to check on all of my animal friends on my 4 mile walk. :)
My heart is heavy with prayer needs of so many people in my life today- I'm praying for my sister's health, friends with cancer, lost souls, my husband's knee that is really hurting, and my friend Krysta (Hi Krysta) who is adopting a baby!
Psalm 131:2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul.........
Happy Sunday!
Kelly
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Little Miss Perfect
While the kids were playing outside today- I started to fold laundry on my bed. I flipped on the TV to turn on CNN and see what was going on in the world (sometimes I really don't want to know)......but THE LITTLE MISS PERFECT beauty pageant was on......WHAT????
It was one of those reality show type deals, and I sat there with my mouth WIDE OPEN and gasping! Are you serious? These little girls were about 5-10 years old, totally made up, fake tans, BIG hair, nails, and posing in skimpy type clothing. The mothers were WORSE and so hard to watch. They swore at their kids, put total pressure on them, yelled, and just got so wrapped up in their daughters beauty....I just seriously don't even know what to say.
I had to run not walk to my blog to vent about it. Just the title alone LITTLE MISS PERFECT......what does that mean? WOW......I can honestly say, I would NEVER and I mean NEVER EVER EVER want that life for my daughter. I would never want her to feel her identity is wrapped up in her outside appearance and the judgments of others. Those girls were already starting to compare themselves to other girls, many had CELL PHONES and were all wrapped up in the attention.
I could go on and on and on.....but I won't....I had to turn it off after 10 min. UGH!!!!!!!
It will be a HARD reality when Little Miss Perfect finds out, she isn't at all perfect (as none of us are) and that it is so shallow and worthless to put your hope in your appearance and the praise of others. I felt so bad for them. The girls didn't even look REAL...they looked so scary and fake.....the moms were RIDICULOUS-dancing, trying to coach from behind the judges, clapping really loudly, and if their child didn't do well YELLING AT THEM. NICE!
Enough said.....CNN would have been better than this!
It was one of those reality show type deals, and I sat there with my mouth WIDE OPEN and gasping! Are you serious? These little girls were about 5-10 years old, totally made up, fake tans, BIG hair, nails, and posing in skimpy type clothing. The mothers were WORSE and so hard to watch. They swore at their kids, put total pressure on them, yelled, and just got so wrapped up in their daughters beauty....I just seriously don't even know what to say.
I had to run not walk to my blog to vent about it. Just the title alone LITTLE MISS PERFECT......what does that mean? WOW......I can honestly say, I would NEVER and I mean NEVER EVER EVER want that life for my daughter. I would never want her to feel her identity is wrapped up in her outside appearance and the judgments of others. Those girls were already starting to compare themselves to other girls, many had CELL PHONES and were all wrapped up in the attention.
I could go on and on and on.....but I won't....I had to turn it off after 10 min. UGH!!!!!!!
It will be a HARD reality when Little Miss Perfect finds out, she isn't at all perfect (as none of us are) and that it is so shallow and worthless to put your hope in your appearance and the praise of others. I felt so bad for them. The girls didn't even look REAL...they looked so scary and fake.....the moms were RIDICULOUS-dancing, trying to coach from behind the judges, clapping really loudly, and if their child didn't do well YELLING AT THEM. NICE!
Enough said.....CNN would have been better than this!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
VICTORY! One small step for animals!
VICTORY VICTORY !!!!!!!
This is an update from my last post about the pet rescue-bunny saga.
I went out on my 4 mile walk this a.m. (my husband teases me now that I'm not walking for exercise-I'm going out on PATROL) I checked on my new bunny friend-after I left a NICE note on the owner's door last week asking them very very nicely to please find some protection for the bunny in his cage, and letting them know they could buy an attached food dish that screws into the cage so the bunny wouldn't tip his food and not have any to eat all day. I was as nice as I possibly could be in the note, I figured I would get more reaction with being nice and supportive rather than being rude (which I sort of wanted to be!)
So, today was my first patrol since the note- and VICTORY...the bunny had an even nicer-bigger cage, an attached food dish filled with food, a new little house inside his cage where he could go for protection and safety, and a big tarp and board over the top of the cage to protect him from sun and weather. AWESOME!!!!! I giggled like a school girl! I just felt so happy and such satisfaction. I thanked God because I have been praying all week that the owners would have compassion and respond to the note in a positive way and they totally did.
One small step for animals- we can't fix every problem in the world, but if we just do ONE THING, SOMETHING, it really really makes a difference. That was the lesson I learned after all of this.
I feel like Mother Nature when I go out on my "patrols"....I pass a ton of different animals when I walk (since I'm walking out in the country)....they are used to seeing me, since I go almost daily. Three horses come running towards the fence when I walk by, I always tell them Hi, a cute cat greets me each time, a very cute dog comes and gives me licks and lets me pet him, a mom cow and its baby, and of course the bunny. :)
It made me think- what if we all had our 4 miles to patrol daily- to check it out, keep it clean, protect animals and help others along the way. I'm sure the world would be a better place.
:) As for today, I'm pleased and thrilled. Next up, my kids and I have our eye on a nest of four baby Robins, one already fell out of the nest and my daughter saw it and put it back in the nest...they are really small still and have no feathers, so they aren't ready to leave their home. They are right under our second story deck so we have a clear shot out our sliding glass door downstairs. It is really fun to watch the mom Robin come back with worms and see their little heads pop up for food.
This is an update from my last post about the pet rescue-bunny saga.
I went out on my 4 mile walk this a.m. (my husband teases me now that I'm not walking for exercise-I'm going out on PATROL) I checked on my new bunny friend-after I left a NICE note on the owner's door last week asking them very very nicely to please find some protection for the bunny in his cage, and letting them know they could buy an attached food dish that screws into the cage so the bunny wouldn't tip his food and not have any to eat all day. I was as nice as I possibly could be in the note, I figured I would get more reaction with being nice and supportive rather than being rude (which I sort of wanted to be!)
So, today was my first patrol since the note- and VICTORY...the bunny had an even nicer-bigger cage, an attached food dish filled with food, a new little house inside his cage where he could go for protection and safety, and a big tarp and board over the top of the cage to protect him from sun and weather. AWESOME!!!!! I giggled like a school girl! I just felt so happy and such satisfaction. I thanked God because I have been praying all week that the owners would have compassion and respond to the note in a positive way and they totally did.
One small step for animals- we can't fix every problem in the world, but if we just do ONE THING, SOMETHING, it really really makes a difference. That was the lesson I learned after all of this.
I feel like Mother Nature when I go out on my "patrols"....I pass a ton of different animals when I walk (since I'm walking out in the country)....they are used to seeing me, since I go almost daily. Three horses come running towards the fence when I walk by, I always tell them Hi, a cute cat greets me each time, a very cute dog comes and gives me licks and lets me pet him, a mom cow and its baby, and of course the bunny. :)
It made me think- what if we all had our 4 miles to patrol daily- to check it out, keep it clean, protect animals and help others along the way. I'm sure the world would be a better place.
:) As for today, I'm pleased and thrilled. Next up, my kids and I have our eye on a nest of four baby Robins, one already fell out of the nest and my daughter saw it and put it back in the nest...they are really small still and have no feathers, so they aren't ready to leave their home. They are right under our second story deck so we have a clear shot out our sliding glass door downstairs. It is really fun to watch the mom Robin come back with worms and see their little heads pop up for food.
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