Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
For my cousin Vic...
I don't even know if you'll ever see this.......
but i have to tell you THANK YOU. I so wish I could come home and hug your neck and express my deep love and appreciation to you. Vic, you may not know it, and that's my fault for being so far away and so busy with my family, but you have made such a difference in my life. You, and Alisa and Victor and Bonnie, too. You're the only COUSIN in our family on either side who ever really showed that they cared about me. All those years, growing up, nobody else ever really even gave me the time of day. But, you spent time with me. You helped me when things were really tough at home. I always knew that your house was a safe place. Remember, I even came there a time or two on my own...
Since Dad called me last night to tell me what happened with you, I have been experiencing those "soap opera moments"... you know, the ones where on the soap operas and someone gets sick or dies, they go back and show all the highlights of that person's life and what they have meant to each person... memories. Well, that's what I've been experiencing the last 12 hours or so. It means so much to me to have some of those doors unlocked by the memories we share, Vic. I couldn't remember a lot of those things until now, but it seems like a movie that just replays in my mind. You were always SO sweet to me... and I don't think I have a single childhood memory that doesn't have you in it. Remember that tiny little black furry puppy that was at Grandma's house when I was........ maybe 4 years old? He was so teeny tiny, and I wanted to hold him... and you helped me. Thank you. I treasure that, and so many more memories of you. I remember when you had brought Adam to our house and I didn't know what to think of him... but you encouraged us to play outside, and I remember that we went and had a contest of who could find the most "locust" shells........ that was your idea. Do you know, that even today, I play that game with my kids? Yes, there are cicadas here in Las Vegas......... but we don't have any tree frogs that I've been able to find. Perhaps that's the lack of trees......... or maybe it's the lack of tropical atmosphere. ;)
Fishing. Detailing your and Dad's cars. Going to the grocery store with Mom and Alisa and you... Any time at Grandma's house. My how you loved her... and she loved YOU! And, how the both of you loved me. You know, Alisa was your perfect match. She still is. Thank you for always treating her and the children with love and kindess. And, for loving them unconditionally. I remember when you came to Denver to see us. I wasn't around much, considering that I had moved out, and things between me and my parents were terrible... but you made sure I knew you were in town, and that you wanted to see ME. I can't tell you how that made me feel. Then, the design jobs you helped me get... you'll never know how much that meant to me. My success was important to you, enough that you put yourself on the line to make it happen. Thank you thank you thank you!
I don't know how you're doing this morning. Dad said that the doctors had to revive you three times during your surgeries yesterday. The veil is very thin. I want so much to be able to do more for you, for Alisa, and for Victor and Bonnie. I wish I could come home. I can't. But, I hope that you know that I am there in my heart. Grandma "visited" me yesterday morning... I was getting something out of my jewelry box, and she entered my mind. I was thinking that it's been 8 years since I saw her on this Earth, and how I love her and miss her. I even spoke out loud to her, and thanked her for dropping by, and asked if she could put in a good word with the Guy Upstairs to help us get into this amazing house we are trying to buy. She's always made it a point to help me in situations like that... it's because of her that I have my girls. She told me she'd see to my getting a girl, personally... and she did. Did she ever??? 5 girls later.... wow! So, I asked for help with the house. I told her I loved her, and then rushed into my day. I got to the social security office, and while I was standing in line, I was sort of visited again. There was a little older woman in front of me. She had the same wavy black hair that Grandma had. She was about the same size, build. She wore a polyester dress that had little black clovers all over it -- something Grandma would've had in her closet. She even had the comfy shoes Grandma loved so much. As I stood behind her I remember thinking to myself... wow, she REALLY reminds me of Grandma. And then... the lady turned around, and I saw her face. She looked about as much like Grandma as she possibly could....... only she was Oriental. LOL That part made me smile..... nice, Grandma. I felt her near several more times throughout the day. We got a call that our financing had been approved by the lender, and I knew she had a hand in that. There are more hurdles to cross -- such as getting the offer accepted -- minor things, you know. LOL -- but knowing that her hand, and the hand of the Lord are in it...... I have faith. Grandma has surely given me that gift. She taught us faith and perseverance. She taught me about endurance. She taught me to truly love the Lord. And, I want you to know, Vic. I do. I do love Him with all my heart. And, I pray (and know!) that He is taking care of you. And, that His will will be done. I am conflicted because I want so much for you to live, and to stay here with us, but then at the same time, I want you to go... Know Him as I know Him. Let Him take you in His arms, and Love you with His Perfect Love.
I know we haven't talked much about religion over the years, Vic. But, I do thank you so much for always loving me, and never turning your back on our family. When we joined the Church, you still loved us, even when a lot of members of our family really backed off and seemed to think we were weird. I never have borne my testimony to you, outright, before. But, I want you to know that I KNOW God lives. And, I know He loves you. He loves ALL of His children! And, he wants us to be happy.... part of that is that He wants us to be part of His Eternal Family. Do you know that your family can be FOREVER? It makes so much more sense, doesn't it? I'm sure that you're being taught this, and that maybe you've even seen Grandma and Vivian and Rhonda and Roger, among others. Listen to them. Give them my love...... and know that I promise to do more to make our family eternal.
The children are waking, and my crazy day begins... but it begins with a beautiful sunrise, and a prayer for you. I'll keep that prayer going continuously in my heart. I love you. And I thank you for everything...... I've placed your name on the prayer roll at the temple. God Bless You.
Your CUZZIN... ;)
Jeana
but i have to tell you THANK YOU. I so wish I could come home and hug your neck and express my deep love and appreciation to you. Vic, you may not know it, and that's my fault for being so far away and so busy with my family, but you have made such a difference in my life. You, and Alisa and Victor and Bonnie, too. You're the only COUSIN in our family on either side who ever really showed that they cared about me. All those years, growing up, nobody else ever really even gave me the time of day. But, you spent time with me. You helped me when things were really tough at home. I always knew that your house was a safe place. Remember, I even came there a time or two on my own...
Since Dad called me last night to tell me what happened with you, I have been experiencing those "soap opera moments"... you know, the ones where on the soap operas and someone gets sick or dies, they go back and show all the highlights of that person's life and what they have meant to each person... memories. Well, that's what I've been experiencing the last 12 hours or so. It means so much to me to have some of those doors unlocked by the memories we share, Vic. I couldn't remember a lot of those things until now, but it seems like a movie that just replays in my mind. You were always SO sweet to me... and I don't think I have a single childhood memory that doesn't have you in it. Remember that tiny little black furry puppy that was at Grandma's house when I was........ maybe 4 years old? He was so teeny tiny, and I wanted to hold him... and you helped me. Thank you. I treasure that, and so many more memories of you. I remember when you had brought Adam to our house and I didn't know what to think of him... but you encouraged us to play outside, and I remember that we went and had a contest of who could find the most "locust" shells........ that was your idea. Do you know, that even today, I play that game with my kids? Yes, there are cicadas here in Las Vegas......... but we don't have any tree frogs that I've been able to find. Perhaps that's the lack of trees......... or maybe it's the lack of tropical atmosphere. ;)
Fishing. Detailing your and Dad's cars. Going to the grocery store with Mom and Alisa and you... Any time at Grandma's house. My how you loved her... and she loved YOU! And, how the both of you loved me. You know, Alisa was your perfect match. She still is. Thank you for always treating her and the children with love and kindess. And, for loving them unconditionally. I remember when you came to Denver to see us. I wasn't around much, considering that I had moved out, and things between me and my parents were terrible... but you made sure I knew you were in town, and that you wanted to see ME. I can't tell you how that made me feel. Then, the design jobs you helped me get... you'll never know how much that meant to me. My success was important to you, enough that you put yourself on the line to make it happen. Thank you thank you thank you!
I don't know how you're doing this morning. Dad said that the doctors had to revive you three times during your surgeries yesterday. The veil is very thin. I want so much to be able to do more for you, for Alisa, and for Victor and Bonnie. I wish I could come home. I can't. But, I hope that you know that I am there in my heart. Grandma "visited" me yesterday morning... I was getting something out of my jewelry box, and she entered my mind. I was thinking that it's been 8 years since I saw her on this Earth, and how I love her and miss her. I even spoke out loud to her, and thanked her for dropping by, and asked if she could put in a good word with the Guy Upstairs to help us get into this amazing house we are trying to buy. She's always made it a point to help me in situations like that... it's because of her that I have my girls. She told me she'd see to my getting a girl, personally... and she did. Did she ever??? 5 girls later.... wow! So, I asked for help with the house. I told her I loved her, and then rushed into my day. I got to the social security office, and while I was standing in line, I was sort of visited again. There was a little older woman in front of me. She had the same wavy black hair that Grandma had. She was about the same size, build. She wore a polyester dress that had little black clovers all over it -- something Grandma would've had in her closet. She even had the comfy shoes Grandma loved so much. As I stood behind her I remember thinking to myself... wow, she REALLY reminds me of Grandma. And then... the lady turned around, and I saw her face. She looked about as much like Grandma as she possibly could....... only she was Oriental. LOL That part made me smile..... nice, Grandma. I felt her near several more times throughout the day. We got a call that our financing had been approved by the lender, and I knew she had a hand in that. There are more hurdles to cross -- such as getting the offer accepted -- minor things, you know. LOL -- but knowing that her hand, and the hand of the Lord are in it...... I have faith. Grandma has surely given me that gift. She taught us faith and perseverance. She taught me about endurance. She taught me to truly love the Lord. And, I want you to know, Vic. I do. I do love Him with all my heart. And, I pray (and know!) that He is taking care of you. And, that His will will be done. I am conflicted because I want so much for you to live, and to stay here with us, but then at the same time, I want you to go... Know Him as I know Him. Let Him take you in His arms, and Love you with His Perfect Love.
I know we haven't talked much about religion over the years, Vic. But, I do thank you so much for always loving me, and never turning your back on our family. When we joined the Church, you still loved us, even when a lot of members of our family really backed off and seemed to think we were weird. I never have borne my testimony to you, outright, before. But, I want you to know that I KNOW God lives. And, I know He loves you. He loves ALL of His children! And, he wants us to be happy.... part of that is that He wants us to be part of His Eternal Family. Do you know that your family can be FOREVER? It makes so much more sense, doesn't it? I'm sure that you're being taught this, and that maybe you've even seen Grandma and Vivian and Rhonda and Roger, among others. Listen to them. Give them my love...... and know that I promise to do more to make our family eternal.
The children are waking, and my crazy day begins... but it begins with a beautiful sunrise, and a prayer for you. I'll keep that prayer going continuously in my heart. I love you. And I thank you for everything...... I've placed your name on the prayer roll at the temple. God Bless You.
Your CUZZIN... ;)
Jeana
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Blech....... This "Opposition in all things" thing stinks.........
So, how many times do you think you've had to sit down and write down the names, addresses and phone numbers of EVERY single doctor, therapist, etc. your child has ever seen? Filing for SSI for Josh, and this is a nightmare. They say they want AT LEAST the last 12 months...... but the more you give them, the better. SO, I've been wracking my brain for DAYS trying to come up with a somewhat comprehensive list. Oh goody.
In addition to this...... the psychologist who we ADORE, and have been taking a few of the kids to for the last few months, is suddenly NOT on our insurance, and until they can figure out this mess, and how to get him credentialed with them, we can't go see him......... of course, we find this out today while we are at his office, for TWO appointments. (Actually 3, b/c Josh was seeing the psychiatrist, and he's in the same office.) The psychologist has been doing testing on our 6 yr old daughter, who is apparently VERY bright, but also apparently about 2 years delayed. Sorry, I'm tired, can't remember what it's called. Anyway....... this explains a LOT. We are in the midst of getting her tested to find out what is going on with her, and this is NOT a good time to stop....... but, alas, I suppose we will be on PAUSE for a bit longer. What a nightmare. I was ready to burst into tears right there in the office, but I held it together until I got home. Thank goodness.
We survived Spring Break...... amazingly.
Eli got accepted to THREE magnet schools for High School next year...... and we have informed him that he must choose one that offers music. He is thrilled to find out that the one he REALLY wants offers an advanced band program. :) Also, they have early morning semimary (a church class) that starts at 6am at the high school... not sure yet how he's going to get there that early, but it will all work out.
Aaron has a second job interview in the morning at 6am with another company. We are hopeful that they will offer him the job, and that the money will really be better. Also, it would provide insurance for us, which would be super great, considering Aaron's blood pressure, and my longstanding neurological issues. Please pray that we get this........
Also, we are in the midst of trying to decide what to do about the future of our housing situation. We are currently renting a home, but it just isn't big enough. As you may know, the housing market is still in the downward turn, and we are hoping to pick something bigger up before it heads back in the upward direction. With the idea of the new job, we are taking this slow, but we do have a few great ideas brewing in our minds. We are just waiting for things to fall into place. Any further prayers in our behalf would definitely be appreciated.
Other things are happening....... but I am too tired to write them tonight. I'm going with Ben to a robotics competition tomorrow at UNLV. He is super-excited, and I am too..... mostly just to get to be with him, but having to go someplace OTHER than a doctor appointment is total BONUS! LOL
I need a vacation...........
In addition to this...... the psychologist who we ADORE, and have been taking a few of the kids to for the last few months, is suddenly NOT on our insurance, and until they can figure out this mess, and how to get him credentialed with them, we can't go see him......... of course, we find this out today while we are at his office, for TWO appointments. (Actually 3, b/c Josh was seeing the psychiatrist, and he's in the same office.) The psychologist has been doing testing on our 6 yr old daughter, who is apparently VERY bright, but also apparently about 2 years delayed. Sorry, I'm tired, can't remember what it's called. Anyway....... this explains a LOT. We are in the midst of getting her tested to find out what is going on with her, and this is NOT a good time to stop....... but, alas, I suppose we will be on PAUSE for a bit longer. What a nightmare. I was ready to burst into tears right there in the office, but I held it together until I got home. Thank goodness.
We survived Spring Break...... amazingly.
Eli got accepted to THREE magnet schools for High School next year...... and we have informed him that he must choose one that offers music. He is thrilled to find out that the one he REALLY wants offers an advanced band program. :) Also, they have early morning semimary (a church class) that starts at 6am at the high school... not sure yet how he's going to get there that early, but it will all work out.
Aaron has a second job interview in the morning at 6am with another company. We are hopeful that they will offer him the job, and that the money will really be better. Also, it would provide insurance for us, which would be super great, considering Aaron's blood pressure, and my longstanding neurological issues. Please pray that we get this........
Also, we are in the midst of trying to decide what to do about the future of our housing situation. We are currently renting a home, but it just isn't big enough. As you may know, the housing market is still in the downward turn, and we are hoping to pick something bigger up before it heads back in the upward direction. With the idea of the new job, we are taking this slow, but we do have a few great ideas brewing in our minds. We are just waiting for things to fall into place. Any further prayers in our behalf would definitely be appreciated.
Other things are happening....... but I am too tired to write them tonight. I'm going with Ben to a robotics competition tomorrow at UNLV. He is super-excited, and I am too..... mostly just to get to be with him, but having to go someplace OTHER than a doctor appointment is total BONUS! LOL
I need a vacation...........
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Time eludes me...
I do not know where it goes! Of course, it doesn't help that the lawmakers decided to mess with Mother Nature some more, thus moving the time change I've been accustomed to since I was a child to different dates both in the fall AND the Spring! That is SO not fair.... It's been a week already, and still, I am not caught up.
It's been an interesting couple of weeks since I blogged last. We are continuing with Plan F(orward), and wow, have we been having a roller coaster ride! However, it seems that we on the right path, it's just a really HILLY one! Lots of ups and downs. My faith is definitely being tested, but I am holding steady, and just making sure that I remember the Answers I've received over the last few weeks, and testing every new thing that comes to my mind against those Answers. If there is no balance, then I let the idea go until I see it come into balance. This plan seems to be working, although, it is very frustrating to have to weed through everything like that. I am just really glad that I have those Answers to compare everything to... without them, I'd be surely Lost!
We have found an agency here in town that does EXACTLY what we need for Josh! I am SO excited!!! The director came out to our home yesterday to assess Joshua and our family situation. I was thrilled to hear that the therapist who recommended this program, who also works for them, has requested to keep our family. Sandra is just a doll, and she has Josh's number! LOL Nothing gets by her, and I love that! There will also be a basic skills worker who will come out to our home 2 or 3 times a week, who will work with Joshua on his basic life skills. He will get all the kids and parents together so we can work on issues, and also will take Josh out into the community to help him there. We were talking about the horse therapy, and Natasha (the director) was SO excited to hear about that, she said we should make sure we put that as part of Josh's treatment plan. They will also help us get an IEP together for Joshua, and should there be any issues at school, they will come in to the school for meetings, conferences, etc. This really feels SO right, and it allows us to keep Joshua in the chiropractic care (drjenkins.org) and the horse therapy, which I already mentioned. The only trick is keeping the insurance coverage where it needs to be, but Natasha said she would make the necessary calls tomorrow. So, please pray that we can do this, and that the medicaid people will see the good in this vs. the horrible idea of sending Josh 500 miles away to a place where he has no support system. So, again, Y'all PRAY!!!
The rest of the kids are doing good.... it's Spring Break! Yay us! LOL We'll be taking a day trip up to St. George one day this week, and the kids are all excited about that. Eli is mad because he wanted to work at the Rec Center over the break, but he didn't get his missing assignments completed, so that's a no-go for him. He is trying to earn his marbles back, so he can have some priveleges while he is home this week. I hope he can figure out how to keep them once he earns them back.
oh, Aaron got injured a week ago in a tragic flip of one of our go-karts. He shredded the skin of one of his knuckles, and jammed the other knuckle pretty hard. He only needed 3 stitches, and thankfully it is healing very well. He is going back to the doctor on Tuesday, and hopefully Dr. Frank will do something about Aaron's blood pressure. The ER folks were more concerned about Aaron's blood pressure the other night than they were about his hand. They gave him some bp meds in his IV, which helped, but it's back up now. We signed up for the discount program at Walgreen's, so hopefully that will help with the cost of medication.
The weather here in Vegas is funny. We have had rain in the valley today, and snow in the mountains. Just a few days ago it was 80 degrees........ funny. No wonder everyone is sick! And they say this isn't going to be the last cold snap we have...... Yay us!
It's been an interesting couple of weeks since I blogged last. We are continuing with Plan F(orward), and wow, have we been having a roller coaster ride! However, it seems that we on the right path, it's just a really HILLY one! Lots of ups and downs. My faith is definitely being tested, but I am holding steady, and just making sure that I remember the Answers I've received over the last few weeks, and testing every new thing that comes to my mind against those Answers. If there is no balance, then I let the idea go until I see it come into balance. This plan seems to be working, although, it is very frustrating to have to weed through everything like that. I am just really glad that I have those Answers to compare everything to... without them, I'd be surely Lost!
We have found an agency here in town that does EXACTLY what we need for Josh! I am SO excited!!! The director came out to our home yesterday to assess Joshua and our family situation. I was thrilled to hear that the therapist who recommended this program, who also works for them, has requested to keep our family. Sandra is just a doll, and she has Josh's number! LOL Nothing gets by her, and I love that! There will also be a basic skills worker who will come out to our home 2 or 3 times a week, who will work with Joshua on his basic life skills. He will get all the kids and parents together so we can work on issues, and also will take Josh out into the community to help him there. We were talking about the horse therapy, and Natasha (the director) was SO excited to hear about that, she said we should make sure we put that as part of Josh's treatment plan. They will also help us get an IEP together for Joshua, and should there be any issues at school, they will come in to the school for meetings, conferences, etc. This really feels SO right, and it allows us to keep Joshua in the chiropractic care (drjenkins.org) and the horse therapy, which I already mentioned. The only trick is keeping the insurance coverage where it needs to be, but Natasha said she would make the necessary calls tomorrow. So, please pray that we can do this, and that the medicaid people will see the good in this vs. the horrible idea of sending Josh 500 miles away to a place where he has no support system. So, again, Y'all PRAY!!!
The rest of the kids are doing good.... it's Spring Break! Yay us! LOL We'll be taking a day trip up to St. George one day this week, and the kids are all excited about that. Eli is mad because he wanted to work at the Rec Center over the break, but he didn't get his missing assignments completed, so that's a no-go for him. He is trying to earn his marbles back, so he can have some priveleges while he is home this week. I hope he can figure out how to keep them once he earns them back.
oh, Aaron got injured a week ago in a tragic flip of one of our go-karts. He shredded the skin of one of his knuckles, and jammed the other knuckle pretty hard. He only needed 3 stitches, and thankfully it is healing very well. He is going back to the doctor on Tuesday, and hopefully Dr. Frank will do something about Aaron's blood pressure. The ER folks were more concerned about Aaron's blood pressure the other night than they were about his hand. They gave him some bp meds in his IV, which helped, but it's back up now. We signed up for the discount program at Walgreen's, so hopefully that will help with the cost of medication.
The weather here in Vegas is funny. We have had rain in the valley today, and snow in the mountains. Just a few days ago it was 80 degrees........ funny. No wonder everyone is sick! And they say this isn't going to be the last cold snap we have...... Yay us!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Well, how about we try a NEW plan?
Since plans A-G have failed............ again, we go with plan F, which is Plan FORWARD.
So, Josh didn't tolerate the new meds very well, at all. In fact, he tolerated them so poorly that within just a few days (by Monday of the next week!) I was becoming very concerned about him. I brought my concerns to the attention of the doctor and staff, and they assured me that this was all "normal" (yeah, sure), and that they wanted to give him another week or so before doing anything. Besides, the residential treatment center they wanted to send him to could handle it.... and they were only a mere 500 miles away. Nice, huh? Well, we continued with much fasting and prayer, pleading for answers from Heaven. And, isn't it strange how those come about? The following week at treatment team, I again expressed my concerns about the combination of medications they had Joshua on, but they assured me that he was fine, and that they'd be ready to release him by the end of that week. It was "any day", they were going to get the go-ahead to send Josh to Reno. I had done my research, and honestly, Willow Springs doesn't seem like all that bad of a place. Better, by far, than the place he was in, it seems. But, still, I was very concerned about what to do with Joshua in the meantime.
Well, God answers our prayers in strange ways sometimes. His ways are not our ways. But, thankfully, I've been studying His ways for long enough that I can recognize His hand, even in spite of the strange circumstance surrounding things. After treatment team and family therapy that day, I left with the idea that I would request a med wash when we got to Reno. We'd be likely going there in just a few days, and I was getting my schedule cleared so that we could do that.
Fast forward to 3:30 pm that day. The nurse called to see if she could give Joshua some Tylenol, because he had a fever. Sure, go head, I said. Well, half an hour later, they called again, in a panic because now Josh's fever had jumped to 105.5 degrees, and they were letting me know that I needed to meet them at the ER so they could check Josh out. I went, we were there for several hours, they gave Josh some gatorade, said he looked fine, and sent us on our way.
The next day, same thing.... only this time, they waited til 10pm to call me, when his fever spiked again..... back to the ER, stayed there til 4am, and then came home, and was just so exhausted I could barely move. Got my kids to school, and vegged the rest of the day. Thursday they said he was okay, but then Friday morning, I got another call that I needed to come down right away, because now Josh had broken out into a horrible rash all over his body, and they didn't know what to do. So, I dropped everything, farmed out the little ones to my friend, and went down there. Yup, he was COVERED in this rash, his fever was back up, and he was NOT feeling good at ALL! The staff pediatrician came in, and she was perplexed.
Josh had thrown up several times in the last few days, and now with the rash, they were very concerned that he might give this illness to the other children in the unit. I asked OVER AND OVER AGAIN, "could this be a reaction to the medication?", knowing that one of the major side effects of the meds he was taking was rash and feeling of malaise, and vomitting. We were just going down the list. Oh, no, no, no... couldn't be that, they said. After all, we're professionals, and you're just a mom. What could you possibly know? We're sure it's a virus, they said, but we can't have him here, not knowing.... and our pediatrician doesn;'t really DO sick kids, so yeah... you gotta take him back to the ER.
Well, we contacted OUR pediatrician, through the nurses there at the facility, and he actually said to bring Josh in to his office, and he'd have a look. Somehow, they interpreted that to mean to take him to the ER. I dunno.... I just found this out a couple of days ago. But anyway, we took him there, poor kid was just shaking like a leaf (which is also a common side effect, whaddaya know?) he's covered all over with this rash, and everyone in the ER freaked out.
(Side note, they were plenty freaked out anyway, as they had a 15 year old kid who was brought in with a gunshot wound from a driveby shooting, and they ended up cracking his chest open, and still, could not save him. I so feel for his family, but I can tell you, they really DID try to save him. During all of this, they tried to throw me out of the ER, but I stood my Mommy ground, and told them that they would have to send us BOTH out -- me AND Josh -- because I was NOT going to leave him alone. They let us stay, but made us stay in our tiny little room.)
Several doctors came in and looked at Josh's rash, they quarantined us, and it was alot like the ET movie, where everyone had to dress up in these yellow suits with gloves and masks and goggles..... except for me, and I could come and go as i pleased, pretty much, as long as I promised to wash my hands. Yeah, thanks. I think they figured I had already been exposed or something. LOL The staff pediatrician at the ER couldn't come in the room to even look at him, because she was pregnant, and they thought MAYBE he had Fifth Disease (which is no big deal unless you are pregnant and get exposed), but they couldn't say for sure, because the test you do for that comes back in 7 - 10 days, maybe? Sometimes, longer. The staff at the psychiatric unit didn't want him back, because what if it WASN"T just Fifth Disease... oh wait... I have to tell you...... they went ON AND ON, about this being some form of Parvo virus, and they were sure he'd picked it up from a dog, and they just couldn't chance him infecting the general public with this very strange horrific disease,and on and on......
Well, they ended up admitting him, after many many hours.... the nurses on the peds unit were GREAT, but they were also totally freaked out with the parvo virus diagnosis, having never treated this TERRIBLE disease, and SO worried they would take the virus home and infect their puppies or something.... (Now, in case you don't know, Fifth Disease is caused by Human Parvo virus B19, but it is NOT the same virus that the dogs get, and again, unless you're pregnant, it's not a big deal. In fact, once the rash shows up, you're not likely contagious anymore anyway, so..... yeah.) They kept Josh for 6 days. That's right....... SIX days. I was there EVERY day, for at least a few hours, to check on him. He was fine, and his rash went away after a few days....... and the fever went away, too.
Now, during all of this, I just pretty much sat and watched God do His work. And, we continued to pray and fast and look for answers. As soon as Josh started his fevers, they stopped giving him the medications that I was worried about. They did give him another dose the day before he broke out into the rash. Coincidince? I don't know.... I know some people call it that. I don't.
The whole time Josh was in Summerlin Hospital, he didn't have anything other than Tylenol and Motrin. That was IT. Guess Josh got his med wash, and not only that, he got it under the supervision of medically trained personnel in the PICU unit (it was the only bed they had available!) And, in the midst of all of this, we also got an MRI of Josh's brain, and a visit with a pediatric neurologist.
During the time that Josh was in the hospital, I woke up one morning with an idea that I just could NOT let go of. It just sort of SLAMMED into my consciousness, and would not let up. The idea was... horse therapy! I contemplated the fact that we live in a small gated community, on a very small lot, and no room for a horse. But, that didn't stop me. I knew that the area we live in has a LOT of horses, and that SURELY there was a horse around us that was lonely, and needed some love. I determined that I would begin my search, even if it meant just driving around and knocking on doors, I was going to FIND a horse! Also, we had the idea of treating Josh with herbs, and giving his body a rest from all those chemicals in the medications they had been giving him. We knew we couldn't just NOT treat him, ya know? I had read in a book about parenting bipolar children which herbs had been found to be effective, and we decided it was worth giving it a try.
Well, I did find a horse! I didn't have to do any knocking... I just asked around. And, then at church last week, I made a public request for help. Immediately, a friend of mine told me that she had JUST the horse for Josh! She talked with the owner, and sure enough..... Daisy, an old appaloosa mare, will be our therapy horse! We will try to go and meet her today. (Last week was just too frazzled with all the appointments we had).
I ran all of this horse therapy ideas, and the idea of treating Josh with herbs past the pediatrician and Josh's therapist at the psych unit. Also, the school psychologist who has become my friend through all of this. They all agreed that it was worth a try. Much to the chagrin of the people at the psych unit (nurses), our pediatrician released Josh to me, and we have moved forward. We went to visit a master herbalist's staff, and they hooked us up with some herbs to get us started. The first week was different with Josh, as we saw him begin to cycle, but now it seems that he is evening out pretty good. He doesn't seem to mind taking the herbs, even though they taste strong, and he is seeing a difference in himself, too.
Aaron's brother turned us on to a homeopathic chiropractor, who we will be going to see today. Tomorrow, we will follow up with the neurologist, and then we will go from there.
Josh did VERY well at church yesterday, which is usually a really hard thing for Josh to handle. Three hours. But, he did really, really well! We were SO impressed!
Last weekend, we cleared out and painted the bedroom where Josh and two of his brothers sleep. It changed from a neon celery color to a nice spring waterfall blue. The change is amazing! Aaron built a triple decker bunkbed for them, and it is now in the room. It's awesome! I will have to post pictures soon. We now have the children arranged so that Josh essentially has his room to himself every other week, while Nate & Tim are with their mom. SO far, so good!
We will see how things go, and honestly, we are taking things one day at a time. We have received communication from the residential treatment center up in Reno, and that is still an option that we are keeping open. I am homeschooling Josh at the moment, and will likely enroll him in tbe K-12 charter homeschool for next fall. The school district will pay for the curriculum, and there will be a qualified teacher who will check in with us. I am excited about that. Josh just hasn't tolerated a full classroom very well -- since Kindergarten!
We are trusting that God will lead us down His paths, and so far, he has done just that. We will be starting work on Josh's pinewood derby car, and we will find a way to work that in to our homeschool curriculum for math and science. We are SO thankful for all the prayers that have been offered on our behalf, and for our friends who have chipped right in to help get the other children where they need to be while I have been trapsing around the countryside, so it seems, taking Josh to all his appointments. ;)
I have been reading this great book about parenting bipolar children, and wow, do I have a LOT to learn! Aside from the herbs, we are also finding that there are other accommodations that these kids need. And, we are implementing them one by one. I've gotta figure out how to download songs onto an MP3 player I got for Josh over the weekend. Mostly, we'll have primary church songs, hymns, and classical music on there, but it also has an FM tuner on it, so he can listen to other music as well.
Well, it's time to get moving... Gotta be out the door in one hour, and I've gotta get some kids dressed before we go. I just wanted to update, and sorry it's so long.... I am sure I didn't even include everything. There's plenty going on with the other children, but that will have to wait for another day.
In meantime..... we'll be playing with Daisy. :)
So, Josh didn't tolerate the new meds very well, at all. In fact, he tolerated them so poorly that within just a few days (by Monday of the next week!) I was becoming very concerned about him. I brought my concerns to the attention of the doctor and staff, and they assured me that this was all "normal" (yeah, sure), and that they wanted to give him another week or so before doing anything. Besides, the residential treatment center they wanted to send him to could handle it.... and they were only a mere 500 miles away. Nice, huh? Well, we continued with much fasting and prayer, pleading for answers from Heaven. And, isn't it strange how those come about? The following week at treatment team, I again expressed my concerns about the combination of medications they had Joshua on, but they assured me that he was fine, and that they'd be ready to release him by the end of that week. It was "any day", they were going to get the go-ahead to send Josh to Reno. I had done my research, and honestly, Willow Springs doesn't seem like all that bad of a place. Better, by far, than the place he was in, it seems. But, still, I was very concerned about what to do with Joshua in the meantime.
Well, God answers our prayers in strange ways sometimes. His ways are not our ways. But, thankfully, I've been studying His ways for long enough that I can recognize His hand, even in spite of the strange circumstance surrounding things. After treatment team and family therapy that day, I left with the idea that I would request a med wash when we got to Reno. We'd be likely going there in just a few days, and I was getting my schedule cleared so that we could do that.
Fast forward to 3:30 pm that day. The nurse called to see if she could give Joshua some Tylenol, because he had a fever. Sure, go head, I said. Well, half an hour later, they called again, in a panic because now Josh's fever had jumped to 105.5 degrees, and they were letting me know that I needed to meet them at the ER so they could check Josh out. I went, we were there for several hours, they gave Josh some gatorade, said he looked fine, and sent us on our way.
The next day, same thing.... only this time, they waited til 10pm to call me, when his fever spiked again..... back to the ER, stayed there til 4am, and then came home, and was just so exhausted I could barely move. Got my kids to school, and vegged the rest of the day. Thursday they said he was okay, but then Friday morning, I got another call that I needed to come down right away, because now Josh had broken out into a horrible rash all over his body, and they didn't know what to do. So, I dropped everything, farmed out the little ones to my friend, and went down there. Yup, he was COVERED in this rash, his fever was back up, and he was NOT feeling good at ALL! The staff pediatrician came in, and she was perplexed.
Josh had thrown up several times in the last few days, and now with the rash, they were very concerned that he might give this illness to the other children in the unit. I asked OVER AND OVER AGAIN, "could this be a reaction to the medication?", knowing that one of the major side effects of the meds he was taking was rash and feeling of malaise, and vomitting. We were just going down the list. Oh, no, no, no... couldn't be that, they said. After all, we're professionals, and you're just a mom. What could you possibly know? We're sure it's a virus, they said, but we can't have him here, not knowing.... and our pediatrician doesn;'t really DO sick kids, so yeah... you gotta take him back to the ER.
Well, we contacted OUR pediatrician, through the nurses there at the facility, and he actually said to bring Josh in to his office, and he'd have a look. Somehow, they interpreted that to mean to take him to the ER. I dunno.... I just found this out a couple of days ago. But anyway, we took him there, poor kid was just shaking like a leaf (which is also a common side effect, whaddaya know?) he's covered all over with this rash, and everyone in the ER freaked out.
(Side note, they were plenty freaked out anyway, as they had a 15 year old kid who was brought in with a gunshot wound from a driveby shooting, and they ended up cracking his chest open, and still, could not save him. I so feel for his family, but I can tell you, they really DID try to save him. During all of this, they tried to throw me out of the ER, but I stood my Mommy ground, and told them that they would have to send us BOTH out -- me AND Josh -- because I was NOT going to leave him alone. They let us stay, but made us stay in our tiny little room.)
Several doctors came in and looked at Josh's rash, they quarantined us, and it was alot like the ET movie, where everyone had to dress up in these yellow suits with gloves and masks and goggles..... except for me, and I could come and go as i pleased, pretty much, as long as I promised to wash my hands. Yeah, thanks. I think they figured I had already been exposed or something. LOL The staff pediatrician at the ER couldn't come in the room to even look at him, because she was pregnant, and they thought MAYBE he had Fifth Disease (which is no big deal unless you are pregnant and get exposed), but they couldn't say for sure, because the test you do for that comes back in 7 - 10 days, maybe? Sometimes, longer. The staff at the psychiatric unit didn't want him back, because what if it WASN"T just Fifth Disease... oh wait... I have to tell you...... they went ON AND ON, about this being some form of Parvo virus, and they were sure he'd picked it up from a dog, and they just couldn't chance him infecting the general public with this very strange horrific disease,and on and on......
Well, they ended up admitting him, after many many hours.... the nurses on the peds unit were GREAT, but they were also totally freaked out with the parvo virus diagnosis, having never treated this TERRIBLE disease, and SO worried they would take the virus home and infect their puppies or something.... (Now, in case you don't know, Fifth Disease is caused by Human Parvo virus B19, but it is NOT the same virus that the dogs get, and again, unless you're pregnant, it's not a big deal. In fact, once the rash shows up, you're not likely contagious anymore anyway, so..... yeah.) They kept Josh for 6 days. That's right....... SIX days. I was there EVERY day, for at least a few hours, to check on him. He was fine, and his rash went away after a few days....... and the fever went away, too.
Now, during all of this, I just pretty much sat and watched God do His work. And, we continued to pray and fast and look for answers. As soon as Josh started his fevers, they stopped giving him the medications that I was worried about. They did give him another dose the day before he broke out into the rash. Coincidince? I don't know.... I know some people call it that. I don't.
The whole time Josh was in Summerlin Hospital, he didn't have anything other than Tylenol and Motrin. That was IT. Guess Josh got his med wash, and not only that, he got it under the supervision of medically trained personnel in the PICU unit (it was the only bed they had available!) And, in the midst of all of this, we also got an MRI of Josh's brain, and a visit with a pediatric neurologist.
During the time that Josh was in the hospital, I woke up one morning with an idea that I just could NOT let go of. It just sort of SLAMMED into my consciousness, and would not let up. The idea was... horse therapy! I contemplated the fact that we live in a small gated community, on a very small lot, and no room for a horse. But, that didn't stop me. I knew that the area we live in has a LOT of horses, and that SURELY there was a horse around us that was lonely, and needed some love. I determined that I would begin my search, even if it meant just driving around and knocking on doors, I was going to FIND a horse! Also, we had the idea of treating Josh with herbs, and giving his body a rest from all those chemicals in the medications they had been giving him. We knew we couldn't just NOT treat him, ya know? I had read in a book about parenting bipolar children which herbs had been found to be effective, and we decided it was worth giving it a try.
Well, I did find a horse! I didn't have to do any knocking... I just asked around. And, then at church last week, I made a public request for help. Immediately, a friend of mine told me that she had JUST the horse for Josh! She talked with the owner, and sure enough..... Daisy, an old appaloosa mare, will be our therapy horse! We will try to go and meet her today. (Last week was just too frazzled with all the appointments we had).
I ran all of this horse therapy ideas, and the idea of treating Josh with herbs past the pediatrician and Josh's therapist at the psych unit. Also, the school psychologist who has become my friend through all of this. They all agreed that it was worth a try. Much to the chagrin of the people at the psych unit (nurses), our pediatrician released Josh to me, and we have moved forward. We went to visit a master herbalist's staff, and they hooked us up with some herbs to get us started. The first week was different with Josh, as we saw him begin to cycle, but now it seems that he is evening out pretty good. He doesn't seem to mind taking the herbs, even though they taste strong, and he is seeing a difference in himself, too.
Aaron's brother turned us on to a homeopathic chiropractor, who we will be going to see today. Tomorrow, we will follow up with the neurologist, and then we will go from there.
Josh did VERY well at church yesterday, which is usually a really hard thing for Josh to handle. Three hours. But, he did really, really well! We were SO impressed!
Last weekend, we cleared out and painted the bedroom where Josh and two of his brothers sleep. It changed from a neon celery color to a nice spring waterfall blue. The change is amazing! Aaron built a triple decker bunkbed for them, and it is now in the room. It's awesome! I will have to post pictures soon. We now have the children arranged so that Josh essentially has his room to himself every other week, while Nate & Tim are with their mom. SO far, so good!
We will see how things go, and honestly, we are taking things one day at a time. We have received communication from the residential treatment center up in Reno, and that is still an option that we are keeping open. I am homeschooling Josh at the moment, and will likely enroll him in tbe K-12 charter homeschool for next fall. The school district will pay for the curriculum, and there will be a qualified teacher who will check in with us. I am excited about that. Josh just hasn't tolerated a full classroom very well -- since Kindergarten!
We are trusting that God will lead us down His paths, and so far, he has done just that. We will be starting work on Josh's pinewood derby car, and we will find a way to work that in to our homeschool curriculum for math and science. We are SO thankful for all the prayers that have been offered on our behalf, and for our friends who have chipped right in to help get the other children where they need to be while I have been trapsing around the countryside, so it seems, taking Josh to all his appointments. ;)
I have been reading this great book about parenting bipolar children, and wow, do I have a LOT to learn! Aside from the herbs, we are also finding that there are other accommodations that these kids need. And, we are implementing them one by one. I've gotta figure out how to download songs onto an MP3 player I got for Josh over the weekend. Mostly, we'll have primary church songs, hymns, and classical music on there, but it also has an FM tuner on it, so he can listen to other music as well.
Well, it's time to get moving... Gotta be out the door in one hour, and I've gotta get some kids dressed before we go. I just wanted to update, and sorry it's so long.... I am sure I didn't even include everything. There's plenty going on with the other children, but that will have to wait for another day.
In meantime..... we'll be playing with Daisy. :)
Friday, February 1, 2008
Moving Forward...
sometimes is pretty scary. Some things happen at break-neck speed, and others seem to drag on forever. What I'd really LIKE to try more of is "smooth and easy"... but alas, most things that are worth doing aren't altogether "smooth and easy"... so onward we go!
Our son Joshua struggles with bipolar disorder as well as ADHD, and perhaps other issues that have yet to be discovered. We have had him hospitalized in one form or another since the end of November, 2007. He has spent time in "partial", then almost a full month inpatient, and most recently, partial again. Yesterday at treatment team, we determined as a team that Joshua's been cycling at the rate of about an average of 36 hours. His poor little body is just in havoc right now. When he is actively "up" or "down", his whole body just vibrates. It is so sad and hard to watch. Also, his motor skills, both gross and fine, are a complete mess.
We thought we had a good thing going with his medications, but alas, they have stopped working as effectively as the doctor would like, and he is just too unstable. I could tell how disappointed Dr. C was in our meeting, that these meds didn't work out for Josh. We considered all the options, and as of yesterday afternoon, Joshua is inpatient again. We have removed almost all of the meds on his regimen, and have started him over on some new things. We are looking at about 3 weeks for this med change, and then we will likely be moving him into a residential treatment facility for a few months. All of this, of course, will depend on how Joshua tolerates the new medications. This morning, the nurse called and requested permission to add some new vitamins to the schedule, which inclued Fish Oil (Omega 3 fatty acids) and Vitamin E. They are also doing a bunch of labs today, and hopefully we can get to the bottom of why his meds stop working after such a short time. Dr. C is perplexed, as am I. If you could please keep our boy in your prayers, it would be greatly appreciated.
I'm sure there is more that I could write about if I had the time... but unfortunately, the washer just beeped, meaning that it's time to move forward in that process as well, and start a new load. We're a bit further behind in the laundry department than usual, given the fact that we just had to wait two weeks for some parts to come in. The repairman replaced 4 valves and a pressure regulator yesterday, so now it's catch-up time. Mt. St. Laundry, here I come!
Our son Joshua struggles with bipolar disorder as well as ADHD, and perhaps other issues that have yet to be discovered. We have had him hospitalized in one form or another since the end of November, 2007. He has spent time in "partial", then almost a full month inpatient, and most recently, partial again. Yesterday at treatment team, we determined as a team that Joshua's been cycling at the rate of about an average of 36 hours. His poor little body is just in havoc right now. When he is actively "up" or "down", his whole body just vibrates. It is so sad and hard to watch. Also, his motor skills, both gross and fine, are a complete mess.
We thought we had a good thing going with his medications, but alas, they have stopped working as effectively as the doctor would like, and he is just too unstable. I could tell how disappointed Dr. C was in our meeting, that these meds didn't work out for Josh. We considered all the options, and as of yesterday afternoon, Joshua is inpatient again. We have removed almost all of the meds on his regimen, and have started him over on some new things. We are looking at about 3 weeks for this med change, and then we will likely be moving him into a residential treatment facility for a few months. All of this, of course, will depend on how Joshua tolerates the new medications. This morning, the nurse called and requested permission to add some new vitamins to the schedule, which inclued Fish Oil (Omega 3 fatty acids) and Vitamin E. They are also doing a bunch of labs today, and hopefully we can get to the bottom of why his meds stop working after such a short time. Dr. C is perplexed, as am I. If you could please keep our boy in your prayers, it would be greatly appreciated.
I'm sure there is more that I could write about if I had the time... but unfortunately, the washer just beeped, meaning that it's time to move forward in that process as well, and start a new load. We're a bit further behind in the laundry department than usual, given the fact that we just had to wait two weeks for some parts to come in. The repairman replaced 4 valves and a pressure regulator yesterday, so now it's catch-up time. Mt. St. Laundry, here I come!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
I need more time ...
for writing the things that go on in our crazy busy life! Things have been moving along at break-neck speed for the last few weeks, and I have barely had time to read my email, much less write anything on my blog! There have been SO many times that I thought to myself, "man, I should write about this on my blog!!!" But then there just never was time to sit and write... so sorry you missed it. ;)
We've had a ton of doctor appointments (how much fun do you think it could be when you have 11 kids and Strep starts raging like a wildfire through your house??? I could tell you, but... well I am still too tired from all the appointments with the nurse practitioner at the pediatrician's office. LOL); still have one kid doing a partial hospitalization program; getting others evaluated for ADHD, etc.; and all else that is just so much fun! Add to all the appointments the excitement of having friends get married, and getting our home ready to host an open house for them. We have all new paint in our downstairs, thanks to my dear Aaron and a little finish work by myself, and LOTS of help from my wonderful friend Babette. :)
During this time, we also had yet more laundry problems -- and another visit from the repairman -- this time for the washer instead of the dryer. Either way, I am SO grateful for my 5 year warranty I bought when I got the washer & dryer!
Aaron & I went with several members of our church congregation (hereafter called ward) to St. George, Utah yesterday. While we were there, we saw the film "Joseph -- Prophet of the Restoration", and then had lunch, followed by a tour of Brigham Young's winter home. Wow! What a spectacular day!!! It was really great to spend time with our ward family, and to feel the Spirit throughout the day!!! We are planning a trip to take the children to see this film in the near future, and I am SO excited about that! By the way, Southern Utah is commonly called "Dixie", and being from the South, I've often wondered why that was. We discovered yesterday at Brigham Young's winter home, that the cotton,and pecan trees grow VERY well in Southern Utah too! I felt right at home there, being that I grew up in Mississippi where cotton and pecans are all over the place! It was awesome!
Well, it's Sunday afternoon, and I have to get the children settled for their naps. We do this each and every Sunday, and it is so awesome to have some down-time. The kids complain alot, but we have told them that when they are old like us (haha), they will WISH they had time for a nap, so to be grateful that we MAKE them now, so they don't miss out on naps altogether. :)
Despite all the busy-ness of our life, I am so thankful to have all of our blessings, and I am SO SO SO thankful to see the hand of God in our life each day. He truly does love and bless His Children.
We've had a ton of doctor appointments (how much fun do you think it could be when you have 11 kids and Strep starts raging like a wildfire through your house??? I could tell you, but... well I am still too tired from all the appointments with the nurse practitioner at the pediatrician's office. LOL); still have one kid doing a partial hospitalization program; getting others evaluated for ADHD, etc.; and all else that is just so much fun! Add to all the appointments the excitement of having friends get married, and getting our home ready to host an open house for them. We have all new paint in our downstairs, thanks to my dear Aaron and a little finish work by myself, and LOTS of help from my wonderful friend Babette. :)
During this time, we also had yet more laundry problems -- and another visit from the repairman -- this time for the washer instead of the dryer. Either way, I am SO grateful for my 5 year warranty I bought when I got the washer & dryer!
Aaron & I went with several members of our church congregation (hereafter called ward) to St. George, Utah yesterday. While we were there, we saw the film "Joseph -- Prophet of the Restoration", and then had lunch, followed by a tour of Brigham Young's winter home. Wow! What a spectacular day!!! It was really great to spend time with our ward family, and to feel the Spirit throughout the day!!! We are planning a trip to take the children to see this film in the near future, and I am SO excited about that! By the way, Southern Utah is commonly called "Dixie", and being from the South, I've often wondered why that was. We discovered yesterday at Brigham Young's winter home, that the cotton,and pecan trees grow VERY well in Southern Utah too! I felt right at home there, being that I grew up in Mississippi where cotton and pecans are all over the place! It was awesome!
Well, it's Sunday afternoon, and I have to get the children settled for their naps. We do this each and every Sunday, and it is so awesome to have some down-time. The kids complain alot, but we have told them that when they are old like us (haha), they will WISH they had time for a nap, so to be grateful that we MAKE them now, so they don't miss out on naps altogether. :)
Despite all the busy-ness of our life, I am so thankful to have all of our blessings, and I am SO SO SO thankful to see the hand of God in our life each day. He truly does love and bless His Children.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Year of the Body, it has begun!
So, Aaron's family, which consists of 9 kids and their spouses, as well as their parents, have decied that this TRULY is the year of the body! This isn't the first try, but this year, we WILL achieve success! :)
Aaron and I have already begun. My friend turned us on to the Weight Watchers FlexPoints program, and we are doing it. The first day or two, I was pretty skeptical, wondering how I would EVER be able to do it... but now that we're a week into it, and we both have lost weight, I am feeling MUCH better about things. We have figured out how the program works, and we have already started figuring how to cut the points of the foods we really love, and looking for new things to eat. We haven't joined WW, but we are feeling like we are a good support system for each other, and even the kids have jumped in and of course, the 14 yr old is doing his part to make sure we know HE knows the things we should and shoudln't eat. (rolling my eyes) Leave it to Eli. *sigh*
Anyway, we decided that Sunday should be our weigh-in day, so we got on the scales yesterday. I have lost 5.5 pounds, and Aaron has lost 8.5! In one week!!!! We walked two miles on Saturday night, which was great... man, my buns were ON FIRE by the time we finished! LOL We plan to go again tonight, and of course, there are some of the kids who want to go along with us. I'm not so sure, because they really can't keep up, ya know? We will have to find a way to have them get their exercise too. That will be easier once the sun starts staying out until past 4:30 pm... it gets dark SO early right now! Maybe they can bike along or something.. but in the meantime, Aaron and I are enjoying the time together.
The kids went back to school after Christmas break this morning... I've only got 4 at home right now. Sam doesn't have school on Mondays, and Nathen goes to afternoon kindergarten. Sara & Amelia are always with me. :)
I am going to go try to burn some calories on the Wii........
The ZooKeeper
Aaron and I have already begun. My friend turned us on to the Weight Watchers FlexPoints program, and we are doing it. The first day or two, I was pretty skeptical, wondering how I would EVER be able to do it... but now that we're a week into it, and we both have lost weight, I am feeling MUCH better about things. We have figured out how the program works, and we have already started figuring how to cut the points of the foods we really love, and looking for new things to eat. We haven't joined WW, but we are feeling like we are a good support system for each other, and even the kids have jumped in and of course, the 14 yr old is doing his part to make sure we know HE knows the things we should and shoudln't eat. (rolling my eyes) Leave it to Eli. *sigh*
Anyway, we decided that Sunday should be our weigh-in day, so we got on the scales yesterday. I have lost 5.5 pounds, and Aaron has lost 8.5! In one week!!!! We walked two miles on Saturday night, which was great... man, my buns were ON FIRE by the time we finished! LOL We plan to go again tonight, and of course, there are some of the kids who want to go along with us. I'm not so sure, because they really can't keep up, ya know? We will have to find a way to have them get their exercise too. That will be easier once the sun starts staying out until past 4:30 pm... it gets dark SO early right now! Maybe they can bike along or something.. but in the meantime, Aaron and I are enjoying the time together.
The kids went back to school after Christmas break this morning... I've only got 4 at home right now. Sam doesn't have school on Mondays, and Nathen goes to afternoon kindergarten. Sara & Amelia are always with me. :)
I am going to go try to burn some calories on the Wii........
The ZooKeeper
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