Little things are sooo fun...

I have found that little things make my children smile... like playing at the park where we live, having supper outside on the picnic table, and learning the hand game of... "Here's the church, here's the steeple, open the door, and here's all the people" (They got a kick out of the last item for some reason... I think they would have me do that over and over half the day if I let them!) We got to do each of these things yesterday, and Faith also started with her pre-school work again... since we took time off for the move. I have also started teaching "character lessons," which I hope to start making an impact on them very soon. They beg to help cook, wash dishes, etc., but we still don't care for picking up those toys. Faith helped wash dishes yesterday, but I made the mistake of leaving the water running with her at the sink, as if she would turn it off when it was full... no, she didn't, but when the water was running all over the sink, she yelled for me... I was vacuuming, and not paying attention to the sink... it was my fault, because I didn't teach her to turn it off if she sees it too high.
A couple of my rooms are still a mess from the move (this is what can happen when one down-sizes quickly, and still has regular chores to do, etc.) Any ladies I know out there who would like to help me get caught up? HA... now, THAT is what I call being desparate! I have a hard time functioning right when my house is messy!
Well, I do need to get going... need to cook some lunch and get regular house chores going and start the girls' classes! I love how these character lessons even teach table manners and thoughtfulness. The other day, I complimented Faithy when she thoughtfully brought Daddy a drink without being asked... it was it a little container with a lid, and Ron didn't really want it at the time, but it was VERY thoughtful of her. I am trying to teach them to do things without being asked. Telling the truth has been a tough one for my oldest, and she is learning that the punishment is greater if she tells a lie. The middle's issue is repeating her desires over and over and crying/screaming/ whining, but I have cracked down on that, too. The rule is: ask once, if Mommy says "no," don't keep asking, and certainly don't go ask Daddy, or vice versa... or the consequences will not be fun. She'll get it! Hope's issue is... ummm... feed me, feed me, feed me! She is a chunk, and I probably overfeed my children (and, myself)... so, that is another area to work on this year. Oh, and another pet-peeve (sp?) is children who say "yuck" about their food... that is sooo rude, and I have been teaching my children that, too. They might think that broccoli is yuck, but it sure is good for them! Especially don't want to hear my children say that to someone else who has prepared a meal for them!!! I have heard older kids say stuff like that and refuse to eat what has been prepared, and it really bothers me... I had that happen at one of my teen girls sleepovers, and I had spent lots of time making a fancy speghetti dinner for them (glass goblets and all!), and almost came unglued when one new young person pointed at each item made and said, "I don't like that, I don't like that...". I preached her a quick sermon, and, I think she ate the baked speghetti, maybe even the salad, etc. Okay, enough of that!
My children are NOT perfect, so I can't say I have it all together... but we are learning.
Oh, another thing, does anyone know of a Christian piano and/or violin teacher locally that is good with children and charges reasonable rates? My piano needs tuned, and I would love to have an in-home teacher, but it doesn't have to be in-home. I have shopped around a little, but still not sure I have found what I am looking for.
First day today for Ron without radiation... I am happy for him... he was getting quite burnt.
He ate a pizza roll last night that apparently had some chicken or turkey meat in it... this made for a very sick hubby during church time, but he made it! If you know us well, you know that Ron is HIGHLY allergic to poultry. I had bought a bag of plain cheese rolls for him, but he had gotten hold of one of the girls' pizza rolls. He took anti-hystimines and some pain reliever, and that helped. Last time this type of thing happened, I think I ran to my neighbor's house for some Benadryl, because I couldn't find any in my cabinet. I am usually VERY cautious about reading the back of packages. So, if you have us over for a meal, and he asks about your food, it is not because he is being rude, it is because he must.
That is life here at the cook house.
You may e-mail me at sarahgbs@yahoo.com about the piano lessons is you know of someone who is a good instructor. Better go!

Just when you think it is over!

Child #2 started complaining of being cold and of a hurt head... poor little Charity was really crying. She looked like what Faith did when she took sick... strange thing is how LOW her temp is and right now she is acting fine, but I think she has it... whatever IT may be. I mean... it would be more obvious if there were a cough or vomiting or something.

The main bathroom (except under the tub... that is a big job for a future time!), girls' bedroom, and little hall floors are repaired, but their closet is only 1/2 done... now we just need the padding and carpet put in the hall and girls' room, and it should look really nice! Can hardly wait!

I think Ron only has two more radiation treatments left! Yeah for him! Hopefully, this will be the last cancer treatments he will need... that is the goal! Would be nice to put Hodgkin's disease away for good! Not sure when his next PET will be, but hopefully, it will be good news!

Oh, I didn't tell you, but I got that washer from my mom, and on the way home (VERY LATE AT NIGHT!), I was driving because Ron was exhausted from his crazy schedule and treatments, and I got chased down by someone! I thought... is this person trying to race me? I didn't look who they were, until my husband says, "Hey, Sarah, there's your Aunt Kathy!" There she was out of nowhere side by side with my car, waving at us... I don't get to see her often because we live so far away, and it was very ironic that she saw us passing through her town at that time of night going back home. We stopped, gave a hug, and said hi! She says my grandma checks daily my blog, so I thought I would say "HI" on my blog to my wonderful grandparents who I don't get to see often! LOVE YOU! *** hey, I can do that... it's MY blog*** In fact, I will just say LOVE YOU to ALL of my relatives tonight that I rarely get to visit or talk to, but I know that they read my blog! LOVE YOU!

Isn't it nice to be loved! Okay, I need to go love my girls' teeth before they fall to sleep and don't get brushed! Goodnight!

Rollercoasters

Emotions- are tricky things... and, I have had my share recently.
Moving- is quite the job... the more I clean, it seems, the more things get messed up.
Health- the more we fight to be healthy, it seems to fight against us.

Yep, it has been a BUSY week at our home with floor repairs, unpacking, painting, putting up new border, getting rid of stuff, throwing out lots of trash, you know the routine.
Can't put everything away until the floors are finished, but it is making progress, and it is going to be a beauty when it is all complete. I do like my mobile home! There is a park here for the children to play at with swings, slide, teeter-totters, and a merry-go-round. I think it will be a nice place to go to when the weather gets better.
We are sooo thankful to my brother-in-law, Larry B., and family friend, Jimmy H., who have put in MANY hours of work in getting our floors repaired. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!
If anyone has tried to call my cell phone in the past week or two, you may have realized that I have not been returning your calls... it is not because I have a problem with you, but my phone got lost in all the stuff! Ron found it last night, and it is in the process of being charged!
I had quite the scare this week. Faith said she was doing summer-sauts (sp?) on my bed, and she fell off onto a paint can, and got a large knot on her head. A day later, she developed bad headaches, chills, upset stomach, and fever... I called the doc last night, but she thinks its the flu. I was concerned that there was a relation between the head injury and fever and bad headaches, but the doc didn't think so. There have been some folks at church that have had the flu, so maybe that is it... poor Faith... she has been so pale, and seems spaced out at times. I just keep giving her medicine for the fever, and doing the things mamas do for little sick ones... chicken noodle soup, 7up, popsicles, providing more time for napping, vitamins, etc. I had a nasty headache last night with an upset stomach, but no fever... I don't have time to be sick!
Well, family is needing me, so I had better go. Hope to get pictures on here when I get more time.

Winds of change...

Well, this HAS been an interesting week!
Wednesday evening brought in a wave of emotions as I could hardly control my laughter at church. First, I was talking to a friend about our floors needing repaired, because her husband may help repair them... I was telling her that any day except Sunday was fine. She joked that if we fell through the floors on Sunday, then we would want them to fix them on that day. Then we were talking about people falling through weak flooring, about working on Sundays, and I said that would be really an ox in the ditch... you just would have had to have been there! She said I was calling her an ox, I said I was referring to myself... I guess it isn't as funny if you are not there.
Then, another friend of my family asked me a question, but I could not understand what he was saying, it sounded as if he were asking something not very appropriate, but in fact, he was saying something totally different... but, another friend of mine heard him, and thought it sounded like what I heard... it is not appropriate to put on my blog, but the poor guy has a strong accent and when I finally understood his question, I could not control my laughter!
Then, I accidentally clocked my husband with my daughter's boot at church... poor Ron had a knot on his head! I would love to tell you the whole story, because it is VERY funny, although I did feel badly, I laughed harder than I have in a VERY, VERY long time!!! In fact, I continued to laugh about the boot throwing scene until we reached home! I could hardly breathe! It was a crazy evening! It was fun stepping out of the serious zone!
When I reached home the laughter stopped as I realized the heavy winds that had been in our area had knocked out our electricity! It was a cold night in our trailor! Ron went to work the next morning, and I was unhappy to see that I was stuck in a cold dark trailor with three little girls to try to keep warm. But, Ron contacted his family, who rescued us and we stayed at their place... now we are home, and looking at the mountain of work ahead. But, it was a nice break to get out of the house.
We got our income tax return Friday, and paid 40% of our trailor off! We hope to have it all paid off the next income tax return! What a provision of the Lord! He knows our needs and has not forsaken us! We may not have the newest of vehicles (it's a 92, I believe!)), the biggest home (although our mobile home is not really small), or the fanciest clothes (I do try to dress my family nicely), but we have everything we need and more! I pretty much feel rich! We've also got awesome friends and family who love us!
Moral:
1. Life might get windy, but it can't knock out God's power.
2. Laugh! It does the body good!

Home Sweet Mobile Home!

I DO love my mobile home, but the place is a disaster right now! Ron and his dad just brought in the last load last night; so.. we are moved in! Oh.. but, we are NOT settled in! We are forever indebted to his dad for packing, loading, and helping Ron move stuff day after day. Ron worked from very early morning till night... his job, radiation, moving, ministry, etc. What a wonderful husband who deserves a vacation now... but, instead, there is more work in getting things settled and in repairing the floors. I don't know how he does it. I had one day of waking up before 5 and going until late at night, and I felt exhausted! I love my 8 hours of sleep... actually, that sleep is often a broken 8 hours, of course, with getting awakened by a little one who is afraid, or in the bathroom, or climbing into my bed, then sometimes I get up with Ron to have devotions and eat before he goes to work, but then I like to climb back in bed until the girls wake up and start saying, "Mom, it's light outside. Wake up. I want cereal with milk." Then, my broken sleep tries to tell me that I haven't had enough sleep, I moan, lay there for a bit, then, force myself out of bed, just to start another LONG day of working on the trailor, sorting stuff, getting rid of what is not needed, feeding little mouths, finding things for little ones to do so that I can get through the mountain of packing boxes and bags, etc. Yep, it should all be unpacked and looking like a home by the end of the week, but then, we will need to get started on the floors. When it is all done, it will be beautiful, and we can go back to our regular schedules of preschooling, playing with children, cooking NORMAL meals, doing regular housework... that sounds nice! I am really looking forward to it!
Our phone number has changed, so if you call our old number it should tell you our new... I just have to find my phone stuff and get it hooked up today. I will not give out our number and address on this blog because of obvious reasons, but just call my old number, or ask my mother if you are from "down home", or talk with me tonight at church if you attend there. Teens and bus kids, you may continue to call our cell phones.
Well, I have a full day ahead, so I must be going! ***Oh, yes, that toe nail is coming off. Yum!***

Just stoppin' by...

Took Ron to work this morning, so that I could clean at the old house... our phone is not being switched over until Wednesday, so this old house is where I get to check e-mails, etc., until then. We are probably 90% done with moving. What a job it has been!
I love my mobile home, and am looking forward to having the floors in the two rooms repaired... hope it gets done very quickly. Ron may try to do it himself to save money. The guy has been working like a mad man! He has his regular job, plus radiation, plus moving, plus teen and children's ministry, and still manages to do things with his children!!! He had to be on anti-biotics for a few days. He didn't want to go to the doctor because he was sooo busy last week already, but I KNEW he was sick, and NEEDED to be treated because of his immune system not being a normal one... so I threatened my poor husband, and he called the doctors and got some anti-biotics without having to make an extra trip to the doctor. He seems MUCH better!
We went to a youth rally Saturday night, and we had 22 people on the little short yellow bus... it is a joke in our youth group about our bus. Then, Sunday we had a nice group of kids in Children's Church... right now I am a temporary director, I think. I have been organizing people to teach Bible stories, object lessons, songs, games, skits, crafts, snacks, and even got someone to act as the Children's Church accountant... it is working out nicely. This week, we had a few kids that we not very easy to work with... a few who kept trying to escape the class. That was rather frustrating, but most of the children were great... and, the workers are wonderful. In April, another family is rotating in for 5 weeks, which would give me a break. Our regular CC teacher in doing her internship for college right now, and cannot do CC right now, but she still helps out. CC takes alot of work, and it helps to have many hands.
Not sure what is going on with Faithy, but she had diarrhea all night. No fever though. My guess is it is food related... she said her stomach hurt yesterday, but sometimes she says stuff like that when she wants to get out of something, but this was the real deal.
Hurray... this is going sound gross, but I had a black toe nail and the toe was all swollen and sometimes hot to the touch (this is NOT the same toe injury that happened with the kitchen chair, this is the opposite foot, and the big toe), I did this while cleaning a friend's sidewalk over a week ago, and I stupidly kicked the thick ice... anyway, the pressure in this thing was horrible... and, finally yesterday, it started bleeding and released the pressure. What a gross thing to write on my blog!
Baby Hope "prayed" for the first time yesterday. It was sooo very cute! My friends, Amy S and Amy L, were there to see the precious moment. I showed her how to bow her head to pray for her food. She bowed her little head and jibber-jabbered, and it was sooo sweet! She also blows kisses, and hushes people with her little finger to her mouth and saying, "shhh." She says hi, mama, dada, and dye (bye). If you compare Ron's baby pictures with her, she looks ALOT like him!!!
Well, that is a little summary of what is going on with our family lately.
Until next time... Watch your toes!