Crazy Clark's

Mission Trip Day 1 and 2

2008-06-25T12:21:00.009-04:00

We left on Tues. the 17th. We loaded up 5 vans filled with 35 5th and 6th graders along with 19 adults. We took one moving truck filled with our luggage and supplies for the VBS and work project.

We stayed in a hotel in Nashville. To keep with church code, we have to have 2 adults with every group of kids. To keep with state law, we could only have 6 people/hotel room. Two people had to sleep on the floor every night. In our room, Erin decided it was easier to sleep under the sink.

Here I am with Drew. He requested this picture in this spot as a repeat of last year photo with the two of us.

Drew was a big help carring things to the car. As you can see, I rewarded him with cookies!

This is Jordan. Joshua was drawn to this little boy. He worked with him for 2 days. This was a nice family story. He has two parents that care about him and his siblings. They just live in bad conditions, but the love and care are there.

On day 2, we gave out sno-cones and cotton candy.

This is Joe being mobbed for candy. It was unbelievable this year. Hands were grabbing everywhere and it was a different experience for all of us.

Drew and Joshua would roll balls to the kids and have them kick them. It was neat to listen to the boys praise the children for their efforts.

This was one of the things that broke my heart. This family just wanted their picture taken so badly, they wouldn't move until someone did it. I had my camera in my pocket and took their picture. They just wanted to see it on the screen. They will never get a copy of this (or any) photo, but it was so exciting to see it on the little screen. Oh, the things we take for granted!

Work project coming soon.........

Mission Trip Time!

2008-06-16T18:59:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year again! Joshua and I leave for Nashville tomorrow morning. This year is different for me. Scott is unable to go, he had to stay and work. He is switching jobs and wasn't able to take the time off. Our children's pastor was called to another church a couple months ago. We did find a new one, but he cannot start until after the trip. All this means is that I have been appointed the secretary for the trip. I have made all the reservations, and I will keep the schedule on the trip. I am working with another man who is in charge of the work projects. I have been in charge of purchasing the food for the trip and mailing all the forms. I'm scared to death that I will mess something up! So far, so good. After the last week I had, I'm not sure if my brain is all together. I'm just trusting in God! I'll be back in a week with pictures. As some of you know, I'll have Drew!

Still No Good News

2008-06-10T09:49:00.004-04:00

I feel like a downer again. Yesterday I was told my uncle was found dead. He was my mom's only sibling. Ray was an alcoholic, drug addict for years. I think he started at the age of 12, with binge drinking. He could stay sober for long periods of time, and then he would snap. He could be drunk/high for months. When I was young I was very close to him. I was an only child on that side of the family, and Ray didn't have any kids. As I got older, it became harder to talk to him. He was always slurring and claiming to be sober. I got to the point that most of the time I did believe him, I think there was so much brain damage. My grandma died in October 2000, and I hadn't seen Ray in person since. I actually hadn't talked to him on the phone in 2 years. Ray called my dad about a month ago. My dad tried to witness to him. Ray wanted me to call him.......I never did. The guilt sets in. What more could I have done? Why didn't I call him back? It was so hard to talk to him. He wouldn't make sense most of the time. My dad just keeps telling me to pray that Satan stay away. He's the one making me feel so guilty. My mom doesn't handle things well. I have to stay strong for her. My mom isn't a christian and that does make it harder. Please pray for all of us. My kids are fine. Half of them didn't know him, and the other half barely remember him.
Our pre-teen mission trip is next week. I'm in charge of the schedule for the whole trip. While it's exciting, and I'm looking forward to it, this has put a bit of a damper on it. I'm very concerned that things will need to be done, regarding my uncle, while I'm away. I want to be able to see the body before I leave. At this moment, I'm not able to, they haven't preformed the autopsy yet. I forgot to mention, he was only 50.
Thanks for listening!

Update

2008-06-04T13:50:00.002-04:00

Thank you all for your prayers, I sure felt God lifting me up that evening. The graduation went well, with the exception of very rude parents throughout the audience. I've never seen anything like it before in my life. My former step family sat across the arena from where we were sitting. As I had to look at them the whole time, I never had to actually come face to face with them. That did make it a lot easier on me. I'm very glad that it is over, and I'm so thankful for God's protection on all of us (hearts and otherwise).
Thank you for caring, it means a lot!

Struggling

2008-06-02T00:25:00.002-04:00

I am struggling with some issues tonight. I should be sound asleep by now, but I can't seem to get there. It's been a rough day, and I know that tomorrow is only going to be worse. My sister graduates tomorrow evening, from high school. While that is a good thing, I am faced with dealing with some deep hurts in my life. A few years ago, my dad's wife left. She was only 9 years older than me (another story) and we had become very close. She had become a part of my life prior to me having children. She loved and cared for my boys. She took care of them when I still worked, and they spent every Saturday evening with her and my father. She totally turned her back on God, my dad, my family, me, and my boys. She, her mother (who also now hates us-and yes that is the truth), and her sister will all be at this graduation. Because of that, my boys are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Scott and I decided it is best for them to not have to see her. I've cried most of the evening and do not want to go to the ceremony tomorrow. I know that I will go, but the panic is setting in, the hurt seems so fresh again, and I just don't know if I'm strong enough to handle it. The reality is, I'm not. Only through God can I accomplish this. So, if you've read this and think about it, could you please pray for us. I know that it is the only way I can manage.

Finally!!

2008-05-29T16:18:00.007-04:00

This is one stop that Martha has made since she was last in blogland. I finally was able to meet my new little (ok, not so little) cousin, Silas. I was thrilled to see Martha and the family. It has been so long, that I cannot remember the last time we were together. I didn't see her the whole time she was pregnant, so I know it's been a very long time. As you can see, Silas doesn't like the camera constantly being in his face. He did look for one photo with me. He didn't smile, but I now know for sure that he does smile often. (Just not for pictures) I was blown away by how much he looks like Troy! He is definately his father's child in the looks department.

Jared was so excited to see him in person. He loves babies and has been anxiously awaiting his first meeting with Silas.

Overdue, but Worth the Wait!

2008-02-15T11:28:00.007-05:00

Jared turned 5 in November, and Andrew turned 10 in December. This is the years of the "friend" birthday parties. The time of year is so hectic that it is difficult to have a party. Andrew originally wanted a sleep over with multiple boys. Our house is rather small, so we didn't think this would be a very wise idea. It's too cold to do things outside. Our opportunity arose when Jared was invited to his first "friend" party without us. Our friends from church had rented a place called "Pump-It-Up". I've been there with church groups before and knew how much fun it was. I did some checking and figured if I had the party on a weekday, it was cheaper. If I split the party between 2 kids, both of the birthday kids are free. My kids had an inservice day today and are out of school. It was perfect. Valentine's Day for the Clark's was spent playing on huge inflatables. Andrew could invite so many more boys to come and play than he could ever have in this house. We all had a blast! We had 26 kids in all. Only 2 were girls! Thankfully, they have 2 older brothers, so they fit right in. We did have one toddler join us at the end. My favorite picture of Joshua. Scott was pushing him on a scooter, and I was attempting to take a photo. I jumped out of the way at the same time he was turning to avoid me. The result was me taking the photo, as I was falling on him. Yes, he survived the fall with minimal damage.

Not only do the kids have a great time, so do the adults. My dad so kindly took Aaron on this obstacle course. With Aaron's muscle disease, it makes it impossible for him to climb the wall inside the course. My dad took him through to lift him over the wall. I never would have been able to lift him that high. (Aaron weighs 74# and it is dead weight)

This is a VERY unattractive photo of me, but I thought I'd show you how much fun I had. I raced on one of the obstacle courses with an 18 year old girl. (She's the older sister of one of Andrew's friends) She stopped and waited for me to catch up so we could go down the slide together!

I am not brave and attempt to make a cake myself. I can say I wasn't so pleased with some of the flaws in the cake, but it tasted good. (Martha, the icing was buttercream)

The boys got to sit on a throne to open presents. The were the "kings" for the day.

It was late, but well worth it party. We all had so much fun. What a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day with all the ones I so dearly love!

Where's My Pancreas?

2008-01-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is the question I heard last night as Aaron was going to bed. The next sentence is, "They look like brothers". Yes, this is a stuffed pancreas. When I was working, a new drug came out (I think it was a diabetic drug) and they created these stuffed toys to promote their drug. I not only have these two, I have a liver and a kidney. It has been funny over the years to watch my children cuddle with these body organs. Aaron has just recently discovered the pancreas. It is his new favorite toy to sleep with. Since we have two and as he puts it, they look like brothers, it is so exciting for him. While he enjoys them, Scott and I will enjoy chuckling over his cute questions.

Don't Run in the House!

2008-01-03T09:46:00.000-05:00

How many times have I yelled that? Does anyone ever listen? No, they don't! This is the reason I yell that all the time. Working in a doctor's office for 11 years taught me that walls vs. heads = walls win. On Saturday, the 29th, we were getting ready to leave the house. The boys had all received gift cards and cash for Christmas and were eager to spend. As I was finishing getting Aaron ready, Scott and Jared were playing in the kitchen. Jared turned to run away from his dad and smacked his head into the wall. Blood began to gush from his scalp (head wounds bleed the worst) and all he wanted to do was lay down. He looked as though he wanted to sleep. We decided to take him to Children's Urgent Care. They wrapped his head in this to apply a numbing solution to the wound. As we waited, Scott shared his MP3 player with Jared to listen to music.

The final result ended with only 2 staples. We were thankful, the original thought was at least 4.

Jared's doing just fine now. Has he learned to walk in the house yet? No, he hasn't. I can still be heard yelling "Don't run in the house!" daily.

Happy 10th Birthday, Andrew!

2007-12-30T22:36:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe, but Andrew is now 10! He's so excited to have reached double digits. He also wants you to know, that the balloons were not his! They were left over from my sister's birthday. Having a birthday so close to Christmas can be tough. Andrew actually enjoys getting everything at once. The only problem is being inbetween two holidays, he must wait for his birthday party with friends. Today we had his birthday dinner at my dad's house. Andrew requested marinated steak (on the grill), mashed potatoes, and peas. We had an enjoyable day together and this morning the entire children's worship service sang to him.
I still can't believe how old you're getting! (I know you think this means I am getting old-but you're wrong) My prayer for you is to let God take total control of your life and lead you in the right direction. We love you very much and are very proud of you!

December Happenings

2007-12-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

We have had a very busy month! We had a wonderful Christmas. We also had many other activities. I thought I'd share a few with you. Scott's dad is a retired Marine. He and his wife are in charge of Toys for Tots in Richmond, In. We thought this would be a perfect opportunity for our two oldest boys to see how fortunate they are. We had to leave our house at 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 22nd, so we could go to the Marine Corp. club and work Toys. We had a very humbling experience and plan to work it every year (if possible) for now on. This is Frank (Scott's dad) proudly wearing his dress blues and Scott.This is what getting up so early does to Scott. He hates having his picture taken and I warned him if he didn't take a decent picture I was posting this. He didn't seem to care, so here it is! Also he seems to have needed a razor for Christmas.

Yes, this is what this man really looks like! Our history books must be wrong, Abe is still alive! Joshua was so excited to have his picture taken with him and wants to have a copy to show his teachers when he returns to school. (Lonnie is so used to this he was so kind to have his picture taken with the kids. He does profit from his unique look. He plays Abe Lincoln for events)

Meaghan, my baby sister, turned 18 on the 21st. We had her birthday dinner the night of the 22nd, after our return from In. It was a long day!

We celebrated Christmas with my mom and step-dad, Steve, on the 23rd. Here is a rare picture of us. My mom also hates cameras, but she did this for me! Here's my mom, me and Steve.

On Christmas Eve, we celebrate Christmas with my dad's side of the family. This is a picture of one of our games. We played Taboo and it was a fun time. Thankfully, no blood was shed, it can get rough with this family. Joan is trying to get her team to guess, Scott holds the buzzer, and I'm not sure what Paul is doing. (He is Martha's brother)

This is Joshua and Andrew proudly displaying their favorite Christmas gifts. We bought two rats for them. Yes, I said rats! They are very clean animals and can be trained like dogs. Joshua has named his Heidi, and Andrew has Sandy. The tail was the biggest part for me to overcome, but I'm now used to it. We all are having lots of fun with them.

I pray you all have a Happy New Year!!!

From Thanksgiving to Tree Trimming

2007-11-30T14:06:00.001-05:00

I've been missing for awhile! I've been reading everyone's blogs, but not commenting much. I've been so busy with things at school, it's been chaos. Here's a little update on the family:
Thanksgiving went well again this year. There was 20 something people there and we also have to add to the dining room table. We also set a table up in the living room for people to eat. I'm so blessed to be part of a family that eats together and allows others who don't have family to join our celebration.

This is a glimpse of some of the festive chaos.

I thought I'd throw in a better picture of Scott and me. I told him he had to look like he liked being in a photo with me!

The decorating began on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Aaron is obsessed with Christmas. I do mean that literally. He is upset that we don't have everything we own out. We can't bring everything out because Aaron plays with it all and tries to put it all in his room. It's really fun around here at this time of year.

Jared hangs ornaments.

Aaron and Andrew add their share.

Joshua doing his part.

The finished product. I allow the kids to do all the tree trimming with minimal help from me. They enjoy it and I enjoy it being part of them. Of course, you can tell that it is decorated by children by the placement and type of ornaments. I think this is the fun part. I can hear Martha gasp at the sight of it. :) (She's the decorator of the family, not me)

Molly's favorite place to lay. I don't know what it is, but every year she lays under the tree. She doesn't try to climb it, or mess with it in any way.

I pray you all are doing well!

Hard to Believe

2007-11-04T21:16:00.001-05:00

My baby is 5! I'm having a hard time with this. I guess because he's the youngest of 4, and I know this is the last one, I don't think I'm ready for this. I've enjoyed the most time with Jared. I had to work after having all the rest, even though it was part-time. It still is so different to have been blessed to always be home. Jared is smart and funny. He's honestly, at times, a complete monster! I wouldn't trade him for anything and I thank God for blessing us with him. Happy Birthday, Jared! We all love you very much. Thanks for helping mom when your brothers are at school. He loves to help me clean and cook. I'm already dreading sending him off to Kindergarten next year. I know I'm going to treasure the rest of our time alone!

A picture to go with the post below.

2007-10-22T11:04:00.001-04:00

Not the greatest picture and the sun was in our faces, but a picture!

Happy Birthday, Scott!

2007-10-19T00:05:00.000-04:00

Today is my wonderful husbands 33rd birthday! If I had a recent picture of him, I'd post it. He tends to run from the camera, or look like it's a mug shot. Sometimes it is hard to believe how long we've been together. He had just turned 18 (on the 18th) and I met him on the 30th. We have been together all our adult lives! He is a wonderful husband and father, and I love him dearly. Seven years ago, my grandmother died on his birthday. I had just had Aaron 3 weeks before and Grandma went into the hospital the day Aaron was born. When I received the phone call that she died early in the morning on the 18th, I was so upset. The one thing I didn't want was for her to die on Scott's birthday. Scott was very caring and understanding, but I felt like the worst wife in the world. There was no cake, cards, presents, or even family at home for him that day. I spent the whole day making funeral plans with my family, while he was at work and then came home to an empty house. What I love about him is he didn't mind at all. His main concern was for me and the kids with our loss. He thinks of us first, before himself, and is committed to making our marriage last.
Happy birthday, honey! I love you dearly!

This was written very late. His birthday is on Oct. 18th, I just am now getting on the computer!

I Never Could Run Fast

2007-09-25T13:58:00.000-04:00

So I've been tagged! The deal is I have to list 7 random things about myself and then tag 7 other people. So here it goes......

I am not afraid to speak my mind or confrontation. In fact, I've been known to eat my words and stick my foot in my mouth more times than I care to count.
I am biologically an only child. My dad adopted my step-sister when I was 27. He married her mom when I was 20, so we only lived together for 1 year. (She is 17)
I am 1 and a half years older than Scott. Our anniversary was yesterday (the 24th-pics later) and his birthday is in October. So when we got married he was only 19 and I was 21. I had to sign for our hotel room on our wedding night because he wasn't old enough!
I do not feel like I am missing out on some big bonding experience because I do not have a daughter. I love my boys!
I am horrible at math! I actually still count on my fingers! (I know this is sad)
I wanted to be a nurse from the time I was 5 years old and my Pap had his first heart surgery. I was accepted to nursing school 1 week after his death. I know he would have been proud. (I never finished nursing school-parents divorced at that time etc. so I did become a Medical Assistant and can give shots, draw blood etc.)
Football is my favorite sport. I am so glad my boys play. The Chicago Bears are my favorite team (outside my home team The Bengals), and I am still bitter about the superbowl! lol

There is my 7!

Happy Birthday, Aaron!!!!!

2007-09-22T11:34:00.001-04:00

It's so hard for me to believe that Aaron is actually 7 today. He's been very excited about his birthday. Today we will spend the day as usual for us on a Saturday, at a football field. I did manage to fix breakfast and bake Aaron's favorite, chocolate chip cookies, for everyone today. He received Diego sheets (he's been really wanting) 2 bathtub toys (when we moved we now have 2 bathtubs, our other house only had 1 stand up shower) and a Dora book. He is finally learning to read and it's been so much fun. He's come a long way and we are so blessed to have him in our lives. Happy birthday, we love you!

May We Never Forget

2007-09-11T09:17:00.000-04:00

This is the phrase we so often hear associated with todays date. I often think how could anyone forget? The sad part is so many people do. No matter what your feelings are about the war, the reason we have our troops over seas is because of today's date. Growing up my mom always said she'd never forget where she was when Pres. Kennedy was assassinated. The closest I came to that was when I was in the 7th grade and the Challenger exploded. I was in history class when the anouncement came over the speaker and we were asked to pray. That feeling can never compare to how I found out about the World Trade Center. We were in the process of moving from northern Ky. back up to Cincinnati. I was staying with my parents while we were working on our house so my oldest son could start kindergarten. Scott was still staying at our other house during the week. ( His job is by the airport and he ships things by air.) I had just dropped Joshua off at school and didn't have the radio on. When I arrived back at my family's home, Andrew, who was 3, came running up to me and said "A plane hit a big building and it exploded". I had no idea he was serious. My step-mom was watching the news and Andrew was in the room with her and he saw the whole thing happen. I had to tell Joshua when I picked him up before he saw Andrew. This was all Andrew talked about for days. He had no idea what he had witnessed on the t.v. I had to drive to our old house that day and it was so eerie. The noise of the planes was always around, and this day was quite. I was even concerned about my husbands job. How long would this go on? Would it affect how he worked? I cried for days. My biggest issue has always been that these terrorists took OUR people and turned them into bombs for their evil use. The people on those planes has always bothered me the most. I can't believe it's been 6 years since that horrible day. Things have changed in our world. I continue to pray for this country and its leaders. I especially pray for our military. Today all my boys proudly are wearing their Marine Corp. shirts. They are honoring their uncle (my bil) who will be deployed for his second tour of Iraq Nov. 1st.
God Bless the U.S.A. and may we never forget.

1st Grade!

2007-09-04T11:19:00.001-04:00

Aaron was finally able to start school today! It was only 1 week late. He was so happy to go. It's his first time to eat lunch at school. He started last night wanting to make sure all his things were in order. I just pray he handles a full day well!

Praise be to God!

2007-08-31T11:23:00.000-04:00

Update on Aaron: He is doing much better! When I took him to the doctor the other day, I thought we would definately be put in the hospital. Everything that went into him, came right back out. He has a muscle disorder so when he get sick he gets worse than most and it takes longer to heal. The doctor said he didn't know what we were doing right, but he didn't need to be put into the hospital, and he didn't know why. The only reason why is because of the power of prayer. Jesus touched my son so he could stay home and not be poked non-stop in the hospital. It's been a very rough week, but it could have been so much worse. He is on the mend now. He missed this whole week of school, but with Monday being Labor Day, he should be fine to start on Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who prayed for him. God has been good to us and I know he will continue to touch him.

Please Continue to Pray

2007-08-29T09:37:00.000-04:00

Update: Aaron still isn't doing well. Yesterday he threw up and continued to have diarrhea. Since he still had some energy, I kept him home and continued to push fluids. He woke up this a.m. with diarrhea again. The worst part is I think he's urinating blood. He has done this in the past and has had multiple tests because of it. He has an appointment this morning with our regular doctor (I thank God for this-he knows Aaron best) to see if we need to go to the hospital. I am desperately trying to avoid that and I may not be able to anymore. Thanks for all your prayers to this point and please try and remember us today.

Please Pray

2007-08-27T14:03:00.000-04:00

If you would please pray for my son Aaron. He's had diarrhea for 8 days now, and I'm afraid we may end up in the hospital. School starts tomorrow and I know he won't be going. That will also be hard for him. We need a miracle! Thanks.

I Am Alive.....

2007-08-24T14:01:00.000-04:00

.......barely! I really hate to move. I know there are many of you that will agree with me. Moving with children has always been a challenge, but moving with a special needs child in the mix is only understood by those who've done it. School doesn't start until the 28th and I can't wait. I need them all out of the house so I can get things organized. I'm very tired of living out of boxes and bags. Throw in the fact that I am team mom for Joshua's football team and "head team mom" of all the team moms (a position I was appointed at a meeting I was not in attendance for) with a charity game coming up for Shriner's Hospital, it has been even more interesting. I am receiving baskets for the auction being added to all the junk in my house. I also am the chair for The Family Fun Committee at the boys elementary school. We are doing an ice-cream social for Open House. This a.m. I had to order 900 more cones and 24 more gallons of ice-cream. Life is never boring and for that I'm thankful. I do sometimes wish for a little quiet! I am including these pictures to prove how much of a mess I really am in. If you do not hear from me for a long time, please send someone to check under a pile! This was our old house. We had moved some beds. This is how I woke up and found Andrew sleeping one morning.

These curtains really need to go! These are found in Aaron and Jared's room.

The mess in Aaron and Jared's room.

Bringing all the laundry over and sitting it in my living room/dining room. At least Joshua was able to sit and eat breakfast. (I don't normally allow hats at the table, he was about to leave with some friends to go to Kings Island)

This is our closet size bedroom. We cannot shut the door yet.

The mud room. I will love having this when it is organized. The curio is going in the yard sale tomorrow.

I can't wait to cook real food again. I am so tired of eating out! The kitchen is small so the boxes are really in the way!

The basement where everything else was thrown.

The endless mounds of laundry! I will hopefully return soon........

Moving

2007-08-13T22:32:00.000-04:00

Please pray for us. We are in the process of moving into a different house. Aaron has a difficult time with change and has had many issues over the last few days. We also had to give one of our cats to my dad. Our new landlord is letting us keep only one. My sister has a cat already and my dad wasn't too thrilled with the idea, but he caved and did it for me and the kids. I'm supposed to be finding her a new home. I'll update after the move, please try and remember us in your prayers. Thanks!

The Trouble of Only Having Sons....

2007-08-02T14:45:00.000-04:00

....is they play rough. In other words, when you finally have a daughter for a week, she becomes part of the chaos. In this picture you can see the boys have made Rachel their quarterback. You may also notice the other two are in full gear. Rachel is just placed in position without any protection. This photo was taken the next day at a bowling alley. You can see she survived the football practice and was unharmed. Isn't she beautiful? I think she must really be mine. hehe

My Daughter is Coming for a Visit!

2007-07-27T22:39:00.000-04:00

Yes, you did read the title correctly. I know you all think I have just 4 boys, but I have a daughter that I get once a year. Her name is Rachel. That is actually what I was going to name two of my boys had they been girls. Ok, so Rachel isn't really my daughter, but I love her just the same. My dear friend, Tina, was my neighbor. Rachel and Joshua are the same age and were in class together. In 2003, Tina needed someone to help with Rachel for 2-4 wks. during the summer. Tina's grandmother helped with the kids and was going home for a visit. Well, during her visit, she fell and broke her hip. The few weeks turned into an entire summer. It was the greatest! Rachel truly became part of our family. Tina has sinced moved to Kentucky, near Louisville. It has been so hard to have her farther away. It is so great to have Rachel for one full week every summer. The boys call her their "sister" and Scott and I enjoy a "daughter" for a little while. Rachel has asked her mom if she thought she would be "blog worthy" after this visit. I told her I was so excited she was blog worthy before she even gets here!! I will take lots of pictures for new blogs. We get her tomorrow evening. Please pray for her families safe trip and for her mom's seperation anxiety!

Update

2007-07-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

The good news is the rash is gone and no one got it! We still don't know what it was, but at least it's gone!

Strange Rash

2007-07-12T14:05:00.001-04:00

We in the Clark household prefer to do things differently. I have always had illnesses in unusual ways, and now my children take after me. Aaron has an undiagnosed "syndrome" that has baffled doctors since his birth. Now Jared has a rash that the doctor can't figure out. If you look closely and have ever had an allergic drug reaction, this is what is looks like. However, he hasn't been on any medicine, used any new soaps, detergents and so on. It doesn't itch, but does hurt if touched too much. This is the reason for him to be half naked. The doctor said it could be a virus (and be contagious) so give him benadryl and keep him away from the general public. Now for the rest of us, we just sit and wait to break out! It is all over his body, with the exception of his head.

I'm Back, and I Finally Have Pictures of My Husband!

2007-07-02T15:04:00.001-04:00

I can't even try to begin to explain to you all how incredible this trip was. I hope the kids learned as much as I did! I know that traveling with 31 5th and 6th graders sounds frightening (I was actually scared to death), however, it was a blessing! These kids worked so hard and put all their efforts into God's kingdom. It was amazing. This is our Children's Pastor, Julie. Her theme for this week was to let God stretch you. This is her and a girl named Kayleigh demostrating a stretching doll. We joined Trevveca Church of the Nazarene for this week. They had 6 kids and 3 adults that worked and had fun with us all week.

This is our van. We had 7 boys with us everytime we were in our van. On the way home we had to add more due to an emergency with one girl (she is fine) but the last 2 hours home we had 10 boys!

This is Scott driving our van!

This was my favorite sign on the road into the YMCA Camp that we stayed at.

We had 2 Scotts on the trip. My Scott is the one in the red shirt. Scott H. drove a moving truck down with all the luggage and supplies. During our trips through town, he rode with us. It was great to get to know him better!

We also had 2 Leslie's. The Children's Pastor at Trevvecca is also named Leslie. It was fun being around someone with the same name. It's not something that happens often to me.

This is Terry. She came with her grandson, Anthony. She is an amazing lady. She is a wonderful christian influence. She only has one leg. She had her left leg amputated at age 40 (she is now 72) due to bone cancer. She is a miracle from God. She walks with crutches that you use with your hands (not the ones that go under her shoulder) and makes it look so easy! She was a blessing to have on the trip.

I love Drew! He was in my car the whole week and I spent a lot of time with him. I would threaten to tell his aunts in my blog if he gave me a hard time about anything (that's how I got this picture)! I called him by best friend. I had so much fun with him. He worked hard all week and was great with the kids. He was also in my group that canvased the neighborhood. He did an amazing job. Brenda and Jana can be proud!

We worked hard all week, but had so much fun too. This is at one of the restaurants that we went to. This is Drew, Matt and Tanner.

This is Sarah. She is 19 and has just been called to be a Children's Pastor. She is working with Julie this summer. She is technically not an intern yet, but we have been working her hard! She looks like she's 12. Every restaurant gave her a kiddie cup and had her order from the kids menu! We had fun with that! This is her with her kiddie cup!

Pump It Up was another place we went to. If you've never heard of it, it is huge inflatables that you can jump in and they have slides and obstacle courses. This was Scott with his own game for the kids. He would run and jump on the one side while another kid was laying on the other. When Scott would land, they would go flying. Needless to say, Scott had a great work out that night. All the kids wanted to fly.

This was Scott coming down the slide at the end of an obstacle course.

Now for our work pictures........

This was our puppet team for day one.

This is the library we worked with and for. They allowed us to put our "celebration" and VBS on there. They gave us a room to hold the service and set up outside.

This is the neighborhood we passed out flyers to invite to our VBS. The first day was a bit scary, but by day 2 we had no fears. We were well accepted!

We made cottoncandy for the kids. Scott H. was covered!

Singing and hearing stories about Jesus......

Joshua and Dakota helping two kids with a craft......

Scott helping kids with a craft (this really touched my heart, I don't have much opportunity to see Scott with other kids)......

This is me with a lady named Carol and 2 of her grandkids. She is a new christian and I told her I would pray for her.....

This is Dakota painting a child......

We also did work outside for the library and the neighborhood. This is me mulching....

Boys picking up trash......

This is all of us outside the library. They were so thankful and great to work with!

After 2 days in the neighborhood, we helped a hispanic church. Pastor Pedro Cruz and his wife have been there for 3 years. They started with 60 members, and now have 172. They do everything alone and were very grateful for our help.

This fence needed to be removed and the swingset inside needed to be relocated.......

Pastor Pedro helping out......(this is after the swingset was moved I'm a little out of order)

Drew putting on new grills after the doors had been painted......

Amanda and me painting the rails.....

The swingset in its original place......

This is the shed we were going to paint. The week before our arrival, a storm knocked over the tree and smashed the shed, with all their lawn equipment and tools inside. We tore the shed apart and disposed of it........

Landscaped the church.......

Had interior painting to do....... (This is Derek)

We had such a great time! I know that I've been changed by this experience, and I pray many others were too. It was very hot and humid, and the work was hard. These kids were a pleasure to be with and I'm so thankful I was able to go. I'm proud of each and every child for all their efforts and attitudes!

This is Joshua and Dakota our last morning there.

Leaving on the Pre-teen Mission Trip

2007-06-25T13:52:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow morning Scott and I will be traveling with our oldest son, Joshua, to the intercity of Nashville, TN. We are going with our children's Pastor, Julie, and 8 other adults. We are taking 32 5th and 6th graders with us. Please pray that God will help prepare all of our hearts for this trip. I know that we will be seeing things we are not used to . I hear there is a lot of drugs in this neighborhood too. Also, please pray for our safety. We have some kids that are going that have been through a lot in their personal lives this past year. I'm praying this will help them grow closer to God during their rough lives. Last I heard, I will have a certain child in my car that is related to fellow bloggers! My last list contained the name Drew Englund! I was teasing him all last week during VBS that he was going to be my best friend after this trip, since we will have spent 2 whole weeks together by the end! (I taught his VBS class) I'm not sure how excited he was, but I will have pictures upon my return!
On a personal note, please pray for my dad and my other 3 boys while we are gone. My dad is so wonderful and took a weeks vacation to keep them for us. I trust my dad 100%, but I know this is going to be difficult. Aaron is always into things and on the go. My sister is in Florida visiting her biological dad for the next 2 weeks, so he will be alone with the boys. I pray for protection and peace for the them while we are away.
Well, I need to do lots of things so I can leave town in the morning! Thanks for your prayers and we return the evening of July 1st. I'll have pictures then.

On a side note, I weighed myself this a.m. I weighed 227.2. In 3 weeks I'm down 10 pounds!!!!

VBS and the Weekend

2007-06-24T22:54:00.001-04:00

It has been one exhausting week! Of course, just about all of them are anymore! I must be getting old! Anyway, my cousin Paul convinced Scott to join a softball team with him. Scott used to love to play ball, and I told him he ought to go for it. It's good exercise, and we would go cheer him on. This is Scott up to bat. One of these days I'll post an actual picture of him that you can see his face! This is my cousin, Paul, up to bat. The team lost 13-2, but it was their first game. Hopefully, they will get some better.
This morning we had our VBS program. We had a total of 375 kids signed up, with our highest night of attendance being Wed. with 309. I taught the 5th grade and had 25-32 kids each night. Some of those nights were very rough. Attitudes are running high in that age group! On Thurs. one boy, who was a visitor, asked Jesus into his heart! It was very exciting and makes all the rough part worth it! This is Aaron singing. Sorry the pics are dark, I just got a new camera and I'm trying to work with it still.
This is a pic of just one side of the church! There were so many kids there today! It was great!

My Weight

2007-06-23T11:38:00.000-04:00

>Ok, I don't know how to turn pictures. I'm just trying to see how crazy people have to bend to look at this! This is actually an awful pic of me, but the point is my body, not face. I'm doing this for prayer and support. I've struggled with my weight most of my life. I had those few "glory years" in high school. The sad part is I thought I was fat then! A few years ago I lost 63 pounds. We had a lot of family trauma occur and I gained it all back. I am a stress eater. I use food to cope with feelings. When I lost the weight before, Troy (Martha's husband) told me I was an inspiration. Those words now haunt me. I know they weren't meant to, but it reminds me of what I failed at. I thought if I use this blog as a prayer support group and for accountability, it will help me so much. I am learning I need to use different things to cope. Mainly, I need to give it all to God. It seems so simple, but when I'm having a really bad day with the kids (attitudes and fighting are constant anymore) it seems easier to shove food in my mouth. This is my starting photo. I joined Curves too. I started June 4th and weighed 238.4. I plan on posting weekly weights to stay accountable. I figure if I put my numbers out there for the blogger world to see, it will help me stay focused. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

2007-06-16T22:22:00.000-04:00

This is me, my dad and my sister Meaghan. I just wanted to quickly say a very happy Father's Day to my dad. I know that he regrets not raising me in the ways of God (he did have awesome parents that did that) but he did teach me so many things. He is a wonderful christian example now! He is raising my 17 year old sister on his own and I know that hasn't been easy. He is always willing to keep my boys at any time I need help. He actually keeps them every Saturday night. (I know some of you are jealous) We meet him at church on Sunday mornings. This man took a week's vacation to keep my 3 younger boys, so that Scott and I can both go on the pre-teen mission trip with Joshua. He is completely unselfish and willing to help anyone. I love you Dad!!!

A Recap of the Last Few Weeks

2007-06-16T21:59:00.000-04:00

The last day of school for the boys was on May 31st. I'm just a little behind!! This is Aaron getting on his van (Don the driver-couldn't ask for a better man for this job) for his last day of kindergarten! I can't believe it's over already! Andrew and Dillon (my friend's son that I put on the bus so she can get to work) waiting for the bus the last day. They are the same age. Dillon is average size for 9, Andrew is just huge! I am finding it really hard to believe he will be in the 4th grade. He received awards for highest honors all 4 quarters, and a gold medal for reading. He earned extra reading points (on computer tests they take) for the entire year. I am very bad and don't have a pic of Joshua on the last day. He leaves early in the morning and I wasn't awake enough to remember the camera! Joshua earned a band medal for having a A+ for 3 quarters (would have had 4 if he turned in his practice time that he did do), received a Social Studies award, Math award (doesn't get that from me) and honor roll. I'm still in total denial that he will be in 6th grade!!!

We took one day and went to Kings Island. Some friends from church went with us also. We took a picnic to eat at the park. This is Naomi, Stephen and Joshua.

We visited with Blue. Dillon went with us this day also. He calls me aunt Leslie, I've known his mom since the 4th grade. The older boys still enjoy getting their pictures with the characters.

My dad has a christian friend he works with who owns horses. He's been wanting my dad to bring the boys to see him. He's especially interested in Aaron, because he would eventually like to do a special needs program. Horse back riding is a big thing for special needs kids. It is used for a lot of theraputic reasons. This is Jared enjoying his ride.

Aaron did love it. I couldn't go that day since one of the boys was sick. Scott said Aaron was so excited and wanted to ride every horse he saw!

Well, this is a quick recap of our last few weeks!

First Day Out Of School

2007-06-01T10:13:00.000-04:00

Well, it is the first day of summer break for the kids. I was up at 3 a.m. with Andrew throwing up! This is not the way to start summer break! Please pray for the other kids not to get sick too. Especially Aaron, he had ended up in the hospital numerous times since he dehydrates at a quicker rate. Also with his low muscle tone, he chokes easily. It is not fun! I'm off to clean my bathroom. I was scheduled to clean someone else's house today, and that is not going to happen now!

Joshua and Andrew's New Walls

2007-05-30T16:33:00.000-04:00

We rent the house we live in. It is actually a 3 bedroom, but we have only used 2 of the bedrooms for their intended purpose. The master bedroom is actually on the main floor of the house and the other two bedrooms are upstairs. We have made the master bedroom a playroom for the two younger boys. There is a room in the basement that had been added by one of our landlords relatives. (This house was a family home) The last people to rent prior to us, had 3 girls. They weren't the best tenants and did things without permission. They painted the basement room's walls. These were the handprints. Needless to say, Joshua and Andrew used this as their playroom but weren't thrilled with the walls. They had a sun and clouds too! I didn't get a pic of the tree and pretty pink flowers!
We decided to finally give the two older boys their own room. We have lived here almost 2 years. I made a phone call to our landlord and asked permission to paint. He had no problem with it. He didn't like what the previous people had done and he actually likes us!
We decided to go with maroon and gold. That is the school colors. The boys loved it! Scott did the outlets the opposite color of the wall they are on.
It has a drop ceiling. This is what Scott did with the ceiling. Some clouds had been painted on it so it needed to be painted over.
This is the closet door that you originally saw the handprints.
Please excuse the spots, my camera does goofy things sometimes! Here is one of the walls. Since Bill (our landlord) graduated from Ross also, he loved the new room! Scott put alot of hard work and effort into this project, and we all are grateful! The 2 older ones are now in their own room and love it!

Visit from a dear friend!

2007-05-29T15:50:00.000-04:00

This is my friend Tracy and her little boy, Gavan. I have known her for many years. She is currently living in Arizona. Her husband is a nurse, and they've had a traveling position for a few years. She was able to visit for only one day at the beginning of this month. I wish I could see her more often, especially since she's had Gavan. I miss that baby so much. This was only the second time I was able to see him. Please pray for her. She will be moving back to Cincinnati next spring. Her husband wants a seperation, and they are going to be living seperately starting at the end of June. I've seen too many marriages fall apart recently. I'm not sure what is going on in this world. Dave's told her he just doesn't think he's "in love" with her anymore. I don't understand how you can have this beautiful baby (he will be 1 in June) and decide you don't want to live as a family. Please pray he will see what is right, and for Tracy to have strength in this hard time. Especially pray for Gavan's future! Jared took the picture of them on the couch. Excuse the mess on my table!

Joshua really loves this boy too! It's so hard for me to see my baby hold other babies!

He's just too cute!

We love you Tracy and Gavan!

Joshua and Will

2007-05-18T17:22:00.001-04:00

This is a picture of Joshua and his friend, Will. Joshua was complaining that I didn't have enough pics of him on here. Will is the same age, both his parents are very tall. Will is as tall as I am!

Family Visit

2007-05-18T16:34:00.001-04:00

Since Martha was forgetful with her camera (I know it's shocking) on her visit with us while she was in Ohio, I thought I'd share my photos. This is a picture of 4 of the 11 cousins. I am the oldest grandchild, Paul (Martha's brother) was next in line, then Martha, we spent most of our younger years together. Usually, it consisted of me and either Paul, or Martha, ganging up on the other that wasn't with me at the moment. I spent many of my childhood years bruised and beaten since I was always the fat one that couldn't run! Anyway, I'm getting off subject. As we grew older, we are all very close. Since I was raised as an only child, I am so thankful for my relationships with my cousins. I love each and every one very much! I just wish I could spend more time with Martha! This is Martha's true side that most of you don't know about. Remember I mentioned my childhood bruises? This is Martha abusing her brother, Paul. (I am in so much trouble when she sees this)
Ethan and Jared are two peas in a pod. I was taking photos and they wanted their "silly looks". They are so cute together, and as you can see, they both sweat the same! They had not been in water!
This is Seth, Aaron, Joshua, Alex (another cousin's son), Andrew, Jared, and Ethan. You can see Andrew is as happy as always. I had to force this picture on him! What I found funny is Seth is only 9 months older than Aaron. Look how much taller he is! Aaron is the runt of the family.
Here is the "real" photo of Paul, Martha, Me, and David (Martha's other brother).It was so much fun with all of us being together. I just wish it could have lasted more than just a few hours......
I love you all!

Skyline Chili part 2

2007-05-14T15:01:00.000-04:00

If anyone tried the recipe, let me know if it turned out how you like it.

Thanks!

Mother's Day

2007-05-12T16:12:00.000-04:00

Just a quick Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow bloggers! I hope you have a very blessed one with your families!

Aaron

2007-05-10T16:22:00.000-04:00

This is Aaron Charles, his middle name is after my grandfather. He was born September 22,2000. He weighed 7lbs. 4oz, and was only 19.5 inches, this is very small compared to my other children. I knew from the beginning something was "different" about this child. My original fear was miscarriage (I never had one, or the fear of one prior to this pregnancy), after his birth I feared crib death. Irrationality is not usually what I'm about, so I thought I was crazy and told no one of my fears. Aaron was the perfect baby. Rarely did he cry, and he slept alot. At 1 month of age, he was diagnosed with failure to thrive. He weighed his birth weight! He was also diagnosed with a poor suck reflex and low muscle tone. We switched him to a bottle and tried all different types of nipples, and he gained plenty of weight. By 3 months I was worried that he had never attempted to roll over. By 6 months I was REALLY worried that he had not rolled over! His first neurologist visit was at 9 months. We were originally told that by the time he was 3 years, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Aaron and any other 3 year old. Well, that doctor was way off! Basically, we still see lots of specialists and therapists. We have no technical diagnoses for him. He has low muscle tone that affects all of his body (mouth included), so speech is delayed (but has come a long way) and he likes to chew on things. He has had multiple brain MRI's that have shown the cerebellar portion of his brain is permantly damaged (affects speech, tremors and balance) and he has a degree of mental retardation. He lacks the "common sense" ability and will wonder off or in the middle of a busy street without fear. He does know all his letters and sounds and is reading sight words. I've learned he memorizes rather well, and better to music. He will never "outgrow" his condition, but he will improve on it gradually. The only problem we face is that if the muscles are already weak, (the energy cells on his muscle fibers only function at 40% also called mitochondrial dysfunction) we don't know the future of other muscles, primarily the heart. Currently, the heart is strong! He is still not potty trained (ever changed a 6 year old's diaper, who weighs 70#) and will be undergoing testing of the bladder. Looking back, I feel God was trying to prepare me in the beginning that this journey wouldn't be easy. I misinterprated it to be miscarriage etc. I must say that even though we have some really rough days (he throws fit often like an autistic child) he is the sweetest most accepting child that loves everyone he meets!This is Aaron's fancy stroller (classified as a wheelchair) since he tires easily.

These are the braces he wears on his legs since his ankle muscles never properly developed.

Sometimes he thinks he's our puppy! We really have to watch what he sticks in his mouth, because almost everything goes into it.

He also likes to be silly alot. He puts boxes on his head to pretend things. I do not believe, at this time, that he realizes that he is different from anyone else. I know that time is coming, but now I'm thankful. He doesn't realize his limitations (at times I wish he did!) and the disability doesn't stop him from trying anything. Many times he can figure out ways around it, or thinks he's doing something he really can't (like jumping). He has very protective brothers (and a mom that will tear anyone apart who messes with him). His brothers get very upset when he's stared at. This week we had our first incident of a kid calling him a retard and making fun of his legs. Joshua told us and we informed the kids parents. I know we will have many more of these incidences in his lifetime, so my goal is to educate people. I have never wondered why this happened to me or him. I often wonder why God trusted ME. I feel God has alot more trust in me than I have in myself. I know there is a reason for everything, and I am using my life and experience to make it my mission to teach others (children and adults) what it is like to have or live with someone with a disability. I also someday would like to be an advocate for parents of special needs kids, because it is so difficult to know what to do and how the system works.

We love you Aaron!

I forgot to add a couple of other facts: He finally rolled over at 9 months, crawled at 15 months, and walked one week after his 2nd birthday. His first words weren't until he was 14 months and sentences were after he was 3 years. He will always have to wear some type of leg braces, the hope is someday they will be smaller and just in the shoe.

Please remember to keep our family in your prayers, the road is long!

Skyline Chili

2007-05-09T14:28:00.000-04:00

This is for Gene!

2 pounds ground beef
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. all spice
3/4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. oregano
1 large can of tomato juice

Brown meat and drain grease. (I then place mine in a crock pot- it is the easiest way, or you can do on the stove in a pan) Add all ingredients to meat. Pour can of juice on top. Add a little water to cover all. And simmer.
This is the easiest thing to make. We make homemade 3 ways and coneys too.
The only reason my friend believed that it wasn't canned Skyline was because the meat wasn't as fine.

Hope you all enjoy!

Andrew

2007-05-04T12:36:00.000-04:00

This is Andrew Scott. His middle name is after his father. He was born Dec. 30, 1997. I was due on Dec. 16th. I had the cute baby's first Christmas outfits that went unworn. He weighed in at 9lbs. 13oz. and 22 and 1/2 inches long. (Yes, God gave me hips to deliver large babies!) He has never been small a day in his life. He is built for football and loves to play it. When all the other moms are nervous about their "little boys" getting tackled, I'm the mom of the boy doing the tackling. Obviously, I'm not nervous about him playing, he is the biggest kid on the team. At last check, he is 4ft. 10in., and weighs 117lbs. (Did I mention I grow them big?) He has a very strong personality. I give him credit for not being fake. Andrew is who he is, all the time. He is the one I always thought would be sent to the school office in trouble. Thankfully, that has yet to happen. He is a very bright child. In fact, in recent years, we have come to realize how smart he is. With his personality type, he doesn't "ooze" brillance. At his conference in Nov., his teacher told us she believed he had already benchmarked 3rd grade and possibly 4th. (This was at the beginning of 3rd grade) The really cool thing about his type of personality is, he asks every teacher if they are a christian. This usually occurs prior to the first full week of school. We are in the public school system, and have had christian teachers to this point. (My older son's teacher this year is an atheist- I wonder if Andrew will have her) He doesn't make fun of kids with disabilities, he has a very soft spot for them. His current teacher's brother has Down's Syndrome and volunteers in the classroom. His teacher cried when she told me how thankful she was to have Andrew in her class since he treated her brother like he was no different. That made me cry too! He befriended a boy with a muscle disease, and some degree of mental retardation (a lot like his brother) and made sure he played with him at recess. These are the things that make me most proud, and I need to remind myself of when he doesn't want to listen to anything I have to say! He does spend a lot of his time grounded (currently), but I couldn't, and wouldn't want, to imagine life without him! We love you Andrew!

Mess

2007-05-02T17:58:00.000-04:00

As I was checking Martha's blog, I heard noises in the kitchen. It seems Aaron wanted to crack eggs. Thankfully, I only had two left in the carton. I didn't enjoy cleaning it up, but he still didn't seem to mind!

Me

2007-05-02T11:15:00.000-04:00

This is me. No it's not a self portrait, it was taken by Joshua, in the position I'm usually in, chauffer! I thought you all may want to see what I actually look like. (Now I know many of you wish it would have remained a mystery!) I just turned 34 on April 19th, and I really still can't believe I'm that old! I was raised in a Wesleyan Holiness church, but my grandparents are the ones who took me. My parents were not christians (my dad was saved in 1993) so the rules of dress and hair didn't "apply" to me. Actually, my mom hated long hair and forced me to keep it short (so short I was mistaken for a boy even at the age of 12)! Once I was allowed to grow it (my teen years) I have kept it on the longer side, for the most part, but not long enough for it to go swimming in the toilet! (That was just for you, Angie) I am in the process of attempting to grow out my bangs for the first time in my life. It is driving me crazy! Two years ago, I lost 63 pounds, as you can tell, I gained it back! I am a stress eater, and it was a rough year and a half. I need to lose it again! For the past 8 years we have attended Springdale Nazarene Church. It was WAY out of my comfort zone to leave the church I had attended since I was 5. It was for the best. The children's department is wonderful, so is our pastor. My old church was really small, elderly, and other "issues" I won't go into. I have found a "niche" I didn't realize I had. I teach the 6th grade girls S.S. class (way different since I have all boys) and really enjoy doing outings with the 5th and 6th graders on a monthly basis. Scott and I both will be attending the preteen mission trip in June.

Jared's Self Portrait

2007-04-27T17:06:00.000-04:00

Jared has a habit of taking my camera (without my knowledge) and takes all kinds of pictures. I have had to learn to check my camera prior to developing. He took these today, and it was perfect timing!

Self Portrait

2007-04-27T16:48:00.000-04:00

I hope you all enjoy my self portrait! I know you probably have been wondering what I look like. I have a bit of a hair problem. I did take the photo myself (as Carrie had said to do), and I think it turned out well.

Flashback

2007-04-21T23:18:00.000-04:00

These are pictures from our trip to Camp Lejune, North Carolina. We went over President's Day weekend to welcome some of our troops home from Iraq. Scott's youngest brother is a Marine. Joshua was the most excited about seeing all of our military people. The top photo is two of Matt's buddies that he served with, Matt is the tallest one (far right) and Joshua is with them. The guy in the middle received a purple heart after his vehicle ran over a bomb. Thankfully, he was not seriously injured, and this was a pure miracle from God. The bottom photo is two men who have already served two tours of Iraq and were setting up a field operation. They were kind enough to let Joshua and Andrew take a picture with them, and then excited the boys even more by offering to let them hold their M16's. (Yes they were unloaded) The boys were so excited and you can tell by their smiles. It was an interesting trip, and an emotional one. Matt turned 20, less than two weeks after returning from Iraq. He is already set to return, to Iraq, in November of this year. This will be the second Christmas, in a row, without him. Please, let this be a reminder to continue to pray for all our troops.

2007-04-17T21:13:00.000-04:00

Parky's Farm

2007-04-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

We recently celebrated my cousin, Danielle's son, Alex's 5th birthday at Parky's Farm. This is a picture from that day that I love. Alex is the goat, my aunt Joan is the cow, Aaron is the lamb, Jared is the pig, and my aunt Rhonda is the horse.

Joshua

2007-04-16T21:20:00.000-04:00

This is Joshua William . He was half asleep in this photo (he requested that I inform you all of that). He was born March 5, 1996. It was a leap year and he was due Feb. 27th. In other words he was a week late. His middle name is after my father. It is hard for me to believe that I have an eleven year old. He is in the 5th grade, which in our school district places him in the middle school. He started playing the sax this past Sept. and had a solo in our church play in Dec. He obviously has God given talent musically. He did not get this from me, but we have a strong family of musicians on my side. (It somehow skipped me totally) He had his check-up last month and is almost 5ft. tall and weighs 105. He gained 20 pounds in the past year! He is sensitive to others feelings, but as puberty is hitting, I find him to be more sarcastic than ever before! Having a disabled brother has made him more conscientious to people with disabilities. He is not one to make fun of peers who cannot do things as well as others. Just tonight he was asking advice on what to do when kids on his baseball team make fun of his friend (who has never played before). He wouldn't make fun of him, but he also wanted to properly stand up for him too. He has his typical kid moments, but we are really proud of him! He has played baseball since kindergarten (t-ball then). He has played basketball in our church's Upwards program since 2nd grade. He says he wants to try football this year. He keeps us very busy! Mostly, he is looking forward to our church's preteen mission trip this summer, to intercity Nashville.

My boys

2007-04-15T22:01:00.000-04:00

Here's another picture of the boys, in order of age, Joshua, Andrew, Aaron, and Jared. Jared wanted to show everyone how strong he is!
Martha, I don't think you've seen Joshua with his contacts! I just realized he got them after you moved.

Bella

2007-04-15T21:56:00.000-04:00

This is my latest addition to our family. We adopted her from the "no kill" shelter, near our home. We have another cat, named Molly, that we've had for 7 years. I need to adopt four-legged females to have any allies in this house.

Easter

2007-04-15T21:34:00.000-04:00

Here is finally a picture of my boys! This is as dressed up as they get for Easter. Joshua, is the oldest, Andrew is next, then Aaron and Jared. Andrew and Jared have the fake smile going on anymore! I tried to color coordinate them more, but the older two wouldn't have it. I dressed them alike alot when they were younger, and they hate it now. The best I could do was all in a shade of blue. Look for more pictures to come!

Opening Day

2007-04-14T11:02:00.000-04:00

Today was opening day for baseball season. Andrew is playing baseball for the first time, he is in 3rd. grade, and Joshua has played every year since he was 5 (he is now in the 5th grade). I must admit, that I was not looking forward to the games today. It has been so cold, and today is no exception. Andrew's game was scheduled for 8:30 a.m., which means we were to arrive at 8:00 a.m. I don't like to drag all four boys (and myself) out in the cold morning air. Scott doesn't mind it as much as I do. Well, it started raining before dawn! Opening day has been canceled! I really do not like to have rain out days, because I don't like to have to fit these games into an already full schedule. Today I am thankful. It is too cold and wet!

Road to recovery

2007-04-11T09:58:00.000-04:00

Well, everyone has has enough antibiotic in them to no longer be contagious. They are feeling better, but not 100%. I think I have decided to cancel all of Aaron's tests for this week. It has been an agonizing decision. It takes so long to get these appointments, but since he has been sick, and he is weaker, I don't want to put him thru anything else. The good news is, Scott is still going to take the next two days off and we can spend some family time together! I'm really excited about that. As he was leaving this morning for work he noticed my back tire is flat on my van. I guess that will be our first order of business. Do you know how it is when you didn't plan on leaving the house (I also am watching my friends son today), now I can't leave, I feel trapped. I guess I could start cleaning my house. It is much needed!

I should be a doctor!

2007-04-09T18:07:00.000-04:00

I just thought I'd let you know, after sitting in an exam room for one hour, with 4 kids, I received the official diagnoses that I already knew. Joshua and Aaron both have strep, and Jared has a sinus infection. Please pray that the rest of us stay healthy.

Is this what the rest of the week is going to be like?

2007-04-09T13:43:00.000-04:00

Well, day two of spring break. It's almost 2p.m. and I still haven't showered yet. I know, you're all thinking how gross I must be and currently happy I haven't posted any photos. Three of my four boys are sick! We have doctor's appointments at 4:10. Since I not only have a medical background, but also a mommy background, I've already diagnosed them. Joshua, and Aaron both have strep, and Jared has a sinus infection. Andrew, is still healthy, and has been ordered to remain that way. Since all of you, with Martha as an exception, don't know my children, this is the worst time for Aaron to be ill. Aaron is physically, and mentally handicapped. (I plan to go into details in a future "meet the kids" post) Aaron is scheduled to have a lot of testing at the end of this week. This was already going to be a difficult spring break at the end of this week, I guess it just started early. I really shouldn't whine, I just had big remodeling plans for this week. Ok, I NEED to go take a shower. All is actually quite for the moment, I need to take my chance! I hope all of you are having a good start to your week!

He has risen!

2007-04-08T08:46:00.000-04:00

He has risen indeed! This was the response that you were to use after my Granny quoted "He has risen" to you. Every Easter morning I continue that quote with my kids. I guess it's part of my way of keeping some of Granny's memory alive. I'm so thankful for Easter, what God has done for all of us, the suffering He had his Son go thru for us. It is so hard for me as a parent to imagine. I have four sons, not just one, and I can't imagine sacrificing any of them, for someone else! Maybe because I am a mere mortal. As I ponder all of this, I still can't help but remember Easter 4 years ago. Granny was so close to death. She actually had asked my permisson the day before to "go home". The day before Easter that year was my 30th birthday. I told her that I didn't want her to suffer, and I wasn't going to be the one to argue with God. If it was her turn to go home, I wouldn't stand in her way. She made it thru that night (much to everyone's surprise), and was alive for Easter dinner. Even though all she could do was lay in her hospital bed (which was in the living room), she was there. I believe she made it through that day for the sake of my oldest son. Joshua was only 7 at the time. Easter morning he didn't want to get out of bed until he knew, for sure, that Granny was alive. He kept saying that she HAD to live through Easter. She did, and went home to be with Jesus 3 days later. As I watch my kids this morning, checking out their Easter baskets before church, I see how happy Joshua is. He is my most sensitive boy, and I thank God that He spared Granny that day. Four years later, I'm not sure how long the lasting affect would have been for him, but I know I still vividly remember it. I also am thankful for that final Easter with Granny, and will continue to teach my kids her favorite phrase. Have a blessed Easter, and remember, He has risen.....He has risen indeed!

Continuing Frustration

2007-04-06T15:15:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of our spring break. The flurries have begun (I hate snow), my kids are exceptionally rowdy, and I still can't get pictures to post on my blog. I called the technical support department (since both my camera and computer are HP's) to see if there was any possibility to fix my problem. I picked the number to call that claimed to only speak English. Well, the man spoke English, but not very well. He continued to call me "Lee", until I finally said, "It is Leslie". I may have let it slide had I not been so irritated by that point. If I paid $30 he would transfer me to the support team, who could walk me thru simple steps to make my pictures work. I wanted to know if it was even possible to make it work before I paid any money. I told him I would want to discuss it with my husband first and decide what we would do. He then told me he would hold while I phoned my husband for permisson! Apparently, he didn't understand that I wasn't asking for permisson, but to consult with my spouse about our options!!! Hopefully, tonight we can get someone who may help us better, and Scott will be home for me to get permisson from!

In the beginning......

2007-04-05T13:37:00.000-04:00

God created the heavens and the earth. Wait, wrong story for this post. I just thought I'd fill you all in a little about myself. Leslie (that would be me) was born on April 19,1973. My birthday has always been a big deal to me. People thought I'd grow out of it, especially once I hit 30, but I never did. I'm like a little kid who still counts it down. Fast forward to October,1992. I was invited to go "haunted housing" with a friend from high school, and some people she worked with at Kings Island. I went, and met a cute guy, named Scott. The next day, at another gathering, I found out he was still in high school. I was in shock (I graduated in 1991), I thought he was in college like the rest of us. His first response to me was to inform me he was 18. He had been for a whole 2 weeks! Well, I didn't let the year and a half age difference stand in my way. I thank God everday for that. Scott does love to rub in how much older I am than him, and our kids find humor in it also. On September 24,1994, we married. Our first son, Joshua, was born in March,1996, Andrew came December, 1997, Aaron was born September, 2000, and our surprise, Jared, was born in November,2002.

Scott commented on the title of my blog. He didn't seem happy. I thought about using Clark Capers, until I looked it up in the dictionary, and realized it meant illegal activity. The more I thought about my title, I realized it fits. We are raising 4 boys, and there is never a dull moment. Life is crazy, chaotic, but wonderful! Stay tuned for more.

Frustration

2007-04-04T22:22:00.000-04:00

I am very frustrated!!!! I finally got a new computer, have high speed internet, own a digital camera, and I'm not able to post pictures! We have the new vista software (instead of windows), and my digital camera disc doesn't work with this system. I guess we will be calling tomorrow to see what we need to do. If anyone knows how to remedy this, please let me know.

Martha, you are safe from any "black mail" photos, I do not have a scanner.

Up and Running

2007-04-04T14:57:00.000-04:00

We finally bought a new computer, and I can now have my own blog! I'm so excited, since I've been posting on other's blogs for some time now. I'm happy to be part of the blogging world. I need to figure out how to post pictures, before Martha digs out her old photos of me.
Come back and visit. Pictures should be added soon.