Happy Mother's Day - 01:31, Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day!

Especially to:

Granny J, My Flesh and Intuition

Mama Leah, My Heart and Support

Grandmommie, My Encouragement and Inspiration

Princess Ronii, My Kindred Spirit

Momma's Tired, My Forever Friend

Hope everyone has a very special day!

(P.S. We got these lovely dresses from www.ringgerclothing.com/shop/shop.php )

Home for the weekend. - 12:05, Wednesday, May 7, 2008

We brought Papa home for the weekend.  Picked him up Thursday evening after visiting some friends a few hours away.  Friday was busy.  I tried to fit in some school, then we headed into town for the big girls to help clean the church and the littl'ns and I went to the library.  Papa wasn't too happy about having to go with us and pouted about it.  We just can't leave him home alone anymore and he can't understand why.  Anyway, I finally talked him into letting me take him by the coffee shop.  Several buddies were there for him to visit with and he purked up a bit.  Saturday he got pretty grumpy.  There is just so much activity and noise here that he's not used to.  He got really tired.  He said they let him do anything he wants to at "that place".  I told him that was because they don't have little children around to worry about and they have more people to keep an eye on things.  They forgot to let all they're help know we had him and had one helper looking for him for an hour or more before she found out...  One of our neighbors works there and stopped by Sunday morning and gave him a bath.  He really purked up after that.  I was really afraid he would fight us about going to church, but he was ready to go and even participated.  That was so nice.  We came home, had lunch, cleaned up things, then went for a walk and took some pictures.  We had company show up.  They have 7 children.  We stayed mostly outside with them and he took a nap inside.  He just doesn't have much patience for the children.  I took him back Monday morning and he was definitely ready to go.  I think we have cured his whining for a while.  At least he has new stories to tell the other residents.  I was also able to get him to go through some of his books and things, and he decided to take several things with him, which I was releived of.  I'm sure some of his grumpyness was also from seeing his stuff gone through and dispursed.  I think he finally realized he will never be "home" by himself again.  I'm sure it was hard for him.  When hubby talked to him this evening, he said he'd be ready for another visit in about 6 or 7 months...  It was nice to have him, but it's so nice to know he's well taken care of in a place where he is happy and we don't have to worry about him...  I didn't do laundry or any real housework while he was here, so I wouldn't be stressed trying to keep up with him and chores.  I'm still really tired anyway.  Just trying to make sure he's not getting in trouble and that he is getting his meds and all is quite a bit extra.  I'm just taking it as easy as possible and trying to catch up on laundry and stay caught up with school right now.  We'll all get rested up and recuperated soon, I'm sure.  Hopefully we didn't wear him out too much and he'll be up to a camping trip sometime this summer.

Question about dresses? - 11:51, Saturday, April 12, 2008

For other dress-wearing moms:

Okay,  I found this site.  What was in called...?  Wholesome Womanhood or something like that.  It was a nice one.  They had this great thing, A Week in Dresses with pictures of several different ladies doing their week's work in dresses to show that you can be fiminine and work at the same time.  The pictures were all several years old.  I was intrigued.  I wear dresses most of the time and have tried to encourage my daughters to dress feminine.  Our tomboy delights in pretty blouses and the 6 yearold loves decorated tees...  but they wear jeans except for church or special outings.   The biggest problem is that we live in windy country and we have outside chores to do.  Milking, feeding, fence mending type chores.  Then helping Hubby in the oil feild sometimes.  I have no problem cooking, cleaning, or even gardening in a dress.  I'd like to see some pictures of women doing dirty work in dresses.  I know it can be done, and that is usually how I do it but my hubby and children aren't there yet.  I've seen these tag thingys going around. I wonder if we could do something like that here.  I know I don't like my picture taken at all, much less all dirty cleaning a brand-new-baby goat or sitting on the tractor.  I'm sure you are all the same, but maybe these dirty moments are the ones that need to be shown.  Some reality rather than trying to make dresses look like a glamorous June Cleaver thing.  I've heard men say that they think they're wives are the loveliest when they feel the least lovely.  We need to let posterity know that Great Great Grandma really loved being feminine, even when she was in the most mundane and dirty of circumstances.  (Though I do know many of them adorned Grandpa's overalls when they helped fix the roof, some instances may require that modesty and femininity don't mean what we usually picture...  I'm all for chunking the designer jeans, but if there aren't a lot of handy men around to help your hubby, it may be a good idea to keep a pair of overalls handy to slip into...  I'm open to thoughts here too of course.)  I hope to have lots of comments (and maybe some pictures) on this topic!

Prayers to all!

Spring Fever - 11:06, Saturday, April 12, 2008

I feel like I'm flitting around like these silly birds outside.  I've been rearanging things again, trying to figure out how to fit 9 people's stuff into this little farm house.  With school and office, it's a circus around here.  I need to get the baby out of our room so we can start encouraging her to sleep through the night.  Before I can do that, I have to move all Papa and the Boys' stuff out of this little 9 1\2 x 9 1\2 room next to ours.  So, the boys' stuff went upstairs.  Well, I got into all kinds of trouble for that one.  The girls had gotten used to  having the big 20 x 20 something room to theirselves.  It's sad that the largest room in the house is upstairs.  I guess it had actually been 3 or 4 rooms at some point in time...  I was planning to put up a curtain in between, but I might just see how this goes for a while.  I may end up moving the boys back down.  There is also a little room upstairs that is used for a closet and storage.  We need new windows in there.  I'd like to make half of it into a bathroom, but I don't know if that will ever happen.  I thought I might be able to get around to painting that half boy colors and put them in there.  I just hate that they'd have to walk through the girls' room to get to the stairs.  The little room downstairs is already decorated for the boys, I just don't know that I have room for the bed and crib...  The window and doors all seem to be in the wrong spots...  Plus there is Papa's recliner.  Well now I need to get Papa's stuff out and put some plywood and sticky tiles down on the floor before I can move the crib into the little room.  It will just all take time.  Maybe the baby will start sleeping through the night and can go upstairs with the girls soon.

We have made more progress as far as the Papa situatoin.  We haven't had him home for the weekend yet.  We all had a nasty respritory virus right after cleaning out his trailor.  It lasted for more than 3 weeks.  He had broncitus at the same time.  He started feeling lots better about halfway through the month and was really trying to push us to bring him home.  I talked to him and told him that my health needs to be taken care of first.  Then we're going to just try some weekends and a few camping trips to see how things go.  Hubby has arranged that we can use a neighbor's camper.  It can be put ground level at our front door.  It has a little living area big enough for his recliner and a card table and it has a bathroom with a shower.  Hubby will have to unhook the stove.  I feel pretty good about this plan.  It will give him a place and give us some space.  I'll have to lock the house while we do school and Hubby will have to lock the buildings to keep him from rescattering everything again.  But I will be able to see him come and go from the big dining room window.  Our only other propblem is that his legs started bleeding again.  Our original deal with him was that he had to be well for a whole 30 days before we would consider bringing him home.  That was November and he just hasn't.  I know the swelling and the pnemonia are simptoms of a much bigger problem.  Either his heart or his kidneys are giving out, or both.  He wants to come home to die.  I understand and respect that.  When he gets to the point that he's terminal, if we can, I'm fine with having him here with nurses.  It's the in-between that is the problem.  He feels good enough to get himself or someone else hurt, but is still needing lots of medical attention.  We'll just have to see how his attitude is when he gets home for a weekend.  The nurses are spoiling him rotten, letting him eat icecream for supper then feeding him sandwiches at midnight and giving him his baths at 1am.  I told him that won't happen here.  We'll just see what the Lord's plan is for him. 

As far as my health.  My ultrasound and all seem to be fine and I haven't had any problems for over two weeks now.  I'm feeling good and have been active.  We'll see how the next few months go...

OOps... - 09:39, Wednesday, March 5, 2008

I just read an email from a dear family member wanting an update on Papa.  I realized I haven't really put any information about how he's been doing for a while.  That was silly of me, sorry.  He has had very swollen legs.  They broke out in sores and he's had them bandaged up for over a month.  Hubby talked to him last night, but he was pretty incoherrent, so he was unable to find out how much better it is and whether or not they are still wrapped up.  We have a "Health Plan Meeting" on the 13th with the head Nurse.  Hopefully we will learn more then. 

He has a roommate now.  When he found out they were fix'n to move someone in, he packed up all his stuff (which he doesn't have much there, he refuses to keep his stuff there, I guess he's worried about someone walking off with it).  Well, he actually called and talked to me a little after they got the roommate in and he sounded very compassionate.  I guess the fella' is in a lot of pain.  The nurse said Papa has been acting protective of him.  I was really worried he'd have a bad attitude, but he must have calmed down.

I have the boys room all decked out with Papa's pictures and antiques and his recliner.  Hopefully we'll be ready to bring him home with us on the 13th for a long weekend.

I have a Doctor's appointment that day as well.  I'm hoping that all the beef and leafy greens I've been eating these last several weeks have brought my blood counts up enough to not have to have iron injections.  They sound ouchy.  After the progestrone injections with the last pregnancy, my hip hurts just to think of weekly shots again!  Hubby has really been praying.  It would really be a boost of faith if the Good Lord decided to heal me.  He healed me of clinical depression 2 years ago.  I hadn't realized I had it until about a year after the children (all 5 that we had so far) and I had the whooping cough.  It took 8 weeks to get a diagnosis, and I had to insist on bloodwork.  I don't think they were wanting to diagnos it because some of us were immunized (I had even had boosters).  I don't know if it was the pertusis or the meds.  I had to take a narcotic to keep me from breaking a rib.  That is nasty stuff.  We had to have home health come in to help out.  I don't understand why people would ever want to take that stuff on purpose.  Anyway it threw me into a deep clinical depression.  I didn't know what it was, I thought I had thyroid or adreanal diffisiancy or something.  (excuse my spell'n, I know it's bad)  Anyway, our wonderful Bible-believing, homeschool-dad, Doctor was loving enough to tell me what he really thought was the problem.  I even argued with him (he's used to that by, after helping me through 4 of my 6 pregnancies), telling him I had no reason to be depressed, I'm a Christian with a wonderful Godly husband and 5 precious children.  Anyway, he was right.  I took 5HTP for a year and a half and then started having tummy troubles, which took me about 2 weeks to figure out was because I didn't need it any more.  I became pregnant with #6 the next month.  Even though I had a very difficult pregnancy and I am still trying to recover after 16 months, I have had NO sign of the depression.  Other than the anemia problem, I feel better than I ever remember feeling.  I think I had been struggling to some degree with depression for a long time and just didn't realize what it was.  Anyway the healing has been a blessing to our faith and a great testimony to God's Love.  Whether He decides it works into His Plan to heal me some more or not, I will continue to Praise Him for His Loving Care.

Moving Papa's stuff... - 03:23, Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Well, here I am with stuff piled high all the way around me.  Someone bought Papa's trailor.  We hadn't advertised it.  Hubby just happened to mention we were thinking about selling it and we had two people come look within a week, and then one came by with 1/2 the money in cash.  Unfortunately it isn't enough to pay what we owe the nursing home for December, but it will definitely help.  I have just part of last week and the rest of this week to get all the stuff moved.  We had some help last Tuesday and then some more on Sunday.  That took several loads to the consignment shop and got the big furniture over here.  Can you believe I have stuffed 2 dining sets (with hutches) and a large picnic table in this little 3 bedroom 100 year old farm house?  Yes, I'm crazy.  Although I am naturally a tosser, I got a touch of pack-rat from both parents.  Yes, Granny J, I'm going to blame some of this you!  But you should have seen Papa Jo's face when he found out I gave away all the model airplanes.  He was planning to help the children hang them all from the rafters in the barn!  I have to admit it would have been cool, but when some of my halpers showed interest in them, I was happy to not have to come up with money to pay for the help...  Anyway.  We put the picnic table (8'x4') in the little addition (12x16 steel building added to the front door), with all the crafty and school stuff.  I'm hoping to use it for our craft and school room.  Hubby's planning to have some windows and a window unit put in to help heat and cool.  Our old blond and blue dining table went in the breezway for the oldest to put her computer and stuff.  Then, Papa's dining table is in the dining room.  It's 20" shorter than the picnic table (which we had been using) and it's oval, so we've lost a lot of space for eating area.  I'm hoping to come up with a bench for the little'ns to sit on on one side.  That would save space.  I think it's gona work if we can keep hubby's paperwork off it.  We brought over an interesting rolling cart for him to use.  He can roll it up to the table to use, then we can move the whole thing without having to upset his delicately "organized" mess...  We'll see how it works.  I may end up wanting my picnic table back!   I have one hutch in the dining room and the bottom of the other under the window on the other side of the table.  The top is in the little pantry / hot water heater / extra frig room on top of the big buffet that I refinished when a freind gave it to me several years ago...  Now  The boy's room has a twin bed (I'm hoping to figure out how to put a loft bed above it to make it into a bunk bed), Papa's recliner, the antique dresser with mirror, civil war secritary, a wicker chest (which, there will be one more of those to fit in), and a heavy end table....  The family pictures, huge portraits of hubby as a child, globe, shelves with Papa's comentaries, bible studies, and devotionals, and a few misc things I thought would be familliar to him when he stays with us for a weekend.  This is all in a 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 room!  I still have one more room in the trailor to go through.  It is the worst one.  Shelves all the way up and across on two whole walls...  Aaahhh!  This needs to be done in two days, and the oldest isn't feeling well today...  Then, I practically promised Papa he could come for a weekend in a week and a half!  I've got stuff piled on my couch, on and around the table in the dining room, and the addition is wall to wall stuffed, with stuff all over the picnic table.  I'm feeling a great need to go through things of my own, but don't even know where to start with some of this.  You know, I May Need It Some Day!  May God grant me wisdom much greater than my own, and may He keep my strength and energy sustained. 

On a more fun note.  I recently got to attend a conference with Steve and Teri Maxwell (www.Titus2.com).  I was so blessed.  I've been getting their newsletter for years and have used the MOTH book for scheduling.  It has really helped (though I never have a day that goes acording to my plan, every day is a surprise around here!).  She also has a chore thing that I picked up while we were there.  It's a chore-pack system the children wear like name badges.  It's too cool, I even did one for me.  The little ones are really liking it and it's helping the older ones to 'do the next thing'.  I'm hoping once the house is in some kind of order, that we can really start taking off with it and really getting things done.  The Maxwell's are a very inspiring family.

Well, better get back to work.  Guess I've had enough of a rest.

Hit the nail on the head! - 11:51, Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I got this from a great friend, cleaned it up a bit and sent it on.  I hardly ever open forwards much less pass them on, and I really don't like it when the end of the forward tells me I have to send it to so many people to have some good fortune or something...  But this one just hit the nail on the head.  If you really think about it, our tuff friends are always the best of all.  They love us enough to tell us how the cow ate the cabbage and they do it in love even though they know we don't deserve it.  One of my good friends gave me a picture for the wall saying, "You'll always be my friend...  You know too much!"   Too true...  Thank God for Proverbs 17:17a and 18:24b  "A friend loveth at all times, ... and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."  I don't know where I'd bee whithout these special blessings.

    True Friendship

 None of that Sissy Stuff!

 Are you tired of those sissy ‘friendship’ poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality?

 Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship.  You will see no cutesy little smiley faces here, just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad – I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey.
2. When you are blue – I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you…
3. When you smile – I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.
4. When you are scared – I will pick on you about it every chance I get.
5. When you are worried – I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.
6. When you are confused – I will use little words.
7. When you are sick – Stay away from me until you are well again.  I don’t want whatever you have.
8. When you fall – I will point and laugh at your clumsiness

 This is my oath…  I pledge it to the end.  “Why?” you may ask; because you are my friend.

 Friendship is like wetting your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth.

Thrilled with the new china cabinet! - 03:23, Monday, January 28, 2008

I won't take a picture of the inside.  It's scarry how much we stuffed into it!  Now we're painting the utility room (see the ladder in the background?).  We've got some clearance wallpaper to put up in there.  It's going to be bright and cheery when we get done.  A fresh coat of paint always does wonders for my spring fever...

Please keep us all in your prayers.  The prairie fires out here are really bad.  The wind is horrendous (sp?).  I feel for those who had to live through the dust storms of the '30's.  I can see how it could get really awful really fast.  With the draught and fires, there isn't much left to hold the top soil down and the dirt blowing in is bad.  Our buildings and sheds are blowing all over and the limbs in the trees that the ice storms broke a few weeks ago are falling and blowing onto the vehicles.  The mail in the mailbox had a layer of dirt and ash all over it.  It makes a person feel like they can't get clean, much less keep anything else clean.  It's very humbling to see what little we can really do.  Praise God for His mercy.  Our freinds and family are safe.

The shelves are in! - 07:23, Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Hidden China Cabinet! - 02:52, Monday, January 21, 2008

conspiracy in the nursing home - 03:14, Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Happy New Year... - 07:03, Friday, January 4, 2008

There is still snow on the ground, but it's dissapointing we haven't had enough to build a snowman or do any sledding.  It is s-soooo cold.  Grandpa is doing well.  He's really wanting to come home.  I finally got over to the trailor yesterday and started going through some things to get it cleaned up and rearanged.  What a mess!  We did find some treasures though.  A REALLY old set of Audio Bible records still in the original box, how cool is that?  Unfortunately they are very small and would take a special turntable to play them.  I hope I can get things done by the end of the month.  We're hoping to bring him home for a weekend.  It would be nice for his birthday, but I'm doubting that, unless I get some help.  The weather has kept the helpers away.  Also, with the holidays, the mail has been usually slow and I haven't been able to get the paperwork done for the medicade stuff.  He did finally ask for something!  Envelopes and stamps to write some letters.  That was encouraging.  Maybe since he's getting fed good and his meds regularly, he can write some coherent letters and actually send them.  He had partial letters of meaningless babble in stacks all over his house, part of my cleaning task.  It's sad, he thinks he's accomplishing so much and has done nothing but make a huge mess.  We're hoping that since he's getting such good care, maybe he'll feel like going camping with us this summer.  Right now we just are not planning to bring him home for good.  He just doesn't want us to take care of him at all.  It's been so nice to not have to worry about him and to be able to enjoy visiting with him, without having to fuss with him several times a day.  We're thinking we'll try visiting him around every two weeks and bringing him home for a weekend every month or two (depending on weather and health) and then maybe we can take him on some camping trips.  Hopefully that will be enough outings to give him some different scenery without sacrificing anyone's health.

The children are all doing well.  We've had such good health this year.  It has been so nice.  We've had just a touch of allergies and sinus stuff here and there, but nothing major.  We're about done with our school for the year.  We started last Feb, so I'm feeling very good about our accomplishments.  The little'ns are all about done with the present math books and #5 is looking forward to starting math with everyone else.  He'll be 5 next month and I'm not too sure he's really ready for a formal course, but we'll try it out and see how he does.  #4 is learning to tell time.  I need to buy her a watch.  I've always bought them a watch when they learn to tell time.  She also just started 1st grade reading.  She's loving it.  I use Rod & Staff for reading.  Right now she's loving the workbooks, she really likes to color, so these are right up her alley.  I usually only do the workbooks for the first unit or two, they loose interest after that.  They are made for classroom busywork and have 6-10 pages per day to do.  At first there is a lot of coloring and cutting, but later it gets kinda manotnus. (okay there goes my spelling again...)  At that point I work on basics with them, mostly copywork from other things we're doing or spelling words from the words they are having the most problems with in their reading.  Once they get to reading pretty good (Ruth Bechick's next level...) then I move them to Learning Language Arts Through Litterature.  Actually this year I'm going to tray WBLA.  The technique is based on the same ideas as the LLATL, but it uses our Unit Studies as the base instead of me having to search high and low for different books...  Time savings is always a real plus.  We'll also be working on the same topics for all the children, rather than each one being in a different book.  Again, saving me lots of time.  I found a really neat looking sister program based on Character Qualities (CQLA) that looks really neat, though it does seem a bit pricey.  The web site is called Training for Triumph.  I look forward to hearing how families like it.

The older two have just been plugg'n along.  The oldest is looking forward to getting her permit, we just haven't got there yet.  I was looking forward to it too, but lately I've been getting motion-sickness a lot more than normal, so we'll see how it goes.  We're also considering some further education and some away-from-home training.  I wish there was more available closer to home...  There are so many choices.  And of course, it all costs $; travelling, room and board, and tuition....  Yikes!

The second is getting teased mercilously of late.  She has decided she wants to eventually take over the family farm (my family).  So we have decided (jokingly) to addvertize for a mail-order-husband for her.  He needs to have the family name, come from a large Christian homeschooling family and he must have lots of practice braiding hair (since she won't wear her's any other way and can't do it very well herself yet...).  We're having fun with it, and she's taking it well.  Other than that, she spends as much time as possible out in the cold with her critters.

The baby is spending most of her time climbing up onto places she isn't supposed to be.  She's covered in little bumps and bruises and we are constantly trying to rescue her from her latest conquest.  She's keeping us VERY busy!

Merry Christmas - 10:46, Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Happy Belated Chanukah! - 09:57, Saturday, December 22, 2007

Christmas at the Nursing Home - 01:46, Thursday, December 20, 2007

The Christmas party with Papa was nice.  There were a lot of people there.  One of the other residents has a beautiful name, Lavella.  Isn't that pretty?  I think it is.  Anyway.  She usually doesn't show much interest in anything but escaping her wheelchair, but when I hold the baby up for her to see, her face just brightens up and she gets the most precious smile on her face.  Papa was having trouble catching his breath.  I don't know if it was just cause he was working so hard to tell us every little thing that popped into his head, or if he's having trouble with his lungs again.  I just called the Dr.s office and they're going to make sure someone checks him out.  He was trying really seriously to convince me that he's feeling better and that he hasn't had an accident for three days.  (It was nice to see him in clothes.)  He also told the big girls that they are NOT to be spending any time taking care of him.  I told him if he comes home, we are going to HAVE to since we can't get a full time nurse for him.  He changed the subject again...  He got lots of presents from the home.  Hubby and I were quite overwhelmed.  Papa wasn't too interested and was getting tired easily, it was too hard for him to open the packages, so we did it.  (Which didn't hurt the children's feelings...)   I'm aching to take over some of his things to make the room more homey for him, but hubby is adimant about wanting to encourage him to work on getting better to come home.   He doesn't really beleive he'll be able to, but would like to see him get around better.  He's not eating much and has lost over 30 pounds.  I'm beginning to wonder if the cancer hasn't set in, though he's not complaining of pain and the Dr said his PSA is fine.  Could be the post polio has caught up with him.  His speech also sounded a little slurred, so he may have had another mini stroke.  Most likely a combination of things.  He does look really good, all in all.  The wieght needed to go and he's clean and trimmed up so nice.  If nothing else, he's getting lots of needed rest.  He hasn't slept in a bed since Grandma passed away 14 years ago, just his couch and recliner and I know they were getting uncomfortable for him.  He had even fallen out of the recliner a few times that I know of.  All in all it was a nice time and I think he enjoyed all the attention. 

Visited Papa - 11:37, Sunday, December 16, 2007

We went to visit Papa today.  He’s definitely lost weight and isn’t very coherent.  He was thrilled to see the children, especially the baby.  She was very friendly with the other residents.  They all light up when they see the little ones.  The oldest read his cards to him.  She’d read a couple to him, then he’d trail off talking about whatever for a little bit, then she’d read another couple to him.  We posted them around his room for him to look at.  He didn’t seem too interested.  He kept talking about his diarrhea and how good his last meal was and that he just sleeps all the time.  He said they have lots of parties and that he went to one, but he sat in the back in case he needed to go ended up glad he did.  He was asking about a phone, but we told him we’d like to wait and see if he was gona be able to come home first.  No reason to spend money on a phone if he wasn’t going to be there very much longer.  One of our friends is working there.  She’s “high on his list” right now because she brings him Root Beer.  He doesn’t want his Bible or any of his books, saying he can’t read them anyway.  We have a magnifying glass there for him, but he said it’s too strong, and two or three pair of reading glasses, but they are too weak…  He has a TV and DVD/VCR with some tapes and DVD's, but he said we might as well take them home with us.  We left it all anyway, hoping he’ll be able to enjoy them a bit more if he gets to feeling better.  He watched a lot of the animated Bible story videos when he was home, so I figured he’d want to there, but I think he’s forgot how to run it.  He refuses to ask for help from anyone.  They are having a Christmas Party Wednesday evening.  I’m hoping to take the children.  I got some gifts for them to open from him and a gift for him.  He always enjoys watching them open gifts.  I hope the weather doesn’t keep us from going, though we have enjoyed the moisture and need lots more.  Maybe he’ll start feeling a little better by then too.

Hope you all are doing well. 

Love & Prayers!

ice storms... - 04:46, Thursday, December 13, 2007

Papa’s not doing quite so well lately.  We don’t know if he’s just not feeling well, or if he’s getting depressed.  There’s a lot of sickness going around.  He also had a hard time with his tummy not tolerating the antibiotics.  The nurses say he’s not coming out of his room much.  When I took him over there they were asking him where he wanted to have his meals and I tried to tell them not to give him the choice to eat in his room so he would at least have to get out three times a day for meals.  I don’t know if they’re doing that or not.  Hubby’s been the one calling about him, and men aren’t real good at communication (at least mine is not).  I’ve been meaning to call, but circumstances at home have not allowed time.  We’ve just had one thing after another happening here.  I’m feeling like I don’t hardly know which way is up right now.  Hubby’s really feeling that Papa may not come home.  At this rate, I may not get around to cleaning and rearranging his house for him till spring.  I’m having trouble keeping up with our own housekeeping, on top of the bookwork for our business, homeschooling, and trying to keep up with a very active 14 month old.  With the ice storms, it’s really a good thing he’s not home right now.  Last spring was a real mess trying to get him and all the children to a cellar during the tornadoes.  I can’t imagine going through that with the way he’s getting around now.  If it was in our back yard, it would be hard enough, but having to travel to someone else’s basement…   I probably sound like I’m whining again.  We’re hoping to go visit him tomorrow.  Hopefully the next storm won’t be in yet.  The ice is melting today, what a mess!  The moisture is great and it’s nice to have the Lord prune our trees for us.  But we have limbs and mud all over the place.

Cheerfulness - 07:18, Friday, November 30, 2007

Chaos 101 vs. The Plan, Such a Blessing! - 05:58, Thursday, November 29, 2007

God is still in control.  Last night the baby did NOT sleep well at all and I was so tired this morning.  I was calling around trying to find help in getting Papa's house ready and get a hospital bed and stuff to get things set up to bring him home.  I was feeling so overwhelmed.  Finally I called one friend and left a message.  She promptly called me back and asked, "Are you needing help?".  I said, "Yes, desperitely!"  And she said, "I'll be right over."  I felt so much better, like a deflated balloon.  Before she and her hubby made it, the nursing home where Papa's Dr is called saying they have an opening.  They were our first pick but they had to put us on a list.  Some how, just when we needed it, we jumped to the top of the list.  (Only God can do that!)  Later the home he's in called and the nurse said he's got diareah, which I had noticed yesterday at our house.  I told her I think all the walking he did yesterday and he was so tired, on top of the fact that he's not used to antibiotics which he's had a lot of lately, it's probably all just taken it's toll...  I took the oportunity to tell her how I felt about the PT dismissing him, she didn't know they had and was really surprised, she's been working with him and knew he still needed a lot of help.  (Finally someone who knows something!)  So she did some asking around and we found out the PT guy is on vacation and was definitely wrong in dismissing Papa.  (I think his head is gona roll when he gets back...)  Well, the other home has a special thing where the PT will actually be at the hospital and his own doctor with supervise progress, so this will be so much better.  He will have to get in and out of a vehicle to travel the few blocks from N.home to horspistal.  This will be great, because we need him to be able to do that when we get him home.  He's gona stay there for 30 days to get on Medicade, then he will be able to get some assistance for home care.  When our friends showed up, they looked over Papa's house with me.  The hubby did janitoral work for a long time and was a supervisor at a college in the Dallas area.  He's willing to help get Papa's house all cleaned up and organized.  She is a CNA working in a nursing home (and will be at the home he's going to be at) and offered to help with baths every other day when we get Papa home.  What a blessing!  So, we're taking Papa from one place to another tommorrow.  He'll be there a minumum of 30 days, which should give us time to clean the house and prepare it for his care.  I have help with the cleaning and prep.  I also have help if he cannot bathe himself by then.  And his very own Dr is overseeing his progress, so we will really know how good he's doing and what his limitations will really be before we bring him home.

Once again, I am reminded that God has a plan and all things are under His control!  Thanks for all the prayers.  They are helping!

Papa's comming home soon... - 06:55, Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Papa had a Dr.s appointment today, so I went to the nursing home to get him and talked to the skilled nursing to see how he's doing.  Paul's been calling every day and they've said he's walking and bathing.  When I got there he was in a wheel chair...  Okay.  Then they tell me PT has dismissed him today.  Ah, Oh!  I thought I had 20 days to get his house ready for him, now they are telling me he's comming home in a few days.  I explained to them that I'm in a real pickle, needing to clean and rearange his house before he can come home.  I also need to rearange my schedule, such as it is, so we can provide his meals and administer meds and keep his house clean and laundry done up.  They all told me how great he's doing and how they've all enjoyed him and he hasn't given anyone any problems at all.  Oh boy, he's got them buffaloed...  (Actually I think they are spoiling him rotten and he's enjoying every minute of it!)  Well, I went to get him to go and he's sitting in his wheelchair finishing up his lunch and peach pie.  He asked if he's going to get to see the new bathroom and I told him if he hurried, since his appointment would be soon.  Well the old geezer next to him griped at me about not hurrying him up or he's gona get indegestion.  Oh brother...  Anyway, Papa finishes up his milk and starts rolling toward the hall.  I asked if he could walk.  He said yes.  I said he ought to do so since he's gona have to do stairs and all when he gets home.  So he griped to everyone down the hall about me being mean and making him leave his wheelchair.  I also found out, he's not bathing himself, they are using a lift and scrubbing him...  Well, buy the time Paul got him to his appointment and back he couldn't get in and out of the vehicle by himself or up and down from a chair by himself and when I got him back to the nursing home I just about didn't think he was gona make it to the door.  He said he just wants to come back to his trailor and never leave.  I told him, we'd like to work with him as much as possible but Home Health Care isn't available anymore and we don't have many options.  He agreed.  We're going to try this for a month and see how it goes.  I appreciate everyone's prayers, cause I'm feeling very overwhelmed right now.  His house is rat and spider infested and he has taken apart the faucets and clocks and has tools and modle airplane peices all over the place.  We have to pack up all the clutter and get it out, then scrub the house from top to bottom and end to end and Hubby has to fix the plumbing and maybe the HVAC as well.  We need to disconnect his stove and.....  Anyway, it's more like two weeks worth of work and I only have two days.  Thankfully we've caught up on our housework since the bathroom and they won't be back to do the utility room until the middle of December or so.  I will be living off coffee and ibuprofen for the next several days, and the next few weeks (or month) are going to be very hard adjustments for everyone around here.