This is the Life (August 2016)

Where should I begin...

*Today marks day 47/60, and nothing has changed which is an absolute answer to prayer.

*Our family just spent a relaxing week in Branson.  It was such a gift to get away from the normalcy of our busy stressful lives.  We played, rested, laughed, and filled our days with adventure.

*Scott turned 40 on July 19, and he celebrated by buying a rental property sight unseen off the courthouse steps.  Life is always an adventure with My Sweet Scotty.  Needless to say, we are knee deep in flooring, paint, landscaping, and lighting updates.

*After much prayer, we have decided to transition Andrew and Olivia to our local public schools.  If you know me, you understand the weight of this decision.  Spending 2+ hours each day transporting the oldies to and from school isn't in the best interest of our little boys.  I can't even imagine our lives without Cornerstone Academy, but we are confident in the timing of our decision.  Yesterday was our first opportunity to register Andrew for his 7th grade year at his new school.  We were there right when they opened, but Andrew had no choice in electives.  As a result, he will be spending a semester taking Fashion Design.  Scott and I are horrified, but Andrew is taking it like a champ.

*Skipper has now survived two reconstructive knee surgeries.  Eleven weeks after his first surgery which also happened to be the day after Caleb was born, Skipper torn several muscles in his "good" leg.   We were told that there was a 40% chance that this would happen, but everyone was surprised that it happened so soon after his first surgery.  It has been a long stressful recovery, and unfortunately all is not well.  We have a few more decisons to make over the next few months.

This is the Life (June 2016)

We are knee deep into this thing we love so very much- SUMMER!

-The Oldies spent 2 weeks on an RV trip out west with my parents, and they had the most wonderful time.  It was such a joy watching the 4 of them share this special adventure while creating memories to last a lifetime.  My only request was for them to take a lot of photos.  They have now managed to narrow the photos that they took down to 894!  What can I say...they are obedient.

-Earlier this spring, I enrolled Andrew and Olivia in an advanced swim class with the most wonderful swim teacher.  I am happy to report that their swimming skills improved exponentially last week.  Jax and I also participated in a Mom/Tot class, and it didn't go as expected.  My only child who has loved water from birth suddenly developed a strong fear of the water and screamed at the top of his very large lungs every day for the entire 30 minute lesson.  I was "that" parent, and he was most definitely "that" child.  Like any good mother, on Thursday I enrolled him for this week.  The weekend was spent dreading a repeat version of the torture, but to my surprise (and to the surprise of everyone at the pool) he jumped in the water, flipped over, and started floating on his back independently.  Everyone joked that Jax must have a less cooperative twin who attended class last week.  I can laugh about it now, but it was awful and exhausting.  

-Olivia is attending AHG camp this week and loving every minute of it in spite of the humid hot St Louis weather.  By the end of the week, she will have earned 3 badges to add to the 10 that she is already sporting on her uniform.  I can't even begin to express how thankful I am for the women who are using this ministry to love and shape my Olivia.

-If you have seen Andrew lately, you would probably agree that he has without a doubt grown a few feet.  We are noticing that his voice is starting to change too.  With that said, he is an absolute joy despite his continuous activity in the pantry.  He has several basketball camps on the calendar this summer as well as a few football camps.  I have surrendered to the pressure.  His natural talent on the football field can no longer be denied or ignored.  Pray for me.

-Jaxson absolutely loves having 3 day time playmates.  He can more often than not be found in his dress up box, playing with his Paw Patrol pups, or battling villains with his super hero figures.  I am trying to foster a love for coloring and fine motor activities, but unfortunately I am failing at this task.  However, he is enrolled in preschool 2 days a week starting in late August.

-Skipper had his knee surgery 7 long weeks ago.  He is doing great physically, but he has become extremely emotionally dependent.

-The birthmother that we are matched with is now 37 weeks and 3 days which is over 3 weeks longer than she has carried any of her other children.  Reaching this point is a true miracle!  We still have the same hurdles to jump before Caleb will be ours, but we are confident that God has a plan for this birthmother, Caleb, and our family.  Honestly, I am exhausted and anxious, but trying to focus on being obedient to God's quiet voice.  This is the path that he has for our family, and my prayer is that we can walk it with unimaginable love, grace, and faith.  Jaxson walked by the nursery this morning and excitedly proclaimed, "Daddy, we are getting a baby today!"  Who knows?  We could be getting a baby today!

-I have made a number of hard personal decisions the past few months.  I have let go of several relationships.  People change.  Ideas change.  Priorities change.   There have been moments of grief, but I am thankful for the beauty that has come out of my decisions.  God has placed a number of new women in my life who share my convictions, passions, and interests.  I am simply amazed at how God allows complete strangers' paths to cross in order for true relationships to form.  I have spent months praying, reflecting, creating lists, and getting back to the simple.  I have spent far too much time letting the past dictate my future.  I have never been more sure of who I am in Christ.  My husband thinks I am beautiful.  My children feel loved and treasured.  I am honoring my parents.  I am doing my very best to love my neighbor as myself.  Surrendering my selfish ways  to Christ multiple times a day has become a priority.  I am enough.  That is enough.

-Last night, Scott managed to finish hanging the porch swing that my grandfather built many years ago.  Many childhood hours were spent contemplating life while swinging on this very swing. Our house is officially a home.  Not just any home...my home.

-We have a thief.  He wears a black mask.  He sneaks into our garage at night and takes random things of interest.  His name starts with "Rac" and ends with "coon".  Country living isn't for the scared.

This Is the Life (April 2016)

*We have now been living in our home 4 days shy of 6 months, and we are really starting to make it our own.  I have officially ran my fingers through the dirt, built a new flower bed, and planted familiar plants.  We have found ourselves running less and staying home more.  Woodpeckers, deer, squirrels, cardinals, and mice...oh my!

* I deleted my facebook account which was a really emotional decision for me.  Much to my surprise, I have never been happier and more content.  A sweet friend questioned my decision last week, and I expressed myself by saying, "I am now living the life that I choose.  I am not trying to mimic others or seek approval for my choices.  I am living an authentic, true to me life, and I am once again embracing all of the things that make me unique."

*Joey Feek died.  Unfortunately, I did not become a fan of this exceptional woman until cancer began destroying her body, but she influenced me in a way that I can't even begin to put into words.  In one of Rory's blog posts, he wrote, "She lettered in love."  When I pass into Heaven, I can only hope that my loved ones will be able to say the same about me.  I found out about Joey's passing while at the Grand Ole Opry.  It just seemed fitting.

*We have been matched for another adoption.  God is once again stretching me.  My hope is that I will be able to make a beautiful post introducing a healthy baby boy who we will have named Caleb Jesse soon.  With that said, there are far too many hurdles to jump before he will be ours to parent.  I almost wrote "ours to love", but we all already love him.  We always will.

*Scott has started putting together a new business plan.  He is incredibly excited about his new venture, and (surprisingly) I am too.  If I were asked to name the one who is enjoying our new home the most, Scott would without a doubt be my choice.

*Andrew has officially managed to pass the 5'7" mark on the growth chart hanging in our hallway.  Empty cupboards, stuffed lunch boxes, smelly room, acne products, basketball, lack of common sense, deep conversations, and a lot laughter are all phrases that accurately describe this season in his life.  I really struggled with the idea of having a teenager because I have never been too fond of them (even when I was one), but I am truly loving this age.  On the way to school one morning last week, he stated matter of fact, "Mom, if the NBA thing doesn't work out, I am going to be a goat farmer.  There you have it.  That is my life plan!"

*Olivia is still charming her teacher and beating all of the boys at knock out on a daily basis.  Every time I meet a new mother of one of the boys in her class, she always raises her eyebrows, smiles, and says, "We hear a lot about Olivia at our house."  The two of us have been reading the book, "Wonder", and it is deeply impacting both of us.  Through our tears, we have found ourselves discussing mature topics and praying that our attitudes towards others change.

*Jaxson's love of action figures has grown stronger as has his love of all things Frozen.  His current favorite is Wonder Woman (insert an Andrew eye roll).  His vocabulary is phenomenal, and he continues to do his best to keep up with the oldies.  Tuesday evening, Jax noticed the half moon.  He asked, "Who put the moon there?"  Scott responded, "God did."  Without missing a beat, Jax followed with, "God broke it in pieces?"

*Moving a city dog to the country has posed its fair share of problems.  Last month, Skipper was treated for tick fever.  Today, he is walking around on 3 legs.  Surgery is more than likely in his very near future.

This is the Life {3}

*Last Friday, we were faced head on with the decision to end Fraidy's suffering by putting him to sleep.  This was a decision that we spent months contemplating.  His condition seemed to improve over the summer, but spiraled  downward once the moving boxes began lining the bare walls.  It has been a difficult, emotional week to say the least.  Tears have been shed daily.

I snapped this photo seconds before Scott gently placed him in the crate.  It was almost as if he knew we were saying our final good-bye.  I am confident that I have been loved by few people more than this kitty.  

*Last week, we had a sewer inspection at our current home. The inspectors quickly called me downstairs to view the video footage and to break some bad news. A large root had managed to grow completely through our sewer pipe. They prepared me for at least $2,000 worth of repairs. The next step in correcting this problem was to have the sewer lines cleaned so that they could get footage to the main allowing us to determine how much of the sewer pipes would have to be replaced. The Roto Rooter man told me that he ran into at least 3 roots while cleaning the pipes. The inspectors returned one afternoon last week, and we were prepared for the worst. They once again called us downstairs to view the new footage as well as previous recorded footage. There was no sign of any holes in our sewer lines. We were able to share our faith because the only explanation was a miracle. Our house PASSED the sewer inspection.

*Two days before school started, we broke down and bought Andrew new size 9 tennis shoes.  Less than 2 months later, we broke down and bought Andrew new size 10 tennis shoes.  I think his college fund is being quickly depleted in order to buy groceries.  

This is the Life {2}

Overwhelmed would be a definite understatement to describe how I am feeling at this exact moment.

*We will be moving all of our possessions from one home to another on October 20 in a very crunched amount of time.  Hiring movers has alleviated a lot of the stress, but my heart still beats a hundred miles a minute as I attempt to wrap my head around the logistics of that day.  

*Scott will be traveling a lot the next few weeks leaving me to manage all three kiddos, their crazy busy schedules, and all the house buying/selling details.  Of course, my number one concern is the fact that I don't sleep well when he is away.  Everyone prefers a well rested momma bear.

*We had our sewer inspection today, and it was a big time failure.  We are looking at thousands of dollars in repairs before closing.

*I have 2 swollen lymph nodes that are driving me crazy.  I was terrified that I was dying for several days.  After much research and several Dr. examinations, I am now at peace with the fact that I just have an infection that started from a sore on my head. 

I received this text from Deana yesterday..."There are a couple types of people who never die.  The mean and crazy...you're safe!"

On another note, what can make a stinky failed sewer inspection seem so unimportant?  A beautiful bouquet hand delivered by this cutie patootie in his underwear...

This is the Life {1}

Before 11 a.m...

*One of my children managed to seriously offend another child in our carpool by referring to his friends as "wimps who only play video games".

*I was honked at in the car pool line because it was taking the 6 kiddos too long to get out of the car.  Please note that our school has less than 100 students, and I am dropping off over 6% of the student body.  Therefore, I should be entitled to at least 30 seconds in the car pool line.

*I cleaned up two "almost made it to the potty" accidents and did the "pee pee on the potty" dance at least 4 times. 

*Another "stranger" entered my home to look around and take photos.  (aka an appraiser)  I did manage to move the garbage bag off the counter before he snapped a photo.  

*I packed 2 boxes while Jax screamed at the top of his lungs, "Me like this house.  Me don't want a new one."

*While I was sobbing over leaving our home full of precious memories, Jax informed me that Skip was in the front yard.  Grumpily, I opened the door and called for him.  This is how he greeted me.