Friday, July 25, 2008 - The craziest year of my life
How does one sum up the craziest year of her life in one blog post?! Let's see...
Where did we leave off?
Oh yeah..
marriage falling apart
pregnant
want a homebirth
found a midwife!
I'm measuring WAYYYY too big for my dates but I KNOW that they are accurate
schedule the ultrasound I swore I wouldn't have
It's TWIN boys!!! Oh my gracious!!! Thank you God!!!
Oh my gracious...it's twin boys....what am I going to do?!
How many placentas did she say were in that ultrasound?!
one
How many sacs did she see?
one
Oh well that means they are identical!
cool.
wait a minute....doesn't that mean they could get tangled in eachother's cords?!
Forget homebirth, we've got to find a doctor!
Oh great, we found a doctor!
Oh great, the doctor dumped us.
what are we going to do?!
hey what about this doctor?
oh wow I like this doctor...well his midwife at least...
Sorry about those kidney stones babe, but I can't find a sitter to keep the kids for my check up...I'll see you this afternoon!
What do you mean go straight to the hospital (3 hours away)?! I can't...my hubby's at home and I can't do this without him!
What do you mean I have to stay here till the twins are delivered?! That could be weeks! I can't do that, I have 5 kids and a sick hubby at home!
Babe, you better find a sitter and get up here, they are taking the boys in the morning...
In hell, they will be doing epidurals, I just KNOW it.
It's a boy...and another boy, but you can't see them.
The Apgars were 3 and 6 at one minute, doctor...
No mam, I'm afraid you can't touch the babies from the gurney because you can't scrub in first.
Here's your chance to hold your baby for the first time, mam...the social worker needs to know what type of birth control you plan to use.
We're leaving the NICU in the morning after just 9 days! Great!
I can't nurse my babies because I don't have a doctor's order to?! You do realize we're leaving in the morning, right?
I can't believe they've been home for 3 weeks...oh my God, Malachi's not breathing!!!
Now Seth's not breathing either!!!
What do you mean you need directions?! This is the 911 address you people gave us and you don't know where we are?!
So your wife was home alone with the babies when they stopped breathing?
What's that got to do with anything?!
Well they seem fine, sir, we're just trying to figure out what happened...
Turn around Doc! You'll see for yourself what happened! They're turning purple!
breathing tubes
ventilators
RSV
life flight to Tulsa (3 hours from home)
too windy for the helicopter...must take ambulance
I know it looks rough now, but they'll be home in a week.
Family separated again
Malachi needs a higher powered ventilator
We're not going home just yet are we Doc?
Seth is ready to wean from his vent!
Oops...maybe not
His right lung has collapsed and his left lung has over-inflated to make up for it, but it's pushing his heart completely out of place
Are they preparing us for the worst?!
God, I surrender this to you...I'm not giving up on Seth, but I know that my worrying can't keep him here...it's in your hands now.
Look at this x-ray! His lung popped back open and he's on his way back to us!!
Thank you LORD!!
Look his eyes are open! The paralytic drugs are wearing off!
Why are his eyes moving like that?! Why won't he look at me?!
Why aren't you telling me anything?!
Oh, he's okay...well alright then...if you say so...
I need to get home to my family for a day or two...poor hubby is falling apart.
Honey, what is this on the computer?! THIS right here! Don't try to deny it!
I can't handle this! I've got to get back to the hospital...
The boys are off their vents...and crying non-stop! What a welcome sound after 3 weeks of silence!
What do you mean they can't share a room in the new building?! How can I care for them both in separate rooms?!
Honey, they're releasing us tonight! Oh, you're already on your way? You were coming to surprise me? Wow. That was thoughtful.
27 days in the PICU...that was the longest "week" of my life.
So this whole thing could have been prevented if the NICU doctor had just given them an RSV vaccine before he released them...he never even offered!
Honey, please ask if the nurse can just call us on your cell phone or wave to us to come in...I can't see taking these boys in there to sit in a germ-ridden waiting room after all they've already been through.
Well if they won't work with us, we'll call the Soonercare helpline...that's what thy are there for.
I can't believe they just FIRED 8 week old babies in the parking lot over us calling the Soonercare line. What are we supposed to do now?!
Who knew it took 2 months to get assigned a new PCP?
Mommy, why does Seth look past me instead of at me?
Seth's not tracking! Why isn't he tracking?!
Why can't we get him into see a pediatrician?! You're his PCP...why won't you give us a referral?!
Money...or lack thereof
Hey look, this place says they can help Seth, we just need the PCP to sign off on it and it's covered!
I can't believe the PCP didn't even know what this place was...but at least he said he'd sign off...
or not
Okay, let's just jump through this hoop to get him to sign off...maybe this eye specialist CAN do something for Seth
His eyes are structurally sound, but he doesn't track...we already knew that!
They want to recheck him in October and then send him for brain scans
Oh wow, the PCP finally signed off!
Seth's evaluation is set for August 11th!
Time for the boys 6 month check-up
Seth's head is too small to register on the charts?! What does that mean?
Phew!
Now you're up to speed...next time I'll attempt to post pictures of our newest blessings...for now stats will have to do. ;)
About 9 am on December 30th, 2007, 7 weeks ahead of our schedule but precisely in God's timing, our family welcomed 2 more of God's richest blessings into our home and hearts.
Seth Jonathan
5 pounds 2 oz
Malachi David
5 pounds 8.9 oz
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Friday, July 20, 2007 - I'm expecting...the unexpected
That pretty much sums it up.
Out of the smoke and ashes of near divorce comes the news that God is blessing us with another child in February...possibly March given my history.
When we first found out, I spent weeks questioning God's timing...we were trying for another baby up until the falling out and God said "no" month after month after month, and then when I begged God for a way out this is how He answers?!
Then there was a scare...I wasn't having morning sickness. I ALWAYS have morning sickness unless something is wrong. I began to repent for my attitude and beg God to let this tiny life make it. He answered and I have been about as sick as sick gets for the last month.
We are praying and hoping for a home birth this time rather than a repeat c-section.
We won't be finding out the gender this time. Of course we long for another son for the sake of James, but I dreamed last month of having another daughter and naming her Paisley.
We'll see in about 30 weeks.
Other than that, George and I are on the mend and we are beginning our fourth year of homeschooling.
I'll try to check in more often with pregnancy updates and such.
Have a blessed day!
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Friday, May 18, 2007 - I can't imagine anyone checking in here anymore, but just in case...
George and I could really, really use some prayers. It's not family friendly so I won't go into it here...if you have the link you can check my other blog, if you want to know specifically how to pray.
I am in shock and in so much pain. I can't seem to pray.
Please remind me that God is faithful and that this didn't take Him by surprise at all.
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Friday, April 6, 2007 - my how they've grown!
Happy Good Friday everyone.
I pray blessings over you as you remember Jesus' sacrifice for us all.
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Thursday, February 15, 2007 - My 100th...
and final entry.
Wow! I have really posted 100 times here?! How did that happen with my blogging laziness?!
I just discovered today that I had 99 entries...maybe I should wait until I have something really profound to say for that big one-oh-oh...but that might never happen! LOL!
I have been blogging here for about ten months I guess. In that ten months I have laughed here and cried here with so many of those on my friend's list. I have seen successes and failures, births and deaths through this screen. I am blessed by those that have shared in my life through this blog and I am honored to have taken a peek into your lives as well. I have grown so much through this community. I can look people in the eye because you have told me that what I have to say matters. I have been stretched by some of your words. There have been iron sharpening moments that have left me thankful and humbled.
I have learned that I spend way too much time staring at this screen and not enough time playing checkers. I have cried and prayed and laughed with you and told my children, "not now" more times than I care to admit. I spend time with you that should be spent with our Saviour...not that some of this doesn't honor God...but I have put my 'puter time before my commitiments far too often.
I will be back to read when I can. I may even check in from time to time, but for now I have songs to sing and games to play....books to read and "I love you"s to say.
Blessings, love and continued prayers....
~tallenmomof5...wife of 1...daughter of the King
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Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - What have you resolved to do this year?
I hate to make New Year's resolutions.
For the last 12 years,my resolutions have revolved around weight loss...until two years ago. I joked that since my reslolutions never came to fruition, I would resolve to gain 20 pounds.
Results? I gained 30 pounds (I am an overacheiver) and had baby Paige. She was worth it though, so no worries.
Last New Year's Eve Paige was 4 weeks old and I hadn't slept enough at that point to bother making resolutions.
This year we made resolutions as a family. Resolutions to read our Bibles and pray together each day...broken on day 1. Resolutions to eat better...so far so good. Resolutions to organize our home...still thinking on that one. Resolutions to read 20 books together this year...we're 1/3 of the way through one of my favorites "Island of the Blue Dolphins".
I guess my only personal resolution for the year is to work on being the woman God intended me to be.
I have wasted enough time worrying about the past. I can't change the past.
I can't do anything about the mother I had but I can change the mother I am.
I can't erase the things that my marriage has been through, but I can praise God for the things that He has done in the both of us and I can ask Him to put me in places to minister to others in pain.
That's the cry of my heart this year...God use me!
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Thursday, January 4, 2007 - Apologies for unleashing the drama queen within
I wanted to apologize for my blogging tantrum the other day. I won't make excuses for myself, I just hope y'all will forgive me.
I won't erase it because it is what it is. A blogging equivalent to a really bad hair day. We all have those right?!
Speaking of hair, Little Miss Nicole got herself a haircut the other day. It was my take on creative correction.
See Miss Nicole has an addiction to all things crafty, including/especially scissors. This is normally not that big of a deal to me, other than the bits of paper littering my house, but it finally crossed the line...
I was sorting clothes, in a pathetic attempt to slay the laundry dragon, when I began to come across snipped little bits of clothing. I knew in an instant who the culprit was, but I wanted to hear it from her.
She acknowledged what she had done and I told her that since she had destroyed things that were important to the rest of us, I had to cut something important to her.
At this point in her seven year old life, little is valued by her but her appearance, so I chose her hair.
Turns out she looks very , very nice in short hair. She is thrilled with the new look and has gotten many compliments on her new do.
So much for punishment...But I don't think that correction and punishment are the same thing anyways. I wanted to correct the problem of her cutting anything she can fit in between the blades of her scissors, and so far I have yet to see her touch even the scissors.
So I guess it worked?
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Saturday, December 30, 2006 - So how was your Christmas?!
I wrote this on a homeschool message board the other day as a prayer request....
My inlaws came over Christmas morning to watch the kids open gifts. As soon as my FIL walked in the door he came and put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Hon, I heard about your stepdad."
I had no idea what he was talking about.
He said his sister called him the day before asking if so-and-so was my stepfather...she had been reading the obituaries.
Apparently my stepfather died at some point last week and no one called me.
I feel bad for my little brother, losing his father at age 14. I feel bad for what my mother must be feeling. I am grieved at the thought that the man is probably in hell...
But as far as mourning...I feel NOTHING.
I know a few of you have read my testimony on my marriage blog, so some of you know that there were issues of abuse involving this man...but what does it mean that I can hear that a man that was part of my life for years...the man that walked me down the aisle ten years ago, is dead and I couldn't muster tears if I tried?!
I'm just numb. That's the only way I can describe it. If anything, the only feeling I have is a sense of relief that there is one less monster for me to protect my children from. I'm sure that sounds cruel, but I'm just being honest.
Please pray for my family.
I can't imagine how things could ever be restored between us again, but the Lord has restored worse situations than this.
I think I got about three (much appreciated) responses on the message board, but what fascinates me was that the next day I found on my statcounter that 111 people checked this blog that day. 111 as opposed to the 15 or 20 visitors I get here any other day. Another interesting aspect was that out of the 111, 90+ came from that post on the message board.
I don't know how to feel about that. Were people looking for more of the story? I don't mind sharing, I'll tell you anything you want to know, but I really felt like no one cared enough to take two seconds to say, "Hey I'm praying."
Is it just this homeschooling conservative Christian group that ignores the bad stuff on the surface but digs for the dirt in secret?!
If you are offended by that statement you can just keep that to yourself too.
Don't mind me, I'm just the heartless, grouchy, screwed up girl that really just needs a hug right now.
I still haven't heard anything from the family. I still don't really feel anything about the man's passing, but I'm having nightmares about them all.
Husband suggested today that it might not even be true. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if this was all some twisted mind game.
I just want to move away and never look back. Anyone here from Montana? What's life like there?!
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Thursday, December 21, 2006 - been awhile...
I have come to a stopping place on the new blog, so I thought I'd check in here.
It's been quite a month.
We thought that we would have a calm, drama-free Christmas for once, but my family had to go and spoil that for us. Who else saw that one coming?! I broke off contact with them 7 months ago, yet we come home the other day to a box of presents on the porch. Why can't they just leave us alone?!
The kids opened their gifts and one of them was a bracelet with frogs on it. I wonder if that's supposed to be a hint that they been reading here. Who buys a little girl a bracelet with frogs on it unless she specifically likes frogs?! Whatever...
I know that makes me sound ungrateful...I'm not. The gifts were sweet. I just want to be left alone. These people show no desire to be any part of my family, they never have, and now suddenly we're exchanging gifts?!
In other news, less stressful news...
We'll be finishing our shopping tomorrow. Praise God! I think we've decided to just take the kids with us and have fun piling their gifts in the cart for them to see. I don't want the focus of Christmas Day to be on the gifts anyways.
I have gotten several emails about our new blog. Many suggestions that we should try and get it published. I sent the cleaned up version to an author friend yesterday for a critique. That was a pretty huge step for me. It's one thing to let everyone read it, it's entirely another thing to say why don't you pick this apart and tell me what's wrong with it. (If you are reading here, author friend, know that I'm thankful for your help!)
I saw picture's on a friend's blog (the redheaded stepchild link) of the huge amount of snow she got in Colorado. At least some one's getting a white Christmas! LOL! Just as well it's her and not me, I despise the snow! Not a cold weather gal...not a hot weather gal either. Give me spring or fall anytime!
The kids are writing their own Christmas pageant for school this week. It's gonna be great! They were trying to just stick with the biblical accounts, but that would mean our Joseph would have no lines. Did y'all know that? Joseph had nothing to say through the whole thing. NOTHING!
Just like a man. LOL!
Well, if I don't get back in here over the next few days, have a Blessed Christmas!
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Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - Let's try this then...
I posted my family's Christmas picture yesterday and the ladies at FIAR tell me that it just shows up as a little red x in a box...but I can see the picture everytime I look at the post.
What in the wrold?!
Anywho, let me just give you the link to see the picture in my newly aquired album.
http://homeschoolblogger.com/albums/tallenmomof5
I've found that the picture enlarges if you click on it.
So whaddaya think?!
I think that my "I don't need make-up" days are coming to a close.
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Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - Our Christmas picture
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Wednesday, December 6, 2006 - Is it weird that...
I'm here to blog about my new blog?
Oh well, I've been accused of being weird before...hasn't killed me yet.;)
I'm just so amazed at how easily the difficult words of our story flow. It's God. It has to be. The things we've been writing the last few days are intense and way out of our comfort zone. I've sat in front of the computer crying and praying facing some of it again, but I felt that this was the time the Lord would have us to share this story...I felt convicted at the very thought of backing out of it when I decided it was getting too hard.
So along we've plugged. My husband and I have put so much of ourselves into this newborn project. We've laughed and cried and prayed together in the process. Though we could easily fall back into a trap of bitterness or resentment digging up some of the messier details, we've instead found ourselves in awe at what the Lord has done and is doing. He's so very good isn't He?!
Last night I read over some of what we have put out there and I began to feel like it wasn't good enough, like my writing has gotten sloppy and that it all sounds stupid...and why on earth am I sharing this with the world?!
I almost deleted the entire thing. I decided to look at it again in the morning, after a little sleep, and go from there.
I shared my insecurities with my dh and he prayed for me.
We went to town to pick up papers from his work that couldn't wait for his shift tonight. He came jogging out of the office with the biggest grin on his face. He had gotten an unexpected bonus. He casually says, "I guess I don't have to worry about how I'm gonna get back and forth the rest of the week", and taps on the gas meter thing (I hardly drive and I don't even know how to pump gas, you'll have to overlook my lack of terminology). I was shocked. I had no idea that this was a concern. It hit me just a little ways down the road that this is a blessing from God for being faithful to the story, the whole story, and nothing but the story he told us to tell.
I just began to cry and praise Him. Obedience is the best form of worship. I guess I see that a bit clearer today.
This afternoon and each afternoon for the last several days we have received emails from different friends encouraging us to go on with this process. I am blessed to be encouraged by and an encouragement to those that have been a part of our blog by reading it and sharing their thoughts and hearts about it.
As far as homeschooling, the kids are still being "spoiled" each day this month. Our normal school routine has turned from deskwork and me reading to them/them not listening, to me playing with them and them doing their own thing for school. In fact my 7 y.o is reading them all a book about sharks right now....and they're actually paying attention!
They don't need me to learn...they just need me to provide the stuff they need to figure it out for themselves....
and a little push to do their handwriting once in a while.
I guess that's the update for now. I'll say again that you are welcome to email me if you want the link to our new blog. In case you can't figure out how to find me email address I'll put it here.
I'll be back soon. Please pray for us.
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Sunday, December 3, 2006 - I have a confession to make
I haven't been a faithful blogger. I have been blogging else where just recently.
My new blog is about my husband and I. Our stories, our testimonies (soon), our marriage. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Due to some adult themes, not inappropriate...just very adult, I won't be posting a link here. However if you would like to read it you can email me privately and I will send you a link.
I'll still be here, but possibly not as much as I have been. Homeschooling is a big part of my life, but right now sharing my testimony takes precedence.
I hope to see you at the other blog!
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Saturday, December 2, 2006 - Day 2 of Spoil my Kids Month
Today we read 5 more chapters of Little Women, watched Christmas movies, dug out the hot rollers for a major *glam* session, sang, danced, played, made costumes, and had unlimited art time.
I'm kinda liking this month of memories stuff!
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Friday, December 1, 2006 - In memory of two FIAR sisters
I want to participate in this and celebrate the memory of these two loving mothers.
http://homeschoolblogger.com/Christy/248527
Today we had cupcakes for breakfast to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday. Then we played in the snow and read all of our snow related storybooks. This evening we made paper snowflakes and had homemeade hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream...yummo!
My hope is to enjoy my children and make memories with them each and every day this month. I may need prayers for my spoiled shildren come January, (LOL!) but I wouldn't miss this time with them for anything.
What memories are you making with your kiddos this Christmas?
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Friday, December 1, 2006 - my babies are growing up!
Little Elizabeth turns 3 today and my baby Paige will be 1 on Monday.
Where does the time go?!
This week marks the anniversaries of the best and worst births I've ever had...Both planned by me to be water births at a birthing center, but both so overdue that I was sent to the hospital for inductions.
Elizabeth's birth was the amazing natural birth I had hoped for, just not in the place I hoped for. She was born on the floor in a cold hospital room rather than in a warm tub in a more homey environment. George finally bucked up and was the perfect labor partner. I was disappoineted to end up in the hospital and didn't understand why God allowed it to happen that way...16 hrs later when it was discovered that I had retained some placenta, I was thankful that His plan was better than mine. I can't imagine how things would have progressed if I were at home at that point, as I had planned to be.
I have to admit that I lied to my midwife (the same one that delivered Elizabeth) about my due date with Paige. I was so desperate to have that "perfect" out of hospital birth I had hoped for that I told her that I was due two weeks later than I actually was. Boy was I shocked to still be pregnant 27 days after my *actual* due date.
Since I was so overdue even by my poor midwife's (false) records I ended up in the hospital again. I was scared out of my mind at the prospect of birth this time. I don't know how to explain it. It's not like this was my first rodeo...I had done this 4 times already, twice with no meds. Huge babies at that! I was a birthing pro by now, but something didn't feel right this time.
The night before my induction my oldest daughter, all of 6 at the time, came to me and asked if she could pray for me and the baby. She laid herself across my bump and said, "Dear Jesus, please help mommy's baby come out right. Amen". I thought it was sweet, but never really gave it much thought until that next morning when an ultrasound showed that Paige was breech. It was decided by the midwife that we should just do a c-section. I freaked on her and she had the nurses dope me up to silence me.
I have a moment alone just before the meds kicked in and I tell God that I can't do this...I can't just lay there awake while they gut me. I hear a voice say, "My grace is sufficient", and peace washes over me...or maybe it was the drugs...but still-I was okay.LOL!
The midwife's back-up Dr. comes in and does another ultrasound and suddenly Paige was where she was supposed to be. The pro's chatter about what to do now...c/s or no c/s...and Doc looks to George.
George says, "Hey, I'm not the Dr. in this situation." Even sedated, my inner smart-alec kicks in and I think to myself, "So George, just what situation *are* you the Dr. in?!", but the words couldn't come out...lol!
George tells them that we want another natural birth and that he knows I don't need a c/s.
Suddenly a wave of clarity comes over me and everything in me has to fight for the c/s...I'm still too doped to talk straight, but I manage to say that I want the c/s. George argues with me and they all seem to dismiss me, but I wouldn't give in.
Next thing I know I'm being prepped for some sort of spinal thing. That was always my biggest proponent to wanting natural birth....I'm bad with needles and just the thought of one in my back freaks me out. I get through it all right, though I do recall being yelled at at some point.
Suddenly I'm lying down and strapped to the table. Boy were there alot of people in there. A man sits by my head wearing all white, only his eyes are showing. I think to myself that he has the prettiest brown eyes that I had ever seen...a girl could get lost in eyes like that...he touches my face and speaks...
It was George!
I seriously had *no* clue until he spoke.
Minutes later everyone is excited, but I'm dozing happily. I hear someone say, "Better show Mom." I look as a little purple monkey is proudly being presented to me as our newest daughter.
The funniest part is despite the fact that I thought she was a purple monkey, I was thrilled to meet her and call her my own.
Everyone questioned my descision for the c/s, even me, but the midwife told me later that it was clearly a good descision as there was a knot in the cord that could have complicated things...possibly leading to an emergancy c/s if I had tried a natural birth.
I remembered my daughter's prayer not 18 hours earlier...c/s wasn't *my* idea of a baby "coming out right", but I believe in this case it was God's plan.
Happy birthday(s) babies!!
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Thursday, November 30, 2006 - Everything you ever wanted to know about Trish, but were afraid to ask...
Okay, maybe not everything, but I saw this list on someone's blog and had to borrow it. My answers are highlighted.
Have you ever...
01. Seen the
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula...only if in a jar counts
07. Taken a candlelit bath
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game...rangers vs kansas city, may '96. Semi-huge, lol!
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables...er...cantaloupe.
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Eaten alligator
24. Given more than you can afford to charity, sorta...can any of us ever out give God?
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Been to
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sang karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch...I'm famous for them! ;0)
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone...does my parent's house count?!
92. Been in a marching band
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (attempting)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold...not my proudest moment
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Driven on the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds...not all at once though, but if you add it all up...LOL!
107. Ridden on a boat down the Danube River
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray...I even got to feed it. Gotta love Sea World!
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Dyed your hair
115. Shaved your head
116. Caused a car accident
117. Been elected to public office
118. Skipped all your school reunions
119. Built your own PC from parts
120. Gone back to school
121. Read the Iliad and the Odyssey - I am about to start it
122. Ridden a horse
123. Eaten Kangaroo meat
124. Had stitches
125. Toured castles in Europe
126. Had your picture in the newspaper
127. Eaten sushi
128. Sold your own artwork to someone you didn't know
129. Published a book
130. Written poetry
131. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
132. Fired a rifle, shot gun or pistol
133. Had major surgery
134. Had a snake as a pet...for a few minutes till my mom saw it! LOL!
135. Gone on an African safari
136. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
137. Visited more foreign countries than US states
138. Visited all 7 continents
139. Lived in a foreign country for more than a year
140. Been swimming in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
141. Been to Niagara Falls
142. Lived on both sides of the Mississippi river
143. Sang in a foreign language in front of an audience
144. Been to the Berlin Wall
145. Taught a child to read-working on it.
146. Been a DJ
So there you go...a bit of useless information about me.
Won't do you any good on Jeopardy, but it was fun to share.
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Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - My heart is hurting this morning
I have this stat counter thing on my blog that tells me who has been reading. I don't really keep up with the "who" because it doesn't give names or anything...more like just the general area of the country the reader is from.
It's neat to check the counter and see on the map that someone from Finland (for example) of all places saw my silly little blog.
The reason I began keeping up was simply for those times that I don't feel like my blog is being used in any way. When I think no one is reading, I can look and see that 57 people read it yesterday so maybe I should try to write something today...that kind of thing.
This morning I checked to see if anyone had been reading lately since I don't update as much as I should, and my heart just broke.
I found that someone (I don't have anyway of knowing who) found my blog through ask.com...Their question?
What do I do if I suspect my husband is molesting my children?
Remember with me back months ago when I tore apart some articles on that subject written by the Pearl's.
http://homeschoolblogger.com/tallenmomof5/130185
This is a hurting world looking for answers to very hard questions.
My heart is breaking this morning for the Momma who asked that question.
I can only pray that she finds answers to her question in the only Answer we can rely on.
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Monday, November 27, 2006 - A hickey from Kinnicky
Does anyone else remember that line from Grease?!
I haven't seen it in years, so I'm probably saying...er...typing it wrong.
Anywho....
Funny title for a blog entry, huh?
Why would I be talking about something as juvenile as hickeys?! This isn't the wholesome kind of story one expects to read at homeschoolblogger...
Well I know that. This is normally not a subject that I would share in such a family-oriented forum, but if we didn't talk about the "h-word" we couldn't laugh together over the fact that our new Pastor commented on the "spots" on my hubby's neck yesterday.
AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
That was my reaction to George when he leaned over to whisper in my ear just after service yesterday, "Pastor Jimmy commented on the hickeys.".
"WHAT?!?! What did he say?!".
"He said that's a mark (pun intended?) of a healthy marriage. Then I said, 'What the 5 kids weren't sign enough of that?!', and he patted me on the back, laughed and said he could see us teaching a marriage class in the near future.".
I don't know about teaching, but being a part of a ministry geared at marriage and young families has been my dream for years...kinda passing on the good things that God has done in our own marriage.
I wonder if Gary Smalley got where he is today through a public display of love bites?
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Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - First thing Monday morning....
I was in the dentist's office.
I was scared, but the dentist and all the employees were so sweet that it was not too hard to relax.
Dr. Charlie was saying things like, "Now wait a minute, where did I put my manual?! I 've never pulled a tooth before I guess I should go read that chapter again, will you excuse me...". He was such a cornball, but I appreciated it tremendously.
Finally though I had to tell him that the more nervous he made me with his shenanigans the more I would giggle and then we'd never get anything done.
George and others had warned me of how bad the whole thing would be...how awful the shots would be....yada, yada, yada...
Turns out those stories are alot like birth stories...purposefully horrid to make people think that you must be superwoman to have lived through that!! LOL!
Dr.Charlie used so much numbing stuff that I never even felt the needles...that had been my one fear about the whole thing....in fact I sat there waiting for him to put the needle in and he was suddenly finished. I never even knew he had been doing it.
As for actually pulling the tooth, it was a strange sensation to have something being pulled from your head, but again, NO PAIN!! \o/
Dr. Charlie gave me a prescription for pain meds. I wasn't going to bother filling it, but dh insisted, citing that I would be in horrible pain once the numbing stuff wore off.
I have had a little pain, but nothing warranting what Dr. Charlie prescribed...but they did help me sleep which is always nice!
We had our Thanksgiving dinner (remember the one I invited the in-laws to) today.
It went surprisingly well.
I spent the morning mentally rehashing all the things that caused the great divide between us in the first place and telling myself what I would say to them when they brought up this and made ugly comments about that...boy I was gonna tell them....
Suddenly I recognized my anger for the attack it was and gave it to God. What more could I do?!
In return I got a peace that not only surpasses all understanding, but it made for a lovely day.
Sure there were comments made that I could have blown up at, but I just clung to that peace and let it go.
I'm not playing those games this time....
I hope you all have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.
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