Finding Myself at 40

Moments like these...

2012-01-27T09:30:00.014-05:00

Been a long time since I sat down to post. Busy busy as usual. Holidays a blur. January almost over. Gotta soak it all in more. Enjoy the song and pics.

Finding Himself at 50...

2011-11-02T08:22:00.000-04:00

B. Kent Burns, aka my big brother, woke up to find himself at 50 today. Over the course of the past week I have found myself really thinking about it. I have spent a couple of late nights going down memory lane. Looking at old pictures of the two of us. It just seems a bit unreal to me.

I realized that out of those 50 years, we only actually lived together for 13. He was 5 when I was born and went away to college at IU when he was 18. Thirteen years barely seems like a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things. In fact, we built the house I live in now 16 years ago this month. So I have lived here longer than I ever lived with my brother. Somehow though, it feels like we spent a lifetime together in that house on the hill in the woods. And some of the greatest memories I have come from that short period in time.

We had the typical brother/sister love/hate relationship in the early years. And to this day we rarely speak without calling eachother "queer" or "maggot." But to us, those are the terms of highest endearment. There has never been a single day of my life that I have not looked up to, respected, been proud of and loved him beyond measure. He always has been and always will be my hero.

Happy Birthday Queer <3

Christmas morning in Loogootee

Our house in the woods

With our new baby brother

Christmas at Mom's about 9 years ago

Florida 2011

Moments....

2011-10-05T08:15:00.009-04:00

You know when you have those moments of clarity in the middle of an event, or a situation, or a conversation when you stop a minute and you know you will remember that moment forever. When the rest of the world goes still and the reality of that instant is being ingrained in your soul for all time. I had a couple of those yesterday.

I had an appt. with my surgeon yesterday morning to schedule my gallbladder surgery. Isn't that lovely. Three surgeries in one year. I asked him to take my appendix as well so there won't be anything left to remove... unfortunately I couldn't get him to go for that. :) Any way, every time I go to the Medical Arts Bldg. in Jasper I pass the big cemetery...it's the cemetery the hospital uses for the babies that die in early pregnancy. I have had a baby in that cemetery for 9 years now... but I have never visited. I must've driven by hundreds of times over the years and there hasn't been a single time I didn't think of the baby there. But I have never been able to turn into that drive. Until yesterday.

I had been told where the stone was. You can sort of see it from the road. As I got closer I could see all the little angels lined up around it. Angels put there by other moms like me. The front of the stone says simply "In memory of the unborn children." The back comes from Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." I sat in the van. I wanted to get out but I didn't. The sun was streaming down and I thought about the excitement I felt when I learned I was pregnant, and the elation I felt when I heard the heartbeat for the first time, and the devastation I experienced when that flicker was no longer on the screen. I stared at the little porcelain angels and read the verse over and over. And through the tears I had a moment of great peace. One of those moments when you just know God is all over it. I felt healing in that moment. It was a long time coming.

Then last night around 10:30 I was in the kitchen. Still thinking of the events of the morning. I had all 4 of the kids school pictures lined up on the counter. I was admiring them and feeling thankful for having four beautiful, healthy children when Ethan walked into the room. I told him again what a great picture he had taken with that famous Ethan smile, and then without even realizing what I was saying I said... "Ethan, the next time you get your picture taken it will be for Senior pictures." As soon as the words left my mouth my chin hit the floor and... so did his. We stood there, alone in the kitchen, mouths wide open, with the same look of disbelief and shock on both our faces. Right now it seems like we stared at each other forever as we both tried to get our heads around that. Then he smiled and put his arms around me and his chin on the top of my head. He hugged me tight and said chuckling "mom, it's ok." We laughed it off and he headed off to bed and I stood there and knew I would never forget that moment.

There is a new song by Selah that I absolutely love. I can't find it on playlist yet, but I will end this blog with my favorite part because it is so fitting in my life... "It makes me smile, but it makes me sad. To know I can't get these moments back. So I'm down on my knees. Help me soak it all in. I want all of this life, that you let me live. And when time flies by, oh remind me to breathe. Cause my heaven on earth, are moments like these."

Finding Myself at...

2011-09-22T08:40:00.003-04:00

44... yep i said 44. What a crazy number. I remember when I was little and my grandparents were in there upper 40's and early 50's. They were ancient. I don't feel ancient. I just feel tired. Lol

Everytime I look in the mirror, all these lines in my face are definately getting clearer. (wait...isn't that a song?:) I swear I've aged 5 years in the last 2, but such is life. At times it is a difficult thing to deal with. The body may age, but the mind really doesn't. Sure you get wiser with each passing year, and you have more life lessons under your belt, but at the core of it all I don't think the mind is at the same point in time as the chronological number. Mentally I still feel 17.

So the vanity side of me took a moment of self-pity for moving closer to the back side of 40 and to mourn the passing of another year, but then I reminded myself of people I know who never had the chance to make it to their 40's. And those I know in their 40's who are dying of cancer. And the 30 year old in my nursing home who has been there for ten years due to a motorcycle accident and is dependent on someone else for his every need. Then 44 sounds pretty darn good. In fact it sounds amazing. There but for the grace of God go I.

I don't know what 44 will bring for me. God willing I will be posting and invariably whining a year from now about turning 45. I've said it before but I will say it again... I don't know what the future holds...but I know who holds the future. And for that I am thankful.

Happy 8th Jaden!

2011-09-09T08:55:00.008-04:00

Our last baby boy Jaden...aka J...aka JP...aka Jade...aka Shade...aka Shady...aka Shady Park...aka Jbone...turned 8 last week. Lol :) So we partied Thursday with the family, Friday with all the friends, and Saturday with the extended family. I think he would agree it was a successful birthday.

Ethan was 9 and Austin was 7 when Jaden was born. He was the only one of the four that was born during the day. Labor Day actually fell on the day he was born that year so most of the family was in Jasper for the weekend and were able to be there when he arrived. One of my most vivid and favorite memories of all time was when Ethan and Austin walked into the room and looked at him for the first time. Still chokes me up when I think about it.

I miscarried at 10 weeks a couple of months before I got pregnant with Jaden...so when his birthday rolls around I always think about that baby too. I watched that little one slowly slipping away over the course of three weeks as a once strong heartbeat began to weaken with the passing days until it finally was there no more. Even though I don't understand, I take comfort in a loving God who knows what He is doing. And I am so thankful that even though He had to take one baby away for whatever reason, He gave me another to love.... And love him I do. He is an amazing child.

Happy 8th big boy :)

Speechless

2011-08-16T08:34:00.006-04:00

That's how I find myself this morning. Speechless over the fact that summer is over and all my babies are gone and I am sitting here and there is no one around that needs me. It's surreal and will take some getting used to. I had one year between when Austin started kindergarten and when Jaden was born...other than that I have had at least one baby at my feet every minute for the last 17.2 years. No wonder I am pacing around in circles. I'm lost.

I didn't realize till today that I haven't posted since June. July and August are kind of a blur. As usual the summer breezed by before I realized what was happening. Ethan worked a 40 hour week all vacation long. It was pretty hard labor and it was a pretty hot summer so he realized right away the true value of a college education. Nothing like a good dose of the real world to put things in perspective.

Austin did his thing all summer. Get up, text the gf, play his guitar for awhile, eat, talk to the gf, watch some tv, text gf, more guitar, eat some more, etc... Then all in one week he went on his first date, got his permit, started drivers ed, and became my chauffer. That week left my head spinning. Not quite sure I have recovered yet to be honest.

Jaden and Ava had a great summer. Spent hour upon hour in the pool. Spent some time with all the grandparents. Drove their momma crazy. All the usual stuff.

Then last friday the dreaded day arrived. Ethan drove himself and some friends to start their Junior year. He was actually excited to be going back. Austin drove me and the babies for the start of his Freshman year. Wow. That was just weird. He parked in front of the high school and I got out of the passenger side to head back over to the driver side...we high-fived as we passed eachother and I don't think I have ever seen him smile that big. I opened the door to get back in the van and looked up and there was my 6'2" boy looking down at me as he walked by. Cue the water works.

I have done the walk of shame out of the elementary to the playground pretty much every year for the last 11. Trying to hold the big ugly cry in at least till I got in the car. This was the first time I was already choking it down before I even got to the door. Ava and I walked Jaden to his room in second grade. He's a pro at this by now so I didnt hang around long. Kissed his forehead and told him to have a good day. He said "don't worry mom." My kids know me well.

And then it was time. My very last "first first day" of kindergarten. We walked in and the first thing I noticed was that pretty much every kid towered above my tiny girl. The second thing I realized was that she did not recognize a single face. Not one. I knew the parents of maybe four of the kids in there. I took her and introduced her to a little girl that will be riding her bus and suggested they play together at recess. Then we found her desk and she sat down and I squatted beside her, arms around her, and there I froze. We sat and watched the other kids arrive in silence. Her little hands in mine sqeezing tightly. I didnt see how there was any way on this earth that I was going to be able to get up and leave her there. I whispered in her ear several times "are you ok" she said she was. I was so not.

I told the teacher about all her medical issues and her epi pen and inhaler and spacer and benedryl and as I rambled on I just kept thinking, I am not leaving her here...I can't possibly leave her here. But I did. I knealt down again and squeezed her and kissed her cheek about a hundred times and repeated over and over and over "you will be ok...you will be ok" but I'm not sure now if I was talking to her or me. As I walked out the door I turned and waited for her to look at me but she didnt. She looked straight ahead. And I came home to an empty and unbelievably quiet house. And that is where I sit today.

I couldn't ever begin to put into words the love I have for those kids. I am so in love with them that it causes me moments of unimaginable heartache and moments of joy I never knew possible. I sit here and wallow in self-pity for the times that have passed that won't return but I would not trade one single moment for anything in the world.

Here are some of my favorite pics from this summer :)

Free photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Seventeen!

2011-06-28T09:41:00.008-04:00

Yesterday my boy turned 17. Another hard one for me to wrap my head around. I traditionally tell him the story of his birth at bedtime on his birthday every year. Unfortunately last night we walked into his room to find the carpet soaking wet. So instead of story telling we were moving furniture and ripping up carpet. But that's ok... I will just tell it a day late. :)

We were living in the New Albany area because Aaron was working at UPS in Louisville. I had given up trying to get in and out of our waterbed a few months earlier, so we were sleeping in the spare bedroom. I spent the night sitting up in bed contracting every 10 minutes or so while watching OJ Simpsons now famous white bronco chase. When I think of my labor with Ethan... I always think of OJ.

We finally headed to the hospital about 5 a.m. We stopped at the McDonalds across the street first so Aaron could eat... while I contracted. However, Ethan was in no hurry and did not make his arrival until 6:16 that evening, after an extremely difficult forceps delivery. He weighed in at 8 lbs 3 oz. (same as his Uncle Kent) and had a head full of black hair. Not only was he our first baby, he was the biggest, outweighing both brothers and his sister by over a pound each, and also holds the record for most uncomfortable pregnancy, longest labor and most weight gained for me... I was HUGE!

The last seventeen years now seem like a blur, although some things seem like they happened only yesterday and are still vividly etched in my mind. His first steps, his seeing Austin for the first time, the first day of Kindergarten... etc. My tiny baby now stands at 6'2". I get whiplash trying to look up at him.

I had so many hopes and dreams for him the day he was born, so far they have all come true. He is such a country boy, so handsome, so smart, such a great person, always has a smile on his face, sensitive, considerate, caring, very aware of the feelings of others, and just a joy to be around.

Happy Birthday Ethan Michael!

Neverending story...

2011-05-19T09:02:00.005-04:00

Tuesday we made the trip to Indy for more appointments. First we saw Ethan's hip doctor. The xrays showed everything looked great. No new bone growth. Doc said his strength and flexibility has greatly improved since his last visit. Due to his lower back deformity he will always be at risk for another hamstring injury so he needs to spend a lot of time trying to lengthen those muscles as much as possible. Other than that the nerve seems healed and he has been cleared. We can cross that one off the list.

Then it was on to the back doctor. Unfortunately that appt. did not go quite as well. We learned that the L4 vertebral fracture had not healed at all in the last six months and apparently won't without a bone graft...which may or may not even work. We want to avoid that at all costs so we all decided to just leave it as it is. Then we learned that L5 now has multiple stress fractures and he has three bulging discs. His spine in that area is starting to bow outward instead of curve inward. Explains all the increased pain. The reason behind all of these injuries boil down to a combination of two things... he has Scheuermann's disease, which is a juvenille degenerative disc disease, and he has a rare deformity of his 5th lumbar vertebrae. It is fused to his sacrum. He has no movement at all on one side of the joint and very limited movement on the other side. This causes a lot of pressure on his lower back and also causes his hamstrings to be short and tight...so the original avulsion fracture of his hamstring and pelvis was related after all.

So, now what to do. There is no quick fix. They were very clear in telling us this is a lifelong issue he will have to deal with. The extreme end of the treatment options would be to go in and fuse L3 L4 and L5 together which would give him very limited movement and end any sports he might want to be involved in pretty much forever. Because of his age we don't want any part of that until it becomes a necessity...which down the road it most likely will. There are other surgical options in between but for now we decided to do the least invasive and most conservative which would be to brace him. He will wear a custom made brace for the next 12 weeks in hopes that some of the new fractures in L5 will heal and the inflammation will calm down. If it works, he will move back into more therapy to focus on core strengthening and hopefully be able to function somewhat normally. If it doesn't work.... honestly I'm not even going there yet. We will just be praying very hard that it works.

He is taking it ok. He just says he is frustrated, and who wouldn't be. Poor kid has had almost 3 years of pain now, had an extremely invasive hip surgery that has left him with severe numbness in and around the 10" incision site, and for the last 6months has been very restricted on what he can and can't do. It's nothing an almost 17 year old should have to be dealing with that's for sure. But like I have said many times, he is an exceptional person and his faith is strong. We will just continue to take it one day at a time.

When life hands you lemons.....

2011-05-05T13:13:00.009-04:00

I can tell you I have enough lemonade to last a lifetime. :) To say that we have had one crazy happening after another would be the understatement of the year. So much has happened in the last couple months I can't even remember it all....and if I did try to recount it all here no one would believe it anyway.

As I type this I am in bed recovering from a lovely hysterectomy. I got really sick at the end of january... had a blood transfusion, several iron infusions, three surgical procedures and now this, which I am hoping will put an end to all the madness. A couple of people have asked me if I feel "different" or "sad" or if I have an "empty" feeling now that my uterus is no longer. Even though this baby factory unofficially closed its doors five years ago...it's still a little bittersweet when the final shutdown comes. I find it a cruel twist of fate that they put recovering hysterectomy patients right across the hall from the baby nursery so you can lay there and hear the babies crying while you mourn the passing of your childbearing years. Oh well, such is life.

Before my surgery I managed to get Ethan to Indy for his back follow up. His lower back fracture has shown no sign of healing in the last six months and he has a new host of issues on his latest MRI, spondylolithesis being the most pressing, so that will be the next mountain to climb. The specialist will present us with our options for treatment on the 17th and has assured us we won't like any of them.

Between mine and Ethan's issues, Jaden and Ava both had stints with pneumonia. Ava's included her usual hospital stay. Prom came and went...as did Easter. Thank goodness and knock on wood the only thing Austin has in the works is braces. So far the first quarter of 2011 has been a big ol out of control blur. I'm hoping these last three weeks of school will go by peacefully and the Jones family will catch a much needed break. Here are a couple of recent pics...

Ethan and Victoria before the Shoals Prom

Ethan and Morgan (aka The girlfriend:) before Loogootee prom

Easter Sunday

View from my bed while recovering

5 years ago...

2011-03-29T23:40:00.015-04:00

Five years ago this week I was given something I never thought I would have....a daughter. She was and still is a beauty.

I had heard "It's a Boy!" so many times, it took awhile for the whole girl thing to sink in. By that time I had boys all figured out. Boys are easy. So how much trouble could a precious tiny baby girl be... HA!

My illusions of what my little girl would be like didn't last long. At first it was great...pink frilly outfits and girly girl toys and even the hair bands I swore I would never put on my child's head. But as she developed her own little "personality" (which in her case is a BIG personality) she began to make her preferrences known.

So... I don't have a little girl who likes to wear dresses... she wears jeans.
I don't have a daughter who likes pretty little tops... she wears t-shirts.
Baby dolls... not so much. Baseballs and soccerballs...much better.
Pony tails or hair bows....Not a chance.
Furry little mittens.... Not practical. Work gloves... Now you're talking
A pink fairy princess bike won't do. An old brown hand me down boys bike rides much better.
Playing house...uh...No. Hauling wood... Heck Yes! (at least her john deere wheelbarrow is pink)

She is 32 pounds of pure opinion. She has her own mind and when it's made up ain't nobody gonna change it. She is stronger than all her brother's put together. If they can dish it out she can take it...and then some. She rules the roost. She's got us right where she wants us. She is the Queen.

Even though she isn't exactly the type of girl I envisioned, and despite all her bull headedness, she can be the sweetest thing I've ever seen or imagined. She has her sugar and spice moments....and they are THE best.

She wanted to make her own cake...

Blowing out the candles...

Her and her boys...

Her and her girls...

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY AVA!

Happy 15th Austin

2011-02-09T14:36:00.007-05:00

We celebrated Austin's 15th birthday last week in a typical low key Austin kinda way. His favorite foods...a dairy queen ice cream cake...and a trip to Guitar Center. He is a low maintenance kid and that's really all it takes to make him happy. He put his birthday money to great use and came back from his home away from home with a new acoustic guitar. His first acoustic. I could sit and listen to him play for hours. He does an amazing rendition of the Led Zeppelin song you are listening to right now on my playlist. SO much talent. SO clueless as to where it comes from. Lol

I find it very hard to believe that he could possibly be 15. He has grown into such an intellegent, genuine, caring, considerate, honest, sincere and trusting person with one of the best senses of humor ever. I could not possibly be any more proud of him than I am.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUB!!

Homecoming

2011-01-24T10:52:00.025-05:00

Had to start with this picture. Born one month and one day apart...these two have been friends literally since birth. (I think this was their first argument. She still looks at him like this when he whines :)

They were sooooo cute then....

....and just look at them now <3

*(insert sobbing here... omg where does the time go)*

And even though the night didn't turn out exactly as we had hoped, we are soooo proud of them both.

The announcement

The crowning...(and a quick smooch I didn't catch on camera. lol)

Waiting for pictures

2011 Homecoming Court

Progress...

2011-01-14T16:16:00.002-05:00

Progress is a good thing. Ethan is surpasing all of our expectations as far as his recovery is concerned. He graduated from walker, to crutches, to cane, had all 60 staples painstakingly removed...and a week from today he will be allowed to walk on his own. That's just shy of 5 weeks since surgery. Amazing considering what he's been thru.

The xray on the 7th showed things healing well. No new bone growth around the part they had to leave in, the hamstring appears to be reattaching, and the nerve looks great. We will go back on the first for another xray. If all is still ok, he will be able to begin some therapy and strength training.

His back, however, is in horrible condition. Came home from school yesterday and laid down on a heat pad. We will see the back specialist on the first also and hopefully come up with a plan of action. When your kid is in pain things just cannot move fast enough. It's especially hard to know there isn't going to be an easy fix.

He is handling things well. He has had his moments of frustration and depression but his spirit is strong. He's driving everywhere. Takes Austin and Jaden to and from school everyday. It's weird but kinda nice...sad but convenient. We are growing up together, he and I. Facing life's changes and challenges as they come. He supports and reassures me just as much as I do him. He helps me be a better mother to his brothers and his sister by working thru these times of adjustment with me. (They are sooo gonna thank him when their time comes:) I am very thankful for that and blessed beyond measure by what he brings to my life.

Sweet relief...

2010-12-31T10:30:00.001-05:00

I cannot tell you how much relief we are feeling to have this behind us. Bear with me as I talk through the last couple days. I want to remember it all now, because I know I won't later on down the road.

We arrived at Methodist at 6:00 Monday morning. For such a massive hospital, the registration and admission process wasn't very impressive. Took almost an hour. Once we got up to the surgery floor they were ready to prep him. Everything went well. We were nervous but things moved pretty quickly so there was no time to sit and dwell on it.

Dr. Crichlow came and talked to me about the procedure. He couldn't tell me many specifics since he wasn't sure what he was going to find until he got in there. The anesthesiologist and scrub nurses were all fired up because they had never seen a surgery quite like this before. In fact, a code didn't even exist for it...they had to use a code for a different type of hip surgery. I say no code.. no cost. lol. Too bad it won't work out that way.

They called Aaron and our pastor back when they were ready to take him. It was very calming for all of us to have Pastor Greg there. We prayed over him and I think we all felt the sense that God was all over it and there was no need to worry. I did not walk away sobbing as per my usual, but it was very difficult to watch him leave me.

Surgery took right at three hours. The sciatic nerve was surrounded by scar tissue. They were able to free it without damaging it. That took about an hour and fifteen minutes. The rest of the time they worked on the bone mass. They got it all except for about two inches worth. The doc felt it was too close to the main blood supply of the pelvis to safely chip away. They reattached his hamstring to his pelvis using the tendon as best they could with sutures. Hopefully it will hold and heal. There was no rebreaking of the pelvis or plates or screws needed. That was awesome news.

He spent two hours in recovery. They would not let us see him during that time. Even though I stood at the desk a couple times and reminded them that he is a minor and I didn't want him waking up back there without me. They said unless it was a small child who woke up asking for mommy, they usually didn't have parents go back. I said just because he is 16 does not mean he won't wake up wanting his mommy. lol. Found out later he did, but they wouldn't call for me. Looking forward to filling out the survey on that part of the experience.

The first time we actually got to see him was at 2:00... 6 hrs after they had wheeled him away. We met him at his room. That was probably the most emotional part for me. Just that overwhelming sense of relief in seeing for myself he was ok. He had a pain pump and a wound vac and an iv but he really looked no worse for wear. He reached out for my hand and his first words... "I'm starving...when can i have some food." That's when I knew he was fine. :) And man did he ever have some food... a jello cup, a pudding cup, chicken fingers, fries, an ice cream cup, a brownie, and part of an Arby's that Uncle Kent brought him. He drifted in and out between courses... always reaching for my hand between the rails... <3 (I LOVED that!)

The rest of the time at the hospital went well. Therapy came to see him a couple times a day. Had him using a walker in no time. He isn't able to put weight on it yet but he can put his foot flat on the floor for balance.

The highlight of his stay was a visit from the Colts. Half a dozen players and a couple cheerleaders came in and spent about 10 minutes with him. They gave him a bag full of colts stuff and signed a football for him. Once the players left, the owner Jim Irsay came in and talked with us and gave him a $100 and signed it for him. He seemed to be a great guy and genuinely concerned. It was very cool.

Wednesday he was released around 11. He was able to sleep most of the way home. He had a steady stream of visitors that night and was soooo happy to be home. Very weak, and very sore, but so thankful it was over.

That night, wednesday night, he got really sick and started vomitting. He vomitted all night. It was the first time he had been sick through it all and I attributed it to the anesthesia working its way out of his system. He was under for a long time. By morning he was worse. The vomitting had quit, but he was very short of breath, to weak to move, and his pulse was very high and erratic. We rushed him down to Jasper where they confirmed my worst fear and suspected a pulmonary embolism. He was taken for a ct scan, and a very tense hour later we learned it was negative for clots. The ER doc explained that the all night vomitting and the intense trauma he had been through had triggered a vaso-vagal response that had mimiced symptoms of an embolism. We were able to take him home and soon after he started feeling much better.

Christmas was kinda crappy for him. He was still feeling pretty bad at that point. He was only able to stay at my dad's for a couple hours before Aaron had to take him home. Through it all he still had that Ethan smile on his face. He was more concerned about messing everyone else's Christmas up than he was about his own. Have I mentioned how much I love that child!

Now every day we notice improvement. He no longer needs pain meds, he has graduated from walker to crutches, his spirits have greatly improved and he is almost my old Ethan again. He has incisional pain and soreness from the actual surgery, but the pain caused from the bone mass and pressure on the nerve is GONE! PTL!

The incision site is pretty wicked. 60 staples. Probably the largest hip incision I have ever seen. It is healing great and we will go back to Indy to have them all removed on the 7th. He will have more scans at that time and we will find out how the healing is going on the inside. I feel confindent it will be good news.

Thanks again to everyone who prayed, called, texted or sent cards, etc. as we went through this experience. We felt every prayer and appreciated every gesture of kindness. We will continue to ask for prayer as he continues through the healing process, and as we turn our focus once again to his back.

One Week...

2010-12-13T09:37:00.004-05:00

from today Ethan will be undergoing surgery. Right about now, as a matter of fact, they will be about an hour and 40 minutes into it. It will be done at Methodist in Indy. He should get to come home Wednesday the 22nd if all goes well. Seems awfully close to the holidays, but that is actually what we wanted because he will only miss three days of school.

This puts me in a real crunch for Christmas. Need to be done shopping and have everything wrapped by the 19th. Spent a great day in Evansville on Saturday, and braved the snow to go to Bloomington on Sunday. Believe it or not I am almost finished. That is quite a feat for me... usually takes me weeks since I am the type that just agonizes over finding just the right gift for just the right person.

So now the wrapping will begin. My step mom and my dear Susie Q have both offered to come and wrap for me. I'm thinking I may host a French Lick Red Wrapping Party and invite a few others. (cue Christy singing Red Red Wine...;) LOL. Presents may not look to hot but we sure would have fun wrapping them. :)

Ethan is doing great. Dreading the surgery, but that kid has got such a positive outlook. Plus he found out Paoli Peaks opens on the 18th, so he can ski Saturday, and Sunday, and have surgery on Monday. I know you may be wondering why I would let my kid with a broken back and broken pelvis go skiing... but like I told him... if he breaks something, he's already scheduled for surgery anyway. :)

First snow day of the year today. Fireplace is going, kids are having hot chocolate and talking and laughing. Christmas music is playing. I love it. I have really been paying attention to things lately. Sights, and sounds, and images. I think because with the business, I have been living life at hyper speed for the last three years. And now that it's gone...its suddenly quiet. My dad texted me last night to find out if school had been called off yet. When I said yes he replied... "enjoy these times honey (having all your kids home on a snow day) You will not always have them." Such a sad thought, but so very true. I am going to make today a great day. <3

Latest on E...

2010-12-02T09:02:00.005-05:00

Last week we went for a second opinion with a new dr. at Orho Indy. He believes the break happened over time due to a degenerative disease. He also believes there really isn't enough bone left to go in and fix, as much of what was broken off has disentegrated. His lower vertebrae are not formed correctly and put a lot of pressure on eachother, which could be the reason for everything. Monday I took him to Greenwood for a facet joint block between L3 and L4. If it relieves the pain, they will know the pain is originating from there and treat it accordingly. If it does not help his pain they will do some other testing to try to find the exact source before they decide how to proceed. Surgery is still an option. We discussed the Riley Dr.'s opinion that he would definatley need surgery to cement the vertebrae back together and perform a biopsy to rule out cancer... this dr. does not share that opinion, but was going to present Ethan's case to his colleagues to make sure he has plenty of input. We felt SO much better with this doctor. (he also told Ethan he could lose the brace which absolutely made his day!)

As for his hip, that surgery is a must. We will be getting a date for it sometime this week. Want to get it done by the end of the year. Will be very extensive and risky due to the proximity to the sciatic nerve. Will take several hours to scrape all that bone out and then repair the damage. Recovery will be painful and long. Crutches and no weight bearing for at least 6 weeks. Lots of physical therapy afterwards. Ethan is VERY upset about this. Was planning on spending a lot of time at Paoli Peaks this winter. Also freaking out about missing school and his grades slipping. I'm just praying for him to come to terms with it and accept it and take one day at a time.

He gets his driver's license on the 28th of this month. As of last week he has a new great big Dodge truck sitting in the driveway (early christmas/cheer up present) He is hoping he will be able to at least drive by then...don't really have the heart to tell him otherwise just yet.

On another note...the business is gone. Tim and Amy Troutman are the new owners of SSL Sports. It has been more of an adjustment than I thought it would be. It's been a very long time since I actually had time to do...well... anything other than shirts. I LOVE that! We will continue all of our greek university based orders from that company. But those big orders believe it or not, are so much less time consuming than all of the individual and smaller community based orders. I wish Tim and Amy the best and hope that they will receive the overwhelming support that we did over the last almost 4 years.

News, news and more news...

2010-11-09T12:33:00.005-05:00

Made the trip to the hip specialist at Methodist yesterday. Ethan has a large (size of a plum) osteoma (bone mass) at the site where the track injury occurred back in the spring of 07. The pelvis broke at the ishcial tuberosity (lower part you sit on). It was pulled apart at the growth plate and the degree of separation was too great to allow it to heal. So for 3 and a half years he has been forming new bone and scar tissue in that area. It is against his sciatic nerve which is causing a lot of his pain.

Doc said that this would be a "big surgery" and not one that they see very often. Because of the proximity of the mass to that main nerve it will be a risky procedure. Also big risk of infection and long, painful recovery from the scraping away of that bone. He will have to take medication for awhile to prevent more unwanted bone growth in that area as he heals. He said it was a big decision for us to make...but basically we are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

This doc also looked at the mri's of his spine and did not like the brace he is in so he asked if I would like him to send us for a second opinion. We will see a different spine specialist on the 23rd. If that spine dr. clears him for surgery on his hip at that time, we will schedule it right away.

Still no answers as to why he has a broken back. Hoping this new doctor will be able to figure that out. This hip doctor from yesterday did say that the vertebrae below the one that is broken has a congential abnormality and could possibly have contributed to the break. That would be fantastic news. Would love to get the big "C" word off the table.

So... in light of everything we have going right now, we made a major decision. As of Friday we have sold the business. SSL Sports is now under new ownership. We will transition everything over during the course of the next couple weeks. This is the local business. We will continue to do all of our university fraternity/sorority business under it's own name. It was a very difficult thing to do but when we were approached by a buyer we knew it needed to happen. The kids come first and really nothing else matters.

More updates...

2010-10-31T15:20:00.004-04:00

Ethan's bone scan showed a spot on his hip along with the area to his spine. Our first fear of course was tumor. We spent a very tense several days awaiting the results from that xray. Thankfully though, we were told that there is a break in the lower part of his pelvis as well. (ischial region) It was classified as an old avulsion fracture. Poor kids been walking around with a broken back AND a broken hip.

As far as we know at this point, this injury is not related to the break in the back and we are pretty sure we know the cause. Two years ago on the first hurdle of the first race of the first track meet of 8th grade, Ethan went down. It was a terrible hamstring injury. He could not walk or bear weight on that leg. We were told both the first and second time we went to the dr. for this that hamstring injuries just take a long time to heal...it was never xrayed and we were more or less just told to ice and rest it.... hmmmm... same advice we were given for his back.....

So anyway, the fracture never healed and now there is a lot of ossified bone in and around that part of his pelvis. Most likely looking at surgery and a possible bone graft to fix it all.

As far as his back goes... we will continue to wait. His next appointment at Riley is on December 3rd. They will do a follow up MRI at that time. If the bones do not show sufficient healing, the next step will be surgery and a biopsy.

He is doing well for the most part. The brace really has helped his pain. He continues to have hip and leg pain but at least we know the source of that now. So we wait.

Have I ever mentioned I am not a very patient person....

Update

2010-10-18T18:07:00.006-04:00

Made the trip to Riley on Friday. After the doctor and their radiologist went over Ethan's MRI's we were told that his back is broken at the L4 vertebrae. Not just a simple fracture...there is a huge piece broken off the back side. Apparently the lower lumbar vertebrae are the strongest and most difficult to break and usually don't unless there is some kind of traumatic injury to that area or in an elderly person with osteopoerosis or similar bone disease. So the new question became why would this happen in an otherwise healthy 16 year old.

Riley isn't your typical hospital and things were very well orchestrated. We were able to have several more tests run while we were there including a CT scan and he was fitted for the brace he is now wearing. There were no long waits and we were well taken care of. Thursday of this week he will have a nuclear bone scan to look for underlying disease processes that may cause weakening of the bones.

Ethan is understandably very down. The brace is very uncomfortable because it has to be so tight. He is having a hard time adjusting to it. Please continue to pray for his healing, for answers, and for our strength as we deal with whatever the outcome may be.

The song playing is one of his favorites. His favorite verse is from Isaiah 40:28-31... "The Everlasting God, will never grow faint or weary. He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. Youths may grow faint and tired, and young men may stumble and fall, but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength." He has an unwavering faith and I am so thankful for that.

Prayers for Ethan...

2010-10-12T09:48:00.005-04:00

Ethan suffers from chronic low back pain. He has pain every day. Somedays it's just a mild ache and somedays it's hard for him to sit or stand or lay down. I've taken him to the doctor 3 times for this over the course of the last year. Each time I was told it was because he was growing so fast the muscles couldn't keep up. Granted, he has grown... a lot... standing almost 6'1" now. But all the ibuprofen and stretching exercises they were giving us were getting us nowhere.

So when the pain started radiating down one leg and he started having some numbness and tingling we made yet another trip to Jasper. With this new set of symptoms the doc FINALLY took it seriously enough to order an MRI. Being a nurse and knowing my kid like I do, I should have insisted on that the last time, but I like to feel like I can trust my doctor. Hindsight... Mom's...always trust your gut instincts.

Today we go for a second MRI with contrast. The first MRI showed not one, but 3 bulging discs, one with some mild spinal stenosis and one pressing on a nerve root. No wonder the poor boy has been in so much pain. There were also many Smorl's nodes...not exactly sure what that is, but according to the radiologist is an indicator of Scheuermann's Disease... which when present in the lumbar region is actually called Juvenille Discogenic Disease...which is the equivalent of adult Degenerative Disc Disease. Don't know if you followed all that or not but in other words... it's not a good thing.

Friday morning we will take the results from both MRI's and meet with a pediatric neurosurgeon up at Riley. It's no fun hearing your child's name in the same sentence with "Riley" and "neurosurgeon" let me tell you.

So anyway... any prayers sent our way would be appreciated. God willing I will be able to post a positive update over the weekend.

Ethan had a writing assignment recently that was suppose to begin "I am what I am." I don't often get to see his assignments anymore, but I came upon this one and I just loved it... so I snuck a copy. He would not be happy with me if he knew I posted it here, but since he doesn't read mom's blog I am doing it anyway :). He described himself so acurately. Just as I see him. Nice to know he knows exactly who he is. I know I didn't at 16.

I am what I am...by Ethan Jones

I am what I am and that's all that I am...
I am the country boy that everyone knows and loves.
I am what I am.
I am the dirt road kid that was raised the right way.
I am the person people know they can turn to when they're in a tight spot...
I am what I am.

I am what I am...
I am the kid in the back just hanging out.
I am a quiet, but loud when I need to be kind of guy.
I am what I am.
I am the guy that makes up for others mistakes.
I am always watching out for my friends.
I am what I want to be...I am what makes me happy...
I am what I am.

I am what I am...
I am the average baseball player that has his fare share of playing time and sitting the bench.
I am the athletic kid that loves trucks and four wheelers.
I am what I am.
I am the student that friends come to for school work help.
I am the down to earth kid that I have always wanted to be...
I am what I am.

"So it's sorta social...

2010-09-22T08:37:00.005-04:00

Demented and sad...but social." Can you name that movie in one quote? One of my all time top fives. The Breakfast Club. I saw this morning that the cast (minus Emilio) reunited for the 25th anniversary of the movie. OMG!

So I got to thinking about the movie and the messages that go with it about social order and fitting in and all that stuff...which led me to think about FB... which is also at times sorta demented and sad... but social.

Just like the characters in the movie; the brain, the princess, the jock, the basket case, and the criminal... there are also distincly different characters on fb. Each one bringing their own bit of entertainment to the table.

First, there is the closet user. You know the type. Wants to be part of the scene but only watches from the shadows. Maybe a little afraid to admit they've succumbed to the social pressure of joining. You know they're on there cause you see their little green dot. But they never comment or post anything. They just watch.

Then there is the stalker. These are usually the people from your past whose sole purpose on fb is just to look at your pictures cause they either loved you once and can't let go or you really made them mad in high school and they want to see if you've gotten fat over the years.

Gotta love the drama seekers. These are the folks who post status' in order to either upset people, cause controversy or call attention to themselves. These folks crave attention and the more sorry they can make you feel for them and the more comments they can collect, the more they love it. Perhaps the saddest of the fb heirarchy.

Ahhh... the true fb addict. This particular breed of facebooker post 100 times a day and you always know exactly where they are, what they are doing, and when they last took a bathroom break. I find these people the most entertaining.

And finally, the social butterflies. These people just truly enjoy the interaction with others. They don't over post or under post. They comment appropriately. They have no hidden agendas or addictions or issues with over-use. Just really enjoy checking in with people once in awhile.

So there you have it. My random take on the similarities between The Breakfast Club and Facebook. I know your asking yourselves where the heck this blog came from, so I'll answer by ending this post with a modification of the most famous excerpt from the movie...

"Dear Loyal Readers: I accept the fact that I had to sacrifice a whole Wednesday morning on blogspot for whatever it was that prompted this blog. You may think I'm crazy to write a blog telling you who I think you are. I see you as I want to see you: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But, what I have found out is that each one of us is. . . a closet user . . . a stalker . . . a drama seeker . . . an addict . . . and a social butterfly. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The FB Club."

Birthday's, First Days, and Bifocals...

2010-09-14T10:16:00.006-04:00

Since my last post Jaden has celebrated his 7th birthday with the traditional party at Papaw Burns'... Hard to believe that he could be 7 and a first grader. I don't know where the time goes.

Also, since my last post, Ava has started preschool. She walked in like she owned the place...hung up her Dora backpack...told me bye and never looked back. All 30 pounds of pure independance left me standing there wondering what the heck I'm gonna do now. All of the sudden there are 6 hours each week that I have ALL 4 kids in school. Truth be told, I don't like it much. I'm a mom. It's what I do. When my kids aren't around I tend to be slightly lost. I am thankful that even though I have only a short time left with my oldest... I have many years left with my baby girl. I looked at Ethan last night as he was holding Ava. She had her little arms wrapped around his neck and they were smooching and exchanging I love you's. One so tall and so grown up looking, holding one so petite and just starting out. I got all teary. It was a good teary though. God knows what being a mom means to me and he has made sure that I will always have babies around me. What a blessing.

On a side note...I was forced to surrender to the bifocal this month. Turning 43 and receiving such a symbol of old age just doesn't seem fair to me. As my ever faithful bestie put it so lovingly in text message... "you are officially old." What a melancholic moment... (and I use that word correctly:) Oh well, I am slowly learning to take this aging thing in stride. Like dad always says... It's better than the alternative.

Three months gone by...

2010-08-23T10:25:00.021-04:00

Almost four actually. I have found myself with a little time this morning so I thought maybe I should use it to get back among the land of the blogging. Not only have I myself not blogged... I haven't even been on to read other people's blogs. I was happy to find today that I have not been the only one with lack of time/words lately.

We have had an eventful summer. Lots of work as usual. Took the big extended family trip to florida...which went well...once we got over the near fatal car crash on the way down. We are thankful to be alive, nearly past the post traumatic stress of it, and got a new van out of the deal. We celebrated Ethan's 16th birthday in a very non-eventful way. (How was I suppose to know boys don't want a big sweet sixteen party?...I'm still dealing with that disappointment...cause MOM wanted the big party!) Austin rocked the Battle of the Bands at catfish festival... I attended my 25th high school reunion and surprisingly had a great time. It was actually a good experience for all of us. Very cool to reconnect. We are in negotiations to expand the business in a huge way...a very nationwide way...wish us luck on that. All the kids are doing well. I survived another first day of school. Ava is preparing for pre-school...Jaden is liking first grade... Austin is semi-enjoying eighth... and Ethan is tolerating his sophomore year. He is in his first "real" realtionship... head over heels in love... and a joy to watch. Friday he leaves to attend the Chrysallis at Camp Illiana, which is essentially the Walk to Emmaus for 16 to 18 year old boys. He is very excited and we are too as you can imagine.

That's it in a nutshell...here are some pics and a video to go along with it...

Hit from behind at 75 mph...not once but 3 times...boys covered in glass but not a scratch...a little whiplash...a rental vehicle...and on with vacay...God is good

Jones Triple Dip in Florida

Reunion pics

That 1 Band - Catfish Festival (paust playlist to listen)

Ethan and Aimee... a match made in heaven :)

Guest Blog...

2010-05-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

This is from my brother's blog. I know there is a link to it over on my sidebar... but it was just too good not to post.

Sometimes, God Gives You a Moment
April 30th, 2010

Spring is such a great time. Warmer weather, everything turns green again and certain events signal the arrival of the season. Easter, Spring Break, the Kentucky Derby - and at our house - Prom. My son is a Senior this year, and Prom is tomorrow night. He’s chosen a delightful young lady as his date, and anticipation is in the air.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet him at the tux shop to pick up his attire. It was a beautiful, sunny day - the place was abuzz with other teenage boys - some arriving solo, and others with various advisors and confidantes in tow. I took a seat out front as my son went back to the dressing room to make sure everything fit properly. After a few minutes, I heard him call, “Dad?”…I showed him the fine art of putting on cufflinks and returned to my seat. Then something magical happened.

I had returned to the front of the shop and was passing time by fiddling with my Blackberry. The store had emptied, and I had a clear line of sight to the dressing room hallway. Some nice music was playing on the intercom, and I was enjoying a few minutes of downtime. After a bit, I looked up just as my son emerged from the dressing room in his tuxedo. So mature, so grown up, so handsome. We made eye contact - and something happened in that moment. Life went into slow motion. I felt a rush of conflicting emotions - pride, joy and sadness. My son is grown. I am so proud of him, and so sad that his time with me is coming to a close. A parent’s work is never over, but the bulk of my work is done. Now he stands before me in a tuxedo, his eyes once again looking for his father’s approval, just as he has since he was a little boy.

Although he didn’t notice, it was tough for old Dad to keep it together. I smiled and told him how nice he looked. He walked to the front of the store and we stared in the full-length mirror. He was focused on the length of his jacket sleeves; I was struck by the image of father and son standing together. My mind flashed to the day he was born - I can still see it vividly in my mind. Now he stood there, nearly as tall as me. I noticed the age on my face, and the youth on his.

Nothing prepares you for that.

With everything in order, he changed back into his normal clothes, we paid the bill, and off he went. For him, it was an important item off the pre-Prom to-do list. For me, all I can say is that sometimes, God gives you a moment.

Long Time No Write.....

2010-04-16T08:43:00.009-04:00

Could life possibly move any faster. Even though some days seem to drag on for weeks... time in general is flying by. 34 days of school left... WHAT???!!! Wasn't it just spring break? April is half over when it just started. We are two short months away from having half of 2010 behind us... and man that is just scary.

Baseball season officially arrived here at the Jones house last month. Business wise we can't breathe at the start of baseball season. But I am starting to see the light and hopefully next week will be able to breathe again. Kid wise we are also covered up with baseball... Ethan on the high school team playing 3 times a week, Jaden in little league playing twice a week... and come June, Austin will join the mix when Pony League starts. It's a good thing I love to watch my boys play.

Little miss Ava turned 4 last month. I told her on her birthday when you turn four, you aren't allowed to throw fits anymore....guess i will try that speech again when she turns 5. Last night as I sat in the floor of the hallway with my head in my hands (as she was in the bathtub letting out blood curdling screams) I tried to remind myself that there will come a day when she doesn't throw fits anymore... I just hope I make it to that day.

My nephew Max turned 18 a couple of weeks ago. Don't know how that happened. He will be graduating from Carmel High School in June. And speaking of graduating... my baby brother Evan will be graduating from IU on May 8th. Already has his own office to run his company from and a new place to live in Indy. Have I mentioned before how proud I am of that boy?? ;)

I leave you today with some insightful words from one of my favorite people...:) "Life moves pretty fast... if you don't stop and look around once in awhile... you could miss it." Ferris Buehler

What a good looking bunch....if I do say so myself :)

Max's Senior picture.... soooo cute

Last day with the toddler bed :)

Godsend...

2010-03-09T12:00:00.004-05:00

Websters dictionary defines a godsend as "a desirable needed thing or event that comes unexpectedly...as if from God." ("as if" LOL- there is no as if about it:) I experienced such an event last night firsthand.

I am blessed to have a particular group of friends that never cease to amaze me. I have, as of late, kind of shut everything and everyone out of my life....these friends included. I am a master wall builder, believe me. I have old walls that were started in my childhood, and new walls that have just begun to take shape. Walls that I have managed to knock to the ground, others that are partially broken, and a few that are as strong as a fortress that I fear may never come down. Very few people ever get to see behind those walls.

Last night, these amazing women in my life, staged an intervention of sorts. They did it because they love me. They did it to let me know in no uncertain terms that they love me unconditionally. They did it to point out just how much I have seperated myself from others and from God as of late. And to show me that I will never find the answers or the peace I so desperately seek by doing so.

Once you belong to God and you run from Him... He will chase you down. He will use the people He has put into your life and sprinkle in a godsend here and there. He is relentless in His pursuit and I LOVE that about Him. He will still love you even when you resist His efforts... in fact, He may love you just a bit more during those times.

Today I am thankful for these friends. Thankful that they love me without question or uncertainty. Thankful that they do not, nor would they ever, judge or condemn. Thankful that they care enough to step up and take over when things are out of control and my strength is gone. Thankful that they know me so well it's downright scary... despite my best efforts to keep them at arms length.

Two of my girls check on me pretty much daily without fail. Especially if they have not heard from me for awhile (or a couple hours:) This morning, one of them made a profound impact on me. From God's mouth to her ears to me via text. She changed everything. She said a lot of things that changed my perspective today, but this statement, very simple and concise and to the point spoke volumes to me. Even though I already knew.. it was sooo what I needed to hear. She said "honey...you have got to get back with God. His plans were laid out for you before you were born. He has the steering wheel."

I don't know what the future holds... but I know who holds the future. :)

Enough already...

2010-02-16T13:47:00.003-05:00

I have had serious blogger block lately... not that I haven't had inspiration...just haven't been able to articulate those thoughts. Sometimes life is difficult that way.

I'm thinking I have spring fever...Is it too early for that? I love a good deep snowfall as much as the next person, but once a season is usually enough for me. Kids out of school a few days... great. Out of school a couple weeks... well.... There are advantages to being snowed in once in awhile, don't get me wrong. But enough already. At this rate it will be mid June before summer vacation officially begins. That pretty much bites.

But the great thing is that seasons change. This time in our lives won't last forever. A new season will begin leaving us feeling refreshed and renewed. I love how that happens.

Happy Birthday Austin!!

2010-02-04T11:38:00.002-05:00

Fourteen years ago, the temperature was -12 degress.... that's MINUS 12 degrees. There was also quite a bit of snow on the ground as Aaron and I made the hour long drive to the Bloomington hospital. My water had already broken at home, but I hadn't started having contractions yet. It was five weeks before my due date.

For the next 20 hours... I labored. It wasn't bad, just exhausting. Many people hung out and waited. Mom, Dad, my step mom Julie, my brothers Kent and Evan, my sister-in-law Patti, my neice Haley, and our good friends Mike and Kristy. They waited, and waited and waited. At one point somewhere around midnight a few of them braved the cold and went out for breakfast. They still talk about how painfully cold it was that night.

FINALLY, at 2 in the morning, after 3 pushes, Austin made his grand entrance. After the traditional "It's a Boy!" the next thing the dr. said was "He's a little red headed baby!"

She was right... sort of .... his hair wasn't exactly red. It was bright orange. Bright orange fuzz all over his tiny head and tiny little eyebrows that looked like they had been drawn on with an orange crayon. He was perfect. All 6 tiny pounds of him.

Unfortunately he had gurgles... his lungs held some fluid. No doubt from being 5 weeks early. He was whisked past all the people who had been waiting hours to see him and taken to the nursery. He spent three days in an incubator on oxygen but he did very well considering.

So three days later we brought him home. Ethan was only 18 months at the time, but oh so excited. They have been best friends ever since.

Today, it seems like fourteen years went by in the blink of an eye. He has grown into such a great person. So fun to be around, such the crack-up, so smart, loving, considerate, sensitive and talented. Happy Birthday Austin...even though you're not so tiny anymore...you'll always be my little orange headed boy!

Back to normal...

2010-01-04T10:50:00.004-05:00

Finally!... Although I enjoyed the holidays, there is something to be said for getting back to the regular routine.

Everything is put away... Everything is clean... The kids are back in school... I am breathing a sigh of relief today. Bet I'm not the only one.

I am not, however, looking forward to the long cold winter that lies ahead. Winter depresses me. In fact, I have not stepped foot out the door for seven days now. Can't tolerate the cold, so I stay inside, which adds to the winter blues... it's a viscous cycle.

Today I will venture out to, of all places, Walmart. What in the world could possibly be more depressing than going to walmart when it is 14 degrees outside.

Hate winter... Hate Walmart... the two combined... don't get me started.

Christmas...

2009-12-28T21:22:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Guest Blogger...

2009-12-22T19:31:00.002-05:00

Today's guest blogger is....My brother Evan.... I am so incredibly proud of him. Owns his own company, getting ready to graduate from IU, and an all around great person. Shares the Burns family love of writing that comes from our grandpa... Enjoy

Are You Running Down the Hallway?...

It’s finals week, which luckily is really not that big of a deal this year. It would take an Obama style blackmail to get my GPA to move either up or down because the number of credits I have.

I’ve been fairly frustrated this past few days because I’ve had a bad cold, and because everybody else in the company has gotten sick too, and that nothing seemed to be cooperating. I then started to drop my level of performance and succumb to making excuses to myself why I wasn’t getting things done.

As I was sitting in my room at 1:00am sorting through 100 resumes for two low paying jobs I’m offering (and Obama says the recession is over), several other guys who just finished their finals busted through the door and started blaring Christmas music and dancing (no they hadn’t been drinking). Of course you can imagine that we all looked like idiots but it was fun haha.

After the song was over we shot the breeze for a few minutes and they left seeing the mass of papers sitting on my desk. I found myself after this working much faster even standing up at my desk (when I’m in the zone I stand and work). This brief 10 minute break to enjoy the joyous spirit of the holiday increased my happiness and productivity about 5 fold. It reaffirmed the reason i’m chasing the entrepreneurs dream, because of the freedom to drop everything and be spontaneous (uh and oh yeah to be the owner of my destiny). As I got back to work, my nose dripped on a paper I was reading (ugh). 15 minutes ago this would have pushed me over the edge. Now, I just got up to go the bathroom to blow my nose. Without even thinking about it, I found myself jogging down the hallway. This is what I do when I’m totally content, don’t ask me why but I hate just walking around.

Here is the point of the story, take some time and do something today that reminds you why you are in the game, it will push you to achieve even more than you thought. Maybe you’ll run down the hallway too.

E

check out his website...www.olympiamediagroup.com

Homecoming...

2009-12-20T13:39:00.012-05:00

Mom, she hates me...

2009-12-16T23:41:00.002-05:00

You may be thinking that statement came from one of my teenagers... actually it was my kindergartener...

Jaden came straight in after school today and said very matter of factly..."mom, there's this girl...and she hates me." He was apparently upset by this.

So I say "Jaden, I am sure she doesn't hate you" to which he replies... "oh yes she does! She told me so."

So now I am thinkin, ok... who is this chick and why the heck is she hatin on my baby boy. So I probe further...

Is this girl in your class... "No"
Is she in the other kindergarten class... "yes"
And she said she hates you... "yes"
Do you know why... "no"
Does this pint size heartbreaker have a name... "yes"
Well what is it... "Summer"
So this Summer just came up to you and said she hates you for no apparent reason... "yes"
Did she say anything else... "just one more thing"
Well what else did she say... "she said she thinks I'm cute."

Aha! Playground romance. Try explaining to a six year old that a girl only says she hates you because she really likes you... makes for a very confusing conversation.

Crisis averted... I don't think there will be any lasting emotional scars from this one.... but you never know. :)

Windy Wednesday...

2009-12-09T08:44:00.011-05:00

It is extremely windy up here on the hill this morning... I think I should probably just stay home and hold on...

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. 67...I don't like that number much. When I graduated from high school, my dad was the same age I am now. I can't seem to get my mind around that one. In my eyes, my dad will always be young.

I called him last night about 10:30. He was in his usual spot... the garage... watching the usual... a ballgame. IU of course.

Besides the tv in the garage, he has four tv's in the house. Two in the living room alone... a big screen, but also one at the bar. That way he can have two different games on... sit on a swiveling bar stool and pivot back and forth to catch both. (can you say SportsAddicts Annonymous!) There is also a tv in the den and one in the bedroom. But where does he choose to spend all his time... In the garage. Must be a man thing.

He has a steady stream of visitors to the garage. Mikey from next door, my Uncle Gary from a few blocks over, and most everyone in between. They file in and out at all hours. He's a popular guy my dad.

So as we ended our conversation, I wished him a happy birthday and told him i love him very much... He told me he loves me with all his heart... Then he said what he says every single year, "just glad to be celebrating another one." :)

Me and Dad at the Bubble Room on Capitiva Island way back in 1992... nice outfits :)

Christmas Parade...

2009-12-05T16:04:00.005-05:00

Today was the parade. It was SO cold. We stayed in the van until we heard the sirens coming. We still froze to death by the time it was over. Kids had fun though. And imagine my surprise when they start telling Santa what they want for Christmas and there is no mention of any of the items that they picked out at Walmart Thursday night.... you know the ones I went back and got on Friday morning (as was all part of my Brilliant plan in my last post) OMG! So much for my strategy.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Strategy...

2009-12-03T14:05:00.003-05:00

Ok so the countdown is on and I have two gifts in my possession. Considering the fact that I have four kids, four parents, two in-laws, two brothers, one grandparent, two neices and a nephew... that is SO not a good thing. Despite my best efforts to concentrate and shop online I am constantly distracted soooo.... time to regroup and replan my attack.

Depite every fiber of my being telling me to do otherwise... I am going to take the kids to walmart after school (um...that's after 3:30... and if any of you followed my facebook rantings last week when I went after 3:30 you will understand why this is dangerous to my health) But, I will bite the bullet and take them there...spend time in the dreaded toy aisle while they pick out their favorite things...then return tomorrow and buy it all. Sounds like a plan don't yout think?

Heaven help the poor soul that blocks my way with their cart while talking on their cell oblivious to every other person on the planet... I pity the fool. ;)

Snuggle time...

2009-11-30T21:14:00.001-05:00

She's tired and snuggly... my favorite thing. :)

Texting Thanksgiving...

2009-11-29T07:59:00.011-05:00

This is my favorite picture taken at Thanksgiving this year. (Although I don't think Julie was too happy with us when she took it:) Notice in the warm and fuzzy Thanksgiving Eve post below from the 25th that I have used for the last two years, it says nothing about the traditions of Burns family texting... guess I will need to change that next year.

Despite how it looks in the picture...we actually did talk to eachother throughout the course of the night. :) Talked a lot about our phones, now that I think about it. Heck we even texted eachother from across the bar...

My Blackberry Curve... "PING"... it was Kent
My Blackberry Curve to his Blackberry Tour... "What!?"
His Tour to my Curve... "QUEER!"
My Curve to his Tour... "MAGGOT!"

True story... I am happy to say, though, that when we went around the table to say what we were most thankful for, not one of us said instant messaging, facebook, or 3G network...

Here are a couple more of my favorites pics...
Hey wait... is that a cellphone in Grandma's hand???

Don't ask...don't tell...believe me!

Best brothers ever!

Thanksgiving Eve....

2009-11-25T16:01:00.004-05:00

This year on thanksgiving eve... I am FURIOUS! Furious with my oldest son. Ethan was chosen freshman homecoming candidate today and what does he do..... TURNS IT DOWN. Who does that?!!! Ethan Michael Jones does apparently. Turned it down.... blows my mind.

The following is from last year's Thanksgiving Eve post... not much has changed :)

I don't get to see my mom on Thanksgiving, and that is always a real bummer. But, I am looking VERY forward to seeing Kent and his family. Haley is home, so can't wait to see her. Max is with his mom... bummer. Jaden is SO excited to see Abby, he can hardly stand it. I can't wait to stand in the kitchen, crowded around the cheeseball, catching up with everyone while we wait on the turkey. It's tradition.

My family has a lot of Thanksgiving traditions...we are a predictable bunch. Dad and Kent and Aaron will hang out in the garage or at the bar watching some ball game. Julie, Patti, and I will hang in the kitchen and talk about everything we can think of. Evan will kind of migrate between the two. Big kids will impatiently await the food (which simply cannot be eaten before at least 7:30!) Little ones will run up and down the hallway, only stopping when papaw burns catches them.

We will gather around the table, take turns telling what we are most thankful for. My grandma Burns (almost 93!) will give thanks, and dad will be all misty eyed. Then we will proceed to stuff ourselves till we can hardly move, forgetting that grandma has made pumpkin AND chocolate pie. Somehow we will all find room for a piece or two. Kent will stand (cause he is too full to sit) in the kitchen eating several pieces of the persimmon pudding I make him every year. He will invariably say "Man, Aunt P, this is excellent!" (his kids call me Aunt P - long story) The rest of the evening we will just be together and anticipate the Christmas season.

Doesn't that sound like just THE most perfect Thanksgiving! I think it does... :)

Birthday Blog...

2009-11-18T08:15:00.007-05:00

November is a big birthday month. A few of the people I love most in this world were born in November. Unfortunately, I am so stinkin busy I barely got time to acknowledge them.

The 2nd was my big brothers birthday. He got the customary text saying "Happy Birthday Queer", and responded with the usual "Thanks Queer." Those of you who know me well know that I love my brother with a passion. He is my hero and growing up he was the center of my universe. I can trust him and confide in him. He has always been there for me and has protected me like only a big brother can. I miss him everyday and don't see him nearly enough. Such is life.

The 14th was my little brother's birthday. He turned the big 22. Funny how he keeps having birthdays but I'm the one that keeps getting older. He also got a text about 9:30 that night. Sad I know. Evan is my inspiration and I also love him with a passion. That kid has more drive than anyone I have ever known in my life. He is destined for big things. Huge things actually. He will graduate from IU in the spring. I also miss him everyday, and don't see him nearly enough.

My dear friend Kristy's baby boy Isaiah shares Evan's birthday. He turned the big O-N-E. He is such a little doll. Looks like his big brother. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a phone yet, so I couldn't text him, and of course totally spaced the party. I really need to get out of the garage more. Saw pictures of him today. He is walking and has hair! I missed his whole first year. His big sister Mikenna also had a birthday this month. She is too cute for words. Her mommas face and her mommas sassines. Guess what... no phone, no text, busy on party day. How sad is that.

TODAY is my besties birthday! Christy and I started our friendship via text about 3 years ago. My life has never been the same. :) She is always there, night or day. She knows me deep. She loves me anyway. She prays with me, she prays for me. She holds me accountable and she never hesitates to tell me exactly what she thinks. I love that about her. We know that God brought us together for a reason and we are having a ball watching it all unfold. Her faith inspires me, her friendship guides me, and she helps me be a better person. I will text her happy birthday right now... but I won't call her a queer :)

CAN'T SLEEP!!!

2009-11-16T00:57:00.002-05:00

It is 12:58 am... I am awake... Grrr

I am making an effort to clear the random thoughts filling my head so I can get some SLEEP!

Dang! I should've had some pop before midnight!! To late now, Christy and I have sworn off our beloved Pepsi and Dr. Pepper until further notice.

Crap! Tomorrow is Monday...well actually I guess it's already Monday...which means Walmart day...which means I have to deal with managing my extreme aisle rage yet again.

Holy Moly! Thanksgiving is a week from Thursday...

Good Lord! I haven't started Christmas shopping yet...do you know how long it takes to Christmas shop for 4 kids!

OMG! I didn't get all the laundry done, which means I will be searching for three pairs of matching socks in just a few hours before I have had a chance to have any coffee....oh wait... mom did all the laundry yesterday :)

Hmmm. I wonder if I am the only one who has obsessive thoughts that won't go away

Idk... Is facebook really a form of cyber stalking??

Man. It's kinda creepy sitting in here alone in the dark. I knew I shouldn't have watched that commercial for Paranormal Activity.

I wonder. How ridiculous am I going to feel when I have to sprint down the hallway cause now I've spooked myself.

I'm makin a run for it....

Sticks and stones...

2009-11-11T11:00:00.003-05:00

Teasing and name calling... don't you love it. I am amazed at how it has transformed from the time I was a kid back in the land of innocence to the times we are living in today. You remember the days of "oh yea...you and what army" or classic insults like "your such a a doofus" or "barf bag" or "pizza face" or "four eyes." Today it's all out, no holds barred viscousness. Nothing is off limits. These kids throw insults and words around that I probably didn't even know existed until I was out of high school. It's a sad state of affairs...

Even though our insults seem WAY tame compared to today's... they were just as effective. Case in point... Way back in the day, circa 1978ish, I spent most of my summers at my grandparents in Otwell. Hung out with my cousins on lazy summer days that seemed to go on forever. Made some of the greatest childhood memories ever in that tiny town.

I had a major crush on this friend of my cousins who used to come and play with us. I thought he was the greatest thing on the planet. Oh so cute and so cool. It was the butterflies in your stomach and the sweaty palms kind of crush. One day we were all laying on a big blanket under the shade tree in my grandma's back yard; me, Chad, Ryan, Leah (my cousins) and Mike. We were talking and laughing, drinking Kool-aid and drawing pictures of our dream house. (Can't you just picture it as a classic Norman Rockwell painting. *sigh*)

Then came time for the big reveal... I'm sad to say I don't remember what I drew that day, or what Chad or Ryan or Leah drew either for that matter. But I do remember Mike's drawing. He drew a dog house. Your typical looking dog house. And above the door he wrote the word "Fido." We all laughed and thought it was funny, but then he said the words that still echo in my mind to this day.... wait for it folks...

It's way harsh...

"THIS is 'WHAT'S HER FACES' dream house!"

OOOOH man... and I'm sure you can guess that I was the "what's her face" to whom he was referring. DANG! Can't you just feel the pain of that poor 11 year old version of me. Scarred me for life... well sort of...

Ok not really, but I'd like for Mike to think it did. I have run into him on the rare occasion over the years... family funerals and such. And now I am happy to report that by the magical healing power that is Facebook... after 30 some years... he has apologized for scarring me emotionally, and we are friends. :)

The best advice...

2009-11-04T08:49:00.008-05:00

Teenage years bite. They really do. So does middle age.... but I digress.

Parenting two teenage boys can be trying at times. I'm sure not as trying as parenting even one teenage girl, but still a struggle on occasion. I'm so thankful not to have any huge issues with either one of my boys. They are just trying to figure out who they are, where they are going, and where their place is in this world. (I don't have the heart to tell them they will still be trying to figure that one out when they are 40:)

They are going to struggle, make mistakes, get their hearts broken, fail to fit in at times and so on. My job is just to be there to guide them on their journey, guard and protect them from what I can, and pick up the pieces when I can't.

A dear friend gave me a cd recently and the song "The Words I Would Say" by the Sidewalk Prophets was on it. (It is on my playlist if you want to hear it). I loved it immediately. Exactly what I would want to say to my boys. I have written the chorus and posted it on my boys mirror to remind them everyday...

Be strong in the Lord and
never give up hope
You're gonna do great things
I already know.
God's got his hand on you so
don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget
but don't forget why your here.
Take your time and pray
Thank God for each day
His love will find a way.
These are the words I would say...

Great advice for even us middle-agers... don't ya think

A Father's Love...

2009-10-30T15:29:00.004-04:00

A son says to his father "Dad, would you be willing to run a marathon with me?"
The father, despite his age and heart disease says "YES"
And they run that marathon together.

The son asks, "Dad, can you run another marathon with me?"
Again, the father says "YES"
They run another marathon together.

One day the son says "Dad, would you please do the Iron Man with me?"
(Now just in case you wouldn't know, the Iron Man is the toughest triathlon in existance; a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, and finally a 26 mile run - all in one day!)
Again, father says "YES"

Maybe this doesn't touch you yet... until you watch this video... (pause playlist first.)

As much as this father loves his son, how much more does your father in heaven love you...

Adoration...

2009-10-14T07:59:00.002-04:00

This is my favorite song right now. I listen to it over and over and over again. I tend to do that when I have a favorite. This video is kinda long, but the end is the best part! Pause my playlist and watch with an attitude of worship. It's powerful stuff.

The Average Day...

2009-10-07T08:53:00.015-04:00

Funny how when you are "tuned in" to God you find him everywhere. In the beauty of a fall morning, in the sleepy faces of your kids, in a text from a friend, in the verse of the day.... He will speak to you in so many ways if you just listen. All you have to do is intentionally focus on him as you go about your regular routine. I dare you to try it and I promise you will be amazed.

Even though our Crazy Love study has just begun, I am already feeling the crazy love. I can already see it will be life changing in the fact that it will challenge how we think about God and how we go about living each day. I am not a reader, but I am drinking in every word of this book. Just so ya know...It's $9 bucks on Amazon. $9 bucks to change your life... what a bargain.

This morning I read the following...
"you could die before you finish reading this chapter. I could die while you are reading it. Today. At any moment. But it's easy to think about today as just another day. An average day where you go about life concerned with your to-do list, preoccupied by appointments, focused on family, thinking about your desires and needs. On the average day, we live caught up in ourselves. On the average day, we don't consider God very much. On the average day, we forget that our life truly is a vapor."

Morbid thoughts over morning coffee??... I don't think so. Just another reminder we need to get our acts together and our priorities in order. In our next heartbeat, we could find ourselves standing in the throne room of God. On any average day. And as the author puts it... not only do we have to realize this, "we have to believe it enough that it changes how we live."... Word.

Monday Monday....

2009-10-05T09:06:00.007-04:00

Monday is not my favorite day and Monday mornings are killer. Always takes a little more coffee and a little more time to get going. I think I'm showing my age here... Did anyone else notice how dark it still was at 7:00??

This should be a fairly easy week. Ya-Ya's tonight...we are starting the new Crazy Love study. Check it out at www.crazylovebook.com I think it is gonna be really great.

Austin's soccer is over, so I won't have to make two different trips to school for pick ups this week. One more week for Ethan...games are over and Sectional is Saturday. After that I wonder what he will do with himself from 3:30 on... On the plus side he will be able to get his homework done at a decent time...on the not so plus side, he will have an extra 2 1/2 hours to complain about being bored and hungry. Hmmm...did I really say I was glad soccer was over??

Lots to accomplish today... better get busy....OR maybe just a little more coffee first... :)

Things that make you go Hmmmm.....

2009-10-02T08:13:00.003-04:00

Remember my post from yesterday.... got this on FB first thing this morning. (pause my playlist so you can hear)

Will you be left behind....

The power of a moment...

2009-10-01T10:04:00.007-04:00

"What am I gonna be when I grow up? And how am I gonna make my mark in history? What are they gonna say about me when I'm gone? These are the questions that shape the way I think about what matters.

But I have no guarantee of my next heartbeat. And my world's too big to make a name for myself. And what if no one wants to read about me when I'm gone. Seems to me that right now's the only moment that matters.

You know the number of my days...so come paint your pictures on the canvas in my head and, come write your wisdom on my heart. Teach me the power of a moment...."

That was from one of my all time favorite songs by Chris Rice. Puts things in perspective for me. We are not guaranteed our next heartbeat. We could be called home in a moments notice. In the blink of an eye. Lately I am thinking about the big picture in that thought. We ALL could be called home...in the blink of an eye.

Do you ever think about the end of days. It's hard to watch the news and not think about it. Are we living in the end times?

As I typed that sentence, I received a text from Christy with the following verse... "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don't know when they will happen, stay alert and keep watch." Mark 13:32-33 Whoa...what a God thing.

It goes on to say "The coming of the Son of Man can be compared with that of a man who has left home to go on a trip. He gave each of his employees instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. So keep a sharp lookout! For you do not know when the homeowner will return - at evening, midnight, early dawn or late daybreak. Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. What I say to you I say to everyone: Watch for his return!" Mark 13:34-37.

In the grand scheme of things, what really matters in your life. This life is fleeting. So many things we worry and stress about mean absolutely nothing. We need to be concerned about this very moment. Are you watching, or are you sleeping?

There is power in a moment. Every moment of every day we make choices. Choose to make the best of your moments. Months of planning go into a wedding, the birth of a child, a career change, etc... do you place the same importance on preparing for Christ's return, THE most important event in your life. It's results will last for eternity. Don't postpone your preparations. Study his word and live by its instructions each day...only then will you be ready. Be ready... Be watchful...

Obadiah 1:15 "The day is near when I, the Lord, will judge the godless nations..."

When September Ends....

2009-09-30T09:53:00.002-04:00

How could this possibly be the last day of September...it just started.

With the end of September comes the end of the first grading period. It also marks the end of the jr. high soccer season for Austin. Last game tonight. It also signals the winding down of high school soccer for Ethan, with sectional just around the corner. I think we are all ready for it to be over.

Every morning these days I am looking out my front windows anxiously awaiting the changing of the leaves. I have an aboslutely beautiful view that I normally take for granted the rest of the year...but not in the fall. I think with the weather the way it has been, this fall will be a great one for color.

The persimmon tree out front is loaded down with persimmons. Dad and Kent will be glad to hear that. Persimmon pudding is a Thanksgiving tradition at the Burns house. We have gotten out the jackets and the long sleeves. Put flannel sheets on the beds. Being cold natured, like I tend to be, we have already had to run the furnace twice. Last year at the end of September, heck way into October, we were still swimming in the pool. I think Aaron may close it down this weekend.

And so it goes....let the winding down begin. Fall is my favorite!

A little older...a little wiser...

2009-09-23T09:26:00.004-04:00

My birthday was Saturday. I was working the Walk of course, so I didn't get to spend it with my family... but it was a great day!

At times when I would go back to my room there would be cards and gifts from my besties and texts from my family which was cool. Evan did not fail to remind me that I am now "Finding Myself at 42." Thanks Ev. But perhaps the coolest thing came from my dad.

Every single year on my birthday as far back as I can remember, my dad has told me the story of the day I was born. He was in Music Appreciation class at Oakland City College... someone came to get him to tell him mom had went into labor... and on and on...He goes to great detail to tell the whole thing. When I returned to my room for the night it was very, very late. I saw the flashing light on my phone and checked to find that dad had texted...in several texts.... the entire story. He did not leave out a single word. Must have taken him a long time. That meant the world to me.

I know God has great things in store for me as I start my 42nd year. I am thankful to be starting it with an even deeper relationship with Him. I believe working the Walk on my birthday was His gift to me. It was THE best present ever.

Wow...

2009-09-21T11:24:00.007-04:00

I really don't even know how to begin this post. I have been bowled over and swept off my feet so many times this past weekend. It was joyful...it was inspiring... it was heartwrenching... it was hilarious... it was every single emotion all rolled into one. God showed up and man did He show off. I love it when He does that. :)

I looked at the faces of the women as they arrived on Thursday night. I studied them. I saw the fear, the apprehension, the worry, and the extreme amount of burden they carried. I don't think I have ever seen that much burden in one place. Over the course of the 72 hours, I saw those expressions change. From a spark of interest, to an opening up, to a breaking down. I witnessed as they lay those burdens down at the foot of the cross and I am praying today that they never pick them back up. I stood in awe as COUNTLESS women - I lost count - confirmed or reconfirmed giving their lives to Christ. We were so very priviledged to watch these women's eyes be truly opened for the very first time to the incredible love and grace of Jesus that he has for each and every one of us. It was a humbling experience that I shared most intimatley with my asst. table leader and the 5 incredible ladies at our table. Man did He know what He was doing when he put all of us together. We all belong to Him.

Sharing this experience with my Ya-Ya's was beyond words. We have prayed over this weekend for so very long, then to finally be there and live it was more than I had ever imagined. Laying (yes I said laying) at the alter in prayer for these women with my dear sweet Christy and then seeing those prayers answered was a blessing I will cherish forever. Watching Susan go about her duties with such a pure heart for God blessed me in a way she will never quite understand. The times I got to see Annette in passing and give her a squeeze and an I love you were priceless. Seeing Andi in her tinkerbell jammies shuffle into the bathroom every morning is forever etched in my mind :) Sitting across from Shirl at the amazing meal on Saturday night and sharing that with her was humbling. (even tho our husbands did not include us in the Hot Wives club :) And Tami...wow. As she led us through this experience, when I looked at her I saw Jesus. Towards the end of the weekend she stood before us all and gave THE most amazing talk and then sang a song that perfectly conveyed her feelings for everyone there. She raised her hands at the end as she sang and I think it may have been one of the most powerful things I have ever seen. All the praying, and the hard work, and the organizing, and the hundreds and hundreds of hours she had put into this weekend all came to fruition in that moment. I loved it.

I spent the better part of my life searching for something to fill the void in my heart that kept me in depression and misery most of the time. I thank God for those that interceded in prayer on my behalf until my own eyes were finally opened on my Walk. I owe that experience to the prayers of my big brother. I remember vividly one day riding in the car with him and he was listening to a christian radio station. It freaked me out. I asked if he had become a religious fanatic. He laughed and said "define religious fanatic" I said "someone who reads the bible everyday" he laughed again and said "well sis... I guess that makes me a fanatic" Wow... to go from that to the relationship I have with the lord now has been quite a journey. It's far from over...and I am loving every minute of it.

I would love for everyone to have this experience. Pray about it. (If you have been on a Walk pray about someone you may be able to sponsor.) If you know someone who has previously been call them up and ask questions. If you don't know anyone who has been drop me an email. I would love to talk to you about it. And it's not just for women you know. There are men's weekends also. I got a different husband when Aaron returned from his weekend up in Indy. I hear the men cry more than the women do. :)

I leave you with a verse that struck a chord with me during the weekend... it is from John 15:5 "I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." Just like a branch that is cut from a tree and later withers and dies, so will we if we separate ourselves from Christ. Food for thought...

SIDEBAR...AFTER posting this, I read the verse of the day to your right... (which at the time I posted was this)... "I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you keep growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns." Phillippians 1: 9-10 That is nothing but pure confirmation my friends straight from God to me this morning. Man... here comes the ugly cry.

Final Post...

2009-09-16T08:02:00.005-04:00

... not really.... just for a few days. :)

Tomorrow begins Southwest Indiana Walk to Emmaus #39! Starting at 5:00, 52 team members and 44 women from all walks of life will begin an incredible life changing journey. 72 hours in the presence of the Lord. Unless you have been, you can't even imagine. I HIGHLY remcommend it.

Counting my own walk, this will be my 4th Walk experience and I can tell you this...every walk is a bit different, BUT one thing is the same...Jesus always shows up. He will be in the faces and hearts of all those coming together to make this weekend happen. Pray that these women will be able to see Him and feel Him and be open to what He has in store for each and every one of them.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

Finally Friday..

2009-09-11T08:15:00.004-04:00

This "short" week has been a long week in my opinion. SO much to try to fit in. Since my last post, Aaron and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. (That is hard to get my mind around.) We spent Labor Day weekend at my dad's with the family (Had an awesome time!) And we had our last team formation for Southwest Indiana Walk to Emmaus #39!! (Hard to believe it's here! Woo Hoo)

The lord has revealed a great deal to me over the last several weeks. He has reminded me that when I have no strength left to go on, He will carry me. That when worry begins to enter my mind, He will take care of it. That when people hurt or disappoint me, I can find forgiveness. That none of us should complain about our lives because others are going thru unspeakable pain. That there is nothing that can quite compare to the Body of Christ praying together in unison. That He be can praised in ALL things and ALL situations.

A friend from our team of the upcoming walk lost her brother-in-law yesterday to a battle with cancer. He was diagnosed this past January. He was only 40 years old. He never had a chance to "find himself at 40." He and his wife also lost a two year old to a brain tumor several years ago. So much pain for one family to bear. As I would read the emails and the posts on his caring bridge site about his failing condition my heart would ache. I could picture myself, sitting at a hospital bed in my living room, holding my husbands hand and I could feel the magnitude of that situation. They have a 13 year old boy. I thought about what it would do to my 13 year old to watch that happen to his dad. Doesn't that kind of put your whole life in perspective.

Throughout this most difficult, unimaginable time, that family never once... not for a single minute stopped praising God. Never Once. What a testiment to their faith. They were so completely confident that Kevin's healing would come. If not on this earth, then in Heaven. And they were ok. I could never do justice in conveying the complete and total faith that this family has. I would encourage you to go to his site and read his journal. www.caringbridge.org/visit/kevinking/journal
You will be blessed more than you can imagine.

A dear old friend posted on facebook this morning "we are only one phone call away from falling on our face before Him." Man...that's heavy stuff. Where are you on your journey. Do you have a personal relationship with our lord and saviour Jesus Christ. I'm not talking "yes, I go to church every Sunday" I am talking a REAL relationship. There is a huge difference. Pews are full of people who will never make it into heaven. Are you one of them. Do you have a daily walk with Him, or only think of Him when times are difficult. I challenge you to really examine your life. Will you be prepared when you get that phone call. Will you be prepared if someone else gets that phone call about you.

The last words that Kevin had his wife type on his caring bridge site on Sept. 1st were these... "Live, love, and abide by God's glorious commandments. Good Night and have a blessed day tomorrow. Love, Kevin."

Happy Birthday Jaden!

2009-09-01T08:19:00.009-04:00

Jaden put the "Labor" in Labor Day six years ago. It was nice that he was born on a holiday, because the ENTIRE family was able to be there. He spent his first hour being passed around among a dozen people or so. It was really cool. His big brothers were so proud of him.

Today he is spending his birthday at school. Another "first" to deal with. He wanted me to make brownies for his class, since he isn't a cake person. I told him I would bring them out for his classroom party this afternoon. His reply, "you really don't have to come mom." I said "it's ok Jaden, I want to come" thinking awww, he is worried about how busy I am and doesn't want to inconvenience me. How sweet. But then he said it again. And then a third time. Finally I asked..."Jaden do you not want me to come?" He tried his best to be diplomatic, but DANG... another dagger to mom's heart.

So I will honor his wishes and miss the classroom party today. This one seems to be growing up at lightening speed. Little mister independent. I don't like it a bit.

Catching up...

2009-08-27T11:10:00.001-04:00

I love being caught up don't you. Caught up with the laundry. Caught up on the housework. Caught up in a moment... Getting caught up with old friends, especially ones you haven't seen or heard from in years... can't beat it.

I haven't blogged much lately as you may have noticed. Do you even need to ask why? I simply cannot get caught up with the chaos that is my life. In fact, it is physically impossible for me to get caught up at this point in time. Way to much going on. Take the usual stuff that you poor readers get to hear me vent about and add back to school, a kid with mono, a kid with a bad cold, and a kid with endless soccer games, and a kid with an upcoming birthday... coupled with preparing to work an Emmaus Walk and trying to keep my head above water business wise. Man... I am SO not ever gonna get caught up. SO, I am going to quit trying and just go with the flow.

Here are a few "catch up" facts for new readers who are interested in the where abouts of the family...and for those readers who maybe had lost track...

Mom moved to Indy six years ago next month, the same month that Jaden was born. That was a bummer...BUT Greg was working up there so it pretty much had to happen. She lives in the Castleton area. I get up there with the kids usually in March for spring break and October for fall break. A getaway for the kids and I get to shop by myself! She, on the other hand, comes down here every other week... gotta see her babies. I am so thankful for that.

Dad is still in Jasper. He and Julie are still operating Pieper-Burns State Farm after 23 years. Dad is still Dad...he never changes. My baby brother Evan will be 22 in November and is a Senior at IU this year. He is one amazing kid.

Kent is up in Carmel. Village of West Clay, to be exact. Super successful of course. Check him out at www.kentburnsonline.com. Haley is up around IUPUI, Max is a senior and Abby is in the second grade. I don't get to see him near as often as I would like, usually 5 times a year or so, but we do text eachother about every other day.

Grandma Burns is 93 and going strong! Still lives alone, still cruises Jasper, and can often be found hanging out at walmart. Isn't that wild.

As for me...there are plenty of posts on this blog to give you the lowdown... 151 to be exact. One night I couldn't sleep and read them all. Got "caught up" on the past year or so. Amazing what you forget in a year's time.

Playing catch up bites... but getting caught up is awesome. I highly recommend it.

First Day...

2009-08-14T09:04:00.006-04:00

It's done... It was just as bad as I had feared... worse actually.

I was weepy on the drive there, but under control. We pulled into the parking lot and all piled out of the van. My big boys both hugged me and kissed me and man that's all it took. Bring on the waterworks. They walked away and I couldn't watch.

I managed to gain control by the time I got into the building with Jaden. We hung up his things and went to his seat. There was a picture there for him to color. He sat down and I sat down in his seat with him and he began coloring.

I tried to think of everything I needed to tell him, even though I have tried my best for the last almost 6 years to teach him everything he needs to know. I reminded him to raise his hand in the cafeteria if he has trouble getting things open in his lunch. I'm worried about that. I told him over and over and over that I loved him and he was going to have a great day.

I tried so hard to choke it back, but I failed. I sat there in that tiny seat and hugged him and cried....and I didn't care.

I cried all the way to the van and then had the big ugly cry for the next half hour or so. As I type this I am holding my baby girl who wants to know where Jaden is and how long till he gets home. Gonna be a long day.

Point of no return...

2009-08-13T19:54:00.003-04:00

It's almost 8:00. I happen to have few minutes of peace and quiet, on this, the eve of the day I have dreaded for the last year.

In a few minutes, they will all pile in the back door from their various practices and activites. I will head them all to the bathtub and showers. We will pick out clothes and get backpacks and supplies in order. I will look at my big boys and see each one as the tiny boys that I knew long ago, even though now I have to look up at both of them. I will look at my J and wonder where the last five years went. Seems like I was carrying him on my hip only yesterday. And I will look at my precious baby girl and thank god he gave me one more to hold onto a little while longer.

I am choking back tears already my friends. Typing this through cloudy vision. I know they all grow up but man, I tell ya, every year it gets a little harder to accept. Four short years is all I have left with Ethan. It will be over in a flash. I am also thinking of my dear friends who are sending their babies off to start their senior year and of friends who are sending their last baby and will come home to an empty house for the first time. My heart breaks for them too. Letting go stinks... But, despite these sad moments, that inevitably come, what joy surrounds me in this house. What a privledge and honor it is to be a mom to such wonderful kids. God gave me four gifts... and I am so thankful.

Women of Faith!

2009-08-09T19:27:00.008-04:00

My girls and I returned home yesterday from our second annual Ya Ya trip to Women of Faith. If you have never been, you are truly missing out. 12,000 women in one arena all coming together in Christ to share and laugh and cry and rejoice. The speakers were outstanding as usual. Stephen Curtis Chapman literally took our breath away and left us speechless on Friday night. (He is my fave, in case I never mentioned it :) Mandisa, and Lisa Welchel (Facts of Life) and Patsy Clairmont, and Marilyn Meeburg, and all the others were equally as inspiring. Everyone has a story my friends, and none of us are alone.

I forgot my camera! But here is a pic we had taken while there.

My favorite Farhar and My favorite Fields (Christy's sister Andi)

Shirley and Tami...love those crazy gals

Me and my precious pals Susan and Annette

Life lessons...

2009-07-27T18:27:00.004-04:00

I was told it was time for a blog... didn't realize it had been so long. I continue to be amazed at how fast time is passing. The busier I am, the faster it goes. The older I get, the bigger the blur. Not fair.

The dreaded day is fast approaching. I have begun the enforcement of my annual self-imposed back to school boycott. I will stand firm and refuse to buy anything school related... I will let the scheduled days for book rental come and go without stepping foot in the door of the school... I will refuse to talk about the impending doom that is to come at 8:10 on Friday August 14th. On that note... I am changing the subject :)

I am working really hard this summer on loosening the apron strings as far as my older boys are concerned. They are, after all, 13 1/2 and 15. They both have level heads and make wise decisions. It's time they branched out a bit, right?? Last night as they, along with six other boys swam in the pool, some of them were making plans to go four wheeling at a place in Jackson County. Two of the boys ever so cautiously approached Aaron and I and asked if our boys could go. I almost laughed out loud.

It is no secret to me that we are known as the "strict" parents, and some of these boys think we are downright mean for not letting our kids do what other kids do. I am SO fine with that, you wouldn't believe it... BUT this time I felt it was ok to say yes and felt that they deserved to get to go. I think my boys were in shock.

So, after lecturing them till there ears bled...they loaded up this morning and off they went. Dirtbikes, four wheelers, coolers...eight people in all. Amazingly, and prayerfully, I felt calm and at peace with my decision as they pulled out of the drive.

Fast forward a short couple of hours and I get a text telling me one of the boys had had a bad wreck and was not wearing a helmet! In the middle of nowhere they had to run up and down hills to find service to call 911 and wait 20 minutes or so for an ambulance to get to them, all the while trying to keep this boy from moving, watching his face bleed and swell before their eyes.

Verdict was a concussion, broken shoulder, broken wrist, torn up face but no broken facial bones. Amazing it wasn't worse. All the kids were pretty shook up by the incident, but man what a lesson they all learned.

I initially beat myself up for letting my boys go in the first place... what if this had been one of them... how would I live with that knowing I put them in that position in the first place. It was then God whispered in my ear...

Your boys are growing up. Your relationship is naturally transforming. You are not always going to be there to protect them... but I will. Trust that you have raised them to this point to the best of your ability and know that they both have a stong relationship with Me and are stong in their faith. Even when your eyes are not on them... My eyes are. Even when your voice is not in their ear telling them to be careful...My voice is. And even though they are no longer totally dependent on You, they both understand that they are dependent on Me. Even though you have to start to let go... I never will...

My boys are growing up... I am ever so slowly letting go... and I am at peace....

Celebrity Guest Blogger....

2009-07-11T09:15:00.002-04:00

Got this from my mom earlier in the week. Thought it would make a great post...

Hope...

Hope you are okay,
hope you had a good night,
hope you don't have too much work today,
hope Ava is even better,
hope your heart is calming down,
hope you are happy in the midst of your busy life,
hope you will take care of yourself and your family first,
hope you are talking to your Father in heaven everyday many times,
hope your business will take a real break soon,
hope you know your brother still says you're a queer,
hope you know what a great person you are,
hope you know how loved you are,
hope you know how proud I am of you,
hope you know I love you just as much as you love those precious kids of yours!!!

Is my mom the greatest or what??!!

Thinking Thursday...

2009-07-02T09:12:00.002-04:00

K... Got 5 minutes here.... just took Ethan to band camp....kids still in bed...here are some random thoughts running through my mind this mornin.

I think it is absolutely INSANE that it is July already...what happened to May and June?

I think I will never, ever, ever take another vacation in June in the midst of all-stars and catfish... the aftermath is literally killing me.

I think I may or may not be geared up for the fest...if I could quit working long enough maybe I could decide.

I think it is awesome that our boys Babe Ruth team is #1 in their division...and the tourney win at Bloomfield was SWEET!

I think it is my own fault that I am back on the heart monitor...no down time/too much stress = an unhappy ticker.

I think Susan is THE best massage therapist in the world (for sure the county :)...and she makes house calls! (still feelin great susie q)

I think I am FIRED UP my mom comes today AND is gettin to spend the night...and that Greg is well enough to spend one night on his own.

I think I miss my brothers somethin' fierce...thanks for the call last night Ev, hope you make it down tonight.

I think the fact that my first born can operate a motor vehicle leagally is freakin me out...man I am gettin old.

I think I got WAY to much to accomplish today...better get busy.

"You can rest...you will find rest...Let this old life crumble, let it fade. Let this new life offer be your saving grace....let this old life crumble...let it fade"

Ode to Chang....

2009-06-10T13:09:00.003-04:00

Chang came into our lives nine months ago. During that time our family has come to love him. Such a great spirit and all around good kid. Today it was time for him to return to South Korea. I have to admit it was tough watching him walk away not knowing for sure if we will see him again. He has called Christy several times updating her as he travels. Right now as I type he is on a plane to Japan. Will make it there about 1:00 tomorrow morning. Then it's onto another plane to South Korea and he should arrive home somewhere around 8:30 tomorrow morning. Wow...that's a long haul.

It's cool to know we have a bond with someone half way around the world. Someone from a totally different culture. My boys are especially sad. Ethan says he doesn't remember what life was like before him. Can't imagine how weird it is around the Farhar house right now.

So here are some of my favorite pics of Chang... and you know the next best thing to having him here.... FACEBOOK!!! (have I mentioned I love facebook :) He is all set up and adding friends, so in some ways, it will be like he never left!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Friday looking forward...

2009-06-05T07:09:00.006-04:00

This week has flown by...

Looking forward to much needed haircuts for 5 this morning... pretty shaggy round here.

Looking forward to our going away pool party for Chang tonight... man we are gonna miss that kid.

Looking forward to leaving for Florida a week from Sunday... South Seas Resort here we come!

Looking forward to spending some time with no kids and no work... I'll believe it when we get there.

Looking forward to completing the 18+ HUGE orders we've got going before we leave... can we pull that off??

Looking forward to seeing my mom...whenever that is :(

Looking forward to seeing Evan... I hope he makes it down this weekend.

Looking forward to another text from my dad on his new iphone... hilarious!

Looking forward to Ethan and Austin's first babe ruth game... nice to have them both on the same team!

Looking forward to Ethan's first day of Driver's Ed... not really, but he thinks I am. :)

Looking forward to meeting with my Ya Ya's next week... I LOVE that crazy bunch!

Looking WAY forward to Southwest Indiana Walk to Emmaus #39... Can't even imagine how awesome that is gonna be!

Feeling very fortunate to be able to look forward...

Tuesday tutorial...

2009-06-02T00:00:00.001-04:00

Here's a little info via the ABC's of yours truly...

Age: 41 and Fab of course...

Bed Size: Queen size sleep number bed... best money we ever spent!

Chore I hate: All of them! That's why they're called chores and not parties...

Dogs name: Speedy... god rest his soul... also have a cat named meow meow

Essential start your day item: Coffee and more coffee

Favorite color: sometimes blue, sometimes pink

Gold or Silver: Gold AND Silver

Height: 5'4" and Aaron swears I'm already shrinking... :(

Instruments I play: A little piano... a tad bit guitar

Job title: Wife, Mom, Nurse, Educator, Business owner... take your pick

Kids: LOTS! 4 angels on earth and 1 in heaven

Living Arrangements: Same house we built back in 95

Mom's Name: Madelyn :)

Nicknames: "P" or "Aunt P"... long story... "Queer" to my loving older brother :) "Sissy" to my favorite baby brother :)

Overnight Hospital Stays: Too many to mention

Pet Peeves: I have serious road rage issues...

Quarter Pounder or Happy meal: Happy Meal!

Right or left handed: Right

Siblings: Older brother Kent, Younger brother Evan, step-brother Travis

Time I wake up: Everytime Ava yells...

Underwear: Uh... yes?

Verse I Love: Jeremiah 29:11

Ways I run late: Kids, kids and more kids

X-rays I've had: lots and lots

Yummy food I make: Aaron says I am the master pie maker

Zoo favorite: Lions and Tigers and Bears... oh my

Chapter closed...

2009-05-27T08:17:00.015-04:00

Time for me to get sentimental again... last day of school and all. This morning, Austin headed out for his last day of elementary, Ethan for his last day in jr. high. Man this year went entirely to fast. Seems like only yesterday I was dreading the first day of school :) Remember this POST

Here they are back in August...

And here they are this morning...

Both a little taller (well Ethan a LOT taller) and a little wiser.

Austin finishes up K-6 with all A's and only one B+ on his record (drat that ONE 5th grade reading test!) Ethan made it through Jr. High...Algebra 1 and all...with straight A's. They worked hard and it paid off for both of them. Honors program for Austin today and Ethan tonight. We could not be more proud.

If you follow my blog, you know I have been freaking since the first day of school THIS year about the prospect of the first day of school NEXT year... when one starts high school, one starts jr. high, and one starts kindergarten. It continues to stress me friends. Before I know it, this summer will be all but a blur, and I will be making that dreaded early morning drive..... can't go there today :(

Until then, I plan on enjoying my kids as much as possible all summer long. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the last day of school!!

Playing Catch Up...

2009-05-19T18:13:00.006-04:00

Man, this is a busy time of year! Preschool graduation, Beta Induction, band practice, Fine Arts Night, Band Awards and on and on and on. No time to blog...as the blogger police so kindly pointed out:) I can see the light though. Only 5 days of school left. BUT that also means all four kids will be home 24/7, pony league will be starting for the big boys, driver's ed for Ethan in a couple weeks, vacation, tournament time.... Hmmm maybe it's not gonna slow down after all.

Here are some pics from recent events

Jaden ready to go to graduation

The three Shoals boys

Miss Peggy and Miss Brenda

Beta Induction

Austin, Bobby and Chang at prasie band practice

Fun Foto Friday...

2009-05-08T12:14:00.006-04:00

Ever wonder what your kids are REALLY thinking????? :)

Revived....Renewed....Rejoicing....

2009-05-06T19:38:00.002-04:00

Revival was incredible...all three nights. Each one better than the night before. God showed up. People were touched by His spirit. Wounds were healed. Relationships were formed. Hearts were softened. Lives were changed. Hated to see it come to an end. And man... it just doesn't get any better than that!

God is workin overtime...

2009-05-04T09:39:00.004-04:00

Big stuff goin on at the Jones house. God is a mover and a shaker and He is movin and shakin all of us right now.

After a loooonnnngggg time of prayer and consideration, and agonizing really, we made the move to a different church. Not because we don't love our home church. We really do, and it served us very well. We loved the people there and still do. However, the time had come to seek out more for our teenagers. My purpose in this life is to raise my boys to be good, faithful, and true god-fearing men, who will go on to raise good, faithful and true god-fearing families. Something the world is seriously lacking. I prayed so long and so hard for the wisdom to know what to do. I prayed for just the right situation to put the boys into. I prayed for a place that they would grow and grow and grow as Christians... and I prayed it for over a year. My ya ya's prayed and prayed for it also. And as usual, and in his own time, God came through.

Almost immediately, Austin got a call and was asked to play his guitar in the praise band. Can you even imagine how excited he was. Yesterday was his big debut. Not only did he do an awesome job, he was actually the one playing all the intros! It brought tears to my eyes to see my baby up there praising God with the talent he has so obviously been given. Can't wait to see where it takes him. The man who leads the praise band said he was discouraged and was turning in his keys to quit the band the very day that Austin first came to church. He said Austin was an answer to his prayers. How cool is that.

Ethan has become very active in the youth group. Two nights a week, which is alot in teen time. He looks so forward to it. Last night was the first night of revival. Turns out, during youth group right before revival began, each and everyone of those kids took turns laying their hands on and praying for Pastor Dan. Pastor Dan himself told about the experience at the end of the night with such excitement and he said "folks, that's what you got goin on here in this church." It was my confirmation that my boys are exactly where they are suppose to be.

The service itself was incredible. One of the most awesome experiences I have had. It was an "on the edge of your seat" type of thing that you really didn't want to end. But it did have to end and in closing, he asked the congregation to gather around the youth to pray for them and their daily struggles in this world. Struggles that we had to deal with when we were young, and struggles we would have never even dreamed were possible. It was incredibly moving.

I'm blogging about this experience today because I truly NEVER CEASE to be AMAZED at what GOD can do and how he uses so many different people and different situations to accomplish His work. And how His plans for us are so much more than we could even begin to imagine for ourselves. And I am BLOWN AWAY by how he heard my cry and my prayers for my boys and has turned them into something more than I EVER would have thought possible.

God is HUGE people... and he works overtime!

Prayers for Greg...

2009-05-01T09:49:00.004-04:00

My step-dad took a fall from his loader yesterday afternoon at work. He has a broken pelvis. He had surgery at 2:30 this morning, and they put in 4 screws. Once they got in, it was worse than they suspected. We are now told he is to be non-weightbearing on one leg for 12 weeks.

I am heading up today to access the situation and talk to them about what is to come. Please pray for the both of them. They have a very long road ahead.

Wordless Wednesday - We've been Waiting for this!...

2009-04-29T11:53:00.003-04:00

Weekend Circus...

2009-04-27T08:32:00.002-04:00

Not our typical weekend circus...this weekend there was an ACTUAL circus. The Kelly Miller Circus was in town.

It's a very good show, and we always go and take the kids when they come around. This year, Ethan thought it would be uncool to go. :( Austin went, but sat far away from us with his friend :( But the babies were super excited to be there and loved every minute of it.

Here are a few pics before, during and afterwards at Aaron's mom and dad's

Make a Smilebox slideshow

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

2009-04-23T10:44:00.003-04:00

Not my Anooooppppp!!! Whyyyyyyyyyy

I am so bummed. I know he wasn't the best singer in the competition. I also know he would not have made it to the finals. But I do think he deserved to be there at least one more week. You have to admit... Matt screwed up big time last week and should not have been saved. If the judges had not played their save card, Matt would've gone last week... Lil would've gone this week... and my Anoop would still be there!

Unacceptable.

I have said all along that Anoop reminds me of my brother Evan and that's why I like him so much. Here are pics so you can judge for yourself. Similar smiles, laugh lines, and dimples... albeit Ev is way cuter and does not have the crazy eyes and uni-brow. Similar nonetheless... and man the mannerisms... that's where it gets scary.
Sorry Ev. :)

Wednesday Why's??????

2009-04-22T08:24:00.001-04:00

Why is it that when I am most tired... someone in my house gets sick or hurt or both?

Why is it that on the rare occasions when Ava is able to sleep through the night... one or two others in the house are tapping my shoulder in the dark?

Why is it that just when we think business might slow down a tad bit so we can breathe... we get hammered again? (I know, I know... we should be thankful for that)

Why is it that first born children are so hard on themselves...even though the only B they've had in their entire life was a B+ in 5th grade Science?! Geez

Why is it that middle kids are a bit scatter-brained and unorganized?

Why is it that the last born kids are whiny fit throwers?...or is that just a girl thing? lol

Why is it that when one bad thing happens...ten more follow?

Why is it that when you sleep in to get some much needed rest... the entire day is shot and you end up feeling more crappy than you did when you were tired?

Why is it that I feel the need to vent this morning?

Man folks... God is HUGE! I had literally just finished typing that last sentence when my dear Susan texted me a verse and said "just read it" so I stopped typing and read it...

Romans 5:3-5 "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us to learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. for we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love."

Wow...straight from Him to her heart to me via text at exactly the right moment.... bet God is lovin technology right now. I know I am :)

Reconnection...

2009-04-21T08:34:00.002-04:00

Have I mentioned I love Facebook....

And to think... all that time I forbid my myself to check it out for fear it would somehow corrupt me or be full of horrible things and images...

Sooo not true... and I Love It!

I have lots of stories I could tell about people from the past that I have reconnected with. People I otherwise would have never seen or heard from again. I love being able to log on and see what Darrin Belcher is up to today, or what Eric Wade has to say about the economy... or to what remote location his job is taking him this week. It's such a crack-up that all us small town folk who grew up together can keep tabs on eachother with the click of a button.

I am always amazed at where some people from our tiny town have ended up. Most recently I have reconnected with Lori LaBaw.... there's a blast from the past for ya. She leads an amazing life, with an amazing family. Such a heart for God, that girl. Her husband is an Army Chaplain. She has great stories to tell. Three girls, then a boy... the opposite of us. And guess what... she has a BLOG... well, her husband has one, but doesn't have a lot of time, so I'm hoping she will fill in the gaps... Look for their link to the right.

Although I would not trade my small town life... I love to hear about the ones who made the break. Call it living vicariously I guess. And FYI... I am not a FB addict. Although I hear there is a 12 step program... :)

Kindergarten round up....

2009-04-17T08:15:00.005-04:00

The dreaded day has arrived... at 10:00 I will load up my little boy and head to the school for round up.

Even though I have done this two times before, I still find myself with a big knot in my stomach this morning. The first of many rights of passage for my little guy. He's just so small. Can't bear the thought of him being there ALL day... EVERY day when August comes. I'm sorry, but that is just way to much for a five year old to handle. Curse you Mitch Daniels!

Jaden, on the other hand, could not be more excited. Wanted to set an alarm last night to make sure he didn't sleep through it. Yesterday at pre-school, he and his friends Blake and Jackson were practically jumping up and down as they talked about it. Very cute.

While Jaden and I are taking the first step of his elementary journey... Austin is taking one of the last steps of his. Today is also the 6th grade field trip. His last field trip. Just had to fall on the same day as round-up. I remember goin along on his very first field trip in kindergarten all those years ago...when HE was my tiny little one. *Sigh*...would have been nice to be there for the last one too.

I'll stop my selfish whining now. :) I am thankful that the sun is shining today and I am very thankful for healthy children that are able to go out and make their way in the world. God is good....

Ethan Update...

2009-04-15T19:23:00.003-04:00

God forbid they would cut the wrong foot... right!? lol

Well the above pic was taken right before surgery today. Hard to tell from the pic, but everything under, and the hump above the word yes was the problem.

Ethan handled it like a champ...and so did mom and dad I might add. We were well covered in prayer and felt it througout the day. Although Dr. Norris said it was as bad as he had feared, he was able to put it back together better than he expected. Ethan has a pin that sticks out through his skin above where the Y is in the picture. It is holding things in place while the bones heal. They will pull the pin out in six to eight weeks.

For the next 24 hours we have to keep it high in the sky. Hard to keep an almost 15 year old flat on his back... especially when he has a new car sitting out in the garage calling his name. Great news though, is...NO Crutches! He gets to wear a walking boot. To him that is a great relief!

Thanks so much to everyone who prayed for him today... they were definatley felt, and definately answered! Our God is HUGE!!!

Prayers for Ethan...

2009-04-14T21:26:00.002-04:00

Ethan hurt his foot back in December when he was kicking a rock out of the way on a dirtbike trail. It was a little swollen and sore, so we iced it and it seemed to be fine in a couple of days.

About six weeks later, towards the end of January, he was running in PE and hurt it again. Same thing... a little swollen and tender but we didn't think it was anything to worry about. After a couple of days he was back to normal.

Track started two weeks ago and his foot began to hurt more and more. Took him to the nurse practitioner and she put him on high doses of ibuprofen for inflammation and told us to come back if it didn't get any better.

We went back last friday. His foot was extremely swollen and beginning to look distorted. They took x-rays and said we would get results on Monday.

Monday we received a call that he was being referred to an orthopedic specialist and that we had an appt. that afternoon. We were not prepared for what we would find out.

Apparently when he kicked the rock, he had a displaced fracture of the large bone that runs down from his big toe into his foot. The continued use after the break has caused that big joint to break apart into pieces. The bone has to be rebroken and set and they will attempt to rebuild the joint with pins and plates and such. They tell me they cannot guarantee a good outcome and his running days are most likely over.

Surgery is tomorrow afternoon. We are all nervous and uneasy this evening. The Farhar's came out tonight and prayed over Ethan and that has given us comfort. Please pray for a good outcome from the surgery, and for peace and patience over the next eight weeks while he recovers.

Happy Easter...

2009-04-12T15:30:00.004-04:00

We have had a wonderful Easter... Hope you did too!

Good Friday...

2009-04-10T15:38:00.003-04:00

Wrote this to a friend today... :)

Jesus was tortured and crucified and died on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven. That was his purpose for being here. To experience sin and pay the price so that we don't have to. Today is Good Friday. The day it all went down. If you have not seen the Passion of the Christ, today would be a good day to go rent and watch it. Extremely difficult to sit through, but necessary to understand the magnitude of the sacrifice that He made for YOU.

When he rose from the grave He conquered death, for that reason we can have eternal life. We can know FOR SURE what can happen to us after we die. BUT this gift of forgiveness and eternal life can only be yours if you willingly accept it. God requires an individual response from each of us.

John 3:16 tells us "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." Think about that for a moment. He only had one son and he gave him up for US because he loves us So Much and He wants to bless our life and make it full and complete. He wants us to have a life that goes on forever with Him, even after we experience physical death. Thats Huge.

You have a choice. There are only two to pick from. A life with the Lord, or a life separated from him. Salvation is a free gift. God is offering you something that you could NEVER provide for yourself ... forgiveness of sin and eternal life. None of us deserve it... you don't, I certainly don't, yet he gives it to us freely. All we have to do is TRULY believe with all our hearts that Jesus died for us.... and He did... today... all those years ago.

Forgive AND Forget...

2009-04-08T08:24:00.004-04:00

To forgive is defined as being able to "give up resentment of, or cease to feel resentment against..." To forget means "to lose the rememberance of..." Sounds simple enough,.... right?...um... not necessarily.

I have struggled throughout my life to find forgiveness. Not only the ability to forgive others, but also the ability to forgive myself. Throughout my life, there have been times I have been betrayed, ridiculed, lied to, deceived, cheated, humiliated, and let down in ways both big and small. I have also at times been the betrayer, the one who ridicules, the liar, the deceiver, the cheater, the humiliator and have let others down in ways I can only imagine. I believe this is true for all of us. None of us are perfect. As my Christy always says..."there was only one perfect person who ever walked this earth"... and friends, I am not Him and neither are you. We all fail. And we ALL feel the hurt when others fail us... and that hurt can be absolutely brutal when it comes at the hands of someone we love.

As I have gotten older... and ahem... wiser...I have found the ability to forgive comes much, much easier. Learning to understand my own faults, makes it easier for me to understand the faults of others. Remember though, I am the "finding myself at 40" girl... for other people, the ability to truly and easily forgive may come much earlier in life.... for others later... and for some poor souls it never comes.

Forgetting.... well that is a whole other story. Being cursed with a mind like a steel trap and the tendency to over-analyze almost everything, I replay the bad events in my life over and over in my head like a broken record. I have self diagnosed my self with both post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic hurt disorder. The stress coming from things I myself have done... and the hurt coming from things that have been done to me. There have been times in my life the memories have been maddening. But... I have learned to recognize that when those thoughts and memories come, they come from the devil himself. He manipulates himself into your head and delights in your torture over the past. It makes his world go round. And I have learned that when he sticks his toe in the door and tries to weasel his way in... I CAN keep him out. It is as simple as picking up my bible or turning on the tv or calling a friend or losing myself in a simple task... anything at all to distract myself from his attempts to trip me up.

Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine so we CAN be and ARE forgiven. When we are forgiven by the almighty our sin is gone from His mind. He is a forgiving AND forgeting God. He forgives completely, so there is no need to confess our past sins repeatedly. As believers, we can be confident that the sins we confess and renounce are forgiven and forgotten. That's pretty huge. If we love someone the way Christ loves us, we will be willing to forgive. We must recognize those who sin against us, forgive them, and love them in spite of their sin - Just as Christ did for us! In Matthew 6:14-15 the lord himself proclaims... (I am quoting our Lord here so pay attention)... "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." That's pretty straight forward.

If you are struggling to forgive yourself or others who have hurt you, get on your knees and pray for God's help in doing so. It may not be easy, but you can forgive, you must forgive... and when you let go and let God, you will find peace for the situation that only he can provide....

My girls and I have been praying John 14:27 over our anonymous commentor from yesterday. We will continue to do so. But I also leave you with this... Our Lord will never fail you or forsake you (Hebrews 5) He will never "overlook" you.

As a final thought... In John 14:27, our Lord tells YOU "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid."

Hope this helps

Matthew 19:21-22 "...Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times? NO! the Lord replies, Seventy times seven!"

God is HUGE!

2009-04-07T08:03:00.004-04:00

God never ceases to amaze me. Sometimes in the smallest of small details... sometimes in ways that are HUGE. Sometimes in the quiet times when I be still and listen... and sometimes He is downright in my face! I just love it when that happens. He has been in my face twice this week. Once on Sunday morning, and again last night.

Sunday morning I literally watched Him working in the smallest of small details. Details in the lives of thirteen people that were so perfectly timed and orchestrated that it would have made even the most hardened of non-believers stand back and go "Hmmmmmm." It really was HUGE! One of my favorite verses is Romans 8:28... "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." And I am here to tell you today that I have lived it, witnessed it, and KNOW it to be true.

Last night was the weekly meeting of the Ya Ya's (my emmaus reunion group) He always shows up when we meet. Sometime in subtle ways, sometimes in a presence that is so strong it gives us chills. Last night was one of those nights. He is working in and on our group big time right now. He has big things in store for us. Things that we can only imagine right now. Last night I watched Him tear down a wall right in front of me. It was a big wall....but our God is HUGE!

In the simplest of terms... God loves us. He is there for all of us. Not only does He long to be a part of your life... he longs to be a HUGE part of your every waking moment. The experiences I have blogged about today are not reserved for certain people or a special group. If you seek Him, you will find Him in ways both big and small... make that in ways both small and HUGE! :)

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

If you don't know Him and you would like to, I encourage you to check out these websites: http://www.allaboutgod.com/prayer-of-salvation.htm or http://christianity.about.com/od/prayersforspecificneeds/a/salvationprayer.htm

Happy Birthday Max and Ava...

2009-04-03T09:11:00.003-04:00

Today, my nephew Max turns 17... does not seem possible. I remember watching his birth and my brother's reaction when they announced he was a boy. It was one of those priceless moments you are so thankful to be a part of and will never forget.

Max is a loving, intellegent, and oh so funny. Looks like his mom, with his dad's personality. He is such a huge blessing to our family.

Last week, my Ava turned 3! She's a big girl now...potty trained and all :) (PTL my diapering days are done!)

After two boys, a miscarraige and then another boy, I thought my dream of having a daughter might never come true. I always felt in my heart that she was missing from our family, still when we made the decision to try for number four...I expected another boy.

Started having some issues at about 16-17 weeks, so with my past history, they asked me to come down for an ultrasound. I never dreamed I would find out the sex of the baby that day. Aaron was at work so I went alone.

At the end of the exam, the tech asked if I would like to know what I was having. I was torn. I so wanted to know, but I wanted Aaron to be there. She had probably done a dozen ultrasounds on me already between the miscarraige and Jaden, so we had become friends. She looked at me and said again very directly... "do you want me to tell you what you are having?!" The look on her face said it all. She was almost as excited as I was. We were finally going to have our baby girl. I left the doctor and went straight to elder-beerman and bought her very first pink outfit! Finally PINK!

From day one, she has been my biggest challenge. The temprament, the food allergies, the tantrums, oh my! I always half jokingly say that if God had given her to us first... there would have been no boys! She is precious and we are blessed beyond belief to have her

Florida Pics...

2009-04-01T11:08:00.003-04:00

Took awhile to get these pics on, but man... I barely have time to breathe right now.

This particular slide show takes FOREVER to go from pic to pic, which I didn't find out till I had it all finished. If I were you I would use the right arrow at the bottom when you want to change pictures. :)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On the Road Again....

2009-03-26T08:45:00.002-04:00

Left the hotel about 7 this morning for the long trip home. We had originally planned to head on over to Clearwater for another day or two, but we are absolutely worn out. We probably walked 500 miles over the last week. Plus we miss our tiny girl back home.

Overall I would say the trip was a great success. The band played on City Walk at Universal yesterday and it was awesome. Couldn't help but notice tears in the eyes of the parents as our small but mighty band was introduced. It was a long time coming and they sounded fantastic. Finished up about 10:30 and spent the remainder of the day in the park.

So now we face the long drive home. Even though it wasn't as bad driving down as we had thought, we have decided we will stick with flying from now on. :)

I have lots of great pictures to post tomorrow....

Vacation Day 3....

2009-03-23T18:17:00.002-04:00

Trip is going great! Yesterday was Universal Islands of Adventure. Weather was perfect. Not to hot, not to cold. Lines were about a 10-20 minute wait...some less. The kids wore the roller coasters out.

This morning was the Kennedy Space Center. Aaron, Austin, Jaden and I skipped out on that and went ahead to the beach. The band met us there after their tour was over. I wish you all could have seen the faces of the band kids as they first crossed over the walkway and saw the ocean for the first time. Some of them just stood there, mouths wide open, taking it all in... others took off running and dived in. It was a priceless moment. For me it was the moment that all the hard work and planning by the band boosters paid off. It was cool.

So now we are on our way back to the hotel. Sun-tanned and worn out. Tomorrow we spend the day at Wet n Wild water park. Weather is suppose to be beautiful. Wednesday the band is to perform at Universal Studios and then spend the remainder of the day in the park.

For most of these kids who have never been out of Indiana, this is the trip of a lifetime.

Vacation Adveneture...

2009-03-21T10:51:00.008-04:00

Ok so we go to Florida every year...but we NEVER drive...until this year.

I'm not sure why we are driving. We started out with the plan to follow the band bus. Then we decided we couldn't stand the thought of Ethan being on a school bus for 892 miles...so we decided to bring him with us and leave a day earlier. We waited so long to make up our minds, we missed out on the good plane ticket prices. So here we are....in the van.... driving and driving.

I really have been dreading it. Last time I drove to Florida I was 19. Surprisingly it hasn't been bad. Lots of family time with little distraction. Great conversations. Farhars are on the road with us so thats been fun. Jaden has been a champ. Stopped in Macon last night and got some sleep. We will still get there in time today to hit the beach.

So... the first leg of this adventure is almost behind us as our destination is fast approaching. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Thoughts for Thursday...

2009-03-19T09:08:00.006-04:00

I think it's been too long since I posted, but things here are insane...

I think I will be doing artwork the whole time we are in Florida cause so far about 1000 shirt orders have come in for little 500 weekend and more are rolling in daily...

I think I am going to try and make the best of vacation even though it will all be on "Band" time...

I am THRILLED that Ethan is so excited to be going with all his friends...

I am THRILLED that Christy will be there.... WOO HOOO!!!

I am Bummed that Ed will not...

I think Alexis picked a crappy song and it got her booted off last night...

I think Adam's song was down right creepy and he should have been in the bottom three...

I think my favorite is Anoooooppppp..... (you are listening to him on my playlist!) Although Danny is the best singer...

I think it's awesome that us Ya Ya's are going to Women of Faith again after all, but really bummed we couldn't get it together in time to go with Andi to St. Louis! I am super excited Steven Curtis Chapman will be there cause he is my fave...

I think I have so many things in my life to be thankful for I can't even wrap my mind around them all....

I think I hear little footsteps coming down the hall.....

Future American Idol??...

2009-03-12T09:34:00.003-04:00

Yesterday afternoon Jaden was downstairs playing Rock Band. When I heard him singing I ran and got my camera and managed to catch the end on tape. So funny. Look out American Idol season 19! :)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Call to Discipleship...

2009-03-11T08:54:00.003-04:00

Last night was my Emmaus reunion group meeting...(the Ya Ya's, as we affectionately call ourselves) We just ended our 3:16 bible study, so last night we went over our "service sheet." One of the questions each one of us had to answer was, when did we feel God's call to be a disciple over the last week.

This was an easy one for me... cause yesterday the call came very specfically... at 9:35 to be exact when my phone rang. I answered and a deep voice said "Mrs. Jones?"..."yes" I reply......... "This is Moses"

I had to snicker for a moment...after all that is not something you hear every day. Moses turned out to be my dish network man. He was looking for directions to my house. But the story does not end there.

Moses proceeded to check my dish and replace a part he thought may be causing the problem. He came inside for me to sign his "service sheet" and when he did, he began to talk. He talked and he talked and he talked for a long, long time. He told me about how he was tired of being a dish man. How there must be more out there for him. How he had just lost out on a job opportunity that he was sure was the perfect job for him. And on and on.

I stood there listening and it became clear that this poor guy was not only looking for directions to my house... he was really looking for direction in his life. So when he paused for air, I jumped in and said "you know, Moses (snickering silently)you really need to pray for God's will in your life" He looked at me kind of stunned and didn't say anything for a moment or two. Then he proceeded to wrap up the conversation and go on his way.

I don't know if my words had any impact on him or made him stop and think, but I felt called to say it and I did. Planted a seed perhaps, you never know. I guess the moral of this story is if you feel called to be a disciple to someone, by all means, step out of your comfort zone and do so... cause you never know when Moses may come calling :)

Mom... Can you come here???...

2009-03-04T08:57:00.005-05:00

As a mother of four, I hear that a thousand times a day. So many times in fact, that on occasion they have to repeat it three or four times before it registers. My subconscious tends to block it out i think... that is unless it comes in the form of a blood curdling scream... which also happens several times a day around here.

Last night and today, though, I am taking great joy in hearing those words. Ethan came home yesterday with a fever and the flu. Don't get me wrong... I don't take joy in the fact that he is sick... but I am loving the fact that he needs his mom.

At 5'10", my soon to be 15 year old now towers over me by six inches. He can literally pick me up and carry me through the house and does quite often. His voice is so deep, that when I call home and he answers the phone, I have to stop and wonder if I dialed the wrong number. The new shoes I bought him over the weekend... size 11! He is spending more time downstairs and in his room than he is with the rest of us these days. My baby is growing up faster than I can keep up with him.

So while this flu bug runs its course... I will run to his side whenever he calls for me. I will sit and stroke his fevered forhead loving every minute of it. I will cater to him hand and foot as long as he will let me. Even though he isn't so little anymore...He will always be my little boy.

Facebook... It's not just for kids anymore...

2009-03-03T08:26:00.003-05:00

Ok... so I must admit... until a few days ago I basically knew nothing about facebook. I have never let my kids on it... probably because I have heard horror stories on Dateline about the cyber-bullies and obscene pictures, etc... I am the quintessential "over-protective" mother. And I am fine with that!

So, imagine my surprise, when my brother (the older one) told me he had become a member and that I needed to go check out his profile. I went to facebook.com with the intention of ONLY looking him up and then being done with it.

I was very ticked to see that you have to login yourself to be able to see anyone...then I was really irritated to find out you have to set up your own profile and then "invite" people to be your "friend." Only if they accept your "friendship" can you view their profile. Good grief.

So, I reluctantly set up my profile and invited Kent to be my "friend." While I am impatiently waiting for him to honor my request, I start to look around for people I know. I started doing searches for various graduating classes from my high school. It was a total crack-up. I was Amazed at all the people on there from the past. I was more amazed to see what they look like now after 20 some years. Some had literally not changed a bit... some looked better actually... and others, well, time had not been so kind. I found one of my very first best friends and had a great conversation with her...I saw former "scrawny nerds" who are now buff ... I even saw a guy I would have bet the farm that he was a little "fancy" in high school who now is married with SIX kids. Go figure.

Overall, I give the whole facebook experience a thumbs up. I like the fact that not just anyone can see your info. If some mean girl from high school or other undesirable person from your past ask to be your friend you simply ignore their request. Sweet justice perhaps?

So now that I know what its all about, my kids are allowed on and we are having a ball with it. If you haven't already, you should check it out. You just never know who might ask to be your friend.

Moments to remember...

2009-02-26T09:52:00.006-05:00

One of the many great things about having a blog is that it gives you the opportunity to write about things you want to make sure and remember. Little things that ordinarily you would say to yourself "I've got to make sure I remember this" but then inevitably a few months down the road, it escapes you.

Last night I am sitting in the floor of the living room watching American Idol and folding laundry. My little Ava (who will be 3 next month) comes up and plops down beside me and says "I want to fold the wash-a-rags" (cute how she always calls them that) This isn't the first time she has folded the "wash-a-rags" or attempted to at least. I always give them to her and she makes an attempt, then when she takes off to play, I refold them and put them away.

Last night, I watched her out of the corner of my eye and noticed her frustration. So I stopped her, picked up my own wash-a-rag and laid it out on the floor beside her. I told her to lay hers out also, and do as I do. "Fold the bottom all the way up to the top...then fold the side all the way over to the other side..." She listened and watched intently and then folded hers exactly the same. She was sooo pleased with herself.

So I hand her about six of them to fold and she is working very diligently, and perfectly I might add, when she says to herself, without looking up from her work... "you're a great mother"... SHOCKED I said to her "what did you just say" thinking I must have caught it wrong... she looked up at me grinning her little sheepish grin and says "I said I love you mom" to which I laughingly replied "no you didn't...what did you say" She looked back down at her half folded wash-a-rag and said again very quietly as she started to fold "you're a great mother"

I sat there in awe, looking at this tiny little creation, amazed at the depth of her thought process, wondering what in the world I did to deserve such an amazing comment from such an amazing little girl. It was a very convicting moment for me. I am always so incredibly busy with the business, and the house, and the laundry, and the cooking, etc... that I rarely get to give 100% of my attention to one child at one given moment. This was a moment just for her and she was relishing it out loud. It was a moment for me... that I will cherish forever. And that my friends... is what it's all about.

Wake-Up Chirp...

2009-02-20T08:52:00.003-05:00

This morning as I woke up I noticed two things...it seemed a lot lighter out than usual, and I was hearing a familiar sound.

There is a bird that lives in the pear tree right outside my bedroom window. He drives me insane every spring and summer. Cheerfully chirping to herald in the morning, while I pull the covers over my head cursing him. His chirp has a distinct rhythm and he repeats it incessantly. Sometimes as I lay there I put words to it. "hey YOU...hey YOU...are you sleep-ING," "I AM...I AM... so an-noy-ING," and my favorite "craZY...craZY...Tim Tim TimMY" (obscure I know but Ethan has a really funny friend he calls Tim Tim Timmy and it seemed to fit)

Today I did not get irritated at my old friend. I was happy to have him back. With his return comes the return of Spring and I am so very ready for it. Spring brings the promise of hope. It is a reawakening and renewal.... not only of nature, but also of the soul.

Think Spring!

Tuesday Tunes...

2009-02-17T19:05:00.004-05:00

Well, with life around the Jones house crazy as usual...the "Saturday Spotlight" I promised to become a regular feature last week, has been pushed off into "Tuesday Tunes" this week... I swear I need a 36 hour day.

Anyway, this week Austin will be getting a little "Led" out for your enjoyment. He is not happy with his performance in this video. His beloved guitar had a broken string so he had to use the trusty old backup which just doesn't quite have the sound and he's just not quite as "bonded" with it. There may be other songs he could have played better, but this one is a must on the playlist of every serious rocker. :)

Austin thought it would be cool to take requests for next weeks gig, so if you have one, leave us a comment...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

He will make a way...

2009-02-13T14:04:00.003-05:00

It's been a tough couple of weeks around the Jones house....make that a tough month. Jaden is in week three of a nasty upper respiratory infection, and Ava is at the end of week two.

For the past three weeks, I have had one or both kids in my bed most nights. Poor Aaron has been outcast to the downstairs with the two healthy kids in the house. Between the two sickies... I am averaging about 2-3 hours a night. My butt is dragging....along with my attitude.

Today, I had to have Ethan in Jasper at 9:15 to have some stitches removed. This meant dragging both babies out of bed to go along. Not an easy task on a good day. Compounded by the fact that I did not set an alarm and woke up 40 minutes late. I cursed myself as I got up for making such an early appt. time. I told myself as I got ready to go... "there is no way I can get there on time... there is no way this is going to work.... Ava has a fever and needs to go back to the dr. but Ethan has to get back to school by NOON" and on and on and on. I was tired and extremely irritated. I said a very quick prayer that somehow I could just get through the day.

And then it happened... God took over
First... Aaron was able to stay home long enough to help me get everyone up, dressed, and loaded up in the van... we actually left almost on time (a miracle in itself)

Second...we hit every light green, and arrived at the dr. with a little time to spare.

Third...As soon as I signed Ethan in, they called his name... no waiting!

Fourth...After an easy removal of the stitches, we went upstairs to Ava and Jaden's dr. to see if they could be seen sometime today... They said...(are you ready for this)..."we can take them right now" (miracle #2!)

Fifth... no waiting once again, (r u kidding me!) so as soon as we got our diagnosis (double ear infections in both kids) we were out of there, prescriptions in hand. Unbelievable!

Because everything happened so fast, this left me with time to go to CVS and get the medicine, take a card and gift to my precious grandma who turns 92 today, stop at Walmart and get food for the week with no wait in the checkout (unheard of!), AND go through McDonalds drive through and feed everyone! All this and I delivered Ethan to school at precisely 11:58!

God heard my cry this morning. He answered by perfectly orchestrating every moment of my day in a way that ONLY HE can. (if you don't believe that... read the above chain of events again!) He reminded me that even when I feel like my world is crumbling around me...He is holding me. That while I am caring for my babies...He is caring for me. That when I need Him...He is there. That when I feel as if I am spinning out of control... He is in control. That even the tiniest little prayer whispered under my breath is heard. That even when there looks as if there is no way.... He will make a way.

We serve an AWESOME God.... Can I get an Amen?!!!

Saturday Spotlight...

2009-02-07T15:26:00.003-05:00

Austin and I were talking last week and decided it would be cool to spotlight some of his guitar music on my blog... so.... the Saturday Spotlight will be a regular feature for awhile.

For those who don't already know, Austin started taking guitar lessons a couple of years ago. Since then, he eats, sleeps and dreams music. His guitar is in his hands literally every available waking minute he has. His musical repertoire has grown to around 100 or so songs.

This video was taken the first time he laid his eyes on a twelve string acoustic guitar. He had literally just taken it off the wall and sat down to play when I started recording. It is Bon Jovi, Wanted Dead or Alive, and it is pretty impressive if ole mom does say so herself. (You will need to pause my playlist at the left to listen)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Birthday Austin!!!!!

2009-02-04T17:49:00.001-05:00

Thirteen years ago, the temperature was -12 degress.... that's MINUS 12 degrees. There was also quite a bit of snow on the ground as Aaron and I made the hour long drive to the Bloomington hospital. My water had already broken at home, but I hadn't started having contractions yet. It was five weeks before my due date.

For the next 20 hours... that's what I said TWENTY hours.... I labored. It wasn't bad, just exhausting. Many people hung out and waited. Mom, Dad, my step mom Julie, my brothers Kent and Evan, my sister-in-law Patti, my neice Haley, and our good friends Mike and Kristy. They waited, and waited and waited. At one point somewhere around midnight a few of them braved the cold and went out for breakfast. They still talk about how painfully cold it was that night.

FINALLY, at 2 in the morning, after 3 pushes, Austin made his grand entrance. After the traditional "It's a Boy!" the next thing the dr. said was "He's a little red headed baby!"

She was right... sort of .... his hair wasn't exactly red. It was bright orange. Bright orange fuzz all over his tiny head and tiny little eyebrows that looked like they had been drawn on with an orange crayon. He was perfect. All 6 tiny pounds of him.

Unfortunately he had gurgles... his lungs held some fluid. No doubt from being 5 weeks early. He was whisked past all the people who had been waiting hours to see him and taken to the nursery. He spent three days in an incubator on oxygen but he did very well considering.

So three days later we brought him home. Ethan was only 18 months at the time, but oh so excited. They have been best friends ever since.

Today, it seems like thirteen years went by in the blink of an eye. He has grown into such a great person. So fun to be around, such the crack-up, so smart, loving, considerate, sensitive and talented. Happy Birthday Austin...even though you're not so tiny anymore...you'll always be my little orange headed boy!

Mom....What can I have to eat???....

2009-02-03T12:39:00.002-05:00

Ok, we are on day 5 of consecutive snow days from school. If my kids ask me one more time what they can have to eat, I may leave the country. I know we all like to eat when we are bored, but come on!

The biggest challenge in my life at this point is figuring out what to feed people. I feel like I am feeding people all day every day... I can't get out of walmart for much less than $200/wk and by mid week the food is all gone. I have one teenager who eats anything and everything...one almost teenager who is a little more picky but eats his share nonetheless...one 5 year old with an eating disorder (he only will eat from a list of about 6 or 7 things literally)... and one poor little two year old who is only allowed to eat 6 or 7 things because of her food allergies. The whole thing is absolutely maddening! By the time I fix four different breakfasts and clean up the mess... it's time for lunch... after four different lunches and clean-up... it's time for supper. Not to mention all the snacks in between!

Thank goodnes for Papaw Stevie for rescuing me today and taking all three boys to Jasper to eat lunch... not that they were hungry since they had been eating non-stop since their feet hit the floor this moring.... at least it's a break.