10/13 UAM Homecoming

33 1/2 HOURS OF DRIVING FOR 37 HOURS OF FAMILY TIME! TOTALLY WORTH IT, but glad to be flying at Christmas!

Tailgating!

Boys doing the Weevil Walk before game with all the players!

Ain't nothin' more evil than a dang BollWeevil!

Kickers UNITE!

Cheering for 43!

MISS these people! Grateful for family!

LOVE my 43's!!!!

I think DAD can still take him!

Does he really know how much I love him?

An Answer? Just Maybe :)

I just got off the phone with Carter's GI Doc. A test FINALLY came back positive. Praise be to God! He has Clostridium Difficile. They have tested for this before and it was negative, but it's possible we just somehow got a false reading. Carter will start antibiotics tomorrow - 3 times a day for 14 days. Please pray that the medicine works. Sometimes, C Diff can be resistant to drugs. Please pray that he does not have any bad reactions. Please pray that there is no further intestinal issue after the course of meds is completed. Pray that this is NOT a result of an intestinal disorder. It is not yet known if this was the reason for his hospital admission. Time will tell. We go to see the doctor next week. In the meantime, we will continue to email and talk via phone.

I am so grateful for how hard the doctors are working to help heal our son. Thanks for continued prayers.

From what I can tell, if the bacterial balance in your intestines is disrupted, it can produce toxins (poison) that damage the lining of your gut. This is C Diff.

Why God?

We are one the road traveling back from a very short visit with family in Arkansas (post on that later). I brought Calm My Anxious Heart by: Dillow to read. I turned to the chapter entitled Trusting God with the Why's. It really ministered to me, so I thought I'd share. The following is some text from the book combined with my own writing and edits.

Many people today are concerened about the growing violence in the United States. Every day we read about crime, drugs, alcoholism, and murder. People fear going out in the darkness, and parents have to be cautious of their children's every move. Rape, sexual abuse, and perversion have escalated to mammouth proportions.

I can't recall a time I've been more concerned about the dangers of this "earthly life" than now. The recent abduction and brutal murder of a little girl less than 6 miles from my home has put a lot of fear into me and has rocked our charming community. The Devil is alive and is accomplishing his purpose. No area of this world is safe from him.

Many, like myself, are asking, "Why, God? It seems as if you are not working." These are similar to the questions Habakkuk asked in chapter 1 verses 2-4 and 12-13.

"O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
Why do you make me see iniquity,
and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
So the law is paralyzed,
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
so justice goes forth perverted."

"Are you not from everlasting,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
We shall not die.
O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment,
and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.
You who are of purer eyes than to see evil
and cannot look at wrong,
why do you idly look at traitors
and remain silent when the wicked swallows up
the man more righteous than he?"

But, God doesn't always explain why. This is often frustrating. God is God and He doesn't need to explain Himself. If we could fully comprehend God, He wouldn't be God. So, we have to trust. Trust Him with what we don't understand. Trust Him with what does not make sense. To walk in the dark while holding God's hand. To "live by faith." Sometimes, our wait will last until we meet Jesus in heaven.

It is possible to praise God though, while our body is aching. I pray my faith and trust will increase through this trying time in our community and that I will be able to declare what Habakkuk declared now and in the future when I am struggling with other things (tomorrow it may be Carter - we have 2 appts).

"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places."

Try this: Fill in the THOUGH's based on your circumstance...

Though a child was abducted very close to my home
Though she was found dismembered
Though her predator is still on the loose
Though I am in fear for my children's safety

"Yet, I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places."

I pray for this little girl's family and I pray that my eyes will be lifted off of this event and onto the Blessed Controller of all things and the Protector of my children.

Are you going to judge God by circumstances you can't understand, or judge the circumstances in light of the character of God?

One of My Many Projects

I recently re-did my boys' dresser and nightstand. We acquired these 2 pieces from my Grandma's very old neighbor who passed away. Unfortunately, she wasn't the cleanest person, so although the furniture was well made, it wasn't in the best condition. After moving across country, it was beaten up even more. So, I decided to try and save the furniture with a coat of paint. I am pretty happy with the results. I did have to battle with my perfectionism though. Still need to apply a clear coat to the top.

I didn't do a great job of taking pictures. Sorry. This was the nightstand before. You can't really tell the extent of the damage, but it's there. Trust me!

This is the dresser after.

I primarily used this website as a guide. You will find tutorial's on the right side of the webpage.

http://www.allthingsthrifty.com/

I purchased another dresser for $25 off of Craig's List (everything I own is from here it seems). I am going to do the same thing to it with a different color. It will go in the living room, under a window, with the TV on it. I will be sure to do a better job of "before and afters." I hope to get working on it soon, but homeschool is sure taking a lot of time and that has to remain the priority.

Thanks for reading!

10/5/12

Woke up to this...

Like this? Snow on a FLORIDA vehicle.

First snow ball

It quickly melted and then I thought it would be fun to bundle up and go to a farm to pick pumpkins, do a corn maze, pet some animals, etc... Not such a good idea. We picked pumpkins and then quickly returned home. It was SOOO cold. We are going to try and return next week when the weather is nicer. The boys really want to get lost in the maze.

ALL pumpkins no matter the size were $6. We brought home two. Good thing because look at ours now. I am going to try mixing vaseline and tabasco and rubbing on the pumpkins. I've heard this keeps the critters away. How come this doesn't happen in FL?

Recent Happenings

This is a pic from my front yard!

It took me less than 24 hours to discover why no one else has pumpkins outside. It's not because they're anti-fall.

Every time I stepped foot outside my door, more and more of my pumpkin was gone.

UGH! What was doing this?

And, then one day.... BUSTED! I found the creature making my outdoor fall decor look like a "jacked-up" jack-o-lantern.

See if you can guess. Don't look at the next picture yet. Here are some clues.

They are rodents.

Instead of running away from oncoming traffic, they run right into it (this makes them true idiots). I should just hit them, but instead, I swerve putting my own life in jeopardy and often times yell, "STUPID _________?" (your guess goes in the blank)

It's said that they lack natural defense, so they have to look out for predators (wish my gun was there predator)!

Was your guess correct?

I think I will trade the much hated FL lizard for the Colorado Fox Squirrel. Maybe. I don't know. I really, strongly, passionately, loath the lizard too!


Onto other things....


My Mom just turned 50 (9/29) and I had to send my wishes via mail. Here is what she got from her loving daughter :) You can't see the tombstone, skeletons, and crows. Don't worry, she is getting her real present next weekend.

And....


Tyler and Carter like to joke that Ryder is going to be a dentist someday because he likes to steel toothbrushes and hide. When you find him, he has slobbered all over someone else's brush.

taken 8/19 - hiding behind the door

But, love of the brush aside, I never ever thought he would like the dentist. Boy, did he prove me wrong. I was stressing big time over nothing. He was incredible. Guess I better start saving for dental school now!

Thursday FOOD DAY

I had a FUN post ready to go, but I'm having trouble downloading images, so it's going to have to wait until tomorrow, or until my husband can help me. Carter update at bottom.

Here is a recipe for you. I made it for the first time the other night and all enjoyed. I love crock pots. It's so nice to have dinner ready in the evening.

SAVORY WINTER SOUP (because it feels like WINTER here)

2 lbs ground beef
3 medium onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cans (10 1/2 oz each) condensed beef broth, undiluted
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups water
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans
1 cup cubed peeled potatoes
2 TBS minced fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

**I didn't make such a big serving so I adjusted some of the measurements. I also added a can of corn and used red potatoes un-peeled.

In a skillet, cook the beef, onions, and garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours or until heated through. Yield: 14 servings

**This will warm you up! Justin likes to add hot sauce.

UPDATE ON CARTER: Still trying gluten free. Going to try for at least another week. Frequency of stools seems better, but form has not changed much. In the process of getting more stool studies done and we should have another GI appt very soon. He is going to neurosurgery on the 15th for follow up on a fibrolipoma that was found on his nerve column years ago (Cauda equina to be exact). It's border line from tethering his chord so annual follow up is suggested.