Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Looking forward to...

I am so excited to have something fun to look forward to. My lil' brothers wedding in April...so far away yet it will be here before we know it. Gotta order my dress by August, gotta order Merci's dress soon as well!! I am so excited for my brothers and to see my others brothers married as well (3 brothers in all!)

Now I am even more excited to start shopping for baby shower invitationsbut that will come in due time and I am not rushing them...just saying I am so excited to be an aunt, someday!

Until then I will concentrate on the wedding and enjoy the process of the first of my siblings getting married=)

Friday, June 25, 2010

7 years ago my husband was given another chance

Happy SEVEN years of life Josh!

Yes, my husband is more than 7 years old, but it has been seven wonderful years since God saved his life.

On June 26th, 2003 Josh and I went roller blading at a nearby park. The previous night we had been shopping at Dick's and found a great deal on some roller blades for him.

We were having fun and laughing about the tight butt I would have if I kept roller blading all Summer, LOL. We then came to this big hill that lead down to the lake. It was paved and people biked and walked it all of the time. Josh kinda looked at me like, should I?? I don't quite remember too much but I remember him looking back at me like, Here I go. And the not so funny thing is I was thinking about how fun it looked and almost followed. That's when I saw him collide with another person and fall. I kept looking down thinking get up already...that is when I heard someone yelling "call 911."

I panicked and starting freaking out, I whipped my roller blades off and threw them, I ran down he hill as fast as I could possibly run. When I got down there, I asked someone what he looked like, before going near him. She told me there was blood all over, coming from his head. I was balling and in hysterics, yelling about how that was my husband and who knows what else. I went to him and held his head and was talking to him in his ear, which is when I realized he was foaming at the mouth and unconscious, not answering me and probably not hearing me either. I was relaying info to the wonderful person who was on the phone with 911. I then realized that we had no health insurance and that I had a little girl at home, and started panicking even more and running around in hysterics. A bit of comic relief...I remember going over to a group of people and yelling and screaming "This is why you wear helmets, make sure you wear your helmest..." I was in hysterics and not thinking clearly because I never would have done this normally:)

All I know is that there was a group of people walking up the hill and supposedly didn't see Josh coming at them until it was too late. Josh ran into that person (as far as I know nothing happened to that person). It seemed like forever until the paramedics arrived. The driver was super nice, a christian as well, and let me use his cell phone after he said he didn't have one. I called my friend Ang and told her to meet me at the hospital now. What a friend to not ask questions but come anyway.

So anyway, we get to the hospital and they tell me to wait in a room, and a social worker will be there any minute...she never came and I was loosing it. I had no idea what was wrong with my husband, if he was living or what. I just started calling number that came to my head..one of which was a lady I babysat for..why I called her I had no idea, but she called the church for me, and that night so may church friends came to the hospital to be with me and pray. Ang and Ben stayed the night in the waiting room with me, as we still had no idea what was going on. He was in ICU and really late at night so they wouldn't let me in.

To make a long story kind of short, Josh ended up with 4 separate skull fractures and the only reason he lived is because his ear drum burst (the blood was coming out of his ear) to let the bleeding from his head drain. The skull fractures were pretty bad, and everyone kept telling us how amazing it was that he was alive and for the most part recovering perfectly.

Josh was in ICU intubated for about 4 days, when they took the intubation tube out is was still a few more days before he was coherent. Well, enough to insist that the TV was the telephone!!
My favorite memory is the day after they took the intubation out, a friend Patrick came by to see him, Josh had barely spoken 5 words since the removal (it is very painful, his trachea was very swollen), and Pat asked him what's my name Josh..it took him about 2 minutes but he muttered "num nuts" a name they called each other. From that point on I knew he would be ok!
I had taped pictures on his bed so he'd see Merci and I and remember us...I didn't know what kind of shape he'd be in when he woke up.

Josh had to spend another 3 week in brain rehab. They worked with him to get his brain functioning again and other functions, motor skill, physical therapy etc. He did great from the start, but there was a lot of memory gone and his brain wasn't functioning at the normal speed. It was still very hard for him to even think..it hurt..obviously. He hated every minute of being there. I only missed seeing him 1 day of his month long stay.

To this day I don't know how we paid our bills. I worked 1-2 days a week at Babies R Us, and that sure didn't cover it. God was so faithful in our time of need.

All of our hospital bill were paid by the County, we never saw one!

Josh was supposed to have been in occupational and physical therapy for 1 year following his accident, after his 1st appointment of each they said he didn't need to be there.

Today Josh has very minimal damage. He cannot smell... we aren't sure how this happened...and he lost sight in the bottom right quadrant of each eye (if you divide the eye in fourths).

I am so thankful to God and all who helped us in our time of need. I am ever grateful for the miracle of Josh's life (there we more accidents after this that could have easily taken him from me...but didn't), He will never know how much I love him and am grateful he is still here with me.

Originally posted June of 2007, rewritten June 2010

Monday, June 21, 2010

Summer

Summer is here today!! Officially the first day of Summer...how fun is that??
The kids are attending VBS all week from 9:30-12, so I get a few hours to get some stuff done=) And just like last year, I really just want to come home and clean in peace! Today I had lots of errands to do so I didn't even ge to come home, but tomorrow I WILL come home! Check out this green study to see how shopping online is actually a way to go GREEN...who would have thunk?? I wish I could find a place to do grocery shopping (cheap) on-line, that be GREAT especially in the Winter!

Today I got a cherry tree for $5...mostly for the beautiful white to pale pink blooms in the Spring! Hopefully it will produce some cherries someday as well! But $5!!! I was super excited, and thankful to Josh for driving all the way there just to pick up my tree, what a trooper!

Other news about lovely things growing: I have LOTS of lettuce, like too much, really. I see lots of green tomatoes and little yellow flowers that green tomatoes will follow-and then turn red...hopefully! My bean plants are growing super quick, Sunflowers are getting thicker and thicker lots of cauliflower leaves no fruit though (or vegetable actually), pepper plants look well and even my beautiful $10 Rhododendron, I got for super cheap that I sunburned and it lots every single leaf, is actually growing lovely green leaves again, will I see flowers this year?? Probably not.

I love growing stuff and feel so "GREEN" and accomplished.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

nowhere...

Yesterday I went nowhere...I didn't have to get into my car (although I do love my car) not once...I almost did and then I said to myself, WHY??? You don't have too!!! It felt nice.

We don't have busing at our school so I have to take and pickup my kids daily for school (only 1 mile, but just always having to get in my car is annoying).

Yep, you got me, since I didn't leave the house, I did not work out=( But we did pull lots of weeds and set up the pool and dig around in the garden, so I wasn't lazy either! I am looking ofrward to a lazy day sometime soon!

So today I was actually excited to go to the gym and workout on all that wonderful brand spanking new fitness equipment...I love weight machines they make things a bit easier=) And the main reason I went...so I could have a little bit of time without kids asking for something...I love childcare at workout facilities!!!!

Have a lovely weekend everyone...we have a full one here.

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Trying so hard...

I am trying so hard to loose some weight...or just change shape...Yes I did loose 1.2% body fat...that was a start. But I haven't lost inches...=(

Kids are done with school so now I have to lug them with me...childcare is cheap, but will I do it or will I not? UGGGG If I could only find how to reduce belly fat Id be so happy.

I guess the real way is to stay in the gym and watch my eating...which is the hardest part...once I get to the gym I can workout all day, but then when I get home I am super hungry...oh the struggle. I know your sick of hearing about it...not obsessed with it, just want this so bad, and I can taste it and it makes it so much harder to wait for the results.


Tuesday, June 01, 2010

You're Not The Boss Of Me...

You're Not The Boss Of Me...is the title of the book I am reading. I had a chance to review this book, and who can say no when they have kids and want to find the best ways to relate, discipline and encourage them?? I definitely won't. Especially when the front cover reads..."Brat-Proofing your 4-12 year old children." And when my kids act like brats daily...I definitly know I need some help!

Although I have not had the chance to get through the whole book...because those "brats" don't leave me any time to myself;) I have found so much useful input and already put some to practice.

I really liked how Ms Braun brought up the fact that kids don't have to be looking at you to hear you...half the time I fight with my kids to look me in the eye and after that fight you know they are really trying to act like they are looking at you but not necessarily paying any attention to you...so why not just cut out that step...they can and will hear and pay attention even with their eys not on you...and I do understand sometimes they do need to look at you, but not in every instance!

Also I like how she brings ways to try to compromise with our kids in certain instances...to honor your children's independence yet keeping your his/her safety in mind and your family rules intact.

I can't wait to get more into this book and implement some strategies that might work with my family. I don't think following any book to a T is good for families but taking from a number of books advice, and strategies that will fit into your families way of life and keep with your values.

So if you are looking for a good book to get some strategies ( come on we all need some new strategies over the Summer!) I would suggest looking into the book:
You're Not the Boss of Me- Brat Proofing your 4-12 year old child by Betsy Brown Braun



"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of HarperCollins and received a copy of You’re Not the Boss of Me to facilitate my review. Mom Central also sent me a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate."