Happy New Year

I'm really glad to be saying goodbye to 2009. It was a tough year for my whole family. I am hoping 2010 brings us good health and happy memories. If anyone still checks this blog.....(I know my last post was in October), I am going to try and post some pictures from our Christmas trip to Disney and one of my New Year Resolutions is to be a better blogger!

Catching Up

It seems like forever since I last posted. Still battling my infection and basically feel Yucky. It's been a LONG six weeks but I'm trying to keep my head above water and the kids on track. I had a PICC line put in this week and am currently on IV antibiotics. If you could say a little prayer that this clears up my infection, otherwise looks like I am headed for surgery.

Anyway enough about me! The kids have been busily learning about the middle ages. They have been submerged into the world of King Arthur, Chivalry, Knights, & Maidens. We watched the movie "Camelot", the musical that was made in the 60's, last week. The girls enjoyed it more than Wolfie. They liked the beautiful costumes that Guenivere and the her maidens wore. We have also focused on the castles that were built back then and the detail of the Gothic Era. I found out that the Biltmore House was having a fall festival for homeschoolers and I thought that would be a good way for them to get to see a real castle even if wasn't built in the 1100's. So, a few weeks ago, we drove up for the day and they had a great time! Mommy just rested alot :) We were not allowed to take pictures in the castle but here are some of the shots from the outside.

Front Picture of the Castle

Their daughter, Cornelia's playground was up at this Gazebo.
Guess she needed to ride her horse up there!

Outside picture of the Conservatory

Our Tour Guide telling the kids about the castle

Some of the homeschoolers really got into the theme!

DQ hamming it up

The view from the terrace of the castle

After we toured the castle we walked down to the garden area. There, the kids saw saw a sign that said there was a Bass Lake down the trail so we decided to go see it. Well, little did we know that we had to go down the mountain to see it! Going down was fine but coming back up was the though part :-O

The infamous Bass Lake. It really was worth the hike. Just Beautiful

Wolfie couldn't believe how big the fish were!

So he decides to go down for a closer look.....

Guess who decided to follow him, fell in the water, and soaked her pants!

While DQ's pants are drying in the sun, the kids decide to have a try a some of the stations that were set up for the homeschooler's. They had exhibits for games, calligraphy, coat of arms, costumes, and dancing. The games were a big hit with my kids (ofcourse).

Anyone for Dominoes?

All that hard work for a few seconds of thrills



This game was a big hit





I think Wolfie played this for at least 45 mintue before he figured out how to catch that ring!Wish he was that determined with his school work.

How about a game of croquet with no pants?




Mommy enjoyed looking at Mrs Vanderbilt's wardrobe. People were so elegant back then....

They even had a couple showing the kids the dances from that era.

Even though it wore me out (and probably wasn't the best thing for my health right now), I'm so glad that we went. The fun thing about homeschooling is being able to read things in a textbook and then be able to go out and really be hands on and see things up close and personal. I think the kids really "got it" when they saw how BIG the castle really was and that people actually lived like that. In fact, just the other day, thay showed a picture of the Queen mother's castle on TV and Princess said..."she lives in a castle like the Biltmore House". I then was able to go on and tell her about England and France and how there are lots of castles there and those are the castles that really were built back in the time of Camelot .... Connections.... Just like weaving a tapestry.....that's what its all about.

I lost a tooth!

We recently had a visit from the Tooth Fairy. My baby lost her first tooth!

Ironically, her cousin, who is three months younger than her, lost his tooth, the same weekend in the same place. Funny how genetics works Huh?!

Sidelined

Well, school for us is off and running and I'm sorry I haven't posted any updates. I came down with a "mystery infection" after I took the kids bowling for homeschool day during our first week of school. Something must have "shifted" and I tore lose some scar tissue :( Needless to say by that evening, I was running a high fever and miserable.

Three weeks and multiple antibiotics later, I am finally recovered and up and running again at full steam. I'm just very thankful this infection didn't require surgery like all the others :) We have managed to muddle through with school work but have found ourselves behind again. I'm trying not to let it get to me and just go with the flow. I should now by now that life happens (especially to my family) and nothing works out as planned...... I joke with my good friend often about how strong the Lord must think we are. He loves to shower us with "life". That's okay, because I know He is in the driver's seat and He hasn't ever let me down ...... Just look at the blessings in my life :)>

First Day of School

Well, its that time of year again. The big yellow buses ran Tuesday for the first time since June picking up all those eager children. So....I thought it would be a good idea for the kids to have an "unschooling day". We decided that we would go to our favorite park and do some trail hiking with our two hound dogs, who have been so neglected this summer. This park has miles and miles of trails, a lake, and I can let the dogs off their leashes to run since it wasn't crowded (because school is in session TEE HEE) We went down our favorite trail and spent some time at a creek that the kids like to explore. The dogs splashed around in the water and I could just feel myself start to relax. Wolfie and Princess brought their bikes so we decided to try a different bike trail this time and wound our way around to the other side of the lake. This trail had lots of little jumps and mounds for Wolfie to "catch air" on. It was a loooooong way around and needless to say we were all very hot by the time we made our way around. Flicka and Annie proceeded to plop down in the lake and cool off. I wish I had brought my camera because Flicka was so funny just laying there in the lake. She was wallowing in mud like a little piggie (not so much fun to have to clean off before the ride home in the car). We played on the deserted playground for a little while and Drama Queen got to swing (her favorite thing in the whole world). On the way home, Wolfie turned and looked at me and said "that was the best day ever". This made me remember back earlier in the year when I was questioning why I wanted to homeschool, and his comment made me just want to explode with joy. Precious memories and it was just what the Dr. ordered for this mommy right now.....

Where have you been!

I'm still here.... Were you beginning to wonder? I have just been busy playing catch up. I intended to use the summer break as my planning time but the Good Lord had other things in mind for me. Speaking of that, my dad is doing much better. Still in the hospital but improving every day....

I am now in BIG TIME planning mode, especially with Workboxes our new organizing system. I am still gathering, printing, laminating, cutting, etc. I was trying to rush to begin our school year but have since given myself a break and have decided to allow myself the time I need to prepare and be FULLY ready to begin. Once I made this decision I have been excited again and feeling less pressured. We'll officially begin when I am ready, in the meantime we are doing "light" days and just covering the basics.

I will post some pictures soon. We have had some exciting things going on and have lots to share so stay tuned....

Swim Team 2009

It's hard to believe that summer is half over. Unfortunately, most of the summer has been consumed with my dad's ongoing medical problems, and I feel bad for the kids that we have been unable to take part in our usual summer activities. However, one of the bright spots for all of us was taking part in our neighborhood swim team. The kids always have a great time doing this and the exercise is great too! They are able to meet children who live in the neighborhood and do some socializing with kids their own age in a fun environment. Our team, The Seahorses, went undefeated and were declared the division champions at our All-Star Meet. Wolfie was asked to swim in the all-stars this year and he was so proud! It takes place downtown at the pool were Michael Phelps recently swam when he was in town so it was a BIG deal to the kids. Here are some pictures from our end of season party......

There was terrific food and a DJ and the kids got to dance and act silly. Oh, to be a kid again.......

My dad is still about the same. They have reduced the rate of the respirator so that he is breathing more on his own which is good. It did make him feel panicked and short of breath, so they had to give him some Ativan to calm him, which knocked him out again. He is running a fever of about 102 so that is concerning the doctors. They have been running all sorts of tests to see where the infection could be. This is beginning to sound so familiar to what I went through with my "mystery fever" after DQ was born. Hopefully, they will be able to discover the cause of the fever soon and get it treated with the appropriate antibiotic before it gets worse.

We are planning to get "Back to School" on Monday. I think this will work because I don't normally go down to the hospital until later in the day anyway. The kids are all moaning and groaning but it is time. I think it will help them to be on more of a normal routine and they won't feel so "out of sorts" like they have over the past few weeks. Dad's illness has been really hard on the kids (and DH) without mommy being home and they can definitely pick up on the fact that everything is not going as planned. I think the more normal I can make things, the better it will be for all of us........

Raven Knob 2009

I know this blog has been consumed lately with my dad's health problems so I wanted to post some pictures from Wolfie's trip to Boy Scout Camp. He went for a week up to the mountains and had a great time. He even learned how to sail by himself :)

My dad has not really improved much. He is stable as far as the heart goes but they are having alot of trouble with getting him off the respirator becuase of his damaged lumgs. They are giving him a tracheotomy (sp?) today in the hopes it will help his condition. At least he will have that tube out of his mouth and I think it will make him more comfortable......

My dad is still in a medical coma. We are hoping that thye are going to begin waking him up today or tomorrow. Please pray that everything goes smoothly and he does not get agitated and undo the work of the surgeons.

No One's Laughing at God

I found this song on one of my favorite blogs this am. It really touched me. I hope you enjoy it too.........





Laughing With Lyrics:

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken

No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say "We've got some bad new, sir,"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a warNo one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like HoudiniOr grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God


HT:http://mommylife.net/

2 Giant Steps Backward

My dad ended up back in surgery yesterday. Apparently the wires that were holding his rib cage together pulled apart the bone on his ribs and that is why he has had so much pain when he coughed. Each time he coughed the bone fragments would hit each other. He will be in a medicine induced coma for 4-5 days while they grow the cultures taken from his chest to see if he has an infection. My mom and I are exhausted and this will give us the opportunity to get some rest while he is sleeping becuase he is going to have a very long recovery from this. They are still concerned about his pneumonia but everything is in God's hands now.....

Time Warp

I feel like I have been living in a time warp. My dad is still in the hospital but he is finally beginning to improve. It has been a long 10 days of ups and downs. I have spent a lot of time with him at the hospital because he gets very anxious if he doesn't have family with him. My other family members have hospital "psycho"sis and are very uncomfortable being there, especially my mom, so voila! I get the job. I used to be afraid like that too, but after everything I have been through over the last few years, it doesn't really bother me anymore. I think of hospitals as places of healing and rebirth. The only thing that has bothered me is all of the beeping from the monitors every time there is a change in the rhythm of the heart or oxygen level. At first those beeps made me want to jump out of my skin but I'm used to them now and hardly look up to see what's going on. I would like to thank my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for their guidance on some of the withdrawal issues my dad has experienced as well. They are both seasoned nurses and were both spot on with their advice. Thank You!

My dad will be in the hospital for at least a few more days, maybe into the middle of next week. The doctors have told us that most of his problems are directly linked to his heavy smoking. The challenge for us is going to be to keep him from smoking when he gets home. He is very stubborn and will probably deny that it was smoking that got him there in the first place. I probably should have video taped those first few days in the hospital, so he could see himself gasping for air. My sister is also a smoker so I am praying that after seeing all of this she may have a change of heart too.

The kids have been doing okay through this. They are acting out of sorts. With me being at the hospital so much, especially at night, they have been very clingy and emotional. They can sense that something is wrong and are hanging around to eavesdrop in on the "adult" conversation. We tried 2 sleepovers for the girls, with Ms. Ann & Aunt Sara, but they ended up wanting to come home. They got to go see Grandpa yesterday for the first time and I think it helped relieve their fears to see him. It was good for Grandpa too!

Before all this happened, we had planned to go to the beach for the 4th of July. We were supposed to leave today but obviously our plans have been side railed. But, I think we have worked out a plan. My brother and his family are going to go down over the weekend while I stay here and help at the hospital. Then on Sunday, he is going to come back and Sara and I and the girls (Charlie's going to boyscout camp for the week) are going to go down and join his wife and kids for the rest of the week. That way my brother can stay over at my mom's all week and help her when My dad comes home. My sister is ready to help now too. She has been sick with the flu, that my whole family had before the surgery, and has not been able to come to the hospital all last week because the babies have been sick. So, I guess I shouldn't feel guilty if I leave and go the beach for a few days? I am so exhausted.....and I do feel guilty. What if something happens while I am away? I am so torn.

It's hard watching a parent go through this. How did they become so "old" overnight. My dad is only 70 but this last year, he has aged so much. One of my very good friends mother has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 68. She told me the other day that her mom did not recognize her one evening and it just broke my heart to see her pain. I don't want to ever burden my own children in this way if I can take steps now to try and prevent it. My husband has been very affected also by my dad and the passing of Michael Jackson and Billy Mays of heart disease at age 50! That is only a few years older than he is. He has started swimming again at the Y and I am so glad to see him making the effort.

Life is a gift and we only have one vessel. We need to take care of ourselves because that is what God wants us to do. We need to manage the stress in our lives, eat better, and spend LOTS of time with our loved ones. I think I will go to the beach. I think He will watch over my dad for me while I take some time to repair my vessel from all of the worry and stress of this period.

Thanks for listening to my rambles.... This blogging really is good for the soul.....and STAY TUNED, we will get back to our regularly programmed schooling very soon!

Turned the Corner

My dad was much improved by the end of the day yesterday. He is still in ICU but I think they will move him out on a floor this morning. Praise God! I couldn't thank the nurses and staff at the hospital enough for all of their hard work in getting him through this. Hopefully, as long as there are no more set backs, he will go home this weekend. Great news indeed!

My dad had a bad day yesterday and is back in Critical Care. They moved him into his own room in the morning and shortly after this he had a seizure and all the nurses came running. His heartbeat was too fast and he wasn't getting enough oxygen to the brain. They gave him some medicine and he did alot better in the afternoon. He got up around 4:00 and they had him sitting in a recliner. He ate dinner and was doing fabulous when all of a sudden he felt dizzy and they couldn't get a blood pressure reading and it all went south from there. It wasn't as bad as the AM incident but still scary. We saw him about 9:30 pm and he was doing much better. I'm not sure what today will bring but I am comforted with knowing that God is in control. If you are reading this, please say a prayer of strength for Francis, that he doesn't become discouraged and keeps fighting through this and makes a full recovery......

Update

My dad is doing much better. They took his breathing tube out and now he is wearing a mask that people with sleep apnea wear. He is not happy about it! However the doctor told him that this was his payback for every cigarette he ever smoked over the years. The fluid in his lungs is drying up and he should be moved out of ICU today. Then my poor mom gets to take over....I think she is the one that needs the prayers now! I wanted to say a special thanks to Ms. Ann for taking the girls for a sleep over last night so I could be free to stay at the hospital last night. She is such a blessing in our lives.....

Dad's Surgery

Here is a picture of my dad from Father's Day. I couldn't get closer to him because the kids and I have colds and we didn't want to expose him to our cooties before his surgery :( This is his favorite perch on his deck watching the grandkids swimming. He's a proud Grandpa!

My dad had his triple by-pass yesterday. He came through the surgery well and the doctor said that everything went as planned. He has to be in ICU for 24 hours so we were only able to see him a couple of times because they only let you in for visits every few hours. He seemed aware that we were there and when my brother joked about the US Open golf match (which he DVR'd to watch at home), he seemed to perk up.

I spoke with his nurse a few minutes ago to get an update and unfortunately they have been unable to remove his breathing tube. They have tried several times but each time his oxygen level drops and they have to leave it in. The nurse said last night that sometimes it takes someone with sleep apnea longer to come around but now I am a little worried. They are giving him a chest x-ray this morning so hopefully that will show what the problem is. Otherwise his vital signs are all very good.

I will keep this blog updated as much as possible with news. Please say a pray for Fran today that they are able to remove his breathing tube so he can get settled into his own room and get on his way to recovering......