Here's the much requested recipe...
1/2 C margarine 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt 1/2 C flour
2 C chicken broth with 1 tsp bouillon
1-1/2 C whipping cream 2 C cooked chicken
1 lb cooked spaghetti 1/2 C parmesan cheese
Melt butter. Stir in flour & spices til bubbly. Stir in chicken broth til thick. Add cream (we use 2% milk) & cook til thickens. Put cooked spaghetti in casserole pan. Mix in a little sauce. Spread chicken (and if desired, 4 oz mushrooms, my family hates those). Pour rest of sauce over & mix slightly. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or til heated through
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Only 2 more weeks of shots
Finally!! In fact, since we did Monday's shot, only 5 to go. Kebrom has cried much harder lately. We wonder if the medication is building up in his system somehow, as it appears much more painful. But thankfully, only 5 more to go. We've scheduled his follow up appointment with Dr. Murray in early April.
February was a crazy month!
A fox ate our pet duck. We were unimpressed. On the heels of losing Kyra's breeding ewe...seems so unfair. As if life was ever purported to BE fair.
Next, the thyroid doctor told me an ultrasound was necessary. Then, after that, a needle biopsy was necessary. Thankfully, the pathologist gave me tentative results the afternoon of the procedure, and we just had to wait for 'official' confirmation. Benign. Not cancer. PHEW!! Annual monitoring, but for now, no worries.
The same day of the biopsy, our first ewe, Miss Peach, went into labor. The kids called me as I was walking out the door or the hospital. No rest!! Turns out, there was a HUGE, single baby lamb in there. Vet was on a call too far away to be any help. But thankfully, a wonderful 4H friend came over. It took 3 adults, much turning, much groaning by Peach...but a boy lamb, looking 2-3 weeks old, finally was on the ground. Geoffrey named him SeaBass, girls call him Bowser.
Next, it was a Sunday, Paul & I went for a walk. I asked him to feed the sheep, so I could check udders from behind. (They run from me, if they see me coming, knowing I want to check their udders). I'm counting ewes, and...where is M&M? Paul jokes, she's probably in the field giving birth. We turn around, and she is, in fact, in the field, with a baby at her feet. It took 3 of us to coax M&M into the barn, to get her baby out of the cold, and 2 more lambies followed. Triplets. And M&M can count to three, woohoo!! The first little guy who'd been in the field developed sticky lungs & was on antibiotics (means I had to give shots twice a day for 5 days) All are healthy, very good.
Next, Luna had 2 BEAUTIFUL lambs. And as we're standing there, again, a triplet appears. She, too, can count to three. Nursing them all. They're dark, probably going to be the coveted black (blue) lambs. We feel very blessed. One more ewe to go.
Now, twins are 'normal' with Suffolk cross sheep. Not singles, not triplets, TWINS. But Shirley goes into labor, and again 3 healthy babies, and a momma who can nurse them all. I felt so blessed. Ewes who can nurse three, they only have 2 nipples, are not super common, and we had 3.
In the midst of this, JoyLynn is playing Ybasketball. Practice weekly. Games weekly. Taekwondo twice a week. Besides Awana & youth group for older girls.
I go to bed after Shirley's lambs are born, telling Paul, sleeping through the night is not long off.
I awaken Saturday morning, to Paul telling me there's a dead lamb in the field. WHAT????? The one Brenna had chosen the night before. The one Geoffrey had just named. The beautiful dark lamb. And, another is missing. Apparently, a mountain lion or fox, preyed on my lambs during the night. We'd been going out to check on the babies, so we know it happened between 2:40 & 5. Luna is frantic. Two of her babies are missing and she knows it. We penned her up with her remaining lamb. Luna circled the field for 2 days, searching, crying. If we'd go outside, she'd come to us, frantic for help. It was heart wrenching. Vienna, our oldest ewe, was also injured in the attack. We thought we might have to put her down. She's recovering. We hope. As am I.
It seemed so wrong, these helpless little babies. And let me just say, I didn't handle it very well. I'd been really missing my mom. I hadn't slept through the night in several weeks. I hadn't cried through all the stress of waiting & worrying over the biopsy results. I'd have to say, the worst Pampered Chef party I've ever done was that Saturday morning. And, as I was pulling out of her driveway, tears started to fall. And they didn't stop for about an hour. Poor Paul. Poor kids! Mom is totally losing it over lambs. But not really, just a release. Just the thing that pushed me over. Atsede came into my room, and cried with me. She says it was over the lambs, but I don't think so. I think she's sad, because I was sad. A breakthrough in our relationship.
We stayed up, with bait & an outdoor camera, watching for a flash, to shoot, or at least find out WHAT we were dealing with. We never did see the lion at our place. State trapper says probably fox or coyote, I don't know. Everyone we know with livestock, says lion. The Monday after, lion is spotted 2 streets over in neighbors driveway (just 15 ft from the front door). Young male, not afraid of people. It killed a sheep just over the creek that night. Those neighbors shot it the next night, when it returned, on Tuesday.
We're still putting everyone in the barn at night. We've moved llamas around, trying to find a new guard. It was painful. We're healing. Life goes on. Luna appears to be able to count to 8. If a few lambs dart off in play, she heads over & brings them back up by the barn. We've seen Shirley do this also.
We considering a guard donkey. We're hopeful the immediate threat is past. Vienna is still healing. We put Geoffrey's stud, Thunder, in with the momma's & lambs. He appears to enjoy it. Time will tell if he has the instinct to protect.
Next, the thyroid doctor told me an ultrasound was necessary. Then, after that, a needle biopsy was necessary. Thankfully, the pathologist gave me tentative results the afternoon of the procedure, and we just had to wait for 'official' confirmation. Benign. Not cancer. PHEW!! Annual monitoring, but for now, no worries.
The same day of the biopsy, our first ewe, Miss Peach, went into labor. The kids called me as I was walking out the door or the hospital. No rest!! Turns out, there was a HUGE, single baby lamb in there. Vet was on a call too far away to be any help. But thankfully, a wonderful 4H friend came over. It took 3 adults, much turning, much groaning by Peach...but a boy lamb, looking 2-3 weeks old, finally was on the ground. Geoffrey named him SeaBass, girls call him Bowser.
Next, it was a Sunday, Paul & I went for a walk. I asked him to feed the sheep, so I could check udders from behind. (They run from me, if they see me coming, knowing I want to check their udders). I'm counting ewes, and...where is M&M? Paul jokes, she's probably in the field giving birth. We turn around, and she is, in fact, in the field, with a baby at her feet. It took 3 of us to coax M&M into the barn, to get her baby out of the cold, and 2 more lambies followed. Triplets. And M&M can count to three, woohoo!! The first little guy who'd been in the field developed sticky lungs & was on antibiotics (means I had to give shots twice a day for 5 days) All are healthy, very good.
Next, Luna had 2 BEAUTIFUL lambs. And as we're standing there, again, a triplet appears. She, too, can count to three. Nursing them all. They're dark, probably going to be the coveted black (blue) lambs. We feel very blessed. One more ewe to go.
Now, twins are 'normal' with Suffolk cross sheep. Not singles, not triplets, TWINS. But Shirley goes into labor, and again 3 healthy babies, and a momma who can nurse them all. I felt so blessed. Ewes who can nurse three, they only have 2 nipples, are not super common, and we had 3.
In the midst of this, JoyLynn is playing Ybasketball. Practice weekly. Games weekly. Taekwondo twice a week. Besides Awana & youth group for older girls.
I go to bed after Shirley's lambs are born, telling Paul, sleeping through the night is not long off.
I awaken Saturday morning, to Paul telling me there's a dead lamb in the field. WHAT????? The one Brenna had chosen the night before. The one Geoffrey had just named. The beautiful dark lamb. And, another is missing. Apparently, a mountain lion or fox, preyed on my lambs during the night. We'd been going out to check on the babies, so we know it happened between 2:40 & 5. Luna is frantic. Two of her babies are missing and she knows it. We penned her up with her remaining lamb. Luna circled the field for 2 days, searching, crying. If we'd go outside, she'd come to us, frantic for help. It was heart wrenching. Vienna, our oldest ewe, was also injured in the attack. We thought we might have to put her down. She's recovering. We hope. As am I.
It seemed so wrong, these helpless little babies. And let me just say, I didn't handle it very well. I'd been really missing my mom. I hadn't slept through the night in several weeks. I hadn't cried through all the stress of waiting & worrying over the biopsy results. I'd have to say, the worst Pampered Chef party I've ever done was that Saturday morning. And, as I was pulling out of her driveway, tears started to fall. And they didn't stop for about an hour. Poor Paul. Poor kids! Mom is totally losing it over lambs. But not really, just a release. Just the thing that pushed me over. Atsede came into my room, and cried with me. She says it was over the lambs, but I don't think so. I think she's sad, because I was sad. A breakthrough in our relationship.
We stayed up, with bait & an outdoor camera, watching for a flash, to shoot, or at least find out WHAT we were dealing with. We never did see the lion at our place. State trapper says probably fox or coyote, I don't know. Everyone we know with livestock, says lion. The Monday after, lion is spotted 2 streets over in neighbors driveway (just 15 ft from the front door). Young male, not afraid of people. It killed a sheep just over the creek that night. Those neighbors shot it the next night, when it returned, on Tuesday.
We're still putting everyone in the barn at night. We've moved llamas around, trying to find a new guard. It was painful. We're healing. Life goes on. Luna appears to be able to count to 8. If a few lambs dart off in play, she heads over & brings them back up by the barn. We've seen Shirley do this also.
We considering a guard donkey. We're hopeful the immediate threat is past. Vienna is still healing. We put Geoffrey's stud, Thunder, in with the momma's & lambs. He appears to enjoy it. Time will tell if he has the instinct to protect.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Paul's Top 10
Each Friday, Paul posts his 'Top 10' on Facebook. It's become quite the topic of family discussion, thought I'd share a few of his last weeks here.
10 Observations from this past week:
1. It was pointed out between our 6 kids we cover every educational category:. 1 Pre-K. 1 in Kindergarten. 1 Middle-schooler. 1 in Jr. High. 1 in High School and 1 in College.
2. ½ of them like to go to bed at midnight and the other half get up at 6:30 a.m. I’m certain I’ll remember this phase of life as a dull blur.
3. This broad age range might make you think the most difficult part of parenting is the meals, or laundry. Nope, it’s finding a family movie everyone can agree upon. It now takes at least 3 days of prep, several debates, 2 trips to the Redbox and occasional bribing (Katrina: “I’ll make smoothies!”)to find one all 6 might enjoy.
4. So instead I made them all watch the State of the Union address.
5. Observing my children watching it made me reminisce about the good old days…when Ronald Reagan was president. :-)
6. No, actually it brought back memories of those nights I’d excitedly turn on the television to watch Happy Days…and instead all that was on was the President’s address! I’d frantically try every channel (channel 8, channel 13, 8, 13, back to 8, 13 again, etc.) but all to no avail. Boy were those lost evenings.
7. W/ 6 kids every day is something new. This week I spotted my 10 year old walking around the house eating a raw onion like an apple.
8. I bet she doesn’t eat one before school though, this week she had a first (of many, I fear) a boy stuffed a note into her hand, and before fleeing, ‘hinted’ to her, “my parents say I can’t call you” . It was his phone #. Who says chivalry is dead?
9. Saw the definition of optimistic insanity this week. A volunteer YMCA b-ball coach naively believing he could teach a gaggle of giggling 10 year old girls a complicated offense involving multiple screens and cuts. By the end, all 11 of them were on the floor. The coach out of exasperation, the girls from shrieking in laughter..
10. We thought it was cute that Kebrom has been crawling under our chairs and recliners pretending to “work on” them w/ his tools. Then we found his cache of bolts, screws and metal fasteners. He’s been steadfastly (and successfully) dismantling them!
1. Not being an animal person or owner, this past week revealed the necessity for some rule-making.
2. Uh…it is my wife and children who own the 7 sheep, 4 llamas, 3 alpacas, 2 dogs and 2 cats, not me.
3. Rule #1 – don’t allow your daughter to bottle-feed a sheep and allow it to become a family pet.
4. Know why? Every husband and father’s nightmare - on the Sunday morning the ‘pet’ dies, wife and daughters cry and cry…and cry…and cry…aaaaagh!
5. Then at church, the Pastor had to say, “Sheep are SO dumb” – I nervously glanced at my wife and daughters – oh boy, if looks could kill .(poor timing Pastor Hicks)
6. Rule #2 – Don’t grow attached to ducks!
7. Know why? Ducks cry. I exited the house in the dark only to hear a type of quack I’d never heard before…a mournful quack (I’m 100% serious and do not need to see a quack!). Sure enough, the fox had gotten her mate and she was ‘crying’ for him.
8. Um…no comment as to how I reacted - but I never realized that daily feeding and having ducks follow you around affectionately quacking at you could make one grow so attached!
9. Rule #3 – don’t assume tiny puppies won’t become aliens and project 6 inch (6 INCH!) live round worms that wriggle (WRIGGLE!) on the carpet…because sometimes they do!
10. And this week’s quote by my 4 year old son ““No one will marry me if I keep tooting”
1. This past week I seemed to encounter numerous situations that prompted some profound…well…probably not worthy to be called profound, I don’t think they’ve achieved ‘pro’ status, so I’ll say amateurfound, thoughts.
2. Had a friend say to me, “Maybe I’m not in love with my current circumstances in life, but I AM in love with life.” Very wise words my friend.
3. Watched “Midnight in Paris”, the latest Woody Allen film. For the type of person Woody (we’re on a first name basis) appears to be, I’m not a fan – he would qualify for my Johnny Depp list – disrespect as a person, love their movies.
4. I like Woody’s directing style, and his movies are thought-provoking, I like that. “Midnight in Paris” took a novel approach to warn of the folly of longing for the past. That was good for me…I’m a sentimentalist and too often miss (or long for) the past.
5. I’m reading a book about coach Bobby Knight, a great coach famous for motivating his players by throwing childish tantrums. As the book described his fits (yelling, throwing chairs across the court, etc.), it sounded familiar and I realized, “wow, I use the Bobby Knight style in my parenting!...I AM the Bobby Knight of parenting!” (I am NOT proud of that fact…but hopefully my kids will go undefeated some season :-))
6. My 5 year old nephew revealed that one nose is a ‘noe’, it takes two to become ‘nose’. (He was picking his ‘noe’).
7. Life seems to be filled w/ ‘givers’ and ‘takers’. My neighbor is definitely a ‘giver’. I have several good friends who are givers (and givers!). I have recognized however, I tend to be a ‘taker’. I don’t want to be a ‘taker’, I want to be a ‘giver’…I’m trying to change that, but it isn’t easy.
8. Tim Tebow. I’ve followed sports for 40 years and can say with confidence never has there been a phenomenon of this nature (his committed relationship with Jesus, his proven leadership skills, his questionable QB skills, the polarization of the fans, etc.) – but here is what I was thinking about; how will it end? Will it have a happy ending? (undoubtedly for some). A sad ending? An ending in the near future? Or will it be distant future? If that isn’t amateurfound thinking I don’t know what is.
9. I was channel surfing, I would find a show and think, “hmmm…this looks pretty good…but maybe there is something else on EVEN better – ‘click’” and it hit me - I was playing the adult version of “Bigger/Better” !(side-note – isn’t Bigger/Better one of the greatest kids activity ever invented?)
10. I conclude this with the words uttered by my 4 year old this week that I hope I never forget…and always live by, “I have something really important to do tomorrow. I’m going to be good ALL day.”
10 Observations from this past week:
1. It was pointed out between our 6 kids we cover every educational category:. 1 Pre-K. 1 in Kindergarten. 1 Middle-schooler. 1 in Jr. High. 1 in High School and 1 in College.
2. ½ of them like to go to bed at midnight and the other half get up at 6:30 a.m. I’m certain I’ll remember this phase of life as a dull blur.
3. This broad age range might make you think the most difficult part of parenting is the meals, or laundry. Nope, it’s finding a family movie everyone can agree upon. It now takes at least 3 days of prep, several debates, 2 trips to the Redbox and occasional bribing (Katrina: “I’ll make smoothies!”)to find one all 6 might enjoy.
4. So instead I made them all watch the State of the Union address.
5. Observing my children watching it made me reminisce about the good old days…when Ronald Reagan was president. :-)
6. No, actually it brought back memories of those nights I’d excitedly turn on the television to watch Happy Days…and instead all that was on was the President’s address! I’d frantically try every channel (channel 8, channel 13, 8, 13, back to 8, 13 again, etc.) but all to no avail. Boy were those lost evenings.
7. W/ 6 kids every day is something new. This week I spotted my 10 year old walking around the house eating a raw onion like an apple.
8. I bet she doesn’t eat one before school though, this week she had a first (of many, I fear) a boy stuffed a note into her hand, and before fleeing, ‘hinted’ to her, “my parents say I can’t call you” . It was his phone #. Who says chivalry is dead?
9. Saw the definition of optimistic insanity this week. A volunteer YMCA b-ball coach naively believing he could teach a gaggle of giggling 10 year old girls a complicated offense involving multiple screens and cuts. By the end, all 11 of them were on the floor. The coach out of exasperation, the girls from shrieking in laughter..
10. We thought it was cute that Kebrom has been crawling under our chairs and recliners pretending to “work on” them w/ his tools. Then we found his cache of bolts, screws and metal fasteners. He’s been steadfastly (and successfully) dismantling them!
1. Not being an animal person or owner, this past week revealed the necessity for some rule-making.
2. Uh…it is my wife and children who own the 7 sheep, 4 llamas, 3 alpacas, 2 dogs and 2 cats, not me.
3. Rule #1 – don’t allow your daughter to bottle-feed a sheep and allow it to become a family pet.
4. Know why? Every husband and father’s nightmare - on the Sunday morning the ‘pet’ dies, wife and daughters cry and cry…and cry…and cry…aaaaagh!
5. Then at church, the Pastor had to say, “Sheep are SO dumb” – I nervously glanced at my wife and daughters – oh boy, if looks could kill .(poor timing Pastor Hicks)
6. Rule #2 – Don’t grow attached to ducks!
7. Know why? Ducks cry. I exited the house in the dark only to hear a type of quack I’d never heard before…a mournful quack (I’m 100% serious and do not need to see a quack!). Sure enough, the fox had gotten her mate and she was ‘crying’ for him.
8. Um…no comment as to how I reacted - but I never realized that daily feeding and having ducks follow you around affectionately quacking at you could make one grow so attached!
9. Rule #3 – don’t assume tiny puppies won’t become aliens and project 6 inch (6 INCH!) live round worms that wriggle (WRIGGLE!) on the carpet…because sometimes they do!
10. And this week’s quote by my 4 year old son ““No one will marry me if I keep tooting”
1. This past week I seemed to encounter numerous situations that prompted some profound…well…probably not worthy to be called profound, I don’t think they’ve achieved ‘pro’ status, so I’ll say amateurfound, thoughts.
2. Had a friend say to me, “Maybe I’m not in love with my current circumstances in life, but I AM in love with life.” Very wise words my friend.
3. Watched “Midnight in Paris”, the latest Woody Allen film. For the type of person Woody (we’re on a first name basis) appears to be, I’m not a fan – he would qualify for my Johnny Depp list – disrespect as a person, love their movies.
4. I like Woody’s directing style, and his movies are thought-provoking, I like that. “Midnight in Paris” took a novel approach to warn of the folly of longing for the past. That was good for me…I’m a sentimentalist and too often miss (or long for) the past.
5. I’m reading a book about coach Bobby Knight, a great coach famous for motivating his players by throwing childish tantrums. As the book described his fits (yelling, throwing chairs across the court, etc.), it sounded familiar and I realized, “wow, I use the Bobby Knight style in my parenting!...I AM the Bobby Knight of parenting!” (I am NOT proud of that fact…but hopefully my kids will go undefeated some season :-))
6. My 5 year old nephew revealed that one nose is a ‘noe’, it takes two to become ‘nose’. (He was picking his ‘noe’).
7. Life seems to be filled w/ ‘givers’ and ‘takers’. My neighbor is definitely a ‘giver’. I have several good friends who are givers (and givers!). I have recognized however, I tend to be a ‘taker’. I don’t want to be a ‘taker’, I want to be a ‘giver’…I’m trying to change that, but it isn’t easy.
8. Tim Tebow. I’ve followed sports for 40 years and can say with confidence never has there been a phenomenon of this nature (his committed relationship with Jesus, his proven leadership skills, his questionable QB skills, the polarization of the fans, etc.) – but here is what I was thinking about; how will it end? Will it have a happy ending? (undoubtedly for some). A sad ending? An ending in the near future? Or will it be distant future? If that isn’t amateurfound thinking I don’t know what is.
9. I was channel surfing, I would find a show and think, “hmmm…this looks pretty good…but maybe there is something else on EVEN better – ‘click’” and it hit me - I was playing the adult version of “Bigger/Better” !(side-note – isn’t Bigger/Better one of the greatest kids activity ever invented?)
10. I conclude this with the words uttered by my 4 year old this week that I hope I never forget…and always live by, “I have something really important to do tomorrow. I’m going to be good ALL day.”
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Just sit with me
Reflecting over a difficult time period in life can be a challenge. There's the part of me that would like to wallow in self-pity. There's the part of me that still struggles with anger; it's not fair. God, are you listening, HELLO??? There's the part of me that knows God is faithful, and His promises are STILL true...even if they do not feel true, to me, at the moment.
Recently, I was reading a Reader's Digest article. It was written by a chaplain, serving in a military hospital, over in the desert somewhere. He wrote about the tragedies he sees. But, he writes about the hospital staff, who look to him for support. He mentioned Job's friends, who came and sat with him in the ashes.
As I was reading that, I paused, struck by a vivid mental imagine of a man, feeling so much in despair, he sat in the ashes of the fire. His friends, coming upon him, sitting in the ashes, JOINING him there. I imagine they were quiet. Probably right about then, Job didn't need to hear any lectures about God keeping his promises. About God answering every prayer. About everything working out for good. At that moment, Job was feeling despair. His friends gave him comfort by their presence, just by being there.
Just like the chaplain in the hospital gives strength to the staff, to give them courage to face the next tragedy. Hold their hands. Sit with them in the ashes.
I'm a 'fixer' by nature. Give me a problem, give me a need & my brain will be ticking away trying to recall the last place I saw that on sale, or a solution to that problem. To just sit, and be quiet, doesn't come easily to me. My family jokes (at least I think they're joking), when I sit still I fall asleep! But, I'm learning.
When my sweet friend called to tell me she & her husband are not able to get pregnant again, I cried, and just listened. No fixing. No adoption stories. Let me sit with you in the ashes.
Through the pain of the last year, beginning to see the growth.
Recently, I was reading a Reader's Digest article. It was written by a chaplain, serving in a military hospital, over in the desert somewhere. He wrote about the tragedies he sees. But, he writes about the hospital staff, who look to him for support. He mentioned Job's friends, who came and sat with him in the ashes.
As I was reading that, I paused, struck by a vivid mental imagine of a man, feeling so much in despair, he sat in the ashes of the fire. His friends, coming upon him, sitting in the ashes, JOINING him there. I imagine they were quiet. Probably right about then, Job didn't need to hear any lectures about God keeping his promises. About God answering every prayer. About everything working out for good. At that moment, Job was feeling despair. His friends gave him comfort by their presence, just by being there.
Just like the chaplain in the hospital gives strength to the staff, to give them courage to face the next tragedy. Hold their hands. Sit with them in the ashes.
I'm a 'fixer' by nature. Give me a problem, give me a need & my brain will be ticking away trying to recall the last place I saw that on sale, or a solution to that problem. To just sit, and be quiet, doesn't come easily to me. My family jokes (at least I think they're joking), when I sit still I fall asleep! But, I'm learning.
When my sweet friend called to tell me she & her husband are not able to get pregnant again, I cried, and just listened. No fixing. No adoption stories. Let me sit with you in the ashes.
Through the pain of the last year, beginning to see the growth.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
WE FIGURED IT OUT!!
It took a while, but yesterday, after only 5 months of driving kids to different classes, it occurred it me...we have one child in pre-K, one in Kindergartn, one in elementary, one in junior high, one in high school and one in college. We're not nuts, we're just LITERALLY going in 6 different directions. Well, 8 direction if you include Paul & me.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Thinking
I've spent a reasonable amount of time reflecting on this past year. 2011, what a year. It was full of incredible ups & downs. People have told me, this past year, we need the downs in order to properly appreciate the ups. Hard to fathom, that the downs were necessary.
For Geoffrey, the high of graduation, valedictorian, great scholarship to the U...with the lows of watching his basketball team play without him, coaching the younger kids as he deeply longed to play, no skiing, watching 'his' tennis team take state, again, without him. Was the pain necessary to appreciate the positives?
I can't yet really reflect on any lessons I've learned from my mom this past year. Too painful. Too fresh. HAVE decided, the word 'lost' in relationship to death, is in my opinion, stupid. Lost somehow infers if we tried hard enough, that person could be found. She's not lost. I know where she is. She's just not here. She's not where I can reach her, or hear from her. Oh, missing her is painful.
Also been wondering, what have we learned going through these weeks of medical treatments with Kebrom? Sometimes that child throwing a tantrum in the store, might not need discipline. The mom trying to get out of the store with some dignity in tact, may be, on the edge of losing it herself. In addition, just the time involved, in getting back & forth to doctor appointments, the stress of waiting for lab results & calling those in. Truly, I had no clue how emotionally difficult. Then, there are the other kids, whose lives go on, and who expect to eat on a regular basis.
The whole balance of meeting each persons needs, something I haven't mastered. It's amazing to me how far our family has come, in terms of adjustment, adding 2 children in 19 months. There have been so many unexpected things. My older children, still, amaze me. While all this chaos was happening around our house, they were continuing to grow & mature, into these young adults I so love & enjoy. JoyLynn has blossomed in 4th grade at Valley Christian.
The social worker did tell us, adopting 2 was way more difficult than adopting one. She did warn us, it's possible the children we would bring into our home wouldn't like our other kids. She warned us our kids might not like the new kids. somehow, I just didn't think that was a 'real' possibility. We have had, and continue to have our share of personality conflicts. We're all human. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like I like them, and I'm convinced they don't always FEEL like they like me. So glad love, and commitment are not based on feelings.
We have learned, when a person is going through a crisis, and of course the definition of crisis would vary from person to person...what they need, is just to be blessed. Asking what they need isn't really a blessing, because they've been focusing on survival. Just bringing a meal, picking up a few of the kids...or sneaking in & cleaning the house...letting them know they've not been forgotten.
For Geoffrey, the high of graduation, valedictorian, great scholarship to the U...with the lows of watching his basketball team play without him, coaching the younger kids as he deeply longed to play, no skiing, watching 'his' tennis team take state, again, without him. Was the pain necessary to appreciate the positives?
I can't yet really reflect on any lessons I've learned from my mom this past year. Too painful. Too fresh. HAVE decided, the word 'lost' in relationship to death, is in my opinion, stupid. Lost somehow infers if we tried hard enough, that person could be found. She's not lost. I know where she is. She's just not here. She's not where I can reach her, or hear from her. Oh, missing her is painful.
Also been wondering, what have we learned going through these weeks of medical treatments with Kebrom? Sometimes that child throwing a tantrum in the store, might not need discipline. The mom trying to get out of the store with some dignity in tact, may be, on the edge of losing it herself. In addition, just the time involved, in getting back & forth to doctor appointments, the stress of waiting for lab results & calling those in. Truly, I had no clue how emotionally difficult. Then, there are the other kids, whose lives go on, and who expect to eat on a regular basis.
The whole balance of meeting each persons needs, something I haven't mastered. It's amazing to me how far our family has come, in terms of adjustment, adding 2 children in 19 months. There have been so many unexpected things. My older children, still, amaze me. While all this chaos was happening around our house, they were continuing to grow & mature, into these young adults I so love & enjoy. JoyLynn has blossomed in 4th grade at Valley Christian.
The social worker did tell us, adopting 2 was way more difficult than adopting one. She did warn us, it's possible the children we would bring into our home wouldn't like our other kids. She warned us our kids might not like the new kids. somehow, I just didn't think that was a 'real' possibility. We have had, and continue to have our share of personality conflicts. We're all human. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like I like them, and I'm convinced they don't always FEEL like they like me. So glad love, and commitment are not based on feelings.
We have learned, when a person is going through a crisis, and of course the definition of crisis would vary from person to person...what they need, is just to be blessed. Asking what they need isn't really a blessing, because they've been focusing on survival. Just bringing a meal, picking up a few of the kids...or sneaking in & cleaning the house...letting them know they've not been forgotten.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
