LONG Update!!!

Hello Everyone! I hope you are all doing well. Things here are going pretty good – can’t complain too much, and what good would it do anyways? LOL…but seriously, things are going pretty good! Where did I leave off?!?!

Well, an update on Michael. He is doing great! Since last week, he did have a spell over the weekend where he was hallucinating pretty badly. My Dad went to see him and Michael told him that his parents and his sister and his niece were there and had been for over an hour, and they weren’t really there. He had a rough weekend. I think the biggest factor, though, is that he has a deep desire to go home. But he is really where he needs to be. So, anyways….he came out of that spell and is doing really great again. My Dad said that yesterday he was as “clear” and as “normal” as he had seen him in the past month. So, hopefully this stage will last a long time! He also shared that three of Michael’s buddies had spent an entire week fasting and praying for Michael – the week when he was so bad. Now that is some great friends! I told Dad last night that I pray that Isaac will find some great friends like that. Also, there was a prayer service for Michael at the high school that he graduated from on Saturday night. The youth minister of the church that he was playing basketball at when this whole thing started led it and it was very nice. Michael was itching to be there with us, but they couldn’t allow him out of the hospital for that. It was neat to see so many people gather to pray for him. They plan on holding more of those for him…because he obviously has a long road ahead of him. But things are looking up. And it is neat to see how he has touched so many lives during this ordeal.

So, Jodi was in town this past weekend…..and we had a nice visit! She got up here early on Friday and so I was having a hard time being at work knowing that she was already here! They went garage sale-ing and fun stuff like that! I had an appointment at the Pre-school that we have signed Faith Anne up for, so I just decided to call it a day after that. So, let me get back to our weekend in a minute….

We have decided to enroll Faith Anne in preschool. I just feel like she needs the extra discipline and attention – being the middle child! So, she is going to Green-Oak preschool – it is in a church – on Tuesday & Thursday mornings. She is excited – well, as excited as she can be since she doesn’t really know what it is yet. But I visited it on Friday and it is really neat! I am excited for her! And they do some fun things for the family throughout the year too. So, my mom is going to help with that – getting her back and forth and stuff. I had to work out with my mom and my aunt “the school schedule”….having kids is a lot of shuffling – especially when both parents work 40+ hours a week!!! The school schedule is this:

* Scott will get Isaac off to school each morning – actually a group of kids from the neighborhood all walk together, so he has to get him up and ready and out the door every day….no fun for him since he is not a morning person, but I am at work by 7:00 – so it falls on him!
* On Mondays & Wednesdays, I leave work early to get Isaac picked up from school. I take him home with me and he does homework/plays with friends while I “work from home” until 5:00…then we go get the girls from my Aunt’s house
* On Tuesdays & Thursdays, not only does Scott have to get Isaac up and ready for school, but he also has to get Faith Anne up and ready for school and drop her off there at 9:00 and then drop Gracie off at my parent’s house. My mom will pick Faith Anne up at 11:30 and then pick up Isaac at 2:30….I will get them all from my parent’s house in the afternoon
* On Fridays….either my Mom will get Isaac from school or Scott or after-care and either my Mom or my Aunt will watch the girls….

So, talk about craziness!!! It is going to be wild! But what can you do?!?! I was talking to my neighbor the other day and he has 3 girls and their ages are pretty spread out. He was saying that it took them 15 years to get all 3 of their kids in school for a full day. That will help….but it will take us a long, long time to get there! Oh well. It keeps us young…or busy…or just crazy! Why did we want kids….and 3 of them to boot?!?! Just kidding…I love them!!!

Okay…so back to my weekend! So, after I visited the preschool, I went to my parent’s house and they were just getting the kids down for a nap…and we were all ready for a nap too! Jodi had gotten up pretty early to get there. So….I left the girls to nap with them and Isaac and I headed home for naps of our own and then he had football. It was a nice nap…but I wish it could’ve been longer! I think I could’ve slept for days! Oh well! Scott came home and took Isaac to football and I went back over to my parent’s house. We decided to go to a little carnival in Bellbrook…that was fun. My Dad saw lots of people he knew….some cousins of his and also some people he grew up with. Scott and Isaac met us there after football and the kids had a great time. They rode rides…Jodi and I rode the ferris wheel with them….that was not as much fun as I remember it being as a kid! A little scary, actually! But it was a fun evening and gorgeous weather! Faith Anne told my Dad on the way home that she had a “wonderful time”. She can be so cute sometimes!

Saturday….I got up and did a little house-cleaning – man, my house needs some attention! I did as much as I could fit into the morning. Then Mom, Dad and Jodi came over and we all had lunch and then headed to Isaac’s first football game. I was all nerves….but it was very cool! I am so proud of Isaac! He got to run through the sign – they announce his name first since he is Number 2…so he gets to run on the field first. Talk about a proud Mama…I was for sure. He played pretty much the entire game! He plays on the Offensive and Defensive lines….and he did great….not that you can see much during the game, but we did watch it later – we taped it, duh! He has watched it about 4 or 5 times! He got a good tackle…and so he got a “game ball” at their practice last night. He seemed to enjoy it, so we will see! Oh, they didn’t win…they got beat 31 – 13, but the other team had a very fast little guy that just got away from them every time. Jodi and I were saying that I bet his parents are proud of him! So, after the game….the team did their huddle with the cheerleaders and then the cheerleaders gave the football players a goodie bag. It was very cute. So, of course, Faith Anne proceeds to throw a fit because she wants snack too…well, in t-ball, the mom’s always brought enough for the siblings…not the case in football. So, I was explaining to Faith Anne that the snacks/goodies are for the football players and she was calming down. Well, then…out of the huddle comes my big football player and he walks up to Faith Anne with his helmet and says…”Look Faith Anne…Bubby got you something too. Pick out what you want.” He had stuff in his helmet…I just started crying! All the nerves of the first game and then to see him be so tender-hearted…..just made me cry with pride!!! Jodi made fun of me, of course…but it was just one of those moments! I wish I could bottle those moments up!!! Moments like that are worth more than all the money in the world.

So, it was a good first game! I was worried how he would do with winning/losing….this is the first sport he has played where they keep score…but he did fine with it! I am looking forward to his next game!!!

After that, the girls and I took Jodi to my parent’s house and then we came home. I tried to get them down for a nap, but I wasn’t very successful! I got cleaned up and left Scott with the kids and went to my parent’s house. We went to the prayer service for Michael and then another church service and just had a fun evening with no kids!!!! We even went to Friendly’s for ice-cream! It was a good time!!!

Sunday was church…I was in the nursery both hours and so I didn’t get to talk to or really see anyone! This is my last Sunday of doing that….next month I start teaching pre-school during worship hour on one Sunday a month. I am not sure about that….but I am kinda ready to do something different than just the nursery. I have been in that nursery for about 8 or 9 years now…ever since I started coming to BCC. So, teaching is NOT my strength, but we will see! I told Joy I would try it! After church, Scott went to work….Miami University had a big move-in this weekend and he made lots and lots of sales there!!! The kids and I headed to my parent’s house for lunch with Jodi and Jimmie before they headed back to KY. I think we (meaning my kids and me) were all over-tired. The kids were mis-behaving quite a bit and I was just so tired! I went home and we all went down for naps right away! Gracie didn’t sleep much, but I did get a bit of a Sunday nap in!!!

So, that was our weekend re-cap! It was fun to spend some good time with Jodi! I am secretly (well, it isn’t a secret anymore) jealous that she and Jimmie and Mandy and Chelle and the Parent’s are all going on vacation to Gatlinburg the week of Labor Day…but I guess I had my vacation time in July! Bummer that the kids have school…that is a great time to vacation! Oh well…I am sure they won’t have fun without me…LOL!!!

Isaac starts First Grade next Tuesday! We went shopping on Monday night (in all the rain, football was cancelled) and got all of his school supplies. We had to go to Wal-Mart and Target…it was a mess! But we got them all and I have labeled everything (I mean – EVERYTHING) with my labeler! Yep, all 48 of his crayons have his name on them. I can’t believe my baby is in 1st Grade!!! Time flies! Gracie will be one in less than 2 months! WOW!!!!

A little plug….reminder to our Ladies that we have our Ladies Gathering on Saturday! We practiced for the music last night….it was a long practice, but fun! If you can make it, I am sure it will be fun….and refreshing! I know that I need a spiritual boost! So, come on Saturday if you can make it!!!
Well, this has gotten to be a very long journal, but there is one more thing I want to tell you about and ask for your prayers about. I know that I mentioned the Recruiter Job in a previous post…well, I decided not to even apply for that position because there is just NO WAY those hours would work for us right now. So….I put that thought out of my mind entirely. Well, yesterday, Kelli called me and told me about a job that I knew was out there, but hadn’t really thought twice about it because the girl who left the position was part-time…so I assumed it would be posted as part-time and probably not here – meaning I thought it would be in Columbus. Well, the job was posted as full-time and the location can be wherever the person lives. It is in our Audit department – so a totally different line of business than what I work in now, but Retail (what I work in now) experience would be a huge plus in this Audit job. It is an Audit Officer position….and I would be creating reports (I do that now), analyzing data, creating new procedures…stuff like that. So, different from what I do now, yet not that different. The really cool thing is that it is 100% flex-time….meaning that I would be 40 hours, but I would pretty much have complete flexibility to set my schedule. There are conference calls and such that I would have to be available for…but much, much, much more flexible than what I have now. Plus, I can work from home…from a branch…or wherever. So, that means that I wouldn’t have to see Stinky Pete and I wouldn’t have to work downtown and pay $90 a month in parking. SO! I have applied for the job….actually the reason Kelli thought of me was she was having dinner with the boss of the person that is hiring this position. So, if I got the job, she was the boss of my new boss. She suggested I apply for it. SO…..please pray for me!!! I applied for it yesterday – the hiring manager is on vacation until Monday….but please pray for this. I am excited about the thought of doing something different – been doing this job for 6 years now….but also a bit nervous about the learning curve. So, please pray!!!!

Alright…seriously, if you made it this far, you are either bored, or you just love me a lot!!! Love ya!!!