Update from Ray

The weather got worese in the night. There was a Tornatow warning but my brother and sister did not know a thing about this and just kept on sleeping. In the morning the power went out and all we got to do was play games and color. At 5:00 the power came back on and we were going to spend the night with my grandparents but the power came back on and my mom dad and brother was at home and the kids spent the night with my grandparents just for fun. My other grandparentshad to bring there dog over to our house. It still was very busy!!!

Hallelujah!

We are so very grateful! Thank you God that Ivan wasn't as terrible to us as was predicted. We were without power for only about 9 hours. Our cable TV/phone/internet was off for longer than that. In fact, it only came back very recently.

The popcorn tree in the backyard is missing a couple of limbs now and there is a ton of debris everywhere. The sounds of chainsaws can be heard in the neighborhood. Almost everyone with a Bradford pear tree is doing clean-up of massive limbs or entire trees. They did not withstand this storm well at all.

Things we did while there was no power:
played dominos
played "Trouble"
colored with Color Wonder paper and markers
watched the little bit of weather and news we could pick up on a battery-operated 5 inch b/w
cleaned out too-small clothes from boys' room
straightened kitchen a little bit
ate trail mix
re-heated cold spaghetti on gas stovetop & ate it :)

David REALLY wants me to play Trouble again so I can't concentrate to write much more. Maybe I'll get Shayne to write more later. Off to play...

It is absolutely amazing what has happened to the roadways at the beach because of Ivan. 

Even if our condo is still standing (which we're not sure of right now -- not really OUR condo, just the condo we rent every once in a while), it looks like it's going to be impossible to vacation along our favorite beaches any time soon. 

Kinda doubt we're going to the beach Thursday. 

I decided to let Ray write today's entry :) ********Today was a very busy day. We had to go buy lots of things just incase the power goes out and we have nothing to do. Tomorrow and Friday we have no school. It is very windy and it is rianing a lot! We are talking about Ivan at school and at home. The traffic is VERY bad and we can not even get to school. We have been ready for trees everywhere and power out. I have been checking the wheather channel to see where Ivan is and how fast he is. I am getting one last time to get on the computer cause we will not be able to get on it.(the power) We do not know if we are able to go to the beach next Thursday. We hope that we stay safe. We have lots of trees around our house but none of them has fallen on us before. Our dog Lucy gets very scared sometimes. I was scared at first because I thought it would pick up our house like a tornado but when my Mom said that it's just a lot of wind and rain I wasn't scared that much. God is going to take care of everybody. 

I guess the rain will start tonight. Wind will probably start tonight, too. We could be in for a pretty rough ride. I hope the worst part is during daylight hours. How scary it will be if we have to hunker down at night....They're saying this bad boy is probably going to make landfall as a category 4. Whew. Praise God that He is in control of this. I trust Him. 

You know I don't like to share with strangers exactly where I live because of the 'creep-factor' but I will divulge that I live somewhere in this "cone" (as our weatherman calls it). 

Ivan the Terrible

My kids are really interested in this hurricane stuff. They must be talking about it at school, too because Ray asked me if I wanted her to go outside and bring in the lawn chairs. She said the wind could blow them into our house! Good point....might have to do a little outside-prep-stuff.

I've GOT to share with y'all her creative writing paper she's working on. I'll try to get that typed on here tomorrow. It's entirely too late to worry with it now.

So - - back to the topic of the Hurricane....
I guess it's possible that we're gonna get some pretty serious effects of this sucker. I don't know if it will be severe but it's very possible we'll be without power and could possibly sustain some damage. I wonder how much we should prepare. I need to talk with my parents and in-laws to get their opinions...I think my sister is wanting to evacuate....I haven't heard that from her but it doesn't surprise me. I think her little town is going to be right in the middle of it all but I don't know if it will still be super-strong by the time it gets to her. She'll be heading North to her in-laws if they go anywhere.

We'll be staying here.

Part of me is looking forward to the excitement of watching what this storm does. Is that a morbid fascination or a pretty normal thought? I'm not EVER interested in being anywhere near a tornado, by the way, but this hurricane stuff is different for some reason. I definitely don't want any really strong stuff here but there is a sense of child-like anxiousness waiting for Ivan to get here. Maybe the kids' school will be cancelled for a day or two and we can all kinda hang out together watching the rain and news. Maybe the storm will keep everyone else so occupied that my phone won't ring for a few days. Maybe we can snuggle on the couch and watch some movies together as a family.

Maybe we will never lose our power. Maybe we can watch the trees blowing wildly in the yard. Maybe all branches will remain attached to their trunk. Maybe the thunder will rumble in the far-off distance but never too close to us. Maybe we will not have any tornado warnings.

Hang on tight : changing train of thought...

I have some HUGE potentials in Mannatech on the horizon. I feel confident I will be Presidential Director by the end of the year. That's BIG deal. And if even 1 of the 3 HUGE potentials pans out, amazing things will happen to my business. We are booked for the November cruise! So exciting....hope all of the places we're supposed to be visiting will still be around after this Hurricane Season is over!

Last change of subject --

I miss Granny. Everyone else does, too. It's been an interesting bond we all have now. A different kind of bond than we've ever had before. A regular prayer of the kids is, "please don't let Momma, PaPaul, or GJo be too sad about Granny."

Speaking of kids (and oops -- one more subject-change ) Indie wanted her hair cut short so....I did it. I need a digital camera so I can show you. It's really cute! It needs a little snip around her left ear. I'm not a professional for sure, but it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself :)

Mom and Dad's wedding with Granny & PaPaul. 

Family portrait in 1966. Sorry for cropping y'all out Mom and Johnny, but I wanted to zoom in on Granny and PaPaul in this one. 

Is it time?

Is it time to write about my Granny yet? I have wanted to since Monday but I've been so crunched for time and energy and words that I haven't felt I could do justice. I'm going to start and see where this goes....

(deep breath.....)

My sweet, sweet Granny passed away Monday.

(pause)

This has been a much harder experience than I thought it would be. I always knew it would be sad but I just didn't think it would be so painful. The death of a grandmother is accepted as a natural part of life. We have known this day would come and we've actually prepared for it in the past. But, even with all of the very tragic deaths I've known in years behind us, this is the most painful by far.

Yet I know people are praying for me and my family because I'm not a broken-down-falling-apart-mess either. We have known for several years now that her health was "bad" but it wouldn't have surprised us at all if she lived another 10 years! Her main health concerns have been lack of strength and physical ability since a stroke a few years back. She had fibromyalgia and was on several medications. Pain was a problem for her and she stayed on pain meds for long periods at a time. I don't know what all of her meds were for but she was on a lot.

She moved to a nursing home a couple of months ago. She didn't want to do it but her strength had diminished so much that she just couldn't take care of herself and my PaPaul couldn't do it either.

She did not like being there but knew it was where she needed to be for the time being. She had goals of going home after some rehab.

The family was called together Monday morning. I got to her around noon. I pretty much didn't leave her side for her last 3 hours of life on this earth. I held her hand, wiped her face and forehead, kept her lips and mouth moist with a little ice-water-swab, I stroked her hair, and I talked to her. I was with her, along with the rest of our family, as she peacefully passed away. She wasn't in pain and seemed aware of what was happening. She had just a couple of periods of panic but I think I played a little part in calming her down enough to finally "let go."

The flashes of that memory -- that last breath -- still make my heart stop. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world, though. It was a true blessing...

I am extremely grateful that I was with her. I was able to tell her how much I loved her and how much I appreciated everything she did for me. And I know she heard me. I also was able to encourage her to let the Savior take her to His side.

"Please let Jesus save you. Believe and trust in Him. Granny, you're going to live again and you're going to be all better...I'm so sorry you've been sick...Please don't be afraid....please, Granny....trust Jesus....He is real and He loves you.....please don't be afraid."

My heart aches. I really miss her already.

It's Fun To Go To Thuh....

Y M C A !

It is almost impossible to believe but I have exercised 4 out of the last 5 days! I have been to 3 shallow aqua classes and 1 deep water aqua class (decided to do an aqua class Saturday instead of Pilates.) I know I'm getting a good workout and the classes are WAY more fun than any land class I've ever taken! Sure hope all this exercising will help me shed a few more pounds! I'm hoping to make it to class 6 out of 7 days a week! I'm sure that will be impossible every week of the year but I'm going to shoot for it as often as possible.

I'll tell you one thing. I'm grateful for being on a good antioxidant. We were doing deep water today and the grounds crew was nearby using their weedeaters and edgers. The gas fumes we were sucking down deep into our lungs were almost paralyzing at one point today. Thank you God that I have some "good guys" in my bod to help fight off junk like that!

He-Man & Rocky went swimming with me after class today. We didn't stay for too terribly long but they got in a little water time. I am seriously considering the swimming classes offered for their ages in September. He-Man shows signs of being quite a good little swimmer. Rocky's not bad himself and when he heard me talking to the girls about the opportunity they could have to be Olympic softball players, he chimed in that he was going to swim in the Olympics. Wouldn't that be something?

The girls are getting a little bit jealous of all this time the boys have had at the Y since school has started back. They know they are missing out on some fun times. I've got to do some quality time things with them in the evenings and on the weekends. They love me so much right now and I know these days of wanting to be with me will come to an end in the very near future. Puberty is not far away (ACK!)

We've been telling the kids for a couple of months now that we were doing something VERY EXCITING on August 28th. This secret surprise has been driving them crazy! They are really getting excited that the day is finally almost here! And if you promise not to slip up and tell the girls, I'll tell you where we are taking them....

Nah...better not. I'll tell you next week :)

Exercise - Day 1

I did it. I joined the YMCA. Now I have no excuses. A few variations of the same excuses for not exercising:
-walking is boring without someone talkative to do it with me
-the only time I can exercise is at night when Henry an watch the kids and then it's dangerous to go outside.
-taking the kids for a walk with me is just not exercise - it's more a test of patience

Now I have childcare. I have beaucoups of classes and interesting options. I know people who can exercise with me. Classes are offered at several different times during the day and many days a week.

I did the aquatics class today. It was really great. I enjoyed the class because it wasn't butt-kicking, however I really felt that I did some major exercising. My arms will most likely be sore tomorrow (need to restock my personal supply of SPORT.)

Things I need to do:
Pray for He-Man to get used to the childcare area. He screamed the whole time (so much for the good time he had in there on my trial visit.)
Get a combination lock for locker
Get water shoes (my right big toe is blistered from running in place on the cement-bottom pool!)

Any Y members out there that would like to exercise together? I did the Y membership that allows me to go to any Y in the area!

Think You're So Smart?

A much-deserved "thumbs-up" to anyone who knows what these things are:

Stack Lawyer
Lone Dark Wine
Ranch Eyelash
Ear Rash Inn
Acid Navy Dye
Rosebud Thorn

Guesses anyone?

Me and the boys

I think Rocky gets hushed out by the girls more than I realized.

Whew.

After leaving the girls at school this morning, Rocky was talking NON-STOP in the van. And it was about NOTHING! Most of it I just replied in some sort of grunt or groan or chuckle that seemed appropriate to the style of his speech. I don't really know what all his words were because I soon tuned them out. The talk started out explaining to me how he was ready for Me Me and Paw Paw to move into their new house. Then he said he wanted us to live in a big house. And it went on and on and on and on.....

He-Man is cracking me up with his talking and singing these days. He's getting really good at telling us what he wants. For example, if he wants to go outside, he will grab your hand, walk you to the door and say, "door" while he stretches up for the knob. If we say, "Do you wanna go outside?" He replies, "Kay" and has a big ol' smile on his face. Unfortunately, our question about what he wants is not an offer like he thinks it is. I've learned to just go ahead and answer him instead of confirming what it is that he's trying to ask. Like the other day he came to me and said, "Beh." I thought he was saying, "Bath" so I asked, "Do you wanna get in the bathtub?" He looked at me like that was a pretty good idea but since he didn't say, "Kay" I knew that wasn't what he was trying to communicate. I also realized my mistake in asking the "Do you wanna take a bath" question and remembered that if I ever figured out what it was he was saying, to not ask the question unless I was willing for the answer to be "yes".

When I couldn't figure out what he was saying I said, "Show me what you're talking about" and I held out my hand. He grabbed it and walked me to David's room. "Beh" was "bed". The child wanted to be on the top bunk! Sheesh. I said, "look over here. You can get on the bottom if you want." Thankfully, that seemed to satisfy him. He sat there and smile and flopped around on the pillows for a little while but it wasn't long before he was wiggling and saying, "dit down."

He-Man can sing a couple of verses of songs. Our favorites:
"Nah, nah, nah, dood-bye"
"M A I L !" - he says this with his hands in the air after shaking his upper body and, obviously singing in his head, "Here's the mail it never fails, it makes me wanna wag my tail, when it comes I wanna wail" and then he throws his hands up and yells, "Mail!" It's ADORABLE!
"Bockababy Bock" - Rockabye Baby -- obviously!

After school today, I took the boys with me to the YMCA to check it out. I'm really thinking I'd like to get a membership on Friday (when my paycheck gets here!) I needed to check out the childcare before I signed on the dotted line, though. So I went in with He-Man and he wanted to "dit down" and play. There were a TON of kids in there and lots of toys. He played SO good and kinda wandered off from me. I decided to do the big test. I told him, "Bye bye. I'll be right back to get you in just a minute." Then I kissed him on the cheek.

It didn't phase him!

I walked out of the room....stunned.

He does NOT do this in Sunday School!

I stood outside the window and watched him for a couple of minutes. And it only took him a couple of minutes to realize I was gone. He walked to the door and started saying, "Momma." The girl that works there knew what I was doing and picked him up. He was OK with that. He didn't get all excited with her or anything and kept pointing at the door but he was OK. I was impressed.

Rocky desperately wants to go back to the Y. They have a huge Playland area. It's really cool.

I'll let you know how it goes. If I join on Friday, I'm gonna try doing an aqua class on Friday and PILATES on Saturday. Any advice or opinions on Pilates anyone???

The big thing that's going to be great about this membership is the INDOOR pool! Awesome cool and cold weather fun!

The Hallway Dash

The kids are running from the girls' bedroom one at a time while Henry times them to see who is the fastest sprinting to the kitchen floor and back. You see, we encourage running in the house. Sigh...

Next event, The Mattress High Jump.

Found out last week that too many people won the cruise so Mannatech had to work out a second cruise date. The second cruise is a day shorter and pays $250 spending cash (in exchange for the shorter trip) and leaves on the same day the first Manna Cruise comes in. They're looking for volunteers for the 2nd one and we have volunteered. All things are good for the 2nd trip other than the AL/AU game being during the trip. HOPEFULLY it will be on ESPN and HOPEFULLY ESPN will be available in the sports lounge or something! Otherwise we'll be getting the extra cash and will get the opportunity to rub elbows a little closer with the Corporate folks and doctors. And I'll enjoy the shorter trip. Henry will have to take less days off of work and I won't have to be away from the big kids as many days (He-Man will be with us since he's still nursing. Leaving him here would be absolute torture for everyone involved.)

He-Man is really doing well with potty-training. He's peed and poohed a couple of times (actually has poohed every time since the first time -- even though it's not a 'perfect' potty request. It's him telling me he's about to poop and me running him to the potty just in time.) He's still wetting his diaper because he only pees in the pot when he's considering poohing. And he's said he was going to pooh a lot more often than he actually did. Some of it is novelty and requires entirely too much time in the bathroom. Hopefully that will wear off soon. I'm also totally expecting him to lose interest soon, too. Maybe not but I won't be surprised if he does.

We had the big kids' year-older pictures today. They did really well. The change in Rocky from last year is HUGE! Not his looks but his willingness to have his picture made :) I'll try to send a picture from last year to the blog in just a minute....

Today is my sister's birthday. I had to do the math to figure out how old she is. That makes ME old, doesn't it? She was born in 78 so she's 26, right??? YIKES! That's old -- too old to be my baby sister, anyway. We partied at her house this past weekend and we gave her a tshirt that says "I Love Zack Morris" -- isn't that hilarious? She seems to really like it so that makes me happy. She's hard to shop for.

Allrighty, I have 4 kids surrounding me and making all sorts or racket so I guess I should close for now. He-Man is telling Ray (who is in my lap) "No, no, no, no." He's trying to push her out of my lap. Sigh.

Ray would like to say a few words:
He is making a lot of noise! I am not kidding! (TRUE) He is pushing me around now! Ummmmmm...Stop yelling in my ear He-Man!!! (I am just talking to He-Man!) Now my mom can start talking now! Here she is...........

Later gators :)

After church on the Sunday that the girls "walked the aisle" to make their public profession of faith in Jesus. 

Gucky

Henry told me when I walked in the door tonight, "I think he's going to poop so I haven't changed his diaper yet."

You see, it's really easy for us to know when He-Man will be pooping soon.  He doesn't like it and gets this look on his face as he clenches his butt cheeks.  He usually does this successfully a couple of times before he can no longer hold it in. Then he will even begin to tell us, "Poo poo" as he feels the urge.

It wasn't long before I was given the signals.  "Poo poo....." he strained.

I said,  "Do you wanna go poo poo on the potty?"

He said, "Potty?"

I said, "Hey!  Let's go!"

I took him from my lap, stood him on the floor, held out my hand and said, "Let's go potty."

He then proceeded to walk me to the bathroom.

I am not making this up.

He walked to the toilet and started pulling on his diaper.  I undressed him and pushed the stool to him so he could stand on it.  He kinda imitated Rocky when he stands to pee by arching his back a little bit.  I hollared out for Henry to come watch.  I knew this would be entertaining.

Then he lifted his leg like he wanted to step INTO the potty.  I picked him up, turned him around, and sat him there on the pot.  He sat and then squirmed down.  He stood up to mimic peeing again and then wanted to step in again.  We did a few little routines of this up and down, up and down.   And whenever he would want to touch the potty with his hands, I'd move them and say, "Yucky!" and he'd repeat, "Gucky?"

Then.....that little face showed up.  Quickly, I grabbed him up and sat him on the potty.  He strained to hold it in but it just wouldn't stay any more and he pushed and groaned.  I don't know why he hates pooping so much but he does.  And when the groaning subsided there was a "plop".

I looked behind him and TA DA!   It was so pretty!  Nice color and everything :)

I showed him, "Look!!!  It's your poopy!  YAY HE-MAN!"  Henry said, "Give me five!"  We were SO HAPPY!

I don't know if he realized how huge a deal this was or not but he enjoyed flushing (the first time we allowed him to push the lever) and watching his poop disappear.  We've not let him flush yet because we wanted it to be a reward for actually putting something INTO the toilet and not just for fun.

Who knows.  This could have been just a really happy coincidence this time but maybe it is something that will make a memory for him to build on in the near future!

Happy 16-month birthday little He-man!  I love you!

How Genius is Blogger.com?

Ever noticed how the ads at the top of the page change to links that relate somewhat to whatever I have posted or linked to?  Very neat....

I wonder if I write about aspartame being one of the biggest dangers to America's health today if they will do some links to http://www.dorway.com/badnews.html ?  Or will some ads for Diet Coke, or worse yet the C2 low-carb junk, pop up?  Will be interesting to see...

And if you haven't ever heard of this "controversy" before, I plead with you to please look into it before you buy the next "low-carb" or "sugar-free" product.  Always look more at the ingredients of a food more than the "nutritional index" chart with lists of calories, carbs, fat, etc.  It may have "zero carbs!" but if it tastes sweet, I'll bet you a buck that it is bad for you.

Just my .02 for today!  Stay tuned for more loose change on future dates :)