Good News Bad News Good News

Good News:
We made it to the gym this morning. After sliding back down the hill and having to leave the neighborhood by an alternate route I made it to 30 min. of the deep water aerobic class. Then I "swam" for 1/2 mile. I say "swam" because I swim on my back, but on my front I hold a bent noodle out in front of me and kick because I panic when my face gets splashed.

Bad News:
The windshield wipers on the van quit as soon as we got going in the Y parking lot. It was freezing rain out. We drove straight to Tuffy and ate lunch next door, and then waited and waited for it to get fixed. We are at a partial fix and need to replace the blades that are too long. I am beginning to think we can't afford for Andrew to deploy any more - everything breaks when he is gone! :o)

Good News:
I didn't cry or panic, I just took care of it. The fuse and broken screw are replaced, and it is adjusted so that it doesn't block my view when driving. Grampa Guido is going to replace the blades for me this weekend when he is here to celebrate Gavin and my birthdays. Yay!

Now I am going to email and call everyone that I had obligations to today and make my apologies, and cancel babysitting for tonight since I don't want our babysitter out in the freezing rain and snow late at night. I am so thankful my boys were so good at the car place with nothing to do. I am REALLY missing Andrew!!!!

It is done.

I am registered and paid as a week long rider for the RAGBRAI, and signed up for Pork Belly Ventures Charter Services.

I have passed the point of no return.

The charter service means I will have a premium camping spot with daily showers, mid week laundry service, 3 or 4 meals with all the other people I will be camping with each night, cold drinks, available massages and bike repairs... Luxury for a bike ride. I am very excited. The route was picked -454 miles - and we will be riding from just across the river from Bellevue to Davenport. My longest day of riding is going to be 76 miles.

I am excited and scared and nervous (and thinking I had better get my act together with personal discipline so I get all my exercise and training in!) My first goal is to do a 5K this spring some time, and then when the weather turns nice I am going to start riding my bike outside. I have a lot to learn about keeping my bike in peak shape and what other gear I am going to need (like cushioned bike shorts and mounted water bottles or a camelback...) The boys are really excited to be getting to have vacation with Gramma Nana and Grampa Guido by themselves that week. It will be really great having a week of working hard physically and having lots of mental space, and hopefully sleeping really well (the charter service has 10 pm quiet hours.) If it is anything like backpacking I am going to think I am going to die the first day, the second day it will be tough to get going in the morning, and by the third day it will feel like I can keep going forever and I will stop feeling restless inside of myself. I have been trying to figure out if I can make any of my own gear that I need for my bike. I think I can get insulated stuff for the inside of quilted stuff (like for keeping water bottles cold)... If anybody changes their minds and decides to ride with me this summer, let me know!

Song of the day and other items of interest....

Seth and Gavin are unloading the dishwasher and start singing, "Never woman in your life, never, never, never, never woman in your life." Their own knock off version of "Never let a woman in your life" from My Fair Lady that mommy forced them to watch with her last week. Nice, boys!

Gavin has been griping to me all day about how I woke him up this morning when he didn't want to wake up yet. Hee Hee! For the first time in his life he gets a little of his own medicine. The boys both felt junky this morning. Mommy says, "That is what you get for not going to bed last night, you are tired and don't feel good when you don't get enough sleep."

The furnace is out. We are drinking hot drinks, have a fire going, and are making brownies just to run the oven. The temp in the house is still dropping. 56 degrees is pretty chilly for indoors. So thankful for a safe place to land (and usually warm.) The service guys told me not to go anywhere and they would call as soon as they could get a guy headed this way. Hopefully before I have to get the boys to AWANA tonight. If all else fails we pile into bed together with all the down and quilts and wool blankets we can find and hunker down till morning. Glad my neighbors know a reliable service to call. (Sorry, honey, we are spending your money faster than you can make it, I guess!)

That is all from these parts!

No rest for the weary.

The boys would NOT go to sleep while Mommy was having Bible study tonight. I finally had to go up and see Seth and Gavin and try to settle them... again. Seth was locked in his room crying. Gavin is laying on my bed pretending to be innocent. Seth and I had a little chat. As I am leaving he says, "Daddy is coming home in 13 days." Yup, the little man figured it out all on his own. He finally crashed about 11. Getting them out the door in the morning is gonna be fun. :o)

Yeast.

Yesterday I got to have quiet time while Brittany took the boys to her brother's ball game. One of the verses I read was about the kingdom of God being like a woman adding yeast to flour and it working through the entire batch. I prayed I would be able to add yeast to my big kid's lives and headed off to the crisis center. I found out one of the girls that I have a relationship with was in her room and needed checked on, so I popped in. She just found out that her mom doesn't want her home again. She is 16 and has 3 years of h.s. left. She had spent the whole day crying. I loved on her, and shared God's love with her. I told her I would bring her a Bible of her own today. Then at the end of the evening after gratitude group I offered to bring anyone a Bible who wants one. 4 kids want a Bible. Then I sang them some worship songs for bedtime. I even had a few requests. I love how God shows up when I go there. It puts everything in my life into perspective. It is a privilege to be a part of the kingdom of heaven here on earth, to be able to share real HOPE with these kids who are in hopeless circumstances. I am so glad to know that the word of God will go forth and He will accomplish His purposes. That He chooses to share that with me is humbling and a blessing. So please pray for A. who's heart is breaking and future is uncertain, that she will look to God for her strength and significance and love.

Naps.

I love them.

Gavin and I slept for about 3 hours today. We both needed it.

So glad Seth kept himself busy and was okay.

Judgement call.

Yesterday Gavin was having a strange melt down, and had been off for a day or so. At dinner time he wouldn't eat, was throwing fits, even complained of his stomache hurting. I finally called our small group and said we might not make it. A family from our church came over and shoveled for us (SO THANKFUL!!!!) and I talked to Sarah about it - she was thinking we should still go, but I just felt like the answer was no. We stayed home and watched Funniest Videos and went to bed on time.

This morning I heard Gavin coughing at one point, but then nothing. Then woke up to Seth saying, "Mommy, Gavin threw up in his bed." So thankful that I went with staying home, and that it doesn't seem to be severe, whatever is wrong in his little body. So instead of the gym and going out today, it is a movie (currently Tom and Jerry) day. Hopefully my friend can come over and sit with the boys while I run to the grocery store for some basics.

Missing Andrew a LOT. (And how does he manage to miss every episode of the up-chucks around here? Seriously, I think he plans it that way!) :o)

I am...

...cutting fabric. :o)
(Lots of it.)

Log.

2 days ago:
country line dancing workout video (I think God was laughing at me watching me attempt to do this!)

Yesterday:
2 miles interval on treadmill (30 min.) - had trouble with my asthma, so had to take it a lot easier than planned.
6.1 miles on reclining bike in 25 min. - interval training
6.5 miles on upright bike in 30 min - same gear

If anybody is still bothering to read this - my other computer crashed completely when I tried to recover my profile settings. I am thankful for this dinosaur to check my emails on, but it is super super slow, so I will only be online every couple of days. Call me if you want/need me for anything. Thanks!

Log.

stationary bike - 6 miles, 1/2 hour (not sure this is right - it was saying the same speed no matter how fast I pedaled, but it was over 100 rpm the whole time.

treadmill - 2.8 miles, 45 min.

Now to make a habit of it, and improve...

7... or maybe 8?

Sewing projects going on all at the same time. (Good thing Andrew isn't here - all this multi-projecting drives him a little crazy.)

I am in heaven. :o)

About 3 are close to being done (like mending stuffed animals.)

OH, OH, OH - I just remembered 3 more projects I need/get to do soon!!!!

Yay!

Pictures soon.

I have quit fighting.

And discovered that me fighting through things may be a big part of the problem. Since I quit fighting to figure everything out and have started being patient, waiting - on God, my husband, my children - things are happening around me. Blessing falling down around me. A church family where all my boys are happy and we seem to fit. A foster/adopt ministry that found us that fits us and our hearts perfectly, and friends to get trained with. Flowers. Helpful boys. A friend coming to shovel snow for me tomorrow so I don't get sicker. So thankful. So very thankful. And tired from fighting for far too long. Surrender. Big white flag (or blanket of snow in this case.) :o)

Happy Birthday (Early) to Gavin!

We have a new 4 year old in the house. Yes, it is a month early, but since Daddy couldn't be here last year either, we decided to move it up. And I am so glad we did. Gavin was soooo happy. We went to Red Robin for lunch and he kept hugging Daddy's arm, and rubbing his cheek on his shoulder like a cat does. He has been singing made up "happy birthday" and "birthday boy" songs all day long. We just had yellow dinner with yellow cake and ice cream. He got only 2 presents, since it isn't really his big day yet, but he has never been happier on a birthday. It amazes me how much my boys love and need their daddy. I am in awe and amazement of Andrew. So thankful we get to parent together. The best thing I have ever gotten to do is build a family with him. I have oodles of pictures that still need posting, but they are going to have to wait. At least a month. The other computer is broken beyond repair, and this one leaves with Andrew bright and early in the morning. That means you will have to wait for more updates, or else call. :o) And if you call, you might have to talk to a happy Gavin who is now 4. :o)

Again.

This week I got new staph pustules for the first time since last summer. The new doc didn't seem too concerned, but did lance and swab them, and we should know on Monday what we are dealing with. They started to hurt and get really infected over the weekend. One is inflamed and red about 2" in diameter. It felt like it did the day before I ended up the hospital, so I dug through all my old meds and have 4 doses of the antibiotic. I am stretching it out till I get ahold of the doctor in the morning, but it seems to have stopped the progression of the infection. It was not worse this morning. At church this morning I asked for prayer, and it was really great to know that others are standing with me before God. When I am weak He is strong. And here we go again. Dealing with illness during yet another deployment. I don't think we have had a single deployment without sickness. I feel really at peace, though. The only thing I am a little discouraged about is that I cannot do water aerobics till my legs heal up. If you want to know how to pray: 1 - Andrew will be at peace about leaving with me being less than 100%, 2 - my complete healing from the staph and the lung/sinus junk that I have had since about 3 weeks before Thanksgiving, and 3 - for my sleep, which tends to be erratic when Andrew is leaving/gone. Thanks!