Gearing Up For September

Next month is going to be C-R-A-Z-Y!!!

• I am moving my Grandma which means lots and lots of packing, organizing both at her house AND at mine, making a zillion phone calls related to the move, etc.
• Shelby gets her overhead track system installed the day after my Grandma's moving day - well, it starts the following day and will take 5 days to complete.
• My Grandma has 3 doctor appts and 1 lab appt.
• I have 2 doctor appts which is a lot considering I rarely have any.
• Shelby has a therapy appt, a clinic appt and try outs for a special event.
• We've been invited to a BBQ at our Pastor's house and there's a special event happening at our church later in the month.
• It's Steve's and my anniversary.
• The kids have the first dance of the year at their school.
• We're celebrating a friend's birthday over the holiday weekend.
• After already doing 2 CEU classes over the past week, I just have one more then I'll be good to go for the year without worrying about trying to do them with a baby in the house.
• Plus, we never know when we'll get a call for another baby. I love, love, love, love being a foster mommy but I am grateful a baby didn't have to go all over town with me over the past couple weeks looking at all the different facilities for my Grandma.

Quote

The cost of missing out can be greater than the cost of messing up.

Heaven Anniversary A-Z's

Today it's been 4 years since my mom's been in Heaven. This is a "list" of a few of the things she's missed...

A.                XXX. Games – You’d be so proud of Shelby!!

B.                 Baptism – all four of us last year – full immersion!

C.                 Camps – (XXX for science camp and church camp, XXX, XXX, Camp XXX, XXX Adventure, etc.)

D.                Dad died

E.                 Easter egg hunts – Papa and Donna keep up the tradition – it’s an egg explosion plus the infamous money egg – Shane’s fave!!!

F.                 Foster blessings have rocked our world – EIGHT of them!! I’m living my dream!!!

G.                 God – we all have a deeper relationship with Him

H.                Hip replacements – Steve had his third

I.                  Injury-prone Shane – his latest: a huge splinter in his big toe

J.                 Jokes – Shelby’s still don’t make much sense ;)

K.                 K.C. and Kona – are you watching their antics from Heaven?!

L.                  Laughter – both Shane and Shelby have the sweetest laughter

M.               Maui – we went per your request and fulfilled your mission

N.                Nanny has dementia

O.                Orthodontic work still continues – poor Shane

P.                  Pictures of you are all over our home (plus a few hundred others)

Q.               Quadriplegia – the overhead track system is … supposedly…coming soon + Shelby has a new power chair and a new manual chair

R.                 Real Estate – we sold your house, our house and bought a new amazing house – again all per your request – thank you!!

S.                 Sports – basketball, football, horseback riding

T.                 XXX – one of your favorite places – we went two weeks ago

U.                XXX XXX – still one of the kid’s favorite parks

V.                 Values – we are trying to impart good, solid Christian values

W.              Weight – still an issue for me … ugh

X.                XOXO – we love and miss you and send you hugs and kisses

Y.                 Yearn to hear your voice, see you smile, hold your hand, kiss your cheek, watch you interact with Shane & Shelby one more time

Z.                Zipline – Shane and Shelby BOTH did the zipline at XXX XXX – you would’ve LOVED it! Seeing your angel fly…wow!

Weekend Frenzy

Friday:

• Shane went to sleepover at his best friend's house
• Shelby met a new respite worker she ADORES

Saturday:

• Went to a CEU class for 3 hours
• Needed gas
• Picked up my Grandma

1. Took her to an assisted living home
2. Took her to an assisted living facility
3. Went out to lunch

• Came home
• Went to church
• Picked up Shane from best friend's house (after we visited for a while)
• Came home and crashed!

Sunday:

• Hung out
• Family grocery shopping trip
• Lunch
• Grandma visit
• Home
• New bible study - loved it!
• Dinner, hung out, chores, etc...

Change is coming

Success isn't just about what you accomplish in your life. It's about what you inspire others to do in theirs.

Love this quote!! :)

 

Today my Grandma's helper boss called and chatted. 

Shortly after hanging up with her, I received a call from my Grandma's landlady to discuss the letter I submitted with my Grandma's rent check. It's been decided that she needs to move out by November 1st. HUGE relief to me - I'm not the "bad guy" here - she can't blame me for forcing her to move - I despise confrontations so yipee!!! :)

I spoke to my Grandma who received a call from one of her sons. She wasn't able to return his phone call stating a problem with his phone number. I then called him and his phone number worked fine so he was going to hang up with me then call her.

With the news of my grandma's 2 month notice, I called a new facility near me and set up a tour for tomorrow then I called the facility I've toured in the past and set up a meeting for Friday.  BOTH facilities (totally a God thing) have openings!!! Both are in her budget. Both are within 10 minutes of my house - no more 1 hour round trip drives - so exciting!!! My Grandma is NOT going to be happy about the transition -she is almost 89, has dementia and adores her dog that can't move with her. I've already requested prayers on FB since the next 2 months will be a bit challenging. Just a lil.  I love it when I understand a little more about why God did/didn't do something. Now, I "get" why we don't have a new baby in our home at this moment - duh!! I am about to have to move my Grandma from her 2 bedroom house to a one bedroom in a facility.

One of my best friends came over tonight - totally unexpectedly which was awesome to visit with her. 

Shelby had her shower shortly before Tammy's visit which went well, Steve talked to his dad and his aunt and his grandma (it's his birthday tomorrow), we had a late dinner, a great bible study (oh - speaking of which, I bought a new bible study we will start on Sunday and am super excited about it).

Shelby has a new binder set up with "Shelby's Stories" on the cover and she has two stories so far - super pumped about this because since she has so many "limitations" - this is truly something she can excel at and do for a potential future career.

I'm sure there's more but for now ...change is coming! :)

Reflexes & 1st date anniversary

Yesterday - Shelby almost plowed into me while I was standing against the kitchen counter. I don't know why she didn't stop her powerchair sooner but - phew - it was a close call...then later as I was driving home from my Grandma's, an older gentleman was at a stop sign in his golf cart. While I was driving down the main road of the subdivision, the golf cart guy decides he is going to cross the road...while I am zooming right in his direction at 45+ mph...phew - ANOTHER close call!!!

We've been having internet problems/modem problems since mid-July. AT&T finally came out yesterday and the tech fixed everything. That evening, Shelby was in the office with me and wouldn't you know it - the internet stopped working again...back to waiting on hold for another 30 minutes and now they are saying change the modem...ugh...darn technology!!

Today is the anniversary of Steve's and my first date 16 years ago. Two days later, we went skydiving and it's been quite the adventure ever since.....

• Met in 1996
• Married in 1998
• Twins were born 11 weeks preemie in 2000
• Steve's mom went to Heaven
• Shelby was diagnosed with a bunch of "stuff" + Shane was too (just not as much)
• Shane and Shelby started therapy & Shelby received her first wheelchair
• We bought our first house
• Steve had his first...of three... total hip replacements
• My mom was diagnosed w/end stage pancreatic cancer
• Shelby received her first powerchair
• My mom took us on phenomenal vacations (Maui multiple times/Disneyland/Tahoe/etc)
• My mom went to Heaven
• We sold her house and our house per her request and bought our current house
• We started emergency placement infant foster care for typical and medically fragile babies
• APS got involved with my grandma
• My dad died
• We've been blessed to love on 8 incredible blessings (from 6 days to 50 weeks)
• We've had amazing adventures with friends, family and our foster blessings...and can't wait to see what God has in store for us next!!!

Still Waiting

Yesterday/Saturday was a good day - relatively low key - I visited my Grandma, we went to church and were blown away by a guest speaker.

Today/Sunday was another good day - we picked up lunch, took it to my Grandma's house, ate, Steve and I went a couple houses down for an open house and naturally received a phone call from Shelby that she had to go potty...Shane and Shelby both made lemonade and asked Steve to be the official taster. He determined Shelby's was the sweetest since her nickname with him is Sweetpea and Shane's was the most "in your face" kinda like Shane is in real life...his lemonade was a lil on the super potent side!...Shane lost a tooth and of course, Steve couldn't find the darned thing when he went to put the "Tooth Fairy" money under Shane's pillow...we ended the evening by playing a couple card games before doing bible study and our prayers.

We still haven't received a phone call. It's a Catch 22 situation - we are glad there are no babies in crisis but I can't WAIT to love on another precious bundle of joy :)

1st Day of 7th Grade

Back to the grind - no more lazy days of summer (attempting to sleep in, with no alarm clocks, not needing to do the early morning lunch assembly, etc)...Because Steve takes light rail, I tweaked my morning routine and it worked out so well - I was able to do my shower, get ready, do my bible study, make the kids their lunches for school, organize stuff for breakfast, clear the dishwasher, wake up Shane, get Shelby up, dressed, hair done, feed her breakfast, load up her powerchair with all her needed essentials, do 1st day of school pictures and off to the bus even when the bus was EARLY!!! Yipee!!  Since then, I've been a woman on a mission getting a million and one things done. The kids have a minimum day but their return time is still hours away! Sweet!! :)  Plus - today's a non-Nanny visit day which gives me an extra 3+ hours - YES!!! :)

The thought of "the call" is never far from my mind wondering when it might come and praying for God's will to be done :)

Last Day of Summer Vacation

Wow - Summer Vacation is almost officially over. So is the baby break. I've called the vacancy line to let them know about our availability. I also called my social worker but she's on vacation. The wait drives me a little bit crazy. At any point in time, the phone can ring with a baby that needs to be picked up THAT SECOND or for a baby that I need to meet, start bonding with and learn how to take care of his/her needs at the hospital until he/she is discharged.  I'm quite the planner so this "up in the air stuff" drives me a little bonkers but I'm hanging in there.

Yesterday we had a family adventure day and drove to a relatively nearby lake and had a great day as a family.

Today, Shelby has an appointment, we'll go to my Grandma's house, we have library books due, respite is coming over tonight, Shane has outside chores he's currently working on, I have another pile of paperwork I need to get through, Shelby's watching AGT from last night...

Last day of summer vacation makes me think of all the things that's happened over the course of the summer:
meltdowns, Miracle Man being with us and leaving, birthdays and birthday parties, camps - multiple camps for both kids, many, many visits to my Grandma's house, church and super fun church activities, Shelby's BFF who tried to hurt her multiple times, before that, Shelby tried to hurt herself multiple times, Shane growing and gaining weight, dog issues, baby break, family adventure day...good stuff, bad stuff, in-between stuff but God was always with us :)

Last Day of Baby Break!!!

Hallelujah!!!! Today is FINALLY the very last day of baby break #.....whatever it is - I am just so excited and relieved the day is at long last here! :)

It truly hurts my heart when I get a call for a precious baby needing a home and I have to say no...regardless of the reason I have to turn down the child, it just kills me.

So, any phone call I receive as of tomorrow, I can technically say yes to (well, it all depends on the baby's age/medical needs/etc) but .... this is the exciting part for me - better than Christmas - never knowing the baby's sex, age, size, ability, story, how long we'll be blessed to love on the baby, etc!!!

The waiting is excruciating but it's a catch 22 situation - I don't WANT to ever get a call since that means that a baby's in crisis but knowing people have free will and therefore sin, I know that there are babies that need a loving home to go to while the courts figure out who they think is best to be the baby's forever family.

I wandered through BabiesRUs for a while today...just looking....and dreaming...and wondering... :)

Frustration :(

Frustration...:(

Two days ago, I had to clean up dog poop on the floor in my room, dog puke in the hallway and my grandma's dog pee in her house... :(

Yesterday morning (early) Shelby called me into her room - "Mommy, I didn't have a nightmare, I had a morning-mare" :( poor girl.

Her respite worker took her to an indoor amusement-type place. I received a text picture of a huge scrape all the way down Shelby's back - she pretzeled into the foot area of the roller coaster and got scratched in the process of Theresa attempting to lift all 80 pounds of Shelby back into the seat :(

Having cell phone problems :(

Having internet problems :(

It was Steve's mom's birthday yesterday. After Steve returned home from work, we had a super early dinner then he and Shane left, picked up flowers then went to his mom's grave. :(

In August, it's Steve's mom's birthday and my mom's Heaven anniversary. In February, it's my mom's birthday and his mom's Heaven anniversary. :(

Really need Steve and I to do better at lifting the kids up instead of bringing them down :(

I received a call from CPS for twins - born at 34 weeks. One needed to come home that day and the other one (who has special needs) would come home next week. Because we are still on our 30 day baby break, I had to say no...again to a precious baby - this kills me!!! :(

My grandma told me the other day a story about "her son Jim" - darn dementia - I know who my uncle is!! :(

I received a phone call yesterday from a phone company to reduce my long distance fees. Sounded good at the beginning...now I'm not sure how good of a deal it is...apprehensive + Steve was irritated I didn't talk to him before doing it...oops...:(

Shelby called me into her room the other morning because her legs had scissored together and she couldn't undo them :(

Frustrated...:(

Day's bullet points

• I was on my way to visit my Grandma when Shelby called with a crisis: The DVD player wasn't allowing her to play wii with her respite worker since last night I watched a TurboFire intro CD. It was quite the catastrophe but everything got resolved.
• Then Steve called me asking me how much 1 particular item was at Wal-Mart last night. The cashier was very impressed how I bought exactly 100 items yesterday afternoon and Steve wanted to know the price of 1 of those 100 items. Shockingly enough, I knew the price!! Ask me about any of the other 99 things and probably not.
• After leaving my Grandma's I went to Safeway to get gas. It was a crazy gas line and I was ready to pull up to a spot when a car zoomed in and took my place. I motioned to the drive that I was going there - very politely. He stayed. I drove around and eventually found another spot. As he was driving away, he apologized for not moving and acknowledged that he had been rude. Very cool.
• Shelby went w/her respite worker to get a hair cut. Looks cute but she looks really beautiful with long hair. However, there will be much less whining during shower time and hair prep time.
• Shelby wanted a corn dog for lunch (among other things), she told Shane that she ate a corn dog...this erupted into a major issue since he didn't hear her, she couldn't hear his response, he didn't want to talk to her anymore, I dealt with the situation, he took a break and oh my gosh - all over a stinking corn dog. Ugh.
• Miracle Man was ambulanced to the hospital over the weekend with his new momma for possible bowel twisting/obstruction. Thank you God, it was all poop that he needed an enema to help get out - and no major surgery!!!
• Speaking of Sunday - we went to church, went to 2 places to look for shoes for the kids, went to IHOP and had a yummy breakfast/lunch, went to Lowe's to get rock for a planter area in the front yard, came home....overall, it was a great day - esp. texting my prayer warrior friends about Miracle Man and hanging out at the end of church w/some good friends.
• Our respite worker wants to just do 1 day a week w/us (she now has 5 families so wants to give each fam a day) so I have a call into see if a different respite worker can fill in the extra day. Hopeful.
• One week from today I can officially say "YES" to a new baby - Shelby and I are thrilled that Steve's 30 day baby break will be over!! :)
• Shelby needs help - gotta go...

Down Time = Comfort Food

Thursday was another day of fun for Shane and his 2 best friends - we went to a new laser tag place where they played 40 minutes/4 games then spent a few minutes at the arcades.

We went to Subway (which - thank you God - was just across the parking lot) then there just "happened" to be a frozen yogurt place 2 doors down. Once we had all filled our yogurt containers and were at the weighing/check out area, I saw the size of Matthew and Andrew's and got mad and felt taken advantage of. Yet another issue I had to work out - kind of like when I get mad at Shelby when I am really mad at myself for allowing her to get away with something. Sigh.

We all got back to their place and the boys swam for a bit before Shane and I came home.

Friday was the last of the "triplet" adventures - Shane picked a place that had mini golf, bumper boats, mini race cars, batting cages, etc. The boys all had fun then I set myself up for failure again. Where Shane picked for lunch Andrew didn't like but what did I do? Ugh - messed up again. Shane and Matt got food from one place, Andrew did drive thru at place #2 and I did drive thru at place #3. Yup - couldn't make my life simple or anything.

Shortly after I dropped off all 3 boys at their house (Shane was going to have a sleepover) I was now all by myself for the next few hours. No Shane, Shelby, baby or Steve since he was going to work late.  What fun and exciting things did I do? I was a WILD woman and got my hair trimmed, got an oil change and went to the library!!! We watched the Olympics and I looked through my mom's recipe book to find her mac and cheese recipe. All this time w/o my special needs/high needs daughter and/or a medically fragile baby has given me WAY too much down time/thinking time and I was ready for comfort food. Couldn't find the recipe but saw my mom's handwriting and my dad's (both of which made me smile). My grandma even had a few of her recipes in the treasured box. Couldn't ask any of them for help - both mom and dad are dead and Grandma's memory is more often than not in dementia-land.  I did a decent improvisation though.

Later I was facebooking Miracle Man's new mommy and telling her how I've been feeling really strongly the need to pray for our next foster blessing - I can't WAIT to see what God has in store for our next adventure!!!

Off to go grocery shopping for my grandma and have a visit w/her. Earlier, Steve and I were pulling weeds and putting the black cover over that planter box when a neighbor asked us if we forgot how to have fun. Later we showered and changed the sheets. Then I printed out shot records for the kids orientation next week and our bank statement...yeah, I think I need a little lesson in how to have fun!! ;)

Spoiling Shane

Yesterday Shane and I went to pick up his 2 best friends (who are twins) and we went to a trampoline place that they love, Matt chose where we went for lunch (Taco Bell) then we went back to their house so they could play video games and swim.

Last night, Steve and I took Shane out to dinner at a place I saw a review of while reading Nanny's newspaper. The picture in the paper of their HUGE hamburgers was definitely bigger than the real thing. Oh well.

Today Shane gets a home day while I go to Nanny's (my grandma's) and an appointment. Tomorrow we go for round 2 of fun w/Shane's best friends.

Last night while reading one of my favorite blogs I was so disgusted, nauseated, disheartened, angry, and revolted at news that in the nation's capitol, a woman can have an abortion up to 40 weeks. At any point in her pregnancy, up until the moment of birth, she can decide to "abort" that precious, beautiful baby. I am absolutely pro-life/anti-abortion and think it's hideous enough that a woman has until 20 weeks...but 40. Seriously? How could a woman do that? How could a doctor kill a baby he/she KNOWS could survive? I am just blown away by the fact that enough people thought that was ok to make it official. The bible says do not murder...