A Christmas Scavenger Hunt

We are still doing our Advent Activities.  Over the weekend, the whole family had a sleepover at our friends' house.  It was a lot of fun, and nice to play one of our favorite games "Settlers of Catan", but then not have to pack all the kids up late at night and head home.  On Sunday night we got in our pajamas and went to something around here called the "Fantasy of Lights". It's a big display of Christmas lights at the Alum Creek State Park. The proceeds this year benefit "Recreations Unlimited", a very cool place that provides different types of camps for kids with various special needs.  Other Advent activities have included, frosting cookies, completing Christmas mazes, word scrambles, and other such puzzles, and participating in fun activities. 







Kids in their pajamas getting ready to go look at Christmas lights!



Today the boys did a Christmas Scavenger Hunt.  Conor, Garrett, and Toby followed the clues and searched around the house for some Christmas Sugar Cookies at the end.  They had fun; it's always challenging thinking up clues that rhyme! :)

Today was finally our kids' last day of school, so we are officially on break.  Caris hasn't been participating in the Advent Activities, but she's being cute in her own way, anyway!

Ring the Bell!

Advent Days 10-14
So, the advent activities have been a lot of fun, if not a lot of work.  The cinnamon applesauce ornaments look and smell wonderful with the pine of the Christmas tree.  Wish you could smell it, you would be in "sense" overload - it smells wonderful.
Advent Day 10: Popcorn, hot chocolate, and The Grinch
Tonight we popped some real popcorn in a pan, made hot chocolate and watched the old "Grinch Who Stoel Christmas".  It was a lot of fun, and I have found I prefer popcorn in a pan to the microwave kind any - day (Plus it's probably healthier!) 
Advent Day 11: I purchased the book "God Gave us Christmas" by Lisa Tawn Bergren and we read it together.  If you aren't familiar with this series of books, they are really great.  Other titles include:  "God Gave Us Heaven" "God Gave Us You" and "God Gave Us Two".  I bought them for a great deal on Christian Book Distributors Web-site. 
Advent Day 12: Tonight we played Christmas bingo - (borrowed from my friend Cassie).  When I was in college for education, we had a saying "Don't reinvent the wheel!" and so that helps me not to feel guilty for borrowing others ideas!  The kids enjoyed that too.
Advent Day 13: Tonight was "Ring the Bell" night.  For the past few years Bruce's office has volunteered for the Salvation Army to ring the bell outside of Kroger stores to collect money for them, and last night was his turn.  We had talked about the boys going with him, and Caris and I strolling through the store while they had a turn or two.  By the time last night rolled around, I was not really feeling up to driving the kids 30 minutes to the Kroger where Bruce was. I had been running errands all day (morning) and then again after picking up Conor from the bus stop, but decided it was still a good thing to do, and a way to teach them to give back and serve others.  (Toby ended up staying home with our nurse because he didn't get a nap, AND he's been getting sick!)  So, we went.  I stuck around for a few minutes, got a few groceries, and then came home to put Caris to bed.  When the kids got home, Conor mentioned that they collected more money than normal because they were with dad - Maybe every volunteer should bring their kids with them!  It was a great experience for them, and one we will probably do again next year.  No pictures this time; I forgot my camera; I'm still trying to get into the habit of photographing everything! :)

Braces or Not?

I went to the orthodontist on Monday for a consultation this week.  I'm considering getting braces.  I have always been uncomfortable about my crooked teeth and feel like my upper teeth stick out way over my lower even when my mouth is closed.  We do have some insurance, so it would help cover, but I'm just wondering if the pain and suffering is going to be worth it.  I am a candidate for Invisalign, but they are more expensive, so we would probably stick with traditional.  I'm also finding more and more that I clench, grind, and that as I get older my front teeth cross over each other more; hoping with braces that as the years go by that having braced them now will help them not be as crooked later.  Any thoughts? Advice?

Advent Activity - December 9th:  Coloring photos and writing letters or our sponsored child Jean Paul.  This is what the kids did tonight; we wrote a letter to Jean Paul, and made pictures for him for Christmas.  It was fun to see the difference in the coloring: Conor's nice and neat snowman, Garrett's snowman, and then Toby's scribbles! (Caris just watched).  It was also a little eye opening - it's no secret that Toby really doesn't like to color or draw.  They are working with him on it at school - making straight lines, circles, the letter "t".  It's hard sometimes to see how far behind Toby is than his peers - he can't even draw a circle let alone a person or a snowman, but he's making progress.  The other day he did ask me to draw, and he did write a nice "t" all his own.  Back to our activity - after drawing, we spent some time praying for Jean Paul.
Our little guy is from Peru and we have been sponsoring him for several years now.  I realized that we should do this activity once a month - every month, and not just on Christmas. 

New Christmas Traditions

I am going to go ahead and post twice in the same day, only because I wanted to share something new I'm trying this year.  I can't take credit for it, I borrowed the idea from my friend Cassie, who also borrowed the idea from another mom she knows!  Both of these fellow moms have children with Spina Bifida, and Cassie (although she lives in Texas) is a dear friend, and we've actually had the opportunity to meet once.

Anyway - we started the idea late, but I decided to also do an Advent celebration, and each day the kids open a wrapped present box and do an activity that is written inside.  I wanted to get a Advent calendar type box with doors that open (like Cassie's), but couldn't find one this year that wasn't falling apart.  So I wrapped my own presents, and the kids have been opening them. 
Dec. 5th - we decorated the Christmas tree and went to Toby's "A Kid Again" party.

Dec. 6th - we made our own Christmas ornaments out of paper and are putting them on our "Jesus Is" Christmas tree. The ornaments say something about who Jesus is..

Dec. 7th - the kids ate a special frosted Christmas cookie - the kind that are extra thick with frosting from the store
Dec. 8th - today (thanks to my sister Shauna) we made Applesauce Cinnamon Christmas ornaments

What you don't see is that in between some of this time, I was rolling out dough and doing some of them myself as the boys ran around playing, and our nurse was getting Toby ready for bed.  We had a few glitches, and when the recipe says roll out the dough in between plastic wrap - DON'T use waxed paper instead - there's a reason to follow the recipe...

Christmas Decorating

Conor

Wow, it has been a very long time since I have blogged; things have just been really crazy around here.  I keep saying I will do better, and then it doesn't happen.  Hopefully, I can do better.  This past weekend, we FINALLY had a chance to get our Christmas tree and decorate it. We did buy a real tree (from Lowe's), but at least it has that pine smell that I love so much. Every year I say it's going to be different - that our Christmas tradition of decorating the tree isn't going to be crammed into other scheduled activities, and every year it is. This year was no different, and it's been frustrating; but I'm trying to roll with it. I did want to post a few photos of decorating the tree and the house for Christmas this year. Over Thanksgiving, we did get the chance to visit Bronner's Christmas Wonderland and get our yearly ornaments for the kids (and an updated one for our family - now complete!). It was a lot of fun, and the kids really enjoyed the lights. If you have never heard of Bronner's - it's the World's Largest Christmas Store - open year around. It also was the place where I had my first job ever - I worked five seasons there. Of course growing up we called it the "tourist trap" and didn't like it so much, but now it really is a fun place to take kids and they have absolutely EVERYTHING Christmas.

Here are some photos:

Garrett decorating the tree

Hmmm..wonder where we purchase our ornaments?



My new favorite decorations (the red trees)



Trying something new



Our new family ornament



The mantle

Our real live tree

10 years - Bride & Groom! :)

A New School Year

It's the beginning of a new school year and of course the summer went so incredibly fast.  Conor started second grade, Garrett started kindergarten, and Toby began preschool.  I certainly have not felt very ready; I've enjoyed having my kids home this summer, doing things together and not having a set schedule to rush here and there and everywhere.  The start of the school year starts a very busy schedule that consists of getting Conor to his bus stop, Garrett to his school, and then Toby will be picked up at the house by his bus.  All 3 kids are at different schools.  For now, Toby is only going two mornings a week because of his therapy schedule, doctors' appointments, and because we need to see how his body will hold up to school (i.e. not getting sick from the other kids, etc.).  I will admit that as emotional as a person I can be sometimes, I did not cry one tear when Conor or Garrett started kindergarten.  I'm not sure if it's because they seem so independent, so ready, and my excitement for them to begin this journey overshadowed the emotions of realizing they are growing up, but it's been a different story for Toby.  Maybe it's because he's only 3 years old, he's in preschool, or all the stuff we've been through to get him to this point.  I think some of it is his vulnerability, the realization that I can't be there to protect him or the fact that just 3 1/2 years ago, we weren't sure he would live to see this day.  So, I've been pretty emotional these past few days, and especially this morning realizing that he's grown up so fast and he's come so far.  He cried when the bus driver put his wheelchair on the lift, but several minutes later, I got a text from his nurse that said he's watching all the other kids cry and just enjoying the bus ride.  I can't wait until he gets home, and tells me all about his day!

A Family Trip

For the first time ever our family went on a mini-vacation all by ourselves (with no grandparents, aunts, or uncles).  We traveled to Indianapolis and stayed in a hotel two nights.  Our main destination was to go to the Indianpolis Children's Museum (which was just amazing!) and secondary to meet up with some friends.  Conor and Garrett got to swim a lot in the hotel pool, and Toby and Caris did once.  Both Toby and Caris loved the water, and Toby likes to splash, which of course makes me panic just a little fearful of water getting inside his trach and down into his lungs (which would make him sick!). 

After our visit to the museum, we met up with the Potter family at a handicap accessible park in Indy.  Over three years ago, I met Jen through our Spina Bifida yahoo group when our boys were just little (Owen and Toby are about 6 weeks apart in age or so) and we have kept in touch ever since. It was great to meet her entire family, and see Owen and Toby together!  There is an amazing bond between women when you go through similar circumstances and when your kids have similar disabilities - it's truly amazing the true friends we've made across the miles who's kids have Spina Bifida or a trach or a ventilator.  We certainly had a wonderful time...Enjoy the photos!

Casting our cares on Him

Today's post is just something that I want to share that's been on my heart;
I have been struggling lately with comparison and insecurity as all people do and especially women.   It's a struggle that is mostly mental instead of physical, but can still consume and bring you down.  The questions relate to my family, my role as a wife, a mom, a friend.  I question: "Am I a good mom?  Will my kids turn out okay?"  I compare myself to other moms and see my short-comings: "Do I teach my children enough spiritually?  Do I spend enough time with them?  Am I creative enough with their activities?"


I also tend to be a very relational person and acquire my sense of self-worth from the quality of my relationships.  I begin to doubt my sense of self when I feel like I feel as if  I'm the only one keeping up the communication in the relationship, then the questions come again.  "Did I do something to hurt them?  Is this relationship just really one-sided and this friend/family member only keeps up their end out of pity?  Am I annoying them for some reason?"  Then, there's the comparison factor - "I'm not as good of a wife/friend/mom as she is because I don't do (blank) or I do do (blank)"  an endless cycle of self-talk that can deabilitate.  So, what should I do? 


Well, I was coming home from a meeting the other night and was actually all by myself in the car listening to a message on the radio by Alistair Begg.  He was preaching about I Peter 5: 7 "Casting all our cares upon him for He cares for you."  A verse that I memorized in second grade, one that I always took to mean trusting God in the big areas like when Toby has surgery or teaching him to eat solid foods."  But, quickly I was reminded that it also means our mental anxieties, the things we try to work out in our heads; the personal struggles of insecurity, inferiority that come every day. It really convicted me and reminded me to give over my insecurities to Him to - to walk in the Spirit.  If I'm walking in the Spirit and giving each day to Him, He will show me how to raise my children, what events to participate in, what spiritual truths they need taught, which friendships to maintain, who to call and encourage, who to pray for.   Then, it takes the pressure off because since I'm obeying God and what He wants me to do, I can't do anything else.  I have no right comparing myself to others because their path is different than mine - This is what God wants me to do today - and no one else can dictate that or decide it for me.  Oh sure, there are the truths of scripture that we all must live by, obey, that don't change, but living by faith and listening to what the Holy Spirit has for me is all I need to concern myself with.  Of course it's always easier to say, much harder to live out, but I remember the scripture of II Corinthians 10:5 "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."  I hope this encourages you too if you are struggling.  My mom has also recommended a book for me to read by Beth Moore called "So Long Insecurity" - haven't cracked it open yet, but will soon..I think it's time for me to read it!

Summer Fun

Over the 4th of July, we took a trip up to Michigan to visit family and friends.  It's always a lot of work to get there, not just because we have 4 children, but because of all of Toby's equipment, etc.  His packing is the most work, making sure that I don't forget one medical supply.  By the time we arrive, I'm usually so exhausted we don't do much, but this year we were able to relax and have some fun too.It was a year of a lot of firsts for Toby - playing miniature golf, seeing fireworks, going swimming, visiting great-great aunts/uncles, having a campfire/bonfire, and seeing a movie in a theatre.  Everyone had fun, not just Toby, and we enjoyed spending time with all of the family.... :) Working on getting photos posted!

Baseball Season

It's baseball season around here - here are a few photos of Conor and Garrett playing baseball.  Conor plays on the Athletics Team, and it's a team of first and second grade kids.  They are actually pretty good.  It's a coach pitch league, so the kids' coach pitches to them.  One thing we have noticed about Conor is he's a fast runner for being short - he's about the second shortest kid on the team, but boy does he have wheels, and he always hustles. 

Garrett is also playing baseball.  His team is the Mets.  Their team is t-ball with some coach pitch thrown in there.  They are less competitive, and really don't get too many outs, but Garrett is loving it.  I think they look adorable in their baseball uniforms!

Pink and Blue Collide!!

The other day I was getting Toby ready in the morning, and had Caris in his bed too (which frequently happens).  Toby's care is pretty extensive in the morning...and I looked down to notice that Caris and Toby's blankies were lying next to each other on the bed.  Such irony, I guess.  Up until 4 months ago, our house and my world, was just a world of boys.  I was completely okay with that - love boys (even the rowdiness to a degree).  When I was pregnant with Toby (our third), didn't really even want a girl; just content with the way things were.  Then, as time drew closer for me to have our fourth (we didn't know gender), for the first time in 6 years, I had such a strong desire to have a girl.  I am the oldest of 3 girls - very close with both of my sisters and my mom, it sparked a desire to have that same kind of relationship with my own daughter.  I imagined 18 years down the road when my boys will leave me to be with their own wives...let's face it that old adage "you lose your sons" is true.  Then God saw fit to bless us with a precious baby girl.  I didn't think I would really get into the clothing, hair bows, and fun accessories (up until this point tights and hair bows scared me.  I enjoyed the simplicity of the buzzed hair cuts and boys' clothing - it's much faster out the door in the morning),but my view has changed.  Bruce can barely keep me out of the Carter's store - their sales kill me, and I enjoy buying dresses and all the fun things for a girl!!  The other part of this is the love that the boys have for their sister.  All 3 of them just adore Caris, Toby is enamored.  We were really nervous about having this fourth baby - up until her birth Toby was scared of kids 12months-2 years old, and would cry when they were around him.  However, things have been wonderfully different - God answered our prayers and Toby just LOVES his sister.  He thinks she is his baby and constantly wants to hold her.  God has certainly blessed us with this precious daughter and she has completed our family.  We have now closed the book on my "child-birthing" years, our family is complete!

Organized Chaos

Organized Chaos - that is the story of our lives.  I have come to grips with the fact that having four kids and one with special needs means chaos, and that's what our past weekend was like. 

It consisted of two baseball practices (Conor and Garrett), one t-ball game (Toby), one Cubbie picnic, and a Crew Game. In the middle of all of that, I spoke at an event on behalf of Nationwide Children's Hospital - sharing our story of Toby and what the hospital has meant to us. It was for a group that raises money for the hospital.  In the middle of all the chaos, I have asked myself is it worth it?  Yes, yes, and yes; I certainly am determined not to over-schedule our kids, and really they are only involved in a few sports a year, but it's important to me for Conor, Garrett, and eventually Caris to not feel as if Toby prevents them from doing certain things; yes it will happen in some cases.  Like, I still haven't completely gotten over the fact that we may never be able to go camping again or spend days and days on the beach (with Toby's trach)...so that's when opportunities arise for the kids to participate in other activities we do it and try to schedule the chaos!

Toby started playing t-ball this season. 

He's playing in a league specifically

designed for kids with special needs. 

I love this photo of his hand over

his heart and his hat off for the

National Anthem. 

We're Starting Again

Since I'm not very computer savvy, working through setting up a new blog is taking forever, but I decided to "give it a go" yet again.  This blog will chronicle our family's story - four kids, one with special and medical needs, and most of all the joy that we have because of our faith in Jesus Christ.  Hope you check back often; I will do my best to post often!