Savannah Road Trip

We "borrowed" an idea from our Youth minister, Keith, and planned a road trip game for on the way to Savannah. We needed to leave early enough to give parents a chance to get to work, but we needed to slow down our progress so that Kerissa and Amanda could catch up since they could not leave in the morning. So our Amazing Race Road trip to Savannah was on!!

Since Cait had already done the trip, she and I rode together to "get ahead" of the gamers and take "arriving" pictures. Well, that was the plan, anyway. We missed a turn off I-85 and had to make a BIG detour to get back on the right path to our first Pit Stop. It was crazy, but we had fun. Cait had to learn how to read a map and we got to see a part of Alabama/GA that we'd normally never see.

The trip had it's twists and turns (and moments of frustration) but I think after all was said and done, it was worth it! We all had fun in the end, and the destination was just the beginning!!!

Wow!! What a summer!

It happens EVERY year - as the school year nears the end, I can HARDLY wait. With two teens that are ADHD, the demands of the school year can absolutely wear me out - I have the job of teaching them how to cope with their limitations, build on their strengths). I sometimes feel like I have two jobs - the one that comes with a paycheck and the one God has placed before me (parenting). I sometimes look forward to my daytime job because the demands of God's job seems to take every fiber of my being. I always seem to covet the end of the school year - time to slow down, take a break from the double-duties. It never fails to be an illusion!

While there aren't the extra demands of the school year, my kids have always had busy summers and this year was NO exception! We started off with a bang right after school got out May 22nd. Cait and I had plans to go to Savannah with the Girl Scouts and Sean had a trip with the Boy Scouts. We all left the morning of May 27th - we were all very excited (Rick was going to have 5 days to himself!) I was looking forward to the break (my parents' house sprung a leak - more on that later) and the trips to Mobile had worn me out.


Cait and I had a great time on our trip! It turned out so that it was just the two of us traveling in the car the whole time - great time to talk, great time to have fun, a time I know I will cherish for a while. I'll do another post with more about our fun. I had a chance to see Cait maturing into a young lady - what a treat! We were driving partners, I depended on her greatly and it was really nice to share the load behind the wheel. She's a good driver - seems to have always been good. She took to it well when she got her permit 2 yrs ago. I was never really nervous, but cautious at times (especially when I had to have her drive the last 4 hrs of the trip - from the other side of Atlanta) I just could not be behind the wheel another moment. She did very well - I was very proud.

Sean's trip was to "Sea Base" - it's a high adventure trip. They traveled to Key West to board a sail boat for a week - they were the crew. The group was divided into 2 boats, 8 persons each. They cooked, cleaned, navigated, manned the helm - they did it all. There was an experienced captain on board, but the scouts and their leaders did the work. Sean had a ball - took to the nautical world with ease (any surprise with my mother an experienced sailor, and Rick and I former Navy??)

The week after these trips, Cait turned 17 and got to take her driving test. Unfortunately, nerves got the best of her and she did not pass the first attempt. She went back the very next morning, passed with ease!!! We now have 3 licensed drivers and 2 cars. Cait is limited in when she can use the car - only to help us, because she must finish her Gold award first (Girl Scout equivalent of Eagle Scout). Her project packet was submitted the day of her 1st driving test and she was approved after her interview later in the summer. She just has to get the project done now (still waiting!!) She left for two weeks of Girl Scout camp 2 days after her birthday/drivers license!!!

We made the tough decision to enroll Sean at Lyman Ward Military Academy for Summer school, which started a week after Cait's birthday. We had hoped visiting the campus would shake him enough to change his attitude/disrespect, but it didn't, so he went to summer school. We were hoping to make him understand that he had exhausted all our patience - we were running out of options to turn him around. He started a day late since he returned from Impact late Monday.

Rick's grandmother passed away the next day. Sean took it much harder than we expected. We had given both kids the option of staying (school/camp) or coming home for the funeral. Sean came home, Cait finished out her last week as a camper. We were all sad to lose Gonga, but at 92 yrs old, she had lived a very long, full life - it was time for her to be with Dick again - her beloved, only child. I was at peace thinking of them together.

Sean returned the week after July 4th - it has been a downward slide ever since. Not necessarily him, our "routine". We've had NO routine, NO responsibilities, nothing but being lazy (well, the kids at least!!!) Getting them (and me) back into routine has been brutal! School started Aug 11th and here we are. We decided not to send Sean back to Lyman for the regular school year (more later) - I pray daily that it was the right decision. He still seems to be rebellious - trying to figure out what is "normal", what is ADHD/ODD, and what is pure, willful defiance boggles our mind daily.

I will get my photos together and try to put things together and update soon!!

Reaching milestones

I had the privilege tonight of attending a graduation party for a young man I consider one of my own. My family has been interwoven with the Wallace family for 10 yrs now. Abby kept both the kids in daycare until they were 13 and they still help with after-school transportation today.

For some reason, it didn't strike me as closely to see their oldest, Isaac, graduate from LAMP last year. But for some reason, knowing that tomorrow, Sawyer will cross that bridge in his life touches me close. Perhaps it is because I had a full year to have one-on-one time with Sawyer with after school transportation when he began at ACA. Perhaps it is because I know that this brings me that much closer to my own graduating next year - he and Cait are only 10 months apart in age. Perhaps it is because I have seen so much growth in Sawyer these last few months. He use to annoy the stew out of me (as my own do at times). But now I see this young man - matured, responsible, respectful, with a grasp of what he is here to do.

It's going to be kinda strange tomorrow, seeing him graduate. But as I claim him as one of my own, I will be clapping among the loudest tomorrow, proud that, even in some small way, that I may have had a positive impact on this. What a great day it will be!!

From Relaxing to Chaos!!!

I guess God was giving me rest when the Emersons were here, because life got REALLY crazy last week. Of all days, it started on my birthday last Thursday (May 8th). I received a call around 4:30pm from my aunt who lives on Dauphin Island (near my parents). She had gone to check on the house and there was water, apparently from the fridge ice maker. She turned off the water, but would not be able to take care of the water, etc, I needed to come down.

I had a girl scout leader/daughter dinner to "host" that evening, so I'd have to wait until after getting the kids to school Friday. I was also supposed to have a campout with my girl scouts (end of year awards, etc). I spent most of the trip down making sure everything was covered since I would not be there. Rick took off work be my chauffeur and the "muscle", which was great.

I knew the damage would be bad from my aunt's description, but I was not prepared for what I walked into. Water was 2 ft from the front door, carpet was soaked!! After a quick look around, Rick got busy moving things out to the porch and I located the phone book. I got a water extraction company on the phone (they were on the way to the island for a cleaning job). They were 30 min away and would come straight to the house!!! I then started rifling thru my Dad's files to locate insurance papers.

Long and short of it, 3 rooms had to be packed out by movers and taken to storage, the damage repairs (alone) will exceed $16,000+ and it will take about a month to complete repairs. My parents are due back from their trip May 24 but will not be able to get back into their house until early-mid June.

I've been working with Mom via e-mail to get details on her choices for flooring, etc. Since she was already planning on re-doing the kitchen, we're implementing those plans as well. I spent Mother's Day weekend getting things stable enough to leave and get back to work. I FINALLY was able to speak to my Mom on Mother's Day to break the news (great for us both! - not). I have been back down (yesterday) to sign the contract on the repair work to get that started Monday.

It's been a whirlwind that will not be over for a while. Please pray that God continues to put these pieces back together quickly so that parents will not lose the "high" of the fabulous trip they have been on since April 24th. It's been their dream trip - a cruise on the Mediterranean for 20 days padded with before and after trips to Rome and Venice.

An unfortunate way to come home from such a fabulous trip, but I keep telling my Mom - your getting a new home in the process and insurance is covering the bulk of the expense!! So far, she's been good with this, but my Dad......we'll see????

Picnic with the Emersons

A few weeks ago I got the idea that our Caring group should invite Brett & April (and the boys) to join us one Sunday evening.Then another twinkle - invite the youth group since Brett & April were so involved as we awaited Keith & Martha's arrival - we'd just have some plain ol' fun!!! It worked out that the time that was best for the Emersons was the last Sunday they'd be here - May 4th.

I don't think the weather could have been any better!!! The crowd was small - only about 25 total - but the event was GREAT! The kids (meaning the youth kids and adult males) played Extreme Frisbee in the field at the pond/playground in our sub-division. Rick & Justin grilled and the ladies stayed at the pavilion setting up the meal and socializing. The food and fellowship was fun and then Terry B. brought out the fishing gear!!! Here are some pics - I was having so much fun, pictures were an after thought!

I have a few others, but didn't want to go overboard. If you were there and want copies of what I have, e-mail me (asimonton@faulkner.edu) and I will send them your way.

How to move forward from here?

We had a meeting Monday that really got under my skin and for me to say so is big. Long and short of it, we were being discourage to register Sean for a Boy Scout event for fear of him misbehaving as he has done in the past. Now when I say in the past, I mean more than a year ago (from what I can piece together).

I have never denied the fact that Sean has obedience issues. He was diagnosed with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) 3 yrs ago, along with his AD/HD (I). But he has made GREAT strides in recent months, more so outside the home, but improved none the less.

This trip is a big deal because the scouts worked to sell trees at Christmas to pay most of their way. Sean worked really hard and the adults supervising while he was there have commented many times on his positive presence on the lot. But they STILL keep bringing up the past. It is very irritating that they refuse to see the present. And this was one of 3 major events over the last 9 months that have marked improved behavior from Sean.

The scout troop adults "voted" that they would not prevent ANY scout from registering for this event, the decision for him to go was left to us. One parent was particularly attacking and kept pressing us for an answer, saying that we were already beyond the deadline....... Then she proceeded to say that she would not let her child go if we registered Sean! Of all things??? Is she trying to say that Sean is a direct threat to her son's safety? I was floored.

Rick and I had not made a decision up until this, but our hesitation was due to current financial constrains, not Sean's behavior. We went to the meeting, asking that the adults who had expressed concerns tell Sean about how they feel so that he could understand that his past behavior was damaging. We wanted him to understand from them what he had done to frustrate them. We felt it would be good for him to face the truth of his actions in our presence so that the facts were clear to us all. We were in hopes this would be a powerful tool to impress upon him how it's not just about the moment - his misbehavior has consequences. We were hoping this would help him to understand that he must consider this while he is on the trip.

The group refused to talk directly to Sean, or at least the parents voicing most of the concerns did. (Two of the male leaders did talk to Sean after the meeting, but more about what this event entails rather than how his past behaviors are a concern.) At the tail end of the adult meeting, the tables were turned to us and we were being "attacked" in how we were handling this. It was all too completely unreal.

The committee chair and his wife did talk to us alone after the group dismissed, they were very encouraging. Sean's Aunt and Uncle (who are adult leaders) talked to Rick at their home afterward and they felt that Sean would not be a problem. Tommy even talked to Sean and told him about the concerns and what he could do to help the adults see his better side and that he had changed. These are the things that helped Rick and I decide to find the funds so that we could send Sean on this "once in a lifetime" trip.

Please pray that over the next 3 months, we are able to implement some plans that will help encourage Sean to build some good habits in dealing with authority figures. Improvements in this one area will go a LONG way for Sean on this trip.

Life has been BUSY!

Well, I've been away for awhile, as you can tell. I got busy with The Grocery Game and right on the heels of "getting it", Girl Scout cookies came in!!! Not only am I busy as we usually are trying to sell enough cookies for Cait to earn a week at camp (600 boxes), but this year I am trying my hand at managing 8 troops in cookie sales.

Each has their own cookie chair who work with me to get things moving. On Feb 14th, I was supervising the movement of over 20,000 boxes of cookies from the warehouse for these 8 troops. What a day! I had several of parents from my troop and (despite the advice to the contrary) we moved all cookies in under 5 hours. We were told to expect it to take 7-8 hrs, and I set my mind that it'd be done MUCH faster, and so we did!! It's amazing what can be accomplished with some help!

Things are going well at the home-front too! Cait seems to have settled into a groove and school is going much better this term. Rick and I have really seen some maturing (in some ways) which has been nice to witness. She has also been INUNDATED with lots of contacts from colleges. She asked tonight if Rick and I can sit down and help her go thru things. Now that's a change I liked hearing - she initiated something with us to do!

We still struggle with Sean, but I keep reminding myself to be aware that some of this IS normal for 14 yr old boys. He's showing much improved behavior, etc in the classroom these days. But we are still struggling with evening homework, chores and some behavior. It's moving forward, but sometimes feels like at a SNAIL'S pace!

Shopping has been going REALLY well. This week's purchases resulted in saving almost 50% (I paid close to the same amount of my savings!!!) We are still trying to make some other improvements, but we are doing MUCH better and we have groceries instead of struggling to get by until the next check! Now that's a great deal.

Grocery Deals

Ok, I am very new at this but I am already having fun. Rick got the Sunday paper on his way home from 1st service and I started cutting out coupons when I got home. We had let our cupboards get VERY slim, so we were having to really restock alot. We bought ALOT of groceries (needed 2 carts), but I stuck to the list, only buying BOGOS and what I had coupons for - we spent $274, saved $86! Granted we ran out of some things before the week was half over, but I was excited. I had seen in WD ads that chicken breasts and pork loin was BOGO, but I didn't get by there until Tue evening on the way home. They were out of both, so I got a "rain check" from customer service - unlimited quantities and I have 30 days to use the coupon!!! WOW, that buys me some time, so I requested 4 of each (only paying for 2 ea). Since we do not get weekly checks, I am planning to hold the coupon until after the next payday!

I also discovered (I said I was new at this) that sales run Wed- Tues. The kids LOVED V8 splash, but went thru it REALLY fast. It was no longer BOGO at Publix, so I bought Juicy Juice BOGO on Wed. Guess what, V8 Splash is BOGO this week at another store, so I'll go there tomorrow, maybe Monday. I just bought a few things on the BOGO tables at Publix Wed, spent $32, saved $26 AMAZING!

Looking forward to another week of "The Game".

Presidential Campaign rally!

Well, when Faulkner announced that the Mike Huckabee campaign had been granted permission to hold a campaign rally at the Multiplex I was abit surprised. I told Rick about it and he wondered if the kids should go. I thought "When do most people get a chance to go to a Presidential Campaign rally?" I know I never had been to one, so I thought "Sure, the kids should go!"

Well, they were not too thrilled about it. We actually had to force Cait to get dressed. When we got there, they saw several folks they knew, so they must have decided it wasn't all THAT bad. We were able to go up to the balcony and really get a good view of the stage and everything. That was pretty cool.

When I decided we should all go, it never occurred to me that Chuck Norris was a big supporter of Huckabee. Well, he was THERE! I've always been a big fan, especially of W,TR series, but never considered the fact he'd be there - how cool is that!

Well, I won't get into the politics of the day, but it was a unique experience. Caitlin admitted that she had a good time (which almost killed her to admit!) and Sean got his ball cap signed by Chuck Norris. Not bad for a Saturday afternoon in Montgomery.

I got tagged!

I was tagged by Jen, so here we go:

The Rules: Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog. or Share the 5 top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list. or Share 5 things you never pictured being in your future when your were 25 years old. Tag a minimum of 5, maximum of 10 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. The tagees have a choice of which they want to do.

1. I was in the Navy for almost 5 yrs, which is where I met my wonderful husband, Rick.

2. Rick proposed to me while we were in Italy (the exact location has been disputed for over 20 years) He says it was on a train from Rome to Naples, I say it was under a street lamp not far from the train station in Naples. After 20 years, does it REALLY matter - fact is, there is no dispute that I said "Yes!!"

3. I was also in the flag corp in High School just like Jen and Robyn!! Who knew! I also played the flute in High School band. Holcombe Pryor was our band director, who lead very accomplished bands over the years. For those of you who may not know the significance, Holcombe's son (who graduated in my sister's class) is Bill Pryor, 11th Circuit Federal Judge (my brush with "fame"). I thought the lawyers in my circles would know him, anyway!!!

4. I LOVED softball as a kid and always have!!! I played 8 years as a child and 2-3 years since Rick and I have been married. My back issues have forced me out of the game, but I still ache to be back on the field. It was not until I came to Montgomery that I was exposed to fast-pitch!!! Man, that would have been fun to learn to play!!!!

5. I claim to be a chocoholic, but my kids are not convinced. I can have chocolate in the house and not DEVOUR it, but.........when the craving HITS (and they always do!!) if my chocolate is not where I left it, I can be VERY difficult to pacify.

6. I love anything mechanical! In that respect, our marriage is reversed. I love to fix things and Rick LOVES to cook. I have replaced brakes, done tune-ups, replaced garbage disposals, a water heater, and completely gutted the sink/vanities in our old house and replace it all (starting at the pipe coming out of the wall, everything!!!) I love making things work!!

Ok, these were very weird, and very random. Enjoy. Trying to find someone in this loop who has not been tagged is tough, so let's try Rick, Cait, Brett and April, and......wait a minute, everyone else has been tagged!!!! Oh, well. I may have to e-mail the tag to other friends that have not joined the world of BLOG!!!!

Everything is Good!

Mom's exam went well yesterday - the doctor said her valve leak did not warrant open heart surgery. She was released and told to see her heart doctor in a few weeks. I want to thank everyone for your prayers. Please continue to pray for my Dad as he tries to battle his pneumonia/pleurisy. His ribs were very sore yesterday,

Sandwich Generation - update

Ok, here's the latest. Dad is home with pneumonia and pleurisy, but not productively coughing like he needs to in order to clear his chest. While it's painful to cough with the pleurisy, it is a necessity in order to clear the pneumonia. It's a process he must endure.

As for Mom, when she was in the hospital, one of the tests revealed she had a heart murmur (which had not been identified before now). She saw her doctor yesterday and it was confirmed that she has a leaky aortic valve. She is schedule for a TEE (Trans esophageal echocardiogram) Monday at 10:30am. She has asked me to come down, which I will do.

Please keep both of my parents in your prayers as well as my travels. Rick and the kids could also use prayers as they adjust while I'm away. If all goes well, this will only be a day trip, but I am packing a few days' clothing just in case.

Food for Thought

This is interesting info... You are what you eat, so eat well. A stupendous insight of civilizations past has now been confirmed by today's investigative, nutritional sciences. They have shown that what was once called 'The Doctrine of Signatures' was astoundingly correct. It now contends that every whole food has a pattern that resembles a body organ or physiological function and that this pattern acts as a signal or sign as to the benefit the food provides the eater. Here is just a short list of examples of Whole Food Signatures.

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and science shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Grapefruits, Oranges, and other citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

Update

Ok, Mom was release Friday evening, but she is fine - no damage.

Then, Sunday my Dad was taken via ambulance to the same hospital with pneumonia. Mom was relieved it was not more serious, but at his age, this is serious enough.

We are in hopes that Dad will be released Tuesday - please keep them in prayer.

Thanks

The Sandwich Generation

I got a slight scare last Thursday night when my Dad called from Mobile to tell me my Mom was in the hospital due to chest pains - long story short - she thinks it was a reaction to something she ate. I can see that, since she and I have both had our gall bladder removed. Not having one, there are some foods that produce high volumes of cilium (gas) that is difficult for your body to break down without the gall bladder. I have experienced VERY intense chest pains myself and knew what it was that I ate that caused it. Since Mom had 3 stints put in Sept 2006, they were taking no chances.

She passed the stressed test well (took effort to raise her heart level to 120) so she was released around 6pm Friday.

Today, I received a call from my brother after we got home from church asking if I received his 3 previous messages - now I'm worried. But it's not Mom - it's Dad. He was taken to the hospital this morning via ambulance due to chest pains. They have ruled out heart trouble (which is good - he had a heart attack while in ICU May 2005). From what my brother is relaying, Mom is saying "it's just pneumonia". While we are grateful it is not his heart, my bother and I are both concerned given my Dad's general health these days.

Please keep both my parents in prayer. I may also be traveling to Mobile so keep that in prayer too - my road time and time away from home.

Down for the count (almost!)

Well, it was bound to happen, but the timing could have been worse. Just as I returned to work Wed, the drainage started in my throat. By the time we were settling back in after church, the scratchiness was really bad. I did the usual to take care of it, but I was already done for - I have not been back to work since. I really need to be back Monday because we have registration - we'll see!

This one really hit "fast and furious"! But I think I was just as quick on getting the meds into so I hope the healing is just as fast.

What a New Year's!!!

On a last minute whim, I bought late gifts for the kids when I found out Trans-Siberian Orchestra was going to be at BJCC New Year's Eve. Rick had heard the ads, but had not considered going. I knew he and Sean were fans of their music and Cait and I enjoy it too. So, I got the tickets. It was GREAT!!!!

We had hoped to have dinner in Bham before the concert since it did not start until 9:30pm, but my work delayed our departure, so it was McD's on the way (boo!) We arrived and parked by 8:45pm so it was a relaxed time to get to our seats and get situated. The kids were in awe of the balloon nets surrounding the arena! And that was before the first note was played!!!
Let me just say that we all really enjoyed the concert. I like the music, but the show, lights, pyrotechnics, all if it was well worth the money. I'm not sure what either of us expected, but we sure got our money's worth. As predicted by the presence of the balloon nets, the concert was timed to stop just before midnight to countdown until 12:00 then the balloons were let go, but that was not all - confetti seemed to come from EVERYWHERE!I was excited for the children and was all set to head on back to Montgomery, all filled with a great evening together at a great show - but..... we were asked to have take our seats again - the concert then continued!!! I thought ok a song or two to wrap up and then we go, but NO, the show went on for another 45 minutes!!! Then the GREAT pyrotechnics REALLY began - the picture does not come close to doing this justice!

Ok, we're done, overflowing with satisfaction - BUT THEN.......

Tommy Shaw (lead singer from STYX!!!) came out and did two numbers - "Blue Collar Man" and Renegade". We were completely OVERWHELMED!!!! We received our money's worth in abundance!!!!! I was so shocked that I only have a short clip, but you get the gist - Tommy Shaw with Trans-Siberian Orchestra!!!

What a night!!! The kids were in awe, we were in awe, but that's not it! We stayed for the "meet and greet" afterward and the kids had a program signed by members of the band. The guitar players had pics and we all got one from each guitar player (I gave my set to Sean!) And they were not what I expected (cold, distant, robotic...) Each person we saw was kind, interactive, and seemed genuinely glad we came to the concert as a family.

We did not get back home until 4am, but Sean's last words were "Mom, Dad - you rock!!" Can't even express how that made us feel - we all enjoyed the show and had a great New Year's 2007!