Follow up from surgery is tomorrow.

I can't even believe that it has been nearly 2 weeks since I had the hysterectomy surgery done.  Time really has passed by quickly.  I thought, okay, I'm unable to do a bunch of stuff because of restrictions of lifting or pushing, and I really need to heal so I'll behave & take it easy & even be able to post a few updates on the blog."  Haha what a funny joke.  Even with my mom here to help out & so many friends dropping off meals for us (which was sooooooooo helpful, thank you from our happy bellies), I was unable to find the time to sit at my computer to share an update.  And I really am not a fan of trying to update via my phone so that was why you haven't heard much from me lately.  I am up & moving about quite nicely.  I still have to be careful with lifting anything too heavy or pushing things and bending (good thing my parents bought me a grabber nabber as Braly calls it to help me pick things off the floor without bending much.)  I showed it to you all months ago & it was sitting in the closet for awhile but has resurfaced for the time being.  Tomorrow Adam will take me to Green Bay for my 2 week check up and I am fully prepared to hear that I can drive again & that everything looks great.  I feel great.  I actually couldn't believe how tired I was for the first several days.  I mean, I would get up & help get the kids ready for school (that just really means that I woke them up most days & then bossed them around from my place on the couch & then kissed them good bye.)  I am feeling quite good right now & will keep this very short compared to most of my posts as I really am in need of some sleep in order to be ready to leave for GB on time tomorrow.

BTW, I am still doing pretty good with my daily Bible reading of the chronological plan.  Did you start a plan this year?  How's it going?  I'm so pleased that I'm only a few days behind but should be able to make that up tomorrow with 4 hours in the van.  It is amazing how God has used this time in my life to make good out of what was meant to be evil.  He is teaching me so much and I am learning something every day just by setting aside time to spend with Him.  And I am trying to encourage my children to do the same.  Being consistent can be hard so until something becomes a habit, you just have to start where you're at and do your best to go from there.  Keeping in mind that there will be slip-ups but no need to not get right back where you left off.  God is full of mercy & grace.  So give it a whirl!  Start with just 5 minutes if you feel you don't think you could possibly fit one more thing into your schedule and before you know it, you will be craving the time with God & reading his word.  At least that's how I've felt.  Just like I tell people when it comes to exercising, "Just press Play!"  Just open your Bible or your app (which you can set a reminder with) and read.  A few options are to start by reading the book of Luke.  Or you could start a plan of some sort. Like the chronological one I'm doing.  Buy maybe that seems overwhelming and reading just 1 chapter a day would be your cup of tea. Well then read 1 chapter of Proverbs, it's the book of wisdom.  Or the Psalms are great.  My friend Katie is going to be featuring a chapter of Psalms on her blog each day in June.  I'll share the link when she's got it up so you can check it out.  I actually

just read part of Joshua and wanted to share a verse that is stated several times in Joshua when the Israelites had crossed over the Jordan and were securing the land that the Lord had said he'd give to them.

Joshua 1:9 ►

New International Version Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Small Ann Arbor Update

Well, it's not much but it's something worth sharing. I got a call from a New Patient Advocate down in Ann Arbor that a friend had hooked me up with when she was there recently.  The new patient advocate called and was able to transfer me to the correct person working on my admission.  I left her a message and someone called me back a little later.  She emailed me the Records Release Form so I could sign it & email it back to her so they can get all my info in their hands & schedule my appointment so if more tests need to be done, they can happen soon.  While on the phone with the lady, that's when Sadie face planted on the floor (see the pic I posted on Facebook). I hope I didn't sound like a terrible mom as I scooped her up & calmed her down as quickly as possible. The lady asked if I wanted her to call me back later but I said, "If you would just hold on for a minute, I can get her settled down quickly."  In my mind I was thinking, NO WAY lady, don't hang up, I need to get this process moving forward and not just waiting some more.  In our conversation, she asked me if I have an appointment with my doctor soon and I said, yes, in 2 weeks but he was hoping that I'd been seen by you guys before I met back with him again.  Her response was, Oh, he wants things done ASAP?  I said, why yes, he does!  So as soon as my phone beeped & told me I had a new email message, I printed, signed, & then scanned & emailed back the form they needed. :)  I did my part. Now waiting for the next step to be done.  All in God's timing.  I'm praying for God to hook us up with the BEST team of doctors and nurses for ME and what's going on in my body.  Thank you for continued prayer.  And perhaps you are the kind of person that can't find the words.  Well, just tell that to God. He knows what's in your heart. You don't have to be what some might say is eloquent. You don't have to pray perfectly. He just asks for you to be you and share your heart with him.  Give it a try. Sincerity is a great start no matter the words.  Here's a song I love because it reminds me that God wants all of ME!

Sadie's Newborn Photo shoot

This is long overdue. No excuses. Just reality that it is harder to balance everything with 4 kids.  I must say though, I am super blessed (when Daddy is at work) that I have 3 helpers who change diapers & help hold Sadie when she needs some lovin & I have to do other things like cook.

Michelle Monson Photography http://www.michellemonsonphotography.blogspot.com/  did this photo shoot & she has the patience of an angel.  She not only says, its okay if it takes a while to get baby to sleep but she means it & helps put mom at ease. Sadie must have felt slightly out of her comfort zone because she would eat, fall asleep, & then wake up rather quickly.  Hard to position her when she kept waking up but I think that Michelle got some fantastic pics of her. I cherish these pics. Kinda wish that this was the 'in thing' when the other 3 were babies.

These were taken when Sadie Kieran was about 10 days old.  She's now 2 1/2 months old.  Wow, the time sure has flown quickly.

I've numbered them so you can share in the comment section below which are your favorites.

P.S. I LOVE comments so be sure to weigh in on your favorites!!! Thanks

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

Don't forget to leave a comment!  And stay tuned as I figure out how to fit blogging back into my schedule on a regular basis because I have more pics to share.  Sadie is growing fast...so are my 3 musketeers.

I love Lists

If you know me then you know that I am a list maker. I absolutely love making lists for several reasons. It usually keeps me on track, keeps my mind organized so I don't have a zillion things running around in my mind constantly & I can concentrate on my family instead of halfway listening to them while I make a list in my mind (which I'm sorry to admit but I do sometimes). I enjoy the feeling of getting something done on my mile long list & crossing it off or deleting it (depending on whether I'm using paper or digital via my phone or itouch). Making lists helps me feel somewhat in control of things. I actually have a notebook that I keep several lists in. Are you really surprised?  So it comes natural to me that I would have my children make a wish list each year around this time. They've actually been looking through toy catalogs lately & showing us things that they think are cool but last night I actually had them sit down & write out what it was that they would like to get for Christmas.

You may have read or heard me explain this before but here goes again.  Last year we decided to adopt the 3 present rule for Christmas.  Since Jesus received 3 presents from the Wise Men, we thought we'd correlate that with our gift giving because we believe that Christmas is about celebrating God's gift to mankind by sending his son in human form to be born on this earth.  BTW, this was not our idea alone. I have friends that have shared that this was their family tradition & I have since found more people who do the same.  My husband & I found that we were going overboard with presents & we also noticed that even though the kids were very appreciative of what they received, they didn't always play with everything so much. Some things inevitably fell to the wayside of Toyville and didn't get as much playtime. Rather than spending hard earned money (and let me tell you, my hubby works very hard, especially this time of year when its their busiest & everyone is ordering presents online & shipping things to family & friends) on things our kids didn't appreciate as much, we decided to buy 3 presents for each child. Last year they ended up with a more expensive gift & then 2 smaller gifts & then a few stocking stuffers and let me tell you....they were absolutely delighted at what they received. We made just a little room for the new toys beforehand & so when it was time to clean up their new toys that they played with all day long, it was easy to find them a new home. The kids still play with their toys. Oh & if you think that they only get 3 separate toys, well that's not so simple. We've purchased a few toys in the same theme; our son got a box with a few Toy Story characters in it last year. So I guess we 'kinda' cheat in a way but it worked & kept the amount of toys manageable as well as the money spent in a more realistic amount. This year may be on a smaller scale since we are trying to afford a used van so we can carry our whole family in the same vehicle after the baby is born.

Anyway, I found that helping them write out their lists this year was a lot of fun. My son likes a wide array of things & got so excited that he wrote so many more things on his list than he'll ever receive but he was so excited at all the prospects   My youngest has had lots of time to peruse the toy catalog while doing breathing treatments because 'Tis the Season for her to have breathing trouble. She has actually showed me several things she'd like to get & I helped her write them down.  And my oldest, well, she's more concise in what she desires. And she's kinda more practical about deciding, which makes me laugh because it reminds me of myself.  She thinks things like "If I put this on my list, then chances are I'll get it.  She's even asked what the price limit per child is this year.  By the way, she's in 4th grade & her teacher has been having the class balance a checkbook as part of their learning experience. They receive payment for each day they are in school & have their homework turned in on time, etc. She was strategically trying to figure out if she put an expensive thing on the list whether she would get it or not or whether she should skip it & put something else in a better price range.  I found watching each of their personalities emerge in the way they made their list quite fun to watch.

They finished their lists just in time for Daddy to get home from work & for them to explain to him the things they had on their list & why they wanted them & then it was off to bed. ONLY thing was that was probably a bad idea. They always get super excited when Daddy is home because he gets home so late & they don't see much of him but they were doubly excited from making their lists so going to sleep last night & staying in bed was a HUGE struggle.

List making makes me happy. That probably seems kinda strange to some of you but to others, you know what I'm talking about when you get that smile on your face as you check something off your list.  My list as of late has been growing by leaps & bounds.  And makes me think that it is time to separate some of my lists up again.  It's the only way to keep them manageable.  Oh & the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in my case because my dad makes lists all the time too.  He doesn't always make them on paper or digitally but he usually has several lists going in his head.

Well, now its time for me to write out a few lists for myself for the rest of the week to make sure I get things accomplished that need to be done. I have several responsibilities & I want to be sure that I don't forget or drop the ball on any of them & that I don't take away from precious family time in order to complete them (which I have been known to do because I just can't bare when I commit to something & then don't get it done.)  Plus, I don't know about all of you but I have to be prepared for Black Friday deals if there is something on my childrens' list. If I can get it for cheaper, I mean MUCH cheaper, then I will try to do that to stretch their budget just a little farther.

Try your hand at making a list today whether its a wish list or things you need for Thanksgiving dinner or perhaps you have some goals you'd like to reach by a certain time...now's the time to make a list. It's fairly easy, just start writing & see what happens. Then be sure to visit your list & start crossing things off as you complete them. Once you get the hang of it, you can make it more complicated by categorizing & prioritizing.... but really, keeping it simple can be lots of fun & helpful too.  I encourage you to make your list today!

Fun Fitness for Kids

This morning I did my 55 EZ Turbo Fire Class and when I was nearly done, Morgan came to the basement to find me.  She started to try the moves I was doing & then quit.  I think she got frustrated & gave up. After I was finished, I asked if she wanted to exercise too & she said YES! So I popped in the Shaun T's Fit Kids Club DVD & exercised for about 25 minutes with my 4 year old.

It is recommended for ages 7 and up but I have always taken those to be "suggestions" when it comes to things for my kiddos.  Morgan was slightly uncoordinated when it came to the moves but was starting to get the hang of it as the video neared the end.  I think she got tired when there was only about 3 minutes & was about to quit when I told her she just had 3 minutes left.  She kicked it into high gear & finished it strong. The video has 2 workouts on it.  We've only tried the first one so far.  I must say that it does work the abs & has fairly simple moves.  Shaun breaks it down so it is simple & fun & most kids & even adults won't realize how much of a workout they are getting because it truly is enjoyable.  We'll be doing more of that in our house, especially when the older 2 get home.

Oh, and I found out a cool thing that I'm totally excited about.  Since I'm a Beachbody coach, I can do a fundraiser with the school & for each Shaun T's Fit Kids Club DVD that is purchased, 40% goes to the school for the fundraiser.  If you are interested in this for your school or know someone that is, please contact me.  What a great way to help our kids & even parents get moving, get fit, & end the trend!

A day to Pack & time to spread one's wings...just a little

Ahhhh...my kids are growing up and I'm not sure I'm ready for this.  Gabriella is 9 and will be heading to Bible Camp on Monday.  She really wanted me to go with and kept saying she wouldn't go without me but oh how things change.  I knew that it was in her best interest for me not to attend no matter if they needed me to be a counselor or not.  Well, God worked it all out.  We have 2 wonderful female counselors going & 1 wonderful male counselor so its all set.  There will be 5 girls & 5 boys going from our church.  Being in the position I am (my husband & I are now the children church pastors),  I knew it made sense for me to go but I think it is time for Gabby to spread her wings a little & see that she can do things that are fun & not scary without her mom with her.  Over the past several years I have had to push  Gabby to do things she says she doesn't want to do because of her shyness.  Thankful she usually thanks me for 'making' her do something.  For years I have had to put her on the bus (I'm talking actually carry her onto the bus some days), have the bus driver hold her backpack so she couldn't follow me off the bus as I quickly jumped off & then he quickly closed the doors.  Last year was the first time she didn't really do that very much.  It did help that her little brother rode the bus with her. She finds comfort in being with family which is wonderful to love one's family so much but I also see that she needs to do things on her own to grow as a person & Adam & I try our best to make that possible.

So today we pack Gabby up for a week of Bible Camp. And we pack Braly, our 7 year old son up to go visit Grammy & Papa. He plans to exercise with Grammy & go fishing with Papa.  Should be a fun week for him.  I was impressed that Braly knows the difference between some fish.  Guess my dad is doing a good job teaching him. :)  That's cool.  For the last few summers I have packed Braly up (well one year he packed himself because he was ready to go) & he goes to stay for a few days without any girls.  Grammy is there so I don't know how she doesn't count with the 'girl' thing but it works.  And when he comes back, he's a delight of a boy to have around.  I think he just gets overwhelmed with having to play with his 2 sisters ALL summer long.  So my 2 oldest babies are growing up enough to go off without me more & that is a welcomed & scary thing.  Well, maybe scary isn't the word I would use but rather bittersweet.  It is what my husband & I are working towards. Raising our children with a strong base in our faith, teaching them right from wrong, & how to make wise decisions so that one day, altogether too soon, they will be on their own.  I know I'll be okay for 5 days without them & I know they will be okay for 5 days without me.  Just makes me sad & proud to be to this point in their lives already. *sniff *sniff*  Sometime next week I may even shed some tears as I miss my babies.  I take no shame in those tears either. They will be well deserved. Our children are a delight & joy from God to us.

When WINGS are grown, birds and children FLY away. ~Chinese Proverb

Big, BIG news!!!

I signed my 1st coach this afternoon & I'm so excited.  I know she's going to be awesome because she's my older sister, Rachel Jaquish!  It's gonna be fun & interesting to work with her on my team. Yay for sisters!!!  Woohoo. Can't wait to see the success you have Rach.  I love you!