Fishing!

My sweet husband took my two youngest boys fishing this afternoon at a local park. He doesn't like to fish but they LOVE it and he LOVES them so he does all sorts of things that he wouldn't normally do! Don't you just love that! Luke caught 5 fish and he was mighty proud....they threw them all back...they were all really little but still they were...fish! Luke took his shirt off and revealed the art work his sister had given him earlier this morning.

Recovering!

My baby girl is recovering from her accident. We are very thankful that her pelvis is not shattered! She is really really stiff, but she is now up and walking with a walker. Lindsey set her up with our laptop so she could watch a movie and she received many phone calls! Our family dog is not really the family dog.....he likes all of us but he LOVES Emily. He has been especially attached to her while she is recovering. It is odd...like he senses that all is not normal. You can see him draped across her legs. Thanks for praying for her! Some of you have emailed and asked if she will ride again........do fish swim??? This was a freak accident...she loves horses. She is really good with horses and she is counting down the days until she can get back...which will be a while!

Horses??

OK I lied...I will not be writing about Beauty and the Beast tonight...actually it is technically Tuesday morning now????? :( I took my daughter to her horse riding lesson...she cleans stalls in exchange for weekly lessons.....and I got a call that no mother wants to get! I usually drop her off and I do CVS shopping for myself and her riding instructor. The phone rings and it is Betsy, her instructor...a call right in the middle of her lesson is NEVER a good thing..."Michele, where are you?..Emily has had a little spill and we are calling 911" Thank God.... a ride in the ambulance, 6 hours in the ER...27 xray slides, lots of pain meds, throwing up.....she is fine. She is cramping up really bad....she is in great pain and will need a trip to the chiropractor but she is going to be fine. The horse rared back and then lost it's balance and fell on top of her!!! They all said it was awful! I am feeling VERY blessed. I am going to make a pallet and sleep next to her tonight after I edit Lindsey's final paper due in her lit class tomorrow.

My next obstacle....since we are in full time ministry our insurance is ridiculous and to get a premium we could afford...our deductible is $5000....yep you saw that correct and I didn't forget to put the decimal in!!! The Lord is faithful.....I know that it is terrible but I kept thinking...how are we going to come up with this money...the whole time I was in the ER. I fought it hard...but I kept coming back to HIS sovereignty and my thankfulness that she we going to be OK. Thanks for your prayers!

Monday Morning

No I didn't fall off the planet after Beauty and the Beast!!! Although I am still wiped out. I want to send all of you pictures and an update...however I have SOOOOO much homeschool to catch up on with my kidos......I can't do it now. But I did want to tell you that the entire eventing was wonderful....we had 158 kids who came and close to 40 volunteers....whom we could not have done it without!!!!!! I'll update tonight or tomorrow!

Proms??

Do you remember your prom? I do......most of the kids stood around until a "slow song" played and then there was a mass entrance onto the dance floor. There were some who danced all night but most of us stood around. I did love to socialize so it was a good night for me. The best part was going back to my parents house with all my friends and my mom cooking a HUGE breakfast for all of us at 1AM.

I am so thankful for the group that my daughter is involved with. They meet once a month and dance together...they learn swing dances, barn and line dances and get this the waltz. No "slow dances" now that just makes a mamas heart very happy! I'm not sure how well these boys do....dark room, and a girl in a skin tight dress smashed up next to them??? Anyway.....the group my daughter dances with had their big spring formal this weekend. There were 125 of them...mostly home schoolers...they had a blast and after the dance my sister took her and her friends bowling and to Waffle House for a 2 AM treat. AHH to be young again. I took them last year but I had to be up early Sat morning. I love the group of friends that Lindsey has chosen!

Shred???

OK....I love to take a few minutes every other day and read a few blogs. One of the ones I read is Virtue Alert....love it! I just know that she and I would be great friends and I am claiming her son the 16 year old for Lindsey! We can do that as moms you know! Anyway...she issued this challenge today to join her in the 30 day shred with Jillian Michaels video. Lindsey and I thought this might be fun. We went to Target and bought it tonight and came home and did level 1. To say that I thought I was going to die would be an understatement! I am so out of shape.....more than I cared to admit. I chose to use the 5 pound weights....bad idea...I should have started with the 2 pounders....but I thought I was tough! Aparently NOT! Of course Lindsey will hold me to the whole 30 day thingy.....UUGGG....only 29 more days of torture left!

Eric and I are so excited about this conference! We have so many amazing sponsors. This is a free event here at our home church..First Baptist Woodstock for middle and high school kids. We are amazed at the doors the Lord is opening! Please pray for us!

I can't sleep!

I think I am going to go nuts! I have lived on very little sleep for almost 16 years now....that would be about half way through my first pregnancy until the present. I occasionally get 8 hours but usually 5 - 6 is about it. This past year starting a business...oh I mean ministry!! :) The ministry is awesome but there is so much work on the business end of things to be done....constantly.... and I am on overload. Between schooling my babies..normal house stuff...personal bills and now the ministry stuff...my brain is full ALL the time. I have averaged 5 hours sleep this year. I require more, I want more but I can't seem to get it all done.

Well now I have a bigger issue that started about 4 weeks ago...I can't sleep!!! I have never had trouble going to sleep once I finally get there but now all of the sudden I can't fall asleep. When my head hits the pillow, as tired as I may be...my brain turns on and I begin to think about all that I didn't get done...all my hopes and aspirations....new curriculum for home school....what is for dinner the next day...what my future grandchildren might look like....you name it...I think about it!!!! It's not just a matter of keeping a pad by the bed and writing stuff down...I literally can't shut my thinking off. And what is worse....after I fall asleep I do not stay asleep...maybe 2 hours if it is a good night and then I am awake tossing and turning. I am averaging about 3 hours a night!!!

I have cut out all caffeine but my morning coffee. I have taken Tylenol PM. I have tried warm baths and hot tea. Soothing music. Lots and lots of praying. NOTHING!!! I took a prescription sleeping pill from an unnamed source :) for a few nights just so I wouldn't completely fall apart. I do not want to start that if I can help it. I am 42 but I went through early menopause...is this what life is like when you are post menopausal???

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I sure hope that all of you had a wonderful day! We had a blast! Every year we enjoy the church service at our amazing church...First Baptist Woodstock and then we head over to my moms house with my family and Erics family and other friends. My mom makes the meat and we all bring the side items. We had a feast! This year we had 60 people....yes you read that right! Actually it was 62. We hid 1200 eggs and played relay type races. It was great fun!