Tuesday

So, it is 8:05 AM on Tuesday. Asher is already 90% done with school. He decided to get up and get going early! Good boy! Wish all the kids had done that! It is like a day off... when they did school! Now mom just needs to get on the ball and get stuff from yesterday graded!! I find it amusing the way God created this Earth that he gave us to live on! I heard.. that it snowed in Abq over the weekend... at some point? maybe sunday... Here... it is in the high 70's to low 80's. Hubby was supposed to take the boys to the pool yesterday, but they never made it! It is funny to me how the temperatures can be so different just 1 state away! I am happy that I am on THIS side of that weather!! Snow can be nice sometimes..... but I am glad it isn't something that I deal with anymore!!! The one thing I am learning about Austin is that it is the allergy capitol of Texas, as well as the actual capitol! This is the first year of my life that I have struggled with alergies like this! To all those who struggle year after year... my sympothies are with you! All, have a terrific Tuesday! God bless! We love ya!

A week in review

I took an impromptu "spring break" this week. I just couldn't think of doing school on Monday. I was just too wiped out. So, we didn't do it! Then... it went from Monday, to.. all week! The beauty of homeschooling. The kids have enjoyed having no school. I have slept in most days cause the little boys wanted to get up with Gavin. Partially because they enjoy being the big cousins.. and partially, because they wanted to give their old mom a break! Hubby has been in training this week, so he has been gone during the days. So, we have been just having peaceful, quiet days just me and the boys.
We have been working on trying to get some responsibility going in this house. Our little boys seem to think that they should just be around hanging out and hanging out and having fun and do just enough, when they are told, to get by. So, I changed things up a bit. Now, every day instead of them switching dishes days and trashes days... I unload the dishwasher in the morning. *unless it isn't full enough to run the night before* and then as we go through our day, everyone is responsible for rinsing their own dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. So there are never dishes left sitting, and no one has to spend upwards of 30 minutes doing the job. Then the rule with the trashes is, if you go to throw something away.. and the can is too full to fit anything, take the trash out! Don't worry about what day of the week it is.. JUST TAKE THE THING OUT!!! And then laundry, they will still have their days.. but it is going to be more of a Ez, your laundry is to the ceiling full.. you do laundry today even though it is Ethans day.. because he did his on monday.. and so he is fine!
The question of the day today is.... On weather channel.com for my zip code it says, 0% chance for precipitation today... IT IS POURING OUTSIDE!!! I think the good ole weather rock got it right. If it is swinging.. it is windy.. if it is wet, it is raining.. if it is still and hot.. it is sunny and still! hahahaha Have a great Friday!!!

Some thoughts

I am sitting here... 8:00 AM on Tuesday morning. Hubby is gone to work. He is working days this week for training. The younger boys are playing chess. Gavin is trying to get in trouble... *which he is good at some days* Illness has hit us a couple weeks ago.. and it is lingering.. Asher has hardly a voice.. Ez's asthma has kicked up.. and he has been throwing up because of how much/hard he has been coughing. Hubby and I both have this just sitting in our chests.... My over all pain level has been high... So my over all moral has been low. I am trying to remember verses.. like, when you are weak, I am strong... My yolk is easy and My burden is light... The joy of the Lord is my strength.... all of those are paraphrased of course... I think we are going to take the week off school. It has been a while since we have had a break, and will be May before the next scheduled week off.. Please pray for us! If you have any verses of encouragement, we could use them!! Love to all!

PRAISE BE TO GOD!

Today, we got to see something that we have been praying for, for a very long time. My brother in law has turned his life and heart over to God! God opened his eyes and showed him that he wasn't saved and wasn't living for Him! We are so excited at being able to watch the change in Shawns life over the last several months. Thank you to all that have been praying with us for him all these years! Enjoy the video!!!

Saturday chores

I decided this morning that my boys needed to have something to do today! So, I made a list of chores. That should keep them out of trouble! In theory... :S I didn't get out my camera in time to get pics of Ethan doing his chores.. so I got a pic of him playing on his PC in Jedi's office. :) This is one of those.. homey Saturdays. I have made a pumpkin cheesecake.. pumpkin cookies, and peach no bake cheese cake. The house is clean... the kids are working.. hubby is up in his office working from home today, which I LOVE!! Praise God for Saturdays, and for a family to share them with!! By the way.. the extra kid helping Asher, is our next door neighbor boy, Jalen.

The heart of the matter

I have been working on several things in my heart and in my home over the last couple weeks. The thing that keeps coming up... is the heart. Yes, it is the red pumpy thing in your chest that keeps your body going.. It is also, talked about a lot in the Bible. We think of our minds as where things come from... Our kids do something wrong, and we ask, what were you thinking?! We do something stupid.. and we say, I don't know where my mind was... But in scripture we find over and over that it is the heart that controls all that.. not the mind... Luke 6:45 says,"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."
What is in our heart is what we think and do... then Jeremiah 17:9-10 says "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways. According to the result of his deeds." In learning things about me, I learn things I have done wrong with my kids. Why do I struggle within myself about having to tell them the same things over and over.. why do I continue to ask why?? I know why.. I deal with the situation right here and now.. like, putting out a fire in a burning building. I see the fire, lets say... disobedience, and I put it out. But I never go back into that building and find the source... so sooner or later, the fire is going to flair again. I am learning , through God's good, faithful, and patient training.. that I have to go into the building that is my childrens hearts... and find the source of that fire before I can expect it to stay out! Scripture also says that God knows the desire of my heart. My desire is to have 3 sons that love the Lord with all their heart, mind and soul and that beyond all else, they will want to live to serve Him. Right now, I have to help them learn that in their lives at this point, what that looks like is obedience to parents, kindness to brothers and friends, kind speach, thoughfulness toward others, honesty..... wait.. maybe that won't ever change?? I think obedience turns to honor as an adult.. we are to honor our parents.. but.. as a child, honor is obedience right? Anyway, pray for us as we buckle down and get into these boys hearts and help them learn to see the filth within that they have to put off and the new life that they should be putting on!! To God be the glory forever and ever!

TPI and other random Monday thoughts.

Monday... What is it about monday?! It is harder to get up.. Harder to get through the day.. and harder to just deal in general... I mean, I could see if Saturday and Sunday were carefree, relaxed days that you are just doing your thing, and then Monday morning its back off to the drudgery of work.. But that rule doesn't apply in my house.. I have to deal with the kids everyday, hubby doesn't work till Wed. afternoon.. We do have to get back to school after 2 days off... Who knows.. maybe that is all it takes, is that one thing.. Who knows.. Anyway, enough whining.. I have a couple things to talk about today.
First off...I am doing a couple Bible studies right now. I have to start off by saying praise God because it is getting me in the word on a daily basis. I need that SOOO BAD! I am really good at making excuses for why I don't, but I know it is better when I am..I am better.. a better mom, wife, friend, person! So that has been great. There have been chalenges, but that is how we grow, right? Then, The other thing is, I have been getting more trigger point injections.. For anyone that I haven't talked to about that *which might be most people* what that is, is just what it sounds like. The doc pushes and prods around on my body to find the most painful spot, that also radiates pain to other places... then he takes a needle and injects that spot with litocane and saline... Hubby says it looks a little like basting a turkey.. poke it in.. pull out some.. move it around.. push it in and inject more.. Well, he has done this for me a few times, and I think it is really helping.. so I have had alot of pain in one specific place the last several days.. so I called this morning and asked him to do one for me.. So I went and got that done this afternoon... OWIE!! I mean.. it really hurts to get the shot... because they inject it into THE MOST PAINFUL SPOT THEY CAN FIND! Then, I have MORE pain right after becasue of the muscle pain from the shot.. and over the next couple days I will have more pain ... then, it should be better and the pain in that area won't come back... for a while anyway. Fibromyalgia is a hard, painful, frustrating, depressing.. thing to have.. Praise God for the wisdom he has given to dr's to figure some things out to try to help!!!
Sorry for the rambling!! Have a happy Tuesday!!

Happy Friday!

Hi all! We are working on finishing up our school day… well, some are working on finishing.. some are in the midst.. and some, are just beginning.. It is one of those days. Today we have a lot of fun planed! We go for our second session of gymnastics. Gavin has been asking to go since he got here! The biggest and best thing of the day, is that hubby took today off work!!! He took the day off originally because he and I were going to take Ethan and his friend to the movie “Race to witch mountain” But then Ethan’s friends parents said they want to preview that movie first, which I understand all too well!!  So, he can’t go tonight. So, we decided to do a special day just us and Ethan. We are going to take him to dinner and then to the movie. Erin is going to stay with the younger boys. I am excited. I don’t know how excited Ethan is.. I know he wants to go to the movie, but…. he is afraid that we are going to start “lecturing” him.. He may be right… That is yet to be seen! :)  I am downloading a bunch of pics and video’s from Ez’s camera… so I am going to post a pic or movie so you can see life from his point of view! He is a pretty good photographer. He really enjoys it!!!  Hope you enjoy it too!!

This is a self-portrait of Ez… Holding a chopstick with an eraser on the end… just because he is Ez.

 

 

 

This is Ethan with his new haircut. He was having fun playing with it!!

Trying another new thing

Having the techie hubby that I have, he is trying to help me figure out newer and better ways to do this so I can get it just like I want it! :)  I don’t know how different this is going to be.. but, I am going to try to put pictures in throughout this post and see if I can make it work! So, lets start with Ethan…

Awww!! Look at my baby!!!!   Ok…. now we will do a more recent one.. This was when he was 4.

Ok, so I will do this one backwards… There is a recent one of Asher… And Ethan :)  Now I will do the older one of Asher! I am going to do pics of all of the boys.. at 4… just because I don’t like that age… so it is a good age to look back on and be out of!!!

Look at those eyes!!!!  Ok, now for Ez!

Now, one of him now! This is fun! hahaha hope you enjoy looking as much as I enjoy doing! :)

Nothing like a chocolate milk mustache self portrait!!

Have a good day!

A new week

Here we are in a new week. Yesterday we were thrown off a bit because we went to San Marcos to help my sister and to get my new hutch and table and chairs. I am really excited! I have been anxious to get my pretty dishes out of the box, and now... 2 years after our move... MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! :) ok... Raise your hand if you can believe it has been 2 years?! Ya... me either. March 26, 2007 we pulled out of the church parking lot and into our new life!
Anyway, sorry, that was a little off subject... So, we didn't do school on Friday, then we only did school for a little bit yesterday, so this week is going to be playing catch-up. Such fun! Started off rocky.. Ez took 4 hours to do his Geography... :-S frustrated me just a little... *sigh* So, hopefully, by the end of Friday, we will be all caught up!
Tomorrow we are going to start a new thing. There is a family at our church who have become good friends of ours... Tami, the mom... :) has her grandmother living with them. She has Alzheimer's and is getting worse little by little.. she is almost 90 years old. So, between homeschooling 3 daughters, having her hubby working from home, and taking care of her grandmother, Tami doesn't get such a thing as time for herself. So, the boys and I are going to start going over there on Wednesday to have lunch with Gramma Char. *short for charlette* I am going to cook lunch here, and serve up some for hubby, then take the rest with us to eat. Then we will get to spend a couple hours with her. She is a very interresting lady. She worked for..... darn.. I can't remember right now, but I will get the whole story again tomorrow.. anyway, it was missions work.. and she has been all over the world. Africa was her fave so she talks alot about that! I will let you know how that goes! I am going to post a picture of me and her.... ummm and I look scary because I was telling the camera to WORK!!! Later!

Sickish

Hubby and I and both our little boys.. have colds... The little boys are coughing and all stuffy... hubby just has a cough... and me.. well, I have... a stuffed up head... stuffed up chest... no voice.. sore throat... I mean.. you name it.. I have it.. stomach... everything is a mess... sigh. I am happy that we were all fairly ok till yesterday... I was sick early in the week.. then felt better... then got sick again. Guess God wants me down a few more days.... We are going to San Marcos tomorrow though... Heather and Shawn got some furniture from his grandma and aunt.. and some of it was stuff I need... So they are giving it to us! We just have to go get it! Yay for family sharing! So, hopefully I will feel better tomorrow! More later!

Try something new

Ok, I want to try something new.. This thing looks like it makes it easy to put up a video, so I am going to give it a shot. I am going to post a video of the boys paper rockets that they built, getting shot off! :) by the way, the ignition was water and a small piece of alka seltzer shaken up in a film case!

NASA day

Gavin is a monkey
Ethan upsidedown
Asher on the paralel's
Ez tuck and jump!
The boys at NASA day
Getting ready to launch!
Building a rocket
Ez the spaceman!
Cooling for a spaceman

We have had a FUN day today!! Started out going to NASA day at the LBJ library! NASA came up from Huston with a bunch of fun experiments, and a couple rocket models, and space suits.. Lots of cool stuff! The kids got to build and launch paper rockets; they got to see and assist in a demonstration on gravity... *no.. Jedi didn't push anyone off a building!* They got to see what happens when you go into someplace with no air.. *using a "marshmallow man* They got to help discover a new planet.. I got alot of cool pictures! I posted on picasa, if you want to see all of them. I will just put a couple up here.
We also started gymnastics today with our homeschool group. The kids LOVED it!! Even Gavin got to participate. I didn't know they would have a little gym.. so that was a fun treat! I had to stay with Gavin so I enlisted my friend Ruthie to take pics of my big kids for me. So the good ones of them are taken by her! THANK YOU RUTHIE!!!! Anyway, hope you enjoy the pictures, again.. I think the pics might come before the words.. don't have this all figured out yet... love to all!!! Link to picasa------ http://picasaweb.google.com/TaniaHammond

Big day

Today was a really big day.. We got up and did school, I did lunch.... then the running started. Ethan had his cardiologist appointment today. It went well, they didn't find anything.. which I expected.. They sent him home with a 24 hour halter monitor. That will record his heart rates for the next 24 hours straight. He is supposed to keep a written log of everything he does and when he does it so that if there is a spike in heart rate, they have an explanation for it, or they know they should be concerned. The appointment took a little over 2 hours... I had made Ezekiel a dr. appointment to have his foot looked at. A week ago when we went to our friends house, Ez dumped the dirt bike. He was still complaining about his foot last night. So, we decided to have it looked at.. Well after being at the cardiologist so long, we missed Ez's appointment. So, I took him to the chiro instead. He checked it out and decided it probably is a fracture.. in his heel. He said to get an aircast... so, I was running looking for that for a while.. didn't find it... then had to run home and get ethan to take him to youth group... then had to take Ezekiel to do a house sitting job he is doing.. then ran and got dinner.. and got home in time for hubby to turn around and go get ethan... so now I am sitting here regrouping and trying to find an aircast on the internet! *sigh* Have a good tuesday!

Super Sunday

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I love it! We get to go fellowship with our Church Family, and then we get to home and rest and just be... We don't have anything we have to do... No where to rush off to. We get home about 2 or 2:30, and just relax. Sometimes we get a nap, sometimes I get to read.. Today, Jedi helped Ethan put up a pull up bar in his room. I think he needs something to do with all the extra testosterone! :) I started a new book, the little boys just played. All has been well. Tomorrow, we are back to the grind. I am still struggling with my attitude. I am having a hard time having a good attitude with being where God has me. I am selfish, and just want to do what I want... Not good. So, I have some new rules in place for the boys... and I have some new rules in place for me. I take Ethan to the cardiologist tomorrow. Pray for good results! Thanks! I will check in tomorrow!