Where your treasure is

I have heard several things from other parents as of late about how their young children (like 6-10) have discovered the different "high dollar" clothing labels and now will only wear soandso. These poor parents then fret over "Oh, how will we ever make it through the teen years when it is so expensive to have little kids."  These parents have created their own monster and will pay dearly for it later. I have tried very hard to not allow my children to be overly picky and I sure don't want them to be materialistic. The Bible tells us to lay our treasures up in heaven and where our treasure is there will our heart be also. When our treasures consist only of the latest styles, the best car, the biggest house, and ALL the latest gadgets there is no room left for God. Of course I want to be able to give my children some of the things that they want but I also want them to be appreciative of what they have. On Christmas the Lord gave me the opportunity to see first hand that the efforts I have put into my children have not been in vain. The kids know full well that this year has not been a great year financially and I honestly think they expected little to nothing in the way of presents. They never saw me bring anything home from a shopping trip (I'm very sneaky!) so they had no evidence that there would be presents at all. That did not seem to bother them in the least. The excitement was still there and we had lots and lots of discussions about what Christmas is REALLY about. They enjoyed seeing the decorations around town and even wanted to stop and explain to people why the nativity scene in their yard was not correct. They were excited to get to see their Nana, to spend a night away from home, and just have a few days of family time. On Christmas morning they woke up to one present apiece in the living room and they were so grateful. They were happy with what they got even though none of the 3 presents were even new! I was given a 10 speed bike the week before Christmas and Kenyon just happened to need a new bike. It was in perfect condition but the chain was rusted. I asked Kenyon what he thought about it and he just said "just what I wanted, all I need now is can of wd40!" I assured him I would be buying a new chain but just did not have time before Christmas to get one after I got the bike. The girls each got a Baby Alive doll that I had found on Craigslist and of course they each loved them. We then got ready for church and headed out the door. I already had the car packed with clothes, pillows and blankets for a trip to Nana's house. Church that morning was great and the kids were happy to share what they had gotten with all their friends. There was not a hint of disappointment from any of them. After church we loaded up and headed to Monty's mom's house. When we arrived, she took all three kids to her room to show them the stockings stuffed full of goodies she had prepared for them. When they came out of her room to share this unexpected treat they saw this......

 There was nothing under that tree when we walked in. It took only a few moments for them to notice that THEIR stockings were under that tree! They were in a total state of unbelief. They had no idea how their stockings made it to Nana's house. They started asking if I had mailed them or something and even "made their brain hurt" trying to figure it out.  (did I forget to mention that the pillows and blankets in the back of the SUV were not just for a overnight trip but also to cover a load of presents and stockings☺told ya I was sneaky!) They still never figured out how their stockings got to Nana's house but were pleasantly surprised that the gifts also had their names on them.
After I had been sufficiently assured that tons of gifts really was NOT the main thing about Christmas in my children's hearts, we let them open their new presents.

 Keslee really has a desire to learn to knit, crochet and sew. She got a knitting machine, a weaving loom and a friendship bracelet kit. She has plenty of projects to work on now.

 "Oh Bother." I just love Eeyore and so does Kalysa. Keslee got the matching Pooh Bear.

 Look at that smile☺ She got exactly what she has been wanting for the past year....

 Her own MP3 player loaded with her favorite songs by great singers like Brother Jayson, Kaylie, Sarah, Jessica, Hannah, and the Petricks-all of which she enjoys seeing live on any given Sunday. Kenyon and Keslee both got one last year and Kalysa has waited patiently all year to be able to enjoy her music without having to ask her sister.

 Monty got just what he wanted as well, a Dallas Cowboy trash can to go in his Dallas bathroom.

 After presents there was plenty of family time. Time to try to explain your games to Nana.

 Time to put together your new Build-a-bear.

 Even time to start on some of your crafts-like making your own head bands.
and of course............

                                         TIME TO EAT!!!

 We had a great time on Christmas day and a beautiful day the next day. Just sunny and warm enough for Kenyon to try out his new football with his dad.

Of course, no day that daddy does not have to go to work would be complete without an impromptu wrestling match!

All in all, we had a great Christmas with Monty's mom. And I got just what I wanted-a day full of surprises and smiles, and lots of family time without greed and selfishness. There is my treasure-sitting on the couch with their Nana!

When your daddy works in a warehouse....

You have a steady stream of duct tape around the house. Monty brings home all types of tape and glue quiet often and it is a little girl's dream come true. Especially when he brings pretty, colorful tape. We all know that duct tape can fix just about anything but when you add a little imagination there is no end to the possibilities!

 Keslee has been on a shoe making kick lately.

 This white tape with the pretty black flowery designs was perfect for some baby shoes.

 ......and they fit!!

 Ain't she a cutie?!?!

 If your G.I. Joe doll doesn't have any pants, the zebra striped tape works just great!

 Got a barbie that just really needs a pair of knee high boots? Black duct tape to the rescue.

 Use black and zebra striped to make an entire  outfit.

 The paint splatter tape was the girls' favorite but we were only able to get one roll-enough for one shoe and a pair of flip flops.

We had enough of the flowery tape left from the baby shoes for Keslee to make a pair for Kalysa.

After Keslee had made everyone else a gift she ran out of all the pretty tape. She asked Monty to bring her some more home and unfortunately all he could get was this halloween tape with skull designs. It was not her favorite but the ugly design didn't take away from the fun of creating one more pair of shoes.
Oh what fun with duct tape☺

Give 'em what they really want

 Christmas day is approaching faster and faster and everybody is doing their last minute gift shopping. I have talked before about how important it is for us to have our children's hearts. Christmas is a perfect opportunity for parents and grandparents to secure that hold. The easiest and best way is to give them what they want. Now before any one gets all in an uproar, I am in no way saying we should give our children EVERYTHING they ask for. I am not saying that we should go into debt and spend beyond our means in order to appease a child's never ending appetite for more stuff. What I am saying is listen to your child when they tell you the things they would like to have. Consider their feelings while you are shopping. Especially if you ASK them what they would like to have!! I have had several conversations as of late with a few adults that have no memory of getting just what they wanted from their parents. It had nothing to do with a lack of presents, they got plenty of presents just not what they had longed for. It could be as simple as wanting a Superman color book and getting a Batman book instead. When that happens consistently with every present they receive, a child will begin to realize that they don't really matter to you.  The adults I know that had that type of a childhood do not have the type of relationship with their parents now that I hope to have with my own grown children. They struggle putting other people's feelings before their own weather that other person is their spouse or their own children. They were taught by example to always think of themselves first because nobody else would. They live their entire life in a state of disappointment and it seems impossible for them to really trust others. I am so thankful that my parents took the time to think of us at gift giving time. When a 4 year old ONLY wants a Holly Hobby Doll bed and that is exactly what she gets, she remembers -for her whole life-that her parents truly valued her and her feelings.

Thats what I love about homeschool!

After we finished our lessons together,  I gave each kiddo instruction on some lessons to do on their own while I finally got a shower. I had to go back to the laundry room to find my socks and I noticed everyone was gone from the school area-aka the kitchen table.  I thought I better double check that things were getting done and this is what I found....

 One boy laying on the couch all cozy under a blanket with his science workbook.......

and two girls on the back porch, also under a cozy blanket, with a math test and an SRA.

I love homeschooling☺

Trying to control myself

Within the first few days of being laid up on the couch, the kids and I started talking about what lessons God may have for each of us through this trial. The fact that God knew what was happening and was in control was something I wanted to keep in the fore front of our minds. I began to pray, on my own and with the family, that we would learn the things God had for us to learn. There were many different lessons with selfishness being the big one. I could see right away that my husband and kids would have to put aside any selfish tendencies. Monty and the kids were forced to think of and put my needs before their own for obvious reasons. I COULDN'T take care of myself. I needed help with everything from getting across the room, to getting a drink, to cleaning house. Me and my leg had to be on their minds at all times. When anyone took a shower, they had to remember to make sure there were NO drops of water on the floor because the slightest wet spot would send a crutch out of control and I would be on the floor. When the girls played they always had to remember not to leave any toys laying on the floor or my path would be blocked and I wouldn't be able to get around at all. Monty had to think of things he normally never does; do we need toilet paper, what day is the electric bill due, do the kids have any clean clothes. They were all at my beck and call day and night because there were plenty of times that I needed something I couldn't get to or got into a position that I could not get out of on my own. It seemed rather obvious that God wanted them to put aside their own selfishness, and they were awesome. I was SOOO proud of them...but what lessons did God have for me?
 You see, I really like to be in control of things. I am the first born, I am the leader, I like to take care of business. There are times that I think, well I am doing everything for everyone...where would they be without me...good thing that I'm not selfish or these folks would be lost...and I could go on and on.
Well that is pure selfishness!!
Yes, I normally take care of everything because I am the only one that can do it right (or at least my definition of right). I have to  make sure things get done around here or nothing will ever get done (or so I thought). Well it didn't take me long to see that my family is capable of surviving without me. They all ate, took baths, cleaned up and the kids even did a little bit of school WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM ME. No, Kenyon and Keslee did not do the laundry exactly like I do but the clothes were still clean. Even though the clothes did not always end up in the right drawer, they still got put away. Monty did not buy groceries the way I do. Sometimes he brought home things I would never get or even got the wrong thing but it worked just as well. I was helpless without them and they didn't need me to survive.
WOW!
That is a tough one for this control freak. I was not  accepting my lesson nearly as gracefully as the others. They had so easily dropped everything to care for me and all I could think about was all I would have to do to fix everything when I was finally able. I felt selfish for asking my family to do everything for me. It took me a while to realize that they were happy to help me but I was the one that was unhappy about receiving that help from them or anyone else. God knew that my own selfishness was so deep and hidden that the only way I would be able to  learn this lesson was if I were taken completely out. I HAD to be rendered totally useless for more than a few days in order to even start to see it.  I say start to see it because now I feel like I have barely scratched the surface. I have so much to change. Now that I am able, I am trying not to just take over again. I am trying to find a balance between getting things done and letting others get things done-on THEIR time and THEIR way.  Funny how controlling things has made controlling get so out of control.  I am now attempting to take control of that control. I had always counted my ability to keep things in check as an asset but the Lord has begun to open my eyes to what a liability it really is. A liability to me and every member of my family.

Practical lessons

We have been back to school and going strong for a few weeks now. Lots of students have a fall break but we had an extended "break" break from school. While I was on pain pills, we just could not keep up with our daily school. Kenyon did work on alot of his on his own but with all the extra responsibilities he took on he didn't get a whole lot done. The girls tried and mainly only did some math and handwriting. As I mentioned before, I was on pain pills every 4 hours for almost a month. Thanks to the wonderful side effects, I could not stay awake long and often nodded off when we would try to do school. Since we use My Father's World, I teach and read most of the history to everyone together each day and we have discussions and make notebook sheets. Another side effect I suffered was double vision. I could not see straight to read. That really puts a damper on things when our days normally revolve around ME reading. Thankfully I have been homeschooling long enough to realize that not all, and often not even most, of our learning time is actual "school" time. Even though we were not hitting the books, my kids were learning every single day! Of course, most other people do not always understand that as evident by a conversation Keslee had with the little girl across the street...

Neighbor girl: How are you getting your school work done?
Keslee: We haven't really done much school lately.
N.g.: I feel sorry for you! When you are 21 years old you are going to be so stupid!

Although I knew they were learning, when my concerned daughter relayed this conversation to me, I knew I had to do better at letting the kids know that they were learning as well and how proud I was of them. I then started taking the time to point out the things that they were learning that they may not have if it weren't for this trial.

 For instance...How many (non-homeschooled) 9 year olds can make an entire meal for a family of 5? Keslee had not done much cooking but always likes to "help" in the kitchen. One night she decided that she wanted to make dinner all by herself and she did! She ordered me to stay out of the kitchen and if she had a question she would come ask. When it came time for her to drain the grease off of the hamburger meat, I told her I would come help with that so that she did not burn herself. She assured me that she could do it but I just wasn't as sure. I decided to make my way into the kitchen anyway. Since I was not as quick as I used to be, I made it there just in time to see her finishing up with a smile on her face to say "See? Told ya I could do it."  She made taco salad for supper and topped it off with strawberry shortcake for dessert.

 After I got my staples taken out, I had to remove my splint and wash my ankle everyday. The incisions were doing good but the wound that the bone had made had to heal on it's own from the inside out. That was the only spot the doctor seemed real concerned about and we had to be sure that it did not "get ugly" (as my doctor put it). Since Monty is gone the biggest part of the day, I had to do something I never would have thought I could do. I had to put my medical care in the hands of a 13 and 9 year old. Kenyon and Keslee took over and were unbelievable! Everyday one of them would help me remove the splint and wash the wounds.

After everything was clean and doctored, they re wrapped my leg. Having 2 broken bones and no hard, protective cast really made me feel like my leg was very vulnerable.  The times that the splint was also off was a stressful time for all of us. My foot was purple, about 3 times fatter than the other one, had scars, steri-stips and open wounds and I could not move it. Any wrong move or if the splint was not exactly in the correct position put me in horrible pain and my nurses were very aware of that. To be able to wash, doctor and wrap a wounded leg under that type of pressure would have to be tough for anyone. To do it for someone you love and would never want to inflict pain on, well that is serious. All I can think about are the times when my kids had a splinter or a huge, deep sticker in their foot. As a mother, you know you have to get it out but as a mother holding a crying child that is screaming "DON'T TOUCH IT!" you almost don't want to do it. That must be how my own children were feeling. (and, yes there were times when Keslee and I both cried through the whole process.)     When I say that my children amaze me what I mean is...they AMAZE me!!!

There were lots of other practical lessons that the kids were learning along the way. Kenyon cooked almost everyday. He also did the laundry and taught Keslee how to use the washing machine so she could help. Kalysa got really good at taking clothes out of the washer and starting the dryer. Since our dishwasher went out right in the middle of everything else, Kenyon got to do dishes. The girls have done dishes by hand several times and I just did not realize that Kenyon never had before. Kalysa can now sweep the floor correctly. Since Monty got to do all the shopping, Keslee was the go to girl to ride along. She knows just which kind of dish soap, toilet paper, shampoo and etc. that we use in this house. It wasn't just me that noticed what all the kids were learning. One day my grandma came by and she told them that they shouldn't worry to much about their school work because we can catch that up anytime but they were learning things that they will use their entire lives; lessons that most kids today don't ever get to learn at home. Hearing that from her was a blessing to us all.

 Oh yeah, there was plenty of learnin goin on 'round here!  And of course EVERYONE in the house learned.....





how to walk on crutches ☺.



....2 months later.....

Well, it has been 2 months since that fateful night that changed our entire lives. I would have never guessed how much one broken ankle could effect-every-single-aspect-of our daily lives!!! I mean, I had done it before with no problem.
I broke the same ankle 20 years ago. I was 19 (HEY now-STOP doing the math!!!) and in college. We had already had a good snow storm in the Oklahoma Panhandle and on halloween day I was wrestling around with one of the basketball players as we each tried to throw the other into a snow drift. In Oklahoma, we don't just get snow without a good layer of ice to go with it and I found that ice....right in front of the dorm...with plenty of onlookers...I broke my ankle. As I sat in the ER with my best friends, Amy and Cathy, we laughed and joked the whole time. I got a splint and some crutches and headed back to school. I made it back to my room (did I mention that I lived on the the 3rd floor!?!) and that night I stayed in my dorm room all alone and watched out my window as everyone else went across the street to the ballroom and a weekend dance. That dance was the only thing I remember missing out on the entire time(well, besides some classes but that can't really be blamed on the leg). That broken leg did not  slow me down at all. I went up and down 3 flights of stairs everyday, I drove, went to the sporting events,  hung out with my friends, and I even moved out of the dorm and into my first house with that broken leg.

This was definitely not THAT broken leg.

Of course I have to note that...
     I only broke one bone then and this time I broke 2
    The bone did not come through the skin then like it did this time
     I did not have surgery then like I did this time
     and of course I am NOT 19 this time
This time I almost could not even function. The pain was unbelievable!! For about the first month I was on pain pills every 4 hours. I never slept more than about 2-3 hours at a time during the day or night. I had crutches but it was not anything like the first time. Since I did not have a hard cast and did not even have the surgery for the first 10 days, I could not even rest my foot on the floor. The angle of the splint was not 90* so my toe was slightly pointed. That meant that I could not put my foot behind me without banging my toe on the floor. Have you ever tried hopping on one foot with the other held straight out in front of you?? It is NOT easy. Thankfully the church loaned me a wheelchair and I don't know what I would have done without that!! Since I was basically immobile my husband and kids had to take over. Monty did all the shopping and errand running. Kenyon took over the cooking and laundry. Keslee and Kalysa helped out being mom's nurse, cleaning up and helping Monty and Kenyon as much as they could. Through it all, God was/is still in control and we each had lessons He wanted us to learn. We each had growing to do.  I am collecting my thoughts and hope to share some of that with you soon. As for now, I am up and walking-in a huge and uncomfortable hard boot! I am now able to gradually take back over the running of my household and we are getting back into a good routine with our school work. God is good!