It Was a Monday...

Have you ever had a day that felt like a struggle from beginning to end? That would be yesterday. In the interest of protecting the identities of various off-spring I will not say more. I forgot my method of coping with such days. I SHOULD HAVE HID IN THE BATHROOM - MY PRAYER CLOSET. Instead, I kept trying to "fix" things. I wasn't a wild success. By late afternoon my communication had deteriorated to one word "fine" - "fine" - "fine."  Imagine this word accompanied by a snippy tone, a hand on the hip, and HUGE eye rolling. ::snort::

Last night was our United co-op order. WOW. We've gotten large (5K order - 2K of it was our group's). It took 3 1/2 hours to meet the truck, inventory, sort to various groups (4) and come home. I arrived home at the same time that I'd told others to pick up their stuff at our home. Everyone was GREAT and jumped right in to help. Sorting is a bit eye-straining with our new system - but it got done. We are moving to separate weeks for each individual group to order, and I think that will speed up the time it takes to meet the truck. We'll only have to inventory at the truck and sort once at home.

The end to my trying day, my medicinal treats did not come in. I guess someone thought I could do without a case of dark chocolate (DARK CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART) almonds (also GOOD for your heart). ::Sigh:: Maybe next month. ::snort::

Weekly Fitness Goals

Weekly Goal - 240 Minutes (40 minutes most days)
Totaly Weekly Minutes - 177 minutes

Annual Goal - 11,700 minutes (2900 by end of March)
Minutes to Date - 2,177 minutes

MONDAY - 45 minutes Recumbent Bike
Tuesday - 40 minutes Elliptical Machine
Wednesday - 42 minutes Elliptical Machine
Thursday - 50 minutes Recumbent Bike
Friday - PWOC dinner/project night, produce co-op, shopping for dinner and breakfast
Saturday - fixed breakfast for chapel cleaning group, air show
Sunday - in my dreams
This past week was simply too busy with chapel activities, doctor appointments, etc to get work outs in daily. I deliberately tried to go down to 40 minutes 6 days a week instead of 60 minutes 4x a week, but it didn't work. Maybe this week.
Visit other participants here.

ACK!!! Happy Birthday, DAD!!!!

THIS:

was supposed to keep me from embarassing moments like the above. It was a gift this year at Christmas. I have had a few minutes to breathe in the hectic pace of last week. I updated the blog. I knew Dad's birthday was coming up - I thought the 17th. I flipped the calendar page to see who else had a birthday in March and there is DAD listed on 15 March. ARGH.
I feel like pond scum. They are out celebrating with my brother today.....I'm doomed to feel like pond scum until I can reach Dad. ARGH. I'm even reading a book about how to honor your parents without guilt while raising your children without regrets. I feel guilt....but it will be o.k. when I talk to Daddy.

Air Show

Our base hosted an Air Show yesterday. The USAF Thunderbirds performed. Many re-enlisted or took the oath during the show. I like Air Shows.  Jared worked at the CAP booth and at the Thunderbird tent yesterday. We milled around. Next year: We take MONEY so we can eat or buy something, we take CHAIRS so we can sit, we take SUNSCREEN.... It was a gorgeous day - perfect for an Air Show. How funny that I found myself tearing up when the Thunderbirds performed - combo of knowing those were young (most of them) pilots who could easily deploy, hearing the patriotic music.....
NO WHERE on earth are the differences between Mike and I more stark than at an air show. This is a FAMILY blog. Though it most often oozes estrogen, there are 6 men who live in our home.....so I must post these photos from our family day.
Mike's Air Show Photos (Pretty much without commentary as I don't know what is what)

Staged WW2 Bombing exhibition


B25 Mitchell bomber (same kind used by Jimmy Doolittle)

Check out Zander's awe...





Thunderbirds
4 were flying and the 5th zipped through the middle



Cool!














De'Etta's Air Show Photos


YES - she SLEPT through the Thunderbirds - now THAT is cold. I am at least interested.














Painted on the side of a USAF military fighter type plane

In Mike's defense - he DID take some children photos. In De'Etta's defense - she DID know that Mike would take lots of airplane photos, and that they would be better with the Nikon than the little Cannon. This was our 3rd "family outing" this month with the younger 5 - we're adjusting to life as it is.
Update: Mike added captions for the planes.

Bowling Anyone?

(Yes, it's Sunday and I'm posting. We don't have RE (Religious Education) on school holidays. I have two extra hours in my day.)
Sometime last week, I had to drive a big child to base. I took the younger ones and planned to go workout in the Family Fitness Room. They conned me into a game of bowling before the gym. It's only fair as the Family Fitness Room is simply a long room with workout machines and one end fenced off for children. Fun toys - but a glorified play pen nonetheless, and my children never used such.
The gentlemen watched Stacia bowl, and then said, "Wait, let me get her a cheater."
Stacia proudly yells, "I cheated, I cheated!" ::snort:: I believe she came in with the second highest score. The cheater works.
I missed Arielle's elation at a strike due to the fact that I no longer lug the Nikon around. ::snort:: I told her to "do it again". The improv class is proving beneficial.
Some of us take anything less than a strike very personally.
The same gentlemen with the cheater, brought out this huge pin to cheer Zander up. LOL

CADET OF THE MONTH

Jared came home last night with the news that he had been named Cadet of the Month in his composite local squadron of CAP. PT tests, promotions, bringing friends, grades, attendance, uniform requirements, and exhibiting leadership qualities are all considered in choosing the monthly Cadet. We are proud of Jared.
Jared has been in the CAP for 10 months and has made the rank of Sr. Airman. He's already passed the PT (Physical) and Aerospace tests for his next promotion. He's hoping to make Staff Sgt before his one year anniversary date.

Adding Days to our Lives....

I suppose I can be a bit dense. God ALWAYS shows me things through my time in the Word. Always.

He KNEW this would be the week when I was struggling with drug choices et. al. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD DRUG CHOICES FELL ME LIKE THEY HAVE?  Surrender is tough. I walked through our last miscarriage with sincere trust and rest in the fact that God was in control - that was BIG - and really taking a drug isn't that big, but I woke up in tears this a.m. It is just so HARD to know what to do with all the lab results and doctor's voices.

Bottom line: knowing and believing that God is sovereign I have STILL allowed myself to be very worried about taking a Cat X drug that would present problems if I get pregnant. I've been presented with another option. That option first led to elation (see post earlier this week) and then to confusion as I read that there seem to be heavy indicators of nasty side effects.

I've been fighting. I've been angry. I've been sad. I'm learning to let the anger/emotions motivate me to work out and keep making good choices (as opposed to throwing in the towel and eating a double, bacon, cheeseburger with large fries AND a SODA!). I look at Stacia and remember my "heartless" (JUST KIDDING) doctor saying "Would you like to be around to raise your youngest child?"  And I know that I will keep plodding along. I do want to be here.

I've worried. BUT GOD knew that I would be worried this week. I've read Matthew, Mark, Luke...and THREE times this week I've read that worry will not add a single day to my life. THREE times I've read to seek first His kingdom. THREE times I've read that the Father cares for me. THREE times I've read that the worries of this world can choke out the work of the Word in my life.  It almost seems like Someone was in that rash decision to read the Bible in 90 days - Someone knew that I would need to read these passages over and over this week before they would germinate. Someone knows my heart (that I desire to serve Him wholeheartedly and dwell minute by minute in His presence), and yet, I'm dense at times. I spent my time on the bike today praying. I'm getting it. I'm giving the worry to Him. He knows.

I'm praying for wisdom to sort through the haze of info and make a wise decision. Mike is a huge help here because you all know that I wouldn't be doing any drugs if HE hadn't put his foot down and told me to listen to the doctor. ::snort::

I plan to make a chart. ::snort:: Yes, a CHART. I will list each drug, the side effects, how it works, what effect it may have on pregnancy, and then I'll be able to SEE a bit clearer. Yes, I know that my Bible Study ladies will get a kick out of that admission. I shared this with Liz, a fellow homeschooler, and she told me that I'm "such a homeschooler."  LOL I'm going to make a chart in my next spare time slot, and I wrote all this out to let you know that I've determined to surrender this to God and quit the worrying - as many times a day as I need to.

I'm remembering DO NOT FRET! Choose Joy! my personal mantra. Isn't it totally silly that I could sail through a miscarriage and be undone by DRUG CHOICES??????