A Lifetime of Love

I opened up my blog to allow anyone to read it. It scares me to do that; I am very apprehensive about not knowing who reads it. I switched to this hosting site to better know who was viewing my web page because of the comments left by total strangers at the last web host. BUT, not everyone wanted to log-in here each time. So, to combat that and to make me feel better, I have shortened all of our names to just initials. If you know me and my family, you should be able to figure out to whom I am referring. If not, email me and I'll consider sharing that information. I am also feeling better today. Just a little congested but nothing to complain about. I have a million things to do today and a few errands to run. I am actually excited about that since we haven't been out of the house in a few days. Well, that's not true. We did go to the doctor and library yesterday, neither of which was enjoyable. I am helping to bring a meal to Mark's widow this evening. That is weird t...

As in Jeff Gordon's race car, not the TV show. My dad went to the NASCAR race in Indianapolis a few weeks ago and bought souvenirs for the boys. Aren't they cute in their matching shirts? I am feeling a little better this evening. My medicine kicked in, and I was able to nap this afternoon for about an hour and a half. The Lord allowed TJ to come home at lunch time and stay to help this afternoon. Of course, now he's feeling sick, too. We stayed home from church this evening because all of us are sick. Our entertainment for the evening was a trip to the library to return some books. I know, you are so jealous of my action-packed life!

I am worse today than I was yesterday. I went to the doctor yesterday evening and I was prescribed a mouthwash with a numbing agent to help my throat. The doc did a strep test and it came back negative, but she also prescribed an antibiotic because she said it may be too early to test and my throat was awfully raw. Yeah, no kidding! I ran a fever through the night and broke out in chills about 3:30AM. I couldn't get warm enough. TJ slept with Ta because he's still not feeling well. Without TJ in bed, I didn't have the extra body heat to keep me warm. I feel miserable today and am scheduled to work in the nursery at church this evening. I don't even want to get off the couch let alone watch other people's babies! T.G. has her 9-month well visit this morning. I was hoping TJ would be able to come home from work and take her, but no such luck. I have to muster up the energy to shower, get dressed, and feed the kids before making the journey. I hate being sick...

The Lord is really humbling me today. Because T.G. is teething, she has cold-like symptoms that are making her cranky. Additionally, Ta was up at 3:30AM this morning with croup. Despite being sick, his energy is the same. I am also not feeling well. My throat and left ear hurt terribly. I am going to call the doctor later this afternoon to be seen this evening. I still haven't showered yet; I don't have the energy. Because my throat hurts, I haven't been talking much today. The kids love it, I'm sure! Since I'm not feeling well, I've been praying A LOT for the wisdom, grace, and mercy that I need in order to mother today. The Lord has answered my prayers and allowed T.G. to take a good morning nap. Also, the boys have been getting along fairly well. The minor tiffs they've had have been handled well by me, if I do say so myself. As TJ put it, get through this morning and then rest this afternoon with the kids. Sounds great to me! I'm off to l...

I talked TJ into going through the kids' toys and selling some of them. We just have way too much stuff, and in the past I've donated the toys to the Crisis Pregnancy Center. I am going to try sell them at a consignment sale and use the money to buy the kids some clothes. Whatever doesn't sell, I'll then donate. I am looking forward to going through the toys; I just need to find time to do so. School begins again in 2 weeks. I am excited, but also stressed at the same time. My time is limited as it is, and school only adds to it. In addition to taking classes, I am leading a Bible study for some friends of mine. This will be my second time leading a Bible study, and I love to do it. I love sharing with others the many ways the Lord has blessed me, convicted me, and taught me. We are doing a study on stress, so it will be beneficial to me, as well. We begin next week, and meet 10 times over the next couple of months. God has been dealing with me the past couple of ...

I've been doing better with the kids the past couple of days. I visited a friend of mine yesterday morning who has 4 children and is pregnant with her fifth. Her kids are all less than 2 years apart, and I always receive a blessing when I spend time with her. She is very laid-back and easy-going; not at all like me! Her philosophy is pretty much let them be kids unless they're hurting themselves or someone else. Who cares about the mess they make, which is where I struggle with my kids. I am such a neat-freak that to see a mess in my house stresses me out. I can feel my blood pressure rise when I see the toys and chaos. I am trying to teach my children to put away their toys when they want to play with something else, and my friend just has them clean up at the end of the day. After spending time with her, I remember not to make a big deal about the small things, so it makes parenting a little easier because I'm not constantly griping at my children. I guess I just ...

Thanks to Carole who instructed me on how to do it, I am adding my posts from my old blog over to this one. Click on "Older Posts" to read about the past few months. I am adding a few at a time, so please be patient. Blessings, T