How are you....REALLY?

So how are you....Really?  How's Kim?

That is a question I get a lot.  I usually answer with..."I'm fine" or "busy" or "we're good."

While these are true answers,because we really are fine and busy and things are good in the bigger picture...we are all healthy and together and love each other....but they are not totally complete answers....

I am frustrated.  I'm frustrated that Randy doesn't have a job and he's been looking so hard.  I'm frustrated that he's spent his entire career in the building industry and it's virtually non-existent and so at 36 with 5 children he has to "start over" and try to find a new career. I am frustrated that I can't help out financially while he is looking because of the lifestyle we have chosen.   I am frustrated that several of my kids have learning issues.  I am frustrated that I can't just go shopping...I know it's shallow...but it is true. 

I am discouraged.  I don't know how to "fix" this.  I don't know how to make it all better.  I don't know what Randy can do that he isn't doing.  I don't see an end.  To me that is discouraging.  Not seeing when it will end.  Not knowing how long it will go on.  Not seeing results.

I am sad.  I want sunshine and roses and ease.  I want Randy to have a job that is fulfilling and enjoyable and in Durham.  I want my kids to be able to read and speak with ease. 

I am angry.  I feel like we are being punished.  I feel like we are in a situation and we don't have any control.  I feel like my daughter works so hard and is doing so well and yet everything is hard for her.  It makes me MAD!

I feel like quitting some days.  It seems too hard.  Too long.  Too boring.  Too pointless.

I feel like there are too many needs for me to meet and I'm just out of what it takes to meet them.

So that is why I say I am okay.  To give a full answer is just TMI.  I am okay.  My feelings are just that feelings.  I tell my kids feelings matter, they are important, and it is good to share how you feel....HOWEVER feelings do not equal truth.  So glad I know the truth even when I don't feel it! 

But that is how I am....
Trudging through life, Clinging to The Truth and looking forward to better days!

Kim

Weekly Update

Still enjoying school.

Twinkie Boy loved making 'Skip Jack' boats and sailing them in the bathtub.

He was so excited to see that they really did float!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Got to play outside with our neighbors a lot this week!

Met the newest pup in our neighborhood "Pumpkin" our neighbors miniature Chihua

Got to hang out with some of the Wilford kids while Mommy was at the hospital!

Did science experiments on combustion.

Wow!  Twinkie Boy looks even taller from this angle....this is one of about 50 pictures he took when he absconded with my camera!

Popcorn

Tents

Sisters....and Friends....

Movie

Good Times!

Plan B

Okay I have been busy praying over a plan for my girl. I have spent every free moment I have researching treatment options and been using all this information to formulate a comprehensive whole person plan for my girl.

Nobody but my mom (and maybe Randy) will probably be interested in this....It is long and probably TMI.....Don't say I didn't warn you!

So......in my research I have learned that because she has Childhood Apraxia of Speech and Dyslexia these may be the symptoms and not the root of the problem.  The root may be a neurological issue that needs to be addressed.  So I am going to try to address it neurologically.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech is
is a motor speech disorder.  Children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables and words.
This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis. The brain has problems planning to move the body parts (e.g. lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech.The child knows what she wants to say, but her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those sounds.

Dyslexia is
a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.
These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.

If you notice the underlined parts of both definitions have to do with sounds.  Saying sounds and hearing sounds is at the root of both Apraxia and Dyslexia.  If you also notice from the bolded parts of the definition they are both neurological in origin.  If you notice the blue part of the Apraxia definition you will see there is also a physical component.  So obviously I am not a doctor, a professional, a therapist....etc. but I do see connections.  I have researched a lot....

So here is my Plan B:
First I broke down each aspect of my daughter that needs to be addressed.  I came up with these categories:
Spiritual, Mental, Physical, Emotional

THE PLAN

Spiritual

• Pray for God’s intervention in her neurodevelopment Every. Single. Day.
• Find and claim and pray scripture over her.

Mental

• Independent scientific, replicated research supports the use of a reading and spelling system that is simultaneously multisensory, systematic, and cumulative with direct and explicit instruction in both synthetic and analytic phonics with intense practice. Which is what the Susan Barton’s Tutoring System is!!!!

Physical

• There is some sort of a connection with balance and reading/speaking/academic improvement. So I am going to try to make daily schedule of balance skills: Wii Fit using balance games, trampoline activities, balance board, koosh ball throw left to right while balancing on one foot, gymnastics.
• Evidence shows brain function improvement with adding fish oil supplements containing omega 3 fatty acids, Efalex, and Bee pollen in addition to regular muti-vitamin.  So I'm going to make sure with their pediatrician, Pepaw, a bee keeper friend, and a nurse friend of mine that this would do no harm....but if it won't and I can get a dose recommendation I plan to implement this within the week.
• Work daily on bilateral integration.  What is bilateral integration?  This is a fancy way of saying coordination between the right and left sides of the body. In the grand sense of the term, it means everything that our body does across its mid line. This means any signals sent from one side of the brain to the other. It means the two eyes tracking a flying ball together. It means coordinating the muscles on both side of your trunk and neck to twist around and look at something behind you while seated. Likewise, it means using those same muscles in more subtle contractions to keep your balance while you walk and run. It means being able to move your tongue side-to-side in your mouth (Common problem with apraxia) because the lateral muscles on either side of your tongue work together. In the area of fine motor, people are usually talking about using the two hands together or else about hand dominance when they talk about bilateral integration. However, all of these areas are interrelated, and someone who has significant bilateral integration dysfunction will probably have a cluster of difficult areas such as balance, smooth eye tracking, and coordinated use of both hands together, and possibly language processing delays as well.
• Listening Fitness with Lift…..WAY too expensive….but I’m going to work on this because I think it will make a HUGE difference….in SEVERAL of my children! http://www.listeningfitness.com/ explains more if you are interested.

Emotional

• Talk about her strengths: Dyslexia is often called "the gift of dyslexia" because these children's left brain hemispheres are often much more developed then "normal kids" which make them extraordinarily good problem solvers, extremely creative, and very visual with unbelievable gifts in seeing things spatially to the point that some archetecs actually seek out dyslexics.  I want to conciously point out her strengths.
• Read her children’s books about kids with dyslexia…I have found several recommendations online that I want to get her for Christmas.
• Teach her about famous dyslexics and their accomplishments: Alexander Graham Bell, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, Ansel Adams, Stonewall Jackson, Cher, Winston Churchill, Andrew Jackson, John F. Kennedy, George Washington, Henry Ford, Agatha Christie, Walt Disney....and MANY more!
• Teach her how to respond to mean/uneducated people.

How you can pray:

• For me to diligently work the plan.
• For me to be able to convience someone to let us "borrow" their Lift for a few months.  PRAY I can find and make a connection with some kind soul. I'm going to work on this Monday....
• Praise that we live in a day and age with so much information, technology, and resources available!

Footnote:  I will be using this plan for Twinkie Boy too.  He also has Apraxia....and most likely dyslexia.  I just get overwhelmed when I think of how much they both need!

THANKS!  If you read all this...you are a trooper or a nerd like me :)

I like have a plan....now I've got to figure out how to fit it into our day!

Pondering Passages

So this week Shay's Pondering Passages was on Hebrews 10-19-25

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

This passage was very encouraging to me this week.  It is amazing to me how when I am pondering on a passage the Lord NEVER fails to use it to speak to me in a very personal way AND how throughout the week I see/experience things that remind me of the pondering.
Just this week in worship on Sunday morning we sang a song and one of the lines of the song was "Jesus tore the veil" and I immediately thought of this passage and how Christ opened the curtain.  Every time I hear this phrase I have an almost physical reaction.  I am so filled with joy.  I LOVE that he tore the veil....WHY?  As I pondered this part of the passage I realized that there are several things I love about it. 

When Christ tore the veil.....it is a physical.....fairly radical.....and definitely brash show of his power.  He is literally throwing out the old way....the ritual.....the law....and saying here is a new way!  YOU ARE FREE!  Freedom is so appealing to me.  I don't want to be in bondage to rules and regulations....but to this Jesus who tore open the way with his very body and life so that I could walk in freedom....to him I will gladly be in bondage!  He is also saying YOU can come to ME....without a priest....without a preacher.....without a Rabbi.....without a teacher......I can go to THE Rabbi.....directly.....personally.....whenever and WHEREVER I want!  THE ruler of the the whole universe.  I can't go to the President with my troubles....I can't go to the Governor with my concerns....I can't go to the Mayor with my hearts desires.....but I CAN talk to the Creator of the UNIVERSE the KiNG oF KINGS....with whatever I want....Whenever I want and HE wants to talk to me.  He wants to relate to me.  He wants to hear me.  Not only does he want to and not only is he available....he designed the setup....he tore the veil so I could come to him.  AMAZING LOVE!

Sorry....I get a bit carried away!  LOVE ME SOME JESUS!

I could go on and on....but one more thing that really spoke to me is HIS Faithfulness.  It is part of his character.  It does not say he can be faithful.  It says we can hold to him and hope in him because HE IS FAITHFUL!  Hallelujah!  Faithfulness is a good quality!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!
Off to read Shay's blog
Kim

My Heart

Wow!  My heart is full right now.  Not perhaps with what most people would guess given our current situation.  I am not worried about Randy's job loss, I am hopeful that he will find one soon.  I am not stressed over finances.  I am watching where we spend our nickles and dimes but I know the Lord is going to provide.  However....I'm worried about my girl.  Perhaps worried is not the right word.  Maybe concerned would be a better choice....at least it sounds more spiritual!

My beautiful, sweet, artistic, athletic, little girl.....
She has so many gifts.....she is so very precious......I long for her to succeed.....I long for her to have an easy life.....I long to protect her....

I don't know what to do.

So.....Anyway....Last night I FINALLY got a chance to read a few articles in my summer 2011 edition of This Old Schoolhouse Magazine.  Guess what the theme of the magazine is for the summer.....Learning Disabilities! 
Here are the articles I read last night:
Confused by Dyslexia Jolie's Story....by Diane Hurst
Educational Remediation From the Brain Stem up an Interview with Anna Buck
To Worry or Not to Worry about Your Child's Development by Deborah Woodward
Teaching Your Right-Brain Child Plan B by Dianne Craft

To say I was blessed would be an understatement!  (Thanks again Mama for the BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER.....this magazine subscription has been WONDERFUL!)  However.....I was also sad.  Why?  Because this is going to be a life long issue.  There is not a quick fix. 

I am an A,B,C....1,2,3.....task master.  I like plans.  I like systems.  I like directions.  I like to work the plan.
I. am. so. overwhelmed.  Her needs are bigger then my wallet.  They are bigger then my abilities.  They are bigger then my energy. 

BUT THEY ARE NOT BIGGER THEN MY GOD!!!!!

I don't have a plan.  I don't know how to "fix" this. 

WHERE I AM WEAK HE IS STRONG!!!!

So.....I am in the process of developing a plan.  I have decided to focus on what I am doing and what I can do and stay aware and educated about things....even if I can't afford them because maybe one day I can or maybe the Lord will show me another way that is less expensive that can meet the same needs.....

I will probably be blogging about this on a fairly regular basis because it is where my heart is right now.

The number one part of my plan is this:  I am going to give it to God.  He is big enough.  He does love her.  He did create her this way and he wants what is BEST for her!  So he and I do have the same agenda.  If the outcome looks the same remains to be seen :).  But I do trust him and I do know HE IS FAITHFUL!

So how am I going to give it to God?  Every. single. morning. in. prayer.  I will pray over  this sweet girl every. single. day. until. something. happens.  If I do nothing else she is going to be absolutely covered in my prayers.  Although I have a few other ideas too :)  But that is A # 1.  If you would like to pray with me here is how you can:

So please my friends pray:
1.  That discouragement does not get a foothold in my heart.
2.  That I will focus on the improvement I see and not the speed with which it is coming.
3.  That I will not tell a particularly mean little girl to "shut up" ( I KNOW it's not right....but it's really where I am right now.....ugh!) and that I will instead extend grace and realize that she behaves the way she does because of behaviors she has learned and that it is not personal to my girl....grrr!  Don't ask who it is....because I won't tell!  Just pray for The Mama and The Girl because we both get our feelings hurt when hers are hurt!
4.  That the Lord would grant me wisdom in choosing the best therapies.
5.  Pray for me to be gentle and patient.  I know your not suppose to pray for that....but seriously.....My girl needs a gentleness and patience that is not in my human nature.  She needs a lot of compassion and a lot of understanding and a lot of time......so pray for the supernatural!
6.  Praise that we are able to use a top of the line curriculum especially designed for children with dyslexia.
7.  Praise that she is able to take gymnastics and that she loves it and is successful at it (the balancing is very helpful in children with neurological issues-which dyslexia is).

Okay....I think I'm going to make it down from the ledge now :)  Thanks again to all of you for allowing me to vent!  I may share the beginnings of my plan next time.  And for those of you who pray for me and my girl....THANK YOU.....I am more grateful than you know!

Love,
Kim

Weekly Update

The Twinkies both were promoted to the Kindergarten program at church on Sunday so they were really excited to have Pastor Marc present them with their very own Bibles!

Then Sunday night our sweet friends from Sunday School had us over for dinner.

The kids had soooo much fun-playing with chickens

and riding go-carts

We enjoyed a delicious meal complete with homemade ice cream and had a sweet time of fellowship!

Monday it was back to the books!

We finally finished up the Suspension Bridge....didn't turn out exactly how we had hoped....but they still enjoyed making it!

The kids loved playing a Jeopardy Game that goes along with our Roadtrip Across the USA curriculum.

Twinkie Boy has been trying to have rematch games all week.  He LOVED it!

They all enjoyed making blueberry muffins

which went along with our study of Maine.

We got to choose between making Lobster or Blueberry Muffins

My kids of course chose the muffins!

I loved them!

However the kids didn't think they were sweet enough!

Geography is definitely turning out to be the favorite class this year!

Another highlight of the week was Dan The Animal Man!

The kids loved seeing all the cool animals and I loved the enthusiasm with which Dan brought truth to the kids and his passion for animals and Christ was so fun to see.

Glad my family got to share this experience.

The rest of the week was spent rearranging the house and cleaning out!

THE BOY had a buddy over last night for a sleepover and we had fun swimming this morning and are looking forward to dinner out with some good friends tonight!

JOB UPDATE....

Randy had an interview in Richmond this week.  It went well and he was actually offered a position.  However it payed about half what he is used to making and would require an out of state move.  We would take a salary cut and job here but are not ready to take such a drastic cut and move.  We have prayed and many others are praying and we do not feel like this is the direction the Lord is leading us in.  HOWEVER Randy did counter and offer to accept the position and the pay IF he could telecommute....so waiting to hear if that will work.  He still has a few other leads he is hoping will develop....PLEASE continue to pray. 

Thanks!

Kim

MIA

Yes....I have been Missing In Action from the blog world.....but we are still alive and kicking!

We have been busy with school.....but we have also been busy with a spur of the moment home makeover!

Now before you freak out and think we went on a shopping spree....we didn't!  We just went on a cleaning/rearranging spree. 

We have lived in our home for just over 3 years and in the past homes we have always enjoyed hanging out/playing and spending time as a family in our den.  However in this home for various reasons we have not had that same atmosphere in our den.....so I got a bee in my bonnet and decided it was high time for a change.....so this is what happened....

As much as I wish it wasn't a factor I think the main factor contributing to us not hanging out together in the den was that we didn't have a functioning TV in our den.  Our house came wired with a complicated and expensive sound/cable system....and we never could afford to get someone to come out and get it working/wired.  So we just put our TV, which was small and above our fireplace,up and hooked up a DVD and thought we would use it to watch movies, but we rarely did....the seating didn't work well for where the TV was....
So we had our big den TV in our Master Bedroom and it REALLY overwhelmed the room and Randy and I would just use that to watch TV or we would let the kids use it to watch TV or play video games......well this worked okay except we weren't together much and my bedroom became an extended den and didn't feel very private or like much of a sanctuary.....Then when THE BOY would have friends over we didn't want his friends in our bedroom playing video games and so when my parents got rid of an old TV we took it and hooked up his game system and just didn't hook up the cable so he could play games and watch movies but didn't have cable in his bedroom so I convinced myself this was okay.....except again....he started to be MIA too.....
AND THEN the GIRL decided it "wasn't fair" that THE BOY got to have movies in his room when he had a friend over so she needed it too.....So we had an old TV in the attic and pulled it out and now she had one too!  I never liked the idea...but I had just slowly let my convictions errode.....that is a whole other blog!

Then....yesterday.....I was like "Why is everyone off in different corners of the house and "entertaining" themselves?"  and I began to wake up....and so me and my hubby had a little chat and we were finally both on the same page and we enacted our plan....

The idea......
We would get rid of the piano we inherited......we would move the monster TV from our bedroom to the Den, we would forget about trying to use the expensive sound system and pay $40 to have a new cable outlet installed on the wall that previously held the piano.....and then we would move the small TV to our bedroom...move the TV's out of the kids rooms....and put one in the upstairs loft but not hook up cable wo when they had friends over they could all use that one and it is still more open to the rest of the house.  Guess what not only does it look so much better.....my kids are all downstairs playing Wii together and it is so cute!  I also have my bedroom back!  Yippee!  Randy, who was reluctant to say the least, asked me last night with a grin on his face why it had taken me 3 years to come up with this!

Now all this TV moving inspired us....and we ended up getting our old bed out and setting it up in THE BOYS room and it looks so much more teenager then his old bunk bed....and he loves it.  Then we moved the Baby into a twin bed we inherited from Randy's sister...THANK YOU....and so now she has a lot more floor space to play!

This all led to a bunch of rearranging, cleaning, dusting.....and my den looks so much more inviting and homey and I am really enjoying it!

I also have a bunch of ideas....a rug for under the recliner.....a lamp for the boys room......a lamp for the twinkie boys room......paint for The Baby's room and Twinkie boys room.....hang curtains in Twinkie Boy and the Baby's room....Paint and recover Sophie's vanity stool.....paint the extra dresser in Twinkie Girls room to match the Baby's furniture so she will have a dresser (she currently uses rubber made crates for her dresser)......recover the kitchen stools.....repair kitchen chair that has broken slates.....get one more kitchen chair so we will have one for everyone that matches......
That is the problem with redecorating it gives me all these ideas and desires and THINGS I want!  Which nothing is WRONG with....except I can't do them right now.....so I am trying to focus on all we did do....not all I can't do.....and trying to enjoy the fresh changes and how much better it is looking!

So that is what we have been up to and boy oh boy am I enjoying it!

What a Day!

So today had the makings of a great day at school......

I had a lot of "fun" type stuff planned....

We were finishing up our Delaware Memorial Suspension Bridge.  We were going to play a Jeopardy game testing our new knowledge of Connecticut and Delaware.  We were going to continue with our reading of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, We were finishing up planning for a brochure we are making to entice European settlers to come and settle in the New World.....fun stuff....creative stuff....hands on stuff.  We did have all the regular "boring" stuff too: a Math Test, some worksheets, Phonics lessons, tutoring, spelling, vocabulary lessons, math lessons.....and of course reading etc.

Our day was going along so well....and then it happened.  What happened.  Life. 

One of my younger children, who shall remain nameless, went CrAzY!  I must say absolutely crazy!  And our school came to a screeching halt.  I spent ONE ENTIRE HOUR dealing with defiance.  Yes....ONE HOUR!  I'm not talking a little defiant....I'm talking RUDE, THROWING, SPITTING, YELLING-defiance!  Really???  Are we STILL dealing with this?  Unfortunately....yes.

I try to be patient.  I try to be calm.  However, I will not tolerate disrespect and defiance.  I was boldly challenged this morning and everything in me wanted to cave.  Everything in me wanted to do what was easy and pacify and distract and placate.....but I knew this was a defining moment.  My child was clearly saying who is the boss?  And so I needed to answer them clearly.  Thus ensued a battle of epic proportions....ugh!

Oh...my children may be the death of me :)

I have no idea how I birthed such strong willed, hard hearted sinners!  My mom may have a few ideas.....but boy oh boy......they are bringing up the dross and the ugly in my heart!  Stuff I didn't even know was there! 

Parenting is hard. 

However....my hope is that it will be worth it.....after AN HOUR of Very Consistent and VERY firm discipline and after this unnamed child cleaned up the mess they made (think dog water and dog food thrown throughout the kitchen and you will get a glimpse of my morning) and after they had re-fed the dog.....and finally sat to listen to the story (yes the fit was over not wanting to sit quietly and listen to a story I was going to read....they thought they should be able to play upstairs instead-they are still adjusting to being in kindergarten) this child did sit and listen quietly.  When we finished the story I asked him to stay and talk to me while the other kids went upstairs and he climb on my lap and hugged me,  unprompted by me he said he was sorry for not obeying and thanked me for disciplining him.  ??????  Really!  I couldn't believe it.  The same child who was an absolute terror 15 minutes before and screaming how terrible I was and how much he hated me just thanked me?  He is one sweet mess!
But there is hope!
And today that hope is enough to keep me going. 

I am glad I am here to see and to deal with this ugly sin.....not just theirs but mine!  It is so not fun!  It is so disappointing!  This is such a journey!!!

Thanks for letting me vent!  Roomtime is almost over and I'm hoping this half of the day goes better then the first half. 

Better run....I'm an hour behind :)
Kim

Weekly Update

Last Saturday we had a family reunion for my Mom's side of the family.

It was at the Rougemont Ruritan Club.

I didn't know a lot of the people there, but we had fun getting to know some of our family that we had never spent much time with.

I do know these folks!  I think Granny and Papa had a GREAT time!

Sunday I got to take the kids to a baby shower for Jason and Charity!

It was a neat experience.  It was also really fun to "see" Jason and Charity!

I bet Elton never thought he would go to a baby shower.....much less an international skype shower!

So cute!

We have also been busy with school this week:

In Geography we are learning about Delaware....so we are making a Popsicle suspension bridge as a family...

THE BOY was able to share his personal experience of the bridge with us, from his trip up to Boston, so that was cool!

Not as easy as it may sound....hopefully we will finally finish on Monday!  It takes a lot longer to dry then we realized!

The little ones are still busy playing a lot!

Wednesday THE BABY decided to take out the trash....and push it to the road!

So funny!

Stacy thank you for the cute pink trashcan....they have had more fun with that thing!

Our big fun for the week came on Friday!

We got to spend the day at the lake with Randy's parents.

THE TWINKIE BOY LOVED EVERY MOMENT....

from the moment he arrived and found a "gun" until we tucked him into the camper last night he was so happy!  That boy loves to be outside, moving, and playing!

The girl started out a little hesitant.  Didn't like not being able to see the bottom of the lake.  She was convinced she was swimming with snakes!  However....as you will see she got over her fear pretty quickly and had a good day.

The boy....went straight for the water!

The BABY had fun....but would not get in the water.  She liked the beach, the camper, the boat, and the jet ski....but NO WATER....except she did love the pool.

Twinkie Girl.....LOVED IT ALL!

We spent most of the day out on the lake.

Pepaw let all the kids drive the boat!

All the kids jumped in and swam, except THE BABY, she was the gate keeper and would open and close the gate as the kids climbed up the ladder.

She did like riding on the jet ski with Pepaw....but not Daddy.  Daddy was too fast!

However the big girls had fun with their CrAzY Daddy!

Twinkie Boys favorite part was driving the boat.  He drove the boat most of the day and he LOVED it!

Everyone was worn out by the end of the day.

Except Daddy was still hyper?!  and making strange animal sounds to the very end???

It was nice to get away for the day and unplug!

The 3 youngest stayed the night and camped out with Grammy and Peepaw and 2 oldest headed back home with us around 8:00 last night.

It was a good week!

Other highlights from the week:

The Twinkie Boy had a cavity filled on Tuesday and was very brave!

Randy and I got to go out on a lunch date on Wednesday to lunch and a movie, THE HELP (sooooo good!) to celebrate our 15th anniversary!  That was a lot of fun!  Mom kept the kiddos and they had a great time.

Randy's Job Hunt: Still going!  He did get referred for a job with the Fed. Government.  The job would be a great fit for him.  He REALLY wants this job.  So please pray!  So what does "he has been refered" mean?  It means that 354 people applied for one position.  He was chosen by a computer data base as being one of the top qualified for the position.  So the person doing the hiring entered the criteria he/she wanted in the candidate and it spit out Randy's application along with however many more he wanted to read.  So he may have said top 3, top 10, top 50....we don't know.  Now his application is in the hands of a real person who will look at it.  So we are praying this will work out.  He also has 2 good leads.  Hoping, Praying, Trusting.....and Knowing God has a plan!  Anxious to see what it is!

Love you guys!

Kim

Happy Anniversary

I don't remember meeting Randy, we were about 4 evidently, but by about age 8 or so I do remember him.  I thought he was so funny!

I still do!

Who could resist his charm?

Who knew all those years ago these two crazy kids would grow up, fall in love and get married?

Randy and I were really good friends in high school.

We were in youth group together at RBC.

We dated briefly, about 3 months, in high school and then he went off to college in Florida and broke up with me.

However, his time in Florida was short lived so a few months later he was back in Durham where we resumed our friendship.

We started dating again in collage.

After a couple years of dating.....WE GOT ENGAGED!

Who let these to kids get engaged?????  We were BABIES!!!!

We were engaged about 8 months and we got married!

August 10, 1996

15 years ago!  Wow that seems like a long time ago!

It's gone by fast though and for the most part been really wonderful!

We both graduated from collage after getting married!

We had a baby!

and another

and another

and a couple more

and just one more

and life has just kept on going on.

There have been so many happy times.

So many moments of joy.

So many memories.

There have also been heartbreaks.

Difficult decisions.

Tough times.

Disappointments.....

We may have empty pockets...

but our arms are full!

I adore my family!

I thank God for the blessing Randy has been to my life!

I am so glad we are on this adventure together!!!!

Can't wait to see what the next 15 years hold!

Love,

Kim