Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Happiness...

I joke around often, making funny comments about life and ending them in ...happiness is!

I consider myself positive mostly (don't get me wrong, I complain with the best of 'em), but for quite sometime, while I pray that the Lord fill my heart with the Holy Spirit daily, I struggled something fierce.

For the first time in a looong time, I feel happy, I know feelings cannot always be trusted and I KNOW that sometimes it's more about what you know than it is how you feel. Trust me! I Know. Just for now, I am going to allow my highly emotional self to FEEL HAPPY! (And no...it's not hormones!)

Without going into every single detail about every step of the way, we have discovered that Christian has some special needs. His special needs have brought us down a road that has led to at home therapy much of the day. You see, the typical classroom is not the place for him right now and I need to figure out how he ticks and how we can "unconventionally" make adjustments to help him, both academically, but mostly psychologically.

I've always been interested in how the brain works and here's my chance to learn first hand. There is an issue with his central nervous system which, when overloaded, sends him into a fight or flight state. He really thinks/feels that someone is trying to harm him. He's scared, but it looks like rage. Once given the opportunity to calm down (much like adrenaline), he can cope normally and carry on. Maybe you've witnessed this...maybe not.

Like I said, now is unfortunately not the time to get into specifics, but our lives are changing like gears through a mountain grade! Up down, up, up, down, up! We have adjustments to make and some of us-check that-all of us are actually grieving. Some still in denial, some blaming ourselves, but none-the-less--a wide range of emotions that change by the hour some days.

And don't forget about Mallory. The sweet girl that God made her, has without knowing it, made herself Christian's biggest advocate up until recently. Her own sensitivities have taught her best how to cope with certain situations and at times, training us as parents how best to work through certain issues. She, too, is jumping around in our family mobile, not sure where to level off at just yet.

So thankful for prayers, and please don't stop because I know He hears us. I know He's orchestrating from up above the most perfect symphony of life. Sending cues to just the right people at just the right time to step in and guide us through this beautifully written piece.

Christian will still be going to school to hear Word of God and to see his wonderful friends in 1st grade. I want to be sure to be clear that this is not in any way...shape...or form anything that St. Paul's school cannot handle. Right now, he just can't handle school. Period. And I'm going to do all that I can to get him to the point that he can...he'll just enjoy it and probably appreciate it more than most once that time comes.

Until then...if a phone call goes unreturned or an e-mail seems lost in cyberspace...it just might take longer than normal and if it's pressing, just be sure to say so! We're probably outside doing dandelion math or wrastling around, punching out loose teeth!

...and that's just another blog entry.

1a]">[a] To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

2 in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

3 No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.

4 Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;

5 guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

-Psalm 25

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Soccer Queen!

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Blessed Easter...

It was my goal to be able to see all of our immediate families (including my Grandmas) over Easter. Sadly, my goal couldn't truly be met, we were not able to see Mark, Pam, and Alex since they are in New Jersey. We did the best we could though! Mallory and I went to see Grandma Schroedl in Sun Prairie on Saturday which was a memorable visit. She told us about how she went to school until 8th grade, then was a maid after that. Grandma told us about the families she worked for (mainly doctors) and all she learned working for them. If I haven't said it before, I hold both of my grandmas on a high pedestal and it's times like those that I value so much in life.

Saturday night, we colored eggs...

some tie-dye...some sponge painted...some Jesus eggs with Sharpie marker!

There is something very special about how truly happy both kids look in their proud egg moment photos! Sunday morning, we woke up and the kids searched for their eggs and plastic eggs with surprises inside. This year instead of candy, we did gifts of time. With the economy being what it is, we are teaching our children the value of time. Thus fun slips of paper representing family outings and events to do together throughout the year! As much as I was ready for the "LAME" buzzer to go off, the kids were very eggsited about the change!!

We went to church at 9 am, then out to Pine Knoll Supper Club for brunch with my mom, Grandma Vitense, Tim, Jerzy, Cliff & Vi...which almost completely accomplished my goal all in one sitting!, and my Uncle Ken joined us from Hartland as well!
Mallory was a little thrown off by dessert (nothing she liked and she went back for a chocolate muffin...seems that Christian had just taken the last one and ate most of it), so when it came picture time, we had a little opposition from her. Christian took up the slack and made his rounds! Everyone poses better when a kid is involved!!



We went home for a relaxing afternoon, then started up the cook stove and made a traditional Easter dinner, thanks to Vi...
she brought the ham, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, cake, and all we had to do was cook the ham, scalloped corn, pull her homemade peaches out of the fridge and voila! Easter dinner. Oh and did I mention the annual Lamb cake? Well yes, we enjoyed that along with cut-outs made by Vi and Mallory...decorated by Cliff! A family production!
And yes...we did the best we could do with achieving our goal...my dad joined us for dinner at home and look!! There's our little daughter Mallory!!

All in honor of our Savior Jesus Christ dying on the cross to save us from our sins. How blessed we are that on that Easter morn, though fearful and scared, Mary and her friends found the tomb empty so that we can be fulfilled!

And as wonderful and fulfilling as our weekend was, we look forward to the ultimate fulfillment of life eternal!