Somedays they are just a pain

Everybody has one.. Today or This afternoon was mine. Kids can really get on your nerves if you let them. I usually don't let them. Today it was a no win situation. There is no reasoning with a child who did not get his way despite not doing his part to make things happen. Prince Charming did not complete a school project that he was assigned on this past friday. Now the weekend he was assigned this project, Drew went back to Iraq. So the first thing Prince Charming did not have the book to complete it, due to be leaving school early to see his dad off. Then monday Prince Charming was sick and out of school, Tuesday there was a substitute teacher, so no book. Wednesday (night before project is due) he brought the book home, and worked on the project until we left for church. I did not know when this was due, and honestly in the eighth grade, he should be responsible enough to get it done on time, and know his deadlines. Anyway Thursday we went to the Baron Dekalb Elementary school for the first grade event. We created Candy houses.. fun time. Prince Charming stayed home, and played x-box cause unknown to me he had still not finished his project...

Long story short, Prince Charming's teacher goes to our church, emails me concerned cause he had not turned in the project, and at this point the best grade he can get is an 80. I am mad. He is a better kid, no excuse for this. So punishment was he misses the big teen event tonight/tomorrow.

Of course this does not sit well with him, temper tantrums, etc.

I let it get to me, and blew up back with him.. but he is still here.. sitting at the table doing his project. It is calld a being a parent. I think my life should be shown on that show..dirty jobs. Yea maybe there is not fish guts, no digging in an animal's rear, but it is a dirty job to raise a teenager. Don't you think?

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 King James Version


I have an amazing father to turn to when i need advice on kids, all i have to do is look. Our Heavenly Father really has an answer for everything if only we listen. I was questionging myself, trying to justify punishment because i feel guilty for making him miss out.. but i found the above bible verse and this one

Proverbs 13:24 He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
Proverbs 23:13 Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.

Proverbs 29:17 Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; He will also delight your soul. (NASB ©1995)

Hurry Hurry & What's your name anyway?

I think if you trace my family roots, I am somehow related to that pink rabbit, you know the engerizer bunny. I have been in almost constant motion for days now. I am exhausted phyically but can't get my brain to slow down long enough for some good sleep.

I was able to visit my grandma today. This has got to be one of the saddest days I've had with her. NO she is not back ICU or even talking about dying,because she seems to be improving but mentally my Grandma is not doing good. She has all the signs of dementia. She was pretty severe today, really babbling about things that made absolutely no sense. I told her that I had talked to my husband and she wanted to know where he was. When was he coming back. When i told her she said she missed him, and wanted him to make her laugh. She likes laughing she said.

. She had asked me to pick up some cds she dropped and which i did, I sorted them and threw away the broken cases, promosing to bring her new cases. Then 15 minutes later she asked me to pick up the cds again. I told her that I had picked them up and she fussed at me to get down and look on the floor cause she had dropped more. There was nothing there, and i had to prove to her i had already picked them up. At one point i was telling her about something in the room and she told me that it happened when they moved her to that room yesterday. I had to tell her it was thursday and the staff had moved her to the room on monday. She was very agiatated fussing at me and saying no they did not move her on monday.. they only took her out of the room to pick out an albumn. I asked her what albumn. She said that when she was took out the room yesterday, before the staff moved her, she had to pick out a pretty song for the red button she had to push. ??? She said that she had to pick out a song for the red button to page the nurses cause it plays music when you push it, and even after she picked it out that the staff would not play it-so she was just going to play her music as much as she could. Ok there is no music when you push that red button.

I had to leave the room at one point cause I could not handle seeing her like this. I came back in to talk to her and she had fallen asleep. I know that sleeping during the day is a sign that her co2 levels are up, so i tried to wake her up. It took me 10-15 minutes to get her aroused enough to even sit up. Finally i got her to eat. She had not had anything this morning cause she dumped her breakfast tray on her, and refused to eat anything when the nurse asked her if she needed more. This was all before we got there at 11.
So we helped her and fed her lunch. She is shaking so bad she can't even hold a drink or a spoon.

Then i was telling granny all about how well J is doing here. She started ranting bout how she was mad at him cause when she was sick, very sick he would not put on pajamas and come see her. ?????????????????????? I asked her if she meant when he was living with Jessica. She said no when she bought him some musical thing and he banged on it, and would not come visit her. tonight Jeremy went to visit her with Uncle B, and K. Granny kept calling him Stevie!!!

Granny told us the same story about 5 times and swore each time it was the first time. I quit arguing with her and learned to just listen like it was the first time.

I could not really talk to her about anything because the moment she started talking she was not making sense. She had called a cousin to clean off a bed but then told me she did not remember calling her. Granny was convinced Uncle J is coming in 2 days which to her would be friday. Well tomorrow is friday.
This is unbearable. She was so upset with the nurses cause they were being mean to her, she says. She said she would page them and they were lazy and would wait 30 minutes before coming in her room and sometimes 2 hours. She does not always know what time it is, and she thought she had paged the nurse once while we were there, when in fact she never pushed the "music button" She even called the administration to fuss at them about the nurses. I don't know what to think about all this. I called my mom for advice, and i did talk to her doctor. Nothing to be said there. My mom came back into town tonight to be with her and talk with the doctors.

I am so sad at all this, that i am without much words other than retelling this story. My Grandmother is an itelligent person, and to see her not know the time of day, day of the week, or to not even make much sense when you visit with her, is just plain hard.

I drank the Juice!

I'm so blessed to be me. :) Yes I truly feel this way. I like who I am, where I am, and where my life is going. I've seen the changes not only my life, but that of my kids,husband and all those around me. I have really exciting news. Never say Never...

I've had my husband home for 21 days on emergency leave. I was so very lucky to have Mr.Amazing home. I honestly thought that my Grandma was not going to make it out KMC. She was on full life support, and it was just not looking good. I was hesitant to call red cross to request Drew's presence. I knew that by calling them, it was accepting what i just knew was going to happen, my wonderful grandmother leaving this earth. I cried, prayed and finally called. I needed my husband, I knew he wanted to be here. God is good. No matter what the doctors said, they just did not know, that God said it was not my grandmother's time. I can't tell you how many wonderful moments my husband has had with my family, our family, and my grandma because he was allowed to come home. He bonded with them in ways he had never had the opportunity to do. It was so bittersweet sending him back to finish the fight.

Did you know that Mr.Amazing got saved in Iraq? He and I both were baptised while he was home for this emergency leave. It's a answer to prayer I never thought would happen. He is changed in so many ways. We both have changed in this time apart. I had to pinch him several times while he was home to be certain the Army sent the right man back home to me. He does still have that quirky sense of humor and quick wit. God definitely knew what he was doing when I questioned what good could come of sending my husband into what i thought was a hopeless cause 8000 miles away. I stand in awe of the stories he has to tell, of the projects, improvements, and families touched by America being in Iraq.

I am most amazed by the change Iraq has had on him. I admit that i was and am like many wives, concerned what kind of man will come home to me after experiencing the terrible things war has to offer. I am still worried about his safety, I worry everyday that he will be ok. I do not worry anymore about the turmoil i would imagine goes on inside while you are there 8000 miles away from those you love, putting your life in harm's way. I know that Mr.Amazing has a relationship with God, I know that he will continue to grow and struggle like all of those who have found that path. But I have peace in my heart that He has finally come to know the wonderful savior I grew up knowing and enjoy an even closer relationship with now.

Because of all the things in my life I strayed away from God. I used situations in my life to justify why i didn't need God or better yet why God could not love or need me. I am so thankful for the experience of being alone,confused about so many things including whether my marriage would survive this deployment. For in my weakest moments I finally allowed myself to hear Jesus calling out for me to just trust in him, believe in him, and assuring me that I was not alone.

I am so thankful that my husband who had shunned god and all forms of religion found the path that led him straight to a wonderful loving relationship with Jesus Christ. "God has a way of exploding in your life"- Drew Bartow


My wonderful Grandmother has a lot to do with the changes in my life. She has taught me by her loving example how to live life, how to love my kids, how to love myself, and most importantly without much words she has taught me how to let God be number one in my life.

. Everything got started in him and finds it's purpose in him Colossians 1:16

Catching Up

Catching Up


First of all I want to thank all of you who have called, emailed, left messages and prayed for my Grandma. For those of you who don't know, Mr.Amazing did get to come home, and was with us for a couple weeks. I am in and out alot lately. It is hard to catch me . With six kids (yes six*) and my grandmother in the health condition she is in, it is hard to be anywhere long enough to catch me at a decent hour.

My grandma is in stable condition in Florence. She has a terminal disease with no cure, so everyday is roller coaster. We are just thankful for the time God has given us with her. I tell you, with MR.Amazing in Iraq, and my Grandma's condition, I am acutely aware of how short our time is on earth, and how precious every living moment is. I guess many people see both situations as a burden, but amazingly my life has been very blessed by all that has happened in the last year.

*We have/are taking over legal guardianship of my 17 year old cousin. the germster will be living with us and under our care for as long as he wants, or he leaves for college/out on his own. It is a long story some too personal to discuss openly as it is not my own , but suffice to say that my husband is an amazing man, decided that we would take J under our wing to care for him and give him hope for the future. Our wish is that J can redirect his life and help strengthen the foundation that his future will be built upon.