"Soul Surfer"

Maybe I should start trying to make a living doing movie reviews - as I seem to have back to back posts about them. But, here goes another "must see" pronouncement.

We took the whole family to see "Soul Surfer" today. I have wanted to see this movie since I saw it previewed - and figured it would be perfect for today as we are all up here in Portland, its still pouring rain, and promised to be a great family flick.

I have a real love for seeing movies. I love the whole experience - the previews, finding the perfect seats, the popcorn - with just a "little" butter, and all the goodies. In my three weeks of hard core dieting, I've seriously been longing for precisely this experience. It did not disappoint. Oh, and yeah, the movie was phenomenal too!

Really, it was one of those movies that if it weren't for the fact that it was based on a true story, you'd be thinking, "really? - this is just too much...." But, oh yeah, Bethany Hamilton is that inspiring.

A couple of details to share in regards to the movie, that will hopefully enhance the experience if you choose to go.

- The shark attack is not at all graphic. It's quick and does show a lot of her blood loss, but that's it. Both of my kids handled it fine.

- Know that the attack happens when she goes out to surf on Halloween day. This will keep you from being squeemish anytime she goes into the water before that time.

- The real Bethany Hamilton is the one doing the actual surfing post-accident. (Obviously not the close-ups) And, definitely stick around through the credits as it gives a lot of film to her and her real accomplishments.

- Bethany Hamilton and the actress that plays her (AnnaSophia Robb) have become very good friends as a result of all of this. =)
- The first time Bethany's mom returned to surfing was with Helen Hunt during the filming of the movie.

Just so you know, it's not hormones causing the crying lately - just really good movies. And, boy oh boy, did I shed a lot of tears watching this. More than I have in a while, in terms of consistent water flow. John and I also did a lot of just looking at each other, in essence saying, "this movie is unbelievable". It's definitely a movie we'll be owning once its released on DVD.

So, another huge "Thumbs Up" from me.....Maybe I'll see if I can't pull another repeat viewing by dragging the Tuesday Night Girls again! =)

Priceless

Have I mentioned yet just how much I love this movie?

Well, yes, I guess I have mentioned it maybe once or twice. But, even beating out the experience on Thanksgiving watching "Tangled" at the theater with the family, or taking our Tuesday Night Ladies to see it, was watching it tonight with just Mikayla - curled around my laptop in the hotel bed. Because, in this setting, I could totally let the tears fall - and clutch my little daughter's hand.....who (sob, sob) is not so little anymore. My daughter who, already, wants to claim the name "Rapunzel" as her future Harlow counselor name. Yes, this movie is special, but the memory of watching it cuddled together tonight......absolutely priceless.

And, through the wonder of modern technology - without even having talked to these two since they dropped us off at the hotel, I can tell, via I Phone and Facebook, that these guys are also having a priceless evening. I'll let you know more details of their experience when I actually have a post concert conversation with them, but in the meantime, here are two of the pictures I downloaded from Facebook - taken at the Chris Tomlin concert just about ten minutes from where we are staying.

A Rough Patch

Our poor, poor backyard. It was originally put in by professional landscapers nearly 7 years ago (when we moved here) as sod... It's not very big, so it was a logical choice. However, as we were told later, when large patches of the grass virtually disappeared, it is very common for sod to have a particular insect in it that loves to eat it up (Lydia, we didn't buy the sod, the landscapers did, but I'm sure there's no way it could have been JB's.....and please, feel free to offer your wisdom for our backyard mess!). Between that, poor drainage, and much of the yard being in the shade - it just doesn't have a lot of hope. So, every year, at about this time, we have discussions on what we are going to do about it. Because, at this time every year, there's more mud, moss and weeds then there is real grass. And, thanks to a no longer functioning inground dog containment system, there's a few holes and some other stuff that happens when you have dogs....ick.

So, yesterday, given it would be the one non-rain day for about a week, I decided to intentionally scalp the yard with the lawn mower (Sara, it made me think of your neighbor!) - and thus dig up a bit of the moss that is dying off (I poisoned the moss this last weekend) - so that two bags of patch grass mix could -once again- be encouraged to take root and produce a yard that can be played upon again this summer.

It's actually about double the size of what you see here, but isn't it sad? The blue stuff is is the patch grass mix.... Don't you just pity it?
But, that's not the only "rough patch" the title is referring to. Thanks to that backyard effort and getting overheated when I was working out (I'm blaming it on the two gals I couldn't help but catch up with while working out, thus forgetting to blare the fan behind me and drink enough water....) - it was the perfect recipe for a very bad headache. I spent all afternoon trying to fall asleep in hopes that it would go away upon waking up. But, I never fell asleep (caught up on a lot of intercessory prayer, though!). Upon returning from Mikayla's third grade class concert (another post to come on that one), I immediately went to bed. I did end up falling asleep this time, but woke up with the pain much more intense....body shaking, nauseous....and my head encased in icepacks.

I know I did this to myself, but that didn't really matter in the middle of the night as I lay there feeling helpless and semi-panicked, knowing my mom couldn't just "fix me up" as she's currently in Hawaii. Let's just say that that "Pain Post" courtesy of Susan May Warren was really hitting home.

As evidenced by being upright enough to write this post - I did get better. I'm at about 85% now, with the help of being able to sleep more today, and getting a massage at Bello. The whole thing was compounded even more by the fact that tomorrow we leave for a cozy little family get-away to "our" Fairfield Inn (the place we stay anytime we head up to Portland) in Lake Oswego for three nights. John and Brayden will attend the Chris Tomlin concert tomorrow night (don't feel sorry for Mikayla and I, we get to go see "Wicked" together in exactly a week....so excited) - and then, Saturday night features the exchanging of wedding vows by our dear post-collegiate friends, John and Sarah. I'm SOOOOOO happy for them - I've been so delighted thinking about her and her expectations and anticipation blooming all this week. It takes me back 15 years thinking of that amazing day for us.

So, with all of this described, I'm DESPERATE to feel good for this highly anticipated weekend. (Hence the spendy massage). No more rough patches for me, please!

Weekend Wrap Up

FRIDAY NIGHT:
Finally, back to our normal routine with the Whites coming over - good times, Bogey and Sydney playing, catching up on "The Event". (Yet another show that we've invested in that will probably be thrown to the wayside like "Flashforward" was.....) Lisa and the kids also stopped by....tax season is almost over, Lisa - hang in there!

As for Brayden, he was given the opportunity to hang out at Harlow this weekend helping to conduct games and competitions for the 4th/5th grade Spring Fling Retreat. So, he was there Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday evening, and again Sunday afternoon. He was among a handful of middle schoolers that they asked to help out. It was a win win for everyone - he had a blast and got some good exercise, it was more servant/leadership training, and it kept him from being in front of the tv/ps3 all weekend. =)

SATURDAY:
Spring cleaning....first up, my closet. Okay it wasn't a full on clean-out, but I did weed out a lot of jeans that just took up room. Mom also stopped by to do some "shopping"....well, more like "borrowing" for her trip to Maui. Yes, right now, she's probably waking to the gorgeous sunrise over the Pacific - having coffee on the lanai.....Her and dad will be there until April 23rd with their friends. I told her it's a bummer they are leaving Oregon when the weather is so amazing, (not) but she told me she'll just have to suffer through the 80 degrees..... HOPE YOU ARE ALREADY HAVING A LOT OF FUN, MOM AND DAD!!!!

Second up - our front yard. Ugh. I do not enjoy yardwork. There, I said it. I'd spend hours upon hours happily in the kitchen in exchange for one hour having to weed....it's just not my thing. But, there's usually one day this time of year that I put in a day's worth of effort (or two) to weed around the waterfall (the blue flowers are on their way to blooming....time to get rid of all the grass and weeds) - and around the outskirts of our yard. It's shaped oddly, but we try to make it work.

Mikayla was also very motivated to unearth the mangy strawberry bushes we had in this corner - she dug them all up herself - and then we planted some annuals we hope will spread out and make this corner quite colorful.

This is more like my style of gardening/yardwork.....hanging baskets.

SUNDAY:
It's supposed to be a day of rest, right? And, since we "do church" these days on Wednesday and much of the day was pouring down rain, we hunkered in for some "Sly Cooper", "Spyro" (yes, my thumbs hurt from attacking the joystick!), and for John, "The Masters".

Sydney kind of epitomized our Sunday:



It's too bad our dog doesn't feel comfortable in our house and is always in a "defensive posture"....I sure love her. =)

Sunday was ended at CCF, listening to Corey give a great message on judgmental-ism. It was also a good chance to catch up with some of our favorite people. (John and I decided that next year, we really need to make the effort to "start over" with the younger folks of the group - as we're definitely being faded out with all of "our folks" graduating)....

Hope you had a great weekend with whatever you did!

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

What, three days in a row of blogposts? Woah.... I'm almost getting back to my old norm....

(Sidenote: my 12 year old is currently outloud narrating how to tie his shoes...."First, lift up the tongue; second, pull the shoe strings; third, cross them, fourth; put one under; fifth, pull; sixth, make one bunny ear....." - THAT KID CRACKS ME UP!!! I love my Brayden....)

So, lately, it's come to my attention what a difference it makes when someone actually knows your name. For instance, the front desk gal at the club I work out, calls me by name - as I walk in, when I walk out....and even now, over the phone when I called to do a late sign-up for a group power workout, she said, "I've already got you down, Steph". Okay, bonus points go to folks who actually shorten my name. I know that might now work for everyone (to have folks assume you go by a nickname) - but it so works for me.

(Another Sidenote: I do NOT and have NEVER gone by the name of "Stephieanne". My nieces and nephews call me "Aunt Stephie" - and Michele will, in writing, refer to me that way....I like Stephie, but am rarely called that. Anne is my middle name. Years and years ago when I signed up with blogger, I thought I had to have a "unique" user name, so I combined the two. Now, I think its just funny - wondering if folks really believe that is what I'm called....)

Okay, back to that earlier topic: the funny thing about the gal at the club, is that up until last week, I'd never even learned her name....It's Kari, by the way....and I need to make a point of using that name when I see her (prior to beginning my torture session) in a half hour. Likewise, the two gals that have led the classes that I less likely attend also call me by name. It actually makes me feel special.

And, last week, when getting new glasses at Lenscrafters for the family, the retail manager, Kyle, totally knew my name - even called across the room, "Hey Stephanie, what can I do for you?" when I walked in. Yup, he earned points.

So, all's to say, if little things like this have me perking up, I really need to make an effort to pass it on....and turn on my memory skills so I can encourage others by using their names....

Signs of Spring?

In the next 10 days, the highest temperature forecasted is 58 degrees, with all but two days showing showers/rain. I can't say this makes me very happy.....

Yes, despite the calendar, Oregon is showing no signs of turning the corner into warmer days - in fact we are getting dumped on in the mountains with snow. (Which, on the brighter side, this is very good for our "snowpack" - and means the reservoirs/lakes will be full for summer boat rides....but, that just feels so far away!)

But, some things still pay attention to the calendar - and those have appeared this week at the place I work out at. The lounge chairs have been brought out - as, in just a little bit over a month, the outdoor pool will be opened. Canopies are being put up again....there's signs of life by the pool that's sat dormant for seven months.

And, then, there's this guy. I'm going to keep bringing my phone with me to see if I can get a better picture than this one (I was afraid to get too close so I wouldn't scare him away) - as well as a picture with his "spouse". But, despite the picture quality, last week, when I walked the long outdoor walkway to the workout room, I was overjoyed to see not only him, but his beautiful (albeit understated in color) mate with him. This is the third year they have returned to the club. They only stay for about six weeks, and then they are on their way to some other location, but the consistency of seeing them is sweet indeed to me.
It proves, that, despite our horrid weather, spring is here. Now I'd love for it to actually start "feeling" that way!

Happy Birthday Brayden!

Well, the expressions are a little "dopey" and the picture quality a little "grainy", but it captured the moment, nonetheless.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FIRST BORN, MY NOW TWELVE-YEAR-OLD....BRAYDEN!

We started the day off right with a family breakfast trip to Elmer's. I think in the future we might try and save ourselves $30, by hitting a Dunkin Doughnuts - but, hey, this birthday thing is only once a year, right?



He'd already received part of his present already, so today's gifts were kind of "just for fun". We decided to go with the whole "Phineas" theme, so he'll be totally prepared for spring break counseling next year. It is also kind of fun as their mid-school group has themed "dress like this" assignments for each week on their Wednesday night "Wildside" meetings. This evening just happens to be Disney. He asked me on Monday if I had any ideas for him. Sure enough, I did - but of course, I didn't share that idea until today. I think this t-shirt will do just fine for tonight! (In case you don't have kids young enough to follow it, "Phineas and Ferb" is a cartoon on the Disney channel - and ironically, today's Walt Disney World's Facebook Update actually shows a picture of Phineas now doing character greetings in the resort....He's certainly moving up in the world!)

Ah, Brayden, words can't express just how thankful we are that you are our son. You exceed all of our hopes for the kind of kid we'd always dreamed of having. Hope you have the most amazing of birthdays today!!!

Peppin' It Up a Bit

Dear Bloggy Friends,

Sorry I've been a bit Debbie Downer lately. Maybe it hasn't come through in what I've written, but simply the fact that I haven't written much this week, is pretty indicative that I haven't been super "up".

However, yesterday's glorious sunshine and SEVENTY degree high temp (no, this is not an April Fools' joke - we in Eugene did finally make it to spring...), did much to turn this attitude around. That, and finally being headache free. It was a week of pain, fatigue, and humility - which can make a person rather self-centered and thus, even "uglier" - but, I think it's now in the past.

Also thrown into the mix is being wise about eating choices again. I read an article the other day that made it clear what my issue is - I'm a "compulsive eater", meaning, no, I don't have an eating addiction - but yes, I do love to eat. It's not even a "comfort thing" - it's a HAPPY thing. So, the fact that I'm currently hanging at Michele's house, with sunshine streaming through the window and a good book at my side*, it just feels very wrong to not be also sitting with a big bowl of Froot Loops with Marshmallows (only found at Walmart Supercenter - deliciousness) at my side as well. But, that "Happy Factor" of yummy foods also equals more pounds, so it's that never-ending struggle between the momentary goodness of artificial flavors and colors hitting my mouth, to the personal self-satisfaction of "being good", eating right - and exercising that makes me "happy" when I look in the mirror - or fit into clothes. Battle, battle, battle....and that first week after a vacation break of indulgence is always the hardest.

So, with that - I'm off to go for a walk with Michele and the dogs. It's 20 degrees cooler today (our ONE day of spring was great while it lasted!) - but currently not raining, so we ought to take advantage. =)

Thanks for putting up with me through the "highs and lows" (in life and on the scales!) -

Steph

* Regarding that "good book" - I wanted to give a shout out to a new author I've recently discovered, Jenny B. Jones. She is such a fun, witty writer - I love, love, loved her most recent "SAVE THE DATE" book, and then, as a result, dived into the three novel "A CHARMED LIFE" series for teens. Those books had me literally laughing out loud - and had me staying up late last night to complete the last one. Talk about a super fun escape......

Guest Post from Author, Susan May Warren

What follows is a cut and pasted copy of a newsletter from a favorite author of mine, Susan May Warren. My sister forwarded it to me last December, knowing I could relate to what she was describing and I found it to be very well written. Given that I've struggled this week in "not feeling good" - I thought it would be a very appropriate time to share this encouraging perspective from Susan..........

This is going to be a different holiday newsletter than I've ever written. But perhaps that's because I've never had the experience that I had last week. And perhaps, as I see myself coming through it, the timing is apropos. Thank you for bearing with me...

I love living in Minnesota - the lakes, the pine trees, even the snow I find glorious. And, on blue skied days after a storm, I even enjoy shoveling. Until last Monday. See, I'd been traveling for nearly a month which caused my neck to become "out of joint." It's an ongoing problem from the time I broke a vertebrae in my neck when I was in college. Always, I have an acute ache in my neck, but it worsens when I sleep in different locations. I'd gone to my trustworthy chiropractor for an adjustment and felt simply grand - so grand that I went home and cleaned my house from top to bottom, did loads of laundry and in a crazy burst of energy, decided to shovel the walk...and (here's the bad part)...chip the ice off the front stoop.

As I was chipping, I felt a little click in the back of my neck, as if something might have, well, slipped out of place. It did. Two hours later, my family found me in the fetal position on the sofa, unable to move. I'd slipped a disk in my neck and pinched a nerve (it felt like ALL of them) and I was immobile and in excruciating pain.

Thus began my odyssey through the dark tunnel of pain, and the lessons it taught me.

I though heat would help, so I applied a heating pad through the night and although I did feel better - going from a nine on the pain scale to an eight, even with pain meds, it inflamed my already knotted muscles and by Tuesday morning, I couldn't move. My chin was locked down at my right shoulder, my right arm drawn up close to my head. I had to have someone drive me to the chiropractor who asked, appropriately, "What did you do?"

She adjusted me the best she could and sent me home with icing instructions. I could barely breathe let alone write. I sat in bed with an ice pack all day, whimpering. Night was even worse - I couldn't get comfortable and would wake every hour to find a new position for relief. But I couldn't escape the pain - it ran in rivulets down my arm, pulsed at my neck, pressed like a knife into my back. Every once in a while I simply had to let out a scream of pent up agony. (I tried to warn my family before I did it, however. I didn't want to frighten them. I think they were frightened anyway.)

Wednesday came and my son drove me back to the chiropractor. My pain had minimized to a eight and after she worked on me, dropped to a seven. I thought - great! This is improvement! I'll put heat on the muscles to get them to loosen up and by Thursday, I'll be back at my computer, writing. Me and my bright ideas... That night, my inflamed muscles swelled and yanked all that straightened vertebrae into its grip. Thursday morning I woke up in agony, worse than the first day of my injury, ready to jump from a tall building. Regardless of how I moved my arm, pain flooded through it, pulsing, without abatement. My neck had a boulder on it, a vice gripped my spine.

And, my chiropractor had Thursdays off.

So, although we live in a small town and this was terribly tacky, I called the other chiropractor, a wonderfully kind doctor I know from dancing class, and he agreed to see me. I was nearly in tears, ready to head straight for the ER for morphine when I stepped into his office. I was in so much pain, I couldn't even fill out the forms. Thankfully, God had sent my good friend Laura on ahead to an appointment before me and, surprised to see me, she took the time to sit and fill out my forms for me. (I clearly owe her pie, if not a vacation to Mexico.) My doctor/dancing friend could hardly believe how wretched I'd become. He did a few pressure massages and the pain eased enough for me to forgo the ER and head back home with ice. "No heat," he said.

No problem. I would have plunged myself into Lake Superior if I thought it would help.

He sent me home with these words, "You will get better. This will not last forever." I clung to those words with both pain-riddled hands.

I practically bathed in ice all day, and feared for the long painful night. Forget writing. Forget email. Forget even talking on the telephone. All I thought about was the pain, how it consumed me, how I couldn't move without it raking through me, and how I couldn't bear to live like this.

I thought of my friends who I knew lived with chronic physical pain - sufferers of accidents or fibromyalgia or cancer. And then I began to think of those in chronic emotional pain, and how that pain must be deeper, cause even more despair.

Deep into that fourth night of sleeplessness, after trying everything I could to find relief, I began to sob into the darkness. I couldn't take it anymore - I just needed help. Anything. And, although I had prayed before for healing, I began to beg, to plead, to throw myself at the hem of Christ for deliverance.

I needed a Savior.

And then...then I rolled over yet again, put a pillow beneath my arm and...the pain subsided. So quick and profound was the relief, I nearly didn't believe it. I drew in my breath...and yes, it had abated. Not entirely, but enough for me to sleep. To believe that yes, I might get better.

Friday morning, I went to the chiropractor again. And, yet again, she adjusted my bones back into place. I was able to get a massage. (I am sure my massage therapist thought I was in labor for all the breathing techniques I was using). Though the heating pad looked tempting, I went back to my ice. And prayer. And hope.

Saturday, I had a book signing, which I managed to sit through, and today...I went to church and praised the Lord and thought about the things I learned from pain.

1. Pain is exhausting. It saps sleep, energy, your mental facilities and even your hope. Pain chips away at you from the inside, out and eventually turns you into a person you might not recognize as life becomes more excruciating.

2. Little gestures of kindness mean a great deal. From getting an ice pack to cooking dinner to even the chiropractor calling my home to check up on me...anything someone did to show they cared felt huge. I wasn't shouldering this pain alone.

3. Pain will deepen or destroy your faith. Theologically, I couldn't blame this pain on anything but my own fallen body. It was an accident, nothing more. But why wasn't God healing me? I could either get angry with him or turn to him for help. I am a believer of reaching out for help to the One who can help, so I held on to God with everything in me. But, I understood more clearly the thoughts that propel people to grapple with their faith.

4. God puts healers in our lives to help us. As I worked with my doctors' advice, God began to heal me. When I relied on my own (uninformed) advice, my condition worsened. It made me wonder how often I have worked against the advice of people God has sent into my life to help heal me.

You might be saying, "This is interesting, Susie, but what does it have to do with Christmas?"

I know this season is a difficult time for so many this year. There is chronic pain all around us - physical, financial, emotional, and finally, spiritual. There is nothing worse than the pain of knowing you are broken spiritually. That you are estranged from God - trust me, I've been there, too. I just didn't recognize until now how that pain mirrored physical pain, how it dug me out from the inside, how little acts of kindness from believers, and hence, from God, ministered to me. I am so thankful that during that dark, painful time, God sent me "chiropractors" in the faith to bring me back to a whole relationship with Him. Satan will try and use pain of any kind to pull us away from God, away from faith and to break us, ultimately, spiritually.

Which brings me to the Christmas part of this letter. Our world is in great pain right now. It seems that there is more suffering, more fear, more desperation. And more people who need to hear that there is deliverance. Into our pain came a Savior, and at the end of the day, with eternity before us, it is only that Savior - Jesus Christ - who can ease our pain. Only His forgiveness, only His truth, only His hope can mend those broken places, realign us, ease our suffering.

Because, he's been there, too. Isaiah 53:3 says "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain..."

I've long believed that God uses physical and emotional pain to address a spiritual pain in our lives. To draw us into further healing, from the inside out. But we have to cooperate with him. To reach out, draw near and hold on because, in the words of the Great Chiropractor: "He has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help." (Psalm 22:24)

If you are hurting, I believe there is healing regardless of how deep the pain goes. You may always have a deep scar or acute ache in your neck, but there is still healing. I know pain is debilitating, that it can feel hopeless. Don't give up. Don't let go. Be like the woman in Luke 8: 43-48 who pushed through the crowd and grabbed Jesus' hem, armed with only the desperate (and accurate!) hope that she'd be healed. Push through the crowd for Christ. He will stop. He will see you. He will touch you. He won't leave you to suffer alone.

I pray you have people in your life who do the "little things" and "chiropractors" who can do the big. Most of all, I pray that your faith deepens and that, in your dark hour of sobbing, you find salvation.

Back in the Saddle....

Good Morning-

How sad that it's Wednesday and I'm just now getting to my "back in the saddle" post. Well, I guess that means we're all just that much closer to Friday. =)

It's been a week pretty much on track so far. Brayden's eye dr. appt. went as well as we'd hoped for on Monday - and he's now also sporting a new pair of glasses. However, he's still primarily going with his contacts which were also ordered - with a new component of "HD" that apparently makes them that much better quality. I'm going to hold out with new contacts for me until they allow me to see tv in 3D....ha ha!

Mikayla and I also enjoyed our pedicures - my toes and feet are so much happier.

Then, there's these ladies:

This picture will be doctored and added to when John gets some time to eliminate the black smudge stuff off our fireplace, but I picked just this one as it shows the good times we were having posing for Mikayla as she stood all the way at the doorway trying to snap the pic. It's a phenomenal lens, but you have to be a long ways away if you want a group shot.

I LOVE these ladies - last night we honored Kimmie's b-day and caught up. One of our gals revealed a boyfriend in her life who is actually a star on the OSU football team. While he's not a "Duck" - being a "Beaver" is the next best thing, and it will make following OSU football that much more fun having a "link" to this guy. But, even more importantly, how awesome it is to see a young woman in love!

Sadly, I ended up missing out on the very tail end of chatting with the "stragglers". Off to bed I went, second night in a row with ice packs. Thank God I see my mom today, as the whole pain thing is making me very discouraged. I haven't even done the exercises recently that would add strain to my shoulders and neck (i.e. elliptical or the Group Power workout) - ugh. Apparently, hurrying up to sweep, mop, and Windex the patio doors and glass is all it takes to put me over the edge. Sigh...

Hope your week has already been successful, and you have high expectations for the what's still left-

Four Eyes Times Four

In a brief break from the deluge of rain that we've had all weekend, the kids took about two dozen balls out to the trampoline and got some "fresh air and exercise". Traig wasn't invited to the club because he has better than perfect vision, so therefore does not wear glasses. No, not really - of course he was invited, but sadly, the poor guy has had the stomach bug with all its nasty side effects today. Something tells me his spring break will be extended for all the wrong reasons tomorrow.

We've had a good time with all of the kids - we took them to Papa's Pizza yesterday and settled in for a while. John and I took our computers and set ourselves up next to a tv to watch if Butler and Arizona would advance to the Final Four (Yeah for Butler, bummer for Arizona), while the kids had a heyday in the indoor play area. Eventually Lisa joined us, in an attempt to keep her kids entertained in this long spring break in which she's a "tax widow" - having an accountant as her hubby.

We also spent a little bit of time at Lenscrafters yesterday, picking out Mikayla's new spectacles - as well as a new pair for Brayden (as he's still wearing his original pair given to him in first grade). Between John and the retail manager, Kyle, pressuring me with a total hard sell, I ended up purchasing some pretty fancy prescription sunglasses as well. The bad news is that they won't be ready for a couple of weeks, but the good news is they probably won't be necessary until at least that time anyway. Although, I'd hardly call that good news!

My kiddos actually have Monday off as well (I love how our district gives us that extra day after the two long vacations...it makes the transition so much easier). Mikayla and I have an appointment at Bello for a pedicure - thanks to "LivingSocial" we got one of our pedicures for free and the other one for 60% off. It was one of her Christmas presents that we are finally cashing in.

Two and a Half Hours Later...

...we were FINALLY able to exit the eye doctor appointment, with plenty of money spent, and Mikayla's vision even worse than where it was to begin with (due to her eyes being dilated).

Long story short, Mikayla is quite farsighted. Her prescription will end up being +3.00, whereas Brayden's current prescription is -6.00. Apparently, Mikayla's vision is such an issue, that she actually struggles with seeing distances as well, as her brain is constantly playing a "vision focus" game, trying to keep things in focus after they first appear blurry.

Of course, as a Mom, what I heard was, "Good grief, how could you let your daughter suffer this long? I'm surprised she can even read, much less manage to get through any day without constant headaches and weariness. Let's just hope that she can ever get to complete 20/20 vision since you've waited so long, you're lucky she's not blind".

No, that's not what the "very nice doctor" said, but somehow, that's how I interpret it.

Actually, the whole thing makes a ton of sense. Miraculously, both Brayden and Mikayla were able to catch on to reading with relative ease despite the fact that they were both handicapped by their individual vision issues. However, it has perplexed me that despite Mikayla being in the highest reading group in her grade, her scores for reading proficiency aren't exactly overwhelming. Reading quickly with this kind of vision issue would be especially burdensome (and at this point, I am super glad I helped her out by reading aloud the last several chapters of "Bridge to Terabithia" last weekend when she found herself behind on a reading project....the font was so tiny in that book). It also makes sense as to why she'll like the story line of a book and seem to want to read it, but lose interest when actually sitting down with the book.

And, contrary to my little "mom-dialogue" above, she will easily be able to achieve 20/20 vision with correction. The hopes that her muscles will stop overworking on the focus once she's given the correction are high - otherwise the much dreaded "vision therapy" was suggested. (This is a much debated issue among many of my mom-friends). In addition, after being disgusted with the hard-sell of this office's "glasses specialist", I tentatively dove into the contacts idea with the doctor, and she was all for it. I think we'll end up picking up new glasses for both kids this week (at a different location) as they now both need a "back-up pair" (Brayden's "contacts default" are the original glasses he picked out in first grade!), but otherwise, it's a family of four of us, all with different contact prescriptions.

Lest I begin feeling sorry for myself (and lamenting the way this and so many other things are eating away our tax refund), I have to praise God for the fact that both kids have very healthy eyes. My grandma ended her life blind, having had a degenerative condition from the time she was a child. By the time I walked down the aisle in my wedding, she was barely able to see my outline - much less gaze her eyes upon any of her grandchildren. Knowing that this condition existed in the family, it is with huge relief that it has not been passed on to any of her descendants.

Phineas at Harlow

As I mentioned in the previous post, Brayden's experience out at Camp Harlow has been nothing short of a dream come true for John and I. Here's why....

If you consider who Brayden is as a person, he's got a lot going for him, but in any given category, he's not necessarily a "star". He's bright - and a good student - but, I don't think he has the drive to ever end up striving to be a valedictorian. He's an athlete, particularly loving football, but due to his lack of size, speed, and intensity, I'm pretty certain he won't be getting an athletic scholarship. He's funny and charming, but not so over the top that everyone knows him for just that at school as the "class clown".

But, what we've believed all along that Brayden does excel at, is "the art of having a good time" (and consequently encouraging others to do that too). Combine that with a love for Jesus, a very sensitive heart, and a certain giftedness in working with kids younger than himself (note: this does NOT apply to Mikayla!) - and it combines to make a kid who has the aptitude to make quite a counselor some day. Consequently, that's what we've always said about Brayden - as we giggle about his size playing basketball, or his inability to keep track of his assignments at school - "just wait until he's old enough to be out at Harlow - I think that's where we're going to see him shine" - and indeed, shine he did. =)

John went out to Harlow on Thursday night during the "Counselor Appreciation Evening" and was a "fly on the wall" (with a camera). He watched Brayden and Traig be called upon to be part of a skit - and them pull out all the stops pretending to be on a roller coaster (when the audience was all told they were acting out being in a bathroom stall). When five people were called to the front to give an award to someone else in the room, Brayden was chosen - and gave a sweet little speech as to why he appreciated the counselor he worked with, Mad Hatter, so much - and what a difference he made for Brayden. Just as Brayden sat down - after giving Mad Hatter a big ol' hug, Mad Hatter was chosen to give an award. And, what do you know, but he intended to give an award to Brayden - and proceeded to explain how great it was, as a first year counselor, that Brayden was assigned to him and how much it helped him. Combine that experience was some "props" from Matt (mid-school pastor) and Dave (close friend and director at Harlow) - and John was walking away from the evening feeling extremely proud.

On Friday, John snuck out to camp during his lunch to snap a few pictures of Brayden with his group of kiddos - in action. John said it was interesting in how abnormally "detached" Brayden acted towards him - as if, Brayden was serious about being professional and had a job to do, and while he was glad to see his dad, it wasn't time to give him attention....instead his kids needed him.

So, onto the pictures - a couple worth nothing are the one of Brayden sitting in a line with the rest of the counselors on Thursday night....he's SO little! And, then, the group shot of Brayden with his kids, just what a crack up it was to try to mangle six elementary-aged boys into posing....

Thursday night, on the "roller coaster":



Our "little" man:

Mad Hatter and Phineas:

Papa Smurf and Ferb:

Can you say "squirrely"?


Playing tag:




And, last but not least...the priceless image of Brayden giving some parting wisdom, while one of the kiddos picks his nose...... =)

Way to go, Phineas - we are so proud you are our son!

The Week Where I'm Not Excited for Friday...

So, it's Friday. I'm supposed to be excited, right? Not so much. Here's a few reasons why:

- It means spring break is nearly over. Even though, for the girls (Mikayla, Nati, and Ellie) - much of spring break has meant being in school...due to their very elaborate pretending - I'm not ready to have the kids return to "real school".

- It means Michele is leaving. She is heading out at about noon for the northern Oregon coast on a retreat with Michael for their high school youth group. (We get to keep the kids and their dog...). It's not that I'm bothered about the increase in family size, it's just that I'm sad Chele is leaving. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again - life is just better with Michele around. More fun, more encouraging, more "all is well". But....due to our like-minded indulgence tendencies, it's also more food...so, in that regard, it's probably best our time together is nearing an end.

- ....which means, it's time to start being good eating again. I'm not going to test my theory on the scales, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 11 days of being super good were erased by the last 5 days of not being good....

- It means Camp Harlow Spring Break Camp is nearly over. As John provides pictures this evening from a lunch-time visit out there today with his camera, I'll put together another post on this subject. But, in a nutshell, the experience out there for the boys has been everything I'd hoped for and more....

- It means Mikayla has her first real eye doctor appointment. She's actually kind of excited about it, but as a Mom it means guilt and expenses. Guilt for not getting her in there earlier when we knew her vision wasn't perfect (it's no where near the problem it is for Brayden, but I suspect it is what's causing her headaches when she reads) - and then, of course, the expenses for the appointment and the inevitable glasses (and potential contacts) she'll probably be prescribed with. The appointment is at 1:20 today, so I'll let you all know how it comes out.

I guess the good news about all of this is that, if it weren't for having such a great week, I wouldn't be so sad for having it end. Between hanging with Mom yesterday for her birthday, laughter with the Whites in the evenings, a grueling (but in, its own way - amusing) group power workout with Michele at the gym, visits from Lisa, reports from the boys about their Harlow adventures, co-existing with Michele as we each take a couch and read a book, and just seeing the kids all be so happy together - it's been a splendid spring break

Great Ending to the Great Start

Since I started with these guys on the last post, I'll go ahead and begin with them again...

I'm pleased to report that they both had a great day at camp. They were both paired with new counselors who fit their personalities well, and each of them have a group of campers comprised of 6 boys. The rain was kept at bay for them to be outside much of the day, PRAISE GOD! - and both boys have stories of the "one kid" who's causing trouble for each of them. (Ha ha - love it!)

When I picked the boys up, Kimmie was there (she's helping run the mid-school involovement with Matt and Steve) and she applauded their efforts for the day and said that Brayden even got a special public shout-out (a rarity for the middle schoolers to get) for staying behind with a kiddo at the Craft Shack to help him make his nametag necklace. Have I mentioned lately how proud I am of these two? =)

Now, back to the girl-side of the day. Here's Ellie, Kenady and Mikayla skating. The experience was more short-lived than they had hoped for (Ellie had a doctor's appt. and we left soon after they left), but what it lacked in length, it was made up for in the amount of fun the girls had.

I felt like the mom that had the easiest job ever compared to Jonna - shown her with her youngest, Annika -

and, Tricia (Ellie's mom) shown her with her youngest, Max. Both moms also had in tow their other child as well, Jonna with her son, Luke - and Tricia, with her son, Steven, and his friend, Braden.

Despite all of the kiddos around, and the fact that Skateworld was packed (they must absolutely love the poor-weather forecasts as it sends all the kids to indoor recreation) - the three of us moms had some really great chat-time. It's interesting to hear about how the other girls Mikayla's age are faring - and what they find themselves anxious and worried about compared to Mikayla's anxieties. It also verified to me that even if the only sport Mikayla plays is volleyball, her friendship with Ellie and Kenady isn't determined by her participation (or lack of) in the sports they play in addition to volleyball. I left Skateworld looking forward to the next time I get to spend quality time with these wonderful women.

Off to a Great Start

This picture was taken last night, as the boys set off for their orientation meeting - but it works for a "start of Harlow pic" just as well too. The guy holding the sign is Steve Melton - a helper for the mid school group and the short guy to the right is the mid school pastor. (Short, just like Brayden!) And speaking of short....it's hard to tell, but Brayden got his hair cut off! This momma is very sad about this. Change is good and all, but I'd like to see his hair somewhere between this length and what it was. Now, he looks like he's about 5 years old, it's a good thing they have specially marked t-shirts, otherwise I'm positive he'd be shepherded into a camper's group.

Meanwhile, I had these ladies join Mikayla and I today. Darcy and Kaela are both bright lights in my life and it was a pleasure to feast on fresh grapes, strawberries, and zucchini bread and catch up on their lives. Lisa ended up stopping by as well - the girls enjoyed playing with Kaela's hair.




As for now, we are waiting for our friends in the lobby of Skateworld, ready for the next adventure of spring break!

Date Day

While it was not originally planned to be this way, today was an exceptional date day with my man. We left early this morning as a family to drive up to the Schillings - and within 10 minutes of arriving, we had exchanged the kiddos in our vehicle for Michele - and headed off to the Woodburn Outlet Mall. While I can't say I absolutely "needed" anything I purchased, I will say I got some killer deals from Nike, Aeropostle, Gap, and Banana Republic. (Love that "Friends and Family 30% discount!).

Then, within 30 minutes of returning to the Schilling house, we were off again, this time with Michael as well - off to the Independence Cinema. We saw "Adjustment Bureau". I thought Matt Damon was very engaging in this movie - and the plotline gripping and intriguing, but also a little controversial....in terms of "divine intervention". With that said, though, I was still very happy just to be sitting next to my husband in a theater - as it seems like it's been a while since it was just he and I without kiddos next to us.

Now, we are back at the house, settled in until tomorrow afternoon. Basketball is on (what an ending to the Butler/Pittsburgh game!) - and all is quite cozy. We'll take Traig with us tomorrow so that he'll be ready to go for Harlow's orientation tomorrow night and camp on Monday morning. Then, Michele will join us with the girls on Tuesday.

Good times.....welcome spring break!!

Highs and Lows of the Week

Sorry for the long absence, I just haven't felt "drawn to blog" this week, nothing in and of itself overwhelmingly worthwhile to make a post about. But, if you add it all up, there were some noteworthy moments...both in the high and low departments.

HIGHS:

- Most certainly Brayden's acceptance as a "apprentice counselor" out at Harlow. I later found out there were only 20-25 positions, but over 50 applicants. And, to add to the fun, grand inspiration was involved in coming up with the perfect camp names for both Brayden and Traig: Phineas and Ferb! Brayden will be Phineas and Traig, Ferb. Brayden is definitely the shorter, more talkative one - and Traig is Mr. Fix It, taller, and a little more serious. As we all LOVE that show, and it is super relevant to the younger kids - we thought it was perfect.

- Teaching math to the fifth grade class that I've had numerous times. The teacher encouraged me to come up with my own lesson - so I brought in about 10 cereal boxes for them to measure and determine the volume of - and then had them "comparison shop" by determining a unit price based on the volume and dividing it into the price of the cereal. It was fun to engage some of those "educator muscles" again....

- Tuesday night. I feel like there's been a bit of a spark missing from our recent gatherings with our ladies and this Tuesday it was back in full form. The only bummer was that Stephie wasn't there. I went to bed that night feeling so thankful and full of gratitude for those ladies.

- Lori Salierno. I'm sure, somewhere in the midst of my blog post archives I've mentioned this lady before, but she is worthy to be mentioned again. She is AMAZING and has been the single most influential person to me in terms of who I aspire to be in my Christian walk. If you go to I-Tunes Store and type in her name, you'll come to a page with 6 different podcasts from when she's done "chapel" at various schools. On Tuesday night, we listened to #6 - regarding God's will for your life. However, on Tuesday, I listened to a couple of others as well, trying to decide which one to play for the group. "Getting Out of Your Spiritual Rut" and the podcast at George Fox were the other two I listened to. The thing about Lori is she is so passionate, so easy/fun to listen to - and she imprints stories into your mind that you will remember for decades (and I've used numerous times when giving my own talks). I was in the best mood all of Tuesday afternoon, just because of Lori.

- SPRING BREAK! It's already begun for Brayden who has today off due to his trimester grading schedule. Mikayla still has to get through today.

LOWS:

- A very nasty headache that I'm dealing with right now. I think it might mean canceling a date with Lisa and Steph H. for this morning as I'm pretty certain an icepack and a bed are on the docket. Yuck.

- A certain third grader's spelling list for this week. It has resulted in tears both last night and this morning. I'm frustrated she didn't start earlier in working with them, but it's hard to not be a little overwhelmed myself when I look at her list....mind you, this is THIRD grade. I'm all about stretching kids (she's in the highest spelling group), but I feel like these words are just a tad above and beyond what should be expected of her. There are 20 words this week, but a sampling of what is on her list would be: EMBARRASS, APPROXIMATELY, GRAFFITI, MAYONNAISE, ABBREVIATION (which was even spelled wrong on the list), CHANDELIER, LIEUTENANT (which I just had to use spell check to determine). Ugh.....

- The fact that the weight goes on a lot faster and easier than it goes off....enough said. =(

- The rain. We are already over four inches of rain for March. Much of this week has been spent in a downpour. Hopefully, this next week will at least offer breaks from the rain long enough for the kids at Harlow to get outside a little bit....

That's about it, and Mikayla needs a ride to school. How's your week been?

Guest Post from Brayden

[Dear Matt (Mid-School Pastor),]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I really appreciate you accepting Traig and I to be CIT (Counselors In Training).

P.S. I have been waiting all day and I just lit up when I found out you accepted me and was even happier to find out Traig got accepted as well.

Thanks again,
Brayden

Let me just tell you that a certain 11 year-old is flying sky-high around here after finding out "he made the cut" - and then being excited all over again upon finding out his cousin did too! It's only been in the last couple of days that I've realized just how much he's REALLY WANTED this to happen....Afterall, sacrificing the Monday through Friday of Spring Break to be at Camp Harlow from 8-4:00 to help "babysit" younger campers might not necessarily be the hottest ticket on the planet for a middle schooler. But, he and Traig eagerly completed the application, and participated in the "interview" with Matt to be considered for the limited number of positions offered as "Solid Rock Servants" (middle schoolers who are allowed to help out the counselors during spring break camp).

They were told they would find out sometime between Saturday through today - and by last night, when Brayden still hadn't heard anything, he was highly anxious. This was BIG for me to realize just how much he wanted it, but also a little hard knowing it could be a massive let-down - afterall, Brayden is just a 6th grader, and Traig is from out-of-town (even though he did a lot with the group last summer), so there's a lot of reasons why they might not have been chosen.

Just after picking up Mikayla on my way home from teaching in "my favorite class" (6th time this school year), Brayden called me - elatedly - to report he got the acceptance email. It was a rough half hour waiting for Michele to get home to check their email...but, you still couldn't control his enthusiasm. Part of the information he got in the email included details about their invite to a special "counselors-only thank-you night" on the Thursday night of the camp - where they'll be able to stay all the way until 9:30 that night - participating with all of the "real counselors" in fun activities, dinner, and a campfire. Traig and Brayden are "over the top". The paragraph at the top is the response email Brayden shot back to the mid-school pastor...

It's been a little bit of a "growth season" for us and Brayden lately in regards to school work and how his time is spent at home. This weekend marked a bit of a victory for all of us, in making some "adjustments" that fit Brayden and his life right now better - and made us, as parents, feel better. Brayden was super mature about the changes we made, despite it being a bit disappointing - but he was able to recognize the bigger picture. To now have this happen, and to see his enthusiasm soar for something we beyond-whole-heartedly endorse is pretty amazing. God is good!

Downtime: Riley Style

If someone were to walk into our house right now, they'd be just a little bit overwhelmed with the sight they saw in our living room.

First and foremost all five of our family members are in here (five including sweet Sydney). That's the whole point of why the living room looks overwhelming, because each of us also has what is currently keeping us happy with us in the living room.

Sydney has her huge big bean bag, that we have to skinny past just to get into the kitchen.

Mikayla has EVERY bit of her Playmobil collection sprawled all over the floor - a whole community created - which results in the need to do a hurdle just to get to the bathroom.

John is watching a favorite racing show (Motosports or something like that) on tv, alternating with helping/watching....

Brayden who is sitting next to me playing a new NBA game on the PS3 -

and I'm playing old-school "Spyro" (along with Mikayla) next to Brayden. Yes, that means we have three tv's currently in our living room (WHY DO I ADMIT THESE THINGS, I'M JUST DIGGING MY OWN GRAVE!) -

But, I think we'd all agree that we are getting quite a kick out of this unorthodoxed-family-squeezed-together weekend. The weather outside is gross. Mikayla and I caught a movie yesterday while John and Brayden did some putting and headed to Red Robin. And all of what I described today is what's on the docket for today (see the productive things we do when we have Wednesday night church with our "extra" time on Sundays?). We will be going to a worship night at CCF this evening....which will end the weekend well.

Gotta go....John just managed to get me past a very difficult/frustrating point with my "Spyro" game....have a great day everyone, no matter what it looks like!