Good Evening to everyone. I am sorry, but blogging has taken a very big back seat in my life right now, although, I feel as though I may be able to get back into the swing of updating more often soon.
As my last post stated, I was looking forward to the new year. I was ready for 2009 to be done and over with. I was ready to take my new years resolutions to new heights and begin another year fresh. So far, this year is not what I ever would have chosen for my family. Not in a million years! What I have to realize, though, is that what I want for my family and God's will for my family may not always be the same. That is a hard fact to grasp hold of sometimes, so we plod along, grasping and grasping. Sometimes we fall, but God in His mercy gently lifts us back up and helps us, in many ways, to keep grasping and reaching for Him.
Most of you who read anything I post already know what I am going to tell you. For others, I am sorry, but I am not going to go into a lot of detail. Monday night, January 4th of this year, my Dad was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. We all knew that stage 4 lung cancer was treatable, but not curable, therefore, we knew Dad was going to die, we just didn't know how much longer God would leave him with us. My Dad died at home, in the arms of my mother, surrounded by my brothers, his mother, and my mother's parents on Thursday, January 19th around 7:15 in the evening, 15 days after his original diagnosis. My Dad's last breath in this world was his first breath in Heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ, praise the Lord!
While I STILL feel a little bit in shock and absolutely devastated at the loss of my father, I also have a peace that has come over me. It is really awesome. The peace of which I speak came over me when I first got to GA and walked into my Dad's hospital room and saw him laying there struggling to breathe. I knew Dad was going to die and I was soooo sad. I was sooo devastated and sad, but God gave me, and I believe my entire family, such peace about His will. I remember when the DR who came to give the final diagnosis to our family about Dad's condition and just how bad things were, Dad listened to the DR, asked a few questions and then looked at us. I remember him telling us so many times that he was not afraid to die and that he wanted, more than anything, for God to be glorified in his illness. We all gathered around the bed listening to the DR talk and Dad asked her if taking chemo would help anything or how long it might prolong his days on earth. She said that there was really no telling how much longer it would allow him to live. He asked what the DR thought his quality of life might be if he decided to try to do chemo for the sake of more time with his family and she said the quality more than likely would be poor. He looked at us and said: "I want to go home and spend my last days here on earth with you at home." So, that is what we did. Dad got progressively worse in the hospital and frankly, we did not think that he was going to make the transport home because he was so ill. Not only that, but he was coming home to much less oxygen than he was on in the hospital. We brought Dad home under hospice care and Dad seemed to get a little better.
Let me tell you a little about my Dad's last days. Dad loved his church and God so wholly and they loved him too. The church members were so desperate to see him, and they knew how bad Dad wanted to be at church, that we set up a church service in mom and dad's home that afternoon and the members came to him. I am almost certain all church members were there save one member who was sick. What a blessing it was! We sang to him, a little preaching was done and members came and gave him the "right hand of fellowship" . Also, in my Dad's last days, he was not able to get up and down much, but he was able to go back out on the back porch one last time and be with my Papaw Nacho who helped him rebuild the back porch several years earlier. He was able to go upstairs, shower, shave and get a haircut one last time. My mom called me crying one day telling me that Dad got to go upstairs and lay down in bed with her one last time. She said she figured they would have gone up there and talked and chatted while laying there in bed, but she said Dad rubbed her head and they both fell asleep for a while together.
I must say that Dad being sick and me living 8 hours away was the hardest thing about this entire ordeal. I had work to think about, Danny's work to think about, my kid's. There were so many things I did or didn't do and decisions I made that were really hard. The first time I went to see Dad after finding out this news was really late one night and we had a call that we needed to come asap, so we drove all night to get there and for the next several days, I threw my kids in the laps of others and my husband and spent most of my time with Dad and my siblings and their families. I dreaded making a decision to go back home and I prayed all night one night and begged God to show me what to do. Danny had to go back to work and I would have to within a day or two. God answered my prayers and I was able to stay one more day after I sent my husband and kids home. I remember telling Dad goodbye when it was time for me to leave on that go around. I sat beside him holding his hand and told him I had to go but that I would be back in a few days. He asked me what day I would be back. I told him on Friday and he looked at me and said: "You go on home and go back to work. I will be here Friday when you get back." That was all I needed to hear. The next weekend we went on down to GA, but leaving this time was different. I wanted to be with my Dad and my family when he passed away so badly, but I knew I had to get back to VA. When I sat down with Dad this time, it was different. I still sat beside him and held his hands and told him I had to leave and how much I loved him. This time Dad asked me: "Do you have to go?" When I told him I did, he asked me: "Can you take Danny and the kids home and come right back?" It was then that I realized that Dad may not have known when he was going to die, but he knew that it would be soon. I told him how much I loved him and that if the Lord called him home to be with Him, then I would be okay. We said our goodbyes and I went home. It was less than 24 hours later that I was called and told that Dad had passed away. That was soo hard, but I know that it was not God's will for me to have been there. I am at peace, but I miss my Dad oh so much!
Well, that is really all I want to say. I could go into much more detail, but I won't. I will say this though: My dad was an awesome father, husband, son and grandfather. He was a devoted and loved church member and he was an awesome friend and co-worker. He was loved by many and will be missed by everyone who had the awesome priveledge to know him.
Please don't stop praying for me or my family. Keep my mom in your prayers. Also, please pray for my granny. Dad was her youngest son and last living. I can not imagine what it is like to lose all three of your sons to an early death.
Thanks for all of yours prayers so far!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
Looking forward to the New Year
For anyone who has come on a consistent basis to look for a new entry, I am sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Life takes over sometimes and leaves me with little time for myself, much less my family, and as you all understand, when there is time left over, family comes first!
I am looking forward to seeing this old year out and the new year in. I am very excited at what the New Year may hold for me and my family. I have a couple of serious projects going on that I need your prayers about, and I hope to blog more about those projects on my health and well being blog site, weightingfornothing.blogspot.com. I am not sure how often I can keep it up , but I will try to write on both at least weekly from now on.
Let me fill you in a little about us since last we spoke...
Bethany got her glasses and they are absolutely adorable on her. There are two questions that everyone asks me when they see a baby/toddler so young wearing glasses, so I will tell you a little. First question is: "How do you get them to stay on?" Well, when we first put them on Bethany, her first instinct was to reach up and jerk them off. For the first few days, I didn't fight her on it. I would put them on her and when she took them off, I would try a couple of more times to put them on. If she kept taking them off, I would put them away for a while and try later. After about a week, she was wearing them for several hours at a time before she started taking them off. Now, she pretty much goes all week wearing her glasses, and occasionally takes them off when she is tired or really upset. Plus, the stems wrap around her ears holding them on really well! Bethany seems to be seeing a whole new world since her glasses. She is so much more bubbly and giddy with people and I think it is because she can now see their facial expressions and interact with them better. The second question is: "How does the doctor know that she can't see or that she needs glasses?" The answer is...I really don't know the answer, but I do know that she can see with them on whereas she could not without them. The doctor said that she is .5 diopter away from being considered legally blind, so, her eyesight is very bad. She will have to wear glasses the rest of her life, and I am okay with that...especially since she is sooo cute!
We had a family and fun filled Thanksgiving holiday. I ventured out on my own and took a trip, by myself with Josiah and Bethany in tow, and we went to Georgia where I was desperate to see my family and spend some time with them. I got to meet my new nephew, and cried the first time I held him. I had been waiting and hoping for him for so long. He is adorable and looks just like my older brother, in my opinion. He has the cutest reddish hair and it just kind of sticks up everywhere! I also got to meet my new niece who was born back in May. I knew if I didn't take this trip to GA that I wouldn't get to see them for another while, so I am glad I went. The trip went well. Me and the kids got up around 5am and headed out. I doubled Josiah and Bethany both up on diapers and we hit the road. We stopped twice, once at a rest area at the NC border, then again in Commerce, GA where we had lunch at Chik-fil-A. I made everyone mad at the restaurant because I took about 15 minutes in the handicap stall changing Bethany and Josiah and also using the facilities myself. After all, it was black Friday and lunch time and people were GRUMPY!!! We hit mom and dad's house in record time and I was so thrilled to be there! Josiah was my constant companion the whole trip, not sleeping a wink the whole way. We constantly talked about all of the big trucks and all of the lakes of water we got to see. He is really so much fun! We also listened to Josiah's new Veggie Tales CD, almost the entire way...it is STILL stuck in my head! While we were in GA, we got to meet up with two of my grandmothers and and aunt and uncle and many cousins for a family luncheon. It was good to see everyone and wish more could have been there. Hey, the highlight was a bunch of the Strevel men got out to play some football and that was pretty fun-ny! I was supposed to head back home Sunday morning, but I was desperate to go to Shoal Creek, my home church, and visit with the saints and the Lord there, so I decided to do it and stayed for church, then the family talked me into going out to lunch with them. This put me travelling home most of the way in the dark, which I did not like, but it wasn't so bad! I had so much fun on this trip and would do it again in a heart beat!
I kept telling Danny that I thought we were due for a really big winter storm this year. Then, the news started posting these winter storm warnings. I really like the snow, but my DH has to drive a truck in it, so it is no fun for him. I called him from work one day and asked him if he heard the news and that they were saying we might get anywhere from 12-18 inches of snow. His response is always: "I'll believe it when I see it." Well, the snow started falling and I was sent home early from work. By the time I made it home, there were already a couple of inches on the ground...unbelievable. So, later on that night, we had TONS of snow and Danny had to get out and drive in it. Around 3:15am, my phone rang and Danny told me he was in his truck, stuck in the snow in a ditch on the side of the road off of Rte 11. He said an EMS/fire worker told him that the road was closed ahead due to an accident and he had to turn around. He thought he was turning around in a driveway, but not so. For 17 long hours, my baby was stuck in the snow on the side of the road in his truck. Thankfully he was able to keep the truck running, so he had heat and he had food with him. He got out at one point and walked up to the house where he was stuck and it turned out to be a frat house where a bunch of guys were hanging out and they let him use the bathroom and sit around for a while. When Danny was finally given permission to abandon his truck [how nice of his employer...] he had a fellow worker who lived in the area come and pick him up and see if he could find a hotel room to sleep in. They drove around for hours and all 18 hotels/motels in Lexington, VA had no vacancies [because everyone was abandoning their cars on the local interstate and seeking shelter]. I tried to find him a place to stay and finally decided to call the local Sherriff's office in Rockbridge County to see if they had a shelter or something like it for stranded motorists. She said that the National Guard set up an emergency shelter at the local High School, so I sent Danny there. He slept that night on the hard gym floor underneath some bleachers with a dumb dog whining near him all night. He was miserable! So, Danny left at 8pm on Friday night and me and the kids were stuck at home without him until Sunday afternoon around 4pm. I was sooo glad to see him! The kids were ecstatic too! I am so glad that ordeal was over and I will not wish for snow again in a while!
We had a nice Christmas with Danny's side of the family. I missed my family, and am still missing them, something terrible! I wish they could have been here, or we could have been there or something! Josiah had fun opening presents this year, but still does not understand what Christmas is all about. EVERYONE kept asking him about Santa and if he was going to see Santa this year, etc., which drove me crazy. Josiah will eventually know about santa, but only as a fictional character and not as some kind of mystical being who brings him goodies. I just don't want him to think that is what Christmas is all about.
Well, it is time for me to close for now. I just wanted to say Hi and I had not forgotten about my blog, just out of time on a regular basis!
I am looking forward to seeing this old year out and the new year in. I am very excited at what the New Year may hold for me and my family. I have a couple of serious projects going on that I need your prayers about, and I hope to blog more about those projects on my health and well being blog site, weightingfornothing.blogspot.com. I am not sure how often I can keep it up , but I will try to write on both at least weekly from now on.
Let me fill you in a little about us since last we spoke...
Bethany got her glasses and they are absolutely adorable on her. There are two questions that everyone asks me when they see a baby/toddler so young wearing glasses, so I will tell you a little. First question is: "How do you get them to stay on?" Well, when we first put them on Bethany, her first instinct was to reach up and jerk them off. For the first few days, I didn't fight her on it. I would put them on her and when she took them off, I would try a couple of more times to put them on. If she kept taking them off, I would put them away for a while and try later. After about a week, she was wearing them for several hours at a time before she started taking them off. Now, she pretty much goes all week wearing her glasses, and occasionally takes them off when she is tired or really upset. Plus, the stems wrap around her ears holding them on really well! Bethany seems to be seeing a whole new world since her glasses. She is so much more bubbly and giddy with people and I think it is because she can now see their facial expressions and interact with them better. The second question is: "How does the doctor know that she can't see or that she needs glasses?" The answer is...I really don't know the answer, but I do know that she can see with them on whereas she could not without them. The doctor said that she is .5 diopter away from being considered legally blind, so, her eyesight is very bad. She will have to wear glasses the rest of her life, and I am okay with that...especially since she is sooo cute!
We had a family and fun filled Thanksgiving holiday. I ventured out on my own and took a trip, by myself with Josiah and Bethany in tow, and we went to Georgia where I was desperate to see my family and spend some time with them. I got to meet my new nephew, and cried the first time I held him. I had been waiting and hoping for him for so long. He is adorable and looks just like my older brother, in my opinion. He has the cutest reddish hair and it just kind of sticks up everywhere! I also got to meet my new niece who was born back in May. I knew if I didn't take this trip to GA that I wouldn't get to see them for another while, so I am glad I went. The trip went well. Me and the kids got up around 5am and headed out. I doubled Josiah and Bethany both up on diapers and we hit the road. We stopped twice, once at a rest area at the NC border, then again in Commerce, GA where we had lunch at Chik-fil-A. I made everyone mad at the restaurant because I took about 15 minutes in the handicap stall changing Bethany and Josiah and also using the facilities myself. After all, it was black Friday and lunch time and people were GRUMPY!!! We hit mom and dad's house in record time and I was so thrilled to be there! Josiah was my constant companion the whole trip, not sleeping a wink the whole way. We constantly talked about all of the big trucks and all of the lakes of water we got to see. He is really so much fun! We also listened to Josiah's new Veggie Tales CD, almost the entire way...it is STILL stuck in my head! While we were in GA, we got to meet up with two of my grandmothers and and aunt and uncle and many cousins for a family luncheon. It was good to see everyone and wish more could have been there. Hey, the highlight was a bunch of the Strevel men got out to play some football and that was pretty fun-ny! I was supposed to head back home Sunday morning, but I was desperate to go to Shoal Creek, my home church, and visit with the saints and the Lord there, so I decided to do it and stayed for church, then the family talked me into going out to lunch with them. This put me travelling home most of the way in the dark, which I did not like, but it wasn't so bad! I had so much fun on this trip and would do it again in a heart beat!
I kept telling Danny that I thought we were due for a really big winter storm this year. Then, the news started posting these winter storm warnings. I really like the snow, but my DH has to drive a truck in it, so it is no fun for him. I called him from work one day and asked him if he heard the news and that they were saying we might get anywhere from 12-18 inches of snow. His response is always: "I'll believe it when I see it." Well, the snow started falling and I was sent home early from work. By the time I made it home, there were already a couple of inches on the ground...unbelievable. So, later on that night, we had TONS of snow and Danny had to get out and drive in it. Around 3:15am, my phone rang and Danny told me he was in his truck, stuck in the snow in a ditch on the side of the road off of Rte 11. He said an EMS/fire worker told him that the road was closed ahead due to an accident and he had to turn around. He thought he was turning around in a driveway, but not so. For 17 long hours, my baby was stuck in the snow on the side of the road in his truck. Thankfully he was able to keep the truck running, so he had heat and he had food with him. He got out at one point and walked up to the house where he was stuck and it turned out to be a frat house where a bunch of guys were hanging out and they let him use the bathroom and sit around for a while. When Danny was finally given permission to abandon his truck [how nice of his employer...] he had a fellow worker who lived in the area come and pick him up and see if he could find a hotel room to sleep in. They drove around for hours and all 18 hotels/motels in Lexington, VA had no vacancies [because everyone was abandoning their cars on the local interstate and seeking shelter]. I tried to find him a place to stay and finally decided to call the local Sherriff's office in Rockbridge County to see if they had a shelter or something like it for stranded motorists. She said that the National Guard set up an emergency shelter at the local High School, so I sent Danny there. He slept that night on the hard gym floor underneath some bleachers with a dumb dog whining near him all night. He was miserable! So, Danny left at 8pm on Friday night and me and the kids were stuck at home without him until Sunday afternoon around 4pm. I was sooo glad to see him! The kids were ecstatic too! I am so glad that ordeal was over and I will not wish for snow again in a while!
We had a nice Christmas with Danny's side of the family. I missed my family, and am still missing them, something terrible! I wish they could have been here, or we could have been there or something! Josiah had fun opening presents this year, but still does not understand what Christmas is all about. EVERYONE kept asking him about Santa and if he was going to see Santa this year, etc., which drove me crazy. Josiah will eventually know about santa, but only as a fictional character and not as some kind of mystical being who brings him goodies. I just don't want him to think that is what Christmas is all about.
Well, it is time for me to close for now. I just wanted to say Hi and I had not forgotten about my blog, just out of time on a regular basis!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Just the Facts, Please!
Fact # 1: This is day four of being sick. I am sick of sick!
So, I picked Bethany up one day last week and noticed she had a bit of a fever. I chalked it up to teething. I gave her some tylenol and figured we were in for a rough couple of weeks. Then, Danny tells me he is feeling kinda sick and achy. That is when I told him he was not allowed to kiss me or the babies and to stay away from us [nice and loving wife, huh?]. Then, after an extremely cranky day with Josiah, I checked him for a fever, and guess what? Yeah, I had to try to not kiss on my kids for a few days. I wasn't supposed to get this! I am the one who has been diligently drinking my emergen-c's and all that good stuff! Friday of last week rolled around and I was at work and I could tell I had a fever because my eyes were so hot! So, we have all had fevers and coughs and I pray we are nearing an end!'
Fact # 2: I miss my family in GA and can't wait to see them all Thanksgiving weekend.
Me and the kiddos, and maybe my sis in law will be taking a trek to GA. I am excited and can't wait. I do not relish a trip by myself and I always have more fun any and every where with my sis in law, so I hope she can come! I am really excited to be able to meet my newest niece and my newest nephew on this trip. Watch out...here comes Aunt Melanie [I bet that is what my siblings have been telling them too!].
Fact # 3: I know we can shop for groceries once a week and spend less than $75.
The discouraging part is that we live in a day and time where if we want something we go and get it and we don't care if we are down to our last penny. It doesn't matter when we last went to the store, if we forgot it, we will go back. I am so frustrated at our spending habits and we continue to daily evaluate and will do so until we change for good. Until then, my discouragement will continue!
Fact # 4: I am tired and it is time to go to bed.
Good night everyone!
So, I picked Bethany up one day last week and noticed she had a bit of a fever. I chalked it up to teething. I gave her some tylenol and figured we were in for a rough couple of weeks. Then, Danny tells me he is feeling kinda sick and achy. That is when I told him he was not allowed to kiss me or the babies and to stay away from us [nice and loving wife, huh?]. Then, after an extremely cranky day with Josiah, I checked him for a fever, and guess what? Yeah, I had to try to not kiss on my kids for a few days. I wasn't supposed to get this! I am the one who has been diligently drinking my emergen-c's and all that good stuff! Friday of last week rolled around and I was at work and I could tell I had a fever because my eyes were so hot! So, we have all had fevers and coughs and I pray we are nearing an end!'
Fact # 2: I miss my family in GA and can't wait to see them all Thanksgiving weekend.
Me and the kiddos, and maybe my sis in law will be taking a trek to GA. I am excited and can't wait. I do not relish a trip by myself and I always have more fun any and every where with my sis in law, so I hope she can come! I am really excited to be able to meet my newest niece and my newest nephew on this trip. Watch out...here comes Aunt Melanie [I bet that is what my siblings have been telling them too!].
Fact # 3: I know we can shop for groceries once a week and spend less than $75.
The discouraging part is that we live in a day and time where if we want something we go and get it and we don't care if we are down to our last penny. It doesn't matter when we last went to the store, if we forgot it, we will go back. I am so frustrated at our spending habits and we continue to daily evaluate and will do so until we change for good. Until then, my discouragement will continue!
Fact # 4: I am tired and it is time to go to bed.
Good night everyone!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
100th Blog Post
Wow! 100 posts? Really? I didn't think I would ever go this far! This has been a busy season, month, week, and day for us here at the Hodges'! We seem to be swirling around here in the beautiful fall weather of Roanoke, Va.. I simply love this time of year. Our road is covered fall colored leaves and a lot of leaves in our front yard from the neighbor's tree. I think we will rake some leaves this weekend and play in them for a while. How much fun will this be? A lot, I tell you!!!
So, today has been a very busy day. I worked an early shift instead of the afternoon shift, and I took the afternoon to take Bethany to the eye doctor. She has crossed eyes, especially a problem with her left eye and we needed to have it seen about it. I thought the doctor would tell me that I was over-reacting or that the problem would eventually fix himself, but he almost immediately told me that there was a problem with her eyes and they were very crossed and then after a complete exam, he told me that Bethany is "extremely far-sighted" and that she needs glasses almost immediately. He says that she will proably need them for the rest of her life. Okay, I can handle that! At least it is not surgery she needs or any further problems, this is something that can easily be fixed with glasses. The only dilemma now is...what color... pink or purple? :-) I will post pictures one we get her glasses so everyone can see how cute she is.
Josiah, on the other hand, has entered a new phase of his life which I affectionately refer to as the "Hey momma..." phase. Oh my goodness, every other phrase out of his mouth is "hey momma...". It is driving me a little batty, but I always try to acknowledge him in spite of wanting to plug my ears! Here is a sample of one of our conversations in the car today:
J: "Hey momma!"
M: "What, honey?"
J: "Larry boy is brokie, momma."
M: "It is?"
J: "Uh-huh. Hey momma?"
M: What, honey?
J: "Daddy is driving."
J: "Hey momma?
M: "Yes, sweetie?"
J: "Go bye-bye eat?
M: Yes, we are going to eat Mexican tonight."
J: "Hey momma?"
M: "Mommy's not here!"
J: "Hey, momma? Where are you?" [in a sweet sing-songy voice!]
We had a good laugh over this one. This is literally the way things are going all day with Josiah. I have to keep reminding myself I love to hear him call my name. My mom laughed and said to wait until both Josiah and Bethany are calling my name. I laughed and cringed at the same time!
Well, it is time to head on to bed for another day here at the Hodges.
God Bless to all!
So, today has been a very busy day. I worked an early shift instead of the afternoon shift, and I took the afternoon to take Bethany to the eye doctor. She has crossed eyes, especially a problem with her left eye and we needed to have it seen about it. I thought the doctor would tell me that I was over-reacting or that the problem would eventually fix himself, but he almost immediately told me that there was a problem with her eyes and they were very crossed and then after a complete exam, he told me that Bethany is "extremely far-sighted" and that she needs glasses almost immediately. He says that she will proably need them for the rest of her life. Okay, I can handle that! At least it is not surgery she needs or any further problems, this is something that can easily be fixed with glasses. The only dilemma now is...what color... pink or purple? :-) I will post pictures one we get her glasses so everyone can see how cute she is.
Josiah, on the other hand, has entered a new phase of his life which I affectionately refer to as the "Hey momma..." phase. Oh my goodness, every other phrase out of his mouth is "hey momma...". It is driving me a little batty, but I always try to acknowledge him in spite of wanting to plug my ears! Here is a sample of one of our conversations in the car today:
J: "Hey momma!"
M: "What, honey?"
J: "Larry boy is brokie, momma."
M: "It is?"
J: "Uh-huh. Hey momma?"
M: What, honey?
J: "Daddy is driving."
J: "Hey momma?
M: "Yes, sweetie?"
J: "Go bye-bye eat?
M: Yes, we are going to eat Mexican tonight."
J: "Hey momma?"
M: "Mommy's not here!"
J: "Hey, momma? Where are you?" [in a sweet sing-songy voice!]
We had a good laugh over this one. This is literally the way things are going all day with Josiah. I have to keep reminding myself I love to hear him call my name. My mom laughed and said to wait until both Josiah and Bethany are calling my name. I laughed and cringed at the same time!
Well, it is time to head on to bed for another day here at the Hodges.
God Bless to all!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Heart full of Thanksgivings
I have been having so many moments of reflection today. I am so thankful for my children. I love them so much. I remember about 6 years ago my doctor told me I wouldn't be able to have children, and no I have two. I must admit when I saw this doctor coming into the restaurant that I was leaving this week, I enjoyed the fact that she just about had to pick her jaw up off of the floor when she saw me and my two precious children. I was overwhelmed with the love of God and wanted to say "Isn't God good?" but instead I got a little choked up and couldn't say anything at all. God is good. He is God.
This morning as I was waking up, Bethany was playing joyfully in her bed in the corner and I could hear Josiah starting to stir. I went and took a shower and then it began: "Mommy, blah, blah, blah." This is what I heard over and over again. Josiah has begun to add "mommy" or "daddy" at the end or beginning of anything and everything he has to say. I love to hear it ringing in my ears, but this morning as I was trying to get dressed and he wanted my undevoted attention, I thought to myself, "now I know what mom and dad always meant when they said they were going to change their name"! So, I called my mom and dad and left a message telling them it has finally and really hit me why they always said that!
Josiah and Bethany have begun to play together and they have been complete angels today. I guess they sense that mommy has a lot to get done before company arrives this afternoon and they are being so sweet. Josiah will go and get toys for Bethany to play with and he will tell her and show her how some toys work. All in all he tries to take care of her as well as he can. He is an awesome big brother!
Well, I do have company coming and I have a few more things I would like to get done, but I just wanted to pause and say how thankful I am for my blessings!
This morning as I was waking up, Bethany was playing joyfully in her bed in the corner and I could hear Josiah starting to stir. I went and took a shower and then it began: "Mommy, blah, blah, blah." This is what I heard over and over again. Josiah has begun to add "mommy" or "daddy" at the end or beginning of anything and everything he has to say. I love to hear it ringing in my ears, but this morning as I was trying to get dressed and he wanted my undevoted attention, I thought to myself, "now I know what mom and dad always meant when they said they were going to change their name"! So, I called my mom and dad and left a message telling them it has finally and really hit me why they always said that!
Josiah and Bethany have begun to play together and they have been complete angels today. I guess they sense that mommy has a lot to get done before company arrives this afternoon and they are being so sweet. Josiah will go and get toys for Bethany to play with and he will tell her and show her how some toys work. All in all he tries to take care of her as well as he can. He is an awesome big brother!
Well, I do have company coming and I have a few more things I would like to get done, but I just wanted to pause and say how thankful I am for my blessings!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Happy Day at The Hodges
So, I finally moved into my part time position at my current job, and for some reason it seems like I even have less time than when I was working full time for 10 weeks! This is why I haven't been blogging for a while! Since my last post a lot has happened. I have fell more and more in love with my husband, my son and my daughter. I have also loved spending more time with them even though most of my days seem hurried and worried. Here are some updates on everyone:
Josiah:
- potty time is getting better; he is still not potty trained, but he wears underwear during the day and pullups at nap and night time; he still won't tell me when he *needs* to go potty, but maybe that will come soon
- I have put up a potty time sticker chart where Josiah gets to pick a sticker and put it up and every five that he puts up, Josiah gets a treat - we'll see how this goes!
- Josiah has decided recently that nap time is a thing of his past, but mommy and daddy will fight this one for all it's worth! He has been getting in a lot of trouble for getting out of bed in the middle of nap time and when he gets up in the morning and when he goes to bed at night...
- he is learning so many new words and things and phrases; he is learning to pretend and this is so much fun to watch also! He will watch a movie or a TV show, then he will play with these toys and start calling them by the names on the TV shows. For instance, all of his horses names are "strawberry" in honor of Elmo's Wild Wild West. He also has a donkey he officially has named "Wild Wild West" and some of his farm animals he has named "Pecos Bill".
- Josiah loves Bethany with all of his heart and is really enjoying playing with her lately. He will crawl on the floor with her and say "Come on, Bet-Bet, let's go!". He also kisses and hugs her many times throughout the day.
Bethany:
- she is finally crawling! For two months she would get up on her arms and legs and rock back and forth, but now she is finally on the go
- she is out human vacuum cleaner! No, seriously!!! I never had this problem with Josiah. He never put things in his mouth! Bethany will put anything in her mouth, especially if it is paper. She LOVES paper! I had to call the gas company and ask for another bill because SHE ATE IT!
- She babbles all of the time now about "MA-MA-MA-MA" and "BA-BA-BA-BA". She has also begun to grunt at me when she is frustrated or not getting her way, so a little thump on the hand and a "no-no" has been assisting me in changing her little attitude.
- she is always so happy. She wakes up in a good mood and hardly ever seems to be upset. She loves playing with Josiah and LOVES to pull his curly head of hair...she LOVES it, I tell you!
This past Saturday, we had the first official Happy Day at the Hodges. A lot of party decor and things were being thrown away at work but I instead brought them home with me. I put up streamers and ballons in the doorways and we dedicated the day to being "HAPPY". Josiah came downstairs and saw the streamers and went crazy. He loved walking through them at the doorway and would run through and say "It's a Happy Day!". We also made a picture and he wanted to give it to his Meemaw [Danny's mom] and we made a card for cousin Bailey [I am feeling so bad because I can not find it now!] and we made some music makers - two paper plates glued together with dried beans inside. We danced around the living room and made ourselves look silly, but we had fun doing it!
This next week I am officially dedicating to TV Free activities. The TV being on has been too much a part of my day and the kids day. WE are going without the TV this week!!!
Well, I really am falling asleep at the computer here and I think I will call it a night!
Josiah:
- potty time is getting better; he is still not potty trained, but he wears underwear during the day and pullups at nap and night time; he still won't tell me when he *needs* to go potty, but maybe that will come soon
- I have put up a potty time sticker chart where Josiah gets to pick a sticker and put it up and every five that he puts up, Josiah gets a treat - we'll see how this goes!
- Josiah has decided recently that nap time is a thing of his past, but mommy and daddy will fight this one for all it's worth! He has been getting in a lot of trouble for getting out of bed in the middle of nap time and when he gets up in the morning and when he goes to bed at night...
- he is learning so many new words and things and phrases; he is learning to pretend and this is so much fun to watch also! He will watch a movie or a TV show, then he will play with these toys and start calling them by the names on the TV shows. For instance, all of his horses names are "strawberry" in honor of Elmo's Wild Wild West. He also has a donkey he officially has named "Wild Wild West" and some of his farm animals he has named "Pecos Bill".
- Josiah loves Bethany with all of his heart and is really enjoying playing with her lately. He will crawl on the floor with her and say "Come on, Bet-Bet, let's go!". He also kisses and hugs her many times throughout the day.
Bethany:
- she is finally crawling! For two months she would get up on her arms and legs and rock back and forth, but now she is finally on the go
- she is out human vacuum cleaner! No, seriously!!! I never had this problem with Josiah. He never put things in his mouth! Bethany will put anything in her mouth, especially if it is paper. She LOVES paper! I had to call the gas company and ask for another bill because SHE ATE IT!
- She babbles all of the time now about "MA-MA-MA-MA" and "BA-BA-BA-BA". She has also begun to grunt at me when she is frustrated or not getting her way, so a little thump on the hand and a "no-no" has been assisting me in changing her little attitude.
- she is always so happy. She wakes up in a good mood and hardly ever seems to be upset. She loves playing with Josiah and LOVES to pull his curly head of hair...she LOVES it, I tell you!
This past Saturday, we had the first official Happy Day at the Hodges. A lot of party decor and things were being thrown away at work but I instead brought them home with me. I put up streamers and ballons in the doorways and we dedicated the day to being "HAPPY". Josiah came downstairs and saw the streamers and went crazy. He loved walking through them at the doorway and would run through and say "It's a Happy Day!". We also made a picture and he wanted to give it to his Meemaw [Danny's mom] and we made a card for cousin Bailey [I am feeling so bad because I can not find it now!] and we made some music makers - two paper plates glued together with dried beans inside. We danced around the living room and made ourselves look silly, but we had fun doing it!
This next week I am officially dedicating to TV Free activities. The TV being on has been too much a part of my day and the kids day. WE are going without the TV this week!!!
Well, I really am falling asleep at the computer here and I think I will call it a night!
Monday, September 7, 2009
I love Holiday Weekends and TIme Off From Work!
As I write this, my DH is outside clearing brush off of the fences in the cool morning air. Poor thing, he let it go way too long and now he declares he is "paying for it". I think I might take him a cool glass of water...wouldn't that be sweet of me?
We have had a wonderful family weekend together! I started my weekend by being one of the ones who won a contest at work and got to leave an hour early at 4pm. I came home in a hurry to make dinner and we had the most delicious roasted chicken pesto sandwiches. I mean delicious! We then got our swimsuits on and headed to the YMCA. Bethany, who has HATED baths up until a month or two ago, kicked, splashed and squealed in the water for about an hour an a half continuously, then she decided she had had enough! Josiah was very brave in the water as long as he could stand on his own two feet. He would walk all the way to the 3 1/2 foot deep water and hold his head back and keep his face out of the water. He even jumped up and down a few times, going under the water, and declared: "It's not scary!" Which is what he always says when he is scared by something. I spent a glorious 10 minutes in the hot tub, then gave Danny his 10 minutes. Danny and I ended the evening watching about 1/2 of the movie "The Patriot", one of our favorites.
Saturday morning we were up bright and early. We were determined to go yard saling! Boy, did we hit the jackpot at one sight. Josiah was desperately in need of some clothes and I bought about 40 pieces of clothing for him, some shoes and some toys for less than $20. We bought a few things for Bethany a little later on. All in all, we spent $30 and racked up. I think I have clothes to last Josiah from now until next fall! We came home and took a long nap in anticipation of our date night. My dear sister in law agreed to come over and watch Josiah and Bethany for us so we went out. Danny and I had a splendid evening together at Olive Garden, which, we decided our last date night had been the night before Bethany was born, 12/4, also at Olive Garden, except, if I remember correctly we had taken the same dear sister in law and sweet cousin along with us. We had a delightful evening and ended it with some antenna shopping at Best Buy and some book reading at Barnes and Noble, one of our favorite places...I think we own stock by now!
We had a great day at church on Sunday and just enjoyed spending time with the kiddos. We went grocery shopping and had some playtime at the best Mcdonald's playland I have ever seen...even better that we had it all to ourselves!
Well, Danny is still outside chopping away, the kitchen is clean, and lo, I hear baby babbling coming from upstairs. I guess it is time for the kids to join us...but first, to get my love a glass of ice water and a just maybe a kiss...!
We have had a wonderful family weekend together! I started my weekend by being one of the ones who won a contest at work and got to leave an hour early at 4pm. I came home in a hurry to make dinner and we had the most delicious roasted chicken pesto sandwiches. I mean delicious! We then got our swimsuits on and headed to the YMCA. Bethany, who has HATED baths up until a month or two ago, kicked, splashed and squealed in the water for about an hour an a half continuously, then she decided she had had enough! Josiah was very brave in the water as long as he could stand on his own two feet. He would walk all the way to the 3 1/2 foot deep water and hold his head back and keep his face out of the water. He even jumped up and down a few times, going under the water, and declared: "It's not scary!" Which is what he always says when he is scared by something. I spent a glorious 10 minutes in the hot tub, then gave Danny his 10 minutes. Danny and I ended the evening watching about 1/2 of the movie "The Patriot", one of our favorites.
Saturday morning we were up bright and early. We were determined to go yard saling! Boy, did we hit the jackpot at one sight. Josiah was desperately in need of some clothes and I bought about 40 pieces of clothing for him, some shoes and some toys for less than $20. We bought a few things for Bethany a little later on. All in all, we spent $30 and racked up. I think I have clothes to last Josiah from now until next fall! We came home and took a long nap in anticipation of our date night. My dear sister in law agreed to come over and watch Josiah and Bethany for us so we went out. Danny and I had a splendid evening together at Olive Garden, which, we decided our last date night had been the night before Bethany was born, 12/4, also at Olive Garden, except, if I remember correctly we had taken the same dear sister in law and sweet cousin along with us. We had a delightful evening and ended it with some antenna shopping at Best Buy and some book reading at Barnes and Noble, one of our favorite places...I think we own stock by now!
We had a great day at church on Sunday and just enjoyed spending time with the kiddos. We went grocery shopping and had some playtime at the best Mcdonald's playland I have ever seen...even better that we had it all to ourselves!
Well, Danny is still outside chopping away, the kitchen is clean, and lo, I hear baby babbling coming from upstairs. I guess it is time for the kids to join us...but first, to get my love a glass of ice water and a just maybe a kiss...!
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