Been a while...

I believe I'm failing as a blogger....HA!

I don't know how you others do it, having something interesting to say every day, every second day, or every week for that matter.

How do you choose what to say? Do you pick your topics based on what? do you choose funny, motivational, challenging, or total randomness?

I feel that if the story isn't captivating, no one will care to read it...but then again, I don't believe I have a following...so, I should write what feels good to me.  With that said, when I'm having good days, I like to share, when I'm having bad days, depending on how personal, I feel hesitant in sharing.  You just never know who may "happen" upon the blog.  So, I struggle.  I want to write uplifting things, but I'm not always in that place. So, I don't want to be seen as the "negative Nancy" who is always speaking of the down things......

REVELATION.......

my blog is like me.....worrying about what others think.  Makes sense, it is my blog...it should reflect me and my personality.

So, I guess I'll finish with an update on what has been going on...

-I just read an awesome book that ALL married couples should read...The 5 Love Languages. We've been married for almost 12 years and the knowledge I gained in the few days it took me to read the book will stay with me.  Now, I just need to apply what I've learned after I convince Scott to read the book....or at least take the questionnaire so that I can speak his "language".

-Olivia has her new prescription as well as her second pair of glasses.  She is doing so well with them.  We can't be happier.  I just keep praying that they do what they are intended for and that the lazy eye will be corrected.  What an incredible girl she is....she doesn't fuss over them, doesn't complain about them, puts them on without being reminded and takes such good care of them.  So thankful that she has responded so well to such a drastic change for a carefree little girl.

-I've been very strong in my resolution (not New Year's resolution...just  resolve) to be a more active parent in bringing Faith at Home.  I've been doing nightly devotions with the kids as well as beginning to bless them several nights a week before they go to sleep.  Tonight, I found a blessing our old youth pastor (back 15-16 years ago) used to say after every youth service:

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.

I think I'm going to have to incorporate that into my blessing I say over Noah and Liv....that almost says it all.  I just love to watch their face light up when I'm praying over them.  It is as though they know that what I'm doing is something that is good for them, about them.  They just seem to soak it right up.  I mean how could you not when someone is speaking great things over you to your maker?  the feeling of importance and pride and self-worth! 

-we've had a developing breakthrough with Noah.  This child loved, I mean LOVED his vegetables as a baby and toddler.  His favourite were peas....he never really enjoyed carrots.  He never had any issues with them as a baby.  He didn't, however, like fruit at all.  I assume it was a texture thing.  He preferred veggies over fruit.  Somewhere between 12 or 18 mos to one year, he just started not eating them.  No apparent reason that I know of...he gradually just started not eating them when they were served and then slowly started gagging when being forced to eat them.  Anyway, this past month, we've been trying to work with him.  We've promised a big reward if he ate one vegetable at supper time each day.  He chose broccoli.  He did well for the first week....but he would eat everything else first and then begin to complain he was full.  After the first couple nights of this, I started using the oven timer and would give him 5 minutes to eat the floret. 

He would dilly-dally and I would give him an additional 5 minutes.  Usually, within the 10 minutes he would have it eaten. Not tonight!!!

He put off eating it with his supper, as usual.  When his main supper was done, I gave him 5 minutes... When I set the timer, I warned him that if the broccoli wasn't gone in 5 minutes, he would lose the reward.  After the 5 minutes, he had started to eat a little so, I showed grace and gave him 5 more minutes.  During those 5 minutes, he was playing around, arguing with Olivia, bragging about how much time he had left....yes, 5 minutes is a lot to eat one floret....but this kid can make one floret seem like it was a whole head of broccoli he takes so long. 

Scott and I were getting annoyed.  So, when the 5 minutes were up, we explained (maybe more of a reprimand) that the reward was gone.  He began to cry.  We continued to explain that 10 minutes was ample time to finish a piece of broccoli, not to mention the 20 minutes of suppertime before that additional 10 minutes were granted. 

It was such a hard thing.  He has done so well for the past 7-8 days and it sucks that we had to tough-love him to show him responsibility, integrity and reward.  Uggh!  I felt so horrible....but how else do you show your child that you mean what you say and say what you mean? how do you teach them the importance of keeping their word? how else do you teach them it isn't okay to manipulate Mommy and Daddy's good grace to get away from what has been asked of them? Tough-love is the answer tonight!  Why doesn't it have to be so hard on the parents though? maybe even tougher on us than him.  I just want to give in and start over tomorrow...he did eat half...but that isn't the deal!

-about to start reading a book called "Made to Crave" which is a book for women to retrain their brain to crave God instead of the food...what an awesome concept....we are made to crave, but we fill it with other things than God.  I pray that it works for the emotional eating I tend to lean on!

-tomorrow going on a mini shopping spree for me.  I am in need of some work clothes: pants, shirts, etc.  I am bringing along some great friends who will give honest opinions of what looks good, maybe give suggestions of things I would not normally try.

-although I haven't spoken with the doctor to hear my results from him, I spoke with his secretary/nurse/wife who advised me that my abdominal u/s I had a couple weeks ago revealed that I have gallstones--1 large and 1 small.  So, I go to my family doctor in April to hear the full results and likely get referred to a surgeon to have my gallbladder removed.  Maybe it is psychosomatic, but since I've heard the diagnosis, I've been noticing the constant nagging feeling under my rib on the right-hand side.  Maybe it has been there for a while, but since I was denying the whole gallbladder issue, I was chalking it up to gas!  I even told the tech during my u/s that "for the record, I don't have gallstones...it is just escess gass" HA! She was likely measuring it as I said that and was like "Okay, lady".  Anyway, praying for a quick process of getting these looked after.

-I also had a pelvic u/s.  Since my mom died of ovarian cancer, my doctor felt that it would be a good age to start screening.  We don't know, for sure, what age my mom first started having trouble.  I do know that she had a hysterectomy (partial) back in 1991-1992 (she would have been 40ish at the time) and I don't know the reason behind it.  She announced her ovarian cancer in 2004-2005 and died in 2007....but when she announced the cancer, it was stage 1....very treatable at this stage and a common cancer to have.  So, she could have had issues earlier...but I'll never know.  Anyway, my doctor felt it was something to investigate.  I don't have any issues or concerns in that area, so, I'm expecting a bill of health there :)

I think this post has gone on long enough!  If you are still here, thanks for listening to my ramblings:)