last week on Wednesday (a week ago yesterday), there was a "dust storm" that came through this area. That was a CRAZY day for appointments- we had 4 in one day PLUS church that evening here in our home.

The dust was so bad as I was driving, that you literally could not see in front of you at one point. It was amazing in one regard as we had never experienced anything like it. I should back up here and say that I had the window cracked open a bit because the air in the front of the van doesn't work. It was a decently hot day that day.

Anyway, I began coughing and long story short- I was in the dr's office the following day for something non-related and had her look me over anyway. She at that time thought it was asthma caused by the storm (although I was not wheezing). Fast forward to yesterday, I had not gotten any better, was in the office for a physical therapy appointment but was too sick to keep it. I got sick in the office! (spare you the details) and although my doctor was not in yet, I was able to see another one there. I was diagnosed with a bacterial and a viral infection, am on powerful antibiotics (certainly hope they are powerful) and a prescription cough syrup.

**** In other news:***** I don't know if I've mentioned that we are parting with our beloved dogs. This breaks our heart, but it's best for the dogs. Due to Ethan's mental illness, we are just not in a position to give them the attention they crave and deserve. That's sad and heart breaking on its own, but something we know we have to do.

As I typed this, I got an email from a woman that will be meeting us an hour from now....(at a park) in order to meet Zima. I am praying this family will be the one for her and she can go home today to a new home. My heart will ache... Zima means a lot to me.

Saturday was the yard sale. I sold our double stroller that we used with the boys. I sold just a few other things. The sale over-all went pretty well. We are going to pull our stuff back out next month, this time from Thursday to Saturday, at my house. So, I have no excuse not to get it all together (all the stuff I want to sell)- I am going to start sorting through that nightly, maybe beginning tomorrow.

Tomorrow is one of those RARE days that we have nothing to do! GASP!?? I will spend the time washing clothes and cleaning.

Sunday of course was church, Monday was full of 3 appointments, thankfully all in the same city, but that was a bit crazy. Tuesday morning, we headed an hour from here to a therapy appt. for Ethan.

TODAY!? Today, well... I am getting ready to begin this crazy day for me. I head in the next few minutes to physical therapy, that's 30 minutes long... then I need to swing by Cala's school and get her out, so I can get to my therapy session 35 minutes away, and back to take Cala 35 minutes in the opposite direction to the orthodonist for an evaluation concerning braces!! It does get better... ha... for at 4:15, the boys both have eye exams. HA HA Then, of course we need to straighten up our home for church here tonight at 7.

Good news though---- Remember I said tomorrow brings NOTHING?! Meaning nowhere to go.... that feels wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!!!! Cala's original orthodonist appt. was tomorrow, but that brought a conflict with a school field trip so hence, I just got it changed to this afternoon. Yikes.

So on Tuesday's post I wrote out in much detail just how busy we have been and continue to be....

Wednesday I went to physical therapy. Uggh did my back ever hurt that morning and unfortunately, on the left side not the RIGHT side where it all began!

I was just positive that the boys had an eye appointment that afternoon as I even wrote it down in my trusty day planner (where would I be without that?! I shudder to think!). Thankfully, I called the doctor's office (only because I wasn't sure if it was at 4 or 4:30- hadn't written that part down!). In actuality, the appointment is NEXT Wednesday. That was great because I was really beat that day. Just tired.

Yesterday, (Thursday) was some kind of day! In the morning, Cala and I trekked to her Sensory evaluation. (O.k... we rode in the van there).... She indeed will benefit from weekly Sensory therapy and I'll get a phone call within this week to set that all up. We were hoping for it to be on Mondays, the same day Ethan goes, so as to save gas money (a 20 mile trip- so 40 round trip). However, if we keep this same O.T. (Occupational Therapist) that did the evaluation, she's not there on Mondays. To get Ethan's O.T., whom we really like and already have a rapport with, well..... her schedule seems to be full on Mondays. Cala and I both really like the O.T. we met yesterday and she has some ideas already planned for us. She suggested we look at changing Ethan's therapy day to a time when both O.T.'s are there. That would work, and we hope it can happen!

After leaving the appointment, I dropped off Cala at school... she made it right at 11:00 a.m. Then at 1:30, off went Glenn, Seth and I to the schools.... me to Ethan's to see him in his first ever concert. It went well. Glenn and Seth went to Cala's class and saw her in her first ever play. At least he got pictures.

A friend kept all 3 kids for about an hour while Glenn and I went back to Ethan's school at 3:30 for a meeting with a host of teachers. :o( Things are not well on the Ethan front. Remember he was diagnosed with RAD a few months ago (reactive attachment disorder).

Today- this morning, Glenn dropped Seth off at his Friday morning pre-school class. He's really loved that this year. I picked him up and here I sit. Just waiting now (as I eat lunch) for the time to go pick up Cala and Ethan from school. They usually ride the bus, but we need to be there right as they get out in order to make it about an hour away for one of Ethan's therapies.

We have a very full evening ahead! Yard sale at a friend's house tomorrow. Now if only I can get that stroller scrubbed tonight.

Catch Up

May 3rd was the last I posted so I decided to get out my day planner and see what I've done since then... here goes...

May 4th: Every Monday we have Sensory therapy for Ethan in a city about 35 minutes from here. That was at 4 p.m. We got back in time to get to the local high school where they were signing up for summer sports. Cala will be playing Soccer this July-August and Ethan will once again play flag football in September-October.

May 5th: I went to my doctor as a follow up to physical therapy. She said I needed to continue on at least a few more weeks. My upper back was continuing to hurt- no idea at all how it started hurting- just woke up March 14th in pain.

May 6th: 10:00 a.m. physical therapy. Wow did it hurt! Church at night.... I had to sit with a cushion behind my back as is becoming normal.

May 7th: 8:30 a.m. Ethan went to counseling.... 3:30 was Backyard Bible Club in our back yard. That went well.

May 8th: 10:30- Seth to pre-school...
Cala's Family Day- 8 years since she became our daughter! We had such a great day! She thought we were going to eat Supper at the Chinese restaurant, but we surprised her with Chuck E. Cheese. We went next door to a Christian bookstore after Supper... it just so happened they were showing a Hermie DVD for kids with free popcorn. They were also giving out prizes. The boys won a bug catcher... Cala was thrilled when she won a Hermie umbrella. Thankfully for her, it began raining right as we walked out the door!

May 9th: As always, Saturdays are what we call our "big cleaning day". However, Cala and I attended a Mother/Daughter luncheon at her Brownies (Girl Scouts) troop leader's home. We had an excellent time together.

May 10th: Mother's Day..... Glenn wanted to take us out to eat for Sunday dinner (lunch) and so asked where I would like to go. In the area, we recently got a new restaurant so I wanted to try that out. We had a long wait, but it was really, really good. We all enjoyed it. Of course the kids were thrilled to get to eat by the time it hit 2 p.m.! ha

May 11th: 10:30 a.m.- physical therapy.... 4 p.m., our regular trip for Ethan's Sensory therapy. I set up an appointment for Cala to have Sensory evaluation. Her appointment will be this coming T'hursday. OH! How I HOPE they can set her weekly appointments for Monday- the same day we are there with Ethan. Oh well.

May 12th: That's today! ..... This morning was Seth and my last ever parent/child class- Early Childhood. We have enjoyed these greatly over the last two years. In the fall, Seth will attend School Readiness (like K4), two afternoons a week. He will even get to go on a bus and return with his brother and sister. He is excited! I had another weekly appointment at 4 this afternoon with a friend and then at 6 p.m., had to get Cala to her Brownies' meeting! I decided to sit in on this one and enjoyed the time.

OK! Got you caught up for now! Our calendar doesn't promise to be any less busy in the coming months.... in fact, the opposite is true.

Tomorrow I have physical therapy in the morning, got to get to Target and Wal-mart right after, and then take both boys to the eye doctor (just for their first ever check-up... since they were adopted, we like to keep our kids checked out just in case there is something we should be looking for and don't even know it). Of course at night is church.

Thursday is Cala's Sensory evaluation in the morning, then will drop her back at school. Unfortunately, fifteen minutes apart is Ethan's first ever concert and Cala's first ever school play. Thankfully, Glenn can go to one, and me to the other, but neither of us are happy about missing the other kid's deal. I am going to Ethan's concert and Glenn to Cala's play. Cala already claimed Seth so he'll be accompanying Glenn to see Cala in the play. He would enjoy the music at Ethan's concert I am sure, but Cala IS playing a lion (with several lines) so he'll like that too- the play is called, "Harvey the Pig".

Then, that same afternoon, we have to drop off all three kids at a church member's house for about an hour while Glenn and I have an important meeting with a host of teachers! This is concerning Ethan. We are sooo very thankful for this school district and especially for Ethan's Kindergarten teacher. Sure wish she could be his teacher next year, but I will be praying now for a good one for First grade too.

So, there you have it! I think I will try to find at least enough time nightly to post what we did that day- according to my day planner! It's been mentioned a few times to me lately, "Amy, you're not blogging anymore are you?" I always respond with, "yes I am." I intend to anyway.

I thought it time for a change to the blog here and seeing how I am the Mama to 3 Monkeys (a.k.a. Cala, Ethan, Seth!), this background seemed appropriate. I might add here too that my children are so hip that while sitting in Burger King Thursday night, Seth proclaims, "hey! they're playing the Monkees!" Yes, my dear blog readers, my children can sing as loud as the rest of them- "hey hey we're the Monkees....." , "Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer".... The song playing though that night though was "take the last train to Clarksville and I'll meet you at the station..." Seth was ever so cute in Burger King singing right along.

Yes, my kids are cool! I really do get tickled because once Cala came home upset that no one in her class knew what she was talking about when she began saying, "na-noo, na-noo" as the night before we were watching "Mork N Mindy". I told her to go tell her teacher... she'd know... but then suddenly I remembered her teacher is in her late 20's (just a child to this 38 year old Mama- HA!) and probably wouldn't either.

Two weeks ago it was Ethan saying no one understood what he was doing when he made the sound Woody Woodpecker does! (can't figure how to spell that one! ha). I told him his dear teacher would- go say it to her. :o)

Yes, my kids are well rounded. They even know all about Howdy Doody thanks to their Grandparents. I couldn't begin to tell you about him though. Before my time just a bit. (just looked it up- it aired from 1947 to 1960.)

Spending the night with us? You might just hear , "Goodnight John Boy. Goodnight Mary Ellen."

It was April 27, 1994 when I miscarried a precious baby that would be our oldest child. I always picture that child as a boy who we named Evan. He would be 15 this year! FIFTEEN! Wow!

I've always felt sad on this day, remembering back then and yet as I go to sleep tonight, I feel a bit different than in days gone by.... you see, my Daddy is in heaven with my son (or daughter) this year. I wonder what kinds of conversations they've had. Can you imagine?! I can just picture my Daddy telling all kinds of stories about me to my child. Wow.

So I absolutely will NOT begin this post with excuses for my absence... no, I won't do that. After all, many nights I planned to blog, many nights I sat down to blog... does that count for something? ha I've even had blog posts in my head. Alas, what good does that do you, my faithful readers? (or have you forsaken me by now? MOM??? hee hee).

Let's see... since March 14th, I have been in upper back pain. I am now in physical therapy twice a week in hopes that it will help. I've just been through two sessions so far, so we'll give it a try.

For the past couple of months I have been falling asleep throughout the day, at the oddest times... once while walking in city hall, I started dozing! That was strange! Dangerous though is when on my way back home from Wal-mart, I fell asleep and woke up in another lane of traffic. Now, that was ridiculous!

SO, this coming Tuesday night (at this late hour- it's tomorrow night).... I will be undergoing a sleep study. They will be testing me for sleep disorders. My Daddy had sleep apnea. It is after all hereditary and so we shall see. I just know I need to wake up! (except for times like this when as I write it's after 2 a.m. and I'm not tired!). Uggh.

Thanks for being there.

Just a quick note to say the results came in tonight! NO melanoma!!! I do have to find out what's causing this excrutiating upper back pain, but praise the Lord no melanoma. I am trying to take this one step at a time. Rule something out, then another, etc. Thanks for the prayers! Keep them up!

Over the weekend Glenn bought me a day planner. My word! has that thing ever become important already! We are jam packed with appointments of one kind or another this week.

Pray for me as tomorrow (Tuesday, the 31st) is when I have the mole removed. My appointment is 2:15 p.m. Central time. I am a bit nervous and wondering how long it will take to get the results from the pathologist back.

Since Saturday, the 14th, I have been having some severe upper back pain. This past Wednesday, Glenn was putting a pain patch there for me (something like Icy Hot, but a generic brand). That's when he noticed a mole that I've had since birth, has changed in its color and appearance. I immediately called the doctor's office. I went in on Thursday.

One week from today, on March 31st, I will be having the mole removed and sent to a pathologist who will determine what, if anything more than a mole, it is.

With all the family history of all different sorts of cancer, I can't help but be concerned. Please pray.

I've spent the last several days very sick. Thankfully, I am coming out of that. Now, I am just exhausted, more than I think I ever have been in my life. I am sure that will change as I continue to get well.

Tonight, Cala and I were on the "docket" for the Brownies meeting. We were to present a "try-it" (to earn a patch) on Family. However, the meeting got canceled due to the weather. Yep! We've had a Winter storm here today. It snowed and it snowed and it snowed!

March in Minnesota.

Grief is real today- just hit me all of a sudden... strange how that happens.

Fibro pain is rough today- surely that was brought on my the snow.

Snow has seemed to pour all day- really it has... started at around 10 this morning and as of 11 p.m., it's still coming down some.

Seth is some better, but is still pretty miserable. I wish I could take it for him, poor guy.

Praise today is that Ethan found my camera! (it had been lost for a few weeks now!)

Thank the Lord that Cala came through her dental procedure just fine! I didn't like seeing my baby girl (10 years old!) "knocked out". I being as claustrophobic as I am couldn't have stood the procedure without being knocked out that's for sure! ha I am way claustrophobic! (yesterday at the ER, I asked every nurse and various hospital employee to please leave our door cracked open... it was just too small (with no windows at all) for me to be closed up and feeling like I couldn't get out!)

I praise the Lord that Cala was fine... woke up, and walked into the wall, couldn't stop talking, but she's fine. She AND Seth fell asleep this afternoon for about three hours!

As for Seth, the poor guy is just miserable still. Please keep praying. I hate this.

As for the cyst on my wrist, the doctor says it's called a "ganglion cyst" and nothing to worry about. That was great news!

In other news: our new refrigerator comes tomorrow! I am happy about that!

Please pray for Seth! He is so sick!

Saturday night he began coughing such a deep, deep cough and yesterday it got worse, and he began having a fever. This morning, I decided to call the doctor. I knew his doctor is not in on Mondays, but at this point would have taken any doctor they had. However, they had no one available to even work Seth in. His appointment was set for 2:45 tomorrow afternoon!

Within 30 minutes, Seth began gasping and really coughing terribly. We decided to head to the ER, especially since our insurance covers it 100 percent too. SO glad we went! The doctor thought he might have pneumonia, but the x-rays showed no. However, he does have a severe upper respiratory virus AND something called Reactive Airway Disease- let's just say, he's miserable!!! They gave him a breathing treatment, sent us home with a nebulizer and the home health care group will be bringing out another one tomorrow... that one will become ours permanently. So, when Seth no longer needs it, it will still be nice to have since I have asthma. Every once in a blue moon, I need a breathing treatment.

I had an IEP (individualized education plan) meeting with Ethan's "team" of teachers at 3:00. We got home from the ER at 2:56! I made it into the meeting (a tad late), got home around 4 p.m., ate supper by 4:45, and left at 5:00 for Cala's school (parent/teacher conference). I left there, got home around 5:30, beeped the horn, Cala and Ethan got in and off we went to Target! We needed to pick up Seth's prescription (medicine for the nebulizer) and also get some stuff we needed. We made it home sometime around 8:05! I am tired.

Please pray for us! Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., Cala will be having some dental work- they are going to have her "knocked out" for this. I am a tad nervous about it, but trusting it will all be fine. With our kids being adopted and not knowing birth family medical history, it concerns me some.

Then tomorrow afternoon, I have an appointment with my doctor. This past Saturday morning, I found a lump in my right wrist. (under the skin). I have to say with the history of cancer in my family, it's always a concern. I know chances are this is "nothing" but do pray for me please.

Hopefully tomorrow evening will bring some relaxation. We need it!

This morning, Glenn carried Ethan to the doctor. Last week, Ethan showed us a bruise that he couldn't recall where he got it from... we thought no big deal because after all, he's a little boy! About three days ago, we noticed a knot or a lump right above the bruise (on his right leg). It began getting larger and hurting him.

Yesterday afternoon, the doctor's nurse said to definitely bring him in and so Glenn did. They think it's just a "blood blister." If it does not go away in two weeks from today or he gets a fever from it, we are to carry him back in right away to be sure that it's nothing more.

This afternoon, we carried all three kids to the dentist. This was the first time for either boy to ever go to a dentist. We really liked this dentist! (we had a bad experience at one before a few months ago).

Cala will be going back on Tuesday- two cavities to fill and two teeth to put sealants on. I also get the wonderful job of searching for an Orthodonist that takes our insurance- Cala more than likely is going to need braces. Cala sees this as a good thing- she's 10. What will she think when they're actually on her teeth? We'll see.

On a cute note: The dentist was saying, "I bet your Mom can remember when you were a baby and your teeth were coming in and you would cry from the pain." The dentist didn't know Cala was adopted, and at age 2 years 7 months at that. (side note: she was so developmentally delayed that we DID go through some teething with her, so I indeed remember the crankiness! ha).

Cala though sits straight up in the chair, looks at the doctor and says, "I was never a baby! I was adopted!" HA HAAAAAAa We all got a good laugh at that one, and I explained to Cala that of course you were still a baby at one point, just not with us. Precious.

Bad News, Good News

Bad News - our refrigerator went kaput.

Good News- we will have a new refrigerator.

Bad News- it can't be delivered until one week from tomorrow.

Good News- we live in Minnesota and it's winter!

Bad News- we lost hamburger meat that I had just bought.

Good News- the freezer is still working and so we won't lose anything else.

Bad News- we will have to buy little bit along until the new refrigerator gets here

Good News- just as stated before, we live in Minnesota and it's winter!!!! We can put our milk in the garage (a gallon is in there now), and it will serve as a refrigerator.

God blessed today even when we weren't expecting it... a church member called last night to say their entire family was sick, evidently have what we all had (and I am still battling). We certainly feel for them...it's rough.

However, we had 3 visitors this morning! That was great. One is a woman who will be attending for a couple of months while she and her husband are house sitting. They are from Texas. The other was a young man that attended a few times last fall- he and his sister (who is visiting from North Dakota) came this morning. We pray he comes back next week!

And so, even when you think you'll be down in attendance, God blesses. To be completely honest here, this morning I wasn't feeling like going. I thought about staying home but pressed on. I am so glad I did.

Happy Valentine's Day! Of course I write this as it's almost over! We had a great time as always. My husband is very romantic, and I am truly blessed.

This past week was spent with my family taking turns being sick it seems and now our church family is suffering from the same junk! It's really going around here I guess.

I've had a wonderful time on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) lately, reconnecting with "old" friends. It's really been fun catching up with people I had lost along the way.

Today Ethan asked me who adopted me. I thought it was precious! I explained that not everyone has to be adopted, that some people like me and Papa (Glenn) stay with the woman who had them in their tummy. He said, "oh, Grandma Barker is your birthmother?" Priceless... just priceless.... :o)

I've been having a really rough time keeping my mind off anything but my Daddy. His 74th birthday would have been tomorrow. :o/

My counselor gave me a print out this past week of the 4 stages of grief. I am caught somewhere in between stage 1 and stage 2. I try not beating myself up over this, but my goodness... I just miss him so very much!

Today was a good day. I enjoyed my birthday really. There was just some bittersweet moments, especially when Mama talked me two different times in the day. It was just knowing that my Daddy wouldn't be talking to me today that hurt so much. I called my Mama one time and asked her to let me call back and for them not to answer. I wanted to hear the answering machine, as it is still Daddy's voice on it.

As I listened, I cried and cried, but for a moment, it brought peace. I've cried off and on since, but I have been able to enjoy the efforts put forth by my sweet husband and my children. This morning, Cala and the boys came down carrying me breakfast that CALA had made- wonderful scrambled eggs (she really can make them better than me!), with melted mozzarella cheese in them, two pieces of toast, a glass of milk, and a cup of hot chocolate! The boys were standing right next to Cala, all singing me "Happy Birthday". Cala and Ethan spent time with me before going to school.

Glenn, Seth and I tried to go on to Denny's (sure couldn't tell Cala that we already had plans for breakfast)--- we went later on in the morning, but there was a near hour wait for the free Grand Slam promotion today... so we went on to Hardee's for a yummy biscuit. (Glenn by that point was very hungry). We stopped by Wal-mart for my cake and to look around a bit, and then home.

I got a nice nap while waiting for Cala and Ethan to get home from school. We soon left for supper at Buffalo Wild Wings. It was very nice and we all had a great time. We came home, went upstairs and had cake and ice cream. Of course I opened gifts and cards. The phone calls came throughout the day (heard the messages) and others called tonight. It was nice to know people love me.

Oh yes! I started the day talking to my niece who turned 13 today. :o)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE!