New Years Ever 2010

Another year is down and we have so many reasons to be thankful.

As we ended 2009, our financial situation was very grim. Phillip, however, went back to work in February working out of town in Clinton. He worked there until mid December. The situation was getting more difficult for Matthew and we were very thankful when he took a job at The Children's Home in WS. Being a single mom through the week was not easy and I have a new respect for women who do this day in and day out. I looked forward to his help and prescence each weekend he was home as Matthew looked forward to having his daddy home to love on and to tickle him.

Matthew has been in preschool this year and is getting ready for kindergarten each day. He continues to have his own personal challenges with speech and memory. He doesn't always understand what we are talking about and we find he needs extra patience and love to work through his own frustrations with learning new things. We are still trying to give him all the opportunities we feasibly can to experience new things.

During this year, Brittany lived with us for a time her last semester at UNCG during her student teaching. Phillip was away and Matthew and I enjoyed her company. During this time our Nephew Nick was courting who will be a new niece to us this coming June. He and Amanda, who started dating over last Christmas, will tie the knot in June 2011. We have come to love Amanda and are so happy for Nick for finding the love of his life. Also, around that same time Brian, my brother's son, will graduate high school. Brian was born the September after I graduated UNCG. I remember leaving work that day and going to the hospital to see him. He had just been born and was so tiny. Now, he towers over me and is so very talented. He is hoping to go into music education at Western University. He has already been excepted and now is just waiting for his music audition. Our other nephew Ryan remains in our prayers as he is determined to start his life in Colorado far from family. We wish him our best but we wish he'd come back here!

Michelle moved this year to Tennessee. She actually moved Matthew's bday weekend to take a job in a larger school. She'll be there til she finishes her degree the end of 2011 and then hopefully will come back closer to us. Matthew misses his "special aunt" as he calls very much.

We lost a family member right before Christmas this year. My mom and dad's dog of 11 years finally lost his battle with cushings. They have been very dedicated to his care since his health worsened in May. We will miss their "Happy Dog".

We have so much to be thankful for and so many goals we continue to set to improve ourselves and our lives. Hopefully later tonight Phillip and I can put a few of those on paper so we can work together on the same path.

We learn to feel joy by also experiencing sadness....

On Decemeber 23rd my mom called me with sadness in her heart, tears in her eyes, and a crackling voice to tell me Happy was gone. Happy was 11 years old and my mom and dad's third child. He brought them joy and happiness...thus his name. Both mom and dad are caregivers and Happy, the last from his litter to find a home, found the best family of all, I'm sure of it! He was sick and had cushings. Mom and Dad took such good care of him and the vet said it was their love and devotion that kept him living for so long. His failing body just wore out though on Thursday. It was a sad Christmas Eve at my parents. Happy's sweet face was missing and my parents had a whole in their heart. We opened gifts but we'll celebrate more on the 1st when some time has brought more rest and healing for my mom and dad.

A White Christmas

The last white Christmas in NC was 1947! This year God blessed us with the beauty of white snowflakes falling from the sky and as a friend put it, was like white icing on the cake to a perfect day! Forever now, we can all say we ate snow cream on Christmas day thanks to Amanda! Snow fell over our home and blanketed our yard starting at noon on Chrismtas and today we awoke to a winter wonderland! It is just beautiful. Phillip took Matthew out sledding today and they built a snowman. I rested for most of the day. My body finally said it was time to rest and it was all I could do. I have been so thankful today for a wonderful husband who is also a great father. He has taken charge and care of us all today:)

A Merry Christmas

Yesterday was a very happy day in our home. We were blessed with wide excited eyes and a big smile from our sweet son who experienced a magical Christmas. Santa came and grated his wishes of zhu zhu pets and a Batman Cave. He even brought Rockem Sockem Robots and a sweet floppy gray kitty in his stocking. He unwrapped gifts and played for hours and Daddy started teaching Matthew how to play Wii Sports. Around 2 p.m. Michelle, Cyndi, Ryan, Nick, and Amanda came. We ate a yummy lunch of traditional fresh ham, rolls, and veggies and opened gifts. Phillip and I bought a Wii for a family gift this year, and his sister's and families bought us a Wii fit balance board set. Nick, Amanda, and Ryan demonstrated how to use it. They are sooooo much fun, those three! Ryan could probably be a stand up comedian;) We had such a great afternoon and evening. They almost got snowed in as we didn't know the roads were getting bad. They did safely arrive home in Thomasville and we wound down the day. Matthew, just as I remembered as a child, didn't want to go to bed b/c he wasn't finished playing. Does any child ever feel like they are really done playing on Christmas day?

Gottablog, gobble, gottablog, gobble

Let's see if I can catch up a little bit before Christmas:)

Thanksgiving came quickly to our home. Thanksgiving week was a blur as it was happening; very much like being in a car accident that happens very quickly, but yet feels as if it is going in slow motion.

On Monday night of that week, Matthew couldn't sleep. Nothing new around here but he was in a sweet mood and talking my head off. He was also singing some turkey song. I asked him if he remembered what was happening the next day. Parents were invited to eat lunch with our children. Matthew said though they were having a program. At first I didn't believe him, but he then told me the Thanksgiving story. He said the Pilgrims lived in a far away land and didn't like the King's church, so they sailed away to find a new land. Then he said, "oh by the way I suppose to wear black, but 'sssshhhh' it's a secret." The next morning I got him ready as soon as could. We rushed to Target for black socks to go with the black pants I bought previously first. He looked sooo handsome! I called his Aunt Michelle before we left and she said that she and Cyndi would come. Daddy couldn't come b/c he was in Clinton and even if he wanted to then he wouldn't have had time to get there.

On Wednesday Matthew and I went to my parents after I cooked and cleaned some for Thursday. We ate our Thanksgiving on Wednesday night and we slept over. We had a nice visit, but as usual, I was rushed to leave. On my way back to Greensboro there were cops everywhere. I was trying to be careful of my speed and I still don't know if I was pulled for speed or if the cop really noticed from such a long way away that my tag was expired. So, I got a ticket for an expired tag and inspection violation. Of course, "Mommy got a ticket" was the first words out of his mouth when we got home, finally.

We did have a nice visit with Phillip's family and delicious Thanksgiving feast! Michelle, made it all the more special making on of my favorites, shrimp mold. I think I could live off of shrimp mold and ritz crackers:) Michelle I attempted to go to Toys R Us later in the evening after Phillip left to go to Wilmington b/c he worked the next day at a Nexcare. The line was down High Point Rd so we came back home.

I forced myself to go back mid morning on Friday but what I wanted was already sold out:( Luckily I found zhu zhu pets later somewhere else for less:) Matthew went with his aunt's on Friday and spent the night at Nick and Amanda's. I finally crashed on Friday night, totally exhausted.

On Saturday, Nick and Amanda came and raked leaves for us and I made turkey noodle soup. Phillip didn't care for it but luckily Nick liked it and took it with him! On Sunday we decorated our Christmas tree and we hung our stockings. The chaos hasn't stopped yet!

Thankful for Matthew's Christian School

It's Halloween week. Phillip and I really don't "celebrate" or make a big to-do over Halloween, b/c neither of us like the idea of celebrating the dead with white ghosts, witches, haunted houses, and scary monsters. As a child I was afraid of Halloween thanks to a neighbor who chose to wear a scary mask and scare me so badly I was speechless and threw up at his feet. Still as an adult I don't find humor in scaring children and making them "fear" anything that is related to Halloween celebrations.

I was reminded how thankful I am this morning that my son is in a a Christian preschool. I went to see three children for therapy at a Head Start center in town. They were having a fall festival complete with scary stickers to put on paper and ghostly buckets to use to go trick or treating around the center. One child's teacher even came to get him from speech so he wouldn't miss the opportunity to get candy. The group of children, with the adults, looked like a swarm of bees going from door to door and their little voices like a buzz as they attempted to say "trick to treat". I was completely dumbfounded. I expected the pumpkins and jack o lanterns but this threw me for a loop. I realized I too have been sheltered by having my son attend a Christian preschool where they will be celebrating "Hallelujah Day" instead of Halloween.

Matthw's Bible verse for the week is "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good!" Psalm 135:3. The letter of the week is "P" and on Friday they will all dress up in pajamas, make pancakes for breakfast and pepporoni pizza for lunch! This will follow their field trip to a pumpkin patch on Thursday! So instead of learning about fear, being scared, worrying about monsters in the dark, ghost and our house being haunted this weekend, Matthew will be excited to talk about his pumpkins, can show us what he learned in the kitchen and build his self confidence while doing so and we'll carve a happy jack-o-lantern!

AND, in case you are wondering, Matthew is going to dress up like Iron Man on Saturday and join friends for a friendly trunk or treat, and go back to his church preschool on Sunday night, where the adults will make over all the children on how cute they look in their costumes and give them candy! It will be all about the treats for the sweets:)

Our Trip to the State Fair

It's been a while!

The last post I made was around the time I became sick. It's been a long three weeks. I have been on three antibiotics, gone back on an inhaler, and still I am having trouble breathing and losing my voice. I need my voice and energy to work, and neither is cooperating with me.

I truly feel like I have been in survival mode these last three weeks. Phillip leaves on Sunday night or early (4:45) on Monday mornings and we don't see him til Friday night now (this weekend will be an expception). It is so hard when you don't have family near by to help out and so lonely when you are stuck at home sick all alone.

Matthew was also sick several weeks ago. His cough started on a Friday night (the 8th) and he didn't get back to school until the 14th.

We did find out some good news last week. Phillip was offered a position with The Children's Home in Winston Salem and will start his new job on December 13th. I cried when I heard the news, but I'm still not sure if the tears were b/c he is finally going to be back home or if they were b/c he won't be home for 8 more weeks! So many times during a week I want to pack up Matthew and drive to Clinton.

We are looking forward to Phillip working a short week this week. On Friday, our unsuspecting son will be going to the state fair by train! Phillip and I are like kids ourselves just thinking about how excited he is going to be to ride the train:) I've never been to the state fair and I'm looking forward to enjoying my first time with my family!!!

This little update is so short! There is so little to say when you've done little more than just sit, sleep, and rest.

Apple Sauce Candy?

The applesauce didn't come out like we hoped. It turned dark brown and was so sweet it nearly melted in your mouth before you could actually move it around and swallow it. Matthew refused to taste yucky brown applesauce and so we threw it away. It was really like eating warm candy and I couldn't help but wonder if we couldn't make some time of candy out of it:)

My second batch of apple butter didn't turn out too well either. I let it cook too long trying to do it around my crazy weekend schedule. It too had to go. So, I must get the rest of these apples canned soon! I still haven't made an apple pie, but Matthew and I are going to tackle that this weekend! Should be fun!

Just me

Applesauce

Finally, I put on a slow cooker full of apples to make applesauce. It called for 10 large apples, 2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup water and some cinnamon but I'm leaving that out. I know Matthew won't eat it if I add it. I don't think I used 10 large apples either. More like 5 large and 5 smaller ones. I wish the recipe had called for cups instead so it will be interesting to see how it comes out in the morning. Oh, and another large crock pot of applebutter is going as well! A number of apples are showing brusing from their traumatic wash so we are going to have to keep those pots cooking this weekend:)

Yay for Fall and Thank you Lord for apples!!!!!

Crock Pot Apple Butter

8 cups of peeled apples
4 cups of sugar
1/2 cup vinegar

Mix all of these ingredients in crock pot and cook covered for 12 hours on low. I cook mine overnight. In the morning the apples will appear watery and there is a vinegar smell. Mash cooked apples or puree. I used my potato masher righ in the crock pot.

Add
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. all spice

and cook for 3 hours with the lid off or until the mixture becomes a spreading apple butter consistency. Put into hot sterilized jars, adjust lids and heat process by submerging for 10 minutes into boiling water. If apple butter is boiling and jars are removed from boiling water just prior to putting in apples butter, then putting on the lids and rings and inverting them quickly and turning them right side up again should produce an adequate seal.

Apple Washing

Yesterday evening we took my grandma's old wash tubs out on our brick patio and washed the rest of our bushel of apples. Matthew loved using them and it brought back such great memories for me helping grandma wash clothes when I was little!!!

Part 2- First batch is made!

I am praying these seal! I'll probably put another two batches on tonight and can them tomorrow when I get home from work around noon. This batch made 7 twelve ounce jelly jars, 1 eight ounce and 1 that I have no idea what it holds but it has peaches on the lid. I reused this lid and I'm hoping it seals. I put it in hot boiling water to process just in case. Matthew is still waiting for his applesauce so I need to get that on as well! He came in the kitchen earlier and asked, "Mommy, what are you doing?" Before I could answer he answered himself, "You are making a big big mess!"

Apple Butter Part 1

Matthew loved the apple peeler! It was such a good buy at $15, on sale, and with a $5 off coupon:) He practiced on our potatoes for supper and then Phillip and Matthew, cored, peeled, and sliced the apples with on flip of a little switch on that new peeler! Yay! I put on two batches (one in each crock pot) of apple butter. My jars are 12 oz instead of 8 so I'm not sure how far it will go. I added the spices around 9 am so it will be ready to go into the jars around noon!

Apple Picking!!!

Today we went to an apple orchard so Matthew could pick apples for the first time! Now, the funny thing is, he doesn't like apples! I was so hoping this whole experience would really motivate him to try one, but it hasn't!

We packed our picnic lunch before heading out the door alittle before noon today to Millstone Creek Orchard in Ramseur. Matthew helped me make sandwiches and asked if we had a picnic basket. I actually do have one and we put some chips and our plates, cups and napkins inside of it and put the rest in our cooler.

When we told Matthew this morning we were going to take him to pick apples he was instantly excited. Phillip told him we were going to put him up in the tree and let him throw them down to us. He liked that idea, but said he couldnt' climb the trees b/c (and he raised his hands in the air to show us) he wasn't like spiderman. He was dead serious and didn't even crack a smile:) Later he told me he was going to shake the tree and make all the apples fall off. Luckily when we got there he didn't try this.

When we arrived at the orchard a lady met us and gave us our baskets. She told us to make sure we did a "twist and pull" when picking the apples b/c otherwise alot would fall off the heavily weighed down branches. We walked out to the trees labled golden delicious and started picking. We realized it was hard to find lower branches with apples still on them (must have been alot of little people picking) so Matthew got up on his daddy's shoulders and used him as a ladder! He loved picking the apples even though some were hard to reach.

Matthew got the hang of picking pretty quickly although he abandoned the "twist and pull' method almost immediately. It was very hot today in the orchard as apple trees just don't provide any shade. We picked a bushel and were on our way back to the barn and to get our picnic out of the car.

We enjoyed our lunch under the trees. We had hoped to go on a hayride and waited for a very long time but no others were signing up and they didn't want to just take us:( Matthew was very disappointed but we reminded him of the hayride we'd go on in October with Kylie at the pumpkin patch and he was alittle better. Not sure how they were able to overlook those big brown watery eyes but they did. Needless to say we'll be picking our apples at another orchard next year! Anyhoo.....

After stopping for canning supplies at Walmart we came home and Phillip and Matthew went to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy an apple peeler.! I will write more about that tomorrow!

Durham Bulls Game

Last night Matthew went to his second baseball game ever! I don't know that he really remembers his first that was right before his third bday. He knows he has an orange baseball cap with a Greensboro Grasshopper on it and that's about it. But last night, we where invited to attend with Phillip's company who rented a skybox. Matthew sat inside for a while and then went outside where he said it was too loud and came back in to watch through the glass. The Durham Bull came by for a visit and he had his picture taken with him and then wanted to go back out. After that it was hard to get him back inside the skybox! Luckily for us, the game was only the traditional 9 innings, but the Bulls lost. Matthew and Phillip got another set of matching caps and we watched the after show fireworks! Matthew sat in a trance and loved them!!! Again, another first for my little man who normally hates the loud noise they make:) We really had a great time and I have a feeling that next summer we'll be going to alot of Greensboro Grasshopper games!!!

Quote

I just read this quote and had to share it!

"Childbirth is an act of nature, but adoption is an act of God." I love it:)

Lori

Whittlin'

I am trying hard today to stay away from the kitchen table. Phillip has decided to teach Matthew how to whittle/carve today with a bar of soap and a very small knife. While it is so sweet to see my husband teaching our son "boy stuff" it puts my mommy fears in overdrive. "What if he cuts his thumb?" "What if he drops the knife and it stabs him?" Those sweet little fingers and hands that I still love to hold and ponder there growth through the last five years is learning a new skill. One I suspect that will cultivate and be nurtured over the years as his dad teaches him his craft of woodworking. The love of wood has already been instilled. We saw this even as Matthew chose wooden toys to play with over plastic when he was two! Matthew told me one day when he was big he wanted to build buildings and drive a crane and other big trucks. I wouldn't be surprised if our little builder did just that. It's such a blessing to watch his talents and interests grow, even when they scare me a little:)

A nice visit from Cyndi!

Cyndi, Phillip's sister, came up for a visit after church today! It was so nice to see her! Matthew especially loved the fact that "Aunt Cyni" came to play with him today. He showed off his new swing set and threw football with Cyndi for the longest time. She has more patience than me, for sure! While Matthew does a great job at throwing a football, his throws are often a little short, a little long, or they just all together go in a completely different direction! That was Aunt Cyndi's challenge today and if I were her, I know I'd be sore! I guess this is where a picture would be nice in a blog, but I didn't take pics today. I suppose I should remember that next time:)

A new year, a new blog

I started a blog in March to keep up with Matthew's challenges, new words, and overall speech development. I failed as a blogger, however, after only three posts.

Recently, Matthew turned 5! It is hard for me to believe that my sweet baby is now a little boy in his pre-K year of school! He still struggles with his speech apraxia and sensory integration disorder. I am hoping to blog here on our day to day lives of joy, happiness, and just being a family! I will also be trying to revive my previous blog, A dance with words, to document and share not only his struggles but our as a family as we tackle childhood apraxia of speech and SID.

With Love,

Lori

Scrapbooking Quote: Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone, But still miraculously my own. Never forget for a single minute, You didn't grow under my heart - but in it

Scrapbooking Quote: Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone, But still miraculously my own. Never forget for a single minute, You didn't grow under my heart - but in it