Weekend update

Roger spent all day outside yesterday clearing off more of the property next to us. He has worked really hard and it looks so much better! The kids have had fun helping him drag branches to the curb!

Everyone was well again today, so we all made it to church. I spent the Sunday School hour in the nursery. That's always fun! Roger and I taught Children's Church, which is what we do every Sunday. We really enjoy teaching the kids!

We had a restful, stormy afternoon, and then headed back to church this evening. Ari spent his third service sitting with us instead of going to the nursery. He has done really well every week. We let the kids do quiet activities (draw, color, lacing) during church. Even though they are "busy" they still hear what the pastor says, which amazes me. Franklin looked up at me at one point and said, "That's what I don't get mommy. I find it really hard to believe. I don't really understand how God is only one God, but he is everywhere. " Wow! Smart boy! I explained to him that it is something we believe because the Bible tells us so, but it is hard for me to understand, too!

This week we get back to our normal school schedule. I have the week planned out, so we know what we need to get done each day. It has been nice having a break, but I am ready to get back to the normal routine. If we can steadily continue we will be at a nice breaking point right before I am due to have Ian.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Preggo Pictures...Do NOT tell me I'm huge!!!

29 Weeks and a wonderful new doctor

I had my first appointment with my new doctor today. She is young, nice, personable, informed...and I am very happy! She is planning to induce me when it gets closer to my due date. I'll be getting another sonogram around 35 weeks, and based on the size of the baby, we'll decide when to induce...39 weeks, or around my due date. And, if we induce then we can be sure that my doctor will be the one to deliver little Ian. Miles was quite large, so she would prefer that I not go past my due date. That's fine with me!!! She also discussed the risks to the baby when a pregnancy is allowed to continue past the due date and said, "I'm not willing to take risks when it comes to the life of a baby." Well, good for her! And, good for me! I am so glad I switched doctors!

Pictures!

Big Booties!


Our Wonderful Fall craft

The silly kids found Ian's bottles


Helping Mommy bake


Lauren and Franklin's cafe

No school!!!

We are taking a break from school this week. I have some books about Thanksgiving, a fun craft we'll do today, lots of fun baking, and lots of plain ol' fun!!! I'm excited to have a week off. I'm taking the kids to get their picture taken tomorrow. None of them had a picture after their birthday this year, so I will do everyone at one time. I have a doctor's appointment Wednesday. Of course, Thanksgiving is Thursday, and Friday we'll have another fun day on Friday. I'm so excited to spend a lot of "fun time" with my kids this week!!!

This past weekend was relaxing for me. Roger did a lot of work outside and played with the kids outside, so I stayed inside and relaxed. Miles and I went to Walmart Saturday to get groceries for the week. He was such a good boy! Everyone was able to go to church yesterday. We only had 5 kids in Children's church, so attendance was really down.

Have a wonderful week!!!

Less than 12 weeks to go!

I was 28 weeks pregnant yesterday, so that means I have less than 12 weeks to go! Yikes! I am so excited to see him...and dreading going through labor (I can't have an epidural)...and a little anxious about everything that needs to be done before he gets here!!! Time is going to fly! We have Thanksgiving next week, Christmas next month, Roger's birthday in January and New Years, lots of school to do in-between, and then Ian will be here in February.

I just switched OB doctors. I wasn't real happy with mine, so I decided to finish out the pregnancy with someone else. I'm a little nervous about switching, but I feel good about it, too. I'll see the new doctor next week.

We had a sonogram today!!! It was great to see Ian's little face, and all ten fingers, and all ten toes. He was a little wiggle worm, but the tech was able to get all of the measurements she needed...and he decided to prove he was a little boy over and over. No questions there! We will definitely bring a cute little blue outfit to the hospital.

Lauren is becoming impatient waiting for Ian to get here. She was telling him tonight that he needed to come out.

My belly is certainly getting BIG! I ran into Franklin today (with my belly) and nearly knocked him to the ground! We both laughed so hard...what a great feeling for me to laugh with my son that way?! It was really funny! I'll try to post some pictures of "the baby belly" soon!

I have reverted back to the nausea of early pregnancy! I have lost 2 pounds this week! It has been a constant battle to keep any food down. This morning was tough, but this afternoon was okay. I'm glad I didn't feel as nauseous because I have had a headache since 9:00 this morning, and I was up with Miles from 4-5:30 (?) this morning, so I am extra tired. I don't know what was wrong with Miles. He seemed terrified when he woke up, and wanted out of his
room ...NOW! I brought him to my room for a little while and changed his diaper, but he started crying again when we went back to his room. He finally settled down, and was ready for bed when I laid him down, but he continued waking up crying. Very strange! It must have been a nightmare. I'll be going to bed soon, so hopefully I will lose the headache and feel better tomorrow.

Sensory Integration Dysfunction?

Miles hasn't been "officially" diagnosed with anything and I have said from the beginning that I wasn't looking for a diagnosis...I just wanted to help him. Well, even without an "official" diagnosis I think Sensory Integration Dysfunction may be his problem. I looked it up today after receiving some information from the Children's Center, and I friend of mine (Hi, Angela!) had mentioned it to me recently, as well. The following list is not inclusive of the disorder...there were several other things on the list, as well, but this pretty much sums up the first two years of Miles life. Thankfully, he is much better now!!!

__ Cries and/or arches back when people try to hold him/her (Not a problem now, typically)

__ Distressed by diaper changes (Does NOT like to be wiped)

__ Distressed by baths and/or water splashing on him/her (Doesn't like hair washed)

__Cries excessively throughout the day (more than a half hour or hour at a time) ( it used to be 85% of the day)

__ Doesn't smile often, appears “sad” or “uncomfortable” much of the time (was typically upset)

__ Distressed when moved suddenly or whole body and/or head is tipped (Getting better)

__ Distressed when moving in space (i.e., swinging around, bouncing up and down, or being “thrown” up in the air) (A little better)

__ Can't seem to calm baby down no matter what you try (Still difficult, but better, and likes his blankie)

__ Severe separation anxiety (Getting better)

__ Tantrums many times a day (MILES...big time!!!)

__ Distressed in public places, especially if crowded or noisy (Oh, yeah!!! But getting better!)

__ Cries inconsolably when left with strangers or less familiar people (Still does not like being separated)

__ Difficulties with excessive reflux or allergies to foods and/or formulas (Still has reflux)

__ Sensitive to sounds others don't seem to be bothered by (This is a major one for Miles!)

__ Appears overwhelmed, cries, or falls asleep when over stimulated (Overwhelmed, and cries)

__ You find you are always trying to be one step ahead of baby; trying to control his environment and “warning” people what to do/not to do so baby is comfortable (That's me!)

__ Appears distressed by movement; i.e., a startled response, arches back, frightened look in eyes, etc.

__ Can not switch activities or participate in daily routines without distress when transitioning from one to another (Still somewhat of a problem if HE isn't ready to change, but typical for 2)

A lot accomplished

Not only did I get my blood work done this morning, but I was also able to schedule appointments to the Pediatric Gastroenterologist in Orlando and the Allergist in Melbourne for Miles.

Miles also had his first visit from the Occupational Therapist. It went very well. He wasn't sure about her when she got here, which I was happy about because he showed so few sensory problems during his evaluation, so I wanted her to see some of the problems we have at home. We also played a cd with different noises and then she could really understand why I was concerned. He was so scared with most of the sounds. It's a good thing that she can see where he struggles rather than just taking my word for it, and then she can help him even more.

Even with my long appointment this morning, phone calls this afternoon, and Miles' OT visit...we still finished school! Yeah!!!

Funny things kids say

I went to the library and checked out "Alvin and the Chipmunks" for the kids tonight. Roger is gone, so I thought we would just hang out and watch a movie. The Chipmunks were singing a Christmas song and Lauren and Franklin were arguing over whether the Chipmunks said "cheer" or "tear". I assured Franklin that they were saying "cheer" and he said, "But that doesn't make sense." So, I explained that cheer means happiness. Then he said, "No, I still think it's 'tear.' You know like when you get a present at Christmas and you are just so happy to get it that you have tears." Too funny!

I've also realized how much my kids copy me. I have a habit of saying, "Oh my goodness." Well, Lauren says it all the time now. And tonight in the van Miles said, "Oh my goodness, Mommy." Ari's favorite thing to say right now is "That's awesome!" Well, that's another "Mommy saying."

And one more...
The three older kids were up early this morning and Roger and I laid in bed and listened to them talk. It was quite entertaining! One of Ari's favorite toys right now is the "sit and spin." He rides it every morning! Well, this morning he was squealing because Lauren and Franklin were telling him it was too noisy (I think they've heard that somewhere before!!!) and then Lauren explained in a very gentle and kind voice, "Ari, you need to get off because it makes too much noise this early in the morning and mom and dad are trying to sleep. You see, they really need their rest because they work so hard all day. Okay?" It was so sweet and funny!

I didn't pass out

I got my blood glucose screening done this morning. I was gone for 2.5 hours. My doctor's office didn't fill out the forms correctly and there was some confusion about using part of the blood to test my antibodies, so I can get my Rhogam shot later in the week. Thankfully, there was a very knowledgeable young woman in the lab who helped me through it all, and set up my appointment to get my shot Wednesday morning. She is going to get the shot formulated before I get there, so I should only have to wait for an OB nurse to come give me the shot rather than having to wait for an hour for them to test my blood and then formulate the shot. Now, do I take all of the kids with me? I may have to. That should be interesting.

I challenge you...

to make someone feel special this week!

We often bake muffins, or some kind of bread (banana, pumpkin, blueberry) and the kids decide who we will "make feel special."
Ari chose Mrs. Bennett today! She babysits for us sometimes, and is the grandmother to one of my best friend's kids...and the kids absolutely love her! Ari sat in his car seat and held her hand after he gave her the muffins. It was really sweet.
I chose to give another batch of muffins to the Hodges family. The dad of the family was in a very bad car accident this week. He is home and healing, but really sore...so he needed to be "special" today!

Not only will this bring joy to the person you choose to serve, but you will feel so special yourself! I challenge you!! And, don't forget to leave me a comment about what you chose to do to "make someone feel special." Have fun!

Free???

Like most people...money is very tight for us. God certainly provides in ways that I often do not expect. Here are a few examples:
We need to be able to fit one car seat and two booster seats in the back seat of our van. This is no easy task unless we buy three new seats that are $220 each. This is not an option for us right now. The problem is not fitting three across...we can squeeze them in, but if we squeeze them in then Lauren and Franklin cannot reach through to buckle their seat belts. So, my brilliant husband came up with the idea of getting seat belt extenders. I read online that some dealerships will give extenders for free, so I stopped by our local dealership yesterday. Not only was it very simple to order these, and I was told that they would be ready the next day, but they were FREE! I was so excited! And, I think we have figured out a way to make them work...so now I am even more excited! Praise the Lord for His provision!

We went to CVS yesterday to get flu shots. It was highly recommended that our entire family get them since I am pregnant and Ian will be born during the peak of flu season. Well, Roger was told the incorrect date, so we went back today, which was the correct date. I was bummed that we couldn't get them yesterday because I wanted to get it over. Miles already had his, so Roger and I and the other three kids needed them. We kept our purpose for going to CVS a secret because I didn't want the kids to panic. We got there today, and we were told that they could not give them to kids under the age of 9. I was so frustrated. They were $30 each, but that is better than us paying for all three kids to see the doctor and we would have to pay for the shot, too, which would have added up to A LOT of money. I was racking my brain trying to figure out how we could do this without paying for a doctor's visit. Roger mentioned the Health Department. I drove home, told the kids to stay in the van, called the HD to make sure the kids could get the shots there today, and off we went. The kids were not happy with me! All three received their shots with only a few tears, and when I asked where we should pay I was told they are FREE! Wow! I could not wait to tell Roger! Here I was frustrated that we couldn't get them taken care of at CVS, but God saved us $90!!! Amazing!

We now have another set of bunk beds! We'll need them after Ian is born and we are ready to situate the boys in their respective rooms. Well, they weren't free, but my friend Lynette passed on an email she had received about someone selling bunk beds for $50. They are perfect for us, and we are so pleased to have them. Ironically, Lynette and her husband gave us our other set of bunk beds we have used for almost 3 years. Once again I am amazed at the provision of God!

When I am going to learn to stop questioning God, and stop trying to do things on my own when God knows what is best???

One short life...a whole lot to learn...

Updates

Roger: Staying busy since the election, but not as much as during the campaign. He has numerous people asking him what he will run for next, or offer their help if he runs again for County Commission in four years. We'll see what God has in store for us!

Me (Kerry): 27+2 days pregnant with a healthy little guy. I need to get my blood glucose done next week to check for diabetes ( a normal pregnancy test), and antibodies checked along with getting my Rhogam shot since I am Rh negative. I had a check-up on Wednesday and had only gained a pound in 4 weeks, so I was pleased. According to the doctors office I have gained 10 pounds so far. I still feel nauseous. It isn't as bad as in the beginning, but it is still hanging in there. Yuck! My wrists and hands have begun hurting, so I am now wearing wrist supports. I am getting more varicose veins, so I still wear a stocking on my leg. And I feel really BIG! I will be honest and say that this has been a tough pregnancy. I will have a sonogram next week, so I am really excited to "see" my baby boy!

Lauren: Learning to tell time! That can be a hard concept, but she is doing well. She is also doing well with reading.

Franklin: Boot-less!!! He is out of the boot and soooooo happy! His foot was feeling a little sore tonight, so I will keep an eye on it, and decide if he needs to go back in the boot a little longer.

Ari: Spent the afternoon with Grandma for some special one-on-one time. He was so excited! No nap today, so he is exhausted. Let's just hope Franklin doesn't wake him up too early.

Miles: Starts Occupational Therapy next Monday. He is already doing much better with his sensory issues, and I can only attribute the change to the power of prayer. He actually followed me around when I vacuumed today. I could tell he was a little scared still, but he wasn't terrified like in the past. He is doing much better in most of the ways we were struggling. Praise the Lord!

Just me and my Miles

Miles still has a drippy nose, so Roger took everyone else to church tonight and it was just me and Miles! We played with Legos, I ran him up and down the hallway in his high chair...FAST, we chased each other around, read books, and enjoyed our time together with just the two of us!

School has been so nice this week. We have stayed on schedule! I cannot tell you how much I enjoy having all four of my kids at the table with me each morning as we go through the books of the Old Testament, read a Proverb, read a Bible story, go through the days of the the week and months, sing the ABC's, and flashcards, and count up to whatever number we are on...today that was 56 (we are working our way to 100!). It's nice to have everyone together, learning together, and singing together.

In other news...
We received an insurance statement a few days ago and I became bothered and perplexed. This statement has to do with Franklin's first visit to the Orthopedic doctor four days after he broke his foot. We took the x-ray with us, the doctor looked at the x-ray (he has never looked at Franklin's actual foot), agreed that it was broken and said they would put him in a boot...and out the door he went. So how much does this cost??? Well, it was $1410 for the "surgical procedure" and $90 for the office visit. So, what was the "surgical procedure?" I called today and they told me it had to do with the broken foot. Well, I figured that part out since that was the reason we were there, but there was no surgical procedure. So, I proceeded to tell the kind lady that all the doctor did was look at his x-ray...that was it. Oh, okay, so that's what the charge was for. Wait a second! Could it really cost $1410 to look at an x-ray??? Well, yes it does! Oh, but there is another benefit...we don't have to pay to see the doctor for the first 90 days if Franklin is in pain. I told her that Franklin had only been back once and wouldn't be back again, so it should not cost us this much. And at this point I began crying! Insurance is killing us!!! We pay over $1000 per month, then we have a $1000 deductible per person before insurance will cover anything. So, expenses from this broken foot have been completely out-of-pocket! Our insurance company negotiated the "surgical procedure" rate to $661.78, which is much better than $1410, but I still cannot see paying $661.78 for a doctor to look at an x-ray. I feel completely ripped off! I was told that the office manager would call me. I will continue arguing about this "surgical procedure" and tell them I will pay for the office visit, but I do not feel that I should be obligated to pay for anything else. This is beyond ridiculous!

I don't know what can be done about insurance. We aren't part of a group plan because Roger is a small business owner, so we are, basically, getting ripped off every month...and every time we see the doctor. We are planning to switch over to an HSA after Ian is born with a really high deductible...and then we'll pray that everyone stays healthy! It isn't the best solution for our family, but it is the only thing we can afford.

And it even gets a little better...we received a letter yesterday informing us that our insurance company will not cover the cost of Occupational Therapy for Miles' sensory issues because they are due to developmental delay. How frustrating?!

Roger and I had a great date Friday evening. Lauren and Franklin had a great time at Chuck E. Cheese. Ari and Miles had a lot of fun with Grandma and Grandaddy, and were sound asleep when we got home. I was ready for bed, too.

Miles woke up with a drippy nose yesterday, so he and I stayed home from church today. Everyone had a fun, relaxing weekend. The weather was beautiful, daddy was able to be home, which hasn't happened on a Saturday in several months, I did some shopping for shoes and clothes the kids needed, and grocery shopping is also done for the week. I took Lauren to get her hair cut yesterday, and then came home, ate dinner, and headed outside to cut Franklin and Ari's hair. Everyone looks so good! I haven't cut Miles yet, but I need to...it's quite a chore. I need to get everyone's picture taken!

Roger also picked up bunk beds we bought for $50. It wasn't an immediate need, but we'll need them a few months after Ian gets here. They are the white metal kind, with a twin on top and on the bottom. They are sitting in pieces in our garage for now. My next mission is to find mattresses...CHEAP!... and patriotic bedding. Our crib bedding is patriotic, so I thought it would be easiest to stick with that theme. Tommy Hilfiger has some really great bedding, so I am patiently waiting for it to come even more on sale. I'm also watching ebay!

This week we get back to our normal school routine. I have to sit down now and plan out the week. I always plan everything for the week, so I know exactly what we need to do each day, and I feel prepared to begin each morning. I also have to go to the hospital lab and get my blood glucose workup done, and antibodies checked for this pregnancy, and I have an OB appointment. I'll have to go back to the hospital next week for my Rhogam shot. I have to have the blood glucose test done before 28 weeks, but I can't get my Rhogam shot until 28 weeks, but I'm bummed that I can't do it all at the same time.

Franklin is supposed to go back to the doctor for his broken foot this week, but I am going to cancel the appointment. The doctor has never even touched, or looked at his foot. He barely even looks at us. He looks at the computer at the x-ray, says something and walks out. He told me at our last appointment that it was healing well, and he probably wouldn't even do another x-ray, so now I am wondering why we need to go back. We would be paying about $65 for the doctor to tell us we can take the boot off. Get this...at the first appointment with this doctor he never looked us, he only looked at the computer, asked (with his back to us) what happened, and said Franklin would need a boot. Well, we came back later to get the boot because of insurance problems, a nurse put it on and we were done. So, they charged $1410 for a surgical procedure. Maybe you can help me figure this one out...what was the surgical procedure??? You can bet I'll be fighting this one!

"Hate" is a strong word

We always tell our kids not to say "hate" because it is such a strong word. We tell them it is okay to hate Satan, but other things we should say we "dislike." Well, I think I am going to break my own rule...
I hate time changes!!! Whether it is "falling back" or "springing forward" it completely stinks!!! My kids are little alarm clocks. Their bodies are programmed! We have kept them up late several nights in a row, but their inner-body-alarms are stuck. So, now instead of getting up at 7:00 every morning they are up at 6:00. This is not a good thing! Lauren and Franklin were up until almost 10:00 last night because of their church activity, and I was actually thankful because I thought it may help them sleep later and get on the "fall back" schedule! No! It didn't! Every one was up by 6:30 this morning...including Miles. So, instead of getting on a new schedule I just have sleep deprived kids! Any suggestions???

I have gotten into the habit of taking my basket full of clean laundry into my room and then locking the door so I can fold it quickly and then get it to the appropriate rooms. If I fold it with four little people watching me it takes much longer and I usually end of refolding half of the load because of little hands grabbing what has already been neatly folded. Well, this morning I was in my room folding and when I came out I heard Lauren say, "Miles, come here so I can put on your clean diaper. And Ari, go throw this poopy diaper away." What?! I hurried to the room, passing Ari with a poopy diaper on the way, and came to the room where Miles was walking around...diaper-less. I wanted to laugh, but my first concern was that there would be poop all over the carpet. I asked Lauren if she cleaned him off and she said, "Oh sure, Mom, I used the wipes and got him clean. It was no problem." This is my six year old little girl!!! Then she said, "Next time when he is wet...just come get me and I'll change him." Amazingly, she did a fantastic job!!! I told her I would take care of it from now on, but that I may let her help change Ian when he gets here. My kids never cease to amaze me!

As for the rest of the day...
We finished our schoolwork, watched Peter Pan, Lauren and Franklin played outside for an hour while Ari and Miles took a nap, and I relaxed for a little while.

Lauren and Franklin get to go to Chuck E. Cheese tonight for an Awana Sparks party. They both said the 10 sections needed to qualify to go to the party. They get to ride a bus there, so they couldn't be any more excited! Roger and I offered to go help, but they already had enough help. I wouldn't usually send my kids without Roger or I going, but the adults going love our children, and I know they will do a wonderful job looking out for them.

I'm going to drop the two little guys off with Grandma and Granddaddy and Roger and I are going on a date! We are going to Macaroni Grill, and then do a little bit of shopping. Franklin and Ari have grown out of their shoes, so they need new shoes badly! It will be so nice to spend some time relaxing and enjoying the company of my wonderful husband. He is the best! I am so grateful God has given him to me to be my husband...my best friend.

Getting back to normal

I have to admit that I felt a little anxious yesterday as I thought about getting life back to normal after the campaign. What is normal? I'm not sure I remember anymore. I asked Roger as he walked out the door this morning, "Will you be home this evening?" Of course he'll be home this evening!!! It was such a habit to ask the question that it came out before I even thought about what I was saying.

We spent today getting caught up on school. We are almost completely caught up from the past few weeks, and will have no problem getting completely caught up, and ready to start a new "normal" week next week! That is great news!

We also played outside a lot, and the kids have played inside really well, too! It is a gorgeous day! The windows have been open since just after breakfast this morning, and I never needed to shut them to turn on the air. Praise the Lord! I love "open window weather!"

A losing day

Yesterday was quite a losing day. Roger's race hasn't been completely closed yet, but they are already declaring a winner...and sadly, it isn't Roger. He lost by 307 votes which was less than 1%. He was up against a democrat that, while a nice guy, was part of the political "machine" and had over $90,000 to spend on the campaign. I think we had about a third of that! The biggest monkey wrench was the libertarian on the ticket. She was able to get 6% of the vote and she did absolutely nothing to win this campaign. She, very clearly, took the votes from Roger that caused him to lose. Economically speaking, libertarians can be close to conservative Republicans.

So, how do we feel? Well, disappointed, but pleased. We worked really hard. We had wonderful volunteers. We had generous donors. We prayed from the beginning that we would walk away from this unscathed, and God answered that prayer. The campaign did not get negative between the candidates; although plenty of rumors were spread along the way. We trust God and we lean on His understanding, not our own. As I was on my way to the party last night I was praying and God very clearly told me (not in an audible voice, of course), "Kerry, I work ALL things together for good." So, God will work all of this out for our good, and we look forward to seeing what His plans are for us in the future!

The other losing part was our country's choice of a president, but I'm not going to go there tonight. God has a reason for letting him win and it is either to teach us a lesson, ie be careful what you ask for, or else he is giving us over to a reprobate mind.
Regardless, I will pray for the salvation of this man, trust God to see us through this time, and do what God tells us to do...I will humble myself and pray and seek His face and then He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sins and heal our land.

Mariam, Moses, Daniel and the unhappy lion

Is there a laundry troll???

I had just done laundry on Friday, and then had three loads to do Saturday evening. Where in the world is all of this coming from??? Is there a laundry troll dumping clothes into the laundry baskets while we are sleeping??? LOL!

Ouch...but getting much better

It's hard to see, but the entire top of his left foot is bruised, including his toes, and it goes all the way through to the bottom of his foot. BUT, it's healing!

Playing doctor

A weeks worth of updates

So, what has happened the last week in the Shealy house? Hmmmm...let me think.

Roger has been really busy with the campaign...sign waving, walking precincts, a lot of meetings, two radio appearances (Bill Mick Live), and hundreds of mail outs, which we label and stamp ourselves.

Church was Wednesday, and we had been so busy that I hadn't even worked on AWANA verses with the kids. We were also getting behind on our school work, too. I am thankful for the flexibility of homeschool...we'll get caught up next week, which is fine because I knew we couldn't do a whole week of school next week with my sister coming in town Monday, the election Tuesday, and then my sister leaving Wednesday.

Miles had his evaluation at the Children's Center Thursday morning. They discovered that, developmentally, he is very smart! But, he certainly has some sensory issues, so we will begin Occupational Therapy soon. He will have therapy once a week, in our home, for 30 minutes. I look forward to beginning! They also encouraged me to take him back to the GI doctor and find out why he still has reflux, and ask for allergy testing at the same time. They really believe his digestion problems have something to do with his sensory issues.

After Miles and I got home I decided to pack up all of the kids, go get some lunch to-go and head to the government building where they were having early voting, so I could support my husband by holding a sign. The kids had a lot of fun running around and eating. Miles sat in the stroller and was really happy and content until a train came by and he got really scared. We were there almost 2 hours when their grandma came to pick them up and take them to her house. I stayed another four hours, and Roger joined me, so we really enjoyed sign waving together. I must say that standing for almost 6 hours was more than my body could handle. I felt sick and exhausted that night, and even a little crampy. Not good! I stayed off my feet after giving the kids baths, and then helped Roger with more mailings. I really haven't felt well since then, and I know my body is in need of more rest. I need to make sure I protect this baby no matter how much I want to help with everything else!

Franklin had a check-up and x-ray on his foot Friday. His foot is healing nicely, so two more weeks in the boot and he should be as good as new! And, he doesn't have to sleep in the boot, so he is happy about that.

A week ago Thursday as Roger and I were on our way to a campaign fundraiser his Explorer overheated, and we had to pull off the road quickly. Thankfully, our friend, Bruce, was following, so we grabbed everything we needed out of Roger's car, hopped in Bruce's car and off to the event we went. Roger got his car fixed the next day. Yesterday Franklin and I got in the van after our babysitter came, so we could go to Franklin's appointment and the van would not start. I felt so bad, but I had to run inside and ask our babysitter if we could drive her car. The van got partly fixed yesterday, and is at least drivable at this point.

Friday night we had our Fall Festival at church. It was so much fun! The kids loved everything, and Miles was really good. Lauren was Miriam, Moses' sister, Franklin was an older Moses with the 10 Commandments, Ari was Daniel, and Miles was supposed to be a lion, but he couldn't handle wearing the costume, so he just ended up being Miles with cute little whiskers on his cheeks. He didn't like the whiskers either!

Today Roger has spent the entire day (7-6:30) holding a sign at the government center again. The kids and I met up with him before lunch, ran to get some lunch and back to have a little picnic again, home for naps, set up a tent to play with in the back yard, and then back with a pizza for another picnic at dinner. After dinner we thought we would have a little bit of fun with the Obama supporters, so we had the kids saying, "NOBAMA, NOBAMA!" We thought it was all in good fun, but a few of the women didn't take it that way and got really mad at us. They began arguing with me, which I wasn't willing to take too far. Roger stepped in and told them that it needed to end, and we left about 15 minutes later while their blood still boiled. Wow! Were they ever mad at us!?

I don't think this has ever happened in our entire marriage, but we are staying home from church tomorrow. Not because we are sick, or the kids are sick, but because we know we need to keep our priorities straight. Our family must come before church... not before God, but before church. We need time to hang out and play and talk and sing and enjoy our family. I need a chance to rest, too, and I think Roger does, too. Sundays are not very relaxing for us because of getting everyone ready in the morning, Roger teaches Sunday School, Roger and I teach children's church, we come home, I fix a quick lunch, get the little guys in bed for a nap, and then get a quick dinner for the kids before we head out the door at about 5:40 to go back to church. I think tomorrow will be a great family day!

Time change tomorrow, or tonight...however you want to look at it! The kids are still up and it is almost 8:30. They are usually in bed by 8:00, but I want to get them acclimated to the time change. If I didn't still have laundry and dishes to do I think I would go to bed now, too!!!

Pictures to come tomorrow!!!