Golfin' with my boys

I took the boys out to the golf club yesterday afternoon to hit some balls. Mike joined us after work for a short game of 3 holes (it was getting late and cold) and dinner at the club. We had a nice time. Here are some pictures of the afternoon.
~jen

Doing better

Both of my grandparents are doing better. My grandmother was released from the hospital Saturday. They both tell me that they are feeling better. Hopefully they will continue to get well. Thanks for your prayers. (I love you, Granny and Papa.) :)
~jen

Happy Birthday, Papa

Today is my Papa's birthday. Happy Birthday, Papa. I wish I could be there with you today. I love you so very much. I hope you had a wonderful day. I will see you soon.
Love you,
"Sunshine"

Do over

Yesterday was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right. I had so much on my mind all day, tried to do too much stuff in too little time, lost my temper too many times, watched Caden trip and fall in the mud (wearing brand new clothes) as we were walking out the door to have pictures made, and was not the friendliest person to my sisters-in-law. My apologies to Sandie, Angie, Marie, Rebecca, and Karen; it was a very long day yesterday and I am sorry for not being as friendly as I could have been. How I wish I could have yesterday back to do over..... better.
~jen

Prayer request

Both of my grandparents (Granny and Papa, mom's parents) were taken to their local hospital yesterday. They have both had the stomach bug since the first of this week. My grandfather was released, however my grandmother is still in the hospital being treated for dehydration and low blood pressure. I have spoken with both of them today. My grandfather says he feels better, however our phone call ended with both of us crying. My grandmother sounded tired this evening.
It is so hard to be so far away from them. I would appreciate your prayers for them.
~jen

Caden

I took Caden to a new dermatologist this morning. Caden had some type of acidic ointment applied to his molluscums (the small bumps on the back of his thighs). It has already "burned" those that were treated. Caden tolerated the procedure very well. He only complained about an hour ago that his bumps were hurting. It was time for me to wash the ointment off and he has been fine ever since then. We will go back for weekly treatments and see how he does. Our last resort is to have the bumps cut out. His doctor said we should be finished with our treatments over the next month or 2, just in time for summer! Please remember him in your prayers as we begin this treatment phase. I am really hopeful this will take care of it all.

Here are some pictures of Caden playing golf out in our front yard. (He is using plastic baseballs as golf balls. I wouldn't let him use the real things!) I wish I knew how to upload videos to the blog. He is so cute swinging his club! He does this little bottom shake before he swings that is hilarious! Enjoy!








Here are a few of my latest Caden stories:

-One afternoon last week I realized Caden had been quiet for a fairly lengthy period of time. With Caden, this only means trouble. I found him proudly standing on Cody's bed looking out Cody's open bedroom window. Knowing he was potentially going to be in trouble he tried to explain to me that Boomer (our dog) needed some pillows. I looked out the window to find Boomer resting on all 3 of Cody's pillows. Of course it had rained earlier, so they were also covered in mud. I purchased 3 new pillows for Cody later that night.

-While at the mall ordering Cody's birthday cookie, I happened to look down and find Caden licking the glass cookie display. (A proud moment.)

-While at Renay's girls' birthday party Sunday, I looked over to see Caden sitting quietly, however he had his chewing gum strung from his mouth...over his nose...over his forehead and securely stuck on top of his head. All-the-while the gentleman sitting next to him is rolling with laughter. (Another proud moment.)

-Today at the dermatologist Caden refused to walk over to the kids section in the waiting area because he was going to have to walk past an elderly couple. He proclaimed in a voice that I am sure everyone heard.... "I don't want those people over there looking at me".

-Tonight at supper Caden protested that he needed a separate fork for each part of his meal.

-The other day Caden walked up to me with his "hillbilly" teeth (those fake, yellow, gross, plastic teeth) in his mouth asking me if it was ok for him to say bad words while wearing those teeth!

I swear I am not making this stuff up. This is every bit Caden! He is a mess!

Love ya!
~jen

Long Day....

It's been a long day. Poor Caden, he fell asleep while eating some Cheetos. We've ran errands today, enjoyed the 80-ish degree weather, watched Cody at his track meet, played outside some more, and then crashed on the couch! He is so sleepy that he is snoring right now!

Cody is still at his track meet, or hopefully on his way home. Here are a few pictures of him competing in the high jump. I'm not sure of his scores, but will post as soon as I know.

~jen





(He cleared the bar on this jump.)



8:43 PM.... Cody placed 4th with a 4' 6" jump.

Busy Weekend!!

Good morning everyone. I think I need to go back to bed this morning! We have been so busy this weekend. Friday was Cody's 13th birthday. Since it was the last weekend of the month, I knew Mike would be tied up at work so we had a quiet dinner at home. Cody opened his gifts and cards. Thanks to each of you for your gift. Cody will enjoy spending his money! Mike and I got him some new golf clubs.

Saturday, Caden and I were invited to an Easter egg hunt at the Discovery Center with Rebecca, Aaron, and Sadie (my sister-in-law, nephew, and niece). We had a great time. Here are a few pictures of the event.

Cody spent the majority of his Saturday out on the golf course trying out his new clubs!

Sunday was just as busy. We woke up to find that our house had been toilet-papered. After being on the receiving end of the toilet-paper experience, I now feel like I should send out an apology letter to every parent of every friend who I toilet-papered in my younger years! What a mess that is to clean up! I made Cody do the majority of it. He didn't think that was fair, but I just told him he was the one who got toilet-papered, not me or his dad! He responded with well, it's your house, you should clean it up! I will spend a good portion of my morning finishing up. I walked outside this morning to take Cody to school and toilet paper is strewn all over the front yard! I am sure my neighbors are really pleased with us!

My wonderful friend Renay's girls celebrated their very first birthday yesterday! The party was so sweet and cute in it's Tinkerbell theme. Here is a picture of Maggie and Marlee opening their presents. Maggie and Marlee, you are too cute! Caden and I enjoyed your party! Your mommy did a wonderful job! :)

Next it was Cody's birthday party! We took him and 5.... yes FIVE.... teenage friends to the movies and then to dinner at Hummer's. I think they all had a great time. Here are some pictures of Cody's party.

Well, I guess that is all. As much as I would like to go back to bed, there isn't time. Today is going to be a busy day too. Cody has a track meet this afternoon. He is participating in the high jump. I have a grocery list a mile long and my house is needing some attention! I hope you all had a great weekend! Love you.

~jen

Article In The Groom News

This article appeared in The Groom News courtesy of Marcia.

Thanks Marcia, it brought tears to my eyes.

~jen

Reflections

I woke up this morning at 2:00. (Mike has developed a serious snoring problem!) I laid in bed thinking back over the past 13 years. My baby turned 13 at 2:08 this morning. (Why are there tears streaming down my face right now? Why is this birthday so much harder than the ones before?) As I watched the clock tick by, I remembered the night that I had Cody. It seems like it was yesterday. I remember I was resting on our sofa and I had just finished watching 'Not Without My Daughter'. Mike had just walked in the door from work. It was about a little after 10 at night. I remember feeling this trickle run down my thighs and thinking to myself, "either I am peeing all over myself, or.... my water just broke!". Well, it turned out my water broke, because it soon gushed once I stood up to go to the bathroom! We were packed and ready because we had already made a trip to the hospital a few days earlier, only to be sent home because someone didn't know the difference between false labor and real labor! Mike was quickly gathering everything up that we would need. We had just bought our first truck earlier that month. Poor Mike, I know he meant well, but he covered the seat of that truck with every towel we owned! He loved that truck! We rushed to the hospital as quickly and safely as we could and were soon checked into our room. Mike called our parents and I remember him telling my mom word-for-word what the doctor had said...."She has grossly ruptured her membranes, we're having a baby". I never really started regular contractions once I was at the hospital, so I received a Pitocin drip and about an hour after that, an epidural. I was very lucky in that I only went through maybe 3-4 hard contractions on my own. After a couple more hours, Cody Michael Conrad arrived. Our world has never been the same.

I cannot believe how quickly these past 13 years have come and gone. I cannot believe that Cody is a teenager. I remember he was such a perfect baby. He was always happy. Always content. He loved to be held and rocked. He was my cuddler. His smile lit up the room. (Ok, the tears are really coming, I am going to have to stop and get it together!) As a toddler, he was so curious and had a hundred questions. He was so smart and so bright. Before I knew it he was in Kindergarten. We lived in Groom then. I am so happy that he was able to start his education there. He loved going to the same school his daddy went to! He thought that was pretty neat! The years continued to pass and then he started school at the same elementary I went to! He excelled in everything he did. We soon saw him develop with sports. Over the years we've watched him in flag-football to tackle football. Basketball to golf. He is becoming quite the athlete these days.

Cody is still all these things and much more (well, he isn't quite as content, and he is definitely not a cuddler anymore!). I am so proud of this young man that is growing up before me. I need to remind him of that more often. I know that these difficult teenage moments we have will soon pass. Hopefully, we will both grow from them and become closer than we were when we started.

For those of you that have young children, hold onto your babies as long as you can, because they don't stay little forever! Cherish each day, because once it's gone, you can't have it back. (Boy, Caden is going to get some extra big-and-long hugs this morning! He's still my little baby and thankfully he still likes his mommy's hugs!) :)

Thank you to each of you for your part in Cody's life over these past 13 years. We are so blessed to have such an extended family. I am so thankful for the relationship that Cody has with each of you.

~jen

Whew... rough past few days

It's been a while since my last post. I hope all is well with each of you. We are doing ok. I had to take Cody to the ER this past Tuesday evening after he fell while on our trampoline. I was probably overly-concerned because he had fractured this same wrist when he was 5. He was in tears (although he denies there were tears!) and couldn't move his wrist or hand. Long story short.... he only sprained his wrist, no broken bones. Thank goodness. He has been quite the unpleasant patient these past few days though. His coaches are giving him a hard time since he isn't allowed to participate in athletics until next Monday. He has basically refused to wear the splint that was ordered. He is very much the independent teen-ager these days. Over all he has most of his range-of-motion back and only complains of slight soreness. I pray that he doesn't re-injure it anytime soon.

Caden is finally getting over his strep-throat. He is feeling much better these days. His infected sore on his leg looks better. We are going to see a dermatologist the first week of April.

No other news to report. I still haven't heard anything about the RN position within the school district. Part of me thinks it's ok. Working 2 days a week at the hospital really isn't all that bad. I had a really good day at work today. It's days like today that make me realize that my job really isn't all that bad. I don't know what will happen over the next few days and weeks. I've decided not to hold my breath on getting this new job. Maybe I am meant to stay where I am at. Maybe there is something better that will come along. Maybe, maybe, maybe. :)

Take care everyone! Have a great weekend.

~jen

Surgery went well

My grandmother's surgery went very well and she is at home resting. I called and talked to her a little while ago and she is doing ok.
~jen

Waiting game...

My grandmother is in surgery this morning having some discs in her neck repaired. It is so hard to not be there. I am trying to keep busy this morning. Trying to quit watching the clock and wondering...worrying. I know she will be fine. It is just so hard to be so many miles away.

Lord watch over Granny this morning. Be with the surgeon. In your name I pray. Amen.

~jen

Another win...

Mike just called me to let me know that Cody placed 3rd at the golf tournament today in Lubbock. He shot an 84, which is awesome because this was Cody's very first time playing at this course! From what I heard from Mike, this is a very tough course with lots of bunkers and lots of breaks on the greens. It is after all a "college course". I am sure the Texas Tech fans loved Cody's Texas Longhorns bag!

I can't tell you all how proud I am of my little golfer! Watch out, Tiger Woods!

I might even have to take up the sport myself. Mike and the boys enjoy it so much, it might be something fun to do as a family! I can just see myself out there with my pink clubs and pink golf balls! Can't you? Ha-Ha! :)
~jen

3rd Time's a Charm?

Caden and I made a return visit to the doctor today. For the past couple of days he has had severe abdominal cramping from the antibiotic he is on. I called our pharmacist yesterday and the cramping is a side effect. He absolutely refused to take his medicine this morning, even after much pleading, bribing, and even threats. Nothing worked. So I called our nurse practitioner and we returned to the office.

Caden received an injection of Rocephin (antibiotic) and we picked up another prescription for a different antibiotic (our 3rd one). It took 3 nurses to hold Caden down for his shot. I would imagine that if there was a prize for worst mother of the year, Caden would have nominated me! On the way to the doctor all I heard was "your a meat-head (his newest word) mommy"! He was not happy with me once he found out he was getting a shot.

Hopefully the combination of the injection and the new antibiotic will get this little boy well.
~jen

2nd Place Finish...Best Game Ever

Cody finished his 1st golf tournament of the season with a 2nd place finish. He tied for 1st place with a score of 78. The tie breaker was the score of the last 9 holes. Cody's opponent won the tie breaker with a one stroke lead. Cody played FANTASTIC. This is the best score he has ever had. He is really excited to have placed in the top 3!
~jen

PS... I can't get the link to his personal web-page at ntpga.com to work. So, if you would like to follow his personal stats here's what you need to do:
Log onto http://www.ntpga.com/
Go to Junior Golf Foundation (left hand side-bar)
Click on "Results" (top bar)
Click on Leader Board next to La Paloma GC Amarillo, TX
Choose Boys 12-13
Click on Cody's name.
Here you can find how he and all the other boys in his age bracket played.

Back to the doctor

I had to take Caden back to the doctor this morning. He has not responded to the antibiotic that we started last Friday. He has maintained a fever of 102-103 all weekend and has developed some shortness-of-breath at times. We had a flu test done which came back negative (thank goodness). His tonsils are swollen and covered with pus (yuck!). We are going to start a new antibiotic today and hopefully he will feel better soon. Say a little prayer for him. We are supposed to go out of town on Thursday. It never fails, as soon as I make plans to go to my grandparents, someone has to get sick!
~jen

Just FYI...

What a day today has been.

It's almost 4:00 and I am ready to go to bed. I woke up this morning and got Cody off to school, only to come home and realize that Caden was running a fever. He also had a runny nose and.... another infected sore. This one is about 1/4-1/2 " in diameter. This sore came up last night and was really bothering him this morning...to the point of tears. So, I called and got him into to see our nurse practitioner. Turns out he has strep throat along with the infected sore! And of course we have a dilemma with the antibiotic (it can't be easy, can it?). There isn't an antibiotic that will treat both! So we are treating the strep first, and will apply a topical antibiotic to the infection on his leg. Once we are finished with this oral antibiotic, and if the infection to the leg looks the same or worse, we'll start the other antibiotic.

Poor Caden he really looks like he feels bad. He is usually so happy to see the little nurse tech, Ashley at our doctor's office. Even when he doesn't feel all that well he is always happy to see her. Not today, though. She didn't even get a smile from Caden. We all knew he wasn't feeling well then.

He is still taking a nap. We got home from the doctor's office/pharmacy/Hastings (he thought he deserved a couple of movies and a X-box game)/McDonald's/convenience store to pick up another drink (Caden ended up dropping his coke from McDonald's onto the backseat floorboard- it has really been a rough day!) and he was worn out. He ate his chicken nuggets and went to bed!

Hopefully he will feel better soon. I can't stand to see him so sad when he doesn't feel well!

On another note... I called and talked to the person who will interview for the RN position within the school district today. She will set up interviews the week after next. She remembered mom when I mentioned her name (hey, I am using all that I can to get this job!) and she ended the phone call with "I'm looking forward to meeting you". Hopefully that means something good! I am trying to not get my hopes up, but it is so hard. We'll see what happens!

We'll I guess this is all for now. Cody just got home from school.
Take care.
~jen

Happy Birthday!

Birthday Day!

Today is birthday day around here. First, it is Mike’s 34th birthday today. Happy Birthday, honey! I love you! We had a family birthday party last night at Ruby Tequilas. It was a lot of fun!

Next, it is my niece’s 2nd birthday today. Sadie, you are getting to be such a little “big girl” these days! XOXO!

And then it is also my dear friend Renay’s birthday. (We don’t need to discuss numbers here. We are both 29 and will always be 29!) I want to take this time and tell Renay how much I care about her. She has been my closest friend since we were in high school. She is the sister I never had. She is who I call when I need to cry, laugh, or vent my frustration and anger. She is a wonderful mother to her 4 beautiful children, a loving aunt to her nieces and nephews, and my very best friend! I love you, Renay. Thank you for being such a wonderful and true friend! Happy Birthday!

(OK just a side note…. I know it’s probably odd that I write only 6 sentences about Mike’s birthday and a whole paragraph about Renay! Mike gets to see me every day. He knows I love him and yada-yada-yada, all that other stuff. Renay and I on the other hand, see each other…oh, about once every 6 months! We talk just about every-other-day on the phone, but never seem to be able to get together because between us… we have 6 kids! There is no time to get together! So, I wanted to send her an extra special birthday wish!) :)
~jen

Lesson Learned

I have just completed my 6 long hours of an online defensive driving course for dismissal of a speeding ticket. I received a speeding ticket back in November while traveling to Fort Worth to be with my family for my grandfather's back surgery. I have really learned my lesson on speeding! :)
~jen

Crazy Weather!

There is a saying around here, “if you don’t like the weather in the Texas Panhandle, just wait about 15 minutes and it will change”. Boy, was that ever true these past few days. We have seen temperatures ranging from the 70’s to the 30’s in 2 days, a tornado about an hour or so from Amarillo, snow, and even a dust storm from severe winds! How crazy is that? :)
~jen

A New Look

I thought I would try out this "new look" for my blog. It looked kind-of "Spring-y" (is that a word?). I don't know about you all, but I am SO ready for Spring!
~jen

Just some thoughts.....

Hi everyone. I hope all is well with each of you. Things here are well. Both boys are getting over from being sick. We went to our family doctor last Friday. Both boys had ear infections and upper respiratory infections. Both started antibiotics. They seem to be feeling better. It may take a while to get over completely. Cody has had early-morning track practice every school day, so being out in the 30 degree weather isn't helping him any! Caden is still pretty stuffed up. All I have heard from him is "huh?". Bless his heart he can't hardly hear anything!

Mike is doing well. He has been so busy at work. He seems to really be enjoying his job lately. Today is supposed to be a beautiful day, so he has plans to take the boys to play golf this afternoon.

I plan on getting a manicure this afternoon. I am really looking forward to my "alone" time! I also have great news to share.... While at Caden's speech therapy this morning I popped into the office to say hello to everyone at Ridgecrest. The nurse happened to be at the school this morning and was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about the possibility of working as a RN within the school district. There are going to be a few openings this fall for RN's. She was kind enough to give me the name and number of who to contact and she said that she would also call and mention my name. She thought with my experience at the hospital, previous employment within the school district and in Groom, and being a mom, I have a pretty good chance of getting a job! I am going to turn in an application tomorrow and go from there! This is something that I know I would enjoy. It would be the perfect work schedule with the boys, and especially with Caden starting school in the next year or so. Please say a little prayer for me! I'll be sure to post again as soon as I know something!

Well, I guess this is all for now. I've got a ton of stuff to get done today!
~jen

Tornadoes and 4 year olds

Have you ever heard (or used) the expression "this place looks like a tornado hit it!"? We'll for the past few days Cade's room has looked like a tornado hit it. I literally had to clear a path from the door to his closet and then to his bed. How can the average 4 year old make such a mess? Here is a picture of Caden's room this morning. (By the way, the "white stuff" is the stuffing from one of Caden's teddy bears!)

It took me 2 hours and a TON of patience (still working on those New Year's Resolutions) to clean up this mess. I made Caden help, but between the "look, Mom I found my ____" with every discovery of a lost toy, and the ever constant checking of the trash bag to make sure I wasn't throwing away something "very important", he didn't help that much!

Lessons learned:
1. Caden has way too many toys!
2. Never underestimate the power of a 4 year old. They are as destructive as tornadoes!

Here's an "after" shot of Caden's room:

Basketball Pics

Cody's basketball season ended last weekend. His team lost during the semi-finals. Cody had a great season. It is amazing to see how much he improves each year. He had a great time playing. It was hard for me as a parent to hear him get yelled at and pulled out of the game. We are in the big leagues now, so it's something that I am going to have to get used to! Overall, I think his coaches did a good job, but then again, I am a novice to the game of basketball and coaching! The only thing that is important to me is that Cody has fun, and he has had fun these past few months. Here are a few pictures of Cody from last Friday afternoon's game. (Thanks, Angie for taking such great pictures for me!)
~jen

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope everyone had a "lovely" Valentine's Day. I have to show off my Valentine's Day surprise. I received these beautiful roses Wednesday at work. I was so surprised, I even cried! Thank you, Michael for the beautiful roses. They are lovely. I love you!
~jen

Vitamin Guide

I came across a Vitamin and Supplement Guide from Women's Day Online. I thought I would share it with all the women in my life.
Here's the link:
http://click.email-publisher.com/maafJofabwoghch78PbeafpLMx/
~jen

Thought for the Day

I have subscibed to a 'Thought for the Day' from a minister in North Carolina and today's message hit home. While this message would have been perfect to read back in December when I thought everything around me was falling apart, it has given me the realization that I wasn't alone... God was with me through everything. Here's today's message. ~jen

Wednesday's Thought For The Day (Feb. 7, 2007)

HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU

The following touching story comes from the book, "Chicken Soup For the Soul":

In 1989, an earthquake almost flattened Armenia. This deadly tremor killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of all the confusion of the earthquake, a father rushed to his son's school. When he arrived there he discovered the building was flat as a pancake.

Standing there looking at what was left of the school, the father remembered a promise he made to his son, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" Tears began to fill his eyes. It looked like a hopeless situation, but he could not take his mind off his promise.

Remembering that his son's classroom was in the back right corner of the building, the father rushed there and started digging through the rubble. As he was digging other grieving parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son! "My daughter!" They tried to pull him off of what was left of the school saying: "It's too late!" "They're dead!" "You can't help!" "Go home!" Even a police officer and a fire fighter told him he should go home. To everyone who tried to stop him he said, "Are you going to help me now?" They did not answer him and he continued digging for his son stone by stone.

He needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" This man dug for eight hours and then twelve and then twenty-four and then thirty-six. Finally in the thirty-eighth hour, as he pulled back a boulder, he heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" and a voice answered him, "Dad? It's me, Dad!" Then the boy added these priceless words, "I told the other kids not to worry. I told 'em that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised that, Dad. 'No matter what,' you said, 'I'll always be there for you!' And here you are Dad. You kept your promise!"

What a beautiful illustration of the promise that God has made to us. "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'' (Heb. 13:5).

That is a promise with which we can trust our lives. Time and time again, God has proven His faithfulness. And we have every reason to believe that He will continue to keep that promise. Maybe you find that your world has collapsed around you. Your marriage is struggling. You're not sure where the money will come from to pay your bills. You just got off the phone with the doctor and the news is not good.

Hear these words of God. Fix them firmly in your mind. God said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." It may seems that hours have passed by without any sign of God in your life, maybe even days, weeks, months or years. Take heart and be assured. God said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." No matter how it may seem, God has not forsaken you. And he longs for the day when he can once again hold you in His arms.

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

If you would like to subscibe:
mailto:join-thought-for-the-day@hub.xc.org

BEAUTIFUL Day

What a gorgeous day today! It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The temperature was a perfect 70 degrees with a light breeze. I took the kids to the zoo this afternoon. We had a great time seeing all the new animals. Amarillo is moving up in the zoo department. Now along with the goats, sheep, bison, and longhorn... we have lions! (By the way....Caden gave the pitiful 50 year-old looking longhorn the Hook-um-Horns sign with his fingers... how cute is that!) Our little zoo is really coming along. There are more animals than I mentioned, but it is still a very, very, small zoo! Here are a few pictures of Caden and his cousin Samantha from this afternoon.














Thank you Lord for this blessed day. Thank you for the glimpse of Spring...it was a beautiful day.

~jen

Can't sleep

It's after 1:00 am and I can't sleep. Thank goodness for the Internet! It never sleeps! I've caught up on my reading of all the top headlines and latest entertainment news. Nothing like that to put you back to sleep for sure!

It's been a few days since my last post. Things are going better than they have been. I was looking back at my last few posts and they were kind of, well..... negative! Things are much better now!

Cody is doing great. He will finish his basketball season this week. He has one last district game on Wednesday and then city championship games this Friday and Saturday. I think he is ready to be done. While I know he has had a good season, I think he is ready for a break from his coaches. He has decided to run track this year. This will be a first for him, so I am anxious to see how he does. He claims he is the fastest of all his classmates. We'll see. :)

He is also looking forward to the golf season. We already have our calendar marked with the upcoming area golf tournaments. His first one is next month! He is really excited about getting out on the course.

Caden is doing well. He had a day or two with the stomach bug last week but has rebounded quite well. He is doing pretty good now. Nothing really new with him. His favorite word at the moment is "awesome".

Well, I guess this is all for now. I should probably try and get some sleep. It will be time to start the day soon enough.

~jen

A New Day

Thank goodness today is a new day. Yesterday was one of those days where nothing went well. I woke up with one of the worse headaches I have ever had and it never seemed to leave. (In fact I still have a headache this morning.) Half-way into the day after starting some laundry, the tub, sinks, and shower all filled up with wash water and who knows what else. The toilets starting bubbling and wouldn't flush. I hate this house. We had to call the land-lord, who of course couldn't be reached. Tried calling a plumber, but was told "sorry, has to wait until morning". Finally after a couple of hours the toilets started working right. Mike was nice enough to take some laundry to the laundry mat so he and the kids would have some clean clothes for the next few days. He probably needed to escape from me.

Yesterday was one of those days where I seemed to lose my temper at the drop of a hat. Caden was awful all day and into everything that he could get his hands on. He emptied a bag of crackers and crushed them over the kitchen floor while I was dealing with the plumbing. He dumped out every storage bin of toys and stuffed animals in his room. (You literally cannot see the carpet in his room). I ended up putting him to bed at 8:30 last night.

While cleaning, I accidentally mixed 2 different cleaners that both contained bleach on a wash rag and created, what was I am sure was some kind of toxic gas. I had to open up the bathroom windows to let the bathroom air out. That probably explains my headache this morning.

Cody decided to finish a project that was due today. He also decided to start it yesterday. I found out that he has had the chance to work on this project in class since Wednesday. Since he was in a hurry to get it done, he decided to type part of it on the computer, then somehow lost all that he had typed. By the time I was able to help him, it couldn't be located. He had to re-type it all out. Then he had to draw 6 pictures relating to Pioneer life. He proceeded to get mad at me because I wouldn't help him draw the pictures. He was up until about 10:00 trying to get it finished. This morning I feel like a bad parent for not helping him draw the pictures, but after practically showing him where to find the information in the book and Internet for his written portion of the project, I just thought enough is enough. It's Cody's project. He's in the 7th grade, not me. I am sure he will still be mad at me this morning. I just hope he will remember this from now on and not wait until the last minute to start these type of projects. We'll see, though.

I pray today is a better day.
~jen

Surreal Moment

This past Friday night we went to watch the Amarillo High Sandies Varsity Basketball team play. Cody's basketball team was introduced at half-time. The introduction was short.... "In the crowd tonight we have the Crockett Pioneers 7th grade boys basketball team ...take a stand, boys". That was it. It wasn't quite what Cody or the kids thought it was going to be. But, it was a special introduction nonetheless.

I spent the majority of the game thinking back to my days as a Sandie. It seems in some ways that it was just yesterday that I was in high school, but then it seems like it was so... so... so long ago (14 years ago, this year. Ouch!) It was kind of surreal sitting in the gym. I can remember the pep-rallies and the games and how much fun it was to be in high school. I think back to all the friendships that have been lost through losing touch over the years. There are days where I wish I could go back. Is that silly? I miss the fun, the friendships, the FREEDOM!!!! It's silly, I know.

~jen

Snow man # 2

Meet snow man #2. Snow man #1 was vandalized. Not even the lowly snow man is safe in our neighborhood. We went outside Monday afternoon and found our snow man to be face-less and button-less!
Yesterday the kids (Caden and Samantha) and I built a new snow man, complete with a golf ball nose! While looking at the pictures, I've realized he is an oddly proportioned snow man! Oh, well. We had fun!
~jen

Cleaning 24/7

I need to vent. This probably isn't the best place to do this, but right now I need to vent. Can I just tell you how much I hate cleaning. I know hate is a very strong word. But it is the most appropriate word for how I feel about cleaning. I can clean all day, (and by "all day", I mean all day) and wake up the next morning and no one can tell that I cleaned the day before. Can someone please explain to me how when I am in bed at night, 3 individuals can totally destroy a perfectly clean house?

I woke up this morning at 6:45 to find play-dough scattered over half the living room. Let's just say I am still not happy right now. I ended up throwing away 8 containers of play dough and digging about half a container of play dough out of the carpet. Caden was smart enough this morning to not say one word to me while I was cleaning up the mess. I kept my cool (New Year's resolution) and calmly explained to Caden that once play dough is left out all night it is ruined and has to be thrown away. His response, "That's OK mama; we'll get some more at the store". I just smiled, still keeping my cool.

I have heard stories on the Today Show/Good Morning America about wives and mothers who go on strike from cleaning. Honestly, I don't think anyone around here would care if I stopped cleaning. I realized yesterday while doing dishes that I was missing some glasses. I found 8, EIGHT, glasses in Cody's room. (Which probably explains the strange odor I noticed while in there.) I just turned out of his room (which right now you can't even see the carpet) and closed the door.

(I know my mom is reading this and thinking, I remember a little girl whose room was always a mess. Yes mom, I know, and now it is coming around full circle!) :)

So, what's the solution? I have no idea. Since I am treated like a maid (it's really not that bad, but that's how I feel right now) maybe I should start charging for my services!

OK, I'm through venting.... I've got cleaning to get to. :)
~jen

Update on Caden

I have worked the past 3 days and haven't had a chance to post an update on Caden. We received a phone call from our family doctor regarding Caden's nasal cultures. I am happy to report that there was no growth of any kind from the cultures. Which means that the staph has not colonized in Caden's nose, and that he is not a carrier of the staph infection.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your many prayers. Thank you to those who put Caden's name on your church's prayer list. Thank you for your many calls and emails. Mike and I really appreciate everything.

~jen

Winter Wonderland

After receiving upwards of 8" of snow yesterday, Caden had some fun this afternoon! (I don't have any pictures of Cody because he is out sledding with his friends!)
~jen

New shoes

Ah, the power of new shoes. It is amazing how a new pair of tennis shoes can transform the average 4 year-old little boy into a super-power hero who can jump higher and run faster than ever before!

He did, however, get his brother's opinion on the "cool-factor" of this particular pair of shoes.

Scene: Academy shoe department
Caden: "Are these shoes cool, Cody?"
Cody: (rolling his eyes) "Yes, Caden, they're cool. Let's go."

Done deal. Easiest shoe shopping experience I've ever had with the boys! :)
~jen

Slingbox

My husband has a new toy. It is called a Slingbox. Here's how it works. You attach these sensors to your directv box and then one has the capability of watching directv anywhere there is a computer with an internet connection. One loads up the program on their computer, a remote pops up on the screen, you type in the channel you want to watch, and wha-la you're watching TV on the computer. (I know this is a very simple explanation, but this is the best you get from someone who has no knowledge of electronic toys). Mike thinks this is best thing since sliced bread. However it now gives him the ability to control the TV even when he is not at home!

For example, today I am trying to re-live my glory days by watching a little 90210, when all of a sudden the channel changes to the Colts and Ravens football game. I immediately change the channel back, and not 3 seconds later I'm watching the football game again. This could go on and on, but I conceded and let him watch his football game (even though he was at work).

This scenario happened the other day with Caden. However, poor Caden did not find the humor in his daddy changing the channel from his office computer! He came into the kitchen almost in tears trying to explain to me that the TV kept changing channels and he couldn't watch his cartoons. I immediately picked up the phone, called Mike and told him to cut it out because Caden was about to have a nervous breakdown!

~jen

Recent Photos

Here are a few recent photos of the kids.
~jen


-Caden and Cody at the park (December 15, 2006)


-Caden with his new Texas jersey!


-Cody with his new Texas jersey!


-Oh boy, a Cars Xbox game!


-A Texas sweatshirt!


-Finally, a new cell phone! (We had it hidden in his new UT golf bag!)


-Oh, what could it be?

Good morning....

Hi everyone. I hope all is well with each of you. We are doing ok. I took Caden back to the doctor this past Wednesday for another check-up. The main infection has cleared. All that remains is a small scar. He still has a few infected bumps on the back of his leg. We will continue to apply the topical antibiotic to them. We have an appointment with a dermatologist at the end of the month to talk about treatment options for the bumps. Our doctor cultured Caden's nose to see if the staph has colonized in his nose, or if it was just isolated to the infection in his leg. We should have the results by the first of next week. I didn't ask what happens if we get a positive result. Right now, I am just taking this day-by-day. I am not going to worry until I have something to worry about (see New Year's Resolution
# 10!). Other than a runny nose right now, he is doing ok.

Cody is well. His basketball team lost their 1st game last Wednesday night. It was a pretty good game (at least by my novice knowledge of the game). Cody played well. He told me in the car after the game that he could have played better though. I told him everyone has an off day and you just have to learn from it and try to do better. He just gave me that typical teen-ager stare and said sarcastically, "I know, mom". Good try on my part, right?

Things are going well with Mike at work. He has just gone back to work...like he never left. He seems to be enjoying it again.

I have decided to go to a part-time schedule starting the week after next. I am looking forward to only working 2 days a week. I think it will help in all aspects of my life. Caden will be able to stay at home more and out of day-care. I will be home more with the kids. It will be better for everyone.

Well, I guess this is all for now. Caden has woken up and claims he is starving. I guess I better get this little boy some breakfast before he withers away to nothing! :)

~jen

Back to work...

Mike has decided to return to Honda as the Used Car Manager. He will start working tomorrow. He had a meeting last Friday with the owner and after much thought, he decided Honda is where he wants to be.

I will miss having him around. In some ways I wish he didn't have to go back to work. But there are a number of reasons why he has to go back to work: the water, gas, electric, phone, satellite, and many more bills need to be paid! :) I know the kids will miss having him at home. Especially Caden. He is not happy at the thought of having to go back to the daycare while I am working. His solution to the problem is that mommy can just stay at home. It's a win-win situation for both of us! Caden and I are both working with Mike on that solution! Stay tuned! :)

~jen

Happy New Year

I can't believe it is January 1st, 2007. Where has time gone?

I have to admit that the new year is probably my favorite time of the year. It is a time for reflection, resolutions, and new beginnings.

I have thought for the past couple of days about my new year's resolutions. While there could be a 100 resolutions, here are my top 10 and most important for the new year:

1. Renewing my spiritual life. Finding a church home. Getting "real and honest" about what is important.

2. Pray. Pray. Pray.

3. Having more patience with Mike, Cody, and Caden. Remembering to let the little things go every once in a while and focus on the big things.

4. Find happiness in everything.

5. Keep a cleaner and neater home. Get organized.

6. Help Caden succeed with his speech and learning disabilities.

7. Spend more one-on-one time with Cody.

8. Financial security. Reduce debt. Save for a new home.

9. Commit to an exercise program and stick with it. Develop healthier eating habits for myself and my family.

10. Worry less. Have more faith.


May this year bring all of us health, happiness, and hope for a better tomorrow.

Happy New Year
~jen

Update on Caden

Caden has another infection. This one is on the back of his right thigh and is about the size of the tip of my pinkie finger. Our doctor decided not to lance this sore, but to leave it as is and see if it will resolve on it's own. Caden will start another round of an oral antibiotic, along with a topical antibiotic to apply directly to the infection. We will go back in 10 days for a follow up. Please remember him in your prayers.
~jen

Update

Good morning.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Mike, the kids, and I had a wonderful day. Thanks to everyone for our wonderful presents.
Well, here are a few updates. Caden's follow up appointment last week went well. We were given the all-clear to visit with family over the weekend. Unfortunately, another sore has surfaced and we are returning to the doctor this afternoon. I don' t know what it is going to take to get this little boy well.
Cody is doing well, enjoying the holiday break from school. He got to try out his new UT golf bag yesterday with Mike and Caden at the golf course.
Mike is hanging in there. Last Friday evening he received a phone call from the owner of the dealership that he worked at. The owner realized that he made a big mistake in letting Mike go and was very apologetic. The General Manager that fired Mike was let go yesterday. Mike is to meet with the owner sometime this week and talk about coming back to work. Of course, Mike also has a meeting with the CEO for the other job that he interviewed for. He plans on meeting with both men and then he will weigh the pros and cons for each position. Hopefully he will have a decision made by the end of the week. Please continue to pray for him.
Well, I guess this is all for now. There is a mountain of laundry calling out my name. So much to get done today! Have a good day. I'll post about Caden's visit later this afternoon.
~jen

Update

I thought I would just post an update on how things are going. Caden is doing much, much better. The infection to his leg looks better each day. It is still draining, but very little. It is now about the size of a penny. He has not been running a fever, which is great news. We return to the doctor tomorrow morning for a check-up.
Cody is doing well. Only 1-1/2 days of school left before the holiday break. The gold team won their last basketball game 33-14 and now are 4-0. Cody is still improving with each game and having a great time playing. Cody fixed home-made pizza for us the other night for supper. (It was one of his latest Life Management class projects.) He did a fabulous job. Too bad cleaning the kitchen up afterwards wasn't part of the deal!
Mike is doing well. I think he is starting to get a little bored being cooped-up at home. He has been a great help with Caden and Cody. He even took both boys to Wal-Mart last week to do some grocery shopping for me. His interview went really well last week. He and the CEO will meet again in the next few days and iron out the last few details. Mike feels confident he has the job. Thank you for your prayers and support over the last few weeks. I really appreciate all the phone calls and emails.
As for me, I am doing ok. I had a very trying day at work yesterday. My 6 patients ranged anywhere from a 15 year old boy who had major back surgery to correct scoliosis, a 60-something patient who was told yesterday that she will spend the next 6-8 weeks in a long-term care hospital to fight a staph infection, to a 70 year old cancer patient who decided late yesterday evening to have a Do Not Resuscitate order executed. Needless to say, I had a very emotional day yesterday. Oh how small my problems seem when compared to those around me. I had to place a DNR bracelet on the cancer patient before I left last night and tears filled both our eyes. What an emotional day. I am learning that emotions have to be controlled, that I am to be the strong one for my patients and their family, but it is so very hard at times.
Time to change the subject before the tears start..... :)
We woke up this morning to find a pretty layer of snow outside (about 3 inches). Too bad it is over 1/2 an inch of ice! Cody and I noticed many broken tree limbs throughout the neighborhood as we drove to school this morning. Hopefully the power lines will hold and we will not experience any power outages. I still have some Christmas shopping to do today!
Well, I guess this is all for now. I hope everyone is doing well. I will post tomorrow after our visit with the doctor. Hopefully we get the all-clear to visit with family this weekend.
Love to you all,
~jen

Caden

We had our second follow-up appointment today. Our doctor was pleased with Caden's progress. The infection is now slightly larger than the size of a nickle, but getting smaller. It really looks good. It is still draining a small amount. We will continue with the twice-a-day soaks and the one antibiotic for now. We have another follow-up appointment next Thursday morning. Hopefully the worst is over and he is on his way to a full recovery. Thank you for your prayers.
~jen

Caden

Our family physician just called to check on Caden and give us the results of the cultures. For some unknown reason, the cultures did not grow. There could have been something faulty with the process, or not enough of a culture obtained. We do know that this is some-kind of staph infection based on the gram stain results. So, for now Caden will have to be treated based on his symptoms. Today the infection looks better than yesterday. There is less drainage today. We are going to continue with the Bactrim and see how he responds. We have another appointment at 10:40 tomorrow. I will post how it went. Thank you all for your continued prayers, support, calls and emails.
~jen

Caden

I took Caden back to the doctor today for a follow-up. Not much has changed. The infection to Caden's leg has not spread and he is not running a fever, that's the good news. The bad news, this is a staph infection. We are still waiting to see if it is MRSA. Hopefully we will know tomorrow afternoon. Caden is still holding his ground on refusing to take one of the two antibiotics he is on. We had some flavoring added to the medicine today, but it didn't work. Caden isn't budging. I am going to call the doctor tomorrow morning and see what we need to do. Our next visit is Friday morning unless there is a change in Caden's condition. Please say a prayer for him. This may be a tough battle.
~jen

When it rains...it pours

As if my life right now couldn't get any more hectic or stressful, I had to take Caden to the doctor today. Last week I noticed a small, round, reddened area on the back of Caden's right leg. I brushed it off as probably a bug bite or a small rash. Sunday night I noticed the red area was bigger and upon further inspection and palpation, I realized that this was something more serious. The area was raised, hard, and had a least a 1" diameter knot underlying the skin, and Caden said it was hurting.
Our family doctor had to open the abscess and drain it this afternoon. I hope I never have to put Caden through something like that again. It was completely awful. Towards the end we were both crying. Cultures were obtained. Unfortunately we will have to wait a couple days to see what grows. Our doctor's first impression is that it is MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). MRSA is known as a "super-bug". There are only a limited amount of antibiotics which are successful in treating MRSA. Caden has been started on 2 antibiotics which are the best for treating MRSA. However, I have been unsuccessful in getting him to take one of them. It smells horrid and it tastes even worse. (I tried a small amount.) I tried all of my tricks tonight, but nothing worked. We have to go back to the doctor tomorrow for a follow-up visit, so I guess I will see what our options are with that medicine. Please pray for Caden. I am thankful that the worse is over, for now at least. He will need to soak in the tub for 20 minutes, twice a day and continue with antibiotics for 10 days. He did really well tonight with his soak. I set up the portable DVD player in the bathroom for him and we watched part of a movie together. Unfortunately for me, I have to clean the tub before and after each soak, wash Caden's clothes, towels, and linens separately in hot water until his incision closes. If this gets him well, then all of it will be well worth it. All I want is for him to be OK. I have seen MRSA in the hospital and it is very frightening. Please, please pray for Caden.
Please remember me in your prayers, too. This has not been the best Christmas season for me. I am so stressed right now and I feel that I am ready to break at any minute. I don't know how much more I can handle. As hard as I try to not worry and to have faith, all I seem to do is worry and my faith seems to be slipping. It is hard to be happy and cheery this holiday season.
~jen

53 - 13

The Gold team won 53 - 13. They are now 3 - 0. Cody payed so well last night! He only had 1 point (made 1 of 2 free throws), but he had a number of assists. He just gets better and better with each game! We are so proud of him. Mom and dad, I wish you lived closer so you could see him play. He is doing so well! The next game is next Thursday in Crockett's brand new gym!
~jen

PS:
Last Saturday's make-up game ended with a score of 36 - 11. Cody had 6 points and a number of assists. The whole team is really coming together and playing well. What a great group of boys! :)

Moments

I received this in an email from my aunt. I thought I would share it. It seems so perfect for right now. (Thanks for the email, Luann.)
~jen

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.

December 4th, 2006

By now, many of you know that Mike has lost his job. It happened Friday (the 1st of December). I think I am having a harder time with it than Mike is. I am still so disappointed in the management and owner of the dealership. Mike did nothing wrong. It isn't his fault that this is after all, the "slow season" and car sales are going to be down. He can't force his salesmen to bring in new customers. He can't force customers to buy. It isn't his fault that there are hard feelings by the new general manager towards employees who worked under the previous general manager. Mike didn't have a chance with the new general manager. It is so unfortunate that it had to happen now of all times, and without one word from the owner, especially after Mike gave 10 years to this dealership. It is probably wrong to have the attitude of "what goes around comes around" but that is how I feel right now. I don't wish any harm to the dealership, but I know they have made a mistake. Especially when Mike received 3 job offers within 1 hour of being fired.

Mike feels really good about this. How, I don't know. He told me Friday that he feels relieved. I know he has worried for the past few months about his job. I can only imagine what he went through every first of the new month, wondering if that was going to be the month where he lost his job. He has been so unhappy for the past few months. I can tell a difference already in his spirit and attitude. He reminds me quite often that all will be OK and we are going to get through this. Oh, how I wish I had just an ounce of his faith and determination. Of course while he is saying we are going to be OK, in my mind I am creating this to-do list of bills to pay, and presents to buy! But, I know we are going to get through this. I have to keep reminding myself that!

I am trying to stay positive. I am very thankful that I have a job and that the kids are covered under my insurance plan. I know that we will get through this. To quote my mom... "God does not close a door without opening another". There will be another door and this too will pass. I just need to have faith. I need to not let this spoil my attitude or break my spirit. Christmas is just 3 weeks away!

There is good news, though. Mike has an interview with another dealership in town. The interview date is still being scheduled. Mike will have to travel to Tulsa, OK for the interview. The job sounds very promising. Please remember him in your prayers. Pray that the right job will come along. Pray for us as we try to deal with this transition time. Pray for me that I will resolve any hard feelings that I have towards those involved with Mike losing his job.

The kids and I (and even Mike) set up our Christmas tree yesterday. We had a great time, even with Caden asking every 5 seconds where does this one (ornament) go? Where does this one go, mom? Where should this one go? Ohhh, where should this one go? (Are you catching on to this? This went on for about a good 15 minutes!) And heaven help me, after the presents were put under the tree, all I heard was "when can I open a present?"! The little stinker has already opened a gift. Last week after I left for work Caden got out of bed, took a wrapped present from the closet, sat in the hall and opened it. Unfortunately for him, it was one of Cody's presents. Mike said he was very methodical in the way he opened it so no one would hear him. He said it looked like he made several small tears in the wrapping paper as to not wake anyone! How I wish I could have been watching him! :)

Love to you all,
~jen