Vacation. High Blood Pressure...What's wrong with this picture?

  It certainly seemed like a wonderful vacation. I mean, I had been anxiously awaiting this getaway since my sweet hubby surprised me on my birthday in January with tickets to the Gospel Coalition Women's Conference in Orlando, Fl- and to top that- included some of our dearest friends so I wouldn't have to be alone & he could also have company while we ladies were in sessions. We drove away from our sweet children, all the stresses of managing a household and business ownership on Wednesday (a week and a half ago), taking our time to get to Florida. We stopped in Destin to have dinner with a business associate/friend & his wife since they were also vacationing in the area, left around 11p.m., drove 2 more hours & stopped for the night in Marianna- arose early to finish off the last 6 hours of the trip just in time to meet our friends at the airport. It was so good to see Travis & Alicia, as it had been a year since we had all been together.
  The conference began the next day & was really good. There were wonderful speakers including John & Noel Piper, Tim Keller, Carrie Sandom, Kathy Chapell, Carolyn Mahaney & many more... The strongest reminders I walked away with were:
1.) I need to handle my words toward my children (and others, for that matter) with care- be slow to speak and quick to listen.
2.) Sometimes God allows us to be isolated so that our focus can be solely on Him. He wants our attention. This was probably the one that stood out the most for me. I am so easily distracted by all of my "responsibilities" and relationships here on Earth. There have been many days, especially this past year, when I have longed to be face to face with my Maker in Heaven, where my only purpose will be to sing His praises.  I don't mean that in a morbid, suicidal kind of way. I have been blessed in this life with wonderful relationships, both in and outside of my home, but sometimes I allow them to take precedence over my most important relationship of all, that with my Heavenly Father, Creator of the Universe, Jesus. I could go on & on about this lesson, but I'll suffice it to say that He has gotten my attention and is teaching me to be content in all things; both in plenty & in want- whether it be in a financial sense, or relationships...all things.
  We had such a great time chatting & laughing with our friends the first night that our hotel neighbors were banging on the wall to keep us quiet...lesson learned, we found all the late night restaurants to sit & visit in for the rest of the trip.
  Several days later, Monday to be exact, we began our drive home, this time with friends in tow. Tropical storm Debbie hit right as we pulled away from Orlando, so we drove through some rainy weather along the way. Since my brother and his family were vacationing in Destin, we swung through to hang out with them for a bit and had dinner at my favorite restaurant in the world. Later that night, we stopped near Mobile to rest and then carried on to Houston the next afternoon to get our friends home. It was so sad to say goodbye. I will admit that I shed a few tears after we pulled away from them. I was also not expecting to feel so many emotions driving through the big city near where we had served on staff several years before. I was reminded of the hardships that we faced there and God's faithful provision through it all. Jason & I laughed about some of the cars we had been forced to drive as we were nearly in poverty. Soon we approached the ship channel bridge. This time I was crying tears of fear. My husband, ever the comedian, reminded me of the time he had to drive his great aunt's Oldsmobile up that very bridge & barely made it as it shook & sputtered the whole way. Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Those years were tough, but I wouldn't trade them as we learned so much about God and his love for us through the storms. We went on to meet two other dear friends for dinner in Pearland. It was a great time of encouragement to see them in their new roles of pastor/pastor's wife, and how they seem to be handling all of life's changes so gracefully. It was getting late, so we decided to drive a little ways to Livingston and stop for the night. The next morning we would complete our journey home.
  It had been such a wonderful week. Jason & I pondered what may be in store for our future; changes in how we homeschool, possibly changing our zip code (only slightly). Would we live in a neighborhood, or have some land? It was a peaceful trip...then as we reentered East Texas, I began to see the heaviness of responsibilities land on my hubby's shoulders. I reminded him that his vacation wasn't over & he didn't need to think about work until the next day. Unfortunately, the stress won. He had me check his blood pressure (that he had been taking medication to control) and it was slightly elevated...out of normal range, but nothing to panic about. A little while later he began to experience chest pains. I called my sister-in-law to come be with our children & out the door we flew. In route to the hospital, Jason had me turn around and take him to a fire station that we had passed. He was certain that he was having a heart attack. He was loaded onto an ambulance and instructed me to drive his truck to meet him at the hospital. I beat them there and panicked a little bit. A sweet nurses aid was able to get in touch with his driver and assured me that Jason was stable and on his way. Long story short...after two nights in the hospital having stress tests, EKG's and pictures, his heart appears to be healthy. The cardiologist changed his blood pressure medication and he seems to be better controlled now. The internal medicine doctor that was on call has recommended some other tests to try & figure out what's causing some of his symptoms- possibly something to do with the adrenal system. We should know more in the next couple of weeks. Jason was grounded from his phone, iPad & computer for several days and has slowly been winning some of his privileges back ;)

(He's not going to be happy with me for this :) 

 I am so grateful for our wonderful families that not only cared for our children while we were on vacation for 7 days, but also kicked into overtime for the 3 unexpected days we were in the hospital. Thank you all so much for allowing me to stay with my husband. It was wonderful to know that the kids were being well taken care of. I promise we won't leave again for AT LEAST another year ;) I would also like to thank all of our coworkers/employees for being so considerate as Jason was resting. I appreciate the way everyone kept things in working order during Jason's absence. I'm counting on y'all to keep an eye on him when I'm not around. Thanks to all of you who called, texted, prayed & visited with us. We are blessed with amazing friends.
  Continued prayers are appreciated!

Adventure

School today was much like a wisdom tooth extraction. If I hear, "This is too hard", "Why can't we just do 2nd/5th grade (respectably) work", "This book is wrong", or "Ms. So & So didn't do it that way" I may just have to pull out what's left of my already thin hair. Never mind the fact that "bedtime" is pretty much a joke now, and that you got to sit at Butcher Shop and enjoy an awesome breakfast while leisurely sitting back to have your Bible & Character stories read to you this morning. One day, I hope they will understand and appreciate the sacrifices that we have been willing to make to give them what, we feel, is best for them. I began typing this post about 5 hours ago and I'm just sitting down to finish it. One child had to spend most of the evening at the dining table with his father overseeing him finish, what should've been, a simple English assignment. I refused to listen to moaning and complaining during our regular school hours & told him he would have to take it up with the "principal" when he got home. I got them set up at the table, handed the answer key off to dad, and then headed out the door for some fresh air and retail therapy...Does stopping by the pharmacy to pick up thyroid medicine count as retail therapy? I'll take whatever I can get. Just kidding, sort of. I did spend an hour in a retail store near the pharmacy. What is a girl to do when she can't find clothes that fit the way she would like? Resort to shopping for house ware items- and that's what I did. I bought a turkey baster, new hand towels for my bathroom (since the acne wash...yes acne wash (that I have to use at age 30-something) bleached out the previous ones) and a gravy separator. I'm so excited about the gravy separator! I was just telling my hubby the other day that I needed one to strain the fat off of chicken broth so cooking chicken & dumplin's would be easier. Guess what's for dinner tonight? Yea!!! Shopping for myself wasn't a complete bust. I found 3 pair of shoes for fall. If you've followed my Facebook statuses in the past, you will understand that this is a huge feat (no pun intended...get it? HUGE FEeT :) I also found a backpack for myself that will come in handy on the kid's field trips to tote hand sanitizer, wipes, kleenex & the camera, as well as a smaller crossover purse. I don't know if that's what they're really called, but the kind that crosses over your body so you can have free hands. My 6 year old saw one & told me I needed one like it and I agreed. My 2 hour break was just enough time to clear my head and begin to relax. Then I came home and drank a cup of coffee so I'm awake typing in my blog at 12:23 a.m. (I'm beginning to think I'll never learn this lesson, as it's become a regular occurrence)
In other news: In case you didn't see on FB, it is now public knowledge that we are part of a new church plant that's happening in our town. After much prayer and over 6 months of laying the ground work, we are ready to see what God has in store for this church.
I must say that this is the busiest season in each, my hubby's & my life, yet there is a peaceful calmness. We are both focusing on what we feel the Lord has called us to do. So, as chaotic as our schedules seem- and as heavy as the responsibilities before us are, WE WILL PRESS ON- Prayerfully taking every step in obedience to the calling. Saddle up your horses- This is the great adventure!

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Ahhh. Almost bedtime! It hasn't been a bad day, just trying at times. Tuesdays are always a little more complex because we have to hit the floor running. Little bit goes to MDO, and my BFF (cleaning lady) comes. We have to be ready by 8:00 a.m. which is early compared to our usual routine. Since we are unable to stay at the house for school, I load backpacks down with curriculum, notebooks & supplies on Monday evenings. We drop Ashley off at 9:00 and go out for breakfast while we wait for the library to open at 10:00. Today was a busy day at the library and there were a lot of distractions -welcome distractions- like bumping into a sweet friend that I hadn't seen in a few months and meeting a new friend who's been home schooling for 7 years. Funny thing- both ladies use to be English teachers. I was able to pick my new friend's brain about curriculum since I've not been pleased with my choice. She mentioned one that had been recommended by others before...so... we cut our school day short so the "teacher" could run to the bookstore & purchase new English books for the class. At the bookstore, it just so happens that the cashier was home schooled and has also been home schooling her own children for 11 years. She also had lots of wisdom to share with me. I need all the help I can get. It was an encouraging day, in that aspect.
Then...we got home. Home: where we feel comfortable being ourselves and letting all of our ugly hang out. The boys got a lesson on brotherly love; what it means, and how to achieve it. One boy was receptive, and the other- not so much. So, the younger one bought himself an early bedtime, while the oldest is just now winding down with some music through the headphones. He is picking up his daddy's love for music. They are 2 peas in a pod on many accounts.
Tonight I made a quickie version of one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. I'm new to blogging and don't know how to add attachments or pictures to my blog yet (and I'm too tired/lazy to look into it right now), so if you would like to see the recipe, feel free to check out my Facebook account for a link. The original recipe calls for a whole chicken to be cooked for, like, 7 hours. This evening I used frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts. They were completely done after cooking for 25 minutes in my (intimidating) pressure cooker. I'm so glad no one was in the kitchen to watch me acting a fool every time the cooker let off steam. I suffered from a 25 minute long panic attack, as I do every time I use the pressure cooker. It's a price I'm willing to pay for quick, easy meals. The best part of tonight's dinner- NO leftovers!!! Thus, the name of my post. I love it when all the members of my household like a meal I've prepared on the same night! It makes my day, and it's very rare.
It's been a long day & this momma is tired and headed off to bed. I'm enjoying spilling my thoughts out on this screen to you (what is it, 8?) people :) Sweet dreams!

Date nights

All relationships need time and attention to truly flourish. Not only have Jason & I committed to a weekly date night, but he is trying to be consistent in taking the kids out one at a time. Daniel gets time with his daddy 3 nights out of the month when they go to guitar lessons together. Afterward they go grab a coke or a late dinner and discuss the latest book they've been going through in the Bible. Currently, they are reading John. Last night Andrew got a turn to go out alone with daddy. He chose to have dinner at the Roadhouse. J let him order a huge glass of "cowboy punch". After dinner they stopped for banana splits at Shakes. For those of you who've not met my husband, he is VERY sociable. Chatty would be an understatement. When he worked at the police department, his nickname was "Gabby". Andrew, on the other hand, takes after me. He is a boy of few words. Poor Jason texted me throughout their meal about how being with Andrew reminded him of our early dating years. He would ask me how I was & I would answer with a simple, "fine". Did you have a good day? "Yeah". And so the night went with Andrew :) I encouraged Jason & let him know that Andrew truly was having a great time- just as I did so many years ago. Andrew is also our child with the most OCD tendencies. They all have a few, but he takes the cake. J sent me a picture of our son's place setting at the restaurant. Everything was neatly arranged in front of him. Today I took a picture of his work space to show J that A really is consistent. We colored sombreros that were labeled in Spanish colors. When Andrew finished, he laid the corresponding crayon on top of each sombrero, all lying in the same direction. Bless our kids' hearts. They have a 200% chance of developing OCD. Jason is a compulsive lock-checker & I have even number issues, especially when eating is involved. I suppose we all have our quirks, right?
While these two were out last night, the other 3 & I did a little neighborhood outreach. We have 2 sweet widow ladies who live very close to us. I baked up some banana bread and had the kids draw pictures and write notes to them and we delivered the loaves in tissue filled gift bags so they could enjoy it for breakfast this morning. I hope that my kids will always be aware of the people in need around them, and seek out ways to help meet their needs. I have not been an attentive enough neighbor to these sweet ladies and that was brought to my attention last week when one of them broke down in tears in my driveway. I felt like a heel for not checking on her more. I know she's lonely :*(
Tonight was my turn to have some quality time with the man of my house. We usually have a couple of sitters stay with the kids on our date night, but this week my sister & brother-in-law
offered to take them to dinner and a theater production at a local university. I know they needed a change of pace & a break from this house, so it was a good outing for them. They also had ice cream at about 9:00 just before they got home for bedtime :) Needless to say, they had a late bedtime tonight. That's okay though since we choose not to have school on Fridays. It just means momma gets to sleep in tomorrow! (God willing...please Jesus?) Jason & I enjoyed dinner at Red Lobster and were able to converse- uninterrupted- about all the new & exciting things going on in our lives right now. I ALWAYS enjoy my time with him & I'm so grateful to have it. Tonight I am thankful for my sweet family <3

A few happenings

Well, Monday evening it hit. After nearly 5 weeks in my new role of "school teacher" I began to feel the pressure. Maybe every home schooling mom doesn't struggle in this area, but I knew when we decided to do this it would be a battle for me due to my selfish nature. After the kids went to bed Monday evening, I just burst into tears for no apparent reason. Poor Jason was trying to understand what was wrong so he could offer support. He asked if I was unhappy with home schooling. No, not at all. In fact, I'm really loving it. I really wasn't unhappy at all, just feeling a little overwhelmed and sucked dry. Don't get me wrong here. I love my kids. All I ever wanted to be growing up was a good wife and mother. When I was blessed to come home from my "career" after the birth of our 2nd child, it was a dream come true. (even if it was more like we didn't have a choice since we couldn't afford childcare for 2 kids) We had to make sacrifices and it was, and has been, totally worth it. I never dreamed I would be able to have them home with me during the day after they started school. It's been awesome...however...Do you know how many questions 4 children can ask or how many arguements can take place within an hour? Do you know that mine are awake for 13 hours a day? That equates to a lot of questions (which I am happy to answer, of course :) and bickering. By the time they were in bed each night, it was as if my ears were ringing. It was obvious that I needed a little escape to gather my thoughts...or just confirm that I did, indeed, still have some of my very own thoughts. My sweet hubby came home from work the following day & pushed me out the door for some alone time. I thought about calling a friend to join me, but honestly, I just needed some peace & quiet. It was only a 3 1/2 hour break, but the kids were in bed when I got home and it was just enough time for me to relax a bit and recharge. I have a great man. This morning I felt like a new woman, ready to face our day.
Flu season is among us. I've not taken the kids for the flu vaccine in the past because the last time I got one I had a little local reaction and just didn't want them to be uncomfortable when doctors couldn't guarantee that all the strains were covered in the shot. Last November the flu bug hit our house with a vengeance. I was the only one spared. 5 cases of flu turned into 2 cases of pneumonia, strep throat, ear infections and asthma issues that lingered on into February....that being said, I loaded the kids up after school today for the flu nasal mist. We arrived at our appointment and upon check in the receptionist asks me if any of the kids have asthma...well, yes, one does- which disqualified him for the painless nasal spray :( Oh, he was NOT happy. I felt sorry for him, so he got to choose where we ate lunch. CiCi's of course :/ First, I drove to Walgreen's to get the nasal mist for myself only to find they didn't have it in stock. My options were to stay there and get a shot or drive a few miles up the road and pay $15 more for the mist somewhere else. I had to think hard about it, but gave in and got the shot. I can give birth to 4 children, but I'll pass on shots (and dental visits...that's a post for another day).
I'm feeling long-winded, so I guess I better stop now and save some for tomorrow since I've vowed to be more consistant with my posts. Tomorrow's topic- I'm thinking "date nights".

Beginning week five!

It certainly doesn't feel like I've been a teacher for nearly 5 weeks. Home schooling has gone better than I could've imagined, although I have had a few surprises along the way. While I was preparing for this journey, I just knew I was going to struggle with my strong-willed first born. It was honestly one of my biggest fears that every instruction I gave him would be met with a bad attitude. I am SO pleased to announce that he proved me wrong! He has done a fabulous job. My second born, however, hasn't made as easy of a transition. He will tell us that he likes home school better than public school, but you certainly wouldn't be convinced by all the pouting he dishes out in the few hours we are doing school work. I'm pretty sure it just boils down to him missing his friends at school. We have joined a local group and attend play dates every Friday. He seems to be making new friends and settling in nicely with the others. I feel like the attitude will subside with time. He's thrilled that we will be picking up one of his old buddies from school tomorrow so they can spend a few hours together. I'm excited for him. My oldest daughter is doing great so far. We usually finish her work up in about an hour & 1/2. That doesn't include our read-aloud time. The toddler is always glad to have her big sister all to herself while I continue on with the boys for a couple more hours. Speaking of the little one, she is loving her 2 days a week of Mother's Day Out. She always asks when she can go to home school :) From time to time, I will let her practice her cutting skills at the bar while the others work at the table or let her play with pattern blocks and coloring pages. Every once in a while Dora will step in and offer some lessons in Spanish. She's been a real life saver ;) All 3 school-aged kids are doing great in their studies. I feel like they are getting a good balance of familiar review and challenges. I plan to do a little tweaking to our English/grammar curriculum, but other than that, I have been pleased. It's hard to believe that according to the public school schedule, we are almost a 6th of the way through our year. I'm curious to see when we will finish up. Time will tell. Speaking of time...my alarm will go off in about 7 hours, so I think I will head off to bed now. Sweet dreams!

Williams Academy

Since many friends have begun asking which teachers my children will be learning from this year at Spring Hill, I've decided to announce it here, on my blog. Ready? (drum roll) Mrs. Courtney Williams!!! That's right. Me. We've decided to teach our children at home this year. I know what you're thinking. "Have you lost your mind?" Quite possibly. "Girl, you are crazy." You are probably right. "Aren't you worried about their social skills?" Hello? Have you met their father? No worries. "What are your qualifications to teach?" Quite frankly? None. I struggled to get through high school and quit college after 6 weeks with a 1.5 GPA. "Why would you want to home school?" Well, I had a strong desire to home school when our oldest was in preschool. My husband didn't share my desire at that time, so I let it go. Our oldest 3 children have done well at their father's alma matter for 5, 2 and 1 year(s). We didn't have a bad public school experience that "forced" us to pull them out. Some may assume our decision is based on "religious" reasons due to the fact that my husband has served in some form of vocational ministry for most of our marriage. Though that may have influenced our decision, it wasn't the cause for it. We aren't trying to "shelter them from the evil forces of the world and beat them over the head with the Bible daily". Don't get me wrong. We will strive to follow the instructions given to us as parents in Deuteronomy 6 by diligently teaching our children through our every word & action to love the Lord their God with all their hearts, souls and might...just as we've always tried to do when they were in public school. My husband was thinking a few weeks ago of how quickly our children are growing before our eyes. He did some math and figured out approximately how many hours he has left with our oldest son before he flies the coop. It struck a chord with him and he approached me about home schooling. Since it had already been a desire of mine, he didn't have to twist my arm. We've spent the last couple of weeks talking to family, friends we have who home school, as well as people we know who have, themselves, been home schooled trying to glean as much wisdom on the subject as we could. While I am a little anxious about my new role as "teacher", I am comforted by the amount of support and resources available to me as well as my children. I want everyone to know that we are not anti-public school. We are just pro-home school for this season in our family's life. This was a personal choice for OUR family. The children are ecstatic. Let the new journey begin!!!!