Writings of a 15 year old boy

I finished reading one of my dad's diary's last night. I laughed out loud at some things and cried when I read others. One of the most amazing things to me was when I found out...I'll write about it some other time.

I sure do miss my daddy, wish I could wrap my arms around his neck and give him a great big hug.

Feeling a Little Blue

Today is a sad day for me. I just can't seem to pull myself together. I'm sure my hormones aren't helping any, but the Holidays have proven to be more difficult than I thought they would be without my dad. I know God's plan is best and that Dad is in a better place, but I'm missing him an extra lot today.

Busy, busy...

It's frigid outside, a great night to cuddle up and watch a movie ("It's a Wonderful Life") with my family.

Earlier today I worked for one of the Hygienists in our office who just lost her mom. I worked 4 days this week rather than my usual 2. When I was cleaning my 2nd patient's teeth (she had very large salivary glands in her cheeks), her right salivary gland got sucked into the saliva ejector. I turned off the suction immediately, but the gland was stuck. Inside I was panicking. My poor patient wanted to rinse, but she couldn't because the suction tip was dangling from her cheek. After a minute or so, I was able to pull it off. She will have a bruised salivary gland for a couple days, but she didn't have to go home with the saliva ejector hanging out of her mouth. This was her very 1st cleaning in our office....great 1st impression. She was very sweet though and will be back to see me in a few months. :)

I got off work early to attend a Christmas Tea at my brother Tim's house. I picked up my mom and my aunt and we headed out for the almost 1 hour drive there. It was nice to spend some time with him, and I enjoyed it when he laughed at me for being a little nervous that he was going to eat a chicken wing bone. He's had brain damage since birth, so when I get a reaction out of him, I treasure it since he is usually pretty stoic. Martha, Hannah, Ben, and Priscilla were also there. I forgot to bring my camera along, so Martha is going to share some photos of hers with me.

It was Chinese food for dinner tonight since I didn't feel like cooking.

Winter has arrived!

Winter has finally arrived in Rochester, NY. We have our 1st real snow accumulation. This morning I was 20 min late for work since the roads were slick and people were using extra caution in getting where they had to go. I had a nice day at work and thought I was going to get to leave a little bit early, but my last patient of the day came 40 minutes late for her appointment and I didn't have the heart to turn her away since she sat in traffic and had a miserable time trying to make it to her appointment on time. I got out of work a half hour late instead, and my drive home was slow going. It was snowing, and the roads hadn't been plowed. I arrived to my warm, cozy home an hour after I left work, and it usually takes me about 20 minutes. It is a whopping 16 degrees outside right now...brrr, but in spite of my traveling difficulties today I feel happy to have some wintry weather. :) Tonight the cold didn't keep me indoors, for there was a little someone who needed to get some fresh air, so out we went to take a quick little walk around our circle.

Tonight I made Christmas cut outs for the boys and then listened to them fight while they frosted them...they seem to do this a lot lately. :\ Now I am showered, cozy, and ready for bed....someone else looks cozy and ready for bed too.

Sick Boy

This has been a tough week for Steven. You know he's sick when he actually has a shirt on in the house AND he's sitting in front of a hot fireplace (yesterday). He has had H1N1 (most likely) since Sunday morning and it is now Saturday. He seemed to start to get better mid week, but spiked a fever (104) again Thursday night. We took a trip to the Dr yesterday, who didn't like the fact that his fever had returned and after listening to his lungs suspected a secondary infection (bronchitis/pneumonia) starting. This morning his temperature is 100 and he seems like he's returning to his old self, yipee!!!!

Thanksgiving

Another Thanksgiving has passed. Yesterday was a wonderful day just being with family at my brother in law and sister Martha's house. There were 22 of us. The food was delicious! We worked on our traditional family puzzle, and the guys enjoyed a couple of games of Eucre. My brother in law, James, read a Bible passage and we discussed things we were thankful for. I have to admit, this was an emotional Thanksgiving for me. Everything seemed to remind me of my dad, and I found it a little hard to speak when it came time to say what we are thankful for...not because I'm not thankful, but because I am so thankful for what he has left all of us. God IS good.

The New Normal

Well, it has now been almost 2 months since my dad passed away, and things seem to have settled into a new normal. My nephew Dave, his pregnant wife Leta, and their almost year old son, have moved into my mom's house with her. I know this is a huge adjustment for all involved and I'm sure it's not always easy, but it comforts me to see Leta being such a servant to my mom. I have witnessed her preparing and bringing my mom her lunch, reminding her to take her medication, and spending time with her working on puzzles. Besides having different people living with her, every other Wednesday Mom and I take a 45 minute ride to my handicapped brother's house and take him out for a ride and to get a Frosty at Wendy's. This is something that she and dad always did together, but I am enjoying doing with her. Tim doesn't talk, but I know it means the world to him. Today I took Mom up to her Pulmonary specialist and we were both pleased to find out that she hasn't lost any lung function since her last visit in June. :) Thanksgiving will officially be here in 2 days and there is so much to be thankful for. I can't wait to hang with my family for the day and do just that with all of them...be thankful for God's goodness and love.

A Welcome Home For Dad

My wonderful, loving father passed into glory yesterday with all of us right by his side. Immediately after he took his last breath God sent a bright ray of sunshine through what had been a very cloud covered sky. The sun lasted just a few minutes, but was a reminder to us that God was very close. Then the clouds returned. I will be forever grateful for the blessing he was to me through the years. I am not crying tears for him, I promised him that I wouldn't cry for him when he was gone, but I am crying tears for me. (see the song below that reminds me of what he said to me) I miss him so much already.

All My Tears

When I heard this song tonight it reminded me of my dad. When we were talking the other day he said, "When I'm gone don't cry for me."

He Is

Father let the world just fade away
Let me feel Your presence in this place
Lord I've never been so weary
How I need to know You're near me
Father let the world just fade away
'Til I'm on my knees
'Til my heart can sing

He is
He was
He always will be
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me
Be still, my soul
He is

Father let Your Holy Spirit sing
Let it calm this storm inside of me
As I stand amazed
Lift my hands and say

He is
He was
He always will be
He lives
He loves
He's always with me
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me
Be still my soul

Through every fear
And every doubt
In every tear I shed
Down every road
I'm not alone
No matter where I am

He is
He was
He always will be
He lives
He loves
He's always with me
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me
Be still my soul
Be still and know
Be still my soul
He is

My Dad

Last week had to have been one of the hardest weeks of my life, for I was told that my dad has pretty advanced lung cancer and is opting for no treatment. The fact that he is opting for no treatment is not surprising, he has never been one to run to Drs much and feels that when God wants to take him home to Heaven, he's ready. He isn't worried about his sickness or about the fact that he's going to die soon, for he knows he's going to a much better place, but instead he's more worried about my mom and the fact that he can no longer care for her the way he always has. Another concern of his is his nursing home ministry and his Open Door Mission ministry, and who will continue tell those people that there is hope in Jesus Christ if you trust Him as your personal Savior. My dad has been an inspiration to me my entire life, always encouraging, always praying for his children and grandchildren, always reading, memorizing, and quoting scripture. Not only will I never forget his wonderful Godly example when he is gone from this world, but the things that he did with us and all the hard work he did to provide for us. I hope I have many more months to spend with him, but I fear that our time will be much too short. I will savor every single minute I can. I know that God holds him and us in the palm of His hand and loves us immensely, and he will continue to do His work through all of this.
Dad, I want to say thank you for all your endless love and support through the years, and for all the prayers you prayed for me and for your Godly example. The legacy you will leave behind is great. I am so glad that when we are separated here through death, it is so temporary. I am looking forward to the day when we will be reunited in a much better place.

I love you,
Rachel

Sprinkler Fun!

This is for you, Bethany.

Summer Happenings

This picture shows the one and only time Michael has been in our pool this summer. So far it has been one of the coolest summers I can remember. I'm hoping we get some warmer weather really soon.

Every summer we seem to have a problem with Japanese Beetles chomping our trees. The boys have enjoyed grabbing the beetles off the trees, putting them in soapy water, and then dumping them in the toilet. They have removed a few hundred these last few days. Now a girl would never do that!

Just over a year ago we purchased this plasma TV. It just stopped working today. Needless to say, my husband is not a happy guy tonight.
Just realized it's an HDMI port that is somehow damaged. Of course the warranty has just expired.

Steven's handiwork

Tonight Steven decided to scrapbook some of his pictures. I think he's doing a great job, don't you?

Tortured For Christ

I started reading the book "Tortured for Christ". It is a real eye opener, a very good book. I wonder what plans God has for me. I know he wants so much more from me than I often give him, and that makes me sad (that I am often not a good servant). I am glad however, that he obviously hasn't given up on me yet because I feel him stirring my heart.

Give it all Away by Aaron Schust

Search my heart, search my mind, search my soul
Make me clean, make me new, make me whole
All of my plans, all of my dreams
I lay them down before Your feet
All of my time, all that was mine
I now submit to Your design
'Cause You are the One who can make my life complete
You are the One who can give light to my feet
You are the One and the only One who dared
To give it all away for me
You are my strength, You are my God, You are my King
You make me laugh, You make me dance, You make me sing
Everything inside, everything outside,
I give it all away
You never change
But you rearrange my heart more everyday

Meeting Tracy and Dennis

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Tracy and Dennis! It's funny, but it seemed like we already knew each other. :)

Visitors

I had a couple visitors today while Adam and Dave golfed. :)

After this, we took a Sunday afternoon snooze on the couch.

Fire in the Dental Office

http://democratandchronicle.com/article/20090519/NEWS01/90519002/Brighton+firefighters+respond+to+call+at+dental+office


I sat down to read the morning paper online this morning on my day off and this is what I saw. I was shocked, this is the office I work in. No one had called me to let me know because it's my day off and it was still early in the morning. We were in the process of renovating, and were closed all last week. I went in for a full day of work yesterday, and things were lookin great....now this.

Wake Up!

Today I felt rather sleepy...allergies? It was a gorgeous, sunny day, but I laid down on the couch and closed my tired eyes and slept for about 2 1/2 hrs. Before that I managed to pick the boys up from school and take them for their physicals, and then I got a few groceries. After eating lunch when I got home, I collapsed on the couch. When I woke up, Steven was home from school already and I felt the day was getting away from me. I did get a pretty good workout in, a load of laundry done, dinner made, and took the dog rollerblading, so I guess it wasn't a total loss. Soon Dave will be home from working in Niagara Falls for the day.

Mother's Day

I love you, mom! I hope you know how much. Happy Mother's Day!

Flower City Work Camp

Steven just got back from Flower City Work Camp today. He has been gone since Monday, helping to fix up the homes of those in need in the city of Rochester. He worked from 8-4, then returning to the church for dinner, a shower, a worship meeting and bed. He LOVED it and was so blessed by God while serving others. Dave and I went to the church on Tuesday night for the worship service and I have to say, it was so amazing seeing the sanctuary so jam packed with teens worshiping God. It brought tears to my eyes. Steven had many stories to tell us today, notes of encouragement from friends to share, and he says he can't wait to go next year and every year until he can't anymore. I think this was a real eye opener for him, and I am so thankful that he got to be a part of it. Hopefully I will have some pictures soon!

I'm Hungry, wahhhh!

This photo makes me smile when I look at it. Martha was holding Lucas while Leta (his mommy) was getting him a bottle. No amount of comforting would do because he was hungry, and he wanted his food NOW. Isn't he cute?

Big Wheels and Banana Seats

Last night Michael was writing something about fads for a school paper. We ended up on the computer looking at fads of the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. I couldn't believe my ears when Michael asked me what a Big Wheel was. I know they're still around, but obviously not like when we were kids, when I think just about every kid had one.

He also had never heard of banana seats. That one I can understand a little bit better, but when I was a kid they were quite popular. They were nice because they were much easier to ride double with a friend. I find it quite amusing that things I was so used to being around and popular, were so strange and new to my teenage son. Did I grow up in the "Olden Days"? :)

Steven...

Tonight Dave and I went out to dinner with some friends. When we got home Steven was doing stuff with the phone taped to his head. He was talking to my mother in law, but said he needed his hands and didn't want to hold the phone with his shoulder. We do have speaker phone, but I guess he either didn't want to use it or didn't think about it. I thought this was pretty hilarious!

A Little Bored

I have to admit, I am a little bored with blogging lately. I find facebook to be much more interesting, with the ability for me to connect with so many friends at once. I am at a loss of what to even blog about...not anything new and exciting going on, although in 2 weeks we will be making our annual trip to Bradenton, Florida! Koty had his 1st visit to a kennel scheduled for that week after my friend, who has watched him before, said that they would also be going away that week if they could find a good deal on airfare. She called last night and said that they were staying here and her daughter was dying to have Koty visit for the week. So, Koty will not be going to the kennel after all, he will be spending the week with our friends and their 2 BIG dogs. I know he will have fun and will be very well taken care of, he may not even want to come home with us after the week is up. Having 2 other dogs to play with all the time will be fun for him. Here, he doesn't even get taken outside for a walk in the winter because no one wants to walk him in the bitter cold. He does get plenty of walking and running in though on our treadmill, and he actually likes it. He will hang around sometimes by the door to the basement and when I ask him if he wants to go on the treadmill, his ears perk up. When I open the door to the basement he goes running down and gets right on the treadmill. It is very cute!

This is what he looks like right now (below) as I type this. It's much too early still...

Happy Birthday Steven!

Today is Steven's 15th birthday. The above photo was taken one day after his 5th birthday. The years are flying by faster than I ever thought they would. We stood back to back today and he is now just as tall as I am. Where did my little boy go? Here are a few things about my Steven...

1. He is quite artistic.
2. He is very sweet and cares about others feelings.
3. He loves to eat.
4. He will eat just about anything....but not Butternut squash.
5. He was extremely easy to potty train.
6. He loves to swim and is very good at it.
7. He swam on a swim team for 2 years.
8. He was the fastest swimmer in his gym class this year.
9. He loves to make things that work. Ex: vacuum cleaners
10. He loves the beach.
11. He loves to push his brother's buttons, and vice versa.
12. He wore braces for about a year and a half.
13. He will only use a mechanical pencil, never a regular one, because he says regular ones get dull too fast.
14. He chose a yellow cake with chocolate frosting for his birthday.
15. He also chose to go out to AppleBee's for dinner tonight.
16. He doesn't like to spend his money. He would rather put it in the bank.
17. He is often seen around here half dressed.
18. He has blue eyes like his Gramma Lene (my mother)
19. He likes to do his homework right away and doesn't like to put it down until he's finished.
20. He likes to play Monkey Ball
21. Lately he's talking an awful lot about it being only one more year until he can drive, hmmm....I'm not too sure about that one.

A fluffy pillow party!

Today we decided that we were tired of the saggy unsupportive pillows along the back of our couch, so Dave cut the inside cushions open. The feathers and the poly filling were very clumped, so 1st we had a pulling the fluff apart party.
Dave had purchased some pillows (2 with feathers and 2 without). Those were cut open and mixed with the fluff from our cushions....a mixing party! Our cushions were then restuffed .I really wish I took a before picture, but never thought of it. This is what the finished product looks like! Maybe I won't be getting as many neck aches now when I sit on our couch!