It's A Boy...And He's Here!!!

Ok, so I know I said I was going to be deleting this blog...and at some point, I still believe I will.  It just hasn't been high on my priority list.  Yep, Robert James Kearney IV made his appearance on Thursday October 29th at 6:07 PM.  He weighed 6 lbs 8 oz and was 19 and 1/4 inches.  He was 4 weeks premature and had to spend his first two weeks of life in the hospital.  All is well now, and we are both home and thriving.  I just wanted to share the news with all those that may still have this blog in their reader and still care to know this information.  Be blessed!

Finals, Fevers, Flu and Feeling Frazzled

Ever feel like life is conspiring against your every effort to have a relaxed day (much less more than just "a day")? That is my feeling lately, especially the last two days. You see, it's the end of the school year, here, and having my daughter schooled through the California Virtual Academy means that one, I have to be sure she stays caught up- and when she isn't, making sure she gets caught up; and two, that she has time to study for her finals, so that we can show that having her home has been a good decision- beneficial for her grades and study habits. What that means is that I'm spending significantly more time looking into her lessons, in order to try to help her study and understand each subject. I'd really like to know: Can anyone explain to me what the value of learning what the figurative language means in poetry, has for adulthood? I'm serious. If you can tell me a valid use for this knowledge, for the average person (not including teachers- English or otherwise) I would like to know what it is. Anyway, back to the subject at hand (no pun intended.) I like learning, but I didn't care much for school when I was there, and I'm not liking it much more now. I think I'm just nuts. Maybe someday, I'll look back on this and find that it did help me in some way, as I'm sure that it must be. (Right?) I just don't see it right now. (Except of course, for having my daughters unspoken gratitude.) :)

So after the day's school work was done, we took some time to go play at the skatepark, so that Mercedes could hang with her "newly found" brother (her father- whom we just found, as some of you know- has a son as well.) While we were there, Mercedes fell and hurt her wrist. Though we don't think it's broken, it is certainly hurting quite a bit. After coming back home, getting ready for dance practice, and going to dance; we then had a graduation to attend, and more of her "lost" family to meet. We didn't get home until about 9:30. I just started to relax, and was getting ready to go to bed, when horror of horrors, the next installment of my trying day was to begin.

My daughter (the youngest one) woke up at about 11:00 with her bed full of vomit. So I did what any caring mother would do: I cleaned her up, cleaned her bed up, gave her a drink to rinse out her mouth, put clean sheets and blankets on the bed, and put her back down. Less than 30 minutes later, she was screaming again! I went back in there, and this time, it was much messier! YUCK! My poor baby had a case of the stomach flu.

After a night consumed by holding her over the edge of my bed to be sick (it's the only way either of us could get what little bit of sleep we did) and much of yesterday rushing to her side to place a bowl under her mouth (and cleaning up when I wasn't fast enough) I finally took her to the doctor. I was told it was "the sickness of the week" and that it was going around. Apparently the doctor was right, because when she sent me to the Children's Hospital to have the baby treated for dehydration, it seemed almost every child there, was there for the same thing. We spent the evening sitting in uncomfortable chairs (remember this is after almost no sleep, and an already frazzling two days) with her in a fever induced sleep. I got to hold her down while they gave her tylenol for her fever in the only other way to do it, when a person can't keep anything down (use your imagination, it's not hard to figure out.) A few hours later, I then got to hold her down again while they gave her IV fluids. I think I cried more than she did. This is my two year old, we're talking about here. She kept telling me she wanted to go home, and that she was all better now. :( Well, after the IV and the medicine they gave for her stomach through the IV, she did look much better. No more vomiting, and no more fever. We got home about 10:30. I did get some sleep last night, but then this morning, the fever was back, and although there was no vomiting, we had other messes ALL DAY LONG! I think I preferrd the other. I know the smell of my house was better with the other. So could you all do me and my family a favor? Pray for us. Pray that I can keep my sanity, that my baby gets well, that my other daughter's wrist heals quickly and that we can somehow get back to a state of normalcy. I hate that when it rains it pours! Have a blessed week, all of you, I'm not sure I'll be up to posting again before the week is over.

Paying the Consequences

As a parent, it has been my goal to teach my children to take responsibility for their own actions, and to pay the consequences of their bad behavior. I also frown upon them trying to weasel out of their punishment. The punishment is designed to teach them a lesson about the behavior that they shouldn't have done in the first place, regardless of what the reason was for their behavior.

Now, I find myself in a situation that requires me to pay the consequences of something I shouldn't have done to begin with. On my way home from Oregon in December, in my eagerness and haste to be home, after 9 1/2 hours of driving with four children, I was caught speeding. I was travelling 80 miles per hour in a 65 zone. The fact that I was eager to be home, was not a good enough reason to be endangering other's or my own life, with my speed. So, I have a fine to pay. I can ease the consequences of my actions by taking traffic school, which will keep the ticket off my driving record, but I still have to pay the fine. The fine is $158, plus the $30 or so for traffic school.

My dilemma is this: though I could pay the $158 if I had to, that is $158 that would go better for something else. (Can anyone say, DUH!!!??) But, my husband has asked me to see if I can get the fine reduced. Theoretically, I could probably get it reduced, but if I do that, then I probably won't be allowed to take traffic school. (Or county is weird that way.)

My question to you is this, if you were in my position, would you try to have the fine reduced, and "weasel" out of your punishment, or would you just pay the full fine, and be done with it. I'm having a little bit of a submission issue on this. And I'm not proud of it. (I'm sorry, honey!) I feel like I should just pay it, and take responsibility, like I try to teach my children, but I also see the reasons behind my wonderful hubby wanting to save our family the money that we would have to pay for that. Also, do you think it's out of line to take the traffic school? Would that also be "weaseling" out of my punishment? Here are the verses that I keep thinking of today, in light of my situation, and I'm in a bit of a quandary.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Ephesians 5:22-24 NKJV

Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. Ecclesiastes 5:5 NKJV

(I had no choice but to vow, and I AM guilty.)
I know that there are other verses about taking responsibility for your action, but I can't find them right now. I just feel like I should be setting an example for my children, whether they know I am or not. What are your thoughts?? Blessings to you!

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Photo couresy of Accordian Chick

A Book Review- Sentinel City of Destiny

I was asked to read a book recently, and to write a review of it. The title of the book is "Sentinel, City of Destiny" and is written by Landel Bilbrey. You can find the book here, if you are interested in reading it, or purchasing it for someone you know. Bridgemaker Books

This story is a fantasy allegory about two young boys who take on the adventure of a lifetime, of better yet, the adventure that means their eternal life. It is about two twin boys and their journey to manhood. A manhood in the true Biblical sense. It is filled with Scripture references in the form of "Logos". I find this interesting, in that "logos" is the Greek word for "God's plan and purpose".

This book is written in the form of knights and medieval type worlds, with fantasy and reality intertwined. Much like the Chronicles of Narnia, and even some close resemblances to "Lord of the Rings." Without giving away the storyline too much, I would highly recommend this book to any family that has young ones, especially boys, in the age range of eight to twelve. It is an easy read, but has important life values to learn. This book teaches the dangers of gambling, lust, pride and even the dangers of too much of a good thing like imagination and intellect and talent. This book even includes a study guide at the end for helping young ones to apply the lessons they've learned in the book. The most important, certainly, is the knowledge that prayer and daily Scripture reading are absolutely necessary for full growth in the Lord.

Excellent read! Having read many books, and having a high level of literacy, it was not so easy to read that I was bored at any time, nor was it difficult to read for those that may have difficulty staying focused for long periods of time. One could easily read a chapter a night, and not get lost in sequence of events. Check it out. I will be recommending this book to others, as well. Again, if you are interested in this book, you may click here Bridgemaker Books to purchase this book. For the record, I do not have any financial interest in this book, whatsoever, and only write this review in good faith of the authors' intentions to help parents teach their children good values that translate into good adults, and for children to learn those same good values. Blessings to you!

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An Awesome Responsibility by Shalene

Have you ever stopped and thought about the awesome responsibility the God places upon your shoulders the moment you are blessed with a child? While it is so true that children are a blessing from the Lord, there is really only one reason why it can be considered such a blessing. It is a blessing because through the birth of our own children, can we get just the slightest inkling of His divine love for us, as His children. Think about it. What are just some of HIS many names?

El Shaddai: The Caregiver
Jehovah-Jireh: Jehovah will provide
Jehovah-Shamma: The Lord is Present

God is our eternal Father, and gives us our blueprint and instruction for being parents, ourselves. How many people have you met that had their own faith influenced by the love and treatment of their own parents- negative or positive? Today my prayer is that I am even a fraction of the parent that He is. These are the scriptures that I will be meditating on (again) throughout this pregnancy.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NKJV

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.' Deuteronomy 4:9-10 NKJV(emphasis mine)

To close, I want to share a video of a father's love for his son. This is a video of Rick Hoyt, a young man with cerebral palsy. Because of his father, Dick's, love and determination he has finished numerous marathons and triathalons- all because Rick loves to race. Try not to cry. Blessings to you.

Song by Nicole Mullen- Redeemer

Song by MercyMe- I Can Only Imagine