DECADE DAY!!

Today was decade day at school...I don't need to say much...pictures say 1,000 words!!

I have obsessive compulsive disorder!!

O.K. quit laughing..I really do have it..I know I do! I know it's not new news to many of you! Anyways, there really is lots of perks to it! I get something in my head and I obsess and get it done...sometimes it's impulsive, sometimes slow and agonizing. I have been agonizing over our "road trip" ever since I "went public" with my announcement! We have gone from, traveling around the U.S.A..(a little too expensive) to renting a houseboat in Voyageur National Forest, but then I started thinking if you have bad weather for a day or two, your a little trapped...I don't like trapped! We thought about renting a cabin again, but, we want to take an adventure, so It's been decided....by me..."Custer State Park, South Dakota!" I am 94.3 percent sure anyways.
So tonight as I sit on my computer, letting the kids (Corbin, Araya and Syfah) eat whatever they want, watch what they want (within reason)on t.v., even pondering the thought of letting them have a pop in the living room I am obsessing about where to stay, how long it takes to drive their, should we stop half way or should we drive like crazy people, while we all drive each other bonkers because some ones leg is touching their leg, or someone is singing too loudly, or they are car sick and might throw up!! I have made a decision, we will stop half way, we will enjoy the road trip with out rushing and being on a schedule! We live like that the rest of the year (on a schedule) I hope I can do it!
The next thing I am will obsess about is should we go in June or July?? Let's go now!
Have a great night!


This is an option of a cheap place to stay!!

I feel like a "newbie!"

Well, this is a little bit embarrasing! I feel like having 6 kids should make me an expert in this department, however, I feel like a "newbie". Araya has been a little bit quiet the last two days, yesterday we went out for lunch and he really did not eat his usual amount, his voice sounded scratchy and he was sounding stuffy. I asked him if he felt o.k..."yep" he said. Well by last night he was coughing and just not feeling well. I was trying to talk to him about how he was feeling. The thing I have noticed about Araya is he is a tough kid, never complains about not feeling well and he doesn't like the word, "sick" or "tired". He will certainly never admit to being tired. I am learning that "sick" takes on a different meaning for him. Sick means "really sick or worse." We talked about it last night. I explained to him as best as I could that this sick is different than the sick he has heard about his whole life. It got me thinking again about our conversations about how his friends at the orphanage sometimes died when they got sick, they didn't come back to sleep in the room lined with beds. His mom went to the hospital and never came back... They were gone.
We are trying to think of a new name to call being "sick" around here. I have assured Araya that he will be o.k....but, I can see it in his face. This is new to me too...I have to admit. I am a little freaked out today as I wonder...is it pneumonia, a cold, infection, virus, should we go to the dr.??!!! I feel like I am thinking differently and maybe it is not necessary, but maybe it is! Today he gets to stay in his pajamas and rest. I will watch him like a crazy mom. I was reading in my book today...about HIV..looking for an answer about illness when you are immune compromised...I didn't find what I was looking for. Today and every day I will pray that my son lives to be 99! I will pray that I know what to do, when I need to do it. Last night as he got in bed with me (troy is out of town) he had on his pajamas, his socks and a hooded sweatshirt..I snuggled up to him and he to me! I realized I am in love with this boy more everyday!! About a half hour later he was holding my hand and said, "I am going to my bed now, I love you Mom, you take good care of me!"

BRING ON THE BOAR!!

Troy was given the opportunity of a life time!! Boar hunting in Texas! A friend asked him to go! On Wednesday afternoon the guys, Chuck, Doug and Troy loaded up and left for the hills of Texas...they drove straight through the night and arrived on Thursday morning. I have talked to Troy everyday and he is having a wonderful time, he said it is "beautiful country!" As of this morning no boar have been shot, they have been seen though, along with many other wild animals!
I think it is great when guys are able to get away! Troy has only really done something like this one other time and that was fishing in Canada! He just doesn't take the time. Guys are a little different that way. I am thankful that he has great friends that share the same interests, and can just have a good time laughing and enjoying "guy time." My husband was so excited, it was like having another kid to deal with!!!
p.s. Thanks for taking him Chuck!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

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It has been really nice to have some time off of work, we did not have school on
Friday due to conferences and we do not have school on Monday...so it is a four day 4 day weekend! I had big hopes of cleaning a closet or two..haven't started that yet.
Shelby and Corbin are still in Arizona, they come home tomorrow night at 11:40p.m...gonna be a late one! I can't wait to hear all about their trip. I talked to corbin last night, she really cracks me up!! "Mom," she said, "70 year olds should not be wearing speedos!" I said, "what"?? She said, "there is two guys that swim in the pool everyday and they wear speedos, they are big, at least 300 pounds and leathery and wrinkly from the sun. It is not a good sight," Now, after she said that I was thinking where does she come up with these things....I think it might be me!!!...it's not a good sight, the leathery and wrinkly part. I can't wait to hear all about it. Shelby loved shopping at what she called a "swap meet." She said she bought some very unique things. They called and said can we have a gecko in our room?..."no" i said. We already bought it! Turns out it's just a painted one..great, can't wait to see it.
Seble, Morgan and I went to see "New In Town." It is a crack up all the way around! Renee Zellweger is not my favorite, but she is good, and by the end I really liked her, Harry Conick Jr. is great too! For those of you that have not heard a lot about it is a story about an executive from Miami that comes to New Ulm Minnesota on business...good story and hilarious! The "minnesota-isms" are worth it!!! Araya and Syfah saw the Pink Panther. We have watched several movies at home too, which I have enjoyed.
Today Araya, Seble and I did a little shopping and went out for lunch!
I am posting some pic's that the girls took in AZ. Makes me ready for my gardens!!
p.s. stay tuned for an update on what my husband has been doing!

What a day!!

This morning we woke up at 2:30 a.m. ...yup that's right! Troy showered while I went and woke up Corbin and Shelby. They needed to leave the house at 3:15 a.m. for a 6:15 flight to Phoenix, AZ! This sort of came up suddenly, we booked the flights for them on Sunday before church. My parents are their for 6 weeks and wanted the girls to fly out. It was Corbins turn to do something special with my parents and she wanted to bring her sister Shelby. I was a little bit of a nervous wreck this morning as I thought of my, "little girls" flying by themselves. With minors you need to pay extra for each leg of the journey. This ensures that they will be taken care of...I guess it is mainly for piece of mind for the parent too...big piece of my mind!! Troy called and said they were the last ones that they boarded...less time to sit on the plane....yeah! For those of you that know Corbin well, she is a "mini Jody"....poor thing...gets nervous. Anyways, when she landed she called me...I was at the U of M with Araya. (more on that in a minute.) "Hi Mom, I really don't like flying." I said, "did you sit by anyone besides Shelby?" She said, "I sat by the window, Shelby sat next to me and some dude that looked British and I think he was a detective sat next to Shelby, but he moved because he needed more leg room...that was a good thing mom, he was freaking me out." Now I must add again, that Corbin is funny and dramatic. Another funny thing she said when she called me before she boarded was, "Mom there are old people everywhere, is Arizona only for old people?" I love hearing her stories. Shelby then got on the phone and said, "mom, Corbin talked non-stop, i just had to ignore her a little bit." She is a great little care-taker!

Araya and I had to be at the U of M today by 7:30, he finally got his root canal done!!!! We did lite sedation with him..they finally took him back at 8:30 and he returned to the lobby at 12:00. It was a long appointment, but it was successful and that is huge! We then grabbed a sandwich and headed over to the medical building to see the Endocrinologist. Arayas thyroid functions have been fluctuating, which is normal when coming from a country that is iodine deficient. That appointment went well and we will return to see her in 6 months!! Blood draws went great! Of course after a successful appointment it was date time...Costco (he likes that place...just like his mom!) and Ice Cream.

Tonight we went to Grandma Teresa's for dinner, it was wonderful and we had a great visit!

I am tired and going to bed! Goodnight!!

Phil the friendly computer guy!!

This is what I almost did last week!!!
Well, for starters, we have been without a home computer for several days, it really stinks. Thankfully we have great friends who know a lot more about computers than Troy and I do. It just does not come naturally for us, boy do I wish one of us was gifted in the area. Oh well! I have learned a lot more about computers than I really wanted to....When you really need to take the time to look and see what you have on your computer, it is interesting. I thought I maybe had 500-1000 pictures on my computer, turns out after 3 trips to Target to buy more (thumb drives?) I had over 4000 pictures on our computer and it would of taken 40 minutes to download just the music! I did not do it..Phil did ..Thanks Phil for all your hard work at restoring, replacing, destroying virus, worms and ???!! Thankfully it is your gift!! Meanwhile I am a little dependent on my computer so we did buy a cheap laptop! I think I am going to like it if I can figure out how to not use a mouse! One thing that I am going to do it figure out what is the best way to store pictures, and there really has to be a better way to store lists of songs..with all the kids and I having lists of music..I just think I am missing something....storage! Phil called and he added three times the storage space....Yeah Phil!!! WE ARE TAKING YOU OUT FOR DINNER!!!

What are we doing?