14 and 15!!

Seble 15, Shelby 14
Shelby and Seble both have March Birthdays. We celebrated Shelby's earlier in the month and we celebrated Seble's on Sunday. My parents and Troy's mom joined us for an early supper courtesy of Pizza Hut with dessert by my mom! It was a great time! I am so thankful for the blessing these girls are! They amaze me everyday with their spirits, kindness and love for each other..I am blessed!


Beautiful spring flowers from my husband....today we got snow....I am sick of winter!!

TWILIGHT ZONE

Today I was able to get out of the house, Yahoo!! I was ready, I have not left the house since Tuesday when I came home from the hospital! I know it's a miracle, I seriously don't think that I have ever been home that long with out leaving!! I like to be home, but I like to go and run around too! I was determined to enjoy some days of doing nothing and I have!!
This morning Troy had a commitment at the school to help put in some baseball fencing, I was thrilled when my parents called and said, "You need to get out, we are coming to get you!" We went to the local Bakery, then a well known store.... I needed a few things...you know how that goes! This is where my story gets a little "twilight zonie." I went to buy my daughter Twilight for her Birthday, that went just fine...it got weird at the check-out.
The lady at the check-out was really talking to my parents, about everything from a-z, I was thinking we are never going to get out of here! Then came my "stuff" well needless to say with 5 girls in the house we need lots of "girlie" items and I stocked up.....she looks at me and says, "How many girls do you have?" I said 4, she started going on and on.....when did you tell them about the "birds and the bees?" Let me just say the conversation in my mind went down hill.....it didn't seem to affect her ...she just kept asking....I am serious...lot's of personal questions and personal things about her! I really couldn't believe that this conversations was taking place...I was a little scared to look at my dad...I did and he said, "I am going to wait over here!" He was trying to help me...he couldn't take it anymore. My mom was shaking her head and she had already moved away...I was trying to bring the conversation back out of the zone...I couldn't. When I left my dad and mom looked at me and said, "I hope you knew her." "nope" I said...."WOW" was all my dad could say!
This conversation got me thinking....maybe I should be a counselor...JUST KIDDING!
Seriously though, I was at a loss for words and that does not happen for me very often..I left the store thinking about this women who asked such personal questions of a complete stranger, who obviously felt the need to talk about the issues at that moment. What was she missing? I left feeling sad for her, she said, "my husband is mad at me because I scared my daughter with our conversation!" she obviously just needed someone to listen to her..I did and maybe many others did today too.
I think as parents we need lots of reassurance, I am learning that my only assurance in life is the gift I have of knowing I have someone so much bigger and better to help me....I will look for this lady next time, part of me may hope that I don't see her, part of me will hope I do! I hope I will know what to say.....Isn't life interesting, I think it was a good thing I got out today.

THANKS!!

I woke up Tuesday morning and thought..."I do not want to do this!" Then i said myself, "you are doing it." I have to do self talk on occasion, actually quite often. I survived my knee surgery on Tuesday and it went well, I learn something about myself every time I am put into a situation that doesn't feel "normal and scheduled." It's my "I have no control" again. Boy, I don't like that about myself! I like to be in control, actually I think that it is human nature, but, it puts me into a spiral...usually. I did feel different this time though...I didn't let the anxiety get a hold of me..actually I need to give credit where credit is due...Jesus Christ. I prayed over and over that the Lord would take my fears away and allow me to give it to him...it feels too big for me (when my fear takes over)....I am so thankful that it didn't feel nearly as big as it usually does!

About my surgery, when I arrived at the hospital at 9:00, my surgery was scheduled for 10:00. One of my nurses was Kim (she is a great nurse, friend, and mom of a student where I work!) I was thrilled to see her! She said, Jody, "do you want the good news or the bad news?" I thought, "I don't want bad news today" The bad news was...The Dr.'s first surgery was going to take at least another hour...the good news was I was next...Kim said with a smile! Great, I thought more waiting...I was calm and actually relaxed, the only thing that was driving me crazy was that when I feel nervous...(I have to pee a lot)!!!!!!!!!!!! about every 15 minutes...plus I was already getting I.V.'s...that did not help....:)
I was taken in at about 11:15, it went well. I had three tears in the meniscus, they removed them and then the meniscus was shaved off evenly. I did elect to do the spinal and that gave me no feeling from my waist down...weird feeling...then they gave me some great drugs that make you forget or not remember what they did or are doing? Next thing I know I am asking the anesthesiologist if I should be awake..she said, "yep, you are done!" yeah, it's done!

I have been blessed beyond words...My family has been awesome, my extended family and friends have been great..phone calls, meals, visits, e-mails and prayers.
I am blessed beyond words, I am so glad for the husband that God gave me! When I woke up today, the kids were folding laundry, putting away dishes in the dishwasher, vacuuming the living room and making sure I was o.k..they had everything set out for me in the living room, remotes, water bottles, movies, books, laptop...in other words.....I HAVE BEEN SPOILED!!!
THANKS MY FRIENDS!!HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

It's a small world!

Wednesday I had a pre-op for my knee surgery on Tuesday..I could not get in to my family doctor which I was bummed about because, "she knows me." She knows I have "white coat syndrome." (I don't love going to the Dr...who does?)I saw a new doctor, she comes to cambridge about 2 times a week. It turned out to be a great visit, she was super personable. She asked questions, one of which was, "how old are your kids"..I said..15,14,14,12,11,11. She looked at me puzzled..I said, "three came to us through adoption..she said, "where are they from?" I told her, she said, "wow, my aunt and uncle adopted 3 kids from Ethiopia"..they live in Michigan .It turns out that Seble was in the same room with her cousin Helen at the orphanage, they kept in touch for about 2 years. Troy was in Ethiopia at the same time that they adopted their three and he was bringing Seble and Syfah home. They actually stopped at our house a couple of years ago on the way to see her in Minneapolis...Another interesting thing is when Troy left to go and get Araya, Helen and her older brother Wondimu were traveling back to Ethiopia to volunteer for a month at the orphanage they they were in.........What a coincidence...small world. It was fun to chat with her and it was a good pre-op. I was a little stunned that I had to have an EKG...I thought "oh no, she thinks somethings wrong." It sounds like they are becoming more and more a required part of surgery...especially for 40 year olds!!! Oh Boy!! I feel old!!!

Well, this morning when I woke up I thought...i need to blog today, it's been a week since I wrote, then I thought nothing too exciting has happened lately....that is good!!
Well little did I know that today would be a memorable day, one I won't soon forget, actually one that Sarah (secondary principal) and Mark (superintendent)won't forget either!
I was sitting at my desk today at about 10:55 today, a student walked in and said, "something is burning in the MPR." (multi-purpose-room)..I ran (sorta) into the MPR and looked at the stove...It was on Fire!!! I ran for an extinguisher, hollered at Mark, he grabbed one too! I also gave another teacher one too! Mark blasted the fire...it went out...started again....blasted it, went out. This continued for several more attempts. I ran down to Sarah's classroom and said that we needed help...we have a fire...Sarah and I ran into the MPR again...the alarms started sounding...kids and staff evacuated very calmly. Mark was doing a great job, he was covered in a white film from the extinguisher. We went to shut off the circuit breaker since the fire just kept restarting...It was taking too much time to find the one breaker that we needed.....we cut the power on the whole school. My girls saw me and said I looked frantic...I think I was! I called the alarm company and said, "we are fine, the fire is out." The Cambridge fire station and police had already been notified and were en route. The school was smokey and the MPR was covered in a white film...The fire was luckily contained to the one are of the kitchen, Mark pulled the stove outside, our refrigerator was damaged, some cupboards. Over all, a good ending to a scary moment. The fire department sucked the smoke out with big fans and everyone was able to return to the school about 45 minutes later....then the clean up began. Mark and Sarah were awesome!
I am hoping for a quiet day tomorrow, we all need it!

What?

Many of you that have been reading my blog for a while know that our Araya has had ear surgery on one of his ears, and wears a hearing aid on his other ear. Arayas chronic untreated ear infections while in Ethiopia, left him with extensive hearing loss and scar tissue within the ears. We had hopes that Araya's ear surgery in November would be a success, and have been pleased with the amount of hearing that he has gained, however the dr. feels as though he would still benefit greatly by another hearing aid....needless to say we found this out about 6 weeks ago. We have not moved forward because we needed Araya to "process" this news. He has been less than eager to wear one let alone two! We have communicated and feel as though we have gotten through to him the importance of wearing it.....we have not let his hearing aid be an "option" at school. We have let it slide a little bit at home! It has been about "control" and "compromise".
Tomorrow we will go to the audiologist to get fitted for his hearing aid. I am prepared for him to not talk about it, sit quietly and answer the dr's. questions, and then not speak to me the whole way home. I am prepared but not excited, I would love to say, "let's just forget it". I won't I want him to hear what the teacher says, what we sing in church, when I tell him I love him I want him to HEAR it "loud and clear!" It has been recently hard for me to look at my son and wonder how much he has ahead of him. Don't get me wrong, I know it's only a hearing aid, but it is just another little piece in the puzzle. I don't know how many of you heard last week about the "advancements" that they are making in HIV! I pray every day that the cure is coming! I have hope in knowing that, "GOD IS IN CONTROL!"


Did you know...
Every day 14,000 people contract HIV
40.3 million people now live with HIV/AIDS
AIDS kills 1 child every minute
AIDS has orphaned 15 million children

Was this a short week?

This week was a short one...I realized that the short ones feel as though you really do squeeze 5 days in one week. It was busy, but tonight as I write I am glad that the week is over as far as school goes.... we don't have school on Thursday and Friday, this is the first year that our school has decided to not have classes the week of our basketball tournaments. Our Varsity teams left today after school and will return on Saturday evening from Mankato. This is the "final" weekend of basketball...The End of a Season! It has been a fun year to have our 3 older girls on the same team. I am glad that we can go and watch!
I also had an eventful week, I have been having knee pain in my right knee for quite a while now,about a month ago we did a cortisone injection, it seemed as though it helped and then two weeks ago I felt a pop! Last week the pain started to become unbearable for me...which scared me. Last night when Corbin and Troy saw my knee, corbin said, "Mom it looks like you have two knees!" That's reassuring!! I had an MRI on Tuesday, and today I found out that I have a large medial meniscus tear and sprained ligaments...relief in knowing that I now know why I am having so much pain. I will see the ortho doctors on Monday and we will set up a plan...at this point whatever will help will be a good thing. I realize that I am not good at sitting, elevating, icing, heating and watching the house get dirty. Today when I talked to the nurse, she said, " you are using crutches aren't you?" "No" I said, didn't know that I should be...I remember years ago when I broke my foot..crutches and I do not exactly see things the same..I remember crossing 65 and 95 and being so frustrated by the crutches that I just carried them....your back hurts, your good leg hurts, your hands get blisters, your arm pits burn. I am taking the crutches out tonight and will bring them with me if I get desperate this weekend with pain...If you see me crossing the road...don't honk, you may get a crutch thrown your way....:)
Have a good weekend!