Little Blessings

Sunday afternoons are usually my alone time to grocery shop or run anywhere I would like to by myself. Yesterday, Justin played football after church and I brought the kids home for lunch and down for naps. I patiently waited for J to come home so that I could run to Old Navy. We are doing a family portrait with my side of the family over Thanksgiving, and what better reason to buy everyone a new shirt?!?! By the time he got home, it was 4:00 so I decided to forego Old Navy and go straight to Walmart for a few groceries and to look at their ballet flats--my sister gave me a heads up about that one. I was reminded that I am on a budget and cannot run out and buy new shoes and 6 new shirts on a whim, so here's what I did. I have had a return to Old Navy for awhile now, so I justified my new shirt then I got online and printed a coupon off for an even better deal. Then for my shoes, I have had a handful of gift cards that have been sitting in my wallet with incredibly small amounts on them (I just forget to use them--one had 16 cents on it!) I got online and looked up the gift card numbers. I added up all the cards and had almost $11.00! So, there you go, I just about paid for the shoes! So, as you can see, I was chomping at the bit to get going and get my new stuff.

Justin finally got home (mind you, he could barely walk. A 36 year old man who rarely exercises and has a bad knee, should know that he can't hang 3 hours with the young fellas on the field) I helped him wrap his bad knee and opposit hamstring with ice packs and headed off to Walmart.

I have my shoes in the basket with my other essentials on my list and am looking at black shirts for Jed and my phone rings. By the time I dig it out of my purse, I have to call Justin back. He picks up and says, "You are going to have to come home now."

My heart stops, "Why?"

"Jed's been hurt and it's bad."

"Bad enough that we need to go to the hospital?"

"Yeah, maybe"

"OK, should I leave my basket or go pay?"

"Leave it."

Then he hangs up! No more details.

My head starts spinning, I start shaking, and my mind (you know that mind of mine) starts imagining horrible things. Prayers start flowing.

As I make it home in record time of 7 minutes, I am thinking I will find ambulances in the driveway. No ambulances, just all the neighbors and kids. Justin is holding Jed.

Finally, I get to him, praise God he is breathing (because you know my imagination).

I get the story: He was riding the neighbor's razor scooter and fell off on our sidewalk (no helmet) split his head above his right eye, at the hair line. Apparently, when Justin called it had been gushing. There is a trail of blood up the sidewalk to our front door. By the time I got there he had stopped frieking out and the bleeding was under control. After I cried and held him awhile, thanking God over and over, he asked if he could go play football with his friends. So, for the next 30 minutes he played, blood dripping down his forehead.

After I bathed him and got it all cleaned up we saw it was much deeper than we first thought, so I call the 24 hour nurse, who tells us we need to go in, so Justin and Jed head to the ER at 9:30pm. After I get the others settled into bed and all is quiet, I breathe.

How thankful I am for my 4 kids, yes, we are blessed--4 healthy kids, but even if they were sick we would still be blessed. I was reminded that God is good. Even if Jed had been seriously hurt that God is still good. I am thankful for this little reminder of how wonderful my children are. I have been short with them this week, not very loving or fun. I need to stop and think before I speak to them in a harsh tone. I want them to know how much I love them by the way I treat them. The season is starting when we will be rushed and frazzled with all there is to do for the Holidays, but I will be mindful to stop and put my kids and their needs above picking up toys, sweeping up crumbs, nagging them to clean their rooms, and getting on them to hurry up. Life is good--the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am thankful for my little blessings!



By the way, Jed did great at the ER. They wanted to put in a few stitches, which would require a numbing shot in his forehead. J asked if they could possibly glue it together and they did. The neighbor across the street told him now he really did look like Harry Potter (who he was for Halloween) which got him all excited and now he is telling everyone he IS Harry Potter....



So, today I went back to Walmart. I went to get another pair of shoes and had to settle on a different pair, I just couldn't believe someone else wanted my shoes. So, I decided to walk back where I left my basket last night and guess what? It was still there with all my stuff in it! (Luckily I didn't have milk or meat in it!) How long do they let those baskets sit unattended? Hmmm... Anyway, I got all excited and switched out my shoes~yeah!



Happy Thanksgiving All!

MySpace

Ok, so this isn't going to be about a "MySpace" account, but it is about My Personal Space. I am typically not a touchy, feely person so I guess you could say I like my personal space. Today, at Turbo Kick Class we had a few new women there. (disclaimer: this is great, I want new people to commit to exercising and getting healthier) Unfortunately, these 2 women-one right in front of me and one to the right of me, had no clue how to follow directions. You really ARE supposed to follow the instructions of the teacher. If she tells you to move up with your front kicks, then guess what--MOVE UP! I was constantly right on these womens rears. It started to drive me nuts....What then got me really frusterated is that one had no idea that she was not doing it. She did not even look like she was trying to do the moves--she literally danced around in her own little world. Now I'm all for dancing around and being in the "groove", but don't come to a choreographed class to do this--it will just get you lots of dirty looks and people like me running over you because I am so focused on the teacher, I am not paying attention to those around me. My hour at the gym is MY time to decompress and focus on me--not what is going on around me, I do that the other 17 hours of my day! I really do hope these women continue their workouts, hopefully they will start to understand that it is a class, not a dance session.
If you read this, thanks for letting me vent, if you can't tell I'm a bit "pms-y", but now I feel better and tomorrow at Turbo Kick, I will look around before I pick where I am going to stand (which is a bummer, because I have "my space" on the floor, and would hate to give that up!)
Happy Exercising Everyone!

The Next Adonirom Judson

These pictures say it all.

Daddy wanted to name him Adonirom Judson after the missionary. I couldn't bring myself to calling my son "Adonirom". Afterall, he wanted to name Jed (Jedidiah) that 6 years ago, and I was completely against it then because A.)I couldn't even pronounce it and 2.) who names their kid Adonirom??? So, when we found out #4 was a boy, he again started in on the name Adonirom. (I don't even know if I am spelling that correctly.) He reread his biography and had me read it as well, and I have to admit I was tempted after reading about his life and the impact he had on so many by taking the Gospel across the world. But still, in the year 2007--Adonirom....? So, we settled on Judson and his middle name would be Alexander after my Grandpa whose life was an example of Christ as well.

This morning after I checked my email in Justin's office (which is FULL of all his seminary books and 10 years of books from being in ministry) I turned around and found my little Judson Alexander doing a little light reading from "The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology". I think we named him correctly! :)

Happy Friday ya'll! Hope you will be able to do a little light reading of your own soon!

Halloween Pics

We love Halloween!

You can see all our Halloween Photos here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=18842&l=24cd5&id=579916306


and here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=18846&l=c29b0&id=579916306

http://www.facebook.com/album.php

Shall We Lay Hands On It?

When I was in high school our school purchased a brand new bus with our walk-a-thon money. This was a big deal, I went to a small private school--which I loved and am very thankful for all the sacrifices my parents made in order for me and Davedda to be able to go--Go Hope Huskies!--it was quite a fancy bus. Being as I played volleyball, basketball, and softball, I personally spent a lot of time on the school bus--many late nights driving back from small Indian Reservations where those girls would run us into the ground. Anyway, not long after we got this brand spanking new bus it was torched! We all arrived at school one day to find the shell of this bus a crispy, charcoal mess. We were all outraged--how could this happen.....Long story, but the school was later able to get another bus, but this time the whole school went outside during chapel and laid hands on the bus (we had a charismatic principal!) To my knowledge, that bus is still taking the Huskies to far away games.
Fast Forward 12-14 years....I was reminded of this today as I was driving home from Walmart. Our mini-van has begun to have some issues. A little over a week ago, the alarm started going off in the garage--mind you I was just getting out of it and it kinda startled me! Later that night we were at football practice and I was getting the stoller out of the back and again the alarm started going off--randomly, it went off throughout the hour and a half practice. I tried everything--resetting the locks, alarm, locking it with the key only..this van had sprouted a mind of its own. I knew Justin wouldn't believe me, he thinks I imagine the cooky stuff that happens around here (a lot of kooky stuff happens with us) but it began doing it with him as well that weekend. Then the rear air decided that it should be on full blast all the time no matter what number I have it set at. The poor girls are either blown away with hot air or cold air. Friday I got a great spot at the gym-right in front of the door. As I was getting my towel and water, still sitting in the front seat, the alarm and hazard lights started going off. EMBARASSING, so what do I do? I give up my perfect spot and go park far, far away and hike us into the gym. Same thing at the doctors office Friday afternoon (Judson is sick--possibly the flu, but it was too early to tell the dr. said) as the alarm was ringing and the lights were flashing Jed says to another mom in the waiting room--"yup, that's our van". Again, EMBARRASSING! I've had 2 appointments to take it in, however, with Justin's new job and school, I am dragging my feet because I don't want to be at the dealership all day with 3 kiddos and they won't give me a loaner...so as I was driving home from Walmart, I remembered the school bus we laid hands on and thought........worth a try! I doubt my husband will go for it though!
So, if you hear an alarm going off--it's probably just me!

Thankful

My sister says it all, nothing more I can add. Please read about our mom at http://www.mom22boyz.blogspot.com/

Have a great weekend folks!

Oh yeah, guess what is now up and functioning in my backyard....a great swingset!!! Thanks guys for spending your Saturday morning at the Edgar's house my kids and I are truly grateful :) It only took an hour and a half--boy the more it gets moved the faster it becomes to put back together, or maybe the poor swingset was tired of being in pieces all over the yard that it helped put itself together :) Anyways, just glad it's up and now my creative mind is working for some shade back there....