Wraping up October-Pumpkin Patch visit and Halloween

Halloween fun and the visit to the Pumpkin Patch












Halloween......

Prayer

I received this forwarded email from my Dad and found it very interesting. I think the power of prayer is sometimes taken for granted (I admit that I have fallen into this category at times), but I find myself wanting be better about praying, truly praying....

Thought this was a good idea. Whatever your political affiliation.

2 Chronicles 7:14

ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT... 9:00 PM Eastern Time/8:00 PM Central

Received from a friend and it is true, this is the scariest election we as Christians have ever faced and from the looks of the polls, the Christians aren't voting Christian values. We all need to be on our knees.
Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name , then stand back and watch His wonders to behold. This scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land. This election is the scariest I remember in my lifetime.
2 Chronicles 7:14 'If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.'
During WWII, there was an adviser to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England , its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America . The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever!!!
If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the up-coming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land, and that Christianity will grow in the U.S.
If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along.
Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.
Thank You. Please pass this on to anyone whom you think will want to join us.

Phantom of the Opera!

Phantom of the Opera is coming back to San Francisco to the Orphiam (probably spelled wrong) theatre from November 2008 to Jan 09! I am so excited! Tickets go on sale on Sept 7th from $38-98! I can't wait!!!!!

School Days.....and dreaming of Fall

Zachary started kindergarten on Aug 6th and he is doing very well. He absolutely loves school! I must admit, I miss him so much when he's gone. He's such a big boy now. Isaac had to adjust to big brother being gone at first and even though Isaac doesn't talk, I know he misses Zach. I do enjoy having the one on one time with Isaac.

My job craziness finally settled down and I am in Bed Control (basically my same job functions only it's a Union position...which has many benefits). Isaac got into the 15 hour a week therapy program and I am very excited since they will come over to my home for the therapy. The 15 and hour a week program will be more consistent that what he is getting now, so I hope it will prove very beneficial for Isaac. Isaac gets tubes in his ears next month....ah yes....the ears....factory defect I must say considering that I had ear problems.

Last week was rough with everyone getting the stomach flu that Zach brought home from school. Then it turned into some sinus thing, which is better now. And at the end of the week when everyone was feeling better, Sam hurt his knee. He's been hobbling around on crutches and will most likely have to get and MRI this week. We are hoping that he didn't tear something in his knee. So I have been shuttling him to and from work as well as shuttling Zach to and from school. I trully have sympathy for the Moms who spend so much of their time shuttling their kids/family to work, various activities, seminary, etc.....whew! it's rough!

All in all we are doing well...

Can I just say how excited I am that it's almost September! Fall is on its way! HOOOORAYYY!

Here comes the sun....

Here comes the sun...do do do do...here comes the sun...and I say...it's alright....

I interviewed for a job in Bed Control and was offered the position! I am very excited and so very grateful. We are truly blessed.

Jim and his fiance had a baby girl on 05-29 (his birthday) and her name is Rylee. She is so cute! Jim and Shadee are getting married in November!

We are all in good health and I look forward to Summer being over (I am NOT a fan of hot!) I can't wait for Fall!!!

The refining process....

It is well known that a piece of coal put under great preassure will yield a diamond. It usually takes a long time and a serious amount of pressure to get the diamond. Even after the diamond is harvested, it has to be cut and polished. Finally when all the cutting and polishing has finished, what is left is a magnificent gem that illuminates when light hits it and sparkles. So where am I in this process? I'm the coal....



The song "Under pressure" by David Bowie and Freddie Mercury is going through my mind as I write this post. I know that faith can be compared to a muscle, it has to be worked to get stronger and of course "faith without works is dead." Well, my faith muscle is in the mist of bodybuilding strength training..and my muscle is aching....



On 04-25 we were notified at work that our department functions are going to transition to other areas, meaning..I will be redeployed to another job unless I can secure a job on my own. The issue is that I am currently working at night and need to continue to work at night. If I am offered a comparable job (same hours/status) I have to take it or I will be considered as giving my resignation. Ugh...

My youngest son, Isaac was just diagnosed with PPD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified). It's a spectrum disorder like autism. He is currently getting services (speech and occupational therapy as well as a Child/Family worker coming out to work with him. Since he has been diagnosed with PPD-NOS, he qualifies for more hours of therapy. We are hoping he gets into the 15 hour a week program...meaning he will get therapy 3 hours a day. I am very grateful for living in a state where these types of services are offered. I know in the long run it will help Isaac. I have already seen some progression in him. He's not Autistic but PPD-NOS basically is when there is something going on with the child, but doesn't meet all the criteria for the Autism diagnosis.

So Isaac will need additional therapy, I am not sure if I can get a night position so I can be home to have the teachers come over or take him to a school (after he turns 3) for the services, I can't afford to pay daycare (the whole reason I started working nights was so we could avoid daycare costs). Sam and I were challenged by our State President and Bishop to re-commit to going to church, which we gladly accepted, and I have failed on going the past 2 Sundays.....

I had a wonderful blessing from the State President and Bishop, which helped me feel better but not without worry. What can I say, it's hard not to worry. Sam reminds me that in my blessing I was told not to worry and that He knows my heart. I was trying hard not to worry and get upset about everything (mostly job stuff). Then last night at work, all of the sudden as I pondered about the job stuff, I felt peace....actual peace. It was a great feeling! Basically I had been pondering and praying about the job stuff, and I was in a sense enlightened about how I have the larger of our 2 incomes and I carry the benefits. So it may be that I have to go back to working a day job. Sam's job would be the area where we could work to find a solution to our issue of not wanting (or affording) to pay daycare and one of us being able to take Isaac to his therapy sessions. It may be that I can get another job that is much higher paying that what I have now, so that way Sam can reduce his hours and his boss might be willing to be creative with Sam's work schedule. At that moment when I had those thoughts...I felt peace.

I am in no way perfect (far from it). I struggle with faith especially under pressure. Sometimes it takes all of me to be faithful. I know that the refining process will never stop, I only hope that as I strengthen my faith muscle, on that day when I stand to be judged, I hope that I will shine like a diamond.

Occupational therapy, Speech therapy..oh my!

So Isaac qualified for Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy (basically they have the Occupational Therapist work with him so he can get to the point where he can really work with the speech therapist). I am glad that he will be getting services to help him AND they come to my house to provide the services. Awesome. Zachary's IEP is on Monday and it will be good to get that finished. I have to register him for Kindergarten next month. Dang they need so much stuff just to get into school! Birth certificate, immunization, card, proof of residency, IEP paperwork, ugh...oh yeah and he has to have a physical and dental exam too. You would think he was trying to get into NASA or something.....

I am still in Limbo at work with regards to if they are going to disolve my department when the new hospital opens up. Ugh...I hate it, but I am not worried about it too much. I know that there will be something for me. As long as I work at night. I have WAY TO MUCH stuff I do during the day for the boys...hence the title...Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy oh my....

Weight loss is still going well...I took a break for about a week and now I am back on the Atkins. I actually feel so much better when I am on my diet vs off of it. I am hoping to lose 20 more lbs by the time I go on vacation in may. I have been a slacker on exercise so the weigh has been creeeping off. But I plan to remedy that next week.

Did you know speech delays can run in families? We decided that Isaac speaks the language from the Alien in Enemy Mine...because it is definately not English... :)