Teens

Jason: How many kids are at our house?  Did we get enough food?

Me: I think so.  Remember, God fed a multitude!

Jason: But can He feed teenagers?

We both needed a good laugh after our finger incident.  This was good for our souls :)

9.5 Will Do Too!

This is a great synopsis of our Thursday evening.... But for those who want the full story....

Jason calls about 4:30pm and casually says I need to take Colton to his baseball game, that he has "cut" his finger and his boss his taking him to get it looked at.  I had a conference call I has scheduled to attend that he knew about so this was an odd request.  I totally thought he was joking because the way he said it sounded like I already knew about the said "cut".  I decided to go ahead and make other arrangements for the kids and meet them at the clinic, which turned out to be an ER room.  Again, I'm still oblivious to the "cut" and just thinking we're in for some stitches.  I'm not sure when I realize that this isn't just a cut but a self-amputated finger. Maybe it was either the finger sitting in a cup of ice across from me or the fact that they were transferring him to Parkland to see a hand surgeon, I can't really remember which happened first.  They get him all situated for the transfer.  It was quite an exciting moment - Jason's first trip in an ambulance AND he performed his trick where he holds his left pointer finger in his right hand!

To say I was not impressed with Parkland is an understatement.  Let me rephrase... To say I was not impressed with the PEOPLE at Parkland is an understatement.  Speechless.  We get there and Jason sits for hours in a chair in the hallway back in the ER in front of the nurses station.  Not I know this isn't an emergency per say, but after a few hours and he finally walked out to come get me and bring me back to sit with him.  This time away from him really had my anxiety kicked in gear.  I still haven't seen my husbands hand or the detached finger and was told at the previous hospital that he was going to have attachment surgery, so I really have no idea what the situation looks like.  I was told at Parkland that Jason would have to tell his nurse that he has family in the waiting room for them to bring us to a different location.  We wait for HOURS.  So by the time Jason walks out with his IV pole and holding his finger in his cup, I'm relieved to at least see him and talk to him.  I go back there with him and they take another look at it and confirm it is not in any condition to be reattached.  Jason is ghost white and shaking and neither of us really care at this point.  Jason wants someone to stop the pain and I want someone to do something before he passes out and we have a bigger problem.

The "cleaning up" procedure lasted 30 minutes and was not done in the OR.  They numbed his finger, Jason quickly regained his color, and they began this procedure with Jason wide awake.  We aimed to leave the ER with 10 fingers but were content with only 9.5.

The pain level has been pretty fierce but meds and ice have helped. This wasn't exactly how we intended to spend our Memorial Day weekend but glad he is okay and the tip of the finger is all that he's missing :)

Oh yeah.... kids did great and he did it on a drill press.

********************WARNING********************

Nasty pics below!

Changes

I disappear for a few weeks and blogger has changed on me!  Seems like life is full of changes.  Being a mom to hormone crazed kids has been the biggest challenge change around our household.  The good thing is the kids are guaranteed one normal parent.  Unfortunately, that also means they are guaranteed at least one psycho parent who has lost all their patience.  The kids never know which parent will be the psycho just as we never know which kid will grate on our nerves.

As of late, Colton has been the heavenly child.  I'm not sure if the "baby" of the family is learning what makes us explode and he avoids that or if he's learned to be sneaky just enough to get by without being noticed or even if the older two have completely worn me thin I just look past his mischievous antics. Aside from having absolutely no organization or care for his belongings, he's doing wonderfully.

Courtnie has some serious hormones kicking in.  Let's just say that Jason has already talked to the boys about steering clear of their sister when she starts snapping at people.  I don't remember being so emotional at the tender age of 10, but nonetheless, Courtnie is and we love her just the same.  We're teaching her to control the emotions or go to her room and she can do with them there as she pleases.  Either way, they are not welcome to explode as she sees fit, when she sees fit, or how she sees fit.

Cameron.... oh dear Lord help us with this child!  This is a plea and desperate prayer.  I have spent the last 9 months trying to find my sweet and obedient child.  I cannot begin to explain what happens when a child turns 13 because I have no clue.  I do know that he thinks he's an adult who can talk to anybody anyhow he sees fit at anytime whether your a child, peer, or grown adult.  I could tell you how long he's been grounded this school year, but it would be easier for me to tell you how long he's NOT been grounded (maybe 8 weeks?).  I've spent time in middle school attending classes and making sure my child can behave and be respectful to his teachers and peers.  I've spent time scolding him for is craptastic behavior.  I've also spent time loving on him thinking maybe he's lacking in the affection department.  All of this and I've gathered this much information - he knows he's being disrespectful, he is choosing not to turn in his work, he understands the definition of "mouthing", and he does not enjoy being grounded from his cell phone, TV, laptop, or social gatherings.  He especially doesn't like being grounded from all of the above at the same time.

In addition to raising children, which I absolutely LOVE, I've managed to work my way into the High Risk Victim's Task Force for Dallas county doing volunteer work for children who have been abused sexually or have been trafficked in one form or another.  My marketing job working from home has really picked up too which is such a blessing.  I'm not just a ghost writer anymore, I actually have a bio and head-shot attached to my articles now!

Aside from all of this... I'm doing well and barely keeping my head above water.  The family is healthy and happy (some of us anyway) and we look forward to the summer.  I'll try to make more time for blogging.  I sure do miss it!

Beloved Dr. Pepper

They'll learn one day that it's good for their health!

And a few days later... She's learning!!

Growth Group

Growth Group is our time outside of church to get together with the women in our Life Group and dig deeper into the word of God and really focus on bigger and more meaningful topics. I hosted this week and made brownies. (I offered Wheat Thins too, although I realize the two of these together are an oxymoron of sorts.) I brought them over with the intent to cut them but we decided it would be far more fitting to just grab forks.

And that friends is how we read our Bibles and eat brownies!

Laundry Payment

My payment for laundry - definitely keeping the dollar, no need for the now-clean cup, and good thing that Kit Kat had already been eaten. We would have been one less child if that had ruined my load of clothes!

That $1 sure makes me happy :)

Spring Break Day 5

Cam came home!! They left early Saturday morning and returned the following Friday night.  They cut down trees to clear the lot for a new church and also framed a bathroom as a new addition to another church.  Great experience for him!  Here are some pics from Cameron's mission trip to Rio Valley....



Spring Break Day 4

I spent the day in court and the kids had a good day with Nanie :)

Spring Break Day 3

2 hours of solid jumping.... Will it wear them out?

Spring Break Day 2

.50 cent movie and Chick-fil-a for lunch (kids eat free).