"DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED..."

... TRUST IN GOD AND TRUST ALSO IN ME." SAID BY JESUS IN JOHN 14:1

Hi Friends!

Well, I decided once and for all that Bill is not morning material. When the alarm went off at 6 a.m. this morning, and he hit snooze -- I told him that starting tonight we'd be walking each night after dinner. He was agreeable, so here's hoping he will follow-through tonight.

This morning the boys and I focused on science. They are very interested in learning about animals. They'd like to be "animal cops" when they grow up. They are also learning about dinosaurs. We did our other subjects, too -- but spent most of our time on science today.

After home-schooling today, the boys went swimming. They didn't swim for long, though. It's in the 70's and windy, so they got cold fairly fast! They were out in time for us to go pick up the other kids from school at 3 p.m. Now Cam and Molly are working on homework, and the boys are playing outside. They're talking about going swimming again with Molly when she's ready.

I'm off to do some housecleaning and laundry, and then it will be time to make dinner. We still have left-overs from our grill-out last night, so I am GOLDEN! I'll let you know tomorrow if I manage to drag Bill's butt out on a walk. After all, it's for his own good!

In the meantime -- Don't worry, be happy! That's a direct idea from Jesus, our Savior as you can see in my beginning Bible quote!

Much Love,
Michele

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY ...

"The world is round, and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning!" -- Ivy Baker

Hi friends!

After blogging yesterday, we went to church. We hadn't been to church on a Saturday night for a while, and I was convinced that it was at 5:45. But apparently it's always been at 5:30. We made it there in the nick of time, and we brought Annie (or Alice) with us. Isaac was so cute at church. He fell asleep on my lap and drooled all over me. I guess he was tired out after the night before at Brandon's house. We got home from church around 7 p.m. and then I made dinner. We had mini pizzas, rolls, salad, and cookies. After cleaning up and getting the kids settled for the night, Annie and I went to the 99 cents store for a bit. I buy soda, personal hygiene items, and groceries there. It's a big money-saver for us. We wandered the aisles until they closed at 9 p.m., and then we checked out. We stopped on the way home for our energy (Big Gulps at 7-11), and then came home and unpacked. Annie had taped "My Fair Lady," which I had never seen before -- so I watched that into the wee hours of the morning.

This morning, I slept in -- one of the benefits of going to Saturday evening church. I had a few interesting visits from kids while half-asleep. First, Nate came in and asked if he could eat a container of frosting for breakfast. He couldn't understand why I wanted to save it to frost a cake. Then Molly showed up weeping and convinced she weighed 184 lbs. I had to convince her that it was humanly impossible to gain 50 lbs overnight, and show her that the scale needed to be reset to 0. So, eventually I decided to just get up.

Cameron went on his Scout bike ride today, and they biked 11.5 miles. He says everything hurts. I was proud of him for doing it, though! That type of experience really pushes him out of his box. He's so funny -- he even tried to take his Game Boy along on the bike ride.

After dropping off Cam at the bike ride, Bill and I went to a Small Group Leader's Appreciation Luncheon for church. We had a nice time, and Molly did a good job watching the boys while we were gone. When we got home, Bill opened up the pool for the season, and the 3 younger kids were all eager to go swimming. It's still a bit too cold for me, though!

We grilled out tonight -- steak and pork chops with potatoes. Bill is still cleaning up in the kitchen, and I'm going to start the kids on their bedtime routines. Hopefully, Bill and I will also get to bed on time, and that way we can be reliable with our walking routine this week.

I am still feeling really good. My only major problems right now are tiredness and the menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, etc.). I am anxious to start hormonal treatment, which I should be able to do this week.

More tomorrow...
Love,
Michele

SATURDAY!!

Hi Friends!

I stayed up later than I intended to last night after Bible Study. But it was nice to just kick back and lay in bed watching TV. I went to sleep at 1 a.m. Molly and Sandy slept down in the family room, and they were up late, too -- but very well-behaved. Cameron watched some movies with them, too -- before going to bed. I don't know when they went to sleep -- but they were already up at 7:30 a.m. when Nate and Isaac returned from Palmdale with Shirlene. Bill got up at 9:30 a.m. and let me sleep in. That was very nice, and I slept until 12:30 p.m. I seem to need about 12 hours of sleep each night in order to function -- due to both the lupus and the drowsiness caused by all my meds. So, I generally try not to stay up so late at night or I tend to be sorry the next day.

Sandy got picked up at 11 a.m. this morning by her sister. Cameron and Bill left this afternoon for an Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Cameron also has a 10-15 mile bike ride for Boy Scouts tomorrow. So, he's got a busy weekend planned. Plus we need him to cut the grass today. Nate, Isaac, and Molly are with the Malone kids riding bikes up at Mountain View School. Nate has a walkie-talkie with him so that I can check in with them.

I don't have a lot planned for today. I need to do some laundry and housework and to balance my checkbook. I also need to go to the grocery store for a few things. We are going to try to go to 5:45 church tonight. That way we don't have to get up early tomorrow.

Much Love,
Michele

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY!!!

Hi Friends!

I didn't get around to blogging yesterday, so here I go. Yesterday we stayed busy with our usual daily stuff -- homeschooling, homework, life, etc. I took the little boys to 7-11 as a reward for their great schoolwork. Nate is doing awesome in math, and he has mastered long division and is moving onto fractions. And Isaac is reading at almost a 2nd grade level. They got donuts, ice cream, and slurpies in X-Men cups. Also, I took Molly to Goodwill in the evening. We scored a ton of beautiful clothes for her -- 2 large bags of dresses, pants, jeans, shirts, PJ's, boots, etc. for a total price of $54. She basically got a whole new wardrobe, and we had a great time. I am so blessed to have kids who are happy to be frugal when it comes to clothes! She was most pleased with her jean minskorts and a pretty pink dress that she wore to her school dance today. We also hosted a Boy Scout Greenbar at our house last night -- that's where all the Boy Scouts leaders -- adults and teens come together to plan for the month of scouting activities. During that, Molly, Isaac, and I went for a walk/bike ride. Nate hung out with Cam and the big boys.

Today we sent the older ones off to school and Bill off to work. Then after homeschooling, I had to go and get my blood drawn. I need a creatine (kidney function) level done before proceeding with the rest of my urology testing. The blood draw wasn't fun, because I am still very shaky (due to the effects of lupus on my central nervous system). The man drawing my blood couldn't deal with my shaking arm, and he missed the vein and then had to poke around before he finally found one. But he finally got it accomplished -- and then we went to the park. I managed to walk for about 1/2 hour before Cameron called to have me pick him up from school. I thought I'd have more time, because he had planned to stay after school. However, he ended up not staying after because he had a sub for computer website design class. So, after picking Cam up
-- we went home and then had about an hour of free time. At 4:30 we took Nate and Isaac to Shirlene's barber shop so that she could take them to Palmdale to spend the night. Then I picked up Molly and her friend, Sandy, (who's spending the night tonight) from the Hillside School Dance. It was from 3-5 p.m. tonight. We then went and got pizza from Little Caesar's and came home. Annie and Cam were waiting for us at home. Nicely, Alice had gone to CostCo and picked up milk, rolls, bananas, cookies for us. What would we do without her? After that we all had pizza, and soon enough it was time for Bible Study. We had folks over for that from 7-9:30 p.m. Soon, I will be off to bed.

Also, I have some good news. My mammogram came back normal, and my pelvic ultrasound came back OK too -- some benign masses and a few issues with one ovary, but nothing serious -- especially since no more kids are in our future! Here's hoping the next set of tests comes back that good, too!

Much Love,
Michele

WEDNESDAY!!!

Hi Friends!

Bill and I got up at 6 a.m. this morning and did our first early morning walk for exercise. It was nice. We got to talk and see the sunrise, too. I have to admit, though -- after sending him off to work and Cameron and Molly off to school, I had to take a nap before homeschooling. But hopefully, we'll get into the groove of earlier mornings soon.

Nate and Isaac did their homeschooling with me, and then I did some work outside. But not too much since I am already sunburned from yesterday's walk. After school I helped Cam and Molly with their homework.

We had an early dinner, because tonight it was Open House at Royal High School for Cameron. I went with him, and Molly and Isaac both came along because they wanted, too. Molly, especially, wanted to check out her future high school. Cameron had a great time showing us around, and I got to meet all of his teachers. They all had positive comments to say about him. He really is a great kid! We also got to order his class ring, and after 4 more payments it will be all ours. It cost $290 and that was one of the most reasonable ones. You could easily spend more than $400 on one. But he's very excited about it, and it will be worth it. He also got a sweatshirt (free for ordering the ring) that says "Class of 2011." It's an extra-large, but it just fits him. If he continues to grow as he has (already 6 feet tall), I don't think it will fit him until 2011. Also we did the math, and discovered Isaac will graduate in 2021.

We just got home, and I put the kids to bed. Bill was at his Wednesday Men's small group. Annie nicely came over to hang out with Nate for the evening. He didn't want to go to the Open House. He's been busy lizard-hunting in our backyard today, and he didn't want to stop.

I'm going to watch a bit of TV tonight, and then I need to go to bed so that I can get up for that bright-and-early walk! Hope your week is going well!

Much Love,
Michele

a PLANNED journey is an oxymoron!!!

Hi Friends!

When I started chemo, I gave out necklaces to 7 people that spelled out the word journey. Each person got a letter and the card said -- "Join me... I've sent you one of the seven letters of the word JOURNEY as a simple reminder that you and six others will form the circle of support I will need. Knowing, as I travel the road ahead, I will never be alone." Lately I've been reflecting on my journey of life, especially the crisis/blessing of poor health I recently went through. I am thankful to have so much support, and I am thankful for the journey -- which I never would have planned to go this way. But God knows best, and I wouldn't change it for that reason!!!

I've come a long way, and I am now up to helping Bill through his health issues. Starting tomorrow, we will be getting up at 6 a.m each weekday morning to walk before waking the kids up for school at 6:45. I'm looking at it as a "get to" not a "have to." What a great opportunity for Bill and I to spend some alone time together while at the same time improving our health! It will definitely require us to go to bed earlier each night, though!

Today the cleaners came, so I am basking in the glow of my clean house. It doesn't last forever, but I sure appreciate it for a few days at least. And I would much rather focus on teaching and parenting my kids rather than being the "cleaning lady" of the house while sending all the kids off to school each day.

We homeschooled diligently in the morning today, so that we could go to the park while the maids came this afternoon. We went to Lincoln Park and I walked 3 miles while the kids played. Annie met us there and even did some walking. (You go, girl!) Then we went to Jamba Juice for smoothies.

Tonight Cam and Molly had a bunch of homework that I ended up helping them with. Then I made a heart-healthy dinner for my husband -- chicken florentine and a salad with low-fat lemon cookies for dessert. Cam and Bill are off to Boy Scouts tonight. Nate, Isaac, and Molly are playing Dance Dance Revolution on the PS 2. It's almost bedtime for the littlest. Isaac goes to bed at 8, Nate at 8:30, and Molly at 9:00.

Tomorrow night Cameron has Open House at Royal High School. I am looking forward to going with him as I missed "Back to School Night" in the beginning of the year because I was so sick. His teachers have been wonderfully supportive to him this year, and I can't wait to meet them in person. We also get to order his class ring. How did he get this old? Time passes so quickly!

I'll sign off now, and then start bedtime for the kids. Then I need to do some bill-paying. Fun, Fun!!!

Much Love,

Michele

MONDAY!!!

Hi Friends!

Today was a busy day, but I'm going to quickly blog while our pizza finishes cooking in the oven. Bill had more testing at the cardiologist today. They found plaque in his right carotid, which puts him at increased risk for stroke and heart attack. Also his trigylcerides are too high and his good cholesterol is too low. So, he'll be starting some new meds and changing his diet and exercise habits. He has a bit more testing to do. So, it's not good news, but at least we now know what we're dealing with. And I really like his cardiologist -- I think he'll do a great job managing Bill's care because he's very dedicated.

Other than that -- it was a running day. We took Bill's car back to the dealership. When they fixed it, they disconnected the turn signals -- so they need to go back in and change that. And when we drove the car to the dealership and parked it -- the mechanic couldn't start it. So, I guess it's not fixed after all. At least it broke down there.

I also had to take Molly in for her final orthodontic Xray, which was in Thousand Oaks. And Cameron had a tour of city hall for Boy Scouts. I dropped him off there at 5 p.m., and Bill is now picking him up after work. After dinner, we need to clear a path in the kids' rooms so that the maids can clean tomorrow. It's funny when you have to clean for the cleaners.

More tomorrow ....

Much Love,
Michele

CAMPING PICTURES FROM RV TRIP!!!

Hi Friends!
Here are some camping pictures from our RV trip a few weeks ago. I'll post more later.
Love,
Michele

SUNDAY!!!

Hi Friends!

Yesterday Annie and I took Cameron to Disney's California Adventure. We left home around noon and stopped for lunch at Carl's Jr. We had a great time at the Park -- even Cameron who was hard to convince because he usually likes to stay home on Saturdays! People with autism aren't highly flexible!!! The weather was great for me with my loopy lupus -- cloudy and in the 60's. It wasn't too busy for a Saturday. The highlight of the day was going on GRRR!!! -- the water ride. I went on it twice and it was great to see Cameron laughing hysterically. Allan, Annie's boyfriend, joined us and he went on it once with us. Cameron and Annie went on it 4 times. They'd probably still be there if Allan and I hadn't dragged them away! There was no line because of the cold weather. They were still soaked hours later.

We left Disney around 8 p.m. and Allan and Annie took us out to dinner at Mimi's. Thanks, guys! Cameron really enjoyed having someone new to talk to with Allan along. We laughed and talked and ate and finally left Mimi's around 10:30 p.m. On the way home we listened to a CD by Terry Hershey entitled, "A Gentle Plea for Chaos." It was great and much needed -- I love to embrace the craziness and messiness of life, which makes some people think I'm crazy!! But, oh well -- I am what I am! We made it back to Simi Valley shortly after midnight and told Mr. Brady all about our adventures! He was waiting up for us.

Today, I had planned to go to church -- but as usual found I had overdone it at the theme park. I told Bill to let me and Cam sleep, and he and Molly went to church. The boys stayed home and played nicely and quietly with their army men, letting us sleep.

It's now 2:15 and I just got out of bed. I'm somewhat achy from the walking and my head hurts -- but at least I'm not tired anymore. And the fun we had was worth the pain! I'm going to go off to take a shower -- and then I'll help the kids clean up the house. Like I said before -- sometimes life is messy, but it's always fun! Cam and Bill are at an Eagle Scout ceremony. Molly is playing PS2 and the boys are building a "tent city" out of blankets.

Much Love,
Michele

P.S. -- Thanks Terry for the daffodils and teapot!! What a great surprise when I got home. And it was so sweet of you to make dinner for my family. They really enjoyed the soup -- and I can't wait to try it!

FRIDAY!!!

Hi Friends!

Sorry -- it's been a wild and crazy week. It just seemed to fly by this week, and I never got around to blogging. Mostly I was just kept busy by the usual stuff -- life and doctor appointments. That's OK, because I have learned to embrace the chaos!

Bill spent all of Thursday and Friday with a cardiologist doing testing of his heart. His blood pressure has been way too high. He has another test on Monday, and then we'll find out what's what. I told Bill we're not playing tag -- he doesn't need to get sick as soon as I'm doing well!

Life can be a journey for us. But as the Chinese proverb says, "To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping." So, that's what I do.

This weekend Annie, Cameron, and I are going to Disney's California Adventure. Cameron and I got 2-fer tickets when we went to DisneyLand for his birthday, and we have to use the second day before March 25th. So, we're just about out of time.

Hope you all will just "keep on stepping" too.

Love,
Michele

MONDAY, MONDAY ...

Hi Friends!

I never got back to blogging this weekend. Bill and I had a nice date on Saturday night. We went to see Yes Man at the movie theater. It was really funny! Then we had a lovely dinner at the Macaroni Grill. Thanks, Honey!!! The kids did well at home with the exception of Cameron who fell asleep first. He was tired out from the Dragon Ball Z marathon he had the night before. So, we had a few text-messages from Molly asking for advice on how to deal with her little brothers. But she did great and the house was still here when we got home.

On Sunday we slept in and missed church. Oops! I had missed my Saturday night medicine (first time ever) and had a headache. Good test to see if I still need the meds, I guess! So, it took a while to shake the headache. Then Bill had some blood pressure issues. So, we were taking care of him. We sent him to the doctor today, and they are trying some new meds. His EKG was normal so that is good. His blood pressure is way too high, though!

I also got the fun of visiting my urologist today. He was reassuring and told me that blood in the urine is a side effect of Cytoxan. But, of course -- he'll still have to work me up to rule out everything just in case. I'm going to have bloodwork, a CT scan, and a cytoscopy (camera in the bladder) -- then we'll see what's up. He also prescribed me a new antibiotic (240 pills) -- so I'm hoping to be infection-free for the next year at least. Best case scenario -- no permanent damage has been done to my bladder or kidneys from all the infections!!!

Other than that -- it's been an uneventful day. We did our usual routine with homeschooling. Right now Molly is working on homework. The boys are playing with Heather. They just had the thrill of watching our car be towed. It needs repair. There's nothing more entertaining than a tow truck for a bunch of little kids.

I'm going to make dinner now -- so I'll go. I think I'll make a heart-healthy stir-fry for Bill. He's awfully sweet, so I want to keep him around!

Much Love,
Michele

SLOW SATURDAY!!!

Hi Friends!

It's 2:15 p.m and I'm still sitting here in my PJ's and robe, and it is great!!! Bill and I hosted Bible Study last night at our house. After everyone left at 10-ish, we ended up staying up late-- me watching TV and him on his website. Then after talking for awhile, it was close to 2 a.m. when we went to bed. At least we didn't stay up as late as our teenager. Cam spent all of his birthday money buying all 9 seasons of Dragon Ball Z -- a TV series that he loves. Well, it came yesterday, and he as up until 7:30 this a.m. watching them. He is currently still asleep. Molly tried to stay up with him, but she didn't last until much after 11 p.m.

The little boys were in Palmdale with Shirlene and Brandon last night. (their usual -- Friday night sleep-over!) They all arrived here at 7:30 a.m. this morning -- but they let themselves in quietly and played nicely, so we didn't wake up. Bill got up around 9:30, and he took Molly to a friend's house at 11 a.m. She and Sandy are making pies today with Sandy's mother. I slept until noon, and I woke up feeling quite good! I have a bit of work to do around the house today.

Then tonight Bill and I are going out to the movies (Yes Man) and dinner. Cam and Molly will watch the younger kids. They do a great job babysitting! I'm looking forward to some time alone with my husband.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Much Love,
Michele

HELLO AGAIN!!!

Hi Friends!

This is an edible arrangement and bear that Bill surprised me with today! Believe it or not, it's completely made out of fruit. As you can see -- the boys were quite excited to take the delivery! I had to stop them and take the picture before we started digging into it! The chocolate-dipped strawberries were especially good. The boys were trying to help me by sucking off the chocolate, and then just giving me the strawberries!

We had a fun day today. After sending the older kids off to school, Nate and Isaac, and I did our homeschooling for the day. They are currently into sign language and e-mailing the most. We also discovered a great Lego download today, and now we can play Legos on the computer! No more fighting over the pieces, and most importantly -- no mess and you can save your creations forever! We also baked blueberry muffins and brownies for our friend and neighbor, Terry, who is undergoing her bladder cancer treatments each Thursday.

This afternoon we went to the "Duck Park" with Judi, Heather, and Will. The kids had a good time, and they got to introduce Will and Heather to all their duck and geese friends. Rhino, Snowflake, Snowball, Bob, and all the other waterfowl were glad to see us with our duck food! I've been cleaning out the freezer of old bread this way. Nate is like the "duck whisperer" and has all the birds eating out of his hands. Isaac is a little more timid. But it's fun to watch.

Unfortunately, it was a bit too sunny for me at the park -- so I probably shouldn't have stayed for 1 1/2 hours. But I did and paid for it. My doctor says that's a lupus symptom I'll just have to live with. So, we picked up the big kids from school, and came home. The kids all played nicely and/or watched TV while I took a nap. I woke up feeling better, and then made dinner.

Bill got home around 7 p.m. and we had dinner. Tonight is a relaxed night, because there is no school tomorrow. Apparently, the teachers have a work day. We may go to a movie or do something fun to celebrate. I am keeping the homeschoolers on the same schedule as the public-schoolers.

Yesterday at the park (a better day for me -- it was more cloudy!), I walked 3 miles around the track. When I got to the 3rd mile, I suddenly realized I didn't have a headache and my feet didn't hurt. It may sound stupid -- but I was thrilled, because I've had a headache for almost a year that rarely went away. I used to always feel like I was walking on pokers, too. I had just learned to suck it up and live with it -- I still walked because I am trying to build bone density and lose my steroid puffy weight. But I feel like I really am a lot better and that is great! The kids and Bill and my doctors are impressed, too!

On that happy note -- I'll sign off for the night. Thanks for all the prayers and love.

Much Love,

Michele

Good Morning!!!

Hi Friends!

This is a picture that Isaac took of me. The other picture shows the kids at Cameron's birthday. He wanted a chocolate-chip cookie cake. Nate is very excited about taking home videos, and he has claimed one of our old camcorders. Maybe he has a future as a filmmaker!!!

I've been getting up early this week, because Bill has had to be at work by 8 a.m. each day for a class. That means I need to take Cam to school by 7:30 a.m. Jeff and Judi take Molly at 7:40. So, if I leave early enough -- I can leave Nate and Isaac sleep as long as I'm back by the time Molly is leaving. Usually, I'm spoiled as Bill takes Cam and Molly to school each morning. They are all well-trained to get ready by themselves. The little boys and I usually sleep in later and start our home-schooling at 9 a.m. In fact, today it's almost 9 -- and Isaac's still asleep. I guess he's still recovering from our weekend camping trip, because he went to bed at 9 p.m. last night.

( Just a little later than usual, because Heather and Will were over while Judi and Justin went to Royal High School for registration last night!) Wait a minute -- I can hear him getting up now, so we can still start at close to the usual time!

Yesterday was a busy day. We had the housekeepers and a grocery delivery all happening in the afternoon. Plus we needed to go to the library as we had books due back. Add to that all the usual schooling, pick-ups, and homework plus in the evening we had Judi's kids for dinner and afterwards. Cam and Bill also had their Tuesday Boy Scout meeting. So, the day sort of flew by, and I never got around to blogging.

I'm hoping that today will be a bit quieter. We will start home-schooling in a few minutes. I'm planning to make it to Lincoln Park to walk and let the kids play this afternoon. And the house is still quite clean since the maids were here yesterday. So, that only leaves me with laundry to do and dinner to make. I'm GOLDEN!!!! I hope you are, too.

Much Love,

Michele

CAMPING WEEKEND!!!

Hi Friends!

We had a really fun weekend camping at Jawbone Canyon. It's in the desert and we were able to ride the dirtbikes, quad, and go-kart. We rented an RV, and picked it up on Friday. It was really nice and big -- slept 7 of us comfortably. We left Simi Valley Friday evening and returned Sunday evening. It was a great time for all. Even Annie (Alice) rode the quad and had a blast! She had a spectacular crash into a bush, and then got up and kept on going like a pro! Isaac rode the 50 (motorcycle) the whole time, and Molly rode the quad. Nate has a 90 motorcycle, which he rides. But he loves the go-kart most of all. He's all about speed and ramping and doing jumps. The kids even went on some trail rides with Bill on his motorcyle this time. Cam spent most of the time in the RV. He's not a big camper as he "doesn't like dirt or bugs!" But he enjoyed the nice RV this time.

This was originally planned to be a family camp for Boy Scouts, and it was going to be at Alamo Mountain. However, the weather there was not supposed to be good this weekend. Cold and rainy!!! So, the other families dropped out, and we decided to change our plans and go somewhere that had decent weather. Since we had been talking about this trip for months, the kids were really wanting to go camping -- somewhere, anywhere! The desert was a good choice. It was cold (upper 30's) at night, but we were inside, and during the day it got up to the upper 60's.

I did really well, and it was great to be back to camping again! Bill had encouraged me to come along, and rented the camper so that even if I didn't feel well -- I could just hang out inside. But I felt great on Saturday and even rode my quad for the first time in 2 years. I thought I would just putt-putt around the campground, but I ended up going all over with the kids and doing whoop-de-doos, etc. It was fantastic, and I felt like a normal 38 year old again. Of course, I paid the price for staying outside all day Saturday in the sun, but it was worth it! I was achy and fatigued on Sunday, but everyone left me alone to sleep until 1 p.m. and I sprang back to life.

We got home last night in time to put the kids to bed. It was 9 p.m. Then Bill, Annie, and I unloaded and cleaned the camper out. And we unhooked the motorcycle trailer (which we pulled behind the RV with all the toys) and put all that away. We finished and went to bed by midnight.

This morning after taking the kids to school, we returned the RV to San Fernando. Nate and Isaac and I are recovering and having a light day of school. They collected many rock specimens at the campsite, and right now they are busy washing them and shining them up.

I am looking forward to a "normal" week -- who knows what that will bring around here!

Much Love,

Michele

DISNEYLAND IN PICTURES!

Hi Friends!

I'm sorry I haven't blogged for a while. It's been a crazy week. I don't know what's keeping me so busy -- but I've been busy. Just back to life as usual as a home-schooling, stay-at-home Mom to 4, and wife to a sweet-but-busy professional. We may be the Brady Bunch complete with Alice (or Annie in our case!!!), but life isn't as easy as it seems in the movies. BUT IT SURE IS FUN!!!

Nate has been doing testing with his psychologist this week, so we have taken him in 3 times this week for testing. For those of you who don't know God has blessed us with two special-needs children. Cameron, our oldest, is bipolar and autistic. And Nate, is diagnosed with OCD, ADHD, and Asperger's. My illness has been especially hard for him, but we are trying some new meds along with a new therapist for him to talk to. It seems to be going well. The home-schooling is helping, too, for Nate and Isaac, because we are able to focus on their strengths and work on their weaknesses rather than trying to shove them into a box of what a "typical" student should do/be.

I have much more to do today as we are renting an RV and going camping tomorrow. We'll be gone for the weekend !!! The kids are very excited. But I wanted to post some of Cam's DisneyLand pictures first.

Much Love,

Michele