Ain't No Sunshine

(sung to the tune of "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers)

Ain't no sunshine when he screams
It's a mess when he runs amok
Ain't no good when he turns red
And he's never red too long
Anytime he goes awry

Wonder this time if he'll learn
Momma won't give in this way
Wonder if he'll stop the "screech"
Long enough to understand
He's not getting his own way!

And I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know,
That my little boy will be back
And the sunshine will return
After the tantrum goes away......

Ain't no sunshine when he cries,
Only tears and fits and stomps
Ain't no sunshine when he yells,
But he'll be back to his old self

In no time at all
He'll be back to my sweet boy
And then he'll understand
I mean no harm anytime
I don't let him get his way!

Okay I took a little liberty with the last chorus.  Or verse.  Or bridge, whatever it is.

And again, to my mom and dad, I humbly apologize for being self-centered and ungrateful for whatever I was self-centered and ungrateful about, because now that I'M a parent, and I have a REALLY well-behaved child, I KNOW I acted that way if Jacob can. :/

Thank God His mercies are new every morning....for ALL of us. :)

Jacob's First Game

I'm a horrible mother and didn't take my camera to Jacob's first game Monday night.  And I SO wish I had....  I should've taken a video camera.  I was so proud.  HE was so proud.  And he had so much fun....

He got his very first hit ever, in his very first game ever.  He had no idea what to do!  Everyone is yelling "Run!  Run!" (which they did with most of the kids on the team...) so Jacob, eyes as big as saucers, goes running down the first base line...holding the bat straight up and down and out to the side. 

Oh. My. Gosh.  It was SO stinkin' funny.  Everyone is like, "Drop the bat!  Drop the bat!"  But God bless him, he just ran all the way and got on base.  Then one of the coaches took the bat. :D  It was awesome.

He even got to run around ALL the bases and score for his team.  It was a shutout.  We won like 15-0.

But then last night we had our second game.  Even though it was 85 degrees and I was MG-weak, I went.  Thankfully there was a constant breeze.  Otherwise I don't know if I would have made it.  We played a much better team last night.  They had some GOOD hitters.  I think we lost 8-6, but it's hard to keep track when there's so much going on. 

It's like, you're watching your OWN kid to make sure he's not picking his nose or playing in the dirt, or sitting down in the field...you kinda miss some of the other stuff.  I tell ya what though... How absolutely awesome to watch these kids playing and having a blast.  They are learning, they are having fun, and they're not all uber-competitive.  It's FUN.  Oh, and the coaches are FANTASTIC!  Super good guys teaching kids how to play, how to be good sports, and how to have fun.

Jacob is just hysterical out there....he half hops/skips/runs to his position (after he asks where left field is...)  But for a kid who has never played baseball in his life, I think he's doing pretty darn good.  Two games a week is crazy though.  And they added a practice tomorrow because the kids weren't exactly "on task" last night.

But I will be staying home for that one.  It's just really fun seeing Jacob interact with all the kids, making friends, and playing on a team.  I was a little nervous that he'd be freaked out, but he's doing great.  He's such a big boy....but he sure looks tiny out there in his uniform and little cleats!

So stay tuned for more Bad News Bears action.  I'm sure I'll have more stories to tell, and next time I won't forget my camera!

Baseball and Pheresis

That's my boy!

Now those are two things you always think of together, aren't they?

Yah.  Jacob had baseball practice last night...they all had to be in full uniform because they were getting team pictures done too (and of course individual if you wanted it....so I of COURSE got the key chain, the 5x7 (and one for you mom), the button, the team photo....)  Jacob is just SO stinking cute out there!  Half the time it's like the Bad News Bears.  But so precious.  (Except for Chuckie... see yesterday's post...)

But the kids are just darling.  There are a couple who are pretty good!  They can throw well... Jacob bats really well...and he's a lefty, so he's a good asset.  But of course I'm his mother, so I'm going to say that!

Tomorrow is pheresis.  I just start to feel better from the Hideous Illness that befell our family towards the end of MARCH...now, I get to go tomorrow to get all my blood sucked out and feel like crap so I can feel better again.  YAY ME!!

Or not.

Plus, Jacob is going to miss his last practice on Friday because I have an appointment in Grand Rapids, plus pheresis, so we'll never be back to Allegan by 6.  And his first game is Monday already!  They've only had a handful of practices because it's been so rainy....  But it will be fun.

They have a really great coach...Jacob loves to help him.  Got to talk to him a little bit about MG, as he asked what treatments I was receiving. (I told him Jacob wouldn't be there Friday because I'd be in the hospital in Grand Rapids.) He asked really intelligent questions, and it was cool to have just a casual but informative discussion about MG.  Spread the word!!

So I should be fine for Monday's game...Doug can push me in a wheelchair if not. I wouldn't miss it for the world!

My Not So Little Snowman

Very labor-intensive, this castle-building stuff!

We've been getting snow.  And LOTS of it.  And my child is in heaven.  He LOVES playing outside in the snow.

He loves fighting bad guys and building forts (so he has something to defend, of course!) and sledding and building snowmen.

He LOVES sledding with Daddy.  Doug gets on the big innertube, Jacob climbs on top of Doug, and off they go.

Then there's the long walk back up the hill.  Blackie leads the way, just like he does on the way down.  He runs in front of them, constantly looking back over his shoulder and barking the entire time.  It's hilarious.

Then he comes in, looking like a snowman himself!

I am not so crazy about winter because it's hard for me to go outside, but I LOVE it for my boy.  He just loves it.  And he's getting way too grown up way too fast.

My Hubby ROCKS!

Okay, so my birthday wasn't the greatest...MOST of the day.  I didn't feel good, I had to get a chest x-ray (how fun!)...just what every girl wants for her birthday, right?  I wanted to stop at a bakery and just get a little cake for my birthday because I didn't feel like making my own birthday cake. Doug said nothing was open.  I was like, whatever.

Well.  After we got home, Doug and Jacob made me a cake.

And it was perfect.  It was super moist chocolate cake, and he used the peppermint frosting I had gotten on clearance at Christmas.  He hates peppermint. : )  He made little cake pops for himself and Jacob without the peppermint, although Jacob DOES likes the peppermint.

I mean, LOOK at that face.  (He's trying to cover up the "bite" I had taken before I got my camera!)  They were so proud. Jacob wanted to make the heart shape, and they decorated it with snowmen and snowflakes.  And the icing says "Happy" on the top left, "Birth" on the top right, and "Day" at the bottom.  Then the middle says "Love U Mom"... see the U under the heart?  I didn't see it right away, but how precious!

And for dinner, he made me home-grown sirloin steak and snowcrab legs.  He said they just jumped in the cart at the store...Snow crab is the only crab I like... And I LOVE it!  PLUS he made his famous twice-baked potatoes.

And this weekend he's been cleaning the pantry.  He knows it's been driving me crazy, but I can't move everything.  My arms give out.  It's looking AMAZING.  It's absolutely wonderful.

No one is perfect, but MY HUBBY is perfect for ME.

Being A Chronically Ill Mom

This is tough stuff.  I'm so thankful that God gave me the child He did.

Some of you may know that Doug and I had tried to use a surrogate before we tried to get pregnant.  I didn't respond to the fertility drugs, so I just assumed that because of all the medication and the MG, I couldn't have my own children.  Which I was honestly okay with.  I wanted to adopt.  I still do.  I don't want Jacob to be an only child.

When I agreed to try to get pregnant (I was terrified, mind you), I told Doug I would give him one year.  I wasn't going to be the woman trying for 5 years to get pregnant, and then be 40 and try to adopt.  He agreed that we would try for one year, and if we didn't get pregnant, we would start adoption proceedings.

Remember, I did not respond to the fertility drugs. (Which were HIDEOUS!)

In preparation for the "trying," I had to go off many of my meds, and had to go on insullin, because I was already diabetic.  They had my insulin set so high, I kept having really low-lows, and they really didn't listen to me...so I gained 20 pounds before we even started.  I had to be off my CellCept for 4 months before we could "try." 

We started in October.  I had charts and thermometers and all that stuff. I joined fertility groups and talked about things that I didn't even know existed.  (I'll just leave it at that!)  But I still thought it would take forever.

In 12 weeks, I was pregnant.

It was that time, that moment, that egg, that God knew was needed to make Jacob.  He is amazing.  He lights up my world.  He was the best baby.  The only baby I could have handled, really.  After 5 weeks in the NICU, he was finally home.   He only cried when he was tired, hungry, or needed his diaper changed.  Otherwise he just kind of hung out.  And observed everything.

And now as he grows, he is so compassionate.  It's easier to explain things to him that he can understand.  It's still really, really hard.  I want so much more for him and me.  For our relationship as mom and son.  I know we have some special bonds that other mothers and sons WON'T have, but I've always wanted to be the mom to take her child to museums and libraries and nature centers and all kinds of fun places.

But I can't do that.  MG took that from me.

But what God gave me in Jacob is so much more.  And I'm so, so thankful.

Why I Do So Much Laundry (and Why I Love My Son!)

My Jacob in all his glory!

If there's one thing Jacob loves, it's mud.  He loves being "filfy diwty." (filthy dirty)  He made this lovely "snow" man when we had yet to have snow in December:

We just call him MudMan.

I can't imagine THAT would have felt good when he unthawed!

He is 100% boy, that is FOR SURE. And that's one of the things I love most about him!

Cheesy, toothless grin.

Oh, how I LOVE that face!

Goofy boy

But I love THIS face too!  He's such a goof.  I'm so blessed though....I love this child with all my heart!

Time Management???

Okay, so the other day, my hubby tells me I have time management issues.  Obviously he is not here with Jacob, 3 dogs, 3 rabbits, 5 goldfish (all in the house) and homeschooling, business-running, bill-paying, blogging, medical-managing ME.

Because the ONE second he sees me sitting down with my feet up, well OBVIOUSLY I've been doing that all day long, and nothing else.  (No worries, we DEFINITELY "spoke" about that.)

So here are the things JUST TODAY (even before noon!), that have interfered with my "time management."

Jacob broke another ornament while I was in the bathroom trying to get ready because the "Airway man" was going to be here in 15 minutes.

While the Airway man was here, he had an intern with him, so a 5 minute visit took 20.

While the Airway people were here, Jacob was throwing a massive fit because I wouldn't come down the stairs to pause his video so HE could come UP-stairs.  (Which he was spanked for)

Jacob knocked my Paul Mitchell round hair brush into the toilet (right after he peed) because he was spazzing out about the fact that he's almost out of toothpaste, and I told him I had bought 4 tubes because they were on sale for one dollar.

Whilst cleaning my trach, said spazzing child knocked over an almost full box of q-tips, onto the nasty carpet, spilling probably 120.  I rescued the ones not directly touching the carpet.

Yesterday, the dog knocked over the Christmas tree.  AGAIN.  The first time (the day before yesterday) he broke my favorite glass angel "hope" ornament.

Yesterday, said dog also chewed a new hole in his tail.  Yes, a NEW hole.  He already had one that we are trying to heal up.  He had surgery to abrade the boo-boo and suture it (along with having a separate lump removed), so it's all wrapped up.  He already chewed through the original bandage AND got all his stitches and staples out.

Yes, we tried the cone of shame.  He would bump into things until it slid back far enough where he could reach his tail.

So yesterday this happened while Doug wasn't here so I had to deal with it.  EW.

I'm sure there are another 20 or 30 things I could mention, but that would probably not be the best use of my time....since I OBVIOUSLY have control over every minute of my day.

Tired Me, My Big Boy, and Sushi

I was so tired last night I literally couldn't see straight.  I still am raising my eyebrows a little so my eyes aren't completely shut.  I took another one but it's seriously too horrifying to post...even for me!  My face has never been SO droopy.

So for those of you who DON'T have a disability or illness, and you see me looking totally normal when I park in handicapped and go IN to Walmart?  This is me coming out.  So SHUT your FACE.

Yeah, this is my BABY.  {bawl, sob, snort, sigh, snot, bawl again}.  Two peas in a pod, the boy and his dog.  They are like this all the time when Jacob is "chillaxin'"....like they are from the same litter.  He even calls Black Dog (original, I know, but the kid named him when he was 3) his "brother from another mother."  Um, yah.

And this is called a California roll.  We don't live in California, but my husband just "threw these together" (for the very first time EVER).  The man can do ANYTHING, I swear.  MacGyver, Daniel Boone, and now I guess I have to add Iron Chef.  I don't know which one though...maybe Geoffry Zakarian.  He's pretty handsome for an old dude.  LOL  He's probably the same age as I am!

Anyway....good night!

Over A WEEK???

Oh my GOSH you guys....I can't believe it's been over a week since I posted.  That is INEXCUSABLE!  I WILL do better.  Homeschooling is a LOT more time consuming than I ever anticipated.  Jacob is doing awesome... Our biggest challenge is just sitting still.

Thankfully the main level of our house is basically a circle (IF all the doors are open!) so every once in a while I tell Jacob to just run some laps and get all the wiggles out.  He is just NOT a sit-still kind of child.  That and the whole "quiet" thing.  But it's going well.  Really.  It is.  I'm serious.  I'm not just saying that... LOL

This is Jacob with his bear hat on.  I wanted to get him the cow hat, but he wanted the bear.  He's so stinkin' cute, but lately for pictures all he wants to do is make faces.  So he was roaring here.

This is the view from my front yard.  You can barely see what's left of the burned out trailer that our alcoholic, half-crazed neighbor set on fire in the middle of the night a few years ago.  Yeah, um, this is the same guy that had a goat named Rambo tied to his garage.  AND the one who was carrying a can of ether while smoking a cigar.  Yah.  Not so much in the "brains" department.

And this is what we do with base ten blocks after math lessons....build skyscrapers!  He's so proud!

So that's a bit what's been going on around here...I promise I will do better keeping up with my blog.  I feel kinda crunchy it's been so long.  Where does the time go???

Anywho.  Tomorrow I will be reviewing the book "Because You Care" that was featured in the Blog Tour last week.  Patty Ann Pitterle won the random pick to be entered in the main giveaway.  Good luck Patty!!!

Tired Me!

But it's a good tired.  I got SOOO much done today.  My house is {almost} clean!  Jacob is hilarious... He comes in and says, "Can I help you Momma?"  So I'm like, sure!  I hand him a wipe and asked him to do the front of the fridge. So he does....everything on the front of the fridge, including the pictures he's colored for me, the magnets, etc.  I HAD to laugh.

So I told him, "No honey, just like the handles, and any spots you see."

So he swiped at a spot by the handle a couple of times, and says, "Okay mom, is that good?  Did I help ya?  Can I get a green tag now?"

K.  So let me 'splain the green tags.  I remember my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Visser, handed out green and red tags just made from constuction paper.  Every month or so, she had a "classroom store" where we could "spend" our green tags.  So I decided to do the same thing with Jacob.  (I can't remember what the red tags meant...must have never gotten any!) HA!

So not only does Jacob get green tags for behaving during school, he gets them when he goes out of his way to be helpful, kind, or really obedient....

Only problem now is that he thinks he can get one for doing one little thing.  Hilarious.  The school store is stocked though....now I just have to figure out "prices."  Oh, and the red tags for him are 10 minutes earlier to bed.  So he does NOT like red tags.  The red tags are only during school, or if we are doing something where he is required to be on task and following instructions.  He's only gotten ONE so far! : )

Anyway.  School is going well....it's a little more work than I thought it would be, because I want to do it the way I would if I was in a classroom, just on a smaller scale.  We are studying ants right now.... Starting with the verse in Proverbs 6:6 "Go to the ant, you sluggard.  Consider her ways and be wise."

I made an ant out of cardstock, made a gabillion ants on construction paper, traced them with marker, cut them out of the paper, laminated them, then cut them out again.  That's what I would have done for a classroom.  So I did it for Jacob.  Yikes.

Then I remembered I had a bunch of cutouts from COLLEGE (yes, college, which was 18 years ago...) I literally have construction paper cutouts from 18 years ago.  A bunch of us in the teaching program went to this library that had a gigantic punch that you could make almost anything with: kites, turkeys, apples, trains, buses, etc.  So I laminated a boatload of that for later.

Anyway, this post is all over the place, like me.  Half way through writing this, I went out to drive the tractor and hay wagon so Doug could load up the last of the hay.  Oh what fun!  Also helped paint the outside of the mudroom so it's yellow now, like the house (it had been white siding so we got paint to match....perfectly!), did 3 loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, stove (not oven) tea kettle, microwave, toaster, did the dishes, made pasta salad for supper tonight, vacuumed the whole bottom floor of the house, dusted the living room and dining room....

All so I can sleep tonight.  And I'm telling you. I am going to SLEEP!

I hurt from head to toe.  But it's a good hurt, because it's from working.  And it feels GREAT!  Painful, but great.  Yes, I know I'm weird.  But that's why ya love me!

The House...Part Three

I know, I know, you just want to see the finished product. But what's the fun in that?  Isn't the journey the destination anyway?? HA! 

Yes, that's my darling up there, on the ladder, by himself, hanging and nailing on the house wrap because he's completely a wee bit impatient and can't wait on help.  I tell ya what, the noise of a hammer bang bang banging on your house all day long is enough to make you CRAZY.  However, it IS better than SIX hammers.....

Doug really made remarkable progress.... I would go out every so often and look....and go back in, because he always makes me nervous when he's on the ladder!

I know!  Looks like a present, huh?  Oh, and if you look carefully, you can see Jacob's elephant on the front porch, looking to get it.  Yes, he made that himself.  Daddy helped with a few nails, but he designed it and made most of it.

Here's a better look...found a picture of it!  The apple does not fall far from the tree, for sure!

So here is a tiny sneak peak....Tomorrow I will tell you about the AMAZING, wonderful, talented volunteers from Love INC's SKILL Ministry that came to help Doug side the house, and of course, I will have more pictures.

Playing Ball With Daddy

Hey Batta, Batta... sa-wing batta.....

It's a goner!!!

And as you can see, whether it's a hit or a miss, we have an outfielder who gets the ball!

Yesterday Jacob was playing ball with Daddy, which means Daddy throw the ball and prays he doesn't get whacked!  He got hit once while I was watching, but at least it was above the belt!

Jacob writes right-handed, but bats left-handed.  Man, can he hit that thing.  In North Carolina we found out he is truly ambidextrous.  He drew a picture of  a fish and wrote his name on the right half of the paper with his right hand, then did a mirror image of the fish, and wrote his name just as neatly with his left hand on the left side of the paper.

Yup, that's my boy!

Warning: NOT A Pretty Sight

So this is me 2 nights ago right before bed.  I realized (thanks to my dear friend Karen) that I always have my eyebrows raised to try to keep my eyes looking "normal".  So, I completely relaxed my face, "a naturale", and here I am.  AAAHHHH!  And my hair...yikes!  I've been too tired to wash it, so it's in the permanent "up" position.  Yikes.

I couldn't BELIEVE how bad it was!  I'm so droopy!  As some of you know, I have not been feeling well for the last week or so.  But now I've got this super tired, dizzy-light-headed thing going on.  I really don't know what my neuro would do; it's not like he really KNOWS me.  Probably order more pheresis, but my veins can only take so much.  I have a treatment scheduled for the 28th.

It's just weird.  I hate this disease.  Up and down, up and down.  I'm basically doing as "nothing" as possible, but it's hard.  I want to vacuum, there's laundry that needs to be done...I did manage a few dishes today.  But if I stand for too long I get dizzy.  And it's so hard on Jacob.  That's what's really been getting me down.  I totally snapped at him today, but he was driving me crazy! He's SO loud, and SO busy, and I'm just SO exhausted and MG-ish.... I have to be EVERYTHING to him... mom, teacher, friend, psychologist, nurse, playmate, nutritionist, cook....the list goes on forever.  And I just. can't. do. it.

I think this is just a "crash" that was a long time coming.  I was too busy for too long, pushing my limits, overstepping my physical boundaries, and it finally caught up to me.  At least I'm sleeping at night!!

Anywho.  Please remember me, and all my MG friends in your prayers.  We REALLY need to find a cure.  Thanks.

Super Glue and Super Blasters

So we had a visitation to go to last Monday.  Jacob got to go to see a "REAL" soccer game, because he went to Miss Lori and Mr. Steve's house, and their daughter had a soccer game.  They watched Jacob for us so we could go to the funeral home.  I didn't want to explain the open casket, etc., when he knows that people go to heaven...but then seeing the person in there.....Plus, he's 5 1/2...who needs that much reality at 5??

Anywho...as I posted previously, Jacob was the recipient of a GINORMOUS nerf dart gun.  Well.  The other night, Doug was messing around (as usual....seriously, I have 2 children), and shooting Jacob, and Jacob was shooting back.  I was clear across the room cleaning my trach.  Now, cleaning my trach requires the sticking of Q-tips into the trach tube to clean it out.  Yup.

So I glance up at the shrieking and howling utterances of pure joy from my two boys, and see Doug taking aim at me.  Three words:  "Don't. You. Dare."

Well I might as well have said "fire when ready", because he PULLED THE TRIGGER, and a nerf dart flew 20 feet and nailed me right in the neck.  About 1/2 inch from my trach.  Oh. My. Gosh.  I was ready to bludgeon him.  It left a mark and everything.  Ug.

Then, two days ago I was trying to make this gorgeous necklace by gluing a bead cap/bail on the end of a smoky quartz tumbled rock that we tumbled and polished ourselves...It was going to be SO beautiful.  Well, the first step requires gluing in a headpin to make a loop for the chain to go through so you can make a necklace.  (Think of a very thin long straight pin.) So I put the glue in there, put the headpin in, and all of the sudden, I've got 3 fingers stuck together.  And I mean STUCK.

Doug and Jacob were gone, so it was just me and the dogs.  I couldn't really call anyone for help because I only had one hand....can't hold the phone, dial, talk, etc. with just one hand.  So I used about 1/2 bottle of nail polish remover because I had no idea where the paint thinner was, and I was determined to fix this myself.  Mmmm-hm.

About 30 minutes later, half stoned from acetone fumes, I am finally free from the dreaded headpin and have all my digits, including all their skin!  I still had superglue on my fingertips though (briefly concluded that if I committed a crime that day I wouldn't leave fingerprints....) but there again, like I have the cajones to commit a crime.  I'd probably pee my pants.  Wait, I do that anyway with the MG...

Anywho.  About 17 washes and scrubs with Lava soap and I was mostly glue free.  And so it goes....

What have YOU been up to??

Letters On Mother's Day

Dear Mom,

Not until I had my own child did I even BEGIN to comprehend the true sacrifice a mother makes.  And you had FIVE children!  I know now how much you must have given up to have given us all that you did.  Not that it’s not worth it, because the blessings I receive from one little boy are tremendous.  I hope that you had that times five!

You are a blessing.  You are a true example of self-LESS-ness.  You are truly a gift from God.  When I was in the hospital, having you there gave me so much peace.  Your prayers for me are something I will treasure til the last breath I have on this earth.  I love you with all of my heart, and hope that this Mother’s Day you understand how precious you are.  You are THE best mom ever.

Dear Jacob,

Mother’s Day used to break my heart.  It seemed that everywhere I looked, someone had a baby or child or children…except me.  My illness had prevented me from having babies…until God performed a miracle.  You, my precious, brilliant, beautiful child, are MY miracle.  A personal gift from God Himself.  I don’t know what I ever could have done that was so amazing that God gave me you.  You truly are the light of my life.  I will love you forever, and ever, and always.  To the moon and back.  My precious boy.

And to those of you whose moms have gone on, to those who yearn for children yet do not have them; to those of you who have lost children, and those of you who for whatever reason this day brings pain:  to you I say a special prayer that God would heal the hurt, and give you a special peace and blessing this day.

Happy Mother’s Day To All!

Ah, That North Carolina Breeze

Oh my goodness.  The weather has been AMAZING.  Not too hot, but warm, and sunny.  I can breathe better here too.  Mom said it was the ocean air.  Who knew? (Okay, probably everyone but me!)  We are staying in an amazing house in Waves, NC on the Outer Banks.  The sky has been blue since the minute we crossed the state line.  There's always a breeze because we're smack between the Ocean and the sound.  My favorite spot in the world is the third floor deck.  You can see the ocean, and there's always a breeze.

We went fishin' again today...At first it was pretty slow, but then I started kickin' butt and takin' names.  The fish of the day was mullet.  The only mullet I knew before this was the haircut....you know, business in the front, party in the back.  But the fish is reeeaaalllly yummy.  And today we had a total of 12.  I caught probably 6 of them. During the last hour we fished, I bet I hauled in 4.  It was CRAZY!  Doug had started cleaning fish, but we still had 3 poles in the water.  I would set one down to check the one that was wobbling, pull in a fish, holler at Doug to come and get it, and another pole was jerkin'.  Crazy.  My hands were numb for like an hour.

The bestest part of all is that my sistah Cindy and her hubby are here!!!  I finally got to meet my sister face to face.  And ya know what?  Sitting down and chatting with her last night I felt like we had known each other all our lives.  Crazy but true.  We have a lot in common, including MG, which is a big deal.  But it's just weird how she "knows" me.  Anywho.  Can't believe we're down to 3 days here already!  Then it's back to Cindy's neck-o-the-woods, and more fun!

So for now, that's what up with us....and I am LOVIN' North Carolina.  I know I couldn't live here though... the summers are BRUTAL as far as heat and humidity.  But this time of year?  Perfection!

And Jacob's having a pretty darn good time too!

A perfect picture of Jacob....you can almost hear him screeching and he's ALWAYS moving.

Trying to outrun the waves....Guess who lost?

But guess who LOVED it?

Jacob In His Element

Loves playing ball with Daddy

He actually used a lasso to catch this poor thing.

Huntin' frogs

Sigh.  Can't believe how big my little boy is getting.

My Goofball

My Knight.  With a plastic bucket on his head.  Mmm-hm.

This is the same dog that he used to carry around less than 2 years ago.  Sigh.

My Knight in full battle gear (including light saber).

And this is this morning, when he decided he wanted a pegleg, and got his foot stuck in a Pringles can.  It took 1/2 hour and a lot of baby oil, but we got it out.  (After laughing until I almost passed out, that is.)

Random Updates

My goodness.  I'm SO sorry I have been MIA lately.  My life has been the picture of chaos.  Here are some updates as to what's been going on with me and my family:

1.  Jacob is amazing, as always.  He is all boy, all the time.  He is exhausting and exhilarating and exciting.  He is so smart.  He is 5 1/2, and does addition and subtraction in his head up to like 20.  Yesterday we were making cupcakes for Daddy, and we were talking about different kinds of measurement.  (Temperature, inches, feet, cups, miles, etc.)  So the recipe called for 1 1/4 cups of water.  I asked Jacob how many quarters were in one cup and he says, "Four."  Then I asked how many 1/2's, and he says, "Two."  THEN, he says, "Mom, did you know that 1/4 is half of a half?"  I about fainted.  SERIOUSLY?????  The child isn't even 6 years old.

Our cupcakes.  They are supposed to look like pies.

2.  Medically, things have been insane.  I have had eleven appointments and/ or tests and treatments, PLUS an ER visit with the brutal burning of the granulomas in the last 4 weeks.  Add to that some REALLY stressful personal stuff going on, dealing with Jacob (see #1), trying to do 1,000 projects...well....let's just say it's been a wee bit stressful.  And now I'm waiting for a surgery date to remove the granulation tissue in my trachea, and they may be talking END OF MARCH.  Lord help me.

3.  I have appointments with 2 different pain places coming up....we'll see which one works out, and which one I stick with.  Right now I'm just taking pain pills that kinda-sorta work.  I don't do pain.  I can handle a lot, but not chronic, never ending pain.  Just. Don't. Handle. It.

4.  I have 3 dental appointments coming up.  Basically every 2 weeks.  Crown prep, 2 fillings, and crown placement.  Thank you Prednisone.

5.  My jewelry business is going pretty good!  I just started a men's line, and I'm loving it.  I'm trying to learn new things all the time, and considering I've only been doing this since July, I am THRILLED with how it's going.

6.  I have several projects going on as far as MG Awareness is concerned.  I'm making packets that will consist of a DVD of  2 or 3 of my youtube videos, a book by Lisa Copen called "Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Help the Chronically Ill", and a packet of information I am working on about chronic illness:  all types of autoimmune disorders, mental illness, chronic illness among the "younger" crowd, statistics, etc.  Then I am going to send them all over the country and pray like crazy that it makes a difference.  I would LOVE your prayers in this area, because the books themselves are going to run about $700.00, and I don't $700.00!  So I am praying the Lord will provide what I need. If you are interested in receiving a packet once I get them done (can't tell you exactly when that will be), please email me at kerrisweeris@gmail.com with your name and address.

7.  The horrible decision that I thought I was going to have to make is resolving to the point that I don't think I will be needing to make that decision!!  Praise the LORD!  What an answer to prayer.  This is an issue that has been going on for YEARS, and really came to a head recently.  I could no longer not address it.  It was addressed, and at first I didn't think it mattered.  I asked everyone to pray, and God knocked it out of the park.  Things are changing for the better....for the BEST!  Thank you so much for your prayer support!

8.  Oh yes, then there's the book I'm writing that I haven't touched since NaNoWriMo in Novemeber. Ug.

9.  FIFTY-ONE DAYS TIL NORTH CAROLINA VACATION!!!  Whooooo-  Hoooooooo!!!!

10.  I didn't really have much of a number 10, but my OCD will not let me stop at 9.  LOL!!!!

Thank you for your support of my blog, my jewelry business, for praying for me, for my desire to educate and raise awareness about not only MG, but also chronic illness, and being my support group.  I love you all.