December 11, 2010

The weather outside is frightful, but these CARDS are so delightful

It's that time of year already when my Christmas cards should really be written, addressed, stamped, and in the mail. As I write this, there's a good old-fashioned Minnesota blizzard going on outside. We're due for 10+ inches of snow and high winds and ridiculous wind chills. This is a perfect day for cozying up by the fire, sipping hot cocoa, and pulling out a good book or movie. I've done some of that....I've also done some laundry, baking, cleaning, and present-wrapping. The gifts have got me thinking about Christmas and those cards that should already be in the mail. And then I remember this fabulous promotion Shutterfly is doing for bloggers. 50 free cards for blogging about Shutterfly.

I have ordered from Shutterfly many times in the past. I've always been pleased with their prices and quality of products I've received. My sister and I have made several photo calendars that have proven to be a much anticipated gift tradition in our family. Throughout the year, family members consistently ask if this might be an opportunity to get some photos for next year's calendar? These calendars are a cinch to put together and the finished product looks wonderful!


One thing I really appreciate about Shutterfly is that you can always find a good deal on something. They are always running some sort of a promotion that allows you to try new products in an affordable way.

As I scan through this year's Christmas cards, here are some of my favorites:




I find the cards to be very classy, yet sweet. Wouldn't you love to receive one of these in the mail? (covered with lovely photos of OUR family of course :o) I'm also considering ordering this mousepad for Grandma at her office...cute huh? I gotta go make my order!

November 26, 2010

I Love Jesus

That's all I have to say today.

November 18, 2010

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D

Is there enough of me to go around? There are days (like this one...like this whole week actually) that I wonder. It's all good, mind you, but I'm definitely relying on the grace of God to get me through.

Sarah told me the other day that she was "stressed out" because "it just seems like somebody always NEEDS something" and "I'm just used to being the youngest". Hannah broke down last night because she didn't like what we were having for supper and K was interrupting her when she was reading. After talking it out, she was able to express that she's feeling a bit neglected. Dana asked for a kiss good night last night and I felt like refusing (which I didn't) and saying, "You need me too? I got nothin' left!"

11:15, 12:15, 3:00, 3:30, 3:45 (2), 4:45, 5:00 (2), 6:00 (2), 7:30, 8:00, 8:15 (2)
These are the times today that I'm either supposed to drop someone or something off, pick someone up, call someone, or be somewhere. The 2's mean I'm really supposed to be 2 places at once. Somewhere in there everyone will need dinner. Dana will not be home until after 9:00 tonight. These are not the optional leisure activities of an overcommitted family. With a child "in the system" at our house, most of these times are beyond my control. The only things we'd normally have today would be to drop off my children at swimming at 6:00 and pick them up at 7:30.

I'm a person who typically goes into control mode when things feel out of control. I'm quick to try to "fix" the circumstances that are causing stress. Sometimes there are some things that need fixing. However, I've come to realize that many of the circumstances I'd like fixed are exactly the experiences God is using to grow my faith and dependence upon Him.

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13) I don't think this verse is some promise for accomplishment or a "you can do it" type of mentality, but a call to persevere in the midst of trial. I really CAN do everything Christ calls me to when I'm dependent on His power and strength to do it. Disorganization and chaos (perceived or real) have a way of driving me to my knees in a way that nothing else does. It's difficult to know that God has brought trial into the lives of my children. It's hard to see them stretched.

I'm pleasantly surprised to find that while I'm feeling S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D, I'm at peace. We know that God has called us to foster care. I can honestly sing with Chris Tomlin, "There's a peace I've come to know. Though my heart and flesh may fail, there's an Anchor for my soul. I can say, 'It is well.'" So, here is what I cling to today...

...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. I am confident of this: that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Jesus, in view of Your mercy, I offer my body to You as a living sacrifice...my spiritual act of worship. (Romans 8:26, 28; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 1:6; Romans 12:1)

Don't you just LOVE the word of God?!!!

November 15, 2010

Crazy Daze

November 15, 2010

6:45am - Up and at 'em
7:00am - Wake the kiddos
7:15am - Breakfast
7:35am - Drive kiddos to school
8:00am - back home...so far so good...average day
8-10:30am - shower, laundry, phone calls, e-mails, church worship scheduling, calendar check, meal planning, budget check-up, random household tasks
10:30-noon - wonderful time in prayer and Bible study
12:00pm - leave house to run errands (library, Meats 'n More, returns to Shopko, cell phone call to Mom)...picking up steam now
1:30pm - close friend calls with family emergency while I'm @ Shopko
2:00pm - fill van with gas
2:25pm - paperwork with school office and picking up kiddos
2:55pm - after school snack (my lunch), try on Shopko items (no good)
3:15pm - guardian ad litem stops by to visit foster child
4:00pm - piano teacher here for Hannah, homework, more laundry and random clean-up
4:45pm - leave home to go pick up Australian exchange student (Storm) who is staying with us for 3 weeks...running on adrenaline
5:05pm - meet student @ MSU, visit with the group and work out details
5:35pm - pick up snack @ BK drive thru for kids
5:43pm - Hannah to West for swim practice
5:47pm - Sarah to YMCA for swim practice
5:50pm - Meet Dana and Ethan at YMCA (they were at a Math League meet after school); Dana takes foster child (K - sorry, we can't post her name) swimming; swimming cut short by poop in pool
6:10pm - WalMart run for Storm to pick up a couple items
6:30pm - pick up friend's (remember previous emergency?) child to take her to ballet
6:50pm - back at Y to pick up S, D, and K
7:00pm - helping K with her hair in the shower - still figuring out this African American hair thing
7:30pm - send D home with everyone, I head back to ballet to pick up and bring home friend's daughter
8:00pm - home; all need food - carrots, broccoli, string cheese, leftover macaroni casserole, grapes, orange, "Milo" (kind of like hot chocolate mix) from Australia...random chaos
8:45pm - girls head to bed; Ethan announces he has geography project due tomorrow (and math homework)
9:00pm - D helps E with project; kitchen clean-up
10:00pm - make bed with clean sheets (remember that laundry?)
10:10pm - crawl in bed, check e-mail, and start blogging
10:30pm - Ethan finishes homework
10:45pm - D joins me in bed, reads my blog, chuckles, we "talk" about our day
11:02pm - blog posted, lights out

November 13, 2010

At Dinner Tonight...

Random quotes from our dinner table tonight:

Alex: Aliens smell like my mom's armpit in a smelly bathtub.
Hannah (while giving Dana a hug): Dad, your sweat smells better than cheese.
Sarah: You know what's funny Alex? Most children your age (7) don't use the word "hypothesis"
Nedra: Be careful...don't put the fork in your eye!
Alex (while getting ready for bed): Toothpaste is my enemy! It feels like there's a building on fire inside my mouth.

Just another average night at the Patenaude home!

P.S. Hope to be back blogging more regularly again... :o)

September 14, 2010

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Ethan's grown up so much in the first week of school.

My sixth-grader struggled to remember to bring homework home. My seventh-grader did his homework on the bus ride to his cross-country meet because he knew it would be late when he got home. My sixth-grader cried the first time he had to carry his trombone on the bus because it was too "big and heavy". My seventh-grader carried his book-filled backpack, running shoes, gym clothes, and his trombone into school yesterday and looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if he wanted help. My sixth-grader forgot he brought cold lunch to school 3 times in a row. My seventh-grader has no problem remembering the combinations to 3 different lockers. My sixth-grader struggled to keep his desk, papers, and thoughts organized. My seventh-grader is excited to share his plan with me for how he remembers what to bring to each class, how he's created labels for every pocket in his planner, and how he gets all the way across the school with everything he needs to bring home in time to catch the bus that brings him to cross country practice. My sixth-grader left his backpack, trombone, homework, lunch money, etc. at home regularly and had to call me to bring them to school for him. My seventh-grader reminds me (2 days ahead of time) that his cross-country uniform needs to be washed for the meet on Thursday. My sixth-grader barely knew what a "Scarlet" (the school mascot) was. My seventh-grader is thrilled to be a Scarlet! He proudly wore his sweatshirt to school today declaring that fact.

I know there will be forgotten homework assignments and trombone-runs to school. I won't be surprised to find out Ethan has missed the cross country bus and needs a ride. I realize the enthusiasm over a new school year will run its course. I also know my son is growing up. My heart swells with pride (the good kind) to witness his growth in responsibility. My face lights up to see him exhibit adult-like character. My eyes fill with tears to think of him maturing. I love that boy so much. I'm overcome with emotion when I catch glimpses of my boy turning into a man...

September 9, 2010

Summer Lessons from a Good God

The kids are off to school today which has me reflecting on our summer. The following are 2 of the main thoughts that have been echoing in my thoughts this summer.

1. My life is not my own.


This includes my time (that's the hardest one for me), my plans, my children, my home, my finances, my possessions, my body, etc. Everything I have or am is a gift from Him. I am to offer myself to Him to use as He desires. I realize this probably sounds trite and unoriginal. It certainly has been for me when I'm the Christian on her soap box declaring truths that I've yet to be challenged on. It sounds so good doesn't it? Especially when I'm just viewing it as "big picture"... However, when I'm slapped in the face with circumstances that require me to set aside my plans in order to accomplish His (often unclear) purpose for me, that's another story.

It's hard to "deny yourself" a snide remark or rude comment toward the police officer who's being less-than-professional with you when you are driving all over Washington D.C. on vacation in order for your son to get a root canal. It's not easy to "put aside your own interests" when you just want to sleep in and your more-than-capable children need you to get up and direct their day. Who has no problem saying no to the movie or TV show that's definitely not what you'd be watching with Jesus in the room? Or the kids asking for an ice cream treat from Dairy Queen (again) while you're on a long drive and don't really have the money but you want one too? What happens when the plans that God has for me cut into my "free" time? What about when I have a few hours to get some laundry done and run some errands, but a friend has a personal emergency and I know He wants me to drop everything to help? What if maintaining my monthly tithe means waiting to buy school supplies even though the best sale is now? What does it mean to "empty yourself" and "look to the interests of others" when the errands you are running take 3 times as long as expected and you make your husband late for a meeting so he's irritated with you and you come home and the house you had in order is now not and the children are sitting in front of the television playing video games? It's strange to realize that, while you are someone who's usually quite spontaneous, the spontaneity of this summer is kicking your butt! It's difficult to keep your temper (let alone "offer your body as a living sacrifice") when the house is a disaster, the kids are fighting, the refrigerator is empty, the phone is ringing, the bills are unpaid, the laundry is piled up, you're late on your way out the door to an event you don't want to go to, and the bags are packed and waiting to be loaded into the van for the next trip you're not quite ready for (welcome to my summer!)

Then Jesus said to His disciples,
"If anyone wishes to come after Me,
he must deny himself,
and take up his cross and follow Me."
(Matthew 16:24)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy,
to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God... (Romans 12:1)

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
do not merely look out for your own personal interests,
but also for the interests of others.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus who...
emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant...(Philippians 2:3-5, 7)

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you have received from God?
You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore, honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

2. God wants me TOTALLY dependent on Him.

I guess this is what I've concluded is the "why" behind all of the crazy circumstances this summer. I really believe that this is His main purpose in all of our lives - that we would see our NEED of Him - not just for my salvation but for my continuous walk with Him. If I have a life that is easily lived apart from dependence on Him, it's really not the life He's called me to live.

Let me just say, while this summer was crazy, I don't think it was wrong. I don't look back on this summer and think, "We've got to do that differently next year." I really believe the trips we planned (whether they actually went according to plan or not) were exactly what we should have been doing. When we were home, there were hardly any days that were "ordinary", stay-at-home-and-enjoy-summer-vacation days - and that was NOT according to plan. Yet almost every day we had commitments, extra children, respite care, preparation for the next trip, etc. Yet, I don't think that was wrong either. I hear a lot about "margin" and "boundaries" in today's secular and Christian world. How it's "healthy" to have margin. I'm definitely not a person who wants to fill every minute of the day with something - that actually stresses me out. I LOVE blank calendar pages! Yet, my life this summer (and so far this fall) hasn't had much margin. Is it because I'm not in the center of God's will for my life? Maybe...but maybe not. I can live my life trying to control my circumstances, or I can obey and depend on God in the midst of what He throws my way. (This is not to say there's not a right way to live. A life of following the Lord is full of moral absolutes. But when it comes to the details - things that are morally neutral - margin or no margin - I think there's room in a Christian's life for seasons of both.) My best-laid plans need to be able to be nixed at a moment's notice (if that's what He wants). I need to be ready to offer my home, $, possessions, and time for His purposes.

Again this all sounds good, maybe cliche, but good. What if the life Jesus has for me isn't something I think I can handle? What if I don't even like it? That's where the dependence comes in.

I used to be someone who really felt like I pretty much did a good job at most of the things I wanted to do a good job at. If I wasn't good at it, I didn't do it. Then I became a mother, and couldn't quit that even though I often feel like a complete failure at it. That's when God began teaching me this lesson. I'm not really depending on Him at all if I can keep it all under control. He has stripped me of that control in so many ways. (I'd love to discuss these specifics personally with anyone who'd want to.) Every single one of those ways was uncomfortable at the very least and extremely painful a lot of the time. In fact, I'm more broken now (or maybe just more aware of how broken I've been all along) than ever. Yet, it's a peaceful place to be. Why? Because my God is a good God and He loves me!

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. (1John 4:16)

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. (1John 3:16)
...not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1John 4:10)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Because I can trust Him. Everything I wrote about in #1 is completely impossible for me in and of myself. I put most of those examples in there as things I've failed in doing. Yet He is at work in me!

...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in (me)
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6)

...for it is God who is at work in (me), both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13)

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."
Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses,...with distresses,...with difficulties,
for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2Cor. 12:9-10)


Because I'm more aware of my need for Him than ever!

I am the vine, you are the branches;
he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit,
for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:6)

God is faithful! The Word of the Lord stands because of the God who stands behind His Word!



August 12, 2010

The Meyers

The Siblings
Mark, Audrey, Dennis, Ardith


The Cousins
Annette (Ardith), Andrea (Ardith), Martha (Dennis), Andrew (Ardith), Nedra (Dennis), Natasha (Mark), Matthew (Mark), Alyssa (Mark), Lorraine (Audrey), Ardella (Audrey)

As far as any of us know...the first time ever we've all been together!
Congratulations Natasha and Vern!
What a nice weekend!

July 30, 2010

The Crookston Cousins

Katelyn (4) and Hannah are good friends. They had a "sleepover" at Grandma's the first night we were here.


Hannah, Grandpa, Elysa (9), Ethan, Sarah, and Evan (almost 7) on the roof of Grandpa's house...Why? Something to do with Grandpa appeasing a desire to launch a parachute from up high...


Evan and Ethan are good buddies...and total goofballs!


Ditto for Sarah and Elysa


The newest cousin, Sylvia Lynn, born June 22, 2010 - what a little sweetie! Check out those lips...



Grandma with Evan, Ethan, and Sarah

July 26, 2010

It was the worst of times...

Romans 8:28 God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. (Nedra's paraphrase) He truly is "El Roi" - the God who sees me. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13) His grace is sufficient for me. When I am weak, He is strong.

I've hinted around enough. Alas, it is time to tell the whole vacation story. Hopefully the previous posts are enough of a preface to say that we DID have a great vacation. God just added a little adventure...and let me say, but for the grace of God and my relationship with Jesus, I don't know how I would have made it through. Seriously.

While we were in Ohio, Ethan started to have some pain in his mouth. The pain was completely unpredictable, would come and go, and it was difficult to determine the source. We called our dentist at home; he mentioned the possibility of Ethan needing to be seen if the pain became unmanageable. For the most part, Motrin seemed to be doing the trick so we just gave him that as needed and moved forward with our plans.

On Friday, July 9, while in the van on the way to Washington DC, Ethan suddenly screamed out in pain and started crying. We were out of all of our children's pain medication and not near any town so Ethan was motivated to swallow a pill. This ended up being a blessing in disguise as up to this point, Ethan has been unwilling to even try to swallow pills. Let's just say he's now a PRO! Throughout the next few days, there were minor episodes of pain. We now realized the pain was connected to his front left tooth. This winter, Ethan had fallen and chipped his tooth. It had been repaired but was now the source of his pain. Another phone call to our dentist suggested the need for a root canal.

NOW...hold on a minute. Before going any further, let me explain something. You mothers will understand I'm sure. We are on a vacation we'd been planning for months. We are over 1,000 miles away from home in a city we are completely unfamiliar with. We are not planning to return home for another week. My son is in pain periodically, but so far OTC pain medication seems to be doing the trick. "Root canal" was not on our list of things to do (or budget for) while in DC. Call me crazy, but I'm doing all I can to just get Ethan through until we can get home (or at the very least back to Ohio where Ryan and Stephanie can help us find a dentist). So, while I would normally cringe at the idea of giving my son various doses of Tylenol, Motrin, and Aleve every 2-4 hours, this seemed like the best option at the time. Turns out waiting might have been the the wrong thing to do...

We celebrated Nedra's birthday in DC on Monday, July 12. After calling it a day, we were headed back to the hotel via subway (around 4pm) when Ethan again started having tooth pain. Thinking we'd been lax with the meds while out that day, we gave him some Aleve and waited for it to kick in. Fortunately, it got us through dinner out at a nice little Italian restaurant, but it soon became apparent that what we'd been doing just wasn't cuttin' it anymore. The thought in our minds was, "Just get us through tomorrow and then we'll go see someone on Wednesday when we're back in Ohio..." Ethan was in moderate to severe pain most of the evening and into the night. He was whimpering, moaning, crying, and sometimes screaming in pain. He got very little sleep, and started asking questions like, "Why is this happening to me?" On Tuesday morning, July 13, we made the decision to take him to see a dentist in DC. The poor kid was absolutely MISERABLE!

The plan for that last day in DC was to go on scheduled tours of the White House and Capitol and then drive back to Ohio (arriving just before midnight). We decided it would be best if Dana and the girls would just go forward with the tours as planned while I did the dentist stuff with Ethan. I googled "pediatric dentist alexandria virginia delta dental" in order to find a dentist near our hotel that would accept our insurance. By the grace of God, we were able to schedule an appointment for 9:30am. We ate breakfast, packed up the van (no minor event considering we'd now been on vacation for over a week), and checked out of the hotel. Dana and the girls took the Metro into DC and Ethan and I put the address of the dental office into the GPS (thank you Mom and Dad for loaning it to us) and headed out.

Again, a little aside here...during all of this and all I will continue to write, Ethan is still in a lot of pain. There is constant moaning, crying, etc. in the background while he struggles through his misery.

I am experiencing "mommy guilt" and questioning what we should have/could do differently. When I get stressed out, I have stomach and bathroom issues. When I indicate in the story that I'm in need of a bathroom, you'll know what I mean: I need a bathroom and I need it RIGHT NOW! It also happens to be that wonderful time of the month for me when many women struggle to maintain emotional stability. Excuse me if this is TMI, but it definitely was part of the experience that day, so I've decided to include it. During this lovely time of the month, I routinely have one very difficult, crampy, heavy day where I basically need to stick close to a bathroom all day - this is that day.

We have only one cell phone. Dana takes it with him. I have the laptop computer. The way we will communicate is that I will text the phone from the computer when I can get somewhere to find a wireless connection. Dana is touring the White House and can take NOTHING with him but cell phone and wallet.

The GPS we are borrowing from my parents is one that needs to be updated periodically for new road construction, etc. The area near our hotel has just undergone major construction and the GPS doesn't have the updates in it. We've learned how to figure out where it's telling us we need to go, but this often involves a few U-turns in the process. I am at the mercy of this GPS to get me around town.

(Oh my! My heart rate is accelerating just writing this...)

Okay, back to the story...Ethan and I leave the hotel on our way to the dentist. On the way, I need a bathroom and there are none. I don't make it in time. When I finally do see a bathroom, I grab some extra clothes, leave my moaning son in the vehicle, and head into a restaurant to get cleaned up. This is no small chore in a public bathroom. One word: gross!

We arrive at the address for the dentist and it's an apartment complex. There are no signs to indicate this is a dental office. I figure I'm at the wrong place until I see a sign on one of the apartment doors. I realize this is an apartment complex that has been renovated into various medical offices. There is no directory to indicate where the office is that we're looking for so we walk around looking at the doors to all of the apartments until we find the right one. By some miracle of God, we are only 15 minutes late and it's no problem. They've held our spot. This medical office evokes thoughts of dirty abortion clinics. Don't get me wrong; we received excellent care and all my questioning thoughts were for nothing, but the location, the size, and the condition of this office had me second-guessing my decision to come here. The dentist takes one look at Ethan and knows he needs a root canal. "I don't do root canals," he replies. "There is an endodontist that comes into our office to do them for us on (some day of the week that is not today), but he's not scheduled to come in today." After some pleading on my part, he agrees to call this endodontist to see if he'll come in and we have an appointment for a root canal scheduled for 2:45 that afternoon.

The dentist sends me on my way by 10:00am with a prescription for Tylenol with codeine to help ease Ethan's "discomfort". There's supposed to be a CVS pharmacy just around the corner, but I can't find it so I use the GPS to try to find a different one. The only place I can get it to give me directions to is a mall. I figure that the mall would be a decent place to kill time. There are usually other stores near a mall, so I can probably find a pharmacy, restaurants, bathrooms, and maybe even a theater where we can hole up for the afternoon and watch a movie. On my way to the mall, I spot a Starbucks that indicates "free wireless" for all patrons. I stop there intending to give Dana an update, but after 30 minutes and numerous people trying to help me, I can't get online. It's a mystery to everyone in the place as no one else is having a problem getting connected. Anyway, at least it made a good bathroom break. On to the mall...

There are no pharmacies that I can see within proximity to the Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Virginia. The mall reminds me of one you might find in the Twin Cities where there are actual exits off of the freeway that go just to the mall. It's huge, although the parking lot is almost empty. I consider this a wonderful thing until we get inside (to use the bathroom again) and realize why there are no cars in the lot - the mall is pretty much empty. There's a Macy's and Sears and that's about it. I realize this is not going to be the place to spend our afternoon so we head out still in search of a pharmacy and another bathroom. I remember that there is a Target near our hotel that had a pharmacy and our hotel has a wireless connection so I decide to head back there even though I have no clue how to get there now. I'm totally lost and still at the mercy of this GPS that kind of gives me directions to where I need to go. It's telling me to proceed to the nearest road, but every exit from the mall leads to a major freeway and I don't know which one I want. I'm always second-guessing the GPS, and am a bit distracted by my whimpering son and the GPS constantly telling me to "proceed to the nearest road" when I'm already on a road or telling me to make a u-turn while I'm on a busy freeway.

In the midst of my distraction, I become aware of a red light too late (although I must say, the light was in a weird spot) and in an effort to obey the light, I stop too late so I'm kind of sticking out into the intersection. I'm trying to decide whether to try to back up or just keep going when I hear the siren. As the policeman approaches the van, I lose it. I'm in tears when I roll down the window. "What's going on?" he asks. "I'm on vacation and totally lost. My son needs a root canal and I need to find a pharmacy. I didn't see the light-- " Policeman interrupts sarcastically, "You do have to stop at red lights in Minnesota, don't you?" I went silent right then and there knowing I was getting a ticket. I couldn't find my driver's license. It wasn't in my wallet as I'd had it in a smaller bag while we were touring DC so I didn't have to carry my purse around. The policeman wouldn't let me search for it while he was standing there so he took my information and headed back to his vehicle. I found my license while he was taking his time back there in his car. Ethan has now switched roles and is trying to comfort me in my distress. The policeman comes back with my "summons to appear in court" (why doesn't he just call it a traffic ticket?) and then tries to make nice by so graciously removing the charge for not being able to present my license (since I've now produced it) and giving me directions to a pharmacy. I'm now back on my way - it's noon.

I'm so glad to see the hotel parking lot I almost burst into tears again. I have no problem getting a wireless connection there. Dana happens to be having lunch so we're able to text back and forth a little bit. I can't relay the full drama as we're just texting and trying to make it short. The dentist is nowhere near the Metro (Dana's only means of transportation) so we plan on meeting back at the hotel again when Ethan's procedure is complete (maybe 4:30?). He and the girls will just hang out in the lobby until I get there.

Ethan and I arrive at the Target pharmacy. I hand over the prescription which seems almost pointless to fill at this point, but I hope to provide him some relief. I overhear a conversation between the pharmacist and his assistant, "Yeah, you'd better call the dentist to check it out..." I ask if there is a problem with the prescription. Apparently it is quite strange that they'd see a prescription on this side of town from a dental office that is not near here, so they question the validity of the prescription. I tearfully (I'm so embarrassed that I just can't stop the tears) explain the situation and then the pharmacist says they don't carry the dosage of the prescription indicated. He tries to direct me to another place, but I'm having none of that - it's here or nowhere. He ends up calling the dentist, and the prescription is adjusted. There's a slight problem with our out-of-state medical insurance (praise the Lord that I have the insurance cards along), but that is resolved and we're on our way. We grab lunch. The medication really has no effect on Ethan's pain and at this point he can't wait for the root canal! You know it's bad when you can't wait for a root canal.

As we drive back to the dental office, we encounter major traffic issues. It's not construction, but there's some kind of disturbance. Turns out there must have been some sort of power outage at the light I'm supposed to turn at. This has brought 6 lanes of traffic down to 1 and a half! I know where I need to turn, but it's mass chaos at this intersection. Eventually, I make it past the intersection and on to my destination despite many protests from the GPS and questions and complaints from Ethan in the back seat. I feel sorry for the kid, but I'm losing patience and compassion. Oh, I need a bathroom again too...

Finally back at the dental office - 2:45 on the nose. The office is closing for the day at 3:00. I talk with Dr. Finkelstein about the procedure. He doesn't want me in the back during the root canal. I send Ethan back with him, but I'm feeling very uncomfortable with this as I don't know this man at all. Remember how I already felt about this office? No one else is going to be in this apartment/office while he's doing this procedure. The other dentist, receptionist, nurses, etc. are all packed up and leaving for the day. My 12-year-old son is going to be in the back room sedated with a man I don't know (and who also has really bad breath ;o) While I'm in the bathroom (yet again) contemplating how I'm going to insist on being in the room for the root canal, I hear the receptionist answer the phone just before she leaves, and from what she's saying I can tell it's for me. Dana is thanking Jesus that I thought to have him put the dentist's phone number into the cell phone "just in case". If he would have called just a minute later, no one would have answered. How would he have gotten in touch with me to let me know what was going on? He reports that he accidentally threw his wallet away on his lunch tray at the Smithsonian. Basically, all of the garbage at the Smithsonian gets emptied into some underground garbage collection system so there was no finding it. He's left with only the cell phone. In the garbage: credit card, driver's license, Metro passes, and $80 cash. He now has no way to get back to the hotel to meet me, so I'm going to have to drive into DC to get him when Ethan is finished. Ethan will be done right around prime time for rush hour traffic. We arrange an approximate meeting time and place. Fortunately, all of the Smithsonian Museums are free and air-conditioned so he and the girls have no problem finding something to do.

Everyone is now gone from the office. I give up on trying to insist on being present for the root canal, but I do sneak back to peek in on the procedure every now and then. I read some Psalms and a bit of Isaiah while I wait. This calms my nerves. "Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out before You day and night. May my prayer reach Your presence; listen to my cry. For I have had enough troubles, and my life is near Sheol..." Psalm 88:1-3 - that's the Psalm God gave me in the midst of this. Yes, He truly is the God Who Sees Me. I answer the phone at the office a couple of times thinking it might be Dana. I leave with a groggy and exhausted, yet relieved, boy and a prescription for an antibiotic that needs to be filled immediately. The dentist also believes Ethan's blood sugar is low and I should get him some candy or something. This time, I actually find the CVS around the corner. Again, we have issues with our insurance, but once this is resolved, we go next door to a Starbucks to use the bathroom (yes all of that is still going on), try to update Dana, and to get Ethan a smoothie. Back to CVS to pick up the prescription.

Traffic is surprisingly mild traveling into DC, but I realize the place where we've arranged to meet is a road that is quite busy and I won't be able to stop. Just as I'm trying to decide what to do, a parking space opens up - if you've been to DC, you know this is a miracle - and I pull in. I put a quarter into the parking meter which gives me 6 minutes to find Dana and the girls and get back to the van. Ethan is in no shape to be running anywhere so I guiltily leave him in the van (it's like 95 degrees outside) and run to the Air and Space Museum entrance. I'm filled with relief when I spot my husband. We all rush back to the van and take off for Columbus, Ohio. Yes, we still have an 8-hour drive ahead of us...it's 5:30pm.

I find relief in telling Dana my story while we crawl out of DC. Ethan is now feeling a little bit better, and the girls are full of tales of their day. We stop in Frederick, Maryland to fill up with gas, get some more cash, and have a bite to eat. It's starting to sprinkle.

Three hours later, we are in the midst of a downpour. The fast wipers have been on constantly for the full 3 hours as we travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike through the mountains. There are flood warnings out. For those of you who have never been on this road, let's just say it would be a challenging drive in the best of circumstances. 80% of the vehicles on this road are semis. We are constantly climbing or going downhill - you know how this goes with semis. The road is quite narrow for a freeway. It is dark. It is POURING rain. Our windshield is constantly pummeled with water when a we pass a semi or one passes us. Vehicles are hydroplaning. There are not really any exits along the way; there are emergency stopping lanes along the highway, but these are packed and seem more dangerous than just staying on the road. I mention the possibility of getting a hotel for the night, but we figure the children will soon fall asleep and we should just keep going. Besides, our budget is already blown to bits...Ethan is now running a fever - about 102.

At 1:00am, I'm sitting in the back with sobbing girls who can't sleep and Hannah is about ready to lose it. She's kicking and crying. Ethan is up front with Dana with the seat reclined trying to get some rest. The medication isn't doing anything for his fever and he can't sleep either. A quick call to Dr. Finkelstein is reassuring about the fever. He said it's certainly not cause for concern at this point, but nothing to ignore either. I'm to keep him updated. Again, Ethan's moaning, whimpering, and crying. Dana is doing everything he can to concentrate on the road. We pull up to Ryan and Stephanie's house at 2:30am and CRASH (sleep, not the vehicle)!

The next morning, Ethan still has a low fever and his face is puffy. At first we don't think anything of it. He did just have a root canal. Swelling should be expected, right? That afternoon, I make a few phone calls and realize this swelling is a complication and not something routine. Our dentist at home says to call the dentist in DC to get a different antibiotic. Dr. Finkelstein says to double up on the prescription we have, but we should see an oral surgeon! This seems a bit excessive, so I call our pediatrician at home (also a personal friend) and ask her advice. What a blessing! She prescribes something stronger and says we should see some results in 48 hours or Ethan should be seen. Again, issues with the out-of-state prescription and insurance thing, but I'm feeling like a pro at this point.

40 hours later, we are on our way home to Mankato. Ethan is feeling much better (almost back to normal), but there is still some swelling and he almost looks like he has a black eye. I realize the 48-hour mark will be around 10:00pm Friday night when we're due to arrive back in Mankato. I call the dentist at home to see if we should be going to the emergency room when we get home or if it can wait for Urgent Care on Saturday morning. She says, "You need to stop where you are right now and see an oral surgeon." I felt like I got kicked in the stomach. Throughout all of this, I'd never actually been worried, just stressed by the circumstances. Now, the Mommy-guilt kicked in full-force. The dentist made it clear that we shouldn't be alarmed, but that we also should not wait. The infection had spread to Ethan's face, and we needed to get it taken care of right away. There was something about it that put me in panic mode. So my wonderful husband is trying to talk me down. We had to switch drivers because I was in no condition to be driving. We're phone-calling back and forth: my mom, the dentist in Mankato, my sister, the oral surgeon in Peoria to tell us they are closing and we won't be able to get in there, the dentist from home again, the oral surgeon from Peoria directing us to another oral surgeon in Bloomington...we are turning around to drive back 30 miles to Bloomington, Illinois where we have an appointment there. Ethan is upset that he has to see another unfamiliar doctor because he "feels better" and this doctor will not be a "kid dentist". The girls are pumping out questions left and right. We're praying the GPS will lead us where we need to go.

This is where it all gets better folks - for real. This place and this doctor were absolutely wonderful. I'm not sure what I expected. I went in there feeling all apologetic that we interrupted their schedule and so grateful that they were willing to squeeze us in. I thought we'd feel like an intrusion or an annoyance, but that wasn't the case at all. I think God knew just what I needed at this point. Dana took care of entertaining the girls and dealing with Rudy (yes, he was along for all of this - not DC though). I stayed with Ethan. We were greeted by a doctor who was totally attentive to our needs. I finally felt like we had someone who was willing to take ownership over the whole thing. Dr. Capodice explained everything in a way that even put Ethan at ease. Ethan said, "I think he really is a kid dentist." This doctor wanted to hear the whole story. He responded with reassurance and compassion. He even knew about the Mommy-guilt without me having to say anything. He relieved that by saying even if we had come to him a couple of days ago with this issue, he would've done the same thing - prescribed the new antibiotic and waited 48 hours. He fully explained what had already been done, what the issue was now, and how he suggested we resolve it. Dr. Capodice would go in and clean out the infection in the root canal and insert a drain into Ethan's mouth that would allow the infection a way of escape. Ethan needed to be sedated for the procedure/surgery.

They bent over backwards for us at this place. Normally, we would have had to schedule this procedure for a different day; he did it right away. We were among his last patients for the day; it seemed like they were staying late for us. Every member of their staff treated us with courtesy, respect, kindness, and professionalism. We didn't have to find a pharmacy to fill any prescriptions. He gave us the mouthwash, salt water rinse (which they mixed for us right there from salt from their break room), extra gauze, IV antibiotics, and pain meds there. They explained everything every step of the way. The nurses entertained the girls in the recovery room. They gave us certificates for free ice cream at McDonald's. One of them even went out to the van to meet Rudy! Dr. Capodice said it would be possible to drive the rest of the way home if we needed to, but sounded a bit hesitant. After the drive we had following the root canal on Tuesday, we weren't willing to chance it for another 7-8 hours, so we called my mom to ask her to find us a hotel - one that would allow pets. We relaxed at the hotel that evening and were fresh for the drive on Saturday.

Ethan was pretty wobbly from having been sedated, but within a couple of hours, he was a whole new person. The swelling was starting to go down. The fever broke. He even got into trouble in the van on the way home the next day. Home never felt as good as it did that evening. We joined our church family for Worship in the Park on Sunday. I told bits and pieces of this story to many of you there; now you got the whole thing. The drain was removed by our dentist on Monday. What a relief it was to see him! Ethan took the last of his antibiotics last night and appears to be fully recovered. We do have some follow-up appointments coming up in August, but I think (hope) the worst of it is over. What an adventure...to say the least! This vacation will be the one we talk about for decades to come.

It's been therapeutic to type this all out today. I can finally lay it to rest. One thing I must say...throughout all of this, God is our Rock, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Our family stepped up and came through this unscathed. In spite of the stress, we were there for each other - offering words of encouragement, supporting and caring for each other, being strong when some of us were weak. And this is not of us.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed...Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. " (2Corinthians 4:7-9; 16-18)

July 23, 2010

Vacation Photos

The Washington Monument - we're all so glad to finally be in Washington DC!

This was our favorite! WWII Memorial at night - absolutely breath-taking!


Sarah is "windsurfing" at the Smithsonian. Hannah gave it a try too. Much harder than it looks...


A common site while riding on the Metro...everyone exhausted. We had about a 20-30 minute ride to and from our hotel each way. It was so fun to see the kids become familiar with the subway. They were extremely cautious and excited (and clueless) at first. By the end of our vacation, they looked like old pros scanning their tickets and knowing which trains to watch for. Ethan was our route planner - his nose was always in the map. We couldn't have done it without you Ethan!


The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This tomb is guarded 24-7-365 no matter what the weather. These soldiers undergo intense training and this assignment is considered a very high honor. The guarding and ceremony to change guards are both extremely precise (21 steps; pause 21 seconds; gun switches shoulders; 21 steps back, etc.). So cool!

Here's our family blocking the view of DC from Arlington National Cemetery. Spectacular (as seen below)! As you can probably tell, Hannah was DONE for the day. We had to hike up to see this and it was near the end of a long day. We had all we could do to just get her in the photo... You catch a glimpse of Lincoln Memorial at the left of the photos, Washington Monument in the middle, the capitol in the distance. In our family photo, you can see Jefferson Memorial just to the right of the flag pole.

Washington Monument in the daytime - Ethan showing signs of the misery to come.


Feeding the ducks in the Reflecting Pool. That pool is so much prettier from a distance with the Washington Monument reflecting in it.


The Vietnam Wall is an amazing picture of the number of people affected by war. There are 50,000+ names on this wall - each one with a family and a story... The children had lots of questions about this. It's almost mesmerizing to stand at the wall and contemplate it all. The top of the wall is at ground level. You walk down to where the 2 walls meet at a right angle - at this point the wall is about 10 feet high. The names are written in order of the casualties. There are books outside the wall where you can look up names in order to locate them on the wall. We searched and found the name of an individual Nedra's dad knew of. This really brought this whole thing to life. The children pressed their fingers to the names in order to see the imprint on their hands. We noticed our reflections in the wall.

Union Station - as everyone grows weary of the mom taking photos, I tell them to just give me their best "I'm tired" face...here's the result.

Happy Birthday Mom! (37)



The Smithsonian Museum of Art. The children are all listening to some information from a phone-like "kids' tour guide" they were given. Nedra loves the impressionist paintings esp. Monet and Renoir. This kids' tour allows Nedra to look around a bit while the children are entertained.

Back in Columbus at the Zoo - Ryan had to work so he couldn't join us.
After several more-than-sweaty hot days of touring in DC, we threw Dana's hat away so we had to get him a new one at the zoo. For some reason, Nedra finds this somewhat silly hat strangely attractive on her man :o)

Thor tries out the hat.

There's that sweet Baby Solomon and his beautiful Mommy!


Thor and Hannah are checking out the fish at the zoo. We sat and examined this tank for quite some time. We marveled at the complexity and diversity in God's creation - and that was just fish!

This is Misha, a baby gorilla. She was injured at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky and sent here to recuperate. She lost part of a leg, but is being nursed back to health. We were enamored with her. Isn't she CUTE?!

Just around the corner was one of the other gorillas...not quite as cute, but pretty funny...

Leaving the zoo. As we drove out of Ohio, we remarked on how bittersweet it was to see the "Thanks for visiting Ohio" sign. Ready to go home, but lots of sweet memories...thank you so much Ryan and Stephanie! We miss you already!

July 21, 2010

The Children and Their Favorites

Almost every time someone asks them about our vacation, the children have a different favorite to share. Here are some of the things they mentioned on the drive home...


Washington DC

Ethan: I liked seeing the new $100 bill before it's even out. The WWII Memorial - that place was cool! And that wall...the Vietnam Wall. It was fun finding that name. The Holocaust Museum - I didn't really like that one because it was sad. I'm glad I didn't live during WWII.

Hannah: I'm not talkin' 'cuz you're gonna be posting this somewhere...I liked that lady on the Metro who sounds so bored as she announced the stops.

Sarah: I liked the subway and all the escalators. The windsurfing in the museum was fun - I could DO it! I liked seeing them make money. At the Art Museum I liked the kids' tour, the fountain, and the gift shop.



Columbus Zoo

Ethan: I liked just looking at that water park at the zoo! Too bad we couldn't go this time... That big tank of "fishies" was cool. The flamingos didn't exactly do very much - they just stood there. I liked the little monkey that ate his poop - and the one that stuck his tongue out at me.

Hannah: (refuses to talk for fear of appearing on the blog)

Sarah: The Blowfish! The flamingos that stand on one leg! Misha - the baby gorilla who the lady was cuddling - she was SO cute! That red panda!



July 13, 2010 - still to be blogged about - here's a little taste...

Ethan: My tooth - that was crazy! For me, everything was pretty much bad.

Hannah: It disappears forever!! Dad sat down and said he felt like he was kicked in the stomach. His face was stressed!

Sarah: It was the longest day ever! The wallet was on the tray and it went in the garbage and now it's underground. ...And then we were in rain the whole time to Ohio!



Random quotes from the drive:

"If I got dropped into a port-a-potty, I'd die within 5 seconds because of the smell!" -Ethan

On waiting rooms..."I like sitting in them, but not waiting in them. Why are they called 'wading' rooms when there's not any water in them?" -Ethan

"I don't think blogging is worth it." -Sarah

"I threw it on the GROUND!" -you tube video Ryan had shown us quoted regularly by all in the van

Various quotes from the Old Spice man commercials - "You're on a boat with the man your man could smell like...the tickets are now diamonds!"

"Yellow line train to Huntington!"

July 18, 2010

It was the best of times...

By now many of you have heard bits and pieces of our vacation story. We'd thought we'd share some of our highlights before we go into the more "sanctifying" details...

Columbus was wonderful - HOT - but wonderful. Thor is so much fun. He's a typical almost-2-year-old in that he jabbers constantly (some things you understand, some you don't), he is into everything, and he doesn't appreciate being thwarted in his efforts to explore his world. He's especially "Thor" in that he is constantly trying to figure out how things work, he's very sensitive to others' emotions, he's good for a laugh, and who can resist those bluer-than-blue eyes? Hannah really took to Thor (as I think Thor did to Hannah...and Rudy too :o) Solomon is absolutely adorable! He looks like Stephanie as much as Thor looks like Ryan. He's a snuggler, and it was so good to hold that little baby after praying for him for so long. If you could catch his eye and talk to him, Solomon would give you a dimply grin and start "talking" right back. Sarah enjoyed the fact that he'd fall asleep on her shoulder. We all enjoyed making rhymes and songs to go with Solomon's name. "Solomander", "Solo-man", "Solomon, Solomon, don't forget the Solomon", "Solonator", "Solomon, Solomon, oh Solly Solly Solly"...(to the tune of Lollipop). Stephanie and Ryan were wonderful hosts. We went to 2 different pools - this was PERFECT considering the heat. We joined their church for VBS. We saw a replica of the Santa Maria - get it? We were in Columbus?! It was interesting, but just too hot to fully enjoy it. We saw where Ryan worked. We also spent a day at the Columbus Zoo. Other than just being able to spend time together with family, the zoo was probably our highlight in Ohio.

Next stop: Washington D.C.

We drove the 8 or so hours from Columbus to D.C. on Friday, July 9th. The kids played in the hotel pool while Mom and Dad made plans for the next few days. That evening we drove into D.C. to see the monuments at night. Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial (this was our favorite, you'll be able to tell why from the photo), Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Capitol. This was a wonderful way to get all of us excited for what was to come. This was also just a warm-up for all of the walking we'd be doing in hot and sticky weather - yes, even at night.

Sarah was super-pumped for riding the subway the next morning. After a hassle with using our credit card to buy Metro passes (you can only charge so much per card so we had to go back to the hotel to get another card to use) we were on our way. It was raining so we decided to do the Smithsonian Museums: Air & Space, Art, and American History. It was extremely busy that day as everyone else had the same idea for a rainy day that we did. Still enjoyable though... We stopped at Arlington National Cemetery on the way back to our hotel. Here we saw the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is an extremely formal and precise ceremony - so cool! They asked for complete silence. I think our children were so in awe of the whole thing, they hardly would've been able to speak anyway.

Sunday: Monuments in the daytime - Had a snack by the reflecting pool and the kids had a blast sharing their animal crackers with the ducks there. I know, I know...please no comments on the horrors of feeding processed human food to these innocent creatures. This might have been the highlight of the entire morning. No really...this time I think the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was our favorite. We looked up the name of someone Grandpa knew of who was killed in the war. This kind of brought the whole thing to life for the children. They were intrigued by the number of names on the wall and asked questions about why we fought the war. We talked about the disrespectful behavior toward soldiers when they returned home...good discussion; sad, but good. Had lunch in Union Station and spent the afternoon in the Old Post Office Museum. Due to the lack of people at the museum that day, the kids were able to fully experience the museum and all of the exhibits. They all enjoyed it. Back to the hotel for swimming. Sarah was running a fever so she napped. We all enjoyed the down time.

Monday was Nedra's birthday so we tried to cater to her. Everyone was willing (or at least faked being willing) to pose for photos. Dana went alone into DC on the Metro (subway) early Monday morning to get us tickets to visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The rest of us were able to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. We visited the Holocaust Museum (only the part that was for children). We had read Corrie Ten Boom's biography so the children were somewhat familiar with what went on, but the exhibit was very good at explaining the Holocaust from a child's perspective. It was a sobering morning. Ethan's comment on his "postcard" to Daniel (the boy in the exhibit), "I'm really sad this happened to you." Hannah wondered how people could do that to other people. Sarah's postcard, "Dear Daniel, This is sad. I'm sorry for you."

Our tour to see how they make money was at 12:30. We got to see them making the new $100 bills that don't go into circulation until February 2011. We saw a block of $1,000,000 worth of $10 bills. That's a LOT of money! We tried to go to the Archives to see the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, but the line was incredibly long so we can say we "saw" them from a distance. We finished up the day with a little more time in the Art Museum. That evening we went out to dinner at a local Italian restaurant we'd discovered online. We even got a free piece of ricotta cheese cake for Nedra's birthday. Doesn't sound the best, but trust me, IT WAS WONDERFUL!

On Tuesday, Dana, Hannah, and Sarah toured the White House and Capitol. They got to see Bo, the First Family's dog. They also spent some more time in the Air and Space Museum. Ethan and Nedra were on a different sort of tour...photos of the trip and "the rest of the story" soon to come. Brace yourselves....

July 7, 2010

Ohio Trip - Part 1

The Drive...We left Mankato at 6:15 am on Monday morning. We arrived in Canal Winchester, OH at 9:00 pm. We made only four stops along the way (Dana is proud of this fact). The trip was uneventful except for a couple of sibling spats and a less than consistent A/C. It turns out the A/C only needed a recharge of freon at Bootsie's Auto Repair for $63.


Day 1:

"Solomon is a little honey" - Nedra
"Where are we going to get our A/C checked? It's going to be in the upper 90's this week!!!" - Dana

"This new and improved Domino's is great" - Patenaudes plus AFLBS summer team

"It's my turn to hold Solomon now Hannah/Sarah has been holding him all day" - Hannah/Sarah

"How was the pool?" - Ryan (he was working and didn't go with us)

"The slide was too slow but the pool was SWEET!" - Ethan

"Oody, oody, oody!" - Thor (translation Rudy, Rudy, Rudy)

"Show us those dimples, Solomon" - Stephanie

"Thor...Thor...Thor. Come here Thor...Thor, NO! Thor, don't put that in your mouth. Thor's so cute. Thor's tough. Thor, say 'uncle'" - Everyone.

"How come the adults get to stay in the pool during break time at this swiming pool?" - Kids

Day 2:

"It's HOT!" - Nedra

"Praise the Lord the A/C is fixed" - everyone

"Praise the Lord it wasn't serious (or expensive)" - Dana & Nedra

"Let's just watch a movie this morning. How about UP?" - Dana

"We get to watch a movie in the morning?! Whoo-hoo!" - Kids

"What are we going to do when Ryan gets done with work?" - Adults

"The Santa Maria is in Columbus?" - Ethan
"You're serious? They went to bathroom that way? Gross!" - Nedra
"It's HOT!" - Hannah
"Can you give me a piggy-back ride?" - Sarah

"I'm SOOO thirsty!!!" - Ethan

"Nothing glorious, fun, or exciting about sailing on the Santa Maria in 1492" - Nedra

June 7, 2010

Razzle, Dazzle, Pokey, and SOCKS!

I realized I never continued my pet story I started back in February...today it's all about the cats. From a very young age, I was enamored with cats. I don't hardly remember a time when there weren't cats in my life. (NEVER in our house mind you - except when we'd sneak them in - sorry Mom...) I recall a time when we were visiting someone and I coaxed the cat out from under the bed. The owner was shocked that Kitty let me near her. After that I was so proud to hear my dad repeatedly declare that I "had a way" with cats. Many of my fondest (and most tragic) childhood memories involved our cats.

It all started with Missy...at least that's how I remember it. She was a city cat that the family no longer wanted so we took her in. I can hardly even believe my parents agreed to it knowing how they feel about cats today. I don't remember ever anticipating Missy's arrival. Dad just showed up with her one day. I don't know if Missy wasn't fond of our home or if she was just an explorer, but she'd find her way back into town (approx. 1 1/2 miles) to her previous home on a regular basis. The former owners would call to let us know Missy was back and Dad would go pick her up again. Eventually she got used to it and stayed. I think Missy, a brown tabby cat, must have been the mother of almost all of our baby kittens as I was growing up. I only really remember her having the babies...hmmm...maybe Midnight had some too... Hey, maybe it all started with Midnight and Boots! Where did they come from anyway? For some reason I want to say Aunt Ellen, but I'm not sure about that one. As a matter of fact, that's the way it is with farm cats: you lose track of them.

My sister and I prided ourselves on the fact that all of our farm cats (as many as maybe 20 or more at a time) were tame. We spent hours - and that is no exaggeration - out in the barn or down in the basement (really a cellar) or in the shanty playing with those cats and kittens. We dangled strings in front of their faces and rejoiced when they'd reach out to paw at them. We felt the anticipation as a kitten hunkered down and wiggled its little bottom right before we were filled with delight to see it pounce on the toy we'd been enticing it with. We snuggled them inside our bright red sweatshirts and dressed them up in doll clothes. We "rescued" them from Prince. We were thrilled when we knew a cat was expecting kittens and didn't quit searching for where she might have hidden them when we saw the "skinny" mama walking around. (Did you know a mama cat leads you right to her kittens if you shake salt on her tail? ;o) As soon as the kittens were born we agonized over not being able to touch them until their eyes were open and dreamed up names for each and every one. Some of the more memorable names included Razzle and Dazzle from the same batch of kittens - identical except one had a darker nose than the other. I forget which one. Pokey (who is one of the few who lived forever and the one who was the start of my sister and I referring to all cats as "Kinanis" ("ki-nah-nis") another one of those sister things) and Jokey - also identical except Jokey had a little more white on his belly. And SOOOOOOCKS! (spoken with the drawn out "o" sound and kind of a sickly voice) We thought Socks was super cute because he looked different than most of our cats. He just sort of showed up one day. One of the cutest things he'd do is climb up your pant leg to be loved up...not fun to experience this wearing shorts...He lives on in infamy because, well, let's just say he was "special". (As it turns out, with all of the inbreeding that goes on with farm cats, quite a few of them are kind of "special".)

The life of a farm cat is certainly not all it's cracked up to be. The dreaded tom cat is lurking around just waiting for an opportunity to put an end to their adorable little existence. A sense of innocence was lost the first time (among several other times) Dad told me the tom cat had gotten a batch of kittens. One time I even saw the poor things in a pail in the back of Dad's pickup ready to be disposed of. What a horrific memory! It still makes me sick just to think about it. After a few announcements of litters lost to the tom cat, my sister and I had declared war! Every time we even caught a glimpse of that monster, we were yelling at him or running to Dad to ask him to get the gun out...little did we realize no tom cat means no more baby kittens...I did still have some of my naivete in tact. Eventually we talked Dad into building us a "cat cage" so we could protect the little babies from that horrible creature. Unfortunately, we weren't always the best at keeping the cage clean...we had the best of intentions, but were not the best at seeing things from the cats' perspective. I can still hear the mews of kittens desperate to be released from the cage as we opened the barn door. Distemper (a feline disease) runs rampant once it gets started - those poor kitties with their goopy little eyes... Food is often scarce. We fed them, of course, but children can be forgetful and let's just say the adults are relatively unsympathetic to these quickly-multiplying little creatures. There were times we had TONS of cats and then they'd disappear and we'd be down to a half dozen or so.

Sometimes the cats were not imprisoned in the barn. In the wintertime, we kept them down the basement or in the shanty off of our porch. Remember that innocence thing? We used to be clueless as to why Missy would be "crying" so loudly from the basement that it would wake us up. There was a little hole at the bottom of the door to the basement that the cats could just fit their paws through. We thought it was so cute to see a paw popping through there. I witnessed the capture of a mouse in the basement one time. It was not fun to see the little thing scurrying across the floor; but it was oh-so-satisfying to watch Missy pounce on and play with her prize once she caught him. I'll never forget witnessing the birth of a litter of kittens. It was in a box we'd prepared on the porch. We were so proud of Missy! And those kittens were so small...Mama licked them clean and fed them almost right away. Can't you just picture those little paws kneading as they nurse? The kittens could barely walk on those wobbly little legs. So precious! Gives me warm fuzzies to think about it.

So, if you haven't figured it out already, I am declaring myself a "cat person". I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I'm enamored with them. I'm not sure what it is about cats, but they bring a smile to my face. They can really be kind of a nuisance, but I love them! They can be playful, cuddly, aloof, selfish, relentless, annoying, meticulous, or messy - but one thing is for sure - they are CURIOUS! Maybe it's the challenge of trying to win them over. Maybe it's the velvety soft fur. Or, more than likely, it's the memories. It's the joy and companionship they provided for me as a child. Cats, and especially kittens, found their way into my young heart. And young hearts don't forget feelings like that...