he's home!!!

YIPPPPEEEEE!! what a GREAT weekend this was....my babe CAME HOME! i got the call SATURDAy morning that they were MOVING OUT!! it took them over 6 HOURS to get here!! he said that in their convoy, they were moving about 40 mph and since he was with the big man, he had to keep riding UP and DOWN checking to make sure that everyone was where they were suppose to be! i am just so HAPPY!!! i prayed for him to make it for my birthday, and i a KNOW that is such a SILLY thing to pray for when there is so much more OUT THERE that is bigger than this but....anyway, my prayers were answered and he made it home! we even got to go togeher to a QUINCANERA which was nice!! my boys had so much fun DANCING and such!! AND i just had fun with my FAMILY AGAIN!!

and then on sunday, james had to go to work but that was ok...we ended up staying at HOME because joshua had a TEMP of 103!!!! and i was going by myself and i don't think i could have done that....josh was very irritable and just not feeling good and matthew LOVES to play on that....sooo, we stayed home and waited for daddy to come home...he came home around 3pm and just hung out together after that....awee...THANK YOU GOD for bring my DH home for my birthday!!!

hey there....

well, i just wanted to share with ya'll some pictures that james sent me from HOUSTON area....all i can say is WOW!! and may GOD BLESS THOSE PEOPLE and HELP THEM!!

he said he will send me more!! here they are...

IKE PHOTO'S

just thought i would share this with ya'll....

when o when will he COME HOME!

YEP, right now, we don't know WHEN he will be home! he called to let me know that there is no time frame WHEN he will be done over there!! not happy here! i had soooo much HOPE that he would be home FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!! last year was great but i COULDN'T WAIT FOR THIS YEAR!! i am really bummed and i am just PRAYING that he can come home SOON!!! he is very busy and is VERY TIRED...i just HOPE he comes home soon...


well, onto other news...joshua is walking MORE now...he is just soooooo cute!!! and boy, i am havingt a TIME with this little guy...he is all over the place and taking toys and such from the boys (especially MATHTEW) HE SEEMS to LOVE to torment him!! he got his 3 shots today...booohooo!

i am suffering right now...my fibro is crazxy right now...i can barely type..my hands are so swollen and i am hurting all over...walking is BAD and i have just TOTAL body ache right now...i am popping motrin right now and it is taking the edge off....i feel like i have the flu...walking up the stairs, FORGET ABOUT IT!! pain pain pain....

anyway, just tired and ready for my family to be back as one...

MATTHEW made me cry today....

today, after church, we were just being ther at home relaxing....well, i was changing JOSHUA his diaper and matthew was sitting next to me...so, i asked matthew, "would you go throw brother's diaper in the trash for me?" and he started to laugh and he grabbed the diaper and took off crawling his way ALLLLLLLLL THE WAY from the living room, to the kitchen to the PANTRY to the trash can and he THREW IT IN THE TRASH FOR ME!!!! i am so AMAZED!! HE is just soooooo smart! he didn't hesitate, he knew EXACTLY where he was going!!! I immediately called called james and i was able to get him and i told him and we BOTH started to cry/get teary eyed!! such a little thing but so exciting for us!!! sometimes, we forget that he understands EVERYTHING!! HE IS SUCH A SMARTY!!!

YAYAYAYAYAY MATTHEW!!

he MEMORIZED IT!

I am talking about my beautiful son ALEX who memorized the OUR FATHER in a little bit over ONE WEEK!!! :) I AM SO PROUD OF HIM!!! he needed to do it for CCD class for church.....and he DID!! i was AMAZED that last night, as we were saying our prayers, he said he could do it and he did!!! wowowowow....i just had to prompt him at the very end...awwwww...i can't wait to let daddy know! and he knows the SIGN OF THE CROSS and is learning the HAIL MARY and GLORY BE too!!! i am just so proud of him! he is doing AMAZING in his homeschool!! we are flying thru his 1st grade studies because he knows so much of it and when we get to the part he hasnt learned on, we will slow down and really get down to it! i decided to go thru the WHOLE BOOK instead of saying to myself to skip it...it is going well...

FINALLY FOUND IT!!

hello there!! i FINALLY found the SNL: SARAH PALIN/HILLARY CLINTON spoof in FULL!! i don't know how long it will be on it but here is the LINK!!

SNL SARAH PALIN/HILLARY CLINTON SKIT/

if you have not watched it, i HIGHLY recommended!!! TOOOOO FUNNY!! they did a GREAT JOB on it!!

anyway, all is well in my life...i talk to james a bit ago and he FINALLY got a BATH today! he had not had a bath (all of them) since they left here on saturday..i think he said they each got 5 gallons to bath with by poking holes in the jug and using the trickle that came out!! they are still in galveston and there is NO RUNNING WATER, NO ELECTRICITY and it is just DEVESTATING the damage the storm did....he said it was pretty bad....we don't know WHEN he will be home....and my birthday is coming up in a couple of days...i hope he makes it home if not, another year without him home....

ANYWAY, joshua is doing well, he is starting to REALLY walk everywhere...he is such a CUTIE!!! but since we are TRYING to put some weight on him, i am all over him and NOW he doesn't want anything to do with eating...GO FIGURE...

MATTHEW, we just finished the FIRST session of the 60 hour fast!! it was a FLOPP but at least i am ok knowing he does WELL and the medications are not going to cause an issue with him not eating and only being on pedialyte....i am excited to try it again in 2 weeks!!! this method is called the PALMER METHOD we are HOPING to wean him SOMEDAY off his g-tube...GOD WILLING...

I AM SO BLESSED....

I have the VERY BEST FRIENDS in the WHOLE WHOLE WHOLE WORLD!!! today, we were having GIRLS NIGHT OUT and we plan this like a MONTH in advance...well, with everything that is going on with james and IKE, i had to cancel myself going...well, my girls decided that if i couldn't make it to the party, THE PARTY WOULD MOVE TO ME! yep, the girls came over and we had such a BLAST!! what a WONDERFUL TIME i had today just chatting with the girls and really just having so much fun! we ordered out CHINESE FOOD (YYUUMMMMMYYYYYY) and then they brought cake and ice cream...so good! we just had a fun time talking and the boys did WONDERFUL too!!! alex was playing on the computer and the smaller boys were just playing and hamming it up for the ladies! time flew by and we laughed and talked and just enjoyed ourself so much!

these ladies brought me OUT OF MY FUNK for today!!! i was REALLY bummed this past couple of days with james being gone....it is hard this time around with him gone..i had just gotten use to FINALLY having him home and now he is gone AGAIN....just having to get BACK into the groove of it on my own....having the girls come over was just AWESOME!! THANK YOU LADIES!! MUCH LOVE TO YOU!

well, james is bummed because he is missing ANOTHER first....joshua is WALKING!! ok, not totally but he can take up to 20 steps and he is doing it on his own!! and on the subject of joshua....i took him to the drs office for a follow up due to his weight check...his official dx is FAILURE TO THRIVE...i look at him and can't see it but he is not on the charts!!! but i am not worrieda bout it...i am just giving him pediasure and lots of calories and see what happens...he is going back in 2 weeks to check up again....alex was the SAME WAY...he wasn't on the charts until he was 2 years old!!! but for joshua, he WAS on the charts but got sick and hasn't recovered his weight again!!! anyway, i will just keep pushing the protien and calories....

'GOD'S BOXES'

this was posted on another forum i belong too....brought me much comfort...

"God's Boxes"
I have in my hands two boxes which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold.

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes
Both my joys and sorrows I stored.
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black box, I wanted to find out why
And I saw in the base of the box, a hole
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,
I wonder where my sorrows could be?
He smiled a gentle smile at me,
"My child, they're all here with me".

I asked, God, why give me the boxes,
Why the gold, and the black with the hole?
"My child, the gold one is for you to count your blessings,
The black one is for you to let them go.

why is this harder....

than i think it SHOULD be....james being gone RIGHT NOW, working in HOUSTON/GALVESTON area is REALLY HARD...and COME ON, he was just gone for a YEAR but i am getting teary eyed over THIS?!?!? he doesn't know HOW LONG he will be gone.... i don't know if maybe it is because i had finally gotten use to having him home again, and now he is GONE?! but i TOTALLY MISS HIM HORRIBLY RIGHT NOW!!! he called earlier today to let me know that he was leaving and was going into GALVESTON to help out over there (he was in that LONG LONG LONG (OVER 400 VEHICLES) convoy you saw on the news)and that he MIGHT not be able to call for a COUPLE OF DAYS because of the phone lines and satelites and such being down and i just about LOST IT!!! really, what is my problem?! but i really got soooooooooo sad and started to cry because of this little thing? he IS in TEXAS, he IS not that far away....why am i getting upset because of THIS?!

anyway, i am really bummed right now because of this and because i was suppose to do a GNO on monday with my girlfriends and that is cxd now because james is gone and my MIL can't help me out and it was in honor of my birthday coming up and THAT got me going again....boo hoo for me, huh? just got to get over this and keep on trucking....there is absolutely NOTHING wrong in my world right now but i am just bummed....

anyway, my thoughts and prayers are going out to all those relief workers going OVER there to help out our fellow TEXANS and all the fellow TEXANS that are going thru this....

well, james is gone...

yep, he has been activated since wed? and he officially LEFT on thursday and he has been here in san antonio at "PORT SAN ANTONIO" which is the offical staging area for the hurricaine relief....well, he just called me and told me he was headed off to BEAUMONT, TX which is right in the worst are tomorrow...they are leaving at 8 am and he has NO IDEA what is offically going be doing!!! and it is BAD right now out there and i am just worried about what he will be going into...my thoughts and prayers are with all the people in harms way, those that chose to stay and now must stay strong and PRAY HARD as they wait it out...MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THEM!!

well, ACTIVATED AGAIN!

yep, he is activatied again due to HURRICANE IKE!! and THIS ONE seems like it is taking aim for RIGHT HERE IN GOOD OL' SA!! yep, they are predicting 100mh WINDS and horrible weather to include tornadoes and such...scary stuff possibly happening this weekend!! i will pray for everyone...

WOW!

well, matthew was able to try out those 2 different piece of equipment...THE KIDWALK and the MYGO feeding system and all i can say is WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!! i, OF COURSE, forgot the !@#$%^&&((*&^%$ camera so i didn't get any pics of it but he looked soooo amazing in the KIDWALK!!!! we are going to GO FOR IT!! he had COMPLETE control over every move he made and he was able to KICK a ball if he wanted to, go up to a TABLE and stand there and get something...there was no "caged in" feeling like the GAIT TRAINER that he has does...he TOTALLY shuts down in that one! he does not like it! and in the kidwalk, he just TOOK OFF! the rep that brought it said that noramlly, kids that are first time users don't take off right away but you know matthew, he was OFF and he was turning on his own and he looked SOOO GOOD! he was very impressed with him in it! i was impressed and AMAZED at how AWESOME he looked in it! the new therapist was very impressed too! she had never seen one but she really liked it!!! so we PRAY that it will get covered by the insurance!!

and the MYGO was VERY NICE!!! he looked GREAT IN IT! and it keeps his pelvis in line which is a MUST for proper positioning for feeding...i WISH my child did NOT need as much support as he does but HE DOES and i have to do what i can to get him as MUCH as he NEEDS to help him live as NORMAL of a life as he can!!! soo, we are starting the process to get things moving so GOD WILLING in a COUPLE OF MONTHS, he can get the proper equipment he NEEDS!!! WISH US LUCK!

A MILITARY WIFE/GIRLFRIEND...

+++THIS CAME FROM ANOTHER FORUM BUT I JUST HAD POST IT...VERY TRUE!!!!+++++

Military Wives/Girlfriends....

The average age of the military wife..girlfriend is 20 years old.She isn't old enough to buy a beer, but is old enough to manage a whole household on her own and maybe she has a kid or two.

She probably never saw herself loving a man who was in the military, but she loves him regardless. Her penmanship has improved over the last few months, due to the excessive letter writing she has been doing. She cries alot,because she misses the man she swore to love. Her life isn't complete without him.

She looks very tired, because of her many nights without sleep, due to a late night phone call that never came or a call that came and kept her up all night, just because she heard his voice, she is too overjoyed to sleep.

As a wife, she is classified as a dependent, but she is totally independent. She tends to her household, her kids, her school work, and her job, all without her husband.

She manages to wear a smile, even though inside she's crying. She understands that the man she loves has to go far away. She understand that he can be taken away from her in a moments notice. She feels a great sense of pride and probably cries whenever she hears the National Anthem, sees a flag blowing in the breeze, or watches the news and hears about another death in Iraq, she worries that it might be him. She goes weeks without a call or a letter, but she writes him whenever she gets a free moment.

She knows how to convert civilian time into military time. She knows how to iron his clothes and how to get the creases just right.

Before he left she used to complain if she didn't see him for a day or two, but now she gets annoyed when she hears someone complaining about not seeing their boyfriends. She may not have seen him for months but she remembers everything about him, every scar he has, the way he smells,whether or not he snores.

She has every picture of him and them out and in frames, she stares at them for hours on end, she has read every letter at least 40 times. Even though her man is a half a world away, she still manages to go on with her life, as he would want her to.

You may not know what she looks like, but as soon as you see her in the store you'll know that her husband is a world away without even having to speak to her. Shes the one who's half frowning half smiling, she has at least one Support Our Troops pin that she wears and a magnet on her car. Half her wardrobe is based on his military branch. She owns lots of stuff that has his branch on it. She never knew that she could love the color camouflage green,tan, navy blue, red or black so much.

Next time you see her, you'll know her, thank her for what the man she loves is doing. She will greatly appreciate it and she will smile and thank you, and just because you thanked her she will smile the rest of the day.

wow, it really hit home....

today we had a WONDERFUL day and a very TIRING day....james was OFF today, THANK YOU GOD! he has worked SOOOO HARD for the last week....leaving before the kids were awake and most days, coming home AFTER the boys were in bed!! that was how hard he had worked!!! he worked thru the holiday weekend and everything!! ANYWAY, he took today off and he did some yard work and then we headed to the ZOO!! we had so much fun and we were there for about 3 hours and then we got on the TRAIN and took a train ride around BRACKENRIDGE PARK! it is so beautiful and brings back so many memories of going out there with the family and just having pic-nics and BBQ out there!!! anyway, we had a BLAST and we went to the BX and the boys got their hair cuts!!! anyway, all in all a BEAUTIFUL DAY and so much fun with my boys!!

well, what i meant about it REALLY hits home was that today, i was on one of my special needs sight and there is pretty COOL walker calle dthe TAOS WALKER...IT looks like an AWESOME walker MEANt for kids with Cerebral palsy (CP)........well, matthew has MILD CP and that diagnosis was give to him to help him with his medical equipment, or so i thought...well, as if you go to that site above for the TAOS walker, there is a video on it of kids walking with out it and then in it and when i saw those beautiful children walking....i saw my CHILD...he walks JUST LIKE THEM.....it hit home that YES MY SON DOES HAVE CP.......it is not just a diagnosis...it is THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as i sat there and watched the video, i just started to cry because he DOES HAVE CP...even though i KNEW he did, to see OTHER children that DO have it, walking JUST like matthew made me just REALIZE IT...does that make sense? ANYWAY, it was just a BIG SHOCK...just seeing those children walking like my beautiful son......

anyway, we are working on getting him a new walker or gait trainer or SOMETHING...i am going to have to mention this product to the PT person on tuesday..he is going to try the KIDWALK on tuesday and also the MYGO feeding chair system to see if it will work for him.....wish us LUCK!

MAKE-A-WISH came over today!!

awwww.....we are SO EXCITED and feel SOOOO BLESSED....Matthew is going to get a WISH from the MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION!! :) these 2 wonderful ladies (volunteers) came over so that they could present matthew with his WAND and his CERTIFICATE....they came with a gift bag full of goodies for him...he sat at the table with us while they interviewed him...of course we had to answer for him but he was so happy to be there at the table with us...we had to sign a LOT of paperwork and then that was it! we picked DISNEY WORLD FLORIDA for his wish....we feel that that would be the BEST place for him...he LOVES water/swimming, he loves to get on RIDES and he loves anything DISNEY! so a perfect combination! we know that he will just ENJOY himself!! i am so happy for him! they told us that we would be staying at the GIVE KIDS THE WORLD RESORT this is a place were all the families are WISH KIDS from around the world....they built this place because so many wish kids wanted to go to disney that they built them a resort....wow is all i can say! i have started to look on line for pictures and such and it is just such an AMAZING place!!! we figure we will be going either early next year (jan- may) or maybe the end of next year...we are not sure...we have to check with james work to see when they can give him a week off!! we also need to be there when it is not soooo hot because matthew can not tolerate the heat...it is kinda going to be one of those cases where you have to go during the "winter" months to keep away from the HEAT BUT BUT BUT you also risk the ILLNESS peroid that is going on there....but we will do our best...they provide oxygen in our villa for him and everything...just AMAZING!!! i am so happy!! just a dream come true for matthew and our family...i know the boys will enjoying themselves and matthew will have a BLAST!

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!

WELL, i hope that those able to enjoy this beautiful day in our part of the world are out there doing that!! and those that are dealing with the HURRICANE, i PRAY that they are all safe and that those displaced from their homes are some how getting much love and comfort from the american people around that supporting them!!!

well, we are home today, daddy is again working HARD during this time....everyday since wed, he has been gone before 6am and home AFTER 9pm...he is EXHAUSTED right now doing all this work...i am so proud of him! i am happy that he is HOME...others are all over the gulf coast and towards/in louisiana....i can only PRAY for all of them!!!

josh is starting to walk...he will walk with us holding his hands and sometimes only ONE hand...he is getting better at it! and yesterday, matthew ate some food that he had never had....RAMAN NOODLES AND PB & J!! yummy! he really enjoyed it! he has shaken his head 'NO NO" whenever i am getting ready to set him up on his feeds...i am taking this as a VERY positive note...i tell him that when he can eat by mouth MORE, i will take that pump away! he just gives me a look...GOD WILLING he will be getting better and eating more....we are SAD that his nurse of over a year and a half is getting ready to leave us at the end of the month....he is A RN NOW!!! :) again, we are so proud of him! he has been such a WONDERFUL NURSE to matthew....and matthew can't get enough of him! i think they have BOTH grown together!! :) and we actually had to let another nurse that had been with us for a year go earlier last month...i was so sad about that!! but we wanted to go to a 4 DAY nursing because daddy was off on fri-sun and we didn't want to schedule anyone there and then have to cancel their hours because we decided to go out of town or something....man....so, we will be on the look out for a NEW NURSE....i am kinda of worried about it because it is ALWAYS stressful when you look and get a new nurse...i will just PRAY that we find one that is WONDERFUL for matthew just like our last one!! :)

well, tomorrow, THE MAKE-A-WISH PEOPLE ARE COMING!!! man, i am so happy and excited! we are going to have our interview with them and get details and such!! WOOOHOOO!!!!! i don't know what is going to happen but that he is getting his wish is so EXCITING!!! :) i will post to let ya'll know how it went!