Well, I am feeling much better since my post last week. I am not as weak. I actually worked 3-7 on Monday. Bad thing is, I still cough a lot. But the cough sounds much better. I still get out of breath easily. I am working 12 hours Friday and Saturday, so hopefully that will get me back in the routine of working and being up all day.
I still have done nothing for the homestudy.
Here's the deal...
We still owe money for the last adoption, plus we owe some money on the credit cards. Aaron and I want to get all of that paid off before we start again. We will go ahead and get our homestudy done, but as far as starting with the agency, which will be an automatic bill of $6000 + we want to wait until we are out of this debt. Once we do pay off the debt, Aaron's goal is to get $7000 in the bank, so that we can pay the first part of the adoption in cash. Do you see how this adoption keeps getting pushed farther and farther away...???
Which is really sad to me. I have been trying to work as much as I possibly can, but the days that I can work are few. I can only work 12 hour shifts on Thursdays, every other Friday, and Saturdays. I work 3-7 on Mondays, and I could probably work 7-11pm on Tuesdays, but that would #1 put me driving home 30 min. around midnight and #2 put me finally going to sleep after 1am. I have done it before and will probably do it while we aren't doing school.
I wish I could work fulltime, just until this debt is gone....
And depressingly enough I missed out on a lot of money last week when I couldn't work.
I had to remind myself today that God knows which child He wants in our family and He can make the financial situation turn around to time it just right.
So, seeing that our debt isn't decreasing as fast as I want combined with me being sick = me feeling too depressed to work on tedious paperwork. However, it has to be done next week because we do have a timeline if we are going to use the same social worker, which we are and we want to.
The girls are starting soccer. I think Hannah has been to one practice and Madelyn has been to two, even though it started a few weeks ago. But it has rained or been very cold for practice or Natalie has missed a few times for her cold, but maybe the weather will turn warm and stay that way. There are 6 weeks of Saturday soccer games. Which also is another day that I can't work unless I miss a game. What to do??
On a good note....
We only have 22 days left of school that we HAVE to do. There is a good stopping point in our curriculum in just about that amt of time, so I think we will get to that point, stop for a little bit, then start right back up. June is busy with Madelyn and Aaron flying to Ethiopia, so we may just take that whole month off. Looking forward to days where all we have to do is find something fun to do to keep us occupied.
Next stop China
Next Stop China!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
New dog, bronchitis and homestudy
We got a new little dog a few weeks ago. He is so cute. I have been wanting an indoor dog for a while. Mainly to alert us if someone were to try to break in...give me a chance to get the gun. We went to our local animal shelter and found a tiny little Pug mix. He is around 2 years old. We named him Frodo. He has worked out really well. He had a few accidents in the house at first, but other than a couple of vomiting episodes the last 2 days (he does not do well with human food)., he hasn't had an accident in the house for a while. At first the girls would take him out on the leash, but now I just open the door, let him go and he will come back barking when he wants back in. I think he has lived in a house before. At night, I put him in our cat carrier and he stays in there all night without whining. I am too afraid to leave him out all night. I might find lots of accidents if I did.
I have been miserable this week. I felt fine Saturday. Worked a 12 hour shift, came home and was wonderful. Last Sunday, I woke up and felt a little tired. I already wasn't planning on going to church because Aaron had to work and all 5 of the kids were snotty. By lunchtime, I was sooo tired. I took a nap and when I woke up I was soo achy. My temperature went up to 100.8. Now I know that is not much of a fever. However, I have not had a temp above 99something since college. 16 + years! I don't know if other people feel this way, but any time my temp goes above my normal, even it if is barely 99, for some reason, my knees and calves ache so bad. I can hardly stand it.
So from Sunday afternoon until Wed. morn, I ran a 99-100 temp, which made my legs ache awful. I finally broke down and took a few doses of ibuprofen, even though it tears my stomach up. Alternated between lying on the couch with a heating pad on my legs and taking hot bathes.
I had to call in for my 3-7 shift Monday. Natalie and I went to urgent care Tuesday because she had it too. I believe I have bronchitis and I even started taking a stronger antibiotic today. The same thing they gave Aaron for his back in Feb.
Long story short, I had to call in for Thur. and Fri both 12 hour shifts. I don't think there was any way I could have worked this week. I have been so weak. I had the grocery list done since Wednesday and finally today, I ventured out. But even then, Mom came and stayed with the kids so Aaron could drive me and push the cart at the grocery store. I have to constantly sit down to rest. Yuck! I hate this.
Finally tonight I am feeling one iota better and may be seeing the light at the end of this sick tunnel.
We met with our social worker last Friday. Since I have been sick, I have done NOTHING for our homestudy. So maybe this week I can get to working on it. She will come again sometime next month to meet with us and take a detailed tour of our house.
I have been miserable this week. I felt fine Saturday. Worked a 12 hour shift, came home and was wonderful. Last Sunday, I woke up and felt a little tired. I already wasn't planning on going to church because Aaron had to work and all 5 of the kids were snotty. By lunchtime, I was sooo tired. I took a nap and when I woke up I was soo achy. My temperature went up to 100.8. Now I know that is not much of a fever. However, I have not had a temp above 99something since college. 16 + years! I don't know if other people feel this way, but any time my temp goes above my normal, even it if is barely 99, for some reason, my knees and calves ache so bad. I can hardly stand it.
So from Sunday afternoon until Wed. morn, I ran a 99-100 temp, which made my legs ache awful. I finally broke down and took a few doses of ibuprofen, even though it tears my stomach up. Alternated between lying on the couch with a heating pad on my legs and taking hot bathes.
I had to call in for my 3-7 shift Monday. Natalie and I went to urgent care Tuesday because she had it too. I believe I have bronchitis and I even started taking a stronger antibiotic today. The same thing they gave Aaron for his back in Feb.
Long story short, I had to call in for Thur. and Fri both 12 hour shifts. I don't think there was any way I could have worked this week. I have been so weak. I had the grocery list done since Wednesday and finally today, I ventured out. But even then, Mom came and stayed with the kids so Aaron could drive me and push the cart at the grocery store. I have to constantly sit down to rest. Yuck! I hate this.
Finally tonight I am feeling one iota better and may be seeing the light at the end of this sick tunnel.
We met with our social worker last Friday. Since I have been sick, I have done NOTHING for our homestudy. So maybe this week I can get to working on it. She will come again sometime next month to meet with us and take a detailed tour of our house.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Application Is Filled Out!
Happy news!
I got up early this morning, like 5:30 am early, with Aaron, so that I could fill out our application to adopt before the kids woke up.
Yes, you read right, we are starting the adoption process again. I am excited.
I have everything except a recent picture of all of us together. I know some were taken over Christmas, but I guess it was with everyone else's cameras but ours. So, hopefully I will remember to take our camera to church tonight and have somone snap a picture of all of us together, stop and print out a copy and then the application will be on its way.
Right now, we are planning on a baby girl, which is what we originally were planning to adopt when we started in 2007. Of course I say "planning" because, who knows if God will steer us in the other direction in the next few months. We "planned" on asking for a boy and a girl last time, up until a day or so before turning in our paperwork. Then we ended up changing to 2 children either gender and you see we got the boys. So hard to choose the gender of your child. So very hard. But like last time, there are more people on the waiting list for girls, so most likely, if we put either gender, we would end up with a boy. So if we want a girl, we really have to put down girl.
I am hoping that by Spring of 2014 we will either have been to court, or maybe even picked up our little girl. Of course, with international adoption, time lines can speed up or slow down at any time.
This adoption we will have to fund raise. I don't see any way around it, so I am researching and tossing around ideas with Aaron.
Oh what a wonderful thing to have most of the adoption paid for and not have to come home, adjust to a new family member, 6 kids, AND have to work extra to pay off adoption loans.
Also, Aaron and I signed up to go to the Orphan Summit 9. www.summit9.org
It is close this year, in Nashville, and since it changes locations every year, I knew that if I didn't sign up, I would be disappointed for missing one so near to us. Imagine going to a conference where people love orphans the way you do. Where Christians unite for the purpose of orphan care and support. I can't wait!
I also started following a blog of some people that run an orphanage in Kenya. The same religion as we are. I was so excited. We have also been emailing back and forth and it was exciting to encourage someone who is doing what I always wanted to do. They are from a church a few hours away from here and they attend with a lot of people that I grew up with. Neat!
Our social worker is coming over Feb. 22. She said it will probably take 2 visits to get our homestudy done, so I am hoping that we will have that done by the end of March. Once our application is accepted, we will get a "client" page with our agency and then we can pull up all of the documents needed to complete our mound of paperwork, called the dossier. Once the dossier is complete along with our homestudy, we will send it to our agency and officially be on the waiting list.
Stay tuned for updates!
I got up early this morning, like 5:30 am early, with Aaron, so that I could fill out our application to adopt before the kids woke up.
Yes, you read right, we are starting the adoption process again. I am excited.
I have everything except a recent picture of all of us together. I know some were taken over Christmas, but I guess it was with everyone else's cameras but ours. So, hopefully I will remember to take our camera to church tonight and have somone snap a picture of all of us together, stop and print out a copy and then the application will be on its way.
Right now, we are planning on a baby girl, which is what we originally were planning to adopt when we started in 2007. Of course I say "planning" because, who knows if God will steer us in the other direction in the next few months. We "planned" on asking for a boy and a girl last time, up until a day or so before turning in our paperwork. Then we ended up changing to 2 children either gender and you see we got the boys. So hard to choose the gender of your child. So very hard. But like last time, there are more people on the waiting list for girls, so most likely, if we put either gender, we would end up with a boy. So if we want a girl, we really have to put down girl.
I am hoping that by Spring of 2014 we will either have been to court, or maybe even picked up our little girl. Of course, with international adoption, time lines can speed up or slow down at any time.
This adoption we will have to fund raise. I don't see any way around it, so I am researching and tossing around ideas with Aaron.
Oh what a wonderful thing to have most of the adoption paid for and not have to come home, adjust to a new family member, 6 kids, AND have to work extra to pay off adoption loans.
Also, Aaron and I signed up to go to the Orphan Summit 9. www.summit9.org
It is close this year, in Nashville, and since it changes locations every year, I knew that if I didn't sign up, I would be disappointed for missing one so near to us. Imagine going to a conference where people love orphans the way you do. Where Christians unite for the purpose of orphan care and support. I can't wait!
I also started following a blog of some people that run an orphanage in Kenya. The same religion as we are. I was so excited. We have also been emailing back and forth and it was exciting to encourage someone who is doing what I always wanted to do. They are from a church a few hours away from here and they attend with a lot of people that I grew up with. Neat!
Our social worker is coming over Feb. 22. She said it will probably take 2 visits to get our homestudy done, so I am hoping that we will have that done by the end of March. Once our application is accepted, we will get a "client" page with our agency and then we can pull up all of the documents needed to complete our mound of paperwork, called the dossier. Once the dossier is complete along with our homestudy, we will send it to our agency and officially be on the waiting list.
Stay tuned for updates!
Monday, February 4, 2013
Feeling Better, Can we stay well?
I am feeling much better, my sore throat gone. I am back to doing 3 miles a day either on the elliptical or Walk Away the Pounds or usually a combination and some yoga. Aaron is back at work this week, so he is much better. Sadly, his antibiotic, which seems to have cured him of the bronchitis, makes him nauseated. But, only 3 more days and he should be back to himself. My boss texted me, wanting me to let her know what days I could work on the next schedule. I am almost scared to sign up for too many...will we be well?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Tired of being sick
My throat started hurting 10 days ago. I went on antibiotics 6 days ago and I still am weak, coughing, drainage, and hoarseness. It is better than it was. I was waking up and could barely squeak out a noise until lunchtime. Now it just requires much effort to have a conversation.
Not to mention poor Aaron. He had an upper respiratory infection the first week in January and missed a week of work, very unusual for Aaron. He has to be really sick to miss work. He got mostly better. Kept a cough originating in his throat and then started running a fever again on Friday. Ran a fever all weekend. And his cough had moved back to his chest.
So yesterday, much to his misery, he had to call into work again. Today too.
I got him an appt. at 3:15 yesterday with our regular doctor.
After finishing school with the girls and getting the boys to bed, mom came over after she got off work so I could take Aaron to the doctor.
I dropped him off and headed to CVS.
I got so many good deals. Using ECB, CVS cash, and coupons. I spent a total of around $43.
For that I got:
6 - 12 packs of Pepsi products
3 - Suave body washes
3 - Suave kids shampoo/conditioner
1 - Tresemme shampoo
1 - Tresemme conditioner
1 - Dove body wash
1 - 6 pack of Dove bar soap
1 - Dove deoderant
3 - Axe Body wash
1 - 12 pack toilet paper
1 - 6 pack paper towels
1 - Cover girl bottle of makeup
1 - Cover girl powder
1 - Caress body wash
4 - 32 oz Gatorades
I think that is all I got. I got one load, took it to the car, locked the car, then came back and got the rest. About the time I got done with this, Aaron had texted me that he was almost done.
I felt bad because traffic was bad and it probably took me 10 min. to get back to pick Aaron up while he waited outside feeling horrible.
But he survived and now has bronchitis again. He said the doctor listened to his lungs and sent him straight to the chest xray. He still feels horrible today and is sleeping on the couch right now. His bed for the last 4 nights since he breathes better propped up.
Thankfully, his prudence in not using his sick days is that he has so many sick days built up that he could take off a long time and still get paid. It still eats at him to stay home. Unfortunately when I call in sick I get a big fat zero!. That is the bad part about working PRN. You don't work, you don't get paid, you don't accumulate holidays, etc. The good part about working PRN is that you only sign up for what you want to work, you choose your days, you get paid more because the company doesn't provide you benefits. It all works out, but it is depressing that I had to take off 2 days last week.
I am working 3-7 Thursday and I hope I have the energy for it. Plus 12 hours Saturday.
I was so sick of being in the house, that yesterday, it was so pretty out, I took the 4 youngest kids for a walk around the block. It was 1.3 miles and my legs were weak the rest of the day. Now before I came down with this throat infection I was walking 3 miles a day and doing some mild yoga for about 25 min. a day. And now a small walk about wears me out. Bummer.
Not to mention poor Aaron. He had an upper respiratory infection the first week in January and missed a week of work, very unusual for Aaron. He has to be really sick to miss work. He got mostly better. Kept a cough originating in his throat and then started running a fever again on Friday. Ran a fever all weekend. And his cough had moved back to his chest.
So yesterday, much to his misery, he had to call into work again. Today too.
I got him an appt. at 3:15 yesterday with our regular doctor.
After finishing school with the girls and getting the boys to bed, mom came over after she got off work so I could take Aaron to the doctor.
I dropped him off and headed to CVS.
I got so many good deals. Using ECB, CVS cash, and coupons. I spent a total of around $43.
For that I got:
6 - 12 packs of Pepsi products
3 - Suave body washes
3 - Suave kids shampoo/conditioner
1 - Tresemme shampoo
1 - Tresemme conditioner
1 - Dove body wash
1 - 6 pack of Dove bar soap
1 - Dove deoderant
3 - Axe Body wash
1 - 12 pack toilet paper
1 - 6 pack paper towels
1 - Cover girl bottle of makeup
1 - Cover girl powder
1 - Caress body wash
4 - 32 oz Gatorades
I think that is all I got. I got one load, took it to the car, locked the car, then came back and got the rest. About the time I got done with this, Aaron had texted me that he was almost done.
I felt bad because traffic was bad and it probably took me 10 min. to get back to pick Aaron up while he waited outside feeling horrible.
But he survived and now has bronchitis again. He said the doctor listened to his lungs and sent him straight to the chest xray. He still feels horrible today and is sleeping on the couch right now. His bed for the last 4 nights since he breathes better propped up.
Thankfully, his prudence in not using his sick days is that he has so many sick days built up that he could take off a long time and still get paid. It still eats at him to stay home. Unfortunately when I call in sick I get a big fat zero!. That is the bad part about working PRN. You don't work, you don't get paid, you don't accumulate holidays, etc. The good part about working PRN is that you only sign up for what you want to work, you choose your days, you get paid more because the company doesn't provide you benefits. It all works out, but it is depressing that I had to take off 2 days last week.
I am working 3-7 Thursday and I hope I have the energy for it. Plus 12 hours Saturday.
I was so sick of being in the house, that yesterday, it was so pretty out, I took the 4 youngest kids for a walk around the block. It was 1.3 miles and my legs were weak the rest of the day. Now before I came down with this throat infection I was walking 3 miles a day and doing some mild yoga for about 25 min. a day. And now a small walk about wears me out. Bummer.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
winter of sickness
I am not complaining, I even dread typing this, for fear it will backfire on me, but so far no stomach virus.
However, starting in late October, Madelyn came down with a sinus infection that turned into bronchitis. Then a few weeks after that, she ended up with what I think was the flu and pretty much lied in bed for 3 days then laid around for another 4-5 days after that. She has since had another respiratory virus.
Aaron was sick almost a month ago with some kind of virus, upper resp. infection. He finally went to the doctor and got on antibiotics. I think he missed a whole week of work, which is very unlike him. He really has to be sick to call in. His cough has never left and last night he started running a fever again. His temp is 101.2 tonight. Just achy and coughy. Now I am wondering if he has the flu. He and Madelyn were the only ones not to get a flu shot. Madelyn missed hers because she was sick.
I started feeling bad last Sunday. I worked 12 hours Monday, but felt terrible and was lightheaded and weak all day. This gradually got worse. I had to call in sick Thur. and Friday. My throat has been killing me and I am so weak. I went to the doctor Thurs. No strep, but he said it was some kind of throat infection. I have been on antibiotics for 3 days and I still don't feel much better. I stopped feeling worse, so I guess that is something. I can barely squeak out words in the mornings especially when I first wake up. Mom called earlier and she was like "Karen, is that you?" She said I sounded like a man. Oh well.
Maybe we will all be on the mend soon.
I was doing so good exercising every day and eating better and now that has gone to the wayside. Looking forward to starting back again.
However, starting in late October, Madelyn came down with a sinus infection that turned into bronchitis. Then a few weeks after that, she ended up with what I think was the flu and pretty much lied in bed for 3 days then laid around for another 4-5 days after that. She has since had another respiratory virus.
Aaron was sick almost a month ago with some kind of virus, upper resp. infection. He finally went to the doctor and got on antibiotics. I think he missed a whole week of work, which is very unlike him. He really has to be sick to call in. His cough has never left and last night he started running a fever again. His temp is 101.2 tonight. Just achy and coughy. Now I am wondering if he has the flu. He and Madelyn were the only ones not to get a flu shot. Madelyn missed hers because she was sick.
I started feeling bad last Sunday. I worked 12 hours Monday, but felt terrible and was lightheaded and weak all day. This gradually got worse. I had to call in sick Thur. and Friday. My throat has been killing me and I am so weak. I went to the doctor Thurs. No strep, but he said it was some kind of throat infection. I have been on antibiotics for 3 days and I still don't feel much better. I stopped feeling worse, so I guess that is something. I can barely squeak out words in the mornings especially when I first wake up. Mom called earlier and she was like "Karen, is that you?" She said I sounded like a man. Oh well.
Maybe we will all be on the mend soon.
I was doing so good exercising every day and eating better and now that has gone to the wayside. Looking forward to starting back again.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Bad Blogger
Wow, I have been a terrible blogger. I think it was October that I even wrote anything.
Just chugging along with work and homeschooling.
I am excited that were are around day 95 of this year.
Homeschool co-op started back after the new year and the girls are very excited. It is nice for me to get to talk to some friends too.
Aaron signed up to go back to Ethiopia for another mission trip this summer. June it is. I am excited for him. We are also very, very likely going to send Madelyn with him. The main thing I worry about is her being able to shower without accidentally drinking the water. When we took the girls in 2011, our bathtub had a hand held shower faucet. I would make the girls sit in the tub, tip their heads back with a towel over their face and wash their hair, making sure none of it splashed into their faces. They weren't allowed to talk at all during this process. Then I would pull their hair back away from their face or braid it so that they wouldn't accidentally get a wet hair in their face and get sick. It worked, no one got sick while there. She is too old for Aaron to help her in the shower, but I think he could at least let her lean her head over into the tub dressed and wash her hair. Then bathe later. I hope she gets to go.
We also have a meeting set up with our social worker next month. Planning to start with our homestudy again. I am hoping to get done with all the paperwork by April, May at the latest. Ugh! I dread filling out another dossier. Which means doctor's appts, and all that mess.
I am excited. At this time, we are planning on asking for an infant girl and I am hoping be done with this adoption by spring of 2014. But who knows.. you can't depend on much in international adoption, but we can depend on God!
I worked 12 hours Sat, went to church Sunday morning (had the toddler nursery, with 3/4 of the babies crying), came home, ate lunch, then went to a baby shower. Came home again for about 1 hr, then turned around and went back to church. I took everyone except Ethan, who has a nasty snotty nose and Aaron volunteered to stay with him. After church , Aaron met me at Panera Bread and picked up the kids so I could eat with some ladies from our Sunday morning class. I got home around 8:30 Sunday night. It was a good time.
Then I worked 12 hours Monday since Aaron was off work.
I felt horrible at work Monday and let me tell you, 12 hours on your feet, feeling horrible, makes a long, long day. I feel even worse today. My throat is killing me. I keep having episodes where I am lightheaded, weak, wobbly legged, etc. I don't feel sick enough to go to the doctor, but not well enough to work either. Or read for school. We skipped that today, since it hurts to talk.
I even had Mom come over and watch the kids so Aaron could take me to the grocery for our big trip. I normally do it alone, or sometimes with the kids, which I don't like to do, but I was too weak and lightheaded to go alone and I know Aaron would have balked at the list and coupons I had clipped if I had tried to send him by himself.
We were low on food. Natalie rejoiced when we walked in the door "yeah! we have food!" I guess they had gotten to the bottom of the barrel while I was at work.
Just chugging along with work and homeschooling.
I am excited that were are around day 95 of this year.
Homeschool co-op started back after the new year and the girls are very excited. It is nice for me to get to talk to some friends too.
Aaron signed up to go back to Ethiopia for another mission trip this summer. June it is. I am excited for him. We are also very, very likely going to send Madelyn with him. The main thing I worry about is her being able to shower without accidentally drinking the water. When we took the girls in 2011, our bathtub had a hand held shower faucet. I would make the girls sit in the tub, tip their heads back with a towel over their face and wash their hair, making sure none of it splashed into their faces. They weren't allowed to talk at all during this process. Then I would pull their hair back away from their face or braid it so that they wouldn't accidentally get a wet hair in their face and get sick. It worked, no one got sick while there. She is too old for Aaron to help her in the shower, but I think he could at least let her lean her head over into the tub dressed and wash her hair. Then bathe later. I hope she gets to go.
We also have a meeting set up with our social worker next month. Planning to start with our homestudy again. I am hoping to get done with all the paperwork by April, May at the latest. Ugh! I dread filling out another dossier. Which means doctor's appts, and all that mess.
I am excited. At this time, we are planning on asking for an infant girl and I am hoping be done with this adoption by spring of 2014. But who knows.. you can't depend on much in international adoption, but we can depend on God!
I worked 12 hours Sat, went to church Sunday morning (had the toddler nursery, with 3/4 of the babies crying), came home, ate lunch, then went to a baby shower. Came home again for about 1 hr, then turned around and went back to church. I took everyone except Ethan, who has a nasty snotty nose and Aaron volunteered to stay with him. After church , Aaron met me at Panera Bread and picked up the kids so I could eat with some ladies from our Sunday morning class. I got home around 8:30 Sunday night. It was a good time.
Then I worked 12 hours Monday since Aaron was off work.
I felt horrible at work Monday and let me tell you, 12 hours on your feet, feeling horrible, makes a long, long day. I feel even worse today. My throat is killing me. I keep having episodes where I am lightheaded, weak, wobbly legged, etc. I don't feel sick enough to go to the doctor, but not well enough to work either. Or read for school. We skipped that today, since it hurts to talk.
I even had Mom come over and watch the kids so Aaron could take me to the grocery for our big trip. I normally do it alone, or sometimes with the kids, which I don't like to do, but I was too weak and lightheaded to go alone and I know Aaron would have balked at the list and coupons I had clipped if I had tried to send him by himself.
We were low on food. Natalie rejoiced when we walked in the door "yeah! we have food!" I guess they had gotten to the bottom of the barrel while I was at work.
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