Category Archives: family

I Love my Baby Brother

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February was suppose to be the month of LOVE. I hasn’t really worked out. My laptop died and so I have only been able to check my blogs and e-mails sporadically.

However, I really needed to do this post, before tomorrow, before my little brother leaves for two years.

I love my baby brother.

I really, really do.

There are so many reasons I love him, more than just because he is my brother. He is so kind and willing to help. There are many times he has been there for me and my family. When Dadzoo was hurt and we were going to Doctor appointments and x-rays and MRI’s he came many times to watch my kids for me. One morning when we had an especially early appointment he even got the kids off to school! (He told me later that his respect and awe for mothers increased after that morning!)

When I was about to deliver my 5th baby I was huge and in a lot of pain. My brother came to my house and spent an entire Saturday helping me clean, he washed walls, doors and base boards. He helped me take all the decorations down and dust and wash everything. He even cleaned under the stove. He wouldn’t let me pay him, even though that was the original deal. I will never forget that day, he was happy and cheerful and willing to do the work. We had a great time.

Those are only two examples of times that he had been of service to me, there have been numerous weekends where he hauled rocks, weeded, mowed lawns, babysat or just hung out and had a good time.

I also love that we can talk, specifically about politics and history. Usually we are on the same page, but when there is a differing of opinion he has a way of disagreeing that isn’t confrontational, and he is always respectful of the opposing point of view. I am going to miss our talks. I keep warning him that he might get long letters from me…

I love that he loves his nieces and nephews. While most 18 years olds getting ready to leave for two years might be spending a lot of time with friends and girls, Chadd had been making a point to spend a lot of time with us, the family. Especially the kids. They all love “Chaddy” and are going to miss him too.

Tomorrow Chadd is off to serve the Lord and the good people of Michigan, we will have very limited contact with him in the next two years, we can send letters, e-mail once a week and on Mother’s Day and Christmas get to make a phone call. I am going to miss him so much, but I am proud that he is willing to put his life on hold and leave us to do what the Lord would have him do.

We Did It

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As of today no more TV for us!
We canceled our Direct TV and since we can’t pick up any other signal, Digital or otherwise we are now totally TV free!!!

We have been talking about it for sometime now, the 60$ a month was a factor, but more convincing to us was the garbage that was being pumped into our home. If it wasn’t out right bad (language, sex and violence) it was mind numbing, and even if you were watching a “good” show you never knew what the commercials would be like.

We did sign up for net flix and so far we have liked the service. I am impressed by the selection.

Anyone else out there taken the plunge?

A little more of "The Story"

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We were off to the Doctor’s office. It was a painful ride for Dadzoo, every bump and turn he would silently grimace, as his face became whiter and whiter. He would lay his head back and close his eyes; Sister H and I were constantly asking him “you still there?” “You O.K.” He would say “yes” weakly and I was just praying that we would get to the Doctors with out any delays.

Once we arrived I did something I have never before in my life done, I parked in a handicap spot. Sister H stayed with Dadzoo while I ran in to check us in and get a wheelchair. The office staff was wonderful, they got us right into the examine room, the nurse was so kind and gentle and questioned us thoroughly. The PA gave Dadzoo an excellent examination. He made Dadzoo get up on the examine table, but was so helpful and patient. He poked and prodded the bad knee and moved it all over the place, even in ways it really shouldn’t be able to move.

He determined that Dadzoo had pulled/torn all the ligaments on the inside of his knee joint, he didn’t say much more than that, leaving a better diagnosis up to the orthopedic doctor.

He was watching Dadzoo really closely as he was moving and examining him, Dadzoo was having a hard time again, the examine was really painful and he started doing the light-headed thing again, even though he was lying down.

Then the PA started to ask some really scary questions:

Have you been having chest pains? Well not, really

Have you had tightness in your chest? Yes, I have asthma, it gets tight a lot
Pain in your face or jaw? Yes, I have had a cold and my face has really been hurting

Pain in your left arm? Um, yeah…I guess I have

What about right before you fell, any of those symptoms? No, no more than usual

My heart was sinking, I felt stunned. I knew what the PA was getting at and I felt like it couldn’t be true. A heart attack?! No way, Dadzoo is 38; he isn’t in the greatest health, but, no way! I prayed hard, really hard, please, please no!

The PA took his blood pressure and pulse again, they were normal and he listened to his heart. He then ordered an EKG and told us he would be back in a bit. The nurse came in and did it right there in the room and a few minutes later the PA was back.

Everything was good.

Dadzoo’s heart is healthy.

He determined that the passing out was a reaction to the pain killers he had been taking. Dadzoo passes out easily when he is in pain anyway and this particular pain medication can make a person light headed. So he prescribed him something different and a little more powerful, encouraged us to still see the Orthopedic Doctor and sent us home.Once we were home and he took a dose of his new medicine things really starting looking better. His color came back and his pain was managed a little better, and the next time I took him to the bathroom he didn’t feel faint at all.

He still had to stay off his leg and foot; he has made permanent residence on the couch with ice packs and pillows. He was able to get the last week in December off too, he will be going negative two days into his Paid-Time-Off and if he needs to take more time off, he will have to go on short term disability. We will know more on the 30th.