Life...The Ups and the Downs

As with all things having to do with living there are lots of ups and downs, and with kids and animals sometimes things seem like a crazy roller coaster.  These days are a reminder as to where True Joy comes from.  Anyway, just a brief update as life marches on and as kids grow and animals age.  The resilience of kids is always amazing.  They are so quite to smile, even when sad things happen.  We are no longer a house hold with seven pets-the turtles have passed away.  Pretty traumatic for me and sad for the kids.  A lesson is dealing with grief-simply as it may seem but still do you deal with it in anger...blame...sadness?? I could see the kids go through each of these emotions.  It has been a couple weeks and I finally told James the other night that he didn't need to pray for the turtles anymore.  He told me that he thought he could still pray for them as they were in heaven.
   Anyway, the kids are growing and now after a routine Dr's visit I am reminded once again how fast that time goes. Brayden talks about being a teenager and when his growth spurt is going to happen...I am not so sure we are ready for much of that, Brayden or Becca.  We are still dealing with Andrea and issues surrounding her allergies to wheat and dairy.  I eat my words everyday I deal with her and am learning to have a more sympathetic ear for those mothers I might have not been very empathetic towards.
  Not only are the kids aging, so are the animals.  I am now learning how to give pills to a 14 year old cat.  I will let you imagine how that is going although I told Ron it's like wrestling a 90 yr old women......
Ephie continues to struggle with her hips and once again another infection...long talks with the vet leave me exhausted, and taking a 13 year old dog into a vet full of young dogs is just plain hard.    Yes this is life and I write about it only because this is where we are at with things and I need to remember these moments as well as the fun milestones along the way.
Brayden is wrapping up a super fun indoor soccer season, and a mediocre basketball season.  Indoor was a great experience and for the second session he was finally able to play with his good buddy Hudson-as awesome player who he never gets to play with due to age and different league.  The best moment was during the last game and Brayden got put in up front with Hudson and they just took it to the goal, pass, pass...score and then huge grins on their faces-just the best.   That moment was good to remember because they both got hit pretty hard into the boards, a little too rough for us that day.
   After a couple snow days and lots of free time with friends Becca is home sick today.  She is such a trooper.  We thought it was the flu but no such luck-I was hoping for an easy fix.  So she is home savoring her Gatorade and I am praying she keeps it down, somehow vomit cleanup might send things over the edge.
   James loves to just tag along and these past couple days he has just had a blast.  He thinks any friend that is over is there for him-thankfully the kids friends humor him and they all just have a blast.  He is my secret hugger-something I hope he never grows out of.  The other day we were playing Connect 4 and he ran from the table to use the potty.  From the bathroom he yelled..."Don't Play without me!!"  He just cracks me up, as I pictured myself playing connect 4 by myself.  I treasure these moments as I never know what is coming next!

Snow days with no snow...I felt a little outnumbered.    Andrea can listen to music for hours.  U tube is awesome for lego ideas.  Cross bows were the hot item that day.

 Big Kitty is so weird sometimes...she loves boxes, open or closed. And yes...she is not even supposed to be on the table.

 I could hear these girls all the way downstairs....and James pretending he was a baby.

  This is what happens when Tulsa has snow?!  One night the white car slide into the ditch trying to get up the hill---traumatic I am sure but no damage.  Next night the truck missed the turn, coming down the hill and took it out, now majorly damaged!

Fourth and Fifth grades put on The musical Joseph From the Pit to the Palace.  Love seeing these boys grow together.

Song From Brayden's Musical

Another song from the Musical