Good bye 2014... hello 2015

2014 is not a year that was amazing for us. It was a good year when lumped together, although we had many challenges. We choose to focus on the positives though.

Mom started her graduate program at APSU in Communications. Working as a graduate assistant. Not a dull moment at all.

Dad has been down a medical road that we do not want to accept. After 2 ½ years of pain, the doctors finally sent him for tests. His back is pretty messed up. We've been told it is a miracle that he can walk and move around as freely as he does. We are still seeking answers. There has to be more than just throwing medication at the pain. (Although, essential oils have helped noticeably.) Right now, he is off work to see if rest and recovery help. Our blessing is that he can walk and we are getting answers, no matter how slow it is going.

G1 has moved out, graduated cosmetology school, and in the workforce. Things aren't easy but they are getting there. She has grown up a lot this year and we are proud of her.

G2 is pressing on as life comes. Her grades in school are doing well and she is pursuing her love of drawing.

G3 is half way through her senior year in high school as Command Sergeant Major of the JROTC, student representative to the school board, working, and maintaining all As.

B1 is doing well with A/B grades and working on the ability to do extra-curricular activities. (We have high standards with grades and behavior.)

B2 is adjusting to middle school and has had a little rough patch with his grades. He is discovering who he is as a friend to others. His compassionate heart is a blessing when it comes to kids that are different, but it also opens him up for bullying.

B3 has grown incredibly this past year. (Visit Benji’s Broken Heart for his year in review.)

We have welcomed in a new fur-baby into the family. Just like her fur-siblings, she is a rescue. Beautiful Angel, white husky mix with blue eyes. Hikari, our heeler mix, and the cats have grown to love her too.

For the New Year we are looking forward to graduations, new jobs, and progress. We have decided that we need to be more proactive in our spiritual health as well as our physical health.

What are your goals or resolutions for the New Year?

Was 2014 a good year for you?

Are you looking forward to a new chapter as we start 2015?

Ready for Some Hoops?

Our kids are excited this morning, actually they have been excited all week. One of our neighbors gave us their basketball goal since their kids have grown up and no longer live at home. It has been sitting in our driveway all week with them staring at it longingly.

It was awesome that all we had to do was bust off the old concrete and buy a bag of new concrete to install it. Less than five dollars and the kids are set! Let's shoot some hoops!

Mind you, only G3 has ever played on a basketball team. That is okay though, playing basketball will bring many family memories and will be great exercise. As a whole we have been trying to instill traditions that involve exercise and fun with the entire family. This just adds to it.

Just since we have given the okay for the kids to play, the boys have been all about shooting hoops. Mom and Dad are going to have to get out there are teach them some games to play.

What are things your family does to keep active in the fall? What are some things you do to encourage family bonding?

Driving Along in My Auto Mobile

 Last week G3 earned her learner’s permit after hours of diligently studying the Tennessee Drivers’ Handbook along with meeting the requirements that we have at home for such a privilege. Once she earned it, she shared with many of her friends on Facebook and Twitter and they were very excited for her.

Then it hit. ADULTS started asking if her sister(s) had also gotten her’s. I will admit, this bothered me. 

If you follow our Facebook Page, you might remember a status that was posted referencing knowing your own child and that just because a child is sixteen it does not mean that they are ready to get behind the wheel of a car. I will explain. G3 is the youngest of our girls and she turned fifteen at the beginning of August. G2 is also fifteen and will be sixteen in February. G1 will be eighteen in November. Each of our children has different maturity and responsibility levels, to say they are all the same would be to deny their individuality. This is a common thread that any parent with more than one child can see. This is also why many professionals warn parents to not compare children with the peers too much because the grow differently and milestones are merely indicators.

With our girls, we have had the discussion about driving and the requirements. G2 has said multiple times that she is not interested in driving. This has been exasperated especially so since our wreck last year, she is terrified to drive.  This is understandable as horrible as the wreck was and how bad it could have turned out. G1 is interested; however, her free and creative spirit does not like to comply with requirements set forth. 

Now everybody wants to know what these stringent requirements are, I am sure. Well here it is. After the wreck last summer, we had said there was no way we were going to let any of the kids drive. It was a knee jerk reaction and after we calmed down, we realized that was wrong. This past spring we said the requirements for learners’ permit/ drivers’ license would be that they had to be doing well in school (turning homework in on time, etc), doing their chores consistently, be respectful, show responsibility and maturity. If they did that then they could learn how to drive our Geo Metro.  G1 balked at the idea and G3 jumped at it. Our reasoning behind which vehicle is two fold. The first and most important is that our Expedition is the people mover and the vehicle we rely on the most. The second reason is that the Metro is a manual transmission and we believe that it is best to learn to drive a manual so that the skill is there to fall back on in the future.

Considering that we, my husband and I, look at having a driver’s license as a privilege I am surprised that I am writing about this; yet, maybe there are other parents that have the same issue. Maybe you have a younger child that has proven itself and you are afraid of what others would say if you allow them the privilege and not the older. It is my opinion that privileges are earned, they are not a right.

For Information About the Tennessee Graduated Driver License Program (http://www.tn.gov/safety/driverlicense/gdl.shtml)

Springing Forward

It amazes me how quickly time can get away from you. Or at least how quickly it can get away from me.

Our family has been "busy". Seems we are always doing something.

B1, B2, and B3 'kicking it up'

After seeing how well B3 has done with Tae Kwon Do, we decided to put B1 and B2 in it also. Of course it did not take very long and hubby decided to join to. The three of them are doing well. Hubby has noticed the exercise is helping him a lot. B2 seems to be a natural with the martial arts. I digress tho and shall save it for another post.

G1 is still looking for her identity. She has decided to drop band for her senior year. I am saddened by that, but it is her choice and if her heart is not in it, it may be what is best. She is at the age where she wants to define who she is and we find ourselves turning to God more and more for wisdom and guidance. Which is where I believe we should be going. She's a good kid, and she is talented.

With spring, comes Little League sign ups and the first one out the door was G3 begging to play softball. She's the only one playing this year. B2 is not interested since he seemed to find his niche with the martial arts. Her first practice is tonight. I suspect this will be quite a night.

Hope your Spring has Sprung nicely!

G1 is growing up!

G1 in front of the Library at O'More

This past weekend reality kicked in. My precious G1 visited her first college as a prospect. I did not realize it would affect me as much as it did.

G1 will be 17 next week! She's a junior in high school already. Aside from the whole thought process of myself not being old enough to have a child this old, she is looking into going to college. Where has time gone to?

We visited O'More College of Design in Franklin, Tennessee this past Saturday. It is a beautiful campus and I was ready to see about transferring there myself. The Visual Communications Department is very inspiring. Creativity abounds on the downtown campus.

The department chair was very friendly and encouraging. The workshop we attended was for the students to build their portfolios and it was free.

As I said, we loved the campus and the potential. It was beautiful.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

This week is our getting ready for the new school year week. You know, when the sleep schedule gets re-adjusted for school.

It has been quite difficult this year to get the schedule on track. We had attempted to reset last week and came up short. Of course, isn't that why we start adjusting before school starts? That way the kids will have one less adjustment on the first day of school.

Being early to rise has had its share of problems. Hubs gets up super early for work and I am having sleep problems, so it is easy to turn off the alarm for when the kids should be getting up.

The one thing we have been consistent with is bedtime. The boys (9,7,6) go to bed at 8 and G1&3 go to bed at 9 although they like to push it towards 10. G2 is our only middle schooler this year so she gets 8:30 right now. Now if only the cats would comply. Haha!

What time do your kids go to bed? Do you keep sleep schedules the same all year long or relax during summer break?

That Time of Year Again

For those that "know" us or follow on Twitter, you know that we have two students in band at our local high school. There are always fundraisers to go with being in band and we participate in as many as we can because, as you can imagine... we like to stay cheap.

With that said, the first fundraiser for the 2011-2012 Marching Band Season is upon us.

We are selling Sonic Community First Value Cards. They are $10 a piece and have a value of $27. Of the $10 you spend, $5 goes to the student's band and trip fees while the other $5 goes into the general fund for the School Band.

If you are interested in purchasing the cards from us, please leave a comment with an email and I will get in contact with you. Thank you!

*we do expect to be selling the Smart Card in about a month also.

Big Busy Weekend

This was a big BUSY weekend for our family.

G3 had her 8th grade prom Friday night. I got to chaperone since the storm hit right as we went in (I don't drive in storms and this one had hail). It was fun. They took tons of pictures.

Saturday the schedule got crazy!

B3 had his Tae Kwon Do testing at 11am. He was excited and anxious, and did good. His sparing looked great, he even blocked most hits. The moment that really tickled him was that he broke a board.

B2 had baseball rescheduled for 4. He did great playing 3rd base for the first time. At his third at bat he hit a double bringing in 2 runs and then got a run himself too. He was on cloud nine!

G1 and G3 had their band banquet. There was a lot of fun had by all! The high school band really has a lot of talent. G3 was excited because not only was she the only 8th grader to be in the marching band this year, her section was voted Outstanding Section. (Saxophones)

Leaving the band banquet early G3 had a softball game at 8. In. The. Rain. On. Muddy. Field. The teams rocked it. Our girls were ready and a real team. The opponent did good too. Playing the last inning due to time, we were at bat with a tied score. Two batters got on base and G3 was up. On the first pitch she hit an in the park game winning homerun!. (She's still on cloud nine)

Now, Sunday is our day of rest. Much needed rest.

My 16yo wants her learner's permit...

It seems to me that teens get their permits and driver's licenses so much earlier now. I know it's not the case really, different situation kind of thing. I am not really against teens driving, just against carelessness and recklessness.

Must have been about two years ago when we started talking about if we would let the kids get their permits and then their license. At that point we decided that the individual would have to have good grades (requirement by the state), show maturity and be responsible.

The oldest turned 16 in November. She has neither a permit nor a license.

G1 has become resigned to the fact that she probably will not be getting it anytime soon either. The responsibility to get her school work done is not there, so how can we expect her to be responsible enough to drive a car? This bias comes from myself being a good student and still doing stupid things once I got my license a month before my 18th birthday.

Her protests made me rethink as to just why I stuck to my guns. Then it hit me. Driving is a privilege. Even for adults, driving is a privilege. There is no requirement saying that we have to let our kids get their license. So I am sticking to my guns, even if I am a 'meany'.

Snow vs. Teens

We have three teen aged girls. They are 16, nearly 14, and 13. We live in the country. We are essentially iced in this week.

It is humorous to me that the girls are moody. They want to go to school. Why? Not for academic endeavors. It's because texting and being on facebook is not enough to keep in touch. They are bored.

I had not realized how non-active my girls have gotten until now. In their defense though, it is cold.

Last month we had four snow days before winter break going back just for the half day. Then we had the two weeks off around Christmas and New Years. They went to school last week and took exams. So far they have missed this week, and given that it is snowing now and we are still more or less iced in, it does not look promising for tomorrow and Friday.

How do we keep these girls happy? They have been watching movies (while texting) and complaining of being bored. Do not misunderstand, they have chores. Chores just aren't fun and interesting. The good thing is the homework that they brought home is done.

So the mantra from the girls? "Snow, Snow, go away... I want to see my friends, so we can play."

Painfully Truthful...

I am about to admit the real reason I haven't been posting so much. It's because...

...because I am not a supermom. In fact I don't believe that I am even a half decent mom. This belief comes from the result of trying to do what I know to do and failing miserably. It gets even better. As a Christ Follower, I know that I should turn to God so that he can have my back, but then my "fixer" self gets in the way.

For those that aren't sure or just don't know, our family is a blended one. You know, the his, her and ours complex. We have times that things are going great and the lines seem to be invisible. Then there are times where there are difficult walls to break through.

Right now, we are having a difficult time. The whole parenting by the seat of our pants and having a 16yo daughter that wants to do what she wants to do all while trying to keep everything else under control. There is no one person at fault in the scheme of things. All I know is that, we have to get through this and the only way is with God.

The scripture says "With GOD all things are possible" not "With myself all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). In order to survive this stage, we have no other choice but to rely on God and turn to him.

I ask for prayer. This trial is with our oldest, there are five more blessings behind her.

Happy Birthday G1!!

Happy Sweet 16 G1!! Can't believe you are 16 already. Sure everything hasn't been rosy, but we are so blessed to have you as our daughter. Love you sweetie!

Time Flies...

We are still here. Our schedule got turned upside down worse than I thought it would when school started, and right about the time we got into that groove, school started for me.

My new goal is to post at least once or twice a week. Fall is so crazy for our family. (So is spring, but fall seems more so)

G1 & G3 are enjoying the Marching Band season with the High School. I think I mentioned how G3 was invited to join the high school band this year (she's in 8th grade). Obviously the sibling rivalry is there, but thankfully the band is big enough for the both of them. G2 is doing very well academically in the 7th grade. I think she finally adjusted to being in middle school.

The boys are enjoying being car riders. B1 brags about it because he's not getting in trouble on the bus anymore, now if he would just put all that energy to academics he would be the top of his class. B2 is in an emotional year. He is doing well with his grades, he is just more emotional since school started. B3... well, according to the mid nine weeks progress report he has all the skills mastered. I don't see the evidence in of that in the work he brings home. We are working with him though, and praying.

Life is moving fast though. I have just finished my third week of my sophomore year and I feel beat. It's just so life consuming. The amazing thing is that I see God's blessing. Financial aid covered everything, my classes fall in the schedule perfect for me taking the kids to school... now if I could just get the studying and homework done while also giving the kids enough time.

I pray each of you are blessed!

Modesty... Not Just Being Conservative

I have noticed on a few blogs that the issue of modesty is being discussed. It is an issue that our family deals with pretty much daily. (Especially since we have three teen girls now)

Since our oldest daughter, shall we say... "busted out" with puberty we have had an issue with being modest. It's no longer just a make sure you are wearing shorts with that night shirt kinda thing in our house.

The main issue we have is that the "cute" clothes that our eldest wants to wear are not made for her size. When we explain this to her she complains that we want her to be a conservative shrew. Trying to explain the difference between modesty and conservative has been difficult. Thankfully, the high school is helping.

Much to the dismay of most of the students at our local High School, a strict dress code has been put in place. The kids can wear blue jeans or khaki pants or shorts/skirts (to the knee) with a white/navy/red/grey button up or polo shirt. Only one button on the shirt can be undone. The students can also wear shirts that are school sponsored.

I love it! Now, it's not just me that is requiring my kids to dress modestly. The other side is that they are discovering they can be creative and "liberal" while still being modest.

Colorful Metaphors

Wow. This post is going to make me sound like an old dried up shrew.

Friday, G3 called me and told me that there was a kid texting her and calling her names and being mean. I did not realize to the extent of what was going on until she got home Sunday afternoon. Hubs and I prayed for her and prayed for wisdom on what to do. At that point some of the messages had gotten erased so I didn't know that we could really do anything.

Then Monday comes. The same kid starts it up again. This times all the messages were saved. We got the kid's number blocked and made sure to lock the messages, including G3's replies.

This morning I drove G3 to school and went in with her to speak with the principal. We ended up speaking with the assistant principal and to my pleasure, discovered that they have implemented a zero tolerance rule for harassment and bullying. We have the assistant principal's word that this will be taken care of.

The really bad part though? We are talking a 13 year old girl using words that you would expect from an old drunken soldier. I was shocked. I mean, I don't consider myself naive, I know kids curse. I am shocked at the extreme of the language.

Do you have issues like that?



(And yes... the title is from Mr. Spock's use of profanity in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

Birthday Girl!

13 years ago at 1:04am This beautiful child was born. Hard to believe she is thirteen already!

Happy Birthday G3!

Smart Cards, Discount Cards to Help Band Students

One may ask what exactly is a smart card... that would be a good question.

In middle TN area, a "Smart Card" is a discount card that you buy in order to get discounts at restaurants, stores, etc.

G1 & G3's Marching Band is selling these "Smart Cards" to pay band fees and also to support the band.

While band can be expensive, we believe that the girls being involved in the art of music is a great thing. It not only gives a sense of school pride, it betters the kids for life. Did you know that the majority of kids that go to college have some past with musical instruments? Whether it was playing in the school band or taking private lessons, music was a key part in their life. Many colleges and universities will also give scholarship money to those that play in the school band even if their major isn't music related.

Anyhow, for those in middle Tennessee, if you are interested in getting a Smart Card they are $12. You can leave a comment here or email me faith (at) heaveninourhearts (dot) com with what county you need and I will get with you. We have until August 12th to get the money turned in.

:)

And just a P.S. if you use the Smart Cards you will get your $12 back in no time. It's a win win situation.

A Return

I have missed everybody. For the last 10 days we only had dial-up internet and well, the phone lines in our house aren't the best for that. I am happy to say that now I am back on WiFi and hopeful to get back to posting and having fun online.  :)

Our family had a roller coaster this past week and I am still recuperating.

G1 and G3 realized Wednesday that band camp started Thursday. At least I had G1's clarinet back and had reeds for both of them. Even managed to get them up on time and to the school. (That's even with a friend spending the night and going with them!)  I was also very happy that the service on the clarinet was only $45. (new pads and tune)

B3 is happy now, I wasn't sure how he would react when we got the letter that he wasn't able to go to the school he went to for preschool. I spoke with the principal and I understand and it is better to know now than in the middle of the year. I am okay with that. Just now we have to get alot of documentation together and call a M-Team meeting as soon as possible at the other school. The other school that I have past prejudice with.

B2 is glad that B3 will be going to the same school and wants to show him the ropes. I don't think he will get a chance to since he will be in 2nd grade and B3 is going into Kindergarten. I do however laugh that B1 is disappointed because that means I will drive the three of them to school instead of them riding the bus. (B3 gets over-sensitized and can't handle crowds and loud noise.)

The weekend was great though when we had friends and family come over and had a cookout. All of the kids loved it, everybody had at least one friend, and my nephews I think have permanent blushing from the teen girls flirting with them. It was cute and enjoying being with everybody.

Now just praying this week goes well as we begin the back to school madness! Gotta make sure B3 is registered for the new school and get supply lists for all 6. School here starts August 2nd. Makes it a little hard to take advantage of the tax holiday for Tennessee August 6-8.

A Moment

I feel like I have been incredibly busy this week, but in reality I haven't. Or just not busy enough for me to acknowledge I have been busy?

I have been fighting a migraine most of the week. That and just not feeling 100%. Other than that, keeping up with the schedules.

Monday and Tuesday were sitting at home days. We stayed home, the kids played outside. They went stir crazy, but understood I really wasn't feeling well. Wednesday I gladly helped my sister in law and took one of my nephews to summer school. Jeff got tires on his car. And I took two of the girls to see their movie. After that we went to church.

I am enjoying the class me and Jeff are taking, it's iMarriage.

Non-Wordless Wednesday

  (Benji (B3), Bubbalicious (B2) & G3)

Hello! I am sad that I missed both Monday Mingle and Tackle It Tuesday this week, both mornings I woke up with a bad headache. Today we are doing better.