This WAS my porch...

There never ceases to be excitement in my life!

12:30 AM Sunday I am startled awake by some sort of vibration. Craig and I both jump out of bed. "Something hit the house" I said it twice. I went to the window above the porch in my daughter's room and Craig went downstairs. I said it all looked fine. nothing on the street. The I heard Craig saying "What is going on?, What happened?" And people outside saying is everyone alright? Craig said call the cops, but I didn't even know what was going on yet. I grabbed the phone looked on the porch and saw the SUV in front of my door and some of my neighbors who heard the squealing of tires and the crash. Thank God, no one was hurt. The driver ran. The witnesses saw him running down the street, but because no one saw him in the car or actually get out of the car, it is considered a hit and run with no driver. The guy gets a ticket for "driver responsibility"; a whopping $350, and has to pay to get his car out of hock. Whoopie. What ever happened to taking responsibility for your actions? *sigh* I have a smashed house. The floor is smashed, the glass is smashed, the two cement pillars are cracked and who knows about the integrity of the house yet. We'll have to see. Oh, well. Thankfully, I didn't have an SUV in my living room, right? Or it wasn't during the day while I getting the mail or something like that! Ha, and my mailbox wasn't touched! lol
Craig usually parks where the guy went up on the lawn but wasn't parked there because he got a ticket the other day for someone else cutting the 08 sticker off his plates so he was parking in the vacant lot across the street! Thank you , Lord!

Photo Share

This is some pictures I took with my sister and brother-in-law's family and one of close friend's family. I have never been to place as beautiful as these gardens.

I am in the blue shirt (with the wretched wrist brace), my hubby is in a black shirt, my kids are the blondies.
The asian girl is my close friend Lillie. The little tike in the jeans is her son Gabe, her hubby is Zach (I think there is a picture of her with him in the set), and her daughter (asian, long dark hair) is Ariel.
The tallest of the young men is my nephew Justin. Hannah is the young lady with brown hair and glasses. Her mom Toni Lynne is the one in the wheelchair, walker or being carried by her husband Kevin(my hubby's brother and one of my pastors).

Tears on my pillow 2

I was thinking maybe I ought to update the post from the other day. Craig and I talked some more about it and while we didn't really figure anything out, I just want you all to know I somehow feel better. My husband is such a sweetheart and he really tries to do all he can for us as a family. No, he's not prefect, but he sure does try!
I went back and read my post from the other day and for those who have read it, I am afraid I may have portrayed my husband is a poor light. Something I try to take care not to do. I hope no one saw me as bashing him, because that I was not doing. In the situation, there isn't really a black and white answer and I think I was expecting him, my knight in shining armor, to hop on his stallion, come running to rescue me out of my pathetic despair and, well, just "fix it." Reality says he can't just "fix it." Aww shucks.

Honest Kids Juice Quote

My kids were enjoying their Honest Kids fruit drink. They are kind of like Capri Sun only healthier. Anyway, on the backs are sayings and this one I particularly liked.

Don't worry if your tasks are small and rewards are few, remeber that the mighty oak was once a nut like you!

To be honest, I was surprised by how it ended! I was expecting something sweet like "the mighty oak started a mere seed." But no, I got, "a nut like you!" and if you only could've heard my son rolling with laughter!
Speaking of my son's laughter...Ever notice how a child's sincere laughter lifts a heavy heart?

Tears on my pillow

I hate to use my blog as a dumping grounds for my problems, but it seems I have always been one to feel 100 times better after letting it all out...
I have been struggling with teaching my kids. My son needs extra help and so I am giving him the help he needs but kind of setting my daughter to the side. Then when I go to help her because she can't do it completely by herself, I have to set Colton off to the side. I feel like I am on an educational roller coaster.
I tried to talk to my husband about it and he walked away after about two sentences. I know there isn't anything he can do--at least not at 10pm. But these are his kids, too. I suppose it's his way of dealing with it? By not dealing with it? Just leaving it to me. Such a small thing feels like the weight of the world on my shoulders. I actually feel, for moments, like I am practically single mom.
A minute or so later he came back in the room and started telling me about something at the shop. I wanted to walk out of the room and show him how it felt! Instead, I hung my head low and listened to his ramblings and complaints--shop talk. Then he said, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." (what I always say...)
"What's wrong?"
"I tried to tell you and you wouldn't listen."
"But, there's nothing I can do. What do you want me to do?"
"I just wanted you to listen."
And he left the room. I went to bed, only to find myself weeping in bed. I don't remember the last time I cried. It seems like such a silly thing to be so upset about.
I pray. I ask. I cry out to God.
I keep trying to figure out how I can be super mom. I don't have a cape. I don't have a mask. The only thing I have is the armor of God. Maybe I'm not putting it on right? Maybe it just doesn't fit anymore...Why can't I do this?
This morning, we had our prayer time as a family and he prayed for me to have the strength and wisdom to teach them. After the prayers, he said again "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"What's wrong?"
"Craig, it's nothing new, so there's no point in talking about it again. I need to figure it out."
"WHAT"S WRONG?"
"You don't need to yell at me." (he wasn't yelling, just adding a little emphasis...)
"Well?"
"It's school. I need to figure this out..."
"hmff...I don't know what to tell you. When we get enough money, we can get videos for Amanda so you can spend more time with Colton."
And he walks out of the room. This is not the solution I want. It's definitly not the solution I can afford. I know he wants to help, he just doesn't know how he can help.

I'm ok

Sharon asked how I was doing so I wanted to let you all know I'm alright. There have been a few complications-- like being allergic to my pain meds and the palm of my hand being completely numb-- but I'm alright.

My hand actually feels awesome today. I smashed it earlier by accident helping the guy who is doing our concrete and I think maybe my joint was a little out of whack and the jolt may have snapped it in place so it feels really good right now. I probably shouldn't have been out there helping him, but I just can't help it. It's the way I am. Besides, he wouldn't know where to replant all the flowers he had dug up! I mean, they were up by the house and we are having the cement poured up to the house, so the flower beds had to go. I had to do it myself. It's the only way to have it done the way I would want it. And it's not really his job to replant my flowers, even though he pitied me and my hand!

Hopefully now my basement won't leak. Wouldn't that be nice to be able to use up all that space down there! Maybe I can move the school room down there. It's nice and cool in the summer and it's so quiet!
Anyway, back to my hand! I go to the doctor tomorrow for my post-op checkup. Hopefully it all goes well.

I learned something new today.

Did you know that Paprika is made of a variety of ground peppers of different...uh..spicynesses? I feel I just learned something so amazing and wanted to share it with ya'all! I never knew what it was and to be honest, I always thought it came from a Paprika plant!

plese forgive my poor typing

quick update-surgery went well, but if still hurts--just hurts differently. but i know it will hurt less as time goes on. and it only took two tries this time for them to put in the IV. last time it took them about 5! I feel tired and dizzy so I am going to rest. Thanks for the prayers if anyone prayed for me.

Surgery and New Template

Tomorrow is the big day.
I think I'm a little nervous. Not a lot nervous, just a little. I know the Lord is in control of everything.
I was so afraid the last couple weeks that God was going to heal my hand and they would preform th surgery without checking. Then they wouldn't find anything and I would've went through the surgery for nothing. So far, I'm not healed so I guess I don't have to worry about that. It has been quite painful the last couple days. Nothing compared to a nail through my wrist, but I must say, I feel somewhat more empathetic as to the torture of it. Just watch, tomorrow my hand will be pain free and I'll be wondering why I'm going through it all!


On a different note, I've been trying to change my template to a three column one. It seems more complicated than I thought it would be and have thrown in the towel on it for now, unless anyone can here can help me. Maybe I need to pick a different starting template and make my changes that way. Maybe it'll be easier that way. I found a neat template that I downloaded off the web, but if I use it, I'll have to re-write all my lists and I don't want to lose any of my friends... Seems like a lot of work so I want to make sure it is what I really want to do, before I change it, ya know?