Playing Catch Up....Again!

Since it's been awhile, I thought I would take a minute to catch up where blogging is concerned. Things seem crazy busy right now although I realize it's really not as bad as I think it is. That's called stress :-) For me, school is going well. I finished my first math course in May with an A. Then I decided to fill my summer up with classes. I just finished up a three week psychology course and walked away with an A in it. That was a trip. Because it was an intersession class, it flew by. We had sixteen class days and covered fifteen chapters worth of material. Talk about my head spinning! It was fun but I was happy to get it out of the way.

Monday I started my online anatomy class. So far, it's going well. It's just really hard. There is a ton of material to learn and many, many details. I haven't let myself get stressed out about it yet and I hope I don't. I also started a statistics class this week. It is an on campus class and I have it four days a week for five weeks. My first class went pretty well. It's a large class and there is plenty of material to cover so I'm trying to stay focused and keep my head above water. I'm enjoying the challenge of school and I feel like my time management skills are getting better. Now if I can just figure out how to manage the stress, I'll be ok.

The girls are doing well. They are enjoying a more relaxed homeschooling schedule this summer. Caroline has found a new neighborhood friend and spends most of the day playing. It's been good for her. She's my social butterfly and has really needed someone her age to spend time with. This is really a win-win situation since it frees Logan up to do things she enjoys. They have both been wonderful to help around the house since I've been in school. I don't know what I'd do without them.

Jeff's doing good too. He's still working from home although he doesn't have a full-time position yet. That really stinks because it leaves us without health insurance and we hate to do without it. The economy is just so horrible right now that there isn't much we can do about it. We're trying to wait it out until this company can afford to bring him aboard full-time. Initially they promised him full-time status after three months of work but that three months has come and gone. I won't complain too much because the situation could definitely be worse. He could be out of a job all together.

No big plans for the summer here. We decided not to vacation this year since we are hoping to save some money and work toward paying our house off. We have a long way to go but we're always trying to find ways to put our family in a better situation financially in the event that Jeff is out of a job. Who wants to pay all of that interest in a home loan anyway? Not us, that's for sure!!

That's about all that's going on around here. Boring, I know. I'm hoping to get outside and take some pictures soon. That always makes me forget about all the other things I need to be doing! Our neighbor is going out of town next week and always allows us to use her pool while she's gone so we are looking forward to that. Hopefully I can snap a few photos of the girls then....when they aren't looking :-)

Note to Self

So, things have been going well for me the past few months. I've been busy, but things have been good. So good in fact, that I've managed to gain back ten pounds of the weight I had lost. Did you hear me? TEN pounds! When I think of how hard I worked to get that off of me and how easy it was to put back on, it makes me ill. Now it's time to start all over. Every time I think of starting over, I immediately think I'll take the easy way out and buy some diet pills and I'm good to go. That thought lasts all of about five minutes before I realize that it's not that easy. It was a lot of work to drop the twenty total pounds I dropped. It took several months and lots of hard work. Grrrrrr......

I find myself two days away from summer intersession at school. I've chose to pack four classes into the summer (and my advisor is horrified by my decision to do so) and they are all fast track classes except one. That one is my most important class (Anatomy & Physiology I) and it's an online class. The other three classes will zip by. I'll start with Psych on Wednesday and that class runs every day for three weeks and then it's over. I hope I've not duped myself into thinking it'll be too easy. I think it'll be easy enough but I realize that three weeks is FAST and there'll be a lot of reading and memorizing. I think I'm up for it. Once this class is over, my online Anatomy class begins, along with my Prob&Stats class. The math class is a five week class and it's over. The Anatomy will be ongoing from June 3 to August 12. Anyway, when math class ends, my computer class begins. It's also a five week class and I think it'll be fairly easy. I mean, I spend my life on a computer so if I can't do well with it, then I have real issues. All of this is just to say that I'll be really busy.

Add to this, the fact that we homeschool year round. The girls will be working through the summer while I am in class. When I get home, we'll work on the studies that require my help. If that isn't enough, pile on this whole ten extra pounds thing. How does one diet when on a fast paced time scale? Thank goodness WW recipes are fairly simple to prepare! And since Logan (at least right now) wants to go to culinary school when she graduates, she will be getting most of the supper duties. It's a new season in our lives.....one that I pray I can handle.

So, this portion of the post is mainly for msyelf.....

Goals 4 Summer: Do not neglect family, do well in all four classes (strive to make A's), see to it that supper is always on the table by 7:30, eat healthy (even in the midst of stress), work hard with the girls and their summer studies, and remember that you can't do it all (know when to say no!). After all, look how long it took Solomon to build the Temple!

Books and Calculators and Finals, Oh My!

It's finals week and my final is first thing tomorrow morning. I've studied until my brain can't take in any more information. So in preparation for tomorrow, I'm going to........

 

I hope I have time for much more blogging in the very near future. I miss you guys!

Get A Life....Seriously!

Seriously, what is the deal with truckers? Don't get me wrong....I know some of them are nice normal people. But what's with the male truckers who feel the need to express themselves to other women drivers?

I'm sure as a child, you remember being in the car with your parents on your way to some sweet vacation spot (for me it was usually always Myrtle Beach). You're driving along and you come upon an 18-wheeler. So, you do what any normal American child has been taught to do. You start making a pumping action with your arm so that the trucker will blow his horn. Just go ahead and admit it....we've all done it. We can wallow in our humiliation together.

This past week, my mom was visiting from West Virginia. We headed into town to do some shopping. As we were driving, I heard mom start giggling. I asked her what was up and she told me to look out her window. I glanced out to see this 18-wheeler driving beside us. The driver of the truck had held up a cardboard sign to his window and was smiling real big at my mom. His handwritten sign said "Hi Pritty." Ok, first of all, that's so lame. The man had a pre-written cardboard sign in his truck, which means that he does this often! That's just wrong people! If that's not enough, the ding dong misspelled pretty! BAH! My mom was totally embarrassed and we couldn't stop laughing!

Here's my advice to all these hard working truckers......#1 stop being so lame. It's not very attractive. # 2, and most importantly, learn to spell! As my good friend Jenny would say, sheeshamoley! Pretty really isn't a hard word to spell and if you're going to use it, you really should know how to spell it!

That's my two cents for the day........

Playing Catch Up

Since the discovery of Facebook several months ago, blogging has sort of taken a backseat. I found myself missing my bloggy friends this week though so I'm hoping to settle down and get back on track. It's funny how you go through "phases" even as an adult. We've also had lots of changes in the past few months so I have plenty to write about.

Two weeks ago, hubby started a new job. This job is 100% home-based. The transition has been an easy one since he already worked at home three days a week with his previous job. The hardest part for me has been to discipline myself to make lunch for him every day. His work hours are a little cooky right now but we are confident that it will straighten out once he gets the hang of things. He is already starting to get into a groove so normalcy is sure to find us soon!

School is going well for me. I'm only taking one class right now so it's very manageable and has not affected our homeschooling schedule at all really. It's very motivating to be working toward something that I will be able to use once the kids are older. Medicine has always fascinated me and I love people so I am looking forward to using these skills. As far as the class is concerned, so far, I have an A. It's a math class and math is my weakest area so I really have to stay focused in order to do well. The section we are in now is pretty tough for me but I'm hanging in there.

The girls are great. They are progressing nicely with their school work and I'm actually looking into volunteer opportunities for us. I hope to find something that the three of us can do on a weekly basis. I know there are plenty of great ministries out there so hopefully I'll find us something soon.

The biggest change for our family happened several months ago. We left the church we had been part of for six years. Through lots of study, hubby decided we were going in the wrong direction so we took a step back and changed direction. This was a very, very hard thing for me at first. There was plenty of heartache and fighting that happened here but God is good and healed us. I think the hardest thing for me at first was that our former church chose to "cut fellowship" with us. There were other families that left and they were also "cut off." There are a few families that made the decision to continue to fellowship with us and we are happy to count them as friends. We love all of our former church family and pray that God will bring reconciliation in the future. For now, we are focusing on the really important things...like controlling our passions and bringing God glory in any way we possibly can. We have grown even closer as a family and are in a very good place right now.

So, what have you been up to?

Women At Home

Two Christmases ago, we bought the girls matching books, Verses of Virtue: The Poetry and Prose of Christian Womanhood. Periodically, Caroline will come to me and want to read a poem she has come across that she really likes. A few nights ago, while I was making supper, she came and wanted to read one to me and I absolutely fell in love with it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Women At Home by Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage, D.D.

Thank God, O women, for the quietude of your home, and that you are queen in it. Men come at eventide to the home; but all day long you are there, beautifying it, sanctifying it, adorning it, blessing it. Better be there than wear a queen's coronet. Better be there than carry the purse of a princess. It may be a very humble home. There may be no carpet on the floor. There may be no pictures on the wall. There may be no silks in the wardrobe; but, by your faith in God, and your cheerful demeanor, you may garniture that place with more splendor than the upholsterer's hand ever kindled.

 

 

A Perfect Day?

Have you ever had a perfect day? I'm talking about a day when everything fell into place and just flowed smoothly without any other distractions?

I started thinking about this a few days ago. Lately, I've been catching up with many old friends via Facebook. At first, I thought FB would be a waste of time. What I found was that many people had been reconnected there and that the people you thought were lost were suddenly found.

Growing up, I was a very social person. In fact, that was the only reason I got up and went to high school every morning. I had lots of friends and was involved in a lot of sporting activities. I think it is fair to say that I was popular because of sports. I had friends who were just my friends because we were involved in things together but then I had friends who were REALLY friends. There's a huge difference :-) I guess I thought my high school years would last forever and that those friends would always be within walking distance of my house. Boy was I mistaken.

Life has taken me only an hour or so away from my hometown. It's still very reasonable to drive home and visit friends......but I rarely have done so in the past. I'm glad to be reconnecting with friends though because I plan to make many trips home to catch up with them in person. And all of this brings me back to my perfect day question and story.

I believe I did have a perfect day once. I was hanging out with a friend. It was cold out and we decided to take a drive over the mountain. As we drove, we talked about all sorts of things (our conversations always flow so easily). As we drove across the mountain, it started to lightly slow. By the time we had gone a few more miles, everything around us started to turn white. I remember thinking how perfect everything looked. It was a scene straight out of a magazine. It was beautiful. Breathtaking even. And here we were....best friends, sharing in this perfect scene. I remember rolling down the window and sticking my hand out. I wanted to feel the snow....to make sure that this day was real. I remember that I didn't want the day to end. I wanted to freeze it and replay it over and over. It was like everything in the world was absolutely perfect for those few hours.

I think about that day often. I think about that friend even more.

I pray for more days like that one.

Life....Interrupted

Well, it's official. I am a college student...for the second time in my life. When hubby and I married eleven years ago, I was attending a local college. We decided that I should withdraw from school for the upcoming semester since we had no idea what the first few months of marriage would be like. I was disappointed at the time but quickly got over it as my role at home became more real to me. Hubby and I always knew that one of these days, when the girls were older and time allowed, I would go back to complete my degree.

So here I am a little more than eleven years later. My focus and desires have totally changed. In my previous college years, I bounced from a sociology major to elementary education. This time around, I thought I should try on a different hat. I want to do something that will allow lots of flexibility. I do not desire a full-time job and don't want anything to interfere with our homeschooling. I am fully committed to my role as wife and mother first. As I looked around for professions that catered to these things, nursing was the obvious choice. The local community college has a two year program that, if all goes well, will give me RN certification. However, I'll add an extra year so that I can take pre-nursing classes at a slower pace. I have it all worked out in my head and pray that God will bless my efforts. In the long term, I hope to use these nursing skills to minister to hospice patients and do missions work both in the US and abroad.

This semester, I'm simply taking a math class. This summer, I'll take two courses and see how that goes. One of the classes will be online....maybe both. I'm eager to get these pre-nursing classes out of the way so that I can concentrate on entering the nursing program next fall. I'll have to work hard to earn a spot in the program and that's exactly what I intend to do. I know at least three friends who are doing this same thing so I have plenty of help and support to lean on. I know I'll be learning a lot of things and I'm looking forward to the challenge. Technology is always advancing in the medical field so it will be interesting to learn about the latest gadgets, like the shoulder pain pump, that prove helpful to patients.

When my grandfather was dying from bladder/lung cancer, he was fortunate enough to have a wonderful family friend as his nurse. In his last days, she came all the way from her home in Charlottesville, VA and cared for him. I remember how gentle she was and how she really made my grandfather feel special. That touched me more than I ever told her. In this same way, I hope to be a blessing to patients who are living out their last days. I pray that God will bless these people through me. I pray that when these people look at me, they will see Christ. I pray that we will be Jesus to one another and will glorify Him in word and deed.

All About Etiquette

From Emily Post's Book of Etiquette:

 

~ It is a flagrant violation of good manners for children to call their natural parents by their first names ~

 

Tummy Mix Up

So for the past week, I've had the most HORRIBLE stomach bug known to man. Yep, me. The one, who only last week was bragging about never being sick. At one point, I was even complaining to someone that I never got sick enough to have anyone wait on me hand and foot. Boy did I stick my foot in my mouth!

Thanksgiving went wonderfully. We had a great visit with my mom and came home from West Virginia on Saturday. That night, I started to feel a bit under the weather but it wasn't until Sunday night that the full force of it got me. I was so sick that I could barely get out of bed for anything. Clive Owen could have been knocking at the door and I wouldn't have cared. All of my bills could have been unpaid and 100 debt collection agencies could have been calling and I wouldn't have budged. Someone could have put a platter of my favorite foods within reach and I would have balked at it. It was just that bad. In fact, it was worse than that. Seriously.

I'm finally getting back to normal, five days later. I tell ya though, it's still lingering. We got pizza tonight and I ate one slice....one slice! Pizza is my favorite and I always eat more than one slice! I'm working my way up to a peanut butter shake. I'm going about it very slowly though. I hear this thing has been going around. I am thankful that no one in our house got it besides me. Not sure how that happened. Anyway, if you get it, I'm sorry. It's bad. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The only advice I can offer is get yourself a nice warm blanket, plenty of water, and go to bed. And seriously, if Clive knocks on your door, just send him to my house.

It Goes Without Saying

Friends are a wonderful blessing. Over the years, I've had many of them. I moved to a neighboring state a few years after graduation and some of my friends got lost along the way. As sad as it seems, it was bound to happen. Circumstances change. People change. We grow up, move on, start careers, start families, and all sorts of neat things. We look back on our younger years and kick ourselves for things we said or did. Maybe we even regret things we didn't say. I think the latter is where I find myself.

Back up twenty years. Growing up in a small town, everybody knows everybody. You know what your neighbor is into at all sorts of odd hours in the night because you live so close, it's impossible not to know. That was me. My mom, brother, and I lived in a small town like this and we lived in close proximity of most of my good friends, save a few. It was wonderful. It was like a giant slumber party every weekend. We'd see each other or talk on the phone....hang out at each other's home. We'd sit on the porch and watch as other friends drove by. We always knew where they were going and who they were with. They always knew what we were doing and always, always, always knew they could drop in on us. We had an open sort of house. My mom was very tolerant of my brother and I (and our friends). We had lots of friends and our house always seemed to be the gathering place. I think mom loved it. I think she enjoyed having all those kids around her and around us. I think she liked caring for them and talking to them. I think she enjoyed seeing us develop deep, lasting friendships. At least until midnight rolled around and she had to kick someone out :-) (Really, I don't think she ever did that...she was pretty cool). Other parents did the same for us. They came to ball games and cheered us on or sat through chilly track meets to see me compete. They opened their homes and hearts to me. They fed me. I felt very fortunate growing up. Even though my parents were divorced, I felt like I had multiple moms and dads. I'm sure my brother would say the same.

Fast forward to now. Twenty years later you have me....the one who rarely ever goes home to visit. My mom isn't there anymore so I tell myself that there's no real reason to go back. Except that there is. Some of those friends and parents are still in that little town. While most people look at it and see nothing, I look at it and see half my life. And then there is that one friend. The one that's been there through everything. The one that knows everything; the losses and triumphs...the good, the bad, and certainly the ugly. My wonderful friend has been there in the same little town all this time. And do you know what happens if you run into them or see them in a store? It's like you never even left town and didn't call or write for twenty years. Our conversation picks right back up, as if we never stopped talking. Our thoughts are still so aligned that we practically finish each other's sentences. It's strange and comforting at the same time. Sometimes in life, it's hard to know who your true friends are. For me, I've always known I could count on this one. Always. No questions asked. Whatever I needed would be mine and vice versa.

So the next time you are thinking of that friend you haven't seen in a gazillion years, pick up the phone and call them. Send them an email. Drop them a letter. However, DO NOT, under any circumstance, put it off. Don't waste twenty years on silence when you have the ability to tell them you love them. Don't squander those moments when you could be crying over coffee or laughing over twinkies (or peanut butter rolls and peanut butter shakes in my case). Friends are a treasure. Best friends are life preservers, just waiting to hold you up when you are going under. The happiness and joy they bring will add years to your life. I'm sure of it. How would I know, you ask? I know because I have one of those friends....one of those life preservers that I know would hold me up when I'm sinking. One of those friends that would hug me and love me no matter how many years I let slip by without calling or writing. One of those friends who can finish my thoughts, likes the same things, and holds our friendship close to their heart.

To that friend I have this to say.....I love you. I treasure you. I hold a special place in my heart for you. You are never far from my thoughts.

Walmart Employee Trampled To Death

So I was all geared up to get up at 4 a.m. this morning and go shopping. It would have been only my second time going shopping on Black Friday. The one time I did it before, I went alone and wasn't really even going for sale items. I wanted to people watch more than anything. That was several years back and that experience was enough to put the idea out of my head for a few years. It was probably the most horrific experience of my life to date. People were pushy and rude and could have cared less about the person next to them. It wasn't the people watching experience that I had hoped for.

Last night we were talking about getting up and going and had planned to do so. However, I think mom and I both decided that it just wasn't worth getting up so early for. It was either that or the fact that we ate way too much yesterday :-) We got up this morning and decided that we'd just wait until midday to go out. I'm glad we did, especially after reading about a Walmart employee in NY who was trampled to death by shoppers this morning.

I just can't figure out what people are thinking. I know the economy is bad and people want to get the best deals that they possibly can. But because of some of those shoppers, one family in NY will spend Christmas without their loved one. That makes me really sad. What is the world coming to? Is this really the image we want to portray to other nations? I can't speak for everyone but I will say that the only way I will ever get out on Black Friday is if I'm going for fun, simply to watch people. However, I'm not really sure I want to watch people who behave the way they do over something as frivolous as material things.

That's What Friends Are For

A few months ago, my sweet friend K made me a beautiful necklace. She and I have been on a journey of sorts. We started trying to live healthier and using each other as motivation. In doing this, we became close friends. This has been a real blessing to me because I left my best friends behind when I left my hometown seventeen years ago. As the years passed, we just lost touch because we lived a few hours apart. I have really missed having those relationships but I also realize that people change and their lives go in different directions.

I am so thankful for K and look forward to many years of laughing really hard, crying equally as hard, and just general fellowship. I wanted to share a picture of the necklace and remind you to be thankful for those friends in your life.

The circles each have an inscription on them: Strength, Focus, Imagine, Passion, Integrity, and Discipline.

I love it K! Thank you so much for your friendship and encouragement. You are truly a blessing from the Lord.

Time Keeps Slipping.......

My mom is visiting from West Virginia for a few days and has roped the kids into several different craft projects. I hope to share plenty of photos in the coming days. In the meantime, my kitchen looks like a war zone. The kitchen table is covered with buttons, sewing needles, glue, scissors, craft paint and paint brushes, two sewing machines, and plenty of fabric and felt. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to cook in there again (that's a good excuse, isn't it?).

Our garden is dying out but the tomatoes are still hanging on. Every morning when I peek out the window, I see another ripe one hanging there waiting for me to come get it. The leaves are falling off the trees and the yard is scattered with them. My deck is covered with morning glories that just refuse to die out. I really need patio furniture covers for all the stuff out there.

It seems like just yesterday that we were getting everything ready for summer and now it's time to winterize everything. Honestly, where does the time go? It seems like I blink and a year passes. For the next few days, we're gonna kick back and enjoy all the crafty goodness going on over here. All of that other stuff can and will have to wait. I'm trying to remind myself to take time to enjoy life because in an instant, it passes and you can never get that moment back.

Every Act to Judgment

While visiting Stacey's blog today, I noticed a coupon giveaway she was having. As part of entering, she asked that commenters share their favorite verse of Scripture. As I was commenting on her post, I was again reminded of the great message in my favorite verse. Here it is:

Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14

13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

I think it speaks for itself. This verse serves as a constant reminder to me that no matter what I think, say, do, or feel, God brings it to judgment. I take much comfort in knowing this. I know how prone to sin I am and I find that this verse helps me consider my words and actions beforehand. I wish I could say that I always make the right choices and do not sin but that isn't the case. I am especially thankful for the verses that remind me God knows All things.

Chapman Family Prayer Request

I know many of you are Steven Curtis Chapman fans and I wanted to alert you to a tragic accident that struck his family yesterday. One of the Chapman's daughters passed away as a result of an accident in their driveway. You can read the full story here. Please remember this family in prayer. Such heartbreaking news.........

Can Prices Get Any More Ridiculous?

I have to take a short break between Savannah posts to express my disgust at some things that are getting under my skin right now. First, gas is ridiculous. Seriously, I wish I could put together a nationwide boycott. Don't buy gas and don't drive for an entire day. Could you imagine if people across the US participated? How cool would that be! I never thought I'd see the day that gas would be as high as it is and is going to continue to climb. It makes me sick. It makes me want to start brewing my own biodiesel fuel in the garage. I'm sick to death of our government being more concerned with people in other countries than they are with people in this country. How in the world can we fix things in other countries if things in our country are so broken?

What really got me was my weekly grocery shopping trip today. You know, I've noticed dairy going up for awhile now. Eggs, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream; it's gone up quite a bit. I don't like it but I was learning to deal with it. I started buying good eggs from a family in our church and I just warned the kids to watch their milk and sour cream intake. I don't know about your house but around here, we could all drink milk like it's going out of style and sour cream is one of our favorite condiments. So anyway, I go to get my laundry detergent. I normally buy Gain because it smells good, cleans pretty well, and it's a good "middle of the road" price. I really want to buy Tide but refrain because I need to have some money in the bank. Well, when I find the Gain, I start to look for the big 120 loads box. Oh, I found it. And I found its price tag. Normally I pay $14 for this. Oh but no. Today it had a new price tag.....$20!!! Could someone please tell me how in the world laundry detergent goes up $6 in one month? Really, I need an explanation. I was livid, as were several other shoppers in the aisle.

Driving home, I told my husband that I finally understand just how bad our economy is getting. Can you say RECESSION? I know people might think I'm a nut but I'm telling you, it's getting hard to purchase the essentials now. I see lots of "green" options being researched and used in our house. If you've got any to share, send them my way. Something else I've been turned onto lately is The Grocery Game. If you're not familiar with this, research it or better yet, try it. It's a wonderful way to stockpile. A friend at church told me about it and I'm trying to use it to my advantage.

This is kind of wacky but I wonder if any of you have tried powdered milk? What do you think of it? How does it compare to regular milk? I'm thinking of using it in place of regular milk. You can buy a box of it and I think it'll last much longer than a gallon of milk. Just add water and viola!

While I'm sure we all find ways to adjust to price increases, it just seems like it's getting out of hand. Gas and groceries are things we need. I can't imagine what the price increase is doing to families who fall below poverty level. I've finally reached my breaking point so it's time to giddy up and find some alternative solutions. How about you? Do you have any helpful tips for me? How are you coping with these price increases?

Is It Just Me?

Recently, the hubs and I have started to research adoption. We've wanted to add to our family for many years but have been unable. About a week ago, we discussed it and started doing a bit of online research. At first, I was very excited and eagerly scoured every web site I could find on the topic. Once I got into the financial research, I became a little discouraged. Adoption is ridiculously expensive, whether domestic or international. We know there are loans and grants out there but just the initial costs were mind blowing. We started to wonder where all of this money goes. While we don't have all of the answers, we did find agencies that revealed a little about the financial side of things.

Still, at least in my mind, it doesn't add up. Some agencies say that this money is for the work they do in overseeing that the birth mother goes to the doctor, she eats correctly, and gets proper addiction treatment if needed. If the birth mother has abused drugs or alcohol, the agency "makes sure" she stays clean while pregnant. I really understand that there is some work involved. What I don't get is why they charge 10k (on average) for the adoption. This figure doesn't even include medical expenses, if any, for the birth mother. It doesn't include a home study that adoptive parents must go through (and it's quite costly). It doesn't include the money you have to pay out of pocket for things like police reports (to prove you don't have a history of abuse), financial records, and even medical records. In some instances, particular agencies even ask you to pay for the birth mother's lodging, food, and gas. Remember, all of this is beyond the 10k the agency charges for the adoption.

Needless to say, we are disgusted at the system itself. There are so many children who need homes. There are so many that have never known what it is like to be part of a family. Each year, thousands of children "age out" of the process, meaning they become of legal age and can live independently. Many of them have no family to turn to for help. They are basically thrown out into the world with no concept of what it feels like to have the support of a loving family. I just don't understand why it is so hard. It's frustrating, makes me angry, and makes me want to cry all at the same time. And then we have to wonder....if we put this kind of money into adoption, aren't we just supporting the corrupt practices of this system? I don't have answers to all of these questions and that frustrates me. Why, somebody please tell me, would any agency, adoption or government (DCS), deny any child the right to a loving home and family based on our inability to fork out the tens of thousands of dollars it supposedly costs? Maybe it's just me....maybe I just don't get it.

Ever Feel Like You Need One of These?

Just Wondering Why

I had to take my MIL to the ER last night. She had a severe heart attack about two weeks ago and has been recovering at home. Yesterday, she had such difficulty breathing that she called her cardiologist and he told her to go to the ER for a chest X-ray. Easy, right? Huh, huh. I picked her up about 6:30 and we were in the ER by 7:00. We checked in and sat down amid twenty other colorful characters in the waiting area :-o) They called us back and asked her a gazillion questions before finally taking her to a room. Once in that room, a nurse came in and did his thing and left us to wait for the ER doc.

This is the part where things started to go blurry for me. About an hour and a half later, the doctor popped into the room, spent five minutes asking questions and listening to her lungs, and popped out again. The nurse came back in, took some blood (lots of it actually), gave her some lasix, and out he went. A little more than an hour later, the doctor popped back in again, said she had some fluid build up on her lungs, that he needed to consult with the cardiologist on call, and that most likely, she'd be spending the night. Out he went and we were left to sit for another hour before the nurse popped in to "see if we needed anything." At this point, we were four hours into our ER adventure, neither of us had eaten supper, and the ER was getting busier by the minute. I could see patients being placed on cots in the hallway. As a matter of fact, there were two patients outside our door. I assume they were waiting to get into the room we were occupying. An hour and a half later, the nurse pops in to tell us he's doing paperwork to get my MIL a room. I failed to mention that during this 5 1/2 hour confinement, we witnessed a couple brawling in the waiting area, a two-year old having seizures next door, and a man with facial fractures decided the ER staff was taking too long and he was leaving AMA. Oooookkkkkaaaaaayyy! A wonderful way to spend a Friday night.

Here's my question, and my complaint. What in the name of all that is good and holy are they doing during that 5 1/2 hour time frame? I know they are working and that there are multiple patients to deal with. I fully understand that and I am thankful for modern medicine. I do question the efficiency of an emergency room though. Do they only staff it with one doctor? Why do they not have shared records with other departments in the hospital? For example, in the rush to get to the ER, my MIL forgot to pick up her meds. When we got to triage and they asked what meds she took, she couldn't tell them because many of them are meds she started since her heart attack. She didn't have them all memorized yet :-o) This is the same hospital that she was in two weeks ago. Why were they not able to pull up her records and see that for themselves?

My FIL goes to a local VA hospital (for veterans). He has a patient number and anytime he goes for a visit, whether it be a routine visit or a visit to their ER, he gives them his patient number and they are able to electronically pull up all of his records. They can tell everything from this. If it's been a while since he's been there, they just ask him questions and update it. This seems like a no-brainer. So why in the world doesn't our local hospital have this same set-up? I really need to understand this because these are the types of things that bug me and make me never want to go to the doctor. I also need to mention another situation that I noted. When the nurse came in to draw blood, he ended up having to leave to get supplies to do so. What is up with that? Why are these rooms not better stocked? This is where we go for emergencies. Shouldn't they be prepared for emergencies? To me, being prepared means having everything you might need right there in the room. They have a whole set of cabinets and drawers dedicated for supplies. Why were they not there last night?

I truly want to understand these things. I don't expect perfection but I do expect hospitals to have it together. I expect them to have the things they need to work with right there. When I see things like I saw last night, it makes me fearful of ever having to go to the ER. I see the ER nurses running around like mad trying to take care of multiple patients and I wonder how they keep it all together. I guess what bothers me is that I see so much potential for error in situations like this. Unnecessary errors. Somebody please help me understand. Am I just being unreasonable?