Monday, April 19, 2010
First Day of Working on Habitat Houses
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Habitat for Humanity
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The last of the gathering posts from many blogs
Monday, August 04, 2008 Sad comentary on church people We were visiting a new church on Sunday, beautiful building, wonderful music, a great sermon, but we left with a really bad taste in our mouth. It was a fairly small church, we were the only family visiting that day, and we are by our own admission not a conventional looking family - a boy with cerebral palsy in a wheelchair, boys (several of them) in skater attire, one young girl, an artist, a little avant-garde, one young man, with many tattoos, and piercings, two middle aged gray heads, a baby that looks like he is from Indonesia (grandson, who is part Indonesian) anyway, that isn't even all of us, but you get the picture, we are a beautiful example of a great mixture and texture for a family. Two of my boys went out of the church ahead of us, we were visiting with a friendly member of the church, they, the boys came around the corner just in time to hear two couples talking, one saying to the other, "yea, I saw them and thought please don't sit by us, please don't sit by us," Now we don't know if they were talking about us, but we were the guests, and if they weren't it still was the wrong attitude to have toward anyone at church. They looked over and saw the boys and moved up to another level to talk. It really made me sad, church people need to be welcoming and loving, not hoping someone dosent' sit by them. By the way the friendly church member that did take the time to talk to us, was the only one who spoke to us. 6:19 PM - 66 views - 6 eprops - 3 comments - email it Sunday, May 04, 2008 Yesterday was our first Saturday Market for the season... Our biggest day ever! It was crazy busy from 8am to 1pm, non stop! It was so amazing, fun, tiring, envigorating, and successsful. If I have to give up my Saturdays, this is not a bad way to go. We had so many people tell us they had waited all winter for our coffee, so glad we were back. I felt very affirmed in what we are doing. I am so excited to make people happy with our coffee. Saturday, April 19, 2008 I love the weekend! I spend all week counting down the days until Friday, then I relish in our weekend traditions. Saturday morning I sleep in until 7! Then Mark and I get up and have a cup of the best coffee on the planet (I roast it myself) we read our bibles, then just sit and visit for a while. Then I make a big breakfast for our family, this weekend it was biscuits and sausage gravy, eggs and juice. The rest of the morning and early afternoon just doing nothing in particular. My boys and I went to town to get the ingredients for our Saturday night ritual- homemade pizza. This week it is pepperoni pizza and chicken bacon pizza with a creamy garlic sauce.; Sunday it is a little slower than the week, we leave for church at 9:30 then after church it is spent reading the paper, fixing and eating dinner, and then do the laundry for the coming week. of course we always get a little work done too, this weekend hopefully we will put up the curtains in my bedroom, and we wanted to do some yard work, but it is SNOWING!!! So you see why I love the weekends. In two weeks the farmers market opens and we will have our coffee stand there again and Saturday will become another work day. I always enjoy our time at the Market, but I will miss our quiet Saturdays, until November when Market is over. 10:47 PM - 53 views - 6 eprops - 4 comments - email it Wednesday, April 09, 2008 It is the little things that mean so much... We have indoor plumbing again! The man that came out and fixed it, just banged on the pipe and got everything going (so to speak). I appreciate indoor toilets, running water, dishwashers, washing machines; the list goes on and on. Today we got our wheelchair van back! So exciting, it broke down more than a year ago, and it has been being repaired now for two months! I picked it up today, it will be wonderful, we can take Maddy in his wheelchair to church, school, and town. We haven' t been able to for more than a year, so we would have to depend on my son in law and his truck and sometimes he was busy, or the truck was broke down, and it was so heavy for us to lift the 300 lb chair into the back of the truck. What freedom! Tomorrow Mark goes for a checkup of his heart. I am so anxious to hear how it is doing, he hasn't felt well for quite some time, and it has been ages since he was on medication. Monday, April 07, 2008 Well, sort of... It is spring but this is the first Monday since last fall that we haven't had snow on a Monday. I know this because it is part of my job to shovel snow off the sidewalks at the preschool, and I didn't have to do it today!!! Right now at our house I am waiting for the "handy man" to show up, our septic system backed up yesterday morning, and the pump guy came out in the AFTERNOON to pump it out, but when it was done, we still could not flush and so we called the property management people and they told me they would call someone first thing in the morning... I said, but we have no toilet!, and what were we supposed to do? She said I don't know but legally we have several days until we have to do something! I couldn't believe it, but here we are the afternoon of the next day and we still have no facilities and so far no one has showed up!!! I have to get them here before the kids get home from school. Oh my goodness!!!
More catching up
Sunday, 01 July 2007
- It's Sunday, my only day when I am not working for a living. I love Sundays! I work all week at the preschool, then Friday night I spend roasting coffee, and getting ready for the Farmer's Market, and Saturday we are up at 5am and out of the house by 6:45, set up at market by 7:45, and selling coffee by 8. This week was a great week at the Market. Our biggest day ever. I was so tired by the time we finished, packed up, came home, and unpacked, cleaned up... I did nothing the rest of the day but fix dinner! So you see why Sundays are so special, beyond the normal specialness (is that a word?) of Sundays. We go to church later this morning; we are attending a new church start up, and meet in a couple's home. They are very nice and it is interesting... we shall see.
The big news this week is that Mark (my dh) is probably a match for his sister's bone marrow transplant. They have a few more markers to look at, but it looks really good. We are thrilled that he could do this for his sister. Her leukemia was very out of the blue, and threw her whole family into a scary new world in a matter of minutes. She has spent many weeks in the hospital having chemotherapy, now she and Mark will be going to a hospital in Denver for the transplant sometime later this summer. It is going to be a weird summer. We have this to look forward to, our third grandson will be born later this July, and our daughter Shelby gets married September 8th at our house!!!~ What a summer!
Sunday, 26 November 2006
- I can't believe it has been so long since I last wrote anything here. Life takes a lot of time, you know! Well, this week I said goodbye to Mark on Monday morning, he would be traveling through Wednesday, home Thursday, and back on the road Friday through Sunday, then home a total of 3 days until Christmas.(not all at the same time, but one day here and there) I hated his job, and prayed on a continual basis that the Lord would bring him home for good. So, Monday afternoon, while I am picking up our kids at different schools, going to parent teacher conferences, etc. you can imagine my surprise when my son texted me to say dad just came down the driveway on a tow truck! His jeep (that we just spent his entire paycheck to fix so he would have a car for work) broke down! Not the same thing was wrong, it is a different problem. I was so glad to have Mark home, what a relief! But now what? His boss called on Friday, and said they would send someone by to pick up all Mark's equipment (an entire car of stuff!) this week, he is done. He was very good at what he did, but they have no desire to work with him. This dumb job literally destroyed all three of our cars, and now he has no job! I am really glad he is home, he was traveling over a thousand miles a week, it was so hard on him and us, but what do we do now? I am trying to be calm and know that the Lord is in control, it is hard to do sometimes though!
We are still here, in our house, a month behind on rent, car payment, utility bills, etc., no income, and now wondering what is next. This has been the hardest 3 1/2 years of my life that is saying a lot, we have had some hard years in the past. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.
Friday, 27 October 2006
- Well, it is Friday night again at the Halland house; it has been quite a week. Lots have happened, too boring to repeat, but suffice it to say it has been quite a week. I just got off the phone with Mark, our daily 45 minute talk on the phone between my getting home from work and Mark leaving for work somewhere in Central Washington. He told me he talked to his boss about his transportation, we have no working cars, and he can't afford to rent cars anymore, his boss asked him to rent a car one more week, and work one more week, and then they won't schedule him any more until he gets a working car. I am thrilled to have him home, but suddenly he has no job. I don't know what to say, I hope the Lord has something better planned for us, but we are two weeks away from being homeless. We are already a month behind on our rent, and they are very understanding with us, but what is going to happen? My mind is boggled, just boggled, and a little scared. I would love to know what is going to happen next.
Friday, 20 October 2006
- It is Friday night at the Halland house, I am on the computer, my older kids are giving each other tattoos, (don't ask, they have their own tattoo gun) my younger kids are watching a movie, the baby (my grandson is already asleep for the night) and I am just waiting for it to be 11:30 or 12 when Mark calls me for our thirty minute call every night to catch up on what is going on in each other's lives. His job, being on the road 6 days a week is really getting old!
Mark is actively pursuing a church to apply to and it would be a perfect fit for him, for us. We are really excited about the possibility but are cautious because so many times in the past this has happened and then our bubble is burst. I have to keep telling myself, that if this is where the Lord wants us, it will happen. It will, and if it doesn't we have to know that it was not where the Lord wants us. The waiting is really hard though!
Saturday, 16 September 2006
- Its Friday night, I am so excited to have the weekend off! Yea! And even better, tomorrow night Mark gets home, granted he won't be back until midnight, but he will be HOME! And he will be here until Monday. I know, I know, it is only one day, but it is so good to have him home for even a day(and it is the longest he has been home in more than 2 weeks) If anyone reads this, could you pray for Mark, tomorrow while he is traveling home we are supposed to have a SNOW STORM!!! Can you believe this? I just want him to be safe, so I would so appreciate a prayer for traveling mercies. And while you are praying, could you ask the Lord for a job for Mark here in town so he can be home again where he belongs? Thanks so much!
Wednesday, 13 September 2006
- I feel as though I need to take a deep breath, remember to be joyful, thankful, to remember who is in control. My memory verse for this week is Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall" AMEN!
Monday, 11 September 2006
- Mark has a new job, he travels most weeks from Monday to Saturday, has Sunday off, then back on the road Monday. We both hate it, I can't tell you how much. But this week it was even worse, he was gone a week, and I so anticipated him coming home for his short but oh so sweet time at home. We cleaned the house and mowed the lawn; I wanted it all to look perfect for his precious two days at home. He arrived at around 9pm Saturday night, so tired, but really glad to be home. We started visiting, catching him up on what our family did this week, and he broke in with the news, that his schedule had been changed. He would be leaving tomorrow afternoon, instead of Tuesday. I was devastated, I know it sounds silly, but I live for the brief moments that he is home. I finally got a hold of myself and made the best of our few hours together as a family, as a couple. Now, Mark is preparing me for the possibility that he may not be able to come home this weekend. If he is assigned to the same city again next week (which happens most of the time) it is too far to drive back for one day. It will mean that he would have been home around 12 hours in the past three weeks. I don't understand, why would this be the job that the Lord has blessed Mark with? He needs to be in ministry, not sales, he needs to be home with his family, not living in hotel rooms, all alone.
I know there are so many more important things going on in the world, and I do feel a little selfish even feeling this way, but I want a semi normal life, with Mark here every night, every morning, ministering, fulfilling the calling on his life by the Lord.
Friday, 25 August 2006
- Two of my older boys are involved with an organization called, Boarders for Christ. They are a group of young godly men who have devoted their lives to bringing Christ to the skateboarding culture. I couldn't be more proud of them.(I am proud of all my kids, I am just featuring BFC today!) So, I just wanted to share an article my son Jordan wrote for their most recent newsletter.
Written By: Jordan Halland
Driving through California at night is a surreal experience. At first it's just like driving at night in the Pacific Northwest. It's dark, only semi trucks keep you company, and you do whatever you can to stay awake. It's nothing special. Except when you stop for gas at three in the morning and it is 90 degrees out. It confuses your senses. Your eyes tell you it's dark out, the calm and quiet around you whisper night, but your skin is sticky and the hoodie you put on in the van feels totally inappropriate for the weather.
Chris and I picked up our friend Nolan earlier that day. The three of us were going to drive through the night to make it to Oregon in time for our first Demo. I had met Nolan two weeks earlier at a movie. He was originally from Moscow, ID but moved to Orange County to pursue a professional career in skateboarding. As of yet Nolan hadn't made that happen so he has plenty of free time. He is a friend of a couple of BFC guys and Chris had spent a lot of time with him at different events.
Nolan isn't a Christian. We have always made it a priority to be open to take on tour whomever God burdens us to take. Nolan happened to be that guy. We had twenty-eight hours of driving ahead of us and passed the time by talking about skateboarding, California highways, philosophy, but mostly God. He wasn't one of those people that state their beliefs without really understanding what they were. Nolan knew what he knew and why he knew it. He didn't want easy answers. The three of us talked in between sleep and gas stations. Our purpose was not to convert Nolan but to explore where he stood in life.
After a stop in Oregon and Seattle we drove to the middle of Washington to do a series of demos at Creation Festival. This was our fourth time at creation and it has turned into a reunion for BFC. Creation is held at the Gorge Amphitheater, which is about two hours away from both Seattle and Idaho BFC. This year both current and alumni BFC members converged in vendor camping for the event. Stories were told and re-told about past BFC tours. Old BFC guys were updated on the latest happenings. Relationships were picked up were they left off even if years had passed without a word.
Our schedule was fairly grueling. We did three demos every day along with running our booth from 9 am until 11pm. Everyone helped out where they could. Moving ramps, working the booth, or hyping up the crowds during our demos were the majority of the chores shared by BFC. Day one came and the demos were flawless. The guys landed almost everything they tried; the crowd was huge and electric. We had DJ Serch and DJ Orange spinning with the beat of the demo. The guys spoke clear and simple messages that captivated the audience. After the first demo many media outlets including the Seattle Post Intelligencer approached us. If you go to their website and search for Creation Festival you can still read the article and watch the slideshow. All in all it felt like a successful day. Every demo got a little bigger than the last and we kept building momentum. Nolan loved hanging out with the whole crew. He was welcomed in without hesitation.
The Demos would end with the kid ollie. It is the part of the demo where we take volunteers from the audience and line them up like railroad ties on the ground. The demo team then launches themselves over the kids. It is a crowd favorite and a perfect way to end our short shows. Josh Tyvan, Gregg foeller, Nolan, Josh Wing, TJ Mollohan, and Tim Bartle would amaze the awestruck audience with this seemingly dangerous stunt. It seemed that they had gone as far as gravity and the rough ground would allow. Thirteen kids; that was the limit. The crowd didn't seem to mind. Every time they would cheer just as loud as before.
After the third day everyone was feeling pretty worn. This was very evident during the second to last demo. The guys took longer breaks in between tricks, DJ Serch sat out because of fatigue, the message was a short two minutes. Everyone was running on E. To add insult to injury we had one more demo later that night. After the demo ended everyone went to find some shade and recoup before the final demo.
At Six I began barking at people the way a ringmaster would at the circus, calling their attention to the last demo at Creation. We had a huge crowd for the final demo, probably because we had built it up as the best one yet. The earlier demo left me wondering if we would disappoint. The guys were joined by Scott Yamamura and Aaron Fox, both BFC legends from Seattle.
The guys skated with their all. Every one of them pushed themselves beyond their pre-conceived limits. More tricks were landed beyond the landing ramp than I have ever seen at a demo. Above that, the guys were happy. You knew by watching them that they were worshiping God with their skateboarding. The audience was on pins with every trick, cheering louder and clapping harder than most moms at their childs ball game.
Finally we got to the Kid Ollie. We started with 4 kids and quickly progressed to ten, most of the guys did it with little effort. Eleven volunteers were lined up and a few of the guys bowed out. We have a rule that if you aren't 100 percent sure you can make it you shouldn't try it. Then we do twelve and it is just Gregg and Josh left. They both clear it easily but Gregg decided he was too tired to push it much further. Josh clears 13, then 14. He says he wants to try one more so we grab a bfc guy knowing that there is a good chance that he wont make it. Fifteen kids is the most kids ever attempted by a BFC guy. He rolls down our bank ramp and bails halfway over the kids. Corey from BFC Idaho catches his board. He tries it again with the same result. Then a third. Then a fourth. Through all of his attempts he has ripped his shirt and cut his arms, back, and legs on the ground or what we jokingly refer to as the cheese grater. Josh was evidence of this. On his fifth attempt you could see that he was fatigued physically and mentally. The crowd was so animated at this point they moved as one… like they were cheering for their high school team. As he rolled down the bank ramp they got louder. Josh pushed twice then set up, as he crouched down to explode off the ramp he disappeared from site for a brief moment, lost in the sea of faces that had gathered on either side of his path. He suddenly is visible as he attempts to clear the most kids ever ollied in BFC History, 15. As his board touches down on the other side with him firmly on top of it the only sound that could be heard was cheering. The crowd exploded.
This was a great time to end the demo. Josh had just cleared fifteen kids. I could see that he was tired and assumed that he wanted to call it quits. I begin to call over the audience to hear the gospel message around our booth when I see Corey waving his hands frantically.
"He's gonna do one more!" Corey screams. I relay the message to the audience and they run back cheering as they go to see Josh attempt the impossible, a sixteen kid ollie. As they find their spots Nolan begins to hype up the audience. He found his niche in BFC as the hype monster. He can work the crowd into a frenzy quicker than anyone. Josh climbs to the top of the ramp and scans the runway. Seconds later he descends and launches off the kicker. The cheese grater won this round. Then a second and third time he attempts each one ripping his back a little more. But he doesn't look fatigued at all. He wipes the sweat off his brow and goes again and again. By the fifth attempt I began to doubt that it was even possible. On the sixth attempt he fell hard. Josh didn't rise like he had before. Corey and Chris went to check on him asking him if he wanted to continue. Without listening to either of them he begins to run for the bank ramp. The audience was uncontrollable, patting him on the back and head as he runs by them. Josh was one of their friends now. They knew him and wanted more than anything to see him conquer the 16-kid ollie, his personal Mount Everest. The crowd pushed in narrowing the sliver of concrete that was Josh's runway. Nolan stood on the jump ramp raising his hands repeatedly to signal that he wanted the spectators to get rowdy. Dotted through the audience were BFC members anonymously raising their voices taking ownership with Josh. Some of them hadn't been at a BFC demo for years and you could tell through their smiles that they missed it. One of the greatest aspects of BFC is the fact that at any moment any veteran BFC guy can walk back in and pick up right where they left off. It couldn't be any other way. Telling a BFC guy that they he couldn't participate would be like telling your sister that since she missed Thanksgiving she can't participate in Christmas.
My voice was getting hoarse from yelling but even if it was completely clear you wouldn't be able to hear me over the crowd. At the top of the bank ramp stood Josh. He remained slightly hunched over with his hands on his knees, quietly surveying the runway and the launch ramp. Once confident of his ability Josh runs off the flat on top of the deck. Just in time he throws his board down on the bank and pumps as he coasts down the bank ramp. He keeps his right hand on his right knee as he pushes twice. That is all he can get in on the tiny space between the bank ramp and the launch ramp. He crouches coiling like a spring before it shoots outward. Josh approaches the end of the ramp and releases all the energy that he had kept bound in his legs and torso. At this point there is no turning back. When you ollie you can go farther if you follow through than if you bail out mid-air. And if Josh bails now he will be landing on a handful of volunteers. Full commitment is the only option. Josh slides his right foot up to the nose of his board then levels out the tail. This places his feet directly over the bolts that hold the trucks to the deck. He seemed to hang there longer that physics normally allows.
This is a moment I will ever forget. Up until this point I my cynical self was telling me this was just another demo. I prepared myself for the mediocre. I played in my head how the demo would end and how everyone would go about their normal lives. I forgot how God had gifted us with skateboarding because he wanted to use it to tell people of his love.
Josh soared above the first four, then the fifth, sixth and seventh. With every kid he cleared the crowd got louder. He made it past the eleventh and the twelfth. The energy was palatable as he descended like a jumbo jet clearing the thirteenth and the fourteenth. The fifteenth and the sixteenth volunteers were BFC guys from Cheney Washington. Clearing the last of the people is only half the battle. Josh still has to roll away to claim victory. His velocity alone makes landing and rolling away nearly impossible. Josh clears both of the BFC guys setting his board down about 12 inches away from the sixteenth volunteer. He rolls away.
Congratulatory onlookers immediately surround him like he just scored the game winning point. strangers are clamoring to hug Josh. His ankles and knees are throbbing from the countless hard impacts he made. Josh makes his way to one of our ledges to stand on while he shares.
When Josh spoke that night he sounded like an old pastor of a small congregation, full of knowledge and wisdom. Every word was bathed in love. Love for those five-hundred people that attended that last demo. Love for the ministry that he grew up in. Love for the guys that cared for him so much that they prayed for him and with him. Love for Nolan and especially love for the God that regardless of how screwed up any of us were decided He wanted to use us to share with others how much He loved them. Josh was genuine. He shared scripture like poetry. When he asked if there was anyone here that wanted to meet this God that loved them so much, hands went up throughout the now still crowd. Josh thanked them for listening to him and stepped off the ramp that served as a stage.
Later that night we gathered the whole BFC team together to take some group photos. As we shifted in between photos Nolan stood up and said that he needed to say something. He proceeded to say how he felt like all of the BFC guys were his brothers. That if he ran into any of them regardless of how much time had passed that he knew they could pick up where they left off. He was right. I'm always blown away when I run into a old BFC guy. It isn't like running into an acquaintance from high school. There isn't awkwardness at all. It is more like unexpectedly running into your favorite cousin. You know that they still care for you and they know the same is true of you as well. This was a beautiful thing for a young guy like Nolan to say but it was just a ripple for what he said next.
"I'm not a Christian. I have never met a true Christian. But, if I were asked now what a Christian looks like I would say the Boarders for Christ guys. You truly love people and the God you serve."
After he got done saying the most beautiful compliment any of us would ever get, he was dog piled by all of his new brothers. Nolan still isn't a Christian but he knows that there is a God that loves him.
After the photo shoot I went back with everyone else to our booth area, which was swarmed with people. I spent the rest of the night walking around and observing. I saw our guys speaking wisdom into kid's lives. I saw them praying with complete strangers. I was filled with a parent's pride. Regardless of the demo, I was proud of our team. They came together and truly served the few hundred people that were there that night. The guys that a few years ago were high school boys more interested in girls than Jesus, became men of God at Creation. If all of the BFC leadership was gone, that demo would have been just as impacting.
Sometimes being in BFC is as surreal as driving in California at night. By all accounts, it's just life. Everything is normal. Then you step out and realize that you are traveling somewhere completely different. You can either fight it or take off you hoodie and enjoy the weather.
Can you see why I am bawling right now as I read this?
Friday, 11 August 2006
- Big news - Mark got a job this week!!! After 2 and a half years of being unemployed it is very exciting. Exciting but sad. His job is working for a company that sells pictorial church directories, that is good, but he will be traveling 5 days, home one day, traveling 6 days, home two days, then we found out yesterday that his one day home is also his day to travel to the next town and church. I don't think we will ever see him again. I am really torn, I am so excited that he has a job, it has been so hard on him to not be working, and I have been praying that the Lord would bless him with a job, and he did! But we will literally never see him, and I am becoming a single mom. I hate that, I already miss him so much I can hardly breathe.
Our coffee roasting business is on hold, the regulations for our state are not hard to follow, but Mark had other plans that were not approved and now we don't have the money to start. I am frustrated, I know this would be a great way for us to make a living and be together, but it just isn't Mark's dream, it was mine, and he just didn't have the drive to make it happen. I think he really enjoys what he is doing now, but I don't know how long we will be able to do this.
, it is time for my "semi annual" update on what I am doing! Sometimes I am shocked at how long ago it is that I am here. Time seems to just fly by.
Summer is here in the Rockies and it is beautiful. Early summer means everything is brilliant green and lush, by the end of the summer it has taken on a different kind of beauty with many shades of brown (kind of looks like velvet then)
My kids are all doing great, one just bought a condo in Seattle, one just started a new job that he loves in Portland, several here are finishing school and considering what will come next, and then the biggest change is that my oldest son, Jordan, and his little family, are moving to San Diego to join Boarders for Christ, full time. He has been with them for several years as a volunteer, and part time in Idaho (only a couple hours from us) but through a series of events, orchestrated by the Lord (long story, but definitely a God thing) they are moving down there! I asked him why they had to move so far away with my first grandson, he said Mom, it is you and Dad's fault, you taught us to listen to the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly, so I am" I am so proud of him, but I am going to miss them so much, it hurts!
Because we live on a working ranch (we live in the house, but don't work the ranch, someone else does) Mark has become inspired to get back to the land. We have a chicken coop, so Mark ordered 50 baby chicks, and 15 baby turkeys. We still have 49 chickens, they are doing great, and almost full grown, but only 7 turkeys have survived. They are incredibly weak animals. Now today we are going to as a family finish planting our garden, 900 corn kernels to plant, 50 tomato plants, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, pumpkins, peas, I can't remember what else, but it is a huge garden, so you know what I will be doing this fall.... yep putting up the produce! We used to do this every year, but haven't had a place to accomplish this in years, so now I am going to have to get all new jars for canning, and try and remember how to do it all again. We have cherry, apple, and pear trees, rhubarb and raspberries! It is a great place to live. Mark is even looking at buying a milk cow we used to have milk cows, more than 20 years ago, they were so much work, but Mark thinks it would be a great thing. I keep telling him I will have to quit my job so that I can take care of the all the produce and the milk, and eggs. I don't know if this will help us with expenses this year, but it is giving Mark a spark that he hasn't had in a long time. I can do this if it means Mark is his old self again. This past few years has been really hard on him.
On top of the farming endeavors, we are starting our coffee roasting business - Charlie Coffee. Named for an old prospector that Mark was friends with who lived way up in the mountains, but always met you at his door with a cup of coffee and a great toothless smile! We are trying to figure out the best and least expensive way to set up our roaster. I think we will be successful, people all over are so excited about us starting this business, and we actually have people who have asked us to put their name on a list to contact as soon as we are up and running. I just wish Mark had the same excitement about this as he does about farming Maybe I will be the roaster, and he will be the farmer! The only sad note is that he has absolutely no desire to be in ministry, which was his complete passion for over 30 years. His passion for the Lord is just as strong as ever, but he has really become disillusioned about the church.
So, that is my life right now, it is good, but challenging!
Tuesday, 07 February 2006
- Well, it seems I don't write here very much but when I do, I have a lot to say. Today has been one of those weird days, with great highs and lows.
We have been chosen to represent Montana Hope Project in Orlando Florida for the big Disney anniversary celebration. We were going down sometime this spring, all expenses paid, but now we are going March 4-10th. It will be very nice, extra special trip. The kids are so excited (us too!)
The other side of the coin today was that the doctor is thinking that Maddy may have testicular cancer, and is sending us to a specialist immediately. His appointment will be Feb. 15, that was the soonest they could get him in, I guess that is just next week, but we are scared. It was so out of the blue, he went in for a physical for the Special Olympics, and this was the outcome. I am more worried now, because the pediatrician is really adamant about the whole thing, they called 4 times yesterday (we just saw them on Friday) to find out if we had done the check he asked us to do on Maddy (warm bath, check to see if any things, show up, so to speak) we were gone to many different kid things, so we had many messages.
Highs and lows, a lot for one day...
Sunday, 29 January 2006
- I don't write nearly enough on here. I have become a "working mother". I know, I know, every mother is a working mother, but I have a whole new respect for mothers working outside of the home. There is never enough time for anything. Not for baking, cleaning, sewing, computers, just day to day living. I just have not got a handle on the whole thing and I have been working at different jobs for a year now. Can you believe it? I have been holding down some sort of job for a year now. My job at Albertsons was grueling and the schedule was never the same two weeks in a row, I was gone nights, weekends, and so tired when I got home I could barely move, I finally quit there and though my job now is a pleasure,I arrive at work at 7 am to open a preschool, set out 5 play areas, greet the early arrivers at school, then when the teachers get there at 8, I start fixing breakfast for these darling babies, then lunch, snack and I am home by 1:30pm most days but I do go and donate plasma two days a week for 50 dollars too , it takes so much time. I have a pretty easy schedule, I am home by the time my kids get home, I pick them up most days, I am home nights and weekends, but I still can't seem to get a handle on my life, I feel like work is all I do. I feel really disconnected to my life, my family. I hate that. So I have been humbled by my experience, I used to thing that working women just were a little bit whiney(sorry) that it was so much harder to be a stay at home mom.... I was wrong. I was so wrong. It is much harder to be a working mom; you have no time of your own. I am sorry, I apologize to working women everywhere, there is no time to bake cookies, to sit with your child and just chill, no time to just be a mom. There are always a hundred things that need your attention. Well, there is my ramblings, and an excuse why I am missing here and other places on the Internet now.
Sunday, 27 November 2005
- I forgot to mention, that I didn't get the UPS job, I went for the interview and walked into the room where it was taking place, and was the only woman with around 20 men! When I was interviewed, they asked if I was interested in a permanent position (I learned later this is how they get their permanent staff, people start off as seasonal help) I said, no, I was just working until my husband found work, which was a mistake, they want people who want to be working for them for the long haul. Soooo, I didn't get the job. I have also applied for several preschool teacher/helper positions, and didn't get them either, I guess I don't have enough experience for them! Raising 10 children over the past 25 years isn't enough! Or my degree in education, I just don't get it. I have almost decided I am unemployable! I only got the job at the deli because my daughter worked there before me, and they give special dispensation for family members. I have been given assistant manager responsibilities, so I guess they are happy with me, but I am paid the same wages as a fast food employee, we have the lowest wages of any deli in town! I am so longing for Mark to have a good paying job, so that I can come home to the job I love, and I think I am pretty good at, a stay at home mom!
Saturday, 26 November 2005
- Well,,,,,We survived our week of unfathomable tasks! Thank you Lord! We got moved in,(I love our new house) cleaned our old apartment(oh how I hate doing that), worked my schedule and it worked out ok. We picked up my mother-in-law on Monday instead of Tuesday, and now we are trying to get into a new swing of things with a new home, new routes to school and work,Maama(Grandma) here and really needing a huge amount of care, and Mark is still working on his application. BUT we made it!!!!!
We had a nice Thanksgiving, no big celebration, just the kids and Mark and I, and Maama, but it was a really nice day. All of our kids who are away from home called and shared with us what they were doing. And because I am the only one at work with kids, I got the day off! Yea!
Wednesday, 09 November 2005
- We are beginning a week of unfathomable tasks. We start packing to move today, we need to be completely out of here by Sunday, everything cleaned and fixed (Maddy's wheelchair is very hard on walls). Abi's baby could come any time now according to the dr, and I have to work the next three days because I didn't get my request in on time (new due date for requests) Then I am being considered for a seasonal position with UPS, it would be great, 14.75 an hour, but very very stressful. I find out today if I got it. If I did, I will have to go get a physical and pass a driving test, and then Monday would have to leave for a city 2 hours away for a week of training. Then if I pass all the training I would start work around Thanksgiving week and work through Christmas Eve. Mark has to go get his mom on Tuesday to stay with us while his sister has surgery, his mom has Alzheimer and is not doing well and requires a lot of help. And his aunt is unexpectantly dying and there will probably be a funeral to attend in Eastern Montana(a very long way away) I didn't sleep at all last night, just layed awake praying and fussing. I am stressed to the max, and I can't seem to just give it all to the Lord. Mark is being considered for a job in Oregon, and needs to finish filling out the application this week too.....Oh, I may have a stroke!
Tuesday, 18 October 2005
- My last entry was the day we took our son Brady to the airport to go to California. He went there and the friend that promised him he could live at her house, encouraged him to come, bugged him, etc., never showed up at the airport to pick him up. He had other friends down there that finally came and got him, and then he spent two weeks trying to connect with this girl. She would call him and arrange to meet him to move in, and then just not show up. She made me very nervous. She had told him he didn't need money, her family would be fine with him living there and he could get a job whenever, and it just sounded too perfect. We kept asking him before he left if it was for sure ok with her family, if he had talked to everyone involved, etc... He said yes she said it would be fine, kept telling him to just come on down, but she has flaked on him and now he is stranded in California, no money, no place to stay. Not a good thing and here we are in Montana, no money no way to help.... He called yesterday, and was talking to me, and I said, if we bought you a ticket would you come home? (it is hard for him to come home and admit that he was wrong in his assessment of this girl and the situation) He said yes. We found a cheap ticket, and then remembered that we had a refund with the airlines from when our daughter last flew, long story short, the ticket only cost us 63.00!!! He is just too trusting and loyal to people he meets. Some really don't deserve it.
We are starting our coffee roasting business and I am asking him to help us out for a while, make a little nest egg to fall back on before he tries another adventure. I am hoping he finds the direction he is seeking for his life's work, what he and the Lord wants him to do with his life. He is such a sweet boy, and really grounded in the Lord.
Sunday, 02 October 2005
- We took our 4th son Brady, to Idaho today; he is flying out of Spokane on Tuesday to go back to California. I hate to see him go, but he is 21, and thinks he knows what he is doing!
We got to see our oldest son Jordan, and his wife Jessi and my doll baby grandson, Micah! He is 5 months old and smiles all the time. I just happened to take a few pictures of him!
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Wednesday, 31 August 2005
- I realized on Monday that I would not be home for the first day of school I know it is a silly thing but I cried when I realized I would be working at the deli instead of being home to greet the kids when they came home. I for the past 20 years have always met them with homemade cookies. It made me so sad! It was so hard for me, I cannot tell you!
That was Monday, Tuesday I was at work and my boss said she needed to talk to me, Shirley, my coworker, would not be able to work on Sunday morning to open, so would I consider taking Wednesday off, and working for her on Sunday, I said sure I could do that (we go to church on Saturday night) But it wasn't until I was driving home that I realized that meant I would be home for the first day of school, and by working Sunday, i would be making an extra 1.50 an hour! Isn't that great? The Lord cares about even little things like homemade cookies and a tradition started by a overly sentimental mom!
Tuesday, 23 August 2005
- Oh, I am so excited! Mark got a call last night from a local church that is considering him for a position there. They want him to come for a face to face interview on Thursday! This would be so great if it works out, we could keep the kids in their schools, not have to move, etc... The interview is at 7:30pm mountain time, so if anyone thinks of it and can pray for us, I would so appreciate it.
Tuesday, 16 August 2005
- The picture below is my first grandbaby, Micah. Isn't he just a doll? He belongs to my son and daughter in law, Jordan and Jessi. We took this last week when we were at my son Chase's wedding. It was a wonderful wedding, everything turned out wonderful, and it was a great time of being together as a family. Oh, the pretty girl in the picture is my daughter Abi!
Wednesday, 10 August 2005
- We leave tomorrow for Chase and Renae's wedding in Seattle. I am trying not to feel overwhelmed with all the things that need to get done today before we leave at 5am tomorrow!!!! So I had better get off the computer and get busy! I will try and put some pictures on here when I get back.
Sunday, 31 July 2005
- Well, I had a wonderful two days off, and now too soon, I go back to work today at 11-8. Which means I get off earlier than normal, I like that, but I start earlier. It seems like the biggest part of the day, when everyone is awake, and here, I am gone.
We have a week and a half until we leave for my son Chase's wedding. Can't believe my baby is old enough to get married, but he is, and we are so happy about his future wife. She is really wonderful. Her name is Renae', and she is a gem.
My father called me this weekend, which is never a good thing. I never hear from him unless I am in trouble or there is bad news. He lets my mom do all the talking. He called to tell me that he won't be able to come to Chase's wedding because he is going to be racing the truck. He is the unpaid volunteer head mechanic of a team that takes a souped up 18 wheeler to the Bonneville Salt Flats every year. They hold the world record for the fastest 18 wheeler. He has done this for years, and every year he comes back and says they treat him awful, don't respect him, he gets no sleep, no relief from the heat (over 100 the whole time) he does this for free, although the man who owns the truck is a multimillionaire. Any way, you get the picture, he chose going down there with this group of men who are not even loyal to him over seeing his family. He will miss the wedding, the whole family, seeing his first great grandson for the first time. I am so mad at him. This was a deliberate choice for him, he could have done something, told them he couldn't come, asked them to go in October (which is a real option for them) but he chose them over us. He is 70 years old, and talks all the time about how little time he has left here, and yet he chooses them over his family. I am sorry, I am raging!!!! I really don't understand him at all. When my mom had cancer last year, and had to go to a specialist in Seattle, to talk to him about surgery, options, etc.(by the way, the cancer she had, had a 10 percent survival rate, and she was eventually completely healed) he went to the Salt Flats instead of going with her to the doctor. My mom said "oh there is nothing he could do anyway". I thought he should have been there at least for moral support. I thought he would be, I said so to my sister, and she told me," well you obviously don't know Daddy very well" Ouch, that hurt, but I was sure she was wrong... but I was. I guess I just don't know Daddy as well as I thought I did. I don't think I know him at all.
Friday, 29 July 2005
- I finally finished my nine day working stint with no day off! Yahoo!!! I am tired and sore, but excited to be done for two days! Mark was talking with me yesterday and was saying maybe I could keep working there after he gets a job (more on that later!) to pay off our parents who have loaned us money for the past year. I know that would be the logical thing to do, but it would take me two and a half years to pay them back (I don't make very much at my job) I almost burst into tears. He told me don't freak out, he is just thinking out loud. The church here that was looking at hiring him as associate pastor/youth pastor, has narrowed their search to two, Mark and one other, it is a long process, and has to be a unanimous (sp?) vote by the board, and then the congregation, so I am not sure if it will ever happen, but it is the best news we have gotten on the job front for a long time! It would mean the kids could all stay in the same schools they are in now, and we would not have to move next month. Keep us in your prayers!
Monday, 25 July 2005
- Well, although not much has changed here, I feel much better about everything. I guess I am just really tired! I prayed all the way to work yesterday, prayed that I would have a good attitude, that I could be a witness for the Lord, that I would "work like I am working for Jesus"(Mark's saying when anyone leaves for work) and I had a hard, but good work day. When I got home at 9pm, dinner was almost on the table (I do feel just a little guilty they wait to have dinner now until I get home after I had a bout of crying one night while I ate dinner by myself after I got home from work late) The house was picked up, and everyone was busy doing something to contribute to life here. Do you think they read my blog? No, I think it was all the prayers that have been going up for me. Thank you to all who have let me know that you are praying, it really means a lot! I sometimes forget that others might read this, and when I look back I get kind of embarrassed by what I wrote, but you are seeing the real me here, warts and all
I feel more upbeat today, I only have 4 more days of my 9 work day stint, and the money will be helpful for the upcoming wedding of our son Chase in mid August. We have four tuxes to rent, rehearsal dinner to make for 30, traveling to Seattle, etc. Oh, my, I may need to work more!!!!
Sunday, 24 July 2005
- I got my work schedule for the coming week, and by the time I have a day off, I will have worked for 9 days straight! I am only half way through that time, and I am just on the edge of losing it. I come home so sore and exhausted every night at 9 or 10 at night; hear about what has gone on here since I left. Yesterday, the family went to the birthday party of a cousin, spent time at the carousel, and then went to a pizza party, about 17 family members, they had a great time. I just got to hear about how much fun they had. I missed it all. I miss just knowing how much sugar we have left, or knowing that we need milk and laundry soap. Right now I have a few hours until I leave again for work, have a dirty uniform, and we are out of laundry soap. I would make my kids a latte, but we are out of milk. We ate dinner late last night (it didn't cook fast enough) so there are dirty dishes everywhere. The house is a disaster and I don't have time to do anything. I am going nuts. I feel like a visitor in my own home. Please lord; help me please, please, please. I am begging you; please help find Mark a job. I am losing hope on life. Will it ever change?
Friday, 22 July 2005
- It seems I have little to talk about except work, I guess that is because that is all I feel like I do. I keep reading great recipes, but don't have time to cook; I have several Christmas projects to finish, but never enough time. I really have a whole new appreciation for working moms, I mean I always knew it was difficult, but it seems impossible. I have no time for anything other than work, and that is not the most important things in my life, yet it takes all my time. I will be so glad when I can go back to doing what is the most important thing to me; I am totally out of touch with my family. I hate that!
Monday, 18 July 2005
- I have a day off! Actually two days off. It takes me at least one day to recover from working. I am still so sore and tired after several 9 hour days of standing, lifting, bending, cooking, etc.... everything but sitting! My knees hurt, my back hurts, oh, you get the picture, I feel like I am whining, but I only voice it here, where very few can actually hear me
Mark has a whole new group of applications out, we are waiting to hear from the local church, but we are going on two weeks with no word. Oh we have to find something soon, I accept that the Lord is doing something in our lives; I just wish I understood what! Mark has gone 16 months now without a pastor position.
Friday, 15 July 2005
- It is Friday, and my first day off in a week! Woohoo! I am still so physically exhausted every night when I get off at 10pm, too tired to even eat. It is such an opportunity to share Christ, I work with a woman on prison release, a native American lesbian woman, a couple women who have lived very tough lives, who have really hard things they are going through. I have heard words in regular conversations, I have never heard in real life before (except sometimes in movies!) I really like all of them, most of them have a really bad opinion of Christians, and I am trying to be an excellent worker, one they can count on, like Mark always tells our kids, "work, like you are working for Jesus!" I still would rather be home with my family, but I am making the best of this. Now if only I made more than 6.00 an hour.
Wednesday, 06 July 2005
- Today is my daughter Hannah's birthday and I work from 1-10pm, so this will be the first time in 27 years that I have missed one of my children's birthdays, the first time I will not be here to fix her birthday dinner, or special dessert. That has always been my gift to my kids, the best most wonderful dinner I can make, anything they want. But not this year. I am really sad about that, and growing more resentful of my having to work all the time. I pray constantly that Mark will be hired by someone, so I can come home and do my job again. No one is doing it right now...
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Friday, 24 June 2005
- I got a job. I will be working in the deli at Albertson's. I thought I would be thrilled, but I am not. I think about how much will not get done here at home, and it makes me kind of ill. 6 kids, one of them disabled(lots of extra stuff to do for him) one pregnant( many appts, driving to things,)4 regular kids with lots going on, one mother-in- law,(lovely woman) but falls constantly, has Alzheimer's, and needs a lot of care, one hubby that just had a death defying heart attack(I just want to spend all my time with him) cooking, cleaning, driving, paperwork, ....what will our lives be like? If we didn't need the money, I wouldn't even be considering this, I have always felt like the Lord wanted me to be at home, but I prayed when I went to the interview, that if I was supposed to be working there, I would get the job, and I did. Was I testing the Lord, or was that a legitimate way to judge what the Lord wanted me to do? I want to do only what the Lord wants, always.
Saturday, 18 June 2005
- It is Saturday, and it has been a week and a half since Mark had his heart attack. He had a great report at the dr on Wednesday, and all he has to do as far as life style change is to exercise. But here we are, 3 days later, and he still hasn't started. I ask him every day if he wants to go with me to exercise, but he says no, he is putting it off until I quit bugging him. Today he said no, because he doesn't feel very good today. That sent such a sick feeling through my body, I never feel totally at ease with his health now, but when he says he doesn't feel good it scares me, a lot. I cannot live without him. I feel so helpless in all of this, I can't make him exercise, eat right or make him feel good. It is totally out of my control. I hope and pray that soon I will adapt to this new life, and just enjoy life again, no matter what it holds. Please Lord, make it so!
Wednesday, 15 June 2005
- We had a great day yesterday! First Mark called the church that is considering hiring him, and had a great positive response, they are meeting Thursday to talk about him. Then we decided to not move this weekend, to my mother in law's house because of this news, and that is good news, since Mark can't do much, and we are taking care of Mark's mom (Alzheimer's) and it would just be me and my teenage girls moving us And we just don't want to move!
Then we went to Mark's doctor for a follow up and he said if he wasn't the one who did the surgery, he would not know anything was wrong with his heart. He said it was very healthy and was great! Praise the Lord! Hard to get my head around, he almost died last week and is perfectly healthy this week!
Monday, 13 June 2005
- Today, I have had kind of a hard time just being. I got up, read my bible, exercised for an hour, ate, showered, and went to give blood(sell blood) I do that twice a week, since Mark has been out of work, I make 200.00 a month, not a lot, but it helps. Now today, I went and my heart rate was up so high that they wouldn't let me give. I haven't for two weeks, because I had such low protein and iron levels, now once again I can't! I was so frustrated; we really could use the money. So on the way home, I just kind of fell apart. I know it was stupid, but I did.
Then I got home and found out that my sister in law who had a mastectomy has a tumor and will have to start chemo right away. They thought it was a really minor cancer, no big deal, but it is.
All the health issues, no job, no home, no possibilities. I feel stretched about as far as I can go, but you never know, maybe God thinks I am Gumby
I know without a doubt that God is in control, and he will take care of us, but I am tired, so, so tired.
Sunday, 12 June 2005
- This past week, our lives changed forever. I was exercising in the workout room, when my daughter Abi ran over. I saw her and thought, oh good; she is going to exercise with me! But she motioned to me to come. I went out and she said, "Dad needs you". I ran home, and found Mark on the floor, writhing in pain. He said he thought he was having a heart attack and wanted me to call the hospital and ask what the signs were. I just called 911. They were there in just a few minutes and started working on him. They took vitals, asked us some questions, and then called the hospital. They gave him nitroglycerin, and made hurry up sign to each other behind Mark's back. Then they whisked him into an ambulance, I climbed into the front seat, lights and sirens going, and off to a new life.
The Doctor said he needed a cauterization to see if he had a blockage. They had by then given him lots of nitro, and lots of morphine. We quickly were escorted to another part of the hospital, and told me to kiss him goodbye. I didn't think about it at the time but now I know they wanted me to say goodbye just in case....
I sat by myself in a beautiful room for an eternity, with occasional calls from my daughter, who was trying to keep everyone informed from home. I did have an old friend come and stay for a while, that was nice to have the company, but it was awkward, for a lot of reasons, that are not for public eyes. But it was still nice for the company. My second daughter came with clothes for me (I was in my ratty work out stuff). She was crying and so was her boyfriend who is like a son to us. I had to be strong for them, but I wanted to collapse. The hospital people were in and out to keep me informed on what was happening, and they were truly wonderful to me, I am grateful for that.
Finally the dr came in and said that Mark had had a complete blockage of the main artery in front of his heart. He said "people who have this, and don't get immediate help, die within two hours, he owes you big time".
The only thing he owes me is to stay alive as long as he can. He is my life, my love, my closest friend and companion, and I can't imagine life without him.
How are lives have changed, we now must make sure the man who wouldn't even take an aspirin, takes around 6-8 pills a day, he must watch what he eats, and how much, read all labels, and exercise. Life is so fragile. Now instead of him making jokes about how he is going to marry some movie star when I die, he talks about how I should remarry when he dies, that I am still young. I have always felt like he was invincible, that he would be around forever, now I feel like at least right now he is fragile, and I need to make sure he is ok. I can't lose him
This has been a hard year, Mark resigned from his job, big story, but he thought it would be no problem to find another , but here we are 14 months later, and without a job, my mom, sister-in-law, had cancer surgery, dad had shoulder replacement, my son Maddy was diagnosed with scoliosis, and was told he needed to be in a body brace for 9 years, and then have an operation to put a rod in his spine, my daughter moved back home, and told us she was pregnant, I sliced my knuckle badly, had to have many stitches, kids had a hard time in school adjusting to another new school, and then this, a heart attack. You know though, it has been a great year too. My mom and sister in law are doing great, dad is too. Maddy found out that his back now is straight and he needs no braces or operations! My daughter and we are closer than ever, and we will get through this with a beautiful baby on the other side, and Mark is doing great, feels better than ever. Just the job left to complete the year. Mark and I have got to spend a precious year together; more time than we have ever been able to since we were married, 27 years ago. God is good, and he is taking care of us, thank you Lord!
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Friday, January 1, 2010
More consolidation of my many blogs
Thursday, April 29, 2004
This is my son Maddy's first book. It was an assignment for kindergarten, I was skeptical that a 6 year old could write a book, but he did this entirely on his own, and I am so proud of what he did! He typed a lot of it himself too!
THE ROBOT EAGLE OF DEATH by Madison Halland
ALONG TIME AGO DEEP IN THE FOREST THERE WAS A MSYTEROUS FORCE.
MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT THERE WERE NORMAL EAGLES AROUND BUT NO
THERE WASN'T THERE WAS A ROBOT EAGLE MANY SCIENTIST HAD DREAMS OF THE ROBOT EAGLE. AND THE ROBOT EAGLE WAS REAL,
THEN ONE NIGHT LITTLE JOHN SAW IN AN ELECTRIC FEATHER. HE PICK UP THE FEATHER.
CHAPTER 2
HE SWOOPED DOWN AND GRABED JOHN. LITTLE JOHN SAID "HELP!!! HELP!! PUT ME DOWN!" THE GIANT BIRD SAID "NO".
CHAPTER 3THE EAGLE COULDENT TALK AND THE BEAST PUT HIM DOWN AND THEN HE USED HIS SWORD WING TO STOP HIM TO PIEACES THE GREAT BEAST FLEW UP THEN RASED HIS SWORD WING AND FLEW DOWN AND CHOPPED BUT IT DIDN'T WORK HE DID'NT KNOW THAT LITTLE JOHN WASN'T REALLY LITTLE THEY HAD A SWORD FIGHT
CHAPTER 4
THEN FINALLY LITTLE JOHN TURND IN TO A BIG JOHN THEN THE GREAT BEAST FLEW AWAY BECAUSES THE BEAST DIDN'T KNOW THAT LITTLE JOHN HAD A FORCE IN SIDE HIM. AND LITTLE JOHN DID'T KNOW
THAT THE EAGLE HAD THE MOST MILENIUM ITEM IN THE PLANT.
CHAPTER 5
THEN THE GREAT BEAST CAME BACK HE WAS STILL ANGERY AT LITTLE JOHN HIS SWORD WING TURNED INTO A NORMAL WING THEN THE GREAT BEAST HAD HIS FIRST CHANCE TO USE HIS CLAW WING AND THEN THE GREAT BEAST FLEW AND SHOCKED LITTLE JOHN AND THAT WAS VERY VERY, VERY LONG SHOCK AND HE WAS THINKING TO
USE HIS CLAW FIRST A THUNDER LINE WENT DOWN HIS CLAW THEN HE PUT HIS CLAW ON LITTLE JOHN THEN HE WENT CRAZY! THE EAGLE PLANED TO KILL LITTLE JOHN THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM THE EAGLE'S LINE WENT UP AND IT DIDN'T SHOCK ANY MORE. And THEN Little John stopped going crazy. And then the eagle was going crazy.
Chapter 7
The terrifying beast
The eagle flew away to a mysterious jungle and then he spread his wings, he ran away from the mysterious glare. He could see it, he could feel it. A gorilla tackled him and then threw him on the ground. The great beast had shock him to stop him so he would not wrestle him anymore. The shock didn't hurt the gorilla, but the sword wing will.
The great beast realized that being bad isn't all there is to being an eagle. So the great beast turned into good and stopped wrestling the gorilla. Then the Eagle said it's what counts to be a good eagle and bring justice.
The End
# posted by Mom Halland @ 7:31 AM
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Maddy, my six year old with cp, went to the Doctor the other day, not for himself but for my husband. The Doctor was making small talk with him, trying to be nice to him and after Maddy had answered all the questions that he wanted to, he put his fist to his chest, tapped it, made a peace sign and said "Peace, I'm outta here"
# posted by Mom Halland @ 7:08 PM
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Maddy (my 5 year old) on Sunday was in a Sunday evening church service. During the service it was asked if there were any prayer requests, Maddy raised his hand, and I cringed,(what would he say?) He said," I want to ask for prayer for my Dad, Mark, he is my most favorite pastor at this church, and He is a genius" You gotta love that boy!
# posted by Mom Halland @ 6:03 AM
Saturday, February 07, 2004
I am frustrated with the human race. Why are people so awful to each other?
# posted by Mom Halland @ 9:32 AM
Thursday, January 15, 2004
I just got done with my son Maddy's physical therapy appointment. Maddy had cerebral palsy and is 5 years old. His physical therapist comes twice a week to work an hour with him. They do stretches, exercises, play games, all in all a very hard but fun time. Maddy spends most of his time in a power wheel chair. He has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which means he cannot use his upper or lower body very well. It is hard to think that my sweet, funny, very witty baby doll will not ever lead a "normal" life...whatever that is! He will always be dependent on someone or something to get him around, to get in and out of bed, the couch, a chair, the house, the car. This is a full time, life time commitment for him. Sometimes the thought of that is overwhelming for me. It just makes me want to cry. Then I have to step back and really look at him. He is 5 going on 30, he is so smart it is scary. He has full use of his speech and talks a lot! He has a great sense of humor, he will go up to anyone and say'" Hi, my name is Madison, what is your name?" Then hold out his hand to shake and say, "it's nice to meet you"(we never taught him that, he picked it up on his own) He is great at telling others what to do, he is self confident, has a mind that is always going. His favorite thing to do lately is to produce movies. Yes, he plans them out, the scenery, the setting, the characters, what they say, what they do, where they go, who is the bad guy, what does the others do to react to him...I can't even do justice to the work he puts in to them and this may go on for many days, as he develops the characters, and the scenes change, and he even has names for the different scenes! So when I start to feel melancholy about Maddy, I have to look at it this way, he is a fabulous person, he just has a different way of doing things, not the norm, isn't that tremendous ! Who wants to be just like everyone else?
# posted by Mom Halland @ 9:33 AM
Monday, January 12, 2004
Today is Monday, Jan. 12, 2004, 9:07am and I have gotten 4 kids off to school, made two trips to two different schools, a grocery store, had a meeting with school officials to revise my son's IEP to help his study skills, taken care of my sick daughter, and tried to make an appointment for my daughter for an emergency dental appointment. Haven't had any success getting her an appointment so far, I feel so bad for her, she is in so much pain! I am so frustrated with the dental system!!!!
I guess I should back up and say that I am the mother of 11 children. We have had 8 boys and 3 girls, one of our sons died 14 years ago, so we have 7 boys and 3 girls now. I am a stay at home mom, but that is such a silly term, I hardly ever get to stay at home! I have to spend too much time running around for kids stuff! This year is the first year that my youngest is in school. So this time next year I will be alone all day not just in the afternoon. What a very weird thing, it will be the first time in 23 years! I am doing a lot of thinking about what I will do with my time. What a big decision!
# posted by Mom Halland @ 8:06 AM
