I know I haven't been keeping up with my journaling. Life has been very busy, recently! We've had a lot going on at our church. And as the secretary there, I am often involved in the behind-the-scenes preparations for events. A couple of weeks ago, we had a huge church yard sale. I worked the cash register the majority of the day. I had helped the two days prior to the sale, pricing items, organizing items, throwing out the useless items, etc. It took several of us, over a course of 3 days, total, to pull this off. And it was so worth it! We raised over $800 in just one day of sales! Go us!!
I have to say how much I thoroughly enjoy working with my Pastors. I respect and look up to both of them so much. I don't think either of them realize how often they touch my heart and spirit, even as we are just working side-by-side in the day-to-day tasks in the church office.
And I NEVER realized HOW MUCH WORK goes on behind the scenes!!! Matt is afraid that I'm going to burn out quickly. I'm praying to the Lord that this doesn't happen because I feel I have a purpose there. Not just there...I feel I have a purpose in general, now. Being a stay-at-home-mommy is wonderful and I'd NEVER change it for the world. But I think we can sometimes get lost in being "mommy" and forget that we are women with other talents and skills, too.
I have made some really awesome friendships in the church and I look so forward to deepening those friendships over the upcoming months...and even years.
I am very excited about being a Missionettes teacher this fall! Our classes start next Wednesday and I just cannot wait! You may be asking "what is Missionettes?" Well let me tell you! The Assemblies of God has two programs in place, for our youth. Royal Rangers is the program for boys. It is basically like Boy Scouts. So why not just be in Boy Scouts, you ask? Well, Royal Rangers not only teaches about life skills and goes on camp-outs and such, but it's all done with God at the center of the curriculum.
M'Pact Girls Ministries (also known as Missionettes) is the God-centered version of Girl Scouts. Same principles apply to Missionettes as to Royal Rangers. I will be teaching the Rainbows class. Rainbows consists of 3-5 yr. olds (not yet in Kindergarten), both boys AND girls. Once they graduate out of Rainbows is when the boys go into Royal Rangers and the girls go into Missionettes. Each group has opportunity to earn badges for various tasks, which include (but are not limited to): memorization of Bible verses, learning each levels Motto & colors, going on "Adventures" (such as learning, spiritual, work, science, etc.), and many others.
I can't remember what group Nathaniel will be starting in. But Ben will be in my class. I want, so very much, to have my niece, Destiny, be able to be in Rainbows, but there are things that can't be gotten around to have her there each week. I'm praying that a way is made. I think she would so love to be in these classes.
Speaking of Nathaniel...he started school last Monday. He is officially a 2nd grader! I cannot believe I have a 2nd grader! He will be 8 yrs. old on October 3rd already! He is doing well in school, but he's still having a hard time concentrating and gets distracted from his work, easily. So he comes home with homework almost nightly. We'll be speaking to the pediatrician about upping the Concerta again. I don't want to see him have to bring home work every single night. He had 5 hours worth of work the other night, because he couldnt' complete all the work in class. Matt & I took turns working with him, each of us bringing our own teaching skills to the table. When he would get frustrated, I'd have him take a break. We'd watch a half hour cartoon, then start up the work again. Matt took a different approach, that really seems to work for Peanut. He taught him about meditation. When he feels himself getting upset or frustrated at his work, for whatever reason, he now knows how to focus his attention elsewhere (on anything, just not the work in front of him) for a couple of minutes, to clear his head, then go back to it when he's calmed down. Matt explained that taking a few deep breaths will help him calm down, too.
An update on Benjamin...the poor baby has to undergo yet more testing. More blood tests, another urine analysis, a stool analysis, a meeting with a nutritionist, a hearing test, continued speech therapy, an occupational therapy evaluation...I think I'm forgetting something else. We are so overwhelmed with all of the evals and testing that he has to have done. There's just so much! His specialist at Akron Children's Hospital is REALLY leaning towards Celiac Disease or Cystic Fibrosis and wants him tested for both ASAP. Oh yes, that's the other test...the Sweat Test for the CF. Please, those of you that pray...PRAY HARD that he does NOT have CF. If it would come back positive, we will be absolutely devestated. Life expectancy for CF patients tops out in the very early 20's. We are praying that if he has either of the diseases he's being tested for, that it's the Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease would be a huge inconvenience, as it means that he would have to be on a totally and completely wheat-free diet. That means NOTHING with flour, nothing with wheat gluten...Do you know HOW MUCH FOOD that rules out?! ANY kind of pasta, ANY kind of bread, cookies/cakes, etc. Yes, there are now gluten-free foods, but they are massively expensive and you try to explain to a 2 yr. old that he has to have special food and that he can't eat what his brother is eating!! HA!
It IS managable, and it IS better than him having CF. And for that we would be eternally grateful! It will just be a difficult and long adjustment for all of us. But there's a reason the little guy isn't growing. Since May 20th, he had only gained 1/2 a pound and 1/2 an inch. He weighs 22.5 lbs. and 31 3/4 inches, and he is 2 and a half...or 1 month shy of it. His specialist is very concerned about his lack of growth and officially diagnosed him with 'failure to thrive'. We're taking it one day at a time, enjoying his amazing personality. To look at him, you'd see a healthy, happy toddler, that is just smaller in size. At this point, he's not even on the growth charts. There's a reason his body isn't holding onto calories and nutrients and we're going to get to the bottom of it.
Well, it's 1am, and I will be working at the church all day tomorrow. I'll have Ben with me, then will have Peanut with me when he gets out of school. My father-in-law has been working for Matt (pre-selling photo packages), so he's been really awesome about picking Peanut up after school, and bringing him to the church for me. Then I don't have to stop my work and go get him. And since we stay there until Matt gets off work at 7pm, I take food to the church and make dinner for me & the boys in our huge, awesome restaurant-type kitchen! It makes life convenient for me!
So any ways, blessings to all my friends out there in cyber world!
