Summer Time Fun...

The kids have found that the slip n slide really is a lot of fun! Miss Madison has decided that she doesnt like the sprinkler so much because it is so cold but the others loved it! This summer so far has not been too hot, just right in my opinion!

Sunny...

had his heart surgery yesterday. Today he is up walking, talking. We learned that the last surgery (Nov. 2006), they put a band around the Mitral valve and that valve slipped, so the blood was again flowing in both directions. His heart was very enlarged and very weak. So he had a mechanical valve put in along with part of his existing natural valve. We are praying that this fixes him for good. It has been so hard to see him go through this again in such a short time frame.

We took the kids, mom and Heather (Sunny and Ann's daughter) to Kansas City with us yesterday on a one day trip to be with Ann during the surgery. It meant traveling 9+ hours in the car with FOUR KIDS. It really went well though, considering that and the stress factor involved. We made it home at a reasonable hour, though we were all exhausted. Tomorrow a friend from the past is coming to visit us. Something fun is in store with that....what a relief we crossed another hurdle.

My brother, Sunny...

Today my brother and his wife had to go to Kansas City so that he could have a heart cath done. A year and a half ago he had a surgery to fix his Mitral Valve (or what ever it is called). It was open heart surgery. That surgery didn't work so well, so he had a heart cath done today. The bad news of it is that his heart is getting very weak, and it is enlarged. Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. he will be having his second major heart surgery in a year and a half....this time he will have a mechanical valve replacement. :O( I am so worried for him. I have found that the old saying is true, when it rains it pours. Things with Matthew are really difficult right now while he is off of his medication. I have seen a whole different child come out of this. Not for the greater good, either. He is very hard to manage, and I am at my wits end most of the time. I pray that Father in Heaven helps us through this before my mind is totally gone.

busy busy...

Whew! Things have been SO BUSY around here! Jeff has been getting rid of bushes from the front of the house, and the yard looks SO DIFFERENT (but better). I have had to replant some of my garden but for the most part it is doing very well. I am so glad to be seeing all of these changes to our home. We have not had so much time to devote to our projects as we would have liked to, but now it is finally getting done like painting the inside, going through our basement and having a wonderful yard sale. We donated so much stuff. I sold most of my baby things, with a heavy heart. So, I am thrilled to get this stuff done. I have some painting outside of the house that needs to be done, like touching up the house paint, caulking places, and I will be working on that tomorrow or Friday.

I have started Homeschooling Bethanie for the summer. She just finished Kindergarten, and was not getting some of the concepts (mostly because she is so shy and not confident). So, yesterday I did a review with her and she remembered EVERYTHING. She also checked out a library book and read it to me ON HER OWN! So today I took her to the library again and we did her home school there and she read me four more books. At one point we really were considering retaining her in Kindergarten because of certain things, but she is showing me that she can do what I need her to do to feel like we can send her on to first grade. She will be going to summer school in July and we will have her tested again, but I know her Kindergarten teacher will be thrilled and surprised!

All about Matthew...

Today was Matthew's Cub Scout Cross Over. He is now going into Webelos in the Fall. Man, I cant believe how big my children are getting! I look at these pictures of them and cant figure out how they have gotten so tall! I a really proud of Matthew and his accomplishments. He has worked so hard in the 3 years he has been in scouts. Here are pictures of his Cross Over:

Here Matthew is receiving his service pin and his gold and silver arrow points.

He crossed over the bridge, his dad greeted him while I changed his neckerchief from his Bear to Webelo.

He looks so proud! I AM proud!

Here is the Pack. Jeff and Matthew are in the front row on the far left.

Miss Madison found a PRINCESS lawn chair to sit in (that didnt belong to us) and do you think we could get her out of it? NOPE! It reminded me of Goldilocks and the three bears but instead of the finding her in the bed sleeping, she was in the lawn chair. :O) While we were there, the owner never did come, thank goodness because I dont know what we would have done!

Chuck E Cheese...

On Friday we had to go to Topeka to see one of Matthew's doctors. While we were there, we took the kids (Matthew & Bethanie) to Chuck E Cheese. It was the first time in YEARS that we had been there, and they had a blast. We left Madison home with Grandma and Grandpa because we knew that the drive (2 1/2 hours one way) would be way too long for her just to sit in the appointment and then sit on the way home again so she had more fun staying home with them.