Preparing for Surgery

 

Its just going to be Jaron and I going for 13 days total. July 20-Aug. 2. He has a speech study and pre-op before surgery. We also have to stay in town a week after surgery for post op visits. So it's not going to be cheap. Staying at a hotel in Boston is expensive and we definitely cannot afford 6 plane tickets for the whole family to go or a hotel room for all of us to sleep comfortably. 

It would be about $6000 for all of us to go.

This will be the first time I have been away from my kids that long. I think Jonah is going to have the hardest time with it. Jaron has never been away from his brothers that long either. They are all so close because we homeschool they are like best friends. Its going to be very hard emotionally. I think having family there would be good moral support for us. Chris has to take off work to stay home with the others. I wish there was a way we could all be together as a family.

After surgery he will not be able to chew anything for 6 weeks! We will have to find a store before surgery to buy him some soft/puree foods that he can eat post op.  I will also be bringing my mini blender with me. We are just praying God provides all our needs for this trip. I have applied for Miracle Flights to get mine and Jaron's ticket. (they only cover the patient and one parent)

I also applied for assistance with hotel and meals with Children's Craniofacial Association.  

I am really trying not to worry about the money. This is a necessary surgery and I am taking Jaron to the best doctors in the country. This is his face, his smile, his future. People judge us by our appearance. First impressions mean a lot in getting a job, making friends and one day finding a wife. I just want Jaron to live a normal life and not feel different or like an outcast. I want him to also be able to chew his food properly and getting this bone graft is going to enable the doctors to make room for more teeth and proceed with the next step in aligning his teeth.

 If you would like to donate to help out with our travel expenses just click on the link below. 

Dental dilemmas....

When we left Georgia all 4 boys had a cleaning at the dentist and Justus did not have any cavities. Then we moved out here to South Dakota and he started getting a black spot on one of his teeth and saying it was hurting. So I took him to the local dentist in Chamberlain and he said he had several cavities but did not feel comfortable working on a 5 year old so he referred me to nearest pediatric dentist in Pierre (1.5 hrs away)

So we drove out there in April and they did X-rays then informed me Justus had 7 cavities and needed 5 silver crowns!!! I was in tears feeling like the worst mom ever! They would not fill the one that was hurting him that day. She scheduled to have him put to sleep and fix them all at once.
(First Available is June 24th!!!) we left that day with no relief!

So while we waited for his upcoming "surgery", Jacob started having pain in his jaws in the back like his wisdom teeth. So I found a regular family dentist in Mitchell (1 hour away) to get Jacob checked out. We liked him so I asked if they were willing to work on a 5 year old. They were more than willing to try.

So I scheduled Justus an appointment with him to try and do a filling and avoid getting put to sleep. Last week we took Justus to his first appointment and he was a little nervous but the laughing gas helped out a lot and he was able to fill the biggest cavity, so we made another appointment to do some more.

Yesterday we went back to Mitchell for Jaron's orthodontist appointment. Since he got the expander put in his mouth he has lost 2 baby teeth and its making the expansion nearly impossible. So he removed the expander for now and said we need to wait 6 months for him to lose the rest of his baby teeth and hopefully his permanent teeth will grown in for the ortho to anchor a new expander to them. Needless to say Jaron is very happy to have that annoying thing out of his mouth. After his orthodontist spoke to the surgeon in Boston they decided he still needs the bone graft surgery July 25th. Please pray for us as we try to prepare for this trip.

Next, I took Justus back in for another filling and he did even better this time. We also cancelled the "surgery" for the pediatric dentist in Pierre as I felt it was a little extreme and unnecessary. The dentist in Mitchell agreed with me that he didn't need 5 silver crowns.

I am not sure why his teeth are doing so poorly since we moved here. Maybe he's eating more candy, not likely, or maybe its something different in the water. All the boys drink is 99.9% water.
{I think its the water-it leaves spots on everything-evidence of sediment}

Florida Family Fun

My stepmom Tammy was turning 50 and my dad wanted to make her birthday special so he flew me and the boys down to Florida and we surprised her. She had NO IDEA we were waiting for her at her house when she walked in from work that day!

 The plane rides were fun, it was Justus' first time on a plane.

 We got to visit my grandparents Mimi & Papa.

 They swam a lot in Aunt Tonia's pool.

 

Justus was practicing swimming with Pepe

 The plane train in Atlanta was fun too! We had a 5 hour layover there so my mom and stepdad came to visit.

 They boys also got to meet their cousin December and Uncle Travis from New Hampshire.

 We are so thankful for the opportunity to visit with family and celebrate Meme's birthday with her. It was quite an adventure!

Disappointments

The way we talk about other people is evidence of how we feel in our hearts. Constantly pointing out other peoples faults and all their past mistakes is not the way to make yourself look better.


We should try to find the good in everyone we meet. I want to befriend the one that everyone else shuns. I like to be friends with the people most would only talk about. I have a heart for those shy people or the outcasts. It breaks my heart to think of someone being left out. I never want to make someone feel like they are not good enough. I try to always put myself in the other persons shoes and how I would feel it I were in their situation.

The guilt I have when I do for myself is overwhelming at times. If I were a millionaire,  I would probably give it all away. I cannot pass a homeless person without giving them something to eat. I cannot pass a crying child in the store without trying to cheer them up. When people come over I cannot let them leave unless I give them something. The feeling I get from doing for others is indescribable.

What is so disappointing is when I am not given the same respect.

{don't get me wrong I am NOT PERFECT by any means, just very compassionate}

I wish everyone would consider others before themselves.

I wish we could all learn to think before we speak and not say things if they aren't necessary.

Life is hard and talking bad about people will only make things harder.

Be an encourager.  Make someone smile. Go the extra mile. Do unto others...

Homemade Scented Play Dough

I recently got creative and wanted to make some all natural play dough for the kids. This is scented with essential oils and smells SO GOOD!!!

Spring is Here & Beautiful!

Our Favorite Healthy Granola Bars

I started making these some time last year after I realized I was buying way too many granola bars for my children. I found this recipe online an decided to alter it a little by adding some more healthy ingredients. We take them on road trips, eat them for breakfast, bedtime snack or any time in between. I don't feel guilty about letting our boys have them because I have incorporated some healthy stuff.

In a large bowl combine

3 cups rice cereal

3 cups quick oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 pack of chia seeds (or more if you like)

Set aside...

In a small boiler combine 1 1/2 cups of honey

1/3 cup of coconut oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

Bring it to a boil for 1 minute

Turn off the heat and add 2 tsp of vanilla and 1 cup of peanut butter (creamy or crunchy is fine)

Dump the creamy mixture onto the dry ingredients and mix very well to make sure all the dry stuff is moistened.

Spread it out onto a cookie sheet then add chocolate chips. I use the miniature semi sweet ones.

I cover with wax paper and squish it as flat as possible (with all my strength) using another cookie sheet on top of it.

Then place the flattened granola in the fridge for a couple hours to let it cool.
Then I cut it into 24 bars. (3 rows of 8)

Last but not least, I wrap each bar individually with saran wrap to keep fresh. I store them in the fridge to retain their shape or they will get gooey and mushy if left out at room temperature.

National Siblings Day

Well I guess today is a holiday so I might as well use this time to talk about my siblings. I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers. I grew up in FL with my mom & step dad through the 6th grade living with Tonia, Tim & Sarah. We loved to play outside and climb trees in FL. We had a trampoline and loved riding bikes with all the neighborhood kids.

Then I asked if I could go live with my dad when Tonia graduated. So Tim and I went to live our dad & stepmom and brother Travis.  We stayed with them until we graduated High School in NC.

 I had a good childhood. We never went without. Our parents took good care of us and I am thankful for the way I was raised. We are all separated now, living in different states and don't see each other very much. I do miss spending time with my family. We are all married and have children of our own now. Its hard to get everyone in the same place at once.

So to my siblings I want to say I miss you all and wish we could talk and visit more often.

HAPPY SIBLINGS DAY!

Breaking Ground~Above the Storm

I have been listening to this song a lot lately. It really is true, the sun does shine above the storm. I have been on a lot of airplanes with Jaron over the years. When it was cloudy and raining we would fly above the clouds and it would be so bright we would have to close the window. Down here on earth the storms seem so big and dark but if you just remember the sun is still shining

 and it didn't come to stay "it came to pass".

Life is that way too. When we have troubles in our lives and we are afraid or unsure when it will end, we need to always remember the SON still shines above the storm. Jesus is watching over us and he can see everything we are going through. I believe that God allows storms to come in our lives to help us grow. When we are at our lowest it is humbling and we learn to trust in the Lord for all our needs.

Breaking Ground wrote this song and they are a very sweet family. 

Hope you Enjoy!

Beginning Orthodontics

I took Jaron to his orthodontist yesterday for the 4th time. He finally put in his quad helix palate expander. It's a wire that is attached to his back teeth to stretch out his palate. He was sore afterwards and complained that it was hard to swallow. Its going to take some getting used to.

I made pancakes for dinner so he wouldn't have a hard time eating. At bedtime he did ask for some ibuprofen to help with soreness.

This morning when he woke up he said "I don't feel anything". Thank God the soreness is gone and he is getting used to it. We go back in 3 weeks for a check up and see how much it has moved. If he needs to wear it longer and if so he will have to tighten up the device.

We haven't gotten our plane tickets to Boston for his July 25th surgery date because we aren't sure he will be done with expansion. The orthodontist seems to think it will take a lot longer.

Please help us pray that we can keep our surgery date. We need to get this done during the summer and I know his surgeons in Boston usually book a year in advance.

Homeschool Curriculum DEALS!

I joined this AWESOME Co-op for FREE to get great deals on curriculum for our boys.

https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/alpha-omega/?source=163912

They offer discounts and you earn points for every dollar you spend, for more curriculum.
Homeschool buyers coop also offers points for referring friends and family. I can also get member discounts from over 100 educational suppliers

They have online programs and books and cds also. There is such a wide variety to choose from for all grade levels.

I personally love the FREE homeschool ID cards they offer for the students.

Please check it out and share with your friends!

 The Homeschool Buyer Co-op is a free homeschooling organization for both new and veteran homeschoolers.  Co-op membership is free and confidential, and entitles homeschooling families to discounts from hundreds of educational suppliers.  The Co-op also sponsors "GroupBuys" for curriculum packages that can save homeschooling families lots of money. On the site you'll find lots of free information, such as databases of free curriculum, field trips, and educational contests and scholarships.

Weird Weather

 It got warm enough to take a walk to the park one day.

 We set up our trampoline too. The weather was beautiful for a few days. All the snow melted which made for a lot of mud.

 And then it snowed some more....