Fasten Your Seatbelts

"...it's going to be a wild ride". Ever had one of those years, you know the kind.... you're treading and treading and your nose is just at the top of the water. Every once in a while you take a gulp of water in and then come back up to the surface, gasp for air, and keep treading. I thought, a little naively, that after Jake and Sam left for college and my addition was done (therefore my additional "family members", aka, the workmen were gone) life was going to settle down. We would get into a nice easy pace, set the cruise control, and travel along with our five remaining. It was going to be sooo easy. Hmmmm, sounds a little like "just when you think it's safe to go back in the water". I should have heard the shark music in the background!

When I left you last August, we were finishing up testing for ADHD on a couple of boys. We got all the tests back, decided that medicating would be best and headed off, again naively, with prescription (and confidence) in hand. Caleb was a text book case.... mildly ADD, took the prescription, had a stomach ache for a few days, meds work great... now making straight A's! (We always knew he could) Yeah Caleb! Noble was A case for the text books. The meds had terrible side effects and we tore through several prescriptions, (all having really bad side effects) before finding the one he is currently on. It helps to a degree, but this dear son has a triple whammy....., ADHD, Dyslexia, and OCD (okay who out there doesn't do "evens"). Of course he still makes us LOL, and is GLAW (growing like a weed, I made that one up).

Keep treading....... as disconcerting as it was to lose Jake to college it was even worse to realize I had lost a driver! Let's just say that Sarah and I did the happy dance this week as we did our last 4 am wake up for practice!!! The things we do for our children! All I can say is they better be prepared when I get old... I mean really old. The kind of old where I can't drive and I'm back in diapers old! On the flip side of losing a driver we gained a lot of time with Gracie (age 5) as Ben adjusted to single parenting. I am so very proud of him. He has done a great job!

Take a deep breath. Whee Christmas arrives! And with it, we get a call from Elizabeth's beau that he would like to speak to us! I have to say, I love this young man. Who wouldn't love a young man who comes to you and says, "we have maintained our purity, I love your daughter and I'm asking you for her hand". Ok, girls hold out for a man like this!!! They are out there. My young boys are in GIT, (our own little acronym for Gentlemen in Training). They get points when they open my car door, hold doors open for people, and pull out my chair. If he's not doing these things for you girls, move on! All of that said, as wonderful as weddings are they are no picnic to plan! I feel the need to come up for air just writing about it.

So you see why I have been strangely silent this year. I have been following THE WILD GOOSE all the more closely but holding on for dear life as He veered off in some crazy directions. Oh, did I mention, we are half way through our home study, and have our eyes on China once again? More on that later, my legs are getting tired. I think I hear the music in the background, "Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming".i