Very exciting stuff

Had a ball tonight.  Tonight was my first rehersal for the worship team at Northside. I am going to be part of the worship team for Summerfest at Northside.  We are having this event for the Women's ministry. We are going to have some awesome worship, and a speaker.  It is going to be on July 30th come check it out. There is more information about it on the church website under ministries.  http://www.mynorthside.com/

Life is just plugging along here in the Craig home.  We got the pleasure of having Gramma Harb come to visit.  She got the OK to drive from her doctor yesterday so we invited her over for lunch and some entertainment from A & A.  They played restaurant, doctor and just did their thing to make Gramma laugh.  So glad mom has done so well with her surgery and healing.  She is able to drop her arm a dozen times a day and then she will move onto therapy for a few weeks to get her mobility back.  She still is doing well with pain and just takes her pills to help her get comfortable to sleep.

On a bad note my niece is not doing well.  My sister took her back to the doctor and had her x ray taken again.  Both of her rods that they put in her back have broken.  They are wanting to put a bolt through her spine to hold it in place (if I remember that correctly).  They are looking for someone that will do the surgery.  Not able to go back to the other doctor and that is probably a good thing.  Please pray that this road to find a new, better doctor is a short one.

This past Tuesday we had our first court ordered "Family counseling" session with Tina and her new husband.   The only place that James could fine was a place that does equestrian therapy.  I cracked up at James because he said "Now after a dozen places told us they weren't taking new patients I have to take counseling with a horse?" I wasn't looking forward to it at all but left feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.  Her and I locked horns and I got to get off of my chest all that we had heard from her family including, children, sister, and "friend".  We got to confront her in front of her new husband about all of the lies.  Her husband seemed very surprised by all of it and Tina hit the roof.  Her husband jumped in and got onto Tina saying "Let her talk".  If nothing else comes from this James and I at least got to tell Tina face to face and in front her of hubby what we know about and that our phone is blowing up with information that we should be concerned about.  She didn't take it to well.  I maintained composure and delivered my information firmly but in a calm manner.  I left so relaxed.  I had been holding that in for about 3 1/2 years now and all of it came out and I maintained control of myself.  I didn't blow up but got my point across.  We are to go back bi weekly.  I am not expecting too much to come from it but will keep you posted on what "horse therapy" is all about.  One thing I will tell you I don't like about it is we have to dress in pants at every session.  In this heat I am going to melt! 

Life is good.  My mom is getting back to normal, I got to get a lot of stuff off of my chest.  Many things are lining out in our life.  God is good and patience pays off.

My sweet Victoria

Busy morning. I am facilitating a new study at church called 5 Conversations to have with your Daughter.  I believe it will be a really good one.  After Bible study I helped out with painting a mural at church for 3 1/2 hours. By the time we got back home from being gone for the whole morning and early afternoon A & A were exhausted from playing in Bible land and so was Victoria.  I told Victoria we were going to lay down and take a nap.  Our nap turned into 2 1/2 hours.  I woke up to find Victoria laying at my feet just waiting for me to crack one eye open.  As soon as I did her mouth started going 100 miles a minute she was about to explode.  I told her "Just give me a minute to wake up, Honey"  I rubbed my eyes and looked around the room to see that she had "cleaned up" the house.  She fed the cat, put the mail on the desk, filled the napkin dispenser, put the diaper bag in the nursery and unloaded it along with putting up A & A's toys in their room.  What a little sweetheart!  She was so proud and so was I.

Has it really been that long??

Since my last post........

• My nephew graduated from Salem High School.  Couldn't be prouder! My sister as always put out such a spread of food.  But I do have to bust her chops (Sorry Sis!) that among the amazing hot wings, BBQ, fruit, veggies, chips and anything else you could want was the cake.  The squashed cake with a snapshot on it.  My sister ordered a very large sheet cake with a photo of Tyler in a plane on it.  My sister also ordered a slushy machine.  She apparently picked both of them up on the same trip and with one swift turn of the wheel the cake was demolished by the slushy machine.  We cracked up and gave her so much grief for it.  She just laid the picture that she gave the bakery right on top of the smashed icing. I also got the joy of riding back to my sister's house with her, my brother in law and niece.  My sister told me that she had plenty of room for me to ride with them but they needed to pick up balloons on the way home.  I didn't think much of it until she informed me that she was picking up balloons that she had blown up and there were 27 of them and we were in an Explorer.  I swear I was waiting for my sister to lift off the ground when she walked out to the car.  We were all 4 (well except for the time that I took the snapshot of their butts hanging out of the hatch) pushing these balloons into the back of the car.  All laughing hysterically mind you.  It was so much fun watching him and his friends sit around talking about plans for next year.  How wonderful to be that young again and feel like you have the world by the tail.  I also (after a glass or two of what the "kids" were having) discovered the joy of Wii Dance Revolution.  She pulled me outside under their little gazebo an we danced till we almost peed our pants.  So much fun.  There was about 30 people at the party and my sister and I were bonding out in the side yard all by ourselves with our outside TV and our Wii controller. 
• Mom had her surgery.  She did great through it!  She spent one night in the hospital and I picked her up when the released her to go home.  Let me rephrase that Victoria, Addison, Ironman (mask included) and I picked up Grandma.  We packed up the car and stay with mom for two nights to help her any way she needed.  She seems to be doing pretty well. She has a rough time with nights and getting comfortable and is on the up swing of recovery.  She is very anxious to get out of the bandages so that she can get in the shower.  We have been washing her hair over the sink in the kitchen.  Poor thing leaning over with her arm in a sling and getting her dressed again is like working a puzzle.  Our brains were smoking trying to figure out how to put that sling in through the arms of shirts.  We got it figured out though.  She is doing well.  Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. Addison has been telling everyone, "The doctor called, Maw Maw fell down at the Bidlelan (Bible land at church)"  Addison has had so many bruises from there that she can't possibly think of any other place that one might fall down to cause such a boo boo.  :)

While at mom's we were sitting at the breakfast table and my mom asked for some apricots.  Addison was breaking her neck trying to get grandma to notice that she wanted one.  "Would you like one sissy?" mom asked.  "Yes Maw Maw" she said with her long eyelashes (I thought you'd never ask)  "Sissy that is an ape-ree-cot"  she placed one on her plate.  "A What-a-cot?"  After we picked ourselves off of the floor we continued on eating.  It has stuck!  Grandma said she got more What-a-cots at the grocery store yesterday.

Gramma Harb's boo boo

Not very good news.  I got a call from my dad.  Very quick "Mom fell hurt her arm, thinks she broke it.she is on the way to the ER keep your phone close by she may need you" 

My mom fell on the way into a house that she was about to clean.  She tripped on a raised piece of concrete from what I understand. From what I understand she broke the ball off of her Humerus (Funny bone, MB don't laugh at my medical terms :P) pulled it out of socket about two inches and tore the ligaments and muscles.  She scrapped up her knee pretty good too.  She is getting some aches and pains that are surfacing too.  They put her in a cast up to her shoulder.  It is weighted from what I understand and she is not to rest it on anything for 8-12 weeks.  They are unable to find a piece of bone after they set it and she is to get a (CT?) scan tomorrow.  My mom is horribly claustrophobic and I am sure she is very nervous about this.  If this bone is not properly in its place they are going to have to do surgery and put a plate and screws in her shoulder.  This is really scaring her.  I spoke with my dad and he said that she is having a terrible time getting comfortable.  Not being able to rest her arm on anything is quite a challenge.  Please pray for her.  She doesn't do well with slowing down and this adjustment is going to be hard on her. On the flip side this will give us a chance to help her for a change.  She is always there for us to help us with going to the grocery store, or doc visits among several other things.  Now we get to be there for her. 

To Holiday World or not to Holiday World....now THAT is a silly question!

 A few days ago I had a serious talk with Victoria.  I explained to her that I know that she loves Kindergarten and she has worked really hard, but I had a very important question to ask her. She was all ears and bracing herself, she had no idea what to expect.  I told her that her last day of school was Thursday and she could go and have one more day with her class and have an ice cream party of she could go with Grandma, A&A, Aunt Punkin, Tyler and I to......Holiday World!!!  She came unglued!  HOLIDAY WORLD she yelled over and over.  Her jaw hit the floor and her eyes popped out of her head.  Very excited little girl she is.  My nephew Tyler is having his senior trip and Punkin is driving the bus so they will be there also.  We have been keeping an eye on the weather and there is a 50% chance of isolated thunderstorms.  We are going to brave it.  A rainy day in Holiday World is better than a rainy day at home.  Can't wait time to start packing..

Waterplay day

What a great weekend we had!  Weather was hot but great!  We got the kids outside for A&A to play with their first water balloons.  We were expecting them to catch on that you are to throw them at each other (they do with all of their other toys) but they were content to just throw them immediately down making an hour of filling ballons last about 4 minutes tops! :0)  James got a bucket and scrub brush and Brooklyn and Victoria helped him wash the outside of the house.  It is amazing how filthy gutters and siding can get.  The house looks so much better!  He worked is butt of and the sun cooked him.  I worked away on the inside trying to get caught up with laundry and washing the windows.  It is so nice to be able to see out of them.  I am sure it will only last till the next PB&J for lunch.  Clean windows beg for sticky fingers.