5 years of blogging

I thought I started this blog in Aug. 2007, but just discovered that it was July 23, 2007.
Read my first post here.
I have been blogging for 5 years now. I am so glad I have this blog as a journal and scrapbook of our lives over the past 5 years.
                                                                   
                                                                    Us in 2007:

Jason with a virtue pet

Joshua in his orange phase

both boys together

me

me

I have grown so much in the past 5 years. I have moved 2 times (from apartment to rented house, from rented house to my own house.) I am now homeschooling, which I was not doing then. I am no longer parenting any preschoolers. I also have a teen now. I had surgery and my ankle did recover. I was in another bad relationship. I ended that relationship. I learned that the worse that could happen, did. I lost part of my heart when I lost my brother, Eric. I am still hanging on. I got a dog. I started my cleaning business. I reopened my in home daycare. I turned 28, 29, 30, 31, & 32. I gave up disposable paper products. I discovered I have a love for cheese (Emmathaler yum.) I started cooking and baking from scratch. I made some successful dishes.

I have seen the hand of God bless our family so many times, some beyond anything my mind can comprehend.

I am looking forward to the next 5 years.

Here are some of my goals for that time:

grow in my walk with the Lord
give God my stress
read through the Bible 2 times
lose and keep off 50 pounds
have exercise be part of my DAILY routine
continue homeschooling
graduate Jason from high school
graduate Josh from 8th grade
pay off all my non mortgage debt (about $2,000)
read at least 50 fiction books
read at least 50 non fiction books
take a pottery class
improve my sewing skills and be able to make basic clothing
go to Niagara Falls
replace all the carpet in my home with wood or laminate

It is strange to take a few moments and look ahead, especially when I am so busy with the things at hand. But as looking back reminds me, it goes by so quickly. It is good to have some goals to strive for.

How many of you have been reading my blog since the beginning?

-Becky

2002

me, brother Kevin, brother Eric, Mom, sister Sam, stepfather Scott, & grandma

I got my AA in Education

                              my younger brother and me, at my graduation celebration barbecue

                                                               me and my brother Eric

My brothers and me in 1985 or 1986

Me as a toddler

Illness and parental stress

In the past few months Jason has been ill on and off. Their are days he literally can not get out of bed (way above and beyond the normal teen stuff.) His doctor suspected Epstein Barr. Blood work results we got back this week confirmed this.
Basically this is viral and not responsive to antibiotics. The best things to do are let him rest and give him good nutrition.
I also have him on fish oil, a food grade multivitamin, vitamin d, and a supplement for infection daily.
From my research this takes a long time to recover from and the virus never fully leaves your body.

I am not happy that my son is sick, and I hate when he is not feeling well. But I have to be honest, sometimes I just get exhausted parenting a special needs child with all the doctors appointments, therapies, precautions, preplanning, stressful days, and more. And now on top of all of that he is sick as well.

Especially as a single parent, if I have to go to work and he is in a mood or not feeling well I am always unsure as what to do. Cancel work or wherever I have to go, make him go anyway, or leave him home alone. None of these options are great. Especially since if I do not work, I do not get paid.

If I have to cancel work or wherever I have to go it shows irresponsibility on my part and I may even lose that job. If I make him go anyway he may get further stressed or take longer to recover if he is ill that day. Leaving him home is something I do not like to do. He doesn't really like it either. Sometimes he gets very overwhelmed and nervous and so being home alone adds to that. (Although occasionally he enjoys being home alone, for the quiet.)

So all this makes me a bit insensitive to my children's illnesses and challenges. For example if they are not feeling well, I get upset that they can't do their chores. I know, terrible. But when what they are dealing with (illness, stress, etc.) happens so often (almost daily) it is frustrating to me.

Please pray for us!!!

I need prayer to have more empathy for them. I also need strength to handle all these challenges and issues. I also need wisdom for what to do when I am in the midst of a child's illness, or episode, or outburst.
Jason needs prayer with this new diagnosis of Epstein Barr, among his other challenges.
Joshua needs prayer for his challenges as well.

Thanks.

-Becky

More followers please

Next month I will have been blogging for 5 years! My goal is to have 50 followers by then, please let your friends know about my blog. Thanks.

-Becky

Sandy Hook

We live near Sandy Hook, which is a beach, bay, and so much more. It used to be an army base and is still a coast guard station. We went there the other day.

                                              Jason and Josh walking in the Mortar Battery.

Josh attempting to climb the battery wall.

                      Jason made it to the top of a lookout (shhh, he is not supposed to be up there.)

           Joanna and I. We have been friends since I was in 7th grade (20 years ago actually.)