Archive for the ‘friends & family’ Category:
A visit and a meeting
Mary Ellen came to visit me today! She actually came for a meeting.
She’s helping us with the Family-Centered Learning Conference. I took her over to the conference center so she could have a look at things (she’s our vendor coordinator and former event planner turned conference adviser extraordinaire! 
).
She was impressed. It is a nice space.
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We’re all getting really excited about the conference. It’s going to be truly lovely!
Of course the kids had a great time too.
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Are these two cute or what?!
We’re just sorry they couldn’t stay longer.
And I am terribly sad to think someone may be missing this little guy tonight. 
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Subscribe to the comments for this postA priest forever.
The newest priest for the Diocese of Harrisburg and the second from our parish.
Father Mark Mason Spietel
Ordination June 7th 2008 -St. Patrick’s Cathedral Harrisburg
Mass of Thanksgiving June 8th 2008 - Assumption BVM Lancaster
We’re all very proud!
Ever so close!
Alice Gunther’s much anticipated book, Haystack Full of Needles, is now available for pre-order at Hillside Education!
I’m so excited for Alice and cannot wait to read what’s promises to be a truly wonderful home education resource.
From the “Foreword” by Laura Berquist:
“It is a book about charity. It is a book about how to love your fellow homeschoolers, and how to demonstrate that love. It is a book about how to model the virtues of hospitality, kindness and patience for your children. It gives many excellent suggestions on how to find other homeschoolers, but, most importantly, it gives instruction in how to build a community . . .
I homeschooled my own children for 23 years. I loved those days, and I can honestly say we had a very good time. Nonetheless, I wish I had had this book . . .
I love this book and I don’t say that lightly. It is truly wonderful.”
I’m sold! I sure hope I can get my copy autographed.
If you’d like to meet Alice in person and hear her speak on this very important subject of socialization, join us at the 2008 Family-Centered Learning Conference July 26th in Lancaster, PA. And I promise she’ll autograph your copy too!
Monday . . .no, Tuesday
Today is Tuesday. Except that it felt like Monday all day. A hot Monday at that since apparently the day after Memorial Day is the beginning of summer. Not really of course but the humidity arrived today so it may as well be. Yeah, it was hot. Here we go. Hair in a clip because I cannot stand it on my neck and now the inevitable jockeying to see how much we can take it before we need the AC on. I’m such a wimp. I’d rather be cold than hot. Not freezing cold mind you but cool. Yes I am a fair weather woman.
Worse yet there I was feeling oh so smug because my cars were parked on the north side of the street and street cleaning was on the south side today. . .except that it wasn’t because today is TUESDAY not Monday, and the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month street cleaning is on the north side —where my cars were parked. Thankfully I had errands to run and it dawned on me as I got in my car that I was the only one parked on that side of the street . . . because it is TUESDAY. Mercifully I realized my error before the street sweeper arrived and I was able to find parking spots for both cars and avoid the $40 fine (the hazards of living in the city and having to park on the street). Never mind that I burned $20 worth of gas moving the cars. OK maybe that’s an exaggeration but I wonder. I tried to fill up the Suburban a few days ago and had to stop at $100 because that’s all it would let me pump. It wasn’t even full yet!! I wanted to cry. Tim says $20 is the new $5. His Dad used to laugh at people who only put $5 worth of gas in their car. Wonder what he would think now.
I remember when gas was $1/gallon. And not that long ago! But then again that’s relative isn’t it? For instance 20 years doesn’t seem all that long ago to me and yet to my kids it’s eons. Yeah I’m getting old.
OK enough rambling —I’m off. Time to watch Lost. Yes hubby and I are terribly behind the times as we are on only the 7th episode of the 1st season. It hasn’t really pulled me in yet though. We’ll see.
Peace!
Of blogging and randomness
Soaking in the tub a few nights ago I had all sorts of different thoughts swirling in my head and I was thinking of blog posts I could write. Except that it all seemed so . . . random.
But life is like that isn’t it? Kinda random and all mixed up. Like walking into the bathroom upstairs and seeing graham crackers lying on the floor and thinking “why?”. Really I didn’t just make that up, I went up to run the bath and there they were. I threw them in the toilet.
The thing is I’d like to write more because I am realizing that there’s something really cathartic about writing out your thoughts. But, <there’s always a but > I worry.
My first concern is that I’m not a writer. I’m not. I can write OK sometimes but generally speaking I am NOT a writer. My grammar is terrible and oh my gosh don’t even get me started about typos. Fortunately my loving husband reads here and will gladly point out my errors to me (what a guy!) . I generally go back and fix the things he points out to me ’cause well I am a bit vain of course, but also because I hate to have to subject too many people to those misspelling and grammatical nightmares and lastly because frankly I really don’t want to embarrass my kids too much. . . at least not in that way.
My second concern is having my thoughts seem so random (OK I need a new word) and/or jumbled. Like how do I connect one thing to another and make it sound, you know, meaningful? And then I realized that’s just too much work to even try. . . and really who cares? I mean, I care but why worry so much about something that’s so unimportant? If my random jumbledness bothers you then most likely you won’t read here anyway. Not that I’d want anyone to leave but I also wouldn’t want to be annoying so if I annoy you, well I understand. Trust me, I annoy myself sometimes.
My point is I have decided to throw caution to the wind (uh, sort of) and just write. Everyday. About my life, my kids, my difficulties my triumphs, my fears, whatever. I just hope I don’t bore anyone too much.
A visit from the Cabbage Patch
=Yesterday we got to spend part of the afternoon with KC and her beautiful family.
It wasn’t nearly enough time as it felt like we were just getting started when they had to go. Still, we’re so glad we got to have what time we did.
As they drove away 3 yr. old Matthew asked if we could “go to their house tomorrow”.
A change of direction - a new perspective
Sunday afternoon we rushed our 8yr. old daughter Maggie to the ER because she was having trouble breathing. Within minutes of arriving a new and totally unexpected reality was thrust upon us as we came to realize that our little girl was most likely suffering from Type I diabetes. Her blood sugar was 433 —she was in diabetic ketoacidosis. She was rushed to Penn State Hershey Medical Center where she has been receiving excellent care. The last 30 hours have been very frightening for all of us but we are relieved to know that Maggie is going to be OK. She does indeed have Type I Diabetes and will be on insulin for the rest of her life.
Right now are just trying to get used to the idea of it all. We know that this is a disease that can be lived with and adjusted to well but there are still emotions to deal with when your child is suddenly struck with something that is so potentially life threatening. Among other things it leaves you feeling scared, grateful, protective and oh so vulnerable.
We know that God is in control and we have felt His love very tangibly through this difficult time. We are ever so grateful for the prayers of the family of God, both locally and far and wide. We are thankful for Fr. Matthew who anointed her in the ER and Fr. Leo and Fr. Chuks who prayed over and for her, as well as Fr. Bernard who prays for her from afar.
Maggie is doing very well and will be going home sometime tomorrow. We have been learning how to care for her (I gave her her first shot of insulin tonight) and will be having a detailed, intensive training session tomorrow before we go home. Further prayers for all of us as we adjust to the changes are greatly appreciated.
We’ve had a change of direction and it came with a new perspective. We knew that our life was mightly blessed before but we know it even more so now.
Thank you again for all your prayers –they are truly appreciated!
Thank you also to everyone who has offered to help in terms of the actual living with and understanding diabetes. We are being inundated with information at the moment and have many people helping us to learn what we need to, but we are glad to know there are others we can ask for advice should the need arise.
