Exhausted, In General

My lack of blogging here lately is due mostly to the fact that life hasn't been so very peachy here lately. The weekend after we got engaged we went to Waco for Nanny's funeral. We had a good visit with the family, despite the circumstances, but it was an exhausting couple of days. Christiaan and I had decided to skip church Sunday and spend some extra time with his mom, when he woke me up about 6am in horrible pain. Kidney stones. He spent the whole day writhing in pain, with only a couple hours total of relief. We eventually decided to head on back to Dallas, which meant me driving his truck, and it rained half the way there. And he was having what appeared to me like labor contractions pretty much the whole way. By the time we got back I had started with a cough, which I thought was from drainage, but throughout the week it got worse. So basically the whole next 2 weeks were a blur of Christiaan and I going to the doctor, him with kidney stones and me with the plague. Talk about needing your momma to take care of you! Finally by mid-week last week, he passed the last stone, and I was on my second round of antibiotics and we were both on the mend. Exhausting.

While I was sick I missed a day of school, and my sub called in sick. Let me give you a run-down on the subs that have had my class......the first asked Kasi if our kids made her(a preacher's wife) want to drink, the second called in "sick", and Megan, who is our afterschool teacher, pretty much refuses to fill in for me when needed. Aren't I lucky. Just a rough year, and many of our kids have such sad home situations that contribute to the mass chaos in my room, but the rest of it?? Flat out refusal to follow rules. I have never wanted to scream "SHUT UP!!!!!" so badly in my life!! But I will not. They will not win. My heart breaks for so many of them, knowing the things they endure due to the circumstances at home, things I could not fathom going through at that age. Its been a long year already, with a wide variety of issues.

Yesterday Kasi came in my room carrying a tooth. A child's tooth. She said that my kids (who were in her room at the time) found a tooth on the ground. No one was claiming it. One kid said "well it might have fallen out of my mouth." (Wouldn't you know if a tooth fell out of your mouth??) So we ask her kids, and several kids say well so-and-so lost a tooth yesterday. Kasi asks so-and-so, is this your tooth? Why yes, yes it is his tooth. When did you lose this tooth? Yesterday. Why is it on the ground?? I put it in my pocket. So....your tooth, which you lost yesterday but told no one, has been in your pocket ever since, until sometime that morning when it fell out. Yes I guess it did fall out.

I had no words. I am considering writing a book.

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad were packed and waiting to be released from Medical City and head straight to San Antonio for transplant, when they received the news that once again, Humana pulls their We Are God card and they are not actually approved for treatment there as previous told. Its a huge mix up and blame game between Medical City, the S.A. hospital, and Humana, so they are still here. Dad had another biopsy today and when that comes back clear they are supposed to head down there.

This weekend our schedule is pretty clear, which is much needed, Monday is Halloween, and then next weekend we are going to Waco for Baylor's homecoming and more time with Christiaan's family. And then the next weekend I am meeting my bridesmaids for dress shopping!!! This is such official wedding business!! Last weekend Brooke and I tried to made some decisions about colors and styles, and she helped me find a wedding planning notebook.


These are literally the only pictures that I have taken since the fair. So unlike me, but life has just been too exhausting.

Once I was declared not contagious, we visited Dad. First through the door window, then when he broke down in tears the nurses were kind enough to suit him up and allow him out in the lobby for a bit! Unfortunately, my fearless child suddenly decided that plastic gloves are terrifying, so he wouldn't sit with Grand Dude. I would like to point out that my dad is an avid Rangers fan and wears flashy pants to show his support in lieu of being able to wear t-shirts over the iv to his port. THAT, my friends, is dedication at its best.
Why the raincoat indoors??

Kisses!

We went to visit again on Sunday, and he was let out of jail again briefly. This guitar is a gift from my dad's friends Jake and Aaron. Its an acoustic bass. Dad has mentioned wishing he had one, so that he could play without an amp while recovering from transplant. We have some very good people surrounding us!!

Jake and Aaron

This week at school was spirit week. I'm not really sure why. We have no sports teams or anything, but I welcomed being able to wear jeans all week! The only picture I got was from Monday, twin day. Kasi and I randomly have the same shirt from Old Navy, purchased about 7 years ago. One of my kids asked me who knitted our sweaters for us, and I told him the nice folks at Old Navy, and he thought that was hilarious. I'm hoping this picture motivates me to 1)Care a little more about my appearance, so as not to look half dead against my well kept friends, and 2) Stop. Eating. Brownies. Anyone aware of a hip shrinking device?? Never recovered from being pregnant, but the excess pounds do not help. Too bad I don't believe in working out. :) Also maybe 3) Not to pose like such a goob.

Tonight I hit up Payless in search of cheap brown shoes for Carter's fast growing feet. He snatched a pair of cowboy boots off the shelf and squealed with delight, then demanded that I put them on him. They are a good size and a half too big, but he wore them most of the night. Riding the horse...

Posing with multiple binkies (seriously, addiction much)

And while eating dinner. I swear he had more than a fruit cup for dinner.

Priceless. For lack of other creativity, he will be a cowboy for Halloween. I just don't have the energy to face the battle that would be some cute animal costume. I love that he knows what these boots are though!

Our State Fair is a GREAT State Fair!!

Well.

That will be the LAST time that I make reference to any part of my life being boring. Since my last post, boring has been furthest description of our lives. Dad is back in the hospital getting chemo and we lost Christiaan's Nanny last week. School continues to be ridiculous. So when I was off for a 4 day weekend, you can bet we were glad for the break. Today was our Fair Day, and we met a group of our closest friends for a day of fun and fried foods.

We started off at the petting zoo. Carter was in hog heaven. Or goat heaven. He is SO his mother's son, as I was known to get in trouble from time to time at my grandparents' farm for bringing the baby goats into the house to play with. All these exotic animals, and Carter wants to see the goats. That's my boy!
Shane and Raygen

Kasi and Harper

Feeding the zebras, before one of them bit Raygen's hand. She may or may not be traumatized for life, poor kid.

Feeding more goats

We caught the dog show, which the boys thought was pretty cool

And then......FLETCHER'S!! Carter is a fan of corn dogs, and he scarfed most of mine down! Oh sweet Fletcher's how I've missed your greasy, fried deliciousness!

Next up, the ferris wheel. While in line we ran into our friend Katie from school with her family, and they happened to get placed on the cart next to us!

A chemical plant in Waxahachie exploded just before, and you could see the smoke from the top of the ferris wheel. In case you aren't familiar with the metroplex, the two cities are not so very close to each other.

Now, I always ride the ferris wheel. And I always fight a panic attack the whole time due to a fear of heights. Its sick and twisted that I would still go, but whatever.

(Here's where I set up the story)

I realized on the way to the fair this morning that it was 2 years ago today that Christiaan and I had our first actual date, at the fair, and rode the ferris wheel. I mentioned it to him and he was like oh yeah you are right. Hmm.

(Clueless...)

Shane and Kasi rode with us. You know, the ones who set us up in the first place. Kasi, who has long adamantly stated she does not see the coolness of the fair. Hmm.

Meanwhile, our friends down below are taking pictures of our cart....

and waiting...

not sure what they were expecting to see....me jump out??

So the wheel goes around once then starts back up again. About at the top, my panic starts to set in(see death grip on Christiaan's leg). I make a comment that "and here's where I freak out" to which Christiaan replies "Well I guess you are going to have to freak out a little bit longer." My immediate thought is dadgum him, if he makes the cart sway on purpose there will be hell to pay....

But instead he says something about how he did actually realize that it was our "anniversary," and so he thought it was perfect timing, and got down on one knee in the tiny cart and I cannot remember a thing else that he said!

He for real has a ring!! (I love that you can see the top of the Cotton Bowl in the background!)

And then he pulled out this t-shirt that he made for Carter to wear! Dang he really thought this through!!

Love this picture!!

Jill got a great shot of our special spot!

Family shot with Big Tex

Then to the car show. Raygen and the boys chose this car to play in.

Wow. Carter REALLY liked this car!

Christiaan is like the baby whisperer. He got Harper to laugh at him!

Then Christiaan got tired of walking and made Brad pull him in the wagon. Yeah, those wheels? Not meant for adults. Not sure they will ever be the same.

FINALLY, after an afternoon of screaming fits of rage, Carter passed out cold in the wagon and slept for about an hour.

We swung through the livestock building where Carter got to see moo cows and about a bazillion more goats.

And shortly after, we wrapped up our awesomely fun day and headed home. We are all worn out. I can't believe we are engaged!! What a day. Christiaan will have to really work hard to top this next year. :)