Thanksgiving...Moving On

This will most definitely not go down as one of the more memorable Thanksgivings.

So...Moving on to

Pictures of Zack in his basketball uniform:

These are brand new uniforms as our school went through a name change between school years.  

He chose number 23 again.

Frustrating First Game

Whew...not a great start to the season.  

Once again, as many times last year, our boys found themselves grossly undersized compared to their opponents.  Really, I don't know where these teams get these huge players.

Zack did not do the jump ball this time.

Of course the coach put Zack on the biggest most physical guy (#35).  He got pushed and shoved around most of the night. 

One of the rare times he was not guarding #35

The other team did an amazing job on defense shutting down any attempts the boys made to get the ball down to the posts.  

Every effort that was made to get the ball close to the basket and in the hands of the posts (Zack) was intercepted.  

Zack was only able to take two shots the whole game, neither were even close to the basket, and he missed both of them.

Twice he was wide open under the basket but the passes were intercepted before they could get to him.

They have the same great coach.  Love him

Finally, they resigned themselves to shooting from the perimeter.  

His face sums up the game

Tough game.  But at one point late in the game they were only down by three.

The two tall players they have do not have much experience on the court.

They ended up losing by double digits.  

Better games ahead hopefully

Starting the Final Season

This is definitely going to be a bittersweet basketball season.  Zack starts his 5th season tonight when they play Central Wisconsin Christian School.  
It will also be his last season for Valley Christian School.  Once again, I find myself swallowing the lump in my throat as I reconcile the reality of our situation versus what my visions for Zack have always been.
I am praying for a good season for him.  A positive is that they have the addition of many new players this year...some new additions to our school and some 7th graders who move from the B team up to the A team.  So they should be able to win more games than last year and Zack will not be the one to score half (or over half) of the team's final points. 
I plan to take pictures and post about each game again - but first - a look back at his previous four seasons.

First season 2009-2010

Second season 2010-2011

Third Season 2011-2012 (MVP season)

Fourth Season 2012-2013

Fifth Season 2013-2014

More later

Tree Up

I decided to put up the tree yesterday.  

I wasn't sure how hard it would be since we got a new tree last year...but it turns out the hardest part was getting the heavy box up the stairs.

It was so easy to put together.

That Kind of Night

There is a contentment that comes from having all my children under the same roof with me.  But, sadly, it only happens a handful of days each year.  

Last night was one of those days.

C.J. arrived from Florida in the afternoon so after Zack was done with basketball practice, we all went to one of favorite restaurants for dinner.

And for a while, my mind went back a few years to the days when we would spend our Friday evenings here when hubby would be at work.

C.J. explaining why the Florida Gators need to fire their coach...I agree!

As usual when my boys get together, the conversation revolved around debating about sports...they all have their own opinions!

After dinner we had a family game night.  

Fighting over what we were going to watch on Netflix...sports isn't the only thing they don't agree about.

We played Sorry...

Poor Zack came in fourth both of the games.  It just wasn't his night.

We also played Sequence (no pictures).

Tuckered out

Fun night.

Oh Happy Day (Friday)

C.J. is flying in today!!!!!

SO EXCITED!!

We are looking forward to an evening at our favorite family restaurant followed by a thrilling evening of board games!

Pictures to follow soon!

A Time To Move On

I have mentioned before that we are making a big move back to Florida this summer but I haven't exactly elaborated on the reasons behind it.

At this point, there is exactly a 100% chance that the move will happen and I don't see anything happening that would change that status.

Let me say that as much as I HATE Wisconsin winters and cold weather and the like...I had every intention of staying here.  I love my job.  I love the  school.  I love that Zack is getting a great Christian education.  I love that he has so many friends.  I love the people I work with.  And I love the many wonderful friends I have here. 

What I don't love is the home environment my children are living in.  My husband doesn't love my kids...but then, I never really expected him to.  I did, however, expect him to like them and treat them well and treat them with respect.  But he doesn't.  Never has.  Me-yes...them-no

We have lived as a family - my boys and me - despite the poor treatment they get from him and things have been okay.  

CJ and Jon were older when they met my husband.  And while I think they endured far more than they should have had to...they were secure already.  They felt loved and appreciated and were secure in the knowledge that, despite what this one person thought of them, they had many other people in their life who loved them and gave them a feeling of self-worth.

Zack, however, was only five.  He has grown up in a household where he feels unloved and unwanted (by one of the occupants) and it has recently begun to devastate him. He is angry and that anger scares me.  I, of course, do my best to remind him often of all the people in his life who do love him.

But the sad truth is that the time has come where it is more detrimental for him to stay in this environment than it is for me to pull him out of school and move across the country...SAD...I KNOW!

I don't know what will happen with hubby and me in the future.  For now, I am going to try staying together and just living apart.  But  I'd be lying if I said this whole situation hasn't hurt me immensely.  I just pray that I can reconcile that hurt and still be around him.  

It sucks airing dirty laundry like this but, hey, it's real folks.  It's our reality. And I've had to suck in my pride and tell many of my co-workers what our "reality" is.  I guess, on the positive side, the more people praying for us and our situation, the better. 

Two Months and Going Strong

Two months (tomorrow) taking the Tramadol.  I have had days this month ranging from absolutely no pain whatsoever to having a little nerve pain in my upper right leg.

But, the nerve pain is no where near the frequency I was experiencing a couple months ago so I can tolerate it still without having to add the Gabapentin. 

I also discovered this month that my mom has a friend who  has fibromyalgia and is also taking Tramadol.  It is working well for her too - and she has been taking it for two years now.  

So that gives me hope.

At This Moment

I am listening to this:

"Professor Plum...in the lounge...with the wrench."

"Colonel Mustard...in the conservatory...with the candlestick."

We are hosting game night tonight. 

Listening to a group of 21 years old guys playing Clue.  No alcohol...no drugs...no smoking...just a few board games, a pizza, and some Pepsi.

Love it.

Gator/Badger Basketball Game

Last year we found out that the Florida Gators were coming to Madison to play the Wisconsin Badgers in basketball.  So naturally I told the boys (mostly Zack) that we would go. 

Most people think I like the Gators because I used to live in Florida but actually I started liking the Gators in the mid 1980's when, as a freshman in college, I went to Florida for Spring Break.  Four busloads of students went and the bus I was on was named the Gator bus and, at the time, my friend was a student at the University of Florida so she came to visit me and brought along all her Gator stuff.  Thus, my like for the Gators began.  

Then, when you live in Florida, you pretty much have to choose between Florida, Florida State, or Miami...so that was a no-brainer.  And my like escalated to love.  I have transferred that love to two of my three kids so 2/3 isn't bad.

We started the evening by having dinner at the Cracker Barrel.  One of our favorite places to eat. Then we drove past the Capital Building to get the Kohl Center.

Best picture I could get because I was walking.  It was way to cold to stop for a picture

Our seats were not just in the "nosebleed section" they were in the "gushing nosebleed section."  

Second row from the top

We were surrounded by half Gator supporters and half Badger supporters.  The guy next to me was a very "touchy" person.  He was extremely nice but he had to touch either my arm or my back every time he talked to me...funny.  The guy sitting next to Zack would vocalize a string of obscenities every so often when the Badgers would do something wrong or the refs would make a bad call.

The game itself was mixed. The Gators started strong building a 16-4 lead - but then fell apart and trailed by 11 - then made a small comeback to pull within 3.  In the end, they lost by 6.  Which, for me was fine.  I like the Badgers too... Not Zack though.

He was fine though.  Not upset at all.  It was a fun, fun evening. Maybe next year we'll be able to go to more Gator basketball games.

Hello There

Going, Going, Gone

The beautiful fall colors give way to barren, ugly trees.  

We won't see leaves again until April...this I will not miss.

Twenty-One...

I still cannot figure out how my kids continue to get older but I don't.   I have been 27 for what seems like forever.  Oh well, one of the great mysteries of life that I will not question!

Anyway, today our little (or not so little) Jonathan David is 21.  How did that happen?  I remember the day as if it happened yesterday...

Jon was not due to arrive until November 19 but because we had a little almost 16 month old at home, and because my mom had a day off of school on the 6th and could stay with the little one...the doctor agreed to induce.

Everything seemed perfect.  Except I got the flu on the 4th.  Sick.as.a.dog. vomiting...fever...the works.  Though I was better by the 6th, I decided I was too weak and we needed to postpone. My doctor did not agree. 

Actually, he said we could...but I probably would not even make it through the weekend without going into labor on my own (the 6th was a Friday).  So, I went with it.

My plan was to get the Pitocin started, get that epidural going, take a nice refreshing nap, and be energized for the big moment.  God's plan was to bless me with a two hour labor so, yeah, by the time the epidural was in place there was no time for a nap.

At 10:08 am on Friday November 6, 1992...this little 6lb. 6 oz. bundle of pure heaven was placed in my arms and OH...MY...GOODNESS...the instant love.  Love that only other moms can understand.

It has been such a wild ride since.  Jon brings such joy and excitement to our family.  He has, from the beginning, been such a strong-willed child.  But he has used that strong will in such a positive way as he has made choices throughout life with little regard to peer pressure.  He makes me proud every day and we are are so grateful for you, Jon!

I feel so blessed that God chose me to be your mom.

The Family Room

Continuing with the house tour we now move to the Family Room.

This is probably my favorite room in the house. It is also probably the room I spend the least amount of time in.  

It is pretty much meant for the kids so they're down there the most but I do enjoy curling up on the couch by the fireplace in the winter time.

Oh yeah...and watching football games on the big screen TV.

As you're walking down the stairs, we have a couple packers pictures on the wall.

The Super Bowl picture with the WWF belt we bought from a friend.  Supposedly, there were only a handful of pictures printed with the belt before the WWF prohibited any further printing based on copyright infringements. It is printed on canvas and have been assured that it will increase in value through the years.

The Favre MVP picture I won in a raffle for one $1.00 ticket.  It is autographed - although, sadly, the autograph is fading.

A couple different views:

Stalking dog

Gator decor not a normal part of the room

The lovely green chair is what the kids use all the time.  It is actually very comfortable.

The original color we had chosen for this room was the darker color on the bottom part of the back wall.  However, once we put it on the wall, it was a bit too dark so we decided to use it as an accent color.  I am really happy with the way it turned out.

The decor is outdoorsy.  I ordered two of these lamps from a magazine a few years ago and love the pine cone accents.

They fit perfectly in the room.

I also love the way the way the fireplace turned out. 

Hubby picked out the type and the materials for it and I admit I was a bit hesitant about his choice at first.  But it looks great and fits in with the color and decor of the room.

My great-grandmother's sewing machine.  It still works.

The Gator things are not part of the room (normally) but were added by Zack this past weekend. I don't have the heart to remove them as he is so proud of what he has "added to the room."  I'm hoping to be able to discreetly remove them when I put out the Christmas decorations in a couple weeks.

Too bad the Gators are going nowhere this year!