Our Jack Rusell has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R

Every since we have moved out to our new place, the boys (Patrick included) have begged for a dog. The deal was ok, but after Zander got here cause of the whole puppy/baby acceptance thing and wanted our dog to like everyone. So, after we lost Zander, questions started rolling. Malachi's weekly drawings of dogs went to daily ones. Someone convinced Patrick that Jack Russell's were great for keeping snakes out of the yard and great for small rodent's so the search was on....

I found one breeder within 100 miles that had Jack Russell pups ready to go. She wanted $1000 ! Well, Mriah Carey got one of her puppies. WHO CARES ! We live in Northeast Oklahoma! So, the search continued. Finally one in Hominy, OK. An hour and 45 mins away and a lot more in my budget. It was just meant to be. He was the only one left in the litter. All the other ones were sold at 3 weeks but they had not posted his picture until the day I was searching. Evidentally the mother was mean and bit his face when he was a couple weeks old. So, on that day when he was 7 weeks old they felt his face was healed enough to take pictures and post of him. This is what sold us. He just looked so happy and like he had a personality. The other sites had there puppies all post with a background, etc. Not our style! To hominy we went that night..

On the way home Malachi decided that he looked like an Oscar. Yes, the 4 1/2 named him. And Oscar, who knows. We put in the rule of no super hero or cartoon character, but other then that, he was on his own. He has turned out to be a wild, very playful dog. But then gain, he is a puppy! The other benefit of getting him when we did was that I would be off of work still so I could work on potty training him. Went well at frst and then the rain interrupted. So, we are still working on it.

OUR GRANDBABY TURNS ONE !

Okay the last blog was a little too much poor poor me. So, for some happier moments! I guess I will have to spread them out over the next few days though and spoil the heck out of everyone cause who knows how long the roll of blogs will last !

Alli turned 1 a couple of weeks ago! She is STILL not walking, but growing like crazy.

Her birthday was a terrible party experience for me. The wind was blowing 40+ mph and everything was blowing away, so by time most of our friends arrived everything was in the trash or car.

Many were disappointed because my decorating was not up to my normal standards, but OH WELL I finally decided after whining to Patrick for 10 minutes. But, it was fun, the kids had fun and that's what matters. RIGHT? Yeah, right :) Well, not completely true. Two kids cried at the party and they were mine! While Alli was opening her presents, she wanted a birthday card, her father took it away. I then got on to my son for doing that, he went to give it back and poked her in the eye! She cried for the 2nd time at party, first being during the cake. She did not like the whole cake experience. Then the other drama was Malachi. He gashed his toe on the wonderful merry go round. It was not to merry for him after that!

Hopefully soon I will get to add her professionally done 1st birthday pics. But, we have already failed at te first 2 attempts. First appointment was complete failure. About the time she is usually napping! Then like an airhead I go and make the next ppointment only 30 minutes earlier! This time I scheduled for 3 hours difference. We'll see!

GOD's tests on my family....

Let's see. I'm sure this will be a repeat for many, but it is an update on my family since last time so there may be something new. These past 10 months have been quite a test of faith for our family....

June 10, 2008: We had to bury our baby Bennett that we lost at 24 weeks. Never found out the correct medical term, but it was basically explained as something that is very common in 8-10 week miscarrieages. There was a sack that develeoped in between the placenta and Bennett that was taking away all of his nutrients.

October 2008: John didn't do to well in his custody battle over Alli. He basically got hung with higher child support and set visitations. It was actually better before when she would just call, want us to get her and leave her longer, more often, but 4 days a week every other week isn't too bad.

January 2009: Greer's couple of months of spending time with us ended after she got her presents. Still haven't seen her since that! My poor husband and Malachi. But she refuses, we aren't fun and don't have enough money is what I am told. Oh wait...WE HAVE RULES AT OUR HOUSE! Mom moved 8 hours away to Iowa as well :(


February 12-15, 2009: Malachi, Patrick, and I headed to visit Mom and Tom in Iowa for my birthday. Poor John didn't get to go because it was his weekend with Alli, her controlling mother said she couldn't go and she wouldn't trade weekends. While we were there, we got robbed! John was at work while this was happening. he came home to find my husband favorite thing (Plasma TV) was stolen as well as anything else electronic or hunting related. Sad thing is, we pretty much know who it was, he works with my hubby and son, but since we live in tiny old Pryor, CSI is just a dream! (insurance did replace most of it)


April 6, 2009: My blood pressure had been elevated over the weekend off and on so I laid in bed ALOT. When Monday came, I did as usual, got up at 4 AM to go to work. I faxed my doctor's office my BP readings for the weekend, expecting them to just call in a BP med. About 10:00 the nurse calls telling me to get to the hospital to be evaluated. No big deal in my mind. I text Patrick telling him that I am headed over there that he doesn't have to go if he doesn't want to, but thank goodness he did! The nurses were having a difficult time finding Zander's heart rate. They finally did, the doctor walked in saying that I was having contractions, but that Zander was not liking them so we had to do an emergency c-section. Since I was 33 weeks and he was a good size the doctor said he felt everything would be ok, but that an ambulance would be on standby in case he needed to be transported to better NICU. We were ok too. Thinking early, but heck Malachi was born at 35 weeks, 7 lbs.10 oz and perfectly healthy. Nerves were going but we put our faith in God. Once in surgery room and spinal tap was just given the nurse started yelling that his pulse was dropping so they threw me back and began to cut. A nurse grabbed me by the face saying that spinal would not kick in for another 3 minutes but that I could not let them know I was not numb or it would delay on my babies chance for survival. Still thinking everything would be ok in the end I sucked it up until I felt them pull him out and heard nothing. I heard a nurse say wow he is so big and then another say OMG he's dead. I began to freak out and was told all kinds of stuff like oh we don't want him to cry yet and this and that until they confirmed it and then they finally told me that he did not make it. The placenta biopsy showed that there was a kinkk in the umbilical cord, but that due to the extra amniotic fluid he was unable to move enough to undo it. He was so beautiful and perfect. He weighed 6lbs. 1 oz. and was 17 in long. We had to bury our second baby, right next to his brother 3 days later.


April 20, 2009: Before everything happend with Zander, I had just gotten my truck back from having a new engine put in. I was headed to pick Malachi up from school after I got out of class. I was gonna be 30 minutes early and was starting to get hungry so decided to run in to the casino (only place between where I was at, my house, and Malachi's school) and order a sandwich to go. I went in with my phone, $12 ($7 for food and $5 to play on while waiting). Food took 10-15 mins later then usual and I was starting to get ticked. As soon as it was ready, I ran out the door to see a bunch of people looking at a fire. Joking around, I asked if it was a white 4 door Ford. Well yes it was! My truck had exploded! It was on fire like crazy. No fire trucks, just security and onlookers. After about 10 mins and all but 3/4 of the bed left, the fire department shows up. Luckily we had full coverage, so after tons of phone calls, reports, etc, they gave us a settlement amount yesterday.



So, there is a pretty good some of things! Not fun around here. No, we are doing pretty well considering. We have really tried to remember and focus on the bible. We often have to remind each other that GOD does things for a reason and it is not our job to ask why.

Some good news though. I do not have to rely on my old Blazer anymore. Patrick told me that I could pick out whatever vehicle I wasnted on their lot. So, I did not go with my "ideal" vehicle, but decided to be smart for once and to pick out something that we could pay for with our settlement check and continue to not have a vehicle loan. I went with a silver '05 Equinox. Not that it's bad by any means, just not me! So, after I finished my last final yesterday, I decided that I was going to make myself like it. I pulled out the manual and learned EVERYTHING that it has. So, I think today I like it now :)

My Aunt Jane emailed me with somthing that I would like to share before I close....

Suffering is rightly called "the school of faith", for it is only through trouble, difficulties, and setbacks that we are brought to the end of ourselves. The normal human tendency, particularly for strongwilled people, is to rely on our own strength and resources. But when those are not available to us, when everything has failed, when we have to abandon every other hope, we are forced to trust God alone. She got this from a book she's reading called The Faith.

And yes, I will try to keep my updates better. More then once every 7 months! Who knows :)