Vandalized Truck - Still Injured - Prayers needed for Suzi

Vandalized Truck
Monday morning we discovered that our Ford truck had been broken into. I guess they took one look at the stock stereo and decided not to do anything else. It was a bit scary since we are trying to sell that truck. Now we are spending more money on the dumb thing so that we can sell it. Cars always lose value.

Mike's New Job
Mike started his new job this week. He is happy with the better looking uniforms (just a shirt instead of tan pants, blue shirt, and name tag like before). The benefits are great and will start very soon.

To Homeschool or Regular School?
Christian already wants to come back home to home school. He keeps going back and forth. So, I told him to stick it out for at least one month and then we'll talk again. I would love to have him come home, but not just because the newness of regular school has worn off. I want him to make an "educated" decision based upon all the facts and his experiences. If he comes home he needs to be fully committed to it.

Back Injury
My back is still a problem. It is slightly better, which is a blessing, but I have a long way to go. It is a little depressing. I would like to not feel so old. ;-)

Prayers Needed for Suzi
Please add to your prayers today Mike's sister, Suzi. She is undergoing a double mastectomy due to a fast growing breast cancer. Everything is being removed. She is a wonderful person and I look up to her a great deal. She is the big sister I never had. I told the kids today to keep a constant prayer in their heart for her throughout the day and a special prayer at 9:30am when she goes to surgery. They remember her in all of their prayers (sometimes even the blessing on the food) and so I know they will do this also.

~~Celeste~~

Re-injured My back

It looks like I have re-injured my back. About 6 years ago I herniated a disc in my back. I rehabilitated rather than have surgery and I have always had to be careful since. We ordered apples and have been making applesauce and dehydrated apple slices. With all the lifting I did, it seems that my herniated disc decided to flare up.

It is painful to sit-up too long...so this will be brief. I am seeing an excellent chiropractor and should be gaining momentum soon. I am ice-ing it regularly, which helps a lot, and trying to take it easy.

News on the Home Front
Mike is starting his new job with Taylor Woodrow Homes on Sept. 24th. This is a huge blessing for us. It is closer with better pay and better benefits. What more can we ask for? The Lord continues to see fit to bless us.

Christian made the decision this week that he would like to return to regular public school. I am not too surprised. He remembers all the social things about public school...recess, friends, etc. I hope he does well and does not regret the decision. I believe that peer-pressure had a lot to do with his decision. He had a great first day today. I am sad to see him go, but it has always been largely the child's choice in our home and so we respect his decision. I am thankful for the time that he was at home. We grew much closer and I feel that I know him so much better. Marlayna is still home and has no desire to return to traditional school.

Photoshop Like Program for FREE - GIMP

Sometimes taking in-person classes is well worth the time. I was introduced to a FREE "Photoshop Like" program called GIMP. It is very awesome!

You can download it HERE. There are several files. Don't forget the Help files at the bottom. It is amazing what is available for free if you know where to look.

Celeste

What a Week We've Had!

I don't have a lot of time so here is a quick rundown ~

1. Monday - we spent an awesome day with Mike's family at a cookout and swimming party. We miss Les' family who moved away to Utah :-(.
2. Tuesday - a crazy day full of school for kids and mom. My class gets out at 9:50pm and I am so tired on the way home since it is about a 40 minute drive.
3. Wednesday - we drove to Lake Havasu City to pick-up a truck we bought for Mike. Kind of a whirl-wind event, but it saved us over $2000 buying the truck there rather than in the city. Thank you Craigslist!
4. Thursday -we are all travel hung-over. Everyone was late to work/school and we felt basically yucky with the monsoon weather. Marlayna and I were not feeling well with our FMS (Fibromyalgia Syndrome). We were supposed to go on a field trip, but we could hardly walk that day.
   
5. Friday - Mike and I spent the day (seriously, most of the day) at his new doctor, Dr. Bottner, in Scottsdale. Mike had several tests run. I was very happy to finally find someone who would take us seriously and really try to find out how he can help Mike lower his Cholesterol. Other medications have damaged his liver and diet alone was not helping. ALSO - we came home to a broken A/C and the temperature was 86 degrees inside the house. Thank you Sonoran Air for coming out in less than 3 hours to fix it! The desert is no place to live without A/C!
   

Let's hope next week is a bit more normal! The monsoons are leaving and maybe we will start feeling better.

I'm another year older! (and boy do I feel it!)

Thank you to all of our wonderful friends and family who wished me a "Happy Birthday" this week. I have been blessed to have so many who care about our family and wish us well. I have been blessed with several precious memories and gifts this year. Mike and the children took me out to eat at a new restaurant in our town and then shopping for some new clothes with money they had given me. They were all good sports while I shopped and tried on tons of things before finding the right modest clothes that also fit. I am always appalled when I shop to see so little to choose from. Mike commented that he thinks it is a conspiracy to make women buy more clothes - the undershirt with the see-thru, too low top shirt. It is nearly impossible to just buy ONE shirt now-a-days.

I was also given several cards, flowers and home made treats! Thank you all!

This month has been a hot one. I went outside for 5 minutes to move a hose and I came in sweating my fool head off. Humans are just not meant to live in over 110 degree heat for over a month. My plants are dying as something is wrong with our front yard watering system. I don't blame the poor plants. I think I would die too if I lived outside.

We have also been blessed with the possibility of a new job. If all goes well, Mike will be starting with a new company soon that will be closer to our home with better pay and benefits. Thank you Heavenly Father for continuing to meet our temporal needs!

I could go on and on to list more of our blessings this year and the years past. Even when we have major trials, the Lord seems to see fit to comfort us during the difficulties and bless us in the future. Those who know us understand some of the many trials we have survived and continue to endure. The monsoon season has made itself known to those in our family with Fibromyalgia. The achy joints and muscles make life miserable even though we are so very happy to see the rain. "This, too, shall pass."

Love you all!

Lunar Eclipse

I have never seen a Lunar Eclipse before, but I did last night. Or, should I say, early this morning. It was very interesting to watch the moon turn red. It began at about 2am, but we slept until 3am and then we got up to take a look. Christian and I were the only ones to stay up and watch for a little while, pointing out the other constellations that we could find. He is very interested in astronomy. If only we had a telescope!

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2007Aug28/TLE2007Aug28.html

The next total Lunar Eclipse will be February 28, 2008. The western states have a chance of viewing it, but the rest of the country will not be able to see it. To learn more about why a Lunar Eclipse happens go to the link above. NASA has some diagrams and explanations about how it works.

Pretty Cool!

Crochet Queen

Marlayna has been working on this beautiful crocheted blanket for a Young Women project. The stitches are perfect! She is so conscientious about it looking professional and perfect. She has taken out any rows that did not look right. This will be her first completed project in Young Women's.

This year has been such a good year for her. She still suffers from fatigue, but has been up and walking without a walker or a cane for over a year now! Where has the time gone? For those of you who don't know, Marlayna was diagnosed with Severe Pediatric Fibromylagia after having a severe case of Mono (Epstein Bar Virus) in January 2005 to which she never fully recovered. She still has the virus present in her system and we have been told by doctors that she will most likely struggle with the virus throughout her life.

The Guaifenesin Protocol that we began over a year ago has greatly contributed to her returning health. Christian and I have also been diagnosed with Fibromylagia and are also on the same treatment. While we see tremendous improvement, we also recognize that this is a lifelong illness and there is no cure. We take each day as it comes and look forward to the good days where our pain is less (some days virtually pain free now) and we have more energy to enjoy life.

I am so proud of Marlayna's outlook on life. She does not let her limitations get her down. I am always amazed at her positive attitude and how she keeps working towards what she wants. Even with her limitations, she sees that the glass that is her life is more than half-full! I have learned so much from her and I am very grateful to be her mother.