Time for bed

but before I retire, I wanted to do a quick update.

Preston is being potty trained. I never dreamed we would have to be doing this when he was over 19 years old. Anyhow, we started yesterday by telling him since Daddy would be home to help him, that we could not wear diapers during the day. So we put boxer shorts on him. Well, yesterday all day he used the big potty to pee-pee and poo-poo! He was so proud and we are too. Today, he did the same, until we got him in bed for the night and he peed in his diaper. But we put diapers on him at night in case he wets during the night. So we are headed in the right direction!

Today was an off day for me; meaning I didn't feel the best. If I do not get enough rest, my fibro is worse, and I cannot function very well without a good night's rest. I couldn't get to sleep last night and had to get up and take more meds. to get to sleep. Then Preston woke up at 5 something blowing his whistle that he needed us. So I got up then, and went back to bed. He blew again at almost 9 and Jr. took care of him and let me sleep. I didn't get up until almost 10. Jr. fixed Preston's breakfast, etc., and since he had to take care of him while I slept, he didn't get to church. But God knows all about it and knows what we have been through this past few months. I know I will always have more tiredness due to my fibromyalgia and arthritis, but Preston's illness has taken a toll on all of our bodies. Maybe one day we will feel like we are recovering from it all.

We were all able to attend church tonight; and that was a blessing. And we stayed to eat in the fellowship hall. Missie has a new friend now, she is younger than Missie, but that is ok; she is thrilled. This family also homeschools and sometimes we are going to get together and school. Missie was gone Fri. night, all day Sat. and until 5:15 this evening with a friend's in Six Mile. They had homecoming at their church today and Missie attended. They found out she could sing and she sang a solo and her friend played for her, and she had several guitar players back her up. She really enjoyed singing again. She has a talent from the Lord, and I hope she gets to use it more often. I don't want her to never get away from wanting to sing for the Lord. Children and their talents are very important. Anyhow, she saw some people from Free Wesleyan who sang at the homecoming as well. Some of them didn't even know her as she has changed and grown up so much.

Gotta get to bed. Am very weary tonight.

The missing teeth are no longer missing!

Well, the missing teeth have been found. Can you believe that? All week I have been toothless, at least 1/2 of my mouth has, and all the time they were hiding in the car. On the way home from work today, Junior told me he was going to try and find them. So we stopped in the driveway and looked some more, when he decided to look in the car again. Sunday evening, I was sitting behind him in the back seat, as Preston has to get in the front. They had slid off my lap, and way up under his seat. I thanked the Lord over and over again when he held them up to me! Now I just have to pay $120 to have them relined! God is so good.
Our computer shut itself off today and I couldn't even get it turned back on. It has never done this to me before. Junior was able to get it back up and running, which is wonderful, because we cannot afford another computer right now. I have auctions on, and needed it. It is still very slow, and on its last legs, I am afraid. That is, if computer has legs!
Missie has had a rough week with her stomach. Yesterday she was in bed all day with the pain. Me thinks she needs to see a doctor. I am going to call the free clinic and see what I can work out. It is in Easley. There is also a new clinic in Greenville that what you pay depends on your income. So I may that one if the Easley one doesn't work out.
Preston was so proud of himself this evening, and we were sooo proud of him. He poo-pooed in the regular potty tonight!!! Then he walked about 6 steps by himself. Jr. kept moving back and he walked alone!! So he is gradually coming along.
He loves his aide. She is a sweet black lady probably close to 60 or so and they are so attached to each other. He told her today that he loved her. She tells him that she loves him too. He doesn't want her to quit when Hannah starts. He wants to keep Mildred. So we will see what happens. She comes 9 hrs./week. Hannah will come quite a bit more than that. We also heard that we might have a ramp within a month, so that was good news!
It is bedtime, but I had to share the latest.

Toothless Joe??

I presume many besides me have heard of toothless Joe? Well, it is not Joe this time without his teeth, it is yours truly! Yep! My top dentures are GONE, and although hubby, myself and Missie have looked many times; they have not returned. This is the story. My upper dentures have NEVER fit me properly. I have to keep them glued in and they can only stay in so long until I start gagging to throw up. So last night was no exception. They fell out while I was eating at the fellowship hall and I had to exit to the bathroom to glue them back in. On the way home I started to gag, so I took them out and I guess I laid them on my lap??? I cannot remember anything past taking them out. Well, we are having to go up our neighbor's driveway so we can park at the back of the house to get Preston in the car to go to church. Well, it is a terrible driveway and with all of us we, the bottom of the car scrapes and it drives me crazy. So Missie and I decided to get out at the end of that driveway and walk the rest of the way home. Well, I was almost to our back door when I remembered my dentures. I had no recollection of where they were. Had I put them in my purse (hopefully)? But after Jr. and I both searched my purse, they were not to be found. So Missie and I walked back down the driveway but couldn't find them. Jr. took the car down and used the car lights, but to no avail. Today Missie and I looked, but they are not to be found. So I am a toothless momma, (at least my top teeth are gone) until Friday. Friday at 8 a.m. I go to have them remade. I hope they will fit this time. Jr. has been aggravated with these teeth since I have gotten them. Once the swelling went down, they were way too big. Then they told me I had to pay $120 to have them relined. But now I have to get new ones to the tune of $335, but my mom is sending me $100 to help on them, and I would have had to pay $120 anyhow on the old ones, so I am really just out the $115. Yes, that is too much, but it cannot be helped. I have to have my teeth. I cannot stand for people to see me without them. Our caseworker from the Greenville Memorial Hospital Home Health system came today, and I had to let him see me. Tomorrow Preston's aide comes and I have to tell her the story. Woe is me!

The caseworker asked me today about Preston going to outpatient rehab at Roger C. Peace and I called medicaid transportation and they will transport him on a stretcher in ambulance for therapies. Then I had to call the dr. to have fax Roger C. Peace an order for therapy. So I may hear something in a few days. We do not have much room here to walk Preston or any equipment, so we all feel outpatient therapies at the TBI (Trauma Brain Injury) section of Peace will be beneficial to Preston. My biggest concern is how often, and how long, because I do have Missie to think about and helping her with homeschooling and she doesn't like to stay alone for very long, which is understandable. No one bothers her, but since Preston has baeen sick, she likes for me or her daddy to be here. Sometimes Jr. takes her to his office and stays with him.

So that is the latest. You never know what you will read on this blog. It seems we are gluttons for punishment in the form of trouble and trials. Such is life.

I wanted to tell a story about what a hug can do. The same dear lady I mentioned in another post hugs me every time she seems me and it warms my heart. It lets me know she cares about me. When I was a pastor's wife, I befriended several elderly people who lived in a complex within walking distance from our church. One of these ladies was very contankerous, and her only child, a daughter, wouldn't hardly ever come to see her. Well, I loved this woman, and went to see her and I started giving her a hug when I would leave. At first she was very stiff (ever hugged someone who is stiff?) and didn't respond to my hugs. But do you know as time went on, before I could reach out to hug her, she was reaching out to me for a hug. Her daughter told me she had not had a hug in many years. Her daughter and her was reconciled and her daughter and I became great friends. All because I cared about this contankerous old lady and reached out in love to her with a hug. Never be afraid to hug someone you love. It will make more of a difference than you can ever imagine!

That is all for tonight.

So tired

You know, I wonder sometimes if we will always be sooo tired. Will we ever get some relief? But I have been reading a book, and it told of parents who had lost a child. The mother said she was tired for one year after the tragedy. I know we didn't lose Preston, but have been through several traumatic weeks with him, and it is all not over yet. So I guess the emotional, physical, and even spiritual tiredness will get better over time.

Preston is having problems urinating again. If he hasn't by a.m. Jr. and I will have to cath him. We are praying he will soak the bed by morning. I don't know why he has this problem. We tried different things tonight, and nothing worked. He last urinated this a.m. We weighed him and he has lost 10 more lbs. So far he has lost 43 lbs. If he keeps losing, then we have to see what needs to be done.

Our caseworker from Home Health is coming Monday and bring me forms to fill out to see if we quality for a program through the hospital that will pay the co-pays for his therapies. So we will see how that goes.

So that is all I know right now.

Busy week!

Well, Missie has not felt well all week. Her tummy hurts and she has some other tummy problems that you all probably don't want to hear about, LOL. She has been having trouble for a while with her joints. We are afraid she may have a type of rhumatoid arthritis; as it is hereditary and is in Jr.'s family. But she is terrified to get blood drawn. I want her to go to the free clinic since we have no insurance on her and see what is wrong. We have to pray she will be brave enough to have blood drawn so we can see. This week her elbow feels like it is popping out of joint, and her arm goes numb, and then it will pop back in. A young girl shouldn't hurt as much as she does. Her knees are bad, too. Anyhow, she has been under the weather so to speak this week.

We have all therapies on hold, for Preston. Come to find out (just last week) that we had a co-pay for every visit he had! We did not know this until we got a bill for July. So the caseworker from the home health is trying to see if the hospital will pay the co-pay so he can have his therapies. But mentally, the walking has not clicked yet. The eating and talking clicked much sooner, but the walking hasn't. His balance is off, and he takes real high steps sometimes like he is climbing stairs.

We have no word of a ramp. And I found out this week that medicaid will not pay for the ambulance to transport him to the dentist. They will transport him to the dr., but not the dentist. So when he goes, Jr. will have to take him, to get him in and out of the car. I just canceled the appointment for now.

Our church is in revival this week; I have wanted to go, but by supper time, I am so exhausted every day. I just don't know if I will ever feel much better or now. The 19 years of having a sick child, and now fibromyalgia has taken its toll on my body. I expect probably I will be tired from here on out. I do pretty good in the mornings, but about 3 in the afternoon I start wilting. I hate it, but it is a fact.
We have had company for supper 2 nights this week which is a 1st in a long time. Jr.'s grandma (and the children's great grandmother) is in Greer, from Texas and she and her son, daughter and granddaughter came over on Monday evening. Then today Jr.'s parents came down, and were here for supper. They hadn't been down since Preston has been out of the hospital.

So that is the latest.

Sunday update

Well, it was not our usual Sunday around here.

This a.m. about 1:30 or so, Missie started throwing up. Of course, it woke Preston up, because our house is so small, there is no where to go and throw up where it doesn't wake the rest of us, except outside. So! Missie threw up several times, and I was so exhausted I didn't get up until almost 10 a.m. Around 4 a.m. she was up because she was sick, and Preston had soaked his bed. So she came and got us to change him. I barely remember getting up and helping change his diaper and pads. After a late breakfast, Junior was so tired he laid on the bed and went to sleep. I told him today that we are getting old. Maybe we just are totally worn out from Preston's long hospital stay, as well. But we cannot do what we used to do. Anyhow, Missie's tummy was uneasy all day, but the throwing up stopped this a.m. We are hoping and praying Preston does not get this. Because when he starts, he cannot stop, usually. It means a hospital visit for us when he gets the stomach flu.

My mom has been so sick; we have been worried about her. But today she called me and said the Lord sent an angel from Heaven. A lady from their church came and did some housework for her (she doesn't keep Sunday as we do, this lady) by dusting, vacuuming, etc., and then had brought food from home and cooked supper for Mom and Jim. Mom was so relieved and grateful for the help. She is coming back on Tues. to help them some more. God is so good. When family won't step in and do their job; God always has someone else. My brother did go up this a.m. and opened all of mom's windows to let in some fresh air, carried out garbage, and he vacuumed as well. I was thankful for that as well. It is so hard when I am so far away. When we get to Penn View, I will only be about 6 hrs. away, yippee! I will be able to go up on weekends if necessary and help her.

We are are hoping for a good night's rest tonight, AND THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THIS HOUSEHOLD GETS THE FLU!

Wed. update

First of all, thanks Les for the cyber hug. I appreciate it sooo much. Hugs means someone loves you, and I needed that right now, in this time of my life.

Please pray for my mom; she has been terribly ill, and has more tests tomorrow. Dr. thinks it was the flu and she is just having trouble regaining her strength. We are asking God to touch her if it be His will.

This week has been much better. The lists are helping so much. Dorcas, thanks a million for suggesting that I make a list of priorities. I made a list for each day what to do besides my usual work, and homeschooling, and it is really helping. I even managed to get some auctions put on ebay today.

Tues. Missie and I went to Reedy Falls Park and enjoyed it immensely. I will post some pictures. I am taking lots of pictures of Missie and her activities as this is her last year of middle school; she will be in high school next, and it is also her last year of homeschooling, Lord willing.

Tomorrow Missie goes to Laura's, (Byler) to do home economics with her, in the a.m. So that will be very good for her. Thanks Judy, with all you have going on in your life, you took time for Missie, to encourage her and help her; and for that I am so humbled and grateful. It will give me a couple of hours to be by myself. I may grocery shop. Mildred will be here with Preston.

Mildred is starting to work Tues., Thurs. and Fri. - 3 hrs. each day. On Friday, I have been asked to teach a class at the homeschool co-op at Abundant Life Church in Berea, as Missie attends co-op there. I am kind of excited about that. I will be doing crafts, and we will be making Christmas gifts; the children and I.

So overall, things are looking up. I am cleaning out stuff to prepare for the big move. We cannot move all of this stuff. You wonder where it all comes from. We are excited about it all; it seems this is the right time in our lives for us to move on. When we moved here, some things were different than they are now, concerning schooling for Missie. There was a holiness school; but it is now closed. And Missie is at an important part of her life, and needs a good holiness school and holiness friends. So we have to put her ahead of our own desires; because our greatest desire is for her to go this way of Holiness. No cost is too great to help her achieve this.

Thanks for all of the prayers. I have felt them and appreciated them.

What a hug can do!

Well, a dear lady walked in church with her family, and was going to sit down in front of me, but she came right back to the next row and put her arms around me and gave me a hug. She asked me how I was doing. It lifted my spirits to know she cared that much, and it was unbelievable, because I had not talked to her in 2 weeks, and she didn't even know what a bad week I had last week. She cared enough about me to give me a hug, and it meant so much to me. So never underestimate the power of a hug. Never be afraid to give someone you love a hug. She had never met Preston either, and I introduced her to him after the service. But she had told me a few weeks back that although she didn't know who he was, that she had been praying for him. I had met this lady over at campmeeting at least 2 years ago. I went up and talked to her at our church about 3 weeks ago or so.

Today was a good day. I made a list of things to do each day; for myself and also for Missie; chores for her, above and beyond her school work. It worked so good to know what we were supposed to do today and made the day run more smoothly. Her work is so hard for me this year; so Junior helps her in the evenings with what she needs help with. On Thurs. she is supposed to go to Laura's and have home-ec. It is so gracious for Judy to do this; as her load is heavy too.

I had mentioned that Hannah, my friend, was going to be working for us. Well, I found out today that her paperwork did not arrive, and we have to start all over again. That was discouraging to me. So they are resending her the paperwork. But I have an aide that comes 3 days/week and bathes him, and then the other aide comes and stays 3 hrs. every Tues. and every Thurs. a.m. So that lightens my load. But we don't know when Hannah will be able to start.

Just wanted to share with you all how Sis. Ward encouraged me yesterday with a hug.

Glad it is Sat.

I am always glad for the weekend, when Junior is home to help me with Preston.
I was so overwhelmed this past week with all that I had to do; with Missie's schooling and caring for Preston; people in and out etc., but I have had some time for me last night and today. We all need that.
We plan to move as soon as we can to PA. It will probably be in about 6 months unless the Lord works a miracle before then. It is all in His hands. We should have moved this summer but couldn't with Preston's illness.
Anyhow, life goes on. I cut Preston's hair today and Jr. gave him a shower and washed his hair. He is so excited because tomorrow is Sunday and tomorrow night he will get to go to church! Bless his heart! He has been watching "Little House on the Prairie" dvds this week and loving them.
Preston's physical therapist, Claudia, doesn't live too far from here, and she offered to finish painting Preston's room because it is so hard on my fibromyalgia. So she came yesterday and got the walls finished unless she has some touch up to do. She is doing to do around the doors and she and Missie is going to put up the border and I will clean the room real good and get his stuff back on the walls, etc. I think he will get more sleep in his own room, instead of in the living room.
Well, it is bedtime, just wanted to check in. Will add some pictures from our trip.

Back at last

Well, I haven't blogged in a while.

On Aug. 25h Missie and I flew to Syracuse, NY and my brother and his wife picked us up and we drove on into Canada. My mom and stepdad met us in town, for supper. Then we made our way to my mom's. I had a terrible headache, and it has been so hot all day, and it took me a while to get cooled off. Mom only air in one bedroom, and of course, there was a heatwave. But we managed pretty good. My mom had had the flu and she relapsed and started running a fever, having chills, so weak, etc., so on Wed. we took her back to the dr. He still said it was a virus and it would just take some time for her to get over it. So she wasn't able to go with me hardly anywhere. But I was able to help her by cooking supper for her and Jim. She is slowly recovering.

On Tues. while were there, my brother Myles, who was on vacation, took Missie to Fort Henry, where the US and Canadians fought for Canada's independance, and she thoroughly enjoyed that. Then that evening, he and Carol took Missie and I to Brewer's Mill's locks. It was so cool and relaxing by the water. The locks were closed so we didn't actually get to see them opening to let the boats through, but nevertheless we enjoyed it. On Thurs. Missie and I went on the 1,000 Island Boat Cruise. It was awesome! Some of the islands are in Canada, and some in US. We went under the Ivy Lee Bridge, saw the smallest bridge connecting US and Canada (cannot even drive across it), Boldt Castle, etc. etc. As we went along the captain or someone would tell us the facts and the islands, etc. Normally this cruise is $27 each, and we didn't have that much money to spend on it, but a friend of my mom's from church, got on us FREE, we were so thankful. Missie really enjoyed it and I did too. I will post some pictures. Then Friday it was back to NY and we flew once again from Syracuse to Philadelphia, and from Philly back to Greenville. Preston and Jr. came and picked us up at airport! Junior had been able to get Preston up and outside and into the car (something I cannot do alone at this point) and taken him a couple of places while I was gone, so they were able to meet us at the airport.

Tues. was our official day to start homeschooling. Missie wants to go to school very bad. She cried yesterday. I understand how she feels, but there is not a Holiness school close to us and never again will she go to a Baptist school. We have considered letting her go to NC to Graham and stay with one of my best friernds, and go to school there; but she is so young to be away from home. We are praying about what we should do to solve this problem. We could move to NC but we really want to move to PA to Penn View area, but cannot do that until after the new year. God will have to show us what the right move is, and when. But we definately know this is the last year we can homeschool. I was so overwhelmed yesterday; taking are of Preston, people in and out, homeschooling, trying to get my house work done, etc. etc. I just feel like I cannot do it all anymore. I even have trouble helping Missie with her work; my mind is just too overloaded and I cannot do it all. Preston was independant before this illness, now he is almost totally dependant. That is a load in itself. Hopefully soon my friend Hannah will be starting and will take over more of his care and give me time for my housework and to help Missie. Please pray for us. We have to make a change and soon. Missie's and my mental help are about at the breaking point, and God knows all about it. Please pray that God will work it all out and soon. Part of the problem is, the house is not in our name, because we are paying an individual rather than a mortgage company. It will be hard to sell it, this way. We want to be able to sell and make a little because we can get more than we owe on it, to help us get started in a new place. We may just have to give it back to the man, and then we are back to where we started; and have to start from scratch. At our ages, that is hard. We want to have our house and not just rent, but Missie is our number one priority right now, and God will have open the right doors and show us the right way to go. We just need your prayers.

Thanks for reading this, and for praying.