Wow, it has been over three years since I have written on here. I primarily use Instagram to log our daily life activities through mainly pictures. However, there is a missed part as I had to look back through the blog to track certain dates of events for a document we were filling out. That is the dialogue and just little things, but make a big difference on remembering moments or growing personalities.
So I decided to enter a little bit of what and where we are in life, for the sake of remembering.
We'll start with Ben...he has ran his construction business since 2017, and it has grown each year in the amount of jobs he has done/completed. He has definitely had enough work, and a list of jobs lined up for months. His brother has been working for him this whole time, as well as a couple other part-time employees. He also has used a variety of sub-contractors. He also finished another major project on our house, which was the dining room/kitchen/living room/laundry room remodel. A wall was torn down, the floor was brought up, the laundry room completely changed to where the old office was. The dining room became bigger, the ceiling was opened up and was covered in shiplap type boards. The lighting changed to can lights throughout the upstairs. New flooring, baseboards, and windows. He painted the cabinets, added a "coffee bar" in the dining room area. It is so much more open...and I love it! He has also increasingly had pain in his right shoulder, so much so, the one day when he came home I called the doctor to make an appointment for it to be looked at. Long story short, his shoulder is not in great shape and he will be having surgery within a month. He wouldn't be able to resume a work-like physical use of it for 4-6 months and even then the surgeon suggested that would not be a great idea for daily use of it in that way. It was not an easy decision, but he has decided after surgery he will not be resuming his remodeling business and is currently trying to figure out what is next. It seems as though we were down this path once before of "what's next" and the business served him well...but now it will be something different.
Me...I am still working as a nurse in labor and delivery. However, in the fall of 2021 I started a slightly different role as a member of the Maternal Transport team, in a part-time nights position. This means that the high-risk pregnant patients that are transferred to our hospital from another hospital have a HROB (high risk OB) nurse that accompanies the team that goes to get them. This has been a work in progress as it is a new program to our hospital (years ago they had a team, but it has been YEARS ago that it existed). We only fly on the fixed wing at this time (or go by ambulance). It has been a good experience, and I've enjoyed the education that has been apart of it along the way. When there isn't a "call" or need for us to go out, we work on the labor and delivery unit in a variety of ways which I also really love. I love the people I work with, and it has been an interesting and challenging past couple years to work in the hospital. The pandemic was not specific to only certain areas...but it is thankfully SO much better and the restrictions are improving often. Part of the "interesting" parts of the past couple years has been the lack of nurses, so I have worked more than part-time hours a big part of it. I don't really mind the night shift life, as it allows me to see the boys more than if I worked dayshift...so I don't feel like I'm missing "as much" as a rule. In my spare time, I enjoy being outside when its nice; right now I don't have much of a garden, just a few things. But I like to plant flowers, and we planted a yard over the last year and a half and it is looking nice. I just got a new mower for Mothers Day from Ben, which is a nice quicker upgrade from our other riding mower. I like to go on walks or bike rides, or do some form of workout in our basement. I have had "not serious", but changing health issues that have been a bit frustrating over the last couple years..so it seems like I am still figuring out ways to best feel like the best version of me.
Christian...is 12, nearly 13! He has grown so much in more ways than one. He is nearly as tall as me, his feet certainly have bypassed mine a LONG time ago. He is finishing 6th grade in a week. This change into teenage years has so far been a pleasant transition. He has matured in his way of relating for the most part, and is really genuine. He gives thoughtful feedback, is very quick to share any news he knows or facts he has learned. He enjoys listening to the radio, talk radio specifically in the morning. He still LOVES to read, build with Keva planks and/or Lego creations. He draws very well, his main subject to draw are knights and armor type things. I am constantly amazed. He got a 3D doodler for Christmas over a year ago, and has really enjoyed creating things with that as well. He does well in school, doesn't have an interest in participating in group sports; but shoots his bow and arrow at home or finds his own outdoor entertainment. He very much likes to be the oldest child in some ways...ie, parent his younger brothers and get very annoyed by them when they don't follow his wishes. But overall, he's a great kid..and really has a kind heart.
Noah...is 9, finishing 3rd grade. He is every bit as creative as he was 3 years ago. He is very bright, and thankfully we were able to get him qualified for some extended learning this year with a specialized teacher. This has helped him enjoy going to school more, even if it is only 2 afternoons a week. He loves to read, he finished the Harry Potter series this year..and started rereading it again until I gave him a new book to read..The Hobbit. He loves to read informative books, create Lego things based off images he has seen, and he recently painted his entire room like a space mural. It is awesome...and he loves it. He is reserved with his thoughts and emotions to most on the outside, but has a tender heart that when it is shared it is very special. He is starting to grow a bit more, for awhile we were concerned since he wasn't really growing taller. We even did some testing, but it all checked out okay...and he is noticeably getting taller (because his pants no longer fit in length!). He started playing/practicing the piano using an app on the iPad over the last year, and has actually come along way with it. It is fun to watch him teach himself, and hear the progress. He is usually calm and sticks to himself...but he certainly has a feisty side at home. He can get very upset, and have a hard time controlling himself. Fortunately, he is able to be reasoned with and generally comes to the consensus it wasn't a great way to act. But as an example, tonight Isaac knocked over his creation he made (which was actually quite rude), so he punched him in the neck. They both were going at each other, obviously we separated them. But I finally told him, we could let them figure it out that way if he wanted, they both know better...and they both would get hurt because how they were treating each other was just out of control. He does not like to apologize (I don't really know of anyone that loves to), and when he came around to wanting to, I was talking a bit about it. He asked if I would build a Lego creation with him as he had a Lego book in front of him. I said, "sure we can do that sometime". He smiled a little bit, and said, 'its okay, we don't need to right now. I was just trying to change the subject so we didn't need to talk about that anymore." Stinker. He also verbalized his disapproval of the "hugging it out" at the end of a fight that I have them do. But after he and Isaac hugged it out, and said "I love you" he couldn't help but smile. I said, "see, it kinda does feel good...even if the idea isn't very fun." He agreed. He has a very logical mind, that is able to think through things that are far beyond his years. I am constantly amazed by how his mind works.
Jonah...is 7, finishing 1st grade. He is growing like a weed! He has also grown in emotionally this year so much. Last year was rough for him. He really struggled wanting to be around people, school, the whole thing. And it was unrelated to the pandemic. It was so much so, that we ended up using an OT to help us figure out that there were some things that were "never fully integrated" from birth. So after several months of going to therapy with her, doing what seemed like very simple things, it was simply amazing the difference in his behavior and personality. And a mere few weeks after we "graduated" he broke his right arm just above the elbow that caused him to have surgery...and lead to more OT after the cast was off to regain the full motion in his arm. He is good as new now...active as ever! In fact, this year he really enjoyed the SWAG program at school that they did this spring. The walk/run laps at recess around the playground and keep track of their miles. He ran 60 miles total..and at the end they have a "fun run" that the whole school participates in...and they run a little over a mile that parents to watch and cheer along the way. He looked forward to the laps he would run, and knew exactly how many more to get the token for the 5 miles increments he needed along the way to his 60 miles. He has gained confidence, and has not complained about going to school for months! It is just great. He LOVES numbers and math. LOVES it. And he can think of the answer to a question way quicker than I would think possible for a 7 year old...and its all done in his head. It will be very interesting if he does something to do with numbers as a career when he gets older. He is also very good at art, and building things with keva planks. He has also began learning the piano over the last year, and within the last month of so he has really been more interested in practicing regularly. He is getting better each day, it is like hearing them learn how to read a book...learning the keys and how to play songs. Speaking of reading, he isn't as big of a reader as his older brothers, because he doesn't like when he isn't SURE of a word. He does read, but just not as often. He has enjoyed the last chapter books I have read outloud to all of them. Because of Winn Dixie and the last one was A Place to Hang the Moon.
Last but certainly not least...Isaac...5 years old, just finished preschool this month. He is full of energy and never lacks things to say. He has big feelings, and he is not shy about sharing them. Many times, this is a source of much laughing, sometimes it can be extremely frustrating. He has eyes that speak volumes, and hand motions that go with his stories. He loves big, and will tell me many times throughout the day, "Mom....I love you. I really love you." He doesn't really know a stranger, if someone ignores him in a store if he waves, he will definitely notice and most often say something. He pointed out the one lady that was standing in back of us in line at Walmart, actually she was sitting in a wheelchair. She had smiled at him, and he said, "hey no fair! You got to miss your teeth, and I still have mine!" (He had just been talking about how he wants to loose a tooth, and sure enough this lady was missing QUITE a few.) She just smiled even bigger and said, "you're right, I am!" Then he proceed to really look at her, and try and smile like her and when he began asking how she lost them..I really tried to change the subject and distract him with other things. He enjoyed going to preschool, all the kids were "his friends". I feel like I have said this at one point about all the boys, but he is SO crazy picky it is not funny. It is actually annoying. He will eat a smoothie (Ben makes every morning..and among other things it does have spinach and other goodies in it), for lunch/supper...a peanut butter sandwich (swann-wich), yogurt, Papa Johns cheese pizza (although he has tried and eaten other brands now), haystacks, homemade pancakes, and baked oatmeal. That's about it. It is obnoxious how he acts about trying new foods, but I'm hoping one of these times he will decide its not worth overreacting about and he will try it. He brings a different level of energy to the house...but he will also sit and play for a LONG time on his own when he is interested....the sand pile, the train set, legos, blocks, or being read to. It will feel so strange and bittersweet when he goes to kindergarten in the fall. I am not quite sure my mama heart is quite ready for all that.
Of course this is not everything that has happened in over three years...but it is a brief summary of the now. We have much to be thankful for. We are overall healthy. This past winter we've bits of sicknesses; flu x 2, covid, and just virus stuff...but really we are good. We got to go on a extended family vacation to Mexico in February which was awesome, and we had a great family vacation last summer to Colorado/Wyoming. I am looking forward to this summer and the vacation we will take to Texas...and just the time spent together doing normal summer stuff. Whew. That's the update...time feels like it flew by in the blink of an eye....and at the same time it feels like 10 years.
