Conversations in the Wheeler household...

Do you have conversations like this in your house??? (Oh, and while they were hilarious when they happened they don't seem to have the same zing... sorry... but I think you'll get the point!)

#1. Me: I have a deviated septum and will have to have surgery next week to fix it... Megan: So, your gonna get a nose job like Ashley Tisdale... that's what she said and her nose is all different now. Me: No, they aren't going to do anything to the outside of my nose. Kali: well, I think you should let them make it smaller... (is this her way of saying I have a big nose???)

#2 This conversation needs some background info... My little brother lives with is gf and has 3 babies by 2 women and marriage doesn't seem to be in his future... Kali at dinner tonight: Did you know you can have sex without being married? Me: Well, that's true but that is not God's plan and life is wayyyy harder if you do things in the wrong order. Megan: There was a 5th grader who was prego at my last school...ewwwww Robert: Kids don't need to have kids Me: God made sex for a husband and wife and within that bond sex is not a bad thing, in fact God meant it to be fun RT: WOOOO HOOOO.... at this point my children turned beet red and proceeded to leave the room! I can only imagine what they will be thinking when they go to bed tonight.

#3 Kali fell off of her bike at ACU this afternoon and hurt her arm. On the way home Robert was trying to console her and tried to tell her why it was good it was one arm and they could put a sling on it at home. Kali: But I use this arm to play on the compt Robert: (who has a busted lip) well, I like to kiss mommy with both of my lips and I have a busted lip so how do you think I feel? Kali: You can put a sling on your face...

I just noticed that all the funny comments seem to come from Kali. She does keep us quite entertained but it is usually because she is saying things that leave me speechless....

I'm not CRAzY!!!

I went to see the ENT today and I am officially NOT CRAZY! I have a deviated septum and sinus cavities that are completely packed with the yucky stuff! You ask why I celebrate so... well, it is because I have had chronic sinus crap for 6 mths and my family dr treats me like I'm over exaggerating or something every time that I go in. I think he just didn't think it was as bad as I thought it was... shows him what he knows! The ENT couldn't even look up one side of my nose because my septum was pushed over so far. I will be having surgery next week or the week after... I'm not overly joyed about surgery, but I'll deal with it just to be able to breathe again!

My crazy life...

It has been a while since I posted... Sorry! It is always more difficult to find time to post when I am off of work... I try to sit on the couch and post, but it's not the same as sitting in my office in the quiet!

I'll try to catch you up on the happenings of our lives!

I have reached a certain level of peace regarding my future at the University. I don't know what God's plan is, but I know He has one and will let me in on it when I need to know... you just don't know how much I hate that! It took me a while to get to that point and but it did help that last Sunday at church my preacher made several points that applied to my life while staring at me! I'm not sure if it is good or bad that my preacher knows what is happening in my life and what I struggle with, but what he had to say does make a lot of sense.

One of the reasons that I have reached a certain peace with my changes at work is that I am being pulled in other directions pretty strongly. I have been pestering my husband for over a year about having another child. I can't exactly have one myself due to the fact that my tubes have been cut, burned, and tied and although my dear Kali thinks I should just buy new tubes that isn't exactly possible. Not to mention that fact that I'm not the best pregnant person... I don't like the lack of control I have over my body (nausea, vomiting, peeing when you sneeze, laugh, cough) so I end up being rather whiny and annoying. So... over Chicken Express a couple of days ago we narrowed down our options. We will continue to pray about it, but we are thinking about becoming foster parents. I need to check into all the guidelines, but so far it looks like a real possibility and if I am working less I would have more time for the stuff that has to be done for the kiddos. I'll keep you posted!

Christmas was at our house this year due to my mom's foot surgery. It was quite difficult to get everyone together due to my little brother and all of his children and in the end we were missing his current gf's kid. But, it did turn out well and everyone seemed to have a good time. Robert was off Christmas Eve, so that was an added bonus. He got to help with the house cleaning and even pitched in with the pie baking. I love that his mother (no matter how crazy she is) taught the boy to move around the kitchen. Some of our pies looked a little retarded, but they tasted just fine. [For those who don't know me you should know that this is the first time in my life that I have EVER baked a pumpkin or pecan pie... I don't cook nor do I know how to cook most things!] All the cooking with my hubs made me look forward to the day when he finishes school and has time off at the same times I do! Too bad he can't quit his current job and go crazy taking classes... instead we have 108 more hours to go... which looks like it will take 7 more semesters!

We did do something new this Christmas... because everyone left early Christmas Day we decided to go to the movies. We took the girls to see the new National Treasure movie... I recommend it to everyone. It was awesome... no sex, no language, and not that scary! We couldn't have chosen a better movie to watch! Both girls enjoyed it and no one fell asleep!

Ok, I think that catches everyone up! I have lots of stuff on my mind, but I'm not sure where to begin and the kids are busy bickering over the other compt behind me... so I best go break it up...

What do you do?

I had a funny thought just now as I was cleaning my office and rearranging furniture... every time my world begins to spin out of control I clean my office and rearrange furniture. Why is this? Then I started to think back to the day before my job... my solution then was to shop... I think cleaning my office might be the more responsible way to handle stress. On some level, cleaning my office and rearranging furniture is me controlling my life in the only way I know how... I mean, there is so much happening right now that is puzzling... the one thing I can control is where my desk is in my office. What do you do when your world is spinning around you???

You might be wondering what has thrown me into such a cleaning freenzy... I had a meeting with my dean and the VP yesterday. For the 08-09 school year I am being dropped down to 3/4 time. I will still have benefits, but it will be a $8000 pay cut. They seemed so excited when they told me that the other person that I work with would be 3/4 time as well, but they don't seem to realize how this affects my life. I don't really care that the 65 yr old woman that I work with who retired from the public schools will still have a job... I care about the fact that a pay cut of 800$ a month will financially damage my family. In fact, about the time that all of this will take place is about the time my loans will come due, so instead of being 800$ short a month we will be about 1600$ short a month. I care about the fact that this decision brings into question what will happen the next year... should RT even continue school??? I mean, he'd have 60 hrs and then I wouldn't have a job if all goes as it seems it is going to. So many questions...

Anyway, on top of the house issue (see below) and the questions I have there I now get to add this to my list. I seriously would like one year where there were no freakin' complications. Is that too much to ask? I know that God has a plan... I really do... and I know that everything happens for a reason, but as I sit here in my office crying once again I can't seem to figure out what it is. Is this God's way of telling me to get out of the education field? I mean, it has truly been an uphill battle, so maybe it isn't where I'm supposed to be. Who knows? Anyway, pray for my family as we try to figure this out!

Update...

Sorry, no fancy title. The guy didn't show up Tuesday night. I called his number to check if I had the time wrong and his wife is in the hospital. He said he would call back later this week, but I don't know that he will. The most difficult part of this process is that I was perfectly fine with living out in the boonies still, until he contacted us. Then I let myself consider what living in town would mean and how it would affect our entire lives. That sounds dramatic, but living 25 min from work, church, and Target does not make life convenient. I mean, if we moved to town our gas bill would go down about 400$ a month. We already have a house that would work out wonderfully and it is 2 blocks from church, 3 blocks from my work, and 4 blocks from the kids school. Do you know how much more sleep I could get if I live that close to everything we do??? Not to mention if you live 2 blocks from church you can't use oversleeping as an excuse not to go, unlike living 25 min away. Then there is the friend thing... my kids don't exactly have neighbors to play with... it would be nice to be able to say 'go play outside with the kids.' Or even go ride your bikes, and the kids not be able to say 'but we live on a dirt road.' (Oh, and I know you can ride on a dirt road, but you should see the rocks, even I wouldn't brave it!)

The funny thing about all of this is that it seemed like him coming and wanting our house and us moving to this other house was the PERFECT plan. I mean, I can think of 100 reasons why it would benefit everyone involved. I look at it and it all seemed to fit and there was a peace about it, like this is how it should be... AND THEN... it didn't happen. I'm not questioning God, I know things happen in His time and that He has a plan, it is just sort of puzzling. It makes me wonder what is yet to come... like if this wasn't the plan then what is the plan???? Does that make any sense?

Blessed...

Yesterday, while we were gone to church, our house tried to burn itself down! Well, I know a house can't choose to burn down, but somehow the stove cut on (the knobs are in the front so someone probably bumped them and we just didn't see it) and caught the stone and spatula that were sitting on top on fire! I assume the entire house was filled with smoke because there is a layer of black ash on every surface of the house.



Here's a pic of the cabinet above the stove. Pretty, huh??? The next pic is of my white curtains in the living room. You can't really tell in the pic how bad it was, but if you look closely you can see the soot on the ceiling too!

We are having a clean up party today after school (if anyone feels sorry for me and wants to come help, feel free) and the carpet people are coming in the morning! We really have to rush to clean it up because a guy is supposed to come out tomorrow night to see about buying the place. He seems quite promising as he has been leaving us notes for a couple of weeks trying to catch us (he left them on the front door, which is not the door we use to come in the house). He told RT yesterday that he can't find a house anywhere within his range and ours seems to fit perfectly. Keep your fingers crossed that we can get the mess cleaned up and the house smelling pretty so that he will buy it.

We cleaned up a little last night, and I kept trying to remind my husband that we were very, very lucky that our house didn't burn down and that we truly are blessed! (I'm not sure he was convinced since he was cleaning instead of studying for his Algebra final!) My other happy thought was that since I haven't started Christmas shopping yet, there are no presents that have to be rewrapped or a tree that has to be cleaned! See... I knew there was a reason I hadn't started shopping yet!

Edit: My friends are truly awesome. Holly, Emily, Betty, and my mom all came out to help me clean up yesterday. It took about 3 hrs so I can only imagine how long it would've taken if they hadn't been here! I am blessed to have such great people in my life that are willing to drop everything to come help me clean up my messes (not just talking about the house now). I am currently sitting on the couch watching the carpet cleaners scrub away on the nasty carpets. It is amazing to me how much cleaner the professionals can get the carpet. Keep praying that the guy who is coming to look at the house tonight is so impressed that he writes me a check on the spot! :) With Robert in school and the price of gas, it would be so nice to have the opportunity to move back into town. I'm trying not to get our hopes up... but it's soooo hard! Anyway, thanks again to the people who helped me clean (my mom even ironed my curtains)! It means a lot to me!

Busy, Busy

We have reached the point in the semester where I begin to question whether I need to be admitted to the place with the padded walls! It is the last week of classes with finals next week! My desk is completely covered with work that needs to be graded, my voicemail and email are full of messages from students explaining why it is that they haven't gotten their work done, the kids are mad because I haven't put the Christmas tree up yet, and my husband is irritated because he is feeling neglected! AUGH! At least I know that this feeling is temporary!

Ashley went to the dr... her due date is January 19th.... and she is dilated to a one. The doctor doesn't seem too concerned that she has gone 8 1/2 mths without prenatal care, which concerns me and everyone else, but who are we, I guess. Her sonogram is December 19th, but if you could see her you would question (like me) if she's even going to make it to that appt. Keep praying for my brother and his girlfriend... I can't imagine how difficult life is going to be with four children under the age of 5 and one with severe disabilities. Matt did say he and Ash were going to get married... so I guess that is a step in the right direction.

Our Sunday School Christmas party is Saturday night... it is at the Country Club. I'm not overly joyed about the 50$ that it is going to cost to eat there, but I'm hoping that the food is great and we enjoy it. Any ideas about what to wear to the country club??? I mean, my preference is always blue jeans but for some reason I get the impression that is not appropriate attire! Guess I need to go buy a dress! Shucks...

Our church Christmas program is Sunday night... if your bored and need something to do! :) The children's choir is singing (as in both of my children) and I have a solo! I love that I'm in a church where I can use the talents that God gave me!

Ok... I guess that about does it. My goal for this weekend is to put the tree up, but first I have to get the house clean! Wish me luck...