Right now Mom is getting a massage. The hospice house has its own masseuse who is available to the hospice patients. She normally comes in on Tuesdays but was in  and available for mom today! At first Mom said she didn't know, maybe tomorrow.... and then I talked her into doing it today- Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today!

 Last night Moms oxygen level dropped to 70%. She was put on Oxygen and now even WITH oxygen her O2 level is only is around 87% Her lungs are starting to fill up from the bottom- It will get harder and harder for her to keep her 02 level up. Her blood pressure was 80/40 this morning. Krysti and I were able to get her up and into the shower- which she LOVES- she says the water feels so good. We need to use the wheelchair now to get her to the shower and back. Mom was also able to sit outside in the wheelchair and enjoy the sunshine. 

Tuy (my wonderful Mother-in-law) got the kids to school today with no problems! She was able to maneuver the Hawaii roads both their and back. I believe she made one wrong turn but the GPS corrected her. I think it took me a good month to figure out how to drive to the kids school without the GPS- the roads are so confusing!  I am so blessed to have her as my MIL- Chris started back at work today after 1.5 weeks off of emergency leave. I am glad he is back at work-   I know he feels a bit lost when he is not working. Sophie decided she wants a lunch from home and not the school lunch anymore. Chris bought her and Joey lunch-boxes and packed them both a lunch- I am sure it was exciting for them today to take their new lunch-boxes to school. 

Tonight I am staying with Mom- I will keep you updated on how she is doing!

Mom is getting weaker. This happens when you die. You get weaker. Your blood pressure and body temperature get lower, your pulse gets higher. Your feet turn purple. It gets harder to breath and your oxygen levels fall.  After moms shower she had a hard time walking to the bed and catching her breath. She felt like she couldn't get enough air- I pushed the call button and the nurse was coming. I wrapped my arms around her and prayed out loud to Jesus that he calm her, that he put his loving arms around her, that this journey not be scary for her.... The nurse came and took moms vitals. O2 level was 80%, body temp 93 degrees, pulse 100.  The nurse didn't DO anything- because this is hospice. This sort of thing is expected.  It happens. Mom is dying. The nurse DID comfort us by her presence. She knelt by mom and told her to breath deeply. That she was okay. Mom started to feel better. She laid back down and took a nap. Everyday mom gets a little weaker, a little closer to the end of the journey.

We've had a lot of visitors today. Mom loves seeing everyone. Even if it is just for a minute in-between naps- and I know that whoever sees mom leaves feeling better. She touches so many people, even now.  

 

Last night I stayed here with Mom. She had a good night- she is on a new pain medication for her back pain and it really helps her. The Morphine wasn't doing enough for the cancer in her back, and it was starting to continue to hurt even with a lot of Morphine. This new medicine takes away that pain without leaving her groggy.

This morning I asked Mom if she had any dreams last night. She said as she was laying there falling asleep, after I was already asleep on the couch- She felt someone covering her up softly  with a blanket. She told me she knew it was an Angel in the room covering her. I am 100% sure it was too.  I think as Mom continues down this journey on her way to Heaven she may have other encounters with Angels. I am keeping my eyes open to see if I can see them too- I can feel them all around us!

 Our goal for today is to ENJOY THE DAY, enjoy our family and this time we are blessed to have together. To laugh, to cry, to do whatever we feel like doing, even if it is just to sit by Mom and hold her hand as she sleeps.  I will get her up for her shower in a little bit- She enjoys that so much and I feel honored to be able to help her with these things she cannot do by herself anymore. 

 I have learned how fragile life is. You think you have all this TIME- you think since you are strong and healthy NOW that you always will be.... but how quickly things can change. Enjoy the day.... life is short.  Don't put anything off that you can do now. 

First of all, check out the link I have to the RIGHT  and you will be able to see some great pictures of the Woodland Hospice House.

Last night mom did not sleep very well. She wakes up every hour or so. It makes for a long night for her. Tonight I am going to ask the nurses if there is anything they can give Mom to help her sleep better through the night.  She says when she does wake up at night she feels  God, and can feel him close to her. 

 This morning Krysti and I put Mom in a wheelchair and gave her a tour of the House. She didn't realize how big it was or how nice it was. I think it makes her happy to know her family is comfortable here while we sit with her. We also pushed her outside and she sat and breathed in the fresh air. She also made sure I plucked her eyebrows- no bushy eyebrows allowed! 

 Mom asked me how much longer they are saying she has. I am honest with my Mom. I think that is why we have such a great relationship- we are both honest with each other. I told her that the first day she got here the head nurse thought Mom had about a week left- but I told Mom- when I see you like THIS- sitting up in a wheelchair eating a Popsicle!- I can't believe she is even that sick! (Mom cannot eat anything solid, it causes her to be sick. She CAN eat Popsicles, chew gum, hard candies and crystal light. Mom likes COLD ice water- she keeps saying how THIRSTY she is and how its hard to keep her mouth from feeling like cotton. We have found that Ice water and Popsicles work the best.)   Mom told me that though I may think she doesn't look sick as she is sitting there, she feels very sick. She is glad for the medications she are on control her pain and nausea, but she still feels very weak,and sick.

Mom asked me how she would die- what would happen. I told her that she would jsut go to sleep and Jesus would take her home then- no pain, no being scared. Just a nice peaceful sleep. She was content to know that.  

Yesterday Mom was moved via ambulance to the Woodland Hospice House in Mt. Pleasant. The ride for her was good- she did not get sick or in too much pain. She was, however, very tired from the trip over and getting set up in a new place. They gave her some medicine when she got here and she took a long nap. When she woke up she told me that was the first time she has slept pain-free in a long time. The nurses here are Angels, and I cannot say enough good things about them. They are kind, answer all our questions before we even have any and have made us feel at home. Lou is the head nurse and she comes in once a day to take Mom's vitals- they are stable right now- her blood pressure is a little low and her pulse is high, but that is to be expected at this stage. We have a call button that we can push and have a nurse come right away at any time.

The nurses here are also more proactive instead of reactive when it comes to caring for mom. They know what she will be feeling and experiencing BEFORE she gets there so they are able to give her different medications that work better than the ones she was on for her nausea- which is a big thing she has been battling. I don't know if all cancers make someone this nauseas or just stomach cancer, but its horrible. They also gave mom a different pain med besides morphine that works really great for her bone cancer pain- Moms back and hip are excruciating, and this new medication has helped a lot. 

 Mom is still getting up to use the toilet and still taking a shower (with assistance) she likes to feel clean, it helps her to feel good and to sleep good. She is still in good spirits and enjoys us being around her. She sleeps most of the time now, waking up for about 30 min a time a few times a day. Dad and Diana spent the night last night. I will spend the night with her tonight. 

Her room is very big and beautiful. She has lots of windows and french doors to look out of. We opened up her doors last night and this morning so she could get some fresh air. There is a bird feeder right outside her window that attracts birds, squirrels and big turkeys! There is a large couch and comfy chair for her visitors. Also a small fridge and microwave in her room. The hospice house has a kitchen and dining room for families to use. Also a main living room with a fireplace and grand piano- that I have been playing. Its bright and cheery here-- we made the right decision in coming here. Mom is getting the best care possible!

The ambulance will be here in about 40 min to pick up Mom and take her to the Woodland Hospice in Mt. Pleasant, MI. We have been packing up her room- all the flowers, cards, books and pictures. We are excited to be on our way to Moms new room. She is excited to get there and get settled. I will post pictures and tell you all what it is like when we get there. I have heard nothing but good things about this Hospice House, I am sure we will not be disappointed!

I have a lot to post- this has been a very emotional day. Moms Dr. came in this morning and said she thought Chemo was an option. We discussed how Mom could stay in the hospital to do chemo- she may have to transfer to another room, but that would be fine.

This evening the Oncologist (OC)   came in and said that if Mom was going to get chemo she would prefer Mom to be at her house, in her own home doing what she 'normally did' to keep her spirits up and to keep her away from the hospital when her blood counts fell after chemo so she wouldn't get an infection.   This may sound like perfectly great advice. A wonderful plan. EXCEPT, Mom cannot go home right now!!! She can hardly walk the 10 feet to the bathroom!!! She sleeps 90% of the day and needs constant nursing attention to attend to her port in her chest which her morphine goes into, the IV line with her nutrition, the IV administration of Zofran, the emptying of her TWO different drainage bags..... Not to mention the extra SHOTS of nausea medicine that mom needs a few times a day because her zofran sometimes doesn't cut it.... HOW THE HELL CAN SHE GO HOME?

My Dad had a false hope this morning... he was under the impression that mom can just be "fixed" He kept saying how he would fix up the downstairs bathroom for her, and she could use that, we would put a bed downstairs for her......

. I had to get a little loud in my tone explaining to the oncologist that Mom would not go home and drink coffee at the kitchen table!! SHe would not be able to recline in the Lazy boy and watch TV!  She was WAY beyond that! We would need a hospital bed, hospital supplies..... A nurse! I could learn how to do a lot but I am NOT a nurse (and either is Dad!) and I can only stay 2 and 1/2 more weeks..... what about when I have to go back to HI to my family? Then who would take care of Mom? PLUS the chemo is every 21 days and the Oncologist said it wouldn't even begin to work until after 2 cycle. She said Moms cancer is very aggressive and wouldn't shrink right away. She said that SHE was under the impression that mom was ready to go home today!!! WHAT?!?

I went out into the hall with Dad and the oncologist- I asked her point blank: If mom does chemo,l  how long does she have? The OC said that on average 6-8 months, and that mom was a lot worse than "average"  Plus the chemo would make her sicker and weaker. She said this cancer cannot be cured (well, God can do a miracle, of course, but from the chemo it cannot be cured.)
 
I asked her how long Mom had without chemo. She said 2-8 weeks. But Mom is a strong woman so could be a bit longer. I asked her  "If this were YOUR mother, what would YOU DO?"; She said that if Mom was HER mother she would NOT do chemo. The weakness and nausea would not be worth the extra fewmonths. Especially since mom is so weak and sick right now. This life is not a quality life. Mom is not happy being sick, she is tired of being tired.  I went back into the room and we told Mom all of this.... and Mom decided NO CHEMO. She doesn't want ot suffer anymore. We decided that Mom will go to the Hospice House in Mt. Pleasant. Its a beautiful house in a country setting with nice, large rooms with kitchenettes for the family and a queen size pull out couch so we can spend the night. A large family room with a fireplace. Moms room will have french doors and we will be able to roll her bed outside so she can see the squirrels and wild turkeys that frequent the house.

Mom is very happy to have this decision made. She just wants to go home to Jesus. She was worried we would think she was "giving up!" I told her;Mom ,you are the strongest woman we KNOW, you are NOT giving up, you are so strong!; If God wants to perform a miracle on Mom he can do it anywhere! My mom is not giving up, she is taking control of her future and making the best decision for her- she knows what it is like to be so sick she wanted to die, to be vomiting and retching and moaning in pain. She does not want to go back to that! She wants to be pain free, to be totally free! And we want what SHE wants. I told Mom we would support her no matter WHAT, she would NEVER be alone and we would be with her until she goes home to Jesus. When ever Jesus wants to take her, she is ready. Please pray that these last days are days of happiness and quality.

A week ago the Dr's told my mother that she had a week to live- well, a week has passed... and my Mother- as you all know- if a FIGHTER. Mom is doing well enough that we are going to start chemo!!!  Our Dr. needs to plan it out and work out the logistics- but the tentative plan is that Mom would start chemo next Monday or Tuesday. We are hoping to keep her in the hospital. Our nurses and the hospital discharge planner are working on how to keep her here- jumping through political loopholes and dealing with the insurance bullsh*t!  Our nurses and Dr. can see how mom needs to stay in the hospital- sending her home would be such a exhausting feat for mom- just going the 10feet to the bathroom is hard for her, walking out to the car and driving home would be impossible right now-  not to mention all the medications she needs and the drains in her belly that need maintenance and taken care of. 

Luckily we have the most awsome team working to keep mom here and out of pain. I guess the chemo would be "comfort management". As in perhaps not a complete cure to this cancer- which origonated in her stomach but is now in her bones (back, hip) lymph nodes and liver-- But were still praying for a miracle and we will not give up.

We are also starting mom back on TPN (the nutrition drip). We stopped it a few days ago because it was causing her belly to swell and that caused major discomfort and makes it hard for her to breath. Now that we have another drain in place we can do the nutrition and just drain out the excess fluid so it doesn't cause her discomfort and nausea like it has before.   So please pray that the Chemo does not make mom sick!

I miss my family and kids in Hawaii--- but they are the best hands available-- love you Jo-Jo, Sophie bear and Vangie Pants!!! Love you Chris!!! Miss you and see you soon.

Our good friends Larry and Mary Sackett visited Mom today at the hospital- They brought Mom a prayer shawl that had been blessed by their church. It is even Moms favorite color- green! And they didn't even know it. Enclosed was a card with the following written:

"Creator God, may this shawl be a sign of your healing presence. May it warm those who are weary, surround those who suffer and encircle those who are in pain. May your gentle touch reach out to heal in the light of Christ. Amen."

I just want to thank anyone who has worked on a prayer shawl or given one to someone- what a great ministry! When you feel sick, wrapping up in a nice comfy blanket is really therapeutic, and just knowing that every time someone worked on that shawl they were praying for you to be healed makes you feel better.

The picture to the right is Big brother Vachel holding the shawl.

1 John 14-15

This is the confidence we have in approaching God... that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we ask of him.

*footnotes* the emphasis here is on Gods will, not our will. When we communicate with God, we don't demand what we want; rather we discuss with him what he wants for us. If we align our prayers with his will, he will listen ; and we can be certain if he listens, he will give us a definite answer. Start Praying with confidence. (thanks Dan for this verse and your story!!)

My mom had a minor procedure today to drain the fluid that had accumulated in her belly- it was really bloating her and making it hard for her to breath. She had his procedure last week and each time they removed around 4 liters. She feels a lot better now and can breath easier. She is back now and even HUNGRY!  She is thinking maybe a milkshake or some broth.....  I think an appetite is a good sign!

She is resting comfortably now and talking with us all. She is looking pretty good! Nicole and I gave her a foot/leg massage earlier today (as the days prior) that she really enjoys. There are lots of flowers in our room- it smells so good in here, thank you all for the flowers and cards, thoughts and especially prayers! I know God is here with us. I feel so blessed to have the mother that I have! and to have the friends and family that we have....  
 
The hospice lady came today to talk hospice-  we still have a few days before we need to make that decision, and just because we agree to hospice doesn't mean we have to commit to it-  she could be a hospice drop out!!!

My mom is so funny-  she tries to hard to stay awake and talk to us all, and you can tell she is so tired... we tell her "Go to sleep mom, its okay, we'll be here when you wake up!" and she says "Okay..." and drifts off... I hope she is having some good dreams.

Also, I have decided to keep the kids in Hawaii. My wonderful Mother in law is flying our to watch them for me. This way I can pay 100% attention to mom- I am so grateful to be able to care for her, like she cared for all of us kids.

Mom had a good night last night, pain and nausea under control. Thank God. This morning a hospice nurse came to talk to us about hospice- since mom has had her symptoms under control we don't know about going Home to to a hospice house?  Things are very confusing- a few days ago the Dr. said she had the weekend but now it looks like she may still be here for a couple weeks...  Mom didn't want to go home if she has retching and feeling horrible. Now that her symptoms are under control she thinks maybe she could go home.

I am also stressed. I need to be here to help Dad take care of Mom- its too much and too scary for him to do alone. My kids and husband are in Hawaii.... Do I fly my kids HERE so I can stay and take care of Mom for as long as I am needed? I think that is what I am leaning towards--- especially if Mom is going to be with us for a few weeks until Jesus decides her wants her home.
 
I think having the kids at her home would cheer her up- especially if she decides to go Home with Hospice. And then I could stay as long as I needed to take care of her---- But God could take her tomorrow if thats when he wants her. My Mother in Law has offered to fly to Hawaii this Saturday to stay with Chris and the kids for two weeks--- will that be enough time to take care of Mom? Dad really needs my help, and I know Mom likes having me close to her- and I feel like I NEED to be here with her.  These are all the thoughts running through my head. Chris cannot fly here because he needs to work- he has already taken 1.5 weeks of emergency leave......

Matthew 17:19-21  Then the Disciples came to Jesus in private and asked "Why couldn't we drive it(the demon) out?" Jesus replied "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. "

When my mom (Kim) was young her Aunt Lois gave my mother a necklace with a mustard seed in it, and told her the story from the Bible (from the verse above) My mother had so much faith she KNEW she could move the Mountain- but she thought about all the people living on it,  and she didn't want to hurt any of them by moving the mountain, so she decided she wouldn't move it.  

When my Mom was in kindergarten a cousin of hers had the chicken pox and was getting an awful lot of attention-- and my mom wanted some of that attention. All the way to school she prayed for the chicken pox. She KNEW God heard her prayer so all the way home she Thanked God for the chicken pox.... My Mom got the chicken pox, and she got them pretty bad! GOD ANSWERS PRAYER!

My Mother had a wort under her thumbnail that my Grandma had been trying to pick off for about a year. My Mother prayed to God one night that he would take the wort away. The next morning the wort was gone- just like my mom KNEW it would be. My Grandma tore her room apart looking for the wort.....

Friends and Family, thank you for your prayers and the kind notes you are leaving on this website, I have read my Mom each and every one and they are ALL appreciated. If I never thank you all each individually please KNOW that we are all so thankful, and keep having FAITH. Prayers are heard, Miracles happen!

My Mom has had a good day- she is sleeping a lot but has moments of alertness and we have good conversation, her blood looks good, her lungs and heart are good, her blood pressure is good.... What is God doing? The oncologist said she wouldn't last the weekend....

Last night Mom had another good night- no pain, no nausea! Moms medicine is working to make her feel comfortable. She is able to be awake and talk- she hardly looks sick! After a while she will doze off and sleep.  There is always someone with her and we told her that she will never be alone, someone will always be here.  The nursing staff here at Alma Hospital has been AMAZING! They take care of all moms needs before she needs anything. They are very sweet to her and to us. We are so thankful to them for there excellent care. We have been able to have some great talks and think back on a ton of amazing memories. 

  Dad stayed here at the hospital with mom so I was able to go back to Mom and Dads house and get a full nights sleep.

Chris is doing good in Hawaii- he is being a SUPER DAD with the kids, taking care of them and allowing me to be here in Michigan, I have the most amazing husband in the world!!!

Last night God sent us an angel in the form of a nurse named Pam- she really knew what she was doing! We got mom on a Morphine pump- which is giving her more morphine, and she no longer has to wait in agony for her shot from the nurse- she gets a regular amount every hour and can push the button for more if she needs it (she hasn't yet). Also, mom is getting her nausea medicine every 4 hours instead of every 6, so NO NAUSEA! Pam also gave mom an Ativan before bed so she slept so good, which she really needed. 

 She is feeling the best she has since she got to the hospital! She even turned the news on this morning- before she has been feeling so ill that there was no way she would watch TV, so I can definitely tell she feels good. Dad came this morning with an Alan Jackson CD and we are listening to some great songs and Dad is laying with mom in the hospital bed.

Today we plan on having a good day, just enjoying each others company--

Why did she have to go
So young I just don't know why
Things happen half the time
Without reason without rhyme
Lovely, sweet young woman
Daughter, wife and mother
Makes no sense to me
I just have to believe

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels
By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees
And she walks with Jesus and her loved ones waiting
And I know she's smiling saying
Don't worry 'bout me

Loved ones she left behind
Just trying to survive
And understand the why
Feeling so lost inside
Anger shot straight at God
Then asking for His love
Empty with disbelief
Just hoping that maybe

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels
By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees
And she walks with Jesus and her loved ones waiting
And I know she's smiling saying
Don't worry 'bout me

It's hard to say goodbye
Her picture in my mind
They'll always be of times I'll cherish
And I won't cry 'cause

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels
By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees
And she walks with jesus and her loved ones waiting
And I know she's smiling saying
Don't worry 'bout me
Don't worry 'bout me

***This is the song that we played for Mom and we will play at her Funeral. She is still hanging on, if she wasn't so damn strong she would already be with Jesus right now. She alternates between sleeping to waking up horribly sick and in pain--- Keep Praying!!!  Her "Church Lady" group (the group of ladies and a few men at church who went to Bible study and prayed together) were here today and we prayed and cried our eyes out. I don't think I have anymore tears left.... but then I realize that I do. My mother is so loved and has touched more lives than I think she can even know about. She will have a huge welcome party in Heaven!

Its been an emotional few days in Michigan- I got here Thursday morning and Diana and Nicole (My sisters)  picked me up from the airport- they told me what the Dr. had said the day prior- Mom did not have a lot of time left, maybe a few days to a week.

When I saw Mom I was so thankful to God that I was able to fly home- seeing her in the hospital is such a surreal experience. 6 weeks ago she was FINE! and now she is so very sick.... Thursday night I spent the night in her room with her and she had a pretty good night- no nausea, no heaving... she woke up in pain a few times but the was able to get some morphine and some nausea medicine and go back to sleep. Thursday was a day full of blessings!!!

One of the things Mom told Pastor Susan she wished she could be there for Diana and Trents wedding... well, we pulled a fast one on Mom and arranged a surprise hospital wedding! The hospital has been so wonderful- they provided a cake, set up the chairs, had two photographers taking pictures, provided flowers.... what a miracle, what a blessing! The nursing staff told mom they were taking her to a meeting... they wheeled her out of her room and down the hall- when she saw everyone and figured out there was a wedding her face was ILLUMINATED with JOY! She cried tears of Joy- as did all the guests, there was not a dry eye in the place! Also, I want to add that God provided a miracle because Mom felt really good that morning! I helped her take a shower and I even put makeup on her! She looked so beautiful. 

Mom was able to talk to a lot of people on Thursday and we had lots of pictures taken (see the Wedding Page for all the pics!!)  Then after about an hour she was tired so we brought her back and she slept really good for a few hours.  I had a feeling Friday night would not go so smoothly- I spent the night again and so did Krysti. Also Aunt Wendy (mom's sister) has been an answer to prayer. She showed up at 1am, just when we needed her!

Mom had a rough night last night- the morphine isn't working as well anymore and she is in a lot of pain, and has a lot of nausea- but nothing to vomit up, just heaving and heaving and it is so hard to watch. I wish I could take her pain away. Mom had a good talk with all of us, We all feel at peace and she told us she is ready to go home to Jesus. She is tired of being in pain. We prayed that Jesus take her home- we know his way is not always our way and his will is not always our will, but we let him know that she is ready to go and to please take her gently.

As I am writing this mom is peacfully sleeping in the bed. She looks like she is just taking a nap but I know that the cancer is in there causing so much agony. Dad is holding up so well, he has his moments but as a family we are sticking together and we will pull through- We can feel God here with us! Please pray that Mom can go Home to Jesus soon and gently. Love, Laura

Laura flew out yesterday(Wed) to rush home to see her mother back in Michigan.  We had bought a ticket for Laura to go back early in September but it began to look like that would be too late.  It was going to cost more to move our original ticket than it was to buy a whole new one so thats what we did.  We dropped Mommy off at the airport at 1pm(7pm for most of you) and Joey was pretty upset.  Sophie acted mad which is her way of dealing with emotions and Evangeline didn't seem to care one way or another.  She just gave Joey a puzzled look because he was crying.   We then proceeded to the Navy Exchange Mall so I could eat lunch and then I let each kid pick out a toy.  They have been doing really good without any of their stuff now for almost 5 months.  The good news is that we are second on the waiting list now.  After the mall, we came home, opened the toy boxes, removed the 50 pieces of lockwire holding the toys to the cardboard, and then headed to the pool.  Then we did homework, ate dinner, and went to bed.  The girls are sleeping in Mommy's spot and Joey is sleeping in his bed(by choice). 
This morning I received the call from Laura that she was in Michigan and that the doctors were only giving her mom a few days to live.  So she went straight to the hospital to see her mother and spent the whole day there and is spending the night.  A lot of friends and family have been visiting steadily and everyone is doing as well as expected. 
Eventually the girls woke up around 0545 and were ready to take on the day.  I had to pull Joey from bed at 10 after 6.  They were all fed, dressed, teeth brushed, and off to school just after 7.  Vangie and I dropped them off and then we ran some errands that needed to be taken care of but I have been consumed by work and the impending family circumstances.  We arrived back home at 1130 and Vangie took a 2 hour nap before it was time to go get the other 2 from school, only to have to make the drive once again this evening for their open house.  So we went to the pool again, then took baths, went to McDonald's, and then arrived for the open house.  The kids showed me their rooms and then I watched them play on the playground for a little bit.  I didn't bother talking to the teachers because I have nothing I am too concerned about and we see them everyday so if there are any issues we can talk to them then.  Besides, there were enough of THOSE parents who were talking and talking and talking to the teacher.  I have discovered that Sophie's drawings have really blossomed.  I am absolutely amazed by some of her artwork.  She definitely has a knack for art.  She must have gotten it from Laura and I but the art gene on the Schmitt side must skip every other generation and lie dormant, because I am definitely not artsy.  
We left the open house around 7 and I told the kids they could stay up as late as they wanted since they don't have school tomorrow.  So thats what they did.  Sophie passed out at 9:15, Joey at 9:40 and Vangie never passed out.  So I put her in bed at about 10:15, wide awake and kicking.  We probably have the only kids(except Vangie) who can't stay up past 10 even if they try.  Definitely not a bad thing.      
So far, things are moving along here in Hawaii and we are anxious for Mommy to return.  It's definitely doesn't feel right without her around but I'm assuming it's how she feels when I'm gone.  It's only temporary though.  

Saturday after my run Chris and the kids and I went to whole foods- I stocked up on Almond Butter ( to which I am addicted!) and just looked around at all the outrageously priced organic food ($11.00 for Vangies favorite juice that back in Charleston costs $6!- But HERE on the island at the commessary is around $8.00) We then grabbed a star-bucks, looked around the mall and then ate some Vietnamese. 

Sunday we were all up at 6:30 am (my kids don 't know HOW to sleep in- I am told this will change once they are teenagers, but who knows...) We went to the 8am Church service and then after Church we drove down to the ship yard and Chris gave the kids and I a tour of his submarine, the USS Chicago! Wow, submarines are TINY! The kids thought it was SO COOL to climb down and up the ladders and look and the super tiny bunk where Chris will sleep when he is on the sub.

After looking at the sub we came home and we all took a much needed nap- well, except Sophie, she played in her room the whole time... I passed out on the couch for 2 hours!  Then off to the pool to try to cool off from the extreme heat and humidity.

An update on my mom- she was taken to the hospital yesterday because she is so nausea she cannot hold anything down. They kept her overnight to re-hydrate her. She may need a feeding tube put in because she cannot eat or drink anything. Please keep her in your prayers.

Well, I had a great run! I placed 2nd in my age group (30-39years) and 4th woman overall. I feel pretty proud of myself!  My time was 1:41:38. Chris figured it out that I was running around 7:43 miles or something like that.
     I got to Hickam Airforce base a little after 5am. I parked and walked over to register. I was a little bummed because they were all out of T-shirts and I like to collect T-shirts from all my races- but since I have my age-group award I don't mind now. I registered and then ate a banana, some blueberries and found a bathroom.  I was considering running with my I-POD, but the batteries were dead so that made that decision easy for me. I also realized my watch battery was dead! Oh well, it like like I pace myself when I run or anything, I always just run how I feel.
    At 6am the 1/2 marathon (13.2 miles) started. Immediately everyone TOOK OFF. I have run a few races and the one thing you do NOT want to do is go out too fast- you'll burn yourself out and never recover. I hung back from the front and tried to keep a good, but not too fast pace. I felt a little tired and my legs just felt like they had no energy. I tried to enjoy the scenery- Lots of palm trees, great weather- it was really nice. 
    At about mile 4 I ate my Power-Gel (basically a small 100 calorie packet of gooey sugar mix that you eat purely for energy.) I washed it down with some water. It was about 35 min into the race when I began to feel really great. My pace really picked up and I started passing LOTS of people. I was actually smiling because I felt so energetic- my breathing was easy, my legs felt great, I had no pain what-so-ever. It was a glorious feeling and if you are a runner you KNOW that this kind of feeling does NOT happen very often. 
    Soon it was the turn-around point. I was still passing people, and still feeling great. At about mile 10 I began to feel a bit fatigued but I knew I only had 3 miles left and I thought I could keep up my pace. When I had 1.5 miles left I was tired, and in pain- but nothing that was that bad and I was able to keep passing people. It amazes me how LONG the last 1.5 miles of a race are! It felt like forever until I could see the finish line. I crossed over and felt really good. I knew I was the 4th woman  and I was happy to find out I was 2nd in my age group and I got to receive an award- awsome! The race was very well organized, around 100 volunteers were there passing out water and Gatorade, marking the course and basically really making it a very nice experience. I will definitely be back next year, and I will definitely run more 1/2 marathons- they are so much fun!
   

Its 4:12 am right now as I type this. I am up this early to run a 1/2 marathon at Hickam Airforce Base. I need to be there around 5am to register and the race starts at 6am. I am being super nice and not making Chris and the kids get up and go with me.  I should be back by 9:30am JUST as Chris is getting out of bed. He has been working hard all week so I hope the kids let him sleep in.

In the picture above Sophie and Vangie are playing "Doctor". Sophie is the Dr. holding the toy syringe and Vangie is the "patient". Apparently the "Patient" just had a baby- which is Stella. The "Doctor" had to cut the baby out of the "patient". Sounds pretty gruesome to me!

Sophie survived her first week of kindergarten- she LOVES it. She can even read a short book already! She has made friends and is already blossoming-- I am glad I started her, I know I made the right decision. Joey also did great in 1st grade- he has also made friends.

Hi everyone!  I was looking through all the pictures on the computer and I came across some from about 3 years ago- look how small and cute Joey and Sophie are! Its hard to believe that they are now both in school! Time really flies!
  
We are surviving Tropical Depression Felicia- actually it just started raining around 5pm. We are all at the pool and we could actually see the rain coming in a wave across the bay. It went from sunny  with blue skies to overcast, windy and rainy in about 2 min! We packed up everyone from the pool and power-walked home.  Now (at almost 8pm) it is raining very little with a bit of a breeze and that is it.

In other news I signed up to run a 1/2 marathon (13 miles) on Saturday at Hickam Air-force base. I haven't ran a half marathon....ever! (in a race setting) I always do the full marathon,  SO it should be a lot of fun. 

Sophie had her second day of Kindergarten today and it was a success! She told me when I picked her up that she had a lot of fun and wants to go back everyday. Yeah! I was afraid she would hate it and cry and they of course I would have a hard time making her go- luckily I don't have to worry about that. Joey had his school physical today- he is exactly 50th percentile in both height and weight. He also had a Hepatitis A shot and was champ about it.

Vangie and I spent our day going to the commissary to get groceries. Going to the commissary with just one 3 year old is SO MUCH FUN! I went down every isle and actually got to look around and had quite a good time. It was amazing how much more relaxing than with 3 kids. There is no comparison.

Why is it that on the ONLY day my kids have to sleep in they get up super early? Last night they didn't get to bed until 10pm- very late for them- and this morning they were ALL up by 6:30am!! On school days I have to dddrrrraaaaggggg them out of bed but yet on the weekend they get up? This makes no sense! AND they were all tired and cranky. Great.

Chris had to go in and work 1/2 the day so it was just me and the kids this morning. I tried to keep them busy. We made brownies (see pic on right, Vangie had a good time!) They played with play-dough and we ate a nice lunch at 10:30am. At 11am we went to the pool where I let them burn off their remaining energy.

Home from the pool and down for a nap at 12:30. Now its time for ME to take a nap because I am exhausted. I DID however have enough energy to FINALLY beat Chris in our Wii Fit Soccer challenge. HA HA HA HA. I took a picture of my score for proof.

Sophia is so excited to start school. All week she has been with me as we drop Joey off at his class and EVERY DAY she asks me when is it her turn!?!  Well, today is the day! She will be dropped off at 7:45 this morning- Sophie only has half a day today- I guess they want to break the kids in easier- so I will pick her up at 12noon. She has her backpack and is ready to go..... Its actually time for me to leave right now so I will have to post more later!

Today was a great day! It was very sunny and nice. At dinner the girls and I had to wear sunglasses because the sunshine was so bright! I guess thats a hazard of living in Hawaii and having your dinning room table on the Lanai.

Joey had his first day of first grade on Tuesday. His teachers name is Mrs. Sheramishe and he likes her a lot. There are 18 kids in his class. He loved his first day and was all smiles when he got home.

Sophie has her first day on Friday and she can't wait!

We are still battling the fleas with Stella- I guess the fleas are really bad here in Hawaii and when she goes outside to go potty the jump on her. This is so frustrating! SO she is banned from the furniture and especially the beds.

Also- I have a pretty funny picture of Vangie on the right trying out her Barbie Pool. I didn't think she would fit, but she does!

Well, Summer for Joey officially ends tomorrow! (insert excited dancing here....)  Sophie starts next week! (more excited dancing!) Its 8am and Joey just rolled out of bed, I think school is going to come awfully early for him tomorrow!!! ( It STARTS at 7:55).

Chris ands I hit up the stores this weekend trying to get all the school supplies. I have NEVER seen a school supply list like the ones my kids have. It must be a Hawaii thing- we dropped $150.00 easily. And they are so SPECIFIC- like for scissors, they just can't be any scissors, it says "Scissors, sharp 6" with plastic handles, stainless steel, Friskars brand. "  Well, you know what? I think all other 500,000 parents of school age children on the island got to the scissors before me, because all of THAT PARTICULAR scissor was  gone. Soooo, my kids got another brand. I hope they don't get expelled.  Basically trying to hunt down the supplies while out-witting the other parents was an event! I STILL don't have everything- so today I'm dragging all three kids to wal-mart and the commissary..... I'll bribe them with going to the pool when we get back.

Well,  you all know that I was not to impressed with the base gym - and you know what? It is too pretty here to exercise indoors anyway. I want to be outside- breathing in the fresh Ocean Breeze. So, I got myself the BOB utility Jog stroller. This thing has 16 in wheels that can go over grass, gravel, sidewalk and sand. It rolls super smooth and the canopy shades the child nicely. This is actually Vangies stroller. I told her that when the other kids go to school she and I will hit the road. She seems excited.

Our first run was this afternoon- 6 miles of hills, hills and hills in the 90 degree heat. Vangie slept the whole way- hey, my stoller has an awsome suspension system- I doubt she felt a thing. I on the other hand got in an extreme workout from which I am still recovering, you can't get that kind of workout at the gym, so TAKE THAT base gym, I don't need you!!!

Last Thursday I decided to go to the base and work out at the base gym. Bloch Arena is a big gym with basketball courts, weights, cardio room and aerobics room where they have classes etc.Plus its the only gym with child care. I was excited because since its a base gym I can work out for "free....." I got the kids in the van at 8:30am and we drove across the island and got there at about 8:50.

First of all the daycare room was already full of kids- Its a "first come, first serve" basis. The woman working their told me that if I wanted to wait 40 min THEN I could drop my kids off and work out. So basically any time I wanted to come it would be a guessing game as to if there would be room for the kids......Grrrrrrrrr. Well, I decided to wait since I had already driven over- so I filled out the paperwork and waited. and waited. and waited. At 9:30 I was able to drop the kids off.

But wait--- its not FREE, its $3 PER CHILD PER HOUR. She neglected to tell me this when I had 40 min to go find an ATM. I dropped the kids off and ran on the treadmill for 30 min ( which was really easy because I had irritation to burn off...) and then drove around the base to find an ATM. So, it cost me $9.00 to run 30 min on a treadmill.

SO, in theory... If I were to take 2 kids  to the gym for 2 hours a day during the week ( which if you work out 1 hour and then shower and get dressed its close to 2 hours easily....)  it would cost me $60 a WEEK! Or $240 a month..... What?!?  Even if Chris and I wanted to go on a Saturday and lift weights together it would be $18! How does that even make sense? I guess I have too many kids..... PLUS the kids room is rather small and really doesn't look like much fun. I think the only time I will go back is If I do an hour class once in a while with just Vangie.

SO, Vangie and I decided we should get a really nice jogger stroller so we can go on daily runs together while Joey and Sophie are in school. We are going today to buy one.