School is in full swing, and the kids all seem to be doing well.  I can’t say the older three are very enthusiastic about homework and studying, but it’s simply not their new routine yet.  After so many lazy days of summer, I remember as a kid not enjoying those first few weeks of work again although it was always so fun to catch up with all my friends again.  And my kids are no different!  Football is running full speed ahead for both boys.  Trevor had his first Midget game this past weekend, and he had a great game.  He is playing on the line for offense and defense and is much more aggressive this year.  Brad also plays on the line and this past weekend he had the freshman jamboree where all the high schools play each other in short games and for special teams.  It’s more of a practice run, but it was fun none the less.  His first real game is tomorrow against Norfolk.  And Miss Sidney starts both club and intramural volleyball next week.  As you can imagine life is busy around here, and we certainly spend lots of time carting numerous kids back and forth.  All I have to say is thank God for car pools!  Ryan is also doing well and is set in his routine of napping for several hours each morning, going to school in the afternoon then napping again when he gets home.  His seizures are really bad in the morning when he wakes up and again in the late afternoon and evening. Nothing has changed there, and after a month of insurance and pharmacy hiccups, we are still waiting to get him on the next drug of choice.  I don’t hold a lot of hope with drugs anymore, but usually it at least gives us a couple of months during the honeymoon period when the seizures decrease for a while.  He’s happy which is all that matters.

Yesterday Travis had an appointment with the GI doctor because we have suspected for several months that he might have a gluten intolerance.  Things moved quickly at that appointment, and he is back there now having an endoscopy this morning.  They will get biopsies and next week we’ll know if he does in fact have Celiac Disease as the doctor suspects.  He’s changed his diet for a couple of months now and has had a lot of success cutting out his symptoms when he doesn’t eat anything with gluten in it.  But yesterday he had to go back to eating lots of bread and felt awful all day with his ugly symptoms returning.  But this way the doctor will be able to see how his GI tract reacts to the gluten and figure out if it’s truly that or something else going on. 

And there is nothing new with me at all.  I’m still working and enjoying watching my kids grow up.  I’ve been doing a lot of reading again lately, which is one of my very favorite things to do, and am also looking forward to a girls trip in three weeks.  Four of us from work are heading to Branson where we’ve rented the most adorable secluded cottage on the lake for five days.  Two of these women are wonderful friends, both a bit older than me, but I love the relationships we have and look forward to a relaxing, fun week. I’m so very grateful for the blessing of friendship.  I also was able to spend Friday night relaxing with one of my very dearest friends, Becky, then Monday spent the day with my Michelle doing absolutely nothing while she continues to recover from surgery. 

Here’s a look at our week in pictures…..

Candy, Lori and me on our way to lunch and pedicures celebrating Candy’s birthday.  These are the two sweet women I was just referring to.

And of course along the way we had to stop at home so Ryan could get some Aunt Lori and Aunt Candy time.  These ladies are madly in love with our boy!

This is the other thing Sidney and I have been in to lately – coming up with fun, new hair styles. We’re girly girls and love our nail polish too!

Brad is #64 and this was taken at the Freshman Jamboree this past weekend.  I have yet to figure out how my sweet little baby became a 5’10” (and growing) high school football player.  Boy when they say time flies do they mean it!

Trevor and one of his cute friends at the high school varsity game on Friday night.  I remember how much I loved Friday night football games growing up with all my friends.

And Sidney and her sweet friend Kaylie at the Jamboree Saturday morning.  She has some wonderful friends too.

My cute boy.  It was raining and humid Saturday morning at Brad’s game but we still had fun.  I love this man!

And last but certainly not least, the kids with Great Gpa Mac and his friend Bonnie.  We had lunch with them  and Travis’s parents on Sunday then played a game of Joker which was fun.  We love grandpa and the time we get to spend with him!

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.  ~ Psalm 28:7