Randomness on Labor Day!

Well, it's FINALLY started to cool off here in Central Texas!  (At least temporarily!)  After who knows how many 100+ degrees days, today is supposed to be in the mid  90's.  YIPPEE!!!  Please continue to pray for rain for us here as there are several fires burning out of control all around us.

On a happier, much happier, note, Matthew will be receiving his Service Dog in the Spring of 2012!!!  Happy Dance!!!  If you or anyone you know is willing to donate money for our trip to Ohio, please let me know either by posting a comment on here or by emailing me at deashatterly@yahoo.com.  We will be there for 2 weeks learning how to handle the dog and Matt at the same time therefore, we'll need travel money for hotel, gas, food, etc.

The boys started school a couple of weeks ago & they really seem to like it.  We put them in a free public Charter School.  It's VERY different from anything Jason or I have experienced.  They work independently at their own pace through the work required for their grade level.  When they finish that grade level, they take a test to make sure they understand it, then they go ahead & start on the next grade level for that subject.  It's kind of interesting to watch them struggle through their work & then BAM!  the light comes on and they're off and running with it.  

Hope everyone has a safe and cool FALL!

Love,

Dea

P.S.  I'll try to post pics next time.  I haven't taken any lately.

A Special Mom

 I've often wondered why God chose me to have a child with autism instead of one of my siblings.  Perhaps this explains why. 


Did you ever wonder how mothers of disabled children were chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over the Earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.

"This one gets a daughter. The Patron saint will be Cecelia."
"This one gets twins. The Patron saint will be Matthew."
"This one gets a son. The Patron saint.... give her Gerard. He's used to profanity"

Finally He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a disabled child."

The angel is curious, "Why this one God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a disabled child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" askes the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle it. I watched her today, she has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has her own world. She has to make her live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles, "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect - she has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps - "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word'. She will never consider any 'step' ordinary. When her child says "Momma" for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and will know it! I will permit her to see clearly the things I see... ignorance, cruelty, and prejudice... and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as if she is here by my side."

"And what about her Paton saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in mid air. God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."

by Erma Bombeck

I do not consider myself a saint AT ALL, by the way, but I do think it takes a different set of skills to parent these children without completely losing your mind.  I love my boys!  Their different personalities and quirks just makes for a more interesting life.  It's never dull around my house, that's for sure!

Love,
Dea

Happy Mother's Day

Ok, so I am officially a BUM!  I have done absolutely NOTHING productive all day!  When I told Jason I was going to take a nap at noon, he started laughing and said,"if you can't take a nap on Mother's Day, when can you?"  Gotta love him, eh?  As I write this, my boys are a.playing the Wii they got for Christmas from Granny & Papa (my mom & dad) and b. playing with a HALO lego thingy Scott got for his birthday from Nana & Grandpa (Jason's mom & dad).

My mom may not see this, but I have been blessed with 2 great moms!  My mom, Dru, has sacrificed every day I've been around her to make sure her kids have everything we could possibly want, need or desire.  Jason's mom, Frances, desires more than anything for her boys to be strong, wise men in a world run amok. Who could ask for better role models?  They aren't perfect, these women, but they are just what Jason & I need.  God always knows what we need even if it's not what we want.  My mom is my friend, but she's always made sure I understood her primary job was to be my mother.  She has healed many wounds through the years...even before she became a nurse, and she isn't afraid to discipline me even though I have kids of my own now.   Many people think I went into healthcare as a career because of my mother.  yes and no

I went into healthcare because I had planned on going into business, but the stock market crashed while I was in high school & even I, as a spoiled rotten teenager, could see that I needed to be able to work in a field where it would be highly unlikely I'd ever lose my job because of the economy.  Mom suggested I be a nurse as she had just finished LPN school...NO....I love all the nurses I'm around, but I don't think I could do that.  Then, she systematically went through every career in the hospital until she said, "How bout you be an x-ray tech?  They don't do anything anyway!"  Hmmm.... I thought, I could take x-rays of ankles and elbows.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into.  Within 3 months of being in "x-ray school", I could attest to the fact that we do more than most people imagine!  After I graduated, mom went back & got her RN since she couldn't do that and help pay my way through college at the same time.  I love my mom!  When I started Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at UAMS, she helped us even more!  

My mom is one of my heroes, is yours?

Love,
Dea

It's Resurrection Day

Happy Resurrection Day, Y'all!  Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus.  Death couldn't hold Him, Hell couldn't contain Him.  He lives and because HE lives, we live as well.  Death has no hold on us anymore. 

I may bungle this, but I'm gonna do my best.  People don't go to church because they think they have to be perfect to go.  They don't realize that it's only through Jesus that we are made perfect.  As Christians, sometimes we forget that it can be a little intimidating to those who are to step foot in the door of a church.  We need to be willing to reach out and go to where our lost brothers and sisters are to reach them where they are before we expect them to come to us.  This has been a very difficult thing for me to grasp, but I am starting to come to grips with the fact that my career is my mission field.  As such, I need to be willing to show Jesus' love to my patients and their families regardless of other factors.  I don't have to be "in your face" to make that work, I just need to let Jesus work through me.

As far as the boys go, things are pretty much the same.  Matt's had an increase in meltdowns lately, and Scott's bumming cause he has a strained hip flexor & can't run and play like he likes to do.  Jason is communing with the computer chair, and I'm sore from exercising, but it's all good!  On a happy note, congratulations to my nephew, Chris, and his wife, Katie and the birth of their new baby girl!

Love,

Dea

April Showers?

April in Texas has been HOT!  No showers here!  We did have strong winds the other day...this was the same day severe tornadoes roared through Arkansas & Oklahoma.  Sadly, some people were killed in both states, but the storms were NOT close to my family.  Here in the great state of Texas, we've had issues with wildfires north and west of us.  I'm not sure what started them, but they've wrecked havoc on people with asthma around here.  Scott was kept inside for the past couple of days due to the horrible air quality.  (There's been smoke, ash, etc.)  When I stepped out of work on Friday walking to my car, I could feel the air burning my eyes and lungs..therefore, Scott did NOT go to the Soccer Clinic as we had planned.  :(  He's been really bummed lately.  He was playing "war ball" at scouts 2 Tuesdays ago, and he took a hard fall resulting in a hip flexor strain.  The pediatrician said it may take MONTHS for him to heal!  Needless to say, this does not make him very happy! Since he's playing goalie for his soccer team, it's almost impossible for him to kick a goal kick or be terribly aggressive when a ball is kicked toward him.  My little competitive boy is very frustrated at his decreased mobility to say the least!

Matthew, on the other hand, had been doing remarkable well.  When we go to the park, he's able to not only keep up with Scott when they run and play, but he can outrun him as well.  This has NEVER happened before!  At least not before he had his surgery.  Obviously, this means our hopes that his lung capacity would increase post surgery have been realized!  THANK GOD!  There were times right after his surgery that Jason & I both wondered if we had made a mistake by having it done.  We're very glad now that we went ahead & did it.  He is progressing in Boy Scouts as well.  We hope to be able to send him to Summer Camp with Scouts in June.  It's a little pricey, but hopefully we can swing it.

Well, I gotta go, Jason's calling for me to come "play" outside.  Hmmm....wonder what kind of work he's cooked up for me this time?

Love,

Dea 

March 19

It's been an eventful month around here.  Matthew has gotten his complete clearance from his surgeon so he's healed completely and able to fully participate in whatever he wants.  This means he can enjoy going to Boy Scouts again...they play "war ball" after every meeting.  It's like dodge ball, but after a certain length of time, they can go back in.  He also received his Pathfinder Merit Badge.

This past Monday, we woke up to Matthew SCREAMING like someone was killing him!  He was in severe pain in his right lower abdomen.  We were worried about his appendix so we rushed him to the ER.  It wasn't, thank God, and he is back to normal now.

Scott has started his Spring Soccer Season.  He is playing goalie for his team.  They have only played one game so far, but he did really well.  The only time the other team scored was when Scott was playing a different position.  Scott also received the "game" ball from the coach for being the MVP for his team.

Jason is still looking for gainful employment.  We ask for prayers for him as he is starting to get down on himself for not having a job.  He is supervising Matthew's homeschooling so that keeps him occupied during the day.
I passed my registry I was worried about.  YEA!  I now have 2 registries under my belt.  I'd like to take the Vascular Registry and Neuro Registry too.  The hospital I work at gave me a small raise for passing it so that is definitely something to celebrate.  :-)

Love,
Dea

Heart Month!

Did you know that Friday, February 4th is Wear Red Day to build support and awareness for heart disease in women?  This is a subject that is very dear to my heart.  (No pun intended!)  Heart disease runs rampant in my family on both sides in men and women.  PLEASE, if you have risk factors, get checked!  IF you're not sure if you have risk factors, visit the American Heart Association's website here.  For those who are wondering about Dad, he is at home, in good spirits and has lost over 20 pounds in water weight.  I'm hoping to be able to make a trip to North Central Arkansas soon to visit.  There's nothing like a trip "home" to get your head back on straight and to relax a little.  :-)

Matthew is doing very well!  He has a 2 month appointment on Thursday with his surgeon to make sure he's on target.  I think he is.  We took he and Scott to the park over the weekend, and he was running around and playing just like the other kids.  A year ago, that wouldn't have happened.  He would've been hanging on Jason & me gasping for breath.  Scott is sick right now.  He apparently is allergic to something here in Texas, and his eyes are swollen quite a bit.  The doctor said he doesn't have a sinus infection yet, but he does have fluid backed up into his ear canals so it wouldn't surprise me if he develops one.

Jason is trying to get his days & nights straightened out.  He's been staying up all night playing computer games & is hoping to get back on track so he can "get a haircut and get a real job"!  (HA!)    He did forget to close the bathroom window last night so when the cold front came through, that Arctic wind blew into my bedroom and boy was it COLD!  I am preparing for another ultrasound registry and losing my mind over that, but I'm okay otherwise!


Love,
Dea

HELP!

Ok, it's official....Matthew is acting more and more like a teenager.  GOD HELP US ALL!  The back-talking and sassing is even worse than usual!  He won't be 13 til summer & I can only imagine what we're in for then.  I guess that also means he's feeling better, though so that part is good.  :-) 


Scott got a new prescription for his glasses this week.  His sports glasses came in on Friday, but his regular glasses have not.  I thought that was a little odd, but as long as he can see, I'm ok with it.  He doesn't really like his sports glasses, but I want him to wear them anyway since his old prescription is so much weaker than this one.

I thought I had submitted some pictures online to be developed at Wal~Mart.  When I went to pick them up, they told me the order had not gone through.  Wah!  So, I guess I'll need to submit them again after I get paid.  I had some 5x7's made for our bedroom of Jason & the boys and of myself and the boys.

Dad was in the hospital this week for 4 days.  He is home now.  His heart was in pretty bad shape for a while there, but I think they've gotten it straightened out...for him anyway!  I'm hoping to be able to go see him in March or April.  I'll be working a few weekends in February so it'll have to wait til then.  Please continue to keep him in your prayers.  Also, please pray for Jason as he attempts to find work here.  We could really use the extra income.

That's all for this week.  For those of you who get this in e-mail form, you can go here to see this post with accompanying pictures as well as  prior posts with those pictures of the boys at the park from a couple of weeks ago.

Love,
Dea

No SNOW!

This post will be short today mainly because I'm cold and not up to typing much!

Well, apparently, our little part of Texas is the only part of the country that didn't get snow over the weekend.  The boys were bummed!  ON a happy note, though, last Thursday, Jason had to take Matthew to the doctor because we thought he had pneumonia.  He didn't; THANK GOD!  She put him on a Z-Pack and some steroids just to be cautious and because she could tell that he DID have bronchitis.  Since it had only been a month since his surgery, his pediatrician is being more cautious than usual I think.  I'm okay with that!  Apparently most kids that have the type of surgery Matthew had are 15-16 years old instead of 12 so all the doctors are curious to see how he does.  :-)

I do solicit prayer for my dad, however.  As most of you know, Dad has had trouble with is heart for over 30 years now.  Today, he called my brother to take him to the doctor because he'd stopped breathing momentarily.  For now, they have him in the hospital back home trying to take off some of the fluid that has accumulated around his heart due to his Congestive Heart Failure.  Hopefully he'll be home tomorrow.  I'm worried about him 'cause of course I'm a Daddy's girl...even though I'm nearly 38!


Anyway, hope everyone stays warm and toasty!

Love,
Dea

He's BAAAAACK!!!!

He’s BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!

Just think…4 weeks ago, this was Matthew in his hospital bed 2 days after surgery.

And this is him today!

Jason went with us for a change!

Gotta take one with a Longhorn in the background since we’re in Texas, right?

It was a beautiful day!  The wind was a little cold, but we had a great time

(Can you tell Scott HATES having his picture taken???)  

The other day, we took Matthew to his 3 week post-op check up!  Dr. Custer was very pleasantly surprised that he is progressing so quickly!  I thank God that he did Matthew’s surgery.  I couldn’t ask for a kinder pediatric surgeon to take care of my son!  God has answered many prayers for this family especially over the past month or so.  To HIM be the glory!

Today, we took the boys to a little park close to Belton Lake.  It’s oh, around 8 miles from where we live.  It’s typically where we swim in the summer, but we wanted to take some pics for our family in Georgia since we didn’t send out Christmas Cards this year.  I apologize if you were looking for one & didn’t get one.  It was kinda crazy with Matt’s surgery & I just forgot ‘til it was too late to mail them.  Anyway, here are some pics from our outing today.  Hope you enjoy!

It was a beautiful day!  The wind was a little cold, but we had a great time!

I hope everyone has a blessed and Happy New Year!  My plan is to try to update our blog every Sunday this year.  (We’ll see how well THAT works!)

J

Until next Sunday, Keep warm and Keep Praying!

Love,

Dea

Thursday Ramblings

Today I just thought I'd do a rambling post...like the rest aren't, right?

Anyway, it's been a busy week.  Matthew had his appointment with Dr. Custer on Tuesday, and he got a glowing report.  He's doing fabulous.  We've got to remind him to sit up straight so the cartilages that were removed will grow back straight, but other than that, he's awesome.  Also on Tuesday, Jason went to the school and picked up Matt's homework, textbooks, etc, then it was back to Temple to visit with Matthew's PCP.  He has to check in at least twice a year because of the ADHD meds he's on.  She said he was doing great and we didn't have to go back til summer unless he got sick.  Tuesday night, I took Matthew to his Boy Scout Troop's Christmas Party.  (The troop didn't know we were coming so they were surprised to see him up and about.)  A good time was had by all, but by the time we got home, Matthew was exhausted by his day & slept like 10 hours!  HA!  (For a kid who usually sleeps maybe 6, that's a record!  :-)  )

Scott's been a real trooper the whole time.  He's been wanting some alone time with Jason & me and we're going to try to make that happen really soon.  I go back to working days next week so that should make it a little easier for us to schedule one-on-one time with each of the boys.  Scott's Christmas party at school is tomorrow, and he wants us to go, but I think Jason will go while Matthew & I stay home.  I'm working for a co-worker tomorrow night & will want the sleep & Matthew probably would be overwhelmed by the noise of a classroom full of hyped-up 4th graders!  Scott's gotten a stocking hat that has elf ears on it that he likes to wear backwards.  When he does that, he says he is the "backwards Spock".  bwahahahahahaha!  Can you tell we've been watching the new Star Trek movie a lot lately??!!!!

Jason has been looking at jobs to apply to after Matthew goes back to school.  (YEA!)  He's really hoping to get out of truck driving and into something inside and less physically demanding.  I hope so too.  I don't like the long hours he has to put in when he's driving, and I don't want him to go back over the road, either.

My job's going pretty well.  I do solicit prayers for an upcoming registry (credentialing exam) I plan on taking after the 1st of the year sometime.  I need to pass it to keep my job, and I'd get a small raise also.  Please keep my niece, Andrea and her family in your prayers also.  Her hubby, also named Jason!, is in the USAF, and they're moving to Hawaii from Maryland in Jan.  Tough assignment, huh?  I know moving's a hassle, so they'll need all the prayer they can get!

For now, that's it around here.  What's going on in your neck of the woods???

Love,
Dea

Home at Last!

Matthew was discharged on Saturday.  We made it home around 2:30 in the afternoon & I took a nap.  Matthew was in a tremendous amount of pain Saturday night, and he didn't want to take his pain medicine.  So....Scott, Jason and I were up with him for nearly 5 hours Sat night/Sun morning.  I finally convinced him to take it around 4 a.m.  Sunday after he woke up, I talked to him about his pain meds & he understood that we were trying to keep him from hurting, and he's been very compliant since about taking them.  Sunday evening was MUCH better.  He laid down with me in my bed & slept ALL night!  (no pain, no screams, no whimpers!)

So far this morning, he slept til 6:30, got up for 15 minutes, took his meds, went back to sleep & got up again around 10.  He has eaten breakfast, and now he is sitting in our living room watching "Night at the Museum".  I think his favorite part is when the monkey (Dexter) steals Larry's keys.  Tomorrow, he has an appointment with his surgeon, Dr. Custer.  I personally think he's awesome!  He really has a way with kids that a lot of doctors don't.  Matthew just loves him.  Also tomorrow, Matthew and Jason will take a trip to school to pick up his work and maybe talk to some of his teachers at lunch time.

Incidentally, my parents came down, and I don't know what we would've done without them here to help.  Mom & Dad would stay with Matthew during the day so I could work at night & Jason could stay with Matt in his hospital room.  My sister, Cindy, and her husband, Tim also came by & checked on Matt nearly every day.  They really lifted his spirits.

Love,
Dea

No Tubes, No Drains, NOOOO Problem!

Sorry, Jeff Foxworthy, but it was too perfect of an opportunity to pass up!  :-) 

Matthew got all of his drains out Friday: catheter, epidural, and drainage tube for the blood that would seep from his chest.  He did really well with all of them except one.  Ya'll can probably guess which one THAT was!  He is off all pain meds except Tylenol 3 every 4 hours, and he takes that in tablet form.  (Trust me, that's a good thing! Thursday night, every time Jason & his nurse would try to get him to swallow the liquid pain meds, he'd spit it out or just refuse to open his mouth.)

It's currently 4:12 A.M. Saturday morning.  I know this is an odd time to blog, but he woke up around 2:30-3:00 in pain, took his meds, went back to sleep...BUT...I'm still up!  Guess I've been working nights too long, huh?  Anyway, the plan is for him to go home this morning if we can get him to go to the bathroom and IF the surgeon says he's good to go.  He's walking around a lot without any help and with every step, you can see his color and attitude improve.  He complains mostly about his sternum and back hurting.  I'm sure the back pain comes from lying in this silly hospital bed all week.  He can't lie on his side or belly for a while.  His sternum hurts cause they had to basically break & re-shape it in surgery to get the pressure off his heart & lungs.

For those who've been wondering, Scott has been sleeping at the hotel across the street from the hospital with my parents who came down to help us.  They'll be going home Sat or Sunday.  (I am hoping they stay one more day, but knowing Mom & Dad,they'll leave Saturday!)  Jason's been dropping Scott off at school in the mornings, then we go home & sleep til the bus drops him off.  Next, Jason wakes me up, I shower & we head back here to spend some "family" time with Matt. (Scott & Matt have been playing the Wii in the hospital Playroom every chance they can.  Hmmmm....maybe they oughta get a Wii for Christmas?) 

Friday night, Mom & Dad came over & sat with Jason and Matt while I took Scott to Barnes & Noble for a "Polar Express" Party.  They read the book to the kids, served them hot cocoa & cookies, then did arts & crafts.  The "little" kids made ornaments out of felt paper, and the "big" kids made gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and icing.  I wish I would've taken a picture of Scott's house cause it was really good!  He is my artist!

I actually remembered to take some pics of Matthew earlier tonight, but I forgot the USB cable to the computer again!  (the one that connects the computer to the camera for downloading)  Maybe when we get home, I'll remember to download them and post pics so ya'll can see him.

Please let me know if there's anything we can do for you guys.  We really appreciate all the prayers, text messages, e-mails and facebook posts letting us know you are there for us.

Love,
Dea

Up and At 'Em

Happy Hump Day Everyone!  It's literally been a hump for us today!  Matthew had a temp of 100.7 overnight, but all day it's been right at 98.  :-)  He's been up all day, walking around and playing the Wii in the Playroom here at the hospital.  His IV has been disconnected, but they left the "heplock" in to give IV pain meds if needed.  He still has his epidural and catheter.  (Like most "men", he doesn't like the catheter AT ALL!) 

Last night, he looked at me, and told me to "Tell Dad to stop snoring.  He's too loud & I can't sleep."  Jason was sleeping in the parent's bed next to the window at the time so it was pretty funny.  Also, Matt has been eating much better ( M&M's and Butterfingers) and drinking so that's a good thing!  Granny's been keeping him busy and making sure he gets a bath every day.  For those who know my Mom, this isn't a surprise. 

His surgeon came by this afternoon while I was home sleeping, and he said that if he continues to improve, he'll probably get to go home this weekend.  I had planned on posting some pics of Matthew, but I forgot the USB cable that attaches the camera to the computer so it'll be another day.  Hopefully I'll remember to bring it tomorrow.  I am headed to work so Jason will be sitting with him tonight.  Fortunately, I work at the same hospital so I can periodically come check on him.  I work on the ground floor, and he's on the 4th floor so it's not too bad.

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support.  We really appreciate all of you.

Love,
Dea & Jason

Surgery Time!

Yesterday was Matthew's surgery to repair his pectus excavatum.  For those unfamiliar with this, it is where the cartilage that holds the ribs to the sternum is too tight and makes the sternum cave in onto the lungs and heart.  He had kind of a rough night, but right now he is sleeping peacefully.  Today will be the hardest day of all.  The pain will really hit today.  We've got to get him out of bed and walking.  He isn't going to like that at all!  He has an epidural for pain, but any movement makes him hurt.  Over the night, he had a fever of 103.7.  NOT GOOD!  It's common to have a fever after surgery, but it's still scary when it's my son with the fever.

Right now, as I'm typing this, Jason is snoring in the "parent's bed" in Matt's room, and I'm sitting in the chair next to Matthew's bed holding his hand when he whimpers and watching movies on TV.  My parents are in town all week, and they'll be here shortly to "relieve" me.  (Like I'm gonna leave when he's in here!)  I want to scoop him up and wrap him in a great big bear hug, but I'm afraid it'll hurt him too much.  Please pray that when he gets up today that his lungs will expand like they're supposed to so we can avoid pneumonia.

Love,
Dea

I want to Sing and Dance

Tonight, Scott had a play!  Can you guess what character he was?  :-)  I love the fact that he got to wear something I made for him!  I'm not terribly good at making things like this so I was pleasantly surprised by it!

The 4th graders at his school were all in it, and it was called "La Isla Bonita" like the old Madonna song.  Needless to say, a good time was had by all!


On a more somber note, Matthew will be having surgery on Monday, Dec. 6 to correct a malformation of his sternum (breastbone). (For those interested, it's called pectus excavatum.)  Please remember us in your prayers.  He will be in the hospital for at least 5 days afterwards.  I will be posting updates on here periodically during the surgery and after for our friends and family who aren't close enough to visit.

I hope everyone has a most fantastic Thanksgiving!

Love,
Dea

Dabbling in the "no-no's"

Today, I've decided to tackle a couple of issues that have come up recently in Facebook and private e-mails from my friends.  Politics and Religion

I don't usually get too involved in politics, but just let me say that whatever "side" you are for, please make an informed decision this fall when you vote, and PLEASE VOTE!  I've had several people assume that because I'm from the South, that I'm a Democrat.  I've also had several people assume that because I'm a conservative Christian that means I vote Republican.  I'm neither.  I look at ALL the candidates and try to make an informed decision based on what MY personal thoughts and convictions are. 

That being said, I try not to vote for someone who is obviously anti-Christian.  That is my first and foremost decision.  I do not want someone in office who will try to tell me that my faith or how I choose to practice it is wrong.  This country was founded on Christian principles, and I believe that's what we need to go back to.  I know several people who are non Christian...Muslim, Buddhist, etc.  I'm not trying to belittle them, but it is my right and my conviction to follow Jesus Christ.  He is the ONLY way to Heaven.  If that upsets you, then maybe you don't need to read this blog.  I was raised in a strict Southern Baptist home.  i.e. no drinking or dancing.  People still think it's weird that I can't dance & rarely drink.  I just have no desire to do so.  I don't have anything against people who do, it just isn't for me.  I'm far from perfect and sin just about every time I turn around, but I believe in a God who is faithful and just to forgive me if I repent and turn to Him.

Enough of my rambling.  School has started here, and the boys are enjoying it so far.  Matt seems to really enjoy being in band and learning to play the trumpet, and Scott is loving being in 4th grade and learning about geography and science.

Love always,
Dea

Hey Baby It's HOT Outside!

WOW! Ok, so my intentions to post quicker this time didn't work. :-) LOL OOPS!  We are safely in Texas.  Our things are still in Arkansas so we're trying to get home to at least get our things out of the house and into a storage shed so we can move them when we can.  As most of you are aware, my boys are very active in Boy Scouts.  I recently attended a leadership course for Scouts called WoodBadge.  It was a blast!  This is a picture of my with Darral Green, one of my favorite District Executives in Scouts.

It was held over 2 weekends...one in mid-May and one the first weekend of June.  We had it at Rogers Scout Reservation outside of Booneville, AR. It was HOT AND HUMID both weekends, but we learned a lot about each other and how to be more effective leaders...both in Scouts and in the "real" world.  

Scott and Matthew seem to like it here in Texas although they say it's too hot!  HEE HEE!  Just wait until it gets to be July and August!  Everyone I work with says that's when it really gets HOT!  Yes, that's me with red hair and the blue cap on!  I thought it was time for a change.

So, my question for the day or will it be for the month???  HA!  My question is, have you ever moved and had to adjust your recipes accordingly due to climate differences?  such as humidity...or lack thereof...or change in elevations?

Love Always,
Dea 

Spring is a Time for CHANGE

WOW!


I didn't realize it had been that long since I'd posted something! OOPS!


So much has happened, it's hard to know where to start! Ok, here goes, I HATED the job I took in Ft. Smith so I left it. I will start working in Temple, Texas on Monday, April 12. SO>>>>>that means I have 2 days to pack! ARGH! Jason & the boys will stay in Arkansas until the boys get out of school in June. Then all of them will come join me.

We're right at $6,000 for Matthew's service dog for his autism. We need to raise $5K more to meet our goal.

I'd better run & pack! Hopefully, I'll remember to post quicker this time!

Dea

Sunshine, Spring and Scouts

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Spring to officially arrive and banish these cold temps til NEXT year! As most of you know, I am not a cold-weather person. I don't like winter or being cold AT ALL! It hit 60 degrees earlier this week, and you would've thought it was summertime at the Shatterly house. Matt & Scott wanted to wear shorts to play outside. HA!


Matthew crossed over into Boy Scouts recently. This is a picture of him, Josh, and Tyler at the cross-over ceremony. Matt is the one in the back row. He's quite a bit shorter than they are so we let him stand on the bridge we use to cross over.

We have flowers already blooming in our front yard do you? We have Easter Lilies, Pink Hyacinths and Purple Hyacinths. I LOVE hyacinths. I love how they start out looking like bells then pow! There's a flower there! :)

Anyway, sorry for the short post, but it's been crazy today! I started work at Sparks in Fort Smith 3 weeks ago, and we've been pretty busy so I don't know when I'll get the opportunity to post again, but til then, Hoppy Spring!

Dea