Thanksgiving with the Witmer's

Six weeks has gone by without a post from me...yikes.  I have so much to catch up on, so I may not do it all justice.  I thought I would have TONS of time to catch up while on Christmas break and that just hasn't happened!  So...let's go alllllll the way back to Thanksgiving.  This year, my school got the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off because of parent/teacher conferences on Monday and Tuesday evenings.  So, we headed out Tuesday night and drove all night.  It was a tiring trip with pouring rain for the majority of the way.  We closely missed a leaking tar truck on the turnpike, as we were following the clean up trucks.  Other vehicles had been literally stopped in their tracks with major damage to their vehicles.  Someone in PA said we were lucky...Brock summed it up best when he said...it wasn't luck, it was God!  So glad that we hadn't left an hour earlier.  Our time there from Wednesday to Saturday was filled with lots of cousin/family time for us.  Our nephew, Jackson is getting so big!  I hadn't seen him since he was just 6 months, so at just under 18 months...he looked huge to me.  He is adorable and would squeal and laugh whenever one of the cousins came into the room.  Our kids had such fun with their cousins.  Here is Jackson enjoying his meal!  Bet you can't guess what we were having...

For some reason, Jackson would make this scowling face at Phil...it became a game with them and we loved to see his scowley face!  Here Jackson and his daddy, Andy, are both scowling at us.  I LOVE this picture!

Great Grandpa Overly with the grandkids in our part of the family.

Wherever Jackson was...Kiara was sure to be found within eyesight.  For the most part, she was nice to him...not terribly rough!  She enjoyed playing with him and chasing him around with her big brothers.

Grandma and Kiara relaxing on the porch swing waiting on a visitor to arrive! I thought it was such a sweet picture, especially since Kiara doesn't usually sit still for long!

Brock, Grant and Kiara hanging out with Jackson while Grandma babysat.  He looks like a Witmer with that Broncos shirt on...and we didn't even buy it for him! HA!

Oh how challenging a great picture is when there are 6 kids plus2 adults.  I didn't get a single one that all were looking at me and had eyes open.  Sorry.

We were glad to go at Thanksgiving because it was also my nephew's birthday that week and for the first time the boys got to go to his birthday party which was a dodgeball party.  They had a blast and even Phil and Uncle Steve got in on the dodgeball action...

While we were there, we also celebrated Christmas with the Witmer's.  The boys got these awesome sleds from Aunt Jul and Uncle Andy.  We were all very spoiled this year and got great gifts.

Kiara got this PINK t-ball set from Uncle Steve and "Uncle" Heidi. She tried it out right away that day since it was so warm out.  She loves it, but you have to watch out with a bat in this girl's hands!

We had a great trip...there are so many more pictures I could put and maybe some day when I am caught up, I can go back and pick out some of my favorites...but I'm trying to minimize!   It was good to see everyone...wish we could see them more often.  We love you guys!

Game of a Lifetime

The story starts with Phil and his good friend from college Erik.  Phil is a Penn State football fan and Erik is a Nebraska fan.  They are now both in the Big Ten conference and were scheduled to play each other.  Phil's brother, Steve, is a PennState alumn and so we asked him to try to get us tickets for the game clear back before the season.  The game was sold out and we couldn't get tickets.  Fast forward to just 2 short weeks ago and you might have heard Penn State in the news...a lot over a big scandal.  Now I have thoughts and opinions on the scandal and have shared them with anyone who asks, but that isn't what this post is about, so I will only mention it briefly.  Anyway, Joe Paterno (as seen in a january post of this year) has been the coach at Penn State forever and it came out that this would be his last home game as the coach.  Steve was offered 4 tickets to the game and asked Phil and Erik to drive out.  With the scandal we weren't sure what to do.  Then it came out that Joe Pa was fired and riots broke out and we were a little concerned. BUT...it is a Penn State game that would go down in history so we decided that Phil simply couldn't miss it..So Friday evening about 7 pm Phil and Erik left from Erik's house and headed to Penn State which is over an 8 hour drive. After stopping to sleep in the car for awhile, they finally arrived at Penn State.  They pulled in to park, expecting the $40 fee to park when the man slid a pass in their window and told them the man in front of them had said to give it to the next car! Wow!  What a blessing! Here are Steve, Phil and Erik by the stadium (notice above them is the Nittany Lion mascot).

No visit to PennState is complete without a visit to the Joe Pa statue.  No matter what your views are of him...he is a legend there and it is a neat area to see.

Amidst the controversy this next picture of a mural on campus is very interesting.  This is a mural of famous/important people who have graduated from Penn State and gone out and made a difference in the world.  Two weeks ago the empty seat you see on the left bottom side of the picture had Jerry Sandusky in it. He is the former asst. coach that has been charged on numerous counts with some BAD stuff.  Well, they called in the artist during this week of turmoil at PennState and had him painted out of the picture.  In the seat if you look closely you can see a blue ribbon...that stands for Child Abuse Awareness.  I thought it was amazing that in such a quick time they had this "fixed".

Phil, Erik, Steve and Heidi were on campus plenty early and were able to watch the buses roll in with the players and see them go into the stadium.  Here's the lead bus bringing them in...

Here the fans clap and shout for the team buses all lined up and unloading the players.

Because of everything that had gone on that week, the security was pretty high. There was even a bomb threat at the stadium, which Phil so kindly texted me about to get me anxious! There were police on horses all over the place.

Steve and Heidi before the game.

Phil before the game.

The tunnel of band and alumni for the players to run through to get on the field.  The Nittany Lion and the flags all come through in front of the team.  They had awesome seats...on the corner of the endzone in the 11th row up!

The team came through the tunnel with arms linked to show their unity.

Because of all that was/is going on emotions were very high at the stadium.  After both teams made their way to the field, both teams, along with alumni, coaches, etc...kneeled down in the middle of the field all together and prayed for the victims in the child abuse scandal.  This was paired with a moment of silence for the victims.  As I watched on tv I had tears rolling down my cheeks and Phil said there weren't many dry eyes in the stands.  He said it was very powerful and an experience he won't forget.

Penn State ready to score! 

The game was a good one to see...They were down 14-0 and came back to almost get the win with a 14-17 loss.  It was very exciting and Phil said that it was simply crazy and unbelievable there.  I'm so glad and thankful that Heidi took all of these amazing pictures for me...I know there are a lot here, but there were 130 pictures to choose from...they are all so good.  Thanks Heidi!

Right after the game, Phil and Erik left to come home.  With a short stop to sleep for awhile, Phil finally came in the door about 4:30 am Sunday morning...what a whirlind of a trip, but for Phil it was totally worth it...it truly was the game of a lifetime!

Random Fallness at the Witmer's

It has been awhile since I posted just normal life for us!  This fall was full of football...practices during the week and games on the weekend.  This year, all of our games were here in town, which was really nice...but made for a long day of games since the boys were on different teams.  We discovered fairly quickly that 3-4 hours of sitting for Kiara was not going to be smooth sailing!  She did fairly well considering.  Here is Grant.  He played on the Plymouth Bears team...yes, we had to cheer for the Bears...only on Saturdays, not Sundays!  He was #22.  He had a great time playing and we really saw him improve and get more aggressive this year.

Here is Kiara at the last game, entertaining everyone with her goofiness!

This year, every team got to play at least one game "under the lights" at the RockPile...the high school field.  This was much anticipated and the boys LOVED this opportunity.  It was nice for us too to be on bleachers and up higher so that we could see better.  Brock had an exceptionally awesome game that night and we got to hear his name over the loud speakers a bunch of times!  That was pretty cool! He played for the Colts...yes, that was a tough one to cheer for too!

Grant's team had an pizza party at the end of the season and they were each given trophies.  Here he is with his coaches...they were giving him a hard time about his Broncos jersey at a "Bears" team party!  They were trying to get him to say Go Bears, but he refused!

Here is Brock at the RockPile after his game...another season under his belt!

At the team party, they had an extra trophy that they gave Kiara.  She was over the moon about this and was so proud t carry it around.  Goofball!

Another picture of Brock (blue sleeves) ready to play.

Grant (22--blue sleeves) waiting on defense.

Another favorite activity of the boys is raking leaves...not the jumping in the leaves, the raking of them.  I know...strange, but that's my boys.  They jump a couple of times, but prefer the raking part!

Of course Kiara couldn't be left out!  She made more of a mess than anything, but had fun!

We had a bow shooting evening one night.  Phil and Brock wanted to work with their bows (Brock's is brand new), so we headed to Grandpa and Grandma's house to shoot at a target on a bale of straw.

Grant took his bow as well.  Although it isn't an authentic bow, he had fun shooting it a little closer to the bale.

And really...to sum up our fall...Kiara's shirt says it all...Football, football and football!  Go Broncos!

Sugar Time...I mean Halloween Time ;)

Halloween is not my favorite holiday...but seeing my kids in cute costumes is a favorite.  I guess I can't have one without the other, huh?  This year I was determined not to buy costumes.  They are so expensive (even on sale) and you wear them for a couple hours and you're done...so...we went with one costume from a previous year, and two costumes with things we had, plus a cowgirl hat borrowed from my friend at "the back door"!

Darth Vader, Deer Hunter, and Cowgirl

Kiara has a bad cold and wasn't acting herself, so we took some pictures and then the boys and I walked the neighborhood while Kiara stayed home with Daddy and cuddled.  We promised her she could go to Grandpa and Grandma's trick or treating (in the car).

I love how Grant's cape would blow behind him in the breeze while we walked.  And Brock found that his bow is heavier than he thought as he had to carry it, and his bucket of candy around the neighborhood!  There were quite a few houses that were not giving out candy this year that we usually go to, so we walked a little farther into the neighborhood to get some loot!

Last stop...Grandpa and Grandma's house!  It wasn't that long ago we didn't think we would even be able to go trick or treating there, but instead would have to knock at the basement steps!   Here they are waiting on someone to answer the door...and no, Mom didn't decorate for Halloween...that would still be burn marks on the pavement around the steps! 

Grandma talked them into getting some individual pictures taken too...

Remember I said that Kiara wasn't acting herself or seeming to feel good? Well....she was quite the little ham at my parent's house...Running around, making silly faces, saying the funniest things and then she did a little dance for us based on the eyeglass commercial that has been on where the glasses split apart and create two sets of glasses (Whaaaaaaa...Whaaaaaa....) Oh my...she really is a drama queen!

We had a fun time and even if I'm not a fan of Halloween and the "evil" costumes out there...I think my kids are cute ;)

Cleaning Frenzy Surprise

I am very behind on my blogging...but wanted to post about a week ago.  We had very exciting times in the last two weeks!  Mom and Dad found out they were going to be able to move back into their house and there was cleaning to be done.  My mom does not ask for help, so I decided to coordinate a surprise for her.  I invited a bunch of her friends and a few family members to have a surprise cleaning night for her.  The night we did it, I texted her from school and said that Kiara and I were planning on going out to clean a little and did he want to go with us or could I borrow her key... thankfully she said she was planning on going anyway.  So, we got out there and were doing a few things when my cousin Katie slipped in the back.  Mom just assumed she was stopping by to see the progress...until her friend Sherry came walking in...and then Aunt Peggy and Uncle Ron...and then her friend Phyllis and hubby Ron...and then...Aunt Deb...then her friend Judy...I was afraid she had figured it out, but as each new person came in, you could see her surprise!  Hooray!  Here is Deb (with Kiara supervising) cleaning the brand new stove delivered that day!

Unfortunately since I was the organizer of the event, mom made me assign duties to everyone.  We cleaned bathrooms, wiped down walls, cleaned all of the trim work (black with soot still), washed windows, washed inside the closets, took tags off of all the stuff professionally cleaned and had a lot of fun chatting with everyone...and sharing one pair of scissors! ;)
Here are Sherry and Mom working on one of the bathrooms.

Aunt Peggy cleaning the trimwork and closet of all the soot.  Her and my uncle have worked ENDLESS hours with my parents through all of this.  They have been such a great support and can never be thanked enough.  We sooooo appreciate everything!

We had some fun too...and no one liked getting their picture taken...but check out this action shot of Judy trying to shoot me with windex!

Sherry, Phyllis and Judy (mom is inside the tub)

Dad was glad for both of the Ron's to be there.  They helped him fix the kitchen sink, which was not getting any hot water and then they hung the shelves in his room in the basement.

We got so much done that night.  I've never had so much cleaning in my life!  Mom was definitely surprised (Dad was in on the secret)!  Better yet......?  We had it all ready to move into that weekend! Those pictures will be coming later!  Thank you to everyone who helped and have supported them through this nightmare!  Hopefully we are on the upswing from here on out!

Yet another doctor...

The quest for healing continued today...So…I went to a rheumatologist this morning. I went with very few expectations. Didn’t really think there would be an answer but willing to be examined and listen to what she had to say.  Going into it I really did not think that I had rheumatoid arthritis or any other kind for that matter.  Just a gut feeling, for me, but again...wanted to hear what she had to say.  The short of it? She does not think that it is an arthritic issue. Because of the length of time, description etc, she went ahead and ordered blood work to see if the inflammation shows up in the blood. If it would, she will re-order an MRI to examine things a little more. If everything is negative (which we both think it will be) then I’m at another dead end. She did suggest that perhaps I switch to another brand of a medication that I am on if all comes back negative.  She said other brands sometimes help with the pain factor.  She also suggested that I try some massage therapy with trigger points and try some upper body yoga. Who can argue with being told that you should get a massage, right?  She had somebody in mind but I don't want to drive to South Bend...I know someone from church who might fit the bill! She suggested acupuncture as well, but it is something that I tried before, without result and with my great love of needles do not really want to do again!
So, how am I doing with all of this today? Surprisingly OKAY. Because I had few expectations, it didn’t let me down too much. There was no shock...I got what I assumed that I would.   So, where do I go from here? Don’t know really. I am going to an informational meeting tonight (I think) on a natural product, zija, that a friend suggested to me. The testimonials on the web site for pain are pretty amazing….again…not getting my hopes up, just want to go, listen, ask some questions that I have and then pray about it. I also have the option of going to the famed Amish Dr. that several friends go to.

That’s the update. I’m doing okay…very okay. I was fearful that I would hit bottom again with a dead end, but I’m doing good. God is awesome and great…whom shall I fear, right? Besides…I got done in time to go shopping with a 30% off coupon at my fav store before returning to school…woo hoo!  I don't know why this battle has ensued for 8 years or why we can't find what's wrong and fix it...but I do know the ONE who is carrying me through each day, sometimes moment by moment!  Thankful for HIS provisions for me and I KNOW that one day I will no longer have pain!  Until then...stay posted :)