Hey Hey Hey

Today I have to go in to work for a little while- its ok- Marcus will once again be with Uncle Adam- works out well cause we need to work on Children's Church for tomorrow-its going to be awesome- hopefully we will make Mr Adam a pizza- meaning we turn him into a pizza-

Marcus is so tired he is kind of just walking in a daze- he actually saying he will do his chores - now I know he is tired- we do not plan on doing a whole lot today- I will work on the house later and prepare for service tomorrow but other then that a calm day

Marcus was able to get a special reward yesterday for staying at camp and doing as well as he did- not that he was perfect - but for being away and all that went on he did well- oh he had his moments (especially Thursday evening) but he had consequences because of it- all done though

Oh his reward- drum sticks and drum pad with a dvd and instruction book- I said first he has to read the book then he can began practicing with the sticks and dvd- just a start for him we will see where it goes.

Its Friday

Well Marcus comes home today- Got a phone call last night - had a bit of a rough day yesterday- which was probably caused by being way tired and way overstimulated- not that I think it is an excuse but Hey I am tired and did not even go so I can imagine what he is going to be like when he comes home- I hope he sleeps-

Can not wait to hear his perspective of camp after he gets the much needed sleep.

I have to work for a bit tomorrow but it will be alright - Saturdays do not take too long- plus Marcus will probably just being sleeping most of the day aaway-

Series and other stuff

I am doing a series on my other blog http://www.parentsyouarenotalone.com/ - just some tools from our behavior specialist at school- the information is priceless

Ok so what I have been doing- not a whole lot- well I have still be working out and in fact did so today at work- although it was kinda stupid to walk for 40 minutes in the heat - but I was killing 2 birds with 1 stone- I had to go to another facility and I wanted to get my walk in.

Right now I am chillin- and just watching my animals- they are all senior citizens- they are not getting any younger- makes me a little sad- so I enjoy them as much as I can- they are a calming part of my day - Clarence comes and sits on my lap and just purrrs or I get a nose in my face when the Isaac has to go out- Felix meows when he wants me to come upstairs and then there is Libby who wants attention when she wants it and when she is done she is done

They are all unique and special needs animals- I tend to attract that :) Love them anyway no matter what

I would not be speaking the truth...

if I said I was not a little anxious today-why you ask- Marcus went to church camp, he is with Uncle Adam and yet with 1000s of other children- I am hoping and praying for a good outcome this week-
First that he is able to keep it all under control and stay all week- second or this should be first that God does something amazing in his life- All things are possible!!

So this week it is me and the animals at the house- a quiet week- and yet I have things I need to get done - no more procrastinating- well maybe today I am a little tired but will start something that I need to work on today

Praying for Marcus all week - we have a fun Sunday planned if all goes well and he is excited about it

Swimming- Shopping and Setting up

that is on the agenda for the day- not to mention cleaning-

It is 7:26 and I have already done the swimming this morning a quarter of a mile- not to shabby-it will keep increasing as I go but for a couple of weeks it will be a quarter-

We have to go shopping for camp just some necessities for Marcus- we had things in the cart last night and meltdown city occurred - however- I handled it quite well and yes I am proud of myself- I am using the tools of a wise man. LOL -Ignore ignore- I did that and then he started hitting me- so I ignored- and then I did not say anything and walked out with him clinging with his arms wrapped around me- ( i had to kick off my shoes cause I was sliding) and continued to walk to the car - no eye contact nothing said- waited- waited waited- I got in and pulled up to where he was (hmm I have done this before-kinda worked the same way too) and said time to go- he was not for it so I pulled in and waited some more- all the while reading my phone (another trick I LOVE) he cam to the car and proceeded to pull on the door- did not say anything about points and such- some more things happened and I waited - he gave in and got in the car- of course I said once we were in a confined area there is a consequence to this type of behavior and his words- I know... If he knows then why do it - ugh its all good- he did his consequence this morning when I swam.

I am learning- I have learned a lot this summer- which in turns helps Marcus- it does getting tiring - you know thinking ahead or evaluating how to best handle the situation at that time- oh I am not always on target and yes I get frustrated but still learning.

So shopping will have to happen today- and then we go to meet the Tobias' to set up for Children's Church- which is going to be awesome- we are going to be talking about healing-

God is going to do something amazing- I know it

Friday Update

Well last night I biked about 4 miles- back tracking and working my way slowly to my goal- I also walk/ran for about 20 min with Isaac (the dog) he loved it and yes it was 9:00 pm at night when I did this with the dog - no heatstroke for the dog-
I slept very well last night and today is my day to clean the house and such after I pick Marcus up this afternoon in Ellenton- oh its not bad just need to get it thoroughly cleaned before the weekend- I plan on getting some paint and next week redo my room- Something for me- I want a calm bedroom and plan to do a beach type theme- I am not one to go to the beach all the time but it is a very calming place- and the colors I will use are calming so relaxation here I come- that is my project for next week when Marcus is away at camp

So tomorrow morning I plan on getting up and taking Marcus for a walk /run at flatwoods- before it gets too hot- so by 830 we should be done :) of course if it is raining we may still do it or go for a swim

Busy weekend ahead though- and preparing for Marcus to go to church camp on Monday-anticipating mighty things to happen while he is there- Our God is a GREAT BIG GOD

Mish Mash of Stuff

well- I did not walk last night so what did I do today I walked at work first thing in the AM up and down 3 flights of stairs- then I had a meeting to go to so I walked to it- not sure how far- then after lunch did the 3 flights of stairs- tomorrow swimming

Marcus' week is fairly decent- better then normal at grannie and papaw's - so I am pleased

Next week he goes to church camp- I am expecting a life changing time with him being there- so keep him in your prayers-

WELL- today marks 5 years that my life was changed forever (he moved in). My little man came into my life- and oh my how my life has changed forever- I have learned so much over the past 5 years about foster care, adoption, behavioral and emotional issues, grace, forgiveness, patience, unconditional love, and that fact that there are some of the greatest people out there to help you when you need it. We both have come so far in our time as a family-

Taken it a little slower

ok this morning I woke up and felt I got hit by a bus- may have overdone the bike ride yesterday- the schedule I am following ( created by a traithlete) said 1-2 miles I should have listened- but no I wanted to push myself- well I will get back to following the recommended training- I am a newbie at this I need to follow the guidance of a long time triathlete-

In life it is ok to push yourself through your goals- if I did not I would not have accomplished them but it is also ok to take it at a steady pace- push but be steady and slow down if you need too. Keep persuing and keep perservering and accomplish your goals in life-

Monday Update

ok call me crazy - what was I thinking- biking to the Shoppes at Wiregrass when I have not worked out in a few weeks -plus I had the wind working against me- downing the water as I type- it felt good to ride though- I had my ipod on and the music kept me going-

now tomorrow will be the test- I need to walk for 20 minutes - maybe run some- running yuck-but I am going to accomplish this goal-anyone want to join me in a triathlon?

Work outs restarted yesterday

ok so I dropped Marcus off with my parents yesterday and have the week to myself- so I decided to begin my quest on training again- so yesterday swimming in the pool swam for about 30 minutes of laps- then today I will go biking after work not sure how far I will go - probably in between 3-7 miles and then Tuesday the walk/run (this will be the hardest one to do) then start it all over on Thursday with swimming and keep going-

I will keep you posted on how it is going- Mini Triathlon here I come

Getting Ready to leave

yep going on a trip again today all the way to South Africa- oh no worries I will be back by 1 or so this afternoon

Once a month in Children's Church we take a trip this week is South Africa and Adam asked me if I wanted to teach on it- I said sure- I love Africa and I have been to South Africa- well landing there at least (does that count) I have been to Botswana and Zimbabwe way back in my younger days for 2 weeks- Life changing experience.

So today we are going to South Africa and they will be learning how missionaries reach children there- we will also be talking about how we all fit into the puzzle of the Body of Christ and how each one of us has a significant role to play and if one of us was missing we would not be complete.

So are you complete in Christ? You can be - Come learn more about Him, if your single come- if you have a family come if you are retired come. Come see what is missing and if you do not attend Celebration then you are the one missing from our puzzle.

Hey Hey its Saturday

the title sounds exciting, right? well I woke up too early ( 4 am) I could go out and walk/run- but Marcus is asleep or I could go bike ride but Marcus is asleep or swim and yet again Marcus is still asleep- at what age can you leave a child without getting in trouble? ok see I am in a funk this morning - maybe cause I did not sleep well or maybe cause my Marcus is going away for a week- I have found myself being reflective since yesterday evening and it keeps waking me up-

so now I am up at 522 am on a Saturday so - I am going to share with you what I was thinking about - hope that is ok

the 21st of July marks a significant change in my life (5 years ago)- that is the day Marcus left foster care forever- adoption was not finalized until November though.

I can vividly remember some of the conversations I had with the foster mom- oh no he has no behavior problems - hmmm, ok now that was not the truth- jumping off his bed as he throws a step stool at me- I should have been clued in there -huh. oh the early months were not all bad.

He learned colors- shapes - letters and I found out he was very smart- he learned to eat with manners (still working on haha) he learned manners yes maam no maam yes sir no sir

He had - and haves a home - a mom that cares about him and loves him no matter what ( he finally got that concept a couple of months ago)

Up until recently we went through 3 childcares a year- oh the joy and stresses of having a child with EBD- and child care facilites do not get it-

we and I mean we have come so far- I have learned not to react to his insaneness but to ignore it - and yes I know there is a line drawn there- I have grown as a person and a parent-

He has come soooo far- I look back and even over the summer he has grown-not just in height but in maturity ( we will have some more to go with this) we all do.

Marcus has a tender heart and he makes me laugh at times- his laugh is contagious - he must have gotten that from me - hehe

I smile and cry at the same time as I think of where we have come from and where we are going- each year it gets better and better. I am so proud of him and proud of myself- we both have learned and will continue to learn .

It is a day to day process and some days are so long with the process and other days are smooth sailing- it gets tiring but so rewarding

When I prayed for a child - I prayed for a boy 3-5 years old and challenging ( i needed to be a little more specific here) and God sure gives us the deisre of our heart - and even though the last 5 years has not all be pretty - I am so thankful I went through it - so glad God gave me the son he did- Love you Bubba man

July 26-30

We have 4 kids going to camp from CelebrationChurch and one of them will be Marcus-if you have read my blog for any length of time you know this is a step in the right direction- My prayer is 1. that his behavior is in check and 2 - most important God changes his life forever. I am hoping for no phone calls to come and pick him up - just being honest

Growing up I went to church camp and have some of the greatest memories of it-and hoping this will be the start of wonderful memories and a life changing experience for him.

So if you remember the week of July 26-30 pray for Marcus- pray for our kids to have a life changing experience - to make new friends and most importantly draw closer to God.

You are not alone

Those closest to me often hear these words come out of my mouth- In which I believe whole heartily- and every so often I am reminded of it myself. Often times we think we are alone- in our struggles whether it be how we deal with our children, hurts we may go through, and the list goes on.

But I often find myself thinking of how I am not alone- when I can sit back and have someone to speak to or vent to when I need to, cry on there shoulder- or someone where I go for advise or more like guidance. I won't list your names cause you know who you are

I sit back at times and realize how far I have come- as a person and as a parent- if you seek out - you will find those who are so knowledgeable and more experienced in parenting then you are.

I learn a lot from other parents and learn so much from those that deal with Marcus daily-

I sometimes wonder where I would be if I were alone - with out the people in my life who care, love and support us-I would probably would have gone insane- :)

I have been noticing lately I just sit and smile on the inside after a Marcus meltdown- grant it these are few and farther between. Not because he had a meltdown- but because I have come so far in how I handle them- why cause I am not alone

We are never alone - I was listening to the radio yesterday morning and they were speaking about this- why are we never alone-Psalm 73:23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. Matthew 28:20b I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Side note for those of you who have children with behavorial or emotional issues- see my other blog- Parentsyouarenotalone

Vacation wrap up

Ok well I showed where I was and what we did in some of the pictures posted- but what I am wrapping up is... Marcus' behavior- for not having sturcture and not knowing manyof the people- being couped up in a vehicle for many hours- he did so very well and I am so proud of him- he did his school work- watched videos etc while travleing- not saying he was perfect but oh my I AM SO PROUD- he did very well-

Did I say I was proud- cause I am

We went back to Kids r Kids today and he had a good day- was unsure how he would handle it being back after not being there- he did well :)

I'm coming home

We are in Tn - we met up with Jill and Andy today - fabulous people- it was nice to get to know them a little bit in the short time we had- they are amazing and the similarities we have with our adopted child(ren) are amazing- thanks PD for the intro

Now we are sitting chit chatting in the Garlands living room- hanging with them for the night- then an early morning to get on the road home- hopefully be home late tomorrow- I am coming home- so glad for vacation but so glad to come home- Here are some pictures from yesterday

Yesterdays adventures

Well we went hiking in the quarry yesterday and then picked vegatables- which we are having today- Today is a chill out day and nothing is planned- It is beautiful up here and I am sure all the seasons are great to visit- and I am so glad we came- it has been wonderful- with that said I sure miss home- there is nothing like vacation and yet nothing like returning home- we have a couple stops to do on the way home which the kids have no clue about it and I know one young man who will be really excited when we get to Georgia

(my aunt's front yard)

(berries growing wild in my aunts yard)

(flowers in the yard)

(quarry we walked yesterday- Marcus and I ran a little of it)

(picking peas)

(digging up potatoes)

( the last 3 pictures were at the Gorge from Monday)

We went hiking

We went to a metropark here in the area and it was beautiful-(Gorge)
I could have spent all day there- although this Florida girl is not use to the up and down of cliffs and hills it was a great work out for me- a little sore this morning but not too bad-
The weather is hot but not humid- Today we are going to another park to hike - I will post some pictures later today of yesterday and today-

We had a a great dinner of cabbage rolls - mashed potatoes and bread- YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Pictures from PA

OK so here are some photos of our trip - we left PA today and are now in Ohio at my aunt and uncles-
Fridays arrival to PA was not uneventful- there was a car accident in the mountains of WV which slowed us down- the driver was ejected and not sure how she is doing now-praying she is fine- yes we stopped to help
as we were almost to my cousins - 20 miles- the interstate was shut down and we got all turned around- but dad to the rescue he knew exactly where we were and said which road to follow- all in all we got there and had a great time- Enjoy seeing my family

the boys in NC

My mom's childhood home

This is the home I lived in when I was just a baby less then a year old- then we moved to Florida and have been there ever since

Daddy John ( my great granddad and Henney my great granmother) dad we found the marker

My oldest sister grave marker- I often wonder...

My Nana and Pap Pap's grave sight with their great grandkids- how can so many years go by and it still bring tears to your eyes

Marcus and I on cousin Deb's steps

Cousins

2nd cousins age 5-14

Marcus collecting his first ever fireflys

Just a quick post

We are in PA at my cousin's house- and it is beautiful- beautiful weather- beautiful house-
The drive here was beautiful beautiful beautiful- did I say beautiful- I did because being in Florida 99.9% of my life you often do not see the majesty of this beautiful land-A gift God has given us- what a treat it was to drive through the mountains today - we drove through tunnels and the kids thought we were under the mountain- we drove over a beautiful bridge - although for me either looking down or up at anything caused a little anxiety inside- so yes I white knuckle drove through this beautiful area- Hey I am a Florida girl and use to flat roads- so you can say I conquered a fear today-
tomorrow the Ohio clan will come and we will be having a nice family reunion of such- wish the entire Marsh family could have gotten together but as many as could be here are-
You know I have been told I am crazy for doing this with my sister - but we have had a really good time- tiring but good- the kids have been good by and large and thank you God no meltdowns from Marcus today-
I just wanted to be able to do this one time with the kids and this was a good time to it cause I do not know when we will be back-

We plan on going to the place where I lived for maybe a year before moving to Florida as an infant-going to the cemetery- have primanti's hopefully for lunch-and then just being with the family as much as possible- I treasure this time- I truly do

a DAY in the NAtional Forest

One of my favorite things I love to see is rivers- creeks and waterfalls- they are just very calming and serene for me - well Deb surprised us by taking us to the National Forest here in NC- can I just say AmaZing- beautiful- God is such an artist-Simply beautiful- breath taking- oh and when you have your sister driving and she says look up there- not a good thing for me it makes me woozy- I have to look on my own-

The best part was watching the eyes and words of the kids - ooos and awws about the mountains and creeks and the sliding rock- this is a rock in which you slid down - with water flowing over them and then you slide into this pretty large pool of cold water - 52 degrees brrrr- the kids thought it was freezing