I Can See Clearly Now...

Two posts in one day, I know. I couldn't help post the snake story, but I couldn't let this day end without posting about this big day for my girl. She has been super excited to get glasses. I thought she just wants to look cute, but turns out that she really can't see clearly.

According to the eye doc, she probably has not seen clearly since about age 3. So, this means that "fuzzy" has always been normal to her. :-( Turns out that she has a lazy eye. Amblyopia, so not what we generally think of with the turned in eye. Pretty much her brain stopped sending messages to see correctly out of her right eye. She is far-sighted in her right eye, and near-sighted in the left eye. Because she's still young, there is a chance that the vision in the right eye could still be improved, at least some, by wearing glasses. She might have to end up wearing a patch over her left eye for a couple of hours a day to try to force the right eye to work and hopefully get stronger.

I feel horrible that her daddy and I never knew there was a problem. How could we not know that our little girl can't see?? She had vision screenings in Kindergarten and 2nd Grade which showed no possible problems, and since she had never complained (until this spring) about not being able to see, we never had her checked by our eye doc.

We are going to get a second opinion from our doc, but until then she is giddy because she can see with her new specs! She has been so happy and giggly today looking at the leaves on trees and the edges of the clouds. It me smile, but makes my heart sad that she's almost 9 and just now seeing these things clearly. So grateful that we didn't wait any longer.

I think she also really likes the cuteness of the glasses. :-). I have to admit that I think she is adorable. Gosh, I love that girl.

YikeSSSSSSS!

After dropping the kids off at school this morning, I walked at the track and came home. I got a call from a friend and went outside to talk. I noticed our cat, Minnie (aka Minnie Pearl, Minnie haha, Minerva, Minerva Pearl, and Killer) ran up beside the outdoor sofa where I was sitting and I could tell she was playing with something. I didn't look. I've learned not to look.
I had to run inside for a bit, and when I went back out to the patio, oh oh oh, this is what I saw. I think it was wither almost dead, or stunned from playtime with Minnie. It is a non-venomous garter snake, so I pardoned it. I used a shovel to give it a free flight back to the tall grass beside our house. I'm not really afraid of snakes, but that grossed me out.

Help me decorate my new front porch, please!

Kelly's Korner's http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ "Show Us Your Life" is about porches this week. Since we just moved here in June, I haven't had any bright ideas about what to do to my new front entrance. Please give me ideas! It's very small, but I want it to be inviting.

A little (actually it's really looooong) story...

Now that the major unpacking is done, the house feels somewhat settled, and the kids are adjusting well to their new schools, I find myself in a place that I have wanted to be since having children. I wanted to be home with my children when they were babies, but it just never worked out. After all, I had a great job as a school librarian, complete with summer vacation and several holidays off so I could be with them a good bit, and an amazing babysitter to care for them while I was at work. Plus, hubby really wanted me to work.
About 2 years ago, the Lord placed a burning desire in my heart to be home for my children. I tucked it away as kind of a "pipe dream". It wouldn't stay tucked away, but I just couldn't accept that it was from the Lord.

When Eddie accepted
the job he has now, I immediately started applying for certification in TN, and started gathering applications for various school systems in the area. Once my certification was approved, I started sending applications to different places. We weren't planning to move unless I secured a teaching position. Guess what kept knocking on my heart? Yep, I kept hearing, "you need to be home for your family".

I prayed and asked him to literally put in my heart the desires he wanted me to have. The desire to be the keeper of my home just got stronger. Eddie has always been totally against the sahm gig, and the Lord wouldn't ask me to do something that my husband didn't want me to do, right?

After a heart struggle, I finally accepted that this is what He wants for my family. I prayed "Ok, Lord, I'm listening. I hear you, but if this is really your will for me and our family, you will have to change Eddie's heart."

Well, maybe He would...maybe He wouldn't, but what happened next was nothing I could have ever done on my own. Out of the blue one night on the phone, Eddie mentioned that he had been looking at our finances and he thought we would be ok if I couldn't get a job right away. I assured him that I was still filling out applications and watching school websites for job openings, and I was. Then, driving home from our nephew's party in March, we were talking about the applications I had submitted, and he said to me, "I don't want you to stress and worry about finding a job right away. I am ok with you staying home for a year or so." Those words blew me away. We spent the next few minutes talking about how we could make it work if I stayed home for at least the first year after the move. I knew that the Lord had changed
his heart. There was no other explanation, and I praised Him!!

I continued to watch for available library positions, and even had an interview in July. The job just wasn't for me, though. It was at a high school and those kids are a lot bigger than I am! Scary!! Haha!

I am still praising Him for this opportunity! However, week 2 of being home in an empty house has been difficult. I find myself wanting to share something with the kids, or anyone for that matter, and the only other breathing things with heartbeats to talk to are Minnie and Jonah. I have proof that cats and dogs do not talk back if you try to carry on a conversation with them. They just don't get it, I guess! Lol!

I have missed my job more than I thought I would. I'm missing the comfort and companionship of my friends. It's lonely. I had no idea that I would be lonely.

So, I'm trying to find ways to fill up my days productively, in addition to keeping up with daily housework. I had a nice 2 1/2 mile walk with my favorite music this morning after I dropped off the kids, and I want to do that everyday. I also have a hobby room to organize, but I have to get cabinets and countertops for it first. There are tons of Pinterest projects I hope to do when I get the room functional. Trying to most efficiently embrace this gift of keeping my home and taking care of my family.

I still believe staying home is His will for me, because everything about this move has been covered with His fingerprints. I want to use this time in a way that glorifies Him. I want to use this time to serve wherever He wants to use me. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11-12. I'm claiming it in Jesus' name, and can't wait to see what He reveals to me about his plans for my family and me!

So thankful for His fingerprints. Keep looking for His fingerprints in your life!

Kellie

Home

I love the song "Home" by Phillip Phillips. It is comforting to me, since we are trying to make a new home 5 1/2 hrs away from everything my children have ever known.

A few friends have been asking for pics of the new house in which we are making our home. Here are a few pics that I've taken over the last couple months. I'm blogging from my phone so I can't label each pic. The family room is the room with the gray furniture, and the room with the red couch is the hearth room. Maybe I'll get around to posting some more pics soon. The office, bonus room, and hobby room are not organized enough yet to take pics and post them. Also, the kids did not make their beds this morning, so I won't post those yet, either. I guess I will do an "upstairs" post later. :-)

Cake Truffles

Eddie asked me yesterday if I could make something for a small baby shower for two of his co-workers, or if I thought he should just get a grocery store cake. He told me he's getting a sandwich tray from Jason's Deli and just wanted something a little sweet, too.

I love to make goodies, and he knows that. I've often thought I would like to have a small business making "gourmet" treats for birthday parties, showers, just because, etc. I know (because I was one until three months ago) that moms who work out of the home don't have a lot of time for making special goodies. I enjoy doing it, and for now, am a stay at home mom.

I decided to make cake truffles. I would like to have cute little cake pop maker that cooks the batter into the shape of little spheres, and you don't have to mix frosting in or take the time to form into balls. Nevertheless, as of right now, I do not have one, so it's the original method for me.

If you have never made them, all you do is bake a cake from the mix directions. Crumble it up. Add a little frosting (can or homemade). Form mixture into little balls. Dip into candy melts(found the neat colors at Joann) or chocolate. Then, you can decorate anyway you want. Here is a picture of the finished product.

Keep checking for fingerprints!
Kellie

First Day, New School

Joshua 1:9. That's our life verse right now. I dropped off my kiddos at their new schools this morning. You can see in the pics that Connor was not thrilled about having his picture made, but Claire was all smiles!


I took Claire first because we had not met her teacher or seen her room. Can you believe they did not have any kind of orientation or meet the teacher night or anything for elementary school??? We had no clue where to go.

Well, a very kind officer used his pretty blue lights to let me know I was going too fast and the wrong way! I just told him the truth. I just moved here, had no idea which way to go, and that the school did not give any directions for morning (or afternoon for that matter) traffic flow. This is all so crazy! HMS and KES were nothing like this madness!! Anyway, he really was very kind, and agreed that they don't do a good job of informing new people where to go. He gave me directions and I finally made it to a parking place. Connor and I walked in with her and when we got in to ask for directions to Claire's room, we were told that we had to wait in the gym. Ugh.

I still had to take Connor to a different school and had heard that the traffic there is horrible. I was so nervous about him being late! When I was sure Claire was doing ok, I ended up leaving her in the gym (trying to stifle the "ugly cry" so Connor wouldn't see), and taking Connor to his school. Traffic was bad, but it really didn't take as long as I thought it might. His school had an orientation Monday night, so he wasn't walking in totally blind. He knew to go to the gym first, so he didn't "need" me to go in with him (Joshua 1:9). He's getting so grown up (tears and smiles). Then, I drove back to Claire's school to check on her and meet her teacher. She was in her classroom and didn't seem afraid or nervous (Joshua 1:9). I met her teacher who is very nice and has a pretty smile.

I'm home now. I'm going out to clean out my car before I pick up the kids and we go have lunch with Eddie. Wow, what a morning! So glad they just have 1/2 day today! Hope I can pick them up without the chaos!

Keep checking for fingerprints,
Kellie