Birthdays

So, tomorrow is my Mom's Birthday.  Yes, December 24, Christmas Eve... I know! Poor mamma. She gets short changed every single year. I don't know what it was like when she was growing up. I have heard stories from my Granny, about making sure she had birthday separate from Christmas, and all, but really, how is is that possible? I mean, when you put the tree up weeks before, wrap the presents, put them under the tree and know that the next day is the celebration of Christmas, how is it possible to separate the two?  When I was growing up my Dad always made a big deal about having a separate Birthday present for her, and my brother and I understood from an early age, and we still make a BIG deal about her birthday. Well, we usually make a big deal about it. This year, my Mom has decided that she doesn't want to celebrate her birthday so much. She said she wanted to wait until my brother comes home, which I can understand, but goodness... she celebrates a birthday with such a special person, how can that wait, really?  Mmmm, it cant. I decided.  I LOVE MY MOM!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST MOM IN THE WORLD!  Did you know that my sweet Mom made every single basketball game (until she was thrown out for disagreeing with the referee), soccer game, ballet recital, t-ball game, and every other kind of sport, social gathering, etc., that my brother and I could have imagined? Did you know that she cooked dinner for us, homemade dinner, almost every night when we were growing up? Did you know that she can make the most delicious food, and tie the most beautiful bows, and decorate the most beautiful house in all the world? This, is from whence I came... This is my mother... quite something to live up to... I can't even imagine trying.  Did you know that when I came home to Tupelo that she kept my child every day, without question, while I worked, and worked, and worked... Without her I would definitely not be who I am today. In case I haven't said it recently, THANK YOU MOM!

AND-  THANK YOU GRANNY for giving birth to my sweet mother. I love you both.

Christmas, Christmas Time is Here....

It's Christmas Time! This Season has been filled with so much fun- Gingerbread cookie making, and decorating, Christmas tree ornament making, Christmas tree decorating, Advent calendar surprises, SNOW!,  Lawndale children's Christmas program, Jesus' Birthday celebration at TCPS, daily decrees from Mac that he want "Sanda Caws" to bring him presents, and so many more things. I am so thankful for all of my family and the special joy that each of them brings to my life. I am also thankful for the birth of Jesus and the redemption that He alone can bring. As these last few days before Christmas come to a close I am looking forward to spending some much needed time with my precious family. All the gifts are wrapped, the house is cleaned, and the cooking is finished... time to play! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas.

The Ponkin Pats....



Pumpkin Patch Farms 2007

 This weekend we went on an adventure to Blue Mountain, MS to Pumpkin Patch Farms, a/k/a  "the ponkin pats". I could not believe that has been three years since we've been. Two years ago we went to the "patch" at the Buffalo Park, which was also fun, but we love, love, love Pumpkin Patch Farms. It was an amazing day... picnic on the grounds, fun in the jumpy things, train ride, and lots and lots of pumpkins to choose from.  We all FINALLY found the perfect pumpkins to accompany us home, and by the end of the day everyone was tired but very happy. Did I mention I LOVE this season?


Pumpkin Patch Farms 2010







Fall Fever



Sarah Ryann, Finn and Mac 2008



 With the first hint of the cool Fall air approaching I donned my favorite hoodie and sat outside in the darkness with a cup of tea enjoying the quiet of the night. I LOVE Fall. I love everything about this glorious season- the weather, the colors, the light, the leaves fading and finally falling, the kids playing in the leaves and dressing up in various costumes. Perhaps most of all I love the still, quiet place the Fall night becomes after those long Summer nights filled with heat, bugs, movement and sound fade away. I know that I am not alone in my love for this season, and I know that some of you would add "football" to the list of loves, and although I do not "love" football I am looking forward to enjoying as much of this fleeting season as possible, including a few well placed football games. I hope each of you takes a moment to stop and smell the rain, the leaves, the crispness of the air. After all, it won't last forever.  Here are few pictures from Fall that I love.

Fall 2008

Sarah Ryann 2004

Sarah Ryann and Finn 2007

Sarah Ryann, Finn and Mac 2008

Sarah Ryann and Finn 2005

 



Time flies

I had almost forgotten about blogging. Almost. I have a few dedicated friends who blog almost daily, and I am amazed and confounded at their abilities. As I crawl into bed, with hardly the energy necessary to turn off the light, or make sure the various children's lights are off or on, and doors are open or closed, etc., etc., I wonder to myself how they do it. And I mean, how they do it all- wife, mother, caretaker, friend, employer/employee, and, yes, familial blogger extraordinaire. My hat's off to all of you.  I, on the other hand, have not made blogging a priority, but I hope, with this post, to change my ways. The fact that I haven't memorialized anything here in over a year is scary, I mean when I am old, where will I go to recall these thoughts. Frankly, I should be taken out and flogged. But, wait for it, I do have an excuse....

I HAVE BEEN BUSY!

What, you didn't hear? I can't imagine... Ok, enough with the sarcasm, but really, this blogging thing has not been a priority. I have been busy. I have been busy attending school functions, assisting in homeschooling my two older children, trying to keep my youngest child well, somewhat socialized, and totally isolated from the public, working- did I mention working?- cleaning house, doing laundry, cooking, trying to find time to sleep. The Fortner household has been less than idle. Let me catch you up....

The last year has been a roller coaster for us all. With the H1N1 flu making its appearance on the scene in April/May 2009, and no apparent vaccine on board by the start of school, Dan and I weren't sure what we were going to do. We knew that it was imperative that Mac didn't get the flu, or really any serious respiratory illness; yet, our ability to keep him somewhat isolated had changed dramatically from the year before when he was barely mobile. Now, we had to contend with him touching everything, coming into contact with everything, in addition to the biggers. It had been an ongoing project all summer. I do believe that we single handedly increased the stock price of every manufacturer of hand sanitizer. So, armed with the statistics, observations from one of the most well respected infectious disease specialists in the Southeast, instructions from Mac's ENT, we set off on a LONG journey to keep our kids well, for a year.

Those of you who have small children understand the daunting task that we were facing. Almost every surface in every environment presented a potential hazard. The shopping carts, the playground, the grocery store, the gas station, the mall, the movie theatre, the restaurants, our friends homes, church, etc... We armed everyone with their own personal bottles of hand sanitizer, used clorox wipes like they were going out of style and didn't take the kids into any public places.  Oh, did I mention that this was in June and July of 2009- school hadn't even started yet.  Our kids, our friends, and some of our family thought we were crazy. I mean, absolutely, certifiably, needed to be put in a rubber room, CRAZY.... They were right, but we were too.

August rolled around, and the long promised vaccine was still not available. We scoured the country trying to find just one dose available for Mac- nothing, nada, zip.  We again consulted with our physicians, and our dr. friends. The infectious disease doctor friend of ours, said that there hadn't been any reported cases of the flu in our area, and we might want to send the kids (Finn and Sarah Ryann) on to school until we saw how this pandemic was going to play out. We thought, we read, we prayed and we decided. We decided to send the kids to school and see if we could make it until a vaccine arrived. Sarah Ryann started school first. Day after day we held our breath, quietly asked if anyone had been absent, talked to her teacher and the school officials about our concerns, reminded her to use her hand sanitizer. Week 1, no problems. Week 2, no problems. The following week Finn started school. Being 4, getting him to use hand sanitzier every time he touched something that someone else may have touched was a bit more difficult. by the end of the first full week of school there was one reported case of H1N1 at Finn's school, but not in his classroom.

The day after receiving this report both of our kids were withdrawn from school. I must take a moment to praise both of the kids' schools and teachers for their complete understanding of our situation, and their willingness to assist us in trying to homeschool our kids. So, by Labor Day weekend, both kids were out of school, at least for the Fall semester, and Dan's primary job as caretaker, just became caretaker/school teacher. This quickly morphed into a primary profession of keeping everyone from going crazy.  Not having homeschooled before, we were completely unprepared. We tapped into the extraordinary assistance of some dear friends who are incredibly talented and dedicated homeschool teachers. With their help, God's grace, and lots of TLC we made it through. Everyone got vaccinated, and Sarah Ryann went back to school after Christmas. Mac and Finn had a good time bonding without their Sissy, but they were thrilled to see her every afternoon. Sarah Ryann, our social butterfly, was very excited to be back at school, but was still very conscientious about germs. I fear we have created germaphobes in our children. If that's the worst that we do, I think we'll be alright. All in all, the last year was incredibly trying, sad, difficult, heartbreaking, and incredibly wonderful. We came to know our children's sweet spirits, their precious hearts, and their love probably more than we would have otherwise, and we are all better for our experience. We have learned to love what really matters- each other. That, my friends, is a priceless gift that we will all continue to treasure.

This Summer Mac was cleared by the ENT with instructions to get out there and build up some immunity. That is exactly what we are doing. One ear infection down.... Mac started preschool at Calvary, Finn started kindergarten at TCPS and Sarah Ryann started 4th grade. My what a difference a year makes.

Thank you Lord for all our blessings. We are so humbled by your grace and mercy.