Those Rental People

You all know the kind of reputation rental houses get in small well-kept neighborhoods. They are usually the ones that don't keep up their yards, have loud parties, let their dogs poop on others peoples's lawns, let their kids run in the street, etc. I remember being one of those people frustrated with "the rental people" because their grass would be two feet high or they would have loud parties and leave beer bottles everywhere late at night. Now I AM one of those "rental people". I've tried really hard to keep up my yard, plant flowers, and not cause disturbances to the neighbors so we wouldn't get that reputation here.

However, I'm afraid we may be getting dubbed "those rental people" after an incident last night. Jesikah was babysitting Micah and Jarem while I was at the chiropractor. Micah woke up from his nap screaming, completely inconsolable. He had a late nap because of his doctor appointment for his cast, which can sometimes end in screaming.

Jesikah and Jarem tried to console him by putting on his favorite movie and offering food and trying a few other things. When nothing was working, they decided to put him out in the screened-in back porch as kind of a "time out". (Well I guess it didn't occur to them that we live in a small neighborhood where the houses are very close together and everyone knows each other). Being outside only made him more upset and he was making quite the racket I guess. He could probably be heard from one end of the neighborhood to the other. :)

It was around 5:00pm when everyone was getting home from work, etc. A group of the neighbors decided to come over and see what was going on. So they knocked on the door and asked what was wrong. Then they proceeded to tell Jesikah that "the way he was acting wasn't normal" and asking where his mom was and all this stuff. 😠Apparently they were all standing around watching from across the street and next door and all around and everyone putting in their input. Ugh!! I'm sure that Micah's arm in a cast didn't help matters.

On one hand, I guess I'm glad they decided to check on Micah. Maybe they thought he had been left alone because there were no cars in the driveway since Jesikah had parked in the garage...usually we always have a car in the driveway. On the other hand, I'm annoyed that they all decided to get in our business. I feel like they took it too far by questioning her and everyone meddling and peering in on us after they realized someone responsible was with him and he was fine.

Anyway, this morning I decided to introduce myself to the neighbor across the street on the way walking Jarem to school. I thought maybe if they get to know us a little bit, they wouldn't be so quick to judge. He proceeded to tell me about "the incident" that happened at our house yesterday with "the little boy in the cast".  I told him that Micah had woke up from a late nap and was inconsolable.  I said "you know how kids wake up from late naps crying or screaming sometimes". He was like, "Oh yeah, I know. My 9 year old still does that on occasion." Anyway, after talking to him for a second, he seemed to understand that it really wasn't a big deal.

It is just a good reminder for me of the scripture in Luke 6:37 "Judge not and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."

It's a good reminder for me to not judge others. I know I have been guilty of judging before, so I will try harder to not judge others and I hope I will be treated the same.

In other news, Micah got his permanent cast on yesterday! He chose a red cast. On the way home from the doctor, he was just staring at it, moving his fingers, and touching it with his other hand. He said it's "scratchy". What he meant is that it makes a noise when you scratch it and it's kind of a rough texture. It cracked me up how intently he was studying it. (see pic below)

When I told him to smile

Now That's a Lot of Rain!!

I woke up this morning to this headline!! Can you believe it rained that much in less than 24 hours? In Idaho, where I was raised, the average rainfall is 8 inches a YEAR! We got almost that much in one day.

It started early Monday morning (maybe about midnight) and rained until Monday about 12pm. By 2:30 when I walked over to get Jarem from school, everything was dry except puddles of water in fields and such and it was sunny!  At times it was raining so hard that I knew it must be coming in the house somewhere. I even checked the carpet along the outside wall in our bedroom when the rain was streaming down the screens on the screened in porch, but we stayed dry. However, others weren't so lucky. There was a lot of flooding in Charleston, but people seem to know how to handle it here and life goes on. Being near the ocean, flooding is pretty common I guess. I'm grateful we didn't have anything flood.

I'm also grateful that the rain stopped and that it cooled things down a little bit because the boys and I ended up locked out of our house for about an hour while we waited for the girls to get home. I forgot to take a key when I walked over to get Jarem from school.  It was still pretty hot though.

Broken Arm

Well...it has been a rough week for especially Micah. Last Sunday night as we were getting ready to go to bed, Micah decided to try and stand and balance on the armrest of the rocking recliner. We were right there, but in an instant he fell backwards and hit the wall. Initially I thought he just bumped his head and it wasn't that bad. However, immediately he grabbed his arm (just above the wrist) and I had to barely glance at it to realize his arm was broken. As you can see from the X-ray below, the broken bone cause a big lump in his arm in the wrong place. Sadly, it was Eric's birthday, and we immediately knew it was going to probably an all-nighter. And it was.

We started out at Mount Pleasant hospital because they are only about 5 minutes away. We got right in and they x-rayed his arm in record time. But once they realized it was not a greenstick (meaning a bone that bent but didn't completely break), they told us Micah would have to be sedated for them to set the bone and cast it. That would mean going to MUSC Children's Hospital to get it done.

So off so MUSC we went. They also got us in very quickly, and Micah did quite well. They did give him Morphine for the pain before we left the other hospital. After the diagnosis was confirmed (broken radius, hairline fracture in the ulna, and displaced wrist), they made a plan. He was not allowed to be sedated for 6 hours since the last time he ate. This meant nothing could be done until 2am. Since we knew we would be waiting for a few hours before anything could happen, Eric decided to go upstairs (where he works) and get some work done so he could come in later the next day. I stayed with Micah and we watched "Frozen". He wanted me to lay on the bed with him and rub his feet. He was been really sweet most of the time. Even though they gave him pain medication to help him rest, he stayed awake the entire time. 

At 2am, they started the sedation, within seconds of them putting the ketamine in his IV, he was out. It was kind of creepy to watch. Then they asked Eric and I to leave while they reset the bone and put the cast on. We stood out in the hall for what seemed like an eternity. We even heard him cry a few times. It was hard.

After we were able to go back in, this is how we found him. (below). They told us that he could be waking up from the sedation soon and then they would have to monitor him for a little while before we could take him home. About 1 and 1/2 hours later, we were finally able to wake him up enough that they let us go home. Since it was the middle of the night and he had just experienced all that trauma, he was very tired and just wanted to sleep. We arrived home around 4:30am. 

That night and the next few days were rough. The poor little guy was not happy about his new predicament. He didn't sleep well and he was quite unhappy about his arm being unusable. In addition, he was still having pain. It didn't make for easy days for me either. He is doing much better now though. He will get his permanent cast on tomorrow and I'm hoping that is waterproof. One week down, only 5 more to go!! We WILL figure out a way to still go to the beach. :)

2 days later he was feeling a little better

Even being silly

Wando Band Clowning Around

Little did we know when moving here, that Tessa would have the privilege this year of being part of one of the best high school music programs in the nation. Wando High School Marching Band was awarded #7 marching band in the NATION last year!! But, this means lots and lots of PRACTICE!! During the last 3 weeks before school started, Tessa spent most of everyday in this parking lot practicing marching and passing off songs. During the main band camp week, the entire band was required to attend everyday from 8am-9pm! Wow! During the last week before school started, they had 2-a-days meaning they went from 8-11am and 5-9pm everyday. Now that school has started, they spend two and a half hours a day, 3 days a week after school.

On the culminating day of band camp, it just so happened to be national clown day, so they invited a clown to come join help them celebrate the end of band camp. She handed out 300 red clown noses and entertained them. On another night, everyone was invited to visit the snow cone truck for free snow cones. I like their band teacher, Bobby Lambert. As well as music, he has worked in motivation and leadership in the past. He is quite a positive and motivational force on this large group of kids.

As we have been here, we have talked to people who tell us things about Wando Band. One guy said, "The high school kids don't come to football games to watch the game, they come to watch the band. Everyone goes off with their friends until it is time for the band to perform and then everyone comes back to their seats to watch." Another guy said, "Last year at the National Competition in Indianapolis, people there from other bands were trying to get their hands on the "Wando Band" t-shirts so they could take them home as a souvenir. Wando is not only popular here, but everyone there knew who Wando was."

 I can't wait to watch them perform! But possibly the best part of band camp was Tessa having the opportunity to make friends before school started. I think this has really helped with her adjustment to the new place.

Tessa once again behind yellow shirt boy. :)

Tessa's picture made the front page of the Mount Pleasant's "Moultrie News". She is right behind the boy in the yellow shirt in front. You can see her red nose. :)

The Band with Cupcake the Clown

Dream Job in a Candy Store

This week Jesikah found the job of her dreams!!! If you know Jesikah, you know that it couldn't be more perfect. She found a job at a candy store--Sweet Julep's Fine Southern Confections!! It was kind of funny how it happened.

When we moved here, Jesikah decided that she wanted a job. We thought it was a good idea, so she started looking for places she wanted to work. In the beginning, she really wanted a job at a frozen yogurt shop. She tried to apply at TCBY. They said they were hiring, but she checked back several times a week and they never had any applications. They kept giving her different dates that they would be hiring. The more times she went in, the more she decided she might not want to work there. The hours were late, the employees seemed lazy, and the management seemed inconsistent. 

Then we went to the movies and they advertised that they were hiring for all positions, so she filled out an application. She got called for an interview the same week. She got to the interview a little early and decided to browse through the candy shop next door. She thought she'd ask if they were hiring. They said YES and pulled out an application for her to fill out. They said to come back after her interview at the theater and the manager would be there to interview her. She did. She got offered both jobs in the same day!! 

She obviously turned down the theatre and chose the candy store. She loved the environment of the candy store and the girls who worked there. They aren't open as late either. She loves putting little boxes of chocolates together and putting sweet treats in cute jars. They make homemade fudge and pralines in the store. She has worked 2 days this week so far, and LOVES it. Even better, the manager told her that she could have Sundays and Wednesdays off for church AND she gets a 50% off employee discount. I think this job is a perfect fit for her. :)

Saying Goodbye to Friends

 The absolute WORST part of moving is having to say goodbye to all your good friends. :( I missed pictures of many of them, but here are a few.

Tina and I

 I met Tina the first week she moved to Clarksville(about 6 years ago) through one of our mutual friends, Linda Howe! We instantly became friends. Linda, Tina, and I were inseparable for the first year she was here. Then Linda moved and the ward boundaries changed. It was sad when Tina and I ended up in different wards, but it didn't matter. She will always remain one of my best friends. We've both been through good and bad times, but she makes me smile no matter what is going on. She is one of those people that I know I can talk to about anything and she will always make time for me and never judge. We have had a lot of good times together and I look up to her so much. She is amazing. I will miss her so much!

It was supposed to be a silly face, but it was still sad. 

Tessa with the Young family

Molly and Cassidy

This is one of the only pictures that I have of Molly, but I didn't want to leave her out since she also was among my closest friends in Clarksville. We served together in the young women program at church for about the last four years and spent a lot of time together in that respect. She is a hard worker, very motivated, humble, kind, caring, and spiritually strong. Especially the last year we lived there, she was a great support through all the moving and selling our house chaos. It's nice to have someone who is going through the same things and can relate to you completely during times like that. She always had good advice for me when I asked and was great at sending me that text of appreciation or support exactly when I needed it. She also kept me motivated to keep exercising even in the thick of things with the move and homeschooling.

 Cassidy Taylor has been a close friend of our family as well. Alex and Cassidy were very close friends before he left on his mission. Cassidy and I become close when we served together in the young women program and Eric was close to her as her bishop. The girls also became her friends. She is a great young women and has always been a great example for the girls.

A couple days before we moved, Jesikah went on a last outing to Holiday World with some of her good friends

More Holiday World

Leaving Holiday World

Jesikah, Isley, and Alyssa on the Turkey ride

One of the girls' last church group activities, the girls and leaders did a going away party for the girls that were leaving. All the girls wrote things they liked about that person on the chalk board and they got their picture next to all the words.

The gifts that the leaders made for the girls!

The whole group of girls and leaders together

Silly faces

Going away potluck

 On Tessa's last day of school, I went and got a few pictures of some of her friends.

Katie and Tessa

Brianna and Tessa

Zaden, Brianna, Tessa, and Katie

Tessa and her bestie, Tiffany

Jarem with his best friend, Josh

My good friend, Priya, and her girls left for India a couple of weeks before we moved, so we had a little photo shoot the day before they left for India. Priya has been one of my closest friends in Clarksville. Her daughters, Pramika and Divya, have been some of the girls best friends too. They were the first friends that we made after moving to the neighborhood.

Bracelets Jesikah made for all her friends to remember her.

Tessa and Divya being crazy like they always were. :)

My sweet friend, Priya

 Priya and I started walking together every day about 5 or 6 years ago. Through the years, we walked, we jogged, we hiked and we talked and talked. :) We walked through every type of weather: rain, snow, heat and bitter cold.We talked through everything during our daily walks. She knows more about me than almost anyone. She always made me laugh and gave me good advice and comfort when I needed it. She would go out of her way to bring me meals or whatever I needed when I was sick or in need. I always knew I could count on her for ANYTHING!   She knows the daily happenings of our lives. She has been there for me through the good and the bad times. I will really miss her.

Jarem bringing the scooters

 Jesikah wanted to do a remake of a picture I took a long time ago of her and Pramika. I will post the original at the end.

Best friends

I would be amiss if I didn't mention my good friend, Laura Richards. We served in Primary together when I first moved in the ward and later we served in Young Women together at church. We spent many hours talking together as she cut and colored my hair every few months. She loved, served, and helped our family on numerous occasions whether it was bringing a meal after Micah was born, dropping off a bunch of things to help me when Micah was having crying spells as a newborn, bringing chicken noodle soup and a green smoothie from Panera when the boys and I were not feeling well, or sacrificing her own time and lining up women to help me when I was drowning in packing and moving chaos and up against a deadline. She always knew when I needed a hug. I love and appreciate all the good times we've had. Even though there were a couple of rough patches the last year, I will always consider her a good friend.

Her husband, Loren, was one of Eric's best friends. He also served our family on numerous occasions no matter what we needed. He especially helped us with all our car needs. There was never a time that he knew of a need and didn't do all that he could to help. Thank you to the Richards family for all their love and service.

This is an old picture when Eric first got called to the bishopric and had to say goodbye to serving in the young men program with these two great men. However, these two men remained two of his best friends throughout our stay in Clarksville.

I believe that we are put in places for a reason. I'm so grateful for the people who touched our lives in Clarksville. This just brushes the surface of all the good people and friends that we had in Clarksville.