Tasha's Ortho Visit

Tasha had an ortho visit today. The removed the jaw expander from the top of her mouth. She has been wearing that contraption since March. She complained it was hard to eat with it. They also removed her lower retainer and added bottom braces. So when she walked out of the office this afternoon....she now has top and bottom braces with bright green and black bands. LOL Her teeth are looking beautiful!

My Knight in Shining Armour

Briggor's latest craze is the movie Lord of the Rings. If we would let him....he would watch that movie all day long. Yesterday, Mark and I paid a visit to Toys R Us and found a knight costume. We brought it home for Briggor and now he just runs around the house with his costume and sword. LOL Gotta love it!

It's been a year!

Well....it's hard to believe but it has been a year since we moved into our house! So much has happened! The first pic is of the backyard when we bought the house...the rest is what happened over the course of the year!

It's amazing that all this got done! Some done by us, the kids and some down by contractors. I have to thank Mark for his vision because when I looked at that backyard with all the dirt I couldn't imagine what it would look like a year later. Thanks honey for backyard resort.

First Day Of School 2009

First day of school was yesterday....went really well. Everyone was so excited to start....yea for mom - finally some peace and quiet!

Megan - 6th grade

Tasha starts 7th grade

Jade is in 4th grade....Bud is in 5th grade.

Ryan is a Sophomore!

Andrew and Johnette are both Seniors!

A First For Tasha

On Saturday, Tasha had a dream come true. She has been asking Mark and I about riding a horse. She was able to do just that this past weekend. The pictures prove that Tasha loved every minute of her Saturday morning ride! She was taught how to take the saddle on and off the horse, how to wash the horse. She fed it and brushed it. What a wonderful, special memory Tasha experienced!! :)

These are the days where a parents sits back and says, "well, done!"

Andrew's Senior Picture PROOFS

If you want to take a look at Andrew’s Senior Picture Proofs following these directions…..

www.ChristianHallPhoto.com

click on enter site at bottom
click on previews and scheduling on the bottom
enter Westbury for name
enter 10106616 for client number
click LOG IN after entering information
click VIEW IMAGES
click OPEN
Where it says CREATE LIST: enter Mendenhall
YOU MADE IT!! The proofs should be on your screen!

This is my happy dance song!!!!

UPDATE

Yesterday, Mark was able to free up his day from the shop to take the family to the lake! We enjoyed a day of sun and fun! The became pretty choppy while we were there and made it difficult to get around. The kids were tubing and we even found a tree on the side of the lake with a rope attached to it. They climbed the tree many times and swung on the rope into the lake. It was a nice, relaxing day out with the family! No pictures to show you because we thought we left the camera in the car but when we got home realized it was with us in the boat the whole time! DUH!

Today was a day of running around from both Mark and I. At the time of this writing, Mark is still driving around town running errands. Andrew picked up his class schedule for his senior year. Looks like he will only be in school half day! He has completed most of his required classes to graduated in June.

Also, this afternoon was Andrew's appt to have his Senior Pictures taken! Wow! Can you believe he is a senior? Where has the time gone? We are suppose to be able to view the pictures tomorrow online! Can't wait to see them......my errands complete for the day! :)

Like I said, Mark is still running around town. I am currently waiting for him to arrive with the trees that we have ordered for the front yard! Yea for trees! :) Simple pleasures in life!

Milestone

Congratulations goes to our daughter Johnette who achieved 100% on her written permit driving test today. She will continue this weekend with her behind the wheel driving!

Here we go.....a new teenage driver on the road!

Watch out! LOL

It's starting...

Well....it's getting closer to the start of school. All the school clothes have been bought for the new year. I am in the process of loading up my hall closet with school supplies.

Today, Ryan had Sophomore (10th) orientation. Ryan got his schedule for this next year: PE, World History, Spanish 2, Geometry, English and Biology. Full schedule this year!

The countdown continues 12 days until school! :) Do you see my smile? Do you see it? LOL

Last Night

Last night was a bit interesting..........
Written by Mark for my blog! :)

The house across the street, around the cul- de -sac, had a party.
About 12 to 15 cars parked in the street. No loud music, just enough people coming and going to make the dogs bark. Until 3am. There came a girl screaming and pounding on my front door. The kids woke me up and I ran downstairs. She was crying and screaming for help. Mary was right behind me. I let her in and told her to stay there. She said "they are fighting in the street and they are after me" I raced back upstairs told Nettie to cal 911 and told Mary (who was following me) to get all the kids into our room. I put my shoes on and went outside. Mary kept her inside as I slipped out the front door and down passed our cars in the driveway. It wasn't just a street fight. They were smashing cars, kicking over trash cans and easily 80 to 100 people in the street.
This wasn't a place to rush into. Two groups of about 10 guys already fighting and others pushing and yelling nearby. Even with a gun a guy would be very out numbered. There were two groups fighting and then tons of onlookers. But the dangerous part was a group of guys smashing in this Jeep trying to get to this girl. They had smashed in the hood, the roof, the front glass and the side glass and were close to tipping the car over as I got to it. The closer I got the more ugly these guys al looked. I was amazed that they all were inside one tiny house. And that they all fit in about 15 cars????!!!!!???? Odd...


I figured a gun would take this to a new level, and the gang bangers there I was certain had guns too, and a flashlight just draws everyones attention. I moved in with one hand behind my back (the Paul Blart stance) and told them to get away from the car. Then the girl opened the door and I asked her if she was ok. She was scared and the guys were just standing there. With my hand still hidden and as I stared right at them.... I said "These guys aren't going to hurt you anymore." I was leading them to believe I knew something they didn't.
At that moment as they were pondering their next move I turned slightly to her and said the cops will be here in a minute anyways.


In pitch black you could see reflections of blue and red lights coming. No sirens, just engines racing from the streets behind my house as they wound through the neighborhood. The smaller group near me decided to head out. As they passed through the fighting groups you could hear them telling the others that the cops were coming. Several guys wanted to know who I was (although they used more explicitives) but the notion of the cops coming and me still standing with the girl behind the opened Jeep door gave them pause. My eyes do not work as well as they used to, so I had to pretend I could see everything and know what was going on. The truth was, in that darkness I was good for about 25 feet in front of me. I knew they could see me clearly and was just looking as confident as I could. Not letting anyone get behind me or get tot he girl I was next to or the one in y house was about my limit.


Mary had been watching from the window with the girl and right about the time the group was figuring out if they should challenge me or get out and leave..... the cops were close. Mary saw them rolling in.
About 6 cars came down the street and 5 or 6 others ran off to track down what cars had left the scene. They arrested a few people, searched the house, asked me a few questions, and then left. But by 5:30 they were back in stealth mode. Hiding down the street, waiting.
A few people came back and they pounced on them. I dont' know if there were any threats of "I'll be back" or anything like that. Maybe that was just a part of their playbook to wait it out and se who surfaces.
Mary was really scared as it happened. And continued to be shook up long into the morning. I think she is ok now. The kids were a little uneasy, but I think they will be fine too. Whatever it was.... it was an interesting night..... Man I am still tired.... LOL

Special Words

There is a family in our church that has been suffering for years and has felt such a loss over the last year. Dawn, the mother, lost her husband to cancer in January of this year and as of two days ago lost her 20-yr old son also to cancer. Both of them fought the fight but lost! She is in deep mourning over the tragic events over the last few months. The following is a blog post from her 20 yrs old sons blog. He took the time to blog the events that brought him to his last days. Please note the date of this blog - November 2007!! What amazing young man he was and how many lives he touched as well as his dad did! My prayers go out to Dawn and her family as they try to struggle to understand and for comfort in the coming days ahead! May John and Chris rest in peace with our Lord!


So, today I went to church...
And, after the pastor said one thing during announcements, my mind was off on a tangent the rest of the morning. (As it is now... I'm forcing myself to pay enough attention to write this).
Oh. Text message.
And another...
Okay, so the pastor was talking about a prayer event that the church had earlier in the week. During it, it came out that one of the men in the group had cancer. So, they started praying for him.
And I started to wonder... if given the opportunity, what would I say to him?
And that was where my thoughts wandered for the rest of the morning. The pastor was talking about stuff in Acts 11... I remember bits and pieces of it, but I really don't feel guilty about that at all.
The first thing that I thought I would say to this man is that God has a plan for everything. Throughout the last year, that is one of the greatest things God taught me - sometimes, he chooses to use things like that to have a profound impact on those around us. There is no way that, without such a high-profile struggle, the people around me could have seen God's provision for me and my family and the strength that He gives us. I had countless opportunities to tell people that I wasn't doing anything special - that God was helping me keep things together. That God was the reason I didn't become depressed, or a total basket case. That God was the reason I am still alive.
And that was even echoed in the people around me. My whole family's struggle through things has done wonders to unite our church - given people opportunities to be the body of Christ - to do his work by showing his love and compassion. To pray for each other and support each other. It truly did intensify the sense of family with our church.
If everything in life stayed nice and perfect, there would be no need for God to support us. We wouldn't need him to lend us His strength. We wouldn't need His provision for us. We wouldn't need His mercy. In essence, we wouldn't feel any need for Him. Likewise, we wouldn't need the prayer and support of the people around us. They would have no opportunity to come together without any reason to. Without struggle, there would be no opportunity to build our faith and character in Christ and no opportunity to unite as a family.
I remember... a long while back... praying that God use me however He wanted to. I meant it too - whatever the cost, whatever I need to do - that He would give me every chance he could to do His work.
In hindsight, I'm thinking that probably wasn't the greatest idea.
I often wonder if this last year was a direct result of that prayer. God is up there, "Well, you asked for it." When I said that prayer, I didn't think about any possible permanent damage. Maybe being a bit embarrassed, messing up a bit, making a fool of myself, or whatever. But losing some physical abilities... never thought about it.
Although, I suppose the use of the word "permanent" in that last paragraph was fairly silly. There was only one real permanent effect of all this: the people whose lives were permanently changes. The people who might - just might - have seen a glimpse of God and His glory. The people who could have come to understand who Christ is, grown closer to him, or might have just had their heart softened just a little bit. That is permanent. Losing some function of a limb - who cares?
So, if you ever feel tempted to say that prayer - asking God to do whatever he can with your life - I'd suggest you rethink it. Do you really mean it?
What do you think you could lose? A bit of reputation? Some time? Some money?
What about having to leave everything you know? What about losing all security in life? What about losing your life?
So, before you go to God and say something like that, I really challenge you to think: do you mean it? Are you just saying that because it sounds good, or do you really mean it? Are you just being lukewarm, or do you honestly mean that you are ready to give up your life for whatever purpose God has for it?
I remember one of my first prayers after being diagnosed: "God, you better have some huge plans for this. Otherwise, I'm going to be pissed." I suppose he didn't give me any reason to be angry. The effect I've already had on people's lives is enough to make me honestly say that I would do it again, if given the choice. And I can't wait to see what else God has for me and my testimony.
I do mean that prayer. Every word of it. I hope you do too. After all, this life is only temporary.
Oh yea. I need to study physics. Exam tomorrow. Probably not so bright to be writing such a huge blog post right now. Eh. Who cares.
Look - another text message

Here's a funny....

Mark and I were on the off ramp of the freeway here in town. There was a homeless guy at the corner holding a sign "like they do"! But, this one caught my eye and I just burst out laughing! The guys sign read....."Bet you can't hit me with a quarter!" Now THAT is funny!


BTW...if anyone wants to know....19 days and counting til the first day of school!! LOL :) Just thought you wanted to know!

The day after vacation....

So while I was away, my husband took it upon himself to reorganize the rooms in the house! He moved kids around and gave most of the kids new room mates! Bud and Briggor stayed the same. Andrew and Ryan are together as well as Nettie and Tasha. Megan and Jade are now sharing a room. What a disaster! He didn't realize what a task that was going to be until he was already committed to it! To quote my mom or dad here...."your room looks like a tornado hit it" - well, that's what Mark saw when he started this move. :)

I woke up this morning. I ran to Target for plastic boxes and other goodies to help organize the girls and boys. My hubby wisked me away from the chaos for lunch and shopping at Sam's Club. Then it was back home to help Megan and Jade sort through the trash to get to the carpet that was overwelming them to say the least!

Tonight, the rooms look great! Trash is in the trash can out front. Clothes are put away where they are suppose to be. Toys/Treasures are neatly in plastic bins.

Tonight all is well......until tomorrow! LOL

The Long Road Home

Yesterday I drove home from our Oregon vacation. It took me 13 1/2 hours! Lots of stops along the way. We had one stop in Weed, California, were we enjoyed lunch at the HiLo Cafe. Then up and over the 5 around Mt. Shasta and down into the valley.





I was able to connect with my long time girlfriend, Ddee. We have been friends from over 30 years. Just a few minutes below Redding, I met Ddee and her daughter Carli for one of the quickest visits EVER at the local Shell gas station. We gased up, visited, bought snacks, introduced everyone, took a pic and gave each other hugs and on our way we were again.

Our last stop of the day was in Kettleman City where we had dinner at the local In N Out Burger. By this time, I was a little irritated, hungry and just wanted to get home. Another hour to go I kept telling myself. I made it home before sundown. My hubby welcomed me with open arms! I missed him so much!

It didn't take me but a minute to drop my bags, head upstairs, run a nice warm bath, soak for awhile to wash the day away, crawl into bed, close my eyes and I was sound asleep by 845p last night! No kidding! I woke up around 10pm with my legs hurting...most likely from all the driving I did. Took some meds and Mark said I went right back to sleep! LOL Slept til 6am! Glad to be in my own bed!

Briggor

This is one of my favorite pictures of Briggor! Just look at that smile!

My Bud - Mike

Here is a pic of my bud - Mike! Again I want to thank you for all the help you have given Mark and I. It is always easier with an extra adult around. You made us laugh so much! The love and craziness that you showed the kids these last 4+ months were priceless! The kids already miss you so much! They can't wait for their cool Uncle Mike to return!

Random Pics

Here are some random pics of the kids and I. My mom commented from California that there were no pics of me!! This is Sunday evening after running around Bend for a few days. I look really tired! Maybe just thinking about the 12 hours drive home the next day was really wearing me out! LOL

Grandma and Grandpa Rahmn

We all really had a great time at Grandma and Grandpa Rahmn's house in Bend, Oregon. What a wonderful place to escape to! I want to thank them both for opening up their house and their hearts to myself and the kids.

Juniper Pool - Sunday Afternoon

On Sunday afternoon, Grandma Rahmn and I took the kids to Juniper Pool to cool off from the heat and just let them be kids!

Running Through The Meadows

There are 10 acres of land for the kids to just run and run and run! I think they enjoyed this the most! Being free to explore the world around them. I would sit on the deck off Mark's parents house and watch the kids! Great moments for a mom!

Beautiful Oregon