A new project

First off, Madalyn is doing awesome!  Other than a rough voice, she is 100% herself :)  So thankful!

Tomorrow Doug and I embark on a new adventure.  For a couple years now, we have been praying about a youth group at our church.  The Lord really impressed it on us that we were the couple for the job and about a month ago we started making plans and talking to Preacher and Mrs. Jenkins and all the teens parents.  

Well, plans are set, snacks are planned and nerves are setting in! ;)  LOL  We are really excited about this opportunity to work with the teens and are praying that we can be used by Him in their lives.  The nerves are there as well but they are subsiding as the details come together.  Youth group will be the 1st Saturday of every month from 6-8pm.  We are going to hold it at the church.  We may have some outings but the core meetings will be there.  If you think about it, please pray for us tomorrow as we start this.  We would greatly appreciate it!

Have an awesome weekend!

What is with my house?

Whether it be my kids, my dogs, or my extra kiddos, I have some strange sleepers in my house!

But they are sooooo cute! ;)

A first for Madalyn...

I'll start this off with a note that this is mostly just for my documentation for her medical history.

So I'll back up to Monday night...Madalyn complained that her allergies were bad and asked for her Zyrtec.  I gave it to her around 7pm and sent her to bed normal time with her acting herself.  She woke up Tuesday morning with a headache and complaining of sinus pressure.  Her eyes were all swollen, red and itchy.  Unfortunately the Zyrtec is 24 hours so she was out of luck on that front for a while.  I gave her some Tylenol for her headache and we went on with the day like normal.  At 2:45 we went to Bible club and half way through, she looked like she was running a fever and I could tell her allergies were bothering her.  I wasn't able to actually check it but it was high.  One of the other volunteers had Motrin and Tylenol on them and thankfully Madalyn swallows pills good.  She was back to herself in about an hour.  That night before bed, I gave her Zyrtec and some Tylenol just to be on the safe side.  She was her happy self and went to bed normal.  2:30am this morning I am woke up by her shaking me, holding her throat.  She couldn't breathe well and looked awful.  I called Doug's mom for Marissa and got her albuterol machine out and started her on a treatment.  It seemed to help some and I gave her the option of waiting till her doctor's office opened or going to the ER...she chose the ER ( which is very odd for her ).  So we headed for the door, when it all hit again.  She was gasping and holding her neck.  Her fingertips were turning bluish and she was a greyish color.  I made the call that I wasn't going to drive her and called the ambulance.  I was still back and forth on my decision but when the Level 3 EMT showed up and her oxygen level was 91 when it should be around 100 he said I made a good call.  God was good and Madalyn knew him from different places so it was a familiar face and she knew his name.  She let him carry her out to the stretcher and she got to go for her 1st ambulance ride.  I rode with her.  They started her on oxygen and ended up giving her 2 more albuterol treatments in the ambulance.  When we got to the hospital, everyone was super nice.  They didn't like that she wasn't responding quickly to the treatment so the pulled out the good stuff and gave her 2 treatments of Epinephrine along with a steroid.  That did the trick.  Within an hour, her wheezing was gone and she was looking more like herself.  Her heart rate was 168 due to all the meds, so once that and her fever dropped, they released us.  They are saying she has Viral Croup for now, but she hasn't had a cough.  However, as I'm writing this she did cough a little.  So maybe.  We have to follow up with her doctor so I'm going to call as soon as they open.  For now she is on Albuterol treatments along with a prescription for a steroid. 

She is a trooper and I'm glad to see her back to herself....although she is passed out now! ;)
UPDATE...
She slept form 6am to 10am and in the meantime I got an appointment at her doctor's office for a second opinion.  Turns out the ER was correct.  Although she never had the seal bark, she does have croup.  From what I was told, and how I understood it, croup causes the airway or some portion of it to become inflamed.  This causes the feeling of tickling which leads to the cough to try and clear it.  It progresses from there and results in a panic sort of coughing.  The pediatrician said that there aren't many that can have croup and not have the cough but it is the result of her knowing from having other breathing things that it isn't going to do any good to cough or panic.  So she is on steroids till at least Friday and we are going to lay low.
 Thanks for all the prayers!

Not exactly the best timing...

Chloe has been scratching like crazy!  I made an error in the amount of her coconut oil supplement.  In the end she had a buildup of oil which gave her a dirty, greasy feeling and some major itches!  The only way to fix it was a good stripping and a bath.  

Not the best time frame with the snow on the forecast for this weekend ;)

We have a sweater she can wear till her thick coat comes in.  I love her look when she is "lighter"!!! :)

Another shot at it...

The repair man should be here between 8 and 5.  Really hoping that today is the day I get my washer back!  It will almost be weird doing laundry here at the house, but I am MORE than ready to have my laundry room back in order and do my own laundry in my own washer :)  I'm so thankful for all that have helped me get through the last month!  Time will tell.  I'm well prepared for today to not be the fix as well.  

I think that is it for today.  

I already have my first extra kiddo for the day, and I'm on the finishing stages of fixing a computer.  

So I'm short on time today.  I'll be back tomorrow ;) 

 I hope you all have an awesome day!

***UPDATE***
My washer is fixed!  The repair man left with a smile on his face!  Now to get it clean smelling again ;)  After having the washer sit with water in it, since it couldn't spin out, it has been left a little on the musty side :/  I can't wait to do laundry in my own house this afternoon!

Field Trips :)

Yesterday, the homeschool kids went on a field trip to Countryside Vet Clinic in Lowville.  The trip was so much more than I think any of us anticipated.  Dr. Deanna Fuller did an amazing job with the kids!  It was very informative, the girls learned a ton and she did so good keeping things at the kids' level.  Of course, I totally forgot to take my camera!  Thankfully a good friend of mine has a nice camera on her phone and she took some pictures for me!  

Our next field trip is in a couple weeks and I can't wait!

Little Helper :)

Beaker thought Madalyn needed some help with her school work the other day!

I'm so glad she is doing well since loosing her sister.  Her attachment to the girls has been a lifesaver!

Relaxing day

I don't know how it is in everyone else's homes, but here at the Benedict household, we don't get very many down days.  We are either running here or there, doing something that has needed to be done for a while or catching up with family or friends.  We VERY rarely have a day where we can just sit back and not have to be anywhere or do anything.  Granted there is always stuff to do around the house, but the other day we took a much needed "do nothing" day.  It felt great!  The girls built a fort in the middle of the living room...

And we all played monopoly...Daddy kicked all our butts!  LOL  

This is his loot.  I don't know if I have ever seen a game quite like this one.  It was fun :)

If you have some time today...

Sunday, during our afternoon service, we listened to a sermon by Dr. David Gibbs.  I can't get it out of my head.  Have you ever listened to a message that just sticks with you and God keeps using it again and again?  If you have never heard David Gibbs, he is very down to earth.  His messages are practical and simple.  He challenged us Sunday to remember that one of our most important jobs on earth as a Christian is to make God look good.  Most of us will go through life failing at that.  But, sometimes it helps before we open our mouths to remember that we may be the only witness that person, that we are getting ready to give a piece of our mind to, will ever see.  I know its 40 minutes long, and I know everyone varies in their "taste" in preachers but even if you just turn him on and listen to him while you do the dishes, I promise you won't regret it!

Today...

We woke up to a cold house this morning.  I guess it was time to stop pretending what is coming and turn the heat on :(  Oh well, we didn't pretty good holding out.  The house was 63 and I would have been good with holding out a little longer but with extra kids being at the house, I don't want to make them freeze because I'm cheap!  LOL  So it is on.  

In other news, I'm supposed to be getting my washer fixed today.  I'm praying that the ordered parts do the trick.  I'm not sure what the plan is if they don't.  We have been without a washer for over 3 weeks now and I'm ready to have mine back operational!  I'm so thankful for everyone who has been so kind to us in allowing us to use their machines.  I'm also thankful that a few months ago when the bearings went on our 8 year old machine that we got a service plan through them.  That means I'm not paying anything for a year of repairs and at this point in time we are getting our money's worth!  

This morning it hit me as I was sharing a bed with both dogs that Molly is 10 months old already!  In 2 months, she is going to be one and Chloe will be 8!  Which means this coming year,  Marissa will be turning 10, Beaker 10 as well, and Madalyn will be turning 8.  Oh man ... time sure does fly!  Funny how when you are a kid time takes forever, but as an adult it just sails right by.  

Another reason to take one day at a time and enjoy every second!

So thankful!

I don't know how long I've been babysitting for...I suppose it starts back when I was 13 in Western NY.  Through the years of watching kids, I've heard some horror stories.  Yet I have always been so blessed.  I always worry when I start watching a new kid, especially one I don't know outside of babysitting, that I won't be able to bond with him/her.  I usually get very attached to my extra kids and it makes watching them that much easier.  But I always worry about what happens if I can't for some reason?  I'm thankful I've never had that problem so far.  It makes when they stop coming that much harder and I still miss the kids I  have had in the past.  Today, I'm so thankful for my extra kids.  Last night as I was putting dinner on the table and I was listening to the kids talk back and forth, I just felt very blessed.  God has been very good to me.  Many know that we have a heart to have more children through adoption, but right now, that just isn't possible.  But last night I realized I have a blessing right in front of me with these kids and every time they are at the house, I get blessed.  I love each and everyone of them and am so thankful that God allowed me to be doing what I'm doing and loving every second of it.

Playing

They did so good!

Marissa is a lot quieter so you might want to turn your volume up for her...yet again shows the difference between my two girls ;)

Next step is to put it together a little more so that you can tell what they are playing!

Lessons

Madalyn has been asking for a while if she could play Doug's guitar.  The other night he brought it out and started teaching her a few things about it.  

Then Marissa wanted a turn.  She started out thinking it was easier to hold it like this but then switched.  

They started out with Away in a Manger ;)  Daddy had to show them how it was done.  

I'll post video of them soon!

Time to think...

Have you ever had something happen to you that made you stop and think?  We all have I'm sure.  A lot of times it results in helping us realize what we have and what we should be extra thankful for.  The past couple weeks I have had one of these moments on going.  I've been almost 2 weeks without a washer.  When it initially broke I didn't think anything of it.  But as the days went on...I didn't realize how spoiled I was!  Having Doug working out of town pretty steady here lately mixed with our busy schedules on the weekends, doesn't leave for much time to get his laundry done before he needs it again on Monday.  I've had a little bit easier time keeping up with the girls' laundry, but even that isn't convenient.  I'm so grateful for the people that have offered me their machines so that I'm not having to run to the laundromat.  I'll be another week without it and I'm praying that this actually fixes it.  Until them, I'm going to use this time to help me remember to be thankful for what I have.  I get in a state of mind sometimes where I'm just going through the motions and don't really stop to realize everything God does for me on a daily basis.  I'm going to try and use this time to stop and thank Him.  I have quite the list of things that I have been blessed with!

How we change batteries...

 ...in our smoke detectors.  All you need is a kid to do all your dirty work ;)  They love it and it saves you from needing to get a chair!

LOL

And Chloe will be super happy that the detectors won't be chirping for a while. 

 She HATES that sound!

Problems with having a big dog...

...who thinks she is small.  Forget being big, I guess I really don't want any dog sitting on my head!  LOL  We had to get a picture before telling her to get down ;)

(Excuse my jammies)

Goodbye ;(

Yesterday, October 8th, 2014, we said goodbye to Cali.  She was one of our first cats as a married couple and has been with us since Marissa was about 6 months old.  She was a beautiful girl with an awesome personality.  She had a few quirks that we will never forget.  Every morning when I go to shower and she isn't racing me for the bathroom to chase the drops, I'll think of her.  I'll never forget her crazy nursing off her tail habit.  I'll miss coming out into the living room and seeing her cuddled up in my chair with her littermate Beaker.  She was all in all just a really awesome cat.  She will be really missed by us all, but I'm thankful she had a good life.  

Busy Day

While the kids were resting with Daddy, Beth and I were busy with squash....loads and loads of butternut squash.  I didn't think it looked like that much till we started cutting it up.  Beth was so sweet to come over and help us can some.  We got 14 quarts done and then the rest fit in the freezer.  I'm so thankful to have that all done!  

We are officially ready for winter :)

How many kids...

...can you fit on a couch?  As many as needed when Daddy (Mr. Dougy) is home :)  We were blessed by Doug's boss on Thursday when he was told to take Friday off and enjoy his family.  I was already committed to babysitting and getting squash put in the freezer and of course Doug didn't care!  So we both got a bunch of stuff done around the house.  But come the afternoon, Doug started getting tired so he put on a motocross race and got comfy.  Pretty soon his lap was full :)  So cute!

From lazy to crazy

We went from our lazy afternoon to a crazy night!  Chloe is too mature to take part in this craziness, but the other three girls were in a drop down drag out three way tug of war!

Too much fun!  Probably wasn't the smartest thing to allow moments before they were supposed to be in bed, but sometimes it just happens!  It just took them a little while longer to settle down in bed than normal!  I love my girls!

Lazy Afternoon

When we got home from our field trip, I had a headache so I laid down to see if I could get rid of it.  Molly thought I needed to share the couch!

Chloe was sunning herself in one of her favorite places.

It even continued later on....

Crazy to think she is going to be 7 in a couple months and 

she still loves this thing and snuggles with it!

And this one is just plain SPOILED!  Rotten even ;)

Field Trip

Tuesday we headed to a local horse farm for a field trip on horse care :)  It was nice to be around that smell again!  Look at this view!!!

The farm is an old standardbred race horse farm.  The owner still has a few standardbreds there.  He then rents the area he doesn't need to a riding stable that does lessons and trail rides.  We started out spending some time outside with those horses.  They of course have some burdocks on them but they were beautiful regardless.  

She was my buddy :)  She kept chasing everyone else away from me so she could stand next to me.  I didn't have anything for her but she must have thought so!

Once the field trip started, we were divided into 3 groups.  They had 3 informational stations that we rotated through.  This was our first one and it was on tacking a horse and some safety information.  

I didn't take many pictures in this station, but the kids learned about the gaits of a horse.  

This is Tank :)

After the station was done, each of the kids got to walk Tank using what they had learned so far about safety.

Madalyn wasn't sure she wanted to, but she has a huge smile on her face once she did!

Then we moved to our last station which was on grooming. 

Before we left I had to go visit their Pinto/Morgan cross.  He was beautiful and had the most worried look to him.  Made me want to jump on him and go for a ride.

The girls loved this field trip and came home and went right into playing with their horses and stable.