sleep exhaustion

Am I sleeping TOO much?

A couple weeks ago I took a sleep test, digging deep into the way my body sleeps.

The results are in.  I do not have sleep apnea.  I do not have narcolepsy.  I do not have restless leg syndrome.  My oxygen levels are great.

But...the graphs showed that I rarely went into deep sleep, sometimes I was in middle sleep, and most often I stayed in very light sleep...a recipe for exhaustion.

Since I did not have any specific diagnosis of why my brain is not going into deep sleep, the dr. went over suggestions for setting up my surroundings and my body to get good sleep.  (Because I've researched this many times in the past, I was already quite familiar to them and had adapted most into my routine).

One new suggestion she had was to limit my sleep (overall time laying down in bed).  Since my brain stays too much in light sleep we are going to try and break the cycle by making my body crave sleep more.   

I have to stay up later.  2 hours later.

It will take a good month to see any progress.

oh, the words he says!

Jeremy comes up with the funniest words!  

He is constantly talking and asking questions.  Often he doesn't think about it, he just talks. 
Like when we're right around the corner from our house:  "Are we almost home, Mom?"
Even when he was still in Haiti, as a 2 & 3 year old, we were told that he would talk and talk....to anyone who would (or wouldn't) listen!  :)

Today we went out grocery shopping.

As we were picking out meat for dinner I put some chicken in the cart. 
Jeremy asked, "Chicken comes from lions, right Mom?" 
Smiling, I said, "From lions?!"  "You asked if chickens, CHICK-ENS, come from lions?"
Jeremy: "They do?"
Then I asked very slowly stressing one word in particular,  "What do chi-ck-ens come from?"

"Meat?"  He asked. 

:)

Once finished, and getting into the car, Jeremy was clapping his hands and slapping his thighs. 
"Mom,"  he said,  "I'm playing poddy-cake."
Me:  "PODDY-cake?!" 

"Uhhhhh,   nooooooo, actually we call it PADDY-cake."

:)

pictures

Puddles for Christmas?

A Dog for Christmas

 Angela has a heart that breaks for homeless animals. 
We've talked about getting another dog but have been waiting for a good time.  I am home a lot and things are pretty low-key around here so we decided we'd surprise Angela and get her a dog from the SPCA for Christmas.

We've had her for almost 2 weeks.
This little puppy has been a wonderful addition!


She is about 5 months old.
She rarely barks. 
She sleeps all night in her crate. 
She knows the system of going outside to do her business.
She is gentle and submissive.

Her name is Puddles.

 She loves curling up in any lap available.

She even helps with the laundry:

She helps us find all the paper airplanes Joshua has been busy making (and she tears them to shreds):

She's even helped remove small plastic toys off the ground for me.  (of course I have to remove them from her mouth...)

Izzy has accepted her into the family and they often sleep next to each other. 

I was a little hesitant at the thought of caring for a new puppy.  But she has been a lot easier than expected!

Run Well

Andrew completed his second marathon.

He has been dedicated and consistent in his training.  

He ran great, even though he was dealing with a head cold.

Andrew has been a great example to me of perseverance, dedication and focusing all his energy on a goal.
  He sacrificed many mornings to wake up before 5am to run.  Everything he ate and drank, and every activity he did, leading up to the race, he measured against how it would effect his running.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win.  

And everyone who competes in the games exercises self control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 

Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 

But I buffet my body and make it my slave lest possible, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

Often we loose focus of what our goal is in this temporal life.   

What would happen if we focused on the goal, the eternal goal: loving God and out of our love for Him we can't help but love others...and measured everything we did against how it would effect our goal?

There were quite a few people from our church (the Well) running in the race...so this sign has double meaning!

Having the support of family friends is essential!

Galations 6:9-10 Let us not loose heart in doing food for in due tie we shall reap if we do not grow weary, so then while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Revelation 3:21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Run Well.

Pumkin Patch

 A day at the pumpkin patch...a day with cousins

 The kids got to run free and feel adventurous

 and pick out their own pumpkins, cutting it right off the plant

I think this was the cutest pumpkin of all:

 

a wagon to carry

 A corn maze to hide and seek

 Cousin Fun

 Tire swings...hay ride

A great afternoon!  

It was a windy day and cool weather.  


My wonderful Mother in Law arranged the event and even brought yummy snacks.

My head wasn't doing too well so that was frustrating.  But it didn't affect the fun that the kids got to enjoy with each other.

Fall Planting

 About a month ago Andrew surprised me and brought home a green house house type container and a bunch of seed packets.

 First we soaked the small sections of dirt:

 Then we worked together to drop the seeds inside each section of dirt:

 Andrew labeled each row of seeds and put them in the container:

 We put them in a place where they could get sunshine and we watered them every couple of days...

...and waited...

...and waited...

...and waited... 

Then we saw the seeds begin to sprout.  

What an exciting day!

Now the plants are growing leaves and getting stronger:

 Soon we'll move the plants outside, they will grow stronger and fuller and be ready to transplant into the ground.