Oh, What A Week It Has Been!

Hello there, fellow bloggers!!! :) Long time, no hear from me! LOL! :) It has been a long and crazy week! So much has been going on - where do I start??!! :) I guess I will start at the beginning (wherever that may be)! LOL!
First off, on Sunday (last week), we threw my aunt (my dad's sister) a surprise party! My aunt's daughter, Michelle, passed away two yrs. ago this past January 29th! Michelle had five children, three of which were young (around Jackson's age). Michelle's brother, Ronnie, took the three youngest children to live w/him the past two years! Bless his heart!!! Truly!!!! There was NO WAY my aunt could have taken them, the last two years, due to her grief! She was barely hanging on herself! Long story short, Ronnie just had a slight breakdown himself! He needed a break from the kids after two long years. The three grandchildren moved in w/my aunt! She is happy to have them, but it is a lot of extra work and money!! My aunt and her husband, Jimmy, live in a small house and they are all doing the best they can! It is a change for everyone and the kids still terribly miss their mom!!! You can imagine! They are two girls (Taylor, age 12 and Jenny, age 10) and one boy (RJ, age 9). On top of all of this, Michelle's oldest child, Amber, age 16, has been living w/my aunt as well!!! So..........although my aunt is thrilled to have them, it is just sooooo much work (my aunt is in her 50's and is tired after working all day, and then, coming home to kids). And it costs a lot of money for "4" children!!!!! So.........the surprise party was so cool b/c we all brought things like toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, laundry detergent, cups, plates, etc. People even brought money and gift certificates, too! It was a great success and she was sooooo surprised!!! :)) Please keep this family in your prayers!!!! Thanks!!!! Oh, also, back to me, (hee hee) - my aunt had called me the Friday before her surprise party and had me keep the kids overnight!!! I was happy to do it, but had so much work to do for the party (which, of course, she had no idea about)! I am telling you, this past week has been soooo long, I can't even remember everything!!!!! :)
On Monday and Tuesday, I babysat. Doesn't sound hard, and it's not, just more work and entertaining to do. Mark and I are also working on Jackson's school yearbook. This has really been awesome and we are a good team working together, but it is soooo much work putting it all together. We still have so much more to do! And........I will be showing it off once it is all done (the yearbooks will be passed out on May 16th), so be ready for me to show you!!!!! :)
Jacob had a dentist appt. on Wednesday. Jackson had a dermatologist appt. on Thursday and also an eye appt. on Friday!!!! It never stops!!! The dermatology appt. was difficult b/c it was it second one (he had it done once last month and the biopsy came back as atypical). I have come to find out that that simply means "odd," but it is scary when talking about your child (scary for anyone, but especially your child)! They had to give him a shot in his chin (and it hurts) and remove more of the mole (go deeper and wider) and, also, biopsy it again. We should get these results back in about a week or so. Please be praying for this as well!!!! Thanks!!!! :) Jackson did very well. They had me give him some children's pain reliever and he said that did help. I think it made him drowsy and that helped! Either way, he did soooo good and I am soooooo proud of him!!!!
Then, yesterday, we had to go to my other aunt's birthday party for her grandbaby (my other cousin's little girl). It was at the Grove City roller rink. It was fun, but noisy, and I, of course, had a migraine!! :) Figures!!!! :)
Today, we worked on the yearbook some more. So...........I feel like I am, either not home, or working on the yearbook if I am home. We need to have the proofsheets ready by this Friday. Man, I am feeling the stress!!!!!!!! :) Just pray, pray, pray!!! We are leaving for Arizona in three weeks and I am looking forward to that, but it is also stressful in its own way! I am trying to only think positive about it, but every now and then, stressful thoughts come creeping in! I guess that is normal!
So........that is my week in a nutshell. There is way more to tell, but it would be waaaaay toooooo looooong! I hope my fellow bloggers are all doing well. I know you all have your stresses going on in your own areas. This is a big month for Miranda. She has finals and starting a new class and it also being the 1st anniversary of her dad!!!! I am thinking of your family and praying for you all!!!!! Miss Carrie has a wedding coming up and, I know from experience, that a bride can feel like she just might have a permanent breakdown! I know it will all come together and be beautiful!!! I can't wait to see pictures, Carrie!!!! :) I know that Steph's friend's family was in a car accident! How are they all doing??!!
So, we are all under stress in some way or another!!!! Which reminds me of a saying I think I posted once before: "be kinder than necessary b/c everyone is in their own pain!" I don't know if I quoted it exact, but close enough! I am thinking of each and every one of you!!!! Hang in there!
One more quote and I gotta run: "When God closes a door, he always opens a window." Sometimes it is harder to find that window than others, but, I believe, it is there! You will find it! Just hang on!!!!!
Love ya'll!!!!!! :)