Struggling

I have been struggling lately with knowing when to expect right and wrong from others.  I guess that I just expect it from certain people, you automatically think that those who follow Jesus are going to do right by you or at least try, but unfortunately it doesnt always work out that way, and I find it difficult to explain this to the kids, it is soo much easier for them to understand society and how it works, because you know what to expect and you dont get your hopes up for something that never happens. By no means are we perfect, but we do make the efforts to right our wrongs, but at some points we do have to wipe our hands clean and lead our lives so that we do not hurt anymore. You at some point have to protect yourself from the dissappointment. And that makes me very sad for not only myself but for my kids. Stepping up and making the effort to mend broken relationships to no avail is very disappointing. But what it does boil down to is that when you get right down to it the only person that you can rely on is yourself and GOD.  So I am making a promise to myself today that I will do my best to not make idle promises and I will always try my hardest to do right no matter how hard it is, in the last few months that I worked I was asked to comprimise my morals as a healthcare worker and to do what I believe was truely wrong by a patient, and although it was not a popular decision by administration or for monies by the facility I did what was right by the patient and by GOD and what I would have wanted for my family member and although it didnt make me a popular employee I fealt at peace  with my decision and I also fealt right with GOD. That is the kind of decisions I need to always make and follow through with. I am not good at alot of things in life, I am horrible with money, I am horrible at decorating, I am horrible at showing emotion, I am horrible at painting, I am horrible at getting up early, I am horrible at keeping a clean house, I am horrible at alot of things, Sometimes I really dont know what I am good for, but I promise to Love my kids more than anything in this world till the day I die, and I promise to always try to do right by God!!

Christmas Traditions

Every year the kids and I sit around the table and make Christmas cookies. As the kids grow and mature I notice the differences in them and how the like to enjoy Christmas but they always enjoy this activity. Aiden is still so full of excitement and joy and cant wait to decorate, for him it is about color and sprinkles, for Kenzie it a precise art and making sure it looks just right, for Dalton well he just really wants to eat it, Hunter wants to make it look good but more so would like to just get it done To Avery each cookie is a masterpiece I am not sure she will ever eat hers. And then we always make chocolate covered pretzel rods, my favorite and sooo yummy and they freeze so well, so they can be enjoyed later throughout the year.  You know this activity really doesnt take that much time, so I wonder why we dont take more time out of our days and do more of these family activities together.  I have really enjoyed McKenzie being home for Christmas Break it has kinda been like old times, it is hard to believe that things will never be the same, with her being away for her last years of high school and then off to college this is really it, I can only hope that she will come home for a year or two after college but I know McKenzie well and she is very independent and a strong girl who will take this world by the horns and I know she is ready, but it still makes me sad, my baby girl is grown up, and I really miss her, I hope she knows how much I Love her and Cherish her and always will!!! As I do all of my kids, I am soo not ready to let go of my babies. So I guess this time of year we all should cherish the time we have with our loved ones. I dont know if I do everything right, but I know that I am doing my best and I hope that , that is good enough, so in years to come I hope my kids (all of them) come home and keep the traditions going.

Learning

Aiden and Bills birthday is today, however we celebrated it on Friday with a Thanksgiving meal, per Aidens request LOL, Sooooo I made my very first turkey and it turned out delicious if I do say so myself, in addition we had corn caserole, mashed potatoes, gravy noodles and stuffing, cake and ice cream and dirt pudding, we were all stuffed to say the least.  It is soo hard to believe my baby is 8 yrs old already, it just seems like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital. He is such a blessing to have around, and never a day goes by that he doesnt make us smile. The girls had a wonderful learning experience today at their horse bowl practice, we disected a pig heart today, it was great getting to show them all the chambers and vessels and arteries of the heart and explaining the blood flow to them, they got to actually see and understand exactly what happened to G-pa Packard several years ago. Thanks sooo much to Karen Lehe for supplying the pig and cow hearts and sharing her expertise with us.

Aidens Birthday

Christmas is almost here......Wow how time flies!!! In a few days my baby will be 8. It is sad to think he is growing up. It just seems like yesterday Bill and I were making the calls to everyone telling them we were expecting for the 5th time.  I remember vividly some not so supporting and hurtful comments that were made.  Sometimes people dont agree with your decisions or they dont understand them, but this was one decision I KNOW we got RIGHT !!!  Aiden is the light of my life, and the most amazing son I could ask for, not a day goes by that he doesnt make me smile.  He is always thinking of others and is sooo loving. GOD has blessed us soo much!! This weekend we made homemade horsetreats with our horsebowl and hippology team at Rosebud ranch in Brookston it was a blast and the horses loved the treats, we are gonna have to start making these at home, these would be great gifts for our horsey friends. The kids and I are going to make some treats for the animals in the shelter in cass county for Christmas this year, I usually go buys some cat and dog treats and toys but I thought it might be nice to make some this year , so I am looking for ideas if anybody has any. Just a few more days and then Kenzie will be home for almost a month I cant wait!! I hope she doesnt get bored though, I know she is used to her school schedule. Around this time of year you hear alot about people helping other people out and volunteering their time I would like to challenge everyone as we should be doing these things all year round and not just at Christmas time, I know we are going to make a greater effort this year. I have recently discovered the online garage sale sites on facebook and I am soo addicted, we are trying now to raise funds for stalls for the horses so selling our unwanted things on here is helping, it is amazing what modern day technology has come to. The kids are looking forward to a break in homeschooling for Christmas Break, I am trying to talk them into continueing through so we can get out earlier in the year, but I think they are ready for the break.

We survived Thanksgiving, now it is time to get back to the grindstone for 3 more weeks, then it will be Christmas Break, Yesterday Bill and the boys took off the shooting range, Aiden is quite the marksman, he had to bring his target he shot home and put it up on the wall, this is something Bill, Dalton and Aidn all like to do and I think it will keep them busy this winter while Motocross is on break. The girls and I went to Indy to go to Wine and Canvas to paint pictures, their works or art turned out beautiful they are now hanging on my bedroom wall. Then we went shopping at the Keystone mall with some friends, it was a blast to get out with friends. I have been doing quite of bit of trail riding with the girls and 2 days ago we went out on a Advanced ride , it was a total blast, we took the horses up hills that were very steep with trees fallen down that the horses had to jump over, also we trotted the whole time as well as some pretty deep water crossing, I am not gonna lie, even though I have been riding alot I woke up extremely sore the next day. So sore that no amount of Tylenol and Ibuprofen would work, so I did the next best thing........yep you guessed it CUPCAKES lol, it works everytime. Not the best treatment for someone with Diabetes but sometimes you just gotta go with it. The kids are having fun putting up the tree, I told them to decorate it however they wanted, so they get all the ornaments on and then come ask me if they were supposed to put the garland on before or after the ornaments...........OOPS!!! guess I should have told them that first. LOL Hope everybody has a wonderful Christmas

Responsibility

So I have been battling insomnia and this have given me time to research homeschool companies, today I took off for Lafayette to view Abeka's program, we really like the program and are hoping to use them for all the kids next year it will be nice to have all the kids using the same programs. Also we had some more pictures taken of the girls and their horses and the boys and their dirt bikes, while taking photos it actually started snowing, sooo not ready for that. The kids have been working on saving their money for various things, I have been teaching them responsibility by requiring them to help pay for their hobbies, with Dalton he is saving for a trip to Monster Mountain this winter to help with his training. And the girls paid for their drainage system so hopefully the pasture will dry out and the horses wont have to traspe through mud all the time, now if we could get a little dry weather to finish it. Also with the remainder or any more they make they are either going to purchase new blankets for the horses or buy Avery a new saddle which she needs desperately, we had to resort to duct tape on her old one LOL. Mckenzie will have a week off next week and I can not wait, we miss her terribly. It will sooo nice to have her home, she is bringing a friend home Friday, Emily is her roommate and a great friend to her, she has brought Kenzie out of her shell, which is a blessing, Kenzie doesnt usually go out or do much (not that I am complaining) but a teenager needs to have fun!!! And her and Emily def. do that. And its good clean fun even better. I am going in for a surgical procedure next week, I pray they can figure this stomach issue out, tired of the pain. Here are some of the pictures taken , none of Kenzie this time as she absolutely hates her pic taken.

Drainage system

so the girls finally raised enough money to put the drainage system in and today is the day that the boys are putting it in, Bill brought the backhoe home today to dig the trench and Aiden wanted to give it a try, so Bill let him, well it only took Aiden by himself about 2 minutes to figure it out and he has been digging ever since, Aiden I would have to say is not your average 7 year old, he is so mechanically inclined, he always figures stuff like this out without instruction, he never ceases to amaze me, he and Dalton and like 2 peas in a pod, although they struggle with reading they difiintely make up for it with common sense and mechanical abilities....these boys are gonna make someone wonderful spouses someday, yesterday Aiden and I made puppy chow for a cooking homeschool adventure and today the excavating with Bill is another homeschooling learning adventure........who says school can not be fun??? Our mini pot belly pig is settling in quite well, she loves the cats, I cannot wait till Bill has time to build her a house so we dont have to worry about her getting cold or rained on, right now we have to keep her in a crate when not with us or in the fence. In the last week I took the girls trail riding twice, it was a blast, I dont usually get to ride, but when we go to crooked creek they always loan me one of their horses, I got to canter and I havent done that since I was young, it was a blast i cant wait to do it again, makes me feel like a kid again!!

Trail riding

Yesterday the girls and I went trail riding, I had a blast I havent cantered on a horse since I was a kid I cant wait to do it again, I have ridden just not cantered. The flu is going around our house uggg Bill brought it home from the Motocross track, it is nice of them to share NOT!!!!!!!!!!! Aiden has been begging for a piglet, I wouldnt be opposed if it were to be shown and sold at 4-h. but I know it would become a pet and butchering would be out of the question. I am soo proud of my girls they have raised over $500.00 on their own to be able to put a drainage system in the pasture, this will make it alot better for the horses as now everytime it rains all the neighboring properties drain onto ours and flood it and only leaving small areas for the horses to go to. we have been pumping the water off, getting this drainage in will be a huge blessing. I was impressed with how well Bentley and Sassy behaved on the trails , this is only Bentleys 2nd time ever , he absolutely loves the water crossings, so much though that he would love to stop and roll LOL. Sassy just takes it all in stride and takes care of Avery like she is her mother. I cant wait till I have my own horse, so I dont have to borrow one of crooked creeks, yes we do have 4 horses already but I dont feel comfortable on them , they are all above my skill level (except Sassy, but she is Avery's ride) Hopefully Brody will be more my speed, but he is not old enough to break yet, and I really doubt he will be calm enough for my liking until he is older, but the girls are more experienced and can handle the more excitable horses. Hope everybody has a Happy Halloween!!

Fall

So Fall is definitely upon us, not sure how I feel about this but guess it doesnt matter because it is here to stay, the girls are determined to raise enough money theirselves to either pay for a drainage system to be put in the pasture as everytime it rains it floods, or they are wanting to replace the horses winter blankets, so they have put together a list of things they want to sell and have been picking up varous chores to earn money, I think it is a great idea and appreciate all the help they are giving.  Aiden and Dalton have been spending time at Grandma and Grandpa Packards alot helping with different projects, they love to help them out, Dalton especially, he doesnt think they should be doing any manual labor LOL. He is afraid they will get hurt. My boys are so thoughtful and are so protective over their grandparents, now if only they were like that here at home LOL. Dalton is trying to save money as he would like to pay for a trip to Monster Mountain this February, this is a place where he can practice motocross in the winter in Alabama, he would like to stay  at least a week, we will do our best to make that trip happen as long as he does his part. It will be just me and Dalton going, as Bill will not be able to get the time off work. We will definitely be taking his homeschool work with us, so as not to get behind. The horses winter coats are already grown in, I cant believe it is that time of year already, it is time to get Christmas shopping underway, I already have some stuff for McKenzie. But this year will be a challenge with me not working anymore, but the payoff is soo worth it, the kids are thriving in their homeschooling..........they absolutely love it, and they are all ahead of where the public school system is and we have only been doing it for a short time. I pray everyday that I am doing everything right and that God blesses us with in our daily life and keeps our children healthy, happy, and safe. I have been thinking alot lately about finding a church that fits our family, we need to start visiting new churches, we feel one with a younger minister with a family like ours would fit us best, one that is not judgemental. We just need to get out there and explore,with Motocross coming to a halt for the winter this should be an easier task to complete. If anyone has any suggestions, we would love to hear from you. We do still love our old church, however we do want to explore other options, perhaps one that we may "fit" better in. We would love our kids to enjoy fellowship with other children their age and with similar interests. I know the right Church is out there!!! Well Good Night All and Bless you All.

Answered Prayers

So since my last post we did figure out a way to start homeschooling the girls as well, (answered prayers)!! They are doing great....Hunter likes it so much she works ahead at this rate she will graduate by time she is 15 or 16 I am gonna have to slow that girl down LOL, but she loves it....expecially Math!! Her goal is to attend the Indiana Academy as well, I have no doubt with her determination and work ethic that she has the ability to do just that!! We went to meet with Kenzies teachers for conference today, and Kenzie has once again never ceased to amaze us with her responsiveness and wonderful ethic and mind. They all said she was wonderful and a very talented student and that she was right where she belonged!! We are soo very proud of her.  So not only is Bills brother and his wife going to adopt but my brother and his wife are expecting again, so hopefully there will be 2 neices coming, but healthy is all that matters. I soo cant even imagine having another child at this time in my life. But happy for everybody else around me. Avery and I both are battling Pneumonia.........ughhh!! Not a fun time, Bill is leaving for England in the morning and we think he may be coming down with it as well, not a good thing, so hopefully I can convince him to go to the express med in the Am before he has to catch his flight!! Unfortunately he cant reschedule!! So Kenzie is home this weekend............HAPPY!!! we miss her soo much, I dont know what I will do if she goes to college out of state. After losing 30 lbs my blood sugar levels are down to normal and my liver function is back to normal as well!!! Woohoo!! Still need to lose alot more but 30 lbs in 6 weeks is pretty good, I guess I cant expect it all to come off that fast. Our fieldtrip went well to Mississenew1812, Aiden enjoyed it the most, I believe they learned alot, however it was ALOT of walking, but the weather was wonderful. Trying to figure out a fieldtrip for November, thinking maybe about the museum or an aquarium..........any ideas???? The girls are going to stay with Kenzie in 2 weeks for little sibs weekend, they should have fun.   

Homeschooling and a New Niece

Homeschooling is still going well, no major mishaps yet!! And I believe that the boys are actually getting more out of it than they did in public school. I wish I had the funds to go ahead and start the girls now too! They are begging me, and really it is not fair, hopefully God will answer our prayers and everything will work out. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Jeff and Sara Packard on the upcoming adoption of a baby girl!! Cant wait to meet the little gift from God!! I know that it will be a long haul and a difficult journey for them and we will pray that everything goes smoothley for them and that God watches over the baby and keeps her healthy and safe for them.  I cant imagine how hard it is going to be to wait for such a precious gift, we will pray for patience for their family, I know God will look out for them and everything will work out the way it is supposed to. We are looking forward to some down time as Motocross comes to an end Oct. 30th for the season. Bill will hopefully get a much needed break. But in the meantime he will be making a trip to the UK for his job. What a wonderful opportunity to explore other cultures, hopefully he can bring back some information to share with the kids. I have to tell you having the 2 boys home all day is a big change, it is like having 2 toddlers LOL as soon as their studies are done they are imediately wrestling, I am constantly on them to settle down. I guess this is the way boys bond..........LORD HELP ME!!! I thought teaching them was gonna be the hard part. Oh yah and I dont dare take a nap, the minute I drift off, it sounds like cannons going off or they come in asking 20 questions. I LOVE MY BOYS!!! Like father like sons!!! Is it illegal to give them Nyquil for lunch LOL?????  October 8th we will be taking a trip to Marion to the Mississenew 1812 reinactment for one of our homeschooling field trips!! I have a feeling Aiden will enjoy it more than Dalton but none the less it should be a very educational event!! I will try to get pictures and post later. Aiden is very excited to learn about "Olden Day' guns and cannons, he thinks that he should get to shoot!!  I DONT THINK SOO!!! I cant wait to watch the battles on horseback, I cant imagine my horses not spooking from all the gunshots. It better not rain that day!!

A few weeks ago I quit my job, I was very emotional and upset about it, I was frightened by the unknown. I have been going through alot in these last couple of years. Most of it not noticable to the naked eye. I have been fighting with myself about my mothering, wifely and financial duties to this family. I believe I was kidding myself to think that I could do all of these things well. I had no problem doing all of these things but to do it well and to be fare to everybody as well as myself was not possible. I fealt that if I didnt do it "all" that I was less of a person and that I was letting everyone down. I still dont have everything figured out, but I am hoping that I am on the right track. Some days I am more sure than others. I am not sure I will ever have it all figured out, but I will always be trying to better myself for my family and for myself. That is the hardest thing......to allow myself time for 'myself' I have always concentrated on making everyone else happy and have forgotten about myself. However when my children are happy I am happy!! But I have learned sometimes my children have to make theirselves happy and that I must find time to make myself happy!! Homeschooling is going surprisingly well, I was expecting it to be soooo much harder than it is. I was sooo scared to mess up or not do it right. But I just dived in and actually it is kinda easy and fun, yes it is alot of work but the boys and are getting to bond, I cant wait to start the girls!! Now it has only been a few days, so I may not be so optimistic in a month from now, but we have committed to doing this for at least a year. Please pray for my sanity LOL.  

Romance tips from Jeff Foxworthy-- HILARIOUS

Well I am afraid Fall is upon us.  The kids are sick, the weather is cold and rainy. But on a brighter note I get to put out fall and Halloween decorations , this is my favorite time to decorate!!! Even more so than Christmas. We have one more horse show this year! Kinda sad to see the season pass, and racing outdoors will be over for Dalton by the end of October, a much needed break for Bill!!! Poor Avery got her braces yesterday so that means 4 Packard kids now have or have had braces, so that only leaves Aiden!! Boy will my checkbook be glad when all this is over with.  Kenzie is doing fantastic at the Academy!! So proud of her!! The rest of the kids are doing great in school as well!! I am doing my homework and researching lots of programs for next year, I have had the pleasure of talking to lots of homeschoolers and I am thankful for all their support and shared info. I really like the Bob Jones Un. Program as well as the Switched on Schoolhouse programs.... the latter is alot more reasonable price wise, but it will boil down to what fits the kid the best, I have 4 children that all learn differently, it would easier on me to have them all do the same programs but it wouldnt be fair to them, sooooo still got alot of thinking to do. Gonna meet with some more experienced homeschoolers as well as teachers at the public school to get everyones input before "I" make the final decision. Also here is a picture of Aiden enjoying his new dirtbike. He has only had it a short time and is already jumping, for some reason it doesnt scare me when Dalton does it, but it terrifys me when Aiden does, and I remember Dalton as his age doing the same thing, maybe it is because he is the baby, but quite possibly the toughest kid we have!!

My new JOB

So today I quit my job!!!! (sorry MOM I havent had a chance to tell you yet) what an emotional day to say the least!! Things were just not working out with my health and my work schedule to say the least! Everytime I thought I was well enough to go back to work, something else happened, and with only being part time (part time employees are not protected under FMLA or short term disiability, and they only allow your immediate supervisor so much leeway) it was only a matter of time before adminstration would have had to step in, soooo I made the hard decision and just quit, i think maybe this is Gods way of having me become a stay at home mom, here recently we have made the decision to homeschool our kids, this change in my schedule will make this so much more feasable. Also I really fealt here recently at work I was being asked to go against my morals and beliefs and spiritually I was having a very hard time with it. I still feel for the ones that are left behind that are still having to deal with these issues and I am praying for them, I hope everything works out for them!!  Anyone that knows me knows that I am not frugal,so please pray for me to learn to be more careful of my spending.......this is gonna be the biggest challenge LOL!!! I guess instead of giving away my kids clothing I must now sell it to buy more etc.... I am a giver by nature. To me this is therapy , whenever I am down or sad I shop or buy for someone and when I see them happy it makes me happy, some people do drugs...........I shop! So now I need to find a different habit............any ideas???? I dont drink, I dont smoke, I dont do drugs, I cant have sugar, I rarely cuss, I dont cheat, I dont go out, I would like to start riding horses but Avery wont let me on her pony boo hoo!!! Maybe Dalton will share his dirt bike with me FAT CHANCE LOL!!!!  Well heres to being a stay at home mom WoooooHOOO I think????? 

Homeschooling

So the kids are still begging to be homeschooled, somebody must have given them the false impression that it is easy and that they can sleep all day LOL. Well they might just get what they are begging for but I can promise you that with me at the realm it is not gonna be a bowl of cherries.  Looking at several curriculums, each kid learns dif. so we must choose the right one for each. Christian based is a must however. Some have thought in the past that I was against homeschooling, regardless of my reassuring, hopefully this decision puts those feelings to rest! Who knows maybe even foster some closer relationships!! So I ask that everyone pray that we have made the right decision for our children. We may not make this choice for the same reasons as others but we are going to make every attempt to embrace it,and take it day by day.  

So Kenzie has moved to the academy and the kids have started back to school. I am not sure how I feel about all of this. Kenzie is doing wonderful and adjusting nicely. She certainly does have lots of homework and reading however she has found a society where she fits perfectly and she can relate to. This makes her happy and therefore makes me happy!!! The rest of the kids are bound and determined that I should homeschool them!!! Ugghhhhhh!!!! I understand the pros and the cons and I realize that more and more people are doing it, however I am not so sure I have the patience for it. At this point in our children's lives they have already developed the social skills needed to be successful in life as well as found their place in society, I am just not sure this would be a good fit for our family!!! As I have said in the past I am not "against" homeschooling. Just not sure it is the answer, something always keeps holding me back from taking that plunge. Yes I do think maybe one on one attention can make for a better academic success, but also the life skills you learn at public school as well as learning how to adjust to different teaching styles as well as learning where you fall in society are equally important. I believe if you lack these skills that when you go to get jobs later in life you will lack the ability to get along with different types of people. And at that point yout employer could care less how "smart" you are. So there lies my concerns I wish my kids could grasp this and understand where I coming from. I want the best for then in life. The decisions I make for them I do not take lightly. Wish there was a easy answer or a way we could do both homeschool and public. Oh the trials and tribulations of parenting!!!!!

Sassy the bucking bronco

I cant tell you how proud of Avery I am a year ago this little girl didnt know the first thing about riding, and now she is working with probobly one of the most naughty but awesome ponies out there and never gets upset of scared and just sticks with her. Here is a picture of her latest stunts!! Avery must have velcro on her butt!! I dont know how this girl hangs on!! We love this pony to pieces not very many ponies can do all of the things she can do. Knowing that if she intended she could fully get Avery off her back, gives you a better understanding of her personality, she is one of those ponies that you just have to love!!!!!!! She is the best even though she is not perfect, she will be teaching kids to ride years from now, hopefully my grandkids    

Rabbit Condo

All the kids worked hard and long on the Rabbit Condo. I am not sure whether they got more paint on the Condo or themselves but none the less it is done and the cute bunnies and next years 4-h projects are enjoying the fruits of their labor,I think Aiden enjoyed it the most!! Here is a picture of the finished project! Also this is like TV for the Cats they just sit and stare. perhaps this is a little mean, but kinda funny too. LOL

Since our last post I have found out I am Diabetic what a life change this has been. At first it was a little depressing but I believe this will turn out to be a positive thing.  This will force me to eat healthy and therefore shed some lbs, and hopefully by next summer I will be riding horses right along with my girls!! Dalton has taken his motocross to the next level.......We are so proud of him he is doing what it takes to hopefully make it pro!! If he keeps up the good work I have no doubt that will happen!!! The girls have raked in 25 ribbons in the 3 shows they have attended thus far. pretty impressive!! The kids are enjoying their time off from school, and I would have to say I am too, it is nice not to have to worry about homework and grades for the few weeks of summer. Last week we took a trip to the Academy to finalize McKenzie's schedule and last minute paperwork for her upcoming 2 years there, it is sad to see her go off 2 years before we expected but we are sooo proud of her accomplishments, and I am positive the Academy will be a much better fit for someone of her Academic abilities!!! I took the plunge and traded in my Yukon XL for a new 2011 Dodge Ram truck it ended up being $100.00 a month cheaper and it is brand new with warrenty as well as ins. and plates are cheaper and it will haul horses much better!! I do miss my Yukon but the truck it a better fit for our family right now, and my Yukon was an 2007 with almost 80,000 miles on it. Well have a wonderful day and may you all be blessed. Have a wonderful 4th of July. 

Busy Weekend

Well we have been busy this weekend. Dalton was kicking butt until he blew up his bike. Took out the crank to. Girls have been taking cary of the rabbits and other animals. Tab is starting to feel better if she dosn't eat. Hope they find out what needs done soon. Well off to do more outside work.

Its been a while since I posted but of course we have been up to lots. The boys have been having a blast mowing grandma Packard's yard, they absolutely love working outside, now if I could get them boys to like housework I would have it made. Dalton's racing has been wonderful, he is getting faster every week. School is finally out for the kids, Kenzie is very excited about going to the Academy in the fall, it is kinda bittersweet, I am proud of her but sad to see her go so soon, I guess it is time to let her spread her wings. The girls attended a local horse show a couple of weeks ago and came home with 14 ribbons.......WOW!! Proud of them for all the hard work and dedication they have put in all year long, it certainly showed. In halter class Bently our Friesian Sport Horse stood there so still and behaved, I was sooo surprised, most horses of his young age dont seem to behave that well, but Hunter has put in the time with him and it showed.  Avery and Sassy did great even though she was her usual naughty pony self. Hunter and her Kentucy Mountain Saddle Horse did wonderful in the gaming portion as well, I was surprised because Hunter hasnt been able to work with her as much as she liked to ,  but Chrissy is just one of those horses you can pick out of he pasture and go, she is def. one of a kind and it seems that her and Hunter have developed a closer bond this year, Chrissy is one of those horses that is not particularly affectionate, however she has really started to respond to Hunter and her body language and you can really tell she cares for Hunter this year, it is so beautiful to watch. Well enough about the horses.  Aiden is sooo excited about the summer, he has been begging for another pool, we sold ours last year because noone used it and it always seemed to be green . But now everybody misses it Ughhhh!!! and I really dont want to get a Walmart Pool, I dont think that woud last with my kids I would like to get one from a regular pool dealer like we had, we should have just kept what we had, geez what a delima,.........now if I only had $ for this pool. I think the kids should pool all of their money and pay for it, I really think they have more $ than Bill and I. They work and are able to save all year round, lets see if they are willing to give up their stash LOL.    Here is a pic of the gorgous little Avery in her Western Wear at the Horse Show!

Hunter and Hunter over fences

This is Hunter and Bentley Saturday at a horse show, their first time at this height, was good enough to take 1st place!!!

Things are looking up!

We received some wonderful news today Dalton's heart is fine, the defect they thought they saw on his echo is not there, so whatever they saw is gone now, so for whatever the reason our prayers have been answered and we would like to thank everyone for keeping him in their thoughts. God has truely blessed us. Bill has been in Singapore since Friday and is definatly ready to come home, should be home Sat. night, I am sure he wll be very tired from the 12 hour time difference. But still a good experience for him, and also the kids , as they have had to learn to step up to the plate and help out a litlle more than usual.  Tomorrow Hunter will perform in a Band Concert she is sooo excited, Grandma and the girls took her shopping for a dress outfit to wear to it, while I was working 12 hours yesterday, she actually enjoyed shopping,(she normally will just wear whatever I bring home) . It is hard to believe this school year is almost over, kinda sad Kenzie will be leaving Pioneer so its kinda like her graduation at age 16. But moving on to bigger and better things at The Academy. Also hard to believe Hunter will go to the high school, Dalton will be a freshman, Avery will move upstairs at school to the 5th grade and Aiden will move to the 2nd grade................my babies are growing up. Just seems like yesterday Bill and I were fighing over whos turn it was  to get up with them at night. Like there was ever any question LOL.     

Horse show and Mx qualifier

Wow this last weekend was extremely busy even for us, LOL Dalton Bill and Kenzie were at Hangtime all weekend working and Dalton racing, he raced this weekend with more aggression than we have ever witness and was able to qualify for regionals........sooooo proud of him now hopefully on to Loretta Lynns. He has come so far these last 2 years, none of this would be possible without the kindness and help of the Reads and Klinger family. We are soo fortunate to call them our friends and family. The girls and I made a trip to the Hoosier horse park for their very 1st Combined Test (dressage,and jumping) they were absolutely wonderful, Hunter and Bentley placed 3rd and Avery and Sassy(the naughty pony LOL) placed 5th. So proud of my girls they never faltered they stuck right with it and finished the job. Bentley absolutely loved every minute of it, he has found his place in the show world, I believe he will excel in this field. Sassy as well is a great little jumper, she shows so much talent and seems to really enjoy it, now she just needs to submit to Avery and quit giving her such a hard time, but Avery doesnt seem to mind, she just keeps plugging away and never lets it bother her. As she gets stronger and more experienced that will all come, Everyone at the show kept commenting on how beautiful Bentley was and how cute Sassy was. the girls ate it up and I think the horses picked up on it too, as they showed off a bit. Aiden spent some quality time with Grandma, he preferred not to go to the track or the horse show. I think he just likes being spoiled by Grandma LOL, we

were all sooo happy to get home and see the little charmer, we missed him terribly, one of these days maybe he will show interest in a sport or activity and then we will be off in another direction Oh Lord Help Us LOL. Here is a video of Hunter and Bentley and their dressage portion of their combined testing. I would put more on but this high def. stuff takes forever.

Grid Work on Sassy and Bentley

The weather has been great the girls have been working hard with their horses getting ready for a show coming up. We have made several trips to Riley hospital in effort to get some answers on Dalton we are getting closer, they thnk he has a tethered spinal cord. They assure me this can be fixed, in the meantime they just keep adding medication , not sure what to think about all this. Trying to have faith in the Dr.'s and to trust they will do the right things.  Motocross is going extremely well, the Dr's have given us the go-ahead in this department for the time being. Here is a short video of the girls doing some grid work with Bentley and Sassy at one of their recent practices.

Wow, we have been extremely busy since my last post. Dalton has been doing fantastic at his motocross, we are headed to the Neurosurgeon tomorrow, we know that Dalton has Scoliosis, bulging discs and Spini bifida but are praying that his spinal cord is OK. I never thought I would be ok with my son having all these abnormalities but considering the other options it could be we are thankful. Yes Dalton will face some challenges alot sooner in life than alot of people have to, however he is a strong and determined young man and I have faith that God will be everpresent in his life and will guide Dalton and us to success. So wish us luck as we make the trip to Riley again, after this trip we wait to see the Cardiologist. The girls have been hard at work with their horses, they have been trying to teach Brody to lunge as he is getting very flabby and lazy LOL, Bentley, Chrissy and Sassy are coming along great watch out 4-hers. The girls competes in horsebowl and hippology state contest at Purdue on Sat. and did wonderful. Avery placed 5th individually out of approx. 50 kids on the hippology portion.and her team earned a 1st. Hunter did awesome as well her team placed 1st in Hippology and 3rd in the Horsebowl portion, proud of my girls for all their hard work and dedication. Mckenzie s getting excited about attending the Indiana Academy,Bill and I are proud but sad . She is an exceptional child and will do great but we will miss her tremendously.  Aiden is making great strides in school, he is soooo intelligent for his age, he is amazing he never ceases to amaze me, I can honestly say a day has not gone by since he was born that he has not made us laugh.........God was definitly good to us when he gave us these 5 wonderful children. This video pretty much sums up how I feel for my children and for my savior, better have a box of Kleenex ready.     

Trojan Raceway - 1st Race of 2011 - BIg Bikes

Had a busy weekend Dalton raced and did wonderful he placed 1st in all of his classes and holeshotted 3 out of 4 motos. Bill, Kenzie and I all worked at the track to offset the cost of his racing. We are so lucky they allow us to do that. The girls had some awesome riding lessons as well. They decided Mon. was PJ and bareback day, in other words they were to lazy to get dressed or saddle their horses. Now that the weather is good the girls and Dalton have been riding everyday. Here are some pics of the girls riding bareback as well as my Friesian cross looking very much like a purebreed and also our Gypsy Drum Colt who just turned 1 on the 19th....    

Dalton before he discovered Motocross 

Sooo ready for the weekend, Good times with Good friends!! Motocross! Motocross! Motocross! We are soo lucky to have such a great family of friends at the race tracks. It is so amazing how much compassion and selflessness people show at the track. We have met alot of wonderful people through the years, yes motocross takes alot of time and dedication by the whole family, but we all reap the benefits, not just Dalton, we have made life long relationships and are so Greatful for everyones openness and geniune compassion. We started out doing this for Dalton but dont tell him, we kinda like it too!! But every moment we spend with the kids is time well spent, even when they are being pains.LOL The weather today was so nice, Bill and the kids spent the day outside picking up sticks and doing the regular spring maintanence stuff that needed to be done. Had a pretty good day at work, I had a really uplifting moment today, I was so proud and admiring of a decision a patients family made today, it is so nice when people make selfless decisions and stand by their loved one's wishes, very often people cant see past their own suffering to put someone else first. It is always hard to see someone pass, but it is also one of the most beautiful and spiritually uplifting moments you can ever have or witness, earlier on in my career I wouldnt have said that but now I believe it is a honor to hold ones hand as they pass on, before I felt uncomfortable, but now with experiene under my belt and looking at the bigger picture in life you learn what is most important. There is only so much medicine can do and then you have to leave it to God! 

So yesterday was the opening race of the season for Dalton, he showed some fire and determination he has never shown before and rode really well, hopefully he will keep that up. Then they took off to Indy to watch supercross, Villopoto won this year!  Aiden is home with me today with a nasty cough, however now that he has thrown up and I have given him a breathing tx he is doing some better, glad I kept him home today, would have loved to watch Dalton race today though. Later have to pick up Avery and take the girls to Horsebowl and Hippology practice. Lots of laundry and dishes need to be done, however I chose to tackle my closet instead, it looks wonderful,  now lets see how long it lasts till it gets filled up again. Taking the boys to a new tutor tomorrow in Kokomo, hoping they can help the boys with their self confidence and reading. Tuesday Dalton will have his Echo and MRI we are praying that everything comes back normal. Well I know his MRI will not be normal but at least hoping his spinal cord is OK. Hunter went to church with Dale and Dorothy today and loved being back, she is such a wonderful and compassionate child, I am so blessed to have the children I do. I Love them all soooo much!      I have spring fever, I cannot wait till my Hydrangea's look like this again! Have a great day!

MCKENZIE

We finally got the phone call we have been waiting for. McKenzie has been accepted into the Indiana Academy..........We are sooo Proud of her. She is an amazing girl and we are sooo happy for her. It is mind boggling to think that she will be able to graduate from high school with an Associates degree and already have her first 2 years of college completed as well if she chooses to take that route......which I hope she does because this could save us some major $ in the long run for her college career, the cost is a fraction of what it will be once she graduates.   I am sad to see my first born go away soo soon, we will miss her terribly, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime and I refuse to hold her back. It is a honor to just be considered for this school let alone be accepted. She will be so much more prepared for college than the average high school student. 550 students applied to the academy this year and only 150 get accepted!! WOW! I would like to say Bill and I had something to do with her success but it is all her, Kenzie is a self starter and needs no motivation, she is an awesome child we are sooo blessed to be her parents. This move will make her selections for colleges so much broader, colleges seek out these children. I see a bright and wonderful future ahead of this wonderful young lady. These next 2 years are going to be intense for her and she will have to study like she never has had to before but I believe she is up for the challenge. She is a responsible, and talented girl. She was so happy to hear the news. She said finally I will be with people like myself and who understand me!! She will have a sense of belonging and accomplishment. We will support her nomatter what!! It will be hard to let her go, but I know we have prepared he for the world and she is very determined to stick to her moral and to succeed. Sometimes loving means letting go, however hard it may be we gave her wings now we must let her fly!!!!! SOOOO PROUD OF OUR BABY GIRL!!!!  WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH MCKENZIE LYNN PACKARD     

Good new from the back Dr today he says that Daltons scoliosis doesnt need any treatment at this time, he cant be sure at this point whether it will progress as he grows but he sees no reason to keep him from racing, Such a relief to hear this news. We will still need to see a Nuerosurgeon due to the questions involving Daltons Spina Bifida Occulta he was born with to rule out any Neurotube involvement and also he will have an echo of his heart due to the spina bifida being congenital, also a MRI of his spinal cord. So we will pray they come back good.   

We have had quite of bit going on since my last post. We are now dealing with some more health issues with Dalton, some unexpected ones, that we are praying do not alter his lifestyle. I took him to Riley hospital Friday in desperation looking for some answers to his stomach problems and came out with a bigger problem that we didnt expect. He has developed significant Scoliosis complicated by his malformed vertebrea he was born with. We will see a spine specialist Wed. and hopefully get a prognosis and plan. But I am expecting to have further testing before we know to much, with Congenital Scoliosis sometimes the heart, Kidney and lungs can be affected so I imagine they will have to look at those organs as well, Dalton is very concerned about how this all will affect his Motocross career.......he cannot imagine his life without it....frankly neither can we.....but his health is our number 1 priority, we are hoping for the best, please keep him in your prayers. Emotionally this is reaping havoc on us all! On a brighter note I took the girls to the Illinois Horse fair Sat. they always enjoy their time around horses, however I would have to say we Hoosiers have a much better program..........No offence Illinois people!! We enjoyed seeing our Friesian friends, we only wish they had more time to spend conversing with us.........Hunter was soooo looking forward to helping warm up the mares, but I believe they all were to stressed out to remember this. So we stayed to watch their performance and then headed home, the 4 hour drive there was OK, but the drive home was kinda hairy as it was spitting ice all the way, I was never sooo glad to see my muddy driveway in my life! We are still waiting to hear from the Academy to see if Kenzie makes it in, we could sure use some good news about now!! Work has helped me keep my mind off things so thank goodness for that!  The girls and I have been planning a trip to Kentucky to take some riding lessons so if all goes as planned we will be going with some friends over spring break and taking Sassy, and Bentley! We are getting spring fever it has been nice to see the sun shine the couple of days it has peeked through. If the Dr. OKs it Dalton has his first race of the season this Sat. and then that night he Kenzie and Bill will go to Lucas Oil Stadium and watch Supercross they are super pumped for that, and then race again the next day......they are gonna be exhausted come Monday morning, I am hoping that this will all help Dalton keep his mind off of things, however it will be up to the Dr.s if he is allowed to do any of this.......We are praying for Good News. It is soo hard when your child is going through something and you cannot help them. Being the mom I always want to make it better for him, and I cant this time and it is driving me absolutely nuts!    

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV, John 13:34-35)

Let me make myself clear, if you do not like what I write in my blogs Do not read them!! No one can force you to do so. My last blogs were written after some heartfelt Dr. appts and meetings at schools. To be honest I was looking for some comfort and guidance and to my surprise I have been attacked and verbally abused. What a Sad day it is!!!

I do not pretend to be anything I am not, I am not perfect in any realm of my life, and I never will be! We have the same problems and day to day issues that every family deals with, and I refuse to let anything or anybody ruin our happiness and success's!!!

Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5

Someone asked me the other day why Christians were so judgemental, so I took it upon myself to do some investigation and what I believe is that most of the time they are not, I believe that they are commanded to spread Gods word and by doing so people view them as judgemental, so the next time you feel someone of Christian faith is judging you or your lifestyle take this into consideration. However the verse I cited above should be taken into consideration by those who "do" choose to judge others. No one person or family is perfect, we are "all" sinners. We should teach our children acceptance and love not judgement and exclusion. We all are working on our imperfections on a daily basis, and if people could work on being more compassionate instead of judgemental I believe we could change the world and then perhaps there would be no need for sheltering our kids.  But remember for those true "Christians" are not judging you , they are trying to share the Lords word with you!  By true Christians I mean those that have truely accepted him, there are alot of people out there that attend service every Sunday or attend every Bible study or every Church function there is, and they still choose to lead different lives behind closed doors, whether they act immorally at home or work or whatever. -I myself have ALOT of work to do!- and I think that if you ask most people and if they are speaking honestly they will say the same!  I think we are all guilty of being judgemental at one time or another so my challenge to you and to myself is to think twice before saying or telling someone there way of doing things is wrong , whatever it may be!
Every night I have a routine of prayer and mostly I pray about the same things everynight, tonight I will pray for those who do not accept others and others way of life!  I will pray for a closer relationship with God and I will pray that the Lord will touch each and everyone of you in your journey through life.

Today has brought more challenges, why did I expect anything different LOL, in spite of my disclaimer on my last post I seemed to have offended or upset some of my followers, let me reiterate that I am in no way directing my thoughts or beliefs to any one person or family.  I can only express what  I feel is right for me and my family. All I can do is teach my children right from wrong and protect them the best I can, and teach them to protect themselves when I am unable, I cannot and will not shelter them from the world, however I will teach them to stand up for what is right , even if that means standing alone. All of my children have a wonderful belief in the Lord and they know right from wrong and they also know how to deal with the immoral situations they come in contact with. I am not happy with the world we live in today, I am appauled on a daily basis at peoples lack of humanity, however these people are not going away, you just cant pretend they dont exhist, denial will get you no where, instead we choose to deal with these situations head on, we discuss things openly and honestly, because believe me we as parents can not always be there to protect our children, as much as I wish we could, so when the time arrises MY kids will know how to deal and resolve these issues. Unfortunately we do not live in a idealistic world so we must deal with it realisticaly.  however on a much brighter note I believe wholeheartedly that this world has alot of positive and wonderful things to offer and I encourage my kids to reach out and touch these wonderful opportunities. I look out my kitchen window each morning and see our horses frolicing together with their manes flowing in the wind, I watch Dalton fly through the sky on his dirt bike, I watch Aiden run through the back yard with a big smile on his face, I see Kenzie enjoy a good book, I watch Hunter and Avery ride their horses as if nothing else exhists and I know that this truely is a wonderful world we live in!!!!!!!!!!!! Life is Good, what a wonderful world it is that we all get to make our own decisions and no one person gets to decide our fate!!!    

We made our trek to Indy yesterday for the kids yearly Tourette's Syndrome check-up. There are going to be some changes and I pray that all goes well!! I have alot of anxiety and mixed emotions about the future and I hope and pray everyday that the Dr.'s are making the right decisions. But at this point I am at a loss and do not know what to do on my own, Usually being versed in the medical profession I have strong ideas and opinions on mine and my families healthcare, however at this point I have done and tried everything I know and am now leaving it in the hands of God and the Dr.'s.  Through the years I have watched my kids grow and strive and succeed in virtually every aspect of their lives from school to their behavior to their beliefs and I am sooo proud of them, No it is not easy and it never has been, but for our little (LOL) family our way has worked out magnificently.  And that has not changed.  I am so lucky to have the great children that I do,  I have been told from virtually every teacher they have ever had that our kids are the most responible,well behaved and socially adapted kids they have ever met, I believe this is a direct result of the way we have chosen to raise our kids. No we are not perfect but the decisions we have made have impacted our children positively and made them who they are today, yes they are exposed to outside influences as we are unable to shelter them from this world, but we have prepared them to deal with these situations and on occasion they have had to deal with less than desirable circumstances and I could not be more proud of how they have dealt with the situations. I cannot control the world we live in and I refuse to put rose colored glasses on my kids, the world is what it is and we will deal with it together one day at a time, I believe this is a behavior you must instill from day one, no it is not always ideal for a small child to see other kids doing wrong or acting undesirably but it is a fact of life and they need to know how to react and deal with these problems, the only way is to expose them to and discuss with them,these situations. This blog entry is in no way intended to be to or about anyone person, so please noone take offence, I just fealt compelled to express my feelings today, so please do not take this personally if you are reading this.  People who dont have children with Tourettes have no idea what that is like and I am very proud of how well adapted my children are, not only do they do well but they are excelling in society, everyone from their peers to teachers to Dr.s have expressed their amazement and belief in their success, lets hope it continues........I KNOW IT WILL!!! I HAVE SOME PRETTY AMAZING CHIDREN GOD HAS BLESSED ME TREMENDOUSLY   Sorry for the soap box today, just fealt like expressing myself today.

Here are some photos of our wonderful horses, the black and white colt is Brody he is a 9 mo.old Gypsy Drum.  The one with the flaxen mane is Chrissy she is a Kentucy Mountain Saddle/Rocky Mountain Horse-Hunter's Baby, the black one is Bentley he is a Friesian cross and my pride and joy. and Sassy is the Bay Quarter Pony who is absolutely wonderful.however she is named Sassy for a reason!!! They are all totally irreplacable and will be with us till the day they die!! WE LOVE THEM MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPLAIN!!!