blessing

God Knows Best {Thoughts From Me}

April 29, 2017 by Dana

I started this week with the best of intentions. I had planned to share with you all of the great sales going on this week. I had planned to set up posts ahead of time and have them all ready to go.

But…

Life happened. Other things had to be done. I haven’t had the time to do the things on my to-do list at all.

It’s been a hectic week but even though I haven’t been able to get my plans done, I was still able to get a lot done. Other things have fallen into place. Sometimes God makes changes we don’t realize and for a reason. His plan is always better than our own.

So even when life happens and things don’t go as planned, remember that God’s always there, always making plans for us that are best whether we think so at the time or not. God’s always leading, always loving us and always choosing what’s in our best interest. Even when we don’t, He knows the way.

God bless,
Dana Lambert-Hodge

Overcoming Homeschooling Challenges {Homeschooling} {Epilepsy Awareness}

April 21, 2017 by Dana

5 Days of Homeschooling with Epilepsy and Other Issues:

Overcoming Homeschooling Challenges

Let’s face it. Homeschooling when you have children with Special Needs present challenges most families don’t have and don’t expect. We’ve previously discussed the Down Days. We’ve also discussed Homeschooling with Doctor’s Appointments.

Then there are days when we have meltdowns, Mom and Dad included. There are days when we feel like we can’t do this anymore or are we sure we even want to do this??? Wouldn’t it be easier just to put your kid on a bus and let the Public School handle all of these issues and challenges we face daily?

Giving up would be the easiest route. Letting someone else take control while we sit back and enjoy the few peaceful hours that we don’t have to handle all these things. Only then the phone rings asking us to come in because our child has had a meltdown and punched Johnny. Or Emmalee has a migraine and needs to come home (yes this has actually happened to us). So in the end, we’re still having to handle all the things we started with.

Challenges happen every day in life. Some challenges are huge and some much smaller. Some seem huge when they aren’t at all. But all challenges teach us some important lesson in life though we may not realize it until much later.

Each challenge presents a different result and needs a different way to be handled so I cannot tell you exactly how to handle the challenges presented to you personally but I can tell you what I do to overcome the many challenges I face in my days.

Pray. Prayer always starts how I handle my day to day challenges. Sometimes it’s a quick prayer: “Father, please make this happen.” “Father, please allow things to go smoothly today.” Sometimes it’s a more in depth prayer that lasts through out my day. But no matter, prayer is always the best way to deal with my challenges.

Then I evaluate what’s going on. The baby is crying and whining all day. Does he need a nap? Diaper changed? Sensory overload? Should we cuddle or is touch too much for him as well? (Sometimes he cannot stand to be held and other times he craves it and doesn’t realize that’s just what he needs.)

Why is Laycie extra whiny today? Does she need an extra snack because she’s growing? Did she even eat with her medication this morning? Perhaps she needs some down time. Maybe the task is too hard for her to complete yet.

All these things are challenges that I must determine and answer. Sometimes the answer is easy. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to figure out. Deduction and evaluation of my children is one way I handle our daily challenges and let me tell you, no one knows your children better than you do!

Then there are challenges of cleaning, teaching, keeping up with the Jones. Well, first thing I did was throw out the competition with the neighbors, exes and other homeschool families. This is my family and we have to compete with no one. We do things on our time, in the way that best fits us and that’s perfectly fine. Sure I occasionally find myself falling back to the old way of society says but then I stop and remind myself that society is not important. God and His plan for my family is most important to me.

Cleaning: this is managed by setting schedules which sometimes do fall to the wayside. There are many great apps and programs to help you stay on track. That one Lady has been a lifesaver to me at times and I’m fixing to get back to that myself. You have to find what works best for you, be it motivation programs, or things that list the job task to task.

Teaching: When life is in chaos, this becomes another challenge. I’ve suggested some ways to deal with teaching when you are facing these challenges in my previous posts for this blog hop. Make things easy on yourself. Teach curriculum that allows you to educate more than one child at a time. Use materials that simplify instead of over exert you. Teach your child educational independence too, so they can do the work on their own and learn with minimal input from you. Educators outside of Elementary to High School age don’t hold our hands. We’re expected to do it all on our own with little input from them. It’s okay to let your child do the same if they are able. It’s actually a skill they’ll use throughout their lifetime.

Organize: I have a hard time with this myself but when everything is in it’s place, it really does help our lives run smoother. Keep your curriculum in the same place every day so it’s easier for you to access. This will make you want to teach and make learning easier for your children. Same with the rest of the house. When your children can find their clothing, they can get out the door for appointments faster. When your kitchen is organized, cooking is more efficient. You also have more time for family time and bonding with each other.

When challenges become too much, take time to reevaluate your home and life. Take time off from school to relax and just be together as a family. Go camping, or just to the park. Change the pace. Take a look at what small things you can do to make things flow better for your home and life and then make those changes.

Challenges face all of us. They aren’t the end of the world, though sometimes they surely feel that way. Challenges just require us taking time to figure them out in order to overcome them. Once we do, things fall into place again until the next challenge comes along and then you start the process all over again.

Remember with Christ you can do anything!

God bless,

Dana Lambert-Hodge

P.S. This is the final post in the 5 Days of Homeschooling with Epilepsy and Other Issues series. We hope you have been blessed by our thoughts on these topics and have enjoyed this glimpse into our life. Please take a look at our other posts it the series and may God bless you in your journey as He has us in our own.

This post is linked up with the 5 Days of Homeschooling… Blog Hop
from the Homeschool Review Crew!

5 Days of Homeschool Annual Blog Hop - 2017

To Read More…

Welcome to April {Thoughts From Me}

April 5, 2017 by Dana

Welcome to April!

Our April began with the Devil shining her ugly face at us. Petty spite and anger from another at our wonderful life became the focus for a few days. The law has been contacted and shall be handling that as necessary. I refuse to be bullied, stalked, or slandered any more. Mama has always said I should have been a lawyer. Maybe one of these days I’ll listen.

The other month, I posted that I was having writer’s block. Well, the good Lord has seen fit to allow thing to happen that have given me lots to talk about! Talk I will with His guidance.

It was brought to my attention that some of you assume my blog is a “homeschooling” blog. It’s not. It’s a family-life blog that I write as a journal, to share with others who are like us and to spread the word for Epilepsy Awareness, Involuntary Breath Holding Spells Awareness and the other health issues we face. This includes my recent battles for my own health with undetermined female bleeding issues. Homeschooling is a just a part of the mix and always will be.

It was also brought to my attention that some of you don’t know how to pronounce my children’s names.

Winston is pretty simple. He was named for his Papa, my Dad. Win-ston. It’s an easy name.

Emmalee is NOT Emily. It is Emma Lee pronounced all together, though she was named for one of my dear friends Emily. I just really dislike the “ILY” spelling of that name so I changed it to something I liked much better. She’s also named for her Great-Grandmother Elma and the Lee for her bio-Dad’s family name. Her Great Great Grandmother’s name was Emma as well.

Laycie is pronounced the same as Lacy though her spelling is different. “Lay-cee”. I wanted her to be different so I gave her a unique spelling like her sister.

Jackson is just that: Jack-son. Simple like his big brother’s name.

Each of these names were chosen for unique reasons for my children after I prayed about them for a long time. Some of y’all know the story of how I chose Jack’s name when I was unsure about it. I had a photo shoot that day and when I arrived his name was written on a wall. It was then and there I knew it was to be his name. God provides signs everywhere. Just today Jackson was telling me he is Jackson and not any other name. God knows who we are meant to be.

Our life is just that. Our life. I share it for others who are like us that just need someone they can relate to. I know there were many days in my life when I felt like no one understood my life. I know there were others who were like me but I couldn’t find them. Blogs weren’t a thing then and growing up people definitely didn’t talk about Epilepsy. Things have changed now. People are generally more open-minded though there are still many who are not.

Now you can judge me on every single word I post here. You can bash me. You can nitpick all I have to say. But really what good is it going to do? I’m still going to write what I feel. I’m still going to say what I think. I’m still going to be me and keep being me. After all, opinions are like assholes, every one has one.

I, personally, try to keep my opinions on others and their lives to myself for the most part. I am not here to judge and condemn anyone. There is a bigger presence for that and we will all face the truth one day. I’m not the one you need to be worried about because I’m just a little insignificant person on this Earth trying to make it through life just like the rest of you.

So here’s the thing. You live your life and we will keep living ours. We are happy, in love, high on life and there isn’t a soul in this world taking that away from me this time. My children are the light of my life. They bring me indescribable joy. As does my husband.

No one’s spite or jealousy or negative remarks will change that. I know his heart and he has never lied to me. He has changed from the person of his past and he is becoming the person he’s always longed to be with my help and his determination. I’ve done my medical research and I will stand beside him and not give up because I know the truth of it all.

“Sometimes the love of your life come after the mistakes of your life.” (I know mine and Don’s both have.)

We all have mistakes in our past. Every single one of us. There is no one better than another. It’s how we choose to live after these mistakes that make a difference.

I have personally chosen to learn from the mistakes of my past and move forward but some people chose to dwell on these mistakes and allow them to destroy them inside instead of embracing what God has blessed them with. They become so wrapped up in the “wrongs” they fail to find the “rights”. They feel owed. But let me tell you. None of us are owed anything from one another. None of us are owed anything in this life.

We all start from nothing and we are hear to learn God’s Love, Mercy, Grace, Faith, Hope and all the things He wishes us to know. But even He doesn’t owe us anything because we were given the greatest gift we could ever receive: Life upon the Death of God’s Son.

God Forgives. God Loves. God gives Grace in our mistakes. God gives Mercy even to those who we feel do not deserve it and He expects us to do the same. Not an easy thing, I know but it can be done. I personally live my life trying to do just these things.

It’s easy to hold a grudge. It’s easy to let the hatred we develop when we feel wronged overtake us. It’s hard to follow God’s guidance and allow ourselves to let go, lay it as His feet and Forgive others.
Life is a learning process. We come in this world to learn, to develop, to follow the things He is teaching us. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we succeed. But no matter we continue to live.

Being consumed with the life of others does us no good because we are here to live our own lives. Being upset because someone has gotten the better of you and acting out does no good because that person is still going to get the best of you in the future and their words really should not matter. We are all just people. Just here living. Make the best of it and let go of the rest.

God bless all of you,

Dana Lambert – Hodge

Live Life Happy {Thoughts From Me}

April 16, 2014 by Dana

Some nights I come to write and there’s just nothing to say. I don’t know where to start or where to go so I just type. I admit, I’m not good at choosing topics to share about.

Our lives are pretty predictable. We get up, the babies have their meds, the kids have breakfast. Then we do school, we watch videos, we discuss things that interest us. Then it’s lunch and sometimes it’s school in the afternoon, sometimes it’s play time outside if the weather is great. Then comes dinner, bathtime and bedtime. Wash, rinse, repeat every day.

Weekends bring a routine of their own as well. Around the house leads to the kids helping as much as they can so they learn important skills like changing tires, brakes, and oil. In the Summer, they help cut grass and clean up the yard.

This is our life. Boring as it is, I wouldn’t change it for anything. People often ask me how I can stand having the kids around all the time. I honestly don’t know any difference. They’re always here, I’m always here and to me, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. To them, that’s how it should be as well.

I’ve asked them multiple times if they’d rather go to Public school and they constantly assure me they wouldn’t. The older two went for a while and wanted to be home so home they came again. The younger two have never been to Public school and if I have my way, they never will.

Life is what you make of it. How you live is your choice. Negative or positive, it’s all a decision you make daily. I choose to be as positive as I can be. I choose to find the good in life as much as possible and I choose to teach this to my children. They appreciate that and I pray they will pass it forward as they grow up.

Each day is a gift to live and a blessing unlike any other. Live, laugh, love and be happy every day!

Enjoy God’s Promises {Thoughts From Me}

May 3, 2013 by Dana

Last month really got away from me! I kept thinking it’s April and I have plenty of time to blog. I’ll do it tomorrow. Then BOOM, it’s May! For me the month flew by!

April was a good month but a busy month. My baby girl turned 5. She’s such a joy! So spirited and chatty. She starts talking when she wakes up and she doesn’t stop until she falls asleep at night. But every day she brings happiness and joy to all of us. And every day she shares some new knowledge of something she’s learned or life through her precious eyes. Her sweet heart is unlike any thing I could ever imagine.

All my babies bring so much joy into my life. My oldest recently learned to ride his bike. He’s twelve, the same age I was when I finally accomplished that task. He did it on his own, just like me, with out being pushed to do it. Simply got on, made up his mind and rode. I couldn’t be prouder of his accomplishment or his new found will to do something he’s never done before. He experienced his first injury riding that bike this week too but he’s still willing to get right back on. Every day he comes one step closer to being a man and I couldn’t be more impressed with this young man on his way.

My sweet Emma is growing up too. This week she cleaned her toilet all on her own and voluntarily. This girl who thinks cleaning is disgusting. This girl who would rather live in a mess than pick up her dirty clothing. She cleaned a toilet! All on her own and very well too! Then she dusted our entire living room. Washed down every item on every table without complaint. She even dusted in her brother’s room. She’s growing into a wonderful young lady. She’s going to make an amazing wife and mother when she’s grown. But for now, she’s making her Momma proud and rising up to bless me like I could never have imagined.

My baby boy turned 8 months a few days ago. 8 months and it feels like he’s always been a part of our lives, yet at the same time it seems like such a brief period of time. 8 months definitely flies by. He’s eating a lot better, loving meats and cookies and everything except Sweet Potatoes. He’s trying to crawl too. Pushing up and rolling to get things he really wants, like baby wipes that he rubs over his hands and face. He’s a joy, too, but he’s growing way to fast to be my last baby. Brings tears to my Momma eyes to know that soon he won’t be a baby. Soon he’ll be crawling, then pulling up, walking then running away.

I’m not ready for them to grow up but they do anyways, no matter what Momma wants. Babies grow up and before we blink they are moving away. We have to enjoy every moment we have them and I plan to.

It’s a big part of why I homeschool. I won’t give my promised moments to someone who doesn’t love them like I do. I won’t hand them over for someone else to have those God-promised memories we share. I will raise them up and love every minute, even though I may complain and may be told I should cut the apron strings. I will when the time comes but for now, we make memories, we share love like no other, and we grow and learn together as God intended us to. And we’ll keep on until God-promises otherwise.

My Sweet Laycie {Thoughts from Me}

March 1, 2012 by Dana

Laycie is my beautiful 3year and 10 month old daughter. She is my baby girl. She’s a joy to everyone who knows her.

The day Laycie was born her big sister Emmalee took one look at her and deemed her our Angel. She definitely is. She has blessed each of us more than we surely deserve. She was sent straight from Heaven above.

Laycie starts her day by seeking out her brother first thing. She loves their special morning time together. She has him fix her cereal and milk and he always happily obliges.

After that she finds me with a beautiful smile, saying “you awake Mommy?” “You ARE awake Mommy… good morning!” with a laugh. I love it when she tells me that!! I love to hear her say it almost as much as I love her “I love you, I like you, Mommy”. She is precious my sweet girl.

The next thing she asks me is “Where is my Dahee?” (Daddy) “Is Dahee at work?” “Yes, Daddy’s at work.” “Oh,” is often her reply. “Do you miss Daddy?” “Yea” she tells me.

When it’s time for her medicine she is always ready and willing to take it. She knows it makes her feel better. She doesn’t mind. She’s taken it since she was a baby so it’s a routine part of her life.

Laycie spends most days alternating between each of us. She was born into family and she doesn’t know what alone is. She chooses by the minute who she wants to be next to and she loves spending time with everyone of us. We love spending time with her too.

Last month, Laycie started doing preschool work. She is learning her colors and shapes. She is learning concepts. She is learning to pronounce her “p’s”, her “k’s” and her “g’s”. She loves to learn. And every night she loves telling her Daddy what she has learned that day. And of course he loves to hear her.

When Daddy isn’t working you can bet you will find him and Laycie somewhere together. She is his shadow when he is at home. He doesn’t go far without her at least knowing where he is at. She loves her Daddy and he loves her.

When Laycie was born, her bassinet carried the last name Lambert. Today I believe that was a promise from God because not only is it her Mommy’s last name but it’s her Daddy’s too. One day Laycie will carry that last name once again. In her heart, she already does.

Laycie doesn’t know much of her past. She’s three. There’s no need to tell her about the then. For her there is only now. Now, living in the home she will grow up in for life, with her Mommy and Daddy and her Bubba, her Sissy and her Justain. Now, living next door to her Mama, her Grami and Grumpy and behind her Papa’s pond and her Maw Maw’s house. She talks with her Nanny, her uncle Lance and her Aunt Terris and cousin Megan on the phone every chance she gets. These are the daily consistancies in her life. This NOW is her life.

I daily thank God for this life, for this child He has blessed me with. There was a time I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see her again. There was a time that I worried that the abuse she was being raised in would catch her before I could save her from it.

I would give my life for all my children. I will fight for them forever. There is nothing I would not do for them. They are my life and all I want is for them to live their’s happily and in a safe, protective environment.

I’m thankful this is the only life Laycie knows, the only one she remembers. I am thankful she has a Daddy who is here with her every day, who would give his own life for her. I am blessed to see the love he has for our daughter, blessed that she is able to know the unconditional love of a father and family as she has. This is the life and family she was meant to have and she loves every single minute of it.

Laycie, our Angel, has been more of a blessing than I could ever have imagined. Blessed I am to be able to call myself her Mother.