Over the valley and through the woods...

is what it has been for us this month. It's like we get over one mountain into the valley and then we turn around and it's time to walk through the dark scary woods. Such is life, right?! I'm a pretty adventurous person so I usually enjoy taking on a challenge and can easily see my way through but it's different when your children are involved. I would love to take everything on for them, it seems it would be so much easier that way. In the long run though I know that God works good in every situation and that my job is to trust him and teach my kids to look to him when they are facing difficult situations.

Today, we met with a specialist concerning Renee and found out that her immune system has now decided to attack her thyroid. The alopecia that Blaine, Owen & Renee have been diagnosed with is an autoimmune disease where the immune system is attacking the hair. For whatever reason when the immune system decides to attack one area it can also decide to attack another. There are hundreds of different types of autoimmune diseases and no cure for any of them. It's also a genetic thing hence, the reason we have three children with alopecia. Blaine has also been having some other symptoms this past month and has been referred to a rheumatologist. Many of the things the doctors have said have been quite overwhelming and at times I have to stop myself from falling into the trap of worry. It seems worry comes natural to Mom's but I have learned that it is not my friend! When it comes along side me I can spend hours researching things on the internet and find all the worst possible scenarios that could plaque my children but in the end it does no good. I'm always so thankful when the Holy Spirit comes along side of me and taps me on the shoulder and says "Ummhmm..remember me, Your true friend. The one that is always here. I know where you can find peace in the midst of all this." It doesn't take long for me to remember all the amazing and wonderful things God has done in our lives. I also look at each one of our children and I am completely and utterly amazed! They are all happy, content, beautiful, smart, amazing kids! I know I'm required to say that but it's actually very true!:)

So, through the woods it is right now. We will all get to the other side just fine with another story to tell of how awesome God is and how he got us through yet another challenging situation!

For more info on autoimmune disease:
http://www.lvhn.org/children/Ask_Our_Expert_About_Children%7C2431
http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site614/mainpageS614P0.html

Summer Happenings

Wow! Can it really be almost the end of summer? It sure did go quick! Here is a recap of our summer.

We enjoyed quite a few days at the beach, Eden was a lot of fun, hesitant about the water at first but by the end of summer she was loving it! We enjoyed some swimming days, pool parties, visits with my Dad at Ledge pool and trips to area parks. The zoo has been a regular summer hangout, we definitely get our money worth out of our yearly membership. We have enjoyed many of the events around the Cleveland area including, Parade the Circle, the North Coast Harbor boating festival, Fireworks and the Cleveland Orchestra downtown in Public Square, the 4th of July parade and the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Chagrin Falls. We have all read a lot of good books this summer while participating in the summer reading program.

Elijah continued with his gymnastics this summer and got his back handspring on the floor. He loves it! Owen and Renee have been going with Aunt Laraine and Uncle Rick on Thursdays for piano and golf lessons. Owen is really enjoying the golfing and is pretty good at it! Lauren has her temps and is practicing her driving. She has been doing a lot of babysitting this summer (not just for me ;)). Lauren has a really tough schedule coming up this fall but she is determined and I know she will do well. If you get a chance check out her blog at http://coracaoparaafrica.blogspot.com/.
Lauren, Blaine and Owen are all loving the youth group at Bethel Cleveland, it's exciting to see them deepen in their relationship with God and have fun at the same time.
Blaine was having some issues with infected lymph nodes again. The doctors are not sure why. We could take him to another specialist but he is doing better so we are just waiting it out. Blaine turned 15 this July and I can not believe how much he is growing. He has been doing the P90X workout and has become quite strong. It's nice having him along on big grocery trips!
We have actually had a few emergency room visits this summer as Renee has recently been diagnosed with migraine headaches. Thankfully, it's nothing too serious and now that we know what it is we are better able to deal with it. It's so hard when your child is in pain and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

Chris has also had a busy summer. He took one of the guys he coaches (Nick) to the championship qualifier earlier in the summer and Nick qualified to go to championships. A couple weeks ago they were in Hartford, Connecticut for Championships. Nick placed 17th in the Nation which is awesome and such an honor for Chris. Chris is also continuing to work part time for Mason Works and this fall he will work towards more Microsoft certifications.

I have really been enjoying summer! Eden is at such a fun age, she is quite adventurous, (don't know where she got that..Ha Ha) we have been enjoying outings and exploring new things. I'm a little anxious to start homeschooling again. It was difficult for me to stay home and do the same thing every day last year. I plan on doing a lot of field trips and projects to help keep myself from getting bored and miserable. I also have started the P90X workout with Chris, it's more intense than any other workout and I can honestly say I hate it but I'm determined!

Even though summer is almost at an end we have a couple things to look forward to. The end of September we will be taking a family vacation to Kiawah Island, South Carolina. A family is giving us their vacation home to enjoy for a week! We can not wait, it's been awhile since we have been able to go on a vacation together. Chris and I were also given night away at a local resort which is another wonderful blessing. We haven't had a night away since Eden was born, it will be glorious just to sleep in! God is good!

Well, time for my ramblings to come to a close, Eden is up from her nap and making it quite clear she is awake and ready to explore some more.

Merry Christmas 2009!

Wow..I can't believe another year has gone by so quick! This has been a very busy yet wonderful year in the Tollon home.
In early April we celebrated the birth of our beautiful little Eden Joy. Her name means delight and joy and that is exactly what she is! She has surprised each one of us with her smiles and laughs much earlier than we expected. Eden is never lacking attention and doesn't mind a bit. It's so much fun to see her personality begin to develop. At her six month check up her pediatrician said to be prepared because she is quite a bit ahead of herself and loves to learn, which may make it difficult for her to settle down when it's time to sleep. Boy was he right..Eden doesn't want to miss any opportunity to learn or experience something new. At eight months she is crawling, pulling up on everything, walking the furniture, waving, clapping and has quite a vocabulary. Lately her favorite thing to say is "Hi Kitty" which she says every time she sees one of our cats or anything she finds resembles a cat. I love to see her developing and growing yet at the same time I don't want her to rush too much as it goes by so quickly. I want to enjoy every precious moment of her babyhood!

This past summer Lauren, Blaine and Owen decided to join the Bedford swim team. We were very proud of each one of them. They each had a lot of fun and showed much improvement at the end of the season. In the fall we decided to again to school the children at home with the Ohdela online program.

This was Elijah's first year and he is doing great. I was a little nervous about it but after a few weeks we both started to get the hang of things. He is beginning to read which is very exciting and I have found that it is very rewarding to be teacher and Mom. Elijah also loves gymnastics! He has surprised Chris and I by showing quite a bit of determination as well as talent. He is on the Bets competitive gymnastics team at Gymnastics World. He is the youngest boy on the team this year yet has no trouble keeping up. I can not wait for his first meet. Chris video's little clips for me but it will be so exciting to watch him actually compete.

Owen continues to do gymnastics as well however he has decided not to compete this year. He enjoys working out and learning gymnastics skills but for him its more for fun. Owen is becoming quite an artist. He enjoys drawing and is very good at it. We are looking into getting him into some art classes. Owen also still has a desire to play the drums. He has a hand drum that he practices on as well as anything else he can find to beat on. He has had a few lessons and would like to continue. He has also joined the Ski club and is looking forward to snowboarding for the first time this year.

Lauren has also joined the ski club and will be trying out snowboarding for the first time. I can not believe that she is a sophomore in high school. We have been talking a bit about colleges and as of right now she would like to go to school for teaching but she has also expressed an interest in ministry school with a desire to lead youth. She loves helping with the children's ministry at church and is very good at it. Lauren will also be driving soon. Chris and I plan to practice with her more after the holidays. I can't believe our baby girl is growing up and turning into such a beautiful young woman, inside and out!

Renee is also growing up to be a beautiful young lady. She recently hit the double digits! Renee is a lot of fun, she has such a great personality. She is excelling at school and has a dream to one day become a pediatrician. She visits her Aunt Patty once a week in the nursing home and has become quite popular there. Renee is also excelling at the piano. Once a week her Aunt Laraine takes her to see Patty and then they have a piano lesson. Tonight will be her first recital and we are all looking forward to hearing her perform. Renee has joined the ski club and will be skiing for the first time this year.

Blaine will also be skiing in the ski club. Blaine no longer does gymnastics yet he still goes and works out and lately has been doing P90x with Chris. He is really growing up to be a strong handsome young man. Blaine also loves to help with the children's ministry at church and does a great job. Blaine has been feeling great this year and despite dealing with the hair loss he is extremely healthy. Praise God!

Chris has been a very busy man this past year. I have lost track of how many Microsoft certification tests he has taken but I know he has past every one and is constantly studying for the next. He is still coaching the guys at Gym World but he is also working part time with a company called Mason Works. It's a great opportunity for him to learn and grow in the field of computer and technology. He loves it and hopes to eventually learn enough to be able to work full time as an IT guy and part time as a coach. Chris and I have also decided to become a part of the Children's Administrative team that helps oversee the children's ministry at Bethel Cleveland (formerly Metro Church South). Chris took over for the previous director to give her a break in the summer and we both had a great time. Chris has always been great with kids and knows how to make things fun while teaching at the same time.

As you can imagine I have been very busy homeschooling five children and taking care of a baby. It can be a lot of work sometimes but more and more I realize how quickly time goes by and I wouldn't want to change things. I love having my children at home. I love seeing their smiling faces everyday. I don't know if we will continue to home school throughout all of their school years. I plan to take each year as it comes. For now I will simply enjoy having them all here during the day. I am also really enjoying having a baby around. I know that this is my last baby (unless we choose to adopt some day and you never know ;) ) anyway, I will not be giving birth or breastfeeding again so I'm taking the time to enjoy every last moment. God has really blessed me with a wonderful family. I am so excited to be celebrating the birth of his son Jesus with them this year. We have so much to be thankful for. Life is full of ups and downs sometimes yet Jesus always, always come through and overwhelms me with his love. I pray that each one of you reading this will feel his love surround you this season and that this upcoming year will be full of his love and grace.

Love and Blessings,
The Tollon Family

Learning more each day

As a Mom of six I feel like I am constantly learning things from my children. I have never had a teen aged daughter and son before so I have been learning a lot through Lauren and Blaine. It's not easy to let go and let them be young adults. It's funny because Chris and I worked with teens and young adults for many years and often wondered why some parents did certain things. Now..I can understand a little bit better. It seems that as a Mom I have become so accustomed to my children being children. One day your reading them stories, helping them bathe and making sure they are eating their vegetables and then before you know it they are young adults with different opinions and ideas from you. I wonder..when did this happen? I am so thankful that Lauren and Blaine are both choosing to serve God..I realize that as much as I teach them about God they have to make the choice to accept him on their own. Lauren and I had a deep conversation the other day and I realized that sometimes as parents we try to force our kids to be little mini me's or replicas of ourselves. I don't want that...I want my children to be themselves. With that in mind in means allowing them to make important choices and decisions on their own. It sounds so easy but it's not! What it comes down to is trusting God with their lives. I thank God every day for the amazing children God has given me and I look forward to watching them each become the unique individual God has created them to be!

Summer fun with six children!

I can't believe it's August already! As much as I'm looking forward to getting back to a routine I'm also not looking forward to the end of summer. Chris will be taking a week vacation in a couple of weeks and I'm really looking forward to enjoying some summer activities with the family!

Lauren, Blaine and Owen finished up swim team this past weekend and did great. Chris and I were so proud of them. This was their first year swimming on a competitive team and I wasn't quite sure how they would do. They did quite well for their first year. Lauren is interested in joining a year round swim team.



Chris and I have been helping with the Children's ministry at Metro for the summer which has kept us quite busy Sunday mornings. Chris has been having loads of fun; he is so great with children! Lauren and I have been teaching the 4-5year olds which has been quite a challenge but fun at the same time. I have to admit that I am looking forward to the end of summer as it's been hard to help out and take care of Eden at the same time. We plan to stay involved in some capacity..I'm just not sure what that is going to look like just yet.

Raising teenagers, school aged children and a baby has been a new and interesting adventure for me. I plan to blog about that soon. Right now it's back to laundry...

Adjusting

Wow..what a crazy month this has been! Poor little Eden was having a very difficult time a few weeks ago. She was spitting up constantly, screaming shortly after every meal and not sleeping. Every time I would lay her down she would cry. I tried eliminating things from my diet, even cut out dairy but it still didn't seem to help. The doctor finally diagnosed her with infant GERD ((gastroesophageal reflux disease), the upward movement of stomach content, including acid, into the esophagus and sometimes into or out of the mouth) She starting on a medication two weeks ago and that did help with the spitting up however, I was still having trouble getting her to sleep anywhere but the swing and she still seemed to be having pain after meals. Yesterday she started on a second medication. Despite all this she is a very happy little girl. She loves her brother's and sister's and is never lacking in attention.
I am so proud of the other children; they have all been very patient with Eden. Many times we have had to pull over the car so I could comfort her and calm her down. This past weekend Blaine and Elijah had to wait almost two hours to get to the swimming pool with the other kids because Eden was having a rough time. Yet, neither of them complained.
Chris and I are very aware how quickly they grow up and even though it's a challenge to have a baby with GERD in no way do we want to rush things along. I still want to cherish every moment!

Uncle Dave's Wedding!

This past weekend we were excited to celebrate with Chris's brother Dave as he married MacKensey Powers. It was beautiful wedding! Chris was proud to stand up with his brother as one of the groomsmen.

I was a little nervous about how things would go with Eden being barely 3 weeks old but I couldn't have asked for a better baby. Eden slept through most of the rehearsal and dinner and was an angel for both the wedding and reception. The other five kids were also great at the wedding! They made me a very proud, happy Mommy!

The wedding ceremony was very nice, everyone looked great but of course no one stood out like the beautiful bride! The reception was held at the Brown's stadium, everything was perfect. The reception room looked out towards the Lake, it was a beautiful day with an amazing sunset. Chris and I had a wonderful time! We are so excited to have MacKensey as a part of our family!