Mindless Monday and Send Them to Nashville Tuesday!

Good Tuesday morning!

I'm getting people ready to go to Nashville! Yee-haw! Tuesday's riveting post will be here at 2:00 p.m.

See you then!

Good Monday morning!

RANDOMNESS #1 - I found a new website on Pinterest with ideas for summer activities for the kids. Here are just a few! (www.crystalandcomp.com)

1. Go to the library once a week. Check out books, and join the Summer Reading Program.

2. Go camping. Front yard, back yard, in the living room or make it a weekend trip in another town.

3. Go to your local recreation center in your city or a nearby city and see what activities or classes they offer for super cheap!

4. Go on a worm hunt.

5. Go fishing with the worms you find.

6. Go on a factory/plant tour.

7. Go to the local sno cone stand.

8. Make an obstacle course in your backyard. So fun! You can make first place, second place and third place ribbons using construction paper and yarn.

9. Let your kids help you make homemade ice cream.

10. Make a pet rock.

11. Make your own board game.

12. Skip rocks. Simple, free and fun.

13. Have a neighborhood bike parade.

14. Feed the ducks at a local pond.

15. Play hide and go seek in the dark.

RANDOMNESS #2 - Josh and Company leave tomorrow for Nashville. I didn't realize it at the time I ordered the tickets for the Grand Ole Opry (Carrie Underwood and The Oakridge Boys), but the Country Music Awards are THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT... in Nashville. Josh, Austin and Brad could actually bump into dozens of country music stars this week.

Wouldn't that be exciting?

I'll let you know if there are any sightings.

RANDOMNESS #3 - Pictures are a little on the low side this morning. While it was a pretty good weekend, there was not much to photograph... except my Sunday Pioneer Woman Meatloaf.

Oh! And I bought a new top... and it wasn't baby poop green... but it was black. You'll be seeing it a lot over the next few months!

Just between you and me, that is pretty sad.

Meatloaf and a black top.

You may want to visit another blog... and I wouldn't blame you one bit!




As you can see, the success of this recipe relies heavily on the "bacon wrap." That could probably be said about most recipes, couldn't it?

Well, the bacon wrap AND the ketchup gravy.

You've got to admit... For a meatloaf and a non-poopy green top, these pictures aren't that bad.

RANDOMNESS #4 - Josh's Journey - 12th Grade - This is where I am on this journey (as Josh's Mom). It is difficult for me to sit down and actually put words to paper, but I'll do the best I can, because without others understanding there will ALWAYS, ALWAYS be a stigma attached to any kind of mental illness... And that's just wrong.

When Josh has a bad day or two, I have a bad week or two. For some reason, any kind of setback in his illness sends me back six years, and I automatically go to "shut down" mode. I don't know why. Mike and I have tried to figure it out, but even though Josh is able to have a few bad days and then pick himself up and continue on, it stops me dead in my tracks. I brace myself for the days, weeks and months ahead which I KNOW will result in not being able to leave the house, not being able to go to church, not being able to eat dinner as a family, etc.

The first year of his illness comes back and hits me in the face, and I do NOT bounce back like Josh does.

But I'm working on it.

We worked so hard the past six years with doctors, school officials, Board of Education officials, teachers, Sunday School teachers, family members, friends, etc., it was literally one or two months before Josh graduated before I realized we didn't have a "plan" or "goal" past May 24, 2012.

At this time, it is unsettling for all five of us. Roxie and Austin want a "life plan" for Josh as much as he does... as much as Mike and I do.

Because going to college in the fall is such an everyday topic in our home, it has been hard for them to understand not everyone follows the "script" of 12 years of school/graduation/4 years of college/Master's Degree/good job/marriage/family.

Who wrote that script? Who says that's the only way to go through life. Who says anyone who deviates from that script won't be as successful as someone who goes strictly by the script? Who says God's "script" isn't the way to go... for everyone?

And who gets to determine the meaning of the word "successful" in anyone's life?

If I was honest, I would have to say I was always a big advocate of the "script." As a planner and a Mom, the "script" looked very, very good to me, and up until Josh's 6th grade year of school, it looked extremely doable.

But this self-proclaimed planner now TRIES to live day-by-day, and while it isn't easy because it is totally against my nature, some days I manage to do pretty well.

When the questions start flooding my mind about Josh's future, I have to stop and make myself look at today... and today only. It's a lesson I'm re-learning over and over again.

What Mike and I said from the beginning of this Journey, God was not surprised, is still true today and will be true tomorrow.

When we lose sight of what God's plan might be for Josh's life, it doesn't mean the plan no longer exists. It is still in place.

That is a good thing for a planner like me to remember.

And not only for Josh, but for Roxie and Austin, too.

Today, June 4, I am peaceful about the future. Tomorrow, I might be a basket case (again). Who knows?

Oh. That's right. God knows. And that's the only way a planner like me can ever relax. I've got to remember the Master Planner is in control.

Have a wet and wild Monday. I'll be back tomorrow with a very good dessert recipe, some pics and more Randomness.

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

A Rare Saturday Post

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

If it were up to me and me alone, I would have a Sunday post. I would have all my laundry caught up each and every day. I would never have a dirty kitchen. And I would be able to wear skinny jeans.

However, my life is being run by two teenagers and a twenty-something man-child. It is not my own.

And I don't want to miss a minute.

I'll be back in the morning with Mindless Monday and the last installment (for now) of Josh's Journey!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Good Saturday morning!

Or should I say, "Good LATE Saturday morning!"

I didn't have to take Roxie to practice at 8:00 this morning, and there were no other "places to be" on the horizon, so I've been moving slowly.

Mike and I just finished watching today's rerun of The Pioneer Woman... and I now want him to grill tenderloins. But he and Josh have other plans. It's a fishing day around here. And a Chick day for Austin. And a laundry day for The Enchanting Belinda. Does it get any more "simple" than that?

I didn't think so.

Josh's Journey - 12th Grade - I'm here on a Saturday to share Part 2 of Josh's 12th Grade Year. Yesterday we talked about finding our new/old doctor. Today I'll be talking about school.

While the material wasn't difficult for Josh, actually putting pen to paper was sometimes impossible.

There were several different periods during the school year Josh couldn't make himself go to specific classes and we did the "check-out/check-in" thing again. The classes he couldn't attend changed as the year progressed. It was never one class the entire year, and thus, he was able to keep his grades up, but not as easily as 9th and 10th grades.

Missing days and assignments from one class for a week or two meant making As on any and all other assignments and tests during the nine-week period to "maintain" a good grade point average. There were many times he pulled a D or a C up to an A or a B the last two or three weeks of the grading period. And that was extremely stressful.

It was during this time, Josh decided he "couldn't" attend college. School had been such a drain over the past six years, and high school had been a particularly negative experience for him for so many reasons. In his mind, college would just be a repeat of what he had been trying to survive the past four years.

As hard as it was for us, Mike and I agreed, but in return we wanted him to try to graduate with as high a grade point average as possible. If and when Josh did want to go to college, we wanted him to have as many options and choices as he could possibly have.

Josh was also eager to get a job, move into an apartment and start a different phase of life. Mike and I understood his desire, and that is when Mikie came up with "The Plan."

1. Josh would need to work part-time/full-time for an entire year. He would pay rent and utilities to us, and we would put the money back for him to use as his deposit for an apartment or other living space at the end of the year.

2. We also asked him to take at least one class at a two-year college in the Fall and one class in the Spring to see the differences between college and high school. We wanted him to be with people his own age.

3. We told him we wanted him to start visiting other churches to "start over" with new people his own age. And we hoped and prayed having fellowship with a new group of people would make attending church more inviting while he was still dealing/struggling with his scrupulosity.

Josh was excited about The Plan, and agreed to the terms.

Josh was in the Top Twenty of his graduating class.

Josh was in National Honor Society.

Josh was in Tri-M (Music Honor Society).

Josh didn't attend Senior Awards Night or the Senior Robing Ceremony, but he did walk across the stage on the 24th day of May to receive his Alabama High School Diploma with Advanced Academic Endorsement with Distinction.

And Mike and I sat frozen in our seats waiting and watching for this miracle to take place... six years in the making.

I'll finish off this part of Josh's Journey tomorrow with my side of the story. You knew I had a side, didn't you?

I hope you have a great Saturday.

I'll talk to you tomorrow (probably after lunch).

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning! (Thank goodness!)

It's been a busy first week of Summer, but it has had some very good moments. And now it is June 1. I don't know about you, but I always consider June 1 the VERY first day of Summer, and any days we have in May are a little bonus. Thus, my Summer calendar officially begins TODAY. (I'll post my Summer Family To-Do List on Monday. Hopefully there will be some items already checked off!)

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! - I'll be posting parts of Josh's Journey today, Saturday and Sunday. Check in if you get a chance.

RANDOMNESS #1 - If you have time, go to Six Sisters' Stuff under my Blog List and check out their list of 30 Summer Side Dishes. I picked six I want to try at first glance. I'm sure that number will grow when I go back later this afternoon.

RANDOMNESS #2 - The Varsity and JV Basketball Teams came to visit last night. Roxie hosted a cook-out, and I think everyone had a really good time.

Mikie did an excellent job grilling hot dogs and making the first official homemade ice cream of the season. (YEA, MIKIE!)

Roxie made 24 individual smores kits (baggies with ONE marshmallow, THREE squares of Hershey chocolate bar and ONE large graham cracker to be broken into two pieces). It worked out so much better than going around and handing 15 girls the ingredients as needed. They just walked up to the table, grabbed their bag and took care of things. Genius!

I am going to love all of these basketball chicks. They are all sweet, polite and funny. And cute, too.

But I have to mention one in particular. Her name is Chelsea, and after watching Roxie take a couple of pictures with my camera, she spoke up and asked, "Miss Faulkner. Can I take some pictures, too?"

"Uh... yeah!"

And she did.

I don't know if you've noticed this before, but teenage chicks act more natural around other teenage chicks. Chelsea took some great pictures I would never have been able to take... because I'm no longer a chick, you see. I'm a full-grown chicken!

Enjoy!

Okay. Roxie took this one. The tall chick is Chelsea and the shorter one is my friend, Julie. After this picture was taken, Chelsea took the camera!

Caroline and Roxie.

I'm telling you, Chelsea's good. She just walked up and everyone immediately smiled. (They don't do that with me.)

Kelci, Julie's chick.

Yep. We had fire even on a hot summer night. How else would we be able to make smores?

This isn't everyone. Two of the players had already gone home, and four were unable to come, but I think you can tell we're going to have a very good season!

RANDOMNESS #3 - Josh's Journey - 12th Grade - Once again, there are many, many details which will be left out of today's post. I have decided to talk about the last year in story-form with three short stories.

Today's story is about our six-month search for Josh's current doctor. Again, God's hand was all over us, but we didn't realize it until much, much later.

We left off without a doctor who was able to help Josh. Mike and I didn't want to jump into the unknown again. We didn't want to waste the time, and we didn't feel like we had the time to waste. It had to be another God-led doctor.

Don't get me wrong. Mikie and I prayed about our last two doctors, and once again, looking back I believe it was God's plan for us to go to them to end up in the place we found ourselves. Limbo.

We kept talking and talking about our old doctor. The doctor who had helped Josh the most. The doctor who understood our situation. The doctor who had seen us at our worst, encouraged us, taught us and prayed for us during Josh's illness.

After our 1,000th talk, Mike looked at me and said, "Why don't we call him? Why don't we call him and see if he'll see us again... or at least give us some feedback as to what we should do next?"

Hmmmm. Sometimes Mike is brilliant. I like to give credit where credit is due... but mostly when it is due me. However, this was all Mikie.

We prayed about calling our old doctor, and after several days decided it was the right thing to do. We asked God to close the door if it was not His will.

Mike talked to the doctor. The door was definitely open. And we walked/ran inside... and it was like we were home.

We are now at the place we need to be to "figure out the next step," and instead of feeling like we are going backward (which is what I feared), it feels like we are taking steps forward... and not just baby steps. Big steps.

Saturday I'll tell the story of Josh's Senior Year. Sunday I'll tell the story of where I am in this Journey as his Mom. (I know this story best because I don't have to try to figure out what I'm thinking... I already know... most of the time.)

Come back tomorrow for the continuing story of Josh's Journey.

Weekend Happenings

We did "water" stuff last weekend, and Mike and Josh are going to do some "water" stuff this weekend, too. They went to Bass Pro Shop this week and purchased new lures, so fishing is on their minds.

Austin is working at the Chick both today and tomorrow. His Maymester is finished, so he is HOME FOR THE SUMMER! And I am happy.

Roxie will be here, there and everywhere. It's a "friend" kind of weekend for her.

And what about The Enchanting Belinda, you may ask? I'm not sure, but I think Mikie and I will have a date (or two), and my feet desperately want a pedicure. Desperately! Since I have a Gift Certificate for the pedicure, I'm going to try very hard to make that happen! I'm going to keep my list short and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to check some things off!

Have a fantastic weekend. I hope it is everything you hope it will be. I'll be back in the morning with more of Josh's Journey.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Late Night Date

Good Thursday morning... the best morning of the week!

I went outside this morning just to see what I could see, and the pics below are the result.

It appears we have a black cat.

If there is one thing we do not need, it is a black cat!

Yep. That's a fire pit. Roxie invited the basketball team over for a cookout tonight. So that's what I'll be doing today. Grilled hot dogs, homemade ice cream, smores... I doubt we'll be making a "fried cheese run" tonight. (See Late Night Date below!)

And in other news today, I have not killed my Mother's Day petunias... yet.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for this plant I bought the beginning of May. It died five minutes after I took this picture. (I'm NOT kidding.)

RANDOMNESS #1 - I'm afraid 50 is Nifty is finished for the year. With the new format, widgets, rules and such, I cannot figure out how to post "pictures only."

I wish I could explain it better, but that would mean I understood it better... and I could probably FINISH 50 is Nifty if I understood ANYTHING about the picture blogs.

I'm telling you... It's a miracle A Simple Life even exists with my technology-challenged brain. A miracle, I tell you.

RANDOMNESS #2 - When Austin finished middle school, we started a Senior Trip Envelope. We put a specified amount in the envelope each payday for four years. By the time he graduated, he was able to pick from three "trip packages" we had prepared (or choose another destination of his choice). He chose an eight-day road trip to Washington, D.C., and as his traveling companion, he chose his plaque-reading, history-lovin' Dad.

And it was good.

We did the same thing for Josh, not knowing if he would want to travel for any length of time. And for a while, we didn't know what to offer him in terms of a "trip package." And he didn't have any ideas either.

So, it was with great relief that he eagerly accepted an idea I had last week. Three mini-trips.

Next week, Josh, Austin and Brad are traveling to Nashville, going to the Grand Ole Opry to see Carrie Underwood and The Oak Ridge Boys perform, staying two nights and exploring the city.

It's a perfect trip for all three of these country music loving guys, and they are excited.

And so am I.

When they return home, Josh and I will begin planning a two-night mini-trip to Atlanta which already includes enjoying a meal at The Varsity, a meal at The Marietta Diner and a trip to White Water.

His traveling companions haven't been chosen for that trip yet.

And two weeks later, he'll take his final Senior mini-trip to... Well, we don't know yet. We're all still thinking.

But it's going to be fun.

And it suits Josh.

Just like an eight-day road trip with his Dad suited Austin.

(I'm afraid Roxie is going to jet off for a two-week trip to Rio with other chicks... because that's the kind of thing that would suit her! But I'm not going to worry about that today! Tomorrow... definitely. But not today!)

RANDOMNESS #3 - Josh's Journey - 11th Grade

We had settled into our "new normal." We expected Josh's 11th and 12th grade years to be like his 10th grade year. He was still fighting OCD on a daily basis, but he was functioning. He had good days and bad days. We thought we had "figured it out."

We were wrong.

Typically, severe OCD starts showing up in males around the age of 17. Because the individual is trying to hide the symptoms (and usually succeeding), the frustration, fear and exhaustion of acting like everything is okay when it most definitely is NOT shows itself in other ways.

School work starts to suffer because concentration is so difficult.

The child may be angry and short-tempered, and the parents may jump to the conclusion the child is being disrespectful.

The child may become uncommunicative because he is trying so hard to hide the symptoms he doesn't understand.

The child may not want to be associated with their church and/or youth group any longer because of the scrupulosity which sometimes accompanies severe OCD. (Scrupulosity is the inability to have assurance of your salvation or faith because of this illness. The sufferer is left feeling totally and completely hopeless.)

A lot of the above behaviors are attributed to rebelliousness in teens.

Because Josh had been diagnosed so early, when all of the above began happening in 11th grade, we went back to the Internet and the books to see what was happening. We assumed because Josh had been diagnosed at age 12, we didn't have to worry about the "natural" onslaught of severe OCD at 17 or 18.

We were wrong... again.

Mike and I had to learn how to react to this new phase of OCD, and it wasn't easy.

We decided to try a different approach. We had been helping Josh function at school, "attend" church and work. We had not tried to "solve" the scrupulosity problem. We hoped as he got better, that would become secondary or totally disappear.

This time around, we decided to attack the scrupulosity first hoping that regaining a relationship with God would help Josh fight the illness.

We found a new doctor who assured us he specialized in scrupulosity. We were once again hopeful.

We were once again disappointed.

After treating Josh for a year, it became apparent that the NUMBER ONE trait of OCD was standing between Josh and his doctor being able to help him. He "hid" the severity of his symptoms... which is what people with OCD do. It is a huge part of the illness.

With Josh not being able to "come clean" with the doctor about everything that was going wrong, the doctor was unable to treat the problem... and his condition deteriorated at home.

He finished his 11th grade year in bad shape. He was still in the Top Twenty of his class, but we really had to push him to keep his grades up. He didn't have the desire on his own.

He attended church because we required him to attend... not because he wanted to go.

He tried working at a landscape company, but it was a bad fit at this time in his life. He instead cut seven lawns during the summer months to earn spending money.

After we saw the doctor was not helping, Mike and I began praying and searching for a new doctor. The answer was not in front of us, and wouldn't be for another six months.

We didn't know it this time last summer, but Josh's Journey was about to become even more difficult.

I'll finish up Josh's 12th grade year of school and bring you up to date tomorrow.

Again, I'm leaving out hundreds and hundreds of details. While Josh has allowed me to share this part of his story, it is most definitely HIS story now, and I will always respect his decision on how much to share.

As his Mom, it is the least I can do.

Blog Linkage - You may have noticed, I have started giving you Blog Linkage throughout the week when it pertains to something we're talking about, OR I just think you should check it out. I know it is easier to "find" the day it is posted, too. However, that doesn't mean I don't have some blog goodness for you to read today. No, siree.

1. Go to Confessions of a Pioneer Woman under My Blog List. Click on Photography at the top of her page. She reposted some of last year's "Coming Home" pictures from last Memorial Day. Beautiful. Just beautiful.

2. Go to Big Mama under my Blog List and read the post entitled "Is It Summer Yet?" It's a post of about everything... and nothing. It's funny and true.

Enjoy!

Late Night Date

I don't know about you, but teenagers on the verge of being able to drive (CODE for 15 year-olds) can become mighty restless... especially in the Summer.

With two sports camps, practices, workouts, etc., Roxie's week is choppy at best, so getting a summer job, even at the age of 15, isn't an option. (We're thinking next summer when she cuts down to one sport would be a good time to seek part-time employment.)

However, on those antsy nights during the Summer when your teen "feels" like they are coming out of their skin, try to remember when you were a teenager... decades ago. I felt like that sometimes.

Monday night was one of those evenings for Roxie. We were watching television in my bedroom when she let out a heavy, heavy sigh and said, "I want some French fries."

It was 10:45 p.m. That's like 2:00 a.m. for a 50 year-old mother of three.

But I looked at her, and I could see it in her face, and I could remember feeling that way so many years ago.

"Let's go. What's open?" I asked.

"Really? Sonic!"

I put on my foundational garments, ran a brush through my hair and slipped on some non-matching shoes and we were off. Before she could ask the question we hear 100 times a day ("Can I drive?"), I tossed the car keys in her direction, and off we drove into the dark, dark night.

She decided at the last minute she wasn't in the mood for French fries after all. She wanted fried cheese sticks. (And my question was, "Who doesn't?")

After we ordered, she asked, "Can we eat here?"

By now it was 11:10 p.m. That's like 4:00 a.m. for 50 year-old mothers of three, but I said, "Sure!"

And we did. And we talked. And she said it was so much fun. And she said she really needed that. And she drove home happy, content and ready for bed.

The entire date last 35 minutes.

The entire date cost $7.38.

And, no. I do not offer my kids fried cheese every time they get a little restless or bored. (Only about 50 percent of the time.)

It was so worth it... even if I didn't get into bed until 11:50 p.m. That's like 6:00 a.m. for 50 year-old mothers of three.

Dates don't have to be planned months, weeks or even days in advance. Sometimes the most spontaneous date can be the most enjoyable. (Being a planner, it's hard for me to admit that!)

Have a terrific Tuesday. I'll be back tomorrow with Weekend Happenings, the last installment of Josh's Journey for a while, pics and Randomness.

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Oven-Baked Squash Chips AND Refrigerator Dill Pickles

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

Wednesday's post will appear around 3:00 p.m. (I had registration at Roxie's school, and Josh has some guys coming over in a few minutes... and I'm not ready! Can you tell I'm a little flustered?)

See you at 3:00!

Good Tuesday morning!

And GOOD-BYE SUMMER!

Today, one day AFTER Memorial Day, I woke up, got dressed and dropped Roxie off at school at 8:00 a.m. I came home to find Josh up and dressed and heading to a yard job, and Austin packing and getting ready to leave for JSU. The Boy has three more days until he is finished with his Maymester.

Except for the heat, it does not feel very "summer-ish" today. Nope. Not one little bit.

RANDOMNESS #1 - I'm going to share some leftover Railroad Park pics, tubing pics and nature pics as the post rambles on today. For newcomers, that means I didn't take a single "new" picture of anything yesterday. (But it was my last day of Summer, you see, and I had a huge to-do list.)

A little more Railroad Park...

And a little more tubing!

When Mikie's not trying to sling my children 100 feet into the air, it really is a good brother/sister bonding time. This picture was taken right before Mikie slung my children 100 feet into the air.

RANDOMNESS #1 - Speaking of lists, for those of you who are actually having a Summer, go to Six Sisters' Stuff on my sidebar today and get some good ideas from their post entitled "100 Things To Do With Kids This Summer."

I consider myself a "list" expert of sorts, and this one received my Stamp of Approval!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Roxie and I decided to try to finish her summer shopping yesterday... and we did! That doesn't mean I/she won't buy one more item until September, but it does mean that the necessities are hanging in the closet, folded in the drawers and thrown over the back of her desk chair.

One down... me, Austin, Josh and Mikie to go!

RANDOMNESS #3 - Last week was a bad/sad/hard week at Faulkner Farms (circa 1842). Yep. There were tears, slamming doors, hurt feelings and a little hopelessness... And that was just me!

As always, those days and/or weeks remind me to live one day at a time. And here I am, one week later, and the bad/sad/hard week is a thing of the past.

That doesn't mean it was the last one we'll ever experience. It just means it doesn't last forever. No family is perfect. No one (except perhaps the Mom) expects things to go along swimmingly day after day after day. ("Swimmingly" is a summer word meaning "successfully, effortlessly and well." I'll try to use other "summer" words throughout the June, July and August posts. I know you are thrilled.)

That's not going to happen. Not here, not there, not anywhere.

I just wanted to remind you that although I don't post all of the "bad" stuff and I don't take pictures unless the kids are smiling (or sleeping), it doesn't mean it's perfect over here.

To the contrary, everything is very, VERY normal.

RANDOMNESS #4 - Josh's Journey - The High School Years - We're doing the "list" thing again. It is how my mind works best, but you already know that, don't you?

10th Grade

1. Josh started 10th grade with a full load... AP academic classes and extracurricular. He went to school from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

2. While working with the school counselors and administrators and the county officials, Josh's only "accommodations" involved being able to leave the classroom to wash and be checked out at a moment's notice. His work load was the same as his classmates.

3. It was during this time of our "new normal," Mike and I decided to change doctors. You may or may not know this, but great mental health doctors are not on every street corner, and at the time we found Josh's doctor, he wasn't listed under our insurance, but we didn't care. We had no doubt he was the doctor God wanted us to be with during the first three years of Josh's illness. Leaving him was a monumental decision and one of the most difficult things we have ever done.

4. Our search for a new doctor took us to a respected "group" of mental healthcare professionals... and while we thought we were receiving the help we needed, after two years it became apparent our "new" doctor didn't understand the severity of Josh's illness. It wasn't his fault.

The best part of Josh's illness being diagnosed at such an early age was his inability to "hide" it from us. People suffering from severe OCD are experts at hiding their illness. At 12 years of age, Josh wasn't an expert. He was just sick.

However, by the time 10th grade rolled around, Josh was tired of talking about OCD, and when asked most questions, he would answer with an obligatory, "Fine." Our "new" doctor assumed everything was under control after two years of treatment... and dismissed us.

Big, big mistake.

5. Josh worked his first job during the Thanksgiving and Christmas break. He worked at a local Christmas tree farm, and thoroughly enjoyed it. He only worked six weeks, but the physical labor had a positive influence on his illness. We were very hopeful he would be able to have a summer job when school ended.

6. We could travel as a family, but our vacations were short (three to four days max) and consisted of road trips... never more than three to five hours away. Josh was more than ready to be home by the time we had been somewhere two nights.

7. Josh continued to check in and out of school more and more often as the year progressed. By the time school ended, we saw his condition deteriorating, but he made it to the end of the year.

Once again, he was in the Top Twenty of his class and received a Physics award. He wasn't interested in sports. He was still interested in choir and guitar.

8. Josh did begin a job at the Chick where his cousin, Brad, worked. Working in a fast-food restaurant did not work well with Josh's OCD and after three months, he turned in his notice as it became more and more difficult for him to walk out the door to go to work.

NOTE - Some people view this as being lazy, but because we had been there from the beginning, we understood when Josh stood at a door and couldn't make one foot go in front of the other, it was much, much more than not "wanting" to go to work or school. He "couldn't" go to work or school.

As his parents, Mike and I found this to be one of the most frustrating aspects of Josh's illness. We couldn't effectively communicate to others the difference between "not wanting to" and "not being physically able to" complete a task.

Because Josh looked like a strong, healthy young man, people dismissed his mental illness as nonexistent or not relevant to a situation.

It did exist... and it was ALWAYS relevant to any and all situations... school, church, work, travel, friendships, etc., etc.

Tomorrow, we start 11th grade, and may I just say, it was not a good year! But we'll talk about that more tomorrow.

Oven-Baked Squash Chips

I actually made these last night. I'm not a big fan of the squash. The consistency bothers me more than the taste, but I'm always looking for a good, healthy way to put another vegetable on the table.

Since Mikie cooked out last night, we had barbecue chicken, grilled corn on the cob, fresh watermelon... and Squash Chips!

You will need the following:

1 yellow squash
Salt

1. Using a knife, slice the squash as thin as you can. This is the hardest and most important step, so take your time.

2. Spray a cookie sheet (or two) liberally with cooking spray. Line the squash slices up on the cookie sheets, but make sure they don’t touch.

3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

4. Sprinkle salt over the squash slices. BE CAREFUL during this step. The chips will shrink, and you don’t want to bite into a squash chip that tastes like ocean water. A little salt goes a long way!

5. Put the cookie sheets into the oven. Let the squash chips bake for 2 to 3 hours (check them at 2 hours and see how crisp they are). The longer you bake them the crunchier they will be. Patience pays off in this recipe!

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

You will need the following:

1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
3/4 teaspoon dill seeds
2 cups hot water
2 pounds cucumbers, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and dill seeds in a heatproof bowl. Add hot water and stir until sugar dissolves and liquid is clear. Cool to room temperature.

2. Place cucumbers, garlic and dill in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Pour brine over cucumbers and turn to coat.

3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, stirring once or twice. Transfer to an airtight container and store for up to two weeks.

What's that? Another way sneak/serve a vegetable with almost every meal? You bet!

Both the Squash Chips and Refrigerator Dill Pickles recipes came from Pinterest... my home away from home.

Have a tremendous Tuesday. I hope your day after Memorial Day didn't include dropping your kiddos off at school... and if it did, call me and we can "talk" about it! I'll be back tomorrow with Wednesday Wisdom, a Seasonal Tradition and/or Party, Josh's Journey, more Randomness and maybe a couple of new pics. (I will not make any promises.)

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

P.S. You thought I forgot, didn't you? Here are my newest nature pics!

Crescent Roll Hamburgers AND Last Minute Graduation "Stuff"

Good Wednesday morning!

RANDOMNESS #1 - I have declared today "Finish the Board Day." I will be decorating a table in the Fellowship Hall of our church tomorrow morning, and the "Board" is front and center. It must be spectacular. It must accurately depict four years of my child's life. It must be a representation of his family life, his school life, his church life. It must... It must...

Actually, I'm going for neat and straight. Oh. And spelling. I want to be sure I spell his name correctly!

If you attend the Reception, be sure to check out Josh's board. It will be neat and straight... with correct spelling!

And I'm putting candy on the table for anyone who passes by.

As anyone who knows me can attest, I'm a giver... or a briber. Take your pick!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Bev and family have technically moved into their "new" old house. Four months ago TODAY (January 23), their home was destroyed by a tornado. They lost not only their home, but three out of four cars, a camper and much of the content of their home.

Bev's "new" old house...

Bev's "new" used camper and "new" new storage shed!

Today should be a day of celebration and dancing in the streets... if they weren't just so darn tired!

Today's celebration will be marked by lots of unpacking and a really, really delicious home cooked meal provided by ME... and a banana pudding for Tommy. And it will be eaten in their "new" old kitchen in their "new" old house as a family.

Just between me and you, that sounds better than dancing in the streets. It's too hot to dance in the streets... or is that just me?

RANDOMNESS #3 - Josh's Journey - The High School Years - The only way I know to convey the past four years of this six and a half year journey (so far) is by grade. Again, the information, documents and day-to-day living with the illness is too voluminous and overwhelming to "just jot down."

9th Grade

1. Josh took only academic classes his 9th grade year. We wanted to slowly transition him into a full-day schedule since 8th grade had been "too much." He was finished with school at 1:15 each day.

2. He continued to take Honors classes and did well.

3. Although there were several days throughout the year he was unable to walk out the door, it never turned into two or more days. He would take a much-needed break and be back in school the next day.

4. He played football, but it became apparent playing the sport was more of an OCD obsession and when the obsession was gone (overnight), he was unable to return to the team.

5. He immediately started playing the guitar, and we hired a private teacher who was excellent. Josh turned out to be a very talented guitarist.

6. During his 9th grade year, church was still difficult to attend. He couldn't come in the sanctuary until after the music, but depending on the topic, he was able to stay for most sermons. He would slip out during invitation.

7. He had a friend during this year, and they were able to spend a lot of time together. It was good for both of them.

8. Josh finished in the Top Twenty of his class. It was a high honor.

WHAT I REMEMBER MOST ABOUT HIS 9TH GRADE YEAR - In October of Josh's 9th grade year, he was walking with his class to P.E. A young man he didn't even know kickboxed him in the temple immediately knocking him unconscious for several minutes.

I was called to the school, and by the time I arrived, Josh was awake, but the nurse and the Vice-Principal urged us to go to the Emergency Room for observation.

He did have a concussion, and he was held for observation for several hours.

When we left the hospital, we went directly to the football stadium. It was Senior Recognition Night, and as is customary, Mike and I were supposed to walk Austin down the middle of the football field for this service. It is a "big deal" for parents of Senior football players and band members.

Josh sat away from Mom and Roxie because we didn't know the reason for the attack, and since several of the attacker's "friends" were in a group at the top of the stadium, we didn't want them to see Roxie near him in case they would later target her. Josh sat near the bottom of the bleachers, and Mike and I never took our eyes off him... or the large group of boys at the top of the stadium. As soon as the 15 or 20 minute "service" was over, I took Josh home.

We later found out the attacker didn't know Josh. Josh was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

We weren't sure if Josh would be able to go back to school after this incident, but Monday morning, he walked out of our front door one more time.

Josh was "knocked down" many times over the next four years (physically, emotionally and spiritually), but he always got up... one more time.

I'll share his 10th grade year with you tomorrow.

Crescent Roll Hamburgers

I made these last night, and they were very good. While everyone enjoyed them, we all kept saying, "These would be great for a party," so I'm going to file it under Party Recipes.

You will need the following:

1/2 pound of ground chuck
Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/3 packet of dry onion soup mix
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
2/3 cup of cheddar cheese
1 roll of crescent rolls

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a skillet, brown meat. Drain excess fat.

3. In a medium size bowl, mix 1/2 cup of cheese, onion soup mix, couple drops of Worcestershire sauce, pepper. Add meat.

4. Unroll the crescent rolls. Place a rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture towards the larger end of the crescent dough.

5. Roll. Pinch the ends to make them into little pockets.

6. Place crescents onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

7. Brush the tops of the dough with an egg wash. (Simply break an egg in a bowl and whisk egg until well blended. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the mix.)

8. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the egg wash and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

9. Serve with individual bowls of ketchup, mustard and mayo for dipping.

This recipe received Five Faulkner Stars, which is unheard of in these parts. I'll be making them again (and again and again).

Wednesday Wisdom - I would have to say the subject of the following quote has been a problem for me in the past. However, the older I get, the more easily I follow God's direction... and those "bridge" choices are not as difficult as they once were.

"The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which bridge to burn." Anonymous

Last Minute Graduation "Stuff"

1. Go to eighteen25 under My Blog List and scroll down to the post entitled "You Gotta See This" dated May 19. They have very cute decorating ideas, as well as fun party foods.

2. This helpful article came from the website www.celebrationideasonline.com.

Once you have a budget and have decided on your venue, then settle on a date and do it early. You will be competing with lots of other parties this time of year and by getting yours on the calendar first you will avoid conflicts. Next decide on invitations. You can order them online or buy them in the stores. However to save money, you can make them yourself on the computer. There are numerous invitation products available in office supply stores that will give you templates to make your own. Be creative... add graduation clipart, a logo from the college or high school of your graduate or even inset a photo! Unless you have room in your house or are having it off site, ALWAYS plan a rain date. Also make sure you have an RSVP with a date deadline and add your email as well as your phone number.

For food, your options are numerous if you are hosting your graduation party at home. You can have it catered. You can cook using a barbecue theme. Add salad, fruit platters and a graduation-themed dessert and you have an easy, inexpensive menu.

We set up a "stadium" food booth near the grill. My husband and his buddies were grilling to order, with the condiments and rolls set out at the booth. You make a poster and name your area. For example, at our party for our youngest who was going to DePaul University in Chicago, we set up the "DePaul Dug Out" and decorated the table with the school colors. For our son, who was headed to Rutgers University, we had a "Knight Stand" as their school mascot is the Scarlet Knight. For another of our parties, I bought cases of bottled water, took off the store label and made my own personalized labels celebrating the graduates!

For your graduation themed desserts you can always make or order a sheet cake. However, I have received great kudos with my graduate cakes. I make dozens of cupcakes and make tags on card stock with the high school or college logo. When our daughter was headed to Chicago for college, I made tags with pictures of Chicago landmarks. I then tape the tags to a toothpick and insert them into the cupcakes.

3. This is a surprise for Josh's graduation celebration. Men in Black III comes out Friday, but there is a midnight show near our home tomorrow night. Graduation night! After graduation, I'm handing him an envelope with seven Men in Black III movie tickets.

His cousins, siblings and friends are coming to the house after the reception and leaving about 10:30 to go watch a fun movie. Then everyone is coming back to the house to "crash."

I'll be making a big pancake breakfast the next morning (or afternoon... depending on when everyone wakes up) before they head to their respective homes.

Except for my lack of sleep, I think it's going to be a fun gift/tradition/etc.

And remember... IT'S A SURPRISE! DON'T MENTION IT TO JOSH!

Have a grand Wednesday. Since it is my least favorite day of the week, I will try to pretend it is Thursday. (It's what I do to cope.) I'll be back tomorrow with Blog Linkage and a Date. I'll also be adding to Josh's Journey - The High School Years, and I'll have a picture of the finished board! (Oh, please. Let me have a picture of the finished board!)

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting and Slightly Panic Stricken Belinda

Remember this guy? He was my FIRST high school graduate. I thought he looked so old then... but I was wrong!

A Saturday Post? Really?

Good Saturday morning!

As promised, a Saturday morning post.

RANDOMNESS #1 - Roxie and Kelci made the high school basketball team. This has been a full week. Term papers, exams, projects and TWO, count 'em, TWO tryouts!

We need a better word than "stressful" to describe a week like this past one... but I'm too tired to come up with one.

Kelci and Roxie worked hard this week, and it really paid off.

I'm not sure how to spell everyone's name yet, so I'll be coming back in an hour or so and "fixing" this little blurb to include the two girls on each end of the picture... because they definitely deserve it! (The three chicks in the middle are Roxie, Taylor and Caroline.)

RANDOMNESS #2 - Josh's Journey - Part Four - As I told you Wednesday, since A Simple Life will be coming to an end after my 1,000th post (sometime in September, I think), I wanted to make sure the important stuff was covered one more time.

QUESTION - You may be asking what we were doing with Austin and Roxie during these two years. We were dating them like crazy. Breakfasts, dinners, Saturday afternoons, Sunday afternoons... anytime we could squeeze in a one-on-one date, we did. We knew we had to work harder to maintain the relationships with the other two children than ever before. While Austin would have let it go and not said a word, his unselfishness made us work all the harder. As for Roxie, she demanded the attention. She didn't take away from Josh, but she knew what she needed from us even more than we did, and she would plan her own dates and outings with us.

FUNNY NOTE - One night Josh did something extremely irritating to Roxie. Instead of "letting it go," as we had all been doing over the months, she had had enough. "Josh, this has nothing to do with your OCD. You are just being a big ol' BUTT!" Normally, I would have jumped all over that, but it was music to my ears. It was the most normal thing we had heard in our house in almost 18 months. It caught Josh off guard, and he apologized and straightened up. Roxie speaking up helped remove some of the eggshells we had been walking on in our house.

When I first started this series, I had no idea how difficult it was going to be. Just figuring out which details to leave in and which 1,000 to leave out has been mind boggling (and I'm a little limited in the mind department sometimes). In saying that, today I'll be talking about three friends and how they stuck by and helped Josh, as well as a timeline of his 7th grade year.

Josh's behavior was very erratic, and he was unable to leave the house for several months. We were very worried about so many things, one of them being his social life. I know you're thinking that is not the most important thing, but it is one of many, many aspects of this illness we had to consider.

I decided to call two women, explain to them as best I could what was going on and ask if their two sons would be able to visit Josh on a regular basis. I have to give them enormous credit, because although I was very honest with them, you had to see it to believe it. I gave them an out saying if at any time their boys were upset or did not want to come over any more, I would totally understand... and I would have. They explained the situation to their 12 year-old sons, and they were willing to help.

It was always good to have three because if Josh had to retreat to the bathroom to wash for an hour, the other two boys could play X-Box or pool or jump on the trampoline together until he could join them again. We started out slowly, just one or two hours at a time. The boys saw Josh praying, shouting "Amen" five, six or more times, jerking, washing. It didn't seem to phase them at all.

As we started trying to take him outside of the house to do things, they were understanding of the fact we might have to leave early or even turn around and come home as soon as we arrived. They understood Josh wasn't being "selfish" because he couldn't play just anything they wanted to play. They played what he was able to play on that particular day... I'm sure whether they wanted to or not.

One day, Josh came down and his hands were bleeding. I was putting Neosporin on them when one of the boys came up and asked me, "Miss Belinda. Have you ever seen the movie The Aviator?" I had not, but I knew it was about Howard Hughes who suffered from OCD, as well as other mental illnesses.

"No. But I know it was about Howard Hughes. Do you understand? Josh has some of the things shown in that movie."

The young man looked at me and looked away, and I thought I understood what he was thinking. Howard Hughes lived a miserable existence and died a horrible death because of his mental illness. "There are some similarities, but Josh isn't going to end up like Howard Hughes," I told him. He looked at me again. "He WILL NOT end up like Howard Hughes."

"Okay, Miss Belinda," and they went off to play whatever Josh wanted to play.

Those two guys hung with Josh for three years, and even though time and interests have changed, they still speak and are very kind to him.

Also, during the three years, another friend emerged, and after speaking to his mom, he was happy to socialize with Josh, also. His mother was comfortable enough to let Josh come to her house to visit, which was not an easy thing to do. There were so many things to "watch" for, but she and her family were warm and welcoming and took very good care of the situation.

At the end of 8th grade with high school sports starting and friends going in different directions, I prayed for another friend or two to be faithful and supportive, and God answered that prayer with another fine young man. His mom is also kind, warm and understanding.

Austin and his friends have definitely taken up the slack in the friend department, and many of them accept Josh and are kind to him just because of his relationship with Austin. That's okay. We'll take anything we can get. We're also blessed to have my sister's children, Brad, Katie and Zac, who are most definitely more than cousins, and have offered him friendship and unconditional support over and over and over again.

I'll tell a funny little story here. The Christmas of his 7th grade year (one year after diagnosis), I had written notes to the two boys who had been so wonderful to Josh the past year. It was a little mushy, so I ended the note saying, "I know some of the things I've said will make it a little embarrassing the next time you see me, but come up to me and talk... or I'll have to find you." I enclosed a gift card to McDonald's for milkshakes. The mother of one of the young men said he came to her and her husband and read the card and kept it on his dresser. I didn't know how the other friend had taken the letter... until the Christmas Eve service.

This was a highly emotional time for me, because as I said in earlier posts, this was the first time Josh had been to church in exactly one year... and this service had always been his favorite service of the year. He had always said that from the time he was a little guy. I was tearful and grateful and excited and hopeful.

And then I noticed his friend making a beeline toward us. He stopped right in front of me and leaned down (almost in my "space"), and I readied myself for something very emotional and touching.

"Is that McDonald's gift card for $5 or $10? My mom said since it was for a milkshake, it was just for $5, but I told her I bet it was for $10. Who's right?"

You've got to love boys! I wished I had bought a $10 certificate, but unfortunately it was for $5. When I told him, he grinned and said, "Well, thank you very much." As he was walking away, I asked him if he would be interested in going to Krispy Kreme sometime during the Christmas holidays, and I think we all know what the answer to that was!

The following is the time-line for Josh's 7th grade year.

1. Josh began school in Honors classes, but was unable to go into the building without me. The first three or four weeks of school, I sat outside his first period class. The remainder of the day, I sat in the office.

2. Josh was more comfortable in first period as long as I remained in the office down the hall. For four or five weeks, I sat in the school office from 8:00 until 3:00.

3. Josh was unable to stay in band. The noise made from all the different music played at the same time was torture. He came out of band. I sat in the office for three hours, we would go home for 45 minutes and then return for the rest of the day.

4. Josh was able to go to school and on days when there was not a chance of bad weather or a cloud in the sky, I could sit in the van. I stayed in the van for three hours, checked Josh out for 45 minutes and returned for the rest of the day. This lasted for over five weeks.

5. Somehow Josh continued to make straight As. (I continue to mention his grades because many people associate mental illness with poor grades, and that is not always the case.)

6. After the Thanksgiving holidays, Josh started to "break down," and he was unable to get out of the car. After two weeks of trying, we resumed the Homebound Program and the liaison brought our work to the house where we completed assignments and tests and returned them to her.

7. Our 7th grade year finished just as our 6th grade year finished...at home, incredibly lonely and isolated, but still praying and hoping this would not be our life.

8. Mike and I had started sitting on the front porch during rainstorms with Josh sandwiched in between us to desensitize him to weather.

9. One of us had to stay with him at all times. When Mike came home from work, I would go to Wal-Mart for 30 or 45 minutes every night. It was the only time I got out during the day.

10. After a year of getting dressed on Sunday mornings and walking into the doors of the church... then turning around and leaving immediately, Josh was finally able to occasionally attend church, but not music services. He had to leave before the invitation was given. Mike and I worked in the Middle School Department. He would go to Sunday School for the most part unless the subject matter was disturbing. If he needed to leave, he sat with us while we prepared the attendance rolls.

11. If the weather was bad or going to be bad, we stayed home.

12. There were three more times when we had to decide about hospitalization during this year, but each time, God and our doctor helped us avoid what we considered too drastic a measure.

Tomorrow, we'll do the 8th grade time-line as well as the Top Ten Things You NEVER Say to a Parent With a Child Suffering From Mental-Illness... David Letterman style.

NOTE - As I've said before, please feel free to leave comments and questions regarding Josh's Journey privately through e-mail (mfaulkner1306@charter.net) or "message" me on Facebook. Thanks!

Okay. That's it for today. Faulkner Farms (circa 1842) looks like an individual bomb has been set off in each and every room... including mine. The Faulkner Five do not know it yet, but we're about to get really, really busy around here.

Have a super Saturday. I hope you get a lot done. (I hope I get a lot done!)

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!


RANDOMNESS #1 - You probably think it is strange I have never prepared a shrimp dish before I turned 50. After last's night EASY and successful attempt, I think it's a little strange, too.

What can I say? Shrimp have been very intimidating to me.

Of course, I didn't peel or devein the shrimp. I am NOT Paula Deen, Sandra Lee or The Pioneer Woman.

I am NOT Martha Stewart who, if truth be told, probably goes out on a shrimping boat and hand picks only the best shrimp for her recipes.

I am NOT Oprah who has a professional chef peeling and deveining her shrimp as we speak.

I am just little ol' Enchanting Belinda... who can now make shrimp dishes.

I'm sorry. If you are not a shrimp eater (and I am NOT), this does not look appetizing.

It looks a little better cooked, but not enough for me to try it. Austin and Mikie LOVED it!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Josh's Journey - Part Three - Remember. I'll be posting more of Josh's Journey Saturday and Sunday (May 19 and 20). I NEVER post on Saturday and Sunday. NEVER. But I'm making an exception in this case. I've got a lot to cover between now and graduation!

We left off yesterday with a God-given plan. Mike and I sat down during the wee hours of the morning and talked about what had to be done that day to protect Joshua.

First, we had to get our files from the psychiatrist. Another psychiatrist would not be able to help us if we were under the treatment of another doctor.

Secondly, until we could find the doctor we were supposed to be with, we had to go to our pediatrician for the help we needed for the next one or two days as we searched.

Thirdly, once we had an appointment with our pediatrician, we would call Donnie who worked with the Children's Ministry at our church and have as many people on staff praying for the right outcome of our meeting with the doctor. The most important goal for our day was to keep Josh out of the Psychiatric Ward. It was the ONE thing we were sure of in a sea of uncertainties.

Mike took care of getting our files from the psychiatrist. He drove to the office himself, and was handed the file through a receptionist's window. No explanation as to why the doctor had not returned our emergency calls... no contact with him whatsoever.

As soon as the doctor's office opened, I had an appointment. It opened at 8:00 and we were to be there at 9:30. Josh was already in the bathroom washing, praying and crying, so I told him he had 90 minutes and to take his time. Rushing him would only slow him down.

At 8:01, I called the church office and spoke with Donnie's answering machine. I asked him and anyone else there to specifically pray that Josh would not be admitted into the hospital.

We arrived at the doctor's office on time, told him everything that had been going on and that we were looking for another psychiatrist. (We did not ask him for another name.) He told us Josh really needed to be in the Psychiatric Ward of Children's Hospital. We told him respectfully we knew he did not. When he asked what we wanted from him, we asked for mild sedatives for Josh for one or two days until we found the answer we were searching for. He complied, and Mike and I drove off at 9:45 having accomplished our task for the day.

During this entire time of little or no sleep, confusion and despair, a name kept coming to my mind. I had not told many people what was going on, because to be honest, we didn't know ourselves. But Jenny's name was in my mind constantly. I didn't really understand why. Jenny and I had been church friends for years and her son was Josh's age. They had gone to each other's birthday parties growing up, and Jenny and I had done some things socially, but not on a regular basis. However, her name above all the other people I knew stayed in my mind.

I didn't talk to her because it was so close to Christmas, and I didn't want to burden her with such a heavy problem, but the thought persisted... and I continually pushed it away.

The day after we had seen our doctor, Josh was mildly sedated and Mom and I tried to take him to a restaurant. It was miserable. He couldn't stop jerking, praying and crying, so we were getting our food to take home. Jenny walked up to our table and spoke to us. She looked at Josh questioningly, and then back at me. She squeezed my arm and we said our good-byes.

When we got home, the thought to call Jenny was prevalent. I dialed her number. While Mom watched Josh, I sat in the floor of my bathroom and told her everything that was going on. She listened carefully, and instead of just saying, "I'm so sorry," she said the most unbelievable thing to me. "Belinda, you need to call Laura. She works at Children's in the Psychiatric Ward and she'll know every child psychiatrist in Birmingham."

I thanked her and hung up the phone. I casually knew Laura. She was a wonderful, warm person with a beautiful little girl I spoke to on Sunday mornings. I immediately called her. I once again poured out everything that had happened. She listened without any interruptions. When I was finished, I'll never forget what she told me. "Belinda, I know exactly who you should see. He's a wonderful doctor, and he will be able to help Joshua. I worked with him several years ago at Children's. I'm going to call him right now, and I'll call you back. I love you. This is going to be okay."

She hung up and I continued to sit in the floor limp, unable to move or think. Within five minutes, the phone rang and it was Laura. She gave me the doctor's name and number and said he would like to talk to me. I asked her how long she had been working at Children's, and she said she had not been there for years and years. The doctor I was about to call had just recently started a private practice. "He's going to be able to help Joshua," she again reassured me.

I called the doctor's office and spoke with his wife, who was a pharmacist and his office manager. She was very kind. After a few minutes of talking to me, she spoke with her husband and he got on the phone with me. He asked me several questions, and then told me he was going to send me a questionnaire to fill out, and his wife was going to set up our appointment. That same week.

I called Jenny back and told her what had happened. And then I asked her, "Laura hasn't worked at Children's Hospital for a number of years. What made you think of her?"

"I don't know. It was just stuck in my head she had worked there. I didn't know she was working somewhere else."

"Are you and Laura best friends?"

"No. We're friends, but we don't talk all the time. I don't know why that was stuck in my head."

I hung up the phone. I knew exactly why it was "stuck in her head." I knew now why Jenny's name had been "stuck in my head" since Josh had gotten sick. I've said it the past two days, and I'll say it again... God WASN'T surprised and caught off guard by any of this. We didn't know it then, but Josh's Journey had begun, and we were just along for the ride. We could do things our way... or we could turn to God and do things His way. But you know me... there were many more control struggles ahead between Josh's Heavenly Father and Josh's earthly mother.

Sometimes, I think there aren't enough pigeons on this planet for God to throw at me to get me to listen... but I am learning. Slowly, but surely... I am learning.

To finish up today's Part Three of the story, I'm just going to give you a numbered time line of some of the other things that were going on before we met with our new psychiatrist.

1. Josh could not attend church. The music, the praying, the jerking was more than he could bear. The last service we attended together as a family was Christmas morning. Josh was unable to go to church for an entire year. The next time he was able to sit down in a service was the Christmas Eve Service, December 2006. After that, church attendance was still very sporadic, but we were hopeful.

2. I was unable to attend church for five months. Mike was serving on the Pastor Search Committee before all of this happened, so when he was in town, he needed to be in church. At least two or three Faulkners attended every service during that year. We knew it would be important to teach faithfulness to Austin and Roxie, plus it gave them a much needed break away from the house.

3. Josh was unable to go to school. He entered the Homebound Program where a liaison brought his assignments and tests to the house, and he worked on his school work at home. We didn't cut back any of his school work. He completed a full course load and made straight As the rest of his 6th grade year.

4. We took our annual family trip to the mountains in late April with my sister and her family and my Mom, but Josh didn't travel well, and being away from home was torture for him. It was a very difficult trip.

5. We were not able to go to movies as a family.

6. We were not able to eat out as a family.

7. Summer was difficult to say the least, but we tried to take things one day at a time. His band director gave him private tuba lessons so he could move up to intermediate band in 7th grade to be with friends.

8. We continued to practice every tradition we had ever had in our home. The Christmas Josh was so sick, we still went to family gatherings, baked cookies with Roxie's friends, and did anything and everything we had always done. However, we did whatever we needed to do to compensate for Josh's illness (leaving early, sitting with him in the bathroom for hours at a gathering, etc.).

9. Slowly, slowly, slowly, our new doctor was trying different medications with Josh. Sometimes we would have to wait four to six weeks to see the effects, if any, of a new medication. It became apparent to all of us that working with Josh with Cognitive Behavior Therapy was going to be the key.

10. We hoped he would be able to start 7th grade, but we braced ourselves for the worse.

That's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll talk about his 7th grade year in a time line. But, I'll also begin talking about the isolation that comes with mental illness... both for the person with the illness and the family. I'll also be sharing a little about three special young men who went the extra MILES with Josh, and how they could not only be examples to all middle school young men, but to adults as well... me included.

NOTE - As always, feel free to privately message me on Facebook or send me an e-mail (mfaulkner1306@charter.net) if you would like to comment. Thanks!

RANDOMNESS #3 - I don't know about you, but I always have leftovers in the fridge on Friday. I also have leftover pics on my camera most Fridays. Here are just a few of them!

Laci helped Roxie and Hannah stretch Friday night before The Pink Ribbon Run. She's a giver.

Josh finished the MotherWalk Fun Run in his own subtle, discreet way... NOT!

You can never have too many Cracker Barrel photos. Am I right?

I've always found Mother's Day to be one of the more exhausting holidays.

Sassy times three! Roxie, Shelby and Kelci after they found out they made the volleyball team.

Weekend Happenings

Since today's post is SO long, I'm going to give you Weekend Happenings in "bullet" form.

Friday

Austin - The Chick, Melia and Battleship with Josh
Josh - Lazy day, trim the hedges (SURPRISE) and Battleship with Austin
Roxie - School, basketball tryouts, pass out on couch
Mike and Belinda - Dinner with whoever shows up (kid-wise), maybe a mini-date to Books-A-Million for coffee

Saturday

Austin - Sleep late, the Chick
Josh - Sleep late, yard work, friend birthday party
Roxie - Sleep ALL day, watch movie with friend
Mike and Belinda - Breakfast date, work around house

Sunday

Austin - Church, Sunday lunch with family
Josh - Church, march to front for Graduate Recognition, Sunday lunch with family
Roxie - Church, Sunday lunch with family
Mike and Belinda - See above

Could a Weekend Happenings post BE more boring?

I didn't think so.

I hope you have a BLAST this weekend. I'll be back tomorrow with Part Four of Josh's Journey and a couple of pics to brighten your Saturday... because that's just the kind of person I am!

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting (Albeit Boring) Belinda