Family & Random Musings

Baby Update

2008-09-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would pop in really quick and update everyone about the baby. We had the 34 week check up, that amounts to an ultrsound to measure baby, and then make the call as to when the "d-day" will be. On Wednesday, we went in for that particular appointment. The ultrasound went wonderfully, in fact we now have a picture of the baby's foot! The interesting news is more along the lines of how big the baby really is. We knew the baby had been measuring about a week ahead from the get-go, which in all reality is nothing to be getting too excited about, but definately something to keep in mind. Once the ultrasound had started, the doctor checked size of uterus, and then started in with measurements of the baby itself. Somewhere in the midst of all of this, he stopped and asked us what the due date was. We told him we were told the 28th of October, and he hung his head and laughed. He then asked his nurse (who was assisting durin the ultrasound) what she was regeristing for a due date. She said her computer was telling her Oct. 14, while the doctor checked with the machine that was telling him Oct. 11. In short, the baby was measuring around two and a half weeks larger then where it should be. The baby was weighing in around 6 lbs 7 oz already, which is about average for a baby at 38 weeks. Talk about a BIG baby in line! The doctor had no clue as to how to handle that bit of change, as he came in prepared to say the week of Oct 14th for the "d-day". He said that probably wouldnt happen. So as it stands currently, I am to go in this upcoming Thursday (Sept. 25th) for a "check" up, and then a date set from there depending on how that turns out. For the most part, at this stage of the game, we are trying to make it from one point to another, without having any more suprizes in between :) It is really confusing though, as my mind is currently in mode of 34 1/2 weeks, and any contractions (or anything else) means pre-term...when the baby is big enough to be able to be called term, which means body is acting according to the baby, and then the mind starts getting worried again knowing how far I am. Circular reasoning...in this case is BAD! From the sounds of the doctor, he would have no problem delivering the baby if it decided to show up from the point and time we left until any identifiable "d-day".
We are also back to the question of what gender baby is. I think with the size of the baby, the doctor forgot to make sure that we were talking about a boy..or find out if the baby was a girl. We have no worries however, as we have a name for both :) As things progress, I will be on updating. Stay tuned for the updates :)

The Last (Unfortunately) of the Fair Pics

2008-09-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

Another yearly stop is the "Farm". This year, JohnMark was able to participate by himself for the most part. As his new fascination is tractors, I figured to leave this picture out would damage the following cute pictures. Again, as previously mentioned, there are more pictures involved with this, but to put them up would require MANY more posts...
JohnMark in his element. He recently discovered Skid Loaders, and wanted to see one up close. His pronounciation of the tractor's name is "Skloader", and when he found out we were going to see them, he started laughing. We did not even have to ask for a smile for this picture.
While Abbi was off wandering around for her tractor of choice, we found Kenzie having had climbed up into the Skid Loader. As you can tell, she feels at home in the tractor.
Abbi found her tractor, being the classic style. Not too sure as to what she needed to do while up there, she sat and smiled, looking cute as always. She was trying to find fork lifts, as well as the riding mowers, but we kept pictures to tractors only.
Not to be outdone, Kenzie had to have a picture taken on top of the tractor. Once again, she looks at home on a tractor...ironic since she lives in a city. As this is again one of those really cute pictures, I couldn't find it in my heart to leave it off of the picture list.

I may try to update more pictures every week or so in order to try to not overload the blog. I hope that you enjoyed the pictures that have made it up so far. Please feel free to leave your comments if the blog will let you, otherwise email them to me at dapattenclanmamma@yahoo.com .

More From The Fair

2008-09-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

While at the Fair, we usually stop and see the Saturn exhibit. This year, they had a really fun looking sports car, which Abbi wanted to try out. We just about had to pry her out, as she had that much fun just sitting in the car!
Not to be outdone, Kenzie had to have a turn. As you can tell, she also enjoyed being behind the wheel, but is a bit more road conscience (facing the correct way in a car vs. Abbi who was pointed out the door). JohnMark was not interested in any of the cars that were there.
One of our yearly stops includes the 4-H building. This year, they had a technology corner set up with everything dealing from Guitar Hero to Wii stations set up for various ages. Abbi found one of the stations, set up for her age group. The game was a fishing type game, and her look of concentration was too good to pass up.
Abbi with the Wii controller in her hand actively playing, while Kenzie looks on and cheers her sister on.
Another priceless picture brought to you by Kenzie. She had her turn at the fishing game, and while she was busy playing, her concentration came out in her open hand gesturing. Again, this was one that had to get put up.

In the next post, I will be putting some up of JohnMark, as well as some other random pictures. Like I said before, this being 10 of over 50, I have to limit it somewhere. For those who check this site who have Facebook, I have MANY more posted on there.

A Pseudo Expected Update :)

2008-09-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

JohnMark at the beginning of the day. As you can tell, he is a bit excited about his journey, and looking forward to all of the fun that the day holds.
The kids visited the Newspaper Press for the first time. While there, they had the chance to learn how printing presses, linographs, and neswspapers as a whole were produced. At the end of the "tour", they each recieved their own "Press Hats".
The kids during their time at the "Farm". This year they had various cut-outs the kids could pose at. This is the only one that allowed for all three to particiapate. Even though it is not a clear shot (room really did not allow for it), JohnMark is up top (with me holding), Kenzie is the pig, and Abbi is the sheep. In following posts, there will be more of these cut-outs, but as this particular post is to show all three, this one had to make it first.

Like the title holds, and as I have been promising, here is the next update. On Labor Day, we went to the Minnesota State Fair. While there were several pictures taken, I have to resign myself to only a few to be posted, as I am already looking at at least a couple of postings in order to get them on the site (something about a five pic limit...). I will include as much of the story as possible with the pictures, most of which will be of the kids (of course :) ). So sit back and enjoy this update, coming in many different installments, but well worth it :)

The Pics Have Arrived!!

2008-08-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

We have a new camera! Here are a few pics to update everyone on what the kids look like at this stage of life! For those of you who have Facebook, some of these will be uploaded there too!

Abbi (age 6) and Kenzie (age 4 1/2). This was taken after bathtime, and before bedtime.
Kenzie and Abbi in one of their rare moments of sisterhood. Not sure if it was a purposeful pose or not, but I will take it!
JohnMark (age 2) at bathtime. This is our first ever bath pic of any of the kids. Apparently he enjoyed hamming for the camera!
One of our "kids". This would be the ever infamous Toby...the hyper basset. It doesn't look like it now, but he was busy going from room to room earlier having fun!
The other of our two "kids". This is Milo, the psycho cat. Though it does not appear like it now, the mouse was killed (stuffed of course), and then Milo attempted at playing fetch. I hope to get video of him actually playing fetch, as I am sure some of you would absolutely love it!

That just about does it for this update. As we get more pics, they will be added. We head to the State Fair on Monday, so that should present some pretty fun pictures. I will also try and get some pictures of the house (inside and out) up, as we have been here for a year now. I am excited as I am now definately keeping this updated! Hopefully it will last...especially with the baby coming.... :)

Life and its Fun Times

2008-08-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ok. So I havent updated in a while. More then a while. But I have a really good reason. Its called chasing three young ones, carrying the fourth (who demands naps at weird times), and trying to keep up with the house. That is, until today. Normally, when I hit nesting, I hand mop all floors that can handle mopping, then wax them by hand. We have a no wax vinal floor. Hand mopping could work, but not as well as before. I was asked to do a few extra things around the house today, which was done (thanks to the kids), but all of a sudden felt as if it werent enough. I then started in on windows. Why windows when floors could use it more, I have no idea, but windows it was. Midway through my second window (outside part), it occured to me that I was nesting. The second type..the one where the house MUST look spotless at all times kind. We have pretty much everything ready for the baby, which was done during the first type of nesting. It is interesting to see that my brain has taken to windows though. At the time of this blog, I have three left, all in the bedrooms. I am trying to rationalize that no one will see them except those of us in the family, but it keeps getting over-ridden by the thought of "there are only three left". I am scared to find out what my next nesting push will be. Probably something totally off the wall like washing the walls or something fun. Then again, when has my brain ever done anything close to normal??
Ok.. On with the family. The girls made it through soccer just fine. Hopefully soon I will be able to put their soccer pictures up for all to see. At the end of the season, it was hard to tell if they wanted to keep doing soccer, or if it was just a fun thing at the time. I know that they are now focused on swimming lessons. I have yet to hear about basketball. I am also hoping to start schooling in the next week or so...so expect posts about that fun venture.
JohnMark is getting excited for the baby in his own way. I have officially become his mamma...to which there is a loving war between Kenzie, JohnMark, and the baby over whose mom I really am. Its definatly fun times.
As for the baby. We still do not know the date of deliverery, but I am still hoping for Oct. 9th. The date is one in a lifetime, and since we already have a 02-03-04, we might as well have a 10-09-08. We have finally decided on a name...which will be Levi Marshall. In case all pictures are wring, and the baby will be another girl, the name will be Lydia Rene'. At last check, baby still seems to be a bit bigger then normal, but may have actually caught up to where he needs to be. Then again, he likes to change positions on people frequently....so we shall see after Labor Day at the next apointment.
I should end this here, as the kids need lunch, and the windows are calling me still. I am hoping to be able to update this a bit more often though.

A Family Update

2008-06-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

So purple is the color choice of the day. Not sure why I chose this, but oh well:) Since last post, Abbi has had her 6th birthday, which has seemingly signified in her mind she is "officially a big girl". It is amazing when someone realizes they are a big girl...I am not sure when that came to me, but I think I was a bit older...LOL. Both Abbi and Kenzie are in soccer through the YMCA now, and I think both are enjoying it. Abbi (once she figured out what she was doing) stopped a couple of would-be goals from happening. She then took the field, and promptly ran the ball the wrong way. Thankfully the "Coach" stopped the ball from bee-lining it in the goal and pointed the correct way to go. I was sooo proud of her! Kenzie has learned the fun of rolling a soccer ball down a hill, then rolling herself down the hill after it in order to beat the soccer ball. She does play with the other kids a bit, but as most of the kids have their mom or dad on the field with them, I think she feels a bit left out. Once I explained that I couldnt be out there, but would LOVE to be, she was ok with it...then found the joys of the hill. Its ok...I knew she loved Volleyball when she was playing it. She seems to show no interest in Track and Field, or Basketball, so I think between Swim Team (when she gets old enough and provided that is still a priority) and Volleyball she will be set. Abbi is LOVING soccer so much that I think she will be the basketball and soccer person. JohnMark hasnt said either way yet, but as he has a couple of years to go, I think that is fine. We still have not settled on a name for #4 yet, though I think we are getting closer. His playtime is consistantly between 11 pm and 5 am...though that seems to be shifting. If Abbi or Kenzie comes in during the morning, and starts to talk, the baby sleeps...as soon as JohnMark starts talking (usually when he gets in) the baby is up and stays that way until JohnMark is asleep again. Life will be SOO fun when he gets here:) Our garden is doing well...for a really weird and wacky reasons. The rabbits DO get in, but they eat the grass and weeds that get into the garden. Our lettuce has been untouched, as has most everything else. Hopefully things will start coming off soon!! Now all I have to do is get ahold of a salsa receipe for canning:)
I apologize that this update seems to be a bit scattered. Blame it on lack of sleep:) I am hoping to remember to update this site a bit more often. If anyone has any ideas at all about Biblical names for boys, please feel free to leave a message:)

An Update

2008-05-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ok...so maybe the color of the typing will give this away. Just in case, we found out today that Patten #4 will most likely be a boy. According to the doctor, "the baby appears to be rather boyish today". Of course, to make sure, the nurse put a question mark behind the word boy...but the baby left NO doubt. Definately an easy baby to run an ultrasound on. We also found out that the baby is still running about a week ahead of schedule, and now weighs 9 oz. I am thinking we are definately going to have a big baby (takes after Abbi). The girls were happy to see the baby, but rather bummed to find out it will most likely be another boy. JohnMark was stunned. I think he realized he will have to share his room. Our only problem at this stage...what to name the baby? I have a name that I think would be really cool, a family legacy name. Steve doesnt like it, but can't seem to come up with a better name. Overall, baby is doing really well. I would say that for a prayer request to pray for me, as I am having a really hard time with the weight gain. I know I am supposed to gain, however I was in process of loosing the weight before conception. I have already gained ten pounds. Also, pray that my body can handle the extra weight of another baby...as I am already having issues with back and knees. Pray also that frustration levels will not spill over too much to those around me, as the hormones are really messing with my ability to handle things.
On a side note, we made it safetly back from our camping trip up to Bemidji, Minnesota. As soon as we came home, I had a shadow in the form of Milo follow me everywhere. I still have the shadow. We had a fun time over the weekend. Apparently the State Parks have a new thing called GeoCache(ing). Sixteen parks have GPS units available to use...while the other however many there are dont. There is now talk between Steve and our friends to have a GPS per family, and see how many of the parks we can clobber this summer. We shall see how that goes! For now, the women of the group are both pregnate, one to deliver (prayerfully) in July, then myself in October. It has made travel interesting this year, as there has been a constant race to see who gets to the bathroom first. The girls really enjoyed camping this go round (again), and hope to return to Bemidji State Park. JohnMark became adventurous, and found his way over to our tent twice (without our knowledge) in the next site over. Keep in mind, there were brush and trees separating our sites. Made for fun times...LOL. One of our next feats will be over 4th of July weekend (the last weekend before baby #1 comes along) up at Sakatah State Park. That should be a fun time had by all too, as there are numerous walking trails, and tons of memories from three years ago.
I should end this update before it gets too long. If I am not mistaken, the comment section is now open for use, so if anyone has any ideas for names, drop em by. Either that, drop them at my facebook account. I think instead of a baby pool, it should be a name poole...hehe. I hope to hear some feedback soon, and as soon as I get the time, I will scan some pics in and post them. If only I could do the same for pics of the house...LOL. That is another story.....I hope to hear from yall soon!

An Update

2008-04-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would take the time to update everyone about the OB appointment that I had on Wednesday. From what the doctor said, there is a potential that, IF the numbers of the antiboties gets too high, there could wind up being blood problems with the baby. However, right now the numbers are pretty low, and the doctor (along with the lab people) do not see any reason for the numbers to rise. There are at least two more times that I will have to get the blood tested to make sure they are not rising, but I think I can handle that. I also had my first official ultrasound of the baby. It is definately a baby, but the dates seem to be off via the machine. At the time of the appointment, I should have been at 10 weeks and 0 days, but the machine had the baby measuring 11 weeks 0 days. Hopefully this will wind up being good news for us, as this is a C-Section...and with all the past problems, having the date moved up a week, then the two weeks early...well...you can see how this goes. Of course, at this time I am being overly optomistic, and could use a dose of reality...but it is SOOOO nice to dream:)
Kenzie started Volleyball this past Saturday. She LOVES it, and has spent all week counting down the days until the next time to Volleyball. Just an insertion...she is the shortest (not to mention youngest) in the sport right now, and her attitude and optimism suprised not only the helpers, but the one in charge of it all. This was SUCH a swich from Abbi who all but gave up on Basketball because she wasn't doing as well as the others. Hopefully I will be able to get more updates as they become available.
Abbi also started a new sport this past Saturday. We put her in Track (which winds up being Track and Field...) in the hopes that running will help her over abundance in energy. She was getting over being sick last week, as well as getting thrown in with a bunch of people she didn't know...the end result being, she didn't apply herself totally. She did run the entirety of the track one time around, which was good, and she DID try, which also was good, but you could tell she was holding back. We shall see how the next time goes...I think it will be better. She did enjoy herself, and said that the High Jump (modified) was her favorite. We shall see if the warmer weather brings out the speed in her.
Bubba is enjoying just being outside again. He is too young to be involved with any of the sports, but still LOVES being outside in the warmer weather. I am having to fight he AND the dog to get them back inside at times. The countdown to camping season has started...LOL.
I am planning our first ever garden. This will be a new venture for me, but not the first garden I have ever worked with. Growing up, I remember my parents having various gardens, and my job was to weed them. Unbeknownst to them, I watched how they got the gardens ready every year, so now I know what to do for my own. The only problem being, what to grow for a first garden? The resounding answer of potatoes, carrots, onions, and tomatoes have come from quite a few people. I am also thinking of Okra (my southern roots surfacing), maybe lettuce to surround the garden (keep the bunnies busy on the outside, so the inside gets left alone), maybe bell peppers, and then I run out of thoughts. For those of you interested in passing along information...the garden is 12 foot long by 5 foot wide. Not very big, but definately big enough. Feel free to email me any info (dapattenclanmamma@yahoo.com), as I am not sure if I have the comment thing set up right.
Now to the prayer request section. Pray first off for Steve. He has a new lifeguard set up, but not for another couple of weeks. As it is now, he is lined up to be guarding everyday for the next two weeks, during what I call the major section (9:30-1:45). This limits how much work he gets done office wise, which in turn makes for longer days. Pray that God will give him the strength and the awakedness to be able to handle it. Also, our lovely neighbors have moved the sign again...and this time let us (me) know who did it. I in turn let our councilman know, but there has been no return call as of yet as how to handle it. The signs that are there now are temporary, which is how they are being moved. Pray for me in this matter, as it infuriates me, and dwelling on it too much can get into the sinful area of life...nuff said. Keep my body in your prayers as well, as the kids somehow got Influenza strain B this past week. I have never had the flu...so I could have already had it, or I could have yet to get it. If it is the latter, there is NOTHING that can be done to help except Tylenol. I know that if I have NOT gotten it, it WILL take a lot out of me...so pray that God is kind enough to let it pass STeve and I over....also pray that the antiboties kinda disappear (hopefullness again) or will at least stay the same amount. Also, pray for me as I am really going through alot of personal struggles from past encounters (lack of better terminology). I know that I need to rely on God to get me through it, but the human nature wants to fix it myself, and unfortunately trying to do so will make matters worse.
That is the update for this week. I hope to update at least every week from this point on, but it may be sooner or later, depending on the week. I will also try to get pics up, as that will be a great break from the typing. I hope that all have a great weekend, and week ahead:)

Announcement Mania Continues

2008-03-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

Ok. Not to hop on the good old-fashioned band wagon or anything, but we have an announcement to make. I thought I could pull it off on just Facebook, but there are those of you who keep checking on here for the official announcement. I know...we have a counter:) hehehe.
Anyway, our fourth Patten is pending. We are planning on finding out what variety of Patten it will be, as there will be room configuration for either one. God planned a home warming gift for us when we were not looking...that is for sure. Thankfully, it happened here instead of the old rental property we were in. Anyway, the baby is due October 29, 2008, but due to the fact that the previous three Pattens came out via C-section, this one will be about two to three weeks earlier.
In the midst of this wonderful news, there comes a prayer request. We have already found out through the initial testing that I have tested positive for an antibody. No one is sure which it is, and a second round of blood has been taken and shipped off to the Red Cross for verification and identifcation. We know that it isn't Rh factor, as Steve's and my blood types match. However, there are about 50-60 different antiboties that can form during pregnancy, and some of those seem to disappear as fast as they show. Pray that at my next appointment (April 2), we will be able to find out for sure which of these antiboties it is, and that it isn't one to mess with the baby. Also, please pray for the general health of the family, as the girls have both tested positive for Influenza type B (one NOT covered by the shot). We think that JohnMark may have already had a run with it, and gave it to the girls, however he is starting to show similar symptoms to the girls when they began thier feat with the flu. There is a virus out there that mimicks the flu strain the girls have had, and all we know is that JohnMark had something that lasted about three weeks. Me being in my first trimester, am not allowed a flu shot (not that it would do any good...), but for all it seems, I am not allowed Tamiflu or the flu quickener either because it is not of the chosen class. Steve also has a problem, as his health insurance may wind up NOT covering everything he might have to go through. After a couple of follies due to the clinic, Steve may be able to be covered if he does indeed get the flu, but there again, prayer will help. Pray for me, as I have the tendency to continue to try and make the house run, and run after the kids even when I am sick...and pray that I have the understanding of what is going on with my body as I have never had the flu before in my LIFE. To say I am a bit nervous is a bit of an understatement. Also, pray for the girls as they recover. Kenzie seems to be pulling out of it just fine, but Abbi doesn't (she has the same tendencies as I do).
I should end this entry here, as the cat has decided to do things not normal for him. Namely, getting on the dresser and pushing things off, climbing on my lap, trying to walk on the keyboard...the typical attention things they do. For those of you who dont know, when we moved into the house, we picked up a basset hound named Toby, and a pretty kitty (who was abandoned) named Milo. Toby could have been Otis, but in reality, Otis was Toby's brother in the litter. So scratch that name out. It would have worked too, as both animals support an orangish brownish coloring where the patterns almost match. The two think they are brothers (and I am NOT kidding), and have often times been found eithere wrestling one another or sleeping with one another. Its pretty cute.
Anyway, for ending the post. I will keep all updated as we get more info. I will also do my deadlevel best to find the disk that has the pictures of the INSIDE of the house...or just break down and do more picks, as the house IS a bit more clean then the original pics...hehe. I will also try and get more updated pics of the kids on here, as well as the dog and cat.

Updated Pics of our house, Part 2 to come...

2008-02-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

As I was looking through all of our disks on hand, I can not seem to find the one that I need. We took some pics on Thanksgiving day (and I know I have looked at it since) of the inside of the house, basically to give people the general idea of what the inside looks like completed. They werent the best, as our house has three human "tazs" living inside, as well as one four legged "taz" otherwise known as Toby the basset. I am hoping though, that before the week is out (that would be the 10th of Feb for those who are VERY literal) I have found the disk and put up the pics. Worst case scenario, I do not find the disks, and take new pics (a fun time to be had by all). I will keep yall updated:)

PS to those of you without a blogger account...GET ONE! I would really love to hear from everyone how you think this site is doing, or any improvements (other then frequency) that could or should be done to the site:)

Some updated pics of the house, Part 1

2008-02-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

Ok, so as you can see this is the front of the completed house. This was taken back in September, before we moved in, so there is no sod, and the door actually changed (as that is the construction door). This is a pic of the back of our house. On the left hand side is our bedroom, and on the right is the girls' room. Again, this is before sod went down, and a few other minor details.
The side of the house...complete with deck. Otherwise known now as the dog run area...LOL. The small window is JohnMark's room, and the slidding glass door is to our dinning room. And, of course, the van:)

Frustration beyond degree...

2008-01-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

Ok....so trying to get BACK on here has been a hassle. This is a text only update to try and get into the swing of things again.
We moved into our new house on Sept. 29, 2007. We are LOVING it. Shortly after moving in, almost everyone became healthier again, and shortly after them, Steve caught up. JohnMark showed almost immediate improvement (but as he had previously been on medication to help strengthen his lungs, that would go to figure), but Steve took a pretty bad hit with all of the mold. Our hallway has become somewhat of a gym for Toby the basset puppy, who runs laps anywhere from five minutes to twenty minutes. It gets hillarious, as bassets shouldnt be that active, but then again, this isnt a normal family...LOL.
Kenzie is getting ready for her 4th birthday, and as that is now less then two weeks away, its a wonder as to why. Both she and Abbi started school this year, which has been a trip and a half, as both girls know what needs to get done, but doing it seems to be the struggle. JohnMark seems to be learning things by default (he can count a few numbers between 1 and 10, as well as sing the alphabet a bit).
Steve is now solely employed by the YMCA of Albert Lea as thier Youth Programs Director. He has been full time since the end of August (can you see the reason behind the lack of updates?). He is enjoying his job immensely. I teach a Parent/Child swim class every Saturday where I teach the parents how to help their kids learn to swim. So far I have 4-two year olds who are all at diffrent levels of water awareness. This only adds to the fun and challenges of the class.
I will hopefully be on here more to update not only this site, but the randomthoughtspot as well. That is, now that I have gotten blogger to accept that not only is my email address and password working and correct, but they work and are correct. I hope that all that read this today have a great day, and come back at some point:)

Home and Family Update (Part 2)

2007-09-04T11:47:00.001-07:00

Ok. As mentioned in the last post, our house was a different color then planned. This is as close to the color as I can get. The whole house. I like the color, like what it does to the house, but can not stand the entire house this color. Anyway, this is a picture of what will be the dining room. It comes equiped with a sliding glass door, and outside will have a 4'x8' deck. Just to the left is the kitchen area.
This is a picture of the kitchen area. The box in the middle of the floor is our central a/c unit. If it were moved directly back a couple of feet, that is where the island goes. Let me just say, this is NOT a typical Habitat House. The sliding glass door, the deck on the side, and the island are usually options that you can choose to get instead of the a/c. All of these things were included in the plans for the house, and the a/c unit was our choice for the option.
Here is a picture of our livingroom. Again, due to the limited space, it is only a partical picture. Just to the left is the light stand, and the half wall. Like I said in the previous post, when the pictures come for the painted walls (basically when I do the update for the finished product), I will try and get a better picture.
This is a picture of our actual door. From what I am told this will go up after Open House and Dedication. For those who are wondering, that will be on Saturday September 8, 2007 at 1 p.m. After that is over, I will update again as the walls will be finished, the vinyl will be down, and there will be kids in appropriate rooms...hehe. Behind the door and to the right is the utility room. This is where the washer and dryer, furnice, sump pump, and drain will be. There may be a couple of other things, but not sure.
I know alot of you may be wondering why I am puting a picture of a bunch of signed boards up. Here is the story. I was asked to help out at a local golf tournament. This helped us by allowing us to earn hours, and helped the orginazation by doing Public Relations type things for Habitat. The deal was, as golfers came by the hole, for a monitary donation of their choosing, they could sign the boards. These boards then in turn go into the house. Some of the signatures are from ordinary citizens of Albert Lea and surrounding area. Most are from prominate business people within the community. It was humbling to see how much people gave to help others who need it. It was also encouraging to see that, just because I was there, the organization earned more money for Habitat then they had in the past. It has also been very encouraging to see that anytime we talk to someone within the Habitat orginization, they get excited to see that we are recipeints. That story is for another post though.

Prayer requests: that everything gets done on time, as it seems it will. Also, for the better part of a month and a half, JohnMark has been having digestive issues. After some pretty extensive testing, all we have found out is that there is an elevated number of one kind of enzyme located in his liver. The doctor said that it usually shows itself during a viral infection, but as JohnMark hasnt really had any for longer then the problem has existed, the doctor is not sure what is causing the elevated numbers. Because of the elevated numbers, he was refered to Mayo Clinic in Rochester to see a Pediatric Gastrointerologist (or Peds GI). We go on Monday September 10 for that one. Pray that the doctor can figure this out without having repeated visits. Another request is for childcare. On Tuesday September 11 we attend homebuyers course here in town, as we need to do for signing the papers for the house. It goes from 9:30 in the morning to 630 that night. There are a couple of families I could check with, but it still will be interesting to see if I can find people. We are slated to move that Saturday September 15. To say it will be a busy couple of weeks is an understatement. (by the way, this is close to the color that JohnMark's room will end up being).

Keep watch for further updates:)

Home and Family Update (Part 1)

2007-09-04T11:31:00.001-07:00

To start this update off...this is close to the color we had decided to go with for the house. Maybe a bit lighter, but this is close. In Part 2, you will see the actual color the house wound up being. Ok, so this is a picture of JohnMark's room. Due to the limitations, this is only a partcial picture. When the pictures get here with the room painted (these rooms are all primed, not painted), I will get better pictures. Here again is a partcial (sp error?) picture of the girls' room. This picture was taken from the doorway of JohnMark's room. Fortunately for me, they will finally be separated. Unfortunately for them, they share the closet wall. Oh well. As you can see through the window, the construction dumpster is still there.
Due to human error, the lightswitch wiring is all you will see of our room in this update. If you look through the crack, you will see JohnMark's room. Off to the left, and next to the fan is the bathroom. The next room on that wall is the hall closet. If you look straight hard enough, you will see our van outside of the door. The playpen and lightstand are in our livingroom, and just to the right of the wall on the right is the dining/kitchen area. As I hinted earlier, this picture was taken from our room.
Here is a grainy, yet completely seeable picture of our bathroom. The inside of the house was litterally framed around the tub. I think from this point on, anytime I see the tub, I will remember the day the house went up. Something that is not included in this picture is the linen closet. It is located just to the left of me.
These are part of the stairs going down to the basement. As you can see, we have a landing and a half wall to set things on. The wall on the right is actually another half wall that borders the livingroom. Stay tuned for more pictures in Part 2.

As Promised...Sorta (Part 2)

2007-08-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

This would be the 7th of July. The day that the subfloor was built. We just came by to check on things, and found these guys building the floor. The next day, we did a mad rush to get a tarp over a hold (made for the stairs), because there were some storms coming. Unfortunately, we missed the easement hole, and there was some water in the basement anyway. As you see below, it didn't slow things down.
We showed up at 7:45 am on July 9 for the building. This is a picture of one of our walls that was pre-built and carted over. All four walls, as well as the roof support beams were pre done at the lumber yard.
This was taken an hour after we arrived. At the time we showed up, only the back wall was up, not boarded at all. In just one hour, the other two walls, some support beams for the roof, and the back wall boarded. This set the tone for the whole day. At the end, all that remained was the siding, and the front door.

I hope to have the other disc formated (with pictures saved), and up soon. We now have internet again, so that should not be a big issue. Also, I hope to have newer pictures as well (battery needs to be charged). Stay tuned:)

As Promised...Sorta (Part 1)

2007-08-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

To think - back on June 10 of this year, we found this little guy and his litter mates and resuced them. Yes, we believe we have found a couple of them running around:)
Four days later, we have the digging crews in, making a mess. Without these guys though, there would be no basement, or foundation, or house...ya get the picture.
Only a few days beyond that, the floor boards, the dormer, and all the two-bys needed to help build the house showed up. If you look just to the left of the pile of wood in front, you will see the basement wall that went in a couple (literal) days after the basement was dug.
This is a closer look at that basement. This is where the second bathroom is roughed in. And where the washer/dryer will go, and where the furnace is.....
About a week after the basement went in, the boards for the subflooring showed up. That would be what these are for. In Part 2, I will show you more pics. Keep in mind, the first picture that you see here is dated June 10, 2007. In this session of posting, the last picture will be the day the house went up July 9, 2007.

A Quick Update...Pictures To Come

2007-08-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

When I last posted on here, we were in the middle of our first "blitz week". Since that time, we have had another such week, and a few more hours accomplished. Also, since the last post, the house itself has gone up, and is nearing completion. Unfortunately, I am at a computer that has no floppy drive, so I can't download pictures taken at the beginning of the building project. Hopefully within a week they WILL be up, as well as some pictures as the house currently stands.
Ok, first thing is first. After our first "blitz week" was done, I think we stood somewhere around the 140 hours completed mark. The house officially went up on July 9, 2007, which was the first day of our second "blitz week". At the end of that week, I think we were around then 290 hour mark, but not sure. In the next post, there will be corrections made. Anyway, the day the house went up was hot, and humid, but great. We arrived at around 7:45 in the morning, and already one wall frame was up. Within an hour of that, the other three frames were up, and the roof bracings were just about up. We wound up being in the news that day, as well as in the paper. As we stated in both mediums, we are extremely greatful to the public, as well as Habitat for Humanity. This has been a great opportunity to learn and grow in many different ways. By the end of the day, all that remained to complete the exterior was the siding and the front door. Since that point and time, it has been wired, it has been plumbed, and it has been insulated. We are currently waiting for the drywalling to be done, which should be on Monday the 13th of August. By that weekend, we should be go for painting (details to be worked out on that), and then the construction guys come back to do woodwork, cabinetry, and siding/entery stairs. At that point, we then get the chance to show off the house to the public via open house, then we get the flooring put in, and then its ready to move in. The target date has shifted somewhat from the first of September, to more like the middle of September (blasted Labor Day weeked/week). This could actually work well though, as our homebuyers class isnt until the 11th of September. Stay tuned for further updates, and keep praying as we REALLY need to get out...we are all down and out due to the mold now.
A note of praise (as if the house isnt enough)...we are down to less then 35 hours to complete to reach 450 hours!!! This means our hours will be met before the house is done. If anyone is around the Albert Lea area, and would like to help me sell tickets for the Habitat playhouse, let me know :):)
Another note of praise. We are looking at finally being able to have a landline again in the next week. This means internet abilities, as well as picture uploads (note above statement). Pray that all goes well. We miss keeping in touch, and I miss keeping yall updated on everything.
I think that just about covers it all. There is more to tell, but not really that much time, as I am downstairs in our friends' basement, while the kids are upstairs reeking havoc. I will be in touch soon!

Rain slows down the work

2007-06-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Things have slowed down a little bit this week. God's timing and the builder's timing was apparently not coordinated. The basement floor should get poured tomorrow or Wednesday. There is still a chance the structure might go up this week, but it is beginning to look like it might be more like July 9 or 10. God is still sovereign.

We broke the 100 hour mark today!! Amy and I are "blitzing" with our sweat equity hours this week. Friends have graciously volunteered to watch Abbi, Mackenzie, and JohnMark during the day this week so we can go out to Austin and help at the humane society as well as the Habitat office. We will also be continuing to work on staining the baseboards and trim on the house.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and we continue to praise the Lord for His goodness and the fact that He is still totally in control.

No New Pics This Time

2007-06-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update.
For those of you who are in the Albert Lea area, you may have noticed that there isnt a framed house as of yet. At first we thought that it would be done on June 22. Then, due to weather, it was shifted to either June 26 or June 27 (Tuesday or Wednesday). Now it is looking like it will either be the end of this week, or potentially July 9 or 10. We will be putting up pictures to show once we have it done. Amy was thinking of chronicaling everywhere that the building permit traveled during the basement construction. This was largely due to the fact that the permit was never in the same place two days in a row. At one point, the permit disappeared and the song "Oh Where Is The Permit?" (sung to...you got it..."Oh Where Is My Hairbrush?") was heard as she looked for the permit. After about ten minutes of searching and no finding, she gave up and took a picture of the newly aquired port-a-potty that showed up at the site. Now the question is, will the weather hold and will the cement make it in time that the house can be framed this week? Stay tuned for further updates. :)
On a similar note but totally different foot, Steve is taking this week off so we can blitz on our hours. As of the post time, we have not only hit, but bypassed the 100 hours mark. Just think, what can be and get done the remainder of the week. Our next week for blitzing is set for July 9-13, minus the 11th. If there are those of you who are around the Albert Lea/Austin area who would be willing to help us out with child care, please let Amy know. Right now the Monday of July 9th is taken care of, but she still needs help with either full or partial days of July 10th, 12th and 13th. This can either be done by posting here on the site (Steve will check it), or by calling either Steve or Amy, or emailing Steve (as we have no way for Amy to check her email).
The kids are all doing well. JohnMark (most recently responding to "Bubba") is not only growing, but responding quite well to the new treatment. For those who have not recently been updated, one of JohnMark's doctors thought it would be nice to check out a potential allergy. Not only is JohnMark lactose intolerant, but it seems he is allergic to a protien in cow's milk. This will show some interesting times ahead as we search out goat's milk, but through God's help, we are sure that it can be found. JohnMark still has some problems with asthma, but the constant mucus isn't there anymore. We will see on Wednesday the 27th of June how much weight this has helped him gain. Be in prayer as we think this may be an answer to prayer with his health, but on the other hand opens the door to a bunch of questions in which way to go and how many more allergies the little guy may have underlying every thing.
Well, this is the last of the post for now. Hopefully later on this week there will be more of an update on both JohnMark and the house. To quote Dr. Crane (President of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College) "Have a great day and a great life". Just for sake of nostalgia:)

Lots of things at the Lot

2007-06-15T20:10:00.001-07:00

Well, well!!

Things have been finally coming together with the house. On June 3 we had the ceremonial ground breaking for our new house. It was great and the board members from Habitat for Humanity were pleasantly suprised to see how many people from our church came out to support us. Thank you to all those who came. Pastor Seiler opened in prayer, we had some introductions of the board memebers and Amy, myself and the kids, thanks to all those who are helping, particularly Freeborn Lumber, and then we broke ground. Pastor Seiler then closed in prayer. It was a good afternoon and it really seemed to make it real.

After we turned over the fist shovel of dirt, Pam, the president of Habitat, saw a work in the dirt and showed it to Mackenzie and asked if she wanted a new pet for her new house. Mackenzie gave an enthusiastic "YEAH!", picked it up, and started chasing Abbi and the son of one of our friends.

We have been mowing the grass at the new lot, and last weekend when I was finishing up I accidentally mowed over a nest of baby rabbits. There were 7 or 8, but thankfullly I only hit one, and that one only lost a little fur on its back. It seemed to be fine. We put it back in it's nest hoping that its mother would come and continue to take care of it. Unfortunately, the nest was about 5 feet from where the back of the house would be, so the next day Amy moved the bunnies to an area of thick shrubs and left a trail of the mother's fur to help her find the babies. When we have gone back to look to see if they are ok we can not find any remnants, so we think they are doing just fine. In the worst case, if the mother ignored them and let them die they would not be any worse off than if we had left them to be squished by the machinery.

They started digging the basement yesterday and got it all dug in one day. We found out this morning, however, that there is a slight problem. The city said that the water main came into the property on one corner, and so that's where the utility room is going to go. Unfortunately, the water comes into the basement from the otehr side. They are going to have to dig up part of the street, re-route the water to the correct side of the basement, and then fix the street before they can do much more work. This could cost Habitat up to $2,000 just to have the city tear up and fix the street. They are hoping to get the cost waived. Either way the cost will not have to be paid by use (Praise the Lord!!).

June 22 is building day at this point. They are hoping to have the basement done by then, and when the crew shows up that day they will start working on the actual above-ground structure. At the end of the day they are hoping to have all the walls framed, the windows, doors, and siding in, and the entire roof on! Pray that their time table is still able to happen and that God will grant good weather that day.

The other part of this whole thing is our sweat equity hours. We need to have 450 hours before moving into the house, but up to 150 of those hours can be donated by others working on the house. We are currently at about 60 hours, but I am planning on taking a couple weeks off from work and We are going to do a major blitz. Since babysitting counts for hours as well, we figure at the end of the two weeks we will have at least an additional 240 hours. This should put us over 300, and very close to being able to move in as soon as the hosue is done, since the last 150 can be donated by others as well as counted by us working.

We are currently working on sanding and staining all the wood trim and baseboards. This is no small task, but we are making steady progress. We have been working in the garage of the duplex we are currently renting, but we have also been accumulating some other things for the new house so space is starting to get a little tight. As soon as the structure of the house is done we can move the staining to the new basement. Currently in the garage for the new house we have a chest freezer (donated), canning jars (donated), an old fashioned push mower-the kind without a motor (donated), a dryer ($30), and a dining room table with 4 chairs and 4 leaves ($70). It is big enough for 12 people, but the lady we bought it from said she has gotten 22 around it in the past. WOW! GOD IS SO GOOD!!!! We are still trying to find a washer, dish washer, and hopefully some new furniture. We would like some new living room furniture because we do not know how much mold has gotten into our current things, and they are just falling apart. They were given to us by other friends, thanks Todd and Debbie, and we are probably at least the 3rd family to own them. They are perfect for a dorm room, but not an actual family home.

Of course, a new home wouldn't be complete without a new pet, so we are considering adopting a dog, preferably a bassett hound if I have my way, a while after we move in. Of course, Amy would like a kitty, and we may do that too. We've decided we're done having kids of the two-legged variety, so have to fill the house another way I guess. We have been volunteering with the folks at the Mower County Humane Society in Austin, and they have some wonderful animals there. They will also be able to help us make sure we adopt an animal that will be right for our family and the size of hte house.

There's a lot going on, but please continue to be in prayer as we see what God can do. Sam Telloyan talked about having an Ephesians 3:20 experience on his trip in the Ukraine over the last couple weeks. Amy and I believe this is goign to end up being, as it already has been, our Ephesians 3:20 year.

Prayer requests

Good and easy progress for the building
Safety and good weather
Cooperation from our neighbor (the house had to be moved over 2 feet because he didn't want it so close to his yard)
Opportunites to get our sweat equity hours completed
Finances to be able to meet our beginning obligations
Supplies and appliances not provided by Habitat (furniture, washer, dish washer, etc.)

More Things Happening

2007-05-19T20:21:00.001-07:00

WOW!!

A lot of things have been happening lately.

1. Mackenzie had her tonsils and adnoids out. The surgery went well and she is doing great. Praise the LORD!

2. JohnMark wil be having tubes put in his ears this Monday (5/21). The thought is that it will help cut down on the ear infections that he has been having. The doctors think that he is having the ear infections because of the lung problems, which they think are a result of the mold in the house we are in now. Getting out of the house and out of the mold will probably help his lungs, along with all the rest of us, and his ears, but it will still be a few months before we can move.

3. This one is the coolest yet! We have been selected to receive a home from Habitat for Humanity of Freeborn/ Mower County. Not only that, but Freeborn Lumber is donating all the materials and the labor. The house is going to be built entirely by professional builders. Even the plumbing and electical will be done by professionals who are donating their time. The house will be 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, but the basement will have the plumbing for another bathroom and an egress window for a fourth bedroom. The lot is on the small side (45 x 132), but it will be plenty big for the house (26 x 80). They are not building us a garage, but they will be giving us a parking pad and grading the alley so we can get into the back yard from the alley. Before we can move in we have to put in 450 hours of "sweat equity," but this will go quickly. Other people can help and donate hours, up to 150, and any time someone is watching the children so we can volunteer it counts for our hours. And that is not part of the 150 so there is no limit. For example, if someone is watching our kids and we are both volunteering, we are earning 3 hours of credit for each hour of actual time. The hours also do not all have to be associated with Habitat for Humanity. When we volunteer at church (nursery, Sunday school, King's Kids, etc) those hours will count. Please pray that we can get our hours done soon. We also need to raise/ earn a considerable amount of money to have on hand before moving. We have to pay our first year of insurance up front along with some other costs. Please pray that God helps us to sacve and find this money. The neatest thing is that we will be on much higher ground than we are now, so no more flooding in the basement, we are one house down and across the street from the playground end of an elementary school, and about 1/2 a block from Albert Lea Lake. It is in a nice, safe part of town. The people with Habitat told us it is likely the nicest part of town they have built in yet. PRAISE BE TO GOD!!

Here is a map showing where the house will be. The exact address is 908 E 9th St. It is just a vacant lot now, but the builders want to get started in the next couple weeks. The house will likely be done by the August 1, but we will not be able to move in until our hours are completed. We will be sure to post picutres as the project continues.

God provides!!

2007-04-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Once again God, through his grace, proved his provision and providence to us! As many of you know, for the last couple years we have driven a 1988 Plymouth Voyager minivan that God provided for us when we needed a van because of expecting JohnMark, but could not afford one. Well, we recently began having problems losing engine power. When going 65-70 mph, if we hit a gust of wind or needed to go up a small hill, the engine would lose power. We could go 70->55 in about 2.2 seconds. The only way to get the van to accelerate was to go very easy on the gas pedal. We had one dealer test drive it and tell us that the transmission was going out, and another person told us that the head gasket might be going. Needless to say, these repairs were not only more than we could afford, they were more than the van was worse, even the though the body was in great condition and it only had 141,000 miles.

We started van shopping in earnest, but were having a lot of trouble with financing. We found a couple nice Ford Windstars we liked, but still had trouble financing them. It seemed as if we had found good vehicles, but God was just saying "not this one." We had been warned by some friends to be very cautious of Ford minvans because of transmission troubles. We asked the dealer about it, and he assured us that by 1999 ,we were looking at a 2000, the troubles were totally taken care of and there was nothing to worry about. On Friday we found a place that would finance us with 20% down. On Saturday we found a good looking van at a price we could afford and the dealer said though he could only give us $100 for our van, he would inflate the sale price by $2,000, and then give us $2,100 for our van. We felt sure that on Monday we could talk to the financier and it would be a go.

By the providence of God, on Sunday, Easter Sunday, I was working and decided to look on the internet to see if I could find some consumer reviews of the Windstar. PRAISE THE LORD! He led me to a site that had 123 reviews by current and past owners of 1999 or 2000 Windstars. Almost every one had had problems. Some owners were on their 3rd and 4th transmission before reaching 100,000 miles. There were barely any good reviews. We finally took the hint and realized that God had a reason behind denying us for financing. Amy suggested I browse the inventories of some dealerships in Albert Lea. We originally were not going to buy in Albert Lea because of the 7% sales tax. I found a 1999 Honda Odyssey with all the power features such as power sliding doors, etc. It did not have any pictures or price, but I figured I'd drive by on my way home from work and take a quick look. I got to the lot, and couodn't find it.

On Monday Amy called about it and a few other vans they had in stock. Apparently the reason I couldn't find the Honda was because it had just come in on Friday as a trade, but needed the bumper painted, so had gone to the body shop. We went in and talked to them about financing. We were able to get approved through a local credit union, and bought the van on Monday. They finished painting it on Tuesday and cleaned it up on Wednesday. Keep in mind, because they do not allow customers in the paining areas, we had not yet actually seen the van. We didn't even know what color it was!

We saw the van on Wednesday, took it for a test drive, since the purchase was conditional on actually liking the van, and took it home. It's great, the payments are low enough, and it only has 109,000 miles, which for a Honda is just a little past the crawling stage. The dealership was even willing to give us $1,000 as a trade in for our van. As always, God is good, and provides for his children when we only but trust him.

Whenever we would note something about the Plymouth that we would change when we replaced it, we always remembered that it was the van God gave us and it met our needs in every way at that time.

Those of you who remember Mr. Zak from Pilly days gone by might remember that the Zak-Pak had a small box that they kept momentos of God's provision to them. Well, when we gave the old van to the dealership I must confess I kept a set of keys for our box to remind us of God's provision for us.

Please remember to thank God for his provision in the big and the small.

A Family Update

2007-03-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would post this, as it has been brought to our attention that we need to do some serious updating. If you would like to contact either Steve or Amy, you can reach us at our cell phones. Those numbers are as follows: Steve (507) 402-4530; Amy (507) 402-4529. You can also reach us via email. The best way is via Amy, but please be patient as I dont check my email all that often (due to no operable landlines to run internet). Steve may add his email address at a later post, so be watching:) Anyway, Amy's contact email address is: dapattenclanmamma@yahoo.com .
Update on the kids. Kenzie is now three years old, and is getting rather aggressive in turn. She is learning (bit by bit) that to be verbal gets results. She still clings in many ways, but she is learning that part of being a "big girl" is to not be so clingy. Abbi has become quite the instigator. I think that if God has her to be a lawyer at some point, she will do great. Unfortunately, that leaves me primarily to teach her when to argue and when to NOT argue. This wouldnt be a problem, except that she starts the arguments with Kenzie, and then throws lines from random movies at random times. This usually leads to quite the interesting conversation. We also think that Abbi will take my spot as resident NightOwl when she gets to college. Already she tends to stay up as late as she can, and then wake up as early as possible. The child is pure energy...if only we could have known beforehand, I would have gotten a monthly supply of Ginsing or something to keep up. To look at her now, and see myself only six or seven years ago scares me. To think I once had that much energy...where did it all go? It must have fled between Hudson's Ethics Finals, and numerous other finals, including NTI, and Sign Language. And to think I was only a Secretarial Major....hehehe. JohnMark (or Bubba as he is lovingly called) is growing like a weed. He is primarily in 12 month clothing, at 10 months. I dont care what the charts say, he is above the charts for the kids in this family. Already he is one pound less then Kenzie was at age one and two pounds less then Abbi at the same age. We may actually have a 20 pound child at age one...keep tuned for the update. He is also pulling himself up on things constantly. He is toying with the ability to walk along furniture as well...which is pretty interesting in and of itself. Thank goodness for diaper-cladded "rubber bummys". Bubba is also teething, and as Abbi did, breaks them in pairs, but like Kenzie, has no pain tolerance for it. This is the child that sat through a flu shot and did not flinch...but teeth are totally different. Guess it goes with being a guy..hehehe.
Well, I think that just about does it for now. Life goes on whether or not we want it to. For those of you who are parents, that means going to sleep with sweet little babies, and waking up with energetic kids that drive you six ways to insane within the first hour. For those of you who are not yet parents, that means going to sleep a college/high school student and waking up wandering what God has in store for you next, and where you are going to find out. I sit here on a friends computer, waiting while two of the three get shoes on so we can leave, and the third sleeps intently (until a kitten wakes him). Abbi continually is trying to avoid obeying, while Kenzie is lovingly aiding in her misadventures. To think that one day, this will all change, and they will finally obey, and want to-not just because they have learned to, but because God wants them to-continually amazes me. And whats more, we were once those kids, but through God's continual grace and mercy, we are no longer-even though we are capable of much more disobedience and occationally succomb to the temtation. With this thought I conclude this entry.

A Quick Note from Amy

2007-01-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note: I finally put up a new post on the randomthoughtspot. From time to time I will put things on there that are pure randomness for the sake of such. If too much time goes by, then I will notify people of the updates over here.
Speaking of quick updates, JohnMark is recovering very well, He has gone back to smiling, laughing, crawling, giggling, babbling, and letting one and all know "I did it!" whatever "it" is. Just thought I would let yall know, and thank those who came by and read the first post for your prayers over the matter. I know that they helped not only him to heal, but me to stay sane through it all. -AMP

Crazy Life @ Home

2007-01-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

Life has gotten hectic as of late. We are still awaiting the repairman to fix land lines (hence the reason there really hasnt been any updates from the family side of things), we have all three kids sick, Steve is going crazy with work, and I am going crazy due to lack of sleep due to the kids.
Let me backtrack a bit. JohnMark has gotten pegged with RSV, Abbi and Kenzie both have doube ear infections as well as bronchitis, and I have (what I think) has amounted to an ear infection given to me by the girls. So far, JohnMark seems to be holding his own, though his blood oxegyn numbers are a little screwy.
All this to say, this entry is short due to being on a friends computer and the fact that JohnMark is going bonkers due to not feeling well and being extrememly tired. Please keep us in prayer. We will update as we can.

Three Men in Life and Death

2007-01-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

This is not original with me, but was sent to me in this weekend's Grif.Net. I thought it made a really good point. Anyone interested in subscribing to the Grif.Net, a daily dose of clean humor with sobriety on the weekends, can subscribe by going to www. grif.net.

Did anybody happen to notice this week the picture God painted for us as wewatched the events of the day unfold on every news station around theworld? The portrait of three men's lives shown clearly through the eventsof their deaths. One a wise man, one a foolish man and one a wicked man.These men captured the world's attention by their lives and their deaths. Their funerals spoke volumes about the course of life they had chosen topursue with the few short years God had granted to them.All three men, President Ford, James Brown and Saddam Hussein had choices intheir destiny. Today they have all three stood in front of the God of thisuniverse with those choices unveiled and judged. God allowed us to see threemen yesterday.President Gerald Ford, a man whose faith in God and service to his countrywas eulogized by many speakers during the solemn and dignified ceremonieswhich marked his passing. A man of character and integrity, not perfect butmade righteous by his faith in Jesus Christ. It was in this righteousnesshe lived out his life as a servant to his fellowman and his country. Greatmen and dignitaries attended his funeral, all coming to pay respect andhonor to a man most deserving.James Brown also was eulogized in a funeral ceremony befitting his lifechoices. There was blaring rock music, gyrating bodies, costumes, and greatsensual displays of revelry to portray the contribution this man had giventhrough his life to his fellowman. He lived a life of drugs, alcohol,immorality and rock music. He was heralded the father of Rap music and theinspiration of Michael Jackson's greatness. His funeral with all of itstheatrics was befitting the excess of waste his life portrayed.Then we had the gruesome hanging of Saddam Hussein. His death was as goryas his life. A brutal murderer and dictator hung by his neck and secretedaway in the middle of the night to an unmarked grave. Thousands of Iraqiscelebrated his death for through his life he had brought untold misery anddeath to many. A man so wicked that it seemed the world breathed acollective sigh of relief at the pronouncement of his death.Three men who left their mark on the entire world. All three have now stoodbefore their Creator to answer for the choices they made in their life asyou and I will someday.There is only one choice and Gerald Ford's life exemplifies the nobility ofchoosing to walk in harmony with The Creator through the acceptance of JesusChrist as his Redeemer.James Brown chose to walk in the flesh. His life's work glorified the fleshand his death magnified the flesh.Saddam Hussein chose evil. He was a narcissistic megalomaniac. His lifeglorified evil and his death was gruesome.This all played out in one day. God painted a great picture for mankind tosee. I pray people got His message.

[forwarded from Montana; original source unknown]

Christmas With The Pattens

2006-12-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here is the pic of the kids. This one is first, as we all know that Christmas pictures are about how cute the kids are, not so much the parents. I am not too sure as to how or why JohnMark has the smile that he has, but I do know it has to do with a sister whose hand was behind him and moving. Just an aside-he is now fully mobile by whatever means he deems neccessary.
Our semi-annual family portrait. This was the nicest of the two, though not neccessarily my favorite of the two. I am thinking of putting the other one up at a future date and having a vote as to which is the cutest. Just to help the imagination, the other picture has Kenzie looking directly at the camera with a look of pure contempt. She in reality was just concentrating, but the look of muder was running through her mind. This one has both girls smiling nicely, but JohnMark isnt too sure.

Well, since we no longer have the internet at our house, my personal updates wont be coming as often. I will try to be getting them up before too much time between important things happen. To those of you who we normally send Christmas cards to, we will be sending them, but they may get there post facto. Better late then never in this case:) Feel free to email and let me know how things are going-AMP

Family Vacation Time

2006-12-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

Well everyone, we are off on our annual vacation. We are going to Breezy Point for the annual hideout. We don't do a lot of the cold weather stuff, so we go up with my parents and brother, and sit around the fire, watch movies, eat popcorn, and go soak in the hot tub. YEAH!!

Anyone who is still around the Brainerd area please give us a call. We'd love to catch up with you. We will be there from 12/15-12/22. You can call either myself or Amy.

Steve- (507) 402-4530
Amy- (507) 402-4529

Merry Christmas

Recap of JohnMark's surgery

2006-12-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

I must apologize in not getting specifics out about JohnMark's surgery. When he was born he was born with what is known as a hydrocele (pronounced hydro-seal). It is not entirely uncommon. Basically it is excess fluid around the testicles and there is a hole that goes into the abdomen so the fluid can pass back and forth. Obviously, there is a potential for some discomfort if it is not corrected. The hole can also grow larger and result in a full blown hernia. This condition usually heals itself and doctors frequently wait until the boy is around one year old before fixing it surgically. In JohnMark's case his was pretty big adn there is a family history of these things needing to be fixed surgically. There had also been a couple complications with his circumcision healing so the doctor fixed that as well.

A few months ago we knew he had been in serious pain repeatedly and our pediatrician referred us to the urologist here in Albert Lea, but reminded us that the urologist did not specialize in children, so if we didn't like what he said our pediatrician would refer us to a pediactric urologist at Mayo. The urologist at Albert Lea was not at all helpful and said JohnMark was in no pain because hydroceles do not cause pain. I have been told by some men that this is simply not true.
We were set to see the Dr. at Mayo at the end of September, but he had to take medical leave and the appointment had to be rescheduled for October. He saw JohnMark and was quick to admit that it was very likely causing him pain. Since it was causing pain and there was a family history of them not healing on their own and developing into hernias, he offered to fix it sonner than one year of age if we chose to do so. We did, and the surgery was scheduled for this week.
Hence, the reason we were at Mayo on Wednesday.

Jeremy (or Amanda), thanks for the comment. It didn't occur to me that Amy and I had not been publishing the details all along.

Following Him,
Steve, Amy, Abbi, Mackenzie, and JohnMark.

JohnMark's surgery

2006-11-30T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well, JohnMark's surgery was a success. He came through it well, though he is a little sore, but the doctor thought everything was taken care of. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and well wishes.
Following Him,
Steve, Amy, Abbi, Mackenzie, and JohnMark

Comments?

2006-11-24T05:37:00.000-08:00

To everyone and anyone reading the blog:
Please feel free to leave any thoughts or comments about any of the posts. It would be great to get some feedback and maybe even some lively dialogue started.

Have fun.

A Point to Ponder on the Present Playstation Panic

2006-11-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

Before I embark on this post, I should note that to a point this post is done, or overdone as the case may be, with an intentional note of sarcasm.

Does anyone else think that this whole "gotta wait in the freezing cold for three days to spend a month's worth of pay to have a video game" thing is out of control? I mean, I'm really not THAT old, but nobody was at the store three days before it opened to buy Pong, Nintendo or Frogger. They went to the store and bought it once the store was open. What has happened to our culture, and every other culture in the world, that we are so obsessed about giving ourselves carpal tunnel and bad eyesight? Let's get real!!

I was honestly embarrassed when I read the front page of the local newspaper this last week. On the front page was a picture of two guys who had been waiting at Target for two or three days to get a Playstation. As I read the caption of the photo I realized that not only did I know one of these guys, but he was a fellow student from Bible College and used to teach junior high at a Christian school. Is this what we are teaching our youth about leadership, priorities, time management and stewardship?

In Psalm 40 we are exhorted to redeem our time. We know that the Lord's return is imminent and that we are accountable for out use of the time we are given on this earth. Let's redeem the time for God's honor and glory and not waste it away on material things that will pass away.

Youth Activity Ideas

2006-11-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

I'm always trying to think of new, and of course bigger and better, youth activities for our youth group at church. At youth activities we generally have 15-25 youth from grades 6-12. Any ideas would be great. Obviously the best ideas will be not only fun, but lend themselves to a Biblical principle or lesson.

Currently I'm thinking about doing something along the lines of Deal or No Deal. Is it just me or is that an AWESOME show!! But since my brain is wired a little different, like there was any question about that, the part of the show that really intrigues me is the mathematics in figuring out what the probability is of the different values and how they decide how much to offer for the case. All activity ideas are welcomed.

Please remember, comments should be about activities; not how my brain is wired :)

Grandparent parents?

2006-11-07T22:45:00.000-08:00

I have recently been very confused with the way county human service agencies seem to handle it when parents are not qualified to raise their young children. Can anyone explain this? Parents raise their children, but, for lack of a better term, mess them up. Whether it be through lack of discipline or lack of nurturing, or what have you, the parents raise children who, as adults, are irresponsible, immoral, and sometimes even in trouble with the law. For whatever reason these adult children have such poor parenting skills that they go out and have children of their own, usually out of wedlock, and start raising the children with even less guidance than they have. So what does the county do? Give the children to the grandparents. Does it ever occur to the county that if the parents were incompetent at raising their own children that they may very well be just as incapable of raising their grandchildren? Add to this the fact that most of these grandchildren have a number of years of negative training already under their belts. Why would the county do this when they know they are just going to perpetuate dysfunctional people who will continue to produce dysfunctional families and children? Because it shows the validity of their existence. Am I saying social workers are bad or unnecessary? Absolutely not! For those of you who do not know, my full time employment would not exist if it was not for social workers placing youth with our shelter/group home. This may be for behavioral issues or for safety sake. But over and over I have seen social workers put youth in placement but neglect offering other services that might be helpful such as counseling, therapeutic as opposed to psychiatric, or skills worker who works on social skills, or even basic mentoring.

I work in a field that would definitely be associated with human services, even though I am not a social worker, but this is not the majority opinion of most people in the field. Our society is unwilling to call sin what it is. It is not a bad choice, a small mistake or a speed bump. Scripture refers to our sins as the rags used to wipe sores from leprosy. How's that for a picturesque thought? When we realize that sin is SIN and that we are responsible for our behaviors, we come a long way.

We also need to remember that while parents are not responsible for the individual actions taken and choices made by their children, we can not ignore that Scripture clearly holds anyone in a position of authority responsible for how they lead those under them. Pastors are clearly held accountable for their leadership of the sheep God has entrusted to them (Hebrews 13). By way of principle this would also apply to parents, teacher, youth workers, etc. Too many times I see parents not taking responsibility for themselves, but conversely making their children not only take responsibility for the children's actions, but also holding the youth responsible for the parent's life. This week I had two different young men sit in the office with me and tell me that they believed they were directly responsible for the divorce of their parents. These divorces occurred when these young men were still small children, but their mothers had drummed into them that the problems were their fault. Another youth told me that he held himself responsible for his father's alcoholism even though he had barely seen his father in years!

Without true direction from God's manual on life how do we expect to raise children to be anything other than lost and separated from the love and will of God? Can unsaved youth become moral "good" kids? Of course. There is only one problem here. God doesn't require that our youth are moral or good. He requires that they be holy and sinless. This is the only method of entry into his presence. We must be perfectly holy and sinless either in and of ourselves or by proxy through Christ's full atonement.

We are always perpetuating a system. Is our parenting perpetuating God's system or the worlds? Let's get back to His Word and perpetuate His system.

Updated Pics of the Kids

2006-09-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here is Abbi. She is now 4 years old, and very sassy. I had to recently cut her hair because she would not stop chewing on it. Personally, I think that this style hair works very well on her. Her favorite movie at this point and time is Newsies...though I have no clue why...LOL
Here is Kenzie (her name that she prefers now). When asked if she wanted her hair trimmed or cut short, she answered that she wanted her hair short. This disappointed me as her hair had been as long as mid-back. She is now 2 1/2 years old, and is VERY "Twoish". Her favorite thing to do of late is get into trouble...LOL
Finally, here is JohnMark, otherwise known as "Bubba". For those of you who have kept up with us over the years, you know that there is a Pooh theme. Abbi is Piglet (acts like Tigger), Kenzie is Roo (or Ru), and JohnMark is quickly becoming Pooh. I guess by default that would put me at Kanga. Now all we need is Eyore and Rabbit and we are set...NOT! With 4 guinea pigs and three kids, we have 7-I think we are set. Anyway, JohnMark is now 4 1/2 months old. He isnt sitting up by himself yet, but we have conquered sleeping the night through. Heis main mode of transport is rolling everywhere.

Well, that does it for this update. I am hoping to get on here a bit more and give more updates as time allows. Soon we should have pictures of the "pigs" up so everyone can see them.

Family Update

2006-08-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a month or better since the last family update. Since the last time I updated, we have gone to a Twins game with JohnMark, been to a county fair twice, and made plans for our annual trek up to the State Fair. I will take each tale one by one.
First off, the Twins game. It was actually his second, but the first one that he was truely intersted in. Though I am not sure which was more interesting, the game or the lightrail train. The Steele County Free Fair was a fun trip. We found out JohnMark loves lumberjack competitions. Something to keep in mind for the State Fair.
JohnMark has got a nickname!!! He has opted for Bubba. The south is showing through:)
He also has taken to rolling over. This is only funny when he tries to crawl after rolling over.
Well, that is all the updates as of now. I will update after the fair:)

Picture Update

2006-08-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here we are. Officially 3 1/2 months old. As I am typing this update, JohnMark is watching me intently. Even trying to help as it were. Since I have had so many questions as to when the pics were going to be updated, I figured I would do it now. So here we go.

This has got to be one of my favorite pictures. It shows his true interested side. On the whole, this is our normal attitude with life. Obviously, this picture was taken pre-teething:s

We are totally interested in something here. It is not that I don't know what it is, it is more the fact that there are about three options. The T.V. had something going, Abbi was getting into trouble, and he found the toys-all of this happening at the same time. His favorite sport of late is trying to (and effectively accomplishing the task) get either or both of his sisters into trouble. All it takes is a few words, a grin, and a giggle.....

Camping Update

2006-07-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

In the time since the last update was put up, we have been camping once and been out to our church's camp twice. I will start at the beginning.
We went up to Northfield, Minnesota to Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. This was our official first time camping together as a family. It was interesting, and overall great. We learned really quick where all our deficincies are. Dependency was top of the list. We depended way too much on our friends to know where the garbage dump was, on fire being built, and thier kids to keeps ours occupied while food was being cooked. Thankfully, these things were no big issue in comparison as to what could have been. Steve was able to get the fire started second time out (and even able to keep it going during a rain shower the next morning!), there was a trail cut thru to the bathroom, the bathroom had family showers, and the garbage was just down the road. It could have definately been worse.
Anyway, once we arrived, and the fire started, I started the task of cooking and setting up eating arrangements, and Steve set to work on setting up the tent. After we ate, Steve and the girls went for a walk while I and JohnMark did the dishes. Once this was finished, we had Smores for the girls, and then showers. The kids went down after we got back, and then Steve and I stayed up a bit later eating our own Smores and then we went to bed. Sometime early the next morning it started to rain off and on. Steve was able to get the fire going, and keep it going while breakfast was cooked. To keep kids busy and parents sane, we waited out the rain while traveling over to Red Wing. We had a picnic lunch of sorts at a park in Red Wing, and were able to see a couple of historical markers in the process. After lunch, we headed back to the park, packed up the tent, checked out of our site, and then took a hike down a trail to see a hidden waterfall. We then went to look at the interpretive center (in the air conditioning).
That ended our camping trip. We have also been to our church camp twice this season, and both times have been great! The girls had fun both times, and both times we were able to hear the Word from a couple of great speakers. The second time out, Abbi managed to overshoot a swing and scrape up half of her face. She cried, and then told people about it as if it were no big deal.
So far that is the update on our camping season. We are not sure if we are going anywhere else as of yet. Hopefully there will be one more joint trip and one more family trip to go. We are already looking into next year and what all we are wanting to do. There is talk and thought of possibly going on a joint week long camping trip with some friends out in Ohio (though camping may be in Wisconsin), and also a week out at familiy camp. Keep checking in for further details:)

Camping Season Has Begun

2006-07-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Camping season has officially begun here. Unfortunately, we dont have any pictures from our first expodition to put up. Our first outing of the year was up to the Upper Souix Agency just south of Granite Falls, Minnesota. We made it up to the campsite in time to catch the first of a few storms that hit the area due to a cold front. The tent made it up in record time, and the campsite missed all the activity. This was not at all a bad thing either. The girls enjoyed the camping as much as they did last year, and JohnMark handled it pretty well for first time out. The next day we again dodged storms as we happened to be in WalMart at the time it hit. Our tent wasnt so fortunate this time around, as high winds blew rain up under the rain flap. This made for a messy clean up as there were more storms in the area. After we cleaned up and packed up camp, we went to a near by swim beach to swim. The girls again loved this idea, and enjoyed the ability to wade. JohnMark and Steve sat on the beach to enjoy the weather. All of this to say, we are heading out this coming weekend for another camping trip. This time around we are going to Nerstrand over by Northfield, Minnesota. We shall see how it turns out, and this time hopefully there will be some pictures to get up:)

The Girls

2006-06-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

This is Mackenzie. For those who missed her birth due to graduation or my forgetfulness, she was born February 3, 2004. Those who keep track, yes, she was my birthday present:) At the time of this picture (taken in May of 2006), she was just over 27 months.
This is Abbi holding JohnMark. The fact that she is opting to hold him and is smiling while doing so is a MAJOR improvement from before he was born. She went around telling people that if the baby was a girl we would bring her home. She was a bit suprised to find the baby was really a boy instead. He has quickly become her buddy.
Here is Mackenzie with JohnMark. This was a relationship that I knew was going to be great. She went around telling people that she wanted a brother because she already had a sister. To this day, if someone at church wanders off with JohnMark, she can be heard telling people "my JohnMark is gone".
Here are all three kids together. This was one of the tranquil moments that I am sure will never repeat itself. All three are competitive by nature, so the fact that all three were happy at the time was great. The one thing that hasn't changed since this picture was taken is the kids closeness with one another. They are getting closer every day...which is a good thing:)

Our Newest Addition

2006-06-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of JohnMark Kerux Patten. He is number three in our line of children...third time is a charm as they say...and we found that true with this one. After two girls I think even Steve was praying ferverntly for a boy. This was taken right after he turned 5 weeks old. Unfortunately he is in the middle of a growth spurt, so he thought that the camera had food in it. As he gets older, there will be updated pictures added to the site.

Introduction:)

2006-06-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hey there yall!
This is our first ever blogspot. I am not sure how often it will be updated as of yet, but you will find pics of the kids, updates on our family and family life, and very possibly mussings from Steve on various things he has come across. I hope this site will be informative to all that visit it. Please let us know if you have any ideas on how to better it, and please be patient with us as we get this thing up and rolling.