Christmas at our house- We all got lots of good stuff, I got a Garmin GPS for the car, Charlie got a new staple gun, We went shopping together, and got them at the same time, We were looking for something for Ben, and Charlie said - Oh I need one of these.
I said do you need it before Christmas, if not put it in the cart I will wrap it and put it under the tree.
He already knew he wanted to get me the GPS, so picked it out and we paid for it.
Christmas Day, as I was about to open my gift I said "Gee I wonder what this is" and he looked at me funny, I said it is from you, still no glue, I opened it and he said oooh.
He opened his and I something like Gee, I hope that is what you wanted, since you picked it out, He said, I did? I guess he's right he needs to remember to take his ginkgo biloba pills or something :-) He also got a professional picture of Shonda (and Anna)
I also got a magic bullet blender and some new mixing bowls from Shonda,
Shonda got a new coat and tickets to the Taylor Swift Concert at the Wharton Center in January.
Shonda went to Kentucky on Christmas Day evening, with Brian's family to spend time with Brian's mom's side of the family. I think they are planning on coming back today.
You may remember I told you a couple of posts ago that I was scheduled to go to the sleep clinic.
I was not scheduled to spend the night at the sleep disorder clinic until January 28th, but they had a cancellation and asked me if I could come in called me on Wednesday December 26th.
The Dr. had told me they would do it in two nights: the first night they would watch me sleep with out the apparatus, the second night, which was already scheduled for February , they would put me in the apparatus and compare sleep patterns etc.
They wired me up and I went to bed about 10:30. They came in at one point, I'm guessing about midnight, and put an oxygen tube in my nose, and asked me to sleep on my back, I always sleep on my side. At the initial consultation they asked all kinds of questions, one was, have you ever woke up thinking you were suffocating, at the time I said no. Now I can see why they asked that question, there were about three times, I could not get a breath. They finally told me I could get in a comfortable position.
At about 3:00 AM they came in and put me on the CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) machine. I slept until about 7, and woke up by myself. So I had about 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep and felt better than the previous day when I got 8 hours. I felt more rested and nothing hurt.
So somebody is supposed to call me to set me up with a CPAP machine so I can use it for a few weeks before I see the Dr. again on February 11th.
Lynn told me that there is some indication that the sleep apnea can contribute to being overweight instead of the reverse like they have thought for many years. He had a patient that weighed over 300 pounds, and year after being treated for Sleep Apnea had lost 100 pounds, without going on a diet. He just didn't feel like eating, and had more energy.
I hope it makes me feel better, I am tired of being tired all the time.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Exchange Student Update
Charlie talked to our Area Rep from YFU today to find out how to get Anna-Lena's Christmas Gifts to her.
Yesterday afternoon, when Anna was taken to a temporary home, she of course pouted all the way there. When they got there they placed a call to the D.R. who spent 20 minutes on the phone telling her how things were going to happen-in know uncertain terms, including that she is to have no contact with PWSRN. Anna indicated that she understood. They hung up the phone and Anna asked if she would be able to spend Christmas with PWSRN. She is determined to have things her own way.
Yesterday afternoon, when Anna was taken to a temporary home, she of course pouted all the way there. When they got there they placed a call to the D.R. who spent 20 minutes on the phone telling her how things were going to happen-in know uncertain terms, including that she is to have no contact with PWSRN. Anna indicated that she understood. They hung up the phone and Anna asked if she would be able to spend Christmas with PWSRN. She is determined to have things her own way.
Family Christmas
We had the Choate family Christmas at the
Potawatomi Inn, in Pokgaon State Park, near Fremont, Indiana, on Saturday evening.We had a good time, got lots of nice things the “guys” and Jennifer and Shonda went on the toboggan run I don’t have any pictures though will someone send me some? Here are some of the pictures I do have. These are the ones, I used to finish up the scrapbook Kathy started for me.
A Very Rough Week
It has been a rough week. As you know if you have been reading this blog, Anna-Lena has not been happy. She has confided that to other people who, instead of telling a teenager
At least two people people called the YFU office and told them Anna was unhappy and who knows what else, one Person, Who Shall Remain Nameless, filled out an application to have Anna live with them. Anna wanted to go stay with PWSRN, and was told, by YFU that would not be possible.
Anna doesn’t see that PWSRN has done anything wrong, even though we tried to tell her it is like calling the government and asking them to take a child away from their parents.
It was beginning to effect her health. she was having stomach pains, and one afternoon the school called, Charlie took her to the emergency room because they were so bad.
Anna met some kids from Holt and asked if she could transfer to Holt. Charlie told her it probably was not possible, for several reasons, not the least of which was that there is not bus that runs from here to Holt, a 30 mile trip one way, She really really wanted to find out so he told her he would check with the school and YFU (both said no by the way). She even had some check to see what busses ran from here to Holt.
We were asked to take her to a counselor last Sunday- the only one available was in Fenton, we drove there and back in the middle of the blizzard and saw several cars and a Semi truck in the ditch. It should have been a trip of a little over an hour and it took 3 hours
The counselor asked what we would all like from this “experience: What Anna said what she wanted was for me to spend more time with her, do more things with her, and that Charlie not be so strict, let her go to see who ever she wanted when ever she wanted. She thought it was too controlling to want to know where she was who she was with, how she was getting there and back and what time she would be home.
The counselor recommended that we all compromise, now that things were out in the open, what Anna expected what we expected. etc. That we try it for another 3-4 weeks and see what happens.
So for two days things seemed to be a little better. Then on Tuesday evening we got a phone call from one individual who told Charlie he was acting like he did not trust their family and that the way he treated Anna was disturbing and inappropriate
Before anyone else went to YFU with these accusations, Charlie called the District Rep and them and told them about it.
The D.R. Call Anna and talked to her, talked to Charlie and me.
Any way after several phone calls, and Anna telling us that the D.R told her something different that what was being told to us, We were told she would be moved, she could stay through Christmas until they found another family.
So she went to school yesterday, told them she was going to have to move, at least one teacher called YFU. Said she couldn’t take her but recommended someone else, All without talking to us again.
We had a huge emotional mess in the evening, talking to the D.R. Anna sobbing.
The D.R. Finally told us that every time she talked to Anna, PWSRN came up and Anna asked why she could stay with her again
She was sick, Friday evening, I heard her vomiting, she said she had an upset stomach.
She was telling us she didn’t want to leave she would miss her friends (the ones that she was so unhappy with last week) When I asked her if she wanted to stay in our home she refused to even answer.
She stayed at a friends home last night, the mother, another host mother, called the D.R, 3 times, again without talking to us.
In the end, Anna was moved Saturday afternoon, we are not sure what will happen, if she will be moved and stay on program, or go home to Germany. but she will not be coming back to Peters Road or to Springport. This has been very rough on us, especially for Charlie.
In the middle of all of this, I had a Doctor’s appointment, just a semi-annual Blood Pressure check, , He told me I looked awful. I told him I was really tired, and Charlie couldn’t sleep because I snore so loudly. He sent me to the sleep clinic for a consultation. They think I may have sleep apnea, and I have to go in the end of January so they can watch me sleep. Apparently, this is fairly easy to correct and can really make a difference in the way someone feels, when they get a good nights sleep.
- that she needs to listen to her parents,
- that parents know what is best for their child,
- or yes every child gets angry at their parent and they will work things out if they talk about it.
- Or come and talk to us about their concerns,
At least two people people called the YFU office and told them Anna was unhappy and who knows what else, one Person, Who Shall Remain Nameless, filled out an application to have Anna live with them. Anna wanted to go stay with PWSRN, and was told, by YFU that would not be possible.
Anna doesn’t see that PWSRN has done anything wrong, even though we tried to tell her it is like calling the government and asking them to take a child away from their parents.
It was beginning to effect her health. she was having stomach pains, and one afternoon the school called, Charlie took her to the emergency room because they were so bad.
Anna met some kids from Holt and asked if she could transfer to Holt. Charlie told her it probably was not possible, for several reasons, not the least of which was that there is not bus that runs from here to Holt, a 30 mile trip one way, She really really wanted to find out so he told her he would check with the school and YFU (both said no by the way). She even had some check to see what busses ran from here to Holt.
We were asked to take her to a counselor last Sunday- the only one available was in Fenton, we drove there and back in the middle of the blizzard and saw several cars and a Semi truck in the ditch. It should have been a trip of a little over an hour and it took 3 hours
The counselor asked what we would all like from this “experience: What Anna said what she wanted was for me to spend more time with her, do more things with her, and that Charlie not be so strict, let her go to see who ever she wanted when ever she wanted. She thought it was too controlling to want to know where she was who she was with, how she was getting there and back and what time she would be home.
The counselor recommended that we all compromise, now that things were out in the open, what Anna expected what we expected. etc. That we try it for another 3-4 weeks and see what happens.
So for two days things seemed to be a little better. Then on Tuesday evening we got a phone call from one individual who told Charlie he was acting like he did not trust their family and that the way he treated Anna was disturbing and inappropriate
Before anyone else went to YFU with these accusations, Charlie called the District Rep and them and told them about it.
The D.R. Call Anna and talked to her, talked to Charlie and me.
Any way after several phone calls, and Anna telling us that the D.R told her something different that what was being told to us, We were told she would be moved, she could stay through Christmas until they found another family.
So she went to school yesterday, told them she was going to have to move, at least one teacher called YFU. Said she couldn’t take her but recommended someone else, All without talking to us again.
We had a huge emotional mess in the evening, talking to the D.R. Anna sobbing.
The D.R. Finally told us that every time she talked to Anna, PWSRN came up and Anna asked why she could stay with her again
She was sick, Friday evening, I heard her vomiting, she said she had an upset stomach.
She was telling us she didn’t want to leave she would miss her friends (the ones that she was so unhappy with last week) When I asked her if she wanted to stay in our home she refused to even answer.
She stayed at a friends home last night, the mother, another host mother, called the D.R, 3 times, again without talking to us.
In the end, Anna was moved Saturday afternoon, we are not sure what will happen, if she will be moved and stay on program, or go home to Germany. but she will not be coming back to Peters Road or to Springport. This has been very rough on us, especially for Charlie.
In the middle of all of this, I had a Doctor’s appointment, just a semi-annual Blood Pressure check, , He told me I looked awful. I told him I was really tired, and Charlie couldn’t sleep because I snore so loudly. He sent me to the sleep clinic for a consultation. They think I may have sleep apnea, and I have to go in the end of January so they can watch me sleep. Apparently, this is fairly easy to correct and can really make a difference in the way someone feels, when they get a good nights sleep.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Year in Review.
I have been negligent, and not written anything for 2 weeks. Not a whole lot to write about.
I guess I could do a year in review:
Our exchange student, Chris Hofer, participated in
Shonda continued to take classes at
In March, Joyce supervised a very successful Regional Celebration of Creativity Tournament.
Charlie’s horse herd was expanded by one- Storm was born on April 30, in the middle of a storm, just before
Niece, Michelle wedded Ben Murphy April 21.
Joyce was able to go to
Chris “graduated” from Springport in June. Charlie and Joyce took him up North to see some of
Chris returned to
We attended, cousin, Jordan Keeley’s wedding in July. A beautiful ceremony at the lake, even though the weather was
Charlie created a “water feature” in the front yard, that attracted a couple of frogs. Then he went white water rafting in
Shonda had her birthday on August 15th and boyfriend, Brian turned 25 on the 16th. It really doesn’t seem possible that she is 20 years old, or that we, Charlie and Joyce have been married 21 years.
A big disappointment this year was the defeat of the library expansion millage in August. That means a really tight budget next year, and no new buildings like we had all hoped.
Anna-Lena Werner, our exchange student from
Charlie managed to get her involved with the Springport Equestrian team and she ran on the cross country team, the senior class built their float at our house and the girls practiced for powder puff football.
Shonda just finished another semester with a 4.00The whole Choate clan welcomed Michelle and Ben's, Benjamin Robert Murphy into our family in October.
That’s our year in about 60 seconds. I guess you could call it the Betz’ minute review of 2007.
Check back, I’ll try to do better with the updates this year. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas with friends and family.
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