Fibromyalgia is SO weird

Fibromyalgia is SO weird. One of the things I hate most is the randomness of the pain (yes, randomness is a word in my world). One day it hurts in my leg and the next it's my neck. Never the same place twice. And never a sign of where it'll be next. Tuesday it was my left knee. It hurt to stand, sit , kneel, anything. Wednesday, get this, it was my thumbs. Both thumbs hurt to stretch them, bend them, move them. Today it's the top of my head. This is the one that I hate the most. It feels like someone dropped something really heavy (like a brick) on the top of my head. It hurts so bad that it makes it hard to think. If any of you ever gets FM, you can call me and I will cry with you, yell at the world for you and pray with you. FM sucks (pardon my harsh language, but it does!)

Eli's Prayer

So I've mentioned before that Eli's gift is prayer. Several weeks ago he began praying one prayer at every meal. It started with "Dear God, thank you for this food and please..." and the rest was all jumbled up. No one really knew what he was saying, but we figured it was his prayer to God so God knew! Well, Sunday he walked up to Pastor Rick and told him that he has been praying for Leah. It blessed Pastor Rick and convicted me because I although I have been praying for Leah I haven't lead the kids in prayer for Leah. The next night at dinner Eli asked to pray again and did his usual prayer. Afterward I asked him if he'd prayed for Leah that day. He began crying and said he just did. Finally, we had him slowly tell us his prayer. It went like this "Dear God, thank you for this food and please bless Leah and she be well. Amen." Apparently my three and a half year old had been praying for Leah three times a day for about a month. What a good boy he is!

Katie is choosing to read...

Katie hates to read. She loves books. She loves stories. She loves to be read to. She loves listening to books on tape. But to actually read the words herself is not her favorite thing in the world. However, recently she has been choosing to read. Now, don't misunderstand, she doesn't pick up books and actually read them. But she reads all the time. As we're driving in the car she's been reading signs. When the mail comes, she reads who the individual pieces of mail are for and from. And just now she turned on a movie and read the name of the producers and tried to read the names of the actors. Who says she has to open a big chapter book to really be reading. My daughter is a reader. She just had to find the things she wanted to read! And I am so glad she did!

Katie the Maid

I love my daughter's creativity! She comes up with ideas that entertain her brother and his friends! Sometimes, however, she regrets her great ideas. Today was one of those days. But she is such a trooper. She goes ahead and finishes what she starts and makes good on her promises!

Today Eli's best buddy Levi is over to play. They were getting bored since it's too cold to play outside. Katie made up the game of you be the messy kids and I clean up and be the maid. So, she let them mess up her room while she cleaned Eli's and then they messed up Eli's while she cleaned up hers. This was fun until the 3rd or 4th time. But she did it one more time then she told them the maid is gone home for the night!

Now she has them playing hide and go seek. Although I'm not sure she's seeking those lost boys! GREAT THINKING THIS TIME KATIE!!!

No Self Confidence Here

Yesterday Eli got a haircut. He told the lady he wanted it to be short and look good like daddy's. Then he sat quietly while she cut. She kept commenting on how well behaved he was. He looked up and said "well, I am a good boy!" After the haircut he looked in the mirror and said "I look handsome". I guess he is fully self confident. No need to build his self esteem!

Christmas Letter 2009

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas. It has been an interesting year in the Riggan household. Each family member has had points of seeing God clearly. Let us explain:

Rick: After being an employee of the Siemens’ Corporation for 14 years the company decided to downsize significantly. Rick was laid off in July this year. Rick sent out dozens and dozens of resumes and began networking on several websites and seeking the Lord diligently. Finally, in October, after several interviews, he was hired at Platronics in Santa Cruz, California (www.plantronics.com). It is a good company that has been in existence since the 1960’s when Neil Armstrong wore a Platronics headset on the moon! The Lord taught Rick many things during this waiting period; probably the most important one is God is the Mighty God!

Mendy: This year has been a challenge for me physically as well as maternally. My fibromyalgia has been getting worse. As a result, I have had to slow down and reevaluate what is most important; being a wife and mother! So, I have stepped down from many activities and chosen to be home more. I have also had two urgent care visits (one with each child) that have stretched my faith. God has made Himself known to me in these difficult times; He is my Prince of Peace!

Katie (8): Last spring Katie was playing at the park with a friend and fell off the monkey bars. I took her straight to the urgent care knowing she’d be coming out of there with a cast. And sure enough she broke her elbow and got a blue cast. This was one week before Easter. So she wore a blue and white dress to match her blue cast on Easter Sunday! We have also decided to home school Katie this year. She is in second grade and doing great. We have always said we would take each year as it comes. She, however, has decided she wants to home school until she goes to college! We’ll see. This year, I’d say, the Lord is teaching Katie that He is her Wonderful Counselor!

Eli (3): Eli is always full of energy and surprises. He is quite the comedian. This year his big excitement was nearly cutting his finger off. He didn’t get all the way through the finger so we were able to save it! He had finger surgery and is now doing great. We’re hoping his nail is back by Christmas! Eli has learned that God is the Eternal Father!

We do hope this little update finds you well and at peace with God.

God Bless,

The Riggan Family

Clean...

Some days as a mom and housewife I feel like all I do is clean...laundry, dishes, floors, baby bums, etc. Today was no exception. Dishes were piled, laundry was flowing onto the floor. I thought, "man, does the cleaning up ever stop...every time I clean this there's another mess" Then I had a thought. Does the Lord ever get tired of cleaning me? I mean, He sent His one and only Son to clean me and I seen to get myself all messed up again. Does He ever think "good grief Mendy, when are you going to get your act together and stay clean?" No, I don't think so. God loves all the time without hesitation. He willingly cleans me every time I make a mess. Oh, if I could only be like Him and love my family, mess and all!