January 1, 2010

WOW......what a day to create a blog!!! LOL I thought by now we'd all be flying around in spaceships like the Jetsons!! Guess not....Allen still has his cruddy old truck that drinks gasoline....and I still have my beloved Buick that Allen still steals every chance he gets (which is everytime he walks out the door). No spaceships here!!! LOL
I thought this would be a great way to journal my life this year......you see....my life...our life.....has changed DRASTICALLY in the past few months. Here's the story: (at least my side of it!)
It was about a month before Halloween.....one of Allen's older ladies...that he does odd jobs for....has been volunteering at the Mental Health Center. She was a "friend" and a "payee" to one of the patients. As she is getting older....she asked Allen to take over being the payee duties. I think Allen had actually moved Jordan to a new place for Mary in the past year....so he knew of him. Allen (of COURSE) agreed to take the responsibility. I don't really even remember him telling me that he was doing this.......of course it could be that the other people he sees about and have seen about over the years have gotten him in deep trouble with me!!! LOL
One day he told me about Jordan...just vaguely....and asked what I thought about bringing him over to the house during the day...etc. I thought about it for about 3 seconds....and said....ah....no thanks...... (I was thinking....Allen is NEVER here during the day...EVER..... I am here alone....we don't live in town....I don't need a 30 yr old mental patient whom I don't know......Man.....out here alone with me......... So Allen just agreed......never said a word.
Two days later.......at lunchtime.....here comes Allen with this big teddybear of a man/boy. His name was Jordan. Jordan ate with us....was very shy, quiet.....scared. Very polite.
He brought Jordan home the next day also.......and the next..........
About three days later....Allen and I were in the car going to town...and I thought about Jordan. I asked him....."tell me about Jordan......what's his story?"
The rest is history......... but first...I guess I should tell you Jordan's history.
Jordan was born to a teenage unwed mother and given up at birth. She was and is a drug and alcohol addict. A wealthy couple adopted Jordan....they kept him for five years.....all the while realizing the major mental and physical problems he had. The adoptive mother got preg. and they did not want Jordan anymore. They gave him away...the government would not let them just do that...so they let them put him in foster care. He was raised in many different foster homes and group homes. Jordan is now 30 years old. He is the same age as our oldest son, Owen. We put his mental age at about 8 years old....although on some things he proves to be much smarter. He can read pretty well. His writing is not very good. His attention span at things he doesn't like or care about is about 5 minutes. He loves cartoons, kids movies. He does not like crafts. He is big and slow and clumsy. He calls himself a big teddybear. The worst way to hurt Jordan is to tell him that you are afraid of him..... When he started spending the days with us.....then sleeping in the extra room....he was so very open to anything that I wanted him to do. He was a little unkept....had a funny smell.... He only had a couple pair of pants and a couple shirts. He had a pair of flip flops. We have been fortunate that he wears a 2 XL shirt which is what Allen wears.....so they share clothes. We've bought about 6 pair of pants....bought him socks and shoes. I saw him bend over one day and got "mooned" .....it was then that I discovered he was not wearing underwear! When I was washing his few clothes....he got real embarrassed....and said he had to tell me something...... he stood there for about five minutes.....finally I said.....just tell me....turn around backwards if you need to!! He finally said...I don't wear underwear! I said......I already figured that out!!! I said.....you need to start wearing underwear....OK? I said...it keeps your jeans cleaner. He smiled and said....OK.
That is just one of the many many hurdles that we have jumped!! We've done it with smiles, love, laughter and a little embarrassment...but we've done it!! I now cut his fingernails for him...I do NOT cut his toenails....the dr. does that! Allen and I have both taken him to his doctors.....and we are both on all of his medical papers now.....and helping him with his needs.

AS I went back and read this I realized that somewhere in the first blog.....I needed to put an explanation of why I titled this: Be Careful of What You Pray For:
It seems like a lifetime ago but I think it was only mere months ago. I was alone here at the house. I was down to one dog...little Gracie. Allen was busy as usual with his thousands of things a day that he does. I don't even try to keep up with what he does.....he doesn't even try anymore to keep me informed. Anyway....in the summer...when it doesn't get dark till 9 or 10 pm Allen does not even come home till then. To make the story short.....I used to spend my evenings .... and sometimes my days kind of laying around the house....kind of feeling sorry for myself....feeling lonely....forgotten.....alone. The girls live in Texas now.....so I kind of felt like nobody needed me. I had gotten in the habit of praying that the Lord would give me something to do with my life. That He would give me something with purpose...
Then along came.........JORDAN.............................................................LOL!!!!!
Thus......the title!!!
I promise you....this is a blessing to us. It is also one of hardest, most demanding, patience sapping, relationship sucking, money eating, sleep depravating things we've EVER done. And we've raised three children!!!!
I do believe that the Lord has brought Jordan to us. In our small church....we have three senior citizen couples who have sons like Jordan. I believe that Allen and I are meant to walk in their shoes. When we took Jordan on our Christmas trip to Texas last week. I sat in the back seat for the first hundred miles and was kind of sad and sour. I was thinking......will Allen and I ever get to take a road trip together again? We love to take road trips together...... Then it dawned on me...... Did the other parents EVER get to do that????? How selfish was I being??? Those people have had the heart break and sadness and agony since the day of their child's birth.....we've just had Jordan for three months...... what was I complaining about???
Also....I've been priviledged to these fun trips all my married life. This was the first time Jordan had ever gotten to take a road trip..... who got to decide that? Was it fair??
I hope that kind of explains my blog. Or not...it at least explains why I start out clear....and then ramble....I'm tired....very very tired..... but I want to remember this. I want to be able to look back on this and laugh. I laugh everyday. If I don't laugh....I cry. laughing is more fun....