Happy Mother's Day

What a crazy week for the Tuckers! We all ended up with some form of the stomach flu, some worse than others. Then there was the stress of trying to secure our new (to us) home in McKinney, the stress of still trying to get the ice cream truck shipped from FL, then reaching out to one teen in crisis mode that needed a place to stay, another stressed about finals and the other trying to squeeze in GED courses. All of this happened while Jeremy was out of town for three days! But Javin and Kadi getting dropped off at the wrong bus stop and walking ½ mile home by themselves topped the chart. It also caused me to realize the importance of being a mother, and I thought about how fitting it would be to blog about it since Mother’s Day is around the corner. So, let’s back up.

On Tuesday night, I had one of the most awful dreams that a Mother could have. I had a nightmare that my children were missing, namely Javin. His body couldn’t be located and I was told that I needed to file a missing person’s report. The emotional pain of the dream was unbearable. Even when I awoke, I was still trying to figure out where I needed to go to file the report. Then I noticed Javin was asleep in the bed next to me. I sobbed and hugged him hard as I breathed a sigh of relief. But unfortunately, it didn’t end there.

As they boarded the bus for school that morning, I prayed that God would have His angels protect over them and guide them through the day. I pleaded the blood of Jesus over them and kissed them goodbye. But, all day long I just had this very uneasy feeling, a mother’s intuition, that still small voice. I continued to pray for them throughout the course of the day and all the while trusting God that everything would be fine. Let’s not forget that I still had last night’s dream fresh on my mind. Whether that dream held any significance, I will never fully know, but I do know that it caused me to intercede harder than I normally would have.

Well, at 3:20pm, I get a text from Brittany asking if their bus was supposed to be late. They are normally home by 3:15pm and dropped off near the house. My stomach dropped. I called the school and they assured me that their bus was just running late. Britt texted me about 20 minutes later and said they were home. Oddly enough though, I was still not at peace because I sensed something wasn’t right.

When I got home at 4:30pm, I found out that since their bus was running late, the school and the transportation department boarded them on a different bus with a substitute driver. But they forgot to mention to the driver that my kids were the first stop. Instead, they get dropped off about ½ mile from the house on the other side of the neighborhood at about 3:15pm. After crossing intersections and alleyways, they made it home safely…20 some odd minutes later. Javin was able to figure out where he was and just happened to pick the right streets. Then “what-ifs” began to overwhelm me, and it was then that I realized that I had been praying for a specific reason. What if he would have made one wrong turn? Who would have known where they were?

By this point, I was extremely emotional. Both blood-boiling anger and an eternal gratefulness consumed me at the same time. I was so thankful for God’s protection. And as any loving mother would do, I made some phone calls…immediately. I think Roman saw a side of me that he had never seen before! By 6:30am the next morning, it had already been escalated to all department heads involved; a meeting was called, and new procedures were in place to prevent this from EVER happening again.

Now, here is the good part. I love it when God provides confirmation and peace. I was on my way to work the next day and enjoying my usual prayer time. I gave praise the One that I knew was in control and thanked Him once again. I decided to turn the radio on, and there was a song playing that brought me to tears. It’s called “Somebody’s Praying.” This was the first time I had ever heard it, and it was completely contrary to the style of music that was played on this certain station. Read the words, and you will understand it’s importance to me:
Somebody's prayin, I can feel it

Somebody's prayin' for me

Mighty hands are guiding me

To protect me from what I can't see

Lord I believe, Lord I believe

That somebody's prayin', for me.

Angels are watchin', I can feel it

Angels are watchin' over me

There's many miles ahead 'til I get home

Still I'm safely kept before your throne

'Cause Lord I believe, Lord I believe

Your angels are watchin' over me.

Wow, wow, wow! Oh, the duties of a mother. And the most important one of all is praying for our children. None of that was coincidence, but Divine in every aspect. I felt like this was the song being sung over my kids that day. There is no doubt that the angels were walking with them and guiding them all the way, thus preventing any alternate outcome or scenario. Praise the Lord God Almighty!

Anyway, it is quite an old song, but give it a listen…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI_h_IRfRe8

Gosh, I love my children…each and every one of them.

My Bucket

What is a bucket used for? It is for filling and pouring out. A process that you do again and again. So, this bucket list is about life, not death! I think it might be interesting to see how much my bucket will change over the years. I am blessed to have already accomplished so many things like go to college, get married, have kids, run my own company, photograph Paris, shop NYC and get a tat designed by Jeremy. Now I figure it’s time to fill up my bucket again and make a revised edition (in no particular order)!

1. Finish college and become a High School Creative Writing and English teacher. (Yes, I know I’m weird.)
2. Go skydiving at age 85. This way, if I die, at least it will be at a ripe old age and all my kids will be grown. My goal though is to skydive again at age 102 to beat the world record and make it into the Guinness book.
3. See Jeremy walk his daughter(s) down the aisle…and help plan the weddings!
4. Lead worship in a stadium. I have had this recurring vision for several years.
5. Say hello to Reba. I need to ask her what her next hairstyle will be, so that I can steer clear. We always end up with the same one.
6. Sing and hang out with Darlene Zschech. A mentor relationship would be nice!
7. Sell landscape portraits to fund my travel desires.
8. Learn to sew. I want to make and distribute luxury satin shower caps to boutiques as a hobby.
9. Record a praise and worship album.
10. Get laser hair removal, breast implants, teeth whitening and a face lift…Javin doesn’t want me to have wrinkles, ever.
11. Collectively run a high-profit family business that will leave a legacy.
12. Host a radio talk show.
13. Compile my written blogs over a lifetime into a hardbound book to be passed down to generations.
14. I would love to hear Javin fulfill the word that was spoken over him in the womb….“out of the mouth of babes”. I believe that he will prophesy to nations and great leaders. That is something I definitely want to live to see!
15. Lead worship as a family.
16. See all of my kids develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and live a blessed life that bears fruit.
17. See and chat with an angelic host in the physical realm.
18. Attend Brittany’s ribbon cutting ceremony for her non-profit organization.
19. Attend Roman’s college graduation. It will be interesting to see what he finally decides on!
20. Own a home big enough to meet our needs and satisfy our wants all without overextending our budget. It will be a safe haven full of love and everything needed to entertain and keep the kids coming back to visit.

Whew! That’s a lot to get done! I'm gonna need a bigger bucket.

Home Remedy Oddities and More

Here at the Tucker household we have had everything from sinus infections, viruses and seasonal allergies to strep throat, bronchitis/pneumonia and pink eye…all within the last 6-8 weeks! And I am pretty sure that we have tried every home remedy known to man given the many suggestions we were blessed with!

Have you ever heard of boiling peppercorns for sinus relief? Did you know that you can put Vicks on your feet to breathe easier? What about good ol’ whiskey for that cough? Got dry lips and no chapstick, so what can you do? Well, we have tested them all, and here is our top 10 to be deemed most effective:
1. Mucinex DM - Hands down, one of the best over-the-counter congestion meds on the planet at about $13-$15 per box. You cannot use the generic brand though because the percentage of the active ingredient is different. Highly recommended by my doctor…and my dad.
2. Vicks Vapor Rub – This is still my favorite home remedy year after year. Apply to your chest and back for immediate relief. It is even helpful if you put it on the bottoms of your feet with socks. (Thanks, mom for the reminder!) Vicks also makes tissues! Pair them together and you’ve got one happy marriage.
3. Neti Pot – I finally tried it, and I concur that while it may shorten the sinusitis, I believe it serves better as a method of prevention if you are going to use it on a regular basis. I did not find immediate relief, but I do think the product works. Word to the wise: Don’t use too many salt packets thinking it will expedite relief. You will only end up with a severe burning sensation in your sinus cavity and the taste of ocean water dripping down your throat for 2 days. One packet works fine.
4. Whiskey – I am 28 years old and just had my first taste of this beast. I mixed a shot of it with hot tea to which I later added honey. It was not as dreadful as I expected, nor did it perform as expected. As a short term or immediate solution to a nagging, unrelenting cough, it worked wonders in breaking the cycle. Unfortunately, after about 5-10 minutes, my cough came back, though noticeably more subdued. No, it did not make me sleep. So, after my one night stand, I ended up going back to my faithful friend, Nyquil.
5. Boiled Peppercorns – Boil about 3-4 whole peppercorns in a minimal amount of water and add honey, basil leaves and/or lemon to the mixture. It is supposed to clear your head out rather quickly. Maybe this will work for you, but we did not receive any legitimate benefit from it other than soothing a hoarse and over-tired throat. Now if you chew them after boiling, that’s a different story, but you might want to chase it with some milk! The health benefits are numerous and they aid in digestion and fat cell breakdown. I think I might start eating some each day! Google it. You’d be surprised.
6. Zyrtec – Javin would be miserable without it. His allergies get so bad that he can’t even function. After trying multiple allergy meds, this is a life-saver. I buy the generic brand, no difference but the price! What’s even better is that Zyrtec also makes eye drops. Praise the Lord!
7. Benadryl - The only downside to the 24hr Zyrtec is that it has usually worn off after about 12-15 hours, so we end up given Javin half of a Benadryl at night which is a nice compliment to his vaporizer. Brittany also uses Benadryl as a great sleep aid on occasion. It is proven to be safe and non-habit forming like some sleeping pills according to her doctor.
8. Pink Eye Relief – A cold, damp washcloth will provide relief to those suffering from pink eye. Remember to get a fresh cloth each time you lay it over your eyes and be sure to keep hand sanitizer around! Visine helps with the redness. You can stick it out if it’s viral, but you will need to get antibiotic drops if it’s bacterial.
9. Fresh Hot Salsa (from Manny’s, of course!) - Here is what Roman learned the hard way: Do NOT eat hot salsa if you have a bad case of strep. Nothing will help ease the pain by that point, so just go ahead and cry. You may as well just drink the Chloroseptic spray and hope for the best. Live and learn, baby! Fresh Salsa does, however, help to clear your sinuses and has even been proven to aid in the prevention of heart disease and multiple forms of cancer including colon and prostate! Eat up!

10. Chapped Lips – Can’t find the chapstick? Did the dog eat it again? Then try this. It may seem a little gross, but it works. Don’t lick your lips because that will only dry them out more. Instead, take your finger and rub it on the oily parts of your face (i.e. sides of nose, around mouth, behind ears, t-zone, etc…hopefully you are clean) and then rub it on your lips. That’s as natural as it gets!

I hope these little tidbits help you out in this brutal cold and allergy season! Much love from the Tuckers! Let us know if you have any other great home remedy ideas. We’d love to give them a try!