:grouphug: I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. I too lost my son so I understand your pain. A parent should never endure loosing a child. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to endure. I'm so sorry you too had to live through that. I would never wish that kind of pain on my worst enemy. :grouphug:

You know, you're absolutely right and it's ironic that you mentioned that side of it. I didn't mention it in my earlier post because I didn't want everyone to think I was trying to gain sympathy because I'm not but believe it or not, I have lived through that side of it too. That's why I understand what you mean because I have faced the END, FINAL, GAME OVER!! In 1997 my husband and I lost our first son Tanner. We lost him to medical negligance so there was no rhyme or reason to it. Because a doctor screwed up I now have that empty place at my dinner table. I remember like it was yesterday when Tanner crashed and his heart stopped. I remember begging God to not take my son. I prayed with everything I had that he would live but he didn't. He died and now every year on his birthday we go and visit his grave instead of having him here. His picture sits on my entertainment center between my other two children and every day I'm reminded of what is no more. Had Tanner lived he would have been 14 this year. That's why when I wrote to TaratheLiberator it really wasn't just lip service. I'm not one of those people that live with rose colored glasses on. I know first hand that crap happens and there's not a darn thing we can do about it. I learned that at the tender age of 21 when I buried my first son. I was in a really dark place for awhile after Tanner died and I strayed from God. To this day I still don't know why God took him (despite my prayers) but I have finally come to realize that I must have faith and God knew something I didn't. Honestly, it is that faith that has kept me sain. Had I not found my faith again I'm not sure where I would have ended up because I can't justify or explain my son's senseless death. Having no comfort or peace that perhaps there was a purpose for it would be hell on earth. Maybe it is because I did see some good come out of my second son's trials that I was able to finally believe again that a bad thing can have a positive impact. The point is though that I don't have all of the answers. I don't think any of us do. That is why it is called faith. We can either trust our lives to God believing that he knows more than we do or we can choose to not believe. Personally, even after all I have been through (or perhaps because of it) I choose to believe. :)

Tara, :grouphug: There really is no good answer to your question. I did for some reason though feel like I needed to respond since I do have kind of a unique perspective on your question. First, I will start by saying that I am a Christian but I myself have asked the very question you have asked. My son was diagnosed with Leukemia is 2002 and underwent 3 years of chemotherapy. He had to go through 21 spinal taps, 10 bone marrow aspirations, thousands of venipunctures, multiple hospitalizations, extreme sickness, etc. etc. I often found myself questioning why God would let my child suffer through that. Sometimes, honestly, I still do. ;) I can tell you though that my sons life was dramatically changed BECAUSE of what he went through. He just turned 13 this year and for the first time he is truly understanding what it means to be a Leukemia survivor. He understand his own mortality and BECAUSE of what he went through he values not only his life, but the lives of others on a much deeper level than he ever would have had he not walked that road. Today he is an honored hero for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Societies "Team in Training." He is a living, breathing, inspiration to other families and children suffering with Leukemia. He visits children in the hospital who are in the thick of their battle and he offers them hope and support. Let me tell you, back when my son was first diagnosed, do you know what it would have meant to me to have had a healthy, vibrant, young man come visit him in the hospital and give us a hug and let us know that there is hope? Back then I didn't know if my son would live or die and being given the chance to meet a young man that not only survived but is thriving would have meant the world to me!! My son is now that hope for others. He uses the trials he has faced for good. He is not like normal kids. He WANTS to use what he went through to help others. He even says he wants to be a Pharm D when he grows up so that he can research the pharmacology side of cancer treatment. I always joke with him that he has the wisdom of a 60 year old man in a 13 year old body. (At least in some things. :lol:) He also volunteers for The American Cancer Society. He also seems to have a heightened amount of sympathy for others. He volunteers at our regional food bank and goes to feed the homeless every month. Illness, hunger, poverty, unjustice, etc. are things that he advocates very strongly against. I am certain that it is BECAUSE of what he went through that made him have such a passion for those things at such a young age. Had he never faced those trials I don't think he would have grown up into the young man he is today. I honestly have never met a kid like him. My own daughter is more like a "typical" kid and tends to have the "it's all about me" mentality. Not my son. He is attuned to others hardships and fears. He advocates for the needy and offers advice and support to the sick. Anyway, back to your original question. Because of how my son turned out, I have often wondered if God allowed him to go through those years of hell in order to change his heart and lead him to the place that would make him into the wonderful young man he is today. I know my son would never have had a passion for all of the things so near to his heart if he had not lived though those tragic experiences himself. It has made him have a unique understanding of what children with Leukemia are going through so now he offeres hope and support to them because he understands and has been there. Does that makes sense? I still can't answer your question and I wouldn't even try. I can only offer you a glympse into what having a child that has suffered through an illnees has meant to our family and what it has meant to our son. I don't know why God lets some suffer and not others. I don't know why God allowed my son to go through what he did. I can tell you though that 10 years later (my son is now a 10 year survivor) I am seeing something not only positive but truly amazing come out of it. I am seeing a child that went through unimaginable hell, grow up into a caring, empathetic, and honerable young man because of what that experience taught him. Am I thankful for his sickness? Heck no!!! I would have to be psycho to be thankful my son went though that. It does make me wonder though if God really did "see" the bigger picture and knew that he wanted my son to be the kind of man that gave to others. It has allowed me to accept that perhaps what I wanted for my son wasn't what God wanted for him. Perhaps my son needed to travel that road in order to end up at the destination that was meant for him. Anyway, it's just something to think about. I do believe in God and personally, I do believe that God had a plan for my son and that his battle with Leukemia was part of that plan. I don't know exactly how my son's future will map out but I am certain that because of what he went through, he will use his experiences for the good as long as he lives. That's the only justification I have for his suffering. I believe it helped mold and shape my son into the person he is today. At least that belief gives me peace. :grouphug:

How about if you live underground with the moles? (see my location) :lol: A cell phone really doesn't do you a darn bit of good then. :D Seriously, I really do live underground. We live in an underground home. It is built into a hill, 10 foot underground, with 2 feet of earth on top of that. The walls and ceilings are constructed out of 10,000 PSI concrete. Needless to say, the second we walk into our home we have a zip, zero, zilch signal. It makes having a landline phone a necessity since we can't get a cell signal in the home.

This is us too. We are "required" to have a landline phone in order to get DSL. We also have a telephone co-op. They have jurisdiction is our area so there isn't anything else available. We pay a LOT more than those with cable internet and only get half the speed. Ugh! It is cheaper than satellite service though so it really is our only option. Boo, hiss, hiss!!

I grew up in Oklahoma too and I remember being paddled. I can't even remember what I did but I do remember that paddle. :glare: Some other forms of punishment used were writing sentences, sitting next to the teacher and not getting to go out for recess. I also remember being made to read a note out loud to the entire class. I was caught passing notes and had to read it to everyone. Boy was that embarrasing! I didn't make that mistake again! That is, at least I didn't get caught. :lol:

I completely scored on mine! I found it at a large, outdoor flea market. It was in mint condition. It is a large 8ft.x5ft. black board. It even had the chalk/eraser tray built on it. I paid $20 for it! Sweet!!! :lol:

This is what my husband says! We are always joking with each other about things like that. :lol: I ask him, "Baby, does this make my butt look big?" and he says, "No Baby, your butt makes your butt look big." :D

Did someone say Ice Cream? :w00t::party::drool5::svengo:

Noooooo!!!! I want my whole 1st page to be full of polls!!!!!! The inhumanity of it all!!!!! :lol:

I play the Bass Guitar. I really want to learn how to play the piano though.

If mine aren't up on their own by 8:00 am I wake them up.

This reminds me of the Jeff Foxworthy comedy routine "You Might Be a Redneck." In the skit the wife askes her husband. "Honey, do these pants make my butt look big?" The husband says that she could be knocking lamps off the table and he wouldn't tell her butt looked big. :001_smile: His response to her was. "Naw Tundra! Your butt don't look big! :D BTW. I voted that I wouldn't touch that one with a 10 foot pole. :lol:

I live in a town where everyone knows everyone. It is probably between 5000-10,000.

I consider homeschooling ANYTHING where the child is educated at home. That could be a publically or privately funded, online program. It could be the parent teaching everything. It could include a tutor teaching the child at home If the child is being taught at home and not actually physically attending classes in a brick and mortar school then I consider them to be homeschooled. Regardless of what curriculum they use. Yes, that even includes public online charter schools in my opinion. ;) As long as the child is receiving their instruction at home then I consider them homeschooled. :001_smile:

Nope, me either. No comment here but I did vote. :D

I voted neutral too for the same reasons. I think my judgement would vary from school to school because there are some horrible schools and some really good schools.

I wouldn't own anything other than a Keurig. I LOVE my Keurig!

I voted part time. I haven't worked outside of the home since my 1st was born but we own a rental property which is like a small home business. I have always taken care of everything relating to that. This includes filing taxes of the property, managing it's maintencance, paying the property taxes, collecting rent, handling any rentor/property issues, etc.. It;s not too much work but it does bring in about $750 a month profit so I would consider it a part time job. :001_smile:

I'm homeschooling both of my kids and at this point I plan on doing so through highschool.

I voted 1-2 but I've actually had 3. My 1st son passed away so I only homeschool 2 (one boy 1 girl) but I've technically had 3. Not a day goes by that I don't include my 1st son in my overall family count. :001_smile:

Yes! Absolutely! :001_smile:

:smilielol5::smilielol5: I actually laughed out loud when I read the bolded part. It's a good thing I wasn't taking a drink at that moment. I would have spit it all over the screen! :lol: :lol:

I don't really think about it but if it comes up out of the blue it kinda freaks me out. For example, If I'm in a store and my total comes up $6.66 I will also throw in a pack of gum or something.:tongue_smilie: It just kinda gives me the heebie jeebies. :D

Please do not let this scare you too bad but severe leg pain was the primary symptom my son had right before he was diagnosed with Leukemia. The odds of that are VERY low but I just wanted you to