Welcome to the GFL

As I was sitting here staring at the screen, I was wondering what I should write about for my first post.  So I decided that I guess place to start is with a description of what exactly the GFL is.  I'm sure you've figured out that it stands for Goodahl Family League, but what exactly does that mean? Well, it's what my Packers-fanatic-of-a-husband lovingly calls our family.  It's Robbie, Melanie, Sandy, Gideon, and Atticus.  And the dog, Peek-a-boo, though Robbie would never claim the dog.  (I'll explain the name some other time, but no, the kids didn't name her, to my chagrin.)

I'm a Christian, wife, mom, cook, maid, chauffeur, seamstress, toy assembler, and unofficial nurse.  I'll quickly explain that last one.  Not only am I your typical "Dr. Mom", but our youngest son Atticus was born with a very rare heart disease known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.  Long story short, he spent the first 5 1/2 months in the PCICU (Pediatric Cardiology ICU) and suffered unbelievable complications that nearly took his life numerous times.  But God works miracles, and he's been home longer than he was in the hospital, and is rapidly approaching his first birthday, so we can celebrate each day that those days are behind us.  If you'd like to read his story, I'll reference you to the link called Atticus' Caring Bridge Page.  I have a another website devoted just to him! :)  I obviously started his page first in order to record the events of what was happening to him at the time.  But now that we've been home, I keep finding myself wanting to relate stories about the other two kiddos, and Facebook only allows for so many characters....I digress.

Robbie works as a Restaurant Manager for an old Italian man (Mr Lou) that can only be properly described as the human version of Mr Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants.  Only cheaper.....and with a wife that is equally (if not more so) miserly, so its 2x the nagging, complaining, etc.  What can you do?  I keep trying to remind myself to be thankful that he HAS a job with the way the economy is today....but that doesn't stop me from praying that he finds a better one! ;)

I have a BA in Spanish, but don't really use it right now, unless you count translating Dora, Diego, and Handy Manny. LOL!!  I'm a stay-at-home mom so that I can take care of Atticus' many health demands, but this has also been a blessing.  It also allows me to spend time with my other 2 kids that I never got to spend with them before.  It also allows me to home school our oldest, Sandy (age 5), which was important to my husband and I.  Well, looks like I found something to write about after all!  :)  Keep coming back and I'll be sharing what's happening currently in our lives, as well as relating old funny stories.