Life Keeps Coming...

I wish I could write something funny and light, seriously, I do... but the mood is so far gone! Life is running at me hard right now and I am so very very tired. We took a few days last week to sneak away to our lake house and it was much needed and appreciated... although the peace was short lived.

Abby had two seizures this morning that confirmed my suspicion she had one a couple nights ago... and so up again we go on one of her drugs to try and stop them. You see, seizures are tricky little creatures... that's how I see them. The longer she goes without having one... the harder it is for her to have one. Once they start breaking through... it's like they remember how to do it or the path they took and she can have another one easier... so I actually see them as visual little creatures of havoc. I hate them.

On top of that, in addition to the various heavy family issues... I went to the girlie doctor today. I have had two episodes of what I think are ovarian cysts rupturing and have been in some pretty hefty pain. My last episode was this past Saturday night that has left me in pain since. So today I was told I need to have surgery... soon... to check some things out and to see if I have endometriosis. I have been having issues since I was about 16 and so I am ready... I am ready for the next step and hopefully some answers and relief.

So that's the latest in a small nutshell... I will attempt to leave on a lighter note. Having looked at some of my friends blogs that include much more fun than mine (hmm hmm... Teecy), I have decided to add a little list of ten things you may not know about me (or care to know) to try and lighten things up.

1.) As a child, half my bed was in the closet to give me more floor space to play on in my room!

2.) My first kiss was in the 8th grade behind some bushes in his yard (he was a neighbor).

3.) I love frosties with hot salty french fries.

4.) I have written a couple of children's books that have not been published.

5.) I love to watch golf on television... and college football and basketball.

6.) I love storms. I think they are a personification of God's awesome power and beauty.

7.) I love dogs and really do not care for most cats.

8.) I used to have to clean feeders in a chicken house on my grandparent's farm when I was a child with bleach water... may have something to do with my fertility issues! ha

9.) I get passionately angry about things I do not agree with like abortion and taxes!

10.) I spent two summers in Gitmo (Guantanamo Bay, Cuba) as a kid before it became a compound and it was two of the coolest summers of my life!

There... see... everything is not so bad!

Let us Rejoice!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalm 118:24

In the midst of the pain my family is walking through, there is great joy in this past year of health that Abby has been so graciously given! We celebrated her 7th birthday this past weekend with a big birthday celebration!

In Huntsville, we got to spend some time with aunt Cynthia and uncle Hoyt (Floyd! :0). After visiting Sharon, we went to dinner with them and Abby had some pre-birthday celebration with a present and some carmel pie! I'm not sure what she liked better, "Happy Feet" or the pie! Thank you aunt Cynthia and uncle Hoyt! WE LOVE YOU!

After spending the night in the Hotel with Grammy, we made our way back home Friday in time for Abby's birthday dinner celebration at her favorite restaurant, Thai Spice, and back to the house for some more presents!

Saturday we had a fun party with lots of wonderful friends! Fun and photos to follow soon.

Adoption Update

We received some news that has led us to feel this last situation is not for our family. It has been very hard to come to this decision but we have a peace that God is in control and that we are making the right decision. We continue to wait and now have two more children to pray for... it was a sibling group.

Call upon the Lord... and He will answer...

Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. ~Psalm 69:16-17

Life can come at you so quicky that you are left standing breathless and trying to feel your feet on the ground. You know that God is good and your faith is strong and yet you feel such a void in the inner most part of your soul that it chokes you. It is in these times that you must fall into the arms of the Lord with every ounce of trust you can and lie still.

My heart is breaking to see my aunt Sharon become consumed with cancer. Her physical body is being taken quickly and people who love her are watching with a helplessness that can't be put into words. It is happening so quickly.

My mom flew into Huntsville last Thursday and Abby and I met her there to go spend some time with Sharon. Her daughter Candi is taking care of her with strength and grace that only comes as a gift from our Father Himself in times likes this. I pray He continues to keep His hand upon her.

I am blessed to have so many prayer warriors in my life. I ask you to pray for Sharon. My prayer is that she does not have to suffer long and can be in the arms of her Lord and Savior soon. I pray she will be filled with love and comfort from the Holy Spirit and that she is covered with a precious blanket of peace. Please remember her daughters, Candi and Jamie, as well... her sisters, Cynthia and Debora, and her precious friend Sandy. Thank you all so much.

Adoption and Prayer Requests

Several of you have been asking about our adoption process. We are now considering a third situation and we need prayers from our friends. I do not want to share any specifics now as it is personal and just a huge life decision, but I do request prayers. God knows the issues we are weighing and bringing before Him and asking His guidance on and I do believe so fully in the power of prayer. So my little prayer warriors... very special and dear friends... hit your knees and ask God to clearly guide and show us what He wants for us. I pray for open and close doors as He has done before. Thank you all so very much. Your friendships mean so much to us.

I do also ask for prayers for my aunt Sharon. My mom's sister is very ill and her brain tumors have gone from four to six. She is not doing well at all. Abby and I are meeting my mom in Huntsville this week to spend some time with her and the family. Please also pray for her two daughters who are taking care of her. I pray for strength, courage, hope, peace, and strong faith for them all during this time. Thank you so much.

Abby is almost at two weeks seizure free again. We praise God for His faithfulness, mercy, and love! She will be seven years old this weekend and we are having a blowout party to celebrate her health and life! We are all so excited!

Barbie Makeovers!

My, my, my... these girls needed help! I do not promote bleach blonde ideals and so I am surprised it took me this long to give these girls a whack!

Abby actually came to me this morning and asked me to give one of them a hair cut. I happily agreed that this was a good idea and she went and got the rest! So, while she napped (didn't want her to watch and become scissor happy) the girls went to the spa. The funny thing is... I loved it. I may have just found another hobby... Barbie Spa. You can drop your Barbie off and run errands and when you return... she will be all hip and modern... no Pam Anderson wanna be around here!

I found myself looking at the way their hair was connected and coming up with their style. Then they all three had to be different. I knew I wanted one super short and so I did her second. She's my favorite, of course, and I chose the one with little pearl earrings so they would show up! Yeah...seriously... and then I gave the third one layers. I thought about bangs but the way it comes out of their head is pretty much straight up so I thought that would be a nightmare!

So she got some wispy long bangs that kinda fly out on the sides! (laughing hysterically)

So it is very clear to see that I had way too much fun playing the Barbies while Abby napped. She came downstairs just now and is thrilled with their hair. She's looking for others for me to cut! You will notice that the Barbies are naked. That is because most six year olds can only undress them and can't bend them enough to get the tiny clothes back on them! This is one of the reasons I loved the magnetic polly pocket clothes than then in turn made children ill and even die when they ate them... mercy. We are cursed with dolls that can't be dressed. So... I decided that they needed to have a photo of themselves dressed... for all our sakes as well... and so here they are... the three Barbies with their new looks!

Call me for an appointment... space limited!

One of the best books ever...

"An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself fully as if there were no others." --- A. W. Tozer from The Shack

I love to read. I love a book that I can't put down. I love a book that haunts me, calls me back, and leaves me wanting to reread it again. I love a book that changes me.

The Shack is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Young is a brilliant writer and I can't help to think the Holy Spirit itself has left fingerprints on this piece.

The way Young personifies the Trinity is so intimately personal and real... just as they are. The way he describes certain scenes is almost like getting a glimpse of heaven... or having your "eyes touched and healed" for just a moment.

I devoured it in two days and now I am going back to reread it. There are parts I am going back to to savour and pray about. I am also making my list of people to send it to as a gift. So I say to you... READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fourth of July Festivities...

The Fourth of July is always a fun holiday for us. We had our second annual pancake breakfast with friends who gather at our house to watch the parade pass around the corner! I was half asleep and didn't take any photos!

After cakes in the cul-de-sac... we caravan on our golf carts to the corner where we watch a "Hometown Parade" with the perfect blend of Patriotism, local advertising, free samples and coupons, and cheese factor!

After the parade there is some down time before we have friends over again for a little cook out. I was BUSY fighting the brigade of flying critters to take any photos of that gathering as well! Then after we have our fill of burgers, dogs, steamed corn on the cob, fresh fruit, and Angie's amazing fruit pie... we caravan on our carts around another corner to the lake to watch fireworks! This year we had the amazing and much appreciated gift of a gentle breeze! It was great and the fireworks were spectacular over the lake!

We love to gather with our friends and share life. It makes me very sad for SO MANY who are in foreign lands fighting wars right now. My heart goes out to them and their families as they sacrifice so much for this country and what she stands for... I pray for their safety and that they all return home soon... and I say "Thank You".

One Week Celebration!

Praise God for one week now with no seizures!

"I shall say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91:2

Abby's "First" PB & J

Well, not the first she has eatten... of course... but the first she has made all by herself! When I asked her if she would like to make us sandwiches for lunch, she responded with much excitement, "Do I get to use a knife!?" That was the highlight! But here she is... making our lunch all by herself and loving every moment of it! We had been at her Brain Balance evaluation that morning and one of the questions she was asked was to explain the steps to making a PB & J. That type of processing is very hard for her and I was thinking that if she had actually made one, she'd have a better thought process of how to do it!

She was just giggling as she put the knife in the peanut butter jar... it was so cute. She was spreading the peanut butter on the same side with the jelly and I explained to her they each had a side... "Oh... sorry, that's my fault," she replied! But you know... who says they can't both be on both sides!

She added our carrots, our pickle and our chips to the plate and walked them to the table with a very wide and TOOTHLESS smile of self satisfaction! I love it!

Speaking of satisfaction... we are now at six nights seizure free! We are thrilled to have several nights and are looking to make the one week mark tonight! We only had to go back up to .75 mg on the medication we had decreased from 1.5 mg and so if we can hold here... that's better than we were! She wakes up each morning and we shout, "We praise you Jesus for no seizures!"... very sweet... I do believe the King of Kings does smile at that moment!

We did some worksheets today during our "school time" today and was blown away to just watch her trace a number and then write it three more times without tracing! It was great and she was so proud! She also finished a color key sheet by herself and knocked out a pattern worksheet... getting them all correct!

Blessed... blessed... blessed!