Colorado Christmas

Christmas was fun and different this year. My parents moved to Evergreen, Colorado earlier this year; so, we decided to take trip with the kids. We drove through the night on our way up and down so that we wouldn't have whiny kiddos and Nick and I could enjoy some alone time.

15 minutes after leaving the house (6:00pm)

Jenna enjoying her toys!

Me and Jenna (Nick insisted that I post a picture of myself...grrr)

Joshua loved the hot tub!

View from the front porch.

My parents' cat loved watching Joshua's every move...

Nick and Joshua on the lower deck, sitting in the ski lift swing...nifty swing!

Joshua's first taste of snow!

Learning to make and throw snow balls!

My handsome men!

Front view of the house from the road.

On our way home, before we hit the highway!

Incredible parting sunset!

I will post more pictures later. My parents took pictures of the kids opening their gifts, so I will add those as soon as they're e-mailed to me :-)

The Biggest Loser

So, last night was this season's Biggest Loser finale. Every season, I watch this show and dream about what it would be like to lose so much weight. This year's winner lost around 50% of her body weight (110lbs). I've decided that enough is enough. I'm going to be 30 in May and I'm sick of being a fat wife and mom. I don't want Joshua and Jenna to grow-up thinking that being fat is the norm, because it isn't. Despite eating somewhat healthy, I give in to the sweets (my biggest down fall). Nick has agreed to help watch the kids so that I can go work-out regularly. Praise God! We've had a gym membership with the YMCA for nearly a year and have only gone a about a dozen times...pathetic!! I'm over it...

I've created another blog to help motivate myself and to also share in my journey. Even if I only lose 5lbs a month, it's still a success worth sharing. So, that being said...here's my blog: Loser Wannabe. Starting next month, no more Ms. Nice Girl. If you'd like to help me on my journey, feel free to leave me a comment of encouragement. Most of all, please don't offer me any sweets. I'm going to cut things out little by little rather than all at once. Sweets are first!!

Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

reversed roles

Joshua's having a hard-time giving-up his baby toys! He crawls into the excersaucer every chance he gets! In this picture, he had just finished eating something (obviously...look at his face) and darted from the table, only to be found...here.

Nick decided he would see how Joshua would react if he gave Jenna one of his toys. Joshua didn't seem to mind sharing his beloved Thomas train!

miscellaneous

Last night, despite all still having a bit of a sinus infection, we bundled up the kiddos and headed to Yukon to look at Christmas lights. This is the first year that Joshua's been awake for them (he's blinking in the picture).

Jenna had so much fun...

Jenna's legs are finally long enough to enjoy Joshua's old excersaucer! She loves it :-)

Joshua loves bubble baths!!

Hamming it up in front of the piano. It's hard to catch him with his eyes open!!

Nick was taking this video from behind and above Jenna, so that's why it might look a little odd. Thought you might enjoy some cuteness today!

words

Joshua's been saying more and more cute things lately. One of his favorite things to say is his cousin's name. However, he doesn't just say her name, he give it an intro! He makes a sound like a guitar strumming a rock beat and then builds until he shouts her name. It's too cute.

Joshua's very polite. Whenever I give him a snack, or a toy, he says, "sorry!" That's his version of "thank you." For a long time, I wasn't correcting him and just telling him, "you're welcome." But lately, I've decided to start correcting him so that he's not confused later. He does use "sorry" correctly most of the time. For instance, if he bumps into you, or does something naughty and is corrected for his actions, he says, "sorry." He also apologizes for other people! For instance, the other day, I dropped something on the floor and he told me he was sorry. Poor little guy! Once he grows-out of this stage, he'll probably never say it again, so I'm enjoying it while I can!!

nooooooo!!!

I saw a roach this morning in the kitchen!!!!!! Nick suggested that we bomb the house again while we're in Colorado. I think that's a good idea *grumbling*

creepy crawlies no more!

Well, we spent the night at a Holiday Inn on Saturday night. Poor Jenna was certain she was back in the hospital again. Anytime we're anywhere other than home and she's taking a nap, or going to bed for the night, she panics. After much consoling from us and big brother, Jenna finally dozed off. Joshua however, was running around the room and getting into absolutely everything he possibly could. He managed to get himself wedged between the side of the fridge and the wall. The mean parents that we are, we just watched him as he did it and waited until he asked for help.

Joshua finally dozed-off at around 10:00 and Nick and I enjoyed some free cable! It was about 12:30 before we called it a night. Despite our bed being a king, Joshua managed to push Nick and I both to the edge of our sides of the bed! What a little stinker! Needless to say, neither one of us got much sleep that night :-)

When we came back home, there were icky, dead (hooray) bugs laying here and there. Some were taking their final breath until...CRUNCH! Yep...no mercy from this momma!

So, if you come to visit, rest assured you won't find creepy crawlies nearby!!

creepy crawlies

Well, this weekend, we're going to bug bomb our house. It will be such a relief to not have ROACHES!!! Gag!! Ah, the joys of owning an older home. Despite having professionals spray and treat our house for an ENTIRE YEAR, the nasty things are still present. Who can afford to have yearly contracts with no results? So, we're going to bag/pack everything we possibly can and spend the night in a hotel. Yeah, not really good timing money-wise, but TOTALLY necessary. I'm going to try and make the most of things and get a hotel with a pool so Nick and Joshua can have some fun. I think we'll have some fun treats too. It'll be a mini-vacation before our big trip to Colorado...like a test-run :-)

infection

Well, poor 'lil Jenna has a infection at her incision site. As one of my friends put it, "Jenna doesn't like surgery!" Jenna tends to have some sort of infection and/or irritation following surgery. Thankfully, we caught it before it became a disaster! She's taking antibiotics this week and will have a follow-up appointment next Tuesday. After one dose, it already began to improve :-) Thank you Jesus!

it has begun - help!!

Well, this past week, Joshua has figured-out he has options. Options, meaning the word, "no!" Yep. My child is no longer perfect *hehe* We have gradually been giving Joshua small chores (throwing away his own diaper, throwing away sissy's diaper, picking-up toys, etc.) and he has decided that he'll just say "no" whenever he doesn't feel like doing what we ask. I about hit the floor when he said it for the first time! He use to be so anxious to do whatever, whenever. Well...not anymore. Oh well. I knew it was coming sooner or later!!

So, what do you do when your child disobeys? Well, you give 'em a whack on the booty of course! Wish that worked with Joshua. He just looks at you like you're an idiot and goes on with whatever he was doing. We even pull the diaper down, but that isn't working either. It's probably my fault. I have this obsession with baby bottoms and I always use to give him little love pats. Hmmm...what to do. We often send him to his room and that works for about 5 minutes. I'm thinking about trying the corner next. We'll see how that goes!!

Jenna's home :-)

Jenna came home yesterday afternoon. The surgery went really well. It's interesting though...the doctor said it wasn't what they had thought. The fundo was still intact, but the sutures had pulled through the muscle *ouch* She also had a hole in her diaphram, which they fixed. Poor baby :-( She seems to be experiencing quite a bit of pain, but the Lortab is helping. She was much smaller when she had the surgery initially, so I'm sure she's just learning to express herself more. She was much more sick before as well, so I'm sure that has something to do with it also.

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. I was pretty bummed to have a sick baby and be in the hospital during the holidays, but it was worth it knowing she will be better now. Thanks for praying everyone!

Jenna's surgery

I take Jenna to be admitted tomorrow for her surgery on Wednesday. Just a reminder, she's having her fundoplication re-done and she's having her hiatal hernia fixed. Ideally, she'll get to come home after 5 days of recovery. However, the surgeon's head nurse is making sure there is a bed for her in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) simply because of what occurred after the initial surgery. Please pray she won't need that bed!

It will be so nice to have this surgery behind us. Jenna will be a much happier girl and will enjoy being on her tummy!!

trying to understand

Sometimes there are things which are a struggle for someone dear to you and despite praying and seeking advice, their problems are still there. While the issue is there, it's reeking havoc on their life and on mine. I'm learning that I have to keep on praying and praying and praying...etc. I'm not sure if their problem will ever be resolved and if I will ever feel relief. I'm trying so hard to trust God with this. I'm not sure how much more I can handle; there's no way out...I'm stuck in this with this person.

yesterday and the future

My three nieces, from next door, came over yesterday. I invited them over to make Mrs. Troop's Rice Krispy Treats recipe; by the way, they're SUPER yummy! I've also made her Lasagna recipe (easy and delicious)! Anyway, back to the subject at hand...the girls had been baking and making already that day and I think they were pooped when they came over! I got a little help, but most of the time was spent adoring Jenna. They all just love her so much. I told Jenna, as I was putting her to bed that night, that she better enjoy the attention while she can because their newest little sister will be arriving soon. Which brings me to my next topic...

Nick went to see a Urologist a while back to see about getting a vasectomy. Well...I just don't have peace about it, so we're not going through with the operation. I know you're probably thinking, "How could she possibly handle another one with all that is already taking place?" Well, I'm not thinking we'll try again right away, but perhaps four, five, or six years down the road. I'm only 29 and Nick's only 31; the thought of eliminating our opportunity to have more children someday, as young as we are, was really unbearable. Jenna's Endocrine doctors are really optimistic that she will grow-out of her glucose problems by the time she's 2, which would really take care of our primary concerns for her.

Okay...bring on the criticism...I can take it ;-)

Joshua's cuteness

Joshua has started asking, "Are you okay?" It usually sounds more like, "Y'kay?" He asks whenever he feels like he needs to check-in on me. I answer, "I'm okay. Are you okay?" He answers, "Yeah!" So stinkin' cute. I think he started asking this because I always ask him if he's okay when he falls or bonks something.

Joshua has also taken a HUGE interest in entertaining Jenna. He LOVES making her smile and laugh. At this very moment, he's trying to teach her to give 5's. He's such a good big brother. He loves his little sister so much :-)

My Husband Rocks

My Husband Rocks because he knows how to comfort me during a melt-down. Last weekend was exceptionally stressful and emotionally draining and he knew just what to say and held me in his big, strong arms and let me bawl like a baby. We've been really stressed and drained dealing with Jenna's medical problems, bills, etc. Thanks honey, for loving me through the difficult times and all the times in between.

awwwwwww

I just had to post these old pictures of Joshua. I can't believe how much he's grown-up. Makes me tear-up everytime I think about how much he's changed.

My parents were here during Jenna's surgery and still had these on their camera!

Talk about a gold mine!

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Here's one of my favorite pictures of Jenna. This was in early September.

She looks like she's saying, "Awww mom. Another picture?"

*****************

vaccinations and family fun (interesting combo)

The first part of the day wasn't a very fun one for the kiddos. Jenna received her 6 month vaccinations + her flu shot. Poor Joshua had no clue he was getting one too! They both took it like a pair of champs :-) I think the reason Joshua did so well was because he was in my arms looking over my shoulder and really didn't know it was coming. I pulled down his pants so the nurse could reach his thigh and she did it as painlessly as possible. As soon as she was done, I gave Joshua some crackers and he was happy as a clam :-)

Afterwards, we headed-out to meet-up with my SIL and her zoo at a local park. Here are some majorly cute pictures and a video of our fun together. You will need to pause the music at the bottom of the page in order to hear the video. Enjoy!!

L to R: Parrot, Lion Cub, Monkey, and Joshua

*****

Look at Lion Cub...he's yellin' "yee-haw!"

*****

thank you and pictures

Once again, thank you to everyone for your encouragement and unconditional friendship. Despite how difficult the weekend was, Nick and I have drawn closer and were able to open up more to each other about how we're both feeling. God used a frustrating situation for His glory and it was worth it. Thank you Jesus for having patience with me and for never giving-up on your frazzled daughter!

Here are some long ago promised pictures of Jenna and some cute ones of big brother :-)

"I'm ready for my close-up!"

Sleeping Angel

Lunch time!

10 minutes later...I didn't even get the chance to clean his face!

i almost waved the white flag of surrender

So, Friday was an interesting day. Joshua had a dirty diaper and decided to dig around in it. Don't you love it when they do that? Yuck!! Joshua found it amusing because of all the gagging and disgusted faces I made as I cleaned him up. Sometimes I think he does stuff like that just do get a rouse out of me. Little toot!

Jenna had an early appointment with Dr. Tuggle (pediatric surgeon) regarding her fundoplication and hernia. The double stroller (arriving tomorrow) can't come soon enough! Joshua's harness was left in the Jeep, so I had to hold tightly onto Joshua's hand and push Jenna in the other. It was such a cold, windy day and both of the kiddos were not happy to be out and about. When we finally made it into the doctor's office, Joshua enjoyed playing with the toys in the waiting area. There was a small fire engine which Joshua insisted was made for sitting on and scooting around. He got quite a few laughs as he scooted by and greeted people. He's such a charmer!

Onto the appointment...

Jenna will be having her fundoplication re-done on the 26th (day before Thanksgiving). Nick and I had planned to join our Missions Director, Stef, and her family for the holidays, but it looks like perhaps just Nick and Joshua will get to go. There's no way I'm leaving Jenna! Stef has graciously offered to bring me up a plate of food :-) Yay! I would be bummed to not enjoy some holiday stuffing and green bean casserole. I'm not actually a big turkey fan. I'd much rather have a holiday ham! I know I've opened myself up for a joke there somehow, but thankfully, this is a one way conversation until you make a comment; even then, I have the power to "delete" your smart alec remarks ;-)

We finally made it home after picking-up lunch. As I was un-packing everything, I noticed my beloved, priceless, essential planner was missing!!! I looked everywhere...the car, diaper bag, bottom of the stroller...I was about to have a meltdown...nevermind, I DID have a meltdown. I called the hospital asking for lost and found. They said the area of the hospital I was in didn't have a lost and found...what?!?!?! I started bawling on the phone. The operator was so nice and did her best to encourage me. She offered to contact housekeeping and valet just in case they happened to see it, but said it would be best if I came up myself to locate it. After calling the doctor's office to make sure I didn't leave it there, I packed-up the kids AGAIN and headed up to the hospital in the blistering, cold wind. On the way, I called another friend and asked her to pray. She understands how crucial my planner is. She assured me that God would make it visible for me and that I would locate it. I pulled-up to valet, got out the stroller, loaded Jenna, walked the stroller to the other side to get Joshua and popped open the visor on the stroller and guess what I found? My planner was stuck inside the visor of the silly stroller! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but the valet couldn't help but snicker at my befuddled expression. On the way home, I told the Lord I knew I should be thanking Him, but I had to wait until I was no longer mad. Later, I imagined what His face must've expressed as I ran around like an idiot! What a sight I must've been!!

Friday night, I went for my regular late night grocery shopping venture at Wal-Mart. I spent nearly 2 hours cruising around and checking prices on this and getting things on my list. At check-out, I could've sworn I was in the beginning stages of a heart attack. I've been having pain in my left shoulder, neck, and my left side off and on for a couple of weeks now. The cashier asked how I was doing, and I told her I thought I was having a heart attack and you know what she said? "That's good." And then she started rambling about who knows what. I was taken back, so I couldn't focus on what she was saying. So, it was time to pay. I swipe my Wal-Mart card and it says..."Declined." I had paid the balance in full the week prior and it cleared our checking account, so I knew the message was faulty. After trying it again and getting the same message, my transaction was temporarily suspended and I made my way to Customer Service before they closed. One of the manager's called to check on my balance and noted that I had no balance. However, for some reason my account said my available credit was only $10...what?!?! Since the store has no abilities to access and adjust accounts, I had to leave my groceries behind and go home bawling my brains out. In the parking lot, I called Nick and sobbed and then called my best friend and sobbed. What a day! I really thought I was going to throw in the towel and just give-up. I cried-out to the Lord all the way home asking Him how much more disappointments and frustrations and difficulties would I have to go through before I see the lesson to be learned in all of this? I'm still waiting for an answer, but have since then felt peace and patience (for now) for His timing to unfold. I was able to take care of Wal-Mart's mistake this morning on the phone. For some reason, their computer doesn't like it when people pay their balances in full, so it automatically puts a "float/hold" on your account and has to be removed manually. What a pain in the rear!!

Please be praying for Jenna. Specifically that her reflux and vomiting would decrease. The surgery will fix this problem, but until then, she's hurting and is so frustrated. Also, please pray for me that I would be more aware of just how much the Lord has blessed our family and me. I tend to focus on the difficulties rather than the blessings and I would really like that to change. Joshua is really starting to show more and more signs of jealousy. Please pray that the Lord would give him comfort and patience. Finally, please pray for Nick and I. The stress and strain of having a sick child is really taking its toll on our marriage. Satan really likes to use illness to destroy marriages.

Thanks for reading my novel. Sorry it was more of a rant than anything else.

stroller on the way!

Woohoo!! I'm getting an early Christmas present from my parents...a much needed stroller! I love that this thing has so many options. It can be a double stroller or a sit-n-stand stroller; plus, each seat holds up to 45lbs! I've been searching high and low and my mom found this in a catalog. I was really wanting a side-by-side simply because of the rubber tires, all-terrain features, etc., but this stroller has rubber tires and should do well for walking. Yay!

my friend's boys

My sweet friend has posted pictures of the sweet boys soon to be a part of their family. Please pray for them!!

reading material

When I have the chance, I like to crack open a good book. Lately, my material of choice has been books on marriage. Praise the Lord for books on marriage!! The first book on marriage I read was "The Language of Sex" by Dr. Gary Smalley and Ted Cunningham. I read this while Jenna was in the NICU at Mercy. Boy did I get some looks when nurses happened to glance at the cover! I was fortunate enough to use this as a witnessing tool...of all things! Some of the nurses actually asked to borrow it during their lunch breaks and came back with refreshed and surprised faces. It was funny, serious, and right on the nose!! It dealt with the nitty-gritty and that's what I loved about it.



This is what I just bought at Mardel today. "Love & Respect" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. I've read many blogs which have commented on this book. Plus, it's a Focus on the Family book and it was 50% off...woohoo!! I'm really looking forward to cracking it open when I get the chance :-)

many thanks

Many thanks to you all for praying for Jenna and our entire family! Your support and prayers are priceless and grately needed.

Jenna will be getting the stints out of her nose tomorrow...hooray (pictures soon to follow)! Friday, we will be meeting with her other surgeon to set-up a surgery date to re-do her fundoplication and to fix her hernia...bleh!

God is so good to us. When there's a need, He never fails to fill it. He continually provides for us and blesses us with such a wonderful circle of family and friends. Praise God!

Seven Random Things

I've been tagged by my SIL to list seven random things about myself, so here goes!

1. I don't hang onto clothes that don't fit me with the hope that they might fit again someday. I got this tip from the Today Show one day and I thought it was pure genius...mostly because I'm "forced" to buy new clothes when I lose weight *wink*


2. If I find a cute pair of shoes, I usually buy the same shoes in both black and brown. Yes, it's sad, I know.


3. I'm a big-time perfectionist when it comes to certain things. This drives Nick absolutely crazy!! If he tries to clean something, I usually re-do it after he's finished if it's not to my liking. Sorry honey!


4. I once applied to be on "The Biggest Loser." I submitted a video and everything! This was before I met Nick and got even huger. There's something to be said about the phrase "fat and happy."


5. I was on a YMCA swim team in high school. I had only learned to swim a few months prior to joining the team. Less than a year after joining, I broke the swim captain's record in her best event. She wasn't too thrilled with me. I also qualified for the Junior Olympics in a couple of events, but nobody ever told me until it was too late. Stinky! Who knows, I could've been an Olympian maybe ;-)


6. I desperately want to live on a piece of secluded land where I can't see neighbors' homes (no offense SIL), but have the convenience of getting to the city in a matter of minutes.


7. When I was a little girl, I use to dream of my prince charming. I was determined to find a man just like my oldest brother. My SIL is one blessed woman!!

Jenna's before and after pics

pre-op

post-op

I will have to try and post the videos later.

For some reason, I kept on getting an error message from Blogger.

Jenna's home!!

Jenna came home yesterday. The surgery on her lip and nose went absolutely great! In addition, her glucose did just wonderfully :-) She's doing well with the recovery and we're gradually decreasing her pain meds. Thank you Lord!!

However...yep, there is a however...

Jenna's fundoplication, the operation to keep her from refluxing/vomitting, is beginning to undo itself; in addition, she has a hernia. Argh! So, that explains the vomitting she's had the past couple of weeks. I mentioned it to the pediatric surgery team while we were in the hospital and the ordered and upper GI. I had no idea upper GI's were so horrible! I felt awful for making Jenna go through that :-( Anyway...she's going to have to go back in and have her fundoplication re-done as soon as her lip is healed enough to be on a ventilator for surgery *sigh*

Man, the enemy is really trying to wreck our family. It's been tough, but he's not going to win. He may discourage, be he cannot destroy. Praise God for his protection and for putting people in our lives to encourage and uplift us.

When things settle down a bit, I will upload some pictures of before and after the surgery as well as some videos from our stay in the hospital.

transparency time

I'm really having a weak moment, so I thought that praying and blogging would help. I'm trying to sincerely praise the Lord and not let my anxiety and stress take control of that much needed time with the Lord (this is where satan really tries to get ahold of me). I find myself saying...

"Lord, You are my Most Precious Gift......

What if Jenna's glucose plummets and she starts seizing?"

"Father, You are so Mighty and Awesome......

What if Jenna aspirates during surgery?"

"Jesus, Your Love is Amazing......

What if the unthinkable happens and I lose her?"

I hate that the enemy so easily slips into my thoughts. It's almost always during my conversations with the Lord, but sometimes in my dreams. Sometimes I find myself literally standing-up and stomping the ground. I learned a song when I was a little girl and I don't quite remember how it goes, but it talks about satan being under your feet and how you can stomp on him. I usually say (as I'm stomping), "I'm washed in the blood of the Lamb and you can't touch me!" Afterwords, I thank the Lord that I'm His and for His sacrifice. It works too :-)

What do you do when you feel the enemy creeping in to cause trouble in your life?

ummm...grammar?

I must apologize for my grammar in the last post. My mother would be abhorred! *haha* I was super tired and not paying attention.

Well, time to start the day and get things done. I have to get a bag packed for Jenna's hospital stay, sweep/mop the floors, yada-yada.

P.S. So I just did a spell check and of course "yada-yada" isn't in the word bank. However, one of the options was "Yoda." Haha! I just thought that was funny. Anyway...

fall festival

Our church had their annual fall festival this evening. It was my first time to help/participate. Unfortunately Nick had to stay home with the kids. It was an outdoor event and I was worried Joshua might get away from him while watching Jenna. I so wish I had taken pictures! I helped with the face painting and it was so much fun! There were so many cute kids there. I was certain we'd have some trouble-makers in the bunch, but they were all so grateful and polite!! Nothing made me smile more seeing the kids smile and laugh!

There were so many games and activities including...moon bounce, sack racing, face painting, bean bag toss, hula hoops, etc. There were also some awesome door prizes, which were donated by church members and others. What was really neat and unique was the live entertainment! Our church is really blessed with so much musical and artistic talent! Two people from church have formed their own bands and graciously entertained everyone :-) Thanks Kacey and Adam!!

I pray that those in attendance really experienced the love of the Lord through our church.

living well

I found these articles really helpful and eye-opening. If you're constantly struggling with weight (like me), or even if you're not, it's good information for anyone who's wanting to live a more healthy lifestyle.

wanting a 3-column blog?

Okay, so I said I wasn't going to be posting for a bit. Well, I've been dying to add columns to my blog and I'm not computer savvy, so I googled how to do it and found this. I'm so thankful for smart people like this person. She has a step-by-step guide for dorks like me! Now my blog feels less cluttered than before :-) Yay!

So, occasionally I might go back and forth between 3 columns and 2 columns depending on my background image ;-)

Jenna's surgery

Here's the plan. We will be checking Jenna into the hospital Tuesday morning so they have time to get a central-line surgically inserted if they fail to get a normal IV started. Jenna has a history of blowing-out veins and previously had a central-line. We spent two hours at the lab yesterday trying to get enough blood to run tests needed prior to surgery. It was horrible! Imagine holding your baby down on a table while doctors and nurses attempted to stick her all over like a human pin cushion! I couldn't help but bawl my brains out :-( The central-line will be much easier when needing to administer fluids; not only that, it will be much easier on Jenna.

Wednesday morning will be her surgery. They will close her lip and place stints in her nose. The stints will remain in her nose until her follow-up visit with the surgeon (Nov. 9th). The purpose of the stints is to re-shape the cartilage in Jenna's nose.

More than likely, Jenna will remain in the hospital until Friday, merely for observation of her sugar and due to her past history of seizures and previous hospital experience.

It will most likely be a while before I can post again. I will do my best to find a key individual to contact to check on Jenna. Unfortunately, it would be difficult for me or Nick to call/text individuals considering we have to watch the nurses and doctors like hawks!!

My Husband Rocks

My Husband Rocks!

Wanna know why?

Nick has been helping more around the house lately because we're preparing for Jenna's surgery next week. I really appreciate that he's been voluntarily doing things knowing they're on my mind to be done. Thanks honey! You're a rockin' husband and great dad :-)

Jenna's pre-op

Yesterday, Jenna had her pre-op appointment. They (residents and attending) briefly explained the procedure, asked me questions, and answered all of mine. I'm really quite impressed with Jenna's surgeon, Dr. Smith (click on his name to learn more). I was also really impressed with his 3rd year resident, Dr. Christanson (I think). They explained there's a chance they will have to do Jenna's surgery in two parts depending on the elasticity of her skin, muscles, and tissue. They don't want to risk her lip re-opening if there's too much pull on the incision. So, if it has to be done in two parts, they will schedule another operation 6 weeks from her first (next Wednesday). I explained my concerns about anesthesia and recovery. Dr. Smith assured me that he is corresponding with her Endocrine doctor, Dr. Copeland, to be assured all will go smoothly. I would go into detail about the surgery, but it makes me feel weak everytime I think about it. If you really want to know more, you can give me a call and we'll talk about it.

Jenna's Sooner Start nurse, Sandy, joined us for the appointment and asked some questions in order to help her assist Jenna's recovery and progress. Talk about cool ;-) I learned something about Sandy...she has an 8-year-old son who at one time had a serious brain tumor. He's still not in the clear, but it much improved. The local PBS station will be doing a documentary on him in January.

I left the appointment with a little disappointment in knowing that Jenna will most likely be on her feeding tube until she's 3 :-( Poor baby! It will be a bummer to not have a messy, cake face from her 1st birthday, but it's truly a small price to pay when it's so crucial for her health.

My parents are coming in from Colorado on Tuesday and will be staying with us for a week. It will be nice to have help with Joshua. Mom also said she'll be doing the cooking and cleaning so that Nick and I can be up at the hospital with Jenna daily. I've really missed not having my parents nearby. I use to just show-up and hang-out with them whenever I was on their side of town; now there's 12 hours away :-(

Gotta end on a positive note...

I always go absolutely cleaning crazy when I know we will be having company. We haven't had anyone but Nick's parents stay at our house for a few days, so having my parents for a week will really motivate me to get things done and in order. I can hardly wait to re-organize cabinets, do all the laundry, and move things around. Isn't that weird? Let me know if you'd ever like some help getting rid of stuff! Oh, my SIL is good at that too, but she's busy incubating ;-)

a special thank you

I'm just so blessed. I have a special friend who continues to bless me over and over again. Yesterday she and her husband gave me and Nick money to go see "Fireproof" (it was a much needed date and blessing)! Today, I called her and interrupted her home schooling for half an hour and she let me share my heart and she shared hers in return. Thank you so much, dear friend, for allowing the Lord to use you a mighty way in my life. I'm certain I would go nuts without your encouragement and listening ear!! There are no other friends in my life who can possibly understand what we're going through. Thank you for your endless wealth of information, guidance, and prayer. I'll never, ever be able to re-pay or thank you enough. I love you!!

My Husband Rocks (belated...again)

My Husband Rocks because he's not afraid to shed a tear in a touching movie. We both held back the major "boo-hoos" in the movie "Fireproof" yesterday. Don't you dare tell him I posted this *haha*

miscellaneous and so forth

Well, the garage sale was a flop, but at least I got rid of some things. I managed to rake in a whopping $26!! Woo!! It was just the right amount to buy a nice new shower curtain, liner, and hooks :-)

Saturday was a great day! Saturday morning, two dear friends from church (Stef and Nahum) came to do some more painting on the house. The west side of the house is the only un-finished area (minus some touch-up work here and there). It's such a huge improvement and everyone's been so generous of there time :-)

Saturday afternoon, Jenna and I headed to a dear friend's birthday party. What fun it was to see dear, sweet friends from long ago!! We saw the Hill's and Mrs. Troop's family. It was so great...and to think I thought about staying home!

Saturday evening, a family that has done so, so much for our family came over. My brother and SIL who have also done tons for us also joined us. Nick made a fabulous BBQ buffet of smoke brisket, spare ribs, and beef short ribs. Thanks honey...it was great!!

This morning, we decided it would be okay to bring Jenna to church. It was so nice to be at church as a family again. There was a very sweet time of prayer and many friends came and prayed with us. What a blessing! I couldn't possibly ask the Lord for a sweeter church family.

This afternoon, some friends came over to watch Joshua and Jenna while Nick and I went to see "Fireproof." It was an incredible movie and you need to see it if you haven't already. What a powerful message and wonderful testament of God!

today...another day the devil tried to win, but didn't *smirk*

Today was a busy day. I really thought I was going to throw in the towel at a couple of points, but that would be letting the enemy win, so I pressed-on ;-)

We left the house at about 10:30 this morning to make our first stop...Target! Yes, I'm a Target junkie and admit it gladly ;-) Even if I'm only browsing with no intention to buy, I could spend hours in that place (and have). I needed to buy some stickers for garage sale pricing (big sale this weekend) and some socks for Jenna. Well, I got the stickers, got the socks, and managed to snatch-up an adorable pair of shoes for Jenna as well. So, I went to check-out...the total was around $20 and the registered flashed the dreaded "DECLINED" across the screen. So, I called the bank to find-out just what the deal was. Apparently, one of the pharmaceutical companies we deal with regarding Jenna's meds decided to charge a co-pay to our card this morning WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION!! How embarrassing!!

Leaving the store rather pink in the face, I made my way to Wal-Mart (where we have a store credit card which is suppose to only be for groceries and gas). On my way to Wal-Mart, I got a call from Jenna's Geneticist's office saying our appointment had been cancelled. WHAT?!? *grumbling* They said to go ahead an come in for labs, but we wouldn't be seeing the doctor. I asked about previous lab results and they said they were "interesting." How's that for vague?!?

Anyway, I got the stickers, the socks, a pair of shoes, and lunch and headed to my best friend's house (we're doing the garage sale together). Layla graciously offered to watch Joshua while I took Jenna to get her labs drawn.

So, we get to the hospital, get parked, and make our way through the hospital. I decided to park in the parking garage, which is a significant distance from the appointment, because I need the exercise!! I get to the office and somewhere along the way, Jenna lost her shoe (the new pair I just purchased). Well, there wasn't a nurse that felt capable to draw labs from Jenna since they have to draw it from her scalp, so they said it was going to be a while. I was glad to be able to go and hunt down Jenna's shoe. Thankfully, a lady told me she saw it and it wasn't far from the office. After getting back to the waiting area, they still weren't ready for us, so Jenna and I sat and enjoyed chatting with a family sitting in the same area. It was a young mom with her parents. She had 5 boys! I told her she'd be well taken care of when she's old and gray and she agreed. She and her husband had tried and tried for a girl; after losing a little boy in the NICU, they decided they were done and were going to focus their time on their boys.

Finally, I managed to see one of Jenna's nurses for another doctor whom has drawn labs from her scalp before and she was happy to help. So, we get back there and Jenna's so strong that two people have to hold her down while the nurse draws the labs. It was HORRIBLE!! Jenna was screaming, I was crying, and the nurse pulled-back too far on the syringe and lost all of the blood she drew. Blood was everywhere, but by the grace of God, I was able to hold everything together. A second syringe of blood was collected and I was finally able to pick-up Jenna and comfort her. Poor baby :-( I hate that she had to go through that.

I finally got the chance to talk to one of the genetics counselors and she said that 2 of the 5 labs they drew on our last visit showed some changes in the DNA. They won't have anything solid to diagnose until after these labs return, so please be praying!! She didn't have anymore information to share and that frustrates me, but I'm going to try my best to trust the Lord in this.

On the way to pick-up Joshua, I managed to scrounge-up enough fundage to indulge in a chocolate soda from Braum's. I justified having it by the way my day had been going *haha* Joshua inherited a basketball potty seat from Layla's youngest and thought it was a hat. He kept on putting it on his head! Thankfully, Layla's a very clean person and made sure it was sparkling before handing-it-over :-)

I left Layla's and headed home. On the way home, I got a speeding ticket. JUST KIDDING!! The cruddy day stuff ends here *hehe* When we finally made it in the door and the kids were settled, I plopped on the couch and answered a call from my very dear friend from church. She's the one I've mentioned many times before who has the sick 8-year-old son. He's having to go on another round of antibiotics, so please be praying for him as well. They were over her visiting on Monday and had to leave sooner than expected because little buddy started feeling badly. Here's a link to her blog if you'd like to check it out...click here.

Well, here it is past 9 o'clock and I've yet to price my items for the garage sale and get them loaded in the van. Ha! I'm wondering if I should call it quits on this garage sale idea *sigh* So much to do still and trying to figure-out how I can get it all over there in the early morning hours with the two munchkins in tow. I guess I could stop rambling on here and come up with a plan. What a concept!

G'night :-)

garbage in...garbage out!

Last night, I spent some time with my best friend. We got on the topic of movies and music and how much things have changed just in our lifetime. Now that we both have children, we have become much more aware of just what types of things are on the television and radio. Setting a godly example to our children is on the forefront of our minds and hearts. I have really cleaned-up my choice of programming. Confession time! I use to be addicted to watching "Heroes." There's something about the good guy/bad guy story-line that hooks me! Well, even in the midst of a good story, there's junk...violence, language, adult content, etc. So, even though I highly anticipated this season's new series, I found myself not even wanting to finish the first episode. Another confession! I've been hooked on "America's Next Top Model." I love Tyra Banks! She's a normal sized girl who's making a living and name for herself. Well, reality shows are full of junk and who cares about modeling anyway? It sends such a horrible example of self-image to girls and women. Beauty is a state of heart and mind!!

Okay, I'm done standing on my soap box for now :-) Just a few thoughts that were bouncing around in my brain!

we're back in business!

Our computer has been on the fritz this past week. Nick was able to get it up and running again yesterday. What a guy!

Nothing new to report regarding Jenna's health. We have a genetics appointment this coming Wednesday, so I'll have something new to share soon. Jenna has been grabbing at her toys more consistently and has started to hit some milestones which are important in development, so that's definitely been a huge highlight this week for us as a family :-) I'm pretty sure she's teething because whatever she can get to her mouth, she chews and sucks on. Thanks to her cleft, she can fit just about anything inside her mouth ;-)

Joshua knows most of the alphabet! I'm not talking about singing it either. He can actually point to letters and says their name. Yeah...he's a smarty :-) He has a hard time saying "x" and "j" sometimes and mixes "m" and "w" for obvious reasons, but other than that, he's quite impressive! We went grocery shopping today and he had a blast pointing to all of the letters he could see and said their names loud and proud! An older, asian gentleman found him particularly amazing. He came up to Joshua and praised him continuously while Joshua just beamed with self satisfaction. After his kind words, the gentleman kissed Joshua on the head and went on his way. I thought that was so sweet. I wouldn't normally appreciate a stranger coming in contact with my child without my permission, but he was precious and had only the best intentions.

Nick and I took our first whack at going through our garage/utility/storage area. I'm participating in a garage sale with two other friends next weekend, so we're trying to get some things together. We have so much junk! In this case, "we" refers to mostly Nick ;-) I like to chunk or donate things after a while. Pretty much all I have stored now is wedding momentos, Christmas decorations, books, and a couple of paintings. Nick's going to work on getting his shed in place tomorrow, so hopefully we'll be able to move most of his stuff (tools and such) out there and start making attempts at turning the wasted space into our family room. It's going to take a lot of work, but we're headed in the right direction at least!

My Husband Rocks (belated)

We haven't had a working computer for the past week, so I'm late in posting about my rockin' husband!

My Husband Rocks because he puts up with me. I can be quite moody (imagine that), but Nick knows how to cool my hot headedness with his soft voice :-) I love you honey! Thanks for putting-up with me and loving me when I'm cranky!

Jenna's Genetics Appointment

Thursday, Jenna had a 3-hour genetics appointment with Dr. Palmer. About an hour or so was spent doing vitals and a family, medical tree. Had I known they would need so much medical information, I would've contacted many of you to get more information! They said what I knew was adequate. You're probably wondering why Jenna had to see a Geneticist in the first place. Well, her Endocrine doctor, Dr. Copeland, felt it was a good idea due to her multiple problems just so they can rule-out different types of syndromes. Dr. Palmer has been studying Jenna's medical file since she was in the NICU. Talk about thorough!

Dr. Palmer voiced her concerns about the scar tissue from a blood clot found in her liver back when she was in the NICU. The neonatologists said it was most likely due to a UVC (central-line) in her belly button which she had when she was at the other hospital. They left it at that and do no further investigating. Well, Dr. Palmer was pretty furious about this. She wanted to send us to a Hematologist, but she was worried they wouldn't get us in quickly enough to do blood work and testing before her surgery. So, they took 3mls from Jenna to be tested STAT. We have another appointment with Dr. Palmer on the 15th to discuss the results and the possibility of Jenna not being ready for surgery (due to a possible clotting disorder and her hypoglycemia).

Dr. Palmer's other concerns about Jenna...not being able to hold her head-up when lifted by her hands from a horizontal position. She said her muscle tone isn't quite where it needs to be. Also, the fact that Jenna has a tendency to favor her right side when being held in a seated position. There are numerous possibilities as to the reasons for these things. It could just be do to the fact that she was in the NICU for such a long period of time and just needs more time to catch-up to where a normal baby would be. Thankfully, we have Sooner Start working with us :-)

Side note about her cleft...

I asked her if gaps in the two front teeth can be a sign of cleft. Dr. Palmer said, "yes." I actually use to have a large gap between my two front teeth until my parents graciously conceded to fixing it for me :-) My dad has one and my sister use to have one until she fixed hers as well. Interesting thought.

Another note...

If Nick and I were to have another baby, there would be at least a 25% chance of having another child with clefting. Wow! Totally an eye-opener considering Jenna's cleft surgeon said there would be a 11-14% chance. God totally led us to Dr. Palmer. I'm so grateful! She's also the doctor to my friend's sick little boy and was the doctor for one of friends whose son lost his life early this year at the age of one due to problems with his DNA and metabolise.

Well, I'm sure I'll probably think of something I forgot to mention and post it later. Nick's barkin' at me to get my butt in bed, so I better concede. We're taking Joshua to see Thomas the Train in the morning, so be looking forward to some super cute pictures!!!

My Husband Rocks

MY HUSBAND ROCKS!!!

Nick has been picking-up over-time at work, daily, to help accomodate our bills. He has to get up at 5am everymorning in order to be to work by 6am. When he's done turning wrenches underneath or inside a school bus, he picks-up a driving route and works until about 4:30pm. That makes for a very long day!! My husband loves us so much :-) Thank you honey for being willing to go the extra-mile in order to see that we have food in our tummies, a roof over our heads, and awesome doctors for Jenna!!

i did what i said i wouldn't do

Well, last night, after I finished-up cleaning and so-forth, I opened a credit card. Ugh! I can't tell you how much that pains me, but this month has literally just begun and all of our money has been spoken for. How crazy! The credit card is with Wal-Mart, so it will just be used for groceries and gas. It will be tempting to buy the drapes I've been eyeing, but alas, I will refrain!! Thankfully, I was able to chose a small limit ($400) to keep us from going overboard. This month wouldn't have been as tough if we hadn't had to replace two tires on the Jeep. The tires should've been replaced months ago, so you can only imagine how bad they are now!! I will be able to rest easy knowing Nick is safer on the road :-)

neighborhood shooting

Okay, so I don't want to clean right now and I'm not going to!

Last week, we had a shooting in our neighborhood. Yes, I can officially say we live in the ghetto! The shooting was about half a block away. Thankfully we weren't home because there were bullets flying down towards our house!! Apparently ten shots went off. One of our poor neighbors has a Jeep Wrangler with a soft top with some unwanted holes :-( Nobody got hurt, but I'm so ready to not be living in a scary neighborhood! I really wish the city would do something about the Section 8 houses in our area. There have been constant patrolling by the police at least. I see a handfull every hour driving up and down the streets (mostly ours).

Anyway, someday we'll have a house on 5 to 10 acres and will be far from the street and won't be able to see into our neighbor's house. That's our dream :-)

late night coffee junkie

Well, I went grocery shopping last night. Pretty much the only time I can go is after everyone is in bed, so at 8:30pm, I printed-off the grocery list and headed-out the door. My first stop was to Target. My dear friends are adopting two little boys from Liberia and we're (our church) going to have a shower for them :-) I bought them a crock-pot (which was on sale and the cost is being shared with a friend) and kitchen towels. I hope they're not reading this *haha* Oops! Oh well ;-)

After Target (9:45pm), I drug myself to Wal-Mart. Late at night is really the best time to go! There aren't too many others shopping, so you don't have to worry about the crowded aisles (my pet peeve), or the cramped parking lot and crazy drivers (another pet peeve). I found a new foundation that I think I'm going to like :-) It's by Rimmel London and is really reasonable in price! I've been using their eye-brown pencil for a long time and love it! Oh, I also bought hair dye...time to be dark for the fall and winter! My prized purchase, however, was coffee!! I bought some Folgers Gourmet Creme Brulee coffee! When I made it home (11:3o), I immediately started a pot and started cleaning the house. I feel so guilty not spending time with the kids during the day because I'm cleaning. I feel like I'm depriving them of the attention they deserve. I did become a stay-at-home-mom to be a mom and not a maid! Well, the house was (and still is) a wreck, so I didn't go to bed until 3am. I was really surprised by how awake the coffee kept me! It has been so long since I've had an entire pot ;-)

Okay, enough of that. Back to cleaning while the kids are sleeping!!

ewwwwwwww!!!

Read about a 12-year-old hamburger.

accountability

Okay, to keep me accountable in being a mommy/cook/maid, I'm going to start posting different things about mommy stuff, cooking, and cleaning. They may not be consistant at first, but it's something that will help me be more like the kinda person I want to be.

Today's post is about meals. Here are what our meals will be for the first week or so in October (in no particular order):

• slow cooker chicken and dumplings, normandy blend veggies (zuchini, yellow squash, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
• slow cooker green beans, ham and potatoes
• slow cooker meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
• gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches (found an awesome recipe), garden salad
• white bean chicken chili, cornbread

We'll be eating leftovers for lunch each day. As my grandma use to say, "Waste not, want not!" There will most likely be enough leftovers to freeze (what can reasonably be frozen and tasty when re-heated) and save for another meal later. I'm also preparing more slow cooker meals than normal in an effort to cut our grocery bill and save time for more important things (enjoying the kids, cleaning, quiet time).

This is pretty much an experiment at this point. I need to establish a well-stocked pantry for grocery staples so that I'm not always fumbling for something to make once our meals have been eaten. For that, I will consult my SIL! She always has something to throw together, which impresses me!

church in the park

This morning was a special time of communion and worship. We met in the park due to our normal facility being used for another reason. It was a very special time, for us as a family especially, because we brought Jenna to church for the first time. It was hard reading the song sheet because of the building tears! Everyone was so excited to see Jenna! Of course she flashed her ear-to-ear smile to everyone who complimented on how cute she was. I'm afraid we've been spoiling her with compliments! Eventually, we'll have to taper-off so that she doesn't become a mirror watcher ;-) For now, she deserves to be spoiled!!

nick's b-day party

Saturday morning, we had three hard-working church members painting more on our house. It's really coming along! I'm so happy te Kelly green is gone!! Thank you EastPoint family for blessing us! I hope someday we can return the favor somehow in someway.

Well, Saturday my hubby turned 31. Woo! He's getting so old!!! Four of our good friends came over to share in the celebration. We had a super yummy dinner...spare ribs, baked potato, garden salad, yeast rolls, apple cobbler, and vanilla ice cream! Yeah...I felt like a cow and was worried someone might cow tip me over! We played cards until we were all tired and goofy...11pm...isn't that pathetic? That's what happens when you're old!

My Husband Rocks

My husband rocks because...


He does things without griping and complaining. Nick is so patient! The other day, our dryer decided to stop working, so he figured out what the problem was and took the silly thing apart! Apparently the "lint trap" hasn't been "trapping" very well. He cleaned everything up, and in the process sliced his finger open! So what does he do? He puts a bandage on it and finishes up the job!

Thanks for climbing the mountain of laundry to fix the dryer, honey. I love you and YOU ROCK!!!

My Husband Rocks Giveaway

I've decided to join something fabulous, thanks to my SIL. My Husband Rocks Fridays!!!
If you would like more info, just click here or the image above to learn all about it. Also, she's doing a really fun My Husband Rocks Giveaway to participants, so if you'd like to get on board, there's a little incentive to get your rear doin' what you should be doin' all the time (bragging on your hubby).

you're invited!!

We will be celebrating communion in our 10:30 worship service with lunch immediately following. EastPoint Church will provide the chicken, plates, cups, napkins, and plasticware. Please bring drinks, sides, and deserts. Regional Park is located between Douglas Blvd. and Midwest Blvd. on Reno Ave. in Midwest City. The Rotary Pavilion is located next to the large playground area. We hope to see you in the park!

Contact Us

phone: 405-924-4866

website: http://www.eastpointmwc.com

jenna's day out

Yesterday, I woke-up and felt the walls closing-in, so I loaded the kiddos up in the car and we headed-out. I didn't even know what we were going to do until we were a mile away from the house. I called Nick at work and we decided to join him for lunch. We went to one of our favorite Chinese restaurants in Warr Acres...Tai Pei. It is run by a Christian family, the food's great, and most of all, the price tag is great! Yeah, not low-fat whatsoever, but we we've been eating healthy lunches at home on a regular basis, so I didn't feel too badly about indulging a little.

We took Nick back to work and headed-on over to Mardel. I'm participating in a Women's Bible Study connected with my church. We're going to go through Ruth, Esther, and then start some Beth Moore studies. I snatched a study guide to go along with Ruth and Esther. Anymore, I need study guides to go along with the reading I do in the Word. With my sleepy, foggy brain, it's nice to have some deeper insight. I really enjoy John MacArthur's study guides...the way he has each chapter set-up, the background behind the passage, the deeper look, and the thought provoking questions. Right up my alley!

Next, it was on to Babies R Us. I had a gift card with a little leftover money and Jenna was down to just 3 sleeping outfits, so I bought her a few more. I can't believe she's growing so fast! I would be in so much trouble if we had money to spend. The clothes at Babies R Us are sooooooooooo cute! An outfit that would fit Joshua caught my eye...$30!!! Are you kidding me? I wasn't so tempted after I saw that price tag!

I really wanted to take Joshua to the park, but despite the temperature being moderate, the humidity was not! Jenna's extremely hot natured and she wouldn't last but a few minutes. So, I called-up a friend and we met at Chick-fil-a and let the kids play together for about an hour. My friend hadn't seen Jenna yet and was anxious to get her hands on her :-)

I don't normally take Jenna into stores or restaurants, but every place we went wasn't busy whatsoever. It felt nice to return to somewhat of a normal outing. Jenna spent a lot of time laughing, smiling, and playing with her toys and Joshua enjoyed the attention he always gets with his baby blues. I'm so looking forward to when we won't have to be so careful about the things we do or the places we go.

for your enjoyment!

Jenna loves to read already!Itchy nose!
I'm going to miss this huge, cleft smile! Yep...he's completely rotten!
Check-out the long lashes!

schedule, sooner start, and blah-blah-blah

Okay, so I need to figure-out how to get more sleep. I think I'm starting to really amaze myself with how dumb I can be when tired! Need an example? Well, I don't have one at the moment because I can't remember! My brain is mush. I think I need a personal assistant!

On to more interesting things...

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the RN who will be helping with Jenna through Sooner Start. Her name is Sandy and she's super sweet. She's really excited to help with Jenna :-) She's even offered to come along to her important doctor's appointments to be an extra set of ears and to help me remember to ask the important questions I may not be thinking about while keeping Joshua out of trash cans. Speaking of Sooner Start, Joshua's speech therapy starts tomorrow. I'm really curious to see what takes place. The speech pathologist, Jana, is great too. Sooner Start has already been a God-send and we've only just begun!

Okay, I'm going to upload some recent pictures.

batten down the hatches

Okay. I've really got to figure out how to cook and shop with healthy and cheap in mind. Money's really tight and it's time to let the OCD in me to shine! Yes, I did just say that. The OCD in me is totally stoked about saving money! Why haven't I done this sooner? Well, I guess it's taken being in a financial strain to finally get it into my brain that it's crucial! Time to whip open Microsoft Excel and go crazy! Woo!! Yes, I'm being sincerely genuine :-) Okay, so I have tried to save money in the past by buying only store brand items (except chips and ice cream have to be name brand...the taste difference is totally obvious). I've got to do more. Time to pick recipes that fit the pocket book and lighten-up on eating spaghetti more often. Yeah, artichoke dip is expensive, and I about passed-out at the price of capers...almost $3!!! Okay, I'm gonna start surfin' my favorite recipe sites. Allrecipes.com has over 600 crockpot recipes and it's that time of year when I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE smellin' something simmering all day long :-)

prayer request update

Please continue to pray for my friend's son. He has really had a rough couple of days. Mom is having to make tough decisions and take care of the kids while hubby is away for a work-related reasons.

house painting

Tomorrow, our church family is having a mission project day in celebration of our church's 2 year anniversary. What a way to celebrate! They have selected numerous projects within the community and our house is one of them! Yet another blessing we have to be so thankful for :-) I will make sure to take pictures and post them asap. Our trim is going from tacky green to clean white. Ahhhh! Like getting out a nasty grass stain in your favorite white shirt ;-)

Thank you God for blessing us AGAIN!

prayer request

A family very dear to me in our church has two sweet children. Their youngest is 8. He's such an incredible little guy! He has been battling so many health issues literally from the day he was born. I visited with them last night and mom explained to me that it has been quite a while since he has had a reasonable sized stretch of good health; here lately, he has really been struggling. Please pray for them. They're the sweetest family you will ever meet. Their love for the Lord is evident in everything they do. For example, despite their own circumstances, they came to see Jenna in the hospital, have brought us food, gave a very generous love offering, and constantly encourage us. Their selfless blessings are priceless and their friendship is the same.

I didn't ask permission to put their name out in cyberspace or to share any details, so I'm going to leave them anonymous.

oops! behind again ;-)

I'm sitting here trying to get my fingers to move and it's difficult. I'm so tired that every inch of me hurts! I must conger up some energy for BUNCO tonight ;-) The theme is breakfast food (my favorite). My stomach is already growling for my SIL's pecan cinnamon rolls *drool* I may need to bring one of Jenna's bibs *haha*

Tuesday night was quite an experience. I went in to check on Jenna and do her meds during our normal midnight slot. I usually just operate by the light on her feeding pump so that I don't disturb her and so that I can easily go back to bed without seeing spots. I reached down to grab her feeding-tube extension and the back of my hand felt the sopping wet crib mattress. Argh! My first thought was, "I just changed her diaper a couple of hours ago, how could it have soaked through like this?" Well, it wasn't her diaper, but her feeding-tube! Ahhhhh!! The Y-port (where I can clamp off the feeding to administer medication) had popped-open somehow. Poor Jenna. I had to get her out of the crib, clean her up, change her, change her crib sheet, and check her blood sugar. There was no way to determine how long the formula had been pouring out of her tube instead of reaching her tummy. I tested her sugar and I thought it read "10," so I start freaking-out! When she gets a low reading (below 60), I have to re-test to be sure and then if it is confirmed to be low, I have to call the emergency number for her Endocrine doctor. Well, I looked at the glucometer again, and it actually read 103 *whew* That means she hadn't gone that long without food. What a relief!! I was so worried about it happening again that I found myself jerking awake out of bed and running into her room to check it. Thankfully, it didn't happen again that night.

I think we must have a defective extension set because when we were at the park yesterday, it happened again! A lady was sitting not to far from the stroller and was like, "Ummm...something's leaking." I looked, and sure enough, it had popped open again. I noticed that the consistency of the formula looked rather mucousy, so I'm wondering if she's straining and forcing formula back out of her stomach? I'm not sure, but that's what it appears to be. I'm going to see if this happens with a new extension set (once we get them), and if it does, I'm going to call the GI doctor because I don't think that's suppose to happen!

Well, I need to get to cleaning. You should see my house. Looks like Hurricane Ike hit it! If only you could see Joshua right now. He's standing right behind me and trying his best to name the letters on the back of my t-shirt. He actually knows several letters already and can identify them. Isn't that awesome? Oh! Almost forgot...can't believe I almost forgot this! Joshua walked-up to me told me (without me saying anything first) Wednesday morning, "ah luh loo." Which translates, "I love you." We tell him all the time and he has really picked-up on copying what we say. I called Nick right away, of course, to brag that he told me first ;-)

Okay, okay. I have to do something about this house *gag*