week in review

Well, we made it home safe and sound. The Wyndham lost their Wi-Fi connection mid-week, so I've been unable to update until now.

Such a fun week! Lots of swimming, walking, eating, playing games, site seeing, visited a former pastor at his church, etc. I think Joshua thoroughly enjoyed his first rides at an amusement park...Silver Dollar City! I will upload pictures soon :) Nick and Joshua tried to ride the kiddie roller coaster, but Nick's legs were too long for the safety bar to rest properly. Poor Joshua was pretty bummed. But he really enjoyed the pirate ship, tea cups and other racing, twirly ride. The stunt dog show was awesome also. Thanks Johna, for recommending it!

Last week also brought some stress which I have decided were serious attempts by the enemy to ruin our fun! Monday, Jenna had a seizure (she's back on tube feeds at night...sigh); Thursday, Eilene received a call that her Mimi (mom's mom) has stage 4 cancer in her mouth (she will have to have her lower jaw removed and a feeding tube inserted into her stomach. Major surgeries coming-up this month, so please be praying for the entire Graham family); on our way home today, Jason and Eilene witnessed an accident occur right in front of their eyes (the Lord protected them, thankfully, and Jason was able to assist in removing a driver from his over-turned semi); there were other things which occurred when we got home that reminded us that life doesn't stop even though we're on vacation. Oi vey!

I'm just so thankful to the Lord that we made it there and back safely and for the generosity of our dear friends for taking us on vacation! Tomorrow is another day and I'm going to praise the Lord with every breath that I breathe!

seizure :(

Our first full day in Branson certainly did not unfold the way we had expected. We went outside for about 25-30 minutes to play at a shaded playground while Jason and Eilene were scoring some inexpensive "Noah" tickets and Nick went to set-up our free tickets for Silver Dollar City. Nick met us at the play area and we went back inside. We had an early dinner and Jenna began to act cranky, like she was tired. Nick layed her down for a nap and about 30 minutes into her nap, Nick went into the room to grab Joshua's swim suit so they could go swimming and he noticed Jenna's eyes were open. She was not responsive. We thought maybe she was asleep with her eyes open (my brother use to do that), so Nick picked her up to try and wake her. She was staring into space and totally limp. I asked Eilene to come into the room and she noticed that Jenna's pupils were rapidly changing from small to large...it was so scary! We couldn't get her to do anything. Nick had her over his shoulder and she began to laugh, but only for a moment. SCARY! It wasn't her normal laugh...it was chilling. We checked her glucose level...first reading was 49...second reading was 57. Her numbers need to stay above 60. I called her Endocrinologist and she started to perk-up somewhat once she had some juice and crackers. Thankfully, the doctor said we did not have to go to the ER unless she has seizure. In Branson, their highest level of medical care is an urgent care clinic. Thankfully, they are able to transport should they receive a patient beyond their capabilities. Praying it doesn't come to that, but at least we know what would happen if Jenna needed medical care. The enemy sure likes to rain on our parade! Part of me wants to be home right now, but the other part of me knows that I need to trust the Lord more and have faith in His protection over our family. Some may think I'm crazy for not packing-up and leaving right at this very moment, but I'm tired of the enemy winning battles within our family. GET THEE BEHIND ME SATAN...OUR FAMILY IS COVERED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST!

Branson (our lodging)

Branson

Money's really tight. I know many others would say the same. Never could we possibly imagine taking a vacation with how strapped we are! God knows when we need a break, and boy have we needed one! Jason and Eilene, Joshua and Jenna's godparents and very dear friends of ours, invited us to join them for a week in Branson...FREE LODGING! Jason's parents have a time share and generously offered to let us use it. The resort is beautiful! We are staying at the Wyndham Branson at The Meadows. I have pictures to post, but for some reason, Blogger isn't allowing me to upload them. I will try again later :) Right now, I have two very antsy toddlers anxious to check-out the playground!

OKCHopeLink - Mom's Night Out

The pictures below are some of the most amazing, strong women I know. HopeLink connects mom's who have children with rare and undiagnosed dissorders. I just love these ladies! I joined the group early this year and truly regret not joining when I first heard of HopeLink (last year). I'm eager to keep everyone updated on future happenings. Last night was a much needed Mom's Night Out! Cafe do Brasil...excellent food!

Left to right: Brittany, Me, Ryan, Crystal, Amy, Nellie and Robyn

Brittany, Me and Ryan

Nellie and Robyn

Crystal and Amy

looking back and some disappointing news

Yesterday marked a very special anniversary in the life of Jenna. Two years ago, yesterday, Jenna came home from the hospital! I remember being so scared. No nurses to help...just me and Nick. By the grace of God, we made it through that first night...and then the next...and the next. Thank you, Jesus, for helping us!

Then...

...and now!

God has been performing miracles in sweet Jenna, and I know He will continue to do so.

We could really use one of His miracles now. I spoke with Jenna's GI doctor today and unfortunately, Jenna's liver function is still poor. Her results were nearly exact compared to January's results, which was the last time she was tested. If her numbers do not improve within the next 3 months, she will need a liver biopsy. Dr. Sferra explained that since the numbers are not improving that there is current damage. From day one, Jenna has baffled the doctors in regards to her condition, the positives and negatives alike. Please remember Jenna in your prayers...especially over the next 3 months. We were hoping for a Colorado Christmas, but Jenna's health is our top priority.

Life as we know it...

Yes, life as we know it is most certainly going to change. This Fall, Joshua starts Kindergarten. No, not at the local school, but here...at home...at my mercy (insert evil laugh). Okay, seriously, I'm really excited! Joshua is so eager to learn. Everyday, he's asking how to spell a new word; pointing to things and asking about them; reciting the Pledge of Allegiance; etc. Why skip Pre-K? Some of you may be wondering. Well, I think Joshua is a little advanced (perhaps I'm biased). Joshua knows his entire alphabet (upper and lowercase); he can sound-out letters in attempts to read; he can write quite well; knows his shapes, letters, colors, and numbers (1-20); and, finally, his planets! I'm sure I'm forgetting something that he knows, but you get the idea.

Alright...mommy bragging is done...for now!

I can't wait to go to Mardel and buy things to go on the wall. Ahhhh!! The smell of books, crayons and laminated charts. Yes, I'm aware I sound a little off. I take pride in my offness (if that's even a word...well, it is now)! I plan on incorporating quite a few subjects, but of course the amount will be light and will entail lots of coloring, field trips to the Zoo, and Science Museum. Okay, more bragging... Joshua has a huge fascination with the weather and I plan on encouraging and feeding that interest. Anytime there is a storm, or even just clouds in the sky, Joshua says, "I'm going to wait for the thunder! It might turn into a juicy storm!" Another favorite phrase, "Tornadoes come from juicy storms!" I've always been fascinated with the weather as well. Perhaps Joshua will be a meteorologist...he's certainly smart enough!

I'm pretty certain I have my curriculum choices down to 2 sources. Currently, my choices are My Father's World and Sonlight. I plan on supplementing with A Beka (mostly just for phonics and reading purposes). I think we could count AWANA as part of school too. I'm interested to hear some of your ideas. Care to share?

I can't believe August is so soon! Not sure I can pull everything together that quickly. I should've started this planning thing a lot earlier. On top of the planning, there's the money factor. Sonlight is not cheap! God will provide though and that will help determine which direction He wants us to go. I'm thankful I can just turn all of that over to Him and trust Him with it. The Lord most certainly knows what's best for Joshua and for me as we venture into this exciting new stage in life!

Looking back and reading what I've typed has really proven to me that homeschooling and resurrecting my blogging endeavors will be a good refresher! Who knows how many grammatical errors I've made! Sorry mom! You did teach me very well...I'm just a little rusty.

Can't wait to post pictures of our progress! Look forward to lots of proud mommy moments and hopefully creative bookkeeping, logs, etc. We'll see...this is definitely going to satisfy my "type A" instincts!