A Lifetime of Love

Erin, my sis, has been running a fever of 103 or higher since mid-May. She has gone to a doctor close to her home (NOT a military doctor- a private physician) several times, has had some testing done (i.e. an ultrasound on her kidneys and liver and other blood work) and has had no relief. She is weak and very tired. This past Friday my mom flew down to drive Erin and Kaylee back to Ohio so Erin could have help with the baby. Sunday morning she was so weak she could barely lift her head off the pillow. My mom took her temperature and her fever was 104, so my mom rushed her to the hospital. Because of her low blood pressure and high fever, she was seen immediately in the Emergency Room and was admitted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) last night. At first she was going to be admitted to the ICU but because her blood pressure stabilized, they moved her up one level. She was given fluids for dehydration and an antibiotic to help reduce the fever. She was doing better until about 10pm when h...

I added some new links to my blog list. I've been reading them for a while, just haven't added them until now. Check them out when you can! ************************************************ Not much going on here. I'm sick, along with Ta and T.G. We went to Carowinds on Friday, a birthday party yesterday, and spent the afternoon hanging a chalkboard that TJ made me for my birthday. Yes, my birthday is in January. Yes, he finished it in June, only 5 months later. He still needs to build a frame around it and we joked that the frame will be my anniversary gift. . . next year. The kids and I are doing some fun things this week. Tuesday is my luncheon with the senator. I am excited yet nervous, especially because I am battling a cold. TJ is coming with me, and I decided to bring Th with us, too. This is a rare opportunity and I want him to experience it with us. I have a sitter coming to stay the day with Ta and T.G. I am nervous because I have to get up in front of a bunch of ...

I know I don't have a long list of "followers" but for those of you who do read my blog on a regular basis, you know I am passionate about advocating for those with special needs, hence my career choice. I received this email from my friend Jess, whose daughter Parker was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) in utero and passed away shortly after birth in 2006, regarding the organization founded to honor Parker and support others who receive a diagnosis of CDH. I am posting the email below because I firmly believe that the Lord is using Jess and her husband Ashley in a mighty way. They have responded to their daughter's death in such an amazing way that only God can receive the glory. Despite their own pain and grief, they founded the Parker Reese Foundation to offer hope to those who are facing the same despair and uncertainty they themselves experienced. It is awe-inspiring and I want to help in whatever way that I can, especially with spreading the ...

I think I have lost my mind. Actually, I know I did briefly yesterday. I only hope today is better. I have not had the time nor energy to clean my house since mid-May. I mean really clean. I vacuum and pick up clutter and toys, and scrubbed the bathrooms a couple of times in the last month, but that's it. Last week at VBS a friend of mine offered to bring her two boys over (ages 10 and 12) and the three of them would clean my house as a gift to me. It is a very nice gesture, and TJ and I discussed it, and I we decided it would be better if I dropped the kids off at her house for a few hours and came home to clean without any disruptions or distractions. I talked to my friend and she is insistent on cleaning for me. She doesn't want me scrubbing bathrooms or floors with my belly (it's not that big yet!). I haven't gotten back to her yet. I just don't know what I'm going to do with my kids while they are here. The benefit to having them come (besides them doing...

Father’s Day was nice. TJ was feeling ill and that allowed me an opportunity to prepare the night before so the morning wasn’t as hectic while we got ready for church in addition to our Father’s Day festivities. I was able to get the table set for breakfast, his gifts ready to give to him, and the food thawed for me to make Sunday morning. I was up late Saturday night, but the relatively stress-free morning was worth the effort! I woke early with the kids as they rarely sleep past 6:45am. Sunday was no exception and we were up by 6:30am. I was able to grab a quick shower before heading downstairs to prepare breakfast. Ta loves to watch me cook, so he stood on a chair as I fried bacon and potatoes to add to our breakfast burritos. TJ came down about 7:45am, just as breakfast was almost ready (hmm, do you think he knew it was time to eat?) and we ate before he was able to open his presents. About his gifts. I have been waiting for about a month for this day to arrive. I thought of the pe...

This is my 200th post! I can't believe it took me so long to reach this "milestone", but I guess because I'm so busy it's taken me longer than most. Hmm, that seems to be my theme song. It took me 7 years to complete an Associates Degree, and I've been working on finishing the remaining courses for my Bachelor's Degree for 4 years now (will complete it next year, for a total of 5 years). Oh well, I guess better late than never! I'm digressing. *The kids on the Blue Team *The kids on the Green Team So, VBS ended today. I am exhausted. It was an awesome week; I'm sad to see it come to an end, but I am so tired that I can't stop yawning. I tried to nap but my house has been neglected more than usual all week and my mind was filled with all that I need to do while TJ is home to help with the kids. No Carowinds today- too much piddly stuff to do here. We don't dare go tomorrow because of the crowds. Oh well, maybe next Friday we'll...

VBS- Day 0 Here are some pictures of my classroom while we were decorating yesterday. Before we started. . . One of my helpers, Cody ( Mark's son), hanging a decoration. . . My wonderful husband helped us decorate. Without him, the room would not have turned out as awesome as it did because I don't do ladders (I am afraid of heights). Here is TJ hanging vines from the ceiling. . . TJ, Cody, and Thad (another helper) working hard. . . The finished room. The picture doesn't show it, but there is a dinosaur nest at the base of the tree on the left. My helpers gathered sticks, weeds, and rocks in order to build it. There is also a real tree in the opposite corner of the room that my youth workers built another nest in. They found a stray dinosaur so they put him in there. It turned out great! ************************************************** VBS- Day 1 I had 15 boys in class today. It was less than I expected, but we still had a great time! Today's lesson was on Creation...