God cares about the little things. I have no doubt in my mind about that fact.
In seasons where I've felt pressure or frustration (which we ALL have), He always gives me little surprises or seeds of hope that remind me that He never abandons or forgets about His kids. The important things always are taken care of, but what blesses my heart even more, is when He gives attention to the tiny, seemingly insignificant things....and those moments are priceless.
A"Papa Loving on Me" moment happened today...can I share it with you?
Every girl loves to smell pretty. I ran out of perfume about 2 months ago and have gotten by with some cheap body spray that was a stocking stuffer from about 3 years ago. My thinking was, "I'll wait until Christmas! I can get by just fine until then!" We weren't broke or anything...but we have been on a tighter budget, and with the holidays approaching, I put a few "wish list" items on hold.
It really wasn't a big deal. It's not like I would wake every morning with this cloud of doom over my head because I didn't have perfume! Did I go to the mall and mooch a few samples from the Dillards counter? Absolutely. I almost caved one day and used my husbands cologne ...but I thought that might send the wrong message to some people!
Today was a normal Sunday. Get up. Get the kids breakfast and dressed for church. Out the door by 9:00. Prepare for service.
About 5 minutes before service started, a sweet friend caught me in the hall. She reached in her purse and with a sparkle in her eyes, she handed me a dark purple perfume box. Her only words were, "I just want to give you this." She didn't know my need/want. She heard from her Father...my Father...and followed through with His idea. I was taken by surprise and thanked her, but after she walked away, tears filled up my eyes. I felt so loved.
He cares. What's important to you is important to Him. I like to think that in those moments God is saying, "Baby girl, I'm taking care of every little thing. This is how much I love you. You wouldn't ever ask me for something this trivial, but I care enough to show you I see the little things."
So I don't sweat the big stuff. Do I have moments of fear, frustration or anxiety? Sure! But they are moments. I immediately remember all the hundreds of times that my Father came through for me. It's all in His hands and I trust Him 100%.
Be blessed!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Boundaries
*A simple study was conducted to discover the effects of a fence around a playground and the consequent impact it would have on preschool children. Teachers were to take their children to a local playground in which there was no fence during their normal recess hour. The kids were to play as normal. The same group was to be taken to a comparable playground in which there was a defined border designated by a fence.
In the first scenario, the children remained huddled around their teacher, fearful of leaving out of her sight. The later scenario exhibited drastically different results, with the children feeling free to explore within the given boundaries.
The overwhelming conclusion was that with a given limitation, children felt safer to explore a playground. Without a fence, the children were not able to see a given boundary or limit and thus were more reluctant to leave the caregiver. With a boundary, in this case the fence, the children felt at ease
to explore the space. They were able to separate from the caregiver and continue to develop in their sense of self while still recognizing that they were in a safe environment within the limits of the fence.
* (above is from an online article)
Imagine a flat Texas prairie with tall wheat shifting in the wind. The hot air rushes past dried Mesquite trees and blows a wisp of hay from a nearby leaning bale. A few black cows are standing in the shade with mosquitoes buzzing around their eyes. The mixed smell of manure and fresh crops fill your nose with a strangely comforting aroma. Now turn your eyes to the fence. It could be a crickety picket fence that is just barely in place. Perhaps it’s an intimidating electrical barbed wire fence. Maybe you see solid wooden posts set securely in position. Any way you see it, it’s made to keep the cows inside and protected from the terrain beyond the fence. These fences seem inconvenient and pointless to the cows because they have no idea what kind of trouble they could get into past the boundary. Perhaps there is nearby raging river rapid or a steep cliff drop-off. Whatever it may be, the point is that the rancher is protecting the cows.
Now, I would never refer any child to an animal, so please don’t read this and compare your precious one to a slobbery cow. I am simply taking some invaluable information and applying it to parenting. You might be surprised at just how much we can learn from these cows. I asked a local Rancher to tell me everything he could about fences, boundaries and cattle behavior. Here are some key points I want to touch on.
“Before I let the cows in the field, I make sure my fence is secure”
Parenting can begin before your child is even conceived. You can begin to determine the standards and principles on how you want your child raised.
“The first thing cows do when placed in a new environment is check the fences.”
The cows literally walk the entire fence line to see exactly what they are up against and how much space they have to move around in. If the cow discovers a weakness or gap in the fence, she would probably go ahead and walk right through it. This is why a lot of ranchers these days have electric fences that send just enough shock and pain to the cow that they remember not to push their boundaries.
Apply it to parenting:
Children will push to the limit you set for them. My term of “limit” is when action starts and discipline begins to take place. If your limit is when your child begins kicking and screaming while thrashing on the floor, then you can pretty much expect that happen quite frequently. If your limit is the first defiant “NO!” then for the most part, that is as far as a temper tantrum will go. This is your responsibility as a parent. I’m not going to tell you where you need to “build your fence”. That’s up to you. I encourage you to keep in mind that children will rise to the standard you set. If you have high standards for them, it may take a little longer for those standards to be set in place, but after consistency, it will stick.
Public consistence is crucial. If you child knows that you are a softie at a restaurant or in front of your friends, then the second you step out of your fenced-in home atmosphere, they will feel free to break through those weak "public atmosphere" fences. The same rules, principles and boundaries should always apply in every place, circumstance and setting.
“Smart ranchers check their fences often”
Fences get damaged a lot. A routine part of ranching, is checking on the fences. Cows may look boring and stupid, but this Rancher was quick to tell me that it doesn’t take long for a cow to notice a broken fence and plow right through their escape route.
Storms play a huge factor in damaged fences. High winds may displace a once firmly set post. When a storm hits, the rancher does not spend all his time staring at the storm cloud, but quickly gets to work on how he can protect his cattle and his land.
Apply it to parenting:
We all have storms in our life. Stressful work situations, family issues, a locational move, or even a family illness or death. These storms can easily sway us from our firm and consistent parenting and cause our fences to move or even fall down. Watch and keep your parenting fences fresh and sturdy.
Happy ranching..err..parenting!
In the first scenario, the children remained huddled around their teacher, fearful of leaving out of her sight. The later scenario exhibited drastically different results, with the children feeling free to explore within the given boundaries.
The overwhelming conclusion was that with a given limitation, children felt safer to explore a playground. Without a fence, the children were not able to see a given boundary or limit and thus were more reluctant to leave the caregiver. With a boundary, in this case the fence, the children felt at ease
to explore the space. They were able to separate from the caregiver and continue to develop in their sense of self while still recognizing that they were in a safe environment within the limits of the fence.
* (above is from an online article)
Imagine a flat Texas prairie with tall wheat shifting in the wind. The hot air rushes past dried Mesquite trees and blows a wisp of hay from a nearby leaning bale. A few black cows are standing in the shade with mosquitoes buzzing around their eyes. The mixed smell of manure and fresh crops fill your nose with a strangely comforting aroma. Now turn your eyes to the fence. It could be a crickety picket fence that is just barely in place. Perhaps it’s an intimidating electrical barbed wire fence. Maybe you see solid wooden posts set securely in position. Any way you see it, it’s made to keep the cows inside and protected from the terrain beyond the fence. These fences seem inconvenient and pointless to the cows because they have no idea what kind of trouble they could get into past the boundary. Perhaps there is nearby raging river rapid or a steep cliff drop-off. Whatever it may be, the point is that the rancher is protecting the cows.
Now, I would never refer any child to an animal, so please don’t read this and compare your precious one to a slobbery cow. I am simply taking some invaluable information and applying it to parenting. You might be surprised at just how much we can learn from these cows. I asked a local Rancher to tell me everything he could about fences, boundaries and cattle behavior. Here are some key points I want to touch on.
“Before I let the cows in the field, I make sure my fence is secure”
Parenting can begin before your child is even conceived. You can begin to determine the standards and principles on how you want your child raised.
“The first thing cows do when placed in a new environment is check the fences.”
The cows literally walk the entire fence line to see exactly what they are up against and how much space they have to move around in. If the cow discovers a weakness or gap in the fence, she would probably go ahead and walk right through it. This is why a lot of ranchers these days have electric fences that send just enough shock and pain to the cow that they remember not to push their boundaries.
Apply it to parenting:
Children will push to the limit you set for them. My term of “limit” is when action starts and discipline begins to take place. If your limit is when your child begins kicking and screaming while thrashing on the floor, then you can pretty much expect that happen quite frequently. If your limit is the first defiant “NO!” then for the most part, that is as far as a temper tantrum will go. This is your responsibility as a parent. I’m not going to tell you where you need to “build your fence”. That’s up to you. I encourage you to keep in mind that children will rise to the standard you set. If you have high standards for them, it may take a little longer for those standards to be set in place, but after consistency, it will stick.
Public consistence is crucial. If you child knows that you are a softie at a restaurant or in front of your friends, then the second you step out of your fenced-in home atmosphere, they will feel free to break through those weak "public atmosphere" fences. The same rules, principles and boundaries should always apply in every place, circumstance and setting.
“Smart ranchers check their fences often”
Fences get damaged a lot. A routine part of ranching, is checking on the fences. Cows may look boring and stupid, but this Rancher was quick to tell me that it doesn’t take long for a cow to notice a broken fence and plow right through their escape route.
Storms play a huge factor in damaged fences. High winds may displace a once firmly set post. When a storm hits, the rancher does not spend all his time staring at the storm cloud, but quickly gets to work on how he can protect his cattle and his land.
Apply it to parenting:
We all have storms in our life. Stressful work situations, family issues, a locational move, or even a family illness or death. These storms can easily sway us from our firm and consistent parenting and cause our fences to move or even fall down. Watch and keep your parenting fences fresh and sturdy.
Happy ranching..err..parenting!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sarah
I met a precious friend about 6 years ago on a cool, crisp fall evening. Her fiance and Thomas were close friends at the time, but us girls hadn't met yet. The minute I met her-let's call her Sarah- I knew we would be dear friends. Sarah was the most genuine, joyful and absolute sweetest girl I had ever met. Her laughter was contagious and her smile could light up the room. She could tell a simple story with such passion and glee. Tender encouragement was always coming out of her mouth. I was so intrigued by this young girl, only a year or two older than me, and longed to have a deeper friendship with her. We didn't live close, so our friendships stayed at the "let's keep in touch" level.
Three years or so later, Thomas and I met up again with this precious couple. We met for breakfast one morning, and as we began talking, I started noticing something about Sarah. She was talking happily and smiling, but something was strangely different. Her guard was up. Her smile seemed too thought out. I noticed she chose her words very carefully during our conversations. I could see hurt behind her eyes and her smile was masking what I discerned was....pain.
As we finished up our small talk about children, ministry, family, etc, we started asking more questions. How were they doing? What they shared next truly broke my heart.
Sarah had just come out of a very tough season. Several women in their church began to confront her about her personality. They just plain didn't like her. Whether it was triggered from vicious gossip, jealousy or anger, it didn't matter. When Sarah asked what she was doing that was offensive, they just beat around the bush. The only thing they ever specifically put their finger on was this: Sarah smiled too much.
After hearing that, I was ready to fly to their hometown and slap some ladies for their cruelty to this precious gem! If they only knew the damage they caused to her heart. The Lord had given her such a unique, beautiful spirit and someone had the nerve to try to subdue that. Thankfully, Sarah's heart and ears turned toward what her Father had to say. She walked in forgiveness and moved on. I've seen her once since that breakfast conversation and her smile is back. Her real smile. I can see that protective shell around her heart has broken away, and once again she walks in joy and genuine passion that never should have been abused.
Why that story?
I hadn't thought about Sarah's story in awhile, but yesterday the Lord put it on my heart and started speaking to me about it.
I've heard my Pastor talk about the church being "one body." In a body, there are hundreds of parts. Feet, hands, eyes, and even armpits! A church filled with feet would not be effective. A church full of eyes would go nowhere.
Think of all the Pastors, Teachers, Preachers, Speakers and Ministers you know. What vast personalities! Benny Hinn, Lisa Bevere, Billy Graham, Kay Arthur, Joyce Meyers, Joel Osteen. Bold, bubbly, humble, tender, direct, gentle.
God created you unique. You will not be like anyone else. Some people may not like you for who you are. Some may try to intimidate you to try to change your personality. A mentor of mine told me once that "...even Jesus got criticism and He was perfect. It is only when we meditate on the criticism that it becomes a problem. If we are quick to give it to Jesus and let Him teach us what to learn from it, we remain tender. Some criticism, even if we don't like the instrument, is for our growth. Other times, it is from the enemy to harden our hearts. Taking it to Him and letting Him sort it out is the only healthy way to deal with it."
What wisdom!
Grow where you need to grow, be open to correction, but be free to be who He created you to be. Guard your actions and your spirit from tearing down someone just because they aren't like you. Listen to what your Father has to say about you or another person. That's really all that matters anyways.
Hope this stirs your spirit! It does mine! :)
Be blessed.
Three years or so later, Thomas and I met up again with this precious couple. We met for breakfast one morning, and as we began talking, I started noticing something about Sarah. She was talking happily and smiling, but something was strangely different. Her guard was up. Her smile seemed too thought out. I noticed she chose her words very carefully during our conversations. I could see hurt behind her eyes and her smile was masking what I discerned was....pain.
As we finished up our small talk about children, ministry, family, etc, we started asking more questions. How were they doing? What they shared next truly broke my heart.
Sarah had just come out of a very tough season. Several women in their church began to confront her about her personality. They just plain didn't like her. Whether it was triggered from vicious gossip, jealousy or anger, it didn't matter. When Sarah asked what she was doing that was offensive, they just beat around the bush. The only thing they ever specifically put their finger on was this: Sarah smiled too much.
After hearing that, I was ready to fly to their hometown and slap some ladies for their cruelty to this precious gem! If they only knew the damage they caused to her heart. The Lord had given her such a unique, beautiful spirit and someone had the nerve to try to subdue that. Thankfully, Sarah's heart and ears turned toward what her Father had to say. She walked in forgiveness and moved on. I've seen her once since that breakfast conversation and her smile is back. Her real smile. I can see that protective shell around her heart has broken away, and once again she walks in joy and genuine passion that never should have been abused.
Why that story?
I hadn't thought about Sarah's story in awhile, but yesterday the Lord put it on my heart and started speaking to me about it.
I've heard my Pastor talk about the church being "one body." In a body, there are hundreds of parts. Feet, hands, eyes, and even armpits! A church filled with feet would not be effective. A church full of eyes would go nowhere.
Think of all the Pastors, Teachers, Preachers, Speakers and Ministers you know. What vast personalities! Benny Hinn, Lisa Bevere, Billy Graham, Kay Arthur, Joyce Meyers, Joel Osteen. Bold, bubbly, humble, tender, direct, gentle.
God created you unique. You will not be like anyone else. Some people may not like you for who you are. Some may try to intimidate you to try to change your personality. A mentor of mine told me once that "...even Jesus got criticism and He was perfect. It is only when we meditate on the criticism that it becomes a problem. If we are quick to give it to Jesus and let Him teach us what to learn from it, we remain tender. Some criticism, even if we don't like the instrument, is for our growth. Other times, it is from the enemy to harden our hearts. Taking it to Him and letting Him sort it out is the only healthy way to deal with it."
What wisdom!
Grow where you need to grow, be open to correction, but be free to be who He created you to be. Guard your actions and your spirit from tearing down someone just because they aren't like you. Listen to what your Father has to say about you or another person. That's really all that matters anyways.
Hope this stirs your spirit! It does mine! :)
Be blessed.
Monday, October 4, 2010
BOWS EVERYWHERE!!
Well, if we are friends at all, then you already know about my newfound hobby! :)
BOWS BOWS BOWS BOWS!!!
On a whim, one Sunday afternoon, I opened up YouTube and searched "How to make a Hair Bow". I watched it once, headed to Hobby Lobby the next morning, and haven't stopped since.
I've discovered the breath-holding moments of trying to tie the thin embroidery thread just right, the burn of hot glue sticking to my finger and the giddy excitement of finding my favorite ribbon is plentifully stocked and ON SALE!
At first I wasn't sure how to start! I knew this was something that I enjoyed, and knew that the demand for quality & affordable bows is high, but I felt a little frazzled about where to begin. After settling on starting with a Facebook page and Etsy.com, I have been very pleased with the results. A friend told me to avoid eBay because of the billions of products available for dirt cheap and sneaky fees they attach after your item sells. Etsy hasn't had any selling action yet, so not sure how long I'll stick with that. Facebook, surprisingly, and word-of-mouth have been the easiest and most effective tools in selling my bows. I've sold several to friends, out of town and local, and recently a local high school cheerleading group placed an order to match their cheer attire. That's gonna be a fun and BIG project!
My encouragement for YOU: Don't hold back on any dreams you have! It could be photography, painting, jewelry-making, writing, singing, teaching or baking. Your unique talent may bring in thousands of dollars, or be an incredible encouragement and inspiriation to those you reach.
Be blessed!
BOWS BOWS BOWS BOWS!!!
On a whim, one Sunday afternoon, I opened up YouTube and searched "How to make a Hair Bow". I watched it once, headed to Hobby Lobby the next morning, and haven't stopped since.
I've discovered the breath-holding moments of trying to tie the thin embroidery thread just right, the burn of hot glue sticking to my finger and the giddy excitement of finding my favorite ribbon is plentifully stocked and ON SALE!
At first I wasn't sure how to start! I knew this was something that I enjoyed, and knew that the demand for quality & affordable bows is high, but I felt a little frazzled about where to begin. After settling on starting with a Facebook page and Etsy.com, I have been very pleased with the results. A friend told me to avoid eBay because of the billions of products available for dirt cheap and sneaky fees they attach after your item sells. Etsy hasn't had any selling action yet, so not sure how long I'll stick with that. Facebook, surprisingly, and word-of-mouth have been the easiest and most effective tools in selling my bows. I've sold several to friends, out of town and local, and recently a local high school cheerleading group placed an order to match their cheer attire. That's gonna be a fun and BIG project!
My encouragement for YOU: Don't hold back on any dreams you have! It could be photography, painting, jewelry-making, writing, singing, teaching or baking. Your unique talent may bring in thousands of dollars, or be an incredible encouragement and inspiriation to those you reach.
Be blessed!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Time for an update!
I haven't written about our sweet kids in awhile! So here you go...
Aaron begins "school" next week! Once again, his Tuesdays and Thursdays will be filled with fun activities, crafts, music and friends. Since he is now in the Preschool class at his Mother's Day Out, he gets to embark on field trips such as the zoo, fire station, pumpkin patch, etc. I'm really excited about this new program that he is in because they have so many different activities during the day. Music class, excersise class, arts and crafts and eating lunch in a cafeteria are all fun things he gets to participate in. Most likely, we will enroll him in full-time Preschool next year, so for now this is perfect amount of time away from home getting used to a "school" atmosphere.
Aaron has started showing off his witty side lately. He loves to laugh and tell jokes. Right now his favorite saying is "Ladies and Jellyfish, Boys and Squirels!" when he announces anything. Then he doubles over and laughs at his sillyness! He is such a happy boy.
Aaron had to tell Miss D'Nae goodbye a couple weeks ago when she moved back to "Calwiforna" for school. D'Nae has babysat Aaron since he was itty-bitty and we've pretty much adopted her into our family as a sister.
Aaron adores this precious young lady and they have spent many hours together constructing forts out of blankets, conquering "bad guys" and dragons on the backyard playset and creating funny characters from his Mr. Potato Head collection. She gave him an early birthday present that he hasn't been able to put down!
Ella Bear took off walking about a week after her birthday and hasn't slowed down since!
She loves playing "hide-and-seek" with her big brother. He runs and hides in one of 4 obvious places around the house and she happily squeals and chases after him. When she finds him they both scream and tackle each other. It's adorable.
Ella's vocabulary has expanded as well! "Yes, cheese, juice (oohs), shoes, Opa, night-night (na-ni), Aaron, snack(nak), bye-bye", are all new ones as of recently. Somteimes she just babbles away in her little baby language and I have no idea what she is saying, and it sounds SO cute.
She still takes two long naps during the day and sleeps 12+ hours at night. She now owns 4 baby dolls and loves to pick them up and smother them with kisses then push them in her little baby doll stroller. Ahhh...I love having a girl!
I've recently began pursuing my passion of encouraging young moms through a group I began called "Stroller Moms". Right now it's simple. I've put together a Mom's group that meets every week at kid-friendly locations just to laugh and encourage each other. I've come to realize that all of us Moms have insecurities and questions, but yet we feel like we have to look so "put together" in front of people. I want mothers to feel like they can open up and be real with other moms in a safe place. We can laugh together at potty-training obstacles, groan together about horrific trips to WalMart and cry together about sweet milestones.
Usually when we think about being a Mom, we think of how crazy and hectic our schedules can be (especially working Mommies), but I really think that loneliness and depression has become so common in young mothers. There has to be a balance of prioritizing our husbands, homes and children but also having that much-needed friendship and support!
So I'm excited about this! Not sure what it's going to look like...but it's going to be good. :)
Eventually I would love to own and operate several online sites dedicated to parenting encouragement, advice, deals and steals, etc.
That's all for now! Be blessed.
Aaron begins "school" next week! Once again, his Tuesdays and Thursdays will be filled with fun activities, crafts, music and friends. Since he is now in the Preschool class at his Mother's Day Out, he gets to embark on field trips such as the zoo, fire station, pumpkin patch, etc. I'm really excited about this new program that he is in because they have so many different activities during the day. Music class, excersise class, arts and crafts and eating lunch in a cafeteria are all fun things he gets to participate in. Most likely, we will enroll him in full-time Preschool next year, so for now this is perfect amount of time away from home getting used to a "school" atmosphere.
Aaron has started showing off his witty side lately. He loves to laugh and tell jokes. Right now his favorite saying is "Ladies and Jellyfish, Boys and Squirels!" when he announces anything. Then he doubles over and laughs at his sillyness! He is such a happy boy.
Aaron had to tell Miss D'Nae goodbye a couple weeks ago when she moved back to "Calwiforna" for school. D'Nae has babysat Aaron since he was itty-bitty and we've pretty much adopted her into our family as a sister.
Aaron adores this precious young lady and they have spent many hours together constructing forts out of blankets, conquering "bad guys" and dragons on the backyard playset and creating funny characters from his Mr. Potato Head collection. She gave him an early birthday present that he hasn't been able to put down!
Ella Bear took off walking about a week after her birthday and hasn't slowed down since!
She loves playing "hide-and-seek" with her big brother. He runs and hides in one of 4 obvious places around the house and she happily squeals and chases after him. When she finds him they both scream and tackle each other. It's adorable.
Ella's vocabulary has expanded as well! "Yes, cheese, juice (oohs), shoes, Opa, night-night (na-ni), Aaron, snack(nak), bye-bye", are all new ones as of recently. Somteimes she just babbles away in her little baby language and I have no idea what she is saying, and it sounds SO cute.
She still takes two long naps during the day and sleeps 12+ hours at night. She now owns 4 baby dolls and loves to pick them up and smother them with kisses then push them in her little baby doll stroller. Ahhh...I love having a girl!
I've recently began pursuing my passion of encouraging young moms through a group I began called "Stroller Moms". Right now it's simple. I've put together a Mom's group that meets every week at kid-friendly locations just to laugh and encourage each other. I've come to realize that all of us Moms have insecurities and questions, but yet we feel like we have to look so "put together" in front of people. I want mothers to feel like they can open up and be real with other moms in a safe place. We can laugh together at potty-training obstacles, groan together about horrific trips to WalMart and cry together about sweet milestones.
Usually when we think about being a Mom, we think of how crazy and hectic our schedules can be (especially working Mommies), but I really think that loneliness and depression has become so common in young mothers. There has to be a balance of prioritizing our husbands, homes and children but also having that much-needed friendship and support!
So I'm excited about this! Not sure what it's going to look like...but it's going to be good. :)
Eventually I would love to own and operate several online sites dedicated to parenting encouragement, advice, deals and steals, etc.
That's all for now! Be blessed.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Just a day at the beach.
When I lived in New England, every summer we would take countless trips to the lake or ocean on the weekends. Saturday morning would roll around and my brother and I would scramble to find our swimsuits and sand castle buckets for another fun day in the New Hampshire sun. Mom would always pack a picnic lunch and I have distinct memories of eating delicious purple plums while wrapped up in a beach towel, waiting for the chill of the cold water to fade.
In my younger kid years, I didn't like the ocean. I much preferred calm Lake Winnipesaukee over the Plum Island waves. The ocean scared me! Sometimes the waves would get so big, I would get knocked over and find myself panicking, not knowing which way was up or down. Of course throw in a couple local shark attack rumors that would close down an entire beach- any 6 year old kid would freak out!
No, I liked the calmness of the lake. The water was quiet and smooth. If the wind caused any waves, they would be like a gentle nudge against your body.
As I got older, I began to realize that the ocean was way cooler than the lake. I found activities like body surfing, exploring sea rocks at low tide and trying to keep the most incredible sandcastle in tact as the waves started to come in. It was fun! Adventurous! I still enjoyed our trips to the lake, but after experiencing a true "day at the beach", I never went back to being scared.
Sometimes in life, it's the same way. We have the calm, safe places that we feel comfortable in, but never truly experience all God has for us because of our timidity or fear of the unknown. Trust Him. Step out and try new things! Maybe you'll begin to experience something so wonderful that you'll never go back.
Be blessed.
In my younger kid years, I didn't like the ocean. I much preferred calm Lake Winnipesaukee over the Plum Island waves. The ocean scared me! Sometimes the waves would get so big, I would get knocked over and find myself panicking, not knowing which way was up or down. Of course throw in a couple local shark attack rumors that would close down an entire beach- any 6 year old kid would freak out!
No, I liked the calmness of the lake. The water was quiet and smooth. If the wind caused any waves, they would be like a gentle nudge against your body.
As I got older, I began to realize that the ocean was way cooler than the lake. I found activities like body surfing, exploring sea rocks at low tide and trying to keep the most incredible sandcastle in tact as the waves started to come in. It was fun! Adventurous! I still enjoyed our trips to the lake, but after experiencing a true "day at the beach", I never went back to being scared.
Sometimes in life, it's the same way. We have the calm, safe places that we feel comfortable in, but never truly experience all God has for us because of our timidity or fear of the unknown. Trust Him. Step out and try new things! Maybe you'll begin to experience something so wonderful that you'll never go back.
Be blessed.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Stones
I have heard the story of Jacob’s Ladder at least a hundred times over my lifetime. But there is something so important that I have always overlooked in that story. The Stone. I recently heard a speaker talk about this subject and ever since I heard her speak, it has stirred something so deep within me! Hope you enjoy...
This story begins with a journey. Jacob was leaving his hometown of Beersheba and traveling to Haran. On the way, the Bible says “he came to a certain place.” Then he stopped for the day and decided to camp out because the sun was beginning to set. The weirdest part about this whole story is the fact he took a big lumpy stone and decided, “Hey! This rock would make a great pillow!” I mean, wouldn’t the flat earth serve as a better situation than a hard rock? Then, he sleeps. He dreams. He gets a vision. He wakes up and blesses that place. Then, he moves on. (Genesis 28:10-22)
Nugget 1: Jacob was leaving a comfortable place.
We know Jacob was the baby. He was the spoiled child who was loved by his parents in a very special way. We know he was even favored over his brother Esau. I can imagine that Jacob lived a very comfortable life. He probably had every luxury imaginable in his days. The finest linens, the richest wine and the coolest, triple-humped camel. But then it came time for Jacob to grow up. Move on. Get a wife. Get a life. He was leaving the comfort of his mother’s arms and his secure home and traveling to his place of destiny and purpose.
Nugget 2: The Stony Place-between your comfortable place and your destiny.
The Bible says there were stones in the place where he halted his journey. Instead of walking even a few more feet to a grassy spot, he chose to stop where the stones were. Stones are uncomfortable. They are inconvenient, bulky and frustrating. We usually swerve to avoid stones, but Jacob stopped where the stones were and then did the most interesting thing. He maximized the potential for the hardest thing in his life at that moment. He made a pillow out of a rock.
Nugget 3: In the midst of what could have been the most uncomfortable situation, he gets a vision.
When Jacob wakes up from his dream, he exclaims, “Surely the Lord was in this place and I did not know it!”
Because Jacob chose not to focus on the annoying and frustrating aspects of this place, he experienced the presence of the Lord and got energized by a dream. He then blessed that “awesome place” and even called that place the “house of God” and “gate of Heaven.” How interesting! Most dusty travelers probably walked that same road, but rushed by that stony place without hesitating. They missed out.
Here is an interesting aspect to consider:
For a young girl, you cannot wait to become a teenager. To have the “awkward pre-teen phase” stay in your past and have the official “cool teenager” title sounds like the most amazing thing to an 11 year old girl. Then when she becomes a teenager, she cannot wait until she can drive! Then she cannot wait until college! Then she cannot wait to get married! Then she cannot wait to have kids!......
We are constantly trying to look beyond the season/place we are in. There are times where we need to stop wishing we were in that next season and realize that this is the place for the Lord to show up! Is it possible that we could miss out on an incredible opportunity for God to show up because we are so intent on “getting where we need to go?”
Embrace the stones in your life. Choose to look at hard places as opportunities for the Lord to show up and give you an incredible dream or vision for your life. You may find yourself blessing that hard place you once cursed.
This story begins with a journey. Jacob was leaving his hometown of Beersheba and traveling to Haran. On the way, the Bible says “he came to a certain place.” Then he stopped for the day and decided to camp out because the sun was beginning to set. The weirdest part about this whole story is the fact he took a big lumpy stone and decided, “Hey! This rock would make a great pillow!” I mean, wouldn’t the flat earth serve as a better situation than a hard rock? Then, he sleeps. He dreams. He gets a vision. He wakes up and blesses that place. Then, he moves on. (Genesis 28:10-22)
Nugget 1: Jacob was leaving a comfortable place.
We know Jacob was the baby. He was the spoiled child who was loved by his parents in a very special way. We know he was even favored over his brother Esau. I can imagine that Jacob lived a very comfortable life. He probably had every luxury imaginable in his days. The finest linens, the richest wine and the coolest, triple-humped camel. But then it came time for Jacob to grow up. Move on. Get a wife. Get a life. He was leaving the comfort of his mother’s arms and his secure home and traveling to his place of destiny and purpose.
Nugget 2: The Stony Place-between your comfortable place and your destiny.
The Bible says there were stones in the place where he halted his journey. Instead of walking even a few more feet to a grassy spot, he chose to stop where the stones were. Stones are uncomfortable. They are inconvenient, bulky and frustrating. We usually swerve to avoid stones, but Jacob stopped where the stones were and then did the most interesting thing. He maximized the potential for the hardest thing in his life at that moment. He made a pillow out of a rock.
Nugget 3: In the midst of what could have been the most uncomfortable situation, he gets a vision.
When Jacob wakes up from his dream, he exclaims, “Surely the Lord was in this place and I did not know it!”
Because Jacob chose not to focus on the annoying and frustrating aspects of this place, he experienced the presence of the Lord and got energized by a dream. He then blessed that “awesome place” and even called that place the “house of God” and “gate of Heaven.” How interesting! Most dusty travelers probably walked that same road, but rushed by that stony place without hesitating. They missed out.
Here is an interesting aspect to consider:
For a young girl, you cannot wait to become a teenager. To have the “awkward pre-teen phase” stay in your past and have the official “cool teenager” title sounds like the most amazing thing to an 11 year old girl. Then when she becomes a teenager, she cannot wait until she can drive! Then she cannot wait until college! Then she cannot wait to get married! Then she cannot wait to have kids!......
We are constantly trying to look beyond the season/place we are in. There are times where we need to stop wishing we were in that next season and realize that this is the place for the Lord to show up! Is it possible that we could miss out on an incredible opportunity for God to show up because we are so intent on “getting where we need to go?”
Embrace the stones in your life. Choose to look at hard places as opportunities for the Lord to show up and give you an incredible dream or vision for your life. You may find yourself blessing that hard place you once cursed.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
"You're not a girl-you're Mom!"
^ That's what Aaron told me a few weeks ago...
Summer is here!
Picnics at the pool. Summer dresses. Bike rides. Those are just a few things I am so excited about when this time of year rolls around.
The past couple weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and non-stop "going". The pool opens up next Monday and no matter how early we start preparing for the summer season, there are always things that only can get done the week before opening day. On top of that mass amount of work, Aaron got drug down last week with a stubborn double-ear infection that is just not going away! After a week of antibiotics, he started running fever again and this time a hoarse cough along with it. Ugh. So back to the doctor we go tomorrow. Poor baby...
Oh yes, and with all the incredible rain we have been getting, our T-ball coach informed us that all 3 make-up games got scheduled this week!
So here I am: juggling the Mommy Hat, the Wife Hat, the Church Executive Assistant Hat (my new title! Cool huh?), the WSC Hat, the Nurse Hat, and the T-ball/Snow-Cone-Buying/Mom Hat! I keep reminding myself that every year about this time it is cRaZy, but give it a week or two and we are back to normal. :)
BUT-Thank the Lord for our 7 days of pure relaxation and pampering we had early this month! Thomas and I cruised away on the most incredible 7 day vacation where we experienced horseback riding through Jamaica, snorkling in Grand Cayman, and basking in the warm Cozumel Sun. Of course the ship was as neat as the ports. The food was incredible. Everything from the 24 hour pizzeria (CALZONES!), to the incredible elegant dinners, to the special chocolates on our pillow every night! Pampering doesn't even begin to describe the experience. Our room was cleaned at least twice a day, the waitstaff would sing, dance and entertain us during dinner, and for the first time in almost 4 years, I was able to eat my meals with both hands free!
There were Vegas-type shows each night which were SO cool. One evening an amazing juggler entertained us and another evening there was an illusion show (my fave!).
I wasn't sure how I would like being cooped up on a ship with 3000 other people for several Sea Days, but it never really felt crowded at all. The ship is literally like a floating city and it is so enormous! We had fun playing blackjack for the first time and turned $40 into $120! Sometimes we would go out on the Lido deck and just lounge on a pool chair while watching a movie on the giant screen above the pool. There was a sushi bar, but it actually didn't compare to Bonsai.
Oh, there is so much more I could write about...but not enough time.
Ella Bear is now a whopping 10 months old! She finally began crawling/scooting around and is such a doll. She squeals when she is happy and giggles when Bubba does something silly. She does the sign for "more" when she is eating. She claps, nods, high-fives Daddy, and is beginning to blow kisses when asked. Her favorite foods are beans, bananas and cereal bars. She is sleeping all night and down to 2 long naps during the day. I think she has changed more in the past 2 weeks then she has in the past 2 months! I scheduled her 1st birthday party at the Pool and did a double-take when I realized that is just 2 MONTHS away!!
Well, that's all for now! Thanks for reading. :)
Summer is here!
Picnics at the pool. Summer dresses. Bike rides. Those are just a few things I am so excited about when this time of year rolls around.
The past couple weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and non-stop "going". The pool opens up next Monday and no matter how early we start preparing for the summer season, there are always things that only can get done the week before opening day. On top of that mass amount of work, Aaron got drug down last week with a stubborn double-ear infection that is just not going away! After a week of antibiotics, he started running fever again and this time a hoarse cough along with it. Ugh. So back to the doctor we go tomorrow. Poor baby...
Oh yes, and with all the incredible rain we have been getting, our T-ball coach informed us that all 3 make-up games got scheduled this week!
So here I am: juggling the Mommy Hat, the Wife Hat, the Church Executive Assistant Hat (my new title! Cool huh?), the WSC Hat, the Nurse Hat, and the T-ball/Snow-Cone-Buying/Mom Hat! I keep reminding myself that every year about this time it is cRaZy, but give it a week or two and we are back to normal. :)
BUT-Thank the Lord for our 7 days of pure relaxation and pampering we had early this month! Thomas and I cruised away on the most incredible 7 day vacation where we experienced horseback riding through Jamaica, snorkling in Grand Cayman, and basking in the warm Cozumel Sun. Of course the ship was as neat as the ports. The food was incredible. Everything from the 24 hour pizzeria (CALZONES!), to the incredible elegant dinners, to the special chocolates on our pillow every night! Pampering doesn't even begin to describe the experience. Our room was cleaned at least twice a day, the waitstaff would sing, dance and entertain us during dinner, and for the first time in almost 4 years, I was able to eat my meals with both hands free!
There were Vegas-type shows each night which were SO cool. One evening an amazing juggler entertained us and another evening there was an illusion show (my fave!).
I wasn't sure how I would like being cooped up on a ship with 3000 other people for several Sea Days, but it never really felt crowded at all. The ship is literally like a floating city and it is so enormous! We had fun playing blackjack for the first time and turned $40 into $120! Sometimes we would go out on the Lido deck and just lounge on a pool chair while watching a movie on the giant screen above the pool. There was a sushi bar, but it actually didn't compare to Bonsai.
Oh, there is so much more I could write about...but not enough time.
Ella Bear is now a whopping 10 months old! She finally began crawling/scooting around and is such a doll. She squeals when she is happy and giggles when Bubba does something silly. She does the sign for "more" when she is eating. She claps, nods, high-fives Daddy, and is beginning to blow kisses when asked. Her favorite foods are beans, bananas and cereal bars. She is sleeping all night and down to 2 long naps during the day. I think she has changed more in the past 2 weeks then she has in the past 2 months! I scheduled her 1st birthday party at the Pool and did a double-take when I realized that is just 2 MONTHS away!!
Well, that's all for now! Thanks for reading. :)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
What? I haven't blogged since February??! *Gasp*
So many new things to report in the Humphries Home.
Ella has 6 teeth and is cutting her molars this week. Overall, she doesn't complain much, but does wake up in the middle of the night wanting a bottle. Usually after a tooth breaks through, she goes back to sleeping all night that next day. So everyday I'm peeking in her gummy mouth and praying for those bad boys to come through. Go, teeth, GO! Ella also has begun the constant baby babble and I just adore it! She says "Baba" and knows it means "bottle" and has said "Mama" and "Dada", but I don't think she knows what those mean yet. She's still perfectly content to sit and observe others without being interested in crawling or rolling around. I know she can, but just chooses not too. :) The other day at the gym, I sat her on the floor in the nursery and came back an hour later to find that she hadn't budged one inch. The nursery workers laughed and said she just sat there and played with a few toys while she watched the busyness around her.
Now Mr. Aaron, on the other hand, has enough energy for both kids combined! Oh, to be 3 again.
We started T-ball this year and he is loving it. He takes his role on the team very seriously and has smacked some awesome line-drives every time he goes to bat. Daddy is super proud.
I had no idea how much time we would be investing into this thing! Oh my word. Three (sometimes 4) nights a week seems a bit too extreme for a 3-4 year old league.
But he loves it and it's totally worth it.
Well, we did it. It's booked. In less than 4 weeks we will be cruising on the turquiose waters of the Carribean with no cell phone service, no laptops and no children for 7 whole days. Our stopping ports include: Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. We really need this time away. It's going to be so fun.
Cozumel
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Now to work on my tan and get my six pack back!! Well...at least my tan! :)
So many new things to report in the Humphries Home.
Ella has 6 teeth and is cutting her molars this week. Overall, she doesn't complain much, but does wake up in the middle of the night wanting a bottle. Usually after a tooth breaks through, she goes back to sleeping all night that next day. So everyday I'm peeking in her gummy mouth and praying for those bad boys to come through. Go, teeth, GO! Ella also has begun the constant baby babble and I just adore it! She says "Baba" and knows it means "bottle" and has said "Mama" and "Dada", but I don't think she knows what those mean yet. She's still perfectly content to sit and observe others without being interested in crawling or rolling around. I know she can, but just chooses not too. :) The other day at the gym, I sat her on the floor in the nursery and came back an hour later to find that she hadn't budged one inch. The nursery workers laughed and said she just sat there and played with a few toys while she watched the busyness around her.
Now Mr. Aaron, on the other hand, has enough energy for both kids combined! Oh, to be 3 again.
We started T-ball this year and he is loving it. He takes his role on the team very seriously and has smacked some awesome line-drives every time he goes to bat. Daddy is super proud.
I had no idea how much time we would be investing into this thing! Oh my word. Three (sometimes 4) nights a week seems a bit too extreme for a 3-4 year old league.
But he loves it and it's totally worth it.
Well, we did it. It's booked. In less than 4 weeks we will be cruising on the turquiose waters of the Carribean with no cell phone service, no laptops and no children for 7 whole days. Our stopping ports include: Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. We really need this time away. It's going to be so fun.
Cozumel
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Now to work on my tan and get my six pack back!! Well...at least my tan! :)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Diet Vanilla Dr. Pepper
Oh, life's little luxuries! On afternoons while Aaron is at school and I get done with work by noon, I steal some "me" time. Usually these outings are just much needed trips to places like Target or the mall. I stroll down the aisles toting only my baby girl in her stroller and relishing the time where I don't have to power walk to complete my shopping list while juggling a baby and a 3 year old who is attracted to anything shiny or electronic.
Since I have to pick Aaron up at school at 2:30, I almost always drive by a Sonic right smack dab in the middle of HAPPY HOUR. :) I think the carhops know me as Mrs. Diet Vanilla Dr. Pepper Lady. Isn't it funny how some of the silliest and simplest things become a mini-vacation and almost a guilty pleasure? So that's my weekly little getaway.
Ella Claire will be 7 Months old NEXT WEEK. This is my absolute favorite age. She is sitting up securely, responds to us with the sweetest smiles and giggles, sleeping all through the night (7:30-7:30), takes two LONG daytime naps (one while big brother takes his...which means more ME TIME!), content to sit in her bouncer or take a ride in her stroller, and just so easygoing! She's not in the "getting into everything" stage yet because she hasn't begun to scoot around or roll everywhere. Yes, this is by far the easiest, most enjoyable baby age.
We signed Aaron up for T-ball a few weeks ago and he asks every single day "When is my game?" It's going to be a long 6 weeks...
I started doing what we call "schoolwork" every other morning with Aaron. I have a Preschool workbook which is a really neat book that focuses on how to trace letters and learn the sounds of the letters. He loves it! Aaron has been an avid lefty, but I am trying to train him to write with his right hand. He seems to not care and is doing great. He knows all his letters by sight and can spell his name out loud. Such a smart boy. It's interesting to see his learning pattern. It's a mix between Thomas and myself. Unlike me, Aaron likes to take his time. Unlike Thomas, Aaron doesn't care much for detail. So we end up with tracing the letter "B" for 10 minutes only to end up with a mixture between an 8 and Q....
Oh I am SO glad to see the warm sun again! Today was the first day in awhile that Aaron didn't have to go outside with multiple layers on and then come inside with a dripping nose. Best bud, Deron came to play and those boys had so much fun together.
Thomas and I are ready for a getaway. Oh we need it so bad. He has been working so hard lately. By the time we get the kids in bed, we are both ready to crash in bed from exhaustion. His day is spent with long phone calls, meetings and project details while mine is spent keeping the children and house in order while balancing a part-time job. We both love our life and jobs, but it's been almost a year since our last "just us" getaway. Ella is in the process of being weaned (that third tooth did me in), so I am hoping to make time for that in the next couple months.
Our birthdays are both coming up soon...hmmm...
Since I have to pick Aaron up at school at 2:30, I almost always drive by a Sonic right smack dab in the middle of HAPPY HOUR. :) I think the carhops know me as Mrs. Diet Vanilla Dr. Pepper Lady. Isn't it funny how some of the silliest and simplest things become a mini-vacation and almost a guilty pleasure? So that's my weekly little getaway.
Ella Claire will be 7 Months old NEXT WEEK. This is my absolute favorite age. She is sitting up securely, responds to us with the sweetest smiles and giggles, sleeping all through the night (7:30-7:30), takes two LONG daytime naps (one while big brother takes his...which means more ME TIME!), content to sit in her bouncer or take a ride in her stroller, and just so easygoing! She's not in the "getting into everything" stage yet because she hasn't begun to scoot around or roll everywhere. Yes, this is by far the easiest, most enjoyable baby age.
We signed Aaron up for T-ball a few weeks ago and he asks every single day "When is my game?" It's going to be a long 6 weeks...
I started doing what we call "schoolwork" every other morning with Aaron. I have a Preschool workbook which is a really neat book that focuses on how to trace letters and learn the sounds of the letters. He loves it! Aaron has been an avid lefty, but I am trying to train him to write with his right hand. He seems to not care and is doing great. He knows all his letters by sight and can spell his name out loud. Such a smart boy. It's interesting to see his learning pattern. It's a mix between Thomas and myself. Unlike me, Aaron likes to take his time. Unlike Thomas, Aaron doesn't care much for detail. So we end up with tracing the letter "B" for 10 minutes only to end up with a mixture between an 8 and Q....
Oh I am SO glad to see the warm sun again! Today was the first day in awhile that Aaron didn't have to go outside with multiple layers on and then come inside with a dripping nose. Best bud, Deron came to play and those boys had so much fun together.
Thomas and I are ready for a getaway. Oh we need it so bad. He has been working so hard lately. By the time we get the kids in bed, we are both ready to crash in bed from exhaustion. His day is spent with long phone calls, meetings and project details while mine is spent keeping the children and house in order while balancing a part-time job. We both love our life and jobs, but it's been almost a year since our last "just us" getaway. Ella is in the process of being weaned (that third tooth did me in), so I am hoping to make time for that in the next couple months.
Our birthdays are both coming up soon...hmmm...
Thursday, January 28, 2010
No place like it.
It's so good to be home. After 5 nights in a hospital, we finally came home on Sunday evening to our softer beds, tastier food and best of all, A HEALTHY BABY!
Ella's spinal tap results showed everything to be perfectly normal. By Sunday morning, her white count was down to a stone cold normal count of 7,000, fever completely GONE and she began nursing like a pro!! The first night we were home Ella slept 13 hours straight through the night. I'm sure she was relieved to not be interuppted every few hours with blood drawing pokes, breathing treatments, nose suctioning and just uncomfortable "messing with". During those 6 days, Ella went through 9 blood draws/pricks, a spinal tap, an IV in her forehead and a chest x-ray. Thankfully, she is a baby and already doesn't remember the ordeal. We'll only remember it as a powerful testimony of God's incredible faithfulness and healing power.
At her follow-up appointment on Tuesday, Ella's pediatrician still could not put a name on what happened. I smiled and said that it didn't matter to me because she is healed now! She said Ella looked like a different baby than what was in the hospital. Ella went from lathargic, feverish and whimpering to energetic, smiling and sitting up! She remained on a breathing treatment until last night and I put it away in faith this morning (for both kids!). I am believing that it will begin collecting dust on it due to lack of use. :)
Ella's spinal tap results showed everything to be perfectly normal. By Sunday morning, her white count was down to a stone cold normal count of 7,000, fever completely GONE and she began nursing like a pro!! The first night we were home Ella slept 13 hours straight through the night. I'm sure she was relieved to not be interuppted every few hours with blood drawing pokes, breathing treatments, nose suctioning and just uncomfortable "messing with". During those 6 days, Ella went through 9 blood draws/pricks, a spinal tap, an IV in her forehead and a chest x-ray. Thankfully, she is a baby and already doesn't remember the ordeal. We'll only remember it as a powerful testimony of God's incredible faithfulness and healing power.
At her follow-up appointment on Tuesday, Ella's pediatrician still could not put a name on what happened. I smiled and said that it didn't matter to me because she is healed now! She said Ella looked like a different baby than what was in the hospital. Ella went from lathargic, feverish and whimpering to energetic, smiling and sitting up! She remained on a breathing treatment until last night and I put it away in faith this morning (for both kids!). I am believing that it will begin collecting dust on it due to lack of use. :)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Update
Whew! What a week. I'm sure if you are reading this, you have some idea what's been going on this week, but here's a recap.
Sunday night-Ella began running a fever. I wrote it off as a common teething symptom.
Monday-Ella continued to run a pretty high fever which I was able to control with Motrin every 6 hours. Aaron was going on a week of needing his breathing treatment and was having a hard time sleeping due to wheezing, coughing and congestion in his chest, so I went ahead and scheduled an appointment for both kids on Tuesday morning. Ella's fever rose to 103.7 that night and she started coughing.
Tuesday morning-I took both kids to our pediatrician at 9:30. She increased Aaron's breathing treatment to a higher dosage and put him on an antibiotic. She checked Ella's ears, throat, nose and chest and all sounded/looked normal. She could hear a rattle in her chest, but nothing really that would cause such high fever. She sent Ella across the street to the lab for some outpatient tests (Flu/Swine Flu/RSV, etc) and Thomas came to bring Aaron home for lunch. I stayed with Ella as they drew her blood (It took 3 pokes and moving the needle around in her arm to find a vein-very hard for a mommy to watch). Then they took a sample from her nose to check for RSV. Finally, with a very exhausted baby and a very hungry mommy that skipped breakfast, Ella and I got home around 1pm. I laid her down in her bed and she immediately fell asleep.
With both kids taking a nap, I weighed my options. 1) unload the dishwasher and start a much needed load of laundry OR 2)Crash on the couch with a Lean Pocket and try to take a nap. I chose option 2! My phone rang at around 2:00 from the Dr. saying that Ella's white blood count came back at 30,000, which was significantly higher than the normal count of 12,000. She had tested negative for all the other tests. Basically, since she was running such a high fever and her white count was so high, we knew there was an infection-just didn't know where! She told me to go ahead and bring Ella to the hospital so they could run a few more tests and do a chest xray.
SO, I left Aaron sleeping in his bed with my mom downstairs, packed a few things in Ella's diaper bag and headed to the hospital.
The hardest part of this whole thing was that afternoon. I had to sit in her hospital room and listen to her scream for an hour while they worked on her a few doors away. They couldn't get the IV in, so the ended up having to put it in her forehead. When they got her back, I just held her and loved on her.
Wednesday-Blood count was down to 24,000, still kept fever controlled with medicine, very fussy and restless. She nursed and ate veggies for lunch, but then refused me or any other food after that all day and all night. Still coughing and congested, they put her on a breathing treatment every 4 hours.
Thursday-Blood count was back up to 26,000 and we had to give her Motrin/Tylenol every 3 hours to control the fever from spiking up. Still fussy and still didn't nurse/eat all day (I'm pumping to keep my supply going). At 5:00 she was running high fever and whimpering, but did a complete turn around by 7:00 she was happy, laughing and fever free. Dr. called off scheduled spinal tap. Her doctor said she had been praying all day for Ella and I can tell she truly believes in the power of prayer. How awesome is it to have a Christian pediatrican? WONDERFUL. She said if Ella goes 24 hours without needing Motrin/Tylenol for fever, then we can go home!
Today-Ella slept well until about 4am then had a fever spike. She tossed and cried softly for a couple hours then fell back to sleep. This morning she was happy for about an hour and even took a few bites of rice cereal. Her white count was WAY down to 15,000 Still won't nurse. So it's been 48 hours since her last feeding. Dr. ordered a spinal tap for this afternoon. She won't be on call this weekend and wants to rule out anything else with the spinal tap.
What can you do for us? Pray for these things:
1) She gets an appetite and begins nursing.
2) That this fever FLEES and stays away.
3) Spinal tap results come back normal.
4) White count continues to fall to the normal 12,000.
5) Cough subsides and congestion in her chest loosens.
6) REST for all of us. Resting in a hospital is...well...resting in the hospital!
7) Complete continued healing for Aaron. He's happy and active, but still needing his breathing treatment for cough/congestion in his chest.
~This morning as I was getting ready, I was praying and just asking God why we can't just find out WHAT is causing this? That's what bothers me the most is just not knowing! But as soon as I began asking Him that, I felt Him speak to my heart and say that there isn't a "name" on her situation because HE is the Name above all names and that since we are not recieving any "names" or diagnosis then we aren't going to find what that "name" is! How awesome is that? The doctor can't even find out what is causing this, because we don't receive sickness in Jesus Name. By HIS stripes, she is healed and whole.
I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much for your faith-filled prayers for us. Thomas and I are great. We have gotten to spend alot of time together in the room, just talking and being with each other.
Be blessed.
Sunday night-Ella began running a fever. I wrote it off as a common teething symptom.
Monday-Ella continued to run a pretty high fever which I was able to control with Motrin every 6 hours. Aaron was going on a week of needing his breathing treatment and was having a hard time sleeping due to wheezing, coughing and congestion in his chest, so I went ahead and scheduled an appointment for both kids on Tuesday morning. Ella's fever rose to 103.7 that night and she started coughing.
Tuesday morning-I took both kids to our pediatrician at 9:30. She increased Aaron's breathing treatment to a higher dosage and put him on an antibiotic. She checked Ella's ears, throat, nose and chest and all sounded/looked normal. She could hear a rattle in her chest, but nothing really that would cause such high fever. She sent Ella across the street to the lab for some outpatient tests (Flu/Swine Flu/RSV, etc) and Thomas came to bring Aaron home for lunch. I stayed with Ella as they drew her blood (It took 3 pokes and moving the needle around in her arm to find a vein-very hard for a mommy to watch). Then they took a sample from her nose to check for RSV. Finally, with a very exhausted baby and a very hungry mommy that skipped breakfast, Ella and I got home around 1pm. I laid her down in her bed and she immediately fell asleep.
With both kids taking a nap, I weighed my options. 1) unload the dishwasher and start a much needed load of laundry OR 2)Crash on the couch with a Lean Pocket and try to take a nap. I chose option 2! My phone rang at around 2:00 from the Dr. saying that Ella's white blood count came back at 30,000, which was significantly higher than the normal count of 12,000. She had tested negative for all the other tests. Basically, since she was running such a high fever and her white count was so high, we knew there was an infection-just didn't know where! She told me to go ahead and bring Ella to the hospital so they could run a few more tests and do a chest xray.
SO, I left Aaron sleeping in his bed with my mom downstairs, packed a few things in Ella's diaper bag and headed to the hospital.
The hardest part of this whole thing was that afternoon. I had to sit in her hospital room and listen to her scream for an hour while they worked on her a few doors away. They couldn't get the IV in, so the ended up having to put it in her forehead. When they got her back, I just held her and loved on her.
Wednesday-Blood count was down to 24,000, still kept fever controlled with medicine, very fussy and restless. She nursed and ate veggies for lunch, but then refused me or any other food after that all day and all night. Still coughing and congested, they put her on a breathing treatment every 4 hours.
Thursday-Blood count was back up to 26,000 and we had to give her Motrin/Tylenol every 3 hours to control the fever from spiking up. Still fussy and still didn't nurse/eat all day (I'm pumping to keep my supply going). At 5:00 she was running high fever and whimpering, but did a complete turn around by 7:00 she was happy, laughing and fever free. Dr. called off scheduled spinal tap. Her doctor said she had been praying all day for Ella and I can tell she truly believes in the power of prayer. How awesome is it to have a Christian pediatrican? WONDERFUL. She said if Ella goes 24 hours without needing Motrin/Tylenol for fever, then we can go home!
Today-Ella slept well until about 4am then had a fever spike. She tossed and cried softly for a couple hours then fell back to sleep. This morning she was happy for about an hour and even took a few bites of rice cereal. Her white count was WAY down to 15,000 Still won't nurse. So it's been 48 hours since her last feeding. Dr. ordered a spinal tap for this afternoon. She won't be on call this weekend and wants to rule out anything else with the spinal tap.
What can you do for us? Pray for these things:
1) She gets an appetite and begins nursing.
2) That this fever FLEES and stays away.
3) Spinal tap results come back normal.
4) White count continues to fall to the normal 12,000.
5) Cough subsides and congestion in her chest loosens.
6) REST for all of us. Resting in a hospital is...well...resting in the hospital!
7) Complete continued healing for Aaron. He's happy and active, but still needing his breathing treatment for cough/congestion in his chest.
~This morning as I was getting ready, I was praying and just asking God why we can't just find out WHAT is causing this? That's what bothers me the most is just not knowing! But as soon as I began asking Him that, I felt Him speak to my heart and say that there isn't a "name" on her situation because HE is the Name above all names and that since we are not recieving any "names" or diagnosis then we aren't going to find what that "name" is! How awesome is that? The doctor can't even find out what is causing this, because we don't receive sickness in Jesus Name. By HIS stripes, she is healed and whole.
I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much for your faith-filled prayers for us. Thomas and I are great. We have gotten to spend alot of time together in the room, just talking and being with each other.
Be blessed.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Kids
My sweet Aaron Paul. He has such a big heart. He has become incredibly sensitive if he sees someone hurt or upset. There is a commercial that comes on where it shows a woman soldier being welcomed home by her little boy and tears are streaming down her cheeks and she embraces her little boy that she probably hasn't seen in awhile. Whenever Aaron sees that commercial he runs to me with concern in his big brown eyes and asks, "Mom why is she crying?" His little lip quivers as I explain that she had to be away from her family for a little bit to help our country but now she is home and those are happy tears!
There are times in the day where I love to drop what I'm doing and just go give him a big bear hug! He usually responds with "Mom, I love you THIS much!" And proceeds to stretch his arms out as wide as humanly possible. I'm pretty sure that affirmation or physical touch is his love language.
I am realizing more than ever why Jesus referred to having "childlike faith."
Just now as I was opening up my computer, Aaron was playing his new Star Wars Lego Game and casually commented, "Hey Mom, someday I'm gonna ride in a spaceship." Then went right back to his play. It wasn't a question or a suggestion, but a stated fact. And I'm sure nothing I could have said would've swayed him from that dream.
Another example: This morning Aaron ran in our bedroom at 4am stating that he was ready for breakfast. Of course, it was WAY too early so I was about to pick him up and take him back to his bed. He fussed and asked for Daddy to take him, but I told him that Daddy wasn't feeling well (allergies). To that, Aaron said, "Well we can pray for him to be better!" I agreed and we took a minute to pray for Daddy's healing.
"OK! Now he's better so he can take me to bed!" Aaron cheerfully informed us.
Isn't that precious? To be so confident that it's that simple. As adults, the concept doesn't change, but our thinking becomes more and more limited. I'm learning from my 3 year old!!
Aaron still continues to be a adoring older brother and speaks so tenderly towards his baby sister. He loves to go in her room when she wakes up and greet her with a "Good Morning Sugar Bear!!!" Ella's eyes light up at that wake-up greeting and she pumps her legs in excitement. Too cute. I need to videotape that someday soon...it's SO CUTE.
Speaking of the EllaBear, she is growing and changing every single day. We started veggies along with rice cereal and she is now up to 2 veggies a day. There hasn't been anything she turned her nose up at. She's sleeping wonderfully and usually wakes up around 5 or 6 to eat, but then goes back to sleep for a couple more hours. She was sick for the first time last week with some very minor congestion. I also can literally see two little teeth just below the surface of her gums and am waiting for them to break through any day.
Last week I packed up all her 0-6 month clothes in a LARGE bin and nearly shed a tear from the reality that my baby girl is growing up too fast. Is she really about to be 6 months?? Whew. I've said this a million times: TIME FLIES!
There are times in the day where I love to drop what I'm doing and just go give him a big bear hug! He usually responds with "Mom, I love you THIS much!" And proceeds to stretch his arms out as wide as humanly possible. I'm pretty sure that affirmation or physical touch is his love language.
I am realizing more than ever why Jesus referred to having "childlike faith."
Just now as I was opening up my computer, Aaron was playing his new Star Wars Lego Game and casually commented, "Hey Mom, someday I'm gonna ride in a spaceship." Then went right back to his play. It wasn't a question or a suggestion, but a stated fact. And I'm sure nothing I could have said would've swayed him from that dream.
Another example: This morning Aaron ran in our bedroom at 4am stating that he was ready for breakfast. Of course, it was WAY too early so I was about to pick him up and take him back to his bed. He fussed and asked for Daddy to take him, but I told him that Daddy wasn't feeling well (allergies). To that, Aaron said, "Well we can pray for him to be better!" I agreed and we took a minute to pray for Daddy's healing.
"OK! Now he's better so he can take me to bed!" Aaron cheerfully informed us.
Isn't that precious? To be so confident that it's that simple. As adults, the concept doesn't change, but our thinking becomes more and more limited. I'm learning from my 3 year old!!
Aaron still continues to be a adoring older brother and speaks so tenderly towards his baby sister. He loves to go in her room when she wakes up and greet her with a "Good Morning Sugar Bear!!!" Ella's eyes light up at that wake-up greeting and she pumps her legs in excitement. Too cute. I need to videotape that someday soon...it's SO CUTE.
Speaking of the EllaBear, she is growing and changing every single day. We started veggies along with rice cereal and she is now up to 2 veggies a day. There hasn't been anything she turned her nose up at. She's sleeping wonderfully and usually wakes up around 5 or 6 to eat, but then goes back to sleep for a couple more hours. She was sick for the first time last week with some very minor congestion. I also can literally see two little teeth just below the surface of her gums and am waiting for them to break through any day.
Last week I packed up all her 0-6 month clothes in a LARGE bin and nearly shed a tear from the reality that my baby girl is growing up too fast. Is she really about to be 6 months?? Whew. I've said this a million times: TIME FLIES!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Happy New Year!!!!
As I begin typing, I hear the laundry timer buzzing, my phone vibrating to remind me of something that needs to be done and the constant hum of the monitor reminding me that it's only a matter of time before the kids wake up from their naps.
SO, ready, set BLOG! :) Excuse any run-on sentences, bad grammer or spelling errirs! (Haha)
2009 is done. Whew. It actually was a rough year for me personally for many reasons. Even though I was heavily leaning on the Lord, my relationship with Him was becoming less intimate. I hated that. Everytime I would press in deeper, I felt a gentle tugging on my heart to release everything to Him, but it meant that I would have to let go of some hurt, bitterness and anger that was deeply hidden in my heart. I didn't want to emotionally have to peel away every layer and expose every area of my heart to be healed. Some things were fresh, while most were buried from several years ago. I could put on my "happy pastor's wife face" but I know that people see right though that. It was time for a reality check. How could I not trust my Father? Hasn't He always shown incredible tenderness towards me? Then I realized a big part of the problem was knowing that once all that junk was let go, I wouldn't have any excuse to hide behind or any way of justifying my feelings and emotions. I would have to be raw and vulnerable. That's a hard thing for me....for any woman, I imagine!
But it's a new year, and with that comes new things. Freshness. Expectancy. Hope.
I started to blog last week and typed in circles for an hour before shutting my laptop in frustration. Since then, there has been breakthrough in some areas for me emotionally and I am SO SO glad for new years!! :) The Potter's Hand is pressing me. And it feels so good.
Recent News: We stuck a "For Sale By Owner" sign in our front yard on Saturday to test the market and see if anyone nibbles. Suprisingly, the real estate market has gone UP recently and it would be a great time to sell ours. We bought low, fixed it up a bit and are ready to sell high. So we'll see! I feel excitement in my spirit that the Lord is about to burst through and show us amazing favor. There is such peace about the whole thing too...another reason I know we are in the right position. BTW, we are not planning on relocating anywhere besides Abilene. For this season, we still believe that Abilene is our home.
Our kids are doing wonderful. More on them in another blog. I'm off to fold another load of laundry...Be Blessed.
SO, ready, set BLOG! :) Excuse any run-on sentences, bad grammer or spelling errirs! (Haha)
2009 is done. Whew. It actually was a rough year for me personally for many reasons. Even though I was heavily leaning on the Lord, my relationship with Him was becoming less intimate. I hated that. Everytime I would press in deeper, I felt a gentle tugging on my heart to release everything to Him, but it meant that I would have to let go of some hurt, bitterness and anger that was deeply hidden in my heart. I didn't want to emotionally have to peel away every layer and expose every area of my heart to be healed. Some things were fresh, while most were buried from several years ago. I could put on my "happy pastor's wife face" but I know that people see right though that. It was time for a reality check. How could I not trust my Father? Hasn't He always shown incredible tenderness towards me? Then I realized a big part of the problem was knowing that once all that junk was let go, I wouldn't have any excuse to hide behind or any way of justifying my feelings and emotions. I would have to be raw and vulnerable. That's a hard thing for me....for any woman, I imagine!
But it's a new year, and with that comes new things. Freshness. Expectancy. Hope.
I started to blog last week and typed in circles for an hour before shutting my laptop in frustration. Since then, there has been breakthrough in some areas for me emotionally and I am SO SO glad for new years!! :) The Potter's Hand is pressing me. And it feels so good.
Recent News: We stuck a "For Sale By Owner" sign in our front yard on Saturday to test the market and see if anyone nibbles. Suprisingly, the real estate market has gone UP recently and it would be a great time to sell ours. We bought low, fixed it up a bit and are ready to sell high. So we'll see! I feel excitement in my spirit that the Lord is about to burst through and show us amazing favor. There is such peace about the whole thing too...another reason I know we are in the right position. BTW, we are not planning on relocating anywhere besides Abilene. For this season, we still believe that Abilene is our home.
Our kids are doing wonderful. More on them in another blog. I'm off to fold another load of laundry...Be Blessed.
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