never catch up on laundry...it's dangerous

Well, since most of my time at the moment is spent laying in bed sleeping, reading, or watching a movie on the computer, I figured I could take a few minutes to update my blog.

Most of my time lately, it seems, has been spent in doctors offices.  First I went for what I thought was a sinus infection.  Turns out I just have some crazy allergies here in Georgia.  The allergy meds seemed to help and I was feeling quite a bit better.  I was even able to get the house clean and all of the laundry done.  Of course as soon as I had all the laundry done Isaac got sick and started throwing up all over.  So it was off to the doc with Isaac (I'll spare you the details on that visit...ugghhh!).  And of course starting over with a ton of laundry.

Over the next few days, despite taking my allergy meds regularly, I started feeling just kind of blaaaa again.  Sore throat, slight headache...I just thought I was still suffering from allergies. Until I woke up on Wednesday morning with a massive headache and really nauseated.  It was bad enough that I decided to cancel our activities in town for the day, but I thought I'd be able to at least make it through the day with the kids at home.  I made it downstairs and managed to get them some milk.  By this time my headache was getting really, really bad.  I knew the kids needed to eat, but I could barely move at this point, so I crawled to the pantry and got them each a package of cookies.  Ha-they were the happiest kids on earth.  It was around this time that I realized I couldn't possibly get through the day without help so I called my husband.  He asked if I could handle a few more hours so he could get a little work done.  I thought I could, but I couldn't.  I called him back 45 minutes later asking him to come home NOW and to bring me Excedrin Migraine.

By the time he got home I couldn't move because it hurt my head too bad and I couldn't open my eyes because any light was excruciating.  He had to help me get upstairs.  He was begging me to go to the doctor, but there was no way I could get in a car, I was hurting too bad.  I took the Excedrin Migraine and a few hours later I felt better enough that I decided I could make it to the doctor.  They had an appointment available, so Nathan dropped the kids with our friend Denyelle and drove me to Martin Army.  They took my vitals (not so good) my resting heart rate was 129.  The family practice doctor told me I needed to have a CT and a Lumbar Puncture so he called the ER and got me in right away.   But when I got to the ER the PA treated me for a migraine and sent me home.  I was feeling some better at that point.  They sent me home with a narcotic pain reliever, some nausea medication, Valium, and Motrin.

This brings us to Thursday.  I woke up still feeling some better.  Nathan had to take Isaac to Atlanta for a follow up doctors appointment (I wasn't feeling well enough to go).  He asked our friend, Amy, to come babysit Avonleigh (aka babysit me) while he was gone.  I spent most of the day in bed but was able to eat a bowl of soup and even take a shower.  I thought I was doing okay until about the moment Nathan walked in the door.  At which point I was vomiting again and my head and back were really starting to hurt.  Nathan called the ER and talked to my nurse from the day before and she said that I should definitely come back in.  So once again, we dumped the kids on Denyelle and headed back to the ER, where we waited for 2.5 hours before we were even called back.

This time I had an awesome doctor though. As soon as I told him my symptoms (worst headache ever, photophobia, my spine hurt, vomiting, running fever off and on) he immediately decided that I needed a CT & a lumbar puncture (exactly what the family practice doc said the day before).  The CT came back perfect which was a blessing...not having a brain tumor or an aneurysm is always a good thing!  He started me on an IV and gave me some miracle drug that finally completely kicked my headache and then it was time to do the spinal tap.  The doctor did a great job!  I'm not saying it didn't hurt at all, but he made it hurt as little as possible.  Waiting for the results of this took forever...hours!  But he finally came back and told us that I definitely had Meningitis.  But they were still determining if it was viral or bacterial.  This was the only point that I was a little scared.  I knew that viral meant I could go home with some pain meds and ride it out and I would be fine, whereas bacterial meant being admitted to the hospital and possible life long complications.  I found peace knowing that I had so many friends and family praying for me and that Nathan and I had both been praying too.  But it was a definite relief when the he came back to tell us it was viral and that we could go home (with more pain meds of course).

So now I'm home.  My headache has for the most part stayed away.  My spine still hurts some (especially when walking and going up or down stairs), my back is pretty sore where I had the spinal tap, and I am sooo tired (I sleep like 18 hours a day).  But, my husband is home.  He's getting lot's of time with the kids and he's even cleaning the whole house for me.  I have amazing friends and family who are always checking in on me and helping me out.  So all in all, I'm feeling pretty blessed right now.

The moral of the story?  Every time I get completely caught up on laundry...someone ends up vomiting and I have to start all over.  So, I should always stay behind on laundry.  ;-)  Seriously...2 weeks ago I got caught up and Avonleigh got a horrible virus and was vomiting, 1 week ago I caught up and Isaac was vomiting everywhere, a few days ago I got caught up...and well, it was my turn.  Anyone else see a pattern?

It's nap time for me again.  Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful Easter weekend!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

The kiddos and I had fun celebrating St. Patrick's Day today.  At our Toddler Bible Study that my friend, Jill, organizes we had a festive lunch...mini reubens, cabbage, and broccoli salad.  All new to me, but very yummy!


The kids watched an old school Veggie Tales clip about St. Patrick's Day and colored shamrocks!  We were all festive in our green...it was fun!
Here is the Veggie Tales clip if you are interested:
http://ministry-to-children.com/veggie-tales-saint-patrick-video/

A picture of Avonleigh in her original St. Patty's outfit

(though we did have to change before the day was done)

Later this evening we made St. Patrick's Day Smoothies!  They were actually not bad.

The kids had a great time making them and even enjoyed drinking them!

...and Mommy liked it too!

(photo compliments of Isaac!)

If you would like to try on too, here's the recipe:

1 Cup Grapes (frozen)

1 Banana (sliced & frozen)

1 Kiwi

1 Cup Spinach

1/4 Cup Limeade

8 oz Lime Yogurt (I used 6 oz)

Enjoy!

Cowboy Isaac

When we were at Target yesterday, Isaac insisted on putting on an Easter Hat.  He proceeded to tell me that it was his cowboy hat.  He said he was "Cowboy Isaac"!  He spent the rest of the shopping trip referring to us as, Cowboy Isaac, Cowboy Avonleigh, and Cowboy Mommy.  He kept asking, "Where's your hat, Cowboy Mommy?"  Oh yeah, and he swung his pink hat around saying, "Yee-Haw"!  Cowboys can wear pink too!  

Fearfully and Wonderfully made...

Blogging is something that I've started in the past, but haven't continued with because it is something that is really outside my comfort zone.  I'm not talking about the entries with pictures of my kids, filling you in on the events of the week.  I'm talking about the entries that are raw, honest writings from my heart.  If you know me well, you know that I'm a pretty private person and sharing my writing (something that is deeply personal to me) is a stretch.  But I've felt convicted lately that I need to share some of what God lays on my heart.  So, little by little, I'm sharing pieces with you.  I just hope I'm able to translate the words from my heart to my keyboard!

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Have you ever looked at an amazing landscape, a vibrant sunset, or a starry night sky and just let yourself get lost in awe of our creator?  It's pretty easy to do, even photographs do it for me.  I am simply amazed by his beautiful creations!  When is the last time that you looked at your family, friends, strangers, or even the mirror with that same awe and reverence?

Of all God's numerous and incredible creations, we are the only one that was created in his image.  And when he created us, I feel certain that he didn't mold us half-heartedly and then say, "Ehhh, that'll do."  He made each one of us unique, each one of us with his thumb print.

I looked up an estimate of how many humans have ever existed...I'm not sure how accurate it is seeing as there is no way for us to actually know, but the estimate is somewhere between 100-115 billion.  How incredible is that?  He has made approximately 110 billion humans (give or take "a few") and no two have ever been exactly the same in any way.  We are all an original masterpiece created by God himself.  There is however, one thing that he made us all have in common.  Him.  He formed our spirit in His image.  Doesn't it boost your self confidence just a little?

1 Corinthians 6:17
But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in Spirit.


2 Timothy 1:17
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.


Psalm 46:11
The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor him for he is your Lord.


Psalm 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My Love...

So, the other day Nathan was reading my blog and he stopped and looked at me with sad puppy dog eyes and said, "there aren't many pictures of me on here."  That is simply because since I have started blogging again, he hasn't been home much because of work.  But that is no excuse.  My husband is the love of my life.  I am blessed by him, thankful for him, and I fall more in love with him every day. So here are some highlights of "us" so far...

1st Date...April 11, 2002

No laughing...I'm not a fan of this pic, but it's where we began.

After we had dated for about a month...

we were about to go our separate ways for the summer.

April 12, 2003

been together 1year+1day  =)

April 2004...we got engaged

Weren't we adorable?

May 21, 2005

We got married...outside...on a sweltering hot day

May 2006...expecting our 1st baby

September 2006

We were blessed with Isaac

April 2008

We were blessed with Avonleigh

(this photo is the day Nathan met her...May 2008 when he came home for EML)

October 2008

We survived a 14 month deployment

...and I still love him,

more today than yesterday.

If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:12

She is Heavenly!

This is just a blurb...I want to write a "real" post, but I cannot muster the energy.  Maybe a little later!

So today, we were walking out of the clinic where Isaac has speech therapy and Avonleigh was not following along very well.  So I said, "Come on Avonleigh Joy, take Mommy's hand!"  There was a man passing by as I said this and he muttered under his breath while chuckling, "Heavenly Joy!  What a name to live up to!"  I didn't correct him.  He wasn't the first person who thought that was her name, he won't be the last.  I find it humorous. But, I think she could live up to that name just fine, thank you very much!  =)

How Great is Our God?

For the past few weeks one message has reiterated itself over and over again.  The message that the God we serve is big. Not just big, but big, Big, BIG.  God has been using sermons, music, testimonies, and friends to reveal to me just how big He is.  I've been praying that he would continue to reveal his greatness, and what I've come to realize is, he shows us every day.  We may not always (or hardly ever) pay attention, but he shows us every day!  He is bigger than we could ever comprehend and bigger than any need we will ever have.  

Then I started asking another question...a question that was a little harder to ask (because I knew I wouldn't like the answer).  "My God, how small have I made you?"

How small do we make him?  How often do we not even pray because we're scared that he won't answer...or because we aren't totally convinced that God still does "that kind of miracle"?  How often do we keep our mouths closed when we should be professing God's word?  How often do we look at an amazing sunrise and not even remember our God who painted it?  How often have I?

Why do we continue to try and cram God into a box?  And when are we going to realize, He is too big to fit!

You know, the first verse in the bible reveals to us how mighty our God is...how do we miss it?  I'm just saying...

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

I mean look around...God created the earth and everything on it!  That is amazing in itself and we give it pretty much no credit.  And from what I understand...the earth has got nothing on the heavens!  How GREAT is our God? 

And in conclusion, some song lyrics for you...

Small by JJ Heller
Cardboard cutouts on the floor
People wish that you were more like what they wanted you to be
Eventually they won’t have much of you at all in their theology
The walls are closing in on you
You cannot be contained at all

I don’t want to make you small
I don’t want to fit you in my pocket
A cross around my throat
You are brighter than the sun
You’re closer than the tiny thoughts I have of you
But I could never fathom you at all

Broken moldings all around
Broken people hit the ground
When they discover that you’re not here for our benefit
You love in spite of us
You use the least of us to prove the strong aren’t really strong at all

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Snow!

*Disclaimer*  I cannot find the charger for my camera battery; therefore, all of my pictures are from my phone.  The quality isn't good by any standard, but they'll have to do for now!

We got a little snow on Friday!  It was really relaxing to watch it fall, it was so pretty.  It accumulated about 2-3 inches...just enough for the kids to play in and it all melted the next day.  That is the best kind of snow one could ask for!  

Avonleigh was so excited!

Not sure what this face is all about!

My happy little man

OK, the snow was fun, they were SO HAPPY!

Blaire's 1st snow!

You know, I wasn't excited when I heard we had snow in the forecast.  After living in the North Country for 2 years, snow had pretty much lost it's magic for me.  But watching my kids play and seeing the pure joy written across their sweet faces, I am so happy it did.  

Picnic, Art, and Spinning...a full day!

After a slight attitude adjustment, we managed to have a pretty good day after all.  I let Isaac and Avonleigh have a picnic on the floor (a big deal for them because they're usually only allowed to eat in the kitchen).  They were very excited and they both ate all of their chicken and sweet potato fries.  After they finished eating Avonleigh decided to be helpful and clear their dishes, she cleared them straight to the trash can!  I suppose this most likely explains where all of our juice cups have disappeared to.  So then we practiced clearing dishes to the, sink.  I'm hoping she understands, but I'm going to have to keep a close eye on the trash can for awhile!

After lunch we did some worksheets on the letter "A".  They had fun coloring the worksheets, the table cloth, and themselves.

It ended up being a fun day.  Tonight I was able to take a "break" from the kids for awhile to go to a spin class.  It was my first time to take a spin class and much to my surprise I really liked it!  Don't get me wrong, it was painful, but in a good way.  When I'm working out with that much intensity, I have to distract myself so that I'm not focusing on the pain.  So, I completely zone out into my own world and use the time to worship and pray.  When I am feeling that physically broken, I am much more vulnerable in worship...which is a good thing!  So often when worshiping and praying I don't give God my all because there are so many other distractions.  But when I am physically exhausted, God is my distraction and I feel he gets so much more of me.  Wouldn't life be better if we allowed God to distract us from everything instead of letting everything distract us from God?  

That's all I've got for today.  Here is to hoping that I'm going to be able to walk tomorrow!

a lesson in being flexible

I am not a fan of things not going the way I plan them (I'm a 'bit' of a control freak).  Today, I'm having one of those days...the kind where when you wake up, things just aren't going they way you planned. 

I was supposed to drop my kids with my friend and take my Jeep to the dealership because there is a recall on it and because the "service 4WD" light is on.  I got up, got myself, Isaac & Avonleigh ready, loaded everyone in the car, and realized I couldn't find my keys.  This is very typical for me, which is funny because I'm organized to a fault, but my keys and phone often go missing!  I finally found them in the ignition and finally we were off.  Wrong.  Yesterday when we got home the kids were asleep, so I stayed in the car and listened to music and yes, when we finally went inside I left the keys in the car in the on position.  I called the dealership and rescheduled the appointment for tomorrow afternoon and brought the kids back inside.  We are now stuck here and it's raining again so we can't even go outside!  And it's not helping matters that not only am I having one of those days, but apparently the kids are too.  They are being defiant and grumpy and talking back.  Possibly their attitudes are a reflection of mine?  OUCH!  So it is time to refocus.

New plans for today are to have an early lunch and then we're going to do some worksheets off of a website I found and have been wanting to try: http://www.kidslearningstation.com/  Then we can make some valentine's for our friends (we have a party to go to on Thursday).  Hopefully by then it will be nap/rest time for all of us.  

I'll post some pictures later and let you know how it all goes.

PS

Does anyone know of a MOPS group in the Columbus area??

giving credit where credit is due

I haven't blogged in a long time, but I'm going to try to get back into it.  I think it can be a tool to help me not only share my faith, but also to stretch it.  God has been moving in me in the past few weeks, and I have been broken and humbled.

I realized a few days ago, that I give the enemy very little credit.  I immediately place blame on myself for any struggle I carry.  I think things like, "I'm not praying the right way" or "I'm just not in step with God right now".  After praying and praying and praying...and still finding no relief from the battle I start to question if I'm doing right by God, is God even hearing me?  Does he really care?  I'm certain I'm not the only one who has felt this way before.

A few days ago, I was talking with a friend about a struggle I've dealt with for years.  This particular struggle has been absolutely relentless recently.  She suggested that I was being attacked by the enemy.  My eyes were opened!  Now I'm not saying I'm faultless (I am human after all), but I certainly have never given the devil any of the credit that he deserves.  Why do we allow the devil to lay low?  Doing so allows him to have so much strength and power over us.

I ran across this passage in my devotional last night:

"For every battle we face, God provides us with a full set of armor. God's armor is based on truth & righteousness, faith & peace. He asks us to be armed with his attributes, not our own. Above all, we have prayer, which reaches into the spiritual realm and places the battle into the hands of the One who has already won the war"

It left me with a feeling of peace, knowing that our battles are already won!  We do not have to struggle...though I'm certain that the enemy loves to make us forget that.