Taking a Banquet Break

I am deep in the middle of preparations for our big Abide banquet this weekend.  Today I have been running around picking up silent auction items and other banquet prep supplies.  Feeling a little overwhelmed, but going to choose to give it all to God and just bite off piece by piece.

As I took a break late this afternoon from everything, I was going through the posts on my Facebook today and saw this amazing video.  If we ever doubted God's grace and goodness (which after the safe arrival of my niece's triplets 17 months ago) this video proves how Awesome our God really is.  Check it out:

I can't even begin to fathom what this family went through in those harrowing moments, but I know that even when life seems to be going along pretty well, and then all of a sudden something comes to whack us from left field we never expected, it's never a surprise to God.  He permits these trials in our lives to draw us closer to Him and reveal His greatness to us.

As our family waits on God for another miracle of our own with my Step-Mom's cancer, we can rest assured that God has her in His great big hands.  Today was her second chemo treatment and I sure hope that she can kick that cancer to the curb by God's powerful "foot"... and the fervent prayers of family and friends.  Will you pray for Gelene today with us?

In This World You Will Have Trouble

Despite what the fairy-tales tell us about "Happily Ever After", life is wrought with trials and troubles, heart-break and hopelessness, especially when the dreaded word "Cancer" is brought into the situation.

Not until dear friends at church were hit with the "C" word for their 10 year old daughter, plagued with leukemia, had cancer hit close to home.  Sure there had been rumblings of cancer when Mom passed away 7-1/2 years ago, but nothing conclusive has been shown so a question mark lingered over our family history.  With the news of young Mackie's diagnosis and treatment, we were hit smack dab in the face with this ugly disease.  The first days were scary as Mackenzie's vitals were dire and infection seemed to be overtaking her young body, but something exciting started to happen within those first few weeks.  People of God began to pray and soon we began to see a shift in Mackie's health.  

As Mackie's fight began, unbeknown to the ladies of our church group, Abide, we began a study by Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer, and Beth Moore:  Faithful, Abundant, True.  The lessons being taught each week blew us away. As Mackenzie's situation came more into the light, what we were being taught about God's "rest of Faith" and His ability to "go beyond our beyond" (Eph 3:20,21) were exactly what we needed as a group of praying women to uphold our dear friends and their daughter in the fight of her young life & their family.

Soon our congregation was watching God truly do "immeasurably more than we could hope or imagine" as Mackie was given the "R" word after her first chemotherapy treatment ~ Remission.  What a sweet word!  We have been witness to God blowing us away with progress reports that are dumbfounding the medical staff.  We are praising God for His abundant grace and power!

At the time I didn't realize that while learning about the "rest of faith" and watching Mackie's family in their display of tremendous faith in the midst of the storm, that my family would soon be facing the "C" word even closer to home.  Just last week, my precious Step-Mom, who joined our family only 3-1/2 short years ago when my Dad remarried at the age of 77, was diagnosed with cancer.  Now it's our turn to rest on The One who can do "immeasurably more" and find peace, hope and comfort in the face of this dreaded disease.  

This week, "Gigi" (as my oldest nephew calls my step-Mom), is undergoing tests to figure out what she's facing and from there Dad and Gelene need to figure out logistics of treatment and keeping Dad down in the USA since his 6-months as a "snow-bird" technically ends soon.  As much as my flesh wants to freak-out and worry about this situation, my spirit tells me that God is in control.  He holds Gelene in the palm of His hands and I know He can be trusted.  I've seen miracles before and I am bent, bound and determined to pray for one on my dear Step-Mom's behalf.  We just got her... I'm not giving her up without a fight!

Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  What sweet words of comfort!  My God is big enough to overcome this world and the sin, sickness and disease that comes with it!

Please pray for both Mackie, my little 10 year old friend and my Step-Mom Gelene as they both battle this dreaded disease!  There is strength and power when the people of God band together in prayer!

Inspirational Challenge

I just turned off the t.v. after watching this week's episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC.  I'm always struck with a little guilt or shame after watching this show, similar to the feelings I had last week after going to see The Blind Side with my niece "R" and my nephew's girlfriend, "K".

The thoughts that run through my mind after watching stories of people like the woman on tonight's episode or Leigh Anne Tuohy (from The Blind Side) is "what am I doing with my life?" and unfortunately, as of tonight, I would have to say not a whole lot.

Do you ever feel like your life is insignificant and that your daily life isn't making a huge difference in the grand scheme of life?  I have.  Not having children sometimes exaggerates those feelings within me as on a daily basis it doesn't seem like I'm making a whole heck of a lot of impact anywhere.  As mothers, many of you have your purpose set out for you like the turkey on your Christmas platter.  It's easy to know daily whose life you are to make a difference in.  Teachers, counselors, pastors... they too have a more obvious "role" in changing lives.  But me... the childless homemaker working part-time... how am I changing my world?

Tomorrow I go back to work at my temporary position at the Naturopathic Clinic after being off a month.  I've loved being home and traveling with Hubby, but something within me (although dreading going back to a schedule) is ready to get back out into the world.  God hasn't called me to be a mother, a daycare teacher to many (like the lady in tonight's EMHE) or the foster parent to a homeless boy (like Leigh Anne Tuohy), but He has called me to change lives by being His Light in our dark world.

2010 is just beginning.  A fresh start.  As this new year begins, I feel challenged to embrace the message of Hope that Jesus brought that first Christmas long ago, and impart it to others.  I don't know where or what He'll ask of me, but I do know that I don't want to just sit here in the same place I am today, feeling sad and guilty that I've been hording my time and self when I could be making a difference in the lives of others.  I pray that God would challenge me, guide me and use me this year to be an inspiration to others and that like these women I've seen this week, I can make a world of difference in someone's life.

On a completely other note... and much lighter one at that... GREAT news (and another sign that God is still in the miracle business big time!)... Teddy, Josh and Emma... my 25 day old "preemie" niblings... went HOME on January 1st.  Can you believe that?  At 3 weeks old (born at 33 weeks gestation), they are HOME!  God amazes me with His goodness.  I haven't spoken to Krissy or Paul yet... just heard through the Facebook grapevine from my youngest niece... that all are home and doing well.  Sleepless and I'm sure a little overwhelmed... but doing well!  Thank you Jesus for letting us all be part of this miracle!  I personally can't wait to meet the little ones in person, but I will wait until they are a little older and stronger.  We need to keep reminding ourselves that they are supposed to still be inside Krissy's belly right now and their little immune systems haven't kicked in yet.  The fewer people they're around the better I think for now... although, if I got the call saying "Come meet them" you better believe I'll be grabbing my camera and taking off like a shot to drive the 40 minutes to their house in record time!  I'll keep you posted as I found out more info ;-)  Thanks again for your prayers for them.  I'm sure Krissy & Paul appreciate them still very much!

Landed in Toronto with My Feet Running

It has been a whirlwind week I think.  Since my last post on Monday, I have had lunch with an online friend (and one of my favorite authors) in San Jose.  She was fun, funny and just exactly as I had imagined she would be.  Thanks again Kristin for a fun day.  I hope we can do it again if I make it back to San Jose again.

Tuesday we checked out of our San Jose hotel and made our way back up the "Peninsula" as they refer to the west bay side of the Silicon Valley/San Francisco area.  After hubby finished his work on Tuesday (while I saw waiting for him in the lobby), we drove up through Half Moon Bay, and along the shore on Highway 1 into SF.  It was a little hazy so instead of going across the Golden Gate bridge, we decided to drive through the city... and drive down Lombard Street (the crookedest street).  Getting to Lombard and Hyde was a thrill in itself.  The road takes a 45 degree incline with 4-way stops along the way.  CRAZY!

We had our last dinner in California at the Elephant Bar, our new favorite restaurant in the area, then it was back to our original hotel for our last night.  Our flight on Wednesday was delayed at the gate for an hour but we still made it home a little after 10pm, not too worse for wear.

Since I've been home, Christmas prep is  in high gear.  Thursday and Friday were spent running from grocery store, to Wal-mart, a couple other stores, and the bank.  I was piecing together the pieces I will need for next week's Christmas festivities.  We're hosting Christmas dinner at our house on Friday for hubby's family.  I've also gotten most of my wrapping done which makes me happy.

This morning I pulled out the mixer, butter and flour and began my Christmas baking.  Two cookies down... many more to go!  Guess what I'm doing the first of the week?

I still have to finish Baby Joshua's gift.  I'm 2/3 done and hope to get it finished either before Christmas or before the end of the year.  Speaking of Baby Joshua ... and his siblings, Teddy and Emma... they are doing well!  Through the grapevine (my sister in NC) I have heard that they are doing SO well, that they are out of the neonatal intensive care and have actually been transferred to another hospital in their hometown.  God has been so unbelievably faithful to our family!  Thank you again for your continued prayers for these precious little ones!  I'll keep you posted on their progress, or you can use the link at the top right of my blog to go to their website "Quickly Outnumbered".

Triplets and Technology

I know I'm late in spreading this good news but better late than never they say.  Without further ado... may I introduce the newest members of my extended family... the miracles you have all been praying for...

First is Teddy (Edward John)... born 9:37am - 4lb, 0.5oz

Little Teddy

Next came our little... "Baby C"... Joshua Paul, making his entrance at 9:38am at 3lb, 6 oz.

Courageous Little Josh

And finally, Daddy's little "princess", Emma Caroline, at 9:39am, weighing 3lb, 12oz.

Sweet Emma Caroline

Mommy and babies are doing well.  The little ones are in the Neonatal unit at one of Canada's best NICU's (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).They should be home sometime around 6-8 weeks I think and still need our prayers for them to grow strong and healthy so they can go home on time, or earlier!  I know some very anxious Grandparents ready to meet their new Grandbabies in person (as well as the rest of us!)  Krissy continues to need prayer as well as she recovers from her surgery and everything she's gone through.  Her heart has held up miraculously throughout her pregnancy, although her blood pressure was very concerning through her delivery process.  God has truly had His Hand on her and these little ones.  Thanks again for standing with us in prayer.  We appreciate your prayers and your continued ones too!

So with all that excitement going on, I haven't been able to concentrate long enough to blog.  Tonight I'm writing from our hotel in Seaside, CA where hubby is working like a dog working on reports from his last week of work, and preparing for his next week's work.  We got here Thursday night after hubby's workday in Menlo Park (and I got most of my Christmas shopping done), and Friday we were able to take a little time to tour the Monterey Aquarium.  Hubby's client so graciously loaned us their aquarium guest passes for free entry.  It was amazing to see the huge amount of different species of underwater life.  At some moments I couldn't get the characters of "Finding Nemo" out of my head.  There was a whole section on Seahorses in one area which blew my mind.  Who knew there were so many varieties of Seahorses under the water?  I was really struck by God's creativity and the fact that they are all under there where not many humans ever get to see.  Even though they are hidden under hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, God created all these creatures for His own pleasure and enjoyment, so intricate and unique... just like humans.  What a Mighty God we serve!

After the aquarium we took a quick jaunt to Carmel-by-the-Sea, one of my most favorite places in the State of California!  Sigh.  The Ocean.  The Charming "Dicken's-like" cottages.  Did I mention the Ocean?!

This afternoon after I snuck away before breakfast to mail out some Christmas gifts to family down here in the States, (and hubby did hours of report-writing), we hopped in the car and drove in the sprinkling rain to Carmel Valley Village to do some Monterey area wine tasting.  It was fun and I must confess, by the end of our little tour I was a tad bit loopy from tasting so many different wines.  On the way back to the hotel the rain had stopped for a bit so we took the chance to head back to the beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  It was windy and chilly but still wonderful to see the waves crashing over the mighty Pacific.

After dinner, while hubby head straight back to his laptop (and those darn reports), I hopped online where my brother and sister-in-law were on MSN.  My brother popped us all into a chatroom and "M" shared the birth story of her new Grandbabies, while "R" sent pictures of the big day through as well as video footage when the babies were cleaned off by the hospital staff.  Absolutely breath-taking!  Having never been in a delivery room I was overcome with joy and awe... tears filling my eyes along with a massive smile on my face.  Don't you just love technology?  The fact that all the way over here on the other side of the continent, I can view pictures from my brother's laptop to mine in minutes.  I don't feel so far away and out of the loop now.

I nabbed one of the pics my brother sent through tonight that I'll leave you with today.  This sums up the joy of this week!

Mommy and Baby Emma Bonding

One More Week To Go!

Yep... only one more week to go until my 3 little great-niblings will enter this world!  Krissy just got word tonight that her C-section has been moved up a week and she will deliver her triplets by this time next Thursday (unless something happens and they have to move it to the Friday).  She is ecstatic, of course.  Paul on the other hand, while totally excited to meet his little ones, is realizing that finishing his basement that was flooded last summer has now become top priority, and a little bit of a stressor as the babies will most likely be coming home sooner than the expected February date they thought it would be.

Everything is going well in the pregnancy according to Krissy's doctors.  Praise be to God for that!  They are really happy with how everything is going and the reason for the bump in the baby schedule is that the babies have run out of stretching room.  Baby A(boy) and Baby B(girl) are estimated to be around 4.4 lbs now and Baby C(boy) is trailing at 3.4 lbs.  God has surely had His hand on that little one as the concerns of earlier seem to be not as concerning re: his umbilical cord's bloodflow.  Baby A & B have been "practice breathing" in preparation for life outside the womb as Krissy and Paul saw their little diaphrams moving up and down in today's ultrasound. 

Krissy and Pauls' entire family (extended as well) are all so excited with tonight's news and we all can't wait to meet these three little miracles.  They truly are miracles as we have watched God's healing hand touch Krissy's heart and these little bodies as they've been growing inside Krissy's womb.  Talk about a Christmas miracle this year!

Thank you to my precious blog friends for walking alongside us as our family has anticipated this blessed event.  We're in the home stretch now and do still need your prayers.  As hubby and I will be on the other side of the continent next Thursday, I'll have to update you once I get the "big" email with the details!

On sadder news, I bring another prayer request tonight.  My brother-in-law who lives in North Carolina, got word today that one of his sisters is very sick up here (in the same hospital as Krissy).  We don't have a lot of details yet but she is diabetic (has been since her youth) and she was throwing up yesterday and collapsed.  Her 20-something son found her and she was rushed to the hospital and is now in the ICU in I believe a diabetic coma.  It's not known if she had the H1N1 virus or not, but they fear that she could have water on the brain or some organ failure.  Please keep her in your prayers.  Her name is Valerie.  Thanks!

It never ceases to amaze me how this life goes.  Sorrow and joy weave throughout the fabric of life and we are constantly reminded that life is indeed frail.  Blessings to you tonight!

Seeing A Miracle in Motion

I know I told you my next post would be about my Christmas decorations, but some things just take precedence... like today's experience... seeing a miracle in motion.

Today, this barren-wombed Auntie, got to be part of seeing first hand what God has been "knitting" together inside my niece, Krissy's belly... and what a knitting project it is!

I arrived at the hospital in time for Krissy, Paul and I to enjoy a sandwich before Krissy was whisked away in a wheelchair, two floors down to the ultrasound area.  While waiting, we girls had some fun with the camera...

Krissy waiting to be taken back for her ultrasound

Me and Krissy hamming it up while Paul sat in the waiting room.

While we were goofing around with the camera, a tiny baby was wheeled into the ultrasound area, waiting for their turn.  Such a precious little one with a yellow knitted cap over his/her eyes so only the perfect little nose was poking out.  Sigh.

Soon it was Krissy's turn so I went out to join Paul in the waiting area.  About 20-30 minutes later they called us in and the show began.  3 tiny heart beats... 3 little spines.  Baby Boy A and Baby Girl B were playing hide and seek with their tiny faces, but Baby Boy C gave us a perfect view of his beautiful little face:

 

After the show was over and Krissy's belly was mopped free of the ultrasound goop, Paul pushed Krissy's wheelchair back up to the maternity ward.  While she was on her feet, I couldn't help but take a belly shot and one of the last few pictures of Krissy and Paul alone before their family physically increases.

Krissy's belly shot - Week 29

After I left the hospital at 4pm, the doctor came in with the "official" results of today's ultrasound.  Baby A weighed in at approximately 3.7 lbs, Baby B at 3.5 lbs and Baby C a smaller 2.7 lbs.  Baby C's little heart is still having irregularities, which I could see on the screen down in the ultrasound room. 

The doctor shared with Krissy & Paul  that they did a Doppler test of blood flow from the placenta to the umbilical cord and Baby C has resistance to the blood flow which is a bad thing.  This explains his lower weight I would imagine as well as perhaps his labored heart beat (at least that is my non-professional read of that).  The doctor said they did a second test, a brain Doppler where they WANT to see resistance.  Little Baby C passed this test which was good news.  They aren't sure what causes the resistance so they'll be doing another Doppler on Monday to see if Baby C's results are worse.  If he continues to struggle with this, Krissy may not make it to 34 weeks so please PRAY!!  She'll be 30 weeks this Sunday and is SO close but most important is Baby C's little heart and growth. 

It was a really special day for this Auntie and I thank Krissy & Paul so much for allowing me to tag along on this appointment.  It was extremely special to see Great-Niblings 3, 4 and 5 in utereo!

I will be back soon with the Christmas decorations... I promise!

Ba Bump

I was on the run today.  First to the chiropractor for yet another treatment to get my back in order.  The deep tissue massage he gives me with his elbow surprisingly works... as does the one hubby gives me before  he leaves for work each morning right now.

Speaking of hubby... talk about how when it rains it pours.  Remember yesterday's whiney post about how happy I was that it was Monday?  Yikes... let's just say I'm glad Monday's over too!  Around 4:15pm yesterday, after spending the afternoon at a funeral, I got a call from hubby on his way home from work.  "I just got in an accident" he tells me.  "What?  Are you okay? Is the car okay?" I quickly replied.  Hubby was in the Honda, on the highway in rush hour, bumper to bumper traffic.  He was stopped in traffic and was rear-ended by another car that had been rear-ended.  He ended up hitting the guy in front of him.  Thankfully no one was injured more than just a few bumps and maybe a stiff neck (hubby hasn't felt anything yet) and our little red Honda only has a few bumps and bruises of it's own.  Thank goodness for plastic bumpers!  The front of the car where hubby hit the guy in front of him only has a big scruff and tiny indent.  At the back, the panel of the bumper at the back driver's side has been knocked out a bit, but not enough to make the car undrivable.  An appointment has been booked at the collision center on Tuesday to fix the little red bomb up!  I had a feeling yesterday that one of us was going to be in an accident.  Don't tell me how... but I just felt it.  Darn... I should have prayed instead of just thought about it!  *smacks myself in the head*

Back to today... after my treatment at the chiro I was off and running to visit Krissy and her belly full of babies.  I had made lasagna on Friday (remember the unmelted cottage cheese lasagnas!) and stopped to pick up some bread, caesar salad and cherry pie for her and Paul to enjoy for dinner tonight... tomorrow night... the next night...

We had a great visit and I handed her a large supply of t.v. series on DVD and books to keep her occupied while she's on bedrest (or is it house arrest?).  While chatting, she let me feel one of the babies kick.  So cool!  It's moments like that I feel a little twinge at never having the opportunity to experience that but the twinge lasts only a second now.  She's feeling great and things seem to be going well.  We're all very hopeful that she'll make it to her 32-34 week date and that the babies will be strong and healthy.  God has been SO faithful already and we just praise Him for His answered prayers to date!  Thanks again to you, my dear friends, for standing with our family as we watch this miracle happen before our eyes!

After I left Krissy's, I skipped book club this week and had dinner with another niece.  "S" & I hadn't read this month's book since we couldn't find it in the bookstore and it was too late for both of us to read it.  Instead we went to a bookstore so that kind of counts, doesn't it?  "S" even bought a book... a calendar/appointment book... but a book!  Maybe next month we'll make it to book club?!

TGIM

Thank Goodness It's Monday!  Can I just tell you what a horrible weekend I just had?  OH MY GOSH!

Friday started out as a great day.  Got the new wheels out on the first real ride... over to Sally Ann's... or Salvation Army for those of  you who don't know the "slang" term..., the salon for a "trim"... more on that in a bit... and to the dealership to pick up the ownership that was missing my name along with hubby's and to exchange a cargo net for a cargo tray.  It went from mediocre to terrible by the end of the weekend and I was thrilled to wake up this morning with last weekend behind me.  Grab a cuppa and let me whine for just a bit if you please!

So... I hop in my shiny new SUV and head off to Salvation Army to drop off a bunch of stuff we'd had in the garage for what felt like FOREVER.  It was only a few blocks from my hairdresser so it was perfect - kill two birds with one stone.  I need to renew my passport so I thought... "I think I'll get a trim".  I'm in the chair praising my hairdresser and the salon for a wonderful job every time and blah, blah, blah.  I told her I'd never come home not liking my hair... that is... until that day.  Now, here's the part where you tell me... "It doesn't look that bad" or "I like it" or whatever else you might want to say to make me feel better, but to me, the little "trim" felt like a scalping.  I went from this...

Last Thursday's "Do"

to this...

New passport pic from today

Now, I realize that in my new passport picture I'm not smiling (it's not allowed) and I look OLD (or at the very least my "middle-aged" age)... and when I'm not feeling terrible like I did on the weekend it's truly not as heinous as I made it out to be but I am a drama queen... and rather vain to boot so there you have it! That was my "trim"... it is much shorter at the back btw.

At the dealership Friday, what was supposed to be a quick run in to pick up stuff and exchange stuff turned into waiting around for over an hour.  Not fun but oh well.  As I hopped in and out of the new vehicle Friday though, that stiff neck from earlier in the week turned into a HUGE muscle spasm in my lower back.  Grocery shopping Friday afternoon was excruciating and  my back only proceeded to get worse as the weekend went on.

Saturday was a pretty slow day with not much to show for it.  I did though watch HGTV in the morning and realized that I really quite like that station and it's real estate/home improvement shows.  Hmm... who knew?  Saturday night, hubby and I went to the movies with friends and I must warn you as your movie reviewer extraordinare... Do Not... I repeat DO NOT... waste your time, money, anything... on going to see The Invention of Lying.  It was terrible... and I really like Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner.  It was crude, rude and spiritually offensive and had we not been with friends, hubby and I would have walked out.  I apologized profusely for suggesting it.  I felt dirty and sinful just sitting there... and I'm no prude!  My official rating... BLECH!

After the movie our friends came back to our place for some carrot cake & a drink.  As I served up the cake I noticed it was all gooey on the bottom.  I thought it may have been the cake mix since I had used one that had been in my cupboard for I'm not sure how long... a year ... maybe two?  Thankfully it had yummy cream cheese icing on top so it was satisfactory at best and some even had a second piece.

Sunday was the worst day of the weekend.  I was in brutal pain when I got up with my back so I stayed home from church.  Couldn't imagine sitting for 90 minutes on a hard wooden pew.  Hubby & a friend prayed for me at the front of the church after the service and I have to say... my back improved immensely!

I had offered to bake cookies for a funeral at the church happening today (Monday) so after The Nephew (who is living with us again) and I cut up some veggies and I threw together the remaining ingredients for stew I began my baking.  The first batch went in the oven and when I pulled them out at the buzzer's annoying buzz, I noticed the tops were brown (which they usually are not) but the bottoms were kinda gooey.  Again with the gooey bottoms... what is going on?  I called hubby and being the brilliant engineer he is, he noticed that the bottom element in my oven wasn't hot.  DOH!  That would explain a) the carrot cake disaster from Sat nite and b) the fact that the cottage cheese in Friday night's lasagna didn't melt.  I had a little meltdown and then hubby suggested I stop my rant and call the neighbor and ask if I could borrow her oven.  I am a submissive wife you know (hee hee)and so I did as he suggested and my neighbor was gracious and let me bake my cookies at her house.  It wasn't until I opened her oven to take out the first batch (which I put in for a few minutes more to do the bottoms) that it donned on me that the burst of hot air in my face was indeed missing from my own oven.  Again... DOH!

As a thank you to J, I offered her not only some cookies once I got them home and iced, but also some of the beef stew we would be eating for dinner.  As Murphy's Law days go though, the carrots and potatoes were taking their sweet time to cook and it wasn't until after 9pm (and we three at home had already devised a Plan B for dinner) that I showed up at J's door with beef stew in a bowl for her and her sister to share.  Oy!  Is it bedtime yet? lol

Needless to say, I was incredibly happy (well actually that's not true... I was pretty blue after the emotional roller coaster of a day... make that weekend) to get into bed and bid this weekend good riddance!

One highlight I forgot to share though was from last Thursday, before the weekend started.  It was 1:30pm, right before we were heading to the dealership to pick up the vehicle.  Hubby walked in the door from work with these...

Just Because Flowers

Now it's Monday and I'm hoping the week is a far cry from the weekend!  One thing that's improved... my back isn't as sore.  Prayer works!!

I DO Know the Way to Santa Fe

... and it's sitting in my driveway this very minute.  Yep.  We picked up our brand spanking new SUV this afternoon!  It's so shiny... and pretty... and ours...after only 60 payments!

We left home in this, our 2000 Protege and the very first car we bought together as a couple...

and came home in this, our new Hyundai Santa Fe...

It took Gene, our salesman, about an hour to go through everything with us.  While sitting at his desk, Hubby noticed a few cards and signs on his workspace walls with Scripture verses.  "Gene's a Christian", he said.  Very cool!  As we stood outside with Gene, keys in hand about ready to step in and drive our new vehicle off the lot, Gene asks us, "Are you people of prayer?"  "We sure are" we replied.  "Then let's lay hands on your new vehicle before you leave" Gene said.  And with that, a prayer of blessing was given over our new vehicle by the man sent from God to help us in our journey.

I fully believe God was in this entire process.  For you friends who have been reading my blog all summer, you know what a long, arduous task, shopping for a vehicle has been.  That fateful Saturday in mid-September, as we were preparing to decide on a used Ford Escape, I just felt strongly in my spirit that we were supposed to go to Hyundai before Ford.  Now I see fully that God had placed that feeling inside me and for a reason.  My prayer today is one of gratitude for God's very abundant provision of this vehicle.  I also pray that we would use it to bring Him glory and for His service.  It actually is His and He's just loaning it to us after all!

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

Couple of other quick things before I go.

1.  There's an update on Krissy's visit to the cardiologist over at their blog - Quickly Outnumbered for you to check in on if you've been following the progress of my great-niblings-to-be.

2.  After some thought and an act of mercy to my non-reality tv addicted friends, I have started up a new blog strictly for my ramblings of  reality t.v.  Come check out my new The Armchair Reality Review.

Meme Mania Friday

Where has the week gone?  I was so busy practically living at the car dealership that I forgot to do the Random Dozen Meme this week.  Before I get to that and the Friday Fill-in though just want to catch you up to date on a few things.

No news yet on how Krissy made out with her surgery.  If Paul hasn't updated his blog in the next few hours I'll probably call my sister-in-law to check in and see how it went.  No news is good news they say so I'll remain positive that all went well!

The car decision has been made... the bank draft handed over... and the licensing and insurance are underway on.... will I make them wait until it arrives???  No, I can't do that to my faithful friends and readers!  But maybe I'll wait another paragraph or two... I know... such a tease! 


Before the big reveal though... I'm interested to know which you think we picked.  Not what you would pick, but let's see what you know of me and my hubby so far from reading the blog.  Which do you think WE picked?  I'll reveal the answer at the bottom of the post after the Memes.  I really am drawing this out aren't I?  (evil laugh)

On to the Memes...









1. Please share one middle school memory. It can be good, bad, ugly, funny. Pictures or words, I don't care, just share.  Wow... middle school... do I even remember that far back?  Oh yes... In Gr 6 or 7, The Donny and Marie Show was BIG!  My friend, Heather, and I would run around the school yard singing "I'm a Little Bit Country; I'm a Little Bit Rock 'N Roll".  She was Donny while I was Marie.  Who knew that I'd actually be a little bit country when I grew up (both in my decorating style and music style).



2. What's your favorite Beatles song?  We had an organ book at home with Beatles tunes and I LOVED playing and singing "When I'm 64".

3. If I asked you to describe your most comfortable outfit, what would it be?  If I'm home, my most comfy outfit is sweats and a t-shirt.  Outside the house - jeans and t-shirt.  I'm a casual girl!

4. Would you rather host a party or be a guest?  I like to host a party because a) I love to entertain and b) I'm sometimes shy (which is hard to believe if you actually know me well) and entertaining allows you to busy yourself away from the crowd if shyness kicks in and c) I'm a bit of a control freak.

5. Do you think we will move completely from traditional books to digital ones, and if we do, are you OK with that?  This is a tough one.  I don't think in the near future we'll be moving away from traditional books, but as we've seen in the magazine market, it's certainly heading that way in the future.  I would be sad to see books gone.  As much as I love my electronic entertainment, I find it hard to focus when reading on a machine like my laptop.  I don't own a Kindle and not sure if I want one, although the convenience of having all your books in one place (and NOT in huge storage bins in my garage) seems kinda nice.  I'll probably change my mind on that one soon ;-)

6. Do you learn best by reading, listening or experiencing?  Depends on what it is but reading and experiencing are my best ways to learn.  I hate to admit it... I'm a terrible listener.

7. If you are (or when you were) single, what is the kiss of death for you concerning the opposite sex? (That is, what is one trait or behavior or habit or anything at all that immediately turns you off from considering that person a potential match for you?)  Arrogance!  If a guy's ego is so big that there is no room for you in the car because of it... I was OUT!  I didn't want to hear about how much money he had, or how successful he was, or how all the chicks clamor to be near him and oh how lucky I am to be dating him.  I wanted my guy to be sweet, gentle, considerate and not a macho-man's man with an ego to boot.

8. Snacks. Salty or sweet?  Both!  Two favs - Milk Duds and S&V chips... although not together ;-)  I actually have a terrible sweet tooth and like anything, salty or sweet, that's not good for me.

9. Look around you in a four foot radius. What object is around you that you didn't realize was there or forgot was there? How long has it been there?  Hmmm... I don't know about this one.  I don't think I have an answer.  Darn it all!

10. What is your favorite Tom Cruise movie?  Not a huge Tom fan, especially after he left Nicole Kidman.  Guess it's because of Nicole that my favorite TC movie is "Far and Away".  I like the story and the scenery... and I think I probably watch it more for her than him.  I also like The Firm.  I'm very much a pre-weirdo, Tom fan.

11. You buy a bottle of shampoo and discover that you don't like what it does to your hair at all. What do you do with that full bottle?  It probably sits in my cupboard until I can't stand the clutter anymore and then I throw it out. Never thought to use it for anything else.  Hmmm.

12. Your favorite Fall comfort food? (Last week it was beverage.)  Cream of Potato Soup with toast croutons.  Pumpkin Pie.

You can play along with Linda and her friends by clicking on the meme button above.  It's fun!  Now on to the Friday Fill-ins:







And...here we go!

1. One week ago I was getting over a cold and feeling very stuffed up and fuzzy in the head.

2. I couldn't wait to grow up when I was young.  What was I thinking?

3. Mama told me not to pray for patience ~ God always answers that one.  I did pray for patience and I did have to wait for A LOT of things in my life ~ some that came to be, others that didn't.  But in hindsight... I'm glad I prayed for patience.  I wouldn't be who I am today had it not been for sitting with God in the waiting room all that time.

4. We are created in God's image you and me.

5. Take your time and get to really know the people God places in your lives.  Some will make you grow.  Others will grow because of you.  We're all in this together so let's help each other be the best we can be!

6. This world will pass!  Are you ready to meet your Maker?  


And now... drum roll please...  the answer to the question on all of your enquiring minds...  this... is... what... we... chose....

2009 Santa Fe ~ Khaki

I'll take pictures when we pick it up.  We are having a sunroof installed so it may take a few days extra.  I'll keep you posted on that!  Sigh... now to get back to "normal" life!

Friday Fill-ins and Follow Up

Do I begin with Friday Fill-ins or Follow Up, I wonder as I sit here tapping on my computer keys. Let's do this in order of importance I conclude.

Follow Up: Triplets

Paul (since he's used their names in their blog I guess I don't have to use "code" anymore) has updated their blog on the latest Triplets news. You can read the whole update at their blog, Quickly Outnumbered, or I'll give you a quick update here. If you choose to go to their site you'll see the latest belly shot though!

This week Krissy felt the babies for the first time. SO exciting and if I'm honest I'm just a titch jealous, considering I will never know what that feels like... but it's not about me! She is now 21 weeks so they are well on their way... Lord willing. They had an appointment today at the specialist and there were two minor concerns that came up for your needed prayers. Here's what Paul wrote at his blog:

"...the first is that 'Baby C' had a bright spot in his small baby bowel. It could be nothing, and is often discovered to be just that, nothing. It could also be a few other things, an infection or a sign of more serious things (Ie. cystic fibrosis, or other things...) The docs decided that we should do some blood work to try to rule some things out - just to be sure. The chances of the 'brightness' being something serious is small, but there's always a chance...."

The other concern Paul mentioned is that Krissy's cervix has started to open a little which is TOO EARLY. She will return next week to the doctor to see if it has opened further. She may need a stitch in there to keep it closed and she is now off work and home to rest.

Please pray for the continued safety of Krissy & her pregnancy. Her appointment with the heart specialist is Sept 30 as well. Lots of prayer needs right now for my precious niece, hubby and unborn babies!

Follow Up: Survivor Samoa Premiere

It's great to see another season of Survivor in all it's HD glory. It's worth watching just for the scenery and this year's opening... I thought poor Jeff Probst was going to get whisked away in the South Pacific surf.

Can I just say that I already have a cast member I ... well... hate. Okay... hate is too strong a word. If this particular castaway... cough... Russell H.... cough... were to say... get bitten by a shark and had to be taken off in a helicopter for reconstructive surgery anytime soon I wouldn't be heartbroken. This guy is a piece of work. In the first 20 seconds of landing on the sandy shores of Samoa, he is off with like 5 different women making alliances. "It's just you & me to the end". Uh... ya! Sure. He brags about being this multi-millionaire who doesn't need the cash as he burns people's socks in the fire. Um... isn't there a rule about destroying people's personal property? Whatever! I'm hoping the hype they've made of him doesn't mean he'll be around long because something tells me, if he is around awhile, I may just hate this season of Survivor.

I was sad to see Marisa voted off, especially after seeing a bit of her bio on the TV Guide Survivor Premiere Special on YouTube. You can check it out HERE. She was a really sweet kid with a heart of gold and didn't deserve to be backstabbed by Russell H and his evil ways.

It's too early to pick my favorites but I'll be back next week with more on my take of Survivor Samoa! I know you'll be holding your breath until then!


Friday Fill-Ins:

And...here we go!

1. My car has been stolen... by my adorable hubby whose car is terminally ill, leaving me stranded at home until we find a replacement vehicle.

2. Dancing with the Stars is coming up next week and I can't wait to see Donny Osmond dance with Kym Johnson.

3. Lately, things seem a little boring, as I recover from a cold this week.

4. Inside my bedside table is one of my favorite 'hiding' places for things I like to keep hidden from my hubby... like little surprises for him... and snacks I don't want to share ~ hee hee.

5. What happened to the seriousness of marriage vows... seems like every day you hear of someone else whose marriage is on the rocks. Today it was Avril Lavigne.

6. Plotting in fiction writing is not impossible! I will keep telling myself this until my next two assignments are done!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hubby's help on my first assignment, tomorrow my plans include probably car shopping... or sending hubby off while I stay home and knit/work on my assignment and Sunday, I want to watch the Emmy's at night!

Your turn... what's your Friday Fill-ins?

Back For A Quick Link

For those of you praying for my niece and her hubby and their unborn triplets, their blog is updated and you can check in on them at Quickly Outnumbered. Feel free to "Follow" them if you'd like. The more the merrier is their thoughts!

K & the babies are doing well and the doctors are pleased with her progress so please keep your prayers up for them! We so hope & pray to meet our latest niblings come this Fall!

Thanks so much & have a great night!

Friday Fill-ins and Fun Stuff

I want to start tonight by sending a HUGE Thank you to all you wonderful blog friends for your prayers for K & P and the rest of her extended family during this scary time. I don't have anything to update today, although my SIL did call but I couldn't find the phone so I missed her. When I called back seconds later she was on the other line so I'm waiting for her to call back. If there is some big news to share, I'll either add it to the end of this post, or start a new one.

So... after much toiling and frustration, I FINALLY got my assignment done for this week. If you follow me on Twitter or FB you know I've been whining about my assignment all week and the needle in a haystack search for clumsy POV (point of view) in novels. Seriously, now who am I to critique published authors? Are they serious? lol After searching through dozens of novels and days of time okay, maybe not full days, I mean after all I do have catching up on the Bachelorette message board and Spider Solitaire that needs my attention. Can you tell I was just a titch distracted by overwhelm? Not to mention, all this was happening simultaneously with K's heart issue news and trying to pack us up for vacation. There's only so much this old brain can take in one week!

So, through it all, the bags are almost completely packed ~ all but toiletries and my laptop I think. Tomorrow morning we leave at the crack of dawn for the Boston area where hubby has business early next week before we head down to the Carolinas for vacation. I'll have my laptop with me so as I'm able, I'll update as we go along.

News Flash... Just got off the phone with my SIL and tonight we have a little good news... although K's heart health remains precarious, God in His goodness today gave K & P some good news at their 16 week ultrasound. Baby A is a boy, Baby B is a girl, and Baby B is a boy! My brother, upon hearing that news said K's having 2 boys and a princess and I immediately thought that Baby Girl is sandwiched in between her 2 brothers, already being protected by them! All 3 have strong heartbeats the doctor said and they all seem to be the same size. I thought you'd all want to share in the joyful news as we continue to pray for the other issues K faces in her pregnancy. This news sure was balm for the hurting hearts of the family today and proves yet again God is SO good.

So... I think on that high note we'll just get to our Friday Fill-in for this week. Wanna play?

And...here we go!

1. When will we find out who the new Bachelor is? I'm hoping it's my "crush" Reid from last season, but then if it's someone else I may just be broken of my Bachelorette/Bachelor addiction.

2. Take One by Karen Kingsbury was the last good book I read or (The Proposal)movie I saw or (Big Brother) tv show I watched.

3. Everything has its beauty but often it truly is in the eye of the beholder.

4. A Quiznos sub that hubby picked up is what I had for dinner.

5. I'd like your continued prayers for my niece K during her pregnancy.

6. Right here is where I want to be right now. Now tomorrow is a different story :-D

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hopefully sleeping well, tomorrow my plans include driving with hubby to Boston suburbs and Sunday, I want to celebrate ~ it's my birthday!!

Okay... your turn to play the Friday Fill-in.

Praying for a Miracle

I became an Aunt when I was 8 years old. Seventeen years ago this week I became a Great-Aunt. I kid often that I always knew I was a great aunt but when my first great-nibling was born it was made official!

Having a large, fertile, family has provided 15 fabulous niblings (siblings' kids/nieces&nephews) ranging in age from 36 to 13 (and 2 great-niblings as well, 17 & 5). I have been blessed to have close relationships with all of these wonderful young men and women through various chapters of their lives. In June, one of my nieces, "K", called to share exciting news of a new chapter in her life. She and her hubby of 4 years, "P" are expecting... triplets. Along with the shock of this news, came great excitement that our family was growing once again with 3 precious little miracles on the way.

Yesterday, my sister-in-law, (K's mom) called with troubling news. K has a heart problem ~ bicuspid aortic valve disorder. She's had this issue since she was a wee girl. I remember this because on a sunny, September day when I was 21, my Mom and I were in a head-on car collision. I was taken to a different hospital than my Mom (she had a head injury and needed to go to a different hospital specialized in head injuries). My oldest sister came to pick me up at the hospital I was in and she & I ran into my oldest brother, his wife and little K who was also there that day for one of K's specialist appointments.

In the past 20 some years since that day, our family hasn't discussed much of K's heart issue, mostly because it hasn't needed to be discussed, but that changed with yesterday's call. K is 16 weeks pregnant with her triplets and after a visit to her doctor, there is not great concern. K's aortic tube is enlarged. A normal tube is 2cm in diameter. K's is 4.7cm. Normally, when an aortic tube is 4.5cm the patient is scheduled for open heart surgery, but because K is pregnant, that's not possible.

K & P's doctor suggested if they wanted, they could terminate one or more of the babies which they declined. I can't blame them at all, especially after how long and hard they tried to have these little ones. But with this decision to continue the pregnancy comes greater risk. K is not allowed ANY stress. How does one anticipate without stress carrying triplets, all while dealing with a deadly heart condition, oh and don't forget the flooded basement a few weeks ago that destroyed many of their belongings? Okay. No stress. Right!

What makes this so dangerous for K is that not only the high-risk of triplets themselves, but with pregnancy comes increased blood flow pumping through her heart which increases the risk of an aortic anyerusim which could kill K.

K's doctor has encouraged her to decrease her workload and I'm sure eventually she'll be on full bed rest. They plan to take the babies out at 24 weeks, giving them steroid shots to help develop their little lungs. Soon after she delivers these little ones, K will need to have open heart surgery to spare her own life.

I don't think I was much comfort to my sil yesterday on the phone. I can't imagine the terror she felt as K's Mom and future Grandma to K's triplets. Not being a Mom I can't even imagine being told this news and the possibility of your child's life being taken at any time due to this internal problem. As much as I adore my niblings, I don't think I'll ever know that love between a parent and child in that way.

Needless to say though, we are all very concerned. This is one of those times where the rubber meets the road in our faith ~ believing that God is Who He says He is and that He can do a miracle. Trusting in God's goodness and His faithfulness is imperative at this time, no matter what happens ahead. As serious as the situation is, I do feel a peace that God has this all under control. God is not surprised that K has a heart problem, nor is He unaware that she is carrying 3 babies inside her body. He has permitted these things and I trust that He has a purpose and a plan for K & P & their family. If I have learned anything in the past 14 years of my journey of learning to trust God it's this... He is worthy of our trust and He is good... even when it doesn't feel like it!

May I ask you, my precious blog friends, to join with me in praying for my family. For K and P, R & M (my bro & sil) and the entire extended family. May God grant us a miracle in keeping K safe through her pregnancy and in the safe arrival in early Oct (or later hopefully) of the triplets. May He teach us that He is good, and that His will is always what is best for us, even when it doesn't make human sense. Pray as God leads you and on behalf of K, P, R, M and myself... THANK YOU and God bless you!!