Crazy week.....

This past week in the hospital has been crazy, crazy, crazy! Lauren came in 2 weeks ago with a bad migraine that radiated to her stomach. She was put on an IV to rest her GI system and they tried out different things to relieve her migraine. They decided to try her on Topamax (a medication to help keep her from getting migraines so bad). She was started on the medication last Saturday...by the next evening she was so dizzy that she could not stand! All last week, she had to be helped to the bathroom and had to use a wheelchair to go anywhere else. The dizziness also made her very nauseous. I finally convinced the doctors (since Dr. M was out of the country) to take her off the new medication. They did on Thursday and I hoped her dizziness would improve...it did not. They called in Neurology to try and help us figure out what is causing Lauren to be so dizzy. I got frustrated with them over the week-end and was elated today when Dr. Muenzer got back into town! He met with the neurologist and her GI doctor to discuss what is going on with Lauren and what they can do. The neurologist told us that Lauren doesn't have any sensation in the bottom of her feet and they want to do more testing to see what might be going on. She had an MRI but it looked normal (thank goodness). They still need to figure out what is causing Lauren to be dizzy...I am still not convinced that it wasn't the medicine and it is just going to have to work it's way out of Lauren's system. At any rate, everyone is putting their heads together to figure out how to get Lauren thru this and back to normal. We have already been here two weeks and I fear we may be here for a couple of weeks longer given what is going on. I am hopeful we will get to the bottom of this quickly though and we can go home very soon! it has been crazy around here though the last week or so and seeing Dr. Meunzer today was like manna from Heaven for me! Hopefully they will be able to get to the bottom of what has been going on with her so we can get it resolved! Life keeps us hopping all the time!!!

Back to our second home.....

Even after all these years of going in and out of hospitals, I still don't like to work hospital visits into our life when I am planning for a school year or just putting us on a schedule. I should though...because we are always coming in to the hospital and if I put a plan together for when we come in then it would be easier to deal with. I actually tried to do that this time. I feel like I am in a better place because of that.....hospital visits are still not fun and I STILL wish that we could actually come in to the hospital and leave in a reasonably short amount of time but I know that is not the case so I tried really hard this time to plan for the actual time that we will be here. Planning to stay a long time does not mean by any means that I want to be here that long but it makes me not get so anxious as the days wear on. Lauren has been doing AMAZINGLY well this hospital visit but today she is starting to wane a little. They have not been able to get her migraine or stomach pain under control and that is proving to be wearing on her some. She knows it will get better...she just doesn't know when and that can take it's toll. But...she is trying to stay optimistic about it and that is half the battle! I love my family for their patience as we trudge thru yet another long stay.....we will get thru this one like we have all the others...with love, patience, and faith!

Grown up!

I have been thinking the last 2 weeks a lot about how fast time is flying by! My kids are all growing up faster than I would like and seeing Emily entering college and going off to Institute each week is making me feel like "where did all the time go?" I didn't realize until recently one day when I was looking at Emily that she is all grown up! I'm so proud of the beautiful, spiritual, well rounded young woman she has become. She reminds me so much of her dad in her quiet, gentle strength. There are so many things that I want to make sure she understands and knows and I wonder if we have instilled in her all that she needs to be successful in life. I remember when she was born and I would wonder what it would be like when she graduated from highschool and now that I am here, it seems like the years went way too fast. I think about those years and a big part of me wishes I had them back and wishes I could have done some things much better but I am so thankful she has turned out so well! In one week Michael will turn 13 and I will have all teenagers! Life continues to move forward whether I want to stop it or not and I hope and pray that we can continue to teach our children correct principles and that all of them will one day be able to govern themselves and be the righteous, faithful adults we are trying so hard to send out into the world! Emily is now beginning adult life and I am so blessed to be able to say that we are sending her out into the world with a firm, unshakeable testimony and a strong desire to do the Lord's will in her life. Her roots are planted firmly in the ground, now it is time for me to let go and give her the wings she so richly deserves!!!

4 Years!

It's been 4 years since I had to say good-bye to my precious little boy. I still miss the sound of his voice and I miss him everyday! I wish I could see him....if only for a minute.

Sometimes....

Sometimes there are no words to express the feelings in my heart....there are many times I experience things while Lauren is in the hospital that squeeze my heart and bring me many tears but I rarely share those times....sometimes because they are sacred, sometimes because they are too tender to share, and sometimes there is no way to express those feelings in words. I oft times use too many words and I think about Noah when he would say, "no more words, Mommy"...sometimes, we just have to trust in the Lord and walk forward with blind, total faith. Those times are hard and each step is painful and at sometime in the future, we will understand.....but for now there are no words.....

Emotional....

I know we come to the hospital a lot and I am grateful for all the love and help that we receive from so many, especially everyone on 6 childrens at UNC Childrens. They are wonderful and amazing and my heart is always touched by their outpouring of love and attention to Lauren. I am also very thankful for her fantastic doctor who fusses over her as if she was his own..they are true blessings; however there are also reasons why I HATE coming into the hospital....it always stirs up painful memories for me. I do not like seeing my child in pain and having to watch that process and feeling helpless is very hard for me and the pain of losing Noah always bubbles right back up to the surface and my emotions can easily erupt...I hate that! I try so hard to keep everything in perspective but there is always that moment when things are calm during the night that the tears come and the pain returns. I deal with it like I always do but somedays, like today, my heart feels tender and as I look at other little ones on the floor, I long to be able to hug and see my little boy. It's just a wish and then I manage to tuck the pain back inside and move ahead again. Hospitals bring out my emotions and I don't always like having to deal with them while I am trying to get Lauren better. I'll be glad when we are finally able to go home again!

COUNTDOWN TO VACATION.....

Well, it seems like each year we are racing the clock to get on vacation and here we are again...Lauren was brought back into the hospital last Wednesday for hopefully what would be a short visit to get her stomach pain under control...well, I don't know why I EVER expected it to be a short visit! Bless her heart, her stomach just does not cooperate with any of us. Today the doctors are planning to scope her (upper and lower) to see if there is anything there that might be new or they missed. If they don't find anything, then they will reassess her and try to figure out how to get this stomach pain under control. At any rate, I told Dr. M yesterday that we are on the countdown to vacation....as of today it is 26 days to vacation.....we are gonna make it...everyone count and pray with us!!! :) Hopefully Lauren will be up and feeling better very soon....that's what I am praying for! Love you all!!!

Ready for the Summer!

The last month has been a rollercoaster in our family and definitely has me looking forward to summer! After Lauren's snafu with the med port on the j-tube and getting thru that, then Michael got sick with a bug and his blood sugar dropped dangerously low which required us to rush him to the hospital by ambulance in the wee hours of the morning....grateful for priesthood blessings and for our wonderful specialist at Chapel Hill! Mikey and I spent 5 days in the hospital while he recovered from the virus bug he had and he bounced back wonderfully! His mother, however, is VERY VERY TIRED and worn down from the recent events but am finally starting to recover! Our annual vacation to Lakewood Camping Resort is a little over a month away and and I can HARDLY WAIT! I need some time to retreat, soak up some sun, spend time with my family and feel the solace that the ocean brings to me. I am very thankful for the blessings the Lord continually showers me with and for good friends who remind me of all the good things in my life! I went visiting teaching today and came home feeling not only grateful for the wonderful women I have the privilege of visiting teaching but for my adorable companion who I share a wonderful bond with. I am grateful for my fantastic husband who's strength never ceases to amaze me. His enthusiasm for his "crop circle" garden is infectious and we are all working together in our family to make it a success! Below is a picture of our growing garden...I'm so proud of it and look forward to getting lots of produce this summer! Bring on the canning....let the Summer begin!!!!

Uncomfortable!

Well, this morning reminded me once again why I HATE any type of tube! This morning Lauren's pump beeped off for me to flush her and when I went in to do so her bed was wet and I noticed that her med port on the j-tube had come undone! I immediately flushed her, closed her med port and started her feeds again. She was extremely pale and when we checked her bloodsugar, it was 32. We were able to rouse her but she was unable to focus or know what was going on around her. Jeff immediately gave her a blessing and I ran for the cake frosting. I couldn't find any at first so I poured some coke and we got it down her. Her bloodsugar didn't come up after a few minutes but went down a little instead...then we remembered the cupcakes...we scraped frosting off of them and Jeff forced her mouth open while we rubbed cake frosting in her cheeks. I was just getting ready to access her and give her D-50 when we checked another BS and it had come up into the 40's. We knew then that she was on her way back up. She was still not responding really well to us but we got her up and walked her to our room and she layed on our bed while I stripped hers and helped her change out of her wet pjs. I was so very frightened! After we saw she was back up to normal and I could take a breath again, I called Dr. Muenzer and told him about the events of the morning. He, like Jeff and I, is desperate to find a solution so this won't happen again. We came so close to losing her again this morning and after things calmed down I went into the bathroom, knelt down and thanked Heavenly Father for looking out for her and for priesthood power that exist in our home. I am thankful that Jeff honors his priesthood and is worthy to give blessings anytime day or night. My comfort level with this tube has gone way down and I will struggle to find a balance again. I will be up all night long checking on her because I will worry! Libbi was over at Momma's house and she came and spent the morning with me and Lauren while everyone else went to church. It was so comforting to me to have her here. I am blessed with a wonderful family. Jeff told me earlier he is more worried about me at this point because I am so stressed out. I know Heavenly Father is watching out for her and for that I am grateful but my mother's heart holds a lot of worry. I will try very hard to turn that fear to faith. I am thankful for the blessings of the gospel. They strengthen me in every way!

Settled!

Right now our life is somewhat settled and I am loving it!! Sometimes I spend so much time worrying about when the "other shoe" is going to drop that I don't enjoy the peaceful periods in our life; however, right now I am trying to focus on the present and enjoy each day! Lauren is doing amazingly well with the J-tube and her lab work reflects that! She still has migraines but we can't control them when weather fronts decide to come! We just have to work thru them! Michael is doing wonderful and he is happy which makes it great! This is Emily's last year of school and she is really finishing up strong! She takes her compass test on Wednesday to get into Wake Tech and she is going to get her massage therapy license and then continue on to get her degree in physical therapy. It is so great to see her taking control of her future and making plans. She is loving and compassionate and we are so thrilled with the wonderful young woman she is turning out to be! Life is good for her! Jeff is busy and happy at work and I am trying to do some "spring cleaning" to get my house in order! Right now we are enjoying this "peaceful" time and are grateful for the blessings the Lord continues to send into our lives daily. We feel the windows of Heaven opened to us in so many ways! Yes, life is good and I do not take that for granted...ever!!!

General Conference

Conference week end is always our favorite and we look forward to it twice a year! On those week-ends, we gather our family together, have a late breakfast, spread the blankets around and get comfortable and listen to the wise counsel we receive from our righteous leaders. Jeff always cooks out hamburgers and we make good desserts, Grandma and Gramps come over and we just enjoy being together as a family! It is our chance to take time out of our busy hectic lives and do what matters most. We were blessed this year to have Jacob and Brittany join us for all the sessions of conference and it was so much fun to hear Jacob's thoughts on the different speakers. We watched "Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration" in between sessions on Sunday and it reminded me of how thankful I am for what he did so I can have the blessings of the gospel today. I always hate for the week-end to end...I am uplifted and determined to try harder to live as Heavenly Father wants me to. I felt even more blessed this week-end as this was the first time in 2 years that my family was together for our tradional conference week-end...the last 2 years, I have been in the hospital with one of the kids and had to watch it on the computer so this was especially nice for me! I am reminded of things I need to do better and re-committed to the things I am already striving to do! There are wonderful blessing all around and I am thankful for a living a prophet to show us the way to make it safely back home!!!

NERVOUS!!!

Last night a member of our stake presidency called me and asked to me to take the assignment to speak at the Saturday night session of stake conference in 2 weeks! I am so nervous about it but honored to have the opportunity to speak. I will be spending much time praying, pondering and studying the topic I have been assigned! My only hope is that I will be able to have the spirit with me so that I can speak the things the Lord wants them to hear. I am grateful to share my testimony with others and am thankful for the blessings the Lord continues to pour into my life!

Family Update!

I don't ever send out christmas letters updating everyone on our family but I figured I would do that on the blog so that those that want to know how our family is doing can read it, and those that aren't interested don't have to click and read!!!

Jeff: 2010 proved to be a tough year for him with the economy being so unstable. He left CD Corp back in the spring, did some consulting work and then got a job offer to come back to Constrata in September. In January, he was asked to take the position of Operations Manager and is once again busy doing what he loves to do. It is nice to see him happy and fulfilled at work. He is also busy serving in his calling at church and loves serving the Lord! He keeps us all on track at home and sets a perfect example of Christlike love for us to follow. He is my rock!

Jean: 2010 kept me on an emotional roller coaster with so many changes in our family happening all at once. I spent many hours on my knees asking for divine guidance as we went thru job loss, hospitalizations and keeping our kids on track with school. Heavenly Father's hand has been upon our family though as we never went without a way to meet our obligations, had wonderful doctors taking care of the kids, and everyone is progressing in school as they should. The housework seems to never end and there is always something for me to worry over but 2011 has started with blessings being poured out from above so I am grateful more than anything! I love my family and being a mother and wife is the biggest blessing in my life.

Emily: This is her last year in highschool and I can hardly believe it! It seems like only yesterday when we sent her to kindergarten! Time goes by way too fast! She earned her YW Medallion in the fall of 2010 and we were so proud of all the hard work she did to accomplish it. She serves on the stake YAC and loves being involved with planning and carrying out events. She continues to maintain the highest standards and sets a perfect example for her brother and sister to follow. She is filled with compassion and we are so blessed to be her parents! She strengthens all those around her.

Lauren: 2010 was a very hard year for Lauren! She spent the month of March, the month of August, and half of September, October and most of November in the hospital. She struggled with unrelenting stomach pain and finally at the end of September the doctors discovered that her stomach muscles and nerves had quit functioning. She went thru much testing and finally surgery to place a j-tube to be fed continuously thru. She had some scary moments in the hospital but was well taken care of and loved by the wonderful staff of Nurses at UNC Children's. Her doctors are amazing and fuss over her like she is their own. Since she has been home, she has steadily improved and her faith and testimony of the power of prayer and the priesthood have increased tremendously. She has had courage in the face of fear and overcome all the obstacles that were in front of her. Just this past week we were told that her labs were the best they have ever been. She is clearly being blessed by the Lord. So happy to see her healthy and happy!

Michael: In 2010 he turned 12 and received the Aaronic Priesthood. It was a wonderful blessing for us to see him worthy to hold the priesthood and a blessing to see him pass the sacrament and learn his duties as a deacon! He loves scouting and his happy, optimistic view on life is contageous! He continues to wow us with his ability to write and he loves to read all the time. He gave his first sacrament talk a few weeks ago and blew us away with his understanding of the scriptures! We are blessed to have such a joyful son in our home!

Noah: He is not with us physically but he made his presence known to us this year as he watched over his sister. When she had a medical crisis, he was there to comfort and assure her that all was well! His powerful influence and example in our lives brings us peace and we look forward to the day when we will be reunited with him! So thankful to be an eternal family!

Well, there you have it....the happenings in the Coombs household! We are continually striving to be a little better each day. Sometimes we take great strides forward and sometimes we take baby steps but we are always trying to move closer and closer to the Lord. We are feeling the windows of Heaven opening to our family and the blessings being poured out in great abundance! For that we are more than grateful! We love all of our family and friends and feel extremely blessed to be part of all your lives...you make us better and we are grateful!

Happy New Year 2011!

I have been thinking over the past year and what goals I had set to see if I actually completed any of them. I did complete a few, which made me happy, and I am determined to do better this year. My goals for this year are as follows:

SPIRITUAL:

1. Read the Book of Mormon 4 times (a yearly goal).

2. Read the Sunday School Lesson each week and ponder it thru the week.

3. Read the Ensign each month.

4. Go to the temple at least twice a month.

5. Fast monthly.

6. Pray Daily!

7. Complete Visiting Teaching each month...100%.

PHYSICAL:

1. Follow the Weight Watcher Plan and journal food intake each week - strive to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week.

2. Do some type of physical exercise each day working up to 45 minutes a day.

3. Get a proper amount of sleep each day (even if I need to take a nap).

TEMPORAL:

1. Plan healthy meals each week and budget that amount of money.

2. Save at least $5.00 a week.

3. No "spontaneous" spending.

4. Work on building up food storage by buying a storage item each week.

I know these seem like lofty goals but I am determined to reach them. I want to stretch myself this year and work hard to become the best me that I can be. I am thankful for the power of prayer and how it helps me when I feel like I can't reach higher. I am thankful for the blessings that have poured out to us this year and I know the Lord is always aware of my family. I am thankful for His guidance and I know that in this new year, He will continue to guide me and help me be all that I can be! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!