Thanksgiving/Black Friday!

I am so VERY VERY GRATEFUL that we were able to come home with Lauren from the hospital on Tuesday and that made for a very Happy Thanksgiving at our house! Since Lauren is now on 24 hour continuous feeds it is making her feel much better and her mother much more nervous...since we came home, I get up every hour or so throughout the night to check the tubing, bloodsugars, add more formula, flush the j-tube and so forth. We have put some safeguards in place and are working on others but in the meantime, I am just so glad to be home in my own environment with my family!!! I ALWAYS go Black Friday shopping with Momma and Emily so even though I am really tired, I still HAD to go! I slipped down one step yesterday (don't even ask me how because I don't know...) and my foot bent in half underneath me. At first it hurt like heck but I thought it would go away and I was determined a few hours later to go ahead with my shopping plan. We left the house at 11 pm on Thursday evening, hit Wal-Mart first then moved onto the other stores and I arrived back at home at 7 am this morning....needless to say my foot was THROBBING and when I took my sock off I knew I had done more damage than I thought! I did, however, get the bargins I went hunting for with the help from the son of a woman I met in line...bless him! It was another fun time (even with the foot pain) and I'm hoping my insistence at going out on Black Friday has not ended up with a broken bone in my foot! I love being home though and so glad my Lauren is feeling better! It's been a long 2 months with lots of emotional rollercoaster ups and downs but this year I cannot be more thankful for my wonderful family and the blessings that are mine...the Lord has blessed us to be home and Lauren to be on the road to recovery! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!! :)

Emily and I on our way out the door

Shopping in Wal-Mart

My "hero" of the day, Trevor

Waiting in the checkout line

My poor swollen aching foot

Scary

Yesterday was a frightening day for our family! Yesterday morning Lauren's monitor went off at the nurse's station and when the nurse came to check on her, she was unresponsive and not moving! She immediately called a "Code Blue" and I prayed so hard. They were able to get her stablized and made the decision to move her down to the PICU so they could watch her closer. We spent 24 hours down in the PICU and came back up to the room today! I am so thankful for the power of prayer and for the love and support of so many. I don't know how I would have gotten thru this day without my family and friends. Jeff and I are grateful for the power of the priesthood that blesses not only Lauren's life but ours as well. We are thankful for the many prayers and fasting that have and are being offered in Lauren's behalf. We feel the strengthening power of prayer and know that the Lord is in control! It has been a long 2 days but tomorrow we are happy to celebrate Lauren's 16th Birthday! She is a fighter in every sense of the word and I am very thankful!

Settling in....

Dr. Muenzer came in yesterday and he is pleased with how well Lauren is handling the tube feedings. Her weight and color have improved. She has more energy than she has had in several months and he is pleased with her bloodsugar control at this point; however, he told me that as far as he is concerned, the clock has not even begun to "tick down" as he calls it. He wants her to be able to tolerate the feeding thru the tube during the day and then be able to drink her cornstarch overnight to maintain her bloodsugar levels so that she won't have to have the feeds 24 hours a day. So, as he told me yesterday, once we get to the point where she is on just her feeds during the day (no IV along with it) and taking her normal cornstarch amount overnight, then he wants to watch how well she does for at least a week before they do the surgery to insert the J-tube. That means it will more than likely be another 2 weeks before we get to surgery for the J-tube and then another week or more after the surgery to recover and get back to what her home regimen would be. We will more than likely be here until the 1st week in November if all goes well! Can I just say that we feel like we have moved in! I am already tired and by the end of this visit, I will probably have aged a 100 years....or at least I will feel like I have. The last few days have been an emotional roller coaster for Lauren...she is finally coming to terms with having to be hooked to a pump 15 hours a day and that is frightening to her on so many levels! She is afraid of the J-tube surgery, afraid about the pump itself, afraid that when she drinks the cornstarch again it is going to be more painful that she can tolerate and worried about her health in general. I have watched helplessly as she has struggled to get hold of herself and find her faith but she has done so. Yesterday Jeff and Duane came up and gave her a priesthood blessing which helped her tremendously! I could not help the tears from falling as I watched her sob with her daddy and then I watched Jeff and Duane tenderly talk to her and give her the love, support, and strength that she needed. Duane offered a beautiful prayer before he and Karen left and the spirit in the room was powerful! I witnessed last night the power of prayer and fasting and faith as Lauren got hold of herself and drank her cornstarch without complaint or fear and then was able to go to sleep peacefully! I watched my brave daughter face her fears with profound faith and assurance that all is going to be well. I felt as if angels were watching over her and strengthening her and my own faith was strengthened. Her doctors are working tirelesly in her behalf and between them and the strengthening power of faith, she is improving daily! It is a long road, but we are traveling it with complete trust in the Lord.

Some Better days...

The last few days have been better.....Lauren is up more and she is going upstairs to the teen room each day which makes me happy. She is consistently doing her physical therapy each day (even though she says it hurts her but I keep reminding her that the more she does it, the stronger she will get physically). Since I am trying to encourage her, I got my exercise DVD tapes up here so I am going to do my "Walk Away the Pounds" up here each morning so she will see me doing something good for me as well. I think it will help relieve the stress I feel as well. So far Lauren is doing very well on the feeds...they are going to go up here again a little today as we continue to work toward a goal of 100 cc/hr. So far she has not had any major diarrhea (which they are concerned about) and now they are watching her blood sugar control...that is a concern if her intestinal feeds will be able to maintain her bloodsugar control but I am choosing to have faith that all of this will work out. Lauren and I are watching conference together up here which is bringing a great spirit into our room. I am thankful for modern technology that allows me to be able to watch conference from anywhere as long as I have a laptop and can get wireless internet. It is truly a blessing for which I am most grateful! So even though we have a ways to go, for right now things are going very well and Lauren is improving everyday. I see the Lord's hand upon her and it gives me great comfort and peace. I don't even have the words of gratitude for everyone who is fasting and praying for her and our family but I do want all of you to know that the Lord is hearing and sending comforting peace and strength to us as quickly as He can. My heart is bursting with gratitude and my love of the Lord is increasing all the time. I am so thankful...so very thankful. I love you all.

Weary.....

Well, we have now been in the hospital with Lauren a little over a week and will probably be here for at least a few more weeks! My emmotions have been a roller coaster as I have met with her doctors and I have listed to their thought process and their concerns for Lauren. It has been difficult at times for me to hear their concerns but they know that I have to know what road lies ahead. I just have to keep having faith in the Lord and know that He is in control! They have started Lauren on the Nd feeds and are slowly increasing the rate each day! So far things are going okay. She had a good day yesterday and was up and out a lot but last night she was tired and achy and didn't feel well. Her blood sugars were dropping a little more than I wanted to see them so I had them up her rate until I saw them get back up a little. They gave her some muscle relaxants to relax her muscles last night and that seemed to help her fall asleep. She slept peacefully thru the night. I am thankful that things are looking up but I am also cautiously optimistic. Dr. Muenzer said last night that this is going to be a slow process and we will probably be here from 2 more weeks to a month if everything goes as they hope it will. I am continuing to pray for Lauren to be able to tolerate these feeds, for Dr. Muenzer to keep everyone on the same page, for the GI doctors to be directed in how they care for Lauren, and for Jeff and I to have peace and feel the direction of the Lord. This is a difficult period of time we are going thru and I am thankful for the many prayers that are being offered up in behalf of my precious Lauren and our whole family!

Selfless.....

Even though Lauren is fighting not only a bloodstream infection (which can completely wear you out), she is also battling this horrible stomach pain which is causing her not to be able to eat, yet she went to her nurse the other day (when she was also running a high fever) and told them that she wanted to make me a birthday cake for my birthday. The recreational therapist got involved and this afternoon after Lauren was upstairs in the recreational teen room for a couple of hours (after an exhausting day of testing), she came down carrying this chocolate cake that they had helped her make for my birthday. I was so overwhelmed that I could barely speak without crying....it was one of the most unselfish things Lauren has ever done. As hard as it is for me to be up here on my birthday, to know that even though she doesn't feel good, her heart was thinking of me, made my heart burst. I'm so blessed to have my children and for the joy they bring to my heart! I am so thankful for my little girl who put her needs to the side to try and celebrate this day for me. I love my Lauren!!!

Seeking, Pondering, Praying

Sometimes writing is what I do when I feel out of sorts so this is that kind of post. The last few weeks have been challenging not only for Lauren but for us as a family. Jeff and I really thought that bringing Lauren home from the hospital when we did was the right decision to make even though she was still struggling to overcome her stomach pain and eat again. I felt like once I got her home, then she would start eating but that didn't happen. We continued to force what we could down her and I pondered and wondered if we had made the right decision. Each day brought with it a different challenge and on some days it was all we could do to get liquid of any form down her. I fought back feelings of returning to the hospital and even though I accessed her port a cath and kept it accessed because I was worried about her becoming hypoglycemic, I still tried hard to keep her home. But watching her spiral downward was becoming more than I could bear and the emotional toll was weighing heavily on me. Finally this past week-end, I knew we had to do something as she was not making any progress and really going backwards. By Sunday night, Lauren had reached her breaking point. She cried with Jeff and I and told us how she didn't feel like she could continue struggling the way she was...she was exhausted. We talked endlessly to her of the love her Father in Heaven has for her and how He will never leave her to struggle alone. We asked her to pray and ponder and then the Lord would whisper to her what to do to overcome this monumental challenge. Jeff and I both felt helpless and I fled to the bathroom, dropped to my knees and cried many tears to the Lord in behalf of my little girl who was struggling to overcome the mountain that lay in front of her. The next morning I called Dr. Muenzer and he became insistent that she come in but I just didn't know if I could take another hospital visit. I began to pray and ponder then I turned to my family and friends and asked for their prayers in our behalf. We all felt like we had come to the end of our road and were hitting a brick wall. I felt defeated and alone....when Jeff and I talked, we both were unclear about what to do but we decided that if we trusted Dr. Muenzer then we had to follow his recommendations to us....I didn't sleep well Monday night because I replayed over and over in my mind what having a tube of any kind down Lauren might mean. It made me physcially sick and I prayed for strength to overcome my great fears. Jeff and I were both awake early yesterday morning and we talked for a while. I felt some peace return to me in his arms and I knew that whatever else, we had to do what was best for Lauren. She needed us to be strong for her and help her. Dr. Muenzer called me early Tuesday morning to tell me that they had a room for Lauren and she needed to come in. I got up and took a shower feeling a heavy weight on me and then I got a phone call from Becky...she asked me for Kim's number and said that she wanted to hold a 30 day fast for Lauren. She would get Kim to organize my family to fast each day and then our other friends would fill up the rest. She reminded me that we were not walking this road alone and that Heavenly Father would answer our pleas. It brought me to tears and I knelt in prayer with an overwhelming feeling of graititude in my heart. As I was packing to come, Lauren woke up from a nap and had fever....I knew then in my heart that coming back to the hospital was the right thing. I was so tired coming back in and the nurses up here on 6childrens were so overwhelmingly loving and kind. They have a deep love for Lauren and they knew how stressful things have been for our family. I was grateful for their love and compassion....they definitely make these hospital visits easier to deal with. We found out today that Lauren does have an infection in her bloodstream and they are running all kinds of IV antibiotics to her. It is a wrinkle in our plan but we will deal with it. It has definitely made my 4 or 5 day hospital stay turn into a 2 week minimum hospital stay...I'm not thrilled about that but definitely glad we are able to treat it. I'm not looking foward to them putting down an ng tube or having to do any kind of permanent tube...that is very difficult for me but the Lord is helping me to overcome that as I need to have Lauren better and whatever that takes, that is what we will do. I know the Lord hears our prayers and I pray he forgives my slackness at times because lately I have been more tired than normal and I need to work harder at doing all I can to live the gospel. Dr. Muenzer told me this afternoon that we are still facing an uphill battle and we are far from over but at least right now I feel the Lord's strengthening hand in my life and I know it is coming because of the multitude of prayers being offered in behalf of my family. There is no way I can possibly thank everyone for their love and support. I only hope they all know how much it means to me to have a wonderful family and fantastic friends whose love and support I could not live without. They make all our challenges easier because we know we do not walk alone.

Back to Normal???

Well, this week has been my week to get my act together and try to get our family back on a "normal" schedule. This last month our whole life seems to have been tumbling upside down and I have not been able to keep it all under control...BUT...this week, I was determined to get things together (in my mind at least) so I made a plan...I love to make a plan because at least I FEEL like I am doing something productive. Each day I decided to do a little something to get us back on track. Jeff started his new job this week, Emily gets up before dawn and goes to seminary so I put my "plan" to get things organized into action. I sat for several hours on Monday at the computer putting my lesson plans for the school year into a calendar format so I would know what we would need to accomplish each day. I cleaned the kitchen, the bathrooms, the laundry room, caught up the laundry and gave my kids a list of things to accomplish, studied for my seminary class and taught it on Wednesday evening (even though Lauren was the only one who came so we made Michael participate..hehe)! I even managed to get Lauren to sit with me while we cleaned up her "art space" (a HUGE accomplishment) so I was feeling like life was getting back to normal and then today hit and it reminded me what our "normal" is....I fixed breakfast and actually got Lauren to eat some grits (her favorite breakfast food) but they didn't stay down but a few minutes...that started us on a downward bloodsugar spiral that ended up with me accessing her port and praying that we would not be going to the hospital yet again! After I watched her closely for hours and checked umpteen bloodsugars all while doing school with Emily and Michael, finding time to do the laundry, keep the house in order, check in with Dr. Muenzer to give him an update on Lauren and beg him to let me watch her at home, "listen" to my scriptures while I ironed some clothes, cook dinner and send Jeff off to do something for one of home/visiting teaching families, I sat down and realized that this is what normal is to us and I might as well just enjoy it..haha! I still have more studying to do to prepare for seminary next week and I am up late waiting to give cornstarch but my prayers tonight were full of thanksgiving...for Jeff having a good job, for Lauren being able to maintain her bloodsugar control, for having the energy to clean my house, cook dinner, do homeschooling and for the opportunity to serve another person. My life may not be what other people consider "normal" but it sure is wonderful to me and I am thankful for my "abbynormal" (as Jeff calls it) life! It constantly reminds me of my dependence on the Lord and for that I am extremely grateful!!! :)

Thankful!!!

As I write this my eyes are watering because I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for answers to my prayers. I wonder sometimes why we aren't given things immediately when we pray for them but I do know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers and answers them in His wisdom and timing. This past week, I have been so discouraged that even when I turned to my scriptures, even though they gave me peace, I didn't see how we were going to survive yet another downturn in our economic situation. Jeff and I sat in the temple together and we prayed together, as a family, and individually for direction and for a way to open up. There just seemed to be nothing...and then out of nowhere, Jeff's old boss called him and wanted to talk...Jeff went and today he sent Jeff an e-mail that they want to hire him back. He will be going to talk with Bruce on Monday. It isn't the perfect scenario but it surely is a huge blessing for us at this point in our lives and I could not be more grateful to Heavenly Father for lighting a path that seemed so dark just a few days ago. I know that if we just keep having faith, even when that faith seems so weak, that Heavenly Father will bless and sustain us. I know that as we continue in faith, the Lord will pour out his blessings upon us and we will feel the windows of Heaven continue to open. My heart is full of gratitude. Thank you all for your prayers in our behalf...once again, the Lord has never let us down...my testimony of His ultimate power continues to grow! I know this job came as a result of many prayers and much faith! I am very thankful!!!

Home at last!

Just a quick post to let everyone know who reads my blog that we are finally home from the hospital. After praying and pondering about what to do, Jeff and I sat down with the doctors and we made a really hard push to get Lauren home. I was a little worried at first that I might be pushing her too hard but everytime I prayed, I felt that it was right so we forged ahead, and with relatively no problems (which the doctors were sure we were going to encounter), we were out of the hospital within 24 hours of our decision to make a big push! Jeff and I were pleasantly surprised on Sunday afternoon when Lauren started eating "real" food again and she has done amazingly well! She is regaining her strength and we can tell the Lord is blessing her in many ways. I am so thankful for the power of prayer and that when I really stop and listen, the Lord allows me to feel my decisions regarding her are right. Jeff and I stood united with the doctors and felt strengthened as we worked together on the right plan. Thank you all for your prayers and love. We have felt them very strongly and appreciate your continued support of our family! So glad to be home and getting somewhat back to normal!!!

Accupuncture!!!!

Well, we are trying an unconventional method that I have done some research about to help pain...mostly they do it for headache pain (which Lauren always has even when it gets better). So, I found out that UNC has a Certified Accupuncturist on staff and they consulted him at my request to come see Lauren. He came today and put those little itty bitty needles in her head, on her shoulders, her feet and all over her stomach! He left them there for 30 minutes and had her rest quietly. After 30 minutes, he took them off and asked her how she felt. She told him that her head and shoulder pain were GONE!! Oh yay!! It didn't work with her stomach pain but he said he wants to bring her some kind of herbal supplement and mabye do another treatment on Wednesday!!! Anyway...it was worth at least trying so I was happy to have Dr. Chen take a poke at her! She was really good about it....he wants to see if it keeps her head pain away so we'll find out! At least we have one issue resolved this time around!!! I wonder if they have accupuncture for fat people...maybe it would make me not want to eat....oh wait, I think that is hypnosis or an even better idea would be to just stop eating..hahahahaha! Oh well, can you tell I am tired?????? Here is a picture below of Lauren getting her treatment...

TIRED!!!

The last few days have been very tiring for me. Although Lauren's head pain is much better, her stomach pain is fierce and unrelenting. The last several nights she has not been able to sleep thru the night because of the pain and so we both have had very restless nights. It has been a difficult several days. Yesterday, Brother Smith came up and extended me a calling from the stake as a seminary teacher. Although I am excited to teach, I am more than overwhelmed at the huge responsibility it is and wondering how I am ever going to get it all done with all that we have on our plate already. I am very overtired so it doesn't take much to push me over the top right now emotionally. In fact, Dr. Muenzer came in this morning with Dr. Muge and the other doctor (can't remember her name) that is following them and I burst into tears. I love them because they know how exhausting both physically and mentally it can be for us up here. Dr. Muge is taking over for Dr. Muenzer and she has some more ideas that she thinks may help Lauren in the long run. They have called in the "Pediatric Pain Team" and they have put her on a "pain pump" that she can push every 10 minutes and will give her a controlled amount of pain medication over the next 24 hours so they can see how much she needs. Tomorrow afternoon they will then take that information and transfer that to a "pain patch" which will give her a controlled dose throughout the day. Because Lauren has "chronic pain", they are going to work with her to find a way to control her pain and get her better at home as well! Her "attending" doctor this week is wonderful and I got a really good feeling talking to him. He is talking with Dr. Muge and together they will all work to come up with a good plan for Lauren. Dr. Meyer came up this afternoon to visit with her and we all feel like we are now on the same page. I am just really tired and want to get Lauren better! I am hoping that we won't be here for another month! Please pray for our family that other areas of our life will also be resolved as we press forward with faith! I feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders right now....I know we will get thru this time, it is just a lot right now!!! I continue to pray for more faith and trust in the Lord! Thanks everyone for your love and prayers! I love you all!!

Hospitalitis....

Sometimes I get what I like to call hospitalitis....it's a condition I always get when I have been in the hospital for more than 10 days and the end doesn't look close! I KNOW that Lauren will get better and things always improve but the waiting for her to take that corner is often wearing and frustrating. It hasn't helped this visit that I have had to come up against yet another "hospitalist" (doctor that works for the hospital) who thinks he knows more than Dr. Muenzer and can figure out how to "fix" her. When he realizes that she is more complicated that he believed, then he gets frustrated and tends to take that frustration out on her and then I HAVE to get involved and set him straight. I try so hard to be kind, patient, understanding, and flexible but when it comes to her healthcare I will not allow anyone to do anything I feel in my heart is wrong for her. I also don't let another doctor override anything Dr. Muenzer says. Sometimes I get tired of fighting this fight but in the end I am always grateful for the help I recieve when I pray and ask for guidance in making correct decisions in dealing with Lauren. She is making VERY SLOW progress ... her headaches have improved greatly and now we are dealing with her stomach pain which is always a huge issue! I worry about the medications that they are giving her to help her pain...I know they are helping but I don't want her to get dependent on them or them to cause more problems in the long run (there is always something for me to worry over....). Dr. Muenzer doesn't want me to worry about it and he wants her to be comfortable while trying to get over this cycle but I still worry about it. So, that is where we are...trying to get thru yet another long and difficult stay. I am always thankful for the wonderful nurses here who make our stays easier to deal with. They treat us like family and so for that I am always thankful!! Life is just pretty stressful now and unfortunately we are getting used to living with a certain amount of stress! I'm just ready to be home with my family and so is Lauren! In the end, it will all work out (or at least I keep telling myself that over and over and over again!!!)

Hospital.....again....

I hadn't decided whether or not I was going to write a post about yet another hospital visit but this is my blog where I get to speak out about things in my life so I'm gonna go ahead and update...first off, we came in last Tuesday because after a week of unrelenting pain in Lauren's head and stomach with her blood sugars all over the map, we called Dr. Muenzer and he insisted we come in and have Lauren admitted. I am always prepared for a longer stay than I hope and it is turning out that this stay isn't going to be any different than the last ones. I am trying not to get frustrated but it gets hard sometimes. Lauren's blood work is not terrible but there are some things in it that make the doctors notice...her liver enzymes were elevated when she came in so they redid them this morning and they are a little bit higher. Because of that, they are going to draw some blood and make sure she doesn't have some kind of viral hepatitis going on or something (I'm praying that it won't be yet another thing). They are also concerned since she hasn't eaten anything since last Tuesday. She drinks water but every time she eats, she says that it hurts her stomach and she feels nauseous. They have a different medication they are going to put her on every 6 hours that is supposed to quell nausea and increase appetite. So....we are going to try and get her to take small sips of Boost and they may (much to my trepidation) put an ng tube down and run some liquid food to her to see if her stomach can tolerate small amounts. Jeff and I are still really unsure about that and Dr. Muenzer told me that if I didn't (or Lauren couldn't) want to do it that way, then they would have to go with TPN (nutrition thru the IV....which comes with it's own set of side effects) so I am unclear about which way to go. Just the thought of an ng tube is unsettling to me but it would be in a controlled environment with the IV running to maintain her blood sugar levels. The dhe protocol that has worked at times in the past for Lauren's migraines doesn't seem to be working this time so they will stop that tomorrow and they may try her on magnesium and caffeine thru the IV...once again, don't know if it will work but they want to try it! All of this guessing and trial and error, although I understand at times is necessary to try and find a solution, is wearing and frustrating. I'm trying to remain positive and upbeat and remember President Hinckley's counsel that "it will all work out." I just keep having to say that over and over and over.......

Michael's Special Day

Sunday was a special day in our family as Michael turned 12! He was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood this past Sunday by his dad. I switched between two emotions this day..I was so happy to see Michael be worthy to receive the priesthood and to see his dad be able to bless him and ordain him which brought tears as I watched Jeff place his hands on Michael's head and saw both their faces...I also knew that Noah was surely present at the important step in Michael's life. My second emotion also brought tears as I thought that I would no longer have children in primary and how my kids were growing up way too fast! Overall it was a very happy day and I was grateful that Gramps and Grandma along with Aunt Libbi and her family could be there to witness Michael's advancement. I am grateful and humbled by my son's obedient nature and his prepardness to advance to the Aaronic Priesthood. I know how hard he has worked to complete his Faith in God and how he is worthy in every way! I am thankful for the gospel and I am especially grateful to now say that I have 2 priesthood holders in my home, both who carry their responsibilities with honor!

My Superheroes!!!

July 28th....a very special day for me!! Twice on this day I have been blessed with an adorable little boy!!! In 1998 the Lord sent to our family a chubby, happy, exhuberant little boy named Michael who brought laughter and joy wherever he went. His big grin that lit up his whole face was a delight to everyone that encountered him and today as he turns 12 and prepares to receive the priesthood he carries that same face splitting, eye squinting grin and has the most tender and pure spirit. He brings love and laughter into our home everyday and I could not be more proud to be his mom! He is pure delight and brings me great joy every single day! He is a super hero to me because he teaches me about how to find joy in all things! Happy Birthday Mikey...I love you!
In 2001 the Lord again blessed me on this day with my precious baby, Noah! He came here quickly and his pure and gentle spirit touched everyone he came in contact with. His big brown eyes could melt your heart in a second and as he would climb up in my lap and snuggle with his hand on my cheek, all my worries would fade away. His sweetness could calm my worries as he placed his hand in mine and his determination to have everything done correctly taught me much about order in a chaotic world. He was taken from me too soon and I miss his big smile! He was a superhero to me because he taught me how to prioritize my time and put the most important things first. Today he looks at me from the other side of the veil and I feel him ever near. Happy Birthday Noah....I miss you and I love you!
So today I celebrate the lives of these two wonderful little boys who brought to our home many blessings that we feel everyday. We are grateful for these, our super heroes in everyway...they bless our lives with their examples and we are happy to be doubly blessed on this the 28th day of July! We are very thankful! Happy Birthday my precious, precious boys!!!

Vacation 2010

We had a good time on our annual retreat to Lakewood Campground! I was going to upload pictures but for whatever reason it isn't working so this post will have to do without pictures...sorry! I did put an album on facebook though so if you have a facebook account, you can see them there..haha! As always we enjoyed getting visits from my extended family and I got to see my brother, sisters, parents, some of my nieces and nephews and the Bailey great neices and nephews...it was so much fun! Libbi and the twins came and stayed 3 days with us and we really enjoyed them so much! Michael loved having Connor to pal around with and Sarab Beth had a great time with Lauren and Emily! Libbi made me laugh and I got to ride around in the golf cart (even in the rain) and enjoy talking and talking and talking! Momma and Nathan spent the week with Kim but came and spent several days with us! Daddy and Dibbie came and even brought BoJo to visit with us (Puglsie was really curious about BoJo...haha)! I enjoyed each visit and was happy to have everyone come and make our vacation special again this year. It was a very rough year for me this year on the anniversary of Noah's death and I was very grateful that the Bailey's came to visit and entertain us that day! Sending up balloons for Noah is so important to me and Kim came and brought his favorite smiley face balloons for us to release in his memory. I am thankful for her thoughtfulness and for being able to remember my precious baby on that day that brings so many tears to me. The wonderful ocean breeze and salt air was like a balm to my soul. I am thankful that we get to spend 2 weeks each year at the beach....especially during this time of the year....it is my oasis from the stresses of everyday life and I come home grateful for my wonderful family and for the joy they bring to me!

Spray Tan!

We are leaving for the beach in 2 days and I wanted to go to the beach looking like I had somewhat of a suntan and I am so fair skinned that I burn easily so I decided to get a spray tan! I got it done professionally yesterday and I LOVE IT!! It is pefect and I will feel like I have been at the beach all summer! I recommend it to anyone who does not want to get out in the sun or who doesn't tan well! Yes, I know some of you think it is frivilous and crazy but it sure made me feel better going to the beach! I can't lost 150 pounds in 2 days but I at least can tan all this fat so it will look better...hahahaha!!! Oh well....here is a picture so at least you can get a glimpse of my great tan...I am very happy!!! And now, I can't wait to get to the beach!! ;)

Counting down the days.....

We have had our share of stress over the last couple of months, so I am looking forward to our yearly trek to Lakewood Campground, my "get away from the world and the noise" place that allows me to sit back, relax, soak up the sun, and spend time completely enjoying my family in a very unrushed atmosphere! So...we are now on the countdown and I am praying that everyone will stay well and healthy and all will be well so we can enjoy our 2 weeks at the beach!!!

Missionary work!

So...this morning I woke up with a million things on my mind....totally forgetting that Callie and I (we are the ward missionaries) had scheduled an appointment with a young girl who has just gotten baptized in our ward to start the new member discussions. I jumped in the shower to get ready to go for Momma to come get me to get Lauren's blood drawn and in walks Callie at the same time as Momma....that is when I remembered!!!! So, long story short, Callie ends up running Lauren and I to the lab to get her blood drawn and then Callie and I went to our appointment. I felt so close to tears because I had not remembered the appointment with everything else going on this week and had not had a chance to even look at the "Preach My Gospel" book so I just grabbed my scriptures and prayed for the Lord's spirit to be with me. Before we went in, Callie and I had a prayer and asked the Lord to be with us since it had been a long time since we were missionaries! It felt so good to talk about the Plan of Salvation and the Restoration! Even though it had been a long time since I had done any type of "missionary work", the spirit that I felt today was the same as it always was. It was sweet and strong and brought me to tears. I forget how much I love to share the gospel with others! The Lord will always help us (even when we are totally unprepared like I was today) if we are willing. It also reminded me of how important it is to read my scriptures everyday so that I am always ready to share the gospel message! I love being a ward missionary...not only do I get to help other people in the ward get excited about missionary work, I also get to go into new members homes and share the beauty of the gospel plan in greater depth! I love seeing their face light up and feeling the spirit as it testifies of gospel principles. I also love seeing the joy new members have as they embrace the beauty of the gospel in their lives and love to hear them share their growing testimonies! So even with all the confusion this morning, I am thankful that the Lord's spirit touched our hearts and helped us bring the spirit with us....it has made for a great day!