Has It Really Been 20 Years?

I can't believe it has been 20 years since we said "I do." We were two teenagers ready to face the world--no fears, best friends, happy! Less than 2 years after we married, we moved 13 hours away from everything and everyone we knew to Tulsa, OK. That's a LONG way from Mississippi !! I remember watching the tape of our wedding....not for some romantic, nostalgic moment...but to see faces of people we knew in the sanctuary!! It's also the best thing that could have ever happened to our marriage. We grew so much during that time together. I can't help but smile when I remember the time we got into an argument and started laughing when we realized there was no place to go to be alone and mad in our tiny one bedroom apartment.

We've lived in a lot of places since that tiny one bedroom apartment--close to family & far away. Like every other couple out there, we've definitely had our ups and downs. The difference is we persevered through tough times. A very wise lady at our rehearsal dinner said no one would invoke the emotions that our spouse would...no one makes you happier, sadder, more mad, more excited, and more fulfilled. 20 years later I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt she was right....thanks Mrs. Bond!

For those who are struggling in their marriage, fight for it. Don't give up! I can honestly say that this has been the happiest year of our marriage.

Thanks, David, for the wonderful gifts of our children we enjoy so very much. I can't wait to see what the next 20 years hold!

Home from the Hospital with Good News!

Victoria was admitted to Children's Hospital-Scottish Rite Tuesday morning for a video EEG monitoring test. We went in hopeful that we would be discharged by Wednesday afternoon, and thankfully we were. The test started with attaching what seemed like 100 leads to her head (with glue). As you can see by the picture, her head was wrapped and she had a cord that allowed her to walk to the restroom. She was to stay in bed where she could be on video. (Now, keep in mind Victoria is not feeling sick and is VERY excited about being out of school, Christmas, traveling to see family, etc. ) Ok, with that in mind, think about what it would take to entertain her 2 days in a hospital bed!! Victoria has the sweetest spirit. She truly does. She was pushed to the limit....and honestly, by this afternoon I was too. Having the leads taken off and the sores left on her forehead were really hard for her.

I can't say enough about the wonderful staff at Scottish Rite. They certainly went out of their way to make us feel comfortable and to keep Victoria entertained. Volunteers brought stuffed animals, games, Christmas stockings, art supplies and more as gifts since she was in the hospital during Christmas vacation. Victoria was so appreciative and thanked everyone so sweetly. Yesterday she told me it was one of the best days EVER!

(Of course, it did help that she has not watched Nickleodeon or Disney Channel for over a month. I think she caught up this week! )

One of the neurologists met with us this afternoon to let us know the initial results of the tests look good. The EEG was abnormal, but the good news is an actual seizure was not detected. The impulses are occurring in her brain, but her new medicine is effectively holding the seizures at bay. That means so much as we have been trying to get to this point for over a year now. Our older kids see a big difference in Victoria and have commented how nice it is to have our "old Victoria back." Let's just say we're glad to be through with the Keppra meds, and we are so glad she is doing well with the new one! This was a great Christmas gift to hear that the medicine was working, and our Victoria is feeling so much better.

This afternoon was one of the hardest moments I have had as a mom. There was a code blue called that was cancelled a couple of minutes after the call. During that time, Victoria and I prayed for the child and asked God to be with the doctors and nurses to help in healing the child. She was so happy to hear the child was better. (The story sounds pretty good, right? Well here is where it got hard.) After the difficult time she had with getting the leads removed and taking a shower, we took a walk around the 1st floor to try to improve her outlook on the day. With tears in her eyes, she said "Mom, I guess God could only heal 1 kid today. I'm glad that one from the code blue is o.k. I just wish he could have healed my seizures all the way too." I had to stop in the middle of the hall of the hospital and catch my breath. How do I reply? I prayed a quick prayer for the word God would have me give.

We talked about how it's hard to understand, but God chooses when it's best for us to be healed. For some people (like the kid today), it can happen quickly. For others, it happens later in their life. Still others will get their healing in heaven. We talked about that is our promise...all of us get healed in heaven. She won't have seizure meds or tests, my bad elbow will be healed, Ashley won't have asthma, her cousin will be able to hear, and on and on. She seemed to really understand as we walked on. With a sweet voice, she said "I just wish God could have healed me all the way today."

What spoke to me is the honesty of a child. God knows our hearts. And it is hard to understand why we can't be that one sometimes. I continue to meditate on "if God were small enough for us to understand, He wouldn't be big enough for us to worship." God is faithful, and he loves Victoria even more than we do. She loves Him too--like no other child I have ever seen. I just can't wait to see what he has in store for this little miracle.

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:5-7 NAS

Another winner!

Update: I had to choose another winner for the give-a-way after not hearing from the first name drawn.

scpalmer6@hotmail.com,

Please see my e-mail and contact me with your mailing information. Congratulations!

We have a winner!

Congratulations to cky10120@yahoo.com. Please reply to my e-mail with your contact information so I can have MyBlogSpark get these goodies to you as quick as possible! I will need your information by end of day tomorrow or I will have to choose another winner.

Thanks to all who entered!!

MY FIRST GIVE-A-WAY

Well I have something fun to share with my readers. MyBlogSpark sent me a VERY big favorite at our house--Fruit Roll-ups and other fruit flavored snacks! I can feel good giving these snacks to my children because they are healthy. These snacks are gluten free and low fat. I can enjoy them too because they are less than 100 calories per serving!

The gift pack also contains some fun toys kids of all ages enjoy. My husband was hilarious showing the kids how to use the yo-yo. VERY ENTERTAINING! The frisbee and pick-up sticks also bring back fun memories to share with the kids.

To enter to win this great gift pack, leave a comment with your family's favorite snack. The winner will be chosen Friday night.

Facing Fears

What makes a perfectly sane person do something like parasailing? Why would I even consider something like this?

Yep, you guessed it....children! Let one of the kids want to do something and eventually I cave. This was crazy! We were 450 ft in the air over the waters of St. Thomas. I couldn't get over how peaceful and quiet that 8 minute ride was. (Of course I was close to God with many, many prayers going up!)

We had a great cruise for Thanksgiving!

Celebrating Victoria's 7th birthday

This was a big birthday for Victoria! We woke up very early and headed to the airport--bound for Disney.

Happy Birthday Brent & Brandon!!

I am so thankful for Brent & Brandon. It's so hard to believe they are 14 years old!

Wow....14 years ago today..........a birth story...........

David and I found ourselves not able to sleep anticipating the day our twin boys would be born. We were so excited. David slept on the sleeper sofa in hopes of giving me the opportunity to sleep better all by myself on our bed. Going to term with twins....well, let's just say I took up plenty of space ! We met each other in the hallway in the middle of the night as we were both going to check on each other. What a sweet memory of excited parents.

After checking in at St. Francis hospital in Tulsa, we were joined by my parents, David's parents and grandparents. It was just so hard to believe that within a couple of hours, we would be looking at our beautiful children! Going back in the delivery room was a little scary. David was getting his "dr. suit" on and would join me as soon as I was prepped a little more for surgery. I so wanted to see Dr. Oglesby as she had such a calming influence on me.....where was she????????? After was seemed like an eternity (probably 15 minutes), she and David walked in the delivery room. She had been checking on him! Didn't she realize I was her patient???? It sure was good to see them both.

The screen was raised, and I was so relaxed. At one point I asked David if they were doing anything yet. With a strange, but hilarious, look on his face, he uttered, "Oh, they're doing something alright." Within seconds the loudest cry was heard and Brent was born 8:01am. He looked just like his dad and still does. He was ready to join the world...all 7 lbs 10 oz of him. One minute later, we had our first look at Brandon at 6lbs 1 oz. He gave a cry, but his look of "why are you taking me from where I was perfecting comfortable" was all I could focus on. As I think about his competitive spirit, maybe he was just mad Brent made it out first!! The neonatologist checked him out a little longer, and then he was off to the nursery to join Brent. There was a room full of people with their eyes glued to the glass looking at our healthy twins.

I have so many great memories of visits with friends during the 3 days we were in the hospital. Our Sunday School class took such good care of us with meals for 4 weeks after the boys were born. Such a blessing! A sweet memory was Kyle and Nikki bringing a cooler of ice cold cokes to our house the night we came home since she knew how much I missed a coke during my pregnancy.

Children truly are a blessing. I thank God for the opportunity to be the boys mother.

"For this child I prayed; and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of him." --Hannah, 1Samuel 1:27.

You see I had prayed so hard for children after a miscarriage 2 years earlier and having a specialist tell me I may have to face the fact I may never be able to carry children. God knew all along he was planning a double blessing. You see...a little over 9 months after I heard those terrible words from our specialist, we welcomed Brent & Brandon into the world!

Happy birthday boys!!! I love you so much!!!!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!" -- God

Marriage

David & I had a great afternoon together, and I'm reminded how very much I love the man I married almost 20 years ago! It was nothing special...a lunch date, shopping trip, and afternoon nap. So many times we get busy with the kids and work and forget to just stop to enjoy each other.

What has worked for you to make sure you leave time for each other?

This is one of my favorite marriage quotes. I can't write a blog on marriage and leave it out.....

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up.
~Ogden Nash

Oh that I could live by this quote........

One of God's Special Gifts

"No gift bestowed upon us is so precious as children. They are proof that God still loves us. They are the hope of the future." -- James E. Faust

I can't believe my baby girl is 11 years old. I thank God for her and the beautiful person she is--inside and out. I remember the day she was born so well and how excited we all were to welcome a little girl to our family. She has the biggest heart and is deeply concerned about Victoria. It's hard to believe she is in middle school. I want to keep her small forever, but I sure enjoy each stage of life she goes through.

What an awesome gift from God!!!

Mr. Mow It All

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." --Herman Cain

About 5 years ago, David spent a lot of time really soul searching what he wanted to do and where he wanted to work. He's always loved working with the lawn and landscaping, so he decided to start Mr. Mow It All. We are truly thankful for David's business and our wonderful customers.

Great Expectations!!

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Matthew 24:42

Are you watching? I know I need a reminder we should be ready and anxiously waiting for the return of Jesus. I think about how a child awaits Christmas or a big trip. We should all be looking up and hoping today would be the day!

Baseball Weekend

You owe it to yourself to be the best you can possible be—in baseball and in life. --Pete Rose

Brent & Brandon enjoyed a fun, long weekend watching baseball games in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. They are blessed to have a great friend that invited them along for an exciting trip. They also had a chance to see the Football Hall of Fame. It was a great opportunity and a lot of fun! We missed them so bad, and we were so happy to have them home.

Brent took this picture to show his dad the grass in Pittsburgh--only Mr Mow It All's son would think of this, right??

Deep Thoughts

When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.

One of the things I love about Victoria is how she lives life to the fullest. She embraces new things/opportunities with no fear. She sets her sight on what she wants to accomplish, and nothing can stop her. She couldn't wait to get to the diving board and loves the thrill of jumping in the deep end.

Victoria is a good example to me. I sometimes remain too reserved and waiting to finalize all plans or the fear of failure keeps me from just "jumping right in" to embrace life. I'm thankful for my little girl and what she teaches me.

God is good!!

Today Victoria had a MRI to help make sure we're doing all we need to with her epilepsy. We started the morning off with lab tests at the neurologist office. Victoria is hilarious...she played games with the lab tech while 3 tubes of blood were taken. The lab tech had a hard time getting her job done--she was laughing too hard with Victoria. Me? I still can't stand the sight of blood leaving the body and was ready to run from that room as quick as possible!

Then we headed to Children's Hospital at Scottish Rite for the MRI. What an amazing place! The staff was so caring and took so much time with Victoria. Victoria made it through the 1st half of the MRI and then pushed the button to stop the test. She just couldn't be still any longer. Since that had already needed 1 retake, the MRI technician recommended having her sedated. That process kept us at the hospital a good bit longer since she had to eat and drink after the test.

Praise the Lord for He is good! The neurologist office just called to say the scans were all normal. We just have to get her medicine regulated to keep the absence seizures away. We are so relieved and thankful.

Victoria is truly one in a million. We love her so much!

Happy 4th of July!!

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." --George Orwell

What a great day to remember the freedoms so many have given their lives to provide us. I'm so glad to be an American!

We have a fun day planned with a swimming party and another party tonight. The weather is beautiful today too.

Ashley & David are on a mission to find Ashley the perfect crocs. I love to see the relationship David has with each of the kids. From playing xbox or throwing the baseball with the boys to shopping or playing games with the girls, I'm reminded of why I fell in love with him. I can't believe we celebrate our 20 year anniversary this year. So on a day where we celebrate our men in military, I am also thankful for the man God gave me and his time in the U.S. Navy reserves.

Happy 4th!

IF MY PEOPLE........

Mckmama's blog (http://www.mycharmingkids.net/) has been one of my favorite ones to read...in fact, that's how I got hooked into the blog world. Her recent post on government and politics really got me thinking. While I VERY much disagree with some of her beliefs, I left the post with a renewed spirit. Here's why.....

The power of the government has not come from the media, liberal thinkers, etc. The church has given the government its power. If we as Christians were caring for the poor, hungry, widows, sick, etc. why would we need government programs? Instead we (note this includes me)...we get caught up in our daily lives, enjoying the luxuries we work for, running kids from place to place, and occasionally getting on our soapbox on the big issues of the day (abortion, gay marriage, government spending, etc.) Shouldn't we stop to show love to those caught in sin or struggling with decisions? I'm so glad Jesus met me where I was and didn't ask me to clean up my life before I could have a relationship with him. Do I show the same love to others? Certainly not consistently.

Bottom line for changing the government if Christians stepping up.....

2Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land -- God.

A Fun Day Already!

It's just after 8:00am, and I have to say...it's a fun day already. David and I were up before the kids. I had a chance to do an early morning walk, and the weather was just beautiful. I've lost 9 pounds over the last 2 weeks and have really enjoyed walking.

The kids all have fun activities planned today. Looks like the day will keep getting better.

God is good!

ALMOST???????????

Today's church service was awesome and very moving. Pastor Mike talked about freedoms we enjoy and encouraged us to not be a nation that tolerates. The most inspiring part was when he talked about what would help our nation. It wasn't anyone in Washington, schools, media, etc. It starts in the home with our leadership as parents. I was also convicted about not being a person of almost....I almost volunteered to help, I almost let that person to Christ, I almost was a critical part of my kids teenage years, etc.

Here's to not being a person of almost..........

Saturday Fun

Victoria, Ashley, and I enjoyed a fun girls day out today while the boys shopped for baseball hats. After going to the Braves/Yankee game this week, they were convinced they needed the a flat bill hat (at least I think that's what they're called.) The girls were more into shopping for lip gloss and a new dress. It was really hot going in and out of stores, but we had a great time. We topped it off with a lunch at Moe's....mmmm!

I've still been walking most everyday. I'm a long way from a marathon....even longer from a triathalon, but everyone starts somewhere, right??????? At least the dog is appreciating a long walk every night before her bedtime. Losing 7 pounds has been nice too.

We're looking forward to the patriotic service at church tomorrow and are so thankful for all of the men who protect our freedom.

Well, I'm finally joining the blogging community. With 4 kids, a full-time job, and a husband building a business, there should be plenty to type about. At least it will help family keep up with all that takes place since they all say we don't call or visit enough lately :-)