Prayer request.

I know that everyone is going through some tough times and we have been also. I have a few prayer request for you guys.

First, my cousin Matt has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. He is 14 years old almost 15. The tumor is 2 cm and the doctors think it is benign however it is interrupting the flow of fluids in his brain which is causing mood swings and blurry vision. For these reasons they are going to take it out on Friday. I can't even imagine turning your child over to people who are going to do surgery on his brain. This is such a precious christian family and I know they would appreciate any prayers on their behalf.

Second, my own darling Katie has a most disturbing illness. It is called HSP. She started having spots show up on her legs and bottom that just looked like really bad bruises or some kind of bug bite, I took her to the doctor on Monday and they said it was called HSP and it will run its course in about a month. She could have some stomach problems and some joint pain, we have to take a urine sample to the Children's Clinic once a week but other than that business a usual. She isn't contagious and she isn't restricted from sports or school or anything. So I'm thinking this is regrettable but manageable. She comes home from school on Tuesday afternoon limping and says her knee hurts. Katie tends towards the dramatic so I just said "Let me look at it Baby". It was so swollen you could not even see her knee cap. The skin was tight and a little purple and her feet were swelling as well. I immediately called the Children's Clinic, they called back a while later and said that it was perfectly normal with HSP to just put a warm compress on it and give her some Motrin. The next day her knee looked better and wasn't as painful. Then last night on the way to Awana she told me her fingers hurt and lo, they are horribly swollen as well. *Sigh* As long as she doesn't have blood in her urine she should recover in about a month. It is just really hard to see your kid in pain and not be able to do anything about it. Just pray for me and her that we get through this.

Thank you guys. It is such a comfort to be able to tell guys whats going on and know you care and you are praying.

Update

Finally, after a week of my kitchen being out of commission it is all done. The plumber finished up the last of it this morning. I can now use all of my kitchen appliances and my sink again. I am so relieved. It was quite a trying ordeal. Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts.

Also, everyone is healthy at the moment so we have much to be thankful for.

No words.

I have no words to describe this last week. I couldn't even think of a title for this blog. I'll just tell you whats happened. Last week I got my dad to come over and look at my washing machine which has been giving me trouble for about six months. (My poor busy husband just doesn't have time for such things) For the past few months there has been a odor in the laundry room. I could not figure out where it was coming from. Dad looked at it and said it looked like the pipe was clogged where the machine drains and it had leaked onto the insulation. No big deal stop the leak and the smell will go away. The next day the dryer stopped working. My father-in-law came out to look at the dryer. Which is dead as a doornail. It had a good life it was given to us used when we got married. Which makes it about twelve years old. So Thursday I took four loads to the laundry mat to dry. No problem Andy's grandmother recently went into a nursing home so they are giving us her dryer and the washing machine will be fixed on Friday. (We called a plumber) Meanwhile Ian and Emma are sick with a virus which consist of a fever and a sore throat. So Friday comes and brings with is the plumber who unclogged the washing machine drain and said the smell was probably just the natural smell of the old house (I wasn't buying that because I have lived here 4 years and it has never been funky). He decided to look under the house before he left and then he found it. Apparently the main drain pipe that connects the kitchen appliances the Washing machine, the sink and the dish washer has rusted and has a hole in it. So for the past four to six months everything has been draining to the ground under the house. Hench the funky smell. Now there are two silver linings on this cloud. One the hole was past the floor so the floor didn't rot out and two the bathrooms are not involved in the problem. So plumber says he will try to get out early next week to replace the pipe in the mean time we cant run the dish washer or the washing machine and we can't let any water go down the drain in the sink. That is the plumbing problem.
Then Saturday I woke up with the virus the kids had earlier in the week. Now as most of you know those little viruses the kids get over in 24 hours take adults forever to get over. Saturday I limped along and buy Sunday I was down for the count. Unfortunately Andy left Sunday morning for a business trip. This is why I thank God for my parents and in-laws. Mom and Dad took the boys to their church and Becky and Frank took the girls to their church. If it wasn't for them I don't know what I would have done. I didn't feel better until Tuesday.
So if we can get the pipe fixed and I can continue to get better we will be doing OK. Pray that the plumbing doesn't cost to much and that Andy and Katie don't get the virus.

Doggie Drama

Hello everyone! I know I haven't blogged in a long time and this may seem like a weird way to get back into it but I have to tell you about our poor little doggie. Technically we don't have a dog but we consider ourselves part owners with Granny's dog. She got the dog a few years ago and Nathan instantly fell in love with it Granny has been trying to give it to us ever sense. We aren't ready for a dog yet so we take care of Carmen whenever Granny goes out of town and sometimes he comes to visit just because. Anyway, last Saturday Granny gave Carmen a bath and had set him up on the counter in the kitchen to dry him off. She stepped out onto the back porch to get his brush and for some reason he jumped off the counter. He broke his leg. Granny took him to the vet where they wrapped his leg and told her to bring him back on Monday. When he went on Monday the doctor told her that it was a very bad break and Carmen has very tiny bones. They said they could either put a plate in it or amputate it. Thankfully Granny wouldn't consider that option so he had surgery last week and they put a plate in his leg. There were some veins and tendons injured in the surgery and the Dr. said if he moves around to much till it heals there will be no option but the amputation. So he is confined to a port-a-crib for the next 4 to 6 weeks. Poor little guy.

Orientation.

Well the day finally came that the kids returning to school is soon to become a reality. We got to the school a little after eight and went to Emma's informational meeting which we have heard twice before. Then we met her teacher. I think she has a good one. Emma seems a little more excited after today. She sat in her spot at her table and organized and re-organized her pencil box. Then we went to Katie's meeting which was essentially the same as the Emma's. Then we went to her classroom. She had a list of past friends who she really wanted to be in her class. We learned right off that she didn't get her really good friend from last year in her class, but she realized she had two of her other good friends not only in her class but at her table (I hope she doesn't get in trouble for talking)she is excited. She also has her cousin Paige in her class. Paige and Katie have had a love/hate relationship all their lives. It's hard to explain because I don't think it is typical but it is cause for concern. When they were in class together in pre-school they only played with each other so that was a problem. Emily and I figure they will either compete with each other, fight with each other, or be best friends. We explained the dynamic to the teacher and she told us she would watch them and see how they do and make sure they aren't sitting at the same table.
It seems every time we meet a challenge though the Lord sends us some reassurance it turns out their teacher's assistant was their teacher in their three-year-old year in Pre-school. So she already knows them and she is super sweet. Thank you Lord for your provision.

Oh and the Van is fixed. Thank the Lord that it was not the alternator is was something with the post on the battery which didn't cost very much to fix.

Just when you thought it was safe...

Wow what a day. First off we got back from Charleston just fine. Then we went to the airport and picked up my dad who was returning from a mission trip in Peru. He got back o.k. and seemed to have had a great time other than being really tired.

We had SO much to do this week to get ready for school next week, well check-ups, sick appointments, school supplies, a birthday party just to name a few. This morning though was the well check up for Nathan. I knew it wouldn't be a walk in the park because he had to get shots but that turned out to be the least of our worries. We all got up this morning tired and a little grumpy from the fun but exhausting weekend and got ready to go to the doctor. We went out to the car and got everyone buckled in and went to turn the car on and.... nothing. Not a sound or light came on in my van. It was totally dead. So I called my Mother-in-law, who is a saint, she told them he would be late (she works at the children's clinic) canceled a doctor's appointment she had and came to my house and stayed with the other three while I took Nathan in her car. I had called AAA and was expecting them to get there and jump the car off and go on about my day. No such luck, the guy came and jumped it off and it started right up and then died again about a minute later. He said "I'm sorry ma'am it appears to be your alternator, it will need to be towed to a shop." So I called my mother-in-law who called my father-in-law who told me where to have it taken (all this time my Mom is at work, and Andy was in interviews all morning). SO they loaded it up and took it away.

NOW I'm STUCK in a house with one child who got four shots today, one child who has a cold, one who can't seem to stop the baby-talk and one who is very vocal about not liking having her plans changed (doesn't seem to occur to her that this was NOT my plan either). Anyway Just when I think it is safe to return to normal life I need to remind myself that my life is not normal.

Thank you Lord that all my children are safe and healthy, for helpful in-laws and for AAA.

Still alive.

Just to let everyone know I am not stuck under a large piece of furniture nor have the kids staged a mutiny. We are all alive a kicking. The best way I could describe my summer is "the summer of dental disasters." I have had a root canal and a crown and Emma needs to have some dental work done as well. She had a filling fall out. Sometimes when it rains is pours.

Andy finished school for the summer and is enjoying a few weeks off before starting back. Thankfully he will only have one class this fall. Which will be handy with Katie, Emma and Nathan playing soccer this fall. Although the weather is still hot plans for fall are in full swing.

It has been a good summer but I am glad that it is almost over. A little routine would be nice right now. We did get to go to Charleston and visit Matt and Kathy and the boys, which was all we needed to make our summer complete.

I never did update my picture though.