How young is too young?

Chloe has always been very in tune with God and "things unseen". I believe that because little ones have such pure faith, they can see/sense things that we cannot. When she was about 18 months old, she was very sick with some sort of virus and she had awakened in the middle of the night because the Motrin had worn off and her fever had spiked. I got up to give her another dose and rocked her for a bit in the glider. While I was rocking her, I was silently praying that Jesus would be with her and that she would feel better. A few minutes later she sat up and pointed out into the center of the room and said, "Jesus". I thought I had misheard her so I asked her what she said and she repeated herself as she pointed into the room. I just started crying softly as I thanked the Lord for answering my prayer and for being with our little girl as she was so sick.

This past fall when my Grandmother became sick with pancreatic cancer, we didn't really discuss her sickness with our girls because we didn't want to upset them, but we would always pray that she would feel better when we said our bedtime prayers. Around December, Chloe came up to me out of the blue and said, "Mommy, Grandmother is going to die before Valentine's Day." I was shocked so I asked her why she said that and she said she didn't know and went off to play some more. I thought, "OK, that was weird." Needless to say, the week leading up to Valentine's Day was a little stressful to me because that was always in the back of my mind as it drew closer. Well, Valentine's came and went and I breathed a sigh of relief, but that Sunday (the 15th) was when my dad called and said that he had taken a wheelchair to my Grandmother's home because she was no longer able to get around her home alone or with her walker. She ended up dying by the end of the week...one week after Valentine's Day. I can't say that it was a coincidence that Chloe said that. It's not like she really gets time and when holidays fall.

So, like I've written before, she is really interested in death since Grandmother died. She wants to talk about Heaven and who is there and what does Jesus look like and who is going to die when, etc... Well, the other night, she asked me when she could be baptized, when she is 12? I just told her that a person is baptized when she understands why Jesus died for her and when she asks Jesus into her heart to forgive her of all of the bad things she has ever done and to help her make good choices. She said, "I want to do that." I wasn't really sure what to say...we were in the middle of dinner and it was a little crazy, but I thought we'd talk about it a little later when things had calmed down a bit. Then that night at bedtime when we were taking turns praying, she prayed and then I couldn't understand what she said at the end and I asked her what she said and she told me, "I asked Jesus to come into my heart." I just gave her a big hug and didn't really know what to say. Is 4 years old too young to really grasp the magnitude of salvation? Or is it actually so simple that a 4 year old can "get it"?

The sweetest compliment

We received a KidzBop CD in a Happy Meal a couple of weeks ago and so I get the "opportunity" to listen to the same 5 songs over and over whenever we drive anywhere. It was great at first because the songs are catchy, but at this point, I am pretty sick of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "FunkyTown" among others. Well, Chloe's new favorite song is "Hey There, Delilah" and this morning she was singing it as we were getting dressed and she asked me what the lyrics were. I told her the words to the song including:

"Hey there, Delilah, what's it like in New York City, I'm a thousand miles away but girl tonight you look so pretty, yes you do, Times Square can't shine as bright as you, I swear it's true"

Then she asked me, "What is Times Square?" and I explained to her about the bright lights of Times Square. Then she completely stopped me in my mid-morning tracks when she said,

"Mommy, I don't think Times Square could shine as bright as you."

I immediately felt my heart swell and spill over with love for this sweet child of mine.

A tough few months for mom

Earlier this year, my mom had a knee replacement. She had been having a lot of pain all over her body, but it all stemmed from her knee. So, that went well, but then it caused her to begin having foot pain and is dealing with that with a really constricting brace that she wears on her foot as well as periodic cortisone shots from the pain doctor. Ugh...what a pain, literally!

Then a couple of months ago, she had a mammogram and the doctor saw that she has ductile carcinoma, which she also had a couple of years ago. Ductile carcinoma for my mom means that the doctor found suspicious cancerous cells in her milk ducts. The last time she had it, her doctor was able to remove it with a needle biopsy (ouch!) and we all breathed a sigh of relief. Well, when it came back, she had another needle biopsy and the doctor wasn't satisfied that she had gotten it all, so she had another procedure done to make sure it had not spread to her lymph nodes. It had not spread (whew!) but the options were a) radiation or b) a mastectomy. If she chose radiation and it came back again down the line, the next step would be a mastectomy and the past radiation would make for a difficult recovery, so mom chose option b---to have the mastectomy now. (I am probably messing up on some of these details...sorry, Mom!)

I love my mom's outlook on this whole situation. She says she is not that attached to her breasts to not do this.

So, the 6 hour surgery (including reconstruction) was today and I am so happy and relieved to say that everything went beautifully! I am looking forward to seeing her tomorrow!

Even though this has been a tough 6 months for my mom with my brother and his wife and kids moving to Africa in January and my grandmother (her mother-in-law) passing away in February and then all of the medical issues she has faced since then, I am very excited for what God has in store for her in the remaining 6 months of 2009! Mom, things can only look up from here!

My Big Girls

This time of year is always a little crazy... But I am realizing everyday how quickly my girls are growing up! I cannot believe it is already May and Mia and Chloe are graduating from our sweet little preschool that is across the street from our house!

Mia

Chloe

I also cannot believe it is May and Precious Quinnlan is almost 9 months old! Today she had me laughing out loud as she tried to mimic me saying "Uh-Oh." She started saying "Mama" last week and has been saying "Dada" for a couple of months now (of course!). And is on the move with her army crawl. She hasn't quite figured out that she can move faster and farther if she will pull her knees up under her and get up on all fours! I am in no rush for that...I like that I can put her down and she isn't going to be out of the room before I can look around---that was the stage where I was cross-eyed with Mia and Chloe!

Where has this year gone? I guess it is kind of a blur because of the new baby and new routines, etc...

Last night I was almost in tears as I watched Kevin helping Mia ride her big girl bike on the street for the 1st time. Chloe wasn't in on the action because she had a complete temper tantrum as Kevin was trying to fix her bike's training wheels. Long story short, she fell apart and was sent to her room. Anyway, she had her day in the sun today as she got her chance to show her stuff.

Mia---first timer!

Chloe---next day

My girls received their big girl bikes from Nana and Granddaddy at Christmas, but when the little elves put them together (me and my mom) the handle bars were on backwards on one bike and the training wheels didn't touch the ground evenly on either bike...we tried, Mom, didn't we? They sure looked good on Christmas morning, though! Then for the past few months, they didn't show any interest in riding them, even though they had said that they LOVED them. They just felt more confident and comfortable on their little big wheel type bikes that they had been riding for about a year and a half.

Well, their class at school is having bike day tomorrow and the pressure has been ON to get them ready for that with their big girl bikes. I am so proud of how well they learned the difference in pedaling down on the pedals rather than pedaling out front like on the big wheel! Way to go girlies!

Is this really my daughter?!?

We had such a great time tonight with our small group. We had planned on having a picnic at Stone Mountain, but because of this nasty weather, we decided to just have everyone over here and it was awesome! We got to talking and my friend, Jennifer, was telling a story about Mia and I couldn't help but think that thought, "Is she really my daughter?!?"

Yes, not only is Mia my daughter, she is the twin that looks the most like me as a child! OK, where am I going with this? For those of you that know me well, you know that I get grossed out pretty easily. Case(s) in point: (a) I have been a vegan (except for fish and the occasional ice cream or mexican queso dip that I can't resist) for 5 years now because I got grossed out by reading a book about meat and dairy (among other things) and how they affect our bodies. (b) I cannot walk on wet floors without freaking out (this includes wet bathmats...yuck!). I could go on and on, but I am getting grossed out just thinking about these things.

Since this is a journal for me to remember the things that happen in our everyday lives, here is one such event that makes me want to hurl as well as die laughing...

We were at McDonald's a couple of weeks ago with Jennifer and her 2 daughters and I was nursing Quinn and of course, that is the time when Mia comes to me and says she has to go to the potty. So, Jen, being a sweet friend with her own 1 year old on her hip offers to take Mia to the bathroom. Then here comes Chloe and her daughter Megan saying they need to "go" too. Great...this should be interesting, but Jennifer seems up for the challenge... When she finally comes back out she looks so frazzled and is cracking up. She proceeds to tell me about what has just happened.

(If you are like me and get grossed out easily, you may not want to read this next part...fair warning~)

The large stall is being cleaned so Jennifer is letting them go one by one in the single stall. Chloe and Megan go to the potty first and then Jen covers the toilet with toilet paper and Mia says she has to go poop. Great... Then she strips off her skirt and panties and drops them on the floor (sick), hops up on the toilet and scoots her little bum all the way back to the back of the potty (sick) and has knocked the majority of the toilet paper on the floor and is holding onto the seat (sick). Jennifer opens the door a bit and Mia has decided to wipe herself from BACK TO FRONT!!!! One of our biggest no-nos! Oh man, I may need a minute...

OK...so Jennifer is saying, "Mia, not back to front! Front to back! Drop the toilet paper, drop the toilet paper!" and Mia, I guess, is startled and goes to drop it on the floor! Oh my word... Jennifer then goes to help wipe her (thank you, friend) and Mia is dipping her little hiney into the toilet...please, Lord, don't let the Mickey D's toilet water have touched my precious girl's bottom...I could just die. So, now that Mia is "all clean" (it's all relative), she goes to put her panties and skirt back on and sits her bare bum on the bathroom floor to put her clothes back on!!! OK, I'm done...deep breath...it's all over...

Needless to say, we had to have a very important talk when we got in the car. I wanted to hose her down in antibacterial gel.

So, I am shocked that she has no sense of grossness (I think I just made up that word) especially with me as her mother and all of the similar talks we have had over the past 4 years! Also, Jennifer, thank you for being such a good friend and not leaving her high and dry and running for the hills like I'm sure you wanted to do!

Welcome Home Mommy

Well, our anniversary was incredible. We went to Barnesley Gardens in NW Georgia for the weekend and had a wonderful time...this resort is perfect~ There are a bunch of cottages that are quaint and beautiful, and there are 2 great restaurants. We arrived around 6pm on Friday and had time to relax and give each other anniversary gifts before dinner. K gave me a gorgeous emerald eternity band to wear with my wedding set because May's birthstone is emerald...awesome. With the help of my incredible friends from small group, I gave him a DVD of pictures and video set to music from the past 13 years since we met. It turned out so well and I can't thank the Hickey's enough for all of their help with this crazy project! He loved it and so do I! The funniest part of the weekend was when I got up from the table at the restaurant the first night (our anniversary) and went to move my chair back to stand, I leaned over the table a bit and the candle caught my hair on fire!!! No, I am not kidding....and yes, this would ONLY happen to me! After I screamed and "put myself out" (thankfully, no stop-drop-and-roll needed) and after the entire restaurant started asking, "what's that smell?" or "do you smell something burning?" and after (Thank the Lord) realizing that I still had all of my hair, we laughed uncontrollably. Oh well...nothing like enjoying a little molten lava chocolate cake for dessert along with the stinch of burnt hair!

Things could only look up from there, right?

Saturday was the best...went for a canoe ride, went for a run, checked out the Barnesley ruins, listened to some live music (in the rain) at the BierGarten, took an hour long bath and read a book, watched a movie, enjoyed another amazing meal (no fires this time)...a perfect day with my main squeeze.

Sunday, we ate breakfast/brunch and packed up and made our way back to the big city. We arrived back to the house around 3:00 and Miss Q woke up from her afternoon nap when she heard us come in the door. I went up to see her and she had a red rash from head to toe. Yikes...nothing like easing myself back into "reality". I called Children's Healthcare and they asked me a million questions and decided that I could wait until today to take her the dr. if she till had the rash. So, this morning, C wakes up with a 103.1 fever and Q still has the rash, so I sent M to school and took my other 2 girls to the dr. Poor little Q has Strep Throat (again...she just finished her antibiotics last week from the last time she had it) and with the rash it is Scarlet Fever. C has a red ear and a red throat and because she completely freaks about the throat culture and the medicine for the ear infection would be the same as the medicine for strep anyway, she went ahead and gave me the Rx for her too. She asked me to bring M in tomorrow morning to run a throat culture on her since she has been exposed to her sisters.

What a day...What a Welcome Home~

Day 1

Reason #1 that I LOVE my man:  He is my best friend

When I stop and think about it, there is no one that I'd rather hang out with than K.  He is my favorite person in the world.  He is a great listener.  He takes time to hear about my day no matter how redundant it can become.  He listens when I just need to vent and he also offers sound advice when I need it.  He is kind and thoughtful.  He knows when I need some time alone (i.e. with no kiddos in tow) and will get them working on household "projects" with him so I can run to Target or Publix or wherever...it doesn't matter as long as I can just hop out of the car and I don't have to unbuckle any car seats, I'm a happy girl.  He is funny and makes me laugh like no one else can.  He is comfortable.  We fit perfectly together when we cuddle to watch our favorite shows or a movie.  Our relationship is comfortable too.  We love to go on road trips and crank up the music and sing to every song or even just sit in silence and enjoy knowing that we are together going somewhere.  Everyday is by no means a bed of roses, but I have no doubt that we will always be able to work through all of life's ups and downs.  I am looking forward to every new stage that we have in store in our marriage.  I know that we will continue to grow closer as we move along life's paths.  The "D" word is not an option, so he's stuck with me.  I love you, babe, more than you'll ever know...

Day 2

Reason #2:  K is the most amazing Father to our 3 girls

I grew up having an incredible father.  He has always been loving, kind, patient, and just all-around GREAT!  I knew that the man I chose to marry would have big shoes to fill with the expectations I had for the father of my children.  Let me say without any hesitation that K has surpassed all of those expectations and then some!  From the time we had our twins, he has ALWAYS been hands-on (with 2 babies at one time, I guess he really didn't have a choice, but I know he would have been the same even if we'd had just one baby to begin with).  I love to hear the squeals of laughter as they wrestle and play after supper.  I love how Q lights up when her Daddy walks into the room.  I also love that we are on the same page discipline-wise...we have always let our children know that we are a united front.  I love to see our girls' big giant grins when K hugs and kisses me or when he tells them how much he loves me.  In the movie, "My Life," Michael Keaton plays a man that is dying of cancer and he makes a video of all the things he wants his unborn child to know about him when he is no longer living.  In one part of the video, he interviews a childhood friend and asks her something along the lines of, "how do you make sure your kids grow up well?"  and she answers, "Just marinate them in love" and I feel like that is something that K makes sure that we do.  

Day 3

Reason #3:  He is a man after God's own heart

Over the years, I have really seen God "grow" K into the spiritual leader that I knew I would marry.  When I come downstairs in the morning and see him reading his Bible and having some quiet time with our Lord and Saviour, it makes my heart swell.  I love that he leads our family in morning (if we are all together at the same time) and bedtime prayers.  I love to hear him pray for our daughters and their spiritual well-being.  He has become and is continuing to be molded by our Heavenly Father and I am blessed to be encouraged by him and his "walk" on a daily basis.

Day 4

Reason #4:  K's work ethic

K might be the hardest worker I know.  Anything that he starts, whether it is something to do with work or something at home or helping out a friend or family member, he does it 100% every time.  I love this about him!  I love that K has worked so hard to provide for our family and to provide a way for me to be a stay at home mom to our girls.  I cannot thank him enough for this, even on the days that I want to pull out my hair from my "job"!  Being a stay at home mom was what I had always pictured in my future since I was young and I am grateful to K for making it happen.  

I know that being the sole "bread winner" for our family is not a piece of cake and I know that a lot of stress comes with it at times.  But I have never once doubted that we would make ends meet and in most cases have abundance by God's grace and the work ethic of my husband.  I am truly blessed in this respect.  Thank you....I appreciate all you do!

Day 5

Reason #5:  K's Stewardship

Some people might not enjoy being married to someone as frugal as K, but I personally love the fact that he is such an amazing steward of what God has given to us as a family.  I do have to also add that if there is something that I really want, he has never told me "no" which goes to show that by being together, I have created good stewardship habits as well.  I am thankful to K for this.  

I'm not going to lie and say that I love the family budget meetings that we have periodically, but I do enjoy knowing that by working together and having a plan in place, we have met many financial goals that we have set along the way!  We have no debt except for our home and it has been that way for at least a couple of years now.  When I was teaching school, my old teammate and I would laugh about how similar our husbands were when it came to family budgeting...we would make jokes about the fact that if we had married someone like us, we would be living in a cardboard box on the side of a road, but we'd be dressed in high fashion and lookin' good!  Thank the Lord, that I married K...love you, babe!

Day 6

Reason #6:  K's ability to fix just about ANYTHING

I am always in awe of K and how knowledgeable he is about fixing things!  Not only can he pretty much handle anything that goes awry in and around the house, he also can take pretty much anything apart (his mom says that this is a trait he has had since he was a little boy...).  For instance, I have been begging/bugging K for months now to install a playset for our girls in the backyard.  This might be an easy task if our backyard wasn't a steady slope all the way to the fence!  Well, K says this is no problem and he is in the process of creating an area in our yard that is level for this playset with a bunch of wood and a giant pile of dirt...unbelievable...I wouldn't even know where to start if this were up to me!  I am so proud of him when he is working on a task such as this and then when it is accomplished, it is truly awesome to be able to say that K did it all with his on 2 hands (and a few tools along the way) and not by hiring someone...You gotta love being married to Handy Andy!

Day 7

Reason #7:  K is an amazing cook

I cannot even begin to list all of the incredible meals that K has whipped up for me over the last 13 years!  About a week after I met K, he invited me over to his house for dinner.  I had no idea, as a 21 year old college junior, what to expect, but I was blown away when he served us a delicious (and romantic) meal of chicken and artichokes over pasta.  Sorry babe, but I have to say it was incredibly sweet...

A few of my all-time favorites are his buffalo shrimp, his granola, his homemade biscuits, his cinnamon rolls, and pretty much any marinade for salmon...and these are all made from scratch and the recipes are pretty much all in his head!  I, myself, have to follow a recipe to a T to make my dishes turn out edible, but some people just have a gift for cooking, and K is one of them.  Even though I have the "privilege" of cleaning up every single pot and pan in the kitchen (K says this is a sign of a true chef), it is totally worth it!