my kids enjoy getting sick on holidays

First of all, I want to say thank you for the outpouring of love shown for Griffin.  Jenny told me she shared the link to my blog post about his open heart surgery on Facebook and we had no idea how many people would step up and start praying for him.  It has been humbling -- so many texts, calls, comments, and private messages offering love, support, prayer, testimony... I'm overwhelmed.  Thank you.  If you are interested in keeping up with his story, I will add a "GRIFFIN" label to the sidebar.  

This week, Maggie and I were out finishing up some Valentine shopping for Levi's school party and we were able to do an impromptu lunch with this gorgeous gal and Cameron.  It was so nice to be able to catch up.  Crazy that we haven't seen each other in ages due to all this snow and ice.

Maggie and Cameron crack me up!  They are in a Bible study class together and their little conversations make me laugh.  Maggie is quite the little mother hen.  I love Chick Fil A because the food is good and you can let your kid run wild and it doesn't really matter.

Thursday evening, yes, the night before Valentine's Day, we were finishing up a family project: Levi's Valentine box.  We are such procrastinators!  When Eric helps with a project, the overachiever in him usually takes over and we sit back and watch.  Ha!

Levi and I were starting to get a little slap-happy.  He was getting wild and I was just ready for my kids to be in bed! ;-)

It was FINALLY finished and Levi was CRAZY about it!  I think it turned out really great.

FYI, I did email the idea to his teacher to get permission to make a tank.  When Levi was in preschool, we let him take a little Matchbox car that was a tank to school for Show and Share.  His teacher told us that wasn't a good idea because it was considered a "gun".  Oops!  Parent fail.  

Eric and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day.  We never have.  We usually just like to do our anniversary and birthdays.  So this was our convo Thursday night after the kids went to bed:

Me: Did you get me a card?

Eric: Did YOU get ME a card?

Me: No.

Eric: Okay, good.  I didn't get you one either.

Me: I did get you something, though.

Eric: YOU DID?  I didn't get you anything.

Me: That's okay, I got me one, too!  

Then, I broke out two boxes of Mike & Ike candy for us.  :-)  We did get some little things for the kids.  Levi scored an iTunes card and some candy.

And, my non-candy eating child (WEIRD) got a new baby doll.

Friday morning, we got notice that the schools were having an early dismissal due to another incoming snow storm.  This meant that their afternoon Valentine parties were being moved to the morning.  As I was loading the cupcakes and craft stuff into the van, I got a call from the school nurse.  UGH.  Levi got to school and threw up.  She said he was white as a ghost.  So, I dropped off all of the loot and headed to the doctor with him.  What is it with my kids getting sick on holidays?  

It isn't very often that my big boy curls up in my lap. I self diagnosed him with strep, and sure enough, that's what it was.  We got some meds and he was pretty lethargic all day.  Today, though, he is a new person.  He is back to fighting with his sister and throwing a fit when we tell him to pick up his room.  O Happy Day.

Sidenote: What is up with the black circle under my eyes?  It looks like I haven't slept in a week!  I tried adding a filter to the picture just so I wouldn't look like a zombie.  But, it got worse.  I either looked like a Cullen vampire:

Or someone with a really bad spray tan...Sheesh!

So, we'll just stick with a zombie and I will remind myself to get some stronger concealer.  ;-)  Have a great weekend!

prayers for Griffin

We all know about one little boy who has my heart.  Levi.  

But, before there was Levi, there was another little boy who had my heart.  He still does.  Our nephew, Griffin.

If you know G, you know that he is full of life!  

On Monday, Griffin had a doctor's appointment where the doctor told Travis & Jenny he wanted Griffin to have an echo done due to a heart murmur.  He said it was probably normal, but wanted it checked out. They scheduled an appointment with a cardiologist for the next day.  What we thought would be a routine "it's just a normal heart murmur" visit didn't turn out that way.  I got a text from Jenny where she proceeded to tell me that Griffin has a defect with his heart and will need to have open heart surgery within the next couple of months.  

Excuse me?

Open heart surgery?

I just about threw up and wanted to cry.  

So, here are the details of what I know.  The surgeon said that Griffin has a defect with his heart that will require surgery.  He can wait a couple of months.  Six months?  No.  And, to not have the surgery is not an option.  He will be in the hospital for a few days and should resume normal activity a few days after that.  There are 9 doctors in the practice and the surgeon wants to take Griffin's case before them just to confer and make sure they are all on the same page.  Travis & Jenny will meet with the surgeon next week and schedule the surgery.    

Right now, we are all in shock.  It's probably a good thing you can't see me writing this post because I'm a teary, snotty mess!  I can't imagine how Travis & Jenny are feeling.  But, you know what?  We are a family that believes in the power of prayer.  We know a God who is the ultimate caretaker and healer and we know that He will watch over little G-man.  We know that our friends will cover him in prayer, now and until he is out doing his next triathlon.  

So, if you would, please join us in prayer for Griffin.  Pray specifically for strength, health and peace.  Pray for the surgeon.  Pray for the team of nurses that will work with him.  Pray for Travis and Jenny, Lord have mercy...I can't imagine!  Pray for Emmy.  Pray for the grandparents and weepy aunts.  And, uncles, too! ;-)  I know everything will be okay...just may take a while to get there!  Love you, Griffin!!

Prayers appreciated (with a few funnies thrown in!)

I have to share a funny little story that happened this weekend.  Sunday, for the most part, is family day.  Pretty much every Sunday, we meet up with my family for lunch.  Sometimes there are just a few of us, but sometimes all 14 of us are there.  This Sunday, all 14 of us headed out for Mexican.  There were several people from our church at the same restaurant.  If you know Eric, you will know that he has earned the nickname "Mayor".  He pretty much knows people wherever we go.  As we were finishing our meals, we noticed all the waiters coming in carrying a sombrero which means one thing...it was someone's birthday!  Then, they came to our table.  Weird.  Then, they walked up behind Eric, put the hat on his head and started to sing "Happy Birthday" in Spanish.  Um, it isn't his birthday.  Everyone was looking around at everyone like, "What the heck??"...  Our waiter told us the "gentleman at the next table told him it was Eric's birthday"!!!  HILARIOUS!  One of our church friends must have done that before they left!  We have it narrowed down to two people.  Paybacks... ;-)  As we were leaving, Griffin said, "Happy birthday, Uncle Eric!"  Ha! 

Switching gears a little, I'm going to ask you guys to pray.  Yesterday, our family got some startling news.  I can't give out details just yet, but God knows.  I will share as soon as I am able to do so.  Until then, please pray for our family.  Pray specifically for healing, comfort and for peace. 

God has really been speaking to my heart over the last few weeks about keeping things more simple.  Yesterday was a confirmation to that.  At the end of the day, it is the sweet, little things that are important.  

I saw this picture of Levi at my in-law's the other night and it reminded me how quickly life happens. 

How did that turn into this:

He used to be a blob and now he reads his own Bible and is full of questions that sometimes blow me away!  His heart for others to know Jesus really challenges me.  Just the other night, he told Eric and me at bed time that he thinks we need to start going door to door in our neighborhood and asking people if they know Jesus.  Wow...

Okay, I will lighten things up again.  I saw this yesterday and it was PERFECT for me.  Gave me a good chuckle.  Oh, and I must be advanced because I started on the Day 11 Challenge:
 

praying for oklahoma

I really wanted to share a little about my feelings after hearing news of the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma, but I wasn't sure exactly what to write.  Everything that I was feeling seemed insignificant to what so many people were going through.  I had so many emotions going through my mind and it took me a while to process everything.  The first tweet I saw about the tornadoes was from a local weatherman.  When he tweeted that there was a tornado headed towards Moore, OK, my heart sank.  Eric and I spent some time with a disaster relief team in that exact town after it was hit by a tornado on May 3, 1999.  We went in October, 5 months after, and it looked like a desert.  We met some wonderful people whose lives had been forever changed.  To hear the news that this was happening to them again was, well, unfathomable.  

Hearing all of the reports on Monday about numerous children missing inside the school took me back to last year, when Levi's school was destroyed by a tornado.  I was 90% sure that he was on a school bus, on his way home when the tornado hit his school.  I remember waiting at the bus stop, praying to see his bus come down the street.  And, those minutes that I waited were the most intense of my life.  Seeing his face -- well, there was no better feeling in the world.  As a parent, there is nothing I fear more than to think of one of my children needing me and me not being there.  I have to admit that I've had feelings of guilt.  Why were our kids spared when others were not?  I cannot imagine what those parents have gone through or continue to experience in Oklahoma.  My thoughts and prayers have been constant these last few days.  I don't understand why these things happen AT ALL.  But, I know that God IS and WILL FOREVER BE in control.  I pray that He will be glorified and will bring comfort to everyone that needs it.  

This brings me to this morning as I dropped Levi off at school.  His last day as a first grader.  It was so bittersweet!  I realized that he is just growing up SO FAST!  In some ways, I just love it.  I love seeing the little man he is becoming.  But, I also really miss him as a little boy.  As of 2:30 today, we will have a SECOND grader in this house!  Oh my...

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I love this picture of my dad!!  I posted this on Instagram the other day and joked that this DOES NOT HAPPEN!  A lot of people say that they never see my dad smile.  Well, Maggie had my phone at Levi's game the other night and she demanded, "Papa, SMILE!"  Love it!  I see a different side of my dad than most people.  He is mostly a serious man, but when it comes to his grandchildren, he is all smiles.  He loves those little beings with his whole soul.  He is an incredible man of God and I'm so lucky and blessed to call him dad.  :-)    

The older I get, the more I appreciate my parents.  I'm so very thankful for the relationship that I have with them and with my siblings.  They are awesome.  Period.  { I realize this was a random post, but these were two special things on my heart today. ;) }