How Blessed We Are!

This morning, Bro. David Langerfield retold the story of an experience he had while on a mission trip in Ecuador. I have listened to this story before, but today I truly heard it...

(paraphrasing Bro. David's story) "There was a mother of 7 children that we met while on a mission trip in Ecuador. She came to us for medical assistance. I asked her where the pain was and she pointed to her kidney area. The team and I immediately knew that she had an infection and I asked her how long she had had this pain. She told me it had been about 6 months. I asked her why she hadn't already gotten the medicine she needed to clear up her infection and she told me that her husband had died on the job at his work and it was up to her to take care of and feed her 7 children. The children were wearing red shirts- I found out that the shirts they had on was the only shirt each one of them had and the mother washed them in the river each night. She told me that she was not able to get the medicine she needed because it would cost her around $4 and that she could feed her 7 children on $3 a day. If she bought the medicine she needed, her children would not eat for the day. This mother was also barefoot. She would not accept money from us, but did accept the shoes that we went and purchased for her. Within about 2 days we saw her again and she was already feeling 150% better since the medicine had started to work..."

I listened to Bro. David tell this story and wanted to sob. How blessed am I that whenever I am sick, I can immediately go to the Dr. and get medicine to cure me? How blessed am I that I don't have to worry how I am going to feed my (2) boys each day, b/c I have food in the pantry, freezer, and fridge? How blessed am I to have not 1, but around 7 pairs of shoes? What about the number of shirts that my boys have to wear each day? Air conditioner, electricity, a nice house, a husband still alive who loves and provides for our family?... I could go on and on...

My prayer is that I would be reminded of that story each and every time I feel an attitude of ungratefulness for all that God has blessed me and my family with. And thank you to all the servicemen and families of servicemen who have sacrificed so much for our freedom so that we (America) can enjoy all the MANY, abundant blessings that God has given us!

I encourage anyone who takes time to read this to also read Luke 21: 1-4. It is the story about the widow's mite and a great encouragement and reminder for us to give sacrificially. After all we have been given, after all Jesus has sacrificed for us, it is the very least we can do.

I am SO proud of Cade! He is finally trying new (healthy) foods! :) Since Sat. he has tried a cheeseburger, raw carrots w/ranch dip, corn, a green apple, a turkey and cheese sandwich, tomato bisque soup, salad (w/spinach leaves) and ranch, and dark chocolate and vanilla yogurt covered raisins. This is the child who has lived off of chicken nuggets, fish sticks, pizza, and about 2 or three other items his whole life! You cannot imagine what a blessing this is! He actually likes everything he has tried (except the cheeseburger, oddly). And he is excited about trying new foods and learning about eating healthy!
I have to thank my husband, Keith, for this. He determined last Fri. that enough was enough and literally threw away some unhealthy food out of the freezer and set this into motion. In addition to Cade trying all these new foods, we have eaten our last 5 meals at our dining room table as a family. You cannot imagine the difference it has made in a mere 2 days! I would encourage anyone who doesn't eat at least one meal a day at the table together as a family to just try it. You will be amazed at the conversation and bond in creates! We go around the table before eating and all say a prayer. Cade has been so honest and precious with his prayers. And after we've eaten, he thanks Keith and I for the meal and helps clean off the table. This may be "the norm" for some or most families, but it has not been for us. What a blessing it has been already! :)I honestly look forward to meal time now with my family instead of dreading it. Before, I would fix something for me and Keith, something different for Cade, and something different for Dalton. Now, we all eat the same meal together! And it is nice having help cleaning up afterwards! I am SO THANKFUL! :)

We Survived the Yard Sale Weekend!

My feet are aching and I am exhausted, but I think it might have been worth it! This weekend, our family made over $570 during our yard sale! I have heard of people making good money and having successful yard sales, I've just never made more than maybe $100. So, needless to say, I'm pretty happy!
I literally couldn't have done it without Keith! He hung steel piping across the 2 trees in our front yard so I could hang the maternity clothes, set up tables, and helped me get everything set out and after it was over, packed back up.
We pretty much sold all of the summer clothes pieces and have just fall and winter left, so Keith suggested we have another sale at the end of the summer! I think that's a great idea since everything is already priced, organized, and ready to just be set back out on table and hung up. Should be pretty easy!
It's exciting to have made so much because we can use this money to go to TX and visit Keith's family this summer. Keith mentioned us possibly staying there for a week, as long as he could work some during the days. Now all we have to do is pick a week that works for everybody!
All in all, an extremely stressful and exhausting week/weekend, but it was all worth it!

God is listening!

Through a stressful and very worrysome week, I can honestly say that I have experienced God in a very real and personal way. My week started with Cade running 100.6 fever all of Sunday evening and night. I decided to take him on to the doctor Monday morning, only to be sent home with a diagnosis of "something viral, maybe" because Cade had no fever and he looked and sounded good.

Monday night, Cade ran 103 fever all night long. You talk about a worried mama! I called my mother-in-law (thank you God for her!) who is an extremely accomplished nurse for the last 20+ years and told her Cade's symptoms. She asked me to get him to take a deep breath and cough hard. When I did, he started to cry and couldn't get a deep breath. He said his "side and back" hurt. Helen said it sounded like pleuracy or pneumonia.

From all the trouble I had out of Dalton on Monday's doctor visit, I knew better than to take him back the very next day! So, I called and asked my stepmom, Sylvia to keep Dalton while I took Cade back to the doctor. She graciously headed straight here!
I called the doctor back and was told that a "nurse would call me back". Well, my motherly insticts kicked in and I didn't wait for a call back. I took him and walked into the doctor's office and told them that I felt he needed an x-ray and could have pneumonia. They worked him in and did get an x-ray and a white blood cell count.
The doctor came in the room minutes later and said Cade did have pneumonia, even though they still couldn't hear any crackling or anything wrong with his breathing. Helen had told me that sometimes you just couldn't hear the pneumonia, you could only see it on an x-ray.

I brought Cade back home and Sylvia stayed with Cade and Dalton while I got his prescriptions filled. Cade was so lifeless and his fever was so high, I was extremely worried about him. I had been praying and had asked my best friend Jessica to pray and some church friends to pray. I hadn't completely lost my mind, but I was on the verge. This may sound silly to most people, but to those who understands how worry can overtake you and steal your rationality, that is how I was feeling. Irrational. Cade had already had a steroid shot at the doctor and the doctor was confident that he would be fine with antibiotics, but I was still SO worried!

So, anyway, I got back from Walmart and Sylvia went on home. I tried to give Cade the first dose of one of his two antibiotics. He threw it up. I tried a second time. He choked and gagged and threw that one up too! I knew I wouldn't have enough for the 5 days I was supposed to give him this medicine now, so I called the doctor to ask what I should do. As I was on the phone, on hold, Cade starts yelling, "Mom, Dalton is pouring something all over the floor!" I ran into the living room to find that Dalton had poured the last three doses of Zithromax all over the carpet!

Well, that was about all I could take and I just started sobbing! I walked into the den, away from the boys, and tried to catch my breath, but I was so worried, so angry with Dalton, and so exhausted from no sleep, that I couldn't stop crying. I called Keith and I guess I sounded as bad as I felt, because he just said, "I'm coming home. I'll be right there." Keith actually left work to come home and comfort me and help with the boys. Now that's an amazing husband and daddy!!!

Cade did finally (after I went and got a new prescription) take his medicine for Keith. I guess one dose of the Zithromax paired with the steroid was a perfect combo, because he started acting completely normal by late Tues. night. He got a great night's sleep and woke up Wednesday feeling great!

We went to get his sats checked at the doctor's office Wednesday morning. After waiting 25 minutes, I went to ask what was taking so long. The receptionist then told me that the doctor needed to see Cade after all and do a full blood workup! I wasn't able to wait to be worked in because Keith had a meeting to get to and he was keeping Dalton. So, I scheduled a check-up for this morning at 8:30. I basically worried about Cade's white blood cell count (this is why the doctor wanted to check him again the very next day) which was at 31,000 (the normal being 4,000-12,000) all day yesterday and until I got the call that it was back to normal today at 5:00. So, everything is good and nothing to worry about, right? Not necessarily...

Cade and I were fixing to eat supper and we started to pray. Cade said his prayer and then I prayed thanking God for the food, for Cade feeling better, and then asked for God to protect Dalton from getting the pneumonia and that God would give me wisdom to know if Dalton was showing any symptoms. Literally within the hour of praying that, I was holding Dalton and noticed that his forehead felt warm. Oh, no! I checked his temperature and it was 99.4- are you serious? Immediately, I made an on-the-spot diagnosis of pneumonia. I was just sure of it! So, I called Keith and told him I was fixing to take Dalton to Med Serve and asked if he could come home and watch Dalton. He said he would be here soon and I finished eating and started getting Dalton's bag packed to head out.

I was ready to go, all I needed to do was change Dalton's clothes, which he had gotten all muddy from playing outside earlier. As I grabbed him to change his clothes, I noticed a dirty diaper. Not just any dirty diaper- it was a "teething-style dirty diaper". Ok. Wait a second... My mind started thinking a little more rationally... A teething diaper, a low-grade fever, a runny nose for the last several days... YES! He is just teething! All the symptoms fit and I immediately felt peace about it. I had asked for wisdom and within the hour, God had listened and answered my prayer! Now that's a great feeling and a huge blessing in the middle of such a tough week! Thank you God that I matter to you, that you listen when I pray to you, and that I don't have to worry because you are in control and have my (and my family's) best interests at heart!

Where does the time go?!

Well, I sure don't know where the time goes, so if anybody out there does, please let me know! :) All I do know is that it gets harder and harder to accomplish my "list" each day. Maybe I should just chunk the list!

Cade has been really enjoying his new karate class. He started last week at Kinetic Kick here in Tupelo. Both instructors there are really focused and serious with their students, but also have a positive attitude about them. Keith and I are really pleased. The great thing about Kinetic Kick is that Cade can go 6 days a week if he wants and the price is the same per month. This gives Cade somewhere to go and something to do, especially in this rainy weather when we can't enjoy the park and outdoors!

Dalton is learning so much! He says new words all the time and they get clearer and clearer. Two nights ago, he pointed to a tree in a book and said, "tree!" clear as day! I kept thinking, I didn't teach him that word yet,... Then I remembered hearing it on one of his Baby Einstein DVDs he watches in the car. I also noticed him mimicking the sign language on one of them yesterday. So amazing! Dalton has really been noticing that Daddy and Brother leaving every morning and doesn't understand why he can't go with them. It's so sad! :( I know Dalton will be so excited to start preschool this fall.

Keith is finally making use of his new golf bag I got him for Christmas. He bought a new driver club the other day that he just loves! Keith took Cade Sun. afternoon and they hit some balls at the driving range. He said the driver is just amazing! Since he is officially off the disc golf board, he will have more free time (and less stress) to play real golf. I am excited for him!

I have been pretty busy lately! I get to work Mother's Day Out at our church some Mon.'s now and a Thurs. here and there. I have enjoyed being a little more busy than usual and the weather allowing Dalton and I to play in the backyard some. I miss Cade while he is at school; at the same time, he is getting more and more independent all the time, so I had better get used to it! I have so many projects and good-will ideas that I want to work on, not to mention scrapbooking! Man, am I ever behind on scrapbooking! I literally have over 30 sheets of paper and stickers just sitting here waiting to be scrapped!

Just about 6 more weeks until the beach!!! Oh, I can't wait! I hope Cade and Dalton will really enjoy it, especially since their cousins will be there to play with. That will make a huge difference for Cade, I know. It is going to be hard to make myself leave the hotel, from the pictures we saw over the internet. An outdoor grilling area and huge, beautiful pool, games, exercise room, activities for the kids... We are definitely looking forward to our mini-vacation with family!

Well, I still have so much to do around this house and "Curious George" is almost over (ha!) so I had better get back to work! Laters!