Mixed Update...

Well, it looks like life is getting back to "normal" (whatever that is?).

This past Saturday I finally got to go on a nice long run with some friends (10 miles...woohoo!)
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Jonathan turned 33 on Saturday & we FINALLY got a night out! (But, not without a hitch! Maya had an accident at Grandma and Grandpa's house & skinned her face up on the driveway pretty bad! BUT, G-ma & G-pa took care of her and we didn't have to make any trips to the ER-whew!)
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Grandma hit the jackpot at garage sales last Saturday & got ...Not ONE

Not TWO...

But...THREE new bikes for the kids! They had a blast riding bike this weekend!

Thanks Nana!
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*Oh, and I cut all my hair off today! Not Britney Spears style, but close enough for me :-). I got a good 7-8 inches cut off today. I'll take pictures soon...

Our "Little Graduate"

McKenna is growing up.....moving on to the Big "K" next year (sniff).


*We are "bad" parents because we forgot to get a close up of her in her cute little hat!


This is McKenna with her teachers. She LOVED Miss Gay & Miss Gina SO much!

*I have to take a minute to say what a blessing it was to be able to send McKenna to this preschool program for the past two years . After being in the program for two years, McKenna has made several "best" friends & I think her experience there has prepared her very well for Kindergarten this fall.

One other blessing that has come from McKenna's time at LL is that she asked Jesus into her heart! She said she prayed with Miss Gay on the last day of school and asked Jesus into her heart. It was so sweet how she told Jon and I this good news with such excitement! I know she is only 5...but I think that she is really starting to understand salvation in a more concrete way these days. What a wonderful way to end the school year!

This is why I love running...

...you just never know what might happen when your out on a long run!


Karl...or "Koach Karl" (as he is known among the TNT folks) was my coach when I trained for the Disney marathon. If you have talked to me AT ALL in the last month then you have heard me talk about "Relentless For A Cure". Karl set out to complete 26 marathons in 26 days (yes, he is crazy!), to raise $$$ and awareness for TNT & the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Except for a little injury that sidelined him for a week (he had to stop running for one week), Karl has continued to tackle his crazy mission. Today was day number 23 of "Relentless" and here is what Karl had to say about his 16th Marathon this month...



Day 23:


"The following is not for the politically correct.What a fun and diverse day we had at the 39th Street Starbucks. Jeff Quint ran the full with me today; it has been about two years since we have run together. He left me for a woman and got married. So, it was fun to spend some time together and see the downtown sites. The first 6 were pretty uneventful, and except for the security guard with a walker, we felt very safe. Our next 7 miles we picked up Glynnis and headed for the Hood, east on 39th past Troost, Paseo and Wabash.. all stars of the local news. We got some really interesting looks, but it was funny. The best, though--we were stopped at a corner and a police officer rolled by. We waved, and he waved back and gave us the strangest look as if to say "Are you crazy?" All three of us laughed for the next block. We witnessed what we think was an eviction in progress--two police cars in front, along with two people outside shaking a piece of paper and a man behind a barred door refusing to come out. We dropped off Glynnis and went west to Rainbow and south to Shawnee Mission Pkwy, to the upper crust, so in about a six mile radius we went from the slums to the snobs. Then, it was east on 39th again to Main, where we were offered sex. We couldn't hear her well so I said "What?" and she repeated "Do you want to have sex with me?" Jeff and I thought she was just a little too forward; she should start maybe with some coffee and go from there, so we ventured on. As we were getting close to the end, someone preached to us, I think… we weren't really sure… it was a bunch of mumbling but we heard "The Bible" a few times in there. But the best came at the end when we were about 100 yards out. We saw what I would call a "crack whore" sitting on a bench cheering, "Here come the runners!" We looked over to see her smile wide, with no front teeth, and I think it scarred us for life. So that was my day.Our time was 5:49… talk to you tomorrow." -K2



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Everyone...meet "Koach Karl". He really loves having his picture taken! So, you can imagine how much I was annoying him by snapping all sorts of pictures of him while he was running marathon #14 this past Monday :-).

Only 6 miles left!


Karl has started each marathon from a different Starbucks location in the KC area. Monday was at the Lee's Summit/291 location.
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I volunteered to work a marathon this past Monday & it really got me in the "running spirit" again! It's been at least a month since I've been to the gym (I was sick...the kids were sick...blah!), so now you can imagine what sort of "running fever" I'm going through. I've gone to three "Relentless" marathons this month & each time I've wished that I could be out there running the full with Karl (OK...maybe not on the rainy days...but all the other days I wanted to go running-LOL!). I can honestly say that this is one of the best parts of my life right now. I LOVE being a part of TNT! It's just such a great organization, that you can't help but love it! It also feels good to do something "outside of yourself" sometimes. The running part may be a little selfish now, because I love to run (I didn't used to love it so much). However, volunteering and fundraising is really becoming a passion of mine...because I love the cause!

Chandler update.

Two words.... STILL SICK! I took him back to the Dr yesterday & he STILL has an ear infection in his left ear. We started the SECOND round of antibiotics, so hopefully that will do the trick. He missed most of the school week last week because he caught some tummy bug from his sister & spent two days vomiting till he lost so much weight his little pants are now loose.

Can anyone bring summer to my house a little earlier?


*I'm signing up for another marathon soon just to get a break from all of this!

A favorite quote.

" The moment we begin to fear the opinion of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls."

-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

*The #1 quality I desire to possess is honesty. It's a hard thing to pursue, because it's not so popular these days, and it's hard to balance honesty with tact at times (for me). I still don't have this quality perfected...but I'm pursuing it :-)

A few months ago I saw this quote and have carried it in my car or purse ever since. I want to remind myself to be honest with MYSELF at all times. We all have a unique path to follow & everyone is not always going to agree with us, but I think that's a GOOD thing. I don't want to hesitate to be who I am just because someone else may be different than me....you know? I want to follow after that unique mission that God has placed on my heart, even when it's hard to step out and do something hard because no one else sees things quite the same as me.

What's your favorite quote?

Maya's surgery...

OK, so it was a month ago, but I've been just a little busy. Anyway.... Maya had hernia surgery back in April & things went very well. This was our first experience at "Children's" & I have to say it was a GREAT first experience. The nurses were all very sweet & they even somehow talked Maya into willingly following them to the surgery suite...without her mommy!


This is Maya in the pre-op area with mom. She was really enjoying having some "alone time" with mommy and daddy :-).

Maya has some pretty sophisticated taste in footwear...and these yellow hospital socks DID NOT meet her expectations!

She LOVED driving the little toy cars up and down the halls of the pre-op area. She even tripped a nurse or two by swinging the little door open right as they would pass by! (Notice the maroon socks...apparently that color was slightly more acceptable.)

Chillin' in recovery with mom.

*You can see the little red incision in the middle of her tummy. It's a pretty small scar, and so far it doesn't seem to bother her too much.

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I'll have to do a post soon about Maya's "shoe obsession". It's pretty funny & it may shed some light on the whole "sock preference" thing. If there is one thing my little girly is picky about it would be her footwear!

Keep Praying....

I'm SOOOOO tired of being sick!

At 4:30 this morning Chandler woke me up by handing me his puke-covered spider man, while saying "help, mommy". (Sigh) He has been vomiting ALLLLL day long! His little body is weak and tired & I just want to sit on the floor and cry with him :*( .

We have NEVER EVER had so much sickness in our house in one year (let alone this much in 3-4 months!). I just don't know what to do. I've cleaned every door knob, switch plate, toilet, floor, and sink in my house! I even took all the comforters to the laundromat today!

*When I have time I'll update with something more interesting.......

HELD

One of my favorite Christian Artists is Natalie Grant. Last year I heard a radio interview with her where she talked about this particular song (Held) & why it held so much emotion for her when she sang it. She did not write this song, but she sure identified with it. She lost her Mom much too early (when she was in her 20's), she talked candidly about how she was so hurt and angry at God, yet she clung to Him & felt His embrace during her time of grieving.

So, why am I bringing to light this song? Well, it just seems appropriate right now. I think this song gives me perspective. It gives me hope, and it has helped me focus on praying for several people in my life who are facing very difficult times right now.

While I have been tempted to feel sorry for myself over the past few weeks, I hear this song & I just can't go there. I am blessed! Really....I am. Sure we are going through a rough time in our life, but my struggles cannot compare to what I am seeing happen all around me. I'm looking into the lives of people who are facing mountains, and my "mole hill" just doesn't seem worth mentioning. I take solace in knowing this: whether my struggle is big or little....God loves me enough to hold my hand through the storm.
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This is the background info on the song:

"Christa Wells, a part-time songwriter and stay-at-home mom of three in North Carolina, wrote this song in response to two very difficult losses that happened within 48 hours. And for her, I think it must have been one of those total shake-your-fist-at-God moments where you cry, 'Why God?' These are the things in life that we cannot understand or explain, and the lyrics reflect that honesty. God didn’t promise us we’d be okay or that life would be easy. My faith does not protect me from pain, but it provides me with peace. God only promises us that when we suffer, when we’re in pain, we’ll be held in His arms through every circumstance."

HELD

Two months is too little;
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that Providence
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays is appalling.
Who told us we’d be rescued?
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares?
We’re asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live; it’s unfair.

Chorus:
This is what it means to be held,
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive…
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held.

This hand is bitterness;
We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows.
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow.

This is what it means to be held,
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive…
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held.

If hope is born of suffering,
If this is only the beginning,
Can we not wait for one hour
Watching for our savior?

This is what it means to be held,
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive…
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held.

*You can click on the title to see the music video by Natalie Grant.
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*This is something I found, that I believe came off of Natalie Grants site (though I'm not positive). At any rate, I love what this lady (Joy) had to say & I felt like it was worth passing on.

Joy Williams, my favorite singer, sent me this email recently (I hope she wouldn't mind me quoting it)...it's wonderful food for thought...

"I'm sorry you've had to deal with the loss of your mother, and there's nothing I feel like I could say to ease that pain. I just want to let you know that my heart would ache, boil, and bring me to asking the very same questions you've been asking God if I lost my mother, too. One thing that my counselor told me: God is pleased in the wrestling. Meaning, He does not get angry when we shout at Him. He does not leave though we feel like walking out. He holds on when we want to yank our hands away from His... and I believe He sees our desire to make sense of it all as a journey to knowing His Truth, His Heart. It is hard to deal with the fact that we are promised to deal with pain as long as we live on this planet, as long as we are human. But what helps me is to know that God offers total rest and restoration in Heaven, and offers Himself to get us through these days on earth. "

Here we go again!

One of these days I'm going to post some GOOD NEWS, I promise! But...today is not that day. Tonight, I'm asking all of you (my 4 blog readers) to please pray for my little Channy-guy. He has been sick for about two weeks & instead of getting better he is just getting worse!

*It started off a few weekends ago with a little cough and a runny nose. Then the cough got worse and worse. Last Monday (the 30th) he started running a mild fever, and the cough turned into a deep seal-like bark. I took him to the Dr. on Wednesday (the 2nd), and his oxygen levels were at 90%-YIKES! After a LONG afternoon at the Drs office doing breathing treatments, getting steroids, and having an x-ray done, we found out he has pneumonia. The x-ray also showed some "markings" that strongly suggest he has asthma (not a huge surprise there).

We went home on Wednesday with a Rx for antibiotics, and more asthma meds. The Dr said "He should be feeling like himself by Friday". Well, Friday came and he was running a 104 fever that night! Now it's Sunday night & he is STILL sick!

This is the toughest job I have as a mommy. I hate seeing my kids sick. When you are trying everything you know to help them feel better and it doesn't work, it's just devastating ;-(. Just tonight Chandler came up to me and tugged on my pant leg just to tell me "Mommy....I have cough...I so sick". It about made me cry! He is such a little trooper, you would never know just by looking at him that he was THAT sick. He is still trying to play & be himself, but I can tell this is really taking a toll on his little body.

So, if you wouldn't mind, could you please pray for my little guy. I think we will end up back at the Drs office tomorrow, so I'll try to update as soon as I can.

Thanks!