Good news

First thing this morning my mind went to my sister. She had her appointment to go through her options today. The news is good. It IS pre-Cancer but it is growing. Surgery is scheduled for the mid May. It was caught super early and she has opted to do a needle lumpectomy and will have to do radiation. In the grand scheme of things that is great news. They (my mom and her) received a lot of information today and they said that their heads are spinning. I hope that this news gives her some peace knowing that it was caught early and surgery will be an outpatient procedure and she will be able to go to work the next day. We really needed some good news.

Oh but it ended well.

Anthony was discharged today. The best part of this whole experience was that they asked me if I needed any assistance getting back to my car. I welcomed any help and in no time and Anthony was greeted with a Limo. Well, a Limo in a baby's eyes. A nurse had come to our room with a red wagon to take him and his stuff to the car. He was all propped up with his pillow and we took off. He held on with a death grip and with his "very serious" look, eyebrows down, rode to the elevator. The doors opened and a couple rode with us to the lower level. He looked up at them and raised his eyebrows so proudly making sure that they were checking out his ride. I was so upset that I had taken my camera out of my purse because that picture would have been priceless!

We are home and doing well. Grandma took Victoria and Addison for the night so that I can get some rest along with Anthony. I am starting to get really stopped up myself and want to get this under control quickly before I am down for the count. Anthony is jumping up and down in his crib and laughing. His cough sounds a thousand times better and is back to his old self.

Everything started out normal

Getting up after a 2 o'clock in the morning return home from the drive in was a struggle. Everyone had a great time and was feeling great. James was getting ready to go to work and I was planning on taking the kids to Mom and Dad's so let them play in the yard. After Anthony's morning nap he woke up with a barking cough. I took him to the Immediate Care and was sent into a room immediately. The nurse hadn't even left the room yet when the doc came in to tell me that I was in the wrong place. I needed to take him to Kosair to the ER. They checked his oxygen and gave him 2 steroid treatments with the breathing machine and one oral steroid. After two x-rays, one long nap on my painfully asleep leg and buttocks, Anthony peeing all over leg, 4 1/2 hours later they ended up admitting him.

Thank God for Grandparents! My in-laws took Victoria and Brooklyn so that Brooklyn's mom could pick her up, and my mom was on her way to help relieve James so that he could leave for work. She stayed with Addison. Poor thing was stuck at my house because I had both car seats in my car in the parking garage. She and Addison did have a great time though.

Anthony has Croup (sp?). I settled in for the long haul and spent most of my time trying to get him to go to sleep in the crib that they had for him. VERY different from his bed at home and he wasn't too trusting of it. They put the oxygen monitor on his big toe and gave him some Tylenol to get him comfortable because it was hurting him to cough. On the way to the hospital I was freaking out because he couldn't take one breath without going into a coughing fit and strangling. It was very scary. I decided to go ahead and get caffeinated so that I would be able to watch his oxygen through the night. At one point they did have to put an oxygen mask on him because his level had dropped. It was quite a task being there with him and not being able to leave the room. I was STARVING!! I had fixed everyone else lunch and neglected to eat myself before I left the house. Anthony was having no part of me even walking towards the door of the room and I didn't want to leave him either. It wasn't like he could push the call button if he needed anything. He did get some rest though, and I got a 20 minute nap in the morning.

One of my favorite parts about warm weather.

I have been waiting very patiently for today. I have been checking the website for Georgetown drive in to open. This year they are celebrating their 58th year and charged $0.58 admission. We talked Grandma and Grandpa to join us after church. Lots of packing to make sure everyone is comfortable, fed, and entertained while we wait for the sun do go down. We had a ball. James truck liner proved to be very helpful in keeping them clean and contained while we waited for the show, and listened to the live music that they had playing to celebrate the opening weekend.


Getting everything set up.


Victoria had a ball dancing. Notice that she is facing the crowd thinking that everyone has set up their chairs facing her so that they could see her dancing. Nevermind that huge screen behind her.


Addison checking out the accomodations in the back of Daddy's truck before the show started. She seems quite impressed.

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.....and she just realized that she is trapped in the back of the truck with nobody to hold her. Such a cute wrinkled nose she she is ticked off. ;)


"Dude, there is a big TV outside. Do you see this Grandpa?"



Addison sitting on Grandpa's lap, the best seat in the house. (notice she is no longer "trapped" in the truck. Grandpa is such a sucker. lol.


Victoria won a free pass for sharing her favorite memory on the microphone in front of the crowded hill. (She got to see the film projector last year and thought it was the coolest thing.)

Driveway dancing..

I was sitting on the swing yesterday and Victoria came outside to entertain me. She loves to dance for me outside. It usually involves jumping jacks, or some kind of random jumping that to her seems like she is just as good as the Dancing with the stars instructors. She came out wide eyed and told me that she wanted to show me a new dance that she learned on High School Musical 3 (I know I am a glutton for punishment) and I told her sarcastically, "This better be something good and new, not something I have seen a thousand times before" She flipped around butt facing me and looked over her shoulder and said to me "Oh Mom, you ain't seen nothing yet." and took off with her routine. I have to admit it wasn't too bad. I may have to have her teach me some of those moves.

You have no idea who you are dealing with here lady...

Today after an awesome therapy appointment with Anthony (he said 25 words today!) Grandma Harb called and asked if we were interested in going to the zoo. We have taken a break from our regular Horseshoe (formerly Ceaser's) trip to the buffet when they took the free buffet away from the diamond members (Grandma Harb). Within 20 minutes I had lunch packed up in the diaper bag along with plenty of snacks for along the way. Victoria was so excited that she was going to the zoo that in getting dressed she ended up putting on TWO pair of panties and didn't realize it till she went to the bathroom. Talk about being prepared!

We entered the zoo and headed straight for the train. The babies are in love with the train and their eyes get so big when going through a tunnel. This was a big deal of a train ride for Victoria too. She got to ride in her own seat and did a great job of doing it. We headed off to the African Outpost to eat our PB&J and Grandma Harb decided that she was hungry again too. We walked inside and Grandma Harb ordered a Hamburger basket and opened up her wallet to pay. The sweet teenage girl behind the counter asked Mom if she was a member (of the zoo) and Victoria threw her arm up on the counter with such authority and matter of fact way told the girl "Yes she is a DIAMOND MEMBER!" It is such a good thing that I went to the bathroom before she ordered, I would have peed myself. It was hysterical!

There is a reason

My dad reminded me of this song yesterday and I had forgotten about it. I just love the lyrics.

There is a reason

Why do we suffer, crossing off the years
There must be a reason for it all

I've trusted in You, Jesus, to save me from my sin
Heaven is the place I call my home
But I keep on getting caught up in this world I'm living in
And Your voice it sometimes fades before I know

Hurtin' brings my heart to You, crying with my need
Depending on Your love to carry me
The love that shed His blood for all the world to see
This must be the reason for it all

Hurtin' brings my heart to You, a fortress in the storm
When what I wrap my heart around is gone
I give my heart so easily to the ruler of this world
When the one who loves me most will give me all

In all the things that cause me pain You give me eyes to see
I do believe but help my unbelief
I've seen hard times and I've been told
There is a reason for it all

"We've got nowhere to go and a long time to get there"

I had to use the lyrics to one of James's favorite songs. I can't remember the songs name but the actually lyrics are "We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there. We're gonna do what they say can't be done." My heart is breaking for James. Our adventure of owner/operators hasn't been smooth so far. We started out with Landstar and that lead him to being gone for 25 days and battling for loads while away from home. So he and my dad decided to take a "dedicated lane" for Rush. I use the term "dedicated lane" VERY loosely. Loads were getting cancelled all of the time. When the lane would run like it is suppose to it was great, money was good and James was happy. They were hauling Ford freight and with this economy it has been very touch and go, as with most people's jobs these days. They finally, after a week of cancelled loads and sitting at home, took him off of the lane and offered him one that would be starting a week later. So we settled in for another week of no work locked up the wallets and waited. Sunday came (the night that he was to start this less appealing run) and it got cancelled. He spent that day trying to get on a sleep schedule for 3rd shift to prepare him for the next day's load. He was ready to leave last night and again the load got cancelled! We are on week 2 of no work. It is stressful to say the least. I wish I could help ease his mind. Until then we will wait.

On a good note I got to see my sister yesterday for a bit along with Ariel. They seem to be doing alright. Ariel is getting around well and my sister seemed to be in good spirits. We are still just waiting on that next appointment to get some more answers. Until then we will wait.

It's hard to be a woman thrown a giant sized weight

The Esther study that I just finished had a weekly theme of reasons that it is hard to be a woman. Each week we had to finish "It's hard to be a woman __________." The giant sized weight weeks comes to mind after the phone call I received this morning.

My sister got bad news on her biopsy this morning. It is indeed Cancer. From what I understand it is stage 2 surface Cancer and they are wanting to do a lumpectomy. She has an appointment on the 30th to discuss her options. She was told that she wouldn't have to have chemo or radiation and that it was caught very early.

My heart just breaks for her. She has really had her hands full with crisis in her life with Ariel and her surgery, and having to go through it all over again a week later. Ariel is now in a brace from her chest to her knee to keep her body straight while she is healing. While in this brace (for 8 full weeks) she is only to stand or lay down. They have moved furniture around to give her a bed in the living room and she is unable to leave the house because she isn't suppose to sit in a car. Needless to say it has been quite stressful. Now my sister is facing Cancer. I am so glad that she DID get the mammogram while Ariel was in the hospital. It would have been so easy to skip barring the circumstances of having a child in the hospital needing you. God was again taking care of her and getting her butt in there to get this done. Many prayers are needed and appreciated.

Highlights of the past week

"Going through this Easter basket is serious business, I better put my ears on."


I can't get over how much Victoria has grown since last year. She is such a pretty girl.


Anthony is high gear as he searches for Easter eggs.



-Easter began with our "Annual Easter Egg Hunt" at my in-laws. I was reminded, by her, that she does this every year (I haven't remembered one and have been part of the family for 5 years now) so that has been the inside joke of the week. Everything is "Annual" now. One thing NEW she decided to do at the Annual Easter Egg Hunt was invite Victoria's biological mother, Tina! Hooray, that darn bunny didn't give us much warning for this Easter surprise!! We love being put on the spot.

-After the annual egg hunt I headed off to church I was Farmer Sissy for the 4 o'clock service in EC Large group. We had 112 kids (ages 3-5) just in the 4 o'clock. It was a rowdy bunch and as soon as the last kid left the room I grabbed my wig off of my head and sat in front of the fan burning up. It was like taming 112 Victoria's in Disneyland.

-We headed up to Mom and Dad's Sunday to pick up a load of creek rock to line our flower beds along the house. It looks so nice. We had a ball over there watching the kids play outside and having mom unintentionally pull a chair out from under me as I was going to sit down. On the way home Victoria and I took some time to go "Country cruisin" in Salem. We headed out of town looking for a house that I saw for sale down an old country road. We passed a junk yard that ran along both sides of the road. Some cars were stacked 4 high and I almost ran off of the road while laughing when Victoria looked out of the window at all of the junk cars and asked me "What are all of these people doing here?" It reminded me of the time that we dropped off Brooklyn on Fern Valley Rd to meet her mom and passed the Ford plant. Their parking lot was full of brand news cars waiting to be sent to car lots and Victoria looked out of the window and said "MAN THAT PLACE IS PACKED!!"

-James job is again up in the air. The "dedicated load" that he was on has been cancelled and he has only been offered something that is half the miles. He is home this week and will start taking his new run next Monday. Although I love to have him home I hate to see his job situation so unstable, and seeing the toll it is taking on him.

Correction

My sister's biopsy is NEXT Thursday, I was assuming that it was this week. You know what they say about assuming....

Unexpected turn

Today I was on pins and needles waiting for a call from my Mom. She went with my sister and niece Ariel to the doctor. Mom was watching Ariel Friday while my sister was at work and was shocked to see that her spine was just as curved as before surgery. An appointment was made to confirm our suspicions that something had gone wrong. One of her screws has come out of her spine and they are needing to go back in and redo the screw while double checking the others to make sure that they are holding. Ariel is, of course, scared and not looking forward to going through this all over again. The surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. Until then she has been fitted for a brace to wear after this next surgery that extends from her chest down to the side of her leg to make sure that her body stays aligned after this surgery.

While in the hospital from Ariel's last surgery my sister had a mammogram. The results came back that there was a calcium mass that they are wanting to do a biopsy on. She was told that the mass has a 70% chance of being benign but still wanting to make sure. They are wanting to do the biopsy on Thursday.

Please pray for them. Their nerves are shot after going through a surgery less than 2 weeks ago and having an additional concern to weigh on them. I will keep you updated.

Here is the second and third try at my pillowcase dresses/shirts. As you can see #3 got a little fancy with a trim on the bottom. I am having a ball and Walmart has their material 50% off!! I have never been so excited about fabric in my life, more to come!

Affection and accessories.

Finally every once in a while the babies are acting as though they want each other around. This just makes me beam from ear to ear. Addison, of course, has to have her bracelets to do the job. You should see the bracelet, remote control cellphone combo while riding on her car she got for their birthday.

Future business???

Here is my latest creation and obsession, the Pillowcase dress/shirt. I found a website via Facebook called Etsy.com. It is a site that you can buy and sell homemade wares. HELLO, JACKPOT! I am love! I thought about maybe selling my hand painted stools that I have been working on for the babies but they can be quite time consuming. I saw these Pillowcase dresses and fell in love with them. They looked super easy to make and I hurried out to Hobby Lobby to see if I could find some supplies. I studied the pic and tried to duplicate them best I could. I made this one with 2 bandannas and a little ribbon. Didn't take me any time at all and Addison loved it so much that it gave her, her first goose egg. I tried it on her and when I took it off she went screaming into the kitchen and fell hitting her head on the corner of the cabinet. Let's just say she knows fashion and likes to look pretty.

On a different note I got my wig done today. It was so nice to get out of the house/state and go and get pretty. I took a little extra time to see some old friends and visit. On top of all of that I came home to dinner on the table. Who is this man and where is my husband? Guess I am going to have to balance the checkbook to help repay him the favor.