Toot HIS Horn!

I use to be such a good blogger. Well... at least I was consistent! If you have time, go back to some of my older posts and take a peek.

I've just needed some inspiration!
And how's that for INSPIRATION?!

Last weekend I went on a retreat with the ladies of my church to Watermarks Camp in Scottsville, VA. What a memorable event!
We worshiped together and played together in one of God's most beautiful settings.
We watched video and studied Priscilla Shirer's book "He Speaks to Me."
What a great speaker she is. It was as if she were right there with us at camp. She made me laugh, but mostly she made me think about the obstacles in my life that keep me from hearing when God really wants me to listen. I am so ready to slow myself down! Life these days can be stressful and busy, can't they? Are you taking time to listen to what God has to tell you? Open your heart and He is there!!

If you're familiar with my blog then you know how much I love taking pictures...Talk about a great photo-op! Look at all I did in those 2 1/2 days! (almost killed myself on the high ropes course!)





Toot Your Horn Tuesday Participants

1. Stomach Rumblings 2. Snacking in Style 3. Pumpkin Bread Pudding at Create With Joy 4. Scented Candles 5. Great Is Thy Faithfulness - Part 1 6. Fall Applique Dish Towels 7. Lakeshore Cottage Remodel Begins! 8. TV Console Before and After 9. Place to Share 10. holiday rosette wreath 11. Gold Acorns & Leaf 12. Homemade Body Scrub 13. KNITTED CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS 14. Spinach, Mushroom, and Tomato Quiche 15. Greek Italian Girl 16. Rrd Green and Gold Argyle Pillow 17. Candle Ornament 18. Vintage Style Tea Light Holders 19. Spicy Tomato Chicken 20. Keepsake Christmas Stockings 21. Me , The Man & The Baby 22. Whimsical Christmas Wreath 23. Embellished Clipboards 24. Burlap Thanksgiving Sign 25. Easy Christmas Decor 26. Paper Stocking Banner 27. Moonangelnay Handmade Blog 28. Little Thoughts by LT : God Box 29. Designing Domesticity 30. handstamped giveaway 31. Frugal Fesitivities: Holiday Accents 32. Sassy Snow Card

33. Burlap & Ruffles 34. Ultimage Reeses Cheesecake Brownie Bars 35. Thrift Store Mirrors 36. We All Fall Down 37. Crafty Tuesday@My Mad World 38. Skeleton Key Art 39. Websites for Kids 40. Fall Leaf Pillow 41. My First Photo Shoot 42. Grateful Pocket Banner 43. Fabric Bulletin Boards 44. Felt So Cute 45. Leather Cuff Bracelets 46. Kitchen Drawer Makeover 47. Wedding Quilt Reveal 48. JOY Xmas Yarn Wreath Tutorial 49. Olivia@Of Such is the Kingdom (Intimacy Conference) 50. Master Bedroom Redesign 51. Petti Tutu Tutorial 52. three Ring Circus 53. courtney @ One Fine Wire 54. Etched Glass Bakeware 55. Stamped Coasters 56. Pumpki Curry 57. Thanksgiving Tofurky (really) 58. Cookie Truffle VIDEO Tutorial 59. Thankful wreath 60. Chicken with artichoke sauce 61. Magazine Holder 62. Leather Clutch TUTORIAL 63. harry potter crafts for the movie 64. Christmas Tree Toppers

65. kate 66. River Rock Bathroom ReDo 67. Hostess Gift Roundup 68. Box lf Memories 69. Leggings are Not Pants 70. DIY Modern Clock 71. Blossom Topiary 72. wheelbarrow planter 73. Sweet Potato Hummus 74. My Crazy Simple Life 75. The Busy Budgeting Mama 76. Garden Creations 77. Wipes "Snuggie" 78. Buffalo Chicken CHili 79. Thanksgiving Printable Subway Art 80. Make a Giant Turkey with the Kids 81. Felted Hair Clips 82. Custom Mini Display Sign 83. Damonsbunch: Turkey-day Savings 84. Ribbon Decor on Christmas Tree 85. Holiday Table Ideas 86. Christmas Wreath 87. Noel Blanc 88. Christmas Subway Art printable 89. Christmas Cupcake Wrappers 90. Mice! 91. Holiday Apothecary Jars 92. FOE Cloth Diaper How-To 93. Georgeous Embellished Headbands 94. Pomegranate Salsa 95. Thanksgiving Silhouettes

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Tootless Tuesday - for me

As usual, I've been busy as a bee. Just normal summer stuff. Nothing exciting. Last week though, was able to take a quick trip up to Richmond to see a couple of my cousins. A wonderful visit! Here's Tia and I when we were little. She's a few years younger then me and I use to treat her like my little life size baby doll. I loved her so.And here we are last week at her house. She still means the world to me!!!

So, anyway, the other thing I thought I'd share is a post from last year. Exactly one year ago. August and September were some of the hardest months I have ever lived through. My Step-Dad's battle with cancer. He was diagnosed in July and he flew to Jesus in September. Here's a link to my September posts.

It's nice to have this blog and be able to go back in time....

Saturday, August 16th 2009
HOWEVER LONG

Wondering if I’ll be on my blog very often over the next
“however long.”

As I write this, I am sitting in a hospital room next to my Step-Dad, Tom. He has stage 4 lung cancer. He went for his first chemo treatment on Aug. 4th and on Aug. 9th was admitted into the hospital having had severe reactions. We weren’t prepared for this. We didn’t consider that within just a few weeks of learning of his cancer that he’d be here, as sick as I’ve ever seen anyone. Sure, I’ve had skin cancer. Just the pesky basal cell. Not life threatening. Not serious. This is stage 4, Incurable. We were told that he would never be healed. We were told that without treatment he would have just months to live. But there is no way that we could have grasped the reality of it all. I’ve never watched anyone die.

Tom is not dying today. He is “fragile” they say. He’s developed an infection. His kidneys are struggling. He is lethargic. He opens his eyes, but I wonder what he sees. His stare is completely blank. He wouldn’t take his medicine tonight. He clinched his teeth as I tried to feed him the crushed pills mixed with applesauce. The machine next to him signaled that his fluid bag was low. Tom reacted to the beeping. He was alarmed. He groaned, he opened his eyes! He reacted… He’s in there!!

Day by day we wait. The doctors can’t give any prognosis right now. He may recover from this “bad reaction.” He may not. We may get him back for a bit, but eventually we will lose him.

Less then 2 weeks ago I was sitting in paradise. I saw rainbows every day. I know God is watching over all of us. I understand that I'm not suppose to understand. I only know to acknowledge Him in all my ways and in return He will direct my path.

More Hawaii pictures... Aren't I blessed?! Hard times will come, but it makes the good times that much sweeter!

Here we are under the banyan tree in maui. It's one of the oldest banyans in the US and it takes up an entire city block. It's amazing!




You're welcome to still play along with Toot Your Horn Tuesday. Wouldn't want to keep you hanging again!! Believe it or not, I check out your blogs every week and dream about all the things I'd love to try. Remember to keep your "titles" short so that they will fit well within my borders! Kisses!
Toot Your Horn Tuesday Participants

1. DIY Giveaway 2. A Bushel Full of Laundry @Paisley Passions 3. Karen@LadybugCreek 4. Menu Board 5. Easy as Pie Pie 6. PB knockoff shelves for $3! 7. How I Organized my Junk Drawers 8. Folded Fabric Hair Flower 9. The Caffeinated Globe ~ I FOLLOW BACK! 10. How to make a bra 11. Rockin' Deals 12. Lucky Teacher Frame Gift 13. Carrot-Zucchini Bread 14. Magnet Game Board 15. 1 Year Blogiversary! Blogging for 1 year! 16. Krista 17. While He Was Napping 18. Folded Ribbon JCrew Inspired T-shirt 19. Scalloped Petals JCrew Inspired T-shirt 20. Sister Sister Linky Party 21. Western Round-Up 22. Kids Craft, Penguin 23. Top 5 Hits 24. No Sew Tee Rescue, Red Ted 25. Great Grill Rub 26. Patio Tour & a $100 GIVEAWAY 27. future fashion designers 28. An Old Milk Can 29. Three Sided Doily 30. Pretty Necklace Display! 31. My Favorite Things 32. Fluttering By 33. Dictionary Lamp Shade 34. DogsMom:Thrifting 35. Suite Little Guest Bedroom 36. Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper 37. Purse GIVEAWAY! 38. Roaring 20s Party and cake!

39. Safe Raw Cookie Dough Recipe 40. Back 2 School Binder for Moms 41. Paint Sprayer Tips-Chairs 42. ginny 43. Anthro Inspired Cupcake Stand 44. French Bench 45. Earring Photo Clips 46. Ruffled Petal T 47. Bird Cross 48. CABLE AFGHAN IN BONE 49. it's come 2 this -Party Backdrop 50. Pretty Pantry Makeover 51. $50 Bathroom Makeover 52. Woven Washer Bracelet & Martha Stewart Visit 53. Kids Clifford Kazoo 54. School Pencil Cookies 55. S'More Dessert Buffet 56. Bathroom Makeover 57. FREEBIES: Back to School Printables!!!!! 58. Mod Podge Necklaces 59. Pesto with cauliflower n peas 60. hemming your jeans 61. Workout Shorts Pattern 62. Sea Shell Shadowboxes 63. Quick and Easy Layered Skirt 64. Rose Petal Dress Giveaway 65. Drawers to shelves redo 66. AWESOME PARTY TREATS 67. Grilled Avocado @ Domestic Dame 68. Easy Tomatoe & Goat Cheese Appetizer! 69. C.R.A.F.T. 70. Ladybug Party Crafts 71. FRENCH SOUP 72. PINA COLADA SHAKE RECIPE 73. Summer Reading Makes Me Feel Fine 74. Barbecue Stain Removal 75. Coupon Blog Directory 76. How To Clean Coffee Maker

77. FRECKLES AND FUDGE 78. Buffet into Dresser 79. 2 Shirt Refashions 80. Anthro Shirt 81. Butterfly Soap 82. School Supply Box 83. MY NEW/OLD COCKTAIL TABLE 84. Grow Your Own Sprouts 85. Odd Crafting Dilemma 86. Sicilian Style Pizza 87. Oreo Cookie Ladybugs 88. Easy Fruit Growing 89. Sidetacked Jewelry 90. Repurposed Cabinet Door 91. Slow Cooker Ham with Pineapple Sauce. 92. memory wire bracelets 93. Geometry in School Dress 94. Sassy Fresh & Easy Salad 95. Gold Clay Deer Antlers 96. Butterfly Garden Wall Art 97. super mario goodies 98. Cute Thank You Card 99. Trash to Treasure Lap Boards 100. On a Pink Cloud 101. oops - the real salad link! 102. Ear Flap Beanie 103. Grilled Pizza Dough 104. My Painted House! 105. My 1st Giveaway! 106. Brandy 107. DoodleBug Designs! Yippee! 108. black damsk table 109. Theresa 110. Cousin Carolyn's Courtyard 111. Gatto999 =^.^= 112. Inspiring You To Save! 113. Moon River Stained Glass Pendants

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Word Filled Wednesday

Never played along with Word Filled Wednesday, but thought it'd be a good way to share this song. Imagine being Mary!!

Luke 1:35
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy–the Son of God.





This week's host for Word Filled Wednesday is Critty Joy

Forgiveness

Saw this story today on Good Morning America.
An amazing act of forgiveness. I think the average person would have only felt fear and anger at this heated moment.


Back in May 2009...

N.Y. store owner gives would-be thief lecture, $40, bread
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. — A Long Island convenience store owner confronted by a bat-wielding would-be robber said Tuesday he decided to show mercy on the man after he collapsed in tears claiming he was only committing the crime to support his starving family.

Instead of getting loot from a stickup, the store owner provided the man with $40 and a loaf of bread, but only if he promised never to rob again.



Update from Good Morning America: 6 months later, the store owner received a letter from the would-be robber stating that he has turned his life around, found a job, had a child and he owes it to the store owners actions. He also included $50 to repay the store!

Yah for Monday!

I know I'm weird, but I love MONDAYS!
(a poem by me)
Most people I know, dread this day
Back to work, no more play.
But I'm a little odd, for the way I see it
I work weekends too, so be it.
On Saturday, when everyone's at home
The house is crazy, not a second alone.
I love my family, this is true
But on the weekends, it feels like a zoo.
So Monday mornings, as the family heads out
Glynis and I give a little shout.
It's just she and I for the day
Mondays are when we get to play.

Almost forgot to share that I got to see Casting Crowns in concert a couple of weeks ago. And somehow I managed a Front Row Seat! The concert was amazing and my heart was filled!

Matt Redman also played.

By the way...Tomorrow is Toot Your Horn Tuesday! I'm so excited to see how many people played along last week. I hope you'll join too!

Fly to heaven

At 2:35am on Tuesday Sept. 22, the first day of Autumn, my step-father peacefully flew to heaven to spend his first day with our Lord Savior God. My mother and I were at this side and watched him draw his last breath in this world. He was an amazing man.

Last week, I spent lots of time talking with him and he even allowed me to video tape some stories. I plan to speak about those stories at his memorial service. I am a horrible public speaker, but I am prepared. It will be a wonderful release and also a feeling of honor. Here's an excerpt.

By this time, Tom’s voice was starting to get a little hoarse, but he insisted he tell me one more story…He sat up on the couch and moved a little closer to the camera and he told me how he fell in love with my Mom and how he had promised her that he would never ever make her regret marrying him. He used the word mystical when he described their relationship. They were loving towards each other all the time! No bickering, no harsh words were ever spoken between them. Their marriage is a testimony to me. It makes me want to love my husband better.

Tom’s had more than his share of heart break and trials. Even to the end of his life being stricken with this monstrous disease. It doesn’t seem fair. Any of us might wonder how did he endure all of that? We might ask Why Me? But he did not. Tom knew, without a doubt, that God was in control and had a special purpose beyond our comprehension. He told me he was not afraid to die. He told me that he knew he would soon touch the hem of Jesus our savior. So, it was not Tom that endured those hardships, but it was God through Tom. Tom never stopped giving God the glory. That is Tom’s greatest legacy to us.

Toot Your Horn Tuesday - God through me

(posting this a bit early, time is sparse this week)
As some of you know, my family has been on a journey with my stepfather. He was diagnosed with lung cancer this past July. And now we have come to the end of the battle. We've had a vigil by his bedside for the past 5 days. He is in between this world and the next. And although this seems like an odd time to toot my horn, I'd like to share what God's power has done through me. Our family has had a strength and calmness that can only be explained as a miracle.

My Dad was discharged from the hospital just over 2 weeks ago. And in this short time, he has experienced all the wrath of this monsterous disease. Symptoms include, pain, weakness, breathing problems, confusion and aggitation. My mother, my aunt and I have become his nurses and spiritual advisors. Cancer attacks not only your body, but also your soul. When he was still speaking clearly, he told us many many times that he is not afraid to die and that he knows he will be with Jesus. That is the most comforting part!!

Other relatives have gathered by his side these past days. We have been in constant prayer. We sing hymns, read verses and best of all, we love on each other! So, today I toot my horn for being God's vessel of love in my Dad's last days.

Now don't be afraid to share your "toot." We will all face these trials in our lifetimes. It's my time now, but life does go on. I love to hear about your blessings or accomplishments no matter how small they might seem. I lift you up in whatever you face today!

Sign the linky below if you've written a "Toot Your Horn Tuesday" post. Don't forget, you can leave comments below too. :)

There's no avoiding it

About 5 or 6 months ago I started spending a little too much time obsessing about turning 40. I’m ashamed to say that I was worrying about things like wrinkles, and grey hair. I was worrying about gaining weight and not feeling young any longer. With all my other birthdays I got a little older, but on my 40th I figured I would just be OLD!

Well, what a dummy I was! 40 is fine! I didn’t wake up on my birthday to find that my hair was all grey. My skin didn’t shrivel up and my butt actually shrank a little this year. 40 is not old! I am still in control of a few things…my weight, my hair color, and mostly my attitude.

Just another life lesson I’ve learned the hard way. Life is short, dwelling on the negative is not going to help one bit!!

And by the way, the best medicine for facing a dreaded birthday is this…
Doing something fun with people you love!

These are two of my longest and dearest friends. We all turned 40 this year so who better to celebrate with?!

And stay tuned to find out what other special thing I did for my birthday. Pictures to follow!!

P.S. I'll be resuming
Toot Your Horn Tuesday tomorrow!!
So please come back and play along!

9-11

I was in church that morning with a bunch of other moms, many of them military wives. When the news broke, we were all frantic. Some gathered in circles to pray. Others headed towards their cars to gather their families. What a total feeling of helplessness and fear. Not a thing that we could do. Only sit and watch the news clips over and over and over.

Our country mourns together today. Let us all be in continuous prayer in remembrance of those families who lost a loved one.

Day by Day

Well it's been ages since I've written and I'm not going to write much now either. I've been riding this dismal cancer carnival ride along with my step-dad and the rest of our exhausted family.

Here's the time line, thus far, of Tom's cancer story:

July 10 - Diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer, followed by ct of brain, and a bone scan, both came back clear

August 4 - 1st chemo treatment

August 9 - severe reaction to chemo and is taken by ambulance to hospital, spent 12 days there several of which he was in a coma-like state. kidneys failing, no food, infection etc.

August 20 - strong enough to go to rehab, still on oxygen, but eating normal and getting stronger

August 31 - looking forward to going home in 2 days, but severe breathing problems occur abruptly and he is taken again to the emergency room. ventilator is needed., new ct scan of chest reveals that cancer is worse and has now invaded his bones (note that there was no sign of bone cancer just a month earlier)

Today - Sept. 2 - ventilator is removed and he is breathing on his own with hopes of coming home in another day or two. hospice will be called to help

This is just a brief description of what we've endured in just a short time. I can't express right now, all the emotional turmoil that has gone along with each new crisis. It's a roller coaster that I hope I never ride again! Cancer is a vile thing!!

Yet, we continue to praise God and to rest assured that His plan has a purpose. Here's a picture from Sunday. Tom is joyful even through the storm. What a lesson he teaches us all!

However Long

Wondering if I’ll be on my blog very often over the next
“however long.”

As I write this, I am sitting in a hospital room next to my Step-Dad, Tom. He has stage 4 lung cancer. He went for his first chemo treatment on Aug. 4th and on Aug. 9th was admitted into the hospital having had severe reactions. We weren’t prepared for this. We didn’t consider that within just a few weeks of learning of his cancer that he’d be here, as sick as I’ve ever seen anyone. Sure, I’ve had skin cancer. Just the pesky basal cell. Not life threatening. Not serious. This is stage 4, Incurable. We were told that he would never be healed. We were told that without treatment he would have just months to live. But there is no way that we could have grasped the reality of it all. I’ve never watched anyone die.

Tom is not dying today. He is “fragile” they say. He’s developed an infection. His kidneys are struggling. He is lethargic. He opens his eyes, but I wonder what he sees. His stare is completely blank. He wouldn’t take his medicine tonight. He clinched his teeth as I tried to feed him the crushed pills mixed with applesauce. The machine next to him signaled that his fluid bag was low. Tom reacted to the beeping. He was alarmed. He groaned, he opened his eyes! He reacted… He’s in there!!

Day by day we wait. The doctors can’t give any prognosis right now. He may recover from this “bad reaction.” He may not. We may get him back for a bit, but eventually we will lose him.

Less then 2 weeks ago I was sitting in paradise. I saw rainbows every day. I know God is watching over all of us. I understand that I'm not suppose to understand. I only know to acknowledge Him in all my ways and in return He will direct my path.

More Hawaii pictures... Aren't I blessed?! Hard times will come, but it makes the good times that much sweeter!

Here we are under the banyan tree in maui. It's one of the oldest banyans in the US and it takes up an entire city block. It's amazing!

Life Altered

Dear Friends,

Our family has received bad news this week. My step-father, Tom, has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Doctors have been trying to understand why my Dad's back pain was so severe and the last couple of tests have revealed the news. Now he must meet with an oncologist to discuss his treatment. Stage 4, is ultimately "end stage cancer." Our hearts are broken yet we must continue down the road with this dear man who means so much to so many. Tom married my Mother when I was just finishing high school. He treats me like a princess.

I always try to keep things light on my blog, but with this going on in our lives, there will obviously be some down times. I plan to post regular updates as we muddle through. Tom's attitude is amazing. He lives on faith and trusts in our Lord. We can all takes some cues from him. Maybe our story can be a blessing to you in some way. I've started a Discussion over at my BlogFrog community and I'm hoping that you'll join in if you have a similar story to share. I would love to have a community of support right here! Click here to add your thoughts or story.

A verse for the day

A friend of mine posted this verse on Facebook today and I feel compelled to share it.

Colossians 3:23

Work willingly at whatever you do,

as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

I really liked the New Living Translation. When I informed my kids of all the chores that they will be doing this morning, we wrote this up on our chalkboard wall in the kitchen. We read it out loud and pondered it for just a moment.

It really lifted their spirits and mine as well. I'm sure we'll have our chores done in no time and we'll be able to enjoy the rest of this glorious God given summer day!

This is also very timely for my oldest son today. He headed out this morning to do some construction type work for a friend. (And yes, it's a paid job, alleluia!!) There he goes....

A Reminder

I was getting the kids ready for bed, winding down for the night and then we got a phone call. My father-in-law was just taken to the emergency room with high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythm. He lives 3000 miles away. On the opposite coast. It's such a helpless feeling. A reminder of a call we received just over 3 years ago. My mother-in-law was killed in a car accident. Just like that. No goodbyes, no last hug, no notice. I don't think that this is a life threatening situation tonight, but scary none-the-less. Why is life so painful? Why does it hurt to love? All we can do is pray.

So often, when "situations" arise, my first reaction is to "react." I cry, call someone, scramble around to make arrangements or whatever, it seems like I always need to be reminded to PRAY!!

Over the last several weeks I had gotten into a bit of a funk. Just a general blue feeling. I admit that I did not take it to God. I took it to my husband. I took it to my friends. I spoke with my mother. What is wrong with me? Why on Earth would I wait to seek His help? Well, I finally got over myself and decided to take it to God. And guess what happened as a result? I instantly snapped out of it.
Lucky for you, I recorded the exact moment. It was one early morning, Glynis was still sleeping, I decided to take a walk around my backyard. I grabbed my camera (because I always do that ) and just started taking pictures. I recorded the sounds of the birds and bugs. I saw God's most simple and evident beauty right in my own yard. A few reminders of just how much He loves us. It calmed my spirit and I was able to really talk to Him and feel his presence. So here's that walk I took. For dramatic effect, I recorded a song w/ my son and made a short video. (disclaimer: I am not a recording artist, nor did we practice more than a couple of times, so if the song really pierces your ears, then feel free to turn off the volume and just watch)


I'll keep you updated about my father-in-law. Thanks for praying for him. Blessings!

For My Sister-in-Law

Now that I am gone, remember me with smiles and laughter.

And if you need to cry,

cry with your brother or sister who walks in grief beside you.

And when you need me, put your arms around anyone

and give to them what you need to give to me.

There are so many who need so much.

I want to leave you something --

something much better than words or sounds.

Look for me in the people I've known

or helped in some special way.

Let me live in your heart as well as in your mind.

You can love me most

by letting your love reach out to our loved ones,

by embracing them and living in their love.

Love does not die, people do.

So, when all that's left of me is love,

give me away as best you can.

~ Author unknown

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than 10,000 tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.

~ Washington Irving

Happy Mother's Day to all

A Day In The Life

Well, at least this family gives me plenty to blog about...

It all started a couple months ago. Cole tried out and made it to All-District Chorus. He also tried out for All-State, but was selected as an alternate. Alternates almost never get to actually participate, but... jump to this past Tuesday. The phone rings in the middle of the day. Caller id says it's my kids' high school. I'm thinking, "uh oh, what now?" It was Cole. "Mom, they need me for All-State Chorus! I made it! Can I go? Can we afford it? Can you drive me up there in 2 days? The concert is this Saturday!" The excitement in his voice was loud and clear. So I had about 2 minutes to come up with a "Yes" to all his questions. No problem. It'll be fine. I've got plenty of time to shop for his concert attire and run a couple other errands. The other kids will be fine. It'll all work out.

Jump forward to Thursday, today. All goes smoothly, packing, getting Glynis ready for a day in the mini van, making sure the other 2 kids are out the door for school, etc. We leave the house right on time and we're merrily on our way. THEN...45 minutes into the drive and my cell phone rings. The high school number again on my caller id. "Hi Mrs. T. This is the school nurse. Your son, Carson seems to be fine. I'm sorry I had to call you while you"re driving blah blah blah, Carson's had an episode of some sort, he's looking much better blah blah blah. I think maybe he passed out....blah blah blah....His teacher said she thought he might have had a seizure, but he probably just fainted...." WHAT?! I'm driving 65 mph down the highway and this woman just told me that my son may have had a seizure?! Ok, so she doesn't win the tactfulness prize this year, but I definitely should win a composure award. I kept my cool and didn't run off the road. I asked the nurse a few questions. "Did he hit his head? What class was he in? Oh, health class? What was today's subject matter? Oh, first aid? They were discussing puncture wounds? Ah Ha!" I'm still quite frightened at this point, but I immediately said a prayer. I felt the tears start to well in my eyes. Mom's are suppose to handle these kinds of emergencies, but God reigned in my peace. I called my husband and let him kick into action. He got Carson right over to the doctor who ran blood work, gave him the once over and decided that Carson must have gotten queasy from the subject matter in class. He's passed out once before in a similar situation. Still, a mother's nerves aren't completely calmed until her child is in arms reach after such an incident. Thankfully, traffic was in our favor, Cole made it safely to his destination and Glynis was a superb traveller. We made it back home safely by 4pm. But we all know that the day does not end at 4pm. There's always soccer practice, dinner, baths, homework and of course my blog. :)

It's 10pm. And as you can see, I am still holding it together. Good night!

Baby Stellan

There are very few bloggers that have not heard of baby Stellan. His mommy, MckMama, has a blog called "My Charming Kids." She hosts the "Not Me Monday" carnival that so many of us had participated in. She's just a regular mom, but she's going through an ordeal none of us would want to go though.
Her youngest child, Stellan, is a very sick baby boy. In utero, he was diagnosed with a deadly heart condition, but God saw it fit that he be born and have several healthy and happy months with his family. Again, he is in dire trouble. He's been hospitalized for about 1 month now and was flown to a children's hopital in Boston a few days ago. Probably having a life threatening surgery tonight or in the morning. I've been reading his mother's updates regularly on twitter and her site. I talk about Stellan with my family and friends. And as it turns out, people across the world now know his name.

I hope you'll take a minute to pray for this little angel. No, we do not know him. He's no more special than any other one of God's children, but to me he symbolizes all of our children. His family is no more important than any other family, but to me they symbolize what is most important in this life...love.

One more thing, on MckMama's website, months ago, she started a gallery of Stellan's name. You really must check it out. And here's our contribution. Carson drew his name and we're praying for Stellan!

On the Way to the Cross

Take time to listen to this. It will require about 3 minutes of your time. You'll be blessed.