2009 In Review

WOW, what a year. It definitely had it's ups and it's downs. I really hate to wish away a year, but I am glad to say that we survived this one, and it is almost over.



Jan.

good - visit with Grandma Terry, Aunt Jenni and Faith

challenge - an MRI of Lily's heart for pre-op purposes, we had to be there at 6 am and the MRI clinic wasn't even open for 30 more minutes.



Feb.

good - Daddy's Birthday, Grandma Terry spending two weeks with Miss Grace, Grandma Terry, Poppop, Grandma and Papa, Aunt Ann and Uncle Sam, Lara and David, every denomination of minister that came to the hospital and LOTS of wonderful friends who then got all their friends to pray with us and for us. Two forgiving new jobs that allowed me extra time off to be with Lily.

challenge - Open heart surgery, with a week and a half long hospital stay for Miss Lily and very little contact with Grace. It was very hard and although I can say Egleston is a wonderful place, it was so nice to come home on Daddy's birthday and have a double celebration.



March

good - good news from the surgeon, and cardiologist, and again lots of wonderful friends who brought us meals when we were just surviving.

challenge - a hard month for me, with the anniversary of losing Brendan starting it off and all the doctor visits and returning to work, hoping Grandma and Lily would be OK.......I didn't get a lot of sleep.



April

good - more good news from the cardiologist, pleased with her progress, Lily starting to sit alone again and starting to relax.

challenge - Getting back into the swing of things, trying to redo our mortgage at a better rate...never happened. And dun,dun,dun,dun........Grace to the DENTIST, poor hygienist and dentist, they never knew what hit them.



May

good - A visit from Grandma Terry and Poppop for RECITAL and LILY'S BAPTISM! Mother's day with my two growing girls.

challenge - missing Grace's four year old program, her last one as a preschooler:(.



June

good - can you say BEACH TRIP!

challenge - normal everyday stuff and Grace to the DENTIST (thanks to Daddy she made it through and got to go to the Disney Store for a special gift.)



July

good - can you say another BEACH TRIP, this time to visit Grandma and Poppop at their house. Lily's first trip.

challenge - this was the month of the tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and tube placement. Poor Taylor, Campbell and Caleb (two cousins and 1 best friend) all had it done within two weeks of each other. Poor guys, at least that got some cool toys and lots of ice cream to eat.

on the fence - Grace met her Kindergarten teachers on the 31st. She is officially a schooler, not a pre-schooler.



August

good- school starts, another cardiologist visit for the little one with excellent news, NO MORE HEART MEDICINE!

challenge - school starts and a bone graft for me in my jaw.



September

good - DISNEY WORLD FOR LILY'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

challenge - the beginning of a three month struggle with ear infections.



October

good - quiet month, fun Halloween

challenge - still struggling with ear infections for Miss Lily two different antibiotics were tried this month.



November

good - THANKSGIVING, a quiet week at home in preparation for ear tube placement

challenge - Lily and those darn ear infections, shots this time, numbing drops for the ear pain and waiting for the cardiac clearance for ear tube surgery. Basically a waiting game.



December

good - CHRISTMAS, Grandma Terry and Poppop coming up for Grace's birthday, Lily's ear tube surgery(technically in Nov.), an excellent birthday party, Carol Sing at FPC and a few relaxing days at home. And the wonders of Zofram.

challenge - An ER visit via ambulance for a puking 14 month old(no concussion only a stomach bug), 3 days later Grace getting the same stomach bug, working 2 out of a total of 6 days the month of Dec. No Kindergarten performance due to another bug giving Grace a fever and what turned into a sinus infection. Spending over 75 dollars in co pays for both girls the month of December at the pediatrician - and that doesn't include medicines or the ER visit. Getting Christmas shopping done, wrapped and sent with two sickies. And cancelling our trip to Florida to see all the Campbell's due to the sickies.



Well that is the highlights of our year. Hopefully next year will be full of more good than challenges. I have learned so much this year it seems that I am still making room for things in my brain, plus I am still reliving parts that I would love to look at through rose colored glasses - not there yet. I am trying very hard to learn to count the blessings and relish them. So I would definitely say the blessings in our life this year, have been all the people from family, friends, co-workers, nurses, doctors, surgeons, fellow parents at Egleston, customer support at Blue Cross Blue shield, people we hardly know who gave in ways they will never comprehend how much they touched our hearts, ministers and most especially the two beautiful girls who grace the pages of this blog everyday. They make the challenges in our life, but without those girls, life would be very boring. So here is to another great year together may it be as blessed as 2009.



I hope you had a great 2009 and that 2010 will bring you many blessings.

Christmas 2009 in Pictures

Finally getting into the spirit

Christmas is coming, 2 shopping days left, and I finally feel the spirit stirring.

Sunday night we went to the Carol Sing at FPC of Marietta. Both girls wore their finest Christmas attire, Grace's a hand-me-down dress from her Aunt Anna and Lily's a hand-me-down from Grace(it was a little short on her). They both sat, sang and thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas music and the beautiful bells. I used to be a performer, bell ringer, at this yearly festivity, however last year with Lily's birth and difficult following months I took a break. Maybe one day I will be able to rejoin the group and be able to praise the Lord through playing music, until then it was a joy to enjoy it sitting with my children, my husband and my dad while watching my mom play.

Monday, the girls and I did a little Christmas shopping. This was long overdue, but with freezing temperatures, two kids who have been sick most of the month and trying to work time had slipped away from us. I think we are mostly finished. The girls picked out a red tie with Christmas trees on it that plays music for Daddy to wear to work this week and probably to Church on Christmas Eve too. We finally bought the high chair to replace the one we stole from Grandma Suzanne, and a few other items that can't be mentioned until after the 25th. We also got to do a little celebrating with our best friends down the street. Mostly just playing and some cookie decorating, Lily doing the cooking eating(she was wary of the icing).

Today we woke up to a surprise. One of our elves that visits during the holidays was missing. The other elf seemed to be having a date. We have two Elf Magic elves that visit between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Kirsten and new this year, Leigh have had a lot of fun adventures and even gotten into a bit of trouble this year. Last night it seems Leigh and the Hughes(our neighbors and best friends) elf Wyndom changed places. At our house Kirsten and Wyndom were "having a date"(Grace's words). There were birthday candles that had been lit, cookie crumbs on a block/table and Christmas music playing. At the Hughes house, Leigh and Abbott's date consisted of playing the game Apples to Apples and a plate of food to share. The kids were amazed that the elves knew each other and were able to switch places without anyones knowledge. We have already had to switch them back though, can't go too long without your elf.

We still have plans to meet Daddy for lunch, Christmas Eve family service, make some more fudge, lots of wrapping and counting down the days til Christmas comes. We are disappointed that this year there will be no traveling to see our Campbell relatives, this is due to Lily's recovery taking longer than expected last Feb. and sicknesses(there have been several) this December (Daddy has no vacation time left) plus the fact that I am working on Jan. 2nd. We are hoping to use some time in February this year (known as Winter Break for Grace and Mommy's schools) to head down to Florida for some Grandma/Poppop time and hopefully see some of the cousins. And then maybe this coming summer too.

As we all continue to recover from this sickly December, we heartfully say.................

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Kindergarten Christmas Performance

This is where the video should go....

This is where the post performance photo should go......

Instead I have this.....

A sick Kindergartener

A sick 14 month old

And one depressed mommy.

Grace had come home every day from school, excited about the shirts her class had made, the songs they were learning, and the approaching holidays. She was sad last week when she was home after throwing up twice and then having a fever for two days...she missed practice. She then came home Thursday and Friday talking about all they were going to do and sing and how excited she was. She picked out her jeans and holiday colored turtle neck to wear under the special made shirts. She had a bow picked out and was even excited to buy french toast for lunch.

I had worried about taking Lily to school for the performance and helping out at the party. Would she be good? Would I be able to hold her and video tape? Would she want to walk around too much? Grace was excited to have us come. She wanted it video taped to show her grandmas and friends.

Instead I woke up this morning with two sick kids in my bed again. A husband who had to go to work, he only has one sick day left this year. And to top it all off the weather is miserable outside.

So Santa, if you are listening, All I want for Christmas is two little girls to be healthy again!

The countdown....

(to the tune of 12 days of Christmas)

16 days til Christmas and oh so much to do...
16 presents to wrap
15 more to buy
14 loads of laundry
13 bills to pay
12 thank you notes to write
11 bags of leaves
10 gifts to ship
9 times a day on facebook(boy am I addicted)
8 more days of work
7 rooms to clean
6 trips to goodwill
5 more days til grandma's 65th birthday
4 more Zofram pills
3 missing Christmas card addresses
2 pukin kids(see the need for more Zofram)
and an unfinished Christmas tree!

Oh what a weekend....

This Saturday we celebrated Grace's sixth birthday with a rock/hannah montana birthday party. (mind you she has never watched a show or movie Hannah montana, she just likes the music. She had most of the girls from her class show up, a few other girls that have been good friends for a while, and of course the boys.(her true best friends Joshua and Caleb from down the street and Taylor who is always along for the ride - hey Taylor when are we going to Disney World? Will was the only boy from the class brave enough to come be with all the girls.) Grace is also very lucky in that she gets to celebrate her birthdays with both sets of Grandparents. Unfortunately Daddy didn't get to come this year because Lily decided to get a stomach virus(still recouping and vomitting periodically).
About an hour after Grace got off the bus Friday evening, Grandma Terry and Popop pulled up to the house loaded with birthday and Christmas presents. Daddy followed shortly behind and we started the birthday weekend. Unfortunately Lily tried to steal the show by starting to throw up at dinner time. Tom and I ended up driving to emergent care and then the ER. Thank God the grandparents were here to be with Grace so that she could have some alone time with them and get to bed on time. We got home from the ER around 2 am(after a CT scan and some zofram and a little pedialyte, we were all ready for bed.)
Saturday I got up for my second class(thank you Mrs. Katherine for subbing the first class!) While I was working, Tom , Grace, Grandma Terry and Popop, entertained Lily, fed Lily and helped install our anniversary/Christmas presents known as new washer and dryer. Then once I got home with lunch, it was time to get ready for the party.
Tom and Popop went to get the sodas. Grandma and I blew up the microphones and got the goody bags ready and Grace and I picked up the cake and ice cream. We barely made it to the party on time....but thanks to Mrs. Katherine and a lot of other help the party was a success! I only have one picture on my cell phone(of course I had forgotten both the camera and video camera!

AHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday (Baby) Big Girl!

My biggest girl turns six today. It is hard to imagine that six years ago today I was in the hospital anxiously awaiting the birth of my first child. I had no idea girl, boy, just wanted healthy. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. After 24+ hours in the hospital it was time to push, there was talk of forceps and calling the doctor, I wanted a midwife birth. Of course not being a dummy I did have the epidural. And then the baby was here. It took 10 minutes for anyone to tell me if it was a he or a she. She had to be "worked on" to get her breathing cleared. I got to hold her for what felt like seconds and then she and daddy were whisked away to the neonatal unit. I was given a quick dinner and then shipped to my room upstairs.

Ever since the fateful day Grace has been full of adventure. She has been my dolly to dress up. She has been my guenea pig, my test dummy and most especially she has helped me find the meaning of being a mommy. Whenever I have been sad, mad or in a bad mood, that smile, her hugs and especially her kisses have made it all melt away and I have been swept into her joy. She is super intelligent, kind and caring, inquisitive, somewhat shy, but definitely a talker. She tells it like it is, the good and the bad. She constantly questions everything I do and say.(sometimes annoyingly so). She is my helper, my pleaser and my worrier(she takes after her daddy there). She wants everyone to be happy and hates when people leave our house.

first birthday

second birthday - look mom no hands

This September in Disney

She is a dancer, a swimmer, a dreamer, a princess, a reader, an imaginer, a disney fanatic(like her mom) and a GREAT girl. I can't wait to see how she grows and changes in the next year. I have so many hopes and dreams for her, but I know she is independent and will do what she wants and be who she wants. Here is to another year, may ALL your dreams come true sweet angel.

November 2009

I LOVE YOU!

Check us out!

Go to the following link to catch a small look at my newest friend and a great photographer Joy Wilson. She did a great favor for my sister and I as she took photos of our families for us for my mom's 65th birthday. She met us on the square and did a great job getting some grumpy kids to smile. Not Grace, she is always smiling for the camera(even if not looking at it with her eyes.) She did such a great job, I just can't thank her enough. Now just to figure out which ones to frame....................
http://joywilson-photography.blogspot.com/2009/11/family-edwards.html