Gearing up!

Christmas is done!  As much as I LOVE to give gifts and have the Christmas parties, I am just as excited to get my house back afterwards.  I tend to get the Christmas crabby's and it lasted longer this year with the snow days.  We had some serious cabin fever. Even had the kids break out into a water fight in the kitchen.  SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?  I finished the fight by pouring water over a kids head.  She looked at me with much anger and said, "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?  YOU HAVE THE WORST PARENTING TECHNIQUE EVER!  Normal parent's ground their kids."   That comment just made me proud.  They recognize that I HAVE a parenting technique and they DON'T like it.  Maybe it'll work :)  We'll see. 
We are not back to a schedule yet.  Leah's had exams, which she has done very well with.  Good grades and doesn't seem to stressed.  And Brooke was home for a day.  We have such a hard time reading her.  She won't tell us she doesn't feel well.  She has never had a fever, she can't vomit, she has stomach aches daily and chronic diarrhea.  She was quiet for a few days and very low key.  But appears to be her normal now.  We pray for health the next week awaiting surgery.
I have the letter from insurance approving her surgery.  So it's a go from that aspect.  We have to go to her urologist tomorrow.  Her "normal" MD retired so we have someone kind of new to us.  We have met him once but he wants to see us again for "finalize plans."  I'm praying for no more bumps in this road but I'm not holding my breath.  If I said I had no reservations I'd be lying but I keep praying God will lead us down this path.   I have become aware my plans are not always His plans and His are always better. 
May 1, 2009 Brooke went into surgery to have her nissen and G tube place.  She came out looking fire red and bloated.  I have pictures that I have a very hard time looking at.  I VIVIDLY remember standing over her crying.  Crying for the pain she was in, how she looked, the feeding tube that I SOOOOO did not want her to have. 
We are not looking forward to this surgery.  No parent wants to put their child through this.  I'm frightened for her to be in pain.  She is EXCITED to get rid of the feeding tube, but the urinary surgery is another story.  So we just need to have patience and know she is again/always in God's hands.  We praise Him for how far we have come in this journey.  We will keep you posted how surgery goes next week.