Blogging Neglect

It appears I have been neglecting the blog (per my daughter).  In actuality, I have written a couple post, but never published them.  Why?  I don't know. I figure with everyone's busy lives, who has time to read this?  But it's time for an update. 
Summer was great!!  All the same things, and better.  Leah spent time in Africa, at Beautiful Gate.  An orphanage.  They left a wonderful imprint in her heart.  Her stories brought us to tears!  So happy she had this experience.
We did our usual camping and even got the family up to the U.P.  I must say, I LOVED it up there.  The kids really seemed to have fun as well.   I felt like we had everything we needed, our family and limited cell phone service.  We did nothing out of the ordinary, but I enjoyed the time with my hubby and girls.  When we got cell phone service I called my mom and heard, "That's the LONGEST I've gone without talking to you guys.  I missed you!!!"  So refreshing!  Because we missed grandma too!



School started with it's normal routines.  It was nice to get back into a routine and the kids were excited to see their friends.  With that comes sports and activities.  So life carries on.  We had the pleasure of going to Cedar Point with Give Kids the World and Leah, Megs and I got to go to a Luke Bryan concert.   I must say these ages of the girls are my favorites!  (Megan says I say every year is my favorite. Maybe true!). When the girls were little we stayed home (the best we could),  hunkered down and tried to figure it out.  Going away was so much work.  Now you just say, "get in the car" and you leave.  I've tried to enjoy each stage, but I think I want to freeze time now :) 

Brooke has been holding her own (as always).  Labs were done for her immune system and so far so good.  She had some issues with her kidney and liver functions but it appears that is a result of A LOT of antibiotic use.  Brooke has essentially been on antibiotics since June for sinus issues.  It doesn't really seem to do anything.  We've been to her PCP, an ENT locally (not a good idea), then back to PCP, then to infectious disease, then to pulmonology, then to BMT (transplant doctor), then to ENT at Devos.  I feel bad for these doctors but they are great!  It appears the result is going to be sinus surgery.  Not the answer we wanted, but with a lot of MD's consulting each other they decided that is the best option.  It's amazing when the doctors ask me questions I tell them to ask Brooke.  I only know what I can observe.  So they ask how often she has headaches, and she looks at them and says, "like right now and every day."  And stomach aches, "everyday."  Not a day goes by that this kid is not in pain.  Rarely does she complain about it!  She only complains if the pain prevents her from doing something.  And then her goal is to dull the pain so she can carry on with life.  With that being said, her kidney doctor said no more ibuprofen and limited acetaminophen because her kidneys and liver can't handle it.  Not sure what else you use for pain medicine, but we are going to try positive attitudes :)  Kinda feel at a loss for the poor kid some days. 
All long time ago, Steve and I decided that Brooke needed to live her life without fear.  No fear of illness or setbacks.  Just to love life.  And Brooke has done just that!  She amazes us and is a true example of perseverance!.
Brooke's surgery is November 14, Lord willing.  She currently has a worse cold than normal, and I know they won't do surgery if she sounds like she does now.  So, we do inhalers and nose sprays to try and ward this off. 
I'll keep you updated as to how she does.  Praying she breezes on through and can drain those sinus's in the end.

Happy Birthday Sweet girl! (October 21)

I'm going to admit, this isn't the birthday I've looked forward to.  Our sweet girl is 18!  What, an adult?! Do you ever think of your kids as adults?  I'm starting to think not.  Leah was the sweet baby that taught us how to be parents.  Leah was the baby I brought home and cried and prayed I wouldn't mess her up.  Who told me I was fit to be a parent?  What did I know about parenting? 
Leah was the toddler that told us and showed us she was going to pave her own way.  We had our battles, and our goal was to train her without breaking her spunky spirit.  We learned some amazing parenting tactics with help of great friends and family. 

Leah got to 8-10 years old and we could start to reason with her.  We could explain if you do something, this is the consequence.  Sometimes she'd choose the consequence with a smile on her face.  Gotta love her for it. 
Teenage years were better than we imagined. She's been a delight.  I told someone recently, "I would freeze time right now, if I could."  But I can't.  I don't want her to grow up.  I selfishly want her to stay home, by us, forever.  To enjoy life and not have to grow up. 

But reguardless our sweet sweet girl is 18!!!  She's finishing up her Senior year and heading to college.  She's aware I will be a hot mess (actually the hot mess started when she started school this year.)  I just love her SOOOOOO much!!!  With that, she will tell me to stop typing and get a grip!

So  HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY SWEET SWEET LEAH!!   Thank you for everything you have taught us!  We look so forward to many years of memories and teachings!

This man!!!

What do I say about this man????   I think he was pretty great!  He is my grandpa. 

 

 It's hard to describe him.  I am obviously biased.  To the untrained eye, they might describe him as "gruff."  To me, I can say he Loved and he was Loved!

When I was 18 years old I was standing in his kitchen, by the sink.  He came up and said, "how's grandpa's favorite grand daughter?"   I smiled as always and said, "great!"  And gave him a big hug.  I then looked at him and said, "Oh my!!!  I'm you're only grand daughter!"  He laughed and laughed and laughed.  Obviously I should've caught on to that before I was 18, but he made me feel so special, that it never occurred to me.  In grandpa's eye's his grandkids were something very special. 

 

 When my cousin Dustin was born, (a long time ago) for some reason my grandpa always called in Gustin.  We would laugh, but no one dare correct him.  He was grandpa, we just let it go.

When Brooke got sick, my grandpa (a man of few words) said to me, with tears in his eyes "I will not out live my great grand daughter."  And he cried.  That was it.  He would not elaborate.  He had nothing else to say.  He just hugged me. 

My grandpa and I had something.  I can't tell you what it was, but I felt like I got him.  I felt like he got me.  Maybe it's because I was his only grand daughter.  A couple weeks ago I was at the assisted living grandpa was at.  The aide came in to help him and he said to her, "you can leave, Shelly will help me.  She's here now."  It made me happy.  I would/will do anything for my grandparents.  But sometimes you feel helpless. 

My grandparents were married 69 years!!  CRAZY, right???  You don't hear of that.  My grandma said yesterday, "we had our arguments.  If married people say they don't fight, it's a lie, and it's not healthy."   So true. A healthy relationship is learning to compromise.  And sometimes doing what you really don't want to for someone else.  But in the end being there for each other for the long haul. 

My grandparents were also always young.  I know that sounds dumb, but you get older people that sit in their chair and hang out, and then there was my grandpa, always in his barn, riding quads, chopping wood, gardening, going to auctions, mowing, dumpster diving.  He was busy and active. 

All in all, I shared memories of a great man.   This man LOVED his family.  And this family of girls LOVED their grandpa.  He will be terribly missed, but I am SOOOOOO happy that my girls got to meet him.  Even the toughest of men has a soft heart for grand kids. 

We love you grandpa!!  Until we meet again!!!

What's your style?

What's you're style?   This question has been asked to me many times.  With clothing, houses etc.  I've never known how to answer.  Until recently..........

You see this is happening. 

The porch is coming down and being redone.  After talking about it so much EVERYONE wants to puke, it's happening.  Luckily, we have relation that's a builder, otherwise we would be fired as clients.  When asked, what do you want done, we say, "the porch needs to be redone."  He is aware of that.  It's OBVIOUS!!!  But there's decking to pick out, walls to be redone, the ceiling.  Our answer, "surprise us."  We have friends that this conversation would make them cringe.  And I get it, and I'm so sorry.  This has been a revelation to me. 
I was again recently asked, "what's the style in your house? That will help you."  As I walked around today I realized, our "style" is family.  Our walls are covered with drawings the kids have made, a framed picture of a combine at sunset, an old hat Steve use to wear, pictures of the family and I found a lot of dirty fingerprints.  ALL OUR FAVORITES!!! (maybe minus the finger prints :) 
I got to go shopping with friends this weekend.  Had a GREAT time.  But I again thought about my style and laughed.  I bought 2 t shirts and I am convinced they can be worn to work, out to dinner and church.  That's a lot of pressure for a 6 dollar t shirt. But that's my style :) 

It took me a long time to come to grips with who I am, or who I'm not.  It seems to be a struggle for so many.  Trying to form into a mold, or style.  Everyone has their own, but in the end, as Christians we all strive for the same thing.  To raise awesome kids who love the Lord, and an eternity with our Heavenly Father. 

As for the porch.  You better stay tuned.  I know it'll look good.  I have the MOST confidence in my builder. 

Grateful!

That's what we are today!  Grateful for another day.  For 7 years post transplant!  For 5 pretty healthy girls! For family and friends. 
Tonight I looked back at pictures of the twins.  When they were born, their first year. And I thought, "why?" and "how did we make it?"  and "where did the time go?" 
As days go on, I sometimes forget the many lessons learned. I get irritated.  Frustrated with the non listening kids.  My patience grows thin.  And then I sit and reminisce.  Not everyone is given this chance.  We did nothing different than any other family with a sick child, the results were just different.  Which means, I have to be different.  God called as a Christians to not conform to this world.  We were so fortunate to live this miracle!!!  Thank you Jesus!!  Thank you for changing lives!! 


Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; For this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18   (A great friend sent me this verse today.  THANK YOU!)

 

 

 

Time goes on...........

This week I did something special. I had the day off work and my friend was babysitting her grandson. Yes I said grandson!  What a prefect day to go hold a sweet baby. Also a time to reminisce. I have a few friends that we have stuck together through it all. You see we were friends before we had babies, or right when we had them.  We endured the pregnancies, maternity leaves, baby illness', going back to work, daycare, minimal cash flow and on and on.  And the question remains,  how did we get here?   I sat in her living room.  And all I could think was, we made it.  Our sweet babies are growing.  They sleep all night.  We can talk with them, reason with them, joke around with them.  We are raising them to be independent young people.  I LOVED having babies in the house.  I would actually do it again if I was younger with more energy, but this is great a well.   I hate seeing my babies grow, but I am so blessed to have wonderful friends to grow with (not old, just grow :)

My message to mom's of any little's,  hang in there mama!  You are making a difference.  Those little's love you, you are their everything.  And, it gets easier.  I promise!!  God has great plans and I love to see His plans roll out.  Look for Him every day.  You'll see Him!! 


                                                Our "little" family, "God grant us rest."

                                                               To "thank you Jesus!"