An unexpected ER trip and praying for a young lady.

Well yesterday ended up being a very very long day. What we thought would be just a day with 1 doctors appointment to remove scooter duders staples...it's been two weeks since surgery....ended up being a trip to the ER.

Kelley has been taking daily injections of Heparin...1 dose daily for 14 days. Day 13 was no different than any of the other 12. That was until this dose. Within 10 minutes of his injection the room started spinning. Thinking this would subside, he lay there for a few minutes. It didn't get better! In fact the nausea came quickly right along with my call to the doctor. If you ever need a foot and ankle doc in Atlanta let me know!  Great Doc and Great bedside manner!

We were advised to keep our 1:45 appointment and go from there...possible trip to ER to check for DVT( Deep vein thrombosis). Our 45 minute car ride was no picnic..extreme nausea. I really wanted to head straight to the ER. Kelley really wanted to make his appointment and get those darn staples out! Being the good wife that I am, we went to his appointment.  As expected a trip the ER was advised. No staples removed at this time. Off we went....with a doc's order.

The hospital is just around the corner from the doctor's office. Thinking we would get seen quickly,   since we had  an order from his doctor. NOT! You would think a 55 year old male, post op, with DVT symptoms ( extreme dizziness and nausea)  would be seen quickly. Well....3 hours later he was finally called back...and it was 2pm when we arrived. I would hate to have been there for the evening shift. Let's just say this girl wasn't happy about the wait....and neither was Kelley's doctor! My friend said we should have entered the ER with him holding his belly and saying he was having a baby. We have plenty of experience with that!

Well after blood work, X-rays,CT scans, MRI, EKG, Ultrasounds ( Not looking for a baby)....Everything was clear except a little fluid in his middle ear. You have got to be kidding me! I'm not totally convinced that was it. However, I'm praising God for clean arteries! That fish oil is really working! So at 10:30 pm we were sent home! Along with 3 prescriptions! Antibiodics, Nausea and dizziness meds.

You never really know why things happen. I truly believe God has ordered our steps. If all this was for a chance of meeting a young lady who needed prayer warriors...then this ER visit was worth every ounce of waiting and expense. This young lady was laying just on the other side of the curtain between us. As Kelley was laying there waiting for the next test we heard this girl crying out in pain. She was all alone in her area of the ER floor. By her conversation, she has seen every kind of doc and had every kind of test for her back pain. She hasn't been able to work in over 7 months. Getting dressed was a nightmare. From her explanation no one knew what to do to help her. She felt hopless. Most people think an ER doc should have all the answers...kind of like Dr. House. As this girl cried out in frustration because the ER doc had no answer....my heart just wanted to pull back the curtain and give her a hug and pray for her. Telling her I knew someone who did...Jesus!  Even one comment she made shook me to my core..."What am I going to have to do...Kill myself before anyone will listen and see what's wrong with me?!" Knowing that I needed to wait I sat and prayed for her. Asking for an opportunity to speak with her if I needed too. It's hard for this mom's heart to listen to a young person sit alone and cry out in hopelessness. But I sat. Minutes later the patient transport came back to get Kelley for an unexpected MRI. We thought we were done! Even the nurse said this was unusual for this test to be ordered. For this test I had to stay and wait for him. Wouldn't you know the girl next to us was leaving at the same time. As I pulled the curtain back to make room for his bed to be moved I had an opportunity to speak with her. Her name is Candy. I told her I would be praying for her and that I would ask others to pray.

So if you feel in your heart to pray for this girl please do. We will probably never know what happens to her. But I know I have a loving God who cares for Candy enough to petition his children to pray for her. Praying for answers. Praying for Candy to feel God's love towards her.

I know when we humble ourselves and pray....He hears us!

1 week, a whole lot of staples and one happy Scooter Duder's wife!

After 1 week of searching Atlanta for a knee walker...I finally found this I wish I had thought of that invention !!!!!!!!!! This steerable big boy's scooter is an answer to our prayers. Oh so much easier...according to the duder who has the good pleasure of scooting around the house. This will be his mode of transportation for the next 4-6 weeks and then...he does this all over again!  Another surgery...same foot. Until then I will have the good pleasure of watching my family fight over who gets to wheel around our house on dad's new toy piece of medical equipment. When they are not looking I might just join in on the fun! Maybe I should get a little bell to add to the handle bars?!

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Today was 1 week post op appointment day. The big reveal................WARNING!!!! PHOTOS ARE GRAPHIC!!!!!!

Still swollen...1 more week and hopefully the staples come out! What started out as going in to repair torn tendons involved a larger incision and  a section of tendon being totally removed. A little more than we bargained for but hopefully the end result will be well worth all the blood, sweat and tears!

The trying of our faith does work patience....Did I pray for patience?

As I play nurse over the next however many weeks.....I will be

prasing God for a great employer and GREAT insurance...and the patience He is working in me! 

James 1:2-4

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

In sickness and in health....

                                       In sickness and in health....

Yes, those are the words I spoke so very long ago. The understanding of their meaning so far from the moment. Yet...I spoke them anyway! If given the chance to do it again I would say them with greater understanding....because I love him so very much!

He has served me in sickness far more than I have ever had the honor of loving him through his. Mine...1 para sail accident, 9 babies, 1 skin cancer and reconstruction and 1 very glad it's gone gallbladder! He...my husband,friend, love of my life never complained....just served and loved me to health!

Ephesians 5:25-27

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

You never really understand how much you love someone until they are unable to be their good ole healthy selves. Yesterday's two hour surgery to repair torn tendons has rocked my self-centered world. It's my nature to want to fix whatever might be broken or hurt. These next several weeks may be harder on him than me...but I hurt. I hurt watching him hurt. I hurt watching him get frustrated at the lack of being mobile. I hurt at watching God get him to a place of stillness. I'm overjoyed at what God might be up too! I smile at the end result and the beginning of a new journey as we are squeezed and molded by the inconvenience of this part of the journey. Time will tell. Will tell if we heed His calling and obey. If we are still and tune our ears to his voice. Surrendering all that we are and ever hope to be. Only to be His child and do His will.

And in six weeks...we do this all over again! Another surgery...same foot! My oh my...My God is good and greatly to be praised! Praising Him for a great place of employment with great sick leave and all this time I will have with the man that I promised to love and serve through this sickness!

As we have so many times before....One day we will look back on this time and smile. Smiling at the hand of our great Father who loves us so much and works everything out for our good!

Raising daughters...A real circus!

This is a great book...not just for a father...but a great tool in teaching a mom how to best support or understand her husband in his journey of fathering his daughters. 7 daughters...we need all the help we can get!

There are days when I am just blessed to keep my head above water. I look at my life and think... God what were you thinking?! I am in no way capable of raising this many girls and remain sane. I can see him smiling and saying...Yes you can!

Tonight I posted phrases that I catch myself saying alot...I should have joined a circus! Anyone need a juggler? Oh wait...I created my own circus! I'm ready to retire!

A few months ago a dear friend recommended a book to me....Strong Fathers Strong Daughters
By the title you would think it's for your partner in crime. I must admit,  I set out reading this book to help me have a better understanding of my husband's role in the area of parenting our daughters. You know....so I can better support him in his calling as a dad!  Support...An area that I fail at miserably!

I have always struggled with knowing what a true father looked liked. Having lost my dad at the age of 13...I feel in someways I have missed out on a very critical area of life. Many fathers don't understand what a very important role they play in the lives of their children...especially for a daughter.

I remember days after my dad's death, my mom saying to my sisters and I....God promised in His word that He would be a father to the fatherless. It's in those days when I would watch other girls interacting with their dads...I knew there would always be a disconnection in my understanding of that father daughter relationship. An area in my life that God would have to continually bring reassurance of His great love for me!

As I read this book I was amazed at how important the little things that we (especially their dad) say and do can impact our daughter's journey to womanhood. I know we will never be the perfect parents. My husband will never be the perfect father. Only one man can have that title. That would be MY dad!

 It's never to late to continue learning to be a better parent. Our sons are 26 and 24. The girls are 23, 21, 18, 15, 12, 9 and 5. I don't see retirement anytime soon. I love this circus! This is a lifelong commitment! But with my Father's help we can raise these girls to be strong women who truly understand the love of a father.

I am blessed..........and yes I can do this! We can do this!

10000 days and counting..........

10000 days or

864,000,000 seconds

14,400,000 minutes

240,000 hours

1428 weeks (rounded down

Numbers...that's a whole lot of them!

Psalms 90: 12 tells us ....

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹² So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

and that's a whole lot of lovin wisdom! I'm really not sure how wise I have become. All I know is I love my Saviour and I love the fact that He knew exactly who I needed in my life to love me the way I needed to be loved. For that I am very thankful!

10000 days ago I said "I do" to my love. 10000 days ago, at the age of 18, I married a man whose love for me has filled my heart with life. Filled my heart with love. Filled my heart with a lifetime of learning to follow the one who planned the life we share. 10000 days of really living....some good....some bad. All to gain a heart of wisdom. All to walk this journey hand in hand...never alone.

I am thankful that my love has encouraged me to number my days. Each one a gift. Each one an adventure. Each one sharing with the one who promised to always hold my hand.

My love for old things....SHMILY

My love for old things has made it's way into the burlap world and my Etsy shop. The first time I read this SHMILY story  was several years ago. There is something so intriguing about a life long love that has seen years of tears, joys and dreams. A friendship that has lasted through the fiercest of storms and somehow manages to find joy in the midst of that storm. The depth of a love that permeates every minute of their lives.

As we grow older I hope one day our grandchildren will be a witness to that same SHMILY love....

Help me! I'm being sucked into the sea of Pinterest!

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I remember when my years of homemaking began and just thinking of the simplicity of it all sets my mind at ease. Of course at the age of 18 how did I even know what all homemaking entailed? I remember someone asking me what style I liked....Country, contemporary,eclectic etc.?  Is smorgasbord a decorator style? I was so young...very young...and newly married, decorating was the last thing on my mind! Little by little I began to discover what styles interested me and my list along with torn out dreams from magazine pages began to fill a little corner of our home. That 1 ziplock bag of recipes suddenly became 5! If I only had 1 place to keep them. Too bad we didn't have the internet way back then!

Have you ever seen something you liked and thought...."I'd like to have that" or "I could make that" ? Only minutes later forget about it or forgot where you saw it.  For years I have said I should take my camera with me everywhere and photograph things that I really like...My camera if full right along with my computer! Then there is the good ole favorites list! Yes, I am the one who painstakingly clicks on each item I had saved looking for that one thing I know was on that very long list!

Then My daughter introduced me to Pinterest !  It's like an online picture book! This is the most ingenious website out there! Why didn't I think of something like this?  The only problem now....I get sucked into this sea of  dreams and ideas! And they are all in ONE place! How cool is that?!  No more corner filled magazine pages in our house. No more out of order favorites list...a much shorter list!

I love that I can share my dreams with this sea of Pinterest friends! I have seen more cute ideas than I will possibly be able to complete in a lifetime...but I continue to pin away!  There are so many great recipes posted.Warning....do not get on Pinterest late at night! Every time I do my taste buds start salivating and then the hunger pains. It's like being pregnant....I am NOT though!

I use to say I would love to have my house look like it was from out of a certain magazine. Now the question is when someone walks in my house...Have you been on Pinterest?!  

Pinterest....the woman's new Facebook! If you would like to join in on all the fun, message me if you want an invite!