Urgent Prayers for Our Little Man

Our little guy spent yesterday afternoon in the ER.  His temperature had fluctuated  for the past couple of days & for some reason would not stay down.  By the time he got to the ER it was around 103-104 range.  Mommy called home around 7pm to say they were waiting on the discharge to come home.

Then, all of a sudden, Tag's temp spiked to 105.  He was hooked up to IVs and tubes & then taken by ambulance across town to the hospital his pediatrician is on call. Blood work, x-rays, ultrasounds ... and still no concrete answers.  At first the doctors thought a possible colon infection, but it doesn't look like it.  

Right now, only God knows the reason why Tag's temperature will not stabilize.  Please pray with our family that God will reveal to the doctors & those attending to our 10 month old little man the reason why & that Tag's body will be healed. 

 We appreciate & covet your prayers ... 

Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours

Another Christmas has come upon us.  It seems that each year passes faster than the previous ... wasn't it just a couple months ago that we celebrated Baby Jesus' birth?  Here's what was happening in our household last Christmas:

• Mrs. 'Joe was very pregnant with our grandson "Tag" and was ready for his appearance (but not due til mid/late February)
• 'Joe was in the process of shipping out for an unspecified deployment period to Afghanistan
• Sweet Lucy was an energetic 3 year old who insisted that "Santa Clause is NOT coming to our house -- MRS. Claus will be visiting my house"
• And on Christmas Eve (our kids' anniversary), Lucy helped her Mommy celebrate their 6th wedding anniversary by sharing Godiva chocolate covered strawberries 

It's hard to believe another year has past since then.  God has been good (as always) throughout this past year.  So, here's how we find our household celebrating this year ...

• Mr & Mrs 'Joe will celebrate their 7th wedding anniversary tomorrow (Christmas Eve) with some special time set aside just for them while ...
• Lucy & Tag hang out with Granny & Grandad to prepare for Mommy & Daddy's special "Anniversary Party" tomorrow afternoon (a tradition our daughter began when she was younger to celebrate mine & Grandad's anniversaries)
• Mrs. Claus is still coming to visit Lucy, and I think Santa may actually come to visit Tag

And the true reason "why" we celebrate Christmas ... 

Baby Jesus 

Lucy told us today that she wants to much to see Jesus someday.  It brought to my mind the little children from Sandy Hook Elementary School whom Jesus welcomed home. 

Oh to come to Christmas as a little child ... 

to have the heart of a little one ... 

to want to see Him with the purest of eyes. 

Well, I have a little more gift wrapping to finish... just a few more small items to get in the morning... and leaving the cooking to Mr & Mrs 'Joe (at their insistence to do most all of our Christmas celebration dinner).

 

I'm ready to meet the Baby of Hope ... 

I'm ready to come to Him with a pure heart that focuses on Him alone ... 

I'm ready to spread His love to those I come in contact with.  

So, from our house to yours ... 

~~~ We wish you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year ~~~

Weeping with Those Who Weep

The past few days have been a blur to our nation.  We all were shaken ... rocked ... torn apart to hear and see the news coming out of Newtown, CT on Friday.  Truth be known, none of us will ever be the same.

But most of us look on from a distance ... 

but not Mommies & Daddies, sisters & brothers, 

Grannies & Grandads, Aunts & Uncles, 

cousins & friends -- their whole community.  

Today begins the process ... laying to rest those whose lives were taken so mercilessly. I cannot even imagine.  So many unanswered questions ... so many families torn apart ... so many tears.  It has truly left me speechless and heartbroken. 

Small young children not much older than Lucy ... 

young teachers around the same age as my daughter ... 

school administration my age & older ... 

all became our heroes.  

And their families and friends and community ... all our heroes.

Although I have a breaking heart & swollen tear-stained eyes, it absolutely does not compare to what this community & its families are experiencing.  God's Word is filled with promises of His love for little children. On Friday, the nail-scarred hands of Jesus welcomed these little children Home. I truly believe that Jesus' heart broke on Friday.

He is our only Peace here on Earth. It is only through Him that we will continue to live & breathe to face each new day. It is my prayer that each of the families and their community will reach to the comforting nail-scarred hands to be their comfort & strength for their days to come.  

And that each of us will take time to hug and spend time with our precious little ones 

as often as we possibly can.  

And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain:

for the former things are passed away.  Revelation 21:4

Prayers for Mommaw

Asking a special request for my husband's grandmother ...

Mommaw is 90 years young and not in very good health.  She is a firm believer that Jesus Christ is her Lord & Savior, and gives her praises to Him for giving her these 90 years.

October 2011

This lady sure doesn't look or act like she's

9 decades young ... 

Love Mommaw's smile

  We also ask a prayer request for my husband's Mom & Dad.  His Mom is the primary caregiver for his Mommaw ... and as you can imagine, that can be a stressful & challenging role.  Prayers for strength, encouragement, stamina, wisdom, health.  Blessings to surround them while Mommaw recuperates.

Mommaw, his parents & us October 2011

God is always good ...

God is always faithful ...

God is always.

 

Family Portraits

When I was a little girl, my parents would take me to have pictures at a professional studio. It was one of those "luxuries" that they saved their money for, and continued after my sister was born.  

Not a hair out of place ... the perfect outfit ... the "you will smile for this picture" smile ...

Whew-hoooo ... look at the birdy and say "cheese" ... look at the camera ... 

Hey kid ... what's so hard to understand about "smile" and "look at the camera"?

Come on ... we're almost done ... just a couple more ... 

 Okay ... 
 Smile one more time ... 

a BIG smile this time ...

okay, well at least we may have gotten one out of the 87 we took.

Well, Thanksgiving Day was similar to one of those professional portrait studio sessions.  "Dear daughter" decided that we needed to take a group picture ... 
G-G ... Grandpa ... 
my sister and her family ...  
the 'Joe family ...
Grandad and Granny.

So, out of the 192 pictures snapped (exaggerated? maybe not), 
here's some of the results...

1st Family Portrait with 4 generations

My parents with their grandkids

And add 'Joe and the great-grands

My parents & their girls

And of course, there were the out-takes ...
the bloopers ...
the cutting-room-floor negatives for no one else to see ...


Until now ...

Okay, so I couldn't make the "out-takes" but so *bloopery* (not sure if that's a word, but I claim my Granny-privilege on making it up)

But, no matter what the pictures may look like ... 

this is my family and the people whom I know have my back.
I can call on them anytime -- day or night -- and they will do anything for me.
And I will do anything for them.

Life is good.


And this is the man God gave me to share my crazy journey of life with ...

So, whether he's entertaining Tag 

during a photo-session ...

 

 

 

 

Or he's dancing with his Princess ...

I'm so thankful that God chose to bring us together to share our lifetime ... 

crazy family and all :)