Kitchen is DONE!

Well, at least when I'm feeling super duper crazy, I release that crazy energy into some serious productivity. I've sorted Ella's clothes and inventoried what she needs. I've organized closets and junk drawers and scrubbed holes right into the shower floors.

AND.........................

Drumroll please...................................................

WE FINISHED THE KITCHEN!!!

(okay so we still need to paint the ceiling patch and save up for crown molding.......but it's been such a long bleeping process, I'm just gonna call it done or I might cry.)

Might I remind you:

BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER I love our dining room. I still don't love cooking. But I love my dining room.THE chandelier I wanted...found on Craigs List for a steal! The long hoped for, much saved for, if I could marry an inanimate object, I would...countertops!!!

Ella

While I may have just mentioned in my last post, that she is in a stage that is very annoying to me right now, that's not to say that she's not still fabulous. I haven't written about her in a while and so many thing are piling up. She does so many new things so quickly I just can't keep up and have been feeling the need to jot some highlights down to savor! So here's what comes to mind right now.

She has a special relationship with the ONE pumpkin that materialized in our garden this year. She visits it at least once a day, usually multiple times. She pats it and always exclaimes something like, "It's growin'!" or "It's growed today!" or "It's turning (insert some color here because she doesn't quite have those down yet)." She loves to inspect the garden in general and point out what's ready to pick and what's not. And she likes to help harvest, although this momma get's a little stressed at her little haphazard steps!

A magnificent imagination. She's always pretending....to go to the beach, to go to the zoo, to go swimming, to go camping, to go to camp, to throw a birthday party etc. etc. And while it is generally adorable, this generally involves her taking EVERY LOVIN' toy in her playroom, to some other area, where she doesn't really use it, just piles it. She's always, "packin' up" and doing this and the sheer volume of toys that she moves and then has to be put back EVERY TIME drives me batty! And she does it OVER and OVER and OVER.

Loves her babies... stroll them, swing them, feed them, give them medicine etc. etc

She loves swinging on the hammock!

She sings lots of songs still, they just get better and better. She likes to dance along with some little kids videos like Laurie Berkner and such, but she's still a little shy with that.

She constantly asks WHY. Sometimes it's just to play the game, but most of the time it's because her little brain is really working overtime and she really is wondering about LOTS of things.

She still has a memory like a steel trap.

She is FULLY potty trained and VERY self sufficient!

She still has a pretty serious...and sweet mullett.

She continues to be the world's most persistant staller when it comes to nap time and bed time. Although frustrating at times, and we dont' give in, the things she does and says to stall are generally pretty adorable/hilarious (I need you to clip my nails, I need a tissue, I need you to snuggle me, I need you to move the pillow out of the chair, I need you to put the books on that shelf not that one, I need more animals, I'm cold I need long pants on...[when it's like 100 degrees out] and so one and so forth.) and give J and I a good chuckle in the evenings together.

She's still a great sleeper though. And she stays in bed in the morning utnil her monkey clock opens it's eyes and then instantly hear abover your head the "boom" or her leaping out of bed and then "pad,pad,pad,pad,pad,pad,pad," of her running little feet down the hall. Then she quietly walks down the stairs, tiptoes into my room, stands at the edge of me bed and says, "Boo!" or "Raawr!" or something equally cute to "wake me up".

She's still a nibbler and a picky eater. We don't give in. She eats what we give her or she doesn't eat...but she's stubborn and persistent little one (prob. doesn't help that both her parents are the same way), so mealtimes are less than our favorite times still.

She's ridiculously smart and ridiculously adorable.

Just Can't Shake This Feeling

This mama feels like she wants to crawl right out of her own skin!

Maybe it's because:

• I have friends and family going through some pretty scary times right now.


• We just experienced two wretched days of high heat/high humidity AFTER taking the A/C out. (And I don't DO heat.)


• All of the house and yard projects for this place feel never-ending and impossible at times.


• There's always just enough money, but life always seems like there's still never enough money.


• Bathrooms are deceivingly small little spaces, but are a ROYAL pain in the BUM to edge in!


• We are in transition between seasons right now, and I'm anxious for fall.


• I am trying to get a routine together for Ella and I for fall and I feel in flux


• I am planning for the start the daunting task of beginning to educate her in a more formalized way and I feel woefully inadequate!


• I just don't do change well....in general....ever.


• Ella has reached a stage where a lot of what she does REALLY annoys me. (There I said it. Don't pretent you've never felt that way if you've ever been a mom of a 2 1/2 year old, because I won't buy it for a second!)


• Patience has never been a really strong virtue of mine....yet. (Trust me, HE's really working on it with me!)


• STUFF has been driving me insane! I feel the need to, and have sorted and purged and organized and purged, and purged. But it never ends! It is the bane of my existence.


• We're still not pregnant and I'm really wrestling with/ struggling with understanding God's will. At this point I'm fine with whatever direction He leads us in, I'd just like some clarity as to which direction that is.


• Or maybe it's the Clomid messing with me, because yes, this hippie got so desperate she resorted to trying it.

Or maybe it's none of those things. I can't really put my finger on it. I just hope it passes and I feel normal again....or at least comfortable in my own skin. And getting it all out helped a little.

Specifically Answered Prayers!!!

My heart is jumping with joy this morning as I've read about little Jude's road and I just had to share with those of my friends that are following his family's journey and praying along with me!

Prayers are being answered. Specifically. AND NUMEROUSLY!

After having to continue to wait for his heart surgery because of his poor kidney function and seeping from his incision from neurosurgery, he underwent a scary transfer back to the hospital where he had his neurosurgery. They did another procedure. And it was successful!

• Today, his creatine level is 0.5...way lower...way great...specific answer to prayer.



• His x-ray of his lungs look great! called it "best in the PICU" specific answer to prayer for collapsed lung.



• The neurosurgeon is "wonderfully happy" upon seeing his CT scan two weeks after surgery.



• 
  
  The neurosurgeon called Jude a fighter. But we already knew that didn't we!?
  

Keep the Prayers a Comin'!!!

And go HERE to read how Brandon and Mandy's 50 things they're grateful for today. Such a testimony and encouragement to me to see how they are living and relying on God through this all!

Thankful

Between the end of August marking my father's passing, my Aunt fighting for her life in the hospital, and a never ending parade of little pink sticks that always tell me no, I've been having some tough days lately. On my worst days I give into my silly self-pitty parties. On my best days, I trust in the Lord and rely on the Holy Spirit to strengthen me and get me through. But no matter what day it is, I am thankful. I realize how blessed I am and I am thankful.

I am thankful for this man. I am thankful for this little girl who donned this outfit all by herself. I am thankful foror crisp late summer air and perfect blue skies with white puffy clouds.

I am thankful that I live in a place where this sweet little hike and beautiful views are just around the corner from my "dooryaad". I am thankful for the simple pleasure of rocking in my hammock like a baby.

I am thankful for really great friends.

I am thankful that my Aunt Karen is a fighter.

I am thankful that as they lift the sedation she has been responding to her loved ones with opening her eyes and squeezing their hands.

I am thankful that she has moved her arm and leg on her right side and thankful that she's even moved her leg on the left side (the side that would is most affected by anurism in the right side of her brain).

I am thankful that her pnemonia is not worse, but still praying that it gets better.

I am thankful that baby Jude made it to his two week birthday, but continue to pray that his bleeding and kidneys and lung to improve so that he can have the heart surger he so desperately needs.

I am thankful.

Happy Two Week Birthday Jude

Today is baby Jude's 2 week birthday. I must remind you that this is the same baby that Dr.'s offered his parent 4 times in his first few days to just take him off life support.

I'm convinced God has bigger plans for this little guy and his family!

• He is opening his eyes! You MUST CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO OF IT! The most beautiful thing I've ever seen!


• His MRI is looking better. There is still bleeding but the brain tissue is looking more normal! Keep praying for that healing of his brain! The neurologist is hopeful and encouraged his parents (Brandon and Mandy) to be as well!!!


• They are going to do the surgery on his two heart defects (which at many points, they were not even sure the surgeon would agree to operate on him)! That is probably coming at the end of the week. Pray for that!

I have been praying LOTS lately between Jude and my Aunt Karen and other things going on in my life. I hope you are praying with me! It's been a rough week for me, and this good news about Jude is just what I needed. Praising God for that!

Aunt Karen Update

Please continue to pray for my Aunt Karen who had a brain anurism last Wednesday.

Praise God that scans continue to show no further signs of stroke or damage since the anurism and surgery.

She has developed pnemonia. Please pray that this can be treated and cleared quickly.

She has also developed a condition, not unexpected in patients who have experienced SAH, that decreases the blood flow to the brain. The doctors are treating this, please pray for this.

Please pray that God would heal the damage that was sustained from the anurism. Continue to pray that she would make a full and miraculous recovery.

Please pray for the day to come quickly that her husband, children, grandchildren, mother, siblings, and friends can once again see her beautiful eyes, hear her infectious laugh, and listen to her wonderful voice.