Another Procedure

Pray for mom tomorrow morning. They concluded that her blood was ok (it was too thin before) and she could have her PEG put in tomorrow morning. They will not sedate her for it, so that's good. She will have to keep the nose tube for one more day, then make sure the tube is in there and working properly (approx. 48 hours) so we're hoping she can leave the hospital on Wednesday or Thursday.

The Dr has put in his orders for her to go to a rehabilitation facility for 2 weeks after she leaves the hospital. I think my dad is going to try to convince them to let her come home and receive in home therapy. Pray that whatever needs to be done will be done. I know it would be easier for dad to have mom and my Oma in the same house, but if she needs more care than he can give, then she'll need to go.

Continue to pray for my dad. If you are reading this and are able to take meals to my Oma (usually just a late lunch...around 2), then please contact him and tell him!!! I'll update tomorrow after I get word how her procedure went.

A Blessed Dad

I asked Jennifer to allow me to post this note of appreciation to all her “blogging friends” for your prayers and words of encouragement during the last 11 days. I have read your comments and it is a blessing to me, dad, to know Jennifer has friends to call upon and who care for her family in Texas and in North Carolina. We witness daily the answers to prayers by you and we hope to be able to share more down the road the blessings of this experience.

Linda had a very, very good night last night with some good rest and sleep. She wasn’t at all “loopy” (as her dear daughter would say) during the night and when she awoke this morning. The PEG procedure has been postponed until tomorrow due to her blood being too thin. We expect her stay in the hospital to extend through Wednesday or Thursday. I will be surprised if she is discharged earlier. Then after discharge, there will be weeks, perhaps months of therapy, both physical and speech. The worse is over yet there are unknown waters ahead that we haven’t been before. Continue to pray!

I also want to let you know we do have a great support group of people in our supporting churches. Our pastor of Grace and his wife sat with me in the hospital for almost 9 hours the day of the surgery. Our supporting churches here in Goldsboro, Grace and Freedom Baptist Churches, have given us $300 plus to cover expenses for travel (58 miles each way to the hospital), eating and other un-planned necessities. Six pastors from other churches in the Raleigh area have visited the hospital to express their concern and offer to help any way they can. We are thankful for those who have helped out, and we know others who have offered to help would be just as willing to step up when called upon. So, we are thankful to be in such a wonderful family, God’s family, and to be surrounded by some precious saints of God.

Jennifer was a great blessing, help and encouragement to us while she was here and I want to thank Brian for his willingness to step up and be Mr. Mom for the week. Thank each of you that minister to our “Texas Family” in person there in WF and those of you on the “blog network.”

A Dad Who Is So Blessed,

Joe

Smart Mom

I discovered yesterday on the way home from the airport, that Savannah got FIVE teeth while I was gone. Five teeth in 6 days!! I asked Brian if she was pretty grumpy while I was gone, but he said no. Yay for me being able to skip all that!!

Dad has an update that he wants me to post later....so be looking for that!!!!

I'm Home

I had to come home today. I was glad in some respects. I really missed my kids and my husband. But, in other respects, I didn't want to leave until mom was home and better. It's going to be really hard for dad to run back and forth to take care of Oma. Thankfully, there is a dear lady from a church in their area, Freedom Baptist Church, that has offered to take care of Oma when she can. She was even willing to spend the night with her tonight so dad didn't haven't to go home. Ms. Bibb, you are a special, dear lady. Thank you!

Mom had a pretty good day today. She found out she is going to have a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube put in. This will facilitate her going home. She will have a feeding tube that goes directly to her stomach, and not have to go through her nose. That will be a great relief. The Dr came in today to schedule the surgery for tomorrow morning (which was another answer to prayer. We thought that since it was the weekend, and a holiday at that, it would be Tuesday before they would do the procedure). They did some labs and found out her blood is too thin, so they have to reschedule it for Sunday at least. Then, she'll have to have the tube in for 24 hours to see if it's placed correctly and then 24 hours of feedings before they will release her. Dad will have to take classes to learn how to feed her through that.

The speech therapist came today and did the E-stem on her vocal cords and got her to swallow THREE spoonfuls of crushed ice. That is an absolute answer to prayer. She still has quite a way to go, but that's the first liquid that's gone down her throat since the surgery that she hasn't choked on!

That's our update for today! Hope everyone has a good weekend! Continue to pray! Pray for her nights. That seems to be when she gets the most "loopy" and thus dad has a rough night of little sleep. I know I wasn't able to get any last night, and it was only one night! I don't know how he does it day after day!!

Not Much Better

**UPDATE** Mom has been doing so much better this afternoon! You all must be incredible prayer warriors. She has walked several times, and been pretty lucid and conversational all day. She had her moments of "pain medicine-topia" but she has done very well. She is gaining her strength as time goes by. This morning, her nurse, Kris, was giving her all her meds through her feeding tube. Mom made the comment that she wanted some Pepsi. Kris went out and got her some and put it in her feeding tube. ha ha ha Mom was so happy for that little bit of kindness. Dad was able to go home tonight to get some rest. Pray that his night goes longer than usual. :o) Pray that our night goes well. The Dr. ordered some sleeping meds, so that should help. Mom hasn't slept in about 24 hours, so maybe tonight is the night.



Well, the leaps and bounds we had hoped to make by now have not happened. Mom had a really rough night with pain and confusion (translation...Dad got less sleep last night than the night before). They have put her on another pain medication that still doesn't seem to be working.

The speech therapist came in this morning and gave mom some stimulation on her vocal chords. She said thinking conservatively that mom could have her voice and swallowing back by January. This was not good news to mom who has been wanting a drink of water since last Thursday.

Her nurses have been amazing. We just praise the Lord that she has been provided with the nicest nurses.

Prayers for pain relief and for her vocal cords to heal. Prayer for her nurses, too. :o)

I leave tomorrow morning. Pray for dad to be able to continue on by himself. Thank You to Keren who has taken care of Oma, and is willing to do whatever!! We love and appreciate you!!

I Can't Think of Anymore Titles

**UPDATE** Pray for some pain relief for my mom. She is in so much pain, and there's nothing more they can give her. The pain is in her neck and back. She is able to lay on her back and side and sit in a chair, but nothing seems to relieve the pain. Any strong meds they put her on, makes her O2 levels drop, and zonks her out to the point of confusion. Please take a minute to say a little prayer for her to have some pain relief. Thank you!


Mom seemed to be in a lot of pain yesterday afternoon, so they changed her pain medication. Well, this morning, she was very confused and disoriented. So, they decided she can't have something so strong. This morning, she was doing a little better, walked a couple times, and now it's noon, and I think she is done for the day. She is in a lot of pain, on continual oxygen again, and trying to rest. They want to do another swallow study on her later today to see if that has improved. The constant feeding tube that she is on is making her diabetes climb out of control. They have her on high doses on insulin for that. I guess that's about it.

My dad is so so tired. Please pray for him. He didn't want to stay up here last night, but mom wanted him to. I got up here this morning prepared to stay the day and night, and mom disclosed that she wanted him to stay tonight again. So, he went home this morning to try to rest today. He said he got about an hour of sleep last night. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIS STRENGTH.

Funny Home Story

I was talking to Brian this morning and Emily came on the phone and said:

"Guess what, Mommy!"

"What, baby?"

"I slept in my clothes last night!"

"You did WHAT?"

"Daddy forgot to put me in my pajamas, so I slept in my clothes."

"Mommy's comin' home soon, baby.....Mommy's comin' home, soon."

HA HA Daddy's doing a GREAT job!! I love you, Baby!!!!!!!!

Happy Day

**UPDATE** We are in a regular room, and it is MUCH better. It is a lot quieter and mom is able to be up and down more, and more easily. She is in a chair resting right now, and her hair is fixed. :o) The important things in life. I have to say a public thank you to Melanie for your encouraging phone call this morning!! Love you!!!!!!! :o)


Mom gets to move to a regular room today!!!!!!!!! She had a good night, and the Dr gave her transfer orders early this morning. Her head CT came back normal (insert sarcastic comment here) and they think she is headed up the recovery road!!!
She had a hard time with the CT last night. She came back and was very frightened and in a lot of pain (in her back), but they gave her an extra dose of pain meds and she had a restful night.
She will be in Room 3B29....yes, that's a weird room number/letter combo. I wouldn't say she's quite ready for visitors, and she can't talk on the phone, but cards and flowers are now welcome. :o) Thanks for your continued prayers.
Thanks to Keren Gunter for helping with Oma yesterday and today, and for running errands for us. Thanks to Keren and Ray for coming up here last night just to keep me and dad company....and to buy us dinner! We love and appreciate you guys!!!

CTSU Day 5

**UPDATE** The swallowing test went well. The speech therapist seem to think her vocal cords are improving. She went from have vocal cord paralysis to vocal cord paresis. That is a good thing. The therapist seems to think that she needs to exercise them and they will get better fairly quickly. We still haven't spoken to the ENT. Hopefully soon. She was assigned a PA from the endocrinologist....uhhh...area?? for diabetes management. She said that her sugar was ranging in the 2 and 3 hundreds yesterday and today. Hmm, that may account for her sleepiness and confusion. The Dr. has ordered a head CT. He is checking for signs of a stroke. The neurologist didn't seem to think she had had one, but they want the money..I mean..er...they want to rule out that possibility. Mom seemed more coherent this afternoon. I really think what they call confusion is really just her being really sleepy. Anyway...I hope some of you aren't annoyed with the almost hourly updates. Some have said they appreciate them, so I'm going to keep doing them. I think they are therapeutic for me, too. :o) Plus, it helps we keep a record, and mom will know what's going on when she comes out on the other side.


We were really hoping that mom would move to "stepdown" today. She had requested that I stay the night with her, but dad and I both packed a bag in case she changed her mind. Turns out, we didn't need it. The Dr. decided to keep her in CTSU (Cardio Thoracic Surgical Unit). Basically, that is ICU for heart surgery patients.

Today isn't as good as yesterday. The speech therapist (more on that later) came in this morning and worked with her, and that made her really tired. She is frustrated because she wants something to drink..more on that later....never mind, I'll just tell you now.

She has Vocal Cord Paralysis. Evidently, when the intubation tube was put it, it moved her vocal cord (I'm not sure if one is paralyzed or two) and she can't talk and can't swallow. They keep saying that it's....you guessed it....normal. That "we're waiting to see if it corrects itself in a couple days." The speech therapist said this morning that her voice would probably return in several weeks or months. Ok, that's fine. She can't talk, and Oma can't hear....yay for dad. However (comma) :o) Swallowing is pretty important!!! We are waiting to talk to the ENT today. I've been researching it online, and have some questions for the Dr. that hopefully will make me not seem like a paranoid daughter.

Her lungs still have fluid in them. I think her nurse said it was an improvement from yesterday. She is on low oxygen, still....Ummm, what else? She is still very sleepy. I guess that's about it. Our big prayer right now is for her swallowing issues. And for my dad. He is soo soo tired. Ok, me too, but not as much as he is. Thanks for the encouraging comments, prayers and cards that have been sent. We keep her updated with who has called, written, and inquired. She has requested that no visitors come back, though....you know how women are with how their hair looks. :o) We love you all!!

Better Day

**Funny Update** We were able to share with mom tonight some of the funny things she said to the nurses. She was mortified at some of them, and laughed at others. She wants me to stay with her when she goes to a regular room. She is starting to get sad when visiting hours are over.
Prayer Requests: Her voice is still not back. Her vocal cords are paralyzed. I did a little online research about that, and it can correct itself, but if it doesn't, then they may do surgery to fix it. I know, I know, I shouldn't be doing online research. Also, while we were in there last time, she made 2 statements that we didn't really understand. She said she was scared. She didn't explain why. She also said she "Didn't understand", but again, didn't elaborate. Just pray that she will have calmness of spirit tonight as she rests. The ICU psychosis is still present, but it's getting much better!! Keep Praying!!


The morning started kinda bleak. They decided that mom had to stay in the ICU another day. She was retaining a lot of fluid, which they say is pretty normal (everything is normal, it seems). She also has fluid in her lungs that they were concerned about. She isn't able to cough very well because her chest hurts and she is pretty weak.
We went in for an afternoon visit and she was much more alert. She talked to us for around 15 minutes, and then said she was tired. It made me feel so much better to see her more alert. We're really hoping she can move to "stepdown" tomorrow. It will be more restful for her to be there. Thank you for all your prayers and concerns. We feel them and appreciate them.
Thanks to all my "Wichita Falls" friends who are taking care of Brian and the girls during this time. He appreciates all the offers of help....I do too!!

I'm Here!!

**UPDATE** Well, the second visiting hours went much better. She was way more alert and I think really realized that I was there. She asked about "her babies" (my girls) so that was encouraging. We told her they were going to have to put the feeding tube back in, and she wasn't too happy, but we told her not to give them any trouble. We came back for the 9:30 visitation, and they told us to leave her alone. ha ha She was resting very comfortably, and hadn't given them any trouble with the tube. They told us it wasn't necessary to stay up there, so we both came home. I was going to be the one to go early in the morning, but if she gets moved to a regular room, then dad will need to be there.
It is very hard for me to be at "home" without my mom and my girls. It's very lonely, and makes me very sad. I have a heavy heart....it literally feels heavy. I have also been up since 4:30 this morning, and it's almost midnight, so that may have something to do with it.
Please pray that she will be a "new woman" in the morning. Thanks to those of you who had sent get well cards. I can't wait to put them in her room. Please keep praying for us in the coming days!!


I made it to North Carolina!! Brian and I left home at 5:15 this morning. THANK YOU to Bonnie who came and sat with the girls so we didn't have to drag them out of bed. The flights were good. I was delayed out of OKC, but made my connection in Cincinnati....barely. Dad was able to pick me up at the airport, and we came strait to the hospital.
It was hard to see mom how she is. She is so "out of it" is the only way I can describe it. When we first got here, she was saying that she had to find her pearls. It was kinda funny, but kinda not. We left to go get some coffee, and when we came back, she had pulled out her feeding tube. They'll have to put that back in. She was able to wake up enough to walk in the ICU unit a little. They said that was good for her lungs.
So, now, we are having to wait for the next visiting hours. I think one of us will stay up here at the hospital tonight. They have a hotel in the heart center that is for family members. Dad and I may have to play rock, paper, scissors to decide which one.
Keep praying for us!! We need it. Pray for my dad...he is very tired. I am glad I came...he is glad I came.

Answered Prayers

Well, the Lord answered prayer today! You prayed that he would be able to find someone to take care of Oma, and he did! ME!! I'm going home.
I really felt the need to go home, and then the hospital called. My dad was in transit to the hospital, and they couldn't reach him (he doesn't get good cell phone reception), so they called me. Mom was very upset and very confused, and they asked me to calm her down. I talked to her for about 25 minutes about senseless stuff, quoting scripture, telling her what Emily was learning. She would respond, but it was very limited. It's very hard to have a conversation with someone that can't respond to you. In between sentences, I'm frantically dialing Sarah, saying, "PRAY...I can't explain, just pray." and my dad saying, "You need to HURRY!!" I told my mom at one point, "Dad's coming! He'll be there in just a minute! Joe is coming." (I wasn't too sure if she knew who I was referring to) and she said, "You said Joe." I don't know if she found that amusing, or if she was scolding me. :o)
Anyway, new prayers. They've taken her off the morphine (they think that may have caused the panic attack (called ICU psychosis) ) and put her on a different medication. Pray that this medicine will help her be able to rest and stay calm.
They are putting a feeding tube in tonight. They'll probably try to get her to swallow a little tomorrow. She is SO thirsty. Pray that the Lord will satisfy that physical thirst, so she's not so uncomfortable.
Pray for my family. Me, as I travel, and Brian and the girls as they stay behind. Brian was able to take emergency leave so that the girls can have normalcy. I think they would have thought it was great fun to go to Sarah's everyday, but when I tell mom that they are home with daddy, she'll feel better.
I'll update you as I can!!!

The Morning After

**UPDATE** Pray for my mom.....she had to have two blood transfusions today. Her blood pressure was going so low, that they gave her two units this morning and had to have another couple this afternoon. She is also very confused, but the nurses said that was pretty normal for being in the ICU. Pray that she will be calm and be able to rest
Also pray for my dad. He is going back and forth trying to take care of my Grandma. He is feverishly trying to find people to prepare her meals and give her her medicine. It's hard to try to find someone that has the time to do that.

Dad was able to see mom this morning. Her breathing tube is out. Yay!! She is not able to drink anything. She keeps choking on it, and they are concerned about her aspirating it into her lungs. She may have to have a feeding tube later today if she's not able to get anything down. If that happens, she may have to stay in CCU.

Her biggest complaint is her dry mouth. They have a swab that they are using to relieve that. She is in also quite a bit of pain. They have her on the highest dose of morphine that they can give her.

She wasn't really able to talk very much. But, dad said he got a smile out of her. I probably won't update as much as I did yesterday. If something big changes, I'll let you know!!

Mainly, pray for two things.
#1) That she won't have to have a feeding tube
#2) Pain management...that she'll be able to handle some pain and not have to be on such a high dose of morphine

Update on Mom

Well, dad called around 7 and said that he was headed home. Mom had opened her eyes, but wasn't really responsive....to him, anyway. He said she looked good! He was expecting her to look a little worse.

I called up there and talked to her nurse, Gina. She was really nice. She said mom is resting comfortably. She is stable and responding to commands when she's awake (well, as awake as you are at that point). I asked how she was with the tube down her throat. She said "Well, everyone wants it out as soon as they wake up, but we talked her through it." I can not imagine having that in my throat while I'm awake!! Has anyone had that? I mean, yes, it breathes for you, but how does your brain NOT breathe?? I think I would panic.

Anyway, she is doing well. My dad went home and will go back in the morning. She can't have any visitors until 8:30. I think they plan to move her to a recovery room tomorrow night....if she's doing ok. She'll probably be in the hospital until Wednesday, or so.

Thank you to all who were praying. I am so glad this day is over. Tory, thank you so much for what you've done!!! I wouldn't arrange your plans to get up there. At least not until Saturday evening or Sunday sometime. Again, thank you for all you've done!! Make sure my flowers don't die! :o)

Here We Go

**UPDATE** 5:57 (Eastern) It's over! I called my dad to get an update and as we were talking the OR called and said it was over and that it went well. The dr. will be out to talk to dad in a minute and tell him all that transpired. Yay! The big part is over! Keep praying!

4:10 (Eastern) Dad just called (I was in the middle of tracking him down when my phone rang) and said that it's going well. Not too sure how much longer they have.

12:35 (Eastern) She just went back to start the surgery. Dad said they would come out halfway through and update us.


It's 11:23 Eastern time, and mom is just headed to the OR. They haven't given her anything yet, so she's really really nervous. I'm sure they'll give her "happy juice" soon.
We are all on edge. Pray for her, that her nerves will be eased. Pray for my dad as he has to be strong for her, and as he waits endlessly. Pray for me as I try to keep it together and do Emily's school for today. She knows nothing is happening. I've tried to keep her as normal as possible.
Thanks to my support system that I have. Friends that are willing to drop everything and just sit with me. I love you guys....you know who you are!

Prayers Needed

**UPDATE**
My mom's sonogram went well. It showed that the arteries in her neck were not in enough trouble to do anything to them. Her surgery was rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon." I'm not sure exactly what time. SPECIAL THANK YOU to my friend Tory who went to see my mom when I could not be there. I know your smile and laugh helped her get through a rough time, and it meant a LOT to me. Thank you!




I'm not sure the fastest way to get the word out. We need prayer for my mom. She is in Wake Med Hospital about to undergo triple bypass surgery. This was VERY unexpected.
Her Dr. sent her up there for a heart catheterization because she was having chest pains in his office. She argued and complained (she thought her peanut butter toast gave her heart burn). He did an EKG and everything looked normal. He told her to go have the catheterization done just to be safe. Well, after that procedure, they didn't want her to go home. Two arteries are 90% blocked and 1 is 70% blocked. They are doing an ultrasound this morning to see how the arteries in her neck are. Thursday, she will have heart surgery.
This is really difficult for me, obviously. Not that this is all about me, I realize it's not. I was told adamantly by both my parents not to come home. I was going to anyway, because my husband (for those of you who know the story with HIS mom, know there's a lot of emotions there about heart problems) told me I needed to (leave and cleave, right?? Submitting to my husband outweighs honoring my father and mother??). But, he called and talked to them and they changed his mind. So, I'm not going, but I'm praying as hard as I know how.
So, remember my mom in the next few days. I'll try to keep you updated. There are a lot of decisions that need to be made about my grandmother. She lives with them, but my mom will not be able to take care of her for a while. My dad is traveling back and forth (146 miles round trip), so pray for his travel safety and for his strength. Thanks to all of you in advance. I'll post again after her ultrasound this morning!

First Day of School

Well, today was the day. We started our new adventure into homeschooling. I have an incredibly busy week with church stuff, dr's appointments and the like, but Emily was so excited to start, that I couldn't push it back another week. Yesterday, she came running out after her nap and thought it was morning and it was time for school. :o)

We've decided to join the Homeschooling Group of Wichita Falls (I made that name up..I'm not sure if that's what it's really called). We are able to take gymnastics classes and ceramics classes through them. Emily had her first gymnastics class last Friday, and absolutely loved it. I'll take pictures this week. Ceramics doesn't start until the 5th of September, but I'm sure she'll love that too! She'll also be starting piano lessons on Sept. 11. Missed opportunities because of homeschooling?? I think not. ha ha

It was a short day today. She only had a few subjects. They ease into it, I think. It must be half days. Anyway, she enjoyed it. She loves her teacher, and asked when she could go visit her. ha ha Here are some pics of her paying attention and doing her seatwork.

Daddy's Little Girl

"You'll lift me up. Right Daddy?"

"I'll lift you up."

"You won't let the wave go over my head?"

"Nope."

"Okay...if you promise...here it comes! HERE IT COMES, DADDY!! Daddeeeee!!!"

"Whew! That was fun, huh daddy? Ha ha...you're hair is all wet. The wave went over your head!"

sputter sputter "Yeah, that's funny, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but not for me...Here comes another one!!"

I had that conversation with my dad dozens of times. I was scared of oceans when I was a little girl. I'm still not a huge fan of them. There are floaties, and you can't see what's crawling or swimming around with you. But, I'd go out with my dad. Know why? Because he promised to not let anything hurt me. I trusted him. There is a trust that I, as a little girl, had in my dad that was so strong, that it took a little time after I was married to shift that trust. I remember just a couple weeks after Brian and I got married an incident that showed that. I had gone to bed and Brian was still up...probably playing Playstation or something. Anyway, I had a vaporizer running and the heat from it set off the fire alarm. It scared me to death, and I jumped out of bed and ran out screaming, "Daddy!!" Brian thinks it's funny.....now. :o)

Anyway, while we were at the beach this last time, I had a conversation with Emily that went something like this:

"Mommy, can we go way out in the waves?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

"No, I want daddy to go with me."

"Why??"

"Because, he will keep me safe!"

There it is! That trust. I'm so happy to see the bond that I have with my dad forming between our girls and Brian. I'm so glad we have girls.

Thanks Daddy for never letting waves go over my head. I love you!! Here are some pics that show the bond you are forming with my girls and how they've grown as that bond is formed.

Emily loves the clock at my parent's house. Dad has to make her sit on that cabinet now, that's why her feet aren't hanging lower. :o)

Back in Texas

Yesterday, we had to come back to Texas. We tease each other about weepy airport scenes. Every time, we promise it's not going to happen, and every year, Emily is crying for Meme all the way through security.

The flight was very good. Savannah fell asleep 30 minutes in, and woke up 30 minutes before landing. Emily slept a little, but mostly just kept herself occupied as the rest of us dozed.

The girls were glad to be home and back in their playroom with all their toys. It was a little hard for them to get used to their beds again, and their brains are still on Eastern Standard Time. We're trying to get back into a routine and deprogram the grandparents mindset. :) (We've already been told, "Meme never spanks me.") We are so grateful that we were able to go, and can't wait to go back!!

We stopped at Crackerbarrel to eat on the way to the airport.

Meme trying to convince Emily not to cry.

Our Lazy Day

We went to the beach again yesterday, and didn't get home until after 9:00. So, we wanted to be lazy today. Brian and I washed the inside and outside of both my parent's cars. I think there was enough sand in those cars to create our own beach!! The girls played in the pool on the porch. They had a great time doing that. Tonight, we're going to a seafood restaurant to have some good seafood. It always tastes better closer to the coast. Tomorrow will be our last church service here. The piano player is out of town, so I get to play the piano tomorrow. Melanie, I think you're playing for choir, though. ha ha Churches all over the states record her and play things back. I think she plays in three states each week. :)

Here are some pics of the girls.

Day at the Beach Take 2

We went back to the beach on Wednesday. We're going tomorrow, too. I really miss that about living in the desert. Sigh....maybe one day, we'll be back within distance for day trips to the beach. Anyway, here are some pics of that. We also went to Sears and had family pictures done today. I had dad take some of our family so I could post them. Savannah was NOT amused with getting her picture taken. She saw the toys that they use to make kids laugh, and she thought it was a nursery, and she started crying. We couldn't really get her to smile all that well. Anyway, if you're interested in seeing them, let me know, and I'll e-mail you the searsphoto.com thing.

Two Things

OK, I was tagged for this, but I'm not tagging anyone back...

Two names you go by:

1. Mommy
2. Jenn

Two things you are wearing right now:

1. Gray work out pants
2. Brown T-shirt (I was wearing a khaki skirt, but wanted to be comfortable. I am well aware I don't match)

Two of your favorite things to do:

1. Go to the Beach
2. Read

Two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. Sleep
2. To be at the Beach

Two favorite pets you have had/have:

1. Shatzie....our Schi-poo that had to be put down earlier this year
2. Einstein....our kitty

Two things you did yesterday:

1. Went to the Beach
2. Went to church

Two things you ate today:

1. Toast
2. Little Debbie Nutty Bar

Two people you last talked to:

1. Brian
2. My mom

Two things you plan on doing tomorrow:

1. Going to the beach
2. Nothing

Two longest trips taken in the last five years:

1. NC to Wichita Falls
2. Back to NC several times

Two favorite holidays:

1. Christmas
2. July 4th

Two favorite beverages:

1. COFFEE
2. Pepsi

Our Day at the Beach

We had such a good day today. We left for the beach around 11:30, just as Savannah was waking up from her morning nap. We took two cars, because we weren't sure if Savannah was going to be able to handle the salty water and sand. With her eczema, she often has open sores on her skin, so I knew the salt water would hurt. To make sure we didn't have to load Emily up 10 minutes after getting there, we took two cars in case Meme and Papa had to bring Vannah home. Anyway, needless to say, it wasn't necessary. Savannah LOVED the beach. My fearless daughter pulled away from us and took off running to the shore line. We dodged one storm when we first got there, but another one came up around 5:30, so we left. On the way home, we got our traditional after beach stop...Dairy Queen. It was a good day! Brian got slightly burned...ok, pretty burned, but he'll be ok. Mom and dad want to go back tomorrow...Brian says no....we'll see.

Catch Up Time

It's been days and days since I've blogged. A LOT has happened, so bear with me. First of all, we were finally reunited with our Emily. The plane ride was so great. Savannah did very well. She slept for half of the way from Dallas to Raleigh, and played the other half. The flight was pretty empty, so we had a seat between Brian and me for her to sit in.

The reunion was so sweet. Brian, Emily and I all cried. She looks so much older than I remember. Here are some pics from that.

Today, was Jennifer Hinnant's wedding. We've known Jenn since she was about 5 yrs old. It's hard to believe that she is old enough to be married. She asked months ago if Emily could be her flower girl. She asked for Savannah too, but I had to say no....good thing...she was not a happy camper (it was nap time). Emily was beautiful, of course, and she did SO well. She actually stayed up on the stage, this time. We had a little talk before hand about making sure she sat still, kept her knees together, looked at Ms. Jennifer, didn't talk, give thumbs up or wave at anyone. :) She followed all the directions and was gushed over by all.

It was a wonderful day. It was so good to see some friends that we haven't seen in a while. Some friends that no longer attend our church because of moves, or whatever. Congrats to Jenn and Josh. They are moving to Greenville, SC, and starting their lives together!

Now that the wedding is over, we can head to the beach!!!!!!