A week from tonight...

Uncle Jay and Aunt Jenna will be MARRIED!!! Which means that I have approximately one week to do LOTS of things...like finding a temp. hygienist for the 2 days of that I will miss, finding a dress for myself and Avery (Ray and Brenly are in the wedding so they already have their attire for the evening), packing our bags...which is no small feat...It is amazing how much "stuff" you have to pack to survive 4 days away from home, get the oil changed in my car (it is a few miles overdue), finding the "perfect" wedding present (which makes my head hurt)...I feel like I have only given you a small portion of my "to do" list, but you get the idea! The ONE thing that I dread worse than any of the mentioned above is this: convincing my oldest child that wearing a dress for this blessed occasion is a great idea! I mean, if you have read any of my previous post you realize that this is a GIANT task, that must be started sooner than later! And you must understand that it's not just a dress, it is a flower girl dress (it is absolutely beautiful, which makes her even more nervous) and then you have the pantyhose and the shoes (YIKES) and on top of that they are putting flowers IN her hair (oh my, I'm starting to shake a little) and finally, she will be carrying a princess wand....I mean, absolutely precious, except we have to remember that we are talking about Brenly...My precious girl who would much rather hold snakes and check out lawnmowers than deal with anything pink or girly! So I guess this post is a polite way of asking for some major prayers...that we can pull this thing off, and in the midst of all of it, that Brenly will agree to smile and look (and act?!?!?!)like a "PRINCESS"...that we all know she CAN be! I promise to keep you posted on all of the details and will definitely post pictures...either way :)

Please pray...

for Greg and Nicol Sponberg. I have never met this family (probably will never this side of heaven), however I feel like prayer works whether you know them or not. I came upon a blog several months ago and I have become very addicted to it! Todd and Angie Smith (Todd sings with the Christian group Selah) have been given traumatic life experiences, however they are the most devoted people I have ever read about. No matter what happens in this life...They love their God, trust Him with every aspect of their life, and realize that although plans haven't gone the way they would have like...God's plan is perfect and they cling to the cross to help them make it through each day! April 7th...Angie delivered a baby girl, Audrey Caroline...she was born with some genetic problems and only lived for 2 short hours before leaving this earth and going home to be with Jesus. Earlier this week, Todd's sister Nicol Sponberg, lost her 3 month old boy, Luke, to SIDS. The family has had their fair share of tragedy and so I ask that you go to Angie's blog and read their entire stories. Please pray for peace and comfort that only the Lord can give. Although we do not know these people, they are brothers and sisters in Christ and can definitely benefit from us interceding for them at this very tragic time.

An unusual comment..

from my oldest baby GIRL. Bubba (the other wildlife officer in Hardeman Co.) has been helping us do our yard work...He has one of those nice lawnmowers that allow us to get the grass cut in 2 hours (like the one above) as opposed to our walk behind lawnmower that would take us 2 days...Anyway, Bubba came over yesterday and started on our yard and had gotten about half of it done, when the bottom fell out...So he drove into our garage and parked it there, until today, so he could finish. After the rain subsided, the girls and I (Ray had to work the lake yesterday) went outside to pick up all of the debris that had flown around in the yard. On the way out of the garage, Brenly stops, looks at Bubba's lawnmower, checks out the front AND the back of it, goes around to the other side and says, (as serious as she could) "THAT SURE IS A GOOD LOOKIN LAWNMOWER" and then proceeds to go play in the yard...I am still standing in the garage...in shock...
#1 You are a GIRL
#2 You are 4 years old
#3 When in the heck did you learn what a good lookin lawn mower looks like!
Just when I think that I have heard it all, my little Bren comes up with something totally unexpected. Definitely keeps life interesting at our house. AND allows me to look at things in a totally different aspect...lawnmowers...good lookin...I DON'T KNOW!!!

My Rule Follower...

has broken the rules...okay, she has broken the law...yesterday was a very traumatic experience for all of us! We had run in Wal-mart for just a few items and Brenly wanted me to lay a blanket in the cart so that her and Avery could sit together. We went around and picked up the few things that we needed and headed to the check out line. They were sittin in the cart and so I just placed all the bags around them and headed to the car. I turned it on, rolled down the windows, buckled Avery in and went to take Brenly out of the cart and she was curled up in a ball with her knees up to her chest...hiding something bright blue. I looked at her and asked what she had and she immediately started crying saying that she needed to go home. I looked in her hands and she had "swiped" a 75 cent Hannah Montana candy box. And she was devastated because she knew what she had done was wrong. I explained to her that she had stolen the box and it was necessary for us to go back into Wal-mart and apologize and tell them that we would never steal again. She kept screaming that she needed her daddy and needed to go home. I proceed to turn off the car, roll up the windows, get Avery out of the car and back into the cart again...all the while Brenly is bawling. We go back into the store and a little old lady was standing behind the customer service desk and I explain to her that Brenly had taken the box and we were coming back to apologize and pay for it! Brenly was STILL crying hysterically, so after a minute or two I asked the lady if we could have a moment...I took her away from the lady and told her that she WOULD look the woman in the eye, she would say I'm sorry, loud enough for the woman to hear and IF she didn't she would get the biggest spankin of her life in front of everybody. I asked her is she was ready to be a big girl, she nodded yes, and I walked back to the customer service desk and Brenly looked at her and said I'm sorry (it took her about a minute to get I'm sorry out, through all of the tears) The woman then looked at me and said, "I am very proud of you for doing this...That is what every great mother would do, and I guarantee that she won't ever do again." I started tearin up because I know how traumatized she was. But I knew that if I didn't stop it now, we would have a kleptomaniac on our hands. I pay for the rinky dink little Hannah Montana box and get them both in the car. I made Brenly look at me and I told her that I was very proud of her for being brave and apologizing to the woman (She has a hard time saying I'm sorry to anyone, much less a stranger) so we drive home and we are sitting in the driveway and she asks if we can wash my car (I had promised her earlier in the day that we could play outside) and I told her that first we had to talk to daddy about what had happened! And she broke down into hysterics again and said that she couldn't go in...I went in and prefaced the story to Ray and he said, "our Walmart" I laughed to myself and thought, "yes, can't you see in now in the local Bolivar Bulletin (or whatever it is called) Daughter of County Wildlife Officer caught red handed" He then went out and "had a talk" with her! Remember when your parents used to say, 'This really hurts me worse than it hurts you". I used to HATE that statement just because I really couldn't fathom it...UNTIL yesterday, It hurt my heart that I had to MAKE her do something that completely uncomfortable for her, so that she may learn a lesson! So were both traumatized by it, however I can honestly say, I don't think that she will ever do that again!
AND then I recall my story of the first time that I ever swiped something...I was in first grade and we were at Big Star on Quince and I took 3 pieces of 5 cent gum..I ate the first piece before we got to the car and mom asked where I got the gum...I immediately, without hesitation said, "Mrs. Hammons (my teacher) gave it to me" Mom relpied, "Do I need to call her" I said, "NO you can't do that!" Mom made me spit my gum in my hands, snatched me out of the car and I had to go inside and tell them that I had stolen it! And I remember like it was yesterday...So I am hoping that Brenly was traumatized just enough to NEVER want to do that again!

My Angel Avery....

has learned to bite...and has done it multiple times! What in the world?! Life with my second baby is going to be MUCH different than the first! I don't think that I could've gone to heaven and hand picked out two children that were any more different than the one God chose for me! First of all...she's red headed...and I used to think that people would just put that label on a sweet, innocent red headed baby... NOW I know that they were honestly telling the truth. She is very determined, she knows what she wants and she will get it, one that likes to see how far she can go without getting caught, loves freedom and gets mad when she can't have it, etc. You get the picture and at the same time she is so sweet. She is the one that will make everybody laugh...she will stand in a room and try to make you laugh (and the determined side of her will do it until you actually do!) she LOVES Brenly and is very lost when she isn't feeling good (i.e. the past two weeks) she is very adventurous, not really afraid of much -she always wants to be around people...Its just so funny that her and Bren are sisters by the same two parents...Brenly is none of the things that I have just listed (except for the fact that she LOVES her baby sister and she does like to make people laugh as well) Anyhow, back to the biting. Last week,(when Brenly was feeling so bad) Avery was sitting in the doorway of my room and Brenly was trying to get past her...Avery didn't like that idea, so she reached up and grabbed Brenly's arm and left 4 teeth marks (that bruised the next day!) So I spanked her hand and put her in her bed. Brenly, through her tears of pain, said "Mommy, she didn't mean to do it, it was just an accident!" Can't you see it now (15 years from now- Avery getting caught at something and Brenly totally taking the blame so that Avery won't get in trouble...This is not going to be good!) Avery has since bitten 3-4 more times...and so it is from all of the parents that have had the joy of raising biting children, that we have taken the advice that we must bite back (uuggghhh, I don't think that I am going to be so good at this...I'm glad that God thought that I would be a good mom to a red head...Now I just ask that he give me the wisdom and the strength to discipline her in ways that she understands!) So who knows, the next time you see us we might all have bite marks, most likely from Avery, God bless her sweet heart!

My Daddy is a Wildlife Biologist...

and I wanna be just like him! We got home last night from work and Ray was outside and had been weed-eatin...As soon as her car door open, Ray summoned her over by the shed! The next thing I know, I look around and Brenly is holding a snake (it was little, but still she is holding a SNAKE!) she held it while I took the pictures and then Ray told her that she needed to take him back to his home...She was SOOOOO upset that she couldn't keep the it! Are you for real? My sweet precious baby girl really is the biggest tom boy ever...AND she LOVES it! Would much rather be holding snakes than playing with dolls, has begged daddy to take her fishin and is really irritated that he hasn't done it yet, and LOVES to ride on the ridin lawn mower instead of a princess bicycle! The life of my Bren!

Honey Pops

I had just gotten home from Hot Springs...MiMi (Ray's mom) stayed with the girls at our house and obviously spent alot of time outside -which is great, Brenly LOVES it!- however now my child knows more about the plants and trees growing at my house than I do...You see, MiMi has a green thumb...I DO NOT! If it has a trunk and some branches with leaves on it...It's a TREE, right? Not to MiMi...Little did I know that we have peach trees, cherry trees, mulberry trees, blackberry bushes...I mean we have an orchard and I didn't even know it! Ray was walking past one of the many trees in our yard and Brenly called out to him, "Daddy, you passed the peach tree" So i suppose that Brenly is going to become our resident botanist! It was really funny we were walking in the backyard and she asked if I wanted to go see the HONEY POPS...I looked at her, not knowing what she was talking about (figuring that MiMi has coded all of these bushes, cuz I certainly don't know any of their names)and she said...You know those flowers that you suck the honey out of...She was referring to the Honeysuckle vine that we have beside our house! So we all proceeded to go to the side of the house and eat honeysuckles...YUM! One of my most favorite past times! So if any of you need to know what kind of plant, tree or bush you have in your yard...We will hire her out, so she can teach you everything her MiMi has taught her! She is pretty smart!

Friends are Friends Forever...

if the Lord is Lord of them! What an amazing weekend! Me and 4 of my high school friends left Thursday night for Hot Springs for a long weekend and it was so much fun! (Keren, Misty's sister-in-law joined us on Friday night) It is not often that any of us get to leave our husbands and children at home and have a weekend all to ourselves...and we have all decided that we will not wait this long to have another trip! It was so wonderful to sit around, doing nothing and still have the greatest time doing it! We went out to eat and got to eat our meals hot (we usually have to take the time to cut up chicken fingers for our kids) we got to go shopping (for things that aren't found in the toy section...although all of our kids got some kind of prize;) we were on the lake ALL day on Saturday (without having to come in for naps and potty breaks) and we all got to talk (about things other than dirty diapers and cartoons) and let me tell you there wasn't one minute of our weekend that someone wasn't talking (we had LOTS to talk about!) It is amazing how rejuvenating a weekend like that can be! I don't think that anyone realized how much we needed this trip til we got there! I am so thankful that I have friends in my life that I long to spend time with, that want to know whats going on in my life and that love me for me! We don't have to pretend to be someone we're not, and we are loved just the same. Life gets hectic and times get hard, but its nice to know that you can take a weekend away, with friends you love and God can use that time to renew your body, mind, and spirit! I love you girls and am so glad that we got the opportunity to spend lots of quality time together! I really needed it and am looking forward to the next time...I just pray that its not in 30 more years, when we have to start looking for retirement condo's :)

Up all night...

AGAIN...but this time, she wasn't screaming in pain...PRAISE THE LORD! She was starvin...Remember that 2 days ago she woke up at 4:00am and so by 2:00pm she was exhausted. I had given her benadryl to help her get some good sleep and boy did she ever...She laid down at 2:30 and didn't wake up until 11:00pm and when she woke up, her appetite magically reappeared. I felt so sorry for her though...We tried everything, and her throat is still hurting so bad that she couldn't swallow anything. We went through 3 different kinds of Popsicles, a push up, yogurt, a banana, and finally at approx. 2am she asked if I could please make her a pancake. So here we are in the middle of the night (well, technically in the middle of the morning) and I am cooking pancakes. She did eat 3-4 bites and then she decided it wasn't worth it and she quit trying! She doesn't fall back to sleep until 3:30am and I have to get up at 5:30 to get ready to have my first mammogram done...I mean, how much can I cram in to this week to make it as miserable as possible! (I have to start them so early because mom got diagnosed so young!) So after my 2 hours of sleep, I get up and get ready, take the girls to Niecy's and head to Methodist Breast Center...I made it through my 1st mammogram and it was a piece of cake...It seriously was the easiest things that I have ever done and I am officlially becoming an advocate for them! I mean to be a little bit of discomfort for 5 sec only to have your life spared by the ugly disease of Breast Cancer...I'll go ahead and choose the 5 sec. of discomfort! Anyhow, we are all now on the upside of this past week and I can't thank you enough for your prayers...But I certainly need a break...SO I think that I will take one. Me and 4 of my friends from high school are all leaving for a long weekend in Hot Springs this afternoon and I couldn't be more thrilled...MiMi is coming to our house to take care of the girls and I am heading out of town for 3 days WOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOO! I cannot wait!!! Pray for our safe travel and for a weekend to rest, relax and renew, before coming back to reality next week! I thought that I would add a few pictures of the past week...I especially like the one of Brenly and her "ear muffins" (that is what she calls them...and you can tell that she feels miserable...that was right in the middle of our lowest points) and I have added one of Avery and her "teethin" self! She will be glad to get her big sister back...she has been a basket case without her! Hope you have a great weekend!

God is so good...

and so faithful...He has answered our prayers and I think that we have just come out of one of the roughest valleys...Last night she took her medicine...which is a huge answered prayer, which in turn made her feel alittle better and then I gave her some benedryl (only after being advised by my doctor) and she actually slept last night from 9:00-11:30 and then from 12:00 until 4:00...WE haven't been to sleep since then, but that is OKAY! PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW! You must understand that ONLY God could've turned this very bleak situation into a very hopeful one in the matter of a few hours...So please know that because of all of your faithful prayers for our family, that we are doing so much better! Rest assured that we are still wearing blue ear muffs around the house, and she can wear them all week for all I care...she is still struggling to swallow, she screams that her ears hurt as she swallows but she isn't in constant pain, like SHE has been in the past 48hours! So I truly believe that by the end of the week, she will be 100%. What a relief, I really was at wits end! I wasn't sure how much more we were going to have to endure! But God gave me what I needed when I needed it and we survived! Dear Lord, Thank you so much for showing up last night and giving us relief, as only you can. I praise only you and want you to get all the glory, because it certainly wasn't anything that we were doing! The hydrocodone wasn't touching her severe ear pain...and yet in a few hours it had subsided and she was MUCH better! I just ask that you continue to heal her and give her back her strength and her appetite. Thank you for loving us and caring for us in a way that only you can! Amen.

An Emotional Mother's Day...

Is it EVER gonna end?...This week, by far has been one of the hardest weeks of Motherhood that I have ever known! Yesterday was REALLY bad...and I know that I keep saying that but yesterday and last night beat them all...by a country mile! and it had to fall on mother's day... The Dr. told me that recovery would be on a "healing curve"...that she would get better for a few days, that she would get alot worse and then she would get better again...and stay that way- and they were not lying...except for the part when they said she would get better for a few days...I NEVER saw the better part, but last night we saw the WORST! (side note-we spent the weekend in Dickson this weekend for a wedding shower and for Mother's Day) Yesterday we woke up, after only a few hours of sleep the night before...and struggled to give her the medicine (which has been a constant struggle all week. It is VERY strong and she says that it burns her throat, and then because it is so strong, once it reaches her stomach, she feels like she is going to throw up...A VICIOUS CYCLE! Anyway after we got the medicine down, she said that she really wanted to go to church...which is great- we all needed Jesus yesterday! We went to church and came home just in time for another dose of medicine (great-didn't we just give her some?...yes, but we have to give it every 4 hours) She FREAKS out and starts running around like a crazy child! I finally have to get loud and get ahold of her and TELL her that she was actin terrible an that she WAS going to take her medicine...and she did take it! THEN I felt horrible for screaming at her and had to go apologize to her and ask for forgiveness (that she did grant, however it wasn't without some thinking) and while I was apologizing, I started crying hysterically...for several reasons, #1 Sleep deprivation... I haven't slept in a week and I am exhausted! #2 emotional wreck...I HATE it when my kids are sick (what mother doesn't) however when I am doing all that I can to try to make her better and it isn't helping, it gets very frustrating #3 missin my own momma..Mother's Day is always hard for me since mom went to be with Jesus...and I suppose that it will always be hard. You would think after almost 9 years that I would get over it...it's just not the case! I miss her esp. yesterday! So after my breakdown, I go upstairs and take a good nap and woke up with the WORST headache...the ones that you get after you cry your eyes out. We packed up and were ready to head home and Brenly was complaining about her ears hurting (Supposedly part of the healing process is that when scabs start to form it causes extreme pressure in your ears and you have the worst ear ache) and Avery was crying because she is cutting 4 teeth at the same time! We drive 2 hours home and there was not 1 minute that either of my children weren't screaming! Brenly kept beggin that I turn around hold her ears (keep in mind that I get car sick if I am turned around for too long!) So by the time we were close to our house, I had a massive migraine headache, I was car sick and I had not one but 2 screaming kids! UUUUGGGGGHHHHH! Are you feeling sorry for me yet?...(I really don't want sympathy, I just needed to vent- always makes me feel better!) We got home and Brenly went from bad to worse! Her ears were killing her and they kept US up ALL NIGHT LONG! Finally at midnight she begged me to call the doctor and the hospital, she promised that she would go, if only they would make her ears feel better! And so I did. I called the nurse and she basically said that there was nothing that we could do and that she would just have to deal with it..Its part of the "healing curve"! Oh my, watching your child scream and punch her own ears to try to eliminate the pain is not easy! I just pray that last night was the worst of this curve and that we will go uphill from here! After sleeping for approx. 3 hours last night...I sat up the rest of the night holding my daughters ears...and whenever I would let go she would continue with her screaming tirade...After 5:30 she finally doses off, just in time for me to get up, take a shower and prepare for another day of dirty teeth! I take the girls to Niecy's (our wonderful babysitter) and after a car ride full of screams from both kids again...I was READY TO GET TO WORK! That's funny, never thought that I would say that! I mean, I like my work and all, but to long to be there...never thought that I would see the day! Denise called at 11:00 to check in and said that Brenly had been real fussy all day and that she had to sit with her all day and rub her ears...(We literally have to massage both of her ears to get her to calm down...)Then again at 2:00 she called and said that she decided to put winter ear muffs on my child and IT WORKED...the pressure of the muffs allow her a TINY bit of relief and so by golly, we are continue to wear blue winter ear muffs...I have pictures I will try to download later (it does give me a good chuckle, and believe me that is much needed around here) but that she had cried for 2 hours straight...I was at my wits end, so I broke down and called the pediatrician and asked if they could just see her and find out if there was ANY thing else that I might be able to do to give her relief...They saw her, said that her ears look great and the reason that she is having should severe ear pain is because the nerve that is in her throat, that was recently cut on, also runs through her ear, her jaw and her neck ( I suppose that I probably should have known that seeing as how I had a year of head and neck anatomy for hygiene school, but give me a break that was 9 years ago!) Anyhow, there is nothing else to do but sit here and hold my child in her blue ear muffs!! And pray that this "healing curve" is heading in the upward direction. Please pray for all of us...relief, complete healing...soon, sanity...We all need it believe me! Thanks so much to all of you who have lifted her up in prayer. I can't imagine what this journey would be like if those prayers weren't going up! You guys are the BEST!! I will try to post an update soon! and next time, I hope to report that we are on the other side of this valley! So all that to say... I am so very grateful that God has chosen me to be a mother. It is one of the most rewarding jobs that I have done, it is also one of the toughest! Thank you God for giving me two of the most precious children ever...And now I pray that you would heal them and bring happiness back to our home!

A bad night!

I know that I have been posting alot about Brenly lately, but obviously we have spent lots of time with her during this whole ordeal! Last night was another bad night...i laid with Brenly until about 11:30 and then I struggled to get to get to sleep myself! At approximately 2:30am Brenly woke up screaming in pain. I went to get her medicine, (I have already told you that she HATES her pain medicine and it takes me practically sitting on her before we accomplish that task.) And she FREAKED OUT!!! I have never in my life seen my child act like that, screaming bloody murder, running around in circles, sitting on the floor and rocking back and forth...I am telling you the truth it was really alittle bit scary...I am just glad that MiMi was there to testify that I am telling the honest truth! Anyway, after approx. 20-30 minutes of a severe tantrum, I finally looked at her and told her that if she woke up her daddy or her sister that she was getting a spanking. I went on to further explain that she was 4 years old and I realized that she was in pain but there was no need for her to act the way she was acting...She looks up at me and says, with big ole alligator tears, "will you forgive me?" I mean, she really knows how to make a person feel horrible. I felt so bad! I told her that I wasn't mad, but that I was frustrated....She gets up and goes to the bathroom and shuts the door. After another 5-10 minutes of her screaming in there, MiMi goes to check on her and she had curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor,covered up with a towel and dozed back to sleep. MiMi picks her up, brings her back to the living room and I FINALLY get the medicine down her...Yes, It took almost an hour! I am definitely ready for a full recovery! Continue to pray for complete healing and sanity for all of those that are involved!

Random Acts of Kindness!

Wow, this has been some week! It has been alot harder than I thought! Watching your baby be in lots of pain hasn't been easy...but God is slowly healing her throat and allowing her to get back to normal! I am really ready for this to be over with! But through this whole ordeal, God has shown me how important friends and family are...Events like this just aren't possible without their help! We have had so many people that have prayed for us, called or emailed us to check on her, brought her presents, basically people have gone way out of their way to make sure that Brenly knew that she was loved!
-Jaime, from my work. gave Bren 2 coloring books and a box of new crayons
-Gran allowed us to spend the night before surgery so that we wouldn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn
-Gran and KeKe went shopping and bought Brenly new pj's and a new movie
-Neicy gave Brenly a bag full of goodies...coloring books, pens, paper,
-My dad and Brother came to sit with us while Brenly was getting her tonsils removed (and Chad brought bubbles with a bubble machine, a stuffed puppy dog and 3 Veggie Tales movies)
-Mrs. Misty came to the surgery Center and brought Spot (our most beloved stuffed animal that we forgot in her car) so that she would have him as soon as she woke up...and brought a bag full of goodies...flavor-ice, coloring book and a magazine for me:)
-Mom (Ray's mom) drove in late Tuesday night after a busy week, so that Brenly would know she was here!
-we got phone calls, emails, and text messages from lots of people...I'm sorry that I can't list them all, I am afraid I would miss somebody...You know who you are! It certainly wasn't the stuff that meant the most it was the fact that so many people cared!
AND not that any one act of kindness is any better than another, but this was really sweet...
A friend of mine, Wendy, had called to check on Brenly Tuesday afternoon and I was so busy trying to care for the hurting that I never called her back... Today (Thursday) we were sitting at home (keep in mind that we live in BOLIVAR, for heavens sake and that we are NO WHERE near civilization) and I had just gotten up from laying with Brenly for 2 1/2 hours (and when you aren't sick, it is REALLY HARD to stay in bed all day long!) and I looked out the window and told Ray that someone was driving into the driveway (totally expecting for it to be someone that had killed a turkey:) and I looked closer and it was Wendy and her 2 children. She had driven all the way from Arlington to my house to bring Brenly some Popsicles and some Kool-Aid. She said that she had to come without calling because she knew that I would put up a fight not wanting her to come out because we live so far away! It was one of the sweetest things ever. You will never know how much a random act of kindness will mean to someone until someone performs a random act of kindness to you! It really meant the world that she would take the time (and it does take LOTS of time) and energy (physically and chemically, esp with gas being so stinkin expensive) to drive out here to check on all of us! I was happy to see her face (remember that it is rare that we see anyone out here beside ourselves) and it did my heart good! She has reminded me exactly how important it is to show random acts of kindness...She is definitely a servant of God and certainly showed his unconditional love today! So remember, when you have the opportunity to show God's love, go out of your way to let someone know! She literally went out of her way...and it made all of us smile!
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They are GONE...but we have a ways to go!

Tuesday has come and gone, and so have Brenly's tonsils, however we are on a long road to recovery! Yesterday was rough on the baby girl! We went to Lebonheur Surgery Center and we had a really good experience. After getting checked in they called her back at approx. 9:15, and she got to go through the bunny tunnel, which was a small room full of toys. They let her pick out one prize before heading through the "Magic Doors". You will never guess what my sweet precious little baby girl picked out for her prize...a stinkin DINOSAUR...Are you kidding me? Out of a room full of toys and my GIRL is going to pick out a HARD, PLASTIC, DINOSAUR!!! and it is an ugly one no less! So off to surgery she went, with no tears I might add (from either of us! She didn't call and neither did I, aren't you proud...well, you should be!) After about an hour, Dr. Duncan came in to inform us that everything went as planned and she was in recovery. He said that they were some massive tonsils...DISCLAIMER---if you have a weak stomach skip the next line...He said that when he squeezed her tonsils yellow stuff squirted out like a can of spray cheese...GROSS ME OUT! Point being that this was definitely something that had to take place although recovery hasn't been fun! When we went to the recovery room and nurse was rocking her and let me take over. Brenly wasn't thrilled that her throat hurt, however she was NOT happy about the blue thing in her arm (the I.V. was still in her arm to give her fluid for the next 2 hours!) She was complaining about something and so I asked her what hurt...She said "MYSELF" Basically anything and everything was bothering her! After we left the hospital, we drove home and laid her in our bed. I had the felling that the next couple of days she was going to be very needy and boy was I right. She was getting real nauseated and feels like she needs to throw up...and has 3 times (can you imagine throwing up over a RAW throat...YUCK!) Once yesterday while she was standing over the potty, she started crying, saying that it wasn't coming up. I picked her up and she just started crying big alligator tears said, "I'm just having a BAD DAY!" God bless her sweet little heart! Last night was rough and we were up alot. They put her on hydrocodone for pain and I think that it is upsetting her stomach. So today, I called the dr. and they prescribed some phenegran...in the form of SUPPOSITORIES!!! I did NOT sign up for all of this, however I reckon she didn't either. So after that whole procedure she is feeling some relief from her stomach and she actually asked for and ate a biscuit with grape jelly! She is drinking alittle which the dr. said was very important so that she wouldn't get de-hydrated!
I must admit that this whole ordeal has also taught me something...That I MISS when my girls aren't around acting like their loud, laughin, normal selves. (Avery spent the night away from home last night so that I could focus on Brenly) It has been TOO quiet around here and I am ready for things to resume to normal...AND although our normal is far from that...It is something that I have longed for in the past 24 hours...
Things that I miss...
-being interrupted on the phone
-having accompaniment in the bathroom
-going outside and playing with both of them
-giving baths
-typing this blog and not having random letters in it, because Avery's little fingers are reaching over the kepboard
-not fixing juice cups for both of them
-wrestlin with both of them on the bed
-Avery's temper tantrums
-Brenly being the big sister that calms her down
-having a messy house (I cleaned yesterday and it is still clean...too clean-no toys no dirty clothes)
-my happy, healthy babies

I complain about my duties as a mother sometimes, things get overwhelming however, You don't realize exactly how much of that is your life until it is gone and it hits you that you want reality back...

Lord, I ask that you be with both of my babies. Allow "normal" to return soon. I miss it!

Thanks to everyone that has said prayers for Brenly. I know that they are working!

Brenly's previous life...

We are in Nashville this weekend and Brenly and MiMi were outside trying to build a fire. One of the finer things in Brenly's life is when she gets to roast marshmallows. Grandfather is is Kentucky playing music so MiMi was "trying" to build the fire herself...and to give her the benefit of the doubt, it is VERY windy here today. Anyhow, MiMi could not get it to light and she didn't Brenly to get close to it. Brenly says to her, "MiMi let me help you, I was a FIRE EXPERT!" MiMi replies (trying not to explode with laughter) "What did you say?" Brenly answers, in a very serious tone, with one eyebrow cocked up, "MiMi, before I was born, I was a Fire Expert in heaven!" Where in the world do they get this stuff from and where in the world has she ever heard the term FIRE EXPERT! After laughing about her previous life, They got it built and eventually enjoyed roasted marshmallows over the open fire!!

I feel compelled to thank God...

for my 2 precious children. The past few weeks, I have come across several blogs of families who have lost children due to different things...and in all of their writings they thanked God for every minute (literally) that they had with the angels from heaven! I cannot, in my wildest nightmares, imagine something happening to either of my babies, and yet these words described how much they loved their Jesus and how grateful they were for all of their blessings...yet they have lost a child? Lord, I come to you now and thank you so much for the gift that you have given me in my precious girls! Life is so much greater because you have allowed me to be their mom. I know that I am not perfect and that I make mistakes on a daily basis...yet I ask that you fill with with your spirit and allow me to love them more than each minute before! What an awesome responsibility that you have given to me to grow them into beautiful women of God! I ask that you lead, direct and guide me constantly, so that I, in turn, can do the same with them! Allow me to overlook the "little things" that drive me crazy, so that I may fully enjoy all of that I love about each of them! Lord, I know that time flies and that they are growing up so fast, right before my very eyes. I ask that you give me the ability to savor each moment that I have with them, and a mind that will hold fast to each and every memory. God you have blessed me with some many things in my life...things that I certainly don't deserve but things that I am eternally grateful for. Two of the greatest blessings are that of my girls...Brenly Alyssa and Avery Ray!