Poof! or The Flour Incident

This morning I sent Luke to S-town with a grocery list. On that grocery list I had written "flour" (mistake #1). My Luke is a bulk shopper. Right before lunch he came home with a 25 pound bag of flour. It weighed more than Marie.

I heaved that gigantic thing onto a counter and left it to sit until I was ready to do something with it (mistake #2).

Josie came home from preschool. We are lazing around, I suggest making rice pudding for Marie, to see if she will like it. I cruise my favorite recipes site until I find a good recipe. I ask Josie if she is ready to make rice pudding, she replies "yes!" with a bit more enthusiasm than normal. I don't bother to see why (mistake #3).

I am bent over and digging in my cabinet for the appropriate size pan to cook the rice in and I hear this sickening "plop, thud" sound. It was heavy whatever it was. I look up and I see the 25 pound bag of flour is now on the floor. My 36 pound five year old thought that flour was necessary for rice pudding and decided to get some for me. All 25 pounds of it. You can sort of guess how that went. I'm actually surprised that she managed to drag it off the counter.

I just finished putting flour into every possible receptacle I can think of. All of my big storage containers are now full. I thought I better get a picture before I vacuum this up.

Josie just informed me, "You better clean that up before Daddy gets home or one of us is gonna get in trouble." I think I know who. It might be that guy who actually thought I'd get through 25 pounds of flour in this lifetime...

Whew! Where'd the days go?

It has been a crazy busy bunch of days! We have been running around a ton, and both girls are doing just great. I have tons of pics to share but I won't today as I am short on time. In short, this is what's up with us:

• Josie's party was WONDERFUL! How cute are six little girls all dressed up as princesses (and one beautiful little Tinkerbell) running around a small town pizza restaurant? Too cute for words.
• It snowed here! It reminded me why I love living in Colorado. For a second I thought we were in Nebraska.
• Have you all bought raffle tickets yet? I am soooo excited to see who wins that camera!
• My brother is my hero, he brought me 3 dozen Madagascar cupcakes for Josie's class and didn't eat a one. He's a gem.
• Can you believe the Super Bowl is this Sunday already? Seriously, it's not time for February yet.
• Marie is just the most adorable girl ever. Today when Luke and Jo were leaving for Pre-k she was begging from her high chair to go with them (this is becoming a daily thing). Poor girl, she's too little for preschool (as Josie gleefully reminds her daily).
• Cheer leading! Josie has a clinic with the high school girls this weekend and then they will cheer that evening at a real live basketball game!
• I've been stroller shopping. It is ADDICTIVE!
  
• We are finally all set up with medicaid. I spent last week double checking everything. We have a new case worker managing the waiver Marie is on and I talked with her yesterday and am feeling really happy and positive about this. Finally, a back up plan that only took since last June to get set up!
  
• I need to quit screwing around and fold some laundry.

That's all I can think of right now, please know that I am thinking of and praying for all of our dear friends. I just seem so busy it's hard to get on and keep up with blogs... I'm actually thinking I'd love to put a contest together for my blog too. Trying to figure that out and I'll keep everyone posted.

Much love!

Win a camera and help a family!

Today I read about an amazing family that is in the process of adopting a little girl from Korea. They are hosting a raffle to help with adoption expenses and I though it would awesome to further that cause to help them out.

If you are interested in winning a brand new Canon EOS Rebel XS Camera, a custom bag to carry it in and a pretty cool camera strap head over to A Sister For The Bean and enter in the contest. I did and I am crossing my fingers. That's the camera that I have been drooling over for awhile and I would love to win it!

Best of luck to all of you who enter! I'll have to follow this and find out who the lucky person is on February 3!!!

Clean bill of health.

Yesterday Josie passed her hearing test with no problems. She hears just fine and there was no trace of fluid in her ears. The doctor believes that when her hearing tests took place she likely had a cold and fluid in her ears thus the test wasn't accurate. He thinks that every time Josie gets a cold it probably settles in her sinuses (I agree) and she just won't hear as well during those times.

He said not to worry about random ear infections either, which is happy news. Her patches on her eardrums from the removal of her tubes last May healed nicely, and there's no need for us to go back.

Soooooo nice! A worry lifted, one less doctor to see, and it's good to know Josie is hearing us!

On a side note, Marie was so much fun yesterday. I did wind up going into Wal-Mart with Luke and Josie, but I put Marie in her sling (it's a Peanut Shell) and we walked through. We picked up diapers and were checking out the baby clothes. They had a little t-shirt and leggings outfit hung right at Marie's eye level and she reached out with her hand to touch the flowers on the t-shirt. She was so excited, and was able to reach with her hand and actually make contact with what she was aiming for. She seemed to like the pink and red combo better than the green and blue. It was so much fun to see her excited about something though! She does interact with the world, she does notice things, and when she wanted to she reached right for it.

I am so amazed and humbled by this child that I honestly believed would be in Heaven by now at this time last year. She is something else. My Marie... I absolutely adore her. God is so GOOD!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Father for the blessing of this child. She has taught me so much. And thank you for the gift of your Child, that we may have eternal life in Him.

Am I a lucky girl or what?!

Another side note, we did not buy that t-shirt outfit yesterday. We will though, Marie must get what she wants. Those of you who know us, you know that I might spoil my girls a little bit.... just a little.

Busy Monday!

I am egotistical enough to believe that people will check here to see what's up with us tomorrow and I will not be here. So, I wanted to let you know ahead of time that we are okay. We will be taking Josie to the front range to her Ear, Nose & Throat doctor for a hearing test and an appointment. She's failed both pre-k hearing screenings so I guess, we gotta get that checked out. That and we're out of diapers so I will probably have to go to Wal-Mart, or Luke will. I feel that Marie needs to wear a mask in Wal-Mart and that sort of ticks her off so maybe I'll just sit in the car with her and make Luke go in. Tee-hee.

Maybe I'll do "Not Me" Tuesday or something... anyway, we're praying nothings up with Jo's ears and all her hearing issues are simply due to selective listening.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Monday....

Today I was paying bills and came across the writeup that was mailed to us after Marie's last neurology appointment. His "impression" summing up the visit. "Leigh's Syndrome without expected decline".

My Marie defies expectations, I am so proud of her. I've known she was holding steady, but it is so nice to read it in writing. When she was diagnosed we felt like we were handed a death sentence. Now, she is without the expected decline. Prayer works, Marie proves it.

Now, on to "Not Me!" Monday:) Normally you're supposed to link to the "rules" but I can't find them so... I'm not gonna!

I did not call cereal dinner again last night.

I am not at all excited to go to see a very cool band with Luke tomorrow, in a bar, in a college town.... away from here. I am such a rebel.

I would not rub it in that the band is Cross Canadian Ragweed. That's right, eat your hearts out!

During a meeting regarding the dreaded Medicaid this morning I was not rude. I was not judgmental. I did feel bad about it. Well, actually, I didn't. Not one bit, not me!

I do not hate medicaid. Hate is a strong word. Wait, it's a strong emotion I feel. Yup, I hate it.

I do not secretly enjoy still nursing Marie to sleep after lunch because she's just so darn snugly, and I love how she's all smunched up in my arms. Besides, she's on the feeding pump. She thinks she's the bestest nurser ever.

I would never get excited about getting a new vacuum cleaner. I would not brag about it on my blog. I would not test it out on a Sunday afternoon because I need to see if all the hype is true. Nope, I am wayyyy to cool for that.

I would never post a picture of the vacuum on my blog! The hype, it's true!

Happy Monday everyone:)

Ta-da!

So, part of my New Years resolution is to get my pictures organized. I'm a slacker. I haven't printed any out, or put any in albums since October 2007 when Marie was diagnosed. It was just to hard for awhile to go back and see her sitting up, chewing on her hands, all the things she's lost. Now, by God's grace it doesn't bother me so much. I look at her and just see this unbelievable, strong, beautiful little being so full of joy. So, I'm getting it organized. This will probably be a long process! To that end, here are some photos of our happenings in December. In no particular order, enjoy!

Josie's Christmas program. She was the Christmas ball, "red, the color of His blood so all may know He died".

Playing cars with Uncle Mickey, who is single by the way, for all you ladies out there;)

Thanksgiving (I wasn't kidding when I said I was behind!)

I spent hours making a vanilla baked custard for Marie, just certain she would love it. Hours, lots of good calories, and she hated it. You'd have thought we were trying to feed her something terrible!

After Christmas at Luke's sisters, Marie was a very tired little monster.

Opening presents at our house Christmas Eve. Josie was so excited that she could barely contain herself!

Marie loved opening presents this year. Luke helped her hold the paper to tear it and she was so excited! Lots of video taken of that, it was beautiful to watch.

Our tree.

Hugs!

Just what I needed...

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

This was in my inbox this morning in my email devotion. Just what I needed to read. Don't you just love it when His words hit you somewhere on the inside? I love it when it's this direct, that I cannot help but not see my Lord. It always makes me feel so happy!

This morning, please pray for sweet Abigail. She is so similar to Marie, and we have come to lover her over the last months. She's having a really hard time and needs all the prayers she can get!

Also, please pray for Anna's family. It is one year ago today that she was called home to be with Jesus. Her family has an amazing faith and are such an inspiration, still, I know today hurts. Please pray they feel the Lord's presence.

I hope that everyone else has a wonderful day! We have gymanstics this afternoon and just cannot hardly wait!

A new year

• Exodus 15:2 NIV

  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

So, we find ourselves in 2009. Just how weird does that sound? Passing of time is something I've taught myself to ignore mostly, and if I were totally honest, there are times when I dislike moving forward. I like where we are now, and I hide like a child under a blanket, not thinking of the future.

Our Christmas was wonderful, and our New Year was nice. We didn't make it till midnight, but instead were in bed by 10:30. Marie is still fighting the cold she came down with before Christmas. She seems better but will start coughing, or get congested in her head again and again. I've found that she doesn't sleep well propped up and I put her down on her side last night. It was the first real decent night of sleep we've had in two weeks.

I wonder if its that lack of sleep, or the changes of a new year, changes in our home, that leave me feeling a little overwhelmed. When you're tired it's so easy to see things in a different light, a light I don't really prefer, so I try instead to focus on all the joy here, and there is a lot of that.

Aside from the never ending cold both girls are doing pretty well. Marie finally cut her upper right eye tooth and is working getting the upper left in. After she gets all her eye teeth cut she should be done for awhile, and that little mama deserves a break!

Josie is doing great, today is her first day back in preschool. She was looking forward to going back. She's been Tinkerbell everything lately. Santa brought her the Tinkerbell movie for Christmas and she's just fascinated. An unexpected side effect is that she is genuinely depressed about not having any wings. Not fake wings, she has several pairs of those, but she wants and honest to goodness, functional pair of fairy wings. I'm not sure what to do about this and am just hoping it passes quickly.

Next week is Luke and I will have our 5th anniversary. We have two, the 14th of January, 2004 is the day we signed papers at the courthouse legally declaring us husband and wife. Then on the 27th we welcomed our baby girl Josie. On the 25th of September, the same year we were married in the church. It's a bit confusing, but I like having two anniversaries. We have been through so much that when I realize it's only been 5 years I want to laugh. In 5 years our lives have changed so much, several times. I'm so glad that God had him in mind for me though, and I love him more now than I did that day in January so few years ago.

Josie's birthday is coming up, and oh-my-goodness! She is excited! She will be having her very first friend party, a princess party, which leaves me feeling a little bad since several of her friends are boys but we won't invite them. I just don't think they'd have any fun really. I'll keep everyone posted with details about this event as it draws closer;)

And now, "Not Me!" Monday!

• Last night for dinner, Josie did not eat fruit loops.
• I would never have said, "Josie, if you eat all your fruit loops you can have some pie". (In my defense, it was apple pie and that totally counts as a serving of fruits and vegetables right?!)
• I did not steal the M&M's I found in her back pack for myself. I mean, it's not stealing if she's totally forgotten they're there.
• I did not get payback in the end because those delicious M&M's gave me heartburn.
• I am not procrastinating folding laundry!
• I have not been being antisocial and not blogging, not reading blogs, or taking a two week hiatus from the Internet. Actually, I did. I've been thinking and praying a lot lately. It was really pretty healing.
• I do not wish it was spring already. It's only January, I love having it freezing cold without the perk of snow. Really, it's awesome.