Family Update

Cai's First Airplane Ride

I was a little worried about how Micaiah would do on his first airplane ride. We had to get him up at 5:30am and we had a 4 hour direct flight to Denver to make it to my Uncle's funeral at 1pm CO time. He did SO good! I did add a few more feedings yesterday with the time change (and lack of naps). I had no idea what meal I was feeding him so we just went with the flow and he did amazing=)

I kept him in the Baby Bjorn during the whole flight and he just sat in it like a car seat and took naps throughout the trip. When we stood up after the flight the people in front of us said, "I had no idea there was a baby behind us!" and our seat partner was really sweet to him!

So, it was a success! Hopefully the ride home will be as good=)

Fun Facts For Friday - Rewind

When I had a walkman I HATED rewinding a song. It took forever to find the beginning of the song! There were a few exceptions though. Here are a few songs that I hit rewind for...over and over and over=)

1 - Roxette - Listen To Your Heart (any Roxette song would do though=)

2 - Ace Of Base - All That She Wants

3 - Paula Abdul - Straight Up

4 - Tracy Chapman - Fast Car

5 - Sheryl Crow - Strong Enough

6 - The Connells - 74-75

7 - The Cranberries - Salvation

8 - The Dixie Chicks - Cowboy Take Me Away

9 - Plumb - Stranded

10 - Warren G - Regulate (don't laugh, you know you liked Warren G too=) but for obvious reasons I won't link this one!)

What are some songs that you would take time to rewind?

Daddy Date - You Hold The Key To My Heart

Josh and I took advantage of our 8 hour trip to GA this past weekend to read together. The book of choice for this particular trip was "Raising A Modern-Day Princess" by Pam Farrel and Doreen Hanna.

Josh has always been good at taking our kids out on Daddy Dates and this book just motivated him even more to keep it up. Josh was already planning on taking Areyna out on a special date for her birthday and this book gave us a GREAT idea that we decided to make our own.

Josh will be posting about their date in full detail but I'll kind of outline the gist of their day together=)

Here they are helping each other get ready.

All Ready To Go!

First stop: IHop for pancakes - Rainy's choice

Next stop: Violin Shop - they took my first violin to get fixed up for Areyna for her birthday!

Final Stop: The $1 movie to go see Princess And The Frog

The best part of the date occurred at lunch when Josh presented Areyna with a heart and key charm. He explained to her that God had given her to him as his daughter and that God has called him to protect her and to take care of her. He explained that this charm isn't a toy but one day she will eventually be able to give it to her husband. But until that day her daddy will hold her heart and protect it.

I can only imagine the look on her face as she held her heart while her daddy explained how special it was=)

That is our prayer for her...that she would learn to see the importance of guarding her own heart as she waits patiently for her prince that God has created for her.

It's A Rainy Day

Today we are celebrating Areyna's life. She turns 5 years old on Sunday and I'll be in Colorado for my Uncle's funeral, but wanted to share this special day with her. So, today is HER day!

On the agenda:

Breakfast - as many bowls of cereal she wants. This is her FAVORITE meal!

A nice LONG bath - it's been a while. Besides she has a hot date with her daddy.

The Preparation - She loves getting all dolled up for her daddy. So, today it's a beautiful dress, a little eye makeup (her request and Josh's approval=), mommy's smell good stuff...ie. perfume, fingernail polish, and a hair-do by mommy.

The date - I'll post about this tomorrow...you won't want to miss it!

I'll think we'll let her skip her nap too;)

Dinner - she chose mac-n-cheese and spaghetti. At least I know she'll eat dinner tonight=)

Presents and Ice Cream

Here are a few facts about her day 5 years ago...enjoy!

Pregnancy Facts:

• We weren't technically trying to get pregnant...just not being too careful because we knew we wanted to start trying within the next few months=)
• Found out we were pregnant just days after getting my shots for our mission trip to Uganda. Gave us a scare since I'd already started my Malaria pills. I just happened to be taking the one kind that is alright to take when pregnant.
• Wanted to keep it a secret...didn't work so well! We were WAY TOO EXCITED!
• I started getting "sick" while we were in Uganda. Morning sickness and missions trips don't really go very well together=)
• I gained about 25 pounds.
• I exercised throughout the whole pregnancy.
• You were sucking your thumb when we found out you were a girl. It's a tough habit to break=)
• You were very active!
• I craved strawberry butter, meat, ranch or caramel dip and Arby's.
• They kept moving your due date around...20th, 21st, 24th
• I was SOOO ready for you to be here!
• I was a preschool music teacher until you were born and all my kids kept asking why I was so fat, HA! Then when they figured out what was going on they kept asking me what your name was going to be=)
• We kept your name a secret until you were born!
• Our friends Ross and Shannon were the first ones to know we were pregnant with you.

Labor Facts:

• You were five days late...although at the time it felt like 5 WEEKS late!
• I started counting contractions at 10pm.
• We watched Napoleon Dynamite to take up time. My mom didn't like how Napoleon was treated...heehee.
• You were way too comfortable in my belly and didn't want to come out. They had to use forceps and suction and were prepping for a C-section by the time you decided to make your entrance into the world.
• You arrived at 1:20pm the next day.
• You scared us with your jaundice. Your levels were so high they couldn't read it on the chart and you had to be put on a billy blanket in the hospital. Your count didn't go down enough and they were going to keep you longer in the hospital but they allowed us to take you home with 2 lights knowing that insurance wouldn't cover another night.
• We placed your bouncy seat in the sun and followed it's rays across the window throughout the day and rejoiced every time you had a poopie=)
• Nursing was a 2-3 man job while trying to keep you on those crazy lights. You were our little glow worm for the first week of your life.
• You were 7lb 2oz. and the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen.

Character Facts:

• You are definitely the first child=) You love to tell people what to do.
• You also love to teach Zeke everything you know. You are such a GREAT big sister.
• You are awesome at helping with Micaiah: feeding him bottles and his food, changing his diapers all by yourself, checking on him to see if he's crying, making him laugh when he's sad...
• You love learning and ask LOTS of questions.
• You pray sweet prayers to Jesus.
• I can see God at work in your heart. He is softening your spirit.
• You're pretty sneaky, but don't worry, you'll soon realize that mom's have eyes everywhere!
• You have a GREAT memory. I know that if I need daddy to remember something, I just need to tell you, HA!
• You are a great cook. Thanks for helping me in the kitchen.
• You have a wonderful imagination. You can stay pretty busy in your own little world.
• You are my Little Miss Independent. You've always liked to do things on your own.
• You are as girly as they come=)

We love you Areyna Joy. Happy Birthday!

Poor Little Drummer Boy

Duct tape will hardly hold this bad boy together anymore=(

Check out his make-shift drum kit!

He even uses his spiderman car and his car holder.

I told you he was LOVING this CD!

Spotting A GAD Girl

Josh calls me his "GAD girl". It is "Generalized Anxiety Disorder" and I have struggled with this since I was a little girl.

When I was 4 years old I was hospitalized for stomach issues and crazy symptoms and underwent many tests and procedures. One of which was a tube that was placed through my nose that went all the way into my stomach to pump out my stomach. These are memories that I remember all too clearly. The doctors could never really pin-point where all the problems were coming from and when all was said and done they said that it all linked back to excessive worrying. What in the world does a 4-year-old in a very loving, nurturing and godly family have to worry about?

My sister had just started school and I had a baby brother and my mom saw a need to get me involved in something that was just mine. Something that only I could do, something that I could thrive at. So, she enrolled me in a violin program=) (I have a pretty wise mom)

Well, fast-forward to the present. I had learned to live with my problem and it just became part of life. I thought, "Hey, everyone is stressed out and everyone gets frazzled over little things...right?" Josh was seeing it get out of hand after Micaiah was born, though.

We both started seeing a pattern...

• Numbness (in my lips and legs)
• Irritability (way more than what is NORMAL)
• Insomnia
• Fidgeting (think "nesting" to the extreme!)
• Nausea (when the phone would ring or I'd look at my calendar-wondering what was going to happen next)
• Shallow breathing
• Increased Heart Rate
• Heavy feeling in my chest
• Hot Flashes and Sweating
• Twitches (especially my eyelids)
• Exhaustion (I suppose from all the trauma my body was feeling)
• Trembling (my hands would start shaking when it would come on strong)
• Worry over simple, everyday tasks
• Felt like I just couldn't handle my children
• Crying-let's just say I cried A LOT, not just at sad stuff, at everything. My friend Holly always laughed with me because I was always the one who'd be "that girl" crying at everything=) I still do, don't worry my unashamed crying friends (we have a club you know), I still shed a tear or two during those sappy Hallmark commercials!

It was textbook GAD and I had it bad!

There were a few problems though...

1. I HATE taking medication, especially for long periods of time.
2. Aren't Christians supposed to be worry-FREE because worry is a SIN?! I must not be doing something right.
3. I like to at least appear like I have it all together and if I got "help" then I would be admitting that I don't. It was a big pride issue for me.

But action needed to happen. I was getting to where I couldn't function during the day. A trip to run to the grocery store and post office, or my kids getting in the least bit testy, would turn into a full blown panic attack. It was the most awful, helpless, frustrating, depressing feeling in the world.

I tried the whole natural route but it didn't NEARLY do the trick.

So, Josh made the call and I went in to see the doctor. I got home with my prescription and felt the relief. Just knowing that "help" was on the way. It took about 4 weeks for me to start feeling the effects but man was it worth the wait!

I have never felt so free, so full of life. My quiet times are much more full and intimate. I feel like GAD has been such a distraction from His voice! I can handle everyday tasks. In fact, instead of feeling like making baby food the other day was just something I had hanging over my head and to get checked off of my list, I turned the olympics on in the background, took my time and actually ENJOYED making food that I knew was healthy for my sweet boy. Instead of feeling like I just "cannot handle" the events of the day with my kids I enjoy time with them. I don't remember the last time I just broke down and cried, even with the ER scares with Cai a couple of weeks ago.

I have had these verses (and quote) on notecards in my Bible for years:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

"The one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead."

Philippians 3:13

"So do now worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings."

Matthews 6:34

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of sorrows; it empties today of strength."

Corrie TenBoom

I used to feel constantly convicted of these verses, knowing that this was such a huge struggle for me. Now, I praise God for creating such gifted people who can make something that will help us GAD folk get to a place where we can pray these verses into our lives and allow God to do His thing!

So, be encouraged all you who are heavy-hearted...To God Be The Glory!

Fun Facts For Friday - The Absent Mind

1 - I super-glued my fingers together this week

2 - I also accidentally threw my load of laundry in the trash can instead of the washing machine. Honest mistake, right?!

3 - I then proceeded to give myself an aluminum foil paper cut. I do think that I almost uttered a few choice words after this event.

4 - I think I've walked into every room AT LEAST once, forgetting why I had entered

5 - Let's just say I won't be opening the mini-blinds in my kitchen until after I've changed out of my skimpy jammies from now on. "Hello landlord!"

On The Move

Look what Cai learned to do on Tuesday night at small group! He is pulling up on his hands and knees and scooting to WHEREVER he wants to go. He doesn't quite have the hang of it but we have already had to rescue Zeke's lunchbox from Cai's mouth twice (poor Zeke is really in for it...he HATES slobber!), as well as Areyna's silky princess dresses. There's no stopping him now, just look at his determination!