Ok...this is taking so long...no captions....just pictures...sorry!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Bye-bye April!
Ok...this is taking so long...no captions....just pictures...sorry!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The Breaking Point
The battle? Oh the battle that every blended family faces. The kids are afraid of being disloyal if they accept me. Don't get me wrong, they love me. But it is very hard for them, or anyone for that matter, to understand that my goal is not to replace. My goal is to love them the best that I can and help teach them God's Will for their lives. The end. Nothing more.
It has been tough lately. The devil has been targeting the entire family. For a minute we all succumbed to grumpiness. The Lord is good and opened Stephen's and my eyes to what was going on. We joined together in prayer and saw some things God was bringing to light. Through this discovery, Stephen has been able to support me even more and help Kyle & Abby understand just how much we both love them.
Pray for our babies. This is so difficult for them. It is difficult for any child who lives through a divorce and sees a parent remarry.
Pray for Stephen. He is working so very hard and then coming home to more work. No, he is not doing all the housekeeping. I am slowlly but surely regaining strength and taking more on. However, it is work to help keep the peace, finish homework, and help with dinner. We are both exhausted by 8:30pm most nights. Steve needs, and in my opinion deserves, a break. If life is rosie and peachy keen, we can't grow. But it does get discouraging going from one battle to the next and not see any relief in sight.
Pray for me. I don't like to ask for that, but I need it. Pray I am the wife that Stephen needs. Pray that I am the mother Kyle and Abby need me to be. Pray I draw my strength from the Lord. I am new to marriage, new to motherhood, and don't enjoy fast large changes....despite the fact that they are the story of my life. God is so good and pushes me to grow in ways I never dreamed possible. He is so good as to bless me with a husband who holds me despite being frustrated beyond all belief when I put up a wall. The wall is unwittingly put up. I developed that skill a long time ago. It's a bad skill for a married woman, fyi. I am not good at dealing with arguing, whining, and the like. Kyle and Abby are not being malicious, they simply are being normal children that are caught in a not fun situation.
The point is, we all need prayers. We are doing well. There are lots of moments of sweetness! For example, Abby snuggling with me tonight. Granted it came after a large "unhappy" moment, but it still came! Another example, is getting huffed, sassed, and glared at followed by an apology and lots of hugs & kisses.
See? They love me. =) It's just tough right now. God only prunes the branches that bear fruit. So...we must be bearing a lot of fruit! ;)
Love you! Goodnight! Water fitness first thing in the morning!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Time to Catch You Up!
Pre-Op
Well, it has been wonderful! Jim and Connie arrived! The kidney has been very uncooperative. I want to run. I want to explore. I want to go and do. (Notice all of the "I"s...so very selfish of me.) Kyle and Abby are thrilled that Meme and Poppa have come to visit! It means being spoiled (quite rotten I might add ;) and it means Poppa will play with them (to the point the poor man is sore.) However, it also means that I have a mother living in my house. Most of you think, yay for you! I think, NOOOOO!!!!! She will make me be still and rest!
God knows what is best. That is why Connie is here. That is why I have barely been allowed to stand and get my own beverage (usually coffee.) Pre-op went very well. It looks like I will be first thing in the morning, as long as no emergencies arrive. Kyle and Abby are doing fine with all of this. They don't quite understand why Momma Liz isn't playing like she did when we first moved here. When we (Connie & I) went to pre-op, my poor babies thought that I was going for surgery. They were THRILLED when we came home and I was the same! Only to discover that the surgery had not yet happened.
At pre-op we discovered that it would only take the morning hours to correct my kidney. The plan is this: There is a blockage near where my kidney and uretur (sp?) connect, which has caused my kidney to swell. Dr. D. will go in laproscopically (again...sp?), remove the blockage, re-attach my uretur, put in a stint to keep the uretur open, leave the catheter (sp?) for a day, and tape up my abdomen entrances. Connie will be with me. Steve will be flying in the day of surgery, pray for safety! Jim will have full kid duty, and might I say he is doing fabulously and I have never seen my babies have so much fun with him!? YES! I said it! Adios dear friends. The bottle of laxatives and 64+ ounces of fluids have landed.
Week 1 (If I could have written at week 1, this is what it would have said...)
Ouch...nothing more.
Lots of air in my abdomen from surgery. Dr. D. is pleased with the procedure. The obstruction was developmental. There is a slight chance of it re-occuring. He will keep a close eye on me. Jim and Connie have gone home. Tears have flowed on all parts. Connie because she is no longer with us to make sure I am ok, Steve isn't overwhelmed, and the kids thoroughly spoiled. Jim because he hasn't seen his garden in a week. (wink wink...he didn't really cry. But we like to think if he were a more emotional man, he would have.) Steve because he is now Mom and Dad again. Kyle & Abby because they don't get the full on attention. Me because...well, let's face it folks, I have no clue of why. I am on pain meds, coming off a major surgery, and all the medicines they put into me just make me cry.
Stephen is a gift from God. I know how I am on pain meds and post op. He is neither impatient or gruff with me. Kyle and Abby don't really understand what is going on. When I got home on the 24th, Kyle was very snippy. Once I was settled, woke up again (I fell asleep after hitting the chair,) and had a chance...we talked. I let him see my bandages and talked about how the medicine made me very sleepy. We also talked about how the Dr fixed me, but that meant we had to be extra careful with me. Abby was fit to be tied. Nothing calmed her. At bedtime Steve had to leave the room because her behavior was so off the wall. She was crying and very not happy. I asked her to climb up on my left side and lay with me. I needed a snuggle.
2 minutes later, we both fell asleep. She needed a Momma Liz snuggle so she could know I am still me and still ok.
Fair amount of bleeding....scary. Called Dr. D. It's normal. Any activity will make the stint area bleed.
Over did it by spending all of Saturday at the baseball field. Sunday at church and the store. Won't push that hard again...
Week 2 (again, if I could have written...I'm writing in Week 4 write now.)
I am starting to wean myself off of pain meds. Stephen is back at work. Master Chief is being extremely gracious and allowing Steve to have flex hours. What I mean by that is, Steve drops the kids off and picks them up. Wednesday is my first day picking the kids up. OUCH! Nothing poked me. Nothing bumped me. It is simply sitting in a hard seat with a seat belt.
Wednesday night is Awanas and thankfully Steve was home to drive. I did pick the kids up Thursday and Friday. I need to be ready for next week. Steve is going underway next week. My Momma is coming!!!! This will be Steve's first trip in about a month. It's supposed to be a longer trip, 8 - 9 days. Feel free to pray!
Week 3 (same deal)
Moms are a blessing. We have had the chance to talk, cry, pray, and laugh like I have been longing to do. My mom is such an encouragement to me. She is a fighting Mother Theresa kind of person. Momma was concerned that she would not be able to help much. How could she hold and comfort a big 9 yr old boy and a 6 yr old girl? It's tough when Daddy goes underway. Momma is still fighting Lhymes, so how could she go play sports?
Well, she did. She cuddled, hugged, kissed, played with, and loved on my babies all week long. Momma sat with them during movies. Encouraged them to be their best when they got grumpy, hugged and kissed them every day, and played board games. It was perfect. They soaked up every bit of it! PLUS since another grandmother was here, we had dessert every night.
Kyle and Abby also got to camp out! Well, not technically. Kyle camped in the Study and Abby went between the Study (if she was good), Kyle's and my room (if she wouldn't lie still and go to sleep.)
Mom? Oh we had ice cream every night! It was great for the kids! We played Sorry. We did video games. Oh..it was wonderful!
SURPRISE!!!!! Steve came home Thursday!!! We did not expect him until Tuesday or Wednesday the following week. Thank you Lord! I was getting very tired! I can't sleep in our bed without him. It is the same bed I had before I married him, but I just can't do it. I have terrible dreams and toss and turn all night long without him. So I sleep in the recliner...it's almost ruined. I got to snuggle with my hubby! I love that!
Monday Momma and I went to Dr. D for my 2 wk post op checkup. He said everything was looking good! I am supposed to get my stint out in the beginning of June. It depends on when my babies go visit their AR family.
Tuesday we went to my knee doctor. Dr. F. is a great Christian man! He recommended I start a water fitness class. So that will hopefully get started soon. IF I can get in with the Senior Citizen group - then it will be 3 days a week for an hour. This is PERFECT because I love to exercise but HAVE to do low impact exercise. I like to speed walk, pilates and yoga (beginner level), horseback riding, playing with the kids...no can do while the stint is in!
Saturday was a black day. Momma went home. We got up early and drove the approx 2 hrs to Jackson airport. Thankfully we had some great cds to listen too! I was raised on these and I HIGHLY recommend them if you want your children to learn Bible verses! Momma bought the kids the bundle package, so we have all 7 cds. Kyle and Abby won't go to bed without having a cd played for them while they fall asleep. Four months running, every night they listen to these.
There was a silver lining to Saturday. My dear friend J. called me. She is a fabulous encouragement for me. Her faith is so strong. She is so loving. She has faced challenges beyond what I could handle, and still J remains cheerful and encouraging.
Oh that the Lord would grow me to be so joyful!
I don't get to see J. very much. She lives in Virginia. She has a wonderful husband, C, and the MOST adorable little man, D! Pray for them because they are hitting the "terrible 2s." I never believed in the terrible 2s. My mom said none of us kids (and there are 6 of us) went through that phase. J and C never had it either when they were little. However, D has decided to have them! So...pray. J and C are trying timeouts and everything else under the sun. Both are WONDERFUL and LOVING parents.
Week 4 (present day)
Well, this week started great! We found a wonderful church that we will be getting more connected with. Each week we have visited a new church. So a church home will be most welcome. Be in prayer with us that we are at the right place. It would be very refreshing to know we have a place with God focused worship and God focused preaching each week. There are many Sunday school options for Stephen and I. There is Sunday night and Wednesday night church. Kyle and Abby??? OH! I am so very excited! They came out of their Children Church talking about how Christ and us...we...His people...are like butterflies. Christ died and was all wrapped up, just like caterpillars go into a cocoon. On the third day Christ was unwrapped and all new, just like a caterpillar coming out of his cocoon as a beautiful butterfly! We also are wrapped up by Christ and come out as a new creation! I was THROUGH THE ROOF with excitement!
Monday? Oh Monday, how I disliked you...not you my readers, but "you" Monday. I literally could not wake up. Steve irritated me until I got up. We all know I am a morning person, but that was not my morning. I dropped the kids off at school, came home, piddled around the house, and laid down. ....2 hours later I got up. YIKES! But it was a good day. I tried a new recipe from a FL cousin. It was YUMMY!!! (Thanks Mrs. K.M.! You may have 230 plus recipes and couldn't pick one, but you saved my family!)
Now it is Tuesday, and you are all caught up. I will post pictures tomorrow most likely of the past few weeks. They will be on facebook becaues they load much more easily there. Life is good! I am BLESSED beyond what I ever dreamed would be possible!
Keep praying! I have to deal with a weight limit of 35lbs until June. That means I can't pick up my babygirl for my monkey hugs. That means Kyle and I can't wrestle around. =( BUT I have them! They are part of our family! I love them! My husband is the joy and light in my day! ...Yes, even when he irritates me. My mother said it best.
Did I mention Jim bought the kids pizza 2x (from what they tell me) in one week AND the kids had ice cream almost every night? Yes, it's true.
Well, it has been wonderful! Jim and Connie arrived! The kidney has been very uncooperative. I want to run. I want to explore. I want to go and do. (Notice all of the "I"s...so very selfish of me.) Kyle and Abby are thrilled that Meme and Poppa have come to visit! It means being spoiled (quite rotten I might add ;) and it means Poppa will play with them (to the point the poor man is sore.) However, it also means that I have a mother living in my house. Most of you think, yay for you! I think, NOOOOO!!!!! She will make me be still and rest!
God knows what is best. That is why Connie is here. That is why I have barely been allowed to stand and get my own beverage (usually coffee.) Pre-op went very well. It looks like I will be first thing in the morning, as long as no emergencies arrive. Kyle and Abby are doing fine with all of this. They don't quite understand why Momma Liz isn't playing like she did when we first moved here. When we (Connie & I) went to pre-op, my poor babies thought that I was going for surgery. They were THRILLED when we came home and I was the same! Only to discover that the surgery had not yet happened.
At pre-op we discovered that it would only take the morning hours to correct my kidney. The plan is this: There is a blockage near where my kidney and uretur (sp?) connect, which has caused my kidney to swell. Dr. D. will go in laproscopically (again...sp?), remove the blockage, re-attach my uretur, put in a stint to keep the uretur open, leave the catheter (sp?) for a day, and tape up my abdomen entrances. Connie will be with me. Steve will be flying in the day of surgery, pray for safety! Jim will have full kid duty, and might I say he is doing fabulously and I have never seen my babies have so much fun with him!? YES! I said it! Adios dear friends. The bottle of laxatives and 64+ ounces of fluids have landed.
Week 1 (If I could have written at week 1, this is what it would have said...)
Ouch...nothing more.
Lots of air in my abdomen from surgery. Dr. D. is pleased with the procedure. The obstruction was developmental. There is a slight chance of it re-occuring. He will keep a close eye on me. Jim and Connie have gone home. Tears have flowed on all parts. Connie because she is no longer with us to make sure I am ok, Steve isn't overwhelmed, and the kids thoroughly spoiled. Jim because he hasn't seen his garden in a week. (wink wink...he didn't really cry. But we like to think if he were a more emotional man, he would have.) Steve because he is now Mom and Dad again. Kyle & Abby because they don't get the full on attention. Me because...well, let's face it folks, I have no clue of why. I am on pain meds, coming off a major surgery, and all the medicines they put into me just make me cry.
Stephen is a gift from God. I know how I am on pain meds and post op. He is neither impatient or gruff with me. Kyle and Abby don't really understand what is going on. When I got home on the 24th, Kyle was very snippy. Once I was settled, woke up again (I fell asleep after hitting the chair,) and had a chance...we talked. I let him see my bandages and talked about how the medicine made me very sleepy. We also talked about how the Dr fixed me, but that meant we had to be extra careful with me. Abby was fit to be tied. Nothing calmed her. At bedtime Steve had to leave the room because her behavior was so off the wall. She was crying and very not happy. I asked her to climb up on my left side and lay with me. I needed a snuggle.
2 minutes later, we both fell asleep. She needed a Momma Liz snuggle so she could know I am still me and still ok.
Fair amount of bleeding....scary. Called Dr. D. It's normal. Any activity will make the stint area bleed.
Over did it by spending all of Saturday at the baseball field. Sunday at church and the store. Won't push that hard again...
Week 2 (again, if I could have written...I'm writing in Week 4 write now.)
I am starting to wean myself off of pain meds. Stephen is back at work. Master Chief is being extremely gracious and allowing Steve to have flex hours. What I mean by that is, Steve drops the kids off and picks them up. Wednesday is my first day picking the kids up. OUCH! Nothing poked me. Nothing bumped me. It is simply sitting in a hard seat with a seat belt.
Wednesday night is Awanas and thankfully Steve was home to drive. I did pick the kids up Thursday and Friday. I need to be ready for next week. Steve is going underway next week. My Momma is coming!!!! This will be Steve's first trip in about a month. It's supposed to be a longer trip, 8 - 9 days. Feel free to pray!
Week 3 (same deal)
Moms are a blessing. We have had the chance to talk, cry, pray, and laugh like I have been longing to do. My mom is such an encouragement to me. She is a fighting Mother Theresa kind of person. Momma was concerned that she would not be able to help much. How could she hold and comfort a big 9 yr old boy and a 6 yr old girl? It's tough when Daddy goes underway. Momma is still fighting Lhymes, so how could she go play sports?
Well, she did. She cuddled, hugged, kissed, played with, and loved on my babies all week long. Momma sat with them during movies. Encouraged them to be their best when they got grumpy, hugged and kissed them every day, and played board games. It was perfect. They soaked up every bit of it! PLUS since another grandmother was here, we had dessert every night.
Kyle and Abby also got to camp out! Well, not technically. Kyle camped in the Study and Abby went between the Study (if she was good), Kyle's and my room (if she wouldn't lie still and go to sleep.)
Mom? Oh we had ice cream every night! It was great for the kids! We played Sorry. We did video games. Oh..it was wonderful!
SURPRISE!!!!! Steve came home Thursday!!! We did not expect him until Tuesday or Wednesday the following week. Thank you Lord! I was getting very tired! I can't sleep in our bed without him. It is the same bed I had before I married him, but I just can't do it. I have terrible dreams and toss and turn all night long without him. So I sleep in the recliner...it's almost ruined. I got to snuggle with my hubby! I love that!
Monday Momma and I went to Dr. D for my 2 wk post op checkup. He said everything was looking good! I am supposed to get my stint out in the beginning of June. It depends on when my babies go visit their AR family.
Tuesday we went to my knee doctor. Dr. F. is a great Christian man! He recommended I start a water fitness class. So that will hopefully get started soon. IF I can get in with the Senior Citizen group - then it will be 3 days a week for an hour. This is PERFECT because I love to exercise but HAVE to do low impact exercise. I like to speed walk, pilates and yoga (beginner level), horseback riding, playing with the kids...no can do while the stint is in!
Saturday was a black day. Momma went home. We got up early and drove the approx 2 hrs to Jackson airport. Thankfully we had some great cds to listen too! I was raised on these and I HIGHLY recommend them if you want your children to learn Bible verses! Momma bought the kids the bundle package, so we have all 7 cds. Kyle and Abby won't go to bed without having a cd played for them while they fall asleep. Four months running, every night they listen to these.
There was a silver lining to Saturday. My dear friend J. called me. She is a fabulous encouragement for me. Her faith is so strong. She is so loving. She has faced challenges beyond what I could handle, and still J remains cheerful and encouraging.
Oh that the Lord would grow me to be so joyful!
I don't get to see J. very much. She lives in Virginia. She has a wonderful husband, C, and the MOST adorable little man, D! Pray for them because they are hitting the "terrible 2s." I never believed in the terrible 2s. My mom said none of us kids (and there are 6 of us) went through that phase. J and C never had it either when they were little. However, D has decided to have them! So...pray. J and C are trying timeouts and everything else under the sun. Both are WONDERFUL and LOVING parents.
Week 4 (present day)
Well, this week started great! We found a wonderful church that we will be getting more connected with. Each week we have visited a new church. So a church home will be most welcome. Be in prayer with us that we are at the right place. It would be very refreshing to know we have a place with God focused worship and God focused preaching each week. There are many Sunday school options for Stephen and I. There is Sunday night and Wednesday night church. Kyle and Abby??? OH! I am so very excited! They came out of their Children Church talking about how Christ and us...we...His people...are like butterflies. Christ died and was all wrapped up, just like caterpillars go into a cocoon. On the third day Christ was unwrapped and all new, just like a caterpillar coming out of his cocoon as a beautiful butterfly! We also are wrapped up by Christ and come out as a new creation! I was THROUGH THE ROOF with excitement!
Monday? Oh Monday, how I disliked you...not you my readers, but "you" Monday. I literally could not wake up. Steve irritated me until I got up. We all know I am a morning person, but that was not my morning. I dropped the kids off at school, came home, piddled around the house, and laid down. ....2 hours later I got up. YIKES! But it was a good day. I tried a new recipe from a FL cousin. It was YUMMY!!! (Thanks Mrs. K.M.! You may have 230 plus recipes and couldn't pick one, but you saved my family!)
Now it is Tuesday, and you are all caught up. I will post pictures tomorrow most likely of the past few weeks. They will be on facebook becaues they load much more easily there. Life is good! I am BLESSED beyond what I ever dreamed would be possible!
Keep praying! I have to deal with a weight limit of 35lbs until June. That means I can't pick up my babygirl for my monkey hugs. That means Kyle and I can't wrestle around. =( BUT I have them! They are part of our family! I love them! My husband is the joy and light in my day! ...Yes, even when he irritates me. My mother said it best.
You pick on him SO much!
He picks on you SO much!
....
You two deserve each other!
Did I mention Jim bought the kids pizza 2x (from what they tell me) in one week AND the kids had ice cream almost every night? Yes, it's true.
Monday, April 16, 2012
We are still here!
It's true. We are. No, nothing is wrong. Yes, I am still having moments of absolute tired...if that makes sense. Lol. I am getting more active, which is awesome. We had a wonderful visit with Steve's parents the week of surgery. They came up to help and be here while Steve was at school for a few days. They were GREAT! They played with the kids, ran them to school, and took care of me and the house.
Surgery went well. I went home on the 24th. The kids were a bit off until they realized I am ok. I just move slower and can't pick Abby up, which is still something she doesn't quite understand. Steve was graciously given 1 week off and 1 week of flex hours. The first week I pretty much slept. The second week I started to move more, but was still on pain meds and couldn't pick the kids of from school. Week 3 my mom came in to town while Steve went underway. Mom's and mom-in-law's are such blessings. My mom has Lhymes, 2+ years and still fighting!, (sp?) and still managed to help get the kids ready, help take care of the house, and take care of me. She is AMAZING! Mom went home on Saturday and now we are back to just us.
This is the end of the post, folks. I'm bottoming out and still have things to get done. We are good! The kids are doing great! And Steve is still the most amazing husband because he is pretty much doing dishes, laundry, and bed times. Like I said, I'm getting better - but just not completely there yet! God is so good and I will post a segment I've been working on later. Love you!
Surgery went well. I went home on the 24th. The kids were a bit off until they realized I am ok. I just move slower and can't pick Abby up, which is still something she doesn't quite understand. Steve was graciously given 1 week off and 1 week of flex hours. The first week I pretty much slept. The second week I started to move more, but was still on pain meds and couldn't pick the kids of from school. Week 3 my mom came in to town while Steve went underway. Mom's and mom-in-law's are such blessings. My mom has Lhymes, 2+ years and still fighting!, (sp?) and still managed to help get the kids ready, help take care of the house, and take care of me. She is AMAZING! Mom went home on Saturday and now we are back to just us.
This is the end of the post, folks. I'm bottoming out and still have things to get done. We are good! The kids are doing great! And Steve is still the most amazing husband because he is pretty much doing dishes, laundry, and bed times. Like I said, I'm getting better - but just not completely there yet! God is so good and I will post a segment I've been working on later. Love you!
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