Goodbye Pounce

Well today has been a lazy day and turned into a sad one. The kids slept until 9 am! Oh that was soooo nice. Germany had their time change, springing forward Sunday. It's been ugly as I think it is for everyone. I'd love for it to continue (the sleeping in that is) but I have a meeting in the morning and PWOC on Wednesday and then on Thursday we're flying to Ireland! We'll be there from the 3rd to the 10th. We got a minivan reserved! So excited I tell you!

So onto the sad.....I had our cat put down. Not the one we got the kids for Christmas, but the one we got back in 2005. He's suffered with UTI's since we got him, he's been having some bleeding issue's recently and it started back today and he got another UTI today too, so I called the vet office and they said they could take him today. I dropped the boys off with my friend and Emma and I took Pounce to the vet. They were very kind and loving and so gentle with him and me included. He was 10 yrs old and honestly I think he spent a great many of his years in pain from constant UTI's, I hope he felt loved while he was with us and knew we decided to do this with love and compassion for him.

The boys took it hard. I just let them cry and get it out and am prepared that there will possibly be more tears. The evening's been pretty quiet. Whiskers has no one to go torchure (Pounce) so she's hung out in the living room and just slept.

Tomorrow I have a meeting in the morning, will come home throw some clothes into the washer, then head downtown to get a couple pairs of jeans for Jacob so he has more than 2 pair (his others all have holes in the knees).

Thank you for all the loving comments for Jordyn's birthday, they mean so much to me.

God Bless

Christy

Jordyn's 10th birthday

                     

This was her last "birthday" picture (professional) taken. Her 2 yr old picture. It's hard to imagine a little girl that's locked in my mind and heart as forever 2, that today she'd be 10 yrs old. To think that 10 yrs ago I became a mother for the first time, she cried her first cries, took her first breath of air. I could never have imagined the beauty and wonder this child would and continues to bring to my life. 10 yrs is relatively a short time span when you look at the "average" life span...but when she only lived for 2 of those 10 years they seem to have gone on forever in ways. Sometimes I feel like it was just yesterday that I had her, then other times it seems like it was so long ago.

 

 

My heart is filled with joy. Today I had a message and I got to share Jordyn with the lady doing it for me. I shared my beautiful girl and her story and that although I miss her I know she's safe in the arms of Jesus, that her work on this earth was fulfilled in just 2 years 1 month and 8 days. How precious and amazing it is that she could do everything God had planned for her so quickly! What a miracle she was and always will be to us! To know that she was perfected in such a short time and to know that God's probably got a lot of imperfections to still work out of me, wow how humbling! He allowed ME, Christy, to bring such a precious, beautiful, amazing child into this world. He allowed HER to make ME a mother! He allowed her to show me how deep love is, and that in the end only love matters. In the end she left my arms for his. I NEVER have to worry about her. I know she's safe. I have such security and peace in that FACT! Most momma's don't have that for a lifetime. I don't and won't have it with my other blessings, but I have it with/for Jordyn.

 

 

God gave me this precious child 10 yrs ago today. I labored with her, in so many ways, but let me tell you my friends it was worth it. It was all worth it! To have had her for just those 2 years was more than I deserved and God allowed me to, I am by and far the luckiest mother in this world. I brought her into this world and I was allowed to hold her as she left it. Not a lot of Momma's have that. I held her tighter than I might have because of her chemo. I gave her to GOD in more ways than one, and I KNEW he had her and I was right! Tonight as March 30 ends and a new day begins I rejoice in the fact that for a moment in time God allowed me to mother this beautiful child. I'm forever grateful. I'm always humbled, and I feel so loved.

If you have a moment I ask that you go outside, look up towards Heaven and wish my baby girl a Happy 10th birthday.

Jordyn Ashleigh, I love you baby and I do miss you. Happy Birthday sweet girl.

 

Tags: Jordyn's birthday

Busy Day

I woke up this morning and got Jacob started on his school work, he was almost done before breakfast!! That was nice to see him just jump on it today. I started on laundry soon after breakfast and got all, but towels done. Actually the very last load is in the washer and I need to throw it into the dryer before I head to bed and get it out in the morning, it's just some throw blankets.

We're heading out of town in the morning and will be back on Sunday. We're going to Garmish. We have a chapel retreat and I'm looking forward to it! It'll be nice to have the little break. I told Chad that when we come home, to just take the suitcase directly to the laundry room and I can just get everything washed that we wore over the weekend, because on Thursday we're heading to Ireland!!!!! I have no plans to go out anywhere, I'm going to just live in my sweats Monday-Wed! I'm going to clean the apartment those 3 days so that when we come home it'll be in good shape!

Tonight as I was putting clothes away, I fixed the boys closet. It was a disaster, now it's nice and orderly. I still have a basket of clothes to put away from last week (I HATE putting away laundry), so I'll do that probably on Monday.

 

Sunday is Jordyn's birthday. She'd have turned 10 yrs old. It seems so unreal to me that the little girl who MADE me a mother could be 10 already. In ways it does seem like that long ago, but in other ways it seems like just yesterday that I was holding her in my arms for the first time in awe of the beauty I'd just brought into the world. I truly do not know how anyone can bring a child into this world and deny God. It's nothing short of a miracle that we can create life, and such beautiful life at that! God is good and gracious that's for sure!!! I miss Jordyn and would love to have her here, but I know she's safe in the arms of Jesus and for that I'm so thankful. I got to have her in my arms for 2 yrs 1 month and 8 days and that's the absolute most precious gift next to my salvation that God gave me, following with Chad and our other children.

Update on my friend Heather. She had surgery today on her lungs, to get the infection out. It went well. They now need the antibiotics to do their job (that's all we've been told). So please keep her in your prayers and feel free to sign the guestbook with your prayers. I print off the guestbook entries and they're taken to Scott. I'm going to drop off the pages from this week to Heather's parents in the morning before we head out, so they have the latest ones.

 

Well...I am off. I have to run down to the laundry room quickly and then I need to get to bed. It's already 2:20 am. Oh and I'll be losing an hour of sleep this weekend, because we Spring ahead here in Germany. Yes, Europe also does Daylight savings time, a great many countries throughout the world does, it's not just a US thing.

God Bless and Good Night

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Anniversary

First thank you to Lori who sent me an anniversary card today! Today Chad and I marked 11 years of marriage. I'd like to say we got to celebrate, but we didn't. Now when I say I understand that so often the Army has to come first, I really say that with understanding, but let me say this right here, right now...the Army has ticked my butt off tonight. Chad's actually HERE for our anniversary and we had a stupid deployment meeting that went on for nearly 2 hrs, then after the meeting they (just those in leadership positions in his platoon) had to go back and work on counceling statements that were not due to be turned in until the close of business tomorrow (aka 4:30 pm). He got home at 11 pm tonight. I have held my tongue a lot, well his platoon sgt is getting a GOOD tongue lashing. It's just absolutely rediculous and most of all it's because this particular "leader" had them sitting around doing NOTHING all morning long, they had 2 hrs of their New Sgt. Major talking to them, this afternoon, and then our meeting this evening. There was no reason they couldn't have done these this morning or waited until tomorrow. Honestly I'm just furious. I've been fuming. It turned into a horrible night of me losing the car key, the kids and I walking home in the SNOW, thankfully I had my sling for Emma so I was able to wear her that way and kept her warm as best I could. Jack shivered the whole way home. It's about 1/2 mile from the bowling alley where I lost the key to our home. Of course I called Chad and the man found the key in less than 5 minutes, it was on the floor between the door and the seat, which I'd looked but must have just missed it. I looked for the key for a good 20-30 minutes, all the while Emma's SCREAMING and Jackson was crying and Jacob was "helping me" (HA) look for the key (if looking straight ahead means looking on the ground then I guess you can say he helped), then our food which was wrapped up and placed in a box, fell off the car. It was just not a good way to end.

Chad hasn't gotten me anything yet, he said this weekend I'll get my gift, so we'll see what I get. I got him a parallel bible, he's wanted one for a long time. I had his initials on the cover. It's a King James, NKJ, NIV, and NLT. He loved it! I told him to start marking it up and using it!! :)

Pleasego to Heather's site and be in prayer for her. She's having surgery in the morning on her lungs, hopefully this will be what needs to be done and she can be taken out of sedation and start her way to healing and get home.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/pray4heatherjackson

 

Well I'm off to go cuddle up in bed with my hubby.

Nine Years ago yesterday

 

Nine years. Yesterday marked 9 yrs ago that Jordyn was dx with leukemia. I don't know if it makes sense to others, but being over here in Germany feels like we've come full circle in many ways. I can't really explain it in words, because it's more of what's in my soul and heart.
I can say that at this point 9 yrs ago I was sitting in the German hospital literally scared out of my mind preparing for my baby girl to just die at any moment. We still had so much to learn. Tonight at 6 pm (CET) is when she started her first round of chemo. It's amazing to me in ways that I can still remember that. There are just some things burnt into your brain that you'll never forget. The reality is that yesterday was the beginning of the end for Jordyn's life as WE knew it. God knew exactly how it'd all play out, but we sure didn't.
I never dreamt that 9 yrs from yesterday I'd be the mother of 4, raising 3 of them, and in total awe of all the ways God has blessed us. I was a 22 yr old first time mother who thought she'd be raising her daughter, watching her grow up, I "thought" that at this point I'd be preparing for her to be turning 10 on Sunday. Instead I have a 7 yr old, 4 yr old, and 7 month old and I'm preparing for my husband to head to Iraq for the 3rd time.
Life is never what we imagined it'd be and I've met very few people who's lives have turned out the way they thought it would...for the good and for the bad.
The biggest change in the last 9 yrs has been my relationship with Christ. I didn't have much of one up until March 24, I was just really starting it. We'd started going to church regularly, but I didn't even own a bible. When I was asked what I wanted the only thing I wanted was the bible. I wanted to read his word, I wanted to be comforted by my father, even if I didn't know exactly how to express that, at the time. I see it now though. God has changed me so much and how grateful am I!
We have choices in this world, even during times when we feel like we don't. We can choose to be bitter or better. We can choose to seek him or turn our backs on him. We can choose to feel vs turning them off.
The thing is though, that even when we choose the one that is obviously not the way we should, we can change our minds. I went through being bitter, I choose to be angry with God for a while, and I even turned off my feelings to certain things for a while...yet in the end God had my heart and I could not deny that.

As I write this I hold Emma in my arms, where I once I held Jordyn, writing entries right on here. God's holding Jordyn and I know she's in the best arms she could possibly be in and I'm so thankful for that.

 

( All the pictures were taken with in the first two weeks of Jordyn being dx)

Easter and sick baby girl

We had a great Easter. Chad and I taught children's church for ages 1st-2nd grade. They had a lot of fun, and we were able to share about Christ's resurrection to about 4 or 5 kids who didn't understand what Easter truly was. I think we had a total of 23 kids in our class.

We came home and I worked on dinner a little, then we started dying eggs, and we took some famiy pictures. We didn't get any of all of us together, but got lots still of each of us with the kids. Emma wasn't feeling good still, so she wasn't thrilled when Daddy took her from me for a picture of him with the 3 of them. Not a happy girl in that picture! Emma ended up getting sick again in the evening.

Today/Monday she seemed like she was finally feeling better. She was smiling and laughing and wanting to be put down on the floor for a good portion of the day. Of course Daddy was home since they had a 4 day weekend, and he threw her off of nap schedule. By tonight though she was not feeling good again and only wanting me. She was sitting in my lap and the next thing I know, I'm getting thrown up on again, for I think seriously in the last 3 days this is about the 15th time, at MINIMUM! I got her cleaned up, cleaned myself up, and had Chad start Emma and I a bath. We climbed in and she perked up a bit, splashing around, smiling, and even a few giggles. Chad took her and I got out, he got her dressed and then she just wanted to snuggle with me. I just feel terrible for her. She's nursing and not throwing up every time so I'm not worried about her being dehydrated since I know she's keeping it down at times.

Tomorrow is a new day and I hope Emma's completely healthy again. I think Chad's getting a touch of Emma's flu bug too. We're going to Garmisch this weekend, so we all need to be HEALTHY. I want us to enjoy the pool and hot tub, since this will most likely be the last time we're there before Chad heads off to the big sand box.

I'm sharing pictures of Easter and you can see the couple pictures Chad took of Sweet Emma not feeling good, too.

He Has Risen!

 

I think I used this last year, but am too lazy to go look. I got reminded of it via Emily. The video is hard to watch, but I think our sinning is so much harder on our Lord, our Savior. Look at what he did for us. He went to Hell,Came back for 40 days, and Ascended into Heaven. I can tell you this, I do NOT deserve all that he went through. I'm a sinner, my heart can be ugly, dark, and just awful at times. Yet, he loves ME so much that he went through being beat, being nailed up onto a cross, and died for ME and for YOU my precious friends. If you do not have a personal relationship with Christ, I pray you will seek it. There is only ONE WAY into Heaven. It does NOT matter how many good works you do, they WILL NOT get you to the feet of Jesus. You MUST believe that Christ is our Lord.

 

 

It's so easy to get wrapped up in the commercialization of holiday's, Easter included. We do the Easter bunny (I'll be getting baskets ready here shortly actually), but our focus is and must  be on Christ, on his death, and most importantly on his RESURRECTION.

 

 

 

Tomorrow I will be teaching children's church. We are not doing the planned lesson, because I feel it's important to talk and teach about what this day is. I want our focus to be on Jesus and his promise he made and kept to us. We'll come home and dye eggs, have a little indoor hunt, and I'll make our dinner. I am going to print off some coloring pages for the boys and found some online games and activities that actually are about Jesus and the Resurrection, so the boys can do those while we're waiting to eat.

I pray you each feel Jesus and his blessings.

 

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Hey so today we went to my friends house for a little Easter party. It was just us, our friend, and another friend. It was fun. The kids had an Easter egg hunt, we had finger food lunch, the kids played games, colored, the kids played hot potato for the first time and they LOVED it! It was so funny watching them!

Emma woke up this morning, throwing up. She was fine for a couple hours and when I got home from the commissary she threw up again, then nothing while at my friends until we were ready to leave and she threw up all over me, thankfully my friend lent me some sweats to wear since my capri's were soaked. Anyways, we got home and she threw up 3 more times. Poor baby just felt awful. After the last time we got her changed, changed our bedding since she'd gotten sick that morning and Chad didn't get it changed. Anyways, we got her in bed, Chad layed with her and I took a shower. She was out by the time I got out. It was the first time today she let Chad do anything with her, all day it was just me. I'm praying she's feeling better in the morning.

Tomorrow is the community Easter Egg Hunt. If it's raining or snowing again, they'll just hand out the eggs. We have lots of laundry to do, and I am  hoping we can get the bedrooms cleaned up, the boys room is a disaster zone and so is ours. I also have to go through the Sunday school material that I'll be teaching Sunday. Sunday when we get home from church I'll be cooking our turkey (just a turkey breast), mashed potatoes, homemade noodles, my mom's stuffing (it's the best!!), home made bread, and corn. I think I'll make some cookies and/or from scratch brownies! ;) We'll do our own little Easter Egg hunt here inside if it's wet out. I'm hoping tomorrow we can get the eggs dyed so it's done and we don't have to deal with that on Sunday too. I want Sunday to be relaxing and enjoyable. Dinner is just going to be us this year, which will be nice. It's the last MAJOR holiday before Chad leaves.

Oh! I don't think I blogged about this, but we have our confirmation for our flight to Ireland! We're flying to Ireland on April 3!! We'll be there for 7 days! We can't wait! A friend of ours sent us two options for the iternary so we'll decide then next week I'll start calling B&B's to make reservations for accomadations, and we'llalso reserve a rental. We're planning on getting a minivan so we have plenty of room for the kids and our luggage.

Well, I need to head to bed. Good night and God bless

Christy

First Day of Spring

Happy Spring y'all! We got snow this morning, well we've been getting snow every day, but the ground is too warm for it to stick around. The snow flakes this morning were the size of quarters. They were so beautiful. The wind picked up at some point and Jackson said it looked like a snow tornado! In the afternoon our FRG (Family Readiness Group) had free bowling, so we went. The boys had a blast. I bowled too it was fun, I'm not good! LOL When we were leaving we were standing out talking to a friend and it started to hail. The boys thought it was FABULOUS! LOL It was no bigger than pepples, so it didn't hurt, but I made them get in the car none the less. It all stopped by the time we got home 5 minutes later.

It's supposed to snow tomorrow and Saturday and hopefully that will be it. Of course in the last few days it's snowed more than it did all winter, not that it stuck, but still more! LOL In Southern Germany they got a lot more snow, just east of us they got more, it's just where we are at it often doesn't snow much here. Our first winter here was just a fluke I think because of all the snow we got that year.

I updated Heather's page, so please go and send love and prayers. I print off the guestbook entries and we're compiling them into a notebook that Scott then takes and he reads them aloud to Heather. She may not be able to hear him since she's sedated, but if she can then that's awesome and if not then when she wakes up my will she have lots and lots of reading to do! So far just short of 300 people have signed her guestbook, over 2200 visitors to her page! It's just awesome I tell you how God's moving through her, around her, and because of her! Our God is an AWESOME GOD I tell you!

Well, we have an Easter Egg hunt we're doing with a friend tomorrow, plus I have either a soup or sandwiches I need to make tomorrow for the Hospitality House. I'm wanting to make a soup, just have to decide what kind. Maybe a wild rice, it sounds good to me!

God Bless

Easter Facts

I got this from Danielle (thanks girl!!) so if you read her too, you can skip over this entry! LOL

 

Easter Facts

DID YOU KNOW................


We all realize that Easter is early this year.

The
 celebration, as you might know, is always held on the 1st Sunday after

the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (this year the Equinox will
 occur on March 20).
 
 This dating of Easter is based on the same ancient lunar

calendar that the Hebrew people use to identify Passover, which is why
 it moves around on our modern calendar. Easter can only be one day
 earlier (March 22) but that is rare.
 
 This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the
 rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever
 seen it this early. None of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day
 earlier!
 
 The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be
 the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was
 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around
 for that!).
 
 The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in
 the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was
 1818.

 So, remember this day: no one alive today has or will ever see it any
 earlier than this year!

Snow

Two days until it's officially spring and we got snow! It snowed off and on from noon until about 3 pm and they're calling for snow everyday through Saturday. It's way too warm for it to stick, but the kids love it! Since we barely got any snow this year, it's a nice little tease before spring. It's really not that cold here either so the snow really does not bother me at all!

I got the boys their Easter shirts, both little polo shirts and one for Chad as well! I hope it fits Chad, I'm going to have him try it on here in a few minutes (he just walked in the door!)

No update yet on Heather, once I get one I'll be updating her page. The last report from last night was improvement, but still needing prayers for her lungs to be healing.

Well, I'm going to get off of here.

Have a wonderful day. God Bless

Pictures

No pictures of Jackson in these because this was for Emma's 6 months and Jacob's 7 yrs. Jack had his taken back in September and there were none of Jacob then. We're going to have family pictures done at the end of April. Since we homeschool, I like to get Jacob's picture taken around his birthday, I was pretty late with Jacob this year, but they got taken at least. He was really goofy the day of pictures and kept doing all these really goofy poses! I keep saying I'm going to take the kids in and just let them be as goofy as they want, dress up in the costumes they have there, but haven't done it yet...I need to really need to. I think they'd be some of the most cherished pictures I would ever have taken!

Ok I'm going to bed. BTW if you haven't been today, go check up on Heather! I wrote an update a few hours ago and I got some pictures of Heather and her beautiful family posted!!!!

 

www.caringbridge.org/visit/pray4heatherjackson

 

God is Good, All The Time

I love that song and oh it's so right!!!!! God IS good, he is good indeed! Go check out the update I was so thrilled to make today on Heather's site!

www.caringbridge.org/visit/pray4heatherjackson

So awesome!

 

As for us, we had a good day! We went to Atlantis, which is a water park near us (about 40 minutes away). The kids LOVED it, all 3 of them. It was Chad's first time there and he enjoyed it. We just had a great day! We're hoping to go back again soon. I grabbed my camera before I left, but took no pictures, it's just not that easy to take pictures there. Maybe next time I'll have things together enough to feel like I can snap a few, but don't hold your breath! LOL Emma loved it. The kiddie pool area has so many shallow area's that it's just perfect for her to sit in front of me and just splash and crawl around, she loves being held and kicking and splashing in the deeper area's too. My back is really sore from going down the slides about 15 times! They have 1 slide for innertubes and 2 to just slide down and then this awesome wall to slide down. We went down everything! Well except for Miss Emma! :) Jack does not like to go fast and he went down the big regular slide with Chad and Jacob and they went FAST. He went down with me and Momma goes SLOW and he liked it A LOT more! Chad and Jacob actually set a speed record (they have timers on the slides!) on the big slide, they got down it in 12.05 Seconds...my fastest was 41 seconds...Chad and Jacob must have been FLYING! The previous record was 15 and some odd seconds!

Well, it's almost midnight and I actually have 4 loads of laundry done in the washers that I need to go and transfer over to the dryers, Emma had 2 loads of clothes and we had 2 loads of jeans (we're out of jeans so it was a MUST) and Emma's in her last clean sleeper so that was a must as well! I still have lights, darks, and towels to wash, I'll try to get at least one of those piles down tomorrow after church and before Awana done, I'll finish up washing tomorrow after Awana.

Well, I better head to the basement to transfer clothes and then I'm heading to bed, I'm EXHAUSTED!

New Update

Well we're start off with the newest prayer need. Heather was life-flighted to another hospital, because they were able to pinpoint the infection in her lung and our hospital here could not properly treat it, so they sent her to one that can! (That also falls into a praise since they've pinpointed the infection!).

Ok so this morning we had our Prayer Hour for Heather. It was wow! I woke up this morning with so much peace when I thought of Heather. What I found was God working on my own heart, and he did! I'm emotionally exhausted when I think of it, but praise him for the changes he's making in me. Anyways, for those who don't know when you are sick your blood sugar goes up, when you're stressed it goes up, and if your medication is not the proper amount, it can not keep it level. Well Heather has been sick (the lung infection which started off as a cold) and her husband left for a 15 month deployment (MAJOR Stress!),she has a 12 yr old and 3 yr old and homeschools (Hmmm...MORE STRESS), when she got to the hospital Tuesday night her blood sugar which should have been between 80-120, it was at 600. Yes that is right SIX HUNDRED! They were able to get it down to 200 pretty quickly.

The infection she had in her lungs spread throughout her body, into her blood stream, and her body went into septic shock and her kidney's and liver went into failure. They put her on dialysis and it's been working, this morning they took her off dialysis and from what we were told is that her kidney's are functioning without it! HUGE praise! Her body is also responding to the medications fighting the infection throughout her body, so another HUGE PRAISE!!!!

Her son does not know all the details, how close she was to dying she was. Her husband has spent a huge amount of time with Heather and a good amount of time with the kids as well. Her parents got here this morning, so please be in prayer over that as well, since they'd only been here maybe 2 hrs at the most before they had to lifeflight Heather.

Prayers for the friend who's taking care of the kids, Jessie is a young army wife, and does not have children yet. She's shown grace, love, patience, and wisdom beyond her age and experience.

 

I'm making them dinner tonight. I'll be making them a large salad full of wonderful various veggies, topped with grilled chicken, and pudding for dessert. 

 

With permission from Scott I've set up a caringbridge website. Please go share your prayers, bible verses, love, and concern. Be mindful that Daniel may read it so please do not divulge too much on Heather's condition. I'm going to print off the guestbook for them every night so if Scott wants he can take it and read the words to Heather.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/pray4heatherjackson

 

Thank you for the continued prayers.

 

God Bless

Christy

Update

I'm VERY tired, but wanted to give you an update on Heather before I had to my bed and drift off to sleep. She had slight improvement, praise JESUS! Scott also made it back this morning. Her parents fly out tomorrow, there was issues with her mom who's on oxygen, but we've been told it's all been worked out.

We pray that tomorrow there's more improvement...what ever God will give, we're GRATEFUL for! God is the ultimate Physician and with him anything is possible. We believe God is going to show our community an AMAZING Miracle through Heather and oh let me tell you friends, I can NOT wait to see it! I can't wait to see her beautiful face, smiling and her her laugh! He WILL do this, we're proclaiming it in Christ's name!

 

Tomorrow we're having an hour of prayer. We  have the sanctuary at the post chapel booked from 10 am to 11 am, with childcare provided...so we can pray specifically for Heather. If you happen to be up at that time (I believe it's 2 AM on the West coast, I KNOW it'll be 4 am Central and 5 am Eastern), even if you can't pray for the full hour (although if you can please do!) any amount of time you have to pray for Heather and for her family is much appreciated.

 

God Bless

Christy

Immediate Prayers

Please be in prayer for a friend of mine, who's here in Germany. Heather went to the ER last night at the German hospital (klinikum). She's been sick with a cold, which had led to a lung infection. She took her two kids to her next door neighbors (and good friend) and called another friend to take her to the hospital. This morning Jessie/neighbor called me to let me know Heather was in the hospital and her son who normally keeps Jacob on Weds while we're at PWOC (bible study) was up most the night worrying about his mom, and so he wouldn't be able to watch Jacob. At that point Jessie said she/Heather was doing ok, her blood sugar was off, but they were hoping she'd come home today. With in a half hour of us talking, Heather slipped into a diabetic coma. Heather's husband had just left on Monday for a 15 month deployment. Thankfully he wasn't at the end stop, so they're bringing him home.

Heather is in CRITICAL condition. They lost her twice and were able to bring her back, but it does not look good. The drs have said they're just trying to keep her holding on until Scott gets home. This just truly seems absolutely unreal to me. How does a woman who's in the prime of her life, with a 12 yr old son and a 3 yr old daughter go from laughing with me on Sunday to possibly dying 3 days later? It just simply can not be.

Heather's husband is a chaplain. He's just a kind man and Heather is absolutely wonderful. I just love her to pieces. The world hasn't stopped, but our little corner here in Germany absolutely has. We've spent a great deal of our day in prayer already and I know for me I've spent my afternoon there and intend on spending my evening in prayer. I feel sick to my stomach and my heart just is absolutely aching.

I know God has this all under control. I also know we need to be in prayer at all times and I'm asking all of you to pray for my friend. Pray for Heather and her husband Scott. Pray for their children Daniel and Belle. Pray for Heather's parents, her mom is working with Red Cross to get over here to be with her. Pray that the Army for once expedites paperwork and gets Scott on a plane TONIGHT. Most of all pray that our Lord, Jesus will heal Heather's body, allow her to wake up, and allow her to come home to her family and friends.

Thank you so much for the prayers. God must hear us storming the heavens with our prayers for Heather. I'm selfish, I want my friend to stay here for as long as possible.

Heading to Bed

Before I drift off to sleep thought I'd share some pictures over the last couple of weeks. Emma turned 7 months last Monday and on Monday I got the box I'd been waiting on...with her new bows in it! I LOVE them! I'm a rather girly girl when I want to be and I WANT to dress my baby up and have her looking all girly too! There's some pictures of the boys in here too! We spent Monday outside most the day (yesterday), it was nice in the 50's, the sun was shining! We grilled some burgers and ate at the picnic table! Oh Emma is officially crawling on her knee's, pretty well all the time. She's also taken up to sucking her thumb. I've NEVER had a thumb sucker. She went through a phase of sucking on her fingers, then quit and now does the thumb. She ONLY sucks it when she's tired and after she's nursed, right before she falls asleep. I'm hoping that if she continues this little habit I can get her broke up it by the time she's 18 months old, I don't want it to mess with her teeth (when she finally gets them in). Everyone's been enjoying having Chad home. We're planning on going to an indoor water park this weekend. Chad wants to do something every weekend until he leaves, which is good with me! We're thinking in mid April we're going to go to Czech Rep!!! It's less than 2 hrs driving and they have flea markets with so many awesome things, but most us women go there for 1 thing...NAME BRAND purses and wallets! I'm talking Coach, Louie Vutton, Gucchi, not the knock off's either and for less than $10.00! I'm so going to get me a purse and hopefully matching wallet and prob. pick up some as gifts too!!! :) My sweet wonderful friend Bobbie (I'll use her name since I'm private now) her twin (identical) sister is coming over in mid April for their birthday and we're all going (Chad too)! I can not wait! I can't wait to meet her sister, I'm so excited! Bobbie and I are so much alike. I just absolutely LOVE her! There are not a lot of people that I want to just stay with throughout our military career, but Bobbie is one I do! We're hoping our next duty station is together, we're all looking at going to Alaska! I told her the only way I'd go is if she's there with me!! I don't know why Alaska freaks me out so much. I know it'll be beautiful, we'll be outside A LOT, I just really want to be able to go there and already know I have a friend there! We see each other almost everyday. She's the sister I never had! I'm her "triplet"! ROFL!! Anyways...I'm excited to meet her sister and I know it'll be just what SHE needs right now, with her dh deployed right now.

 

Ok, I'm off to bed! I'll try to write a decent entry tomorrow or Thursday!

 

God Bless

 

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Growing Babies need to slow down

Right now, Chad has the car and Emma's diaper bag is in it and so is my camera. Just a moment ago my little 7 month old was trying to pull herself up on the dining chair. She's by no means the earliest of my children to attempt this feat, she's right in the middle actually. Jordyn was cruising furniture at this age, as was Jacob starting to, although Jack was in no hurry. I just want Emma to slow down. I'm in absolutely no hurry for her to accomplish all these tasks ahead. I know I can't stop them and I haven't been trying to lately either, LOL...I just wish she'd remain a baby longer than she will. I know reality is she has to grow and I DO want her to, but can't the babyhood stage just stick around a little longer than it does? It's this beautiful, precious time that goes by in the blink of an eye and before you know it, you have a full fledge toddler running circles around you, as you collapse in exhaustion wondering what happened to your sweet little baby. I'm no stranger to this, Emma is my 4th, I've got a clue as to what's happening, as I watch her crawl on her KNEE's, in the hunt to find something that she most likely shouldn't have, but thinks she needs! LOL As she sits and looks at me with those bright blue eyes, and jabbers away the whole time, saying "dada" among other things, I think of how it feels like just yesterday I was bringing home this helpless little baby who did more sleeping than even eating and now she does more moving and shaking than anything. This time is precious my friends. I get that. I know how precious life is, I've been blessed to give birth to 4 children, I was honored to be the one to hold my Jordyn before anyone else and was honored to hold her as she took her last breaths. I GET it.

I see God in everything in my home. I see the life he's created over and over, the grace he's shown ME when I have deserved anything, but grace. As I listen to the songs from my children, their sweet innocent voices, the giggles, and even the tears I know that I'm more blessed than I deserve. Why God has allowed ME of all people to be who I am is nothing short of a miracle in and of itself. Yet here I am. Life's not easy, there are hardships that at times are almost more than we can bare. None of us dream of having a child and then turning around and having to bury them, yet it's what happens to some of us.

I never dreamed I'd have the life I have. I never thought in a million years I'd marry a man in the military, that I'd live not once, but twice in  Germany. I NEVER dreamed I'd ever feel so at HOME anywhere but Kansas, but have found that Home is where not only the Army sends us, but where most of all God places us and for now that home is here in Germany and I absolutely love it! I never imagined I'd find such joy and peace in my life after Jordyn died, yet here I am!

Babies are born and babies grow, too fast, they turn into toddlers, then into these little children that when we go back in our own minds remember being that age. I worry constantly that I'm doing it right. I want my children's childhood memories to be full of laughter, joy, and most of all God. They will look back at hardships I NEVER had to face as a child myself. As a military kid, as kids who's dad is gone about every other year, who's lives have the knowledge that even for them tomorrow is not promised by the death of an older sister who they never got to meet here on this earth, yet know in their hearts because Chad and I have done what we can to keep her alive to them in the best way we know how. Life is full of twists and turns in ways we never imagine...both good and bad. It's what we make out of those twists and turns though, how we praise God, even in the storm...that's what matters.

 

I hope your Monday is full of Praises for our Almighty. I pray you see him even in the storms that life throws at you.

Thought of the Day

I wrote this out in another place, but decided to go ahead and share it here as well.

 

" Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the
morning, Satan shudders & says...'Oh no....she's awake!!"


Isn't this just how we should live everyday? Shouldn't we be living as the Lord tells us to? That we should be walking every step of our days as Christ would have us? But how many do? I wake up and so many days my first thoughts are NOT of the Lord, my 2nd thoughts are not. Instead I get consumed by the daily tasks that lay ahead of me. I allow Satan to get into my head and "busy" me. I went through a wonderful phase where every morning I woke up and started my day in prayer. I did not get out of bed, I stayed right there with the sun shining through my curtains and I layed there and praised God, asked him to guide me throughout the day. When I was doing that my days simply went the way God intended them to go. I know that not every day was not perfect, it was not easy, but I KNEW it was just as God had intended. I need to be back there, I long to be there and starting tomorrow I will. This is a necessity of life. If we don't start our day WITH God, who ARE we starting our day with? Satan. He leaps on us immediately if we don't cry out to GOD to take hold of our day.

Don't we as Christians, have a duty to make Satan shudder? If we don't, then where's our walk with Christ? How are we doing? If Satan does not feel the least bit worried about us, then are we truly walking with Christ as Christ calls us to? I don't think so. I think that when we are at our closest with Christ is when Satan is working the hardest to get into the middle of our lives. When we don't feel or even see Satan's works of trying to disrupt our lives, is when we should be worried. When we're complacient in our lives, when we feel like we have things all figured out, is exactly when we need to be digging deeper into the word, seeking God harder than ever, stepping outside of our box. When's the last time you stepped out of your box and followed God? Don't think that because you stepped out of the box last week, last month, or last year, that that is nearly good enough. We need to be working to step out of that box every single day. We need to be seeking God's will for our lives everyday. When we don't, what ARE we doing for Christ? What are we doing for ourselves?

It's been a good day!

He walked in the door about 8 pm last night. I suggested making a rare treat of Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy, he said that sounded GREAT...so about 5:30 I started on that, and was hoping he'd be home by 7, but as luck would have it it took forever for everything to get done....mostly because I cook the chicken VERY slowly, to make sure it gets cooked thoroughly and we were literally sitting down at the table just as he walked in! So we had dinner together as a family. Everything was great. The boys jumped up from the table so fast and Emma looked at him very cautiously! She wasn't too sure about Daddy, he looked a little different (he'd shaved his head while he was out in the field and that changes his look a little. She was warming up to him by the end of the evening, but still kept coming back to me, I'm sure  by the end of the week she'll be back to being crazy about him! :)

Today has been good, Jacob got his school work finished and then I had to be up at the chapel by 11:30 for registration for a retreat the chapel's hosting down to Garmish at Edelweiss ( it's a military resort that we LOVE!). We'll be there over Jordyn's birthday actually, so I hope we can do something very special down there on her birthday, not sure what yet, but we'll make her birthday special for our family. She'd be turning 10 yrs old and that is just so hard for me to imagine.

Chad has to work late pretty well every day this week, they are cleaning weapons, vehicles, and getting everything turned in that needs to be turned in! Tomorrow we have a FRG meeting, not sure if he'll make it home before I have to head over for that, so most likely the kids will go with me, thankfully there's a playroom there. He does have a 4 day weekend this weekend, to make up for the one they lost while they were out in the field (President's Day weekend) so on Friday we're going to go to Schweinfurt to go to their Spring Bazaar! I'm so excited there's somethings I wanted to get at ours, but didn't have the money for it and wanted to talk to Chad first before I got it!!

Tomorrow is PWOC, then the FRG meeting in the evening, Thursday the boys have dentists apts both of them. Saturday we're going to a place called Tuckerland's. It's by Nurenburg Airport and it's just a play place. They have all kinds of things for the kids to do, they love it, it's close, and cheap! Sunday is church and Awana, Monday I hope we can get some things done around here.

 

Not sure if I'll have a chance to get back on here. I'm going to be spending less time on here, at least while we still have Chad so I'll try to update once a week.

 

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He's Coming Home Early!!!!!

Chad's going to be home in a few hours! I'm so excited I can't stand it, you'd think he's been gone for monthS or a year or something the amount of giddiness I have going on, but no, just 1 month! LOL Anyways, I have so much to do. The boys are cleaning their playroom. I'm about to start working on my bedroom putting clothes away, vacuuming, getting rid of things we don't need/want. I'm then moving into the kitchen and going to clean the floors, I won't say how long it's been since I swept. Actually the length of time it's not been swept it's impressively not as horrible as you'd think! Then I'll be vacuuming the rest of the apartment, then cleaning the bathroom...I mean a good deep cleaning! Jacob has recycling to take out, and I have more laundry to start washing. I don't expect to have the current dirty clothes all washed by the time he gets home, but I'd like to make a decent dent in it!

 

So have a FABULOUS Monday, I am going to!!!!!

Oh and today my baby girl is 7 months old! I'll take pictures later! I can't believe she's 7 months old. A little story really quick. Jordyn was 7 months old to the day when we arrived in Germany, Chad hadn't seen her since she had been 7 weeks old....and here he is coming home on the day Emma's 7 months old, 9 yrs later. So much has changed in our lives there's the obvious of Jordyn going home to Heaven, having the boys and Emma, but there's the other things like the fact that we're a family walking with Christ. We're much older :), hopefully a LITTLE wiser, in some ways gentler, while other ways harder. A lot bigger! :X It's kind of a bitter sweet day thinking of it. I can still feel that excitement of getting off the plane and literally not being able to see because I had to leave a bag with my parents (too many oops!) and stupidly left the wrong one...it had my contact solution and glasses, so my contacts were so dry and messed up I had to have a flight attendant actually help me because I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me, she walked me through customs and into Chad's arms! Back then the military post that was right off of Frankfurt Airport was still open, so we stopped at the shoppette and got me contact solution and a new case and I was able to wear my glasses on the way home...which felt sooooooooo good! I still remember just being so giddy to see Chad....crazy that's how I feel right now!

God's good. He gave me a wonderful husband! He loves me so much and I thank God for that!

 

God Bless

 

Feeling better!

Over the last 20 minutes it's like I've done a complete 180! I feel so much better. I am still tired, but I think that's normal after being sick! I'm working on dinner right now and have been able to get up and walk around, hold Emma, and even play with Jacob a little! I'm so thankful what ever this was is over!

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A little update

I'm still sick, I just had to get off the couch for a few, I'm so sore from laying the past 2 days. I actually left the apartment today. I still feel horrible, but took a shower and then had to run to the commissary to grab a few groceries. I wanted to get some milk for the boys to have cereal and some things for lunch and dinners for the boys. I grabbed me some soup, but it tasted terrible to me. I was in and out of the commissary in about 10 minutes, had to sit in the car for a few minutes for my head to stop spinning so I could drive, once I had my balance I was fine to drive. The boys brought up the groceries because it literally took all my strength to climb the 3 flights up stairs to our apartment.

I'm still fighting a fever, so what ever is going on in me my body's doing it's job. I still have been going between the chills to sweating. I am praying I feel better tomorrow, so I can go to church and Awana. If not, I'll see if my friend will take the boys to church and Awana.

On happy notes, Emma is feeling good still, and is a happy baby girl. Jacob and Jack are doing good. I feel overwhelmingly blessed that feeling so poorly my kids can behave and be helpful.

Thanks for the prayers, keep them coming.