Emotions

They released us from the hospital Friday around 1:30. Kari and Malachi are still sick but heading towards the end I think! We are at clinic now and her counts are around 4,000 points lower than they were last week but they're still decent. Thank God and thank you for your prayers!


I had a long post typed out where I reflected on the past 7 months of our lives. However, it isn't good to publish a post that is produced amid about 100 emotions. So, I've decided to think on that post a while first.


I will say that this past week has been very emotional for several different reasons. God has been there to comfort and to uplift every step of the way...nevertheless, it has been an emotional roller coaster for me.

I usually don't get on here and ask for prayer for myself and I hope this doesn't sound selfish. Right now, I feel like I'm looking through a window at the month of February and dreading what's waiting inside that window. February will be a rough month for me for several different reasons and there are no words to describe how bad I wish I could skip the whole month altogether. I do have a few plans for the kids that will be fun and will hopefully help make the month go by faster.

I desire the prayers of those that have been through this journey with us from the beginning...I know it's what carries us through!

Update With Pictures

Well, what a fun day we've had! Are we still in the hospital? Yep! But it's been a good day despite that fact.

Here's a look at our day:


Kari playing Pictionary with Pappy









Kari loves her nurses and nurse's aids. We've had some student nurses today who have played ALL DAY LONG with Kari and she has thoroughly enjoyed it. Kristin and Alisa let her play with their stethoscopes and name badges AND watches. She rewarded them and several nurses by singing a few songs for them.







Thank you, Kristin and Alisa, for the FANTASTIC time we had with you all! Kristin, Kari will be so excited to see that you left your smiley face watch for her. You two were awesome!

Kari had to have an antiobiotic that caused an allergic reaction of sorts so they gave her Benadryl to help with the itching. They gave it to her before they started the antibiotic this time and within 10 minutes, she was konked out! She's resting so good at this time so I think I'll join her and rest some myself! The doctor said if she has no fevers between now and in the morning, we can go home!

As always, thank you for your prayers and support!

A Hospital Visit!

Kari has been battling a cold the past several days but we thought it was probably a routine cold and she would be past it before long.

However...around 3:00 this morning, I woke up to Kari burning up with a fever. Her temperature rose from 100.6 to 101.3 in about 20 minutes. I quickly got stuff packed as I was calling the on-call doctor because I knew it would be an overnight stay.

I dropped Malachi off to Gammy, picked up Pappy and we were off to Lexington! For those of you that know Kari personally...she had the expected reaction. She sang and talked all the way there and kept Pappy and I entertained. She was hilarious! She was burning up with fever and feeling horrible but kept her sense of humor the entire time. I love it!

After we were checked into our room, Kari got to see all of her favorite nurses that were working. She, of course, had to entertain them all before their shift change.

She stayed awake until around 8:30 and only fell asleep when they gave her Benadryl! She's a trooper!

Please keep our little princess in your prayers. Her counts are all good so we're hoping we won't have to stay the full 48 hours that they usually require with a fever. The doctor seems to think she will be fine after 24 hours. :)

Thanks for your prayers!

Thoughts

Very profound title, I know. But that's all I have tonight are thoughts. Many of them. My kids are with Aunt Lacey and Uncle Chris and I had uninterrupted prayer time. Wonderful and blessed prayer time! Uninterrupted prayer time (which seems rare for me) often brings about a soul searching of sorts. It gives me time to think and pray about things that I tend to push to the back burner. Tonight, it brought to mind many things that I've not thought about in a while because cares of life have taken over the past few weeks. Here's a list:

1. Kari is doing so good and I've seen that little sparkle return to her eyes in the past week. I wasn't sure I would ever see that again. God is good.

2. Malachi is growing up and I have no babies anymore. Exciting and sad and fun all at the same time.

3. I have two children that the Lord has blessed me with. It's my responsibility to train them up in the right way...am I doing this? It scares me that leading and guiding their souls ultimately rests upon me. I can use all the excuses about single parenting that I want to, but then I have to consider Susanna Wesley who mothered the most influential preachers that were around in their time and she did it alone. She didn't have TWO kids, she had like 19??? I've been told that she took time each day to pray and read with each child and still took the time to do her own praying and reading daily. Makes any excuse that I have look pretty pitiful. Am I praying and reading my Bible like I should? Probably not because I think sleep is precious in the wee hours of the morning. Setting my alarm and getting up before the kids do so that I can pray and read UNINTERRUPTED DAILY hasn't been a goal of mine. Shouldn't I make it a point to have that time with the Lord daily so that things don't get pushed to the back burner? Shame on me. Am I taking the time that I should with my kids each day to pray with them and teach them? Not like I should. Am I doing other things and stuff and letting everything else get in the way? Yep. This has burdened me and I'm praying that with God's help, He will help me be a better parent...one that cares about her children's souls more than sleep or some frivolous activity.

4. I heard a song called Somebody Like Me (you can look it up on YouTube by Jason Crabb) and it made me cry tonight as I was praying. How many people are desperately searching for something/someone to help them find a better life? Alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, etc...they only need somebody to tell them that Jesus loves them and that He died so that they can live a better life? But how many of us turn our heads thinking there's no use because those people can't change? Turn our heads because we don't want to be part of their problems because we have so many of our own? Are we so selfish and self-centered that we think that unless we take mission trips to foreign countries that we're not doing anything for God? Because we're not on the front line of the ministry so to speak we can't work for God? I'm so thankful for those that are on the front line of the ministry...pastors, evangelists, youth pastors, missionaries. Bless them for their dedication and committment! However, for me, there are people on my own street that need the Lord. In my own town, there are lonely, miserable, hopeless people because they have no idea what Jesus can do for them and how He longs to set them free. Am I searching for that person? Or am I finding ways I can be in the spotlight somewhere doing something that everybody can see? There are so many opportunities around me to work for Jesus and I can't see past what's happening in my life and in my family long enough to pray about it. Again, shame on me.

5. God has been so good to me and my children. How quickly I can forget that! I remember in the beginning of our leukemia journey, we had friends all around us. Friends calling, texting, visiting and, in general, surrounding us with support and love. But their lives moved on and ours seemingly didn't. I know people care and pray for us still; however, there comes a time when those people aren't around to dry our tears, to let me ramble because I need to let off steam after being in a hospital all day, to hug me and encourage me that things are going to be okay. It's just me and God and I've learned that it's truly HIM that gets us through. Friends and family are wonderful and I thank God for our support system! But I've found a great comfort in knowing that when our life seems to stop, He's at the stop sign waiting for us!

I have thoughts not brought about by my prayer time but after the things I just talked about, I'm ashamed to even mention those. That will be another post!
I hope you all have a great remainder of the week! We have clinic tomorrow and we will be up early so it's off to bed for me! :)

2012

Well, I must say that 2012 hasn't been such a kind year so far. Not unless you count that we're still under God's mighty hand of protection! That's the biggest blessing of all. BUT. In reality, 2012 has been a ROUGH year in it's short 2 week span. I'm praying that this means the rest of 2012 will be better.

Day 1 of 2012 began with my mom, sister and I going to Ohio to visit my aunt Ellie who had taken a turn for the worse. Kari and Malachi were excited to spend the day and night with Gammy, Pappy, Chris, and Lacey since I didn't think it wise to take the children to a hospital where we would be spending the day.

(side note: it is currently 2:30 AM and I am still awake so pardon the rambling)

We had a great visit with family and my aunt Ellie was in such good spirits after seeing the family and being able to talk and laugh with everyone. When we left, she was worn out and ready to rest. The next morning, we got up to get ready to see her again and then head home....when I got a call from Pappy saying Malachi had been up all night with the stomach virus and Kari had woke up and passed out on them and was now throwing up.

Needless to say, we made a beeline for Kentucky. I called UK where the doctor told us to bring her in just so they could make sure she was only getting the virus. Pappy and Gammy were going to meet us there. Only....my mom, sister, and I got stuck in the big 40 car pileup on I75 and sat in traffic for two hours. Yes, two hours. What was most interesting in that two hour period of time were all the people heading up the hill on the side of the road to get behind trees and use the bathroom. Or all the people that walked around the interstate visiting with other traveling passengers like they didn't have a care in the world. Or all the people getting in coolers in the back of their vehicles to get snacks and drinks out like it was party time.

While I sat in the vehicle wondering WHEN IN THE WORLD WOULD THEY OPEN UP THE ROAD SO I COULD GET TO MY BABIES???

Kari ended up in the emergency room without me where she was babied and spoiled by the nurses and doctors. They sent her home diagnosed with what would become THE VIRUS.

Why did it become THE VIRUS??? Because when I finally got to the kids and we made it home safe and sound, I was blessed (or cursed) with THE VIRUS. Pappy and Gammy came to help with the kids and then Memaw came the next morning to help. Pappy and Gammy and Lacey also got THE VIRUS the next day. The next day also brought some very hard things for our family. Thus, the reason I asked for prayer last week. I don't really know what to say about that except we still desire your prayers concerning that situation!

To speed this up some, Kari had clinic Monday and all is GREAT! My baby girl is doing great with God's help and we are more than just grateful for that! We left Tuesday afternoon to stay with Memaw for the week.

Thursday morning, however, THE VIRUS visited Memaw. Oh, yes, it did.

She was beginning to get better today (yesterday?) and, since Aunt Brandi's birthday is tomorrow (today? not sure what day or time it is anymore), we had her a big dinner and the kids and I made cupcakes and a cake for her! We had plans of visiting the mall tomorrow on her actual birthday and to take her out to eat.

But what happened??? Aunt Brandi got THE VIRUS. Yes, friends, it's the plague of the new year. Thus, the reason I'm still awake at 2:30 AM. I've been taking care of the invalids.

So. While I've read everyone's blog about all their plans for 2012, my plans are simply to survive at this point. I've always been honest on this blog and tonight is no exception. It's been a tough year already. I didn't think it could be worse than last year but usually just when you think it couldn't get any worse?? Yep, it usually does!

I'm reminded of a scripture that the comedian Mark Lowry quoted once in one of his stories. Although he said it jokingly, I've always remembered it in the tough times and the good times. It's too late for me to look it up because my mind is obviously going 100 MPH, but somewhere in the Bible, it says...and it came to pass.

No matter what happens in life, the only sure thing is our salvation and the love of our Father! At some point in life, we're gonna go through rough things. Bad year? It will pass. Good year? Well, that will probably pass too. Because life isn't a tiptoe through the tulips just because we're children of God.

No, we're not exempt from the testing times of life. We're blessed, however, because of the fact that we have Someone helping us through it. How hard is this life and all its trials!!! But how much harder they would be if we didn't have the Saviour to walk hand in hand with?!

Whatever the rest of this year holds, I'm very thankful that God is faithful and with us every step of the way. :)

(and now I'm going to attempt to get some sleep since everyone else seems fine with the idea of sleeping, even the invalids)

One More Time

I feel like all I ask you (you being my friends and family and people I don't even know who follow this blog)to do is pray for us. But I know that prayer changes things and prayer is the only answer to life's problems.

Kari, Malachi, and I are fine. All three of us are recovering from the stomach virus, as is the majority of our family, but other than that we're doing good. Kari's new phase of treatment has been put off until next Monday due to the stomach virus being so contagious. They didn't want us there around the others.

But right now, we have a desperate need in our family that we need God to move in. There's not a whole lot I can say at this point except we are in dire need of a miracle in our family.

Thank you for praying!