A Long Overdue Update!

  Ok...so life kinda swallowed us up, mainly in a really good way lately. This is just such a sweet time in life and there are so many moments where I just want to freeze the kids right where they are and savor every moment.

First, this sweet gal turned 7...

I still cannot believe it.

She is such a joy, so bright & spunky, more than a tad mischievious...

cram packed with compassion

I just adore her.

For her party she came up with the idea of letting her friends decorate their own cupcakes...

To say it was a hit is an understatement...

Just check out the masterpieces...

 and the subsaquent spastic merriment...

                          

 This one of Ravenna is a bit blurry but I just love it...20 kids hyped up on sugar with hoards of balloons...

And this little guy....

had his first kiss....

like not a Mama kiss...

We were at a prayer retreat with some of our very favorite friends

When it was time to leave his sweet little friend Sydney yelled from the door "Parker, I need to give you a hug..."

So he scooted back up to the door. After a giant bear hug she turned and planted a big kiss right on his lips!

His little cheeks turned red, they hugged again and as we were driving away she yelled, "I love you Parker!!!"

He yelled back out the open window, "I love you too!!!!"

Then she yelled, "I love you all the way to the moon Parker!!!'

and he replied, "Me too!!!"

So darned precious.

This little missy has just been full of goodness and joy. Sometimes I think God placed her in our family just to fill up all of my cuddle needs. Mulitple times a day I hear, "Georgia and Mama stick together like glue and paper, paper and glue!" and "I love you my little Mama!"

I could just dirnk her up!

Medically things are in about the same place. After the positive MRI I was hoping we could skip the 48 hour parent torture chamber inpatient EEG but the Neurologist feels that it is still necessary. I know compared to so many other possible situations this is no big deal and keep trying to remember to be thankful that it will be my healthy child that I am entertaining in a hospital bed for 2 days (yep, she cannot leave the hospital bed). I am praying that we can also get to know and encourage others that are there for much more difficult reasons. She did throw another curve ball tonight with her whole hands and feet turning purple (all the way to the wrists and ankles). They pinked back up after a few minutes. Then about 10 minutes later she started crying in bed. When I went in she said, "My chest feels funny Mama...it goes Boom, Boom, Boom"...

Ravenna's tests came back late last week. The doctor said that he did not feel comfortable trying to diagnose her condition and feels that we need a very specialized Pediatric Hematologist. His receptionist said that he has been talking with and faxing information to different Hematologists to figure out which one can best help us. Talk about an amazing doctor!

I am learning so much in the waiting. Just how easy it is for me to stand in the shadow of worry and 'what-ifs' only to have my day eaten up and nothing to show for it. I went for a hike last week to spend some time talking with God. What I kept hearing was, "Let me hide you under my wing, let me shelter you, let me rush over you with my strength."

I am learning that it is a discipline to hide in the shadow of God's wing. If I do not deliberately put my mind there, remebering who He says He is and who He says I am, I am washed over with a tide of fear and worry, every time the phone rings and is not the doctor I have to recover. But as I keep my mind on Him, I can weather those things.

I have been looking up verses about this and these are what I have found:

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,

for in you I take refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.

Psalm 57:1

Because you are my help,

I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 63:7

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

Psalm 27:5

For this is what the LORD says:

“I will extend peace to her like a river,

and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;

you will nurse and be carried on her arm

and dandled on her knees.

Isaiah 66:12

He is able, so more than able...every.single.time.