We've been elfed!

I saw this on someone's blog & had to try it out. Enjoy seeing our family all elfed out!
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9516774529

FIL's surgery postponed a day

In case anyone is checking into my blog, just wanted to let you know that FIL (that's Father-in-Law, not to be confused with PHIL, who is my husband) has had his surgery postponed until Friday, and they are doing 2 stints. They are putting one in near the heart & one in the neck. Thanks for praying for him.

Phil (my husband, not FIL), is going up to Temple tomorrow to Scott & White hospital. He will stay overnight at the hotel with his mom, probably staying til Saturday.

The girls & I will be madly cleaning for the next 2 days. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEElllllllllllllllpppppppppppppp!!!!!

A whirlwind of activity

I am ready to find some storm gear because I feel a whirlwind approaching. This is what is happening and needs to happen in the next 2+ weeks.
This weekend & Monday:

• finish working on Flower Girl dresses for the girls for Becky's wedding.
• Shop for groceries and other items for co-op classes on Tuesday.
• Help the girls learn their AWANA verses that we have not learned this week.
• Be sure Bethany does some of her homework for her co-op classes.
• Pack for co-op
• Contact people about December Pampered Chef shows
• Try to get Phil well, because he has bronchitis & keep us well
• Get haircuts! All 3 girls need haircuts.
  
• More stuff I can't think of right now

Tuesday:

• Co-op. This is an all day affair. We are making pies in Middle School cooking and doing things in American Girls that I can't even remember right now.
• Pack my PC gear for a show in New Braunfels on Wednesday.
  
• Get things ready for the girls to go to a cool Corn "Maize" (maze made of corn stalks) with friends on Wed. while I have a PC show.
• Get everyone to bed on time

Wednesday:

• Get everyone up on time!!! Major feat here
• Leave our house by 9:15 to drop off kids at a friend's house.
• Drive to New Braunfels & pick up my mom.
• Go to my PC show.
• Drop Mom off at her house after the show.
• Pick up girls.
• Unload all PC stuff.
• Begin cleaning the house.
• Make sure Phil is packed because he leaves for Temple, Texas this night. His dad has an appointment with a doctor who will put a stint into him on Thursday for his clogged arteries.
• Work on dresses if need be.
  

Thursday:

• Phil's dad has the surgery to put the stint in at 9 a.m. (or when the dr. can get to him). I am debating about going, but think I need to stay here for the following things.
• Begin cleaning the house for Natalie's birthday party on Saturday. This is not just a "dust and mop" kind of cleaning. We live in a 1070 sq. ft. house. We own enough stuff for a bigger home. This is a find a place to store things while we have a party kind of cleaning.
  It is an all day for 2 days affair.
• Go grocery shopping for things we need for Natalie's party.
• Work on dresses more.
  

Friday:

• Continue cleaning.
• Make cake and whatever other foods need to be made.
  
• Get the house ready for a party.

Saturday:

• prevent Bethany from dragging things out when we have the house clean or trying to start new craft projects.
  
• Get really ready for a party.
• Feed the family so we don't just eat cake (except me, who gets no cake---wah!)

Sunday:

• Church
• AWANA
• Final countdown to the wedding---am I still going to be working on the dresses?

Monday-Wednesday:

• Make pies for Thanksgiving & food for me to eat (I have to make separate almost everything for the meal).
  
• Start setting out things to pack for the wedding.
• PC show Tuesday night
• Decide if we are going to drive on Friday to Houston & miss the A&M game, or find a hotel room for Thursday night & leave after the meal on Thursday to go to Houston & be there for the game.
  
• Find a dress for Lori to wear to the wedding. Lori is very fat & doesn't fit into anything that could even possibly be used for a wedding. Lori needs something cheap and big and pretty. Does it exist?

Thursday:

• For a few short hours enjoy eating & relaxing. Til the dishes are ready to be washed. My brother & sister-in-law normally do that part. They have a daughter getting married this year, so I suspect my hands will be getting soapy!
• Drive to Houston? Drive home? What will we do?

Friday:

• A&M plays t.u. This is the same game that Phil was worried about missing when I went into labor with Natalie 9 years ago.
• Drive to Houston?
• Rehearsal for the wedding. The girls are 2 of 6 flower girls. Will Bethany walk or balk?

Saturday:

• Try to find something on the continental breakfast bar that is gluten free. Note to self: pack gf foods to take.
• Piddle around curling hair & doing nails til it's time to go to the church.
  
• Try to find a church we will have been to only once the night before in the middle of Houston.
  
• Pray that Bethany will walk down the aisle with Katie (her cousin-in-law).
• Try to enjoy the wedding.
• Go to a reception to drool over gluten foods & hope they have some fruit or something on hand. Note to self: take food to the reception (will it fit in a small handbag?)

Sunday:

• Brunch at my brother's house.
• Drive home? Drive to Temple? If all goes well with this stint, then Bill will have surgery on the 26th to remove: a) the tumor b) part of the bladder or c) if necessary, the bladder

Monday:

• Bill has surgery---do we stay in Temple? Drive home?
  
• Prepare for co-op---for a sub? for myself? Will Phil stay there & I come home?

Tuesday:

• Natalie's Birthday---the OFFICIAL birthday when she turns 9
• Co-op
  

I'll stop there. I had great ambitions of making fall/Thanksgiving cards. I have some parts of cards made. Is it too late to send fall cards AFTER Thanksgiving? When did life sneak up & smack me? When does it slow down? When do I do all the homeschooling I need to do? Why didn't the doctors and my niece consult ME before scheduling all of this? LOL!!! It will all come together. Really, it will. I think.

To live is Christ, and to die is gain

Paul wrote a letter so some Christian friends in Philippi, and used these words, "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!" Philippians 1:20-22

The other night I wrote that a neighbor of my parents had passed away. This morning when I woke up (we were still at my parents' house) my dad said, "We got a call that Richard McRae died last night." The McRae's are family friends from Georgia that we have known most of my life, since I was about 4 or so (nearly 40 years ago). I told my dad he shouldn't answer the phone anymore! Then, the phone rang. He learned that the wife of a man at their church had died last night. Also, the sister of another couple from church died last night. My heart has been heavy for these families. Yet, there is joy in knowing the lived a long life with those they loved, and while I do not know some of them, I trust that they knew the Lord and are with Him now.

We arrived home this evening, and had several things to do before I could go through our pile of mail from the past few days. In it was a letter from Montana. I hesitated to open it. Our friends who now live in Montana and minister to the people in their area are the ones whose daughter had the baby in October with Trisomy 13, the one I blogged about recently. Tommy & Sue don't send letters out that close together. I suspected I knew what was inside, and I was right. Baby Effie went to be with her Father in Heaven on October 30th. My heart aches for this sweet family. Yet, in the midst of this, you simply must read what Joanna, Effie's mommy, wrote in her memorial album: http://livingwithtrisomy13.org/AlbumEffie.htm The little girl in the picture is their first daughter, Corinna. Joanna counts it a privilege and blessing to have been able to hold their Effie and have her at home for a few weeks. They had not expected her to ever leave the hospital alive.

For me to read what Jo has written is one of those every emotion rolled into one kind of experiences. When we met Tommy & Sue it was 1993. Joanna was their older daughter who was "away" at college in Austin (we lived just about a 30 minute drive from Austin). They had 3 girls in high school at the time. Jo was their "rebellious" daughter. She was the one who defined the stereotypical "Preacher's Kid" reputation. She is a brilliant woman. When I read her words of how "intelligence is not as important as we all are inclined to think," I am reminded of how much weight we daily place on knowing things. She is a very intelligent lady who also wrote, "I was shocked into the realization that life is short and I had better wake up and get busy spending time with my other daughter, training her, loving her, enjoying her. And, I have learned that my parents were right all along – God really does help us through everything he gives us to bear."

My heart is aching for Jeff & Joanna, for Tommy & Sue, for Jeff's parents, for all the aunts & uncles who have lost this precious family member, and for little Corinna who will never know her sister. Yet, my heart rejoices in knowing this sweet one is with the Lord and is complete. I am humbled as I read the words of a young mother & wonder how much time I spend just enjoying my children. And I am left wondering if I truly trust God to help us through all He gives us to bear. I'm encouraged as I know that what Tommy & Sue invested for all those years in these girls is coming to fruition. And even IF we go through a rebellious stage with our girls (I am hoping to skip that part!), we might see the fruit of our labor years down the road. I am also left realizing I do not spend enough time in God's Word. I don't read and devour it like honey.

I feel like my emotions have been through a whirlwind, and it is only going to get windier with things coming up. I will post separately about all the activities to come.

Go hug your kids today. Or your husband. Or call your mom or dad if you have them. Find a friend you can help and love. Life is short.

From my Parents' house

The girls & I drove to my folks' house tonight. They live about 30 miles away in a smaller town than us (New Braunfels). Mom & I will begin tackling 2 flower girl dresses for my niece's wedding on the 24th of this month. I haven't even measured the girls or cut out fabric. YIKES!

We were greeted by sad news. When we arrived, Dad told us that their 93 year old neighbor, Woody, had been taken to the hospital and then we got a call a bit later that he had died. He & his wife Edna had been married over 60 years. I think over 65 years. He JUST turned 93 this past weekend. He & Edna were over here at my parents' house last night & everyone was having a great time. He'd only started losing memory a bit in the past year or so, I think. Last night they said he was very clear thinking & joking with everyone. Dad said he was glad that Woody had a wonderful fun time on his last night. Apparently, he collapsed tonight completely unexpectedly. He had an aneurism, so we think that must be the cause. It was a reminder that each day is a gift from God.

Now off to bed so we can be the sewing Smiths tomorrow. (I was a Smith before I was a Garrison).

Just postin' to post

One of my friends told me that if she's going to have me in her favorites, I'm supposed to blog daily. But I talk to her so much that I figure she already knows anything that is blog worthy!

So, I am blogging to say that I am very tired. My older child is still up. My hubby is on the verge of bronchitis & my throat is hurting on & off. OH, and I had maggots in my sink today. How disgusting is THAT! I about threw up & you know I don't do throw up, even my own. I flushed 'em all down the drain & ran the disposal. I'm wondering if fruit flies got into the disposal & laid eggs. I feel like I might throw up still. ICK!!!!

There is my short, not so sweet, blog! Good night!

Update on Phil's Dad

This is the note Phil's mom just sent out. GREAT NEWS!!!

Yesterday was quite eventful! We met with the cardiovascular surgeon first and his report was that he would prefer to do a stint in Bill's clogged artery, rather than surgery, because of his blood and platlet situation and a stint is not as invasive nor as difficult to recuperate, nor the danger of a blood clot, etc. And he doesn't have to get off his blood thinners. Also, from the tests last week, his heart beat is slower and not pumping blood as fast as it should, which indicates maybe some heart disease, so now he wants an ecogram(?), another x-ray, a stress test and a new lab report. This will be done before the surgery/stint procedure. He will discuss all of this with the oncologist before doing anything.

We then met with the oncologist who was amazed how good Bill looked from the last time he saw him! Thanks to God and all of you and your faithfullness in prayer! He briefly spoke with the vascular surgeon while we were there. He agrees with his recommendations. The oncologist then did a camera scan of Bill's bladder and we saw the results later. The tumor is dying, so that is very good! He thinks he can do some surgery now on the bladder in a couple of weeks after the stint procedure. He hopes he can remove the tumor, but if not, hopefully just a portion of the bladder. As a last resort, he could remove the bladder.

Our schedule is back to Temple on Monday, the 12th for the above tests. Then on Thursday the 15th, if all is okay, he will do the stint procedure. If all goes well, then on the 26th the oncologist will do his procedure. Yea! no Temple trips next week!!

Thank you all for your prayers!!