I'm sitting here giggling...

...about the fact that I must sound like a dork at this particular moment. You see I like to hum or sing along with any music that I hear, wherever I am. (I have my dad to blame for this trait). Anyhow, I am listening to my iPod and with these things in my ears, I totally can't judge how loud I am singing/humming and since I am listening to Handel's Messiah, which is a tough one to sign along with, pleasantly, I must sound like a real dork! And I can't stop giggling about how I would sound to someone, should they be in the room, right now.

Sorry, just had to share. It's not a highlight moment, but a funny one, nonetheless. :)

For Kristen

Thanks so much for the egg nog, girl! I tried the "egg noggin" as my children call it, and was surprised to discover that I actually like it! (so does everybody else, here)




And look... No HFCS! Just plain, old sugar. Gotta' love Turkey Hill!



Thanks for adding one more thing to the list of treats that I have to try to resist steadfastly during the holidays. :)

Woo-hoo!

Granddaddy is now a Pennsylvania-homeowner! His settlement went very well...no surprises...always a good thing! I was only a spectator, but closing was nerve-wracking even for me. But it's over now and the house is his. Yippee!

And may I just say that I am having more fun than a Mommy should have playing with her daughter's baby dolls! I love baby dolls! And I am having as grand of a time as my girls are this week. :)

Christmas Recap

I am sitting in a perfectly still house at the current moment. One that hasn't been perfectly still for many, many days. :)

We had a great Christmas! Granddaddy is with us now until we take him back to the airport. The good news is that he closes on his house here in Pennsylvania, tomorrow! We can't wait until he is actually moved here and settled. Although, that may take a few months.

Anyhow, here is a little Christmas recap... On Christmas Eve, we went to my parents. As usual, the food was wonderful. Aren't these little black olive penguins adorable?! The kids (and adults) loved them.

The beggar-baby: Noah

The Little Mommy: Gracie

The six grandchildren acted out the traditional Christmas pageant. This year we had to add a role, as Noah was the babe last year, but obviously is too big for that part this year. Joey (my son who LOVES animals) insisted that he wanted to be a member of the livestock this year. No shepherd for him. So we made him a sheep and he was thrilled. I think he's going to regret this decision when he's fifteen. But until then, it was really adorable!

Lily was Mary.

And Gracie was an angel. Here she is at the "glorifying and praising God" part. Nevermind the fact that angels aren't girls and don't have wings. Sheep aren't little boys, either. :)

And here is a picture of my nephew Noah, just because he is so cute with his cheesy grin!

We got to a nice, late and lazy start on Christmas morning. We had breakfast and read the Christmas story before we even opened presents. At dinnertime, we went to Scott's sister's house for food and some presents. When my sister-in-law found out that Joey is "into" dressing up as animals, she sent home with us several costumes that they don't use anymore. Isn't piglet adorable? We have often called her a squealy, little piglet, so the costume is fitting.

Yesterday, we checked out Granddaddy's new house. And tomorrow we go to closing. I can't believe he is really going to move here. It still seems a little surreal. We can't wait! And in the meantime, we are enjoying his visit. Just ask those things that are jumping and screaming around my house. :)

Lastly, I leave you with one of my favorite presents. A stuffed lion.

Last week, Scott took the kids Christmas shopping, and Joey adamantly insisted that I needed this lion. So here he is. A little, lion of my very own. Isn't he cute? :)

Christmas Eve Thoughts

Tonight we had our annual Christmas Eve celebration at my parents’ house. As usual, the evening was warm, wild, and wonderful! I know I have said it before, and will say it many more times, but I must repeat it again… we are SO incredibly blessed! I don’t mean the presents, good food, and sweet times with family. Those things are the icing, on the icing, on the icing on the cake! We have immeasurable treasures only because of Christ. The One Who humbled Himself to become a mere newborn so long ago.

Having had a child in the hospital this last month, has only made Christmas sweeter for me this year. I have been moved to tears more than once tonight over God’s amazing love for us, in protecting and healing Lily. All three of our children were running around tonight. Happy, healthy, rosy with energy and zest for life. There is nothing more satisfying to a parent than this very phenomenon. I don’t think we took our health and safety for granted before the burn. But I do think the incident has deepened our understanding of the everlasting nature of God’s Arms. And also created a more keen empathy for those who go through those sorts of trials. And while our daughter did not suffer a life-threatening injury and did not battle a terminal illness, our time in the hospital made us more acutely aware of what those parents and children go through.

As I reveled in my children’s exuberance and happiness tonight, I couldn’t help but think that there is a family sitting in room #8 where we sat, with their child lying in the bed tonight on Christmas Eve. I don’t know if the child has been given a terrible diagnosis or will be discharged in a day or two. But those parents are there tonight trying to get some sleep, while worrying about their baby, listening to the beep of machines and the medivac landing outside of their window, reminding them of the trauma that someone else is facing on this Christmas Eve. And I am abundantly blessed to be home, with a deflating Get Well balloon to remind me of our struggle. Lily, other than some dryness on her arm, is completely healed. My awareness of how incredibly blessed we are, is so intense, it’s painful. I don’t know why the Lord allowed us to have a child that left the hospital three days after an emergency. I don’t know why He permits major illness into the lives of other children. But I know that He is Good.

This week I read this verse from Psalm 72, “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.” It would be easy to call Lily’s injury a “bad thing.” A mother’s heart is broken anytime her child is hurt. But I can peacefully rest in the knowledge that this has been, rather, a “wondrous thing” that God has done for us. I think any parent would gladly exchange places with their child, if possible, to bear their sufferings. We want to protect them and love them. And Christmas is another time that we joyfully give them good things. But this is only the reflex of us, as “evil” parents… Matthew wrote, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” I don’t think there is anything that I would willingly retain from my children if I had the power to bless them and knew that it was for their good. But how much greater does God love us? And how did He, in total perfection and omnipotence, respond to His only begotten Son? “He…spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” The longer I travel in my parenting journey the less and less I understand God’s amazing love for me! How could He perfectly love His Son and yet sacrifice Him for vile sinners, like me? I will never understand it. Only because He did, can I richly enjoy blessings tonight on Christmas Eve and for all of eternity!

May we ever grow to be more like our Lord, the perfect Example of a loving, giving, self-sacrificing Father!

Have a very, very Merry Christmas!

Our kids love Christmas videos!

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Christmas Ponderings

I found this, my "new favorite Christmas book" several months ago, because it is illustrated by "my new favorite illustrator" - James Bernardin. I was intrigued and bought it on the spot because all of the text of the book is straight out of Luke 2 from the King James Bible.

Because I KNEW the text is the best that there is, and I had already fallen in love with this man's illustrations, I was hoping that this book would be a winner, and it IS just that!

There are no wise men in this book (because they were not present on the night that Jesus was born), and the book ends gloriously with "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."

I was so touched when I tore the envelope open at the mailbox and read it through the first time. What beautiful words about Christ's birth were preserved for us! And the illustrations extraordinarily brought them to life. I couldn't help but imagine, more clearly, what it must have been like on that night!

My favorite page of this book is the following...

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

How often do you see this verse in a child's book about the Christmas story? It's an important verse, or God would not have included it in His Word. But usually it's overlooked. I've often wondered why He choose to preserve this line for us.

I think there are more significant reasons why He wrote those words for us. But one reason that I came across in another children's book, incidentally, is...perhaps Mary had told these details about Christ's birth to Luke. Perhaps her recollections helped Luke visualize the events so long before as God spoke through him to record his Gospel. I don't know if that is a valid reason, but it's one that I have mulled a little bit.

Perhaps the Lord wants to remind me, this Christmas, to take some time to "keep things and ponder them in my heart."

I am incredibly blessed to be able to observe and partake in the most precious conversations, gestures, monologues, musical solos, playtimes on a daily basis! I don't think there is a day that goes by that I don't try to store something in my memory bank until Scott comes home, so I can gush to him about something totally adorable that one of the children did! And I always want to record these things for posterity. Sub-consciously I am trying to store sweet moments, tangibly, so I will never forget each, little treasure. I know there is no way to catalogue every tender moment, or smile, or word, but I think my journals, and their baby books, and photo albums, and even posting on this blog are ways for me to try to hang on to each memory.

But every mother knows that somethings have to just be tucked away in the heart. Pondered, maybe, and sometimes not shared with anyone else. Those memories remain a special indulgence only for me, in my quiet thoughts.

I think some of these thoughts were what Luke was writing about. No doubt Mary's thoughts were trying to reconcile her helpless newborn becoming her Savior. And I'm sure there were many things that Mary did not fully understand at that time. But her mother's heart decided to keep them, and ponder them in her heart.

This Christmas season has been full of many adventures, changes, and surprises for us. My sister's family moved (away from our street) this month. We've experienced a major emergency, several major illnesses (in our extended family), my sister's move, Scott's dad's transition to PA (woo-hoo! - but a change, nonetheless), and several other things. I feel like I am still not fully out of the fog that settled around us regarding Lily's hospital stay and recovery. There is no way to come home and just "shake it off." Probably things will start lifting right around Christmas and New Year's! However, I am embracing the upheaval that is going on around us. God gave us THIS Christmas for a specific reason. No doubt one of them was to remind me that you can't plan everything perfectly. And changes in my plans are a good thing. :)

And I know there have been many things that God has spoken to me. Things that I have kept and pondered in my heart. I pray that I won't quickly forget them.

With Christmas day right around the corner, and the celebrations beginning and excitement mounting... don't forget to take time to keep some things and ponder them in your heart.

It's beginning to look a lot like a candy shop...

This year I made two kinds of fudge to give away to family, friends, Sunday School teachers, the mailman, the paperboy, the trashman, the President, the dogwalker, our second cousins twice-removed... :) The result was 51 boxes of fudge! Oh my.

The making of the fudge went well, although I don't think I've been cut from the candy-making cloth, as it were. I think I like baking better than fudge-making. But perhaps it will grow on me, over time.

I used this recipe to make Milk Chocolate Fudge with Pecans.

And I used this recipe for the Creamsicle Fudge.

I had already sent 8 boxes with Scott by the time this picture was taken. Plus a big container of pre-cut Creamsicle Fudge that he put out on the kitchen counter at work for everyone. The Tupperware came home empty, and he said everyone loved it. I think that recipe is a keeper. But the Milk Chocolate Fudge was even easier, in my opinion.

A Simple-Kind of Christmas

My Secret Pal gave me these festive, Christmas placemats and I can't begin to tell you how excited my kids were about them. It really is the simple things in life that matter the most!



Here is Lily and "Christmas Bear" this morning. Lily lost her first top tooth, yesterday, thanks mainly, to Mr. Anesthesia who loosened it up while she was intubated in surgery (shudder). She does look cute with her top tooth missing, however! Now if the other one falls out in the next four days she can accurately sing "All I Want for Chrismtas is my Two Front Teeth"...until then, we are improvising on the lyrics. :)


I don't even attempt to tame The Hair on days that we don't leave the house. It's not worth the battle. I lose every time.

And the littlest one was not about to be left out. Her placemat went straight on the highchair tray amid squeals of protest about hers not fitting on the tray.

Merry Christmas...I hope you are able to enjoy the simple things!

Technokids

Where did we get these technologically-advanced children?? They can operate computers, DVD players, cell phones, cordless phones. And the talk? They have "techno-speak" down. There was no such talk in the house when I was growing up. In fact, I remember distinctly, the day the VCR (gasp!) walked into our home.

The kids keep referring to the phone as "the cell"...as in "Why don't you just call Auntie on her cell?"

Last Friday, when Scott stayed home from the cantata with the children, Lily whined, "Why don't they just stream the service for us?"

The other day as I was telling Joey a bedtime story, he interrupted with, "Excuse me, Mommy, can you please pause?"

Oh dear. I think I should just ask one of them to transfer all of my files/settings to my laptop, because their poor, clueless mother can't figure it out!

:)

Card Communication

I LOVE Christmas Cards! Truthfully, I love communication of just about any type. But a distinct pleasure for me, during the Christmas season, is checking the mail each day and opening a few cards. My favorites are ones with pictures and letters! I wish everyone wrote a Christmas letter. Even if I see someone on a weekly basis and know the events of their year, I still enjoy reading their letter! (See- the communication is sooo vital to this stay-at-home mommy!)

The aftermath of The Card :)

I send out a LOT of Christmas cards, and consequently I think we receive a lot in the mail, though not nearly as many as I mail. And since anyone who reads here regularly should have received our card by now, here is the front of it…

I used Shutterfly this year and it was so easy! My husband wrote a brief Christmas letter, and I was able to squeeze the whole thing in a text box that appears on the top inside of the card.

And lest any may be tempted to think that I “have it all together” and can just snap adorable, perfect photos of my children at whim and create cute cards, I present to you the “realistic” version of our Christmas card…

Just trying to keep it real. :) Have a JOY-filled Christmas season, everyone!!

Shopping Goodness

Here is some shopping goodness that I have found recently. The first two are little gadgets that I was surprised to find actually did what they were advertised to do (imagine that). These would make great stocking stuffers, by the way.

First up, is the JarPop Jar Opener.

It is used to open twist-off jar lids…think pickles, Ragu, etc. My father-in-law was intrigued with this (and bought one for me too) because he often has numbness in his hands due to his disability. I just have tiny, weakling wrists. And I have been pleasantly surprised to find that this thing actually works!

Secondly, is the Wrapping Paper Cutter by 3M (with bonus ribbon curler…oooooooh!) I wrapped a whole bunch of presents the other day, and I actually liked using this gadget better than the scissors. Kinda nice and maybe worth four bucks, even though I didn’t buy this one. (Very handy to have with a little Scissorhands in the household!)

Isn’t this a darling, little swim top I just bought for Lily?! We have to be careful with her burned areas in the sun for the next 12 months, especially. Seeing as we are supposed to be in the Florida sun in two months, I didn’t want to have to raise my sun-paranoia to new levels. So I just bought this, which is 50UPF and has a rash guard which wicks away water faster than ever. Plus, I think it’s cute!

Next, I would like to sing the praises of Retailmenot.com. This coupon code site is fabulous! I always check for coupon codes before making an online purchase (and I go through ebates, of course, to earn cash. If you don’t, you should. And you should email me for an intro code so that both you and I will earn bonus cash on your first purchase! I’m such a beggar.) But back to retailmenot. They really do seem to be the premier coupon code site. Recently I made a purchase with multiple stacking codes that saved me like $49. What’s not to love?

Lastly, I need your input. I want some type of mp3/iPod device. Only I can’t decide what to get. Here are my criteria:

- I really would like to have the entire audio Bible on there (about 2GB)
- Plus space for music
- I really don’t care about videos, so much
- I realize that I am not going to be listening to the whole Bible at once, but I am leaning towards having the space to just have it all on there so I can flip around at leisure, and not have to be bothered with removing and reloading sections at a time, does that make sense?
- I want something compact to use while I work-out

- Lastly, I would like something cute…ie…girlie. I am all about useful technology. As long as it’s clearly feminine. :)

So what do you think? Do you think I should just go with a Nano or save the bucks and go with a Shuffle (but then I have the reloading problem)? I am hesitant to try anything non-Apple, because I have gotten so many rave reviews. Or do you think Mr. Jobs will come out with a new generation of products and I should just wait for that. Unless you have a stellar recommendation of a different brand?

I would really love an iPhone which could eliminate my PDA and current cellphone. But alas, I am too cheap for the monthly plan. :)

Here's a post that was ruminating...

...before the crisis a week and a half ago. It seems like so long ago that Scott was racing to the finish line of his project (the bulk of which was due the very day before the hospital stay!) and putting in a ton of overtime. But it was really only two weeks ago! Time flies, or so the saying goes, right?

Anyhow, here goes...

Scott and I were able to take in Handel's Messiah on Saturday night by our local symphony orchestra. It was wonderful! And to say it was so needed and the together-time was a breath of fresh air after all of the work he has been doing, would be a total understatement. When my husband works so much, I admit, I become husband-selfish by the end of it, and totally crave alone time with him, and this was wonderful. The funny thing is that we had no idea when we booked the tickets, that it was going to come at just the right moment. I think I know Who planned that one. (How true...this statement would turn out to be!)

Because Scott's deadline is today, he had to work on Saturday. And work up until the last minute, he did. I actually met him at his office which is on the way to Symphony Hall. And due to technical problems (they always spring up in pressure-situations, right?), we were a few minutes late getting off. With parking downtown, we were rushing to get the car parked and into the hall. And who do you think pulls up beside us at the top of the parking deck? Friends from church! And they were sitting in the balcony section, too. Leave it to the Baptists to be late and cheap! (We, later had dinner with them, and it was so much fun to have an impromptu double-date.)

As the Lord would have it, one of the performers had car trouble and so we were not late after all. We actually had a few minutes to catch our breath and unwind before the symphony started. Another "coincidental" detail.

The performance was magnificent! The lyrics, which come straight from the Bible, were refreshing and uplifting and the voices were beautiful! My favorite song from Messiah (other than everyone's favorite Hallelujah Chorus, of course) is Isaiah 9:6...For Unto Us a Child is Born and that particular movement was in the first half, and it was wonderful! Also, I enjoyed a choral movement in the first half from Isaiah 11:5 - And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. What a firm basis for trust is contained in that last line "the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." I was particularly exicted about the fact that we have been working our way through the book of Isaiah in Sunday School and so many of the verses in Messiah are from that book.

That aside, the second half was by far more energetic! And the biggest surprise for me was the final movement from Reveleation 5:12, 13 -

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.

The Messiah CD that I had been listening to didn't include this movement and it was magnificent! So much truth and praise about our Lord in these verses!

It was easy to be impressed while sitting in the ornate balcony of that beautiful symphony hall listening to the trained soloists, superior musicians and impressive choir! But one particular member stood out to me during the second half.

During the intermission while I was in the ladies room (where EVERY other lady in the entire building was, or was waiting in line to be!) I heard a mother talking about her daughter in the choir. The daughter was sitting in the back row, second from the right. I had noticed her when she was filing in. She almost knocked her chair over. Other than that, there wasn't anything too notable about her. Except for the fact that she remained hunched over with her nose in her book the whole time. You see, she was legally blind. "Beautiful voice, but she can hardly see" her mother said. And I realized then that she was using a magnifying glass as she went over every line of music in that thick book of score!

It's easy as a parent to hope and dream that my children will all be extremely gifted in music or some other notable talent. As I watched that night, as a mother, I thought, "Perhaps, one day my children will be blessing others with their lovely voice or amazing instrumental talent." But legally blind? Well, that's not what we hope for, right? However, not everyone was created to be the soloist who wows all with their talent. A mother can be just as proud of her adult, legally-blind daughter hunching over in the back row struggling to read and sing every note. No doubt she was not the greatest contributer in the choir that night, or any night. But her limitations didn't stop her from practicing for months and getting up there and struggling through those hard pieces, working much harder than any other member of the choir.

And though the daughter looked several years older than me, out of the recesses of my Mommy-heart welled some great pride for her!! What determination and spirit! May my children exhibit those qualities, whether or not the Lord gifts them measurably!

Christmas Fun

This was emailed to me several times (thanks girls!) and I have seen it a few places online, so I decided to just post mine, too. Here goes...


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrap. I don't bow them unless we're taking them somewhere else. But for our little family, they just get placed under the tree, generally.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Pre-lit, artificial for now. Hopefully one day we'll go back to getting a real tree. Once the kids are old enough to water it and vacuum the needles themselves.

3 . When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? The week after Christmas, and as late as the first week of January

5. Do you like egg nog? I don't think I would like it, because I don't like milk. And I don't think I have ever tried it. I DID look at the ingredients list on a carton of egg nog at Sam's last week. The second ingredient was HFCS and I decided that I will probably never try it based upon the ingredients alone.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A doll...almost every year I got a baby doll. And I loved them all!

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes! I got a nice one for me last year. But we also have a small Precious Moments one that I put in the girls’ room. Plus a few toy nativity scenes, which the children enjoy.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Scott's dad, for sure.

9 . Easiest person to buy for? My children

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. We send lots of them, and enjoy getting lots of them too. I LOVE Christmas cards!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hhmmm…can’t think of anything that stands out.

12 . Favorite Christmas movie? White Christmas. Although I haven't seen a good Christmas movie in years. Unless you count Charlie Brown's Special, Tangerine Bear, or Hermie's Christmas :)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December 26th of the previous year

14 . Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Shrimp Cocktail on Christmas Eve and just about everything else :)

16 . Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear. Although I bought the kids little tabletop Christmas trees for their rooms this year in pink and green. And they are really cute!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Joy to the World

18. Angel on the tree top or a star? A pretty clear, glass Moravian Star that Scott received as part of a Christmas gift from his employer (the company was originally founded in Bethlehem, hence the Moravian Star)

19. When do you open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? On Christmas Eve, we open presents with my parents and family. We have our own special family time at home on Christmas morning. With Scott’s family there has been no Christmas routine, but that will hopefully change since his dad is moving here. :)

20 . Most annoying thing about this time of year? the commercialism. And the ridiculous lines in the stores. Target was jammed on a week morning recently. Absolutely crazy!

21 . Favorite ornament theme or color? I like sparkly things. :) And I like to pick up a Christmas ornament whenever we go somewhere fun (rather than a t-shirt or a junky souvenir) as a fun memory. And at Christmas it’s special to pull them all out and remember what we have been doing over the year! And of course, any ornament with one of my babies’ faces on it, is a favorite with me. I especially like the ones they “made” in Jr. Church, and their “First Christmas” ornaments.

22. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Whatever. I like it all. :)

23. Favorite Christmas memory? One year my mom tricked us kids and instead of putting our names on the gift tags, she numbered them, and put the duplicate set of numbers accordingly in bags with our names on them. So we were totally stumped for weeks as to guessing what the gifts were, because we didn’t even know whose was whose.

24. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home, mainly, or travel locally.

25. Shopping…mall or online? Both. I love shopping.

26. Do you decorate outside for Christmas or just inside (or at all)? Not yet. We have no electrical outlets out there on this house. So for now, we skip it.

27. Favorite Christmas cookie? I like them all. But Christmas Rocks are good.

28. Do you own Christmas clothing or jewelry? No, but I did buy myself a red, velour zip hoodie thing to wear at Christmas. I need to pull that out.

29. What do you want for Christmas this year? For my girlie to be totally healed!

A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody

Gracie - after she insisted on trying out Mimi's curlers last week.

I'm also noticing that Joey picked up some things from Pop-pop since he was at their house for a few days. Last night he informed me that he "needed a boy hockey stick for his birthday. Because I need to play hockey."

I guess my dad's hockey-love is being passed on to future generations. :)

Lily Update

Lily had her second visit to the Burn Recovery Unit yesterday and they said that everything is healing well and most of her dressings were removed at that appointment. Now I am using ointment to help the Biobrane (artificial skin) come off. They expect that most of it should be off by her next appointment on Monday and things should be pretty well healed.

I am amazed that it is going so fast. And I was a little unnerved that they told me to leave it uncovered (except for one small spot). But it really does look good...all of her new skin is there, it's just a matter of the film peeling off and keeping the area itch-free, which is a common side effect.

So far, so good. Lily is using her arm and hands and is functioning much better than she was when we first came home from the hospital. Kids handle these things much better than we adults do. :)

Thanks for your prayers!

The Timeline

Here is a synopsis of what happened last week. Sorry, it's going to be long. :) Feel free to click on your merry way, if the length is too scary. It's more for my benefit than anyone else's. :)


Tuesday - I had an appointment and some other errands to run, so my mom came over to watch my kids in the morning. At lunchtime, my mom went to drain a saucepot of macaroni into a colander in the sink, Lily ran over to tell her something (my mom didn't hear her coming) and she bumped my mom's arm, sending about a cup's worth of water onto Lily's shoulder. It was a complete accident and happened so fast, my mom didn't even realize that it had occured in the first second or so. Thankfully, my sister is still living four doors down (for one more week...what great timing!) and she called 911 from her house and rushed over. The ambulance came and took Lily and my mom to the hospital, while Katina stayed home with all of the kids.


I was just 2-3 miles from the hospital when I got the call, and Scott was equally as close at work, so we got to the ER before the ambulance did. The ambulance guy was GREAT and she was seen in the ER immediately. The burn specialist that saw her said she had 1st and 2nd degree burns on 7% of her body (her estimate), covering mainly her right shoulder, upper chest, and upper arm. And a few smaller burns on her left thumb and the backs of two fingers of that hand. The palm of the victim is considered 1% of body surface. So if you can imagine how many Lily-size palms would cover the burn, you can guess what percentage of body surface was covered. (I never knew how they calculated that.) The burn was temporarily dressed and we were put in the pediatric unit. After they evaluated Lily, they gave her some tylenol with codeine, and again later that night, but she said she wasn't in pain at this point. Her biggest complaint was that she didn't want to see the burn when they would take a peek at it. But other than that, she was such a trooper!

Here she is in the ER. We had already accumulated 3 little "friends" by this time. We went home with a whole menagerie. :)

We had a long parade of doctors, nurses, techs, specialists, anesthesiologists, and some other people who I can't even remember :) who came through our room that evening. My head was positively splitting from all of the info, treatments, risks, forms, signatures by the time we tried to sleep that night. (Did I mention that the medivac landing pad was right outside of our room?)



Wednesday - This morning they took Lily, first thing (thankfully!) into the OR and sedated her in order to clean the burn and apply an artificial "skin" called Biobrane. The hospital has an amazing burn unit which claims to be "pain free" (and it really was) so they don't do the old-fashioned daily cleaning/debridement infamous in burn lore. The Biobrane adheres to the burn, in effect, becoming the top layer of skin until the new, healthy skin grows in it's place and the Biobrane peels right off. Once the burn is covered by Biobrane, there is essentially no pain, as any substance, including oxygen, hitting/touching a burn is what causes pain. This is then dressed with a product called Acticoat which is antibacterial and aids in cell regeneration. It's basically gauze pads impregnated with silver to cover the area.



The only risk to this is, obviously, anesthesia. Which we were not excited about, but it was the best option. Praise the Lord, everything went fine with the short procedure and Lily came out of sedation just fine, though it was particularly unnerving to think about my baby unconscious. We sat in the waiting room and I read my Bible until the doctor called us back and said everything went as expected and Lily was in recovery.



Lily was pretty groggy for the rest of the day. I guess it generally takes 12 hours for the effects of the anesthesia to fully wear off. I was so happy when Lily started returning to her old self later in the day after a nice, long nap. :) Her King's Kids teacher, Mrs. L stopped by before church, which was so sweet, and a half an hour later, she called from her cell phone and the King's Kids sang Lily's favorite song, What a Day that Will Be, to her! It was so precious, Scott and I were choked up the whole time. :) Also, her friend Brittany and her mommy stopped by. Later, we visited the Activity Room, stocked with toys, games, videos, crafts, video games, etc. It was so pathetic, though, because Lily couldn't really play with anything because of her dressings. So Scott and I played with toys for her, and she instructed us what to do. :) There is also a cool fish tank and slurpee machine on the pediatric floor.

My parents and Joey and Grace stopped by after church, and then we all got some real sleep that night...even with the nurses coming in all night long, and having her IV yanked out in the middle of the night. It's terrible to say, but that was one of the best night's of sleep that I have ever had in a hospital. And maybe the best night this entire week! Scott stayed with us the whole time and slept there too each night. He had to run to work for a few hours on Wednesday while Lily napped to meet a deadline that day, but otherwise used some of his extra vacation time that he still hasn't used this year, praise the Lord!

Thursday was a great day! Lily was perky and feeling great. She was bored because her right arm was immobilized due to the dressings, and her left hand was completely bandaged up like a baseball bat, so she really couldn't color or draw or play with toys. The endless supply of DVD's :) and lots of visitors made for a fun day! We felt great, blessed, and glad that things went well the day prior.


However.



We had all sorts of trouble late that night with placing another IV. All I can say is the burn team was amazing, and we are extremely thankful for modern medicine and the incredible state-of-the-art hospital where we were at. But it was definitely "big city medicine" without the "home town care" (to borrow an old slogan from another local hospital). And that's all I'm saying. The memories are painful to this Mama's heart as they involved my daughter's foot being used as a pincushion, and a Mama bear having to growl a little to protect her cub. Needless to say, we were in bed by oh, 1:30am-ish and slept terribly.


Friday - This was the morning for her first dressing change. Since the first one can be dicey, they like to use conscious sedation (loopy meds) in order to eliminate anxiety at future dressing changes which should be a lot easier. After the previous evening and the night we had, we were SO ready to get on with this and go home.


We were able to stay with Lily during the procedure. I knew I would not like seeing my baby's wounds, but what I was surprised to find was more disturbing was watching her be consciously sedated. The meds took effect within 60 seconds and it was just plain yucky to watch her go "out of it" but still be awake. I couldn't wait until she started coming back in 30 minutes when it was over. They warned that Lily might start seeing double when she first started perking up, and it was hysterical. I have a little video clip (I couldn't help it!) of her saying with a big smile on her face (the meds make you happy) things like "Daddy, you have FOUR eyes, FOUR ears, two arms on that side, two arms on that side..." We couldn't stop giggling...it was so funny and such a stress-reliever after that procedure!


Then we basically packed our bags and RAN! We were so happy to leave the hospital. Lily, however, wanted so badly to stay! She loved it there...it was just like vacation to her. When does a girl get the undivided attention of her mommy AND daddy for four days straight? Not to mention all of the other "amenities" in the hospital?!


We are very thankful that the Lord was watching over our girl! I prayed for protection for my children on Tuesday, just as I do every day. Some might say that perhaps He wasn't watching, but I think just the opposite. Psalm 145:9 says, The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. God was watching over Lily that day, His tender mercies were covering her the whole time. He allowed this to happen and it is for our good. So many other things could have happened, that are almost too painful for my Mommy-heart to imagine. It could have been on her face, it could have been deeper or broader, it could have been more long-lasting, we could have been farther from tremendous medical care, and a whole host of other "it could have been's." But God planned this and has ordained this in our lives for specific purposes. I'm thankful that we had Him to cling to during this week. And it is Him who is carrying us through. He loves us so very much!





The burns should be healed (no dressings, wrappings, etc) in 14 days from the initial treatment, and we are going to be making several trips to the hospital for dressing changes and check-ups. We will have to continue applying creams etc, but the specialists say that the burns should completely heal and look just as it was before. Because she is a typical fair-skinned blonde, they don't expect any long-lasting discoloration, although we have to be vigilant in the sun for the next year or two.


Scott and I already acknowledged that we were the over-cautious parent-types to begin with. In fact, I often tease Scott that he is "Smokey the Bear" when it comes to safety issues. But I don't think I am ever going to look at a pot of hot water the same way again. :)

We're home!

As many of you know, our Lily was accidentally burned with hot water on Tuesday. We spent a few days in the pediatric unit of the hospital, being cared for by the burn team and now we're home.

Thanks to everyone who was and is still praying for us! We have really sensed your prayers. We're doing fine and looking forward to sleeping in our own beds tonight. :) Although Lily told everyone that she wanted to stay at the hospital, because "it was 100 times better than being at home." (???)

Anyhow, I will update once we get settled. Thanks again for your prayers for our girlie, and please keep them up, they are what we need most of all.

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: Deuteronomy 33:27

Home Church

Due to the adverse weather conditions, we had our own little church service tonight at home as a family. We began our services with a potty break, followed by some rousing congregational singing and a special music by our own vocalist (and pianist), Lily, singing "What a Day that Will Be." The usher, Joseph, took up the offering as the members gave generously from their piggy banks.

It's always a blessing to have our baptismal waters stirred and tonight we had THREE who came for baptism! The testimonies, especially were touching. The youngest sister who came for baptism claimed that she now wants to "grow, grow, GROW!"

Pastor Scott broke the Word for us, bringing a message from Matthew 7:13, 14 about the broad and narrow paths. There was a real moving amongst the congregation, as the altar was full during the Invitation with those doing business with the Lord, and then giving testimony of it, afterwards.

I'm sorry to report that church discipline needed to be exercised tonight. It's always a sad time in the life of a church when those matters are dealt with. But yet, so needful, with the hope of eventual restoration.

The deacon is counting the tithes and offerings, while the rest of the congregation has assembled for a First Sunday Fellowship.

We're sorry that you couldn't join us tonight at "Our Town" Baptist Church!

:)

I *Heart* Hunting!

We are not a hunting family...at least not yet. It makes me giggle to imagine Scott in a bright orange jumpsuit sitting in a tree with a rifle. Hunting is a hobby that is totally not him. He has said that if Joey is interested in hunting one day, he will most definitely take up the sport and trek to the woods with him. But for now, no one arose in our house last Monday and froze themselves in the woods looking for wildlife. And we're not generally keen on venison either. Which is a good thing, what with the not being a hunting family, and all.

But last week after long discussion with my sister, we have determined that we are hunters! You see, the shopping thing...I think it's the latent hunting genes coming out in us.

We got up not too early on Black Friday and ventured out. We had specific items in mind that we knew were on sale that day. Mind you, none of them were electronic items at a big box store, thankfully. (Though I will not say that we won't ever do that!) And you'll never guess the names of the only two stores we wanted to hit: Home Depot and a hardware store! Yes, that's right- TWO MANLY stores, for all intents and purposes. (What has become of us?!) But I must say that parking at both stores was effortless, the stores themselves were orderly and not mobbed. Shopping early on Black Friday, was actually a real pleasure at the menfolk stores. I don't think I even need to draw the obvious correlation to, say...the mall where all the women-shoppers/crazies were. No, let's not mention that. :)

It was great and Katina and I were totally psyched! We had our breakfast on the run, we slashed things victoriously off of our lists, and checked out with very predictable receipt totals....it was WONDERFUL! And we DID venture on to a few more (less-manly) stores...still avoiding the mall and big box stores. We had SO much fun and were home by 11:00ish in the morning!

On the way home, we were trying to summarize what was so exhilarating about the experience of waking early on a cold morning and venturing out to shop, and we determined that it's a lot like hunting. Only the female-version. We just enjoy the thrill of a good kill. The retail kind, that is. A great sale or bargain on a needed item, is just a momentous, priceless occasion. In fact, in true hunter-fashion, we almost took a picture of my minivan full of our "kill." But then, we decided that a loaded minivan with two Christmas tree boxes hanging out of the back, which was bungeed closed, wouldn't make for prize-winning photography.

Like good hunters, we came home and compared our plunders to revel in the fantastic deals we scored. And dutifully completed our rebate offers and checked our receipts for the savings. It was the quintessential hunting experience.

I suppose we are a hunting family after all. My minivan needs a new bumper sticker:

I'd Rather Be Hunting!