Excitement on 'our' beach

Photos courtesy of Jacksonville News Channel 4
Yesterday, a WWII-era bomb washed up on shore at the beach that we go to in Florida. My parents & brothers were planning to spend the day there, but decided not to due to the weather -- look at the fun they missed!

Click below for the news article: http://www.news4jax.com/news/13620022/detail.html

or the picture slideshow:

http://www.news4jax.com/slideshow/news/13620875/detail.html

4th of July report

We had a nice day together yesterday. Bruce worked a half-day at home, I worked in the garden (weeding and harvesting -- 18 cucumbers!), then we all went to the pool for a little bit. Later in the day Bruce did some small fireworks for the kids (the picture to the right is of them watching the fireworks).

Thought I'd share the before and after pictures of Baker -- he was lying around happily before the fireworks, but (knowing that he hates fireworks) I kept the camera on him as Bruce lit the first one! (Don't anybody scold me for being mean -- I tried to get him to come over by us before it started so that he wouldn't freak out, but he wouldn't obey -- so it's his own fault!)

...as you can see, Abigail babied him after that, so he was happy again...

Happy 4th of July!

***Happy 4th of July!***

* The kids watching Daddy's fireworks on Memorial Day 2007*

Kids' magazine recommendation

Just thought I'd share this on my blog since many of you have young children...and what mom (or aunt, grandma, etc) isn't always on the lookout for good ideas?!

We just got the latest issue of this magazine and we all enjoyed it as much as we always do. The kids snuggle on either side of me and we read it cover to cover...the kids have yet to lose interest before we finish the whole thing, and we even enjoy doing the little recipe and projects in each issue.

I loved the regular Highlights magazine as a kid, but it's still a bit over my kids' heads, so when I stumbled on this one (it just premiered this year) I was thrilled. It's geared towards ages 2-6 and has the same fun components as Highlights (e.g. Hidden Pictures), but simplified for littler ones.

Click here to see their website; it's also available through Amazon.

Abigail's version of jump rope

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

You can tell by her face that she feels amazing...!

Anniversary wishes

Happy 44th anniversary,

Dad & Mom McKee.

We love you!

Life according to a five year old

David has been full of interesting viewpoints lately...the other day he asked me (very seriously) if Superman wears underwear. Yesterday he was telling me about someday when he would have a baby growing in his belly (pregnancy is a captivating subject for him lately, I think because two of his friends' moms are pregnant). I listened for a minute and then gently interjected that babies only grow in mommies' bellies, not guys' bellies. He gave me a look like he was the superior being of knowledge and I was just a know-nothing , and then indignantly informed me that SOMEDAY he would grow a baby in his belly, because he knew about it and he could. I decided not to pursue the subject, because it wouldn't take much to dig us much deeper than I want to go with him quite yet!!!

The game plan for Bruce

There is so much information from today's cardiology visit that it's hard to sum it up succinctly, but I'll try... On July 18th, Bruce is going to have an Amplatzer device installed via heart catheterization. The hole between his atria is just under an inch long (!) but in a good place for device closure. The potential complication for him is after the device placement -- after the hole is closed and the right ventricle (RV) is once again required to pump sufficiently -- since that side of his heart is enlarged and weakened, the RV may have some difficulty. The doctor feels that this is a significant risk, so they will be watching him very closely in case they need to assist his heart a bit. The doctor confirmed that the ventricular enlargement will likely resolve after the device correction; however, it is not very likely that the right atrium will reduce in size, which will mean that Bruce will still be at risk for AF, etc. Right now, though, we are excited to have a game plan and a surgery date! Bruce continues to battle severe fatigue (though we found out today that the fatigue is due in large part to the medication he's on, and there's nothing they can do to relieve that...). Thank you for continuing to pray for him/us!

Our ninth anniversary

Today is our ninth anniversary.

In some ways, it seems like the time has flown by...

and in other ways, it seems like nine years

could not possibly encompass everything

that has transpired in our lives!

We are so blessed and I am so grateful

for this wonderful man

that God delivered to my doorstep...

I truly could not imagine a man

more perfectly suited to be my other half.

~

Thank you, Hon,

for being my wonderful husband...

for sharing all of the joys and sorrows

that have come to us...

and for all of the laughter

that you bring into my life.

I love you.

I've been tagged...

...by Liz! This is the first time I have been tagged in the blogging world, so I guess it is a momentous occasion. Either that, or it just means that I am FINALLY starting to get some more people I know who are blogging as well. :-) To those of you my friends who read my blog but do not yet have one of your own -- I am very glad you visit me! -- but get started, especially if you have little ones that we'd all like to see! But I digress from the main point of this blog, which is to respond to my "tag", which is as follows: I am supposed to name my five favorite local restaurants here in metro-Atlanta, Georgia, and then tag five more people to name theirs. However, due to how little we eat out and the limited number of blogging friends I have, I am going to name/tag two! #1 - Rainwater Restaurant is my hands-down favorite. The atmosphere is great and the food is exquisite. I consider it a 'fancy' restaurant (i.e. it is rather expensive but well worth what you pay, and you get to use real table etiquette), so we don't go often -- usually just for our anniversary and on our planning weekend. I love their house salad, really like their roast duck, their macaroni and bleu cheese is amazing, and their breads are great, too. And for dessert, their fresh fruit and lemon curd tart is so good... #2 - Bobby G's is the only authentic Chicago-style food that we have tasted outside of Chicago. Bruce always has the Italian Beef with Hot Giardiniera Peppers and I always have the Vienna Beef hotdog with mayo and a dill pickle in the bun, just like we always did on Friday nights in Chicago. The food is authentic enough to make us really miss Chicago and everyone there whenever we eat here! I tag Deb and, in an effort to coerce her into blogging again, Jessica!

David and his garden

The garden is flourishing -- David is standing in front of the tomatoes to show how tall they are. We are starting to harvest cucumbers, and the beans' first harvest wil be ready sometime in this next week. The kids love to "hide" in between the corn rows -- it reminds me of my brothers and me hiding the in corn when we were growing up, except that we had acres' worth to truly hide in, not just a few rows...but our kids don't know what they're missing and they're thrilled with our few rows! We all enjoy our garden...

"She's beautiful!"

Last night we gave Abigail a special new doll that has hearing aids and glasses just like Abigail. The look of wonder on Abigail's face, when she saw a doll just like her, was incredible. After staring in awe for a minute,

Abigail declared,"She's beautiful!"

Yes, daughter, she is so very beautiful...!

Great-granddaughter of the ice cream queen...

This one's for you, Grandma O'Gorman!

MIA friend!

Liz V. -- if you read this,

would you please email me at bruceandmarsel@alltel.net ?

My apologies to all for this corny APB,

but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! :-)

Grandpa's birthday video

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Happy birthday, Dad/Grandpa!

Happy 56th birthday, Dad (Grandpa)!

We love you.

Another long day behind us

We went to Greenville today for Abigail's post-CIMT evaluation, which went well. The difference between her pre-CIMT session and today's session -- that is, the amount of progress she has made -- was astounding. We are utterly tired, as you can imagine -- to Greenville and back between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. -- but glad to have this chapter closed for now. It was sad to say goodbye and walk out of there, though -- saying "thank you" just didn't seem sufficient for the help they gave Abigail. I walked out and felt incredulous that no one in the "outside world" knew what incredible things had transpired there, and felt like I needed to tell everyone! Bruce is battling serious fatigue etc, and his cardio. appt has been moved up to this coming Wednesday (June 27th) as a result. I want them to take care of him right this minute, but they didn't ask me. :-) One of my nephews (Bruce's brother Chris's two year old) broke his foot yesterday (on a side note, his little blue cast looks adorable). As a friend of Chris's family remarked lately, it has not been a very good month to be a McKee!!!

"The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness."

~Lamentations 3:22, 23

Our baby girl is growing up so fast!

Abigail is going through one of those growth spurts -- both physically and mentally -- where it seems like every day she wakes up having grown up a whole month's worth!

I was planning to start potty-training next week (AFTER our day-trip to Greenville!) but this past Monday, she told me she wanted to wear undies and go on the big girl potty -- and that was that. It seems too simple to be true...but the diapers are all packed away and she has been accident-free ever since. For more than five years now I have always had at least one little one in diapers...but now we are a diaperless household...sigh...how do they grow up so fast?!

Note the left hand reach and grab in these two pictures -- wow!

Happy Father's Day

...a little late!

Here are my two sweeties with their daddy.

Pool pictures

Having fun at the pool

And Bruce's diagnosis is...

ASD -- Atrial Septal Defect -- i.e. a hole between the upper chambers (atria) of the heart. This is the same defect that Abigail had -- at the time hers was diagnosed (and corrected), we were not aware that there was a family history of ASD...but now we know!

This diagnosis is great news in the scheme of things and we are praising the Lord for a problem that can be corrected...and without a heart/lung transplant! We have an appointment on July 3rd to meet with the cardiologist who specializes in this kind of thing -- he will make the determination of whether they can close the hole with a device (via heart catheterization -- the way Abigail had it done) or whether it will require open heart surgery.

An incredible piece of news is that the doctor thinks that once the hole is closed, there is a good possibility that the heart may return – at least somewhat – to its normal size. This was a wonderful surprise to us, since everything we had read indicated that once the enlargement occurred, there was no reversing it. It will take some time, but it is a bonus and we’re thrilled by it and grateful for it!

I am SO GRATEFUL for this diagnosis and, although I know that there are no guarantees of a tomorrow for any of us, I feel as though I've been given back my husband.

Here's to 90 more years together, Hon! I love you!

We're getting there

My crew has arrived home safe and sound -- now to get my mom and Abigail home safely tomorrow after therapy and then I will be grateful to have our nest fully repopulated! Bruce's procedure is tomorrow -- I'll post results as soon as I can.

Daily report 6/14/07

Today is the big switch -- I am feeling torn about leaving Abigail here even though I know she will be in very good hands. :-) However, I am looking forward to seeing my other baby, though he may not be as impressed with having Mommy back after two fun weeks with Grandma all to himself! Abigail continues to thrive and make great progress with this therapy. There is a marked difference in the ease of use and coordination of movement in that left hand. It has not been easy -- for any of us -- for Abigail and me to be away these two weeks, but it has certainly been well worth it!

Interesting info about TEE

For those of you who would like to read more about the procedure Bruce is having done on Friday, click here. If you would rather be blissfully ignorant than to know all of the details, please don't read it! It tells all. :-)

Daily report 6/13/07

Abigail had a great night of sleep last night and is back at it today. She is by herself this morning and will thoroughly enjoy the one-on-one attention. Yesterday she was throwing beanbags into a net and her left-handed release was beautiful!!! She was actually splaying the hand to release the beanbag while her arm was still in the throwing motion. Again, those of you who have not seen her struggle just do not realize what an incredible achievement this is...so just trust me..it's amazing! We got a date for Bruce's TEE -- it will be this Friday at 11 a.m. So my Dad drives back to GA (from FL) today; he, my mom, and David will drive up here tomorrow morning so that I can show the ropes to my mom, then tomorrow night I will ride back with my dad and David so that I can be with Bruce for his procedure, and my mom will stay here with Abigail for the last day of therapy. We always aim to make things as exciting as possible!!!

Daily report 6/12/07

We had a great time at Joe & Lisa's last night. Abigail had a blast playing with her cousins and it was really nice to see Lisa upright and alert! We had to pay the piper this morning, though -- Abigail is overtired and grumpy. I will have to be careful to get her to bed early the rest of the week! Fortunately, she was still happy about coming to therapy -- it was (literally) the only thing that gave her a smile this morning. We finally got results on Bruce's MRI -- they think that there may be a defect in his septum (the part that divides the two sides of the heart). They are next going to do a transesophageal echocardiogram (as in, going down his throat to look at his heart -- doesn't that sound like fun?!) to see if they can pinpoint the issue. Today we are supposed to get a date for that. Even if this is the problem, we still don't really have any more info as far as prognosis or treatment yet -- it could still be anything from a device-closure to a transplant. So we have taken only one tiny step forward on the road to diagnosis! Patience is not my favorite virtue...

Happy birthday, Alicia!

Happy 9th birthday, Alicia!

Hope you have a great birthday.

We love you and miss you!

(Sorry I can't post any pictures,

but I'm not at my home computer...)

Daily report 6/11/07

We're back in Greenville...it was wonderful to be home and see everyone this past weekend, but it was REALLY HARD to leave again. Abigail was wailing for David and Daddy and Grandma...thankfully, once we got down the road and I offered her some juice and her Mary Poppins video, she was happy again. :-) She is doing well again today. The other child in the program is feeling better and back with us this week, so Abigail is a little bit less dynamic, but still doing fine. Tonight we are going to visit Joe, Lisa, and family, so it will be nice to see them and a nice break from our routine besides. I spoke with the cardio.'s office about Bruce's MRI results -- apparently the dr. was out of the office all of last week, which is what has caused the delay (it would have been nice if the girl I talked to last week had told me that instead of hedging!). We are supposed to get results and a game plan tomorrow, and we are more than ready.

A good cause

Just wanted to make you all aware of a good cause that we are donating towards...we are donating in memory of Bruce's friend Jamal, who died of leukemia in 1993. RaDora (our audiologist...and part of our family!) is going to Alaska later this month to run in a fundraising marathon to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Click here to see more details and/or to donate. Thank you!

Daily report 6/8/07

Hooray -- we go home today! Abigail has now started to ask "What's David doing?" She can't seem to grasp the fact that his life goes on normally when she is not there to share in it. I was sorely tempted to tell her this morning (after she had asked that question three or four times) that we would be going home today, but since her concept of time is still immature, I didn't want to risk distracting her from therapy all day long, so I am saving the surprise until we get in the car to leave. But I am excited enough for both of us! Therapy went well again yesterday -- we had two BIG accomplishments -- Abigail used her left hand to do a zipper, and she has perfected an almost-pincer grasp with that hand as well. WOW! We were all so excited. Midway through her last session of the day, though, she crawled into the play-tunnel, rolled onto her back, and announced, "I tired. I go to bed now." And by 6:45 last night, she was already asleep and dreaming! This sure has been a week of hard work for her and I am glad for a little respite tomorrow...hopefully we will have good pool-weather! They do not allow cameras in the hospital, but while we're home I will try to take a picture of Abigail showing off that left hand and wearing her puppet.

Daily report 6/7/07

Here we are in the surreal world of daily therapy -- it feels like we have slipped into twilight zone and the rest of the world has disappeared! Abigail continues to do well, although she is showing the beginnings of fatigue. It's an awful lot of work to put her body (and brain!) through every day. This morning on the way to the hospital, she asked me, "Where's David?" We are both missing the rest of our family! Nevertheless, she was excited to come back and play with her puppet this morning. The other child who is in the program with her has missed the last couple of days due to health trouble, and although I'm very sorry for him to miss out, it has been a bit of a blessing in disguise for Abigail, as she tends to thrive on a more peaceful, one-on-one type of environment. So far, so good!

Just for the fun of it!

I would never have taken the time to do this in my 'normal' life, but the computer was free with no one in line this afternoon, so I have browsed in a very leisurely manner...I saw this quiz on someone else's blog, and since I love the Jane Austen books, thought I would try it... Take the Quiz here!

It makes sense, I suppose...my mother says that I have long been older than my years, I am more of a mother hen than a carefree fun-seeker, etc. I always identify with Elinor when I watch Sense & Sensibility (my all-time favorite movie, by the way -- I bawl every time and I've seen it dozens of times!), except that I tend to be a bit more demonstrative with my emotions than she is.

Makes me want to go home and dig out my Austen books yet again!

Disclaimer: I am not at all familiar with the website that hosts this quiz, so please do not take this as an endorsement of the website or anything on it. Thanks!

Daily report 6/6/07

Therapy continues to go well. Abigail is completely comfortable keeping her good hand restrained all day and is still eager to go see her puppet every morning. I am thoroughly enjoying the rare opportunity to sit, relax, read, knit, nap, etc -- such a contrast to our typical schedule of appointments almost every day. I have also been going to sleep early in the evening and then waking up on my own shortly after six each morning -- that's my body's normal rhythm but not one that I can usually accomodate...it's been great! We got great news yesterday regarding David's MRI -- the lump on his back is just a fatty tumor resulting from an injury...nothing scary, and nothing that is going to require any further medical intervention. Praise the Lord! David is having such a fun time having Grandma Minota all to himself that he hardly has time to talk to me on the phone. He usually gets all sad and quivery talking to me when I am away, but I guess he is growing up...now I feel sad and quivery, but he's rushing to get rid of the phone so that he can get back to having fun! :-) Although I miss everyone, I am grateful for this special time for my mom and my son to share together. Still waiting on Bruce's MRI results. Hopefully we will get something today.

I am not cut off!

Oh, glory be -- I am not entirely cut off from the Internet! :-) The hospital has a computer available for the parents...granted, it is dial-up and you have to hover like a buzzard in order to jump in and claim a turn, but it is a connection nonetheless and I am grateful for it!!! Abigail's first day of therapy went really well -- she wasn't at all upset by the new surroundings and new people and seemed to adapt well to the physical demands of the day. She wasn't frustrated by the constraint of her good hand, either -- in fact, soon after she woke up this morning, she asked if she could go play with her puppet! (they use a puppet on the 'good' hand all day long to force constant use of the affected hand) This good-hand constraint can be very upsetting to some kids, but it didn't faze her in the least. It made me grateful for the "use left hand" refrain we have fired at her constantly over the last two years -- since left hand use is a familiar concept to her, it has made this therapy much less overwhelming for her. I will try to post a quick report every day while we are here -- there probably won't be much that is earth-shattering, but at least you all can share in this experience with us to some degree.

Two weeks of therapy

Today Abigail and I leave for Greenville for the first week of her CIMT. The program begins first thing tomorrow morning. I will be computerless, so I will not post anything until I get home (Friday night), unless I can find a business center at the hospital or hotel. And we're off!

MRIs, stomach bugs...oh what fun

Bruce had his cardiac MRI this morning. We won't get results until next week. Bruce, my mother-in-law, and I all woke up with a stomach bug this morning, and it's a brutal one. We are praying that Abigail doesn't come down with it for our trip! My in-laws head North tomorrow and my parents will arrive here. I am planning to wake up feeling great...doesn't that sound like a good plan?!

My little trooper

David had his MRI tonight and did GREAT! Permit me a little gushing about my brave boy. :-) Everyone at the hospital kept commenting that we would probably have to come back another time to do the MRI under sedation due to David's age, but he was a trooper and came through with flying colors. Results won't be in until next week but I'll share the update whenever we get it.

I don't expect to get a chance to post tomorrow since Abigail and I will be going to Greenville for a CIMT pre-evaluation appointment -- we will be leaving early and most likely coming home late. (I just realized that I haven't explained this therapy program, so I will follow up on that soon.)

Our adorable little patriots

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Happy Memorial Day!

I am very grateful for the sacrifices others have made

to protect my freedoms.

Much thanks to all of you who have served or are serving

in our military.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are a couple pictures

of the kids at the pool

this weekend...

Seattle trip

Pictures of Jared's & Krystle's wedding

Mr. & Mrs. Jared Minota

The wedding was beautiful -- Krystle looked like a magazine bride and Jared was quite snazzy in his tux.

David & Abigail were adorable and did a great job coming down the aisle!

I got a little teary seeing Jared as he waited for Krystle to come down the aisle, when I saw the way he looked at her during the ceremony, and then when I saw his big handsome hand with a wedding band on it and I realized that he was married!...but I managed not to be a sobbing mess (phew!). It is quite a strange (but good!) feeling to see one of my little brothers as a husband.

It was a wonderful day and we are so thrilled to have Krystle as part of our family...

Why I have been MIA for a few days...

Oh, where to begin? First, as I mentioned in the short post previously, the wedding was beautiful. (And I will do my best to post pictures this weekend!) Monday we drove up Mt. Rainier and, among other things, played in the snow -- sleds, snowballs, the whole works. We had a blast! Afterwards we went to Jared and Krystle's house for pizza... While we were there, Bruce mentioned to me that his heart was racing again (he has had a few occurrences of this over the last year, and a week or two before the wedding, he had told me that when we got back home from the trip, we should schedule him with a cardiologist to get it checked out). When I took his pulse, it was 150. Long story short, Tuesday morning we went to the ER and he was admitted with atrial fibrillation [AF] (layperson's explanation: the atria just flutter instead of pumping regularly, the ventricles try to fire in coordination with the atria, and the result is a rapid heart rate and an erratic heartbeat). They kept Bruce overnight and ran a bunch more tests on him, and discovered that the right side of his heart is enlarged (dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM), which is what caused the AF. There is also a problem with his left ventricle. In the midst of all of this, we missed our return flight to Atlanta, but Delta was wonderful about getting us out as soon as the doctor cleared us to travel. We flew home yesterday. This morning, Bruce saw a cardiologist and we are waiting for a cardiac MRI appt, which is the next diagnostic step. The doctor can not give us any kind of prognosis until they know what is causing the DCM. There is a huge range of causes, treatments, and complications associated with DCM, so it really is a shot in the dark right now. Everyone in Seattle was wonderful -- the Lord took good care of us through a plethora of people -- my family, Krystle's family, the medical staff at the hospital, even the people who helped us reschedule everything from the airline tickets to the car seat rental to boarding Baker, and the whole list is much longer than that. So now we wait. While we all know that we are mortal and no one is guaranteed a tomorrow here on earth, something like this brings it really close to home. Yes, I am frightened at even the thought of losing my husband, my best friend, and (although the term is overused and cliched) my soul mate. I pray that his condition will be treatable and manageable and leave us decades upon decades to share with each other. Mostly, though, I am trying to ask the Lord to help me to say "Not my will, but Yours be done" and to truly mean it...a feat which is possible only by God's grace and through His strength.

~

On a side note, there is no way right now to know the cause for the DCM, the trigger for the latest episode, the treatment for the DCM, etc. In light of that, the reason for this post is not to solicit suggestions on any of the above. Please just pray with us and for us. Thank you for understanding!

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Jared Minota

Jared and Krystle were married on Saturday

and the wedding was wonderful.

I am having trouble trying to load pictures, though...

you all will have to wait until we get home!

Congratulations, Jared and Krystle!

And we're off...

...well, almost! We are checked in already (gotta love the Internet), the bags are all packed, and the house is spic-n-span. Now I have only to go to sleep so that I can get some decent rest before the alarm goes off at 4:45...! My next post should be from Washington state...

Answered prayer

Lisa is coming home this afternoon – she comes home on daily injections, oral antibiotics, and major activity restriction – but she is alive and going home! We are very thankful. Thank you so very much to everyone for your prayers on her behalf – please continue to uphold Lisa (and her family) as they expect her to be “off duty” for 4-6 weeks as she recovers.

A heart full of gratefulness

Today I have been reflecting on the Lord's mercy in our lives... *David had to have a CT scan yesterday to check out a lump on his back. We got results today and it is NOT a tumor, which is of course the most frightening option that was out there. He will have an MRI done to try to figure out exactly what it is, but we suspect it is fluid of some sort from an old injury on that spot. *Both kids had hearing checks today and got incredible reports. Both of David's ears were stable with a few small improvements, and Abigail had huge improvements across the board in both ears. *Lisa is much improved, and there is talk of her going home tomorrow. Although those things are never reliable until you're actually out the door, just the suggestion is a wonderful thing. Today was one of "those days", when everything little thing that can go wrong does (complete with being stranded at the drive-thru at A&W because the employees were having a knock-down-drag-out fight inside!), and yet covering all of the annoyances of the day is the knowledge of God's mercy to our family. There are not adequate words to describe how wonderful He is and how grateful we are for His care for us.

Urgent Prayer Need Latest Update

We just got word that they moved Lisa out of the ICU and into a high-risk OB/GYN room, and took out all tubes etc except for her antibiotic and blood thinner. As far as we know she is still on oxygen, as well. We were very excited to hear this good news…thanks for continuing to pray.

Congratulations, Matthew

Congratulations to my brother Matthew,

who starts his new position today as Assistant Manager

at a Sherwin-Williams store in Ocala, Florida.

It has been exciting to see you wait for

the Lord's timing on this, Maciej,

and we are so happy for you!

(Is this where I should plug the SW line of paints,

of which I have become a loyal devotee?!)

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to our moms and grandma -- we love you!

How grateful I am to be a mother, and to two such beautiful babies, too. :-) The Lord fulfilled a huge desire of my heart when He gave me these two and I am so blessed.

Abigail's new glasses

Abigail is very pleased with her new glasses -- she has been announcing them to almost everyone who looked at her while we were running errands today!

Sorry for the just-out-of-bath wet-hair picture, but that's all we had time for...

Urgent Prayer Need

Lisa (my sister-in-law who gave birth Sunday night) is in septic shock due to a uterine infection after childbirth, which apparently is a rare thing to happen but, obviously, it does happen. They are scrambling to try to treat her with a cocktail of antibiotics. Her blood pressure is still low, her heart rate is still incredibly high and she is having trouble breathing. Please continue to pray...

A busy week ahead

I am going to say this now in case I don't post in the next few days -- now you will know why -- we have a crazy week ahead of us! Tomorrow we go to get Abigail's brace adjusted, Wednesday I have a class to attend (related to Abigail's CP) and then a hematologist appt, Thursday we go to get Abigail's glasses, Friday is the kids' annual cardiology checkup. Did you catch Thursday's activity?! Today the kids had their annual opthalmology appt (sometimes hearing loss can happen in conjunction with eye and heart issues, so we get those organs checked every year to make sure nothing untoward develops), and while their eyes are structurally sound (which is good news!), we found out that Abigail needs glasses -- she has one eye that is very farsighted. In this instance, we are grateful for her hearing loss, which prompted us to have her eyes checked every year -- otherwise, who knows how long it would have been before this was diagnosed. According to the doctor, without glasses to correct this, her brain would have started to "shut off" her right eye, so by the time we discovered it down the road, it probably would have required some difficult rehab. Now she will be all set, even before she starts to read, etc. This vision issue has nothing to do with her hearing loss -- it is just one of those things. I took her to order glasses right away and they are so tiny and cute! I am feeling a little sad about detracting from those stunning navy blue eyes of hers, but I know that we will quickly get used to her in glasses, and I am very grateful that they will help her so much. Do I need to mention the "we're never bored" line again or do you all know it by heart now?!

Welcome to our new nephew

A special welcome to our new nephew,

Blake ___ Provenzano (middle name TBA!),

who was born last night.

He was 7 lbs 10 oz.

Bruce's sister Lisa and her husband Joe

are the proud parents...

and Blake will be loved to pieces by older siblings

Jessica, Zack, Nick, Jake, & Luke.

Congratulations, Provenzano family!

My birthday weekend

Well, I had an eventful but overall pleasant birthday weekend. Friday the kids and I spent most of our day with Greta and her kids, which we all enjoyed. By dinnertime Friday I was in excruciating pain and, to make the story short, it appears that I had a ruptured ovarian cyst. Thankfully, I had one Percocet left from my surgery, so I took that to survive the night so that I didn't have to spend my birthday night in the ER! By Saturday morning, the pain had abated and I was just worn out. Needless to say, I did not partake of my birthday dinner or cake until Saturday!

Fortunately, Saturday night we went back to having fun again! As a birthday present for me, RaDora came and kept the kids so that Bruce and I could go out (how great is that?! Thanks again, RaDora...we love you!). We went to Medieval Times (click on the link if you don't know what I'm talking about!) for dinner and a tournament complete with knights, horses, etc. It was SO MUCH FUN! Besides getting to go on a date, and going somewhere that I have wanted for several years to visit, the kids were thrilled to pieces that Miss RaDora came to play with them...so everybody was happy! I had a fun and memorable thirtieth birthday celebration. Thanks, too, to everyone who left me a birthday comment -- it was a blast to get them throughout my day!

One of the joys of being thirty -- you can

wear the crown for your knight without

having to worry about your image. :-)

The unsung hero!

Thanks, Mom, for all your work to bring me into the world

exactly thirty years ago!

Happy birthday to me!

The long-awaited day has arrived.

Today I am 30!

As I reflect on these thirty years

(or at least as much of them as I have concious memory of!),

one phrase keeps coming to mind:

"He who promised is faithful."

(Hebrews 10:23)

God has been so good to me --

He has filled my life with so many blessings

and lovingly carried me through so many difficult waters.

Before I know it, I'll be reflecting on another thirty years,

and it is good to know that His faithfulness will not change!

~

I keep this blog so that anyone who wants to

can share in the daily lives of our family,

and the kids' lives in particular.

However, today I make a request for myself!

If you visit my blog today, please leave a comment!

I think it would be fun to see how many "visitors" I have.

Remember, you don't need a sign-in name etc to leave a comment.

Just click on the "comments" link below the blog entry,

then click on "anonymous" and type in your comment.

But be sure to include your name in the comment

so that I know who you are!

Thanks for humoring me...

It is, after all, my birthday! :-)

My birthday present

Here is part of my birthday present -- for those of you from Syracuse, NY who have eaten Hofmann hot dogs, no explanation is necessary. For the rest of you who haven't been so privileged, suffice it to say that once you have eaten these, hot dogs from the grocery store just don't cut it anymore!

Ever since I got married and moved to Chicago, my dad would always call me before they came for a visit and ask "Do you need any Hofmann's?" Now, of course, they aren't available to be my supplier any more...but Bruce discovered that you can now order online...so voila! My birthday dinner!

A moment to melt Mommy's heart

The kids have had a very difficult (read: naughty!) couple of days...but there have been occasional moments of sweetness, and here is one that I captured while I was making dinner and peeked in to see why they were quiet...

Celebrating May Day with water fun

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

High 80s and sunny -- time to get out the pool! The water was cold and they were both shivering, but both protested loudly when I said it was time to be done!

In honor of your anniversary

I'll be with you in apple blossom time...

I'll be with you and change your name to mine.

One day in May, I'll hear you say,

"Happy the bride that the sun shines on today."

What a wonderful wedding there will be...

What a wonderful day for you and me...

Church bells will chime...

You will be mine In apple blossom time.

Happy Anniversary, Dad and Mom

Congratulations to my parents on 31 years of marriage!

We are all enjoying watching them adapt to their new stage of

"old retired folk" :-)

and my little family is especially enjoying that

we see them regularly now and can have them here

to share special days with us.

31 years later...!

The whole clan (except for Bruce, and with the addition of Jared's best bud, Jason) in NY, July 2006