So sorry....

I have been absolutely horrible about blogging. Life seems to be going at warp speed as of late and there isn't enough hours in my day to accomplish everything I desire to do. We are all well. Matt "seems" to be getting better - still a bit irritable, but more tolerable! Right now we are counting down the days until we go on vacation - THIS THURSDAY! We planned this vacation last September. Back then it seemed so far away. Then when the trials came flowing one by one - this vacation became my "finish line" so to speak. If I could make it this far, I knew we could make it. And now it is finally almost here. We still have some obstacles to climb, but we are really praying that this time away - two weeks! - will be refreshing and bonding. We have missed so much of our kids lives this past year because of other issues crowding our heads. Please pray that we would spend tons of time with them, talking with them, growing closer, and making memories that will last a life time.

Where are we going? We are heading to Disneyland for one week and then to a condo in Orlando for the second week. While there we are celebrating my 40th birthday! This is a gift from my mom. We are so incredibly blessed! Please pray for safety and a refreshing time. We are burnt out and need some time to escape from our house and different issues (namely the bed bugs! Though we haven't seen any since Easter). Keep an eye out - I plan to blog everyday to keep a journal of all we are doing!

Finally...

Two weeks ago I took Matt to the doctor to get blood work done. He had been bitten by a tick in early March and I didn't want to take any chances that he did have it without showing any of the symptoms. Unfortunately, there was a mess up with the lab and blood work so we went again yesterday to redo the blood work. I got the phone call this afternoon. He has Lyme's disease. The doctor was shocked. Matt never presented with the bulls eye rash and never had any other symptoms, except one day he had a terrible headache. But it was only one day and I figured it was a sinus thing. I am glad I went with my instinct and asked the doctors to draw blood - otherwise this thing could have gone on for quite some time. Fortunately, Lyme's disease is very curable in children. He will be on an antibiotic for three weeks and that should be the end. The doctor says he doesn't need to be retested, but I think I am going to research this more thoroughly to see if he should be retested and what would show up if he was retested. Please pray that Matt would make a full recovery and that there would be no side effects to this disease.

He has been INCREDIBLY difficult as of late and we are hoping that that will be relieved soon. I did read that one of the side effects of Lyme's disease in children is irritability. I only hope that is our sons' case and not his true personality. He has had an incredibly difficult year medically with hoof and mouth disease last June and then sometime during last year he contracted mono (didn't find that out until he had blood work for a mysterious rash that had developed last fall) and now Lyme's disease. I am praying he will start taking care of himself by allowing himself to sleep and rest. He is so much like Andy in that he stays up all hours of the night thinking when he should be sleeping. Please pray for balance and rest for his body.

Updates...

I have several - I guess I'll start with the bad news update and end on a positive note.

The bad news is that the neighbors on our other side, the Hispanic family, has bed bugs. I talked with them this afternoon and tried to express how important it is that they get treatments started quickly. They had them back in January, got treatment and didn't see anymore. But now they have seen several. It makes me think they thought this was just a one time thing and weren't very diligent about looking everywhere, everyday. I am HOPING and PRAYING that they DON'T come back to this side. I think if they do that's the end and I am leaving this house and the city.

Now to the good news. Lilianna Faith Hinson is doing remarkably well! All her tubes are out and she is breathing well on her own. I actually was able to visit with Carisa, Frank and Lili yesterday thanks to kindness of Mrs. Hunter - Carisa's mom. She offered to take me over when she and Paxton went to visit. Lili is such a beautiful baby! It was a sweet time getting to see Carisa hold her for the first time since she was born and to touch her soft downy hair. She is a real joy to her family. Paxton was BEYOND excited to meet his new sister. I am so glad he is a loving big brother - something I am extremely jealous of as my first born is not as sweet with his younger siblings. I pray Paxton continues to be that loving caring big brother.

New Note - She is now in the Well Baby Nursery! YEAH! She's a fighter!

Another piece of good news is that I went to the Dr. for a three month check-up. My blood work came back GREAT! I am now in the NON-diabetic range with a blood sugar reading of 5.9, and my triglycerides, which had been over 900, are now down to 117. The exercise and eating properly are working! I am still on medication, but my hope is that with continued diet and exercise I will be able to get off them. I will continue to work and we will see how my body responds.

God is good - all the time. I have to keep remembering that. I pray that our neighbors would get rid of their bed bugs so we can go into the summer worry free. They multiply quicker in the heat - it could get pretty bad again. Please pray for God to eradicate these dreadful creatures once and for all!

Good news and prayer request

Today, Lilianna Faith Hinson, the new daughter of Frank and Carisa Hinson (our co-workers) entered the world via c-section. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 4.8 oz. I hear she is beautiful - with a full head of dark hair! But of course her two older brothers are absolutely gorgeous as well.

Lili, as she will be fondly called, is having some difficulty breathing and so is currently in the NICU with a tube down her throat. Please pray with us that Lili would gain strength quickly and she would be able to get out of the NICU fast.

Please pray for Frank and Carisa. Their last year has been as full of trials as ours. You may remember Frank dealing with cancer back in November/ December. Please pray for God's peace to reign among them and for Lili to improve quickly so that she may come home and be surrounded by the love we are all dying to show her. We have waited a long time for this little one and are anxious to have her home! Thanks!

I think....

I may just lose my mind! Last night while I was getting ready for bed I found ONE in the bathroom - of all places!! A tiny one. (If you don't know what I found - it's a bed bug!). I REALLY thought we were through with them. It had been 31 days since we had seen any or had any evidence of bites. But there it was. Crawling on the floor - stage 2, I believe. I have NO idea where it came from. I also found a really tiny dead one in our bedroom - that must have just died because I just vacuumed there last Wednesday before the exterminator came. UGH!!!! I am not at all pleased and am really starting to get angry. Why are we still dealing with these? What is God's plan in all this? Am I suppose to get rid of MORE things? Are we suppose to move? Leave everything behind? Honestly, I could get up right now and walk away from this house and never look back. If the house burnt down RIGHT NOW, I would not regret losing anything. I am that tired of this whole situation. Living out of bags is getting tiring. Getting ready for Easter Sunday was a fiasco as things were everywhere and not in their normal places. There is NOTHING more we can do to our house, except keep spraying pesticide and DE - which works only sometimes. I woke up at 4:00 am just crying out to God to please answer our prayers of relief. I want my house back - I want to live in peace - I want my children to be able to play freely on the floors - I REALLY want everything back where it belongs. I know there is a reason for this.....I just wish I would learn the lesson already so we can be done with this trial of 6 1/2 months.

Crazy Week!

That's where I am at right now! Life has been INSANE for the past week! I don't ever remember being so on the go. It all started last Thursday with the Michael W. Smith/ Steven Curtis Chapman concert and has been a whirlwind of activity everyday since! I am not complaining! God is so good and has allowed so many blessings to fall on us.

Last Saturday, my wonderful mom took me out to get my hair done - a cut and a perm (I haven't had one in YEARS!) and then a full day of clothes shopping! She is so excited about my losing weight that she wanted to get me some new clothes before we go on vacation (just THREE WEEKS from today! YEAH!!!!). I ended up not getting home until 9:00 pm! An incredibly fun day!

On Sunday we made the yearly trek to Ocean City, New Jersey for their half price ride tickets. It was a gorgeous day! Unfortunately, Andy was unable to make the trip with us as that very morning, the ONLY drainage pipe in the basement that hadn't been replaced decided to crack! UGH!!! Poor Andy spent the whole day, and a good portion of the early morning, replacing the pipe while we were enjoying the fresh breezes of Ocean City. The kids had a great time walking the boards and even getting onto the sand for a short time. But the rides were the highlight! It made them all excited for our vacation come September! I know it seems far away now, but it will be here before we know it!

The school week has been filled with the yearly standardized testing. Neither Matt or Sarah are required to have it this year, but I like to see how they are fairing. This year will be an interesting one as it has been so incredibly difficult to get what I consider "normal" school in with the whole bed bug situation and other factors. I am hoping that they do at least as well as last year. We'll see. I am trusting God to help me realize He had a reason for this entire past year. I know it didn't go ANYTHING like I had planned - but God knows and only asks that I trust in Him for it all - so I will.

Today, as a kind of celebration of finishing testing, we headed to the Franklin Institute to see the Narnia Exhibit. It was SO great! I really enjoyed seeing all the props and even some of C.S Lewis' personal things - like his copies of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy! They had the White Witches throne and it was SO COLD!!! It felt great! Unfortunately, we weren't able to take any pictures - boo! But the memories are there and the kids had a great time. Even Daniel enjoyed looking at everything and climbing into Reepicheep's tree house. The attention to detail is absolutely amazing. They also announced that "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", the third movie, will be released in theaters in 2010! I can't wait!!

After touring the exhibit we spent a couple of hours walking around the museum looking and experimenting. I really enjoy the Franklin Institute!

God continues to show us mercy and love despite my weaknesses! It has been four weeks today since we have seen a bed bug. I can't tell you HOW THANKFUL I am for this! I still look for them wherever I walk and nothing is put back into place yet. I am still fearful that they will return. Each day is a walk in faith - knowing that God knows what is best for me and will help me through it all!

This Easter seems extra special to me this year. I am so grateful for all He has done these past eight months. He has "shown me what is good; and what does He require of me? But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with my God." (Micah 6:8). It has been a humbling walk, but I have learned so much and am so thankful for all His wonderful ways. Thanks to all who have been praying. Please continue to hold us up as we continue to "walk with our God!"

Wrong, again!

Once again, my God has proven me wrong. I don't know why I continue to think that things I believe are impossible are also impossible for God or that He would choose to NOT bless me in that manner. But the story I am about to tell you is a TOTAL GOD THING! It smacks of God's humor and desperate love for the smallest details of our lives!

Back in February I purchased tickets for Sarah, Denise (a great friend in our church) and I to attend the United Tour - a concert featuring Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman. I have enjoyed both artists for as long as I can remember. Michael W. Smith was the first Christian Contemporary Artist that I listened to and attended his concerts when I was a young person! Sarah has become quite a fan of both and I thought this would be a great birthday present! So we made plans to head to Baltimore, MD - the closest place they were coming.

Yesterday was the concert. We headed down to Baltimore, MD at around 1:15 pm and arrived there around 3:30 pm. We started walking around and headed towards the inner harbor to see if the aquarium was still open. The concert was being held at the Hippodrome Theater. We were getting close to the theater when I jokingly said, "Wouldn't it be funny if Michael W. Smith or Steven Curtis Chapman would walk out we could meet one of them?" There was a man standing on the sidewalk in front of the theater and when he turned around it was Michael W. Smith!!!! I really couldn't believe it! "It's him!", I said and Denise and I urged Sarah to go say hi! As Denise and I got closer MWS had gone over to a group of men and was making a phone call. We waited a few seconds and Steven Curtis Chapman walks out from the group and starts talking with Sarah! She had such poise and grace as she politely explained what a big fan she was and how she enjoyed his music and couldn't wait for the concert. He jokingly said she was a "little" fan meaning she was young and shook her hand and asked if she would like a picture. She said yes and so we got one. Up behind him came Michael W. Smith and started speaking with Sarah and asking her if she was coming tonight and posed for a picture with her as well. Both men were extremely gracious and so friendly and not at all upset about us taking up their time! I am amazed. I am befuddled! I am in awe of God's goodness to us. I mean what are the chances that we would happen upon them at that specific moment? As I said, it was a total God thing.

I have to admit, I had been praying - half hearted - about Sarah maybe getting the chance to meet one of the men. I truly was not praying in faith as I truly believed it would never happen. I am ashamed to think that God wouldn't even care about that detail. But I have been proven wrong. He is an amazing God - in all circumstances. Whether it be battling bed bugs, dealing with preteen boys, or meeting a musician - He cares about all aspects of our life! I believe meeting these men made a huge impact on Sarah about what an amazing and awesome God we serve and that He loves us and desires to bless us in many ways. Thank you Father for your amazing love towards us!