Go Lucy Go 5k Shirts

**Out of town friends...don't forget to register as a Spirit Runner!  You get the shirt for the price of registration!  Just follow the same links below or on the side of my blog**

The company that is doing our Go Lucy Go shirts did a couple of mock ups for us to choose between.  Here is the style of shirt we are going with.  It is a super soft, barely-fitted tee.  It is a little more stylish than your regular ol' t-shirt and I think you are going to LOVE it!  I know we do.  We did decide to go with a heather grey color and the design just pops.  The back is super cool, too!

If you want to be guaranteed your shirt by race day, you MUST register by TONIGHT!  All registrations received after tomorrow, May 1st, will be guaranteed a shirt but it might not be on race day.  Because we are ordering a little higher quality shirt the stock runs a but lower in these.  We have to act fast to make sure we get this awesome shirt. 

So....you just need to register for the race at http://www.racesonline.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.race_detail&race_id=11954 .

We can't wait to see you there!

Now more than ever

Tonight I lay watching my baby girl rest peacefully in her hospital bed at Lebonheur Childrens Hospital. After emergency surgery to repair a broken shunt I am reminded how many needs are not Being met for the families on the neurology floor. So many broken hearts and spirits The Go Lucy Go 5k is so important for these reasons. If you haven't registered yet, please do so!! Go to www.erikandkatekrull.blogspot.com. click on the race button for race registration. Run, walk, push a stroller! Just participate!!

Feeling good!!

Someone is feeling better after the fluid pressure in her brain is gone! Thank God for modern medicine, a wonderful surgeon and answered prayers.

Surgery Update

Boop just came out to talk with us When he went in to dissect the shunt it appeared to have started working. Probably a delayed reaction to the tap. Either way, debris is dislodged and shunt is working We are thrilled. However, they did have to open her head and she will have stitches. We will stay for 24 hours of observation. If all goes well we will be home tomorrow afternoon!!

Surgery

Lucy is in surgery now to repair her shunt.

Our Crazy Life

This is why you don't ever plan on getting off the roller coaster. This is why you don't stay on the mountain top too long.

We are back at St. Jude tonight. Since Thursday Lucy has been complaining of a bad headache, been lethargic and started vomiting. Thankfully we can say we know there is no worry about tumors. However, with her shunt you never know. We knew that our lives would forever be different once Lucy got the shunt. A shunt issue can mimic many other illnesses (and vice versa) and you can never take chances.

So we are here. She's had X-rays and a CT scan. She's gotten a bolis of fluid and we are awaiting results. We are very anxious about a possible shunt malfunction. I feel sick to my stomach. I know they are very common, but they are not common for us! And the worst part is that sweet Lucy is one sick little
girl tonight.

Agony and Victory

Good morning to the wonderful prayer warriors that held us up yesterday.  It was a long day and even longer night.  The latest we have ever gotten results from Lucy's scans was 7:30pm.  At 11:30 last night we reluctantly went to bed with sick stomachs and minds filled with doubt and fear.  Apparently at 2:30am, Dr. W texted me with the results (she was on call and had gotten very busy with sick patients).  We did not receive them until 7:00 this morning.

Lucy's scans were CLEAR and her spinal fluid contained NO cancer cell.  Praise God!  He has answered our prayers one more time.

Lucy celebrating with new shoes!

We are so excited around our house about Lucy's great news today that dancing was the first thing Jack thought about!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxBT27C0d_I&feature=youtu.be

Look, Lucy even got in on the action.  Look at her lifting one foot at a time and balancing.  Amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9AY56SDDEM&feature=youtu.be

Oh, and Ella.  Well, she has just "flipped" over the news!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV4Z3T7XolE&feature=youtu.be

Tired

Honestly, I am so tired right now I can't even think of a title for this blog post.  How sad is that?  I got home from the hospital around 2:15 this morning and was up again by 6:00.  Let's just say that 3.5 hours of sleep does not make for a very patient or cheery mom.

My grandfather is doing better.  If there was ever a human with 9 lives it must be him.  He still has a ways to go, but he is better.  Tonight we took the girls down to visit him and when we arrived at the ICU they said you had to be 12 to go back.  With as much time as we've spent in hospitals you would think I would have thought of that.  I knew the girls would be devastated if they didn't get to see him, so I did what any good mother would do.  I begged and pleaded until the nurse finally agreed.  They were able to see him, love on him and give him the sweet pictures they had created for him.  They love their great-grandfather and they were so worried about him.  Especially Ella.  She cried herself to sleep last night.  This morning before she left for school she looked at me with that bottom lip quivering and started crying.  She said "Mommy, I don't want Paw Paw to leave us yet."  I don't either.

But as I held his hand tonight and we spoke, he bravely told me (through tears) that he never once prayed for healing.  He has prayed for God's will to be done.  My grandmother will tell you she has prayed for healing and I'm sure the rest of us have, too.  But not him.  He is a good man.  He is a Godly man.  I am thankful for the life he has lived.  I am proud he is my grandfather.  He is a strong man.  He is brave.  But he has a nasty cancer that is going to take his life sooner or later.

Tonight I am so thankful for the assurance we have through Jesus Christ that my grandfather will be embraced in the arms of heaven when he does leave this earth.  None of us are ready for that day.  I selfishly pray he has a few more years.  But if he doesn't, in his words, he has lived a wonderful 79 years and has so much to show for his time here on earth.  Most important to him is his relationship with Christ, his wife of 63 years and his family.  Our family is blessed in so many ways.  A Bible believing, God fearing patriarch and matriarch have been the foundation.

My grandfather is a good, honorable man.  I love him dearly.

Tonight

Tonight I sit in the ICU waiting room wondering if my grandfather will make it through the night.

It's been a long day and he is very sick. All the family has come in and now all we can do is wait and pray.

Whew

To say that things have been a little hectic around here would be an understatement.  Hectic, but wonderful.  Lucy is doing better than ever, Ella is awesome and Jack...well, he has more energy than I can begin to explain.  I am about 4 posts behind but thought I would just let you know we are still here and doing great.

If you haven't registered for the Go Lucy Go 5k PLEASE do so now.  May 5th is rapidly approaching and we still need more runner and walkers.  That's right.  We welcome walkers and strollers!

Go here to register:

 http://www.racesonline.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.race_detail&race_id=11954 

I have some hilarious videos and great stories to share from the weekend.  But it's 11:13pm and we just finished up a race meeting.  I've got to catch some zzz's and then I hope to hit the blog hard tomorrow!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  It's not too soon to start asking for prayer as Lucy has her next set of 3 months scans this Thursday.  Luckily the race has me so stressed out I haven't even had time to sit and worry about the scans.  Our prayer is No Evidence of Disease!  Lord, may your will be done. 

These Are the Days

I've thought a good bit about Lucy's upcoming scans this week.  They are next Thursday, the 26th.  I've thought about them, but I, thankfully, am not dwelling on them.  What good would that do?  I'm sure as next week inches closer the scanxiety will begin to settle in in a major way.  All I can do is pray.  I ask you to do the same, please.

One thing keeping my mind preoccupied this week is our schedule.  We are busy.  Very busy.  Just like any family with 3 kids and 2 society-contributing adults.  I'm not complaining.  I actually like staying busy for several reasons.  One, it keeps my mind off of the bad (scary) thoughts that can easily creep in every hour.  Two, it means that we are healthy enough to be busy!  So, that being said I'm trying to figure out some things to implement into our daily lives that will help us stay focused and on task.  Nights are particularly hard as we have a lot of medical prep for Lucy.

In the fall I purchased a new planner from erincondren.com.  This is the print I got and I just love it.  I have a thing for planners and this one is by far my favorite.  It has a spot for everything!  I have it by my side every day of the week.  Right now you can get a 2012 planner 40% off.  Just thought I would throw that out there.

erincondren.com

I also found these printables from Pinterest.  I LOVE Pinterest and adore the mobile app.  I will be the first to admit that my kids have been "loved" (not spoiled) a little too much.  Erik and I agree that its time Ella starts contributing to our family.  I don't want her to see this as a punishment, but rather to teach her that everyone has to do their part to make our family work.  We also want to give Lucy some jobs so that she feels as much a part of the family as Ella.  We haven't figured out what everyone's jobs will be but they will obviously be age appropriate.

http://thebursettfamily.blogspot.com/2010/07/free-digital-download-chore-charts.html via Pinterest

Out of necessity I have become much more effective with my night time activities.  Every night I always do a load of laundry, make sure the dishes are done and prepare the girls backpacks for school the next day.  I try really hard to make sure the playroom is clean before I retire as well.  Last night I was beat and just didn't do it.  I regretted it when I woke up to a huge mess this morning.  Oh, well.  Today was a new day.
I make sure to lay out clothes for the next day and prepare lunches as much as possible.  I got these two items from Potterybarnkids.com this school year.  Ella absolutely loves getting notes from me in her lunch.  I also like being able to send her chips and hummus or veggies and ranch in this container.

potterybarnkids.com

The biggest thing I am working on is getting back on track with my meal planning.  I used to be very diligent about planning each and every meal and was able to make one trip a week to the grocery. Now I find myself at 5:00 in a panic because I haven't even had time to think about dinner, much less plan a healthy meal for my family!  As a stay at home mom I feel that this is one of my major job duties and I take pride in providing a hot and nutritious meal for my family.  It might sound old fashioned, but that doesn't bother me.  Again, I'm loving Pinterest and the new recipes I am trying to incorporate into my meal planning, especially the gluten free recipes.

I have a recipe journal that I copy success recipes into after my guinea pigs give it a thumbs up.  Last night I made this recipe for Parmesan Tilapia and it will definitely be going into the journal.  I don't even like fish and I thought it was really good.

http://www.food.com/recipe/mamas-supper-club-tilapia-parmesan-53914

So, that's what's been on my mind this week.  Trying to make it all work.  Trying to keep this family afloat.  If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

National Day of Prayer

Family

Thursday, May 3rd will be the 61st Annual Observance of the National Day of Prayer.

"Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord." Psalm 33:12

I have been asked to participate in our county's NDOP by leading the prayer for families.  I hesitantly agreed and now I am getting nervous already.  My hesitance was not heading God's urging, but rather my sheer inaduequecies shining through.  Who am I to lead anyone in a prayer?  I have to believe that God laid my name on the leader's heart, however incompetent I may feel.  I will be spending the next 14 days in prayer that God would speak through me as our town comes together to lift up our country in collective prayer.  

If you are in our area, please stay tuned for more information about the day.  I'll be sure to post as much information as I can .  If you are looking to get involved in your own town, check out this website.  

Meet the Doctors

Want to meet two of Lucy's doctors?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpwPvBG18XE   see Dr. Boop here.  One of the world's foremost experts in neurology.  Master surgeon and a true hero in our book!  He's the one who performed the 9 hour surgery to remove the tumors in Lucy's brain and spine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WumInD-BLLM&feature=relmfu  see Dr. Klimo here.  He's the surgeon who put in Lucy's shunt.  The dreaded, but necessary, surgery that allowed Lucy to start on the road to recovery.

I don't think I ever shared some of our favorite nurse/doctor pictures from St. Jude.  Here are some of our special friends:

Mrs. Penny, the Voice of St. Jude

Dr. T from Bone Marrow Transplant

Courtney, nurse from Patient Care

Rose, from BMT

Jordan--OT

Pam, Recovery nurse

 

Sarah, Jenn and Leigh from BMT

Ashley from Child Life

Candace from Triage

Dr. S from BMT

Erin from School

Janet from Triage

Katie from the Medicine Room

Lauren--PT

Janette from Social Work

Kristen from the Medicine Room

Margaret--Line Nurse

Nicole from BMT

Susan from BMT

Oh, how blessed we have been and continue to be by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and LeBonheur.  To have these world class hospitals in our back yard is almost too good to be true.  Thank you God for putting us in this place at this very time in our lives.  I will forever be grateful.

A Totally Random Post

Look at Lucy making faces in the background

Today I (in no certain order):

• Paid my taxes
• Went to the grocery
• Ordered Lucy's pictures
• Worked on the school fundraiser
• Helped design race banners
• Picked up Ella early from school with a tummy ache
• Was very sad because my hubby now has "the bug" and I have watched him grow increasingly more uncomfortable as the day has gone on
• Took Lu to PT and tutoring
• Hung 2 pictures
• Loaded/Unloaded dishwasher twice
• Did 2 loads of laundry
• Cooked dinner
• Put Jack's fall clothes away
• Helped Lucy write sentences and read book 2 of her learner
• Spotted Ella in her back walk-overs
• Watched my 19 month old join us in our dinner prayer.  It was the most precious sight and I only wish I could have snapped a picture!

Ok, so totally boring post I know.  But sometimes when I feel as if I haven't done anything but chase my tail all day its nice to actually put on paper what I did accomplish.  I know that if I did nothing on that list but love my children and husband I could call my day a success.  However, it does my pride good to see that I am actually productive during the day.  Even if it is in 5 minute increments. 

In other news....last Friday I spent the day in Memphis.  And for the first time in a long time I was not at a doctor with a child.  I had a quick check up myself, but then had a wonderful lunch with two ladies from LeBonheur Children's Hospital.  We had a wonderful meeting about how to spend the money that is being raised at the Go Lucy Go 5k.  Last year's money was spent to purchase brand new refrigerators for each patient room and the remaining proceeds will be combined with this year's proceeds to pay for educational  materials, more in room amenities and care packages for families when they are admitted to the 7th floor.  

If you haven't signed up for the race, what are you waiting for???  Go HERE to register.  

In even more news.....

Look at our school presenting St. Jude with a check for $20,070.00!!  I am so proud of these kids.  140 kids did this!  Thank you again for your support.

If you are wondering, our principal Mr. Steve promised to wear a chicken suit if the school raised $15k and then up'd the ante to dying his hear TCA blue if we reached the $20k mark.  He should have known we would rise to the call.  We love you Mr. Steve!

Another Man Down

Yep, one more down. This time this one feels horrible. Fever and all.

The Verdict is In

I thought I would have received all my blood work back today but in all honesty I don't even need it now.  When Ella woke up with screaming red checks I knew that my theory had been right.  It was Fifths Disease that made me so sick and now Ella has it.  Luckily in children there are no major side effects or symptoms.  A nasty rash, a little fatigue and that's about it.  I let her stay home today so that she could rest and give the rash a day to heal.  Lucy went on to school and stayed all day so it was just me, Ella and Jack.

This is what Ella did all day......

I took her to Wal Mart this morning to grab some new books and she chose a Dork Diaries Journal and a Wimpy Kid Diary and worked ALL day on her projects.  I don't think the TV came on for more than 30 minutes.  Ella is an avid reader and she can do it crazy fast!  For the most part she didn't mind staying inside, but by 3:30 my little bird was ready to fly.

So was this one.  How cute is he with his popsicle?

Everyone turned in early tonight.  I have to be honest and admit it was nice when everyone was sound asleep by 8:00.  It's been so very quite in this house tonight.  Ah...I better enjoy it now.  It will be a long time until it happens again.