Scan Results

All CLEAR!  These scans were the best Lucy has ever had.  We are beyond excited and so very thankful to God above.  More details to come tomorrow.

Update

Just a quick update. Lucy did well today. Her heart looks good and her pulmonary function test came bak great. Endocrine clinic brought about some issues for us to deal with down the road, but thankfully nothing urgent.

I would like to ask that you pray that we make the right decision about some unexpected hearing loss Lucy is experiencing. I will give more details last but right now our focus is making it through tomorrow's scans.

Thank you in advance for your prayers.

We Made It Home

We're home!  Oh, home sweet home.  Choosing to go on a vacation is an entirely different feeling than being stuck in another city against your will.  All in all it was a great vacation and I came home feeling refreshed and revived.

Lucy's scans are Thursday and she has a full day of exams tomorrow.  She has been doing so well, amazing actually.  I am a little concerned about her hearing, but that wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.  During chemo she received a special drug called Amifostine that was supposed to help protect her hearing, but mild to moderate hearing loss wouldn't be a surprise.  Even still, I am so proud of how far Lucy has come.  She is an amazing child and we serve a might, awesome God.

Check out this running! Lucy has made such progress in the last 6 weeks.  Just when we were starting to fear she had reached her limits, she once again decided to prove what little faith we possessed.  (be sure to turn the sound off at the bottom before playing the video.)

**Dont forget to read the Mucinex posts HERE and HERE  for your chance to win one of two $100 gift cards!

Farewell and a Nightmare

Well, we are leaving the mountain a little earlier than planned. There is a huge storm coming through Denver and we thought it was wise to head down the mountain tonight.

As we were loading up in the trucks, the airline called and cancelled all of our flights. There are six couples here and we have all been rescheduled for six different flights on Monday all arriving at different times. Both of our trucks are in Little Rock, Arkansas, which is 3 hours from our home.

Our wonderful vacation just hit a major speed bump!

Colorado

Erik and I are stealing some time away with friends. I am so very thankful for this opportunity and I know it is going to be good for my mind and spirit. My home and kids are in the very best hands and I'm reminding myself of that every hour (especially the kids part.) Erik and I need this very much and I'm looking forward to this opportunity for us to reconnect.

Have a great week!!

The Wonder with a Funny Name

This is a sponsored post. Read below for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. 

As I think about Lucy's upcoming birthday, I am completely overwhelmed with emotion.  Amazed that this will be birthday #2 since her cancer diagnosis and so very thankful to have spent the past 7 years with one of the most amazing little girls in the world.  I was looking at some pictures of when she was little and I yearn to hold her again as a baby.  I can hardly remember what she felt like in my arms as a newborn, yet it seems just like yesterday.

And just like that, she grew.  How do you make it stop?  Do you really want to?  I long for those days sometimes, especially with Lucy.  When life was simple.  That girl has kept me on my toes from day one!

I have to giggle when I think about how far I have come as a mother.  Oh, how the little things would get me so worked up.  I could make a mountain out of a mole hill better than anyone I knew.  When Ella was born everything was a challenge.  My desire to be a perfectionist nearly killed me and ruined me of ever wanting any more children.  When Lucy came along, I had mellowed out a good bit, benefiting most from throwing away all the parenting books and just learning on the job.  Like when I discovered Boudreaux's Butt Paste.  

Like every mother before me, when a diaper rash reared its ugly head, I began to panic.  For our children, it seemed that as soon as you saw the first sign it was out of control by the next diaper.  One day I was walking through the grocery and saw this cute little yellow tube that read Boudreaux's Butt Paste.  How could you NOT buy it?  To my surprise, it worked better than any other cream or paste I had tried before.  I was honestly amazed at how quickly Lucy's rash disappeared.  When I told my mom about it, I remember her saying "Boud-what?"  Now when I give a baby gift or when I'm asked for new mom advice, I immediately tell my friends about Boudreaux.  

Ok.  So I have to know.  Am I the only one who had a rough go of it as a new mom?  I'd love to hear your "ah-ha" moments or maybe you have some helpful hints on how you prevent or treat diaper rash.  Or maybe you just have a funny story to tell about your experience with Boudreaux's.  Either way, I'd love for you to watch this hilarious video and then add your comments below for a chance to participate in this giveaway!



Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion and/or to share the above video; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and/or the above video, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 2/19/13 - 3/15/13
Be sure to visit the Boudreaux's Butt Paste brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

A Tutorial for a Sick Day

Spending a sick day snuggling on the couch. 

This is the second installment of my posts for Children's Mucinex.  Once again, you will have a chance to enter to win $100 at the conclusion of this post.  If you remember, I posted here about here about what we do when we are down and out with a cold.  You guys shared some great ideas of your own!  I think we would all agree that even with the extra snuggle time and lazy afternoons, having a cold just stinks!

The week after I wrote about our experience with Children's Mucinex, this is where I found myself...

Both Lucy and Jack were down for the count.  It was a hard week for sure.  This volatile Tennessee weather is just hard to live with sometimes, especially if you were born with a predisposition to allergies and sinus problems.  But, once again we make the most of it.

For us, that means getting creative when it comes to getting the kiddos to eat!  Have you heard the saying "starve a fever, feed a cold?"  I don't know where it came from or if its true, but it doesn't hold true with my children.  I think all the yucky "gunk" makes their tummies hurt and finding something they will eat is quite tricky.  That just means that its sometimes a whatever-they-will-eat situation at our house.  We often rely on carbonated drinks and yummy sweets.  I know, it's not super healthy but at least they are eating.

Besides keeping their tummies fed, I spend a lot of time trying to fill idle time.  While snuggling on the couch is so much fun, the kiddos grow weary of it after a while.  This is when things get interesting.  This past December, we decided to make dough ornaments on a day when one of the kiddos was under the weather. They had a blast and now I have keepsake ornaments to last a lifetime.  (be sure to shellac yours to keep them looking great.)

A few yummy treats and a fun activity go a long way towards making my children feel better when they have a cold, but the thing we can't live without is our Children's Mucinex.  I can give it to my babies for a runny nose or congestion and it helps thin the mucus that seems to stick in their throats.  I love that it helps control their coughs too.  Sleeping through the night is a challenge for all of us when one baby is sick, and getting a cough under wraps is the key!  If you have these problems, I highly recommend you give it a try!

If you have seen Children's Mucinex on the shelves and have wanted to give it a try, check out this coupon that's worth $2.00.  I sure thing you will be happy you did!

When your child has a bad cold, you both can feel miserable. Children's Mucinex is the #1 children's brand for relieving congestion* and provides fast acting relief from your child's worst cold symptoms. Try Children's Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold if your child needs relief from stuffy nose and chest congestion. Always use Children's Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold as directed. (*Based on IRI unit share data for the 52 weeks ending November 2012)

OK, it's your turn.  Comment below and answer the question, “ What activity makes your child smile when they are under the weather?”  When you comment you enter yourself  into the drawing for a $100 CVS card.  Good luck and may you be blessed with health and wellness!

No duplicate comments.
You may receive 1 total entry by leaving a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 2/6/2013 – 3/31/2013

Be sure to visit the Children's Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Give Thanks

Psalm 118

1Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

 5In my anguish I cried to the LORD,

and he answered by setting me free.

6The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

7The LORD is with me; he is my helper.

I will look in triumph on my enemies.

15Shouts of joy and victory

resound in the tents of the righteous:

“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!

16The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;

the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”

21I will give you thanks, for you answered me;

you have become my salvation.

28You are my God, and I will give you thanks;

you are my God, and I will exalt you.

29Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

Whirlwind of Activity

Wow!  Have you ever looked up and realized that days have passed and you have hardly blinked?  That's how my week seemed to go.  It's the way I actually like it to be, but I'm often amazed at how surprised I am when it happens.  Valentine's Day was filled with activities at school and Jack and I enjoyed being a part of Ella and Lucy's classes.

Valentine's Day was a very special day because Grandma and Grandpa came to visit.  Once they arrive, all rules and "order" fly out the window and full time spoiling begins.  It's so fun watching the children with Erik's parents and vice versa.  They have such a bond with each other due to the time we all spent together during Lucy's treatment.  I am so thankful that my children know both sets of their grandparents so well.  It's a blessing to have such a tight knit family, and God deserves all the glory for that.

Today we had a lazy morning and then headed over to watch Ella play her next to last basketball game.  It's always a bittersweet time.  I'll be glad to have my Monday nights and Saturday afternoons back, but I really do enjoy basketball season.  Ella has made huge strides this year and seems to be falling into a nice groove on the court.  I'm so very proud of her and I thank God daily for her abilities.

Ella's teacher came to watch her girls play today.  Isn't she such a doll?  We are blessed to have her as our teacher.

 

Is this picture not hilarious?  Jack was, once again, all over the court today during the game.

I took Ella to a birthday party today and had the chance to run into Target and Hobby Lobby.  It was a really fun afternoon and I was able to grab the remaining supplies for Lucy's Hello Kitty art birthday party.

While I took Ella to her party, Lucy participated in "Lucy Olympics" at home with Erik and her grandparents.  The sheer determination in this child is more than I can put into words.  I am humbled and inspired by her everyday.

I'll leave you with this picture.  My incredible husband is truly a God send.  I can't imagine life without him.  He is an amazing father and husband and I am so very blessed.  I love you, Erik.