It's Not a Toy!

Some may remember how I recently shared that my mom sent a few cute little things to hang on a rack that I have that is for the express purpose of hanging cute little things.  We actually joint-own it, but right now it is in my house. 

I have yet to hang the rack on the wall...but I hope to get that done soon.  Well, I hope that Mike will get that done soon.  I just don't like putting nails in walls, when I don't know the first thing about studs and plaster and all that stuff. 

Each time I spoke with my mom since she sent the cute little things she asked,"Have you put those things on the rack yet?!"  She wants to see them.  I've had to tell her no each time, that the rack wasn't hung up, and so I hadn't put the things on there.  (Mike is working on something that is very time-consuming, and I haven't snagged him to hang the rack.)  She said,"Can't you just put them on there, even though it's leaning?"

Well, of course I can.  So I did.  And then later that night this is what I found...

Do you want to guess who arranged all my cute little hanging things in such an...hmmm, interesting manner?  I would give you three guesses, but one of the guessees is way too short to have accomplished such a task, and so that leaves two.  And one of the two guessees left is way too boy to have wanted to arrange tiny kitchen tools, so that leaves one.  And the one that is left is talented, wouldn't you say?  She has a unique eye for decorating.

Here is how she found it, before adding her own decorative twist...

I think it will be super cute when it's really up on the wall.  But the little hanging things are adorable.  So tiny.  And just so cute!

The Shadow of His Wings

My parents just finished writing their Christmas letter, and they sent it out this morning; they included a picture that I took with the kids, while we were on Skype. 

When we're all together, then it's a family portrait...but this will have to do this year. 

In their letter (I heard it, even though I haven't seen it yet) they share about all the different things that happened this year, just like most Christmas letters.  They visited with us, helped us move, celebrated Eliana's birthday here; they also did some vacation traveling just the two of them.  They shared about my brother and what he's up to.  There is also the story of how they told the congregation (my dad is a pastor in Virginia) that Dad will retire in May; he's been at the church for 36 years (correct me on that if you need to, parents).  This year has held a lot for them...they've both seen changes in others' lives and experienced changes in their own.

Mike and I are both blessed to have our parents still in our lives.  I usually take that for granted, in the sense that I don't think about it too much.  I'm so grateful that they are, and even though we're far apart, we get to talk very often, we get to see them (my mom and dad) on the computer frequently, and we are able to visit with them several times a year. 

Back to the Christmas letter...when you send out your letter so that it gets to people before Christmas, there may be things that don't get included, since they haven't happened yet.  Like...when you have a car accident where someone runs into you, but you see it coming and as a reaction you try to veer out of the way.  But you're hit and your car swerves and flips two or three times, leaving you topsy-turvy and your car on its side in the ditch.

I got a phone call earlier today and I thank God that it was my mom telling me the story and not someone else.  She told me not to be upset, but she had something to tell me.  Well...that's always a good beginning!  She went on to say that they had been in a "pretty horrific car accident".  They were fine, the car was not, and the brunswick stew that they had been transporting to my aunt and uncle's house was now thrown all about Highway whatever-the-number-is.  The checkbook and an important recipe were recovered.

They both walked away from the car, although they had help getting out of it.  My mom impressed me by explaining how she managed to stick her foot up on the dashboard and somehow get out of her door, with help from a man that had stopped to give them aid.  Getting my dad out was a bit more difficult, as his door was the one that was facing down.  I can only imagine the whole scene.  She said it all happened so fast, yet it was like it was in slow motion.  Somehow that makes perfect sense.

Tonight I have been thinking about all of our visits this year and in years past.

I've been thinking of all of the joy they bring and how much they love the kids.  They love to send little packages with gifts for each one throughout the year.

My mom writes little notes and uses stickers; my dad sometimes adds a little note as well.  They sent a small Star Wars notebook to Christian around Halloween and the first page had a letter for him from my dad, since they had watched SO MUCH Star Wars the last time they visited. 

I have been thinking about how much I love these moments spent with them.  I cherish the time we have, especially because we are half a country away.

They have given their time, to pore through our mail, to sort through our boxes, and to move our furniture and wash the dishes and put away the laundry.

They have loved us.  And loved us.  And loved us.  (My mom made that little shift that Michaela is wearing...years ago, out of fabric that belonged to my grandmother.  Michaela has only just now stopped wearing it.)

And we love them.  I love them.  And I'm so very thankful that they are still around so that I can tell them so.

I love you, Dad.

I love you, Mom.

And God...thank you for sparing them.  I don't understand your ways...I know full well that things could have been very different.  Who can question the sovereign Lord of all creation?  I can only say thank you for your protection over my mom and dad.  Amen.

--an addition--

I just spoke with and saw my parents, via Skype; their computer managed to survive the accident...

Here is my dad's poor head...

He has no hair to protect it!  It's a good thing that the Lord who knows the number of hairs on our heads was watching over his.

And here they are, at the end of their long day...

My mom had just said how aware she now was of how quickly things can change, that they could have been gone.  They could have not been here.  But they are.  Thank you, gracious God.  She went on to say that all we can do is wake up each day, grateful to be alive.  And then to live that day the best we can...for Him.

I've Said It Before...I Can't Help It

I can't help it that she looks so cute when she's walking down the sidewalk in a hat with stegasaurus lumps on top...

Or that the blue in her hat and coat bring out her eyes in an amazing way...

Or that she has the sweetest cheeks...

Or that her nose is so adorable...

Or that she just stops and looks so precious that I have to capture the moment, the expression.  EVERY. SINGLE.  TIME.

She's getting so big, I can't believe it, and I want to remember each thing that she does...

from going down the slide all by herself to swinging on the big swings..."faster, faaasterrr!!"

I tried to get these two...

but they were pretty busy, and mostly running in the field afar off...

They are almost nine and seven.  She's headed that way.  It's fast, and everyone told me it would be so...just one of those true things.  Some days you wish it were faster!  But some days you want it to slow down. 

Today was a good day.

A Christmas Letter to an Old Friend

Dear Laundry, my good, old friend,

I just wanted you to know, in light of the Christmas season and all of the wonderful things that are wrapped up in it (no pun intended), I am giving you a vacation!  There are so many gifts bestowed upon me, not only at Christmastime but all year, both tangible and untangible, and I just want to give back a little.  I am releasing you from all of your regular duties for a while...there will be no need to pile up in every room of the house, clean or dirty!  You won't have to worry about lurking here, there, and everywhere so that every time I turn around I see some new article of clothing or other thing that I have to wash (blankets, towels, or sheets).  You can relax and have fun doing things that you really want to do these next few days.  Maybe you can get some of your own shopping done (or mine, for that matter!).  You could check out the giant washers at the laundromats.  Or maybe you could just tuck in with a good book that you've been wanting to read.  Whatever you do, feel free to make yourself scarce.  No, really.  Totally scarce.  It will be great for the both of us!

Sincerely wishing you a Merry Christmas,

Christina

Check-up

Well, we spent the morning in an unexpected way...I took Eliana in to the pediatrician because she has had a stubborn cough and runny/stuffy nose that won't go away.  It's been on and off ever since the beginning of the school year, which I figured would happen because she was going to be exposed to a lot of new germs in her co-op.  She had never been in anything like that before. 

I was not anticipating months of stuffy noses, and hacking coughs, and sleepless nights.

Wait, the sleepless nights were already plaguing us...that's a whole separate story, I suppose.

This week she has had a fever that was as high as 103, and then as low as, well, as her regular temperature, which isn't a fever, so whatever.  It was up and down.  This morning it was back up, to 101.7, and she seemed even more stuffed up than ever.  I had talked with my sister-in-law over the last couple of days about Eliana, and she encouraged me to take her in; there was no point in her suffering on and on when they might be able to see or hear exactly what was wrong and do something to help her feel better, and get better.

So, I called this morning, and they had an opening at 10 a.m.; in we went.  Our nurse came in and got some info, and did a swab on her nose and in the back of her mouth (poor baby, I thought she was going to throw up right there...they really put that giant Q-tip way back there!), but those tests came back negative.  No strep and no flu.  That was good news.

Then the pediatrician came in; it was not our regular doctor.  She examined Eliana quite thoroughly, however, and asked a lot of questions about her, and her snottiness, and coughing, and breathing over the last few months.  Unfortunately, I haven't been paying super careful attention to how she breathes, because I just figured she had a little cold.  She remains perky, and her appetite is normal (whatever that means!), and she plays just like always.  Over Thanksgiving, I was a little worried about her cough, but as far as I can remember, it sorted itself out, and now here we are. 

I wish I had a better memory when it comes to things like this...she asked me about how long Eliana had been coughing, and her runny nose, and I just can't remember.  It seems like it's been going on forever, but not continually.  I know, that doesn't make any sense.  I did take her in at some point (before or after Thanksgiving?) and Dr. Abel (our normal ped.) said that she just had the crud, a cold or something that had her stopped up, and the drainage was causing the cough.  Her ears and her lungs sounded perfect.

That's totally what I expected to hear when I went in today.  It's what they always say,"What you hear sounds really bad, but it's just all that drainage rattling around in the back of the throat."  Instead, the other doctor, Dr. Peterman, listened, and moved to a different spot and listened, and moved to the back and listened, and then to the chest again, and then the side, and then the back...you get the point.  I kept waiting for her to say,"All clear!"  But she just kept listening!  Oh, and she kept running her finger down Eliana's tummy.

Finally she sat back and told me that there were some things she wanted to keep a close eye on.  She noticed that Eliana was using her tummy in order to breathe; of course I couldn't tell her if that was normal...I don't usually watch Eliana breathe!  She said it might indicate that her lungs were not in full working order (i.e. they had fluid in them) and so she had to rely on other muscle groups in order to breathe.  I asked if it were possible that it was just her congestion, that her nose was so stuffed up that she had to breathe out of her mouth, which might cause the tummy invovlement.  She said that was possible.  She pointed out that Eliana had some tiny red bumps on her tummy, even down into the top of her diaper area...this was just so that we knew they were there already and not a reaction to medicine, if that were prescribed.

She went on to recommend a chest x-ray, as well as a breathing test and an oxygen test.  Her breathing rate was high, but that could be because she had a fever.  I took her over to the imaging center and fortunately didn't have to wait for very long.  The technician was very nice which helped, since Eliana had fallen asleep on the way there, and as I wheeled her stroller into the room she woke up.  I was beginning to take her cozy jammies off and she immediately began protesting.  I would too!  She cried through the whole thing, but she was still and they got the images that they needed.  She did get to sit on my lap, so it's not like she was all by herself, just woken up, on the big, cold table with a giant machine over or beside her. 

When we left I asked if she wanted Chick-Fil-A and she perked right up,"Yeah!  Chict-a-way!"  And she ate a couple of nuggets, drank her milk, had a few fries, and now seems just fine. 

I called the pediatrician's office to tell them about a breathing count I did here at home (doctor's orders) and the nurse told me that the x-ray results showed a case of bronchitis, so no pneumonia.  I'm so relieved that it wasn't!  She told me to watch her carefully and call if things got bad, if she seemed like she was having real trouble breathing.  I'm also going in in the morning for a follow-up with our regular doctor. 

It's interesting to me to think about, since I was going to take her in yesterday, but didn't.  I took her in today, when her doctor wasn't there, so she was seen by the much more precautious pediatrician.  Maybe Someone timed the visit so that Eliana would see the doctor she was supposed to see.  I don't doubt that if our doctor had heard anything suspicious he would have taken action as well, but he is much more laid back than this other doc.  I'm grateful for the other doctor's thoroughness, and extra care and concern she exhibited.  It may be that her precaution will keep Eliana from getting to a worse condition. 

She looks pretty rough, doesn't she?

So today and tonight I will keep a close eye on her, and pray that things are okay.  I have been praying that the Lord will help her little body to fight whatever is in there.  I pray that He helps her to heal.  It's hard to see your children sick; Christian has some nose/throat crud right now, too, but no fever.  I pray that they will be able to fight it, and kick it, and be healthier for it in the end.  I don't usually ask people for prayer...I have issues.  But, it seems wise to let others in on our lives, when these things come up.  Lifting one another up before the Great Healer is an honor, and a help that we can give to one another.  I'll pray for health for all those that I know, and would you please pray that Eliana would be all right?  And that the rest of us would be healthy as well.  I have a pretty nasty head thing going on, and so does Mike (he lost his voice earlier this week).  Christian is fighting something.  Michaela has been blowing her nose since yesterday, but so far she's the healthiest one of us all.  She might be cooking dinner the next couple of days!

Thanks for listening...it's a big and small world, no?