CHANGE OF PLANS!

THIS PAST WEEKEND, CARTER HAD HIS FIRST HOSPITAL STAY. WE WERE THERE FOR 4 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS! 

OKAY SO MONDAY, CARTER STARTS COMPLAINING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIS STOMACH HURTING. BY WEDNESDAY EVENING HE WAS RUNNING FEVER AND HAVING DIARRHEA! I THOUGHT IT MIGHT ONLY BE A 24 HOUR VIRUS OR SOMETHING SO WE WENT ON ABOUT OUR USUAL DAY ON THURSDAY BUT BY THURSDAY NIGHT HIS FEVER HIT 103 AND HE WAS HAVING DIARRHEA EXTREMELY BAD. SO FIRST THING FRIDAY MORNING I GET HIM AN APPOINTMENT AT OUR REGULAR DOCTOR. TAKE HIM IN AND DR DELLINGER TELLS ME HE DEHYDRATED AND I NEED TO TAKE HIM TO LEBONHEUR CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL TO THE ER. SO I CALL GENE AND GET HIM ON HIS WAY TO MEET US FROM WORK. SURE ENOUGH, THEY TAKE ONE LOOK AT HIS TONGUE AND SAY HE NEEDS FLUIDS BAD! THEY GAVE HIM SOME PAIN MEDICINE THRU HIS NOSE TO CALM HIM DOWN AND THEN PUT THE IV IN. CARTER DID SO GOOD! HE WAS SUCH A BRAVE LITTLE BOY!THEY TOLD HIM THAT THE IV WAS GIVING HIS ARM A DRINK OF WATER AND HE LIKED THAT! THANK GOODNESS DADDY WAS THERE THOUGH BECAUSE THIS MOMMY ALMOST PASSED OUT WHEN THEY WERE DOING THE IV AND HAD TO STEP OUT OF THE ROOM. I HADN'T EATIN' IN 4 HOURS BY THAT TIME AND ME AND BLOOD AND NEEDLES DON'T MIX ANY WAY. NOT SO GOOD! WE MADE IT AND HE WATCHED TV AND TOOK A LITTLE NAP WHILE DADDY WENT HOME AND TOOK A SHOWER, GOT US A FEW THINGS, AND BROUGHT MOMMY BACK SOMETHING TO EAT. AROUND 5:00 WE FINALLY GOT PUT UPSTAIRS TO HIS NEW ROOM. HE WAS SO HAPPY TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE BED AND LOOK OUT HIS WINDOW. MAN, DID WE HAVE A GREAT VIEW! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO WATCH THE SUN SET FROM THE 12TH FLOOR. THREE LONG DAYS LATER, WE FINALLY GOT THE FEVER, DIARRHEA, AND DEHYDRATION BACK TO NORMAL AND HEADED HOME!

WE JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF LEBONHEUR FOR TAKING SUCH GOOD CARE OF OUR LITTLE BOY! THE DOCTOR'S, NURSES AND STAFF ARE AMAZING WITH CHILDREN! I WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED TO BE ANYWHERE ELSE!

WE ALSO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT CAME TO VISIT, SENT GIFTS AND CARDS, AND PRAYED FOR US WHILE WE WERE THERE! ALL OF YOUR SWEET THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS WERE REALLY APPRECIATED! WE HAVE THE BEST FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT ANYONE COULD EVER ASK FOR! GOD IS SO GOOD ALL THE TIME! NO WE DIDNT PLAN THIS BUT GOD DID. OUR PLANS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK WERE TO GO TO VAN BUREN MISSOURI TO CURRENT RIVER FOR THE WEEKEND WITH OUR FAMILY. BY THURSDAY MORNING MY GREAT AUNT DIED AND OUR PLANS HAD CHANGED TO GOING TO HER FUNERAL AND THE KIDS GOING TO A BIRTHDAY PARTY AND BY FRIDAY MORNING OUR PLANS WERE TO BE RIGHT THERE IN THE HOSPITAL WITH OUR LITTLE BOY FOR THE WEEKEND! GOD KNOWS JUST WHAT WE NEED. WE MIGHT THINK WE ARE IN CHARGE SOMETIMES BUT WE NEVER ARE! GOD PLANS OUR DAYS WEEKENDS AND LIVES OUT THE WAY HE WANTS THEM TO BE LONG BEFORE WE CAN THINK ABOUT THEM!

 IN THE EMERGENCY WAITING ROOM.

 JUST GOT HIS IV IN. SUCH A BIG BRAVE LITTLE BOY!

 EATING A POPSICAL WAITING TO GO UPSTAIRS

HE KEPT TELLING ME "BUT MOMMY IM NOT SLEEPY" 5 MINUTES LATER HE WAS OUT!

 FINALLY GETTING TO GO TO OUR ROOM! HE LOOKS SO PITIFUL IN THIS PICTURE! HE WAS FEELING PRETTY BAD!

THIS IS THE FIRST THING HE DID WHEN HE GOT TO HIS ROOM! GOT IN THAT WINDOW!

 SAM CAME TO VISIT! HE WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE HER!

 SO SWEET!

 PLAYING GAMES WITH DADDY! GENE STAYED UP TILL 3 IN THE MORNING PLAYING GAMES ON THIS THING!

 PLAYING HIS NEW CARS CONNECT FOUR THAT GRANDMA BROUGHT!

 JAYCIE CAME TO VISIT A FEW TIMES! EMILY AND MY MOM TOOK SUCH GOOD CARE OF HER WHILE WE WERE WITH CARTER!

 GRANDMA CAME TO VISIT A FEW TIMES AND LET ME AND GENE GET AWAY FOR AN HOUR FOR DINNER.

 HIS CUTE MONKEY BALLOON DADDY PICKED OUT FOR HIM

 PRECIOUS ZOE AND ZADIE CAME TO VISIT! HE LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH THEM!

I SLEPT IN THE BED WITH CARTER AT NIGHT AND GENE SLEPT ON THE COUCH THAT MADE A BED! IT WAS REALLY COMFY AND WE SLEPT GOOD ALL THREE NIGHTS!

AND FINALLY GETTING READY TO LEAVE! EATING HIS LAST LUNCH FROM THE HOSPITAL!


CARTER'S DOCTOR CALLED THIS AFTERNOON TO TELL US THAT LEBONHEUR CALLED AND SAID THAT THE TEST RESULTS JUST CAME BACK AND CARTER DID HAVE SALMONELLA. HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN IT ANYWHERE. WE ARE JUST VERY THANKFUL HE GOT OVER IT AND IS WELL NOW!
LORD PLEASE KEEP OUR BABIES SAFE AND HEALTHY ALWAYS! 

SEA SHELLS AND CRABS!

CAN YOU TELL WE ARE READY FOR THE BEACH? AFTER THE WEEK WE JUST HAD, LAYING ON THE BEACH IS JUST WHAT I NEED! IM READY TO BE CRAB AND SEA SHELL HUNTING WITH MY BABIES AND JUST TAKING IT EASY! JULY 20TH CANT COME SOON ENOUGH!

ONE BIG SURPRISE!

SO, I KNOW I HAVE A LOT OF CATCHING UP TO DO ON THIS BLOG BUT I WANTED TO POST THIS ONE FIRST BECAUSE THE OTHER WILL TAKE ME A WHILE. WHEN CARTER GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, HE HAD ONE BIG SURPRISE WAITING ON HIM. GRAMS, PAPA, GRANDMA, MEME AND CASEY ALL WENT IN TOGETHER AND GOT CARTER AND JAYCIE A MINIATURE HORSE. IT IS THE CUTEST, SMALLEST HORSE I HAVE EVER SEEN. JUST THEIR SIZE! HIS NAME IS CHEROKEE. I CANT WAIT FOR THEM TO GET A SADDLE SO THEY CAN START RIDING HIM! I CAN JUST SEE THEM NOW RIDING HIM IN THE HORSE SHOWS AT THE RIDING CLUB! SO CUTE! 

(EMILY HAS THE CUTE PICTURES ON HER CAMERA THAT I WILL GET ON HERE SOON)

ALMOST VACATION TIME

 ONE MONTH FROM TODAY, WE WILL BE SOAKING UP THE SUN ON THE BEACH AND VISITING GENE'S FAMILY IN SPRING LAKE, NEW JERSEY! WE ARE SO EXCITED! GENE, CARTER AND I WENT ONCE BEFORE WHEN CARTER WAS 2 MONTHS OLD. IT WAS IN FEBRUARY SO OF COURSE IT WAS WAY TO COLD TO BE ON THE BEACH SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BEACH AND BOARD WALK THIS TIME! GENE'S GRANDMOTHER JUST TURNED 90 SO THIS WILL BE A SPECIAL TRIP SPENT WITH HER! CARTER'S LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING FISHING IN THE BIG BOAT WITH UNCLE PAUL! AFTER SPENDING 7 DAYS IN NEW JERSEY WE ARE HEADING DOWN TO NORTH CAROLINA TO SPEND 3 DAYS WITH GENE'S DADS SIDE OF THE FAMILY! WE ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT ALSO. THIS WILL BE OUR FIRST TIME THERE!

YARD WORK AND BABY BIRDS

 TODAY WHEN DADDY GOT HOME FROM WORK, HE MOWED THE YARD WHILE I WEEDED THE FLOWER BEDS! TO GIVE THE KIDS SOMETHING TO DO WHILE WE WORKED, I SET UP THE POOL IN THE FRONT YARD FOR THEM. THEY LOVE TO SWIM! THEIR FRIEND CAROLINE FROM NEXT DOOR CAME AND PLAYED WITH THEM FOR A FEW MINUTES WHILE HER DADDY GOT DINNER READY. I'M SO GLAD WE LIVE IN A QUIET AND FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD!

SO THESE ARE OUR NEWEST BABY BIRDS. WE HAVE BIRDS ON OUR FRONT PORCH EVERY YEAR. THE FIRST SUMMER IT WAS SO CUTE. THE NEXT YEAR IT WAS STILL PRETTY CUTE BUT NOW THE 4TH YEAR HAVING AT LEAST TWO SETS OF BABY BIRDS ON OUR PORCH IS NOT SO CUTE. THEY ARE SO MESSY AND LOUD! THESE BIRDS ARE PLANTED RIGHT ABOVE OUR FRONT DOOR SO YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE WHAT OUR FRONT DOOR AND SURROUNDING AREA LOOKS LIKE! UGH! THESE LITTLE BIRDS TODAY WE'RE SITTING THERE WITH THEIR MOUTHS WIDE OPEN WAITING ON THEIR MOMMY TO BRING THEM A WORM! ITS SO AMAZING TO THINK ABOUT HOW A BIRD CAN MAKE A NEST LIKE THAT!  ITS GOD'S WONDERFUL CREATIONS!

FUN IN THE SUN

 TODAY AFTER CHURCH WE WENT TO MINGS TO EAT FOR FATHER'S DAY AND THEN WENT HOME TO TAKE NAPS. AFTER NAP TIME WE TOOK A BOSTON BUTT AND ALL THE TRIMMINGS OVER TO GRAMS AND PAPA'S HOUSE FOR DINNER. THE KIDS PLAYED IN THEIR SWIMMING POOL AND RODE THERE TRACTOR AND JEEP. THEY HAD A FUN TIME! I AM SO THANKFUL FOR OUR WONDERFUL FAMILIES AND THE TIMES WE HAVE TOGETHER!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

 HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO MY WONDERFUL DAD AND HUSBAND! THEY BOTH ARE AMAZING FATHER'S WHO DESERVE A SPECIAL DAY FROM US TO JUST SAY THANK YOU! GOD CHOSE THEM TO BE DADS AND I'M SURE THEY HAVE MADE HIM PROUD! THANK YOU JIMMY FOR STEPPING IN AND TAKING US IN LIKE YOUR OWN WHEN YOU NEVER HAD TO! YOU HAVE BEEN MORE TO US THAN WE EVER DESERVED! THANK YOU GENE FOR BEING AN AMAZING HUSBAND AND MOST OF ALL AN AMAZING FATHER TO OUR CHILDREN! I'M SO GLAD GOD CHOSE YOU FOR ME, CARTER, AND JAYCIE! 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THOSE WONDERFUL FATHER'S OUT THERE, HERE ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN!

DANCING IN THE RAIN!

 THIS AFTERNOON WE HAD A LIL STORM COME OUR WAY AND AS SOON AS IT WAS OVER, CARTER WAS WANTING TO GO OUTSIDE TO PLAY IN THE PUDDLES! BOTH KIDS RAN AND GOT THEIR BOOTS AND COATS ON AND OUTSIDE WE WENT! THEY HAD A BALL! I LOVE HEARING THEIR SWEET INNOCENT GIGGLES! NEEDLESS TO SAY WE HEADED STRAIGHT TO THE BATH TUB AS SOON AS THEY WERE DONE! ITS SO WORTH IT THOUGH, SEEING THEIR HAPPY SMILES!

LIFE IS NOT ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS, ITS LEARNING TO DANCE IN THE RAIN!