Can you tell it is flu season?

I have been so busy lately. I seem to have very little time to do anything but stick swabs up noses! I know we say this every year, but this has been a bad season for us. All three of the docs I work with have gotten sick this season and I have had to fill in more than usual. One of them had flu and then pnuemonia a few weeks later. I feel like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop and for my family to get sick. Then of course we have been swamped. Today, by the timeI finished seeing the patients in the first two rooms, I had to send them both to the ER because they were so sick!

I think Josiah just got over his second bout of pneumonia as well. I say think because he had x-rays that looked okay and progressively got worse until we started antibiotics almost a week later. My poor kids have to be on their death bed before I give them antibiotics! And of course we were out of town when he got so sick. Steve stayed up all night in the hotel watching him one night. We didn't come home early because I was scared to have him on the road sounding like he did. Anyway he is much better now.

So I hope you all are staying well. Wash those hands! Cover that cough or sneeze and remember Tamiflu only helps if started within 48 hours of onset of symptoms!

Dedication

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1: 3 (NIV)

Isn't this the sweetest picture? Steve took this Sunday after Josiah's dedication. We just went out in the backyard and took several shots. There were a lot of good ones, but I like this one the most. If you look close you can see the cross embroidered on his little outfit.

Dedication day is so important to me. I really think this is one of the most important days as a parent. We put a lot of prayer and thought into his "life scripture" and prayer. It is so hard to pick out just one scripture that you desire to represent what you hope for this child. Steve and I consider it a great privelege to be able to raise these precious little ones. They are such a blessing. They bring joy and laughter to the adult world. They bring innocence, love and trust. They are very special little people. I pray that we raise them the way God desires.

Father, thank you for the privilege of raising Josiah. We pray that your Spirit will live in him everyday of his life, and that his passion will be to seek and fulfill your will and calling in his life. That he will proclaim your Word to others, and that his life will create a legacy of faithful service to your Kingdom.

6 months already!

Happy Birthday Tiger!

Well it is not exactly his birthday. That was a few weeks ago. But yesterday we celebrated his 5th birthday. So why did it take so long to celebrate? We had a joint party with his best friend. They are about 6 weeks apart in age and we tried to pick the middle. We rented the local inflatable jumping house and invited all their school friends and family. I think we had close to 30 kids there! It was a zoo, but so much fun! He has wanted to have a party at this place for some time so he was on cloud 9. He grinned all day long!

Hogan is my "life of the party kid". He lives life to the fullest. He loves just about everything and everybody. He stays on full throttle as long as he is awake! He reminds me that life can be fun, I mean lots of fun! Give him a bad situation and he will make lemonade from lemons! This little guy is teaching me to love life by just watching him. I think he will set the world on fire someday. He has the energy, tenacity and the bravery to do it! Now if I can just survive his raising to see it!!!!

We have called him Goose since he was an infant. He made this little noise as a newborn that we said sounded like a goose. Well it stuck and we have affectionately called him Goose for 5 years. Well a few months ago he said, "Mommy me not goose, me Hogan." I was stunned but very politely ignored it. Then a few weeks ago he told us he did not want to be called goose anymore, just Hogan. My heart was crushed, but we are trying to respect his request and not call him Goose anymore. I say trying because old habits are hard to break. We called him Goose as much or more than Hogan, at least at home. So this is my Hogan.

He said WHAT?

Tonight riding in the car Sarah began talking about a classmate of hers. They have recently rearranged their desks and she has new neighbors. One of the little boys is in trouble a lot. She has lots of stories about what this little boy does. Well, tonight she reported that he says '"bad" words. Her teacher asks them to tell her when he says these words, but apparantly asks that they not say the words but rather tell her what letter the word starts with. So, of course, I ask her what words he says. Sarah replies the "sh word". I was glad it was dark because I am sure my face changed! I am thinking no way is this little boy saying that in school. I know, I know it happens all the time, but not here in the bible belt! I work with some of these type kids everyday so I should not be surprised, but I am alarmed. I really don't want this child sitting next to mine. I don't want her to hear these words. I don't want her to even know they exists yet! Well she interupts my thoughts with the answer (just before I decide to pull her out and homeschool the sweet thing). She whispers the word "shut up". Wow, what a relief not at all what I was thinking. Then she says he also says the "d" word. Again a cascade of thought interupted by a quiet "dumb". What innocence, isn't it grand! Don't you wish you could go back to the days where shut up and dumb were curse words. I don't mean go back physically, but go back to that innocence. It is such a sweet trusting time that is never repeated in our lives. This conversation did give us the chance to talk about how we handle these situations and why we don't talk "that way". So if you are jaded by life, know that there are still sweet innocent children playing on playgrounds in America!

I need a shrink!

Okay, let's start by thinking about scary movies. You know the scene: a beautiful young barely dressed lady is about to do something that will put her in harms way. You know what you do: you yell at the TV telling her "DON"T DO IT!!!" Well, today that beautiful young lady was me, except I assure you I was fully dressed! I am thinking about procuring food and realize I can not remember the last time I had a Big Mac! So what do I do? Yeah, place myself in danger! I go directly to the drive through and order one! The whole time I hear this voice inside my head shouting "Don't do it". Why am I so good at ignoring this voice? This has actually happened to me twice! I ate the whole thing both times and was sorry I did. I have just lost my taste for them. This is such a good thing and I keep pushing it! The good news is I think I have only had two in the past 3 or 4 months! (We won't talk about my new found love Chick-fil-A! or my continued addiction to cokes!)

Imagine That!

Well January 1st came and went and I am still the same old me. I had such high hopes this year that I would turn into Ms. Perfect as soon as the ball dropped. I was going to exercise multiple times a week, keep the most clean and organized home, cook wonderful healthy meals every night, and spend hours playing with my children and read my Bible daily. I don't know why I thought I would be able to do all this but it was a good goal. I have done some of all of it, but not in the large amounts I had dreamed. Why do we hold perfection out there for us to strive for? I feel like the proverbial donkey with a silly carrot hanging off a stick in front of my nose. The problem is that someone made the stick too long! In my case the stick is comprised of too few hours in a day and "want to". Some of you may call it lazy. I just need to sit down occasionally and that really eats into the too few hours problem. Now I will admit I don't sit down a lot, but apparently I should sit down less. I already eat my lunch standing at the kitchen counter most days. I often eat breakfast in the car so I guess that counts as an okay time to sit down. Dinner is debatable, but usually we try to sit down together as a family. I sit down to nurse the baby and don't really want to give that up. So I have given up some computer time! I check email less frequently and only cruse my friends blogs a few times a week. But this still doesn't get it all done. So I think I will combine my goals. If I run while cleaning and read while nursing and make cooking a game maybe I will become that woman yet!

A good reminder

I am very tired but just wanted to check in and tell you a little about my day. I kept a friends two kiddos today. She has gone to care for her parents for a few days and her husband had to go to meetings today. They were really good and played well with mine. It actually made for a very nice day. I had to take them to run several errands today. While driving down the street we passed a cemetery. One child spoke up and said look at where those people die. Of course I am just driving and had not even paid attention to the cemetery. So this statement wakes me up and now I am looking for dying people on the side of the road! The other child says, "No that's where they just lay their skin." Now the wheels are turning in my head. I have been missing mom terribly lately. I keep wanting to tell her something or ask a question, but mostly just chat like we used to. You know that comfortable idle talk we girls like. So this statement came at such a good time for me. It reminds me that mom's skin is there but she isn't. It made me remember some things I tried to keep my mind on when she first passed away. I would think about what I thought she might be doing in heaven at that very moment, who she had breakfast with, what life long question had she finally found the answer to today. This simple statement reminded me that this life is only dress rehearsal. Our "final act" is in fact eternal. She is now living in God's presence. How awesome is that?!
Thank you dear little friend for pulling me back to reality and reminding me of our true hope!