Birthday Party and Trick or Treating

She's Five!!!! A Whole Hand!!!

These posts will probably always go together. Ansley's birthday is exactly a week from Halloween. This was the first year I actually let her wear her costume to her party. A few of the other kids wore theres too. From the pictures I have it looks like her party was in a bar :) But it wasn't ...... it was in my Dad and Barbies game room. No bars yet!

I couldn't get a picture with everyone. There was at least 40 or so people there! We have great family and friends!

On to Halloween...... Ansley was Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) so far she has been Cinderella, Ariel, and Tinkerbell. The way I see it we have just a few more princess and then she can be something fun like a lady bug or a kitty. Maybe next year I can talk her into something else. But read the post below and like I said she knows her own mind and she is pretty adamant about her costumes :) And hey I have to pick my battles..... and this one isn't a big one :) The girls got all dressed up and we went to grab a bite to eat at McDonald's. Oh and that was an adventure in it self. Abby reached across the table and spilled a huge orange drink in my lap......thank the lord it was my lap and not Ansleys. I'm pretty sure the world would have come to an end as we knew it :) So I went home and changed and trick or treating went as planned. We visited all the family and then went door to door in Nanny and Gramp's neighborhood. They got more candy then they could ever eat so of course being the good mom, I might have to help :) All in all it was a GREAT night and the girls had fun.

At McDonald's before the incident.

Trick or treating at Grandma's house. Kinley was a Red Raider Cheerleader. I tried all night and this was the best picture I got of her. Stinker! :)

Stole this one from Haley!

Oh and HOW ABOUT THEM RED RAIDERS??!!!!!!!!

I couldnt post and not say anything about that GREAT game!

My Big Girl

My baby is 5. Even as I type it it doesn't seem possible. It seems like yesterday we had her. I think back to those days after having her and all the feelings come back. Not so great ones..... she had breathing problems most of you know. She was amazing but fear over took our lives. It took 2 of us to feed her. Me holding her and Eric at my side with the oxygen for when she quit breathing. Not if but when. A happy but scary day.... We gave all the monitors back when she was 7 months old and my life has never been the same. I had to make the choice to trust God with my little girl. I prayed every night and morning that she would be breathing when I went in to get her up. Imagine the days she slept in and I slept in ...... the fear I had was crazy. Every mom out there can relate to that fear. But what a testimony I have. I grew in the Lord so much in this time. Our daughter is living and breathing (talking all the time). You would never know that she had any issues at all.

To My Ansley: I love everything about you. I love the way you already have your own mind (that's an understatement). I love how you hug my neck and tell me I'm the bestest momma ever. I love how you have to give everyone a million hugs and kisses before they leave. I love to listen to your prayers at night ... I can picture God smiling at all the hilarious things you say. You have such a huge heart. I love to listen to you sing and watch you dance! Your favorite song is Mighty to Save and every time you hear it on your radio you make me run in your room and listen to it too. You are a lover of people! You are such an encourager! I love how you love your daddy! Most of all I love your laugh! I am so blessed to get to spend my days with you. I will miss you so much next year. I know you will enjoy school so much. But its bittersweet to me. I am so proud to be your mom. I just cant believe your five!!!! I love you so much and I'm so excited because I know God has big plans for you and I'm so blessed I get to watch! I know you will have a great birthday there are so many people who love you too!

Isaiah 41:13

13 For I hold you by your right hand—
I, the Lord your God.
And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

This is Ansley's bible verse she says every night when she goes to bed. She heard me say to Eric last night I was scared to have my staples out. She grabs my hands and tells me "Momma don't you remember Isaiah 41:13" ..... and she proceeds to tell me the verse. And I cant tell you how much the smile on her face and the picture of my God holding my hand was so comforting. Sometimes I think this is never going to end but everyday I'm getting better. I cant wait for the day when I'm glad I did this :)
I actually drove myself to the Dr today and I am now staple free! Yeah!!!!! It wasn't so bad. I had a picture in my head that they took them out with needle nose pliers and just pulled. They don't :) I'm so excited ..... I get to take a real shower tomorrow night. Another Yeah!!!! And I found out today that I get to take these nasty, tight, ugly (I think you get how I feel about them) white socks off for a whole 8 hrs a day. I asked about them last week at my visit and they said I have to wear them for six long weeks. They left out the part where I get to take them off for part of the day! Another Yeah!!!!! I ditched the walker (complete with tennis balls on the feet - you know your jealous) and Im now walking with my cane again. Yeah!!!!
Its crazy I started this blog thing for Ansley and its pretty much all about me. So hopefully since I'm getting better I wont have much to write about me!
I need to say thank you to all the people who have helped my little family! Wow I'm blessed! Eric is doing much better and Ansley is such a little encourager. She always tells me how good I'm walking and is always eager to be my helper. Words can not express how much I love those two!
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Blessings to you!

Prayers Please!!!!

Again this is going to be short and sweet. I don't know why but my head doesn't quite work right yet. Its getting better. I can watch TV and focus but I cant read yet :( The post below took me a whole hour to type. I know crazy huh? I'm typing now not for me but for Eric. He saw a Dr last night and his blood pressure was 178 over 115. That's high!!!!!! He went because we thought he had shingles. He does! You get them from stress but you have to have them treated with steroids and antibiotics. So 140$ on prescriptions later hes on the road to recovery. I'm not doing so good either. I go see the Dr tomorrow to see if everything is ok. Mentally I'm doing better today rather than a few days ago. It hit me that this is going to take a really long time to get better. I know some of you are saying well Duh!!!(that's a bad word too) But to me I thought it wouldn't hurt so bad and maybe not take as long. I just want to be normal again! Anyways I'm rambling about me and that's not what this is about. Eric ----- he needs your prayers! He has been the most amazing husband and it makes me so sad that he has to keep all this inside to the point hes made himself really sick. God is bigger than all this!!!!! Love to you all!!!

Home!

This is going to be short and sweet :) I got home last night about 8:30 or so. Thank you for all the prayers! I have had issues with pain meds all this time but I am going to make it :) Sorry to all the friends that called before the surgery and I didn't call you back. I love you all but I really couldn't talk about it................ not really sure if I can yet. But please know I'm not ungrateful!!!!! I have gotten all your messages and cherish them all.
Heidi

Corndogs, Doctors and God

Its been a while and not much has been going on here. It makes it kinda hard to be exciting when we have to stay home 90% of the time. But on Monday we took the girls to the fair. We ate corndogs, funnel cakes, cotton candy (Ansley) and corn on the cob. That's the only reason to go to the fair ....hello the food! Well and to let the girls go to the petting zoo. I was really excited to see Kinley but she was a little disappointing. She had fun but she wasn't as thrilled as I thought she would be. Ansley said something pretty cute I thought...... we were in line at our church's corndog stand and Ed (our pastor) was talking to her through the window and told Ansley "I have a corn dog with your name on it". Well a little later while eating my very literal daughter said to me with all seriousness "Ed said this corn dog would have my name on it" and obviously it didn't. :) All in all it was a good time.














I went to the Dr for my pre op visit yesterday and to my pre surgery class. There is this whole other world out there for hip replacement people that I had no idea even existed. It went pretty good except there was alot of walking. Eric asked me why I didn't ask for a wheel chair....... well to be honest (I'm always honest) the thought never crossed my mind. I told Eric there would have been no one to push me and you know my measly arm muscles wouldn't get me very far :) Ansley stayed the night with her Nona since my appointment was at 9. She had a blast. When Shelly brought her back Ansley crashed on my bed with me for about an hour. For those of you who know Ansley .........that is very rare. She was so cute. If I could have gotten out of bed I would have taken a picture. When she was asleep like that I couldn't help think how little she still is ..... its only when shes asleep though. When shes awake she talks all the time and that's when you forget shes only 4. I love how her little mind works!

Last night like I said I couldn't get out of bed. I have never felt pain like I did last night. Never! It started when I went to the fair (I know I shouldn't have gone but seeing Ansley and Kinley there is something I could never get back) and then the Drs yesterday. I didn't have time to get better. By last night I had taken every kind of medicine I had and nothing would put a dent in it. I told Eric if I didn't get any relief in an hour we were going to the hospital and they could just knock me out. The meds I had were the strongest you can get and they did nothing. I finally turned to him! God! Why I do that when I can no longer take it I don't know.I should start there! I guess I try it my way first, second and on and on until I finally give up and give it to him. I don't know if others out there are the same but I like to control everything. And hes telling me I cant control him. He wants to be with me in every moment of every day. So I'm laying there crying (which I hate to do) and I told Eric to call my mother in law and ask her to pray for me. So Eric, Shelly, Lisa and I prayed and I would love to say I was immediately healed but I wasn't. Not that I don't think he could have if he wanted to. But I did get relief, my pain was bearable. I got some sleep and I am feeling a little better today. Ansley and I are having a movie day......laying around coloring, watching movies and cuddling. Shes so funny I told her we were going to stay in our pjs all day ....... she asked a million questions like am I going to do her hair, do I get to take a bath (I said if you want) she decided not to and this might be a good day after all. So today I'm thanking God for the love he has for me and the strength I have found through him and asking for forgiveness for all the things I try to do on my own. Thank you all for all your prayers...... I feel loved!

Long Weekends are the Best

Hello all..... I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. It was a time for rest and catching up with family for us. Its such a change for us that Eric gets the day off and actually gets payed too. He still really enjoys his job. Such a blessing! Saturday morning my dad picked up Ansley to spend the day together. They went to the lake and rode around on the boat and she actually got on the inner tube! Crazy huh?! She ended up staying the night with our Aunt Sheri and Uncle Robert. She had a blast!! Eric went to the Tech game with Haley and then went to dinner with some friends of ours. He had lots of fun too. We love watching college football. My mother in law Shelly came and watched movies with me. She felt sorry for me :) I'm loved! She even watched a "chick flick". That's saying alot she loves those shoot em up movies! But it was great just having some girl time with her. She always lifts me up! Not literally... Id break her back ! :) The rest of the time we just visited with our families. It was really great to see everyone.




She looks thrilled :) But she really did have fun!



Uncle Robert's the best!

Now to the no fun stuff...... I have been to a few doctors (luckily I didn't have to wait till Sept 11th). Its all in who you know :) and I have great family and friends! But a long story short I'm going to have a total hip replacement on Sept 29th. To be honest I'm pretty scared. Ive never had to have surgery of any kind and the fact that they have to cut off part of my bone and put metal things in its place is pretty freaky :) But I have no choice in the matter. My bone is already fusing to my pelvis and apparently that's not good. I really like my Dr he definitely has my best interest at heart.
Theres lots of other details so if any of my medical family and friends want the details you can give me a call :) Thanks again for all the prayers! Special thanks for the pics Heather and to Sheri for sitting with me for hours at Doctors offices. Love you all!!!