????? Question Time ????????

So when do you put up your Christmas tree? What is your experience?

We usually put ours up the weekend after Thanksgiving, but have been known to wait until the first weekend of December......or later. I dread putting up the tree!!!! It's the lights. They make me crazy!! One year I was so fed up I took out the scissors and cut them right off the tree. This is very unusual behavior for my laid back personality but I'm telling you.....they make me crazy! Once I get the lights up....I'm good. I really should invest in a pre-lit tree. After the lights are up, then my kids and husband know it's "safe" to come into the room and help with the rest. I think I may need some counseling :-)

Hubby's home!

Finally, after a long week my hubby is home from the hospital. He was one sick puppy. Lesson learned........visit your doctor on a regular basis. Matt was anti-doctor and avoided them at all cost. Final diagnosis is type 1 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. His overall cholesterol was over 700 and his triglycerides 7130. They figured he has been walking around for at least 3 months with blood sugars averaging around 250. He finally ate his first meal today and did well with it. They sent him home tonight around 5 pm. It is so nice to have him home. He will have to take another week to recuperate. Our family is in for an overall lifestyle change, but are definitely here for him. Well....time for his meds. Thanks for all the prayers! We are so thankful!

Wordless Wednesday

Please Pray for Hubby

I am calling it a night! It has been a long 2 days and I've had a total of 2 hours sleep in the past 30 or so hours. Hubby is in the hospital. He has a lot going on, but most alarming are his triglyceride levels. 7,000! And no that is not a typo.....not 700....yes...7,000. He is also showing signs of possible diabetes and all of this is causing his pancreas to go into a state of shock so the doctors think. I'm not so sure they really know. He is on a no food or water diet for 2-3 days. He is in a lot pain so anyone who believes in prayer.....please pray.

90 Minutes in Heaven

I just finished reading 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. I had heard some people over the summer talking about this book and it soon slipped my mind. Then last week, I went to a Girlfriend's Unlimited event at church and saw the book sitting on a table. I went that weekend to the library and found the book. I read it in a week, but you could easily read it in a day if you had the time.

Go check out the website to learn more about the book and watch the video . This book is about a man who is in a serious car accident and dies. He is dead for 90 minutes before miraculously returning to earth. He shares his experience in heaven and the healing process of the accident. He talks about his acceptance with the new him. He says several times this is his "new normal". How many times have I heard "This is our new normal" when reading about families that have children with disabilities? I have even said to people after having Mattie, "This is our new normal". Life is full of unexpected blessings. Yes, I call them blessings! They may not seem like it at the time.....but God has a plan for our life and He has a way of using you to help others. I highly recommend this book. God may just have a hidden message in it just for you!

Fun with Food Photo Contest

Here is our entry for the Fun with Food photo contest. This was Mattie's first experience really playing with her food and boy did she have a great time! Hop on over to 5 Minutes for Mom to see all the other great entries.

Giggle Box

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Matt didn't take pictures of Mattie on her first Halloween so I put her pumpkin stuff on and took pictures the other night. I have no idea what happened to the pumpkin socks. What is it with socks anyway??

She was so tickled here. She still has a toothless smile!

Mattie is really getting pretty good with sitting up. She sits really well with the her toy basket to help support her, but she can sit alone too........just not as long.

Special Exposure Wednesday

Mattie Update

Mattie went to the hospital so they could run tests because of the UTI she had awhile back. First, they did an ultrasound of her kidneys to make sure everything looked well with them. Then they took her to radiology and strapped her down to a contraption which kept her from being a wiggle worm. They inserted the catheter, injected a dye, and took pictures of her bladder working. They did find that she has a slight kidney reflux, also known as vesicoureteral reflux. She should outgrow this and can be treated with antibiotics (preventative). We will wait and see what her doctor recommends from here. She was such a trooper during the whole process. The doctors and nurses said that the children are rarely that easy to work with which made their job that much easier.

Julie, Mattie's IE Coordinator, will be here in about 45 minutes and then I have to find sometime to go vote. I will be so glad when all those ads will be off the television. I don't even watch that much t.v and it seems like they are on nonstop.

A Good Laugh!

I had such a wonderful time at the Women of Faith Conference. I think one of my favorite speakers is Anita Renfroe. You will definetly bust a gut when watching her. My favorite act she does is "I'm the Mom" and the new one she performed was "before I eat". Check them out for a good laugh!