Jack just makes me laugh.......

I have so many thoughts running around in my head it has been hard to get it together. Hopefully I can start the new year with lots to share. There has been one story that just makes me laugh every time I tell it.

We were at my friend's house (Katie's godmother) for Christmas day. This has been a tradition for a long time. On years that we have travelled for Christmas I missed being there Christmas day. She even makes stocking for the kids at her house too.

Jack was going through the stuff in his stocking and squealed with excitement at the new toothbrush and his very own toothpaste. I wish kids today would get excited about the simple things like that. The best part was when he came running up to me because it was an electric toothbrush.

His comment was, "Look Mommy I now have a buzzy toothbrush just like you."

Jack loves brushing his teeth with his "buzzy" toothbrush.

Sometimes I wish life was that simple.

Wishing everyone a very Joyous New Year and only good things in 2010.

TTFN~

The new addition

We were not expecting or should I say I was not expecting to add anything or anyone to our household at this time. We have so many things we are trying to accomplish to make like simplier and this was not it. However, Phil journeyed to the animal shelter and voila! we now have a dog.

Her name is Cami as you can tell by her color. We can only guess she is about 3-4 months old. She is very playful and partially potty trained. She is doing well being locked in the kitchen during the day and loves running in the backyard. She and the kids are getting well aquainted and I am very excited for them. They are truly enjoying there Christmas present.

This Christmas season was not what I expected at all and Christmas isn't even here yet. But below is a picture of our new addition.

The Sanger Clinic

One of the things that has always impressed me during this "Heart Journey" we have travelled is all of the Doctors and Staff directly associated with the Cardiologists Office. They do some amazing things and truly ALWAYS only have the child's best interests at heart. Some of these doctors have sat hours in a Patient's Room during that critical time after surgery, are very supportive of Levine Cardiac Kids events and are interested in the child throughout life not just while they are in the hospital.

The Levine Cardiac Kids (LCK) have lots of events throughout the year and I regularly see the doctors attending and supporting these events. At this years LCK Chistmas Party there was an opportunity for Madelynn to have her picture taken. This photo taken will hang in the The Sanger Clinic. I was so excited about how well the photo turned out I just had to share.

Needless to say I will be ordering a small package of this photo. Enjoy!!!

A Candymaker's Witness

A Candymaker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry and death of Jesus Christ.

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promise of God.

The candymaker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus. who came to earth to be our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepard" with which He reached down into the ditches of the world to lift out fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The largest red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

Unfortunately, the candy became know as the Candy Cane - a meaningless decoration seen at Christmastime. But the meaning is still there for those who "have eyes to see and ears to hear". I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the Wonder of Jesus Christ and His Great Love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today.

TTFN~

Long weekend.....

We all know that from Friday at 5pm through Sunday evening about 10pm is the same amount of hours every weekend. However, depending on how much you try to cram into that time period can be incredibly exhausting.

After having the crazy week of the roller skating, LCK Christmas party, Katie's Birthday and Christmas Party with my new co-workers I was not inclined to go anywhere Sunday. I even took a nap with Jack Sunday afternoon. Not to mention I worked everyday last week training at a new job and finishing up an old one. Just pure insanity.

I have included some pictures of certain events. I still have photos of Katie's birthday I still have to collect from other cameras. But enjoy what I did have.


TTFN~

Happy Birthday Kaitlynn!!!!!!!

Daddy calls you Punkin, Mommy calls you Boo-bear, you answered to Kaitlynn, KatieMay, and Katie
Today you are 6 years old, where has the time gone......I hope I haven't missed anything
You have been through so much in the last year and I have learned that at your young age you are so resilient
Teaching you and watching you succeed at reading was amazing, seeing the highest scores possible on your report card blew me away
I have had to put you and a lot of your needs aside the past year because of Madelynn and you still seem to thrive
We have had some fun things planned for you this week in an effort to make up for last year
I love you for your patience, helpfulness, love for others and that beautiful smile that just makes my day
Can't wait to pick you up and smother you with hugs and kisses
Hope you have a Wonderful Day!

XOXOXOXOXOXO
TTFN~

Exit stage left.............

After 9+ years of service at my current job I will be walking out of the building one final time Friday afternoon. I have accepted a job at the church my parents belong to in their finance department. This will be a great new journey and a true leap of faith on my behalf.

I knew one day we would turn down the road to better things with everything we have experienced with Madelynn. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect the change to happen so quickly or for things to fall into place as if they always belonged there. So needless to say I am absolutely thrilled to start this new journey.

However, I am very sad to be leaving my Plaza family. I won't be passing the contract sales department and hear, "cheese please" or "woo-hoo". There will be no walking up to say good morning to "Maw-Maw". I will miss seeing "Paw-Paw" in the morning and hearing stories about his grandson. I looked forward to calling Susan Monday morning and telling her some crazy story about something the kids did before I placed my order with her. The laughter was always the best medicine for whatever ailed you.

These were just a few of the things that helped make the ugliness of the world melt away and remind you that their really are good people in the world. These good people could always make you laugh even on some of my darkest days. I will miss them terribly.

Most of all I believe I will miss Bill Sr. He is a man with a heart of gold and someone who truly cares about his employees. Every day he expected 110% of you but he always came back and reminded you how much he appreciated you. Running a company is not easy and making tough decision is not for the weak. I truly appreciated the job for so many years. I hope my replacement sees the good man in him as they take over my duties.

Farewell Plaza Family.........

TTFN~

A blast from the past.....

As part of making Katie's birthday better this year I promised it would be a week to remember since last year was so messed up. Katie had won a gift certificate from her elementary fund raiser. It was a night of free roller skating. I hid it from her until we were on our way there.

Phil and I had not been on skates in almost 12 years. Then we had Katie who had never been on skates. It was pretty funny. I wish I had someone there to take some photos. Roller skating with Katie was like trying to hang on to a wet noodle while on roller skates. It was hilarious.

I had made arrangements for someone to watch Jack and Maddie so that Katie could have Mommy and Daddy all to herself for about 2 hours. As the night progressed Katie built more confidence and was doing better on the skates. Now if she could just stop taking Mommy of Daddy with her to the floor when she falls.

All in all it was a great way to start off celebrating her birthday. Even though she will be very tired in the morning and maybe a few unaccounted for new bruises. Technically, her birthday isn't officially till Friday. However a little extra fun every now and then never hurt

TTFN~

Madelynn's Heart 7

Last year at this time we were definitely in a different place. Maddie had been home from the hospital about two weeks and I was stressed to the max. She wasn't eating the way she should and what she did eat she was not keeping down. I was incredible worried. As part of her discharge agreement she needed to get a weight check every week.

We went in for her weight check and she had lost 9oz. To most people that is a steak dinner. To my daughter, it was a huge failure for her and me. The doctor was immediately called in and the hospital was called to admit her back in the hospital. The pediatrician said she needed a jump start to get her back on track and he wanted that done at the hospital under heavy supervision.

Because Maddie was stable I was allowed to drive her to the hospital. I went into overdrive packed some clothes and necessary items for the two of us made arrangements for the Katie and Jack and Phil met me at the hospital.

I was beside myself.....my child wasn't thriving, I was failing her. I was failing her so badly in fact that I had to drive her to the hospital myself. I cried all the way there and felt very diminished. I was not the right person for the job. I was really just drowning in self pity. As any daughter would do I called my mom and another close friend about my failure.

To me the worse part about it was that Katie's birthday was the next day. So again I was putting her on the back burner. The healthy child gets shafted again. So now not only did I fail my youngest in helping her get well, I failed my oldest by making Maddie more important that Katie's birthday. I really thought life would not get any lower.

Once we made it to the hospital and was informed of the plan of action to give her a jump I talked to my mom. I had already bought Katie's birthday present I just wasn't going to be there to help her celebrate. It was too dangerous during cold and flu season to have a party at the house. I felt as though I had reached the worst kind of failure.

Something that helped a little bit was that my mom came to the hospital to hang out with Maddie for a few hours. I drove home and had dinner with Phil, Katie, and Jack and we opened Katie's birthday presents. I had to leave to go back to the hospital but I was still given a few precious hours with my other two children and Maddie was not the center of attention. Thanks Mom

I have never felt this particular form of failure until that day I drove her back to the hospital. I had to tell my older daughter we have to celebrate her birthday a little late this year and that no one except Mommy, Daddy and Jack could be there to help celebrate. I promised we would make it up to her.

A few days later Maddie was discharged from the hospital again and we were sent home to work on getting her to eat again. And again I had failed my children even worse that before. Christmas day Maddie and I were back in the ER in the morning. So I missed Katie and Jack opening her presents from Santa and party of our Christmas day venture to Katie's god-parent's house. More crying on the way to the hospital.

This time I was mentally done for and could take no more and more crying in sued. We were contacted by a group who wanted to help in Maddie's recovery. We were going to get assigned a nutritionist and a physical therapist. The nutritionist for obvious reason. The physical therapist because Maddie had spent so much time in the hospital she was 5 months old and could not hold her head up. Because of the high medical expenses already incurred these services were free.

Today, Maddie is getting ready to finish up her physical therapy and we will still be under the supervision of the nutritionist. These stressful times I was hoping would soon be a memory now that we had some great new help. From the day Maddie's was discharged in November through the end of December was the darkest part of Maddie's recovery and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Her future looks very bright and I hope it stays that way.

TTFN~