Christmas 2010

Christmas at our house was good, except Keira was not feeling well. Friday evening, while we were at Wade and Pam's house, she began complaining of a belly ache and then climbed on the couch beside me and went to sleep. It was not long she was running a slight fever. So, Christmas morning we do our gifts and then she feels so bad, she gets on the couch. She really was not interested in playing with her toys. She complained of headache, belly, and fever. As the day went on, she was not improving. The fever began getting high and she kept complaining. At 9:30 that evening, Brandon loaded her up and took off to the ER at Children's. Due to the poor weather of snow, we decided it was better for him to drive. It broke my heart as I kissed her goodbye and she was asking for me to take her. I stayed home with Brock, waiting. By 10:15, they had been in triage and Brandon is texting me with every update. Thankfully, the ER was not busy. They tested for strep,flu, bladder infection, did xray, and a cat scan . The dr. assumed appendix and I began trying to mentally prepare myself for the possibility of surgery. Not an easy thing to do. She had many of the symptoms of appendix at this time. The night goes on and I could not sleep. Of course, all kinds of possibilities run thru your mind at this point. What if's began to come. Finally, morning comes and we are no closer to an answer. My dad comes up and stays with Brock, while Papaw and Mamaw Leffew take me to to the hospital. We arrive just as they are about to take her to a room. I see my little girl, hooked up to an IV, looking so sick, and it brings the tears. We go to the surgery floor, waiting on a surgeon. Mid-morning she arrives and she doesn't think it is appendix. So, more waiting. We see a dr. and she thinks it may be something viral. They noticed something on the xray or scan in her GI tract. So, we are eventually moved to another floor, more testing, etc. . Long story short, we ended up spending 3 nights in the hospital, with a final diagnosis of adenovirus. They told us this is contagious, but thankfully, no one else has come down with this. We are so thankful no surgery or anything else was wrong. Things like this put into perspective for me just how quickly our lives can change.

Thank you, Lord for your protection on my child and for guiding the dr. to the correct diagnosis.

Christmas Eve evening

We went to Uncle Wade and Aunt Pam's house for the Ray family Christmas. What a good time! Henry, who is only 4 weeks old, was passed around and loved on. The kids had a blast playing. Good laughs had by all. Uncle Wade and Brock opened fire with a nerf gun and were blasting us all. I think Wade enjoyed it more than Brock. The only down side of the day was that Keira began feeling bad and went to sleep on the couch. She was running a slight fever and complaining of a headache and belly ache. We ended up coming home earlier than usual to get her to bed.

Christmas Eve morning

All of us worked on the zhu zhu pet playsets.

He loved the dinosaur he got!

Checking out a gift

Papaw Woody and Mamaw Peggy with the kids

We got to my dad and step-mom's home Christmas eve morning and have a wonderful breakfast and enjoy family time up to the afternoon time.

Duncan Christmas 2010

My grandfather, 88 yrs old, cracked his hip over a week ago and is having to stay and rehab at a facility. He was not able to make it home, so the staff let us use a room close to his room inorder to celebrate Christmas. We had a good evening, despite not being at home. Just being together makes it all better. Some of the grandkids and great-grandkids

Grammie playing Simon Says with the kids

Sat. we celebrated Chrsitmas with my mom's family. My aunt and uncle purchased a wedding chapel a couple months ago and they decided to host our get together at the chapel.

We had good food and good company. The kids ran around playing and my mom entertained them. The kids got to open some gifts and were thrilled to get pillow pets. Then, we did photo shoots of all the family and then some of each family. Fun times!

New tradition

Friday evening we had some friends come over (we missed you guys that couldn't come) to celebrate Jesus. We had a birthday party in honor of Jesus. We ate, did some crafts, and then I told the story of Jesus by wrapping "gifts" and letting the kids open them as we got to that part of the story. I went thru the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

We also made up gift baskets for 7 widows. The other moms and I want to establish giving to others early in our kids. So much of our lives are focused on self and the world tells us that is ok. I don't want my kids to be selfish, my desire is that they want to share Jesus with everyone they come in contact with.

We had a wonderful evening and my kids love nothing more than having friends over. Sunday, we plan on giving the baskets out and I hope the kids enjoy this part, too!!

Keira's first Nutcracker

Love, love the mice!! They are so cute !!

My little girl making her debut in the Nutcracker!

We just wrapped up this afternoon Keira's first experience being in the Nutcracker. She loved it! I can't believe this is my little girl, on stage, who a yr ago never would have done something like this. She even told me "I can't stop smiling on stage." Keira wanted to be in the party scene, but I thought it best to only do one part this year, as this is all new to our family. After auditions in late Sept. the rehearsals begin in early October. So, the dancers and staff put hard work into this production. The show is performed Thursday-Sunday. The week before the show begins, they rehearse every single night. You think the kids would be tired of it, but they love it.

Honestly, I was not a fan of ballet, but once I sat and watched all this rehearsal and just how talented these girls are, I couldn't help but grow an appreciation for ballet. I have enjoyed learning about dance the past couple yrs and look forward to the spring recital already!

Keira was blessed to have all her grandparents, her 88yr great grandfather, some aunts, cousins, uncles, and special friends come watch her. I hope she realizes how loved she is!!

Thanksgiving

I did not take may pictures of our Thanksgiving get togethers. We began the week before with my mom's family and I never took one single picture. Then, the night before Thanksgiving, I only managed a couple pics at the Duncan gathering. Finally, on Thanksgiving day, I did not manage many family pics. I did do a photo shoot with Jenna and Allison, but other than that, not anymore.

We had a great time with all our family and have been blessed beyond measure.

Keira with Big Papaw, she would not look at me!

Being selfish starts early....

Kids............they look and seem so innocent. As my children are growing and we have experienced 5yrs of child-rearing, I have seen first hand just how much we are born sinners. Yes, a term most of us have heard all our lives, but I never really put much thought into it until the past few weeks. However, some folks will argue that we are not born sinners, please, have you ever in your life been around children? Even newborns learn to manipulate their parents to a certain extent. Ask me why I still sleep with my 5yr old every night. She manipulated me from 2 weeks old and it just grew worse. I could not stand her crying and so I held her while she slept and now I am still paying for it. I enabled her to do this. Needless to say, I did not do this the second time around. I learned my lesson! I am seeing behaviors, words, etc. out of my kids that shows me more and more how much we need a Savior. My greatest longing for my kids is that they be saved, that they believe Jesus died for their sins and they grow up loving Him with all their heart, mind, and soul! As a parent, I am learning to lean on Jesus even more as I have been given these 2 gifts from God to raise and train up for Him, not for me or my family, but for God. Parenting has been my biggest challenge and the most rewarding at the same time. I want my kids to be loving, compassionate, slow to anger, extend mercy, and so on.... A prime example of how early being selfish begins occurred last night as Brandon and I helped Keira count the money from her piggy bank. We are going to take it to the bank and I suggested she leave some out to buy a gift from an angel tree. She said "No", she wanted "it all to go to the bank." Then, Brandon tried to talk to her about giving some to the church as an offering, again she responded with a "no." We tried to explain how this money is ultimately not hers, or ours, but God's and that He gave it to her from the start. She wasn't having any of that. I tried to talk to her about helping others, especially ones in need, she didn't care. She wanted it all for herself. I talked about little girls who will not get any gifts for Christmas and so on, still she was cold-hearted and wanted to know if she gave them something, would she get something in return. This opened my eyes to how much I want to show my kids to be givers, not takers. And, I do think we need to begin this now with them. We always do the angel tree and such at Christmas time, but I want them to be givers year round. I want them to see the joy in helping others, the joy in sharing Christ's love, the joy in seeing someone be saved. I pray they will be servants, not takers all the the time. Now more than ever in our culture, I must teach them to be givers. It is so easy to get caught up in the me, me, me syndrome. I see it already in my 3yr old, who wants every single toy that is advertised on tv. Yes, I know this is normal in kids, but I don't want them growing up thinking they should have anything and everything just because they want it. One day I hope they realize how they have been blessed with the family God gave them too, not just materially, but in more important areas. It just saddened me to see and hear Keira's reaction, and made me realize how selfish I am also. I pitch my little adult temper-tantrums when things don't go my way, or I don't get the material things I think I need. I may not react like my daughter, but I do whine or complain, or turn cold. I like to get upset if things don't go the way I planned, which just happened a couple weeks ago, when a day in my week was changed and I had it all set. But, know I can be positive about it and who knows, maybe God set that day aside for me to do something different. Time will tell. It is all depends on my perspective on things. As I am teaching my kids, in turn God is using it to open my eyes to areas in my life that need work. Sometimes, it is as simple as acting on a thought to send cards to people. I yielded to that last week and it didn't take but 5 minutes to write and address 3 cards to some sweet ladies. I could have been selfish and said "I don't have time to do that", but I did it anyway. My goal is to become less selfish and for my kids to see this in me and for them to grow up giving to others and Jesus. Afterall, we have the greatest example in Jesus, who died on the cross, for us. He gave up His life, everything, for us! Amazing love - how can it be that you would die for me?

Life Interruptions

For the past couple months I have attended a bible study called Jonah - Navigating a Life Interrupted, by Priscilla Shirer, whom I love!! When we think of Jonah, we immediately think of him being swallowed by a huge fish and spending 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of that fish. He repents and obeys God. But, there is so much more to this story and how it applies to us in our everyday lives. Jonah did not want to go to the city of Nineveh, a people whom he greatly disliked, and did not want God's mercy to befall on. So, he tried to run......but you can't run from God! I have tried it, have you? This study has helped bring up areas in my life that I am failing miserably in, I know what my weakness are, yet I tend to justify them often. I like to put the blame on something else or find a reason for my shortcomings and why I don't do the right thing in God's eyes. I love God and want to serve Him, but too many times, I want to do it my way and on my terms. Wrong answer, Kandi! I know what and who are the Ninevehs in my life, and it can be an actual place, a person(s), or a task, etc. Just the mention of this Nineveh can send us into an emotional tailspin and we would rather not go, just stay home. And just like Jonah, we can find reasons to keep us home. Sometimes it doesn't make sense what the Lord may be asking me to do, but I don't see the big picture and may never know this side of eternity. But, if I cannot do the "little" things, how can I expect to grow in my walk with Jesus and that He will use me for more ministry opportunities. I have to move away from anger, bitterness, resentment, self-righteousness, and move toward, grace, mercy, compassion, and love. I admit, I am very good at those things. My melancholy temperament can easily take a situation or a person and it becomes bitter, resentment, and so on. I have gotten better with this the past few yrs, but still struggle and things always come up, and always will, because Satan knows my weaknesses and how to use them against me. But, Thank You Lord I can call on You! Jeremiah 1:5 tells us "Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you." It doesn't take God by surprise how I am and how I react to things or people, this is just further evidence of how much I need Him, He doesn't need me, I need Him!! God is Sovereign, God is my Deliverer, God is merciful, God is Righteous! I am nothing without Him. I cannot overcome my weakness, my sinful nature, my fleshly desires, without His saving grace and mercy. I am learning to obey and to look at a LIFE INTERRUPTED BY A HOLY GOD IS A PRIVILEGE. A lot of times, I am looking for the "big" plans in my life. But, you know what, I am realizing that the small, simple acts of obeying are the big plans in my life. I am called to love others, everyone, even if I don't necessarily like that person, I must love them. How hard is that? Well, for me, sometimes even just smiling or talking to someone whom is my Nineveh, is hard. Just like Jonah, I can come up with every justification in the book not to do it. I simply fail! God has been working on me, and I find the more I try to do better in an area of my life, Satan tries even harder to make me fall. I have to then acknowledge that sin, accept God's discipline, ask for forgiveness, and act on God's directions. Easier said than done, when my pride kicks in. 1 John 1:9 says "If we freely admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins and (continuously) cleanse us from all unrighteousness, The Amplified Bible. God has put Himself in you to equip you and empower you to do what you cannot do. I want to have Divine Intervention, not Life Interrupted. It is based on my perspective and how I respond to God leading me and calling me to obey. Our interruptions are all different - it can be an unexpected pregnancy, a troubled marriage, a financial decision and so on......we would like to avoid them, but they will come. The question is.....how will we respond? I pray we yield to God. I am quick to get upset when things don't go my way or how I imagined something to work out on my time table. I can look back at my past now, and see that God's plan is better and everything worked the way it should have. Did I ever imagine myself as a stay at home mom? No way! But, thankfully I followed God's plan in this area of my life and have been extremely blessed. I need to start asking myself the question God asked Jonah in Jonah 4:4 "Doest thou well to be angry?" So much more can be wrote on this and I could go on, but motherhood calls, as I must go pick up my little man from preschool. 2 Timothy 2:21 "So if someone cleanses himself of such behavior, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful fro the Master, prepared for every good work"

Chillin' at home

No school on election day, so Keira decides to have "school" at home. She dressed Brock up and then read to him. He looked so cute in his outfit! I had to take some pics. Keira did not want her picture taken in her gown.....imagine that.

Oct 31, 2010

Brock wore his Lightning McQueen costume to church, he would not be still for pictures. After church, Mamaw and I took Keira to the Disney Princess on Ice Show. It was a great show and she enjoyed it. We had a wonderful afternoon! Brock went to out church's annual Kidz Fest with daddy. We joined them later and the kids had a blast playing on the inflatables and being with their friends. We have been blessed to become good freinds with such wonderful Christian families.