everyone knows my grief about having a child in school for the first time who seems to catch every cold, virus and bacteria that's floating around. A week-and-a-half ago it was the same story. This time he had an ear infection (first time). We started antibiotics and he was better by the next day. He finished up the meds on Wednesday and sure enough, this morning he woke up coughing and with a slight fever. I just couldn't believe he had already caught something new, so I took him to the doc this afternoon and found out the ear infection was still there. We started a new antibiotic today, so hopefully that will do the trick. Other than that, things are going well.I know everyone says this, but my kids are truly amazing. Travis is into spelling and reading now. He constantly asks me to spell words for him. He asks me so much that I started asking him to spell them back, and do you know he can? He has a long list of words that he can spell now, it's incredible. I did an experiment last week and wrote some words on the chalkboard and did you know he can read them, too? I was shocked. I'm making him a little book using the words he knows so he will be able to read it all by himself. I just have to come up with a storyline stringing together train, bug and cow. Hmmm...
Emily is amazing as well. Last weekend I was giving her a bath, and I told her it was time to get out and I started to count. I said, "One," and she says "two, three, four, five." Again, I was dumbfounded. I didn't know 16-month-olds could count to five! She's talking a lot now, and it is so much fun to listen to her. I guess she's heard me call her sweetie so much, she's started saying it. Every morning when I get her out of the crib she greets me with a "Hi, sweetie." I took a short video of her saying it.
It's really hard to get her to sit still, so this was the best I could do. She's even tried singing along to the theme song on Go, Diego, Go and it is priceless. She's into climbing now and I find her everywhere. One day I was doing something in the kitchen, and came around the corner to find her sitting in my chair at the computer. So, if you get a random e-mail from me that doesn't make sense, it was probably from her.
We did have some bad news recently. Precious, my mom's dog, had to be put down. Precious entered the family the same year I graduated high school, so that was about 15 years ago. (Wow). She certainly earned her right as part of the family, and cooperated well losing some of the spotlight when the kids came along. She was very nice to the kids and they really liked her. Precious was one of the first words Emily started saying and she would always want to see the woof-woof at GiGi's house. It was a very sad day, and continues to be sad. But, she lived a long, good life and was well-loved and taken care of. I'm sure she's in doggie-heaven with our old dog Buddy and Memaw and Grandaddy's Magic having a great time.
You may remember in my last post, I announced we were going to be taking Travis to the intensive therapy program this summer. We are all registered and set to go the first three weeks of August. I'm really exited about it. Everyday Travis gets better at his walking (and everything else) and I cannot wait to see the amazing results from the therapy. We are going to be having a garage sale on Sat., April 18 at Sean's sister Jennifer's house in Longwood. Sean's mother is organizing it and has already started selling things (she has a real gift for garage sales). The money we raise at the garage sale is going to go towards the therapy costs. So, if anyone is interested in donating items, please call or e-mail me. Also, if you live in town here, maybe you'd like to stop by. I made a flyer for it, and hopefully after I post this update I can figure out a way to get it on this blog. It has all the info on it, and we would love to see you there.
Open publication - Free publishing
Other than that, it's business as usual around here. We're hoping to use a little of our tax refund to take the kids out to Sea World during Travis' spring break in a few weeks. We think they will really enjoy it. Maybe the weather is finally stabilizing and we'll have a really nice, warm day to go. Our only concern is the stroller situation. Neither one of the kids want to ride in a stroller anymore, but it is too much walking for them. I'm sure we'll figure something out.
You know I always like to close my blog posts with a Bible verse that has inspired me. This time, it is a Bible passage, and I found it in our Preschool Sunday School lesson, of all places. I was preparing for teaching our 2-year-olds class Sunday (thought it looks like Sean will have to go alone again this week as I'll be home with Travis) and I read a story I don't know if I've really taken the time to read before. It is about 10 lepers that asked Jesus for healing. The first time I read it, I didn't think much about it because I was trying to decide what kind of activity we could do with the kids to illustrate it. But, the more I thought about it, the more this is a really great story that I need to spend some more time reading. It struck me as very poignant in light of our upcoming therapy. Here's the passage, from Luke 17:11-19 (NIV):
11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
So often, I have found myself like the 9 lepers that went straight on to the priest. God does an amazing miracle in our life, and I get so excited I forget to stop and thank him. And, for the first time, I realized that Jesus notices. He didn't beg for thanks, though as our King he has every right to demand it. Instead, he let's us exercise our free will. I cannot even imagine the lepers' excitement when they were healed. It would be similar to someone with terminal cancer being told the disease was gone. They were able to live their lives again. Who wouldn't be ready to get on with it? Yet, their excitement overshadowed the fact that Jesus had healed them. It was almost like they kind of took it for granted. Wow, does that sound like me.
I beg and plead and ask Jesus for healing, and then when I get it I rarely spend the time at his feet thanking him. I'm usually in the pack that is running off to the priest. God gave me this story for a reason. I'm expecting some big things to come from this therapy session this summer, and I've spent a lot of time praying about it. I've asked him to prepare Travis, and prepare the therapists for what is going to happen. I haven't spent much time asking him to prepare my heart. I know giving us this story to teach to our class is his way of reminding me that I need to do that. I know he is telling me, you are going to see miraculous things, but please don't forget where the miracles come from. My prayer will be amended now. I will ask him to prepare me to know that I have witnessed a miracle and to not forget who was the one who performed it. May my lips always be full of praise for my Lord!
With His Love,
Christy
