life is good...

Church-In-A-Day, Friday, October 16, 2009

2009-10-15T09:20:00.004-05:00

Thanks for visiting our blog! You may have linked here because you heard about our Church-In-A-Day on KLOVE. We want to say "Thanks" to KLOVE for letting practically the whole world know about this awesome event!

Church-In-A-Day (CIAD) is beginning at 6am Friday morning Oct. 16th. The location is 2777 FM 344 E in Bullard, Texas. There will be hundreds of workers converging on the property to build a Church in 24 hours! We will move-in on Saturday and have Church on Sunday morning, Oct. 18th at 10am.

We have been blessed beyond measure since moving to Bullard and beginning a Home Missions Church in this small East Texas town. Our God is an AWESOME GOD!

Please visit our Church website glcbullard.org. We will be launching a new website experience on November 1, 2009. Check back to see pictures and video of our CIAD building event.

Have a blessed week-end!

Hotel & RV Park Information for CIAD

2009-09-04T08:00:00.004-05:00

***Edited Country Inn & Suites phone #...also...this is the closest hotel to us.

Area Hotels - Ask for the Church-In-A-Day Rate or Church Rate

Fairfield Inn by Marriott
1945 West SW Loop 323
Tyler
903-561-2535
Rate $69.00 for 1-4 Guests

LaQuinta Inn & Suites
1601 W SW Loop 323
Tyler
903-561-2223
Rate $79.00 Ministers can also receive the TX District discount

Tyler Sleep Inn & Suites
5555 Donnybrook Ave.
Tyler
903-581-8646
Rate $79.00 for 1-4 Guests - Use rate code LCRP79

Candlewood Suites
315 E. Rieck Road
Tyler
903-509-4131
Rate $81.00 for 1-4 Guests

Country Inns & Suites
http://www.countryinns.com/tylertx_south
903-561-0863
Rate $89.00 for 1-4 Guests

Comfort Suites
303 E. Rieck Road
Tyler
903-534-0999
Rate $89.00 for 1-4 Guests

Best Western Southpark
120 W Rieck Rd.
Tyler
903-534-8800
Rate $89.00 Unlimited Guests

Holiday Inn South Broadway
5701 S. Broadway Ave.
Tyler
903-561-5800
Rate $99.00 for 1 Guest

Hilton Garden Inn
220 E. Grand Blvd.
Tyler
903-509-1166
Rate $139.00 for 1 Guest

Several area churches use the Sleep Inn & Suites for their visiting ministers.

If you need to contact us, you can leave a comment or e-mail is pastor at glcbullard.org

RV Parks

Whitehouse MH & RV Park
126 Barbara Dr.
Call: Gaylon Shackelford
903-566-7600
903-521-8201
Daily Rate $20.00

A OK S RV Park
10110 FM 346 W
Flint, TX 75762
a-okrvpark.com
Daily Rate $23.00

A couple more things....

2009-08-29T13:54:00.008-05:00

Posting a few pictures of things that have happened this week at the church property.

The electrical was installed. Glad it has a padlock on it!

Today, we had several men helping to clean up the grounds.

Here is Kenny finishing up the mowing.

The huge 8ft hole was also dug for our septic system. Of course, Kolton had to get in there.

They will finish up the septic this next week and then we should be ready for the parking and driveway.

Only 7 weeks...it is almost here!

God is providing. God is moving. AND, God is Good!

CIAD Pew Chairs & Carpet

2009-08-05T21:48:00.004-05:00

We are glad to have these major decisions decided! It was actually very easy to pick these chairs. The salesman brought them in and I immediately knew this was the one. It is very comfortable with a lumbar support. Carpet was a bit of a challenge. We thought we had to choose a certain carpet, come to find out we didn't.

The carpet color is called Chocolate Ballet! I think everyone is pleased with the pew chairs and carpet with the exception of a couple of guys! We also have chosen the paint color of

Sensational Sand from Sherwin-Williams.

We were sure glad to have our drummer back home!

We purchased new electric drums earlier this summer in anticipation of our CIAD.

And for our ears sake too!

We are excited for Church-In-A-Day! October 16, 2009.

Enthusiastic Attitude

2009-07-18T15:19:00.003-05:00

Stop fighting against what you have to do.

Turn it into what you want to do.

For any given task, you can be miserable and plodding or
you can be enthusiastic and highly effective.
It all depends on your attitude.

Instead of dreading and avoiding something that you must get done,
choose to look forward to it.
Then jump in, make it happen, and get it finished once and for all.
It's really very easy to make a change in your attitude.
You can do it without lifting a finger.

With a positive, enthusiastic attitude toward whatever task you must complete,
the work will go more quickly and smoothly.
And, you'll feel a whole lot better while doing it.

Decide that you truly want to get it done.
And soon you'll be reaping the rewards of your effective effort.

-- Ralph Marston

For more motivation go here.

God Bless America

2009-07-03T22:07:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th of July to all. Hope you all have a great day enjoying your freedom.

I love, love the United State of America! And, I am thankful for all who have served to preserve our freedom.

Tonight, we just got home from celebrating...Bullard style. Behind the high school was singing, hamburgers, sno-balls, a huge sandbox, give-aways and lots of people! Hundreds showed up with their lawn chairs to watch the fireworks. For a small town they were pretty good! They actually had some new ones I hadn't seen before.
We met up with some friends and had a good time relaxing!

Tomorrow, we are going to Courtney & Jamie's wedding in Paris.
Sunday will be church and the grand afternoon nap!
Monday, I have the day off! :)
Monday evening we are delivering Kolton to Grandma & Pa......
pray for them as Kolton is high maintenance!!!

Good night!

Church-In-A-Day

2009-06-27T14:48:00.004-05:00

We had our CIAD meeting yesterday. Most all of the supervisors were there and everybody went over their part. We asked a few questions....got a lot of information and found out more about what all we need to do. I left there a little overwhelmed...my brain was overloaded!

A VERY IMPORTANT CHANGE.......they changed our CIAD date to October 16, 2009.

Due to the extreme heat in August.

We also have CONCRETE now. We have been watering it! Didn't know that you had to water concrete, but I guess in this heat it is a necessary step.

We picked up Kory from camp last night and got home this morning about 2am. I slept in, but I really could crawl back in bed for awhile. My mother-in-law is here visiting a couple of days and then she will be taking a road trip with her sister. We are about to go in to Tyler for some shopping! Maybe that will wake me up!

Have a good week-end!

Awesome God. Awesome Church. Awesome Offering.

2009-06-23T19:10:00.008-05:00

WOW! We got home last night from a great week-end in Wichita Falls. Home. Our purpose was to share our home missions burden, and for my husband to preach. I don't think he or I thought we would be so emotional! The real reason for our visit was for Life Tabernacle to bless our church with an offering. That is where the WOW comes in. There was a goal put before the church of $5000.00 for our CIAD. They exceeded that by a long way. It almost doubled! Over $9000.00 for Church In A Day! What a blessing! To God be the Glory!
Words really can't express our gratitude. But, we will try anyway. Thank you Life Tabernacle as you continue to be a blessing in our lives. Thank you for the encouragement and for your prayers. We will always consider you to be our home church. Our boys received the Holy Ghost and were baptized there. We have many wonderful memories of Life Tabernacle. We have lifetime friends there! All of you special people have a special place in our hearts. We love you all...thanks for giving....we pray God's many wonderful blessings upon you and your family and Life Tabernacle.
A very special thanks to Pastor & Mrs. Gene Holley, Jr. for an invitation to come and for such an awesome offering. We love you and we enjoyed our time with you, but, it wasn't near long enough!

One Year Ago Today...

2009-06-19T14:09:00.007-05:00

...Kolton was having heart surgery.

He is doing great, has no restrictions, and is still on blood pressure medication. It is a low dose and he does not appear to have any side effects from it. We thought it had gone down some over the last year, but then I found out his bp should always be taken on the right arm, since the left arm is closer to his corrected aorta. He tried going off the medication (with doctor's approval), but it shot right back up. So....he will continue the med. It is just hard for a teenager to remember to take his medication every day!

Once again, I am so thankful this was found and fixed!

Thankful to have my ornery boy living life to the fullest!

Stuffed Strawberries - for Tracie!

2009-05-26T20:24:00.005-05:00

These are so delicious and very easy to put together!

Sharon B. from Wichita Falls told me how to make these. I don't really have a recipe, so I just use the creamy white stuff from my cherry cheese pie recipe.

Cream - 1-80z cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 cups Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy, fold in Cool Whip.

1st - Wash the strawberries, leaving the green leaves attached, place them upside down to dry.

2nd - Cut the strawberries, from the small tip almost all the way to the green stuff.

3rd - Stuff with the cream, I use this tool from Pampered Chef.

4th - Melt a little chocolate bark in a ziplock bag, barely snip one corner (the smaller the hole the better) and just start squeezing the chocolate all over. Sometimes I sprinkle with powdered sugar.

5th - ENJOY!

****I make the cream up ahead of time, but I have found that once they are made they are best to eat right away. They usually don't last long anyway!

Happy 14th Birthday!

2009-05-25T20:59:00.002-05:00

I want to wish Kolton a very happy, happy birthday today!

It is quite hard for me to grasp that he is really 14 and will be in high school next year!

Kolton is and has always been a great help to Kenny & I.

He loves working outside.

I told him the other day that he should have been born to a farm family!

He loved working with my Dad on the "ranch".

Maybe one of these days we will have a spread with some chickens and goats!!! Or not!

Kolton....I love you very much and I hope this is your BEST YEAR EVER!

Happy Birthday!!!

News Flash...

2009-05-18T23:04:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday was a productive day at the church property. We had several men come and set the forms for our foundation. We should have CONCRETE in just a few weeks!
We are going to be saying "THANK YOU" a lot over the next few months. We really appreciate all the hard work that has been done and that is going to be done!

It was also my birthday Saturday! I will just tell you I'm 43 now! A big girl! We went out to eat that evening at a place called Fat Catz. It was the first time I had been and it was good. They specialize in Louisiana Cajun food , but, I had steak. Then, I had Blue Bell pralines and cream ice cream, one of my favorites. When you are the mom, you don't always get a birthday cake, that is okay, cause I picked the flavor of ice cream.

Kory had his awards presentation tonight. He got the award for physics and of course, A Honor Roll. We tried to take a "Kory, you did good picture", but it was pretty much like all the others we try to take. We have to say every time...act right, straighten up...hold your head up, SMILE! Act like your happy, whether you are or not...just PRETEND! Yeah... We are still proud of his accomplishments, whether he smiles and acts happy or not!

A few more pictures....

I made stuffed strawberries for the mothers on Mother's Day. They were delish! Thanks to my friend Sharon from home for showing me how easy they are!

On May 8th, we had our very first youth shabang. Kris put a ton of work into it, along with Ashley's help and also, Kory's, Kolton's, Sarah's, Megan's and Justin's. It was a great service. They did awesome with the music and singing. Kris "talked". We didn't have as many as we had hoped, but several new ones were there. Kory's friend won the ipod we were giving away and just about everyone got a free cd. (Thanks, Jason O.)

One more picture...this is Kory's latest artwork. I just love it! The camera shot is not too good. I told him he has to make me something before he graduates! So, he has just about a year to figure it out! I love the scrollies! Kolton has been "into" some art lately...I will have to post about that later.

I just finished baking cakes for a meeting at the house tomorrow night. So now, I can finally go to bed.

Good Night!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-09T12:24:00.007-05:00

I want to wish my Mom and my Mother-in-law a very Happy Mother's Day.

Hope your day is wonderful!

Love you both!

I came across this the other day and thought it would be a good time to post it in honor of mothers.

"A mother wears many hats during the child raising years. We take them off, one by one as our children grow up, but there is one that we should never, ever remove and that is the hat of a mother who prays."

A mother prays for her children to:

Be saved and to love truth.

Have a hatred for sin.

Be caught when guilty.

Be protected from evil (spiritually, emotionally and physically).

Have a responsible attitude in all relationships.

Respect those in authority.

Desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends.

Be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one.

Be kept pure until marriage (as well as the one they marry).

Learn to totally submit to God.

I want to say how proud I am of my boys...they are awesome and I really do enjoy being a MOM to them. I know I joke a lot about ALL boys and no girls, but I am so thankful God gave us these 3! They amaze me with their talents, abilities and willingness to work for God. I love the 3 guys that call me "Mom"!

Wishing all of you Moms a very HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Just Wondering.....

2009-05-08T09:15:00.002-05:00

Facebook seems to be the thing right now...and twittering. Do I really need to know where & what you are eating? When you get up and when you go to bed! LOL!!! I monitor Kolton's facebook and I must say it is tempting to join, just to know what you are having for dinner. I need to know if I should be jealous!

I still enjoy reading blogs and occasionally posting, actually I am addicted to reading blogs.

So, what I was wondering....am I already out of date because I still blog and I don't have a Facebook account??? I am just really set in my ways and I don't like (most) CHANGE!
Maybe one of these days I will join Facebook, however, I think I would need an iphone and I just don't think that is happening anytime soon! Kory did inform me the other day that he will be joining the iphone crowd soon!

Happy Friday to everyone!

I am HAPPY about...

2009-05-02T13:00:00.019-05:00

1 ~ my husband coming home today to stay for awhile...out of the last 17 days he has been gone 11. I have missed him.

2 ~ me being HOME today...Ahh!

3 ~ baking today...although it is for a NAYC bakesale. Kolton and & I are making white chocolate popcorn, Oreo pops, dipped NutterButters, and I will make a cherry cheese pie. And, I am making a coffee cake for me! YUM!

4 ~ God's many, many blessings in my life. Insert Thankful here!

5~ my boys and all their idiosyncrasies. Yeah, I had to look it up to spell it!

6 ~ it being May. I love spring, flowers, and sandals!

7 ~ decorating my house, it never ends!

8 ~ CIAD...less than 4 months away!

9 ~ Ashley~ my future daughter(in-law)

10 ~ having friends and family to share my life with. If you are reading this you are probably one or the other! I appreciate you!

11 ~ Kory getting his first car, it has relieved me of taxi service!

12 ~ Google Reader...I am always late to join the latest and greatest! I love reading blogs on decorating, cooking, being frugal, and if you have a blog, I am probably reading it too!

13 ~ saving money...I finally joined CVS a couple of weeks ago....I'm taking it slow, but I've already earned $50 in Extra Bucks! A great site for finding deals and coupons is Money Saving Mom.

14 ~ about my husband's new job....although I do miss commuting with him and being together at work. We have almost always worked together if I was working.

15 ~ decorating my husband's new office next week. He has 2 ginormous framed flags, 1 American and 1 Texas, they have been in the garage since we moved. Now they have a home again.
16 ~ Sonic Vanilla Coke. I shouldn't, but sometimes I have too!

17 ~ being close to Lufkin....Kris and Kory drove down for Men's Conference last night.

18 ~ the sun shining and the windows being open, letting in a small breeze. I am happy about A/C too, which later got turned on!

19 ~ our dog, Kopper....especially since he is not destroying things anymore:)

20 ~ being finished with what I am happy about:)

Blessings to all...have a great week-end!

ashleyandkris.com

2009-04-16T10:25:00.001-05:00

Kris & Ashley have set up a wedding website.

Go here and you can see a few of their engagement pictures.

I did not...

2009-04-14T20:56:00.005-05:00

I did not go to freshman orientation tonight for my youngest son. He is not old enough to go to high school next year. He is not big enough! I am not old enough for my baby to be in high school. I am not in my 40's. UGH! You get the picture!

I am not wanting to face this reality(really), so I decided to say the opposite!

Oh, and he also informed me he will be driving in about a year. WHAT??????
He is only 13 as I write this, but I know he will be driving soon enough. Another UGH!

And life just keeps on................. ;)

Officially........we heard today!

2009-03-17T19:00:00.006-05:00

August 28, 2009

CHURCH IN A DAY

(CIAD)

GREATER LIFE CHURCH
BULLARD, TEXAS

Brothers.Braces.Blessings.Birthdays.

2009-03-13T14:00:00.002-05:00

The 2 younger brothers have enjoyed sleeping in this week as it is SPRING BREAK. It was 36 degrees this morning, but Spring is on it's way! Cooped up in the house is where they have been the last 3 days. It has been cold and rainy!
Monday and Tuesday were nice, if only we would have paid more attention to the weather forecast. 'Cause they did predict it, we just didn't plan or really pay attention! The boys were planning on fishing with their Dad one day, but the rain came. Kolton did get to go to a skate park one evening and risk his life! Kory has mostly been doing homework, or so he says! He did write "The True Story of Humpty Dumpty", I will have to post later so you can all read it!

Also, the 2 younger brothers got braces on their teeth this week. We went in for a consultation and ended up getting them that same day! Kory chose green bands, of course! And, Kolton was going to choose PINK, but changed his mind to aqua blue and yellow. Pink is a very touchy subject in our household. I am the only one allowed to have pink clothing!!! I love PINK! Always have. Suppose I always will!

We had a wonderful blessing this week by the way of my husband getting offered a new job with a local company to start a new "professional business group" he is very excited, and we give God total praise for it. All those months of wondering and waiting on His will and waiting some more....are over!

TODAY IS MY DAD'S BIRTHDAY!
DAD, I will forever be grateful to you for bringing me up in a loving, stable, Christian home. You set a good example for me to follow. "They" say I take after the Hodgson side! I am glad! I would rather be a little quiet than really LOUD!!! (Mom, I love the Hunt's...you know it!!!) And, my boys (all 4 of them) more than make up for any shyness left in my bones! Although, "they" say I have one that is just like you & me! LOL!
Hope you are having a wonderful birthday and that this will be a great year for you!
Love Always,

Happy Birthday!

2009-03-03T08:53:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday

to my fun, loving husband!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

I love you!

It's A Wonderful Life

2009-03-02T13:00:00.002-06:00

I have a sign in my house that says that. (I love word art) And, most of the time I agree! But, today is Monday. Ever had one?? I am mad at my undisciplined self. It has been a goal of mine to get up earlier this year, to have more time to get things done. BUT, I love my snooze button way too much! I am not a morning person.
Back to my wonderful life. Kenny & I were able to have a week-end for just us. It has been a really long time since that has happened. The boys were at a youth retreat, so on Friday, we went to celebrate the Gilbert's 30th Pastoral Anniversary in Dennison. These are great people! So much was said about them giving, giving and giving! We agree! They (Truth Tabernacle) gave us the offering that paid off our church property. (Which by the way is now CIAD ready! All the dirt has been moved and spread.)
Then Saturday, we had brunch at IHOP with several ministers & wives. Then, on to Dallas to waste away the day! We were in no hurry, so we really enjoyed the day. I have heard a lot about IKEA, so I wanted to go there just to look. It is definitely a different kind of store. It is a maze! We did enjoy going there, bought $3.00 worth of merchandise and left! Really not my kind of store, but it was interesting! BTW it was absolutely freezing and the wind was fierce, and of course we didn't have coats! Next, we went to PF Changs. SO GOOD! Love, Love that place! Before we started home, I just had to stop by Garden Ridge Pottery, I haven't been there in years. I got to spend some $$ for some decor. And, I bought something for Kris & Ashley! Not sure if I can wait 9mo. to give it to them. We got home about 9pm, the boys had been snoozing for hours. Youth retreats and sleep don't usually go together, you know!
On Sunday, we had 2 first time visitors, found out they used to be upc. They were touched through out the service, we were so excited to see God working. And, last night we heard Bro. Tuttle preach at Tyler Tabernacle. Awesome message.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL WEEK-END!

Good News!

2009-02-21T18:43:00.008-06:00

We are now official........

Church In A Day!!!

We are super excited and as soon as we have a date we will post it.
God has truly blessed us!

I am finally feeling much better, it has been a slow process this week! We were supposed to go to WF for Kenny's sister, Rhonda's 50th Birthday. I didn't have any more time available to take off from work, so I didn't get to go, Kenny still went and celebrated. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RHONDA! Hope your surprise birthday was lots of fun! Sorry I had to miss.:(

Also, Kris and Ashley have a wedding blog you can check out! Go here.

Have a good week-end everybody!

Next Year I'll be the first one in line.....

2009-02-13T18:30:00.001-06:00

for a flu shot! I have lost my whole week. I went to work Monday morning feeling fine, by mid-afternoon I thought I'm getting sick. By that night I was hacking and coughing. I thought it was bronchitis again (this nasty East Texas humidity). My husband made me an appt. with our doctor on Tuesday, he gave the diagnosis of the flu. YUCK. I have been in my jammies ever since, wondering when I will get better. It makes for a real romantic Valentine's Day! I called Kenny and asked him to stop and get me some orange juice earlier today and he brings me home a dozen red roses! And some candy to share (he said). He clearly stated that I couldn't give him a kiss! He is fighting a little something, hopefully not the flu. I've missed four days of work, Kolton has missed four days of school. Kris & Kory were sick this past week-end, but evidently they did not have the flu, they got better right away. It stinks staying home sick when there are things around you that just keep on happening whether you are there or not!
SO... if you are not home sick, get out and enjoy your Valentine's Day tomorrow! Or, if you are home sick....I know just how you feel.:(

The following is a post I had written, then I got sick and forgot about, anyway here it is.

I received an e-mail the other day that got me to thinking. It was from Mark Sanborn, author of The Fred Factor. My husband has used this story in a sermon he preached. It is about Fred, the postman who goes above and beyond what is necessary to deliver mail. He made such an impression on one of his customers, Mark Sanborn, who in return wrote a book about it.

I was reading the article For The Love Of Fred, when I started thinking...what do I do to show my love. For my family, I already cook their dinner, clean the house, wash the clothes, I am sure my family appreciates it, but it is the norm, nothing special to show them I appreciate them. (*Just to clarify, my family does help around the house!) I bake them cookies every now and then, but I enjoy them too! I get them a little special something once in awhile. But, honestly, I was hard pressed to come up with something extra I do for anybody that is showing love or kindness. So... I've got some work to do! Actually, it doesn't take much time to show someone a little appreciation or to do an act of kindness.

We have the sweetest neighbor that lives across the street from us. I am not sure who started it first, Ruth or Kenny. On the week days, when he gets our newspaper, he picks hers up and puts it on her front porch. On Saturday and Sunday, she gets up before we do and she puts ours right next to the front door! It has even rubbed off, Kolton got the paper one morning, Kenny was going to go put Ruth's on her porch, but Kolton spoke up and said he already had!

Kenny does something for me that I really appreciate. He turns out my lamp at night. I know that may sound silly, but I have to practically get out of bed to turn it off, so if I am already in bed, he ALWAYS turns it out for me. I love it!

I want to show my love more and be kind to my family and to friends, neighbors, co-workers, cashiers, wait staff, whomever! As Christians, I believe we should always be kind to those that we know and those that we do not. You just never know, they may show up in church on Sunday, sitting in the pew right next to you! Just a thought!

*Note to boys...You could really show appreciation to your Mother by keeping your clothes picked up off the floor and by keeping your rooms & bathrooms clean so she wouldn't have to nag....I mean constantly encourage you!
*Note to self....tell boys to read my blog today!

Blessings to all!

God's Forgiveness

2009-02-05T08:30:00.001-06:00

I came across this cute story and had to share!

The story is told of a little boy shopping with his mom at the mall. He did well for the first few minutes but soon grew tired of following his mother into stores that were of no interest to him at all. He began to whine and cry, hoping that she would take him home. When that didn't work, he threw a tantrum, complete with screaming, yelling and a mad dash for the nearest exit. It worked! Stuffing a crumpled shopping list into her purse, the little boy's mother grabbed his hand and headed for the parking lot. He was thrilled, anticipating the freedom so close at hand. But as they drove home in tense silence, the realization that he was in serious trouble began to settle around his anxious heart and mind. In an attempt to placate his mother the little boy asked, "Mom, when you do something wrong it's a sin - right?" A stiff nod was his answer. "Mom, my teacher at church said that God loves us even when we do wrong things. That's right isn't it?" With an angry glance, his mother answered, "Yes, son. That is right." He was onto something here -- she spoke! "Mom, my teacher says that when we say we are sorry for the wrong things we do and ask God to forgive us, He takes those wrong things and throws them into the sea. Isn't that neat, Mom?" Through slightly clenched teeth came the answer, "Yes, son. God does love us and forgives us for every wrong thing we do." Several silent moments passed and with a sigh, the little boy surrendered. "Mom, I told God I am sorry for the way I acted at the mall and asked Him to throw those wrong things into the deepest ocean He could find. But I have a feeling that when we get home, you're gonna go fishing in that ocean!"

Kory is licensed to DRIVE!

2009-01-30T21:30:00.005-06:00

Congrats Kory! I will try to be calm, cool and collected

while I am with you!

I am not the best "ride while your son drives" Mom!

I have to admit it makes me really nervous.

You would think I would be used to it by now, but not so!

ZITS

I love the Zits Comic Strip!

Y'all, I live in there. For. Real!

Some of the following scenes have really happened in our house.

I suppose I will be here for a few more years

It is never dull.....THAT is for sure!

A bit of this and that...

2009-01-11T13:54:00.002-06:00

It has been a bit of a blur since New Year's! I can't believe it is already eleven days into the new year. The week-end after New Year's, Bro. Hallford and his kids came for a short visit. We enjoyed his preaching and fellowshipping with them. We have had a full schedule at our secular work. We did enjoy lunch on Friday with our friends, Keith & Carla and their girls, then on Friday night we took Ashley and her family out to Outback to celebrate Kris & Ashley's engagement. Their wedding date is November 14, 2009. Yesterday, we finally had the time to take down all of our Christmas decorations, things are getting back to normal(?)!
Also, another important date has had a change, we are waiting until September to do our Church In A Day. A number of things dictated this change, but the number one being it would just be too rushed. We didn't pay off our land until the middle of November, then by the time we got our application filled out and sent in, it was December. So...I am relieved! I just didn't know how it would all fall into place. Now, with more time, I can breathe a little easier. :) We also will have the opportunity to apply for several grants from UPCI.
We had a good service this morning...our hearts were challenged to do more.
Blessings to you all!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T18:15:00.004-06:00

Wishing everyone the very best for 2009!
Hope all your dreams come true.

If you haven't already made a few New Year's resolutions, maybe these will inspire you....

they are supposed to be the 10 most common resolutions....

1 ~ Spend more time with family & friends
2 ~ Fit in fitness
3 ~ Tame the bulge
4 ~ Quit Smoking
5 ~ Enjoy life more
6 ~ Quit Drinking
7 ~ Get out of debt
8 ~ Learn something new
9 ~ Help others
10 ~ Get organized

I need to make some of these my own, thankfully, I can delete a few of them. My #1 would have to be improving my relationship with God. Everyday in everyway I want to be closer to Him.

Good Evening!

Prayer Request

2008-12-30T21:00:00.003-06:00

Please pray for our friend Tim Kelley. I just found out that he has to have bypass surgery in the morning. He and Kenny went to TBC together. His wife Dana & I go way back to pre-teen years. Her Dad pastored in Wichita Falls for a short time. Then at TBC she taught me piano lessons!
http://revkelley.blogspot.com/

Change......

2008-12-30T13:00:00.004-06:00

For several years, actually since the summer of "04" I have been experiencing great change in my life. I am one who does not like change for the most part. I know it is a necessary evil! JK! God gave me a husband who LOVES change. And, it has mostly been good for me. It is just that I like getting in my comfortable spot and STAYING! Of course, I married a preacher even though I said I wouldn't. How many of us have said that?! LOL!
After owning his own business for quite a few years, he felt led to sell it and go back into more active ministry. We sought God's will and that eventually led us to Bullard, Texas. Home Missions! We both said we didn't want to do that! Be careful what you say! Things have been exciting...and at times, hard, but with the help of God we will have a thriving church here in Bullard!
We moved here, expecting our income to be from another computer business we were planning on purchasing. After several months of waiting, we went another direction and my husband looked for a job, he finally located one with a temp agency. Then, his boss wanted to know if he knew anyone that did accounting work. He happily suggested me! I was hired immediately. I do believe God had a hand in both of us getting our jobs. He has provided the income that we have to have. Going to work was a huge change in my life, one that I still struggle with, but I have finally been able to give it to Him and I put my trust in Him!
I started writing this post about change because Kris is getting married. We moved just before his senior year, he adapted well. He also started his first full-time job. That brought more change to our family, we saw him less and that is really when I had a very hard time... my boy growing up....doing his own thing! And then he met Ashley. Actually, he met her when we first moved here, but they didn't start dating until a year later. He & I were sitting in the surgeon's waiting room (his wisdom teeth) when he told me they were "talking"! Now, a year and a few months later they are engaged! Ashley is a beautiful girl, I believe a true lady and she is going to be great for Kris! The more I think about them getting married the more excited I get. Yes, they are young, but they will be fine! So far, I have not had a hard time. I may cry & snot at the wedding (I hope not!). Ashley spent Christmas with us and was over quite a bit during the holidays, we enjoy her being at the house. Yes! Finally a girl!

These two.....

2008-12-28T17:25:00.001-06:00

are ENGAGED!!!
He asked.....she said YES! on Christmas Day!

He's 20....She's 18

So.....

...in love...Congrats, Kris & Ashley.....We love you!!! :)

Our Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T21:05:00.008-06:00

Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time!

2008-12-22T20:00:00.001-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year. AND, also the busiest! The house is decorated, trees are trimmed. Stockings hung by the fire.Christmas cards are mailed, we finished our Christmas shopping last week and all but a couple of presents are wrapped. We've been to a neighborhood party, office party, party in our home.Christmas Banquet, Christmas Children's Program. Celebrated Kory's birthday! We prepared shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, posed for family pictures (my boys did great for a change!) My parents arrived here a few days ago. Last night after service and Posada's (the best Mexican food) we drove over to see Christmas with the Good's, it is awesome!

Here is a sample video http://vimeo.com/2460763 .

I still want to go to Santa Land.

I've planned the meals, made the goodies......now can I please REST? LOL!!! I know many of you feel the same way. I have a full-time job that is thrown in there somewhere! There are so many fun things to do this time of year and I want to do them all!

This week-end I felt so drawn to the true meaning of Christmas, we received our CFC Offering and my husband told some Christmas stories about giving. It really is more blessed to give than receive. I have always felt more comfortable giving rather than receiving, but since we have been in Bullard, I have to say we have been on the receiving end like never before.

God has blessed!

We always read the Christmas story on Christmas, when the boys were little, we had a Golden Book of the Christmas story, now we just read Luke, chapter 2, we don't have to have the pictures! We all know the real reason we celebrate Christmas, but I want that reminder again before we open gifts.

Jesus is the real reason for the season! I don't want Christmas to become commercialized to me and my family. Yes, I love all the tinsel and lights and the presents are nice, BUT the real gift is HIM!

Wishing you all a very Blessed Christmas!

Enjoy the season of giving!

Happy Birthday, Kory!

2008-12-10T08:30:00.001-06:00

Today the middle son turns 17! WooHoo!

We celebrated quietly at home last night. All it takes to make Kory happy is his favorite food, chocolate, and money. He received all of that!

He requested the simplest meal of Taco Ring, Butterfinger Cake and Sprite. He made it super easy for me! Thanks, Kory.

It turned very cold last night, so it was kinda of nice to stay home by the fire playing Imaginiff!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU KORY

You are a wonderful son, with awesome talent.

WE LOVE YOU!

My Thankful Heart...

2008-11-25T08:00:00.008-06:00

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

I love when the weather turns cooler, the leaves turn red and orange, the sky looks wintery... it means the holidays are very near! I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, but, I refuse to decorate with red and gold, Santa's and snowmen 'till we have had Thanksgiving. I have always loved the rich colors of fall, and I LOVE anything pumpkin! Well, almost, I have seen some receipes I am sure I wouldn't care for, but anything with sugar & pumpkin is bound to be good!

Reflecting on this year, I have so much to be thankful for. I want to always have an attitude of gratitude. I want to slow down and enjoy the little things, it seems that rarely happens in this thing we call LIFE! My goal this Thanksgiving & Christmas is to keep it simple! I love to decorate, SHOP, bake, SHOP, make goodies, SHOP, do this, SHOP and do that, SHOP.....then I am just exhausted. Last year Kolton told me what one of his school teachers does every year. I thought it sounded like a great idea! She gets all of her shopping, wrapping and decorating done before Thanksgiving arrives! I really wanted to get the Christmas shopping and wrapping done early, but that is really hard when NO ONE will tell me what they want in Sept. or Oct. or even early Nov. Kolton did give me his wish list early, then just a couple of weeks ago, he scratched everything off and decided he wanted something entirely different! Needless to say, I have NOT got the Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving. But, that's okay. I am thankful to have just about 30 days to get it done!

In every thing give thanks...

My thankful heart list...

~a faithful & trustworthy GOD~

~a husband who loves me~

~3 TEENAGE BOYS who love God and serve Him~

~make that 1 TWENTY year old and 2 TEENAGE BOYS!~

~a loving Mom & Dad~

~a healthy 13 yr. old~

~an income~

~food, COOKIES :), clothing & shelter~

~new friends, old friends~

~Mom's cornbread dressing~

~my freedoms~

~His protection~

~smiles from those I love:)

God has provided and HE continues to BLESS me and my family!

I have a Thankful heart.

Wishing all of my blogging friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!

dirt...Dirt...DIRT

2008-11-23T20:00:00.005-06:00

A quick update on the dirt. My husband decided to go ahead and get the dirt moved to our church property. I am sure the generous man that offered the dirt appreciates us moving quickly!

The stock tank starting to fill up. I have to say that the mound of dirt looked a whole lot bigger than the pond.
They started early yesterday morning and were going to finish today, but we had some rain overnight and it would be too muddy to work.

Kenny was out there with them most of yesterday, the boys I went for a while and watched them. There were 5 dump trucks continuously being filled by the excavator(I think that is what it is called?) As of right now we have 169 loads of dirt on the property and about 40 more to go! THAT IS A LOT OF DIRT!I am sure the workmen thought I was a little weird taking pictures of the dump trucks and dirt! But, hey, they don't know I've got a blog and I plan on doing a scrapbook of our church history!

Our dog had fun playing in the dirt!
I'll take more pictures when they have completed the work.

PAID. IN. FULL.

2008-11-22T15:30:00.001-06:00

Well we've done it! We have paid off the church land!

Really, I should correct this. There have been so many who have given and blessed us throughout the past year that enabled us to reach this important milestone. Thank you to everyone who has given! We couldn't have done it without you. The last offering came from Truth Tabernacle pastored by Bro. David Gilbert. He asked me to come preach and share our burden for Bullard. When I was through preaching, the church raised the $3,000.00 remaining dollars we needed to completely pay off the land. Thanks Truth Tabernacle for helping us to be able to preach the "Truth" to Bullard!

Next stop on this incredible journey: Church In A Day (CIAD)! We have just a few things left to work out, but it looks like we will be doing a CIAD in March, 2009. There's a lot to get done between now and then. A local man here in Bullard just had a stock tank built for his cattle and donated the dirt to our church.

The only problem is, we have to get the dirt moved. It will cost more than $6,000.00 dollars to move, but once we get it, there will be enough to finish our whole CIAD project. Pray that the Lord makes a way for us to quickly raise this money.

We're also excited to tell you that we have new people coming to Greater Life Church! We have had several recent visitors, including some Bullard High School students invited by Kory. One of these brought his mom to our recent fall fellowship! Pray that we'll be able to reach them with the truth. One of the young men wants to be baptized. We plan to do that very soon.

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-14T08:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, Mom!

You are a very special Mom, and I appreciate you more than words can say.

Hope you have a wonderful day filled with all the things you enjoy!

Love, Love, LOVE You!!!

By the way.....Love the hairdo!!!

All Grown Up.....Almost!

2008-10-05T13:33:00.008-05:00

Happy Birthday to you, Kristopher Ladd Prince!

Kris turned 20 years old today! I feel old:(

We celebrated on Friday night, along with Ashley and her parents at ShoGun's Japanese restaurant. Then came home and had cookie cake and ice cream! Yesterday we went to Dallas to find a birthday suit for the birthday boy! It is not quite as easy shopping for a 20 year old as it was a 10 year old! But, finally we were successful!

Here is the card Kenny & I got him.

The inside.......Have you been fun to love or what!

I thought this card fit him perfectly. ;=)

Praise Report and Prayer Requests

2008-10-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, we took Kolton in for his 3 month check-up. He is doing great. They did an EKG and an ECHO. His blood pressure was 117/70, of course that is with him still on the blood pressure medication. The doctor told us that it looks like he will probably be one who has to remain on the medication for the rest of his life. NOT! I am believing that God will heal his body completely! He has been having a slight problem with his eyes since surgery. I think it is probably a side effect of the medication, the doctor doesn't know. He has been to the eye doctor, she didn't find anything. His problem is he has episodes of tunnel vision, and a very brief, but intense headache. I know God is exceedingly and abundantly able to fix this problem.
We were thankful all over again when the doctor was explaining to a young doctor finishing his residency the particulars of finding this and of Kolton being older and surviving! When a baby is in the womb, they develop collateral lines, or very tiny veins running from their heart to other parts of the body. Once the baby is born, these usually go away. Kolton's did not. He had to have them to get blood to his lower extremities. Our doctor told the other doctor, if he would not have had these, his organs would have died. We are just so thankful that this was found and fixed! Some have asked if he feels better now. The thing is, he didn't feel bad before. The only thing noticeable to him, is if he is playing really hard, he doesn't get a headache.
PRAISE THE LORD!

Please pray for our friend, Norma. She recently found out that she has breast cancer, her surgery was yesterday. She is one of the sweetest ladies I know. She has the most beautiful spirit and smile. We are believing with them for a complete healing.

Also, please pray for my Dad. He went in last week to have his 2nd knee replacement surgery. All went well with the surgery. They sent him home on Sunday, even though he was having a problem catching his breath if he was moving around. Monday, his home health nurse or physical therapist, I am not sure which, told them something is not right. She then asked my Mom if she was able to take him back to the hospital or if she needed to call an ambulance. Turns out, he had a "shower" of blood clots in his lungs. He is doing much better, as of last night he was still in the hospital, possibly going home today. Thank the Lord for His protection! They did run tests to make sure there weren't any blood clots any where else, and there were not.

Hope you all have a wonderful week-end:)

Memories, Grannies, Cookies & IKE

2008-09-13T09:31:00.007-05:00

I had to make cookies the other night for Kolton's "How To" speech. A couple of years ago he had to do a report on Sweden and chose for me to make something! We chose Swedish Spritz cookies, I used a new recipe instead of my Granny's trusted one and cookies ran all over the pan...not a pretty sight, but we just broke them up and the kids loved them. So, once again I had to make the Spritz cookies, and this time I used the trusted recipe. They turned out okay. You have to use a cookie press (also from my Granny Hodgson) and it just seems to be a never ending chore. The cookies taste like a shortbread cookie, not too sweet, kinda of bland really. I am not sure if I really like them or not. I sure had enough trying to decide though! LOL!
My Granny Hodgson's father was from Sweden and her maternal grandparents were from Sweden.

Anyway, I started thinking of both of my grannies. My Granny Hunt was known for her chocolate gravy, chicken & dumplings and VINEGAR pie! My mom made a vinegar pie a couple of years ago, I think I liked it better as a kid! It is quite interesting, it doesn't taste like vinegar, thankfully, but more like a cobbler without apples. My Granny Hunt was so much fun, she let all the grandkids play with her flubber. You know the hangie down, or "dough", on the upper arm. Some of you can relate I am sure! We loved it! She also had false teeth and would snap them at us, scared me every time.
My Granny Hodgson was known for her scrumptious desserts. Key Lime Pie, Lemon Delight, Fluffy Cheesecake, Cherry Cheese Pie to name a few. I think I got my love for making and baking desserts from her. She was more of a sweet Granny. Even though she never had much, she loved to give. She was a hard worker and a dedicated Christian. I remember seeing her many times dancing before the Lord.

And lastly, IKE.
It has made its way through Houston and seems to be headed right here. Thankfully, the winds have diminished somewhat. We really don't know what to expect. It should come through here around 1pm. We are under a flash flood watch, tornado watch, tropical storm wind warnings and several river flood warnings. One of those rivers is just a couple of miles from where we live, but my husband assures me we are a good bit higher. We have had rain this morning and the wind is getting stronger. They expect this area to be without electricity. I am getting hot just thinking about it!
We have bought water, plenty of snacks. We have flashlights and LOTS of candles, but I don't think we have a radio that runs on batteries. I have a gas cooktop, so we will be able to still cook. The lights flickered just a few moments ago. We may be twiddlin' our thumbs from boredom later! Actually, I have a house that really needs to be cleaned, I guess I can do that without electricity!

Continue to pray for all who are in Ike's path.

2008-09-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

My progress...

2008-09-01T10:37:00.003-05:00

I have been losing weight all week! I am pleased to say I have lost 5 lbs. this last week. Now just -- more to go! I am counting calories, eating much less than before, I have actually had hunger pains! I plan to start walking in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, it will be a little cooler. A few of us at work are going to start walking at lunch. I bought this diet and exercise assistant for my palm centro. It counts calories, carbs, fat, protein, keeps up with your BMR and tells you how many calories you have to lose to lose weight. It has been a great tool.

Hope everyone is enjoying Labor Day today! It is nice to have an extra day off.
Our week could get interesting here, they are predicting that hurricane Gustav will come through here tomorrow producing high winds and flooding (up to 20 inches of rain). I am praying that storm dies today!

Check out your traveler IQ...

2008-08-29T09:00:00.007-05:00

Go here if you want the whole map!!

This Traveler IQ challenge compares your geographical knowledge against the World's Original Travel Blog's other 2,998,956 travelers who have taken this challenge as of Friday, August 29, 2008 at 01:58PM GMT. (TravelPod is part of the TripAdvisor Media Network)

It is Official

2008-08-25T08:00:00.011-05:00

School has begun! I have always taken pictures of the boys on the first day of school, until more recently, they seem to think it is too childish. Of course, you know from my previous post that getting a picture at all is a challenge! So, I went back just a few years and pulled some of their "1st days". They were such cute little boys! At least, I think so!

Here is Kolton on his first day of preschool with his HUGE Tigger backpack! He will be in 8th grade this year. Unbelievable, I know.

Kory on the first day of kindergarten. He looks so happy to start school. He will be a junior this year.

Kris is on his way to kindergarten, supporting the Dallas Cowboys all the way. I know they didn't let him keep that cap on! He chose to take a break from college this semester, hopefully he will CHOOSE to go the next semester!

And, I am officially starting to lose weight TODAY! There, I have let the whole world know that I am somewhat overweight! Well, at least anyone reading my blog knows! So, maybe this way I will stay motivated, even when I want cookies! Or, a large vanilla coke from Sonic. I had my last one Saturday. Or, a PibbXtra. The list could go on and on and on..... But this time, I am determined! I am sticking with it.

Wishing you all a good week!

23 Years...

2008-08-24T21:37:00.002-05:00

...I have been married to my best friend!

I appreciate all you do for me, for loving me and putting up with me!

Happy Anniversary, Babe!

I love you!

A Quote...

2008-08-20T12:54:00.002-05:00

from my Little Book of Virtues calendar...

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream,

not only plan, but also believe.

Anatole France

And, I am grateful to know that With God on our side WE WIN!

NO RUNNING IN THE HOUSE!

2008-08-05T15:30:00.002-05:00

I received this from a girl I work with. I don't know who this little boy is, but oh that had to hurt!I thought I would post it for all of you with young children. Just show them the pictures and tell them this is what happens if you run through the house with something in your hand! Maybe they will listen! I know what all of the boys will say....either COOL! or AWESOME! They have no heart!

Here is the first picture.....what did he do???

Here is what he did.....OOUUCCHHH!

Poor little guy. I just cringed when I saw this. That hurts!!!!!!!!!!

My Crazy Guys!

2008-08-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

My boys are crazy when I try to take their picture. If someone we know is taking their picture they are crazy too. It has to be an unknown photographer for them to act "normal" I get so mad at them, because I can never get a decent picture. So, I told them I was going to post pictures, regardless of how they looked! At least we are making good memories?? Anyway, one of those times of trying to get some pictures was Father's Day. You can tell they had a good time posing! Enjoy!

Brothers!

Ahhh...they like each other!

"Father"

The Dad with MANY arms!

What great kids we have!

See what I mean??????????????? Maybe the next one will be better!!!!!!!!!!!

But, no!

KOLTON!!!

Finally! They CAN all smile together:)

MY new phone....

2008-07-25T17:00:00.003-05:00

...is a Palm Centro. I got it on Monday and I'm lovin' it! I have wanted one since I started using my ancient palm at the beginning of the year. It had one of those "ear" noises that you really couldn't hear, but hurt like crazy! So, I would use it and turn it off as fast as I could. I've been patiently waiting until the right time. I did get a pretty good deal.

So I am happy, happy!!!

A New Look.....

2008-07-19T14:12:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone is having a great week-end. I just love being home on a Saturday, pidlin around the house! (Is that really a word?)

Kolton is gone on a jr. high trip to San Antonio. Yes, we let him go! We heard from him this morning and he is just fine! Today has been one month since his surgery.

Kory & I are fixing to tackle his room. The boys bedrooms are rather small in our house and Kory loves "stuff", he wants to save everything. He likes going to garage sales with a friend, you should see the stuff he brings home. Ugh! Anyway we HAVE to sort through and throw away TODAY!

A HUGE thank-you to Kory for our new look. I won't be changing anytime soon! That editing html is not my thing at all, but he knows the stuff! I will add all my friends links next week.

I will leave you with a picture of a cute little sign that I picked up at Hobby Lobby! Actually my husband insisted on it! What is that supposed to mean? LOL! Well, cookies are my favorite, so I guess it does fit me!

Follow-up Visit

2008-07-10T12:13:00.003-05:00

On Monday afternoon, we went to Dallas for Kolton's follow-up appointment with Dr. Laird, the heart specialist. She said his heart seemed very happy now! Everything looks good. They did an ekg and an echo. His blood pressue was 122/68 with the medication. For now he will have to be on the blood pressure medication. They really want it under 120. He doesn't go back for 3 months. I would rather it be every month! They come to Tyler once a month, so most of our follow-ups can be here. They will continue to monitor him for quite a while, especially through growth spurts.
We continue to count our blessings! One being, we were finally able to add the boys to our insurance as of Feb. 1, 2008. Thank the Lord! He looks out for us!

Wishing you all a good week!

God Bless America!

2008-07-04T13:28:00.003-05:00

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Hope you all are enjoying your freedom today! We are celebrating by taking it easy! We are going to cook-out later and then go to Lufkin to be in service at youth camp and pick up Kory. It seems a little strange for youth camp to be on the Fourth of July!

Kolton is still doing great. He has not had any pain meds this week. He played the drums on Sunday, and he skated last night. He is still having a problem sorting dirty clothes though, you know, all that bending and lifting. He did finally get it done with my cheering him on! LOL!!! We go on Monday to the Heart Specialist in Dallas for them to look at everything.

The American Flag posted above is a puzzle that Kolton put together several years ago. It is hanging on the wall in his American room. The picture below is one of his hot diggity dogs!

We Are......

2008-06-27T22:15:00.014-05:00

SO glad to be home. Kenny & I have gone back to work and my parents are here to stay at home with Kolton. Kolton is doing really good. Most of his pain is in the middle of the night and the morning time, then he is mostly fine all day long. We go back to Dallas on the 7th for the doctor to take a look at the heart and the fixed aorta. He did come home with blood pressure medication. We are praying it is temporary.

I thought I would post just a few pictures from his hospital stay. The picture that looks like a tooth with a cavity in it is the "Coarc" that was removed. The spot is how narrow it was. They said that with blood flowing through it, it did increase in size slightly, but still, the difference of the circumference of the aorta and the narrowing is quite a bit. The piece that was removed was a little less than 2 cm long. The surgeon clamped off his aorta above and below the coarctation, for about 34 minutes while removing that portion and sewing it back together. Their goal is to keep it under 45 minutes. I already had mentioned that most of the time heart defects are discovered in infants, a lot of the time in the womb. It is amazing what they can do. It seems to me that the size of Kolton's aorta would be difficult enough to sew together after the piece was removed, just think how small an infants aorta is. An infants heart is the size of a small strawberry!

We were well taken care of at Medical City. We feel that Kolton got the best of care. All of the doctors and nurses were great. Dr. Mendeloff was awesome, he took time the day before surgery to explain everything, even all the risks that we didn't want to hear. He is the only pediatric heart surgeon at Medical City, but he made us feel like we were most important. There were certainly plenty of patients that had a lot more difficulties than Kolton did. We were thankful to be in great hands. Ultimately we know that God was there with us all.

GOING HOME!

2008-06-24T11:31:00.002-05:00

Kolton has been discharged.

We are going home!

Moving Along

2008-06-23T16:27:00.002-05:00

Kolton was moved to a regular room around 11 am this morning. The only attachments he still has are the heart monitor stickers and wires and oxygen monitor on his finger. We can unplug those if needed. He also still has an i.v. in his arm that is not being used, but they won't take it out until he goes home. He has been up, walking a little. He is feeling mucho better.
If the chest x-ray and blood pressure is good tomorrow and he is feeling super-dee-duper, we can go HOME!

He is ready and we are ready:-)

Not a walk in the park!

2008-06-22T21:35:00.003-05:00

I think this recovery part has been much harder than we imagined. We thought we would be home now, according to what they told us up front. We are still in the Pedicatric ICU Heart Unit. In spite of having a few painful moments, Kolton has made so much progress today. They turned off the blood pressure medicine I.V. today and removed the I.V. in his neck. He did have a couple of stitches holding that in place. He didn't know they were under the tape, until his nurse removed them. His oral blood pressure medication has kept his blood pressure at an acceptable rate. He also had a constant blood pressure monitor inserted in an artery in his arm that was removed today. And, they turned off the continuous pain med machine. They will remove the epidural cath in the morning. So, he is adjusting to the pain and taking oral pain med with an occasional dose of morphine thru i.v. He is a little more free of dangling wires and cords now!
He got up 2 times today, ate a little lunch and had Mickey D's McNuggets for supper. He ate all 4 of them. He has been drinking alot of Gatorade.

Tomorrow, he will be moved to a regular room in preparation for us to go home. We are thinking maybe Tuesday.....we will just have to wait and see.

We are still thanking God for looking out for us. Trusting Him for a complete healing.

'Til Tomorrow!

Update on Kolton - June 21st

2008-06-21T20:56:00.002-05:00

Karen stayed in Kolton's room last night while I stayed at the Ronald McDonald house again. Let me say a great big thank you to that fine organization. They treat us great, serve three meals a day for those who are there and are very kind and thoughtful. Also, my hat is off to the staff of Medical City Dallas, especially for the Pediatric Cardiology ICU group. They have taken excellent care of us while we have been here.

Kolton's day started pretty rough. He had quite a bit of pain and it took a little while to get it under control About the time the pain was getting fixed, dizziness set in and he had a rough go of it for about an hour or so. Finally though, we were able to get him up and sitting in a chair for a little while and then back into bed. All of a sudden he got hungry and thirsty and started wanting food and Gatorade. That was a tremendous and very needful step to get us out of ICU. The next thing that has to happen is to get him stabilized on oral blood pressure medication. (Please pray about this with us. The doctor's say he will probably have to be on blood pressure medication for the rest of his life because his heart has become so accustomed to beating hard and his brain thinks it still needs to.) He is currently taking some of the blood pressure medication through an IV, and they won't move him from ICU until it is all orally given. We are hoping to get him stabilized and into a regular room sometime tomorrow. Once that happens, the doctors tell us that recovery usually moves very rapidly from there. Most of the time a patient will only spend one or two days in a regualr room before going home. Pretty amazing!

Kris and Kory are home. Kris is leading our worship service tomorrow with Kory's help. We are having a wonderful couple, Rick and Teresa Daniels, teach and preach for us tomorrow. We expect great things in our services. Tomorrow after church, Kris and Kory are coming back to Dallas to see Kolton. We're looking forward to seeing them.

Everyone has been so kind to us. We have received so many phone calls and responses on our blog. It is so awesome having so many great family and friends like you praying for Kolton and us. I'm glad we're in God's family. There's nothing like the support you get from them.

Please keep us in your prayers. We believe God has his hand on us here. God Bless you!

Today's Update

2008-06-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

Kolton is doing well. His pain is up a little, but the doctors and nurses are saying he is doing great. This morning, he actually felt better and had a popsicle mid-morning, some jello and then some crackers and juice. His pain was "0" and sometimes a "1". The nurse gave an okay to order food for him. But, they wanted him to get up and sit up in a chair, which he did. It was very painful for him and he got dizzy and "sick". So.... he didn't end up eating and is back to ice chips. He said his pain is at a "4" now. The nurses don't hesitate to give him extra pain medication. He still has the continuous pain med and the button to push for more. He also has had some respiratory therapy, they don't want him to develop pneumonia.

I have really felt for him this afternoon and evening. Just so you know he has 3 i.v.'s in his arms. One i.v. in his neck. Stickers and wires on his chest. A chest tube in his side. About a 5 in. incision along the bottom of the shoulder blade (muscle was also cut thru), no stitches though(!) they used steri strips. An epidural in his back. And one other thing I will leave unnamed that is quite uncomfortable!

The i.v. in his neck is for the blood pressure medication. Typically this surgery causes the blood pressure to increase after surgery, and his did. So they gave him the medication thru the i.v. For some reason, we are not sure why, they stopped that early this morning and gave him an oral med for high blood pressure. All morning it kept increasing, so they started the med back thru the i.v. As long as he has that i.v he will have to stay in PICU. They are hoping sometime tomorrow they will be able to move him to a regular room. He will lose most of the baggage by then. But, he might possibly be in PICU Saturday night also. We will have to see how tomorrow goes. We really have no idea of when we will go home. They originally told us up to 4 days.

We are forever grateful to God that this was found. Almost all the patients that are in the PICU are babies. When a new shift nurse comes in, they ask "how was this found out and why now?" It is a little unusual for them to be older. Some of the equipment they are using with Kolton is not familiar to the nurses and they will have to get help.

We want to say how much we appreciate those who came yesterday for the surgery, it was so comforting to have friends and family there with us from start to finish. We also had friends visit tonight from Tyler, we enjoyed the time together. Thanks to my Mom and Dad for being with us most of the day. We appreciate all the cards and phone calls and the comments on this blog. We love and appreciate you all. Now I am teary-eyed, so I will say Good-Night!

~~~~~Please continue to pray that Kolton has a quick healing and speedy recovery~~~~~

Doing Very Well

2008-06-19T21:51:00.001-05:00

Kolton is doing excellent. He has mostly been light sleeping. On a scale of 0-5 (0 no pain...5 extreme pain) he is saying his pain right now is 0! The highest he said was 2. The doctors & nurses are saying this is a very painful surgery. He doesn't have an epidural, but something similar. I guess it is working very good:) He is hooked up to several machines. He did feel well enough to scare me and Kris silly. One of the machines started beeping and he started jerking...then he smiled! Argh! He scared me! Other than that, he has been a great patient! The nurses commented on how great he has been, even apologizing to them, when they are checking on him.

His feet have been hot! With little blood flow and blood pressure to his lower extremities, they say one side effect is cold feet. Kolton never complained about cold feet, but now they are hot! And, they can get a pulse in them.

Thanks again for your many prayers!

Quick post about Kolton's Surgery

2008-06-19T17:27:00.002-05:00

He just got out of surgery. Everything is A-Okay! We give God the praise! He went to the operating room at 12:40pm At that time he was doing well, he drank the "Goofy Juice", and it did wonders. He was having a little bit of a tough time this morning. We saw him briefly (about 5:20pm) in the hallway, he was on his way to ICU. We will be able to see him in about an hour.

Will update more later.

Thanks for all your prayers!

A few pictures from May

2008-06-11T21:00:00.006-05:00

I have finally got some pics together to post from May. Rock You is being very contrary. I think I will try something different next time!
We had a mother/daughter tea for the ladies and girls of our church a couple of weeks before Mother's Day. There were 8 of us. We had a very relaxing time sipping our flavored ice tea! We went to a tea house here in Bullard. The husband runs the nursery and the wife runs the tea house. It was beautiful. So beautiful that we walked to the water falls to get a picture of us all and we sort of got in trouble! We were not supposed to be walking back in that area. They put the signs back up AFTER they told us to be careful and get away from the falls! We just laughed at ourselves... I guess we probably looked pretty silly in heels walking on the rocks!

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!

Kolton's Surgery

2008-06-03T12:50:00.004-05:00

Kolton's surgery is scheduled for Thursday, June 19th, 10am at Medical City in Dallas.

We appreciate all of your prayers! Besides praying for his surgery, we have a couple of specific needs also, pray that he will not continue to have high blood pressure after his surgery. At his age, his heart has been used to working so hard, that there is a possibility that he will have to be put on blood pressure medication. Secondly, he had a CT Angiography done a few weeks ago, our doctor said the technicians had pointed out some "tissue" in neck/chest area. She spoke with the radiologist, he is 99.9% sure it is not a concern, but during Kolton's surgery, they will do a biopsy to be sure.

I put my trust in God. So far, I have been fine(mostly:), pray that we will continue to have peace in the hospital. Kolton has been doing good as well. His fear is of the stitches(!), being put to sleep, waking up during surgery, and, being the picky eater he is, he doesn't know how he will eat the hospital food!!! I printed him a menu off their website, he saw they have quite a few choices! We know this is a very serious surgery, and we have talked about it with him, prayed with him and for him. Other than limiting his activity, we are being normal, in other words, we aren't freaking out! We believe God is in control and I believe that has helped Kolton. He has not been upset.

We plan on taking our laptop with us to keep all of our family and friends updated during his hospital stay. So, please continue to pray and check back with us! WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

2008-06-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Anniversary to the most wonderful, beautiful and nicest parents a girl could ever have!

I Love You!

Karen

In Memory of Tim.......

2008-05-30T07:00:00.011-05:00

Today marks the 28th anniversary of Tim's death. He was tragically killed in an unexplainable one vehicle accident. It was supposed to be a fun day, the last day of our new Christian school. Several friends were critically injured as well. We will never understand this side of heaven why he was taken, and when we get to the other side, he will be there and I guess it won't matter then.

Tim's life was short, but he loved life. He was somewhat quiet, but wasn't above teasing, picking and occasionally pulling a prank or two. Just ask my Mom about the hot sauce in her Coke! He was very smart, always making good grades and taking the honor classes. He was 15 years old, just shy of turning 16. He hated suits and ties, but to be in the choir, he sacrificed! He played the drums. I called him "PAIN" when I was very little! We fought like every brother and sister. One time we had been sent to our rooms for fighting. We discovered we could communicate through the air conditioner return vents....until my Mom heard it and immediately put a stop to it! He could eat a whole bag of Doritos in one sitting! He loved Mrs. Bairds cinnamon rolls. He took longer to get his hair fixed than I did! And he used a ton of hairspray! Some of his hobbies were.... ventriloquism, wood burning, music, art, leather work (he had been working on a leather wallet at the time of his death). We rode bikes together as kids, I played Cowboys and Indians with him and occasionally he would play dolls or "family" with me! He is probably blushing on that one! We worked on a hole to China together! Once I swallowed a penny and he just about freaked out! My 14th birthday was just before the accident, my last gift from him was the Imperials new 8 Track! I still have it.

Last night, just before going to bed I got his picture ready to scan. I guess he was on my mind as I had decided to do a post in memory of him. I woke up in the wee early morning hours crying! I stayed awake thinking of Tim, his life, our relationship, the accident, his death, and what it could have been like to have a brother all of these years. As I have gotten older and matured, I have certainly missed him, but even more than just missing Tim, I miss him not being here with "his family". Who would have been his wife? How many kids would he have had? He would have got the GIRL!!! He would have been my boys' uncle. My boy's would have cousins on MY side. There would be more place settings at the Thanksgiving table, more gifts at Christmas. Everyone always says that you never get over the death of a close loved one. It is so true. You don't get over it, it changes you. Our family was changed. The grief and pain is not fresh like it once was and I don't think of Tim everyday like I did for so long after his death, but it still hurts not having a brother.

Our faith is what held us together. We had hope. We still have hope. Hope of being together again. Hope that he is in a better place, even though it means pain for us now. God carried us in our storm. He held my Mom & Dad together, gave them strength, we never strayed from the house of God. I am so thankful that we can put our complete trust in Him. People will fail you, but God never fails.

I wanted this post to be about Tim's life, not his death, but it seems hard to separate the two. Sitting here writing this post, I am still emotional. When I though about doing this blog, I didn't expect to feel this way.

"Everybody Will Be Happy Over There" was sung by the congregation at Tim's funeral.

There's a happy land of promise over in the great beyond

Where the saved of earth shall soon the glory share

Where the souls of men shall enter and live on forever more