The Summer is Coming to an End

2 weeks from tomorrow the children come back to school. I'm not ready. I'm not ready for the loss of freedom. Being able to sleep in, clean my house, play with Bekah, everything that comes with being at home. This also reminds me that I haven't finished the class that I wanted to have finished before school was back in session so I can do the other one during school. Better get going!! For those teacher friends of mine, enjoy your last few weeks of freedom.

Bobby's Grandma

Bobby's grandma has been in and out the hospital (mostly in) for the past two weeks battling pneumonia. She is going home today. Praise the Lord!! This is a huge weight off of his mom's and aunt's shoulders.

Congratulations Bobby!!

Bobby recently passed his Bible Competency exam with a 94%. This means that he doesn't have to take it as a class and pay $1200 for it at Asbury Seminary. You only need an 80% to pass, and you get 2 tries to pass. Some people need both these tries, but not Bobby. Way to go!!

New favorite food

Over the last year, or so, since Bekah has been eating solid foods, she has had many favorites.
From chicken nuggets, to meatballs (turkey and beef), apples, grapes, bananas (or as she calls them, bunny), cookies, fruit snacks, cheese sticks, ravioli with no sauce, etc.
Right now, we're currently in the "Roni" stage. She loves macaroni!!! She will go to the cabinet where I keep it, point up, and say loudly, "roni, roni, roni, roni," until you open the cabinet and make it for her. Even when she was throwing up with the virus she had, she still asked for "roni."
Oh course, many of the earlier favoirtes are still regulars, but currently, we love roni.

Random Pictures

Faithe and Nathan (Bobby's sister and her husband)
















Trashcan that Nathan and Bobby made while Faithe and Nathan visited for a few days.

My mom and Bekah on the boat. Bekah is very upset in the picture because she does not want to wear her lifejacket.















Rich and Bekah on the boat. Rich is trying to comfort Bekah. Currently, Rich is referred to as Yucky by Bekah. When she was little, she didn't like his facial hair, so he started calling himself this. It has stuck!!

Rich and Dylan on tube behind my aunt and uncle's boat. At first Dylan didn't want to go, then he got my dad to go with him, and then he tried to get my mom to go.

A Day at the Zoo

We traveled up to my parents for a belated b-day bash. We spent a long day at the zoo. It was a lot of fun.

In the first picture, Bekah is swipping a drink from Ethan's water bottle.

In the second Bekah is asleep at the end of a very tiring day.

In the third, Dylan is leading Bekah down a path.

The last picture is from the Louisville Airport before our first flight to Florida in June. I couldn't resist posting it, because Bekah is being affectionate with her cousins, as usual. She loves being with them, and they love her.

Where has the summer gone?

This whole week I've been in literacy training from 9-3:30. It's for a cross-cultural reading/writing thing that my school district is doing. Four weeks from yesterday, school starts again. This may sound like a lot of time, but from now on, I have at least a whole day of "school-related" things going that I have to be at every week. This doesn't count all the other preparation that I need to do on my own. Oh the joys of being a teacher. It doesn't really feel like a break anymore.

A New License

My 26th birthday is this coming Monday. I've been thinking about it for several weeks, but I just remembered yesterday that I needed to get my new Kentucky license because my Indiana one was expiring. So, this morning I went down to the Nicholasville DMV and paid $21 for my new Kentucky license. This included the $1 donation to something with organ donation.

On another note, our daugther Rebekah is going to be 2 years old in less than 3 months. I can't believe how time is flying. She is starting to feel better, but still not a huge appetite.

Bobby's sister, Faithe, and her husband Nathan left this afternoon. Bobby and Nathan spent much of the last 3 days, minus the time we were at the emergency room yesterday, building a trash can that is smaller than the one we currently have in the kitchen. As it is, we sometimes change the bag every day. Anyone else see a problem with this? I will post pictures of it when I get the film developed. My hubby is becoming quite the builder. He's built several things, and is doing many more for family members for Christmas. Any requests??

What a Day!!!

No, we did not have another baby!! After the afternoon we had with Bekah, I wanted to put a picture of our precious daughter, and since we don't have a digital camera, and I'm too lazy to go scan a recent one, I had to put this one on from 21 months ago!!!
Anyways, Faithe, Nathan, and I just got back from 4 hours at the hospital with Bekah. She's rehydrated and looking a lot better. Bobby was there for the inserting of the IV, but then he had to go to work.
We started out at a walk-up clinic where they don't put IV's in children as young as Bekah, then we went to St. Joe's hospital where they're "not a pediatric hospital" so they'd probably have to transfer her anyways. We got in the car to go to Central Baptist, but went the wrong way and got to UK first, so we stopped there. After waiting 10 minutes at the window without someone even coming over and talking to us, we left.
We got in the car and considered going home because she was eating ice and some french fries. Bobby called the doctor and he encouraged us to take her to Central Baptist because she hadn't had a wet diaper all morning and really needed some fluid. (she'd been throwing up even the water).
I am really thankful that we went because they did some blood work and found out that she was extremely dehyrdated and needed to have twice as much fluid. After about 1 hour 45 minutes of IV fluid, we were able to go home.
We are now watching Nemo, and Chinese food is on it's way for Mommy, Daddy (when he gets home from work), Aunt Faithe and Uncle Nathan. I'm still a bit frustrated that I wasn't able to get to my Grandma's funeral, (my regent surgery, Bekah being sick, etc.), but I'm really glad that I was here to be with Bekah.
Thanks for all your prayers.

Additional Prayer Requests

-My grandma died this morning. Trying to make funeral arrangements for viewing on Friday night and Saturday morning and funeral Saturday afternoon. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to go.
-Bekah threw-up 3 times yesterday and once early this morning. She hasn't been eating very much for the last couple days, and this is why I'm worried about leaving her.
-Basically recovered from my gallbladder removal. Have my follow-up appointment on Tuesday afternoon.

My Grandma

They don't expect my Grandma to make it through the night.

Vacation Pictures cont.

My Uncle Frank and Aunt Ruth. One of my mom's 5 sisters.

"Dancing" at the wedding. One of the more calm moments.

Mom and Bekah before the wedding.

Bekah has an ice cube in her mouth.

My Uncle Craig and cousin Jennifer

My cousing Brad's fiance, Dana (getting married in September)

Vacation pictures

Bekah and Dylan hanging out

Dad and Ethan hanging out

St. Pete Beach, Florida

Bekah and Ethan playing in the sand, Mom and Dylan in the background. Dylan is soooo big!!

He's going to be 6 in late October and will be going to full-day kindergarten.

Mom and the grandkids

Dad relaxing infront of the beautiful water

My Husband

Let's try this again. I typed, went to spell check, and it was gone. That'll teach me type more than a few sentences.

I probably don't say it enough, but I love my husband very, very much. We just passed 4 years of marriage and 7 years of being together a few weeks ago. He is an amazing man who loves the Lord, and I can't imagine my life without him. For our anniversary, Bobby planned a trip.
We dropped off Bekah at my sister and brother-in-laws in Columbus, and then drove back down to Cincinnati. We check into the Radisson on the river, went to amazing dinner on the river, and then to the Cincinnati Opera House to see Puccini's Tosca. It was woderful!! I'm sure I enjoyed it more than Bobby, but he was extremely thoughtful in thinking of it.
The next morning we went swimming in the pool, went out to lunch and shopping, and met my parents for dinner at Mimi's Cafe. We celebrated both Bobby's birthday and my parents anniversary. Both are June 20th.
This post is prompted by my current situation. I had my gallbladder removed this past Thursday. This means that I can't do as much around the house as I usually do in the summer, and I can't pick up Bekah. Bobby has been wonderful, I just have to remember that he is the type that needs to be asked to do things. He will not "just do" them. He doesn't think about it. He is sometimes called the absent-minded professor.
I love you so much Bobby, and I can't imagine my life without you. The first 4 has gone so fast, the next 25 will go by in a flash.

Picture of my grandma

This is a picture of me with my parents at their house at Thanksgiving 2002, a little over a year after my grandpa passed away. My grandma has survived breast cancer twice, some heart issues, and now not eating for a couple weeks may be too much for her body to handle.

Small Update

-My grandma (Paula) has Alzheimers and is going to be 86 soon. She hasn't been eating for a couple weeks and lost 12 pounds. She has also been having some gallbladder issues, but they can't operate because of her other problems. My dad and his siblings decided not to give her artificial nutrition, and then read in her living will that she did not want any artificial nutrition. Before my dad left New York last night, she ate a few bites of food, but we don't know if this is too little, too late. Please pray that if it's God's time, she will be comfortable. I think all my aunts and uncles, as well as my dad, are coping pretty well.

Prayer Requests

-Continue to pray for my recovery. I feel okay, but just feel weird. It is hard not to pick Bekah up, but am adjusting.
-My grandma Helwig, my dad's mom, is in the hospital not doing well. Pray for my dad and his siblings as they make some tough decisions.

Home from Florida and Gallbladderless

Well, Bekah and I are home from Florida with tan-lines. She had a great time with her cousins and loved the ocean. I had several moments of not being my daughter's "curiousness" without my hubby being there to help, but I got through it. I will write more about the vacation later and post pictures.
Right now I am sitting on our bed using our new, beautiful laptop and wireless connection while watching "Hello Dolly." It's 4:28 pm and my gallbladder surgery began around noon. I'm feeling a lot less woosey than when I first got home, but not quite up to scanning pictures, etc. The surgery went well and I should be feeling even better by tomorrow.
Thank you for all of you that have been praying for me.
I will post pictures and more detailed info about vacation later.