Cloth Diaper Giveaway :-)

Go to the site below to enter a cloth diaper giveaway. Enjoy!

http://theecofriendlyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/cloth-diaper-giveaway.html?showComment=1255440804816#c8692809551738025106

His Plans For Me ~ My Portion

As a Christian, I believe that the Lord has control over every aspect that touches my life. Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I find it amazing that the Lord Himself has plans for me and they are always for my Good. As I deal with the frustrations of life it is easy to lose sight of this fact and respond by grumbling and complaining. Is it my place to decide that this particular circumstance or event belongs to my lovingly assigned portion while that one does not? Psalm 16:5 says: “LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.” The assignments are not up to me. “Your will be done” (Matt 6:10) means exactly that. My acceptance and invitation of the Lord’s will in my life. My trusting in Him and His ultimate plan for goodness even when I don’t understand. My response of gratitude regardless (I Thes 5:16-18).

The past few days have been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Jason is very sick again, and somehow our circumstances ~ the seemingly endless doctors appointments, hospital visits, car problems, mounting medical bills, children who are stressed and respond by being high maintenance, sleepless nights while caring for him and our little ones, special arrangements for the kids while going to all of these appointments ~ have become overwhelming to me. I trust that I am only seeing a small part of the plan that God is unfolding in my life and in the lives of my family. This portion is for my good ~ for the good of our entire family.

Sunday evening we made the decision to take Jason back to the emergency room because he had a severe headache that had not abated in two days. He had become almost non-responsive whenever I checked on him, and I was growing concerned about his stiff neck and fever along with the headache. As I was dressing and preparing the diaper bag, baby girl had a “blowout” diaper in the exersaucer. Our first delay. Again, not the timing I would have chosen, as I had to change her entire outfit and throw everything in a washing machine to soak while I was gone. Thy will be done, Father. My parents graciously came over to be with the older children at a moment’s notice, but as they entered the home they informed me that my van tire was completely flat. Apparently, I had run over a nail on the way home from church on Sunday morning. We switched the carseat and strollers over to the other van and continued our trip to the hospital. Another part of our heavenly allotted portion, allowed by the Lord for our good.

In spite of these delays, we arrived at the hospital quickly and were taken back to a cubicle immediately. We were in and out of the hospital in under three hours ~ our quickest visit ever. The doctors and staff treated him very kindly and were compassionate as they ran tests and administered medication. When we got home, my Dad had plugged our tire ~ a blessing both from my earthly father and my heavenly one.

Today, mentally and physically exhausted from several nights of shortened and interrupted sleep, I did not greet the day with my usual energy and enthusiasm. I was weak and I knew it. Crying out to the Lord, He showed Himself strong in my life and was gracious enough to allow me to recognize those blessings as they came. The kids were happy and school went smoothly. I was able to get Jason into our family doctor where he was immediately taken back and given a shot that has helped him sleep this afternoon (although the headache is not any better). My mother brought leftover roast and vegetables for our dinner so that I didn’t have to worry about cooking or clean-up this evening.

So many smaller blessings that I recognized throughout my day, and I was thankful to realize how much the Lord loves me and is Present to me throughout our trials. Each and every circumstance was and is part of the portion the Lord has prepared for me. Knowing that He loved me enough to give Himself for me, trusting that He will bring glory to His Name in the midst of these circumstances, believing that He has a plan for good in everything He is allowing, I thank Him.

I feel so blessed

I read a post from a dear MOMYS friend named Tina, which truly inspired me today. In the midst of her hardship, she has displayed such joy and love for her family that it uplifted me in a way that is difficult for me to express. May we all walk through life's trials with the joy that Tina is experiencing.

http://awomansjourneyhome.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-feel-so-blessed.html#links

Blessings on your day!

Jump Back. . .

My blog has been patiently waiting for me while I have neglected it, so I thought it was time for me to update. We have kept very busy as a family recently. After joining the YMCA a few weeks ago, we have been swimming on a regular basis. Very fun for all of us because the pool is indoors and they have cool fountains and sprays and a huge water slide for the kids, so we can enjoy it in all types of weather. We also enjoy it when regular kids are in school and it is less crowded. My kids love our new PE outings and their swimming has improved greatly.

We have also enjoyed a family vacation to San Antonio this spring. We visited the Alamo, Riverwalk, Sea World, Wildseed Farms and Cascade Caverns and had a fun time relaxing in the evenings around the indoor pool at the hotel. Knowing the rough year we had last year, it made this trip very meaningful for all of us, and time passed way to quickly. Everything about the trip was perfect, the weather, the kids, everything, so other than baby cutting a tooth, we all had an awesome time. It was a blessing to borrow my parents van, which is a little bigger than ours and has a CD player. We spent many hours listening to the Jonathan Park series, which was a big hit with all of the kids, but especially with "Meanie".

Jason has been having vision issues and seen several specialists down at Dean McGee this spring. We are going next week to see our fourth eye doctor, so hopefully we will get some answers to the problems he is having. Right now, we have three different doctors with three different diagnoses, no treatment being done, and everyone keeps passing the buck to the next doctor down the line :-(

Hope all of you are getting out and enjoying this beautiful weather. Kind of makes me want to invest in a hammock. . .

Be blessed!

Hospitality

Since having so many littles, I have found it more and more difficult to be hospitable, in part because I tend to be a perfectionist. If my house cannot be perfectly clean and if I do not feel on top of my "chores", I do not feel like having company. I have come to realize that, as a mother of many young ones, I am never going to feel like my house is clean enough or that I am on top of all of the projects I would like to complete. Granted, after the year we had last year, things around our home could be better, but this is really no excuse. God calls me to be hospitable.

This can mean different things at different stages of life. It may mean having someone over for snacks and a movie. If things are really bad, it may mean meeting them at the park for a picnic lunch. In our case, our house is particularly small. We don't even have room at our dining table for all of *our* family members--let alone adding extras, so when we have company, we have to be creative. Between the coffee table and the dining table, we can usually squeeze in. We've even been known to have people sitting on chairs with a TV tray next to them or using our little kids outdoor picnic table for small ones :-) The point is, I don't have to offer a Martha Stewart perfect experience. It doesn't even have to be an entire dinner. It *does* need to be filled with love and a desire to make our guests feel welcome.

Recently, we've been working again on being more hospitable. We've enjoyed having a few people over and have kept things simple to avoid the chaos. It will definitely be easier when the weather gets nicer and we can extend our hospitality into the backyard :-) But, for today we are offering what we *do* have and being blessed in the process.

I've Lost It!

My digital camera, I mean. . .lol. Last week, I took some adorable pictures of my children out in the snow. We didn't leave the house till Sunday, and on Sunday we realized it was missing. So, chances are good that it is around my house somewhere. They really should make digital cameras with beepers you can page like cordless phones and some remotes have :-)

We've done some detailed looked in the front part of the house, but haven't found it. . . so today I guess we are going to have dump everything and go through every nook and cranny we can find. Oh yeah! I've kept hoping that we would just come across it this week without having to tear through everything. On the upside, I guess it will give me an opportunity to explore corners of my home that have been too long neglected :-) I've prayed for several days that God would allow me to find it soon, because it is stealing my peace. I think he's decided that I need the joy of looking for something and an additional opportunity to learn patience instead :-)

Wow, we missed a month!

After at least one trip to the hospital each and every month from December 2007 to December 2008, the pattern has finally been broken. We've missed a month! Hooray! No one in our family had to go to the hospital in January 2009, PTL. Praying for a healthier year with, hopefully, fewer (or maybe even no) hospital visits.

I've been very neglectful of my blog recently and have had several people inquiring about Jason's health. PTL, Jason has been working steadily since the middle of November. He has good days and bad days and is very blessed that since his return to work, they have had him training three new mechanics that have been hired to work in his area. IMHO, this has been a win-win situation for both sides. Jason is such a knowledgeable mechanic, that he is definitely missed when he is not working. The department has been overloaded for some time, so this will help keep the workload more manageable for everyone. While he is training the new crew, he has times when he can stand back and simply oversee their work, which is definitely easier on him from a physical standpoint. Of course, he is still doing mechanic work himself, but at least his new responsibilities have allowed him to make a slower transition back into the heavy manual labor. He is still in pain, but is learning to grit his teeth, so to speak, and bear it.

Jason did return to the hospital on Dec 29th for a few hours, because his pain was very bad. After doing another CT scan, we were informed that he was still inflamed and that there was really nothing they could do for him. Jason is allergic to anti-inflammatory medication, so other than rest/time, we knew that nothing would really help. At this point, he decided to just go back to work and deal with it, knowing that the only alternative is for him to get on disability. It is very likely that Jason could get on disability, but at this point it is his desire to continue working and we are both praying that God will allow him to do this for quite a while.

We've not had any luck whatsoever with getting Jason in to a pain management specialist. No one is willing to take him, probably because they know that, other than narcotics, nothing they can do will help. Unfortunate, but we have come to accept things for what they are until the Lord tells us differently.

I have found myself perplexed right now as to exactly what I should be doing each day. After our trying year, things have become chaotic, housewise, schoolwise, child training wise, etc. I feel compelled to get things back in order, but am overwhelmed with the task of where to begin. Also, we have made so many trips to the hospital that I feel that I have to be prepared at moment's notice to have our lives thrown into a new round of hospitalization (read: chaos).

In many ways, I would just like to take some down time and relax and enjoy some things with the children, but at the same time I don't feel that I have that luxury when Jason is still not doing very well. I am trying to find balance in all of this, but it is difficult because the Martha in me wants to get everything organized as quickly as possible. I am praying the Lord will help me prioritize my time and allow me to focus on the things He would have me to do with my time and energy.

Updated pictures in New Christmas Clothes :-)

Baby "Moe" is wearing a green and white top/bottom set with stars. She is 3 1/2 months old and is "talking" quite a bit (must be a girl thing ). Her favorite thing to do is nurse, but she also enjoys her playmat with toys that dangle down. She will spend quite a bit of time talking and swatting at her toys on this mat. "Moe" can now roll over both ways, so we have to be very careful about where we leave her. Now that I have a Moby wrap, she loves it when I "wear" her around the house.



"Miney" is wearing a bright pink butterfly sweater. Since turning four in August, I have noticed that she is losing a lot of her baby look and has definitely become a little girl. She is a bundle of energy and is always busy with something. Whether it is making up her own little songs, or begging to read stories, she is a joy to have around. After brother started homeschool last summer, she decided to join in, and she has already learned her letters and sounds and is trying to sound out words (all on her own!).



"Meanie" is wearing a monster hoops shirt. He turned six in August and is quickly learning to read. He loves building with legos and is really into Transformers and robots. I'm sure he is going to be an inventor when he grows up, since he is always building unique creations and brainstorming about inventions that would make the world a better place ;-)



"Eenie" is wearing a beautiful shimmery gold top with butterflies. She will be 11 years old in May (I can't believe it!). The butterflies are appropriate for her because she tends to flit through life like a lovely butterfly, stopping here and there to add beauty along the way, but never staying too long in one place ;-) It is such a blessing to have her for a daughter, and she has been such a help during this last difficult year. She loves making arts and crafts, decorating and riding her bike. She especially loves taking care of baby "Moe".

Matching Pajama Pants

These matching pajama pants were a gift from Grammy's (Kerri's mom) friend, Mrs. Miller. She made them just for the Jones kids. Notice in the first photo of baby "Moe" that her shirt says "Silent Night, Yeah Right". Actually, in her case, this is not true. She has slept through the night for several weeks now. We are very blessed.

I am hoping to be posting more pictures on here in the next few weeks, along with some updates. We have had a very busy holiday season, so I have not had time to get on here and figure out the whole digital camera thing. lol

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

Update on baby

I took baby back for a recheck today. Her thumb is already so much better. I'm so grateful that babies heal quickly and that she doesn't seem traumatized by it. I've done some reading on this "hair-thread tourniquet syndrome", and it could have been so much worse. This can happen with baby boys and their private parts and some babies have even lost fingers, toes or other appendages over this :-(

So on to our next adventure. She is already cutting a molar :-0 I noticed this a few weeks ago, but thought that I must be wrong. However, the doctor confirmed that this is indeed the case. My other children waited until over six months to cut any teeth, and they cut their front teeth first. Well, I'm sure this is going to make breastfeeding a fun new adventure :-p

I just got back from the ER with the baby. . .

and she had hair (thread actually) tourniquet syndrome. She is 7 weeks old. A thread had wrapped around her left thumb and was strangling it and cutting deeply. Because the swelling was so bad, we couldn't even see what was causing it--let alone pull it out. They had to dig around for the thread (which was very bloody and traumatic for both of us). They think they got it all, but the cut is so deep it is hard to tell for sure. We are giving her antibiotics and keeping an eye on it.

We were moments away from having her go into surgery when a nurse finally got the thread broken and was able to pull it out. We are hoping they got it all. They said if I had not seen this or it had gone on much longer, she could have lost her thumb over it. If the swelling doesn't go down and the thumb doesn't go back to normal color, we may end up at the children's hospital over the weekend.

Praising God for his goodness to us during this situation!

Jason's First Week at Work

Jason finished his first week back at work on Friday. The first three days back, he was given some paperwork and lighter duties to handle, and this went fairly well. Thursday and Friday, he was back to doing regular mechanic work. Friday, he stumbled and fell at work, so he was in quite a bit of pain over the weekend. His van has also started having problems, so he is probably going to have to come home and work on his own vehicle after putting in a full day at work :-0 He will also have to work six days this week since next week is a holiday, so he will not have an easy time this week :-( Jason's prayer is that he can continue working and that hopefully his pain will eventually improve. So far, this is not the case and the heavy activity has made his pain worse.

I spoke with the PCP doctor on Friday. The pain management specialist has requested all of Jason's medical records and test results from the PCP's office before they will even give us an appointment time. All of the information has been sent, and no one has heard back from the pain management specialist's office. Please continue praying for Jason to have relief from pain and for his protection from further injury at work. Also pray that we can get into the pain management specialist very soon.

The kids and I are trying to get back to a routine. When Daddy is home, we don't really do a schedule or routine since Daddy is not a schedule person ;-) For my sanity, I am trying to reestablish a daytime routine of chores and schoolwork for the kids. Last week went fairly well and we are slowly gaining ground on getting the house back in order. This week, my goal is to add the schoolwork back in, so please pray for me and we will see how it goes.

My two middle kids are coughing and complaining of sore throats, so I am hoping that this passes quickly. The baby seems to have some nasal congestion and has coughed a bit this morning. I'm hoping this is a coincidence and that she hasn't caught anything that will be terribly bad. We are supposed be having Thanksgiving with my family this weekend, so please pray that we are all better by then.

Jason is Back at Work :-0

I've talked to him for less than a minute so I have no idea how he is *really* doing. He was putting on a brave face during our conversation ;-) We know that if he doesn't last at work after going back this time, that he will probably lose his job immediately. Jason's desire is to continue doing mechanic work for Hobby Lobby. His pain is still fairly intense, and since he works as a mechanic, he cannot take anything stronger than Tylenol to relieve it (which does nothing for his pain). We have still heard nothing definite about an appointment with the pain management specialist. As of last Tuesday, we could not get in until December. . .and of course we still have heard nothing from our incompetent PCP.

Bad News :-(

After submitting an appeal to our PCP this week regarding the problems we are having with him, we learned today that our appeal was rejected. To make a long story short--our PCP is now fired (although he doesn't know it yet). The only positive news this week is that we have found a Pain Management Specialist who is willing to see Jason, although he can't see him until December. We had requested for the PCP to hold off releasing Jason for work until the Pain Management Specialist has a chance to work with him and see if we can get his pain level under control. However, the PCP has stated that there is no reason why Jason cannot go to work full time and perform mechanic duties (we disagree strongly with this decision).

Jason's pain is still so bad that we are skeptical that he will be able to last long doing the type of work that he does. Because the PCP has given his opinion to Jason's employer, they have had no choice but to put him back on the schedule and require him to return. He does not even have the option for light duty, but will have to do everything that he did before. Jason regularly bends over, lifts heavy weights, etc. and these things will be very painful, but unless Jason changes his mind between now and then, he plans to go back to work on Monday. I am praying that, if it is not God's will for Jason to return to work, He will make that abundantly clear.

I am still praying for a miracle. We would love for the PCP to change his mind, but do not hold out much hope of this happening. I would like to think that there is a less strenuous job that he can do until he is feeling better, but for now that is not the case. However, I continue to remind myself that God is in control of this situation. It hurts to feel that the doctors have given up hope on being able to help Jason, and it hurts even more that they have shown such a lack of compassion as to release him to work against our will when he is still in so much pain.

I am trying to get everything lined up that will make next week as easy as it can be. Jason will probably come home at the end of each day in quite a bit of pain. I'm sure he'll want to collapse and rest (if his pain will allow him to do so).

Please continue praying for God to move in Jason's life and that I will be the help and support he needs as he makes these important decisions.

Why are we paying doctors so much money. . .

for such poor quality service? We are hitting some dead ends with our doctors this week. Please pray for God to break down these hurdles for us. For several weeks, we have been having problems getting calls returned in a timely manner from our PCP. Even when Jason had an allergic reaction to his medication a few weeks ago, they called and left a message for us cancelling his doctor's appointment (with no explanation) and would not return our phone calls after that! They have also quit listening when we talk to them about our situation.

Case in point: We needed paperwork completed for Jason's work and it was due back by Oct 25th. It was not completed by the deadline, and when they finally did complete it and return it to Jason's work, they did not complete it correctly. We had discussed Jason's limitations with his doctor and told him that if Jason returned to work at this point, he could not complete two of his "essential job functions" because his pain was still too bad. Today we found out that the doctor sent paperwork to Jason's work saying that he could return *now* with *NO RESTRICTIONS*!! So, based on this information, his work has stated that he has until November 7th to return to work *full duty* or forfeit his job. Of course we had to find out this information on a Friday afternoon when it is difficult to get anything done!!!

Jason's PCP was supposed to send him to a pain management specialist a month ago. They were supposed to call us yesterday with the name of the doctor and an appointment time. Of course they did not call. Today, we call them. . . the person who handles that is not in the office today and they will have to call us back on Monday :-0 I wish I could be paid so much to do so little. . .

Also, we have heard about a wonderful diagnostic center down in Temple, Texas. We are interested in visiting this clinic to see if they can shed any light on Jason's condition. However, in spite of spending hours on the phone, we cannot get a definitive answer regarding whether or not our insurance will cover a visit to this center. We have contacted the center, and they will talk to our insurance company and get an answer to us--BUT, it will take 2 WEEKS :-0 This is very discouraging because we know that we cannot afford to go down there unless our insurance will pay for it.

We are praying that the Lord will move in these situations and make it possible for us to get some clear answers.

To Work or Not to Work. . .

that is the question. Jason is still trying to make a decision on what to do about his work. Last Thursday (Oct 16th), Jason went back to the hospital for another CT scan. The results indicate another suspected leak. I say suspected because there is a difference of opinion between the doctors as to what the results actually mean. One doctor thinks that it could just be tissue damage from the last leak and abscess. Very helpful, huh?

After getting these results, we headed out of town for a couple of days to camp down in Sulphur (we stayed in a park home in a private RV park--not in a tent for those of you who were wondering). The weather was beautiful and the kids had a great time playing outdoors. There were friends from our church camping down there, so they had plenty of playmates. Unfortunately, Jason fell when he was feeding the bonfire and strained his ribs. We thought they were cracked, but after getting an X-ray, we discovered that they were only strained. With his osteoporosis, he is at high risk for fractures and breaks, so we feel fortunate that things weren't worse. However, we did cut our trip short to head back up to the city for X-rays :-(

This week we were supposed to have some paperwork completed by the doctor for Jason's work. Because there are differing opinions between the doctors treating Jason, we are unable to get the paperwork that his work has requested. During our last conversation with the doctor's office, the doctor indicated that he was skeptical about whether or not Jason is or would be physically able to return to work. Of course, we have suspected this for some time, but this is the first time we have actually heard it from his doctors. This was especially hard for Jason to hear, as he has been very focused on his recovery and returning to work.

Up to this point, the doctors seemed very optimistic and convinced that it would simply be a matter of time before Jason was feeling better. Personally, I have never been this optimistic :-( Between the steroids that Jason takes and the fact that his blood sugars have been so high, I don't think he is a likely candidate for complete healing, aside from miraculous intervention.

So, at this point the doctors are trying to come to a consensus and Jason is trying to decide whether or not he feels like he even *can* return to work. Right now, his pain is still pretty intense if he tries to do much physical activity. He can do a limited number of things on pain medication, but of course he won't be able to go to work as a mechanic on pain meds. So, please pray for both Jason and his doctors to have divine wisdom regarding whether he should consider returning to work.

Jason started a new diabetes medicine this week. We are praying that there will be no negative reaction this time. He got very sick with the last medication he tried and we found out (after the fact) that he was lucky he was not hospitalized because of the reaction. Please join us in praying that his body would respond well to this medication and that God would ease his pain and give him the grace to persevere and the wisdom to make important decisions.

Hooray!!! We have a doctor!

I just had the best experience with the new doctor we saw this morning. She is wonderful. She is a Christian and is so genuine and caring. I absolutely loved her. We discussed several issues about medical care and our philosophy on medical care for our children. She was very understanding and agreed to work with us. She is even willing to take my other children when so many doctors we've visited with just accept newborns :-) At one point during our conversation, she asked me if I homeschooled my other children. I asked her how she knew I homeschooled and she replied, "You just look like you do." and you could tell that she meant it as a compliment. When I was leaving the office, she bent down and kissed the top of the baby's head and told her how precious she was. I am so happy!!! She also takes Soonercare which means that we can go to her office without paying anything! With Jason possibly losing insurance, this is such a relief! Praise God!

Trying a new doctor for the baby. . .

We go tomorrow morning. Last week, we saw the pediatrician that I used when I was younger. He is a very good doctor, but we during our consultation, I realized that our philosophies are different. We would like to look around a bit and see if we can find someone more compatible. I am very parent-driven as far as my children's medical care. I like to call the shots and I do my homework. I do not blindly follow recommendations, because I have learned the hard way that doctors do not always know better than mom :-( Please pray that this appointment goes well and that we find the doctor we are looking for.

Well. . . things are on hold for now

The doctor's office called and cancelled our appointment for today, so we still don't know whether or not Jason will be returning to work next week. They rescheduled for next Thursday, so I guess we will see. Maybe this is just giving him the added time he needs to get back on his feet.

Since we could not get a consult with the doctor, we decided on our own for Jason to quit taking the new diabetes medicine. He is already feeling a little better, so it is probable that this medicine was making him feel worse, even though it was helping his blood sugars be better. Next week, they will probably give him a different medication to try, and hopefully that one will work better for him.

Prayer Requests

It's been awhile since I posted an update on Jason, so here is the scoop:

He is SLOWLY improving, however, he has had a rough time since the baby was born. He has been weak, shaky, having sweats and stomach upset almost constantly for over a week. We were hoping it was something that he ate, or else a mild stomach virus, but it has not gone away. Due to how badly he feels, he has been in bed a lot and not up and rebuilding his strength as we had hoped. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a root cause of these new issues, although one of the things we are suspecting is his new diabetes medicine. His sugars have been better since starting the medication, but he quit taking it yesterday to see if these new issues were being caused by this pill. So, we will see what happens. He is supposed to go back to the doctor on Thursday this week (he couldn't get in any sooner). He wants to ask for a full release to go back to work on Monday, because he feels that time is running short as far as his job being held. Please pray for the following:

1. That he would see miraculous improvement in his health this week, allowing him to go back to work on Monday.

2. If he goes back to work on Monday, it will start the time over again as far as receiving disability. Right now, he could be eligible for LTD as soon as February. If he goes back and can't stick it out, not only will this probably be his last chance as far as keeping his job, but time will start over again on his disability and he probably would not receive any payments until mid-April at the earliest. Pray for him to have wisdom and discernment and that we would not make our decisions based on fear but on what is truly best.

3. Continue praying for our finances. Barring any major disasters, it looks like we will probably be OK through the end of October (I am so thankful for this because it is allowing me to enjoy baby more and worry less). After that, we will have three more months to get through before disability can kick in.

Praises:

1. We have had several groups do paper poundings for our family, so we have a decent supply of many non-food items such as toilet paper, detergent, etc. Our expenses here should be minimal for the near future.

2. Our food stamps more than supply our needs. They have been approved for one year unless our income exceeds a given amount. We are stocking up on food because, once we have income again, we will need to start figuring out how to pay all of our medical bills :-0

3. God continues to lead and direct people (even those we don't know) to give to our financial needs. I pray that God will bless everyone who has given to us and meet each and every need they have. It takes courage to give to someone else in need(especially with the economy so bad right now).

4. We had quite a large sum collected for baby needs at our shower a few weeks ago. I will have a diaper fund for quite awhile :-), plus we have received several packages of diapers.