More Prayers Please

Just wanted to give a quick update, Bre's surgery went well, we had to place a different tube then we thought. His ears are trying to produce a Cholestoma, which can mean major problems and major surgeries down the road. We are praying this new tube will prevent that from happening. Please join us in prayer that these tubes work.

Poc is back in the hospital, he got the all-clear from his post-op appendectomy last Friday and had Chemo on Wed., after his chemo infusion, he wears a chemo pump for the next 48 hours, so today he went to take that out, and they thought he was too sick to leave without running fluids in him. After the Dr. was called over to check him out, he decided to admit him for dehydration and to observe him, in the hopes he can go home before Christmas and not be as sick during the Holidays! We need to get Poc well, he has lost an additional 2 lbs. He is now at the point he doesn't have anymore weight to lose. His current weight loss is 16 pounds, he may have been 10 lbs over weight before his diagnosis. He has zero appetite and can't keep anything down.

The sweetest thing happened on the way home, both my boys were in Alison's wedding tonight, and might I add that they looked quite handsome. So I took them both up to see Poc, a big thanks to my MIL for watching and helping out in the waiting room as well as the wedding, I wouldn't have made it without her!
So back to the sweetness! :) Bre said on the way home, out of the clear blue, "Mom will you pray for Poc, then I will pray for him too" I about DIED, right there, my baby boy is only 3 years old, and for him to know to turn to God during sickness, sadness, and fear, just absolutely melts my heart!
I hope both of my boys remember to call on God their entire life! Both boys are super close to their Poc, they love him, he spends lots and lots of time with them, he is at every game, every function they are involved in! Poc has set a wonderful example for my boys! Oh and most definitely can't forget about all the breakfast' that they share together. My parents moved to the same town as us 3 months ago, and the boys have had breakfast with Poc no less then 10 times, I'm just amazed at the love between them!

We got to Celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Miller tonight and I couldn't be happier for them, Ali made a beautiful bride! J is pretty handsome too! I will post pics soon!

A huge thanks to "Poc's Donna" as my boys call her, she has been so very helpful in taking care of Poc, and being there for all of us during this time. We can't thank her enough!

Sorry this post is all over the place, alot is going on!

We are so thankful for this Season. Thankful for the birth of our Savior!

Christmas Cards~My favorite thing

Other then celebrating the real reason for the Season~The birth of Jesus, Christmas cards are my favorite thing, not the presents, not the food, not the shopping, it's the Christmas cards, they tie with turning off the lights all except the Christmas tree lights, and laying under the tree looking up at the lights, love, love, love!

This is what I came home to yesterday:

5 Christmas cards.........so much fun. My goal is to get a card everyday starting Dec. 1st, my first card every season is always from the Shearer family, they have beautiful kids and we don't get to see them as often as we'd like. Always love their cards!

We are going to start praying for the families that send us cards, I've heard of others doing this and I think it's wonderful, and what a great thing to teach your children!

Today we hosted a North Pole Party, lots and lots of fun! When we got home and checked the mail, Santa had sent the boys a letter in the mail from the North Pole, what awesome timing, huh? We read them after our company left so that no one felt left out. The boys loved their letters. Here is a sneak peak at them!

And here is a sneak peak at the reindeer food we made tonight:

A big thanks to Nini for printing the labels for me! The kids had a blast, and Santa is sure to stop at our house because we have sparkly Reindeer Food.

Blood Donation.............a way to give back

I try to give blood as often as possible, I worked in EMS for 10 years and I know first hand how much blood an ER goes thru in one night, especially a level 1 Trauma Center. I have seen bags and bags of blood be given to a single patient that was hurt in a car wreck, or some other trauma.
I have O- blood, and that means my blood is universal, which means my blood can be given to anyone, so if you are hurt in an accident, and they don't have time to type your blood they always give the patient O- blood.

The above picture is of me donating last week. I don't feel weak or anything after donating, I just drink lots of extra fluids for a couple of days.

Here is a chart of blood types:

There are only 7% of the population that has O- blood, so you can imagine the need for that type.
Above chart is courtesy of Ky Blood Center.

I have never received any blood, but almost had to after I delivered my first child. They said I had lost quite abit and was borderline needing a transfusion.



Prayers for Poc

This guy here needs alot of prayers! I don't know where my kids came up with the name Poc for my dad, but that's what they started calling him and it stuck!

(This picture was taken in Aug when we went camping, dad came down and stayed the night with us and took the boys fishing, they loved ever minute of it!)

I took him to the ER on Tuesday night, he has been sick since Halloween and at first we thought he was sick from chemo, then he had a respiratory infection, and 2 antibiotics later, nothing................still sick. I was thinking a stomach infection as he said his stomach hurt, I didn't want him to become septic and get a body wide infection. So off to the ER we went.

After waiting in the ER waiting room 2 hours, they got him back to a room, started an IV, ordered blood work and a CT scan. I went home to take care of my boys, and my brother came to relieve me. My dad called at 1am and the CT scan showed appendicitis, so he went to surgery at 6 am Wed. morning. I stayed with him Wed night and he was home on Thursday morning. When they opened him up for the appendectomy they said the cancer had spread greatly since his last CT scan, the doctor said "thousands" of cancer spots in his stomach :-(

We should know more as we make an apt with the oncologist to see what the plan is now.

He has been recovering quite well, minimal pain, but still no appetite, which is a bum the man loves to eat, so we will see if he gets his appetite back soon!

The boys and myself have spent alot of time at my parents, we put up their tree and help them unpack a few more boxes from their move. We have been busy around here, with decorating, and cleaning, and Christmas Parades, Dinner out with the family, inlaws, and cousins. lots and lots of fun going on!

EE is recovering nicely from surgery, still weak, and not a 100%, but definitely recovering.

This is one of my favorite pics of EE and Poc!

There is nothing better then fishing on the creek bank with your Poc!



A Naughty Little Elf

Our Elf on the Shelf Phillip has been very naughty! He made a zip line one night while we were sleeping.

The night before surgery Phillip landed in the boys bedroom and wrote EE a good luck sign for his surgery.

And the lil brat toliet paper'd our Christmas tree!

Today when we woke up he had put underwear over top of our Christmas Stockings that we hung last night! I spared you guys the picture though :+)

I have been off of work for 6 days, and while it hasn't been an easy 6 days, helping my lil guy recover from surgery and getting lots of extra gray hairs from worrying about him, I was glad to be off and be with my family. It was a great reminder that we have alot to be thankful for this week and always. I will return to work this week with a Thankful Heart, full of blessings.

Say a prayer for Poc tomorrow he has his CT scan and will tell us more as to why the antibiotics aren't helping, and see what direction we are headed to next!

I have taken a few weeks too long off of the diet, so back on it tomorrow, no excuses! I made weight watchers soup for this week, I have my carrots ready to go, and my lunch tomorrow- black beans, corn, and lettuce on top. I have a wedding to attend in Dec. and I want to be rocking out the cute red dress I bought! :)

House of Trees

We went to House of Trees today, it was so much fun. The boys got to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. We had a small photo op with them :-)
The boys also got to write letters to Santa to be mailed at Santa's Workshop and Santa will respond to them within 10 days, how cool? They didn't have this stuff when I was little!

There were some really nice trees this year, and some were already sold when we got there an hour and fifteen mins after it opened. It's a bidding process, however if you bid 2.5 times the minimum bid the tree, wreath, or centerpiece is yours! So nice to see so many people in our community coming out to support House of Trees and Relay for Life. Here are a few shots of trees and our centerpiece, we already have a bid on ours, and I'm thrilled, so glad the money goes to a good cause, and it was fun to pick out! Someone had the Santa bucket last year and I looked everywhere for them, and couldn't find them, this year I spotted them at Michael's and I was thrilled, so I bought one for our home and one for House of Trees.

We had a great time, and both boys were really good! EE felt well enough to go, so that made me happy!

Our little Elf has been up to no good. I'm hoping to do a post tomorrow on that lil turkey!!!

EE Surgery

Surgery went better then I expected, recovery hasn't been as good as I had expected. All that to say we are on the uphill slide of things. He has had a super hard time getting down the fluids that he is suppose to take. We've tried everything, from warm, to cold, room temperature and all. He hasn't ate much, but is slowly trying things. He was able to go to both families Thanksgiving Dinners so that was nice, he was very tired when we got home! He only got up the first night for pain meds, but has been up at 6 am for his first dose in the mornings.

I love, love, love the Surgery Central, they are the best. They called after we got home to check on him, and again the next day. It might be protocol to call and check on their patients, but it wasn't a quick, hello, you ok, good bye type of call. They asked questions and listened and were truly concerned about our boy!

The playhouse in the lobby was a huge help to take his mind of things, he had been a bit nervous about the surgery so I was a lil worried the morning of, but he did well. He wanted to pray on the way to the hospital, so we did and it seemed to calm him, and he was at peace with surgery!

The nurse was great at explaining everything to him, and once she started talking about fireman, he tuned right in! She was great! I had to have the hubs snap one picture of me and my big boy before surgery and in his cute lil gown.

EE wondered if he would get a sticker or 2, look how many he racked up? They loved him. He would agree no amount of stickers is worth surgery :)

When he came out of surgery the nurse said he was the best patient she had ever had, I expected him to be crying and screaming, and very upset from the anesthesia and such, but he wasn't, he just wanted to sleep it off, we had to keep waking him up for sips of water, he'd get a sip, and go right back to sleep.

Things went well and the Dr. said surgery was the best idea, he said the tonsils and adenoids were blocking 80% of his air, that is super scary!

Thanks to everyone for the prayers, they were much needed! Thanks to all the calls, text, and visits too! We appreciate all of you for loving on us and checking on us during the Holidays.

Tomorrow is the House of Trees, and I will be sure to post about it tomorrow, I've always gone, but have never donated anything, but this year, me and my crafty MIL decided to donate a centerpiece to be bid on. More on that tomorrow. Our centerpiece is in my dad's honor and her dad's memory. Two men that are very much loved and had/have to battle cancer.