Emma's Hope Update

Earlier in the month I told y'all about Emma's Hope, the story of a friend who's daughter has acute aplastic anemia. And I figured it was time for an update.

Emma started her chemo treatments and had her bone marrow transplant, which was supplied by her brother, Mason. I actually saw Mason at the homecoming football game Friday night running around with friends and it warmed my heart!

She has been doing so well. So well in fact the doctors are allowing them to move from the hospital to the "apartment house" which is less than 15 minutes away. They told her it would about 2-3 months after her transplant before this would happen. It's been 21 days. 21 DAYS!! And her white blood cell count went from 500 to 1310 yesterday. That's great news. She will have to wear a special mask when she leaves the hospital and goes to the apartment. She will also have to wear the mask when she leaves the apartment to go to doctors visits as well. But a house is better than a hospital!

Also Emma agreed to let Cathy shave the rest of her hair off since it was falling out from the chemo. And being the strong mother Cathy is, she let Emma shave her hair off. Below are few pictures of the process and end result.

Sweet Emma

Emma getting started on Cathy's hair

The best picture of a mothers unconditional love for her child

It was homcoming weekend and she was beautiful

This weekend was nothing but a big blur for me.

Friday night was the homecoming football game. I would like to say we won, but lets just say the band did a great job and the homecoming court was beautiful and leave it at that.

Saturday R2 had birthday party at 11am, and it was a swim party. When it was over we went home to change clothes and then head over to my friend Beth's house. Her daughter Alex, is the daughter I will never have. I love her to pieces. I had the privilege to do her hair and make up for the dance. Hair is so long and pretty. She wanted the messy side bun look and her hair was perfect for it.

After I got done over at Beth's house and according to R1 it took 4 hours but it was more like 3 1/2 but who's counting. I had to drop the boys off at home and run in to town. I had been promising R1 he could get a new video game and it finally came in and I had to pick it up. Then I had to go to HEB. We were out of all of the staples. Milk, eggs, lunch meat, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, and an A/C filter, don't judge.

Hubs had been saying all day he was going to grill for dinner. He is one awesome cook when it comes to the grill. We usually grill 3-4 times a week. Anyway by the time I got done with the activities from Saturday and home from HEB, we didn't eat until around 8:45pm. But it was so good!

Sunday was church, laundry, NAP, laundry, church, dinner. Oh by the way did I tell you I took a nap. I love my Sunday afternoon naps. They are the best. The only bad thing is if I sleep longer than and hour, I'm up half the night.

And you know I just had to show you a picture of my children. The boys and Alex. She is beautiful and those boys are just so darn cute!

On a side note I would have put up a picture of Alex and myself but I was so short standing next to her. Besides I love this picture.

Oh love bugs, I do not love you

Dear Love Bugs,

I do not love you.

I do not like the way you float around and linger in the air just long enough to make a mess of the front of my car while I am driving down the road.

I do not like how when I go for a walk you fly into my face and land in my hair.

I do not like how you smell when you fly into my face and I go to swipe you out of the way and accidentally kill you. Sorry!

And lastly I do not like how you are always mating. Can't you find some where to land and take care of that. I do not like having to explain to my six year old, why you are stuck like that.

Thank you.

14 years ago

Happy Anniversary Hubs!

14 years, sometimes it seems so long ago and other times it seems like yesterday.

Thank you for being my rock and my friend.

Thank you for giving me the most precious two boys.

Most of all, thank you for loving me.

Nerd Day 2011

So it's homecoming week at our school. And every day is a "theme" day. The kids and teachers dress up to show support leading up to the football game on Friday.

Monday = Nerd Day
Tuesday = Decade Day
Wednesday = Broken Injury Day, (yes you read that right, broken injury day)
Thursday = Spirit Day
Friday = Favorite Sports Team Day

Here is R1 ready for Nerd Day.

Divine Intervention

OK so the new bible study I am doing talks about life's interruptions and how they are really divine intervention from God. And how divine intervention is really God's glory.

So right now this is what is going on in my world. A list if you will...

1. Car trouble. Transmission trouble to be exact. I have a friend who is a mechanic and is working on few things but I am waiting for his call back with a price. In the mean time we are borrowing my Uncles car. That was a prayer answered.

2. My hair dryer broke, well it wouldn't turn off. So I had to just pull it out of the wall. And I figure if it's still working why go buy another one.

3. Hubs got an email earlier in the week and then forwarded it on to me as an FYI. To be honest contents bare not mentioning here but they caused an interruption.

4. My sweet Cookie dog is not feeling well. The whole family went for a walk and we took the dog. When she was doing her business, lets just say she has diarrhea and leave it at that. And last night she was sitting in my lap wrapped in a blanket with the shakes. I called one my best friends who is a Vet, my Vet, but she lives in another city, and she said Cookie probably has an upset stomach and to keep an eye on her but she probably needs to go to the vet if she isn't better in the morning.

So these four things, huge, big, small, and minor have all caused life interruptions for me this week. And I'm seriously trying to see how they are really a divine intervention. I know God has all of these interruptions covered with His hand. I know some how some way this will affect someone and they will see just how wonderful our God is. How merciful, loving, and gracious He is. How He is the healer, provider, and sustainer.

My mother in law always says that when troubled times come, God is building character in you. It is His way of drawing you closer to Him.

So maybe someone will see how I turn to God during this time and how I lean on Him like my legs are broken and He has carried me completely and then they will think to themselves, something is missing in their life and they have been search for it and they realize it's God. And how just now she has shown me just how real God is. How her faith in Him is so strong that life's interruptions are really divine interventions.

Life Interrupted

We started a new ladies bible study last night.

Jonah, Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer.

OH MY! Did she bring the message right to me last night.

She said the interrupted life is the privileged life. Think about that for a minute. Think about all of the things that interrupt your day. Cell phone, computer, kids, restaurant, traffic, school, work, doorbell, spouse, and parents or grandparents. Are these really an interruption? We are privileged to have each one of these in our lives.

But as children of God we are privileged. God comes to talk to us during our interrupted time. He comes to us. How awesome is that. That he would want to talk to me. He comes to me in my hopelessness to give me hope.

I can't wait to see where this journey with Jonah brings me.

What I can say is this. I hope I am never to far gone that God feels the need for me to be vomited out of the mouth of a big fish onto the beach. I hope God will come to me sooner. (Thanks BH!)

Remembering September 11th

Mark Shulman.

I only met him a few times and I was much much younger.

But here is what is said about him.

Mark Shulman ,"kind of quiet guy who loved sports," said his wife, Lori.

Undeniably, a sports fan, attending Giants and Rangers games as often as possible. But overriding all, a dedication to his daughters, Jamie, 13, and Melissa, 17, in whom he instilled a zest for accomplishment.

A 47-year-old mechanical engineer, Mr. Shulman, a fire protection specialist for Marsh & McClennan on the 100th floor of the World Trade Center.

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 24, 2001.

Mark Shulman, 47, loved by all he knew

By day, Mark Shulman was a disaster inspector, fire prevention and risk consultant for Marsh & McLennan in New York. His nights and weekends were spent with his family.


He organized a baseball team for the Knights of Pythias in Old Bridge. He coached the Roadrunners girls soccer team there.


For the past 12 years, he took his wife Lori and daughters Melissa, 17, and Jamie, 12, to Disney World in Florida.


"He loved his family; he loved Disney World," said his mother, Evelyn Shulman of Toms River.


On Tuesday, he was memorialized at a service at Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan. Mr. Shulman, 47, has not been seen since the World Trade Center was destroyed by terrorists Sept. 11. He worked on the 100th floor of Tower One.


"He was in the building when it was hit," his mother said.


Though Mr. Shulman loved his job, it wasn't his first priority, Evelyn Shulman said.


"His family always came first," said his mother. "He did everything for his family. I lost a treasure."


Shulman said her son loved everybody, a trait that was noticed by others.


"There were 800 people at the memorial service, and they gave him a tribute I will never forget. Everybody loved him," she said.


Mr. Shulman received an engineering degree from Pratt Institute in New York and worked uptown before being transferred to the World Trade Center 17 years ago.


Born and raised in Brooklyn, Mr. Shulman and his wife moved to Old Bridge 17 years ago.


Besides his wife and daughters, Mr. Shulman is survived by his parents Ira and Evelyn Shulman of Toms River; a brother, Larry of Port Jefferson, N.Y.; and nieces, nephews and other relatives.

You see, Mark was my cousin. And though I don't remember, we are family.

I also have other family, ones that I am especially close to, that live in New York. One family member in particular that was at the World Trade Center that day and countless days to follow, to help and offer support any way she could.

You see I will never forget that day. I will always remember where I was and exactly what I was doing. I will remember that first phone call from my loved ones telling me they were OK. I will remember the photos, the stories and the images.

God bless the victims and their families.

2977

I will always remember.

Yes it's September so it's that time of year again.

Hello and welcome to September. I used to like September. My wedding anniversary is in September.

But September is hurricane month around in South East Texas. We don't do very well during the month September. There was Rita in 2005 and then Ike in 2008. And a few tropical storms were thrown into the mix during September as well.

Yes Humberto of 2007 I am talking about you! I remember him so well because I had gotten a stomach virus and was sick and laying on the couch with a bucket throwing my guts up till there was nothing. All the while Humberto was blowing and going and make all kinds of noise. All I wanted to do was sleep. Humberto... we are not friends.

Oh and don't think I've forgotten about Ike. He made a nice mess of my house, but on the bright side my house also got a face lift, inside and out! But I sure don't want another like him to pay me a visit.

September and I really just don't get along. I hate to end the friendship with September but I'm seriously considering it. I know the past few "nice" weather days we have had are just a ploy to get me to rethink my decision but I'm thinking it's OVER.

And just to reinforce my decision, here you go September...

Tropical Storm Maria

Tropical Storm Nate

Ummm yeah, that funny feeling in the pit of my stomach has returned and probably will not go away until late November.

Emma's Hope

Emma is the daughter of our friends Cathy and Andy and the sister of their son, Mason.

Emma was diagnosed with acute aplastic anemia. Basically it's cancer of the blood. It is a rare blood disease where the bone marrow fails to produce blood cells for the body.

Emma just turned 5 a few weeks ago.

Today Emma is under going a bone marrow transplant. Her donor is her brother, Mason. He had to be tested and meet the criteria before he could be a bone marrow donor for his sister. He was her best chance at a match. Thank you Lord for answering that prayer.

Emma has already endured several chemotherapy treatments in preparation for her bone marrow transplant. But this family has a very long road ahead of them.

So our friends along with their families are at Texas Children's Hospital with both of their babies having surgery. My heart hurts just thinking about it.

There is a page on Facebook called Emma's Hope, please like this page and pray with me for Andy, Cathy, Mason and Emma.

Their friends have held countless fundraisers for them as well to raise awareness and much more. Please go to www.marrow.org to see if you are a bone marrow match for Emma or for someone else. It's painless and so easy! They will even mail the kit to you and do it at home and the mail it back all prepaid. There was a bone marrow drive for Emma and 500 kits were brought in and all 500 kits were used. Actually over 600 people showed up to be tested. It was during the bone marrow drive we found out Mason was a match. It was awesome to be a part of that and see God's hand at work.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Praying for you Cathy, Andy, Mason and Emma. May God bring you peace, comfort, and healing!

Singing in the rain, well more like running in the rain

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend.

I would like to say we had big plans but we didn't. Tropical Storm Lee who wasn't supposed to affect us at all, um Mr. Weatherman you were wrong, did and it rained all day Saturday. It was very much needed and we could actually use some more. But I am thankful for what we got.

The only damper the rain really put on me was that my friend Beth and I along with her daughter were going shopping Saturday. We were looking for a homecoming dress for her daughter. We were thinking of going to Houston but we decided to stay local instead. We ended up finding the perfect dress is beautiful shade of purple. She looked great in it.

It best part of the day was we had to make a stop at Walmart, all three of us do not like Walmart but we stopped anyway. When we were leaving Beth went to get the car and it was raining kinda hard this point. She had on some cute lace Toms and took them off because she didn't want them to get wet. Then she took off out of the garden center entrance and ran barefoot through the parking lot. I wish I had thought to grab my phone and snap a picture, but I was laughing to hard. Her daughter and I got in the car and she was like, I'm not getting my Toms wet! It was a great moment.

Sunday was a good day too. My husband is on the search committee to find a new youth pastor at our church and with out going into to many details, lets just say God is truly moving! It's awesome to watch.

Monday was absolutely beautiful! The weather was gorgeous and Hubs grilled and we all stayed outside for quite a while. We even went on a walk, all of us even the dog.

It was a great weekend. I think we should go to four day work weeks and three day weekends. That one extra day makes all the difference.

Hoping for cooler weather

So lately the temps in SE Texas have been blistering. Like you didn't know. Well we got a cool front. It was a blissful 95 degrees today. NOT!! And it's going to get even cooler. Saturday the high should be around 85. Ummm hello weatherman, 85 is still HOT! The only good part is we are finally getting some decent rain chances. Can I get an Amen?!

But the whole point to this post was to tell you about my newest creation. Y'all know I am addicted to Pintrest. I mentioned it here. I was obsessed but now I'm completely addicted.

I pinned a fall wreath that I fell in love with, knowing one day in the future I would make it. Well this past weekend just happened to be the day. I had to go to Hobby Lobby and they had all of their Fall stuff on sale for 50% off or buy one get 50% off. I just love Hobby Lobby. And on a side note, they had all their Christmas stuff out to. But I showed restraint and didn't even go look at Christmas, I was focused on the Fall decor.

I perused up and down the aisles putting things I needed and a few things I didn't need in my basket.

I have to say it I think it turned out great. I couldn't find a big "K" but I found several other options that worked. I'm gonna keep my eyes open because I really would like a larger "K".

And in hopes that the temperature would cool off to a wonderful 70 degrees I went ahead an hung it on my front door. Hint Hint Mother Nature.

And here it the inspiration.