It's a bird......it's a plane.....

...it's SUPER CAED!!!





We have had lots of fun doing nothing today. Just enjoying the Christmas break and of course...making lots of messes. I was washing the dishes when I began to notice 2 little people scurrying about the house. Going in one room, coming out with arms fully loaded. Every blanket, pillow, and bedspread have been relocated to the playroom. Ugghh! A mother's worst nightmare. Although, today I just joined in....helping to make the most of Mt. Hollingsworth.
















We're "supposed" to get more snow today, but you just never know here in Northeast Tx. Our plan is to head to the Hill Country for Christmas #2 tomorrow......

Good gifts

Cruelty is making your 9 and 6 yr. old wait 2 DAYS and 300 miles AFTER Christmas to see what Santa brought them. I think I understand why the tradition began for little children to "go to BED" before they can see what Santa brought them. The 5 hr. trip back to Celina yesterday was a bit hard on these two. Once we pulled in the driveway, Todd and I went inside to turn on the heat and get into position with the camera. They were beyond thrilled!





See if you can spot the similarity in these pictures of Caleb?????










Her #1 request!!!


"Snake Eyes"


Tony's backup


Reagan's new outfit



I am always reminded of this particular Scripture at Christmas-time or the kids' birthdays:

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matt. 7:11)


Reagan asked me the all familiar question that I remember asking my parents countless times as a child. "Mommy, what do YOU want for Christmas???" I told her all I wanted was to see THEM happy and healthy. Of course, that answer just doesn't cut it for a 9 yr. old. But, I told her she would understand one day when Lord willing, she was a mommy.

There was something a little different this year in Reagan's reaction to seeing her gifts "Santa" left her. You see, a few weeks ago....she asked Todd and I to tell her the TRUTH! The truth about this so-called "Santa." We did, and she handled it just like a child who was ready to hear it.
With maturity and lots of laughter!!!!! So, to hear her whisper comments like "Mom, how did you find this???"......brought joy to MY heart! She finally knew it wasn't some magical little elves in the North Pole who naturally have no problems making or finding (or purchasing) any toy they can dream up. She knew. The cost. The extra effort. The sacrifices. The great LOVE! And her little heart was grateful.

To see their faces. To see the utter joy.....excitement. Even if it's over a Batman cave and some boots. (that will most likely get dirty, broken, and /or lost in the coming year) It's what parents desire.....to give good gifts to their children. And yet, Jesus reminds us HOW MUCH MORE God desires to give His children good gifts.....if they will only ask.

My heart is heavy. I desire many things to be different. But...have I ask HIM???? (or just assumed "that's how it will always be?") I don't deserve "good gifts." Yes, I am right about that one I know. But, God is rich in mercy and grace. I know if my heart skips a beat every time my own children receive a gift they REALLY have been wanting....how much more does my own Heavenly Father dance with joy when I receive one from HIM????

I want to be like Reagan this year.....and KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT who those good gifts came from! Thank you Lord for all the blessings in my life. All completely undeserved. Thank you for Your love which is unconditional....and for being so faithful even when I am not.

Everitt Christmas 09

One Christmas down....... This year we were blessed again by having the "whole gang" together for the holidays. (generally Stan & Megan aren't able to come) It was as always too short, but we enjoyed the little time we had. This year we began a new tradition (or I hope it continues....) by playing the Christmas Eve mall game. I mentioned this in the previous post. It was lots of FUN!!!!

Here are a few highlights from our time together:





Nana & Grandaddy and ALL 7 grandkids together!


Mark (my brother), Tamara, Hannah (16), Hayden (14), and Haylee (10)


Stan (my brother), Megan, and Xan (4)


Can you say MELTDOWN???????????


Caed and his icicle sword


making food for Santa's reindeer Christmas Eve


winter wonderland!!! (along with about 100 cars stranded in the ditches)


at the mall....drawing names and clues before the game began


our gro. sacks full of "mall gifts" ready to be opened Christmas day


can you guess what clue someone had for Todd's gift? ("must be Blue in color")


Reagan


Mark, Hayden, and Haylee


sweet Xan


Hannah


Grandmother Mitchell, Caleb, & Nana


He GOT it!!!!


Grandaddy & Caleb enjoying some down time



*Todd's side will be having Christmas later this week

The perfect gift

"Don't take the little things in life for granted. One day you will wake up and realize they were actually the big things."

Saw this painted on a sign at the mall last night. It spoke volumes to me, and I think I now have a small understanding of its truth.

We are here in Idalou/Lubbock with family and are fully enjoying this year's WHITE CHRISTMAS. In Texas, we aren't always guaranteed that....so when it happens....we celebrate! The kids played in it as long as they could stand. Accompanying this beautiful winter wonderland was 40mph wind! (not so fun....!)

Last night (Christmas Eve) all of my family met at the mall. Yes! You heard correctly.....we met at the mall a couple of hours before closing. We decided to do something completely different this year. A shopping game.....so to speak. There were 15 of us including all the kids, and we split up in pairs. We then each drew a name and a "clue." Some examples of the clues are: must begin with letter B......must be red in color.......must be sparkly or shiny......must be soft, etc..... Then, we had a pre-determined spending amount...and off we went! Scurrying as quickly as possible to find a gift that met the $ amount and clue. After an hour, we all met back at Santa's workshop. (we also brought gro. sacks to put our bags in so the gifts could remain as secretive as possible)

So, under our tree at the moment sit 15 grocery sacks with each member of the family's name attached. We haven't opened them yet, but everyone is excited to see the results! We talked last night after the shopping was over at HOW FUN it was. It took the pressure off trying to find
"just the perfect gift." And saved us weeks dodging the stores all this month. Just simple.....gift giving. (will post more pics later)

We want to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Would love to be able to send each and every one of you a beautiful hand written Christmas card, but I suppose will have to settle for a cyber one. We love you all and thank you for your CONTINUED love and support for our family!!!

THANK YOU God for sending us just the perfect gift!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday Jesus!

Down....but not out

The sick bug crept in last Thurs. night and has made its way around our home. What began with little Caleb (viciously....I might add).....next visited Reagan......then Todd......and finally Caed. So far, I think I have avoided the worst of it.

The doctors have always told us flu season would be hard for Caed, and for us to take all precautionary measures to prevent it hitting him. However.....twice in the past year, it has attacked our family, and it seems Caed is the one who gets off the easiest. I still am confused and in awe of it....but take it as a HUGE blessing from above.

Monday night I was up late (as usual), and began to hear coughing and crying. Thought at first it was Caleb, but soon realized it was CAED! ugghhhhh! I was so hoping he would avoid it altogether. By this time, I had the drill down to a perfected dance. Grabbed wet rags, towels, and a newly lined waste basket. He was crying uncontrollably. He only threw up once, but the crying continued for almost 45 minutes. We tried desperately to figure out what was wrong (enough to warrant so much crying), and finally settled on the fact that he was just scared. I think his tummy was hurting him pretty badly, but there was tremendous fear in his mind that he was really "sick" again. Todd and I tried to reassure him everyone has had this....Caleb, Reagan, and even Daddy, and that he would be ok too!

Those 45 minutes sitting at his bedside wiping his brow and trying to console the crying took me straight BACK! Will my mind always go there? Probably so. I sat there with tears streaming down my own cheeks and a sharp pain in my heart. The memories.....of a time in my life when "hopelessness" had camped over my household. It had stolen my joy, engulfed me with enough fear to fill the oceans, took 2 of my children away, separated me from my husband, and made me have to sit back and WATCH my little boy suffer and endure tremendous pain (and not be able to "fix it.")

The tears took me back. But they soon turned into rivers of praise! Thank you GOD! Thank you that Caed just has a simple little tummy bug. Thank you that we are HOME! Thank you that he is going to wake up the morning and be ok. Thank you for your mercy on Caed and our family!

For we undoubtedly don't deserve it....................

Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (Ps. 28:6-7)

Coming to America

No, I'm not referring to an Eddie Murphy film, but would like to introduce a very special family to you.

Maybe I should start at the beginning of a 100% God -ordained meeting. I think it was back in the spring when I opened up an email from a "stranger" named Anita who was from NEW ZEALAND! As wild as that alone is.....it was not necessarily uncommon. Since starting Caed's blog, I have received emails or comments from "strangers" all over the world. Have also received many messages on Facebook from short gut moms from just about every continent. It has been amazing!

However, this particular email was a little different. I knew right away I was not talking to just "another mom." She spoke of her faith in God and how they were trusting in Him to meet such a desperate need for their little girl. Soon after birth Aria (now age 3) was diagnosed with a very rare bowel condition known as full Hirschsprung's disease. There is no cure, and she will never be able to digest food. Aria desperately needs a life-saving intestinal, kidney, and liver transplant. However, she can not get one in NZ.....but instead was recommended to UNMC (Omaha) for their wonderful intestinal transplant/rehab program. (thus the connection to us) After a few emails and several buckets of tears.....Anita and I soon began what was to be a wonderful long-distance cyber-friendship. :)

After MANY months pleading with the NZ govt for funding, the time has now finally arrived. God answered their prayer a week ago, as they will be flying to the US on Mon., Dec 7th (along with a nurse and film crew) to begin this life-saving adventure. Omaha will be their new home possibly for several years pending Aria's transplant and recovery. They have a little 2 yr. old son who will also be making this journey with them.

PLEASE join me in adding Aria to your daily prayer list. She is a beautiful little girl with such an enormous heart. This is such a HUGE endeavor for their family. Can you even imagine? All I can do is take our time/situation there in Omaha and magnify it 1000+ times!!!! A truly overwhelming ordeal. Just the fact of having a critically ill child alone can be excruciating....much less then moving to another continent!

They will be getting on a plane in approx. 24 hrs. (our time), and arriving in OMA late Mon. night. Aria is in the hospital right now in lots of pain, so the flight over will not be an easy one. I know they would appreciate LOTS of prayer in the days ahead.

You can follow their journey on their website:

aria.org.nz

God has been amazingly Faithful thus far in regards to even the tiniest of details......I can't wait to see how He continues to work out His plan!!! (and also for the day when we can finally meet face-to-face!)

I DID it!!!

.....Caed's words as he burst through the door early this morning.

"and guess what?.....I didn't even have to get up during the night and go to the restroom!"

Oh....the things that give us joy!

....then his words BACK out the door......"I'm going back over there....just wanted to come tell you and Daddy the big news!" :)



A cheerful heart is good medicine..... (Prov. 17:22)

First time for everything...

This evening Reagan was invited to spend the night with one of our neighbors. Caed was right there....listening....and then the dreaded question came which I was hoping to avoid.

Caed : "When will it ever be MY turn to spend the night with someone?"

Me: "...someday soon....."

Caed: "Mommy, don't I get a free night sometimes?" (we have been starting 'Free Fridays' where Caed is not hooked up that night of the week.....as a treat)

Me: "Well, actually it's tonight"

Caed: "So can I please please go spend the night too???"

Me: "Caed, it's not polite to invite yourself..."

Caed: "But, PLEASE! They will let me!!!"


I knew he was right. The Owen Family have 4 children of their own....so what's 2 more added to the mix?? ha I decided to toss all rules of courtesy out the window, and call them up. I explained the situation and tried to stress it would just be for the night and to send them back home first thing in the morning. I also knew deep down it was more than just inviting ourselves....but rather a "first" for Caed.

He spent the night with grandparents back in Aug., but only after an extensive training session on his meds and tube feeds. :) But for him....tonight is his very first sleepover!! (no family...no grandparents, but real FRIENDS!) Before he left, he kept asking me what would happen when he needed to get up during the night to go to the restroom (which he does every single night anywhere from 3-5am....due to the tube feedings). We have a monitor set up by his bed so he can call us when he wakes up needing to go. Either Todd or I then have to get up and unhook him. However, tonight I reassured him if he woke up, he could just go by himself since he wouldn't have his feedings going. I could see the nervousness in his eyes and also hear it in the extensive questioning. Reagan also reassured him she would help him during the night if he needed it. Sweet, sweet girl!

We thank you, Owen Family, for loving him the way you do and allowing him to join in (even UNinvited........) ;)

Yet another milestone

Get used to this! I am going to post a picture the beginning of every month and show this number getting smaller and smaller... This was the first month since our trip to NE where we have been able to change the dose on our little blue friend. It felt so good to push that button! Once we get down to about 400-500 mls, we will be doing away with feedings all together and see how he responds. Should be about the time school lets out for summer and just in time for our next appt. in NE. At that point....we could be taking the g-tube out COMPLETELY!! I realize this news is really not news. We knew all of this in Oct. However....there's quite a huge difference in talking about it and then actually getting to do it! THANK YOU LORD!!!!




Caleb loving the book Caed brought home from school!!


For those of you who know Caed.....you know good and well he had NO IDEA he was sporting an Aggies shirt on this day!! haha His Uncle Mark is a huge A&M fan and always loves to give Caed a hard time. He was wearing a maroon shirt at which Mark took FULL advantage of!


having fun at Thanksgiving playing a serious "homemade" game of 4 square

Little Things

Last night as Todd, the kids and I drove back to Celina (from Lubbock)...I was overcome with gratitude to the Lord for these seemingly "little things."

-a car that made the 600 mile trip with no problems
-a beautiful November night
-enjoyable time spent with both sides of the family
-eating some of our favorites over Thanksgiving
-our comfy warm beds waiting for us when we got home
-3 giggling healthy children in the backseat

My list could go on and on....... I have SO VERY much to be thankful for! Blessings abundant and full! These little things were numerous. And then it hit me:

Do "little things" even exist?

For me.....living in 2009 in the Bible Belt of the US, many things that I consider "little," I think truly are quite BIG! There are many millions of people who would consider getting to travel in your own personal vehicle over 600 miles (problem free) HUGE. Many would consider a warm comfortable bed to sleep in....HUGE. Being able to eat to your heart's content (and more).....HUGE. Freely going to and from church openly carrying a Bible....HUGE.

These are things we have grown accustomed to. Things we honestly feel we deserve somehow. Flat tires inconvenience us. Waiting in lines irritate us. And if we don't get what we want, when and how we want it then....watch out!

I don't want to miss ALL these blessings in my life. I pray the Lord will recall them to my memory and help me to not overlook the seemingly "little ones."

Maybe the one that hit me the hardest last night was having Reagan, Caed, and Caleb all together.....all healthy....doing what kids do best on road trips.......sleep and argue! However there were times when they were almost in tears because something had got them so tickled. A thankful heart. That's what I had. Thankful for the one full year of being back together as a normal family. And thankful to see how far Caed has come!!

Lord, help me to consider all things HUGE blessings from You!!!!!! I can no longer categorize them into big and little. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow...................

But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. (1 Samuel 12:24)

6 yr. well check

.....sounds so good, I want to say it again!


6 year WELL-check!!!!!


That's what we did today. Our pediatrician (who first met Caed after we came back from NE) was speechless this afternoon. She couldn't get over how well he looked and acted. It was nice not having to spend half an hour talking about the small bowel and tube feeds. Caed is in the 5oth percentile in weight and 20 in height. 45 seems to be the magic number. 45 lbs. and 45 inches tall. It was quick and easy (minus the 2 flu shots)....and we were out of there in no time.






Today was just one of those days...... One of those days that I could honestly cry at the drop of a hat. A day where I became SO overwhelmed by God's goodness. His faithfulness. His provision. A day where hopelessness reared its ugly head, and then God stepped in! It was amazing.....wish I could give you all the wonderful details. However, for now.....I will just savor them and hide them deep in my heart. He never ceases to amaze me. How the God of the universe could care for little 'ole me. How He KNOWS all and how His timing is absolutely perfect. Not a second too early.....nor too late.

Thank you Lord!

Todd Birthday 11/18/09 at OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

On cloud 9

"This was the BEST night of my life!"..........................

Caed's words as I was tucking him into bed last night. Now, you might be thinking we made another quick trip to Disney World or something along that caliber. Nope. Caed played the drums in front of 75+ teenagers last night at church. He has been wanting to do this for several months. Another time he asked us if he could do it, but got "freaked out" at the last minute. ha But, last night was different. He asked me right as we were leaving for Awanas. He grabbed his handbook and drumsticks and was set! And kept telling me....."Mommy, please don't forget to come get me out of class!!!" He did great! And in fact......wasn't too thrilled when Daddy made him stop. He would have kept playing the whole night if we would have let him. This morning he told me he dreamed about it all night. ha!

I tried to get it on video, but of course right as he got up on stage, my camera starting blinking CHANGE BATTERIES! He thinks he's going to do it every Wed. night......although Daddy is trying to explain to him that maybe he should just come on special occasions. He really is a good little drummer and definitely has some natural ability.....was able to keep a nice beat with bass pedal, snare, and cymbal.....and also threw in a little filler at the end. ha! This certainly seems to be his passion right now. Can't wait to see how he grows.........

*I will try to get a video of him playing (in his room). However, I have been having trouble uploading them to Blogger lately. (that's why you haven't seen any more Reagan Hollingsworth episodes) ha! Just call it "technical difficulties."

PRAISE!

Just wanted to share a praise with you all. Devin (the little 6 yr. old boy I posted about several weeks ago) has made an astounding recovery....and is OFF TO SCHOOL today!!! The drs. are completely amazed at his progress. However....we know the real reason for this miracle.

THANK YOU all for praying for him!! The Lord IS faithful!

Fall Festival

Buzz Lightyear


Jessie


and Woody!























Nana & Grandaddy