Happy 4th!

Update - my brother will likely get to go into a "step-down" unit today or tomorrow. The next step is finding a facility that will accept ventilator patient's to care for him until we see exactly what type of recovery he is going to have.

We were going down to see him this afternoon, but the kids are sick and we are going to go sit in the doctor's office instead. I was looking forward to getting down there, but God is in control. If they feel better, we will try and go down to Chris' mom's for the 4th and come back in the evening.

I wish everyone a wonderful 4th of July! Thank goodness for our men in the service who insure our freedom!

Love,

Melissa

Jeff

I saw my brother yesterday afternoon and was actually able to communicate a little with him by reading lips. He has a tracheostomy tube now and that has given him some relief as far as breathing goes. He still has a fever, a blood infection and pneumonia, but he is on antibiotics and hopefully that will clear up soon. He has had a little movement (gross motor movement) in his arms, but obviously still none in his legs and the movement in his arms is not really all that great. He is still considered quadriplegic.

Please keep praying for him and also for guidance as far as all the decisions that our family needs to make regarding his future care. I am going this afternoon to pick the girls up from camp and then will be spending the weekend in Chattanooga. Love to all!

Melissa

Pictures from Camp

Here are some pictures of the girls at camp. Please keep praying for my brother - he has had a tracheostomy put in and hopefully that will give him a little more comfort and relief. He was my faithful blog reader.........

I NEED A CAMERA!

I still haven't gotten my camera back from Canon and I think I am going to have to break down and buy a new one. I hate not being able to post pictures and that is why I haven't been blogging very much lately.

Jacob is away at church camp in Burns, TN for the week. He was very excited because he was getting to go with his best friend, Mason. The girls are staying with my sister in Goodlettsville for the week and they are excited because they get to swim in her pool every day. Mom is excited because I FINALLY get to finish up some projects around the house (hopefully). It is still very hot and dry here in Franklin County. We are on water restrictions indefinitely and are praying for rain! Hope this blog finds everyone doing well and enjoying their summer! Love,

Melissa

Well, school is finally over and now we are trying to get into some sort of rhythm of summer activities. The kids have church camp, soccer camp, skateboard camp and Vacation Bible School on the agenda for the next 8 weeks. Personally, I have some summer reading that I want to get done and also some painting throughout the house to get done.

I was reading Experiencing the Heart of Jesus this morning (great devotional) and the verses that really stood out to me were Matthew 14:24-32. This is the story where the disciples are out on a fishing boat during the midst of a very bad storm. Jesus has been to a mountain to pray, when suddenly the disciples see him walking on the water towards them. Peter doesn't quite believe what he is seeing and asks Jesus to allow him to walk on water if it really is Him (Jesus). Jesus tells Peter to "Come". Peter steps out in faith and walks on water, UNTIL HE TAKES HIS EYES OFF JESUS, and then guess what? He begins to sink. Jesus immediately reaches out His Hand and grabs Peter and says "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? ". For the past few weeks I have been focusing on the boistrous winds and the fierceness of the storm and taking my eyes off Jesus also. And boy when I do that, I really sink.........fast.

But, Praise the Lord that he ALWAYS reaches out and grabs us if we trust in Him. We can always start over, trust in Him and enjoy the blessings that He wants to bestow on us!

Wishing everyone a good week, and hopefully I will have time to post a little more now that school is out.

Thought for the Day

Just a quick quote to think about.

"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."- Thomas Merton

AND LAST BUT NOT AT ALL LEAST - SHE'S 9!!!

Today is Emma's 9th birthday!

We went to Chris' mother's house on Mother's Day and Emma had cake and got presents from Chris' family. She asked only for money - that 's our Emma! She is putting what she received into her savings account and now officially has more in her savings than we do! Actually, that isn't very surprising is it?????

To my most caring, scholastic, detail-oriented, quiet and attentive child - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I love you very much! Mommy.

The State Capitol

Abby and I went on a field trip yesterday to the Tennessee State Capitol. How strange is it that we lived up there for 8 years and I never went - not even one time. It was really VERY interesting. We have two dead people buried in the walls of our State Capitol - the only capitol buiding to be able to boast that! Leave it to Tennessee! We also have a president buried on the grounds of our State Capitol (James K. Polk and wife, Sarah) - the only state that can say that also! Really sort of strange isn't it? :) Click below to read an interesting article about the ghosts that are said to haunt the building........

http://www.prairieghosts.com/cap_bldg.html

I would love to post some pictures of our trip - IF I HAD MY CAMERA!!! I am starting to believe that Canon is holding it hostage, never to be returned.........Instead we had to use a disposable camera yesterday on our trip. Darnit.........

Well, I just wanted to wish everyone a fun-filled weekend and remember to do something thoughtful or kind for all those Mothers out there that ya' know. Trust me, they deserve it!!

Love to all - Melissa

May 7, 2007

A lady went to a beauty shop to have her hair cut and her nails painted and trimmed. As the lady began towork, theybegan to have a good conversation. They talked aboutso many things and various subjects.When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the beautician said : "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked Sheryl who has MS.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize thatGod doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be somany sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."

Then Sheryl thought for a moment, but didn't respond because she didn't want to start an argument. The beautician just finished her job and the customer left the shop.Just after she left the beauty shop, she saw a woman in the streetwith long, stringy, dirty hair and not groomed at all. She looked dirty andunkempt.

Then Sheryl turned back and entered the beauty shopagain and she said to the beautician: "You know what? Beauticians do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised beautician.

"I am here, and I am a beautician. And I just worked on you!" "No!" Sheryl exclaimed.

"Beauticians don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and be very unkempt, like that woman outside."

"Ah, but beauticians DO exist! What happens is, people do notcome to me."

"Exactly!"- affirmed Sheryl. "That 's the point! God, too, DOES exist. What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.

NEEDED A LAUGH

I am sure you have all seen this before, but I needed a good laugh today and this usually does the trick:

TO KEEP A HEALTHY LEVEL OF INSANITY:

At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.

Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.

Insist that your email address is: Xena-Warrior-Princess@companyname.com

Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.

Encourage your colleagues to join you in a little synchronized chair dancing.

Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "IN".

Develop an unnatural fear of staplers.

Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.

In the memo field of all your checks, write 'for sexual favors.'

Reply to everything someone says with, "That's what you think."

Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy."

Adjust the tint on your monitor so that the brightness level lights up the entire work area. Insist to others that you like it that way.

Dont use any punctuation.

As often as possible, skip rather than walk.

Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.

Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."

Sing along at the opera.

Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.

Find out where your boss shops and buy exactly the same outfits. Wear them one day after your boss does. (This is especially effective if your boss is of the opposite gender.)

Send e-mail to the rest of the company to tell them what you're doing. For example, "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathroom, in Stall #3."

Put mosquito netting around your cubicle. Play a tape of jungle sounds all day.

Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.

Call the psychic hotline and don't say anything...

When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I Won!" "I Won!" "3rd time this week!!!"

When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot, yelling "Run for your lives, they're loose!"

Tell your boss, "It's not the voices in my head that bother me, its the voices in your head that do."

Tell your children over dinner: "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go."

Every time you see a broom, yell "Honey, your mother is here!"