more good news...

(sidenote: Blogger just notified me of a space limit on my blog so I can't add any more pictures, and I'm problem solving on what to do because I don't want to pay, since I purposely signed up with a free blog, and it seems things have changed... anyway... if I end up starting a new blog, I will list the link here!)

After yesterday's naturopath appointment with Greyson, I walked away with another sigh of relief, and a more encouraging outlook regarding my future! That might sound a little dramatic... but c'mon people... for those of you who are full-time moms, you know or will remember the amount of TIME that goes into MEALS... 

Preparing grocery lists, finding recipes, planning your menu, shopping with 3 little kids, putting those groceries in your car, hauling those groceries into the house, putting it away, and then 3 meal preps a day and clean up.  (And for MANY meals of our last year... I was making 3 different meals at each meal time, or at least for breakfast and lunch, which means 8 to 9 different meals a day because Greyson has eaten baby food, and I have tried to eat healthier than the kids do.) 

So after a blood allergy/sensitivity test Greyson had 3 weeks ago, as we've been trying to figure out some significant digestive issues with Greyson... I have been slowly preparing in the back of my mind to have to make a major lifestyle change in our eating.... maybe having to go wheat or gluten free, egg or dairy free. Because if he has those allergies... you just can't keep making double meals for the rest of your life. So imagine my relief when the blood test came back with not only no allergies, but not even any significant sensitivities! (We did see a trend toward dairy reactions... but it's more just keeping it to a minimum instead of total avoidance.)

Additionally, we have also been seeing some good results from a digestive enzyme that we have added to his diet that isn't uncommon for young children to lack, which they eventually just grow out of. So with THAT.... our naturopath was very encouraged that we narrowed it down to this enzyme problem. I"m praying it will continue to work and help stabilize Grady boy.

This has felt like just as long of a road as his head issues... since he has struggled digestively since we started solid foods. WHEW.

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness!

I'm hoping life will take a more 'normal' curve for 2013. :o)

Here is a photo from our family shoot a couple weeks ago! Oh, I am in love all over again. :o) Bethany Speier has taken our family photos for 4 out of the last 5 years... and I LOVE THEM ALL. :o) She and her husband Ryan brought their new little dog to the shoot... and Grey went CRAZY. :o) Look at this cute face! He loved Atticus! Well, lets be real... they all did.

Anyway, so I was marveling today at the conviction of SCRIPTURE. I am doing some basic homeschool preschool with Jane this year, and we have a Bible verse to memorize that goes with each letter of the alphabet. So, we were reviewing our past verses today, and working on Col 3:20...

"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."

And as she was working on some of her school stuff, and we were saying the verses out loud.... she pops her head up and says,

"Mom. I'm going to obey you right away from now on."

:o)

Not only was it cute.... but it was just one of those moments I marveled at the power of God's Word. And this verse came to mind...


"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12

GOSH, ISN'T IT TRUE???

Here I am just going over verses with my daughter (and yes, we talk about what they mean), but at this moment we are just reciting them to memorize them, and she just blurts that out. :o) It made me smile and realized how much more of my parenting can take on this approach.... getting the WORD OF GOD into her heart, and letting it marinate and do exactly what it does in my heart when I memorize it.... IT CONVICTS! IT GUIDES! IT teaches me how to evaluate, and the WHY behind decisions....

So simple! So powerful and effective!

Anyway.... hopefully some of you are encouraged in the same way, for your own heart, and for your children or grandchildren. :o)

Blessings today!

If you've been praying....

.... thank you. The Lord has made His face to shine upon us.


Last December 17, we found out Greyson had a large head and since then it has been one wild ride for the last 11 months.
 
   We have had ups and downs, good reports and bad reports, not knowing from one month to the next if we were going to have start the road of head surgery or if Greyson would just be fine.

About two weeks ago, I went again up to Seattle Children's Hospital. It is always a place that makes you count your blessings, and realize even the challenging circustances the Lord has given you to walk through in life, are perhaps not so hard after all.

We met again with the neurosurgeon, had another MRI for Greyson's head, and found out the best news yet. The MRI is showing that the rate of Greyson's head, is finally slowing. After rapid growth for nearly a year, they are finally starting to see his growth curve actually make a curve, instead of, just shooting straight up off the charts. It's been a long time of just praying and waiting, praying and having appointments, praying and waiting.

Sometimes I don't realize the weight of a burden that I carry until it's gone. You don't realize it never leaves your mind or your heart or even your appointment calendar. It's always just there. It hasn't been an easy weight (or wait)  to bear, but the Lord has carried me, and carried us, and carried Grady boy.

The official report from the appointment, was that we don't need to go back up for a follow-up for four more months. They are expecting his large head size to even out, especially considering he is had no other symptoms of water on the brain are macrocephaly.

Thank you for everyone who has prayed for as, prayed for Grayson, supported us through encouragement in the scriptures or just a listening ear that I needed more than anybody.

Thank you for your love, thank you for your understanding, and thank you for being my family.

We love you Grady-Grey!

What? Our party is going to be featured?

 

Happy 60th Birthday Mom!!!

Many of you knew I was planning a 60th Birthday party for my favorite... my Mom.

Well, I absolutely could NOT have done this without the help from my Aunt Sharon, Auntie 'Chele, and cousin Afton. In fact, it really wasn't my party... it was our party. Countless hours were spent by all to make it happen. There was no detail forgotten, no vintage item left behind, and the menu was complete to the last olive and ice cube. Every single thing had a specific reason, a meaning, and since my mom is the original Martha Stewart... not a detail was left unappreciated.

(And I got a call later from my cousin that said an East coast event planner wanted to feature our party on her blog. Ha!! :o) Too fun!

At the entrance... we had a memory table. And the kids loved looking at all the old pictures of their Mema..

An old vintage camping display held our party favors... "smores!" in an authentic Coke crate

Even old vintage games were on display...

When you turned the corner you saw multiple umbrella's... and burlap covered tables on old wine barrels each representing a 'station'.....

The first one was the Beverage station... complete with a real vintage metal Coca-Cola cooler, and old Coca-Cola crates.

An old plant stand held jars with baker's twine and tags to write your name on your drink....

Three dispensers held strawberry lemonade, sweet tea, and water...  and if you look closely... even original coke bottles and coke glasses with... yes... daisies. :o) (can you tell how proud I am? This took over 75 man-hours to just set up the day before and the day of... let alone the food prep, planning, and preparations, that happened in the weeks before... :o)

Why did we ever need plastic straws when paper ones are so darn cute?

Aunt Sharon found Retro Pop! :o) And there wasn't a single one left! :o)

One of our pride and joys... I'm not sure who thought of the idea... but Aunt Sharon (who had a huge truck load of supplies, literally), had 400 old sno-cone paper cups.... and YES, the made the perfect garland to string across the patio on bakers twine. We were pretty nervous the day before however... as thunder and lightening threatened the whole Puget Sound area... and the day after it rained. But not a drop on our party... and a perfect (and muggy) 80-degree day we enjoyed!

DESSERT TABLE! :o)

Can't even have enough quilts... :o), or old windows!!! And a darling garland of old cookie cutters we made to hand down from the umbrella that you can't see to the right. An area of summer dessert, retro candy, and festive colors made this table an eye-catcher!

This was little BW picture here, is of my mom on her 2nd birthday... with the cake in the foreground.. it's my favorite!

A mini pie bunting!

The first time I've done individual servings on apple crisp... and in darling, old fashioned jars none-the-less. Yumm...

 

Shortbread sandwich cookies with a thin layer of butter cream frosting in between.

Wonderful new recipe... Berry Crumble! Served with mini spoons!

Maybe my favorite part of the display. :o) Well... how can you not love a cute cupcake on a candle stick? :o) With old vintage extract, sprinkles, and spices. :o)

 This was a first for me as well! Lemon cupcakes in a jar! I would do it slightly different next time... but they tasted as amazing as they always do. :o)

Due to time running out and trying to keep life sane for my family... I bought the pies. I found hand made ones at Tacoma boys... and this was a little special answer to prayer... It was cherry pie made with actual sour pie cherries! It's my mom's absolute favorite! 

More fun memories and pictures... and flowers out of a watering can! My favorite...

Burger Bar! And chipotle buttered Corn on the cob warmed and in the red wagon. :o)

 Napkins wrapped and tied with an old scrap of quilt fabric, and buns in an old wooden tool box. :o)

Auntie Chele found these old retro condiment bottles... so cute!

Pick your chip! Grab your cone of chips, and come back for free refills!

 

My mom's favorite salads, caprese sticks, and fruit kabobs! This station complete with tons of old vintage tins, and kitchen things!

We had more seating on the upper lawn, and fun playing pickleball by the garden!

 

If you can believe it... I'm actually not including all the details! But it was sooo fun and cute and perfect for my mom. :o) So here is the birthday girl! She is sort of freaking out and soaking it all up when she got there. :o) I loved just watching her notice ALL the details. Only she could've appreciate it all!

Here is my mom with her oldest friend, Machelle, and her daughter Brynn. All the way from Idaho!

Mom with Katie, one of my oldest friends, and 2nd cousin... having a good laugh!

Auntie 'Chele (my mom's youngest sister).. she was in charge of the food!! And did a fabulous job... it was a ton of work!

So I worked on a project (a lot of you know) for my Mom's birthday. We wanted to have 

60 Letters 

for

60 Years

for her 

60th Birthday!

Well... I think when all of them trickled in, even down to the day of the party, and maybe even one the day after... I think we ended of just shy of NINETY letters! Isn't that crazy?? 

 I couldn't help but cry when giving it to her. It was incredible reading all them that came in through the mail and email... It just reminded me daily of what an incredible person she is, and how she has loved so many people so well... She is a spectacle! I hope I will have impacted that many people's lives by the time I'm 60!

 Jensen B decided to play in the gravel... his hands were beyond filthy, his khaki shorts were turning brown... there was stick brown stuff all over his face, and can you see the chocolate cupcake on his neck/chest? :o) Oh, my sweet boy!

 Auntie Chele and my grandpa (mom's dad), and Dee

 My parent's neighbors who live across the road over in Idaho drove 6 hours to suprise my parents! And then got to stay with us later that night, after we worked them to death cleaning up everything. :o) Jake and Mariah Morris. :o)

 My cousin Jon and 2 of his beautiful daughters

 Jane and Cooper playing on the sport court

 My mom and Barb. Thank you Barb and Norm for being such gracious hosts!!!

 My parents. Mom and Dad. Alton and Marti Ann. Mr and Mrs A. :o)

So I had NO IDEA how fun our photo booth was going to be!!! Everyone had such a hoot dressing up... it was such a fabulous way to document everyone who was there! (yes, we have a BIG family!)

Keith and Lynn Franklin with their granddaughter Blake. :o)

 Afton, Ryan, and Cooper and Jack. Thank you Afton for helping with the party! (Afton does event planning/coordinating... she's amazing if any of you need a wedding coordinator! she has a degree in design so she's incredible at helping put together a reception!)

 Jess and Amanda... how did you get away without costumes????

 Melissa and my mom... so funny... this face my mom was making was real! Nathan told her she had salad in her teeth... and she said, "HUH??!"

 My cousins. :o) Blake, Kyle, James... my mom, and then Brayton. Goof balls. :o)

 Our 'Party Planning Committee.' :o) Afton, Sharon, Michele, and Me. We love you Mom! It was sooo fun, and SO worth it!

 Aunt Sharon, Unlce Matt, Kyle and Blake.

Jami and Mom. "Just a couple of kittens, out on the the town." :o)


 My mom's cousin... Linda and Gary... old friends!

 My grandma Akers, Aunt Becky, Aunt Susan, Uncle Don, and Mom and Dad. :o)

Idaho spuds... Brynn, Mom, Machelle, and Mitch. :o)

 My parents and Mariah and Jake. :o) Jake's 'mustache' looks like my dads! :o)

 Nut balls. :o)

 My crazy fun cousins... Tanner, Gabrielle, Stacie, Arie, and Malorie. :o)

The Kell Clan! Gary, Linda, Ryan, Katie, Amy, and Dan... and the kids- Jordy and Addy!

The Herr's- Ginger, Terry, Forrest, and Sage

 Afton and I. :o) Love you girl!

 Thank you Nathan for all of your hard work and service, that my mom would be blessed!! He was like super dad these last 2 weeks!!

 My favorites.

 It was an incredible day. And it was exactly... no better! Than what I had in mind!!! And I have a pretty amazing mind. :o) Ha! 

Thank you to everyone who helped, came, and celebrated my mom!!! 

It was the BEST!

We love you MOM!!!