NF, here we come! (I hope...)

What a busy, crazy, wonderful weekend! I'm exhausted (and cringeing at the thought of tomorrow being Monday already), but also very happy. Yesterday we helped Jeff and Karen get their new house ready. It's really nice, big, and has 3 bedrooms so Bailey and Kendra don't have to share anymore. Unfortunately, the people who lived there before had hideous taste in paint colors and very poor cleaning habits, so we all spent the afternoon cleaning and painting. The backyard was pretty big (and fenced in--how nice!) and had a swing set, so the kids all played together--even little Erin--while we worked. It was great. I was really happy to spend some time with them, because we had all gotten to be pretty good friends ever since Ed and I first came to the NF church, and especially last summer we spent a lot of time together, but then school started back up and we all just got too busy. They also had really good news for us--the house right down the road from them is also for rent, and is owned by the same old couple (whom Jeff knows and says are really nice people). So when the owners stopped by to drop a couple things off, Jeff told them we were interested in the house and they showed it to us. It's perfect for us. Not too flashy or extravagant, in fact, it needs a little work, but it's not shabby either. It's got plenty of room, a huge kitchen, 2 porches (!!), and a wonderful big backyard for the kids. Oh, and also a 2 car garage, which Ed is just thrilled about. Best of all, we would be close to church, and just a few houses down from Jeff and Karen. Oh, it would just be so awesome!! I am trying so hard not to get my hopes up too much, because of course there's always a slight chance we won't get it. There was one other family that was interested, but they wanted to move in right away, and the owners wanted to do some work first so they were looking for someone who could wait a few weeks to move in. Which is ideal for us, because I really don't want to make the kids switch schools with only a little over a month to go; especially TJ because she has the Washington DC trip next month. But I would be so happy to get them out of Warren schools! Anyway, Jeff gave the owners all of our info and they are supposed to call us in the next few days. I'm praying that we get it, but also just for God's will to be done. If He means for us to get this house, I know He'll open all the doors for us, and if not then they'll be closed.

Old fogeys and hippies (hehe)

I didn't even write about how awesome TJ's birthday party was Sunday (yes, her birthday is today, but it being a weeknight and with her having p.t. this afternoon we just decided to have it Sunday). It was the first time since Erin's first birthday party (almost 2 years ago) that my parents & Kelly and Ed's parents & Kat were all together in the same house--and the first time ever that we all had a meal together (Erin's party was mostly just cake and presents). Ed and I were a little nervous. It's not that our families don't get along, it's just that there's so much potential for them to not get along because they are sooooo different. Tom and Lynda are very old fashioned, traditional, and conservative. They only listen to gospel music, they only watch the food network and HGTV, they only vote Republican, and they consider darn and heck dirty language. And I just love them! They're sweet and easygoing, their home is pleasant and relaxing, and they're awesome grandparents. My parents on the other hand are eccentric, free spirited and liberal. They listen to oldies, disco, reggae, they watch My Name is Earl, they don't use the "R" word, and their vocabularies include some 4-letter words--particularly my dad who launches F-bombs daily. But I love them too. They're my mom and dad, I respect them, and theyr'e great grandparents too (albeit rather non-traditional ones). So I wasn't sure how Sunday dinner would go--I was just hoping everyone would try to get along for the sake of TJ's birthday that we were celebrating. I was hoping my dad would keep his conversations rated PG and that Lynda wouldn't start bragging about her step-mom getting to see George W. Bush. Thankfully, the day went wonderfully. Our parents got along--no outbursts or snide comments from either side--and TJ was very happy. It was a day that just made me feel so very, very blessed to have such a wonderful family and so much happiness and love in our lives.

My baby's growing up

Tomorrow is Theo Jane's 10th birthday! I can hardly believe I am about to be the mother of a 10 year old!!! Can it really be ten years already?!! Yes, I suppose it can, but time sure does fly. I still remember so well the very first time I saw her and held her. It feels like not so long ago. I remember being so worried about being pregnant, and too terrified to tell anyone. I knew eventually I would have to, obviously I couldn't keep her in there forever (!) but it just seemed too scary. I remember the night of April 4, 1996. It was a Thursday and it had also been the last day of school before spring break. I remember getting my shower early and sitting down to watch e.r. with some pizza rolls and a glass of apple juice. I didn't finish them. When the show was over I went to bed. I felt even more tired than usual, and a little lightheaded too. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed; the first thing I did was look down at my stomach--it was flat. I immediately panicked--where was the baby?? But then a nurse noticed that I was awake and informed me that I had a beautiful baby daughter. It was Saturday afternoon, the day before Easter, when my precious little gift from God was placed in my arms. It was the most amazing moment of my life. I remember how tiny and perfect she looked, that delicate little face and fingers, the softness of her cheek when I kissed it, and that lovely baby smell! And even though I was not yet a Christian (I didn't even know then what it meant to be saved), I prayed with such thanks to God. I knew that there was most definitely a God, and that somehow He'd gotten me through the most difficult circumstance of my life. Later, the nurse told me what an ordeal my precious little one had had; they'd done an emergency c-section and at birth my baby wasn't breathing and her heart stopped beating. She'd been resuscitated and placed in an incubator in the NICU. But then, in just a few hours, she miraculously recovered. She was breathing on her own, was responsive, and even able to eat. The way the nurse put it was "she must have a guardian angel." And that is when I knew what I'd name her--Theo Jane, after my grandmother.
Now she's ten years old and has grown into such a beautiful, smart, creative girl with the silliest sense of humor. She faces such battles every day because of her cerebral palsy, and yet she always smiles and has so much faith in God. She is an inspiration and blessing. Happy birthday T.J.!!! :-)