CopyCat

 I guess that's one of the best words to describe my Micah.  He loves to do what his siblings are doing!  He loves to play on the piano like Brenna and he just today he was repeating Beth as she sang "Love Lifted Me"   Such a cutie he is!

All Heaven Rejoices

My Callie Grace has been asking many question lately about getting saved.  She has been ending most of her prayers with, "Please God, let me be saved!"  We knew the Lord was working on her heart and that she was starting to understand her need of the Savior.

We went to a great Monday night service to hear Johnny Pope preach.  During the altar call she came to us with tears and said, "I want to go up front and get saved!"  Patrick talked with her, and then they talked more when we got home.  While standing outside the door, listening in, I was able to hear my girl pray to her Heavenly Father and ask him to take away her sin and save her.  How precious!

Go sound the horn, strike up the choir,

A sinner is saved, saved from the fire.

No more in darkness, he's received my Son.

All heaven rejoices, that's the value of one!

PICC-less

A Post From Patrick

Well, our journey this week to Kami's doctor was bittersweet. 

We had come to the realization that the IV antibiotics have reached their maximum potential and Kami has now ceased to progress under these antibiotics.  

All of her symptoms have returned and we are experiencing a setback. (We praise the Lord that her energy level is still up and this allows her to be able to function mentally and somewhat physically.)  Her chest pain/pressure is once again strong, her cough (trying to catch her breath)has returned, and her joints hurt her constantly...especially her knees.  When she bends them, they now make a pop...the doctor said that the Lyme has definitely attacked her joints.

The doctor was discouraged that the PICC line had to be removed due to a regression instead of a progression of healing.  And this now leads us to a new phase of treatment.

The next step is a new regimen of oral antibiotics.  Kami is now taking 3 antibiotics and she spent the morning vomiting...it seems like it will take her some time to get accustomed to the new medication.   Then, in 1 month, the doctor is going to prescribe an additional 2 antibiotics to treat another bacterial infection that she believes is the reason for her chest pain/pressure.  

Please continue to pray for our family and for Kami's healing.  We just want to say, "Thanks to our Heavenly Father who is great and greatly to be praised!"  God has been faithful and good throughout all of this!  He has helped us financially, never forsaken us, and allowed us to be at a place where we can be a part of our home church and in the same city as our parents.  Praise be to God and our Savior Jesus Christ!

Perhaps pulling the PICC

My next doctor's appointment is this Thursday.   My doctor has indicated that we will possibly be pulling my PICC line.  She really doesn't like to leave them in this long and for her patients to take strong antibiotics intravenously for this long.  She prefers 6-8 weeks.  This makes week 15 for me.

At times I have seen great improvement.  But, lately I've been taking more steps backward than forward.  A lot of my pressure and pain in my right side has returned.  My joints have also decided to ache again. There is still much improvement from when we've started, but since I'm leveling off in my improvement, they feel it is time to pull the PICC and move on to Oral Antibiotics.

We know the Lord's hand is in every aspect of our journey with Lyme.   Oral Antibiotics might just be the medicine to get me well!

So, please be praying for my doctor to have wisdom with my medication.  Our prayer is that our Great Physician will guide the physician that He has given me here on this earth.  I'm so thankful that my God never fails!

Finally starting School Year 2014-2015

It took us a little while to order and receive our books this year.  I think every home schooling Mom feels the need to start on time.  Playing catch up is never easy!  So, we were thankful to receive our schooling and start our girls with their 2014-2015 year of school!  How exciting!  We are using ACE for the 6th year in a row.

 

 This year Elisabeth is a Junior.  Wow!  Moving right along!

And Brenna is a sophomore.
Are they excited?  Well, maybe only slightly.  It seems like our summer just began!  But, it feels sooooo good to be on a great schedule and routine!

A Coke with Josh

My sweet sister, Tay, thought I would really be missing my Josh about now.  She was right!  So, she dug and dug through the barrels of Coke and found one with Josh on it for me.  So....last night I had a Coke with Josh!  How cool!

Some have asked how my boy is doing.  Thanks for asking and praying for him!  He's doing fabulous!  The first few days we could hear some homesickness in his voice.  But, once classes started, he's loving it!  He loves his Professors and loves having Chapel everyday!  He's rubbing shoulders with some amazing Men of God and he's loving it!  He says they are very direct and not afraid to "step on your toes"  Just his style! ;o)

He's also loving being a part of the North Valley Baptist Church ministries. He sent us a text yesterday of the gym.  There were bunches of tents set up with chairs inside the tents....that's some extra Sunday School rooms!  How neat is that!  Josh is also working in the Junior High Sunday School, and Teen Church.  He has a heart for youth, so I am thankful he's able to have that place to minister.

Even though we miss our boy terribly (and are counting down the days until Christmas break)  we are so excited to hear what the Lord is doing in his life!

Time for Kindergarten!

 We are enjoying our first week of school!  It is so fun homeschooling my blessings!  I'm thankful for the Lord giving me the energy this week to start Silas in Kindergarten!  What a fun age!

 We are so thankful to have a room set up in the house we are staying in.  Our church has been so gracious to let us stay here.  It's a beautiful place!

 Even though Silas is the one "in" school, Callie and Micah are loving their new crayon boxes, saying the pledge and learning!

 So much fun we are having and my boy is soaking up everything I can teach him!  I love it!

Are you ready for some football?

 We all are!  And now especially Silas is!!!

 Fly Eagles Fly!

2nd Stop....

 We all were so excited planning our second stop on our mini vacation!  We went to Venice about 10 years ago when J, E, and B were little.  We couldn't wait to go back again!

It was a perfect day for digging for shark's teeth....the weather was hot, the water was cool, and the beach was pretty empty.  We had a great time!

 Callie had a great time making sand castles.

 Patrick, Beth, Brenna and Silas were pretty consumed with finding shark's teeth.

 We didn't find quite as many as we did when we first went, but we still enjoyed a great time at the beach!!

 I love the photo above and the photo below.  Patrick and Brenna have the same determined-yet-the-sun-is-so-bright look.

 Silas gathered a couple of teeth and have 2 set aside to mail to Josh.

 I love the modesty of the Hook Publications culottes.  You can be so active in them, yet be modest as well!  They work perfect at the beach.  I sewed these with Silky Solids fabric from JoAnns.  It dries quick and doesn't cling.

 It was a great vacation for us!

Mini Vaca

After we dropped Josh off at the airport Monday morning, we went home and packed a couple of suitcases.  We figured that since my doctors appointment was Tuesday and we had to drive a few hours north, then we should all go and make it into a mini vacation.  Perfect timing!

 We found this park in Ellenton.  It had a lot of ropes activities.  It was soooo hot, so I'm thankful for a cooler with water!

 My Micah is still trying to figure out slides.  This one was quite high, but he had a great time!

 Even my girls had some fun on the playground!

If you know Patrick and I, we can be a little competitive.  This swinging balance beam looked easy.  But,  it wasn't.  Patrick cheated by holding the top.  He made it part way across.

 I wasn't holding the top to cheat, I was holding on so I wouldn't fall!

We're surviving with our boy being gone.  Tears were pretty close this day and there were a few moments of forgetting that he wasn't there.  Quite often Josh will sit directly behind me in the car.  A lot of times I reach my hand back and he'll hold my hand for a moment.  I started to reach back and realized, "Oh, he's not there."  We'll adjust.  And Josh is doing great in California!!

Is he really going to live at another church??

The time had come for Josh to leave.  The week was filled with packing and family time, but it flew by too fast!  

Sunday night my kiddos sang in church.  First Silas and Callie sang "He's still working on me."  They did a great job and I was so proud of their smiles through the whole song.  Then, Josh, Beth and Brenna sang.  They did a new one that they had been working on, "God's Been Good."  I love that song!  As I played the piano while they sang, I fought back many tears.  Then, at the beginning of the 2nd verse it was Brenna's solo, except she didn't sing, Josh did.  I looked up to figure out why the switch and saw Brenna with head in hand, crying.  Josh had his arm around her giving her comfort.  Oh my!  How we are going to miss him!  

 Then, Josh sang a solo, "The Heart of the Problem."  Another great song.  His voice was strong and carried the message very well.  I was so proud of him.  It was then that I began to feel an aching hole in my heart.  It was almost time to say good bye.

That night was hard.  Watching Josh say goodbye to Beth, Brenna, Silas, Callie and Micah was very tearful.  Prayer time lasted a while because there were sniffles from everyone.  Callie had a couple of little tears, but nothing major.  When I tucked her in, we had this conversation:

Callie:  I sure am going to miss Josh when he goes to college!

Me:  Me too

Callie:  Momma, is Josh going to live at a new church?

Me:  (I had to think for a minute what she meant by living at the church,  then I realized she wanted to know if we would at least see him when we go to church)  Yes, he will live at another church.

Callie:  (with huge eyes) You mean he is really going to LIVE at another church???

Me:  Yes he is.

Then, her tears and sobs really started to flow.  I think it's hard for a 4 year old to understand what moving to college means.  Josh came and tucked her in and told her he would be back soon and that he loves her so much.  I love the bond of siblings!

With about 4 hours of sleep, the alarm sounded early Monday morning.  Patrick and I got ready while Josh finished last minute packing.  Then, it happened.  Josh opened the door and stepped outside.  I just stood there.  Did I possibly have more tears?  I tried to be strong, but I missed him already.

It was hard to say goodbye  at the airport for all of us.  What a change this will be!

I've said before how the Lord always gives me exactly what I need.  He truly is the best comforter!  That very morning in my devotions I was reading in Psalm 89.

21 mine arm also shall strengthen him

24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him

33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

  I was so excited when I read those verses!  I know these verses are talking about David and not my Josh, but I just felt that God was telling me,  "Kami, it's going to be okay.  I love Josh even more than you do. I will take care of him!"  God is so faithful!

Bus Going Away Party

 My kiddos have loved being able to work in the Bus Ministry since we've been back in Florida.  They all (sometimes all 6!) ride on the Horton's Bus.  What a blessing and encouragement the Hortons have been to us!  Josh has been the one in charge of the Bus program to and from church.  He loves it!  Brenna decided that since it was Josh's last Sunday, the bus should throw a going away party for him.  She started out with Beth giving Josh a pie in the face.  Somehow, a lot of bus promotions have to do with pies in the face!

 Then, she had Josh put the pie in Beth's face since she will be the one heading up the program now.

 Micah was pretty traumatized by all of this.  He talked about the pie in the face for several days.

 Brenna and Sarah baked cookies for the party.  They were Yummy!

 Then, Brenna had some fun games planned.  Doesn't she look so cute standing up there!

All the bus kids signed this poster for Josh.  They sure are going to miss him!  And he will definitely miss them!