A Storybook of Grace

Hello there,  I had my surgery on Tuesday - a hysterectomy.  Everything went well and I was able to go home same day.  I will say it was extra hard to go all by myself to the hospital because Sean wasn’t able to go with me because of hospital COVID rules.  Surgery was delayed about two hours.  I was really nervous.  OK frightened.  But God brought along some wonderful staff to help me remain a little calmer.  I tried to waste time watching Food Network and My 600-lb Life - both poor choices - food while fasting and OR scenes right before heading into one myself.  My doctor said they really had to jump through hoops to even get me in there (also because of COVID stuff), but I’m so thankful God allowed it all to happen and that my doctor advocated for me.  He knows my history physically, mentally, emotionally in regards to 12 years of bleeding (as my therapist puts it) so thankfully he went to bat for me.  I’ve been sore, but am doing...

OK, So little Miss Natalie loves, I mean LOVES Spider-Man.  It is so darn cute!  We have been watching all the Spider-Man movies with the boys and Natalie has been watching them with us.  She is supposed to have an 8:30 pm bedtime, but she usually loves to sit on the couch and cuddle at night so we end up letting her stay up later than she should.  Any way, now every evening she asks for Spider-Man.   I came down to the basement and found little munchkins walking around as Spider-Man.   We started “weeks” again and whoever’s week it is also gets Buddy Time on Sundays.  It’s Hunter’s week and he chose Dunkin’ and a quick trip to the lake.  We got 4 inches of snow through the night so suffice it to say it was cold and we didn’t stay for long.  We’ve had pretty cold temps in the teens, single digits, and feels like negatives lately.  Illinois.     Our little Addison turned 6 on Thursday, January 20th!  She picked a “polar ice...

  Last week and spilling over into this week has been filled with doctors appointments, mental health appointments, wiping snotty noses, cleaning up vomit, a mammogram, and doing our best to care for sick kiddos despite our best efforts to try to keep everyone well for my surgery in a week, and me starting back to a new semester in grad school. Thankfully Sean and I were able to sneak away for a few hours and get lunch at the Brat Stop - crazy place decor wise, but great food, and to go pick up puppy supplies - almost as good as shopping for a new baby.  Almost.   And even better.  A puppy video of our Connor!!!! https://youtu.be/tAXGOhCBLFM

 Well, not too much is going on over here.  We are kind of self quarantining in preparation for my surgery on the 25th of this month.  We are hoping and praying to all stay well,  But winter is a good time to hibernate any way.  Or at least it makes it easier.  We’ve had negative temps, ice, snow, and wind.  So Netflix, and warm blankets, and cuddling with the family (and coffee) has been quite nice.   We also got more puppy pictures!!!!  We can’t wait to pick him up!  We’ve named him Connor, if I hadn’t already said so.   We also captured a cute video of Natalie “ice skating” with the ice skaters on TV.   https://youtu.be/z7HGLELNI8c

  Here’s hoping for a New Year that is dedicated to the Lord, where we put Him first, and we concentrate on the blessings of family.  We were pretty low key here.  I love being in central time so we can ring in the new year at 11 instead!  I can make it till then ha ha!   New Year’s Day we went to Captain Porky’s for a traditional southern meal - my VERY favorite meal of the whole year - cornbread, collards, black eyed peas - yum!!!  Captain Porky’s is so good, too.   We also got about 5 inches of snow Saturday.   AND we are getting a new puppy!  A Weimaraner!  We had one when we first got married, literally the first week of our marriage!  Our beloved Allie.  She had to be put to sleep in 2014.  It’s taken us a long time to feel like we could get another one.  We are picking a blue male.  This little love was born December 13th.  He’s up in Wisconsin.  We will probably be able to get him the beginning ...

 I hope Christmas was wonderful at your house.  We had my Dad here.  Attended candlelight service on Christmas Eve and went to dinner at Asbling on the Lough in Kenosha.  They have THE BEST food!  They also had a wood burning stove going and Santa Claus so it felt very Christmas-ey.  Christmas Day we spent time at home all day.  Tried a few new recipes - egg bake that was prepared the night before and left to set in the fridge till morn, a Crockpot chicken pot pie, and a chocolate pie from Pioneer Woman.  All was good and not too much work :) The kids enjoyed their gifts.  They got subscriptions to Kiwi Co and will be getting a crate in the mail each month.  They are enjoying their books, puzzles, and Lego too!   Here is Natalie enjoying (and bathing in) her chocolate pie lol :)  And here is our first stickable snow at the new house.  We got close to two inches.  

  https://youtu.be/kBPXi--kqZ8 https://youtu.be/Y5JgW2jp7hs Here’s Jessica and Addison singing at church today.  All the kiddos did a great job.  We enjoyed seeing our amazing wonderful friends from Tennessee yesterday.  Their kids are good friends with our boys and we surprised our boys.  That was funny to see when they went to answer the door and saw them.  It was pretty sweet.   That’s it for now.