Annie at five

We did Annie's well-child visit last week and here are her stats - (the bruise in the middle of her head was thanks to a fight with her brother)

She is 41 3/4" tall - 32nd percentile. She weighs 37.4 lbs - also 32nd percentile. 
(now you know why we call her Bitsy)
She still wears a 4/4T.  She can wear some size 5s. 
Her favorite color is green.  She loves all things froggy. 
Her favorite movie is Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue.  In addition to all things froggy, she loves anything Tinkerbell - which is perfect because Annie has always been our spunky little sprite!
She is doing well in speech therapy working on her tongue-thrust issues.We do have to stop her and remind her to say her "S" the right way.  When she slows down, she does great.
We didn't have a party for her on her birthday but are going to do something around mid-June for her half-birthday.  This will be an opportunity for her to see her school friends again, since they will have been out of school for about a month by that time - and I'm sure the moms and kids will WANT something to do!

Joyful Journal, January 12-13, 2011

January 12 - I received an email today from my friend, Jo.  Shortly after I got pregnant with Harrison, she and her husband moved to the east coast to live closer to her daughter and son-in-law and their family (it also put her closer to her son and daughter-in-law and their family, too - but she's in the same city as her daughter).  When she moved there, she was told she only had about 7 months to live.  Well, Harrison will be 3 in February.  You do the math.  She will be quick to tell you it is solely the grace of God allowing her to blow away the "prediction" of the doctors.  She's been having some issues over the past two and a half years - a tumor was causing significant pain that was pretty much debilitating.  However, during December she felt wonderful.  She asked her doctors for a PET scan so they could see what was going on and see if there was an explanation for the disappearance of the pain.  Well...there was.  Her tumor is GONE.  No chemo.  No radiation.  No medical intervention whatsoever.  Tumor. Is. Gone.  GONE, people.  GONE. G...O...N...E.  Yeah, I know you heard me the first three times I said it.  The doctors were flabbergasted, "We have no explanation."  {this is where those of us who believe in God start laughing...not AT them, but that joyous "well WE have an explanation" kind of laugh}  And that's just what Jo said, "I can tell you how this has happened!"  What joy.  Her tumor is GONE!!!! 

January 13 - you know, I'm still thrilled that Jo's tumor is gone.  I'll be thrilled over this for days!  And getting to share that good news with a friend whose children have prayed for Jo over these years, thinking that her days were growing shorter on this earth...now she gets to share with her children how their prayers have been answered.  So kind of the Lord to grow these kids' faith in this way.

Joyful Journal, January 7 - 11, 2011

January 7 -  my joy on Friday was some great parent/youngest children time.  Brad and I took the big girls to the Girl Scout Cookie Rally downtown and then it was just the two of us with our two little ones for several hours.  We stopped by Sonic on the way home from dropping off the big girls and got ice cream. They were so excited and cute.  We had fun with them. 

January 8 - my joy on Saturday was wood for a fire!  We are expecting snow on Sunday (and now that I'm writing this after-the-fact...we got it!).  Last year when we got snow, we lost power and didn't have any wood for a fire. This year, we got firewood and Brad unloaded it today.  I am so looking forward to a fire!!

January 9 - my joy today is the promise that God never leaves me or forsakes me -- and that promise is what should drive my love and hospitality toward fellow believers and strangers, both. Great teaching from Hebrews 13 during Sunday School this morning (click on the link to get to the recording if you want to hear it).

January 10 - my joy today was in having a SNOW DAY!  We got about 6" of snow at our house yesterday and into the night.  The kids were so excited. Bitsy's preschool was closed and Governor Beebe closed all state government offices in Little Rock so Brad didn't have to go to work, either.  We built a fire and fired up the dryer...my dryer was going all day long.  After the third trip outside and back in, we told them "NO MORE!"  Lots of fun.  I took some photos and need to go through them so I can share. 

January 11 - my joy today was the compassion I can have on my children when they are sick.  Not that I'm happy my child was sick - not at all! But, rather, that the Lord has given me the ability to have a tender compassion for my little ones when they are sick.  Bitsy had a stomach bug today and spent most of the day curled into a ball in the corner of the sofa.  From 7:30 this morning until 5:00 this afternoon, she was sick at least once an hour.  I built a fire, covered her up with her quilt and let her sleep as much as she wanted...or as much as she could with her siblings jumping around (she didn't want to be in her bed or mine).

Photos from the latest Central Arkansas Snow Storm to come! 

Joyful Journal, January 4 - 6, 2011

It's been very busy around her for the past few days! However, I've not forgotten to find some little something to rejoice in and be thankful for these days!

January 4 - being able to relate to my husband's love of sports is nice. As we watched the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night, I was able to talk to him about the game and make intelligent observations.  And we were both able to sneer at Terrell Pryor being interviewed at the end of the game by a sycophant sideline reporter. "Terrell, we know that you playing in this game tonight means you're coming back next year. Go take care of that foot and we'll see you next year."  Yeah.  IN THE NFL.  Anyone who believes that moron is (a) really sorry for what he did and (b) coming back next year...well, Brad and I have a bridge to sell.  Anyway, it was nice to be able to share in that whole thing with my husband (and yay, the man finally has decided that the Hogs aren't the bane of society!)

January 5 - I love doing crafts with my kids - though I have to do it in small doses or my OCD takes over. :) We made these fun little things for Crazy Hat night at AWANA.  We used hot pink and purple duct tape, neon bendy straws, neon pipe cleaners and neon pompoms.  they were cute.  Harrison wanted one, too.  His was made out of black and white duct tape with neon blue and orange pipe cleaners.  Very cute. 

January 6 - I love sweet kisses from my kids. Nothing is better.  But especially when Harrison (who is at a stingy-with-his-kisses age) climbs into my lap, "I love you moon and back, Mommy!" and kisses me all over my face.  It's precious and makes my heart melt. 

Joyful Journal, January 3, 2011

Today is Elizabeth Jane's 8th birthday (just barely, since it is 11:56p.m. as I type) and I've spent the day doing stuff with her.  My joy today is the memories today brings flooding back to me. Those memories make my heart full and I can never, ever think about them without crying.  Just glad Elizabeth isn't sitting her to roll her eyes and say, "Mo-om! Stop it!"  Even that?  Total joy. 

Joyful Journal, January 2, 2011

A few things today - first was a wonderful worship service at church with a great sermon on "Seeking God."

Second, lunch at Cracker Barrel to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday tomorrow (her choice) - love their veggie plate. Introduced the kids to fried okra, Nin loved it.  And greens, Nin loved them, too.  No surprise there. She loves food, period. 

Third, my girls are 5, 6 and 7 for the last day today.  What was really funny was being the scrapbook store with all three of them right after Annie's first birthday - "How old are your girls? They're precious!"  "1, 2 and 3"  {horrified look on the woman's face and then it brightened} "Oh, that will be such a CUTE scrapbook page."  Uh. Sure.

Fourth, this face cracks me up...love this silly girl!!!

Joyful Journal, January 1, 2011

Lots of j's up there.  :)

I thought I would share with you what my "joy" is today.  Backstory for those of you (all two of you) who don't know - I iron a lot.  My mother and sister tell me I iron too much.  All my friends tell me I iron too much.  However, I love the look of crisply pressed clothes...and sheets.  There.  I said it.  Sheets.  Yes, I have been known to iron sheets.  Sends my husband over. the. edge. when I do.  But I do it. I usually wait until I'm sure he's asleep - or not at home.  I do limit myself to only ironing the pillow cases and the top part of the flat sheet, though.  I don't iron *all* the sheets.  At least not any more.  And yes, that means I used to iron all the sheets - the entire flat sheet and the fitted sheet.

So.  Back to my "joy" today.  I emptied two ironing baskets!  Ironed and put away!!  I'm thrilled.