Books by P.K. Hallinan

This is just a quick "because it's on my mind and I need to share it fast before it escapes me" post.:)  It is scattered and choppy, but so is my brain tonight.

We love these books.  I mean LOVE.  Undoubtedly, a little person will come walking with one of these tucked under his or her arm or "kalumping" across the floor dragging one beside her with great anticipation of mommy reading it.   And I am so happy to read each of them multiple times a day.....engraining in each of my littles how much we all mean to each other and that God cherishes each of them. P.K. Hallinan does an incredible job using short rhymes and sweet pictures to convey the love of important people in our children's lives.  

These are the 4 we own.  I would just type out each book in it's entirety here because they are so great, but #1. I think that's illegal and #2. I am tired.  So, here are a few of my favorite lines from each.

My Sister and I

"And so you will find us

Most every day

Just tending the friendship

That God sent our way."

"We like sharing secrets,

Our dreams and our plans....

And we laugh at our mishaps

As only friends can!"

My Mommy and I

"And we like to give thanks

to God for His love...

For the shoes on our feet

and for heaven above.

Yes, Mommy is special in so many ways.

Her love is the sunshine that comforts my days.

She's there when I laugh...

and there when I cry.

We're joined at the heart, 

my mommy and I."

Thank You, God

(This one is extremely sweet!  Page after page of things we are thankful for)

"So thank you, dear God,

For all that you do-

For answering prayers 

And for miracles too!"

"And thank you for angels 

That I can't really see

But somehow I'm certain

Keep watch over me!"

"And thank you, dear God,

For all that you are-

From the cross on the hill

To the Bethlehem star.

Yes, I thank you, dear God, for life without end,

For hope and a future, and for being my friend.

And I thank you for all of the wonders I see.

But mostly I thank you.....

For just loving me."

(No, that wasn't the entire book....just a few extra pages.:)

Charlie is currently snoozing away with "My Daddy and I" snuggled somewhere in between blankets and blankies and pillows.  

Several others on our list to buy are "Brothers Forever" (I think we need to get another brother so we can purchase this one!:), "Let's Be Thankful", "Happy Birthday" and "Let's Share" (this one may move to the TOP of our list!).  

I'd love to hear about any books that you love!!

In Him,

E

The Light Panel

I have been in overhaul/simplify/get rid of the junk mode for several months now.  Just as we must be intentional about moments spent and memories made, we must be intentional about what comes into our home.  

I don't like toys.  There I said it.  I have 6 children and cannot stand toys.  But it's not the toys that necessarily make me lose my mind.  Well, actually it is.:)  What purpose does a toy serve if all my children have to do is push one silly, light up, flashy button and the toy does the rest?  Where is the imagination and cognitive processing?  Where is the fine motor workout?

So....our "big room" now looks much different.  We have cut our toy inventory by at least half.  In order for an item to stay in our home, it must serve a very specific purpose.

A year or so ago I began reading this blog and fell in love with light panels.  The possibilities for these things are endless!!!!!  Because the girls needed nothing and we refused to bring the nonsense toys back into our home, both Celia and Kate received one of these for Christmas.

They.  Are.  AWESOME!!!!  Daily we break out the light panels and spend at least 20-30 minutes playing.  They also received-

Mirror blocks (found here) 

Colored water blocks (found here)

Translucent blocks (found here)

In some of the pictures, you will also notice translucent spiders and screw together, translucent colored pill jars.  I picked these up at our local dollar store.  I am keeping an eye out for inexpensive items we can add to our light panel supply box.  We also have colored water beads that will come out soon.....maybe.  I am just a bit worried about the risk of consumption with those.:)  Also, we still need to purchase another plexiglass mirror.  Our last one didn't survive some young guests we had visit.

I can see our panels getting extensive use over the next 10, 15 years.  The fun and possibilities for creativity are limitless.  Water beads, paint, sand, colored rice, big mirrors, color sorting, nature exploring, letter recognition and on and on.  Totally worth the investment.  

I do believe that our next purchase will be Magna-Tiles.  These would look amazing on the panels.  

In Him,
E

I cannot believe I forgot to tell you....

.....that yesterday Kate had her broviac (central line) removed!!!

For me, that was one of the final reminders that "held" us to cancer.

Praise the Lord that the procedure went perfectly and all she has left now is a small square of gauze and adhesive.  On Friday, she will have her first bath in the bathtub since April 2013.  Moving forward feels so good!

In Him,

E

Done.

April 22, 2013.  A day that will forever be engrained in my mind and heart.  It was a Monday.  I awoke that morning with a heaviness that had settled into my heart.  God had prepared me, and I knew what the results of Kate's bloodwork would be.  (You can read more about that day and what lead us to Kate's diagnosis here.)

Over the course of the next 7 months, Kate would undergo rigorous chemotherapy to rid her body of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  In late November, just a week before Thanksgiving, 

KATE COMPLETED CHEMOTHERAPY!!!!

This is a picture of Kate and I leaving the cancer unit after completion of her last 168 hours of chemotherapy.  PRAISE THE LORD!!

I cannot put in to accurate words what this girl is and means to our family.  

She faced and fought through every single round.  Rarely was even a tear shed as poison was pumped through her tiny body.  She played and giggled and spread her JOY to all she met.

She returned home time after time and jumped right back into the excitement.  Of course, there were days when she didn't feel 100% but those days were so few and far between that when they happened we wondered what was wrong!:)

God has used Kate's cancer journey to grow and stretch her siblings.  They stepped up to help with grace and brought me to tears over and over with their selflessness.

During the course of Kate's treatment, she and I were inpatient for almost 80 days total.  The celebration that ensued each time she arrived over brought me to my knees!!!

She is simply adored.

Month after month, Kate would have to have bone marrow aspirations to find out if her course of treatment was killing the AML cells.  And on August 2, we heard the news- 

KATE IS IN REMISSION!!!!

What does this mean for Kate now.  The chance of relapse is very, very small.  For now, she does have quick monthly cancer clinic visits to check her bloodwork and so that the cancer team can lay eyes on her.  Her last CBC was completely normal.  PRAISE JESUS!!!!  In the next few months, her monthly visits will change to every few months.  Quickly after that she will have a 6 month visit then…..she will only need to visit the cancer clinic yearly!!!  Our God is SO GOOD!!

We've been asked how we can be so thankful to Our Father for this journey.  Until you walk in the shoes of parenting a child with leukemia (or any other childhood cancer), you will not understand.  We still stand behind the truth that God's plan is always perfect.  We rest in Him.  Nothing else was ever an option, really.  His hands held Kate on the good days and the bad.  He held us when our hearts could take no more.  

HE RESTORED HER HEALTH AND BROUGHT HER BACK TO US.

This treasure is loved.

She is adored.

She is strong.

She is determined.

She is very smart.

Her life is worthy, and she is celebrated!!

She is funny!

She works so hard.

Her joy is contagious and FILLS our life!!

  I'd like to say that now we don't take anything for granted, but we are human and fall back into that trap.  Yet, as we move through 2014, we are stronger.  Just as my last post stated, we are intentional.  We are thankful for so many things that often went unnoticed before.  Time is so valuable.  We say "no" very often to things that would take us away from our family.  Our focus is here.  We are better, and we are so thankful.  We are deeply in love with our Heavenly Father and are humbled at the blessings He continues to pour over us.  

I will continue to occasionally write on Kate's Facebook page here.   I have found, though, that since Kate is home and well, I don't visit her page very often.  

THANK YOU for continually lifting our family up!!  

In Him,

E

Intentional

We try to be very intentional about spending individual time with each of our children.  It's hard sometimes when two of our big girls are playing volleyball, participating in Bible study and homeschooling.  These two and I were able to break away late one evening for some frozen yogurt.

The picture quality is terrible, but memories were made and captured.

They are both so silly and a blast to be with.   They fill my heart to overflowing!

Intentional.  It's one of the things God has laid on my heart over the past few months.  Phone calls will be missed, texts may never be read, emails have now reached the 6,000s (please, don't get your feelings hurt if you don't hear back from me).....but my husband and children know that they are the most important things to me next to my Heavenly Father and that I am available to them and for them.  We are making memories and filing their tanks, and that is exactly where God wants us to be.  

In Him,

E

Snow!!

It's been a wonderful winter here in North Georgia!!  I've heard from others that they are ready for the snow/ice/cold precipitation to be over, but we are soaking in every moment that keeps us close by the fire and eating snow cream!!

Not everyone was allowed to venture out in the first round of snow.  Celia was not feeling well and Kate just wasn't allowed.:)  I do have a Kate update (trust me, it's GOOD!!) and will work on that tonight!!

But this boy... this was his first real snow, and oh was he in HEAVEN playing in the cold!!!!!!

Two certain incredible sisters ventured out with him to play and eat for an entire 7 1/3 minutes.:)

And after a long day of snowball making, fire burning, marshmallow roasting and hot chocolate drinking, it was time for.....

SNOW CREAM!!!!

Today we watch more snowflakes fall as we brace for a significant ice storm headed our way.

Thanks for bearing with me and continuing to check on our family.  Last year was not at all what we would have expected or ever dreamed but our Heavenly Father was glorified and we were blessed!!!!

In Him,

E