Monday, April 30, 2012

Haddie's first Cereal

At approx. 7.5 months old Haddie had her first baby cereal last night. That is not to say it was her first bite of food since I know Truett fed her chocolate once, we have found grapes and other things in her mouth (she acts like a puppy and crawls under the table when we eat hoping Truett will drop things!) But she did great with her cereal.

CLICK HERE to watch the video.

Last week was a hard week

Last week was a hard week:

Monday our nurse had to leave a little early because her Mom's health was quickly failing. The next day I read that her Mom had passed away. My heart broke for her and her family.

Wednesday started missions conference at VFBT. It was a great time! During the day I emailed a new friend I had been put in contact with that I wanted to come see her the next day as her little "pillow angel" was in the hospital and not doing well.

Thursday I woke up sick and so did Jay and Truett. So in the morning I emailed that friend that I wasn't going to be able to make it after all b/c I didn't want to take any virus to them. Later that day was an IEP meeting for Dillon and since I couldn't find any child care they had to go to the meeting with me. We went to mission conference again that night, which was a blessing. It was also my GramMa and GramPa's anniversary. Since GramPa passed away last year it is a bittersweet day. I felt bad that I didn't call her all day so I planned to do it when I got home from church. However, when I got home I checked facebook and saw this new friend posted that her daughter closed her eyes here on earth and opened them in Heaven at 5:05pm. I just started crying. I went down and just hugged Dillon and cried. I am so thankful for the time Dillon has been here with us. My neuro just told my nurse two weeks ago that he didn't think Dillon would still be here. He gave credit to the nurses for the excellent care he gets. I know it is due to the excellent care, but also due to God's sustaining grace in Dillon's life. I know that his life is fragile. I know that any sickness could quickly turn serious, like it did for this other sweet Pillow Angel. Hearing of this little girl's home going just struck my heart... I know one day that may be us and it hurts to think of what this family will be going though. The sadness and grief they must be feeling!

Around 10pm I finally called GramMa and when she asked me how I was - I burst into tears! I told her about this Pillow Angel and how my heart was breaking for her parents and her siblings. She sweetly talked to me and understood. She helped and encouraged me, even on a day that was understandably a hard day for her!

Around 11:30 that night my Mom texts my husband that someone in our family died. So I called her and found out that her Uncle passed away. I think I only met him one, maybe two times, since my Mom is adopted. But I am very sorry for the family's loss as it was totally unexpected. I believe my great uncle knew the Lord and is in Heaven with Him today. The only way to know for sure you will go to heaven is to know that you are a sinner deserving Hell as a punishment and that Jesus Christ loved you, came to earth to die FOR you - or in your place so you can go free. Believe these things, Call on God to save you and He will!! So simple, so easy, yet so hard to humble ourselves and so misunderstood by many.

Friday was the viewing for Dillon's nurses' Mom. We went to that with a new nurse filling in for her. It was good to say Hi to her family, but my heart goes out to them. Friday night was again Missions Conference. During the missions conference I had to take Dillon out of church because he had a high heart rate and was breathing heavy. I was watching him breathe in and out and it wasn't normal. I gave him inhalers which seemed to help a little.

Saturday was GramMa's birthday. We were able to skype with GramMa for a little bit which was nice. We also started watching the movie Courageous! Awesome! But we had to stop it 2/3 of the way through b/c Josiah and Jay had plans. We finished it Sunday afternoon. It was a WONDERFUL movie and if anyone hasn't watched it I HIGHLY recommend it! Dillon continued to have a higher heart rate and needed oxygen.

Sunday Dillon needed up to 1.5 LPM. I started asking people to pray for him because things just don't seem right with him. I am afraid he is fighting something. Sunday night, though, he was doing a little better so we went out for a bite to eat after church. The diner was about to close and there were only 2 other tables. Then an elderly man came in with a walker and sat down to drink coffee and cheesecake alone. Josiah said something about how it is sad to be alone like that. I told him we should buy his food for him. The waiter told the man there was no charge and he was confused. So the waiter told him that we covered his bill. he turned around and said Thank you and asked if he knew us. We said no but that we live around here. We found out that he also lives close by and comes there a few times a week for his coffee. He told us his wife died 3 years ago and that his kids live far away. We explained that our grandparents don't live close by and that we appreciate when other people are kind to them. We grabbed a gospel track and wrote our name and number on it in case he needs anything. We felt so blessed to have been a blessing to him. Hopefully he will read that track and learn how he can be saved, if he isn't already. It was the highlight of the week for sure!

It was one of those weeks that you are glad are over. Tomorrow (Tuesday) we are going to the viewing for the little Pillow Angel - who is no longer a pillow angel - but is running and jumping and singing Praises with the Lord!! Please lift this family up in prayer, tomorrow is going to be a hard day for them...but please don't stop praying after tomorrow. It is going to take a long time till the family is able to start to feel "normal" again. Please write down Baby Addie's Family and continue to pray for them for weeks, even months! I know they appreciate and need the prayers!

More April Pics!

Truett playing in the back yard



My first facial box! For those of you who don't know I started my own Mary Kay Business. I would REALLY appreciate help starting my business! If any one would like to have a night of pampering with 2-3 friends you would be helping me SO much! I need the practice and you would have a fun night! Or - if you are interested in buying skin care products or anything else please email me. Tiffany.k@marykay.com I really appreciate help. If you tell me you read my blog there will be a special discount!!


Figs growing already in our backyard. Normally they don't start to grow already but this warm weather must have tricked them!

Other flowers in our yard - don't ask me what they are I have no clue!




Daddy and his little girl going down the slide - in her Sunday dress no less!


I love pictures of Haddie with her Daddy!


Daddy's hand with his little baby girl's hand


Oh may we as parents raise our little girl to love, honor and obey the Lord with all her heart. Not only her - but our little men too! (Its just they were napping while these pictures were being taken!)


She loves the rare times she has alone with Mommy and Daddy!



Hope you enjoyed seeing our pictures.

Kelly Anne Dolan and the Spirit of Philadelphia

The Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund has an annual event with the Spirit of Philadelphia for families with kids with severe disabilities. This year we were invited to go on the 2-3 hour cruise! It was so much fun! The Spirit of Philadelphia DONATES the ship, the staff all work for free that day, and the clowns are all volunteers! I think they said it totals around $50,000! And they do it for free to be a blessing to families like ours!





Waiting in line, they had so many clowns for the kids!



Meeting Miss Philadelphia!



Somehow I thought Haddie would appreciate this photo the most one day...



While we ate lunch they were coming around making the kids laugh. I have never seen so many kids as severe as Dillon. It was "nice" to see them because it helped me know that we are not alone in this. There are SO many kids like Dillon that I have never seen anywhere before. Now, how can we reach out to these other families and encouage them and help them find strength in God????


Dillon enjoying the breeze! It was a BEAUTIFUL day! We couldn't have asked for any better!


Daddy and his girl


Aren't they sweet!?!



The front of the ship

THANK YOU to the Kelly Anne Dolan Memorail Fund people and the Spirit of Philadelphia people for their kindness! We had a great time!


Truett was hot so he found a place to sit... under a table! Hey, why not?



My little man is growing up! 

But not too fast! He still like to get painted by a clown! Since it was Sunday afternoon in between church services I told him he had to get it on his arm instead of his face. He wanted a worm but the clown said that was borning b/c it would just be brown so she asked him if he wanted a snake instead.



After a LONG afternoon Dillon decided to drive us home....
LOL! He was tired from his chair so when Daddy was in a store I put him here to stretch out and rest!




Thursday, April 12, 2012

Pictures! and Videos!!

Miss Haddie is getting ready to crawl! She has been going to hands and knees for a few weeks now, but she isn't crawling on them...yet!
Easter Sunday! It was a long day so this was the best shot we got of the family but it works! We had a wonderful Easter at Greater Philadelphia Baptist Church - we were so happy to see several visitors come out!

Haddie's second time in the pool, she loves it!

Click here to watch Haddie talking away http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34er9NdVQyQ&feature=youtu.be
Clcik here to watc h Haddie crawling on her belly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf3zhZoUYt4&feature=youtu.be

Friday, April 06, 2012

1 year down, eternity to go!

1 year down, eternity left to go!!! I'm sure my GramPa is worshiping God and talking with all the angels and saints in heaven right now. How great that on this 1st anniversary of his home-going we went to a church service today to remember our Christ who died and rose again to make our "home-going" possible! We love you and miss you GramPa! I miss you teasing me and being silly, miss you talking about dogs all the time, miss tickling your feet just to see you jump, miss you trying to tickle my chin. I miss hearing you call me "Badness #2" and "gopher" (go for this and go for that), I'm not quite sure I miss you throwing scraps of wallpaper with the paste at me though! I wish my children had more of a chance to get to know you. BUT I wouldn't wish you back. I know you are with our Lord!