15 years ago

I wish I had a picture to post with this blog entry. It would be myself at age 15. Half my life ago....

15 years ago today a friend of mine Alison Fitzgerald died. She was not my best friend. I was not hers. But we'd been friends since kindergarten. Alison battled leukemia for years...twice going into remission but not for too long. My sophomore year in highschool Alison went to Duke for a bone marrow transplant. At first it was working, but not too long afterward her body began to reject it and she died September 27, 1994.

Funny things I remember about that day....I had a strawberry toaster strudel for breakfast (gross). My cousin called my mom to let her know Alison had died. My mom told me after getting off the phone. My brother, a senior at the time, drove us to school that morning and we didn't talk very much. I played on repeat, the saddest song I could at the time- Sullivan Street by the counting crows...I had no idea what the song was about but it was sad and somehow comforting. The first person I saw in the parking lot was Ben Powell, our student body president. He had on a coat and tie. I don't know why I remember that but I do.

We had an emergency assembly that morning where the school was told. Then our class was asked to hang out afterwards....those next few days were a blur. I remember going to Emily Blanton's house with our whole class, roughly and reading old letters from Alison. I remember Mrs. Mizzell making us sunflower pins....I remember it rained the day of her funeral.

What that day marked for me was the first time I tried to rebel against the Lord...well my first intentional one- I was mad at Him. I felt Him selfish- He raised Lazarus from the dead, his friend, why not mine? For the next 10 months I skipped Sunday School off and on- faked a relationship with the Lord, dated a guy I never should have....10 months later almost to the day another friend of mine died.

Jenny Gwinn- this time I wasn't mad- but thankful. She'd been a friend since preschool. We went to the same church- She'd recently returned from a mission trip that I chose to not go on- instead I partied my way through europe on a trip with my school. Jenny really had a change of heart that trip- the Lord met her there and called her back to Himself- within a week of returning she was in a car accident.

I remember I was thankful that Jenny had the chance to come back to the Lord. I remember talking with my friend Katie and deciding to go the next summer on the mission trip- It was the first step of really giving the Lord control over my life...

I know it sounds so cliche- but 15 years ago today my life began to change- first for the worse, then the beautiful redemption. I'm surprised today that I'm feeling so emotional, but I am. Thankful to the Lord for his goodness- for conquering death.

"where O death is your victory?
Where O death is your sting?" 1 Cor 15:55

my girls-

I love this shot of my girls reading together.

Bennett goes to school!

Bennett has been waiting since November '08 to make it the 3's class. Being one of the very oldest in her class she did not understand last year why she stayed in the 2's if she was 3. Well she finally made it!! Here she is on her first day!

Bennett's little sister getting ready for school one day....

Mama and Monet

So more homeschooling pictures- Another book we studied was all about the Impressionists. This little girl, Katie, visits a museum with her grandmother and climbs into the frames in order to gather flowers for her. The artists we studied were Monet, Renoir, and Degas.

Here is my little Monet on the porch...she painted a flower garden with dabs of color and just a few strokes!

the masterpiece

Friday I was able to take the girls to the Mint Museum of Art and although there were no impressionists on display we had a great time imagining what frames we could climb into.

Celia did enjoy a weaving project there. I'd never been to this museum before. It was great! (and free on tuesdays from 5-8!)

Clearly we involve food whenever we can because it just makes life fun! Well one portion of the book shows Katie enjoying a picnic with Monet's son Jean. They share strawberries, cheese, and a baguette....so we did too!

I happened to run into 2 of my friends at the park so thanks Karen for taking the very staged pic!

Cow Crazy

So, we, like many of you who love free chicken, dressed up on labor day and headed out to our favorite Chick-fil-a with some friends from our neighborhood....





one huge milestone- Celia warmed up to the cow- she's had a love-hate relationship for years now and has finally embraced him- Bennett, never fearful, save for that Donald Duck incident in Jan '08, loves a grown up playing dress up. Milla however, still not convinced.

Here's to free chicken!

celia update

Thank you for all your prayers- this morning went really well.

Celia just about bounded out of bed, presumably excited about the one-on-one time with us and then the afterparty chic-fil-a intoxication....she was truly joyful and did great in pre-op. Things got more serious for her when we rode to the room for the procedure-

She did well with the gas- the mask smelled like strawberries (a la strawberry shortcake) so she did that well. After she was asleep they gave her the IV with propofol and morphine. She slept well in the recovery room and woke up very gently. No nausea and lots of chicken later she now wants to go get some water ice from Rita's.

Please pray for conclusive results. We hear back from hem/onc tomorrow and then we're headed to see a geneticist in a few weeks and also a follow up with hem/onc later in october.

Celia's medical update

Celia has a big week coming up. Please pray for her.

I'm writing to as you to pray for our sweet Celia. Most of you know that since 4months Celia has been followed by hematology for an enlarged spleen and reoccurent low platelets- She is also followed by nephrology as over the years they have discovered she has nephrocalcinosis (calcium deposits on her kidneys) and now also she has hypercalcuria (sure i'm spelling it wrong) which means her kidneys are excreting too much calcium....which is why she was placed on a reduced sodium diet. Also over the years she has endured a battery of tests all of which are inconclusive- not necessary a bad thing but it would be great to know what the deal is. Her pediatrician here who I just can't say enough great things about, Joy Ball, has been fantastic through this, as well as my brother (ER peds dr at MUSC...who gets more phonecalls from me than he might like) and has helped me ask good questions and keep the dr's on the ball. They have listened.

that said, her drs in Charlotte are gearing up again for another battery of tests- now bringing back into the equation a second geneticist (we saw one in charleston but that was short lived).....monday morning (9/14) they are repeating the bone marrow biopsy. Her hem/onc dr here is amazing, Dr. McMahon and is coordinating with the other specialists that treat Celia. Her test Monday will require some type of general anasthesia. I am unclear on the specifics thereof. At 14 mos she had a biopsy as well followed by an MRI so she had to be under for about an hour. they had to more than just the gas for that. Because this is just the bone marrow biopsy i'm hoping this will only be gas.

please join us in praying for celia in the following ways:
1) for us to trust God more and more in this situation. Celia is typically a healthy kid- so its easy to forget all of these things are going on in her body...but when we face drs/tests etc it can produce fear that we are trying to fight- trusting that God is our help and in control.

2) pray for Celia's anxiety. We have yet to tell Celia of the test monday. she did great this past time at hem/onc when they took a ton of blood for all kinds of panels and tests. I think the sleeping part could cause her some anxiety so pray that this would be an opportunity for her to trust God more. She thinks (as we do sometimes) that Dave and I can just control everything. This will be a very real example to her that we can't. Only God is with her all the time.

3) pray for answers and wisdom. Pray that the drs would learn new things and discuss things well that would result in a diagnosis and treatment. Pray that this would be a treatable/managable illness. I don't linger in what to pray for here bc it scares me so pray as you feel led.

4) pray for ultimate healing. Its so easy for me to just want a diagnosis that I sometimes forget to pray for healing. God can do this. He's done far more amazing things and he could touch her and it all be fixed.....

thank you for praying for Celia. We hope to tell her about the procedure friday but would still ask for you to not ask her questions about it unless she brings it up with you. She surprises us and sometimes wants to talk and often times wants us (specifically bennett :)) to not share with others what's going on.

Madeline

One program that I'm incorporating into our homeschooling this year is the Five in a Row program, a literature based program that teaches Social Studies/Geography, Math, Science, Art, and Literature by using a book a week to draw out these points. So far we've read The Story of Ping, Lentil, and Madeline.

This week was one of my favorites- highlights included a trip to Amelie's (french bakery), lots of French art, and a visit by Miss Jessica Britt who shared pictures and stories of her time in France.

Mary's 30!

Nearly a month ago I turned 30. Dave was so great and threw such a great party for me! It was fabulous to have so many of my favorite people in one place! Everybody brought me a bottle of wine and we enjoyed many that night and have many left to enjoy throughout this year!

panther fan day '09

As our yearly tradition approached we excitedly planned a fun day at Bank of America Stadium. We met the Rogers family and had a great time! Perhaps our most excited fan was Dave who had waited an entire year to get a chance to go on the field to kick a field goal again. He had a poor attempt in '07 and we didn't get there in time in '08. So this year it was a priority.

Being the sweet dad he is, he offered to let Celia come with him. After standing in a long line realized Celia would not be allowed on that part of the field but he could stand with her for her chance to throw the football in a giant trashcan- so one more year ahead of to wait- It was precious though to watch our little C's face light up the jumbo-tron.

We did not intend for this picture to be blurred (though perhaps appropriate!)
Sometimes it just works that way