please pray for the Walker family

The other week I went to hear Julie share their story about sweet Jacob. While I was at Brentwood Hills they shared about another family that needed prayer. Ruth, my co-teacher, goes to church there and told me the families story. The lady's name is Sara Walker. She has a Caringbridge page and I added it to the side of the blog under Please Pray for these families. I know how much prayer works and how it got our family through the rough days when Kyle was in the hospital and facing other challanges. Please read her page and pray for her and her family.

snow day #9

Driving the car while watching Elmo.

                                           I love this sweet face!!!!!

    He is a dare devil already. Who taught him to ride standing on the seat?

                                           Looking better.

He was putting the lion in the house by the snake. He loves to play with these animals.

                Hunter made all of the animals go night -night.

           Taking a little time to read some books.

Brushing his teeth. He would brush them 10 times a day if we would let him.



This is the 9th day we have been out of school for snow. I am amazed that it looks different each time it snows. This time the snow was blowing because the sides of the trees are covered. I am not sure how much snow we have because I have not been outside. I am happy that the driveway is clear and our road looks clear. Hunter and I are hanging out today. Derrick took Hannah to school, with no tears, this morning. He is working on his projects in the basement. I am a little sad to not be able to spend the day with Hannah but after the way she acted the last two days when we took her to school, she can't miss again. I am excited that she can do something fun with us this afternoon. I think we will paint her nails and toes. She has been asking me to and I told her I can't until she goes to school like the big girl we know she is. Hunter is ready to play some more so I have to go. Have a great Wednesday. Here is our day at home. Hunter was busy all day. Hannah had a good day at school and fun at church, but we did not get to paint her mails and toes because she could not listen when we got home. Hopefully tomorrow.

LONG day, but good

This is where Hunter was when I turned around from the stove. He wanted to do a little shopping on Etsy while I cooked dinner. Speaking of Etsy, I got his birthday shirt in the mail. It is so cute. I really wanted to take his picture in it tonight, but I am going to wait until his birthday to take his picture in it.

Derrick took Hunter back to the doctor today to have this lovely looking rash looked at. I hate rashes. The doctor does not know what it is. She said to put the cream she gave us a prescription for on it. If the cream helps it is an infection, if it does not it is viral, NICE. It does not both him. If he sees it he wants to put medicine on it and will say boo, boo. I pray it goes away quickly.
Hannah and Hunter put all the vegetable heads together again. Hannah wanted me to take both of their pictures with them. Hunter tried to lay on his side, but was not very good at it. Hannah just wanted to be silly. They were good entertainment while I was cooking.


I was happy to end my long day spending time with them. I colored with Hannah and played hippos (Hungry, Hungry Hippos) with Hunter.

Hunter's new thing at bed time is for me to rock him. We say prayers and sing three songs. Tonight while I was praying with him he started naming people. I asked him if he wanted to pray for them and he said yes and kept naming them. He was so sweet. I think he covered all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even Joel. He is a sweet buddy.

drawing

These are birds.
This is a dress like she has in her closet.


I really hope that both kids will get Derrick ability to draw. Looks like Hannah is well on her way.

happy Saturday

After sleeping in, until a little after 8, the kids were ready to play. Hannah put all of the vegetable heads together just like the picture. Hunter found these in Hannah's room and they have both played with them a good bit over the last week or so.
Hunter wanted us all to play blocks with him. He wants everyone to lay on the floor to build with him. He is too funny!
They were giving Dad a hug before he went downstairs to work. They were all saying cheese when I took the picture. They sure do love their Dad!!!!!!!!!
This is the project Dad is working on downstairs. I will take a picture of it finished. I think it will look neat. He is building it for a friends house. He sure is talented. I hope Hannah and Hunter will have as many talents as he does.
We all ate lunch and then Hunter napped. Hannah and Dad played a game of checkers before he had to get back to work. She wanted to go downstairs with him. I went down to talk to him and found her playing with this. She said they were having a birthday party. I am sure when Hunter starts playing with this the castle will not be used for such things.
When Hunter woke up he wanted a snack and to watch Elmo. I am very glad that Hannah will watch Elmo with him and not complain. Hunter is learning to share the TV because we do not all love Elmo as much as he does.
This is what the living room looked like when we left to go eat. I am trying to not stress myself out about keeping all the toys picked up all the time. I am telling myself that this is what my house should look like if my kids had a good day and I was able to spend time playing with them.

We had a good dinner at Red Robin and then came home to get baths and clean up a little. I hope you all had a happy Saturday!!

love/hate relationship

I have a love/hate relationships with giving treatments. Both kids have taken them at times. Hannah's first three years of life we did more treatments than I care to remember. Every time she got sick it always settled in her lungs or she got an ear infection. Thankfully tubes and removing her adenoids helped with the ear infections. She has not been on any medicine since she was a little over 3, I think. Hunter has had several breathing issues and he does one treatment a day of Pulmicort, as a preventive. He is much better now about taking treatments than he use to be. He likes to play trucks or blocks or watch Elmo or read books or do any combination of things while getting his treatment. I am thankful that his lungs have been clear every time he has gotten sick this fall and winter. I talked to the doctor yesterday and she said in late spring will will try to take him off the Pulmicort and see how he does. I will be happy if he can do without it, but will gladly keep giving it to him if that is what it takes to keep his lungs healthy.

what a day

It is 9:20 Friday night and I am in the bed typing this post. This week has kicked my bottom (we don't say the b word)! Yesterday afternoon Sheri called me at work to tell me that Hunter woke up with a fever and was miserable. I quickly left got my things and went to get him. When I got to Nana's he was laying in Papa's lap. He sounded really stuffy when he said my name. He had not eaten or had much to drink all day. I had called the doctor before I left school and since they had not called back I went on and picked up Hannah and came home. He ate some crackers and drank his juice on the way to get Hannah and home. When we got home he ate a couple of mini muffins. He just kept saying, "Hold you" every time I tried to put him down for a minute. The nurse called and said to give him medicine to keep him comfortable during the night and bring him in today. I made an appointment for 8:30. When I gave him Tylenol I noticed there was not much left. Hunter and left to go to Target and back by my school. It was snowing and the ground was covered when we left. I needed to get my list of subs, just in case we had to go to school today. We came home and I fixed him some dinner which he ate very little of. Derrick gave him a bath and he seemed to feel better. We gave him more medicine before he went to bed and he slept all night. I called the doctor this morning to tell them that we were not going to make it at 8:30, and they kindly changed his appointment to 10. I got the kids ready and we left about 8:30. I was not sure how the roads were and Old Hickory is always a nightmare in the mornings. The roads were good, but Hannah's school parking lot was not in great shape. It took us a HOUR to get from Hannah's school to the doctor's office. It should about 15 minutes. We got to see Dr. B, our favorite. She said he does have a little fluid in his ears, but it is clear and that his tonsils are still big, but not as red. She checked him out good and said she still thinks it is just a virus that he is having a hard time getting over. While I was there I got a phone call from Hannah's school. I asked Dr. B if I could get it and she said sure. They said that Hannah was running a low grade fever and was very weepy. They said she had just been sitting in the teachers lap and crying. I asked them if she said anything hurt and they said no she just said she did not feel good. I told them I would be there as soon as we left the doctors office. I talked to Dr. B and she said to just watch her and if her temp went up or she had any other symptoms to bring her in. When I got to Hannah's school she was playing and fine. She said, "Why are you here, where am I going?" I told her they called and said she was sick so we were going home. On the way home we had a long talk about saying you are sick when you are not. She told me she just missed me and wanted to be with me and Hunter. I told her I understood that, but that is not what she told her teachers. She did not have a fever when we got home. I made her take a nap, because I told her that sick children and children who do not feel good have to get lots of rest. She is a MESS and too smart for her own good, as Mrs. Julia said today. She is fine and has not had a temp all day. I think she just had one at school because she had on layers and had herself so worked up. Hunter has not had a temp all day, but his little nose is SOOOOO stuffy and thick. He will let me clean it out and has really gotten good at blowing it all by himself. As much as I hate him being sick I have enjoyed getting to hold him so much. I did enjoy getting to send time with Hannah today. I also enjoyed seeing them be sweet to each other for most of the day. I am ready for a good nights sleep and I am hoping Hunter will wake up feeling better. I am looking forward to a day at home as a family tomorrow.

Wednesday nights

I was so glad to get back to church tonight. I feel like we have not been on Wednesday night in forever. I hated to miss the message, but I signed up to give blood. I gave blood for the first time last year at church. Dennis, who goes to church with us, is in charge of the drive and encouraged us to give. If Kyle would have never been in the hospital and needed so much blood I probably would have never given. I feel like that is the least I can do so people will have blood if they need it like he did. I have never had a bad experience, but have been with people who have. We were happy that Uncle Kyle came to church with us tonight. He was able to meet Dennis and Terri who follow his Caringbridge site. Hannah loved her mission friends class and Hunter was happy to be able to play with his friends. It is good to be back to normal on Wednesday nights. As hard as it is to get there and get home late it is always worth it. God is so good to us!!!

one year

One year at times seems like no time at all and at times feel like forever. Today I was at school getting ready to pick my kids up from specials and realized it was the exact time I left the hospital from sitting with Ma Dot one year ago. I was overcome with more emotions than I can explain. I still miss Ma Dot so much. Earlier this month I called Papa Charlie to tell him happy birthday and I still have their home number saved as Ma Dot. When I saw her name on my phone my mind flooded with all the times I would call and talk to her. She always sounded so excited when I called and we could talk for five minutes or a hour and it was always wonderful. She was such an encouragement to me. I will be forever thankful that a year ago today I spent those last few hours with her here on earth. Hannah still misses her so much as well. She has not talked about her in a while, but did visit her grave twice while we were there after Christmas. I am glad to have so many wonderful memories to hold on to and the peace of knowing she is in heaven and I will one day see her again.

Uncle Kyle to the rescue

Uncle Kyle came to our rescue today. He kept Hunter for us so we could both work. Hunter seemed to feel a little better late in the day yesterday and did not have fever. Uncle Kyle said he would be happy to keep him. I only called once to check on them. When I called Hunter was sound asleep in the floor. Uncle Kyle took a picture, I will have to get it from him. When I got home Hunter was awful. I asked Uncle Kyle when he came back if he had really been good all day and he told me he really had been good. I am glad he was good for Kyle. I did get this picture of Hunter blowing his own nose, which he loves to do. I had him in bed a little before 7 and he was asleep before 7:30. The last 10 days had caught up with Hannah too and she was in the bed and asleep by 7:30 as well. We are so glad to have Uncle Kyle back. We missed you Uncle Kyle.

Room in the Inn

Tonight we have Room in the Inn at our church. I am excited that we are going to get to go this time. We have never been able to go when it was our Sunday School class' turn before. Hannah and I are going. Derrick is staying here with Hunter. I took him to the doctor this morning and he has tonsillitis again. Hopefully he will feel much better tomorrow. Hannah helped me make the cookies to take. Thanks to Chrissy we make these cookies to take everywhere and everyone always love them. Hannah loves breaking the eggs and is really good at it. While the cookies were baking she decided to paint a little. I did dress her in real clothes before we went to the church.

lazy Saturday

Derrick showed her to put the chairs this way the other day when she was "resting".
Hannah wanted to show me what she looked like in the sleeping bag. She took it to Kylie's to sleep in. Thanks CeCe and Keith for such a great present.
I think they were happy to see each other. Hunter called her all morning.
Hunter will climb anything to get what he wants. He loves to play with this bag of pumpkin pieces. He is good at getting up but not always so great at getting down. Hannah helped him get down, but I was not fast enough to get a picture of it.




We all slept until 9 this morning. Hannah spent the night with Kylie and I am sure they were up before that. It was 9:30 before we got Hunter to bed last night so we thought he would at least sleep until 8. He did wake up about 3:30, but Derrick went and checked on him and he went back to sleep pretty quick. It was nice to sleep in. Derrick fixed Hunter breakfast and played with him while I ran, on the treadmill of course. I am not that dedicated a runner to run outside in the freezing cold. After I finished running Derrick went downstairs to work and Hunter and I played and he helped me clean some house. He sure does ask A LOT of questions, but that is the only way to learn. He and Hannah are not that far apart in age, but I quickly forgot what she was like at almost 2. Hannah came home around lunch time. She played with Hunter a little then I put him down for a nap. She was watching a movie and when I went to check on her she was sound asleep. She must have had lots of fun at Kylie's house. Once she and Hunter both woke up we just played some more. I fixed casadia's for dinner and neither one of them would eat them. Really can you mess up a casadia? Derrick said they were better than what you get a Mexican restaurant. Thanks Derrick for the vote of confidence. Then they both got bathes, helped clean up and went to bed. Hunter was asleep in no time. I do not think it will take Hannah long to go to sleep after her fun and busy weekend. Derrick and I are going to watch a movie since is it not even 9 yet. Hope you all had a great Saturday.

thankful

I feel very thankful today. I am blessed beyond measure and I deserve none of it. I am so thankful that God sees fit to bless me and all I can say to Him is thank you. This picture is just one way He shows us how wonderful He is.

our day with pictures

One day I was talking to Hannah about the kids in my class and told her there was only one little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She has not forgotten that conversation. She told me she wanted to draw a picture of herself for me to take the little girl in my class. When Hunter saw her drawing he wanted to "write" too. If he sees anyone touch a writing utensil he has to have one too. These are their beautiful works of art.
Hunter loves to put as many silly bands on his arm as he can. Good thing Hannah has so many.
Just playing a little in Hannah's room. She is very good about letting him play in her room with her. He has broken several things, but he always says sorry and gives her a hug.
This is what I saw when I went to get him after his nap. He is so silly. He sleeps with so many things in his bed. I try to get him to sleep with one blanket and one animal, but as you can see from the picture I am not successful. He is sleeping much better. For the month of December and the beginning of January he was getting up really early and at least one time a night, if not more. I am very thankful to have my good sleeper back.
Can you tell we have been playing in the snow all week. Hunter loves that we all have boots.
After playing in the snow with Dad for a while he came in and wanted his blanket, paci, Elmo, and puppy to watch Elmo. I guess he was cold. He sat and watch the whole Elmo DVD just like this. I thought he was asleep, but he was just happy to be in the warm house I think.
Hannah seems to be feeling much better today. She has not had a fever all day. Her nose is still running a lot but it is clear, so that is good. I think she is going to school tomorrow. She needs to play with her friends before we have a three day weekend. She did not want to play in the snow with Dad and Hunter so I do not think she feels 100%. She was happy watching TV in the warm house.
Hunter was so happy to have Dad home and be able to go outside with him to play in the snow. Dad even got the four wheeler out and took him for a ride. I did not go back out in the cold to take a picture of them riding. I voted to stay inside with Hannah.

Tomorrow is another snow day. We have missed the whole week of school and we are out Monday for MLK Day. It will be rough getting back in the school routine come Tuesday morning. Until them I am going to keep enjoying my days off and time with Derrick and the kids.

you guessed it, another snow day

We all got up and got dressed this morning, but only to go to the doctor. Not exactly what I planned for getting out of the house. Hannah woke up complaining of her throat hurting. She had a temp of 100.5 so I called the doctor. I was a little nervous about getting out of our driveway, but we made it. Traffic on Old Hickory was AWFUL!!!!!! for no reason. It took us 45 minutes to get to the doctor when it should have taken 20. The doctor said her lymph nodes were pretty swollen and her throat was very red. She did a strep test and the rapid came back negative, but she is sending it off. We will know by Friday if she has strep. She said to get plenty of rest and drink plenty of liquids. She is a good drinker so that should not be a problem. I told her she had to take a nap today and she said OK, so I know she does not feel great. She is doing good about keeping her hands washed so we do not share too many germs. She said she feels better since her nap. She napped longer than Hunter. We are very happy to have Derrick home. It seems like he has been gone for a month. I found the charger for the camera battery so tomorrow I will take pictures to post. We are out of school again tomorrow. The school website says that they hope we will return on Friday if they can get the buses to safe locations. We shall see, it is really cold outside. Hope you all are staying warm.

snowed in again

The kids and I have been snowed in again today. I love snow days, but I am not a fan of knowing I CAN'T go somewhere. I think our road it good, but our driveway scares me a little. Derrick had a hard time getting the work truck up the driveway last night, but got it out OK this morning. I think tomorrow we may try to go somewhere, even if it is just Sonic to get drinks. We had a very lazy day today. Hannah woke up early this morning and said she had a headache. She drank some water and went back to bed until almost 8. Hunter slept until about the same time. We had breakfast, played, colored, watched some TV, went and looked at the snack, played some more, etc. I did a little school work, so I could feel productive. Hannah asked to go outside while we were eating lunch. Hunter thought that was a great idea. I told him after nap we could go out and play. He took a good nap and I made Hannah rest while he napped. She had a temp of 99.3 after breakfast so I went ahead and gave her some Tylenol. She said she was feeling better and still wanted to go outside. As soon as Hunter woke up he was saying outside, snow. We got all bundled up and headed outside. It was much colder today than yesterday. I think because the wind was blowing today. We played outside for a little while then came in to warm up. We cleaned up so I could vacuum the living room. Hunter thinks the vacuum is so funny. He just laughs and runs around it while you vacuum. He is a mess. Hannah played in her room while I cooked dinner. Hunter brought to potato heads in the kitchen and played right under my feet while I cooked. While we were eating Hunter said bath, teeth, night-night. He loves a routine. Derrick would say that I totally made both of our kids that way. After getting him in the bed I snuggled on the couch with Hannah for a little while. She said she was cold and her stomach hurt. She is running a little fever again 99.3, but said just her stomach hurt. When I put her to bed she said it felt better. If she is still not feeling well tomorrow I am going to call the doctor. I am glad I have the day off so she can rest. Sorry no pictures today. The camera battery is dead and I can't find the charger. I hope all of you enjoyed your snow day, if you had one today.

more snow

Hannah loves to hold Hunter now, but he is not always a fan of that. Tonight she was sitting in his chair and when I put his treatment on him I asked him if he wanted to sit with me. He said no Hannah. She just smiled at me. I hope they will always love each other this much.
Enjoying some snow cream they helped me make. They thought it was pretty yummy.
I made them snowballs and they thought it would be a good idea to taste it.
Hunter was yelling SNOW. He was so excited to see the snow this morning. He fell a couple of times, face first. He would fuss a little and say COLD!
I can never get them to both look at me and smile. This was the best I could do.
Hannah wanted to measure the snow. I asked her what it said and she said all the way to 4.


We woke up this morning to more beautiful snow. I am not a fan of winter, but if it has to be freezing cold then I want it to snow. I think I have seen more snow this winter than I have my whole life. I had fun playing in the snow with the kids. I wish Derrick would have been home to help us build a snowman. Maybe one day when we have good snow he will actually be here to build one with us.