My sweet, buddy, Erik

So little Erik is undergoing his surgery as I write this. The surgeon decided that Erik needs a valve in his esophogus too, so it lengthened the surgery and they expect it to take 2 1/2 - 3 hours. So, it should be over soon. I am praying for his safety and that God guides the surgeons hands and that soon Erik will be well enough to go home and start growing and developing. He will now get the much needed nutrients he has been lacking. I just hope he doesn't have to spend his whole life in pain. He is so precious to me and I know he is even more precious in God's eyes. Seeing him in this condition makes me want to cry. The one good thing though, is, at least we are figuring out everything that is wrong and getting it fixed so he can feel better. I am also very thankful that he won't remember this part of his life. He will only know what we tell him and he will see these pictures. God is so good and I thank Him for giving us Erik. Considering Erik's small start (1 lb. 3 oz. and 12 inches at birth), I am just amazed he's here. Most of this stuff is typical preemie problems. I do hope and pray that they can correct themselves. So, for now, my thoughts are on Erik. Please continue to pray for him. Thank you.

JOY

Tonight the preaching was on having a heart full of joy. I needed that! I am glad I am keeping this blog, like I said in a previous entry, I might need to look back and remember how good God is. I didn't think I'd go through a valley so quickly after writing that! But, with my precious, 12 month old nephew in the hospital, undergoing a battery of tests with negative outcomes, I must admit, I have been worried to the point where I cry if I think about it too much. Finding out that Erik will probably never lead a "normal" life has been hard. As his Aunty, I only want the best for him. I love him so much. I adore having 3 nephews, they are all so special in their own way. Erik is such a huge miracle though! I know I can trust God through all of this and I know Erik has a purpose in life. God makes no mistakes and although it is hard to accept all of this, I know God is in control and He will see us through and He will take care of Erik. Erik needs meds for his seizures, he needs a feeding tube and tomorrow they are testing his hearing and vision. Hopefully soon, he will get to come home. My little sweetie:0) I just love that baby! I am still remembering to be thankful though. I am thankful for salvation. I am thankful that Erik is alive. I am thankful for a great church and friends that care. I am thankful!!!

Erik update

I just got off the phone with my brother and they have gotten a result back from one of the tests. Erik does have a seizure disorder (I don't know what kind) that can result in mental retardation. They are hoping that the medication they give him will work and help him to grow normally. Please pray that they find the right meds so Erik isn't brain damaged. It is sad news for us to hear. I love this baby no matter what, but I'd love for him to be able to learn to walk and talk. He is so special to me and I just adore him. At 1:15 this afternoon (3-25-09) They are going to do the suck and swallow test to see if the food goes to his lungs. I hope he passes this test, because if he doesn't, they'll have to put a "button" in his stomach to feed him formula. They are also going to do an MRI today to see what's going on in his brain. Hopefully there isn't too much brain damage. I know he's intelligent right now because he recognizes his family, he smiles and coos and he also has an opinion when you do something he doesn't like. Last night when the doctor was trying to measure him, he fought her. When the nurse started messing with his IV he fought her. When I was aked to help hold his arm still so she could change the shunt, he was calm and peaceful, which, of course, made me very proud. I know he know's who I am. He didn't fight the nurse or cry because he had his Aunty. Once, he did start to fuss, but then I just kissed his chubby cheeks and he relaxed right away. If Erik does need a "button" in his tummy, then they will be doing a surgery today. PLEASE PRAY!! I know most of you don't know Erik, but you know me and I am begging you to pray! "The effectual, fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth MUCH".

Erik

Sweetie Pie!
He was so cute. I took him out of his carseat and he gave me these big smiles.

My nephew, Erik, is back in the hospital. The pictures above were taken last night just about an hour before they had to take him to the hospital. I took him out of his carseat and he was just so happy, he gave me a huge smile. He kept smiling so I grabbed my cell phone. Of course, he kept moving, so these pictures are sort of blurry, but you get the point. Anyway, Erik has lost some weight and the doctors are concerned. He was already small to begin with, only 9 lbs. 6 oz. at a year old, but he dropped down to 8 lbs. 12 oz. The doctor wants to run a battery of tests to see what could be causing his weight loss. Also, he has what appears to be small seizures. So, he'll probably be seen by a neurologist. So, please pray for my little buddy. I already know he's a fighter, but as his Aunty, I hate seeing him be in the hospital. I just want him healthy. Maybe they can figure out what's wrong so he can start growing and maybe even start learning to crawl and eventually walk. Thank you for your time. Please pray.

Blessings!

God is soooo good to me! I love Him more and more each day. Just this morning my heart was full of love for Him. I just moved on Feb. 28th and the room that I got is similar to a small studio apt. So, I have my bed in it along with a dresser and a table and chairs set. My mom gave me a recliner, and that was a huge blessing because it was free. Well, last night, my friend who helped me move called to tell me that there was a brand new futon sitting at his workplace that they were going to throw away and he wondered if I'd like to have it. I told him sure and this morning he and his friend dropped it off before I left for work. It is a nice futon, it is off-white and I think the material is suede, or something similar. It is very comfy and it will also make a nice extra bed if someone wants to stay the night. It was cool because after he put it in my room, he smiled and said "Now you have a couch". What a blessing! I have a place to offer someone a seat and it's comfortable. Then, after I got to work I had to go to the bank. When I got there, I realized my drivers liscence was expired, and it expired on my b-day 16 days ago!! Bummer! I thought "Oh no, now I have to go sit at the DMV for hours!" When I got to the DMV, there was only a small crowd and my # was called within 10 minutes of my arrival. When I left the DMV, the line was out the door! Again, God is so good. I was in and out of the DMV within 20 minutes. That in and of itself is a miracle! Anyway, I just wanted to brag on God. He is so wonderful and I am so thankful to serve the risen Saviour. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Cookies inside and out.

Today I made some choc. chip cookies from scratch. I had Caroline (age 2 yrs. 11 mos.) helping me. I was telling her "this is called cookie dough, they will be cookies after their finished baking". Well, Caroline couldn't quite see how the lump of dough could possibly become cookies. I said "all the ingredients are in there that makes it a cookie, they just have to bake" and all of the sudden something clicked in my head. I wish all the people of the world would view unborn babies in a similar way. They say "oh, they're not human yet", but that's the farthest thing from the truth! They are human. All the genetic make-up is in them that makes them human, they just have to finish developing. In fact, they look very human by only 3 months along. It irritates me so much that people justify the murder of all these innocent babies. Everyday 1,000's of babies are murdered in America and that is WRONG! Look to the margin in my blog here and you will see how many babies were murdered just since you opened the page. It is very alarming! Oh, how I wish it was illegal. I know it wouldn't stop it altogether, but it would lessen it. So, that was my lesson learned today while making cookies from scratch. On a positive note, today was another beautiful day! Perfect temps and clear skies. Enjoy life, God never promises you another day. Remember to tell loved ones that you love them. And don't forget to tell the Creator that you love Him!

Another beautiful day!

Today I took Caroline to Sea World. The weather was perfect at 71 degrees and the sun was shining. There was a cool breeze at Sea World too and the flowers planted all over the place were fragrant and made the air smell so sweet. It just fills my heart with joy and gratitude towards my Saviour when I have days like this. There is a song that says "God is so wonderful, I can't explain, I want to SHOUT and sing, glory, hallelujah, praise His holy name!" I'm so happy the Lord has put a song in my heart. If you are having a rough day, just look for something positive about your life and "think on these things".

Arizona

Me with Justin and Erik in Oatman, AZ.

My cute nephews.

For some reason the pictures get put out of the order I put them in, so pardon the fact that these are backwards.

Anyway, I took a trip with my SIL, Claire, and my 2 youngest nephews, Justin and Erik, to Bullhead City, Arizona to visit my parents and see their new house they just bought. We had a short, but nice visit. Arrived at 1 a.m. Sat. morning and left at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, we went to Oatman, Arizona to visit an old town. It has been 20 yrs. since I last went there and it was just as cool as I remember it. Donkey's roam around town and the wild west is emphasized there. We also went to a few stores in the later afternoon. We then went to Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning before heading for home. Trinity Baptist was a nice church and I am glad I have a church to visit when I am in Bullhead City. That's all for now.

God, the Artist!

Although the above picture was taken in Wyoming in 2007, I thought I'd add a picture just for effect. Anyway, my thought today is about how beautiful the world can actually be. Sometimes when I am just driving along the freeway here in San Diego during Spring, I see flowers EVERYWHERE! I love Spring. It's a time of rebirth. I was just thanking God today as I drove along, for putting the yellow and orange flowers all over so I can enjoy their spectacular color and beauty. God is so thoughtful to share His handiwork with us. I have traveled to many different places and they all hold some type of beauty. I love to travel in Montana and Wyoming, as you can imagine, both of those states have so many pretty places to visit. The picture above is of Red Canyon, just outside of Riverton, WY. I took it on my way back to SD after visiting some friends. I love the Lord and sometimes I just sit back and thank Him for all the beauty that surrounds us. It's easy to just rush through life and not admire the simple things.

"Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelations 4:11

In the news...

I have been having some awesome days the past couple of weeks and I am thankful for that. But today, in the news (I usually don't read or watch the news for this reason), I heard about a man in Alabama that gunned down his family, his neighbors and some innocent bystanders. In all, 10 people lost their life including an 18 mos. old girl and a 15 yr. old boy. A 4 mos. old was also shot, but is recovering. (Her big sister and mother were killed). Then, new headlines came out that a 17 yr. old in Germany shot and killed 15 people at random at the high school he used to attend. All of those lives lost in such a brief time and for what??? Someone's selfish motives? As the world slowly pushes God out, evil is becoming more prevalent. We as Christians have got to take a stand. I am just as guilty as the next guy for not taking a stand. I do not go soul winning enough and I don't witness to people in my everyday life. I needed to read todays articles, perhaps, to become more aware. Christ is the only answer for this sin-sick world. In John 14:6 it says "Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me'". My prayer is that I'll stop being lazy and start going soul winning more often. With that said, I will say, God is still on the throne and I am still sooooo thankful to be serving the true God. Praise the Lord for yet another day to serve Him! Have a great day everyone and be thankful for your family and friends.

March 10th

Today is such a beautiful day in San Diego. It is sunny and breezy. I took Caroline to the story time at the library and then to In-N-Out for a burger. I then took her to a park to play in the sunshine. God is so wonderful, isn't He? He just continues to bless me. I am so unworthy. I live with a great family, I go to an awesome church, I have wonderful friends and the perfect, true, holy, God as my Saviour!! What more could I ask for? (The answer is nothing for those who don't get it). Sometimes I stand amazed! One of my favorite Scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths". Sometimes trusting God is the easiest thing to do, and yet at other times, it's the toughest thing to do. I hope that this blog is a blessing to someone out there. I hope it is a blessing to me in the future when I go through trials. I can hopefully look back at days like this when I see how much God has blessed me. Trust God!

Disneyland!

For my birthday, Lindsey and Jocelyn Wiggins took me to Disneyland. (Of course it's free on your birthday). They bought me lunch while we were there too. It was a lot of fun and although it drizzled off and on throughout the day, it was a good day. The lines were short (5-20 minutes), and it wasn't overly crowded. I had a great birthday!

Thoughts for today.

This is my 1st entry in my new blog. I have a blogspot for my nephew Erik, and I will continue to update it. But, I wanted a blog for my own personal use where I can post pictures of things I have done or where I can post my thoughts. I want Erik's blogspot to remain only about Erik. Recently a friend of mine went through a situation at her church. Someone posted a comment on Erik's blogspot telling me that my friends 12 yr. old child is a "lunatic" and that I should delete her ability to follow Erik's blog. So, my 1st thought is, "Why on earth would an adult attack a 12 yr. old child in such a way?" The answer is "I don't know". All I can say is, I don't know enough about the situation to pass judgement, nor does anyone else who was not there. Nor was I asked to give my opinion. I truly believe that being a friend during this trying time is the best thing to be. I do hope to call them soon, but not before praying hard. I want them to know I care, but I do not wish to be tied in with that whole mess. So please, if you read Erik's blog and you see a 12 yr. old that follows it and you go to her blog, please do not think that her opinion reflects mine in any way. But please, be mindful of the fact that I have known this family for years and I will not pass a quick, harsh, judgement on them. Jesus is my Saviour and His opinion is the only one that matters to me. I love the Lord and I am so thankful to Him for all He has done in my life.

Things to be thankful for today:
Another day to serve the Lord
A child's hug:0) (Thanks Caroline)
Friends
My job
A nice, cool breeze