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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Catching up cont.

I forgot to add something! We're going to get a new puppy! Another full blooded yellow lab, like Cedar.

We found this amazing place in Lawrenceville that takes such amazing care of her puppies and we're driving up there on Saturday to see her and put a deposit down. She's only 1 week old right now.
We're still trying to decide on a name. So far, we've thought of Cadence and Ellie. Any suggestions? We like the unusual/outdoorsy/country names.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Catching up

So, what's been new with me? Well...I've turned into an all out country girl!
yeah...who would've thought! So here's an update on the past few months...


I killed my first deer of the season - a doe

Then got my first buck! A very wide 4 point (should've been a 6)

Then we headed over to Arkansas for the week of Thanksgiving and did a little more hunting.

Add a doe to the count.

Learned how to pick a duck for duck dressing (yummy!)



Then, Brad, his dad and I racked up one night!
Add another doe to my count!
Of course, mine was all jacked up!
Check out that overbite - poor deer needed some braces!

Then, on Thanksgiving morning, I shot a big buck!
This one's going on the wall!
We spent Thanksgiving at the farm with Brad's family

Sarah Kate turned one in November!
Aren't they just adorable??
Back in Macon, Brad and I picked out our first Christmas Tree!
And that's about all that's been going on lately.
Have a great Christmas!









Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Family Vacation 2009 Cont.

Alrighty, as promised...here are more pics! Yeah, I know they're all of my niece and nephew, but can you blame me? They're so darn cute! And yes Melissa, I stole some of your pics! Hope you don't mind!!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Family Vacation 2009

Family Vacation in St. Simons Island, Ga.
August 15-22, 2009
More Picture to come!

I don't have much time to write, but just wanted to post some pictures for those who aren't
on Facebook (especially Megsie!) I'll add more later. Have a great day!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

A piece of my heart is missing

Twin Drakes Southern "Cedar"
March 11, 2009 - July 6, 2009

My heart is so heavy right now. Monday night, our precious 16-week old puppy, Cedar passed away. I am still not real sure what happened. Friday night she started gagging real bad and then had an upset stomach. We just thought she had stomach bug - nothing major. She was sick all day Saturday and Sunday but still ran around the yard and played like she didn't feel real bad. She wouldn't eat anything, but she hasn't been eating much over the past month or so (they say puppy's go through that stage). We tried to call 2 vets over the weekend, but never got an answer so we just figured that since she's due for her last set of shots on Monday, we'll just let our regular vet take a look at her. I think we waited too long though. Sunday night and into Monday morning, she began throwing up - around 8 times... When he took her to the vet Monday morning, she was pitiful. They kept her to run tests but the doctor kept saying that he thought she had food poisoning. We watch EVERYTHING she eats, so I really don't think it was something she ate. She had all of her vaccines, but she had all the symptoms of Parvo. The vet said she didn't act like it was Parvo so he didn't test her for it. He kept her in a kennel in another building outside the vet's office and "checked" on her throughout the night. He said she passed too much blood throughout the night and didn't make it.

I am so angry at the vet. I really think they just let her die. They said she was in critical condition! I would've kept her at my bedside if I were watching someone else's pet that's in critical condition. I just don't understand. We miss her so much. If feels like someone reached in and pulled out part of our heart. She was our baby. It's the closest thing Brad and I know about losing a loved one. She really was a part of our family. I can't imagine how much more it hurts when someone loses their child, their own flesh and blood. I have so many questions I want answered by the vet and by God - but I know it won't make it any easier. I just want her back. This is one of the hardest things I've gone through. I'm reminded of James 1:2 - "Consider it pure joy when you are faced with trials of many kinds, for the testing of your faith creates perseverance." I know God is testing our faith and puts us through trials to bring us closer to Him. It's hard, but I know He's in control. I just want my sweet baby girl back! It wasn't supposed to be like this. It hurts so bad! I just want God to fill this void in our hearts.
* The picture taken above was on July 2 - the last picture we have of her.


Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Back Home

We made it back from Arkansas at 3 AM this morning! Needless to say, we're both exhausted from the 12 hour drive. Cedar did amazing in the car. She seriously slept the whole way and only woke up to eat and use the bathroom. I hope she always travels this well. We had a great trip. We did a lot of fishing and just hanging out with family. It was a nice relaxing weekend. I have some pictures below. Hope everyone had a great weekend!



Riding around at the duck camp

Cedar's new friend, Gabi (Brad's brother and his girlfriends miniature rat terrier)

The Alligator Gar I caught, but I didn't want to touch it!

Me, Cedar, Brad, Allison, Gabi, and Alan and our 40 Brim

My big brim

The catfish we caught at Brad's cousin's farm

Cedar snoozing in the truck

Still snoozing....

AND stillll sleeping....with her nose in the cupholder!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

On the road again!


We leave today after work and are heading to Arkansas for a long weekend. This trip will be a little different than the last one, we're taking out 10 week old yellow lab puppy, Cedar, with us! Yep, we're driving 10 hours with a 10 week old puppy. Are we insane, or what?! We wanted her to meet her other "grandparents." :) So, this should be a fun trip! Brad's parents have a 2-year and a 10(?) yr. old yellow lab and a yorkie, plus Brad's brother's bringing his new puppy, Gabi, who's a week or two younger than Cedar. So, needless to say, we're going to be the funny farm this weekend!!! Wish us luck. We'll be driving back to Macon on Monday.


Here's our latest "family portrait." Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Friday, March 13, 2009

New Music

ok, I'm stealing my friend Giniann's blog but this is worth sharing! She found this project on Desiring God's webpage and thought I'd check it out too. It's a new group - Project CXVI - and is old hymns with a modern twist. Check them out here.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Wayne Morris

Please pray for the family of Wayne Morris, the man I mentioned in a blog below. After a year of battling cancer, he has a brand new body now in Heaven with our Savior. Jesus called him home Saturday afternoon around 2 pm. The visitation will be tomorrow night and the funeral will be Wednesday at 11 at Mabel. Please remember his wife, Connie and son, Matt, as they grieve the loss of a husband/dad. He is definitely a strong christian brother that I'll never forget.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

What a fighter!

I saw Sarah Kate for the first time tonight since she's been in the hospital. I don't think I was quite prepared to see her. How could someone who was so perfect in our eyes just a week ago be sedated in a hospital and hooked up to all these machines? It's hard to grasp, it really is. Unfortunately, Sarah Kate (like all of us) were born into a sinful world and was born with a sinful nature. Because of this, we are not perfect and are still susceptible to sickness and disease. I just wish I could breathe for her, or fight off this infection. I just want to do something to make her healthy again. We got a good report today from the doctors. She was taken off the oscilator and is now on a ventilator (in the picture). She's completely off the blood pressure medicine, all of her stats are good, and she's only depending on 40% oxygen. God is still in the business of miracles and I don't doubt that he's working one in our midst. She's still got not completely out of the woods yet, as the doctors still say she's in critical condition, but she's making steps to healing every day. All the praise goes to our Father!


Monday, January 26, 2009

Life is but a vapor

I'm so distracted at work today. All I can think about is my sweet niece, Sarah Kate, who's been struggling for her life this past weekend. I am so thankful that I have a Savior to cling to who knows exactly what the hurt and pain feels like when your child is suffering, because I sure don't. I can't even imagine the love a parent has for their child, so to have to see that very child that you brought into this world grasping for air to live has got to be devastating. Sarah Kate was diagnosed with RSV on Friday and has been in critical condition, including having to have a blood transfusion, this weekend. She is a very strong little girl (only 2 months old) and I know that her parents and all those surrounding her who love her very much are having their faith tested right now but will be so much stronger in the end for the endurance. She on the uphill of the battle right now and things are looking much brighter than they did Saturday night, but it will still be a journey. I pray that Jesus just breathes into her little lungs and fights the battle for her that she is not strong enough to conquer right now.

Also, one of our dear members at Mabel White, Wayne Morris, and someone I've worked closely with over my time here at Mabel is struggling for his life as well. Here is an overview of all he has been going through over the past year from his caringbridge website: "Wayne has been ill since the first of April 2008. He spent four days in the hospital and the doctors went from thinking he had the flu, a virus, a tick borne illness (although he never had a tick bite), an MRI in may revealed what they called inflammation in the pitiutary and they begin to think it was a disease called Neuro-sarcoidosis. We continued on this journey and the Macon doctors decided to send him to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. Six weeks later on August 18, 2008 we started yet another journey of finding out what was wrong. They began doing testing and discovered that he had a tumor on his pituitary gland that not only had trashed his endocrine system but it was also starting to press on the optic nerves and he was beginning to lose some peripheal vision. During all this they did a chest x-ray (originally looking for sarcoidosis) and discovered a spot on his lung, they did a CT scan followed by a bronchscopsy on Fri 8/22. We came home(I actually drove us home through tropical storm Faye) and on Tuesday 8/26/08 the Doctor called Wayne and told him the biopsy had come back malignat (we had an agreement that the doctor would call us with the results). We headed back down to Mayo for more testing and also learned the cancer was in two lymph nodes in the bronchial tube. On 8/29/08 a PET scan revealed that there were spots in the liver and suspicious spots in his spine around the pelvic area. They set the date to de-bulk the pituitary tumor on 9/3/08. They learned that the pituitary tumor was also malignant and had come from the lung. We have come back to Macon to begin treatment and Wayne started whole brain radiation on 9/18/08. He will take fourteen units (Mon-Fri). On 9/23/08 they put in a porta cath and as soon as the radiation is complete they will begin chemo. The biggest challenge to date is dealing with all the hormone issues from the pituitary gland failure. We are trusting and knowing that God has a plan for Wayne and we don't believe that HE is through with him yet."

I just found out today that Wayne is "going downhill very fast." I am reminded of a point in the sermon yesterday, that Life is but a vapor. I have learned to not take a day for granted and to be thankful for everything God has given me. Today's a struggle for me. I have friends who are going through relationship troubles as well and it all just reminds me to have faith and trust in God with everything. He is sovereign and in control.