New Year's!!!

For the second year in a row, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend 5 days in Kansas City, MO at the Onething conference! It was such an awesome time!! This year the conference had an emphasis on End-times, which proved to be beyond interesting! We headed out Dec 28th & came back Jan 1st. I believe there were 18,000 in attendance - it is always so awe-inspiring to be amongst such a large number of like-minded people!

For New Year's Eve, we had 2nd row seats on the left side...so we were pretty close to the stage. The people in front of are the "dancing" section.

My camera didn't want to take very good pictures. Plus, I'm so short, I couldn't get a good view of the arena.

I stole, ehem, borrowed this picture from the IHOP facebook site. It's a clearer shot of the stage & attendees....from about 1/4 of the way back from the front! It was packed! The worship & teachings were absolutely amazing (as always)! And the time we spent as a group, fellowshiping with and ministering to one another were beyond words!

Christmas with my boys!!

Amanda, Jeremy & the boys were at her parents for Christmas. We had to delay our get-together because of the slick roads. But I did get to see them before I left!

It was too cute! As soon as Aunt Meredith got there holding a bag of presents, they knew what was going on! We told them they had to wait until Judson was up from his nap....so they spent a good 20 minutes telling Amanda "I really think Judson wants to wake up right now"! Too adorable!

I'm not strong enough, though...I caved. (Or maybe it was Amanda, but probably me!) They got to open their individual (non-sharing) presents before Judson woke up. Josiah is 5, so he's a pro at this Christmas present opening bit!

Jonathan got a Cars shirt that lights up. I didn't get a picture, but I'm pretty sure the shirt went about within half an hour after opening. It was a big hit! My favorite thing was hearing him say "I think...it's another box!" I'm sure that was a learned phrase either from Daddy or an uncle......hmm....maybe Grandpa.....


Finally, they got to wake Judson up to open his presents (and the shared presents). I'm convinced that I only need to get bags filled with tissue paper until the 3rd Christmas! I love watching kids open presents!


Ah, I did get a picture of the Cars shirt! They got books to share, as well as a puzzle book that they played with. They each got clothes. I really wasn't being cheap. They're moving to Brazil within the next few months, and I was honestly thinking of shipping prices for their mama!


I'm so thankful I got to spend time with the Tylers this year at Christmas! Especially since they will most likely be in Brazil by the next one. Hmm...do I sense a sub-tropical Christmas trip coming? Possibly! No, really, I have an invite from Jeremy - to the jungle...he wants to take me where I'll get be-headed. Amanda said I can come 2 times - in the city & the jungle. She must want to spend time with me before the be-heading! It's good to have best friends that go way back! :)

Christmas!!

I believe it is official. I love to take pictures, but am really the worst person to take pictures at gatherings. I get too involved talking (I know, no one can believe that! haha) and I forget to take pictures! So here's what few I have...

I think I went a little overboard on the goodies for no more people than we had. :) But it was fun! I really liked the white chocolate/peppermint fudge recipe!

Here was our true entertainment for the evening! Parker! It's been a LONG time since there were little ones at our house for Christmas. Jen & I are close in age, then Chelle follows by 2 1/2 years. So, yeah, it's been over 25 years since we've had a baby at the house on Christmas! He is such a happy baby and was so much fun! I'll have to get a copy of the pic where he & I are playing a piano duet!

Jeannine, Aunt Peg & Jen are all modeling their new scarves & hats. I got a loom this fall and had a blast! They all look so cute!

And the tradition continues....We actually open presents on Christmas Eve night. So when everyone else leaves, we clean up quickly, then pile all of our presents to one another under the tree. And this is the last picture I took - not a single picture of present-opening. Guess I was just too excited!!

Mom's retirement party

OK, so it's been a long while coming, but Mom had her retirement party on Columbus Day - even though she officially retired on September 1st. She was really fairly weak here, but it seemed strong to us at the time. I am so thankful that God doesn't let us vividly remember really bad and tough stuff sometimes. I don't want to relive those months for anything...and I know Mom doesn't either.

The girls in Mom's office know she's a big Christmas person, so she got tons of snowmen stuff & a really pretty Thomas Kincaide clock that plays a traditional Christmas carol every hour. It provided lots of pretty musical entertainment for us!

In this picture, on Mom's left is Judy Walsh. Mom & Judy are old-school nurses who worked together at the hospital WAY back in the day - before all us children came along! Judy hasn't been really well for a while either, so it was a huge surprise to see her there. Mom was SO surprised that she came, I think she almost cried! It was really sweet.



Rita, one of mom's co-workers in Respiratory, got Mom the singing snowmen from Hallmark! Another big hit at our house through Christmas!

For your retirement, the hospital counts your years of service, then you pick an item out of a catalog that matches the amount they spend for however many years. Mom saw this painting in the catalog and decided it would be hers. It's entitled "Sunday Morning" and it is really pretty - very peaceful and serene.
Mom's retirement was a strange moment for me. When it was all said and done, my mother worked at Clay County Hospital 32 years out of the last 40. She started working there in high school, went to nursing school, left a few times haha, but always went back. This time she had been there I believe for 18 years.
CCH seems more like a part of our family than actually family members sometimes! My mom worked there forever. Daddy worked there - that's how he & Mom met. I worked there all through high school and college. And now my sister works there. So we've made and maintained many friendships throughout these years!

Thanksgiving!

Another Thanksgiving Day has arrived. I honestly try to spend time each day being thankful, but when a holiday is completely dedicated to this concept, I try to spend a little more time contemplating.

This past Sunday at church our pastor asked us to answer aloud 'what are you thankful for?" I listened to everyone's response, all the while thinking "I should be speaking that I am thankful for my mom still being alive" but I didn't feel led to say anything. So I spent some time praying & contemplating "For what am I truly thankful?" Finally I gave an answer. "I am thankful for my mom's health improving and the start of restoration that I am seeing in her. But even more than that, I am thankful that if the outcome had been different and I were without a mother, I am thankful that my God has been faithful to His promise that He will never leave me nor forsake me."

There are so many things for which we all have reason to be thankful. The fact that we are breathing means we're alive to serve Him another day. The family members and friends that we still have with us. Most likely if you're reading this, you share the thanks that I do of having shelter provided, as well as food to eat. Those of us that are living in America should be thankful for the freedoms that we still have - one of the most important being the freedom to worship God freely.

I am most thankful, though, for my God who loves me. The Lord that says "you have ravished My heart with one glance of your eye." The God that loves me through it all and never leaves my side. Oh how much I have to be thankful for!!

Mom's home again!

Here's the latest....Sorry it's been so long in coming.

Right after I posted the last blog in September, Mom got really sick and had to go back into the hospital. Her white blood count was about 1,000 (normal is 5,000-10,000). The oncologist came to see her, met me in the hallway and asked if me and my family were prepared because she was most likely not going to make it out of the hospital and maybe not even through that night. We assumed it was the chemotherapy bringing her white count down, only to find that she was septic - staph infection in the blood system.

On Columbus Day, Mom had her retirement party and came home the next afternoon! She got so much better with the antibiotics they had her on! She came home on a Tuesday and was doing alright. By Sunday evening (Oct 19), though, we had to call the ambulance to take her to ER because she wasn't strong enough to even sit up in the bed really. The Paramedic told us afterwards that he didn't think she would even make it into the hospital. She was spiking fevers, then they would break as fast as they spiked. It was crazy scary! They did more blood cultures and we found that she was septic again (or still in my opinion). It seemed that she got better everytime she was in the hospital for 2 weeks on antibiotics, but when we got her home for a few days (not on IV antibiotics), she was worse again.

The oncologist came in again and said "We're at the end of what we can do. We just can't do anymore chemotherapy with this infection. She should probably go home on Hospice". Then he said that he thought Mom's portacath (the catheter that was surgically sewn into her chest for easier vein access) was the source of her staph infection. So she had to have it removed, and a central line put in her neck. After a week of antibiotics, she had a new portacath put in yesterday afternoon. The oncologist came back yesterday (3 weeks after the day he said that she wouldn't make it) and said "You're doing so great! We're re-starting chemotherapy on Wednesday" Yeah, that means tomorrow! Honestly, I'm a little nervous about this....I don't want her white count to drop again if the port wasn't the source of the staph infection. But we're pretty sure it was. And, this time, I know more of what to watch for, so I can take her to the hospital quicker. The past 5 days, though, she says she feels better than she's felt since August. And all of the hospita staff and doctors agree that she appears stronger and healthier than she's been since August!

OK, now you're as up-to-date as I am! I am sorry that I didn't email or write sooner, but it's been a hectic month! Plus, I never knew from one moment to the next what to tell anyone. We're very thankful for all of the thoughts and prayers that we know have been with us through all of this! Mom just has this strength about her that I know is God-given. The surgeon who put her port in, then out, then in again haha said he wouldn't sign for Mom to be on hospice because he thinks she will live longer than 6 months. Actually he said "I wouldn't put my money on your mom dying because that is not a safe bet!" She is an amazing person....I know that I have been so blessed that God made her my mom! I also know that our family is blessed that all of you remember us in your prayers! Thank you so much! Were it not for the grace and strength of God, I'm positive we wouldn't have made it through all of this! I will try to keep posted better! And maybe find some pictures of Mom's retirement party to post!

Latest in Weaverville...

This past week has been hectic to say the least! Thank you all for the cards, emails and phone calls. I'm terribly sorry that I haven't had time to respond individually....but I promise I will try once we find a new 'norm' around here.

On Monday, the oncologist came to see Mom at the hospital. He said that he wanted to bump her up to a stronger chemotherapy medication - meaning it should work faster, but she will most likely have worse side effects. He also said that he should know within 2 months whether this chemo will be working. Basically, if it doesn't work, we've got no other options. Tuesday, after hours of fighting (well, maybe fighting isn't the right word...we'll say disagreeing -- something a little loudly, haha) with the nurses at the hospital as well as home health, she finally was able to come home after a 27 day stay at the hospital! She came home on IV medications with pumps and such. So, the way they had explained it to me was that the home health nurses would come to the house to take care of stuff. In reality, though, the home health nurses have taught me how to mix drugs and use the pumps myself, since they keep saying 'you'll have to be here 24/7'. So, 'Nurse Meredith' (who never had an earthly desire to be a nurse and STILL doesn't) has had to rely upon the strength of the Lord to get through this time. I am mixing drugs - just the vitamins in the TPN, but still it involves vials and needles with big syringes. I am flushing out her line and hooking up new tubing to her IV/Cath line. And, I'm in charge of the ileostomy bag - the bag that just doesn't want to stay on for more than 72 hours at a time.....and these bags always choose to leak before I get out of bed. :( Nervous, tired and just plain worn out at 6:30 in the morning doesn't make for a nice nurse...but again, God's giving the strength. On Wednesday, we went to Effingham for Mom to start this new chemo drug. She did very well through the treatment and has had none of the allergic reaction/side effects to be present as of yet -- definite blessing!

On Thursday, she was actually up & walking around (with the help of someone carrying her med pumps). She had a pretty decent appetite as well. Friday came, though, and the normal 2 - 7 days of 'blagh' after chemo seem to have set in. She slept most of the day Friday and Saturday. She hasn't seemed to have been in as much pain as she was, but she's getting lots of pain meds, so maybe that has something to do with it.

OK, there's the update on how the week went. Here comes the praise reports and prayer requests.

Praises: We're so very thankful that Aunt Peggy was here a LOT this past week, helping me get the house reorganized, cleaned up and doing cooking while I was setting into a routine with Mom's medicine! I'm also thankful that I worked as a Pharmacy Tech in the past & the pharmacist taught me how to do some TPN stuff then -- shhh don't tell. I'm also thankful that when Grandma was living & taking insulin, I was able to give her a lot of her shots - allowing me to not be uneasy about it now while giving them to Mom.

Requests: We're continuing to pray for healing...God is still in that business! Please pray for continued peace. We know that the peace of God has been residing here, but sometimes we have trouble claiming it. :) And, please just continue to pray for Mom.

One last thing....we did have an awesome experience. On Monday night, Mom got really upset after the oncologist told us about knowing within 2 months about the chemo. Anyway, when she got really upset, her pain rate went up and we had trouble getting it under control. She asked me, Michelle and Aunt Peg to stay the night with her. So, while Chelle & Aunt Peg were sleeping, I was sitting up with Mom praying. I remember distinctively praying that God would send His angels to give Mom peace and relief from pain. Around 4:00, I woke up to Mom yelling 'Meredith, Meredith! Wake up! The angel is here, my pain is gone, and the angel said to wake you up and let you know he's here.....just look at him!' I prayed God would give me eyes to see, but that didn't happen. However, I didn't need to see that angel with my physical , because I knew that God had answered prayers and given Mom rest. The nurses and staff laughed at me and Mom...saying she had enough drugs to make her hallucinate - which she did. But, they must not know the God that I know and they apparently don't know about His love for my mom! Thanks again for all your prayers -- and time in reading this!

Fog...

Don't you love when God uses nature to teach you a lesson? Then you forget it, and He teaches it to you all over again.

A few years ago, I was driving home in the fog. At that time, I suffered from panic attacks. If there's ever stimulus that will bring on a panic attack, fog is one of them. As I was driving and starting to panic, God said "This is a good example of how you're to be living your relationship with Me. Just look immediately in front of you and I will show you the way. I don't show you all of the steps of the big picture, I show you step by step....one at a time."

Well, life's been crazy, yet mundane lately. I am at home taking care of my parents right now. It's not by my flesh's choice, but by the choice of following God's Will and being here where He's put me. Mom's been so sick off and on since her last chemo treatment...everyone hates to see a loved one sick and feeling awful. Daddy's Alzheimer's seems to get worse everyday, which is sad and frustrating to watch and live with.

Anyway, tonight while I was driving home from some prayer time at church, I got to thinking about the future. I was thinking how scary it will be when Mom and Dad are gone. I mean, it'll be sad enough for my parents to be gone, but scary because I won't know the next step I'm supposed to take. I mean, right now, my job is taking care of them, and my home is their home. When they're gone, I'll not only be an orphan, but an unemployed and homeless orphan. It's a whole lot overwhelming when my brain really thinks about it.

Tonight on my way home, there was really thick fog. I was already feeling anxious about the future, but then there I was in all of that fog. God used it as a re-teaching time. Tonight I realized that when you're driving on a dark, country road, you normally have your headlights on bright. When it's foggy, you have to turn them down to dim to keep from being blinded by the whiteness. It's the same with God...we need to be looking immediately at Him and His leading directly before us, rather than being blinded by all the circumstances of the world around us. With my lights on bright, I can "see" a lot more...I can see lots of thick whiteness all around me. With my lights on dim, I cannot see as much, but what I do see, I see more clearly.

I suppose foggy nights aren't so bad to drive in....as long as my lights are on dim.

Who sprains their foot?

On Monday, I found out something of which I was previously unaware. My foot has been hurting since it popped one day in Florida back in May. Finally, it hurt bad enough that I went to the Emergency Room (since I can NEVER get into the doctor's office). They took an X-ray of my foot only to find no break (which the doctor was thinking it was). He said that I had a sprain in my foot. Apparently the ligaments around the bones in your foot can stretch and tear just like ligaments anywhere else. So, the diagnosis was that I have torn ligaments around the arch of my foot.

Treatment....is to wear this ugly post-op shoe/boot for 7-10 days trying to keep it elevated as much as possible. I am told that it can take 3-6 weeks for a sprain to heal, especially since he thinks it is a severe one. Oh yaay. Here's a couple of pics of my ugly shoe!

John Hancock Observatory

The view from Hancock Observatory...94 stories up in the air! The elevator to get up all those stories takes somewhere close to a minute. Talk about ear-popping!

Washing windows is hard work that high up!

Another view of the city.

Mom & Daddy on the skywalk...all that holds you in are those steel beams and window screens.

Fountain at the ground level of the observatory.