Cast and Pins

Yesterday I took Gracie to the Dr. to have her cast removed and have another x-ray. If the bone was healed, she was done with the cast and the pins would be removed. If it was not healed, she would have had another cast put on. I am not good with medical stuff...at all. I don't pass out, but I just can't handle it. My Dad came with me to be the strong one. I knew I couldn't hold her hand while he pulled long pins out of her bone. I Just couldn't be the strong one.

They took the old cast off and took her for an x-ray. The pins had started to work their way out of her arm already. Which made me not want to look at it!! After the Dr. looked at the x-ray he told us the good news - it was completely healed! Praise the Lord!!! He said it was one of the fastest healing he has ever seen! Gracie was very excited, but knew it was time for the pins to come out. My Dad held her hand and helped her through it while her weak-kneed mother sat in a chair! She cried some as they come out, but did really well. The Dr. asked her if he should pitch the pins or did she want to keep them? In my mind I am saying....keep them?????...for real??? What in the heck would we do with them? I then said to myself, surely she will say "pitch". Not so much. She wanted to keep them. The Dr. put them in a little bag and handed them to me. Dad and I looked at each other and laughed. What am I going to do with these, put them in her scrapbook???

Many people were praying for Grace's arm yesterday. Praying that it would be healed and that she would not have to have another cast put on. What an awesome thing it was to hear she was done and this part of our life was behind us. Grace was a trooper though it all, from start to finish. Grace is full of drama and Tim and I thought these last 6 weeks would have been a long 6 weeks. She surprised us and did really well with it and there wasn't much drama. I am shocked at how well it all went.

After the Dr.'s appointment I took Grace to Build-A-Bear. She has been saving her money to buy a dog that she had her eye on. She still needed to save some more money, but decided she had saved enough and thought she deserved it after all she went through. I told her where I was taking her and why. She was so excited. She walked right in to the store, went right over to the dogs and picked out her new friend.

Meet Francis.....

Without the cast.....

Gracie and Daddy time

(Check out the 2 new posts below. I had some time to get caught up!)


Grace came up with the idea to roast marshmallows. She was so excited to be able to do this in the family room! She chattered away the entire time about how fun it was. I am so glad I grabbed the camera!

Gracie turns 5

My little girl turned 5 on Friday. Wow! I am still trying to take it in. Not sure where the 5 years went! I wrote Gracie a letter when she turned one, that I will give her one day. I pulled it out the night before her birthday and read it. Things were so simple then and I loved spending time with this short, chubby little girl. I loved spending all my time with her and it was just her and I. I miss those days, but I love what we have now. We have a relationship that is much deeper and I know her so much more. Grace has a strong personality and knows what she wants. At times that can be hard to work with, and other times it is nice to know what she is thinking and why. For the most part Grace is very caring and motherly. She is always worried about others and making sure they are doing what they should be doing (in a loving way). She loves life and loves to be busy. She can't really sit still (I think many would agree she gets this from me). She loves to be where the action is. I love this about her!!

We had a party for her on Friday night and it went really well. She loved every minute of it and couldn't fall asleep till 11:oo that night. She was wide awake at 6:30, ready to play with all her new things!












Dear Gracie,

I can't believe you are 5 now. Wow, have you grown. I remember when I was pregnant with you and Daddy and I were not sure what was up ahead. We didn't know if you would be a boy or a girl. Our lives changed on November 7, 2003. We had a new little girl that we fell in love with. It was all so new to us. We had so much to learn. We didn't have to learn how to love you though. That came so naturally to us. We have enjoyed watching you grow and learn. You are a smart little girl who knows what she wants. I love watching you learn and figure things out. I love our alone time together. I love taking you to Cubbies and hearing all about it as we drive home. I love going shopping with you. I love it when I pick you up from preschool and run to me. I love watching you interact with Halle. I love how you help with Avery and love on her. I love watching you love your Daddy. I love the relationship you have with him.

Thank you for loving me and forgiving me when I have not been the best Mommy. Thank you for being a great big sister to Halle and Avery. Thank you for the joy you bring to this family.

I thank God for you and pray that you will seek after Him and desire Him with your whole heart. I also pray Daddy and I can be the parents we are supposed to be.

I love you Gracie Girl!

Change

I have been wanting to start this blog for weeks now and haven't been able to come up with a title for it. I finally have it and feel like this title is appropriate for my life. We are in a constant state of change. As I tucked Gracie into bed tonight, and a tear slid down my cheek, I once again was reminded of change. So, I came right to the computer and started my blog. Tomorrow I send my little (big!) girl to preschool. Tim and I can't believe she is old enough for this. Where have the 4 1/2 years gone (almost 5)? I remember having her in the hospital, not realizing what was ahead for us and this little girl. Would we ever get over acid reflux? Would she ever sleep through the night? Would she ever get her first tooth?? (When she was good and ready - 16 months old!) Would she ever listen? Would she stop throwing tantrums and screaming fits? We have made it though a lot of these issues, but there are many we are still working on, and many yet to come. I can say though, she is a sweet, loving, caring little girl. What a blessing she is to this family.

This preschool decision was a quick one for us and it is now hitting me hard! All along we had thought we would home school. Because of this we were not thinking about preschool. We then felt like the Lord was directing us in another direction, and we feel (at this time) homeschooling is not for us. We then talked about preschool last year and decided not to send her this year, for various reasons. It was a decison we thought about, talked about, and prayed about. We both felt not to send her. The day after Labor Day - this year - I felt an unbelievable sense that she needed to be in preschool. I now know it was the Lord directing me. We of course could not get her into the school we thought she should be at. After 2 weeks of looking and knocking on different doors, an opening came up at a school that Gracie's best friend goes too. We went up the next day, looked at it and met her teacher. We made the decision the following day to send her. This is where God wants her, not where I thought she should be, but where He wants her. So, as I say good-bye to her tomorrow, I do it with so many mixed emotions. But, I know it is God's plan and God's timing. His ways are higher than our ways.

Like I said in the beginning, I have been trying to come up with a blog title for weeks. I went to Bible study this past Wednesday and the lady speaking said this year's theme would be around change. It hit me then that this was to be my blog title. Over the last two years, our family has gone through a ton of change. I won't get into it now, but a year ago I was sitting in church and the Lord spoke to me though the song:

"Blessed Be Your Name" -

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
In the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

It is was right then and there I chose to say "Blessed be Your Name". I don't understand some of the things we have gone through, but I am comforted in knowing He gives and He takes away. What a blessing this is to me.

Back to preschool - I am so excited for Grace. We love the school and love the teacher. It is such a blessing to us. It is so awesome to me to see Him work! So, as I kiss Gracie good-bye tomorrow morning, I will remember that change is constant. I will remember that this is God's will for our life, and I will remember to say "You give and take away, my heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be your name."