I Hope She Let’s Us Come Back!

She is learning so much, and I am so proud of her.  Noelani is learning a new language and finding her way around a new culture.  She is so sweet and patient when she needs to be corrected.  And it is usually fun to see this new world through her eyes.  
HOWEVER, today I hope that she learned a lesson quickly.  Noelani had her speech therapy today.  After her therapy, her teacher told her to tell me what she had called her during their time together.  Noelani couldn’t remember what the teacher was talking about.  After a second, the teacher, with a bit of a chuckle, told me that Noelani had signed and said that she was “old”.  She then went on to sign and tell her that her hair was old, her face was old, and her skin was old.  The poor teacher told her that was enough, as she was beginning to feel rather OLD.  
What could I say?  After many apologies, I told the teacher that Noelani is also learning what is appropriate in America.  
I had a talk with Noelani on the way home.  I hope she understood, and I sure do hope that the teacher will let us come back.  LOL

Well.........

-First, Garett is doing great.  
-2nd, that wasn’t the problem.
-3rd, we still do not know what is causing the gagging.
THANK YOU all so much for your notes and prayers for us today.  It meant so much to me to read them all!
Garett’s esophagus looks fine, and there is no blockage of any kind.  However, the doctor did discuss with me how much tissue there seems to be in the back of Garett’s throat.  So he is referring us to a pediactric ENT at the Children’s Hospital in Denver.  Goodness, I am glad that we live close to Denver.  This will be our 5th trip there this year.  
I am so thankful that we serve the LORD God of Heaven and Earth.  I know that as we ask, He will answer, as we seek, He will show us, and as we knock, He will open what has been closed!
So our journey will take us North to Denver - not sure when yet.  
Please pray with us and for dear little Garett.  
Thank you so much again.

Garett Will Have Surgery...

We found out today that Garett’s CAT scan was normal.  That means that there is no obstruction on the outside of his esophagus.  The blockage is on the inside.  We met with a wonderful and helpful doctor this afternoon who finally took seriously what Garett is dealing with each day.  This doctor is going to do surgery Wednesday morning early.  Until he gets inside he will not know exactly what needs to be done.  
Here are some key things to pray over....
-That the doctor is able to take care of the problem while he is there;
-ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT...that there is no tear in Garett’s esophagus...this would require a lengthy hospital stay and has several risks;
-for a final solution to this...
because tonight, my little Garett cried again because he couldn’t eat, and even though we try to make him nutritious drinks, he is still hungry.  I played Ninja Fruit with him to try to distract him from his hunger.  Still, as he went to bed, he mumbled, “Mommy, I’m still hungry.”  Poor baby, we look to the LORD, and we pray for healing and we thank Him for each of you who chooses to walk this journey with us.  I am grateful!

He Literally Can’t Eat

 We have spent months now trying to find out why Garett has progressively been unable to eat.  He has always had a “gag” relax with meats, however, over the last half a year he has reached the point of not being able to eat at all. 

We have followed the “normal” medical routes, and nothing was helping.  Garett had reached the point of staying hydrated, but starving.  Finally, one weekend last month, we became so frustrated with what he was going though (he was gagging and throwing up every 15 minutes), that we took him to an emerge care facility.

 The doctor there sent us to have a swallow test done.  A week later we found out that Garett has a “web” in his throat...think “spider web”.  His body is instinctively trying to protect itself from choking to death by gagging and throwing up.  Of course, the down side is he also can’t eat and is “starving”.  Of course, we have been giving him protein drinks and trying to “liquify” his food as much as possible. 

 Still, he is hungry all the time, and you can see here that he is all “bones” (he didn’t have any weight to loose anyway!!!).  He has lost almost 5 pounds since things really got bad, and there is only so much you can do for a growing child on a liquid diet.  

We have been frustrated with the way some of the medical community has handled this.  Things should have happened sooner, and I’m just not going to go into the details beyond saying that there have been mistakes made that my son has paid the price for.  The LORD heard my cries this last Friday and sent us to a doctor that is taking seriously what Garett is going through.  
Garett will have a CAT scan tomorrow and then we will have an “emergency” appointment with this doctor to find out what needs to happen to open up Garett’s esophagus and get him back to eating.
I would so appreciate prayers for Garett.  This has gone on for so long, and he has dealt with it very well.  Still it has hurt me so much to watch him getting skinner and skinner.  And it hurts Steve and I so bad to hear him again crying because he is hungry and we can only offer the “same ol’ things” that we have been offering for almost 6 months now.  
Thank you for your prayers and for sharing these difficult times with us.  

I Had Enough This Morning

Yep, that’s a plant and it’s torn up all over the floor and I asked the children to do it on purpose.  
Why?
Well, I just had enough today.  Enough of the arguing, fighting, tattle tailing, selfishness, complaining, ingratitude, disobedience, rudeness, and yelling.
I have been praying and seeking the LORD everyday as I have just felt worn out by it all.  I have lost my “joy” and have really been overwhelmed with the daily battles.  I have felt that these negative attitudes and action are controlling my days.   It seems that I spend pretty much all of my time disciplining bad behaviors and there is so little enjoying each other happening.


This morning it all stared before I could even get dressed - tattle tailing, arguing, fighting, the works.  And I had it.  I sat them all down (I did get dressed first) and began to talk to them about the things that they have been doing that have added to the daily stress of our days.  I firmly believe that a family must work together to enjoy each other and to have a healthy atmosphere in the home.  And right now, it feels like Steve and I do most of the work.  And I feel like the “life” is being sucked out of me.


Then I had an idea about the plant.  I brought it in from outside (it was “mostly” dead anyway), and I looked at one of them and said “Go tear a leave off.”  She laughingly did, and I told her and the rest of them that when they are rude to others they are making our home unhealthy like tearing that leaf off does to the plant.  I called another one to do the same and then told them that when they fight and yell they are “killing” the joy in our home. I called Corbin to go pull a branch off, and bless his little heart, he said “I don’t want to tear up your beautiful things.”  He wouldn’t do it.  (I was totally smiling on the inside).  I asked Aiden and Keshawn to tear off some leafs and they really got into it and began to tear up the whole plant.  I just watched them and let them do it.  The older ones were beginning to see where this was going, but the smaller ones were clueless.  
I then talked to them about the attitudes and actions that are “killing” the joy and peace in our home much as tearing a plant apart will kill it.  The little ones started to get the picture too now.  I talked to them about the things that bring life into our home and family.  We talked some more about the things that make the plant healthy or the things that kill it and compared it to our family and home life. 

Then I asked them to come to me and tell me one thing they were sorry for.  I pulled out my prayer journal and wrote their name and the thing that they apologized for in it and told them that I would be praying for them.  They loved that I was writing their names in my book.  Then they told me one thing that they were grateful for.  They all did really great with this.


Now, none of this was planned.  As I said, I was fed up with the way our home has been “feeling” each day.  I really felt that the LORD led me to bring in the plant for teaching, to ask them to apologize to me and to offer something that they are grateful for.  


It seemed to have given them a good “word picture” to remember.  Of course, I know that they are just children and will struggle with these things, but I pray that I can began to teach them to deal with their sins in a healthy and Biblical way, instead of me always just “reacting” to them all the time.  
Ahhh, mothering - truly there is no harder job that I have ever tried to do.  

Help Me LORD...

...to parent these little people, to love them and to teach them Your ways.  

Guide me when I’m not sure what to do or say.  Give me patience and help me to remember that they are still little and in need of nurturing and training.  

Forgive me when I become angry with their foolishness and impatient with their childishness.  














There are some things with my new little son that I am truly unsure of what to do, how to help, teach and train him.  




















Lord, I don’t like not knowing what to do.  I’m sure You are laughing a bit at that since You did make me and know that I like “a plan”.  




I will keep seeking You with my whole heart because I love you, LORD, and I love them.”

 And today, help me to see them with eyes of love, appreciation, and to give them the grace that You have shown me.

Amen

First Time Ever...

I put in hair extensions for Joeliana.  She LOVES THEM.  It took a few days, but she should be good to go for a month or so.  I have never done this before, but her hair is SO prone to tangles that I decided to give this a try as a protective style.  
Because I know that you will ask, here is where I learned to do this.