Obtaining Mercy

Library Staircase

If you love books as much as I do, you will appreciate this architect's ingenuity.  I saw this picture and knew I needed to see more of it.

THIS is the story.

Here's the picture to pique your interest:

 

Beautiful, isn't it?!

Enjoy!

Alesha

A Short Update About A Sick Boy

Trying to keep my promise to allow myself to write shorter posts that aren't quite as polished as I'd like.  I know that so many people like to keep up with Isaac, and when you don't see a post for days on end, you start to wonder. :)

So, here's our Isaac Update:

Ugh!  Isaac is sick again.  High temps this afternoon and a stuffy/runny nose, and his tummy has been upset too.  I had a diaper this afternoon that had me crying "Code Brown!  Code Brown!" in my head, thinking of Tia's posts on the subject!  I needed four hands for the clean up, and then one more pair to pin down Isaac's!  It was quite a challenge! :)

He is generally miserable, but is soothed by his favorite videos and music, praise the Lord.  I just hate the whole shivering with fever, then sweating it out...it just makes him so unhappy. :o(

I am dealing with lots of fibromyalgia pain this week.  I missed my vitamins for a few days, as well as our carrot juice, and the weather has been cold.  I think these things have combined to wreaked havoc on my system.  But I've downed my double handful of supplements for today, and Doug has been juicing our carrots this week.  So I am looking forward to feeling better soon.

My dad and brother have been working on our central air/heat system this week, so we are looking forward to having it up and running soon.  We are so blessed by the knowledge my dad has gained down through the years, and I am so glad that he has passed it on to my brother!  So nice to see them work together, too. :)

That's it for today.

Blessings to you,

Alesha

So, Bullets It Is!

Otherwise I will never remember to tell you everything! :)

• Our Anniversary Sunday at our church was a wonderful day!  We had over 3700 is attendance, and over 400 professions of faith.  The first time visitors and those who accepted Christ will all be followed up by various members of the congregation.  The really exciting thing to me was seeing so many families that attended together.  You could see them everywhere after the service as they enjoyed the huge carnival that is put together for the children and teens every year.  It was SUPER cold that Sunday - so rare for Florida - but lots of fun!  We even took Isaac over for a little while, and he (and Daddy) managed to snag a rubber ducky with the winning mark, and came home with a cute stuffed duck! :)
• Doug and I were able to go out Saturday by ourselves, a real treat for us.  We found a used bookstore, that only carried hardback books.  I came home with a couple of new (to me) mystery books.  We enjoyed lunch together and then bought groceries at the Wal-Marts. ;)  Such a nice day!
• Grammy and Isaac had a nice time together, while we were out.  She brought over his Valentines Day card and gift.  Here they are, along with the balloon we bought him (and paid TOO much for!), and a little Valentine from his little friend at church who was so sweet to remember him.

• We took Isaac for his first visit to the Dentist yesterday.  And get this, his dentist name is Dr. Bopp!  Isn't that funny?  He had no cavities, and no issues at all.  We were so glad!  He does have plaque that is building up because he doesn't eat by mouth.  They suggested to brush his teeth 3 times a day, and that would help to prevent it.  We are going to do our best to keep up with that.
• We found a HUGE Goodwill store, and had so much fun looking around.  We found some books, and a few shirts - one for Isaac and two for me.  $4 for a plus size shirt is a good deal, and Isaac's was only $2.  Gotta love Goodwill!!!
• It is cold again in Florida...has been for several days.  I've just learned to dress in layers and have been comfortable in the house.  Our electric bill was astronomical for last month, but the Lord is good and provided the extra that we needed!
• I am making vegetable soup today.  It smells really yummy, and I can't wait for the boys to get home so we can dig in. :)
• OH!  I got a new garbage can.  Here she is...she is bee-yoo-tee-full!

 

Doug's uncle Roger made this gorgeous creature!  We had one just like it for years, but when Isaac was in the hospital for a month, a sweet friend cleaned out our frig, but forgot to empty the trash.  We were never able to get the smell out of the wood, and so had to throw the trashcan out with the trash.  We were heartbroken!  Uncle Roger finally relented to get his tools out of retirement and make us a new one.  We LOVE her!!!

I guess that's it for my bullets.  I'm going to have to allow myself to post shorter blogs, so that I can post more often.  I always want my blogs to be ju-u-u-ust right, and so I put off blogging until I have more time.  It seems like that "more time" almost never happens.  So, I'm working on how to rectify that situation. :)

Blessings to you,

Alesha

A Grumpy Little Post

Ok, so...

I composed an absolutely brilliant blog post...

this morning...

in the shower. 

It would've won awards, I tell you!

However, life has happened...

and the blog never did...

and now...

it is g.o.n.e!

So, we'll do a little bulleting and see how that goes.

:)

• Isaac has been sick
• The doctor finally agrees that he has a sinus infection, and gave us an antibiotic
• He has been coughing and coughing and coughing and coughing
• I have not been getting very much sleep
• Today, I am very grumpy

Ok, so that was the first thing I wanted to share.

Here's the second:

• It is COLD in Florida
• Really, really cold for days on end
• I do not own enough long sleeved shirts for a week of cold weather
• Go figure!
• Also, my ankles have not been warm for about 6 days.  I also don't own knee socks.
• I have 2 pairs of long pjs (fortunately they are both fleece)
• I am C.O.L.D!!!
• And I am not ashamed of that, either! :)

And here's some other random things:

• Isaac loves his new Mary Poppins video
• He is finally feeling a little bit better after the 4 days of fever ended
• I got all the Christmas decor put away over the weekend, thanks to my helpful hubby
• My "creamy nutmeg" Harry Slatkin candle is so yummy it makes my mouth water
• It might snow here over the weekend
• I have taken all my vitamins EVERY day for over 10 days - a new record for me!
• I knocked my computer off the table today, and pieces fell off and parts fell out.  It was awful.  I started hyperventilating.  I felt a little dizzy.  My life flashed before my eyes.
• God is gracious, and the parts went back in and packing tape is holding the pieces on.
• I am NOT looking forward to the next month's electricity bill, after running our a/c heater for this many days in a row
• I have been taking oil of oregano (since I got sick over Christmas with a nasty winter cold) and it is wonderful stuff.  I think it is really helping me feel better.
• Well, except for today...because I am TOO COLD
• And I NEED a NAP!!!

Sigh...I know this hasn't been the most uplifting blog post.  I tried to mix some positives with the negatives.  I am grateful for a heater that works!  And clean clothes.  And that Isaac is feeling better.  Here, maybe this will make you feel better:

My mom's pretty petunias in bloom for the holidays ;)

Are YOU staying warm?  And getting enough sleep?  Oh, and don't forget to take your vitamins, too!

Blessings,

Alesha

A Week in Review

Isaac spent much of last week doing this...sleeping off fever for about 4 days.  You'll notice that nebulizer perched on his bed.  It worked overtime this week, as we tried to keep the soggy cough out of his chest.

 
We did try to keep his room pleasant for his awake hours.  His little tree is on his chest of drawers right in his line of sight, and his colored lights are on the opposite wall ( you can just see a few of them in the mirror.)

We did end up keeping our appointment for Friday morning with the doctor.  His throat, ears and lungs were all clear - praise the Lord! - and she felt the worst of it had passed.

He has steadily improved since, and we were able to attend a family Christmas gathering on Saturday and the evening service at church last night.

While Isaac's health improved, mine has disintegrated into the

"Sinus-Infection-From-The-Bad-Place"

and I have sounded like a frog since Friday night.  The mornings are rough, but by 3 or 4 in the afternoon, I am feeling more human.

My "get better" routine includes the following:

• oil of oregano (3 drops under the tongue twice a day)
• carrot juice
• all of my usual supplements (multi-vitamin, Vit C, E, B, calcium, magnesium, beta carotene, omega 3, and half of dozen more I can't remember right now
• using my neti pot daily
• lots of orange juice
• Aleve

and - THE most important thing if you need to sing at church on Sunday night!!! -

• 1 c. hot water with 1 T. apple cider vinegar and 1 T. honey.  It will clear congestion and will coat and soothe a sore throat.  (And it does not taste bad at all...make that tablespoon of honey quite generous, if need be!)

We are enjoying some beautifully Christmas-like weather today:  in the 30s this morning, and barely to 60* as the day goes by.  It was so fun to see everyone in their winter Christmas finery last night at church.  Usually I buy Christmas clothes with short sleeves!!!  It's so nice to get dressed in Christmas-y colors and warm clothes all on the same day. :)

We were so blessed with unexpected gift cards over the weekend.  Doug was able to use some to buy groceries (always a blessing) and we also made a special purchase for Isaac:

Isaac has had the same memory foam mattress topper on his hospital bed mattress for over two years.  It was originally purchased at Wally World and has served us well.  We have been able to spot clean whenever needed, and occasionally we put it out in the sun, which does wonders!

I also just happened to purchase some fabric spray (similar to Febreeze) from Bath and Body Works last summer that - to my great surprise - worked better than anything else we had tried to keep it smelling lemony fresh.

However, the time has come to replace it: 

Last week, when we were using the nebulizer to keep Isaac's lungs clear, we also had to deal with a little boy whose system was full of steroids (that's what asthma meds contain).  While on steroids, Isaac is a happy, giggly, HYPER little toad!  He is ornery and loud and demanding and beside himself with energy to burn.  Most of that energy is channeled into kicking. 

Imagine my surprise, when I stripped the bed on Friday, to discover he had LITERALLY kicked holes in the memory foam!!!  There were great gaping holes at the foot of it, and little pieces of foam e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e!!!

So, I started shopping, and ended up at Overstock.com.  They are having a sale right now.  I was able to get a king size topper for the same price as a twin.  I will be able to cut it in half, and have two!!!  This way I can rotate them, allowing them time to dry properly between use.

Here is a link if you are interested in shopping for your own memory foam mattress topper.  (Although I will tell you that I did NOT pay this price!  This is, however, the link that I get a tiny commission for, should you decide to click through and make a purchase.) :o)

Oh, and the best part about this whole, rambling story, is that the price of our mattress topper was one penny less than our gift card, and we got free shipping!  How awesome is that?!!

Well, I feel like there was something else that I wanted to share with you, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it is!  (laughing out loud at myself)  If it comes to me later, I'll just post again. :o)

I pray you have a great Monday.  I'm sure most of you are taking a break from school, whether your children attend a traditional classroom or are homeschooled.  So, I hope you have lots of time this week for family bonding and memory making.

Don't allow yourself to become sidetracked with your To-Do List, and miss out on celebrating the birth of our Saviour. 

Just in case I don't "talk" to you again before Friday, I wish you the Merriest Christmas ever!

Blessings to you,

Alesha

Counting Blessings

I am so happy to tell you that my freezer is a frigid -2* and my refrigerator was at 32* when I checked it this morning!

I turned the thermostat up to a warmer setting, and it's now at 42*.  I am as pleased as I can be that it is working so well.  My dad replaced two tiny little parts for less than $35!  Imagine how many refrigerators are thrown out when there is no one who knows how to repair them.  Thank the Lord for the knowledge my dad has gained through the years!!!

We had a super nice weekend here.  My family was able to get together for a steak supper on Saturday, complete with red velvet birthday cake for ME! :)  It was all verrrrry yummy!

I received so many pretty and kind birthday cards this year.  They are all proudly displayed on my piano!

I also came home with this:

 

which I know does not look like much!  BUT it opens out to THIS:

 

It's a light box for photographing my jewelry!!!  Isn't it fabulous?!!

Here it is with the spotlights on:

I will have to do much experimenting, and probably a little research, in order to use it to it's fullest potential.  I'm looking forward to playing with my new toy! :)

Yesterday, I had a wonderful day out with my friend, Mrs. C.  She and I went to Orlando, and lunched at the Cheesecake Factory.  It was just wonderful, except for an unfortunate "hair in the food" incident!  The manager was extremely apologetic and of course, we did not pay for the entree! 

We did a little shopping in the Mall at Millenia, then headed back for dessert.  Mrs. C had the original cheesecake with strawberries which looked really yummy.  I wanted to try something different: the Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake. 

It is caramel cheesecake topped with caramel mousse on a vanilla crust.  Yeah...it was just as fabulous as it sounds and looks.  (I snitched this pic from their website.  Neither Mrs. C nor I remembered to take ANY pics of our day out that was a whole year in the making!!!  We were just too busy enjoying it, I guess!) :)

Doug has gone back to the day shift.  It leaves me with Isaac for many hours a day.  We are doing our best to get him up out of the bed as much as we can.  Doug comes home several times a day to do feeds, changes, repositioning, etc., so that I don't have to move Isaac very much.  He's just getting to be such a BIG boy for me. :)  He seems to be adjusting to the new schedule better than I am!

Well, I can't think of anything else exciting to tell you, so I guess I'll finish up this post.  I hope you are having a good week so far.  It's been a nice one for us, and for that, I am grateful.  We never know what a day is going to bring about, so it's good to count our blessings as we go.  :)

What blessing are you counting today?

Blessings to you,

Alesha

Thought...Weather...Clothing...

Thought Patterns:

When you see this in someone's home:

You can assume one of a few things:

1. The frig needed to be cleaned out.  (It didn't.)
2. The residents are getting ready to move.  (We're not.)
3. The kitchen is being remodeled.  (HaHaHaHa!!! oh, sorry...I guess that is a legitimate option...)
4. Something is wrong with the frig.  (Ding, ding, ding!  We HAVE a winner!!!)

<deep sigh...>

Yeah, the inside temperature of our refrigerator is about the same as the outside temperature at our house:  the lower 70's.  That is not good.

So, my Dad will be coming over later to check it out.  We are hoping and praying that it can be revived and renewed and renovated and repaired and resuscitated.  You can see I have given this a great deal of thought!  :)

(Praise the Lord for daddies who can check on things like this...and for the baby brothers who have learned almost as much about these things as the daddies know.)

Weather Patterns:

Meanwhile, Isaac and I have been watching this:

We have the windows open and are pretending it is very cold and we are snuggled around the fire.  (I think I just saw Poppet the bird shiver!)  Cold day in Florida today - low 70s in the sunshine.  Of course, we have Christmas music playing too, but you already knew that, right? 

Clothing Patterns:

And Isaac is dressed like this:

 

[Of course, the pattern on the shirt doesn't really count.  You can't see it, right?  It's camouflage!!! :)]

Now, don't judge my hubby's handiwork too harshly. ;)  Here in Florida, we don't require too many sets of pajamas with long sleeves and long pants; so it's hard to find one of each, much less a pair that matches!  Then factor in the fact that he has already had 3 diaper/pant changes today, but his shirt was dry, and why change things that don't need changing, and  ...well, you get the idea!

Rest assured, we would not take him out in public like this.  We would at least put on the shiny, electric blue pants, because that would be so much better!!!

Do you have big plans for the weekend?  We are planning to have dinner and dessert with family tomorrow, and I have a special day out tentatively planned for next week with my sweet friend, Mrs. C.  Lord willing, we'll be dining at the Cheesecake Factory.  I have never been, can you believe it???  I am really looking forward to it, and hope that nothing hinders us.  We've been planning this since last November!!!  Sad, but true! ;)

The ladies trio that I sing in is scheduled to sing Sunday morning in the 11:00 service.  If you are not able to get to your church, feel free to dial up our service.  You will find it here on our church's website.  Just click the "Media" tab, and the "Live Service" option.

May God richly bless you this weekend,

Alesha

Adjusting to our New Normal

I don't know when I've had a more boring day...

It was lovely!  :)

We are doing well, adjusting beautifully to Doug's night shift and enjoying our daily walks.  Isaac especially loves to be out and on the move. 

We had our fall Bible conference this week.  We had great preaching and singing - such a wonderful time together.  Praise the Lord for preachers who still preach the Word of God!  If you want to hear some of the speakers, you will find them on our church's website.   My personal favorite was Bro. Tony Hutson's sermon called "Get Where God Is".  It was excellent!

Oh, and Doug bought me one of those "grabby" things.  Mine is called a "Gopher".

It is proving to be very useful around the house, so that I don't have to bend over to pick up things.  I even used it today to untie my shoes after our walk. :)  A very handy device.

I pray ya'll have a good evening, and to Laura, a great day!

Alesha

Refreshing...

We have FALL in Florida!  Yay!!!  It has been wonderful to feel the crisp cool air, and to be able to open the windows and have the fresh air circulate inside as well as outside.  It will be in the mid-80s again tomorrow, but that is so much better than the 90s we were having.  You will not hear anyone in our house complaining about the weather at this time of year.  We enjoy it so much! :)

I am doing better.  I have been able to care for myself, and even do a few things in the house.  I helped with the dishes a little, and also with the laundry.  I was able to whip up a batch of hummus.  Of course the food processor does all the work for that!  I just stand there and drop stuff in!

I was able to go to the services yesterday.  I attended the morning service for just the preaching hour, then last night, I went to choir practice and stayed for the service, too.  I took "Chairy" with me, and sat in the back in cushioned comfort. :) 

I am still having considerable pain at times, like today.  (I guess yesterday was just more sitting than I was ready for.)  I have found that walking does help the pain.  Doug, Isaac and I have been walking each evening for about 30 minutes.  I've been pushing my wheelchair while I walk, and then if I am in too much pain, I just sit down and wheel myself.  I know that's good for my upper body which is needing to be toned up any way, due to my recent weight loss.

I am not helping to care for Isaac yet.  (Well, I do comb his hair!  Some things Daddy just needs Mommy's help to do!)  I did change one diaper one night while Doug was at work.  It was only a wet diaper, and I did not need to adjust Isaac at all.  He helped me to roll from side to side, and I did not need to lift any part of him.  I was very careful and have only done it the one time.  It saved Doug a trip home from work, which is helpful to him.

You know, I know that not everyone understands what's going on with me; and sometimes they pass judgment on me.  They don't understand why I would do one activity, and not another.  They can't understand why Doug is continuing to work nights, or why I am so "helpless" at home.

The bottom line is that I am just trying to do things that will not hurt me.  Once you have been in the place that every movement caused severe pain, you find that you are loathe to be in that position again.  So, as I gain confidence, I have moved forward.  (I could write an entire blog about "fear"!  What a powerful emotion, and one that I have not had to deal with on such a level before.)

So, if there are some that don't understand our choices at this point, I sincerely pray that they do not ever have to experience my situation in order to understand it.  I would not wish any of this on my worst enemy! :)

The folks at Doug's work, and in my church, have been so kind and merciful to us.  I am grateful for people who live out Christ's attitude of compassion.  Their sweet spirits have been refreshing to our own spirits while we have been sojourning in the valley.

Isaac is doing well.  He had a spate of seizures last week.  We always hate to see him struggle with them.  We had to administer emergency seizure meds one day last week, and he has not been sleeping very well.  However, his sense of humor has remained intact!  We just love to hear him giggle at a song or because of something Doug does.  His joy is so contagious! 

I guess this is enough of an update for now.  I got a little long-winded, didn't I? :)  I pray you have a good day!

Alesha

Counting Blessings

I spent some time yesterday getting "pushed around" by my husband.  LOL!  (Thought you'd appreciate that, Hannah!) :)  He took me to the chiropractor in my new chair. :)

The chiro seems to think I have "facet joint syndrome".  Just click on the name to go to a site that explains it fairly well.  To be honest, I was quite fearful that it would be something more serious.  It certainly feels very serious!  So this diagnosis, although unpredictable, is better than something that would require surgery.

I did feel some immediately relief after the adjustment.  Although, after sitting for any length of time, the pain comes back with a vengeance.  I keep doing a little bit more each day.  "Slow and steady wins the race!" like the hare and the tortoise taught us. ;)

I'm feeling a little bit sorry for myself that I'm going to miss church again.  And please don't tell my pastors, but I miss the choir the most!  ;)  We are already practicing for our Christmas cantata, and I love that so much!  Also our choir is always learning new songs, so I miss out on those as well, and feel like I'm getting behind.  I do enjoy watching them on the web site, though.  It's fun to "see" your choir perform, rather than just hearing it.

I was quite pleased my how comfy my chair performed yesterday, although it did feel peculiar to be rolling around at everyone's waist level.  It's funny how much difference a foot or two can make in your perspective of things.  Now I know why they tell new parents to crawl around their house on hands and knees to view how their baby will see the world, so they know how to "childproof" their home more effectively.  Thankfully, I was not quiiiiiite down on that level!!! lol!

Can I just say again how wonderful my husband has been through all of this?  He is managing Isaac's care without a hitch.  Remember he was home with him full time for a year or so, so he does really great with all of the things required to keep Isaac happy and healthy. 

Of course, Isaac is older now, and we live in a different house, so some things are different.  His taste in videos has changed and he loves to have his curtains opened so that he can see out; but most things remain the same: feeds, meds, clothes changes...and lots of TLC!

Doug is also caring for me extremely well.  He has a real servant's heart and seems to thrive while meeting the needs of others.  I do not have one complaint about his care for me these past two weeks.  I have not gone without anything that I needed or wanted.  He has done all the laundry, cleaning, and meals as well. 

(Well, to be entirely accurate, I must say that Grammy did come over to visit the other day, and ended up dusting before she left.  Moms always seem to know what little thing might just make your day a little brighter!  She also sent over a few pieces of Jalapeno Cornbread last week. Yummo!!!)

I have felt so loved and cared for by my entire family (and my friends) for the past 2 weeks.  I am such a blessed, blessed woman!

I pray you feel loved and blessed today.  Even if you are alone, and in dire circumstances, please know that you are loved by God, and that He is right there with you.  Remember too, that no matter how hard things may seem, they could be worse!  So we need to count the blessing of this present difficulty.  God has protected us from many other things, and we should praise Him for that.

May God bless you this day,

Alesha