Dr. update

I had my biopsy and Praise the Lord no thyroid cancer, so that is done. I went to the headache neurologist and she was great, she really thinks that my stroke came from taking estrogen, I was only on it for a month but then that crazy eye thing happened and I took myself off it.  She said that was a blessing in disguise, because more than likely I could have had a worse incident had I stayed on the medicine, so another Praise the Lord. She is now trying to get the migraines under control, she put me on medicine that is powerful, I took the first dose at bedtime and it took me until 12 the next day to see straight. I will be cutting the dose in half. I also have to keep a diary of my daily headaches for a month, along with once again giving up certain foods that I love to see if these are the problems.  I laughed a year ago and told friends, God has seen fit to allow me to be allergic to shellfish, my most favorite thing to eat, and I hope he doesn't take away chocolate, peanut butter and cokes.  Well you guessed right, those are only 3 of the things that can be trigger foods, also avocados, pintos, peas, onions, soy, MSG, bananas, raspberries, plums, fancy breads, cheese, pork of any kind, and my favorite meat of all bacon, I know its a pork product but I think of it as steak. I love all these foods I usually every morning eat a banana and peanut butter for breakfast with a coke. Now you see why my world is turned up-side down.  I am having to rethink everything.
Now on to rest of family, Audrey had a 200 food blood test done this week to see what all she is allergic to, her body is so out of whack, and she has also been pretty sick , but you have to understand Audrey has always been sick, all her life, she saw a specialist this week and she told her that most of her problems her whole life she will bet comes from her being allergic to foods that she has been eating. She knows she is allergic to wheat now, she stopped eating that about a month ago and saw a tremendous change in her skin and stomach issues. However now they definitely want her to go off dairy and if you ever knew Audrey she lives off cheese so she is trying to figure out what to eat now.
She is a very OCD eater so this is going to be a challenge. We are very curious to what all she is allergic to and can't wait to see how getting off all this stuff will make her feel. She has never, ever really felt good since birth and I don't think she will know what it will feel like to wake up pain free, I have been thankful for her high pain tolerance, but I think it has somewhat messed her up because until she feels pass the point bad will she do anything about her pain.
Wesley is set up to see a new neurologist for a second opinion, to make sure that they didn't over look the MS with the first doctor.  His family Dr. says that sometimes a MS doctor is so confident that they overlook some patients at first. So he is hopefully going in the next couple weeks.
Praise the Lord that Joey, Josh, Abby & Harper are happy and healthy.  They can take care of all of us....Yeah right!!!!

Whats happening in my life

I decided that I was sick of looking at my cherry wood bedroom furniture that I have had for 30 years so with a little sweet talking Joey said he didn't care if I painted it.  This is the first piece it is black with taupe undertones.  It shows up gray here but he actually loves it, so now on to the rest. I will show before and after on the next pieces.

Grandmother turned 79 last week and she wanted a picture of her and her "blood" grandchildren.

I didn't know she said that and we couldn't figure out why Abby and Wesley wouldn't be in the picture, but they heard her say that.  Thanks goodness they both know how wacky she can be.

Our first snow and hopefully not our last, I had to take a picture of Josh, he and his father I think are by far the most snow minded people I know.  They called each other and talked about the weather radar and tried to predict how much there would be on the ground before it started. I will go on record today and say that Joey was so excited this morning on something he saw on the radar his exact words were this next system next weekend is so impressive and all three radars are showing alot of snow, so next week we will be on the computer again. 

another day in the life of "Harpo"

Loves Blue Suckers

Trampoline Fun


Harper is one of the greatest joys of my life, but there are days  that she works me hard.
I thought Audrey was one of the strongest willed children I had ever came across until now.
Harper loves life and hates to let it go and this is where our battle lies.
Nap time with me has become a battle ground, she doesn't fight naps usually except at my house.
We have decided she gets over stimulated there with so much going on and people in and out all the time and she can't shut down her little brain and relax. I will say she makes me laugh, she was jumping at my sisters on the trampoline and just laid down and said "we-anne it sure is a beautiful day today".  We go to bank and she sang a solo (Miss Sharon asked)  for a stranger there "smiling ear to ear and doing hand jesters to Chris Tomlin , There's no one like you".  I had to spank her for being disobedient and I have started using a wooden spoon on her hand, because you could spank her bottom and she laughs. So she can see the spoon doing the punishment, she said I will hide my other hand so you can't pop it and I'm going to tell my Daddy. Her new thing is to run through the house and turn on my bathtub and flush all the toilets and see if I can catch her and she laughs saying I'm going to play a trick on you.  Her new saying is I'm just upset, when she is pitching a fit to get her way, and I say why are you upset and she says Harpo don't know I just upset. Life with a 2 1/2 year is up and down in a split second, you have to roll with it or you are in trouble.  Thanks goodness I'm older now and somethings just don't bother me anymore like they did when I was young, I can laugh at the scenes that play out.
 

Changes

Websters definition of change says "to make different, to under go transformation". Life is always changing we either go with it or we fight it. Changes can be fun or  they can be very difficult. I have always said that I like change, I move my furniture around at least once a year usually twice. I use to paint rooms about every other year.  I get bored with things pretty quick, so I don't spend alot of money on material things because I probably won't keep it forever. Changes in life are a little different, Joey said yesterday, its been a week since Robert died and its real weird not to have him call at 9:30 everyday like he use to. I told him, I totally understood, I talked with my mom everyday and its been 9 months and I still think about calling her. Change is a everyday occurrence, weather, health, my hair, sleep, if I will fit in my jeans today or not, but one thing I do know that will not change.  That God above never changes, Psalm 121 I memorized in a Sunday school class  20 years ago with my friend Myra who is now gone to be with the Lord .  I still think of this verse often and it tells us who God is.
I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth! 
 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

Mr. Robert

Today once again Joey and I are experiencing another loss.  Mr. Robert is a gentleman from church who took to Joey like a proud Dad.  He was 86 years old, never married and  took care of so many people.  He retired from Navy and Air Force, he use to tell us some stories, he traveled everywhere.  He was in military with JR Ewing (Larry Hagman)  he use to laugh and say he really was a wimp. He traveled all over the world. He would tell us stories of selling gold years ago and having to hire security to go to Louisiana  with him.  He owned race horses for a while. He lived a very full life. He would drive all the way from Linwood at least 4 times a week and go out to eat with Joey for lunch, he would bring me bagels, donuts, and tons and tons of fresh fruit in season.  He didn't know how to give a little he always over indulged. I use to tell him, you know I need to lose weight then you go and bring me 7 bagels from Panera. He use to tell everybody Joey was the best person I know, and would get mad at me if I told him any different.  Joey laughed the other day and said I never got to enjoy having a dad in my older years since Joe passed away a month after we married, and here God sent  Robert, one of the most out going, giving men we have ever met. He has not been feeling well the last couple of months but kept telling me and Joey he was fine but we knew something was up because he had lost about 20 lbs. and started getting sick pretty regularly. He had a heart attack and God knew this was the way to go for him because he was a hard headed, strong willed man who would not have been able to lay down easy. I know that's why he had such a full life, he never thought he couldn't do something, He had plans (in his mind) to drive out west next year with his 84 year old brother, he told us every week, we are leaving this spring for a 3 week trip.
Joey has the responsibility of taking care of everything for Robert, there are circumstances that will make this a tricky and delicate situation, so we have now added to our new stress level around here. He  was a man who loved big, thought Audrey and a girl name Katie Lanier were just wonderful bought them gifts all the time.  Couldn't give two cents for Josh, we use to laugh because Josh never got a thing from him.  We really think he was jealous of Josh and Joeys relationship and didn't know what to do about it.  Loved our Pastor but worried about him exercising, wanted to buy him a gym membership.  Loved a man named Jimmy who was in military also, so he thought they were kindred spirits.  Went to lunch regularly with a lady from Davie who's Dad was his friend.  Robert burnt up the roads going to North Wilkesboro to visit family, King to visit sister-in-law, Greensboro to see old military buddies, at 86 years of age you could not slow him down.  What a role model for us. He will be missed, Joeys is now going to have to eat lunch with me.

I won't back down

We modify the words at one point, but we laugh because we think this could be her life song.

She loves this movie, and when you think about it, we shouldn't back down to life.

It will be hard, things will get thrown at you and you need to learn to stand your ground on your beliefs.  But first of all you need to know what you believe. In this scene it comes across scary but its about the head cow Ben protecting the Barnyard and he won't back down from the ugly and mean coyotes.  He is standing up for what he believes no matter the consequences.

 

When its cold

This is one of Harper's favorite movies,

Joey and her jump around and play drums when this song comes on.

Tomorrow I will show you her favorite song

Hebrews 6 :1-8

So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds^[a] and placing our faith in God. ² You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³ And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.
⁴ For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— ⁶ and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.⁷ When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. ⁸ But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.
So this is what I woke up to this morning with my husband saying read this and tell me what you think this means.  Every morning he meets 4-5 men at Cagneys for breakfast (bad coffee) and discussion. So every morning I asked what did ya'll talk about today, well this was it.  A loaded couple of Bible verses if I have ever read one.  In saying this, it also is one that needs to be examined to the core.  Because as a (good, LOL) missionary alliance girl, where we believe once saved always saved, this when first looking at it can make you re-examine what you have been taught. However, as I read and reread this passage I think that this is what you would call a Christian who has completed the unforgivable sin, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  One who has seen God work in and through their lives, who know that's Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is alive and working today and has chosen to decided that God is not who he says he is, that Jesus was just a prophet and that alot of what we do has to do with us and not the Holy Spirit.  Blasphemy- "the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God, the act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God, or is a transliteration of a Greek word meaning literally “to speak harm.” As a Christian to turn so completely against the Word of God and to denounce who Jesus is I believe is the person who this scripture is talking about, whether he is in heaven or not is up to God.  But as a believer I would not want to chance once saved always saved thinking and push the lines to see what kind of feed back I would get with the shock thinking some young & old  adults are using today.

New Years Day

Today is the first day of a brand new year.  Lets just WELCOME NEW YEAR....As I think back on 2013 I will say that this past year has been a year of many changes. I tried to think what I thought 2013 was going to be like last New Years Day. Never would I have thought that this past year would hold so much sadness, joy, uncertainty, (to be honest) fear, love, and learning. Sadness over the loss of mom and so many others, Joy of Audrey & Wesley's  beautiful wedding. uncertainty of so much illness and not knowing what was happening. Fear of what might happen next and would we come out of it whole. Love from  so many friends and family. Learning that life changes everyday and that we need to learn to adjust. Learning that I am not in control of anything even when I think I am.  Learning that I need to quit trying to take care of everyone and their problems and let the Holy Spirit work in their lives the way he sees fit.
I believe 2014 will be a new day everyday, with new sadness, joy, uncertainty, fears, love and learning. It will be up to me to depended on the one who created me and stick as close to him as possible.  To learn something new like I did this year and to grow in maturity. HAPPY  2014