Up, Down, Up, Down…Brieanna Day 4

Well, today was a hard day for my girl.  (Sad, sad face)
     Brie suffered with a fever off and on all night and even into the morning.  She had a rough go of it all night and we had to adjust her positions several times and, still, she found it hard to get comfortable at all.  Even the pain medication did little to comfort her on this night.
     The Physiotherapists came first thing and got Brie out of bed and sitting up in a chair in her room.  This act was not without ALOT of pain and gritted teeth, but Brie managed it.

Baby Steps...Brieanna Day 3

   

 Today I was brought back in time - almost 15 years back in time!  I felt myself brought back to when Brieanna was just a few months old trying to gain a little independence.
     The physiotherapy girls came in today and told us that they were going to try to put Brie into a chair to sit for a bit!  I was so surprised.  I asked "Is she allowed to do that already?"  Surely this was some sort of mistake and they had the wrong patient, or at the very least, the wrong information!  It has been less than 24 hours since my little girl got out of BOWEL REMOVAL surgery and you want her to get out of that bed and sit up in a chair??  Incredible!  Impossible, right? ......  NOPE!

The BIG DAY...Brieanna Day 2

 

   Well, "surgery day" finally arrived.  I must admit that I hardly slept at all last night and seemed to wake with every sound Brieanna made.
     As the night sped on, Brie seemed to develop a cough and stuffy nose.  This made me worry and I began to pray in earnest for God to take the cough from my little girl.  By morning the cough was worse and both Andy and I began to worry they might cancel the surgery if it was too bad.
     We discussed our concerns with the surgical consultant and the anesthetist - the surgery would continue as scheduled!  Yay!  Even though God did not take the cough from Brie, He still allowed the surgery to proceed,  God's people were praying - we could already feel it!
     Brie was allowed a last drink of water at 6:30am and then nothing after that.  By the time the team came at 11:00am to take her to the operating theatre, Brie was so hungry and thirsty!  More than anything, though, Brie was nervous.  Andy and I prayed one last prayer with Brie to calm us all.  The funny thing was, Brie was not nervous about the surgery itself but  nervous about having the cannula / port put into her hand!  After they tried 5 times to take blood the night before, she was fed up with being a pin cushion!!
     As it was, Brie had to have gas to put her under and they put the cannula in after that.  Her veins just seem to be TOO small!
     I was the only one allowed in the anesthetist room with Brie.  She got all set up and I watched my nervous, shy, quiet 15 year-old girlie lie down upon the cot and get ready to take a huge step in her life.  The gas put her under pretty fast and I was allowed to kiss her goodbye, gather her robe and slippers and head back to Andy in the waiting area.  We were escorted back to Brie's room and left on our own.  It was such a strange feeling to be in the room - minus her bed - waiting while the team of surgeons worked on our daughter.   All of the imaginings from the last 12 years were coming to pass.
     Then began the WAITING....and waiting ... and waiting!!!

Grace in Time of Need.... Brieanna day 1

Well, it has begun. That time of our children's lives that we have discussed and dreaded for almost 12 years. The days of doctors, surgeries and hospitals... the time is here. It is all starting today with my eldest baby, Brieanna Nicole.

We went to the hospital this afternoon and Brieanna was admitted. We met with her surgeon Mr. Jaffray and he explained the details of Brieanna's "laparoscopic reconstructive proctocolectomy and ileostomy." Whew!!  Plain speak, removal of the whole large bowel!  This will also include creating an internal pouch out of the small bowel and allowing it to heal while using an external pouch for about 6 weeks.   A second surgery will then reconnect it all.  Yes, the days of changing my child's life are here!!  It almost takes my breath away!!

Someday, I Won't Have To Miss A Thing...

     I LOVE our new technologies and social medias.  Now, I know there are dangers in technology and I understand the social media sites can be great time-wasters and even home-wreckers when used unwisely.  Having said all of that, I do love the social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Why do I love these sites?  Because I love my family and friends and I get to feel like I am part of their lives through some of these sites.  It is almost like a tiny window into each of their lives:)  Being so far away I feel, at times, that

I AM MISSING EVERYTHING!!

     Our family is a close family.  Not just my immediate family of 6 kids and Andy, but our extended families as a whole.  We are quite close to Andy's brother and sister's families as well as his mom and dad and I have always been close to my three brothers and their families and especially my own mom and dad.  I have an 8 month old nephew and a 19 month old niece that I have yet to meet.  I know, too, that if I were to see half of my nieces and nephews today, they would not know me.  It breaks my heart not to be a real presence in their lives!  I always dreamed of being that "fun Auntie Amy" to my nieces and nephews! When I see pics of them getting older and celebrating little and big milestones in their lives, I admit I can feel a twinge of regret at times.  NEVER regret from the life we live serving our Lord, but just regret that we could not be there to celebrate with them and have a part in their precious lives  I do feel, at times that                                    

   I AM MISSING EVERYTHING!!

    The reality of our lives in the ministry is that no matter where we may be serving, I will probably never be in the same town as most of my family.  My grandparents have always been far away - Texas and Arizona so we grew up use to the distance. Now, with an older brother who is pastoring in Ardmore, Oklahoma, a younger brother as an assistant pastor in Durham, North Carolina, and my baby brother who is a pharmacist and helping to start a mission church in  Cincinnati, Ohio - my family is all over the map!  I praise God for parents who taught us that being in the center of God's will is more important that being together.  My parents always stressed that "It is safer in God's will on the other side of the world than next door and out of the will of God."  I wholeheartedly agree!  I am thrilled to be used of God here in the country of England!  So I ask myself

AM I MISSING EVERYTHING??

  

   I have been blessed to be born in an age where I can chat with my family over the internet.  A time when phone calls cost a fraction of the money they did even 20 years ago.  I live in a time when I can text my family FOR FREE any time and receive a response almost immediately - FROM ANYWHERE!  I can take pictures of everything I am doing and share them with friends and family in an instant and they can do the same with me!  To be honest, the close physical presence of family is missing but, I do get to "see" my family quite often. I have to admit in those moments when I feel so far away - it really is not all that bad:)  Getting to share little moments - even over the internet is still very special.

     I am also reminded on a daily basis that our time on earth is so fleeting.  It is but a "vapor" and then we are gone.  Heaven is forever!  I seem to look forward to that day more and more as I get older.  Heaven - where I will sing praises to our Lord WITH my family again!  Heaven - where I will NEVER have to say another goodbye!  Heaven - when there will be time for and with EVERYONE! Heaven - where 

I WON'T HAVE TO MISS A THING!!!

"O that will be glory for me!"

God Is Still Calling Men....

    

This past week at the Bible Conference in Arbroath, Scotland was just what our family needed....and we really did not even know it.  We had just gotten in the country after an awesome time back in America with family and friends.  We actually were on "cloud nine" and excited about getting back in to the work here in Carlisle.  We have been planning to attend the meeting in Arbroath since last year's meeting, so we were excited to be going.  I will admit that we were still a bit jet lagged, but still, we were so looking forward to seeing missionary families, national pastor families as well as many other great friends here in the UK.  We knew we were in for a great time of fellowship and preaching.  What we did not expect is what God would do with it all in the life of my oldest son....

My Cup Runneth Over....

     Well, it is official, we are back home in England!  I have been so remiss to keep up with our blog while we were back.  I am hoping, once again, to change that! (HOLD YOUR BREATH! ha)
   At any rate, we are now back in the country....well sorta.  We got  back into the country of England and only a week went by before we left once again to head to a camp meeting style conference in Arbroath, Scotland.

 This is a yearly event and one we look forward to every October.

     We have been so blessed to make some dear friends here in the UK among fellow missionary families, national pastor families and national Christian folks. It is always fun for all of us to be together in one place for a few days.