Thankful for free wireless as I write you from the E.R. at Presby!
Collin just didn't get better... If you haven't read my earlier post, he became ill yesterday afternoon and had temps soaring to 104 which had me a little worried. When I spoke to his Internist this morning and listed his symptoms, the Doctor advised us to head to the Emergency Room. God is SO good-- Janice was off work this afternoon and was able to come and watch the girls! Amazing how He truly does take care of us in ways we can't anticipate.
They've poked & prodded Collin and are trying to figure out what's wrong... We're awaiting results on all the tests, but a few results have come back and we've ruled out Flu (yes, we all got our shots) and Strep. Still waiting on RSV, Rotavirus and others.
Please pray that our kiddos stay well! ...And that Collin heals quickly.
**Update**
We're home! Got home a little after 5pm. Collin is on antibiotics and two other meds. Hopefully he'll start feeling better soon, but he's still really sick. :/ Thanks for the prayers!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
New look for the blog!
Another season, another look!... :)
For the past two seasons I've purposefully kept pictures out of the header since my blog is typically saturated with images as it is. But there's something about Christmas that just warrants a few pictures of smiley little kiddos. And, no, none of these are going to be repeated on our Christmas card this year-- We had Kendra do a photo shoot for our card just before she and Erroll left for Holland, so we've kept that one under-wraps until greeting card time! :)
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a fun-filled day at our house with the Poages! It was exciting and chaotic-- everything the holidays should be. All was well until the guests started to leave and I could tell that Collin wasn't feeling well. Poor guy quickly deteriorated soon thereafter and had fever up to 104 tonight. :/ We're going to the doctor in the morning... if not the ER tonight. (104+ scares me.) Say a prayer for a healthy Collin!
Hugs to all, and Merry Christmas!
For the past two seasons I've purposefully kept pictures out of the header since my blog is typically saturated with images as it is. But there's something about Christmas that just warrants a few pictures of smiley little kiddos. And, no, none of these are going to be repeated on our Christmas card this year-- We had Kendra do a photo shoot for our card just before she and Erroll left for Holland, so we've kept that one under-wraps until greeting card time! :)
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a fun-filled day at our house with the Poages! It was exciting and chaotic-- everything the holidays should be. All was well until the guests started to leave and I could tell that Collin wasn't feeling well. Poor guy quickly deteriorated soon thereafter and had fever up to 104 tonight. :/ We're going to the doctor in the morning... if not the ER tonight. (104+ scares me.) Say a prayer for a healthy Collin!
Hugs to all, and Merry Christmas!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Our Anniversary Trip
Ahhhh... Our first trip alone together (alone, together?) since 2004 and it was wonderful! We've taken other trips with couple friends since then but this was just the two of us!
We headed to Austin, dropped the girls off with Gram & Boppa and continued on to the Hyatt Wild Oaks Ranch for some much-needed together time and relaxation. (We spent two nights in Austin with my family to celebrate my sister's Birthday... another post on that to come... so it wasn't really a "drive-by drop-off" of the kiddos like it sounds. We weren't quite that anxious, but close!) We mostly hung out at the hotel, but did go in to San Antonio the last night. (You can't be that close to the Riverwalk and not go eat Mexican food, right?!)
We missed our babies, but sure enjoyed the break. It's been too long since I've had 4+ consecutive hours of sleep, and I'm not sure my body knew how to appreciate it. I kept waking up during the night feeling like there was something I needed to be doing. Too bad. Guess you can take the girls away from the Mother, but you can't take the "Mother" out of the girl.
Nevertheless, it was fantastic!! Looking forward to more trips like this in the future! :)
We headed to Austin, dropped the girls off with Gram & Boppa and continued on to the Hyatt Wild Oaks Ranch for some much-needed together time and relaxation. (We spent two nights in Austin with my family to celebrate my sister's Birthday... another post on that to come... so it wasn't really a "drive-by drop-off" of the kiddos like it sounds. We weren't quite that anxious, but close!) We mostly hung out at the hotel, but did go in to San Antonio the last night. (You can't be that close to the Riverwalk and not go eat Mexican food, right?!)
We missed our babies, but sure enjoyed the break. It's been too long since I've had 4+ consecutive hours of sleep, and I'm not sure my body knew how to appreciate it. I kept waking up during the night feeling like there was something I needed to be doing. Too bad. Guess you can take the girls away from the Mother, but you can't take the "Mother" out of the girl.
Nevertheless, it was fantastic!! Looking forward to more trips like this in the future! :)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
5 Years!
(No... I'm not talking about the last time I posted something on my blog, although it SEEMS like it's been that long.)
Collin and I celebrated our 5 year Wedding Anniversary last week! It occurred to me that many of my current friends didn't know us back then and didn't get to participate in that major event of our lives. So-- I pulled out the old scanner, dusted it off and awkwardly spent the next hour or so scanning the images from my gigantic black wedding album. (If you have one of these, you know what I'm talking about.) You know, the black leather-bound book with gold-edged pages... This book looks like it ATE a wedding. It took me a while, and the images are a terribly low quality (due to a setting I was unaware of until I had finished scanning all the images), but at least all my new friends can now feel like they were a part of that day and my old friends can remember the good time we had.
And, on a sappy note... :)
Since this blog is really a family journal, I'd like to write a little note to my husband. (Please feel free to quit reading here and skip to the pictures if you'd like! I totally understand. But Collin, my love :) the rest is for you, so you're kind of required to read on...)
I LOVE that we chose November for the month to get married because just hearing the name of the month, "November," evokes thoughts of thankfulness... and I AM thankful. Thank you for choosing me; For making me your wife and for vowing to love, honor & cherish ME until you lay me in Jesus' arms, or until He comes again.
Although we are still newlyweds in the eyes of many who have been married for decades, we've had quite a start! You've loved me so many times when I've been unlovable... in good times and bad... and you've valued and prioritized our marriage when it might have felt easier to just give up. You've been my buddy, my best friend, the best looking man in the room, my spiritual leader and the one I admire most. You've encouraged me in so many ways. You never miss an opportunity to stop me for a hug and to remind me that you think I'm beautiful-- many times when I have no make-up on and haven't showered in days! You bring such peace and perspective to our home, and also provide a wealth of creative dreams and ideas.
Nothing is ever broken for long at our house because of you, my amazing hubby! You can fix ANYTHING. Anything. From replacing my brake pads and rotors to save the money that a mechanic would charge, to conquering major electrical issues at the house, to fixing computer "gliches" that would cause others to be off-line for weeks, to installing everything from doors to appliances to French drains in the yard... I'm honestly convinced that there is very little that is too difficult for you. And if you don't already know how to do it, you WILL figure it out and you will do it better than anyone we could have hired.
And all the while, you are the most tender-hearted Daddy to our little girls. The same hands that come in greasy from the garage after working on the car are the hands that cradle Julia when she cries and "high-five" Avery when she sings, "Jesus Loves Me" all by herself. They love you SO much and look up to you. Their spirits lift in an unexplainable way when you walk through the door. (There's no peace quite the same as when Daddy comes home.)
But whatever "hat" you're wearing... whether it's husband, father, friend, young professional, Director, volunteer, brother, son (& son-in-law) ...you wear it well. And if I had it to do over again a million times, I would ALWAYS chose YOU. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway because I can't tell you enough-- I love you. I LOVE you. Thank you for the life you've worked so hard to build for me, and for Avery, and for Julia. We couldn't ASK for anything more and I hope we're always as blessed as we are today.
Happy 5 years, sweets! We're just rookies... but I'm looking forward to many more years of memories for as long as we both shall live.
Collin and I celebrated our 5 year Wedding Anniversary last week! It occurred to me that many of my current friends didn't know us back then and didn't get to participate in that major event of our lives. So-- I pulled out the old scanner, dusted it off and awkwardly spent the next hour or so scanning the images from my gigantic black wedding album. (If you have one of these, you know what I'm talking about.) You know, the black leather-bound book with gold-edged pages... This book looks like it ATE a wedding. It took me a while, and the images are a terribly low quality (due to a setting I was unaware of until I had finished scanning all the images), but at least all my new friends can now feel like they were a part of that day and my old friends can remember the good time we had.
And, on a sappy note... :)
Since this blog is really a family journal, I'd like to write a little note to my husband. (Please feel free to quit reading here and skip to the pictures if you'd like! I totally understand. But Collin, my love :) the rest is for you, so you're kind of required to read on...)
I LOVE that we chose November for the month to get married because just hearing the name of the month, "November," evokes thoughts of thankfulness... and I AM thankful. Thank you for choosing me; For making me your wife and for vowing to love, honor & cherish ME until you lay me in Jesus' arms, or until He comes again.
Although we are still newlyweds in the eyes of many who have been married for decades, we've had quite a start! You've loved me so many times when I've been unlovable... in good times and bad... and you've valued and prioritized our marriage when it might have felt easier to just give up. You've been my buddy, my best friend, the best looking man in the room, my spiritual leader and the one I admire most. You've encouraged me in so many ways. You never miss an opportunity to stop me for a hug and to remind me that you think I'm beautiful-- many times when I have no make-up on and haven't showered in days! You bring such peace and perspective to our home, and also provide a wealth of creative dreams and ideas.
Nothing is ever broken for long at our house because of you, my amazing hubby! You can fix ANYTHING. Anything. From replacing my brake pads and rotors to save the money that a mechanic would charge, to conquering major electrical issues at the house, to fixing computer "gliches" that would cause others to be off-line for weeks, to installing everything from doors to appliances to French drains in the yard... I'm honestly convinced that there is very little that is too difficult for you. And if you don't already know how to do it, you WILL figure it out and you will do it better than anyone we could have hired.
And all the while, you are the most tender-hearted Daddy to our little girls. The same hands that come in greasy from the garage after working on the car are the hands that cradle Julia when she cries and "high-five" Avery when she sings, "Jesus Loves Me" all by herself. They love you SO much and look up to you. Their spirits lift in an unexplainable way when you walk through the door. (There's no peace quite the same as when Daddy comes home.)
But whatever "hat" you're wearing... whether it's husband, father, friend, young professional, Director, volunteer, brother, son (& son-in-law) ...you wear it well. And if I had it to do over again a million times, I would ALWAYS chose YOU. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway because I can't tell you enough-- I love you. I LOVE you. Thank you for the life you've worked so hard to build for me, and for Avery, and for Julia. We couldn't ASK for anything more and I hope we're always as blessed as we are today.
Happy 5 years, sweets! We're just rookies... but I'm looking forward to many more years of memories for as long as we both shall live.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
She sings...
This is the most fun "new thing" Avery has added to the list of things that melt our hearts. Is there anything as cute as a 2-year-old trying to sing a song and completely butchering the lyrics?! We love it. There are a few songs she occasionally sings, but we've only been able to catch two of them on film. The ones we have video of are "Jesus Loves Me" and the "Clean-Up Song." Her other favorites are "Twinke, Twinkle" and "ABC's."
This may sound cheesy, but I can honestly say that my absolute FAVORITE moment of parenthood so far has been singing Jesus Loves Me with Avery. There's nothing like that... I guess it's because I truly believe the words. To many people, that song is just for kids... But let me say from experience: When you watch your 7-month-old go limp under anesthesia for an MRI, or get a phone call from the doctor saying your unborn baby may have a fatal genetic defect, the words, "Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong" take on an all-new meaning. So to be able to sit with Avery in my lap, look her in the eyes and hear her sweet little voice singing this song along with me... Nothing else compares. (Sorry the lighting is bad on the first two videos... We had to just grab the camera and film because we never know what might scare away the singing and cause her to be camera shy!)
Jesus Loves Me: A "duet" video first, and then Avery goes solo for the 2nd video. Underneath the 2nd video, I'll type what I think she's actually singing so you can follow along with her words.
"N I know... Oh, Bible So... The children are bueno... But, He's strong... Yes, Jesus. Yes, Jesus. Oh, Bible So."
The Clean-Up Song: If you're not familiar with it the actual words are, "It's clean-up, it's clean-up... Everybody, everywhere... It's clean-up, it's clean-up... Everybody do your share." Avery sings it, "Clean-up, clean-up... All-body share!" :) Close enough!
This may sound cheesy, but I can honestly say that my absolute FAVORITE moment of parenthood so far has been singing Jesus Loves Me with Avery. There's nothing like that... I guess it's because I truly believe the words. To many people, that song is just for kids... But let me say from experience: When you watch your 7-month-old go limp under anesthesia for an MRI, or get a phone call from the doctor saying your unborn baby may have a fatal genetic defect, the words, "Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong" take on an all-new meaning. So to be able to sit with Avery in my lap, look her in the eyes and hear her sweet little voice singing this song along with me... Nothing else compares. (Sorry the lighting is bad on the first two videos... We had to just grab the camera and film because we never know what might scare away the singing and cause her to be camera shy!)
Jesus Loves Me: A "duet" video first, and then Avery goes solo for the 2nd video. Underneath the 2nd video, I'll type what I think she's actually singing so you can follow along with her words.
"N I know... Oh, Bible So... The children are bueno... But, He's strong... Yes, Jesus. Yes, Jesus. Oh, Bible So."
The Clean-Up Song: If you're not familiar with it the actual words are, "It's clean-up, it's clean-up... Everybody, everywhere... It's clean-up, it's clean-up... Everybody do your share." Avery sings it, "Clean-up, clean-up... All-body share!" :) Close enough!
Friday, November 07, 2008
Double-Take
For anyone who still believes that Avery looks like her Daddy... I stumbled on this photo of myself that was made back in 1982-ish and thought it was worth posting. Does this look like anyone we know? :) (...Yes, I'm aware that Avery's looks favor Collin... but I'm definitely in there too and now I have proof!)
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Tastes like November!
Today may have been warm enough to wear shorts, but Avery and I decided to bake like it was 35` degrees outside!
What better way to welcome November than to bake a pumpkin pie together? I was in the mood for a little "November" today and I thought it would be a good baking activity for Avery to help with since pumpkin pie is so simple. It was definitely an exercise in patience, baking with a 2-year-old. :) Collin brought the camera in and snapped a few pictures, and then I kept it with me and took some more. These are pictures that probably only the Grandparents will enjoy, but I thought I'd blog them anyway...
I also have a couple of videos that I'll post too. One of them was hilarious in person, but you can't quite tell what's going on in the video, so I'll explain: We got the sugar all measured out (Avery ladled it into my Pampered Chef measurer-- little by little for a LONG time-- until it was filled) and then as soon as it was level to the top she leaned over and BLEW on the sugar! Who knows why she did that... but she did. And then she did it again! Sugar was flying everywhere, and it was funny. But you know what happens if you laugh with Avery in the room, so we kept our chuckles to ourselves but it's caught on film for us to laugh at retroactively. :) ...And I also laughed at myself in the video too because I say, "Good job" after I pour the sugar in! HA! That self-affirmation was accidental, I assure you.
The only thing that stinks is that it was bedtime before the pie cooled enough for her to taste. :( Oh well... she can have a bite of pumpkin pie for breakfast, right? A little "sugar high" before Sunday School never hurt anyone! ...Just don't tell her teachers. :)
Happy November! ...Hard to believe that Christmas is just a little more than 7 weeks away... Wow.
What better way to welcome November than to bake a pumpkin pie together? I was in the mood for a little "November" today and I thought it would be a good baking activity for Avery to help with since pumpkin pie is so simple. It was definitely an exercise in patience, baking with a 2-year-old. :) Collin brought the camera in and snapped a few pictures, and then I kept it with me and took some more. These are pictures that probably only the Grandparents will enjoy, but I thought I'd blog them anyway...
The only thing that stinks is that it was bedtime before the pie cooled enough for her to taste. :( Oh well... she can have a bite of pumpkin pie for breakfast, right? A little "sugar high" before Sunday School never hurt anyone! ...Just don't tell her teachers. :)
Happy November! ...Hard to believe that Christmas is just a little more than 7 weeks away... Wow.
Halloween fun!
Halloween was a blast at the Poage house!
Our neighborhood association had a party at the new park on our street, and I did a horrible job making pictures because I was too busy making friends! :) Avery was "Fancy Nancy" and had fun swinging (big surprise) and playing with all the other neighborhood kiddos. Julia, our red M&M, took her turn in the swing for a little bit too! We had a wonderful potluck picnic and when the sun set, everyone headed out to trick-or-treat!
Collin and Avery hit the pavement and brought home some serious candy. Collin enjoyed every minute of the social aspect of trick-or-treating, and after the first house Avery understood the concept and went straight for the candy when the door opened. HA! I guess it's still acceptable behavior from a 2-year-old, but next year we'll expect her to wait patiently for it to be handed to her.
It was a fun night! ...I just can't believe it's November...
Our neighborhood association had a party at the new park on our street, and I did a horrible job making pictures because I was too busy making friends! :) Avery was "Fancy Nancy" and had fun swinging (big surprise) and playing with all the other neighborhood kiddos. Julia, our red M&M, took her turn in the swing for a little bit too! We had a wonderful potluck picnic and when the sun set, everyone headed out to trick-or-treat!
Collin and Avery hit the pavement and brought home some serious candy. Collin enjoyed every minute of the social aspect of trick-or-treating, and after the first house Avery understood the concept and went straight for the candy when the door opened. HA! I guess it's still acceptable behavior from a 2-year-old, but next year we'll expect her to wait patiently for it to be handed to her.
It was a fun night! ...I just can't believe it's November...
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