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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61296597199467193832014-09-01T18:45:42.580-07:00Our Micro-Preemie TwinsJenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-56076336863824655972014-01-01T20:46:00.000-08:002014-01-01T20:46:27.728-08:00It's a New YearI think if I looked back, each post for the last year would begin with "wow, time has sure gone by..." or something similar to it! 2013 went WAY too fast. 2013 was a good year to us... full of firsts, lots of joy, and making memories. Which is my always a goal to create many, many memories!!!
Grace and Faith started school. Still sounds SO crazy for me to say out loud considering their beginning. I also started working again. Which seems equally crazy to say.... that means my babies are getting old :( But even as they get older, I find myself enjoying the days more and more. I'm so sad at how fast the time has gone by but, my oh my, these girls are so precious!!

We ended the year out to dinner first. We had been given and Olive Garden gift certificate for Christmas so we decided to use it. I'm not the biggest OG fan, but I got this meatball sandwich and it was pretty good :)

Lance and I both picked the same thing from the menu... we laugh at how much we are becoming more and more alike. I love this man!!!
Afterwards we went home to have a "camp out!

We all made a huge bed and camped out on our living room floor. All four of us stayed up till midnight {can hardly believe what party animals my girls are!} and kissed and watched the fireworks :) It was so fun!!

Today we started off by getting Christmas stuff put away and then went to my in-laws for our annual "tar-heel" dinner.

Ham, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and some garlic mashed potatoes. Its so so good. My mother in law is the best!!!!

My niece Sarah Lynn and I after dinner. Isn't she so beautiful!!! I can hardly believe how grown up and what a great young lady she is turning out to be. Love her!!!!!

I am so excited to see what God unfolds for us in this coming year. There are some big changes on our horizon, scary and exciting :) I'd just love to be able to write here more often. And I'm truly so thankful for this little time to reflect on our family, all the great things the Lord has done, and write it all out.
My desire in 2014 is to glorify God with every little and big thing I do and say. I want to grow and know more of who He is, every single day. Pray for me!
Happy New Year :) Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-58461938971472051282013-10-12T18:15:00.000-07:002013-10-12T18:15:45.373-07:00An Update :)WOW...I cannot believe it is already October. This year is going by SO fast.
Many things are going well here! Grace and Faith are adjusting to Kindergarten, the routine of that, and becoming more acquainted with "going to school".

Grace LOVES it. She tells me stories everyday. Yesterday she says she was playing outside with a jump rope when a boy took it from her, so she took it back and he pushed her down. I asked her what she did after that and she says "I was sad and I looked for you but I couldn't find you on the playground". I seriously broke in a million pieces after that :( Sad mama heart. I am thankful she is learning some independence and how to handle situations on her own. She tells me EVERY kid who doesn't make good choices at school. Her teacher uses a rainbow chart which is pretty standard for the entire school and Grace LOVES to tell me she stayed at the top of the rainbow chart. She has been moved down once before for clicking her tongue during quiet time, and she was so sad about that. ha!!!!

Faith is adjusting well too, and she says she likes Kindergarten, but it's been a bit harder with her. We have been diligently praying and seeking the Lord's wisdom in this. We believe this could be a great thing for Faith, but there are some bumps we are navigating and as her mom, it just makes me question every single decision. But, she loves "school" stuff and this kid literally writes, colors, draws and "makes projects" ALL day long. She has a stock pile in our stapler, yarn, glue, and all the glitter a girl can ask for. We have "door hangers" on every door in our house from all the "projects" she makes. So school comes very naturally to her and she loves to do it.

Both the girls are reading now. We are working with the BOB Books, and Faith is on book 6 and Grace is on 5. They LOVE to read, which I'm so thankful for. I LOVE to read too, so I'm glad they enjoy it too.... a good healthy habit :)

I am SO thankful I get to take my babies to school every day. We pray together every morning before school and I LOVE this time with them. It's been a sweet blessing to my heart to hear their conversations with God grow over time. Grace has been asking more about heaven and hell and asking about Jesus living in our hearts.... and what salvation means. She doesn't quite understand right now.... she says she doesn't want to die and go to heaven because she will miss us. We were talking about it one day last week, and I told her mommy and daddy will spend forever and ever with Jesus when we die, and she says "but mama, will God have a bed for me in heaven?" SO precious to hear what her little heart is thinking :)

God has blessed me GREATLY with these two girls, and my husband!!!!!
Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-45355571975062754152013-09-13T06:44:00.001-07:002013-09-13T14:04:44.244-07:00KindergartenWhew.... last week was rough!! I am SO thankful today is Friday and we are starting again after a little break.

Grace is LOVING kindergarten. She is so social and loves people so I'm really not surprised. This girl is non-stop!! It's always funny when people comment on how busy she is. It's really an understatement :) She is also the sweetest and most tender hearted little girl I know. I just cherish her love for other people!!!! She also tells us everything. If she overhears anything, or sees anything at all, she will always tell us. Good or bad. And her memory is impeccable!!!!!!!

Last Thursday, the second day of school, when I picked her up she began telling me about her day. She said they had music class and she found a xylophone but wasn't supposed to touch it, but touched it anyways. The music teacher asked her not to play with it, so when she did her teacher ended up walking her back to class so they could talk one on one about following directions.
As Grace was telling me this story, she says she didn't make a good choice and touched the xylophone when the music teacher asked her not too. She continues to tell me she needed to give me a token back when we get home (we use a token system for a behaviors/chores. They receive one token to put in their mini treasure chest for good behavior/good choices and doing their chores and have to give one back if they make a bad choice/don't do chores. Goal is to get 10 at the end of the day so they get to pick the books we read) and then stops herself, and says "actually, I need to give you two tokens because I made a bad choice and I cried about it". Bless her heart. She is just precious!!!!
Her teacher told me because it was the second day of school they were bringing the kids out to talk verses talking in the music class so they weren't distracted.
On Friday she told me she got lost at school. They eat lunch in the cafeteria on special days and somehow she got lost from her class. She went to recess looking for them, and saw Faith instead. Then she tells me she saw other kids playing soccer (which she is dying to play but can't because of her eyes) and so she went to go play with them but they told her she wasn't old enough... she says "mom, I just need to grow to be as big as you first then I can play". Seriously... so, so sweet!!! Thankfully another teacher saw her misplaced at the older kids recess time and got her back to class. That was only day 3.

Faith, is having a much harder time.... and so is her mama. Last week was so very hard. I literally wanted to give up and homeschool. I'm SO thankful my husband is a strong leader.
With Faith's hearing loss, and her auditory neuropathy, it just makes things so much more complicated. Faith does amazing in familiar and routined environments. But that is it. She was crying on Wednesday night, and Thursday morning and I couldn't understand what she was saying. She was attached to me on Thursday, did not want to go to school, begging to stay with me... which is VERY unusual for her. She is always more shy and timid in new places or new people but once she warms up, she is great, and it doesn't take long. Like the easiest kid ever!! Thursday morning was awful. I cried all day. Questioning every decision we have ever made.

I talked for a long time with our Auditory Verbal Therapist and Speech Language Pathologist about her opinion of the classroom for Faith. We have been praying and trying to understand what kind of placement, if any, is a good fit for Faith. And where to go from here..... There have been several things that have raised some yellow flags with us.... nothing serious, but we are pursing information. We believe this program could be SOOO good for Faith, but we just have some small hurdles to get over first. And that requires meetings, and paperwork.
Thankfully we have a FANTASTIC SLP who wants to come up and tour Faith's class and get a feel for if this is the best place for her too.

I really like Grace and Faith in separate classes. It has really given them both confidence in themselves.... particularly Faith who is so dependent on following. They see each other every morning when I drop them off, and occasionally at recess which I hear is the sweetest thing as they both run to each other and hug!!!!

Grace keeps talking about this boy Kaeden in her class who she always wants to sit by because he goes to church too. One of my biggest prayers is Grace and Faith would be a light into this world, and they will proclaim Jesus in their all.
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-55214870148772064312013-09-03T19:07:00.000-07:002013-10-27T21:27:39.521-07:00Deaf/Hard of Hearing Kindergarten Program for FaithCan you believe it's been over a month since last time.....
I feel so overwhelmed with all I want to share, but before I work on that, I HAVE to share this picture. And just pretend it's not crooked :)

Our BABIES are starting their first day of Kindergarten tomorrow. SERIOUSLY!!!! I can hardly believe this is happening. And I swear I will be the mom that sits in the parking lot balling my eyes out until I can pick them up. I wish I was kidding.

I've had many battles over this, which mostly consist of me stepping out of my flesh and trusting God's way is far, far greater than mine. But this hasn't been an easy thing to overcome. I'm so thankful God is patient with me.

I've previously shared that Faith is attending a deaf/hard of hearing program at a near by school, and Grace will be mainstreamed in the same school, with some adaptive help. We prayed about this for months. And really believed this was the path He was leading us down.
I preface with that, because had I known then, what I know now, I'm not sure we would have taken this path, but merely because of myself.

God is amazing. It doesn't even seem like a big enough word to describe God's power, grace, and love for us. I am constantly in awe of His work. Even the tiny pieces that seem so insignificant to me, become so clearly a part of His greater plan.
God is so gracious to me and reveals His truth to me just when I need it.

At this point, we are just going to try it. The class will be really good for Faith, and we are hoping she will be able to get mainstreamed for P.E. and morning circle time. But that will come in time, after we amend the IEP.

After meeting Faith's teacher, we went over to meet Graces teacher and see her class. Grace will have a great time and just LOVE Kindergarten I'm sure :) They are both VERY excited and I will be able to take them and pick them up and they will have lunch with me every day at work :)

Grace & Faith also turned 6 years old last month. So crazy how fast 6 years have gone by. I cringe at thinking how fast this school year will go...

Many updates coming.... I am determined to finish this year off with a completely updated blog-book!!! ;)
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-39157577448997244772013-07-27T09:30:00.001-07:002013-07-27T09:30:25.712-07:00Happy Saturday!!
Grace and Faith love to have pancakes on Saturday mornings :) They are always wanting to help cook or bake, clean with me or put things away (except their toys...hmmm). I have just LOVED age 5, it's really been the age where I have noticed less and less correction of behavior and more of understanding the world. And it's been so fun so see their joy!!!
I love my babies so so sooooooo very much!!!!!!!

Also, I know I am the last person to mention this, but as most of you know google friend connect no longer exists. If you'd like to stay connected, you can follow my blog via bloglovin'. Just click the icon below :)

Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-39635855123632915342013-07-24T17:51:00.001-07:002013-07-24T17:51:29.652-07:00What's Been Going On....Whoa...where has time gone? This summer has gone so fast.... :(
We have had a lot of great fun, created many memories, and loved every bit of these beautiful summer days!!

We spent Father's Day at the beach house. Lance had a few days off so we made a quick trip. I am SOO thankful for this man, what he does for our family, his dedication to the Lord above anything else, the way he treasures me and loves me, and his leadership in our family. Lance is literally the man you dream up when you're a little girl, knowing that person doesn't actually exist. I treasure this man...with all that I am, and thank God every single day for blessing me SOOO greatly!!!

VBS week ended last week. That is always one of the best weeks for me, yet I need about 8 cups of coffee to survive :) This year the Lord blessed us with sharing HIS love, and who HE is to our biggest group of kids our church has ever had!!!!!! We also had more help and volunteers than ever before (the Lord knew and prepared us before we even knew). It was amazing, humbling and SO powerful to me. More than that though, we had two young boys ask Jesus into their heart. They fully understand who HE is and what it means to live a life on the foundation of Jesus Christ!!!

It was also Grace & Faith's first year in our main VBS (they've always been in the preschool class). I can hardly believe this is my life sometimes.... seeing them worship God, understanding all HE has created and their desire to please Him....yet not fully understanding ALL He has done.
Looking forward (and praying for) to the day they understand salvation and ask Jesus to change their life, accept Him as their personal savior, and spend their life devoted to Him.

My man also knows the way to my heart.... :) I had been stressing a couple weeks ago and he took us to dairy queen so I could eat my worries away. haha :) #whatwaistline

We've been enjoying dinner on the back patio also :) The girls are obsessed with eating out there...although I'm sure it's more about feeding the dogs... :)

As you can tell, all these photos are from instagram (mom2preemietwins)! Life has been busy, but full and great. The girls and I have been out almost every day this summer on different adventures...which has been fun!!
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-59383206165768211812013-07-15T18:08:00.000-07:002013-07-15T18:08:36.913-07:00A post from DadI am so thankful for my wonderful wife who originally set up this forum to keep our extended family updated on the status of the girls early on when their lives were so fragile. Over time it has been a tremendous blessing to be able to look back on their lives and see the hand of God protecting them. I must admit that usually when I look at the posts, I tend to look at the pictures. When I slow down and read, it is then that her heart is revealed and I am deeply moved. I am so grateful that God gave me such a wonderful gift in her and the girls.

From time to time I have thought about sharing some moments in a different light.....through Music.

Music is POWERFUL! God has a gentle way of ministering through the words that he has laid upon men and women's hearts. It has ministered to both Jen and I over the years and I wanted to share this story with you: Our friends and family.

This story goes back a couple years when we were going through hearing testing for Faith. As I recall, it was a Friday evening that we found out from the booth testing that she was deaf. I can remember the phone call from Jennie telling me the results in tears. We had suspected that there was a good chance that this was the case. The confirmation coming from the doctors made the information that much harder to deal with. It was devastating. I remember that this was my time to try to encourage her as she had done for me as many times. I had tried to reassure her (and myself) that God had(s) a wonderful plan for her life and that we would need to wait on it to be revealed. With much sorrow, we made it through the night.

Saturday morning I headed out to work still digesting that information. I remember turning on the radio to this song.
<object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/9xPzTSpbYmk?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/9xPzTSpbYmk?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>All I could do in that moment was just listen, cry, and yield to the mighty one who is still on the throne! Thank you Lord for that song. We praise you for all the awesome things you continue to do. I do hope that this song ministers to your heart as it does mine.

Lance Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-18097135778386931532013-07-05T18:11:00.000-07:002013-07-05T18:11:23.665-07:00How Much Your Life Changes in 2 YearsTwo years ago, the Lord brought us to this day, that would forever change our life....and more importantly, our sweet Faithy's life.
Two years ago, we agonized for months on what the next step was to help our daughter hear. While we knew her hearing wasn't "normal" and would never be, we knew the Lord was paving a path for us to trust after Him. And through every single step, He continued to direct us towards a cochlear implant.

I am SO thankful the Lord is so patient with me. I was truly such a mess knowing how to make this life-long permanent decision for our sweet girl. I remember begging and pleading with God, asking for a 'sign' or a clear answer....all the while HE was waiting for me to obey Him in my heart.
That is SO hard.

I laugh now at how weak my flesh is, asking God for a fleshly 'sign' to calm my heart....it's so ridiculous.
Every morning when I put on Faith's "special ear" I also thank God for this....

Not only the blessing of our girls, but the fact that given the circumstance of Faith being born deaf and with the ANSD, that she can now hear, and communicate to us with spoken language. It's been so life changing for her....and us. (never mind me....I'm a mess)

Faith has come SO SO SO far in these past 2 years. Most people tell us she is easier to understand now :) She LOVES her "special ear" and I'm not quite sure I could ever articulate how much it has helped her....in so many ways.
She is still significantly behind, and may be for several more years, but it sure is so wonderful to watch her language develop.

I feel in awe that God chose Lance and I to be apart of this. Not only to raise Grace & Faith as His children but to watch, on a daily basis, the miracle of His work!!! I always tell the girls I love them more than anyone else in the whole wide world, but God loves them even more than that!!!
I'm just so thankful!!

P.S. I'll work on getting a video soon. I haven't even used my camera much these days, except for photo shoots.... such busy days.
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-4845298624041909092013-06-25T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-25T06:00:03.848-07:00It's OverI can hardly believe our girls will be in Kindergarten in the fall....people keep telling me time flies once they're in school, but time has already gone so fast I can't imagine it going any faster.
Our church preschool has been one of the biggest blessings for us. I cannot begin to explain how much their teachers and classes have helped them over the last three years of Toddler Time, Preschool, and Pre-k. Not only are they obsessed with pre-k, they LOVE their teachers and friends so much and still talk about pre-k on a daily basis.
How sad this time has come to an end.....

I have said to my husband several times over the last several weeks, how much I have been marveling at the work God has done in our girls lately. I mean, we have faced some pretty ugly odds, been through one diagnosis after another, and yet, the Lord remained the same from the beginning of their life, until now. Not that I have ever, ever questioned His goodness, but it is just so amazing to watch His perfection unfold in your own life.

It was so precious to me to watch my babies walk on stage and graduate from pre-k.

Grace and Faith with Mrs. Amy, the preschool director and teacher, also my dearest friend.

They each went on stage and Mrs. Amy read what their favorite thing about pre-k was. Grace said she likes playing with her friends, and Faith said she likes to play in the kitchen :) They sang 5 songs, and we all saw a slideshow of the year. It was so perfect!!!

Daddy got the girls purple sparkly roses for the graduation!! Not much sweeter than a daddy with his girls....they were SO excited!!!

Grammy and Grampy came to celebrate with them too! :) Can you tell how smitten the girls are with Grammy and Grampy. I am so thankful for my in-laws!! They are so wonderful and such a blessing to me.

And of course, our little family :)
Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-18755499256750126902013-06-14T14:13:00.000-07:002013-06-14T14:13:24.219-07:00It's the Last DaySeriously, my heart could just explode.....of pure joy that our sweet girls are actually well enough to go into kindergarten.... and also great sadness that our time at preschool is over.
This past week, on Wednesday, was Grace and Faith's last day of pre-k. For the past 3 years, through toddler time, preschool and pre-k, our girls have been in the best preschool program!!

This is Grace on the first and last day of pre-k this year...my how she has changed.
Poor girl needs new contacts so bad...we ordered them in April. It has taken FOREVER for them to make the strength she needs :(
She has grown so much!! I just LOVE her sensitive heart for others. She is so compassionate and has such a giving, sensitive and kind spirit. I pray daily she would carry this in her throughout all her days! She is such joy to us, always making us laugh and definitely keeping us on our toes ;)

This is Faith on the first and last day of pre-k this year....so grown up!
Faith is such a lover of her family. Anytime I tell her she's my baby she always responds "I'm mommy and daddys baby" to never play 'favorites'. In nearly every family photo also includes landon, caleb and emalynn (our friends kids who come play with us every day). She is convinced they are our family too (and I agree!)!! She is very sensitive and gets her feelings hurt easily but is learning how to cope with that. She is dedicated and loyal to those she loves, always thinking of her "family" first. I cherish this in her, and also pray daily she carries this trait throughout all her days!!

Grace, Faith and Landon on the last day at pre-k! I am so blessed by these kids....I adore them.
I am super excited for some changes in our family and some opportunities we have (post coming) but am equally sad about this time ending. They are only little for so long, and it breaks me that our babies are growing up.
But they sure are beautiful, wonderful, and precious children to me!!!!!!!!
Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-4634871474393706302013-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-10T06:00:04.101-07:00Disney WorldLast week, Grace & Faith's preschool had a "disney day". They have been learning about traveling the world this month, and this day was traveling to disney world. Seriously, how cute is this!!!!

We have been discussing making a disneyland trip for months now, and the girls are dying to go. Everytime either of them find a penny on the ground or get any money, they ask us if "this is enough money for disneyland". precious, I know!! :) We don't have any official plans for the trip right now, but we know we definitely desire to create this memory with them while everything is still exciting!!

I was prepared for the disneyland questions with the disney day at pre-k but thankfully they didn't go there....this time.

Faith is OBSESSED with mickey mouse right now so she knew she was going to dress as minnie mouse without a second thought. Grace went back and forth between sleeping beauty and belle, and then decided on cinderella ;)

I took this picture and thanked God for blessing us with the sweetest (and busiest) girls on earth. These two girls have completed our family, and showed us more about the Lord's perfect plan, and His love, than anything I've ever known!!!
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-72509702252747543552013-06-08T06:30:00.000-07:002013-06-08T06:30:01.246-07:00In Love.
I posted to my instagram {mom2preemietwins} a few weeks ago this picture of my girls.....
Before going to bed, I check on Grace & Faith, and I find them like this. They do have separete beds, in the same room, but at some point Grace ends up in Faith's bed.
Almost every night.....and it melts me!!!!
I love my sweet girls, and how much they love each other!!!!
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-21673176729225400552013-06-07T12:28:00.000-07:002013-06-07T12:28:20.711-07:00Staph.....Our poor Grace.... A couple months ago we noticed this spot on Grace's chin appearing. It looked like it was eczema at first then it turned red with blister bumpy things, and awful looking. I took her in the doctor just to make sure it wasn't contagious, but our pediatrician quickly said it was a staph infection, which is very contagious, and she needed to stay home for a couple of days till the medicine started working.
That was in the beginning of April.
Since then, we've seen our pediatrician 2 more times about her staph and we've been written 3 different scripts to help it but nothing was working. Our ped finally said we needed to be referred to a dermatologist....

This picture was taken on Tuesday at her dermatologist appointment.
As you can see the spot on her chin looks very "infected" but it's not. It was starting to spread the other areas of her face too, by this point, and we were so perplexed by what was going on.
Then on Sunday night when I was helping her shower, I noticed she was covered in red bumps all throughout her body. They were very itchy and swelling every time she scratched them :(

I was convinced on Sunday night she had somehow contacted chicken pox....even though she has been vaccinated, there is still a chance of getting them.
I also took her back to our ped on Monday who said her body was reacting to some sort of allergy, probably stemming from her staph.
Which is also weird because Grace has never struggled with any sort of allergies or having terribly sensitive skin.
We kept her home from pre-k Monday and Tuesday knowing our derm appointment was on Tuesday.

Our dermatologist said this definitely was staph but the skin had hardened over it and we needed a very strong medicine to help her recover :( She also looked at her red bumps and said she definitely was in contact with something her body reacted to. She told us to start giving her oatmeal baths, and to lather her up morning and night with a specific brand of moisturizer. Which the moisturizer and oatmeal bath were almost $50....
We also started her on some allergy meds at night, which have helped a lot.
Dr. C said her chin should start looking better by the end of this week and if not to call her and she will order an even stronger script, but thankfully, it's only been 3 days and her chin looks SOOO much better already!!!!!!!

I have very sensitive skin {strawberry blond hair, green eyes} but don't deal with allergies too much, except for cats {which I'm terribly allergic too}. Thankfully the oatmeal baths and moisturizer are working great!!!!
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-33080555658949443122013-05-21T08:08:00.000-07:002013-05-21T08:08:41.904-07:00Faith's AFO UpdateSometime last month we made the trek down to see Faith's orthotist. I love the clinic, but the commute is obnoxious and so very far :( I had been putting off her appointment and before I knew it, a few months had passed...mom fail.

Poor Faith had really regressed in her gait movement. She even became much worse than she was before her initial fitting of braces. So sad :(

Thankfully we have the best pediatric orthotist around (hence the commute) and she has already helped Faith greatly!!! As you can tell, Faith wasn't exactly happy about this appointment at first. It also didn't help that the movie the technician selected to play while Faith had her fitting was Shrek 3, and Faith doesn't like anything that isn't all butterflies and rainbows!! Seriously, any sort of anything unhappy makes her run to her room with her beloved blankie.
Lance jokes she's going to be a liberal artist. ha!!!!!!!

She actually did very well with her fitting. I have always taken pictures of all the girls appointments so better prepare them and show them what to expect and where we were going....since we are frequently at an appointment. So reminding her what was going to happen helps calm her :)

Minutes after her AFO's came in and she wore them, she would not take them off. She kept telling us her special shoes help her!!! SUCH a blessing!!!!!! She has had them now for several weeks and has already make so much improvement. We also have a great physical and occupational therapist, a CP specialist and a neuro-development doctor who are very helpful with us!!

We are also thankful that her Kindergarten school will be able to provide extra help with her movement/gait and cerebral palsy needs in addition to her speech/language needs!!

I pray every day the Lord will help me teach her about HIS greatness and comfort. I hate seeing her insecurities rise at times....but it's so amazing to teach her (them) about the work HE did in their life as babies and will continue as the years go on!!
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-74039435990991839792013-05-20T06:57:00.000-07:002013-05-20T06:57:39.555-07:00Catching Up!!I've been telling my husband, almost daily, how I am SO behind in updating and there is really so much to share. I've missed this time, "me time", to sit and write my thoughts and share our joys in our journey through this broken world.

Grace and Faith are amazing!! Grace wakes up every single morning and stands next to me to see if she is "as big as me" yet...she is anxiously waiting for day to "be like mommy". My heart can barely take her cuteness. She has become such a little girl, and more precious than ever!! Faith is hilarious. She is picking up on so much of Grace's vocabulary and we die laughing sometimes of some random things she says :) She is an art/writing master. This girl writes a book nearly every single day and draws far better than me at 31. She is completely happy staying "mommy and daddy's baby" :-)

We just recently spent a family day at the ocean. My husband took us to these amazing places and trails before we went to visit our dear friends new house!!

Isn't this gorgeous!!!

I love my little family to pieces!!!!!!

I'll be sharing more as I have to goal to get completely caught up, and I've given myself a deadline :) I love having this time and place to journal our path and looking back at all the GREAT work the Lord has done in our family.
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-48099199547616271522013-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:002013-04-26T06:00:15.107-07:00Pure of HeartI remember when our girls were born.....as they spent time in the NICU for the 5 months following, all our life consisted of was living at the hospital. Every single day. And I remember one day locking myself in the bathroom because I couldn't stop crying. I hated so many things about that time (but also such a blessing!!) but I really hated how lonely I was. Everyone I knew still had a life to tend to, they were busy moving on with it, and we were stuck there. At the hospital.
After our girls came home we were isolated in our house for a long time. I couldn't do many things with them. They were both on oxygen, home oximeters, meds around the clock, and my entire life revolved around their medical and newborn needs.

During that time, looking back, I could have easily went through a "hard time" or struggled...but I didn't. Sure I went through some time of understanding my new role as a full time mom and wife as I previously was very career driven and worked many hours. But I believe the Lord really kept my heart and mind from wondering too far away from Him.

I find now, as our girls are getting older (how is is possible they are 5 already???) that I have to have be very aware of where my mind wonders to. I have to be careful not to feel discouraged when our normal isn't the typical. About schooling, or their medical stuff, am I a good enough mom, wife or friend, do I show reflect Jesus in my actions; even about our infertility struggles. My heart aches that nearly every one of my friends has a new baby or are about too, and it's not an option for us. But as much as it aches I also believe God has closed that door for us....at least at this point in life. But my heart wonders, and I have to be on guard and prepared to redirect my flesh back to Him....

My desire for this year has been to have a pure heart. I want to learn to control my mind SO much that my only thoughts are ones that bring glory to God.
Pure - Free of contamination or impurities; ritually clean
I often tell my girls that their attitude is a reflection of their heart and as much as I teach them that understanding, God is teaching me about my own heart.
My heart is so ugly. And I've been spending every day in prayer that God would conform my heart into something more pleasing to Him.
I want my actions and my words to reflect the same as God who has loved me endlessly.

I fail, almost minute after minute, but I try again, minute after minute.

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

There is this song, the Lord placed on my heart a few months ago that gave me COMPLETE healing in a lot of pain I had been holding onto. Hurt, that should have been forgiven as HE continues to forgive me, minute after minute. I've heard this song over and over again before, but never, did it affect me like it did this one day, a few months back. I heard it, and I instantly broke into tears, sobbing, almost shaking and the song was (IS) a constant on my heart, and in my mind for weeks.

When I am alone
When I am alone
Oh, when I am alone
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

I made a commitment then, to keep my heart and mind on Jesus. Even when I'm struggling, I'm hurting, or longing to know how to navigate through the medical system of my girls' life, my minds starts with Jesus. I made a commitment to sing to Him when I feel alone, or lost, as I do on occasion. But I begin with Him. I made a commitment to surrender my heart and my thoughts to Him every single day.

When I come to die
When I come to die
Oh, when I come to die
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

This song, the one I've heard so many times before, became part of my every day routine. Not a day passes that I don't sing it, or have it playing on my PC, or in the car, or on my ipod. Grace knows every single word because it's constantly on repeat. Not only does it remind me Jesus has everything in this world taken care of and all I need to do is be like Him, but it also reminds me how much I NEED him to be a part of my day to day, minute to minute life.

This song, literally, changed my life. My heart. My mind. And my attitude. I still struggle in my flesh, but it's less often now, and when I do, the Lord LITERALLY and almost instantly puts this song on my heart. I fully believe the Lord delivered this song in the very second I needed to actually hear it.

Just Give me Jesus!!
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-54599595644047373602013-04-24T10:07:00.000-07:002013-04-24T10:17:33.556-07:00School District Update - Kindergarten Plans!As you know, we have been negotiating placement for Grace and Faith for their Kindergarten year in the fall. Let me first say, this has not been an enjoyable experience for us....in the least. It isn't so much that any one thing has limited us, rather, a combination of many obstacles which ultimately come down to school funding issues.

I last updated that we had toured a deaf/hard of hearing program in a nearby town/district that we might be interested in for Faith. After touring, meeting the teacher and staff, and seeing a glimpse of what the class looks like, we felt led to take the next step. The teacher is AMAZING. That kind of teacher you want to be friends with, who has such a passion and heart for kids learning to function in a "hearing society". We instantly loved her. She took time out in the middle of her day, to sit with us for over an hour, answer our questions, let us see and be in her classroom observing and allowed us to see the teacher/student interaction for a bit.
Since then, I've emailed her a few times and she has been THE sweetest in her responses and helping us be informed :)

Immediately following the tour we met with our districts audiologist who has been wonderful in working with our team to get things communicated and 'dealt with'. She set up another IEP meeting with our districts Special Needs Director and the rest of our team. After Lance & I all our options and the very specific needs of Grace & Faith, we decided we would try the deaf/hard of hearing program, if the team would agree. Because Faith doesn't just have a profound hearing loss, but ANSD, speech apraxia and cochlear implant, it is SOOO important to us she gets the very best support team we can get her. We have educated and equipped ourselves, and I'm just grateful for knowing there is a whole class/team of teachers devoted to kids with hearing loss. Especially when Faith is significantly delayed...still.

The biggest hiccup we have is for a long time was keeping our girls in the same district. Our team knew they had to release Faith because they cannot meet her needs here. However, they were fighting us a bit on releasing Grace as well. It just simply wasn't (and isn't) an option to put our girls in separate school districts. Going into our meeting Lance and I prayed (and honestly, I was sick over it) the Lord would direct us according to His plan. I get so nervous because it doesn't come natural to me to be assertive....and often our IEP meetings aren't smooth.

Once we walked into the meeting our special needs director said she had already been in contact with the d/hoh program and the district and they have all agreed to accept Grace and Faith into the new district!!!! The plan is Faith will go to the deaf/hard of hearing program and Grace will be mainstreamed with vision support services. :) yay!!

All we know is the Lord is at work!! This new plan may not work out....He may have other plans for us He hasn't revealed yet, but for now, this is where we are led. I am sooo thankful to have somewhat of an idea of whats going to happen in the fall.

There have still been a few small hiccups these past few weeks, but we are just taking one step at a time and allowing God to reveal Himself and HIS plan to us. Thankful I can let go of my fears, and trust Him to provide, and know He is with me (us) the whole way.....the whole time!!!!

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-63025208524836788562013-04-23T12:59:00.001-07:002013-04-23T12:59:15.430-07:00Fever & Fire.Faith is still fevered :( Not sure what is going on with her....I thought she was breaking it this am as she was looking a little better and only temping 99.8, but then spiked back up to 103.3 this afternoon :( Poor girl keeps saying "I'm so cold" and "I'm so sleepy".
-----------------
Grace and Faith's preschool has been talking a lot about fire safety. They've had this lady come in from the fire department who has a desire to teach preschoolers the importance of fire safety. One of the days the firetruck stopped by with a bunch of fire men and woman in their uniforms so kids would see that although firemen/woman looked scary..they were here to help!! :)

The fireman came in to the classroom and sat with all the kids...Grace wouldn't stop climbing in his lap...or touching him. I was dying of this girl. She reminds me so much of her grammy!! :)

Then they all got to go outside and sit in the firetruck. Such fun!!

Here is the class picture with the firetruck!! I love our preschool!!!!!!!!
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-30776587562464410032013-04-22T13:29:00.000-07:002013-04-22T13:29:24.716-07:00Sick GirlWe had quite a busy weekend, mostly running errands and getting some work done that has needed to be done!! On Saturday I was at the fabric store when my sweet Grace kept complaining she was cold. Even in her coat. Sure enough, had a 101.6 temperature when we arrived home :( Poor girl was a mess. Thankfully as soon as the motrin kicked in she was back to normal and the fever never came back!!!

Until Sunday anyways.....

Poor Faithy spiked a fever yesterday afternoon. I was noticing these awful bags under her eyes and she just wanted to snuggle. Then around 2:30 she fevered and has been since :( She was up a few times last night crying she didn't feel good....poor girl!!

Grace is doing great, and was ready for pre-k this morning. She had to miss last week as she was infected with staph on her face :( That was awful!!!!! She was thrilled to go this morning :)

Faith, Emalynn and I snuggled all morning. Pure bliss!!!! :)
Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-62136038192366538722013-04-18T20:24:00.000-07:002013-04-18T20:24:00.184-07:00Um.....I'm a Little Late I cannot believe I am nearly 3 weeks late in sharing our Easter. This time is pretty much the only me time I have and clearly you can see how much I've made time for that ;) I have 3 lists full of things I want to update on...
I'm starting with Easter because it's so important to me and Easter is my favorite time!!!

The morning started with Grace and Faith's Easter baskets!! Faith was SUPER excited about her giant pen!! This girl writes ALL DAY LONG!!!!!

Don't you just LOVE Grace's eyes in her contacts. I love how open they are!! She was thrilled to find more sunglasses...and a yo-yo!! :)

Faith :)

Grace :)

Our girls are just SOOO beautiful!!!!!! I found these dresses at Ross for $11 :)

This year was extra special to us. My brother and sister in law were recently stationed up here from Texas!! :)

They also have a sweet new baby boy Christian, who is the CUTEST little guy ever!!

And my baby brother came up...we were just missing my sister who in Tennessee :( It's been a LONG time since we have all been together with my brother in the Navy and my sister so far away.

My in-laws were also here :) I am SOOO thankful to have so much family around and have this time for my girls!!!

My menu was mostly all new things this year. I was just in the mood to try new things. ha!! Most everything turned out great except I tried this lemon cheesecake recipe from pinterest....not so good!! ha.

 My brother, sister in law and baby Christian!!

Seriously....the drool KILLS me!!!

so cute!! :)
After dinner we all hung out and talked. It was wonderful to catch up and spend time with everyone.

I feel so thankful to have so much family around!! And that we can openly share the Love of our God to everyone. The ultimate sacrifice HE paid for every single one of us. To know HIM each and every day, to maintain a personal encounter with Him and dedicate our lives to living for HIS glory!!
Jenhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-40996157368419271702013-03-29T08:17:00.000-07:002013-03-29T08:17:29.430-07:00My LoveWednesday Lance and I celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary!! I can hardly believe it has been 9 years already....

My husband, is truly one of the greatest blessings that has ever happened to me. The Lord not only used him to save me from my secular life and not fully living for the Lord as I should have been, but he also has shown me what love is. Christ like love.

He honors the Lord and leads me and our girls. His faithfulness and peace is Christ is something I greatly admire in him. He is a man full of Godly wisdom, that sometimes all I do is thank the Lord for that specifically. I am often giddy surprised by some of his instruction or knowledge and feel SO crazy blessed that the Lord saw me fit to be his wife.

He is the most gracious man I know. He continually loves me in every one of my flaws. And not only loves me but because his love is so pure, my heart becomes convicted, and my attitude changes. He loves me when I'm grumpy or mad instead of rebuking me, and is sweet and sensitive when I'm sad or having a hard day.

He is faithful in demonstrating grace and kindness to others. If I'm being honest, there are times when his grace towards another is something I don't understand. When his kindness towards others is not deserved, but his faithfulness to the Lord is greater. My flesh is so wicked........and his is also, but he is obedient to Jesus in it.

He is the father I could of only dreamed of for our girls. He is kind and caring. He listens and loves through disobedience. He often reads to Grace and Faith and I cherish listening to those times. He brings them flowers home on special days and the girls just melt!!!

He wrote me the sweetest card I have ever read....ever....for our anniversary. I just cried and thanked God for man that I clearly am undeserving of. He is more than my husband, but my very best friend, the love of my life, and the one who completes every part of me!!!
Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-75614900676806147302013-03-28T13:32:00.001-07:002013-03-28T13:32:41.358-07:00Emma Lou is BackI'm so sorry I couldn't update yesterday about our sweet pup after surgery. Let me just say, taking care of two girls, and a very sweet but equally sick dog is no small feat.... I am exhausted!!!!!!

Lance has been working a lot of hours this week, and I've had to reschedule most of our appointments from this week to watch Emma Lou. The vet said she did great during surgery but vomited in recovery which they were concerned about. I had told them when I found her on Tuesday morning (the day of her surgery) she had also vomited, even after not eating. They said she was definitely on the verge of serious stuff. She also had a temperature when we brought her in :( Poor girl...

We were able to pick her up on Tuesday evening and though the 24 hours were tough, she is MUCH better now. About 80% normal. She isn't eating a lot, and we have to keep her resting for about 2 weeks, but otherwise she is obsessed with the ball again....good news :) :) She is whining a LOT, and probably in a lot of pain still, but she is on pain meds and antibiotics for the infection.

We are quite certain she thinks she is the queen of England right now being pampered and babied. And Grace and Faith are OBSESSED with her. Wanting to know her every move :)
Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-773204439365232592013-03-26T06:00:00.000-07:002013-03-26T06:00:06.157-07:00Sad...We had a CRAZY weekend...very busy that I was going to show pictures of, but I wanted to talk about something pretty sad in our family right now.

We have two sweet pups in our family.

Ally.

Mrs. Ally.

Mrs. {faith wasn't a fan!!}

Ally Cat (my husband insists she's a cat!)
She was my very first puppy I got on my own, just after I turned 19. I adopted her from an animal shelter and instantly fell in love with her. She was THE cutest puppy I have ever seen!! She got sick shortly after I adopted her, and cost me a LOT of money, but otherwise very healthy.
She is the sweetest dog EVER. Such a lover!!!! Grace and Faith love on her and Ally just soaks up every second of it. Once we had the girls, born obviously very sick, our dogs took "the back-seat" for a long time. Of course we treasure them but our focus was definitely on our babies.
About 6 months ago, we found a tumor growing on her side. It hasn't bothered her, or affected her in any way, so we decided to watch her and not make any decision until we saw her in pain.
Last month, we found another tumor, a fatal one. After hearing the prognosis there is nothing we can do to "treat" her. The tumor is growing :( She isn't in any pain, or suffering....yet. She is still eating, drinking, playing and doing everything very normally, but.....it won't be long before she is suffering :( She is 12 now and I'm so thankful to have had her this long, but my heart is SOOO sad for my puppy :(

Emma.
Emma Lou.

Louby.

Lou Lou.
THEN, at the end of last week, I found our other sweet dog Emma was bleeding and acting a little abnormal. I initially thought Ally was bleeding and I cried ALL day long thinking I was having to say goodbye to my sweet girl. It took me sometime to figure it out it was actually Emma bleeding...and then I was so sad both our dogs were sick :(
We found out she has a disease called, pyometra. Thankfully the veterinarian thinks they can treat her and help her buy spaying her, but they won't know for sure until they do the surgery. She's lost a lot of blood :(
Emma just turned 9 and is a typical black lab. She lives for food and the ball. ha!! She loves my husband! She is very faithful to him first, then me :) She is a GREAT dog and the first dog Lance and I got together. She loves Grace and Faith and is very protective. She is so sweet and we just love her so much.
I'm taking Emma in this morning for surgery...I am so nervous for her. I am so thankful we haven't had any issues with their health til now, but this is making me sick.

The one good thing (in looking for the light) is we have been able to instruct and teach our girls about death and life through this. On a VERY small and limited scale but it has been a good source of opening that communication and becoming real to them. I'm sure our "talks" are just beginning as both our pups are getting older...
So sad.
Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-44545545823730723632013-03-20T10:22:00.000-07:002013-03-21T09:16:07.491-07:00Grace's Vision UpdateGrace had an opthamology appointment last week. I was telling a friend of mine how I keep a "secret" stash of chocolate (Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate with Caramel Bars!!!!!! my very favorite) at my house for the "chocolate" days ;) My husband likes to clean out the stash on occasion, so I have to keep moving it reminding him that when he sees me eating chocolate, it usually means I'm emotionally eating ;) I had put a chocolate bar in my purse a couple weeks ago thinking I might need it for the drive home after a different appointment, and while I probably needed it, I resisted. So today, I was telling her I still had this chocolate bar in my purse I was certain I would need today. I was right...definitely needed. But I totally forgot I had it. hahaha :)

These appointments make me SO nervous. It's hard to understand what exactly Grace means when she frequently says she can't see very well. I have no idea what that means to Grace. She's only known vision a certain way and it's vastly different from how I see things. However, during times like this, our doctor consults with Grace's eye surgeon who always makes a date to fly out here to "keep an eye on her", for which we are greatly thankful!!!

I knew they were going to be testing the pressures in her eyes today, but I had NO idea I was going to be tested too. Dr. B thought it would be a good idea for Grace to see me get the pressure test done first so Grace could see it wasn't going to hurt and that mommy was okay. Let me just say, numbing drops in my eyes, a 5 inch needle down my eyeball left me everything but okay....I cried. It was painful. And my poor girl had it done too :( Only she handled it much better than I. She didn't even notice it was happening.... she's had it done a couple times before too, but still.... I am a baby :) I cannot handle ANYTHING in my eyes. She also said when Grace gets a little older they do this test a little differently but for now, this is how it goes.

Outside of that, Grace's eyes are very stable! Dr. B was happy! She said her left eye (the worse one) is a little bit worse, -1 refractive, but her right eye is the same. She also added a script for +3 readers so Grace can magnify things a little better. She said she didn't want the +3 written into her lenses because when that happens you have the find just the right place to read and where to hold the book and Grace is too young for that. So she wrote it as a separate script for Grace to wear reading glasses over her contacts.

She said her contacts help her tremendously and they need to become her primary visual source, rather than her glasses. Mostly because since she already ROP surgery they "killed" off her outer eye, essentially tricking the eye to think her retinas fully developed. Because of this surgery, she has very centered vision, so with her glasses, they only lessen her peripheral vision.

Her corrected vision is still about 20/80 which isn't good, but isn't bad considering where she started. Dr. B reminded me that Grace probably won't be able to drive in her future, and no playing any "rough" sports or activities but she was also very pleased with her progress :)

She also dictated a note and is cc'ing our school district about Grace's vision support needs. She said she needs this magnifying glass that sits on her desk and acts as a screen, or ipad type thing that can bring the white board much closer to Grace in class. Specifically talking about kindergarten next year...and so on. She mentioned Grace's vision support is moderate to severe and she needs visual support, which quite honestly, I often forget. I have to frequently remind myself of this....

Overall, the appointment went well. They tested her both in her contacts and glasses. We are meeting with our contact doctor this week to order the adjustments and get new contacts.

I LOVE our opthamologist and our team at Childrens. They are so wonderful and always educate me as much as possible. I always say, I have the hardest time understanding things of the eyes...but they do a great job helping us along the way.

I'm even MORE thankful the Lord saw fit to bless us by these girls. It's still SOOO amazing to me how sick and fragile they were born, at only 23 weeks, and yet here they are doing incredible. At that time they told us Grace would have very limited vision at best, (IF she survived) and the Lord had a different plan. It just humbles me beyond words, to literally watch His miracles day after day!!!!
What an amazing God we serve!!!!!!

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Jenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129659719946719383.post-83754400622568066612013-03-19T14:03:00.004-07:002013-03-19T14:03:47.374-07:00Video of Grace!<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=109786" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=8ecb50c767&photo_id=8572970402&hd_default=false"></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=109786"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=109786" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=8ecb50c767&photo_id=8572970402&hd_default=false" height="360" width="640"></embed></object>
Grace singing How Great Thou Art in the car last Sunday...LOVE this girls' heart for Jesus!!!!!
{sorry its sideways...I uploaded from my phone and can't rotate :( }
Jenhttp://email@example.com


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New East End restaurants
The 2013 East End summer dining scene promises to be as vibrant as any in recent memory. Here's a sampling of the many new restaurants open for business.
Hangin' in the Hamptons: August 10 Roosevelt Field dining options 100 things every kid should do on LI 25 fine dining reviews, from Italian to sushi 10 fun things to buy for back to school The 10 best steak houses on Long Island 15 stylish backpack alternatives 10 big back-to-school sales 40 educational toys for kids Dining at Walt Whitman Shops 25 Cheap Eats to try on LI 42 recent restaurant closures on LI

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Free festive crafts and gifts market (From Sutton Guardian)
Contact us: Got a photo? Text SLPICS to 80360, click to upload your story or call 020 8722 6355
Free festive crafts and gifts market
12:00pm Sunday 11th November 2012 in News By Alexandra Rucki, Senior Reporter
A community centre is hosting a free festive crafts and gift market.
The Sutton Life Centre, in Alcorn Close, is holding the free winter event for shoppers to find Christmas bargains and presents.
Products on offer include books, cards, homemade jewellery as well as traditional toys and games.
Councillor Jill White, chairman of the Environment and Neighbourhood Committee, said: "The Life Centre provides the perfect backdrop for this event as we begin the final countdown the Christmas.
"There will be plenty of opportunities for local people to get their loved ones that little something special and enjoy the atmosphere of the centre."
It is taking place on November 24 from 11am to 4pm.
Email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 0208 296 1287 for more information.
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Grain site bid go-ahead (From Daily Echo)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Grain site bid go-ahead
9:10am Saturday 12th January 2013 in News
A GRAIN site within the South Downs National Park can be opened up for storage, despite protests from nearby residents.
Developers of the Grainstore on Thompsons Lane, Owslebury, were given the green light by planning officers, but on condition of a £10,810 levy towards the upkeep of surrounding roads, payable to the county council.
Four households objected to the proposals on the basis of increased noise and traffic, but civic chiefs gave the go-ahead.
Winchester city councillors voted unanimously in favour of the proposals, agreeing to ask the county council that they consider using the £10,810 on measures to reduce the speed of traffic in the area.
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Can This Marriage Be Saved? She's A Total Workaholic
February 17, 2012 at 5:14 pm , by Lauren Piro
Have you picked up the all-new Ladies' Home Journal? We've made some pretty big (and pretty wonderful!) changes, including a few tweaks to our famous "Can This Marriage Be Saved?" column. Don't worry—you'll still get your "he-said-she-said" fix each month, just with a more conversational tone. And of course, we've still got a counselor in place ready with a final ruling and advice for each couple. The first new iteration of the column is on newsstands now! Here's a taste, but you can also read the full story here.
Meg's turn: The short version of Meg's lament? She makes the money, and John spends it. All of it. Even more than they have, actually, racking up $17,000 in credit card debt. She grew up learning to stretch a dollar and live within her means, but John's just the opposite, always splurging on pricey high-end wine, clothes, furniture, you name it—and not always telling Meg about his purchases! Plus, her job as a powerful PR manager is soul-sucking, and she's ready for a break. But how can she pull back at work when her husband can't leave the house without opening his wallet?
John's turn: Meg's overreacting. John's got a job, too, and he's saving more than enough for retirement and their kids' education, and—little by little—pays down his credit card debt each month. When they got married, John and Meg decided to keep their finances separate, so John doesn't think Meg's grievances have legs to stand on. She can't change the rules now just because she doesn't like their results. Plus, John's the one who takes care of the house and kids when Meg's stuck at work. He loves her, but he feels like an afterthought these days. If she really wanted a new job (and more time with her family), wouldn't she have started looking for one by now?
The counselor's turn: The couple's childhoods really influenced who they had become as adults: John had a father who showered his family with gifts, so he'd learned to turn to expensive things to make him feel good. Meg's mother was often critical and cold, so she sought praise and self-esteem through working super hard. Combined, these issues fed themselves. When Meg neglecting their marriage at work, John would turn to shopping, which in turn left Meg feeling chained to her job. The counselor suggested that the couple talk to a financial planner to help them crunch the numbers, and lo and behold, John had been right all along. The family could afford to live well on his salary alone, and if Meg could separate her job from her emotional satisfaction (and maybe focus some of that energy back onto her marriage), they'd be fine if she quit. In the end, Meg decided to go with the best of both worlds–a part-time job at her firm that leaves her home-life and her work-life satisfyingly in balance.
How do you manage work-life balance with your husband? Tell us in the comments or tweet us at @MarriageBeSaved with the hashtag #CTMBS.
Categories: Ladies' Lounge | Tags: | 2 Comments
2 Responses to "Can This Marriage Be Saved? She's A Total Workaholic"
Written on September 12, 2012 at 5:27 pm, by icons
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Written on September 17, 2012 at 9:24 am, by icon library
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