God remains faithful

This past weekend, my heart just about stopped as my sister told me on skype that my nephew had gone into a seizure because of his fever he had been running. The color drained from my face and the fear of what I didn't know started flooding my thoughts. & then my heart started breaking as I thought about what my older sister was feeling right about then as her only son was in such a helpless state.

I got the story 10 minutes later from my older sister. She called and said that they had been on their way to the store with all the kids in the car. Meya had also been running a fever and would fall asleep but wake up crying because she would want to be held. Paaj turned around to tell Meya to hang in there because they were almost to the store when she caught site of Kezzy in his car seat. His face was purple and his eyes started to roll into his head. He tried to cry, but it came out as little whimpers as his body went into a seizure. She jumped from her seat and screamed as Kezzy's sisters looked on in fear and my brother-in-law stopped the car. He gave Kezzy cpr until the ambulance came.

No more than 10 minutes later, Kezzy was okay at the hospital and chewing on ice as they took tests to make sure he was okay. Apparently, little kids are susceptible to seizures when running high fevers. He even got on the phone and said to me "I okay, Auntie. I okay."

It's hard not being in MN to give him a hug and kiss him on the cheek to make sure he's really okay.

But in all of this, I am so encouraged to know that when all this happened in the car, Paaj said that Kayla & Anela unbuckled their seat belts and leaned forward as Kezzy lay unconscious and they said "Mommy, let's pray for Kezzy."

Childl-like faith. They never forgot Who is in control.

How could I not?

Hey Ditto, Ditto! The cat and the fiddo...

I'm heading over to see my nieces and nephew tonight. It's funny how much I miss them over the course of just 1 week... if I even make it that long. heehee. But I see them every weekend or just about, anyway, and halfway through the week, I'm already going through withdrawals.

What is it about sweet innocent kisses that have no idea how much they mean once Sunday night ends and Monday mornings begin?

Or how about the adorable laughs that (falsely?) reassure you that somehow you're the funniest human being alive?

Or the genuine squeals of excitement after opening a Target bag (no fancy wrapping paper needed or even a box!) and finding a pair of dressy slippers that cost you no more than $5?

And then the grin from ear to ear and the hop up into your arms to say "Thank you Auntie!"?

Or the mere satisfaction fulfilled by just walking through Nickelodeon land even though not a single ride was ridden or a single game is played for arcade tickets?

Or the grossed out look when told that "I'm getting married to Chris" but is quickly replaced with complete ecstatic-ness when the words "We're having a wedding" is uttered?

Or the big, precious tears that roll down those cheeks when scolded for spilling water on the carpet after being told numerous of times that it needed to stay in the kitchen?

Or the moment that it seems epiphany has hit when asked "Do you know why I yelled at you?" is answered with the not so-epiphany-has-hit reply of "Because... because... you're mean..." *sniffle*?

Or the whisper brushed against my cheek of "I miss you, too, Auntie."?

Or the scramble to pick up the most toys for the ultimateprize of a Starburst candy and the belief that you wouldn't get one if you didn't get the most picked up?

Or the big eyes that plead with the following request of "Can we play Red Rover?"

Or the already expensive taste for California roll-styled sushi or Lobster at the age of 4?

Or the priceless and confident enthusiam that shouted that monkey was spelled as S-M-I-L-E?

Or the obliviousness to the laughter because it's so cute when "But why?" is repeatedly requested to be uttered?

Or the realization that if someone is able to lick you on the cheek, you can certainly stick out your tongue and lick someone else too?

Or the completely pure and innocent knowledge and belief that Jesus loves you and lives in your heart forever?

What is it about those things? And what exactly happens to the soul when those things are encountered on more than one occasion?

In no more than 5 (almost 6) years, those 4 have completely stolen my heart from the very beginning of their existence. And it is in those moments that I feel God's love for me more than anything else known to man.

American Express sales guy aka Willy-Wonka's Chocolate distributor?

Yes. A little bit of amazing-ness settled onto my desk at approximately 1:30 this afternoon. No, not the guy-- believe me, NOT the guy. This little(big?) piece of I'm-gonna-make-your-Tuesday-better-ness:

It wasn't very rich, but perfectly milky. If you have to ask, yes, I unwrapped it right after the guy left my office.

The golden ticket?

I know, I couldn't even wait to break off a chunk before taking a picture of it with the seal opened (with my crappy phone camera, by the way). Ohh me. It even has the imprint of the card on it.

I don't need your services, American Express, but thanks for the chocolate!... that I just now ran an extra couple miles to make sure I burned your pleasure off... but it's gorgeous again outside today so I do forgive you!

Anywho, wanna see the flower girl dresses?
I know you do.
All 3 are different in style & slightly in color, but I think it matches the 3 girls perfectly.

Kayla will be wearing this little number from J.Crew


(by the way, am I the last to know that you get a 15% discount if you're a college student or a teacher?! I'm not either one of those and I told him that, but the guy *so* hooked me up anyway. And NO, I didn't flirt with him)

Anela gets this little number from Bloomingdale's. How cute is this?? I loved it on her when she tried it on and *had* to get it.


And my lovely little Meya get this one. This is dressier, but Meya was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E in it so I couldn't *not* get it. I picked it up from one of the wedding boutiques down in Stillwater that were discontinuing their flower girl dresses altogether so it was quite a steal!


I think I'm having them all wear slippers to complete their little looks.
Yay!

Excuse the crappy picture quality. I'm using my phone because I don't currently have access to hooking up my digi-cam.

On another wedding-related note:
I don't know if I'm seriously stressing or what, but I had the 2nd-straight-in-a-row dream (read: nightmare) of everything completely going wrong either during the ceremony rehearsal or the wedding day itself.

I dreamed that the rehearsal was SO poorly organized because strangers were sitting in the pews already and no one was running the sound system AND the wedding party was scattered around the church not even caring about being present during the rehearsal itself and then I burst into tears while people watched. I even made my way up to the sound system area to try to dink around with the sound...

And then last night, I dreamed that for some odd reason, the wedding day came without me knowing and NOTHING was set; the guys didn't have their suits-- well only their vests and my brother's was too small, and my makeup artist wasn't there at my house because I couldn't remember if I had told her about the wedding date. Eep!

Oh I need to calm down...Where's the rest of my American Express chocolate bar?

Cookies and milk, yes?

Pinky swears work. See!!

So we made cookies.

And I'll prove it.


"We wanna help you Auntie!!"


Anela



Kayla


& help me, they did.


They liked unwrapping the hersheys kisses. & popping some into their little mouths.

15 minutes later:







All because of these babies:





And this is what makes it all worth it:


(excuse my icky-self in this picture)





Yay!

Lahhdeedah!

How was your Christmas? Can you believe we're on the LAST week of 2008?? Geez, where did 2008 go?!

Christmas was pretty low-key, but good. My brother was in MI with his fiance this year which is a little sad (me being selfish, sorry) being that this is my last Christmas with my family as a single woman, but he'll be home tomorrow and we'll have New Year's together. He missed out on the waterpark hotel though. We booked a night there for our family with the nieces and nephew. It was fun! I didn't get a whole lot of pictures since we were busy hot-tubbin it up and water-slidin' galor-ious, but good times, good times. My nieces received a chest full of dress up clothes and squealed with glee, it was so cute! I love these little girls and they're growing up way too fast for my liking.


Here's Anela and I before heading downstairs-- it was 8 am! They were excited and woke EVERYONE up to go down to breakfast and then swimming. She's hilarious cause she talks SOOO much-- AND is way smart. Funny story about Anela-- The girls aren't supposed to say words like "crap" "stupid" "dumb" etc, and they're really good about catching anyone who does. She was sleeping in my bed last night because her parents dropped them off for the night and it was about 2 am and she had been sleeping for a good 4 or 5 hours so she's pretty dead asleep. Well, Chris called and we were talking and I said something was stupid and Anela mumbled something so I leaned over her and was like "Anela? Wha?" and she's still asleep, but goes "Don't say that bad word, Auntie..." *snoooore* Awesome-- she's even correcting me in her sleep.


Here's Meya. She's so freakin cute. & talks in 3rd person. Me: "who's going swimming?" Meya: "Meya!"


This is her stink face. And me trying to copy her. Hilarious because she's totally serious about stink face!


freakin cute.


Kayla is getting so big and spells EVERYTHING she sees-- she just started kindergarten this fall, but has learned SO much. There was a poster of a gorilla smiling and there in big letters above it reads SMILE. Kayla sat there and spelled it out going "S-M-I-L-E." We asked her what it spelled and she shouts ever so confidently-- "MONKEY!" hahahaha!



Oh life goes by so quickly and sometimes I wish it would just stop long enough for me to be able to catch up and then decide when and how it can/should proceed. I suppose that's the beauty of trust though... that I don't have to be the one who worries about those aspects of my life.

*P.S. My dress came in and I picked it up yesterday! I am SOOO in love!