Blessings

Hi Friends,
We hope that you are all doing well. We are praying that each of you have a very blessed New Year. We are bringing in the new year with lots of prayer... for the friends and family we have, and the people that God will place into our lives this next year. As well as prayers for those we have issues with, that God will change our hearts and attitudes.
We had a great day Monday, we celebrated Hannah's 9th birthday... She has had a lot of fun this week. We took her bowling and she did so good... she had a blast!! She and Sarah are both pretty good at bowling, and showed mom how to bowl. hehehe ... Then we were able to go to Build a bear workshop here, granmommy gave them gift certificates for Christmas... it was so much fun... Hannah was worn out and fell asleep shortly after we returned home, and slept for 15 hours...
It was a good day, deffinately!
Hannah and Sarah also made me special cards for Friday, my birthday... we are enjoying family time and playing games and doing crafts, and some sewing as well. Sarah has also helped me make pj's for her doll, with some small and very cute houseshoes. Long week, but well worth the time we were able to spend time (quality) time together... not just doing school work or chores..
Hope that you all have a blessed week, and a joyful New Year !
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Our cup runneth over...

Hi Friends,
We hope that you are all having such a wonderful Christmas week...
God is so Good!!! We have been so blessed... We have lots of extended freinds and we consider them all family.... May you all be blessed as we have. Merry Christmas to you all !!
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Just a few more days...

Hi Friends,
Hope that you are all doing well... There are just a few more days until a very special day! Happy Birthday Jesus!!! This is why we celebrate....
Jesus was born to come to save us from our sins and be our savior.... How? you may ask.... read on to learn more.....
------------------------------------------
HEAVEN:God's Plan for your life.
God loves you. He created you to enjoy a wonderful life here on earth and with Him in heaven. God wants you to know the wonderful plan He has for you.
In order to experience God’s plan for your life, there are several important facts you must believe from the Bible:
1. You must believe you are a sinner and seperated from God.
..."But your iniquities have separated between you and your God."
-Isaiah 59:2
..."For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
-Romans 3:23

Sin is willful disobedience to God’s plan for your life. You have chosen to disobey God and go your own way. You are sinful and God is holy. A great gulf separates you and God.

2. You must believe that there is a penality for your sin.
..."The soul that sinneth, it shall die."
-Ezekiel 18:4
..."For the wages of sin is death."
-Romans 6:23

As a sinner, you are condemned to spend eternity in hell to pay for your sin.
3. You must believe that your own self-effort can not bridge the gulf between you and God.
..."Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ."
-Galatians 2:16
..."Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us."
– Titus 3:5

Many people think that the gulf which separates them from God can be bridged by good works, religion, church membership, baptism, or even clean living. However, there is only one payment acceptable in the sight of God … Jesus Christ.

4. You must believe that Jesus Christ has already paid the penality for your sin.
.."But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
–Romans 5:8
..."For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
–2 Corinthians 5:21
..."For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. "
– 1 Peter 3:18

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life Yet God took all of your sin and placed it on Christ while He was on the cross. God punished Jesus Christ in your place to pay the debt you owed and to bring you to Him.

5. You must personally receive Jesus Christ as your Savior.
..."That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
– Romans10:9-10
..."But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
– John 1:12

Receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior means to trust Him and depend totally on Him for your salvation. You must believe that He died for your sins, was buried and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, calling upon Him in prayer to come into your life, forgive you of your sin, and give you eternal life.

..."Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
– John 14:6

You can Pray something like this...
PRAYER OF FAITH---
Dear Lord Jesus,I know that I am a sinner and I deserve to die and go to hell. But I do believe that you died on the cross for my sins. Right now I am trusting you to be my Savior. Thank you for forgiving my sin and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life and help me to be a good Christian. Amen.

What’s next after salvation?
..."For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
– Ephesians 2:10
Our good works have nothing to do with securing our salvation. However, once we are saved, God wants our lives to produce good works.Here are a few things that God wants you to do now that Christ is your personal Savior:
Follow Christ in baptism. – Acts 8:35-40
Read the Bible to grow spiritually. – Matthew 4:4
Attend a Bible-believing church weekly. – Hebrews 10:25
Tell others about Jesus Christ. – Acts 1:8

Now if you want to know more, or have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us, and we will help you with any questions.
----------------------------
this is why we are so excited about it ....
We are so excited.... We celebrate several ways... We also write a letter to Jesus thanking Him for the blessing from the year, and expressing our feelings and gratitude... then we seal it in an envelope, and it goes into the girls hope chest. When they, one day marry they will get their letters back, and be able to see the changes they have gone through over the years.
I think it is a nice tradition for us. We also have a cake and a party for Jesus. Then the girls get to open their three presents. After which we gather with others and enjoy the day.
What are some traditions you share with friends and family?
We hope that each of you have a blessed week, and a very
Merry Christmas!
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Blessings

Hi Friends,
Hope that you are all well. We are good, we had a special blessing today, and I wanted to share... I make quilts, it takes me a bit, with all of Hannah's and my health issues. Well I had an order to make a t-shirt quilt for a friend of ours. Her son had a lot of shirts from high school and collage, and I made a really nice quilt, it was 135 x 135 and very heavy. It turned out great I think.... Well normally I charge a good amount for such a large quilt, about $130.00 - $150.00, well it took me several months to finish it, so I told the person getting it that it would be lower because of the extra time I took... Well God blessed us tremendously, she actually paid me full price, which is a blessing... God always provides just what we need. I am so blessed my cup runneth over... Hannah needs a new nebulizer, her's died, and insurance won't cover a new one for two more years, now I can get a new one without worrying. I am so glad... really I am thankful !!!
We hope that you all have a blessed weekend...
Much Love and prayer's,
Lori and crew

Infusion today

Hi Friends,
Hope that you are all doing well. We are doing good. It has been a long day, but I know Hannah is feeling better this afternoon. Her infusion went well today, and we are so glad. She has felt like getting off the couch, and playing a little. Sarah has missed that.
Ususally they are inseperable, so when Hannah is down, Sarah feels lonesome. We have been doing some new crafts, and getting our Christmas cards made. The girls love to make their own cards for special ocassions. It is fun and easy for them to do. We love crafts so that helps too.
We also are getting eady to play santa... the girls have had so much fun wrapping goodies for the kids at the hospital... making cards and getting candy canes ready, and making sure each child receives a book too. It is so cool to see their excitement.
God is good, all the time. I am never amazed at His goodness and blessings.
Have you done a good deed for someone this week. It is easier at this season to be knd, but we sometimes forget those who go without... Bless someone this week.
Hope that you all have a blessed week...
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and girls

Restful Day

Hi Friends,
Hope that you are all doing well today. We have had a restful and peaceful day today. Hannah has not felt well, so we stayed in most of the day. We did run out to get medicine, it goes to fast... we forgot tylenol the other day, and we usually switch out between the two, ibeprofen and tylenol as needed. We had to go to the dr. yesterday Hannah was hurting in her neck and shoulders, so we went to have her looked at. Still has mono, and just very tired, watching to make sure she stays hydrated....
We have also worked on out Christmas cards some, that is always fun, we make them using scrapbook stickers and paper and make them multicolored and add lots of goodies. We love it.
We have also had rest when she needed a nap, and just layed around most of the day. Now the girls are getting baths and then to bed... Hard to think that it is only 6, but they can use the rest.. and so can mommy. (O:
We hope that everyone has a blessed week.
Have you hugged your kids today ?
Much love and prayer's,
Lori and girls

hum...

Hi Friends,
Hope that you are all well.... Those of you who are familiar with our family know about my daughter Hannah, and all her illnesses... recently a friend of ours let Hannah borrow a stuffed penguin.. It is amazing to me how quickly the girls become attached to things. Well Hannah fell in love with the penguin... long story short, they aren't to be found anywhere in the south. Us being in Montgomery, Alabama... no good looking here....
We cave found out the company that makes them, but it is from last year, so they no longer have any, and don't sell to individuals....
Well we found out that they were actually sold at a store called "Pamida Stores" Well I know there are none here, and the nearest one is above Tenn. We are calling every store on the list, not much luck... so I was wondering, if any of you see a sweet little Penguin made by Amimal Adventure, with a blue scarf, and no hat... Please let me know... I would be highly interested in finding one like it... it also had a Lot # 2354 on the bottum tag.... I know this is a long shot, but I also know that if it is important to us then it is important to God.... this is very important to Hannah, it would make her feel so much better, even if just in spirit.
Anyway... on to other things.
We are all feeling much better today. Hannah's immune issues mean a lot of bad days feeling yucky, fever off and on. Today was better, we are praying for a good day tomorrow, being Sat. daddy is off, and we have a few family things planned. The kids want to go look at lights, and then we usually come home to hot cocoa and a movie. We hope that you all are able to taking some quiet time with family and friends this weekend. Enjoy each other, for tomorrow is not promised.
Much love and prayer's,
Lori and girls

someting to think on...

Hi Friends,
I would like to share somethings with you... I am so glad to be friends with each of you, it is a blessing on a daily basis for me... just knowing that you are there... Thank you
Now I have only known some of you a short time, and others for years. Some of you know how it is here at our house, others don't, so I am going to share with you...
Most know Hannah has a lot of health issues, well she gets some of them from mommy. I have several issues as well... I have asthma like Hannah, and I have high blood pressure, migraines, and bipolar disorder... as some of you have noticed, I am sure... I am usually doing well, but sometimes, I am very down and depressed, and I can go on just a few hours of sleep sometimes, and then needing 9-13 hours of rest other times. I am usually in good spirits, and I know that Jesus is with me daily, but sometimes I just stumble and can't pick myself back up... in that aspect, God has placed new friends in my path to help me through the harder times. I have a few close friends, and one biological brother, who is also bipolar, we were adopted together... other than that, I don't have a traditional family... I feel like God has blessed me with you each as my extended family, for that I am immensely thankful... God has truely blessed us. I am glad to know I am not alone in my journey... as a wife, mom, teacher, or any other job God gives me... you are all here too.

Hope that you all have a blessed weekend.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and girls

An Award !

This is what this award signifies:

This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY- nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement . Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to 8 bloggers, who may, then pass it on.

I am not sure whom to pass it too, so I'll think on it and pass it on tomorrow... I wonder if the same person can get it from two different people.... hum....



Much Love and Prayer's,

Lori and crew

Hannah's Apointment

Hi Friends,
Thank you all for the prayers the last few days. What a blessing to go to our sisters in faith, and know they are praying.
Hannah's appointment was a bit discouraging for mommy. The dr. said that her body isn't responding to the immunoglobin G. We will keep doing the treatments until the end of Feb. as well as she will be taking an oral antiboitic until the end of Feb. Then we will reevaluate her progress from there. He really thinks that it is not hypogammagobulinemia, and it has something to do with her T - cells. So more test, and waiting...
We know she is in the palm of God's hand, and He is in control of it all! So glad I'm not in charge... (O: We will update more tomorrow, i can't think well, I'm so tired...
We are off to a good nights sleep... I drove 4 hours total yesterday, and 4 hours total today... very tired mommy. Hope that you all have a bleesed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Something to think about

The ' L I T T L E ' Things .

As you might know, the head of a company survived
9/11 because his son started kindergarten.

Another fellow was alive because it was
His turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her
Alarm clock didn't go off in time.

One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike
Because of an auto accident.

One of them
Missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take
Time to change.

One's
Car wouldn't start.

One couldn't
Get a taxi.

The one that struck me was the man
Who put on a new pair of shoes that morning,
Took the various means to get to work
But before he got there, he developed
a blister on his foot.
He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.
That is why he is alive today.

Now when I amStuck in traffic ,
Miss an elevator,
Turn back to answer a ringing telephone ...
All the little things that annoy me.
I think to myself,
This is exactly where
God wants me to be
At this very moment..

Next time your morning seems to be
Going wrong ,
The children are slow getting dressed,
You can't seem to find the car keys,
You hit every traffic light,
Don't get mad or frustrated;
It May be just that God is at work watching over you.

May God continue to bless you
With all those annoying little things
And may you remember their possible purpose.
Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
it's about learning how to dance in the rain.

Sarah

Hi Friends,

Hope that you are all doing well.

We took Sarah to Children's Hospital today for her tummy issues. Everything went well. They did blood work, and everything looks good. We and the drs, think she is having panic attacks, so we will be working on that in the near future. We trust that Jesus holds us in the palm of his hands. The appointment was supose to take 2-3 hours, and we were glad to be in and out in 1 hour, that included blood work. What a blessing, we were home before dark. Yeah !!!

We do return tomorrow for Hannah, and more test and blood work. Hannah has had a headache and stomach ache for several days... we think it is because of the mono, so we will see.

We had a safe trip and not much trouble, we were driving down the interstate and our left side headlight went flying past us, it fell out and into oncoming traffic, a new light will be here on Thursday. Scared all of us quite a bit, we didn't know what fell off the van. But we all giggled about it after we realized what it was... (O:

Hope that you all have a blessed week.

Much Love and prayer's,

Lori and girls

today

Hi friends,
Today has been a hard day for Hannah, she has not felt good at all. Fever, and a migrane all day, nothing is helping it. Now she is enjoying a fudgecycle... hopefully it will make her feel better. We have spent the majority of the day on the couch in blankets and resting most of the day.

We did get to go Christmas caroling last night with the sunday school class. That was a blessing, we visited two ladies who are in our church. Sang carols and enjoyed time with friends, unfortunately I think it was to much for Hannah, today is a result of being out for several hours last night.
I am going to keep an eye on her, but we do go to Children's hospital on Tues. and Wed. hopefully we can find out something that will help our sweet girl to feel better soon.
Thank You for all the prayers, we really appreciate them.
Hope that you have a blesses day.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and girls

Hannah

Hi frineds,
Short update on Hannah, she does have mono, aka: Epstein Barr Virus, as well as cmv virus, which is what is causing the mono virus to become active... We are going to see the immunologist on Wed. next week... Hannah has been sick since August, we were in the hospital in Aug. for virus and dehydration... her body hasn't fully recovered since.
Hopefully the Dr. in Birmingham, at Children's will be able to help some. He is the dr. that put her on the IVIG infusions. We will keep everyone posted.
On another note, God blessed aboundantly this week, with Hannah being so sick lately, we haven't been out much, and I haven't had a chance, or the money to buy the girls much needed coats. Well a precious friend brought not just two, but three beautiful coats over today for the girls, Hannah picked the green one with fur, and Sarah picked the pink and grey one, and they are going to share the pretty red one. What a blessing!!! We are so thankful to God for providing.. It has gotten cold here the last few weeks, the girls have been wearing light weight jackets... so this is a blessing.
God is so Good!
Hope that you have a blessed week.
Much love and prayers,
Lori and girls.....

Hi Friends,
Hope that your week is going well. We are good, enjoying time as a family, we have watched movies, and had hot cocoa, and popcorn, all wrapped up to cuddle. Lots of fun !
Sarah fixed dinner tonight, and she did such a good job. She made steak, medium rare for daddy, and medium well for everyone else, she made noodles with butter and herbs, and seasoned collared greens. We had ginger snaps for desert. It was so good. Daddy has clean up, with Carissa's help. I enjoy a night off every so often... Hannah is a bit under the weather, just a bit of fever... We are keeping an eye on it. Sarah is good, still having tummy aches, but we do go to the doctor next week, they will run test, she had a lot of problems when she was small, with her tummy. So it is a follow up of sorts. Nothing to be worried about, we know that God holds us in the palm of HIS hands.
We hope that you all have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Things to think about

Hi Firends,
We hope that you each had a blessed Thanksgiving... We have. It has been such a blessing to spend time with friends and family. We have had so much fun. The girls were able to see family they haven't seen since Mother's Day. We really enjoyed our time with everyone.
Now on to other things..
It is now getting closer to Christmaas... Happy Birthday Jesus !!!!
Now I Know that there are many different religions out in the world today... We, our family, believe that we are able to celebrate Christmas because of Jesus! We believe that we are all sinners, saved by grace.. That Jesus is our Savior and He is the reason we celebrate this time. Thinging on this, we want to show others Jesus through us. In order to do this, the girls have come up with several ways they think we can do this in our daily lives.
I am excited to see what they have come up with, so we are doing somethig for someone daily from now to Christmas... One family a day, something unexpected..... things from a card in the mail, fresh baked cookies, and then things like raking the lawn, or taking out the trash, to walking pets... they have some great ideas. I think that even little things can help kids make a difference for Jesus... What do you think?
What are things you can do for someone to show them Jesus?
Well it is time to go, we are getting things ready for school tomorrow...
Hope that you all have a blessed week!
Thank you Mindy for the blue scarf, and the elephant and scarf for Hannah.. We love them!!! What a blessing... Hannah has a new best playmate... Elephant has been with Hannah all weekend. (O:
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Thankful Things...

Hi Firends,
Today I want to tell you what I am thankful for....
I am thankful that Jesus loves me as I am...
I am thankful for a special family...
I am thankful for a loving and caring husband, even when we don't see eye to eye...
I am thankful for my girls...
I am thankful for my extended family and friends...
I am thankful that I am Loved...
I also am thankful for all the blessings God has given me, especially lately... I have been praying for God to send me some friends, sometimes I feel lonely, but know I could do better... He has sent me several new Christian friends.... some I meet, and some I have from our blog...
God is so good!! His blessings fill my heart to overflowing....
I pray each of you are blessed even more than we are...
"Dear Jesus, Please bless all of my friends, new and old alike... Please give them peace where they struggle, food where they are hungry, and feed their soul in their longing, heal the hurting Jesus we need you daily in our lives, ... help us to be more like you, and to be able to show others Jesus throught us... Jesus with skin on... Thank you Jesus for your blessings, but also thank you for providing what we need, not just what we want ... Hold us in you hands Lord... In your preciuos name I pray.... Amen"

I am so thankful for you all.. Have a Happy and blessed Thanksgiving day..
Please tell someone you are thankful for them, it could be just what they need... A hug from God..
Much Love and prayer's,
Lori and crew

hum...

Hi Friends,
I want to share with you something my girls have been doing, it just makes me realize how blessed I am.
For a little while now, my girls have had something they call a “secret family”.
Well each year I get a small calendar and we go through it and put a name on each
Week through out the year.. Each month they can see who is on the list for prayer, we call it a prayer calendar. Each week is a different family,
Sunday we pray for the family as a whole, Monday we pray for the dad, Tues. we pray for the mom, Wed. the children, each person gets a day, it can sometimes go into two weeks, but each member of the family has their own day. As well as each family their own week.
If you want detailed explanation on how to do this, ask, I’ll be glad to show you how… It is a small “tradition” we have started and hope to share with others…
Well the girls have done something similar… they have picked a family and been praying for that family for a month… What an awesome blessing to mommy when I found out… It helps me realize that I am doing what God would want me to with the girls… They recently asked if they could start getting address of their secret family’s so they could send cards or colored pictures to them… so if you read our blog, or just pass by and leave a comment, or already know us, don’t be surprised by extra mail….
I have seen a change in the girls in the last few months, and am so glad I can see how God is working in their lives…
As I said earlier, they are so excited about going to the hospital Christmas eve, to pass out toys and books and cards to the kids on the pediatrics’ floor. They have started making the cards and want to make sure to have extra, just in case there are siblings there too…. Thank You Jesus for such sweet girls. What a honor to have the privalege to “bring them up in the admonition of the LORD. ”
Hope that you all have a blessed week….
Pay it forward… Do a good deed for someone this week…. Bless them, as God has blessed you. (O:
Much Love and Prayer’s,
Lori and girls

Blessings

Hi friends,
Just wanted to share a blessing from God today..... We love books about history... anything really, from Bible history, to presidents, and other countries, and such... Well a while back we let someone borrow the map we had of the world... Well this week we have bought some books from a homeschooler in our group.... When we got home with the box of books...
There was a world map in the box... Isn't that SO GOD !! Wow!what an awesomeGod we serve....
Hope that you each have a blessed Thanksgiving...
Much love and Prayer's,
Lori and Crew

Thoughts

Hi Friends,
just some thoughts to think on...
We are so thankful for all the people God has brought into our lives... He has blessed us with so many extended family over the last 11 years. We are blessed beyond measure. It makes me thing of those who don't have family and friends to share this time with. We are sending a letter, note to several people we know who are alone this holiday season... I wonder... how people who don't have Jesus makeit day by day... He is our everthing.... I am awed at the honor of being a child of the kING! What a blessing... Thank someone today, not just Jesus, but someone for the influence they have been in your lives, aswell as the privalege it is to know and be blessed by them...
We love you all! What a blessing to have such sweet and precious friends and family..
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Hannah

Hi Friends,
Hope that each of you are having a blessed day. We are.
We were able to attend church yesterday, it was such a blessing to be there. We also had a blessing, Hannah went to her own classes, by herself, instead of staying with mommy and daddy in our classes. I was pleasantly suprised. As well as very proud of my sweet Hannah.
We are doing good, Hannah has no fever, which has been that way for a few days. She is still feeling yucky, a bit whiney, but no other issues. Mono usually takes a while for her to get over, and we are at the beginning, so we have about 5 more weeks for her. Usually it takes 6 to 8 weeks for her to feel better.
We are having lots of cuddle time, but what better way to spend a cold winter day, cuddled up with the girls, and reading, or watching a movie... Fun!
Well we better go, lots to do today. (O:
Much Love and Prayer's.
Loriand crew

Hi Friends,
We hope that this day finds you all well. We are doing... Hannah has to go to the dr. again today, she is steadily getting worse, no energy, and feeling bad, chaped lips, and nose, both cracked and bleeding some. She is such a trooper. So this afternoon we will be going to see our wonderful pediatrician, Dr. Fekete...just to see if there is anything we can do, that we aren't. Usually it is a wait and watch issue. Hannah is wanting to stay out of the hospital, as does mommy.. (O:
Also I have been tagged again... (O: Thank you Mindy... we love it... (O:
Speaking of which, Angus is doing better, the stitches came out yesterday, and the eye has cleared up, but still has the ulcer. Please continue to pray for this sweet puppy.....
God knows, and if it is important, it is important to God.

Okay, the rules of the game are as follows:Share seven random or weird book facts about yourself.Then tag 7 other people. Notify them that they have been tagged and sit back and enjoy reading random and weird stuff about about them =) Fun right!?Okay, on with the game!

1. I love reading myBible, i can get lost and read for hours..
2. I love books about the Amish, I'd love to live in an amish community....
3. I love books that are about history... anything from pre civil war on...
4. I love books that are in order, and in sets of at least 4 in the set.
5. I love books that are big, thick.. I can read a book in a day or two.
6. I am reading tow books right now, one abour the Civil War, and one about Laws.
7. I love to read to my girls, we read anything from books about Narnia, to school stuff, to Little House, Junie B. Jones, anything that sounds good. I am reading the Civil War book to them right now.

Well I must be going for now, we are going to get ready to go. Hope that you all have a blessed day.
Much love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Infusion

Today is Hannah's infusion, we are praying that it will help her heal quickly. She is so pitiful, her lips a cracked and so sore, her little nose is chaped and swollen, and she doesn't feel good. She is resting on the couch waiting for Mrs. Kim, her home health care nurse, to arrive and get her started on the Iv IG. She knows it should make her feel better. It will be a long day, please be praying with us today.
Also please be praying for those that have lost a loved one, it can be an emotional time during the holiday season. When a loved one is gone, it is hard to make new memories without the one who passed on. This will be the second Christmas without Grandaddy Jordan. We miss him, but we know he is in heaven with Jesus, and there is no more pain. What a sweet blessing. We also know that Granddaddy is taking care of Matthew and Joshua until we can be there too. It is a blessing to know that our loved ones are being taken care of by Jesus... one day we will all be together again.
We hope that you each have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

mono

Hannah has mono again, # 7 . We sat at the dr.s office for two hours, and found out it is mono.... We will be watching her to try to keep her hydrated... then see how she does. We are resting and being careful.
Hope that you have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

ramblings

Hi Friends,
we hope that all is well with you and your family, we are good... We were able to attend church yesterday, it was so nice. We were able to enjoy some of the missions conference, and meet all the new missionaries. We were also able to get them to sign their prayer cards, so that was neat to the girls. They are doing good on their notebooks, and are excited to add the prayer cards. It was so nice to be able to go to Sunday school and church, and we attended the lunch after. It was also so nice to see friends again. We had not been able to attend church since Oct. 3, so I was blessed by being able to go.
Hannah attached herself to Joanna Burdett and her husband Bobby, who will be going to Madagascar. It is rare for Hannah to attach to anyone, especially someone new. She was drawn to Mrs. Joanna, it was sweet. Hannah has started a letter to her so I expect Hannah will have a new pen pal soon. Cool...
Well we are getting ready to go to the dr. Hannah isn't feeling well, and Sarah has had a tummy ache for a few days. Please be praying for the girls to feel better soon.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Award, of sorts....

Oh Yea! I get to play!
I was given this award by Mindy, over at Ladybug Farm! I love playing games =)
So here we go!

Open the book closest to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment.
Turn to page 56....
Write out the fifth sentence, as well as the two to five sentences following.
Then pass this lovely little award onto five other people!
Easy! Fun!! Share the love!!

Ok, so page 56 fith sentence and following says.....
Genesis 45 : 4b-7

"And they came near.
And he said I am Joseph your brother, whom yesold into Egypt.
Now therefore be not greived, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither : for God did send me before you to preserve life.
For these two years hath the famine been in the land : and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great delervance. "

P.s. don't forget --- aok -- Act of Kindness this week.... (O: Be a blessing to someone..
Have fun friends... (O:
Hope that you each have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Friday

Hi Friends,
I'd love to tell you something that God did for us today, it was so cool! We were out running errands today, and had meet a friend, and two of her kids. We stopped for some lunch and after we were done, we went to leave. The van wouldn't start. Now those who know the fun we have had with vehicles can understand my frusteration... I mean we haven't had the van long enough to need something so soon. Well I didn't have any jumper cables, and Lonnie was way to busy at work to leave. So my friend Rachel and I started praying... And it started to rain... drizzle... and I was concerned about being stuck, with 5 children in the rain, in the van... hum... not my ideal of fun! Well God sent an angel, of sorts... This big SUV type vehicle drives up and the man rolls down his window and asks if we need any help.... we were so happy. Thank you Jesus was said several times... This football built type of a man, big man, he was black and taller than me, yes I am kindof short, 5'1.... I am here to tell you, it was such a blessing. He gets the van jumped off. While we are waiting to charge the battery enough to make it to Lonnies work, he tells us what happened, He was on his way to the hospital, to see his wife and their new baby girl, and was going to go the interstate, when God told him to go another way, Atlanta highway... He thinks, ok, I'm hungry I'll seee what I can get. Nothing sounds good to him, till he gets all the way to Taylor Rd. he sees KFC and thinks that sounds good... He turns in to the parking lot and what does he see, us stranded.... Isn't our God Awesome!!!!!!
It was such a blessing, we shared our faith, he's family and he are also christians, thank you LORD for sending help in the form of and angel . . . Hehelped out showing geninue love, for a stranger, wow to me that is so awesome... there are no other words for it... WOW !
I never cease to be amazed by God's awesomeness.
I was thinking about it, and he went out of his way to listen to Jesus, I want to be open to God's leading too... I am going to work on my lisening skills...
P.s. Just a note, Angus is better, recovering at home, but please continue to pray for him and Mindy, it is hard to live with a cone around your neck... as well as for Mindy, Angus is pitiful looking....
Hope that you each have a blessed week, have you helped out someone just because?
Do a good deed for someone this week, share Jesus to someone, annonomously, or not, but share Jesus with someone...
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Prayers for a friend or two...

Hi friends,

Hope that you are each doing well... we are feeling so much better, starting to feel normal again... hum... what exactly is normal? I'll have to think on that one. (O:

We would like to ask you to please be praying for someone...actually it is a sweet dog... Angus... Angus's eye is infected and surgery is today, please pray that all goes according to God's plan, and the surgery goes well, as does the healing process... Mindy is worried about little Angus.

Also please be praying for family and friends who have lost loved ones over the last year, the holidays season is coming, and it may be hard for them to feel like celebrating... Please pray that they each find things to be thankful for and that Jesus heals their hurts...

Now on to something new, some of my friends have talked about being tagged... hum this is a change from that which I found on a recent site... I want to try it here, it makes you stop and think...

List 10 things you like about yourself..... Mine are listed below...

10 things I love about me:

1. I love that Jesus loves me as I am, imperfections and all,

2. I love that I have a willing heart, to be used by God daily

3. I love my ability to teach my children (homeschool)4.

I love being a good encourager

5. I love being a loyal friend

6. I love having a family to love and chreish, ( I was a foster kid)

7. I love that I can make my family and friends feel better with hugs and kind words, and prayers

8. I love that I am crafty

9. I love that I can love others so easily, thank you Jesus

10. I love to write.



It is good to stop an think why we are each special in oour own ways..

Here are Sarah's 10 things,

1. Sarah loves that Jesus loves her - as she is ( hum...) (O:

2. Sarah loves that she is a good friend

3. Sarah loves that she can cook really well.

4. Sarah loves that she is good with arts and crafts.

5. Sarah loves that she is smart.

6. Sarah loves that she can fix things, like a broken lamp...

7. Sarah loves that she is good with animals

8. Sarah loves that she is a good encourager.

9. Sarah loves that she loves learning.

10. Sarah loves that God has given her a special family.

Hannah will post hers tomorrow, since she is already asleep.... Hum we should be too... 3:30 is to early in the morning to be up.... Sarah is a good nurse too... (O:

Hope that you all have a blessed day..

Remember to hug those you love today...

Much Love and Prayer's,

Lori and crew

Hannah

Hi Friends,
We hope that you have had a blessed week so far. We are feeling better. Hannah's trip to Birmingham this week has been changed to Dec. so we will be able to stay home. Also next week Hannah will have her infusion on Wed. we have seen a small increase in her health, which is great! She has had a few bad days, but not as many this month as last, we are so thankful to Jesus for the small blessings. The girls are having fun learning about Fiji, Taiwan, Madagascar, and New Zealand. We are having a missions conference this week at our church. We look forward to meeting the new missionaries.
We are spending time with family and having fun getting ready for the hoildays. We plan on having lots of family time and seeing family we haven't seen in a while. The girls are busy writing their letters to pen pals, and making their thankful tree... it has a bare tree branch with paper leaves on it, each leaf has something we are thankful for, written on them. It is neat to see how they have grow over the past year, in the things that they are thankful for.
Then in Dec. we will beging writting our letters to Jesus expressing what we are thankful for and things we saw His hands on in our lives from the past year, and what they want out of the next year, growing in Jesus, new friends, better health, whatever they would like. We write Jesus a letter each year, the it goes into an envelope we seal it, and it goes into the hope chest. When the girls have children of their own we will give them their letters back some of the letters were written by mommy, before they were able to write, so as they learned to write they wrote their own, and put it into the envelopes, mommy and daddy don't read them, when they are older, if they want to shaer they can, but it isn't required. We want them to be use to talking to Jesus. It is just a few traditions that we have started for our girls... What family traditions have you started for your children? We'd love to hear and maybe get some new ideals to start over then next few years....
We hope that you each have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Mommy and Hannah update

Hi Friends,
Thank you so much for all the prayers, calls and cards. I am feeling better, but will need to rest lots over the next few weeks to not get pnemonia again... I still have some trouble breathing, but I am better that I was this time last week. Thank you Jesus! Hannah is running fever again, I am keeping an eye on her. Her legs are bothering her too. It has given us much time to rest and cuddle on the couch, and Hannah has learned a new skill so to speak, I have taught her to braid, and she took several peices of fabric and is braiding them to make a rug for a friend for Christmas. She is so excited to be able to make this herself. I have also taught her to sew recently, and she is glad she can use her learned skills to make things. She is also working on pot holders, the rug, and a small patchwork quilt. Her wish for Christmas is a sewing machine of her own, I will be looking into it, but really don't mind sharing mine. She wants to learn how to embrodery by hand, so that is next. We thank Jesus for the added rest, and continue to pray for healing, we will keep you posted. Hope that you each have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and girls

Hannah and Mommy..

Hi frineds,
We hope that you are each doing well, and resting in Gods blessings daily.
We are on the mend, it should take only a few more days to feel better. Hannah is fever free, thank you LORD for the blessings. We have managed to stay home from the hospital this time. Hannah is already asking when her next infusion is, she is ready to feel better. She is smart beyond her years.... she knows that after the infusion she should feel better. Hopefully this time she will have three good weeks..... only time will tell. We are praying that it goes well.
Hannah and Sarah are making their wish list, so they can decide what to do for Christmas... They have already put in to go to the hospital and pass out toys and books to the kids on the pediatrics floor, so we will do all we can to accomplish that. I'm not sure who had more of a blessing last year, the kids or the adults. It was nice to see the sick children light up at a special visit, and the parents were so thatkful. It blessed our hearts to be able to share what small thinks we did have. It goes back to --- wanting others to see Jesus through us. As well as sharing His love with others.
We are also praying about a special project we want to try to do this year. The girls and I are making Christmas cards for shut ins and assisted living homes in the area, and hope that we can make enough to share with several places.... It is a blessing to show the girls that we can bless others with thoughts and prayers, and that Jesus uses us if we are but willing to be used.
We are having a missions confrence coming up and we look forward to meeting new missionaries and to be blessed by the message they bring.
The missions conference is one of the girls and my favorite times at church, we enjoy learning about the different countries that the missionaries will be going to. In History this week we are learning about Fiji, Madagascar, Taiwan, and New Zealand. We will be looking at each for a few days and lear what we can about each. Each of these families are going to be planting churches in the countries they are going to.
So far Madagascar is Sarah's favorite country, and New Zealand is Hannahs. We are going to put together a small notebook on each country and then the girls will ask the missionaries to sign their books. I am looking forward to see what the girls come up with.
We hope that you each have a blessed week. Leaning on the grace of God on a daily basis. Love to all...
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and girls

Hannah

Hi Friends,
Hannah is fever free! Yeah! Thank you LORD !!! We have struggled all week with fever, and today she was to go back to the dr if she still was running fever... So glad it has finally broke. We will continue to pray that she stays fever free.... We are having a good week. We took dinner to friends last night at the hospital, "Uncle" Luther is in ICU, he has had a heart attack. We do ask prayers for Him, God to hold him close.
Hope that you each have a blessed day.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Hannah update again

Hi friends,
Hannah is still running fever. We went to the dr. yesterday for her, another virus. Still running 102 fever. We are continuing to watch her.
We went to the dr for me today for a check up, I have broncitus, so breathing treatments and antibiotics, and decongestant. We are both resting as much as we can, and trying not to overdue it. We have spent some quiet time, and been able to work on the homemade craft projects the girls are doing for Christmas presents for friends and family. We have been blessed with two quiet days so far this week. Maybe we will be done early with gifts. :O) we can hope so.
We hope that during this week you are able to slow down and spend quiet time with family and friends as well.
Much Love and prayers,
Lori and crew

Hannah update

Hi Friends,
Hannah had a infusion on Wed. and it went well. She has had fever since, we are watching her, to make sure it doesn't go over 103. we ask that you pray with us that she feels better soon. We appreciate all the prayers this far. It is such a blessing to have so many friends agreeing in prayer with us.
Hope that you all have a blessed week.
Much Love and prayer's,
Lori and crew

Infusion

Hey Friends,
Hannah is having her infusion, and seems to be doing well. We are almost done, Hannah is active, and helping our nurse, Kim. She has 125 mg of infusion, and it is a large bottle and half of a small bottle. We have learned lots today, I think that Hannah understands more now about her illness, so that is a blessing. We will updat afterwhile. Hope that you have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayers,
Lori and crew

More fevers

Hi friends,
More fever has come, Zachary, my nephew has the fever virus, as well as Aunt Allyson - Zachary and Carissa's mom. Hannah is feeling yucky, but no fever, so I'll be keeping an eye on it for now. Sarah is doing well, I'll be keeping an eye on her as well. We are blessed by the cool weather and Hannah is breathing well this week. We are going to be taking pictures of Hannahs infusion tomorrow, and will see about posting or letting Hannah post about the expierence. We hope that you each have a blessed week.
Much Love and prayer's,
Lori and crew

Fever Virus

Hi Friends,
Hope that you are all well. We are doing good, keeping warm. We love the cooler weather, it helps Hannah and I, our asthma flares up less in the winter. Please be in prayer for my neice, Carissa, she has been running fever for two days, 102 - 104. She has been to the doctor, and has a fever virus. We are also praying Sarah and Hannah remain fever free. We don't want Hannah sick again so close to feeling better. We have had a good day, several things going on, a friend of ours came to see how we homeschool. She has started homeschooling her daughter Kenleigh. It was nice to have the company, and Kenleigh did very well. She is so excited to be homeschooling. We are planning a feild trip to a farm soon, that is actually a ranch. I'm not sure who is more excited, the kids or the moms. Also exciting, we were interviewed for the evening news. They asked about our thoughts on increased prices in the stores, the girls were excited to see themselves on television tonigh. I have a feeling they will be talking about it for several days to come. Hum....I see a report on television news stations, and how they work...... in their near future. Anything to learn something new.
Hope that you each have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Infusion

Hi Friends,
We hope this finds you well. We are keeping busy with school and chores. We are stuck inside this week, Hannah has her infusion this week, and doesn't need to be sick for the infusion on Wed.. It will be an all day thing. If you think of us please send a prayer on our behalf. Home Health will be coming, so we won't be going to Birmingham this time. Which is a blessing. Lonnie is keeping busy with work, and we are all ready for the cold weather. Hope that you all stay warm as it gets colder. The girls and I visited some friends from the country this weekend, and were able to see how they warm their home on chilly nights. They have a wood burning stove in the dinning room, and have a heater in the den. It is cool to see the different ways to warm up. Another friend has a large fireplace and burns wood too. Then another friend uses gas to heat their heater. There are even kerosene heaters. When the girls study history they often wonder if the real heaters look like the ones in pictures, it is neat to see how they really look and work. We hope that you all have a blessed day.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Great Grandmommy Morris's home

Hi Friends,
We have been so busy lately, but having some good family time. We went to Lonnie's grandma's house in the about 30 minutes outside of Birmingham. It was nice to spend time with family and learn more about the history of the family. We found interesting information on our Morris family history, and were able to listen to uncle Hamilton tell several stories over the course of the day. History seems to come alive to us when it is experienced personally or by family or friends. It was such a blessing to be able to go. Sarah and Hannah enjoyed themselves so much. We even had fresh veggies, out of the garden, for lunch. Lonnie also enjoyed spending time with his aunt and uncle. Some of the furniture in the house has been there since the family bought the house in 1920. The country air was good for Hannah, and both girls loved being there, sitting and relaxing on the porch. We did take several pictures, and are excited to share. As we were heading to come home we stopped by the train tracks near the house. The girls loved seeing the tracks, and looking for train track nails. They found several to bring home and share with friends. We hope that you enjoy the pictures.
Sarah received a calligraphy set this past week and is expierimenting with writting letters. She is enjoy learning the different ways to write. She is writing her pen pal from Poland, and can hardly wait to send it.
Have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Hannah

Hi Friends,
We have had a good week with daddy home some. We went on a few field trips, and learned so much history. From pre-civil war to present day. It was so neat and interesting. We also received a chair that dates back to the mid to late 1800's. It came from a train wreck, where the items off the wrecked train were sold far below actual cost. A chair that sold for $150.00 to $200.00 for about $2.00 - $3.00, they could not be reused, so they were sold to the public for little cost. We enjoyed spending time with family as well. I think that family history is the most interesting of all. Being in foster care most of my life, I love to find out what I can on the history of my husbands family. It is the girls history too. We also visited a train track near Riverside. The girls found old train nails, and were so happy. They even found a few extras to give to friends.
We hope that you each have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

mexican night

We recently visisted with friends at their church, it was mexican Fiesta night. The girls and I had a great time, and lots of fun. They dressed up somewhat, and photos were taken. It was so neat.

Bird watching

Hi Friends,
We hope and pray that each of you are having a blessed day so far. We are. At the moment we are doing homework, my nephew Zachary has many spelling words to write, so Hannah decided that it was only fair for everyone to write spelling words, hum.... they got their spelling words for the week out and are working on them. Carissa is also working on school work, practicing her colors, and shapes. They are all so smart. I am so proud of them. We are shifting gears the next few days, daddy has some special interest things the girls will be doing. Tomorrow they are building a pen to watch the birds in. It will be a retangle shape, with chicken wire on all sides but one. then they are digging a small trench, adding bird feed and then will watch the birds follow the feed into the pen, after counting and classifying the birds, they will lift the pen and release any birds caught. After that they will reset it in the evening, and see what happens. We will do this over the next few days several times, and hope that the girls see a wide varity of birds. We will try to take pictures so we can share what we learn. Hope that you all have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Hannah's turn

Hi Everyone,
Hannah here, I have gone on lots of feild trips too. I like to go to cool places. Where do you go on field trips? I went to where Rosa Parks's old house is. My favorite part was seeing the big fireplace they had. It went up to the top of the wall. I think it must have kept them very warm on cold nights.
See you later,
Love Hannah

Sarah's favorite feild trip

Hi Everyone,
This is Sarah, I am posting about my favorite History feild trip. This year we have gone to several neat places, we saw Vulcan Park in Birmingham, Vulcan is the god of forge. We saw the church where Rosa and Raymond Parks were married, also we saw the country house where Rosa Parks (Rosa Louise McCauley Parks) grew up, which was her mothers parents farm, in Montgomery County, Alabama, also many other interesting places. I think that my favorite over all has been my greatgrandmother - Moma Morris's farm. It is an old farmhouse that was built in the 1840's. There were two houses, the main house and a slave house. Then after the Cicil War, they built a breazeway connecting the two houses, making them one. There is a water well built into the breazeway. It even has two outhouses on the property. There are several gardens, and fruit vines and trees too. Peach and Pear trees, and lots of muskidine vines and scupponong vines, I like eatting the fruit straight off the vines. I always love visiting there. The house has a covered porch that goes most of the way around the house, I like to sit and watch the clouds go by. The house and land have been in our family since the 1920's. It sits on the riverbanks of the Cossa River. I will try to post some pictures soon. I like being there, and think it is a neat place to visit.
Have a good night,
Love Sarah

Doing well

Hi friends,
We are doing well, getting back into the routine of school and chores.
We are having a good week so far. Hannah is fever free today, what a blessing. We are also excited daddy is taking a few days off this week, and we are going on a feild trip at the end of the week. We are excited to be able to go visit a home built in the mid 1800's. There are about 40 acres full of gardens, trees and lots of interesting hidding places. Lonnie's grandmother lived there many years befor she passed in 2001.
She was born in Oct. 1901. The history of the house draws you to it. We are excited to see and learn more history, and Lonnie loves telling the girls stories of being a boy and running around on the farm. There are also many muscadine and scuppernong vines and we are hoping to be able to gather enough fruit to make homemade jams when we get home. Hannah made cornbread today, and she did quite well, for a first try. She is very proud of herself, and is asking to make something else again soon. Sarah is waiting to make homemade banana pudding, like grandma used to make. We will attempt that tomorrow night. I love that the girls love to cook. It gives mommy two nights off a week, and then on Sat. daddy cooks. I enjoy my time off. The girls are learning good skills as well. I think with the arrangement we all win. ;O) Well that is all for now. Hope that you each have a blessed week.
Much love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Hannah's feeling better

Hi all,
Hannah has been running fever for a few days, 102.0, to 103.0. We did visit the pedatrician, and Hannah has a virus. We are trying to keep her resting as much as possible. Her fever has gone down today, and she is resting often. We will be keeping an eye on the fever and go from there.
We appreciate all the prayers. We know that God hears them.
On othere areas, we are working hard with our history and the girls are enjoying the history feild trips. We are also learning much in science, right now we are studying Hannah's health issues, one at a time. Also we are learning "fruits of the spirit" in Bible, school is going well, and we are having fun learning.
Sarah received a letter from her pen pal in Poland, that was really neat.
Hannah has written her pen pal that lives in Canada. We have also enjoyed learning about other cultures.
We hope that you all have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

At the farm

We have been enjoying going to the farm of a friend of mine, every Friday we sprnd time there. Hannah seems to breathe so much easier. She has good lung funtion after spending the day there. She has such a good time, as does Sarah. We let the girls help with the chores and feed the animals when they can. Hannah's favorite thing to do is to collect eggs from the chicken houses. Sarah loves to help, but prefers to stay out side the door of the hen house. We always have so much fun and enjoy the time we can spend with our extended "family".
We went to our local church on Sunday, Hannah slept most of the time. She has had a few tiring days lately, but we know that Jusus holds us in the palm of his hand. Have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Hannah

Hi everyone, We are good today, and trust you are as well. Hannah has had a lazy day, she hasn't felt well today, her arms and legs are achy and her head has hurt some today. We are taking it easy. We have played some board games, and read a bit, and not worried about schoolwork, or chores. Hannah needed a quiet day. We are planning on going to church in the morning, and then relaxing the rest of the day.
Hannah did write her penpal from Canada today, that was fun. We added lots of stickers and Bible verses. It is neat to learn about the different cultures.
Hope that you each have a blessed week.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Vulcan

If you have been in the Birmingham, Alabama ares you probablly have seen the large statue of a man pointing skywards. It is Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge. The histor of Vulcan is deeply tied to Birmingham's roots and its growth. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, was originally built in 1904 and has stood as a symbol of Birmingham for over 100
years. Vulcan stands 56- feet tall. What is this pagan colossus doing on the virtual buckle of the Bible Belt?
Vulcan was sculpted by artist Giuseppe Moretti for steel town Birmingham as an exhibit for the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. He was (and still is) the world's largest cast metal statue and the largest statue ever made in the U.S. His height was originally planned for 50 feet, but when Birmingham learned that a pagan Buddha in Tokyo stood 52 feet tall, they made their pagan Vulcan four feet taller.
Find more information at http://www.roadsideamerica.com/
or google Vulcan, Birmingham, Alabama.
We enjoyed our visit and loved the scavenger hunt. We did go up to the observation deck and could see all around Birmingham. We learned a lot of interesting facts and had fun in the process. Hope you are able to visit Vulcan sometime.
Have a blessed day...
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Places of interest

We were recently in Birmingham, at Children's Hospital and were able to stay at the newly remodeled Ronald McDonald House. It was such a blessing for us. The staff is very nice, they care about the families that stay in the House. Your stay can be from one night to several months. We stayed one night, but we learned so much. There are fun things to do, the library was Hannahs favorite place to be, I think that if I had allowed her, she would have slept on the floor in the library all night, we made several trips down to get more books. There was also an outdoor play area, and it had a long covered porch, with rocking chairs. We enjoyed play time for several hours sitting on the porch. There were board games, televisions, computers, and several play areas to keep little ones busy. It was for parents and kids, and everyone meet and talked at leasure.
There are several ways to suport the House, including but not limited to collecting pop tabs from cans, monetary donations, books and toys, food, as well as a wish list for needs for the home. They take new and slightly used items, as long as they are in good condition. If you are in the area, stop by and check them out.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Sarah and Hannah

Sarah is 10, she is in the 5th grade. She is failure to thrive, but has outgrown most of her health issues. She is small for her age. She enjoys homeschooling, most days. Her favorite things are feild trips. Sarah also likes computer time and she likes art, spelling and math.
She collects monkeys and has more that she can count... her favotire color is red or blue, depending on what day you ask her.
Hannah is 8 and in the 3rd grade. She has several health issues. We do what we can and go from there. Hannah likes math and science. She also loves to read. She likes feildtrips too, especially Old Alabama Town. She collects princess, and anything purple. Her favorite color is purple.
Mom and Dad enjoy being with our girls and keeping them busy. We love listening to praise and worship music and we enjoy making a joyful noise along with the radio... We do many family things, usually dad is at work during the day, but helps with homework at night. It is sometimes to busy to think.....
Hope that you have enjoyed learning abbout us...
Have a blessed day....
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

CVID

This is what we know.....
Hypogammaglobulinemia -- or --
Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID)
* CVID basically means low antibody count, dysfunctional immune system and poor resistance to infection.
* Exposure to germs in daily life can produce challenges.
* Life can be semi-normal with CVID, and it can also be quite difficult.
Hypogammaglobulinemia essentially means antibody deficiency, and includes numerous primary immune deficiency disease such as Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID). Unlike AIDS or chemotherapy-induced immune deficiency, primary immune deficiencies are considered inherent, perhaps genetic. One of the rarest forms of hypogammaglobulinemia, Severe Combined Immune Deficiency, is nicknamed the "boy-in-the-bubble" disease - a somewhat popular example known to movie viewers. Both Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID) and IgA deficiency, whereas antibodies are decreased but not absent, are much more common. The approximate rate for CVID is 1:50,000 persons and the rate for IgA deficiency is as frequent as 1:750 individuals. As the immune system is quite complex, CVID often involves additional defects in the immune system. Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID) is mild to life-threatening: dependent on resistance to infection, treatment success, and if complications occur. Significant risk of developing certain cancers and autoimmune illness also exists for patients.
The immune system consists of five primary types of antibodies called immune globulins, two of which are commonly affected in CVID: immune globulin G (IgG) and immune globulin A (IgA). IgM deficiency occurs less frequently, though up to 50 percent of the time.Each antibody class plays a different role in response to infection:-- IgA is the chief protector of mucosal linings, including the mouth, stomach, respiratory tract, intestines, and external reproductive organs. -- IgG is the body's main defense antibody throughout the body. Some CVID patients mount little to no antibody response to both common and dangerous bacteria -- causing pneumonia, tetanus, strep, and colds, for instance.Symptoms of Common Variable Immune Deficiency-- frequent and chronic bacterial, viral or fungal infections (bronchitis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, colds, influenza, ear infections, skin infections etc.)-- chronic sinusitis or upper respiratory damage, bronchiectasis-- fatigue-- lymph gland enlargement-- joint pain or arthritis (may be due to infection)-- hair loss-- infections or disorders of the digestive tract, diarrhea-- anemia-- spleen enlargementOther Complications:-- lymphoma-- autoimmune disease-- premature death* Note that children with primary immune deficiency may have other difficulties, such as failure to thrive, due to their immature immune systems, physical development and germ exposures. Symptoms for mild to moderate CVID and IgA deficiency may be similar. However, there is no treatment for IgA deficiency other than keeping an upper-hand on infections with antibiotic therapy. Diagnosis of Common Variable Immune DeficiencyTesting is done by measuring immune globulin levels in the blood. Supportive tests such as antibody response tests and CT scan of sinus or lungs may also be utilized.CVID often goes undiagnosed until symptoms are more profound, in the second to fourth decade of life.
Chronic infections and damage to the lungs and sinus may occur well before diagnosis.Difficulties in DiagnosisWhether testing is underutilized or the total immunoglobulin level is misinterpreted, both contribute to diagnosistic delay.Additionally, the total IgG or IgA count can be misleading, and these levels alone are not necessarily indicative of the patient's health status. As each immune globulin class is divided into subclasses, sometimes one subclass is abundantly produced while one or more other subclasses remain deficient or absent. A more refined test, called an IgG subclass level, is often necessary to pinpoint CVID.Additionally, treatment of CVID is very costly (thousands of dollars monthly). Insurance companies may refuse treatment if antibody levels are not considered "low enough," and physicians can be misled as to what constitutes CVID. Treatment for Common Variable Immune DeficiencySome antibodies may be replaced by what is known as intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). IVIG is a very refined blood product gathered from a select pool of donors. Other forms of administration, such as subcutaneous injection under the skin, is less frequently involved.Whereas IgG antibodies can be replaced, no replacement for IgA is available. IVIG is optimally administered on a bi-weekly to monthly basis. Infusions typically last a few hours and temporary side effects, such as flu-like symptoms, are common. Immune therapy replacement is not a cure for CVID; Generally, IVIG therapy is a lifelong treatment that helps patients' better ward off infections and complications of the disease. Most patients are healthier on IVIG, and some lead rather normal lives other than the inconvenience attributed to the infusions. The majority of CVID patients ultimately experiences some degree of disability, from mild to severe, and maintain higher than normal rates of infection. The earlier CVID patients receive IVIG the better the prognosis. With adequate treatment, sinus and lung damage as well as other complications may be prevented.
Prompt administration of antibiotics when necessary and regular evaluation by an immunologist or specialist is another crucial form of treatment for CVID patients.Treatment ComplicationsSlower administration of IVIG and preemptive administration of diphenhydramine HCL (Benedryl) can greatly minimize infusion-related reactions. Ibuprofen or asprin may also be recommended.More serious or life-threatening IVIG reactions occur in a smaller number of patients. The latter group may be unable to receive immune globulin therapy due to natural antibodies that react to trace amounts of IgA or other substances contained in immune globulin products.
Still learning....
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew

Our family

Our daughter Hannah is 8, her siste Sarah is 10. We homeschool our girls and keep busy with lots of extras. We also care for our neice, Carissa -4, and our nephew, Zachary -8, during the week, so there is never a dull moment here.
We enjoy attending church and lear all we can about Jesus. We also attend Awana, Children's choir and other fun activities as we are able.
Hannah has recently been diagnosed with health issues, so we do what we can, and don't stree over the rest. Hannah has allergies, asthma, pulmonary valve stonosis, heart murmur, sleep disorder, migranes, and CVID.
We are learning as we go. Here is some of what we know.....
Hypogammaglobulinemia -- or -- Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID)
* CVID basically means low antibody count, dysfunctional immune system and poor resistance to infection.
* Exposure to germs in daily life can produce challenges.
* Life can be semi-normal with CVID, and it can also be quite difficult.
Hypogammaglobulinemia essentially means antibody deficiency, and includes numerous primary immune deficiency disease such as Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID).
We are blessed in that the dr.'s were able to figure this out early, in 4 years.
Hannah has had her first treatment of IVIG and had no ill side affects. She is still tired, the IVIG helps her have better days. Usually there is one hard week of feeling yucky and three good weeks. For Hannah this will be an improvement, since she is sick all the time, with few good days between each sickness time. We hope that you will check back often, and that you will see Jesus through us. Have a blessed week.
Much Love and prayer's,
Lori and crew

Things to ponder

Hi Everyone,
We want to be open to seeing God working in our everyday life's. We look for God to show himself in small ways and big ways. We are never amazed at God's provisions, blessings or His path's He has for us.
We want to be an example of His grace and mercy. We strive to show others Jesus through us. Please join us in our adventures and trials as we lean on Jesus and show others Him.
Much Love and Prayer's,
Lori and crew