Happy Halloween everyone. I am so excited to see the kids in their costume tonight. We don't live in a neighborhood so we are headed to my parents house to trick or treat there. And I hear my dad is smoking us some steaks in his awesome BIG GREEN EGG. That thing is awesome. While today is a fun day, I am also a little sad. Today would have been Brooke's 31st birthday. I have been avoiding blogging about her, I wasn't ready. But here goes. Everyone say a prayer for her parents today.
Brooke was/is my very best friend for 20 years. Brooke and I met in the 7th grade. We sat next to each other in science class. We dissected frogs together….well, I dissected and she "ooed and ahed, that's gross!" Earlier that year, I broke my ankle. Because we attended a very old school lacking an elevator, cafeteria in the basement and 7th grade on the 3rd floor, I was allowed to eat lunch in the classroom and of course the friend I chose to stay with me was Brooke. Everyday for 6 weeks we had 45 minutes to ourselves, left to our mischievous ways! Thus the inseparable friendship began. It wasn’t just a broken ankle; it was God’s higher plan. He used a broken bone for His glory. Although you cannot compare a broken bone to Brooke’s disease, in the same way God chose her suffering for His purpose, to show others He was in control.
John 9:
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Brooke was diagnosed when she was 14 with Neurofibromatosis, type 2, a genetic disease that causes spontaneous tumor growth on her brain and spinal cord. Over the years, she developed hundreds of tumors and only the ones growing and causing trouble would be removed. She lost her hearing at age 20 due to an acoustic neuroma. She lost eye sight and control of one eye a couple years later. She then lost her balance and could not get around very well. In the last year, she became a paraplegic and in the last months, a quadriplegic. It was very sad to watch. She should have been a healthy vibrant beautiful woman.
Brooke knew early on during her disease that God had a plan for her life, that she was being used for His higher purpose. The glory of God in her life spilled out onto everyone she met and they were never the same.....I will never be the same. She would tell anybody who would listen that Christ was number one in her life and that she served a God who loved her. She would also say that she had nothing to complain about...that she had a loving family and a warm home to be sick in. Wow.
She had more surgeries than I can count. She made into the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest Gamma Knife surgery (a type of laser). She once said, "When I asked God to be famous, this is not what I meant!"....lol! She never lost her humor. She also said "I probably will die choking on a cheerio than from this disease!" She was very clumsy! But it turns out, it would take her life. Actually, God had mercy and that's the only reason why.
I am honored to be called her best friend, blessed beyond words to be there with her the night she accepted Christ as Lord of her life. She went to church camp with me after our 7th grade year. I will never forget that night, when she looked over to me and asked if I would walk to the alter with her. I remember praying with her and our counselor. And her journey began....her favorite camp song was "Sanctuary."
Something happens in the life of a believer when they suffer on earth the way Brooke did. The Holy Spirit draws himself so close that when you are in their presence, you have just been in the presence of God. Since Brooke was never able to meet her soul mate here on earth, Brooke asked God if she could marry her savior when she got to heaven. She asked him to take her as His bride and for the wedding of her dreams in heaven. I know He granted this for her. I asked Brooke to describe her wedding to me. She said, “for starters, I’m beautiful of course! In a white flowing dress….” We decided it would be in an enchanted chapel with floating pillar candles like in the Harry Potter movies. And when she made it down the aisle to Jesus, He would say “I’ve been waiting on you a long time” and tell her how much He loved her. I am absolutely sure that this is the greeting she got when she entered the gates. A faithful servant like her deserves nothing less!
Recently, my husband wrote a song for Brooke. I wanted to tell you about the experience Brooke and I had that led Trey to write the song. About ten years ago, Brooke was getting a Halo, a contraption that stabilized her neck which was unstable due to the bone in her cervical spine that were removed along with her most recent tumor. She had to be awake for this procedure and it is very painful, and I promised I would pray for her. The morning of her procedure I had a class in college and when I arrived back in my dorm room, I immediately remembered that I had forgotten to pray for her at her procedure time. I was an hour late! Feeling horrible that I missed it, I sat down at my desk and not knowing what to pray, I simply asked God “please give her peace.” A couple days later, Brooke called me and said, “The most amazing thing happened. I was getting really nervous sitting in the waiting room because they were an hour late getting back to do the procedure. But as soon as they started, I heard the clearest voice say "I’ll give you peace, I’ll give you peace, I’ll give you peace". So I began to repeat the Lord’s Prayer over and over until they were done.” So the song is called “I’ll give you peace.” And in the bridge of the song, it says:
‘righteousness Adorns you my Bride” Words that the Holy Spirit gave trey to write because he was unaware at the time of Brooke’s bridal request. The song is truly anointed. Recently, Trey got to sing her song at radio stations all over the nation! I have added it to the blog, its the post right after this one "ECHOING ANGELS VISITS FAMILY FRIENDLY RADIO WIBI" Get the tissues. Its awesome. And it is projected to be the next single in the spring/summer. I am in awe at how God works. Her legacy might be on Christian radio for the world to hear!
I could sit here all day and reminisce about my friendship with Brooke, there is so much of her wit and charm I want you to know, but I would fail her if I did that. Because all she would really want me to say is how much she loved Jesus Christ. And if you don’t know Him as your savior, your healer, your provider, your friend, then you have missed what her life was all about. If you’re living an average, mediocre Christian life, not wholeheartedly running toward Christ, then you are missing the experience of lifetime, the experience of her lifetime. If she could insure that just one more of you came to know Christ through her life, then she would say it was all worth it. She was His most faithful servant, each day, running toward the prize and exiting this world boldly straight into His arms. Because of her, my cup runs over….
Brooke was/is my very best friend for 20 years. Brooke and I met in the 7th grade. We sat next to each other in science class. We dissected frogs together….well, I dissected and she "ooed and ahed, that's gross!" Earlier that year, I broke my ankle. Because we attended a very old school lacking an elevator, cafeteria in the basement and 7th grade on the 3rd floor, I was allowed to eat lunch in the classroom and of course the friend I chose to stay with me was Brooke. Everyday for 6 weeks we had 45 minutes to ourselves, left to our mischievous ways! Thus the inseparable friendship began. It wasn’t just a broken ankle; it was God’s higher plan. He used a broken bone for His glory. Although you cannot compare a broken bone to Brooke’s disease, in the same way God chose her suffering for His purpose, to show others He was in control.
John 9:
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Brooke was diagnosed when she was 14 with Neurofibromatosis, type 2, a genetic disease that causes spontaneous tumor growth on her brain and spinal cord. Over the years, she developed hundreds of tumors and only the ones growing and causing trouble would be removed. She lost her hearing at age 20 due to an acoustic neuroma. She lost eye sight and control of one eye a couple years later. She then lost her balance and could not get around very well. In the last year, she became a paraplegic and in the last months, a quadriplegic. It was very sad to watch. She should have been a healthy vibrant beautiful woman.
Brooke knew early on during her disease that God had a plan for her life, that she was being used for His higher purpose. The glory of God in her life spilled out onto everyone she met and they were never the same.....I will never be the same. She would tell anybody who would listen that Christ was number one in her life and that she served a God who loved her. She would also say that she had nothing to complain about...that she had a loving family and a warm home to be sick in. Wow.
She had more surgeries than I can count. She made into the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest Gamma Knife surgery (a type of laser). She once said, "When I asked God to be famous, this is not what I meant!"....lol! She never lost her humor. She also said "I probably will die choking on a cheerio than from this disease!" She was very clumsy! But it turns out, it would take her life. Actually, God had mercy and that's the only reason why.
I am honored to be called her best friend, blessed beyond words to be there with her the night she accepted Christ as Lord of her life. She went to church camp with me after our 7th grade year. I will never forget that night, when she looked over to me and asked if I would walk to the alter with her. I remember praying with her and our counselor. And her journey began....her favorite camp song was "Sanctuary."
Something happens in the life of a believer when they suffer on earth the way Brooke did. The Holy Spirit draws himself so close that when you are in their presence, you have just been in the presence of God. Since Brooke was never able to meet her soul mate here on earth, Brooke asked God if she could marry her savior when she got to heaven. She asked him to take her as His bride and for the wedding of her dreams in heaven. I know He granted this for her. I asked Brooke to describe her wedding to me. She said, “for starters, I’m beautiful of course! In a white flowing dress….” We decided it would be in an enchanted chapel with floating pillar candles like in the Harry Potter movies. And when she made it down the aisle to Jesus, He would say “I’ve been waiting on you a long time” and tell her how much He loved her. I am absolutely sure that this is the greeting she got when she entered the gates. A faithful servant like her deserves nothing less!
Recently, my husband wrote a song for Brooke. I wanted to tell you about the experience Brooke and I had that led Trey to write the song. About ten years ago, Brooke was getting a Halo, a contraption that stabilized her neck which was unstable due to the bone in her cervical spine that were removed along with her most recent tumor. She had to be awake for this procedure and it is very painful, and I promised I would pray for her. The morning of her procedure I had a class in college and when I arrived back in my dorm room, I immediately remembered that I had forgotten to pray for her at her procedure time. I was an hour late! Feeling horrible that I missed it, I sat down at my desk and not knowing what to pray, I simply asked God “please give her peace.” A couple days later, Brooke called me and said, “The most amazing thing happened. I was getting really nervous sitting in the waiting room because they were an hour late getting back to do the procedure. But as soon as they started, I heard the clearest voice say "I’ll give you peace, I’ll give you peace, I’ll give you peace". So I began to repeat the Lord’s Prayer over and over until they were done.” So the song is called “I’ll give you peace.” And in the bridge of the song, it says:
‘righteousness Adorns you my Bride” Words that the Holy Spirit gave trey to write because he was unaware at the time of Brooke’s bridal request. The song is truly anointed. Recently, Trey got to sing her song at radio stations all over the nation! I have added it to the blog, its the post right after this one "ECHOING ANGELS VISITS FAMILY FRIENDLY RADIO WIBI" Get the tissues. Its awesome. And it is projected to be the next single in the spring/summer. I am in awe at how God works. Her legacy might be on Christian radio for the world to hear!
I could sit here all day and reminisce about my friendship with Brooke, there is so much of her wit and charm I want you to know, but I would fail her if I did that. Because all she would really want me to say is how much she loved Jesus Christ. And if you don’t know Him as your savior, your healer, your provider, your friend, then you have missed what her life was all about. If you’re living an average, mediocre Christian life, not wholeheartedly running toward Christ, then you are missing the experience of lifetime, the experience of her lifetime. If she could insure that just one more of you came to know Christ through her life, then she would say it was all worth it. She was His most faithful servant, each day, running toward the prize and exiting this world boldly straight into His arms. Because of her, my cup runs over….
I received a phone call from a lady in the property management company for our homeowners association. I finally had a chance to call her back today. I had talked with Nini on a couple of occasions this year and became friends. She left a message wanting to see how our pregnancy was going because she had been praying for us and for this little miracle. Well, after talking with her for a bit she asked me about our baby room and things we had gotten so far for Lacey. To my surprise she told me that if we didn't have our pak n play yet that she had a brand new one that had never been opened and she felt like she wanted to give it to us for free. Really? Wow! I was so shocked! I have never met her in person just only talked on the phone. She made a preggo women cry! So, Josh and I are going to head up on Tuesday to meet her and pick up our new pak n play. What a true blessing this is! God is so amazing!
We survived week 3 which was pretty easy since I was off. I had worked the weekend, 2 - 16 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday. Despite having done that after a very long 40 hours already, it wasn't so bad. Now we are almost winding up week 4!. However, poor James is so anxious these past few days about who is coming and watching him or taking him to school. It really makes me feel bad. We have had a variety of friends helping me out. This week alone, if you include me, there are 4 different people. He has come into my room at 4 in the morning two nights in a row asking who will be here when I leave, and why aren't they here yet.:( Yes, here comes the mommy guilt.) This morning, he never went back to bed. I found him in the fetal position outside my door! I scooped him up, he had actually fallen asleep there with the cats, and put him in my bed. He watched cartoons while I got ready and we waited for Natalie, our wonderful babysitter, to get here. Once she arrived, he was totally fine. I made sure he knew he could come sleep with me if he was lonely. (He gave a sheepish grin, so that will probably back fire on me) but I don't ever want him to feel insecure. Eliza seemed ok with everyone. And I got all smiles when I picked her up from daycare, usually she falls to pieces as soon as she sees me.
So, yesterday I came back to work after 7 days off. I returned to all the drama. Yesterday I escaped most of it because I was assigned to the surgery center and not at the main hospital, the mothership. We all got yearly evaluations from our MD supervisors and my boss decided to choose a top 5 with the highest scores and email us with that list and tell us those people were up for a bonus. Um....I obviously am not on the list or I wouldn't be blogging about it. That's not true, I would have problem if I was on the list too. It has started quite a fire here. We have an awesome group I work with and we all work hard and are team players. I don't think any one person is better than the other and to do this list makes me feel unappreciated and not valued. It intentionally sets apart a group of people who don't want to be. It has started arguments over why these people were chosen and why they don't deserve it. I have no problem with the people chosen, I have a huge problem with the "list". It causes division in a group of friends. It's ok to have people with higher scores than others but you discuss that individuallly and privately tell them their reward. This isn't a sales department where we compete. I admit, this infuriated me at first. It comes after a long list of other infractions and I have just about had it with the intimidating, divide and conquer leadership style. But I have since cooled down and I know that my worth is not weighed by a piece of paper! I am valuable in the eyes of God and will continue to work as unto the Lord. I will do my best to be gracious and thankful for the job I do have.
Enough about that. Trey gets home Friday night and we have Saturday and Sunday together as a family before Trey heads out again. I am looking forward to trick or treating! I can't wait to see the kids in their costumes.
So, yesterday I came back to work after 7 days off. I returned to all the drama. Yesterday I escaped most of it because I was assigned to the surgery center and not at the main hospital, the mothership. We all got yearly evaluations from our MD supervisors and my boss decided to choose a top 5 with the highest scores and email us with that list and tell us those people were up for a bonus. Um....I obviously am not on the list or I wouldn't be blogging about it. That's not true, I would have problem if I was on the list too. It has started quite a fire here. We have an awesome group I work with and we all work hard and are team players. I don't think any one person is better than the other and to do this list makes me feel unappreciated and not valued. It intentionally sets apart a group of people who don't want to be. It has started arguments over why these people were chosen and why they don't deserve it. I have no problem with the people chosen, I have a huge problem with the "list". It causes division in a group of friends. It's ok to have people with higher scores than others but you discuss that individuallly and privately tell them their reward. This isn't a sales department where we compete. I admit, this infuriated me at first. It comes after a long list of other infractions and I have just about had it with the intimidating, divide and conquer leadership style. But I have since cooled down and I know that my worth is not weighed by a piece of paper! I am valuable in the eyes of God and will continue to work as unto the Lord. I will do my best to be gracious and thankful for the job I do have.
Enough about that. Trey gets home Friday night and we have Saturday and Sunday together as a family before Trey heads out again. I am looking forward to trick or treating! I can't wait to see the kids in their costumes.
So the one craving that I have had this pregnancy is a chocolate milkshake from Chick-Fil-A. Yes, it has to be from Chick-Fil-A. Today on my way home from work I had to have one. So, I stopped at the CFA to get one. The drive through was slammed with cars wrapped all the way around the building. So, I decided to park and go in. I went in and the manager came up and asked me if I had been helped. I said no and so she said she could take my order. I said I just wanted a small chocolate milkshake. She started to punch it in and stopped. Then she looked up at me and said that a lady had ordered some oreo cookie milkshakes and decided that she didn't want them and left. So she offered one to me for FREE. Granted it wasn't a chocolate milkshake, but, it was FREE. AND it had oreos in it. So I said sure. And she gave the last one to the guy behind me for free too. So, I left with a FREE shake and thanked the Lord for blessing me. I know it's silly. But, I really was grateful!
Tomorrow is our 30 week checkup. Can't believe it's only 10 weeks til our due date and Lacey will be here! Going by fast and am so excited!!!
Tomorrow is our 30 week checkup. Can't believe it's only 10 weeks til our due date and Lacey will be here! Going by fast and am so excited!!!
Our Lacey will be here in less than 10 weeks. And we are so excited and cannot wait to meet her! When Lacey gets here she will have a wonderful big furry sister. Our firstborn. Yes, I'm talking about our dog Gracie Bear. I actually got Gracie Bear about 6 months before Josh and I started dating. She's been with me through soo many things...good and bad. She's been a constant companion and is my baby girl. For those of you who have pets you will understand this love. She is a HUGE part of our family. We love to do things for her and take her places to have fun. Every year we always take her to the PetSmart HOWL-oween Costume party. Josh is always telling her she needs to earn her keep and work. So, we go to these types of events in hopes of winning gift cards. So far, she has done pretty well. The first year she came in 3rd place and last year she came in 2nd place for the costume party. She did win the Pet Birthday party best party hat. 2 years ago. So she has won gift cards which helps in purchasing food. This past weekend we took her again to the HOWL-oween party. This year we dressed her as a Home Depot employee. In the parade her Grandpa was her escort and wore a Home Depot hat so we had a great team. In the end, she won first place!!! Josh and I were such proud puppy parents! Josh took so many pictures. It was just a lot of fun.
Trey leaves this evening at 7 pm for Seattle. It is a 6 hour flight and I know he is still exhausted from the last two weeks. We have had fun yesterday and today but I don't think the kids really get that he is leaving again. This time he will be home late Friday night. Again only for a day or 2 and then off the kentucky for a show. We were thinking about tagging along, but I am not sure about the room/travel situation yet. But Thank goodness this is a paying trip. Maybe we will see a little extra money in November.....maybe. We need to start thinking about Christmas. That is scary! The last 3 weeks have actually gone by fast and I pray this one will too. I have a friend coming to take the kids to school for me one day and their regular babysitter to do another day and then my mom for 2 days. So far, the household has been running pretty smoothly, only by the grace of God! It should be interesting adding Trey back into the mix full time in November. We have gotten into a routine without him here but I WELCOME him back!!! And I know the kids will too!
Eliza's costume turned out great! I only ironed it to the ironing board once and started completely over once....so that's not bad. I underestimated measuring an 18 month old who was completely not interested in trying it on for size! So, probably on Halloween it will be completely crooked and look silly but oh well!
I have one more day off until it is back to the work grindstone. It went by SOOOO fast and it almost makes me sick to my stomach to think about it. We have had so much fun this last week. And I love being with my kids and I really don't want to go back to the drama at work. There is so much crap going on and I just want to ignore it a little longer! BLAH!
Ok, well, back to the redskins game and a little more time with Trey.
Eliza's costume turned out great! I only ironed it to the ironing board once and started completely over once....so that's not bad. I underestimated measuring an 18 month old who was completely not interested in trying it on for size! So, probably on Halloween it will be completely crooked and look silly but oh well!
I have one more day off until it is back to the work grindstone. It went by SOOOO fast and it almost makes me sick to my stomach to think about it. We have had so much fun this last week. And I love being with my kids and I really don't want to go back to the drama at work. There is so much crap going on and I just want to ignore it a little longer! BLAH!
Ok, well, back to the redskins game and a little more time with Trey.
