Pinewood Derby Race!

The kids have been building pinewood derby cars, the boys with Mike during the Father/Son program, and Maddie during Pioneer Girls. They came up with their designs, cut and painted their cars, added wheels and weights {all with help}, and it all led up to the big race day!

They were all so proud of their cars! This was their first go at designing cars, and they were all going for fun colors. And I love that they did most of the design and work themselves, just getting help with the big tools. 

Maddie's group was up first. Sweet girl was just happy to be with her friends, which was good because her little car was just not very fast haha. I'm so thankful she didn't seem to mind and that she had a great time!

I love seeing her with her little friends...but why is she so tall??

The boys were up next! Both of their cars did fairly well, with Eli's winning a few heats. Both boys were also just excited to be part of the race, and they had fun too. Eli came in 3rd place overall, and I was a little surprised that Aiden wasn't further up in the rankings, based on the heats he won. Poor little guy was pretty upset that he didn't get a trophy, but it was a good opportunity to learn good sportsmanship, and he did a great job cheering on his brother and the other boys.

Overall, the kids had fun building and racing their cars, and they are looking forward to racing next year!

Hello 40

Well, I am officially 40! :)

I am so thankful for a sweet birthday and for reaching such a big milestone! Mike and the kids made the day special, and I was so thankful for all of the birthday wishes from family and friends throughout the day. 

Unfortunately, I ended up sick {hello 40?}, so we are rescheduling my birthday dinner. And I get to plan a fun trip later this year, so the birthday festivities continue!

I had not dreaded 40 in the traditional sense. I don't necessarily fear getting older; I am actually grateful for the growth and maturity that have come with the years of aging. I just don't fret about the things that my 20 year old self used to, because they just don't matter the same as they did then. While my physical body may feel every bit of its years {and more}, I am thankful for the advantage of hindsight and wisdom and experience that comes with aging. I can appreciate feeling more comfortable in one's own skin, knowing more of who you are, and feeling confident in the life you live. 

That's not to say I have all of the answers and always feel confident in all of my decisions. I am currently in a season of unknowns {again}, not knowing what is around the corner, and still wrestling with what it looks like to trust the Lord. But in my years of walking with the Lord, I have gained the advantage of seeing His goodness and faithfulness on full display in countless situations, and I can walk in more confidence, simply because I have walked with Him longer. 

That's a gift that I didn't have 30 years ago, when brand-new baby Christian Erin didn't know anything else but that she wanted to follow Jesus. 

A gift that I didn't have 20 years ago, when growing Christian Erin was stepping out into the world and learning the reality of walking by faith and trusting her Savior. 

A gift that I didn't have 10 years ago, when struggling Christian Erin was crying out for answers in the midst of another season of unknowns and grief and loss, trying desperately to hold on to the truths she knew when nothing around her made sense.

As I think back on 40 years of life, 30 years of walking with the Lord, I am just overwhelmed with gratitude for all that the Lord has done. For His goodness and faithfulness to me over the years, and for His patience and long suffering with me. It's really hard to put into words, so I will say is that I am entering my 40s just incredibly thankful. 

As grateful as I am, celebrating on my birthday was still hard. There was a phone call that was decidedly missing from the day, and the reality of hitting a milestone he won't was really difficult to grapple with. So it was a bittersweet day, for sure. But I can still praise God for the gift of a new year, be thankful for each new day, and I can be thankful for how the Lord continues to take care of us, offering sweetness and grace in the midst of the tears.

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And as for that 40 Before 40 List...I kept thinking that I had plenty of time to check these things off. And then all of a sudden, I had 6 months left and not enough time at all!  Oh well :)

But even when I made the list, I knew that some would be a bit of a stretch, a bit of a dream to cross off. And some of these items have become out of reach for varying life circumstance reasons. But that's ok. I was still able to cross a few off, and the Lord has been so gracious to me over the past decade, even without crossing some of these off. Even looking at the list now, I'm wondering why some of these were so important at the time. I guess it's just fun to have a list of things to think and dream about.   

Celebrate our 10th anniversary with a trip away {sans kiddos!}

Finish a full year of hand lettering challenges - nope

Achieve and maintain remission for Crohn's - but does it count if I lost it right before my birthday?? Sigh.

Renew and use my passport - I don't even know where mine is...

Make a wise investment - I think buying our house should count

Take a family road trip to a new place

Take a photography class - the course is sitting in my inbox still...

Go on a train ride - does the steam train at Dollywood count?

Enjoy a fun girls' weekend away - this is coming!!

Take a self-defense class - nope

Go on a hot air balloon ride - haha nope

See the Grand Canyon - double haha nope

Read The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - this should have been an easy one, such a missed opportunity!

Become flexible enough to do the splits - Ok. I actually tried this one for awhile. And then decided "why?"

Finish our baby clothes quilt - still on my "very much want to do" list

Explore a cave

Hug a redwood - nope

Take a cooking class - nope

Complete a 9000 piece puzzle - I didn't realize how expensive these are haha

Enjoy a white Christmas - timing hasn't been right

Join a book club - I'm counting our women's summer book club, especially since I led it last summer!

Recreate a childhood photo - this one made me tear up...because I had plans to do this with my brother. I had the exact photo in mind too. Don't put stuff off, guys. 

Cook a full Thanksgiving dinner

Release a floating lantern - I know the festival I want to go to. Just need to plan it and get a babysitter!

Serve in a new ministry - nope. I think I found the ones I'm supposed to be in for now.

Pay for a stranger's meal - nope

Watch the sunrise in a beautiful place - I think the hills of West Virginia are pretty beautiful.

Dip my toes in the Atlantic Ocean - not yet

Visit the 5 states bordering Virginia 

{Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina}

Take a hike to view waterfalls

Have a professional makeup lesson - nope

See a play - nope

Be a tourist in Washington D.C.

Buy a house

Celebrate my 20 year friendiversary with Laura {2024} - again, such a missed opportunity!

Disciple a younger mom - I have tried, but nothing formal.

Write a children's book with my mom - nope. And what?

Undertake a home renovation project - does having our kitchen and floors redone count?

Finish and order our 13th year photo book - I am SO far behind on our family photo books...

Read the letter I wrote to myself to open on my 39th birthday...and write one to open on my 49th birthday - this was fun to read :)

Health Check-In :: Shingles

I recently posted about some of my health stuff, and I have had some updates. There is a reason this is a chronic illness and it is considered a health journey. Because there is always something, and it's never settled. So I take a deep breathe and get ready for the next round of whatever comes next. And while that can be overwhelming and frustrating at times, I am thankful the Lord walks with me in every part of the journey.

MR Enterography Results

Even though all of my blood test inflammation markers from earlier in the month were within normal range, the MRE showed mild active inflammation at the terminal ileum. In other words, my Crohn's is likely active again. There was a mild luminal narrowing noted {most likely caused by scarring, which we were aware of}, but the good news is that my bowel is not obstructed.

The MRE also showed small benign hepatic cysts, as well as a gallbladder polyp. My GI wasn't concerned about these, and they are consistent with abnormal growths that I tend to have within my body. {Isn't that lovely?}

I will need a colonoscopy so that my GI can further evaluate and take biopsies at the inflammation site. It will be interesting to see if he can even reach the site to biopsy, because he wasn't able to last time, due to the scarring. My hope is that, because the inflammation is milder this time, that will allow easier access.

Sigh. Definitely wasn't expecting that. It brings up SO many questions, but I am trying not to let my mind run ahead until we have more information. 

And so much for avoiding a colonoscopy haha!

6-Month Skin Check + Shingles

I had my normal skin check last week, and thankfully all looked good from that. But a week prior to that appointment, I had an itchy spot on my back. I had just assumed it was an intense bug bite. When the dermatologist asked about it, I told him just that, but he said that no, it was Shingles {!} He asked if I had had any recent stress {ha!}, which is what probably brought it on. I am so thankful I had this appointment already scheduled, because I would have just ignored the spot, still thinking it was a bug bite. So we caught it early, and I was able to start an anti-viral {Valtrex} right away.

When I first started the Valtrex, my ears were clogged for several days, and it kind of felt like I was in a tunnel {super strange}. It also has not been kind to my GI system. It has caused off and on dizziness and my insides have not been happy all week. But the worst part is that I had to stop taking my Stelara. I was due for my shot the day I was diagnosed with Shingles, and I was not able to take it. My GI wants me to wait until I am cleared of the Shingles before I resume taking Stelara. Both medications suppress the immune system, so taking them at the same time would significantly increase my risk of developing serious infections. It would be very difficult for me to beat Shingles if I continue taking Stelara. I hate missing doses, especially knowing that I have active inflammation right now, but I need to get rid of the Shingles.

I followed up with my GP yesterday, and unfortunately, it's not clearing up in the way they would hope. Thankfully, it's not getting worse or spreading, which is a huge praise. And I am incredibly lucky that I am not experiencing any pain. But even though I stopped taking the Stelara, I am still immunosuppressed, so it's likely taking my body more effort to fight off the Shingles. So she extended my treatment, and I will go back next week to see if there's any more improvement.

In the meantime, I will fight through another week of feeling yucky and praying that the Shingles starts to heal so I can avoid another extension and get back on my Stelara treatment.

We're just going ALL IN on this old lady thing, huh? ;)

 

{iPhone Rewind} :: January

We were late to see Christmas lights, but we decided to pack up the kids and drive through the Bull Run Festival of Lights on New Years Day. It was still fun and totally worth it :)

January was filled with lots of snow!

Math is tough, but Aiden works really hard

Hands down my favorite card from my brother's service. The one that made me laugh and cry {in a good way} the hardest.

We made Viking ships for History!

"Mommy, take my picture!"

The kids are making pinewood derby cars! Step 1: design, cutting, and sanding :)

Learning map grids in Geography

Mommy/Daughter Pizza & Movie Night with Pioneer Girls. Loved getting to spend time with this sweet girl and her friends {and their moms}

Sequence with Daddy :)

Math time! Counting that money :)

Health Check-In :: MR Enterography

It has been awhile since I have done a health check-in. I have been meaning to update, but I kept waiting on test results/updates, and then everything happened with my brother... 

Migraines

In November, I saw my neurologist, and I confirmed a complete switch over to using Nurtec as my rescue medication. And that has been going well. We did determine that my migraine pattern has changed {who knew that could happen?}, and it's not that my meds are not working. So basically, my new pattern is more having a migraine every 4-5 days. I take the Nurtec, and usually I only have to take 1 pill, and I am good for another 4-5 days. Sometimes I have to take another pill on day 2, but not always. Every now and then, I have to take a pill on day 3, but that is rare. But overall, I am still only taking my prescribed 9 pills in a month, which is still a praise.

Now, I stretched that over December, and I gave myself some grace on that with all the stress and grief of my brother. With crying being a trigger for my migraines, it was inevitable that I was going to get more migraines. It was unavoidable, and trying to keep myself from crying in that situation was only going to make it worse. So over December and January, my pattern has been closer to every 3-4 days, with more times of me having to take multiple-day pills. Which is not awesome or ideal, but I am hoping that it calms down as time passes. Even coming home, I have seen improvement. I honestly expected my migraines to be worse than they ended up being, so I am thankful for that grace. And I am just so thankful I have a rescue med that works. Even in the most intense grief, the Lord was taking care of me.

GI Follow-Up

At the beginning of December, I also had a 6-month follow up with my GI. He ordered all the routine lab work, and he gave me the option of doing a routine colonoscopy or an MR Enterography {MRE}. I asked what the downside was to the MRE {thinking it would be better than having to do the colonoscopy prep}, and he said there was no downside. So I opted for that.

We also discussed the upcoming patent expiration for Stelara and insurance moves to biosimilars {which has already happened in the UK/Canada}. He said he hadn't seen any moves to that yet, but that we would just have to wait and see what the U.S. insurance companies did. He didn't seem confident that they would make decisions in the interest of patients, but instead would make decisions in the interest of cost. No surprise there. But he promised he was watching it, and he was definitely in favor of keeping his patients on the name brand drugs, as he didn't typically see the same efficacy of the biosimilars {they are not like generics}. So that still remains to be seen what will happen.

I had to reschedule my tests until I returned from Texas, but when I received my labs back at the end of December/beginning of January, all of my numbers were normal. All of my inflammation markers were still normal. Praise God!

MR Enterography

I had the MRE in January, before we left for Texas the second time. I had the {false} assumption that it would be easier than a colonoscopy. No one gave me any instructions for the procedure, and I just had previous {brain} MRI experiences in my head. And I just didn't think. When I called to make the appointment, and even when I received my confirmation call a week out, they told me to arrive 15 minutes before and said nothing. 

The day before, I got a call from the imaging center. She asked if I knew I was supposed to arrive 2 hours before the test, because I was supposed to drink the contrast beforehand. I was definitely not aware, though in hindsight, I should have known better. I had to drink 1500 mL of contrast before the imaging! Thankfully, it didn't taste bad, it was just A LOT of liquid. And it's meant to distend your bowels haha.

It definitely hit my GI system right before the test. At the risk of sharing too much, we'll just say it acted much like a colonoscopy prep. Not pleasant. I started panicking, because I wasn't sure how I was supposed to make it through the whole scan {which lasted 45 minutes}. They assured me that no one had ever had a problem {gee, thanks}, and I prayed really hard. {Sorry, mom, for all the graphic texts begging for prayers that I didn't embarrass myself in the imaging center LOL}. Thankfully, I made it through, but I was fairly miserable the rest of the day. 

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So I will wait for the results of the MRE, and I also have a dermatologist appointment tomorrow {just my usual 6-month skin check}. There are too many doctors and too many appointments...and I'm not even 40 yet! :)