High Five for Friday!

{one} We just wrapped up a super fun week at VBS! We were all cadets on spaceship Galactic Praise, and we enjoyed a full week of astronomy, Bible lessons, slip 'n slides, silent team cheers, green gorillas, and crafts. I helped with the 2nd and 3rd graders, and each of the kids had their own group. Aiden was an Aqua Comet, Eli was a Red Shuttle, and Maddie was an Orange Rocket! {My group were Flame- Golden- Meteors}. Even our friend C from our old neighborhood joined us! The kids had a "blast" {pun intended} and basically had the time of their lives ;)

{two} We have adopted a deer! Ok, not really, but we have had this deer hanging around our yard for a few weeks now, and she basically has adopted us. She has just made herself right at home in our yard, and is {mostly} unfazed by our presence. Which, honestly, is pretty amazing, considering how our kids dance around and scream and yell whenever they see her haha. While it's not fun that she eats our plants and leaves a mess in our yard, it's pretty special to see her almost daily. We're hoping that she is getting comfortable enough that she might bring her baby into our yard soon!

{three} Aiden recently had a small procedure to have a mucocele removed from his lower lip. We have no idea how he got it {they're usually caused by mouth trauma}, but it just wasn't going away on its own, so we had to have it removed. Poor little guy had to see multiple doctors before we could actually get someone to remove it, so he had a lot of time to prep and work up his courage. They gave him laughing gas, and he was a rockstar patient! It was a little sore for a few days, and he had a bruise on the outside of his mouth for a bit, but otherwise, he's healing nicely, and hopefully we don't have to worry about it again!

{four} At the start of the summer, I had mentioned that I had started a maintenance medication for my migraines. While I definitely saw a difference in the severity of my migraines, I was still having a headache almost daily. So they went ahead and increased the dose of the maintenance medication. It has been about a month now, and I am just not seeing much more improvement. I'm not giving up yet, and I will have a follow up with the neurologist in August. But I am still having a lot of headaches, and had a pretty severe migraine recently {all the full-blown symptoms, lasted 5 days...not fun}. While the headaches don't all turn into migraines, and I'm able to manage most with Tylenol, it's still not normal and just gets in the way of everyday life. I am also struggling with insomnia and temperature regulation {I'm either really hot, like it feels like I'm burning up from the inside out, or freezing cold}. Sigh. So we'll see how the next few weeks go, and then discuss next steps at the August appointment. I knew this was a possibility; I was just hopeful I could find a better amount of relief in this first round of "easier" medications...

{five} I can hardly believe that we are halfway through the summer! We have been on break from school {though still practicing our reading}, and spending our days at the pool, playing with friends, and trying to survive the humidity. We still have lots planned for the second half of the summer, but we are already starting to see our schedule fill up with all the fall activities, and we'll be jumping into all of that before we know it :)

Happy Friday!

High Five for Friday!

{one} We are starting to feel a little more settled in the house each week. Our contractor finished up all of the remodel work this week, so that is officially complete! It will still take a bit more time to get all the boxes unpacked and all the things in their place...but we're getting there. We are loving the house and the neighborhood, and we are still in awe of how the Lord provided. This house is a blessing, for sure, so we are already starting to pray through how we may use it to bless those who walk through our doors.

{two} I had my wisdom teeth out at the beginning of January, and I guess I just thought it would be quick and easy. But I guess there is a reason that most people get them out in their 20s, rather when they are an old, tired mom of 3 haha. It has been a rough road of recovery; so much so, that I feel like I basically lost all of the month of January. Thankfully I was able to manage most of the pain with just Tylenol, but I ended up with a dry socket on one side and an infection {that required reopening the incision} on the other side. The first round of antibiotics that they gave me after the surgery {a precaution because of my immune issues} ripped up my stomach. And when I got the infection, I had to go on a stronger antibiotic {also not kind to my stomach}. It has been one thing after another, and I am still working through healing. So much for quick and easy!

{three} Despite the rocky start to the year, we did finally start back to school. It was a bit rough, since we had taken off so much time over the holidays and for the move, and then we missed a few days once we started because of Mommy's tooth struggles. So it hasn't been a beautiful, fresh start to the new school semester haha. But we're getting the hang of it, and I was quickly reminded of some of the reasons we homeschool. The flexibility, the freedom, and knowing that if we miss a day, it's not the end of the world, because we can easily catch up the next day. While they may not love every minute of it, and there is plenty of complaining all around...my kids are troopers and are doing really well overall this year. I'm really proud of the progress they have made, and I am thankful that we have the opportunity to homeschool.

{four} In the midst of unpacking, starting back to school, and dealing with tooth drama...Aiden has decided to start, um, exploring more. His curiosity is getting the better of him, and it often results in huge messes and destruction. Almost on the daily, during rest time, he will pull out everything from his closet and spread it out in his room. Sometimes he will rip things up so there is a huge mess to vacuum up. Sometimes he'll sneak out of his room and become "curious" in the bathroom. I have walked in to toothpaste smeared across the counter and sink. Or him "accidentally" attempting to flush things down the toilet. For the most part, his antics seem curiosity {and impulse} driven, rather than actual naughtiness. He's fairly willing to clean up his messes. But this Mama is at a loss on how to keep him busy and occupied enough to stop all these antics. Eli and Maddie had a "get into everything" stage when they were toddlers...but Aiden is in a whole other category on his own.

{five} February is going to be a busy month for us! We have put off quite a few things due to the move {and subsequently the chaos that was January}, so our calendar is already packed. But we are in full swing of school and ministry, and we have some fun things planned over the course of February. Here's hoping my teeth and overall health cooperate :)

High Five for Friday!

Just a quick update on life around our house these days! :)

{one} I am now 28 months in to active Crohn's Disease, and I can finally say that I am feeling better! That's HUGE! I am feeling better than I was even a month ago, and it is such an encouragement to see actual improvement. I had another dose of Stelara recently, and I really think it's helping. My symptoms are not 100% gone, but I'm seeing fewer and less frequent GI symptoms. I still have to balance my energy levels; when I start to feel better, I am tempted to run ahead and get back to my pre-Crohn's activity levels. And I'm not quite there yet. So fatigue is still a very real issue. And I am still trying to manage my migraines. But I am {and my doctor is} definitely encouraged!

{two} Aiden is doing really well with potty training! He has asked every day if he can have his diapers back {the answer is always "no"}, but he also really loves his Scooby Doo and Dinosaur underwear and it hasn't kept him from progressing. He has had very few accidents, and we are feeling more confident about longer times away from home. I'm so proud of him! And I love that he still runs out of the bathroom yelling, "Mommy, Mommy! I went pee pee in the potty! Are you so proud of me?" :)

{three} Eli had another check-up for his eyes. We have been patching diligently, trying to strengthen his right eye. The good news is that it's working! Three months ago, he was at 20/80 vision, and now he's at 20/70...so progress is really slow, but it's still progress. So we stay the course and continue patching for all his waking hours and pray that his eye/brain start making more progress. I am so proud of how he wears his patch like a champ! It's not his favorite, and it's not always easy, but he has been working hard, and he was so proud of himself when the doctor praised him for all of his hard work!

{four} Granny recently sent some fun mail that included puzzles of our family and some cutting practice pages. The kids love getting mail, and they loved these fun activities!

{five} On Tuesday, I celebrated my 10 year anniversary at the bank! 10 years ago, we prayed for the Lord to provide a new job closer to home, and we never could have imagined what a huge blessing that new job would be. I loved my job so much, and it was so hard to step away from full time work, but I knew it was what I needed to do for my health. So the Lord was gracious to allow me to stay on part time, and here I am 10 years later, still able to contribute and be part of the team, even in Virginia! This job has been such a God-send for our family, and I cannot say enough good things about the company and the leadership for which I work. I am so very grateful!

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Happy Friday!

High Five for Friday!

{one} Last weekend, I was able to attend our church's annual women's retreat! I was so thankful to finally be at a larger event with the women in our church, and it was so good to meet more people and deepen relationships. We had a great weekend learning about how to fix our eyes on Jesus, and I am so encouraged by the faith of the women in our church. I love the diversity of age, stage of life, and cultures, and I look forward to further deepening relationships with these amazing women.

{two} While Mommy was away...the kiddos enjoyed fun time with Daddy! They had a pizza and movie night, and then went on a fun hike to Bear's Den Overlook with friends. It stretched them quite a bit, but they still did pretty well!

{three} We are super grateful that COVID cases seem to be decreasing. I did get my 3rd shot {since I am immunosuppressed}, and we are starting to find more ways to get more involved with church and friends here. So while I was able to attend the women's retreat {fully vaccinated and masked}, and we are going to more events than we were even a few months ago, we are still taking precautions. I am still not ready to put the kids in Sunday School, due to their little germ magnet ways haha. And we still require masks and distancing around those who are unvaccinated. But decreasing cases, higher vaccination rates in our particular area, and my own health improvements give me hope to doing even more in-person things soon.

{four} A lot of our decisions regarding COVID have depended on my health. I am still not in remission {it will be 2 years of active disease next month}, and I still don't trust my body to be able to fight off sickness {COVID or otherwise}. Since starting Stelara, I have seen improvement! While I am not out of the woods yet, I am having so many more good days, which is such a huge praise! But I am still dealing with fatigue and those pesky headaches. And I still have actual Crohn's flares, though those are starting to diminish. I have another follow-up with my GI next month, as well as with a Primary Care Physician to check my B-12 levels and hopefully get some help with the headaches. So I think we're finally headed in the right direction...I'm cautiously optimistic :)

{five} We have been making our way through our Pre-K curriculum, and overall, I think it's going pretty well! It's nice to have the structure in our days, though it can also be difficult on days when I am not feeling well, or the kids just aren't feeling it haha. We're still working on a good rhythm, as some days run more smoothly than others. But we're making it through, and I think they're learning :)  They ask almost every morning if we are doing Preschool {and aren't disappointed when I say "yes"}, so I'll take that as a win!

Learning our 10 Commandments

The Belt of Truth!

Building houses on rock and sand...Object Lesson time!

Science: sink or float?

Happy Friday!

High Five for Friday!

We haven't had a whole lot to report in the past few weeks...just moving along in Toddler School, trying to spend as much time outside as we can {at least when it's not raining!}. But I had a few recent updates I thought I'd mention in a High Five for Friday! post :)

{one} This morning we headed over to Bull Run Regional Park for the Jurassic Encounter! We had bought the tickets a month ago, not quite sure how it would be received by the kiddos. It was either going to be really cool...or completely terrifying haha. We bought tickets hoping for the best, and the kids loved it! I didn't get a single photo, because we were too busy managing the audio tour, but that's ok. The kids enjoyed their snack as we watched the dinosaurs go by :)  We got an adventure pack with the tour, so they enjoyed the fun dinosaur-themed goodies, one of which was a dig-for-your-own-dinosaur. It was a lot more work than I anticipated, but the kids loved it!

{two} Maddie is back in glasses! She had her eye surgery last year {1 year ago yesterday!}, but recently I have noticed a slight crossing with here eyes again. Not as bad as it was before, but enough to have it checked out. So we're hoping that the new prescription {along with continued patching}, will be just the thing to strengthen here eyes. I'm just glad that this cutie girl is excited to wear her new pink glasses!

{three} I had an appointment with my GI last week, and since I am still having symptoms so frequently, he had me do some follow-up bloodwork and another stool test. The good news is that we are moving in the right direction! My inflammation numbers are still high, above the normal range. But they have come WAY down from what they were back in December. That's really good news! Just need to continue tweaking my treatment to get those numbers back within normal range.

I also scheduled another colonoscopy, as he needs to be able to see what's still causing inflammation and symptoms. I would have to have another one soon anyway, so we both agreed to move ahead with it now. That will be able to tell us if I need any additional treatment {on top of Entyvio and Lialda}, or if it's time to switch to another medication altogether. 

{four} For weeks, we have been preparing for THE INVASION. We are in an area where the Brood X cicadas are scheduled to make their appearance after 17 years of being underground. Thankfully, we are in a neighborhood that isn't old enough, so they're not invading our personal yard {small graces from Jesus}. But there are plenty of other places that we have seen them. When we went on a hike at Frying Pan Farm Park, we saw a whole brood of them. The shells litter the parking lot of the Labcorp where I had my tests done {think, having to carefully step so you don't crunch them underfoot}. And when we go up to the church playground, you can hear them all along the perimeter of the church property. Supposedly we are still waiting for the mating to begin, which is when things get REALLY loud. Blah.

{five} The women's Bible study at church is taking a break over the summer from formal study, and they are going to do a summer book club! We received a list of 8 books from which to choose, and we will meet each month to discuss our reading. I'm hoping to read all of them, but I chose these 3 for discussion. I had already bought Ten Words to Live By for my summer reading, I had never heard of the author for Control Girl so I chose it to try something new, and I will be leading the discussion on Gentle and Lowly. Here's to a summer of good reading!

High Five for Friday!

It has been awhile since I did a "High Five for Friday" post...but it's a good time to do one now :)

{one} This past weekend, we moved out of the extended stay hotel and into our rental house!! We were SO ready to have all of our stuff back and to start getting more settled here in Virginia. We had a team of deacons who helped us move our stuff out of the PODS, and we are so thankful! I was organized 3 months ago when we packed...but my brain can't seem to remember that far back. So we have been playing the "where's that?" game haha! It will take time, but we're steadily making progress. It will be nice to actually rest and enjoy being in our new space! The things I missed the most? My washer/dryer {in my house, so I don't have to walk outside and fight other people} and my oven. So nice to have those things back! :)

{two} Aside from being unsettled in our living space, we have felt like we are settling ok in other ways. We're starting to learn the area and find what we need {grocery store, Chick Fil A, etc.} Mike is settling into his job at the church, better understanding his role and totally rocking it. The kids love going up to Daddy's office to run around in the empty building or in the empty field behind the church. While COVID still limits our ability to meet people, we are still finding creative ways to get plugged in. I was able to join the women's Bible study back in November {online}, and people are so kind to find safe ways to meet. We spend a lot of time outside and socially distanced, and I'm just so thankful for the level of sensitivity and graciousness. We are loving Virginia so far!

{three} I really miss Sasha :(  I don't feel quite as out of sorts like I did those first few days, but there are reminders of her everywhere. I think of her when I drop a piece of ice {she used to always run to come eat it}, or when I open the peanut butter jar {her favorite treat}. Even unpacking now, I am finding random Sasha hairs :)  I will say, though, that I am glad she left us before we moved. I think the stress of it would have been too much for her. And the layout of this house would have kept her on the bottom floor, too much by herself {because she couldn't do stairs anymore}...just not super ideal. So I am just thankful that her last days were close by all the people she loved. 

{four} I am still battling with health stuff. Before my last infusion, they did bloodwork to measure the level of Entyvio in my system. Good news: I don't have any antibodies. Bad news: my levels were really low {half of what they like to see}, so I haven't been getting enough medicine. Which explains why I'm not feeling better yet! So my doctor is putting me back on infusions every 4 weeks, in an effort to hopefully kickstart remission. I am still taking the Lialda {the anti-inflammatory medicine he added in December}, and I do think it's helping. My stomach aches are gone {from the gastritis}! {I knew it wasn't stress!} But the Lialda hasn't been able to help all of my Crohn's symptoms, so hopefully the change in my Entyvio dosing will do that. I feel pretty exhausted and icky most days, and it feels defeating to know it has been A YEAR of battling these symptoms. So I am praying that the increased infusions will be the trick to remission!

{five} And because we love those silly holidays...we celebrated National Pooh Bear Day {January 18}, and National Popcorn Day {January 19} this week! Super easy ones to celebrate in the midst of all the unpacking mess. Watch a Pooh Bear movie? Check. Pop some popcorn? Check. But sorry, no photos... I'm not THAT organized yet :)

Happy Friday!

High Five For Friday!

Just a few life updates :)

{one} Life with toddlers is crazy. And right now, life with toddlers is just plain HARD. We are in the trenches of 3-year-old wills, and I find myself eating A LOT of chocolate just to cope. I know this is just a season, and they are trying so hard to learn who they are and how to be little humans...but man, it can make the days pretty tough. Back in October/November, Eli started waking up in the middle of the night. He would wake up crying, upset that his blanket had come off. Despite all of our efforts to help teach him how to put his own blanket back on {because he is fully capable of doing that for himself during the day}, he was still waking up. And then he would take his blanket off himself, put it up on the dresser next to his crib, then cry that he didn't have it on. It took 2 months for him to move past this, and we ultimately found that this Ok to Wake Clock was the thing he needed to get back to sleeping through the night...

{two} ...which was just in time for Maddie to start climbing out of her crib, which forced us to switch them both to toddler beds. I was not ready for this transition {fully intending to keep them in their cribs until they were 4 haha}, but here we are. And it has been a struggle ever since. Eli has stayed in his bed, not once getting out. Maddie, on the other hand...she can't seem to stay in her bed ever. For the past month, bedtime has been a battle. It has improved slightly...which basically means that we only put Maddie back in her bed for 1 to 1.5 hours {instead of 2 to 3 hours} each night, or for 1 hour at nap time {instead of 2 hours}. About half way through December, she started also getting out of her bed at all hours of the night {coming into our room}, but that has improved to only happening a few times a week now. And while we recognize that some of this is normal toddler antics, there is also the element of learning to parent a strong-willed child. Who isn't getting all the sleep she needs. 

{three} And then there's our sweet little Aiden. He is still our happy-go-lucky little guy, but at 16 months old, he is also starting to express his displeasure over many things, exerting his own little will. He is into ALL the things right now: Sasha's water bowl, the blinds on our back door {all the slats at his height are broken now}, the toilet, the trash can, all the drawers. He is fulfilling his role as the annoying little brother with amazing ease...he goes right for the things they are playing with or working on, messes things up, then cries when he is told "no." He has also entered into a hair-pulling stage, and he has a surprisingly strong grip. There are elements of walking through this stage with him that are easier, because I remember that I was recently chasing after 2 little ones into ALL the things. But with all the non-sleeping going on, and the difficulties of toddler tantrums happening all at the same time...I have to remind myself that we're about half-way through the craziness of 3 toddlers. We're going to make it...right? :)

{four} And speaking of crazy life changes...Mike is actually at a new job! He transitioned to a new company in November, and {of course} is already rocking it, exceeding expectations. It has been a bit of an adjustment, as we learn a new work schedule and balance a new commute. But we are thankful for God's provision over our family. 

{five} I have personally been battling a few health things. Overall, I am still doing well, but I can't help but get nervous when I start to have symptoms, as I know that my Crohn's remission is not ever guaranteed. I think the stress of life change, chasing after crazy toddlers, and the lack of sleep has kept me on the edge of a Crohn's flare for a few weeks now, so I am working hard to try to manage that and keep symptoms at bay. I also tend to experience stress-induced migraines, and I have had several of those over the past few months. The kind with the ice-pick headache and the nausea that drive me to hide in a dark room. And right before Christmas, I found myself experiencing a really painful toothache...turns out I have a wisdom tooth coming in and it got infected. So I think I will be having those removed soon. 

Eli: what's the matter, Mommy?

Me: Mommy is falling apart, buddy haha

Eli: why is Mommy falling apart?

Me: Mommy is just getting old and not feeling well right now. But I'll be ok, buddy.

Eli: Mommy will be ok? We need to put you back together? Jesus will healed you.

Me: Haha- yes, buddy, Jesus will heal me.

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The days can be really hard. And I can so easily get overwhelmed by it all. So it's good for me to stop and remember all that the Lord has done, how He continually cares for us. It's why I wanted to record all that He has done over the past decade. Because in the midst of the craziness, God is good and steady and sovereign. And I need those reminders so that I don't get lost in toddler tantrums and health issues and everything that feels like it's in turmoil right now. It's how I can pause and take a breathe, push past the anxiety, and refocus my attention on Jesus. Rest in the peace that only He can give. Have the strength to face another day without actually losing my mind haha. How good is our God, that He cares about these everyday mundane issues, and wants to walk alongside us in it?

High Five for Friday! {Saturday Edition}

{one} It has been such a jam-packed week! I had every intention of publishing this yesterday {on an actual Friday}, but I ended up with some sort of 24 hour bug and was down for the count for a bit. It's like my body hit a wall and just stopped. I have a few posts to work on about our recent activities, but I thought I would do a quick update today :)

{two} Our big event of the week was swim lessons! This is our second summer with Ashley's Aquatics, but this year, Eli and Maddie were on their own in the class {we did Mommy and Me last summer}. There were A LOT of tears. Every day, Eli would ask about going to a "different pool" or say "later" for swim lessons...clearly not wanting to go each day, then crying throughout the entire lesson. Maddie had a breakthrough on Wednesday, where she started to feel a little more comfortable in the water. Despite all the tears, the "I don't want to"s, and "all done"s, my kiddos at least tried to be obedient. I'm so thankful for Mrs. Ashley and Miss Haley who were so patient and encouraging with my nervous swimmers. We have another week of swim lessons in a couple of weeks, so we're hoping for more progress then :)

{three} My mom was in town to help with swim lessons, and we had SO much fun with Grandma in town! Aside from swim lessons, we played with LEGOS and sidewalk chalk, read countless books, had lunch with one of my aunts, ran through the sprinklers, had lunch with Daddy, etc. etc. These kiddos were WORN OUT at the end of each day :)

{four} Last Friday, I had my 6 month check-up with my GI. I got yet another good report {praise God!} Because I am doing so well and not planning any future pregnancies, my GI said I could push my next check-up out to 1 year. That's such good news! Of course, I can always go see him if I have any issues. But for now, I am just thankful for good health.

{five} Yesterday, Sasha had her annual check-up with the vet. I asked the vet about her recent clinginess, and her best guess is that Sasha may be in some pain. She doesn't act like it, but the vet said sometimes we don't know the extent of it until it's really bad. So we're going to try her on some anti-steroidal meds to see if we notice any difference in her behavior. But other than that, for being a 12 year old lab, she is super healthy! She doesn't struggle with any of the typical lab ailments, and she is pretty spry for her age. Those kiddos are keeping her young :)

High Five for Friday!

{one} This week we had the sweet blessing of having my mom here! My kiddos LOVE having Grandma here, because Grandmas are awesome and super fun...and I appreciate having her here because it's nice to have reinforcements during the day to keep me sane :)

{two} It has been interesting moving to Melissa and learning this little community. It definitely has a small town feel, which we are enjoying. But there can be some funny things about that too. Like all the hype around the new Buc-ee's that just opened here this week. Don't get me wrong...we like Buc-ee's. We always stop at Buc-ee's on our road trips down I-35. We will probably frequent this Buc-ee's often {it is just down the road from us}. But it has been quite comical to see just HOW excited people can get over that funny little beaver haha. 

{three} This is completely random...but I have recently been reminded of how I have entered a new stage in my life as a mom, and my current struggle has been :: the mom swimsuit. Anyone else struggle with this? It's completely vain and superficial, but this has been a not-so-fun chore for me. The past couple of summers, I have worn maternity swimsuits, so I haven't had to think about swimsuits in awhile. Our pool opens at the end of the month, and I know we will be frequenting it again with the kiddos, and I realized I didn't have a swimsuit. Because I am not needing maternity swimwear anymore, and I certainly don't fit into my swimsuits from before I had kids. And I am a mother now, so I have to be mindful of that as I head to the pool...and that has been a challenging task for me. I think I have settled on the high-waist bottoms and long peplum tankini top version as modest, mother-of-three-appropriate, and still somewhat trendy...but what do I know? I think we should totally bring back this 1893 style, but for moms. Who's with me?

{four} Laura sent me a link to a podcast from Don't Mom Alone entitled Thriving as an Introverted Mom. She knows my struggle of being an introvert and being at home with 3 little ones all day, every day, so she thought I might appreciate it. I finally got a chance to listen to it, and {as usual} she was right. I really appreciated this perspective and encouragement. I may or may not have even cried {obviously needed to hear this right now}. And now I have a new book to add to my "To Read" list, thanks to a recommendation on the podcast.

Listen Here

{five} For the last 6 years, I have taken Humira for my Crohn's Disease. I have had great success with it, and it has been an incredible blessing to me and my health. I take a self-injectable shot every other week. And despite the fact I have taken this shot every other week for 6 years, I dread it every single time. Because the shot HURTS. Like, have to take deep breaths and psyche myself up for it and then I say a curse word in my head every. single. time, kind of hurt. Well, they recently came out with a new citrate-free version of the shot, and it is a game changer!! Seriously, the initial needle puncture feels about the same, but the feeling of the medicine going in is SO much better! Before, it stung for the full 10 seconds during administration, and then the injection site felt sore and sensitive to the touch for a couple of days afterward. Now, I hardly felt the medicine going in, and I have had zero soreness! THIS IS HUGE! Thank you, Jesus for medical advances, even as simple as this.