Controversy.... a few of my favorite little quotes!!

It's not a parent's responsibility to have godly children. It's a parent's responsibilty to make sure their children have godly parents.

She was unsure of why there were so many people staring

a sign of what was to come...

Don't let that smile fool you

oh yes, this is more like it... the "trying" two's

Little man

Squeakers

So excited!!

Guess which two kids were very well behaved during the Alice play? Guess which one had to be taken out TWICE? Why must Madi be so trying at times? She must have gotten that from Ricky ;)
All in all the play was a success. It was really good and I was amazed at how talented those high school students were.
It was a pretty busy weekend with the homecoming game on Friday night and the play on Saturday. Sunday I took a really long nap. It was awesome! Actually, we all took a nap and when we woke up we made a trip to Toys R Us. We wanted to get some final Christmas present ideas. We have decided to get the kids three gifts each this year. There are a couple reasons behind that... Jesus was brought three gifts, one by each of the wise men and the other is because the kids have so much stuff, and I want to keep the reason for the season focused on what it's really about, the birth of Jesus. It's painfully hard to keep the three gift policy at times. Especially because I had already started picking things up and have realized that we already have one of the girls completely done and need one more gift for the other girl and two more for Brody. Ricky of course wants to buy them the world and that might be due to his less than childhood mixed with his giving heart. Anyway, it's hard to keep to the rules. I'm even almost done with their stockings! Ricky and I usually don't buy each other gifts at Christmas but we are this year. We are also sticking to the three gift rule. Luckily I know exactly what I'm getting him for Christmas but our anniversary is coming up in a couple weeks and I'm not sure on that one.
Speaking of stuff, Ricky got his CHL a couple months ago along with a 9mm handgun. That was the first time I shot a gun but didn't like the recoil. I kept having these dreams about people breaking into our house and have been freaked out (we have a monitored security system but still) so Ricky said I should probably get a gun too. I wasn't going to but I did this past week. We went and shot both our guns on Thursday while the kids were at school and I love it. It's a very good stress reliever and we just might have a hobby. What's a hobby? Well, it's something to do other than kids stuff, kid stuff, kid stuff. And I'm a pretty good shot!!
I'm excited for Thanksgiving this year. We were planning to go out of state to Colorado but with Gracie's surgery, Ricky is out of paid time off. Instead we are going to have Thanksgiving here at the house. I've started to plan our menu already. It'll be simple but the best part is the leftovers. Can't wait for that. I think we are going to go to the Thanksgiving Day parade that downtown has every year. I think the kids will love that.
The kiddos have their fall party at school today. They could go dressed in their costumes but we aren't sending them in theirs. The teachers have to take all the kids costumes off after their little parade and I don't want to cause that much more work for them. The girls have a cute Minnnie Mouse shirt and Brody and Mickey Mouse Halloween shirt. They'll be fine.
The next update will probably be with costume pictures. We've got another busy week... our normal but our normal flies by and before I know it, it's Friday afternoon.

Krista

Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people. -Nicholas Sparks

HOMECOMING!! :)

Michelle and Gracie

it was FREEZING!

Handsome boy with his boy bling on!

Gracie's leg is a million times better :)

Alice and Wonderland play today... I'll post more pictures soon.

KP

Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.

We've had such a busy week. Monday the kids had school and of course loved it. Ricky and I had errands to run that took hours but we had so much fun just laughing and have a breather. We've not been without the kids since August and I wouldn't call running errands fun but we'll take what we can get. Anyway, the orthopedic's office was suppose to be setting up a wound care nurse to come in and take care of Gracie's leg. After the physical therapist evaluation Monday afternoon, I still had not heard from the nurse. I told her we needed a nurse out the next day but she had not contacted any companies or even had the doctor write the order. See this is when I have to become crazy and I hate it comes to that but it does. I had her give me the names of the companies she should have been calling for us to set everything up and started contacting them. Every single one turned us down because they didn't offer the type of coverage we needed. My last call was to our pediatrician out of desperation. The next day our pedi saw Gracie. He and his staff have graciously agreed to take on Gracie's wound care. This is above and beyond his responsibility to Gracie. He didn't do the surgery and this isn't his deal but being the person he is, he is taking care of our girl. Since Friday, her leg is a million times better then the pictures I posted a couple days ago. The pedi said if things keep going this well, her leg might be healed within two weeks or so. Anyway, I now take Gracie every day to his office and they clean and dress the wounds. It's a very painful process for Gracie. Very painful. This little angel doesn't cry one tear. Instead she makes a little sound when the pain is that unbearable. Today she melted all of our hearts and we were all on the verge of tears when I sat her up after the whole ordeal what did she do? She smiled that God given Gracie smile. And let me just say that the doctor and nurses know how painful it is and are so gentle with her. They are so sweet to her and talk amongst themselves of how she is such a soldier, can't believe how strong she is, how amazing she is, the list goes on and on.
These moments are so very humbling. I don't deserve to have these amazing children but I am so blessed I do. I will never get over that pinch me is this real feeling when it comes to these kids and just how wonderful they are and me, me of all the moms in the world was picked to be their mom. WOW!
Brody walks around and out of the blue will tell you "I love you". See, I told yall... we might as well be a puddle of just mush around here... these darling babies! He has been doing so well with his walking, looking down to step up or down- all that comes with his vision issues. He loves to sing the ABC song and will even say ABC, pause and wait for me to say DEF and he will go on to finish the song or we just keep taking turns singing. He gives his sisters and hug and a kiss every night and tells them "night, night" and "I love you". That is pretty much my favorite thing that they do. You can see how much they love each other. I melt.
Madi's physical therapist has been taking her to the park down the street from our house. They walk there on her therapy days. By the way, we trust him. He has been our PT for over a year and is really dedicated to the kids. Anyway, he has been trying to help with the separation anxiety she has. It's really sad because the only time she doesn't have it is when we drop her off at school. Today I had to take Gracie to the doctor and she was screaming and crying so bad Ricky called to tell me about it. I've talked to the doctor about it and even went to therapy to get some advice. I feel really bad about it but we just don't leave them- ever. Today she did speak to the PT and always smiles, blows kisses, and tells him bye.
The kids have school again tomorrow. Friday, the kids are going to another football game. Saturday, the kids are going to their first play to see Alice and Wonderland. Our neighbor is the theater arts teacher at the high school and we are really excited to go. I got the girls Alice shirts. They didn't have anything boy Alice related.
That's all for now!

Krista

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, edures all things, Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:7

Gracie's big surgery update

This was taken in the waiting room the morning of surgery.

Surgery took SIX hours instead of three. Everyone was exhausted waiting for sissy to come out of surgery.

Poor honey but the cast was pretty

There is a smile!

Bubby and sissy took such great care of Gracie

First time holding my girl

Back to normal on day 3! Such a trooper!!

Finally on our way home!! SO happy about that!!

This is the xray of Gracie's left femur showing the plate that was put in

This shows the 7 screws holding the plate in place

Isn't this a beautiful picture?? Gracie has two straight legs!!

And this is the gruesome picture of the back side of her leg

Gracie is currently fighting an infection in her leg that she had surgery on. The kids and I took her to the ER on Monday due to her having a fever of 101.4 and the incision at the top of her leg had spread up out of her cast and was a deep red. The ER doctor didn't want to cut the cast off. Let me rephrase that, I was not willing to have the ER doctor cut the hard cast off and not be able to put another cast on. After all, we don't want to jepordize any results from surgery. Instead he said he would prescribe an antibiotic and we would have to go to our doctor the next morning. The doctor was really nice and actually came out to the triage area to talk with me because they were so busy and people had already been waiting 4 and 5 hours. With all three kids at 9pm at night, I knew we couldn't do that wait.
The next day Ricky took her to her Orthopedic. He cut her hard cast off and said that we would need to do wound care two times per day and continue the antibiotics. He put her in a soft cast.
Since Tuesday we've been taking care of this leg and giving medication. Today I finally called the nurse and said this wound care was a little extreme for us to be doing at home. It hurts her to take off the bandages, we worry about things not being sterile, bottom line, we are in over our heads with this. The doctor said he could admit her to the hospital until it is healed but that would mean weeks in the hospital. That means big exposure to germs, her being cooped up, Brody and Madi being miserable in the hospital, etc. We are going to try to figure out something over the weekend and hope to have a wound care nurse come to the house starting next week. PLEASE keep her in your prayers. There is another cut on the outer side of her leg too. Seeing her leg amazes me even more about who she is and her strength. I don't know about yall but I'm not sure if I would be able to handle this if it were me. But this little angel hasn't fussed and has moved right along the best she can. I don't have accurate words to even explain how amazed I am of Gracie.
She does cry at times but it's been the couple days she had to miss school, that she can't wear two shoes, she can't take a regular bath like she likes to, she can't wear pants or shorts. She wants to do normal things like her brother and sister and it is hard to have to treat her differently right now but like everything else, she moves right along and quickly smiles.
The things she goes through and has went through and how she handles everything speaks volumes about who she is. It has nothing to do with Ricky and I. Honestly we still can't believe how lucky we are that we've been picked to call her ours and be her parents. It's really an honor.
Anyway, just wanted to send out a quick update and ask to please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.


Krista

You stay here right beside me and watch as the storm blows through... and I need you

All of these posts, the memories rather good or bad that are documented here, I do for a purpose. I want you to each know where you've been, what we as a family have gone through and conquered, the love we each have for each other... how real our lives really are.
Life has been anything but easy. Honestly, nothing has ever been easy or handed to your father and I before you three were even in this world. Then, the three of you were born and absolutely nothing has been easy for either of you.
One of many very important things I want you to each know is this: you work your ass off and earn where you are, what you've accomplished and what you've got. We have not taken any handouts, had "benefits", or donations. And we shouldn't. As others have gone through some tragedies and hardships and had everyone "fix" life for them, it's not the way it should be. We as a family, the five of us, are responsible for our lives and paying, learning, and growing to be stronger.
Life isn't always sunshine and butterflies. Sometimes life is hard and it sucks. That is reality. But what I want each of you to know is this, it's so worth it. The day you marry your best friend, the day you have children, watching them grow... it's so worth it. The day you know you have a purpose, that God is on your side no matter how many people aren't. There are more good days than bad.
So many people always ask your daddy and I if we have help, a big family, etc. The answer is always along the lines of "we do this alone". I'm not tootin' are own horns but loves, we've survived some hardships. We actually no what hard times are. We are not victims but victors! And while your daddy and I have gone through some really bad things with family and learning and growing individually, as a married couple, and spiritually, what the three of you have gone through and overcome is amazing. And while we want to teach you so many things about life, the three of you have taught and are teaching us more than you could ever know. Brody, little boy, you've taught us so much about really "seeing" things. The beauty of what this life really offers and the happiness it brings. Gracie, the light in your smile is our sign that God is with us. That angels are around us. Madilynn, your fearlessness pushes us to go out of our comfort zones and grow. Your lives alone have single handily changed our lives, deepened our faith, and makes us strive to be better people not for just ourselves but our family.
Days get long but go by so fast. In a blink of an eye your daddy and I have toddlers. The house is noisy, messy, and most of the time chaotic. There is no control, no planning. Your daddy and I run on low fuel most everyday because there isn't enough time to sleep, sit, think, gather our thoughts. BUT, we wouldn't trade one single day of this life, this hard, beautiful life! This is real. This is our life. We do fun things, we make wonderful memories, we love each other deeply but we are not perfect. I want each of you to have a firm grasp on reality. When you look back at these letters, I don't want you to think that things were picture perfect because there have been many hiccups. What I want you to know is that there has always been so much love within our family, and we've all worked so hard to be where we are and where we are going. The five of us. Having a spouse and being a parent are probably the two hardest things you'll ever do but both are so worth it! There is no other love like those relationships.
"For I know the plans I have for you... Plans to PROSPER you and not harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE"  Jeremiah 29:11
All my love,
Mommy


Ricky,
You are so loved and very appreciated. We are stitched together and what love has tethered I pray we never undo. God gave me you.
I love you.

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. -Dr. Seuss

That famous Gracie smirk :)

This was right before Madi threw her shoe and a pumpkin!

And the shoe will be thrown in 3, 2, 1....

My twin. She looks just like I did at her age and acts like me too! Love that girl!

All by herself!

I die! Look at this!! This pic shows so much of her personality!

Love this girl!

Yay!

and then a squeal

Kelsey, Jennifer, and Brooke my brother's family. Brooke is beautiful!

Brody man!

Driveway fun at the Patton's :)

Flash back!!

2011

2012

 

 

That is crazy to see how much they've grown in just one year. Gracie doesn't look the same at all. She has gone from a baby to a beautiful little girl. Brody looks tiny compared to today and such a handsome little boy. I wish I could say Madi doesn't suck those two fingers anymore but she does. She has grown into a beautiful little girl as well. Ricky and I are one very blessed momma and daddy. These three are what makes this world go.

Krista