lately...

~Rhett has been beatboxing and it's possibly the cutest.thing.ever.  He will just be jabbering away and then..."p p ch p p p ch"...I guess he's learned this from Dallas?

~Jude weighs 41 lbs!  It seems like just yesterday he was 7 lbs 15 oz and stealing my heart completely.

~We are super impressed with our pre-k experience!  I expected Jude to basically just pick up some necessary social habits before kinder, but here we are in October and he has far surpassed my expectations!   Some things he has perfected (some he knew going in)...days of the week, months of the year, syllables, songs, rhymes, writing the alphabet in uppercase and lowercase, simple math, counting by 5 oh and,  "scissors aren't for your hair or your clothes" ;).  They have done science experiments and very cool art projects.

Jude's teacher had nothing but wonderful things to say about our boy at conferences.  She said that he is a joy to teach and he is always willing to help and offer answers when she asks questions.

Dallas and I are proponents for public school and feel like we are blessed to be in a very good district and have a very good teacher.

Here is "Jude's" very first school project ...

This yellow house was sent home for us to decorate.  He was the only kid in his class who drew picts of his family.  Everyone else had photos only.

and his very first school picture....

I really debated on whether or not to order school pics...I doubt we will use them for anything and have pics scheduled later this month.  I went ahead and ordered the minimum order amount (package of 6) after consulting with my sister on the matter.

Tonight is the fall festival as school that the PTA puts on.  I can hardly believe all of this is happening already...school, PTA, kids weighing 41 lbs!

~ Rhett seems as happy and healthy as ever!  He appears to be the picture of health and exhibits no signs or symptoms they told us to look for (blue lips, fatigue, shortness of breath, etc).  We continue to believe that Jesus has touched his little "big" heart and that he is healed!

~I had my 2nd bone graft/3rd oral surgery in 6 months a few weeks ago.  Everything is feeling better and seems to be going back to normal.  My mouth only feel a little paralyzed today.  The swelling is better everyday and I look a little less like I got a botched botox procedure with passing time:).  I will go in for my 4th surgery in February, and hopefully wrap it all up with one final procedure in July. Ugh.

~I had my annual visit this week and my doctor shocked me when he told me that every year I put off having another kid I add risks to the pregnancy!  What the WHAT?!  I just turned 30, like 3 weeks ago.  You have got to be kidding me.  They consider high risk age to be 35 now!  That is nuts!  I looked it up when I got home and he was right...cripes.  Happy Birthday, Sarah, your eggs are getting old!

This is what's been happening lately...hope you all are doing well and enjoying fall!

best.recipe.ever.

This girl loves the fall!  Unfortunately it is not cool enough around these parts quite yet.  I need it to be in the 60's throughout the day, cool enough for a sweater and boots, please.  That is not really too much to ask considering how stinking hot summer was for so long.

Anyway, I'm just going to pretend that fall is in full swing and get to all of my fall business around here.  I picked up some pretty pumpkins for $2.50 at Aldi the other day.  They have the best prices on everything. Rhett loves them.  I keep having to take him outside to see the pumpkins, hold them, hug them, laugh at them...he's a boy with an autumn heart...just like his momma.

Rhett and I made pumpkin muffins this morning and they are just as delicious as I remember. This is the easiest, tastiest and best pumpkin recipe ever!  It is from weight watchers and goes something like this...

1 can 100% pumpkin

3/4 cup water

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1 box spice cake mix

Mix it all up and bake in muffin cups for 20 min on 350. 

I am confident that Valerie Bertinelli and Jennifer Hudson have been eating some of these guys the past few years, possibly lived off of them (I could)!  They are low fat, full of fiber and vitamin A, and are only 2 points per muffin on weight watchers.  This means nothing to me since I have no idea how the weight watchers system works, but 2 seems like low a lower number,  only 1 or zero would be lower. Or you can throw caution to the wind, slather them in cream cheese frosting or cool whip and down 3 muffins in one sitting.  I mean, they are low fat, right?!  Make them, you will like. 

Rhett likes "Pumpcakes"

Did you know pumpkin is said to be one of the healthiest things you can eat?  Don't ask me who said it, but it's true.  My kids love it, and I fed them pure raw pumpkin straight out of the can when they were babies.  They loved it!  

My Best Friend

10.10.2003

8 years ago today I married my very best friend.  

I thank God all of the time that He took two naive kids (22 and 23) and gave us such a beautiful life together.  He knew so much better than we did how great we are for one another.

Encouragement for today

I will remain confident in this, I will see the goodness of the Lord.  

Psalm 27:13

He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds we ARE healed!   

~Isaiah 53:5~

Distractions...

We have had plenty of wonderful distractions the past week or so.  Good distractions are the ones that keep my mind from wandering to a bad place and allow me to spend a great deal of time with my boys...all three of them!

I've been working on these guys the past few nights....

 Personalized Coasters

I picked up a bundle of these stone tiles for super cheap and have turned them into coasters.  I made sets for Jude and Rhett's Sunday school teachers and for his teacher at school to go along with a gift card for

Christmas.  Ever since I saw some that Aja has, I thought they would make a nice little 'thank you' gift.    

Do you ever just go stand in your garage and swoon over how organized it is? Yea, me neither.  We are staying busy doing things around the house that need to be done, things that don't cost a lot of cheese.  I picked up some great shelving units (2) at a garage sale last week and Dallas got right to work organizing the garage.  It looks amazing, and for two days I would randomly just open the door to the garage and gaze upon the organization in all of it's glory.  Is that weird?

So, we have a guest bedroom that is just, meh.  Really all that it entails is a bed and a matchy match bedspread.  The room has blah all over it, so I just shut the door and have lived with it for a year.  My plan is to turn it into a nursery for #3, but really, that could be years away!  Why should our guests have to sleep where khaki went to die? Because I'm on a major budget, like zero dolla bills is my budget (hospital bills start rollin in any day), I decided to go into the closet.  This is the place everything from our last house that didn't have a place here went to die.   It is still very khaki, but at least there are different variations of khaki, tan and beige:). It is much improved in my book.  I still have an armoire to refinish for this room, but other than that, she's done-ski!  Sorry no before picts.

 So it's not what I would do if I were going out and choosing things new, but for now it works.

k, so I don't have pics for the frames on the walls yet, but I plan to fill them with pictures of relatives.

Also, the Martin house is now a house with two girls!  Dagney moved back in this weekend.  The boys love her.

Our best distraction of all has been our two most beautiful creations.  We have been enjoying the awesome weather, taking lots of walks, running together and of course hitting balls out of the park, aka our back yard.  Rhett appears to be the picture of health.  He runs, jumps laughs, plays and carries on without any hesitation.  We are letting him do it all.

Rhett is catching on to our silly-face pics. 

 Poor baby had an upper respiratory infection and missed school 3 days last week.  

My dimply smoothie kid!

Dallas and I are experiencing extreme peace right now.  I don't know if this is the peace that the bible talks about, "peace that passes all understanding", but it is wonderful.  We are doing devotions together and praying together, and we both just feel extremely calm and peaceful.  I don't really know how to describe it.  Thank you for praying for us as well, many people have let me know they have prayed for peace for us.  Clearly God answers prayer.

Semper Fi

1st Lt. Ryan K. Iannelli

I am so thankful to the soldiers who have fought and are fighting for this great Country.  Thousands of men and women have lost their lives in service battling for our freedoms, and I'm so sad today to hear that yet another a great man of honor has fallen.

Dallas and I knew Ryan, we mostly new of him as Iannelli (some called him Neli), from ORU where we attended college.  He played Baseball for a year with Dallas and then played ball with Dallas' brother in subsequent years.  I don't think there is anyone on this earth who could say one harsh word about Iannelli.  He was a good and decent man and it was evident that he loved Jesus.

There is no doubt in my mind that he is resting in the arms of Jesus today, completely whole and healed. He is a hero, and made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation.

I am so thankful to all of the service men and women fighting day in and day out, unseen, for our protection.

Praying for the Iannelli family today.  Remember to lift-up our soldiers in prayer!

Ryan was a true Marine, always faithful to God, family, country and the Corps...Semper Fi!

Blessings,

Sarah

Our Little Missionary

Rhett doesn't know it yet, but he is going to become a little missionary to pediatricians, cardiologists, friends and family.  Through his testimony, these people will see a miracle.  I believe it.  

Let me just start by saying that it is taking everything within me to not be angry, emotional and devastated.  Even though I am typing with tears pouring out of my eyes, I know that I know that my child is in the hands of the most amazing creator, healer, author and finisher.  I know that He is hearing our prayers, increasing our faith and touching Rhett's heart.  I know that Rhett will be healed.  I know it.

  I know that God does not waste our pain and He has the amazing ability to turn our pain into purpose.

That being said, our appointment at the Cardiologist was not wonderful this afternoon.  I know that they have to tell you all of the relevant information and some worst case stuff, but sheesh.  

Rhett's cardiologist, Dr. L, reviewed his echo, his chest x-ray and and EKG that they did on him today.  She said that his heart is very large on the left side and that is concerning.  She said that there was a lot of blood leaking.  She also said that looking directly above the mitral valve to see where it is leaking, there are more concerns.  Most of the time they can pinpoint a leak in a certain area of the valve, but his appears to be a broad-band leak across the entire valve.  This could mean that the valve itself is broken or not working properly.  She felt it very unlikely that this stemmed from his Kawasaki Disease, but she didn't rule it out.  

He will have another Echo in four weeks to see if the leak looks the same or worse.  If it is either of these things they will put him on some sort of blood pressure medication to do something or other (I can't remember).  It will not fix the leaking or the valve, but it will do something:).  After that, the size of his heart and leakage will be monitored to see if something more immediate needs to be done.  Mostly repair or replacement of the valve.  

There was mention of some awful things that I refuse to talk about or let get into my head and thought process.  In Jesus' name, I believe that Rhett is healed.  I refuse to believe the lie of fear!  

 during his EKG today

Specific prayer requests:

For his mitral valve to work properly, for it to pump the right amount of blood where it is supposed to go.

That the size of his heart would be normalized and corrected. 

For his overall health and protection through all of this.

The words of this song continue to play in my mind and they have been encouraging to me this past week.  It is based on Mark 4:37-41...

You faught
but you were just too weak
so you lost
all the things you try to keep
now you're on your knees, you're on your knees

But wait,
everything can change,
in a moments time you don't have to be afraid,
cause fear is just a lie
open up your eyes

And he'll break
open the skies to save
those who cry out his name
the One the wind and waves obey
is strong enough to save you

Look
now is not too late
lift up your head
let the rain fall on your face
youre not far from grace, your not too far from grace

And he'll break
open the skies to save
those who cry out his name
the One the wind and waves obey
is strong enough to save you

I know the weight of this world can take you down like gravity and I know the current of yourself can take you out, out to sea but hold on, hold on

And he'll break
open the skies to save
those who cry out his name
the One the wind and waves obey
is strong enough to save you

I just cannot thank you enough for praying!  We have received so many emails, calls and texts letting us know that family, friends and strangers all over the country are praying for our sweet Rhett.  We are so very thankful and blessed to be so covered in prayer.  

Stay tuned for Rhett's miracle!  

Blessings to you all!  

Sarah