Annalee's 4th Birthday

Today was a very special day for our four year old. Annalee had a princess party where she shined all day long enjoying every part of the day. But that really describes how she is every day of her life. This is the girl who sings when she eats, announces at the top of her lungs the delights in the simplest of things, gets extremely excited about my arrival at home every time, comes up with cool dances on her own, can run almost anywhere and any distance, and seems with one look to be able to get me to do anything she wants. I will always remember her birthday because it’s the only one of my three kids that my grandmother was in the delivery room when they were born. Still fighting cancer, she was one of the first sets of hands to hold her. I know she would have loved to see all my kids grow up in front of her and did enjoy every year she saw each of them. But Annalee will always be told the story of grandmother in the delivery room and I know I will never forget it. And I look forward to more stories to tell Annalee like today’s princess party and such. She an amazing child and I love being her daddy.

A new blog

I have started a new blog about something very personal yet difficult for me to talk about. I hope you can be encouraged as well as encourage me.
Scott Parks

A Few Things That I love...

A Few Things That I Love...

-That my baby boy, no matter how hard he tries, almost ALWAYS falls asleep in the car.

-That Annalee frequently tells me that I am her "best mommy".

-That Paige asks God to help her stop sucking her fingers and He is faithful to her request.

-The new babysitting coop.

-The classes at the gym. I'm addicted!

-The childcare that allows me to attend the classes at the gym.

-My kingsize bed. I would be devastated to have to down size.

-Fall weather...if we could ever have more than a day or two of it!

These are just a few...

-

Life Lately

We have had a whirlwind of events these last 3 weeks! The Lord has proven Himself, as always, tremendously faithful.
Week 1:
Scott started having some pretty severe backpain on Tuesday morning. It didn't subside while he was at work, so he went over to an urgent care clinic to get checked out. Result: Kidney Stones. He has never had kidney stones before so this was new pain to him. (I'll tell you the story about how foul and mean he was later:) They give him some pain meds and told him to try and wait for it to pass. He took medicine that night and got some relief late, and was really groggy the next day but felt better. He thought he may have passed it, and was planning on working the next day. We went to bed early, only for him to be awakened by more intense pain than ever followed by vomiting from the pain, followed by me calling my parents to come at 2 a.m., so I could take him to the ER. He got more meds and we saw a urologist that day that recommended surgery because the stone was probably jagged because it had broken off a stone that was still residing in his kidney. Friday, he had surgery, it went well, but Scott had his fair share of post-op pain. He started feeling better, went to work Monday and was doing better. Oh, if the story could just end here...

Week 2:
Monday night Davis wakes up in the night and throws up ALL night! Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOATHE the stomach bug!!!! Tuesday was ok, he was just really tired and whiny, and the girls went to school. I was super tired that night, so was looking forward to a solid night's sleep, only to be woken up by Scott around 4ish to tell me my dad had a heart attack and was in the hospital in Mississippi. I rushed over there to find out that when they took him back to do a heart cath, he had a major heart attack on the table and coded. They shocked him, got him back, placed a stent in that vessel and he was in the ICU for a few days. I went back and forth that week and he was finally able to come home Saturday agternoon. Davis had been feeling better, but for whatever reason, had a nasty nasty diaper Saturday morning. It was my nephew's birthday party that day, so I decided I would just leave him home with Scott and just take the girls to the party in Mississippi. We get all the way to Mississippi and Paige throws up in the van! Perfect! We turn around get back home and clean everyone up, and put the kids to bed. Scott then has diarrhea all night, and Annalee wakes up having diarrhea! We all stay home Saturday, hoping that maybe this is the end of the stomach bug line...if only!

Week 3:
Davis wakes up in the middle of the night again on Sunday throwing up again! Also, Scott, is STILL having diarrhea! We all stay home again on Monday and everyone is FINALLY feeling back to normal. I took the girls to school on Tuesday and went to the gym and worked out. My sitter came to keep Davis while I went to my dad's cardiologist appt. with my mom and dad. During the appt., I get a call telling me that Annalee is throwing up at school and that I need to come get her! Which brings us to today. Annalee seems to be feeling better s well as Davis. Paige went to school and Scott is at work. The funny thing is that as I am typing this, I just got a text from Scott saying he feels like he might be passing a kidney stone! What?!!


We have appreciated all of your prayers and are still in great need. My dad has another heart cath scheduled for 9/14 to place 2 more stents. Pray that we can survive all this sickiness, and that Scott wouldn't have any more trouble with these kidney stones. Pray for my sanity! I have had to claim the verse and am thankful that God's mercies are made new every morning. I'm thankful that God has spared me thus far from being sick as well, and I am fully aware that it could all be much worse. I know that God already knows exactly what's going on and none of it was by accident. The mere fact that my dad is still alive is a true MIRACLE. The circumstances had to be perfect. Had he had that heart attack even in the ER as compared to in the cath lab, he probably wouldn't have made it! Scott's been a trouper too, and I am thankful for him. He has been a wonderful daddy, so that the kids weren't too disrupted while I was back and forth. We have walked more closely with Him these last few weeks especially, and for that I am VERY thankful!

The Big Day!!!

So, a day has come that always seemed light years away to me! My baby Paige started kindergarten today. Is that even possible? Can she really be old enough to go to kindergarten? Evidently so! She is attending public school kindergarten. I am confident that the Lord is gonna use this in a variety of ways. As we continue to reach out and connect in our community and neighborhood, the local school is so valuable! I have met a woman already, who is another mother of a little girl in Paige's class. They live just down the street! I look forward to meeting more families with the same connection! Paige didn't skip a beat this morning. She was so excited. I walked her in and she gave me a hug and a kiss and simply said.."bye, momma!" I still just can't believe it!

Annalee, my littlest baby girl, also started preshcool today! As if it weren't hard enough to send Paige off to school, I had to turn around and take Annalee for her very first day of school! She too, was SUPER excited! I wasn't completely sure how she was gonna do, because she can be my wildcard sometimes! However, she did beautifully as well. Like she'd been doing it everyday for the last few years! I have prayed for them all day! My house is unusually quiet! I know I'll get into the swing of things, and I've actually been pretty busy today, but I miss them already! I love having them home! Now don't get me wrong! There are days when I want to lock them outside for a few hours, but still I love having a houseful! It just feels unnatural when everyone is not here! Especially since Scott was home with us this summer. It was by far the best summer we've had. I'm already counting down the days until next summer and it's only the first day of school! Is that bad? I do look forward to walking in a new stage of life as they grow up, but it is just all going so fast! I need life to slow down a little so I can just take it all in!
Good luck with that I guess!

The Day Before...

I woke up this morning with the realization that school starts back tomorrow. Not only for me but for two of my children. Paige will start her first day of kindergarten and Annalee will start her first day of preschool. She will be going to the little tree where half of her class is autistic so we are praying for God to use this in her life as well as the friends she will make. As I sat here I thought about the days together we had this summer. Whether in New Orleans, Gulf Shores, or our living room, I have truly loved every minute of the summer! Teaching my children how to make home made popcorn has been awesome! The joy of being with the people you love in the context of what brings them joy is so gratifying it brings me right to the fact that "Better is one day in his courts, than thousands elsewhere." I can't fathom what this truly means for my understanding is so limited, but I can say I can't wait to grab hold of the ultimate summer when the time arrives and never look back at this world. Lord come quickly...

Happy Anniversary!!!!

Tomorrow marks 7 years of marriage for Scott and I. It's kinda unbelievable how fast these few years have gone by. When I think back, I get lost in my feelings of nostalgia about our wedding day! I remember every minute. I loved every second! It was one of the sweetest days of my life. I walked down the aisle into the arms of the man God had chosen for me to spend my life with! He has loved me better than I deserve. He has treated me like a princess from the get-go. He has walked with me through some of the most difficult times of my life, and never once let go of my hand. He is my precious gift from the Father. He makes me laugh harder and more often than I should probably! He is the best daddy on the planet! He is a picture of who Christ is for me and our children. He knows me better than any other human being, and despite that, he chooses to love me! He is MY precious husband, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with this wonderful man! Happy Anniversary Scott!