It's an Unjust World

This has been a hard week for me. I am not really sure how to even begin. I guess it really started last week. After preschool last Wednesday I went to lunch with a friend and while we were eating Taylor fell out of her booster seat. I think it was too slippery on the chair and it just slid off. She skinned up her elbow and I think may have scratched her knee, but no major injuries. It really upset her though and I had a hard time calming her down. At the same time, Katelyn was really tired and fussy and I had a hard time getting her to settle down while Taylor was crying. I felt so bad for the other patrons of the restaurant.

When we got home I pulled up to the mailbox to check my mail from the car as I often do. It is more convenient that way with two little ones in the car. After I checked my mail I backed up so I could swing out wide enough to pull into the driveway. As soon as I backed up and was getting ready to put the car into drive, I felt another vehicle hit mine. A van pulled out of the driveway across the street and hit my front bumper on the passenger side. To make matters worse, it was a government vehicle. Thankfully no one was hurt. When I got the accident report it appeared to me that the officer had put the other driver at fault, but when we contacted their insurance adjuster he denied the claim because in his words I was 50% responsible. This really angered both me and my husband. I started looking for ways to try and get them to pay. Here we are in the middle of medical bills not only from Katelyn's birth, but now from her fall and this was just one more thing that I didn't want to have to deal with. I didn't think I should have to deal with it. He was the one who hit me. There was nothing I could have done to avoid the accident.

Well, yesterday I called the officer who was on the scene and asked him a few questions. I probed him a little and discovered that he had cited me for improper backing as well as the other driver. I didn't understand this, but apparently because I was backing away from my mailbox that is improper backing because I had to be on the wrong side of the road. It is a no win situation. I feel so helpless. Every fiber in my body wants to fight this for vindication and recompense, but deep down I know what the outcome will be. Daniel keeps telling me to just let it go, but that is easier said than done. I keep having to remind myself that God is in control and He has always been. Everything belongs to Him, so I shouldn't worry about the money. Part of what is so hard about all of this is that we have been trying so hard to be good stewards of what God has given us and to stay out of debt. Daniel has even been teaching a class at church by Crown Ministries. You hear so many people say that if you are obedient and faithful in what God has given you, then He will bless you. Well, that is not always the case and we are evidence of that right now. It is a hard pill to swallow. I don't know why God is allowing us to go through all of this. Maybe it is to test us to see if we really trust Him. I am having to cling to my Jehovah-Jireh and cling to the promise that He will take care of me even though I don't understand what He is doing. Please pray for me.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our 7th Anniversary. As I think back over the years, I can't believe that we have been married that long. How much different our life is together now from where we first started. We began our lives together on August 17, 2002. Our first home was in Morristown, TN in Daniel's childhood home. It was a fixer-upper and he did a lot of work on it to get it ready for me to move in. In June of 2005 Daniel took a position with his current employer in Americus, GA and a little over a year later we purchased the home that we live in now. I was pregnant with Taylor at the time. Through the whole process of moving here and finding a home, God's timing was always perfect even though it seemed slow at times. We had plenty of time to move in and get settled so we could fix up the nursery before Taylor arrived.

Our lives changed drastically with a new baby. We were used to all the freedom that we had without kids. We were not prepared for all the changes that were about to take place. There is no way to prepare yourself for that. But we adjusted and now we cannot imagine our lives without Taylor. In fact, I can't really remember what we did before children. What was there to do? Two years later Katelyn came along. Who knew that your heart could grow so much?

With each passing year I grow more and more in love with Daniel. He treats me with such love and respect. He is such a good father to our two girls. I see the way he plays with Taylor and makes her feel like she is the only little girl in the world worth getting his attention. I know that He will be the example to our children of what a Christian man is to be and what they will one day need to look for in a husband. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family and such a loving husband. I hope to have many many more years of marriage as wonderful as the past seven years have been. Happy Anniversary, Daniel. I love you with all of my heart!

Baby Dedication

This past weekend we had Katelyn's Baby Dedication at church. My family came down from Chattanooga to be present. They stayed from Friday night until Tuesday morning. Here are a few pictures that my sister got of the baby dedication on Sunday.

Laura, our Children's Director, presented us with a children's Bible.

Taylor was watching herself on the screen and Katelyn seemed to be looking at the pastor the whole time.

Bro. Hugh likes to hold all the babies.

Here are some other pictures that we got while my family was staying with us.

Rebekah and Taylor played really well together. They liked to play with the string beads.

Story Time!

We bought a $10 pool at Wal-Mart and filled it up in the backyard for the kids to play in. We had wanted to take them to the Splash Pad, but it is only open on the weekends during naptime. This was a good alternative and the kids had a blast! Daniel ended up putting the pool at the bottom of the slide so the kids could slide down into the pool. I think Taylor did it one time and then she was done. Rebekah did it over and over. I think it was a little bit overwhelming for the little ones.

Rebekah and Taylor loved the sandbox. Joshua, not so much.

Taylor liked to get the hose and rinse the sand off of everyone else.

I love this little silhouette of Taylor and Joshua. I am tempted to blow it up and cut it out.

I think everyone was watching Mary Poppins here.

Taylor was glued to it and wanted to watch it over and over even after everyone had left.

Ready, Set, Fly!

Katelyn's Fall

Most of you already know by now that we had a scare with Katelyn this week. For those who have not heard or do not know the whole story, here it is. On Wednesday afternoon around 4:00, I had just given Katelyn a bath and was taking her into her room to get her dressed when she squirmed out of my arms and landed, head first, onto the floor. I immediately called 911 and she was rushed to the ER. On the way, I called Daniel and he met us there. Once we got to the ER they took a couple of X-Rays and then decided to do a CT Scan. During the wait I had a peace that Katelyn would be fine. She was acting normal and eating fine.

After a long time of suspenseful waiting the results were in and they were not good - a skull fracture and bleeding. She would have to be sent to Macon or Atlanta to see a neurologist. This was all we were told - no prognosis whatsoever. Not having been through this before, I immediately starting expecting the worst. After the doctor left the room I broke down briefly. A nurse did finally come in to check on me and gave me some reassurance. We found out that Macon would not take Katelyn, but we were not told why - I am assuming either they do not have a neurologist anymore or they would not take infants - so we were going to be transported to Egleston in Atlanta for further observation and testing to see if she would need surgery. In my mind I could only think the worst. Right away we started preparing for another ambulance ride. Daniel ran home to quickly throw some things for an overnight stay in a bag and I stayed with Katelyn while the nurses attempted to get an IV in her. This was very difficult and stressful.

We arrived at Egleston around 12:30 AM on Thursday. My confidence level rose immediately upon stepping insdie the ER at Egleston. By God's providence, the neurologist on duty was already on the floor checking other babies with head injuries, so he was available as soon as we walked in the door to check Katelyn out. He was very reassuring. All of Katelyn's reflexes were good and she was not showing any signs of a concussion. He told us that he had some other patients to check on in the other hospital and then he would read the CT scan and then let us know if they would need to admit Katelyn to the hospital.

Several hours later the ER doctor came in and told us that the radiologist could not find anything on the CT scan and that she was free to go home. My first reaction was "Praise the Lord, she is healed!" My second thought was why did one doctor see something and another doctor see nothing? I had to believe that it was a miracle. We knew that so many people were praying - even people who don't know us.

At 3:30 in the morning we started the trip home. We stopped about halfway home to get a room and sleep a couple of hours before driving the rest of the way. Right about 5 minutes from home we get a call from Egleston asking us to come back for another CT scan. Another radiologist had looked at her scan from Americus and did find a small fracture in her skull and possible bleeding and wanted us to return for another scan. Daniel told the patient rep that we 3 hours away and she said not to come back. She would call our Pediatrician and have him order an outpatient CT scan. Well, after talking with our Pediatrician he told us that he preferred us to return to Egleston so they could get the scans that they needed. Soooo, at 3:00 yesterday afternoon we headed back to Atlanta.

The roller coaster continues...Upon arriving back at Egleston the new ER doctor checks Katelyn out and tells us that basically we returned for no reason. He confirmed what the second radiologist had said - that there was a small fracture and what looked to be a slight amount of bleeding. But he did not think it was necessary to get another CT scan. He did order some more X-Rays to be sure that she did not have any other broken bones, but he did not want to expose her to anymore radiation. The X-Rays came out clean. The fracture on her skull was more visible on the X-Ray and it was very small. The spot that they thought was blood could not be confirmed as such and was insignificant. He told us that we should have stayed for observation the night before instead of being released and then having to return. We also got to talk with a neurosurgeon who confirmed the same thing the ER doc told us. So, basically we returned for a follow-up visit. At least what we got was more peace of mind.

So, the final update is that Katelyn does have a small skull fracture and possibly some bleeding (which is clinically insignificant) but she will be just fine. We have felt all of your prayers for us and for Katelyn. We believe that God heard them and has answered. We are so thankful for Katelyn's health and glad to finally be back home for good. We are overwhelmed by all of the people who were praying for us, both those we know and love dearly and those who we have never met. I am so thankful to those who got the word out for us. We were not in a position to send out updates, but again, God places His people to do the things that we cannot do. Thank you for all of your prayers and words of encouragement. We love you all!

All Aboard!

Somehow I missed posting this. While my mom was down visiting and helping out with Katelyn and Taylor after I got home from the hospital, we took a ride on the SAM Shortline. It is a tourist train that tours some of the small towns in south west Georgia. There is a stop in Americus, Plains, Cordele and a few other towns. We took the Archery Explorer tour. It starts in Cordele, but since there is a stop in Americus, we got on here and didn't have to pay as much. Here are a few pictures of the train.

Taylor gives Grandmommy a kiss.

Our first stop was in Plains, GA, where Ex-Pres. Jimmy Carter lives. Plains is also known for their peanut cash crop. The Peanut Festival is held here every year in September. We got to sample some homemade peanut butter ice cream. Yum! It was very sweet.

Doesn't Taylor make the cutest little peanut!

Our last stop was at Archery, GA, the boyhood home of Jimmy Carter. I will not say that I am a fan of Jimmy Carter, but it was interesting seeing how and where he grew up. It seems like it would have been a hard life back then.

The Living Quarters

The Farm

There was a beautiful peacock on the farm strutting his stuff.

Taylor got tired of riding in the stroller and wanted to walk around most of the time.

At this point she decided that she'd rather push the stroller.