Three years ago... life wasn't going how I planned.....

Our journey to an 8 weeks stay in a hospital

Picture taken 3-19 one day before

Three years ago on March 20, I had a STROKE!!!!! Yes at the age of 25 I had a stroke. There was a blood clot that had was behind my left eye, which is  exactly where the speech files are stored. We were at lunch after church when it happened, and MJ was 19months old and I was pregnant 30 weeks pregnant and my husband  that was our family.

Romans 15:4-6, 13

 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The floor I was on was had a lots for crafts and contests. This one was to describe who you were!

That was my best nap ever!

MJ when he came back from Denver! I Meet him at the elevator with tears of JOY!

When you are 20 months old it takes a lot to be in a hospital room. I am very glad that I some pretty resourceful men around!

Very determined to the get as much of the language skills back, since I had to start at the beginning. There was so many people who stopped by and help me with the language or to make my day go a little faster. I wish that I could have gotten a pitcher with each of you! Keith parents and mine switch watch my little man.

I don't even know where to start to show how much your prayer and support and kindness meant to me! My room was filled with cards and flowers and balloons and not to mention PICTURES! (For those of you that don't know me, I really like taking and looking at pictures!)
People came up from Winfield, Haviland, Hutchinson,  Denver and Oregon and Missouri, Oklahoma and all over Wichita, some were FAMILY.  Some who I new and some who I didn't.... and you know what... I didn't care! They were lifting my family up in prayer to the LORD!  I had received card from people in  Uganda, New Jersey, all lot from Denver, Winfield and Missouri! and plenty of other places too! Some would send and card daily or weekly and what a huge blessing that was! Thinking about all the visitors I remember each and every single one!

Praise the LORD one healthy little boy!!!!!!  5-9-11

Here we are in September in our vacation spot a few month away from the 3 year mark!

Thank you for everyone who has lifted me up in prayer!

Our God is greater, 

Our God is stronger, 

God you are higher than any other.

Our God is HEALER, 

Awesome in Power, 

Our God! Our God!

- Chris Tomlin

Isn't that the truth!!! 

I believe that the only way I was able to get through this experience was because the Our GOD gave me peace!  

 Romans 15 

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews[b] on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”[c]

10 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”[d]

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.”[e]

12 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”[f]

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written:

“Those who were not told about him will see,
    and those who have not heard will understand.”[g]

22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

30 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32 so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. 33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

P.S. A huge thank you to my husband! He was awesome during this struggle! He got rid of the clutter in my hospital room, was a personal secretary keeping track of who was coming and making sure that I would get enough rest in between. He has encouragement, a listening ear, and so much more! Thank to my LOVE!

Thank YOU Lord! For my health, for my family and the peace that you give me everyday!

For more info on strokes please read: http://www.stroke.org/site/DocServer/NSA_complete_guide.pdf

Donuts.... yum!

Ok, so not the best idea for some one who is try to loose weight but these were really good! I just got done telling by husband I want to take photos of donuts! All I want to do is make drooling noises but instead you can now that is what I am doing!

My donut making skills go back to the Bear's Den, Barclay College 's little diner. I think I only ever made one for some one, I might of shared on with some one... but that is that. I doubt they sell them anymore.  Instead of using a deep fryer, I had to used my pan, shortening, and coconut oil. I can't remember if they stuffed or topped with something but I really enjoy what my sweet little boys help me put on them.

Almonds Joy

Nutella 

Cinnamon and Sugar

Here is the directions with pictures:
Can of biscuits (I used Pillsbury wheat)
Small cookie cutter. I don't have any clue to where the cookie cutters are so I used my almond milk lid, I cleaned it before an after!

Make sure the oil is very hot before you put your dough in, it should have a light sizzle when the hit the oil. I didn't use a timer on these, but if you stand and watch them you should have any worries! Once they are golden brown drip dry and then coat in cinnamon and sugar or put a frosting on them.

And for the donut holes I put them 8 in the pan and I then covered them in the cinnamon and sugar. I had on of the, after it has cooled a hare and oh by I knew my chocolate one would AWESOME!!!

The Almond Joy donut was my FAV!

Almonds Joy

Febuary.... is not spring yet!

What a great surprise!

Every spring or fall it has been so much fun to boost our curb appeal. One afternoon my youngest was taking a nap so it was the 3 of us that got to see what going on! First off my husband is really tricky because he told me that Gottlob Lawn and Landscape was going to be dropping of some bushes that he had purchased. So I was thinking these were going to be some massive bushes!  

No it wasn't the bushes that were massive it was the large load of limestone rock on a pallet transferred by a bobcat that needed to be delivered. MJ really like watching the bobcat work! Actually I think we all did.

Massive Bush (one of two)

Surprise ROCKS!

It is not ever year that it reaches 60 degrees in February for several days, but when it does we decided to take advantage of it. Another thing we did was transplant our two lilac bushes. After doing some research I found out these lilac bushes prefer full sun and they were in almost 80% shade. Hopefully they wont be whining in the Kansas summer heat, because I sure will be! One thing that my husband recommended was the we  surround the two Aspen trees, the lilac bushes, and the evergreen bush in one big oval. He said that we could plant a bunch of flowers in between. This makes for one happy wife... who needs to wait a little bit before spring is truly here.

It is hard to believe that this was only one week ago where the weather was in the 60's and now it in the teens and a small layer of snow on the ground. Brrr! I don't even want to think about the windchill.