Our Princess

Two sisters in our church came up with the brilliant idea of holding a Princess Dance Camp each summer for our young girls. Last year was the first year and Chloe loved it! This year she was thrilled they were doing it again...she loved every.minute.of.it of course. The sisters do a wonderful job of teaching the girls sweet little dances as well as lessons about God and how they are Princesses ~ Children of the King. :) And crafts?...oh yes, they got to do crafts too! Such a fun week for the girls ending with a wonderful little recital.

"Let Your Light Shine"

perfectly fitting for our own family's Sunshine!! :D

Sunday Grace

We Have Not Forgotten.

* I am reposting this from 10/08 when my mom, sister and I took a trip to NYC for my birthday. These pictures are very small captures of the depth of emotion that overwhelms you of what happened on 9/11 when you stand there looking at this giant hole in the skyline. There aren't enough words to describe that sadness or righteous anger over the wrong done that day. *

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Our first stop on our second day in NYC was spot where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood...Ground Zero. I am sure that everyone remembers where they were on the day of 9/11. I remember where I was, what I was doing and how I felt as I watched the tv in horror as the greatest tragedy in my lifetime unfolded before my eyes.

There is really no way to prepare yourself for this sight. We could not help but be overcome with emotion as we thought of the many that were taken from us in such a horrific way. We were also overcome with the good that people are capable of when they come together as one to serve others. We were simply overcome.

And so we say to those who lost their lives, to those who gave their lives and to those who try to continue on in their absence...we will not forget, no we will always remember!

A gorgeous blue sky...

in glaring contrast to the two missing towers that once stood in the heart of that vast space that is filled with nothingness now.

Not only the surrounding buildings but the people of New York City and the rest of America bare the scars of that day...

St. Paul's Chapel...a beacon of hope in the midst of fear, sorrow and pain.

Not a stone, window or pillar was damaged.

The old sycamore tree stood in the corner of the church's courtyard...

it took the shrapnel from the explosion, saving the church from harm.

"The Bell of Hope"
"To the greater glory of God and in recognition of the enduring links

between the City of London and the city of New York.

Forged in adversity - September 11, 2001"

The cots where the tireless volunteers would try to rest...

The outpouring of love, prayer and support from people around the globe was incredible!

We will not forget...

We will remember!

Chloe turns 6!!!

Our Chloe girl turned 6...um, well the end of July. Yeah, I know I'm crazy behind but it's been a little busy around this place. Can't miss the chance to show off some of her party picts...

Look at those BIG BLUE EYES!!!! :D

Chloe and her BFF, Sydney...they are too cute!!

There is no gift that speaks more to Chloe's heart that a big fluffy stuffed DOG! :D

She's a 1st grader now...time to Tell Time with hands!

Littlest Pet Shop...if they had these when I was little, yeah I would have collected them too!!

Chloe inherits the love of reading from her Aunt Re Re...

Auntie Rachel and cousin, Aibrean enjoy some yummy pizza!! :D

Two Peas in a Pod...cousins that think they are brother and sister but that's OK! ;)

Gotta love Skee Ball (sp?)...I think the adults had more fun with this than the kids! Ha!!

This was pretty funny to watch...the kids sit back and watch a video of a roller coaster, then the parent can watch their faces in the screen above! Gotta LOVE Chuck E. Cheese!!

Happy 6th Birthday, sweet baby...we are beyond blessed to have you a part of our lives! xoxo

Prayer Request

Hey y'all ~

We've had a rough week in our family...as many of you know, Chloe's prosthesis has broken several times this summer. Last week it broke so they replaced some of the inner components with stronger/heavier ones. She got her leggie back last Wednesday and right away was limping with it. This went on until Friday she was unable to walk in it at all. We took her back to see if the leggie needed adjustment. After 2 hours they were unable to adjust it and Chloe was exhausted. She stayed out of the leggie all weekend but her leg pain increased and she was spiking fevers as well.

So the following Monday we were even more concerned and we took her to the ER @ Johns Hopkins. After a "clear" xray and brief examination, they sent us home saying she was fine. The high fever came back that night and her pain increased even more.

Tuesday I took her in to see her Pediatrician (who I work for) and they tested her for strep (which was neg.) He examined Chloe's leg and immediately sent us for bloodwork and a bone scan at another hospital. The bloodwork came back ok but the bone scan showed the blood pooling right at the bottom of her leg, exactly where she complained of pain. After these results, they admitted her to the hospital with a diagnosis of possible Osteomyelitis (bone infection). Needless to say, Chloe was very upset as were we. The poor thing had to get 2 IVs put in and could not go home!

Chloe was put on super megga strong IV antibiotic right away. Then Wednesday they did more bloodwork which did show the raised levels they were looking for that confirmed their diagnosis. They also did an MRI (which was an absolute nightmare for a girl who is deathly afraid of loud noises and had to stay still for soo long). The MRI showed a possible abscess, this was the last news I was expecting or wanting to hear at this point. However, after examining her leg the Dr. ruled that out - thank the Lord! We were hoping to go home Thursday but Chloe was still complaining of leg pain when her leg was touched.

Yesterday (Friday) she had improved greatly and they released her to go home! She is currently taking Clendomycin (which is ridiculously awful tasting) 3x a day for 20 days. We are praying praying praying that this antibiotic is sufficient to kick the rest of the infection completely without any regressing. We are also praying for courage for Chloe to continue taking this medicine the full course.

She will be out of her prosthesis for at least a week to allow her leg to heal fully. We hope she can return to school since she has missed 6 days already! We just have to work out the details of a wheelchair, etc.

Anyways, we would really appreciate some major Prayer Support right now!! We have def. felt everyone's love and prayers so far and are depending on them for the duration. Thank you so very much!!