The whole month of October, Grant and Addie Mae are going to driver’s ed class three nights a week.

Yes, I need to fire whoever is in charge of our calendar.

Since Kayla has been moving all her things to her and David’s new place, the girls’ room was looking a tad bare. And echoing when you spoke. Having Addie Mae gone in the evenings gave Kayla the perfect opportunity to bless Addie Mae with a room make-over! She was quite surprised!!

Kayla hung new things on the walls, added colorful pillows, and some jewelry storage. Two of David’s sisters helped get everything ready. SO cute!!

While I was out picking up these-two-soon-to-be-driving-giving-their-mama-white-hair kiddos, someone put a pony tail in Eliza’s hair! Made her look all grown up!!!

Also while I was out at the hospital this week with Blake and Eliza, Kayla was a huge blessing and taught the boys their school. Of course chemistry and physics is WAY more fun when your hands are in a big bowl of goo. Uh huh.

Last night Blake and I were out as the designated grocery and wedding shopping crew.

EEEEEEKK.

Today more things are being moved to David and Kayla’s new place. They have been buying things off Craig’s list, giving each piece Kayla’s magical touch, and their place is starting to look like a home!!

Thank you, KK, for the cell phone photo!

Today, I am not going out. As excited as we are, we need to be rested too! We are looking SO forward to this whole week!! Our smiles are huge, but our tears are just as big. Blake and I are so thankful that the Lord has blessed all of our efforts as we raise these arrows for His Kingdom. We are reaping what we have sown!! These children are each other’s best friends, so very close to each other and to Blake and I too. Although this new season of life is so very good…..it is still very bittersweet!

David and Kayla – only seven more sleeps until your very special day!!!

Our week is flying by! We have been spending a lot of time this week at the hospital with Eliza for appointments with different specialists. I thought pulling back in the parking lot there today would make Eliza cry, but this girl just took it all in stride. She is winning hearts in every department we visit – which was two different ones today!

Today we learned that the diagnosis of Spina Bifida has been confirmed, and that Eliza’s spinal cord is tethered. With Spina Bifida this is expected at some point. It just means that her spinal cord, which should be able to flow freely in her spinal column with growth, bending and stretching, is instead attached to her spinal column because of scar tissue at the area of her Spina Bifida repair.

She will need surgery, but it is not emergent. They are scheduling an appointment with the pediatric neurosurgeon, who is at Madison’s Children’s Hospital. Once we meet with that doctor, we will know when Eliza’s surgery will be! So thankful for all these amazing doctors we are meeting and who will we be part of our lives now!

In other news, we are finishing up plans for a very special day that is NINE days away! We are all so very excited! Here is our glowing bride after she was dressed up by several little girls at a bridal shower the church had for her this week!

Blake and I are spending time together to commit this special event in our lives to prayer – will you join us? Our hearts are so full!!! Filled with thanksgiving!!! Praising Jesus!!! What an amazing blessing to see your daughter leave and cleave to such an amazing man like David!! They are SO happy and have such a solid foundation built because of their very purposeful courtship over the last eleven months! We are filled with praise!

We would also covet any prayers for Eliza’s upcoming surgery plans.

Please pray with us!!!

Ok, then. About Eliza’s MRI.

Today was hard.

Wanted to be this super strong “we chose this” Mama…..

but the silent tears still fell, I am here to say.

Because I have the same Mama’s heart for this child that I have for each of my other children.

A heart filled with love.

And it is hard to see them go through hard things.

Today was also good.

Blake and I are learning how to be advocates for this sweet baby.

When we asked for sleepy medication before the IV insertion, they listened.

But it didn’t work. And then they had trouble getting the IV in.

Eliza was put through a lot as they kept trying to get that IV started.

But once the IV was in and Eliza was finally asleep, Blake and I were able to say that this is not how it is going to go next time.

We asked for her chart to be noted that she needs a different administration of sleepy medicine. One that will work.

Which is the beginning of the road of advocacy for Eliza, who will have her share of doctor’s appointments, pokes, surgeries, x-rays and the like through the years.

So today was very good. We walked away from today very, very thankful that the Lord chose us.

we meet with Eliza’s doctor on Thursday morning to hear the results of the MRI

After church yesterday we headed out for another fun filled fall day! We drove over an hour to our friend’s farm….where Blake’s vision for our family to own and work a farm came alive the first time we visited these friends…..all those years ago! Absolutely the most beautiful place that is also near and dear to our hearts! With friends that have been more like family…. SO near and dear to our hearts too.

We took a beautiful, chilly ride on a horse drawn cart!

This is Nan, one of the working dogs. I wanted to sneak her in the van and bring her home! Isn’t she adorable?!

I loved watching the other horses run and play. They are so beautiful!

We had a meal around the camp fire. Love, love, love this time of year!!

In between getting home from church and leaving again for our fun day, we had two injuries. Lane accidentally bonked Chad in the nose with his head! Lots of blood, and now a swollen and bruised nose for Chad. Then Lane got out of his seat at lunch and did not know a cooler was behind him. He fell backwards over it, his plate flew into the air, and he landed on his head! Oh, how I can still picture it in slow motion. My poor boys! As we were comforting Lane and cleaning up the mess from his plate, Blake said, “We are going to end up in the ER yet today.” Oh honey, I wish you hadn’t have said that!

Addie Mae caught her foot in a hole while we were around the camp fire last night, and we thought she broke her ankle. So we had a quick exit from the fun, and did end up in the ER! David and Kayla met us there and had a crash coarse in parenting as they took the van full of crying littles home to get them to bed! Six different views from the x-ray machine gave us the GREAT news that there is nothing broken in Addie’s foot or ankle!! She will be on crutches for awhile…it is swollen and bruised.

Not the best ending to our fun day….but there is still nothing like being on our friend’s farm!! We love you guys!!!

*Please say a prayer for Eliza and her Mama and Daddy….she has a sedated MRI very early tomorrow morning!