update on Tura Lou

I received an update from my Aunt Patsy on Grandma's condition:
Mom says hello to all and not to worry about her. Sarah I sent this to all on Saturday. I got a confirm that you received????? Redge took her to his trailer for dinner without her electric wheel chair. She fainted when she got inside after climbing the handicap ramp. They didn't call an ambulance but drove her to er and she sat out in lobby from 5:30 pm to 11:15 pm. Blood level showed at therapeutic level but doc put her to bed for observation and to see her reg doc next day. By Saturday night her hemo level was 6. Supposed to be 12. They gave her two units of plasma. Then monday her level was back down to 8 and she got two more units. The doc suspects that the Celebrex she was taking for arthritis knee caused the bleed. Celebrex has been Discontinued and waiting to see if bleed stops. She is supposed to be getting physical therapy (walks down the hall) with assistance but she gets dizzy or her knee hurts too bad to walk. She is getting very weak because she cannot get out of bed. She is hooked to catheter to pee. I'm very sorry you didn't get my note to all. Please respond if you get this one. Love, aunt pt

Moms hemoglobin after yesterdays last two units of blood is back up to 10.8. She is supposed to be 12 so hopefully it will rise on up. Problem now is she cannot cooperate with physical therapy to keep from getting weaker. She was first unable to walk due to dizzy and spots. This morning when they tried it hurt her left knee so badly she had to stop after 2 or 3 steps. Please pray for her to gain her strength back. It is very difficult to do lying in bed. Thanks and will keep you posted. Love, pt

Please keep praying for this precious woman.

Tura Lou

My precious Grandma was my absolute favorite person in the world until that tall guy entered the picture. I didn't get to see her as much as I wanted growing up but I always treasured the time we had together. Some days I would help her in her garden. We would walk along and pick blackberries. She introduced me to coffee flavored ice cream.

The thing I cherish most about my sweet Grandma is the way she loves. I have never been around anyone who loves the way she does. She has a gift; the moment you meet her, you feel loved....appreciated...special. She does this with everyone. She doesn't keep a record of wrongs either--this woman extends grace as if she has an unending supply.

My sister told me tonight that she is in the hospital. She has extremely low blood pressure and has received a couple of blood transfusions. Please pray for Tura Lou. We have an oral contract that she can't pass away until AFTER I get married and she's not one to break a deal. So please pray for a strong, speedy recovery.

I know complete healing is possible. God has been so gracious to keep her so healthy for so long. She is 92 and still lives by herself. She has never had any major medical issues. She kept a garden into her 80s. She's still lucid. It's remarkable how God has blessed this precious woman. Please remember her in your prayers.

another segment...

If it's a Friday and you've come across my blog before you know that means one thing: Chris Rocks Friday!

One thing that I love about this man is the way he loves me. Now I don't know if you've picked up on this or not but I'm a tad weird. Always have been, always will be. You can't wash away weird. I attribute this to the amount of solitary play as a child.

Due to my weird leaning, I have a very eclectic love of media: books, movies, music, etc. What's great about Chris is that he doesn't tolerate it, he supports it. He loves that I would watch a documentary about cults on msnbc then watch the best of "Nanna's Cottage" before finally bursting out with a song from Hanson.

Not many guys would support this but he does. He also encourages it. I love that he loves my quirks...just like I love his quirks too...ah but that's another subject for another day.

Chris rocks because he loves me for who I am.

grateful

Ephesians 3:20-21 (The Message)

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

Lately my heart seems to break on an almost daily basis. The crisis in Haiti, friends with cancer, financial needs for volunteers, seeing how stressed out some precious friends are over work situations out of their control, marriages destroyed by poor choices, and for my unsaved family members. It can become downright depressing thinking about all of these things...but thankfully I know God is the one in control. He is the one who can do infinitely more than I can even imagine (which if you've talked to me long enough, you know how vivid my imagination is).

I am so grateful for God's provision in situation. I am grateful to see how God is moving in people's lives. I am grateful that He is not bound by time or any earthly thing.

Chris Rocks Friday!

One thing that continually amazes me about Chris is his humility. He has a great capacity to learn and is truly utilizing his gifts for God's glory. He never places himself on a pedestal or draws attention to himself. He is quick to thank God for the abilities he has.

Tomorrow is his birthday & I am so excited! I love that I get to celebrate another year of Chris. I am currently racking my brain to think of things to make his outing more special, so suggestions are more than welcomed!

What do you do to show how appreciative, proud, and awed you are for the one you love?

A Series of Letters

A couple of fellow bloggers have posted like this & I thought I would too...

Dear Skype,
Why won't you let me find my friend Jason? I'd love to talk with him face to face so if you could possibly just let us connect, that would be great.
Thanks.
sb

Dear Disney,
Thank you for making "The Princess & the Frog" because it was well made! I loved the story line, characters, and the art. You made me proud tonight--keep it up!
Your fan,
sb

Dear Sunbeam,
You make the best electric blankets ever. Thank you for having 10 heat settings. Thank you for being so cozy. You make these cold nights infinitely better. I love you.
Forever yours,
sb

Dear Chris,
Your birthday is exactly a week away. I can't wait to celebrate with you! You are handsome, wonderful, and always know how to make me smile. Thanks for taking me out for mexican food and a movie. I can't wait to take you out for your birthday! I love you!
sb

Dear Kelly Clarkson
Were we secretly separated at birth? Really, were we?
Curious,
sb

Dear Biggest Loser,
Thank you for selecting a team from Ardmore, Oklahoma! I flipped out when I heard they were from Ardmore. You may not realize this but that's where my mom's parents lived so I have many fond memories of Ardmore, Oklahoma. Also thank you for picking hard working people as I feel that reflects so many Okies. I love that you had two contestants from the Tulsa area last season too...and I love even more that Danny won! I think you've found by now that people from Oklahoma are all around lovely. Good casting call!
Verge of being a crazy fan,
sb
P.S. Can I work out with Bob sometime? He's my fave.

Dear cold weather,
Thank you for putting an effort into us being better acquainted. I think it's very thoughtful you came all the way down to Texas so we could spend some time together. However, I'm sure you've noticed by now that I've been avoiding you. It's nothing personal--you just don't belong here. I promise to come and visit you sometime later (maybe before 2011....maybe after).
Bye,
sb

Chris Rocks Fridays

It's the fifth installment of Chris Rocks Fridays! Let me tell another one of the many reasons why I love this man!

Every Monday-Thursday we have a lunch date. Now this may not sound too exciting to some of you but it brightens my day every time! He walks down to my office, stops by my desk, and with a handsome smile asks me if I'm ready to go to lunch.

We talk about how our mornings are going, what projects we're working on, and I love each moment of it! This Wednesday I didn't get to go to lunch with him as I was in a video shoot. Chris brought me lunch.

Sounds simple but this quality time makes me so happy. I love that we have the opportunity to take time out of our day to spend together.

Promo

We showed this to our students this weekend. Our next series is a movie themed one so Chris made a trailer to pique the interest of our students.

Time

It's not a secret that I don't have a traditional concept of time. At times this can be extremely handy...other times not so much.

Today is Saturday but I only know this because my phone tells me it is. With having Thursday & Friday off, I feel really out of whack. Like I should be on vacation time or something... Tonight we have service so I need to leave for church in about ten minutes. I know this but it just doesn't feel right...like today should be a Wednesday of a week of vacation.

Here's hoping tonight I get back on real world time...

Chris Rocks New Years

Welcome to the fourth installment of Chris rocks Fridays.

Tonight I was able to ring in the new year with the one I'll be able to spend the rest of my years with and his family. What an incredible blessing. Thank You Lord!

Why does Chris rock the new year? He makes the year much more interesting. You see this year in our relationship we experienced quite a lot: he moved back home (yay yay yay!), prayed for guidance and joyfully celebrated the blessing of his new job (at the church in the same office), adjusted to working next to each other (literally less than two feet away--this was for about five months before Chris was promoted to Elevate--still in the children's ministry but now on the curriculum side doing video editing), learned how to effectively communicate with one another, and shared a lot of laughs. This was a tremendous year of growth for us both, separately and as a couple. This past year we learned so much about each other and so much about God's grace, provision, and plan for our lives.

There is no one else in the world I would rather ring in the new year with than Chris.