My Hope

I've had this song floating around in my head this morning. It was definitely put there by God - we don't usually sing hymns in church and I don't think I've heard this song recently.

"My Hope is Built on Nothing Less"
by Edward Mote, 1797-1874

1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

3. His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Lack of...

Motivation. Energy. Sleep. Health. A Life. Organization. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

These are just a few of the things that are lacking around here lately. Why? Jack is sick again. And boy, when this kid gets sick...he GETS SICK. He doesn't just get the piddly little cold that all the other kids have. Or, maybe I just overreact.

I will try to post some pictures later. Right now I can't think straight. Been up since 4 am and haven't slept much since Sunday.

Oh, and it's freakin' cold. Last night the temp was -9*F and it felt like -48*F. Yes, you read that right. -48. You know it's cold (and windy, and snowy, and miserable) when Minnesota closes schools and freeways because of the weather.

Why it's a good thing Jack doesn't have a sibling...

Yep, still cold

But, it's warming up!!! (Currently -13*F, but feels like -16*F.....but it is forcasted to be a high of a toasty 5*F today!!!)

Send Blankets

Baby, it's cold outside. (Currently -9*F, but feels like -27*F)

Blessed.

Lately I have been reminded of how the Lord has blessed us since moving to Minnesota. This was not an easy move for us (well, at least for ME). It has taken me way out of my comfort zone and immersed us in a different culture (trust me on this one), different climate, and different surroundings. I questioned God a lot before moving here. Everytime I prayed, I kept hearing God say "Minnesota." And then I would stop praying. I didn't want to hear Minnesota. I wanted to hear "Arizona" or "California." But, God made it clear that He wanted us here. And, we have been so blessed for taking that leap of faith and moving to the [cold, weird, flat, small-town, frigid, no-ocean, cold] midwest. I just wanted to share some of what's been happening in our lives...

I have gotten involved in MOMS Club and MOPS. Jack and I have activities to go to several times a week. I am starting to make FRIENDS. Real friends. Not close friends yet, but I think we're on our way there. This is huge to me. I don't think I could survive without friends. Especially mommy friends.

We found a church that we love. It was only the 2nd church we attended here and we've felt very at home there. Lonnie has been volunteering to do sound during services and he has met some friends that way. We attended a small group for a short time, but are going to have to find a new one soon...it went way too late at night and Jack just couldn't handle it. :)

Lonnie's job is going great. He's enjoying working at home and I enjoy having him here. There are several things we've had to adjust to, but it has been a blessing overall. He is able to watch Jack when I have a doctor's appointment or need to get out of the house for a bit. I am pretty sure I've gotten spoiled by having him home and will miss him if he ever needs to get a "real" job. :)

Little things. We have an amazing pediatrician. I have a great doctor. Our house meets our needs. It's very pretty when the sun is out and the snow is on the ground. I like living on a dead-end street. I like our grocery store. We have great community-education opportunities - Jack is starting a swim class later this month!

Anyway...I just wanted to share a little of what God has been doing in our lives. Thanks for listening!

Eye Update

Disappointing. :(

Good news - we really liked the new doctor! He is much more kid friendly and really took his time with Jack and was very nice and patient. He said that there has been some progress with the patch, but not enough.

And so, the bad news - Jack will be patched another SIX weeks along with Atropine drops in his good (left) eye. Atropine drops make his eye dilate A LOT (and therefore make his vision constantly blurry in his left eye). Last time we used them, we just used them for 2 days and his eyes stayed dilated for 2 weeks. Not my idea of fun. So now we are supposed to use them for six weeks, 2 times a week. Ugh. My poor boy. He is such a trooper through all of this.

We will see the doctor again in six weeks for another full exam and probably get a prescription for bifocals. They will put him in bifocals so he can have a stronger prescription to see up close and a weaker prescription to see far away. Right now, he is only turning his eye in (with glasses on) when he focuses on objects up close.

That's all.

I am trying very hard to praise God that my son has vision and that we are treating this problem early on.

Jack, Jack, and more Jack

Sorry for the down-time between posts! It's been a busy week around here. :) My dad was home from Iraq for 2 weeks, so we were able to visit with him for a short time. Jack even got to spend the night at Abuelo and Kiki's house...I think he had a wonderful time! We will miss Abuelo very much while he's gone for the next 4 months. I'm sure it will fly by, though.

Jack has an ophthalmologist appointment tomorrow to check on his progress with the patch. He wore it for 4 weeks. I don't notice an improvement, but I am hoping that maybe there's improvement that I just can't see. We are seeing a different doctor...I was tired of the attitude I was getting from the first doctor. I think the new one will be much better with a toddler. I will udpate after his appointment!

Jack has stopped taking naps and that makes mommy very tired. He still spends time in his room during "nap" time, but it's just not the same. I wish he would go back to napping. Hopefully this is just a phase and he'll go back to being a good napper soon. Hopefully. (Just as I finished typing this, he fell asleep. Woohoo!)

The weather here warmed up for a couple of days and some of our snow melted/compacted. It's supposed to snow a little bit this week, but nothing big (I think). I am ready for some new snow...it starts to look very yucky after it melts and gets all dirty. The fresh snow is so pretty and fun.

Jack gets more active every day. One of his new favorite activities is running. Running from room to room. Hey...it wears him out!

Here is a video of Jack dancing. Sorry it's so dark!

Here are some random pictures taken over the last couple of weeks...

Jumping on the booth at Panera (shirt from Uncle Josh & Auntie Nan!)

It's a plane!

One of the reasons he loves Abuelo

Sugar on his face from New Year's morning donuts

Helping shovel snow...yes, that's his very own shovel!