They don't call me "Martha" for nothin'

Our spice cabinet has long been a source of frustration to me. I often buy spices in bulk (WAY cheaper!) and then I have a bunch of baggies laying (lying?) around the spice cabinet and it takes me 20 minutes to find the chili powder. Or oregano. Or cumin. Or cinnamon. Or paprika. You get the point. I've tried "organizing" it before, but it always ends up the same way - a mess full of baggies. So, I finally bit the bullet and purchased spice jars. My wonderful husband bought me a label maker for Valentine's day (that's what happens when you become an old married couple - you buy eachother very practical gifts. And, I couldn't have been more thrilled about the label maker.) and so I used that to label my spice jars. I am so happy with the end result. I need some more jars and I think I might end up getting different "holders" for the jars...but these will do for now. What do you think??? (Oh, and they're alphabetized too. Woohoo!)

Easter '08 (yes, we're late)

We had a VERY non-traditional Easter this year. Jack could have still been contagious from his Rotavirus, so we decided to stay home from church (besides, the last thing we needed was him getting another illness from some kid). Lonnie and I were slackers and forgot to put together Jack's Easter basket before morning. So, he got it after his nap. No difference to him! We hadn't planned on doing anything special for dinner, but Lonnie ended up making pork tenderloin, green bean casserole, salad, and rolls. It was delicious! Even Jack tried the pork (but ended up spitting it out). :)

Since we didn't do all of the normal "Easter" activities, it was hard to focus on the true meaning of the holiday. We celebrate Jesus rising from the dead and giving us new life. I am having a hard time putting into words exactly what I want to say about Easter, so I am stealing someone else's. :) Beth Moore is a favorite author/leader/speaker of mine and here is what she had to say on her blog -

"...Christ is watchful and active and overflowing with unabashed, unbridled affection over every single one of [us]. As Present in one as any other. As purposeful in the life feeling the least purpose. The most exhaustion. He still raises the dead. Saves the lost. Heals the weak. Sets prisoners free. He never misses a tear. Never let’s us go. He was lifted up so we could be drawn to Him. Killed so we could live. Beaten so we could win. No matter what stone seems to have you entombed, He can roll it away. Nothing can stay in the grave when God has resurrection on His mind. And, Sweet Thing, God has resurrection on His mind right now.

He had it on His mind with every beat of that hammer on the nails penetrating Christ’s flesh. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Death never gets the last word. Not even the death of relationship. Respect. Well-being. Health. God cannot – will not – leave well enough alone. His business is life and life at its liveliest. Loveliest. May He roll away every last thing that is stifling His effervescence in us. He never promised that life here would always be fun but He mighty well promised that life here could always be full. Every single ounce of power expended on the Cross is yours in Jesus’ Name. Ask Him what that means. How you draw from it. That’s what I’m doing today. Like you, I’ve had innumerable blessings and unforgettable moments of late. Like you, I’ve also had my own heartbreaks, disappointments, and worries. Felt weary to the bone. Frustrated to the core. I’ve cried, too. Thought I was fed-up with some things, too. Wondered if I’d ever change, too. Then comes Good Friday. The violence that says something’s about to be different. That causes our earths to quake. Then comes the Saturday wait that seems an eternity long. Then, finally, FINALLY comes Sunday morning…long before dawn. By that time the Father has waited long enough. And stones begin to roll.

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 3:13-15

Some of us are burdened and weary because we never have allowed ourselves to feel the full and free forgiveness of the Cross. What if today you believed it? What if today you believed Him? What if you finally let it go? What if today the deadness in us could no longer resist the sound of Christ calling us forth from the tomb? What if we decided to get up and really live? "

With all of that said, here are some pictures! :)

Easter in Minnesota (I think my exact words were "you have GOT to be kidding me!" or "this is RIDICULOUS.")

Dyeing Eggs - This was not a fun experience. The messiness of it all was just a bit too much for Jack to handle.

You want me to do WHAT with this?

The basket.

First taste of a jelly bean. Not too sure about it.

Opening an egg.

Putting an egg "back together."

First taste of a Peep.

(Let it be known that I detest these things. I thought Jack wouldn't go for them either. But, he loved them. Go figure.)

Yeah. Whatever.

We're Home

We were discharged from the hospital this morning...woohoo! Jack is feeling much better and is back to his "normal" self. He hasn't thrown up since Tuesday and just had a tiny bit of diarrhea last night (sorry if that's too much info!). Now our goal is to keep him hydrated and help him rest. Ha! The last thing he wants to do is rest. It's been a challenge. He has so much energy pent up from sitting in a bed the past 4 days. He has been eating little bits here and there, which is good. We are praying that this trend continues. Oh, he has the "official" diagnosis of Rotavirus. It's amazing how quickly this bug progressed and he got dehydrated.

Thank you all for your prayers. :) Here are some pictures from our stay at the hospital.

This was Monday evening. He was getting rehydrated and feeling a little better.

Jack and his lion. The lion was given to him by the hospital.

This was Monday night while he was asleep. He had to sleep with the lion every night.

This was Tuesday...one of our worst days/times.

Jack and Daddy reading together. This was Wednesday. He was starting to feel better at this point (notice the Cheerios).

One of Jack's favorite books - from Uncle Josh & Auntie Nan. :)

I believe this was taken Wednesday afternoon. He was OUT.

*Update*

Jack is starting to get back to his "normal" self. :) This is great, but also a challenge because he wants out of that bed! His bloodwork from this morning looks good and he is well-hydrated. They are going to decrease his IV fluids and see if he can drink more on his own (and hold it down). He ate one piece of canteloupe this morning and stuck a piece of egg in his mouth - an improvement! His potassium levels are down, so they are going to give him some in his IV and see if that helps.

Last night was rough. He cried for a couple of hours before finally falling asleep for the night at 10 pm. His fever was pretty high and I think he was just uncomfortable. He slept pretty well through the night, but had to be woken up at 1 am because of some major diarrhea. Yuck. But, thankfully they were able to get a stool sample from that (which we had been trying - unsuccessfully - to get for most of the day) and so we'll find out later if he has rotavirus.

Again, I am at home just to take a shower and clean up. We'll find out later in the day if Jack can come home...it all just depends on his ability to take in his own fluids and keep them in. I'll post when I can!

THANK YOU so much for all of the prayers. It means so much to Lonnie and I to know that people all over the world are praying for us and our little boy. Praise God!

Jack is in the hospital...

Jack was admitted to the hospital yesterday afternoon for severe dehydration. He had been throwing up since Sunday night and went in to see the doctor Monday afternoon. He also had a high white blood cell count, but that has gone down. He has an IV for fluids and has also taken meds for the nausea. They've also drawn blood twice. It takes everything in me not to cry when they're putting needles in him. He is more hydrated now, but they would like to see his "number" get better. He is doing really poorly though. He is crying most of the time and complaining that his tummy hurts. He has horrible diarrhea right now, but has stopped throwing up. He has a low-grade fever, but his body is burning up. His pediatrician said that best case scenario is that he goes home tonight...but he wants to make sure that he's feeling all the way better before he sends him home.

Please pray for Jack. Pray that he feels better and that his body heals. Please also pray that Lonnie and I lean on God during this time. We are both very tired and it hurts us to see our baby hurting.

I don't have internet access at the hospital (well, I haven't really checked it out yet) and I am home right now to shower and get a few things. I'll try to update when I can. Thanks so much.

What We've Been Up To!

Last week - I was sick. Jack was sick (and constipated). Lonnie was out of town. Life was miserable.


This week - Daddy came home. And the sun came out. And we all felt better. :)


In more exciting news...the snow is melting!!! I can see my grass!!! I never thought this day would come. It has. I couldn't be happier. It was FIFTY-FIVE degrees out today. Jack and I went to get some new rubber boots and he enjoyed splashing in the puddles that are forming around the house. He was so excited to walk in the grass! I had to put daddy's hat on him today because the sun was bright and bothering his dilated eye (summer should be fun). He sure looked cute in that hat, though. :)

Yesterday we went to one of those paint-your-own-pottery places for a special children's session. We listened to a story and then the kids got to paint a piggy bank. Behold, the finished product. (There is much more to it, but I think you get the idea from this picture!)

Chomp

I promise, I feed him on a regular basis. But, for some reason, he felt the need to bite through the bag to get to the tortillas.