Air Force Reserves

As Mike is sifting through and completing a mountain of paper work to attempt to do and inter-service transfer to the air force reserves we have met our first hurdle, perhaps our first 2 hurdles this week. A potential of 2 different "requirements" that we may not meet up to. The recruiter is checking into it. It may just involve some extra signatures from "important" people. We fully trust that the Lord will guide our steps as His word promises, and are holding loosely "our" plans. Please pray for us that our path would be clear and that we would proceed full of faith for whatever the Lord might have for us.

Grandma Shirts

For MeMa and PaPa:

Thank you for our outfits!

Mobility

There have been days where I honestly thought nothing like this would be possible. Knowing the severity of Aggies brain along side her muscle disorder I truly thought that anything resembling mobility would be a miracle, though I fervently cry out to our kind and gracious father asking for such things.

And I suppose that is what it is, a miracle.. In the Lords kindness He has seen it fit to look down upon us and bless us. As all good gifts come from His hand.

Aggie has just recently started scooting forward in her own little way to get to things she is wanting. You can see how she drops her right side (the weaker one) and pushes with her left leg (the strongest one). I am thankful the Lord has given her the ability to figure out how to use her little body just the way He has made it, that she has the will to try and the intellect to execute.

Thank you for your continued prayers for us, as God is hearing and answering many of them, and we are greatly encouraged in our faith as we see Him work.

Birmingham...Doctors, playing and such.

The 3rd weekend of the month we went to Birmingham, AL. The previous Thursday Aggie had an appointment with a new neurologist and needed to get some labs drawn. We liked the new neurologist. He was patient and helpful in explaining in more detail Aggie's situation. We also left better equipped in our knowledge of seizures, since Aggie is at high risk for having them. Very helpful! We didn't acquire any new knowledge about Aggie, but walked away with a clearer understanding of what we already knew and felt much more comfortable with the care they could provide for her if needed.

Since Aggie had her MRI scheduled for Saturday, we had all day Friday to play. So we decided to go to the McWane Science Center. It was a good decision. We all (except Aggie) had a blast and spent the whole of the day there enjoying 4 levels of fun. The children were the perfect ages to enjoy most of the exhibits, though it would be very good for older children as well. There was so much we enjoyed and many photos to mirror our sentiments, but these are some of the better pictures.

Here we are out front.

The distortion room.

Also distorted.

Big Bubbles

Shadow Garden

This was neat. If you stood still the butterflies that were projected on a large video screen would come land on your shadow.

The Pin Wall

This is a family portrait. We pushed all our faces into the pins and look at the masterpiece.

Top left is me, top right is Mike, below Mike is Hosea, lower middle Aggie (note the pacifier), bottom left Shiloh. We were especially amused by Aggie's pacifier and Hosea's expression.

We had fun. Among some of the other things we got to see or do where; check out a dinosaur exhibit, watch a dinosaur IMAX, view and aquarium (the octopus was my favorite), pet sharks, play in water, play at a play ground, make a ball levitate on both air and water, play with lots of random science things really...... The list could go on and on, very fun! If you are ever in Birmingham you should totally go.

Visiting Visitors

Mike's family has been renting a condo at Fort Walton Beach, a little over an hour away, for the month of February. The first and second weekend of the month we went down to spend the weekend with them.

Here we are waiting for a parade, with bubble guns in hand.

The little dude at the parade.

The girls playing on the floor.

Aggie with Grandma Kathy.

MRI

Aggie had a repet MRI Saturday. Hard to believe it's been a full year since the first one. Wow, what a year! Originally (Monday) we were told it looks worse. But upon closer examination Tuesday by a radiologist and Dr. together they have decided it is unchanged. Much better report than the previous one.

I continue to be thankful at Aggies developmental progress. I hope to post a video soon of some of her new tricks, but time has been in short supply. I'm anticipating some extra time coming in about a week. :)

Tu tu

Thank you for our new Tutu Aunt Stacy!

February so far....

This pretty much summarizes our month. We haven't gone long or far, but we've been gone often. Hopefully more details are coming soon.

She's got skills

This has been an exciting skill recently acquired, the elbow prop. It is a key step to pushing up from laying to sitting, which I had no idea was the case until the therapist told me. So we'll call it a half step, just a little bit closer to a skill we are wanting. All this happens so quickly for "well" children that I never really took the time to break it all down the way we have to with Aggie, but it is kind of interesting, and I am thankful for her sake that it can be broke down.

Big Helper

Hosea has taken an interest to what is going on in the kitchen, and is always wanting to help. So I try to allow him as much as possible, though everything in me fights it, and sometimes it's just not possiable. I'm thinking of time efficiency, cleanliness, etc. Of course loving our children and parenting don't allow for such priorities all the time do they. So here little man is tearing up some bread for a breakfast casserole. Which is actually the part I don' t enjoy, so I was glad for his help and he did a great job!.

Summer Rolls

I've been enjoying exploring the world of Thai Food. I've managed to replicate the summer rolls from a favorite restaurant, to our liking, but haven't had the same good fortune with an Entrée. It's making me a little trigger shy, but I'm hoping to work up the courage to try again. Any way... these summer rolls are very refreshing, they are basically a salad "to go".

Summer Roll

Rice or tapioca paper (at Asian market)

rice noodles (at Asian market)

Cilantro

Mint

Basil

lettuce

Carrot thin slices

You can really put in any veggies and herbs that you prefer. My parents have tried cucumber and avocado and found it to be tasty. We just went with this b/c it was the stuff that was in it at the restaurant that we enjoyed.

Watch This Video for good instructions

Peanut sauce

2 Tbl. Hoisin sauce (at Asian market)

1/3 c. peanut butter

splash of lime juice (or lemon)

1 tsp. sugar

5 Tbl. water