Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Homefront Update

So it's been quite a while since we just gave an update on life. Facts: Emma is 19 months now & 26.5 pounds, George is 9 months & 22 pounds. Mike is really enjoying his new job at the base. He leaves December 12 for school but should be home for Christmas. I am now 14 weeks along and doing well - I have a check-up next week.

So, the last 2 weeks have been a drain on me physically and emotionally. The week before Thanksgiving both children got the stomach flu. Emma was throwing up about every 25 minutes from 4:30 until about 9 pm. George started the same at 8 and went until 11. The next day (Friday) Emma didn't throw up at all but was exhausted and had a fever but George kept throwing up. Saturday Emma still had a fever and George got one too. They both were consistently crabby and weren't eating. The diarrhea started on Friday and continued through the following weekend (the weekend after Thanksgiving) as well as the crabbiness. After Thanksgiving they both started getting colds - runny noses and coughs. On Monday (the 19th) I took George to the Dr. about and ear infection but he didn't have one. The this last Friday (the 24th) I ended up taking Emma to the Dr. with a temperature of 103 and she did have an ear infection. She cried the entire time the Dr. looked at her and was miserable the entire day. :(
Yesterday George had a temp too but only of 101 so we didn't take him to the Dr. and both their eyes have been draining goop.
So last week I definitely hit my breaking point. I was so exhausted and drained. Plus I wasn't communicating well with the Lord and wasn't getting the time with Him that I needed. I finally broke down this last Saturday and sobbed, telling Mike that I didn't want to be a mom anymore. I didn't know if I could do it anymore and I just didn't want to right now. I don't think I've ever felt that way before. I was so tired and so sick of taking care of everyone ... I wanted to be done - at least for a little while.

I'm still not where I want to be or even need to be emotionally to be the mom I want to be but it'll get there eventually. It's getting better - that's for sure. Today we had a hard day but a good day. Emma and I had some battles that she didn't want to lose but she doesn't get to win. The good part was that we didn't turn on the tv at all and we listened to worship music all day ... in the afternoon we twirled and lifted our arms and sang - it was so wonderful and adorable! Plus the kids loved it. I needed it!

So all in all things are getting better and I'm getting some rest and we're focusing more on what we should be focusing on - Christ!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Free - by a Marine

She called...

Blacks, Whites...wait
African Americans and Caucasians, Asians, excuse me.
Vietnamese, Philipenes, Koreans and Jamaicans or
Haitans, waitin' Hispanics y'all.

Please be paitent
Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Venezualean, Cuban, Dominican, Panamanian Democrats
I beg your pardon, you partied with the late, great Reagan?
Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunii Muslim, Brothers and Sisters who never seen the New York city skyline when the twin towers still existed.

But still She called.

From the bowels of Ground Zero she sent this 911 distress signal.
Because She was in desperate need of a hero,
and didn't have time to decipher what to call 'em,
so she called 'em all Her children.

The children of the stars and bars who needed to know nothing more than the fact that she called.
The fact that someone attempted to harm us
this daughter who covered us all with her loving arms.
And now these arms are sprawled across New York City streets.

A smoke filled lung, a silt covered faced,
and a solitary tear poured out of her cheek.
Her singed garments carpets Pennsylvania Avenue and the Pentagon was under her feet.
As she began to talk, she began to cough up small particles of debris
and said, "I am America, and I'm calling on the land of the free."

So they answered.

All personal differences set to the side
because right now there was no time to decide which state building the Confederate flag should fly over,
and which trimester the embryo is considered alive,
or on our monetary units, and which God we should confide.
You see, someone attempted to choke the voice
of the one who gave us the right for choice,
and now she was callin.
And somebody had to answer.
Who was going to answer?

So they did.
Stern faces and chisled chins.
Devoted women and disciplined men,
who rose from the ashes like a phoenix
and said "don't worry, we'll stand in your defense."
They tightened up their bootlaces
and said goodbye to loved ones, family and friends.
They tried to bombard them with the "hold on", "wait-a-minute's", and "what-if's".
And "Daddy, where you goin?".
And, "Mommy, why you leavin?".
And they merely kissed them on their foreheads and said "Don't worry, I have my reasons.
You see, to this country I pledged my allegience
to defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic.
So as long as I'm breathin, I'll run though hell-fire,
meet the enemy on the front lines,
look him directly in his face,
stare directly in his eyes and scream,
"I AM AMERICA! WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
I REFUSE TO BE AFRAID!
I'LL FIGHT YOU ANY COUNTRY, ANY CONTINENT, ANY TERRAIN.
I'LL FIGHT TO MY LAST BREATH!"

And if by chance death is my fate,
pin my medals upon my chest,
and throw Old Glory on my grave.
But, don't y'all cry for me.
You see, my Father's prepared a place.
I'll be a part of his Holy army standing a watch at the Pearly Gates.
Because freedom was never free.
POW's, and fallen soldiers
all paid the ultimate sacrafice
along side veterans who put themselves in harms way.
Risking their lives and limbs just to hold up democracy's weight,
but still standing on them broken appendages anytime the National Anthem was played.
You see, these were the brave warriors that gave me the right
to say that I'm Black. Or white.

Or
African American or Caucasian,
I'm Asian, excuse me.
I'm Vietnamese, Philipene, Korean, or Jamaican.
I'm Haitan, Hispanic

Y'all, Please be paitent.

I'm Mexican, Puerto Rican, Venezualean, Cuban,
Dominican, Panamanian, Democrat
I beg your pardon, you see I partied with the late, great Reagan.
I'm Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunii Muslim,

Brothers and Sisters We're just Americans.
So with that I say
"Thank You" to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines,
for preserving my rights
to live a diverse life
and paying the ultimate price for me to be...

FREE!

All I can say is WOW.