OH MY!

Spring is my favorite time of the year. After a dreary and cold winter everything springs up fresh, vibrant and alive. And this spring is definitely going to be one to remember!

We have a wedding to prepare for :}

Brandon is finally home from deployment, the engagement dinner is scheduled, the wedding rings are purchased and the bridal showers are scheduled . . . OH MY . . . 65 days and counting.

Things are about to get busy!!

BFF's . . .

It's so dramatic how, females in particular, refer to others as BFF (for those from another planet, that is an abbreviation for Best Friends Forever ;) I'm blessed to have two. One celebrates her birthday today . . .

Stephanie Ann Moore. Faithful wife and amazing mother. Big sister and BFF to her baby sister. Tolerant sister to her wild and wacky brother. And caring, loving and helpful granddaughter.

She has a heart of gold and loves and tolerates everyone, regardless of who they are or what they have. She is one of the sweetest and most loving people I know. Her heart is huge and anyone in her presence knows that. She is confident and she is who she is. What you see is what you get.

But most importantly she is a daughter beyond compare. She is loving, honest and trustworthy. She is a helper when needed, an ear if I need one and a comforting shoulder to lean on. She is a testament to the fact that, even when I worried I might be getting it wrong, I must have gotten something right.

I thank God for her and wish her the happiest and most awesome birthday ever.

I love you Steph :)

Time . . .

Time is a crazy thing. We gauge and live our lives by it. Yet it's nothing tangible. Nothing we can see. Nothing we can feel. Nothing to smell. Nothing to hear. And probably most frustrating at times - nothing we can get our hands on. It's mind-boggling how if associated with something extremely personal to us - time can appear to approach, drag, blur and be gone - all at the same time.

The 'time' I'm referring to right now is Brandon's latest deployment. It's just seems ridiculous to me today that he left weeks before Christmas! I remember dreading and just knowing that these past three months were going to be the longest and most miserable ever. But even though I have truly missed the little stinker like crazy, here it is - time for him to be home!! Modern technology is truly amazing though isn't it?? I cannot imagine what parents used to endure by going months and possibly years without hearing a child's voice due to war. It must have been very close to unbearable. Perhaps those were deployments where time truly did approach and then only d-r-a-g?

I remember thinking that this would be an unbearable time for Priss. That she would 'pine and cry' every single day. Cry herself to sleep every night - which in turn meant I would do the same because I can't bear to see one of my kids hurt or miserable. But there again, modern technology is amazing . . . email, FB, cell phones, etc. They not only make it possible to communicate verbally, but view and assess what's going on. It's hard to knock the rate at which technology is evolving when it brings such comfort during what could be otherwise very stressful times such as these.

And then of course, we've had the 'wedding planning' that's kept us all, including Brandon, distracted and busy this time :) And trust me. As distracted and busy as we have been, he's been even more so. In fact, one of the many things I love about that boy is that he is definitely a 'hands-on' man. (Just one reason that I know he will not only be a great husband to my baby, but an awesome Dad to my future grand babies ;) Yep, he's been plotting and planning right along side of Priss. Making decisions as simple as guest lists and as stressful as picking out furniture. All from the other side of this world. Could almost baffle the brain . . .

But finally! The time that approached, dragged and blurred is finally gone - it's over. There's a new time to focus on now. It's time to get busy.

It's going to be exciting to watch Brandon be a physical part of the next few months. To watch him share and join in that excitement. And to see the look on both of their faces as they plan, plot and proceed to begin their lives together.

So hurry up time! Let's get this show on the road!!!!

*S*I*G*H . . .

Wow, what a couple of weeks! Seems like I've been sick forever. This crud does not give up easily at all. It's attacked everyone in our house, the latest casualty being Miss Priss - which I really hate, because the Fiance is due back really, really soon.

It got my sweet husband too. It manifested itself in his body in the worst way possible. He's a heavy smoker to begin with and this stuff really does a number on you between head and chest congestion. So it really made his coughing much, much worse. He actually blacked-out during a late night coughing episode and scared the bejeesus out of me. I have never been overcome with such a complete fear and total loss of control. I thought I was witnessing his last breath.

Once he regained consciousness, we convinced him to go to the ER, where following the typical unnecessary waiting period and several tests, he was admitted for overnight observation. That turned into a two night stay with many more tests and a diagnosis of Cough-Syncope.

Cough-Syncope: The temporary loss of consciousness upon coughing. Syncope is the temporary loss of consciousness or, in plain English, fainting.

Syncope (pronounced “sin ko pea”) is the temporary loss of consciousness and posture caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the brain. Syncope may be associated with a sudden fall in blood pressure, a decrease in heart rate or changes in blood volume or distribution. The person usually regains consciousness and becomes alert right away but experiences a brief period of confusion. Cough-Syncope is the temporary loss of consciousness upon coughing and the most common symptoms include:

Blacking out
Light-headedness
Falling for no reason
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Grogginess
Fainting - following severe coughing
Feeling unsteady or weak upon standing

Treatment consists of determining the triggers and alleviating them. So now the uphill battle of not-smoking begins. This is something he has attempted more times than I can count. He's tried everything possible, including medication that resulted in horrific nightmares. Nicotine addiction is a serious matter, as anyone who has ever smoked can attest. And for those who have not, it's harder to understand. I liken a non-smoker's advice to someone who doesn't have children. Until you've walked in their shoes, you not only don't understand - you aren't the least bit qualified to offer advice on the situation or the solution. So prayers are definitely needed as he takes this journey to kick this addictive habit.

So that being said, our family could use your prayers for his journey to kick this addictive habit, as well as a really l-o-n-g stretch of good health, no more viruses, cysts, surgeries or hospitalizations. We have a very exciting Spring coming up and have lots and lots to do! :)