Punky's Surgery

Punky was a brave girl today. We had a cyst removed from her eyebrow. Not major surgery by any means, but they still had to put her under a general anesthetic to do it, which scared me.

We arrived at the surgery center and they called us back. Punky looked a little nervous, and when asked to sit in the chair, she immediately took Hubby's hand and wanted him to sit with her, which he did. She allowed them to take her blood pressure and so forth very well. She had taken a few of her My Little Ponies and Princess babies and was very proud to show them to the nurses and tell them all their names.

Then we told her she had to get dressed...they put on a lovely yellow "princess dress" (scrub gown) and "Princess Jasmine shoes" (hospital shoe covers) and a hat (looked like a shower cap). Punky thought she was just the most beautiful princess. She even allowed one of the nurses to carry her away to look in the mirror. Here is the picture Hubby got on his phone...sorry it is blurry...

Then it was time to take her into the OR...she was very brave, said goodbye, and let the nurse wrap her in the warm blanket and take her away. NO TEARS! We were very proud of our little girl.

After the procedure went perfectly, she did cry coming out of the anesthesia, which they said was 100% expected. After a few minutes, she was groggy, but fine. She was very upset about the IV that was still in her hand and kept grabbing at it to pull it out...the nurse finally realized that is what was causing her anxiety and removed it.

We had told her if she was a good girl, she would get a present, which we gave her...a new princess movie. She loved it. Just an hour later, she was back to her old self, minus one cyst, but plus five stitches. All in all, she did better than I ever expected and am so thankful she came through it fine. I thank everyone for their prayers for us. The Lord was with us.

The True Meaning of Christmas

Well, I am still in the middle of Christmas festivities, even though it is December 28th. We still have two more big get togethers we are trying to prepare for. I have REALLY felt this Christmas has not been Christmas to me...we have been entirely too busy coming and going various places and gatherings, buying gifts, making food, and just being busy. I didn't even get all of my Christmas decor out this year. I wanted to go and see the Festival of Lights, but just didn't have the time. I am sure Punky would have loved it. And, to top it all off, Punky got WAY to many gifts...it was beyond too many, it was actually sad. Next year I will not allow this to happen. There will be restrictions people!!! I don't want her to feel the way I do this year...just overwhelmed with STUFF, instead of the true meaning...the birth of our Saviour.

I stole this from a very awesome person (she knows who she is!) and it was just what I needed at this very moment...so, enjoy. It helps my heart everytime I hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA

Oh, and...

Punky gets mad and starts crying when she is on the computer with one of her games and the internet/DSL is slow in loading...very impatient...we've created a monster!

Famous words from Punky...

Here are some more cute things the little princess has surprised us with lately:

We were eating dinner, and her mac n cheese was on her Elmo plate. We were trying to get her to eat, so I said "Hey, I can't see Elmo because there is mac n cheese there. You better eat some so we can find him." She then started scooting the mac n cheese to the bottom of the plate so we could see his face. Then I said, "No, I want to see his feet." She looked at me like I was crazy and then proceeded to move the mac n cheese to an entirely different section of the plate, instead of eating it. Way too smart for her own good.

Punky was being funny, and Hubby said "You are so silly!" She immediately said, "No Dada, I'm pretty!" That's a princess for you.

Punky really likes the movie Peter Pan. One day she was in our bedroom and got a hanger and was holding it so that it looked like she had a hook on her hand (like the boys John and Michael do in the movie). I asked what she was doing and she said, "Come on, Mama, let's play Michael's house!" Too cute.

I have been addicted to Grey's Anatomy lately, but usually watch it when she is in bed (you just can't get anything out of a show while she is awake). There have been a few times I have told her I was watching Greys. One day I had left a wrapper on the coffee table and she asked me what it was. I told her I had a snack while I was watching TV. She then said, "Oh, you ate it while you watched Greys?" I guess I didn't realize how much she hears me.

And my favorite...

Punky and I were laying in bed talking. Most of you know she has a cyst on her eyebrow. Well, that day I had a pimple on my eyebrow so I had her feel it. She felt mine and said "Mama has a bump, Punky has a bump...we can be bumpy together!"

Baptism

Well, I got baptized on Sunday. I was supposed to get baptized on December 9th, but we had a big ice storm and church got cancelled. What does it mean if God sends ice on the day you get baptized? Anywayz...it was rescheduled for this past Sunday. We had gotten a lot of snow the night before, so I was scared they were going to call off church again, but they didn't. However, there were not very many people at church, which calmed my nerves a little bit.

I thought I would post my testimony, which is what I said in front of the congregation...

"I am blessed to have been raised in a Christian home. I remember as a little girl my parents reading me and my sister Bible stories at bedtime. One night, I talked to my mom and we prayed together. I asked Jesus to save me from my sin and come into my heart.

Throughout my life, I have had Christian influences all around me…I have attended this church since I was about 12, I attended Calvary Baptist Academy from second grade through high school, and my immediate family and most of my friends are believers as well. Although I am extremely thankful for all of this, I have always known that it is only by God’s mercy and faith in Jesus Christ that I can have a relationship with Him. My going to church each Sunday, having Christian parents and friends, and even being baptized mean nothing if I have not accepted Christ as the one and only way to Heaven. One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 2:8&9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, should any man boast.” I am truly thankful that I do not have to work for my salvation, but that God has freely given it to me.
I have felt for a long time that I should be baptized, but kept putting it off for no good reason. However, I have come to realize that baptism is not only an important part of my own spiritual growth, but also an integral part of my ministry. My goal is to be a light for Jesus in my mission field, which is to my unsaved family, my place of employment, neighborhood, and community."

The Gross Family

I have added a link to the blog of a wonderful family we know...They have two cute boys and Marianne is pregnant with a daughter, Emily. They are also in the process of adopting a beautiful baby girl, Sarah from Guatamala. Please pray for this family, as Marianne is currently on bedrest due to early labor. I am sure the stress of this and the adoption are a lot on her.

Thanks for your prayers.

The Family Pic

Here is our latest pic (boy, seems like we take a lot of pictures). This was taken for our church directory. Hard to believe the last time we took our directory picture, I was pregnant with Punky! So....

Here is November 2004...

And here is November 2007!

The Best Gift...

So, I have been a little behind in the housework the past few days, especially laundry, my least favorite chore. For some reason, it seems like when I get a load washed and dried, it ends up in my bedroom or bathroom just waiting to be folded and put away. Well, I had a couple of loads patiently waiting in our bedroom for a few days now, and just have not had time to get to them. It seems there is always something else...spending time with Punky, cooking dinner, cleaning up after dinner, Punky's bath, Christmas decor, Christmas cards, etc, etc, etc.

Anyways, today when I came home from work, I walked into our bedroom to change, and discovered the most beautiful scene...my bedroom was free from clothes. My dear sweet Hubby had folded and put away all of the loads of laundry. Some girls like flowers, some like jewelry, but my Hubby knows what makes my heart jump for joy...doing my laundry.

Santa's Helper

Here is the latest picture of Punky...we went to get pictures to include in our Christmas cards...so, here is the sneak peak!

Santa

We told Punky on Saturday that we were going to see Santa. Where Hubby works, they bring Santa in for the employees' kids each year. We had to make an appointment, but when we got there, they told us Santa had gone home due to the icy weather. Needless to say, Punky was crying pretty hard in the car (and we were not too happy ourselves) so we decided we had to take her to the mall to see Santa.

It went much better this year...no crying like last year. She went to him, sat on his lap, and when he asked her what she wanted, she promptly said, "A bunny, and Barbies, that's enough."

We were not pleased with the picture, especially since it cost us $17, but it captured a memory and she had fun. So, I guess I am very thankful for Santa at the mall...what a lifesaver!