Prayer Request

I asked you all for prayers for my friend's brother who has lung cancer a few months ago. His cancer had started progressing and he decided to try a different kind of chemo. That worked and the tumors were shrinking. He went back in for a CT scan at the beginning of this week, was rushed to ER yesterday due to pain and difficulty breathing...he found out that the cancer is progressing and his lungs are filling with the tumors. They are only giving him a few weeks to live. He has 3 kids and a wife and 5 brothers, and 1 sister that all love him dearly. His sister was my maid of honor and I lived with their family for a year before I got married. I'm so sad for them and am asking for prayers for Scott as he prepares for the end of his journey here on earth and for his family as they all go through trying to support him and be there for his family as well.

We added 2 new members...

to our family the other day. 2 little girls...Molly and Buddy. Molly is the white one and Buddy is black and white.

Deidra got her birthday present a bit early.

Story is...she's been rescuing the field mice and the neighbor boys keep killing them. She found a little one yesterday and wanted to keep it. She was carrying it around in a tupperware container and the neighbor boy told her that he wouldn't hurt it, he just wanted to hold it. She reluctantly agreed and the boy flung it to the ground. She came in with the mouse crying about what happened. The mouse appeared to have an injured foot and was breathing really fast. I told her to put him on the counter in his container and I'd watch over him. Andy came home and we both agreed that he was hurt. She went back outside crying and when she came in the mouse had just passed away. She took it really hard. I told Andy that I was tired of the neighbor boys doing that to her and I thought about going up to the pet store to buy her a couple mice of her own to keep. He wasn't sure of that idea, but then he told me that the pet store closed in a 1/2 an hour. We went up there and they didn't have any mice, but we saw a little girl up there who had 2 rats and her Mom said they were the best pets ever...they didn't bite and were very sweet and clean. We talked to them for a bit and Deidra picked out a rat. We went and got the clerk to come and box her up and she mentioned that rats do better in pairs and since they were just a couple dollars a piece I told her to pick out another one. We had the talk with her that since they are hers, we'll provide the basics for the rats, but she wanted to go hog wild down the accessory aisle. Mommy told her that she could do her chores and if she wanted to buy things for the rats cage she was going to do that herself. She's responsible for giving them food, attention, water, and cleaning out their cage. I told her now she's being given a test to see how responsible she can be. I'll admit that they're growing on me as well...they were fun to watch last night. Andy took these pictures of them so you can see the newest additions.

Deidra's 2nd Grade Picture

Deidra got her 2nd grade pictures back today. I still cannot believe how big she's getting. I look at her sometimes and feel the tears building at how precious she is. I think she's beautiful...granted I am her mommy so of course I'm biased...but I think she is beautiful inside and out.

Birthday Express

I used the Birthday Express kit by Share Your Moments for this one.

All Aboard

I used the Birthday Express kit by Share Your Moments for this one.

Visit with Grandpa

I used the Spring Glow kit by Handmaid Designs for these.

Deidra's report card

Lang. Arts/Reading 88
Science 84
Social Studies 94
Math 90

She gets a free kids meal from CiCis (where she wants to go tonight)
and a free kids meal from Jonny Carino's

She got a sticker for Perfect Attendance and a sticker for all As and Bs.

her teacher says "Deidra is a very sweet, well-mannered young lady. She always has good work habits and I truly enjoy having her in my class."

They moved from a 9 week grading period to a 6-week grading period. Her progress report at the 3-week mark had her getting 90s in reading and science and social studies and an 85 in math. I'm glad she's doing well, but she's disappointed that she didn't get all As. I told her that her grades are great and that we're proud of her. Something tells me that she's going to be a perfectionist.

Another God Moment...

It was my Mom's birthday the other day and before I confuse everyone with my story, it was my step-mom's birthday although I really don't like that terminology as I've called her Mom forever. Anyway, I have 2 Mom's (one in Heaven and one here on earth)...that will make more sense as I go into my story.

I was having a really hard day the other day emotionally. Baby J had a court hearing (this morning), my MIL was here visiting, and it was my Mom's birthday and I've just had a lot of emotions going on...my heart has been all over the place. My Mom watched Deidra while we were in San Antonio last week and she had left some stuff over there. My Mom dropped by to give us her toothbrush and we were talking awhile and I wished her a happy birthday. She left to go back home. I was getting Deidra's outfit picked out as she was having picture day the next day at school and we couldn't find her pants that matched her top. Finally, I said "where's your gray pants as that will match instead?" I tore her room apart looking for them and couldn't find them when it dawned on me...I bet she had those at Grandma's. So, I called my Mom and sure enough they were over there. I told her I was going to drive over to get her things really quick, but I wasn't going to stay all that long as I didn't want to be rude with my MIL in town from Arizona. Well, I was driving over and thinking about a lot of things. I was flipping through the radio stations and happened to come across Delilah. I don't listen to her all that often, but she took a call from a case worker that had worked at a children's home for 6 years that was leaving and his heart was breaking over leaving his kids behind, but he had to take a new position that was better for him and his family. She dedicated a song to him and I drove with tears in the corner of my eyes. And if I thought that was bad, I really wasn't prepared for what came next. I talked to God through that song and put some things into His Hands and when Delilah took the next call, I almost had to pull over to the side of the road I had begun to sob so hard.

Delilah took the next caller and it was from a lady named Gail (Gail is my real mom's name). She said "hi, my name is Gail" and I literally started to cry. She continued "I'm in a far, long-distance place right now and this call is going out to my daughter. I want her to hang in there and know that I love her and I miss her very much." I knew that my prayers were being heard and that was literally a call down from Heaven from her.

I drove on to my earth mother's house to get Deidra's things and I went in and talked to her about what I was going through emotionally and I told her about that call. She got up out of her chair laughing and crying and she came over and hugged me and she said "Jess, you can't deny that one...God knew that you needed her." We sat and talked about her for a little bit while I wiped the tears from my eyes and she wiped the tears from hers.

I've had a lot of God moments in my life over the past couple of weeks...my faith is getting me through a lot and it's nice to know that my prayers are being heard and that He is always with me.