The Gallbladder...

Soooo....as many of you know, I have this little problem with my gallbladder.  Actually, it's been a really big problem since April of this year.  When I finally when to the doctor and had tests runs in Sept/Oct, I was predictably told, "your gallbladder is a ticking time bomb.  if I were you, I'd have it out right away."  Lovely.  Well, I'd already been doing research on gallbladder removals and was concerned by the fact that so many people continue to have related issues even after having the organ removed.  So, I didn't want to just jump in and take it out.  Five years ago when I had this issue before, God miraculously brought healing to my body and I wanted to seek His will and find out if He was going to do that again...or if I should go ahead and have surgery.  The response from God through multiple sources was clear: He wanted to bring healing to me and in the process use this to dramatically change my life. 

So, in the meantime, I was to do what I could do, which in my case was to go through a 2 week liver/gallbladder cleanse and detox.  If you've never done a liver/gallbladder cleanse, I actually highly recommend it because the liver is so incredibly important and many of us are walking around with poorly functioning livers (simply because of our American diets).  Anyway, the cleanse consists of eating only raw veggies (in various forms).  Let me tell you, I'd have given anything for a piece of bread!  I wasn't really hungry, but I was getting tired of eating the same things. :) 

God also made it clear that there was an emotional cleansing that needed to happen...that this wasn't just a physical issue and He has been faithful to direct me through this process.  I have cried more in the last month than I have in the past several years combined.  It's just amazing what's been coming up...and out. 

So, where does this leave me?  I am currently on a modified liver friendly diet and it's helping immensely.  Most days I feel good.  God is clearly at work in me, but is also clearly not finished with this process.  I tell you, it's so tempting to just go "sign up" for the surgery to get this over with, but God has made it clear that that would short-circuit this process and I am not about to do that. 

I would appreciate your continued prayers for total healing for me: body, mind and soul.  I hope that one day soon I can share the amazing work that God has DONE.

Quoteables and such things

Having kids is great for hearing funny things!  Such an example just occurred.  Joshua just walked in and said, "Mommy, there is a miracle on the playground!  The slide is dry, but the playground is wet!"  I guess he was channeling the story of Gideon and fleece and proclaiming this happening to be a miracle.  Love it.

Joshua, as you may know, is our energetic kid.  When he was three, we nicknamed him Tigger because he didn't walk anywhere...he BOUNCED.  And sometimes, he would accidentally walk somewhere, turn around and go back to the beginning...and then bounce!  Anyway, a few weeks ago, we had just returned home from church on a Sunday morning when Joshua informed us, "I have a lot of bouncing to do today."  And he did. :)  He also thinks he can fly.  He is also convinced that the airtime achieved when jumping off the ottoman or his bed is "flying"

Andrew is just starting to talk, but is becoming a good communicator, and a good listener.  He still loves his mama and now will attach himself to me if he thinks I may be heading out the door without him.  Last week, I was getting ready upstairs and he wouldn't let go of my legs, so (since he was coming along) I asked him, "Andrew, where are your shoes" figuring that would distract him for a while.  He left...and about 3 minutes later came trotting back upstairs with both his shoes.  It was so cute!

The other night, after Caleb and Joshua had given me "hugs and kisses" at bedtime and run off upstairs for the nighttime routine, Andrew walked over to where I was sitting and pulled on my sweatshirt saying "iss, iss."  I realized he was asking for a kiss, so I leaned over, he kissed me and then headed upstairs after the boys.  So sweet!

Just for my own remembrance, off the top of my head, he has words for:

mama

dada

Caleb

Joshua

go

down

banana

milk

oatmeal

shoes

socks

diaper

outside

book

ball

baby

apple

kiss

blanket

music

off

thank you (signs please)

car
Yes (he nods)
NO!

By the way, Andrew is finally walking!!  He started almost 3 weeks ago at 17.5 months.  He had been taking up to 6 steps for 2-3 months, but one day just decided he was really gonna do it.  I love his stage when they toddle around.  So adorable to watch. 

Caleb has had his share of quoteables recently, but they are kind of hard to share without understanding all the context.  However, a few weeks ago I had gone shopping at Kohls and had some things for Philip to try on and a few sweaters for myself.  I was explaining to him the frustration of being a mom because when you have babies, your size keeps changing and sometimes something you bought the year before is either too big or too small now (fortunately, everything is too BIG!).  I was explaining that guys don't usually have this problem because they don't have babies.  Later that day, we were having dinner and Morgan, the church intern who lives with us, was upstairs and Caleb was filling her in on why I had been clothes shopping that day.  He was explaining about the size fluctuations that occurred.  Then, he pointed out to her that boys don't normally have this problem.  Morgan almost feel out of her chair laughing.  She also almost spewed us all with Diet Coke, but fortunately avoided that problem!  It was hysterical.  That was just nothing something you expect to hear from a 5 year old boy.  Maybe you had to be there... :)  Classic.