Waiting for results...

So I told myself I wouldn't count down the days till Kiersten's test results came back on whether she has Alper's Disease or not. The doctor first said it would be 21 days, but then he said 21-28 days. I wasn't going to count. That would just make me a nervous wreck. But now I know, it's about the time I should be getting results back, a mama just knows. I don't know which day for sure, but I started getting prepared to get the results last Friday. I decided I would not let my fear, nerves, etc., get the best of me. I was going to spend the weekend with my family celebrating Jesus sacrifice for my life. We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Now that it's about to be Monday, I of course still have a little yucky feeling in the pit of my stomach, but at the same time, I feel at ease, Because He Lives. This has always been one of my most favorite hymns, all year long, not just at Easter time. I didn't hear it in church today, but those sweet words of this hymn were somehow whispered into my ear, Because He Lives.

Because He lives,
I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives,
All fear is gone,
Because I know,
He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
just because He lives.

I love it how a particular song you haven't heard in a while can come into your life at just the right time. Amazing. It can only be the works of God. I feel God is hearing me and I know whatever news I get this week, everything will be okay because He lives!

May God bless you today the way He has blessed me!

Kiersten update and Birthday Pics!

I know there are a lot of people wondering about Kiersten. If you don't already know, she was in the hospital a couple weeks ago for a little over a weeks time. Her seizures started back up after her medicine levels dropped. We were definitely a lot stronger this time around, because our God molded us to handle this type of situation last time we went through this. However, he's not quite done with us yet. This week sometime we should be getting some results on whether Kiersten has Alper's Disease or not. It's nerve-racking, but I know our God is so BIG and full of miracles, and I'm praying for that, a miracle. Please pray for the same! Her seizures have been under control since we left the hospital! She had about 50 while we were there, so the fact that the Doctor got a handle on them was a huge blessing! Reading about Alper's Disease made me feel so happy that my little girl has made it this far! So I feel this would be a great time as any to post some of her 2 year old birthday pictures!

The Decorations and food for My lil' monkey's monkey party!

Gotta Have Monkey Bread! Thanks to the MIL.

Monkey Cupcakes!Cookies that were in the goody bags!

I made this big coloring sheet! Great activity for 2 year olds!

She loves shoes so much!

Signing thank you for her presents!

Her Best Buddy!

Special thanks to my great friend Nikole for capturing all these pics of K's special day!

Update on Crazy Baby K!

Well, last week Kiersten had 2 seizures while at school. They were very short, staring out into space-type. She had been sick the whole week prior with high fever and congestion that kept her from getting a full rest at night. So it is believed that is what triggered the seizures, but also in combination with as she gets bigger, she is naturally weaning herself off her medicines. We went for her neurology appointment (6 month check-up) and as the Doctor looked her over, he believes everything seems fine. She's a little more clumsy lately, but he said that's typical after the seizures and should go away soon. It definitely hasn't stopped her any, she's always on the go! We are going to have blood drawn today to have her levels checked and that will help the Doctor decide how much to up her medicine.

I'm so thankful we have medicine that can help keep these seizures under control. Even though it was a shock for me to face the fact that she still isn't seizure free and we have to start the 2 year countdown again to be off the medicine, it was a reminder that: she's doing much better than before and that God is still in control. I just can't forget that!

Look how much she has changed in one year! She was just so drugged up then!
Now she's so much better!! LOVE her!

This is the Stuff...

Crazy, I know...2 blog posts in one day! I feel so very blessed, and I feel like I need to climb on top of my roof and scream it out loud. The furthest I went was facebook, though! I updated my status, pretty radical, I know! I posted that I'm thankful for the birds singing, but it's not just that they are singing. It's the fact that our amazing God created these beautiful little creatures that can chirp out such wonderful melodies. There is also something about the birds chirping that remind me that God created this huge world, but he also created me, and what am I going to do with His creations? Am I doing all that God has planned for me, right now, in this moment. I love it how our thoughts, and God's word, and the music we hear can all come together and makes sense as if it is God standing right before us saying, "Do you get it? Do you get this message I've been trying to give to you?" I'm thankful. I'm thankful for all the material things in my life. I'm thankful for all the laundry in my life. I'm thankful for a sweet, gorgeous, wonderful, loving, hard-working man that takes care of me. I'm thankful for my kids that drive me so crazy that I wonder, was there ever a time I was not crazy? I'm thankful for this gorgeous weather. I'm thankful for family members that love me. I'm thankful for Jesus who died for my sins. I'm thankful for my health, the fact that I can see God's beauty, my hearing that I can hear those sweet birds. I'm thankful that I get to hug my children everyday and tell them that I love them. No, I promise I'm not losing it at the moment. I'm just having one of those emotional moments where I feel overwhelmingly thankful for all that is in my life. The good and the bad. I'm finding joy in what God has for me. I heard this song today and it helps describe how I'm feeling! Enjoy! :)

Caleb's party

On January 17 my oldest baby turned 8. This birthday kind of hit me hard, because it was that day that I realized, in just 10 short years he will be graduating high school. I have just those 10 years to make sure I raise Caleb into a young man God wants him to be to continue his future. Caleb chose to have a Dr. Seuss themed birthday party. I was so excited because last year it was Bakugan, see I already hear some of you saying Baku what? Anyways...we had his birthday party at the Selwyn School gym, where Beau works, and it was a great place for 9 boys to run around and not have to worry about anything getting broken! Here are the pictures from his party for the family members who couldn't make it.

Caleb with his welcome sign!
Thing 1 Thing 2 Cookies for favor bags!
I had Caleb and his friends take a picture (like the the pic below) for the thank you notes.
Here are the Thing 1 & Thing 2 cupcakes!
Green Eggs and Ham (sandwiches)
Red Fish! Blue Fish!

Pin the Hat on the Cat!
Crazy Carleigh!
My Baby K!
Caleb made out pretty well, I think!
I absolutely love planning my kids parties, sometimes it makes me wish I was a party planner! K just had her 2nd birthday this week so I will try to post pictures from that party tomorrow!

I'm backkkkk....

Well, while I'm snowed/iced in with nothing to do! The last 3 days were going well, but now the cabin-fever is starting to settle in! I can't believe I'm about to say it, but I definitely am missing school. I know I will be eating those words later. We have had a great break though! Playing games, watching movies, and baking in the kitchen together! Carleigh had a high fever due to the flu (thankful she had the flue shot, which made the experience not so bad) so the break gave her the time needed to feel better. Hopefully Beau, Caleb, and I will be able to stay flu-free this season. Kiersten had it the week previous to Carleigh.

So, now that I took a year and a half off from blogging, I have so much to say and I guess I just need to find the time to blog all of it! :)

What has the Ellis family been up to?
Beau is still athletic director at Selwyn the private school here in Denton. He does a great job at what he does. He's finishing up with coaching the high school boys in basketball and will begin coaching soccer in March. He continues to play soccer with his friends on Sunday nights and any other times he can squeeze it in!

I am putting myself, yet again, through 15 hours of school this semester. I'm suppose to have 4 classes in the summer and start student teaching Fall of this year, and graduate May 2012. Just found out one of the classes I need during the summer is not offered. So...what am I to do? Well I was suppose to meet with my advisor tomorrow to find out, but they are closed now. It may or may not put me a whole semester off, but somehow I will get that degree in my hands one day. I am getting my degree in Interdisciplinary Studies Grades 4-8 in Language Arts with an ESL certification. My schedule is so good this semester! I'm going to school on Tuesdays & Thursdays with one class on Wednesday afternoons. This leaves M/W/F during the day to do homework so I'm not having to struggle with the balancing of school and being mom. So I think this semester might go a lot easier than the last...I'm hopeful anyways! :)

Caleb just turned 8 in January! With this birthday came the realization that he will be graduating high school in just 10 short years! *tear* He is such a great big brother and am so proud of him. Caleb is doing very well in school and he loves it! He's going to be tested for the gifted and talented program (EXPO) in the next couple weeks. He will also start soccer practices to get ready for the Upward soccer season in March. He keeps busy with all the books he's reading. He loves all the 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' books.Carleigh, oh our crazy little 4 year old! She's so humorous these days! She is all about being a princess, and obsessed with getting married! Really??? She continues to ask me about when she can get married to her prince and wear a pretty white dress. Carleigh also is doing very well in school. The teacher told us at her conference that she is so advanced and she has never done this before, but wants to start working with Carleigh on reading. (This is the 3 year old class) She loves her brother and sister so much! She always wants to just be with her brother and a little mama to Kiersten.Kiersten is doing so great! She has now been 1 year free of seizures! We feel so grateful that she is doing so well. She still isn't talking, but has definitely found her voice over the last couple months. We are slowly working on the potty training thing. The other two kids were pretty easy to potty train, Kiersten however, is S-T-U-B-B-O-R-N!! Good thing she is so stinkin' cute! I think she know she is the baby of the family. Her personality is coming out so much and her facial expressions are priceless!Here's a picture from when we saw Beauty & the Beast the other day!

Tomorrow I will be confined in the house yet another day, so you just might get lucky and have back-to-back blog updates! :)