Rollercoaster Report

The highs and lows of my thoughts and emotions this week, in no organized fashion — just a good ol’ fashioned brain dump about this rollercoaster ride that we call life.

• My sweet cinnamon pull-apart did, indeed, last until Wednesday. I savored my final bite last night at 9pm. And it was sooooo good. Five straight days of sugar. Maybe that’s why it’s been an emotional week! Give me some protein.
• Please pray for Tracy. Tracy is a friend of mine that is currently in India doing missionary work. She just returned from Honduras doing the same thing. A few weeks later, she left for India, fully aware of the political and religious instability, never hesitating, convinced that she was being called to go, no matter the circumstance. She is a beautiful person, someone that has made a big impact on my walk, and has been doing mission work since she was 13 (she just turned 40 last month). Please pray that she educates many hearts and changes lives forever while she’s away, and returns safely on Sunday.
• I’ve been thinking about my Grandpa Carter a lot this week. He and I share a birthday, so it was his day to celebrate on Saturday, as well. This was the first year in a really long time that he was able to celebrate with Grandma, both totally healthy and full of eternal life. I’m certain Grandma made him an excellent Southern dinner, complete with dumplings and biscuits, and a big ol’ slab of chocolate cake. I‘m sure that Poppy was at the table, enjoying the meal and celebrating Grandpa as well. I miss my Grandparents terribly, but I know that this birthday was one that he’s been waiting for for a very long time. I know that it was a happy day.
• Everyone knows that I love blogs. I love being connected with people that I don’t know — people that share my grief in losing a child, my religious journey, or my parenting joys and fears. And with people that I have known for years -- some that I haven’t seen in forever and some that I see everyday. I have learned so much from these people. I need a t-shirt. “Everything I know, I learned from the Blogiverse.”
• Speaking of blogs, I ran across an old high school friend’s page. I read about her family and her life last night. She has a beautiful family, a gorgeous little girl just a few months older than Taylor and an adorable little boy that, unfortunately, has health complications. Lucy is a very strong woman in a petite little body. She seems to be doing very very well. But, please keep her and Colton in your prayers. They need all the strength they can get.
• I had a small breakdown during one of my favorite shows this week. House. All I can say (because some may have not seen this week’s episode) is that it involved a pregnancy complication and the tiny little baby’s (still in utero) life was at risk. They showed the little baby wrestling for life. It hit home really really hard for me. Although the circumstances are very different, I DO have a very high chance that I’ll lose another baby. And it breaks my heart to witness a little one struggling for life. OK, I’m done with that. Moving on.
• All of these instances of seeing others with ill children, watching tragic situations on TV and reading about families dealing with the grief of losing a loved one, makes me realize how very blessed we are. I thank God every day for our health and just being able to breath every day. Things that I take for granted too often. We are so blessed.
• Taylor. That girl. She cracks me up. She calls the dog food “Curby’s cereal” and I think it is so cute. She makes me smile every morning.
• There are two things that are currently very frightening to me. Next week, Taylor turns the big T-W-O. And with that milestone, there are two things that will happen. One, we will begin potty training since she will graduate to the 2-year-old room at daycare that enforces the use of the potty. And, two, we will be discontinuing the use of the paci. My heart skips a beat just typing those words.
• My parents are coming into town in T minus 2 hours. And Jimmy’s parents will arrive in T minus 24 hours. I am so excited, I can barely contain myself.

And that completes today’s brain dump.