Papa

Wanted to brag on our Papa for a minute. My mom married Frank Fendley a/b 3 years back and w/ that came the biggest blessing. He is the most wonderful man ever!!! He does so much for us w/o even asking. Mom can't even want for anything (really any of us) w/o him getting it. For instance: I mentioned the other day (the live next door) that b/c our floor still slants some I wanted to get some furniture things that sit on the bottom of the furniture. We had been using coasters and it looked pretty tacky. He has those things for his furniture so they won't crease the carpet. I get home the next day and he had a pack for me.
And he does this ALL the time. He gets Emma from school every day. And they go to Burger King, Wal-MArt, Dollar Store, etc. She always has toys from that day and/or food. He feeds her dinner all the time before I even get home. Gets' mom anything and everything she wants, lets us drive his truck/Jeep if/when we need, works on our washing machine, builds the school Bible for the parade, etc. I called today to let him know when MAtt is out w/ his arm surgery he won't be able to drive a stick. So he will have my car and I will need the Jeep. Of course he is fine w/ that and will have it gassed and ready for me. when I got home last night he had already fed Emam dinner, and deposited money in my account.
Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better step-father and we are all so blessed to have him. They live next door so we are EXTREMELY close and I plan to keep it that way. I'm a momma's girl anyway!!! When I was sick w/ the flu last year I stayed w/ them and he got me movies, food, milkshakes, did laundry, etc. He is the best!!! Not to mention what all he does for Alisa. (miss her BTW)
Anyway, wanted to brag. He is a Godly man, (they are Catholic), great provider, happy, sweet, funny, SO smart, etc. He is even building websites for some jewlry companies around town and they are paying him w/ furniture. (which of course mom loves)
He is awesome!!!! God bless Papa!!!!

01-27-09

Love, love, love Jon & Kate plus 8. I watched it last night from like 8-10:00 and they were all new episodes. They never showed the front of their new house or much of the yard but it is huge. Of course w/ 8 kids, it has to be. Matt said it's sad that w/ a house that size, the kids still have to share rooms. But it was so great w/ their hardwoods, huge kitchen, fireplaces, acerage, etc. Plus she is just such an awesome mom and so crafty. They were having a yard sale at a church on one of the episodes and all of the proceeds went to Pediatric Cancer. And at the end Jon actually said they were going to do it again (she said each year) and that it was fun!!! Fun!!! Having to get a U-haul, set up, pack everything, sell, keep up w/ kids, etc. And it was fun!!!! He is great!! I'm sure they have issues like all families, but it's so neat to see how well they handle every day occurances. And she is so tough, it motivates me. When she says no, that's no and there's no arguing. Man, Emma needs to learn that!!!!

I sat in my recliner for a while and that thing will make u lazy!!! Matt and I talked some and he said it would be easy to not drink when it's his idea. And it is his this time around. So please pray for strength for me to stand my ground and for him to stay sober!!!!

Emma had gymnastics and did great. I got out of the shower this AM to see dad and Emma snuggled up in our bed watching cartoons. I love that so much. So sweet and I hope they always stay that close.

I will update on Hailey when I find out. Keep praying for Matt P and my Matt's soberity. Oh and the movie Fireproof comes out on DVD today. Please watch it everyone. It is so awesome!!! I have heard wonderful things a/b it and will get it ASAP.
God bless!!!

Happy Monday

Hi everyone. Happy news to report: we got an awesome recliner yesterday for only $25.00. A friend/coworker of my mom's had it from her grandmother and let me buy it. We went to Morris to pick it up yesterday and looks brand new. There were even tags still on it. It is a maroon big one that matches the den great. I am so happy for it and appreciate the deal so much. I have been dying for one for a while but would (or could) not finance it. I actually fell asleep in it yesterday afternoon. Man, that's some good sleep!! And I feel so much better a/b having it for Matt's surgery on the 5th. Now we can prop his right arm up and he can be comfy. I had set up my savings and was going to wait to buy a new one w/ cash. But mom called last week saying she said I could get this one for a deal. Thanks again!!!!

Hailey update - asked Amy this AM and she said surgery Friday on her good eye went well. They think she will have sight in it but not sure how much. Big news = she is out of ICU and in her own room. That is so awesome b/c it means everything is coming together for her to recover. Amy said she is going to visit at lunch and will update me more. I will post when I know more. Thanks for the prayers and keep them up!!!

Me and Matt are working on our marriage but it isn't what I wish it would/could be. We have a lot of baggage, trust issues, history and pain. We need to be more involved in church, SS, and Celebrate Recovery. WE talked a little a/b it this AM and he has agreed to stop drinking. Which is a HUGE issue w/ our marriage. But i am enabler, which only sends mixed signals to him. I do the same w/ Emma and have got to put my foot down and keep it down. I pray for strength!!!! I spoke to Jenn this morning a/b my concerns and I'm so thankful she has words of wisdom for me. Matt and I love each other very much and w/ that I feel, we can accomplish anything. Look how far we have come alredy!!!! We still have a long road ahead and have to put Christ first and foremost in our lives and marriage. Matt normally follows my lead, so I feel the pull to be more of a Godly wife and mother and a leader in my home. We are supposed to be team, but aren't quite there yet. With God's love and devotion and guidance, we can get there though. I want Emma to be able to look at BOTH of her parent's and say to herself 'that's what i want for my life and marriage'. I know, most paren't probably want the same thing. But it's up to us to make that happen and not to settle for second best. Please pray for our family!!!

BBL - Kat

Praise God

Happy Friday everyone. I have a HUGE praise report this morning. My sister's husband, Matt Phillips celebrated 2 years of recovery yesterday. He will get his 2-year chip tonight at Celebrate Recovery and we owe it all to God. He is an awesome God!!!!! Matt is a huge inspiration to all of us and is a walking miracle. I brag on him every chance I get and I am just beyond proud of him. I knew he could do it, we all did. But until he let go and let God, he was trapped in the hell that we know as addiction. It is a horrible hell that so many people get sucked into. And only the strong survive it. Matt Phillips (I put his last name all the time b/c my husband is named Matt also) is a strong believer, follower in Jesus Christ and give Him all the glory. He and his family, as well as mine go to Church of Bradford Road and Celebrate Recovery at Clearbranch. Matt and I have only been to CR once but need to go more. To know where Matt P was, and where he is now. To know his story and his testimony is absolutely a miracle in every sense of the word. I pray he continues on this path and continues to amaze all of us. I have never seen my sister or Mason/Abby so happy. He just opened his own company doing home remodeling/matienance and is finally living his dream. Again, God is awesome and can do anything if you let Him. We are so proud of him!!! Please thank God for his recovery and remember him in your prayers.

BBL - Kat

Sleeping Girl - finally

My child slept through the night!!! WOOHOO!~!! I can't tell you the last time she did this. And she is 4 years old for goodness sakes. Her Pediatrician Dr. Webster (we both love her) said it is b/c we treat her like a princess during the day and cater to her every need. So at night, she does the same thing. She normally calls Matt in there at least 2x after I tuck her in for stupid stuff like 'cover me up, that shadow bothers me', etc. And usually calls one of us in there at least 1x during the night for something crazy too. Now if she is sick or has to tee-tee, I get that. But the stupid stuff was starting to get old. I figured it was seperation anxiety b/c of her dad being gone for almost a year and she just wanted to make sure he was there. But Dr. Webster said she has to learn to do on her own and be a big girl. Now Matt is better at this than me. For instance, letting her get herself dressed, brushing her own hair, taking her plate in the kitchen, etc. I do it b/c I am faster and get it done. But I can tell you I am working on all of it. She amazes me at what she can do on her own. She is now bathing herself while I either watch or tell her what to bathe next. And can do so many big girl things. Mainly she just does it when she wants to, instead of when I tell her to. I think I caught her rolling her eyes at me this AM b/c she wanted me to move her Little Pet Shop house (that Ashley and Shelby next door gave her last night, so sweet, and OMG that baby is the cutest baby ever and she is so scared of our cats) to the floor while I was drying my hair. Um, you are 4 and can do that on your own, come on!!!! So that is what we are battling these days. But she is so smart and I know she can and will do it. I guess this is the downfall to her being an only child and getting all of our attention 100% of the time.

HAven't heard anything a/b Hailey yet. But will continue to pray for her recovery and strength for her and the family.

God bless our country today as we watch history unfold. God bless our new President. It is history in the making - good or bad. We will see but I will pray for him no matter what. He has a tough road ahead of him no matter what.

Family and Hailey Update

First off, Amy called Saturday w/ happy news. She said Hailey was off the breathing tube completely, the surgery went well and her parent's were going to get to hold her that afternoon. I think they were discussing her own room also. Sunday her tongue started to swell and she started running a fever. So they put the tube back in and postponed surgery that was scheduled for today to reconstruct her nose and cheekbone and clean out her right eye. (she will have a glass eye put in place) Amy said it has been up and down w/ her but she is still fighting hard!!! Apparently word is getting out a/b our little fighter. Amy said the lead singer for the country band Shenandoah called Hailey's grandfather saying he is praying for her, as well as his church and he would be there to see her walk out of that hospital. It is so helpful for the family to know so many people care and are praying andd she is already touching people's lives. She is so strong and such an inspiration!!! Her mom is still doing ok w/ the pg also. Keep up the prayers!!! She is doing ok but has a long road. God is good and will continue to strengthen her and her family. I will keep you all updated when I talk to Amy again.


We are all doing well w/ our family. Broke as usual, but making it. Didn't go bowling but rented movies instead. I helped get Meghan and Cady ready for a wedding they were in Sat. morning and that was fun. Yesterday church was fantastic as usual. I am fired up and looking forward to the sermon series starting this week. I wish we lived closer so we could be more involved w/ Wednesday and activities like that. But it made me proud that Matt said yesterday that he didn't care how far away we lived, that wouldn't stop us from continuing from going to church there and being a part of our friends lives that live in Odenville/Moody. Then he quickly added as long as gas doesn't go back up to $4.00 a gallon.

We pray for Deb today. She is going in for minor exploratory surgery. And anytime someone goes 'under' we get a little nervous. She is such an awesome Grandmom, mom, mother-in-law. I'm sure all will be fine.

BBL - Kat

Emma this week

Hi everyone, while of course we are thinking of and praying for Hailey, I wanted to update you on Emma-lu. She did 2 hours of gymnastics Monday to make up for missed weeks over the holidays. Miss Beth said she was doing fantastic and a natural. I got there in time to watch some and she is good. (then again, I am probably biased and wanting a gymnast/cheerleader on my hands) She got her report card sent home Tuesday and everything looked good. We are working on letter recognition through flash cards every night. And now also working on numbers 10-20. She does well until 15 then skips around. But we will get there I'm sure. To look in her classroom is funny b/c it's all what we are working on at home at night also. She is probably so sick of going over all of that stuff. Oh and she is singing a new song a/b Jesus's disciples and it is so cute!!!! I love it and get her to sing it like 5x a night to us. Daddy had a big grin last night when she was sitting, singing it to him. I hope she always does that for us.

This weekend the only plan is to go bowling w/ mom, frank, alisa, deb, glenn, and maybe jenn's family. I hope they can go b/c it will be SOOO much fun and I will be too busy taking pics to even bowl. And of course church hopefully. I wish so much we lived closer so we could be more involved. Then again it's so great living next door to mom/Frank and Emma's school is fantastic. So good and bad I guess.

Again, continuing to pray for Hailey and her family and the docs/surgeons/nurses. Also pray for Matt. He has to have surgery on his right rotator cuff on Feb. 5. He had surgery on his left back in May I think and did it w/o narcotics. This time we are still doing the pump, but he will have narcotics w/ me carefully monitoring. I pray it goes well and I trust it will.

BBL - Kat