I've got good news and bad news...

...Let's go with the good news first! Sandra's neurologist called with the awesome news that the only thing that her latest MRI shows is a little arthritis in her spine (no big deal)--so all is clear! I know she feels like the weight of the world is off of her shoulders and she will go back to the neurologist for an appointment at the end of October. So, we still don't know what caused her episodes, but whatever it was, it is gone now! Isn't that awesome?!

Now, for the bad news. My Georgia Bulldogs got a good old-fashioned butt kicking by the Crimson Tide on Saturday night. We were there for the game, and the only fun part was the third quarter. But, the Dawgs did not give up, so that speaks for something...right? We had a great time with Andrea and Hunter (who came down for the game)--and most of the day was a blast! SEC football is crazy!!! Everyone was impressed by how nice and polite the Bama fans were--but I knew that anyway, since half of my friends Roll with the Tide.
Kudos to Alabama...I suppose.

Junior League and The Women

In an attempt to spread my wings out further in Gainesville--well, actually, to get completely out of my comfort zone, I have joined the Junior League in town. For those of you who do not know what Junior League is (or if you have preconceived notions)--let me tell you a little about it. It is a service organization for women, which requires a 7 year commitment (yes, 7 years, folks!). Each year, each member must volunteer in a charitable organization for a minumum of 40 hours. The first year (my provisional year)--we are not placed, but learn all about "The League" as some people call it in several different meetings. I am really excited about it, and I have met a lot of new women in the community. Our provisional class has about 36 women in it, and I am feeling a little bit like I am back in the pledging world--but a little more grown up. I always thought Junior League was made up of people that could be kind of snotty--but that before I had ever met anyone in it:)! So far, there is not a snob in the bunch! Thanks to Carol Ann for opening my eyes!

Back in the summer, I recommended the "Twilight" series of books--and many people have now gotten addicted to them. I apologize to your husbands and children if you were one of my victims--but they are just that good. Now, I am going to recommend a movie. Last night, I went with a bunch of girls to see "The Women" starring, well, basically half the famous women in Hollywood: Meg Ryan, Annette Benning, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing, etc. You have to get a group of girls together to go see it--it is a total chick flick--and there is not ONE man in the entire movie, I guess that is why it is called "The Women". We all really enjoyed it! Well, I'm off to eat supper, then watch UGA take on Arizona State--GO DAWGS!! You've gotta love college football season!

Still No News

Sandra had her MRI yesterday afternoon--but her follow up doctor's appointment is not until the end of October! Yeah, that is ridiculous! We had another family friend who had the same MRI done, and found out the results by the end of the week, so we're not sure if the doctor's office will call with the results, or just try to move her appointment up (both options would be good!). Thanks for all the emails and prayers--keep going with those. I'll keep you updated!

Not much of an update

Well, I guess no news is good news so far. Sandra went to the neurologist on Friday, and he said that her MRI looked better than his personal MRI:). She is scheduled for a more in-depth MRI on September 15th. She continues to be episode free, so that is great news, but we are still anxious for the doctors to figure out exactly what is the cause of all this stuff. Your prayers are much appreciated!

On a humorous note, I had to take Callie to the vet on Tuesday because her ear was swollen to about 3 times it's normal size. The diagnosis? BUG BITE!!! I'm not even kidding! The treatment was either a cortisone shot, or Benadryl at home...I chose the Benadryl route. Andy says that she is having sympathy bug bite swelling because of my fire ant episode. Like mother, like doggie-daughter!

I know many of you prayed for my friend, Katie, when she was going through her sickness at the end of last year--and that you continue to pray for her family. A fund has been started in Katie's memory. I have been meaning to post the website so here it is! It's main purpose is to spread the gospel! Please take some time to check it out:
http://khwfund.org/

Love to all!

A New Family Tradition

It seems that the Nix family has come up with a new tradition for Thursday nights, visits to the emergency room! I don't recommend trying this tradition for your family, since it can be quite tiring and costly, but you do get to see a much different group of people than you ever have before! Two Thursdays ago, I was leaving a dinner at someone's house, when my toe began to burn. I realized that I had been bitten by something, but did not think much about it, until I got home and was itching from head to toe! Everywhere I scratched, hives started to break out, until I was covered in them, and my entire body was beginning to swell! I quickly downed a Benadryl, and picked up the phone to call Andy, who was walking in the door (fortunately). To put it mildly, I was freaking my freak, and looking more and more like Will Smith in 'Hitch' by the minute. I downed another Benadryl and headed for the ER. Apparently, Acute Anaphylactic Shock is not a good enough excuse to be seen in the ER before a 2 hour wait. The nurse told me that if I began to be unable to breathe, to let her know, and they would take me back. Well, I could breathe, but the wait in the ER made me wish just a teensy bit that I couldn't. There were people coming through high and drunk off their rear ends, people with 2 year olds that were not sick, and then there was me, the swollen-blimp-head, who waited patiently. When we were finally taken to the back, I was looking much better thanks to the overdose of Benadryl, but the doctor was shocked and upset that I had to wait--I hope someone got their booty chewed out for that one! So, one EpiPen and IV drug later, I was headed home with a prescription for steroids and an EpiPen. I now have to carry an EpiPen at all times, just in case another ravenous fire ant bites my toe. You read it right, folks, FIRE ANT! Andy wants me to pretend that it was some killer African wasp that got me, he thinks that sounds cooler, but "cooler" is not the story of my life! I have never even been stung by a bee, wasp, yellow jacket, etc., but a fire ant is now my undoing!

Now on to the next Thursday night, and this visit was much more serious: All of Andy's brothers and wives were hanging out watching the opening college football game of the season, when we received a phone call from Chris, Andy's dad. My mother-in-law, Sandra was having a conversation with my father-in-law at home, when she started to have trouble talking and began choking. Chris called an ambulance, and they transported her to the ER, where we all met them. Her vital signs were good, and by the time she got to the hospital, she was able to communicate and breathe with no problems. When Andy and his brothers were in the back talking with her, she had another episode of being unable to communicate. The ER did a CT scan which came back negative (no tumors, bleeding, etc.) so the doctors put her on a blood thinner to keep her from having any more of what they were calling “mini-strokes” and admitted her to the hospital. On Friday morning, she had another episode right before she had an MRI done. The MRI came back clear, the only thing on there was a small bit of calcification and plaque on some random blood vessel. The doctors did not appear concerned with this, and still do not know the cause of her episodes. She was dismissed from the hospital on Saturday morning, and will see a neurologist this Friday to see if they can figure out what is causing all of this. To add to everything, Andy's dad had sinus surgery a few weeks ago, and towards the end of last week and while Sandra was in the hospital, his nose would start to bleed and he couldn't get it to stop. He had to go to the ER Saturday morning, and my dad took him to the doctor on Saturday afternoon to have it cauterized (sp?). My parents and Eli came down this weekend, and Eli went to the UGA game with all of us and my parents stayed with Chris and Sandra to watch the game on TV. We wanted to stay with them, but Chris and Sandra wanted us to all go to the game and get away for a little while. As of this post, things are still going well, we're just up in the air about what is the cause of Sandra's episodes, so we would appreciate your prayers!

I'm going to try to post some promised pictures if Blogger will let me! Have a great week!

Here is my best picture of all The Ones from our weekend in Chattanooga

We had to wait in the boiling heat for everyone to return to the car, I made everyone look ill so that I could take a funny picture!

Annie, Shane, Keyla, and me!

Annie, Maggie, and Merriwether at the shower

The hostesses and Annie (Jesse, Whitney, Annie, me)

Keyla and her baby boy, Cal

Maggie & Merriwether "Cheese!"

Annie and I at the reunion

Andy, me, and Eli at the UGA game

Me and Eli!

Me, Alesha, and Sherry

At the game, the newest UGA mascot, UGA VII, was introduced to much hoopla...here's a close-up

Here is where he stays during the games, in his air-conditioned, iced-down dog house--Jillina, please show Mark these pictures!

Here was our view of the 'dog'-arazzi taking pictures of UGA VII--we were really far away!

The End of Summer...

Of course, the end of my summer is marked by the beginning of school. We are beginning the third full week of school, so you can say that I am back in the swing of things. Since my last post, I have had many out-of-town experiences. I headed to Chattanooga at the end of July to hang with The Ones, Lauren, Laura, Carrie, Andrea, and Brooke. We had the greatest weekend hanging out around town and bonding with lots and lots of girl time! We even had a little surprise shower for Laura and her soon-to-come bundle of joy, Ella Tate! When I returned home on Sunday, Andy asked me where I wanted to go the following week (my last week of freedom before school was out) because he had taken the week off of work...SURPRISE!!! I was so excited, I couldn't stand myself:)! I decided that I wanted to stay close to home, so we had a "Staycation" at home and in Atlanta. We spent the week alternating between the pool (my fave) and the golf course (his fave), then we went to Atlanta for a long weekend. We stayed at a nice hotel, ate unbelievable food, and did all the touristy stuff we never do (Hard Rock Cafe, High Museum of Art, Atlantic Station). We had a blast, and were only an hour from home. I didn't take any pictures of our staycation, but maybe I can find some on the internet from the places we went. Moving on...last weekend, Andy, Callie and I headed to Dalton for my 10-year high school reunion, and a shower for Annie. My high school reunion was a lot of fun--it was so great to see so many people I hadn't seen in ages! I was so glad all of our girlfriends could get together for the shower for Annie and Katie Charlotte, the newest addition to her family who will be here in a couple of weeks. Blogger is not letting me download pictures--but I hope to have some soon!

Nashville, Florida, The Shack, & Twilight...

The title of this blog is a summary of what I have been up to over the past week. The weekend of the 12th, Andy and I headed to Nashville for golf (him) and picnics (me) with friends. When I returned from Nashville, after a retreat with school, I headed to the beach with my mom, Eli, and my little cousin, Parker. We hung out on the beach for a few days, before visiting my cousin, Heath, his wife, Kate, and their son, Carter, in Jacksonville. We had a blast! While I was gone, I discovered (through the help of Eli and friends) some great new books: The Shack (Christian) and Twilight (young adult Harry Potteresque, except with vampires). Eli let me borrow The Shack and he was also the third person to say something about Twilight, so I had to read it. Both books are a must-read--and Twilight is a series, and I have just finished the second book, New Moon. You have to get them! Two very different genres, but both very good! You can probably tell that I am not much for details in this blog, I just wanted to post some pictures so you can see what has been going on! Enjoy the rest of your summer--mine is ending all too soon!

Our lovely hosts in Nashville: The Sciortinos! Thanks for letting us shack up once again! And right below, Andy and Andrew

Here is Campbell singing "Seek Ye First"--do you think he is listening in church? I think so!

My cousins: Kate, Carter, and Heath Perkins--we had a great time in Jacksonville!

A beautiful sunset

Parker!

Eli and Parker with some short fisherman outside Down The Hatch

Everyone but me (someone has to take the pictures!)

I made Eli pose for this picture--I think it needs to be his new Facebook profile shot. I told him that I put the book in it so everyone can see that he is academic-minded:)!

Summer Fun!

To borrow a term from Lauren, I have been a total "blog-stalker" and not an actual blogger this summer. I feel as though I don't have as much to contribute to the blogging world (I have no skunk stories or babies stories to tell you about). I'll do my best, though! My summer has been filled with, well, nothing until last week. Callie and I have been lounging at the pool the entire summer, but last week, I headed off to Camp Wetoga, the Bible camp that I grew up going to. I was one of the counselor's of the "G-3" cabin--I was partially in charge of 12-14 year olds, and before I went I was a little nervous. There is a reason that I am a counselor in an elementary school, I don't feel confident enough to deal with middle school girl drama--but ready or not--it was there! I had no expectations of the week, but even if I had had some, they would have been blown out of the water! I was blessed by each and every one of the 21 (yes, count them) girls who were in my cabin. I was even more blessed by the Bible teacher and counselor I was with, Susan Davis and Ashley Perry--we had a blast, even when we had to tell the girls 17 times a day, "You need to go change", "Please don't wear that", "I know it is a song, but you cannot wear the shirt here", and my favorite: "Get your head out of his lap, hand-holding only, please". We were blessed to have 4 girls in our cabin dedicate their lives to Christ--what an amazing week! I could go on forever, but I'll just post some of the pictures from camp and ask you not to judge any of us by how we look--it's church camp!!!!!

This picture is for Whitney, Heather, and Brooke--it's Cornerstone, baby!!!! I tried not to scream like a teenage girl when they performed:)!

Our cabin picture for the week!

Ashley, Susan, and me on Thursday night, I miss you girls already!!

Dress & Speak Like Pirates!

Yes, this is a flashback to Spring 1999: Singarama, baby! Tonight was the first night of VBS for our church and it is pirate-themed! Of course, I get the shakes when I see someone in pirate costume come near me, I feel as though I should say to them, "Arghh, my name is Bethany, and I am a proud pledge of Pi Delta!", but alas, I hold my tongue and pull myself out of it. Fortunately, I am a storyteller, so I get to dress like a Bible-times person, but Andy has to dress like a pirate, and this is seriously the first time that I have ever seen him dress in costume EVER--pictures will come later, I have to work on his costume so he looks more put together. He told me he doesn't want to be a dirty pirate--I guess I have to figure out how to make him a preppy pirate, that would fit him the best.
On the work front, I have no work! I am enjoying my first full week off from school. I have filled my week with going to the pool and going shopping--my two favorite things! The last two summers were filled with graduate school, so I actually get to have a summer with no commitments to anything else--it is glorious I tell you!
Last Friday, Andy, Andy's brothers, their wives, and me did the county-wide Relay For Life. It was the first time I have done something like that, and I enjoyed it so much. It was so wonderful, and also bittersweet, to see the men and women in their purple shirts that signified that they were survivors of cancer. I was so thankful for their families that they were alive and healthy enough to be there, but I also thought about Katie and how I wished she was there in a purple shirt. I lit a luminary for her and it was very cool to see all the luminaries that represented the people who were victims and survivors of this disease that I wish would just go away. Don't forget to spend time with your loved ones! I hope everyone's summer is going well--look for pictures soon!

Mothers & Cavities

Odd choice of title, right? Well, the past few weeks for me have been filled with celebrating mothers and having a mouth full of cavities--so what better title than that? First the cavities...a few weeks ago I ventured to the dentist for the first time since Andy and I have been married. I know, I know, it has been too long, and I don't want to hear it from any of you religious dentist visitors, because I used to be one of you. Somewhere along the line, though, I fell off the dental bandwagon. After my visit, and the future follow up to fill my cavities (I'm not telling you how many!) I am back on the bandwagon, and let's just say that I am not planning on falling off any time soon, because I am strapping myself in with yards and yards of floss.
Now, on to mothers...last weekend I went home to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom. Now, for any of you who have met my mom know that she is the best mom in the world. She has had the patience to teach kindergarteners for 20 years now and raise two absolutely fantastic kids:). Well, three if you count my dad (right Dad?:)). Love you, Mom, you really are the best!!! We had a fantastic time hanging out around the house and just chilling. I think I have been a little homesick lately, I was so excited to be at home with Mom, Dad, and Eli--I left Andy and Callie in Gainesville, so it was like I was back in high school or college again, just coming home for the weekend! As an added bonus, I got to eat lunch with Andrea on Saturday--it was so good to see her!
Today, we celebrated my mother-in-law's 55th birthday with a surprise party. We hung out around the pool, but didn't get in because the water was frigid, and the wind was blowing very hard! Chris Anne and I always talk about how blessed we are to have great mother-in-laws, and it is definitely true! Sandra is an amazing woman, and I'm proud to be her daughter-in-law.
I forgot to mention another inductee into the knocked up club, Mandi Hall, who is due in August with Weston Clark Hall--her and Clancy's first boy! Clancy now has a "teammate"! I hope you all have a happy rest of May, this is my last week of school with students, then I'm headed to the pool for the rest of the summer. It won't let me post pictures right now, sorry!

New Inductees Into The KUC

I must begin my blog by congratulating the newest inductees into The now infamous "Knocked Up Club". Thanks to these fine ladies, I continue to be off-the-hook in the baby department. The unfortunate thing is that none of you live within 4 hours of me so that I can squeeze cheeks (both butt & face). Cristie and Laura K. are due soon with Lola & Colton. Annie is due in September with Katie Charlotte. Laura A., Jillina, & Lori are due in September, October, and November with currently sex-unknown babies. I lovingly will call these tikes (until the gender is released) Fetuses (or Feti?) Alsup, Cabaniss, and Mycoskie. Congrats girls!

Things have been a little interesting in my life lately due to the inappropriate things that children do at school. This week, I have had to speak to 2 kindergarteners about inappropriate comments. One (who has both his ears pierced with one-carat CZ's) told his friend that he was going to pee on him while showing him his private body part (i.e. "penis"), and the other one told a friend that he wanted to kiss his girlfriend on her buttcrack. No lie. Now, please don't move your children to a remote island where they will never step foot in public schools--these kids are not roaming the hallways all the time looking for their next victim, most of the time they don't know what in the world they are saying. I also recently found out that 2 first grade girls at my school have their tongues pierced. I promise my school is actually a really nice one--I almost fell out of my desk chair when I saw the tongue piercings. I couldn't believe it, and I didn't think that much shocked me. But I must say that my day is never dull, and I enjoy almost every bit of it.

One last story before I head off to bed: Last night Andy told me that he needed me to drive his little brother's truck to work the next day. No problem, I thought, until I remembered seeing the truck when I went outside--it was full of mulch!!! Not a small bed full--a heaping mound of tree mulch that flies every where as you are driving down the road. I told him "No way, that is soooo embarassing". Now I realize that I sounded like a 7th grade girl talking to her father who just showed up at school and yelled, "Is that the boy you've been telling me about?!?"--but I don't care, that was embarassing! Long story short, Andy won, and I drove the truck to school, mulch and all. Needless to say, I parked in the back parking lot, and wore a disguise until I was at a safe distance from the mulch-toting truck. I was going to take pictures of me in the vehicle to post, but Andy unloaded it before I got the chance. Maybe next time. Happy Friday!

Spring Breakin'!

It is the end of my Spring Break, and as Andy watches The Masters, I get a chance to reminiscence over my paid week-long vacation from school! Anyone jealous? I spent the beginning of the week doing absolutely, positively nothing. But you know when you are at home, you always feel like you need to be cleaning or doing something productive? I did that for about one day, and then decided that I needed to get over the guilt and enjoy the days. I read a few books, and chilled out with Callie, then on Thursday evening, Andy and I headed to Nashvegas. We had a great time staying with Chris Anne, David, Campbell, and Andrew--those are some cutie-pie kiddos! There is certainly never a dull moment in that household, Campbell keeps you entertained with his matter-of-fact statements and obsessions with his person of the moment. When Andy is around, Campbell loooooooooooves to always know what Andy is doing and if Andy will play with him. Too cute. Eli came over Saturday night for dinner, and Campbell asked him every 3 minutes or so if he was done with his dinner. I think he kept checking because he was the first one done, and wanted someone else to finish so he could play with them. Baby Andrew chills like no other baby before him. It melts your heart when he smiles at you with his gigantic cheeks, and toothless grin! I also got a chance to hang out with Carrie at Bread & Co right after the typhoon hit Franklin. We sat in the restaurant for a couple of hours talking about everything we could think of--it was glorious! I then migrated to Starbucks in Brentwood to meet Lauren and chit-chat until dinnertime. Rebecca, Abigail, and Ansley met us for dinner, and the girls and Campbell kept us entertained in McAllister's Deli until it was time to leave. Saturday, Lindsay and Rebecca met Chris and I at Puffy Muffin (surprise, surprise!) for brunch. I had a food and friend-filled weekend, and it was so wonderful to meet up with everyone--thanks for taking time out to hang with me! I forgot my camera, so I have no pictures, I'll steal some from Chris Anne when she updates her blog! Happy Spring--isn't it wonderful?

The Flu...Boo.

It's official...for the first time in my life, I have the flu. It has been a very quick journey. Earlier in the week, I had a scratchy throat and a stuffy nose, but there is nothing new with that, it is Spring, and allergies are acting up (is what I thought). After school on Thursday, I began to get achy & weak. By the time I woke up on Friday, I felt like I had been hit by a transfer truck. I called in sick to work (for only the second time in 2 years, I might add) and headed to my doctor's office. She managed to work me in. But I don't know if you call an over 3-hour doctor's visit as working me in. They swabbed my nose (yuck!) and it was official...FLU! I have been laid out since then, with Callie as my nurse. If I am sleeping in the bed, she is right next to me, otherwise she is right nearby, it is too bad that she cannot go get my medicine for me. Andy has been missing in action, I think he is afraid he is going to catch it. It is no fun. Next year, I am definitely getting the flu shot--no doubt! I'm am definitely sick and tired of laying around and watching E! Entertainment Television--but if you need any celebrity updates, give me a call, I know what is going on with everyone: Brittany, Lindsay, Paris, everyone! I hope everyone else is healthy and well!

Happy Belated Birthday and Much More

Everyone knows that I am a blog slacker, so it should come as no surprise that I am wishing my husband a birthday one week late. Andy turned 29 years old on St. Patrick's Day--and I am so glad that he was born all those years ago:)! I find it hard to believe how blessed I am to be married to him, he has the patience of Job to put up with me. Many thanks to my parents for praying him into my life--God is soooo good! Happy Birthday to my fabulous husband! He might kill me for posting this picture of him from Christmas! I forced him to pose with one of his presents (if you're wondering, it is Monkey Bread--he loves the stuff:)!) I hope you all had a Happy Easter! Love you, Andy!

Friends & Facebook

Since I have been MIA for quite sometime, I have alot to catch up on. The last month and a half has been filled with getting back into the swing of school, and hanging out with lots of friends! Back in January, Andy and I went to a Dustin Overbeek "in the round" concert at the Ragamuffin Cafe in Roswell. We went to supper with Dustin & Lauren before the show, and it was awesome! He shared the stage with 3 other artists, and it was a great array of music (minus one performer, who was a little over the top, but made me laugh, so it was okay...). Andy and I are now the newest fan of Dustin's CD, and we have been listening to it nonstop since we got it. You should check out his website at www.dustinoverbeek.com!

The next weekend we ventured to Nashville to lay eyes on Andrew Sciortino and Ella Grace Fua. I got to see lots of friends, and hang out while holding their sweetie-pie babies. We also got to see Eli's new house from the outside only, he has now officially moved to "Bonerwood" Drive--and no, I am not kidding about the name--he thinks it is hilarious! Let's be honest, I think it is hilarious also:)!

February was filled with my birthday celebration (I'm 28--yikes), Valentine's Day, and then the last weekend in February, Andrea, Carrie, Laura, and Lauren came down for a weekend of talking non-stop and shopping! We had a blast, and we kicked Andy out of the house, while we took over, and stayed up until 1am. All we needed was Brooke and some pizza and we would have been back in the second floor back hallway of Elam! Oh, and we went to Lenox Mall in Buckhead, and saw Chilli from TLC there--we were so pumped, but Brooke was disappointed that we did not get her picture and sing "Waterfalls" to her--maybe next time!

I have no pictures from all of these outings downloaded onto my computer because I don't have the software from my new digital camera on my computer yet. I would promise you all that I will post them soon, but you know how that goes:)! I am a member of the Facebook community now, and I do have pictures posted there from some past events--that is mainly why I have been a blog slacker, because I have been making some new friends on Facebook. You should join me! Well, happy March to all!

Snow Day!

Downtown Gainesville at the beginning of the snowfall!

I just want you all to know that it is currently 6:10 am in the morning, and I am off of work today! All of metro Atlanta received beautiful snow late yesterday afternoon into the night. Everyone was nutty at school yesterday because we were all excited to possibly have a day off today. We were stalking the Doppler radar like meteorologists, and I was doing my best snow dance throughout the day, and it worked! When I got home from a meeting, we ate dinner, and I put on my ski gear, and headed outside! It was glorious! I wanted to sled, but Andy said there was not enough snow--I guess it was just wishful thinking. Callie thought it was the greatest thing, because she just ran around like a crazy person the whole time. I was so excited about maybe missing school, that I did not sleep very well, I promise, I am like a kid. I needed a kid last night to play with, but since I don't have one, I just looked like a silly Abominable Snowwoman playing in the snow by herself. I am stealing a picture from a local news station of downtown Gainesville, before the snow started sticking to the ground, more pictures may be to come! Oh, by the way, has anyone read Hollee (Huston) Ford's blog lately? Her and Sam are expecting triplets!!!!! Holy Multiple Children, Batman! We definitely need to pray for a long and healthy pregnancy for Hollee. Check out her blog: http://holleeford.blogspot.com/ There is also a teacher at my school who needs prayers for her unborn baby, Addison Leigh. I won't give you all the details, just her blog address so you can keep up--your prayers would be much appreciated for both these families. The Chastain family: http://babyaddisonholdsourhearts.blogspot.com/

Happy Thursday to all!

To New Beginnings...

Andrew Sciortino
Ella Grace Fua
Happy New Year everyone! I would go back and tell you all about my Christmas holidays, but it is too much to type about, so I'm starting fresh for 2008! First of all, I must say that being in the school system is a glorious thing, especially when you get 2 weeks off to sleep in and lay around in your pj's all day. Andy got alot of time off too, so we got lots of quality time together, it was so nice:)! At the very end of the holidays, Chris Anne and Rebecca did the thing that gives me nightmares to even think about--they went through labor, and had babies! Andrew was born on January 3rd, and Ella Grace was born on January 5th--maybe we should go ahead and arrange a marriage for these two, because they are two gorgeous kiddos!

As I type, Angie is in the hospital having Emily. She was supposed to be induced this morning, so I hope she is done by now, if not--GET THAT GIRL AN EPIDURAL!!

Speaking of babies, I am going to leave you with a funny story from the world of school counseling. No names will be used to protect the innocent. Two fourth grade girls came to me on Friday afternoon to let me know that a little boy had been saying inappropriate things to them that was giving them a funny feeling in their stomach. The kids at my school know this feeling is called the "uh-oh" feeling, and when you get it, go immediately to an adult you trust to talk to them about whatever is going on. Anyway, they told me that a little boy in their class asked them if they knew how babies were made, and then somewhere else in the conversation, he told them (please sit down for this if you are a parent...) that "white stuff comes out of a boy's...". I leave the last part blank because they could not even tell me the phrase, they had to write it down, and then they didn't know how to spell the last word, so I had to repeat the phrase back to them with the "private body part" word filling in the blank. Needless to say, I had to go get the little boy out of class and figure out how he knew this. It turns out that an older brother had blessed him with this knowledge. How lovely. There is nothing like ending your day at school, calling little girls parents to tell them that a classmate had informed their daughter that "white stuff comes out of a boy's penis". I hope you all had a funny ending to your week!

Katie

I have been writing this blog in my head for over a week, and now that I am sitting down at my computer to write it, I feel completely speechless. One week ago today, mine and Whitney's dear friend from home, Katie Whitlow, passed away. Her unborn son, Bascom, went with her as well. I appreciate so much the thoughts, emails, and prayers that have been sent to me from so many of you. Katie was truly someone who was set apart from the rest. I want to tell you about so much: my memories of her, other stories I heard over the past weekend, how people had to stand in line for over an hour at the funeral home to speak with her family, how our friend, Rusty, spoke the most perfect message at her funeral, how she prayed for each and every one of you, even if she did not know you. I want to tell you about her sweet daughter, Merriweather, and how she is still laughing and smiling, about her husband, Jacob, who is so strong in the face of so much heartache, about how Katie touched the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people, both before, during, and after her illness took her life. I want to tell you about her family, especially her immediate family: Curt, Melody, Curt Jr., Annie, Caleb, & Brock, and how wonderful they are. Please put Katie's entire family in your prayers. I could go on and on forever, but I am going to leave you with the email from Jacob when he let everyone know that Katie & Bascom had passed away. I am going to end with an email from Katie wrote last year to somene who is desperately seeking the Truth. May God bless you through these words the way Katie blessed everyone around her.

"I am sitting in Merriwether's room, watching her eat apples and pineapples, trying to explain to her the difference between the two, but all she can say is 'apple appie apple appie apple.' And she's telling me this story about this crazy cat she saw the other day at her memaw's house, except it wasn't a squirrel, it was a cat, and we don't think it was crazy. Katie was at the hospital on Friday getting blood and platelets. It took a long time and she just about had a nervous breakdown waiting for them to finish giving her the last bag of blood. I took her home and from that point her condition deteriorated quickly. She lost a lot of blood over the weekend and on Monday. Her mouth was filled with sores and her skin had little red bumps on it. She was in some pain, but she continued to believe that God could heal her. You are receiving this e-mail because you know my wife and you know that she lived her life with God and for God. Last night, around 3:30 AM, her mother Melody and I watched as Jesus took Katie to Heaven. He took our little unborn son, Bascom (after Katie's maternal great-great-grandfather) Ancil (my paternal grandfather) Whitlow. I do not know why this happened, why Katie died at the age of 26, why we had just two years and three months together as a married couple, why she died one year, to the date, of her being diagnosed with Adult Myeloid Leukemia. I don't know why she won't be there to make my daughters' wedding gowns or sing their grandchildren to sleep. I do know this though, and I know that Katie knew this until she breathed for the last time, because she was, in the midst of horrible pain whispering it, 'God loves me.' And she loved you too, even if she never met you, because Katie loved people. And God commands us to love him and love each other and Katie did those two things like no one else I have ever met. Merriwether is sitting in my lap now, wanting to go play, and she has no idea what is happening. Please pray for her, for my family, for Katie's family. The funeral will be on Saturday, I believe at Grove Level Baptist Church. The visitation will be Friday at some time at Julian Peebles Funeral Home in Dalton. I am an English major, so pardon any bits of the melodramatic in this e-mail and I am sorry if this news seems impersonal in this most impersonal of communication forms, but I hope you know it is written with sincerity and sorrow, but joy too, because Katie and my son are with Jesus. In her first e-mail to me, Katie closed it by saying 'My cup runneth over' and I remember thinking 'Who uses that expression?' and now I know what she meant. And when she wrote her last e-mail a week ago telling everyone the news we were having a boy, she finished that one with the same words, 'My cup runneth over.'" Jacob (written on 12/20/07)

Written by Katie last year:
" I am a Christian. Not because my grandfather is, not because his grandfather was...not because Grove Level planned the best activities when I was in middle school. I am a Christian because I have studied the life of Christ and it is good and it is love...and it is triumphant. I have never thrown my arms up in excitement or run around the sanctuary or shouted out to God during a sermon or fainted or swayed or been “slain in the Spirit” or spoken in tongues…or handled snakes(smile), It’s all I can do to clap in time to praise music…but I can hear Him whisper and I have felt Him only inches away if any at all and He has touched me and my insides stand in attention and my heart is red and it beats hard and fast and if you turn me inside out like an orange there would be some fantastic celebration with parades and ferris wheels and fireworks and marching bands and jelly beans and pinwheels and fire eaters and hula hoops and…..fat ladies in polka dots and lions and popcorn and acrobats. I pray that you might know my insides and realize that although I don't believe as you do...I believe with passion and with love and with direction of thought and purpose...not with a simple, gross obedience to a church or a pastor or a cause....All I know is that in the end it will be as God has planned and man can not interfere. And God is love. Love is everything. - Katie Hammontree [Whitlow]
Amen (smile)"

Have You Ever Prayed For A Miracle?

Many of you received an email from either Whitney or I about a month ago regarding our dear friend from Dalton, Katie Whitlow. I am just now having the time to post the information onto my blog so that more and more people can see what is going on. If you go back in my blog "archives" to the end of 2006, you will see that Katie was diagnosed with leukemia, and immediately began treatment for it during the holidays. The treatments were successful, and Katie has been being monitored ever since. The doctors told Katie that her treatments would make her infertile, but in the fall, Katie, Jacob, and Merriweather found out that they were going to have a new addition to their family, Katie was pregnant! Please understand that the pregnancy in itself is a miracle from God, the doctors told Katie she would not be able to have children. Unfortunately, about 3 months later, they found out that Katie's leukemia had returned, and have had to make what could possibly be one of the hardest decisions ever: do they treat the leukemia, and harm the baby, or leave the leukemia alone, saving the baby, but leaving Katie sick? They have prayed and prayed about their decision, and have decided that Katie will not treat the leukemia. I wish you all could have the chance to meet Katie and understand what an unbelievable example she is to everyone around her. She is patient, kind, and loves everyone around her. She has a way about her that makes you feel at peace even when there is turmoil all around. In the past, I have asked for prayer requests for this or that, but in this specific instance, I ask that you specifically pray for a miracle for Katie and her family. Thank you to those of you who have already prayed about this and written to me, I know Katie's family appreciates it as well. I'm posting a picture that I swiped from Whitney's blog of Katie, Jacob, and Merriweather. Please tell others about this, and thank you for praying for a miracle for Katie.

Tagged!

I've been tagged by Whitney to talk about "My Man"--so here goes!

1.Who is your man? Andy
2. How long have you been married? 2 years 2 months
3. How long did you date? We dated for almost 5 years before we got engaged--then we were married 8 months later.
4. How old is your man? 28
5. Who eats more? It must be me because Andy has lost weight since we got married, and I have gained it--I don't understand!!!!
6. Who said "I love you" first? Moi.
7. Who is taller? Andy
8. Who sings better? Andy, without a doubt. I feel sorry for anyone within listening distance when I am singing, I can't carry a tune in a gigantic bucket!
9. Who is smarter? When it comes to common sense, finances, and anything having to do with business, that would be Andy. If you are talking about actual grades in school, that would me--and he would agree, so I'm not insulting!
10. Whose temper is worse? Bless poor Andy, that would be me! I have to agree with Whitney's answer about her husband, Andy is very mild-mannered, and thinks before he speaks, so when he opens his mouth, it is meaningful, and you listen.
11. Who does the laundry? Me
12. Who takes out the trash? Andy
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you are looking at the bed, Andy does. But when we travel, he always sleeps on the side of the bed closest to the bedside table--how funny!
14. Who handles the bills? Andy, or we would be bankrupt.
15. Who is better on the computer? I think we are about the same.
16. Who mows the lawn? Andy, I would be afraid to mess something up, he has this whole pattern" thing he does--it has to be a guy thing.
17. Who cooks dinner? I do, but Andy can cook wonderfully as well.
18. Who drives when you are together? Andy
19. Who pays when you go out? We have one bank account, so it is our money--but we have our Dave Ramsey envelopes, gotta love them!
20. Who is more stubborn? Me, me, me.
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Andy, remember the stubborn question from above?
22. Whose families do you see most? That would be Andy's because we live in the same town:)
23. Who kissed who first? Me: Gatlinburg, Pi Delta formal weekend-how embarassing!
24. Who asked who out first? I honestly cannot remember, but if we're going along with the pattern, it was probably me. Wait, no, it was Andy! Hallelujah! It did take him a little while though.
25. Who proposed? Andy, and it was movie perfect!
26. Who is more sensitive? Andy is sensitive, but I am most definitely more sensitive in comparison.
27. Who has more friends? Probably about the same.
28. Who has more siblings? Andy: 2 brothers
29. Who wears the pants in the family? Andy does, and he should! Sometimes I try to steal that role, but it doesn't work when I do that!
30. Who is the biggest pushover with the kids? I think it will be Andy--but I'll let you know in 10 or so years!
I tag Chris Anne, Jillina, Lauren, & Lindsay...Go Girls!