I LOVE NORMAL

After a rather hectic and scary week, life at our house is getting back to normal. I NEVER WANT TO TAKE NORMAL DAYS for GRANTED. Jack is feeling good. No sick kids that I know about. Tonight we had a wonderful dinner that Micah and Amanda cooked and a fun game of cards. I had a chance to love on my little man Jack...and tomorrow will post some cute pictures...He just makes me SMILE and how he loves his POP.
Jack and I are leaving tomorrow on a trip to Canton and then on to Dallas for a few days of R & R and a stop at market. I EVEN got a 5 star hotel on PRICELINE for $50 a night....and its a hotel we love.
So tonight I am VERY thankful for a very normal day. THE WINNER for the final giveaway celebrating my
1 year blog anniversary is
Carrie/AKA Mama Bear at 4 THE LOVE OF FAMILY

and you know one is never enough for me...so a runner-up prize for the second name drawn will go to

Journey at Is it about the Journey...or the Destination? Email me your name and address and I will get your prize shipped next week.

Have a wonderful weekend. I am hoping to have some time to visit my favorite blogs while at the hotel.

Next week I am going to post pictures of my home makeover that Terri did while we were in Vail. Hope you will visit her BLOG....I want her to love blogging and make lots of new friends. My new design is in the works. I hope to have it up in the next week. I love a NEW LOOK!

A POST THAT I AM DETERMINED TO POST BUT ITS A MOUSE THING

It's 2 AM and I have been trying to post for several hours....as a matter of fact I am determined to POST. I am embarrassed to say this, as I have a feeling most of you do NOT have to HAVE a mouse..But no matter how many laptops I have, I HAVE TO HAVE A MOUSE. And the lack of mouses at our house is not a problem. I buy them for the color, I buy them for "cuteness"! I buy mouses which may should be mice, like some people buy shoes. BUT FOR SOME STRANGE REASON, not one mouse I own is working tonight. I am sure I will figure it out tomorrow, but tonight I feel like I have few brain cells and none of my computer friends are up at this hour. BUT I AM DETERMINED TO POST.

All is calm here. Jack is home. Medications seem to be regulated. (Thank you Micah for giving him a ride from the hospital after you had been up all night with little Jack with the STOMACH BUG) You have no idea how many POINTS you got for that service.
I love you..There was a day I would never have imagined I would have said that) but those days are long gone. I adore you. That hug I got from you yesterday sealed the deal. My GIRL made a GREAT CHOICE. AND yes I did say the stomach bug has come for another visit.. Did he have no idea that we had all had a SUPER STRESSED DAY yesterday. I am so praying that it will stop with baby Jack. But according to his
Mom, he threw up on anything that could have been thrown up on during the middle of last night. That would have been on the night of the day that we had gone on adrenaline all afternoon and evening, so I am pretty sure she was totally wiped out last night.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS! And it poured here almost all day yesterday.
Back to today....Jack was released around noon. For the most part of the day we have just been exhausted. Greg's rare FB post summed up all our feelings.

Greg Powell..... what a day yesterday was.....but the main things are that Dad is home and Grayson's test for cystic fibrosis came back negative....thanks God!!!! Thanks to everyone for their prayers. It is always a blessing to see the results of great Prayer....God is good!!!!

It appears that the bump in the road yesterday was just a drug interaction that just happened to adversely affect Jack....the nurses and the doctor were outstanding and we got the very BEST of care and that makes hospital experiences so much better.
We also got great news that Grayson does not have cystic fibrosis. They said they were doing the test to rule it out, but in the back of your mind, there is always that question. We are so thankful for the results.

So best case scenario for Jack's bypasses was the report we got. And we feel so thankful for your concern and prayers.

I am ready to get away for a few days (even if
I do have to spend a day at market) but if all goes well, I will get to spend Sat and/or Sun at Canton....That's relaxation to me. All the prizes from earlier this week are being shipped tomorrow...THEY ARE READY...

BUT I WANT TO GIVE ONE MORE BLOG ANNIVERSARY PRIZE, as in a GRAND PRIZE!
I really would love to GIVE everyone of you a prize. But THIS PRIZE, is going to be goody box filled with CARDS, BETH MOORE TAPES, OTHER GREAT CD'S, Books, COFFEES, CUTE NOTE PADS, and a few other fun things.....I want it to be as SPECIAL as you have been to me. It does not matter if you have already won , you can win again and I am going to let Little Jack draw this one. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LEAVE a COMMENT AND TELL ME IN ONE SENTENCE WHY YOU BLOG and then tell me your blog name and your name. I am trying so hard to put names with blogs. It just makes it more personable. If you do not have a blog, just leave me your email and this is OPEN to any of you, whether you are a follower, or a long time reader or IF this is y0ur first time to stop by. We will draw for this winner on FRIDAY NIGHT, so that's 48 hours to leave comments....... COMING SOON, a new BLOG DESIGN.....

UPDATE....BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE PRAYING and WONDERING WHATS GOING ON

Let's see if I can make a coherent sentence. Jack is stable tonight. Blood pressures and vitals are looking much better but we are still not sure what caused the drastic drop, as in 60/40. They immediately gave him fluid, oxygen and I am not even sure what else. I walked back in the cubicle thinking we were about to leave and immediately knew something was wrong. You can read a nurses face and she just said "Dr T is on his way"! And nothing made me happier to hear. Hopefully it was the combination of the meds they used in the cath and then some new meds they started for a different problem...Anyway for a couple of hours we had some scary moments.. The doctor had gone home and and he was back in 10 minutes and did not leave for several hours. So it was
A LONG DAY...and then no bed in the hospital so Jack along with a few other patients are spending the night in the cath lab on stretcher like beds.....not happy campers ...actually NOT HAPPY AT ALL. I hope I will have a better report tomorrow. Its days like these when your adult kids step up to the plate. I cannot remember a day I have been more proud of them. Poor Greg had just gotten to LSU to be with Grayson and had to come right back to us. Amanda had just gotten back to work. Micah was "the best" today, taking care of any and everything I needed.
They do not have a final report on Grayson but it looks like everything is fine with him.
Thanks to all of you that called and texted and prayed. Carlton you made our day and we love you for coming and staying... and Terri, you are not only my number one elf, you are the best hospital company ever. You will never know how much you coming EARLY today and staying meant.....I am too tired to check for typos tonight, but promise a full report tomorrow. There was really no where for us to stay tonight and Micah is going to be back early in the morning and HOPEFULLY drive Jack home...If not, I am not sure what they will do. The nurse told us they have 23 caths scheduled for tomorrow morning and only 14 beds, and five of those are being used tonight, so it sounds like they have a problem.

SPOKE TOO SOON

Still need your prayers.....After starting some new medication, Jack's blood pressure really bottomed out and they had to call the doctor and he immediately came back to the hospital. We had a scary hour or two and after some other meds he seems to be stable now. But we will be staying....and to make matters worse, there are no beds in the hospital, so he will have to stay in the cath lab all night....not a HAPPY CAMPER would put it mildly. So what looked like a day with no problems, things have changed a little....Just wanted to keep you updated....and praying. It is beginning to rain here and they are saying snow.

GOOD NEWS

WE got bumped today, so the 7 AM procedure was more like 11:30, but the doctor just came out and was smiling. NOTHING LIKE A SMILING DOCTOR.
ALL FOUR OLD 18 YEAR OLD BYPASSES are WIDE OPEN.

I think he was even surprised. There are some medication adjustments that will give him a better heart flow and the possibility of a procedure months down the road if the meds don't do it.....BUT for right now, we are feeling very relieved and very thankful. Will post more later....I have very limited internet here. And the great news is we can go home in about four hours. Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement. And a special thanks to angel Terri and Carlton for keeping us company while we waited. Now Greg is off to another hospital to have baby Grayson's tests.

A NIGHT WITH GRAYSON

On a night where sleep will probably not come easily and maybe not at all, as we have to be at the hospital at 7 for the heart cath.....and since I have my days and nights mixed up most of the time, early morning anything does not work good for me. A sincere thanks to each one of you that has sent an encouraging email or comment. I am living on those tonight. When your family has had a heart history, it is a little scarier. I am praying that tomorrow night I can post that there were no blockages or minimal ones that could be easily opened. And you will not waste a prayer on baby Grayson or his Mom and Dad tomorrow either. He has to have some tests in the afternoon at a totally different hospital so it will not be an easy day for any of us. He has had so many upper respiratory infections that there are a few things they need to rule out. But on a HAPPY NOTE, I will share a few pictures I snapped of him last night.
Does that look like a Mom and Dad IN LOVE? A GRAMMY STEALING SOME SUGAR

I WILL BE BACK TOMORROW NIGHT WITH ANOTHER GIVEAWAY. THERE IS ONE MORE WEEK OF MY BLOG ANNIVERSARY!

WINNERS, WINNERS and MORE WINNERS

That took a little time...and it seemed like the LOCK OUT, stole my energy. By the way my son-in-law just offered me $50.00 to recreate the "climb in the window"!
But here goes......The 2 winners of the Card Boxes
(though I may send them in mailers, so I can give you more cards) ARE
Karen at On Having Faith
Lindsey at Louisana LIVIN

The winners of Beth Moore CD'S are
Amanda at Serenity Now
Debbie at Heart Choices
Melinda at Sweet Surrender
Lorena at Rose Chic Friends
The other SURPRISE WINNERS are
Nancy at Nancy's Tidbits
Becky at MORNING MIST and SCATTERED CLOUDS

PATTI this gal needs a BLOG

NEZZY at COWPATTY SURPRISE

I will be back MONDAY with more giveaways and more pictures as I go down memory lane of my first year in BLOGGING. THERE is one more week to CELEBRATE. I am hoping to have a new blog look next week.

If you are a winner,send me your name and address so that I can ship early next week. Have a wonderful Sunday. My plans are to get some GRANDSON HUGS! Thank you for the encouraging comments and all the prayers.