Resting At Last

Well, sort of....at least resting every night in our own bed and that is HUGE! We are finally home and have been for about a week. I keep meaning to update the blog, but have felt too exhausted to do so. I think we are finally caught up on laundry, the suitcases have been unpacked and put away. We have been able to enjoy the pool a few days and a camping trip with our neighbors is in the works.

Some big news within the past month is that I think it is time for me to bite the bullet and put Adalynn into big girl panties. She has not had a poopie diaper in over a month and wakes up most mornings completely dry. She tells us if she has to potty at least 2-3 times a day. We put panties on her the other night, but very briefly before bed and she stayed dry for about 3 hours...telling me twice she had to potty...then she wet herself. She thought it was funny and just started laughing. Broderick was easy to potty train and the first time he wet his pants he said "no, Bro-Bro (which is what he called himself) like potty down my leg" and told him "then put potties in the toilet" and he said "o-tay, mommy" and that was that....potty trained and never looked back. Camden, on the otherhand was a little harder, but still not bad. Potty trained mostly by 2 1/2, but he still can not make it through the night at 5 years old! I am wondering if I will ever be able to stop buying pull-ups. Hopefully Adalynn is as easy as they were. I just need to realize that the time has come and that my baby girl is turning into a big girl!

I still have yet to upload the photos from the camera....all 400 of them!!! Crazy to think we have taken that many pictures since my last upload. I do want to share this one, which was taken at John's parents house during our first trip to Indiana. We uploaded it just to make prints to give to all the family members and friends we saw while we were on our travels. I hope to get the other ones on here soon! But this one for sure makes me smile and wonder how in the world did we end up with such cute kids?

One of these days

One of these days life will slow down. It just has to. I don't think we can keep going like we have been. I know it is wearing us down and the kids are really suffering. I am short on patience and even John and I have been bickering more than normal. Things have been way too crazy. We really wanted to be able to enjoy summer vacation---but so far it has been go, go, and go again!

We are currently in Georgia. Ryan and Missy's funerals are tomorrow-I am sad just thinking about it. We will be back in Pennsylvania on Sunday (planning on driving all night long). Camden turns 5 on Sunday and is having his birthday party at a local minor league baseball game (he is sooo excited)with 10 other kids. And then on Monday or Tuesday we will be heading to Indiana for John's grandma's funeral. Right after the funeral we will have to head back home because I have to retake my PRAXIS Foundations of Knowledge teaching test that I took back in 2001 (simply because in order to get your PA teaching certificate the test can only be taken within the last 5 years). Either we need to add wings to the van or John needs to work on getting his pilot's license. We have been traveling way too much! Thank goodness for IPods, Leapsters, portable DVD players, and anything that will keep their attention during the long car rides.

After that we pray life slows down. We hope that August allows us to use the tent we just bought. We really want to be able to go camping! We pray that everyone stays healthy and life eases up a bit. You know it is bad when another blogger comments that we always have crazy stuff going on. One of these days it has to slow down. I really don't think we can keep going on at the speed we have been. I know several months ago I posted that busy is a blessing, but right now I am definitely not feeling it. One of these days....


I have tons of photos to post-will get to it one of these days!

Ryan and Missy: on the news

I hope to update with pictures of our trip to Indiana soon, but we will be leaving for GA in the next few days to celebrate Missy and Ryan's life and to be with their family and numerous friends. We will probably also end up back in IN soon as John's grandma isn't doing well and her days are numbered. All of the travel, along with trying to catch up and get ahead in my coursework, means blogging time is limited. Please be patient with us! :)

We are looking forward to the day when summer vacation feels like summer vacation. We haven't had time to breathe, rest, or just relax and can't wait for that to happen. Driving, driving, driving, too many deaths, hospitalizations, and illnesses, along with way to much fast food (and spending way too much money on gas) seem to be the only things our summer entails so far. We hope that we get to utilize the pool membership we paid for, we really want to go camping, and we definitely can't wait for the lazy days of summer.

Until then, I leave you with a news story from the 11 Alive News out of Atlanta. I feel forever blessed that God allowed me to be Ryan's third grade teacher and that I was able to call Missy a friend. They will forever be missed!!!

In His Mommy's Arms

Ryan went to be with his mommy today. No longer in pain, no longer hurting, and finally cancer free.

Please pray for the Morgan family and all of their friends as we mourn the loss of two amazing people.

And here is
SUPERRYAN the summer Adalynn was born (and yes, he WAS that funny....notice the cigarette, mustache, and leather jacket! This was right before he took off on his dirt bike!)

and then with the boys at Broderick's birthday party. He was dressed up as a "Mad Doctor".

I told him that he was the best looking bald man I ever loved!!





And finally....here he is with Adalynn.

I Do Not Understand

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5

I do not understand and I know I never will.



How can such an amazing woman fight for so long and hard for her son's life and then her own, yet still die?



Tonight, Missy's battle with cancer ended and she is now with the Lord.



Just this evening I had the following conversation with Broderick during bedtime prayers....he was praying "God, please help Missy and Ryan feel better". I explained to him that Missy and Ryan would probably not feel better until they get to heaven. And he responded with "why aren't the scientists working harder to find a cure so they can be better here?" I wish I had an answer for him.

I am at peace knowing that Missy is finally pain free and know I that I am blessed that the Lord brought her and her beautiful son into my life. She touched so many lives and is the strongest woman I know.

Please pray for the Morgan family as they go through the tough days ahead as well as continuing to pray for Ryan as he continues his battle and mourns the loss of the most amazing mother a little boy could ever have.