i do not like july 2013

July has been a rough month to say the least.

Caitlin ended up spending 2 full weeks in the hospital after her lung blowout.  The Luke Bryan/Florida Georgia Line/Thompson Sqaure concert tickets that my mama surprised me & my sister's with…well we couldn't go without Caitlin, so the night before the concert we sold the tickets. Instead I spent that night with Caitlin in the ICU. I'm hoping we can get tickets to the Nashville concert in October. If not...I'm sure we'll figure out something else fun to do ALL TOGETHER. That's the key, it just isn't the same if we aren't together.

Washing sis's hair!

My daddy had some skin cancer places removed. One of the incisions opened up & got infected.

Our 4th vacation, which is usually our favorite time of the year, was a total bust.

My brother-in-law had surgery on his shoulder after an injury at work.

Right now my niece is at home running a fever.

I realize that things could always be worse....but geez, we've had enough already. I'd love to spend the rest of the summer enjoying the sunshine & water with my family & friends. I just want everyone healthy and happy.

During this month of rain, ICU beds, wound dressing changes, lots of medicine and too many tears... there was this moment~

Then one afternoon these cuties raided my closet and walked all around the house in my heels~

Oh yea, then I enjoyed this little fiesta while we celebrated a coworkers birthday~

Then there was one Saturday Bella and Lucy rolled around on the bed with their Great Aunt T and great grandmother, it was a day full of giggles~

We've enjoyed a little sunshine at the house~

Let your hope make you glad. 

Be patient in times of trouble and never stop praying.

~Romans 12:12

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Lately

Since my job change I have a very different daily routine.  I usually wake up at 5 am, do a 3 mile run, shower, get myself and the girls ready, take them to Ms Betty's, go to work.  Work until 5:15ish, pick up the girls, feed them dinner, baths, household chores, shower and go to bed.  There's little "free time".  When I worked 3-12s before, I had more "me-time" on my days off and on my 1 hour commute to work.  However, I much prefer the family time more that the "me time", I once had.  Plus I'm loving my weekends off!  We have been spending them at the lake as a family as much as possible. With that being said, I have little blogging time.  So this post is a hodge-podge of things that I haven't shared yet.  

I LOVE these 2 sharing this cute stool.  

Big sis brushing little sis teeth

Helping mommy with the flower beds

Smoothies!

 A huge blessing is that Brynn's husband had a job relocation, bringing them back home!  I was very excited to hear they would be home for Eli's 1st birthday!  They moved into a house, cleaned it good, repainted, and set everything up in a matter of weeks to prepare for Eli's party.  Poor Josh is still having to travel some, but thankfully it won't be for too much longer.  Check out her blog and all the ADORABLE details of Eli's 1st birthday party.

Caitlin's 20th Birthday get-together...she got dunked.  But she made sure that she wasn't going to be the only one getting wet!

 Lake Fun:

This is one of our favorite hang-out islands on Lake Martin

Crazy cousin sharing boiled peanuts from Peanut Point

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our wet 4th

July 4th is one of my very favorite holidays!  We always spend it camping at the lake with our family and friends, riding the boat, swimming, eating lots of delicious food and watching a terrific fireworks show on the boat and enjoying a nice, quiet hour long starlit boat ride back to our camper...this year NONE of those things happened...(well except for the eating good part.  That'll happen, rain or shine!)  This year it RAINED every single day. It was the 1st time in 11 years that we missed the fireworks. With Caitlin in the hospital, the weather doing exactly what it shouldn't be doing and after I made a stupid mistake, making Jacob very mad at me...we left the lake 2 days early.  

These are the only pictures to share from our wet vacation.

Huddle House breakfast one morning

Once we were home, we stayed in our comfies pretty much the whole last 3 days.  Lounging around,  playing, reading and blogging.

For a sunnier version....here's last year July 4th Vacation: 
 Part 1  Part 2

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Caitlin & her lung blowout

My baby sister has had a long, very hard week.  This is her 9th day in the hospital...6th day in ICU.  My 20 year old, healthy sister had a spontaneous pneumothorax.  For none medical people, that is a collapsed lung.  It can happen spontaneously in thin people without warning, usually occurring at rest.  It is where there is a hole or tear in the lung allowing air to escape out, causing the lung to collapse.  She noticed chest pain and shortness of breath 10 days ago, she waited a full 24 hours before going to the Emergency Department.  Her right lung was almost completely deflated.  They placed a chest tube, to allow the air to escape.  Over the course of the following days, she developed pneumonia since it was difficult to take deep breaths and in quite a bit of pain.  She has weathered a surgery and a staph infection.  She is unable to sleep lying flat, so she sleeps in short boughs sitting up with her head falling forward.  I've spent the night with her twice, to give our mama a break and a good nights rest, who has been by her side day & night.  Both nights that I stayed with her, we didn't rest much.  My heart would break for her knowing she was so uncomfortable and her body was taking one hit after another. Being a nurse there has been many times that I have been VERY nervous, knowing the life threatening condition she has been in. She is a trooper...walking when it was time, doing her breathing exercises and being stuck in an ICU unit during what was supposed to be our family's July 4th vacation.  

Caitlin and a very pale Lindsay who almost passed out during a dressing change.

Looking better & better!

My sisters and I are very close.  My whole life I wanted a house full of girls, to be able to share the same unique bond that I share with my sisters.  My heart has been so heavy with worry for Caitlin's health.  The good news is that her body is healing.  The holes in her lung are closing and the pneumonia & staph infection is clearing.  We are hopeful that she will be able to go home in the next couple days.  Please continue to pray for my sweet sister, Caitlin, as she has a long road of recovery ahead of her to regain her strength and endurance.  Also pray that this doesn't happen again.  

Our mama had planned a girls night out months ago.  She surprised us 3 girls and herself with Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line & Thompson Square concert tickets.  We have been so very excited about this!  The 4 of us girls do things together often, but never a big concert.  The concert is in 3 days.  I hope so badly that Caitlin is well enough to go.  It won't be the same if she isn't there with us!  But we will follow the doctors orders and go on how she feels.  

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as this has been a scary and rough medical roller coaster, for a perfectly healthy 20 year old and our family.

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Beach 2013

A few weeks ago we spent 5 wonderful days in Destin, FL with some good friends.  The water was crystal clear and the weather couldn't have been any better. The food was delicious.  We had a blast.  Here are some of my favorite memories from this trip...

Bella, Barbie and Alaina jumping the waves

This was Lucy's favorite thing to do....lay in the shade and nap.

3 adorable mermaids

Sleeping Beauty

her serious side.

They loved to pile up on me while I was trying to get a tan.

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