Friday, April 28, 2017

Spring has sprung!!!

Spring is such a pretty time of year.  Everything is budding and starting to bloom.  The greenhouses are packed full of life!  It's my happy place right now!!!  :)))
 
Spring also has us working outside and pulling weeds.  The 20 yards of mulch got laid and the flowers are now planted!!!  The grass is green and I am so delighted to see our new, young dogwood trees are blooming!  I love these trees and dreamt of having some in our landscaping some day!!!  The cherry blossom trees in the front yard are over their peak but put on a pretty show!!!  It now looks likes it's snowing pretty pick flowers all over the lawn!
 
Hunter was here one afternoon and kids put him right to work!!!  Or play!!!???!!!  :)))






Family project!!!
 
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Ashlyn lost her first tooth the other night!  She has been busy wiggling and wiggling this tiny tooth for a few weeks and finally it was loose enough for Mike to give a tug and out it popped!!!
 


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We got to have our first campfire the other evening!!!  Ashlyn was so happy because she keeps begging for campfires and watermelon!!!  :)))
 
Again, Hunter was here and they had fun making smores!
 






 
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We got a deal at the grocery store for Easter Egg Dye like 75% off.  Ashlyn wanted a project to do, so she decorated eggs.  Fun for her.
 
 
 
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With the orchard trees being in full bloom, I scurried the kids off to get some pictures of them.  We were in tears and not wanting to go by this little miss.  She was NOT into it but when Mom has something in mind, we tend to go for it!!!  :)
 
And look ... they turned out so cute.  I literally washed their dirty faces and put them on some clean clothes and snapped pictures of them as they ran through the orchard trees!  Nothing too stressful with what to wear or when to smile! 
 


Ashlyn - 6 years old.








Austin - 22 months old.


XOXO!!!









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And because today was so sunny and gorgeous, we got the little pool out for a little while!!!  These two will have many hours in the pool water this summer!!!  We are excited!!!




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The weekend weather is looking wonderful!!!  We are going to enjoy the outdoors!

Please keep praying for the Lapp Family!  We are taking one hour at a time as to when or if Mike and I need to go to Arizona!  Thank you so much for all that have texted and called and offered to babysit, etc..  This is a very tough journey but God is still good!!!  All the time!!!  We have so much to be thankful for!!!

Life ...

Life can be a tough journey at times.  Other times, it's so sweet and I want to freeze the moment! 



Right now, it's a really tough road!!!  Mike's dad is still in Arizona fighting cancer.  Plans were for dad to have surgery on Monday on his stomach.  The doctors want to put an extension at his stomach to bypass the tumor.  This will help dad be able to eat and keep liquids down!!!  He is still not eating.  Barely drinking.  He is on IVs and medication.  For health and for pain.  But, on Monday, Dad's white blood cell count was down.  Surgery can not be done before those cells rise because they fight against infections.  They gave Dad some shots hoping that they would rise but no.  Dad is so sick!  He was moved into Intensive Care yesterday morning.  His blood pressure is low.  He is being monitored closely.  We feel so far away because we are literally miles apart!!!

Last night, was a night we did not wish for!  Mike's brothers and sisters were making arrangements to go see Dad and Mom today.  To be with them.  Especially, with Mom through this very difficult journey!  Our phones were ringing with news of who is doing what and when!  It was a night of heavy conversations and tears.  As for Mike and I, we are still at home.  We are just waiting it out a bit longer to see if Dad turns for the better!!!  We are still praying!  We are still hoping that Dad will get healed by the Creator of heaven and earth!  How do we know when to go be with Mom and Dad?  We are praying that God opens doors and makes it clear to us! 

Mom is not alone with Dad.  Mike's two aunt are there.  Someone is there almost every single day!  And tonight, she will have some of her own children right beside her and dad!!!

Please, please keep the Lapp Family in your prayers!  You know, it's so hard to really believe Dad is dying.  He's been away doctoring since January.  He only had one short week at home with us kids around him!  Mom has been so brave!  She's been put in a different culture while they were in Mexico.  Rice and beans just don't taste the same as mashed potatoes and beef!  She's been Dad's personal nurse ever since Dad was diagnosed.  She did and is still doing things that only God could give strength for!!!  Dad has been through SO MUCH too!!!  He doesn't complain!  He remains calm.  Fighting the fight of cancer.  Through all of this, I really want to face each day with more leaning on Jesus.  More trusting that He's got a plan in all of this hardship.  That God would be glorified.  Dad is getting tired of the physical fight.  He told Mom that he wants to be here with her but wants to go home to live with Jesus.  The fight is real!  I wish I could be with them!

Mike and I are prepared to leave at any given time.  If his Mom would call and say "please come", we are off!  For now, we are at home.  Praying.  Still believing in miracles!!!

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Baseball has begun!

Spring is here and so is the start of the ball season!  Matthew is playing for the Tigers again this year and they are off to a great winning start!!!  Matthew loves these games and is really good!  He's got first base played well and hits the ball hard!!!  Go Tigers!!!



And of course there are the cutest little cheerleaders!!!



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Dirt is being moved and stones are being laid to make room for a new shed.  More to come on this topic soon!

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And the 20 yards of mulch arrived!  Now we can work hard to get the flowerbeds looking good and pretty!  Yesterday, the kids were at it awhile.



And Hunter was here, so he helped too!




Our tub baths are dirty these days!!!  Playing outside has us all so tired by bedtime!  So far we've got the edging done, some of the mulch scooped in place and some flowers planted!  The garden needs a few more vegetables planted and I'm off to do just that!!!  Our front trees are just about ready to burst forth with their pink leaves and I just love going to the greenhouse and buying things that are blooming!

Happy Spring to you all and I'm off to work outside on this pretty spring day!!!