Christ the Savior is Born!

Merry Christmas!

* * * Merry Christmas Eve * * *

It's a beautiful life

Today was the last day of gym this year.  So now I have two weeks of vacation, 1 week of which will be spent in snowy Wisconsin (which is reported to have the nation's largest indoor water park).  

I am so looking forward to relaxing, drinking hot tea and reading - maybe a little cross country skiing thrown in for fun.  :)

I am looking forward to and excited about next year.  Who can tell what a year may bring?  I'm not one to make new year's resolutions, but I do think there is something special about a fresh beginning.  Wasn't it Anne Shirley that said, "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet."  I love that.  Every day is fresh and new and every year more so.  

I am so thankful for the grace of the Lord and the forgiveness that is possible through the cross of Christ.  A new year may be symbolic, but it's His blood that gives new life.  Per my Pastor's request, I have been reading the gospel of John this week.  I am amazed at the sacrifice and love shown to us.  That is the miracle of Christmas.  

Just...happy!

It's late, I'm tired, but I haven't posted in way too long...so here goes!

I am happy that Christmas is almost here

I am happy that the rain paused long enough this morning for me to take a walk

I am happy that I live in a country where I have freedoms and I am thankful to the men and women who sacrifice and fight to protect our nation

I am happy that I have 99% of my presents wrapped

I am happy that Cam is letting me wrap her presents (hi - my name is Amanda and I am a present-wrapping-aholic)

I am happy that NCIS episodes are aired many times a week (hi - my name is Amanda and I am a NCIS adict)

I am happy that my kitchen is clean

I am not happy that the floor is dirty - ah, only so many hours in a day

I am happy that I am going to make potato chowder tomorrow

I am happy that my house has electricty and running water

And I am oh so thankful for my Savior.   As a friend of mine's dad always says when asked how he's doing..."better than I deserve"

And They're Home! :)

Dear Family and Friends,

Today was a blessed day -- Jack and his parents arrived home and if I must say do believe his cuteness factor increased tenfold.  He is small but too precious for words.  I actually got to hold him this afternoon.  Some of you know that I had a student with fifth disease yesterday and was concerned I would not be able to hold him or even be around him but the docs said that all was well and Jack most likely has immunities from Angela.  Whoo Hoo blessed news.  
Angela's uncles, aunts and dad decided last night to do a mini renovation on their yet unfinished living room --- complete with resanding and staining of floors.  They wanted to give them a finished family room for the new family.  It was amazing how fast everything came together and the sweet efforts of an awesome floor guy.  So we felt like Ty Pennington as we tore apart their house last night.  The floors are being completed as we email, but the fumes were so bad that the kids and Jack had to spend a night or two with me.  What a shame.    haha  So double blessings for me today.  I am so blessed to have such a loving family who would sacrifice so much for my daugher.  I could not have better brothers and sisters.  Thank you.  
Should anyone wonder where I am on Friday......I will be home holding Jack.....finally.  What a doll baby.  Attached are a couple of grandma photos in case you are a visual learner.  hehehe  Thank you again for your prayers they sustained all of us -- especially little Jack.  

Jack update #2

Hallelujah!    Angie, Colin and Jack are all in a room together and Jack began officially nursing.  Needless to say Angela considers this to be a top notch day.  He is still under a bili blanket to get his liver count where it needs to be --- minor issue and not uncommon.  Once he started eating he decided he liked it.  The doctor gave orders to allow him to eat all he wanted and Angela is happy to oblige.   Your thoughts and prayers have helped to sustain all of us and the end of the road looks to be near.  Thank you all for your commitment to our family.  
Love you,
Vickie

Jack Update

Wonderful news today.  Jack is totally off all air and breathing on his own.  Angela has been holding him as long as they will allow her and she has been feeding him.  Her momminess is becoming complete.  :-)  Jack has to eat from a bottle so they can monitor how much he eats.  They were also supplimenting with a feeding tube because he has to work so hard at feeding but tonight Angie said he ate his entire bottle and wanted more.  The docs gave an order to up his volume 5 ml every 6 hours as long as he can hold it down.  What great news.  There still is not a room available to move into so please pray that something will open up.  Angela sounds so happy.  She is anxious to spend the entire day with him.  We are praying that they can come home Thursday.  Thank you all for your prayers and positive thoughts and encouragement.  
Love you, Vickie

Jackson Moore!!!

For those who don't know, Colin and Angela had their baby!!!  He is a boy and the named him Jackson Emmanueli Moore.  He was born 3 weeks early and weighed 4lbs ?ozs.  He is in NICU in Ashevillle.   Below are a few e-mails I've received from Vickie.  She said to please pray for an open nicu room so when Jackson gets the okay he and mom and dad can all stay together.  

Here are the e-mails:

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7:37 Sunday evening...

Thank you all for your prayers.  Jackson is doing much better.  He has been taken off of the ventilator and the hole in his lung looks as if it will not present any more problems.  He is still getting a little help with some pressurized air in his nose (it looks like those oxygen nose tubes they give old people).  He is out from under the billiruben lights, they pulled the umbilical cord catheter out and in a few minutes they are going to let him try to breast feed for the first time.  On top of everything else it turns out that he was the rare rare case where his blood culture produced a false positive for infection.  They want to keep him on the antibiotics a few more days because they are a little concerned that he might have had some mild pneumonia.  In the words of his nurse, it is amazing how fast he has gotten better.  She says amazing, but we know how many people have been lifting our little guy up in prayer and sometimes prayer can do the things that medicine can't.  We'll definately be here for a little while longer, but things are really looking up. 

 

Love,

Angela, Colin, and Jack

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1:15 Sunday afternoon...

Good Afternoon Everyone,

 

I spent a great day with Angie, colin and Jack yesterday.  He came off the ventilator about 11 that morning and by 4 he was still doing fine.  He has a trickle of oxygen still entering his body but that should come out in the near future.  He is under the bilirubin lights to help a touch of jaundice but that is very common.  The hole in his lung seems to be healing just fine.  There are no signs of anything any different.  Angela got to hold him for about 40 minutes last night and while she did that his stats leveled off and looked great.  The second culture for infection is not growing anything --which is good.  All in all it was a great 24 hours. They hope to give him some breastmilk today -- which would be awesome.  Angela was able to freeze the good colostrum and that should be his first real meal.  He is down to 4lbs and 3oz but he will rebound.  He moves very well and is quite the little fighter.  Long and skinny is my best desciption. 

Continue to pray for complete healing, easy of nursing, and continues strength for Angela and Colin.  Toss in some added rest for good measure.  haha  Thank you all for your love, support and prayers.  You are a blessing.

Love you, Vickie

post show (sleep-deprived) thoughts...

3 years and 2 months ago I did my first show with Scotty Corbin and Overlook Theatre Company.  Who would have thought that Once On This Island would be the beginning of so much learning,  fun and friendships?  

This show is over, and I will scarcely have time to miss it before we start working on the next one.  I wonder what fun fantastic things I will get to do this time!!!!!

Where I've been all week...

It's The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Reminds me of Jr. High youth group.    :)

Show time is December 5 & 6 at 7:30pm and December 7 at 2:30pm at the Fine Arts Center.

Happy December!!!

Great Times

These past 5 days have been so fun!

Starting Wednesday night with Hoopla with all of my family up on the mountain, then a fabulous Thanksgiving, decorating my Christmas tree (it smells so good!!!) and playing Cities and Knights on Friday and eating birthday carrot cake (all intermingled with Mario Kart for Wii - I liked it but spent a lot of time falling off the road and crashing into walls), then my girls birthday party with lots of fun, fondue and karaoke that Miriam and Camila so lovingly threw for me.  Then Sunday was smiling and waving all dressed up and wearing a red wig in the cold of the Franklin Christmas Parade followed by yummy pizza and another birthday cake!   So it's been one long party with great food and family and friends.  I am so blessed!!!

If your holiday was half as great as mine, then you are pretty lucky too!