For New Readers

Since yesterday's post regarding Channing's back problems was the first in a few months, I thought I'd give new readers some background. First, check out this post. Then read this one.

Thank you, again, for praying for Channing!

Rock 'N Roll!

Here is another one of Shelby's great faces. Most of you have seen this picture before, but I didn't share the story behind the tongue sticking out.

When we were with my family at Thanksgiving, my sister taught Shelby to say, "Rock 'N Roll!" Hearing Shelby say this perfectly is very adorable. That's not all Nunda taught Shelby that night. If you tell Shelby to "do Gene Simmons" or if you simply say the rocker's name, she'll stick out her tongue. Sometimes when she says "Rock 'N Roll!" Shelby will stick out her tongue right after.

Oh, how we will embarrass her with this one day, I'm sure.

Love Each Other

I read a pretty incredible post on Terry Rush's blog on Friday. He is a minister in Oklahoma. When I was young he spoke at a gospel meeting held at my home congregation. If you've been to Tulsa Workshop, then you've probably heard Terry. I hope that you will go read his thoughts here.

Latest on Justin

Justin will be coming home for some much needed R&R in a couple weeks. He is counting the days!

So here is how you can pray right now. Please join us (and Justin too) in praying that God will keep him safe between now and March 11, the day he's supposed to leave. Pray that he'll be protected as he travels, as he'll be in danger especially before he boards the plane that will bring him to the States.

Channing, Shelby, and I are really looking forward to seeing Justin. Shelby grins and kisses every new picture she sees of him. It's pretty cute!

Pray for Channing's back

The physical therapy that the doctor prescribed for Channing's back did not help. Last week, Channing went to see a pain management specialist to discuss the next step. Friday we'll return to Dr. Krishnan's office so that Channing can get a steroid injection. Please pray that this will take Channing's pain away. More importantly, we would like you all to pray that God will heal Channing's back. This procedure is really only to block the pain that goes down his leg. It will take some of the back pain away. More than likely, surgery will be necessary at some point. So, our desire is for God to heal Channing. Please join us in that prayer.

Update on Mike

My cousin Mike will be leaving the hospital this week. His family is moving to Mississippi to be closer to family. Please pray for Mike and Denise as they travel to Aunt Pat's this week. Their sons are already there. Please pray for each of them as they will be adjusting to a new way of life as a family. Also, their house needs to sell in Wyoming. To get more information, see the link for his website on the left side of this blog.

It's About Time!

Now that we're both feeling better, Shelby and I took advantage of the beautiful day we had yesterday! Shelby and her friend Lily had a great time playing together at a nearby park. This little slide was a big hit!

Today, the two of us went to Little Rock with Sarah. We had fun roaming around Target, and saw a lot of things that we wanted to buy. Later on, after lunch and a nap for Shelby, we made a much needed trip to Wal-mart.

It sure has been nice being back in the land of the living! Thanks to all of you that have been praying for us.

The Queen of Great Facial Expressions

Shelby picked the sad face up after seeing Mommy and Daddy do it when she wouldn't give hugs and kisses.

After seeing Shelby's sad face, Aunt Nunda taught her this cheesy happy face!

Takin' It Easy

We did a lot of this over the last two weeks!

Shelby loves her new bed!

You've Got Mail!

Valentine's Day was a very exciting day for Shelby. There was something in the mailbox just for her! She was so happy to get a card and wouldn't put it down. Thanks to Nona and Papa for making Shelby's day so special.

Not Your Typical Night Out

Tonight I went to Midnight Oil with my friend Sarah. We had a good time together, until we left. A young man standing on the porch smoking ended up following us to my car. Just after I locked the doors, he tried to open the back passenger-side door to the car. Talk about a scary situation! I leaned over, looked at him, and yelled, "No!" Then I got the heck out of there! Sarah's father told us to call the police. So tonight I've spent some time on the phone with a very nice member of the Searcy Police Department. He offered to come by our house on his way home if it would make me feel better. I told him that wasn't necessary, but certainly appreciated the offer.

I am very thankful tonight that I wasn't alone, and that Shelby wasn't with me. I'm also thankful for the gift of having that feeling that someone isn't okay. If you ever get a feeling like that, trust it. Who knows, it might be God's way of protecting you.

What Happens When I'm Bored

Cabin fever set in yesterday. I was just about to go crazy after being inside for the last two weeks. So, I decided to rearrange our living room. I had to give it several tries since nothing seemed to look right. All of a sudden I realized that it was 6:00 and I had not started supper yet! Channing had a late session and the time had gotten away from me. After eating yummy sloppy joe sandwiches, we decided the armoire had to be moved in order to get the look/feel I was going for. We had help from our buddy Sean since it was a bad idea for Channing to try to move the armoire. It only took an hour or so and now I love the set up of my living room! Yea!

It's That Time Again!

Okay folks, it's time for another survey. And this one is way random, but the subject has been on my mind for a few days for some reason.
What are the five best decisions you've ever made? (Not necessarily in any special order)
Here are mine, hands down, in the order they happened, and pretty much the order of importance, since each thing led to the other:
1. Accepting Christ
2. Going to Harding University instead of Freed
3. Staying in Searcy after graduating from HU, even though I had no job
4. Asking Channing for another chance after we'd been broken up for a couple months
5. Being a stay-at-home mom

Birthday Wishes for an Old Friend

Today, Traci is celebrating the big 2-8. Happy Birthday, Traci!!

Traci's family attended my home congregation for a few years. She'll tell you that the first time she met me, I was hiding under the table from our Sunday School teacher with some of my other friends. I don't remember that, but am sure it happened. I think I was in the third or fourth grade when Traci's family moved away, and we wrote letters for many years after that. We visited each other during the summers. I am very thankful that we stayed in touch all those years. After college, we lost contact with one another. However, just this past summer, we got back in touch thanks to Freed-Hardeman's Alumni Association! And, on the way to Chattanooga for that family reunion in June, we met for lunch in her town. We hadn't seen each other in years! It has been a tremendous blessing to have Traci back in my life. Honestly, it's like we were never out of contact.

Traci, I hope you have a great birthday. I thank God that we're back in touch. I love you, dear friend!

Another Sister's Birthday

Today's birthday wishes go out to Channing's sister, Angela. Here she is with her daughter, Kelsie, and my mother-in-law, Lillie. I have known Angela for about five years. We met the first weekend I ever went home with Channing. That weekend I met a quite a few members of his rather large family. I was honestly a little nervous, and Angela was quick to make me feel welcome and at ease.

Angela is such a kind person; she would really do anything for anyone, especially her family. She is also a very spunky, fun-loving gal. We have a little joke between us where we say, "Bless your heart!" all the time. (Think about how and when people usually make that comment about someone...not always nicely!)

Angela, the three of us love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday. May God richly bless you this year!

*Channing is asleep right now, otherwise I'd have him put in a word or two. (Notice what time this post was written!

Looking Ahead

It has really been a frustrating couple of weeks. All three of us have been sick. Other than going to the doctor last Monday, I haven't been anywhere besides the mailbox. I'm ready to get out and about again. Here are some things we're looking forward to:

• I'm going to be able to put in my contacts on Monday.
• Channing is going to see a pain management specialist on Monday for his back. (Hopefully relief is in sight!)
• Downtown is having a men's retreat Friday and Saturday. Channing is going and will be one of the speakers.
• I'm going to try to attend a simulcast of Beth Moore on Saturday.
• Channing and I will at some point get to go out on a date. I guess you could say we'll be going out for Valentine's Day, since we haven't yet.
• Shelby only has a week left of getting those crummy eye drops.
• Justin is coming home for some R&R sometime in March.
• Hopefully we'll see both sides of our extended family in the next month or two.
  

Happy Birthday!

Today is my sister's birthday. I know that some siblings go through times when they're not as close due to an age difference, but that was never the case with us...and there are 14 years between us. Nunda is an amazing person. I am so thankful that God gave me a sister like her...and a friend too.

Of course there are many good memories. The main ones that stick out would be singing together. I thought I was big stuff when I visited her while she was at Freed. Once, I went with Nunda and Justin about an hour away to get a new puppy. That sure wasn't a fun drive back to Memphis, but it did give me something to laugh about now! (Imagine...an hour drive with a puppy yelping and doing other things in its crate right there in the backseat with you!) Nunda has always been good to get advice from, especially now that I'm a wife and a mother. I've learned a lot from her, and appreciate all that advice.

Happy Birthday, Nunda! We love you so much. It'll be good to see your family together next month. We can't wait!

*Guess what song is resonating in my head right now..."Sisters, sisters. There were never such devoted sisters..."

Two Down, One To Go

I know you got on this blog thinking, "What going on with the Channing family today?" Here you go...

I still have a cold. It seems to really hit me hard, maybe because I don't have quite the resistance I had when I was teaching. The pink eye is getting better. Thankfully, I haven't gotten it in the other eye. I'll be taking my medication (eye drops) until Sunday or Monday.

Shelby has had a cold since Tuesday. And that's only the beginning. Channing took her to Prime Care Medical Clinic tonight. She has pink eye, in both eyes. That is so frustrating, because I tried so hard to be careful! I am not looking forward to giving her two drops in each eye every three hours. She handled the first set of drops pretty well. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. She also has an ear infection, her first one. More medicine.

So right now Channing is the only one who doesn't have a cold or pink eye. Please pray that it stays that way. Pray that I don't have a relapse of pink eye. Pray that Shelby will get better soon as well. Thanks so much!

Coloring for Daddy

Happy Valentines Day!

I know it's not Thursday, here are thirteen things I love in honor of Valentines Day

• Strong coffee with half & half and two Splenda packets
• Getting to sleep all night because Channing got up with Shelby (She's still getting used to her toddler bed!)
  
• Flannel sheets
• Shelby's giggle
  
• Reruns of Growing Pains
• Taking long, warm showers
  
• Having a husband who unloads the dishwasher because I hate doing it
• Knowing that my nephew will be coming home from Iraq next month for some R&R
• Snuggling with Channing, especially when it's cold
• Looking at my parents' wedding pictures
• Having a daughter who is now repeating everything I say
• Eating popsicles when my throat hurts
  
• Being a stay-at-home mom

Who Does She Look Like?

Well, I've been asked many times who we think Shelby looks like. Many have told us they think Shelby looks exactly like me, while others think she looks exactly like Channing. Here are some of our baby pictures. Let's see what our readers think! You can probably figure out which ones are of Channing and which ones are of me. (There is not a picture of Shelby here!)

Shelby's New Bed

Last week Shelby got a new toddler bed. It's a beautiful sleigh bed. She was so excited when Channing got it out of the car! He put the box down on the living room floor and here's what happened. She cracks us up!

Thankful for a Doctor Friend

Well, many who know me know that I am not always patient. After getting busy signal after busy signal, I finally got through, only to get the voice mail. I didn't want to wait on them to call back, since I'd more than likely be worked in sometime this afternoon, Channing's busiest time of day. So I went to one of Searcy's urgent care medical clinics, the doctor being a friend of ours. I love Prime Care Medical Clinic, not only because of JP, but also because I don't usually have to wait very long.

JP took one look at me and said, "Yep, that's pink eye!" I'm having to put eye drops in every few hours. I should start feeling better tomorrow. Whew.

Growing up, I was always told how contagious pink eye is. Actually I was always told that if you looked at someone with pink eye, you'd end up with it. Glad that's just a story teachers like me tell students to scare them into being extra careful!

I hate not being able to wear my contacts. My glasses are okay, but I just am not crazy about them. At least I don't have to worry about Shelby touching my eye, as the glasses do prevent that for the most part.

I'll be glad when this clears up, for reasons besides my vanity!

Watching the Clock

So much for me just having a cold. I'm waiting for 8:00 to get here so that I can call the doctor about getting an appointment today. I think I also have pink eye. Neither Channing nor I have ever had it, so we aren't positive. I read on the Internet that the infected eye will usually hurt or itch, a symptom that I do not have. However, I do have all the others. Please pray that, if I do have pink eye, it will go away soon. Pray that I can get in to see my doctor when Channing doesn't have any clients so that he can be home with Shelby; I don't want to bring her with me! Please pray also that I will be the only one in my family that gets it.

A Lazy Day

I mentioned in my last post that I don't feel well. It's just a cold, but it has zapped all my energy! I stayed home today, so that I could take advantage of the quiet house and get some sleep. I didn't wake up until around 12:30, when Channing and Shelby made it home from church. After lunch, I climbed back in bed with the laptop to watch episodes of Gilmore Girls, and slept a little more. Channing did a great job of cleaning the kitchen and taking care of Shelby. He even fixed tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for supper tonight! I am truly blessed to have a husband who is willing to hold down the fort for me when I'm feeling crummy! Since I slept so much today, I am pretty much wide awake now! I need to head to bed soon, though, because tomorrow will come and Channing will not be here to take care of our sweet toddler all day!

Four Things

I got this as an e-mail twice last week and really enjoyed learning things about the friends who sent it out. Here are my answers. I'd love to know what your answers are!

Four Things you may not have known about me.....

Four jobs I've had in my life: Discovery Zone crew member, office worker (pretty much my sister's assistant), grocery store bakery worker, day care "teacher"

Four Movies I've watched over and over: Beaches, The Cutting Edge, You've Got Mail, Dirty Dancing

Four places I've lived: Only two...Memphis and Searcy
Four TV shows I love to watch: Survivor, Without a Trace, sometimes CSI (the original), sometimes Amazing Race, Gilmore Girls, and here's a bonus...Everybody Loves Raymond

Four places I've been on vacation: Bahamas, Colorado, Florida, Gatlinburg

Four of my favorite foods: ice cream, manicotti, homemade soup, Chan's burgers
Four places I'd rather be right now: I don't feel well today, so it might be nice to be at my mom's right now so she could take care of Shelby. I don't have much energy right now!

Shelby and Zoe

Remember when Molly and Zoe came over back in December? Well, here is the picture I promised. Molly, you guys can come for another visit any time!

Shelby loves to accessorize!

I'm finally getting this picture scanned on the computer. Shelby loves to get all fixed up. She is finally letting us put bows and barrettes in her hair. She loves her pink belt. We make necklaces out of the links. Too bad these great pink shoes don't fit anymore!

Kevin and Amber

Last night was an exciting night around here! Kevin and Amber, my cousin, came over for supper. Kevin lives in Georgia and hasn't been here since August. Shelby was so glad to see him. Her mouth dropped open when she saw him at the door! She gets to see Amber and our other cousin Nina pretty often, but seeing Kevin was a special treat. Channing did a great job cooking burgers and corn on the grill. We also had yummy French fries. The adults got a game of Phase 10 in while Shelby played. We had great time with Amber and Kevin.

Shelby was so excited to have Kevin and Amber over, that she wouldn't go to sleep until after they left, which was around 11:00. We were glad today is Saturday; we all slept until 10:00!

Shelby loves Kevin!

Shelby gave Amber a kiss right as I was taking a picture.

More Snow Pictures

Snow Day Pictures

Here are some pictures from yesterday. We actually got more last night, but didn't go out to play today. Channing had to work and I didn't want to take Shelby out without him.

Channing tried to get Shelby to eat some of the snow, but she wasn't interested.

Here's our house. As you can see, there wasn't much snow!

Shelby loved running through the snow in our next door neighbor's yard! I didn't love running after her and bringing her back to ours.

Birthday Wishes

Today is Molly's birthday. I wish I had a more recent picture of the two of us, but I don't think I do. This was taken at a fall function for our social club at Harding during our senior year.

Molly's favorite color is yellow, which is quite appropriate because she has such a bright personality. She has a great laugh; it's impossible to not be happy when you're with Molly. A few years ago, Channing and I traveled to Chicago to visit friends and family that live in the area. I will probably never forget how she greeted me at her front door. I could hear her screaming and laughing the minute I rang the bell! She really has a way of letting people know she loves them.

I sure hope that Molly has a great birthday today. I also wish that I could be with her to help celebrate.

Molly, thank you for being who you are. You are such a dear friend to me and so many others. I pray that God blesses you this year. I love you so much!