Little Princesses

Shelby and Adia enjoyed playing on our pillows!

Channing with Shelby and Adia

Shelby and Adia at Spring Park

A Visit with Dear Friends

We had a wonderful visit with Mike and Angelina, along with their children, last week! When they moved away, Carter was just a few weeks old. Both our families have grown quite a bit since then! Angelina is expecting baby #3 in about five months.

It was fun to catch up with them. We were up talking pretty late the nights they stayed with us! And we also got in a game of Skip-bo, for old time's sake.

We were so sorry to see them go on Friday, but are so thankful for the time we had together. What a blessing it is to have friends like this!

Bandanna

Shelby has found a good use for a couple bandannas we have laying around. She normally uses them for baby blankets, but Daddy showed her a new use for bandannas while he was home recuperating from surgery. She actually kept it on her head for a while. He also made her a skirt by tying two bandannas around her waist. No pictures from that one though!

A Visit From Nona and Papa

These pictures were taken while my parents were here when Channing had his surgery. We appreciated their help. Shelby really enjoyed it too!

A Visit to Baptist

While we were in Little Rock this afternoon, the three of us made a stop at Baptist Hospital. This was the second time we've been back to the NICU since we brought Shelby home. We got to see Molly, our favorite nurse, as well as another nurse that I recognized but can't remember her name. Molly was Shelby's nurse almost every day during the two weeks she was there. We are really thankful for the staff there and all they did to help Shelby.

Check-up

We went back to LR today for a follow-up visit with the surgeon. Everything is looking good. He got to drive home from LR. I sure enjoyed the nap on the way home! Tomorrow, Channing will return to work, seeing three or four clients. We are looking forward to making some money again! While he is definitely doing well, Channing still needs to take it easy. The doctor said he didn't need to lift "anything heavier than a gallon of milk." That means Daddy still can't pick up Shelby, for about four or five more weeks. Thanks for your continued prayers as Channing heals. He'll return for another check-up in about three weeks.

Super Sammie

Sammie is amazing. She was out in the backyard while we were at church this morning. When we got home, we heard her yelping, but weren't able to go see her because we were just home to change clothes for our Sunday School picnic. I heard a whine and some scratching on the front door. When I opened the door, Sammie was waiting there on the porch for me. Somehow, our incredible dog managed to climb the gate, at least we think so. This isn't a chain-link fence, guys. It's a regular-height privacy fence. We are amazed!

More Updates

Channing is doing much better. He has been without fever for a couple days. The tenderness is subsiding. Of course, there is still some discomfort and pain. But, things are looking up. He has gone on a few walks with Sammie since his surgery. It is so exciting that he is no longer in pain in his back, legs, and feet. Thank God for a successful surgery! We return to Little Rock for a follow-up visit with the surgeon on Tuesday. Hopefully we will get an idea of when he will be able to return to work.

Mom and Dad went home on Monday. We really appreciated their coming. Mom made some yummy meals and her fabulous peach cobbler while they were here. Amber (my cousin) came over this afternoon to keep Shelby occupied while I got some stuff done around the house. Silas and Lauren Orbison brought us dinner tonight and ate with us. Thanks for all the prayers and words of encouragement so many of you have given us.

I have not heard from my sister yet as to whether or not she's heard from Justin. I know that things are really bad over there and pray for him several times each day. When I pray for Justin, not only do I pray for his safety, but also for his mental state as he has to witness so many horrible things each day. I know that so many people are praying for Justin, as well as the other soldiers. Those prayers are deeply appreciated.

Our dear friends, Mike and Angelina, will be coming for a visit this weekend. They quickly became good friends of ours while we were dating. Mike and Angelina lived next door to Channing. We were so sad to see them leave a couple months after our wedding. It will be so good so see them again, as well as their children!

I have mentioned that we did not have a fence when we adopted Sammie. Well, thankfully, our fence should be completed on Saturday. I am looking forward to that! Not that I am not enjoying having Sammie around, but a fenced-in backyard will come in handy these next two or three weeks!

Hallelujah!

Here's one of the pictures Maggie took earlier this month. We were singing, and Shelby started lifting her hands. Maggie printed "Hallelujah!" on the picture, because it seems that's what Shelby is doing. Anytime we say the word, Shelby lifts one or both of her hands. We are so proud of our little praise baby!

Pray

Justin is on a very dangerous mission today. Please pray for his safety. Things are really bad over there right now. His unit has lost seven in the two weeks he's been back to Iraq.

It appears that Channing has developed an infection. He's running a fever and is very uncomfortable. Please pray that he heals soon.

A family member of a dear friend of mine from Memphis was attacked in her New York apartment on Friday. Please pray for her physical and emotional healing. Pray also that the man will be caught.

We appreciate your prayers.

Update

Channing's surgery went well yesterday. It lasted about an hour and a half. After the surgery, which started almost an hour later than scheduled, there was some recovery time. We left the hospital around 4 p.m. He is sore where the incision is. The anesthesia has left him with some terrible hiccups that are driving us both crazy. Other than that, he's doing good. I'll update more in a few days. So far, so good.

Thanks for the prayers and for the phone calls we've received. We appreciate all of you.

The Song Remembers When

Julie Kiser made a post this week about how a smell can take you back to all kinds of things. For me, it's the smell of leaves and/or trash burning. I am instantly taken back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. While those smells might not be the most pleasant one for some, it really makes me happy.

Her post got me thinking of how songs can take you back too. I know a couple country songs that are about that. (The Song Remembers When by Trisha Yearwood and State of Mind by Clint Black). So here's my idea:

What song takes you back? What does it take you back to?

Here are a couple of mine...

• Always Be My Baby by Mariah Carey - Wendy and I listened to this a lot our senior year of high school. If I ever hear this song, I think of the night of Senior Banquet. We were in her dad's Dodge Ram, running late and very low on fuel. She wouldn't stop for gas because we were late and I was freaking out (surprise, surprise) about the possibility of getting stuck on the side of the road in downtown Memphis.
• You are My All in All - Stacy and I sang this together a lot. She'd laugh at me because I always ended up switching parts and it'd throw her off. I actually think about my old youth group when I hear/sing a lot of songs like that.
  

Another Prayer Request for Channing

Okay guys, we need your prayers right now. After the two steroid shots did not provide relief for the back/leg pain like we hoped, Channing decided not to have the third shot. So he was sent to a surgeon last week. There was an opening for surgery this Friday, and we're taking it.

The surgery is minor and will be out-patient. They'll make a small incision and will cut off the portion of the disc that's protruding. It should take 1 to 1.5 hours and then another 2 hours or so until we can go home.

He will be out of commission for at least 10 days. No driving. No bending over. No picking things up (this includes Shelby). Nothing.

Please pray for the surgery to go well; for our nerves so that they won't be shot and we won't worry. Please pray also that the recovery will be a smooth one, with as little time off work as possible.

Thank you, Sarah and Amber, for making yourselves available to keep Shelby for us on Friday. Sarah, thanks for keeping Shelby when we went to LR for the steroid injections. Channing and I are also very thankful for my parents, who are coming on Friday to stay however long we need. We don't know what we'd do without each of you!

We appreciate your prayers.

Spring Sing Correction

For all you former Chi-O's out there...my cousin (a member of ZP) gave me the Spring Sing results Saturday night. She was mistaken. Chi Omega Pi, Delta Gamma Rho, and Friends placed 2nd. Zeta Rho, TNT, and Friends placed 3rd. I hope you are smiling as big as I am right now.

Hunting Easter Eggs with Daddy

Shelby had to get a little direction from Daddy for a few of the eggs.

Shelby was so proud of herself for finding this one without any help!

One of the last eggs was found hiding in the monkey grass.

Easter Basket

Shelby was excited to see her Easter basket in the living room this morning!

The basket held a Bible story book, crayons, a My Little Pony, a bath toy, and some Hershey's kisses. Shelby was so excited about each item, that it was hard to get her still long enough to take some pictures!

Spring Sing Weekend

We made a stop at Harding while we were on our way home this morning. Since it's Spring Sing weekend, we hoped to see some friends either in the Student Center or just around campus. Channing ran into one of his old teens from the Southeast Church youth group in Houston. This young man is now married and a fellow alumnus of Harding. (That made Channing feel quite old, needless to say!) We saw a few familiar faces from a distance, but didn't get a chance to talk to them. While we were eating lunch, we did get to visit with some of Channing's friends who were there.

Campus is extra beautiful right now, with all the flowers blooming. Those of you who went there and haven't been back in the last couple of years might want to come for Homecoming or Spring Sing next year. Things have changed quite a bit!

By the way, the theme of Spring Sing this year was "Camaraderie." We didn't go, but have heard the results. The Kojie & Ju Go Ju show took first. It was a little ironic that their show was set in a candy shop, and that their charity was Juvenile Diabetes. Zeta Rho and TNT came in second. Chi Omega Pi and Delta Gamma Rho came in third.

Easter Egg Hunt at Downtown

This morning we went to the church building for an Easter egg hunt. Thanks to a great suggestion from Nona, Shelby got to practice a little last night before going to bed. Today she did great and was very excited each time she picked up another egg! It was cold and a little windy, but we had a really good time. Thanks to Tim and Brittany Jones for getting everything together.

Making Faces With Daddy

Here's what I found Channing and Shelby doing the other night before supper:

Shelby loves pizza. Yesterday evening, we were leaving Wal-mart around 6:00 and I really wasn't looking forward to fixing supper when we got home. Channing asked if I wanted to get a pizza and Shelby heard him. She squealed, "Pizza!" and the decision was made.

(Here she is eating the pepperoni the had fallen off a Tombstone pizza we ate the other day.)

More of Shelby and Sammie

Several people have asked how Shelby and Sammie are getting along. Here are a couple pictures to answer that question!

Congratulations!

I just wanted to congratulate some of my friends on their new little ones. Frank and Becky McCown are the proud parents of a son, Ethan, who was born Saturday morning. Ben and Christie Johnson are the proud parents of a daughter, Julie, who was born Saturday afternoon.

May God bless these new families. Being a parent is an amazing gift!

Mom and Dad, You've Got to Come Get Me!

These were words that my parents weren't happy to hear. It was my freshman year at Harding. I called home with the news that I, along with a few other friends, had been caught at the apartment of a male friend. I told them I was in Dr. Burks' office, and that I was being kicked out. Mom and Dad had to come get me immediately. I remember their response like it was yesterday. Dad was calm and said, "Okay," as though he was in shock. Mom just kept saying, "Oh, Deidre!" over and over. I quickly informed them that it was April Fools Day, and that I was just kidding. They told me that it was a mean joke, but also admitted that I got them really good. They even told their friends about it. We still laugh about it now.

Have you ever played a good April Fools joke on someone?