Trip to the cities, hospital, dr, bathroom, etc!

WHEW! I can't believe it's been a full week since my last post...
We headed back to the cities Friday afternoon and on the way, Alli started vomitting. She must have done that about 10 different times...thankfully we only had 1 more hour to go. We ended up throwing away her car seat, stripping her down and shifting everyone's seating. We thought maybe she was carsick, b/c she had just had a bottle in the car. But, we quickly realized when we got to Jack and Nancy's...it wasn't carsickness...the kids didn't want to eat their dinner. And just as the adults started to eat, Carter threw up all over me...GROSS!!! Than, Sydney kept saying she was sick too...I didn't know if it was true sickness or "sympathy sickness"...I felt fine, or so I thought....Sure, enough Sydney started throwing up too...Than, they all got diarreah on top of it. And, they wanted to drink liquids, which made everything worse! So...all night long Mark and I were up with one kid, who was either: throwing up or had a dirty diaper!
Saturday morning I was hoping it was a 24 hour bug and it was done...but no...they kept all their symptoms going.
Poor grandma and grandpa! They won't let us visit again!:)
Saturday night, I made a cake that was from a cookbook I got at the library. It took 2 hours! It looked so pretty with Coconut pressed on the outside of the buttercream frosting and the raspberry layered lemon/type cake!
Well, you guessed it! Sunday morning all the adults started getting queesy stomaches!
Sunday night, we headed back to Ely. I had a bucket in the front seat....Alli cried for 75% of the way back ...Carter couldn't stop asking for "mommy" and was crying...we were all going crazy! Mark had to pull over so I could "toss my cookies" and he pulled over to change some more smelly diapers...we thought for sure, we would blow a tire and hit a deer, the way our night was going...but, thankfully the Lord should us some mercy and guided us safely home!
When we arrived, I lost everything, and was exhausted...than in the middle of the night Mark did too...and Carter and Alli was sick again...she was becoming lethargic, which concerned me...so I made a dr apointment right away Monday morning. When I arrived (barely) they said she needed to be admitted to the hospital to get an iv so she wasn't so dehydrated! Seriously, I thought...I am suppose to pick up Sprite, crackers and popsicles for the sick ones at home (including me!)...Change of plans! So, I am at the hospital, and Mark was at home with the crying others...asking for "mommy"...he ended up putting them in the stroller and walking up to the hospital b/c I took the only car we have right now! I took Carter in to the dr as well, b/c he was acting the same way as Alli...By the end of the evening...Carter and Alli and I slept at the hospital and Mark took Sydney home, to peaceful rest!
The next day Mark had to be back at work. So, I had all 3 with me in the hospital room (boy was that fun :() They did xrays on Alli's tummy and did blood work on her as well...thankfully they all came back normal, and released us around lunch time.
She has had dr appointments everyday since to check her weight to see if she has improved. She has been losing weight, but her alertness is better and so we just keep offering her food and liquids...and celebrate when she wants it...so please pray for her to get better quickly! Pray for Carter too...he is still struggling with this bug as well!
I have been "knocking, seeking" the Lord so our house will sell. And he gave me Luke 17 today...if you keep asking persistantly God will answer quickly. So, I asked God to set up a showing soon, b/c your Word says it...and it was so neat, around 5 tonight I got a call saying their is a request for a showing of our house tomorrow morning! Please pray with us consistantly about this issues. God will answer prayer. We need to have faith, and know that God is just and will do more than I can ever ask or think!

MOPS

This morning the kids and I walked to MOPS...it was about 1.3 miles...they did great.
MOPS was so refreshing this morning. We talked alot about how we need to be hospitable (did I spell that right?)...Do people feel at home at your house? Are you always cleaning before they come? Can you be spontaneous? Do you really stop what you are doing when your guests are over and meet their needs? Really listening? It was sure a challenge. I thought back to Martha and Mary today when I read the Bible...I am more Martha than Mary. I want to be busy doing, and everyone to notice, rather than being quiet and listening to what I can learn. God help me there!
Sydney had a little girl come to play with her today and than, Paula and the kids and I walked to the "Ely Feed & Seed" to check out the plants...I made some beef stew, and I think we are going to just relax around home tonight...b/c we are coming home tomorrow (as long as there is no blizzard :))
Also, I have been struggling with wondering how to pray about the sale of our house. I wanted to keep praying that it sells, but yet be submissive to what God is trying to teach us and miss the lesson he has for us. I have tried to confess everything, thinking if I can just be "perfect" God will say "ok, now you are good, so I will sell your house"...and it was so neat, I was reading Luke 11 today and it was the "writing on the wall" I needed! God told the story about a friend asking another friend for 3 loaves of bread in the middle of the night...he was rejected b/c it was too late and they had already gone to bed. So God says...he wasn't given bread b/c of his friendship...the friend just kept knocking, and knocking and knocking, until the friend gave in and gave him what he asked for. What a simple lesson! Seek, and you will find, knock and the door shall be open unto you! Perserverance!!!!!!! So please pray with me, for the sale of our house!

Sad

We found out recently that Brenda and Kirk had a miscarriage!
Also, my girlfriend Amy was pregnant and had a miscarriage this week :(!
They both are planning on trying in the summer...so they are resting on God and looking forward to the future!
Keep them in your prayers. They both seem to be ok with everything knowing, God's will be done.
Today we had a playdate with Sydney and Gavin (Sydney is 4 and Gavin is 2), so it worked out perfectly. Their mom is Kristi, and she is pregnant due in June with surprise #3!
It was great to see Sydney dressing up with girly things and not "hunting" or "fighting off bad guys" for a change!
Tomorrow morning is MOPS...and we are going to try and walk their! I think it's about 1.2 miles away...my poor kids!

I will survive!

Well...we survived...last week we got whipping winds/a little bit of snow. There were blizzard warnings for the whole northland region! We decided to not make the trip down to Audrey's wedding (Mark's cousin), the weather radio said "if travel is necessary...be sure to have your survival kit". Seriously? That is crazy!
So, Friday night we met Paul and Matthew and their kids at Pizza Hut, they came back to our place and chatted and played Nintendo! It was fun fellowshiping!
Saturday we slept in, and dropped garbage at the dump and recycled our stuff...we drove around and had dinner at the GEL.
Sunday we checked out Ely Baptist again. We enjoyed it much more this time. They now have an intern pastor until they get a permament replacement.
Sunday afternoon was nap time! And than we walked around and played ninetendo and watched movies.
Yesterday was a good day, we got to take a long walk during the day and hit the grocery store quickly after Mark got off work (our grocery store closes at 7pm!!!).
Today we had ECFE...it was about birds...so the kids made some art projects and played. Tonight we are meeting Paula and Matthew and are walking to a lake and letting the kids play at the playground.
I have been reading Power of a praying Wife...and if you haven't read it...I ENCOURAGE you too!!! It will help you with your daily walk with God...and than your next priority...your husband!
Well...weather is looking in the upper 40-60's this week, so hopefully we won't be swept away by the floods of 3 feet melting snow...keep in touch!