Let's Get Real - A Very Raw Inside Look at Life At This Moment

This week, my body told me I needed to stop.  In fact, I'm using most of my energy to write this today because I feel that it is so important.  The Holy Spirit has laid it heavy on my heart, and I urge you with all that I have, to take the time to read it.  Forgive me if my words don't make sense or do not flow - I've spent time in the ER this week and we've dealt with some very big blows.  Now, on to the point . . .

I want to give you a mere glimpse of our daily lives.  Most importantly, this type of schedule, or set of similar events, is not limited to just our family.  It's what families face daily, in and out, day after day after day; year after year.   Also, please know that this is NOT me having a "pity party".  It's real and raw.  It's the life a bereaved family.  The life of a special needs family x3.  The life of a woman with chronic illness.

Imagine with me, if you would . . .

1. Dealing with the chronic illness of a child for a good part of ten years:  

• Hospitals.  Tests.  ER visits.  
• Weekly therapy visits.  
• Calling nurses and doctors on a weekly basis.  
• Dealing with insurance and the heaviness of "how in the world will we pay for this thing that is not covered by insurance?".  
• Home medical equipment and diapers larger than those they sell in stores.  
• How do we safely transport our child from one place to another?
• School, IEP's, fighting for what your child deserves there, like services and therapies
• Loving and endearing yourself with other families affected by the same illness, mourning with many (all too frequently) whose babies die because of an illness that we cannot cure. 
• DEATH, all around you. 

      2.  The heaviness of the loss of a beloved child.  Having watched that sweet child take their last breath.  Having watched as the funeral home carried your baby away, out of your bed, away from your home (this is a reality for more than you know). 

• Thoughts of how it will affect your other children
• Counseling for other children
• Counseling for yourself
• The worry of how this will affect your other children throughout their life
• This of course, means more appointments, more therapies, more phone calls, more bills
• Visiting your baby's grave, hoping to find peace, decorating it in their honor.

Think about the realities of having another child with the same issues, knowing you will go through the SAME thing.  One day, you will bury them too.  One day, you will face that brokenness again, and so will your children.  

      3. Add another precious child dealing with a health issue that you can't see on the outside, but inside he is roaring and out of control, of no fault of his own (Autism, Aspergers, PANDAS, Tics, OCD, other behavioral issues)

• Fighting for what your child needs everywhere you go
• Therapies
• Doctors of different kinds
• Tests and bloodwork
• Special classes
• Calls from school many times a week because of a frightened child
• Fighting for awareness for this disease
• Researching the disease and connecting with other families
• How will THIS affect your other children?

      4.  Basic Questions:

•  How does this affect you spiritually?  
• When do you find time alone with the Father?
• What about your marriage?  When do you find alone time together?  How do you afford alone time?
• What about dinner?  When do you find time to plan and actually make dinner?  
• Exercise
• "Me Time"
• What about your JOB?  How do you dedicate yourself to that?  
• When/how do you go to church?  
• How do you mix in your OWN chronic illness - tests, doctor appointments, therapies, etc? 

SO many families around you, facing similar things.  They may be silent.  They may be tired of asking for help.  They may be tired of accepting help for years on end.  They may be tired of sharing their hurts and brokenness. No matter what, they are there and they are just as important as your healthy family.  

This week, in the midst of school starting, and my own responsibilities, Lucy required medical attention at the hospital.  It wasn't too much out of the ordinary, but it was rough to see her like that after she's been so stable.  At one point, I literally left a meeting with two of Henry's specialists (and Mike), continuing MY part of the meeting on speaker phone, as I headed down to pick Lucy up to take her to Children's Hospital.  This week was rough, not only with Lucy, but also with Henry, as we are making major changes to his treatment.  

All of a sudden, at the end of this week, I found myself overcome with heart issues.  I spent a day in the ER, running every sort of test (I've also had two minor surgeries this month, but although this visit had nothing to do with that - they just had to make sure). The conclusion:  no one knows.  The doctor was strong in his decision that my symptoms were very real (thus the many tests), and this, in NO WAY, was a panic attack, or anything like that whatsoever.  

Personally, I don't know what's going on other than although I don't feel tired, I guess my emotions are however, and my body stopped to show me just that.  

The Point of this is NOT to whine or overshare, or gripe at what God has given us to bear.  

  THIS MESSAGE IS ACTUALLY FOR YOU, THE BELIEVER . . . 

YOU, My Friend, are called to serve, to love, to give - over and over and over and over, infinity, JUST LIKE JESUS!  YOU are His hands and feet. 

If you have the down time in your life for extra lunch with a friend, or maybe things that aren't necessarily "needs", then YOU can serve your sister, your brother - here, now, no excuses.  If you aren't dealing with chronic illness, death, or other more serious issues, YOU can step out and physically love and serve hurting families.  It isn't only overseas where you should give, or to the downtown homeless project, that is also oh-so-worthy.  Your calling is to those Believers who are SUFFERING HERE, on earth, within your community.  It doesn't matter if you've done it before.  Do it again.  And again.  And again.  

Here are some important insights as you choose to love on families like ours:

1. Don't expect "thank you" notes, emails or even texts.  Sometimes families and individuals are merely surviving.  Please, don't take this personally and don't let this prevent you from serving in the future.  

2.  Don't often ask, "What can I do to help?" or "Is there anything I can do?".  While these gestures are mostly sincere and come across with true love, they just add one more thing for a caregiver to think about. 

Here are some examples of what to do instead of asking those pesking, well-meaning questions:

• TELL the family or individual you are bringing or doing
• ASK them what item or evening would be best for you to help or donate your time
• ASK what type of gift cards are best
•  

Even if you cannot financially afford to give gift cards, groceries or treats, you can give of your time and energy with things like laundry and cleaning.  Trust me, ANY sincere offers are most welcome and remind the family that they 1.  Have friends who are standing by their side  2.  People haven't grown too tired of their 

3.  Going along with #2 - DO say/do/ask the following . . . 

• PRAY!  Have your family pray along with you, as these are people within your community
• Gift Cards - leave gifts on the porch or in the mailbox
• Messages/Cards - Send encouraging messages - your words can bring life!  
• Meals! (I don't know when we had a home-cooked meal just bc of time and exhaustion and I know this is true for parents of multiple children with special-needs). "Hey, I'm going to bring you dinner this week.  What night is best for you and do you have any requests or food allergies I need to keep in mind?"; 
• Men/Daddies, who are SO often forgotten - take them to lunch, send texts, pray for and with them, asking, "I want to take you to lunch and catch up with you, Friend!  What day is best?".
• Fun gifts/Dollar Store toys for the kids - especially the siblings! 
• Gas Cards - Surprise the family with gas cards (I drove close to 100 miles last Thursday just between appointments and this is common among special-needs and medically-fragile families)
• House-cleaning -"I would love to clean your house for you bc I am sure that's the last thing on your mind right now!  It would be a blessing for ME to serve YOU in that way.  How do you feel about that and could you give me a day within the next two weeks that would work for you?"
• Date Night - "We want ya'll to have a night out as a couple!  What do we need to do to make that happen and please plan on us watching your children so you don't have to use your family". 
• FRIENDS (this one is big!!) - Remember the parents need an outlet and friends too!  "Let's do a 'Girls' Night'!  Does Friday or Saturday work best for you?".  Just like our kids don't get invited to many birthday parties or special events, WE often don't get invited to outings with friends ('We', as in those within the special-needs community).  I think it's because friends think we must be busy/overwhelmed, or that getting out would be too hard for us; maybe they are understandably tired of hearing of all of our drama and sickness.  All of this could be true AND understandable, but please let US decide whether or not we need to say, "no".  PLEASE, invite us.  PLEASE, include us.  You don't know what it's like to feel forgotten; it's incredibly isolating and you can make a HUGE difference just by sending an invitation! 
• Lawn work - Go over and mow the lawn and do yard work,, without asking - make is a surprise! 
• Financial Support - Give a check or cash to the family, marked for medical expenses OR even for a "family night out", acknowledging those are few and far between.  
• Gift Cards - Surprise them with gift cards, letting them know you would love to help provide for groceries this week! 
• Siblings - If you know the family is home, drop in and take the typical siblings out for ice cream, making them feel special and treasured.

Friends, please don't forget Us.  Please don't forget our Family, but more importantly our Special Needs families who are in every community, in every school, and everywhere you go.  Don't assume that someone else is taking care of them.  Just Don't.  YOU do it.  YOU step up, even if you've done it before, do it again.  And again, And Again.  

Thank you for suffering through this long message.  I hope and pray the true point comes through, and I'm trusting the Holy Spirit to do just that.  Thank you too, for all of the many people who have stood by us, who have given to us, who have served US - it has NOT gone unnoticed and we are forever grateful.  Our hope is for every special-needs family to experience this same Reckless Love.  Don't forget this Precious Minority.  

Seizure Monster

Oh, Seizure Monster, how we hate Thee!  Today started out so peacefully.  I had the morning to myself to get things done, and it was wonderful!  Our afternoon was set to be full of appointments- physical and occupational therapy for Lucy and a check-up for Conner (he needs one for school).
*PURPLE is being used in this post bc it is the color that represent Epilepsy

Shortly before loading Lucy into the van, I noticed that she had one of her "hard seizures", which are not gran-mal, or the type you think of with every body part shaking.  However, her hard seizures DO affect her entire body.  The seizure I saw was only a couple of seconds long, so I just decided to watch her.  Once in the car, Lucy started having them, almost non-stop.  These back-to-back seizures are called "clusters".  We picked Conner up and Lucy continued to seize, on and off.  Instead of going to therapy and instead of making Conner's appointment,  I decided we needed to go straight to the ER.

When we pulled up to OU, Lucy was still seizing until we got to the elevators.  Then . . .  she was FINE.  We call this, "back to baseline".  She acted totally herself, giggles and all!  I decided to take her quickly to the Neurology dept and have a nurse take an immediate look at her, rather than waiting in the ER, knowing that even at the best, she wouldn't be evaluated for several minutes and even then, they would need to get a history.  This was a split-decision and one that was hard to make.  God was so good though because once we got upstairs, as Lucy started seizing again, they took us right back into the clinic.  Our doctor came to see us, which is HUGE, seeing that she stepped out of clinic to do so..  The neurology clinic at OU is in high demand and it takes months to be seen in the clinic.  For our doctor to step away and come quickly to us . . . well, it's a sign of a great doctor! Lucy was evaluated, and her breathing and other sats were stable, so we were able to set up a plan and increased her meds. It looks like Miss Lu Lu has had quite the growth spurt and many has "just" outgrown her current doses.  That's our hope  - that this is all from her weight gain and that this increase isn't a sign of illness or progression of NKH. 


I was disheartened Lucy seized on our way home and has seized on and off all evening.  We've followed our doctor's directions and have recently given rescue meds.  If she continues to seize, we will need to go back to the hospital.  Please pray that seizures will STOP right this moment and that they will stay away for good!  

Air Conditioner - this seemed to little compared to Lucy's health, but it just added to the stress.  This summer, our air conditioner broke and we were able to fix it, but they had told us it was on it's last leg and the next time it failed, we would need a brand new one.  EEEEK!  When it was 78 degrees with the air trying to blow, my heart sank.  The thought came to mind to turn it off while I took Lucy to the ER.  It couldn't hurt, right?  When came back several hours later, I turned back on and headed to my Parent's house to rest in the cool air.  I went back to check on it an hour later and there was no change.  Dang it!  I prayed and I know many of you were praying too.  I left it on and went back.  When Mike stopped by the house after work, the house was cooling off!  And by the time we came back around 830, it was back to normal and is STILL RUNNING!!  I believe God touched our air conditioner and healed it, at least for the time being.  We are SO grateful for your petitions on behalf of something as little as our air conditioner!  God is SO good! We are still in amazement today!


UPDATE for TODAY, 8/24/16:

After the rescue meds were given last night, we saw NO sign of seizure activity. Lucy slept well but hasn't been to baseline, hasn't been back to herself, yet today.  She's had more seizures this morning, so we've called the Neurologist and we are waiting to hear what to do next.   Her body is likely exhausted from the trauma and from the increase in meds, but even with all of that, we wouldn't expect seizures to continue.

I so appreciate your love, prayers and encouragement.  Our Church, Bridgeway, jumped up and into action yesterday, already loving on us in word and deed.  Those texts, those emails, those calls, those visits . . . you don't know how much they mean.  We often feel isolated, even after all of these years.  Yes, WE feel alone and don't have as many close friends as you might think (although we have a great group of support and love).  So when people reach out in love and concern, it touches us and lifts our spirits more than I can fully explain.  

SEIZURE Explanation:  I know all of this can be so confusing and even scary, esp when you see seizures on TV where people are dying, or when a person is in a terrible situation, laying in the ER with perplexed doctors. I'd like to try to clear some things up, at least from a "Seizure Mom", so to speak.

No matter what, Seizures ARE scary and you DO want to stop them.  With NKH (and other neurological disorders and diseases), we must expect seizures because they come with the disorder.  Not ALL seizures call for a trip to the ER, and any "seizure-mommy" will tell you the same thing.  Sometimes the best thing to do is to stay at home and try to get through the seizures.  Moms/Dads/Guardians must use their best judgement and go with their gut when seizures occur.  It's important for us to be in tune with our child and also be informed as well as possible.

The time to call 911 or a time to go to the ER would be one of these things 

(although not limited to, and this is my opinion only).  

1. If a person, without a history of seizures, starts to seize/if you are with a stranger who starts to seize - call 911
2. If your child starts holding their breath and starts turning blue during seizure - call 911
3. If a child hurts themselves during a seizure (they may bleed or have a concussion) - call 911
4. If your child has a high fever and starts seizing - call 911 or take to the ER immediately
5. If the seizure lasts longer than 2-5 minutes, call 911
6. If clusters don't stop, especially for over 30 mins (after rescue meds), call 911 or take to the ER
7. If you are a care giver and don't know how to give rescue meds, call 911 or take to the ER (and contact parents)

Oh, Friends! THANK YOU for your continued prayers for today, and for Miss Lucy.  We also have a very important meeting for Henry late morning, so we are asking the Lord to balance all of that out, while protecting BOTH children in the process.  Our lives are definitely ones of pure TRUST and God shows us over and over again, that WE are not in control.  We are forever grateful for those reminders, even if they hurt.  HE is glorified and we know He does these things for OUR good.  

We'll Keep You Posted - 

Ryan

Back in The Groove

Yesterday was the first day back to school for our children.  Conner is now a big SEVENTH grader, starting junior high!  Henry is back at our neighborhood elementary school with all of the familiar faces, places and sounds.  Lucy also is back at her same public school, which houses the most significant medical needs in our district.


Public school is a new thing for me, as from 3rd-12th grades, I attended private, Christian schools.  I have to tell you - I have been SO happy, impressed and reassured with our public school experience here in Moore, OK.  There's something very special about the teachers here, who genuinely love their students and love their community.  They want to see their students succeed while also enjoying the learning process.  Our community is very tight-knit, probably because of the many tragedies and storms (literally) we've faced together.  There is a solidarity there that is priceless.

The main thing I've loved about our public school experience is the level of communication we have with each of our schools.  If you know me, you know I'm big on communicating clearly, so I love that our teachers eagerly reach out to keep us posted on what's taking place in the classroom and on the playground.  All of these things are especially important for Mike and I as our kids have seen so much, and have been through so much, in their short lives.  Although we do still dream of sending the boys to private, Christian school, I can say that I fully trust the teachers now in our lives here in Moore.  God is so good to orchestrate this all for us!

Conner outside Brink Junior High

Ya'll,  I am just THRILLED, BEAMING, SO FREAKING HAPPY over how the first day went for all THREE of our kids!

• Conner:  Conner and I had a great time this week at his open house as we practiced going to his different classes, met all of his teachers, and walked around the entire school (every room) until he felt comfortable enough to be there on his own. After the event, Conner took me on a date for mexican food - a fav for us both. We made sweet memories I will treasure forever.  It was intimidating, dropping him off Friday morning, as the kids all look so big and the girls . . . well, they look like women!  Women in 7th and 8th grade, and here's our tall, skinny Lad, happy and nervous for this monumental occasion.  His first day was, "AWESOME"!  No tears, no tragedies - just happy reports of his teachers, friends, running to and from classes, and best of all . . . lunch! 

Back-to-School Night!

• Lucy: Lucy loves school, just like Conner!  My Mom and had a great time taking Lucy by her classroom this week and Lucy literally squeeled with joy when she saw her teachers!  One of the teacher aids was holding LuLu, and as we were leaving, I told Lucy to give Miss K a kiss.  She immediately leaned over and kissed her, clear as day!  It's that type of clarity and cognitive growth that we are seeing in Our Girl, you guys.  I just can't tell you how amazing it all is!  She's signing for a "drink", which she wants most of the time.  God is healing Lucy in many ways, and is allowing her to enjoy life! 

Lucy and Ms. Heather, ready for another great year!

• Henry: We were so worried about Henry's first day.  He had a hard time at Back-to-School night, even though we got there an hour before anyone else, in hopes of getting things done before the crowds arrived.  It was overwhelming.  He's felt the change all week, needing extra sensory input, such as climbing under our fitted sheet in bed because it feels "tight and safe".  

          Henry woke up with Conner yesterday, around 615am, which is WAY earlier than his normal.             He got dressed and ate breakfast and helped us take Conner to school.  He was starting to get   

          bored and tired by the time his school was about to open.  That had me concerned, but he 

          hopped up and ran to school with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood.  We did have one 

          incident at school, where Henry wanted to come home and get a bottle of water and see if I was           home, but other than that, his day was "GREAT!".  Ya'll, this is HUGE!  Henry has had NO 

          tears over school.  NO  fits or breakdowns.  Change is very hard on him, but he    

          PERSEVERED and pushed himself, and he made it through the day, passing with flying             colors!  Mike and I are elated and pray that this behavior will continue.  

Henry and Mommy, on our date after the open house

With this new school year will come change - change for our family.  I won't tell you specifics, but we are finally acting on some things we feel God has called us to for sometime now.  For a long while, I have felt like we were "stuck"; stuck between the Northside of the City and South, stuck between communities, stuck between groups of people . . . just stuck, and that hasn't felt good at all.

I have felt as though we've fallen through the cracks, and that isn't a good feeling to have. g reason for that though, is because we've been dragging our feet and haven't made the steps the Lord really wants us to.   I've been crippled by  fear of rejection - a fear I live with on a daily basis.  It is extremely hard for me not to find my worth in others and in what others say or think about me.  Thankfully, the Lord has been bringing me through that and in making some big changes, we think things will only get better in this area.  

 We Celebrated the Happy School Day with a Chuck-E-Cheese Treat

Lucy wasn't so sure about the "excitement" of C.E.C.

We want to simplify our lives while following Christ's lead.  What may be "simplifying" to us may not look that way to the world, or even to fellow Believers.  That's what we will be doing though - allowing the Lord to do the realigning, redesigning, relocating, redirecting.  CHANGE, for the better.  More security.  More simplicity.  The Lord will bless obedience, and for that I am truly excited - I can't wait to see what HE will do!  I can't wait to see what these changes will do and how they will mold our family, our friendships, our walks with the Lord. 

 It is definitely difficult to step out in faith like this, bc let's face it, most of our stepping out in faith has been with the health of our children.  This is different and requires actual physical movement and physical steps.  It's exciting because we know the Holy Spirit is moving in our lives and we can once again taste it, sense it and feel it!  

Thank you, Father for stepping in and for showing us where to go and what to do.  Please continue to reveal yourself to us, Lord.  Give us the boldness to step out and make new choices, that may be uncomfortable and painful.  YOU are so good.  

Ellie Kate's Helping Hands - Auction Fundraiser for Fellow NKH Families

The International NKH Medical Conference is coming up this October and we need your help!

Once again, this event will take place in Boston with portions being held at Boston Children's Hospital. Leading experts from around the United States will be in attendance, speaking to parents and caregivers, giving the latest details in treatment and the latest updates in the research.  The Grand Finale of the Conference happens Friday, October 14th, when we gather together for the big NKH Crusaders Fundraiser.

NKH Crusaders was started by my Dear Friend, Kristin Archibald, whose son Thomas has NKH. Since NKH is so rare, and since there are so few individuals affected by it, research is scarce.   Denver Children's and Notre Dame are now partnering and researching together, finding better treatment and maybe one day, they will find a cure for this terrible, terminal disorder.  The main funds for these researchers are fueled by those raised OUTSIDE of their programs, such as those raised by NKH Crusaders.  It can easily be said that research is still being conducted solely because of the efforts of NKH Crusaders and the financial support and efforts of the families affected.  It's a big deal and something we very much support!  If you want to donate to NKH research, you donate to NKH Crusaders, so you can imagine just how important this fundraiser is to ALL of us within the NKH Community.  

Shortly after Ellie Kate's death, a special fund through NKH Crusaders was created in her name.  

The "Ellie Kate Helping Hands Fund" serves our fellow NKH families from around the world.  It is the only fund of it's kind - the only one named after an NKH child, and ohmygoodness, friends - we are beyond proud and are insanely grateful that other NKH kids can receive Ellie Kate's "reckless love" through this special fund! 

"Ellie Kate's Helping Hands" allows families to apply for financial help, which assists with things such as medical equipment and other special items or services that the family isn't able to obtain on their own.  The money for this special fund will be raised this year at the NKH Crusaders Fundraiser in Boston, which will be an auction.  A table will be set up with Ellie Kate's picture and her story, as well as information on this special fund.  We would like to fill the table with beautiful items that will help raise money for this very worth cause!  During the past NKH Crusaders fundraiser, we raised $1,000 through our auction table and this year, we hope to raise at LEAST $2,000 with hopes of assisting around 15 fellow NKH families.  

This is where we need your help . . . 

• Do you have any special or autographed items you would donate to be auctioned-off, in Ellie's name, at this event?

• Do you own a small business and have extra new items on hand that you could donate to be auctioned-off?  

• Do you make or sell jewelry, stationary, soaps, etc that you could donate?

• Do you have any art, or could you create art, to be auctioned-off for this special fund?  

*Your donated items can be mailed directly to Kristin Archibald before the fundraiser and medical conference.  Mike and I really hope we get to attend and if so, we will take some items with us on the trip.  

*Items valued $200 or higher are eligible for a tax-write off

*If you are interested in helping with this October auction and if you have items you would like to donate for Ellie Kate's Helping Hands fund, please contact me by SEPTEMBER 5th so we can make plans to get your items to Boston in time.  

*Do you have LARGE items that would appeal to a GRAND audience (more than those visiting the table in Boston on October 14th)?  If so, let me know!  We plan to have an online auction later this fall and into December, to help us celebrate "Ellie Kate's Month of Reckless Love"! 

*There will be more opportunities for you to give to this special fund, so be watching the Blog for details!  

*"Ellie Kate's Helping Hands" fund is not associated with our family's account with Helping Hands International.  Helping Hands International houses our family's medical fund  and donations toward us personally.  "Ellie Kate's Helping Hands" is purely associated with NKH Crusaders and is only used in helping our fellow NKH Families around the world.  

The McLaughlin Family receives NO PART OF THE "Ellie Kate Helping Hands" Fund, but rather all of those donations go directly to NKH Crusaders. 

We are thrilled to see what God will do in and through the auction, and I know there are some very special families He wants to love and care for through this special fund in Ellie Kate's Name!  

I can't wait to hear from YOU about the items you are willing to donate for this fabulous cause - one that is so near and dear to our hearts.  

Don't forget - contact me by SEPTEMBER 5th if you have items to be included.

Thank you, in advance, for serving and loving NKH families just like ours, by donating your items to the NKH Crusaders Fundraising Auction! 

Happily Ever After . . .

Fourteen years ago tonight, we never dreamed of being where we are today❤️.

Our Wedding Day - 8/2/2002

On this day, I've literally driven all around town from appointment to appointment, visited pharmacies and several grocery stores. I've been on the phone with doctors and nurses and purchased diapers and pj's for our almost 5yo little angel. Instead of a big celebration or romantic getaway, we are saving to hopefully make an NKH conference and PANDAS conference this fall. We're spending the evening as a little family, eating take-out, and it's wonderful❤️. Our anniversary has been a typical day in the life of a special-needs family and one I will treasure in my heart.

A Few Months Before Our Wedding

Fourteen years ago, we never thought we'd have an 8yo who feels his job is "seizure watch" for his sister, while his 12yo older brother takes pride in pushing his sister around everywhere we go, despite the stares.

Our boys know how to tube feed and have spent enough time in the hospital that they know to ask for "a big room", and they know which foods to eat in the cafeteria. They carry so much on their shoulders, but their shoulders are broad - just like their Daddy💙.

Dating - 2001

We never would have guessed that we would be thrown into the world of special needs or that God would give us a family mission through two beautiful daughters that He would entrust to us for but a short time on earth💖. We had no idea how much we would learn medically, relationally and spiritually through these Two Loves. Our Girls have made THE lasting mark on our Family - Reckless Love to ALL💚.

God has continued to provide spiritually, financially, emotionally, and in every other possible way. He has taught us just HOW FAITHFUL He truly is! What an honor it is to be a family that gets to show God's faithfulness, goodness and glory💜!  Thank you, Father.  

Even though this life isn't anything like we planned - it is a GOOD life.

How could we ever ask for more?

Michael McLaughlin, I adore you. Thank you for choosing me that day fourteen years ago and for choosing me every day since.

💞

.You continually amaze me with your faithfulness, kindness and laughter and I wouldn't want to walk this journey with anyone but you! I am yours in sickness and in health, for ETERNITY!!

Mike's Anniversary Card for me - waiting patiently on the fridge

You continually amaze me with your faithfulness, kindness and laughter and I wouldn't want to walk this journey with anyone but you! I am yours in sickness and in health, for ETERNITY!!

💖💖💖😍😍😍😘😘😘💘💘