So-So news

I went to see two specialists yesterday. One is the infectious disease doctor (ID)and the other is the neurosurgeon(NS). My incision has two “soft” spots in it and they are concerned. Both agreed that even though I am supposed to be through with my IV antibiotics on Monday, they want to be sure that everything is as it should be in my back. They ordered an MRI.

· I go in at 5:30 on Monday morning for that. I’ll see how I feel afterwards to determine whether or not I’ll go to school on Monday.

· Pending that report, I may get to stop the IVs on Tuesday. If they think something is amiss, then I’ll have to continue the IV antibiotics for at least another week. I’ll have to go in and get more medicine on Tuesday from the ID's office if that is the case.

· Nothing to do so far on Wednesday.

· Thursday of next week, I have appointments with both of the specialists again to see what my progress is.

· I was supposed to have my Remicade infusion this coming Tuesday, but the ID doctor has asked that I put it off until the following Tuesday, August 26. I know that I will feel like poo because that will be a whole week late. I get so extremely tired and sick whenever the infusion is late.

· Then, that Thursday, August 28, I’ll have to go back yet again to see my ID doctor.

So, there are many more appointments than I anticipated and more time out than I thought.

Thanks again for your continued prayers. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll be up and at ‘em real soon.

Aggie Graduate

B. C. is a member of the former students of Aggieland! He picked up his RING on Friday morning. He quickly loaded the last of his possessions into whoever's vehicle was nearest and was off to Dana's for lunch. Several of his family members from both sides enjoyed the meal. Dana had made him a memory book which he read to and showed to the group.

Soon afterward, we all made the trek to Reed Arena for the next big event.

Texas A & M University – College Station held its summer commencement on August 8, 2008 (08/08/08). Whoop! Among those receiving their diplomas was our very own three-year honor graduate, Brennan Chad Andrews. He completed a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Management from the prestigious Mays Business School. He earned a 4.0 GPA in his major.

While at Texas A & M, Chad embraced university life. He was a member of Aggie Access; Aggie Gateway to Success where he served as a mentor; Phi Eta Sigma, the freshman honor society; Lambda Sigma, (1 of only 50 out of all Aggie sophomores selected) where he served on the Executive Board and as Fundraiser co-chair; Reed Rowdies; and of the Aggie Pre-Law Society. Chad was named to the Dean’s List, Distinguished Student’s List, and to the National Honor Roll.

In reaching his goal, he won several scholarships past high school including the Texas Interscholastic League Foundation scholarship (UIL), and the renewable Texas Student Housing Authority scholarship and the Robert C. Byrd Honors scholarship. The Aggies awarded him the Thomas A. Carter Scholarship, the Ellison Miles scholarship, and the Mays Business School Management Department's Mildred Carmichael scholarship for excellence in his major. All of the scholarships helped tremendously. However, Chad still worked part-time at two jobs. He worked for the TAMU Division of Finance, Student Business Services tuition department for three years. His sophomore year, he was chosen as one of only two mentors to the students in the Aggie Gateway to Success program who were working to gain full admission to the university.

Chad was the 2005 Hamilton High School salutatorian. Thanks and gig 'em!

Busy week

This week will be a busy one for my little family of five. There are several small events taking place and then there's the BIG ONE.

Brit has a doctor's appointment in Waco on Wednesday when they'll set up the date and time for the ultrasound the next week that will tell us the twins' gender. That is so exciting!

I have two doctor's appointments this week. One is on Thursday with my infectious disease doctor in Waco and the other will be scheduled either Wednesday or Thursday with my neurosurgeon. Afterwards, we will go down to College Station to begin B. C.'s Aggie graduation celebration.

B. C. picks up his cap and gown on Monday in anticipation of his graduation on 08-08-08. He takes his finals and has the final degree confirmation. He gets his Aggie ring early Friday morning. Then, he will be honored with an Aggie graduation luncheon at his cousin, Dana's home.

Dana is such a sweet, loving, and thoughtful person. She will ensure that the luncheon is all about him and his accomplishments. She has some very special plans for those attending to help commemorate his years as an Aggie.

Although only his Stephens' family and close Aggie friends will be attending his luncheon, rest assured, they will shower him with lots of lasting memories. Dana will capture those memories and see that B. C. knows how much we love, admire and respect him. After all, his Aggie graduation should be all about him.

Next, we'll go to Reed Arena for the actual graduation ceremony. He has some friends who are graduating, too. The fam has a little surprise ready for him there, too.

Afterwards, I suspect that he will be dunking his Aggie ring. What a tradition! It's one that only an Aggie could understand.

Progress

I have graduated myself from a walker to a cane. It seemed like I was relying too heavily on the walker and in order to recover in the upright position, instead of being bent over that I needed to proceed with a cane. So far, it has gone pretty well.

My back has stopped oozing so Dr. Verner said to leave it uncovered. I'm a little apprehensive, but I'll do what he wants anyway. I just hope that it doesn't cause me any embarrassment.

There are some things that I've learned from this incident:

• If unusual things are going to happen, they can and will happen to me.
• Don't pick at or pop any skin abnormality--ever--says the doctor.
• Nerves can really make a difference in how a person's body performs.
• If you stay in the hospital for 12 days, it will take 5 times that long to get any strength back.
• Morphine is good--and bad--real bad.
• Learning to make my legs walk again looks very similar to when I learned to walk the first time.
• Being sick and taking tons of medicine messes with your mind and your emotions.
• Good nurses are your good friends.
• Good doctors are the best.
• You find out who your friends are.
• You find out that you have more friends than you thought.
  
• You find out who really loves you.
• You owe most everybody a thank you card for prayers, thoughts, cards, calls, flowers, visits (or 2 or 12), food, house cleaning, lawn mowing, and errand running, but you're afraid to send them lest you leave something unsaid or unthanked.
• Pain is a strong motivator--and a strong deterer.

Enough wisdom for now. I'm getting pretty tired. I'll write more when I can.

Things I've learned

I realize that God is always teaching us and allowing us to discover things about ourselves and our world that we either take for granted or overlooked. I wish I weren't so dumb because He sure has given me many tests lately.

I think that in order to teach me to more fully appreciate my world and what I have, he has "allowed" me to experience some of the things that others around me have already experienced.

Update

Family and Friends,

This is just a note to update you on the happenings of the last month. On Thursday, June 26, my lower back began to hurt with sharp, hot pains. Of course, I thought that it was my sciatic nerve bothering me again, so I scheduled an appointment with the chiropractor for the next day. She worked on me and I figured I’d get better. I certainly wanted to because that weekend (June 28th) was our first ever Stephens’ family reunion.

Throughout the weekend, my back continued to hurt and burn. I couldn’t even stay at the family reunion on Saturday evening long enough for the homemade ice cream (so you know that I was in pain).

On Monday, June 30, Chad took me back to the chiropractor while Kenneth went to Bedford with Britney for her last fertility doctor’s visit/sonogram. Afterwards, he took me home, but relief was only for a few minutes at a time. I returned to the chiropractor on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so that she could manipulate my hip (which turns and rotates occasionally) and my back to alleviate the pain. For about 3 days, I couldn’t sleep because of the excruciating pain.

So, early Thursday morning (July3), Kenneth took me to the Hamilton ER. I was in unbelievable pain. I’m a tough old bird, but I couldn’t stand the pain. I began to cry which is not like me at all. I just had to have some relief. They gave me a shot of steroids and demerol and prescribed Darvocet. I had a short-lived pain-free period. The doctor wanted to schedule an MRI, but they only do MRI’s in Hamilton on Fridays and the next day was July 4th so they wouldn’t be doing them that day.

I went home happy only to find that during the evening, the pain returned. I tried waking up every two hours and taking pain medication and holding an ice pack to the affected area. Still, no relief. Dr. Andrews (me) had the idea that combining the pain relief from the medical doctors with the bone and muscle manipulation of the chiropractor that sooner or later, I would get some relief.

Early Saturday morning (July 5), Kenneth again took me to the Hamilton ER. Again, I was crying because the pain was so severe. I told her that I lived with Crohn’s and that I’d had two natural childbirths, but that I could not tolerate this pain. The doctor on call found that I also had a urinary tract infection (UTI) and prescribed antibiotics and Lyrica for my symptoms. She also gave me two shots and concurred that I needed an MRI. I knew that I had difficulty walking at this time, but I thought it was because of the excruciating pain that I was in. In fact, the nurses met me at the car with a wheelchair because I was unable to walk the few steps from the parking pad into the ER.

Sunday did not bring any relief either. Kenneth and I talked about it and decided that I needed to go to Clifton to see my regular doctor since they all knew me and my case (Crohn’s) and had all of my medical records at their disposal. Since Mondays are so hectic at the Clifton Clinic, I called my friend who is over the ER and ACS at Clifton and told her my symptoms which by this time included numbness, inability to walk or stand or sit or lay, and the inability to tell when I needed to use the restroom.

She insisted that we come to the ER immediately. We arrived and again, they brought a wheelchair for me. A Nurse Practitioner saw me and called in the doctor on call. She put all the puzzle pieces together and realized that I had a BIG problem. She immediately ordered IV’s and an ambulance to take me to the ER at Providence.

By this time, I’m beginning to become alarmed. “What is the problem? What does she think is wrong?” But, I went along amiably because I felt like relief was just minutes away.

Time got away from me and I don’t know the exact length of events either because of the pain and because of the drugs that they were giving me to help me cope with it. Upon arrival, I was introduced to a doctor who prescribed the immediate MRI. He gave me enough pain medication so that I could lie still in the MRI. The MRI technician asked if I had any numbness in my legs. I told her that I did. That simple question told me that I had a major problem that even she could see.

Again the ER doctor came in the room and told me that he was referring me to a neurosurgeon. He wanted him to take a look at the MRI and advise me. “A NEUROSURGEON!?!?! What the heck? What is going on here?”

Dr. Schickner, the neurosurgeon, came in and said that when he looked at the MRI that he saw a mass in my lower spine (the lumbar region). He said that it didn’t look like a tumor or cancerous, but he didn’t know what it was.

I immediately thought, “Oh, dear. It’s lymphoma.” Since lymphoma is a side-effect of taking Remicade (which I take for Crohn’s), I feared the worst.

He also said that the area within the spine for most people was measured from about an 8 to a 10 and mine looked to be about a 2. He advised that we do surgery sooner rather than later. . . like right then. “Whoa, Nellie.” I didn’t know this surgeon nor his reputation, should I get a second opinion, should I go ahead with the surgery? I asked for some time to talk it over with Kenneth and pray about it.

Since I hadn’t eaten since about 7:00 that morning, he advised going ahead and doing the surgery and beginning the fight right then. So, we called the neurosurgeon back in and agreed to proceed.

We met with the anesthesiologist (who, it turns out, is married to Brit’s OB) and began the process. About 10:00 p.m., I went in to surgery. I got out about 2:15 a.m. As they wheeled me to my room, I saw Kenneth, Brit and J. P. and Gayland and Ella Faye. Again, I said to myself, “Whoa, what are all these people doing here?” I had no idea what time it was.

When Dr. Schickner came out of surgery, he told my family that he was certainly glad that we didn’t wait any longer. He said that if we had waited until morning that I would most likely have been in a wheelchair the rest of my life with no control over my bowels . . . or worse. That frightened them and I must say, when they told me, I was also startled.

The good doctor came by the next morning and explained the surgery to me. He said that once he made the incision, that he had to remove the muscles from the spine. As he did that, there were large pockets of puss there. He cleaned those up and did the laminectomy (removing the back of the spine). Once it was removed, he used an instrument to run up under the nerves and he said he found even larger pockets of puss which he also cleaned up.

He then told me that he was calling in an infectious disease doctor to confer with. That doctor told me that I had a staph infection and that was what caused the matter (puss) in my spine. The Remicade that I take for my Crohn’s had suppressed my immune system so much that I didn’t have anything left to fight it off with. But, I have to have the Remicade or I’ll have a terrible flare-up with my Crohn’s. That’s a Catch-22. He did lab work and immediately ordered IV antibiotics. At first, he thought that the staph had cleared from my blood, but that was not the case. So, I had to stay an additional 5 days. Twelve days in the hospital was more than enough for me.

I had to have several procedures done while I was there including an EEG and a trans-esophogeal EEG. They also inserted a PICC line. Yuck! I hate all that hospital stuff.

I’m home now using a walker to get around. Kenneth gives me the IV antibiotics 3 times a day. He gives them at 6 a.m., 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. We have to do that for 3 more weeks. Then, I’ll have my Remicade infusion which will knock my immune system down again. But, the infectious disease doctor said that he’d probably keep me on oral antibiotics for 6 months to be sure that all of the staph is cleared.

The antibiotics make me nauseous and I have no appetite (which is not necessarily a bad thing for me). So, Ken makes his special grilled-cheese sandwiches for me. I can always eat those because they are the best in the world.

Just keep us in your thoughts and prayers as I make my recovery. Both the surgeon and the infectious disease specialist expect a complete, but long recovery. It’s nice to be here and be able to walk even if it is with a limp.

Today's my birthday. I'm alive and I'm home.

I haven't written on my blog in nearly a month. That's because I've been under the weather. Over the next few days and weeks, I'll give a detailed explanation of my illness, but for now, I just want to say how great it is to be alive and in my own home.

I had emergency back surgery on July 7th following two weeks of excruciating pain. I spent almost 2 weeks in the hospital following the surgery, but now, I'm at home. . . and it never looked so good.

It's funny how circumstances change your outlook. Things I used to deem so important are not now and others that I took for granted, I now treasure. The Lord is always teaching me. I hope that I learn and remember his lessons.

Family Reunion

As I've said before, this summer has been so nice. I've been able to accomplish a lot of things that I wanted already. There's plenty more summer yet to experience.

This weekend we will have our first-ever Stephens' Family Reunion. Since we can't always all get together at the various holidays because of extended family obligations, we have planned a reunion so that everyone can come. I can't wait. It will be so nice to spend some relaxing time just visiting with all of the family without so many time constraints.

We plan lots of activities for the kids and for adults. I think that it will be the first opportunity of many, many yet to come to make more family memories.

Ahhh. . . summertime!

I haven't blogged in a while because I have just been enjoying good old summertime. It is hotter than usual and we need a good, soaking rain, but there's nothing like downtime. I quit wearing a watch so that I wouldn't feel compelled to keep a schedule. It has worked so far.

I am accomplishing things that I have to put off during the school year. It feels good. I am visiting and keeping in touch with those that I neglect the other nine months. That also feels good.

Last Sunday, we went to Brit and J. P.'s with the rest of the fam and they took us to their swimming hole. J. P. had made a rope/tire swing out over the water and a ladder to climb the bank. Huge sycamore and pecan trees shaded much of the creek. Shallow water turned in to a deep, cool pool. Some of them kayaked, some swung out into the water, others simply waded. Cooling off in the creek made the rest of the world sink away from us. It was quiet, except for the cows mooing for us to give them something to eat (which they did not need, but were accustomed to). It took me back to a simpler time in my life when my mom, dad, and my brothers along with another family went to our favorite place, Fairview, to swim.

I don't know what other wonderful surprises this summer holds, but it has been the best I've had in several years. I'm open to the possibilities.

Goosey

Have you ever known someone who was a little goosey? You know, easily startled? Oh, yeah, there are those who are only occasionally goosey. They've been gotten so many times that they're almost immune to the shock of gotcha. Then, there are others who are consistently goosey. They are the ones that no matter what, no matter where, no matter who gets the gotcha on them, they are going to jump (and usually let out an expletive).

My husband is goosey. He falls into the latter category. He is a consistently goosey guy. Last week, I had the rare opportunity to have lunch downtown at the little sandwich shop. Almost always, I have 28 minutes to consume whatever I can concoct and call a sandwich, or whatever I can scavenge from my home refrigerator, or whatever I can nuke in my microwave. But, last week, I escaped the 28-minute gorge to have a leisurely lunch with colleagues.

Near the end of our meal, I received a call on my cell asking me to pick up a prescription at the drug store up the street. Of course, I complied.

As I drove up to park, I noticed my husband's pickup parked outside. I proceeded inside to ask for the prescription and I noticed the dear soul inside. He had no clue that I wasn't on the hill as usual nor that I was anywhere near him. He and a trusty assistant were looking intently on the shelves directly in front of the pharmacists station for some vitamins. They were both bent over carefully examining each bottle's contents to see if they met his specifications.

I quietly and gingerly stepped over behind the two of them. I reached down and pinched his rear oh so carefully and tenderly and then brushed my hand across his butt. He was flabbergasted. He jumped right straight up and whipped around to see who was messing with him. My husband's eyebrows formed an inverted V as he was trying to identify the nasty culprit. The trusty assistant didn't know him nor did she know me. She only knew that some woman had come up to this poor man and pinched him on the butt. Her mouth flew open and her eyes widened as she looked at me. I struggled to keep a straight face. Finally, I gave up.

I laughed so hard that I nearly had an accident right there on the vitamin aisle. Next time you see my husband, ask him about getting goosed at the drug store. He'll curse.

New News

Yesterday was a great day. I went with Britney to her doctor’s appointment in Bedford. Dr. Kevin (Doody) did an ultrasound to check the twins. He has been the most thorough and informative of all of her doctors thus far.

He identified Twin A and measured the twin, the placenta, and the egg sac. All were right on target. Next, he also identified Twin B and performed the same measurements. They measured the same size and, more importantly, the correct size for this stage of their development. He told her that by measuring the egg sacs, he could detect some possible genetic defects if the egg sacs were too large. They were both perfect.

The twins are at eight weeks of development according to the sonogram which is exactly where Brit is in the pregnancy. Once again she heard the heartbeats. He isolated each one and they were at 179 beats per minute which he said was right on target. He also added that they were as fast as they would ever be right now and that they would slow down during the course of the pregnancy.

Dr. Kevin told her that she had passed the critical stage in her pregnancy where there was a higher risk of miscarriage. He reassured her that everything should be fine from here on. She was so relieved to hear that. He also told her that there was no fear of the “vanishing twin”. Both are in the appropriate and same stage of development.

He took pictures in sonogram format and then he took pictures in 3-D. He would rotate the frames so that she could get to see each twin best. The technician printed the pictures for her. They are amazing. We could really see the twins and they looked like very tiny babies.

Dr. Kevin told her that she should contact her OB/GYN for an appointment. She will be seeing Dr. Manning in Waco. At her next appointment, they will do still another sonogram and some blood work. That will conclude her participation in the study. After her June 30th appointment, she will be released from the Bedford clinic and her records sent to Dr. Manning.

He was very concerned about her “all day” sickness and fatigue. He does not want her to be so sick and so he urged her to get a prescription filled for the good stuff.

As I said earlier, it was a great day. She felt like she left with more information this time than at any of the previous visits. She was encouraged and elated. We celebrated by going to Unos’ Pizza in downtown Ft. Worth where they serve the best pizza in the world. She was able to eat her pizza and enjoy it.

Please keep her and the twins in your prayers as they continue to grow.

Bittersweet

Today marks the end of my twenty-ninth year of teaching. I have to admit that I'm quite excited about summertime. I have taught summer school for the past several years, but I'm not this summer. I'm so excited about having some "me" time.

On the other hand, a very dear friend is retiring this year. She won't be back next year. We have shared many, many long talks. Sometimes we laughed until we cried. Other times we just cried. So, this year-end is bittersweet. With the onset of summer, comes anticipation. With the prospect of next year without my dear friend, comes apprehension. As the saying goes, life will go on just not the same.

Threes

I'm sure that you've heard it said that things come in threes. Well, in my husband's family, that has almost always been true. Over the past two weeks, the three rule has come in play. Not only is Brit expecting twins, but her cousin Jessica is expecting a baby in July. We also found out that another cousin, Cassie, is expecting a baby due the same day that Brit is. So, there's the three rule in place one more time.

Awe

In the unlikely chance that you have not heard, Britney and J. P. found out just yesterday that they are expecting twins. After a long period of scientific and medical intervention, not only are they expecting, but they have twins. Elizabeth (J. P.’s mother) and I accompanied Brit to her appointment yesterday in Bedford knowing that we would probably find out “how many”.

Almost as soon as the sonogram began, Dr. Doody (Kathy) said, “Well, there’s two.” Brit began to weep. Even though she knew that we was pregnant from the blood tests and the morning sickness and the slightly-bulging tummy, at that moment, when she saw the babies and heard their heartbeats, it finally became real to her. For me, it was the neatest thing I’d ever witnessed. Modern science is amazing. We could actually see two little dark spaces that are their placentas. Inside each of those were two little “dots”. When Dr. Kathy zoomed in, we could actually see the little fetuses. She amplified their heartbeats and it was just incredible. Next, she turned on the Doppler and we could see their little heartbeats flashing red with each beat. We were awestruck. She measured the one closest and its size was right on target.

They are due January 11, but most say to expect the sooner (come on tax exemptions)! We will have to wait several more weeks before they can tell the gender.

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they continue through this wondrous journey of developing their little family.

Another milestone. . .

Tomorrow is another exciting day in the journey that Brit and J. P. are taking. Ever since they embarked on the in vitro trek, there has been one day of excitement after another. Each milestone gets more and more intriguing. On Thursday, Brit, Elizabeth, and I will go to Bedford to hear the heartbeat(s) through a sonogram. They will do additional Hcg Beta and other testing for the study she is involved in.

She should know tomorrow how many embryos (fetuses) there are now. Brit and J. P. have convinced themselves that there's more than one. I think they will be a little disappointed if there's not. However, they confirm that one little baby will be just fine. They don't care what the gender is either. They just want a healthy baby -- or two. I'll update my blog on Friday with any known results.

She hasn't been blogging lately because she has been resting so that there won't be any complications. Please keep all of the little Aaron family in your prayers.

The Mole

If anyone knows me very well, they know that if I'm sworn to secrecy, the secret is safe with me. My mom said I used to beat anyone she ever knew at being able to keep things to myself. So, when Chad requested that I not tell of his big adventure, I did as he asked. However, now that the deadline has passed, I am relieved that I can reveal the details.

I've always told my children that they can do or be whatever they choose. I know that if they set their minds to it, they can reach their goals. One of Chad's goals has been to appear on a reality TV show. Mind you, I think he's crazy, but nevertheless, it is something to which he aspires. In December, he applied to be on "Big Brother". He didn't get a response. He was glad, however, once the show came on the air because the players were teamed up and he would not have liked that aspect of the show.

In January, he applied for "The Mole". The application was sixteen pages long and very involved. He persevered through it and submitted it. Well, lo and behold, he received an e-mail from Scott Wissener, the casting agent for "The Mole" requesting more information. They e-mailed back and forth for a couple of weeks. At first, Scott requested a two-minute video. So, Chad and his Aggie friends made a video and sent it to him. Next, he wanted to talk to Chad on the phone and ask him some additional questions. Then they spoke on the phone several times. If you know Chad, you know that he did his homework. He did quite a bit of detective work and found that Scott Wissener was, indeed, a big wig in the film industry. He also found a former competitor on "The Mole" who had been an Aggie. That competitor actually lived in Austin. So, he contacted him for any tips that he might offer.

Finally, after the casting call in Austin, where several thousand would-be Moles auditioned, Mr. Wissener told Chad that he wanted him to come back to Austin for an interview on February 14th at the Doubletree Hotel on 15th street. The former Aggie Mole competitor said he would meet Chad there. So, he went. I admit I was a little leary, but he had checked it out and was convinced that it was legit.

So, he found his way to the Doubletree Hotel and signed in. He was told in which room the casitng director would meet him. He proceeded there and met with Scott Wissener and his assistant. The interview lasted several minutes and he was asked a multitude of questions. They were especially interested in his competitive nature. He expounded on that subject quite a bit. At the end of the interview, they told him that they would contact him if they needed more info. I figure that was the old Hollywood adage, "Don't call us, we'll call you" thing.

I don't believe that he had any further direct contact with the casting agent or his assistant after that. And, as you might expect, he was not chosen to be on "The Mole". If he had been chosen, he would have been whisked out of the country to Europe (Spain first) and he would have not been able to have any contact with any of us until all of the filming had ended. In retrospect, it was good that he wasn't chosen. He would have missed his Nonnie's funeral and Brit's great news. Since his family is Chad's top priority he wouldn't have wanted to miss either of those events. I think that God was watching out for him.

Chad thinks he was too "green" at the reality show business to be chosen this time, but he was absolutely thrilled to have a call back. That' s a lot closer than anyone else he knows hass ever gotten before. Who knows, next time he might make it and be on TV. In any event, I know that he will keep on trying until he either gets on a show or tires of the efforts.

Monikers

I have many names to which I answer. Some are not repeatable, though. Among the repeatable names that I treasure are
Mom, as called by my children;
Bun, given to me by Peggy Anderson and perpetuated by her daddy, now my siblings call me that;
Aunt Bun, as called by my Stephens nieces and nephews and a few other very close friends’ children;
Aunt Brenda, as called by my Andrews nieces and nephews and other friends’ children;
B. G., as called by Billie Chumney and his family;
Teach, as called by several of the 1980’s students;
Mrs. Pud, as called by my husband’s friends who call him Pud; Andrews, as called by Garland Riggs because he thinks it’s cool; Masandrews, by several of the high school students because they don’t make the effort to enunciate correctly;
Miss, as called by some of the high school students who don’t want to have to think about anyone’s name so it becomes a one-size fits all;
Andy, as called by Natalie DeMasters because she thinks it is fun;
Miz A, as called by Lane Gartman and others because it distinguishes me from Miz E;
Bidagail, as called by Tanner Courtney because he is a little boy who can’t yet say my name correctly;
Bren, as called by my blogger friends;
Bumney Gail, as called by Kim Townsend because that's what she chose;
Brenda Gail, as called by my former classmates and most of the kids I grew up with;
Strenda Bephens, as called by Charles Jones because he never calls anyone by their correct name.

But the name that I will cherish forever is what my grandchildren call me. Of course, I have chosen a name. . . Gigi. I’m going to train them to call me that. . . maybe.

Turning it over

It takes some of us longer to learn life's lessons that others. I've always considered myself a fairly independent person who tried to make her own way. Of course, obstacles sometimes appeared. I agonized over what to do to get past them. Sometimes these complications caused me a lot of stress. Being human, I tried to solve the problems or situations that caused me the anxiety. It seemed like the more that I involved myself in the solution process, the more tension I experienced.

So, a few years ago, I discovered the "secret" to dealing with the anxiety. It may sound corny, but it is true. I learned to turn in over to God. Once I learned that lesson, my life became a lot easier. I have learned to identify the things that I can and cannot change. The one's I can, I do. The one's I can't, I turn over to God and he handles them for me. He has never failed me. Not once. The solution may not be what I wished or what I expected, but it is always the best for me.

That kind of reminds me of the Serenity prayer: "Lord, grant me the wisdom to change the things I can, to accept the things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Learning to "turn it over" to God was a hard lesson to learn that took me quite some time to learn, but one that was essential to my peace of mind.

Progress

Everything is progressing as it should. Brit went back for an appointment yesterday and her Hcg levels were in the 7000's. The nurse was thrilled. She told Brit to take it easy (rest) for 48 hours whenever she has a problem like she did on Sunday. I know she'll heed that advice.

She goes again next Thursday, the 22nd for more bloodwork and a sonogram. They expect to know "how many" at that time. Please keep her, J. P. and the little one(s) in your prayers.

Thank you, Lord!

We often take the little things for granted. Sometimes only when we are faced with adversity or disappointment do we seek the Lord's intervention. On occasion, I know that is true for me. Although I try to consult him every day, when I am really against a wall, I rely wholly on him, his guidance and love.

He has, once again, interceded in a big way! Brit and J. P. are expecting. We don't know how many nor the gender, but we don't care. We are just thankful that the Lord has seen fit to bless them with a pregnancy.

Of course, I'll keep you updated. You can check on her progress by going to her blog. The link is on the right side of the page of this blog. Keep us all in your prayers as we travel this wondrous journey.