Decorate a Door

Good Monday morning!

The Showcase Pic is from Roxie’s family birthday celebration Sunday. The chick is now officially 14 years-old. Which means I am very, very old. But I tried to concentrate on her and her party, and not me and my “one foot in the grave” status. (It doesn’t help that Joshua will be 17 next week. It doesn’t help at all!)

The Gallery Pics are from the weekend volleyball tournament. Although we didn't bring the First Place trophy home, the girls were amazing. Simply, totally amazing. Class acts all the way! Trophy or not, I could not have been more proud of the team.

I love the quote, "Sports do not build character. Sports REVEAL character." That is so true. I am happy to report our little volleyball team has a great deal of character.

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! - In honor of my 500th post on A Simple Life, I am having a contest for the last Mystery Bag Party. The first SIX WOMEN who comment in the Comment Section, via e-mail or Facebook beginning 6:30 a.m. Friday, OCTOBER 1, will be eligible to climb on board the Big Gold Van for the fourth and final Mystery Bag Party!

I'll announce winners as soon as the first six people have entered the contest. Mark it on your calendars... Friday, October 1 at 6:30 a.m.

CHICKEN UPDATE! CHICKEN UPDATE! CHICKEN UPDATE! Yesterday I had three people come up to me and say they were bringing me a chicken this week! THREE! Can you believe it? Mikie is very upset... and while I am ever so thankful these people are considering delivering a live chicken to my door, they didn't mention the coop. So I'm hoping I don't walk out to the Big Gold Van this afternoon and find two or three chickens walking around the front yard.

(And I'm really hoping people do not drop them over the backyard fence. If I look out and see feathers on the deck... Well, let's just say, Sparkle and Copper have not be trained to live in harmony with other creatures.)

I may do a little "cute coop" research today!

Roxie’s Birth Day Story - Part Two - As promised, I will re-post Roxie's Birth Day Story the next few days. You will then have three days before I start re-posting Josh's Birth Day Story. (Enjoy the break!)

Now where did we leave off... Oh, yes. Mike and I were scheduled for testing at UAB. It was scheduled for May 1.

Bear with me just a moment while I share something that happened before the May 1 appointment. (It is relevant, I promise. God's hand at work.) Joshua was invited to a birthday party at the local park in town, and he and I ran/waddled (respectively) into the park gates. He ran to his friends and began playing, and I looked for a comfortable bench to rest my weary feet.

I found myself sitting next to a young woman named Laura, and we began a conversation. At the time, she was working with families with Downs' children, as well as other disabilities. I began asking her many, many questions, and she answered them all calmly and in a wonderful matter-of-fact tone. I told her about my test, and she reassured me... not necessarily that the test was probably wrong, but about how our family would be able to handle a special baby. I came to the party anxious, sad, unsure of my abilities as a mother, but thanks to Laura, I left with a peace and reassurance that the Faulkner Five (to be) would not only survive, but thrive. It was my first of many, many lessons in living one day at a time. (Regarding that lesson, I am such a SLOW learner.)

If you have read Josh's Journey, I would now like to mention the Laura I sat with on that park bench a little over 14 years ago is the same Laura I called when Josh was at his worst. The same Laura who told me she loved me, and then put me in touch with the doctor God had chosen to help us in our new journey. Coincidence... I think not! God's sure and steady hand in an unsure and unsteady world... I know so!

Okay. Back to May 1. Mikie and I dropped the boys off with Grandmother and headed to UAB for the special ultrasound which looks for ten signs of a Downs' baby. We sat for a few minutes holding hands before they called us back. We prayed, stood up and walked into the ultrasound room. A wonderful ultrasound tech named Michelle started the ultrasound. (I later met Michelle again at church... We have sons the same age, and I am proud to say she is a friend to me. She and her husband have lifted our family up in prayer these past almost five years, and they have never NOT stopped to talk to me or Mike to ask how Josh is doing. She's a very special person. Once again... Coincidence that a wonderful Christian woman was performing this stressful test for me and Mikie... I think not! God's sure and steady hand in an unsure and unsteady world... I know so!)

The test went quickly. One, two, three, four... Nothing was showing up on the ultrasound as being abnormal. Five, six, seven, eight... Still nothing. Nine and ten. Nothing. Nada. The things they look for on an ultrasound to determine if the baby has Downs' were not there. The blood test had been a false/positive. As far as they could tell, the baby did not have Downs'.

We were very calm. Then Michelle leaned down and said, "Did you want to know the sex of the baby today?"

Up until that time, if anyone had asked me what we wanted, I was honest. I consider myself a little boy mom, but I would have loved to have a little girl. When we were worried about the health of this baby, the boy/girl thing literally flew out the window. I answered, "It doesn't matter either way, but we have always found out."

"Well, it is definitely a little girl," she said.

"Are you 100% sure?" I asked.

"Pretty sure," Michelle responded.

"Wow," Mike and I said. But let it be known, we would have said "Wow" if it had been a precious little boy, too.

I didn't mention it before, but we had four "incidences" during Roxie's pregnancy. It was May 1, and we had already had two. We thought the rest of the pregnancy would be smooth sailing. However, we had two more obstacles to overcome before Roxie was considered "okay." I'll talk about those a little bit tomorrow!

DISCLAIMER - Once again, please know I am not comparing this pregnancy to other women who have been through so much more in terms of having difficulty conceiving, having special need babies, having extremely difficult labors, having babies in NICU and many, many other hardships. This is very simply Roxie's Birth Day Story. This is her beginning. She knows this story backward and forward, and I tell her this story every year because I want her to see God's hand in her life from the very, very beginning.

Remember, everyone has a story to tell, and that is all this is meant to be... Roxie's Story.

Weekend Review

Our weekend was very nice. Busy, but nice. How many of us can say, "Amen" to the busy part?

Friday and Saturday were spent at Roxie's volleyball tournament. While Josh attended the Friday night games, he is job hunting and still cutting lawns, so his Saturday was spent doing those productive-type things! Austin played in not one, BUT TWO, exhibitions Saturday. While we were watching the Auburn game Saturday evening, Josh and Mikie were texting the play-by-play directly to the bandstands (which I am sure is against the rules).

Austin headed home early Sunday morning for Sunday School and church, and we all met after church for Roxie's family birthday celebration with aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins.

Since Cousin Brad had just acquired a new-to-him red convertible, instead of pony rides for Roxie's birthday, we took turns riding around our fair city in his car with the top down. I highly recommend this as birthday party entertainment for the teen crowd. (And the over-40 crowd, too, for that matter.) We had a great time.

We went to church Sunday night, and I have to say I'm proud of myself. I've attended two classes in a row! I'm enjoying the Vicki Courtney study (Your Girl), and I'm looking forward to getting into the subject areas which concern ME, ME, ME!

Maybe that is why I don't usually attend classes. Unless I'm totally interested or it's totally about me, it doesn't seem to hold my attention. (I'm reverting back to my two year-old "self." Can you tell?)

Decorate a Door

This isn't a party idea, but it is a simple way to make the memory of a birthday last a little longer. Take every card received by the birthday boy or girl and tape them all over their bedroom door or door frame.

Fill in any blank spots on the door with pieces of the different wrapping paper used on his/her gifts. Trim in shapes (squares, circles, triangles, etc.).

Leave this "decoration" up for at least an entire week after the actual birthday. It's fun to wake up every morning and immediately remember a happy event.

NOTE - This is fun to do with the kids' Valentine's Day cards, also.

Have a meaningful Monday! Tuesday’s recipe is perfect for this cooler weather we’re having right now. You might want to visit again!

Take care, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda