So unexpected

Last night around 10 pm, we got a phone call no ever wants to recieve.

caller: We got this number from David Krout
me: That's my father
caller: Mam, this is Detective Sullivan from the Duvall County Sherriff's department, your father was injured in a house fire tonight
me: Oh my GOD
Det Sullivan: Yes ma'am, is there anyone here who can come to the house to secure it and go to the hospital
me: Yes, my brother lives in Palm Coast, I will find a way to get him awake and there, where is my Dad?
Det Sullivan: He's been flown to Shands Teaching Hospital in Gainesville, I don't have a number there. He is in critical condition.

Brandon and I had every phone in this house working to get my brother, sister, mother or anyone on the phone. We finally got everyone and I started using the internet to get the phone number to the hospital. I found him in the ER, they had him listed as 'unidentified male.' Now the police knew his name, but somehow between Jacksonville and Gainesville it was lost. I spoke to the Dr. who was treating him and said it was really bad.

My brother and sister arrived at the hospital after midnight. We all agreed no life support, we let him go this morning. Here's a link to the 11:00 pm news in Jacksonville.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=115025&catid=15

Please remember us in your prayers. I am headed to FL tomorrow to help make the arrangements and get his estate in order as best I can in a week.

All about Parker...

After 30 hours and 14 minutes of labor, we met our princess 5 years ago today. Parker Elizabeth was born to very exhausted parents at 2:14 am on July 29, 2003. She weighed 9 lbs, 11 oz and 21.5 inches long, with head full of black hair and a cleft lip. I have blogged about her cleft lip being a surprise to us many times so we won't revisit. Just know, we love just the way she is. I looked through all of our digital pictures, there are only a handful of her 1st year as we did not have a digital camera yet.

First trip to the beach, 10 months old.

Halloween 2004- first year to dress up.

2nd birthday

3rd Birthday

4th Birthday-family dinner

Parker's 5th birthday party

We celebrated on Sunday at Sweet & Sassy. Parker had a blast dressing up as a princess with all her friends. Happy Birthday sweet Lizzy Lou. We love you.

Wrecked cars - 1
Sick children - 1
Birthday parties - 1 (so far)
Return calls from chickie's insurance company - NONE!

For those of you who don't know, Grant has been sick since last Thursday. I will spare you all the details but he had a virus that caused an ear infection. Off to the sick clinic we went, he got a shot of rocephin for the ear infection and the dreaded you wasted a copay for a virus diagnosis. We've all been there, you know everyone hates that. Later that day, he took a 5 hour nap and when we woke up, he had a 103.8 fever! I called the ped's office back one minute before the phones switched to the after hours message. The nurse called me right back and said if motrin does not turn it around within 45 minutes, go to the ER. One hour later, 101.7 so we are going in the right direction. Basically he had a raging fever all weekend long, we never totally broke the fever but it would go down to 101 or so then back up to 103.6 or 103.8. Saturday I called the nurse on call, she said go to the LeBonheur after hours clinc, so we off we go. The ped there said it's still the virus (much more expensive copay for urgent/ER visits), be more aggressive with the motrin or advil so that is what we did. He also prescribed an oral antibiotic to prevent the fluid behind his ears from getting re-infected. ARGH! Luckily for us, this morning he was fever free and apparently stayed that way all day since daycare did not call us.

During the mist of all of this, I still needed to shop for Parker's birthday prior to picking her up for a Dr's appointment Friday. Grant was a trooper all morning as we went from place to place, all the while with a 103 fever. You would have never known he was sick unless you touched him, he was laughing and playing the whole time. Crazy, huh? Anyway, on the way home Friday, a teenager turned her Volvo into my car. Brandon was on his way home when I called, he picked up the kids from the 'scene' while I waited for the police to finish the report and issue HER ticket. Both of her parents came and were very nice about the whole ordeal, assuring me they would take care of everything. As soon as I arrived home, I called their insurance company, I was told it would be Monday before I heard anything ... well Monday's business day is over and I still have not heard anything. I should mention, I left our assigned adjuster 3 messages this afternoon, how crazy is that?

On the bright side, Parker's 5th birthday is tomorrow. We had her party yesterday, I hope to have pictures uploaded tonight (hint-hint honey do) for a birthday post tomorrow.

Grant-a-cakes

Not too long ago, Grant woke up from a nap and needed his clothes changed so I undressed him, changed his diaper and let him free so to speak. When I came out of our bedroom, I found him like this on our couch enjoying Spicy Nacho Doritos which he helped himself too. I cracked up, grabbed the camera to capture my future blackmail picture. He is all set up, remote by his side.

I hope every one is enjoying their weekend. Ours has been a bit crazy, more on that in another post.

Praying for a dear friend

I would like to ask my blog friends to join me in prayer for a very dear friend of mine. We have been friends since we were little girls. Last year, she accepted she had a problem with alcohol after receiving 2 DUI's in 6 months. After her first DUI and the classes required to keep her license, she met someone who introduced her to Xanax leading to her 2nd DUI charge. After 11 months of sobriety and trying to rebuild her life, she re-lapsed this weekend.

I can't say I really understand alcholism but I have more compassion for people who struggle with it now. One of my aunts was an alcoholic and I never cut her any slack but now I see no one chooses to live their life this way. I have come to understand it is a disease and no one asks for it, much like I didn't ask to have Asthma, I just do.

Please keep her in your prayers, I know she can fight this demon and win. She's done it before. She called me this morning to let me know she had re-lapsed and ask for my prayers. So I am asking you, my dear blog friends, to remember my friend in your prayers.

Swimming lessons-round 2!

Parker went under water! This a huge deal for her, we have really been making a big deal out of it. We tried swimming lessons last month, she did okay but was terrified of getting her face/head wet. This week she seems more comfortable in the water and is doing some things on her own like jumping off the diving board into a coach's arms, as opposed to being lowered by another coach, where she never gets her head wet. Last night, she jumped, went under for a few seconds and came up, then she used the dumbbell to swim over to the later unassisted by a coach. The best part? She wanted to do it again! Way to go Parker Liz!

Bang, crackle, crash!

That's what it sounds like when a rock (and I hope not a bullet) hits your window and breaks it while going 70 mph on the interstate. I bet you would never believe this is the 2nd time it's happened, would you? About 3 years ago, I was on my way to work when I heard what sounded like a gun shot, then my rear driver's window crackled and fell into car. I was shaking by the time I got to work. I remember there was glass in Parker's car seat which was in the middle back then and being so thankful she was not in the car. Brandon happened to be off that day so he came to get my car and wait while the window was replaced then to vacuum in out. A few months ago, he was working on my seat and found glass embedded in the carpet under the seat.

Today, at about the same spot on the interstate, it happened again except it was the passenger front window this time. Same sounds, bang! crackle! crash! glass everywhere even inside my purse which was closed at the time. What are the chances it could happen twice? So I immediately called Brandon who told me I have to stop driving the interstate which is not realistic. I already work in a rough neighborhood, going through the city to get here is really asking to get shot. No thanks, I will take my chances on the interstate. Then I called a very dear friend whose mom is in the glass business. She hooked me up so now I wait for the installer to come to my office to put in my shiny new window.

It's ironic because Brandon and I cleaned my car out last night after the kids went to bed. He told me today, he was not going to vacuum it again for me. Of course, kids can't ride in my car again until he does (see glass everywhere reference above). I hope you are having a better Wednesday than me!

Missed me?

I just realized it's been 14 days since I posted anything (thanks Lisa!) so I will try to update everyone on things going on.

Grant is growing like a weed and communicating more every day. When he wants you to know something, he finds a way to make you understand. Some of my favorite Grant-ese words:
Opie -- Open
Zizzy -- Lizzy, not sissy for Parker. Her full name is Parker Elizabeth, we call her Lizzy at home.
Wri-back -- Right back, this is a new term when someone leaves the room.

Parker is in her annual summer growth spurt. She always seems to get a taller around her birthday which is July 29th. Her latest trick, if you will, is pinkie swearing and the movie Hairspray, she loves all the music and dancing, she asks to watch it every week. This morning, I said your shirt is twisted, she said "twist, twist, twist, mashed potato, mambo" then reminded me it was from the movie. Too cute! I told ya'll she loves to dance. Tonight begins round two of swimming lessons, wish us luck!

Brandon is healing well from his bout with cellulitis. His ankle still swells every single day but he is not in pain.

Not much going on for me these days. Just working alot and getting Parker ready for Kindergarten. We bought her first uniforms this weekend. They need to be altered so we can get at least 2 years out of them. A friend from work sews on the side, I am going to ask her to help us.

So that's the update with us, what's happening in your world?

Parker's proposal!

Let me give you a little back story, Parker has been asking to go to 'Chick-a-lay' for breakfast for over a week now. Yesterday, I told her we would have to leave after Sesame Street went off in order for me to get to work on time and go to Chick-fil-a for breakfast. Although we did not leave when we needed to, we didn't leave late so I told her we could go. This made her late getting to summer camp, when we walked in a little boy hugged her. Connor also goes to our church and school, he then turned to the little boy next to him and said 'that is how you get the girls to marry ya!'. Ms. Courtney said Connor you have a long time until you need to worry about that, he insisted he didn't. I asked Connor if he wanted to marry 'my Parker' and he said 'yes ma'am, I do!' He was very matter of fact about it. I have been cracking up about it all morning. She is only 4 and she has been proposed to. How funny is that?

**UPDATE** Connor told Brandon he was going to marry Parker one day when he picked her up this afternoon. At least he is consistent!