He Leadeth Me...

I haven't posted this yet, due to being completely overwhelmed, but we need your prayers. I'll explain more later, when and if I get the time, but our kids have lead poisoning. I asked our pediatrician to run a lead test on them at Clara's 18 month check up and all three tested positive. Clara has tested positive before for low amounts (not dangerous) and her levels haven't changed. However, Janie (who has never been tested) had such high levels that the nurse who ran the test ran it twice. Dana's lead levels were much higher, so high that his numbers were off of the scale they were measuring by. Our pediatrician tested me too and my levels are ever so slightly in the danger zone, much less than Dana and Jane. Dr. Spraggins sent us to T.C. Thompson's to have blood drawn and to get a more accurate look at the amounts of lead. Immediately after the trip to the hospital, I packed up our stuff at home and my mom and I took the kids to stay with my parents in Atlanta. We can't stay in our house until we know it's clear of lead, which may be a difficult thing. We need to get the last 10% of paint off of the house, put a coat of primer on, clean up the yard, filter the water, and wash the inside of the house and probably all of the linens and laundry too. Right now I am very impatiently waiting for the results of our blood tests, hoping that Matt's levels are low so he can continue to finish the house. The kids may be treated this next week, but more on that later. I am too emotionally exhausted to explain it all and I don't know how to spell most of it yet. So many of our friends and family have taken care of us and offered places for us to stay and we are so very thankful for your service to us and our Heavenly Father. What we need most are your prayers for our family. We know that in our weakness, He shows His strength and we learn to let Him lead and comfort us.

Please pray that God would give me strength to be a single mom while Matt and I are separated, that I would be patient and loving, despite being emotionally spent, that Matt would be able to do all of the work before him, that the inspection of our home would go well, that God would protect my children from the lead in their bodies, that God would heal them and help their bodies to filter this out, that I would get good sleep and preach the Gospel to myself instead of blaming the whole thing on me, and that above all else, we would praise our Heavenly Father and He would be glorified in all of this.

I will post more later. I'm sorry this isn't very lovely or well-spoken. Please pray.

He's all grown up

In March, Matt brought home about 50 or more frog eggs that he found in a pond, while he was fishing. We eagerly watched them as they doubled in size and popped out of their jelly eggs. Every day they grew bigger. The kids loved it. A month ago, Matt and the kids returned all but two of them to the pond. Now, four months after the eggs came home, we have our first frog. The other tadpole is pretty fat, but still no legs. This week Matt will take them to the pond to join the other froggies. Our froglet isn't eating well and he'll probably do better there. We didn't take as many pictures as we should have, but here are a few.

trying out a new look

Tell me what you think. Matt has trouble reading the white letters, so we'll try this for a week and see how we like it.

my fisher-man strikes again

Matt brought home the biggest bass he's ever caught the other day. He and Pam (mother-in-law) took the kids fishing up at a pond on Lookout and caught about 15 fish. Dana even caught two all by himself--casting, reeling and all. The big one was so big, Matt could fit his fist in it. I don't think they were all that big. Some of them were probably crappie and small "smallies". We should try to set up some group family fishing for those of you who are close by and like to fish. It's cheap, clean food and lots of fun. ;)