From this day forward, for better or for worse...

"I do."

Those two words said after the wedding vow are so little yet so very significant. According to Webster's dictionary some of the meanings of "do" are: to carry out, commit, to give freely, and to put forth. So when you say I do you are really saying I carry out, I give freely, I put forth, etc.

My husband lives the "do" part of "I do" everyday of our marriage. When we said I do six years ago not only did two become one, but we became a family of three. You see I had a precious daughter from a previous marriage. She had been diagnosed as having bi-polar a couple of months before we became engaged. Dear daughter was at her worse during this time period. Jimmy could have walked away and I would not have blamed him one bit. Instead he carries more than his share of the burdens, he gives freely of his love even when it is not so freely given back to him, and he puts forth more into this marriage and family than I have at times. He has stayed by my side during the worse times in our marriage even when some of the worse times meant him getting hit, spit on, yelled at, cussed at, and having things thrown at him by our daughter. He continues to love her and honor me by staying committed to the covenant between me, him, and God.

Jimmy, thank you for being a man of God and for living the "I do" part of our vows everyday. I love you.

What My Daughter Thinks I Want for My Birthday

On the way home from the doctor's offiice this afternoon, dear daughter and I had the following conversation (We were passing by Splashtown):

DD: Have you thought about what you want to do for your birthday?

Me: Not really.

DD: I want to take you to Splashtown for your birthday.

Me: I don't want to go to Splashtown for my birthday.

DD: But I want to take you and it opens on your birthday.

Me: I have school on my birthday, so I wouldn't be able to go.

DD: Then skip school, because we need to go to Splashtown for your birthday.

Me: I can't skip school.

DD: Oh.

End of conversation.

What Ifs and Only Ifs

Be still and know that I am God...sometimes that is hard to do. Especially days like today. Jimmy and I are sitting here wondering what brought on today's meltdown. Jimmy took this round while I tried to finish up making the grocery list through tears streaming down my face. It is so hard seeing her this way. The hardest part about it was when she was calming down-she was asking God to please take her home. She says she is ready to go home and that she is tired of being the way she is. It breaks my heart to see her this way. I feel so guilty on days like today and the what ifs and only ifs start up. Like, what if I hadn't married her biological father. If I hadn't eloped then I would not of gotten pregnant, and she would not be suffering the way she is. When I am feeling like this, Jimmy is so great at reminding me that God is in control and that if He did not want her to be born then I would not of gotten pregnant. Psalm 139:16 says that God has ordained her days before they came to be. I am praying that God's hand will guide her and his right hand will hold her fast (Psalm 139:10).

Keep fighting for your families and know that God is God and He is in control.

New Diagnosis Method for Food Allergies

A lot of parents have children who suffer from food allergies. Nightline had a very interesting article on last night, called Allergic to Everything. A new treatment out of Denver's Jewish Hospital allows children to eat food they once could not eat by rediagnosing them using a series of food challenges.

Click here for the article.