First of all, I would like to thank my friends and family for the prayers for my mom. For those of you who don't know, my mom went in to have her gall bladder removed last Wednesday. The surgery we great, but after the surgery she aspirated (food came up from her stomach and went into her lungs) when she was waking up from the anesthesia. Her lungs collapsed and she developed pneumonia. She has been in the ICU since Thursday. So, an outpatient surgery turned into a long stay in the hospital. She will be there until at least Friday. She was originally planning on being back to work by yesterday.

We were reminded this weekend how much a 2 year old absorbs. Even when you try to protect them, they know something is wrong. Chloe kept talking about mom the whole time we were there. She often talked about how grandma was sick, but she would be okay. One day she asked me where grandma was and told me she needed her. While we were at my parents house, she would pick up things and tell us they were grandma's. She is still having trouble sleeping and doesn't like it if Phil or I leave her.

Please continue to pray for my mom as she heals. It will be a slow process and I know she wants to get back to work. Pray that she takes the time she will need. Also pray for the doctors. They think there may be some underlying issues that they plan to address after she is out of the hospital. Pray for my dad and my brother Eric. Thanks for all of your support and the phone calls. They mean a lot! On our way up to Kalamazoo, I felt peace because I knew we were being prayed for. What an awesome feeling. Thanks!! I know my mom is going to kill me for posting this picture, but it's the only one I had right now:)

What a summer!!!

For my one faithful reader, I decided I should probably post something since it's been 4 weeks!! We have been very busy at the Amburgey household. Phil had CDYC (church youth conference) from June 20-23 and was busy with preparations from that. Fundraising, figuring out totals for each kid, calling parents, and making sure everyone knew the rules was a bit stressful this year. While I wasn't involved in all of that, I was stressed out for him!!

It was hard to make sure we got family time and adult time with all of that going on, so we took a family vacation from June 24-27. One the hottest week in June, we headed south to visit Phil's aunts in Glasgow, Kentucky. We were hoping to be able to spend some time outside, but the high temps kept us indoors most of the time. Chloe was able to get some swimming in, and she got to experience her first cave tour. The whole time we were waiting for the tour to start she kept saying "I go on cave tour". Phil and I toured the local museum that Aunt June volunteers in. It was really impressive for a town the size of Glasgow. All of the things in the museum were donated by people in the area. It's amazing that people had some of that stuff just lying around!! I think the Victorian era walker was my favorite. Vacation was great, but we were all ready to head home, so on Saturday afternoon, we headed back to Fort Wayne. The drive was VERY long due to some construction, but we made it back safe! We were blessed several times with safety on the road (ask for details sometime).

So, we are now back to normal life. We have taken a trip to the local park for Chloe to play at the splash pad, we took a family walk last night, and are now preparing for my family to visit this weekend for my birthday. I love the freedom of summer. At times we feel super busy, but at least most of the time we are busy together:) Pics will follow!!

My husband is amazing...

This past week has been a bit of a challenge for me. I have been fighting a cold/sinus thing that keeps getting the best of me. I also had my first round of cortisone shots for my wrists on Wednesday. The doctor told me I wouldn't like him for several days. He wasn't exaggerating!! I can't really cook, cleaning is a joke, folding laundry isn't going to happen, and the thought of giving Chloe a bath is overwhelming. My husband has been there to help this whole week. He has made a late night run to get me some cold meds, had a great time giving Chloe a bath last night, and has been very supportive this week. I am blessed to have the support I have from him. I wouldn't be able to survive without it!! Thanks Phil:)

Chloe's 2!!!

Within the past week, there have been two people who I knew in high school that faced the question of faith. Do you continue to place your faith in God, or do you walk away from a faith you have know since you were a small child? While these people aren't really a part of my life today (except through Facebook), I can remember fun times with both of them. Times that we were surrounded by our identities in Christ. One made the choice to cling to the grace that God has given her. One, we will call her Samantha to protect the innocent, chose to walk away. I guess this situation made me try to imagine my life without Christ. I can't do it. Samantha said she has never been happier in her entire life. Those words lead me to believe that she never truly knew God. Was she following the ideas and "rules" of other Christians? I guess there is only one person who can answer that question. I think of times in my life when I felt like I was at the bottom. The only reason I was able to stand back up was because God was there to lift me up. This is probably the 4th time in a week this idea of "Christian rules" has come up for me. The thing that I am realizing is, it's not about a score. It doesn't matter how many things I "get right". It's about a relationship. The things that I do after that (reading my Bible, following God's commandments, praying) are a result of that relationship. My prayer is for Samantha's daughter. I pray that God sends an amazing person to show her the true love of Christ. I also pray that the scales will be removed from Samantha's eyes. I know she feels like this is the end of this subject in her life, but I think it's just the beginning. She knows the truth, and I hope that makes it so she can't sleep at night. I pray that God grabs her heart and shows her His true self. Not the ideas other Christians have given her, but true love, grace, and acceptance. I also am praying for other friends that may be at this same place. Sometimes we don't know what is truly going on inside a person. This is my reminder. It hurts when someone turns away from God. I cannot fathom how He is feeling today.

Some of my favorite things about Chloe right now...

1. She has a new found love of hide and seek. She likes to be the seeker.
2. Her love for "sauce sauce" (apple sauce). We were at Sam's Club last weekend and she got her first look at bulk apple sauce. With an amazed look on her face, she yelled "No way! Sauce sauce!!".
3. She loves her daddy. Anytime she gives me a hug or kiss she seeks out daddy so he can have one too!
4. She likes to brush her teeth. She really likes it when daddy helps. Mommy-not so much:(
5. She loves to read books. You can usually read a couple of pages before she decides it's her turn to read to you.
6. She is learning her ABC's. She's getting better at saying all of the letters correctly.
7. She is very aware of babies. She doesn't like it if she hears a baby crying. We always tell her she is going to be a great mommy someday.
8. She loves playing outside. She is starting to master the slide in our backyard.
9. Her expressions are very dramatic. Whether it giggles or grumps, she puts a lot of effort in her emotions.
10. She still snuggles, sometimes. In the early morning when we are getting ready for work, she loves to just sit and snuggle.

Being an adult

Phil and I have been on a financial plan to get out of debt and build a savings for about a year now. There have been some bumps in the road, but none as big as what we have had going on the past month. Our washer died, our computer died, we discovered an oil leak in our car, and last night we found a mold problem in our bedroom. Last night Phil and I were feeling VERY discouraged. So, we have to buy new carpet, tear out a very handy cabinet in our room, buy a new dresser (because the drawers in our room were storing clothes), and paint. There are lots of things we have dreamed about doing in our house. Re-doing that room was one of them, but we didn't want to do it right now.

Facing this huge task and a large sum of money that will have to come from savings, it would be easy to throw in the towel and say what is the point of continuing. We are not going to do that! God is still in control. He will continue to provide.

If we hadn't found the problem when we did, things could have been a lot worse. I am thankful that the need to clean overcame me when it did. Some people will say that was because it's time for spring cleaning, I say it's because of God. He knew what the problem was and without that urge, it would have been months before the issue was found. I am thankful for where we are at now. God is continuing to grow and shape us and I will look at this as a growing opportunity!!