Despite the fact summer officially began only a few days ago, for us, it feels like it actually began in May. Since we've begun to have such wonderful weather, Faith has been wanting to get out and about, which has been fun for the whole family. In early May, the three of us ventured to the river where the boats, dandelions, and motorcylists were all out in full force.
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| Enjoying the great outdoors! |
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| The banks of the Missouri River - one of Faith's favorite places! |
Besides going to the river, the library, and elsewhere, Faith has also enjoyed spending some quality family time at her Grandma and Grandpa's. On Mother's Day we enjoyed our first official barbecue of the year. Faith enjoyed getting to know my sister's dog, Snickerdoodle, aka Snickers, a little better. He is such a good dog and quiet too, which is why Faith likes him!
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| Happy Mother's Day to me! |
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| My sister Dawn and I along with our mom! |
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| Faith's new favorite dog is Snickers! |
Toward the end of the month we made our way to our first ever visit at
Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul, MN. Here we saw a doctor who told us (much to our relief) that since Faith is not in pain, there is no need to do surgery on her left hip at this time.
We were scheduled to go back at the end of this month for one of their specialty clinics where a team of pediatric
specialists will be able to evaluate the amount of spasticity she is
having and find some ways to decrease her tone. Since the referral process has been slower than we anticipated, however, we needed to reschedule for mid-August.
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| Faith cruising around in Minnesota! |
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| Scenic view in Rogers, MN where we stayed |
Sometimes I feel like my whole life revolves around making phone calls and getting paperwork in order, not just for her but me as well! Earlier this month, I saw my cardiologist who comes to Bismarck every three months from the Mayo Clinic. I am still retaining a bit of fluid so he tried to put me on a second diuretic, along with the one I'm already on.
During the 8 days I took it however, I came down with three migraine headaches and didn't feel well in general. I'm so glad I have a doctor who quickly answers my e-mails because after sending him a message regarding the new medication, he told me to stop taking it for a week to see how I feel. I'm hoping the medication was the culprit and I can discontinue taking it -- the fewer meds the better!
Of course June also means celebrating Father's Day and so we had an early celebration at Grandma and Grandpa's to honor my dad, my husband, and my sister who pulls double duty as a single mom. Two of my nephews, who are also dads, were there as well, and we got to meet to the newest addition to our family -- little GracieLynn. On the actual Father's Day, the three of us had a perfect day at home relaxing, watching movies, playing video games, and calling our dads.
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| Faith with her dad and grandpa |
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| My dad and I |
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| Faith with grandma and her two baby cousins - Marla and GracieLynn |
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Faith and I have also been getting back to another of her favorite summer activities -- spending time on the patio. No matter how windy or cool the weather is, she is still determined to sit down there. She has fun laughing at me when the wind causes something to blow away and I have to go chasing after it. We also have fun watching the birds, and every once in a while, we spot a bunny and a gopher or two.
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| One of the cooler days on the patio - and that's not a bug on her face, it's chocolate! She enjoys her snacks! |
Unfortunately, it has been hot and windy and in early June, we nearly hit 100 degrees, which it usually doesn't do until July or August. The entire state is having drought conditions and in much need of rain. There was one day however where we did get a nice shower of rain and with it, a double rainbow! Faith had been asking when we were going to see a rainbow in the sky so she was very excited. I took this picture, but there were other photos on Facebook that showed it was a full double rainbow, which always gives me a renewed sense of hope that God will fulfill His every promise.
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| Double rainbow - double blessing! |
Our family has gone through some challenges, some related to my health, some related to raising a 13-year old girl and all of the hormone-related things that go along with it, and others regarding some personal things that have affected us. Through it all, I continue to cling to His faithfulness and this promise in God's Word:
Understand, therefore, that the Lord
your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant
for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who
love Him and obey His commands. Deuteronomy 7:9
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