Improvement in All Areas . . .

I thought I better write and give you all an update on the weeks happenings. First off, Jody and I went to the Endocrinologist yesterday after nervously waiting for 3 days for results on his most recent lab work. The phone call we received from the doctor's office on Monday left me feeling as though things were not getting better, and maybe even worse. I was proved wrong on Thursday, however, when we went to the doctor and found that the very opposite was true. All of Jody's levels for iron and liver functions had improved dramatically (All Glory to God)!!! The levels were so close to normal that it is very likely a liver biopsy will not be needed (a huge relief). Jody has to go back in for more lab tests right before Christmas and we are praying his levels will improve even more. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us and sending us words of encouragement, it has helped tremendously!

Only 40 days until Christmas and you better believe I have all kinds of things planned for the next few weeks! Because we only have the girls every other weekend, I have to plan all the holiday festivities accordingly. We will be putting up Christmas decorations in one week. I know it is a bit early . . . but really it is the only day/night we can if we want to include Haylee (which of course we do). After that, literally every night/day we have both girls is filled with fun holiday traditions . . . I am so excited and I think I have done a good job getting the girls so excited they can hardly stand it!!! I also have a "Christmas Playlist" set up for the blog which I will share with you begining the day after Thanksgiving.

My dad helped me see just how much of an influence I can be on those girls. Last weekend we went to see my grandparents and my grandma had a bunch of calendars and told the girls they could each have one. One of them had a picture of Africa on the front and the both were ecstatic over it (kind of like they get when we see a car from Texas). My dad said "what an influence you are to those girls". Oh, I beg you to pray for me . . . I want my influence on them to be filled with agape love, just shining Christ to them. Oh, how I make mistakes and do ungodly things at times, pray that as the girls see me fall, they will also see me lift my eyes up to God and walk again in His grace! It is a tremendous privilege and even larger responsibility to be an influence on a child and I pray that I will do so in such a way that God alone will receive the glory and praise.

I think Autumn has come around a new corner this last week. Yesterday I was sitting in the chair and she sat in my lap and just wanted to hug. She told me she loved me a least half a dozen times in the 10 minutes we sat like that . . . it was really neat. Little things like that make me believe she is getting more used to being in our home. Last week we went to Jody's cousins birthday party and someone asked Autumn how she liked living with us and Autumn said "it is fabulous", and Jody's mom asked where she had been (a common question to the girls when she hasn't seen them in a week) and Autumn said "Home Sweet Home". Jody and I weren't around for either of those comments, we were told about them later. She has gotten much more talkative and skips all around the house. The other day when I was working from home she had one of the baby blankets on the wood floors and a giraffe and zebra animal set up in front of her . . . she was playing Mrs. Clause and the African stuffed animals were her "reindeer". She was using another blanket as a whip to keep them moving. It was so cute (sorry no pictures though)!

Haylee seems to be doing much better with everything. Her and I went on a date last weekend to the "Utah Women's Show" and she told me she had a blast (mission accomplished). We bought little stuffed animals that turn into pillows (refrenced above as Autumn's reindeer) and she got her hair styled for free. After the first of the year Autumn and I are starting Girl Scouts together and Haylee and I are going to go out on dates using a really neat book I got a couple weeks back . . . I am excited about both!

This weekend Autumn has her dance recital and I will be sure to take pictures to share. She will go to her mom's on Saturday afternoon until Monday (she is off track right now). Then next weekend kicks off the holiday celebrations with the Adam's family Thanksgiving, Christmas decorations and Autumn's birthday party!

Serving Him,
Jess