Pics from my birthday weekend

The very reason I breathe! Aiden Gentry Rutland- 3 years old...his mommie...30...something! :)

Nothing better than my little guy's sweet kisses!

Gentry & Momma

My little sunshine!

Still amazed by those blue eyes! And I get a double-dose!

My Angel!

Blowing out the candles...and making birthday wishes!

The Birthday Girl - Lanie Jo

Me & My Sweetie

Okay...so I guess you know how old I am now! ;)

My Sweet Sister-In-Love...Nicole (thanks for the sweet watermelon & doing the dishes!)

Me & my brother Jared

Ryan & Christine (a.k.a. Aunt Kiki) :) (thanks for ALL your help in the kitchen!)

Daddy & Mama

Christy (my sis), the 7-layer salad (yummy!) & the birthday gal

Auntie Mel & Courtney

My mama...my treasure!

Always Daddy's Little Girl...He's my HERO!

My Birthday Weekend

This has been one of the best weekends I've had in a LONG time. I am so grateful to have been able to celebrate another year of living...another year of life! As you know, the past year has been one of immense struggle with my health issues. With everything that happened during my month long stay in the hospital back in November, to my recent ten day stay in the hospital for surgery, it's been a long, trying & painful year. There were times during my month-long hospitalization that I didn't know if I'd pull through one more time and live to see the next day. I've been really sick many times in my life, but I've never felt so close to death as I did during that hospital stay. So to be able to celebrate my birthday yesterday was indeed a celebration to me.

Thank you to my Facebook buddies who sent me lots of well wishes. I appreciated EVERY SINGLE ONE! Thanks to my two sweeties who spoiled me with a few gifts. And thanks to my AMAZING family who threw me a fantastic birthday party at my house today. Special thanks to my dear sis who put it all together and made it all look so festive.

We had mom's BBQ beef sandwiches, baked beans, broccoli & rice casserole, crab/artichoke dip, 7-layer salad, deviled eggs, watermelon, Maggie Moo's ice cream cake, pink lemonade and sweet tea! And it was ALL so yummy, I've already been back for seconds!

We had some GREAT conversation, laughed a lot, found ourselves tearing up quite a few times too, reminisced about loved ones gone and what it will be like to see them again one day. We talked about hopes for the future & dreams for our children. Gentry kept us laughing with his antics and we even snagged a few pictures of it all!

My heart is full and I find myself once again so utterly thankful for the simplest things in life...like family, love, relationships, friends, health and above all...my faith in an unchanging God.

I am headed to Meridian, MS with my hubby this week. Dale is putting up a building at a military base down there and hates to be without Gentry and me during the week. So since I didn't have any doctor appointments this week, I thought I'd try to venture out and go with him this week. Hopefully we can get a hotel with a pool so Gentry can go swimming and maybe I'll find something interesting to do during the day while Dale's at work. I don't know of anything "to do" in Meridian, so if anyone has suggestions, please feel free to let me know! :) We'll be back home on Friday night, so it will be a short trip. I'm looking forward to eating some fresh seafood while I'm down there. Been craving some crawfish, but don't know if I'll get to eat any before season's up.

Well, I think I've gone rambling, so I'll close for now. I'll keep you posted while we're gone.

Blessings to you!

Sweet Southern Comfort

So, this picture is one of the things I love about the south. No pretention...people are what they are and if you don't like it, well it's YOUR loss. I've had the privilege of living in the south for many years with my honey, attending college in Mississippi for both of my degrees, and most of my dearest friends in the world hail from Mississippi, Louisiana & Texas.

My best friend, MaDonna, had the biggest influence on teaching me the art of being a Southern gal. She taught me to never let someone's tea glass get empty...how to be gracious and welcoming to strangers...the "right" way to eat turnip greens and gumbo...(sorry, still can't stomach the greens)...and how to charm your way right into the arms of a southern gentleman!

I got my wish, and married the most Southern, country boy I'd ever met in my life. I literally had true to goodness culture shock when I met his family for the first time over a Thanksgiving break. I'd never seen someone cook like his mom did. Almost everything was fried, and she made SO MUCH! But I have to tell you it didn't take long for me to warm up to the idea of fried pork chops smothered in brown gravy, rice, fried squash & okra, and corn (I still can't figure out how she makes it taste so good!)...and washing it all down with a big ole glass of cold sweet tea. (sorry, haven't acquired a taste for that either.)

I love the laid back attitude Southerners possess...I love their southern drawl...I LOVE the food they cook...I love the way people wave at each other in their vehicles...(I used to ask Dale, "Who was that?"...and he'd say, "I don't know...we just wave to everyone!)...and you just can't beat a good ole gossip session down at the local beauty shop! :)

So, even though I'm not a Southerner (by the grace of God)...I call myself a transplant. I haven't embraced all the southern ways of life, but I try to take the positive things I've gleaned from my southern friends and apply them to my life where I can.

Diversity is what makes the world go round, so to all my southern friends out there...this shout out is for you. Thanks for impacting my life with your southern ways, and accepting this yankee into your "GRITS" club!

Love y'all!!

Melanie

Auntie Mel & Courtney Layne

`

We Have This Moment...

WE HAVE THIS MOMENT

Hold tight to the sound of the music of living

Happy songs from the laughter of children at play

Hold my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows

Making mem'ries of what was today

We have this moment to hold in our hands

And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand

Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come

But we have this moment today.

Take the blue of the sky and the green of the forest

And the gold and the brown of the freshly mown hay

Add the pale shades of spring and the circus of autumn

And weave you a lovely today

(Lyrics by: Gloria Gaither)

First and foremost, I do not take credit for the above written words. I'm still a fan of Gloria Gaither's writings and this one seems to always rise to the forefront of my memory and remains my favorite of all she's written.

As my niece's 8th grade graduation dawned on the horizon on Friday, it took me back to places and memories long forgotten in the busyness of living life. And what a lovely trip down memory lane I took as I remembered finding out that I was going to be an aunt for the first time. AND...Courtney decided to be stubborn in making her entrance into the world and waited until 3 days before my wedding to be born. So, my sister, Dave & baby Courtney were unable to attend my wedding. But my disappointment was quickly erased when two weeks later I laid eyes on her for the first time. It was unreal seeing the sister that I had grown up with, suddenly a mama to this little bundle of joy. She fell into motherhood so effortlessly, and when I held that baby with light brown curly hair almost down to her shoulders it was love at first sight!!

And so began my relationship with my one and only niece. I had so much fun buying clothes and toys for her and whisking her away to my home in Mississippi for 3-4 days at a time. She cut her first tooth at "auntie's house". We would have tea parties, trick-or-treat, read & she LOVED her Uncle Dale. Whatever sport Uncle Dale was into at the time, Courtney wanted to learn how to play.

We were heartbroken when we found out her DADDY Dave had leukemia and his only hope for survival would be a bone marrow transplant. Courtney's marrow was a 6 out of 6 perfect match, and they used hers when the first match didn't take. And then came the waiting, and waiting, and praying, and waiting to see if the graft would take. The fear of the unknown shook our family like nothing else we had ever experienced. We couldn't imagine life without Dave in it.But a terrible infection had ravaged his body and he was just too weak to fight it off. So, for reasons we'll never understand this side of heaven, God took Dave on to his eternal resting place when Courtney was only 10 months old. She was the light of her daddy's life and I can still hear him saying, "Hey ba-by", in his North Carolinian drawl and how her eyes would light up and sparkle.

Christy moved back home to be closer to family shortly after Dave's death and we "circled the wagons" around this broken family until love came around the second time for Christy & Courtney eight years later. Christy had found her "Prince" Charles, and Courtney found a new daddy. The first time they met was at General Conference in Toronto and Courtney whispered in her mom's ear, "Do you think he would let me call him dad?" And...he did! Charles and Christy will be married 5 years in July and he loves Courtney just like she was his own.

I'm so proud of the lady Courtney has become. She is one of my closest confidantes now and she adores Gentry. As I watched her walk the aisle to accept her diploma I thought, once again, how proud Dave would have been of her accomplishments. And although he's not here with us anymore, I see his smile in her eyes every time she crinkles up her face to smile.

And so I celebrate my special girl Courtney for being brave and courageous through all of the changes in her life. I hope she knows how much I love and care for her. No matter how old she gets, I'll always be "Auntie Mel" and she'll always be "My baby girl"! I love you, Court! And always remember...

We have THIS moment to hold in our hands...

And to touch as it sifts through our fingers like sand...

Yesterday's gone, and tomorrow may never come...

But WE have THIS MOMENT...TODAY!

Pics from the graduation & party!

I have lots of fun things to post, but it's SO LATE...but I promised my family I take my pictures home tonight and put them up on my blog. So, Sullivans....this ones for YOU! Enjoy the pictures. I had fun with them...and I want to see your pics too! I'll run for now!
May PEACE wrap around you like a shroud and bring comfort to you this day!
Mel

Back to Life

I cannot believe it's been 12 days since I posted. I don't have a lot going on right now, but didn't want you to think I'd totally abandoned my blog. I've spent the past couple of weeks being home from the hospital and trying to get back on my feet. As usual, the process is a bit slower for me because of the lupus and my compromised immune system and my body's ability to heal properly. However...I do feel a lot better and everyday I feel stronger. I go for some follow-ups next week with my doctors and hopefully things will be even better. The only problem I'm having is keeping my BP under control. It usually always goes up when I go into the hospital, but comes back under control (along with the BP meds I take) once I get back home. This time however, my BP has been SO HIGH! Last night it was 181/116! And it's been that high since I've been home from the hospital. I finally got concerned last night once I realized how long it has been that high. So, I decided to call my doctors this morning and wouldn't you know one of them is out until next Thursday, and the other one was out until Monday! BOTHER! So, I checked my BP again this morning and it was only 116/83!! Thank you God!! So, I'll keep taking my meds and following it close and hope I don't go into complete renal failure or have a stroke between now and Monday! :)
On another brighter note, my sweet little niece is graduating from 8th grade tonight and so we're going to cheer her on and party at her new house afterwards. I love getting together with my family. We're all pretty different and bring different views and personalities to the mix, so it's always fun to get together. One thing is for certain, there are always LOTS of laughs. I'll post pictures later on of our fabulous celebration. Now that my sweet Courtney is out of school, I hope she'll be able to spend some time at the farm with me. I always love having her around and Gentry thinks she's just about the coolest thing around.
Glad also to have my hubby home for a few days. He's been gone since Sunday on a job in Meridian, MS and has to leave out again this Sunday, so I'm going to have to make every minute count these next two days. He takes care of me so well, and I would be lost without him in my life. Yes, we fight like cats and dogs sometimes...he's SO opinionated...and my view is usually the polar opposite, but at the end of the day I know I couldn't/wouldn't want to live my life without him in it.
So, I hope we have a fun-filled night with family tonight and then have a great day tomorrow with my own little family. Hope you all enjoy the beautiful spring weekend with your loved ones and I hope to be able to be more consistent in my entries!

Love & Blessings - Mel

Sunday Night Update

Gentry acting goofy with my earplugs...me getting juiced up with some blood

Me and my sidekick

My two guys...worn out from taking care of mommie

Hey guys! Sorry I've been unable to post for a few days...just not up to much but pushing my call light for pain meds! :) I am still in the hospital, but hope to be able to go home Monday, but realistically looking more like Tuesday. I had surgery this past Friday to have my gallbladder removed. Once the surgeon got inside with an ultrasound camera, he noted that my appendix was inflammed and/or infected and decided to take that out as well. I have a drain still in that will hopefully be removed tomorrow or Tuesday as well. They already have me up walking the halls and I've been in a tremendous amount of pain, but seemed to have turned a corner somewhat late this evening and am able to move a little better without being in a good deal of pain. They have stopped my IV fluids tonight as well, so I feel like all the "little steps" are big steps of progress in getting me back home. I am still on a full liquid diet and have had some trouble today with nausea and vomiting, but having lupus makes the healing times just a bit longer than normal, so I'm trying to be patient...no pun intended! :)

Here are a few pics Dale took the day I was getting some units of blood. Gentry was joking around sticking my earplugs up his nose...and no...I decided not to reuse them! :) And then the lab tech that came in to draw my blood thought Gentry and Dale were so cute knocked out on their "oh so comfortable" overnight bed/chair, so she grabbed my cell phone and snapped a picture of them too.

Sorry if this is "disjointed" and doesn't make much sense. I'm still pretty "drug-induced" with happy stuff to keep the pain under control. Hope to be home soon and back to living life. I'm hopeful this "tune-up" will be just what I needed to help things get back to some sense of normalcy with my health.

I'll be in touch as I can.

Blessings - Melanie