The End of 2013 Mini-Update

I cannot believe that 2013 is days away from being over. History...

It's been a while since I've blogged...so I thought I'd do a little update. 

1) We took Breelee to see a pediatric neurologist about her breath-holding spells. He told us that what we described was very common...and even her worst one was considered normal. And thankfully, they are not seizure related. He believes it is something she will grow out of soon. That is a wonderful thing. She has passed out since then, but none of the non-responsive moments...which is a relief! But it is a wonderful thing to know that she is ok!



2) The kids and I spent 2 1/2 weeks in Buras with my parents. It was a fantastic visit!!! The kids had a blast playing with their cousins...I had a wonderful time fishing with my dad...and of course, eating the fish that was caught - along with a lot of other amazing food! Lee came in for Thanksgiving, and it was great to be with the family for the holiday. Such a special time. We even had a tea party to celebrate all of the cousins birthdays together. It was so neat!!! Such a great time!!! 

3) My dad has stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It was crazy hearing him talk to Brennan about cancer. Again, this is another thing that made the trip so special. My dad isn't taking chemo...he has been taking supplements and eating super clean and healthy. He has lost about 20 pounds (that he said he could stand to lose) and he looks great! We are believing that when he goes back for tests in January, he will get a great report from the doctor that he has been healed!!! 







4) We are blessed to be a part of Connection Church. God is doing wonderful things in our community. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with friends from church who are like family. It was a wonderful, relaxing time! These friends mean so much to us. I love living life with these people!! And I love doing things with our ladies...that is one of my favorite things ever!!!! We are blessed!!! It's not always easy...but this is exactly where we are supposed to be. And we love it. 





Thanks for keeping up with our family. We feel so loved!! We appreciate the prayers, financial support, and encouragement that we receive...and as always, it is exactly when we need it. God is good to us. 

We are excited about what is to come in 2014...

To Relish in This Season...

Gosh...here I go again.

I have about 5 blog posts that I've started...I just haven't finished them yet. Not quite ready to publish.

I was telling Lee last night that this is such a demanding season of life.

3 little ones - ages 5 and under...

I just seem to stay busy and feel like I am always in survival mode.

I just want to make it to the next day.

There are often dishes left in my sink.

Laundry in the process of being sorted/washed/dried/put away...and in various places of the house in those stages.

A floor that needs to be vacuumed...only to stay needing that vacuum because a baby has finally fallen asleep and the older 2 are being quiet enough that I don't want to take the risk of disrupting that sweet blissful moment.

I know this is a season. Just like it is fall right now...winter is coming...and before I know it, it will be spring!

I just had our parent-teacher conference with Bella's teacher.

We made the decision to keep Bella in preschool one more year instead of putting her in kindergarten.

Her teacher went on and on about the difference between the 2 years.

Bella was the youngest last year. She had difficulties using scissors, sitting still and following directions.


This year, she's older...and her teacher said that Bella is the natural leader in the class. She said Bella will be ready to move on next year...and she will have so much more confidence for her whole academic career. It's one of the best decisions Lee & I have made in a long time! 

Her teacher had so many wonderful things to say about our precious Bella. It's treasured words that I wrote in my journal as soon as I could because I never want those words to leave my heart. 

It seems like just yesterday she was wearing the same clothes that Breelee is wearing now. She was that tiny...walking around Cafe Chi Alpha...watching you tube videos of Sesame Street songs with her college friends. 

And now she's writing, coloring, drawing, singing, dancing, and becoming a beautiful young lady right before my eyes. 

And the other 2 aren't far behind her. 

Breelee will be walking soon...she's already taking several steps in a row. Her little personality is shining through, too.  

Brennan is getting taller...becoming more creative in his imagination and playing.

This is a season. I know that other seasons will have their challenges and demands. I know that there will be moments I will want to cry and pull my hair out...for totally different reasons than I am facing now...

So for right now, Lord, help me to embrace this season. To enjoy the innocence of my babies. To relish in the snuggles and giggles and the moments that will never be like this again. 

Breelee's Breath Holding Spells

Being a parent has to be the hardest job on the planet. 

The responsibility of little ones' lives relies on the shoulders of those who raise them.

Wednesday was an extra hard day being a mom. 

At about 11 am, Breelee bumped her mouth on an end table that she was walking along side of. 

That's been the new thing. Standing. Walking along furniture. Taking 1 or 2 steps. 

I mean, she's almost 1 after all!

So, when she bumped her mouth, I immediately picked her up and held her. 

Breelee has a tendancy to hold her breath when she's crying. (Brennan did this too). 

It usually results in her passing out, and then almost immediately afterwards she comes to...takes a deep breath, and then usually cries. 

Well, that didn't happen today. 

She was holding her breath, so I blew in her face. She turned blue for about 5 seconds. This has happened before. And normally she passes out and then starts breathing normally again...and she may be out for a few seconds, but then she starts crying or comes out of it. 

This time she did not. 

She was non-responsive. 

Her eyes were open and glassy. 

Her breathing was erratic. 

This lasted for 1-2 minutes, so I called 911. 

Nothing I did was stimulating her. She was still not responding. 

I was on the phone with the 911 operator for 7 minutes before the paramedics arrived. 

Breelee was still breathing shallowly, and had closed her eyes. She was really pale.

I thought she was asleep, but she wasn’t waking up when I touched her or moved her. I just don’t know if she was non-responsive at that point or asleep. 

By the time the paramedics were looking at her, she was starting to breathe regularly, but she was still not waking up. 

It took a few minutes of moving her around, sitting her up, passing her to a paramedic to get her to wake up.  

She started crying slowly, and then she started to get color in her cheeks again. 

I refused to be transported to the hospital with her and the 3 kids. So, after signing things and giving info, they left. 

I immediately called my pediatrician and they saw me at 1 pm. 

Dr. Mason said that she was fine at that moment of our appointment...nothing seemed abnormal. But she asked us to go see a pediatric neurologist. Thankfully we will be going soon.  

I notice that Breelee holds her breath and is on the verge of passing out more often when she is tired. 11 am has become her natural nap time...the routine she’s made and is pretty consistent with. So I know she was tired that day when this all happened. 

I would say that she’s passed out 6 or 7 times before. Being tired is the only consistent trigger I’ve noticed. Anything can cause the crying that causes it: not picking her up when she wants to be held, something hurting her. 

It is such a scary thing. I would love to never repeat that day again. It's hard enough when she passes out and comes right to, but that non-responsive state is a sickening feeling. 

She's back to herself...trying to climb up the stairs in the house...pulling every piece of tupperware out of my cabinets. She did pass out again yesterday from crying, but just for a few seconds...and she was tired at that point too. Again, she's back to what I would consider normal!

It will be nice to see the neurologist and have it confirmed that she is ok. Our pediatrician said that she has sent more babies to the neurologist for these breath holding spells than most people realize...and most of the time it is a fluke thing. A phase they grow out of. (Like Brennan)

We are praying that this is a fluke thing!!! Thank you for praying with us. We believe God has given us a happy, healthy baby girl...and we will keep trusting Him through this all. 

Homemade Stock

I love the fall!!!! 

And I love cooking for the fall!

Soups, chilis, gumbos...

I love the way my house smells when there is a pot of yummy goodness on the stove all day long. 

And I am really getting into making my own homemade stocks. 

I bought a bunch of mason jars at Goodwill a while back...and my original intention was to use them as drinking glasses, which I do and I love...but I've been able to use quite a few of them to freeze the homemade stocks I've been making. 

I've started filling a large ziploc baggie with the leftover veggies I use during the week...the ends of onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic peels...things that I might normally throw away. 

Then, when the baggie is full and I know I'm going to be home all day, I just dump the baggie contents into my stock pot, add water, and let it go for hours! 

If I have leftover chicken bones, I use them to add to the stock too...

But if I don't, I just use the veggies leftovers that I have. 

I don't even add salt or pepper or any other seasoning because I can add that to my cooking later. This is just to have a whole different level of richness to dishes as I cook...better than water!

I'm really trying to get away from processed foods...it's definitely not an overnight thing for our family, but it is something that we are moving towards. 

I want our family to be healthier than we are. 

This is a step in the right direction!

What kind of secrets do you have for getting away from processed foods? 

This Is Only the Beginning! Connection Church 1 Year Celebration

Connection Church is 1 year old!!! 

We are so excited about all that God has done, and all that God is doing in us and through us. 

Connection Church is a beautiful, diverse community. And to be honest, they have become  family to us. 

Lee was responsible for editing 100 minutes of video interviews to show at the end of our 1 year celebration service. He trimmed it down to 7 minutes.

Thanks to our AppleTV, I was able to help him make selections of what should be included without both of us having to focus on the computer screen (we were able to stream it to our tv). It was hard to decide!! There was so much good footage...so many good things said!! Such beautiful stories of how people became a part of Connection Church and what God has done!!

Lee and I decided to move to Colorado ourselves after reading a book called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Don Miller. Shawn and Amy had already asked us to move here to be a part of the church plant...but reading this book together pushed us over the edge. 

It was all about living a story worth telling. If our life is a book, would someone want to keep reading, or would the book be put down after the first page? Would fiction have to be added to it to make it a movie that people would want to watch?

And through editing this video...we wanted to tell the story of Connection Church. 

This video really is just a short glimpse...I wish you could hear all of the stories...maybe someday you will!  It was awesome to know that each person didn't have a clue what the others said, and yet they all shared the same feelings: home, community, family, a place to belong... Lee and I just sat together crying as we listened to the stories and feelings each person shared!!

We are actually excited about next year's video as well...we know that there will be more stories, new faces, and even more reason to celebrate!!! :) 

Thank you for watching and celebrating with us!!! 

Connection Church Denver: 1 Year Celebration--This is only the beginning. from Lee Blakney on Vimeo.

Brennan is 3!

I can't believe that my little Bear is turning 3 years old today. 

It really doesn't seem like it has been 3 years since I delivered him!!

I love that little boy so much. 

He's so full of life and energy!!! 

He is all boy... I mean all boy. 

He hits, spits, kicks, karate chops just about anything and everything...and everyone. 

Yet, he can be so sweet and tender...






One of my favorite things is hearing him laugh with Bella...they are so silly together. And in true sibling fashion, they can be hitting and screaming at each other one minute and then giggling and hugging each other the next. 

It really is a special relationship that I love to watch develop more each day. 

It definitely falls into the category of, "I can hit my sister, but you better not lay a finger on her..." We have have already heard him defend her before...which was awesome! 







He also has a wonderful relationship with his little sister. 

He can also make Breelee laugh with just about anything that he does. 

He also can be soooo tough with her...but I love when he starts singing to her to calm her down. 

It really is precious to see how much they care about each other and are concerned for each other.






I love that my kids love each other. 


After hearing a sermon by Brad Bullock in Louisiana a while back, Lee & I decided to come up with a few things that we want our kids to have deep in their hearts...

For Brennan, we have these statements for him - and he finishes them for us::  

We say, "You are my..." he finishes with - "Bear"

We say, "You are so..." he finishes with - "strong" 

We say, "And you say..." he finishes with - "I can do all things through Jesus!" 

We feel honored that we have been entrusted to raise a strong, mighty man of God. 

My prayer for him is that he grows up desiring to have a relationship with God for himself...not because he feels like he has to...not because he knows that we want him to...but because he wants to himself. 

(And I know that will come from how Lee & I show him our relationship with God now.)

I pray that Brennan is covered by God's hand of protection and provision. 

I pray that Brennan will continue to love to learn. 

I pray that Brennan will enjoy life - and help everyone around him enjoy life as well...just like his daddy...


Loving God and loving others...that is what I want for him. 

My heart is full today as we celebrate the first 3 years of his little life!! 

The best is yet to come!!!

Here are just a few highlights of my baby boy! 

 I'll have more pictures of the superhero birthday party that we are having this weekend!! 

How I Love Lee

I feel so blessed. I love being married to Lee. 

We've been together for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health...definitely for better or for worse. 

And I absolutely love him. I love being with him. I love hearing his voice. I love being on the same page as him. 

I just feel blessed. 

I choose to love him every day. 

I know that there are days when we get frustrated with each other...we disagree on things...but I still choose to love him, and he chooses to love me. 

Love is a choice. Not a feeling. I think my feelings can change with the wind. But I don't have to make my choices based on feelings. 

I really like looking at 1 Corinthians 13 when it comes to thinking about "true love." I mean, it's known as the love chapter. It's often read at weddings...inscribed somewhere for marital celebrations. 

In verse 4 it begins giving a list of what love is and what love is not...

Love is patient.
Love is kind. 
It does not envy, 
It does not boast, 
It is not proud.
It is not rude, 
It is not self-seeking, 
It is not easily angered, 
It keeps no record of wrongs. 
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Those are strong images of what love is and what love is not. 

I don't succeed at truly loving Lee every day according to these verses. 

I'm getting ready to teach a Bible Study Methods class for our Deeper small group at Connection Church. I am soooooooo excited about this. 

And one of the things that is consistent with every method of studying the Bible is application. 

It's one thing to learn about it...but I am missing the point if I don't apply what I have learned to my life. 

So...my personal goal is to memorize these verses again (I memorized them when I was a teenager)...and whenever I don't "feel" like loving Lee (or anyone else for that matter), I will meditate on these verses...I will make sure that I am applying them to my life. 

I want to love my husband even more than I do now. 

Marriages don't just get better over time...It's not like a fine wine that can be put on the shelf and get better by itself. 

A good marriage takes work...and a great marriage takes a lot of work!

But every investment in my marriage is worth it...and every effort to love like 1 Corinthians 13 talks about makes my marriage more delightful than it was the day before!

And that is worth it to me!!