Rebecca's story (a re-run)

In the summer of 2003, Mike's brother and his wife and two kids flew up to Idaho for a visit. We borrowed a Suburban and drove up to Canada--Banff, Lake Louise, Radium Hot Springs, Kootenai and Yoho National Parks, Wapta Falls, Emerald Lake, and even Whistler Mountain in Jasper, which is way up there close to the Arctic Circle. Well, closer than I'd ever been, anyway. We had a great time, and saw bears, big horn sheep, elk, glaciers. Jessica and Mikayla were 5 and 3, and as we hiked and climbed, one of them usually ended up on my shoulders. On our last day, driving home, we found one more waterfall with rocks we just had to climb on. But as I got out of the car, I started cramping like I was either about to be sick or start my period, so I stayed down close to the car (and the porta-potty) while everyone else climbed, and it went away. I spotted a little, and figured my friend "Martha" was about to come for her monthly visit. But she never did, and I took a pregnancy test, which came out positive. Mike and I were happy about it, but at the same time...this was exactly how our last pregancy had started. The one I lost at 11 weeks. Because of the spotting, and the cramping, I was certain the baby was dead. I don't know how to put into words how little hope I had. I only told those closest to me, and set up a doctor's appointment for when I was about 9 weeks along. I knew my Dr. would do an ultrasound, and I prepared myself to see no little flash of heartbeat on the screen. Thankfully, my big brother Mark had faith for me, and told me all along that he knew this baby was going to be alright. I wanted to believe him, but didn't. He kept praying and believing, and that day at the dr's office, I watched the screen with dread, then was amazed to see something flashing!! I asked, "Is that a heartbeat?!" and my dr (the same one who had seen me through before) joyfully answered yes!! Oh, how I cried. For joy, for relief, for shock, for shame that I hadn't believed, and for gratitude for those who had. It turned out that the spotting was because I had partial previa, which meant I had to stop carrying Mikayla (remember that trip to Canada!) and Mike got to take over vacuuming (yaay), and by February, that was gone! But also in February, after fasting and drinking that sucrose water stuff, I was driving myself to the hospital to have blood drawn, on snowy and icy-but-I-didn't-know-it roads, and got in an accident. Thank the Lord, again the baby and I were okay! Finally, on March 30, 2004, little Rebecca Ann was born. It was the least dramatic/traumatic birth of all! Mostly because the hospital we used FINALLY invested in a continual drip epidural thingy--again, thank You Lord! ;) The next day one of our students was holding Rebecca as I was taking a shower with my Mom's help, when she suddenly yelled, "Grandma!!" Mom went to see what was going on and Rebecca was blue. They ran her to the nurse's station, and the nurse grabbed her and ran down the hall to some machine that pumped her stomach. It happened 4 times before we went home from the hospital. I was more nervous to take her home than I had been with my first-born! But it never happened again. Every time I look at my Rebecca, I marvel at God's grace, His protection, and His healing hand. I could so easily not have her...but I do. I get to hear her say she wants skabetti for supper, and ham and an apple for breakfast. (?) I get to see her brown eyes just like her Gran's, and curly hair like me. I get her kisses and hugs and cuddles. I don't deserve it...but God is so good to me. Thank You, Father!

Age 1

Age 2

Age 3

Age 4

Age 5

Age 6

Happy Birthday, Rebecca!

Stuff in my head

Usually when I pick Rebecca up from kindergarten, she runs across the grass to hug me, hair blowing in the wind. I love it. But one day a couple of weeks ago, she ambled over to me, gazing at her feet, mouth moving animatedly as if she was talking to someone. As she got in the van, I commented on all the little white flowers that were blooming. She said, "I know, I was just saying 'I'm sorry' to all of them when I walked on them." :)

At the last home school play day, one of the moms asked if we knew the things listed in Titus 2 that the older women are supposed to teach the younger. I named a few--love their husbands, love their children, be workers at home--thought I did pretty good. Then she asked if we knew what it said was the reason we're supposed to teach those things...so the word of God would not be blasphemed, or dishonored. Then she said, "How can we teach them if we don't even know them?" Ouch. I think I'm going to start memorizing Titus 2:4-5.

What I don't know is why I memorized "Jabberwocky" in high school. I mean, I did it for extra credit, but I already had an A!? Weirdo.

Our church had a Life Action Revival Summit this month. It reminded me of a lot of good things, and I loved what they did with the kids. Rebecca can say the 10 commandments, and the 2 older girls learned Psalm 24:3-6. The motions were so cool. They also gave us a great list of family rules that we're all learning.

Rebecca lost her first tooth! It's been loose FOREVER, and was so loose I could turn it completely upside down before she finally pulled it. The first tooth lost always breaks my heart a little. Especially when the tooth fairy forgets to come--oops. Funny thing is, there was a dollar there when I looked...

I took the girls to Conway over spring break, to visit my Mom, while Mike was in Tennesee on a mission trip. It was so relaxing! We hung out with family,

shopped at the stores we don't have in Magnolia, slept in every day, played wood girls (I watched that one),

made cookies, saw old friends at church--it was a good time.

And now there's nothing left in my head but naptime.

Birthday Bonanza!

This is birthday season at the Sandusky household. It started with my birthday, which we celebrated in Texas with Mike's family because it was Mike's mom's birthday, too. I took pictures with my cool phone which I lost, so you can't see them.
Next came Jessica's--she turned 12!!

We decided the birthday girl need to wake up with Silly String.

Birthday cheesecake

Mikayla had about a bajillion birthday treats turning 10 at Disney World, but we still made our own when we got home.

Then the next weekend, Gran and Kennedi came down. We went bowling and got manicures, and celebrated Gran's birthday!

Jessica's cool bowling shoes and funky socks.

The candles are in the shape of her age. Roughly.

A couple of weeks later I let Jessica and Mikayla have a combined birthday party, using "Molly's Mystery Game" that Jessica had given Mikayla for Christmas. It was the easiest party I've ever done, and a lot of fun.

 The girls were supposed to come as characters that were specified on their invitations, and each one had a script, and I set up a few props, and we acted it out! And of course we had cake and presents, too.

Jessica was Mrs. Gilford...or else she's graying early, like her mother.

Then everyone jumped on the trampoline and played Chinese jumprope until their parents came.

The next birthday we celebrated was invented by Jessica--she gave a surprise party for Rebecca's doll, Rosie!

Dolls were included.

Rebecca turns 6 on Tuesday, and then we'll be done with birthdays until August! Phew!

10 on the Tenth

This morning I said, "Oh, it's the tenth!" And my 2 older girls looked at me strangely until I said, "Time for 10 on the Tenth!" That's when Mikayla said, "Oooh! You can write 10 things you love about ME! *flutter flutter the eyelashes* 'Cause you skipped February..." Since I did miss her birthday, and she was even turning TEN!! that's what I'll do.
(**Author's note: Mike came home and reminded me of some stories so I made a couple changes**)
So as suggested by Mer here, here are 10 things about Mikayla:
1. She cracks me up! Story #1: When she was about 2-3, we were driving to Cannon Beach, Oregon, and she kept blowing raspberries. It stopped being cute and got annoying. So we told her to stop. More than once. Then we let her know we weren't kidding. That's when she put her hand in front of her mouth, blew one more, then looked innocently around saying, "What that noise??"
2. She cracks me up! Story #2: On that same car trip, I believe, we were playing I Spy, and Mike said, "I spy something green." Mikayla said, "A booger!"
And when she was it, she would swear she saw a pink pig, or a grey elephant, etc.
3. She's not very emotionally sensitive to others, but she's very spiritually intuitive. I just can't think of a specific example right now.
4. She cracks me up! Story #3: One time, when she was little, she took a doll from Jessica and Jessica took it back so Mikayla hit her. I took her in another room and went through the whole James Dobson technique, with Scripture and prayer and spanking and hugs, and had her go back and apologize. She said, "Jessica, I'm sorry I hit you, will you forgive me?" Jessica did, and then Mikayla said, "Now give me that doll before I hit you again."
5. She's a daredevil! She was my climber--the one I would find sitting in the middle of the kitchen table before she could even walk. She loves scary rides, and always has. She's on the short side for her age, and I remember when we went to Silver Dollar City and she was just barely below the "You must be this tall to ride" height, so we bought her platform flip flops and put her hair in a ponytail on top of her head with a bow. It worked. :)
6. She cracks me up! Story #4: When Jake, the dog we'd had since before Jessica was born, died, we broke the news to her and Jessica as gently as we could. Jessica, our tender heart, was crying, and Mikayla said, "Well...at least we won't have to pick up poop anymore. Can we get a cat?" (see #3a)
7. She's always been musical. She could sing "Amazing Grace" before she could talk, and when I don't even realize there's music playing in movies/TV shows, she makes comments about it.
8. She cracks me up! Story #5: Ever since she got a toe slammed in a door and lost a nail traumatically, she has been terrified of having her nails trimmed. Well, when she was about 5, I was trying to trim her fingernails and she was crying and trying to get away from me, and she looked up and pathetically said, "Can I pray?" I sighed and said yes, of course you can. So she got out of my lap, threw herself on her knees, face down on the floor like a Muslim, stayed there a few seconds then climbed back up, calm as could be. (See #3b)
9. She is sooooo much like her daddy, whom I adore, in looks and personality.
10. She's smart and strong and good and silly and cute and even though she's double-digits now, still likes to cuddle. I do adore my little Mikayla!!
One more story: When she was still learning to talk, I would ask her something and she would just stare at me. So I would ask it again, like, "Do you want this? Say yes or no." And she would say, "Yes or no."