I am sitting on my couch and for the first time in months I find myself able to complete a thought and reflect upon all of our many blessings. It has been a crazy, busy, stressful, fantastic, fun, spring in the Crain house. The semester started at warp speed and in true fashion it is ending that way as well. March was a great mid way break enjoyed by all. The kids went on a cruise with Grandma and some friends from Switzerland. It was the first time I had ever been away from all three kids for that long. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the time alone but I can say I appreciated it. I stayed behind because of my school commitments and I to this very moment praise my Mom for her help that week. I had four midterms in the span of two days and the silence that fell over my house for the week was much needed and allowed me to prepare and execute each of the exams that faced me. When the week was up Mitch and I had the experience of meeting the cruise ship in port and the butterflies definitely set in while we waited to reclaim our cargo. In true kid fashion the greeting was not the Hollywood reunion I had fantasized about in my head all week long. I venture to say that all three kids had enjoyed the best week of their lives and the last thing they wanted was to see my smiling face because that was pure proof the inevitable return to reality had arrived. As they faked a few hugs Mitch loaded all their loot and their tan little bodies in to the car and that is when all the stories and memories were retold in 6 year old fashion. At that moment I was once again reminded of how lucky my kids are to have a grandmother that loves them as if they were her own. After spring break the semester resumed and so did all of the many kids activities. Parker participated in a bowling league and I think he truly found a sport he not only loves but a sport that is not affected by his arthritis. Jackson progressed to his yellow belt in Karate and Avery continued to soar in gymnastics. Along with our busy day to day activities the spring also sprung many doctors’ appointments on us as well. Jackson has been struggling with migraine issues again and Avery who has always had a hard time battling strep throat finally gave us clear reason to seek treatment outside of antibiotics. After visiting 6 different specialists for Jackson we had been cleared by ENT, ophthalmology, the dentist, and finally found hope in a new neurologist who specializes in pediatric headaches. He was started on a slew of medications that seemed to work for a week or so but ultimately his little body rejected them and due to the reaction he had he was removed from all of them. Monday was spent at Dell Children’s Hospital where Jackson was sedated and underwent another MRI. We are currently waiting to hear back from the neurologist with our new plan of attack but for now Jack continues to push through and he fights to maintain his normal active six year old life. Wednesday was spent in yet another hospital waiting room but this time I was blessed to have my Mom by my side. After giving the nurses and doctors a little taste of her calling card screaming, Avery was successfully separated from me and taken to surgery where she had her tonsils and adenoids removed. She has been a complete trooper and seems to be on the road to recovery. As if all of these issues aren’t enough to keep this mom busy Parker decided to get in on the fun. The hospital staff will be reunited with me in the next two weeks when Parker goes in to the operating room for a knee draining and steroid injection to hopefully remedy the inflammation that was revealed during an MRI a couple of weeks ago. Although I am looking forward to sunny summer days I can’t complain about these crazy spring days because I recognize the fact that things could always be worse. Mitch and I never take anything for granted and we are grateful on a daily basis to have these three fantastic kids in our lives. As the school year nears to an end I am reminded daily of how big all three kids are getting daily. In a short ten weeks I will have a 7th grader and two 1st graders. I am so proud of the kids they are growing up to be. During the award assembly at school this week Parker received the Citizenship award, Avery received the Principal’s award, and Jack…well he received the best storyteller award (very fitting). Words cannot describe how proud I was to sit there with my Mom and husband by my side and witness each one of them walk to the front and receive their awards. It is things like that in which I gain my strength to continue to live as if every moment could be the last. If I were to be taken from earth today it would not be with any regrets or sadness because I can honestly say that each day I am lucky enough to spend with my family is blessing enough and the fact that God grants me another one the next day is just the icing on the cake. I hope and pray each of you that read this recognize the fact that life isn’t about what success you have at work, and it isn’t about anything money could purchase but rather life is about the people you are blessed to share your love and dreams with. My kids have been instrumental in painting the picture of true happiness for me and for that I will always be eternally grateful.

Happy New Year!

Wow it is crazy to think that 2010 has come and gone in the blink of an eye. In the last year we have had many big changes in our lives. At the start of 2010 we celebrated the twins 5th birthday, yes 5th birthday. Crazy to think back to last January and the fact that we still had two kids at home daily. We also had the end of many great times as well. We spent our last weekend at the lake house, which equalled a mixed emotion for all parties involved. It was a great hangout for the whole Coffman clan and allowed us to all fellowship and come together with lots of laughter and fun. But also was a huge undertaking for Mom and Dad and I must admit that I think Dad stands a little taller without the stress of all the maintenance weighing him down. We spent the spring adjusting to Parker's new medical treatments and changes. But by summer we were all ready to reset and tackle the second part of the year. We were blessed that Mom and Dad made our annual trip to Jambalaya Jubilee (our annual arthritis conference) with us and shared with us all the joy we experience there summer after summer. We followed up Jambalaya Jubilee with a trip to Galveston for 4 days of rest and relaxation with Amanda and her girls and visited by Darby, Zach, and Greg. We were blessed to be able to celebrate Mimi and Paw-Paw's 71st wedding anniversary with them. Right before school started back we spent a weekend on the Guadalupe for Dad's birthday. The middle of July was bitter sweet. It was the first time to drop all three kids off at school, and being a mother of a 6th grader and two kinder kids took some adjustment. In August I started back to school which had to be the scariest thing I have done in along time. It was something I have always wanted to do but I must praise my husband for giving me the courage to take the leap of faith. I finished my fall semester with a 4.0 and a Presidential honor. The kids finished their semester with great accomplishments as well. All three have been awarded student of the week awards and Parker also received Student of the month. I am very proud to see the changes and maturity all three of my blessings have become. The year also brought many medical changes. The fist being Parker's great response to his infusions, at this point he is in a medicated remission and the twins labs that were once concerning have all leveled out back to normal. We are all extremely thankful for a year of good fortune and good health. We continue to have a positive outlook for this new year and are positive that this year will bestow another year of memories and blessings. I would like to thank all of you who have blessed our last year and look forward to spending another great year together. Here's to a great 2011 may it be a great new decade!

As I write this I find myself with salty water pouring from my eyes traveling down the lines in my face as if they were meant as roadways leading my tears before finally dripping from my chin. My eyes so red and swollen I look like I had a run in with a huge swarm of bees. But don't let looks fool you. Although I may look a hot mess, I stand as strong as a statue, fighting through a horrific storm. God has built me to be this strong pillar, a pillar of strength. I have learned to listen to him and rely on him and never question him. I feel comfort knowing he is holding me strong in the test he provides. I find myself not crying out of pity, but rather for loss of innocence, the loss of innocence suffered by my boys. First Parker now Jackson. I find myself intrigued by their maturity and patience. I pray for their unwavering beliefs and continued strength. Parenting isn't something you do, it's an act of watching. The picture you see isn't always pretty but the outcome is usually a gorgeous reminder of how wonderful faith can be. After many unexplained medical issues with Jackson and one surgery later the pediatrician, with my insistence, ordered a full blood work up. They ran all autoimmune panels and the genetic test for the HLA-B27 antigen. I just received a call that all the results were positive and consistent with a rheumatic disease. Here we go again, only this time instead of fear of the unknown I find myself with fear of the known. I fear for the pain Jackson is likely to endure the same way Parker has had too. I am writing this asking all my prayer warriors to send one up for us today. I don't have time to update with all the details just asking for continued prayers today, tomorrow, and forever.

Praise Be to GOD!

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him: tell of all his wonderful acts. Psalm 105:1-2

I just got off the phone with Dr. Carrasco, Parker's rheumatologist, and have fantastic news to share with all of you guys. Dr. Carrasco was placing the same phone call he placed to me exactly one year ago to the week, he was calling to discuss Parkers MRI results. After reviewing Parker's latest MRI images he came to the conclusion that for all medical purposes Parker is now in a medicated remission, meaning that for now there seems to be no traces of inflammation in any of his joints including the SI joints. He did say that there were small traces of fluid remaining and of course previous damage but that he never expected them to be this clear especially after only a year of infusions. We talked for a while about what a blessing this news was and how happy we both were for Parker to be able to continue his life for now without worrying about changing medicines or more surgery. This is a huge step in the right direction and although we all realize how quickly things can change for now we are choosing to celebrate! I give all the glory to God for answering all of our many prayers and give many thanks to you guys for all yours as well. For now Parker will be kept on infusions every 8 weeks and injections once a week. Now if only Jackson can be so lucky and sail through his surgery tomorrow and heal quickly we might all be able to relax for a while and if nothing else slow down the number of doctors appointments:)

Two and a half weeks down!

Hello all, I guess the new life I am leading isn't as slow and boring as I once thought it might be. I have enjoyed the quiet and the fact that my house stays clean for longer than it use to but I do miss my kids terribly while they are gone. Today is the halfway point of our third week of school and these boys have kept me hopping lately. Jack has been having sinus issues yet again and after several doctors appointments and testing we have made the decision to have his adenoids removed in hopes that he will finally start to feel better. The surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday and will require him to miss 3 days of school the doctors feel like this is the next step we should take but did admit that there is only 50% chance that it will help him. At this point we will do anything to get him out of his misery and we have faith that God will lead us to a solution soon if we are diligent with our research, I must admit I am feeling like I did when I was trying to find out what was wrong with Parker. You find yourself questioning every symptom and every treatment but this time I am just handing it to God to lead us in the right direction. Parker has been great he didn't do as well after the last infusion as he had the previous one but a day later he was back to "normal":) We have reached the one year mark of his official diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis so its time for repeat MRIs of his SI joints to make sure that the Remicade is working. He seems to be loving 6th grade and definitely walks taller as one of the oldest in the halls at school. He has been very diligent with all the homework so far and very helpful in transitioning Avery and Jack into school. I had to leave before the first bell one day to get Jack to a doctor appointment and Parker realized that Avery and a friend were so deep in conversation that they didn't hear the bell ring so he quickly led them to their class line as a big brother should. Avery.... well.... is Avery winning every award in class for listening and following directions but who didn't see that coming! She has her best friend Hazel from preschool in her class so they have been leaning on each other now that she doesn't have Jack to follow. Jackson, dear lord where to begin with him well first off he is consistently wearing underwear due to Kindergarten law, one I made up. As of this week he is up to 6 or 7 girlfriends, or friends that are girls, every time I'm up at school he is the lone ranger in a huge group of them but I guess that comes from playing solely with Avery since conception. We knew the day the kid was born that he was one of a kind and he is proving that daily, a few Mom's have told me that all their daughters talk about is him, makes me cringe and smile all at once but then again he has that affect on everyone. All Mitch and I can hope for is that the rest of the year goes as smoothly as the last three weeks. If you would add us to your prayers this week we would appreciate it. Parkers MRI's are Friday and Jacks surgery is next Wednesday. Thanks for all of the love and support you continue to bless upon us. Hope the end of your week is filled with fun and love.

I Made It!

Wow I log on and realize that my last blog was in Feb. just more proof that time is flying by too fast. Well where to begin? We have had a great 6 months, Parker is healthy and doing better than ever. He is responding to the Remicade exactly like they were hoping he would. As of his last infusion in June all of his joints were inflammation free and his last set of MRI's on his TMJs were clear as well. We are praising God daily for this blessing in which he has given us. We have had a fantastic summer full of fun, and traveling. We started off the summer with a trip to SPI/McAllen and it was great to visit all of our old food favorites and visit with my parents, the kids especially loved the beach. Our next trip was to Shreveport for Jambalya Jubilee we were so excited to be joined by Grandma and Paw-Paw this year. I was so excited to share this part of our lives with them and I think they found it very informational. Jambalya Jubilee proved priceless again this year, the kids had a blast and the adults learned so much and had a great time sharing stories and encouragement. On the way home from Shreveport we stopped by Galveston the same as last year and met up with Amanda and her girls and Zach and Darby. We had a blast hanging out soaking up the sun and chilling poolside, Mom even surprised us on day two and came to hang out with us. The kids managed to attend two different Vacation Bible Schools this year between all of our travels and they loved them both. I think that was the first sign that they were getting ready to start school for me. They have begged year after year to attend and were not old enough until this year so of course I found myself on day one crying at the fact that they day had come to drop them off. We finished up our summer this last weekend with a trip to Gruene with the entire family minus Mitch(he had a funeral in Ohio) it was awesome to have the bonding time again, now that the lake has sold it is random that we are all under one roof. We traveled home on Sunday, and Monday was the start of our new lives. All three kids started school, the day I had dreamed about for 5.5 years had finally arrived and I found myself not happy about it, the kids on the other hand were stoked. We marched them in and that was that a few hugs and kisses and they dropped me like a hot cake. Five and a half years of companionship and together time and they didn't even look back, well until 2 when I got a call saying Jack had a migraine and needed to be picked up, then his Mom was the only person he wanted:) We have survived most of the first week and they are all still popping up every morning with smiles on and a kick in their step which I'm sure will be gone soon but I am enjoying it while it lasts. Wow I am exhausted after reliving all of that for you guys but I wouldn't change one bit of it. I am so glad to have had all the time with the kids this summer before school started and would like to thank Mitch for allowing me the opportunity to stay home and raise them all the way through. As we move towards the fall I am hoping that life slows down a little bit, it is crazy to think that I now have one kid in Junior High and two in Kinder. I just remind myself daily how blessed we are to have every moment to cherish and every second to enjoy our many blessings. I would like to thank everyone who has helped me in the last 5.5 years from baby holding, to lending an ear, or chasing a kid, without you guys I don't know that I would have survived twins:)

Thank You

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say "thank you?" I would like to take the next several to thank everyone in my life who has allowed me to become the person I am today. I have had several influential people that have guided and inspired me in my path. My parents taught me how to strive to be the best that I can be in marriage, motherhood, and in my spiritual life. The love that they showed not only to us but to each other led me to the belief that all is possible with just love. My Dad is the most spiritual man I know I love that he has mirrored his life as the bible leads us to and with that he passed on the love of God and the hope that all things are possible with God. As I hit a rough patch I always feel a peace knowing that he is praying for me and my family daily and it gives me the strength to carry on. My Mother always leads with such grace and dignity in all situations both good and bad and that has pushed me to always strive in the same direction. She has always been someone I look to for guidance and strength. My sisters have always been there for me and been in my corner and even when others don't seem to have my best interest at heart I know that they do. My kids have been my biggest inspiration to accomplish the unaccomplishable they are always there with hugs and kisses no matter what mood I am in. My husband where do I start with him? He is the knight and shining armor of my life and the protector and provider of this family. The last eleven years have been a joy and a total blessing because he has been right by my side through it all. My friends are always there to lend a ear when I need to talk and an encouraging word when I need one. To all of you in my life I THANK YOU with out you I would not be the person I am today. I hope and pray that my kids will be blessed with such great people in their lives. I hold each and everyone of you in my heart and daily pray that God will bless you for blessing me!