Learning new things in life

Since Grady has been battling with this bout of Crohn's this summer (now into the fall), life has become quite tiresome. It seems that 2010 has been the year for family ailments.Grady has had infection since last fall, followed by trips to the hospital every 3 weeks or so in the Spring, to the summer time spending almost every week in the hospital. In June, Courtney went into the hospital for Meningitis. Grady continued to worsen until he was put on home antibiotics through a picc line. Courtney recovered, and the summer went on with concentration on me, the girls, and Grady. August came and Grady began working with Dr. Biamonte to kill the candida overgrowth in his bowels. It was a quick lesson on learning to let go of the control I try to have on my life.

In August I got the stomach virus and then it began to pass through all of my family. It has been a month and a half battle for Courtney's family. Trevis had it first, then Court. It was passed onto Stockton and then to Channing. Renley contracted the bug, while Gavie Ann suffered only 24 hours. Finally, Courtney was hit with it for the second time around. Oh, and my mom had it twice as well. Whew!

All that to say, our family has been through it this year. This weekend I had to take Eden to Vanderbilt Children's hospital because her fever spiked to 104 and she was breathing weird. It was so scary. She recovered last night and had a very mild fever today but acted completely like herself. I am thanking the Lord for her sweet recovery. I actually got out my Bible last night and read aloud James 5 while anointing her and Grady's head with olive oil. It was Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I might add, and I think it worked. I do believe it helped. Grady hasn't felt good over the past 5 days (he's battling a partial bowel obstruction from home). So, as I type, it sounds like a thunderstorm is beginning, but it's only a faint rumbling. It's coming from Grady's belly. His stomach is trying to push through the food he ate today. I'm just so thankful he was able to eat!


Speaking of food, I made my first batch of homemade mayonnaise today. It didn't quite turn out like it should, but I was happy all the same for trying something new. I mixed the mayo (picture below) into my chicken salad and it tasted wonderfully fresh. Next time I will use my hand held beater instead of my hand held mixer to emulsify the egg yolks and oils together. The picture below does not look very appealing. It tasted much better than it looks. #Learning new things in life