Never Been So Excited To Go To Abilene!!

So this weekend will be my first trip to go back to Abilene since I left there in the lovely Ambulance from Hendrick down to Methodist Hospital here in Houston, needless to say its going to be just a little bit weird but I am otherwise VERY EXCITED! I kind of left Abilene a total mess as far as leaving all my stuff which my dad had to bring me and of course he forgot some semi important things but I also didn't get to say my proper goodbyes and was just a wreck emotionally when I left Abilene. I feel like things have gotten alot better in the last couple weeks or so but I cannot tell you how much this trip back to Abilene is going to mean to me which I know probably sounds so crazy to whoever might be reading this! It even makes myself laugh when I think about how I'm actually excited to go to Abilene for a few days because that is something that several years ago I totally used to dread doing so it really cracks me up when I think about it!


But as far as what am going to do while I am there for a few days, I am beyond excited about it but to most people it would definitely mean nothing! When Jake gets off work here in just a few minutes we are hitting the road to drive about three hours to meet my parents at the half way point to Abilene so neither us or them have to drive the full six hours to pick me up since I cannot drive myself. Once we get there nothing exciting will be happening except Duke seeing me which I fully prepared for since I know he will go completely crazy, then tomorrow is baby Elizabeth's birthday so might be going to lunch with Sara & Elizabeth, then Friday I have a hair cut appointment in the morning, and Friday night dinner with all the Trammells to spend some time with them, and Saturday Elizabeth & Scout's big bday bash of turning 2, and other than that there really isn't much else planned besides some quality parent and brother time! Anyways as you can tell from the pictures below this is what Abilene, Texas means to me and is definitely why I am so excited to go for a few days!



Cannot believe this sweet baby girl is turning TWO years old tomorrow!!

the THREE SWEETEST ANGELS

LOVE THIS BABY!!

I mean who could not absolutely love that face!!?

Her sweet, little bedside visits while I was in the hospital in Abilene brought tears to my eyes and a much needed smile on my face, LOVE THIS GIRL!! :)

Trying to get back to normal...

Aside from everything else that has been going on I feel like the rest of our lives have totally gotten sidetracked so I am trying to play catch up on everything else that has been going on besides all my medical problems. So first things first, back at the end of June before Jake had moved here my mom & I came down to Houston for my cousin Hannah's wedding that I was a bridesmaid in and unfortunately Jake couldn't get off work so he had to stay in Abilene for work. It was really great to go spend the week with family and everything, I enjoyed hanging out with my sister for the week, we got to do some fun baby shopping and brainstorming for the new little one that will be here before we know it and this Aunt Giji CANNOT WAIT!! Here is the wedding week in pictures, some might be a little bit out of order, so sorry!




Mom and Jenna at Hannah's bridal brunch & lingerie shower

Hannah opening her gifts, while Rachel (the maid of honor) is writing everything she got from everyone down.

"The Sisterhood Ring" from James Avery: a year or two ago the women in our family started this tradition of buying their "sisters" when their birthday rolled around this beautiful sterling silver ring that is called the sisterhood ring and has a great story behind it. I actually got my sister her ring for her birthday this past April, her hand is the second one from the left I think.

Little Miss Adley Ann at the bridal brunch

The Bride's Wedding cake...the is the first family wedding we have had that I can remember where my mom & Aunt Beth didn't do the wedding cakes so that was a little weird for me to experience. But this cake was cute and everyone said that it tasted great, I of course didn't have any.

And this was the groom's cake, very different and interesting, all chocolate, with chocolate covered cheeries, and with the couple's favorite on top, Dr. Pepper.

The cute candy bar they had at the reception, it was displayed very cute with lots of different candies to choose from and cute little vases with the gerber daisies in them. The candy bar was enjoyed ALOT by all the little kids at the wedding/reception they really loved it!

Here is a picture of one of the tables, with one of the two different centerpieces that were used at the reception. The wedding colors were orange, yellow, and white so the tables had white table cloths with orange organza overlays with a cute swirly design on them. They used two different centerpieces, this one on this table was tall, square vases with lemons and limes all in the bottom with gerber daisies, belles of ireland, and some stock all coming out of the top of the vase. Also at each place setting were the ceremony program and the wedding favors that were individual boxes with a gerber daisy on the top that had a heart shaped brownie inside for each guest to take home.

Here is a picture of the other centerpiece that was used on the rest of the tables, they were cinderella carriages painted white all filled with flowers- gerber daisies, orange roses, stock, greenery, and belles of ireland.

This is a picture of the arrangements that were at the front of the ceremony, they were just tall iron displays filled with the gerber daisies, greenery, belles of ireland, roses, and stock.

Here is another view of the centerpieces and tables and chairs at the ceremony/reception.

Here is one of the welcome tables you saw you walked in, it was filled with candles, a few little vases that had orange and yellow gerber daisies in them, and a couple of Hannah & Justin's engagement photos.

This is a picture of the sign in table with their guest book and two of their engagement pictures.

Here is just a picture of one of the little flower arrangement of roses, gerber daisies, stock, and greenery on one of the front tables when you walked in.

Here is a picture of how everything looked with the tables and chairs and centerpieces and everything all set up.

Precious little Adley Ann hanging out with all the girls while we all got ready for the wedding.

Sweet little Jenna (she was one of the flower girls) and my cousin Alexandrah at the reception

Here is one of Jenna & Jenna, so cute!

My sweet parents, love them, cute picture of Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy Ellison

And here is Mr. & Mrs. Matt Manges at the reception

She is just so adorable to me, we put the garter around her little head like a headband.

The newlyweds making their exit while everyone threw rose petals at them.

The newlyweds all in the cinderella carriage ready to leave, Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Justin Bonin!

Officially Released AGAIN (hoping to be the last)

So as of late Thursday evening I was FINALLY released from Methodist Hospital in Houston and able to go home to my new apartment with Jake in Katy which I had not even seen since the first weekend of July. Upon leaving the hospital things are still kind of not under control and we are still trying to work with the doctors, medications, and my conditions to try and settle everything down. Because I was hooked up to a constant EEG monitor for 7 days straight in hopes that the doctor and nursing staff would be able to record an actual epileptic seizure while I was being monitored, but for the most part that was something didn't really ever happen. The doctor was never able to see or record one of my truly bad, epileptic seizures that I have been having more of lately most likely because of the very safe and controlled environment I was in while at the hospital often doesn't allow some patients to have seizures they might have otherwise. But what the doctors were able to see were some other different kinds of seizures nothing like tonic-clonic(grand mals), but more like peti mal seizures, and other types of seizures that are much more mild, but still were able to give the doctors the brain wave clues that it was definitely abnormal epileptic brain waves causing all of these different types of seizures anywhere from mild to very dangerous.


When I was released from the hospital I was sent home with two new prescriptions to start for my anti-seizure medications and some new things to start doing while we continue treating my epilepsy condition and try to get it under control. My new doctor here in Houston sent me home with 2,000 mg. of Keppra daily and 100 mg. Zonegran daily as of right now. I am still on my diabetes medicines, folic acid vitamin, and also have my headache/migraine medicine, and anti-nausea medicine. I have to call Monday to schedule my follow up appointment with my new neurologist here in Houston, who is also an Epilepsy Specialist, who is also the doctor I was seeing here in Houston at Methodist Hospital. My new doctors also sent me home with some "homework" haha, which is to document EVERYTHING that goes on with my body, anything I feel, any side effect I have from the medicines I am on, anything and everything that is the same and or different that goes on with the seizures I have, and any other complications I may continue to have. Although I didn't get as many clear, straight forward answers as I had hoped for while at the hospital, but the good thing I see is that I am here in Houston with one of the very very best Epilepsy doctors out there and I have learned it is more of a journey to getting the condition under control rather than a diagnosis, medication, and everything is better. I know it is going to be a very long road but I'm praying and trying my hardest to be able to gain the best quality of life for me but healthy at the same time.


I also had an MRI with contrast while I was at the hospital here in Houston and while the structural results to that test all came back normal like they usually do. But my doctor also wanted to have a radiologist that specializes in reading MRI's involving seizures and Epilepsy read my MRI results so it will be a couple of more weeks before we find out the results to what that radiologist sees.

The last couple of INSANE weeks

So just wanted to update a little on here since the last time I posted on here basically everything in life was very different than things are now. Our summer plans ended up getting slightly derailed slightly meaning almost changing them altogether so the last month has literally been insane. I will start back to the weekend of July 4th we had been in Houston with my family while they were all helping us move into our new apartment down here when I had a small seizure like episode that Saturday and again that Monday on July 4th. So after getting back to Abilene to try and finish out my job for the month of July I saw my neurologist about the recent episodes so he decided to adjust my medicine somewhat in hopes that would help. So now we fast forward to Wednesday, July 13th while at work I got really sick, started to get very nauseous, was having triple vision, a horrible headache, and couldn't feel most of my lower body definitely my legs which made walking pretty much impossible. Luckily my mom was able to come over and help me with Claire & Elizabeth while I was so sick, I started throwing up while at work, and Sara got home early and was able to help get me in the car so I could go home. We were able to drive home, although I had to throw up in a bag in the short car ride to our house where my dad met us and carried me inside to the couch where I continued to throw up and be sick until the phenegren kicked in and I went to sleep for most of the day. So after a few days on and off of being sick we called my neurologist and he decided to back off of my medication and that seem to help somewhat. I was still following all of my doctor's medicine orders but got even sicker Saturday night, hadn't really eaten in days, but was throwing up so violently and went into about 4-5 seizures at home before the ambulance got to our house and continued to throw up and have seizures in the ambulance and the ER that night before getting admitted and getting some very strong anti seizure medications in my iv.

So after all the seizure activity and being so sick I was admitted to Hendrick Medical Center, given fluids, adovane, and zofran for the awful nausea. While there Monday I was very weak and trying to recover since it usually takes at least a few days after I have such strong seizure episodes, then Tuesday I was starting to feel more like myself, and once Wednesday came it was just about awful. On Tuesday morning around 5:00ish I woke up with horrible nausea to start off with and then learned my blood sugar was crashing the nurses then got me to take a nausea pill and drink some apple juice to raise my blood sugar and I immediately threw up the juice and medicine. I then continued to throw up and had my first seizure of that day early around 7 and continued to have them all day long until about 9 or 10 pm that night. And like every seizure episode I don't remember any of it, but this was so intense I was so so sore that I didn't even know I could be this sore. So I stayed recovering from the seizures and getting all my strength back until Saturday afternoon, layed around on the couch most of the day, dropped off my medicines at the pharmacy, went to the grocery store (where I was only allowed to sit at a table in the cafe area the whole time), helped my sister pick out a baby chair at kids village and was only allowed to sit there also. So Sunday I also just layed around and hung out at home, ate lunch with the family, told my dad bye since he was leaving for a police chiefs conference in houston for this week. I remember feeling very tired even after sleep a good 8-10 hours the night before and just very very out of it, zoned out, like I just wasn't there. But I definitely don't recall either one of the seizures I had that afternoon before being taken back to Hendrick ER again that evening.


That was my last big significant seizure, I have since gotten taken off all of my medications, the only thing I am currently taking is my diabetes medicine. I was readmitted last sunday the 16th and stayed there until Tuesday when I was transferred by ambulance all the way to Methodist Hospital here in Houston where I have been ever since. I got hooked up to a constant EEG on Wednesday early afternoon and we are just waiting for the seizure activity to increase enough with the big stuff. The doctors have been saying the last day or so that I am having small seizure episodes just not the big ones quite yet, they are saying the big one is going to happen at anytime now so all we can do is wait so waiting is what we are doing. We have had the greatest family support through all of this, we have been very very blessed, I don't even want to think about what we would have to do without family. It has been a very emotional last couple weeks but I am trying my absolute hardest to let whatever is supposed to happen just happen. Now I am just ready for that big ole' seizure, please bring it God, I know he can so let's just make it happen!


Anyways we are hoping and praying our hardest for some serious action these next couple of days and ask that everyone prays the same with us. We appreciate ALL the amazing love, support, thoughts, and prayers that have come our way and once again are so blessed with such great family and friends during times like this. I will do my best to keep this up to date on the current situation.



Some pictures are better than none...Hendrick Medical Center, where I spent the first part of my medical journey, which ended up being about a week and a half.

Methodist Hospital in Houston which has been my home for almost a week now, so blessed to be here.

Only two weeks to go!!!

Since I'm somewhat behind on blogging I haven't had a chance to update on our recent plans of moving to Katy from Abilene VERY SOON! Back at the beginning of June after Jake found out that he didn't receive the job promotion he had interviewed for and really hoping to get at the Abilene Sprint store, he randomly got a call from a store manager in the Katy area he had talked to a few months back. The store manager at the Katy Sprint store had recently got an open spot for the same promotion he had interviewed for at the Abilene store. Right off the bat Jake & the store manager in Katy really clicked and he was offered a job very quickly which was such great news but still ALOT to think about. We really felt like it was such a great opportunity and at a really good time in our lives with Jake really wanting to move up in the Sprint company, my sister & brother in law who live there and getting ready to welcome their first baby into the world in mid December, just wanting to be closer to all my family that lives in that area, and just with all of Jake's family moving to different places all outside of Abilene. We both just felt like we were ready to move on to the next phase in our life and really just felt at peace with this opportunity to move our life to the Katy area.


After telling our families and really making the decision real we began the good ole' apartment search and with the help of my sister and brother in law we were able to find a great apartment even with being six hours away which was such a blessing. It has also turned out to blessing that Houston just happens to have some of the best medical care in the country and seeing as how I have been having lots of medical difficulties and definitely need close monitoring with my diabetes and epilepsy issues I really feel like it is going to work out great, my doctors have been great with giving me really good references down in that area. The only thing that is going to be pretty difficult but I know will end up working out for the best is that because my driving restrictions with epilepsy really mess with my job abilities I am going to stay here in Abilene for the month of July and live with my parents and continue working for the Trammells and go on vacation with them at the end of July into August to Vail, Colorado.


We are really getting excited and moving and beginning this next adventure in life together! But our sweet little Abilene will definitely be missed, I think I will miss Abilene more than Jake will which is totally ok. It is going to be weird to not live in the same town as my parents anymore but I know it will be fine, it will just be that more exciting when I see them. But I know what is going to be the most difficult for me is being away from my three little girls- Maggie, Claire, & Elizabeth. I am definitely so glad that I get to go to Colorado for eight days with them, it is really going to help be one last fun time with the whole family which is really special to me. And I know this really isn't a goodbye because I will be back often to visit my parents and them but I will just have to really get used to not seeing them every day and not being involved in all their big milestones in their lives. I definitely know I will be in Abilene for every birthday in January and August as long as it is possible. But words can not explain in any way, shape, or form how excited I am to be so close when my sweet little nephew or niece gets here, it is SO SO much such a dream come true for me. So needless to say I cannot wait for December to get here!!


Next on the list is the trip next week with my family down to Houston/Beaumont for my cousin Hannah's wedding, we are leaving Wednesday afternoon after I get off work and coming back Sunday evening. Then the very next weekend we leave to start the moving process so the next two weeks are going to be SO CRAZY for us. I will hopefully get a chance to update before all the moving craziness starts of a full wedding/family trip post, so stay tuned!

End of the year stuff

So as always at the end of the year, mainly in May the girls have alot of programs and events to attend that are always too adorable for words and as expected I enjoy EVERY minute of them! I think it gets better every single year because each year they are one year older and you can really start to see their true talent and personality through all of their activities and such. These pictures below go from most recent to earlier in the month and tried my hardest to get the best pictures of them but as we all know capturing kids under 5 is really not the easiest thing in life to do. If I am able to find a video of their dance recital I will definitely post it on here because it is just too precious not to share! Hope you enjoy the pictures from their May events.


Claire doing her ballerina stance for a picture during intermission at the recital

Elizabeth with my mom's glasses on being silly during intermission at the recital

Smart Baby Elizabeth...such a cutie!!

Claire receiving her gymnastics medal after performing on the floor and balance beam, so cute to watch them be awarded their own medals, they were SO PROUD!

Maggie getting her gymnastics medal, this girl loves her gymnastics class and is actually getting pretty good at all the different tricks they are all starting to do!

Maggie after she did a cartwheel off of the balance beam, we were all WAY PROUD of her!

Claire doing her balance beam act, she was so serious and cute while she did everything!

Elizabeth & I after Claire's end of the year preschool program...not sure why she is pouting but she has been pouting on command alot lately, I guess it is just a phase!

Claire's 3 year old class performing their fruit of the spirit songs...each row wore either green, yellow, or red shirts with painted fruit on them. It is always so cute to hear them sing all about Jesus and all the songs they learn at school.

Here is another picture, basically the same as the one above, just unfortunately with random people's heads in the picture. It was really hard to get a picture close enough where you could actually see Claire really well since I didn't go sit on the floor while they are singing haha.

Graduation Weekend

A couple of weeks ago one of my closest cousins graduated from ACU so we had some family in town to see her graduate and celebrate with lunch afterwards. Unfortunately the only thing I got pictures of was the after celebration which sucks a little but I suppose I will live. It has been a great four years to have Rachel here in Abilene while she has been going to school here at ACU and she definitely will be missed. Luckily we will be seeing quite a bit of Rachel even though she won't be living here in Abilene anymore because her fiance isn't graduating until December so I know she will be here visiting him, but also here in a couple weeks we have Hannah(her sister's) wedding down in Beaumont and then this coming up March Rachel is getting married which means lots of family time in the next several months. But here are a few pictures from our last official lunch celebration with Rachel here with us in Abilene.


The only thing that kinda put a damper on that fun weekend filled with fun graduation celebration was that I had another seizure that afternoon while all of us girls-mom, jenna, rachel, and monica were on our way to one of our favorite little antique stores. So we went home to try and get me all settled after having a seizure in Rachel's car on the way to this antique store. So after all this happened Jake & I spend the rest of the weekend at my parents house so someone could make sure I was ok while I was recovering from the seizure, especially while Jake had to work some that weekend. I will do a whole other post soon on my most recent neurologist appointment and all the current updates on my condition.



Rachel & Christopher

Rachel, Christopher, & Bailey (Rachel's fiance)

Dad opening Rachel's "thank you" gift- a three in one picture frame, all pictures of my dad & Rachel. It was such a sweet going away gift, I think it made my dad tear up a little bit.

Another Jimmy & Rachel picture

Rachel & My mom