My daughter and I keep reminding each other of 'our' one year anniversary.  It has been one year (January 20th) since my surgery that gave me back my life, and gave Grace back her mom. We have journeyed this year together.  Weathered ups & downs, together.  God, my precious daughter, and I.  God does indeed still work miracles.  So, we celebrated all day yesterday.  First, we didn't do school.  We wanted to totally concentrate on each other's company.  She turned in a "Free Game" card and we played the game of 'Life'.  We ate our favorite meal (ziti & salmon), and then we went to town to get groceries.  But before we took care of that bit of business, we celebrated some more.  We parked at the library and walked downtown to Front Street. (Natchitoches, La.) We strolled down to the river, taking pics and talking.  We walked down Front Street doing some window shopping and browsing in small shops.  That was so relaxing.  Just browsing and walking.  We then topped off our celebrating with a browse through one of our FAVORITE places, the library.  Here are a few pics of our day together.

Walking together.                                            My dear daughter.

A business on Front Street                            plaque on river front

dd on river front                                       Grace's other best friend - Jesse

Good morning everyone.  It is a nice and beautiful 34 degrees out right now in this beautiful state I call home.  I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee (I hate coffee, but had to try this new flavor - rasberry chocolate) thinking about my to-do list for today.  Two things used to bother me about this state: 1)that I had to call it home and 2)that it never was really winter time here. But now, after living here for the second time (I was born here and lived the first 5-6 years of my life here), I can't think of any other place I would rather live. Not even my precious mountains in Alabama.  We've lived here now since July 1993.  A record breaker for this PK. That's 12.5 years in one place. WOW!  Does anyone remember the Blizzard of 93?  We experienced some of that Blizzard in Alabama.  It was awesome.  I never remember seeing snow like that before or since.  Louisiana has some cold weather in winter, but I enjoy the mostly mild/warm weather we have in winter here.  Summer is another story.  This winter has been especially mild.  I have been able to raise my new windows in the house and let the fresh air come in.  We still have a few new windows to put in, but I have enough raised to have a cross-breeze.  I love raising windows. Let me ask a question.  Has anyone ever 'raised the window down'.  I grew up with that expression.  "Raise the window down".  It NEVER, EVER crossed my mind that was weird and wrong.  (Maybe it's an Alabama thing?) Think about it.  How do you raise a window DOWN??  HUH?  Well, anyway.  Coffee's not to bad, but now cold.  The birds outside are feeding.  And I'm going to get my sleepy-head daughter up now. (It's 9:08 am)  She gets to sleep late on Saturdays.  Yes, 9:00 am is LATE.  Not 12-1 pm.  That's wasting the day.  7 am is early and 8 am is just about right.  See ya. 

1) Information from a registry will provide needed “ammunition” to create change in other areas. Right now basic data we have on adults is projected from birth rates and assumed survival rates. There is no hard data on population size, age, diagnoses, health status, and insurance status. Without this information, it is very hard to talk concretely about meeting our needs. For example, if we want to make a case for the need for health insurance changes for those with ACHD, we need data on the number of ACHDers currently without health insurance.

2) The time is right. In 2005 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) convened a group of national experts to advise them on priorities in ACHD. The group advised the establishment of an ACHD registry, but as yet no action has occurred. Following up with a Lobby Day to ask for NIH funding to establish this registry is a logical next step.

3) It requires no special legislation. There is an existing congressional body – the Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee – which is charged with the allocation of health funding. If they so chose, they have the power to specify that funding be provided.

4) National research funding is a role of the federal government. The United States has an agency – the National Institutes of Health – charged with meeting national health research needs. It is our job to go and tell them how we feel this money should be spent, and their job to “write the check”.

5) Other key needs in ACHD may not be best addressed at the federal level. For example, lobbying experts tell us that successful insurance reform efforts start on the state level. The shortage of ACHD doctors and programs may be best addressed by existing cardiology policy makers and credentialing bodies.

6) An ACHD registry will lay the groundwork for medical research. Right now large-scale studies in ACHD are almost impossible, because very few centers have enough of any one kind of patient to study, and there is no mechanism to share data. A registry effort is a needed first step towards a national research network.

7) Without our “push”, research on long-term CHD survivors is unlikely to occur. Finding adults with CHD will be difficult and expensive. It is much easier to study children with CHD, because their care is concentrated in pediatric cardiac surgical centers. Most adults have been “lost” to research and finding them will take special effort. Some argue that it is not worth the money and effort to find this first generation of survivors, and that we should just continue to study today’s children as they age. It is our job to speak up for this “lost generation”.

8) We want our experiences to help today’s children with CHD. By finding and studying adults with CHD, we can provide better information to today’s families and children about what to expect in their lifetime. Right now, health professionals, those with heart defects, and their families are all making choices without needed data on outcomes and impact. We all deserve to make more informed choices.

9) We need data now, not 20 years from now. If research in adults only happens by continuing to study today’s children, it will be 20 years before we have adult data. But right now the majority of those with heart defects are adults. Today’s families, children, and adults should not have to wait another generation for adult data.

10) An ACHD registry will help save lives. With medical research will come medical progress.

11) Creating a registry will help reach “the lost”. Many ACHDers are not aware of their long-term health needs. Many have stopped getting needed care. The outreach effort involved in finding and enrolling patients can also help educate patients about their need for care.

12) A registry can help prevent congenital heart defects. For the first time, most adults with congenital heart disease are living long enough to have children. Studies should be undertaken to look for genetic and other patterns in CHD. A registry will allow large-scale genetic and incidence studies to take place.

For more information visit ACHA's Website at:  www.achaheart.org

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.....  Ever been there?  I had four weeks to prepare to possibly walk in that valley last January 20th (2005).  I will fear no evil?  Yea right!  I'd have to say my faith was truly tested those four weeks.  I prayed, I cried, I prayed some more.  I was scared.  Not of death, really, but of leaving my beautiful teenage daugher without a mom, and my parents without a daughter.  That thought was so horrifying, I almost backed out of the surgery.  But no.  If I did, what was I telling God?  "Hey God, I don't trust you."  Not a chance.  I did trust God.  That night before the surgery, my family says I was calm.  I didn't think so.  The morning of surgery, my family thought I was calm.  I wasn't.  But I kept telling God "I trust You, I trust You, I trust You.... I knew God would work His will.  But I was praying it would be my life here for a while longer.  I was given medicine to relax me.  Then I was calm.  I kissed my daughter goodbye, praying with everything in me, that this wouldn't be the last kiss I gave her.  It wasn't.  Now, almost a year later, I'm still giving her kisses and THANKING GOD for every single day that He gives me.  Life is so precious.  If you ever find yourself walking through that valley of the shadow of death, don't fear.  God IS with you.  No matter the outcome, whether life here or life in heaven, God will take care of you and those you love.  I can't believe it's been a year.  Life is fun and amazing again.  PRAISE GOD!!!

P.S.  The last open-heart surgery I had in 1980 when I was 10 years old... I was CALM.  Through everything, I was calm.  But this time, the stakes were higher.  I had my precious girl to take care of. 

Here are some photos I took with my Christmas present (digital camera).  I think Grace and I get carried away with our picture taking.  But it's SSOOO much fun being with her and taking pictures together.  Isn't God's creations beautiful?  He is so very wonderful to us.  And He has been so very merciful to me and my family this year.  Click on my flickr badge to view these and other pictures.  More on on the way. 

up-close shot of clover flowers                         1st daffodils of 2006

b/w of pecan tree                                                leaf caught in dried okra pod

elephant cloud (can you see it?)                     mushrooms in old dead pecan tree

 water drops on cabbage                                                                      

We rise between 7:30 - 8:00 a.m. 

Grace spends the next hour making her rounds with her animals making sure they are fed and watered and walked (the dog).  She also feeds and waters the wild birds outside. 

Back inside, she eats breakfast.  Quite time for personal devotions is next.  It's then time to began school work. 

In between watching the birds feeding outside, watching squirrels play, playing with my new digital camera, playing with Jesse (black lab), watching a 50 minute educational show while eating lunch, cleaning lunch dishes, and walking, Grace manages to get in a full day's worth of school. 

Things she has to complete each day are:

Advanced Math (Saxon)

Chemistry (Apologia)

World History (AOP)

Language Arts (AOP)

Henle Latin I

Fallacy Detectives (once a week)

Word Roots (Level II) (twice a week)

Home Economics (AOP)

Piano

Practicing her katas (for karate)

Sometimes she doesn't complete everything, but she's still learning. To me, she's just playing outside. I used to get so mad if she got 'behind schedule'.   But I was just making both of us miserable.  You would be amazed at what she learns from being oustside.  I'm finally realizing that there's more than one way to learn.  Even for a high-schooler.  I'm becoming more relaxed and staying calm if she doesn't manage to complete everything.    I'm learning, too.

How did you ring in the new year?  Me?  Well, me and my dad sat out in the yard on this warm & breezy Louisiana evening and watched the fireworks from the front, the left, and the right.  We changed our positions in the yard a few times until we found just the right spot to see the fireworks from all sides.  We went out about 11pm and talked and sipped homemade cocoa.  We then found our 'perfect' positions in the yard and waited.  Our neighbors on all sides didn't let us down.  We watched fireworks for a good 20 minutes until everything settled down.  Me and my dad had never done that before.  This will be a memory I will never forget.  Where was my precious daughter during all of this, you might ask.  Well, she got invited to a friend's house to shoot fireworks.  She was thrilled and I was thrilled for her.  She did call me at midnight to wish me a 'Happy New Year'.  This has been a wonderful year, and what a way to close this year out and bring the new year in.  2005 has been a challenging year for me, but God has seen me through.  I can't wait to see what 2006 holds for me. 

 Carpe Diem!!

This time of year, I like to reflect on the events of the past year and what God has done for me and my family.  A major event was open-heart surgery for me in January.  A major blessing was my rapid recovery.  Another major event (for me) was that I can now walk 1 1/2 miles a day when I choose.  The only thing the doctor told me to do after I was discharged from the hospital was - to walk.  I did.  I built myself up to 1 1/2 miles a day. (Then I backed off to 1 mile because of winter weather.)  Before surgery I could not walk across the room without becoming extremely tired.  I give God all the praise for this miracle.  I have become alot more active with my daughter.  She loves that.  She turned 15 - I turned 36 - My husband turned 42.  Daughter decides to take karate.  I'm considering karate for myself.  Probably won't, though.  Don't think I could remember all of that stuff.  Daughter starts high-school, officially.  Technically she's taking 10th-11th grade subjects, but for PSAT purposes, she's in 9th grade.  Her senior year will be filled with advanced placement subjects.  Let's see.  What else.  Oh, yea.  Went for check-up with regular cardiologist and they still think I need a heart transplant.  But now its a heart-lung transplant.  That dropped me into a major depression for a few weeks.  But me and God had a long talk and I'm at peace with any future decisions that should be made in that direction.  Got to see New Orleans, but not the way I wanted.  All I saw was the inside of an ICU for almost two weeks.  My daughter saw NO for me.  Now I guess I'll never get to see NO like it was.  I'll always envy them for that.  Daughter got her 1st job - mowing lawns.  She also started taking professional piano lessons.  Professional meaning not from me.  Bought new fridge and washing machine.  Dad built me a front porch (while I was in the hospital).  I was shocked and thrilled to come home and find that.  Started blogging, bought my first digital camera, and am having fun with both.  Have become closer to God.  Talk to Him more and read His word more.  (Those are the best things for this year.)  There's probably more, but I'm drawing a blank. 

God has been so very good to me and my family, as you can see. I just want everyone to know that no matter what you are going through, God will NOT forsake you if you are His child.  His word says so.  And God cannot lie.  So you can believe that.  It may seem, at times, that He has forsaken you.  Believe me, I have had my share of those thoughts this year.  But He's still there.  He just wants you (me) to trust Him.  He knows what He's doing.  He WILL NOT put more on you than you can bear.  God is so merciful and kind and loving.  Read Psalms 91.  That psalm was read to me everyday I was in the PICU (I had surgery at a children's hospital) by my dad and daughter.  They knew how much I loved that particular psalm.  To me, it says everything.  After I woke up, my daughter continued to read the bible to me.  I know God was with me every step of the way and still is.

Hooray!!  I did it.  I actually completed a two-mile hike.  The first I've taken in 6 or more years.  I've been wanting to see if I could do it again without getting deathly tired.  And we did it (God and I).  I couldn't have done it without His help.  Me, my daughter, husband, and black lab went on Christmas Eve. It was a beautiful day for a hike.  But I do have to say this - at the end, I didn't think I was going to make it.  Not because of my heart but, because my legs were a goner.  There at the last, I couldn't take it anymore and had to sit down on the ground.  My husband ask me why I was sitting down because we were back where we had started.  I told him he could have told me before I sat down. It was amazing.  I haven't felt like doing that in years and it felt GREAT!!!  Thank you God! 

"I love You.  We best friends?"  That's what my daughter just asked me.  I hear that alot from her.  But, you know what?  I still get warm and fuzzy inside when I hear her ask.  My answer is YES, ALWAYS!!!  Parents are the greatest earthly friends a child could have.  I say earthly because I'm not about to leave God and Jesus out.  We always tell each other "I love you more than anything, EXCEPT God and Jesus."  God will always come first.  But after that, my love for my daughter goes beyond anything imaginable.  I was supposed to have died when I had her and she was supposed to have been severly handicapped mentally.  God had/has other plans.  I'm still here and (after surgery this past January) feeling better than ever.  As for Grace.  The only thing mentally wrong with her is the fact that she's nuttier than I am. 

Every time I look at that 15 year old beautiful girl, I just melt.   

For all of you dog-lovers out there, and especially to all you black lab lovers, today is our lab's birthday.  She is 4 yo today.  She is a very special dog.  To me, she's a miracle dog.  Two weeks after we had gotten her (when she was a pup) she came down with parvo or something similiar.  We did everything we could think of, but she continued to get worse.  I finally told my daughter that she was going to have to say good-bye.  She did.  She took her precious little dog, whom she was already very attached to, out in the yard to say good-bye.  I prepared Grace for the fact that Jesse would probably be dead the next morning.  SHE WASN'T!!!  She was still alive.  She lived that day, and the next, and the next.  Now, here we are 4 years later and we have a very pampered dog on our hands.  But she is very well behaved.  She lives with us as one of the family.  And don't even think about coming home from the grocery store without her special treat (a can of dog-food).  Her regular food is dry.  There have been several occasions when we would forget to get her something.  You would think her world was ending.  She would get this hurt look on her face, lower her head, and slink off somewhere to pout.  We don't forget to much anymore.  Hope you enjoyed my story.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSE!!!

This was the coolest experiment I have ever seen.  And one Grace will not soon forget.  We were learning about chemical and physical properties. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.  Anyway.  We took a raw egg, placed it in a glass of vinegar, and let it sit over night. (Around 12 hours)  The next morning, the shell was thinner.  The vinegar had eaten away at the egg shell.  This is how it worked.  The acid in the vinegar reacted with the egg shell.  The calcium carbonate, which makes up the egg shell was turned into chloride, water, and carbon dioxide (which makes the bubbles you will see if you are game enough to try this).  What was left was a thin transparent membrane around the egg.  You could actually see the yolk inside the egg.   Cool, Huh?!

Do you ever find me talking out loud to myself and I.  (I've been doing that alot here lately.)  Apparently my daughter hadn't heard me doing that yet.  This morning, me and myself were fussing over where our recipes were. Grace looked up from what she was doing and with a worried look on her face, ask me what I was doing.  Well, I told her that me and myself couldn't remember where we put our recipes.  She said that she could have told me where they were at and I told her that when she hears me and myself talking like that, she needs to listen in.  We might need some help.  We both got a good laugh out of that, but me, myself, and I didn't find it so funny.  Ever had a conversation like that?  Those of you who actually understood this (and you know who you are) know what I am talking about.  Admit it.  You'll feel better.

Just wanted to share this speech my daughter wrote for an English assignment. 

What God Has Done For Me

There are many things that God has done for me. There are three that really stand out to me though. God has given me a second chance in life (probably a third and fourth too) and has made me a new creature. He has let my Mom see a good full life with me right beside her all the way. God has also been a loyal friend through hard times and through good times. I know He will never leave.

The first thing God has done for me was to send a revival into my heart. I was five years old. I can tell you the exact place where I was, what I was doing, where I was sitting, and who was with me. The only thing I cannot tell you is what I was wearing. I felt like a new person when God’s revival came into my heart. It was the beginning of a new walk in life for me. A new day and a new life as a Christian.

I felt like a new creature when God gave me a second chance. It was as if God let me live again. A sinning soul had died and a clean soul was revived. A new life meant changes. Since I was now a Christian, I would need to begin living and acting like one. I had help with my new life from my Mom. She helped me use my new life that I had been given, for good.

My Mom has congenital heart problems. I do not resent God for that though. I thank him for it. Through her heart condition, we have become inseparable to each other and it draws us closer to Him. I guess you can say that her heart problems makes us better persons. I know God has a plan for my Mom. He does not do things out of impulse like I catch myself doing sometimes. He carefully plans everything out the way He wants it to go. That is how I know that her condition is for a purpose, and I know that God will use her in the way He sees fit.

Mom has gone through many hard times including surgeries, heart failures, and numerous doctor appointments where the med students didn’t have a clue what they were doing or what they were dealing with. God knows. He knew what he was doing. He always knows. Sometimes I think that Mom forgets that. I do not. I know that God will see her through any trial that comes in her way. Back in January, Mom had to have a valve in her heart replaced. After the surgery, the doctors said they did not know how she was living. When she was a child, doctors had the same valve that they replaced in January put in for the first time. There was also a premature valve that the doctors stapled shut. The valve to be replaced was so blocked that they had to chisel it out. No blood could get through that valve. The little stapled valve that she was not even supposed to be using was the only thing keeping her alive. The only reason she was still alive was because there was a trickle of blood running through the stapled valve. But I know that it was God keeping her alive. Now Mom is up and running. She feels a whole lot better. Of that, I am glad.

God has always been there for me. Through the tough times and the good times, He has always been a comforter and a friend. When I am sad, I like think God cries along with me. When I am glad, I like to think that He laughs with me too. I know He will never leave me nor forsake me. I do not just read it and quote it. I believe it.

When friends and family turn away, God is always there. He is a constant friend and guide. I believe that too. Some people think of God as just a wrathful king waiting to strike judgment on the slightest thing you do wrong. That is the farthest thing from the truth. God is a friend. He is also a loyal guide. He forgives. I would describe God as the perfect father. He is forgiving, will help you get back on the path gently if you fall off of it, but He will also correct us if we do something wrong. That is what I believe.

As I said before, there are many many other very wonderful things that God has done for me. However, His loyalness, His second chances and what He has done for my Mom just stands out to me. This is my story. What is yours?

Let me introduce the family.  My name is Tammy.  Husband-Ronald; Daughter-Grace; Black Lab-Jesse; Dwarf Hamster-Lightning; Dwarf Hamster-Thunder (their names suit them); hermit crab-Spider; parakeet-Sami; Betta Fish-Sydney; and eyed tiger moth-Angelo.  Now that you've met the fam, I'll get on with it.  Our journey into this wonderful world of homeschooling began in March, 2003.  Actually it began almost one year to the day earlier, but we didn't actually start with homeschooling until March 03.  I was unhappy with Grace being in public school (henceforth known as PS or 'the system').  Grace was getting unhappy with PS.  I was unhappy from the start, but I had no idea I could actually keep her at home and teach her.  I can thank American Family Radio for planting the seed.  I had been listening to AFR for several years but must not have really been listening. One day I heard someone mention homeschooling and it's like God slapped me on the back of the head and told me to wake up.  I finally knew what I had to do.  It took me another year of researching and reading before I actually got brave enough to 'buck' the system.  It was Grace's 6th grade year.  I t was spring break.  That's when we broke out and set ourselves free.  It was great.  I was happy.  Grace was happy.  And my husband was happy that we were happy.  Grace was back where she belonged.  All the while she was in PS I taught her at home too.  She would go to school all day and come home and we would pick up where we left off as well.  When she first started school she was already ahead of her peers.  I made sure she stayed that way.  We were always reading books and learning together.  Now we can without the stress of the ps system.  This life is the greatest.  We may not have riches, but we have something much better: time together. And for us that is very important.

Squirrels are funny to watch.  Just this morning, I was watching one little squirrel trying hard to get into an empty bird-seed bag.  He was scratching and clawing to get to the opening of the bag (which was hanging off the porch) but just couldn't get that bag to act right.  He fell off the porch a few times, but came right back for more.  He finally gave up and went off to chase another squirrel up a tree.  And have you ever noticed how good they are with their hands (front paws/feet)?  We have squirrels around here that can take the lid off of a popcorn tin, you know, the ones you get this time of year with all that yummy popcorn in it?  Those lids are hard for ME to get off.  How do they do it?  It's just amazing to watch them every day.  My daughter and I get such joy out of watching them.