Nacho nacho...

After Chase woke up at the hospital, he was bored. They did have a VCR in his room, but no movie that he wanted to watch. I guess since he was on the pediatric floor, most of the movies were too young for him. So, somehow we got to talking about Nacho Libre. And we all started laughing out loud thinking about it. It was the first time I had seen Chase smile in the hospital. It all had started one night, a long time ago, they had come over to the house, ordered pizza, and we all watched Nacho Libre....and laughed hysterically non stop. I know some of you out there may be thoroughly disappointed in my sense of humor, but I just can't help it. So....when we went to China, one of the daily gifts I left for the kids was the dvd of it. I had put a note in the present that when we got back from China, I wanted to have another Nacho Libre night. Well, last night, the Roark's came over, and we cooked way too much food, and then we plopped down and watched it. We laughed like it was the first time we watched it. Chase was still a little quieter than usual, but was talking with all the kids that were here, and really laughing at the movie. I had a hard time believing, that last night, 3 weeks ago, they were doing surgery, desperately trying to save his life. Just 3 weeks!!!! It's been an amazing 3 weeks indeed!!

Chase is home safe and sound.

So Chase is at home. It's unbelieveable. He walked in his house, plopped on his sofa, and got out his PSP. It really wasn't as if nothing had happened, but it was as if he had had the flu or something like that. He looked great....and his mom was just glowing!! The eye dr. yesterday told them they may have to have a little bit of surgery, but they are choosing not to believe that either. His mom has said over and over again that she is believing for 100% healing from the Lord. And thus far, He has not let her down. I'm going to make a list today, if I have time, of everything the doctors have told them, and everything that was wrong. Virtually NOTHING has been right. He has blown every estimate out of the water, and far, far surpassed every hope any doctor has had. The Lord is truly getting the glory for this one!

Chase is coming home!

Last Saturday, which would be like....9 days ago or so....the doctors told Chase's parents that Chase would be transfered from LSU in Shreveport, to a hospital in our home town for rehab. He would then stay there for 2 - 6 months, in house, and then go home finally for a little outpatient rehab. Again, that's what the dr. said 9 days ago. Well, tomorrow, Chase is coming home. No 2 - 6 month rehab at all. He is doing TOO GOOD to be admitted to any inpatient rehab. It's so astounding. Praise the Lord!!

Gratitude.

One of my favorite songs is Gratitude by Nichole Nordeman. It is an amazing song if you are a lyric person, which I am. I love the words to songs. Lately, I have been doing so much soul searching...I guess for obvious reasons. I know my Lord and Saviour is a miracle worker, but if I am going to be super transparent, I have truly never seen SO many miracles as the miracles I have seen in the last 2 weeks....and it's not only been Chase. There is another man in our church, who is a little older than 40ish. He was diagnosed with cancer, and given 6 months to live WITH treatment. When he went back to MD Anderson last week in Houston, they found NO trace of cancer. None. It's gone. I have such a hard time right now not just breaking out in tears thinking about the gratitude his family must be feeling. Just as I have a hard time not bursting into tears everytime I think of the fact that Chase will be HOME soon. How do we, (and I don't really know who we is...I guess I should say 'I'), get prioritites so out of order. I feel like we...I mean 'I'... continually get so caught up in the things of this world, that I forget to recognize what my priorities need to be. One of my favorites lines in 'Gratitude' is "Oh, the differences that often are between everything we want and what we really need". I so wish I was better at realizing that. So, go find it online somewhere and listen to the song....and listen to the words....I hope it will impact you as much as it does me.

Friends

I'm struggling to put into words what I'm trying to say. Listening to Chandler yesterday talking to Chase, I realized he is old enough to have these 'pranks' and jokes as lifetime memories. I never lived in the same place long enough to maintain lasting relationships as a child. Just about the time I would get close enough to my friends to get in fights with them, Iwould move. I have no idea what path Chandler, Chase, and his brother Ethan are going to take...but so far, they have been lifelong friends. And they have LOTS of crazy memories....and lots of crazy pictures. I am blessed beyond words to have 3 friends, that I can share anything and everything with. They are my best friends. One has been my friend for about 10 years or so. Another for about 6 years or so.....and then the other for only about 2. I guess in the back of my mind, was some of all this last night before I went to bed....because I dreamed about my junior high school best friend. And I miss her. We were very close all the way up until about the time Collin was born. Then both of our lives just got so busy. In fact when Madison was born, she kept Chandler for me. And Chandler LOVED her. They live out in the country with horses, cows, and goats....the REAL country. Chandler knew how to ride a horse when he was 2. But before those memories, we made the same crazy junior high memories....and then high school memories... We had alot of fun, but also got in alot of trouble. In fact, part of my dream last night, was getting in trouble at her house....as an adult. LOL! I guess it never stops. I am thankful that the Lord has blessed me with friends....I suppose He knows how much I need them!

A Sight for Sore Eyes...

Thanks to Grandma, and Aunt Nicki, Chandler and I were able to see Chase walk today. By the time we got there, we were just in time for Chase to be moved from ICU to a regular room. He looked so good. Just like a skinny version of Chase. He wasn't feeling fantastic, but we got quite a few smiles and chuckles out of him when Chandler would talk about old times....especially playing jokes on perfectly innocent people, (that I knew nothing about!!), and bathroom incidents. Why does that not surprise me??!! He didn't talk too terribly much, but enough for us to know he's the same old, same old Chase. Not talking out of his head, like they said he might, or dropping curse words every other word like they said he might, not crazy aggressive like they said he might. In fact, almost nothing that they said might, or even probably would happen, has happened. The Lord is taking EVERY single excuse away for anyone NOT to give Him he glory! This is His total miracle, and we are praising Him for it!!

Daily Miracle Report.

Well, today one more miracle happened. Why am I surprised?? My expectations of what the Lord can do are so inadequate. I know He's healing Chase totally, but his pace is so overwhelming! So, this afternoon, I'm in my backyard, and I get a text from Chase's mom that said, "Oh yea, Chase just walked!!". I about fell out. This kid is amazing!! I talked to Chase's dad, who had been so overwhelmed on Saturday, and he was ecstatic!! I asked him if he was feeling better now, and he said, "100% better!". The Lord is showing His power on a daily basis!!

On a side note...Jillian was very much back to her old self this morning! I was so thankful to see her laughing, and smiling, and having fun with me. And not telling me, (and everybody else for that matter) no non stop. Life is good!