Last Day to Help FIGHT BACK!!

Today is the LAST day to donate to Relay for Life. If you want to stand with Carys and help us FIGHT BACK against this beast that affects so many lives...today is the day.

It is very simple, you can just follow this link Wilms Warriors Page and donate online. Even if all you can give is $5 or $10 dollars, these small amounts add up when we ALL give!

Please email me if you have an questions or concerns. The Relay for Life's website allows you to make a secure donation that will go straight to our team, the Wilms Warriors.

We hope that if you have time on Friday evening you can join us at Brent Heritage Park. Just look for the "Reelin' in a Cure" tent. Bring lawn chairs and get ready for some fun and a great time of remembrance! If you can be there to watch the survivor lap, it is VERY moving! There is nothing more moving to me that seeing Carys is that PURPLE (the color for surviors) t-shirt! And this year with HAIR!!!!

Thank Your for your love support and prayers as ALWAYS!!!

Baby Pictures

We have 34 new babies at our house. 27 quail and 8 Bantam Chickens. Here they are in Carys's hands.

Chicken and Quail

"What?!?!?"

Quail

Chickie still wet from hatching!

Offically Hooked on Picnik!!

What you can do for FREE amazes me. How cute is this pic!!! It was just ok SOTC(straight out of the camera) but now it is a thing of beauty.

Sunday Blues

I discovered the program "Picnik" I love it! You can make changes and choose the file size you want to save it as. I love this because I can edit photos online and not compromise the quality.

Exciting Day!!

I awoke EARLY this morning when Justin left for work he came back in the bedroom (where I was fast asleep!) and told me he thought there was some action going on in the incubator. The fan on it had be squeeky for a few days so I did not think much about it. He insisted that I check it out.

Sure enough. One of the chicken eggs was hatching. The odd thing was that there was a LOT of churping. I had no idea that chicks churp from INSIDE the egg! Before long, one of the 45 quail eggs we were incubating was hatching! At our last count around lunch time we had 21 quail that had hatched.

I am so glad that the kids got to witness one actually hatcing! I feel like they learn so much from these types of things. There is no way that you can watch an egg in all of its stages of development and not know that GOD designed it perfectly!

Hope to get pictures up tomorrow!

Reward to the first person who...

Can identify this child. Her parents have not seen her for about a year. There is a little girl living at there house, but she has a head full of hair!

Just joking of course! This was taken in the summer of 2008! My how a year can change things!!

Introducing...

Sprinkles Cottingham

Crazy English Lanugage!

I am happy that we speak English, but who came up with all the rules. Better yet, what about all of the exceptions!!

When I took congnitive pshychology and child developmental, my favorite part of these classes was language development. It is simply AMAZING how kids learn language. So much of it is learned through what they hear. Rules that we learn formally in school often we already know in practice.

When I first starting dating Justin, Mr. Phil used to pick at me about my "smarts." He would ask me to tell him all of the verb tenses for "to skin" (like to skin a deer.) He always said they were skin, skank, and skunk! You may laugh at that becuase he KNOWS he is crazy!

Seems that this quality for comming up with crazy verb tenses in hereditary. The following are TRUE stories...

(1) We were eating Easter supper with the Cottinghams and cousin Ashton was picking on Sawyer. Sawyer reached over and hit him and told him to stop. Carys calls out from the table, "Momma, Sawyer just spunk (meaning spanked) Ashton!!"

(2) Carys has a Barbie Jeep. Sawyer, being a boy, is much more skilled at driving around the yard than she is. So, when she drove it all the way home from MawMaw Shirley's house the other day she proudly announced "Momma, I drooved the Barbie Jeep all by myself!"

Well, it is a crazy language anyway!!

Mark Your Calenders!!

Please tell everyone you know...

Benifit Singing for Realy for Life
In Honor of Carys Jo Cottingham
Saturday, April 24 2009
Pondville Baptist Church

Feautring:
Justin Tidwell
Bobby Terry
The Joy Masters

This is our last major fund raiser before Relay if you cannot join us please consider giving on-line.

Click here to GIVE HOPE!!!

NED, AGAIN!!!

Psalm 77

1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah
4 You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days, the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired: ...

10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
13 Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.

Carys is NED~Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

I claim verses 10-14 for the precious Beam Family!!

Carys and Sawyer Face the Easter Bunny

Okay, I am not sure how long this "Easter Bunny" thing is going to make it at our house! We stumbled upon the "easter bunny" at Walmart last Saturday and here is what took place...

Carys - "Oh momma, is that the Easter bunny?

Me - Uh, yes I think it is.

Carys - No, I think that is "Mrs." Easter Bunny. Don't you see that bow in her hair.

Sawyer - Yeah, boys don't wear bows!

Carys - Can we make our picture with her?

Me: Sure, wait until the other kids are finished.

So, my children (in very rare form I might add) wait there turn. In the meantime they are watching every move "she" makes. It is finally their turn and they walk up to "her"

Carys - You are "Mrs." easter bunny, right"

Bunny nods yes.

Carys - "Momma, she does not talk!" So Mrs. bunny, where do you live? pause (no response from the bunny) you know, like Santa lives at the North Pole, where do you live? Do you live in a hole in the ground??

Bunny nods YES!

Sawyer - bunnies live in burrows - I read about that in the "Peter Cottontail" book.

Carys - Okay a burrow. So, how do you stay so white if you live in the dirt?

Bunny - shruggs and looks at me like, who are these kids?!?

Sawyer - Do you take a shower?

Carys - Or do you like baths?

Sawyer - do you use blue soap or pink soap?

Bunny - shruggs again!

Carys - I know, I bet you take a shower in the rain with a bar of soap! Ha ha!

They take their picture and we move on. I could not decided if I should be embarrased or impressed!

As we left walmart, Carys was looking at the photo and said to me, "Momma, I think that was just a person in a costume. What do you think?" To which I responded, I think you are right but don't tell your brother!!

Many Spring Pictures

I am loving my new camera but one of the disadvantages is that it takes a little more time to get the photo's ready for down or upload. So, I have thousands of pics that I have not uploaded yet becuase I just cannot find the time. Here are a few from the past couple of week. To me the images are bittersweet for two reasons. (1) I think the combo of the camera and my interest in photography allow me to capture some great moments, however, I NEED a little more pratice with the camera and REALLY NEED some new software. I have not been touching up my pics at all beacuse the software I have is so out of date! I found out that I can purchase PhotoShop as a student so I plan to do so AS SOON as my income tax refund comes back! Also, I am taking a photography class at UM this summer and I cannot wait! (2) My babies are SO beautiful and are growing up so fast. This makes me happy and sad all at the same time!

Here goes (in no particular order!)...

A Potato Lunch!

Oh, how I wished I had one of my camera's with me today. I ate lunch in the NEW Bibb County High School! If you missed the open house (like I did) you need to make time to stop by for a tour! Everything about it is beautiful. It was a bit sereal walking the halls. We all made so many memories in the old building but this is truly something for us all to be proud of.

My lunch consisted of a baked potato complete with all the trimmings (including chili) from the "Potato Bar", a salad from the "salad bar" (my fav was the black olives), and green beans. Oh, did I mention that I had my choice of TWO big flat screen TV's to watch!

The most noticiable difference in the noise level in the school. It is designed to be quite and it is. When I first arrived, I wondered "where are the kids!" But they were there, in class and at lunch but the halls were WIDE and QUIET! The atmosphere is calm which I know will make for a great learning envirnoment!

It is truly something to be proud of!

Positivity Needed!

Okay, today (4/8/09) and next Friday (4/17/09) are big days for us. Today our dear friend Jillian Sharp ,who when through treatments along side Carys for Wilms Tumor (the only thing that seperated them was the miles from her to KS!), will undergo her 9 months off treatment scans. Next Friday it will be Carys' turn. Usually, these days bring anxious thoughts that can only be overcome by prayers. Today, I am not worried about "our" girls. Another person has my prayers.

Most of you know that Justin's boss Mr. Scott has been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer. From the beginning people have been shocked. Yesterday he underwent surgery. Things did not go 100% as planned (as they rarely do!) This started a trend that has troubled me. People calling and spreading the "bad" news. Please remember that when Carys had her big surgery they found the beginnings of cacner there which was completely unexpected, but God healed her!

Here is how I feel about all of this.

First, to us Mr. Scott is MORE that an employer. He has been so good to our family through every stage of our lives. I will never forget him showing up at our door when my dad passed away. That ment so much to me now and then! I am tired of people asking us about the mill and what will happen to it!! Right now, we are concerned about one thing ONLY; Mr. Scott's health. Please be respectful of Mr. Scott, his family, and us.

Secondly, the Bible says...

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

1 Thessalonians 3:10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

James 5:15(a) And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.

I can remember when Carys was sick that I would get so angry at people who moaned and groaned about how sick she was. I believe that negativity has nothing good to offer someone who is hurting (physically, emotionally, or spritually.) Please stop and think about what you are saying! The Bible instructs us to pray as though the person we are lifiting up is already healed. I KNOW that we all must face reality, but I also know the power of positive prayer. When we pray believing, no one but God knows what the outcome will be. I think it selfish to assume that WE know what God can or will do if we just pray.

I am sure you can all read into my fustrations. I just find difficult to stay fouced on positive prayers and encouraging my friends when everyone is making predicitons about the outcome of this situation.

Please join me in lifting up Mr. Scott and his family as they prepare to fight this battle! As for me and my house we will be praying...

Isaiah 26:8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

Easter and New Clothes

I had a friend this week make a comment when I mentioned going shopping for Carys a new Easter dress. The comments included remarks about traditions and what buying and wearing new clothes had anything to do with Easter. As you all know I am not just one to brush off what people say. I think God puts people in front of us to give us messages or to make us think.

So, I did some praying/reflecting on the subject. Was I teaching Carys that the most important thing about Easter was a new dress??? Then it hit me. Just like a Christmas when we exchange gifts in rememberance of Christ being the ultimate "gift" there is a symbolic reason for buying new clothes for Easter Sunday....

You see, new clothes can serve as a reminder to us what Christ actually did for us on the cross. He gave himself, for us, so that we might find New Life! That is what the clothes represent > New Life!

I want to be certain that my children know that the most IMPORTANT thing in my life (and inturn their lives) is pleasing God with our lives so that others might come to know him.

Maybe you could mention to your kiddos that they are wearing their new or fancy clothes on Sunday to honor Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made to give us New Life!

Best Laid Plans...

This is a phrase we all know too well. With Carys' health and everything else in life, I have had to REMIND myself (I already knew it) that the only plans that are promised to come to furition are GOD'S PLANS!

When Carys was diagnosed in October 2007, I was enrolled in two classes at UM. Because of all that happended, I was forced to drop those classes. The problem was that I was past the withdrawal data and therefore I was forced to take "Fs" for those classes. I have done fairly well in school but these two grades dropped my GPA to 2.9! That is not aweful, but I would like higher than that for graduate school purposes. One of my professors, who I have learned so much about teaching from, agreeded to help me obtain a retroactive withdrawal because it was a medical emergency. For months now, I have been working to get letters and get the whole things squared away. Finally today, I got word that it has been approved! I am so exicted. I really do not care now what my GPA is, I am just so happy that God has sent another blessing my way. There is no way I could properly thank the people (espically Dr. Day) for the compassion they have shown me!

I have registered for my LAST three classes at UM. If everything goes according to plan, I will graduate in August! This has been such a long time comming that sometimes it is hard for me to think of it as an accomplishement. Then I think about all that God has brought me through during this time. It is beacuse of HIM and His example of endurence that allows me to feel pride that I have "finished my race!" I also have someother exciting news. I have officailly applied for Graduate School! I have a couple of tests to take over the summer but if all goes as planned, I will be working on my coursework for my masters in the fall! Please pray that God will give me the endurence to get everything done and use the talents he has given me to do all of this so that I might be a testament to HIS power, love, and strength!

Now to the funny story! Wednesday night Sawyer was complaining about his tummy hurting. We went on to church, ate supper, all went to our classes. The kids were in their class and I had choir practice for the Easter Musical. Right before church was over, one of the ladies that teacher Sawyer's class came out and told me they needed me quickly! I ran to the back to discover Sawyer on the potty. He had an accident in his pants. He was sick. Of course I did not have extra clothes so I cleaned him up, put a blanket around him and returned to the sancuary with him to finish up practice. When we ot in there Mr. Phil asked Sawyer, "Boy, where are your britches?" to which Sawyer replied (to the WHOLE choir) "I just pushed out diarrhea in them." Oh my, everyone thought it was cute but me! I was so embarrased!

Moral of the Story: Be careful what you ask Sawyer. He is what they call brutally honest!

Have a Blessed Weekend!