THANKS!!!

Nick and I have been working on fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis foundation. Last week I asked my friend Becka if she could sell some of our pin ups at Callahan BBQ. I knew they would sell good up there but I never imagined this good. I am so excited and want to give A big shout out to all the girls at Callahan BBQ for making it happen. One book of pinups is worth 100 dollars and these girls have kicked butt and sold one book last Friday and then another one today. So Thank you to the girls who helped us make it happen and also to everyone who purchased one up at Callahan BBQ. All the money raised will be donated to the CF foundation in honor of Nick for our great strides "Walking for Nick" team. THANK YOU XOXO Always Amanda and Nick BTW it took forever to convince Nick to take this pic with me LOL...

SOUNDOFF SUNDAY

I am just asking that everyone keep Nick and I in your prayers. About A hour and A half ago I was walking out the door to go to A friends house. As soon as I walked out the door I hear Nick Scream " It is happening again". A year ago Nick had A picc line to get his IV antibiotics. He accidentally flushed air into his line and it caused him to loose complete function of his body and fall to the ground. The symptoms were from him flushing the air into his line. So today he was standing there at the counter and yelled out "Its happening again" and I ran back inside and he was ripping his Iv out of the pump that he is on. Nick was having that same feeling of loosing function in his body. So we called rescue but by the time they came out here,Since Nick ripped the Iv out of the pump the feeling wore off. They came out here and checked his vitals and his vitals were ok or at least as good as they could be after the situation. His BP was A little high but that is expected. So now Nick refuses to hook back up to his pump and IVS. So I am kind of frustrated in one way because I know he really needs these IVS but in the same aspect there is now way I would be hooking back up to the same pump. So I called his nurse and they are going to bring out A new pump for him.He is OK now,We are just frustrated because we don't know why this happened or what caused it. Yeah Nick had the same symptoms as the last time with the air in his line. The machine he is on beeps whenever there is air in the line so we are not sure how air would have gotten in the line. Anyways, Just keep us in your prayers.Please keep Nick on your prayer list daily, I know most of you already do.I worry so much about Nick because he is home A majority of the day by his self and I can only imagine if something like this happened when no one is home. Please pray for A peace of mind and my sanity ... HAHA On another note, I want to send out A big THANK YOU to all the new walkers to join our "Walking for Nick" team. It means so much to Nick and I to see everyone supporting Nick and walking to support the cure for CF. Thanks A bunch!!!! I hope everyone has A great week. XOXO Always

SUNDAY SOUNDOFF

This week was kinda crazy!!! Things are going well with work other than all my babies having runny noses and driving me crazy.Nick is doing about as good as he is going to do while on IVS. This is the first time Nick has been on four IV meds at one time. It is so not fun for me and I am positive for him. He is hooked up to A pump 22 hours A day and then does his other 3 Ivs in the morning and night for about an hour at A time. He is also on 2 inhaled antibiotics to fight off infection.We are doing lots of air clearance and I made homemade mac and cheese today with LOTS of cheese to hopefully put those pounds back on. Nick is such A energetic person, he just cant stay still. I wish sometimes he would just relax and let his body rest.Nick wouldn't have it any other way though. Yesterday I had A Bridal shower to go to . Some friends of ours Matt and Cassey are getting married soon and we got to visit with them some. Then last night Nick and I went and did some shopping for summer clothes. That is one thing I am greatful for is that my husband LOVES TO SHOP. I think he loves it more than me sometimes.Nick and I are taking a trip down to Ft. Lauderdale next month for my mothers birthday. We are SO excited about that!!! In A way I am glad that Nick is on IVS right now, They make him feel a lot better. With us taking this trip next month they always seem to take A lot out of Nick. I am glad I wont have to worry about him getting sick when we go down there. On Another note, I found out Friday that my Great Grandfather passed away. My Grandpa Jack was more like my Grandfather being he was more of A father figure to my Mother. I have SO many great memories with him. When I was little we use to go over there and I would always help him bake A fresh loaf of bread. He was always such A great cook.From the time I was about 5 or 6 he would send me A homemade gingerbread house EVERY YEAR up until I was about 16. Then his hands were too shaky to do it any more. I am so happy that right before Nick andI got married Nick and I took the trip up to lady lake Fl to see him . While we were there my Grandpa Jack gave me the cast iron molds in which he made my gingerbread house every year. They mean so much to me and are so special. I am so thankful to have those.My Grandfathers passing has been really hard on me for more than one reason. As I have gotten older it has been harder and harder for me to find the time to make that simple call and just chat. My Grandfather was always A very entertaining person to talk to even at that age of 85. Being as busy as I always I am just lacked A little in the keeping in touch department. I am so regretful now that he has passed. Yes he knew that I loved him and cared for him but I just regret not staying in touch. It was really sad for me because my Grandfather was never A religious person and therefore I am not sure where my grandfathers soul rest.That is why it is SO IMPORTANT to pray on A DAILY basis for your loved ones. Talk to them and know where they stand in their relationship with the Lord. If its not where it should be than it is your responsibility to pray for them and reach out to them and show them the love and compassion that God has for them. Tell them how much God loves them, and no matter what they have been through God can and will save their soul.I have been so restless not knowing where my Grandfather is,it is such A miserable feeling.I am so thankful for the God that I serve. I am so thankful that when I went to church this morning and went down to the alter that I felt the presence of God like I did. I felt so comforted like God had his arms wrapped around me and was there for me. I am so Thankful for that. I hope everyone has A great week!!!! XOXO Always

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!!

Our only baby for right now!!!!

Not so good

Nick has been doing A study for inhaled cipro. He loves doing the studies because it helps with new meds for other cfers like himself,and it doesn't hurt that they pay well. So Nick has been doing this study for inhaled Cipro. He has seemed to like it alot and the lady who does the studies was LOVE.Yesterday Nick came and had lunch with me and he seemed kinda bummed. I asked him what was wrong and he told me he got kicked out of his study. Apparently his numbers were not that great. They don't like you to do the studies if you are not feeling well because they don't know if its from the study drug or just you. So no more study for Nick and his Dr. thought it would be A good idea for him to do IVs. So he will be starting those tomorrow. It just is so frustrating because I am not home with Nick during the day to see if he does his stuff. I just trust that when he says he does that he is. Nick is in the vicious cycle . He gets sick and feels like crap and swears up and down he is going to do all his meds and all his air clearance and eat right so he does for about a month and A half. Then he starts to feel like superman and thinks he can stop because he is feeling better and then he is right back at square one. It is SO frustrating to watch as his wife. Is my husband the only one who does this. I just want to pull my hair out sometimes. Anyways I am just venting A little but I think it is good he is going on IVS before our vacation to Ft. Lauderdale next month . Hope everyone is having A good week... XOXO Always

GIVE GOD THE PRAISE!!!!

The beginning of this week was SOOO crappy.I was feeling so discouraged about some things and was just really not myself. I decided Sunday night that I was going to play hookie from school on Monday and go to revival at our church. I am so glad that I did. The whole week before I felt like God was telling me that I needed to testify at church about the accident we had with Nick. If you don't know about that, about two weeks ago Nick was working on A vehicle and the vehicle fell on him. It busted his hip and has had him limping around for A while now. Anyways I just knew that it could have been alot worse. In my heart I was praising God that he had kept my husband safe. I still felt this tugging on my heart at church when our pastor would say Somebody testify. I never did though!!! Then one of the Lady's preaching at the revival was talking one night about obeying God and praising him for what he has done for you and in your life. So the other night at church during the revival the pastor said "somebody testify" and once again I felt that tugging on my heart but it was such A strong feeling and so I had to obey God. I stood up and told my testimony about the truck falling on Nick and how I knew that God had his hand on him and kept him safe. Now before Wednesday I was having A horrible week and after I gave God the praise for what he had done my week did A total 360. I just know that when you obey God and praise his name he will bless you .It says in
PSALM 107:8 OH THAT MEN WOULD PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS GOODNESS,AND FOR HIS WONDERFUL WORKS TO THE CHILDREN ON MEN.

So when God does something good in your life PRAISE HIM!!!! Tell him how much you love him and remember what he did for you.

We had A baptismal service tonight and then fellowship after and it just amazes me how much I love to be in the house of the Lord. I hate hearing people say "You don't have to go to church to be A Christian" your right you don't, But if you truly love the Lord you want to do everything you can to draw closer to him. I know that I crave church, By the time Wednesday comes I am ready to be in the house of the Lord and WORSHIP.I am just so thankful for what God is doing in my life and for the church I go to. On another note, Yesterday we had family in from Illinois. It was so nice to get to visit with them. I made homemade Mac and Cheese for the first time. I
don't want to brag on myself but that was some of the best mac and cheese ever. Other than my Moms of course... Anyways I hope everyone has A great week and just remember to be thankful for what you have cause it could always be worse. XOXO Always

NEW NEW NEW

Things have been super crazy so I have not had time write. Being that I don't have a lot of time to sit and write Whole lot I am going to start doing something called Super Sunday. Every Sunday weather I have time to write or not I am going to Do A list or write whatever is going on at the time on Sundays. That way at least once A week I can catch up . After school ends I will back to writing all the time. Anyways I am excited about that. Nick is doing well. We had A incident last week where Nick was working on A truck and he went to pull the drive shaft out and the truck rolled back onto him while he was under the truck. Thank God he didn't have more serious injuries. Nick was laying on his side and the truck busted his hip open and he has A minor cut. So he is still trying to recover from that as it bruised his muscle. Not only have we been dealing with that but Nick got some bad news at his Dr. the other day. Nick went to the Dr. for his routine CF checkup and he found out that he lots 3 pounds. We also found out that Nicks Dr. will be leaving us and moving to New York. So Nick is really having A hard time with that due to the fact that there is not another CF Dr. In Jacksonville at the time. His Dr. will be leaving in June and in the mean time the office will be working on finding A new CF specialist. So please keep us in your prayers that we will get A great Dr. that knows what he is doing. I just started school and have been busy as ever. I love it though, I am learning so much. I am just A firm believer in when you know better you do better. By me going to school I am learning so much that I can apply to my classroom and my teaching style. I am excited about things to come. I just got glasses so I am trying to get use to them, Nick loves them which is funny.We are also getting ready for the Great Strides walk on May 2ND. If you haven't already PLEASE PLEASE click on the link to the right and make A donation towards our team. 90 CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR DONATED GOES TOWARDS FINDING A CURE... PLEASE HELP CF STAND FOR CURE FOUND... God bless XOXO ALWAYS