Mission Accomplished!!

It was another busy weekend for the Dickinson clan as we prepare for the "Great Adventure", but we accomplished a TON!!!! Jason had off work on Friday & we spent the day sorting, organizing, pricing, & packing. We had to give the house the once-over again to make sure we didn't miss anything for the yard sale on Saturday. A huge thank you to the Nygards, who once again were indispensible! Jason & Kris took a load of our stuff to storage & picked up the world's heaviest wooden tables for the yard sale on Saturday. It was a late night (2:30 am) & an even earlier morning (5 am). Jason says we didn't sleep that night; we napped. I guess 2 1/2 hours really is more of a nap :)

Saturday's moving sale was a HUGE success!!!! We sold tons of stuff (it was hard to see some of it go, but we know it was all for a good cause). And everything that was left over went to Liberty Ministries. We were able to sell all the big stuff . . . refrigerator, washer, dryer, couch, armchair . . . so Kris & Jason didn't have to load those onto the truck. It was a race to the finish ~ Liberty Ministries closed at 4 pm & the guys got down there at 3:59. The rain held off until everything was delivered to Liberty Ministries, my mom's house, & storage. My girls were so exhausted, they were in bed by 7 pm.

On Monday evening, we decided to have a small party to celebrate Peyton's 1st birthday. She had a great time. Here is a picture of her, very pleased with the gift from Uncle Ian & Aunt Karis.



Caleigh was pretty good about PeyPey getting all the attention, but don't worry . . . MomMom & PopPop didn't forget a little something for her.



PeyPey thoroughly enjoyed her birthday cake. She loves cake, muffins, brownies . . . you name it! She must take after her Mommy!




We already knew that Caleigh takes after Mommy. She sat on the lawn licking the icing off of her fork. She said to me, "You eat the brown stuff & I'll lick!!" She definitely got Mommy's sweet tooth!!!



PeyPey got lots of wonderful gifts from friends & family. And here she is modeling one of her favorite toys with Uncle Adam.


When the night was over, & all the little ones were in bed, Jason & I were soon to follow. After 4 days of being on our feet, contantly moving, all we wanted to do was NOT move . . . ever. We're pretty tired, but have a great sense of accomplishment. The Lord truly blessed our efforts this weekend.

Now we're packing . . . a little bit each day to get ready for the big move. The end is in sight!!!!

What a Fabulous Day!!!

Today was truly a GREAT day. We decided to take the family on a little road trip to Myerstown ~ soon to be our new stomping grounds.

Now that we've sold the house & are planning to move next month, we thought it would be nice to take the girls to see our new home & to get them excited about the upcoming "uprootment."

We started off the day with a bit of a splurge. Both girls got new car seats!!!!! Aren't they cute?!?




When we got to Myerstown, we decided to pick up some Happy Meals & head off in search of this illustrious park with a pond & ducks that we keep hearing about, but have never seen. Well, I'm not sure how we could have missed it. It's right down the street! It's a great little spot, complete with pavilions, picnic tables, grills, tennis courts, basketball courts, playground, community pool, ducks, geese . . . you name it!! As we walked over this quaint little bridge, Jason said, "I could definitely see myself studying here."



After lunch, it was off to the seminary. And here is our scholar looking so smart at the entrance to the school!!


And here is our new home. Caleigh was very excited to finally see it. Her only disappointment was that we were not able to go inside (there is a missionary living there until the end of May). She seemed to think it was a good idea if we could just wait in the van until it was ready & then go in. :)



One of the things that Caleigh is looking forward to the most about moving to her new house is the swing set that is in the middle of the backyard for all the kids who live in the townhouses. There are a lot of things that Caleigh will be giving up (like her own room & her dog), so we're really trying to play up the positive. When she spotted the swing set, it was all over, so we took the girls over for some playtime!



Then we took the girls on a stroll around the campus to show them where Daddy will be going to school & to get tons of pictures for friends & family so they can see where we're going to be for the next 4 years. This is Christ Hall. All of Jason's classes are held here, & it is home to all of the professor's offices & the chapel. Graduation (I get giddy just thinking about it) will be held right here on the front lawn.


This is a picture of Rostad Library ~ or as I like to refer to it . . . Jason's Home Away From Home. I have a feeling he will be getting quite comfy here.



All in all, it was a wonderful day. Caleigh is very excited about going to the new house, which was our main objective for the day. We were also able to drive around & get the lay of the land. We located all the grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals, restaurants, etc.

We had so much fun that both girls were in bed by 8:00! Now that's what I call a good day!!!!!!

Our Version of Normal

PeyPey's face says it all!!! It has been quite a few CRAAAAAZZZZY days for the Dickinson family!

On Saturday, we had the privilege of spending the day in West Chester watching Jason's brother, Adam, graduate from WCU with a degree in criminal justice. The ceremony was nice, but long. And here is a picture of the girls with our favorite graduate . . .


We had a party afterwards, where we discovered that Caleigh loves games that involve a bean bag toss (you'd better believe that we're going to get one of those for the new house)!


Mother's Day was less than ideal. Although my wonderful family took me out for lunch, disaster was about to ensue. Towards the end of the meal, PeyPey was getting a bit antsy, so I held her. I could practically feel her temperature rising in my arms. By the time we got her home, her fever was up to 105!! We immediately got some Motrin into her & called Aunt Sharon. We wanted to avoid the ER (Sunday, Mother's Day . . . what are the odds that we would actually see a pediatrician?). We were able to get the fever down & manage it throughout the night (even though that meant we were up all night). In the morning, I called our family doctor. We were sent to the ER anyway. I must say, I was less than thrilled with our experience there. I'm about to get on my soapbox, so here goes:

As a mom who has no knowledge of the medical field,
I feel completely unqualified to argue with the medical
staff, even when my mother's intuition tells me that
something is not right. I don't know what to tell them that I
want . . . I just know that I want something more than what
they're giving me. I don't know what the problem is . . . I just know
what I think it's not. I don't know on what basis I don't
believe them . . . I just don't believe them. So
where did that leave me on Monday??

We were sent to the hospital for the following reasons: the results to all tests & bloodwork could be given to us STAT, an IV of antibiotics could be started, & PeyPey could get some fluids immediately to prevent dehydration.

Not only did we not see a pediatrician, we didn't even see a doctor. We saw a physician's assistant who looked into PeyPey's ears, said it was an infection, gave us an antibiotic, & sent us on our merry way. We spend the rest of the day on Monday watching Pey's every move, administering Tylenol & Motrin at regular intervals, & doing our best to keep her cool. On Monday evening around midnight, Pey's temperature spiked again to 104.8. What to do??? We had already been to the ER & had given her the first dose of antibiotic. We gave her more medicine . . . nothing. So we moved on to a cool bath . . . nothing. Finally, we put an ice pack on the back of her neck & rocked her to sleep. Around 1:30 am, we got her down to 102. It was a scary night.

By morning, her temperature was normal & has been ever since. Please keep little Peyton in your prayers. We are concerned that her illness is not just an infection (although I have no medical basis for this ~ just Mother's Intuition). Please pray that if it is just an infection, we can knock it out for good this time.

On Tuesday my poor husband had the arduous task of taking care of all 3 of his girls, as I was sedated for 5 hours for dental work. With me out of commission, he certainly had his hands full!!!!! He has some funny stories to tell about me on the pain meds . . . although I don't remember any of it!

But, I guess it was all worth it in the long run. While I was unconscious, the girls were with our favorite babysitters, & Jason was watching the crown for my tooth being made, our house was being sold. Yes, you heard me correctly . . . we sold our house!!! Barring any unforeseen glitches, we will be moving on June 25th. We're really excited, but also a little sad. Things are becoming more final every day. We are trying to take one day at a time & walk by faith one step at a time.

But for now, this is our new version of normal!!!

My Biggest Fear

I came face-to-face with my biggest fear yesterday & walked away victorious . . . . I went to the dentist!!!!!

Now, I don't know how you feel about going to the dentist, but I HATE it! I would rather do anything than go to the dentist . . . anything. Just the thought of the dentist chair puts a knot in the pit of my stomach. I have been known to take Tylenol before a visit to the dentist in anticipation of the pain. A visit to the dentist for me equals an entire day of sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach, & tension all over! But in light of Jason starting seminary in the fall, we will no longer have dental insurance. In a moment of pure insanity, I promised my mother that I would visit the dentist & have all my work done before the insurance is no more. What was I thinking!?!?

I'll freely admit . . . I'm a wimp!!!! Embracing that fact & adding to it the fact that I was certain there would be some work to be done (cavities, crowns, etc.), there was only one logical conclusion in my mind -- go to a dentist who practices sedation!!! And my wonderful husband graciously agreed.

And so, next week, I will undergo 5 different dental procedures . . . all from the comfort of Dreamland!!! Now that's going to the dentist! :)

Our Busy Life!

There's so much to report . . . where to begin??


First of all, thank you so much for all of your prayers for Peyton. She is doing really well. She just finished her strict antibiotic regimen yesterday & we have seen great improvements in her health. She has almost no cold symptoms, she's eating like a champ, & she's not sleeping around the clock! She goes back to see the doctor next week & will hopefully get a clean bill of health! Your prayers certainly worked & we're grateful for all of you who love little Pey~Pey so much!!



We took a little trip on Monday to Evangelical & you are looking at a picture of our new backyard!!!!!! Pastor Tim came with us & gave us the official tour of the campus. Christ Hall is absolutely beautiful! We were able to meet a lot of Jason's future professors, including the president of the seminary. The library was awesome ~ filled with the smell of old books . . . my favorite!

Jason registered for his classes & I couldn't believe his schedule. I guess I was just assuming it would be like when I went to college ~ class Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 3 pm. Not so. He only goes to class on Tuesdays from 3 pm to 9:30 pm & Thursdays from 8:15 am to 2:45 pm. We were thrilled because that gives us a lot more time to divide among his studies, work, & family.

Then we took a tour of our new home. We got a 2-bedroom townhouse & although it is small, we see a lot of potential. We were excited to discover that we can take our picnic table & our grill! And, as you can see from the picture, the area is beautiful!!!!

We signed the papers with our realtor last night, so our house is officially on the market! It was tough & we got a bit misty eyed, but we know that the Lord has great things in store for us.

As we get closer to moving, more & more prayer requests arise:

~ Please pray for a job for Jason that is completely orchestrated by the Lord. We have no idea what Jason's study schedule will be like, so we have no idea what the best days & times to work would be.

~ Please pray that there will be a buyer for our house (of course) & that the date of settlement would be completely orchestrated by the Lord. We are torn between getting there early so that we can settle in & get into a routine before the semester starts & staying here so that Jason can continue at Travelers for as long as possible.

So, that's the big news here. I guess that's enough to keep us busy for awhile ;)