In Memory of Buck Guess

At 2:45 am this morning, Kevin's Uncle Buck went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Kevin's mom called us at 2:55 this morning to tell us he had passed.  Uncle Buck went into the hospital at Thanksgiving and found out he had cancer from his lungs down.  He thought he was just there because he had pneumonia.  He came home with hospice care.  It has been a roller coaster ride for Uncle Buck and his wife Arie.  Not to mention the family who has been caring for them.  Kevin's mom, Mrs. Katie has been one of the main care givers during this time.  She and Kevin's dad has spent many nights and days at their house. Uncle Buck was in such suffering and pain.  This past week it had really increased.  And unfortunately his death was very painful.  But what joy we have in knowing that he is with God in heaven.  The last words that Uncle Buck spoke was "Oh Lord."  We know he was in pain, but what a testimony too, for his last words to be calling the name of the one who is the ultimate Healer and is the ultimate Peace-Giver.  And now we rejoice with Uncle Buck in that he is out of pain and suffering and is at peace with his Lord.  However, he will be missed here on Earth by his family and friends.

This is a picture of Uncle Buck during the blessing at Grandma Thelma's birthday party a year ago.  I just thought it was a fitting picture of how he lived his life.  He lived is life to give all the glory to God.  And now he is receiving the prize for running the race of faith, eternity with God in heaven. 

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day." 2 Timothy 4:7-8

A Charleston Get Away

This weekend, my parents came down on Friday and sent me and Kevin to Charleston on Saturday.  We spent the day Saturday in Charleston and stayed the night and we came home yesterday about lunch time.  It was a nice break for us.  It had been a year since we had a night away from Madalyn and we love her dearly, but every now and then as parents, you need a break to refresh.  It was cooler than last weekend, but it was still nice weather to walk around. And walk we did, we got to Charleston around lunch time and we walked for the next four hours all around Charleston.  Then we checked into our hotel and then decided where to eat for dinner.  Sunday, we slept in and then ate breakfast at our hotel and headed home.  The location of our hotel was perfect!  It was close to all kinds of shops and places to eat.  What else made it nice was that we parked at our hotel and didn't move the car until we headed home.  Thank you Nana and G-dad for holding down the fort while we were gone and thank you for some time away.

We stayed at the Francis Marion Hotel on King Street, in the heart of downtown Charleston.

The Lobby

Our Room

The View from our room

I love this house!

A New Year, A New Building, New Growth

With a new year, brings, growth and new changes.  One new change that has been in the works now, is a direction for the farm.  With that new direction is a new building to have a place to work and store a new product.  Here is what the building looks like so far.  It's suppose to be finished Tuesday afternoon, so once it's completed I will post updated pictures.  The building was a lot bigger and taller than I had expected it to be.  Kevin and his dad built the floor and did the lay out of the building.

When the building is finished, it will be completely closed in.

The loading dock area.

Update on Us...

Well, here's an update on what's going on with us.  Finally, keeping our fingers crossed, everyone is finally well. So stay away sickness, please! However, with this weather of going back and forth like it is, so wonder we stay sick.  I did go to the doctor about my ankle, and thankfully it wasn't sprained.  I had actually busted a blood vessal, which was why my ankle was swollen and purple.  The reason I couldn't walk on it or put pressure on my foot was due to when the blood vessal busted it created a blood clot, and that was weighing on the nerves, etc. But that is all healed now and so hopefully all will get good for awhile.

Kevin's grandmas are doing much better.  His uncle Buck however, isn't which being in hospice care we know what the out come will be.  However, we had not expected him to be here Christmas and so far he's still with us. Kevin's uncle is famous for his old cars that he repairs and fixes up.  He has one project that he had not finished and that was a toolbox for the back of a car that there are only four in the world like it.  Kevin worked to get it finished and finished it last week.  This was one of his last wishes to see it finished.  He was so excited.  Here are a few pictures of the toolbox, Kevin, and uncle Buck.

My baby girl is growing up so fast!  Some days I just can' believe all that she can do and how much she has changed and grown.  Over Christmas break I had a chance to get to know my child again, and she just amazes me.  (I know that may seem strange about me getting to know my child, but honestly, the weeks are so busy, that by the time we get home it's basically, get something for dinner, bath time, and then bed time and that's all.  So, I always enjoy the few times I do get some extra time off to spend with Madalyn.)

Such as big girl! Just laying on the couch by herself, watching "Sofia the First" on Disney Junior.

Since the first part of January, Madalyn has been waking up during the night or early in the morning and whining or crying just a little for like 1-2 minutes and then she goes back to sleep.  I haven't been able to figure out why, but I had thought that she was dreaming or that she was laying on her arm, hand, foot, etc. wrong and she tried to turn over.  Tonight, I just have checked on her and this was how I found her.  So I think this would explain it, her feet are out of the bars, and when she tries to turn over she's stuck.  I did move her tonight.  Which I don't think there's much I can do about preventing this from happening, she moves all over the bed when she sleeps. But I thought it was pretty funny to see her like this. 

4 days into the New Year...

Well, 4 days into the new year...
Madalyn is finally well and I am almost well until...my husband came and picked me and Madalyn up for a ride on our golf cart when I came to pick her up from her Meme's house on Friday. Kevin dropped me off back at my car and I jumped off the golf cart and landed wrong on my right foot. Nothing popped, but it hurt enough to cause me to stop for a few minutes. I drove home and got out of the car and was fine. Until 11:00 Friday night, I was watching a movie on TV, Kevin and Madalyn were in bed. I got up from the couch, checked on Madalyn, went to the bathroom and as I was coming out, my ankle was really hurting, so much so that I ended having to crawl from the kitchen to my bedroom because I couldn't put any weight on my foot. I woke Kevin up and my ankle (I had not noticed it before now) was swollen twice the size it's suppose to be and was purple.  I just took some Advil and went to bed. Twice I woke up during the night and had to use the bathroom and I had to crawl there and back.  Saturday morning I was able to put the ball of my foot down and hobble along.  I wrapped my ankle up but the swelling had gone down and the color was almost back to normal.  It only hurt if I put pressure on it.  So for the weekend I have kept some Advil handy, soaked my foot with Epsom salt, kept it wrapped, and tried to stay off of it as much as I could.  I haven't been to get it checked out because it seemed to be getting better. We will see how I do tomorrow having to stand all day at school.  I guess I must have a minor sprain I don't know, but I was like what a great way to start the new year.  Hope this week will be better! :0)

Waking up to a happy girl can make all things better.



Happy New Years!

One of my friends asked me if I had New Year plans, ha ha! I haven't done anything on New Year's Eve since I got engaged, I might stay up to see the new year come in, but that's all.  I tell you, these past two weeks have been so busy. Yes, I know I have been off for the past 13 days, but out of those 13 days, I have only spent 2 of them at home all day not going anywhere.  It's been crazy busy and so full of sickness as well. 

1. Before Christmas break Kevin's Uncle Buck was diagnosed with cancer and was sent home from the hopsital under hopsice care.  (He is currently still with us; he has good days and bad days)

2. The weekend of the 16th Madalyn began to have a runny nose and coughing (which she still has to this point) Sunday, Dec.16th: We had Christmas with Kevin's Grandmas and family.

3. Tuesday, Dec. 18th: Kevin's grandma Thelma fell and broke her hip-she had surgery on Dec.20th to which this past weekend we learn that she has Merca now, Pray for healing for Grandma Thelma!

4. Wednesday, Dec.19th: Kevin's grandma Kitty wrecked her golf cart and hit a stump so hard she was thrown out of the golf cart and we to the hospital thinking she had broken ribs (thankfully she didn't, she's just very sore)

5. Thursday, Dec.20th: My mom is once again sick with bronchitis (5 years ago on this day Kevin proposed :0)

6. Friday, Dec.21st: My mom is running a fever of 102 and is thinking about having to cancel our Christmas weekend.

7. Friday, Dec.21st: My Dad's birthday and Madalyn turns 21 months old :0) Christmas with my mom's side of the family.

8. Saturday, Dec.22nd: Madalyn is really feeling bad now and I am starting to feel bad. Christmas with my dad's side of the family

9. Sunday, Dec.23rd: I realized I had a sinus infection and we had Christmas with my parnets.

10. Monday, Dec.24th: we had dinner with Kevin's parents and I helped his mom wrap parents. (With all the things and sickness with Kevin's family she had not had time to wrap presents)

11. Tuesday, Dec.25th: We had Christmas quickly, Kevin went to work, then we had lunch at Kevin's parents house.

12. Wednesday, Dec.26th: We had Christmas dinner at Kevin's parents house and opened presents with Kevin's family.

13. Thursday, Dec.27th: Madalyn and I do some shopping, looking for after Christmas deals.  Madalyn started running a fever and still has a runny nose and conjestion, coughing, etc.

14. Friday, Dec.28th: I take Madalyn to the doctor and she has an ear infection. That night her fever went up to a 102 and she threw up. I started feeling bad again.

15. Saturday, Dec.29th: Madalyn is starting to feel better, but I start coughing etc. Then Saturday when giving Madalyn her bath, I notice she has broken out in hives on the back of her arms. I call the doctor, they have to see her to give her a different medicine.

16. Sunday, Dec.30th: We go to church, then after lunch Madalyn and I go back to the doctor, she had an allergic reaction to her antibodic, so they put her on another one. We spent 2 hours at the doctor. By the time we get home, I am achy from head to toe and feel horrible, but I'm not running a fever.  However, I put myself to bed while Kevin took over with Madalyn.

17. Monday, Dec.31st: Madalyn and I both just lay around all day because neither one of us feel great. (Also, the doctor said that Madalyn's gums were swollen meaning she's getting her 18 month molars, so that adds to her not feeling well and not eating)

I have 2 days left before I go back to school on Thursday, at least I will only have to teach for 2 days and then get another 2 days off because I tell you, I am ready for summer break! Ha Ha! It's been so busy and then the few down time we have had, I or Madalyn or both of us have been sick.  No fun at all.

I hope to begin 2013 with being healthy and getting rid of all this sickness.  2012 was a good year over all but there have been many down times during this year, it began with 10 days into the year we lost our dear Abby, our poodle, and to the lost of love ones this year like my aunt Ann, and other things that I know are just life and just some things you have to go through.

 Some happy highlights of 2012 was that our baby girl celebrated her 1st birthday, Kevin and I both celebrated our 31st birthdays and 4 years of marriage.  We hope and pray that 2013 will be a lucky year, not unlucky since the number 13 is normally a bad sign.  We are prayerful of good things for this year. 

My New Year's Resolutions

I have made my New Year's Resolutions as I am sure many of you have as well.  One that I will share with you is actually one for Kevin and myself...to have more date nights.  Our last date night was, no lie, our anniversary date which was in June or at least that's the last one that I can remember having. We never go out during the week because we don't live close to anything and it's just too much going on and on the weekends, Kevin works every Saturday and by the time he gets home, he's tired and doesn't feel like going anywhere.  Which most of the time I don't either because I'm tired from school and have school work, house work, and have taken care of Madalyn. If we do go out to eat, Madalyn goes with us, which isn't that often either. So I told him that surely at least once a month or at least once every two months, he and I can have a "Date Night".  So, we will see how this works out, so babysitters....get ready for a phone call! :0)

My Top Resolutions

1. Deepen my spiritual relationship with God

2. Spend more time with my family (Madalyn and Kevin) Date Nights with Kevin

3. Find a better way to balance work and family

4. Get healthier

5. For the farm to continued to be blessed and grow

And there may be a few others, but those are the top 5.  So, here's the hard part, keeping these resolutions, which some of these are out of my hands and they all revolve around what God's plan is for myself and my family in 2013.  Happy New Year!



Christmas Continued...

We celebrated Christmas with Kevin's family on the 26th as we do every year, and yes I know I am late posting this, but it has been busy and filled with sickness too since that night.  Here's some pics of Madalyn with one of her favorite gifts that she got from her Uncle Nick, Aunt Tracey, and cousins Autumn, Taylor, Layla, Holden, and Carleigh (Thank You!).  She has had the best time playing with her house!

Kevin put the house together, which it only had to be connected at the roof with one of his stocking stuffers, Carolina duct tape, and it was black and white and I painted it for her.

Madalyn loves her house as you can see.  I am surprised that it is still standing, she can be rough on toys at times.  Madalyn was very blessed this Christmas, she received so many nice things and thank you to all our family and friends for loving our baby girl!