Pink and Camouflage.

Who says pink and camouflage don't go together! Samantha seems to think it coordinates. . . Why? Don't you?  


A little bit of country fun this evening, what about you?


Gardening already? Oh yeah, it's definitely time for some cool weather crops. . . Potatoes anyone? Maybe some onions?


While Samantha and Daddy ride on the tractor and break ground, James is mastering his 4-wheelin' skills


sayin' eat my dust. . . .


While James is practicing up, I'm taking pics of everyone and enjoying the scenery. . .




Can you guess what animal this is?   One of the most beautiful for sure. . .

I love our home. I love teaching my kids. I love my life :)

Hey, who says Pink and Camouflage don't match, he he!

Cheese sandwich.

Ok, so this post is just a quick little excerpt from our life this week. Didn't have much time to write this week :(
So yesterday we come home from preschool. I usually don't have much of a plan as to what to eat for lunch, so I ask Samantha what she wants for lunch. She replies "Cheese sandwich!" Big brother James is at school so we pretty much do what Samantha wants with no interruptions for about 2 hours within reason. I toss some bread and cheese in the toaster oven and call it a meal with a side of applesauce and water to drink. 


That's all well and good and she seems so sweet eating her cheese sandwich. Ummm, no! She's my mischeivious sweet little girl. If you look over her right shoulder, you'll see her artwork. A little crayon, paint, pencil, crayon pencils, yeah, just whatever she feels like writing with at the time!

Wow, that's my little mischevious cheese sandwich eating, mural drawing little rascal! If you ever need any artwork done in your home give her a call, she will be more than happy to do that for you!

As far as donations for China, we are at $375 on our donation page and almost $700 in her savings!! We have recieved some generous donations this week from a few people!!! Thank you Suzane Fonte, Mrs. Brandham, Lana Kunkler, my mom Sue Nahler, and Alan, Susie, and Gabriel Mark!!! Thank you all. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.   We still have a long way to go and are grateful for every penny, so if you have an extra dollar please donate for our cause!

Thank you for reading!!

Until You Walk in My Shoes. . . .

In my lifetime I have felt like i have had to gain approval for many things. I'm sure everyone feels like that sometimes. I have to meet the approval of my kids, husband, community, and so forth. . . According to my 5 year old son, nothing i do is ever right, and has to be approved by him and only him! If we don't have Honeycombs , I am in trouble or if the tea is not sweet enough, he says "this is not like dads tea!" I respond sarcastically, "Why because it doesn't have 5 cups of sugar in it!" He is a pretty easy going kid otherwise, he just complains about everything. He will complain, I will give a response and then he goes about his business and forgets about it. Of course whatever James says or does , little sister Samantha is not too far behind in agreeing with him and learning his ways.

While I can deal with the childish disapproval of my kids, they are my kids of course, they are 3 and 5, and I love them. We will have a whole lot of other disagreements and disapprovals in the future throughout our journey of parenthood vs. childhood into tweenhood, teenhood, collegehood, and adult hood, God willing. I also sometimes feel the disapproval from physicians, relatives, general public, and even other parents. I guess we all can't agree on everything or we wouldn't have anything to talk about or learn.

Examples:
Took Sam (15 months at the time)to store with me. Woman who has seen us before:" Why don't you put her down and just let her walk, you arent doing anything but hurting her keeping her in the buggy or holding her. "
Me: "Well , she has spina bifida, i don't think you understand, she CAN'T walk by herself, we are practicing that with her braces and walker."
I don't know about you all , but at 15 months old, i didn't let Sam walk in stores, she was barely walking with her walker.

Example:
Old Cooky Lady at store: " She doesn't need those braces, just get her a good pair of high tops and that should do the trick!
Me: Laugh and looked at her kind of weird i think :) I just didn't feel like explaining it indepth at the time.

As a mother of a child with a special needs child, i am educated about her needs and know about what she can and cannot do. That being said I am always open to learning something new about her or something that may help her. I do have hope that she will walk, I do have hope that she can do a lot of things, and not let anything stop her. I feel like her doctors put all of these spina bifida kids in a box and say, "they" probably won't beable to do this or that. I was one of those parents who was told that Samantha would Not beable to walk, if she did it would be one of those 1 in a million miracles,  and she has been walking for almost 2 years not and she is 3! Why do they do that, i don't understand. I am aware that i should have realistic expectations, but they make me feel like their is nothing i can do to help her and that she is going to be the way she is. Well that may be so, but what if. . .

While we have had a lot of support from our community - Thank you friends, family and community for everything you do and are continuing to do for us! We love you!
I do not feel we will have the same support from our physicians on our choice to obtain stem cell treatment for Samantha. I know this issue is controversial and many physicians are against it or just don't know much about it. We will get some eye rolling and so forth from some, and hear lectures.
 While everyone has their views and opinions, mine is,  it is not something that proves any hurt or pain, and if anything it could help her and she is young , it is best to do it while she is young and growing. their have been only mild side effects at the time of infusion. I have researched it extensively and with the help of many other parents, grandparents, of course documents and websites, and living proof that stem cells have helped many! How can we not do this!

We talked about this in church last night, and i will go back to this often when i feel like someone is judging me in any manner.
Galatians 1:10
English Standard Version (©2001)
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

I cannot dwell on these disapprovals, I have to move forward and do what i feel is right, right for me, my kids, my family!  I do not feel that this opportunity would be handed to us without God's approval! I do not feel the knowlege and living proof would be here without God's approval!

Until you have walked in my shoes. . . .

Decisions.

So, i have been given a lot to think about lately. I inquired about some information on stem cell treatment in China. Well, there are treatment centers in Mexico and China. We chose China to inquire about. Through a fellow spina bifida mama, i gathered some info and went forth with contacting a representative, Keith. Yes, Keith is a nice guy, very informative and quick to answer emails. So i went ahead and did some more research and filled out the medical info and forms to see if Samantha would even qualify. They haven't done stem cell treatments on very many spina bifida kids, but just in the past year, there have been a few. I have a few emotions right now. I am nervous, happy, and excited all at once. I am nervous   1. because i don't like to fly, 2. possible side effects or long term problems from the treatments 3. going to a foreign country 4. putting Samantha thru something that may not work at all!
Well, did some research on side effects, no one has had any trouble beside less than 1% having a fever or headache, and the most part 96% of over 12,000 people who have gotten stem cell treatment had no adverse reactions at all. Hey! thats pretty good. Also, everyone i have seen that has been treated with spina bifida have seen positive results! Thats pretty good too!!
Well, another concern is the cost! Hmmm, Hmmm yeah, i have to find ways to raise nearly $30,000! That's just for 6 treatments, more if we get more treatments. So I have started on that, but am just waiting and making sure Samantha gets accepted. So if she does, i have made my mind up, in concurrence with my husband, that we will proceed with fundraising and go to China for a month!
Yeah, i could look at is as, i could just accept Samantha the way she is, which i do, of course. But, what if. . . . What if i just sit back and do nothing. . . . then we make just our regular progress, still not much movement in her feet! I dream of her walkig without braces and wiggling her toes! Most of all, i think what if she could feel to go to the bathroom all by herself! I am my child's biggest advocate, through hours of therapy, she and i, she can walk with her pink crutches and her afo braces. Without those 2 important items, she crawls around the house. Yes, she can pull up and balance a while without holding onto anything, but those 2 items she depends on to keep her upright and mobile! Wouldn't it be awesome to hang those scratched up stickered up crutches as a momento of something Sam use to have to use! Not something she has to use. . .             Just sayin'

How sweet it is.

Family time. I love it! There is nothing like it.



It took a little bit of time to figure out how to haul everything. Over the past couple years, I think we have mastered it. Having a child who can't walk on her own is difficult at times, but i wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I love them!



Yeah, this is my Sammy, aka Dirt Dobber!  She ain't happy unless she is dirty from head to toe!



They want to help and I just let them. We might have a funky garden this summer, and have stuff growing here and there, but just to watch them involved and enjoying themselves is priceless.
James is so big with his wheelbarrow. I told him to pick up the trash that we left behind and put it in his wheelbarrow, you know, the empty plant containers and seed bags. He said, no! I'm not doin' it! I took that as:  That was not what his wheelbarrow was for, it was for hauling the good things around, not the trash mom!



This little boy loves his Daddy. Follows him everywhere he goes.


Can't anybody say that smile isn't proud to be helping out mom and dad!


Here are our potted plants. I am trying some tomatoes, cukes, straight neck yellow squash and herbs in pots to see how they do. 




I am loving the flowers  and foliage this year. They are looking pretty. My azaleas are getting ready to bloom.
Sitting on the front porch was great today as will many days to come. . . .

Helping Others! Kijabe, Kenya!

Ok, here is a link to my shop blog site. I am trying to get the word out about sending handmade clothing, blankets,ect... Also any catheter supplies or medical supplies, they could use also. So if you know anyone who sews and likes crafts, spread the word. Thank you!

http://jennylynnbowtique.blogspot.com/

Crochet Flowers and Pillowcase dresses.

This is the latest pillowcase dress. This dress has a fabric ribbon tie.  The ribbon can be made longer if you like.

Also a new product is the handmade crochet flower with gem center. 

 These crochet flowers come in an assortment of colors, not all colors shown. Can be clipped on headwrap, headband, or hat. I do have some crochet beanies availabel.

 This pin comes in the letters above. A, B, D, H, M, N, P, S.

I have every letter of the alphabet in this monogrammed pin.  I can use it as the center of a crochet flower or as a fluffy clip as above. 

I am going to be making Valentines Dresses this month. 

Email me at jlbowtique@gmail.com with any questions or inquiries.