Hospital Hoopla

Today is Thursday. It is the 4th day of the longest week on record. It has been a very stressful week for the Perry's, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel (and its not a train!) Daniel was admitted to the hospital on Sunday afternoon with Diverticulitus. Its basically an inflamed and infected colon. Its typically seen in older people, but not unheard of in young adults either. He started complaining of a pain in his abdomen on Friday evening and it got progressively worse as the weekend progressed. By Sunday he was doubled over in pain and we went to the emergency room. After a couple of hours of getting a CT scan and being on pain meds and IV fluid, he was diagnosed and admitted to room 406. He was put on IV antibiotics and pain meds and by Wednesday morning (his 28th birthday) he was released to go home with the best nurse he could imagine (ME)! He is recovering very nicely and the doctor says he should be good as new by the weekend.

Now that the update is complete, I want to share the real reason I am writing this blog. I am using it as therapy. LOL. I tend to flush things out better if I write them down, so here it goes. This week has been a very trying one for me, and I know it has been for Daniel as well, but he is less apt to talk about it. Anyone of you reading this that is married or in a very committed relationship can attest to the fact that when that person is hurting it is the most awful feeling in the world, especially if you can't do anything to fix the hurt. To make matters worse, ever since we got married Satan has tried to attack me with fears that I will lose Daniel at an early age. Now I don't accept this lie of the devil, but in times such as this, when he is lying on a bed, hooked up to IV and not knowing what is wrong, those lies start to creep into my brain. There were many times this week when I was so close to breaking down and letting the fear take over. I'm not proud of that, but its the reality of the situation. That mixed with the stress of staying in the hospital, eating junk food, not exercising, thinking about hospital bills (ughhhh) and trying to stay positive was exhausting.

Things are getting better each day and today I finished the book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. I read a few passages that really spoke to me.

"Lock eyes with the lion. Why would God be putting it in front of you? What good thing might God have waiting for you on the other side of this challenge? Maybe there's a lesson He wants you to learn or a blessing He wants to give you. Don't just focus on the fear factor. Try to see the bigger picture. What will you miss out on if you let your fears dictate your choices? Is being "safe" really worth it? Maybe God wants to show you something about yourself or Himself, but you'll never know what it is unless you chase your lion. And once you have the lion cornered in the pit, you'll discover that his roar is worse than his bite when you've got God on your side. " ~ Mark Batterson

We want to thank all our friends and family who have sent greetings, prayers, and encouragement to us these past few days. Its so amazing to be reminded what great people God has placed in our lives, and to see how loved we really are. Thanks again!

Boys will be Boys...

This past weekend Daniel and I ventured down to Hazel Green, Alabama to spend some quality time with the Lovell family. Daniel's grandparents have a wonderful little haven away from the world there and we really enjoy spending time with the family. Everytime we go visit it seems like the house is full of people. This weekend Daniel's mom brought the four nephews down with her. We spent the weekend swimming and playing in the yard with the boys. They live in Cookeville, TN so we don't get to see them very often.

Daniel loves being their uncle and is insistent that they have a good, positive role model in him. He also loves acting like a kid with them too. I would like to take a minute and introduce to you "the boys".

Caleb Logsdon, age 8

Caleb is your typical big brother, but he's not your typical child. Caleb is high spirited and is smart beyond his years. He loves technical things and figuring out how things work. He loves to question...everything....and everybody. He learns different languages in school, and plays football.  He can be bossy at times, but overall he has a protective nature over his little brothers. 

Gavin Logsdon, age 5

Gavin is a very unique little boy. He is a book worm already and loves Magic Eye books and Where's Waldo type books. He follows Caleb everywhere, sometimes against his better judgment. He has already shown that he can pick up on activities and sports very quickly. He is very inquisitive and asks a lot of questions. He already has big dreams...aka: a limo ride for his 5th birthday!

Elijah Logsdon, age 3

Elijah is a little ball of fire...a bulldozer of sorts. He is full of life and mischief. He loves taking things apart and putting them back together. From a very young age he would break the toy...then figure out how to fix it. He is very loving, but very hyper at times too. He idolizes his big brothers, and loves to have his picture made. 

Luke Logsdon, age 14 months

Luke is a bundle of joy with a head full of beautiful curls. He is super loving and playful and picks up on things quickly. He just started walking recently and is into everything. We spent a lot of time together this weekend and he is a joy. He loves to eat whatever you are eating and once he warms up to you, you have a new best friend. Plus, he is the only one of the boys that knows me only as "Aunt Starr", not "that girl that uncle Daniel married". LOL. 

These are "the boys". I also have my own set of "boys" (Trey, Todd, and Jason)  and my "mini me" (Rebecca). I will introduce you to them soon.

Lyrics of Life

I was listening to Pandora today at work and one of my favorite songs came on the radio. It was one of the songs from our wedding that my wonderful friend Sara sang during our communion ceremony. This made me start reminiscing about that day and all the special songs that we spent so many months picking out. You think I'm joking when I say we spent months picking out our songs, but I'm being completely serious. I love music, and I love knowing all the lyrics and singing them over and over. I also love how music makes me feel, how it has memories associated with it, and how it can completely change a mood in just a few minutes.

I wanted every detail of our wedding to be special to us, and this included the songs. We meticulously picked out songs that held special meaning to us, had a memory associated with it, or reminded us of special people in our lives.

Looking back on that day, I remember it going by so fast and I remember not really paying much attention to the songs. I'm sure other people didn't either, but I know how much time and effort we put into making those songs mean something. I burned our wedding and reception songs to a CD and I keep it in my car. I listen to it often to remind me of how truly blessed I am. I have put together a play list of some of the key songs from our wedding and our reception. My wish is that you will listen to each song with a new understanding and think of Daniel and I when you hear them.

Our Songs:

1. When you say nothing at all- Allison Krause (Communion Song, sang by Sara McAdoo)

2. Indescribable- Chris Tomlin (our recessional song)

3. Better Life- Keith Urban (introduction of the wedding party)

4. Myspace Girl- The Afters (introduction of US!, b/c we met on Myspace)

5. God Bless the Broken Road- Rascal Flatts (first dance song)

6. My little girl- Tim McGraw (father/daughter dance)

7. Song for Mama- Boyz 2 Men (mother/son dance)

8. Love you Madly- Cake (cake cutting song)

9. Just a Girl- No Doubt (bouquet toss song)

10. Firecracker- Josh Turner (garter toss song)

Create a playlist at MixPod.com