New Year...More Blessings

Happy New Year Everyone!
We had a wonderful New Years Eve! Caleb got to play with sparklers (not morning glories because they are too smoky) But he played some with Brandon. Thankfully our neighborhood isn't so smoky so it was nice. But Caleb fell asleep at about 8 or 9 and didn't wake up till 630 in the morning! It was amazing! Except for the fact that I went to bed at about 2am...Micaiah loved playing with the fireworks and he loved the loud ones more than the kiddy stuff. But fell asleep at 11:58pm! We were fine during the New Year...I thought it would be tough but it was okay.
I've noticed that Caleb has been moving a lot more lately. At first it was just his head that was moving a bit more. His head is moving a lot more and his limbs are starting to move more too! PTL! His movements have been getting me really excited and I am so very ecstatic about it! Let's pray that his movement continues to become more and more. Oh and please pray that he will get his Vital Stimulations therapy very soon. I also need to schedule an EEG because his neurologist wants to check that he's not having seizures...i guess. I'm not worried about it but please pray for that also. We are down to 8mL of phenobarbital (seizure med). And in 23 days will be down to 7!
A couple of weekends ago I tempted to take the boys out on my own for the first time since March 6th. I took them to the aquarium and then to the mall just for a little bit. It was great and I was so proud of myself! I feel so much more confident now because I know I can do it. It's tiring but manageable...and I enjoyed spending some time alone with my little boys. I think they enjoyed themselves too.
Thank you all for being such a blessing in our lives during the toughest year of our lives. 2007 turned out to be great because we are so blessed to have all of you in our lives! Thank you and may you have a blessed 2008!
There's one thing that's been bugging me, as I realize now that it is January 1, 2008... In two months, it will make a year since Caleb's accident. And you can't imagine how many mixed emotions are going through my head right now...I'm scared...but thankful...blessed...but want so much more...If you could start to pray for us as that time starts to draw near that would be very much appreciated. Caleb's going to be going through a lot of healing and we just need all the prayers we can get! Thank you and happy new year!

This is a verse Brandon wanted to share as he has been listening to it daily on his podcast and continues to be highly impacted everyday:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accets as a son. (or daughter! :) )
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."

Even though this is so hard, we are so thankful for all that we are going through...It has made us so much stronger and God has really shown us how much he cares about us. Our lives are changed forever and I'm so thankful that I will be living an eternal life with MY FATHER! My prayer is that no one will ever have to go through this or something even worse to realize that God is REAL and turn their lives completely over to him! I have seen family and friends turning their lives around and BELIEVING in God during Caleb's time in the hospital...but they have now turned back to their old ways. I pray that they will take themselves back to that moment and be changed FOREVER! Caleb's accident has impacted Brandon and I so much (mostly spiritually)...and we have grown a lot. I was so excited when I saw all the lives that were positively changing because of Caleb's accident and was so grateful! (It showed us that their was a big reason for it) People who are the closest to us, who love Caleb so much, have turned from what they had believed back in March. I thought that those people who were closest would be changed forever! So I guess that means that no one can imagine what's going on...or how we feel everyday. They may be affected, but apparently not as much as us...And now I look back and my heart just aches. Anyone can say "Lord, if you do this, I promise I will change...or whatever!" To turn your life around is hard! And that's a sketchy promise to make. We've learned (and struggle daily) with the fact that we need to change so much more til God fulfills his promise! So I encourage you to strive for the same!
Caleb will be healed one day. I don't know when but I pray that all of you reading this and everyone you know doesn't wait till that day comes to realize God's grace and love. It might be too late...I've written early on how, if God had healed Caleb in an instant or even in a month or two...that we would never be where we are today...the people we are today...! We'd be thankful but wouldn't have had that endurance to keep on the right path. That's why this scripture encourages us. I hope it did the same for you too! We've got so much more growing to do!