This side of a year...

We made it guys. A whole year has past. And just like I thought and had heard from several people's advice and thoughts, there was crying and laughing.

Crying because we miss my father so very much.
Laughing because he was one of the funniest people you could have the joy of meeting and still makes us laugh.

Upon the advice of wise counsel, we had plans for the day of Friday, May 29th the anniversary of my father's passing. We didn't just let it hit us. Which I was thankful I had that advice!

John is the best husband and was so very accomodating and sweet. It's hard to find a more easy going and easy to like guy than John. Just throwin' it in there- he's near perfect! He took the whole day off and we took care of some business in the morning. Then went over to Sam's Deli Diner on Kirkwood and I-10. We had a burger and fries there in honor of my dad since he LOVED that place- he called it "Sam's Dilly Dally Diner" and I don't know why.

Then we headed over to the Buffalo Speedway/Kirby area where my dad used to work. We went shopping at Central Market or should I say we played a live action version of Frogger- that place is nuts-crowded! The best part was asking the employees "Where's the Pepto Bismol?" and them looking at us like we were from planet Trashoria. "I'm sorry but we only have organic (hooty-dooty) medicines". I DON'T KNOW WHAT LUTEINS AND GINGKO BILOBA IS MY STOMACH HURTS*!!! *- see above note about diner eating. Anyways, we purchased some beautiful organic Texas wildflower bouquet and went to Greenway Mercedes to place them on his old desk. We got to chat with some of his old buddies who miss him dearly.

Then we drove back to our side of town for an afternoon showing of Up- my new favorite movie. If you liked the endearing sweetness of Wall-E and the funniness of Nemo/Toy Story you will LOVE the movie. I am crazy for it. I laughed and cried and usually I don't get on that emotional rollercoaster- but I'm glad I did. Funny story- Leelah kept asking after every preview- "Is this Up?" "Is this Up?" then after Up finished, "Was that Up?" John and I cracked up! You HAVE to see this film. You have no choice- it's so stinkin' adorable. John loved it too and so did Lee-lee.

Then we went to the Houston Garden Center and got a BEAUTIFUL "Wild Blue Yonder" Rosebush which we planted in our backyard in memory of my dad. It is so pretty and Leelah picked it out. See the pics of us (John) planting it below.





All in all, it was a good day. I think we made him proud. I am thankful for the prayers to get through it. Thankful for the awesome ways my family and friends have supported us. We could not have done it without y'all making us laugh while we cry, the meals, the love, and everything. God bless you all!

Remembering Dad

On May 29th I will not be able to do this. So I wanted to post a tribute to my father in pictures. Thank you God for the years I had to know one of the most beautiful people you ever created. We miss you dad and know you are finally soaring on your wings. Love you.
Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

L is for Leelah and Laughter

Me: What do you want to learn about this summer?
Leelah: SPACE!!! And animals!
Me: And what about flowers, anyth(interrupts)--
Leelah: That's it. Just space and animals mama.

Leelah and I at Target (2nd Home along with Walmart)...
Upon seeing a lady with beautiful, voluminous curly hair:
Leelah: THAT'S A LOT OF HAIR!!! (she says this LOUDLY twice!)
Me: I know Mommy thinks it's beautiful! (good save right?)

About John serving Jury Duty:
Leelah: Daddy are you going to germy duty?
(it was during the Swine Flu scare...)

About College:
Leelah: I'm going to College (She's almost 3- pardon the slight braggadociousness-I'm a proud mom!)
Me: Which college?
Leelah: A&M College! (She's old school and Red- well I can't say that!)

Zoom- my new best friend!

"Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light" - Micah 7:8

Though I sit in hazy, veiny, cloudy, "is that a hand?", Zoomed up (200%) vision, The LORD will be my magnifying lens and telescope! God is certainly being called on at the Nichols house! This may be one of my last posts simply due to my eyes not being able to focus well. A day or so ago I started noticing the effects of the moving in cataract on the right eye. Uh oh! The righty. The champion. The one I see out of entirely at this point.

I am asking for prayers. Prayers that God's will be done for my life. That should he be fixing my vision that would be done and for wisdom for the docs and staff involved. For the seemingly constant left eye and head pain be remedied. For sight to be restored in both or one eye. If these are the steps that God is determining- then great! Please pray for me to continue on in being tested and to perservere so that I may be matured.

If restored vision should not be the course for my path that the Lord has intended, then I pray that I learn a life of low vision opportunities. That God would show me ways to cope and not just to cope but to rise above. That I would still see my loveys John and Leelah. That I could find ways to read his Word and hopefully still drive down the street and take Leelah to preschool. That it would not slow me down!

And in all this that God would continue to build my testimony that I can share with others to encourage and to be a light.

I am thankful for my friends who are my sweet earthly angels that have done so much for me and my family. Thank you! Thank you for the rides, meals, Leelah-sitting, prayers and support. You are truly rays of sunshine. I love you all dearly!

Thanks to my precious family as well. I can't even start down that road!

For any experiencing low vision- there are some resources I've learned about:

The Lighthouse Organization- google this for a place in your area. They have info, resources, support groups and in some cases a store for low vision/blindness products. They also have job training.

The League for the Blind- also an organization with helpful resources.

Ask around for a physician that specializes in low vision treatment.

Please comment for any other advice or resources that you may know of. Greatly appreciated!

Tabletop Tapestry 2009!

Every year our church, Second Baptist- Katy, West Campus, women ministry puts on a huge event/dinner where every table is decorated to the max with whatever you can think of! We have an awesome dinner (Carrabas), dessert (gelato), entertainment (Ms. Rhonda- fabulous soloist), and an inspirational Christian speaker (Jeanette Clift-George found of A.D. Players). Women's ministry- you reign supreme! Jesus is alive in this department of talented women!!

This year Annette James (see blog to the side- The James Family {I'm hyperlink challenged}), who is wonderful, glitzy and creatively gifted, and I decided we would do tables together (last year she hosted one- Fiesta theme which was trendsetting!:). We decided we'd do a table together at last year's Tabletop. So this year we ended up doing two tables as sort of a collaboration. She gave me a lot more ideas than I gave her! She also spearheaded her sweet table of memories of our babies. I tell you. As soon as she got the stuff out of her matching luggage- it matched with her black and white theme- I wanted to cry right then and there. Annette, you table was geniously simple and exquisitely sweet. Just like your heart! Thank you for the picture of my baby girl Leelah with the fitting Bible verse.


And then I was blessed to be decorating alongside Mary Moran and Lesly Richardson (see blog list- The Best of Friends The Richardsons- again no hyperlink) from our Bible STudy class, The Vine. These ladies did an amazing job of decorating and on carrying out a vision to fruition. Lesly, who's an old pro at it, got 2 tables done in under an hour and they were TO DIE FOR CUTE!!! Lesly, you are so creatively gifted as well and you just ooze beauty! What is your secret of the ooze!?!? (TMNT 2 anyone?) I love this girl and I loved her tables. Sadly, I wasn't on my camera game and only got a pic of one of the 2 she did. I also missed Mary's awesome Fruits of The Spirit table- which was delectable and smelled good!!! Here's Lesly's Sweet Baby table (and it is also the back of it- wrong angle but still gorge!):


Now every year I go (I've been 3 times), I think I totally need to make a dent in the Froo Froo Foo Foo. So I did. I'm not saying it's beautiful, but I'm sayin' it was a whole mess of fun!!! Backyard Retro was my theme and it went along with this great verse found in Deutoronomy 32:2 "Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants."
And I love me some yard flamingos,sprinklers, water hoses, paper towels and Orange Crush!!! Props to the husband for fashioning a Bug Zapper out of a Simply Orange bottle, water bottle and electrical tape!!!

Leelah checking and approving...



Yes, I was proud of my baby which was over a year in the making. I was more proud of my sweet table guests and I got to some spend time with Carol, my mom-in-love who came in all the way from Huntsville- thank you!


It wouldn't be complete with some more pics of my fave tables. Now like I said I was scatterbrained on not on my camera game so I missed many photo ops of my faves including all of Higher Definition's fabulous tables: the Peacock feathers, the God Bless Texas table, and the Lamp unto my feet- my favorite!! Their tables were gorgeous. I mean it. You could really tell how hard they worked and they have talented women in that class!!!
Here's the rad science table I fell in love with:

They were drinking from beakers y'all- beakers!!! So cool!
and the cupcake table took the cake- speaking of cake there was a table full of purses that were actually cakes!! It was truly awesome- in the real sense of the word!

Course I didn't take pics of the Japanese bridge table, the Barbie table, etc- there were 140 tables - 1200 women!!! Praise Jesus for a fun night!

Our Oklahoma Trip

Last weekend we hopped in the ol' stagecoach and galavanted to Oklahoma to see various family members. It was a long drive with one speeding ticket (thanks Dallas), but at least we got to dine at the fabulous Braum's Ice Cream- why not here in Houston? What's wrong with us? I'm telling you it's the best ice cream and it's inexpensive. Help a city out Braums!
Our first stop was to visit my Uncle John and my two cool cousins Jake and Jackie. They are sweet, smart and all kinds of fun. Leelah really took a liking to them this time since she is now of playing alongside age.

Jackie LOVES to read and must have read 50 books to Leelah. It was a precious sight to see. I know I cherish pictures of my cousins and me at that age (Karalyn, Josh, Cody, Krissy!).
The next morning we visited my father's gravesite at Gracelawn Cemetery. God gave me the great idea of calling it "Gigi's Memory Spot" to help Leelah with the concept of visiting him there. She can only understand he is in heaven with Jesus- which is the main part, and we don't think it's necessary to explain his body is in the ground. So we just told her it was a place we go to remember him at. This was a hard day, but it was nice to see his marker which was not there when he was laid to rest. We are thankful for the marker that was given to him by Veteran's Affairs. I think it turned out beautiful. A beautiful spot for a beautiful person with many beautiful memories. I thought it would be a lot harder to see this, but since I know where he is spending eternal life I was not as shaken as I thought I would be. We will be remembering his passing on the 29th of this month, which is hard for us to fathom. Truthfully, my mind has been trying to focus only on this and not on everything going on around me. Not being a writer, I know I'm not giving this moment its justice. I miss you dad and honestly God is the only way I've been getting through this.


It was a day of bittersweetness as our next stop was to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday in Guthrie, Okla. We did so enjoy this blessing of an event. My mom's family always gets together on the same weekend as the 89'ers day which is a celebration of all the settlers that did the land run in Oklahoma in 1889 (so I've been told by my sweet Great Aunt Wilma and Jan). They are great organizers of this event and keep it going each year. This time was extra special since we had a party for my granddad. We all had a great time at the parade beforehand and at the meal and party. My favorite part was talking with my uncles, cousins, aunts and of course my granddad while looking at old pics. What a great legacy to be told. Thank you Privette family!


Leelah did not like the gun shooting loud bang- or as she called it "honking".

Grandpa with his table get-up.



Did you happen to notice the INSANELY CUTE OUTFIT Leelah is wearing - of course you did! My dear friend Tina made that precious gem for Leelah. Isn't that the sweetest outfit you ever saw or is it!!! I had a cute-attack when she gave it to her. Seriously Tina you are beyond talented. Project Runway Kids- you're on it and you are in! God has blessed me with meeting this new sweet friend and we love her and her ADORABLE to the max child/mini clone Rebecca.




We love you family! Thank you for hosting us and we will see you again soon!

As the eyeball spins...

How did the appointment with the orbit specialist go Gillian?

Well, if you like injections in your eyelid at 9:00am, then it went super! Thanks for asking!

Didn't know I was being set up to go see Dr. Needles-In-Your-Face! I have seen Fire in the Sky and I ain't playin' that stuff is SCARY. I kept both eyes closed the entire time. John held my hand and it even grossed him out! Possible issue: my Supra Orbital Nerve- the nerve around the eye/eyebrow area that is whackadoodle. So he injected some numbing medicine-i.e. stingy liquid- into the area. It was supposed to work within a minute. It didn't really. The effects only lasted an hour, but like I mentioned there were no real effects of the injection.

He referred me to guess what- a neurologist! Back to square one again. I also go back to Dr. Hammy (lens doc) on Monday then on the 13th I go into the new neurologist down at Methodist. The orbit doc says the neuro should be able to scan the area to see why the nerve hurts or if it's something else and give me medicine for the nerve pain. Supra Orbital Neuralgia they call it. I call it Ouchface 2000.

Meanwhile, I have tried my best to stop obsessing about my eye issues. It's ever present for me mentally and that's not good. It's just something I have to live with. There may be no solutions and that in itself is a solution God can make me okay with. Keep on truckin'!

Pictures and stories from previous weekend Oklahoma trip are coming up!