I need your help...your prayers...

this is my surgeon...

the one who changed my life...

our lives...

he is also a surgeon in the Army Reserves...

and he is being deployed...

to Afghanistan...

mid December, so he could already be on his way there...

he has a 3-4 month deployment and this is his 3rd deployment since 2009...

he is to be in a surgical unit attached to a Special Forces unit...

working on the ones who are too seriously injured to be transported...

real darn close to the fighting if not in the middle of it from what I have read...

this is the man who took out my gall bladder after others wouldn't...

it took me 18 years to find him...

he is also my boob doctor and has calmed all my fears with my fibroid lumps...

and keeps a very close eye on things to make sure none of them change...

he also drained 2 of them last summer for me that were very painful...

he is kind and gentle and explains everything so well...

without talking down to you...

he is just so different from what I have had to deal with before...

he is such an amazing doctor and so needed in our small hospital...

he is the only full time general surgeon!

he is such a blessing to all of us!

there will be such a void for his staff and patients while he is gone...

they do have others coming in to take his place...

but it won't be the same until he's back home...

so, here is what I need for you to do...

pray...

pray for God to send angels to surround him for protection...

angels to protect his surgical unit...

and the Special Forces unit he is attached to...

prayers for safe journeys there and back...

prayers for the hospital staff and patients here...

prayers for his family...

and his friends...

we so need him back in one piece, upright and breathing!

he has so much more to do here...

so many more lives to touch...

  

you can click HERE for a link to an interview they did of him before his deployment...

it was done by EIU, the college Craig attended and graduated from...

you can also see our wonderful hospital and clinic where we go and some of the most wonderful people who work there...

heading up to do the Kids Shopping Night in a few hours...

;0)

got another call for the toy drive...

need to gather up a bag of toys for a 5 year old little girl...

we have most of hers in the left over totes, but need to find an age appropriate game and of course a coloring book and crayons...

we ran completely out of those...

picking things up for 5 high school kids tomorrow and shopping for a 17 year old boy and a junior high age boy...

we also got another $100 donation in the mail yesterday!

its still coming in...

this program has been so blessed this year with donations and amazing helper elves...

I am so thankful that God allows me to be a part of this every year...

that he sent me my surgeon so its all possible now...

that some of our past families are prospering with good jobs and can give back...

;0)

CHRISTmas is about giving...

giving freely...

so whatever you give...

money, a toy, a kind word or just a smile...

give it with all your heart...

to get what you need the most of...

which is love...

you must first give it away...

;0)

edited:

if you are having trouble hearing the interview for Dr. Nadeau...

go back now and click on the link...

then close out this window or turn off the player at the bottom of the page...

you may also need to turn up the volume on youtube to hear it well...

it's the most wonderful time of the year...

I finally got some better pics today...

it was cloudy and with the regular lights off and the CHRISTmas lights on...

they came out much better...

I love this votive cup...

I have no idea where I got it, but it might be Home Interiors...

I have had it forever, it seems...

this santa is from Walmart or Kmart...

many years ago...

the same with this one...

I don't put many of them out any more...

and have weeded much of my stuff the last few years...

when DH got home from work this afternoon, we made a run up town with the left over toy totes...

had one meet me up there to get toys for an almost 4 year old...

and we put the rest upstairs...

the man who owns the furniture and carpet store lets us store our things up there... 

which really helps us out a lot...

if we get a call for another family, we can run up there and pick through the totes and get it to them...

;0)

tonight after supper, Craig and I ran back up to the fire hall and unpacked boxes of gently used items...

to get ready for the Kid's Shopping Night...

so area kids can come and shop for their parents/ grandparents...

all items are donated...

and its gift wrapped before they leave...

everything is marked a nickle, a dime or a quarter...

if they don't have enough, we recount the money and make sure its exactly what they need...

"wink, wink"

so they can leave with the best presents ever for their families...

if a child cannot pay, that's ok, too...

we send them on their way with their favorite picks...

;0)

I will take my camera and get pics of the fun on Thursday night when we open up...

and then this is happening here this year...

I can't wait for that!

I have never seen a reindeer in person!

I made the flyer yesterday for them...

today was a lazy day for me until the guys got home...

I laid around and slept most of it...

love my electric blanket when its cold out!

it was cool, some wind and rain...

just plain dreary...

but great for not doing a thing!

I think I am going to be ok...

I hurt so bad last night, I was wondering...

but, God is good and I'm still kicking, just not as high...

need to do some Christmas shopping sometime this week...

a little for the toy drive and then the rest of ours...

then we should be ready...

have fudge, cookies, candy canes...

got to get my cards out, though...

so what are you doing to get ready for CHRISTmas?

It's a wrap, the elves have left the building...

before we opened up on Saturday...

I made 82 bags of candy for the stockings...

elf in action...

my DH...

my son, who I am so proud of...

he is the president of this group and works hard behind the scenes...

his heart is in this and he works for months getting ready...

some of our favorite helper elves during a slow time...

and our volunteer elves from the Fire/EMS crew...

they only were there long enough to put on some hats and get their picture taken...

then, the tones went off...

10 minutes before we opened the door...

ambulance call...

they got back in time for us to lock up for the day!

we only had about half of what we normally have...

and we had 3 come back in and make generous donations to the program...

back on their feet and doing well!

paying it forward, they said...

;)

I had my Christmas Miracle, too...

I was able to stay on my feet the whole time both days...

help those who came in and do what needed done for the parents...

I got hugs and kind words...

God is good...

I am taking the rest of the week off...

resting as much as I need...

the pain is back...

;)

but that's ok...

He let me do this one more year...

and I am good with that...

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

elfing it again...

I decided the mantle needed something...

so grabbed a strand of white lights and lit it up!

my camera doesn't do very well at night, but you get the idea...

we had a plastering of snow this morning after some freezing rain...

and there was a bus accident in Charleston this afternoon...

it wasn't a school bus, but we have this one called Dial A Ride...

where is you do not have a way to get somewhere, you can call and for like $4, they will take you there and back home...

its great for seniors and they can handle wheel chairs...

they will take you shopping or to the doctor or hospital...

16 people were transported to the hospital and one of those had to be transported to a bigger trauma center north of here...

so prayers for all who have been in accidents recently...

and their families...

tomorrow is my surgeon's last day at the hospital before shipping out...

he leaves mid December, so the time is coming fast...

I will do a post later about him with more details...

so, how did you spend your day?

I laid low and rested up...

feeling much better...

hoping I nipped it in the bud...

so much to do tomorrow...

I will get more pics and share them later...

have a fun night...

;0)

by His grace...

that's the only way I made it through yesterday...

grace...

I have been so sick and in pain...

I am not sure if its any one thing or just a combination of many going on at once...

pinched nerves just under the shoulder blades...

stop me in my tracks...

and make me so sick to my stomach...

my guys were wonderful...

we had to shop for the toy drive...

we are running out of time...

they got me there, pushed me through the store and then took me through here before coming home...

and we got it done...

and today, I will rest...

tomorrow is the last day to sort and set up...

praying my way through...

and it was a good night shopping...

cold but no wind...

and the deals we found...

great, wonderful toys...

on sale and marked down...

doll houses and pogo sticks...

scooters and batman...

baby dolls, curling irons and blankets...

baby toys that are just too cute for words...

I always pray on the way and in the parking lot before we go in...

we don't go through ads or look online...

we just hit the store with that prayer...

lead us to what is wanted and needed...

and golly gee, the guys stuffed it all in the van and there was room for Craig even...

he was happy he didn't have to ride home on top...

prayers that I can do this one more time...

and prayers that we have enough...

;0)