Rain, Winners, 1940's Flashback, and Mea!

Today was one of the best days I've woken up to in a long time. For most people however, they are probably wishing for this storm to pass quickly and that good old fashioned California sunshine to return. Not me!

Guess I should be moving northward if I favor days like today. Gusty winds, heavy rains, and just safe and warm looking outside my windows at it all coming down. The heater is going because I don't want the fireplace to blow all the smoke back into the house with all the wind we are having. So the heater works fine. Great news is that for most of the week, (fingers crossed), this is going to last all week long. Can't you just see my smile? My mom, knows that on our worst stormy days, that I am smiling from ear to ear and enjoying each and every minute of it. Love you too mom!

So here is what I've been up to besides my End Times Bible Prophecy study which I've been posting about for the last few weeks.

Winner of the "Where Is God?" book giveaway goes to Jane at Jumpin in the Jungle! Congratulations Jane! Once I get your email for your mailing information, the book will be on it's way to you, with perhaps something special added! So please stop by and wish Jane congratulations and say Hi when you stop by to visit her blog.

Next is I wanted to share with you what we did yesterday. I've been meaning to have my oldest daughters pictures taken for quite some time, and since my brother is in the works for becoming the next major photographer we had him take some pictures.

He specializes in 1940's vintage pin up pictures and is also working on recreating that old Hollywood style classic pictures as well. So we had a blast spending the day having him take some amazing pictures of Caitlyn in authentic 1940's clothes and props. He even arranged for a makeup and hair lady to complete that authentic look. Here are just some of the looks he completed for us.



This is all authentic 1940's World War 2 Props with the Bomber Jacket, Boots, Parachutes, glasses and pilot hat. What do you think?



This is Caitlyn's classic picture in front of a parking meter!

Finally my favorite, looking like that old time Hollywood glamor and the dress is amazing!



So which one is your favorite? I love them all, and I'll post even more once he finishes uploading them and adding some more detail. If your interested in contacting him, you can email me and I can provide you prices and his studios information. Trust me, you'll love both the pictures, and the prices he charges!

Last update is on Mea, my 6 year old niece, who is struggling with her eyesight. Some good news and bad news. The good news is that her vision has improved to 20/40 with her glasses on in her bad eye.It was 20/60 but the doctors feel it isn't significant enough. Since it isn't 20/20 with her glasses on, she has to wear an eye patch for four hours each day (bad news), for the next 2 months on her weak eye.

She is so upset that she sees herself as different and doesn't want anyone to see her. It literally breaks my heart. She is truly such a precious angel and needs your prayers more now than ever that God will allow her to see herself as we all do and brilliant, amazing and so beautiful, patch or no patch. Please continue to lift her up in prayers and if you haven't done so already, please add her prayer button to your blog. I know her mom more than appreciates all your efforts and wanted me to pass along her thanks to all of you as well.

Asking for Sweet Prayers for Mea! ~ UPDATED!

Good Monday Morning everyone! I wanted to take today to share a special request from my little sister, Ann Marie. She called me on Friday to let me know about a special prayer request she has for her daughter, my niece, Mea! Here is the story from my sister:

Mea was approximately 6 months old when I was watching her play on the bed and realized her eyes were not dilating the same. On her well baby visit with the pediatrician I explained what I had noticed to him. Upon examination (shining the light in her eye), he as well noticed that her pupils did not dilate the same. We were referred out to a pediatric ophthalmologist who noticed a black dot in her left eye. After further examination, I don’t know the medical lingo for it, but basically, it was discovered that while she was developing in uteruo, the iris of her left eye did not fuse all the way closed – hence she has this hole in her iris. At the time after basic eye exams on such a young child (she was only 8 or 9 months old) he didn’t believe there would be any issues as she was still tracking objects and the main components of the eye was in tact.

Fast forward to December 2008. Mea is 5 years old and we decide its time to have her see an optometrist just as a routine visit… it was discovered that her vision in her left eye (the problem eye) was much weaker than the right eye. Essentially her right eye was the one seeing for her. She was given a prescription for glasses and we were told that hopefully since the discrepancy was found at such a young age ---- (apparently your eyes continue to strengthen until the age of 9 or 10), that with constant wearing of her glasses, the glasses may help to bring her vision close to normal.

It’s now November 2009 and its time to see her pediatrician for Mea’s annual check-up. In discussion we talk about the visit last year to the optometrist and the discover of the weaker eye. The pediatrician immediately sends out a referral for the pediatric ophthalmologist and states he wants a medical doctor to see her. We are referred back to the same doctor we saw when she was a “baby”. So last Wednesday we go to see the specialist. Thankfully, I thought enough to request the records from the optometrists office to take with me and the specialist still had Mea’s records from when she was 8 months old! He has Mea complete a vision exam with her glasses on – at which I believe I heard him say, she failed. She failed with glasses on? K He then dilates her eyes and we wait…for 30 minutes. Mea says things are blurry and fuzzy and we try to make the best of our wait by me reading to her and giggling.

We are called back in the office and the doctor completes another exam of Mea’s eyes while they are dilated. We are then informed that Mea’s current prescription is too strong to which we are given a new prescription for glasses. Her right eye is the one seeing the whole world for her. Her left eye is basically just sitting along for the ride. Her brain appears to have shut off the visual cues that her left is functioning and able to see. We have six weeks before we are due back to see the pediatric ophthalmologist in hopes the new prescription has had some effect to stimulate the eye to work. If at that point the eye has not shown any improvement, he will have to “patch” her working eye to force the “Lazy left” eye in hopes to see and work. It comes down to, if we can’t force her brain to accept the visual cues, her brain my just shut out any information from her left eye – basically going blind in that eye.

I hope this is what you need and please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks again so much! Hopefully some prayers are just what the doctor ordered!!!!.....

So I implore you to please pray for this sweet angel. She is 6 and has a heart of pure gold for God. May we stand united for healing in her eye and that in 6 weeks she will be healed. I ask for all my prayer warrior friends to please pass this request along and even link it to your blogs for prayer as well. We know God is faithful and we know he cares! Thank you in advance Lord Jesus, that even now you are working in her life to heal her. May you pour forth your grace and comfort on my sister Ann Marie that she will have the knowledge, bravery and strength to deal with whatever God's will is. In Jesus Mighty Name we ask this, AMEN! Please grab Mea's prayer button on the right and add this to your blogs. My thanks go out to Ms. Edie for doing this for me.

Please continue to reach out to Loren as well at The Magoos News as she has some exciting news to share with all of you prayer warriors! God is truly a magnificent God and will answer all our prayers if we ask it in His name and according to His will.