Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas....from our home to yours!

No surprise the Christmas season has come up faster then I was ready.... so with many regrets I will not be sending out a formal Christmas letter this year. Please except this blog post as our Christmas greeting and hope you are enjoying the season with your loved ones. It's hard to believe it's only been a year with all the new changes in our lives yet it's been a joy to share with you all our adventures, joys, difficulties, struggles & victories!

I put together a slide show that gives you a glimpse of what 2008 looked like for us. I think I got a little carried away with the pictures but I enjoyed doing it. So enjoy watching however many you want! =)
Our lives were forever changed in 2008 when I was given the gift of "new" life. It's hard to put into words the overwhelming thankfulness my family and I have to the donor family who decided to unselfishly give someone the gift of hope in the midst of their darkest hour.

It sure has been an full 6 months filled with transplant, my mom's wedding, moving back to TX, gaining 2 new sweet nieces, Jason getting back into his job & looking forward to Callie & Hayden's wedding in January! God is faithful and we have seen His grace and miracles time and time again through our journey. Through this transplant experience I'm reminded of how God too unselfishly gave us the gift of hope. Sacrificed His son, His son that was perfect so that we might move out of the darkness and into the light. We are all in need of a spiritual donor, a Savior and Jesus is the perfect "match" for us. He bares the scares for us and we are given new life. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas celebrating our Savior and spending time with your family & friends.

Love~ Jason, Emily & Faith

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagles." Psalm 103:1-5

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

*I think we need to start a new tradition of doing January greeting cards instead of December....hmmmmm..just a thought! =)

Tis the Season......to be sick....Fa La La La

Lysol, hand sanitizer, Sprite, crackers, trash can..........what do all these have in common?

A fun weekend with the yucky tummy virus! Well, I guess Jason and Faith felt like I was having all the fun being sick so they BOTH decided to try it out. I think they both would agree it's not to much fun. I feel so bad for them! So, we have been laying low since Friday and continue the weekend theme of Pj's & sleeping.

Poor baby....it's been rough

Just to let you know I'm doing what I can to NOT catch this bug! My hands are going to be so chapped due to washing and hand sanitizing. I've been calling on my Healer to just put a shield over me and keep me healthy and strong.

Hope you all are staying well and enjoying the season!

Home Sweet Home

Well....it was quite the adventure getting home. To make a long story short neither Jason or I had our picture IDs because we got new licenses so all we had was our paper temporary license and Jason lost his temporary during our stay in AL. PLUS, I had my IVs (medicine bags more then 4oz) that had to go with me on the plane. So, to say all that we were very concerned about getting through security! I think our saving grace was that I brought our birth certificates just in case. Although we were searched high and low (all 3 of us), we were allowed to go through!!

Anyway, we are home safely and it is good to be home. Hopefully we can relax some and just enjoy the Christmas season.

A Good Word, goes along way

Sorry for not updating yesterday, my sinuses got a hold on me and I felt pretty much worthless all day. They did manage to get a PICC line in, praise God! So, I was able to get that big central line out of my neck, although my neck feels like it's been in an accident. Lord willing, the plan is get to be discharged tomorrow and leave for TX, Saturday morning. I will continue to be on IV's for a little while and I think it's going to take some time recovering from this pneumonia. I'm ready to be home with my little girl & family and enjoy my living Christmas tree while it's still living! (Thanks Cal, for keeping it alive!)

The angels brought Good News to the shepherds and I too have had a sweet "angel" Monica, my respiratory therapist who comes in every morning to bring me a good word. She is always bubbling with God's love. I'll ask her what the Lord has been speaking to her today but many times she is just quick to share the simple, strong truths of God's word and His love. When you spend any amount of time in the hospital you can see on the faces of those who are hurting, people are clinging to some kind of hope or joy. That's what Christ came to do......bring hope to those who are in despair, joy for the broken hearted, healing for those who are sick & most importantly Christ, the bridge that would bring us Home.

Thanks for sharing your family traditions! I loved them! I again, always appreciate your words of encouragement! I never knew how much support, encouragement and love I would receive being able to share my journey through a blog. Thank you!

Traditions!!!

Well, you never know what a day or night will bring and last night brought some crazy events. I got up around 3 a.m. with my head pounding and the pain so intense I thought my head was going to come off! The nurse checked my blood pressure and it was sky high at 188/116 (normal is 120/80). So over the next 6 hours they tried to bring my blood pressure down with medicine but the craziness thing about it was that standing up was really the only thing that would give me some relief. I would stand up and my pressure would drop to 100/90 but within seconds of sitting back down it would jump right back up again. So my sweet husband held me up over an hour so I could get some relief. By 9 a.m. they gave me some strong pain medicine and things were starting to level out again. Needless to say my blood pressure has been all over the place, it was way too low when I came into the hospital (68/43) to (188/116). There are a couple of reasons why it might have jumped so high-1) Dehydrated, because they gave me lots of fluids and then gave me Lascaux to remove the excess fluid off my lungs or 2) one of my ant-rejection meds is way off.
His mercies are new every morning though and praise the Lord my oxygen level has gone back up into the nineties, breathing on my own. My lungs are sounding better and my cough is getting less as well. I have felt your many prayers and I thank you so much!

OK, despite my sickness I am very excited about my favorite time of year.......CHRISTMAS!

Although we should always reflect on the birth of Christ and what an amazing gift that has been given to us, it is a great time of year to celebrate! I could name lots of things that I love about Christmas but I really enjoy the different traditions that families do together. Since Faith is getting older and starting to understand more I really want to start doing some meaningful things with her during this special time. So.......I would love for you to share some of your favorite traditions, memories, ideas or fun things you do with your families during this season.

I look forward to reading some great ideas!!! Hope you all are doing well. Love ya

6 Months!

It's hard to believe it's been 6 months since my transplant. A journey I have had to take one day, one step at a time. A journey that has had many joys and many difficulties. There has been lots of learning and I pray growing in the process. Wish I wasn't spending my 6 month anniversary in the hospital but you never know what a new day will bring. I'm so thankful for what the Lord has done though. The doctors have decided that I have a strep pneumonia as well as low on blood and my white blood count (which is suppose to fight infection) and dehydrated. I was given 2 units of blood yesterday and lots of fluids. I woke up this morning with my oxygen reading between 70-80%. (Which they have stayed in the high nineties) So, I am on oxygen to keep it up. I'm still very tired and praying for strength.

We never know when the Lord will call us home but on Friday it became very real for me and Jason as he watched. I remember looking out of the window of the chopper and seeing the beautiful sunset. It seemed so calm, so beautifully made by my Creator. I know that if my Creator can make something so amazing as a sunset that He is able to put back together my very sick, confused body. Don't get me wrong I have had my breaking moments and I just try to cling to the verse that says, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:3-4. Praise the Lord we have wonderful friends who are helping out with Faith although I miss her very much. Jason is holding in there well just a little torn sometimes on where he should be, with me or Faith.
*Please pray for strength, healing, hope and a steadfast in Him.
*Praise the Lord, my uncle Tom is doing OK. They believe the new stem cells are working and his immune system is getting stronger. I know he is still battling some hard things but I hope he is moving into a wonderful season of great health! Thank you for praying for him.

Let me count my blessings.......

*I'm alive
*No Rejection!
*My hubby & little girl are here.
*At a good hospital
* I still have good lungs!
*We have the most amazing friends and family, thank you!



This is just a starter list in being thankful for God's grace! It's amazing how fast life can change in one moment. I was doing good all week and then Thursday night (after the bronch) was feeling very achy and running a fever of 102.8 with Tylenol. So after I passed out at the house, Jason high decided not to wait any more and take me in. Jason had been talking to UAB on the phone letting them know what all is going on but some of these symptoms are normal after you have a bronchoscopy.. However, the ambulance did pick me up and take me to the county hospital, were they worked to stabilize me until the chopper came to air flight me to UAB.

It has been tough physically and emotionally the past few days and the night they were trying to stabilize me was very difficult for Jason to watch and for me praying this was not it! I just kept praying the Lord would give me strength to get through this and the grace to live and have more life to live.

He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he will answer you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:19-21

Thank you for yours prayers....maybe we will know more tomorrow. I'm doing better, still weak & tired and my white blood count is VERY low right now.

Saturday Afternoon Update

I just talked to Emily and she has been moved to the HTICU which is the low acute portion where Jason can stay and Faith can visit. Today has been a fairly smooth day and she has stayed stable but is recovering from a very difficult day yesterday.

She was never unresponsive but had a lot of complications as they tried numerous times to stabilize her. The ambulance team put in 3 different IVs on the way to the hospital and they ended up having to put in a central line because her veins would not work. She was also on 100% oxygen for most of the night if not all, but is breathing normal air today.

Emily is tired both physically and emotionally and is just thankful to be alive after what she experienced yesterday. I believe she and Jason both were the most scared they have ever been about what was happening and the severity of the situation. She is extremely aware and grateful for God's grace.

She is hoping to have internet access later today and if she's up to it, she might post on the blog. Please continue to keep them in your prayers. Thanks! Emily T

Saturday AM Update

Thank you for your prayers! Apparently yesterday was a pretty serious day as they tried to stabilize Emily in the High Acute ICU. Jason mentioned that it was one of the most scary times for him in the hospital but the report this morning is amazingly good! Jason is on his way up to see her since the High Acute ICU has very strict guidelines for visitors (and no phones) so he was not able to stay with her last night. The report is that she is sitting up in bed and watching TV this morning.

She should be moved to the regular section of the ICU later today which has many more freedoms for visitors (Faith can see her Mommy!). The word they received yesterday when they called the ambulance was that they were no beds at UAB but after several phone calls, it looks like Emily's relationships there were able to make a bed appear out of nowhere which was very comforting to know in the midst of a stressful situation.

Jason was upbeat and just so thankful for your prayers and her vast improvement from yesterday. He thinks they will at least keep her another night, but possibly even a few days. The antibiotics for the infection seem to be working but because of the seriousness of yesterday, they want to be sure she is completely stable. I should receive another update later this afternoon and will pass that along to you. Thanks! Emily T

Update on Emily

Hi everyone...it's Emily Tardy. Em asked me to update her blog this evening as she is back in the hospital at UAB. After a successful bronchoscopy that showed NO REJECTION!!!!!, she has been experiencing the negative side effects of recovering from the procedure. She ran a fever all of yesterday evening and still had it this morning. After passing out twice this morning, Jason called for an ambulance that took her back to the hospital. Her blood pressure was really low and when I talked to him late this afternoon the team at UAB was in the middle of working on her to help her get that back up. From what I understand, she is dealing with some infection in her lungs that was aggravated by the bronchoscopy yesterday so she is once again having to fight off the complications that this procedure can bring about.

Please keep her and Jason in your prayers tonight. Hopefully this will be a short stay and that she will be stabilized and released so they will be able to go to their Christmas party tomorrow night. Thanks! ~Emily T

Our week so far....

Well, amazingly we made it to AL. Our plane was delayed in TX and therefore Southwest said we might not make our other flight in Dallas so it was a little crazy trying to make the flight so we would not have to spend the night in Dallas. Thankfully the plane wanted a whole 20 minutes just for us so we could get on. (Thank You Southwest!)

We had a long clinic day but Praise the Lord things are looking pretty well. My liver function was high this time which is unusual but they are going to just watch it for now. I did enjoy catching up with some of my friends at UAB. A lot of them got their transplants around the same time I did so it's great to see how they are doing, and for the most part they are doing well. I did have my bronch this morning and it went fine besides the several attempts to put in an IV (this is when a PICC line comes in real handy). They said I had a little inflammation in my lungs, which makes sense since I have been coughing some. We should know a little more about the results tomorrow and more in a few weeks.

It's been fun to see our good friends here though and catch up. It worked out great too because we will get to be apart of our Sunday School Christmas party on Saturday. Thank you for your prayers....

Hope you all are doing well and enjoying the Christmas season. For some crazy reason I have this thing about not listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving because I always feel like it gets passed up so fast. However starting December 1st the music is on and continues all month! =) Ok, I think I'm still a little groggy and drugged so I better stop now before I start talking crazy....=) (wouldn't be too unusual) hehe

Headed to the Ham (Birmingham)

We will be headed back to the south tomorrow (Tuesday) for a transplant check-up on Wednesday and a bronchoscopy on Thursday. Praise the Lord I have been doing well and we just continue to ask the Lord for healing as they check for rejection & infection. As some of you might remember I did not do so good the last bronchoscopy so it makes me a little nervous. The last results showed NO rejection (Praise God) but the bronchoscopy left me very sick the next couple of days.

Jason & Faith will be coming along as well. The great thing about going back is getting to see all our good friends we love! I look forward to hopefully catching up with some of them.

I'll try to keep you all updated throughout the week, we'll see how well I do. =) We continue to ask for your prayers and thank you for keeping up with us and for your support!

*I do also ask for your prayers for my Uncle Tom, who I have mentioned before. He had his stem cell transplant (from my dad, his twin) last week. They had to knock down his immune system (chemo) to nothing so he could receive the "new" stem cells. However, since the chemo was so strong it has left him very tired & sick, as well as dealing with other difficult things. We are praying and believing the stem cells will work and almost be a "cure" for him. Because he received the stem cells from his identical twin brother he will not have to take all the anti-rejection medicines I do. I'm not sure when we will know if the transplant is working but he could use your prayers right now. Thank you!

The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk throug the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:2-3

Catch up time!

Well, once again I'm behind on keeping up with my blog but in some ways that is a good thing because I have the energy to GO GO GO now! I do have a good excuse though and that is that my Internet has been done for 4 days so I have felt very out of touch with everyone through e-mail & blogging. If I skip one day without the computer it seems like it takes forever to catch up on e-mails and reading how everyone else is doing through their blogs. It's almost ridiculous how dependant we become on our computers or cell phones and we wonder what the world ever did without them before! =) Don't get me wrong I think it's a wonderful way to stay in touch with friends and family but I have just realized how much I use them. Anyway, I just got way off the subject so back to what the Mulkey's have been up too......

First Callie's shower was wonderful! She had a great time and was showered with LOTS of amazing gifts. I know she feels so blessed to be at this point in her life and we feel so blessed to have her here. When I mean "here" I really mean ALIVE and well! For those of you who are not familiar with my family, I am not the only one the Lord has given a second chance at life. My sister, Callie, was diagnosed with a brain tumor (cancer) almost 5 years ago. She went through brain surgery and then radiation. It was a very difficult time but through every step good or bad she was QUICK to say," Praise God!" Her love for the Lord is a shining star for all to witness and by God's grace and healing she has been cancer free since then!!! Sometimes Callie and I sit and talk about how there is a very real possibility that we both could not be here now and how much God has blessed us with, not only a "new" life but some wonderful husbands (or to be) and for me a child. So not only do we celebrate Callie and Hayden's upcoming wedding, we also Praise the Lord for her life and that she can become Hayden's beautiful bride!

Mascara........now I forgot where does it go? Eye lashes, cheeks, lips.....Oh Yes, LIPS & NOSE! My daughter was sweet enough to find my mascara and show me where my make-up was really suppose to go. =)

We also ventured out to the corn maze and thanks to my brother in-law, Brandon we were able to find our way out before it got dark! Faith did great for a little bit then we decided her little legs were ready for daddy to carry her.

Faith fell asleep while we continued to try to find our way out of the corn maze. I think my back would be permanently damaged if I slept this way.=)

I also just got back from Dallas (by myself). I was able to go to Emily T. baby shower!! It was a good time and I was so glad to be there and share in her excitement! Her and Daniel's little girl will be here sometime the end of February! I can't wait!

We did have a wonderful Thanksgiving with ALL of our family. We have not been with all of the family for the holidays in a long time so that was a true blessing. We have much to be thankful for!

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. Psalm 95:2

Pictures....are always rough!

I could not ask for a sweeter or cuter little girl and so of course, I want to take pictures to capture the moment. However, my daughter thinks otherwise! She does NOT like taking pictures and it becomes a big deal to get her to even look at the camera. (Let alone smile for it) So someday when she is older and she ask me why I don't have more pictures of her, I will just smile and say," I tried with all my might but you little Missy were not very cooperative." =) Anyway, I take what I can get when it comes to picture taking and my sweet friend took some pictures (or tried) of Faith before we left for TX. Even though it was rough I think we managed to get a couple of good, sweet ones.

Little Angel

Loves those flowers

Better a finger in the mouth than the nose =)

Where are the fish?

Pretty girl

A smile! A smile! Success!

This is a look of I'm done with this! I ain't going to smile!

A mischievous smile =)

Bring everything to Him

Praise God! I was able to come home yesterday. Most of the doctors (I think I had 5 looking after me) wanted to keep me in through Saturday and I told them that was fine but I just needed to be out by 8:00 am in time for the shower. I was getting very frustrated dealing with a different set of doctors who didn't know me nor did I know them. I was about ready to check myself out but then I realized I wasn't focusing on the One who has complete control. God wants us to bring everything to Him in prayer, even the smallest things. I just told the Lord my frustrations and my hope desire to be apart of this special day with Callie. I give Him my situation and trust Him. It was a couple of hours later that the main doctor came in graciously let me go. Thank you Lord, for caring for even the smallest details in my life and not only giving me life again but a opportunity to be apart of my family and friends lives.
All of the tests came back fine, praise the Lord! Although the doctors still think it is some kind of staff infection. My foot is getting better. I can stand and walk (with a little limp) but it's better for me to get out of the hospital where there is more infections for me to catch. I will be on antibiotics for the next week so hopefully that will finish taking care of it. Thank you for your prayers......


"I love the Lord because he hears and answers my prayers. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath." Psalm 116:1-2

Infection?

Well, I missed the ER experience and being in the hospital so much that I thought it was time for another visit. =) (Just kidding) I am in the hospital again though due to probably an infection. I woke up yesterday morning in a lot of pain in my right ankle. I was not able to stand on my foot due to the pain. The doctors thought at first glance it was a staff infection due to the swelling & redness. Although we are still waiting on some blood work and skin biopsy results to come back, they have started me on some IV antibiotics. I believe the drugs are working because the redness is better and I am able to stand and walk a little.

We are just praying the infection is nothing too serious and that they will be able to treat it effectively. I'm also PRAYING I get out tomorrow because Callie's wedding shower is Saturday morning and I'm helping out with that as well as just wanting to be there. Thanks for your prayers!

Double Blessings!

As I said before, we got here just in time to be apart of the celebration of our 2 new nieces!

Baby Nan (Brandon & Christie) was born October 29! 6lb 8oz

Baby Lily (Dave & Melissa) was born October 30! 6lb 6 oz

They are both as sweet as can be and we are holding, kissing, and loving on them as much as we can! Faith loves them and thinks they are her baby dolls. It's so hard to believe that Faith was even smaller then her cousins. Weighing at 5lb 13 oz she was a little baby doll herself at one time. (Oh! I miss that baby stage) Both Melissa & Christie are doing great as well, just recovery and enjoying their new little blessings.

Quick Health Update~ I had an x-ray done the other day just to check on everything since I was coughing more and Praise the Lord, there is no infection! My doctor's think it is due to allergies. Although my body is still trying to get use to different things I am doing well. I have to remind myself at times I'm only 5 months out. I'm thankful for how far God has brought me, it has been quite a journey so far. I do go back to AL the first of December for a check up and another bronchoscopy. We continue to pray there will be no signs of rejection or infection.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

Busy little Bee!

Well, Faith's costume this year fit perfectly with her season of life.......busy little bee! She was a very cute bee, of course and all that was lacking was a little stinger in the back to match the toddler attitude sometimes. =)

Sweet as Honey!

Faith enjoyed Treat-or-Treating with her cousins
Lot's of GREAT costumes!

Faith & Sissy have become good buddies and now that they are on the same team I'm afraid they may use their toddler power to their advantage. =)

Our crazy couple of weeks!

Well, crazy could describe our past couple of weeks and also the reason I haven't got around to blogging. We made it to TX and have really enjoyed being with family again. It seems almost strange to have all of our family close by (living away from them for so long) but a wonderful blessing. Faith has transitioned very well, which I'm so thankful for. She has enjoyed playing with her cousins and being reunited with Callie's dog, Annie. Although much to my dismay and disgust I found her on all fours, head down, drinking Annie's water!!! I guess to a toddler whatever a dog eats or drinks must be tasty for them too. =)
Jason started back to work on Thursday and so far things are going well. He is enjoying being back and just trying to get the swing of things again. I'm doing well, it's been a big couple of weeks and at times have been a little overwhelming. I've been coughing more so we are going to call my local doctor and see if we can figure out the problem. We feel like we have been through a whirl wind yet through the craziness I have had to stop and reflect on what an amazing God we serve. It's a huge miracle and blessing for me to be where I am and to be doing the things I am able to do now. It's easy for me to get caught up in the silly details of life and forget to stop and say, "thank you" to the Lord! There is much to be thankful for though! I thought I would just share some videos and pictures of the activities that have kept us a little occupied.

I guess the best place to start would be the great moment of firing up the truck!


Here it ROAR! from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.

Faith loves to "help" daddy with his truck and if she could drive it she would!


We had a fun good-bye party with our great Sunday school class, which we pretty much consider them family! They have been through so much with us and we feel so blessed to have them has friends! WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!


Faith is just lounging around in daddy's shoes watching TV! (Look relaxing, huh?)


Saying good-bye to our house


Of course, our big adventure was heading out to TX and like all moves and road trips there are always "bumps" and delays that go along with it (or at least on our trips there are). =)

Are we there yet? from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.

The unloading of the truck!!


We are very excited as we WELCOME 2 new nieces this week! Christie, Brandon's wife (Jason's brother) will have her c-section on Wednesday (Baby Nan)! And....Melissa (Jason's sister) will be induced on Thursday (Baby Lily)! So, we got here just in time for all the excitement!

Pumpkin Patch

I really should be packing right now instead of posting on my blog but I know things will be crazy with the move and I'll never get these pictures up if I don't do it NOW! I never grew up going to a pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin (we just went to the store) but since we have lived here I have loved going to the "Great Pumpkin Patch". It's so much fun for the kids (& adults) to ride the wagon to the pumpkin patch and pick your favorite pumpkin in the midst of hundreds! It's also a great time to take fall pictures!
At the "Great Pumpkin Patch" they offer more then just pumpkins. There is pony rides, petting zoo, inflatable park & much more! Faith loves horses so she was thrilled to ride a pony! She wasn't afraid at all, in fact she pointed to which one she wanted to ride and ran up to it, ready for someone to put her on it. I guess she gets her love for horses from her mama. =)




Which one to choose? from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.


My first pony ride! from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.












Moving/Health Update~
Praise the Lord, my sweet mother in-law, Mitzi, came to help me pack! It is so great to have her here since she is quite an expert in packing/moving. Our house has not sold yet but we need to go ahead and move but we continue to pray that it will sell soon! Since my mom got married and has moved into her new house, we will be able to move into my old house and rent it while we wait for our house to sell. It will also give us time to figure out where we want to live.

Yea!!! Jason got his truck up and running! It was a great moment and we were barely able to get it out of the garage without deflating the tires. Maybe I'll be able to share the footage of the "beast" coming to life! I'm very proud of Jay and the awesome work he has done! It's going to be a fun truck!

I'm feeling pretty well these days. My feet and ankles tend to stay swollen and it gets worse as the day progresses, so I have to take breaks to rest my feet. I have some other not so fun side effects but I am so thankful I can breath and have no rejection right now.

Prayer for us~
*Please pray we will get everything done this week and safe travel
*I'll stay healthy and strong through all the changes
*Pray for Jason as he gets back into work and Faith with the new changes
*That our house will sell soon

Mulkeys.....You are clear for take off!!!

Well, we are not headed to the moon but yes, we have been cleared, given the OK to go a head and move to TX. There is still some things with my blood work that are not exactly where they need to be so I will be getting blood drawn every other week so they can watch it. Praise the Lord my lungs are doing good right now! I'm still experiencing some swelling in my feet and ankles, which might just have to be for a while (My feet look like the hobbits in "Lord of the Rings"). It always seems to be a puzzle to figure out just the right balance for your body.

We are looking forward to being with our family in TX yet it is very much mixed emotions leaving our home in AL. God has blessed us so much with wonderful friends, church family, home, & medical team (which we will be staying with UAB) it's hard to leave those things. A new season is starting and we continue to trust the Lord as He moves and guides us in many new ways. We are planning on taking off in less than two weeks, CRAZY! So, we would really appreciate your prayers as we try to get everything together! Thank you!

Party Time!!!

Well, I'm extremely late in posting this but I said I would post some videos of Faith's birthday party so I finally got it together! We had a great time celebrating Faith's 2nd birthday. Of course, her heart's desire would be to have a "Dora the Explorer" party and so we did Dora all the way! I could take the time to write about our fun day but I thought you all might enjoy it better if you could watch some of the action. ENJOY! (You can scoll down to the end of the blog to turn down the back ground music)

Side Note~ In case you haven't been up on your children shows, "Dora the Exlporer" is a fun, educational show that has captured many children! (Including my child)



Birthday Girl from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.





Fun in the Sprinkler from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.


Happy Birthday to YOU!! from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.


Birthday Cake from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.


Pinata Time!! from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.

Angels in Waiting

Note~ You can scroll down to the bottom of the blog to turn down the back ground music so you can hear the "Angels in Waiting" clip.

Many of you have heard this song but I'm not sure if you knew this song was dealing with CF. Tammy Cochran captures the sweetness, beauty, and joy she got to experience in the short time her brothers were here on earth. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for her to write this song but I'm so thankful she did. The reality of Cystic Fibrosis is horrible but it always amazes me how God uses the lives of those who fight, live with CF however long their journey maybe. When I hear of someone, a friend who has CF and has passed away, I don't like to hear people say, "they lost their battle with CF," I would rather them say,"they finished their race."

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8

I would like to dedicate this song to a sweet friend, Katie (CF) who just finished her race. She was on the transplant list for 8 months. We were hoping and praying for those "new" lungs to come and the Lord did bring her the perfect pair of lungs, just not what we were hoping. I know she is breathing better now then she could ever imagine. I know Katie, was loved by so many and she was a joy to be around as well as an example of Christ's love. She loved the Lord and I know she fought the good fight, physically as well as spiritually. My heart aches and hurts for her family and I just want them to know they are in my prayers and I just ask you to be praying for them as well.

Katie, you were an angel, a light for Christ to so many and even though I did not get to meet you here on earth I know one day I will see you in perfect health. No longer waiting but praising God for His amazing grace and mercy.

The Old Rock Church

The Old Rock Church

(Was built in 1886)
I was reminded just how beautiful the sunsets are in TX!

We were so thankful we could head out to TX and be with our family and say good-bye to Papa Johnson. The Old Rock Church, holds a special place for Jason's mom's family as it is where most of their family is buried. Clifton, TX ,where the Old Rock Church is, is an old Norwegian settlement and also where Papa & Mimi grew up (or a town close to it known in the family as "The Gap"). The grave site service was nice and Papa was honored for his service in the Navy and Mimi presented with the American flag. Papa left a special legacy and God used him in many ways and we look forward to the day when we will see him again.

It was great to see the cousins again, we miss them! Jane, Tom, Jake, Peter, Sissy (their foster baby) & baby Nan who we are expecting to see in November!!

We also were able to stop by and visit with my cousin, Tiff (& her family), my uncle, Tom (who I have asked for prayer for) & also my cousin , Jesse, who is on leave from Iraq. We had a great time visiting with them and Faith enjoyed playing with her cousins (Tiff's children). We are so proud of Jesse for his sacrifice for our country! Thank You!!!!

Tiff's children; Jack, Gwyneth, & Liv

Crazy fun! Love those faces

Please continue to pray for my Uncle, Tom, who is still fighting some serious health issues. My dad (his identical twin) will be going through the procedure of harvesting his stem cells in hopes that it will "cure" his brother's cancer. This is the only option for my uncle or he would have to do chemo the rest of his life. He has a lot going on and it's been very tough but we are very thankful he has a twin that has a perfect match for him to receive these stem cells. Thank you for praying for him.

Thanks for your prayers as we made the 13-14 hour trip to TX. Faith did well in the car, although I don't think she would want to do that too often. =)