Family Vacation & Birthdays

Well I said I was going to post some pictures of our trip and I have finally got around to it! We were able to go to San Antonio to celebrate my 1 year and go on a much needed family vacation. It was wonderful to get away and we had a great time! Hayden, Callie & Landon came with us so that made it even more fun! If you haven't noticed yet Faith LOVES anything that has four legs, crawls or has fur......basically any animal, so it was very exciting to be able to take her to Sea World! She loved to watch Shamu jump out of the water but she also enjoyed feeding the dolphins. Whenever you ask her what Shamu does she will say,"Splash Splash Splash!"

Mama, Faith & Shamu!

Love those dolphins

When it's really HOT outside ice-cream sandwiches just don't last very long

Pooped after a long day at Sea World

Well we did Sea World 1 day and then the next 2 days we were doing our own splashing and swimming at Schlitterbahn! I was a little more worried about the water park with Faith only because she is NOT by any means a dare devil when it comes to the water. She loves the water but she likes to play by herself in a quiet and calm setting. We played in the kid around for awhile (which was very nice) but then I decided she was just going to have to be brave and go on some of the big rides with us (I didn't come all the way to Schlitterbahn to play in the kid around all day! hehe) We strapped a life jacket on her and put her in her own baby tube and we set off to go down some of the tube rides. I have to say she did VERY well, she even went down the drops by herself (only because they don't let you hold onto their tube while you go down, they make sure though that you are right in front of them). Every time we would go through a "rapid" or drop I would call back (daddy held onto her tube)," Are you OK?" and I would get the same answer every time........"I BREEZING (freezing)!" Poor baby, purple lips and poops in the pants because the first drop scared her, she was quite the trooper but by the afternoon she was enjoying the rides more.

We had an awesome time and it was great to celebrate with my brother, sister and brother in-law!

Ya-Ya (Callie), Faith & Mama hanging at the pool

Ya-Ya & Ray (Callie & Hayden)

I breezing, mama!

We got to eat at our favorite restaurant there, The Gristmill! Yum Yum Yum, it was soo good!

The end of another long day

Feeding the Dolphins from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.

Untitled from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.

Also I celebrated another birthday. My brother, Landon and my birthday are a day apart but we are 10 years apart in age. So we have been partying all week! I have to say I'm a little tired from the week so I'm enjoying being home on this raining Sunday afternoon. Hope you all are doing well and enjoying your summer!

My sweet hubby took me out for my b-day

HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY LANDON!

Nothing like a picture with your bloomers showing......or diaper

Conversations you might hear in a public restroom

It has been so fun (yet sad) to watch Faith grow in her ability to understand things, communicate with others and see her personality come out more and more. However with that said once they start talking you never know what might come out or when it will come out. It becomes not an IF it will happen but a WHEN it will happen and then you either have to laugh or be highly embarrassed by the situation. We had one of those this week. Of course, I never thought I would be posting about me being in a public restroom but this was too much to pass up.

I had to go get my routine blood work done at the hospital this week and it just so happened that I woke up having horrible cramps and constipation. I decided I could make it there but after I had checked in I had to excuse myself to the restroom. So here I am sitting in the restroom with Faith, feeling like I'm about to explode and in much pain and my daughter turns to me and says very sweetly but quite loudly, " Mama.......it really hard?" She continues to say this over and over again (that's one thing about toddlers they NEVER say something once!) I'm trying to acknowledge her and thank her for her concern for me but wishing she would just bring her voice down a little! Then, to top off the conversation that I'm sure everyone is enjoying.......she proclaims in a VERY loud screech (which she does at home), "EEEWWWW.......STINKY POOPS!" Now, everyone has a moment by moment play of our time together in the bathroom stall. I had to smile and laugh......what else do you do?


To give you a quick health update, I'm doing pretty well. I've been struggling with nausea, throwing up and dehydration (24/7) for about 3 months now (and NO I'm not pregnant so don't get concerned) however, I have had 4 good days this week. The doctors have been constantly changing my meds trying to figure out which one is causing me to be so sick. Yet, with my anti-rejection meds there are only so many you can switch too and have to stay in the right range so that your lungs don't go into rejection. My kidney function has been pretty high recently and they feel it's due to the nausea and dehydration so that is a little concerning. That's partly way I go in every week for labs to check it and continue to pray it will go down. Like I said before it is always a balancing act to keep everything working well. I try to focus on all the good things the Lord has given me and not focus on the difficult ones.

We were able to go on a family vacation to celebrate my 1 year anniversary and it was a great time! I hope to post some videos and pictures of that next week!

Reflecting over 1 year....

It's hard for me to even put into words the journey I have been on since I got that call on June 8, 2008. I got that call around 9:00 pm to tell me that they had a possible match, new lungs for me. I went into surgery around 7:00 am and 9 hours later for the first time I no longer had CF lungs. From that moment it has been quite a journey of ups and downs and as I have read over all that was written on my blog during that time, I'm just amazed again at where the Lord has brought me. Your words of encouragement, prayers, cards, meals and love over this past year have been a blessing beyond words for us. Since it's difficult to put into words all the emotions of this year I thought I would just share some videos and pictures so that you can PRAISE the Lord with us as we celebrate 1 YEAR!


My journey & recovery with new lungs.....

Seeing Mama after surgery from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.

Taking my first laps from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.

Ringing the Bell from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.

These are pictures of some of the wonderful opportunities I have been able to do and be apart of with my new lungs!

This are some verses that I wrote down during my time of waiting and recovery and how the Lord spoke peace to me through them.

"Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear". Isa. 65:24
(I know the Lord was speaking to his people here in Isaiah but in 2007/2008 those words gave me hope that even before the transplant coordinator called me He had already put in motion His perfect plan. He had already answered before I ever picked up the phone)

"You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish". Isa. 38:17
(There was a reason I waited a year for these lungs and went through some difficult times and though I hate to suffer I am thankful for what I have learned and only pray I come out not only with healthy lungs but a changed daughter of the Lord. He never wants my suffering to be in vain, thank you, Lord!)

"The God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him..........21) being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised". Romans 4:17-21
(At times it felt like we were running out of time but this verse kept coming back to me that when it seemed like there was no hope for Abraham and his wife to have a child because of their age that he just continued to put his hope in the Lord and believe He could do anything! That sometimes the things we consider dead or hopeless are the very things God brings to life and brings hope when there is none to be found. My husband continued to share this very thing with me when I felt like I just couldn't do it anymore)

It has not been an easy road and continues to be a daily balancing act to keep my body healthy and try to find solutions for the many side effects from the drugs. I have to take it one day at a time and just be thankful for every moment I have. I know this is a long post but I wanted to share some thoughts over the past year and to say THANK YOU again for your love, support & prayers!