Evie Update

Beautiful Evie will have heart surgery Friday morning. Please pray hard for her surgeon and everyone that will be assisting during the surgery. Please continue to pray for Heather and Kevin. Nathan and I saw them last night. It made my heart smile big time to be able to hug my best friend. God has given Heather and Kevin so much strength and wisdom. I'll keep you updated.

Evie is here!

Evelyn Jane "Evie" Couch was born at 8:50 this morning. She weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. She is in PCICU and is doing well. Heather just called me. She sounds great. She's gotten a lot of rest today. She was not able to hold Evie but is looking forward to being able to see her soon. Evie is absolutely gorgeous. She has a head full of dark hair and I think she looks like Katie Hays, her older sister. The c-section went beautifully. There were no additional complications during delivery. I will keep you updated when I hear more about the upcoming heart surgery that will happen in a few days. Nathan and I are heading to Charleston tomorrow so I should find out more when I see them. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to lift up this sweet family.

Who's Yo Daddy? Here's Mine!

A long, long, long, long time ago (59 years ago to be exact), in the little town of Whitney, South Carolina, a baby boy was born. His family didn't have much and so he learned at a very young age how to work hard. His daddy drank too much which made him sad and he learned that he didn't want that for his future wife and kids. The little boy got older and kept working really hard. He was an athlete. A wrestler and a football player. In fact, he was the best wrestler in the entire state! Newberry College begged him to come to his school and so he did. One day, he saw a pretty lady practicing her piano and he ran into the room and laughed at her and that annoyed the pretty lady. But the pretty lady saw him again and decided she liked him. They got married and both became school teachers. He taught psychology and his students adored him. And, because he was such a hard worker, he decided to start his own painting business. His business grew and grew and grew. After 20 years of teaching, he decided to resign and put all his hard-working energy into his painting business. He and his wife had a beautiful daughter (that's me!!!) and a handsome son. He taught his children the value of hard work. He taught them to give sacrificially. He taught them to have a heart for widows and children in need. He was a strict daddy and sometimes he could give a look that made his children poop their pants. His children's friends were scared of him because he was a wee bit intimidating but he was also super, super, super loving and gentle. He said, "I love you" about a million times a day to his children. He gave really big hugs. His children grew up. And one day, his daughter came to him and said, "I have found someone that reminds me of you! He's giving and loving and he works hard and he loves Jesus and I want to marry him!" And so he walked his daughter down the aisle. She had three children and he became a Papa. And now he is teaching his grandchildren all the same things he taught his children. To work hard. To give sacrificially. To say "I love you".

I love you, Dad! I couldn't be more proud of the father you are to Kevin and me, the husband you are to Mom, the father-in-law you are to Nathan, the Papa you are to Landon, Reagan, and Connor, the friend you are to so many, the representative you are to Spartanburg County, and the example you are to everyone you encounter. Happy Birthday!

a memory and the future

i blink.

180 days.

gone.

i hug those 20 learners one-by-one through blurry, wet eyes.

and in that five-second hug, i'm able to relive my year with each one.

he hated reading when he entered my class and now he can't put a book down.

her parents divorced this year and she made it. it was hard. but she made it.

he was hospitalized three times because of that dumb cystic fibrosis, but amazingly, each time he came out stronger and smiley-er.

she finally tried the country style steak. hated every bite of it. but tried it.

she walked into school all by herself. like a first grader. and she smiled while she did it.

her dad was in iraq all year long. that'll produce a lot of writing when you learn to write from your heart.

he came to me thinking school was about people telling you what to do, what to think, what to say, what to write, and what to read. he now knows the truth.

180 days.

gone.

**********

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yesterday was the 180th day.

not for me.

but for a lot of people.

i miss my 180-day life. i miss those hugs. those learners. those families.

and now, as i look at the three precious reasons i'm not giving those 180th day hugs, i'm reminded that i'm where i want to be.

and that one day, when the time is right, i'm going to go back.

but for now, i'm here.

and that's ok with me.

She's honest.

Landon: La la la!!! Doom dee doom!

Reagan: La la la!!! Doom dee doom!

Landon: Stop copying me!

Reagan: La la la!!! Doom dee doom!

Landon: STOP copying me!

Reagan: La la la!!! Doom dee doom!

Landon: STOP COPYING ME!

Reagan: La la la!!! Doom dee doom!

Landon: WHY DO YOU KEEP COPYING ME WHEN YOU KNOW I DON'T LIKE IT????

Reagan: BECAUSE I'M A SINNER!

When life hands you a gallbladder the size of a lemon.....

Make Lemonade!

10 things I love about having surgery:

1. People bring me food. I would like to specifically mention Pastor Mike's lemonade pie and Jenn's Mexican casserole. Ridiculously awesome.

2. It reminds me to not waste money on prescription meds. They are the worst idea my body has ever experienced. It also reminds me to never spend money on Tylenol ever again. I can just take a sugar pill, instead. Seriously. It doesn't do squat.

3. I am a fan of hospitals. I'm in awe of nurses. Surgery gives me an excuse to go back and get loved on by those angels.

4. Reading magazines all the live-long day.

5. Wearing pajamas 24-7 for 5 days straight.

6. Watching SuperNathan juggle 3 kids, meals, bathtimes, a job, and me without losing his temper even for a second. Even when it takes Connor 2 hours to get his tubes in. Even when Connor has a blow out after his nap. Even when Reagan chews on the same piece of broccoli for 30 minutes. Even when I call him at work in a panic over a slug crawling up our wall.

7. Watching 72 straight hours of the Food Network.

8. The first meal that I can really eat after surgery. You know the one I'm talking about. The one where you can finish it without throwing up. It doesn't even matter what it is. It's delicious.

9. Hearing the doctors and nurses brag on my crazy low blood pressure (as if I had anything to do with it!). Sidenote: What's not fun is when they start making fun of me and saying things like, "Hello! Are you even alive?" HaHa. You guys are hoots.

10. Watching the doctor's face when I ask him if I can take home my gallbladder in a jar. (The answer was "no", by the way. Bummer.)

The Couch Family

Happy 8 Year Anniversary to this sweet couple!

Heather and Kevin have such a beautiful family. Harlan is 3. Katie Hays is 2. And........

Evie will be here on Monday!

Please pray for that sweet baby in Heather's belly. Evie has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and will have open-heart surgery a couple of days after her birth. Heather will deliver Evie at MUSC in Charleston. In the short-term, please pray for Evie to remain strong through the surgery and for the surgeons to do their absolute best. Pray for a quick recovery for Heather. Pray for Kevin as he supports and leads his family. Pray for Harlan and Katie Hays as they endure lots of changes.

In the long-term, please pray that Evie will be healthy. Pray that the surgeries she will have in the next few years go smoothly and that their are no additional complications.

We love you, Couch Family! We can't wait to meet your newest addition!