Its How Much?

I decided to do a little math last night and remember I am not that good at it. Well with gas prices 40 cent higher per gal since the last time we traveled, I decided I needed to re figure some of our budget. Since we have gotten a newer truck it does get good gas mileage for being a 3 row SUV, but as big as it is its going to cost a lot. So much in fact that is is going to be cheaper for us to go up the day before surgery and just stay until the next week when we take stitches out. That means 8 days in Atlanta, it also means taking all 5 kids with us. We are just going to treat it as a vacation. We had kicked this idea back and forth for a while, but seeing as its going to cost about 160.00 in gas one way so 320 round trip, we know its cheaper to just stay.

Haleigh hunting eggs at the church.

And the kids really want to meet the Dr helping Haleigh and see where we go. Now I need a good 8 night, kid friendly hotel! Or we might actually stay a little out side Atlanta at a camp ground that has cabins and a lake to swim and fish and other activity for the kids.

If gas keeps going up the way it is, her 3rd trip Haleigh and I might go our self and fly! Its scary to think that might be cheaper than driving 320 miles!!

Making It Fun

We are trying to make the trips to Atlanta as fun as possible for Haleigh. When we went back to get her stitches removed we took her on little bit of site seeing. She had a great time!

 



Last Day

Its our last day before heading to Atlanta, everything is going as planned, except it is cold and windy this morning so I did not want to get Haleigh out into it, so we are missing church. I am going tonight Jason will be home he can watch Haleigh. I hate her not going though she loves going and she asks about her friends there when we miss, if she knows we are going to church she will cry if I leave her home, so let's hope the wind dies down.

I pretty much have everything ready to go. I didn't want today to be stressful washing clothes and packing so I have been doing it all week, and now I really just need to go grocery shopping for the kids so they can eat while we are gone and so my mom doesn't have to shop with them, and get our personal soaps and shampoo and tooth brushes in our bag in the morning and we are all set.

I am also going to vacuum the truck again and fill up on gas when I go get groceries, no way do I wanna have to stop at 530 in the morning to get gas.

We are stopping in evergreen in the morning to get Jason's mom, she has taken off work and decided to go with us, so we have another support in Atlanta with us. Jason's sister is driving her to the gas station in evergreen to meet us, and even though that is only 100 miles from here I will probably go ahead and fill up again since we we already be stopped, and getting gas that way will make it less painful to fill up, since gas is 345 a gallon! I did estimate gas to be 3.50 a gallon when I budgeted the trip, but I never thought it would be that much, I did it to give us a buffer zone, that zone is now very small. But we did get 2 nights hotel free so its all going to even its self out! And who knows maybe the price of gas will drop while we are there (hey we can all dream).

Haleigh knows something is up, we have been telling her we are going on a trip, and I have let her help me pack her bag, she is too young to know what surgery is though, so I feel like I can not prepare her for anything, that is about to happen. She does not mind the doctor though so I have said we are going to see the Dr she said 'tell Dr hello' its very cute. Landon my 4 year old is the only one of the older kids that doesn't understand why he can not go. He wants to take a special trip too he said, I told him they we're going to do surgery and explained what that was, he then told Haleigh the Dr is going to cut you, she told him to hush and I cut you lol, she then pushed him down. But Landon is not happy about is packing our bags and leaving him at all!

Well, I better get dressed and head to the store, Jason is getting off half a day so I can do this alone, before Aden's practice at 3 this afternoon, yes they practice on Sundays!

Never was good at math

It seems there is some things I have done wrong when factoring our money for the trip to Atlanta.
First we will not be staying 4 nights, I counted days we will leave Monday home Thursday that is 3 nights, with 2 now being free we only have one night to pay for!

Some of that money will need to be moved from hotel to food as the hotel has dopa but not free breakfast, believe me the free room is much much better! We will also have to pay for parking and that is 18 dollars a day just 2 days, so not bad at all.

Still with that we are going to save about 200 dollars! Of course we will use it for another trip, I am so thankful for this room.

Blessed

I have not always felt blessed in my life, but looking back I know I should have. Its hard though when your in the moment to think of somethings as a blessing for example having premature babies, or Jason being out of work for 2 years. I didn't see them as blessings, but now I am able to handle rough medical problems with out freaking out, and I am also able to understand doctor talk with all their big words.

So having 2 premature babies has given me the blessing of medical understanding. Jason not having a job, that was rough how could anything good come out of that, well I got to have my husband home a lot as we had a new baby I needed his help, he saw how much I needed him and started helping more with everything, we also learned to live off a lot less. So being unemployed brought the blessing of a more understanding husband and father. Those are some pretty great blessings!

Having Haleigh has been a blessing from the moment I found myself expecting, all my kids are blessings sent straight from heaven from God to me. We have been blessed to have our family, our church, and our friends.

We have been given so much help, God has provided for us diapers when we had one left and no money, formula when Haleigh needed the most expensive kind ever made. Gas money when we didn't know how we were going to get her to her 5 doctors appointments that week.

Today God blessed is providing a FREE hotel room in Atlanta, for our first trip for the first 2 nights! The hotel is donating the room to Haleigh. This is so so exciting for us, while we still need to raise money because we do not know about other trips and such, these two nights at this hotel comes to about 500 dollars!

This is not a hotel we would have stayed at because of price, it is a very upscale hotel and you better believe we will be taking pictures while swimming in the indoor pool! I am not sure how I will thank them, I have cards and such for everyone that is helping, and that really doesn't show how very thankful we are to everyone, but its what I can do. How do you thank someone or really a company for this? My thought is maybe writing them a thank you note, not sure where i would send it though.

This is just another blessing God has sent to us to help us through our travels with Haleigh. He will never lead down the wrong path, or open the door that you should not go through. God is opening all the doors and windows for us!

money wise

When it comes to money I have been known to spent more than I should have, but I have also made money go a along way when I needed to. It looks like I am going to be making things Stretch until Haleigh's surgeries are over.

We made over 300$ last night painting for Haleigh, and I have about 200$ left from what the ball park brought in. That is 500$ total. We will need about 700$ for each trip and in case and one wants to know that is
150 $ for gas at 3.50 a gal
400 $ for hotel at 100 a night for 4 nights
150 $ for food for 4 days.

Some things may be less like if we can stay at the Ronald McDonald house and we will not know that until we get there, then we will save the hotel money for the next trip. Gas could go down, it could also go down. So I choose to go a little higher with that. Meals we will need 3 on Monday, the hotels have fee breakfast so Tues, Wed, and Thursday just 2.

And as I sit here I realize we have to go back one week later for post op appointment. They tried to find a Dr to see her here for it and no one would, because she also needs stitches removed. Gas for that trip will be less because we are going in my sisters little car. We will need a one night hotel stay and then 2 meals Sunday and 2 Monday.

I know God will provide for us to care for Haleigh. He has sent her to me because he knew she needed someone who could handle everything with out falling apart. She needed parents who would fight to get her the care she needs, and not every mother can stand for her children that way.

He has always provided everything we have ever needed and he will continue to provide for us.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

It's All Free

at the ball park watching her big sis play

I called the Shriner Hospital today to see how I go about setting up a hotel and transportation. The lady I talked to was very nice and made my reservation for me through the hospital. She said that the rate for the room was 40$ a night. Not bad for a room on the beach. She then asked who my sponsor was. I didn't have a clue so she gave me the number to the Abba Temple here in Mobile and told me to call them.

I called the temple and When the lady answered the phone I told her my name and she said "Haleigh's mom?" I didn't answer right a way then "umm.. Yes" came out.

She put me on hold and then transferred me to my Local care person. Up to this point I didn't know I ad a local anything I thought anything I needed I would be calling TX. Come to find out, that while everything is yes done there, all my services are done through the Abba Temple.

I was asked if we had ever been there and when I said no, he told me how great the beach was and about this place we must eat at. I didn't feel as if I was trying to set any free services up at all, he talked to me like I was a friend.

He told me the best thing to do was ride in a the Shriners Van to Tx. They could come pick us up, but I told them I live so close I would come there. The only reason I did that is so they can not get here early and me not be ready! =0)!!

He said both Jason and I could go the 1st time, but after that only one of us could go in the van and only one of us would be covered under the shriners, and of course Haleigh would always be covered.

I then asked him, how much money he thought I would need for food and drinks for the trip. He said NONE, do not bring your bank card, do not bring all your cash, everything from food to gas from drinks to the hotel is covered. Everything is 100% free.

I about fell out! I had no idea they would pay for everything for all 3 of us. We will of course take our card because you never know what can happen, but to know that it's all free made me feel a little better about going.

The Van will take us everywhere we need to go while there. I was told the hotel has a nice pool and is on the beach. He said it will be like a vacation except for one little appointment thrown in there!

He asked what we were going for, I told him that Haleigh was born with a birthmark on her face. He said a "nevus"? I said yes. He then told me the story of his grand daughter, She had one on her face too and he knew things only someone who has been there done that would know. The shriners did her surgery and that is why he is a shriner. I am not sure if the Hospital gave our case to him because of that. Or If God gave him our case because of that, but I am happy I have someone who understands why we are going to the lengths that we are going to over this.

So we leave September 19th, at 8am. it take about 8 hours to get there, but he said it might take longer if we have to stop longer with Haleigh. Thank- God he understands that too! Our appointment is on September 20th at 11am. We will leave to come home September 21st at 8am. That is our plan for now.