9 Years and 9 Fun Facts

I was just rereading my anniversary post from last year.  I can't believe a year has passed already! I loved celebrating my husband in last year's post.  He is such an amazing husband, father and friend...I really chose well! :) 

This year we came to WV to celebrate our 9th anniversary.  Months ago, my dear husband booked an overnight get-away in a cabin (didn't I tell you that he is amazing?!) while the older kidlets stayed with the grandparents. Baby came with us, but he still pretty much sleeps all the time, so that was okay! :)  Being in WV has brought back a lot of fond memories of our special day, so I got out my mom's photo album and decided to post 9 Fun Facts about the Bragg-Campbell wedding:

Fun Fact #9: Traditionally, guests are seated on either "The Bride's Side" or "The Groom's Side."  I was so worried that one side or the other would be lopsided that I asked the ushers to seat people on both sides as they came in regardless of where their friendship/relationship resided, thus filling the church from front to back.  Truth is, we had so many common friends it didn't really matter, but it gave me peace of mind.

Fun Fact #8: The photographer that we chose was an interesting fellow. In many of my portraits he positioned me in such a way that it appears there is a plant growing out of the top of my head...either that or I'm wearing a large greenery-type headdress. 

Fun Fact #7: My niece, Kalee, was  our flower girl at 3 years of age. My nephew, Chase, was our 6 year old ring bearer.  I now have a 3 and a 5 1/2 year old of my own. Weird.

Fun Fact #6: My grandma made wedding cakes. My mom made wedding cakes. I had been planning my wedding cake since I was 5. I used to spend hours pouring over Wilton wedding cake catalogs. I had two pictures that I loved. My mom combined those two pictures and made my cake...and it was EXACTLY what I had planned! 

Fun Fact #5: We had 12 in our wedding party (not including us!) Karen Malay, Jessica Floyd, Tiffany Sears, Kara Shuff, Kristen White, and Kalee Canterbury were my gals. Josh Philips, Brett Floyd, Daniel Canterbury, Gary Canterbury, Drew Stowers and Chase Canterbury stood beside my hubby.

Fun Fact #4: We got married on a Friday night.  I had always wanted an evening wedding because I wanted lots of candles and sparklers as we left the church. Later, the sparklers created so much smoke outside the doors that the smoke detectors inside the church went off!

Fun Fact #3:  Originally, I had planned to have the wedding colors as red and purple.  (Hey...I STILL think they look good together!)  I had already made all our arrangements with the florist.  A few days later I was in a craft store and PJ brought me purple and pink flowers.  I loved the colors together and went to the florist to change plans. It was when she opened up her appointment book to write in the changes that I saw a giant frowny face over our names.  She was upset about fact number 4.  Fridays are apparently NOT popular days to have wedding flowers delivered.

Fun Fact #2: I carried a bouquet of roses. Under that bouquet I carried the same white Bible that my mom carried in her wedding.

Fun Fact #1: My wedding dress was the first one that I tried on. I stood in front of the mirror at the bridal shop and random people passed by saying that the dress was made for me. I felt the same.  I LOVED my dress.

BONUS FUN FACT: I wrote about this in my year 8 anniversary post, but it's my favorite memory so it gets to be written about twice!  After I said, "I do" PJ was supposed to say the same...only at that exact moment, he dropped my hands and walked away leaving me in front of everyone, alone.  He got his guitar and sang, "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman.  After the song he returned to me, picked up my hands, smiled and said, "I will."

BONUS FUN FACT: (I can't stop at just 9!): We had dear friends, Ray and Dinah Perdue, cater our reception.  We had SUCH an amazing feast.   Thinking it would be nice to visit with guests as they waited in line to get food, we put the Bridal Table next to the food. I actually ate my wedding food in the car after the wedding because I never got to eat at the reception...but I DID get to visit with every guest!

BONUS FUN FACT: (It's my blog, I can do what I want!) Mindy Harris was my wedding coordinator. I nearly gave her a heart attack because I was late to my wedding. I had hair issues.

PJ and I had known each other as friends for years! I remember, in college, making the bold statement that PJ was like a brother to me and that I would never date him...so instead I married him. And I'm so glad I did!

Caleb Justus: Another Campbell Birth Story

Our Memorial Day menu consisted of: grilled steak, grilled onions, grilled pineapple, deviled eggs, and fresh cut watermelon, Klondike bars for dessert. Yum!  All weekend, I had been looking forward to this meal. The steak had been marinating since early in the morning!

The day was a lazy one (except for the major cleaning I compulsively did earlier in the day, including standing on a chair to clean my ceiling fan...not such a smart idea at 9 months pregnant!)  The kids spent the afternoon playing outside in the water and we were simply enjoying the day with my mom.

PJ first grilled the pineapple and set it down on the kitchen table.  I walked past and sneaked a piece on my way outside.  I laughed to myself as I remembered a friend telling me that eating pineapple would cause me to go into labor.  PJ had just put the steak on the grill and it smelled amazing!  I wanted to clean up the yard a little before dinner and bent down to pick up the sunscreen off the ground...and then it happened.  My water broke!  I laughed...that pineapple really works!!

I yelled over to tell PJ, who thought I had just sprayed my shorts as a joke...um...no...it was the real thing!

The next 15 minutes were surreal.  I sat in the bathroom while PJ tried to find fresh clothes for me and gather our bags. Caedmon suddenly became completely engrossed in a train track...he wouldn't stop looking at it, playing with it, talking about it...coping through distraction!  Abby, poor little Abby, sat with my mom.  She is a nervous talker.  I couldn't tell you anything she was saying in that moment because she was literally laughing and crying and talking hysterically all at the same time.  Finally she burst into full tears and said, "What if he is born and he is mean to me like Caedmon is sometimes?"  Oh my poor little dear.  I hugged her and assured her that we would be with her to walk her through this!  I'm so thankful for my mom's presence.  It was a wise choice to have her stay with us before my due date!  Thanks Mom! :)

We were ready to go to the hospital, with my water still gushing...but there was the matter of the steaks.  Should we take them?  They weren't finished cooking yet. Should we wait for them?  Should we just go on and eat them later...but I had been looking forward to them all weekend.  We debated for a few minutes and then decided to go on without them.  A choice we regretted all. the. way. to. the. hospital.  And so we stopped at Burger King before going in to be admitted.

By this point I was starting to feel my contractions and was eager to get admitted and into my room.  Of course the nurse told me that I couldn't be admitted until it was confirmed that my water had actually broken (even though I sat on the waterproof pad, gushing as she spoke).  :)

With my previous two births, I was induced.  My water broke with Abby, but was only a trickle.  With Caedmon, my amniotic fluid was really low, so the doctor sent me to the hospital to induce.  So, I've never actually felt a contraction without the help of drugs.  I was surprised to be hooked up to the monitors and discover that what I had been feeling the entire day before and thought was only Caleb moving around, was actually contractions.  Cool!  I also was thrilled to find out that I had actually dilated to 3cm...I've never made it past 1 cm on my own.

By the time I was admitted, it was close to 8pm and I was sure that I would have the baby by midnight. So I walked and walked and waited and waited.  By 11pm, my contractions had stopped and I was still only at 3cm.  Finally things picked back up around 2am.  I was so sleepy and ready to be done.  I asked for the happy epidural man around 2:30 so that I could get some sleep.  When he came into the room, the only thing I could think of was the old doctor on "Despicable Me" and Gru saying "Why are you sooo ooold?"  He was really old...but very friendly and good at his job.  And I have to be honest, I love the no-pain that epidurals bring.

I was able to rest until about 5:30 when I felt some pressure and knew it was time to push!  Caleb was born at 5:57am and the first thing he did was pee all over the place! He didn't even have his cord cut yet before he let us know that his plumbing worked just fine! :)  I even got to hold him before his cord was cut, which was kind of neat.  PJ cut the cord and the nurses began cleaning him up.

He wasn't crying but whimpering instead...it was a little scary. A mommy always wants to hear that cry...but the nurses suctioned out some mucus and he began to cry a little more "normally."  It was at that point that one of the nurses said, "He has teeth."  What?  My newborn has teeth???

Sure enough, he had two large, purple bumps on his bottom gum that looked like teeth.  They have since shrunk quite a bit, but we have an appointment with a pediatric dentist next week to find out if they really are teeth under the gums or just cysts.  And then we will figure out how to proceed from there.

My little man snuggled with me until time to move to the Mother-Baby unit where I slept finally!

I feel so blessed! He is snuggled up with me now as I type.  Caleb is a sweet, quite little guy.  He has an adorable smile, but you have to work hard to get it.  He's a tough audience, so far, just like his sister was!

Having three kids has its challenges, but many joys as well.  I love watching Abby and Caed take care of their little brother. And I look forward to watching all three of them grow closer to one another!

And Baby makes Five!

Child Dedication Letter

Abby, Caedmon and Caleb, today we celebrate the opportunity to dedicate each of you to God.  To dedicate means to "set apart for a certain purpose". This is a day that we make a promise to you and to God in front of our friends. The promise that Mommy and Daddy want to make today is that we are committed to setting an example for you of how to be Christ-followers. Mommy and I love Jesus very much and we want to live our lives following His example.  We pray that you each will be able to see our example and one day have a relationship with Jesus too.  Mommy and I promise to live each day seeking to teach you constantly about God and His promises from the time that we wake up in the morning to the time that we go to bed. When we eat and even when we play, we will seek to direct you always toward the Lord.

We believe that  you are  unique and treasured gifts from the Lord.  Because of that, we have given each of you a name with purpose.  Abigayle Grace, your name means "A Father's Joy" and "Grace."  It is our prayer for you that you will grow into a young lady full of joy which comes from the Lord and his salvation and that you will come to understand His enveloping Grace in your life.  We pray that as you develop friendships and journey through your life, you will be able to extend grace into the lives of all that you  meet. We pray, too, that you will have joy and laughter in your life. That you will live your life not in fear but in trust because of the Truth that guides you. We pray  that you will continue to grow in knowledge, the things you know in your head, but also that you will grow in your heart knowledge.We pray that you will trust more deeply and will not be afraid. For you, we pray that Psalm 28:7 will become your joyful song throughout your life: "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." 

Caedmon Alexzander, Your name means "Wise Warrior" and  "Defender of Man".  Granted, there are some days when I wonder at our wisdom in naming you "Warrior and Defender".  Some days I wish we would have named you something that means "Peaceful Field" or "Quiet River".  :) However, we believe that God has given each of us an opportunity to live for Him and to serve His kingdom on this earth. Saint Caedmon, according to church history,  lived to tell others the stories of God. He related Biblical truth in ways that others of his day could understand. Our prayer for your life comes from the Bible.  Micah 6:8: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."We pray that you, Son, will love God with all of your mind, all of your strength and all of your heart. That you will love other people and that you will be filled with compassion. We pray that you will have wisdom and a desire to defend the wronged and those who have been over-looked.

Caleb Justus, you are our newest little Campbell.  We tossed around several names for you, but we continually returned to Caleb Justus, because of its rich meaning. Your name means, "Whole-hearted" and "Just".  Caleb is a man from the Old Testament who the Lord says "has a different spirit and has followed me fully."  When others did not trust in God's ability to deliver them, Caleb chose to follow God fully, trusting him.  It is our prayer for you, Son, that you will choose to follow God fully and whole-heartedly even if others around you choose differently. We pray that you will be guided by Truth and will grow in your knowledge of what is good and right and that you will be just in all your ways.  Always, remember Proverbs 2:6-8:  "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones."

God is Able...But More Than That, HE IS GOOD!

A few weeks ago at church, I sank down into the chair, unable to sing the words to the songs. I loved the songs...I just felt like in that moment, they didn't apply to my life.  I couldn't sing the words with any real depth in my soul. And since I sing my worship to God, the creator of me, and He already knew my heart, I figured why pretend? So I sat and prayed my real feelings.

The1st  song: "God is Able".
My prayer: I KNOW you are able. But I don't know that you actually WILL.

The 2nd song: "Your Grace Is Enough"
My prayer: I know it SHOULD be enough, but I have these other needs, that you seem to be ignoring...

Honestly, I've been wrestling with those feelings for weeks. My question has never been "Can He provide?"  But more, "WILL He provide?" A trust issue, I guess. A skeptical response, to be sure.

I even confessed to a friend at church that I AM praying...but not because He is answering my prayers, or even that I think He is going to answer them anymore...I'm only praying because He tells us in scripture to pray.

Have you ever prayed for circumstances and things only seem to get darker or harder? That's where I've been. It seemed as though the more I prayed, the worse things were getting.  I even began to be astounded by comments like, "He is for us."  "He never leaves us." "He is good."

But then I read something in a devotional book that I've been following:

 "I am Light, in whom there is no darkness at all. The assurance that I am entirely Good meets your basic need for security. Your life is not subject to the whims of a sin-stained deity." Jesus Calling, May 5  There is no darkness in Him. God is not sin-stained and leading me along a path with skewed judgement. He is GOOD.  He IS good.

The light-bulb clicked on for me.  He is good, whether I choose to believe it or not.  He does not change, and He is not wracked with sin...He is TRUTH. He is LIGHT. He is GOOD. And I am thankful.

And so an intricate truth began to take root in my heart. "God IS able. That doesn't mean that He necessarily WILL.  But even if He doesn't, He is STILL GOOD.  And I trust Him. He is my hope."

For other, more mature Christ-Followers, this may seem very elementary to you...and you may be rolling your eyes, saying, "of course, silly."  But to this restless heart, it was a profound truth that I desperately needed to learn and now cling to everyday.

Actually, this truth became unhidden to me on the day I went to the OB to find out if Baby Caleb was still breach.  Everyone had been telling me that he would turn, and that God was in control.  Well, I knew that God was in control, but that didn't mean that Caleb would necessarily turn downward!  I know plenty of people who believed God was in control of their lives but for whatever reason, God chose to leave a particular prayer(s) unanswered.

The drive to the doctor's office is a long one, so I had plenty of time to pray. I started out making my half-hearted request that Caleb would be head-down, and then for wisdom in the decisions that would follow if he was still breach. By the time I arrived at the office, I had settled in my heart that even if Caleb was breach, I would STILL praise God for His goodness.

I remembered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel as they faced being thrown into a fiery furnace, leading to certain death.  Their response, born out of total trust in God: "If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that will will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." Daniel 3:17-18.

He will deliver us...but even if he doesn't we will still serve him.  His answer to our prayers does not change his character and his worthiness of praise.  That's trust.  I want to live that kind of trust.

And then I felt thankful...for the first time in weeks, truly thankful. Realizing that God owes me nothing, and that He is worthy of praise despite "unanswered prayers"...my heart can rest, because I trust that HE IS GOOD. 

 His grace IS enough.

I'm thankful for this time of desert praying.  It has taught me, ingrained in me, truths about God that I wouldn't have known otherwise. For the first time in my journey as a Christ-Follower, I feel like I'm understanding what is truly important in my relationship with Him.  It's not about what He can give me, or even about Him answering all my deepest prayers. It is about trusting Him with my life, surrendering control to Him daily regardless of the outcome.  This is the deepest form of trust, to be able to confess that even if He took everything I hold dear, I would still follow Him because HE is where my hope rests.

"But as for me, I will look to the LORD. I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7

 

Happy 3rd Birthday Caedmon!

Caedmon, Caedmon, Caedmon!  You are 3 now!  I honestly can't believe it! It was only last year that you could barely talk, and now you can  give me a reasonable explanation as to why you simply had climb on top of the table to reach the ceiling fan and attach Spiderman  to the string before jumping down.

Well, life has certainly been nothing shy of an adventure since you came into our family, and I'm so very thankful for you.  Your life has added depth and richness to my own life and to our family.  So in honor of your 3rd birthday, here is a Birthday Blog dedicated to you and 3 ways in which your personality has developed this past year!

1.  You are a hero! No adventure is too big for you! Not only do you pretend to be every hero from Batman to Fireman Sam, but you also genuinely care for others.  Each day, you dress up in a hero costume and create situations in which you can come to the rescue.  Some days there are "fires" in the kitchen and you grab my hand to lead me to safety.  Other days, the "bad guys" are in the city and you give me, Daddy, Abby (and sometimes even Sophie) super-hero names so that we can join you in the battle against evil!  Always, always, you save the day! But in "real life", too, you don't like for people to cry.  You are quick to hug and quick to forgive.  One day at Kids Cove, I watched as you attempted to scare off a 7 or 8 year old boy that was growling at all the kids. Abby had tried to climb to the top of the tree, and the boy growled at her making her cry.  After hearing Abby's story, you said, "I'll go check!" and ran away in effort to locate the growler.  Then you came back and reported that you told him "No!" I love your spirit of courage.  I pray that it grows and becomes deeply rooted in wisdom! :)

2.  You are a lover!  Oh my word, I have never known a little boy to be so loving and affectionate.  From the day you were born, you have enjoyed snuggling close.  You still like to hold my hand and you hug and kiss me all the time.  One of my favorite things during the day is helping you settle down for nap time because after all your chatter ends, you snuggle in close and either hold my hand, or stroke my face until you fall asleep. More often than not your final words before drifting off to sleep are "I loves you, Mommy."  I loves you too, sweetheart! Very much! And my absolute favorite is when I cook your favorite food.  Once while I was standing at the stove, you leaned over and hugged me and said, "I loves you SO much when you cooking." :)  And some days if I cook a food you particularly love, you can hardly sit still long enough to eat it because you are touching my arm and thanking me and kissing me for cooking your meal!  I certainly will know what to tell your future wife some day!

3. You are comedian! If there is one thing I've learned from you Caedmon Alexzander it would be to laugh.  You are able to find the humor in almost any situation and your laughter is contagious! One of my favorite things to hear you say is "It's my JOKE!"  You are able to find the joy in life and invite others to join in.  Every day is a new day of joy to you.  I love your light-hearted spirit, it brings life to our family!

Happy Birthday, Son!  Always remember that Mommy and Daddy love you and are so very proud of you! You are a most excellent little brother to Abby and I look forward to seeing you grow as a big brother to Caleb!

Baby Caedmon's 1st full day home.

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Caedmon turns 1!!

Diving into the cake at age 2!

My hero turns 3...or...is it 5?...No, definitely 3!

Good Gifts - A Lesson in Prayer

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him."  Matthew 7:11 NIV

I love when God takes an everyday experience and teaches me something new and deep about Himself, especially when it comes through one of my kids.

Two weeks ago, we were invited to a birthday party of one of our very dear little friends.  I took the kids to pick out a special present for our 2 year old little buddy.  We came home and immediately wrapped the gift in a pretty little bag with yellow fluffy paper.  And then it sat in our kitchen for a week, waiting for the birthday girl to tear into it.

And it tormented my son.  Even though he knew what was in it, he wanted to open it.  He wanted it to be HIS birthday because he wanted to open that present. Everyday he asked me for a present and wanted to know if it was his birthday yet.

One morning, he came into my bed while it was still dark.  He snuggled up next to me, and continued his normal morning routine.  He kissed my arm, patted my face and said, "I loves you, Mommy, all the way to the woof [roof]" but then he added, "I want a present!" 

I was a little annoyed...the sun wasn't even shining yet and he was already demanding a present and was less than happy when I told him that he had to wait for his own birthday.  But then almost immediately, my mind began to make a list of things I wanted to give him for his birthday.  I know him.  I know what he likes. I know what he needs. I know what he will enjoy and play with for weeks following his own special day. I know that he will appreciate his gifts far more on his birthday than if I just gave into every whim for a present. And I know that the brightly colored gift sitting in the kitchen was fueling his perceived need for gifts.

But I also know (all too well)  that desire to get a special gift, a present to fill that need of feeling special particularly when you see others around you getting gifts.

In fact, later that morning, without a thought to my previous conversation with Caedmon, I began to journal a prayer to God.  It was all about some pretty big needs we have in our family right now.  And I wrote to Him about the many, many times I have come to Him and asked Him for these things.  And I complained about how I had viewed at least 3 other people on Facebook who had received the "present" that I have been asking for. And I informed God that he hasn't given me mine yet.

Sound like a 2 year old, desperately wanting to open a beautiful, brightly colored present in the kitchen?  Yeah...it did to me too.  And I stopped my writing. And I began to cry.

I remembered Matthew 7:11. If I know how to give good gifts to my children, even in my sinful state, then how much more my perfect heavenly Father knows how to give good gifts.  My Father knows me. He knows what I like. He knows what I need. He knows the jealousy in my heart over others' gifts.  He knows the importance of a well-timed gift.  He already knows how and when He is going to provide for me.  And just as Caedmon must wait and trust me and my timing, so, too must I trust my Father and His timing. 

I've noticed that my prayers have changed since that morning.  While not perfect in my patience, I have a much more thankful and less fretful disposition as I wait for the things God has for me. I have a peace.  He knows my needs. His timing is perfect. And I trust Him.

Local Woman Declares Dentist Appointment: Most Stressful EVER!

This just in!  Names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty).

Lynchburg, VA--The day started out as any other as local woman, Mrs. N. Shambles, loaded up her young, home schooled children for a fun and exciting field trip to see Dr. Fun, the family's dentist.  The children: Drama D. Queen (5 years old) and L. McQueen (2 years old) hadn't been off the farm since their weekly trip to church on Sunday, so they were said to be very "keyed up" by the experience.

Upon arrival to Dr. Fun's office, N. Shambles was said to have her son, L. McQueen, strapped into a stroller due to his deep belief that he is, in fact, a real race car and will run at high speeds and in circles when allowed to roam free.  Unfortunately for the local population, L. McQueen quickly discovered how to manipulate and disassemble the said stroller, setting himself free.  Miss Shambles was further left defenseless because she forgot to bring the "tire taming treats" along with her.  L. McQueen is known to sit still for the duration of a cup of gram cracker snacks. Unfortunately, those treats were sitting on the kitchen counter next to the door.

Dr. Fun's office is fully equipped with toys and books galore in an area set apart from the rest of the public in ensure that wild children will be entertained.  But apparently, some grown-ups believe the toys are for nervous adult patients so L. McQueen and D. Queen were forced to share the play space with <gasp> grown-ups.  However, children and adults were said to have played nicely together with exception of one woman who left to use her cell phone to make an anonymous call.

Miss Patience, the hygienist, came to retrieve N. Shambles and her two children from the play area.  With a smile, she reports telling N. Shambles that it will be fine to have both children in the room with her.

A pleasant field trip quickly turned sour as L. McQueen began revving his engines and speeding around the room.  Once in the chair, N. Shambles lost all control.  L. McQueen is reported to have discovered "by accident" that the big gray pad on the floor with the arrows, controls the dental chair holding his mother.  The first time he caused his mother's chair to lower startled him.  The second, third and fourth times were believed to be pure entertainment. Only after L. McQueen lowered his mother's head to the point that she was nearly upside down did Miss Patience step in, telling L. McQueen, that "Mommy is going to be standing on her head!"  This only served as incentive to L. McQueen. And in his hast to see mommy on her head, he discovered the power switch controlling the dental tools by hopping onto the electrical box. More than once Miss Patience had to ask D. Queen to flip the switch so that her tools could have power.

Not to be outdone by her younger brother, D. Queen decided to finally turn on some magic of her own.  Dutifully, she began directing her younger brother...some reported this as coming across as "extreme bossiness".  No one really knows what happened next as words began to fly: "Don't touch me!" "No don't touch me!"  "Mommy, he's touching me." "No I not!"  Ending with D. Queens wild tears as she held her face claiming the race car child had pinched her before speeding off.

N. Shambles reports feeling totally helpless as Miss Patience had 2 tools and hands in her mouth leaving her unable to respond verbally, and unable to respond physically as she lay in the chair with her 8 month pregnant belly and feet high in the air.

Eventually, L. McQueen sped close enough to N. Shambles arms that she was able to latch onto him with what may be described as a death grip. L. McQueen quickly turned on the charm and began licking N. Shambles entire arm.  This was quite preferable to the licking of the lamp stand which occurred later in the visit.

At this point, all seemed to be quiet and manageable until Miss Patience pricked N. Shambles gums and she began to bleed.  This was too much for D. Queen who began to hide her eyes and whine loudly about not wanting to sit in the chair next. She was deemed inconsolable.

Shambles was delighted to be free from her captivity in the dental chair if for no other reason than to hold L. McQueen down until he ran out of gas.  However, D. Queen absolutely refused to sit in the chair because of her deep fear of pain.  She began to wail and sob so loudly that doctors and nurses came from other rooms to witness what was assumed to have been pulling of teeth without novacane. Miss Patience stood back saying, "I haven't done anything!  She hasn't even sat down yet!"  N. Shambles decided to let loose of L. McQueen in effort to subdue D. Queen.  L. McQueen wasted no time with his new freedom exploring all the example toothbrushes on the counter.

After prying open D. Queen's tiny, strong little mouth, N. Shambles and Miss Patience were able to successfully polish D. Queen's teeth with strawberry toothpaste.  The best part of the experience for D. Queen was the suction straw which she then refused to let loose of and had to be forced to open her mouth.

Dr. Fun, who is apparently a "Child-Whisperer" in his spare time wasted not a moment in calming the children.  With his bright peach shirt and rainbow colored bow-tie, he immediately had D. Queen in a fit of giggles and even L. McQueen slowed his pace long enough to offer a view of his own teeth to Dr. Fun.  N. Shambles would have hugged Dr. Fun had she not been hunkered down in the corner twitching from exhaustion.  Dr. Fun reports that all parties involved had healthy teeth and gums and that the children were even offered new tooth brushes and toys from the treasure box  as motivation to get them out sooner   because they were so well behaved.

N. Shambles was said to be mumbling to herself as she left the building.  One eye witness reports hearing, "never again. never again. never...never...never..."

We are, however, happy to report that Mrs. N Shambles and children returned home to the farm safely.  N. Shambles found comfort in a homemade fruit smoothie and the children were fed a healthy snack as well. There are slight complications in N. Shambles well-being which are due to the mental fog in which she finds herself.  For example, she reportedly did not twist the bottom of the blender tightly enough allowing fruit smoothie to ooze into the motor of the blender creating a stench of smoke.  Later, N. Shambles reports smoothie falling out of her cup splattering purple smoothie gunk onto the side of D. Queens face.  Both females were said to be laughing hysterically. Perhaps to keep from crying. L. McQueen ended our interview with these final words "But that's okay!"