Karl's Got a New Ride!

I haven't felt like writing for few days. Matt flew out a couple of days ago, and I've had a hard time since. I usually am a little blue after he leaves, but this time was especially hard for some reason. Garin and I drove him to the airport through an awful storm, but thankfully we all got there safely. The ride home wasn't as bad. It's been cold ever since, and this morning we had an inch or two of snow!!! Thankfully, we had less than was forecasted, and it melted quickly as temps warmed up much faster and a little higher than they expected.

We've been looking at used trucks at the dealerships and online, and Karl found one he really liked. It is fairly simple, but it has the features he really wanted: cruise, CD, A/C. He likes the simplicity of the interior as well as the extended cab, which has room for all of his flying gear (those huge duffel-baggish things he has to take along). He emailed the dealer for a price yesterday, and they wrote back with a ridiculously high price ($2800+ above blue book retail), so I emailed them and told them that was too steep for us and asked about a different truck that he also liked, just not as much as the first one. This morning, they emailed back and said that if we would buy today, they would take $3500 off the price they originally quoted on Karl's favorite one. Obviously, we jumped in the car and took off to the dealership! So Karl now has a nice 2004 Ford Ranger 4X4 with just 15,000 miles!!! We even miraculously got $1600 for our trade in, which is $500 less than blue book, but it was a great deal considering it needs over $2000 in repairs. Here are some pics of the new wheels.

Height Comparison

I had a request for a photo of us all that shows Matt's height compared to ours. Here it is! It's nothing special, just a quick shot we took before dinner, but it will give you an idea of how tall Matt is.

Today, we went bowling and had gelatis at 'Rita's. Tonight, we're just taking it easy and getting laundry done.

Jealousy rears its ugly head

I flopped on the bed (which I'm ashamed to say I didn't bother to make yesterday) between our impromptu car-shopping trip and Karl's volleyball game last night to rest a minute, and Matt plopped beside me. Garin also joined us but found that sharing Mama wasn't his favorite thing. At first, he was stationed between us, adorably laying his head over on top of his big brother's and giggling.....SO precious to this mom. Then as Matt got snuggly, Garin started fussing and trying to wedge himself between us and push Matt away. It was rather funny to watch the two vie for position. Matt kindly gave in and Garin put his head on my chest and did more snuggling than he ever does in broad daylight, holding onto me very tightly. Of course, we missed the funniest moments, but Karl took a few photos after the fact. I look drugged in all of them, but they're good of the boys.

Back to the car shopping....We took the Regal in for an estimate on fixing the window, which wasn't rolling down right, and to see what was up with the "check engine" light. Turns out, the car's a mess all of a sudden, and the repairs will cost more than the car is worth. So we're looking for something else. We're torn between getting a minivan (practical, great for other moms, but ugh, I have such a thing about driving one) or a pickup truck. Either way it will be something a year or two old, but I think we're leaning toward the truck.

Music Lesson

Matt and Garin sat down to play at the keyboard yesterday and had a great time. I tried to get a few pics. As you see, Garin had some strong opinions about what Matt should be doing....he seems to have a lot of opinions in general. Note the one picture in which they both have their tongues out. Yep, they definitely belong to THIS family!

Need More Clorox

Well, I talk about how I miss being a day-in, day-out Mom to Matt. I guess I shouldn't complain then when I end up staying up with him half the night while he throws up. Yup, that's right. Another one down with the stomach bug. I don't know how I keep missing out, but I'm thankful. I am, however, no longer deluding myself that I am some kind of antiviral superwoman. As they say, the third time is the charm, and I'm just waiting for it to hit me. But I am prayed up, and God has been informed of just how much I don't want to be sick with Matt here...or at all. Either way, we'll get through it. I've been through more Clorox wipes this week than in the entire year previous, wiping down everything after each episode. And my hands are screaming for mercy from all the handwashing. I feel like the last six months have been a test of my endurance with all the colds and tummy bugs we've seen, but spring is here, and I am claiming this round as the very last of the illness for our family this year. Except for feeling tired today, Matt's almost back to normal and making plans for the rest of his time here. I made some chicken noodle soup at his request, and he ate a full bowl. He feels that homemade chocolate chip cookies will bring him back to his normal self, so we're working on those now. There isn't much else to tell, as this has been a very lazy but not altogether horrible day for us.

No More Curry!

We had a great day at the beach and bought Matt two pairs of shoes and a lot of summer clothes. We had what could have been a wonderful lunch at Seaside Thai, except that in the middle of the meal, Garin hurled everywhere. Thank goodness I had a change of clothes still in his diaper bag from when he had his stomach bug last week! He ate a great breakfast, post-lunch meal and dinner and had no problems whatsoever, so it seems that curry does not agree with him, no matter how mild and minimal.

I have been inundated with requests for photos. We have been so busy enjoying our family time that I haven't taken many pictures, but we will get more in the next few days. For now, I hope this will do. I took them this afternoon after we returned from the beach.

P.S. Garin held onto Matt's finger for much of the ride to Rehoboth this afternoon....too sweet!

Passover Plans

It's been a good day! We got some things done that Matt has been needing and ran a few errands. We had salad for lunch and fajitas for supper and managed to somehow stick to our diets fairly well. Garin thinks his big brother is pretty cool, especially when he blows his train whistle. There is something he loves about whistles, and Matt won him over all over again the moment he blew it. Garin was laughing and playing with it. It is so neat to watch them together. Matt carried him around and pushed the stroller all afternoon on our errands, and he did all of the buckling in and unbuckling of the car seat, too.

Matt has requested that we observe the traditional Passover Seder on Tuesday night. We have friends in Illinois who do it every year and find it very meaningful, and we've often talked of doing it over the years. I have found a Passover Haggadah for Believers in Messiah that we will follow, as well as some traditional recipes. We will plan and go shopping for ingredients Sunday or Monday. I should say that we are not converting to Judaism or attempting to somehow please God by obedience to the Law. We were set free from the Law by of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. The Law, however, prepared the way for Jesus, and He was born to the Jews. We are very excited to experience in some small way a celebration observed by Christ our Savior and the faithful children of God throughout the Old Testament. I think it will bring special significance to Good Friday and Easter as we follow in the traditions that led up to the day of crucifixion. I would like to perhaps invite a couple of other families of believers to join us if possible.

It's Just...It's Just....Weird

Something just isn't right about a mother having to stand on her tiptoes to hug her "little boy." It's even stranger to kiss your son goodnight and have him lean over and kiss you on the forehead. It is, however, wonderful to have him here. Matt's plane arrived a few minutes early at 10:15 last night, and we made it home about 12:30 am. Garin has been exceedingly crabby, but otherwise everything about today is exceptionally pleasant. We're taking it slowly this morning and plan to do a little running this afternoon. Tomorrow we'll hit the outlet malls and the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach. The rest of our week together is still up in the air....to be determined.

Hope you're all enjoying your Friday!

Mind blowing week so far....

So I caught a cold and have been sick for three days, although I do seem to be a little better this evening. Garin had a stomach bug all day yesterday, which made for a lot of clothing and bedding changes when all I really wanted to do was go to bed, but I thought we were both better today. It got up in the 80's this afternoon, and Garin and I went out to sit in the grass and play after his nap. Soon, Kim drove by and saw us, so she stopped in and stayed almost two hours, sitting in the grass with us. Just after she sat down, Carla and her dog, Glory, came out and joined us. Then Jaclyn drove by and saw us, so she parked in her driveway and walked over. Next, Tammy walked down with her dog, Sophie, for a chat. She and Carla left to walk the dogs, and Stacey drove by and stopped to talk a while. It was a really fun time. Karl got home early, around 3:30, and Stacey needed someone to help her move her old TV out and hook up the fancy new one, so Karl grabbed his box of miscellaneous wires, and we drove down to help her. (Her hubby has been in Afghanistan since November.) We had a good visit with her, which opened a whole can of worms I'll talk about in a minute. We went to the mall afterward to pick up Karl's mess-dress shoes, which we had re-soled, and we had dinner. We had Japanese food and were eating with chopsticks, which Garin found hilarious. Every time Karl took a bite, Garin would laugh hysterically, throwing his head back and shaking. We had a blast! Well, just as we were finishing dinner, Garin's illness returned, overflowing his diaper, all over his clothes and in the high chair. We did a very impressive job of cleaning up the highchair and sneaking him out of the mall before laying him on plastic shopping bags in the back of the car, bagging up all of his clothes, cleaning him with wipes and taking him home in just a diaper. It was truly impressive and something we will reminisce about someday. He's bathed and asleep in bed now.

Back to Stacey.....As you know, I have been of the mindset that I would be open to God's calling with regard to how He wants me to serve Him through ministry. I have no preconceived ideas about how it will happen, or what I will be doing. I am committed to remaining open to His call as He leads me on this journey. Stacey is the worship leader for the contemporary worship service at the base chapel. She is responsible for planning the music and flow of the service. She also sings in the band, but (and this is a very important point) there is someone else who is responsible for the musical direction of the band. In other words, she plans and he executes. Stacey says that he is excellent and that he is a joy to work with. The chapel is looking for someone to fill her position starting this summer, as her husband is being reassigned. She has asked me to consider the job. It is a part-time, paid position, and other than one night a week in rehearsal, one Sunday morning service, and meetings now and then with the chaplain, it is a job she does from home. It would be a very mom-friendly position and is something I think I could do. It is definitely something I need to pray about and learn more about before making any decisions, though. It would mean declining the President position in the OSC, so I could still keep my commitment to school, but it would be something Karl and I could do together some, too. The base chapel understands the unpredictability of military life better than local churches, and Karl could serve more easily. (Plus, they could use another bass player!) So please pray with us as we seek God's will in this.

Tomorrow is bowling...yay! Karl has the day in crew rest....yay again!

The Birthday Boy and His Pooh-Bear

Karl turns 31 today! We came home from church and had leftovers for lunch, but Karl is craving Sonic for a birthday treat, so we're making the 30 mile drive to Seaford this afternoon for dinner.
Now everyone in the family has their own computer! A few weeks ago, Karl pulled his ancient laptop out of the attic for Garin, so he'll leave ours alone. Here he is, working on his latest "project". Honestly, he's made that computer do things neither of us knew it could!

Battle of Wills

Garin kept turning the TV on today after lunch, but he is not supposed to touch the buttons, so Karl kept saying no and moving him across the room. The child has a stubborn streak a mile long. He kept crawling back over to do it again. Eventually, he started shaking his head no as he crawled over, and instead of pushing the power button, he would touch all over the TV around the power button. When no one fussed, he'd then gently tap the power button, but not hard enough to turn it on. So Daddy would say no again and move him. Over and over and over again. Finally, Daddy blocked him with his body. Here are some photos of the battle.......I'm still laughing.

Our big fuzzwad, Harvey

Proud Mama...

Watching a child grow physically is awe-inspiring, but nothing could be more meaningful to a parent than to see them growing spiritually and becoming mature. Matthew and some friends from his track team started a Bible study between their early morning track practice and school on Friday. They asked a teacher whom they knew to be a believer if she would allow them to meet in her classroom, and she agreed. It is open to anyone, and they are having about 10 track kids and 10 others, plus there are two teachers who are sitting in on the study as well. It brings my soul such joy to know that Matt is growing in his faith and is bold in sharing it. He also mentioned that he had a cool experience this week when some troubled boys were taunting the runners at a track meet, and he chose to walk away without saying anything. When he walked past them again a few minutes later, they got nervous and were afraid that he had told someone in authority and that they were in trouble. They couldn't believe he hadn't done anything. Then that night, he was reading his chapters for the Bible study, and there were Paul's words about not repaying evil for evil, turning the other cheek and blessing those who curse you. He was very touched by those verses, and I just think that is cool! He has become so responsible and accountable for himself, and I am amazed that this young man is my baby.

Garin is so cute these days. He is trying so hard to talk. He imitates what we say, and he is even trying to sing with his music videos now! Today, he kept humming along and trying to make his mouth do the words. It was precious! He also was standing beside me tonight as I cooked dinner and reached up and pulled something off of the kitchen cabinet!!! When did he get so tall??? He says hi and waves at everyone he meets, and he loves to flirt. He is becoming more pleasant everyday; there is much less whining and fussing and much more laughter in our home. When Susan was here, he was watching Sesame Street and starting laughing hysterically at a skit where Ruth Buzzy was making a 'recipe' for the number 6 and chunking things into a huge pot (6 sticks of butter, 6 spoons of sour cream, six handfuls of salt and 6 whole onions). Every time she chunked something in there, he laughed. Eventually he was laughing so hard he was snorting. Thanks to DVR, we saved it and continue to watch it whenever we want to hear that sweet laughter. I wish you all could see him; he's changed so much!

Catching Up!

New York was fabulous!!! I loved Times Square, the restaurants, the shopping, and seeing all of those landmarks and famous places that I've seen all my life on TV and in movies. My favorite part by far, though, was Broadway! We saw Les Miserables, and I was amazed by the talent of the actors and the power of the show to completely enthrall. I am hooked and have told Karl that as long as we live on the East Coast, I want all of my birthday, Christmas and Mother's Day gifts to be tickets to a Broadway show. There are so many I want to see while I have the chance to take day trips into NYC.

Susan (my mom-in-law) arrived Sunday and left this morning. We had a wonderful visit, and I truly hated to see her leave. We got to do some fun girly stuff, like a trip to Wilmington yesterday to the ULTA store to purchase the latest craze in makeup, bareminerals. I'm loving it so far. I'm still using my Mary Kay skincare, of course, but this makeup is all powder. It isn't normal powder, but crushed minerals. Somehow it actually provides the coverage of a liquid or creme foundation without the heaviness. It almost feels like no makeup at all, and it makes the skin glow! I'll let you know how I like it after I've used it awhile. Susan also got a great hairstyle at the salon there.

Monday, I took Susan to Byler's (the Amish market) to get orange slices (one of my two favorite candies...I didn't buy any, if you can believe it!), snacks, etc. Tuesday we all took a trip to Rehoboth Beach to walk on the sand and listen to the waves. Susan got some homemade salt-water taffy (my other favorite candy) on the boardwalk; somehow I resisted the temptation. I am learning that she and I have very similar tastes in food! We all watched Karl play volleyball Monday night, and last night we all went to his game. They only had five guys show up, so I ended up running home and changing really fast so they would have a full team and get to play. I was pretty rusty, but it was fun anyway. Garin has figured out that you are supposed to clap and yell when you watch volleyball, and he did so with great gusto!!! We took Karl out to La Fontana last night for an early birthday dinner and had a delicious Italian meal, accompanied by a very talented classical guitarist. Then we came home and had homemade cheesecake with fresh strawberries and raspberries. I did not even try to resist that temptation!!!

By the way, Susan is a wonderful lady in her early 50's who has a full life. She has everything she wants or needs except a great man to share it with, so if any of you knows a good-hearted, faithful, honest, Christian man who deserves someone special, please let me know!!!


Now we're back to life as usual, and I have laundry to do, so I guess I'll run. Have a great day!

Disclaimer

Okay, so I'm looking at these pictures I just posted and noticing an ear wax issue. Just thought I'd mention that he had just finished a bath, and I always clean out his ears as best I can when I bathe him. I just can't reach down that far into his squirmy little head, and I'm a little nervous about jabbing a Q-tip in there, as he isn't known for being exceptionally still and cautious. Suggestions are appreciated.

Also, yes, I know he needs a haircut. Again, the whole wiggle-worm issue. To be fair, his hair is still wet in the pics, so it looks worse than normal. Last time I cut it is wasn't exactly straight, and I shudder to think of what he would do in a barber's chair. Karl isn't loving the long locks, so I assume we'll make another effort to trim it soon.

Equal Opportunity Endorsements

Before I offend any Aggies out there, let me just state that the policy of the Heinrich family is to show no preferential treatment to the athletic program or alumni of any university attended by members of our extended family. Clothing from all qualified schools (t-sips do not qualify) is welcomed and will receive equal wear-time. Now....on with the show!

Grammy Su sent Garin an OSU t-shirt for Christmas. It is finally warm enough for shortsleeves, so I tried to get a few pictures of him in it for his Grammy to see. He really just wanted to 'repair' the closet, but here are a few mediocre shots for you all.

I'm just getting things done around the house today, and we have a family squadron get-together tonight at the bowling alley. Tomorrow, I'll be packing for NYC and cleaning, I imagine. Have a great day!

Karl's Job

We got some good news yesterday! It looks like Karl will soon be back to the squadron! While the Wing job has been a great learning opportunity and career-building experience for him, it has kept him so busy that he hasn't flown enough. It has also taken a huge bite out of family time. He got word yesterday that they are looking for his replacement. (Wing jobs that use "borrowed" people like this usually only last one year, and Karl's hits the year mark in May.) They have wisely decided to use a non-flyer in this position until they can hire a civilian to fill it. Karl has repeatedly told him that this is not a job for a flyer unless there is an assistant who is in the office full-time. It is nearly impossible for him to go on missions because the job demands daily attention. We are looking forward to him settling back into a squadron desk job and flying more, so he can get his Instructor Pilot rating before we leave Dover!

Garin and I are headed to Rehoboth Beach today to do a little outlet-mall shopping. They have three big Tanger Outlet Malls there; I'm sure we won't have time to hit them all, unfortunately. I know which stores I most want to see, so we'll start there.

Guess What We Had For Dinner!!!

It was a mess, and I believe that Garin may be permanently stained (as in green-food-dye-in-Mom's-makeup-will-make-a-great-ghost-face-for-the-kids type of stain), but we had fun! We were slow getting started this morning and ended up attending the 11:00 service at church. We grabbed Applebee's for lunch and headed home. Most of the drive was spent singing and clapping loudly to the DVD Garin was watching in an almost futile effort to keep him awake until we got home for a nap. His eyes were rolling back in his head toward the end, but we did make it home before he conked out. He took a nice, long nap, and I washed both cars and cleaned the inside of the SUV. Karl cleaned the inside of his car and straightened up our outdoor storage. I made spaghetti while Karl went through some of his things to decide what can go to Goodwill, and then we had supper. Tonight will be vacuuming for me, cleaning doggie-doo out of the backyard for Karl, and hopefully some rest for all of us on the couch before bedtime!

The very best news of the day, though, is that Eli got to go home today!!!!!

Windy Day in Dover....

.....Of course most days are, but it was 65 degrees here today. We couldn't pass up the chance to take a walk after several days in the teens-thirties. Here are a few photos of our fun. We made the whole round of base housing and stopped at one of the playgrounds to let Garin swing and slide for the first time. If you look at the photo of him on the swings, his face says it all. There is little point in purchasing a tree swing for this child. From the moment it started swinging, he looked like he was nauseous, and he was none too reluctant when we pulled him back out. On the other hand, the round-and-round slide, as my sister and I used to call them when we were kids, was a huge hit! I took him up and slid down with him. Then Daddy took him down. Then he wanted to climb back up, so Daddy followed him, and I grabbed him at the top. He didn't want to be held; he just wanted to GO! He ended up going down several times by himself, with me at the top to get him flat on his back and let him go, and Daddy at the bottom to catch him. He loved it!!!

Great News!

Eli got the tube out of his stomach this morning and has been more alert and talkative today. The doctor stopped by this afternoon and told him that he could have a popsicle, juice and jello for dinner. This will be the first food or drink he's had since Monday. He is being moved out of ICU and into his own room later tonight!!! Also, his and Sandra's birth family is driving down tonight to visit him this weekend. I think his grandma, Maria; aunts, Rachel and Debbie; birthmother, Natalia; biological siblings, Rachel, Joseph and Genevie; and several cousins are all coming! It should be a crazy weekend, but I think it will be so good for Eli to know that they care enough to make the trip down from Dallas to be there for him. And may I say again how proud I am of my sister and brother (in law) for being the kind of parents who are willing to not only allow contact with the birth family but also to embrace them, love them and show such compassion and forgiveness to the birth mother. I'm sure it is a tough road to travel for adoptive parents sometimes, but it is truly unconditional love for your children that leads you down it, and the rewards for those children, and the entire family, are immeasurable. How wonderful to know that you are loved by the parents who gave birth to you even though they couldn't care for you and also by the parents who chose you.

Improvement

Thanks to everyone for your concern for Eli. I'm trying to cover it all on the blog rather than clogging inboxes. Last night, he got up and watched a movie in his chair. He also read a magazine. They got the pathology report this morning, and there was nothing of concern. There was some blood and tissue which caused the blockage, but they are uncertain as to whether the blockage caused the telescoping or vice versa. It was a very good thing that the surgeon opted to go ahead and remove the appendix while he was in there. It looked fine on the outside, but the inside was showing signs of infection, which may have been caused by the intussusception. The doctor said that if the surgeon had left it, they'd have been right back in the hospital in a few weeks for an appendectomy. Eli got up this morning for awhile to sit, but he had some pain medicine afterward and is sleeping now. He is afraid every time he feels any pain that it's going to get bad again like it was before the surgery, so they have to keep reassuring him that there will be some pain as he heals but nothing like what he was experiencing Monday. The doctor said they would give them 24-hour notice before moving him to a room, so it will probably not be tomorrow. Marci said his NG tube (the one through his nose into his stomach) is bringing out clearer fluid, less green and bilious. Once it runs clear, they'll know things are working again, she said. I guess that's kind of the determiner for when he leaves ICU....well, that and flatulence. His fever finally broke in the night. Greg stayed with him overnight. He asked one of them to stay; now that he's alert, he wants to know they're there, of course.

The Latest

Eli is more alert today. They took out his catheter and got him up to the bathroom. He still has the bile tube from his stomach, though. The doctor is hearing bowel sounds, which is great. The nurse snuck him a little ice because his throat was so dry. He's trying to be tough and not asking for pain medicine, and after Monday, the pain doesn't seem so bad. The nurse had to explain to him that he had to ask for pain medicine because he breathes shallowly when he's hurting, and he needs to breathe deeply to avoid fluid in his lungs. He was upset this morning, and Marci told them that she knew all the tubes and pain were scary, but that he is fixed and is getting better. He was asking about schoolwork, and she told him not to worry about it. (That's the only time he'll hear that from her!) He was confused about the day, and she told him it was Wednesday and that he had surgery on Monday. He asked her which Monday; he had no idea how long he'd been out. She told him two days ago Monday. He's upset and didn't want to talk about why because he was afraid he'd cry and make it hurt. I'm sure this experience is very scary for him; please pray that he will be peaceful in spirit.

It's snowing here today! Has been since early this morning. I am SO ready for spring! Monday and Tuesday were pretty, but Garin and I stuck around the house. I had nothing on the calendar, and he had a fever, which is now gone. I got some studying done and had plenty of time to pray. Today was bowling. I did okay...not fabulous, but over my average. This afternoon I am making dinner for a friend who is having knee surgery today. Also, a couple of friends that were in our squadron in Illinois just got here, and they need some help unloading some furniture, so we're going to get a small crew of guys together and head over to say hello and help them out. Hope you're all having a great day!

Eli's Recovery

Thank you all for you prayers and kind emails about Eli. I'll try to sum up the situation briefly. He came out of surgery last night around 1 am and is in ICU until at least Thursday, but he is doing well under the circumstances. The affected area of the small intestine had begun to turn black and was leaking blood into the abdomen. The surgeon had to remove one foot of the intestine and repair it. He said that if they had waited until morning, it might have been too late. Eli had a high pulse rate and high blood pressure today because he had lost so much blood through the intestine prior to the surgery. Because the red blood cell count was low, his circulatory system was having to work extra hard to get oxygen to the body. After a blood transfusion this afternoon, his heart rate and blood pressure were back down. They sat him up in a chair this afternoon for about 15 minutes to get him into a new position for awhile. He's very groggy, thanks to the pain medicine, but he is giving short responses to some questions. My parents went down this morning to help with the girls, and numerous friends and neighbors have come through for them. Marci called Eli's birth family, and they are going down to see him this weekend. It's amazing to think how so many people had to make the right decisions about Eli's care for him to be alive right now. God's handprints are just all over it. Even the surgeon said that when Eli's doctor called him last night about Eli, he just "coincidentally" was reading up on the very condition Eli had, even though he knew nothing of Eli or the possibility of doing the surgery that very night. You'll never convince me that this was a coincidence!!! Thanks for your prayers, and please keep praying for him as he recovers.

Update on Eli

Eli has been diagnosed with intussusception, which means the intestine telescopes into itself and creates a bowel obstruction. He is having emergency surgery tonight to try to correct it. My sister, brother-in-law and the kids are all really scared. Please keep them in your prayers tonight.

They also said he has horshoe kidneys, which will need to be discussed once he's out of the woods with this problem. Don't know what that means yet.

Our Nephew

Eli, my 11-year-old nephew (some of you will remember him as the ring bearer in our wedding), went to the hospital today with terrible abdominal pain. He had been vomiting since sometime in the night. The doctor thought the symptoms were similar to appendicitis, but she was puzzled by the lack of fever. He had an ultrasound this afternoon, and the technician said there was a large mass that looked like an eggplant. He said that he wasn't sure what he was looking at and that if it was the appendix, it was huge. They did a CT scan to get a better look at it, but we still haven't heard the results. Eli finally got some pain medication a little while ago (I can't imagine why they waited so long!). The poor little guy is just miserable. Please keep him, my sister, brother-in-law, and nieces in your prayers tonight. They are worried about whether he'll need surgery tonight or if the mass could be something else that would be even scarier.

It's Been a While...

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write. It's been a busy week, and I keep thinking I'll get to it "tomorrow." Karl got home late Wednesday night and has been in crew rest since then. He'll go back to work Monday. Thursday, I had an OSC board meeting in the morning. We went bowling (for practice) Thursday afternoon, and then I went for a hair appointment. I made stuffed peppers and collard greens for dinner, and we watched the American Idol results show. Yesterday was my quarterly appointment with the rheumatologist in Lewes, so Karl and Garin went with me, and we spent a beautiful afternoon (no coats!) at the outlet malls in Rehoboth Beach. Today was a 9-pin bowling tournament. I totally tanked, but it was fun anyway! We walked down the street to Carl and Mel's house and sat by their fire pit with them, the Weigners, and Carla. It was a nice way to spend Saturday evening, but we headed home early because Garin was so tired and crabby. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going shopping in Newark with Kim. We're looking for something cute to wear on our girls' weekend to NYC on St. Patrick's Day. There are 10 of us going, and we have rooms at the Marriott in Times Square on Saturday night. I can hardly wait! We're going to see a Broadway show, take a trip to Little Italy, and see some of the sites around the city. And my mother-in-law is coming that weekend too and staying a few days, so it promises to be a really good week! Guess that's life in a nutshell for now. G'night, and I'll try to write again soon!

Garin had his one-year checkup and shots today. Amazingly, the shots didn't faze him...not a sound, not a tear. Matt was always such a screamer! Garin is 30" and 22 lbs., so he's right at the 50% mark on height and lower on weight.

A friend stopped by tonight to drop off some Girl Scout cookies I ordered from her daughter. Her husband is on the same mission with Karl. She just happened to mention that they had to shut down an engine on the way to Spain yesterday. Funny....Karl didn't say a word about it to me. He's good about trying to keep me from worrying! He is in the Middle East for the night and will be heading west again tomorrow. We were able to talk for a while tonight on the web cam. He looked tired but handsome as always!

It's been a good day, and I'm getting sleepy already....g'night!

Strange Weekend

Karl's jet had trouble and ended up back here for repairs Friday after loading its cargo on the West Coast on Thursday. He was here from mid-afternoon Friday until about 10pm last night. They are now on the way to deliver their cargo, and he's hoping to be home Thursday or so, if all goes well. It was a nice surprise to see him, but we had to say goodbye again. That's getting hard for Garin because now he really misses Da-da....especially when Ma-ma doesn't let him have his way. He was crying for Da-da on Friday morning, and when Karl called and said he was in Dover and headed home shortly, I made the mistake of telling Garin, "Yay! Daddy's coming home!" Garin made a bee-line for the front door and started waving. Poor thing, he thought Daddy was about to walk in the door. Today has been okay...only one cry for Da-da. I suspect tomorrow will be another story.

We had a big snow today, and the neighbors were building very tall snowmen (7-9 feet tall, no kidding). Some of the kids made a huge snowball across the street. It was about 5' in diameter, and one of them would climb up on it and stand. The others would then start rolling the ball, and the one on top would try to stay on. They would take turns until they fell off. It looked like great fun!!!

I spent most of the day cleaning out closets and drawers. I guess spring cleaning hit me a little early, but I'm glad to get it done. I still need to do Matt's room and the attic.

Hope you've all had a great weekend and are looking forward to a wonderful week ahead!

203!!!!!!!

I bowled my first ever 200+ game today!!!!! Every frame was a strike or spare! I'll get five different award patches from USBC for that game and the series total. My first game was 133, and the second was 117, but the manager of the bowling alley gave me one tip at the end of game two that changed everything for game three. Hopefully I'll be able to do it again next week!!!

Karl's landed at his first stop, which is on an island off the coast, so the crew has gone out for a seafood meal. He will be taking off again tomorrow morning EST. He's tired, but his cold sounds better today (at least through the phone).

I forgot to mention earlier that Matt was exhausted last night after running 5.5 miles yesterday afternoon at track practice. He couldn't wait to fall into bed early!

I got another paper turned in this afternoon and did an assignment for my music class. Garin and I are just hanging out at home tonight. I think we're both looking forward to bedtime!

Midnight Express

Karl got his alert last night the moment the crew became eligible again after the required rest. We had just gotten to sleep good when his cell phone rang. He suspects that his mission has changed from the original plan, as the airport they were flying to wouldn't have been open when they arrived, based on the alert time. He will call when he gets wherever they're going and let me know what's up. A mission change usually also means a change in the expected return date. Of course, as we know, the expected return date is very soft anyway!

I hate when he leaves at night like that. I much prefer an alert anytime from early morning to late afternoon, but bedtime alerts stink. He had such a hard time saying goodbye to Garin yesterday morning that he just let him sleep last night. It keeps getting harder as Garin understands more, holds on to Karl tighter and waves bye-bye at him. It tugs at the old heart strings even more.

I have bowling this morning and plan to devote Garin's naptime to studying. Other than that, I don't have any big plans today, thankfully!

One down, seven to go

I had my first Greek test at noon today. Overall, it was not bad, but I was disappointed to discover that it was nothing like what the syllabus promised. According to the syllabus, the test are all multiple choice and matching, so we don't have to pull it all from our heads, but the test was made up of empty tables to be filled. "Name the three types of accents, give their symbols and how they're used," for example. And after all my hard work on the vocabulary, there was none on the test. Then there was one question that I never saw in the text, and I went over it several times while studying. I even went back to look for it after the test and still can't find it anywhere. Fortunately, it was just one question, so I think I still got an A.

Karl is home. His mission is delayed for repairs, so he's back in crew rest, which means he's home today. He worked a 14-hour day yesterday and didn't get much time to rest, so this is really a good thing in my opinion. We aren't sure yet just when they'll take off. They start bravo alert tonight, so they can be alerted anytime after that.

I had bowling this morning, and we bowl again tomorrow to make up our second snow day. It will be fun, but I'm hurting so much in my legs today that I'm a little worried about tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be better by morning.

Garin's sleeping. He played hard with the babysitters all morning and was wiped out when I picked him up at 1:00. I think I'll go take some Tylenol and put my feet up!

Old Friends

Yesterday we made what is hopefully our final trip to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. I must say that I would highly recommend the hospital and its doctors to anyone who might be stationed here or at McGuire AFB. They are not only exceptionally capable but are also wonderful, kind people with hearts for children.

Garin had his surgical follow-up appointment and got the all-clear from his pediatric urologist. They want him to see a urologist again at age 13 to be instructed on how to perform a testicular self-exam because he will be at higher risk for cancer than the general population. They also suggest that he visit again at age 18 to discuss the fertility issues that can arise. Although either complication is unlikely, it will be good for him to know how to deal with them should they occur.

Karl has his handgun refresher course today and will be leaving on a mission tomorrow. He has been home for several weeks now due to the AFSO21 course he was coordinating, but now that it is over, he's back on the road. We've gotten spoiled and will certainly miss him while he's gone. He has a cold right now, and we're hoping he's feeling better before he leaves. Flying schedules can be grueling, especially for someone who is already feeling bad.

Isn't it nice to hear from someone you haven't talked to in years? Last August I saw the name of a friend from high school/college on classmates.com and sent him an email. I never heard anything and assumed it was no longer a good email address or something. Last night, Karl told me I had an email on his classmates.com account, so I came downstairs to see. I was so excited to get a response, and poor Karl had to listen to me go on and on about all these people he's never met while I sort through old pictures because for some reason I think he needs to see them all. He assured me that he enjoys listening to my stories and that he thinks it's cute that I'm so excited. I think he's just being nice, but I appreciate it. As much as I enjoy meeting new people and living in new places, I've never found it easy to forget the people who have been part of my life and often wonder how they are, what they're doing and if they're doing well.

We're supposed to reach 50 degrees today! It will be the first comfortable day we've seen in weeks. I doubt it will last long, but the groundhog did promise a quick end to winter this year.

Sunday Stuff

I thought maybe it was time for more photos of our little stinker on one of his favorite toys. It's hard to get good photos anymore because as soon as he sees the camera, he comes to me. I made the mistake of showing him his pictures on the screen one time, so now he just wants to see it. He is so close to walking. He often is standing and turns to look where he wants to go, and you can just see the wheels turning as he tries to decide whether to try it or not. We both hold our breath until he lowers himself to the floor. It isn't a matter of whether he can; it's a matter of when he decides to do it. His communication is improving all the time. "Hiiiiiiiii" (with the pitch rising then falling again) is a favorite right now, accompanied by a wave, of course. He is getting really good at understanding and following instructions. We did away with the tub chair at bathtime, and he is enjoying his baths much more. He is getting rounder and taller every day, it seems, and reaching things from higher places. It's always a challenge! His cheeks are getting extra chubby, and I just bet he's about to hit a big growth spurt.

Matt is doing great! He's on a fishing trip over the long weekend. School's going well this semester, and he and his father seem to be getting along reasonably well these days. He will be here for spring break in four weeks. We can't wait to see him!!!

I got the house cleaned and laundry done yesterday, so this afternoon has been more relaxed. Garin has just gone down for a late nap, Karl is almost done with this week's assignments for his class, and I'm going to work on school, too, until Garin wakes up.

Prayer Answered

Karl's senior reviewer, Col Cox, had the final say on whether or not his application package should be submitted for the Hawaii job and told Karl that he was concerned that Karl didn't have his Instructor Pilot rating on the C-5 yet. He feels he should get it before he moves on, and that makes good sense. It's complicated, but in order for Karl to maintain his flight status through the remainder of his career, he must have 96 months of flying in the first 10 years of his career. He is 16 months away from reaching that mark. If he took the aide-de-camp job, he would have approximately 12 months of flying to do afterward, which would mean jumping right back into Instructor Pilot training. As we all know, it can be hard to pick up where you left off after you've gotten rusty for three years. So Hawaii is out. Interestingly, I think Karl and I were both relieved. We want so much to go back to Scott AFB in the summer of 2008 and spend Matt's last two years of high school with him. Hawaii would be amazing later in his career when Matt is on his own already, and it was a great opportunity for Karl, career-wise. Scott AFB is a very real possibility for us next year, but we have no guarantees, so we chose to apply for Hawaii and let God make the decision. We are thankful that He answered quickly and surely, and we are praying for a move to Scott next summer!

Here's a creepy story for you! As some of you know, we discovered this week that Harvey is a mouser. He was playing with what I thought was one of his many toy mice until I looked closer and discovered it was real. So last night, I heard him playing downstairs, but I went back to sleep. I woke up again when Karl jumped out of bed and headed downstairs. He said Harvey was lying on our bed, jumping all around, and Karl thought Harvey had a toy mouse in the bed....see where this is going? He put his hand down (probably to toss it on the floor), and it landed on what he immediately knew was a real mouse tail. He grabbed it and took it downstairs to toss it out. It was already dead but, thankfully, not bleeding. Eeewwww! It has gotten so horribly cold out, and the animals from the surrounding marshes and fields are moving in. I am hearing a lot of similar stories from other base housing residents too, but I don't think they've had them in their bed!

I need to get to work on a paper, so I'm gonna run. Have a great weekend everyone!

I'm trying to remember what I haven't told you lately....

This weekend, Karl and I bowled in a Scotch Doubles bowling tournament, in which the girl and guy play as one person, alternating turns. So I rolled the first ball, and Karl rolled for the spare. Once I got a strike, he got the first ball on the next frame, and I rolled for the spare, etc. It was weird but lots of fun to play as a team. Some of the husbands were awfully competitive and irritable that their wives weren't great. That ticked me off. But we had a good time together even though we didn't win.

Sunday was church and then a relaxing afternoon together.....so nice. Matt had a great weekend at the Dare2Share conference. He heard Superchic[k] and StarField, among others. They even got a chance to go out and knock on some doors in the neighborhood around their church. He seemed excited about it. He kept pestering me to send Valentine's Day flowers to him at school....until I finally agreed. Should have done that in the first place! It was funny how quickly he retracted the request when he thought I might actually do it.

Today Karl's big training event started! He has people from all over the AF here to learn how to train new AFSO21 event leaders this week. It's the culmination of many weeks of hard work for him, and he's glad it's finally here. Garin and I went to the bowling alley this morning, so I could practice with Margaret, our league's best player. She's very nice, but not everyone is nice to her. I'm not sure why, except that she takes her bowling very seriously. I think maybe they don't realize that she competes with herself, not us. She is from Poland, and her English isn't great. Sometimes you have to look past the words people use and how they use them and see through to their intention and meaning. She really is a sweetheart. She coached me for over an hour today, and I got the best scores I've ever had.

I've been working on schoolwork this afternoon and have taken a break until Garin goes to bed tonight. Karl and I both need to write papers, so we'll engage in what child-rearing experts like to call parallel play.

It looks like our huge snowfall slated for the next couple of days has now changed to mostly rain. While I'd enjoy a pretty snowfall, I don't enjoy tromping and driving through it for days afterward. Plus, we're bowling on Wed. and Thurs. this week to make up for our snow day last week.

I'm having a whole lot of joint pain. Yesterday was horrible, but today is better. I'm hoping for a better week ahead!

Present, Past and Future

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I love this verse. It has encouraged me through so many hard times and has proven to be true over and over again. Sometimes I feel like people recite it as if it were a magic pill for someone who is hurting, as if it should instantly bring complete acceptance at the sound of it, as if it will somehow absolve them of any further responsibility to comfort, pray with or otherwise sully their own cheerful day. God's Word is a wonderful comfort and help, and it is a very important part of healing to see God's promises and claim them, but I think we all have to be careful not to toss a Bible verse at a problem and piously walk away. But this is nonetheless a verse full of promise and encouragement, and it has been on my mind for many days now.

I should be packing a bag now, so that it would be ready when labor began. But I'm not, and I have found myself mourning the loss of our two little ones as much as I did last summer and fall. I haven't said much about it on the blog because I feel like I should be past it. I thought I was through crying a long time ago, but it is fresh as we approach the due date. I think I may have reached a turning point, though, in the last couple of days. Thursday night, one of my close friends confided that she is two weeks late and thinks she may be pregnant. They have been trying for several months, and she has been getting discouraged as each month passes and it hasn't happened. I have so many friends, here at Dover and in Illinois whose pregnancies were timed very closely to ours. I have been happy for them, but I haven't been able to really rejoice with them the way I want to because it is still painful. It has been hard to be around them socially because that is, of course, a very important part of their lives, as it should be, but those conversations are so hard. But Thursday night, I threw my arms up and started cheering and almost cried tears of joy. It was several minutes before I thought anything of my own desire to have another baby. I was totally immersed in the joy of her news. I was so thrilled to realize that I was able to fully share her excitement that it made the rest of my evening. I was relieved.

Since then, I am beginning to dream of trying again. I had all but given up in recent days as I read the statistics that are against me. But today I kept thinking of Memaw Risinger, whose baby boy died shortly after birth. She was told that she could not have another child that would survive. But she did. She trusted God's plan and wisdom rather than man's, and he gave her the desire of her heart. And I remember my mom's dream of my daughter and her vivid description of the child. She has an impeccable track record with her grandchild dreams. Now I won't tell God what His plan is; I'll let Him decide that. But I need to keep an open mind and a positive outlook until He leads me elsewhere.

Hard as it seems, standing in dreams, where is the dreamer now? Wonder if I wanted to try, would I remember how? I don't know the way to go from here, but I know that I have made my choice. This is where I stand until He moves me on, and I will listen to His voice.

This is the faith, patience to wait, when there is nothing clear. Nothing to see, still we believe Jesus is very near. I cannot imagine what will come, but I've already made my choice. This is where I stand until He moves me on, and I will listen to His voice.

Could it be that He is only waiting there to see if I will learn to love the dreams that He has dreamed for me? Can't imagine what the future holds, but I've already made my choice. This is where I stand until He moves me on, and I will listen to His voice.

(Twila Paris, "I Will Listen")

Aloha!

Hiya! I hope it's warm where you are! We have been fighting to stay warm the last several days, but it looks like it may be a while before we see milder temperatures. It's beautifully sunny, and the skies are as blue as can be, but we are expecting a big snow storm early next week, they tell us. I enjoy a pretty snow, as long as it doesn't stick around too long.

It looks like we may actually have a chance of living somewhere warm....just a slight chance. Karl is under consideration for a job as an aide de camp to the Lt. General at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. I am certain that there are probably at least a couple hundred more people who are also candidates, but even just the idea of three years in Hawaii is worth daydreaming about! We did also get some other good news. If this job doesn't pan out, which it probably won't if you consider the odds, there is a very high likelihood that we will go back to Scott AFB, Illinois, in the summer of 2008. That would mean being with Matt for his junior and senior years in high school. Another dream-worthy possibility, for sure!!! But God knows the plans He has for us, so we shall just trust, wait and see.

A little sweetie is wanting to play, so I'll run for now. Have a great weekend!

TA-DAAAAA!!!!

Here's the birthday boy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GARIN!!!

The birthday boy is taking a nap, and I thought I'd stop and share the day so far. We woke up to a few inches of snow this morning, and it has stuck around thanks to the cold temperatures, but it is an absolutely beautiful, sunny, blue-sky day. We sang happy birthday to Garin when he woke up, and Garin and I have devoted much of the day to playing in the living room floor. He is growing up so fast. Yesterday he figured out the play button on his CD player, so he's in control of his own tunes! He has also discovered the secret of the shape sorter toy, and is very proud to put all of the shapes through the correct holes. We do a lot of nodding, head-shaking, ta-daaaing and clapping these days. The piano gets quite a workout, and we have to wave bye-bye to Daddy everytime he leaves. His words now are Mama, Dada, no-no, bye-bye, done, and as of today, peep-eye. (For those who don't know, "peep-eye" is the southern version of peek-a-boo. I grew up thinking everyone played peep-eye, but after living in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, I've learned that this strictly a Southern thing.)

It's hard to believe that a year ago this moment, I was in labor. I couldn't wait to hold him and see his face. The last year has made me realize that he is much more of a miracle than I knew at the time. What a blessing this little boy is!

Party Pics III

More guests.....As you can see, Garin had lots of help opening presents! They all wanted to help, so I told them they could each help him open the present they brought. It was a very quick way to get the gifts unwrapped!

Party Pics II

Our guests and the rubber duckie cakes....

Party Pics

Garin had a wonderful birthday party last night! If I counted correctly, we had 25 folks (14 adults, 11 kids) here to help him celebrate his first year. For those who know our base friends and are interested, here's the rundown: the Bibbs, the Weigners, the Soules, the Waltons, Mel and her girls, Stacey and her girls, Carla and Tammy. And if the first birthday party isn't memorable enough on its own, we also managed to start a grease fire in the kitchen just as the party was starting. Thankfully, I was standing right there with Kim S, Kim W and Quinton, and we got it out before it did any damage. Needless to say, I stopped frying the Mexican egg rolls. It was just as well, since we had plenty of food left over anyway. I always tend to make too much, but I figure that's better than making our guests go hungry. Garin loved his cake, all the attention, and his many presents which I told people they didn't need to bring, but they did anyway. By the way, whoever brought that talking lawnmower needs to know that we will get our revenge when their child's birthday rolls around!

I woke up in the night thinking that it was awfully rude of me to be blogging about this party when I didn't invite some of our non-base Dover friends. I wanted to invite all of you, too, but base housing makes it difficult to get people on. We just couldn't figure out a way to meet everyone at the visitors' center and still be here to host the party. Something else to consider when deciding where to live.

Hope you enjoy the pics!

Ducks in a row

Rubber ducky cake #3 is in the oven...the last one! It's probably overkill, but I'd hate not to have enough cake for our party guests. I'll decorate them tomorrow and finish the prep work for the food. Saturday will be dedicated to cleaning house and finishing the food before the guests arrive. We're really looking forward to this! I've had a few people over for lunch at times, but we've not had a real party since we moved to Dover.

Today was the OSC board meeting. The current president, honorary president and first VP are working hard to convince me to take on the position of president next year. My good friend, Kim Weigner, has agreed to be the first VP, which is one of the hardest jobs on the board. President is really simple by comparison, and definitely much easier than the craft show chairman. I'm considering it, but I really need to pray and think about it before I commit. Kim is very reliable and works hard, so I know that the welfare side of our board would be ship-shape. That's the biggest battle.

We had snow this morning, but it warmed up this afternoon enough to melt it. Karl, Garin and I all went to Wal Mart and picked up some things we've needed for a while. We enjoyed our afternoon together and got a lot done around the house. Well, Karl did. He was just a bundle of housekeeping energy today! He says it's because he doesn't have to do it the rest of the time, so it's easier when he does. I surely appreciated it; I was able to concentrate on getting food ready. We tag-teamed with Garin, which was great!

Hope you're all looking forward to a great weekend!

Very First Birthday Present Ever!!!

Garin's first birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa Risinger arrived yesterday via UPS - the Bounce & Spin Zebra we asked for !!! We had one of those days where the only time we were home, he was eating or sleeping, so we just got it opened and assembled today when Daddy came home for lunch. Garin definitely thinks it is very cool! The big brown box it came in is pretty awesome too! Here are some photos of him enjoying his gift.

(Oh, and added blessing today: Daddy passed his annual fitness test this morning!)

This and That

It's a busy week for us with Garin's party Saturday night. I'm headed to the grocery store this afternoon to stock up, and I have to run the board reports by the printer for the board meeting on Thursday.

Yesterday, I finally got my new bowling ball! I'm not sure the holes are just right yet. He drilled them and did some fine-tuning after I bowled a few frames, but I think the middle finger may still be tight. It seemed to be sticking a little, but I'm going to try again Wednesday. He can tweak it if need be.

Garin has new tooth number eight. It came in yesterday, finally. That should help his demeanor (and slobbering)!

Matt is just doing great these days. He's enjoying school (as much as a kid does) and has a hopping social life. He met friends at the coffee house Saturday. That seems to be a new ritual with Freeburg kids now that they finally have a place to gather. Friday night, he is going with the youth group to the Stellar Kart concert in St. Charles. Wish I could go!!! Next weekend is the big Dare to Share event in St. Louis for the youth, and I'm so glad he's going. I want him to discover the joy of being bold in Christ, and these are just the sort of things to point him in the right direction.

I got a grade on another paper finally. This time it was in my music class, but it was a 100 again! She said it was beautifully written and elegantly expressed! I hope I don't seem like I'm bragging, but I'm so excited, and it's still hard to believe.

Karl's had a rough week at work. He is too hard on himself, and when things don't go just right, he beats himself up. He is still learning his office job and needs guidance from time to time. I was up from 2:30-4:00 this morning, praying for him and for his boss because they were meeting this morning. He got some good, constructive criticism, given with compassion and concern and was relieved. Of course, he's a little stressed, but it helped him so much to know that his new boss seems to have his heart in the right place, so to speak. It will all work out just fine. I only wish he had the confidence to match his ability. He has taken Thursday through Tuesday off for party prep and family time. I think he really needs it, and I know I'm looking forward to it.

Cookie Monster

Here's a cute pic of our little stinker. I was working on the computer; he was sitting at my feet playing. The next thing I knew, I looked down and saw cookies everywhere. He had found the bag of cookies again, but this time he dumped them all out and was feasting! I should mention that I know his outfit doesn't match. We were homebound thanks to his cold and the snow, so we were dressed for comfort yesterday. Note the lovely hairdo. He often wakes from a nap with some of the wildest 'dos I've ever seen. Karl tells me that his hair does the same thing when it's longer than an inch.

We've had a great day! Garin is finally over his cold and is much more pleasant to be around, and we spent the day doing stuff around the house. We did a little shopping this evening at Tar-jaaaayyy and went to dinner at IHOP. Woo-hoo! All-you-can-eat pancakes this month! Garin ate more than I've ever seen him eat. We ordered Baby Cakes for him: scrambled egg beaters, a sausage link and five dollar pancakes. He attacked it as if he hadn't eaten in days and ate well over half of his meal. Considering how little he normally eats, I've decided that from now on, every meal will be pancakes, eggs and sausage. Okay, maybe not, but it was so funny to see him pig out. He flirted with all the ladies at the surrounding tables and scored us a buy one get one free coupon from the couple at the next booth.

I also did the last of the craft show nightmare and got the board reports done. The rest of the week will center around Garin's party preparations, and any spare time (haha) will be spent on homework.

It's WAY past my bedtime, but I've been waiting for my hubby to turn of the Saturday night anime cartoons. I give up. I'm going to bed!

Can't put my finger on it

Has there ever been a time in your life where you felt God moving in your life in a huge way, like you can almost hear the buzz or feel the electricity in the air? You know something big is happening and that it is going to change your life, but you can't put your finger on it, you don't know where it's leading, and you have no idea yet what it will bring?

It's constant for me right now. I am certain that it is largely because I am finally following through on a 23-year-old promise I made to God by going back to school for a degree in Biblical Studies. Now, I should say that I am not following through because I somehow think I need to appease God so He won't be mad at me. If I had made an emotional promise to Him as a 14-year-old that had no calling behind it, or if I felt that I had blown my chance and He was no longer calling me, the reasons and motivation would be all wrong. But I know that this is still what He wants me to do. I am just thankful that He is allowing it to happen, and He is already blessing me for it.

I have also been very inspired and forced to dig a little deeper because of the daily blog of a dear family friend and visionary in ministry to hurting children and broken families: http://www.bucknerprez.typepad.com/.

Finally (and I don't know where or even whether this figures in yet), there are the issues involved in growing our family and how we want to do that. As you know, we've had two miscarriages in the last six months, and it's been emotionally difficult. We don't know how the lupus stuff will figure into our future efforts, if blood thinners will fix the problem. Add to that the strong desire I have had for many years to adopt a child or children who would otherwise be difficult to place.

Now this is the first and will probably be the last time I mention this in my blog, but it is pertinent: I have a beautiful niece and nephew who, when they came to our family, were considered hard to place. Why? Because they were a sibling group, they were not babies and they were minority. So here's the deal....so what?! Do you have any idea how easily we forget the fact that they didn't come home from the hospital in my sister's arms? I only remember (and I do so proudly because they joined our family in a way that is no less miraculous than childbirth) when the subject of adoption or their birth family is mentioned.

Five years ago, I was a single mom and longed for more children, although I had no such prospects in my future. My brother-in-law and sister knew of two African-American baby girls who needed a homes, and there were articles in some Texas publications about them, asking for families. I began talking to a representative of the organization and learned that the cost was too much for my budget, and they had no funds available to offset this cost. After weeks of trying to work it out, I had to back away, and it broke my heart. I hoped that God had someone better in mind for the girls, but nearly a year later, I ran across another article about them. They were still looking for families, and the babies were still in foster care. I love and support the great work that the organization does, but it just seems so wrong to me that there are children out there without families and parents who want them, but money prevents them from being a family. I struggled with this for a long time, but the desire to adopt has never left me. Karl knows that it is one of the deepest desires of my heart and assures me that even if we do have another biological child, we can someday adopt a child or children in foster care, one of our society's forgotten children. Lately, the thoughts won't leave me. I have even started dreaming about it. I've fallen in love with two precious little girls named Jayshiawan and Ashanti on www.adoptuskids.com and wish I could just go get 'em! But it's up to God's timing, not mine. It is very important that God places it on Karl's heart as well as mine; it is something we must choose together. I know He will when He's ready, so I keep praying.

I sometimes think I use this blog to sort out my own thoughts as much as to keep you guys informed, but I hope maybe it strikes a chord with you too, somehow. I am so excited to see God working, and I'm even more excited to see where it leads me!

Busy Bee

Whew! Garin is a pistol! He is so much fun as he changes from baby to toddler, but he wears me out. He was just sitting at my feet, playing quietly, and I heard a funny crinkly sound. I looked down and discovered that he'd pulled a zippered baggie of cookies out of his diaper bag, figured out how to open it, and had a half-eaten cookie on the floor, one in his mouth, and one in each hand. We finally bought appliance locks for the toilets (let's hope no one needs to go in a hurry!) and yet another gate for the bottom of the stairs yesterday. He was furious about the gate, rattling it and screaming last night because he wanted to climb. This morning, while I was showering, he tried to send my panties down the drain...several times. Fortunately they didn't fit. I'll have to stay on my toes for the next....oh....20 years or so!

I had an awesome series (for me anyway) yesterday at bowling. I bowled 118, 122 and 143. I can sometimes bowl that well, but not for all three games; I'm not usually so consistent.

We're busy with homework....I'm loving it!....and preparing for Garin's birthday party next weekend. We're going to move some furniture around to better accommodate everyone in this little base house, and I'm pre-making most of the food. I need to clean well, of course, and I'm making his cakes. We'll need a couple for the guests and one for him. I found a great rubber ducky 3-D pan, and he loves his many rubber duckies. I think he'll be really excited when he sees them! And it is some fairly basic decorating with a star tip.

Memaw fell a few weeks ago and has been having a lot of back pain. The doctor thinks she may have a compression fracture of the spine, so she's on pain medication until they do the MRI next week and decide on a course of treatment. She may need an injection that fills the space and hardens, which is supposed to stop the pain permanently.

That's about all I know, I guess!

New Life

Many of you know know my dear friend, Amanda, from Illinois. She is the associate pastor of my church there and co-officiated with my brother-in-law at our wedding. She called me this morning to tell me that she's "officially a mommy," to quote her. Her water broke at 4-something Monday morning, and Mason Kahle Richards was born this morning at 12:37! He was a good bit early but is 7 lbs. 9 oz. and 18.5 inches long and perfectly healthy. Amanda and Brian are tired but elated. It's always such a miracle, isn't it?! I can't wait to get my hands on him!

I'm Such a NERD!

But I can't help it!!! I finished the first assignments in all of my classes this weekend and uploaded them to the professors. I just got my first grade back (hermeneutics), and I got 30/30!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited! He said I am a clear thinker and write well and that I show an excellent grasp of the material. WOO-HOO!!!!! This is so fun........so far, knock on wood, fingers crossed, etc.