Recharged

We had a wonderful Lord’s Day yesterday! It was one of those days when everything seems to “click”.  Dennis spoke yesterday morning on a subject that is very relevant in this day and time. Back in the 80’s, we were good friends with Thelma Holloman, who was constantly saying, “As the world goes, so goes the church.” Over the years, we have noticed how right she was in her assessment! With all of the upheaval in our nation, the anger and hatred and unkindness, we are seeing signs of this even among ourselves, so Dennis decided it was time to address the subject. It was an excellent and very timely study! We cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in the worldly attitudes that surround us. Our focus should remain on the spiritual…NOT the political!

For lunch, we had everyone over for our monthly potluck. Dennis and I had spent 3 days working on the house…getting things cleaned and ready.  Tools were all put up in the workshop (hallelujah!), the china cabinet was moved into the living room from the den (and everything taken out and given a good cleaning), everything in the den was taken down and washed (the den has been neglected during all of our construction, as it has been used as overflow storage…so it was a MESS!), leaves were put in the dining room table and our folding table was brought out and set up, and the French doors between the living room and den were opened to allow more space. We had a smaller crowd than usual, about 20 of us. Everything went well, and we all really enjoyed our extra time together. It felt REALLY good to entertain again. It has been far too long!

Last night was our monthly song service. We always have a reading about half way through the singing, so Marlin chose Colossians 3. I love that chapter! It is absolutely FULL of good things for us to understand and implement into our lives. It fit perfectly with the study of the morning:  how we should put away the carnal things and put on the spiritual, how we are to work together in love as a body, and specific admonitions for different walks of life. Plus the songs that were led also flowed with the “theme of the day”. As someone once said, it was an “AWWWWWW!” kind of day, where you feel the heavens open up and the Spirit of God moving amongst us. I love how God has orchestrated how the assembly should be:  our weekly gathering together to edify one another, singing songs of praise and devotion, remembering the sacrifice of our Savior, and the sweet fellowship we enjoy. As Sister Joyce used to always say, “it recharges our batteries” for the coming week.

Today is a day of rest for Dennis and me! I have a really full schedule for Wednesday, and afterwards I’ll start gearing up for Labor Day weekend and all of its activities. Daddy has NO doctor appointments this week. We are enjoying cooler temperatures, thanks to Harvey, as well as some beneficial rain (NOT the deluge that south Texas has experienced). As far as I’ve heard, no one that I know has suffered any real damage from the hurricane, for which I am profoundly thankful! I hope that continues and the week goes well for you all.

General update

Things are slowing down a little around here. Daddy went back to both of his dermatologists a couple of weeks ago. The surgeon added a different cream for his nose, because the other one hadn’t reacted as well as he had hoped. He has already finished with this new cream, and it has REALLY reacted this time! The doctor wants it to heal up for about 6 weeks before we go back and he schedules his Mohs surgery. He looks terrible right now, but it really hasn’t irritated him much…which is great. The other dermatologist told him to use the original cream on a couple of other places on his face to see if it will heal them up instead of having to freeze them. We won’t go back to see him until after he is finished with his Mohs surgery, so that gives us a reprieve from both of them for awhile.

He also saw the pain management PA last week, as a follow up from his injections. The steroids caused his blood sugar to really spike, so we don’t want to do those again! They want to watch him for another month and see how his pain level is and what happens with his blood sugar. They may go in and cauterize those nerves, which would provide pain relief for 6-18 months. Or Daddy may decide that he can live with the pain, since he can mostly control it using Tylenol.

We saw his primary care doctor yesterday. He is still trying to get Daddy’s blood sugar under control, although it is doing better now that the steroids are wearing off. Daddy is also having a lot of swelling in his legs, which they are trying to improve. We go back in a couple of weeks to allow the doctor to check on that and see the results of some more bloodwork that he ordered. Thursday, I take Daddy for a echocardiogram to see what his heart looks like. He had been diagnosed by his previous primary care doctor with CHF, but it was based solely on bloodwork. This doctor wants to get a look at his heart function to see what kind of shape it is in.

Dennis and I are changing to Daddy’s primary care doctor. I talked to them yesterday when I was there with Daddy and got the paperwork to fill out and scheduled an appointment for both of us to get established with him. Our old doctor is retiring and we aren’t very happy with the doctor that is taking over his practice. Plus this will simplify things…working with just one doctor for all of us!

Saturday before last, we spent the day at Sheila’s apartment. She had a couple of jobs for Dennis to do to help her get ready for Nam – rhymes with ham. (She has decided to leave Nam as his first name and make Josiah his middle name. Since he is almost 4 years old, it would be harder for him to adjust to being called a different name than he’s used to.) He also took measurements to build a bench seat that will be set in front of the fireplace. Us girls went shopping, looking for material to make a cushion to go on top of it. We also did some fun shopping (I found a cute toy) and bought some clothes from Kids to Kids. It was a great day!

Then this past Saturday, Sheila and I went to Bellamy’s first birthday party. Poor thing was SO tired by the time the party started, but she did great. She was much more interested in running around the community center in her walker, chasing the other kids and trying to escape, than in presents. She did enjoy the icing on her cake though! After the party, Sheila and I went over to Kay’s to visit for a couple of hours. I knew Dennis would be tied up most of the day in a men’s study, so I wasn’t in a big hurry to go home.

I went to court on my remaining CASA case this morning, and it has been extended for 6 more months. I had really hoped it would be over before Nam comes home, but that ruined that! I will try to remain on the case after we start keeping Nam, but it will not be easy. At least Dennis will be available to keep him if I have to leave for visits or meetings or court. I’m still planning on taking some time off when this case is finalized.

Sunday is our monthly potluck and singing. Layne/Heather and Jamie/Renee have been trading off hosting it every month. They will both be in Vian this weekend, so Dennis and I decided to have it here this time. Our house is still not what you’d call company ready, but we do have room for the smaller crowd that we’re expecting. We aren’t having an out-of-town speaker this time, so it will just be us locals minus the 2 families who will be in Oklahoma. I don’t think anyone in our group will have a problem with our bare concrete floors or disheveled den (where we are storing the china cabinet and work supplies). It has been a long time since we’ve had anyone other than family over, with all of the upheaval from our remodel. We are both ready to change that!

I had my 6 month checkup with my cardiologist yesterday. Everything is good, except I’ve had a chronic cough that we think may be caused from my BP medication. The doctor wanted me to quit taking it for a week to see if I could tell a difference. If so, then we’ll change the type of medicine that I’m taking. He hates to change it without good cause, since it is doing a great job of controlling my BP now. I go back next Wednesday to see what we are going to need to do.

Dennis hasn’t been working on the house much lately. He got the large cabinet installed over the freezer, but that’s all. He installed shelves for Daddy and Bobbie in their apartment, and he’s been working on a project for the grandsons. It is also time for him to get his deer stands and feeders ready for bow season in October, so he’s been working on that quite a bit. He brought his stand and feeder that he had in Spur back home to use at his local hunting spots. He doesn’t plan on hunting back out at the farm anymore. He’s never killed a deer out there, and it is too far to drive to try to maintain his equipment (the wind out there kept blowing things over and tearing them up!). I doubt much will get done on the house until after deer season. The fall is Dennis’ time to enjoy his favorite recreation…and he really needs a break from the house!

Our vacation is now less than one month away, Lord willing!  Whoo-hooo! I am looking forward to turning my phone off and spending 8 days having fun with no responsibilities!

Well, I guess that’s about all for now. Take care, all!

Adoption update, Daddy's health update, and a little home improvement update

Well, as you all probably know by now, SHEILA GOT HER MATCH LETTER LAST WEEK!!!  (Can you tell I'm excited?)  She had waited for so long, and it was really wearing on her...and us.  We are all SO ready to get that little boy home!  We are hoping that we'll be traveling in November to go get him.  I've started my list of things to do to get ready and my list of things to take. I stress out much less when I can see what needs to be done and check it off as I do it.  This has been such a long, hard road, but it is finally feeling REAL.  No matter what I do, I can't stop thinking about Josiah and what things will be like when he is here.  I can't wait to see him in person and hold him and share things with him.  We found out that, for fun, he likes to play with babies and go on outings.  Dennis and I are looking forward to taking him on a LOT of outings!

Thursday night, after finding out Sheila's good news, a group of us went out to eat Vietnamese food to celebrate.  There were 11 of us, all together...a few who had never tried Vietnamese food before.  It was a lot of fun.  There was a lot of laughter, a few (happy) tears, and lots of storytelling going on.  We were SO happy that Thiess happened to be in town and could make it!  He and Gina are going to be the "other grandparents".  They have been Sheila's second pair of parents since we moved up here 12 1/2 years ago.  Up until very recently, rarely did a week go by that she didn't go to their house for supper.  Gina will be my backup babysitter for Josiah.  When Sheila texted her the news on Thursday, she called me up and we cried over the phone together!  It is wonderful to have such good friends who care about Sheila the way they do...and the others who have been so supportive of her throughout this whole process.  Whenever she gets to feeling nervous about taking all of this on by herself, I just remind her that she isn't alone.  She has a host of people who love and support her and will be there when she needs them.  And most importantly, she had the strength that God supplies!

Daddy and Bobbie came over for Sunday dinner yesterday.  The benefit that Daddy was getting from his injections in his back has, unfortunately, worn off.  We noticed it Friday, when they came over to get the a/c in their car repaired.  He was all bent over and crooked again.  He said that the pain started coming back on Thursday...not much of a reprieve.  I take him back to the pain management doctor next Monday to see what else they have to offer.

Today is my "off day."  I stayed up late last night and slept in this morning.  Other than doing a few household chores, I've just been using the time to plan. I have a CASA visit tomorrow, an appointment on Wednesday, and doctor appointments to take Daddy to on Thursday and Friday (both dermatologists).  We never were able to get the second cream for Daddy's skin cancers, and I never could get a response from the doctor's office, so I guess we'll just do without.  I'm hoping he will go ahead and schedule the Mohs surgery when we see him on Thursday.

Dennis finished the window seat (except for caulking around the edges) and did some caulking on the crown molding in the dining room and entryway.  He still needs to do some touchup painting, and I can finally put up my vinyl letters in the dining room.  He plans to start working on the cabinet that will go over the freezer, in the laundry room, next.  I'm REALLY hoping that he will get all of the finishing work in this kitchen area completed before our meeting in October.

Have a great week!

This and that

Things are settling down a bit around here.  Dennis is finally feeling much better...still having trouble with coughing at night.  He was able to make and hang some shelves for Daddy and Bobbie in their bathroom last week.  Their little bathroom had NO storage.  He put in a couple of large shelves that they can stack towels and toiletries on.  He had planned to do it when they first moved in, but they kept talking about wanting to move.  So he decided to wait and make sure they were really going to stay!  They seem to be much more content where they are now.  Daddy is learning to depend on me more and more.  He really resented it at first, but now he seems to not only expect it, but want it.  That sure makes life easier!

I took him back to the plastic surgeon/dermatologist last week.  The cream he was using on his nose wasn't reacting as well as the doctor wanted, so he prescribed a second cream to use for another two weeks.  We still haven't been able to start it, though, because insurance is throwing a fit over how expensive it is.  Hoping to hear today that it has finally been approved, so we can get it started.

Daddy had his injections in his back yesterday.  The procedure went well and he walked out of the office pain-free.  He can now stand almost straight!  He has been so bent over and crooked for such a long time.  I talked to him this morning, and he said he still isn't having any pain.  The doctor had said that if the procedure was successful that he would probably go back and cauterize those nerves for a more permanent solution.  That would be great, if Daddy didn't have to deal with his back pain anymore!

We had our monthly potluck Sunday at James and Renee's house.  Unfortunately our guest speaker got sick and couldn't come, but a few of his in-laws came for a visit.  Daddy and Bobbie came over for lunch.  He had given the lesson at Eastside that morning, so they didn't come to Highway for the assemblies.  I was really surprised when he told me he was speaking again.  It has been years since he last gave a lesson.  He said they provided him a stool to sit on, since he couldn't stand that long.  I haven't had the chance to talk to anyone from there to find out how he did.

I go for my second HepA vaccine this afternoon.  I think I'll still need 2 more vaccines before we travel to Vietnam.  I'm trying to space them out to avoid any potential side effects.  Sheila is supposed to check on the typhoid shots, which we'll have to get at a health clinic.  All of the others I've been able to get at Walgreens.

Tomorrow is Ricky's 29th birthday.  It is hard to believe my "baby" is almost 30!  Sheila is coming over and we are taking him out to the Mesquite Pit for a steak dinner.  That boy does love a good steak!  He is doing very well at his job.  He is about at the 90 day mark, and his boss has already told him to expect another promotion and raise (he's already gotten one).  Last week he had to handle an accident that one of his guys had.  It sounded pretty scary, but he stayed calm and took care of everything very professionally.  He faced a bit of resentment at first, since he came in new and rose above others so quickly that had been there longer, but now he has earned their respect.  He is a good worker and he has always been really good with people!

I go back to my foot doctor tomorrow to be casted for my new orthotics.  Her office is in Keller, so it will take a big chunk out of my day.  That will be the last doctor appointment for this week though!  We already have 2-3 doctor visits lined up every week for the next 3 weeks.  I keep hoping this is going to slow down at some point!

Dennis goes in next week to sign up for Medicare.  We are looking forward to that kicking in!  His insurance through USPS will be his supplemental, plus we'll still have the prescription benefits with it, so our medical expenses will drop to almost nothing for him.  I still have another six years until I get there though.

Dennis hasn't done anything on the house while he's been feeling bad.  He has managed to keep up with the mowing and watering.  I finally got the "jungle" in our front yard trimmed back and sacked up for trash pick-up.  With the cooler temps and cloud cover this week, we shouldn't have to work so hard to keep the grass alive.  It has been a battle lately with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees every day.  (I dread getting our water bill for July!)

Our vacation plans are back on for the latter part of September.  We had decided we would have to cancel, because we didn't know when Sheila and I would be travelling to Vietnam.  There is NO way, now, that we will be going in September.  We still didn't feel like we could be gone 18 days like we had originally planned.  I need to be accessible for Daddy and that is too long to be out of pocket.  So we modified our plans to drive straight to the Grand Canyon, spend three days, and then drive straight back for a total of 8 days.  Our plans are to spend a couple of nights on the way out with Lawrence and Sharon.  They've been after us to come see them for years.  We plan to stop in Amarillo on our way home to visit with that congregation.  We are really looking forward to getting away for a few days!  Dennis has always wanted to see the Grand Canyon.  I went when I was 18, but it was with my mom and dad.  We spent maybe 15 minutes.  So I'm looking forward to really getting to spend some time there.  We are also going to the North Rim, which is supposed to be much more spectacular and not as crowded.  This will be our 40th anniversary trip, so I'm really thankful that we are going to be able to go (Lord willing)!

We have our plans made for our yearly October Meeting at Highway.  It will be October 27-29.  I'm really looking forward to it!  We have Gene Siemens, Terry Avaritt, David Pettit and Jensen Porter lined up as speakers.  In the 50+ years that I've known Terry, I've never had the opportunity to hear him speak.  I am very excited to finally get the chance!  I've heard the other three and they are all excellent teachers.  I think it will be a great meeting!  I hope some of you will get to come join us!