Asher

With all the excitement of last week, Wendell and I left for home Sabbath morning. Traffic on I81 was horrific.. bumper to bumper and low gear all the way to I 80 ! 80 was a clear shot and we headed home finally.
I was met with a crashed computer.. thus, I haven't been online at all for 3 days.. it hasn't been so bad, but I do need it fixed. I actually know what it's problem is, but don't know how to remove the part.. ugh. The socket for the monitor is defective and I get no signal to from the pc, though it tries to come on when I turn it on. It's just frustrating.
John has kindly given me the go ahead tonite to use his computer to check emails and the blogs.

Today is a big day here.. baby Asher and his mom are coming home this afternoon. I just am in such awe that he arrived while we were here.. and thank the Lord for a safe arrival, and that he is healthy and able to come home today- he's 4 weeks early.
Isaac is going to a party today and will be home later on in the day.
Wendell and I will be heading home tomorrow morning.. pray for traveling mercies please..

My little 'sidekick' Eli

Asher

Wow! What a thrilling day this has been. All the kids got to see and hold their new baby brother. Eli greeted his mom and since she was holding Asher, he announced 'I turn!', and he was allowed to hold him. I was a bit concerned that he would have a meltdown again when he saw his mom, but I'm told he did very very well with the visit. Amen.
He has done quite well today for Wendell and me also. I have to admit, he took a very long afternoon nap, but woke up very pleasant later. I made roast beef and mashed potatoes for supper. It was all put away when Eli woke up, so he had a ham and cheese on white with a handful of chips.. followed by cherry jello with whipped topping and then some fresh strawberries- he ate every one.
The older kids went outside to play for a while and I got the evening snack ready. Esther asked me one day this week if I could please stay longer as she loves having a real prepared evening or bedtime snack. Truth be known, I do it for Wendell especially to ward off insulin shock.. you know, just in case? But I've been more creative with the snacks.. apples and cheese, cheese and crackers, or crackers with cream cheese.. tonite we had a dinner plate full of fresh strawberries along with colby-jack cheese. Another plate had crackers filled with cream cheese. I asked the kids if it was okay and they all gave me a thumbs up and said "awesome!"

It's 11 pm right now.. I'm really tired, but though all the household is asleep.. Eli is awake and 'fixing' the kitchen table with masking tape. He's so sweet- "one more pease?".. how could I say no to that polite little guy?? With each piece of tape he tells me 'tack you'.. and I reply 'you're welcome!'

I think I need a little sandwich before bed. I missed out on the bedtime snack.. and since I can't eat beef, I feel a little hungry..

baby Asher Valentine

Cory with baby Asher

Papa held him too.. he's so little!

Happy Birth Day Asher

It was a rough night for everyone.. I guess I mentioned that I got up around 2:30am with Wendy. I had a difficult time assessing her status, but it seemed she was having some hard contractions though they were not even close to regular or mostly short duration. Braxton Hicks can do that too.. but she was so very miserable .. She called the hospital to ask what to do.. of course they told her to come in to be checked.. I knew something was up, but Asher wasn't due till August 13th.
Wendy toyed with the idea of getting some relief in a warm tub of water, but between Cory and me, we urged her to just go get checked out.. that was after 4am.. Asher made his appearance at 5am. We were all truly surprised, but delighted. He's a little guy- 5# and 6 oz- Wendy was 5#12oz when she was born at 36 weeks also. He's 19" long.. definitely preemie. He spent the first few hours in the NICU but did so well, he's now in the regular nursery and the plan is to hopefully bring him home Saturday if nothing else holds him back.
The kids were so excited when Cory came through the door and said "Asher is Here!"
In fact he had to call them all back inside, as they thought he meant he brought him home with him..
We made arrangements for the other grandparents to take the kids down after lunch.. Wendell and I cranked up my GPS and off we went to the hospital to see #10 grandchild. He was in the room with Wendy and the nurse had just changed his diaper..I did take a couple pictures and some movies of him too..

Wednesday

It is early Wednesday morning . I've been up since 4:30am and having my coffee . It's quiet. The children are all still in bed sleeping.
It would appear that it will be a lovely day today again. We have been blessed with fabulous weather. .. it is chilly at night- in the high 40s.
It has been educational here.. I have learned about the habits of bats- and have seen them up close- too close. There are bats in the crawl spaces upstairs, and Batman has been here once this week to cleanse the house of them. All the spaces are now caulked except for 2 on the house. There are fishnets hanging from the roof. Last night I walked around the side of the house with Cory and watched the bats come out. Not a lot.. I think they are mostly gone. They can get out but not back inside. Interesting. Yesterday morning there was one in the playroom. We found him flying around last evening and he's now outside. Actually, Cory had a broom and dustpan in his hand and the bat hit the dustpan and went sailing backward into a box which Cory then removed from the house. Batman is to return today.

Today is Gayle's birthday.. Happy birthday Gaylie!! - She is 25... er.. 5- she just THINKS she's older... hehehehe Esther was 7 on Monday..
I'll have pictures of our visit to post later.. after we return home. We are planning on leaving here Saturday morning.
Today the girls and Eli get haircuts.. Eli is looking a bit shaggy, but he's so adorable even so. He reminds me of David with shaggy hair.. sweet.
Wendell and I are going to do an 'on your own ' day today. After the kids have their haircuts, Cory is going to take them to Gramma and Poppy Valentine's home for the rest of the afternoon. Wendell and I will take Wendy and the kids to lunch prior to the hair salon.- then we are heading back toward Hallstead and will be doing a little shopping.
I brought the eggs and some candies and quarters, so we will have an egg hunt here either tonite or tomorrow.. I really enjoyed doing that with the Blair kids..
I've been playing Uno and Big Fish, Lil Fish with the kids as well as Armor of God, a game Esther has here. Isaac is really good at Uno. I plan to challenge him to the Uno Championship of the World this week.. best 2 out of 3 games. Hmmmmm.. he's hard to beat.
Wendell and I are going to look for a SkipBo game too- the kids played it at our house before and even Gayle can play a modified version.
All the dust and no rest (or not much) took Cory to the doctor yesterday.. bronchitis. He had moved EVERYTHING from the upstairs to the playroom and there was dust. He looked some better last night.
One of the gifts the girls got for their birthdays was a Water Park. It's a big pool that sprays water from all different angles. It had a basketball and hoop too.. cute. The kids had such a good time splashing around in it..
Oh.. and I'll be coming home with Gayle's secret recipe for Mud. She is such a hoot!!!
It's almost 7:30.. gotta get a move on..

Saturday

Saturday was a good day.. though threatened with rain all day, it finally arrived in the afternoon.
Wendy and I went for supplies and gifts for the girls..
Today is the Sabbath.. we have not made it to church due to aches, pains and a GI upset.
The fruit salad is ready to go and the cake is being picked up now. It's going to be a delightful day.. cameras are ready and let the fun begin!

Friday

Greetings from Hallstead PA , home of our daughter Wendy and her hubby Cory and our 4+ grandchildren..
It was an uneventful trip and we arrived a bit after 9pm. There was construction on the interstates and a few spots of one lane at 40mph... but those were tolerable.
Today Wendy and Cory went to the hospital to meet their new niece Ella who was born late yesterday afternoon. The kids here can hardly wait to meet her!
Isaac and Cory have gone to a Boy Scout camp out tonite and tomorrow we go shopping for some birthday stuff.
To the Z's- the girls were so ecstatic at all the stuff you sent. I do have it on video.. the squeals of delight
and to the V's - great choices.. all the kids were thrilled to pieces over everything.
Wendell and Wendy are watching a movie.. Pink Panther 2.. the kids are all gone to bed. I may join them soon.
I'll catch up some more tomorrow I hope..

Road trip

It's a good day to take a road trip. That's after work today. I still have to work most of the day- 9 patients are awaiting infusions. I'll be very tired and sore when I'm done, but Wendell will do the driving to Valentines this afternoon. Pray for traveling mercy for us please.

Pray for no 'events' at the office too. The past 2 weeks we have had one event each week. Minor little things, but needing special attention nonetheless. The truth be known, in 6 years of infusions of biologics, we have had 3 actual reactions to the biologics. Everything else has been infusion reaction or just anxiety related. I can say that with authority in that the patients have all been able to finish the IV after they got settled down again. Curious.
Other kinds of problems exist, but these are related to patients who, when asked, deny any signs of infection figuring their sore throat is a minor thing, and then the molehill becomes a mountain. Biologics lower the immune system.

Gotta get a move on here.. lots to do before work and then, I have an early start today, so I need to be there a little earlier.

To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. You rescue those who are humble.…As for God, his way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true.…
Psalm 18:25-27,30 NLT

Faithful and dependable

A hot morning shower, a fresh cup of coffee.
The lights in your kitchen and bathroom.
What would you do if you were deprived of the basics of your dependable morning routine?
Many of us would start shutting down.
It's easy to take hot water and electricity for granted.
The same is true of faithful love.
It's easy to take for granted the person who is always there to listen to your problems.
It's easy to take for granted the person you run to when you're frustrated or in trouble.
It's even easier to take for granted God's faithful care for you and your family.
Every day God sustains the world in which we move and live.
He provides food, clothing, and opportunities for employment.
Most important, he showers love and concern on us every day.
Our God is a faithful God.
He is entirely dependable.
That same type of faithful and dependable love is the foundation of every strong relationship.
Love is cheap if it's given only when things are going fine.
Our love for others must be consistent and dependable.

Adapted from Praying God's Promises for My Marriage by Jon Farrar (Tyndale House) pp 24-25

Black clouds

I really don't know what's up today.. I seem so down and sad for some reason. I could use a little prayer if you could spare a moment or two. I'm glad this doesn't happen very often, but today seems like it's just overbearing.. like a black cloud over my head?

It didn't stop me from transplanting some of my flowers and bushes. I really didn't have my heart in it, but I did it anyway. The little pots were just too little and the plants needed more space. The weather prevaricator says it's to be 79* today. I have to agree, it's warm out there and I seek shade when I go outdoors.
Maybe I should seek out some food? I haven't eaten yet today.

BIRTHDAY PICS

Just a couple more birthday pictures .. these ones were taken by the Z's..

It's been a quiet day. The Z's have gone to the fair, the little B's have gone to visit friends for the 4th, and though we had a lovely luncheon invitation from the V's today, we also had a power outage and that meant no running water to wash ourselves and no water for Wendell to shave. Right now he looks like a shaggy dog..hehehe
I went out earlier and planted impatiens, forget me nots, and zinnias in the new big tractor tire. They looked happy.. if plants could look happy, that is.
Then from there, it was all downhill.. a lazy day.. do nothing day.. just loafed around.. waiting for the power to come back on.
Wendell and I had hot dogs on the grill tonite.. pretty good. But now I'm kind of sleepy and feel like I'd like to just take a nap.. or go to bed- it's after 9pm now. The neighbors are setting off fireworks again tonite.. they are pretty, I'll say that for them.
Church tomorrow..

4th of July 2009

Wendell called me outside last evening to watch fireworks from our front porch. They were so beautiful. It was actually the next door neighbor setting them off. I didn't realize those big ones could be done legally in one's back yard.. especially in the wooded area where we live. Hmmm

Happy 4th of July to you all.. do something restful today. Have a picnic.. enjoy the sunshine. It's a beautiful day today.

4th of July eve

It's Independence Day eve.. there are some who want to change it to Dependence day.. not me, I love liberty and freedom. I'm thankful that our forefathers trusted the Lord and formed this nation over 200 years ago. God blessed us for many years.. but many have turned their backs on Him and denied him.. we will suffer for these unbelievers - come to think of it- we already are.

It's been a lazy Friday.. the weekend is upon us and I am thankful for that. I finally got the last of the peat moss needed for the big tractor tire. It took 4 bales and then I topped it off with a huge bag of potting soil. I'll be ready to plant my flowers tomorrow. Hopefully it will have settled a bit by then.

It has rained nearly all day and is about 70* outside. Tonite should drop to a cool 54*.. that's okay, the weekend promises to be sunny. So what are YOUR plans for the 4th? Wendell and I want to just stay home and maybe have a hot dog or two.. just a quiet day. I want to plant flowers too.. but nothing else on the agenda.

Bariatric surgical appointment

Just wanted you all to know the appointment went well today. Please refer to the DOWNSIZING blog for more information.

A BIG
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
TO OUR OLDEST GRANDCHILD
JOYCE..
SHE'S OFFICIALLY
12
TODAY!!!!

I feel like my mind is in a whirlwind.. I don't seem to be able to concentrate on anything for any length of time. However, we accomplished a lot today despite it. It's all good.
Wendell and I planned to do too much, I think. We didn't get home till after 2pm, so the trip to the Y for swimming was a 'no show'. {{sigh}} But, we did manage to get to Sam's Club and then the local grocery store to get some needed supplies.
We had pizza for supper tonite.. home made.. well, not exactly.. frozen pizza that Mandy doctored to suit us all. I made fresh fruit salad- my reason for wanting to go to Sam's Club. Oh..to die for!
Fresh fruit only- pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, red and green grapes, red raspberries and blackberries- these were 1 1/2 " long and about an inch diameter! WOW! I also got kiwi , apples, and bananas, but not for fruit salad. Mandy was in a quandary- we also have fresh watermelon for lunches.. so she took a container of each!
Later, I went out and bought a bale of peat moss for our tire that will eventually hold flowers. I wasn't sure the size of the bale, and I now see we need 2 more. Rats! I have potting soil to put on top of it all, but it was like a drop in a bucket when I emptied the bale of peat into the tire. I really was hoping it would be enough.. I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer. We need to stay closer to our budget since next Thursday we leave for Valentines for the girls' birthdays.
Sometimes I wonder if God intends for us to have that tire filled at all.. just pondering...
Tomorrow is a big day for us. Wendell will see the bariatric surgeon for the first time as an official patient. WOOHOO!!!! His PCP told him to do more activity during the day for 30'. He actually walked over to see Mandy and John's little garden and looked over the cucumbers that are now about 6" long. It's a start. Too bad we missed the pool..
Now I'm weary of the day and just want my bed.. but it's too early yet.
Wendy and Cory went to the Poconos with the kids for an over-nighter and a day at the waterpark. You'll have to click on VALENTINE HAPPENINGS on the right hand side of this page to see pictures and read about their mini vacation. Probably tomorrow, though.. they sound like they are having a super de duper time and won't be home till later today.
As for me... I'm going to wash the dinner dishes and then settle myself down for a while. It felt like a long day.