The Next Chapter
This weekend was full of many heart-felt memories. Our pastor (my honorary dad) of 22 years retired. We are 99.9% happy that he'll be able to enjoy this season of his life with health. We are 0.01% feeling sorry for ourselves!
We had a celebration of his time and Ronda made her appearance. It was quite an honor to be a part of their celebration. I even got to lead the whole program off with my Ronda skit. What could've been a very sad and tearful event, turned out to be a celebration of them with laughter and fond memories. We got a chance to visit with all of their children (they have 4) and their families. For me, this was better than any high school reunion. Youth group and church was where I spent my time, so this was a coming home of sorts.
Health Section
It's true that the family who sneezes together, stays together. Even when those sneezes turn into strep throat. N was such a champ this weekend, going to church and the celebration. He didn't lead on that he was as sick as he is. He's home in bed with strep and a cold. Poor guy. I'm reminded of that line from Romeo & Juliet "...a plague on both your houses." Now if we could just get the house to sell, maybe the plague will be lifted!
Zoe had a physical therapy appointment yesterday. Now that she's feeling better, we have started the twice-weekly therapy. Mo used to be her friend because she could get Zoe to do things Zoe really wanted to do. Like helping her crawl and become mobile. Now Zoe can do those things and really doesn't want anything to do with Mo. I feel bad because it will be a character building opportunity for Zoe, but we want her to be able to do all the things other children can. She'll thank us later!
Around the World
When I got home from work yesterday we had two packages on the table. One was for D & E, who we'll let open the package next time we see them. One was for Zoe. The post office stamp indicated this was sent from Hawaii, so you know it's something fun. Zoe's Great Grandma, who we call G.G., always finds the perfect gift (she's in the front row with N's arm around her). At Christmas she sent Zoe a book called Island Opposites. It is one of Zoe's favorites and she reads it to me every time we're in the car.
However, nothing could've prepared me for the gift Zoe was about to open. It was her first, grass, hula skirt. Once we got it on her, she wouldn't let us take it off. When I started to take it off for her bath, she started to cry. She was doing her hula dance all through the house. She got a couple new books, a very cute bikini that I'll get pictures of later, a couple dresses, and a shirt from the Sea Life Park. The grass skirt was her favorite. Even daddy, who was so sick, got the biggest smile when she greeted him at the door in her ensemble.
The Extended Family
This last week has really been stressful for our extended family. My honorary mom, Lily, has a brother in the hospital. He went in because of having pain around his spleen area. Once they did testing, they realized it was lymphoma. This past week has been an emotional rollercoaster as they tried to determine what kind of lymphoma he had. The Lord is great and the answer we got this morning gives all glory to God. The lymphoma is curable. They gave me a ton of medical terminology, but I can't really remember much after I heard it was curable. My uncle Robin is a man I truly respect for his hard work and work ethic. He's had some major trials in his life, but he's overcome them with great spirit. I'm so glad to hear this was his diagnosis.
This week has been a reminder of how much we are surrounded by the people that are examples of love. They demonstrate a genuine love, not through the things they do for us, but by their character. N and I are so fortunate to have these people in our lives as examples. Thank you for being in our lives and for showing us the meaning of true love. We are truly blessed by each of you.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Wednesday Cusette
Health Section
It seems we can't shake this horrible cold. Zoe has had either a cough or runny nose or both for three weeks. After a weekend of increased coughing, we went back to the doctor. It's still a virus, but she has the start of an ear infection. Her first! She's on antibiotics and seems to be doing better. We are so blessed she's such a good medicine taker! She's still tired and cuddly, but more talkative. She even greeted N home from work on Saturday.
I'm two weeks into this cold and I'm positive going through a box of Kleenex every couple days isn't good. I had no idea a cold could produce so much gunk. N's starting to feel more tired and achy. I guess the family that sneezes together, stays together.
Business Section
I had the awesome opportunity to travel to Tacoma yesterday for an all-day meeting at Russell Investments. They are still my Tacoma family. It was so nice to catch-up with people and to see all the things going on in their lives. Part of me is sad that I'm no longer there. It was the first job I ever had that I had a passion for, along with a passion for my colleagues. I know God has provided me with an amazing job here in Spokane and I'm grateful for this opportunity, but the people at Russell will always have a special place in my heart.
Housing Market
Last week we got a call from our realtor. He was very candid. He's out of ideas on our house and perhaps it's a good time to get a new face in there. While I appreciated his candor, this left a hole that was going to be hard to fill because we didn't know of any realtor in the area. N and I began to pray for direction. When a listing expires, realtors get a list and you can get solicitation calls. We received a call from a young man with a company I don't know much about. Within the first few minutes he was talking about God and how much he's been blessed in this slow market. N and I took this as a sign he might be able to help us. Because their company is fairly new, they say they'll sell your house in 6 weeks or you get $1,200. After getting into specifics and reading the fine print, N and I are inclined to go with him. In 6 week we either won't own a house or we'll have some money to help lower the price. Which I don't think is a bad gig.
We're working on cleaning up the yard and really making this house more appealing. While it's not gone yet, N and I have some renewed hope. Please continue to pray that God brings the perfect family into this house who can make it the home we had hoped it would be for us.
Church News
This week we are preparing for our pastor's retirement. It's bittersweet as he is the only pastor I've ever really known. He joined our church a few months after we did. He's my honorary dad as well. While I'm so thrilled he'll be able to enjoy this season of his life with health, I'm sad to see him go. We've been busy getting ready for the retirement party on Sunday. I'm doing a skit for him. I even enlisted N to help with props (I needed a tire and he brought me one from the motorcycle shop). In 2002 our church went through the 40 Days of Purpose. For 6 weeks I played a character named Ronda. She is charmingly aloof and quite funny. Some people at church still refer to me as Ronda. Who knew you could get typecast at church! I'm having fun writing the skits and preparing to perform. Hopefully it'll lighten the mood as everyone, including my dad are feeling a little sad.
The Cusettes
D and E are doing well. They each had soccer games on Saturday, which fortunately weren't cancelled due to the snow! N is planning on taking them for a date this weekend. Should be fun.
Zoe has been spending lots of time in the bath lately. The steam seems to help clear her lungs and nose. She's getting to be such a big helper. At 3:30 this morning, I had a revelation. I'm starting to think "nee-nee" means binky to her. She usually just calls for me in the middle of the night, but this morning it was for "nee-nee." When I gave her the binky, she was pleased and actually wanted to fall back to sleep. One of the items on her developmental evaluations is having words for certain things. While I'm not found of the word "nee-nee," it's cute hearing her learn.
It seems we can't shake this horrible cold. Zoe has had either a cough or runny nose or both for three weeks. After a weekend of increased coughing, we went back to the doctor. It's still a virus, but she has the start of an ear infection. Her first! She's on antibiotics and seems to be doing better. We are so blessed she's such a good medicine taker! She's still tired and cuddly, but more talkative. She even greeted N home from work on Saturday.
I'm two weeks into this cold and I'm positive going through a box of Kleenex every couple days isn't good. I had no idea a cold could produce so much gunk. N's starting to feel more tired and achy. I guess the family that sneezes together, stays together.
Business Section
I had the awesome opportunity to travel to Tacoma yesterday for an all-day meeting at Russell Investments. They are still my Tacoma family. It was so nice to catch-up with people and to see all the things going on in their lives. Part of me is sad that I'm no longer there. It was the first job I ever had that I had a passion for, along with a passion for my colleagues. I know God has provided me with an amazing job here in Spokane and I'm grateful for this opportunity, but the people at Russell will always have a special place in my heart.
Housing Market
Last week we got a call from our realtor. He was very candid. He's out of ideas on our house and perhaps it's a good time to get a new face in there. While I appreciated his candor, this left a hole that was going to be hard to fill because we didn't know of any realtor in the area. N and I began to pray for direction. When a listing expires, realtors get a list and you can get solicitation calls. We received a call from a young man with a company I don't know much about. Within the first few minutes he was talking about God and how much he's been blessed in this slow market. N and I took this as a sign he might be able to help us. Because their company is fairly new, they say they'll sell your house in 6 weeks or you get $1,200. After getting into specifics and reading the fine print, N and I are inclined to go with him. In 6 week we either won't own a house or we'll have some money to help lower the price. Which I don't think is a bad gig.
We're working on cleaning up the yard and really making this house more appealing. While it's not gone yet, N and I have some renewed hope. Please continue to pray that God brings the perfect family into this house who can make it the home we had hoped it would be for us.
Church News
This week we are preparing for our pastor's retirement. It's bittersweet as he is the only pastor I've ever really known. He joined our church a few months after we did. He's my honorary dad as well. While I'm so thrilled he'll be able to enjoy this season of his life with health, I'm sad to see him go. We've been busy getting ready for the retirement party on Sunday. I'm doing a skit for him. I even enlisted N to help with props (I needed a tire and he brought me one from the motorcycle shop). In 2002 our church went through the 40 Days of Purpose. For 6 weeks I played a character named Ronda. She is charmingly aloof and quite funny. Some people at church still refer to me as Ronda. Who knew you could get typecast at church! I'm having fun writing the skits and preparing to perform. Hopefully it'll lighten the mood as everyone, including my dad are feeling a little sad.
The Cusettes
D and E are doing well. They each had soccer games on Saturday, which fortunately weren't cancelled due to the snow! N is planning on taking them for a date this weekend. Should be fun.
Zoe has been spending lots of time in the bath lately. The steam seems to help clear her lungs and nose. She's getting to be such a big helper. At 3:30 this morning, I had a revelation. I'm starting to think "nee-nee" means binky to her. She usually just calls for me in the middle of the night, but this morning it was for "nee-nee." When I gave her the binky, she was pleased and actually wanted to fall back to sleep. One of the items on her developmental evaluations is having words for certain things. While I'm not found of the word "nee-nee," it's cute hearing her learn.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Health Report
The Cerebral Palsy Update
First I want to say thank you for your prayers! They are working. The therapist, Mo, saw improvement in Zoe's use of her left leg, even leading off with it when walking. I know that might seem minor, but this is a huge improvement from where Zoe was a few weeks ago.
Zoe is still struggling with not putting her left knee over her heel when getting up. This shows poor muscle tone in her left leg. Mo isn't sure if this indicates solely her heel chord being tight or if her left glute is also weak.
The plan is to postpone an "official" diagnosis of cerebral palsy at this point because Zoe is showing signs of improvement. Which wouldn't necessarily be the case if she had cerebral palsy. If we had her diagnosed now, that diagnosis would follow her the rest of her life as CP is not correctable. This issue that she's having could be some muscle development issues (they had some fancy medical term that I don't remember), which is correctable, rather than CP.
However, some of the basic concerns are still evident. The plan now is to increase her therapy times to twice a week. Mo is going to work with Zoe intensely during their sessions to help loosen and strengthen her little muscles. The good news is these exercises are really play time for Zoe. We play peek-a-boo through her legs, have her reach for things while sitting on our laps, and was have a dance-like maneuver for helping her learn to go from sitting to getting on her knees. She loves it!
Some of these things are obviously working because after her nap time on Tuesday, my mom found her standing in her crib. Normally Zoe doesn't go from laying down to sitting to standing. She is now!
While we're not out of the cerebral palsy woods, we're definitely seeing some light through the branches.
First I want to say thank you for your prayers! They are working. The therapist, Mo, saw improvement in Zoe's use of her left leg, even leading off with it when walking. I know that might seem minor, but this is a huge improvement from where Zoe was a few weeks ago.
Zoe is still struggling with not putting her left knee over her heel when getting up. This shows poor muscle tone in her left leg. Mo isn't sure if this indicates solely her heel chord being tight or if her left glute is also weak.
The plan is to postpone an "official" diagnosis of cerebral palsy at this point because Zoe is showing signs of improvement. Which wouldn't necessarily be the case if she had cerebral palsy. If we had her diagnosed now, that diagnosis would follow her the rest of her life as CP is not correctable. This issue that she's having could be some muscle development issues (they had some fancy medical term that I don't remember), which is correctable, rather than CP.
However, some of the basic concerns are still evident. The plan now is to increase her therapy times to twice a week. Mo is going to work with Zoe intensely during their sessions to help loosen and strengthen her little muscles. The good news is these exercises are really play time for Zoe. We play peek-a-boo through her legs, have her reach for things while sitting on our laps, and was have a dance-like maneuver for helping her learn to go from sitting to getting on her knees. She loves it!
Some of these things are obviously working because after her nap time on Tuesday, my mom found her standing in her crib. Normally Zoe doesn't go from laying down to sitting to standing. She is now!
While we're not out of the cerebral palsy woods, we're definitely seeing some light through the branches.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Special Edition: A Weekend as a Cusette
THE RUMORS ARE TRUE
D and E did get their long locks shorn. They're both wearing their hair chin length. We can always count on them to lead the summer hair fashion. D had her hair curled for her soccer game on Saturday. It takes a seasoned veteran to be able to play the field and do "new hair cut" hair flips while defending your goal. She did it with style and ease.
E decided to go with a short pony for the first sunny day of spring. It was a wise choice.
For those of you who must see for yourself, here is your chance.
ON THE FIELD
It was the perfect day for soccer. We had sun and blue skies. The fields were dry and the kids were eager to play. D's team, the Blue Dragons, are now at the age where they play with goalies. Who wore the red shirt first? Our very own D. She did an awesome job defending the goal and keeping her hair in tact. It's not easy looking good while playing, but she makes it look effortless. A few corner shots got through and she almost took one right to the face.
Fortunately she walked away in tact. So much so she scored two goals in the second half. I think we may start calling her Fancy Feet here soon.
E's team had the later game. The Purple Pixies have been practicing their pull-stops (you pull the ball from the opponent with your foot and stop them from having it). She's really quite good. They were ready to put their practicing into action. Apparently word has spread about The Purple Pixies being such a dominating force on the field that the opposing team decided not to show at all. Instead of letting the time on the field go to waste, they enlisted the help of the next best thing. The parents! N spent 45 minutes chasing 6 years olds around a field.
It was a smashing success. At the end of the game N got a high-five from E, along with a "good game dad." I don't think I've ever heard him so out of breath or so full of joy.
Since our sports photographer was actually part of the action, not many photos were taken.
NEW FRIENDS
Zoe is also feeling MUCH better. Her cold is almost gone, except for the occasional cough. What made her weekend even better was a surprise package she received from Grammie and Grandpa. She got her first "get well" care package! She loves mail! For the first time she loved the mail more than the envelope. Inside was a stuffed polar bear named Maggie. Since Saturday afternoon, they have been buddies. Zoe carries Maggie around on her shoulder, giving her a constant hug and squeeling with delight.
We ended the weekend with a walk around the neighborhood. Zoe loved the sun on her legs and the breeze in her hair. I loved the exercise and time with N. A great weekend with great Cusettes!
D and E did get their long locks shorn. They're both wearing their hair chin length. We can always count on them to lead the summer hair fashion. D had her hair curled for her soccer game on Saturday. It takes a seasoned veteran to be able to play the field and do "new hair cut" hair flips while defending your goal. She did it with style and ease.
E decided to go with a short pony for the first sunny day of spring. It was a wise choice.
For those of you who must see for yourself, here is your chance.
ON THE FIELD
It was the perfect day for soccer. We had sun and blue skies. The fields were dry and the kids were eager to play. D's team, the Blue Dragons, are now at the age where they play with goalies. Who wore the red shirt first? Our very own D. She did an awesome job defending the goal and keeping her hair in tact. It's not easy looking good while playing, but she makes it look effortless. A few corner shots got through and she almost took one right to the face.
Fortunately she walked away in tact. So much so she scored two goals in the second half. I think we may start calling her Fancy Feet here soon.
E's team had the later game. The Purple Pixies have been practicing their pull-stops (you pull the ball from the opponent with your foot and stop them from having it). She's really quite good. They were ready to put their practicing into action. Apparently word has spread about The Purple Pixies being such a dominating force on the field that the opposing team decided not to show at all. Instead of letting the time on the field go to waste, they enlisted the help of the next best thing. The parents! N spent 45 minutes chasing 6 years olds around a field.
It was a smashing success. At the end of the game N got a high-five from E, along with a "good game dad." I don't think I've ever heard him so out of breath or so full of joy.
Since our sports photographer was actually part of the action, not many photos were taken.
NEW FRIENDS
Zoe is also feeling MUCH better. Her cold is almost gone, except for the occasional cough. What made her weekend even better was a surprise package she received from Grammie and Grandpa. She got her first "get well" care package! She loves mail! For the first time she loved the mail more than the envelope. Inside was a stuffed polar bear named Maggie. Since Saturday afternoon, they have been buddies. Zoe carries Maggie around on her shoulder, giving her a constant hug and squeeling with delight.
We ended the weekend with a walk around the neighborhood. Zoe loved the sun on her legs and the breeze in her hair. I loved the exercise and time with N. A great weekend with great Cusettes!
Friday, April 11, 2008
The First Edition
In an attempt to keep everyone up to speed on the lives of our little clan, I thought I would create a blog, to be updated at least weekly. It will serve as a newsletter of sorts since much of our family doesn't live near us or our busy schedule keeps us from staying in touch as much as we'd like. Enjoy!
Business Section
N is still working hard at two jobs. He's been busy putting together motorcycles this week at job #2 in anticipation of spring fever and rising gas prices. He had 6 bikes to put together yesterday. Needless to say, he's exhausted. Not to mention eager to someday have the breeze in his goatee and the open pavement under his own, two tires.
Today he's working hard assembling some really big machine I can't seem to understand what it really is, although I try. As an attempt to lure the workers into the office on their day off, they're getting free lunch. N seems pretty stoked about that.
I'm busy trying to get people to understand the need to invest for retirement. This never ending task seems to be compounded by the lovely market we've been experiencing.
Style Section
D and E got their hair cut this week. After having long, brunette locks down the middle of their backs, I hear it's about chin length. The rumor is that they look adorable. N should get a good look at them this weekend!
Health Section
Zoe is growing like a weed. She is recovering from her adult-sized cold. She still has a bit of a cough, but is back to her sassy self. She officially weighs in at 21 lbs 12 ozs. We decided to postpone her therapy appointment regarding her diagnosis of cerebral palsy due to her cold. However, the therapist has noticed some improvement since she's been wearing the braces. Maybe it's not officially cerebral palsy, but more just a redirection of some bad habits!
She also had an eye exam today. All premature babies should have an eye exam once they reach one year old. It is not uncommon for children born as early as Zoe to have sight problems. However, she got a "completely normal" for her diagnosis. Praise the Lord!
Sports Section
D and E have soccer games this weekend. D is a seasoned veteran, having played last season. She had 3 goals to her record, so we're confident this season will be another success for her. E is returning for her sophomore season with her wicked side kick that should leave the opposing team a little nervous. We're hoping to send our very own sports photographer to get some good action shots.
Housing Market
Is still slow! The house in Puyallup is still for sale. We had a showing last week, which makes 4 showings in the last 5 weeks. Although we've yet to have an offer. This is the most showings we've had in the last year, so maybe April showers will bring more than May flowers...
Business Section
N is still working hard at two jobs. He's been busy putting together motorcycles this week at job #2 in anticipation of spring fever and rising gas prices. He had 6 bikes to put together yesterday. Needless to say, he's exhausted. Not to mention eager to someday have the breeze in his goatee and the open pavement under his own, two tires.
Today he's working hard assembling some really big machine I can't seem to understand what it really is, although I try. As an attempt to lure the workers into the office on their day off, they're getting free lunch. N seems pretty stoked about that.
I'm busy trying to get people to understand the need to invest for retirement. This never ending task seems to be compounded by the lovely market we've been experiencing.
Style Section
D and E got their hair cut this week. After having long, brunette locks down the middle of their backs, I hear it's about chin length. The rumor is that they look adorable. N should get a good look at them this weekend!
Health Section
Zoe is growing like a weed. She is recovering from her adult-sized cold. She still has a bit of a cough, but is back to her sassy self. She officially weighs in at 21 lbs 12 ozs. We decided to postpone her therapy appointment regarding her diagnosis of cerebral palsy due to her cold. However, the therapist has noticed some improvement since she's been wearing the braces. Maybe it's not officially cerebral palsy, but more just a redirection of some bad habits!
She also had an eye exam today. All premature babies should have an eye exam once they reach one year old. It is not uncommon for children born as early as Zoe to have sight problems. However, she got a "completely normal" for her diagnosis. Praise the Lord!
Sports Section
D and E have soccer games this weekend. D is a seasoned veteran, having played last season. She had 3 goals to her record, so we're confident this season will be another success for her. E is returning for her sophomore season with her wicked side kick that should leave the opposing team a little nervous. We're hoping to send our very own sports photographer to get some good action shots.
Housing Market
Is still slow! The house in Puyallup is still for sale. We had a showing last week, which makes 4 showings in the last 5 weeks. Although we've yet to have an offer. This is the most showings we've had in the last year, so maybe April showers will bring more than May flowers...
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