Catching up - Finally!

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update you on things around here - especially DC's post-surgery status. The surgery went very well, but was more than I knew it was going to be. He ended up staying two days and nights, which to me seems quite unusual these days. He went to my folks' place for the next three days for some quiet recuperation. My mom's super at this sort of thing - DC says she has a servant heart, which is true. Both his mom and mine are that way. We are so blessed.

We brought him home just in time - my dad looked absolutely horrific when I went to pick DC up. His face was red and his one eye was almost swollen shut. He didn't want to go to the doctor - thought they'd do an MRI and he didn't want that. He thought it was some backlash from a fall - two weeks ago (which he didn't tell us about, BTW). I told him that seemed unlikely to me and he REALLY needed to get to the doctor. Later that afternoon they finally took my advice and went to the ER, because their doc was out of town. Diagnosis - shingles! Two weeks later, it was worse yesterday. Poor Dad.

DC spent the rest of the week in bed, with lots of loving attention from the littles - he missed them so much.




DC returned to work the next Monday, and was pretty tired the first few days. But he's doing great now. He can't lift over 10 pounds for another month at least.

Things are going as well as they can with the chaos. It's hard work getting the big girls to school in the morning, getting homework done in the evening, getting them to bed once and for all (the littles are great bed-goers!), doing all the baths, etc. etc. They're wonderful kiddoes - but pretty loud! There's not much listening to lovely Christmas music and relaxing with a cup of tea this year. We did get the tree up last Friday. That's all so far. They are so excited about the tree. Feisty asked me in a whisper during church the other day if Santa would find them this year.

The littles are growing up before my very eyes - their language is increasing every day. They are incredibly smart, just like their big sisters. It's amazing to me what they can do at such an early age. Care Bear's hand-held Leapster game system is a big hit with Katie --

She's also quite the little builder with Legos.

Last Tuesday was Grandparents' Day at the big girls' school - doesn't seem possible it's been a year since I posted about it. I doubt there are too many of us grandmas who had to arrange for babysitting in order to be able to attend this event! I forgot my camera in the morning for Feisty's turn, but had it with me in the afternoon for Care Bear's. CB told me she was in a skit and needed some props and a costume. We spent the evening putting it together - but in actuality, there was no time for the changing needed, so she just used a makeshift cane. There were 13 - yep 13! - skits. Most kids didn't project very well and it was a LONG hour. But CB and her partner were the grand finale and they were the only ones who performed without a script and who really used their voices well. The class also sang a great Thanksgiving song.

Kev was here for Thanksgiving, thanks to the gracious gift from an uncle that enabled him to get a horrendously priced ticket. It was great to have him here, even briefly. His trip back was not fun - beginning at 1:00 am (only ticket we could find), and ending with his luggage back in Philadelphia with him in Maine. Thank the Lord, they delivered it to him the next afternoon. That's always so scary, because he has lost luggage before when he went to Mozambique and never did get it back.


On December 9, Sema is going to Africa for a month to visit her family. Guess what we get to add to the mix? Yep - their dog! The fact that all the girls are scared of dogs adds a bit more drama than I'm looking forward to. Hopefully they'll bond quickly!




As usual, I've been reading at the gym, and some early in the morning during my quiet time. Here's what I'm enjoying right now --




Our pastor has been quoting from this book, Crazy Love, and others by Francis Chan, so I thought I'd better get on board and read at least this one. It's stirring and convicting. Kevin says he got to hear him speak when he was in school at Biola University. I'd love to hear him.




I'm really looking forward to getting into this one and learning about Kirk Cameron's spiritual journey. I have a lot of admiration and respect for this young man.





Mary Beth Chapman has written an autobiography that will have you laughing one minute and crying the next. I don't know why I always end up on the machines at the gym when I get to the tearful parts - people must be really wondering about me as I sniff through my routine. The part about the loss of their sweet little Maria will really get your heart. Highly recommend this one!

Reading and singing are therapeutic for me, as you all know. The community concerts will be next week on Friday night, Saturday afternoon and night, and Sunday afternoon. Then the next week we'll go sing for two senior citizen groups - including the place where my MIL lives. That will be fun.

The church cantata is the same Sunday and this one is causing me some stress - never before have I stressed over the church music! Our new director thinks we can all memorize the 9 songs - and quite a few of us are proving her wrong. But she's not giving up! I'm actually a wreck about this, and am feeling quite inadequate at this moment. No amount of listening to the CD, singing along with it, singing with the choir has made those words stick in my overloaded hard drive. It's taking the joy out of the music for me. Please pray for me if you think about it!

Have a wonderful week!