Oh yeah.....Predatory Ducks

With all of the hoopla, I almost forgot about my walk today....and the predatory ducks! I decided to brave the predicted heat and humidity this morning and take a four mile walk! About halfway, I stopped for a small break beside a cute little lake, and called my mom on my cell phone. I sat down on what I thought was a mound of mulch around a tree, but which turned out to be a mixture of mulch and stinky fertilizer. So, I moved up to the sidewalk to sit on a
guardrail and finish my conversation with my mom, when 10 big, fat white ducks with yellow bills came waddling up to me, with intention gleaming in their 20 beady little eyes. I was trying to listen to my mom amid the quacking and my attempts to shoo! the ducks away. Finally, I gave up and told my mom what was going on. She said, "Why don't you just walk away?" That's why girls need moms....even old girls. So I walked away.....and 10 ducks waddled after me, walking in a V formation! Every so often, I turned around and ordered, "SHOO! GO AWAY!" because I was walking uphill toward Braddock Road. And yes, I do walk faster than 10 ducks, but I'm telling you, those were some stubborn ducks, and I didn't want to be responsible for leading them into destruction! Finally, I rounded the corner and the ducks waddled down into the second lake I was passing. I was laughing and heading uphill over the bridge, happy to have outsmarted those ducks, when I noticed them swimming in their V formation across the lake, making a "V" line right for me!! No joke! My mom suggested maybe they smelled the fertilizer and thought I was one of them. (Thanks, Mom.) But I DID have on a bright yellow shirt.....she might have something there. Well, anyway, I really am going to bed now. Quack! Quack! I mean Nite Nite! :)

Colonoscopy Revisited

Not a virtual tour this time either! Ugh! I wish I would have gone with the traditional method the first time! Now I have to go back and get a 6mm polyp snipped and have the doctor look around for ones that might have been overlooked in the (supposedly superior) virtual colonoscopy. So now I have to drink more gross stuff and have another camping trip in the bathroom for a whole day or so...... But the good news is that 6mm is REALLY small, so I am choosing thankful (and a little nervous) as my emotion. My praying friends, please pray that God's peace will fill my heart and leave no room for nervousness. And, talking about things NOT to worry your pretty little head over:

Did you know that, supposedly, Yellowstone National Park is about to blow? And, according to reports (by my youngest son and others), when it goes, so goes the rest of us! I just read a disputed report that Yellowstone lake has risen in it's bottom center 100 ft. Fish are reportedly dying there as are wildlife. Other animals are migrating out of there.....

Of course, once I visited truthorfiction.com to check out this dire prediction, I was lead to other Armegeddon type sites. Ironically, I've been reading the Book of Revelation, which I have just given a cursory reading in the past. I understand the meaning behind the words--repent or else!--God is God---we are NOT--He wants to connect with us, even though we are pretty pathetic--That is because God is God and we are NOT....other than that, I don't understand much of the Revelation. It used to scare me to death when I was a little girl, looking through my parents' giant family Bible......I kind of peeked at the pages, read the words in read and looked uneasily at the grim artist's depictions of the end of the world. Then I would slam the Bible shut and quietly agree with my mother who claimed I couldn't understand the Bible. The problem was that I really did understand quite a bit of what I read. Now I think I understand enough to bow before my Creator's power. God is God. I am not......that's good enough for me. I will trust Him with the future of the world--and my future. The future, afterall, is in His mighty hands.

And, 6mm, afterall, is pretty small.

Venturing Into the Great Unknown

Today was definitely full of firsts for me....and Don. After 3 days of a no fiber diet (weirdly, most of my diet consists of high fiber foods, I discovered) and 24 hours of a liquid diet, complete with really strange concoctions that threatened to bring up the other liquids......and about 8 hours of camping out in la toilette.....I had my first virtual colonoscopy! Actually, the prep wasn't even as bad as I thought it would be, and the virtual trip through my intestines was no big deal, afterall.
Y'all should go there--well, to your own colons. I told Don that the worst part of the whole thing was driving to Walter Reed with Don--he's not a fan of my driving. But the best part of the day....

We got to take a virtual trip to our daughter-in-law's uteris! Well, that sounds kind of invasive...she invited us to be present at her 3D sonogram of our grandson. Conner is beautiful!
He looked right at us, and we could see his face clearly enough to see that he has his mommy's nose! Amazing! And how amazing it is that we can watch God knit him together in our daughter in law's womb! I love him so much already.....God is awesome!

Needing a Rest from Vacation

I'm so tired! I have been running full steam ahead for a month and a half, but I'm out of steam!
Don and Les (his brother) had to go downtown without me today, because I was too tired to go. And I have a sty on my eye and sore knees! (Poor me!)

Yesterday I got up early and made cakes for a picnic at friends for the 4th. Les and I went to the mall and hung out for a few hours, and then we went back home to get ready for the picnic. We had a lot of fun with friends and family last night, watching the fireworks, playing in the (cold!) pool and eating. We also got some scarey news about our friend, Rhonda, who has cancer. She was violently ill and thought she had a blockage. Today she felt better though, and the doctors said she had no blockage.

Tomorrow I think we are going downtown for more sightseeing and then going to hear our son Chris sing and play guitar at a resteraunt/bar where he plays once or twice a month. I have to do some laundry and make dinner--kind of boring today, but boring is nice when I'm tired.

We're Back!

Well, we're back from vacation, and it's true--I really do need a vacation from my vacation! But we have no time for vacationing from vacation. I should, at this very moment, be scrambling around the house like a madwoman getting things ready for my brother-in-law's visit, which begins tomorrow. I have actually scrambled quite a bit today--unpacking, checking email, writing a grocery list.

Vacation was lots of fun, and we had beautiful weather at the beach. My daughter in law, Cameron and I did a lot of cooking--and "baby talking", son Chris grilled a lot for us, and we did a lot of playing at the beach. I actually played in the deep waves for the first time in many years....now that my knees are better. We ate out one night at Crabby Mikes Seafood buffet on Friday. That was a nice end to our week. For some reason I lost four lbs. and really rested up! Can't ask for more than that on vacation!

We were sad to see that Jaime and Murray Sanderson had already moved on to Indianapolis while we were gone! We will miss them! We had a fun picnic at church yesterday, and the beautiful weather must have followed us from the beach. After church Don and I went to get Charlie from the borders--he seemed to love it there and was strangely calm all of the way home. Maybe he thought we sent him away for "bad behavior". We stopped at Cox's Farm and bought some plants for the yard and some fruit on the way home, and he walked calmly along on his leash! Usually he acts like he's taking ME for a walk! Maybe the Dog Whisperer visits Club Pet! After I worked outside all day and Don got a long nap and played Frisbee golf, he and I went to see Evan Almighty! It was very funny and actually pretty good!

Well, I'd better get back to scrambling--hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather here in VA. Jerri

Code Orange Hike and Torture by Poodle

I can't believe this! I am up in the middle of the night again, and I was SO tired when I went to bed. I also have my art class tomorrow and about a gazillion things to do before we leave on Friday for vacation! Oh, well, I might as well write about my day yesterday! It was VERY hot, but my friend Grace and I went to Meadowlarke gardens, a botanical garden with miles of walking paths near Vienna, VA. We had a great time shade hopping all morning and looking at different plants and flowers. Then we ate lunch at the Amphora resteraunt, and then Grace and I went to Grace's gardens at her house, which look like a miniature Meadowlarke gardens! Grace gave me a bunch of plants for my yard, and I came home, cooled off and then planted them last night. Actually, I came home and took our little poodle, Charlie, to the vets for his Bordatella (what I thought was a vaccine but was actually a spritz of medicine in his nose).
I got home in just enough time to unload the plants and pick up Charlie, with, I was hoping, his leash and halter, but they were nowhere to be quickly found, and Don was about to teach a new student and needed the driveway empty! So, I scoop Charlie up and put him in the hot car, heading out to the vets. Of course, Charlie thinks that when I am sitting, he needs to be in my lap. I finally give up and let him sit in my lap and look out my window, mainly because he is freaked out about being in the car, knowing full well that if I am in an accident and the airbag is deployed, Charlie will be a poodle puddle between me and the airbag! (Some day with our animal advocates hard at work, traveling with a poodle in your lap might be a ticketable offense...if it isn't already. It probably should be.) At the vets, which is really Pet Smart, I am feeling very uncool carrying my poodle like a baby while all of the other dogs are on leashes and being mostly well behaved.
Charlie is wiggling and wanting down, and he feels like he has sharp elbows and toenails everywhere. The lady asks what I need and tells me to put Charlie down on the scale, after he growls at her for patting his backside. Put him down? There are giant dogs everywhere, and Charlie has always thought HE was a giant dog....or at least that giant dogs shouldn't mind him sniffing them as though he was a giant dog. A little girl with a big voice approaches us and says to me, boldly, with some irritation, "I SAID CAN I PLEEEEEASE PET YOUR DOGGY?" Being a little out of practice with loud, demanding children at the moment and a little confused, because I hadn't heard her speak to me before, I kind of stared at her blankly and then bent for her to pet Charlie. A lady nearby said to me, "It was nice of her to say please."
(It depends on what the meaning of the word "nice" is.)
I am a little hesitant at the scale , and Charlie's not liking being told to sit and stay on a big metal scale when there are giant dogs around to sniff! I let the lady weigh Charlie with my hand on his back, and then we mercifully go into a private room. I can't help but notice that when the man with the giant dog tells his dog to "sit and stay" the giant dog ACTUALLY sits and stays!
In the private room, Charlie is no happier. I try to hand him a doggy treat, but he isn't interested and is noticably distressed by a faceless dog from the next room who is whining pitifully. He looks at my eyes for clues about what is about to happen to him. I smile reassuringly and speak soothing words, but he is not buying it. This is where he comes for grooming, which he hates, probably because of some of the extra stuff that goes along with grooming. This is also where he gets shots and his ears examined, and he's pretty touchy about anyone touching his ears. When the vet comes in, I ask for a muzzle, because Charlie will nip.
The vet and her assistant watch with some amusement as I try to put the muzzle on Charlie.
He won't sit still on the metal table, he's all toenails and elbows again, so I pick him up and put him under my arm and kind of chase his nose around with the muzzle. The Chinese vet says in broken English, "How you get he groomed if he bite people?" I said, "We put a muzzle on him."
She looks doubtful as I chase Charlie's nose around some more. "He doesn't bite me," I reassure her. She still looks doubtful. Finally, Charlie gives up and the muzzle is in place, and the vet and I hold Charlie down so she can squeeze a syringe of stuff into his nose. I guess enough goes in, but just about as much goes all over me and the vet. Next time someone else is bringing Charlie to the vet. On the way home, Charlie doesn't sit in my lap. He curls up on the seat with his doggie bone and goes to sleep. When we get home, I still can't park in the driveway because of Don's violin/viola students, so I carry Charlie and all of his elbows and toenails into the house myself. Grateful to be home, he curls up in a ball in his crate and goes to sleep. I feel absolutely gross with my sweaty body from all of the outside activity in the heat, from doggie hair smell and doggy breath all over me, and then from whatever was in that syringe. But I guess there's no danger of me coming down with kennel cough anytime soon! :)

God is good! Laughter is healing!

I am so happy today for so many reasons! God has been letting me know that He loves me and that He is involved in my life every day--or I'm becoming more aware of Him every day, either way the result is that I'm more content and joyful than I have ever been! I thought yesterday would be hard--my first Father's Day without my dad. I did get a little choked up a couple of times, but every time I felt sad, I could feel God's presence, like He was reminding me that my Father is with me always. I was able to focus my attention on Don all day, which was good, because none of our boys could be with him yesterday. We went to an antique car show and he really enjoyed that. I enjoyed being with Don and listening to Dixie Land music, eating an ice cream cone in the hot hot sun.....haven't done that in a long while. Then we went home and changed out of our church clothes and went to see Spiderman 3--it was awesome! We had dinner out and came home and watched Meet the Parents on TV....that was fun, too--I think it's our favorite movie that we share. Don and I love to laugh together--it's one of the best things about our marriage. We have (whatever the plural of "sense of humor" is...us senses of humor...I think that's it....) anyway, very similar ones. Don cracks me up all of the time--because he's such a serious person that if I'm not listening, I could miss it when he says something really funny. So I try to listen. I love to make him laugh, too. I can tell that, whenever he has had a stressful day, he relaxes whenever I make him laugh. If we don't make each other laugh, either we're really upset about something, or we are mad at each other. Sometimes we can get each other to laugh whenever we're mad about something silly or there is something sad going on.
A funny thing happened this weekend when I was getting ready to plant grass other things in our back yard. I have a little tiller, and I THOUGHT the ratio of gas/oil was 50-50, so I filled it up, but I couldn't get it started. I was doing it partially for exercise, so I really tried to start it myself. When I couldn't, son #3 Don C., tried and tried to get it started for me, and when he did finally start it--blue smoke was billowing from it. My faulty memory--or my wishful thinking--said this was normal. Don kept shouting over the noise of the engine, "MOM! I DON'T THINK THIS IS NORMAL! YOU'RE POLLUTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD!" Intent on tilling, I assured him that I remembered the blue smoke from last year. About 30 minutes later, and both Don C. and son #4 Nate, were standing at the back door frowning at me and waving their hands around. I waved back. Thirty minutes after that, there were three faces.....Don C, Nate and "Big" Don...hubby, who was waving an operator's manuel and telling me to "TURN OFF THE TILLER NOW!" I turned it off, and Don waved his way through the cloud of blue smoke over to me, and read, "1 part oil 24 parts gasoline!" He helped me dump the 50-50 mixture into an empty Tide bottle and helped me refill my tiller. Then, I proceeded to till up the entire backyard! I planted grass that thrives in shade, a vegetable garden and three flower beds!
If it survives us being in Myrtle Beach for a week--we should have a nice backyard....and I burned 1000 calories doing yard work two days in a row!

Walking and stuff

I walked 2.5 miles to my art class this morning at 8:30 and then back home at 12:30---in the HEAT, but I feel great to be able to walk 5 miles again! I am so glad to have both of my knee replacements done, but I know I need to work on stretching my knees everyday again. I got out of the habit over the winter, and I'm stiff.

I finished the portrait I was working on, and I think my Afghani girl is beautiful--my art teacher is putting her in an art show this weekend. I can't wait to get working on my next project. I love my art classes!

I'm excited to be finished teaching for the summer, and not as sad as I thought I would be to be finished teaching preschool for the forseeable future! I think that is because I am so happy that I will be able to take care of Conner Steven Harrington, my first grandchild! He's another reason I really want to get into shape--to keep up with him! I am excited and so very thankful.

The other reason is for Don. He's so happy to have me back home again. It's the way our life together used to be when I was home taking care of our boys. I like seeing him happy like that, and I'm happy too.

Another reason I am happy to be home again is that I met another stay at home Grandma who lives right down the street from me. She doesn't speak English, and I'm an ESL teacher...a match made in Heaven. I do speak a little Spanish, and she and I are going to take walks together with our babies.

Anyone reading, please pray for my friends: Jerry Belknap, Bob Roth, Rhonda Krawczyk,
Judith and Jerry Bridges and their twin boys, Cindy Jeter and baby Lauren Schwamb. All of them have health challanges, and a few of them have life threatening health challenges.

Have a blessed day!

A Poem about King David

Here is a poem I was inspired to write tonight after reading in 2 Samuel.

The Sins of the King

King David sat in his chambers,
in spring when his men were at war.
The breeze danced through the curtains
The moonlight sketched patterns on the floor.

David rose restless, sleep evaded,
And he went out to the rooftop alone.
There he beheld a young woman bathing
Her extravagant beauty in the moonlight shone.

David merely called out to his servant,
And the woman was brought to his bed
The king took her, though she was married
When he could have had anyone else instead.

And after Bathsheba was pregnant,
David wanted to cover his sin,
So the King called for Uriah, her husband,
And his servants brought him in.

Uriah wanted to be with his soldiers
Instead of at home with his wife,
For he couldn’t abandon his fighters
and take comfort in his everyday life.

David could not conceal
The evil that he had done,
So he gave orders for Uriah’s murder
And hid his actions from everyone.

But God the Father saw him,
And He hated what David had done,
So He spoke through Nathan the prophet
And pronounced death to David’s young son.


David pleaded in sackcloth and ashes
Begging the baby’s life to be spared,
But the child died, and David repented
Knowing the guilt he and Bathsheba shared.

But David rose from the ashes
And went on to serve as God’s chosen king!
He poured out his sorrow in prayer,
And took responsibility for everything.

What a bitter price paid for desire--
Loss of life, and grief beyond repair,
Yet when David, the King, looked to Heaven
He knew His Father still was there.

So David was forgiven
And he took Bathsheba as his wife
They had more sons and daughters
And went on to live a life
with heartbreak and with joy.
God, their Father, restored them
But He did not give back their boy.

Instead David declared to his servants
that he was determined to join his son
In Heaven one day with His Father
So the King’s true battle was won!

Lord, help me be like David,
The apple of your eye,
When I’m found to be guilty of sinning
May I turn to Heaven and cry
Out to my Father for mercy
And with sorrow for my sin
So that I, like David, my brother,
One day in Heaven will enter in.

By Jerri Harrington

What a Whirlwind!

It's been so long since I have blogged that I don't know where to start. I guess I'll start where I left off. Actually, 2 days after my last entry, I flew to Oklahoma to be with my dad. He passed away October 7th. Don, my husband, flew out for the funeral, and we both participated. I have never been with anyone at death before. I was with my dad. This I know....life is eternal. I still feel my dad's presence, but when his soul left his body, he was no longer present! I know he is with God!

Another monumental thing happened. While I was away with my dad, a really dear sister/friend at our church was diagnosed with ALL leukemia! She went to be with God Dec. 11th. Sarah left behind her four dear children: Hannah, 8, Noah 6, Jonah, 4 and Rachel, 2 and her wonderful husband, Scott! It was heartbreaking and inspiring as well.

Bob Roth and Rhonda are still fighting their cancer. Bob actually is in remission and receiving his second bone marrow transplant. Rhonda just had a second surgery for cancer of the colon.
Pray for both of them. Also, Keith Jones, a usually healthy man, came down with a bacterial infection of the heart that caused a blood clot to his brain and damaged two valves in his heart. He had to have both heart and brain surgery! And our brother, Jerry Belknap, has had two knee surgeries and currently has an infection and has been fighting an arrythmia of his heart.
And our little Lauren Schwamb continues to deal with heart defects and life threatening problems! Pray for her, as well.

Now for some awesome news! Our oldest son, Chris and his wife Cameron are having their first child, and the first grandchild on both sides of the family, our grandson Conner Steven....for Cam's grandfather who died in December and my Dad, Steve, who died October 7th. "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away!" Also, I have quit my job at Stepping Stones preschool, and I am staying home with our new little one! I have been taking art lessons, and my plan is to write and illustrate my children's books. Today was my last day at preschool, and it was a happy/sad day. I am ready for a new chapter in my life.....Thank you, God! You are loving and give good and perfect gifts.

JerrisBlog

JerrisBlogIt was a week full of ups and downs, not to mention shocks! The best thing was that Claire Vasse, the French au pair Don and I have been studying the Bible with and who has become a great friend to us, was baptized Sunday night. We were so thrilled, and she was treated so warmly by the small group that meets at the building! Sat. night before the Sun. she was baptized, Claire joined us to honor Marie Henderson's little baby, Andrew. Then she went with us over to Chris and Cameron's new house. Monday night we studied with Claire, and then the elders prayed with me about my knee problem. Tuesday was the shocking day! We found out our dear brother in Christ, Bob Roth, has mylenoma in his hip! At first the prognosis was terrible, but it has improved to the point that they think he only has it in one location, and will have a partial hip replacement to remove all of the cancer. After that, he will have both radiation and chemotherapy. Bob and his wife Tresa, have 5 young children, and most of us went straight to denial when we heard the news.
A couple of weeks ago our sweet sister, Rhonda Krawczyk, was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. We had a prayer devotional for Bob and Rhonda Wednesday night.

Then, last night, my mom told me they are talking to her about hospice for my dad. He is not able to eat, and dialysis isn't working on him anymore.
Mom said she thinks he may be dying. I told her I would come down after my last physical therapy session, and she said she didn't think dad would be alive by then. I really don't know what to do. I am praying about it. Don doesn't want me to go down there alone....and not before my therapy is over.
I am praying for clarity. It's not a clear situation there. Pray for me, anyone who is reading this.....especially pray for Bob and Rhonda.

JerrisBlog

JerrisBlog
Can you say "arterial fibrosis"? It seems that's what my doctor thinks I have....maybe in both knees. I looked it up online....which I almost never do because of my tendency to panic at too much bleak information. This time it motivated me to stop being so nice to my knee. I went back to water aerobics, which my PT had told me to stop for a while, but my doctor gave me an enthusiastic "all clear" to exercise again. If I don't get all of the scar tissue stretched or broken to the point of being able to bend both of my knees over 100 degrees by Oct. 17th, then I will be hospitalized and they will forcefully bend my knees under anesthesia and I will have intensive therapy after that! You should have seen Don, my sweet hubby, using a plunger on my knee last night (thanks to Jerry Bridges) while I was talking to my mom about my sick Dad. I was trying not to yell as he plunged away and then massaged my knee to the "point of pain".....as my doctor advised.
My knees are toast! Well....okay....my scar tissue is toast! Don and I have declared war on it. After water aerobics I went into the hot tub and forced bend and flexion in both of my knees while everyone else shuffled to the far side of the hot tub. I felt my bone in my leg move down as I pushed on it, so I took that as a good sign. I got up this morning and felt a little less pain. So I guess the saying should be "first pain....then gain....then no pain....again!"
(Can you tell I'm a poet.....and avoiding the yoga I promised myself I would do this morning!) Okay....I'm outta here. God is teaching me something.
Oh, I have to say....the best news yet is that our friend Claire is getting baptized Sunday! Thank you God! In the midst of all of this struggle...something wonderful! Life is always miraculous, even when it's really hard! More later....now I have to go to my "zen" place! :)

JerrisBlog

JerrisBlog
I am feeling pretty emotional today, and I am always surprised that my feelings flash right back to where they were on 9/11, every year on the anniverary. Why do we always attach dates to memories? Surely the dates of the births of our four sons stir up emotion in my heart, and we celebrate those dates every year. And our wedding day is imprinted on my heart....with the excitement of the day finally arriving and the anticipation of the life we would make together. I am thankful for the seasons that add a tapestry of colors, smells and feelings to significant moments of our lives. However, the first cool breezes of fall and the brilliance of a crisp fall morning will always conjure up in my mind the day our nation was attacked with its own planes--the horror, the sorrow, the suffering and the heroism and turning to God by our nation. I wrote several poems on that day. Here is one:

A Prayer for America--9/11/01

Someone despised your handiwork, God, and brought us low with cruel death!
Someone has laughed at our suffering, Lord, even as we gasped our final breath.
Someone is crying for their loved ones, Father, begging to hold them once again.
Upward we stare at the smoke everywhere! Fire rains down from another man’s sin!
Hear us, dear Lord, and please answer our call! We are feeble with disbelief!Horror has fallen upon us like a black shadow, God, and our hearts cry out to You for relief!
If towers can fall, then to what can we hold? What will stand solid beneath our feet?
If our own people are used to plant fear in our hearts, then will our terror lead to our defeat?
Oh no! Dear Father, please let it not be! Please hear our cry, and lend us Your heart!
Hold us, our God, in the palm of Your hand, where we have found sanctuary from the start.
We need you, O God, we cry out as we pray-- that you guide us in each thought and deed.
We have no comprehension of the evil that has wounded us--we don’t know what it is that we need
to fight this foe--this faceless coward that has vanquished innocence from our children’s hearts!
Give us wisdom and strength and your Presence, O Lord, when we approach You as each day starts.
Walk with us, God, put us on the right paths, as we live this alteration of our former lives.
Redefine our roles in the way You would have us to live as a people-- families,husbands and wives!
But if we must fight to extinguish the evil one’s fire, then make warriors of us--every one!
Give us the courage of Moses, the wisdom of Solomon and the humble obedience of Your mighty Son.
Clothe us with honor and gird us with strength! Give us faith and valor and love!
But let us remember to keep our eyes upon You Our Holy Father, and Our Savior above!
By Jerri Harrington

JerrisBlog

JerrisBlog
God has been so good to me! I feel so blessed to have my life and my family and friends! It is wonderful to have God's love and forgiveness....and to be able to get up each morning with a purpose for living! I'm glad fall is here! I always look forward to the changing leaves and the crisp air and the children's exciement about being back in school. It's the small things like that in life that are not small at all. Life is good, because our God is awesome, even in His attention to the details of our life! I love you, God!

.My Life....New Knee Age!

I am so happy and thankful to be finally past my knee replacements at least for this decade! I am truly looking forward to my new mobility and to not having a difficult surgery looming ahead of me. Thanks to all of you who prayed for me, encouraged me, and listened to me whine (for years) about my knees! Thanks especially to my husband and boys who made countless trips up and down the stairs, sparing my knees the journey. In a few months, I will be able to make all of that up to you all! I am so excited about walks in the fall with Don and Lisa....to Starbucks and under the changing leaves. I'm looking forward to ballroom dance lessons with Don....yes, I remember, honey. And I look forward to many sweet hours babysitting my future grandbabies....and being able to get down on the floor with them. Thank you, God, for helping me through some difficult, painful years, and please be with Jerry Bridges, Michelle Steward and Diane Toy, who still have this ahead of them. God is faithful and good!