March 31 - “Genetics”

Chris hit the ground running yesterday. Well, not literally running. She had another doctor appointment at 8 a.m. Way too early for her preference.

 

While she was gone, I sat out on the back porch and made palm crosses. I got up to about 40 of them before she got home. I’ll offer them on Sunday at church. I have been asked to teach the kiddos Sunday how to make the palm crosses. I’ll have some palm fronds with me as well for them to fold and twist into the right shape. Should be fun.

 

At ten we had to figure out how to get on a Skype call on the computer for a telehealth conference. As it turned out, all we had to do was click on their email link. That allowed us to enter the conversation without much difficulty. Well, if you don’t count the fact that he had to teach us how to turn on the camera.

 

The conversation was with a guy from the genetic testing department. He was really engaging and imparted a great deal of knowledge and encouragement. Basically, Chris has to go into the lab for a blood draw to get it tested. That’s happening this morning, so more to come on this note in ten days or so.

 

If I have figured correctly, the only medical thing we have left before Hawaii is the CT scan on my back Sunday afternoon. Gotta admit … I’m kinda looking forward to Monday.

 

James 4:17 says, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”

 

Father, thanks for the refreshing time with our home group last night. Gonna miss them over the next month or so. Amen.

 

March 30 - “In fast company”

We are well on our way to being ready to leave for Hawaii. How do I know? Chris has officially started placing our travel stuff out on the bed in the blue bedroom. That means packing is imminent.

 

Last night we picked up Noa and drove to Clute, Texas. Cailyn qualified for the district track meet in the 800 meter run. As it turned out, she also ran the third leg of the 400 meter relay. The relay team ran pretty well. Not sure what their place was in the race - 6th I think, but Cailyn certainly held her own. The 800 was right after the relay, so she didn’t have a lot of time to recover. Again, she did well. Finished 5th. We were definitely proud grandparents. She’s ready for soccer to start now. Phew! 

 

On our way out of the stadium I heard someone call out my name. I turned around to see the guy who is now the pole vault coach for the Santa Fe track team. He is also an old-time Seasider from years ago. It was great to see Billy again. Always great to reconnect with Seasiders around the world.

 

Matthew 20:28 says, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 

Father, thank you for watching over the youngsters at the meet. And thanks for the hysterical giggles shared by Cailyn and Noa on the way home. Amen.

 

March 29 - “Back news”

Well … the neurosurgeon said we should do everything possible to avoid doing a surgery, because my back is so screwed up that it will just open another can of worms. Any surgery he does may relieve one pain, but it will probably open up another one and eventually lead to a major surgery that will require fusing my whole back and make even simple tasks difficult, if not impossible. Plus, it will have a pain of its own. Sounds pretty bleak, right? He did see one possibility, though.

 

First of all, he clarified to me that there are two distinctively different things going on in my back. One is the general pain in my lower back. That is what the pain doc is targeting.  The second is a definite impingement in my thoracic area.

He ordered a CT Scan to determine if that pinching he is seeing in the thoracic area (that would be causing my specific symptoms – numbness and ting-zinging) is being caused by a calcified disc or not. There is a chance he could do a similar operation to the one I had in my thoracic area that would relieve pressure on the nerve there.

 

He also communicated with the pain doc to see if he thinks a steroid injection to that nerve will bring relief. He also said he would see if the pain doc thought we should continue with the ablation (burning the nerve roots) plan in the lumbar region. He approved of the procedure if the pain doc thought it would help. 

 

Meanwhile, I should continue with the physical therapy exercises, and walk as I can. The bottom-line plan is to achieve pain control with as little surgery as possible.

 

And on a “that was unexpected” note, I have already received calls from the pain doc’s nurse as well as the radiology department.  I have appointments for a CT scan on Sunday afternoon. The next pre-ablation (I like my new word that means nerve-burning) shots in the back will be after we get back from Hawaii. 

 

Oh, and the neurosurgeon ended our session with this command: “Go. Have a great trip.” So … Hawaii next week. 

 

Psalms 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

 

Father, sounds like these docs could use some of that supernatural wisdom you have floating around. Could you shed some light on them?  Thanks. Amen. 

March 28 - “Three shots”

We officially got started on our trip to Hawaii planning yesterday. We pulled out the suitcases and measured them to be sure they fit all the airline requirements.  We organized all the paperwork we have to take with us (plane and cruise confirmations, insurance information, etc.). We went online and prepaid for our luggage to get from here to Honolulu. Couldn’t figure out how to get it back yet. May have to just do that at the airport.

 

After a quick lunch we headed into Texas for my appointment to have three shots in my back. It’s the next step by the pain management people, ultimately working toward disc surgery. Actually there are two more steps after this one. If it works, they do the same thing again. If it works again, they want to burn the nerves so they can’t send signals to my brain. Not sure about that one. I meet with my actual neurosurgeon this morning, so I’ll ask him what he thinks about this course of attack. If I am going to need surgery anyway, I would just as soon do it sooner rather than later. Of course, my travails will have to wait until we get Chris situated. And both of us are for sure waiting until after Hawaii. So … first things first.

 

These shots didn’t hurt nearly as bad as that last one did. Of course this time the doctor himself did it, rather than a fellow. It only took him about ten minutes. I’m not really sure that it did a lot of good. My litmus test was whether or not I could roll over in bed without the pain waking me up. It’s really hard to say.

 

I set aside one of my usual two pillows to see if I could sleep “like I used to.” I think the turning over in bed thing was easier last night. Not that it didn’t still wake me up. It did, but there was no sharp pain. And the muscle spasms didn’t seem as severe, although they were present. And my right side perennial soreness is still around. There were still some positions that caused the tingly-zinging and numbness around to the front of my body, too.

 

I guess my overall evaluation would be … mixed reviews. It definitely did help some, but not like what I expected. Would I do it again and then move on to the burning of the nerves? Maybe. But not until I get those long-term questions answered by the neurosurgeon later this morning.

 

John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.“

 

Father, thank you for this weird technology/medical skill that promises pain relief. If nothing else, it inspires a little bit of hope. And hope is a good thing. Amen.

March 27 - “As usual/unusual”

Sunday meant church as usual. Great crowd. Great friends. Challenging sermon. As usual.

 

Then it was lunch at Pit Stop Barbecue with Cathy, Lauren, Sam, and Bobby. Always a treat in more ways than one. As usual.

 

And the rest of the afternoon we spent watching basketball, working on a jigsaw puzzle, and putting together another quilt. You fill in the blanks as to who was doing what. Again … as usual.

 

So what was so unusual? Just the basketball games, I guess.  This will be the most unusual final four representation that I can remember ever. Sometimes there is one Cinderella team in there.  Maybe even two.  But this year?  2023 has officially said, “Hold my beer.”  San Diego State, a 5 seed.  Miami, a 5 seed.  Florida Atlantic, a 9 seed.  Connecticut, a 4 seed.  Unusual.  Hey.  Three cheers for the middle of the pack.

 

2 Corinthians 12:10 says, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

Father, please be with these docs that will be giving me the shots in my back this afternoon.  Keep their hands steady.  Amen. 

March 26 - “Hike for Hope”

Divide and conquer day. Chris headed off-Island to Kel and Ezra’s karate graduation. Josiah and Micah were also performing. I hated to miss that, but I committed several months ago to say an opening prayer at the Hike for Hope 5K here in town. The hike was organized to raise money for suicide awareness campaigns. Since the Galveston Fire Department had lost one of our own to suicide recently, I was asked to represent the department as chaplain.

 

Thing was, I hadn’t heard from the event organizers since that first contact. I found their website and got the information I needed about a start time and location.  After that I decided to just show up in fire department garb and see what happened.

 

I met with the organizers when I arrived. Apparently, we had a lot of missed communication. They already had several other speakers on tap, so I assured them I was fine with stepping aside. I spent some time with the fire department crew that was there to direct traffic. I also talked to quite a few of the folks on the Gonzo’s Gobblers team. They came in second only to the two organizers in the fund-raising part of the event. Nathan and Cailyn and her friend Griselda came for the walk, as did several of the off duty fire fighters, not to mention several hundred others. The Ball High Tornettes provided a tunnel of sorts for the walkers to head through at the start of the walk. There were also quite a few food trucks and other vendors on site. Probably the most unexpected thing, though, was the Pleasure Pier opening up their parking lot for free.

 

After the walkers left, I headed back home. I drove down the Seawall, and honked as I passed the cluster of Gonzo’s Gobblers. I could tell it was them by the distinctive color of their t-shirts. Cailyn and Grizzy were further up, though, so I honked at them as well. They knew the truck and waved back. Great event.

 

I stopped by Randall’s on the way home. I had to pick up a prescription and a sub for lunch. Chris got home an hour or two later. She said the karate demonstrations were impressive. And of course she beamed as she showed me her videos and photos of the events and the award presentations. Truly a proud Mama and Nani.

 

Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Father, please honor the efforts of those who worked so hard on the suicide prevention event. Bless them.  And please watch over those who are feeling depressed. Send them a listening ear. Amen.

March 25 - “THE appointment “

Our day yesterday centered around Chris’ appointment with the breast cancer surgeon. We didn’t do much of anything in the morning. Well, we did walk. And Chris watered her flowers. That’s an ordeal in itself.

 

The appointment was for 3 p.m., and it lasted no less than two and a half hours. Fortunately for us, April was able to go with us. That provided an extra set of medically trained ears to hear the plethora of information they dumped on us.  In a nutshell, the doc affirmed the radiology report that there is a lump and it is very small (maybe 5 millimeters) and slow growing.

 

Because of Chris’ family history of cancer, the first step will be to redo some genetic testing she did back when her Mom was diagnosed.  The testing has come a long way since then, and research has discovered several other genes that are cancer markers.

 

And then comes surgery.  The doc assured us that we should go on to Hawaii and have a great time.  At this point she will do a lumpectomy at the end of April unless the genetic test reveals something that would make a mastectomy the better choice. They will also take some tissue from the nearest lymph node to make sure nothing is growing there.  Because of Chris’ cardiac issues, they will be extremely cautious with post-op, essentially extending it to six weeks. That does mean we won’t be able to go on the Alaska mission trip, but we really liked the doctor and trusted her caution.

 

Further follow-up questions will remain up in the air until after the genetic testing and then the surgery. Radiation at this point appears unlikely because of Chris’ age (Yep.  They really did pull the “at a certain age” card) and cardiac problems. At this point chemo is a remote possibility, but more likely there will be some form of hormone treatment.

 

Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Father, thank you for a doctor who we trusted right off. And thank you for April’s presence and encouragement. Amen. 

 

March 24 - “Not crazy in the head”

We had cause for a big celebration yesterday. Chris went back to the eye doc because the glasses she received just weren’t right. They were giving her headaches, and the vision from one eye to the other just didn’t match up. She felt like she was going, in her words, “crazy in the head.”

 

The tech checked her over with a fine tooth comb this time. I’ve never seen them turn so many knobs and push so many buttons. In the end it was established that the tech who did the measurements last time probably made a significant typographical error. Somehow, she put down a plus instead of a minus in the equation (or the other way around). It resulted in a vision measurement of 20/130 instead of 20/20. Not exactly a correction. They apologized and handed us a new prescription. No charge. Better yet? Here’s the celebration … Chris is not crazy in the head after all.

 

We carried that new prescription right over to where we picked up the glasses. We avoided the rank-and-file employee and went straight to the top. Good thing. She scanned the new script and vowed to send it in right away. She couldn’t promise anything, but she did request a hurry-up so Chris could really see Hawaii.

 

We also had another errand to run. We had one week left to get the truck inspected and get the registration sticker. Fortunately, our mechanic Dennis was at work, so we dropped it off on our way to Chris’ appointment. He got it taken care of, and I was able to get to the courthouse for the sticker. Took a while there because of a long line, but check off that box. Done.

 

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

 

Father, thank you for the correction in Chris’ glasses. It would sure be great for her to get the new ones before we leave for Hawaii. Amen.

March 23 - “Double header”

Haircut day. Finally. I put it off as long as I could so it would be my official Hawaii haircut. However long that was I waited … That was just too long.  But Suzann is amazing. She cut it a lot shorter than usual. Should be perfect for those hot, tropical climes. Oh, and Chris got hers cut, too. Same day. Sooooo … Double header. Literally. Get it?

 

For dinner last night we enjoyed the baked ziti that Helen brought over. I just learned what ziti was not too long ago. High class Italian name for big ol’ noodles. Add to that a salad and some green peas and garlic toast, and there you have a meal. Thanks, Helen.

 

After dinner we headed back on up into Texas. Josiah had a baseball game. His team won their first one the other night something like 12-0. We were anxious to see if this one would be a little more competitive. And we were not disappointed. The good guys led 7-2 at one point, but their opponents never gave up. And in the bottom half of the last inning, they scored again to tie the game. Our guys managed to get the final out, but time had expired, so we ended in a 7-7 draw. Josiah played a stint at catcher, and in his time at bat, he beat out an infield single. Great job, guys.

 

1 John 4:4 says, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

 

Father, thank you for Helen. Bless her for caring enough to share that ziti with us. Amen.

March 22 - “Steady hands, keen minds, and caring hearts”

We were up very early yesterday. I had to wake Chris at 5 a.m. since she was going with AnnaGrace and Josh and Christi to the hospital for Sugarmuffin’s surgery. I had home duty - hang out with the boys. Luke did wake up before they left, but he went back to bed. I prayed some. Pretty much this: “Father, please give those doctors steady hands, wise minds, and caring hearts.  And give Mommy and Daddy and Nani peace of mind.”

 

I finished my blog post, then had to restart the computer. Yahoo wouldn’t let me get to my mail page. Something about clearing cookies. I ran that option from Settings, but it didn’t seem to do any good. So, the next best option with computers is always … turn it off and back on again. Of course then I got the infamous screen: “Getting Windows ready. Don’t turn off your computer.”  I decided to just let it run to see how long that would take. How’s this? No less than 54 minutes. It worked. Sort of. It was very slow, but everything loaded that wouldn’t before. Until I started excavating a bit. I turned on several of the programs and apps I use a lot. Slow at best. Then I lost all the words. Since I don’t know what the icons mean by themselves, I had to restart again. No code blue this time. Gotta love/hate computers.

 

AnnaGrace came through the surgery with flying colors. Her arm was sore, of course, but everything went as expected. She settled in on the couch with Mom and munched on some crackers and juice so she could take her first round of meds.

 

After some great pizza, we decided that all was going good enough for us to head home. Just for fun, I convinced Chris to take an alternate route through the countryside to see if we could see some more bluebonnets. They have been all over the place up here. The very first sight we saw? A huge pink pig in the back of a pickup truck. We did see more bluebonnets and some different scenery before we hit our same Buc-ees from a different direction. The rest of the trip home was uneventful, if you dismiss the typical traffic jam in downtown Houston.

 

Now I have to digress a little in my description of events. All of the drama and concern over AnnaGrace leapt to the forefront, as it should have. But there was one other highly significant event that occurred the night we arrived. I joined Zak and Caleb and Luke for a trip over to Target to pick up an order Christi had called in. Nothing special about that, right?  Oh, but there was. And I actually had a whole six-point paragraph prepared to tell about it in detail (Hmm … Maybe I could send it to Zak personally…) But I decided it would be the better part of valor for me to simply say that I had the joy of meeting the young lady who Zak currently calls his girlfriend.  Very sweet girl.  I gave my wholehearted approval when I found out she likes black licorice jelly beans.

 

Psalms 139:13-14 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

 

Father, thank you for watching over that surgery. Now would you make the healing process go quickly and smoothly. Amen.

March 21 - “Not boding well”

We were at the glasses place bright and early yesterday. Chris is still having problems with the prescription they gave her. They checked the glasses she received with their machine to make sure the mistake wasn’t on their part. Then they had her go over to her eye doc’s window and make an appointment to see her again for an adjustment. Sadly, the soonest she can be seen is Thursday. Doesn’t bode well for new glasses before Hawaii. At least she can still use these until the new ones come in. 

After a quick lunch at Whatburger, we headed north into Texas. Pretty far north, actually. Try Waco. AnnaGrace’s arm surgery was scheduled for early this morning, so we headed up for a quick overnight stay. The plan is for us to just be available, whether that means hanging out with the boys while Josh and Christi go to the hospital, or even going with the little patient and her mom and dad. Then we’ll head back home to our own hectic schedule. 

‭‭‭3 John‬ ‭1‬‬:‭11‬ ‭says, “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God."

Father, please be with AnnaGrace this morning. Help her to relax. And help her Mommy and Daddy to do the same. Amen. 

March 20 - “Welcome to the family”

Cailyn spent the night and came to church with us. She even brought her own dish for dinner on the grounds. Some kind of noodles. Nice job.

 

Noa came home with us after church so she could hang out with Cailyn for a while. It was just for the length of time it took Christina to go to Academy and Kel to stop at an estate sale. I benefited from Kel’s stop. He bought me two coffee mugs. But not just any mugs. Oh, no.  These were emblazoned with none other than Superman logos. Win.

 

After a Hallmark movie about a professional women’s soccer player and the end of an exciting basketball game (Kentucky vs. Kansas State), we drove into Texas to take Cailyn home and meet our new great-grandpuppy. Her name is Launi June. She’s a white boxer. That’s apparently a pretty rare thing.  Beautiful little dog. Welcome to the family.

 

Back at home we met up with a neighbor who had a warning for us. Seems he had seen a couple with a small child sleeping on the porch of the vacant house next to us. They were also using the outdoor electric outlet to charge their electronic devices. He wanted to know if the owner would want us to call the police. We texted the owner, and she did request that we call the police if it happened again. She is very worried about a possible break-in.

 

1 Corinthians 13:7 says, “(Love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

 

Father, thank you for the cute new puppy in the family and the joy it brings to Cailyn. Amen.

March 19 - “IF I’m awake at 3 a.m.?”

I received an interesting text the other night. It was from Cathy, our good friend from church and home group, and it concerned our friend Bobby, who lives in Nashville. She said, “Bobby is driving all night to get here for the fish fry. If you are awake at 3 a.m., or any other random time, give him a call to make sure he is awake.”

 

(OK. “If I’m awake at 3 a.m.?”  Hmm. Someone must be reading my blog). As I said, interesting. At least my brain must have thought so. Why? Because I woke up in the middle of a dream I was having. And in the dream … I was talking to Bobby on the phone. And to my surprise, it was … yep … 3 a.m.

 

Well at least this time I actually had a purpose behind such an early morning. What else was I to do? I called Bobby to make sure he was staying awake on the road. We chatted for a half hour or so. He had gotten as far as Lufkin, so he was making pretty good time. His goal was to arrive by 6 or 6:30. And of course, I prayed for him.

 

I was even able to get back to sleep for a bit. Oh, and it was really cold out. 51 degrees with a wind chill in the 40’s. Where is that Spring that teased us last week?

 

It didn’t even warm up much over the course of the day. By the time our fish fry fundraiser at church started at four, it was still barely 50 degrees.

 

Last night I went up to the church to pick up some fish dinners for me and Chris and Cailyn. The dinners were part of our big fundraiser for the Alaska mission trip coming up the end of May. When I got there around 4:30, the place was packed. And they kept coming in waves the whole time I was there. I had to leave to get Chris’ food to her, but it looked like we were going to run out of fish for sure.  Lauren predicted that if all went as it usually does at a Seaside event, all would be well-fed, and we would probably end up with two pieces of fish left over. 

 

The fish cooking crew did a fabulous job, both baked and fried. The sides were really tasty as well. Seasiders were everywhere, greeting people and working in the kitchen and keeping the serving tables loaded.  I was proud of everyone, especially Lauren, who put the whole event together. Oh, and she called last night with the results.  We made over $2700 for the Alaska mission trip.  And we had … two pieces of baked fish left over.

 

Proverbs 3:7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”

 

Father, bless the folks who worked so hard to make the fish fry so successful. Amen.

March 18 - “Giving it the old college try”

We woke up around 6 to some serious rain yesterday. Actually I woke up to some pretty loud thunder around 3:30. I managed to doze off and on from there, though. We faced the prospect of a cold, rainy, blustery day.

 

Freddy had an appointment of her own yesterday. Apparently, she needed everything. At least that’s what the emails we have been receiving said. Rabies vaccination. Blood test for heart worms. Flea and tick stuff. In a nutshell … Big bucks. Yep. Freddy looked at Chris, with all her doctor’s appointments, and said, “Hold my beer.” She was declared all good, though. Should be another three years before we have to go back. Well, except for the fact that we got the “when she reaches a certain age” speech. We’ve heard that one, Doc. Many times.

 

AnnaGrace update. Josh texted after her doc appointment and let us know the news from that front. AnnaGrace will be having surgery on Tuesday. The arm is displaced and twisted. Apparently, that is a common injury among kids her age. The surgery only takes 15 minutes. They will put it back in place and put pins in.  In about six weeks the pins come out. Of course, Chris still wants to fit in a quick trip[ to Waco between our other medical entanglements. We’ll see.

 

We did get what we thought was some good news from a UTMB phone call for a change. Chris’ new glasses were in and ready to be picked up. I had to convince her to wait until after Baylor won their March Madness game, but we made our way to the East End of the Island as soon as the game ended.  And then … there was apparently something wrong with the prescription. The tech assured her that her brain probably just needed time to adjust after two months of no glasses at all. The doctor generally wants patients to wear them for a few days or a week before making changes. Not particularly helpful when we leave for Hawaii in about two weeks. She’s one disappointed lady right now. She’s giving it the old college try though.

 

Romans 10:13 says, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

 

Father, thank you that we have answers about AnnaGrace’s arm. Please heal it quickly and help her keep her great spirits up. Amen.

March 17 - “Beans are a side”

We started the day very quietly. Sam spent the night back at her house so she could get her kitty all settled back in. Most of the key repairs on her house have been completed, and she is really anxious to get back there.

 

Janell’s mom, Janet, came over to check on Chris. She stayed for a half hour or so and just chatted. Great having neighbors who care, even when they are just house-sitting.

 

Sam came back around 4:30. Just in time for supper. Chris talked her into trying some baby Lima beans. Sam couldn’t bring herself to eat just a bowl of beans and nothing else. “Beans are a side,” she insisted. So she ate some of her leftover Italian food as well. She did complement the chef, though. She said Chris had a way of making even the strangest things taste good. Sam’s not wrong.

 

We found out about supper time that AnnaGrace’s tumble that she took resulted in a fracture after all. She has an appointment with an orthopedic elbow specialist to get more specifics. Hmm. Is that our cue to head to Waco?

 

1 Peter 5:10 says, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

 

Father, be with AnnaGrace as she deals with more doctors. Heal that little arm quickly. Amen.

 

March 16 - “Still a medical mystery”

The alarm sounded off at 4:30 a.m.  As you can perhaps imagine, Chris was not too happy about that. She needed the extra time to get a shower, though. She was determined to wash her hair before all this got started. Meanwhile, I snuck some breakfast (she wasn’t allowed to eat or drink) and did my usual morning routine.

 

We got to the hospital a little after six. They called her back soon after. It was great to see a familiar face. Nurse Teri, who we have known for many years, was on duty. An answer to prayer, to be sure. All the preliminaries were taken care of, and by 7:20, she was on her way to the cath lab.

 

The first text we got was a prayer from Josh. For some reason he wasn’t interested in a play-by-play of the IV insertion. Something about it causing him to pass out …

 

We also heard from Sam and our good friends from afar, Karen and Diane and KayLynn. Early morning pray-ers were out in force.

 

In the waiting room I sat between two ladies who were quite entertaining. One was a West-ender who recognized my Seaside sweatshirt as “the place we go to vote.” The two ladies were comparing notes about their husbands. Absolutely hilarious. For example, one said her husband once told her that if she died, he would die the next day. Romantic, right? She replied, “Oh, no. Don’t do that. Let me have enough time behind the pearly gates to find someone else. I’ve had about enough of you.”  Ouch. Lauren also arrived to hang out for a while.

 

After about an hour and half, Teri came out and got me. Results: all looks good in the heart. No stent necessary. What does that mean in the grand scheme of things? Chris is still a medical mystery. The doc now thinks the issues she is continuing to have with shortness of breath and chest and back pain probably stem from blockages in the tiny blood vessels that do not show up in the tests they run. The treatment is an adjustment in current medication and adding yet another one that addresses those specific blockages. But he did specifically clear her for anything the cancer doc needs to do, as well as for our Hawaii trip.

 

Since Chris had to stay flat on her back for four hours, Nurse Melissa (another Seasider) brought us each a turkey sandwich. It was actually hot, but the bread had an unusual flavor. It satisfied our hunger, though. Thankfully, there were no bleeding complications this go-around. When our four hours were up, the fellow checked the site one last time and signed off for us to head home.

 

Chris took a long nap in the afternoon, and last night we just took it easy. Sam brought us some takeout from Olive Garden for supper. Nathan called to check in on his way home from work. Josh called with a hesitant request for some pediatric nursing triage. AnnaGrace fell and was complaining of her arm hurting. They were wondering if they should take her to the emergency clinic right away or see how she does through the night. This Nani’s work is never done. Nor would she have it any other way.

 

Isaiah 55:6-7 says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

 

Father, thank you for Teri and Lauren and family and friends and even those two lovable ladies from the waiting room. Bless them all.

March 15 - “Number four”

We got word around ten yesterday about Chris’ heart cath today. Number four. We have to be there at 6:15 a.m. Not sure when things will actually begin beyond that. Fortunately, our friend Teri is working in the cath lab today. It will be great to see a familiar face.

 

Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

 

Father, please be with Chris and Dr. Kumfa and the nurses and other docs who will be involved in Chris’ care today. Amen.

 

March 14 - “Searching Texas”

We started our day by getting Sam off to the races. She was going on a field trip with a group from the Ladies Bible Study she is in. Several of them came by to pick her up around 8. They all gathered on the front porch and sang Happy Birthday to her like a bunch of Christmas carolers. We had prayer with them and sent them on their way. Then they were off to search Texas for those elusive seasonal flashes of color known as bluebonnets.

Next order of business was to clean house. It was on Chris’ list of things to do before her heart cath on Wednesday. She let me vacuum, but absolutely refused to let me sweep. That motion really hurt my back when I worked in the yard last week. Meanwhile, she added laundry to her sweeping task.

Once all that was done we made a quick trip over to Walmart. Gotta replenish that stock of bananas, you know. Chris did have some other stuff on her list as well, but we were in and out for under a hundred dollars. Always a good day. 

Lauren returned Sam after their long day of searching all over Texas for bluebonnets. They even came back bearing gifts. Sam got Chris a rose bush for the back yard. They also brought in three different flavors of Blue Bell ice cream. They did, after all, go through Brenham.

And before bedtime Corey and Janell and Brennan came over to wish Sam a happy birthday. We chatted with them for a long time. And when they left, we watched an episode of The Spring Baking Championship. 

All in all, I think Sam was pretty happy with her birthday. Guess she’ll get started on another.

1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬‬:‭6‬ says, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

Father, thanks for Sam. Give her a great rest of a birthday week. Amen.

March 13 - “A faint, electronic, beeping sound”

I woke up at 4:30 yesterday, which would have been 3:30, I guess, were it not for the beloved Daylight Savings Time. Spring forward and all that. There is a brief story related to that topic - not one that Chris is particularly fond of.

 

Around 5:30 I was sitting at my desk reading a novel I have been trying to finish. All of a sudden I heard a faint, electronic beeping sound. I assumed it was an alarm Sam set on her phone, although I couldn’t fathom why.  But she never answered its insistent call. And it was one of those alarms that gets louder and louder as the listener continues to ignore its pleas. I thought it strange that she wasn’t responding to it.

 

Soon the racket was so loud that I was afraid it might wake up Chris, and I knew she wouldn’t be happy.  Sure enough, just as the noise stopped as suddenly as it had begun, I heard the distinctive rattle of the door to our bedroom. And before I knew it, Chris was at my side. I figured she was worried about Sam taking so long to kill her alarm. But no. Instead she quite calmly, but firmly, asked, “Why did you set the alarm for 5:30?” 

 

In that instant I knew what had happened. The night before I had done my twice yearly, Daylight Savings Time task of resetting all the clocks. Somehow I had managed to also push the alarm button… on the radio next to our bed. When Chris woke up and tried to turn on the lamp to see how to turn off the alarm, no light appeared. See, that lamp is on a timer keyed to my phone. It can only be turned on and off using the app. It took her a while, but she finally figured out how to push the snooze button.

 

Racing to her rescue before the alarm could resume its annoying whine, I struggled with it for way too long before I was able to turn off everything. I double-checked the remote connection with the phone and the lamp, and it worked just fine.

 

Soooooo … Oops. Oh, well. At least we know the alarm works. I apologized profusely, of course, and encouraged Chris to get some more sleep. She assured me that she would. No feet on the ground for this girl (except for required bathroom breaks), before 7 a.m.

 

Psalms 46:10 says, “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’”

 

Father, thank you for reminding me that as amazing as technology it, it still only works best when it is connected to its human. Kinda like us with you. Amen.

March 12 - “A stabbing incident”

After just a few days chock full of activities ranging from an Easter egg hunt to a fishing trip to Josh turning in another draft of his big dissertation project, we said goodbye to our Waco Vaughan family. Sad to see them go.

 

What followed involved a certain amount of “couples outdoor gardening therapy.”  Those are Chris’ words. She was rather determined to get at least one flower bed completely weeded. She got pretty close. Meanwhile, I was assigned the unenviable task of trimming the boogervilla bush. It was seriously damaged by the freeze a few weeks back. I may or may not have treated it as more an opportunity for revenge than a chance to do good with my wife. That thing can stab you if you are just standing still and quiet across the yard from it. This was my chance to retaliate for the last time we met. I thought I had done pretty well, too, at least up until lunch time. Sam asked me how I sliced up the back of my leg. Yep. The boogervilla nailed me. I was bleeding and didn’t even know it. Oh well. It is now about 6 inches tall. We’ll see how long it takes for it to grow back to stabbing height.

 

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

 

Father, thank you for our great few days with some grandkids. We kind like those youngsters. Amen.

March 11 - “Wish we had a camera running”

Yesterday was cousins fishing day.  Well, almost. All of them except Cailyn made it. She was at the stock show with her mom and dad. Old McDonald Farm fun for them. And Nathan ended up getting sick. I imagine it was swine flu or avian flu or one of those other vicious animal diseases. 

 

The fishermen had a good time, even though the fish for the most part stayed in the water. AnnaGrace reeled in a croaker and was quite giddy about that. Zak landed a small red, and two little specks made their way briefly ashore as well.  But the excitement of the day came when Noa hooked a monster on her little Princess, three-foot-long rod. She battled it for a while, and even got it within viewing distance - it was a big red. But before Christi could get it in the net, it gave one last tug, and that did it. Broke the line.

 

I guess I should add the “wish we had a camera running” moment as well. I made a cast and set my pole down around one of the pilings on shore so I could work on getting another pole in the water. But just as I lifted the second pole out of the truck, I glanced down to see my pole racing by itself around that piling, headed straight for the water. Without thinking, I dove toward the runaway … to no avail. Rod and reel leapt into the water. From my newfound position on my belly (I figured I would feel that more later … I was right), I could see the rod sinking. Using the other rod I had just grabbed, I did my best to hook the runaway. Nope. Sadly, I began to roll on my side to wave goodbye. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a massive form leaping over my head, so near.  Ok. It wasn’t THAT massive. But from my vantage point, it sure seemed so. It was none other than Josh, the Wonder Boy, leaping into the water, fully clothed. And yep … he rescued the rod and reel. Unfortunately, we lost the fish that had started the whole episode, but hey, what can I say?  I have a real, bona fide superhero for a son.

 

We topped off the day with a real Nani surprise treat. Since we are going to be in Hawaii during Easter, and since we never get to be around the Waco bunch around Easter, we got the kids all together and dyed Easter eggs. And while they were doing that, Josh and I snuck out into the front yard and hid about 100 plastic eggs filled with candy and coins. The kids decorated white paper bags for baskets, and we turned them loose to fill ‘em up. As we heard from some neighbors who passed by, “God won’t care.”  Besides, every Sunday is Easter, anyway, right?

 

Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

 

Father, thank you for our family time at the canal and dyeing and hunting eggs. We sure missed Cailyn, though. Help Nathan get well real soon.  Amen.

March 10 - “The Jesus Revolution”

It was a loud and crazy household yesterday. Actually, it started rather calmly, but as soon as Christina arrived with some more kids, the noise level - and the fun level - rose dramatically. There were kids everywhere, they weren’t even all there. Jachin was in school. Micah was going to the rodeo. The rest of them found a way to be goofy, though. Noisy, too.

 

Chris had her last follow up for her eye surgery in the afternoon. They also measured her for some new glasses. Should be here in about two weeks. I’m really excited that she’ll be able to see again. Especially when we go to Hawaii.

 

Last night I received a real treat. Josh asked me to go to the movies with him. Caleb went, too. And what would make this three-generation outing so significant?  The movie we saw was The Jesus Revolution, a true story about the movement back in the late 60’s and early 70’s that led so many teenagers and young adults in their early 20’s - and yes, a bunch of hippies - to come to Jesus. And yes, I was personally a part of that revolution. You can place me in whichever group you choose or create a new one with just me in it, but I did find Jesus. That’s the bottom line. And that was the bottom line during that Revolution - it is all about Jesus.

 

We saw Kelly Used-to-be-Boyer and her new husband there. They were enjoying the show with their life group. Kelly and Caleb and Josh made essentially the same comment after the movie. “That sure explains a lot about the Seaside Church I knew over the years.”  Good movie.

 

Luke 16:10 says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

 

Father, thank you for the three-generations movie experience last night. Pretty special to enjoy that with my son and grandson. Amen.

 

March 9 - “Aw, just because”

Awake at 3:30 and up by 4. That’s two nights in a row. Guess I’m going for a record. Well, that or my body is already on daylight savings time.

 

Chris had to leave kind of early to have some lab work done for her procedure next week. When she got back we went over to Walmart to … aw, just because we haven’t been in a while and we missed it. Well, we did need some groceries, I guess.

 

Lauren came by. She had some pills for Sam. She ended up staying for quite a while - just chatting. Always fun to spend time with one of our home group favorites.

 

We ended the day working on the puzzle and watching some Walker, Texas Ranger. Josh and his family were on their way, but they wouldn’t arrive until very late, so we had to fill the time somehow. Once Sam went to bed (You know she loves Walker almost as much as she loves Altuve, don’t you?), we switched over and watched some college basketball. End of the season tournaments have begun. March Madness is upon us.

 

Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

 

Father, thank you for giving Josh and Christi a safe trip down here in the dark. Amen