Happy Saturday, Everyone!

Just posting some random pictures for your enjoyment before I take Daniel (and the computer!) to the airport. Don't you worry, I am going to miss Daniel much much more than the computer!

He said the fireman on the left's name is Barak Obama. Kids these days. :o)

Uncle Dave

Uncle Dave's surgery did not go as well as planned, and he is nowhere near the end of this trial. Thanks for praying for him. He, his wife, and son are dear believers, and they are looking to God with confidence that His hand is over all.

Uncle Dave

My uncle, Dave Wynveen, is having brain surgery today. He has two tumors, and they hope to remove one of them today. He had a benign brain tumor operated on 30 years ago, so this is his second encounter with brain surgery. Please ask God to give a good outcome and grace for the family right now.

Here's Uncle Dave on the right washing dishes on Thanksgiving with my dad.

gastro visit

Well I FINALLY had my appointment with a gastroenterologist today. I won't even go into all the trouble it took to get an appointment today. It seems like doctors offices will let you wait a week for each "step" in the process of getting referred, and it all can add up to months of waiting if you don't make a big fuss about it (a big gracious fuss, that is). And the outcome of today's visit? I have a problem and need a colonoscopy done. Big news to us! Now we wait two more weeks for the test to find out what's causing all the trouble in there. I think the inflammation is healing some with the meds and the new diet. They call it a low-residue diet. No fiber, including fruits and veggies, unless they are cooked very soft. So we are all enjoying all kinds of fruit smoothies every day. Caleb loves them. He thinks he is getting milk shakes for breakfast now. Also eating lots of fish, yogurt, applesauce, cottage cheese, soups, rice, bread, vegetable juice, and bananas, bananas, bananas.

Daniel is leaving tomorrow morning for two weeks of meetings and conferences in Connecticut, Mass, and Maine. Two weeks! This will be the longest we've ever been apart. Sure hope we can travel together again soon. I'm going to miss my Honey so much!!!!

my knight in shining armor

at a children's museum in Concord, NH

another children's museum!

We are on a Children's Museum Tour of America! This one was in Richmond, VA, while we were at the conference at Hanover Baptist Church, our sister-in-law's parents' church.

How big is Lucy?

Soooo big!!!

with the greats

God's still in control.

We are just getting ready to leave the hospital, and I thought I'd give a little update. The GI here changed his mind and decided not to do the colonoscopy today, but to send me home and get set up with a GI down there to do it instead. I need to take a few weeks to really let this intestine heal up before they poke around. So, we don't have any diagnosis yet, other than that it is either colitis or Crohn's, or, best case scenario, just an infection. In the meantime I need to avoid fruits, veggies, and any fibers, greasy or fried food. But I GET to eat meat, bread, and all the carbs I want! And I need to de-stress my life as much as possible. Doesn't that sound nice?

The medicines I have to take cannot be taken while nursing, so I need to wean Lucy now. She's almost 10 months now, so she got her good share of breast milk. It was just hard to swallow when the nurse came and told me this afternoon. Kind of sudden. But Mom Arnold has done a fabulous job teaching her to drink formula from a bottle while I have been here.

Mom and Dad Arnold had been planning to meet us in New England at this point in our trip, and it was so providential. They drove early in the morning and got to our mission house just in time for us to leave for the ER. They have had the kids the whole two days, and we have not worried a bit. They are well-loved and well-taken care of. Daniel has been able to be right beside me the whole time. Praise God for working all that out!

Thanks for praying!

Pray for me

Could you guys pray for me? I've got some kind of intestinal issue going on. Had some tests today, spending the night in Atlantic City hospital tonight, and having a colonoscopy tomorrow. Pray for grace and wisdom. I'll keep you posted.