I am guilty of neglecting this blog for some time now.  It is not that I have not had anything to write but rather that I fully enjoyed the leisure of my break from school.  I did not even sit at my computer for two full weeks.   Over the holiday we were gladdened by the return of my mother from Taiwan.  Though our time with her has been limited we are grateful to be able to talk face to face and feel the warmth of true embraces (Internet hugs just don't suffice).  The kids were of course overly blessed with toys and games this year.  I told everyone how naughty they have been but no one listened... I am resigned to the fact that they remain on the "nice" list!! *grin*  They fully enjoyed all the free time they had to play with their new things.  Sadly our reprieve is over now.  I resumed my studies on Janurary 2nd and they on the 8th.  We will not get another break until spring.  The new year promises to keep us busy but happily so! 

Recently Chris' grandma, Betty Durbin, underwent surgery to remove a suspicious growth in her throat.  Pathology has confirmed that the tissue was cancer.  She was told that they believe that they were able to remove it all.  Her cancer was staged as T1,N0,M0... this is all very good news and her prognosis is very favorable IF she is able to quit smoking.  She was told that her survival rate will be 90% if she never smokes again but the cancer will definitely return if she continues to use nicotine.  Of course we are praying for her as she makes this very difficult change for her own health!  Please pray with us for her... it's not easy to quit!  She will follow up with a PET scan in 6 months.  A special note... to my own family... if you smoke or chew tobacco of any kind please please stop... it is a death sentence.  We are praying for you too!  Cancer affects everyone and I'm tired of seeing my family suffer! 

About a week ago Chris surprised me with the sweetest gift!  He said he had been saving it for a special occasion but he felt I needed it now.  Here's the story:  When we were married in 1997, Mom and Papa had a beautiful set of Teak nesting tables with mother-of-pearl inlays shipped to the USA as a gift for us.  They were absolutely gorgeous and of course all four of us were dissapointed to find that the largest table had been damaged in transit.  We immediately made plans to seek out a repair shop but life happened and we never got around to it.  As time passed the damaged table went from being loosely fit together to appear whole to sitting alone on a garage shelf with one side completely broken off.  I had all but given up on ever having it repaired.  Unknown to me, Chris had been doing his research and found a company that would repair the table.  They did a fantastic job and we now have a complete set! 

 

We also have another surprise to enjoy... yesterday we welcomed a new member into our family.  Sawyer, a 4-year-old retired racing greyhound came to live with us.  He's the sweetest, mild-mannered dog I've ever met.  (quite the contrast to spunky little Sydney)  He's taking his time getting to know everyone but so far he's been such a good boy.  I've added a couple pictures of him so you can "meet" him!

This Halloween turned out to be quite blustery... and gray all day long!  But even with the cold and chill we managed to have a wonderful day and a happily creepy night!  I was on cloud nine all day because I passed my Oncology test on Monday and I didn't have to get up at 5AM for clinicals today as it was my "HIV day", a day spent in the library doing a research project about HIV/AIDS.  I got my project done as well as some research for my assigned writing topic.  After running over to the hospital to get information on my patient for tomorrows clinicals I dashed into Wal-greens for some last minute candy and mittens for the kids.  I had to repair Abby's costume since she managed to rip holes in both the original and the replacement outfits we had bought for her.  It's just a fact of life... those bouncy castles are hazardous for cheaply made pricess gowns.  Of course, in spite of a torn dress the kids thoroughly enjoyed "Spooktacular" at the zoo this past weekend.  Thank goodness I own a reliable sewing machine!  In the end I sent Chris with the kids to ravage the neighborhood for candy while I took up my post by the door (with my textbook) to hand out treats to the local goons and goblins.  We had a good showing (as in I passed out all I had) and the kids came home with three times what I had bought.  I guess that's fair and square!  Several kids were sufficiently spooked by our black kitty and I got to wear my "Its the great pumpkin Charlie Brown" socks!  I think it was a great night! 

I have come to appreciate my growing kids recently in a new way.  Each stage of their lives has brought with it new and exciting things that I have been blessed to experience with them.  Today I was profoundly impressed by how well they got along as we decorated and baked sugar cookies.  I can recall trying desperately to manage my preschool aged kids to no avail several years ago.  I was so disenchanted then by how much trouble it was to bake cookies that I swore them off.  Hats off to my sister Susan who never seemed to mind the hassle and mananged to have beautiful cookies even with as many as 5 kids "helping" (she must have taken after my mother in that area!)  I had all but given up on ever having that perfect cookie baking time with my kids when I realized (today) that I just needed to wait for them to grow up a bit!  My advice to parents of preshoolers... just bake the cookies yourself and enjoy watching your child dunk them in milk.  So long story short... we had a wonderful time as you can see from the photos!  Happy Harvest!

 

The last few weeks have been uneventful... well, at least there really hasn't been much to talk about even though we have been so so busy!  Mom (Carol) left for Taiwan on September 28th... we miss her so much!  Since then it seems we've been running in circles just doing all those things that our life consists of.   It's nice to be busy though... time flies, as you all know, when you're having fun! 

 

We finally heard from the Girl Scout troop leader today about getting Abby into her new troop.  She's pretty excited especially since she is already friends with several girls in the troop.  That will add one more notation on our calendar but it's a good thing for her to be involved in!  Charles had his very first "lock-in" with the Royal Ambassador group from church this past weekend.  From what I understand he had a blast and didn't go to sleep until 1:30 AM.  We've been especially pleased with how well the kids have blended into our church and an added blessing has been that there are several kids that go to school with our kids who also attend church at South Haven.  It's so nice to have friends from godly families to hang out with!   We are still looking for a piano teacher to continue with the kids now that Grandma is back in Taiwan but we haven't heard a definite yet from anyone.  Hopefully the head of the piano department over at BBC will be able to recommend someone that will be able to come to our house and teach them.  Keep that in your prayers!  All the kids are getting along well in their new classes and their minds are definitely being stretched with newer and more difficult material!  Charles especially is learning to be a bit more organized with his work, this is something that is emphasized more in the 4th grade and can be quite challanging!  Spencer is really loving his Kindergarten class and seems to enjoy the mental exercise of all-day school although he's usually pretty tired in the afternoon when he gets home.  When the older two are doing homework he loves to sit and practice his "homework" as well!  

 

Chris has been busy working around the house fixing those items on the "honey-do" list that seems to just keep growing and growing as we become more aquainted with our new home.  He's also been fairly obcessed with nurturing some new grass on our lawn in hopes of velvet green in the spring!  The Fire department has kept him pretty busy too with his new responsibilities and so far Chief Sparkman seems very pleased with the job he's doing.  Work and school have kept me on my toes.  I am at mid-terms now and, thankfully, still keeping my grades up.  I have a test in two days that will conclude the Pediatrics/Obstetrics portion of my studies... I can't tell you what a relief that is!   Be praying about the scheduling for the next half of the semester.  I am still not sure which clinical rotation I will be in (either Neuro, Rehab, or Oncology) but whatever it is I am just hoping that it doesn't conflict with my work schedule.  Hopefully I will be able to keep my clinical days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so that I'll still be able to work the weekends like I have been doing the last couple of months. 

 

Not much news... I know!  But at least we are all doing well! 

I need to follow up on my previous entry about my chronic neck pain.  I went to the Dr. today to discuss the results of the resent tests they performed.   He said that all the tests came back negative except for a few minor things but nothing to be alarmed about.  He said that the truth was he didn't have an answer for why my neck hurt but that it could be one of three things: postherpetic neuralgia (pain as a result of the shingles I had in 1999), arthritis, or cervical radiculopathy (unknown neck pain).  I'm a little frustrated to say the least.  My PCP told me about 3 years ago that I had arthritis in my neck so basically I just spent a lot of time and money to learn something I already knew.  He decided to start me on some muscle relaxers and a lidoderm patch.  There are of course more agressive treatment options but to be honest the possible long-term effects out weigh the chance for benefit... especially since I am so "young".  So I am going to treat this like it's arthritis (an odd thing for a young person to have).  I do notice that if I stay active I seem to have fewer flare-ups where the pain interferes with my work so I will try to stay limber.  I'll try his medicines but to be honest I just don't have much faith that they will offer any relief.  So... plan for the future... yoga, massage therapy, ibuprophen.  Oh, and I'm supposed to follow-up with him in 3 weeks... we'll see. 

I feel like I should write something today... even if all I can say is, humbly, that I remember. 

 

The loss that my family has endured in the last two years has in many ways sharpened my awareness of just how horrible the events of 9/11 were in 2001.  How deeply did those families hurt to have a loved one so suddenly taken and without cause.  I have cried today... not as a result of emotional pulls from the media or of my own sorrow at losing my sweet sister and father.  I have cried because I know the hurt and I wish there were a way to undo the pain.  Any firefighter will explain, the bond of the "brotherhood" is strong and there is a real fear everyday for their families as they wait to serve.  I cannot imagine the bravery it took to run in when others were running out.  We speak of willingness and servitude to our country but how many of us would really be able to do what those men and women did?  I am humbled. 

 

There are many in generations past who can recall just where they were when JFK was shot or when Pearl Harbor was struck.  Similarly I can recall in detail sitting with my newborn son on the couch folding some laundry and staring unbelieving as the news interrupted the Regis and Kelly show to track the events.  Perhaps it was the realization that life is not gauranteed or maybe the fear that America was no longer safe; my life changed that day just as so many others have.  I hope that in remembering we will make an effort to embrace each other a little closer and value the moments we have with each other more. 

 

I remember 9/11... how could I ever forget. 

Recently I have begun a serious search (for lack of a better word) for the cause of the chronic pain I have had in my left neck and shoulder the last 7 years.  So far my doctors have downplayed the whole thing and simply prescribed anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers which to their credit are great at knocking me out at night but have not given me any real relief.  So after several visits to my PCP during which I "reminded" her that the pain is still there I was referred to the Spine/Pain clinic at St. John's Hospital for evaluation.  So the nurse has become the patient and I have to say it's not really pleasant!  The specialist decided that I was not suffering from neuralgia related to my bout of shingles in 1999 because I did not present with the hallmark sign; I had not lost my sense of cold to the affected nerve path.  After an MRI that revealed very little the specialist sent me to have a whole body bone scan done to rule out bone disease of any kind... that was performed today.  I was not aware that I would have to be injected with radioactive contrast or that it would take 2 hours to be "taken up" into my bones... to be honest the whole thing really was less than pleasant but at least while I waited to be "lit up" I was able to leave the hospital and go get my hair cut and colored.  So the results should be in to my doctor tomorrow but we will not know until next week because he wants me to also have an electromyogram (EMG) done to rule out problems with the muscles and nerves.  After that test I will meet with the physician again to hear his diagnosis.  In the meantime I am just taking Ibuprophen around the clock and trying not to spend too much time doing activities that increase my pain (like typing at the computer).  So for now that is the sum up of my medical saga.  I'll keep everyone informed of course!

We have had a very eventful month! 

 

Chris was offered a promotion at Battlefield Fire Protection District and he started 4 days ago as Battalion Chief.  I can't even tell you how thrilled we are.  Not only does the promotion come with a decent raise but the district is paying for him to get more training (Officer and Instructor classes)  He is now responsible for operations at two fire houses and will be running twice as many calls along with training for the firefighters on his shift.  It is a wonderful feeling to know that the district thinks so highly of Chris and has placed such confidence in his success!  Keep him in your prayers as he adjusts to his new responsibilities. Of course the kids are thrilled with his new gold badge! 

 

We have continued to unpack boxes (more slowly now) and the house is starting to feel like home.  We were able to buy a new couch for the basement living area so that space is now much cozier!  I'm actually looking forward to fall and winter when we will be able to use our fireplace!  The kids started back to school and have already made many new friends and are loving their teachers!  We are so blessed that the transition to Wilder has been smooth and the kids have been happy with the move. 

We have moved almost all of our belongings to our new house.  There are just a few odds and ends that didn't make it in the last load from the storage unit but those should be brought over in the morning when Chris gets off work.  Moving stuff is one thing but getting it all sorted and put away is a totally different monster in and of itself!  I have got the kids clothes hung up (thanks to my helpful Mom!) and all of their toys down in the basement.  I managed to get the TV working again and the backyard toys are up as well so the kids are doing great and just playing right along with all the chaos around them.  The kitchen was organized thanks to Mom and Katie... a huge blessing to me!  So the rest of it can wait until I have a break from school.  Classes start again for me tomorrow and the kids begin on the 28th.  Oh... yes, I did get them enrolled and believe it or not we got all their well checks done and shots administered even with all the moving riot!  I have managed to place a few things about to make the house feel more like home and have even hung 3 pictures on the walls... just enough to let the kids feel like they belong!  Boxes are stashed everywhere... in the basement closets, in the office, around the living room... it's nuts but at least it's home!  Izzy, our cat, is making herself right at home and enjoying being an inside cat with all the attention that comes with that job.  Sydney, our min pin, enjoys barking at the neighbors golden retriever although she doesn't get quite the reaction that she used to get from our last neighbors dog.  The kids have made friends already with several neighbor kids and have been really enjoying playing with children their own ages.  We went school supply shopping this evening and had umm, fun???  Well at least we got our supplies.  So now all we have to do is buy the "first day of school" clothes!  New pictures coming soon!

 

 

It's very early Sunday morning... moving day for us and I can't sleep.  I don't know if it's becaue I am so used to staying up at night or if I am just more excited than the kids on Christmas Eve!  I honestly don't know how we managed to pack our entire lives up in boxes but we did (even the cat is boxed up and making quite a fuss about it!).  After church tomorrow we will start the shuffle of taking all these bits and pieces of our world and shifting them over to the "new house" on Mayfair.  The kids are filled with mixed emotion.  They expressed sadness at sleeping in our house for the last time and worry about making new friends (and losing old ones)  It made me realize just how different from my childhood it has been for them to have spent the last 8 years in the same home. (Abby said, "I've lived my whole life here")  For me this is move number 16.  Oddly enough I have spent more time in this house with Chris and my kids than any other home I have lived in.  Our life has changed so much in the last 8 years.  This house is where we brought Abby and Spencer home from the hospital.  All three kids have learned to ride their bikes on this driveway.  Chas accepted Christ as Savior in this living room and later that year he broke his hand jumping the fence!   We had our first Thanksgiving here complete with three beautiful, sugarless pies that no one could eat.  We have poured our blood and sweat and tears into making this house our home.  The kids are right... it's a little bit scary and a little sad to say goodbye to the familiar but it's also exciting!  We have been working towards this for some time now and hoping for the day when we would be able to get a little more space for our growing family!  So I'll say a prayer that everything will go smoothly and try to calm my restless mind because I really must try to get some sleep... there will be no time for that tomorrow! 

Yesterday We went over to Paul and Katie's new house to see how they were coming along and to deliver much needed Chalupas.  I have to say even though there were boxes everywhere along with paint supplies it looked awesome!  We had fun discussing decorative possibilities and planning for a deck to be built but mostly I got seriously MOTIVATED!  We already have about half our stuff packed up and stashed in the storage unit but there is still a mountain of empty boxes just waiting in the garage for us to complete the project.  Last week we finalized our financing and arranged for our new home owner's insurance... all that's left now is to load up and go!  (oh yes, and a few hundred signatures to sign!)  The kids are already planning a trip to the local nursery to get bedding flowers for the front lawn... they want to peek out the basement windows and see their "garden".  I am mentally measuring the house and trying to organize what furniture will go where.  If only August 14th would hurry!

Finally our house is under contract and we are due to close on August 14th.  The sad reality is that I have a ton of packing to do.  It is definitely note worthy that half of our belongings are already packed and waiting in the storage unit for moving day but it's the BIG stuff that is left behind.  It's hard to decide just how much to pack up in the next three weeks and which items can be loaded "as is" onto the moving truck.  In the mean time Chris and I are making endless phone calls to insurance companies trying to get the best quote and haggling it out with our lender over details of the closing settlement.  At the same time we are waiting, as patiently as we can, to hear back about the list of items we asked the sellers to take care of before we take possession.  Our primary concern at this point is the roof of the Mayfair house which has suffered some hail damage and we are hoping will be replaced.  We have to just wait and see if their insurance provider will foot the bill.  As I wait I am snipping ideas from my favorite decorating magazine, DOMINO, and dreaming of dressing the ghostly white walls of my new house in COLOR!!! 

 

My summer classes at St. John's School of Nursing are completed and I have blissfully been enjoying not reading my textbooks.  Although the clinicals were not "easy" I definitely found them a lot more manageable than the hours I spent working towards my PN license.  My feet on the other hand have suffered horribly from plantar fasciitis on account of my worn out shoes and the fact that there wasn't a chair for a tired nursing student to sit upon. I am now nursing my own poor soles with foot soaks and stretching/strengthening exercises.  This has been quite the summer with both Chris and I missing work due to injury.  Hopefully I'll be back on my feet (literally) next week.  Chris' thumb has thankfully healed quite nicely and he has been back to work since the last week of June. 

 

With the weather being so hot the kids have been enjoying trips to the Jordan Valley Park play fountain and the local library (ah air conditioning!)  Of course they have also spent plenty of time climbing the trees in our front yard and learning to do flips on the trampoline.  Grandma Carol spoiled them rotten with a field trip to the Laura Ingalls-Wilder house in Mansfield, Mo.  This has become a new obsession for them as Grandma has been reading the "Little House" books to them when they stay at her house.  They love the attention and the stories too!  All three were especially pleased to have a little "Christmas in July" when we took them to Toys 'R' Us to spend their Birthday/Christmas money from 2005.  I couldn't help reminiscing about the time that Grandma and Grandpa Askew came to visit us in Taiwan and we had our own Christmas in July complete with a construction paper tree.  I think I may have just started a new tradition with our kids (although saving the money to begin with took lots of coercion!)

 

 

The open house we had was somewhat successful even inspite of the rain.  We had a woman come by 3 times to look at the house.  First by herself and then with some friends and her children to see if they would give it the stamp of approval.  We were really set for an offer.  We were surprised but undaunted when she gave an offer that was $11,000 less than the asking price and without any earnest money.  Of course we hadn't had any other offers so we were generous and went ahead and countered.  I have to say that this woman was really confused about the process.  She decided to "represent" herself since she works for a law office but the contract she wrote up was no where near legal.  Our realtor really had a time "fixing" all her goofs but in the end we had a good offer for her.  We lowered the price by several thousand and clarified some terms such as the home warranty that has already been purchased, we also asked for a very small 0.5% earnest money.  She decided that she wanted the time extended for her to respond since her parents were coming to view the house so we (generously) let her have more time... then too our surprise she just walked away.  I guess there is a lesson to be learned here.  We will never again look at an offer without earnest money and we will stick to the rules of the game... when a time frame is set you stay with it!  In the mean time our hopeful house on Mayfair is sitting empty and unsold.  We do not know what God has planned for us but we are trying to be patient to see Him work out his plan. 

I am always very sentimental this time of year. Perhaps it is the observance of Memorial Day but for whatever reason I find myself looking back at the people that God has placed in my life and thanking Him for them.

 

Gloria Bishop:
I will always treasure the way you have stood firm in your beliefs. You have taught me, admonished me, even rebuked me without apology for those things that God burdened you to share. Yet in my weakest moments you did not back away but stood close to hold me (even from as far away as Ohio) and to calm my grieving spirit with your words of encouragement.

 

Danielle Davitt:
I admire how grounded you are. You were always careful to take care of yourself and you have developed into a beautiful mother and (soon-to-be) wife. You accepted me for who I am and welcomed me with open arms at a very vulnerable time in my life. For this you will always have my love!

 

April Wines:
I want you to know how much I value your intellect. You have an uncanny wit about you that has always been refreshing to me. I love the unique way you can relate to my quirky Asian artisan side. You never miss a beat... when I vent you listen, you are non-judgemental and loving in your willingness to offer your ear to soothe my rantings.

 

Donna Cary:
You have been there through the fire with me. You know what it is to choke back your pride and humbly endure for the sake of the prize. You have given me courage to make the hard choices for my career and when all else failed you laughed (and cried) with me about how awful the whole journey has been!

 

Kate Blandford:

You have been there for me time after time!  You know me better than anyone... the best and the worst of my very emotional life!  I am so thankful for your sweet spirit and your example to me as a Godly mother and wife.

 

Katie Barth:
I am amazed by you. You have a perfect blend of compassion, confidence, and unwavering integrity. This is what makes you the wonderful nurse that you are! I cannot help but admire you as a mentor and love you as a friend. I am ever grateful to God for the common ground that we have found.

 

I have been blessed!

The good news: Well, we heard back from the realtor today!  Surprisingly we were able to negotiate a contract for the house quite easily.  Our only concern now is to get our house sold!  We are thrilled, of course, and are looking forward to moving!  We continue to trust God to provide the right buyer for our house on Sunrise and patiently wait for His supplying! 

 

The bad news:  Chris called his nurse (me of course) today to get some advice about his left thumb which he had shut in the fire engine door during a training drill.  I sent him to the urgent care unit and X-ray confirmed that he has a lengthwise fracture of the distal bone in his thumb.  He was sent home from work and will be out on workman's comp. until the Doctor clears him.  We do not know how long that could be.  Once again, all we can do is trust God to provide for us. 

 

I've added a picture of the house on Mayfair.. as you can imagine Charles is excited to try his hand at climbing that tree in the front yard!

I decided this year that the children need a deeper understanding of what American Veterans mean to us as individual citizens.  So I took the opportunity this Memorial Day to expose them to some traditions and explain the meaning of them to help foster a deeper devotion to our country and her Veterans.  We chose some lovely flowers for Aunt Susan's grave and after arranging them we walked across the grounds to where the Honor Guard stood waiting.  I pointed out the various flags to my kids, naming our own loved ones who have represented those colors.  We stayed for the short ceremony of raising the flag and placing the wreath.  We then drove across town to see the Veterans Cemetery where Great Grandpa Askew is buried.  I was pleased by the impact on my children of so many white headstones each graced with our flag.  I reminded them of the verse John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  I heard a collective pause as each child began to understand a little more what our freedom has cost and why we reciprocate by honoring our veterans for their sacrifice.