Survived

I am at home and doing fine. I did get to come home on Wed - no overnight stay at the hospital. I was so thankful. I wasn't much help at home, but I was present. My poor husband has been bored out of his skull playing chaffeur for the kids.

I can't yet sit very well yet, due to the incision. Not that I am worried, but it is way below the "bikini" line. Here are a couple of things that I am learning..

*The pain medicine helps, but I now have no appetite and food has no taste. Can we say diet plan?

*I might have ADD. I am having a harder time just resting than I thought I would.

*General anesthesia is just strange. First you are in the operating room, the next thing you know you are in recovery. 1 1/2 hours of my life I don't remember. Strange.

*My kids can be helpful when they want to be. Even though they still bicker.

Thanks for your prayers. I am getting tired again. Blessings

Taking the dive

This has nothing to do with swimming - amazing but true.

I have suffered with a broken tailbone for about 2 years now. I have used the "donut" shaped cushion, cortisone shots and less sitting in general. (It has taken a toll on my scrapbooking hobby). It still hurts. I have decided to schedule surgery. In fact it is occurring on Wed - today is Monday.

I had my last phone call from the admission office at the hospital. My surgeon said that the "procedure" (removal of the broken tailbone piece) is an outpatient procedure. It is scheduled for 7:30 am - I was hoping to be home by lunch time. The hospital seems to think that I am staying overnight for "pain control". I have had two children - how bad can it be? Besides, I will get more rest at home than in the hospital with the nurses always taking my vital signs and the uncomfortable beds. Please - send me home if possible!

I am extremely nervous about the whole thing. Very little can go wrong. The biggest possible complication is infection because of the location of the incision (duh?). So, just keep it clean? I have also never been under general anesthesia and have no idea how I will respond.

Please, say a quick prayer. After this is over, the rest of the summer will be a breeze. Thanks!

Blessings

River Vacation

I am back and want to share my adventures with pictures today.

We have been on a journey to follow the Mississippi river from the headwaters in Itasca, MN (northern MN) to the Delta in New Orleans, LA. This summer brought us to St. Louis, MO. This is our fourth summer following the river, but it has been a great adventure learning about the history of all the places we stop and seeing the local sights - or as many as we can.

Charity and Eli sitting in the Mark Twain Caves. Naturally carved out of the limestone. Used as a source of inspiration for his writings.

This is us at one of the last Dams on the Mississippi. One of our main goals was accomplished on this trip - to see every Dam on the river. Their are 29 locks and dams on the river from Mpls/St. Paul to St. Louis and many more dams above that to the headwaters. And we can confidently say that we have seen them all! I have a Dam Scrapbook to prove it. Now all I need to do is add the final pictures of this trip.

Me, Eli and my hubby, Roger.

Several amazing pictures of the St. Louis Arch. The process and history of how and why this was build amazes the science teacher in me. It was built in the 1960's. What an engineering feat!!






This is a picture from the top of the arch and the shadow that it made at about 11 am. I thought is was a fun shot.








Eli had to have proof that he was at the top. We had to fight off an Amish couple for this shot. They had about 100 people in the space meant for about 50. You can stay at the top for as long as you want. But, who could stand being that crowded for very long. Roger did not join us. He is not one for heights.





We also did some fun and unusual things. We went to the international bowling museum. Okay, we sort of went for the laughs, but also got to bowl at the end of the tour. Not a bad deal!

We also had to take the tour of the Budweiser brewery and go to Six Flags in St. Louis. Eli had many firsts on this trip. He has reached that golden height requirement of 48 inches tall. He got the chance to ride on waterpark slides alone and ride the big roller coasters at Six Flags. He loved every minute of it! He fits right in since the rest of us can't get enough roller coasters.

Maybe that will be our next adventure - riding roller coasters.

Along the way, we prayed for those homes that we drove past that were full of water - sandbags and all. We have never seen the water so high. Roads were closed miles from the river. We were lucky to be safe. The pictures don't really do it justice when you just see the train tracks and roads just disappear into the water. Please pray for all those affected.

I think that this post is long enough. I will try to be more consistent.

Blessings

Cyndee

Lost in May

I guess that the picture helps explain part of what has been taking up my time this May. I have really been trying to post, but mostly have been a lurker and reading my favorite blogs when I have a few minutes. I am just going to take some time to note some highlights.

*As a teacher, this is the month when I get to grade the huge individual lab project that I assign. I am grateful that I only have 50 to grade - but multiply by 20 minutes each and it can be overwhelming.

*We have also entered severe weather time - which comes with thunder storms and tornados. We were hunkered down in our basement last Sunday. We live close to the tornados that hit Hugo, MN. Many of those folks attend our church and Roger has even helped the family that lost their son. I teach many of the students and have just listened to the stories - grateful for their lives. Please pray for our church and community as we help rebuild.

*May is also the month of ceremonies.

*Charity is moving from 9th grade at the Jr. High to the High school next year. They had a 9th grade award ceremony. I am so proud of her excellence in academics and sports. She received an award for having a GPA above 3.8 for 3 years and was honored for the Science student of the year. She didn't really want this - she wanted the Math award. The ironic thing is that Charity helps the girl that won it. I guess that it isn't all about the award...

*We also had the synchro banquet where the girls are honored for their achievements at the Section and State tournaments. Charity placed 2nd in short figures out of 210 girls. Her other routines did good as well. 6th/14 in her duet, 7th/14 in her trio and 6th/10 in team. The team placed 4th overall out of 12 teams. They are shooting for 3rd next year!

*In the evening we have been trying to fit in time for mowing the lawn and attending Eli's baseball games. He has 3 next week to make up for two rained out games. Baseball is not fun in the rain.

It is just starting to feel like work is getting in the way of our life. So, it is good that school is almost out - this is the last week for us! We have several trips planned and lots of family time. The kids are growing up so fast - I want to enjoy every minute that I can! It is a blessing to have the summer off - even if it means a smaller paycheck.

I must go, thank for reading.

Blessings

Book Review - The Note by Angela Hunt

I am just fascinated by the wide range of topics that Hunt writes about. Many authors find a niche and write about the same kind of thing. Kingsbury loves stories about families and forgiveness. Blackstock is more of a suspense author writing about murders. Hunt seems to explore the range of topics.

This book is one of those books that hit home for me. It was hard for me to start another book because I just knew that it might not be as good. It just fascinates me the way she allows the reader to know just enough and reveals the whole story in bits and pieces. The story is based on a newspaper reporters search for the recipient of a note that was found after an airplane crash. The note was simple, it said "T-I love you. All is forgiven. Love Dad".

Hunt explores all the emotions and reasons why someone would want to receive this message and then also why so many turn away from that message everyday. The bible message is just that. A message of forgiveness and love. Who wouldn't want that? It appears that even the reporter is affected by the simplicity of such a message.

Hunt ends the book beautifully - never in the way you think. I was crying at the end - mostly because of my desire for such a relationship with my father.

I would call this a must read. Blessings.

Opposites

This weekend we were invited by our neighbors to attend a first communion service at 10am on a Saturday. I can't really say that I was excited about this, but attended because we are friends. I would rather have been in a stuffy pool watching synchro sections (the girl made it to the state level in all three of her routines!) then in a stuffy catholic church. But, the girl gets nervous when I am watching, so we attended the communion service instead.

It seemed to last forever even though it was only an hour long. I just don't understand it all. I have learned from scripture that communion is for believers. How is it that all kids at 8 years old have crossed the line of faith? We allowed Eli to have communion after he said Yes to Jesus and asked Him into his heart. Eli was confused as well. Again, I just don't understand how the church has complicated such a beautiful and meaningful remembrance.

Eli summed it up at the end on the way to the car, "I can't wait to go to Club K-Rock!" This is the name of our elementary Sunday school program. We so agreed! What a privilege it is to live in a country where we can worship in different ways!

Just for the record, I am not anti-catholic. I just don't enjoy that kind of worship and tradition. There are some amazing "living" and growing catholic churches in this country. I just don't happen to appreciate that style of worship - or that of an extremely charismatic church either. I fall in love with a church that has edgy music (something with a beat not requiring hymnals) and a great message that points the way to Christ. I want my church to be useful for sinners (people like me) and not just those that are "holy". I love that my church is outwardly focused - for our community and the world beyond our borders.

I tell my students that don't like Chemistry that it isn't a waste of time. They now know that Chemistry is not for them. It has eliminated one of many options. It isn't always about finding what you do like, but also finding out what you don't. That is what makes the world so interesting.

Blessings

Last Chapters of Mary and Martha

Here is my synopsis of the final chapters of this book. I didn’t quite meet the time frame I had set forth, but I did finish the book. The last couple of chapters just summarize everything she has said.

Chapter 11 - Balancing Work and Worship

Colossians 3:23
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart”

I have been struggling for a long time with what she talked about in Chapter 11, finding balance between work and worship. I tend to be more comfortable on the Martha side, “doing”. So, that means that I need to work a little harder at worship. Yet, I tried to examine if that is entirely true. I have progressed a long way - very slowly - but usually forward. When I am worshipping in church, my heart is in that moment. I am getting better at just focusing on God instead of having my mind wander. When I am serving at church, I am in the moment doing the best that I can.

Weaver uses a teeter - totter as an example of our lives. Sometimes we are heavy on the serving side for a day or a season, but then our lives tip and bring us back to a time of worship and time with our God. Our lives need to be a combination of both - and finding a balance - as with everything- is the challenge.

I use to think that in order to serve God and be in “His Will” that I needed to be a missionary. That is when I heard the verse in Colossians for the first time. That whatever I do - do that for his glory. Serve him as I make dinner for my family, pray for my kids as I drop them off at school, have a listening ear for my students as I teach them. All these things can honor my Savior. He has given me skills to use for His glory. I continue to pray that I will reconnect with him in worship to follow His lead.

Chapter 12 - Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World

Jude 24
“To him who is able to keep you from falling
and to present you before his glorious presence
without fault and with great joy”

The last chapter was a window into the authors struggle to write this book and how she changed during the process. The best message through it was that we are all works in progress. God is renewing us from the inside out everyday.

As always, God uses His living word to speak to us. I had just heard a sermon on the following verse and then Weaver uses it as a key point in finding this balance.

James 1:2-4
“Consider it pure joy, by brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything.”

This verse does not say “If” you face trials, it says “whenever”. That means that you will. How we respond to them is part of the learning process. We should respond with joy. I can’t say that is easy. Yet, by persevering, we become more like Christ which is our ultimate goal.

Pastor Stand at our church had a great message on this topic this weekend. You can watch the video or download a pod cast at www.eaglebrookchurch.com.

I am grateful that I took the time to finish this book.

Blessings