All Things Work Together For Good

The quick answer is...David's films are being sent to Indiana University for a second opinion. We won't know anything until Tuesday.

How, in my mother's mind, I can see all things working together for good....

David tried for weeks to convince me to let him play football. We have never considered allowing him to play. The word we have gotten from doctors and friends and doctor friends is "Don't let him play football, it's too dangerous". Done! Well, until this year. Bozeman has a Lion's Club league that is "just so good" according to the locals. So David asked if he could play. I said no. David asked again. I said I'd think about it. David asked again. I said we'd have to talk about it. David asked again. I said yes. (If you see any flaws in my parenting skills here, please feel free to admonish me harshly!) So I said yes, even as telling him of our young friend who was injured so severely in high school football that he will forever have back problems. I said yes, even as I told him of a SSHS football player that we all saw taken away in an ambulance after being knocked out and who had a long road back. I said yes.

Well, football players require football physicals, so I made an appointment for David. While we waited for the doc, I noticed a "HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COLD AND THE FLU" poster on the wall. Glanced it briefly, assured that my sniffles were allergies. It was while David was at his football physical that the doc discovered a lump where there should be no lump. Ordered an ultrasound.

The day of the ultrasound I woke up with a full blown cold. Took David for his test with a pocket full of hankies. Test revealed his need to see a urologist.

The next day my cold had turned fluish (I really should have paid more attention to that poster!) and I was in bed all day. Urologist called. Appointment made.

So today, I awoke feeling much better, but still sounding awful. (Trust me, this will come into play!) As I drove to school to pick Dave up for his appointment, I was overcome with fear, and tears. Who could I call? I needed to talk to someone RIGHT NOW that would pray for me, but I couldn't even talk, and whoever I called would assume I had found out some awful news, and would jump to wrong conclusions, and WAIT!!! What was I afraid of??? What was I afraid of??? The thought circled in my mind, What was I afraid of??? It was supernatural, a girding of my spirit rising within me reminding myself "Perfect love casts out fear!" And I know for SURE the love of the Creator is PERFECT. So my tears dried, and my spirit strengthened.

Jim met David and I at the urologist's office. During our consultation, as "could-be"s were being thrown around, the tears welled up again. I was able to keep them at bay, at least while everyone was looking. There is still no reason to fear. There never is a reason to fear. A second opinion has been called for. We will know next week.

As we were walking out of the urologist's office, Jim and David were talking, and I was crying. I wiped my eyes without anyone noticing. When Jim turned to me and asked me a question, the catch in my scruffy voice sounded normal, cold-normal, not like I'd been crying. (Told you it would come into play).

We won't know anything until Tuesday. We get to enjoy the long weekend, which for David will include a High School football game tonight, and a MSU football game tomorrow. And this whole doctor ordeal started because I said yes he could play football. THAT is how all things work together for good.

Appointment

David's appointment with the urologist is at 1:30 tomorrow. I told David about it, and trying to get out of going, he assured me "it's okay". I told him "Since you haven't been to medical school yet, we'll let the doctor decide".

Results...

Dave has to go see a urologist asap. I know what the bump is not (scar tissue, fluid-filled cyst) I just don't no what it is. More later.

A Different KInd of Test on the First Day of School

Today is the first day of school for Grace and David. Even though we went to the school the other day, and walked through their schedules, there is still a certain amount of nervousness in the air. Especially for Grace. The kids have been doing great with the move, but now Grace is starting to realize how much she will miss her friends from Bannockburn. They WERE great friends. We've met lots of 8th grade girls, but nothing has really "clicked" yet. This may be a very long day for her.

It will not be so long for David. I will pull him out early today, for an ultrasound. A sport's physical yesterday revealed he has a small bump where there should be no bump. He goes at 3:00 today to find out what the bump is. Probably scar tissue (the mother hopingly said to herself).

"The" Dress

I couldn't help but show you this latest photo of Bailey. She is wearing "the" dress. "The" dress that Christa and each of her sisters had their photo taken in. "The" dress that I also had my photo taken in. Yes, it's now a three generation dress.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Today Jim and I celebrated 27 years of wedded bliss...or something like that! :) He took the day off work, and planned a fabulous day. We drove a little over an hour to Pray, Montana. There we basked in the joy of what was Chico Hot Springs. We took along our bathing suits and enjoyed a dip in the hot-spring-fed pools. Mineral water, no chemicals! One pool was warm, the other hot! After getting out, the air was a bit chilly, but I found that wrapping myself like a burrito was a sure-fire way to warm up!
We enjoyed a nice lunch at the poolside cafe. Feeling exotic, I ordered the bison & elk burger! It was as good as any beef I've ever had, maybe better. The onion rings were less appetizing. We had a brief stay, and returned home around 4:00pm. To be greeted by a wonderful "Happy Anniversary" streamer sign, handcrafted by Emily and David. It was a great day!

Leaving On a Jet Plane

Today, we drove Andrew to the airport. He's headed for school, John Brown University. On one hand, he's going home. On the other hand, he'll be very far from our home here. He's excited. I'm excited. We're all just so excited! But there was one less place setting at our dinner table tonight. And we missed him watching the Olympics with us tonight. And I talked to Kelsey when she called because Andrew was not here. He is already being missed!

Jim and I both commented that Andrew is truly an amazing person. We just can't wait to see what the Lord has for this first-born son of ours. If you are any where near Siloam Springs and happen to run into Andrew, be sure to let us know how he's doing. He will be THE ONLY student there without a cellphone, I'm sure, so I doubt we'll hear from him much. Besides, he'll be so busy being molded into the man God wants him to be. Can't wait!

My Card

I've always been a little crazy about wanting my own business cards. For whatever reason, it just seems so organized to hand someone all of your contact info in one perfect little spot. Plus, since living in Bozeman I've invited several people to church and had to do the "It's the church south on 19th. No wait, there are tons of churches south on 19th!" So, I decided now was the time for me to order business cards. And I just happened to find the perfect template! The message "Just do the next thing" I totally stole from Elizabeth Elliott. I heard her say it years ago, and it has been my motto in raising these seven blessings! And just in case you're not up on the S.A.H.M., that designates me as a Stay At Home Mom. But I'm not really sure that Stay At Home Moms really stay at home. Anyway, my card.....

Our New Favorite Spot

Today was the second time in one week that we have gone to Hyalite Lake and Palisade Falls. We had company earlier this week, and only had a couple of hours to "show him Montana" so we picked a place close. It's about a 20 minute drive from our home to Hyalite Lake. We took a lunch today, and picnicked lakeside. It is breathtaking! As if blue skies, green trees and a gorgeous lake weren't enough, a bald eagle decided to join our fun.

I know it's hard to tell, but since our zoom is broken on our camera, you're going to have to take my word for it. A bald eagle it is! From the lake, we drove another 10 minutes up the mountain where we then hiked a half mile to Palisade Falls.This Falls drops more than 80 feet off a vertical rock wall. And yes, Andrew found a way to the top! Not to be outdone, David scurried up the trail, that lead to some careful footing, which ultimately lead to the exhilaration of looking out over the falls. Brothers on top! So cool!
This puts it into perspective!
Jim and I stayed below the falls, I guess so we could catch anyone if they fell!

It was a great day! I still can't believe that I really live here!

In My 'Hood

This was going up this morning about two blocks from our house.
Can you say "Sahweet"?

Good News

"Mom, I haven't been coughing." These words might only seem sweet to a mother that has endured her daughter's cough for, oh say, ten years! Claritin, albuterol, delsym, plastic-wrapping on mattresses, air-fliter machines, family practitioners, pediatricians, pulmonologists have all tried to stop Grace's coughing. All to no avail! The nightly cough would sneak up on her after she went to bed, usually bothering everyone in the house, except Grace. She could sleep through it like a champ! The rest of us were left smothering ourselves in our pillows or turning on fans and white-noise machines to drown it out. A Spring Break trip to Mexico with her best friend nearly found her an orphan as the family drew straws to decide whether they should let Grace stay! Her coughing had kept them up, too!

Indeed "Mom I haven't been coughing" ARE sweet words. Looks like we only needed to move to Montana to hear them!

Elevation...4810 feet

This is apparently what happens to bags of goodies when they are brought to the mountains....

...this is also how I feel at the end of a salty day!

The Week in Review

Wednesday night found us wondering closed Main Street for Bite of Bozeman.Kind of a Taste of Chicago, but without the heat and the gangs.

Said Main Street

Live music here apparently includes blowing into a jug.

Live music here also may include your 10-year-old son named Rhythm.

Bozeman is a Biker Friendly Community. Take a look at these bikes!
They are not your I'm-cool-look-at-my-neato-bike kind of bikes.
People here ride the I'm-going-to-the-store-and-need-baskets-hanging-off-my-bike kind of bikes. I've seen these bikes priced in the $700-$800 range.

Just one of the may offerings of local delicacies offered at The Bite.

In other news, this is the bowl of raspberries I picked off our bushes one night.

Thursday we went to an open-air concert in Big Sky!

The Jeni Fleming Trio included six people. We didn't ask.

This was our concert hall. Lovely!

And this is me and my favorite husband!

Can't wait to see what this next week has to offer!

(Okay, why are there boxes around my photos?!)