More Rain

We're currently having another thunder storm! I can't remember ever having such a wet summer. Makes me wonder what kind of winter we're going to have. It's about time to have another ice storm.

I went to the in-laws on Friday morning with plans to stay until today. My MIL was supposed to have an appointment with the radiological oncologist to discuss the path reports & map out her treatment. Friday afternoon his office called her & rescheduled the appointment for Aug. 22 at which time he would go ahead & start her radiation. And that's all we know! Very frustrating!! Anyway, I stayed until Sunday. She's doing really well all thing's considered. After they left to go to church Sunday morning, I straightened up a little & headed home.

I stopped at the outlet mall in Arcardia & did some shopping. Got me some new casual shoes, 5 pairs of pants, a skirt, & 4 shirts. Also got DH some new clothes for his birthday.

With my trip to Minneapolis next week & the ACFW conference in Sept., I needed to casual business clothes that will be comfortable on plane rides as well as for sitting in classes all day.

DH has a medical meeting in Feb. 2008 in Hawaii. I get to go with him of course! The first part of the meeting will be in Honolulu and the second part will be on Kaui. I'm really looking forward to this! One of the excursions we can do is whale watching. I want to do that.

I'm behind on my Bible study of Women of the Bible. It won't take long to catch up on the reading, but it takes me longer to crochet the squares. I'm not as experienced as some of the other ladies. But, I'm learning how to read a pattern & lots of new stitches.

I have several other projects going on also. I'm knitting a baby blanket for Joanna. The baby is due Dec. 26, so I have a little time to get it done. I just started knitting a "prayer" shawl for my MIL. I want to get it done ASAP. On the back burner I have a knitted scarf not quite finished. I plan to send it to a friend in the 82nd Airborne on his 2nd tour of duty in Iraq. It won't take long to finish it.

DS#2 is applying to enter LSU-A so I need to get his transcript together tonight. He's supposed to take his ACT on Aug. 9. This will be his first time to take it. He's probably nervous, but I know he'll do just fine on it.

We will get "new" neighbors in November. They're moving from Seattle to her childhood home. We're all excited about it. He's a carpenter & is going to work for us on our place. His first job will be to put a new bathroom & add a room onto the cottage. Then he'll put in a kitchenette, new floor, & french doors on the front. DD#2 is excited since she's the one that lives out there. Then he'll start demolishing our sunroom. By next summer we'll have an outdoor pool instead of an indoor pool. The list of things that need to be done in remodeling both properties is a very long list. I can't wait to get started though!

One of these days, maybe I'll remember to update this blog on a regular basis. :-)

When Families Need to Stick Together

Yesterday DH & I got up early & drove to Shreveport to be with his family while my MIL had surgery for breast cancer. It was a long day of waiting. We got home after midnight. That makes 3 late nights in a row & I can really feel it today. Now we're waiting for all of the pathology reports to come back. We know that she will have to take radiation treatments, but additional treatments will depend on the reports. I'm afraid life as we've known it will be changing. DH & I will be going to his parents some during the weeks that he's not working. Just to check on them & give his dad a break from driving to & from Shreveport every day. I'm afraid that's going to get very tiring very quickly since it's an hour each way. We offered to house them at our house for the duration so she could get treatment here, but they don't want to be separated that long (I don't blame them) & he has to check all the oil wells (that's their income) every day. The grandkids are volunteering to step up & help on weekends as their work & school schedules allow. They can all cook, clean, & do the grocery shopping for them. We will all have to come together, work together, & support each other to get through this difficult time. We all know that God is a merciful, loving, healing God who will provide what's needed for each of our families. As one SIL stated, "I don't know how people deal with this when they don't know God." I totally agree!!

This is about all we've been able to think about for the last week. I'm sure there's more I could write about, but I just can't seem to think through them right now. Maybe later on this week I can update this blog with more pleasant things that have been going in my life.

BTW, the photo at the bottom of this page is the entire clan that's affected by these circumstances. It was taken at the family reunion in June.

Rain, rain go away . . .

It has been raining all week. My flower beds are flooded! Sure hope they survive.

DH is working nights this week & hasn't made it to bed before noon each day. He's really tired.

I was expecting to be alone on the 4th of July as DH would be sleeping & all the kids would be at work. But, one of the water lines broke & all day was spent trying to find & fix it. DH never got to bed & 2 of the 3 kids never made it to work. We finally got the water back on yesterday afternoon. There are 3 big holes (now full of water) & busted concrete where our grill sat. What a mess!

Just when I think things are going well & we can start remodeling, another problem pops up that moves to the top of the priority list. The house needs to be replumbed! Some of the water lines were run back in the 1950's before you had to map out where they were laid. Therefore, we don't know where they are! Hence all the holes in the yard. DH thinks it'll be best to run the lines through the attic & down the walls into the house. Not a warm weather job.

I spent last week visiting my mom & sister. We had a good time together. The weather was nice & we were able to get in the pool every day.

My sister & her husband are raising 2 baby deer. They are so cute! Each fawn drinks 5 bottles of goat's milk per day. I got to feed them a couple of times. When they finish eating, they run, jump & play. It's so funny! You can hear the milk sloshing in their stomachs as they run by you.

We went to a couple of flea markets & I bought a brand new living room suite! When we went in I remarked that this was the kind of sofa I wanted. The owner told me it was a brand new set handmade by a local man especially to sell in this flea market. It's Queen Anne style, burgundy sofa, love seat, wingback chair, 2 pillows, & ottoman. All for $750. I'm so happy with it. It looks just like I had it pictured in my mind.

Now I'm waiting a nephew to come claim the old sofa. He's moving to Texas to go to graduate school & needs furniture. Hopefully he'll come this weekend as it's really in the way.

My niece lost her baby last week. My brother said she's doing good & her husband was being very supportive. My SIL told him that she'd had 2 miscarriages 25 years ago! She never told him about it. I don't believe she did. We had the same friends back then & went everywhere together. All of us either getting pregnant or trying to get pregnant & discussing it all with each other. She never mentioned miscarriage. I had 1 during that time & a mutual friend did to. She has lied to him so much over the last 30 years that I don't think she even remembers what she's told him. I did send a note to my niece. She came to DS's wedding in April but never said anything to any of us, as usual.

That's all for now.