Saturday, 26 February 2011

Tuesday, 07 December 2010

  • Happy Anniversary

    I talked to my Grandma on the phone today.  I was thinking of her because yesterday she and Grandpop celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary.  No typo there - that's SIXTY-NINE years married to each other.  At 89 and 90 years old, they are still going strong in a relationship longer than twice my lifetime.  They are amazing.

    With all four of their children:

    [Aren't they CUTE?]

Wednesday, 01 December 2010

  • Talking to myself

    I've come back here after a long break of not posting much - only to find some words I needed for today in my last post.  I have a choice today to worry, whine, fret, and fear - but instead I will choose to trust, hope, and persevere in faith.  I don't want ANYTHING to steal my joy today!

    Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ~ Galatians 6:9

    Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:25-26

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

  • Home Again

    I love being home.

    I love my husband, and his selfless and unceasing sacrifice of his time and energy for my health and comfort.

    I love hugging my boys again ... very carefully.

    I love resting, resting, and more resting, being able to eat without getting too tired to finish, and the suitable application of pain medications that don't give me vertigo.

    I love my Mom, and her cheerful commandeering of the cooking, cleaning, and childcare the past two-and-a-half days.

    I love my Mother-in-law, for taking such special care of the boys for oh-so-much-more than the originally planned "few hours on Tuesday."

    I love knowing that the surgery went extremely well, that this problem is resolved, that it is not a symptom of an underlying condition, and that it is no more likely to recur in me than in any woman.

    I love knowing that God is in control, that he knows me, cares about me, hears me, and loves me, no matter what.

     

    (I also had a list in my head about everything I don't love about right now, but after making the above list, it seems pretty stupid.  I am BLESSED.)

Thursday, 14 October 2010

  • In the Hospital

    I write this from my bed at UPMC Mercy Hospital.

    NOT where I expected to be today, let me tell you :)

    Here's the update:

    The intermittent abdominal pain of the last two weeks escalated to "OWWW!" and landed me in the Forbes Regional ER last Wednesday night.  A CT scan showed a large mass in my abdomen.  My follow-up ultrasound to determine what it was made of was on Tuesday at 1:30 pm at Mercy.  A side trip to Magee and two sonograms later, I'm back at Mercy at 5 pm where Dr. Badway tells me, "There's no getting out of this without surgery.  The OR isn't busy right now, so why go home and be miserable just to come back in two days?"

    Boy, oh boy.  So there's this mass, which the doctor now guesses is a blood clot, and it is HUGE: roughly 10 cm by 13 cm on the ultrasound.  And it has to come out because they can't find my left ovary and suspect torsion and I'm in some pain that's just getting worse.   And it can't be done laproscopically, because did I mention it is enormous?!  So, sign some consents, IV, etc., and down we go to the OR!

    Surgery went very well - the surgeons removed a blood-filled cyst they described as being "about the size of a football," which was attached to my ovary by only a thin stalk.

    Recovery is very much like C-section recovery, only I just have to take care of myself and not also a newborn.  Not a great day today - a lot of dizziness and weakness.  I hope to be more up and around tomorrow.  At least I'm allowed to eat solid food now after only clear liquids yesterday, but I was really hoping to be up and about today. 

    The doctors and nurses here are great.  Larry has hardly left my side except to go home to sleep and to set things up for his substitute at school.  I am so blessed to have him as my husband!  Larry and Phyllis have had the boys since Tuesday - another great blessing.  Of course, Mal and Larry are enjoying their extended Rahree-holiday.  Little Larry even suggested that I could stay in the hospital a few more days!

    Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Tuesday, 07 September 2010

  • Answers for Bible Trivia

    For those of you playing along at home, here are the answers to Sunday's Bible Trivia!  Could you match Little Larry's version to the real scripture verse?

    1) The muddy man

    Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."  Jeremiah 9:23-24

    2) The Tomato of Garkiss

    He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:13-14

    3) the chapter and verse of 1st Corinthians that tells you to brush your teeth

    For the word of the cross if folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians One:Eighteen

Sunday, 05 September 2010

  • Bible Trivia

    Our family loves to listen to Hide the Word CDs while working in the mornings.  Sometimes the scriptures can get a little muddled when filtered through a little Larry-brain.  Can you guess where in the Bible you might find:

    1) The muddy man

    2) The Tomato of Garkiss

    3) the chapter and verse of 1st Corinthians that tells you to brush your teeth

    Gold star if you get them all right!

Friday, 28 May 2010

  • Dear Mrs. Theibaud

    Dear Mrs. Theibaud,
     
    When I was your student in the late 80s, my name was Emily Duncan.  I had you for reading/PURPOSE for three years at Evans City.  I know we've spoken once or twice since then (probably when I was student teaching in 1999) but I know you've had thousands of students, so I don't expect to stick out in your memory.
     
    There are so many things I remember from your class - photography and language workshops, academic games, so many great books (most are still favorites to this day), acting out vocabulary words for photos on the bulletin board...
     
    Recently some of my friends and I were talking/blogging about old journals that we used to keep in elementary school and that prompted me to pull out the ones I had written for your class.  I still have all of my old journals (from 4th grade to the present), and it's funny to look back over all the funny, sad, and interesting things that went through my young brain.  But what I remember most is going over my journal with you in our conferences, and how interested you were in what I had to say.  I was a socially awkward kid and you made me feel that I fit right in.  At a time when I was bullied for being in the gifted class and taking a transfer bus, your class was a safe place to be myself.
     
    So, thanks for taking the time to value me as a person.  I have had some truly amazing teachers over the years, but you were my favorite.
     
    I hope you are doing well and that you have had a good school year.  Enjoy your summer!
     
    Sincerely,
    Emily Paladin

Tuesday, 18 May 2010

  • Maybe on the eighth day?

    I love non sequiturs. Little Larry asked me about how God makes the morning, so I read the first few verses of Genesis. Then, a complete reading of Genesis 1 and 2 at his insistence, and a discussion of sin and forgiveness. In conclusion, this: "Mommy, when do I get earmuffs?!"

Tuesday, 13 April 2010

  • Malcolm is 2!

     My little baby is really not a baby anymore :(

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    He's a great big guy who's full of fun and laughs, occassional tantrums, and sweet hugs.  He's got a much smaller vocabulary than Larry did at this age, so we don't always know what he's thinking, but his enthusiasm for sharks, going outside, and his Daddy are undeniable.  I love to watch Larry and Malcolm just giggling at each other across the room for no particular reason.

    100_2780

    Happy Birthday to my special boy!

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