Our New Van - Name Suggestions Requested

In October 2010 the Lord provided an amazing vehicle for us to drive. 

There does come a point in the life of a vehicle when it must be retired, however. The "Tuecke Tank" as it became known served us well for four great years but alas Drew began thinking about replacing him. He started looking on craigslist after narrowing down what he wanted, a 12 passenger van with the rear wheels set far back on the chassis, as low mileage, as good condition as possible & about $5,000 (tall order)! Today he took the plunge and drove to see one that he thought might fit that description.  He traded in our vehicle for this 2000 Chevrolet Express Van with 114,000 miles. I am truly thankful! Our other van was getting a bit scary to drive. It stalled regularly enough to set me into a cold sweat just about every time I drove it. I would be turning at an intersection, usually a busy one, when it would conk out, causing me to lose power steering.  I would throw it into neutral, frantically pulling on the wheel to keep us all safe, then crank it over yelling back for the kids to PLEASE stop fighting and start praying! When we took it to the mechanic he could not make the problem reoccur. Ugh! The 2000 Chevrolet Express fit the description and Drew and Jacob drove it home! Now I am thankful for a new problem: Backing up this beauty! Isn't she LONG!!  

Abram, you may not drive! Remember what happened the last time you drove??

Interior with 4 buckles in back row, 3 in middle and 3 in front row.

The Man!!Thanks for working hard on behalf of the entire family!!

What should we name her?  Leave a comment if something comes to mind. I expect a name will kind of grow on her but the ideas have to come from somewhere!  Here are the names the kids have come up with so far:
Scarlet
Red Rackham (from Tin Tin)
Bob the Tomatoe

July 14th, A Day to Remember

Baruch in his cast. Haven't had time to post the whole story behind the cast. Here goes. . .

Sunday afternoon we headed out on our bikes to take the NW Arterial hill challenge up to the Arboretum where there is "music in the park" on Sunday nights.  We were getting a bit of a late start and the whole trip felt slightly off.  We often start with prayer, not tonight. Anyway, Baruch and I were well ahead of everyone, but not yet to the big hill when we stopped because I got a text from Drew.  I read Baruch the text "go ahead up the hill, we will catch up." So we started off. Baruch standing to get his speed up. His speed increased quickly when suddenly his bike went out of control, he sped off the path and into the ditch. Screams of "It's broken" and "just pull it back into place" met me as I threw my bike aside and raced to him. After looking at his arm and seeing the bone, still beneith the skin, but definately not where it should be my instinct was to dial 911, then I thought, no call Drew, but I found myself talking to the 911 operator instead. The sherrif arrived and I hung up with the operator who said she would be sending an ambulance. Some time between the fall and the sheriff's arrival Mary and Abi rode up and I sent them to get Dad as quickly as possible. Baruch thought his arm would feel better if he had something hard under it so I fished around in his backpack and grabbed his notebook. We put it underneath and that alleviated some pain (not much though). By the time Drew arrived I told the sheriff I didn't think we would need the ambulance. He said once they have been called they come and follow through on the call.   Drew took off to get our van, which was thankfully parked at the bottom of the bluff. He showed up shortly after the ambulance. While the EMT's looked over the arm, and said they would not be held responsible for any further damage should we refuse the ambulance ride, Drew got all the kids engaged in bringing all the bikes and helmets to the van and efficiently loaded them on the tailor. We signed a waiver, taking full responsibility for our actions and somehow, (I honestly don't remember if we carried Baruch or he walked) got Baruch to the van. It wasn't until I thawacked my head getting into the van that I realized I still had my helmet on. Good thing too ; ). Drew drove skillfully to the ER while I called ahead so they would be expecting us. From there is was: See the Dr. on duty.  Start an IV and give morphine for pain. Take x-rays. See the orthopedic Dr. on call. See the anesthesialogist. Prep for surgery. Go into surgery. Have succussful surgery, ending with a cast put on. Go into recovery. Then take forever to be brought from recovery to the Pediatric Unit.* Spend night under the watchful eye of a diligent nurse. Come home. . . 

The surgery. . . He underwent closed surgery which means they manipulated the bones without making an incision. I guess it is still surgery because they put him under and he was in the surgery room.  Hey and then we get charged a full surgery bill + the anesthesia bill. Surgery involved putting the ulna, which looked sort of crumbled in the x-ray to me, about 1 inch long just below the elbow, back in place. It also involved reducing his radius which suffered a monteggia fracture (meaning basically it came out of the socket). Reducing means putting it back in place. 

All I know is I am extremely thankful to the Lord for competent medical care and a husband who drives better than an ambulance any day of the week!

Oh, and yes, his cast is really that big!

As Mom used to always say, "There you have it!" 

I sure miss that Momma!!

Overwhelming Support

Grief rolls in and out surrounded by sweet memories of unrecoverable days. God remains the same, yesterday, today and forever.  He is my rock and fortress through the tumult of emotions. I am so thankful He provides others to come alongside me, with encouragement and overwhelming support!

Slip, Bang!

We have been so busy throwing up around here I haven't had time to get organized for school.  On that premise I have made an executive decision to delay our starting up school for the New Year indefinitely :). No, but I am going to take the rest of this week to regroup. I have also been too busy to update the blog.  Friday night I stayed up late cleaning the kitchen so we could start fresh on Saturday. In retrospect, this was a bad idea. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, Drew started throwing up. I got up fairly early with children and Drew went back to bed. We had a low key morning and early afternoon. After sleeping a bit in the afternoon Drew came down to sleep on the couch and I went up to sleep upstairs. Chloe came wondering down, extremely whinny, after her nap.  I was still sleeping when I heard screams.  Chloe was dancing and fell, slip, bang, hitting her chin on the wood floor.  We looked at it and I couldn't tell how bad it was.  Drew thought we should call the nurse, I thought we should go get some butterfly bandages. He was too weak to argue and I regret not having listened to him. When I got to the drug store I had the pharmacist look at the ouchy with me and she thought it was an abrasion. Truthfully it grossed me out to look at it, and that sounded good to me so I bought triple antibiotic ointment and circle band-aids, applied both to the ouchy and headed home.  At 6:00 all of us, except Drew who was feeling week and having some hmmm hmmm loose stools, headed to some friends house to celebrate New Years. At this point Chloe had bled through a couple of the circle band-aids and I was getting ready to put another one on so asked the mom's present to take a look.  Then Chloe looked down and I noticed the area that I thought was an abrasion disappeared as the wounds closed up.  Our friends son is studying to be a paramedic so he took a look at it and I was vacillating between having him bandage it up or taking her into the ER. I ended up in the ER and she ended up with 6-8 stitches. I am still thanking the Lord for how good she was getting those stitches.  Not a peep the entire time!!  Thankfully they did not have to give her a shot to numb the area. Instead, the nurse applied a clear gel, with a monster band-aid. After 25 minutes the area was numb, the doctor came in and stitch, stitch. The fatty tissue disappeared as he worked. 

Our Thanksgiving Blessings

Starting the day right - hee hee

 Mary, Cob, Abi and I ran the Turkey Trot this year. I am WAY back, so far back I don't think I am in this picture. The children were ahead of me but I can't find them in the picture either :)

Jillian, Mary and Abi

The girls model this beautiful family heirloom, The Lord's prayer in fine crochet.

Our hostess, Sheryll and I

The Richard ladies, Kathryn and Marilyn

The amazing Turkey

Rich carves the bird.

Kathryn, Marilyn and Jacob enjoyed playing a game of Skipbo

We really enjoyed participating in the Hunt's Thanksgiving tradition of reading a verse and expressing something you are thankful for.  they had a little basket with verses typed on slips of paper and kernels of corn in it. When the basket is passed you take one of each.  Then we each in turn read our verse.  When the basket was passed the second time, as you replaced your verse and kernel you shared something you were thankful for.  It was an amazing blessing to share in this tradition and to be with like minded believers to celebrate this holiday!

Multitude on Mondays

36. Jesus, my hiding place
37. Jesus, my rock
38. Jesus, my refuge
39. Jesus, my ever present help in my continous need
40. Jesus, my redeemer

Multitude on Mondays

31.dirty dishes
32. unfolded laundry
33. toys on the living room floor
34. cobwebs in all corners
35. fingerprints on the windows

Snapshot Summary #42

It's been a LONG time since I have posted one of these snapshot summaries. This one covers from June 12th to present with very sporadic dates covered. My summer has been too busy for regular updates. I know everyone can relate!

Sunday
12 - June, 2011
Wow, how many years ago was it that we saw the house across the street go up for sale and began to pray for the people that the Lord would bring into His neighborhood? Yes, His neighborhood that we are blessed to live in. The Lord brought John and Miriam and they have become good friends. Today we enjoyed a wonderful meal at their house. Thank you Lord for all the encouragement this couple brings to our lives.

Father's Day - a barge for Grandpa crafted by Abi and Baruch

Wednesday
22 - June, 2011
Jacob's Birthday

Sunday
26 - June, 2011
Biking to Church

Saturday
2 - July, 2011
Chloe, Baruch, Abram

Sunday
3 - July, 2011
Celebrating Independence Day

for more Independence Day photos you will have to check out my facebook page!

Thursday
7 - July, 2011

Friday
8 - July, 2011
Vosberg's visit and Rachel is getting SO big!

Sunday
10 - July, 2011
Bible Study buddies! I am enjoying our new Bible Study on doctrine called "The Blueprints". Our neighbors John and Miriam are coming too. Mary and Jacob have been participating and Laura's oldest two plan to join us when they can!!

Monday
11 - July, 2011

Brother fun! Well, little sister joined in too, but girls are mud are just not the same as boys and mud!!!

Multitude on Mondays

26. bare feet
27. chubby toes
28. happy hearts
29. tears of joy
30. soft kisses from tiny lips

Multitude on Mondays

Thank you LORD for all things! Thank you for. . .
21. pool parties and like minded moms
22. praying friends
23. my four sweet sisters
24. Mary and Jacob desiring to obey God and be baptized! (they were baptized Sat.!!)
25. Newness of life in Christ and the picture of that in baptism.

Drew got to go out and baptize the children along with Pastor Chip. Drew was saying how corpse like their bodies looked as they were laid back in the water and what an awesome picture that is of our dying to self and being raised to LIFE IN CHRIST!!  Thanks you Father for abundant life through Christ!

Multitude on Mondays

16."The Money Game"
17. Listening to Abigail whistle
18. The sparkle in Abram's eyes
19. Forgiveness from my children when I explode
20. Sustaining grace from my Perfect Creator and Redeemer

Multitude on Mondays

11. Sun bleached boy head
12. A girl who cares how others feel
13. Constant background noise
14. A husband who cares
15. Family jokes

Multitude on Mondays

4. God speaking to me through His Son
5. Jesus - the radiance of God's glory
6. Jesus - the exact representation of God's nature
7. Jesus upholds all things by the word of God's power
8. Jesus made purification of my sins.
9. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God.
10. God is the Majesty on High!
Hebrews 1:1-3

Multitude on Mondays

1. Friends who speak the truth even when it's hard.
2. Crying with sisters in pain.
3. Rejoicing in the Not Yets

Up and Coming Events

Happy Birthday Abram Glenn (Sat. May 21) and Chloe Ruth (Tues. May 24) Happy Anniversary Andrew (Friday May 27). You have filled the past 16 years with sweetness. Thank you for your constant example of walking in the Spirit, denying yourself and living for Christ. I thank the Lord for the covenant we have before Him in our marriage! I love you. You are THE MAN!