We're Here!

Well lest anyone start to wonder if I actually made it to Manitoba or not, I figured I bet get something posted up here.

We got here last Tuesday. The trip out was, in two words or less: wretchedly awful. The Little Goat had no interest in sleeping at the hotel, only jumping on the hotel bed and looking out the window at all the passing cars. I hardly slept at all either which turned out to be a good thing since I set my alarm for three PM instead of AM. At any rate, the LG was up at 3:30am Atlantic Time and didn't sleep on the first flight despite still being in pajamas with all the cabin lights dimmed. Alas, she didn't sleep on the second flight either which means that from 3:30am until 12PM Atlantic time, she didn't sleep one wink. I've never been so thankful for seatback television before (or the Treehouse network for that matter).

Anyway, we're here now. My Mom ended up spending a couple extra nights in observation in the hospital back home but is home now and well on the way to recovery.

The LG, on the other hand, is sicker than she's ever been with some sort of evil virus. She's had a fever on and off and been puking and generally lethargic since later Saturday evening.

Other than that, things have been fairly uneventful around here. I went to my best friend's birthday party on Saturday evening and can't remember the last time I laughed that much or that hard - I miss having a good group of girls to hang out with.

Anyway, I'm off to check on the LG who is having her sixth (seventh?) nap of the day.

Girl.

Hooray!

A few of you have contacted me on Facebook or via email to ask how my Mom's surgery went yesterday so here's the update.

Everything went great with the surgery! The surgeon told my Dad they took out everything they were planning too. They removed two lymph nodes that will be sent away for testing (results in about 4 weeks) but he took a quick look and said he didn't see anything that concerned him. This means they probably have gotten all the cancer!

So Mom will be in the hospital until Sunday or Monday and my Dad is staying about a five minute walk away. We might get to talk to her tonight. When we called yesterday, Dad wasn't right in the room with her and she was still pretty groggy from surgery/pain meds anyway.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and love. We are so grateful for God's mercy, grace, and provision - not just in this circumstance - but in everything in our lives right now.

The Little Goat and I will be heading Home on Tuesday for three weeks and I can hardly wait!

Crazy Driving

Well this is what my parents were taking backroads to avoid today. I can only remember one other time when it was this bad and that was my freshman year of college. It was Spring Break and we were two days late getting home because the roads were so bad. Hopefully this weather will all have cleared up by the time I get home.

Icy Roads Wreak Havoc with Manitobans

In Point Form

• I think thermometers have the worst job. Particularly up here, it's either heinously hot or ridiculously cold. There aren't too many days when it's 'just right'. Guess which category today falls in?
  

• I did actually pick a winner in my Bloggy Giveaway. The prize was mailed out last Thursday. The winner was Reva Skie of no fixed bloggy address. I have to say it always disappoints me just a little when the winner is somebody without a blog because there's no place to link back to, no opportunity to get to know the winner a little bit. With that in mind, I've come up with a better idea for my next giveaway and hopefully when that time comes around (May? June?) I'll be able to participate and see if my new idea works. I hope I still remember my new idea by then.

• My cousin and her husband left for Germany on January 28th so he could have some fancy back surgery. Well he had his surgery late last week and guess what!? He's almost good as new! Off his medication after only two days, not even using a walker, and "pain-free!" We are praising God with them for successful surgery. They fly home to MB on March 5th so we'll even get to see them before we fly back here too! Yippee!

• My parents are driving into Surgery City today even though they have to take all back roads because the main highway is closed because of some really awful weather over the past couple of days. This afternoon, they'll get a tour of all the places in the hospital where they'll be over the next few days. Mom is nervous but that seems perfectly reasonable, given the circumstances. Tomorrow is the big Surgery Day.

• Friday is our second, well no, really our fourth, ultrasound and hopefully this time, Sibling X? will cooperate because dang it, I can't wait much longer to find out - it's driving me a little nuts not knowing.

What Evil Has Befallen Us?

Last week was a little hair-raising and it turns out we can safely attribute the Little Goat's crankiness, lack of appetite, diarrhea, and ridiculous amount of sleeping (four hour naps, people, PLUS sleeping through the night) to a norovirus. She didn't have any fever and well, we just didn't catch on because she's only ever had one cold before and even that didn't last for long.

Of course, as you parents know, what the child gets, so gets the parent. I was just fine on Thursday night but the minute I sat up in bed on Friday morning I knew something wasn't right. Mr. J. came home early so he could be there when the LG woke up from her afternoon nap, seeing as I was rather couch-ridden. We called my midwife after 'dinner' (I drank Gatorade) and figured it was probably a kidney infection. Well no sooner had Mr. J. gone to the pharmacy and back, things changed and oh my goodness - talk about a good colon cleanse! It was AWFUL! But, as of about midday on Sunday, I am feeling significantly better. Still recuperating today and so far Mr. J. is feeling just fine so we are grateful for that.

But then, you know how even when you're feeling at your worst you can be sure there's somebody out there dealing with something just a little bit more horrid? Well we were on our way up to bed on Saturday night when Mr. J. got a call from his dad saying that a friend of ours and his wife had been in a car accident on Saturday morning. (They're retired and spend the winter in AZ.) Some 85 year-old man drove through a red light and broadsided their Suzuki. Well, Earnie has a broken rib...but Dianna didn't make it.

You wouldn't know it, but Earnie & Dianna are regular readers of the blog. They have been since we moved to Maine in 2006. Dianna never left comments in the comments section but I would get these lovely long emails responding to whatever I'd written, offering anecdotes and advice, and telling us all about their latest adventures and hijinks. Those two! (Sorry, THREE - we can't forget Midgee the dog!) Always up to something. Rock hunting, participating in Christmas light parades, having coffee with friends, rubbing in the fact that Yuma weather is so fabulous this time of year....

You were truly a force to be reckoned with, Dianna, but with a kind heart, a lot of common sense (which you know I could resonate with) and a love for the Lord. We will miss you. Earnie - we love you and wish you much Grace and Peace, and will be continuing to pray for you.