Time with Mom

I have SO enjoyed having my mother here these past 2+ weeks.  Less than one week 'til she goes home.  I'm also glad my recovery has been quick so we've been able to get out and go places.  We had a day out with the boys and a day out with the girls.  We're trying to get a day out with just the two of us.  Not eating as well as I should with all our excursions, but I'll do better next week!  I'm having virtually no pain and my stoma opening is healing VERY well.  The surgeon only stitched it from the inside, so the outside slowly pulls together and won't get infected.  I'll see him tomorrow for a check up.

I can't believe it's August already.  Our summer just hasn't gone quite the way I'd hoped.  We have gotten two camping trips in and we're hoping to get three more in before the end of October.

Home!

The surgery only took 2 hours, so the doctor must've been including all the before & after time when he said 5 hours.  I woke up well, with only a little nausea.  Recovery was a thousand times better this time. 

Last time my abdomen was full of infection so I had 3 bags of antibiotics hanging at one time.  This time I only had one bag and I'm not sure they started another when it was empty.  If they did, it was only once.  Last time I was on morphine for 2+ days.  This time I needed NO pain medication!  What a blessing!  The morphine caused nausea and really clouded my thinking. 

I ended up coming home Sunday afternoon, two days earlier than I was told.  Saturday afternoon The doctor said I could begin eating at supper and they'd cap my IV if I did okay.  When he came back Sunday morning he said I was way ahead of schedule and could go home after lunch!

Sunday evening I became nauseous and had a low fever.  The children had had a stomach bug the week I went in the hospital and I could tell this was a bug, not a surgery related issue.  Since I was home 2 days early, my mom was not here yet so we planned on J's mom keeping 2 children each day, while I would keep SK, SR & LG on Monday and AB, TJ & LG on Tuesday.  The older girl could help me out and my little LG is just good medicine herself ;)  I felt it was time for her to be home with Mama!  Since I got sick Sunday night J stayed home with us Monday & Tuesday.  Monday night I finally had the worst of the bug and while I felt better stomach-wise on Tuesday, I was totally wiped out from the day before.  I'm so glad he was here to take care of me :)  His mom still took 2 children each day which made for a much quieter, calmer house (separating the two boys and the two older girls!). 

Eating is coming along slowly, but it's coming.  Today I feel as good as I did on Sunday when I came home!  I'm glad I didn't get sick in the hospital, though!  It's much nicer to be sick at home.

I haven't heard the results from the colonoscopy biopsy.  I guess I'll have to call them.  Next up is the post surgery check-up, then more blood work in September.  I'll also have some genetic testing done to see if I'm at risk for this or other cancers or if this was a non-genetic case.  If it is genetic, then I guess I have a much higher risk of recurrance and my children have a higher risk. 

Right now, I'm glad to be on my feet and bag-less!

Second Surgery

Checking in at 5:30am tomorrow.  Surgery is scheduled for 8:00.  I was told it's a 5 hour surgery.  Maybe that will make up for my missing sleep :)  I was also told to expect a minimum 5 day stay again.  I won't be posting again 'til I get home.

My mom is due to come on the 26th and stay for three weeks.  I'm glad to be prepared this time, but it's also given me time to think of things going wrong, too.  I will miss my dear children the next few days.  J will be with me in the morning and evening, but I probably won't see the children 'til Saturday.

Results

All went extremely well. No polyps. There was an area of "irritation" that she took a sample of to have biopsied. One more week 'til my hospital vacation ;)

Colonoscopy Prep

Nothing but clear liquids today. I prepared myself by just juicing yesterday. I'm choosing cucumber/celery/apple juice over jello, kool-aid, soda, broth, etc. (All things I don't like and are no good for anyone.) 6pm I get to drink some yummy stuff!!! Will find out later today exactly what time my colonoscopy is tomorrow.

Yesterday morning while searching online for some healthy clear liquid ideas I happened to come across some articles on the dangers of colonoscopy and the (sometimes long term) after effects.  As often as I check into things before I do/take them (or give to/have done to my children), I had not even thought to look into this before.  I knew there was a risk of perforation and that could be dangerous.  The packet of information I was given didn't list ANY effects or complications other than perforation.  They make everything sound hunky dory.  I was fearful for a time after reading the things I did, but I know there's no need to fear.  God is in control and it's all for His glory! 

I'm trying to wrap up a lot of household stuff before I go back in the hospital next Thursday.  Jeff's mother will be keeping three of the children and some friends will keep the other two.  My mom will be flying in on the 26th; the day I (hopefully) get out of the hospital.  I think this arrangement is going to work out very well, though Jeff will have to do some running to drop off and pick up all the children twice (he'll bring them home for the weekend and take them back Sunday evening).  I'm glad we can at least be prepared for this hospital visit!!!

Maybe in my down time after surgery I can post some bday pics from the May & June celebrations and from our camping trips...  I don't want to just post about all this medical stuff ;)

Second Oncologist Visit

Had the "real" appointment yesterday morning with the oncologist that I wanted in the first place.  I am SO glad I switched.  She is a much better fit for me than the first doctor.  I was not comfortable with him.

The results:  My PET scan was clear and my CEA (blood work) was clear.  While that's good news, there are always the unknowns.  The PET scan will only detect a tumor of 5mm or larger and the CEA doesn't detect very early cancer growth.

The recommendation:  The doctor still recommended preventative chemotherapy; 12 doses over 6 months.  The reason is that there was a rupture and it was impossible to tell if it was a rupture of the tumor or the colon.  If the tumor ruptured then there could be cancer cells spreading around my body.  She cited a 16% three year recurrence rate among stage 2 patients with 12 clear lymph nodes.  She said chemo could reduce that rate by half to two thirds.  Statistically speaking, that's 4-8% vs. 16%.  Of course my recurrence risk would be higher IF the tumor ruptured, which we can never know.

So, statistics vs. a real person...  Statistically speaking J & I don't see a huge improvement in recurrence risk after chemo,  though we can't know what those risks might be if the tumor did rupture.  I would certainly be doing a lot of damage to my body by taking the chemo drugs.  Some of that damage could be permanent.

Right now we are very comfortable following a life style change that includes eating raw foods.  Some may call us irresponsible or naive, but we are confident that this is how God wants us to proceed.  This is not something new we've just heard of, but something we've been learning about for years.  If there are cancer cells present, I won't be giving them fuel to reproduce and I'll be building my body to fight them.  As the doctor said, we have to make the decision that's right for us and then don't look back or second guess ourselves.  If it's chemo, be committed to the entire course of treatment; if it's lifestyle change, do it 100%.

I will go back for more blood work and another CAT scan in September.  I will probably have blood work done every 3 months and several more CAT scans.  I'm told that if the cancer is going to come back it usually does so within 3 years.  Our lifestyle change will continue for life.  We've had the knowledge for years and we've talked it to death, now we're faced with a critical choice.  Cancer turns out to be a "health opportunity" as some have said!

I am going to call the surgeon today to see if I can have my surgery on July 27th.  I also have to determine when to get a colonoscopy:  in the hospital right before surgery or sometime before that.

Thank you all again for keeping updated, praying, and your kind words of encouragement.  The love and support from everyone has really helped our family through this.

The Doctor Visit That Wasn't

I was supposed to have an oncologist visit yesterday afternoon, but somehow it got deleted or something.  They had no appointment scheduled at all.  Now I have an appt. for the 8th.

Last week I had a PET scan and some blood work done.  Since I didn't see the oncologist yesterday they were going to have a nurse call me today with those results.  That didn't happen either and I didn't call the office until almost 4:00 and they were closed.  So, I know nothing ;)

Anyway, I'm feeling great.  I've tried many new recipes, most delicious, but some not-so-much.  I did go out to my favorite Chinese buffet last night for my birthday, but it wasn't as wonderful as it always was.  I think my tastes are changing.  I've heard that happens when you're eating raw foods for a while.

I also got to have a great conversation with a fairly new Christian lady who took my blood last week.  God just has neat blessing around every corner!

Thanks for reading and keeping up with me.  I'll post my test results when I know them.  I'll probably just wait for my visit next Wednesday.

Non doctor related news...

We had several terribly hot days, but the weather broke and yesterday and today were just perfect:  about 80 degrees and breezy!  We got to work in the garden and pull weeds in the flower bed last night.  This weekend I hope to get some mulch down.

J is trying to finish up a few cars he has to work on and then take a few weeks off from the extra work.  We have our first camping trip planned for Father's Day weekend.  I'm really looking forward to camping again!

The Oncologist

Briefly:  The visit went better than I expected.  He commented that several things were good:  my bloodwork, the clear lymph nodes, clear nerves surronding the tumor...  He said he may not recommend any chemo at all.  Now I go for a PET scan for any active cancer and a CEA blood test that measures a certain protein in the blood of cancer patients.  He would also like to test for genetic markers to get an idea of the risk of reoccurance.  I will go back on June 2nd.

The only down side to the visit is that this was not the doctor I wanted to see and he seemed a little pushy; saying "he" would determine the treatment to cure the disease.  At the very end he did say that treatment would be up to J & I.

All in all, though, some good news.  So here we go with all the tests :/

A New Chapter

Looking forward to a "new normal", though it's going to take some time.

Mom went home on Tuesday.  Please keep her in your prayers.  She had a cold or something before she left; congestion and a low fever.  After she got home she went to the doctor who gave her breathing treatments (she has asthma), antibiotics, Allegra, and prednisone.  I was very thankful she was feeling good on Sunday, because we took her and J's mom out for an early Mother's Day brunch.  I did partake in the food myself.  I considered it my farewell dinner!  It was a wonderful afternoon.  The restaurant was beautiful, and the food was delicious.

Yesterday my mother-in-law kept the children while I went to the dentist, bank, hospital, and two natural food stores.  Then J & I had a few hours for a date :)  That was the longest we've been alone (out of the house) in a l-o-n-g time.  I'm actually thinking we need to go away for a weekend for our anniversary this year.  That would be the first time we've ever left the children more than 24 hours.

I've been reading so much about nutrition and health these past weeks.  I keep seeing the same theme:  juice, raw fruits and vegetables.  Simple; sort of.  I've collected several raw food recipe books and I'm looking forward to trying things.  Our friends have lent us a juicer and we've been juicing more regularly.  We've ordered our own juicer and dehydrator.  A dehydrator works at low temperatures so the enzymes in the foods are not destroyed.  My change in diet may not only prevent cancer later, but prevent any current cancer from growing.  I just read that the 5 year survival rate for stage 2 colon cancer is 60-80%.  That's not good enough!  I want to be cancer-free for a lifetime.  I want that for my whole family!

This next week is going to be a busy one.  I've got to get a lot of work done in the basement; clearing out "stuff" so I can have room to get out the summer clothes and wrap birthday presents.  I also need to get ready for the homeschool convention next Friday.  Two weeks ago I didn't know if I'd be up for the convention, but I am feeling great.  The convention is like a day at an amusement park for me!  I can hardly contain myself, lol!

Tuesday J & I will go see the oncologist.  It's not the one I wanted to see, but in the same practice.  The one I want to see is out until the end of June.  My naturopath works with her.  The oncologist is supposed to schedule a colonoscopy before my next surgery.  My surgeon said it could be done right before the surgery.  That would be nicer, I think.

I am SO hoping I can manage to declutter the house before my next surgery (hopefully July 27th).  It will be even more of a challenge to get that done while I'm spending much for time prepare new foods and continue schooling the children.  At the very least I will be better prepared for a week away from home this time!

Thank you for your prayers for our family!  We have been blessed by cards, phone calls, visits, meals, flowers and other gifts.  What a blessing to be part of God's family!

Thank you for the valley.

Thank You for the valley I walked through today.
The longer the valley, the more I learn to pray.
I found You where the lilies were blooming by the way.
So I thank You for the valley I walked through today.

Thank You for every hill I climbed,
For every time the sun didn't shine.
Thank You for every lonely night,
I prayed 'til I knew everything was alright,
And I thank you for the valley,
I walked through today.

Life can't be all sunshine, or the flowers would die.
The rivers would be deserts, all barren and dry.
Life can't be all blessings, or there'd be no need to pray.
So I thank You for the valley I walked through today.

Thank You for every hill I climbed,
For every time the sun didn't shine.
Thank You for every lonely night,
I prayed 'til I knew everything was alright.
And I thank You for the valley,
I walked through today.

Follow up appointment.

Saw my naturopathic doctor yesterday and got a lot of good information and nutritional advice, along with some supplements.  He works with Cancer Treatment Centers of America.  I am not supposed to eat any sugar, corn, potatoes, pasta, bread, or grains.  Does that rule out the Chinese buffet for my birthday ;)

J & I saw the surgeon tonight for a follow-up.  He said I can schedule my second surgery 3 months and 1 minute after the first one, lol!  He went over the pathology report.  The tumor had not penetrated the colon wall.  All margins were clear.  They believe, though can't be certain, that the colon ruptured above the tumor.  Since it was too difficult to tell they want to treat it as a ruptured tumor.  I will also have a colonoscopy before the second surgery.  He said I should be in the hospital a minimum of 5 days again.

The children are doing well and I think J is caught up on his sleep.  My mom is working on some new curtains for the girl's room before she goes home.

Next up is an appointment with an oncologist.  We've chosen one, but don't have a date set yet.

Cancer

On Sunday, April 10^th, I went into the hospital with severe abdominal pain. I had spent Friday and Saturday in bed with a low grade fever and occasional cramping. Sunday morning I felt better, but in the afternoon the pain returned suddenly, only much worse, and my fever went up. I had never experienced pain like that and began to think it could be my appendix. I called my doctor, who agreed, and went to the emergency room. After hours of blood tests and CT scans it was determined I had diverticulitis that had ruptured. I was scheduled for surgery the next morning. Before the surgery the surgeon told me he would take about 10” out of my colon and I would have to have a colostomy for three months, until a second surgery to reattach my colon after everything had had time to heal.

After the surgery the doctor said he’d removed an inflamed mass from the colon that would be sent to pathology to determine why it had ruptured. When the lab report came back we found it was not diverticulitis, but the mass he has removed was cancer. The colon had ruptured. Thankfully, the twelve lymph nodes that were taken out with the tumor were all negative, so the cancer had not spread. Because my colon ruptured, however, he said I would probably be treated as if the tumor itself had ruptured since they didn’t know about any spillage.

At this point I don’t know any more than that. I will go see the surgeon again next week and an oncologist a few weeks after that.

I was released from the hospital Saturday, the 16^th, which was earlier than we expected. I have no physical restrictions except on lifting. I am still feeling the effects of all the IVs, but am getting around fairly well. My mom came to stay the day after surgery. She will be here a total of three weeks. She has managed/is managing the household very well! I’m so thankful for that. We are also blessed by many meals from friends and family.

Right now I am changing my diet, reading, and talking with people who have been down this path. Jeff & I will have many decisions to make in the coming months. I covet all your prayers, especially for him. He has gotten worn down over the last week.

From the first day in the hospital I have been privileged to see God’s hand at work in so many things I can’t begin to count them. I am so thankful for this opportunity. So often we don’t even recognize the ways that God is working in our life. We may go about thinking everything’s on autopilot when it’s not ! God is in control all the time and he is working everything together for HIS glory and for the good of those who love Him.

"Where Were You?"

That is the question many people ask about 9-11.

September 11, 2001 I was getting ready to make my weekly grocery store trip with my one year-old daughter. I did laundry on Mondays and went to the grocery store on Tuesdays. Just as I was getting ready to walk out the door J called from work. He asked if I had the news on. That was an odd question. Of course I wasn't watching the news... did he think I watched TV and ate bon bons all day? Not to mention it was late morning and the news wasn't even on. He told me to turn it on and said something about the world coming to an end. A bit dramatic I thought. I really didn't want to turn the news on. I was ready to walk out the door. I didn't want to sit down. Besides, I had something else on my mind. I was going to buy a pregnancy test at the store.

But I sat down in front of the TV... and watched... I didn't know what to make of it, but it was a tragedy of a magnitude I had never witnessed in my lifetime. Of course as the days and weeks went on and I saw and heard more, it became even bigger.

I watched for about an hour that morning then went on to the store. It was rather surreal because I was carrying out my normal activity while so many people were living something so horrible. Here I was in a grocery store... Not only that, I was considering the possibility of a new life while all those people were dealing with a death toll we couldn't imagine.

The test was positive. 9-11 was the day I found out I was pregnant with my second daughter. It was a day of healing for me. You see, in February of that year I had gotten pregnant. SK was just 13 months old. I freaked. She was just beginning to walk and talk. It was such a fun time. I felt like I was just getting into the swing of this parenting thing. My little girl was really communicating with me now and we were having so much fun together. She was my little buddy. I held her tight, crying that I was going to lose something with her. Of course it never crossed my mind that this new baby wouldn't come for another 9 months! I literally laid face down on the floor and bawled like a baby because I thought I was going to lose this special closeness we had. Through my weeping I asked God to forgive me for my selfishness. I knew in my head that this child was a blessing, but I was simply selfish of my bond with my first daughter. Over the next few months I came to grips with the thought of another child. Of course I wanted a sibling for SK, I just hadn't wanted one so soon. Then, I actually became very happy that we were having another baby (there's a reason pregnancy lasts 9 months!).

Just when I was happy and excited; looking forward to another child, I miscarried. Oh, the guilt I felt. I had not been thankful for this blessing. I had not trusted in God's sovereignty. No, I'm not saying that God took that baby to punish me, but it brought to light my selfishness and my desire for control. Somehow I thought I knew what was best.

This 9-11 I am thankful to have four more blessings to care for. We've experienced more miscarriages too, which just strengthen my knowledge that God is in control. James 4:13-16 comes to mind: Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. J & I tried to plan and time "our family" just like WE wanted it. We were proud. Through births and losses we have learned to trust God for his plan. No, we're not perfect. This is just one area of life. We still have many areas that we're holding on to; trying to control. We have a lot of growing to do. Actually, it's a lot of shrinking ;)

Just for Fun

I'll post something "real" soon, but I had to pass this on!


After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Target. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target.

Dear Mrs. Samuel,

Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Samuel, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's
carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 7: (too icky to repeat)

4.. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away'. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money.

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.

6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged.

8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called.

9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.

12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'

And last, but not least:

15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.' One of the clerks passed out.

The last days of Saturn: "A different kind of company; A different kind of car"

Our Saturn retailer will be closing Friday. It's hard to believe J has just two days left. Saturday night as we sitting together it dawned on me that this was his last week. I said "Wow, it just hit me; you only have 5 days left at Saturn." He said "Yeah." and there was a long pause. I said "It's really surreal." to which he replied "That's just the word I was thinking of.".

I know Saturn isn't an American icon that's been around for 75 or 150 years, but it's been a huge part of our lives. August marked 15 years with the company. It is very surreal to imagine such a big change.

I also know that we have had it much better than so many people who have lost their jobs. Not only did J have an offer to stay with the company, but he had 7 other possible opportunities! We were praying fervently for direction and I know we had friends and family praying for us as well. One by one 7 of the 8 possible directions he could go in fell down the list of feasibility then dropped off all together. At the same time, one direction climbed to the top and was left as the only one. We prayed for clear direction and God granted it. We are very thankful for that.

J has offered to help with the closing of Saturn next week if he is needed. He will start his new job Monday, the 16th. It is about 7 miles further and the hours are a little longer. He will also be working on things he hasn't worked on in 15 years and some things he's never really worked on like pick-up trucks and Corvettes. He will bring a large following from Saturn which we believe will help his paycheck. It is a benefit to a GM dealer to be able to advertise they have a trained Saturn tech now. Your continued prayers are appreciated as he begins this new venture. He says he's going to be "stretched" and "out of his comfort zone". At the same time he has been very excited after his talks/interviews with the owner and the service manager.

If he isn't needed all next week at Saturn, J plans on taking a day to ride his dirt bike with his buddy and another to go catfishing with his dad. I'm hoping they don't need him much so he can have some days at home, too. It will be kind of like a vacation. He does have 7 days of vacation left that he will get paid for.

Below is a letter from the owner to Saturn customers (bolding mine): http://www.saturnoflancaster.com/MiscPage_2 What makes it sad, I believe, is that Mr. Sutliff was involved with the development of Saturn, was it's first retailer, and his 5 stores consistently ranked top.

Saturn was "A different kind of company; a different kind of car". I believe they would've remained that way and continued to profit if GM had kept their fingers out of it, but that's another story.

The letter:

GM Dealer of the Year 2007
Sutliff Saturn Inc.
Sutliff Chevrolet Co.

Dear Saturn Owner,

Perhaps you were as disappointed as we were when the news appeared that new Saturn Products were terminated.

Some of us think it was an error of judgement, some might say it was the result of errors in judgement. It is true that over the years, the Saturn product zigged when it might better have zagged.

Sutliff was involved with the development of Saturn. Business practices of Sutliff Chevrolet were, to a certain extent, models for Saturn business practices. When the time came, we were the first signed Saturn Retailer. Our five stores in Central Pennsylvania were arguably the most successful anywhere in terms of market share. Our stores ranked in the top five Saturn retailers in volume. Often when stores were ranked by percentage of objective, Sutliff Saturn stores were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Our new sales since opening in 1991 will reach 48,000 by this year end.

In 2008, General Motors recognized the best 1% or so of their 2007 dealers at the most recent Dealer of the Year presentation in New York City. Both Sutliff Saturn Inc. and Sutliff Chevrolet Co. were among the honorees.

Nationally, however, Saturn was not able to maintain competitive volume after the Ion was cancelled.

Sutliff Saturn will remain open in the Harrisburg area no longer than October 2010. Lancaster, York, and State College will cease operations as Saturn stores before the end of this year. Saturn technical service and parts availability will continue well beyond that time in our other GM stores in Harrisburg and State College as well as other GM stores possibly nearer to you.

Sutliff Auto Group expects to be operating GM stores in Harrisburg's East and West Shores and State College this fall, all of which will welcome Saturn owners with experienced Saturn service advisors and technicians. Our new automobile portfolio will include Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac as well as other brands.

Greg Sutliff

A Job Update

As some of you know, GM was going to sell Saturn to Roger Penske, but the deal fell through last week. GM said it would not go back to taking bids and would shut Saturn down. When the news came out, Mr. S (the owner of the local Saturn Retailer) expressed that he would keep his store open as long as he could pay the bills, pulling cars from the other stores to sell. We knew this could mean a few weeks or a few months at most.

J was told yesterday that his Saturn store will be closing no later than the end of the year. It could be much sooner than that, of course.

There is a BMW dealer that has contacted Mr. S about buying the building to move his BMW dealership in. That could hasten the closing.

I believe Mr. S would like to buy another dealer franchise in the area, but there are none available right now. There are rumors that two local owners have been considering selling, though. If that were to happen, he could bring another franchise into the building.

J has been asked if he would be interested in staying with the company if a position were to become available in Harrisburg (Mr. S owns other dealerships). It would be a 45+ minute commute, but he would retain his tenure and benefits. He's been with the company 15 years and they've been good to him. He is valuable with more training, experience, and ASE certifications than other techs.

At this point J plans on riding it out and being "the last one to turn the lights off at Saturn". It brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. He is very sad about the closing. J admired the Saturn car since it came out. He said they were well designed and made logically so they'd be easy to work on, not complicated like other cars. When I saw an ad in the paper that they needed a tech I pushed him to go apply. For some reason, he didn't think he had a chance to get in. I said "This is what you wanted. You have to go." and he finally did. He's been with them 15 of their 19 years. It was sad when GM took over Saturn. The car changed, the company changed. It was built differently and became just like other cars to work on. But the family at the Saturn store remained. We have had good years with them and it will be especially sad for J to see everyone go their separate ways. He has said he's not worried about what comes next, just dissapointed that Saturn will be no more.

J has an idea in his head to open a Saturn service center. There are so many huge things to consider with that, but he says he just can't stop thinking about it. He would be able to buy some of the equipment from the store. We don't know if this is where God is leading, but it's on his mind.

If he stays to the end, J will be "laid off" (if he doesn't/can't go to Harrisburg). He was told that if he comes back to work for the company within a year he will retain his tenure and benefits as they are now.

Thank you for your prayers.

Seventeen Years!

At 7:14 this evening J & I will have been married 17 years. It was a 14 minute service :)

Winning the War Over Worldliness

A great sermon series from James MacDonald. It can be downloaded or listened to free- probably through the weekend.

http://walkintheword.com/Broadcast.aspx halfway down the page.

Two other awesome sermons are Reality Check for Husbands and Reality Check for Wives. So worth the time to listen to. They're $3 for an MP3 download.

http://store.walkintheword.com/p-962-reality-check-for-husbands.aspx

http://store.walkintheword.com/p-961-reality-check-for-wives.aspx

A thousand words are worth a picture.

I can't tell you how many pics were taken on this morning! These are dresses I made for the girls. I'll have to get a full length pic of them... someday, lol! Click on the pic to make it bigger if you want a better look at the gang. Yes, SR needed a haircut. He got one, too.

Very briefly...

Let me start by saying I will try to get some pics posted very soon!

We're going camping today. It will be LG's first camping trip, not counting our camping trip on her due date ;) It's supposed to be rainy and chilly today, but nicer the rest of the weekend. We are camping next to a (very shallow) creek. Hopefully the water isn't too cold by now to wade in. Last year we went this same weekend and it was much warmer.

TJ is doing great with his math. He just gets so excited to do it he doesn't want to stop for the day. He's also doing well with reading, though I haven't kept at it like I wanted to. I wanted to be finished with "the book" before starting kindergarten. He started his new class in church this past Sunday and he's so excited. We gave him his own bible and if you know him, you can picture how he was bouncing around with excitement. Nothing holds that boy down!

This weekend both TJ and AB got the training wheels off their dirt bikes. They were all riding for HOURS on Labor Day! I can't believe they can ride that long. I'm afraid we're going to wear the grass down to dirt in some spots.

LG is growing, smiling, trying her best to talk. I could just eat her up. She is in a wonderful routine now. She's going to bed about 10:30 and usually waking between 6 and 6:30 to nurse, then going right back to sleep 'til 10:30! I always go back to sleep, too. The other dc have been sleeping 'til 8:30 this summer. This morning I was awake at 6 and LG wasn't... and still isn't at 8:00! She's never slept this long! I'm sure she won't sleep quite so well this weekend while we're camping!

I've been sewing some things the last 6 months. First I sewed the girls some matching dresses. I'm attempting to modify some of my dresses so I can nurse in them, and I've played around at sewing a dress for myself. Last week I made TJ some flannel pajama pants. He had picked out the fabric quite a while ago. It's got helicopters on it. He was SO excited. Of course he wanted to wear them all day. I've got enough fabric to make another pair, plus I have some race car flannel to use. Saturday I decided to make a dress for LG to match the other girl's dresses. I went for simplicity... I took a little summer top that buttons over the shoulders and traced it on some big paper. I lengthened it to be as long as one of her gowns. I cut out my own pattern and managed to make a dress that can go over a onsie. I didn't have time to make button holes (I wanted to put it on her for Sunday) so I just put some hook and eyes on the shoulders for now. I'll go back and put buttons on the shoulders and trim to match the other dresses. I was happy with it, though it's no professional job. I'll post some pics of everyone... soon, I hope!