It has been quite awhile since I have posted to my blog. I think about it regularly, just don't seem to be able to get around to it. I thought about promising to post every day this week, but I'm not confident I could keep the promise. So, we'll take it day by day.
Here are some quick updates:
Soccer is over. I'll try to get some pictures and highlights posted soon.
School is over, except for a few more math lessons for Chase. He's usually one of my first ones done. Not this year. He tells me he'll be done by the end of the week. Again. Regardless, I'm done with school. Pray for us, please, as we make decisions regarding next school year.
Bryce and Colton leave for Jr. Boys Camp tomorrow morning. Still doing laundry. Still packing.
Jackson and Chase are taking Driver's Ed this month. So far, so good. They are open enrolling through the Grundy Center school district. The instructor was kind enough to allow Chase to take the course, even though he doesn't turn 14 until July 24. Mr. Dirks agreed to drive with him after his birthday, allowing us to take next summer off. We really appreciate it.
Although we are not participating in any organized sports like baseball this summer, the three older boys are still quite busy. On top of Driver's Ed, they are expected to lift weights 4 times per week for football. They also have football drills several times a week. They have shooting practice for basketball three mornings a week, open gym one evening, and scrimmages another evening.
We have four baby kittens.
We bought a pool pass. The big boys took the little ones to the pool a couple times this past week. It was awesome. I got the house to myself, and the kids came back tired out.
My pregnancy is progressing as expected. My blood pressure began creeping up about a month ago, so my OB prescribed me some meds. They seem to be doing the job, but tend to make me irritable (or so my family says). I'm not liking that aspect. I'm counting down the weeks until I can stop the pills. Baby is healthy. That's what's important.
Papa Joe has been sick the past week. Wednesday night while he was home alone, his heart stopped, activating his defibrillator. He had been preparing for a colonoscopy which was scheduled for Thursday morning. We think perhaps he was dehydrated, or somehow had a reaction with his meds that triggered the attack. We don't have any clear answers yet. He was in the hospital until Friday, when he was discharged. Carrie and Jason, Shannon's sister and brother-in-law, took him home, but were uncomfortable leaving him, so they took him to their home in Huxley. He started acting as if he were having a stroke, so they took him to the ER in Ames. We received a call that we needed to get there as soon as possible because Shannon is his power of attorney and he was fading fast. When we arrived, he was stabilized, but in a coma. They decided to transfer him to intensive care, and by the time we were able to see him again, he was talking, moving his arms and legs, and relatively lucid. Saturday he was moved out of ICU, and basically has been just hanging out there over the weekend. Kind of like an expensive hotel room, without the amenities. Around 3:00 this afternoon, while playing cards, he became very agitated and started acting out of character. Apparently they're tweaking his meds some, so we're hoping his personality will revert back to his normal when they figure everything out. We're hoping to get some more answers when the doctors show up again Monday morning. It's been a bit frustrating trying to communicate with the hospital personnel. Please pray as we make decisions about what course to take with Papa Joe's care after he is released.
I also need to post pictures from Papa Joe's 85th Birthday Open House we hosted a few weeks ago.
This is getting plenty long, and it's time to change the laundry loads. More to come soon.
Here is a photo Alex took of a flower somewhere on our property, just because posts without photos are boring.
"By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life." Proverbs 22:4
