Our Current Pattern

For the first part of this summer, we seem to be in a tolerable, but not ideal, pattern. Rhonda continues to be able to take care of the kids and do basic household tasks. However, if she has to exert herself in extra ways (e.g., a trip to Fort Worth to renew her permanent resident card, doing more with the kids), she often pays for it. Her leg pain increases and she even has some of the old problems with headaches and strained vision. Fortunately, rest seems to help her body settle back down. We're thankful for the babysitting and meal help we've received, because it helps Rhonda get the rest she needs to get back on track. It's hard to tell right now whether we're making progress, but life certainly feels less stressful than the previous months. We continue to hope and pray. Thanks for all your prayers.

Good news!

We are so thankful that the doctor confirmed today that Perry did not tear anything in his knee. The MRI did show that he has a bone bruise which does not require any intervention other than rest. Hopefully in 6-8 weeks he will be back to normal with no further problems.

The last two weeks have definitely been challenging but we certainly see improvements for both of us. Perry is now walking without crutches and the swelling and stiffness are much better. Last week with the increased activity and stress my pain levels were terrible and the new medication I was trying was not helping. This week my pain levels have been manageable which is so helpful. Having the boys at VBS each morning has allowed me some rest time so that I am able to be more active later.

Despite the craziness we have had a few laughs. Last Sunday at church we were waiting for the elevator to take it up to our Sunday school class seeing that we were both a bit diabled. There were some elderly ladies standing there greeting us. As we were visiting, one of the ladies asked us if we were newleyweds and we started to laugh and said that no we have been married almost 12 years. We joked that the reason we were holding hands was that we were holding each other up ( not really). Well, we take their comment as a compliment and are thankful that through the past year we have grown to appreciate, love and need each other in a deeper way.

Interestingly enough last week we had been talking with the boys about how God is a keeper of promises. I have really been convicted that I need share with them about what God is teaching me and so I was glad to share how God gave me the verse Isaiah 41:10 as a promise back in January. Cody and Bennett were able to pick some promises that I had written on cards. Cody picked "The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid" (He has a great fear of wasps and bees). It was a day later that Perry injured his leg and I realized that we would need that verse as a frequent reminder that week.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers!

Bad timing for a knee injury

One of the things that has helped me the past few months is being able to play basketball again now that my thumb is better. Unfortunately, someone fell into my knee yesterday while I was playing and did some damage. A kind Baylor trainer took an initial look at it and tenatively concluded that he did not think I hurt my ACL and perhaps only tore my meniscus. We'll only know more after further doctors visits and exams (the first starts on Thursday). The current result is that I'm now on crutches. There is never a good time for a knee injury, but it sure feels like this is certainly not the time. We'd appreciate your prayers. PG