Birthday, New Car, and Picnic

Some exciting things going on around here!

Douglas turned 17 and bought a car. Needless to say he's pretty pleased! He also started a new job recently. He is working for Clean Books. They provide book keeping support for companies. He is training right now. It is a good job and I'm excited that it worked out for him.



 On Saturday the girls and I, along with my friend, Liz, and her daughter, went to New York City to attend a picnic hosted by the Kazakhstan Embassy. This is an annual event and Annika loves to go! The whole family couldn't make it this year, so I was very thankful when Liz said she could go. It was great day, but it was so very taxing physically! So taxing that I came home and started looking for a wheelchair or electric scooter!

Two Kazakh cuties at the picnic

My doctor recently told me I can't drive until I get on an effective treatment. This really makes a lot of things difficult. I can understand why he put this restriction on me, but it sure is hard to work around!

My willing chauffeur 

I am planning to be the director of our local Classical Conversations homeschool group that meets in Annville this year. So I need to attend a practicum for training Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week. If anyone wants more information about Classical Conversations please contact me!

I have another appointment with my rhuematologist tomorrow. I have had an x-ray, a bone scan, and a lot of bloodwork done since I was there 2 weeks ago. I'm hoping some answers showed up in some of this testing! It is difficult, because I get my hopes up before a visit like this and then I get extremely nervous when I go. That makes all of my symptoms so much worse! Then I'm crushed when there are no answers. I'm really trying to tell myself to have no expectations, but it is impossible. So I'm praying for peace tomorrow regardless of what the test do or don't show.



I've been through some difficult times physically in my life, but I think this last month has been the most difficult I've ever experienced. The pain is so relentless! Mostly, I think, because of coming off of some medications I've been on for a long time without really replacing them with effective medications since we are uncertain of what we are treating.

We are otherwise doing well, thankful. The children are healthy and happy. They are enjoying the warm weather and time outside. They are spending hours on the trampoline with the water hose right now! (We have a safety net, don't worry!) They constant squealing and laughing from outside makes me so happy!


Where To Even Begin?

I went to China and then pretty much dropped off the face of the earth as far as blog land is concerned. Let me explain just a bit.

The Friday after I arrived home I went to Delaware to take pictures at a wedding. It was so fun but so exhausting just after getting home. And I really wasn't feeling well, so just extra tiring.



The next Wednesday we held the fundraising dinner for Oasis Chorale. We were very involved in the planning, so it was a l-o-n-g day. But it was a fun, successful evening.



The next morning I had a lumbar puncture then we left to attend the Why Jesus? Conference in Maine. By this time I was so exhausted that I stayed at the hotel most of the time. I did go for the evening service and I was so thankful that I did! Ravi Zacharius spoke on the topic Why Jesus? and I don't remember a lot of the service, but I do remember the part where he spoke about the place of pain in a Christian's life. He used illustrations that related directly to me. He talked about the intense back pain he has experienced and also used an illustration of a women who had rheumatoid arthritis and experienced severe joint pain. He talked about how pain makes us rely on God more and the testimony of a person who lives with pain can bring so much glory to God. It was amazing!


Since then my life has been a whirl of doctor's appointments and tests. The new rhuematologist I started going to in January has really questioned the lupus diagnosis I was given a few years ago. I've had a brain MRI, which came back slightly abnormal, so we followed that with a spinal tap. The spinal tap showed no abnormalities in my spinal fluid, which is good since they were testing for things like MS and cancer. But it left us with more questions than answers!

Just this week I had an appointment with the rheumatologist on Monday. He ordered several more tests so I had X-rays done that day. Then I went to the neurologist on Wednesday, had a radioactive bone scan yesterday, and need to get bloodwork done tomorrow or Monday. I'm very hopeful that all of this is going to give us a diagnosis so that we can figure out a treatment plan and hopefully I can begin to feel functional again!

Oh yeah, And I'm not allowed drive per doctor's orders right now. So someone has to take me everywhere I go!

Will you please pray with me that we will have answers to my health issues very soon?

Happy Birthday, Annika!

Happy birthday, beautiful girl! I know you are going to have so much fun today! Daddy has some really great stuff planned and I can't wait to hear you tell me all about it when we talk tonight.


In Kazakhstan 1 year old

I hope you love your gift! Do you see what I mean that it is a gift that you will get several times? Tell Daddy that I need pictures and videos of you opening it.

Age 5


Did you get a special breakfast today? I think I know what you ordered! (That is an easy one to guess, isn't it?)

I can't believe you are 9! I love watching you grow and mature into an independent, confident, polite girl. You have grown up so much in the last year and I can't wait to see what this year brings!

Almost 7

Sweet girl, I want you to know and never forget how thankful I am that I get to be your mommy! I know that your Kazakhstan mommy is probably thinking about you today and your mommy (me) who is in China is thinking about you today. You have family in Pennsylvania and in Texas who all love you. You are so loved all the way around the world!

Almost 9


Lots and lots of kisses and hugs,
Mommy

My Crazy Life

I leave for China tomorrow. I am flying out of JFK at 4:30 in the afternoon. But tomorrow is the children's last day at our Classical Conversations homeschool group. I want to be there for that, so the plan is that the whole family will go to CC in the morning then Keith and I (and maybe Eliana) will leave when we need to and Douglas will bring the rest of the crew home when they are finished. So I need to leave the house with all of my luggage at 8:30 in the morning.

I had an MRI of my brain this morning. I have enough neurological symptoms that the neurologist thought we should get a scan just to see what may be going on. So I'm waiting on results while preparing to leave the country for 2 weeks. They will call Keith with the results so I won't have to wait until I get home to know if anything showed up. But it is all just a little weird and stressful.

My bags are all packed! I just have to put my computer in and I'm ready to go. I really think it is going to be an exceptional trip! There are several ways you can  follow our team while we are in China! You can follow us on the Superkids blog. We are planning to post there twice a day. Once with advocacy camp updates, and once with Superkids team updates, so be sure you check in often! We will also be posting on our Facebook page. Like that page to see photos and videos as we go! And then there is Periscope. We will be streaming live videos on Periscope like we did on our last trip! If you aren't familiar with Periscope you can download the free app on Apple or Android devices then search for Superkids. Follow us there and you will get a notification when we are live! The videos are available for 24 hours so even if you miss the live stream you can still watch the video!

Next stop, Shanghai!

Easter Sunday in Washington, DC

Last Saturday we drove to the DC area and stayed in a hotel over night. We got up early the next morning to make it to the National Cathedral in time for their 8:00 service. We were all dressed up and little Eliana looked so sweet in her dress and sweater. As we were walking out of the hotel she told the attendant behind the front desk, "Thank you for the good sleep!"



The service was lovely, and though it was different from what we are accustomed to, I was very blessed by several thoughts in the sermon. The bishop who was speaking said, "We live in a Good Friday world but we are an Easter people!" I love that thought!



That afternoon we went to see the cherry blossoms. They were truly magnificent! The lake in front of the Jefferson memorial was surrounded by a fluffy pink cloud! The crowds reminded me of the crowds in China. Keeping the family together was bit of challenge. But it was beautiful and amazing!

Bonsai in the National Arboretum 
We drove home late Sunday afternoon. I think everyone except Keith slept most of the way home. It had been a while since we had done a little family outing like that and it was so nice!

End of the Week Musings

It is Friday evening. The end of another school week. Today was our homeschool community day. We have off for Good Friday next week then only have two more community days this school year. I think I'm going to tutor one of the classes next year. Right now that sounds fun to me, but ask me at this time next year!



We are full steam ahead with planning the Superkids trip to China. I leave in 3 weeks from today! My suitcase is already full of donations and gifts. I love the generosity of people! We have a wish list on Amazon if any of you would like to help provide items for the children. The things are being shipped to Fannie Wilks right now since my suitcase is full!

The donations started arriving yesterday!

Remember when I mentioned the advocacy camp we are planning for the same time that our team will be in China? We have had a wonderful response and have 9 participants going! I am so excited about seeing how this all unfolds. We are having our third conference call with participants this coming week. I know almost everyone who is going from online contacts and have met a couple of them in person. It is so fun to be doing this together!

Another thing we are doing right now is planning a fundraiser for Oasis Chorale. The invitations just came today and will be going out early next week. It is fun to see it coming together, especially since we are planning it with friends that we don't see very often, so it gives us a reason to communicate more than we normally do. I'll share more details about the event in a couple of weeks.

Keith and Douglas are working tonight. Tax season means long hours for both of them.

My health is improving some, I think. It has been a very hard winter in that regard! I've started a couple of new medications that seem to be making a difference in how I feel. I'm also trying very hard to get my iron and vitamin D levels where they should be. This is always hard for me, but I'm pretty sure it should make a huge difference in how I feel if we can pull those numbers up!

It Really Was A Dream Come True

You know how it is. When you look forward to something for a long time there is always the chance that it isn't going to be as great as you have built it up to be in your mind.



My friend's daughter, whom I met in China before she became my friend's daughter, really hit it off with my children. Seeing her in my home playing with my children was beyond amazing! She is sweet and articulate and altogether as awesome as I knew she was the first time I met her in China back in 2013.





The Superkids event was gorgeous! It looked so well put together and there were so many people who are special to me there. To see the children I love so well featured as the stars of the evening was so touching to me. Their little faces on the slideshow, their videos in the featured video, it was all so inspiring!





The families who shared their stories did a wonderful job of helping everyone understand the significance of the role Superkids plays.