10 days...and counting!

This week is "shopping for school" week. We always have double trouble when shopping for school supplies. Finally this year, we will take each girl separately to purchase their supplies and clothes. You'd think we might have tried this before!!! Anyway, the count is on...

Sorry, we still don't have current pictures to post.

We attended a wedding this weekend, in the 100+ degree weather...an outside ceremony. At least the reception/dinner was held in a very air conditioned indoor building. We were told by one of our friends who just returned from 6 weeks in Saudi Arabia that this weather is cool compared to the 140 degrees they experienced while there. Yuk! Not sure how they breath in that sweltering heat!

A short FYI on Jim's surgery....his face looks great! There's barely any scaring from the stiches. He even has feeling on the skin where the nerves are reconnecting again. Yah!

Not much else today...

Another Summer To Remember

It's been a summer of surgeries, camps, and babysitting.

There's been no clicking of pics, so you'll have to visually imagine our experiences.

Jim had his face rearranged...following removal of malignant cancer tumors on his cheek and neck. After 240 stitches, the healing has left virtually no scar. He just has to shave a little higher on his right cheek, since the plastic surgery pulled his skin around a bit.

Mari got new knees! It was one of those things that couldn't be avoided any longer. About one month after the ordeal, I wondered why I had done this. But, now, four months after surgery, I'm so glad I did it. If anything hurts, it's my feet and back. There's still a couple of things that are irritating...getting up from a chair, getting in and out of a car, and...oh, well I won't go into that one.

Lilly spent a whole week at a girls camp in South Eastern Illinois. It was called Camp Ondessonk. Such a name. Activities included swimming, hiking, crafts, other things, but most important to Lilly was the horseriding. She came home exhausted. Being her second camp experience, she is looking forward to the next one...next week! It's only a three day, day-camp. After that, it's time to start getting ready for school!

What's Beth been up to? She has learned to care for infants to toddlers. Lots of the time she spends the night or even several days at one family...sort of like a nanny. She loves it. She'll be busy next week at the sports day-camp also. And, of course, getting ready for school is the next task.

We have friends whose son is getting married the first week in August. It will be the first Baha'i wedding the girls have gone to. They are so excited. Both girls have dressy dresses and shoes. There should be some pictures of that later on this blog. Watch for them.

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We'll try to keep this blog updated, since it's been ages since we last posted. Feel free to leave comments. We'd like to know what you think, or suggestions on what you would like to know.

Happy New Year....All!

It's been some time since there has been an opportunity to post new comments on this blog. As everyone, we've been very busy for the first couple of months this year. Although, one of the most exciting things to happen was the day after Christmas when dear friends of our chose to have their private wedding in our home! It was lovely, and such an honor to host their memorable moment. Congratulations Mr & Mrs Gabriel Morris! Gabe and Bethany have become our 'adopted' children. See photos...

Happy Ayyam'i'Ha!

Our Baha'i community had another exciting party to celebrate friendships and family with an annual winner...a white elephant gift exchange. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what Ayyam'i'Ha means...here's a brief overview:

Intercalary Days (Ayyam-i-Ha) February 26 to March 1
The Badi' calendar (used by the Bahá'ís) is based on the solar year of 365 days, five hours, and 50 odd minutes. The year consists of 19 months of 19 days each (i.e. 361 days), with the addition of four extra days (five in a leap year). It was not specifically defined the place for the intercalary days in the new calendar. Therefore, the excess days have been assigned a fixed position in the calendar immediately preceding the month of Ala', the period of fasting.
In the West, the Intercalary Days (Ayyam-i-Ha) are the four days of the year (five days in leap year) which fall between the eighteenth and nineteenth month of the Bahá'í Calendar (Mulk and 'Ala'), February 26 to March 1. These days are set aside for hospitality, gift-giving, special acts of charity, and preparing for the Fast.
Fasting is the cause of awakening and mindfulness and conducive to protection and preservation from tests.... The Fast occurs from sunrise to sunset for 19 days until March 21, Náw-Ruz, which marks the New Year for Bahá'ís.
For further information, log onto www.bahai.us.

Other news...in brief...

Jim will be having some skin surgery in the very near future on a couple of spots that have been diagnosed as melanoma. Details still coming on when, where, etc.

I will be having bilateral knee replacement surgery on April 2nd. That means both knees will be replaced. I'm not even looking forward to the recovery on this; but, am told the results will be worth it. I hope so...right now, I can hardly walk at times.

Beth and Lil are moving along in their school year with ups and downs. They are looking forward to spring break, just for a 'break' from it all.

Happy Birthday to Jim who turned a whopping 64 yesterday!!! And, just think, come October, I'll be 60! Is that getting old, or what?????

That's if for now...it's late, so I'd better get some sleep, since that doesn't come often.

Love you all!