Getting Ready

On Friday Joshua helped me bake his birthday cake and get ready for the Sabbath. Nov. 2, 2007.

Checkup Day

On Oct. 31, Joshua and I drove down to Grand Rapids to see his Pediatric Cardiologist for a post-surgery checkup. We were planning to have another echocardiogram done, which I knew would be traumatic for Joshua, having anyone touch his chest is likely to get some flailing and many tears. So Emmy and Elayna both stayed with Grandma J all day, and it was just Josh and I. We got down there early and walked through the hospital and visited his nurses in the NCCU. Then we went to his appointment where they took an EKG and blood pressures on all 4 limbs, then based on those readings decided he didn't need to have an echo! Thankfully! Everything looked good and they weren't worried about his blood pressure or about any possible water retention around his heart. We will go back in 6 months for another checkup! After his appointment there, we went back to the Renucci house where we baked chocolate chip cookies for the residents currently staying there to enjoy. We met another family from our area staying there for their daughter's chemotherapy treatment. I hope the small gesture of fresh baked cookies will be as much a blessing to someone there as it was for me when others did that during our stay. But for Josh and I to come back there and give something back, the biggest blessing was ours. We will go back and do that again soon.
On the way home there was a beautiful double rainbow shining through the rain. It was such a beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises. Not that I could forget so soon how He has been faithful to us! Oct 31, 2007.

One Month Later

Life is beginning to feel normal again after one month of recovery. Josh still gets tired more easily than normal, but his bursts of energy are stronger than before his surgery. He still can't lay flat on the floor on his stomach, and it still hurts him to be picked up under his arms. But when he's dressed and running around, it almost seems surreal that a month ago he was laying in a hospital bed. Oct. 26, 2007.

Emmy's SO Tall!

Do it again, Daddy? Please? Oct. 26, 2007.

Autumn Evening

We lit the Pumpkin candle after dinner was cleared from the table, and everyone enjoyed how it filled the house with the wonderful smell of pumkins and fall and Thanksgiving. Oct. 24, 2007.

Morning Light

A beautiful sunrise in the valley. Oct. 24, 2007.