So, Have You Missed Me?

I know, it's been awhile since you've heard from me. Christmas decorating, holiday shopping, wrapping, visiting friends, attending birthday parties and doing some entertaining at home and voila, we're near the end of December. December has also been a treat because Larry's service calls would send him to a town closer to our house, so we would end up seeing him more during the weeknights. It's been nice.

We had a great Christmas. Our children are spoiled...um, I mean well-loved. Just when I had the house cleaned up, along comes the unwrapping of presents, the "assembly required" toys, and the chaos of children scrambling from one toy to another while parents looked for batteries and tools for assembly. It was fun!

It was my first Christmas without my parents, and it was hard. I miss Mom and Dad's cooking, but Larry's family made quite a feast and everything was delicious. I've been doing too much eating lately, and I feel quite chunky.

Prior to Christmas day, I was invited to a Christmas Eve Brunch by the mother of Larry's old high school friend. Larry could not attend because he still had to work. I had a great time as I got to meet new people and Larry's high school friend, Lenny, has a sister with 3 adorable children ages 2, 5 and 8. They were very nice to Kari and Gary who enjoyed playing with them. Lenny and his wife, Melody, have a son who's a month younger than Gary. We will be attending his 1-year birthday party next week.

The weather has been quite cool lately. The highs would be in the upper 50's to low 60's and the lows would be in the upper 20's to 30's. It's hard to believe we're nearing 2008. This year of 2007 has definitely been a year of change for me. I am thankful to have a loving husband and family. I feel blessed by my children.

By the way, I now have a Facebook profile. I signed up when a friend told me she had posted some pictures of her children and the only way to view them was to register. Then after I registered, I saw all these longtime friends who also have Facebook platforms and I connected with them immediately. Then I ran into all these neat applications that you could download (i.e., poking, sending a gift, designing your own graffiti on a wall) and I became an application junkie. Well, I still have a few things to pack before we go to Gladewater this weekend. I'll try to connect again soon.

Gary Is a Year Old!

Dec. 6, 2006
1:17 p.m.
20.6 inches long
8 lbs., 10 oz.







Our baby boy is now a year old. My, how time flies. Kari is a pro at singing "Happy Birthday" to Gary; she's been singing it for 3 days now. My mother-in-law, Jerry, went all out and had Gary's birthday dinner at her house. She made quite a feast: Smithfield ham, fried rice, pancit (someone gave her a recipe for this popular Filipino dish), kielbassa sausage, yeast rolls, chicken wings, vegetable medley, mashed potatoes and deviled eggs (contributed by yours truly). I volunteered to do clean-up since she worked so hard on the memorable meal.

Jerry also made Gary's birthday cake using the pan shaped in the form of the number "1." Homemade fudge frosting atop a chocolate cake...decadent.

Lolo and Lola called from Virginia to wish Gary a happy birthday and were sad that they couldn't be there to celebrate with him. They're both feeling a bit under the weather. They already sent Gary's birthday present: a Leap Frog spin wheel teaching the alphabet and the animals associated with the particular alphabet letter in musical form.

Gary received many toys and a couple of outfits from his aunt, uncle, cousins and grandparents.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy. We love you so much!

Help! It's Spreading!

We see Larry mostly during the weekends because he works in Longview, which is about 1.5 hours (one way) from where we currently live. Well, this morning, he called and begged me to pick him up from his workplace. Kari's stomach flu has spread to him. Oh, no.

Yes, the stomach flu has attacked my poor husband. Unfortunately, he's one of those people that when an illness hits him, it hits him hard. If it's a 24-hour bug, it usually stays with him for 3 more days. I dropped the children off with their grandmama before I drove to Longview to pick him up.

He was a sorry sight; my poor baby. During the drive back, he reclined, closed his eyes and didn't want to listen to the radio. After 45 minutes of silence, I thought I would make pleasant conversation.

"Boy, it sure is a nice day today, isn't it?" I remarked. He just stayed quiet; his stomach was in terrible pain. Poor baby. I returned to being silent. Now I have 3 babies to take care of.

When I brought everyone back to the house, I made chicken soup from scratch based on what I had in the pantry and fridge. It's rather bland, but seems OK with rice or crackers. Larry's been sipping that soup and drinking water. So far, his stomach's been keeping them down.

Oh, now our niece Brittany also has the stomach flu. So does her mother. And Larry's mother. Brittany said that the stomach flu is going around her school, too.

I haven't had a chance to do any Christmas decorating or shopping due to a sickly household. Oh well, we'll make do with what we can get done.

I'll Never Forget This Thanksgiving!

I am tired. This past Tuesday (11/20), Kari contracted the stomach flu. I have spent the rest of the week changing clothes and bedsheets, washing, disinfecting and most of all, comforting. Kari has gotten better, but isn't completely over it. Now Gary has it. Poor little guy. I hate seeing my children go through this. The key thing is to keep them hydrated. I heard that this stomach flu is going around the community. I hope Larry and I don't catch it, but it seems inevitable.

On Thanksgiving day, Kari was feeling a little better (no fever) and Gary didn't have the stomach flu yet, so we went to Larry's brother's house for the Thanksgiving meal. It was quite a spread - fried turkey, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, yeast rolls, ham, mashed potatoes, dressing, sweet potato pie, banana pudding, pecan pies...oh, we certainly didn't leave hungry.

This was my first Thanksgiving without my parents and it was hard. I miss them, but I also enjoyed being with Larry's family. We hope to visit Virginia next year. I have a lot to be thankful for: my health, my family's health, the country we live in, our friends... Most of all, I am thankful to have Jesus Christ in my life. He has been my anchor in the many trials I faced in life. I am also thankful for the men and women who fight and fought for our country. God bless you all.

Since the children have been sick, I haven't gone out. I mean, we spent some time outdoors when it wasn't too cold, but I haven't done any shopping and I am getting cabin fever. Somebody save me! Just kidding.

Well, I better get some rest. Check back with you later!

"Next Iron Chef" Comments

I cannot believe it! Chef Besh should have won. His plating was beautiful and he was pretty gutsy making that swordfish dessert. Also, I wished Mario Batali was one of the judges.

Oh well...congratulations, Chef Symon.

Chef Besh, you will always be an iron chef in my book!

Trick-or-Treat on the Square

Our niece, Brittany, was a huge help when I took Kari and Gary out trick-or-treating on the town square. Merchants set up tables by their shops and provided the candy which costumed youngsters eagerly sought. This occurred from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.The police were great in directing people and vehicle traffic.

I did not have a problem finding a parking space nor did I have difficulty with any heavy traffic when I was ready to go home. We all had a wonderful time. The weather was pretty warm: about 75 degrees.

Grandmama made Kari's costume and since she ran out of time (due to working an extra shift), the dress didn't turn out the way she planned. Nevertheless, Kari looked adorable. We were a bit unprepared with her costume. People thought she was either a princess, a fairy or an angel.

Kari was overwhelmed by all these strangers filling her basket with goodies. And some of these strangers were in outrageous garb.

Gary was cute as can be. Dressed in camouflage duds, he passed off as a hunter. His candy bag was filled as well. The contents will later be inspected by his daddy. Of course, if there is anything remotely chocolatey, I may have to check it out.

Waaaahh!!!

For those who have little children afoot and STILL maintain an impeccable house, PLEASE tell me how you do it.

Sorry, I guess I'm just having one of those days. Usually I just tell myself that I can only do so much and to take it one day at a time. Does anyone know how much a maid costs nowadays?

Magdalina's Wheel Chair

This report which Cindy sent me is too moving not to share. Cindy is my friend from Newport News, VA. She and I were roommates during the times that I did missionary work in Zhitomir, Ukraine in 1993, 1997 and 2002. Cindy had been faithfully continuing the missionary work in Ukraine every year since it started in 1993. She and a group are getting ready to leave next week for another Ukraine mission. Prayers are solicited for their safe trip. I wish I could join them, but it is difficult with 2 little children right now. Perhaps one day.

It gladdens my heart to know that in a world of turmoil (perhaps I shouldn't read the news so much), that there are still people with giving hearts. It reminds me of a particular song: "Love isn't love till you give it away..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi,

I thought you would be interested in this email describing this Ukrainian woman, and how others were reaching out to help. This work is supported by congregations other than the ones I go to Ukraine with, but it's good others are reaching out, too.

As you look at the photos of Magdalina at her sewing machine ..... notice her glasses. I wish I could send her a new pair!

Blessin's,

cindy

Tommy South wrote:

I got this from John Kachelman yesterday. He's in Ivano-Frankivsk now, doing some relief work in the villages as well as teaching. This gives you an idea of the sort of needs that exist all over Ukraine, especially in the outlying areas. Tommy
---------------------------------
Report #13-- October 23, 2007 from John Kachelman

Magdalina's Wheelchair

In today's report I want to introduce you to a lady that we first met in March named Magdalina. She lives in the village of Nebliv. She is 77 years old and for the past 24 years she has been confined to her small house. She has multiple physical problems, but the major disability is the fact that her hip joints have never functioned properly because they were not corrected at birth. She maneuvered around her house pulling herself across the floors and using a stick that has a piece of wood tied to the end that enables her to "hook" various things she needs.

Her house is not much more than a 10x12 room with an entry room through which you walk from the outside to the inside. In our visit in March, John Durham had promised Magdalina that we would get her a wheelchair. We had intended the wheelchair to be delivered when the first container arrived; but due to a number of problems we were unable to deliver the wheelchair from that container.

The container that Kathy Cadden filled and shipped out of Columbus, MS arrived as our second container into Ukraine. Ivan Skoleba worked to get the container shipped from Kyiv into Ivan-Frankovsk. As we arrived, Kathy's container was in the midst of distribution. There was a pallet box with five wheelchairs still available for distribution and John Durham said we needed to make certain that Magdalina received one of those.

When John came to get a van load of benevolence items to distribute in Nebliv, he took back two wheelchairs and one was earmarked for Magdalina. Today we went to Nebliv to deliver the snow boots and clothing to the mentally handicapped orphanage and to take Magdalina her wheelchair.

As we left for Magdalina's house, John told someone to get one of the "Family Boxes" that Kathy packed for her container. As we drove through the village the drizzling rains continued changing the dirt roads into muddy lanes with rocks sticking out of the puddles. We finally arrived and all got out and walked the distance to Magdalina's house. We entered and found her sewing on the oldest manual sewing machine I have ever seen.

She was surprised to see us and told us that she had been visited by Ivan, Sasha, and Julia. John asked her if she remembered us visiting in March and she said she did remember it very well. John pointed to the wheelchair and told her that we had promised to bring her a wheelchair so she could get around in her house better. As Ivan began putting the foot rests onto the chair, Magdalina could not stop crying and saying that no one had ever treated her in such a way as we were. She said that she often prayed for us and remembered the visits in the spring. She kept saying how thankful she was for the wheelchair and how much she prayed that God would bless our efforts.

She would hold her face in her hands and try to stop crying so she could talk more. "I apologize that I am not presentable for your visit," as she tried to adjust the head scarf. "I am not able to do anything in this house to make it able to receive guests as you."

At that time John Durham reached over and brought the Family Box to where it could be opened. As he opened the box, Magdalina's exclamations and tears increased. Inside these boxes Kathy puts a miscellaneous assortment of items that are needed in every day living. These are all packed inside a 5-gallon plastic bucket that serves a multitude of purposes. John pulled out and explained each item. There were dish towels, matches, plastic drinking glasses, mugs, candles, soaps, lotions, and fingernail clippers among the treasures in that bucket. As John showed each to Magdalina, she told us how thankful she was and how much she prays that God will bless us. When John showed her the matches Magdalina exclaimed, "Oh I needed these very much, but I do not have money to buy them. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Throughout this visit we have witnessed the wonderful gratitude that is demonstrated by the distribution of items in our containers. For all that worked and sweated and sewed and sorted and packed, Magdalina's tears and words are sent to you. You never probably thought you would be helping a totally disabled 77-year old widow who lives in a small hut at the end of a muddy path, but you did. Magdalina said that she has not been able to get out of her house in 24 years, but now with this wheelchair she will be able to go outside on the warm days and look at the grass and trees once again.

Thank you for being a part of this effort! "Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the widows in their affliction."

John Kachelman
Ivan-Frankovsk, UA

One Lump or Two?

We just returned from spending the weekend in Gladewater with Larry. Even though he was on-call, we were glad there were no emergencies because we were able to spend more time together. Larry's parents pleasantly surprised us with a brief visit on Saturday. They were doing some shopping in Longview and Buddy wanted to see what's next to be done on our place.

Larry had spent the majority of the Saturday daylight sealing pipes together (for water, electrical and sewage). Later we did some strolling around the Longview Mall. Larry bought a couple of items and Kari got on one of those kiddie rides inside the mall.

On Sunday we went to church in Gladewater and Kari did not want to be left alone with her toddler Bible class. She was screaming something terrible until Larry took her outside and held her. He told me later that she was actually shaking. After she had calmed down and Larry gently spoke to her, she went back to her class and had a great time learning about Joshua. I had stayed with Gary in his cradle roll class. Every rubber toy that the teacher handed him was treated like a ball. Gary threw everything down. His classmate, Caden, who is also ten months old, just put every toy he was given in his mouth. He was teething. They were so cute!

After church, we drove to Tyler, which was about 45 minutes from Gladewater and checked out some stores and the mall there. Larry developed a slight headache so I drove us back home. We returned to Sunday evening service at the Gladewater church and Kari wanted to bring Winnie-the-Pooh with her because she wanted him to "know Jesus." It was so sweet!

The members there were very friendly and recommended a few local businesses that could help us with our house-building (laminates, countertops, paint, etc.). I was just informed that the neighboring town, Gilmer, was having a Yam-bor-ee. I'm sorry I missed it. I love yams. The town boasted that their yams are so good that even Oprah has special requested them. Well, that's what they tell me.

I drove back to Center with the children on Monday and it was raining. When we came home, there were 2 packages from my parents waiting for us. It was mostly stuff that I couldn't fit in my suitcase when I had visited them last week. I also did some grocery shopping later on to fill up the fridge again.

Today I have the unenviable task of finishing my unpacking, putting away the contents of the packages and washing clothes. My children have been entertaining themselves so far with a tea party. They invited their friends, Winnie-the-Pooh and Baby (haven't found a name for her favorite doll yet) to join them. The kitchen table is filled with items that need to be sorted, so Kari improvised on the table for her tea party.

The weather is getting cooler here. Time to give the children some lunch so I'll check back later!

My Toddler, the Clinging Vine

I suppose it all started when we flew to Virginia a couple of weeks ago. Kari would not let me out of her sight. When we went through security at the airport, she was upset when we had to walk through the security scanners separately. I had Gary in my arms when I walked through, and I believe she didn't understand why I couldn't carry her either. Her crying lasted until we boarded the plane.

Kari wouldn't even bond with my parents. My mom was most patient with her and it paid off because she would be comfortable sleeping with my mother in the end. I felt bad that she didn't want to bond with Dad. It's as if Kari was afraid that I would abandon her if I should ever leave her sight. My mother said that I was the same way when I was her age. (No! Say it isn't so!)

Now that we've returned home, Kari is still clingy. She didn't want to be left alone with Larry's parents or her cousins. Thankfully, Larry used his patience with her and after she finished her crying fit, she would let Larry hold her. In fact, there was a couple of days when Kari did not want her daddy out of her sight. Now that Larry's returned to work and we won't see him until the weekend, she has resumed her tight grip on me.

Words like glue, Velcro(R), siamese twin come to mind when I think of my daughter's present behavior.

I suppose this is normal with 2-year-olds, yes? Is this where the term, "terrible twos," comes from? Nevertheless, I love you, my clinging vine.

I Just Don't Understand

We returned from the doctor's office this morning so Gary could get his immunization shot. He weighed in at 15.1 pounds (last month: 14 lbs.), head size is 17-1/4" (last month: 17") and height is 25-5/8" (last month: 25-1/2"). Even though he gained a little, the doctor was still not happy with his growth because he didn't even make the 5 percentile in the growth charts. My question is, (and I should have asked the doctor) is that growth chart for formula-fed babies only? The important thing is that he's growing; albeit slowly, but he's not shrinking.

I used to exclusively breastfeed Gary, but at 6 months, I introduced solid foods (of course, they're pureed) to him in addition to the breast milk. Upon the doctor's orders, I have tried to feed him formula (after eating the solids), but he'll only drink as much as 3 oz. and then he pushes the bottle away. I still nurse Gary at night and I'm waiting for him to go through his growth spurts. I can't tell you how many times I've rolled my eyes at comments like, "Oh, he's so tiny!"

Gary has a healthy appetite, sits up, rolls over, crawls backwards (he can only crawl forward with 2 lunges and then he gives up), pulls himself up and is very alert. Even the doctor says that everything about him is healthy except his growth. Since he weighed 8 lbs., 10 oz. at birth, he should be triple that size when he is a year old. Right now Gary is 10 months old and is only 15 lbs. She wants to see him next month for a weight and height check.

It's not like I'm starving him. I can only put so much in his little mouth until he gags or pushes me away. I would gladly give him some of my weight (hah!). There doesn't appear to be any thyroid problem because his newborn screening turned out fine.

Sorry, I'm just frustrated. I just don't understand. I just want my son to be all right.

Trip to Virginia

We recently returned from visiting my parents in Norfolk, VA. On Sept. 27, we flew from the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport (after missing the first flight-might get to that long story later) and arrived in VA in the wee hours of the morning. It was a challenge traveling with an infant and a toddler by myself (Larry couldn't take time off work), but by the grace of God, we made it!

My parents enjoyed spending time with the grandchildren. We were getting ready to leave for our trip to Philadelphia for my brother's wedding on Oct. 6th. I tried to get as much visitation done with friends as possible.

I met with Melissa and her family on Saturday night. We ate at Tanners Creek Seafood Restaurant on Colley Avenue in Norfolk. Her husband, Dan, discovered the place and it's wonderful. Excellent she-crab soup, relaxed family dining, and reasonable prices. I enjoyed my surf & turf meal (petit filet and lobster tail).

Then on Sunday, I visited my old church in Virginia Beach and met with a bunch of friends there. My friend, Eileen, just had her baby, Riley, who is just adorable. Gary enjoyed his cradle roll class.

Kari enjoyed her 2-year-old class. It's hard to believe that the babies who were in Kari's cradle roll class are growing as fast as she is! I also saw my friend, Stephanie, who is 20 weeks pregnant. I am so happy for her and Andy. They just discovered that they are going to have a girl!

On Monday, I visited with my friend, Teresa, and we ate at Bravo! Cucina Italiana Restaurant in Virginia Beach's Town Center Plaza. We then had dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. Yum! Then on Tuesday, I visited with Aland and Maria and their son, Cedric. Maria is due to have her second child next month. On Wednesday, I met with James and Anna (with sons Nicolas and baby Jeremiah) at the airport to greet Anna's parents (Mike and Mary Lou) back from their trip to Japan. It was a short, but sweet visit.

On Thursday, we left in a mini-van rental to drive to Philadelphia via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. My sister, Kim, and her husband, Steve joined my parents, me and the children. We were packed like sardines in the mini-van, but we persevered. It helped that we took frequent stops (especially for the children's sake). We stayed at the Hyatt Summerfield Suites in East Norriton, PA. There must have been several dog shows going on because we would encounter several dogs (Great Danes, terriers, etc.) on the elevator. Kari was fascinated by them.

The wedding was beautiful. Lorraine and Alex married in the same church building that Lorraine's parents married. The building had a beautifully painted ceiling and lovely stain glass windows. Definitely had lots of history.

Lorraine looked stunning in her bridal gown and the bridesmaids were beautiful.


Kari was one of the flower girls; she was so pretty in her gown that it made up for her clingy behavior. She would not go down the aisle unless I was holding her hand, but what could one expect from a 2-year-old? So I ended up being in the wedding. Alex and Lorraine did not mind Kari's behavior and were just glad to have Kari in their wedding.

I was also a part of the cord ceremony, a Filipino wedding tradition.

My brother surprised us at the reception; he had invited the Philippine Folk Arts Society of the Delaware Valley to perform 4 Philippine folk dances. Alex was born in the Philippines and he wanted to share a part of his heritage with all the guests. The dancers did a beautiful job.

We drove back to Virginia on Sunday, Oct. 7th. Alex and Lorraine went to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Welcome, Lorraine, to our family!


The following Monday, my friend Anna threw a dinner party for me at her house so I could visit with more friends. About 15 people and 4 children were there. I had a great time. Krista looks great with her pregnancy. Faye brought me her homemade chocolate and peanut butter fudge. Rachel is pregnant with their third child, and it's going to be a girl. Jill and Steve are getting ready for their daughter's wedding. Connie is getting her family ready to transfer to Atlanta. Keith and Deborah have started a new business. James loves his new job.

On Tuesday, I took the kids to a video promo courtesy of Keith's new venture called "The Video Factory" in Virginia Beach where a DVD is professionally made of your children. This should be a big hit with grandparents. I thought the children and I were boring, but the videographer said we did great. I can't wait to see the finished copy.

Then on Wednesday, I had dinner with Aland, Maria, and Aland's parents, Gordon and Jimmie Lou, along with children Cedric and Molly. I couldn't stay long because I had to leave for Texas the next morning. I wish I had more time to see more people, but that was not the case. Perhaps next time!

It was hard saying bye to my parents at the airport. Mom couldn't stop crying. We hope to make it again to Virginia someday. The children did a lot better on this flight to Dallas. We made it to Texas safely and it was so good to see Larry greet us at the DFW airport. I missed him so much! It took us 6 hours to drive home from Dallas. We ate at Cracker Barrel, made a couple of rest area stops and did a little grocery shopping before arriving home. Needless to say, we were tired! Good night for now!