For those of you who travel on the Hixson Pike S-curves, 51 miles per hour in a 40 will get you a citation with a nice photo of the rear of your vehicle. The ticket will be $50.00.
Well after a third visit to the doctor 5 days we finally have a diagnosis of likely RSV in both Rachel and Mathis. I am so sorry to all of you who have been around us lately. The doctor said she has seen a lot of this going around and that it is unusual because usually it only affects babies but that she has seen several patients in the last few weeks who have tested positive for RSV. Rachel is over the worst of it I think, but poor Mathis sounds terrible and feels even worse I'm sure. So we continue to try and quarantine ourselves at home.
Continuing in my stride to be thankful in all circumstances, I have tried to think of something to be thankful for instead of the complaints that surface so easily. Today I was thankful that (1) I am able to stay home wtih my kids and that I'm not having to miss work somewhere to take care of them, (2) I am physically able to care for them, (3) English speaking doctors, (4) health insurance, (5) a cozy house to stay in, (6) TV, (7) we have money to buy medicine and pay the English speaking doctors (since in Spain we may have a harder time with this.)
And that last one reminds me - now that David is done with his night class, he is looking for handyman jobs to do on the side if you or anyone you know is looking for a capable and dependable man to be handy. :)
Thank you for all your prayers.
Per an email I just received...
Crystal slept a good 4 hours last night uninterupted. They were able to decrease her oxygen but she is still in some pain. She will get her second dose of chemo tomorrow, completing round 1. The doctor was very encouraged by the improvement of her symptoms. He was hopeful that if she continued to improve we may get to come home Friday. I really feel that we may be over the worst of it. We are still looking at 6-12 months of chemotherapy.
- Steve
The Group Shot
We're not big cake fans, so I made and iced sugar cookies instead.
Opening presents
I've been so sad today over two friends. One is a friend from church who has just been diagnosed with a rare aggressive cancer, a wonderful mother of 7 young children, whose treatment began today. If the chemo works, the prognosis is great, but if it doesn't, they have given her less than a week. The other is my friend, Mitch, who I used to work with. He has been fighting prostate cancer for a year or so, but has just taken a turn for the worse and has called in hospice. Both are believers and both have hope in the Lord, but the sadness of the effects of sin in the world is overwhelming. I keep thinking of THIS POST, written by a friend of a friend who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. It's worth your time to take a minute and read it, but in summary, she tells a story about Corrie Ten Boom being put in such horrendous conditions, in a flea-infested dorm, and reminding her younger sister of what the Bible says: In I Thessalonians, Paul writes, “Comfort the frightened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, praying constantly, giving thanks in all circumstances…” In all circumstances, not just the pleasant ones… not just the ones we want. Angie (the friend fighting breast cancer) goes on to list all the flea bites that have stung her that day, and what she is thankful for in each of them. It's a very inspiring post.
Although my heart aches for the loving hand of God to comfort those closest to Crystal and Mitch, I must remember to thank the Lord for this, as well. Even amidst the tears.
For those who have inquired of these particular recipes I thought I'd post them for all.
Chicken souvlaki
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground chicken (could also use chopped chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup grated cucumber
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 pieces lettuce
8 pita pockets (preferably the "pillowy" pockets that are slightly thicker than traditional pita pockets)
Heat large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook chicken thoroughly. Add allspice, cumin, and oregano and mix well. Cook 5 minutes to heat through, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber and garlic powder. Mix well.
Place a piece of lettuce in the bottom of the pita pocket. Spoon chicken mixture onto lettuce in pita pockets and top with yogurt mixture.
Tandoori chicken (Betty Crocker)
Mix Spicy Yogurt Marinade
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated ginger root
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in large Ziploc or shallow covered dish. Pour marinade over chicken. Turn to coat with marinade. Seal bag or cover dish and marinate at least 1 hour.
Cook chicken and marinade in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat 15 - 20 minutes, turning chicken once, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Serve with rice.
Savory Salmon Loaf (Southern Living recipe)
1 (14 3/4 oz) can pink salmon
1 1/2 c. saltine cracker crumbs, divided
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 c. chopped green pepper (opt.) (I chop mine really small in a food processor with the onion)
1/4 c. grated onion (opt.)
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1/4 tsp. hot sauce (opt.)
4 slices cooked bacon, halved (opt.)
Cucumber Cream Sauce
* Drain salmon, reserving 1/3 c. liquid. Set liquid aside. Remove skin and bones, if desired; flake salmon with a fork.
* Brown 1 cup cracker crumb s in 1/4 c . butter in a skillet over medium heat. Set aside.
* Combine salmon, reserved liquid, remaining 1/2 c. cracker crumbs, eggs, and next 8 ingredients. Sprinkle 1/2 c. browned cracker crumbs in a greased 8 x 4 loaf pan.
* Spoon salmon mixture over crumbs, and shape into a loaf. Press remaining browned crumbs on top. Arrange bacon slices diagonally across loaf. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.
* Remove from pan. Slice and serve with Cucumber Cream Sauce (Grate 1 medium cucumber, mix with 1/2 c. sour cream, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. grated onion, 1/4 tsp. pepper).
Vegetarian tacos
For these, I just use regular taco shells and toppings, but instead of meat, I use 2 cans of chickpeas and heat them in a skillet with taco seasoning.
Monday - Cheese tortellini w/ spinach and smoked gouda cheese sauce, salad, bread
Tuesday - Vegetarian tacos
Wednesday - Veggie burgers, onion rings
Thursday - Fish sticks, mashed potatoes, peas, fruit
Friday - Spaghetti, bread
He's eating gingersnaps while hiding under the Christmas tree. I had to take a picture! :)
Last night during dinner, Rachel ate some apple-nut bread. She's allergic to some tree nuts, but to my knowledge is not allergic to pecans, which is what was in the bread. I gave her a piece and watched her carefully to make sure she didn't start breaking out. She ate it and got down from the table. Later, she was wheezing and coughing. A weird reaction to a nut allergy if it was that, but she was really struggling to breathe. We went ahead and got ready for bed, waiting to see if calming her down with her bedtime routine would help. David was helping her brush her teeth and she threw up, thankfully into the sink. I gave her some Benadryl just in case it was an allergic reaction, and decided to just wait and see if she improved.
So when I checked on her last night before I went to bed, she was breathing and sleeping peacefully. This morning when she got up, she came into my room and said, "Mommy! Do you know what? Last night in my bed I prayed that God would heal me." I said, "You did? Well what happened?" She said, "He healed me." She hasn't had any trouble breathing all day.
Now my skeptical side tells me that it was probably just some kind of fluke reaction to something she ate. Although I've never seen her react like that to any food. And last night when she was struggling to breathe, I had a flashback to her pneumonia episode last year around this time, and was thinking that if she didn't improve, I would take her to the doctor this morning. So whatever it was, it's gone and she is completely fine. In her mind, God healed her. Why am I so skeptical to have her faith? Of course he healed her. And even if it was the Benadryl or even if she would have recovered naturally without praying, why am I so slow to attribute God's graciousness in that as well?
