The Rest of the Week

November 3rd

We got up at the butt-crack of dawn so we could get dialysis done and get to an 11:30 appointment in Grand Rapids. I’ve said this over and over to my clients and friends…just get up! Tossing around and looking at the clock never added more rest! Just get up!! But its hard. I wasted 5 minutes or so and then just did it. It really does take like 45 minutes to get every thing set up and get him hooked up. It just does. There is no way around it. Man, it alarmed like 5 times!! When he itched his nose, when he talked on the phone, when he adjusted his back. I hate that. Its hard to relax.

We made it to our appointment, dressed in army green “cargo” pants with a belt. I think Mark showed me 3x times how his medium Arise shirt is super loose around his biceps. “Remember Dust, these were tight on my arms”. I know Mark, I see it too. I just don’t comment because I know its hard to watch your body waste away. We went to our hydrotherapist. He did have BMs last week that were not pleasant but then they kind of stopped so we were overdue. Man, if you have never gone, you should. You would be surprised at what would come out of your body!! I can’t believe all the crap, literally, that came out of his body! He doesn’t always feel better afterward but he next day is usually a relief. We made one stop on the way home to return home improvement stuff and he sits in the car and waits for me.

Yesterday morning I decided I needed to read the Word and drink water…to spend time in Gods word and to keep up on my water. I’ve been doing horrible in both. Mark was reading Acts so I read out loud to him. You guys. Go read Acts. What a great story of Paul written by Luke. I’m sure I read it before but I was like . “what happens next?”. We finished this morning (nov 4th) and I’m feeling a little left to hang!

November 4th

19yrs ago I gave birth to our firstborn (mine and Mark’s) baby, Cora Grace. She was 15 days late, and weighed in at 9lbs and 4 oz. My sister always said she was never going to have kids and then about that last year before she died she kept making comments about “when I have a little girl”…and I was surprised because she said she was never going to have kids. She said she would name her little girl Cora Grace. Cora after our grandmother we were both very close to and Grace after grandma’s sister that would often come and stay with her and was the cutest little old lady. When we had Cora I decided I would go ahead and use her name since she could no longer AND it was a great name. Cora was a loud baby!! I remember also she would walk around with her legs bent sometimes…almost in a squat and I thought “how does she do that! My legs would burn”. Little did I know she was in training to be a ballerina and a defensive soccer player! (fun combo huh?). Even as a little girl she was matter of fact and directive but she was also very caring and loving, especially to her younger sister. When she got a brand new Fischer Price playhouse and Aly wanted to play with it right away she took her to the living room and they layed on the floor and discovered it all for the first time together. I miss not having her around all the time but I love that she is venturing our, as hard as it is for her sometimes and meeting new people, seeing new things, experiences new experiences and going to Bible School. She new she was mission minded as a very young age. She alwasy saved her money and would never spend it on a thing for herself..but would fork out $100 when missionary came to church to speak.

I was suppose to drive down and get her today and spend the weekend with her, going to the state meet and eating some gluten-free pumpkin roll with her but instead she decided to go on a retreat with Moody students. I am proud of her. I know she misses home and isn’t LOVING college yet but she took the invitation and went with it. She chose to do that instead. These decisions are like noting to most but (alot like me) she toils with them for a long time wondering if she made the right one. Often, they are both good and neither can be bad. Its just part of her unique personality. We like to analyze over here at our house and Mark thinks she is INFJ (almost to a T). 

So today Mark will have lunch with a friend and I will go have lunch with my future daughter in law. I will also get groceries for myself!

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nov 5th

Mark now weighs 137 or less. That is about 40 pounds lower than his normal or when he went in to the hospital. He left over 200 with tons of extra fluid but now that he is peeing, he is losing daily and we aren’t taking off any with the machine. 🙂 Today we read 1 Thessalonians. A good reminder, to live pure and work hard until the day He returns.

Please pray for Felicity this morning as she was experiencing miscarriage-like symptoms. Pray that it stops and baby is tucked save inside with a hearbeat. Thank you