How Thankful I am...

My doctor's visit went well yesterday- this was my first followup after my surgery two weeks ago. Home health nurses have been coming in to change out packing/dressing in the incision, but my husband's been handling a large part of that task.
It's about a 45 minute job twice daily, and it's been pretty strange for both of us- I tense up expecting things to hurt (they do sometimes) and Randy is tense not wanting to hurt me.
The doctor checked everything yesterday and we can now stop doing the packing, which was a great relief to both of us- I don't think either of us realized how much stress it was putting on us until we could stop.
The tests have come back negative - the doctor said he had no idea what caused the abscess, but he thinks it could have been staph. I'm off all meds, just keeping everything clean and dry. I can now drive, and in a few weeks I'll be back completely on a normal schedule.
I am so thankful for so many things- first of all my husband, who has done some pretty amazing things over the past few weeks, and done it with a sense of humor. He hasn't let all this stuff gross him out and he hasn't let it change the way he looks at me. He's just a great guy all the way around, and I wouldn't take anything for him. (Don't get me wrong - if he'd told me he couldn't handle it, it wouldn't have bothered me at all - we would have worked out another solution).
I'm thankful for lots of good friends who have kept up with how I've done and followed up with me; I'd have calls most every day, just checking on me and reminding me that they love me. We had offers for meals, errands - most anything you can imagine.
I'm thankful for a great doctor who took good care of me.
I'm thankful for the home health nurses who came out and took care of me- it takes a special person to do what they do, and I admire them greatly.
I'm thankful that I'm in good health.
I'm thankful that God has shown me that even when I can't do the things I normally do, I can still do something - this time has really increased my prayer life, and it's also made me realize that I need to stay in contact with the people I love, so they know I love them.
Thank God for the good times and the bad times- we can learn from both!

Cool Breeze

Last week I had minor outpatient surgery, and when I got home, I still had traces of the anesthesia in my system, plus they'd given me some pain meds. Trust me, I was feeling GREAT!
A friend of ours dropped over to see us, and he and my husband had a good laugh at me; I don't know why they were laughing because I sounded perfectly fine to me. Of course, the next morning, I asked hubby what was so funny, and he said I sounded drunk... (well, duh! I was!)
Anyway, I now have a new nickname, "Cool Breeze"...

Time sure flies!

I haven't been online much lately - so many things going on. Some ongoing situations here at home have been keeping us busy, both on our knees praying, and talking with others in the situation to get things taken care of.
I'll be having outpatient surgery on Thursday, so it will be another day or two after that before I feel like posting again- your prayers are appreciated!

Is having more than two kids being selfish?

Check this story - http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=424030.
My husband and I have a blended family of six children- my first husband and I had three children, a daughter and two sons. My husband and his first wife had two children - a daughter and a son. And Randy and I have a daughter together- that's right, six kids... just like the Brady Bunch (NOT).
And it doesn't stop there - our oldest daughter has a daughter and two sons; our oldest son has three daughters and a son; our next oldest daughter has a son and a daughter. Our next oldest son is expecting his first child this fall. And that's not counting how many children our two youngest will have when they get married. Ten grandchildren so far, and still counting... and I love each and every one. Some of our children we got the regular way, and some came as a package deal (some people call that steps, but we call them bonuses!) We love our grandchildren, and we don't make any differences in them.
So this story really hit a sore spot with me- I get grief from all kinds of people (including a lot more Christians than you might imagine) because we have a large family.
Now don't get me wrong- I think it's totally wrong to bring children into this world when you have no desire to take care of them, and your only reason for having them is to add to the number of checks you receive from the government every month.
But I have looked through the Bible, and I have yet to find any scripture anywhere that says God punished people by giving them children- quite the opposite. In some times, God punished people by withholding children from them.
Psalm 127 says:
3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

My husband and I are very blessed by our children- sure, they've messed up sometimes, just like we have, but I would not trade anything for them.
And even if you don't want to consider things from a biblical stand, consider this: the more children we have, the bigger the work force twenty years from now. As there are more workers, there are more wages to tax, and more services and products to sell.
And as far as there not being enough land or food for the people we have on earth now- that's a bunch of hogwash... if we're running out of food, why is the government paying farmers not to raise certain crops?

Oh, and as a balance on stopping life from beginning, check what Arlen Specter has to say about older folks who are at the end of their lives- http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=426486 - nice huh?