3 Birthday parties -- 1 day

It's been so long since we updated that even though I don't intend on making a long post,, I still think I should write something.

Today we celebrated Noah, Zoe, and Ephram's birthdays. The Bucks, G-ma & pa Buck, G-ma & pa Syswerda, Grates, and Emersons were in attendance-- drinking beverage, eating chips, and devouring and 6 feet of sub.

All three kids opened presents, with the big hit being a trampoline purchased by G-ma & pa Buck and G-ma & pa Syswerda.

After we sang happy birthday (Noah played the mandolin... kinda), the adults sat outside on the patio and talked while the kids played in the sprinkler and screamed. It was a pretty great day.

One update that is very important... Shelly is feeling much better. The cortisone shot really did the trick.  So between the hysterectomy and the nerve pain, Shelly is finally feeling pretty good.  Amen!  This topic deserves much more attention than this, but I'm still wanting to get to bed soon.  I'll make Shelly post a little bit about it too.

Thanks.  We love you all and are so thankful for your prayers.

Back at it

The momma is back in town!  Today I went to the pain clinic and had an injection of cotizone shots into the effected area. As of right now, the pain is minimal which is a huge blessing. I think they finally have an idea what is going on so that feels reassuring.

Josh and I got married 8 years ago today. We got married on a gorgeous Friday evening in downtown Grand Rapids and rode up to our reception in a horse drawn carriage. It was an evening I'll never forget. Eight years later and still going strong.

Josh has been having a lot of nerve pain the past 24 hours. He was extremely discouraged this morning. He is laying next to me right now, unure of how well he will sleep. Please keep him in your prayers. The nerve pain is very difficult for Josh because it is a burning sensation and their is little he can do about it. Please pray that the Lord continues to uplift his spirits.

My cousin Erin was in town for her wedding shower this weekend. She lives in NYC so I don't get to see her too often and she is like my kindred soul. I love to spend time with her. She is getting married in October and Josh and I are taking a road trip out to the East Coast for the wedding. It was fun to see her and see how the plans are coming. I am hopefully going out in July for a night or two for her personal shower. She has been such a huge support to me and I would like to do the same for her. And, considering I'm her favorite cousin, I'd better be there... just kiddng!

Noah and Zoe are spending this week adjusting to being home. We don't have any big plans. We let them fill up the pool for the first time on Saturday. They loved jumping off the mini trampoline and into the water. Ephram loved watching them! I was hoping to get some pics but have had some trouble locating my camera charger.  Woops. :-)

That's all the exciting news here. Zoe has her first ballet recital on Wednesday so I'll have to post some pics. G and G Buck are coming from Indiana to see her. She is psyched!

Shelly's home

Just a quick update... Shelly came home Friday at about noon.  This was a little sooner than we thought.

There has been no treatment for the pain yet.  Apparently that is not going to happen until June 9.  Ridiculous.

On the upside, Shelly's oral pain meds are not leaving her flat on her back.  The pain does get pretty bad every couple hours, but she also has moments when she feels pretty good.

More updates soon.  Thank you for your prayers.

Josh posting

I just wanted to give you a few more details...

 For the first two weeks Shelly was feeling better every day.  Some people said that she was up and around too much, but she was really just being Shelly.  This past Sunday she started feeling a little bit of pain near one of her incisions.  She made nothing of it at first, but by Monday morning it was pretty bad.  I told her to go into a med center. They wouldn't treat her there so she went to the ER.  Once at the ER they gave her a CAT scan and an ultrasound.  They were thinking it could be an abscess, a hernia, or an infection.  It was none of those.

 Before she left, I reminded her to tell the doctors what happened in her abdomen 10 years ago.  About a decade ago Shelly had her gallbladder and appendix out.  Over the next few months she had some unexplained pain in her abdomen.  It got so bad that eventually Shelly's parents put her on a plane to Mayo Clinic.  Once there, what had been undiagnosed pain for several months was quickly healed with a shot of cortisone right into her surgery area.

 We told the doctors about this on Monday, and by Wednesday they had ruled out everything else.  Shelly has been on narcotic pain medication up until today when they switched her to oral pain medication in preparation for sending her back home... and no treatment yet, just pain meds.

 The "pain clinic" came in to do a workup on giving her a shot.  But for some strange reason they cannot operate inside the hospital.  Shelly will have to get an appointment with the "pain clinic" after she gets out.  Their first opening date is June 9.  This is just not acceptable.  Why did she need to sit at home drugged up for 10 days before she can get the shot that took four hours to get a decade ago?  I am very very frustrated.

 Yesterday, Jean alluded to another situation I'm pretty frustrated about.  My kids need to feel like they can have a normal routine at home.  They are missing end of the school year zoo trips and picnics because of this.  I was lucky that Zoe told me about her end of the school year program today, or I would've missed that too.  The conversation went like this,

"Daddy, do I have school tomorrow?"

"No baby, today is your last day for the whole year."

"Oh.  We are having a program with a CD with all the songs on it and we are dancing and stuff and all the mommies and daddies are coming.  So you'll have to get somebody to bring you, right daddy?"

"Umm... absolutely baby."

They just need a normal routine.  They are very resilient, and are very strong.  But they are dealt with more than many of us deal with our whole lives.  I just want them to be kids.

Pray for us.  Pray that we have enough of volunteers to get us through to whenever Shelly can be back up to speed.  Pray for Zach and Rachel as a spearhead the charge while looking for jobs!

I don't know why we continue to roll out difficulty after difficulty around here, but I'm sick of it.

 I don't know what this means spiritually yet. I don't think I'm supposed to.  I know that I'm still on God's team.  I know he has a plan, and I want to be a part of that plan... no matter what that part is.  But I would be nuts if I didn't admit that sometimes I feel like our family is the team whipping boy.  Forget the big plans and grand schemes... just give me a mundane and average for a couple decades.

 Sorry to vent.  Shelly does it sometimes, so I guess it was my turn.  Pray for us.