Living In Grace

More pictures :) Hold your excitement ....

5 days til we leave!!!

Eat your Heart Out, L'Oreal ....

Just opened the mail to find a bill from the dialysis unit for March billing.

Are you sitting down?

Are you?

It for ...........

$ 93, 215.00

Get that?

NINETY THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTEEN DOLLARS.

So, let's see.

Something they did cost me $ 3.007.00 a day to do.

THREE THOUSAND SEVEN DOLLARS people.

A day.

Funny, I don't remember what that could be.

This renal failure must be stealing my memory.

But, I must be worth it.

Prayer

Could y'all be praying?

We move in just a few days (leaving the 23rd), and things are going pretty much on schedule. That's the great news.

The rough news is that the pain from the neuropathy is almost unbearable, and is keeping me from getting any sleep. Normal pain relievers  don't touch this (ie Aleve, Tylenol, etc) and no one wants to try new meds until I've settled with the new doctor on the 29th.

That seems like an awfully log way away right now ...

If you guys would be praying for some relief, wow. I'd appreciate it.

Thank you!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

We signed on the house today.

One week.

it only took one week, to find a house.

There has to be a gold medal in their somewhere.

I present to you, our new front yard!

And, to his delight ...

John's new Man Cave ...

So, tomorrow at 8:30pm I'm on a US Airways flight going home.

Home!

I plan to smother the family in kisses and love on 'em on night long!

A good day all around. John put my car back together, and I'm going home.

Sigh.

Tonight?

I sleep the sleep of the angels!

Home Sweet Home?

A hint.

Should all go well, this will be the view from the french doors of our new master bedroom. We will know tomorrow, hopefully!

In the meantime I'm crawling back into bed. For some reason, the pain from the neuropathy is worse than it's ever, ever been and I'm practically breathless.

Oh, and the best news? If we confirm on the house tomorrow, I'm flying home Tuesday. HOME!

Could you?

I ran across this article and wanted to share it. We've talked so much about the need I have for a living transplant donor, but I thought it would be important to share the perspective from the other side.

Click here.

For more information our journey, simply click on the logo above.

Thank you.

Could you?

I ran across this article and wanted to share it. We've talked so much about the need I have for a living transplant donor, but I thought it would be important to share the perspective from the other side.

Click here.

For more information our journey, simply click on the logo above.

Thank you.

House Hunting, part 2

So.

Just a note to those people who want to try and get their house off the market.

it's helpful when you use a CURRENT picture of the condition of the house.

Ahem.

Remember this beauty?

Yesterday we drove three hours to see her, and hopes were high we were love and adores her.

Then, we found her.

Obviously,there was some photoshopping going on.

Poo thing is in serious need of a painter.

And a gardener. Or twenty hundred.

We didn't even bother to get out of the car and walk around for fear of what was living in the weeds. Or what might fall on us off the house.

The next four hours were spent driving around looking at other houses, getting incredibly lost and then driving back home. Empty handed.

The good news?

We're doing all over again on Friday! Woohoo!!

In the meantime, John is at home celebrating his 49th birthday trying to breathe life back into my car while the kids continue to pack, pack, pack in hopes of having a place to bring everything on the 25th of July.

If not, I'm hoping Uhaul gives us a deal on long term housing in that truck.

If you could continue to pray that the right house opens up quickly and that I survive. It's only been 4 days and I miss them horribly. I won't see my family until July 21st, and it seems like forever. But, my airline miles only covered my coming up here, and not back so I'm settling in for the long haul.

As things progress, I'll keep you posted!

Scenes from a Plane Ride

Greetings from Oregon, peep!

Land of the green, home of the trees.

(Hand on heart, tear in eye).

It's been a long, tiring day, But worth every second.

Rather than recount the entire days tedious events ... I'll offer up some highlights and warnings.

1. If you are traveling through an airport and see a Chilis, Too ... run, don't walk. For Pete's sake (and your own) stay away from the Chicken Ranch Sandwich. Eat the $10.49 in cash instead. Trust me. You'll be better off.

2. Both the Las Vegas and Seattle airports now encompass their own set of zip codes. Holy Moly! I haven't taken that many subways to get to a destination since I was in New York. 40 minutes to get from the curb to the gate in Vegas. And I was in a wheelchair. taking the "express Route".

3. Horizon Air has the best crews. Ev-ah. In the past, I have heard the safety information sung to me in the form of the Brady Bunch theme song, but today? Takes the cake. Just to give you a sampling of the Horizon Pilot's Stand Up Comedy Tour ...

"Welcome aboard folks, and sorry we're late. I had to finish my crossword puzzle, so well get started on our way just as soon as someone can give me a 7 letter word for ...."

" I'm Bob, your pilot. The first officer? He's Bob. So, don't be surprised if you coll one of us and we both answer."

"welcome aboard flight 2299 for Honolulu. The weather in Hawaii is currently .... What? We're going where? That's dumb. How many of you want to go to Hawaii instead? Raise your hands. ... what do you mean we're not equipped for over water travel?... Hmmm... How many of you can swim, you know, just in case? If I can get 80% of you to say they can- we're on our way!"

"We'll be your pilots all the way to Eugene. The FAA has begun to frown upon mid-air pilot transfers. Go figure."

"If you look out the windows to the right, you'll see Mt. Rainier. The tallest peak in North America. It stands at 14 thousand ... blah blah blah blah blah ...."

"If you are on the left of the plane, press your nose against the glass really, really hard and look down. You'll see .... what? you can't see anything?. I love it. You all fall for that one every. single. time."

And so on and so on and so on.

Tomorrow begins the hunt for the perfect house. Can't wait~

I'll keep you posted!

Now I Know It's Ordained.

Tomorrow, I leave my family for a month.

A month.

30 days, 30 nights.

I'm so sad, but excited at the same time.

You see, I'm flying out to stay with my mom in Oregon to look for houses.

Houses.

As in, we're moving back to Oregon.

Home.

Trees,

Mountains.

Grass.

GREEN!

SEASONS!

SNOW!!!!

We've documented and talked about the lack of medical care here, and it's real affect on me the last three months. I'm to the point where walking is a real issue, as is falling

Combine that with the kid's burning desire to go to high school and our desire for it not to be here at this high school, and we knew it was time to move home.

We've been contemplating and praying about whether it wohosehuld be Billings or Bend - they both offer proven medical care and good schools, but my heart was leaning towards Bend.

Not only would it suit our needs, my mom lives nearby. We've not lived near here since my dad passed away three years ago.

Originally, we were planning this out for the end of September to give us time to prep, find a house, put finances together, etc. You know, take it realistically...

But, then things got put in motion on a much faster scale- as in this past Monday it was decided we would leave by July 23rd. Yes, July 23rd. A month.

So, I'm off to find a house. The kids have a detailed day by day list of things to do. John will continue working until closer to the move date.

Never let it be said we do things the normal way around here.

Normal- it's highly overrated.

Mom and I will be driving back down here July 18th to help drive back up with the Uhaul, kids, zoo and hubby. 

If y'all could be praying for some specifics- I'd be forever grateful.

• I'm flying for the first time since the walking thing became a challenge. I'm abit concerned about getting around the airports and transfers.

• We need the right house, in the right neighborhood, in the right school district. Oh yeah- at the right price.

• Mom and I will be commuting over the Cascade mountains a few times to look at house. Please pray for safe travels. And great gas prices, and great hotel prices.

• My kids are doing this move. They're excited, but I know that will wear off quickly. And we are all going to be missing each other like crazy which can spark emotions and frustration.

• Most importantly, for John. He will have so much to balance on his shoulders, and I cna only organize so much from a distance.

I will be posting from the road  and letting you know how things go.

Oh, and the funny thing?

John was asking me where my new "Iced Tea Spot" was going to be, since there are no Sonic Drive In's in Bend.

Well, lo and behold!

There is one there now!

"My God Shall Supply All My Needs".

Pretty cool, huh?