Nate
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Role Reversal
Tricia and I will be experiencing a bit of role reversal tonight. We're driving up to VA in a little while to spend the night, Tricia and Gwyneth with a friend and me at a hospital...I'll be undergoing a sleep study.
Hopefully, this study will help determine a few things about my health.
Thanks, and sweet dreams.
Nate
Hopefully, this study will help determine a few things about my health.
Thanks, and sweet dreams.
Nate
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Pancake Dinner Tonight!
This is our third year with this fund-raiser! If you're nearby, please come out and enjoy the best pancakes on the beach! And, if you're interested in volunteering to wait tables or wash dishes, contact Barbara at Nags Head Church at 252.441.7548.
All proceeds goes directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!
Nate
Monday, May 25, 2009
New Pics
If you've been following me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll know that I've been sick for the past several days...haven't felt this bad in a long time. I've literally been on the couch since Friday afternoon. Tricia and Gwyneth have been spending time away from me with family. To help pass the time, I've knocked out the entire first season of "Heroes", thanks to Netflix online, and have been editing some pics from the past few weeks...
This last one is proof that Gwyneth had a cold last week...
Nate
This last one is proof that Gwyneth had a cold last week...
Nate
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Happy Day!
You might remember me posting about our friends, the Johnsons, who were preparing to adopt three more children from Africa?
Well, this was the week, and tomorrow (I hope) we get to meet Juan and Pam's three new children at church...what a happy day! You can read more about their story on Their Blog!
Nate
Well, this was the week, and tomorrow (I hope) we get to meet Juan and Pam's three new children at church...what a happy day! You can read more about their story on Their Blog!
Nate
Equation
Finish this equation for me...if you live on the Outer Banks, you'll know the answer that I'm thinking of...
Memorial Day Weekend + The Beach + Good Weather = ?
Nate
Memorial Day Weekend + The Beach + Good Weather = ?
Nate
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Help Me Advocate for CF Research
You may remember me blogging about Tricia's Involvement in Clinical Trials...over the years, Tricia has and continues to give of herself and participate in hundreds of clinical trials that help with advancement of CF research.
Now, it's our turn to help make a difference in these CF clinical trials.
Cystic Fibrosis Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) will soon introduce a bill to help more people with CF participate in clinical trials.
Right now, because of eligibility rules regarding compensation for clinical trial participation, many people with CF are forced to choose between taking part in important clinical trials and keeping their health care coverage.
Many researches believe that a cure for CF is literally just a year or two away from us now, and as I have mentioned, there are a few drugs in development right now that promise to double the life of CFers. To help these promising drugs move swiftly from the research and testing phase to the people who need them, more people with cystic fibrosis are needed to participate in clinical trials. This important legislation will remove that barrier to allow more people to participate in clinical trials.
As an Advocate for CF, I let Congress know how they can support efforts to find a cure and control for CF by going to This Site and sending an email to my member of Congress, asking him/her to co-sponsor this bill. The more Congress hears from the CF community, the greater the impact we can have on funding for CF research, access to quality, affordable health care, and public awareness for this disease.
Please, take a few minutes to Click This Link, send the email, and join me in becoming a CF Advocate. Once you arrive at the web page, you'll find that the email has already been written for you...you simply need to fill out a bit of personal info so that the email goes to your member of Congress.
If, when you get to the web page, you'd like to add a personal story about CF, please feel free to mention Tricia (or any other CFer you know) and the impact that her story has had on your life.
Thank you very much. I sincerely would appreciate your help with this. And, if you'd like, please, leave a comment here on my blog and let the world know that you've participated in this opportunity to advocate for those with CF. Together, we can make a difference for people with CF!
Nate
Now, it's our turn to help make a difference in these CF clinical trials.
Cystic Fibrosis Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) will soon introduce a bill to help more people with CF participate in clinical trials.
Right now, because of eligibility rules regarding compensation for clinical trial participation, many people with CF are forced to choose between taking part in important clinical trials and keeping their health care coverage.
Many researches believe that a cure for CF is literally just a year or two away from us now, and as I have mentioned, there are a few drugs in development right now that promise to double the life of CFers. To help these promising drugs move swiftly from the research and testing phase to the people who need them, more people with cystic fibrosis are needed to participate in clinical trials. This important legislation will remove that barrier to allow more people to participate in clinical trials.
As an Advocate for CF, I let Congress know how they can support efforts to find a cure and control for CF by going to This Site and sending an email to my member of Congress, asking him/her to co-sponsor this bill. The more Congress hears from the CF community, the greater the impact we can have on funding for CF research, access to quality, affordable health care, and public awareness for this disease.
Please, take a few minutes to Click This Link, send the email, and join me in becoming a CF Advocate. Once you arrive at the web page, you'll find that the email has already been written for you...you simply need to fill out a bit of personal info so that the email goes to your member of Congress.
If, when you get to the web page, you'd like to add a personal story about CF, please feel free to mention Tricia (or any other CFer you know) and the impact that her story has had on your life.
Thank you very much. I sincerely would appreciate your help with this. And, if you'd like, please, leave a comment here on my blog and let the world know that you've participated in this opportunity to advocate for those with CF. Together, we can make a difference for people with CF!
Nate
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
National Bring Baby To Work Day
What? You didn't realize it was today? Probably because you didn't ask me...
Can you tell she's still got the sniffles and snot?
Nate
Can you tell she's still got the sniffles and snot?
Nate
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
(Bump) Blogging Tips
This was originally posted on June 18, 2008...it seemed to be helpful to some, so I thought I'd bring it back to the top for those who missed it the first time. Plus, I've added a few more tips.
So, several people have asked me for some blogging tips. It seems that Tricia and I have helped to inspire several people to begin blogging, which I think can be a good thing. Blogs can be fun and informative and even impacting, sometimes. But, they can also be used for a whole lot of nasty stuff as well. Here are a few tips I have if you're just starting out. Some of these tips are just my personal opinion, and some are pretty tried and true.
> Decide what the purpose of your blog is going to be. Whether it's to share your life with family and friends, create discussion about certain topics, educate people about a particular subject, etc. Whether you don't care about readers or hope that you'll retain a large amount of regular readers. It will be extremely helpful if you and your readers know what your blog is all about so that you and they can know what to expect.
> Don't start a blog unless you're serious about continuing on with it for however long you're willing to commit. Nothing's more frustrating that getting involved in a good blog (as a reader), only to have the author stop posting for no good reason.
> Pick a blog title that is descriptive. It can be funny, or cute or matter-of-fact...just make sure that it describes what your blog is about. I check out blogs every now and then just because I see an interesting blog title, and it can be frustrating when the blog seemingly has nothing to do with it's witty title. I have three blogs that I update regularly, and all three have titles that are descriptive to a certain extent. Again, it will help your readers to know what to expect.
> Blog about what you're passionate about. I'm passionate about the things/people I blog about here on CFHusband, which makes it easy to write often, and gives my readers the feeling that I mean what I say (and say what I mean). I believe, that blogging is both at it's best and worst when people are compassionately honest. The key is speaking the truth in love. I've lost a lot of readers because my writing is not always butterflies and cotton candy, which is a bummer, but a reality. But, I've gained a ton of readers for the same reason, which is very cool.
> Find your niche. Don't be hesitant to read other blogs and borrow from their writing style, topics, themes, but don't feel like you've got to do everything that every other cool blogger is doing. My blog is unique for many reasons, most of which have come naturally and simply from my own personality and preferences. Most of the time, when I try to copy something unique that other bloggers are doing, it just doesn't work or feel right...I've got to be me and blog in the way that feels natural and fun.
> If you're wanting people (other than family and friends) to read your blog on a consistent basis, you'll need to commit to posting, at least, a few times per week. I've discovered, as an author and reader, people quickly lose interest if you don't post every 3-5 days. And, obviously, the more you post about the stuff your passionate about, the more people want to read.
> If you want to build your readership, invest some time into reading and commenting on other blogs that are similar to yours. Blogging is a great way to connect with other people like yourself, and the best way to do that is to seriously become interested in other people. Having said that, there's nothing I hate more than people who comment on my blog JUST to try to get people to go read their blog...BLAH! Keep your motives true.
> Link like there's no tomorrow. Anytime you mention something that your average blog reader may not be familiar with, link to a story/article/website where they can learn more. Anytime you mention a specific movie, person, website, book, etc., link it so your readers can have more to look at. Most people read, to a certain extent, to learn something new, so give them as much info as possible without having to spell everything out by writing it yourself. Linking makes it easy for you and your readers to get the most out of your blog. Just make sure your links are trustworthy.
> Unless you want to deal with idiot comments from idiot people (and by "idiot", I mean people who comment only to be incredibly nasty/cruel), either limit comments to only people who have blogger accounts or enable comment moderation. This is the only big thing I would do differently from the start with my blog if I could. 'Nuff said.
> Prepare for the trolls. An internet troll is someone (usually anonymous, but not always) who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion. If you're blogging, about anything, you will eventually attract a troll or two...just trust me on that. Know ahead of time how you're going to deal with the mean, nasty, hurtful and ignorant comments. If you want my advice, see my last tip and simply choose to delete and ignore.
> Keep the clutter to a minimum and the organization to a maximum. There's nothing worse, IMO, than a blog that is cluttered with an unorganized mess of pictures, videos, links, music playlists, etc. It's not bad to have all of those things, just try to present them in an organized way. Aesthetics go a long way in making people feel welcome and comfortable when reading your blog.
> Label everything! Whether you have a minimum number of labels, or a whole lot like me, label every one of your posts as well as anything you have listed on your sidebar(s). This will not only make it much easier for you to find something you wrote five months ago, it will also give your readers more accessibility to everything your blog has to offer. I get asked the same questions over and over again, mostly by newer people who missed it the first time I gave a piece on info, and while I'd love to answer every question, every time, I just don't have the time. Give your readers the resources to answer their own questions (and don't get too frustrated when, no matter how many different ways you link CFF.org and GOOGLE.com, people still ask you for a piece of info that they could easily find themselves in 30 seconds).
> Write in short paragraphs like a normal person. If you want people to enjoy reading your blog, please, break your posts into smaller paragraphs. It just makes it easier to read. My brain just cannot concentrate long enough to make it very far through on a 500 word paragraph. End of story.
> Unless you want to cause early blindness among your readers, stay away from the following in your posts:
- White font on black background (or anything similar).
- Yellow font on white background (or anything similar).
- Red font on any background for more than a few words.
- Bright, Neon colors, especially pink and yellow.
- Multiple colors of fonts in one post.
Seriously. Just trust me. Please.
Check out this good Color Palate Website for help in coming up with a good color scheme for your blog. You may be the most creative, eloquent writer on the face of the planet, but if you're blog isn't aesthetically pleasing, you won't have many return readers.
> Also stay away from using the following words (at least, excessively):
- Random
- Musings
- Ponderings
Do a google blog search for any of these words sometime...it's not that they're bad words, it's just that everyone and their great uncle uses them on their blog too. Unless you like getting lost in the crowd, or you really are random, or you have some seriously deep and/or funny musings and ponderings (check my sil, Janet's blog for a good example of seriously funny "musings"), just avoid using them. (and by "seriously", I don't mean that your mom or kid brother tells you how random you are...ever watch the American Idol auditions?)
Anyway, there are my slightly sarcastic, but completely honest tips on blogging. Take 'em or leave 'em. Don't be offended if your blog doesn't follow all of my tips, unless you think I'm really that important, which you shouldn't, unless that also means you're going to include me in your will, which you really shouldn't do either.
Unless I'm related to you.
Nate
PS. What are your blogging tips?
So, several people have asked me for some blogging tips. It seems that Tricia and I have helped to inspire several people to begin blogging, which I think can be a good thing. Blogs can be fun and informative and even impacting, sometimes. But, they can also be used for a whole lot of nasty stuff as well. Here are a few tips I have if you're just starting out. Some of these tips are just my personal opinion, and some are pretty tried and true.
> Decide what the purpose of your blog is going to be. Whether it's to share your life with family and friends, create discussion about certain topics, educate people about a particular subject, etc. Whether you don't care about readers or hope that you'll retain a large amount of regular readers. It will be extremely helpful if you and your readers know what your blog is all about so that you and they can know what to expect.
> Don't start a blog unless you're serious about continuing on with it for however long you're willing to commit. Nothing's more frustrating that getting involved in a good blog (as a reader), only to have the author stop posting for no good reason.
> Pick a blog title that is descriptive. It can be funny, or cute or matter-of-fact...just make sure that it describes what your blog is about. I check out blogs every now and then just because I see an interesting blog title, and it can be frustrating when the blog seemingly has nothing to do with it's witty title. I have three blogs that I update regularly, and all three have titles that are descriptive to a certain extent. Again, it will help your readers to know what to expect.
> Blog about what you're passionate about. I'm passionate about the things/people I blog about here on CFHusband, which makes it easy to write often, and gives my readers the feeling that I mean what I say (and say what I mean). I believe, that blogging is both at it's best and worst when people are compassionately honest. The key is speaking the truth in love. I've lost a lot of readers because my writing is not always butterflies and cotton candy, which is a bummer, but a reality. But, I've gained a ton of readers for the same reason, which is very cool.
> Find your niche. Don't be hesitant to read other blogs and borrow from their writing style, topics, themes, but don't feel like you've got to do everything that every other cool blogger is doing. My blog is unique for many reasons, most of which have come naturally and simply from my own personality and preferences. Most of the time, when I try to copy something unique that other bloggers are doing, it just doesn't work or feel right...I've got to be me and blog in the way that feels natural and fun.
> If you're wanting people (other than family and friends) to read your blog on a consistent basis, you'll need to commit to posting, at least, a few times per week. I've discovered, as an author and reader, people quickly lose interest if you don't post every 3-5 days. And, obviously, the more you post about the stuff your passionate about, the more people want to read.
> If you want to build your readership, invest some time into reading and commenting on other blogs that are similar to yours. Blogging is a great way to connect with other people like yourself, and the best way to do that is to seriously become interested in other people. Having said that, there's nothing I hate more than people who comment on my blog JUST to try to get people to go read their blog...BLAH! Keep your motives true.
> Link like there's no tomorrow. Anytime you mention something that your average blog reader may not be familiar with, link to a story/article/website where they can learn more. Anytime you mention a specific movie, person, website, book, etc., link it so your readers can have more to look at. Most people read, to a certain extent, to learn something new, so give them as much info as possible without having to spell everything out by writing it yourself. Linking makes it easy for you and your readers to get the most out of your blog. Just make sure your links are trustworthy.
> Unless you want to deal with idiot comments from idiot people (and by "idiot", I mean people who comment only to be incredibly nasty/cruel), either limit comments to only people who have blogger accounts or enable comment moderation. This is the only big thing I would do differently from the start with my blog if I could. 'Nuff said.
> Prepare for the trolls. An internet troll is someone (usually anonymous, but not always) who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion. If you're blogging, about anything, you will eventually attract a troll or two...just trust me on that. Know ahead of time how you're going to deal with the mean, nasty, hurtful and ignorant comments. If you want my advice, see my last tip and simply choose to delete and ignore.
> Keep the clutter to a minimum and the organization to a maximum. There's nothing worse, IMO, than a blog that is cluttered with an unorganized mess of pictures, videos, links, music playlists, etc. It's not bad to have all of those things, just try to present them in an organized way. Aesthetics go a long way in making people feel welcome and comfortable when reading your blog.
> Label everything! Whether you have a minimum number of labels, or a whole lot like me, label every one of your posts as well as anything you have listed on your sidebar(s). This will not only make it much easier for you to find something you wrote five months ago, it will also give your readers more accessibility to everything your blog has to offer. I get asked the same questions over and over again, mostly by newer people who missed it the first time I gave a piece on info, and while I'd love to answer every question, every time, I just don't have the time. Give your readers the resources to answer their own questions (and don't get too frustrated when, no matter how many different ways you link CFF.org and GOOGLE.com, people still ask you for a piece of info that they could easily find themselves in 30 seconds).
> Write in short paragraphs like a normal person. If you want people to enjoy reading your blog, please, break your posts into smaller paragraphs. It just makes it easier to read. My brain just cannot concentrate long enough to make it very far through on a 500 word paragraph. End of story.
> Unless you want to cause early blindness among your readers, stay away from the following in your posts:
- White font on black background (or anything similar).
- Yellow font on white background (or anything similar).
- Red font on any background for more than a few words.
- Bright, Neon colors, especially pink and yellow.
- Multiple colors of fonts in one post.
Seriously. Just trust me. Please.
Check out this good Color Palate Website for help in coming up with a good color scheme for your blog. You may be the most creative, eloquent writer on the face of the planet, but if you're blog isn't aesthetically pleasing, you won't have many return readers.
> Also stay away from using the following words (at least, excessively):
- Random
- Musings
- Ponderings
Do a google blog search for any of these words sometime...it's not that they're bad words, it's just that everyone and their great uncle uses them on their blog too. Unless you like getting lost in the crowd, or you really are random, or you have some seriously deep and/or funny musings and ponderings (check my sil, Janet's blog for a good example of seriously funny "musings"), just avoid using them. (and by "seriously", I don't mean that your mom or kid brother tells you how random you are...ever watch the American Idol auditions?)
Anyway, there are my slightly sarcastic, but completely honest tips on blogging. Take 'em or leave 'em. Don't be offended if your blog doesn't follow all of my tips, unless you think I'm really that important, which you shouldn't, unless that also means you're going to include me in your will, which you really shouldn't do either.
Unless I'm related to you.
Nate
PS. What are your blogging tips?
Such A Perfect Day
Tricia's birthday was perfect...perfect weather, perfect company...perfect. Strawberry picking, lunch out, homemade cake (two of them both courtesy of her sweet husband), time with family and friends.
Nate
Can you name the song?
Nate
Can you name the song?
May 15
On May 15, 2008, we brought you home for good from the hospital!
One year later, and we're pretty sure that we're never letting you go!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Happy Birthday Tricia!
Tricia turns 27 today! She said Last Year was her best birthday ever, and, even considering it was a miracle that she made it that far, I'm guessing this year will be even better. Her hands are healing, Gwyneth is finally feeling back to herself, and the weather is perfect for the three of us to go strawberry picking, a few hours at the beach, and a little time leftover to do whatever else she wants to do! Gwyneth and I are about to make her breakfast!
Please, help us celebrate by leaving a comment and wishing Tricia a very happy birthday!
And, if you'd like to say "Happy Birthday!" with more than words (and she will totally appreciate the words!), please consider donating to our Personal CF Fund-Raising Great Strides Goal (click "click to donate" on the linked page) to help continue to make life better for Tricia and all CF patients around the world. Every penny we raise goes directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!
Thanks!
Nate
Please, help us celebrate by leaving a comment and wishing Tricia a very happy birthday!
And, if you'd like to say "Happy Birthday!" with more than words (and she will totally appreciate the words!), please consider donating to our Personal CF Fund-Raising Great Strides Goal (click "click to donate" on the linked page) to help continue to make life better for Tricia and all CF patients around the world. Every penny we raise goes directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!
Thanks!
Nate
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
11:54pm
Gwyneth hasn't slept well for the past two nights, and it looks like tonight will be more of the same...according to her ped doc, she has Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (not to be confused with foot and mouth disease), with some strep throat type soars on the back of her mouth and throat...eating is not much fun, and sleeping is only possible at about 1-2 hours at a time...
Nate
Nate
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Perfect
This is what our Mother's Day looked like today...
Other than a feverish daughter and a bruised wife, it was basically perfect.
Nate
Other than a feverish daughter and a bruised wife, it was basically perfect.Nate
Bum
I'm feeling like a bum...with all of the stuff happening with Tricia the past few days (did I mention Gwyneth had a fever last night?), I haven't had any time to even think about mother's day, much less do something about it. Fortunately, I've got a few things all ready for Tricia's birthday next week, and I know that Tricia has had gifts waiting for our mothers for several weeks now.
But, I still feel like a bum.
:(
Nate
But, I still feel like a bum.
:(
Nate
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Repost: Prayer
I originally posted this on March 14, 2008. I thought it might be a good idea to repost it since it is still relevant...
As I have mentioned before, one of the greatest comforts for me these past few months has been the opportunity to pray for other people. Over the past 9 weeks, I have literally received hundreds (maybe thousands) of comments and emails asking me to pray for others who are going through difficult times of their own.
It has been an honor and a blessing to pray for each one, and I have tried to personally respond to every email that has been sent and view every blog/website link that I've been pointed to.
Many of those same comments and emails have also asked that I post a link to these other people who need prayer. And, back when I wasn't getting an average of 250 comments and 50 emails a day, I was happy and able to so.
Unfortunately, because of the huge number of these requests, I had to make the decision several (months) ago to not post any of the links because I do not have the time and energy to post them all, and I can't post just a few because that would cause serious problems. The few third-party prayers that I do post now are almost exclusively from and/or about people that I know personally.
I do want you to know that I read every single comment and every single email, and try to respond to every email as best I can. If you send me an email asking for prayer, and I do not respond, it is almost definitely because I do not receive it (and yes, I check my junk folder every day). And, I take the time to pray for every request.
My heart sincerely breaks and grieves with compassion and empathy for every story that I read, whether about an older adult or a young child, and it is very difficult for me to not feel guilty that I cannot post every single link.
I hope and pray that you can understand my situation and decisions about this topic. I have never once deleted a comment that has asked for prayer for another person because I know that many in my family, and many of my readers take a look at most, if not all, of the comments. And, in fact, I continue to encourage all of my readers to post their prayer requests here on my blog so that others can read and join me in prayer.
I believe that prayer is more than just a good vibe or a few kind words that might somehow mystically make a difference in somebody's life. I believe that prayer is the opportunity to talk with the God of the universe as if He were (and I believe that He is) sitting right beside me as a close friend. And, because of that, I believe that God hears and answers each and every prayer of those who know Him.
Sometimes He answers in a way that we want Him to, and other times He does not. But, even when His answer is not what I want or expect, He does answer every time, and it is always the best answer.
So, again, thank you, not only for giving me even more reason to forget about my own difficult situation, but for also giving me even more reason to spend time talking with the One who has made me and sustains me.
Thanks.
Nate
(Please, know that I am not posting this because of any one person's request for prayer.)
As I have mentioned before, one of the greatest comforts for me these past few months has been the opportunity to pray for other people. Over the past 9 weeks, I have literally received hundreds (maybe thousands) of comments and emails asking me to pray for others who are going through difficult times of their own.
It has been an honor and a blessing to pray for each one, and I have tried to personally respond to every email that has been sent and view every blog/website link that I've been pointed to.
Many of those same comments and emails have also asked that I post a link to these other people who need prayer. And, back when I wasn't getting an average of 250 comments and 50 emails a day, I was happy and able to so.
Unfortunately, because of the huge number of these requests, I had to make the decision several (months) ago to not post any of the links because I do not have the time and energy to post them all, and I can't post just a few because that would cause serious problems. The few third-party prayers that I do post now are almost exclusively from and/or about people that I know personally.
I do want you to know that I read every single comment and every single email, and try to respond to every email as best I can. If you send me an email asking for prayer, and I do not respond, it is almost definitely because I do not receive it (and yes, I check my junk folder every day). And, I take the time to pray for every request.
My heart sincerely breaks and grieves with compassion and empathy for every story that I read, whether about an older adult or a young child, and it is very difficult for me to not feel guilty that I cannot post every single link.
I hope and pray that you can understand my situation and decisions about this topic. I have never once deleted a comment that has asked for prayer for another person because I know that many in my family, and many of my readers take a look at most, if not all, of the comments. And, in fact, I continue to encourage all of my readers to post their prayer requests here on my blog so that others can read and join me in prayer.
I believe that prayer is more than just a good vibe or a few kind words that might somehow mystically make a difference in somebody's life. I believe that prayer is the opportunity to talk with the God of the universe as if He were (and I believe that He is) sitting right beside me as a close friend. And, because of that, I believe that God hears and answers each and every prayer of those who know Him.
Sometimes He answers in a way that we want Him to, and other times He does not. But, even when His answer is not what I want or expect, He does answer every time, and it is always the best answer.
So, again, thank you, not only for giving me even more reason to forget about my own difficult situation, but for also giving me even more reason to spend time talking with the One who has made me and sustains me.
Thanks.
Nate
(Please, know that I am not posting this because of any one person's request for prayer.)
Friday, May 8, 2009
Update
Tricia's had a rough couple of days. It almost seems silly, compared to all of the other stuff she's been through, but she says the pain is the most brutal she's ever experienced. Her knees are not much worse than your normal scraped knee, but her hands each have about a dollar coin size chunk of skin and meat missing in the palm, which is about equivalent to a second degree burn. She's able to use her fingers, but not much else of her hands.
She's been in a lot of pain, almost constantly. At the ER last night, they had to spend about 20 minutes scrubbing the wounds in her hand to remove all of the gravel (having experienced that myself, I can tell you it's not very fun). The real pain didn't kick in until she got home last night. The pain meds she was on through this morning upset her stomach (as usual), but she was able to get a different med and has been feeling a little better this afternoon. She did not sleep a wink last night, but has had a few short naps today and is in bed now, hopefully for a long while.
We're hoping that she'll be feeling better in the morning. She'll be unable to use her hands much for the next week or so, which will keep her from being as interactive with Gwyneth, but all things considering, we're thankful that it wasn't any worse than it is. Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers.
Nate
She's been in a lot of pain, almost constantly. At the ER last night, they had to spend about 20 minutes scrubbing the wounds in her hand to remove all of the gravel (having experienced that myself, I can tell you it's not very fun). The real pain didn't kick in until she got home last night. The pain meds she was on through this morning upset her stomach (as usual), but she was able to get a different med and has been feeling a little better this afternoon. She did not sleep a wink last night, but has had a few short naps today and is in bed now, hopefully for a long while.
We're hoping that she'll be feeling better in the morning. She'll be unable to use her hands much for the next week or so, which will keep her from being as interactive with Gwyneth, but all things considering, we're thankful that it wasn't any worse than it is. Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers.
Nate
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Pain
Tricia tripped and fell this afternoon and tore up her hands and knees very badly. After a trip to the ER, she's home now but is in a lot of pain...the worst pain she's ever experienced, she says, which must be pretty bad. I know she'd appreciate your prayers, especially for her hands. We're trying to contact a physician right now to find out if there's anything else we can do to ease the pain.
Thanks.
Nate
Thanks.
Nate
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Swim Lessons!
Actually, at Gwyneth's size and coordination, it's more like getting-used-to-something-other-than-bath-water lessons! But, whatever you want to call it, it started today...only lasted about 5 minutes thanks to a thunder storm (yes, they close down the indoor pool during a thunder storm), and I only managed a few semi-blurry photos (BTW, have I ever mentioned how much I HATE florescent lights?) before we were on our way out the door, but we'll try again on Thursday and for the next few weeks...
Nate
Nate
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - Tonight!
We're watching My Favorite Show with extra excitement tonight! Several members of my family and a few friends were involved in the construction of the house featured on tonight's season finale, which was filmed about an hour away. We'll be looking for familiar faces and I'll be twittering if we see any!
Nate
Nate
New Pics
Ever wonder what Gwyneth would look like with curly hair? I just posted some new pics of Gwyneth over on my Photography Blog....check them out because they're (no joke) probably my favorite series of Gwyneth pics ever!
Nate
Nate