Family Updates

I'm so sorry that my blogging has fizzled out lately. Health-wise it's been a very, very hard summer. I am almost totally housebound at this season. Rick's working crazy hours (14 hours on Wednesday) and helping out as much as he possibly can, but spread very thing. Joshua has been such a blessing, helping to care for his younger siblings on days when I'm having to spend several extra hours in bed. He's also had some fun breaks when friends or grnadparents have come to get him for afternoon playdates, sometimes with Ruth and sometimes just as a special treat for time out with just he and his friends (plus his friend's supervising Mom of course)! Jeremiah is still often content to snuggle down and sleep with me as long as I'm willing to nurse, so we are making it through this season, one day at a time.

It is seeming that God is opening doors for me to begin working with a new research facility called the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease . We are hopeful that this is the Lord's provision for rebuilding my stamina and easing my daily pain. This is a brand new program of world-class proportions, headquartered, of all places, right here in Reno! Nothing medical is headquartered in Reno, but that's where God has placed this one. :D If all goes according to plan, my blood samples and who knows what other reasearch data will so start being shipping off to head CFS reasearchers around the world. Right now I am awaiting an appointment with one doctor for late October (unless they have a cancelation opening sooner) and the Institute is working on getting another appointment set up with one of the world's leading CFS experts potentially even sometime yet this month.

Since we are home anyway, we have gone ahead and started our new school year, taking things slowly, but finding some order and freedom from boardom in diving back into studies. Unbelievably, Joshua is now in 3rd grade and Ruthi is starting K! Jeremiah will be 18 months in just over a week. More about their schooling is posted at www.homeschoolblogger.com/InfertilityMom where I actually expect I will be more consistant at keeping you updated this year than I am managing here.

We had a wonderful family trip to Disneyland in May (just before I got really sick again). I have many times wanted to write updates here about the trip, but just haven't had the energy. I'll try to add tidbits over the coming months as certain memories come to me.

I am thrilled to finally have found a local Christian writing critique group after years of discouragement that there seemed to be no such resource. I am writing a regular column on beauty (both inward and outward) for TeenAge magazine, and for a slightly younger group of girls (8-12) am keeping up with my Inner Beauty Blog. With Mineral Girlz I have been promoted to one of only eight Regional Manager positions within the company and am excited to continue watching how God uses this as both an outreach tool and source of income. I could not do any of these if I were not able to do them from home and at my own pace, for I am again thankful for God's provision of ways to keep me professionally sharp while working within my physical limitations.

Haven't heard from many friends lately, so please drop me a line or leave a comment. (I know, you haven't heard from me either and it goes both way, but please consider this my best effort at the moment.)