Sheep

The girls and I broke up our normal routine to camp out in the back yard.  It was a great time of bonding, playing games, watching the stars and enjoying the big, full moon.  We didn’t get a lot of sleep but we built some fantastic memories.

I got the results back from the tests I had done last week.  It looks like I need to keep on taking medicine for the ulcer they found.  It sounds like it was a result of a bacterial infection I had in Indonesia, h.pylori.  Also, for some reason or another my body is having a hard time digesting many foods so I am on a strict diet for maybe the rest of my life.  I am hoping that I won’t have to permanently give up so many of the things I love, like: tomatoes, many fruits and vegetables along with all whole grain products and more.  I can tell that for now it is making a difference so I am thankful that the doctor had wisdom to see what my body needed.  All of my biopsies came back fine so thank you so very much for praying.  It would be superb if this was the last of my GI problems!!!

I wanted to share with you something that I learned in Sunday School today.  Perry was talking about sheep.  One of the jobs of the shepherd is to help the cast sheep, the sheep that have fallen over onto their back.  They cannot get up on their own.  The shepherd has to flip them over, rub their legs to stimulate the circulation, make sure they are stable and then stay close to them to make sure they don’t fall over again.  He cares so much about those sheep that as soon as he sees one on its back he quickly flips them back.  He will not stand there and yell at them that this is the umpteenth time they have fallen over and this time he just will not help them.  It says in the Bible that God is our Shepherd and we are His sheep.  He cares so much for us that any time we have fallen He wants to help us up.  Even when we keep messing up over and over and over.

It was explained on a web site like this- “When a sheep loses its center of balance, it can become cast.”  Interestingly put, huh?  What happens to us when we lose our center of balance?  Do we become distressed, flailing about trying to figure out how WE can get ourselves out of this mess?  Well,  the site went on to say, that “Sheep cannot get up by themselves.  They are dependent on the Shepherd to get them back up.”  It should be like that, shouldn’t it?  The Shepherd should be the first one we look to when we find ourselves in a tough spot.

Another thing about that is how do we respond to other “cast sheep”?  Do we judge?  Do we walk past?  Or do we just gently, and lovingly help them back up?  I have been thinking about that part a lot in relation to my kids.  I tend to be upset if it is the same mistake over and over.  I think in my head, “Why haven’t you learned by now?”  But I know that when God looks at me cast all He sees is someone He loves desperately that is in need of some help.  I need to do the same.

Love you

Rachel

School came…

Wouldn’t it be great if every day was like today was outside?  It was beautiful!  I am happy to report that we spent most of it outside.  I love that.

Even though I tried to stop it, the first day of school did come.  The kids were full of trepidation, but they made it through.  I think it is harder on me than them.  This is the first time I have four kids in school.  Cale will be in half-day Kindergarten, Sophie grade 4, Emma Grade 6, Wyatt Grade 8.  It will be a much different year than we are used to, but with lots and lots of prayers I am hoping that it can be very rewarding and remarkable.

We are working on our American culture-

Cale started to take his shoes off at his locker until I told him that he needs to keep his shoes on here.  The classes all do the Pledge and of course he doesn’t know it.  (Have to work on that.)  At the demolition derby at the fair when they played the National Anthem he looked at me as I was singing along and said, “Mom, you know this song?”

In Indonesia the kids walked home every day for lunch.  We always had a big, hot meal at noon.  Here, we are trying to figure out what the kids can pack for their lunch.  Emma just wants to have rice and beans.  We hardly ever had sandwiches for lunch in Indo.  Wyatt especially doesn’t want an American lunch of peanut butter and jelly.  So we are trying to be very creative.

We are all having a hard time with the colder weather.  They keep asking for a fire in the fireplace.  And no one wants to shower because it is freezing cold when they get out.  We have got to get some long pants one of these days.  Can’t wear shorts forever.

Here are some pictures:

Labor Day Party

We had a fun time on Sunday celebrating little Annie Joy as she turned two!  How time flies sometimes.  Last year I was so sad that we were in Indo and missed her first birthday and now we are here and able to party hardy!!  She is such a blessing and we are all so thankful for her!

Monday we all went to the fair and visited the animal barns again, and were able to watch many of the horse shows.  That was really cool.  We had to go see the brick my sister had dedicated to our parents over by the butterfly garden, and stop and see some of the demolition derby.  What a wonderful day!

Hope your Labor Day weekend was wonderful as well.

Love you

Rachel

Update

Here is an update on my health stuff:

I went to Lakeland on Tuesday for a colonoscopy and an endoscopy.  The doctor came and talked to Garth while I was still under and Garth doesn’t remember most of what he said.  So we don’t know specifics, but this was the gist (I think).  They found at least one polyp or node and removed it and sent it in to the lab.  There were a few other places that they biopsied and we will find out about that next week.  They found an ulcer that the doctor feels was from when I had a bacterial infection in Indo called h. pylori.  So I am on medication for that.  Right now I am on a pretty restricted diet until the doctors know what else is wrong.

Keep praying and I will keep you posted.

Thanks.

Rachel

The Fair!!!!!!!

We took the kids to see a great piece of Americana-The Walworth County Fair.  They loved it!  Last time we were there was 2006.  Sophie was only 4 then and Cale just a little baby so they didn’t remember it.  We had such a blast going through all the animal barns, they did a few rides and then we stayed for the tractor pull.  I have been going there since I was a little girl so it was extra sweet to share it with them.

Happy Labor Day weekend!  Hope you can relax and enjoy it!