John 11

Yesterday I studied John 11 about the resurrection of Lazarus, and two things really struck me. First, Jesus didn't answer right away when he heard Lazarus was sick. He could have performed a miracle and healed Lazarus right away. But by waiting, an even greater miracle occurred, which led many to believe. In verse 4, Jesus said this sickness was for the glory of God. It was a good reminder for me that, even though I don't understand why Sweetie has to go through such an ordeal after such an insignificant cut, God can use it for his glory. He may not answer right away, but a greater miracle can occur if we wait for His timing.

Second, in verse 16 when Thomas hears that they're heading back to Judea where Jesus had recently been in danger, his response was, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." What a pessimist! And yet, even though he feared not only for Jesus but for himself, there was no where else he would rather have been than at Jesus's side. I have been very stressed and discouraged over our bad news, but I cannot find a better place to be than with my Lord.

Sweetie's update

Sweetie had her MRI yesterday, which was an ordeal but she did fine. We got the results this afternoon, and the bone is infected. Our next step is to consult with an infectious disease specialist, or rather to find one willing to work with a baby so young. No one in BN is willing to see her, but we think there may be someone in Peoria. She'll be on uber-antibiotics for several months. Once we see him, we'll have to find another surgeon. Our current one was willing to handle the scar band, but bone surgery is a whole other story. To find a pediatric orthopedic surgeon specializing in hands, we'll probably have to go to Springfield or Chicago.

Merry Christmas to all!

Me--Christmas is Jesus's birthday. We're going to have a party for Jesus's birthday at Grandma's house.

Smartie--*gasp* Is he coming?

Hope your Christmas was filled with wonder.

Surgeries

Smartie had her second set of ear tubes inserted yesterday. She did great through the surgery, and was up and running around within a few hours. So that's one down.

Sweetie had her consultation with the orthopedic surgeon today, and it was not good news. They took an X-ray of her finger, and while it's not conclusive, he suspects that the infection has gotten into the bone. They want to do an MRI to be sure, which means we have to go to Peoria and she has to be sedated.

Depending on if/how badly the bone is infected, she'll definitely need surgery to clear out the scar tissue and may need to have part of the bone removed as well. Prayers would be appreciated.

Florida trip

Papa Runner and I just got back from a very relaxing trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, without the girls. Being an aviation buff, Papa decided that the best idea was to add about 4 hours each way (including layover) to our trip by flying JetBlue through JFK airport in New York. Lucky him, I don't mind. :) Actually, JetBlue is the best airline I've ever flown on. It has the most coach leg room, so it was very spacious (for a plane), and each seat has its own TV with 36 satellite channels to choose from, so the time went quickly. The flight crew were very friendly, the snacks were great, it was a really great trip.

We also had a minor miracle to celebrate. Papa left his camera on the plane when we got to Ft. Lauderdale. It's a pretty fancy camera with a special lens he had borrowed especially for the trip, together worth over $1000, so you can imagine how upset we were when we called the lost baggage number and they didn't have it. Well, this morning as we waited to board the flight, Papa saw a flight crew and decided to ask what they would do if they found something left under a seat. They told him to contact the airport lost and found, and wouldn't you know IT WAS THERE! They had someone run from wherever the L&F office is, cut in line to get through security, and run it to our gate where we were the last to board. They actually held the plane a few minutes so Papa could get his camera! Yay JetBlue and the Ft. Lauderdale airport and honest people who didn't pawn it!

So we have about 100 pics of airplanes and airports and nothing of our actual time in Florida, but at least we're not facing $1000 worth of repacement cameras. We came back very relaxed and ready for our next adventure, surgery for both girls. But that's another post.

So you think my girls are angels

In public, my girls are usually well behaved, but at home? Here's a sample of our day today. I had just finished making all three beds after washing the sheets and folding 2 loads of laundry. I sat on the couch for a rest and let out a sigh.

Smartie--Mom, are you going to freak out?
Me--No, I'm not going to freak out.
Smartie--Yes, you are! Yes, you are!
Me--No, I'm not going to freak out.
Smartie (singing)--Freak out! Freak out! Mama's gonna freak out!
Me--Stop!
Smartie--Doooo it, doooo it, doooo it!
Me--AAAAAAAHHHH!
Smartie--YAAAAAY!
Sweetie (no idea what's going on, but hears the yay) *clap clap clap*