Monday Morning

What would we do without family and friends? I can't say thank you enough for all the prayers offered up and the always encouraging support we have received this past year. And all my thanks to God can never be enough for His mercy and grace as He carried us through answering every prayer and even above and beyond. My heart is filled with joy and relief!

At the entrance to the hospital last Wednesday morning.

After a year of waiting and deliberating over the wisdom of what to do with the nasty aneurism inside my DH, it was finally necessary to say yes to the surgery, no matter what the outcome might be! Thanks be to God - it was a success! It is now behind us and we can relax ... anyway, I can relax. The knowledge of the seriousness never worried DH a bit and that was a really good thing.

He was pretty relaxed with a sweet smile as we

waited for him to be taken to surgery.

Waiting. It's always about waiting, isn't it? Surgery was scheduled for 1:00, then delayed to 1:30, and finally, at 4:42 p.m., they took him in. Pastor came to pray, Alice and Fred came for a brief visit, and the rest of us, Jason, Sara, my brother Phil and my sil, Susan, waited and watched the progress of what was going on in the operating room. So cool they give you a card with colors and the waiting room has an electronic board showing the stages of where they are in the process. The surgical nurse called me every hour to let me know things were going according to plan ... and it was finally over about 9:30.

Thursday morning was a beautiful sunshiny day

and the outlook for recovery was bright as well.

Now, biggest decision was what to eat.

All the meals were delicious and served in style.

Everything I had was good, especially that little brownie cake on the left side there.

Kate and Jack sending a hello from the Malt Shop.

I found these gloves in the room to be useful

for stuffing dirty laundry in!

DH's kids smiling over him as they

said good-bye.

Sara went home to take care of her family and Jason was off for a 26 mile hiking trip in the Ouachita Mountains with his pastor and two other guys to prep for the mission trip later this year.

One more river to cross,

One more mountain to climb.

Yeah, somehow I have a feeling it's more about having a good time than prepping!

Yesterday, one of DH's buddies from the McRats (a group of retired old codgers) came by to visit and deliver a card signed by the guys. Now, that was a very thoughtful gesture and you don't usually think about men doing something like that.

It's going to be a good week. And a very special one at that as we remember and reflect on what it means to us ... what Jesus did for us.