Well, a lot has happened in the last two weeks. With school starting up in two days this is a normally hectic time for us, but this year has stretched that quite a bit.
UPDATE ON PAULINE. First of all, Pauline is doing pretty well right now. If I remember right she came home a week ago Thursday (the 24th). Everything we have learned so far has come to light very slowly, and we don’t have the complete picture yet. After several tests the doctor has finally diagnosed Pauline with lymphoma. We just don’t know what type. Treatment, which has yet to be determined, will include chemotherapy and/or radiation. We hope to learn more this week.
Will, Darice, and the kids came while Pauline was in the hospital and left the day after she got home. Of course, the kids had a great time playing together.
Pauline is on oxygen now, as they didn’t get all the fluid out of her lungs. I say she is doing pretty well, she is up around the house doing most of her normal stuff. Maybe not as much of her normal routine, but she is still active. The night before Will and Darice left she stayed up until midnight playing Scrabble. Saturday I sent the kids over to check on her and they came back saying she was mopping the floor. Pauline is not getting out to church or the store like she did though.
END OF SUMMER. Wednesday marks the first day of school here in Robertson County, so tomorrow is the last day of summer vacation for the kids. This is the only year all of our kids will attend elementary school together. Jenna is starting the fifth grade. Her teacher is Cindy Knaebel. Ben will be in the second grade with Kim Lilly as his teacher. And Nate will have Jill Templeton for his kindergarten teacher.
One thing we have really enjoyed this summer is swimming. It has been especially nice since everyone can take care of themselves in the pool. We have used Kenny and Lori’s pool a lot this year and really appreciate them for allowing us to come whenever we wanted. We’ve even taken kids who were visiting our kids with us swimming.
BENTON TURNS EIGHT. Ben celebrated his eighth birthday yesterday. I remember never liking it when my birthday fell on a Sunday (or Christmas for that matter) as going to church in the morning sort of throws a kink in celebrating. I think the rest of the the day made up for any time he missed though. After church Wil and Ethan came home with us for pizza and play time. Then we went to White House Party Bounce and enjoyed all the indoor inflatable toys they have there. One of their slides is tall and we all got enough speed on it that we have friction burns on our elbows.
Yesterday evening we grilled hamburgers over a Pauline’s. Mom and Aunt Mar came over. I spent almost three hours putting together one of Ben’s larger toys, a K’NEX Dragon’s Drop Coaster (813 pieces). It stands about three feet high. Everyone really enjoyed watching it go once I finished.
GOODBYE TO DEAR FRIENDS. David Jennings has been our Associate Pastor at church for the last eleven years. Actually, we hired his wife, Amy, to be our Youth Minister when we hired David. She kept that position for several years until she felt God was leading her to other things. Their daughter, Jennifer, was four when they came.
Six weeks ago David announced he felt God was leading him to other things, more specifically to a ministry position at First Baptist Church, Greenwood, South Carolina. We said goodbye to the Jennings family today, which was very hard. They have been good friends since they moved here, folks we love very much. Mom and Vicki have both enjoyed working with David. For me, David has been one of those really steady friends--easy to talk to , easy to work with. You just don’t run across people like him too often in life.
David, Amy, and Jennifer, we miss you already.
Joe
