4 weeks...

...Since my last act as an untrained circus monkey.  

I found out this week after meeting with an orthopedic specialist that I should have had surgery on my hand.  My hand will end up healing okay, but surgery would have been a better option.  Regardless, I have began therapy on getting the movement back in my stiff fingers.  To quote a first grader when I came to school with my new brace, "Yeah for fingers!"  I am supposed to now be moving fingers and doing finger exercises. 

 I learned last night in therapy that some crock pots have odd contents.  At the therapy office it was full of liquid paraffin wax which I dipped my hand in for heat therapy.  I think it was a nice treatment for my dry skin.   I hope this finds everyone doing well.  Another relaxing Saturday in paradise here, if the sun ever comes out there will be yard work. 

September

Well, we made it back to school today.  Kelli and I are both cautiously optimistic as they are all quiet on the first day.  I am again reminded that they are truly fresh from kindergarten.

Here is a picture of our utility shed that I re-sided and Kelli helped to paint.  The other pictures are of our garden.  We have many green pumpkins that are still growing.  The biggest pumpkin has my foot next to it for perspective.  The gnarly pumpkin is just for Marcie as she always picked out odd and colorful pumpkins.  We have enjoyed our garden again this year as it has provided a rewarding hobby.  I am looking forward to sweet acorn squash as fall approaches.  

Camper boy

Hopefully Leo will remember the fun summer that we had camping on Tuesday as he'll be home alone and subjected to the laundry room for the longest time since June as we head back to school/work. 

Hardly a graduate...

Leo has been enrolled in the 'Intermediate' dog training class at Petsmart for the past 8 weeks. His final class and graduation was this weekend. 

(REMINDER:  He aced through his beginner class and was the start of the class) 

Leo not only failed his doggy test yesterday, he failed miserably! He needed to come to Randy and I with a ton of distractions (toys) in between us and he was supposed to ignore all of the toys and just come to us... He did come (eventually) after he picked up every single toy in his mouth all at once to bring to us. Yikes! He would have done great had those toys not been there!

Oh, well! 

The intern

I forgot to post the best part of our ER visit. Randy insisted that I tell you all that his arm was set in the splint and sling by an INTERN!! It must have been his FIRST day. He'd start to do something and then say "um, I need to go ask somebody how to do this.." . He then told us that he'd done this in class and just needed to do it again to get "checked off". So there we sat all alone in the ER room with just an intern! (A nurse did come in after he was done and "checked" the kid off...)

Trip to the Emergency Room...

Well, Randy set out this afternoon to caulk around the base of our newly sided shed and came in a few hours later screaming... 

Turns out that he also "decided" that he'd do some work on the roof. What a great idea! (NOT!)  I had no clue that he was doing this UNTIL he fell off of the ladder. I'm sure that he gave our neighbors quite the sight! 

We ended up in the ER, after he had a panic attack on the living room floor, and they x-rayed his hand to find multiple fractures. We'll see the hand surgeon on Monday or Tuesday and he'll be laid up with his right hand for at least 8 weeks, yikes!

I have no idea how he will start the school year not being able to write but he sure can show the kids how to do the pledge of allegiance. (His arm is in a sling set in that position..) Maybe he can also teach "safety" lessons. 

Are you kidding me??

I love my church. 

Actually we love, love, love our church and our pastor but after reading the front page O! article from the Oregonian this Sunday(A church for the churchless -- with Pastor Kip No candles, altars or stained glass windows. Just one rockin' church )I did not LOVE what they had to say.  The article was great in some areas but I really don't think that they interviewed our pastor. If they would have, they would have found the real reason that we don't have elaborate stained glass or bronze crosses. Pastor Kip advocates that true salvation is about your relationship and acceptance of Christ, not the fact that you simply attend church. Hence the lack of focus on our church beautification within the sanctuary. I think that this should have been added. It's not really about the "church-ness" that people go to church, it's to strengthen their relationship with Christ and meet with others in fellowship. That's the first part of my rant. 

Secondly, the part about "...there were no bibles in sight.." is completely untrue! I want to know where they sat during the service! Everyone and their mom (literally) brings their personal bible from home! Wouldn't it make sense to refer to your own personal bible during service?!? They do provide bibles in the hub for newcomers or anyone really, if the writer would have read the "Welcome Notes" they would have known this. That one really had me.

No, Southlake is not a wack job of a church and in fact it does a great job of keeping relational salvation real and holding Christians accountable. We have attended regularly since our days at George Fox and several of our former professors attend as well, it is a wonderful place to be.

We LOVE our Southlake Church!