Breathe Easy...and Keep Praying!!

Just a quick post to update you and beg you for prayer.

Since I wrote last, we've had ANOTHER crisis.

Yes, really.

Brian's lung collapsed early Monday morning.

Source

We spent all week in a local county hospital waiting for healing.

It didn't come.

Yesterday (our 16th wedding anniversary) he was transferred to a larger hospital where a thoracic surgeon is able to care for him.

We have been told that this group of thoracic doctors are among the top 10% in the country.

{sigh of relief.}

Yesterday a second chest tube was inserted and this morning the first was removed.

Neither are working.

It's suspect that Brian has been living with a collapsed lung for a while now.

The doctor said, "this is not a normal pneumothorax." (that's collapsed lung for the rest of us.)

Apparently, there is an obstruction in that lung.

He's been living off one lung all this time! Oh that man never ceases to amaze me!!!

Surgery is scheduled for Monday morning, 10 am EST.

Will you join us in prayer?

Ode to Daddy

Ode to Brian aka "Daddy"

Loving.

Joke teller.

Kid tickler.

Laugh-er.

Classic novel reader.

Biologist teacher (to anyone near him!)

God lover.

Hard worker.

Faithful lover.

Creative.

Funny Hilarious!

Loyal friend.

Dependable.

Sensitive.

Listener.

Adventure seeker.

Thrill lover.

Wait-er on what might happen.

Handyman.

Saver.

Ipod shuffle lover.

Honda CRV driver.

Cow breeder.

Shakeology in ice cream maker!

Great doodler.

Budding gardener.

Wood worker.

Wise.

Strong.

True.

Spiritual teacher.

Guide.

Understanding.

Grace giver.

Problem solver.

Encourager.

Fixer of all things broken.

Art lover.

Photographer.

Brave.

Chinese speaker.

Spanish speaker.

Other culture lover.

Trustworthy.

Dairy manager.

Slow to speak.

Slow to get angry.

Taylor graduate.

Fatherless defender.

Cool.

Whoopie pie baker.

Playful.

Incredible example.

Life long learner.

In words of our kids: AMAZING and A BLESSING FROM GOD!!!!

If you don't know my man, you NEED TO!!!

Brian with the kids in a typical adventure. Taken last fall, 2011.

Dairy Love to Uganda!

We've been blogging several of the things that have happened while we have been in Africa. But honestly,

there is NO WAY to tell it all.

However, I want to share some of the work that Brian did while he was here.

As many know, Brian is a dairyman. He operates a large (1,500 head) dairy operation in Ohio. Although he works in this small corner of our existence, he has a heart that goes out to the nations. He knew we were coming to Africa to adopt, but he could not pass up the opportunity to help out a few villages with his dairy expertise.

He spent two full days deworming cattle and goats and giving them an extra nutritional boost. I followed him around with the camera. (I preferred the safety of distance from some of these long horned fellows!)

We traveled on this footpath in a 4WD vehicle to reach the villagers!

Valuable tools to Brian's work!

This village man was a very happy, willing assistant!

"Open WIDE!!" It was funny, some goats whined and complained like toddlers...others said nothing!

Fortunately, deworming cattle is a topical thing now...

This should serve as a reminder to not ask Brian to give you your next shot!!

The goat hold!

A sweet boy who captured my attention while Brian worked on nearly 103 goats and over 50 cattle!

"You said you want to DE-WORM me??!?!?!"

The Love Strand 9/28

I love having pictures around my house. I love my husband and I love having history with him. Today, I've taken pictures of a few old pictures I still keep around. (In low light--sorry for graininess!) In the main picture, we were just dating...oh that wonderful summer of 1995! In the wedding picture, it was our first spontaneous kiss as Mr. and Mrs. (that one in the ceremony was a bit artificial!) Our photographer captured us kissing just as we came out of the church.