Monday, Monday (la, la, lalalala)

Good morning,

I hope you are all singing today's blog title to the tune of the Mamas and Papas' song. I know I am and it will probably be stuck in my head all day.

I forgot to tell you yesterday that John's chest X-ray was normal. Yay! He is doing so much better about slowing down and eating and he seems to really listen to what they say. He is a bit of a strategist, however, in that during swallowing (which is in front of the speech therapist) he eats things he knows will go down well so that he doesn't choke. If he continues to pay attention to those things when we get home, he will do fine. And he loves to tell them stories. He loves to tell EVERYONE stories. But, praise God, he has stories to tell and he is here to tell them.

I just need to reiterate once again how thankful we are to have all of you. Denita loaned me a book entitled When I Lay My Isaac Down by Carol Kent. I was very apprehensive about reading it because I knew it was going to be a tear-jerker (and it is!), but what a blessing and what insight it has given me as well. In it it talks about "stretcher-bearers." Those are people who help you, oftentimes, when you don't even know you need the help. And not all stretcher-bearers are the same. Some may be prayers, some may be helpers in physical ways, some may be donators, some may call to give you moral support, some may just give you some much-needed comic relief, an for all of them we are thankful. The point is we need those stretcher-bearers and don't know what we would have done without all of them, without all of you. Thank you, Denita, for the book.

I have to say again what a gift our children have been. Bucky and Melody have given me a place to stay and a sanctuary in which to come to at the end of long days. Melody directed and produced the video (she is awesome) and has made me a calendar with things that are already scheduled, and follow-up questions that need to be answered and need dates. Bucky is always so positive--sometimes to the point of being annoying (just kidding), but he always sees the good in everything and, usually, everybody. Our Cejae has been a rock (maybe not emotionally), but what a gift she has been. She certainly kept us entertained. I think she's getting a wheelchair for Christmas, because she got pretty good at using it in Rehab. Adam is taking care of some of the things that need to be done at home and we so appreciate that. He is certainly a constant, steady, reliable individual in all of our lives.

Well, before I start blubbering, I am going to go. I will try to blog again later. I hope that someday I can be a stretcher-bearer in a way that you have all been to us. Love you much.

Cathy