A few more Florida trip pictures

I left off telling about our day with the Blue Angels. The following day, Thursday, we went with Alisha and Drew to Mobile Bay in Alabama, about an hour from Pensacola. There in the bay is Battleship Park, a unique military museum. We didn't go for the military emphasis, but for the history emphasis. Among the things the kids got to do was explore the inside and outside of the USS Alabama, a battleship from World War 2. They got to climb inside the massive 16" gun turrets and see the galley and even use the head (aka privy). Also at the park is the USS Drum, a submarine from the same era--touring that ship is not for the claustrophobic!

Perhaps the most special thing was for the kids to meet a World War 2 veteran. Glenn Frazier was in the museum store signing a book he had written. He was in the Philippines early in the war and was captured by the Japanese when the islands fell. He survived the infamous Bataan Death March, where many Americans (himself included) were beaten and many others brutally killed. His book, Hell's Guest, is about his 3 1/2 years in prison camps and how he eventually was able to forgive the Japanese for their treatment of him. [At one point, he was about to be beheaded like many others, but told the executioner that he would come back and--in a sense--"haunt him." For some reason the executioner relented. Frazier had never seen that happen before!] He now spends his time speaking to churches and schools about the past, and said he will continue to do so "until he croaks."

The kids with Glenn Frazier.

On board the USS Alabama.

Regretfully, we left Friday morning for home. The 6 days had gone so quickly. But this time we weren't making the drive in one shot. Sharon's grandmother lives in Black Mountain, NC, just east of Asheville. While she is in a retirement home, Sharon's cousin Dodi lives 5 minutes away and we stay with her when we are in the area. What a change in 9 hours from the heat of sunny Florida to the cool mountains of North Carolina!

Diagonally across the street from Dodi's house is Lake Tomahawk, with the "Seven Sisters" mountain range on the horizon. Each peak has a name.

One of Dodi's sons, Yonie, still lives at home and is a favorite of ours (and of course the kids)! Early Saturday morning we went over to the lake where the children enjoyed watching mother ducks with their ducklings. And yes, just like the story, one duckling got separated from mom and tried to hook up with another family-- and of course Mom #2 started a-pecking and a-fluttering!

Great-grandma and the kids. She will be 98 this August and is only just now starting to show signs of her memory coming and going. I'm not sure she knew who we were, but she had a great time and enjoyed our time together. Lydia played the piano for her and she clapped and smiled. She even wondered if Philip might be a violinist one day, as she was for over 80 years.

We left around noon, with about 9 hours of driving ahead of us. That part went well, and we got home about 11 that night. I guess this next picture sums it all up--vacations are fun, but you always pay for them later! (Our neighbor kindly came over Monday night and we spent about 2 hours mowing with his bagging mower. I had told him I needed to buy a baler, and I think we almost got about 4 bales worth out of our little lawn!)

As we were sitting here and entering these pictures, we talked about how quickly trips like this go and how quickly life gets back to "normal," as if we hadn't even gone. But there is a lesson here. I believe God wants us to enjoy incredibly special times in life, because he is good and wants to give us good things. Every good thing on this earth always comes to an end, but he gives them to us as glimmers of what heaven will be like. I think these feelings of euphoria and joy are given so that we can anticipate those same feelings (only stronger) in a place where those joys will not end as they always do here.



1 Peter 1:4, "to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

Another medical update

Today it was Philip's turn. At his last checkup the pediatrician noticed his eyes don't stay still, even when he is looking at something. We had thought this was just part of being a baby, but experienced eyes said otherwise.

Ironically, the pediatric opthamologist is literally next door to Jacob's neurologist. Sharon took all the kids with her and I got a good report on the older ones for good behavior. The doctor thinks his condition is most likely known as infantile nystagmus [sounds like nigh-stag-mus] syndrome. She prefers to call it congenital nystagmus because it is not simply an infant problem. This is a condition that doesn't go away but that most people who have it learn to compensate for. He can see well, the doctor said, but his eyes just won't stay still.

If this is indeed the explanation, we are told that people will find a certain direction to look at things where the nystagmus is least distracting. Hopefully this will be in front of them and pretty much straight ahead. For some, that "perfect spot" is off to the left or up above them, etc., which causes them to turn their heads or look in an odd angle whenever they try to see what they are looking at. In such cases, the doctors will do surgery to adjust that location so that it allows them to look in a more natural direction. We were told that around 6 months Philip should start holding things in a certain spot to look at them or to look at us; if this happens, this will be the confirmation that the infantile nystagmus is causing his eye movements.

Sharon told the doctor about Jacob's difficulties, but she didn't seem to think that Philip's condition was necessarily related.

I can't say we are starting to feel like Job yet, but give us a few more months and maybe we will. These doctor's visits are becoming a too-common occurence around here, but at least we have good doctors these days.

...on a related note, last night as we were tucking the kids into bed we were talking about today's appointment and the girls were talking about it, when Jacob broke in to say that "God doesn't make mistakes, he made Philip just the way he wanted him to be, and he made me just the way he wanted me to be." We've been saying that a lot lately for Jacob's sake, and he is beginning to pick up on the idea. We pray that it will truly become a way of thinking for him to prepare him for whatever challenges may lie ahead.

A quickie

We made it back from Florida at 11:13 pm Saturday night--I'll try this weekend to add some more details and pictures.

Jacob went today for yet another test, this time a blood test. As before, God gave him grace and he did well. As he told me when I got home from work, the nurse made reference to some kids who are "kickers and screamers," but he took his little "poke" like a little man. Sharon said he was more bothered that the alcohol hadn't dried on his arm before the needle went in than he was over the needle itself. [That's our little guy--his world is often messed up by things that don't follow the sequence he has established!]

We now wait for the results. This was a muscular dystrophy screening, and perhaps something else, but I'm sure we will find out soon. Thanks again for the prayers for us at this time. Now that we are back from Florida, we are in the real world again and the real things of life are facing us. This uncertain future has already paid some dividends, as I find myself truly enjoying every minute I can with Jacob, and being able to savor helping him climb a tree or spread grass clippings in the neighboring cornfield, or whatever else strikes his boyhood fancies.

Visiting the Sunshine State

How to have a happy vacation with kids.

(Sarah Beth, Drew, Jacob, Lydia at the Naval Air Museum.)

Despite the uncertainty of the days ahead of us, we have been truly blessed to be in Florida since last Friday night with many dear family members. My cousins, Nathan and Lydia Guill, graduated from Pensacola Christian College last Wednesday. Their parents, my dear Aunt Maggie and Uncle Chuck, "blew in" from their missionary work in the Philippines to be there. For the occasion, my other dear Uncle/Aunt combo, David and Alvina Johnson, jetted down from Minnesota as well. Since my brother Josh lives in Pensacola, we have been enjoying a real family get-together with some we haven't seen in as many as 5 years.

We left Friday morning at 4 AM Eastern Time and arrived at 12PM Eastern Time (11PM Pensacola). God kept me awake for the driving; even though the hours were long, I didn't feel as drained as you might expect. Part of that was stopping every 3 hours or so for a feeding--which also became stretch your legs and potty and gasoline time. This way I didn't drive 6 hours at a time and wear myself out. Our new portable DVD player helped keep sanity in the back seat. I also want to thank Uncle David for his late-night phone call--he knew we were nearing the end of our trip and would be tired, so he called around 9:30 to make sure we were staying alert. That call really helped my eyes from glazing over. I hope to do the same for someone else in the same situation.

Saturday morning involved a field trip/food run to Krispy Kreme (guess whose idea that was!) where the kids got donuts, balloons, and hats and the chance to see donuts being made. We followed this with a tour of Pensacola Christian Academy, where Josh is the Assistant Administrator. The kids enjoyed seeing Hannah's classroom. Saturday night was a get-together at the Guill's rented pad in Gulf Breeze on Pensacola Beach, room 1220 at the Emerald Dolphin.

Sunday morning was church at PCC. Sarah Beth went to class with Drew, while Hannah got a sticker for bringing her "friends," Lydia and Jacob. They have children's church, so you don't see your kids until church is over--we didn't mind. David and Alvina were there too, so it was extra special. Sunday afternoon was hot and lazy, spent indoors in a/c enjoying Josh's mother's day cookout of 3 flavors of grilled chicken accompanied by Alisha's hi-fat side dishes. Mrs. Smith and the Mayfield Dairy took care of dessert. Sunday night after church they invited over Dan Brake, a teacher at PCA who has taken over many of Josh's old duties; of course this invitation also included more calorie-filled leftovers!

Monday was not-do-much-of-anything, until we went over to the Guill Motel for dinner and Drew's birthday party. Our kids enjoyed swimming in the pool. David worked patiently with Jacob, who went from fearing the water to "swimming" from one end of the pool to the other by the time he was done--and was he proud of himself! Lydia took to the water like a fish, and had fun with "Big Lydia" and Nathan, who both loved our kids and spent hours of fun times with them. The water was cold as the sun went down, but we warmed up in the very hot spa next to the pool. (So much bleach in that water, I now have light blue shorts.) We were going to leave after the party, but the slightest hint of arm-twisting from the Aunts and Uncles kept us there happily till 10. While Nathan and Lydia played with our kids, we sat at the adults table and enjoyed conversation. Sarah Beth fell asleep in David's arms and he carried her out to the van and put her in her seat--she never even woke up. Then there was the misty-eyed goodbye and bear hugs--it was hard to leave that night because David and Alvina were flying home the next morning.

Tuesday was another sleepy start to the day. We left around 3 for the beach. Once in Gulf Breeze we hooked up with Maggie and Big Lydia down at the shore and spent several hours hunting seashells (one errant jellyfish was doing his own hunting and found Maggie). Maggie and Lydia took Little Lydia under their fins and had her way out in the water being knocked down by the incoming waves. As Maggie commented, it was a pleasure to us to watch the sheer delight of the kids as they experienced the gulf waves for the first time. I wish I had a camcorder to record the moment. We ended the night at a very chilly McDonald's courtesy of the Guills. We won't forget how cold that a/c felt in our wet beach clothes!

This morning was out to the Naval Air Station for the 8:30 practicing of the Blue Angels. The kids enjoyed it. Philip slept through it all, even though I failed to do what the lady at the gate had told me--cover his ears. Drew wasn't much on the noise, but took it like a little man. We enjoyed taking in the museum at the kids' pace. Then Alisha treated us to an IMAX movie on the Grand Canyon--stunning photography of rafting the Colorado River. Now we are home at 5011 Chimes Way giving the kids baths.

We haven't seen much of Josh this week, as we knew would be the case. The school year is almost over and things are busy. We have church tonight and hope that tomorrow night he might have a little more time in the evening. We will see them again in a few weeks in West Virginia. I don't know that I will post again before we get home but thought I'd stick this up while I had Alisha's hi-speed to use. If we do anything else exciting, I'll put those pictures up later.

Happy swimmers (the pool had fountains--that's where the splashing water is coming from).

Swimming with Unca David--instant friends.

Snuggles with Big Lydia--she became Sarah Beth's favorite!

Sunday afternoon in Aunt Maggie's portable Bible school classroom.

View from the back of Motel Guill.

Jacob and Sarah Beth in a moment of childhood joy. The front of Motel Guill at the left.

Maggie, Little Lydia, Big Lydia, Sarah Beth, Jacob.

Big Lydia, Little Lydia, Maggie--the joy of the moment.

Jacob with a fish we caught (by hand)--it's about 2" long and black, just next to his left ring finger. Lydia with our treasure trove of shells. (We also caught a hermit crab we brought back for Hannah.)

Nathan G (white trunks on left) and Little Lydia (black dot on right) from the 12th floor balcony. These were the inveterate swimmers.

Sarah Beth of course!

Happy birthday to Drew, Happy birthday to Drew, Happy birthday dear Drew, Happy birthday to you! (Jacob, Alvina, Alisha, Drew)

Happy cousins--Philip and Drew


Photo A: the problem

Photo B: the solution to the problem