I had posted a prayer request for our Max back in April, asking for prayers since he woke up one day with crossed eyes, glasses didn't do anything to fix the crossing and the next stop was an MRI with contrast to rule out a lesion and the quick onset. The MRI came back normal as can be - praise God! And, the next step was to attempt eye surgery to correct the crossing. What a blessing it was to be facing eye surgery instead of brain surgery! Thank you, God! Anyways, it's now been a few months since his surgery at the end of July, and I realized that I haven't shared an update - doh! I am SO sorry this is late getting out.
Here are some pictures with his crossing (pre-surgery)....
Day OF surgery...
right before surgery
Home and resting after surgery - he slept almost all day and didn't open his eyes up 'til evening
Finally - eyes open, but still pretty squinty
Days after the surgery/healing process....
day after surgery - note the sunglasses because of all the light sensitivity
5 days after surgery - still pretty sensitive to light - he loved his shades!
Some recent pictures to show his straight eyes!!! Amazing!
Max has had two appointments with his eye doctor since surgery and the doctor is happy with his healing and how straight his eyes are. He doesn't want to see him back in the office until the end of December. Yay - because this kiddo needs a break!! :)
Thank you all for your prayers!!
God has been so good to us and wrapped His arms around our wonderful Max in his time of need.
Our family started taking Tae Kwon Do in March of 2010, we wanted a sport that would not entail us splitting up between kids, but instead bring us together. In the beginning, Fone, Mario, and I did it, later the girls joined us as well. I was thrilled to find something that I could do with the kids, ALL TOGETHER, and it is flexible. I was already sick of driving each kid to a different soccer/baseball field and splitting us up for games...etc. We have found that the discipline involved has been good for the boys, they have to take class seriously or they get to do push-ups :-). There is a perfect mix of fun, and hard work to strive for goals. It has become our homeschooling gym class for the older 4 kids.
April 2010 - Fone, Neil, Mario
October 2012 - Fone, Neil and Mario
Melody when she promoted to high blue in August 2012
Ariel when she promoted to low green in August 2012
The boys and I tested for our first black belt (temp black) on October 6th. It is considered the hardest test for TKD students, you are required to perform everything that you have learned for all of the lower belts, plus spar with 10+ black belts (one at a time). It was a great time, it tested us physically and mentally, and was a great honor to earn our temp black belts.
Getting ready to begin test
Mario was called out first!!
Fone's turn
Neil is ready to go!
Neil finishing his Hwa Rang form
Neil one step sparring
Fone and Mario doing the Chung Mu form (their highest form)
It's been a while since my last "Multitudes on Mondays" post - almost a year, but not quite - doh! I really have missed typing them and sharing them and praying all the way through. But... we have not stopped counting. We are in the 1600's now and my last post was sharing that "we made it" to 1000. Somedays the kids are much better than I at jotting down the gifts that have come our way. But, we have all developed a much more grateful heart in both the big and little gifts. Even our little Pookey (2-1/2 y/o) has expressed his gratitude in the smallest of things, and it just warms my heart hearing him say, "Thank you God for....". The simple, verbal prayer of "Thank you God for...." or "Lord help me..." was shared by a friend sometime last year and has definitely stuck and now spread to those little ears and hearts in our home. She shared with me how important it is to pray those silent prayers out loud sometimes to witness our need and dependance on God, especially when it comes to sharing our faith with our little ones. WOW -was she right! Thank you God for that wonderful piece of wisdom that was shared with me back then!
Onto our "1000 Gifts" - thank you God for these and all gifts received....
(I just used the last couple pages of the journal - it would take me DAYS to get caught up on a summary of gifts from 1000-now)
1594 - Hershey's chocolate candy bar won at Bingo, but then shared amongst the other siblings later
1600 - a husband that leads
1602 - gifts "masked" - contractions that are hard to keep track of and follow and a sweet wiggly baby
1603 - Neil cleaning and moving around the living room to make room for the swing and porta-crib
1607 - "Hi! Thank you for the cook-out. Love - Aunt C." (from one of my sisters after a weekend weiner roast a couple weeks ago)
1608 - ConQuest for the 3 big boys
Mario, Max, and Fone
1610 - a fireworks show and perfect view from our front yard
1611 - chili!!
1612 - a new purse (a prize that Ariel won at Bingo with her great-grandma)
1613 - a gift of homemade bread made by a sweet friend, not even knowing our own Mario said a few days prior, "Mom, it's been SOOOOOO long ago since you made homemade bread"
1616 - celebrating 100 years of John Deere Harvester and 175 years of the company of John Deere with my parents and sisters
my dad and I
my dad - who has been retired from Deere for almost 3 years now
my 3 sisters, my parents, and my sweet nephew (in the stroller)
1618 - swimming party at my sister's pool during September!
my mom and Pookey
1619 - little boys playing at grandma's all day, giving me the much needed break to take care of myself and kick up my feet to limit contractions
1620 - failing my 3 hour glucose, but having my sisters encouraging me that everything will be okay
1621 - easy quick meals during this time when I need to "take it easy" and my sister reminding me that this is just a short season in our lives right now and not to feel bad
1623 - beautiful fall weather
1625 - Melody and Ariel playing "The Mad-catter and the Princess"
The Mad-catter (Ariel)
The Princess (Melody)
The Mad-catter attacking the poor Princess
1626 - kids that jump and help when needed
..... and still counting!!
Please join me in counting the 1000 Gifts that never end!!
...who will be missed greatly but forever remembered!
Date of Birth: 12/12/23
Date of Death: 8/25/12
But we all know, this is not "where he belonged". God had better plans for him in the world to come....
These are just a "few" pictures from the last couple years. I had a hard time figuring out how to get to the others that Neil has stored away in a safe place in another drive on the computer, but no big deal - the memories we had with him are endless!! Not only was he so involved in my life growing up, but he was just as important to my family and I even when he moved to the nursing home.
This past week, my grandma switched to a different room, and it's going to be so hard to walk past their old room and remember all the conversations and hugs that we shared together in there. We will have a great celebration this year on November 1st and 2nd in my family as we remember him and all the faithful departed, and then again on his birthday - 12/12/12. And, our weekly trips to see Grandma will continue as long as I can make it over there. I know once our little one arrives, I'll need a little break to recover, but will definitely pick back up on our visits. One thing Grandpa passed on to us out of love for his wife, is that we need to continue to take care of Grandma. Absolutely!! :)
What a wonderful life he led though - one of service, humility, generosity, great example, and faith. As a farmer, Grandpa planted many seeds and was able to watch them grow. I am most thankful for the seeds of faith he has planted that have been passed down to me to help steer and guide my life.
"There is an appointed time for everything and
a time for every affair under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace, and a time to far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to red, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace."
-Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 (which was the first reading at his funeral Mass)
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