Andrew is doing well. He is running PR's in track - so far in the 1600 in Outdoor following PR's in the 3200 in Indoor. He has not yet run a 3200 this season. He is swimming when he can and running early before school some mornings. Our treadmill sure gets a workout! And the weather is great for running!
He is also weighing his college decision still. He is leaning more towards where he can run and fit in better. It's an exciting time, but I know it will be a relief when everything is settled! He is enjoying his senior year and has a lot of things coming up.
Peter is nursing a hurting foot but is running well so far. He ran Saturday (after running in a Friday night track meet) in the road race in Charlotte benefiting Levine Children's Hospital and IDF. He was 4th or 5th overall out of several hundred runners. Andrew was 10th. I thought it was so good of Peter to run to support his brother. Will and I volunteered. And Pete got to meet Andrew's doctor. Now Dr. Patel has met the whole family!
Will is running outdoor, and it was so neat to have THREE boys in the same race the other night! Sam asked when he would get "his" Watauga uniform. He is carrying around a shoe bag packed with shorts, a t-shirt, shoes, socks, a water bottle, and a head band for his next cross country race. So I am going to sign him up for the track club. His numbers are MUCH better the last bit since we were finally able to change his Lantus, 24-hour insulin. We cannot change it until his numbers get higher, and he does not have lows; or he could be at risk for too many lows. We finally are at a good amount, and it is a relief to see so many readings in the 100's! It is not unusual for him to find one of us in the house with an apple in one hand and his insulin pen in another. He loves apples and cuties! And grapes!
That's it for this week. I do ask that you pray for a situation over which we have no control that could really affect Andrew. It's a frustrating situation, and I dread going to the mailbox right now. I prayed as I sent off paperwork and hope that what comes will be good for Andrew. I don't mean to sound mysterious, but it's a sensitive issue that not everyone can understand. God gives me people to support and encourage even in these tough places, but I also know not to set myself up to feel defensive for those who don't. I am pretty open about things, and I am learning in my older age that sometimes that is not the best thing!
Thanks for the prayers! We appreciate everyone!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
A Quick Update on Busy Lives!
It's busy around here. Lots of things are going on, and lots of changes are coming up! More than usual. But we keep looking to God to help us through these times with a focus on what is most important. We are all busy, so we have to pick and choose sometimes. And we want to pick and choose the most important things!
Lisa got me a ticket to Casting Crowns Thursday night for my birthday. It was a great concert. I love listening to their CD's, but there is something about seeing someone "live" ~ especially when they want to be there sharing God's love and great news. Matthew West just climbed a few notches in my favorite Christian artists too. To hear them talk about their faith, families, purpose for what they do in music and tours, etc. makes me feel a new appreciation for them - not just their music. An underlying (and not underlying at all times) theme throughout the night was the strength of our churches and families against the world. And we do give too much time, attention, and effort to the world's efforts. Casting Crowns started off with "Courageous" ~ what a great song.
That was a time of refreshing for me. And I got to spend some great quality time with Laura and talk (without our little buddy shouting questions and requests at her from the back seat!).
The boys have already started Outdoor Track! They have had two meets already, and one is Friday. On Saturday, Andrew and Peter are running in the Shamrock 4-Miler in Charlotte to support Levine Children's Hospital and to support and bring attention to the Immune Deficiency Foundation and PIDD (Primary Immune Deficiency Disorders). Will and I are volunteers, and Pete is in charge of Sam! We are happy their meet is at Lake Norman so we can just stay in Charlotte for the night and make the early race! All three boys are running outdoor, so that is exciting!
Without many (hardly any!) snow days, we have needed a little break. The boys get one next week for a couple of days to pause and catch up. Andrew and Peter are taking a tour of Appalachian on Thursday. I just missed doing their presentation myself by a couple of years! Will saw enough when he was with me when he was little. He probably remembers all of the stats.
Will finally got a new mountain bike with good suspension, so he is excited. We need to work on getting him a good road bike, but I hesitate because I don't like him on the roads. On the other hand, I don't want him on the roads on a bad bike either! He is the epitome of someone who runs ahead of what I think I can handle sometimes! He is still looking for more trees to chop down (after the three apple trees fell), and he loves to power wash things (my van has never been cleaner). He does not love running, but he is getting by okay.
Peter is running outdoor and working hard in school. He joined DECA and just went on a trip for a few days to Greensboro. I had help from PKS getting his "business wardrobe" ready. I like to be self-sufficient, but God is showing me that there are people out there who can really help me. And this was one case!
Sam is working hard at school. It is not easy for him. He has gained a lot of independence and does a lot of things probably unnoticed by others ~ but I know they are a stretch for him, being shy and quiet most of the time. He stays pretty steady with his blood sugar right now, and we just keep on trying. He did have strep again last week, but hopefully it won't come back. I've lost count - 6 or 7 times since school started!
Andrew is finally running better and better times! He has not PR'd much at all in track since he started getting so sick a couple of years ago. We are thankful for the doctors who not only try to help him stay well but also know how important his running is to him. He was set on Appalachian and trying to walk on the cross country and track teams there, but Milligan College in JC has offered him a huge scholarship to run there. He would be at least in their top three, so now that is a major consideration too. Pete and Andrew visited a few weeks ago and felt it was a great fit. So that means, of course, that I am now dealing with him going "away" to school.
I know it's hard for any parent to have a child go to college or anywhere else, but I feel like I need more time to make sure he is okay to go. I won't be there in the middle of the night if he needs me. I won't be able to get to him in 30 seconds. I will wonder if he will be able to ask for help if he needs it. So I have some major work to do in turning this over to God. I have been, but I know this is just March. I tend to snatch worries and cares and anxiety back. I am excited for him and happy to see him excited.
In doing all of this, we have been applying for scholarships. One required a letter from his immunologist. He wrote a letter for Andrew and said when he first met Andrew that he was surprised he was up and around with his numbers. I knew this, but it hit me again to see it in writing. This is a doctor who works with these situations all of the time, studies them, goes to seminars, and trades stories with his colleagues. But I won't go backwards. We are choosing to be thankful, to keep treating him, and to keep praying and hoping the treatments are temporary. It just underlines what I have called Andrew before - my miracle runner. It just adds that he is a miracle student, brother, son, etc. for all he has been able to do and keep doing.
I will update more later. Their track results can be found on the school website and also links found there to track sites.
Thanks for reading this. Thanks for praying for our family!
Wendi
Lisa got me a ticket to Casting Crowns Thursday night for my birthday. It was a great concert. I love listening to their CD's, but there is something about seeing someone "live" ~ especially when they want to be there sharing God's love and great news. Matthew West just climbed a few notches in my favorite Christian artists too. To hear them talk about their faith, families, purpose for what they do in music and tours, etc. makes me feel a new appreciation for them - not just their music. An underlying (and not underlying at all times) theme throughout the night was the strength of our churches and families against the world. And we do give too much time, attention, and effort to the world's efforts. Casting Crowns started off with "Courageous" ~ what a great song.
That was a time of refreshing for me. And I got to spend some great quality time with Laura and talk (without our little buddy shouting questions and requests at her from the back seat!).
The boys have already started Outdoor Track! They have had two meets already, and one is Friday. On Saturday, Andrew and Peter are running in the Shamrock 4-Miler in Charlotte to support Levine Children's Hospital and to support and bring attention to the Immune Deficiency Foundation and PIDD (Primary Immune Deficiency Disorders). Will and I are volunteers, and Pete is in charge of Sam! We are happy their meet is at Lake Norman so we can just stay in Charlotte for the night and make the early race! All three boys are running outdoor, so that is exciting!
Without many (hardly any!) snow days, we have needed a little break. The boys get one next week for a couple of days to pause and catch up. Andrew and Peter are taking a tour of Appalachian on Thursday. I just missed doing their presentation myself by a couple of years! Will saw enough when he was with me when he was little. He probably remembers all of the stats.
Will finally got a new mountain bike with good suspension, so he is excited. We need to work on getting him a good road bike, but I hesitate because I don't like him on the roads. On the other hand, I don't want him on the roads on a bad bike either! He is the epitome of someone who runs ahead of what I think I can handle sometimes! He is still looking for more trees to chop down (after the three apple trees fell), and he loves to power wash things (my van has never been cleaner). He does not love running, but he is getting by okay.
Peter is running outdoor and working hard in school. He joined DECA and just went on a trip for a few days to Greensboro. I had help from PKS getting his "business wardrobe" ready. I like to be self-sufficient, but God is showing me that there are people out there who can really help me. And this was one case!
Sam is working hard at school. It is not easy for him. He has gained a lot of independence and does a lot of things probably unnoticed by others ~ but I know they are a stretch for him, being shy and quiet most of the time. He stays pretty steady with his blood sugar right now, and we just keep on trying. He did have strep again last week, but hopefully it won't come back. I've lost count - 6 or 7 times since school started!
Andrew is finally running better and better times! He has not PR'd much at all in track since he started getting so sick a couple of years ago. We are thankful for the doctors who not only try to help him stay well but also know how important his running is to him. He was set on Appalachian and trying to walk on the cross country and track teams there, but Milligan College in JC has offered him a huge scholarship to run there. He would be at least in their top three, so now that is a major consideration too. Pete and Andrew visited a few weeks ago and felt it was a great fit. So that means, of course, that I am now dealing with him going "away" to school.
I know it's hard for any parent to have a child go to college or anywhere else, but I feel like I need more time to make sure he is okay to go. I won't be there in the middle of the night if he needs me. I won't be able to get to him in 30 seconds. I will wonder if he will be able to ask for help if he needs it. So I have some major work to do in turning this over to God. I have been, but I know this is just March. I tend to snatch worries and cares and anxiety back. I am excited for him and happy to see him excited.
In doing all of this, we have been applying for scholarships. One required a letter from his immunologist. He wrote a letter for Andrew and said when he first met Andrew that he was surprised he was up and around with his numbers. I knew this, but it hit me again to see it in writing. This is a doctor who works with these situations all of the time, studies them, goes to seminars, and trades stories with his colleagues. But I won't go backwards. We are choosing to be thankful, to keep treating him, and to keep praying and hoping the treatments are temporary. It just underlines what I have called Andrew before - my miracle runner. It just adds that he is a miracle student, brother, son, etc. for all he has been able to do and keep doing.
I will update more later. Their track results can be found on the school website and also links found there to track sites.
Thanks for reading this. Thanks for praying for our family!
Wendi
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