Summer break starts Wed........

 

Psalm 9:18

But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

 

 

I can't believe another school year is gone.  I am ready for the break and I know Brent is.  No more rushing around in the mornings!!! All sports are done, concerts finished, and now to slow down and hopefully have fun.  I want to explore this beautiful area that we live in.  On the short list an Eagle sanctuary, a fish hatchery, the beach, Mount Saint Helens, and that is to start.    I just hope Sneha will adapt better than she usually does to summer.  She loves her routine and school.    We are starting the summer also off with more medical stuff. Sneha  has to have an MRI with sedation per her neurologist.  She gets very angry to go to the hospital so the sedation is needed. So we need an in depth  appointment with her new primary care provider since her doctor moved.  Elijah is need of his middle school shots so he has a physical next week as well.  Elijah foot and leg are doing just great.  He will walk better than ever before.  So we are calling this major surgery a success!!!!  Poor Brent terrible allergies!!!I have been feeling better with the increased dosage of thyroid.  A little heart racing and fluttering in the beginning but it is better now.  May will have to have a beta blocker to increase my exercise tolerance which is zero now.  That gets very frustrating to be at the activity level of a 70 year old.  My heart valve is that of an old woman, but I need to feel better.  Glad summer is coming and hopefully fun times.  Looking forward to starting to be a CASA and help a foster child.  We are sworn in on Wed and get to start Thursday.  CASA court appointed special advocate-we are a voice for a child in  the foster system.  A way to help with out adopting again.  As you know our little house is  pretty full for now.  Almost all states participate with CASA so if anyone is interested here is the website www.casaforchildren.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A  good verse to start the summer.

 

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 NIV

 

Spring time in the North West

 

 

About one month of school is left another year almost gone.  Elijah goes for his six week post op next week and he will get a walking cast.  Soccer is done for Graedy so he is looking forward to his next sport.  Elise is in track and soccer which is keeping her very busy.  Spring in  the north west is so mild compared to Colorado springs.   Joy is in on the bus at 5:50 am and home between 4:30-5:00pm which is keeping her busy and signing and learning is finally beginning to click.  Sneha still takes 3 steps forward and then next day 2 back.  Frustrating, but reality of life for her.   Thank goodness her brain will be restored in heaven.  Missing our extended family a lot lately.  My heart is always grieved for the orphans in our world without parents and family.  Ethiopia is on my heart and mind lately with the struggles they have to live a life  abundant. Our sponsor child lives there and we would love to visit she and her family some time.  Praying for the means to bless others! Praying for us to see the big picture not just our tiny speck in the universe. Very thankful for wonderful mothers that we have, wish we could spend the day with them.

 

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

 

 

What a difference a year makes..... Hard to believe how fast the time  goes once a child is home.  Joy attends the Washington School for the Deaf and is finally learning her letters and numbers.  Everyone is learning to sign together slowly but surely.  The year has been full of transitions and struggles, but we are so glad that our Joy is home.

 

 

In Ghana with Romana

In America with a family

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV



 

 Elise, Elijah, Grandpa and Graedy in the mountains last summer

 

Elijah, Elise, and Graedy on their visit to Colorado

 

 Elk with Christmas lights wrapped in antlers in Estes Park

  

View from drive way where I grew up

Last week was rough.  Graedy had the colonoscopy and endoscopy at children's in Portland.  They took very good care of him and his stay was pretty non eventful.  We did find out that he has some form of  inflammatory bowel disease not the answer we had hoped for.  On Wednesday we find out if he has crohnes or ulcerative colitis.  Then on Thursday our beloved Davinci dog of 14 years  had a massive seizure in the day time and then he died that night.  We miss him so much and his faithful companion Dali had some very sad days.  We have always wanted to adopt a greyhound so when we are moved and settled we will get one.  They are supposed to be great dogs.  The news for Joy was we get to wait to take out her tonsils for at least of couple of months.  Good news and hopefully we can wait until summer.  Looking forward to the new house and finally being able to fell at home once again.

Moving again, but just a mile or so......

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-28 NIV

 

We are moving in the new year to a more affordable house.  We think we have found the house!  It is on a hill with a view and not in a flood plain.  It even has wood floors newly refinished, all new paint inside and out, good storage, lots of nice light and views.  Even a level area for bike riding and a yard without a lot of mud.  It will be so nice to not be renting and be able to paint and do what we want.

The kids will still ride the same bus and go to all the same schools.  This was the hard part in finding a house keeping the kids at the same schools.  I really hope this will be our last move for a long time.  No stairs which I am very glad about.  We are downsizing once again, but we have lots of stuff that we do not need. 

Graedy is continuing to swim and like swim team.  He has had a lot of digestive issues and will see a pediatric GI doctor in Portland. There are indicators for crones or some other no so fun diseases.:( Joy has huge tonsils so we went to an ENT and she is on antibiotics and allergy medicine to see if they will shrink.  If they are not better in 1 month she will have surgery to have them out.  She snores so loud at night and has very interrupted sleep.  On Monday Elijah goes to Shriner's in Portland to be evaluated for his problems related to CP.  His AFO (foot brace) is not helping like it should so they will check it out, they will xray the curve in his spine, look at his very weak left hand, and they will also evaluate his left leg since it is twisting in ward.  This week Brent and Elise had the flu, but they are on the mend!  Lots of medical issues here, but so thankful for good health insurance.  My medication was changed and Benicar is helping my heart to function much better, so I am feeling much better.  Sneha is learning a lot at school this year and being able to help a little at home with simple chores.    Always lots of changes in store for the Arnold family.