Jen & Jason

Well, as usual, we've had an eventful few months. I think we set a record for doctor visits in one month for December (and that's saying something for us). We're having a tough time keeping everyone healthy which is strange because of how paranoid we've become about germs in the last year. Kelsey had her tonsils and adenoids removed a couple weeks ago too. As of today everyone is feeling well so we're going to enjoy that while it lasts.

In the midst of all the health issues in December, our house flooded too. The washer overflowed and since it is on the second floor it did some major damage. So we spent Christmas in a hotel complete with a KFC dinner on Christmas Eve while the house was drying out. A couple weeks later we had to leave again while they performed all the repairs. I built and installed a little water sensor under the washer. It works like a smoke alarm but with water instead of smoke. That should at least inform us sooner next time the washer decides to overflow. We're so thankful to everyone for their help and support this last couple months. We hope to be able to return the favor some day.

Amid all the problems, we still have much to be thankful for. We decided to turn a disaster into an opportunity by painting the kitchen and living room while the house was already torn apart. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do. The house looks great now. As any homeowner knows, the to do list never goes away but we are blessed to have a comfortable place to live.

I was finally released from the Sunday School Presidency (I've been in Sunday School since 2002). I was released so I could take a new calling as a counselor in the Elder's Quorum presidency. It's a lot more work than Sunday School but I'm happy to serve wherever I'm needed.

Parker is doing great. He's walking now and when he's feeling well, he can go off the oxygen during the daytime. Now that he's strong enough to carry the IV backpack he has a lot more freedom. Now we have to watch him like a hawk to keep him from getting into everything. He's doing so well that his doctor wants to do another heart catheterization to see what progress we're making internally. Obviously this makes us incredibly nervous given how it went last time. So we're asking lots of questions and trying to get as much information as we can. We really want to make sure that the potential benefits of doing this justify the risk. Next time we hope to be more prepared. We'll try to schedule it during some down time at work, possibly in the summer, and see if we can have someone here to look after the kids in case we end up staying at the hospital again. Jen's Mom said she'd might be able to come out here when we do it. So we'll see how it goes. We're waiting for his doctor to get some feedback from some larger hospitals to see if there's any other advice they can offer before we make the decision.

We went to a PH support group meeting the other night. Parker's doctor was speaking at the event so we decided to go. We didn't really hear anything from him that we haven't heard before but we were able to meet some other parents and patients in the area. If nothing else, it was nice to meet some people who understand. The meeting was a a local seafood place and the Accredo company who supplies all of Parker's special medications paid for dinner. So we all had fun eating fried fish, shrimp, clams, etc.

Work is kind of crazy. With the bad economy, no one is buying anything and that means no sales tax revenue for the state. So North Carolina is broke which makes working for a state-funded entity a little precarious. I think everything will work out fine but it certainly makes for a stressful work environment. I'm grateful to have a job, though, so I'll gladly deal with the stress.

I think that's everything for us. Despite all the trials we're happy and doing well. Thanks again for all the phone calls and support! Now that Mom and Dad have a Wii, we're looking forward to more MarioKart races!

Jason