Winding down to a quiet friday evening

Dear Friends and Family,

Nan and I are very thankful for friday evening's arrival. It means the end to the grind of the week and some time to rest and get in touch again. We've covered a lot of ground this week and Nan has made some real progress while experiencing some pretty strong nausea along the way. When I got home last evening she was dressed and ready to head to Stockton. She offered to drive, now mind you this is a woman who was clinging to life 6 months ago after her huge surgery, a woman who was bed bound for 54 days, a woman who could not push the keys of her phone to make a call or even answer a call, a woman who could not write or hold a pen, who could not type on the computer for weeks. She offers to drive even though it was cold, wet and very dark. She did a great job and when we arrived in Stockton at the Mall we loaded her into the wheel chair and drove into the eye store to get her new glasses. Only when she got home after driving back home again and sat down to watch TV did she realize how much better she could now see. She said, how bright and clear the TV picture was. Its been years since her last exam so she is seeing much better now.

Today Julie came and changed her tummy collection bag for perhaps the last time. We really like Julie and appreciate her approach to things. She worked on the nephrostomy dressings also taking out little crystals that form and are as sharp as glass.

I worked in this morning and nan and I went over the board where I write everything that is pressing and needs to get done. I wrote a couple reports, reviewed and forwarded one from Steve and then prepared to hit the road to do a driveby for a property in Fremont which has an appraisal for 1.7 million. This time it looks like they are right on with the value so the paperwork will be easier on this one. I dreaded the traffic coming back from Fremont but it was amazingly clear. The trip went fast and Nan was surprised to learn that I was near home when we spoke on the cells.

I am feeling much better thanks to the antibiotics Dr. Edwards prescribed for me. Much better, almost human again. When I got home I put some sticks of wood in the stove and after hours of sitting the coals ignited the new logs and we had a fire. Our TPN delivery came today with all the supplies we will need for the coming week. Crescent is an excellent company and never misses a beat in having the right stuff here for Nan. I load our little frig up with 7 bags of TPN and the vitamins, pepcid and put other supplies in a box I keep in the closet, then put the things the monday nurse needs to take blood work in her box and we are set for another week. The TPN has allowed Nan to gain in strength, energy, PH balance, vitamins and minerals. They seem to have found the right formula for her general health. Once again we are thankful for the good people at Crescent who help us so much.

After weeks of checks dribbling in this has been a better week. Several larger checks have arrived. At the beginning of the week I was so fearful as I prayed, I just didn't see how we could possibly meet all the financial obligations we had to meet this week. Several times while I was speaking with clients over the phone I was prompted to mention past due accounts that Nan had pointed out to me when she was preparing the statements to mail out. A couple of those casual conversations resulted in large checks arriving. Nan has felt good enough to write checks to just about everyone in the world it seems, actually just our normal bills and the bills of the company and tonight we are deeply grateful for God's timing and His help with everything this week.

Nan and I have been able to keep warm, to keep full and to keep safe this week. In spite of the painful world Nan lives in she has helped in so many little and some not so little ways. Friends and family, this is no normal, average woman I am married to, this is a driven, stubborn, stoic, caring, tender, lovely human being and it is the privilege of our family to have her example and humor with us. What a great lady!

This great lady continues to need our prayers. She also benefits from your calls and visits, the cards and emails. Each and every contact helps pass the time and encourages her to hang and to keep the faith. One nice note, her incision is growing smaller rapidly now and is nearly closed in part except for where the leak is coming through.

We have heard from our great kids lots this week and they are a great blessing to us, Steve comes by and sometimes brings Keanna who lights up the room, Steve and the kitties have a special love affair and now he brings the new puppy too. Talk about cute and full of life. Already going on trips with STeve in the car to do appraisals this will be a very much loved puppy.

So lets keep praying for each other,

love

tim and nan