Jan 2, 2013 - Fraser Valley

We had some cleaning to do, the humidity sure can get into everything. Purchased new coach batteries(substituting one 12 volt for two 6 volt batteries) Parking at Royalwood golf course. to warm up the rig, flush anti freeze from the lines. Will leave on Jan 2 and try to get to Chehailis, WA.

Jul 31, 2012 - Aldergrove

On Thursday, after one more trip over the Narrows Bridge, we headed north on I-5 passing Seattle as we headed for the Canadian border. We left I-5 and took route 539 north to the border crossing at Aldergrove. Shortly after crossing the border we arrived at the Eagle Wind Campground to spend six nights. The campground is a well kept new one with large sites separated by privacy rows of bush like trees. On Friday evening Marie and Ron Peterse came to visit. We met the Peterses in Los Barilles on our first visit to the Baja. Ron founded the...

Jul 25, 2012 - Bye Gig Harbor/Bye USA

We’ll be heading for Canada in the morning. It’s been a good visit to Gig Harbor. We noticed something different about the Space Needle in Seattle this trip. It seems to have taken on a new color on the top. I suspect that opinions vary regarding the color change. We have crossed the Narrows Bridge four times each way since we came from the mountains. It’s free westbound but sets us back $5 each time we cross it going east from here to Tacoma. We’ll find out tomorrow how much it costs to take a motorhome towing a car across. We crossed it...

Mar 15, 2012 - Excellent reports!!

Here we are on the ides of March and all I feel like doing is praising God. We have just completed four doctor (kidney, cardiac, cancer, and cardiac surgeon) and all had excellent results! Kidney - still getting lower results of Jim's creatine levels! so follow-up in 6 months Cardiac - heart valves working well !! so he wants a new base-line Echo done and 24 hour blood pressure monitoring done. He said this is what the results of the surgery should have been - fixed valves. Cancer - cancer markers in the blood test have dropped...

Feb 29, 2012 - Unbelievable!

The taking out of Jim's stomach tube was so "easy," that we could hardly believe that it was over (almost before it even started). Thank you all for praying!! He needed the area frozen and then when they were discussing with Jim about the process of putting it in (and how hard that had been) they pulled it out without Jim even knowing they had done it. Then the doctor asked Jim if, "He was ready for them to take it out?" and he said,"Yes." and then they told him it was done! What an amazing shock to Jim. It seems as if nothing (no tests or...

Feb 27, 2012 - Update

Dear "Team," We are excited to let you know that Jim is scheduled on Wed, Feb.29 (good thing we have an extra day this year so they could book him in!) to have his stomach tube removed. It's happening at 11:00 AM and if all goes well should only take approximately 45 minutes. So we still do appreciate your prayers for this procedure. It has been an amazing 4 weeks of being home now. Jim is gaining strength every day, and today we walked about half way around the lake! It still amazes us every day of what we have gone through and how he is...

Feb 16, 2012 - Praise!!

Yes, praise the Lord! I passed my swallow test! At the Abbotsford hospital! It started with a very heavy Barium liquid and then a pudding and then crushed pineapple and I was able to swallow all of that down without any of it going down into my lungs. So now I can eat normal food, the first since Nov 15 when I had my first surgery. To celebrate our neighbor, Helen Rempel is taking us out to the ABC for supper. But you can rejoice with us! Thank you so much for your prayers. God bless you to! Very grateful, Jim

Feb 15, 2012 - Swallow test

Good morning. This is just a quick update to let you know, and to covet your prayers, that Jim is to have a swallow test (at the Abbotsford hospital) tomorrow, at 1:00 PM. He is very anxious to have "real" food after 94 days of "liquid" food! So we place this test in God's hands and will let you know the results. (Although you may hear the "hurrah" without the email!) We have so enjoyed being home. Thanks for your prayers. Joan

Feb 10, 2012 - 2 weeks at home!

Hi all, Some of you have asked if we still exist? Yes, we are here and we are doing GREAT! These weeks have been a time of adjusting, strengthening, relief, renewing, and resting. We now are quite adjusted to Jim "eating" through his stomach tube and are on a regular schedule. Possibly in a week or two the Abbotsford hospital will do another swallowing assessment and Jim hopes he can get onto some eating plan then. He is anxious to begin having "real" food (since Nov. 15/11) so would appreciate prayers regarding this testing. We have been...

Jan 27, 2012 - Home at last!

It's actually happened; I'm sitting in my own home on my lazyboy! Mixed feelings after 74 days! Almost like being institutionalized. I still have to eat through the tube in my stomach but at least I can do it at home! Hopefully in the next few weeks my swallowing will come back and I can start eating properly soon. This is the first time I could get to see what Joan has written in this blogsite. I'm impressed! She has been a great support and encouragement. Thanx for your prayers too. God bless you.

Jan 26, 2012 - The 4 letter "H" word!

We have finally heard the four-letter "h" word, and it isn't: help, hold, hymn, hand, hair, head, hero, or harp, which are lovely words. Nor is it: hoot, howl, hail, heat, hiss, hack. hole, hose, hang, hulk, hull, hall, or hunt which are descriptive words. We can also eliminate: hash, hilt, hell, or hook. (We have had a lot of time on our hands!) The wonderful "h" word we heard is HOME!! Yes, tomorrow, Jan, 27th, (day 74 of our stay) we will be discharged to go home. Thank you so much for your prayers to make this process smooth. The LORD...

Jan 23, 2012 - Dem Bones

Hi all, I have just spent the last 15 minutes singing & listening to the song "Dem Bones," with our granddaughter, Olive. She has pjs that have "glowing" skeleton bones on them - hence the song. Today was Day 70 of Jim being in the hospital. We feel a little like our bones are "Dem Dry Bones." But just as God told Ezekiel to connect those bones and that they would walk around, we are doing more walking around and feel like we are being connected to "reality" more and also have a future. On the attached photo you can see handsome Jim again -...