Getting Ready

Hi all!

It's been a pretty crazy week of taking care of the necessities and mentally gearing up for our big trip, while also trying to see as many friends and family as possible. The picture is of Jim with our friend and hairdresser, Karla Brenckman. We both got up early Friday morning and went to her house -- me, to hide those nasty grey roots that keep poking through one last time and Jim, to get a pre-surgery buzz cut. I think he looks pretty cute ... kind of like a marine sargeant. He says that he's just getting ready for his new career goal: ultimate fighting champion!

Jim has had a kind of roller coaster week in regard to how he's been feeling. He's made it through a few days without vomiting, although the poor baby had to let loose in Karla's sink during his haircut, which totally mortified him. Karla took it in stride, thankfully! He didn't get much of a nap yesterday because of a late lunch date that we had set up, and that proved to be a huge mistake. He was supposed to try to take another short nap when we got home, but got distracted and never did. Unfortunately, while we were visiting the McStott's for dinner, his exhaustion caught up with him. His walking became extremely awkward and he fell down in their bathroom, taking out the shower door with him. Dave managed to get the door back on track, and I tried to get Jim to go home. That proved to be more difficult. He was enjoying being with everyone so much that he refused to leave, and he's just too big for me to carry!! So we compromised with laying him down on their couch until he was ready to go -- I can see I'm going to be dealing with a very stubborn mule in the days ahead.

Jim's spirits have been very good, though, this week. He really is ready to go and keeps making jokes -- most of them at my expense. His favorite one is that he likes to tell people that he was feeling really positive about his upcoming adventure until he found out that I had bought him a one-way ticket to Phoenix. While I have your attention, I just want to clarify that I also bought myself a one-way ticket -- it was the practical thing to do as I have no idea when our return will be. So, there!! Anyhow, I'm very pleased with his frame of mind, and we are both SO looking forward to having him get well.

We leave Monday morning, so I will plan to do another post then. I probably won't have too much to talk about except for the weather, which I hope is nice, but I will definitely keep you all abreast of all the details of Jimmy's journey -- probably more than you'll even want to hear! I'll say 'good-bye' for now, and make a request once more for those prayers. Thanks to all of you who have already put him on your prayer chains! Be talking at you soon!

Love, Krissy