A Change of Pace

Today was a nice 90 degree day so we actually got to go enjoy the pool at Karen's best friend's house. Mom came with us to the house and enjoyed sitting in a lounge chair by the pool watching the rest of us play. It was a nice break for everyone. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the water.

The last couple of days mom has been really tired still. We were fortunate that she wanted to go sit by the pool today. I think she was ready for a change of scenery too, but it wore her out. She didn't have a great night this evening. She threw up before bed. I know that she feels bad and doesn't like feeling so dependent on us. She kept saying how sorry she was that she was so sick. We all felt really bad for her and tried to help her not feel guilty. She is definitely physically not herself.

Please continue to pray for healing and for some good days. Also continue to pray for dad's thumb to heal so that he will be able to help even more.

I'm usually writing these post so late that they sometimes might not make sense. I do apologize for that. The last couple days have gone pretty well as we refine the routine and get everything figured out. Even Jewels, my 2 1/2 yr. old is starting to get the routine down. She knows that Grandma has to drink a juice just about every hour.

Today was a rougher day for mom in that she didn't wake up with as much energy as she usually does. She just seemed more exhausted. She still has some pain sometimes, but today she got a really bad cramp type pain in her side. It was pretty excruciating for her. She put a hot pack on it and that seemed to help ease the pain.

It was a rough day for dad too, as he managed to slice a good chunk of his thumb open. He now will have to keep it wrapped up for a long while for it to heal. Needless to say, it will be harder for him to help me with the washing, cutting and juicing of everything.

I think we are all exhausted at this point and just trying to find the strength to get through the day and possibly sneak in a nap. It hasn't really happened yet, but there is always that hope for one in the future. :)

Still trying to figure out new ways to present the food to mom so that she doesn't get too bored with it. Today I scorched the batch of potatoes. She really didn't like that way too much. I usually am a good cook. With everything going on at the same time, I have turned into not such a great cook. I told mom I think that she'll probably want to fire me as her chef.

Please keep the prayers coming our way. It would be so easy to get run down with how physically and mentally draining everything has been. We greatly appreciate all the love, cards, prayers and encouragement that everyone has given.

Taking One Day at a Time

I have to keep telling myself to just take one day at a time or things will get too overwhelming. It's my third day here and things have been none stop since we got here. Yesterday was suppose to be our last fun family day with Matt, but he came down with an awful headache. He didn't feel like doing anything except resting and that's all I wanted him to do to get better. My dad and I ended up taking the kids to the park instead of going to the beach. That was after we had finished all the juicing for the day of course.

Here is a glimpse of our day. Dad makes mom's breakfast of orange juice and oatmeal in the morning. Then after we all eat breakfast, we start on the juicing for the day. There are nine juices that mom drinks throughout the day and we try to make all that we can in the morning. Three of the nine have to be made fresh and drank within 15 minutes of making. Those are the green juices that consist of romaine lettuce, tender beet tops, green pepper and a green apple. The other juices that we make in the morning are her carrot/apple juices. She drinks two carrot juices and then four carrot/apple. Yum! Yum! I haven't actually tried any of these yet. She basically drinks a juice every hour. They make her very full so she hardly has an appetite when she does eat. Each carrot juice has four carrots in it. She feels the best and has the most energy in the morning and eats the best then too.

For lunch mom gets hippocrate soup, a potato and a salad if she wants. She can always eat fruit too, but she usually doesn't want fruit or the salad for lunch. She eats very small portions these days. Then for dinner mom eats the same thing. Karen and I try to come up with different exciting ways to make her potato and salad with the things she is allowed to have on it.

So it seems like we are constantly doing something, shopping, washing vegetables, juicing, making a meal, cleaning, etc. Karen is back to work now (night shift) so dad and I are trying to get the swing of things and figure out the best schedule to do things the most effective way possible. All the while of course with Jewels and Myah running around and meeting their needs.

In the evenings we make the hippocrate soup every other night which consist of celery, leeks, onions, parsley, parsnip, tomatoes and potatoes. It gets simmered for two hours and then blended. It taste kind of like baby food, but not too bad. Then on the other night we make the coffee enemas which just consist of organic coffee and water. It just gets boiled and simmered.

I'm finding it's hard to keep this updated every day so I'm trying to give all the information now of what our days will be filled with for what I'm sure will be a long time right now. I think we are all exhausted and tired so we definitely need the power of prayer for our strength to be renewed every day and have the endurance to make it through this season of life.

Mom at this point is about the same. Her skin does look more yellow to me then the first day I saw her, but she does seem to have more energy then the first day as well. Since she does feel best in the morning she does try to take a short walk and sit in the sun for a few minutes a day. Then the rest of the time she mostly spends on the couch resting or in her bed. She still seems to be getting the indigestion and nausea later in the day so I know she'd appreciate prayer for that to subside. She would love to have more strength and not be so tired too.

Here are some verses that mom has said have helped her get through.
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Psalm 23 and 27