Day 66--This day has gone to the ducks.

We started out with good intentions.  Our good intentions have turned into a big mess...literally.

We have a small pond on our property.  It's probably about 70 yards from our house.  It is home to some tiny fish, huge bullfrogs, and a pretty good sized snapping turtle.  It is also home to a momma duck and her seven ducklings. 

We were thrilled when the ducklings arrived!  They were so tiny and they followed the mother duck around in a single file line.  She watched over them so carefully.  She was always alert.  She never let her guard down. 

We decided it would be a great idea to feed them.  So, we did!  Each day, sometimes several times a day, one of us would walk down to the pond and feed the ducks.  They were so leery of us at first.  That didn't last long.  Soon, they began to swim toward us each time they saw us coming. 

The ducklings began to grow. 

We enjoyed watching them mature.  They began to wander a few feet away from their mother.  They didn't watch her for every cue.  Before long, it was difficult to distinguish between the momma and her babies!  They were all the same size!  Still, every time they would leave the comfort of the pond, she would lead and they would follow...in the adorable single file line.

One day, a couple of weeks ago, I woke up early and noticed that the ducks were in our swimming pool.  The weather had been dreadfully hot and humid.  I'm sure the small pond became warm and muggy, and the pool felt refreshing.  The sight of them swimming around in the pool made me laugh out loud.  Before long, they waddled out of the pool area and back down to the pond. 

I didn't think much about it after that.  We, of course, continued to feed them.  They began to come up to the front yard.  I am an animal lover, so, I was always thrilled when I'd pull in my driveway and find the family of ducks hanging out close to our house.  They began to take food directly from our hands.

By now, the ducks are very large.  No wonder!  They eat very well! 

Life for our duck family was grand!  Then, a problem developed.

The ducks took over our pool.

They were no longer satisfied with a quick dip in the morning; they decided to take up residence in our pool.  They said "Goodbye" to their small pond and "Hello!" to our refreshing pool.

This is when the day went to the ducks.

When we try to go for a swim they won't leave!  We refuse to swim in our pool with eight large ducks!  We try to scare them out of the fence, and they are very hesitant to leave.  Finally, we get them outside of the fence, but they stand there, in a line, staring at us.  As soon as we relax, even for a few minutes, they waddle back in and jump in the pool!

It's just not adorable anymore.  I never realized how often ducks poop!  GROSS! 

We put up chicken wire fencing in the ground surrounding the entire fence.  The chicken wire is about five feet tall. 

Problem solved...right??

Wrong! It stormed all day today.  Every time I looked out the window, I felt accomplished because it was duck-free.  Then, around 4PM, I noticed the ducks making their way from the pond to the pool.  It was pouring down rain and I thought, "Well, maybe they are just searching for shelter." 

Obviously, I know nothing about ducks. 

They approached our pool.  They began walking around it, almost in a panic.  My windows were open and I could hear them quacking.  I'm sure they were cussing me out in duck language.  They were determined to find a way through the fence and into our swimming pool.

I continued to watch.

All of the sudden, one of the ducks flew over the fence.  Two more followed.  Within ten seconds, all eight ducks were cheerfully swimming in our pool.  I felt like they were staring at me, through the heavy rain, and thinking1, "We shooooooowed YOU!"

I went out and worked, feverishly, to get the little critters out of the pool and back to the pond.  They just kept swimming!  They knew I wasn't coming in!   I grabbed the long net and began trying to "fish" them out.  Annoyed, they got out of the pool.  Then, I had to chase them around the pool toward the gate.  I must've looked like a total idiot! 

There I was, out in the rain, running around the pool with a nine foot net in my hands screaming at eight ducks to, "Go back to the pond before I kill you all!"

The ducks slowly made their way back to the pond.  Seriously, we are searching for another option.  We have about three weeks left of summer and our pool has been taken over by ducks, their feathers, their poop, and their arrogant attitudes!

When is duck season?

Days 63-65: I'm starting to believe that attitude really is everything.

Often times, my attitude reflects my current circumstance.  That is quite the opposite of my husband.  He is the "happy go lucky" type.  When he comes home from work each day, unless I ask, I have no idea how good or bad his day at work was. He comes home smiling, regardless of the type of day he had.

I, on the other hand, am sort of like a roller coaster ride.  I don't like admitting this fact.  When negativity occurs throughout the day, one can tell just by my attitude.  When my day is relatively smooth, one can easily see that as well.  When my husband comes home from work each day with a smile on his face, he knows as soon as he looks at me how my day was. 

Several months ago I asked him how he manages to keep a positive attitude regardless of his circumstance.  He explained it in such a wonderful way.  It almost left me speechless...almost!
He said, "Heather, two different people can have the exact same things happen to them throughout their day.  At the end of the day, person A reports that his or her day was just fine.  Person B, however, reports that his or her day was awful.  Remember, the exact same events happened to both individuals.
Then my husband explained, "Person A reports a good day simply because nothing really bad happened.  Person B reports a bad day simply because nothing really good happened."
This all made perfect sense to me.
He explained, "If bad things happen during the day, I choose to focus on anything good that has happened, and when good things happen, I remain focused on them and refuse to dwell on anything negative that might have happened."

Wow!  That makes so much sense to me and sounds so easy!  I decided to give it a try, and I failed rather quickly.  Why is that hard for me? Yes, some days aren't easy, especially since our move.  I am experiencing certain emotions that I didn't even realize existed within me.  With that being said, none of my days are horrible.  I am very well aware of that.  Some of them aren't ideal, but none are bad.

I have to "check" my attitude.  I have noticed that if I have a difficult day, but I remain positive in my attitude, it seems as if the whole situation turns around.  It really is all about attitude!

I heard a story once and I think about it when I'm in the middle of a bad attitude. 
There was a man who lived in a nursing home. He had been there for many years.  He resided in a small, simple room.  His bed was by the window.  Throughout his years in the nursing home, he shared his space with many roomates.  One day, a new roomate arrived.  The man was blind.  The men became instant friends.  Every morning, the blind man would ask his friend to describe the weather to him.  What did the sky look like?  Were the flowers blooming?  What color were they? 
He would ask the same questions in the afternoon, and then he would ask him to describe the night sky; this happened every single day.
The man whose bed was by the window beautifully described what he saw each day.  He would describe shapes in the clouds, pristine rainbows, dark storm clouds, full moons, falling stars, and a huge fountain right outside the window.
The blind man had no family.  He was never known to have a visitor.  Much of his excitement and zest for life was solely due to the nature updates he was given several times a day from his friend.  He looked forward to them as soon as he opened his eyes each morning and was able to close his eyes each night only after having the moon and stars described to him in the most magnifient details.
The man who provided the details was very old and sick.  His illness began to progress rapidly.  One night, after detailing how miraculous the Big Dipper was that particular evening in the night sky, the man passed away. 
Two nurses came into the room in the morning and began collecting his things and cleaning the room.  The blind man asked quietly, "Nurse, will you please tell me what it looks like outside today?  Is it sunny?  Have they turned the fountain on yet?"
One nurse looked at the other.  They were puzzled. 
"What are you talking about?"  she asked.
The blind man told the nurses everything.  He explained how his friend allowed him to be a part of the world by telling him, several times per day, what he was observing outside.
"Please, just tell me what you see when you look out the window." he asked.
The nurses were silent.  One nurse, through her tears, said, "Sir, you certainly had a wonderful friend.  There is concrete behind this window.  Every time your friend looked out, all he was able to see was a gray slab of concrete." 

Attitude!  One positive attitude encourages another positive attitude.  The man by the window could have easily been bitter and his attitude could have reflected that. In choosing to behave that way, he would have been of no service to the world and people around him. 

I choose to have a good attitude no matter what.  There are really very few things in life that warrant a horrible attitude.  It's taken me years to "get" this, but I am now a firm believer that we choose our attitude.  It's a choice.  It is something, one of the very few things, that we have complete control over. 

Yes, I am starting to believe that attitude really is everything!

Day 62

Today, S&P downgrades U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+.

What will Washington do to tackle our monster debt problem?

The 14 trillion dollar debt keeps increasing, it seems, by the minute.

I have to be informed.  I don't like to have my "head in the sand."  Even so, I may boycott the news...just for the weekend. 

Day 61--Decatur...Go Get Your Groove On!

Well, it's that time of year again:  It's time for the Decatur Celebration!

I know most of you are asking, "What is the Decatur Celebration (DC)?"  To that, I have to proclaim that it is a super awesome way to hear dynamic concerts free of charge, eat delicious and calorie-packed fair food, and see people from all over Illinois and beyond!  I love the Decatur Celebration!

I moved to Decatur, Illinois at the age of ten.  Several years after, I went to my first Decatur Celebration.  I was hooked!  I've been to many fairs and carnivals throughout my life, but this beats them all.  This is the largest free street festival in the midwest!  Twenty-two blocks are sectioned off so that the fun can begin!  Typically, the Decatur Celebration has approximately 300,000 in attendance througout the course of the Thursday-Sunday that it runs. 

Some people think the DC is boring.  Some call it the "White Trash Bash."  Others believe it's just too crowded.  To all of that, I say, "NO WAY!  Put me smack dab in the middle of that crowd and let me socialize!"

If I were in Decatur tonight instead of NY I would be there.  Tonight is the Family Fun Carnival Night.  The rides are discounted and we love to ride rides.  Thursday nights don't bring in huge crowds, so it's a nice night to take the kids and let them eat junk food and enjoy some thrilling rides.

As a teenager, I  wouldn't have missed the DC for anything!  I would go with friends and we would meet boys and listen to music and ride the rides and just have a ball. I'd tease my hair all up and put on a little extra eyeliner.  I'm not embarassed to say that I would spend hours, literally, shopping for the perfect DC outfits.  I can still remember a few of them.  One in particular, was a pair of short denim shorts with a red and black plaid ruffle around the bottom of each leg.  It had a short-sleeved button up white shirt.  The shirt had a bit of the plaid on it as well, and it tied in the front.  Now that I think about it, the shorts were on the short side for sure, and I'm surprised I was let out the house like that.  Nevertheless, I was, and I was sure cool that night!

I never let anything stop me from attending this fabulous celebration.  When I was 16 I had all four wisdom teeth cut out.  I was on pain meds and I resembled a chipmunk.  My face was bruised.  It wasn't my best look.  So, I just worked on my hair to make it extra big and fluffy and put on my most awesome outfit picked out just for the DC, and that was that!  Problem solved!
Last year, at this time, I had a huge kidney stone.  It was the second largest that the hospital had seen in ten years!  My right kidney was completely blocked.  The doctors put a stent in and I ended up with a terrible fever and infection.  Finally, I switched hospitals and doctors and I had lithotripsy surgery.  I was hurting!  I felt like I had been run over by a truck and then left there.  It was DC time!  What was I to do?  There was only one solution:  Take the vicodin my amazing doctor prescribed and GO! 

I love live music!  Throughout the years I have enjoyed some super rad bands.  I have so many favorites!   I was actually was able to meet the Nelson brothers after the show and get their autograph.  I melted when they sang, "After the Rain!"  Two years ago I went with my sister to see the Plain White T's.   We were standing in the street with  thousands of others singing "Hey There Delilah" at the top of our lungs.  Little did we know what was in store for us!
My daughter called and told us that she was going to try to meet The Plain White T's.  We figured it would never happen, but we should at least try.  The concert ended and the masses started to hustle away to find drinks and funnel cakes.  We made our way up to the front.  All of the sudden, we saw one of the band members...the lead singer, Tim!  Oh my!
He went and got the others!  We hung out with them for awhile.  They signed autographs for us and we took pictures with them.  We felt like teenagers again!

Last year, I laughed until I peed my pants with my sister while we jammed in the streets as MC Hammer rocked "U Can't Touch This" and "Too Legit to Quit!"

This year's live music includes Night Ranger, Tiffany, Digital Underground, Rob Base and Downhere!  Come on people!  If you don't go, do you see what you're missing?  Do you know the DC is where I tasted and loved my very first deep fried twinkie??

I am really missing my best friend LA right now.  We go together every single year.  We head down in the evening ready to meet and greet!  She is usually looking super fly in ripped up jeans and hair that's teased just right on the top.  I am almost always in heels that hurt my feet so badly that by the time I leave the DC my feet are literally unrecognizeable.  I'm usually barefoot by the time we walk to the car. 
Last week I began to wonder...Who will LA go with this year?  She called me and informed me that she was taking her family to St. Louis for the weekend.  She wasn't even going to bother going.  Our tradition has ended, and it makes me sad.

What will I miss the most about the good ol' DC?  The people, of course!  There was nothing I enojoyed more than roaming the busy streets of Decatur and running into peeps that I haven't seen in ten years or more!  It was like a huge reunion that I was able to be a part of year after year! 

Some like it; some hate it.  I'm a fan and I always will be!  Go out and celebrate this weekend, Decatur!   Put your cute clothes on, do your hair all up, and go have a great time! 
Push and shove your way up to the front row like you own the place and sing along with Tiffany as she performs, "I Think We're Alone Now."
Oh, and have a deep friend twinkie for me!

Day 60--My Plea

I am writing with a heavy heart tonight.  I read something late this afternoon, and I just can't get it off of my mind.  It, like other trials I have witnessed, felt, and read about, has really made me take a look at my life and strive to put things into perspective.  It forces me to take a good, hard look at things in my own life that I worry about and concern myself with that are simply petty or frivolous.

My local "Penny Saver" came in the mail today.  It's just a small newspaper that has ads, employment opportunities, and items for sale or trade.  I was standing at the kitchen counter flipping through it.  Was there anything I needed? 

Towards the middle of the Penny Saver, in the top right hand corner of a page was a family photo.  It caught my eye because the family in the photo was just beautiful!  The husband and wife were seated on a rock ledge outdoors.  Sitting in front of them were three precious children.  The little girl had long, blonde hair, and her two brothers were dark-headed.  This family was all-smiles!  It even made me smile, so I read the small print beneath the picture.  It read something like this:

"Benefit for the Barry Family."

Oh no!  I knew that wasn't good, so I began to read the article underneath.  While reading, my eyes filled with tears.  Their story goes something like this:

The family of five, the Barry's, traveled out of state for 4th of July weekend.  While driving back home to New York, they were involved in a head-on collision.  The parents of these three adorable children were killed instantly.  Their sons, ages 9 and 12 are both paralyzed.  Their daughter, age 6, escaped without harm. 
This picture perfect family of five is now a family of only three.  As their sons are trying to cope with their paralysis, they are also faced with the brutal fact that their mom and dad are dead.  The two people in this world who could comfort them the most are gone...forever.  The little sister is my son's age.  I just stared at her picture.  I literally had to look away.  This little baby's heart is aching for her mommy and daddy as she watches her big brothers hurting and trying to heal...and grieve. 

How can they get through this?  Honestly, I can't fathom the emotions, grief, and ache that they are feeling.  It physically hurts me to think about. 

I immediately began to pray for the Barry kids.  I stopped everything and took this situation to Jesus.  Yes, this accident was allowed to happen.  Yes, Jesus knows that these kids are missing their parents and grieving in ways that I can't even imagine.  He knows the pain and fear that the brothers are facing as they are now paralyzed.  He knows all of this, and it grieves Him.  He loves these babies.  They are HIS. 

We live in a fallen world.  Unfortunatley, bad things happen to good people.  Sometimes, it seems that I go through weeks where all I hear about are situations where bad things are happening to good people, and good things are happening to bad people. I often become furious and frustrated because my human mind just can't wrap my itself around this.  Even so, it can't be changed.  Life is full of ups and downs and everything in between, and not one of us is exempt from that.

As soon as my husband walked in the door from work I asked him to read the Barry's story.  He just shook his head.  He didn't even know what to say.  I requested that he keep these kids in his heart and in his mind.  Every single time he thought of them, he should stop and pray for them.  I asked the same of my 17-year-old daughter.  I didn't just casually come across that article by coincidence.  I was led to that article because I firmly believe that I am supposed to be on my knees, several times daily, in prayer for these kids.  They are "every" family...a mom, dad, kids, and lots of love.

I looked around at my house and my "to do" list.  None of it seemed to matter.  Today I have worried about the fact that I ate a little too much, I had planned on cleaning the bathrooms, but didn't, and I have three large boxes in my bedroom that are still unpacked, even though we moved here two months ago.  Seriously...I spend a substantial amount of my day fretting over these FRIVOLOUS issues!  They didn't seem frivolous at the time, but they certainly do now. 
Overeating, messy bathrooms, and unpacked boxes pale in comparison to what the Barry siblings are experiencing right now.  I feel so guilty for all of the worry, stress, and useless thought that I dedicate so much of my time to, and I should. 
Here is the problem:  There are many "Barry's" all over the world.  Children and adults are suffering in ways that I can't even fathom.  People with "real" problems are in everywhere.  People who are faced with such grief that they are simply frozen...unable to move, probably live within a mile or two of all of us!   I hear of these stories, and I promise myself that I will "quit sweating the small stuff."  Then, time passes, and I am doing a whole lot of sweating again, and it is almost always over frivolous issues.

I want the Barry's to be my reminder.  I want them to remind me of the frailty of life.  I don't want a single day to pass without telling my friends and family how much they mean to me.  I never want anything to go unsaid. 
The Barry's will also remind me, each day, to do my best to keep things in perspective.  I am only human, so this will be a challenge; however, I want to do better.  I want to put my frivolous worries to rest. 

I check my blog stats a couple of times per week.  I can log on and view the number of viewers that each blog post has received, and the total number of viewers since I began my blog 60 days ago.  I am overwhelmed with gratitude at the number of people, many of which I am sure I have never even met, who follow my blog and choose to share life's ups and downs with me.  It truly blesses me.

I am using my blog tonight as a plea.  I am thankful to have individuals who read this blog because it allows me not only to honestly share my random thoughts, activities in my daily life, and ideas, but it also allows me to make requests.  I am requesting prayers for the Barry siblings, ages 6, 9, and 12.  Please, every time you think of them, stop for a moment to pray blessings over their little lives.  Pray that the Lord will send people into their lives who will mentor them and love them unconditionally.  Pray that this accident will not lead to bitterness of any kind.  Pray for physical healing for the brothers, and please pray for emotional healing for all three.  Please pray that they will love the Lord with their whole hearts, and trust and believe that He is a loving God.  He is their Heavenly Father. 

Thank you, Lord, for wrapping Your arms around these babies.  I pray that even in their darkest hour they will feel You.  I pray that they will never feel alone because they will call on You and You will answer them.  I pray that the Barry siblings will grow to be mighty in You.  They will be bold in their faith.  Father, I thank you that these kids will experience Your peace; the kind of peace that is unexplainable in difficult, or even what seem like impossible situations.  Jesus, I thank you that I have individuals reading this blog who will put the Barry kids on their prayer lists and lift them up each day in prayer.  I thank you that you love us unconditionally...even when we question occurrences in life that just do not seem fair to us.  Thank you for your grace and mercy.

Amen.

Day 59--Dear Food, I hate you because I love you so much.

My relationship with food is a complicated one.  It just may be the most complicated relationship I have ever had, currently have, or ever will have.
If food were a person, our relationship would probably be described as a love/hate relationship.  Some days, we would laugh all day long.  We would enjoy each other's company and savor each second we were able to spend together.  Other days we would barely be able to be in the same room.  We would disagree on everything.  We would bicker and yell.  We would swear that we were through.  Then...gulit.

Does anyone else feel this way? 

Up until my first pregancy my weight never got above 103.  That just seemed to be the magic number.  I never worried about my weight.  I never really thought about sugar, calories, fat grams, carbs, or anythig of the sort.  If it tasted delicious, then that's what I wanted.  Big Macs...I'll take two, please!  Taco Bell...I'll take six tacos, thank you very much!  McDonalds?  Yes, and supersize it!

I do remember, certain times through my teenage years, wishing that my butt was smaller; however, that seems absurd to me now.  How could I have weighed 100 pounds and had a big butt? 

My appetite has always been one of enormous proportions!  I have always been able to eat more than my entire family, with the exception of my dad.  Still, it is not abnormal for me to eat more than my husband, and he is 6 ft 4 and weighs over 200 pounds.  I am only 5 ft. 2. 

I love food so much, and I hate it just as much!

It wasn't until my first pregnancy that I realized how much weight my small frame was able to pack on.  I gained a whopping 60 pounds while pregnant with my daughter!  I had never seen such a body transformation!  During those nine months, if it wasn't super glued down, I ate it.  I ate morning, noon and night.  I ate fast food, fried food, lots of candy, and massive amounts of pizza.  I couldn't get enough. 
Luckily, I was young and still had the metabolism of a racehorse.  That weight came off pretty easily.

I do believe, however, that gaining that much weight in such a short amount of time screwed my metabolism up...royally.  After my pregancy, I no longer could just eat anything I felt like eating.  If I did, then I would gain weight.  What was I to do?  I loved food so much!  It made me so happy...almost elated!  When I knew I was going to a favorite restaurant or preparing to indulge on one of my favorite meals I would begin to experience pure joy.

Throughout the past 17 years I have ranged anywhere from a size 0 to a size 12!  I have tried all the fad diets or "lifestyles."  I have counted calories, counted fat grams, ate all low fat, and ate a lot of high fat.  I have tried Weight Watchers, South Beach Diet, Paleo, and the list could go on and on and on. 
I had serious issues with all of these. 

I definitely believe that exercise plays a large role in weight loss and maintaining weight loss; however, I am convinced that diet plays the larger role.  I have the whole "exercise thing" down, but I cannot figure out my food issue.   Why do I love it so much?

It'll be late morning and I'll feel my stomach growl for the first time.  I get excited!  I start to think, "What should I have for lunch today?"  Then, I start to picture it in my mind and my next question I ask myself is, "Should I have a diet drink with it...maybe a diet coke or a diet mtn. dew?"  The thought of that really gets me pumped up!

The bottom line is this:  I love food.  Yes, it makes me happy.  Even so, I don't think it's due to emotional problems or anything like that.  I watch The Biggest Loser and Heavy, and these people love food so much and the coaches and counselors always trace it back to something they have experienced in life.  Mine isn't traceable.  I just love food and love to eat.  I love to try new foods.  Obviously, I even love to talk about food!

What I don't love about food is the way it makes me feel each time I overeat.  I'm not talking about how my stomach feels; I'm referring to the guilt that I feel.  Then I get angry at myself for feeling guilty. 

This is absurd!  I exercise and I am not everweight.  I am sure there are some people who think I could stand to lose a few pounds, and there may even be others who think I should gain a few.  To that, I say, "You can't please them all!"  So, what am I to do with the food issue?

I do know one thing about myself that will never change.  I will never deny myself food that I love.  You only live once, people.  If your taste buds are cheering you on as you have a little of something you love, then by all means...EAT IT! 
When my children want ice cream or another sort of treat, I will not say to them, "I'll get you one, but I'm not eating that."  I want to enjoy these simple treats with my kids. 
When I entertain guests or plan a night out, you can count on food being served!  Food brings people together!  Food makes them happy! 

Yes, my relationship with food is complicated.  I hate it because I love it so much, which creates gulit, which then leads to anger for feeling guilty about something so trivial.

Lately, I have been calling my new diet, "The Moderation Diet."  It seems to be working quite well.  I eat what I want in moderation.  This diet is probably very familiar to a lot of people, but it is very new to me.  I still eat what some would consider "very healthy" for the most part; however, others would see what I eat and they would be mortified.  Again...You can't please them all!
I am trying to eat smaller portions.  I have the pizza I crave; I just have one or two pieces instead of a medium pizza. 
Fast food, fried food, and lots of sugar are still seldom.  I eat them if I'm having a huge craving, but other than that, I do try to avoid them.  I will continue to exercise, but honestly, I like the mental benefits to exercise more than the physical. 

One more thing...I threw my scale out.  I refuse to weigh.  The only time I will know my weight is if I have to go to the doctor's office.  Other than that, I will just have to judge by whether or not my pants are tight.  I refuse to be controlled by a scale. 

I want to be healthy.  I think I'll actually call my new diet, "The Staying Healthy Everything In Moderation Diet."  I'll just refer to it as "MOD" for short. 

Enough about food and the love I have for it. 

You know what time it is?  You guessed it!  It's time for me to go start getting dinner ready!  Oh, the word "dinnertime!"  It's music to my ears!

Day 58

Tonight, I am asking for prayers for my dad.  I have blogged about my dad before. 
He is simply amazing.

Tomorrow will be his thrid day in the hospital due to an infection in his knee that began spreading up his leg.  It is painful to touch, swollen, red and extremely hot.  When my mom and sister saw him tonight they both agreed that the redness had spread.  They called me and gave me the news.  I told them that I would not rest until a nurse came into the room and marked his leg around the red areas, so that when the doctor came in the morning, he could see if there were any changes.

I would pester them all night if that's what it took...but I wanted a nurse in his room STAT!
They assured me that as soon as they ate dinner they would call the nurse in.

Finally, I got a call from my dad.  He told me to rest and know that he is well taken care of.  The nurse came in and marked his leg.  He is still taking two antibiotics through his IVs. 

My dad is not the type to sit around, watch TV, or just simply, "do nothing."  He wants to be at work.  I know as soon as they release him, he'll be on his way to work.  He isn't a workaholic, but he is a provider.  He always has been.  When I was growing up, he was always perfectly content going without as long as his girls were taken care of. 

I am his daughter, and I adore him.  Naturally, I am worried about him.  I want to be able to fix this.  Dad just keeps saying, "Heather, this is just a bump in the road compared to a lot of things." 
He's right; however, I want him well.  He's so strong and energetic.  The thought of him up in that hospital bed makes me nauseous.  I say, "the thought of it," because I haven't been able to go and see him, and that is part of the reason this is so difficult.

If I were still in Illinois, I would be spending a lot of time there.  I'd have lunch with him and we would talk.  I'd probably be chatting so much that he'd be wishing I'd go home for awhile! 
Living 15 hours away from so many people that I love is proving to be challenging at times.  When situations such as this arise, I feel like I live a million miles away. 

What can I do for my precious dad?
Well, I can call him many times per day to check on him.  At this point, he probably sees my number on his cell phone and just laughs and rolls his eyes.  He knows me well, which means he knows I'll need the "run down" of every doctor and nurse that has come into contact with him. 
Most importantly, I can get on my knees and pray for him.  I pray that he is healed from the inside out.  Every fiber, cell, tissue, muscle, organ, etc...everything must line up with God's Word.  My dad is healed in Jesus' Holy name.  It may not be as fast as we would like.  I am not the most patient person.  I have to be patient and wait.  God is working on Him. 
I know my dad's phsical body needs rest.  He works outdoors in many layers of clothing for 12 hours per day.  Even in the extreme heat in the midwest, my dad is outside working hard six days per week.  His body needs to rest.  Although he very much dislikes sitting in that hospital bed, he is getting the rest that he needs. 

Yes, this certainly makes living far away from my family unbearable. 

I will do all I can do, which is this:  call him, pray for him, and request prayers for him.

Please keep my dad lifted up in your prayers.