Green thumb?

More like black hands!

Steve and I spent the morning running to Lowe's and working on our patio garden. It feels so good to have it all planted!

While we were at Lowe's, Steve lifted this giant bag of potting soil and it split open in the cart! Dirt all over the floor. We flagged down a guy and he said, "Oh! Hahaha! No worries! You're not the first ones!" He was really nice about it and got us a new bag and cleaned up our big mess. Thank you, Mr. Lowe's Guy!

Another thing we discovered at Lowe's was VEGGIE TALES seeds!! So awesome!

Once we got home, we dug right into the fresh soil and Miracle-Gro. We have basil, cilantro, romaine lettuce, sweet sugar snap peas, and five varieties of tomatoes, plus wildflowers, chicks and hens, and... yarrow maybe? I can't remember what the big flowers are. They're from Grandma. We started our own Early Girl tomatoes from seed. Steve's grandma gave us four more tomato plants including Beefsteak, Big Yellow (slicing tomato), Roma, and Yellow Pear. We're so excited!

*Added a few hours later*

As soon as we had the seedlings outside, the rain came and the wind started whipping about. Hope the Lord takes good care of them! I know Steve will take special care of them while I'm gone. He's such an excellent husband and a great handyman!

Packing Day

Crunch time!

Yes, packing day has arrived!

Already!

Where did all the time go?

Today is going to be filled with cleaning, laundry, errands, and way too much decision-making.

Thoughts running through our minds:

How are we going to fit everything into two small bags?

Praying God keeps His hand of protection and love on us every step for the next two weeks.

Trying not to think about how much we're going to miss each other.

What are we forgetting?

Won't all the hugs and new memories be so wonderful? How exciting!

Eleven days is a really long time...

There is so much to do today! What am I doing blogging? =)

Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes as Steve gets ready to send me off to Wisconsin on my own for the first time since we've been married. It's going to be an amazing adventure with a few challenges, but it will all be well worth it in the end.

Tefilat HaDerech

Jewish "Traveler's Prayer"

May it be Your will, LORD, our God and the God of our ancestors, that You lead us toward peace, guide our footsteps toward peace, and make us reach our desired destination for life, gladness, and peace. May You rescue us from the hand of every foe, ambush along the way, and from all manner of punishments that assemble to come to earth. May You send blessing in our handiwork, and grant us grace, kindness, and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us. May You hear the sound of our humble request because You are God Who hears prayer requests. Blessed are You, Adonai, Who hears prayer.

Family Stories & Fun

Steve and I spent yesterday at Grandpa & Grandma Hornaday's house in Eugene, Oregon for an early birthday celebration for Grandma. They've been helping me find a lot of pictures, stories, and family tree information for my geneology project I've been working on. We had a blast looking at all of the great pictures, and reading some of their stories they had put to paper years ago. I wanted to share the following story with you because it made us laugh so much, but also reminded us of how awesome it is that God has a great plan for each of our lives that will affect so many that come after us. I believe Grandma wrote it in 1998. They've been married nearly 59 years now! Enjoy!

The Day I Noticed My Husband-To-Be

By Jeanette Hornaday

Leo & Jeanette - The Dating Years

Things seem so different now to what they were forty years ago. But one thing has not changed; that is, a good single man is still hard to find. Your friends and family try to help you find just the guy you should marry. My brother Wayne, saw in Leo Hornaday the kind of person he wanted his sister to date and began to set his plan in action. In the spring of 1954, I noticed the young man who was to become my husband two years later. From that time, my life began a process of shaping into what it is today.

It was a beautiful spring day in Arkansas. My brother who is three years older than I said, "Net, How would you like to go on a picnic with me and some friends?"

I said, "Who all is going?"

He listed off a few of his girlfriend's family, some of their cousins, and some good friends. I thought about it and decided that it would be fun and a chance to get out in the spring weather. Little did I know that this was all a plan to get Leo and me together so we could get to know each other. I had met Leo several months before but never paid much attention to him.

We met at the Hornaday house and went by carloads to their fishing cabin at Boiling Pot located on the Ouchata River. (*Cathy made a point of telling us it is pronounced WASH-uh-taw, not OUCH-uh-tah as Steve rebelliously read it the whole story.*) You may have guessed by now that it was arranged that I was to sit in front with Leo. His car was a 1950 Studebaker coupe. It was blue with an airplane nose, smoked a lot, and had lost its hood.

I felt a bit guilty because I was dating someone else, but my guilt only lasted for awhile because around the Hornaday clan you always have fun. Leo has three brothers and four sisters. (Lavonna, Leo's sister, later married my brother Wayne.) That day, somehow or another, they saw to it that where Leo was, I was. Leo and I were willing to comply with their wishes. When we went for a hike with several couples, he held my hand to help me over the rough places. He even went so far as to let me sit on his knee so I wouldn't get my jeans wet on the river bank.

**Sure!! I'm sure he really went out of his way to let a cute girl sit on his lap! Grandpa! You smooth talker!**

We had a wiener roast for lunch, and who could resist a marshmallow roast over those hot coals? Leo's little brother Jack set his marshmallow on fire. While trying to put it out, he slung it off the stick and hit Leo on the back of the neck. I was his nurse. It wasn't much of a burn, but he made the best of it, and I gave it a lot of attention. We enjoyed each other's company and had a very good time. It rained and Leo put a beach umbrella down by the grill of his car to keep water off the motor. Late in the afternoon, we headed for home. This time it didn't require any arranging. I took the front seat by Leo.

I learned later that Bobby, Leo's older brother, told him, "You two made a nice looking couple, especially when she was sitting on your knee." Leo's only comment was, "She's too young for me."

That day started something for Leo and me. Three months later, we began to date regularly. If I had looked around for months or maybe years, I would not have found another man like him.

What has made our marriage last nearly 42 years? (Now almost 59!!) We have never spent much time trying to figure that out, but we have never had occasion to have to figure it out. Somehow love, trust, understanding, patience, a common faith in God, and three Studebakers - make it four - must have had a lot to do with it.

THE END

I believe they've had a few more Studebakers since she wrote that story! =) What a wonderful beginning to such a great life! After they got married, they had five kids.

Left to Right:

Leo, Jeanette, Linda, Robert, Roy, Larry, Wayne.

Robert married Cathy McIntosh and they had Stephen (my amazing husband!), Jonathon, and Michael. I'm not including a full family photo. I saw the following pictures and I couldn't resist posting them though!

Steve was so excited to have a baby brother (Jonathon).

Then he realized all the kid did was cry. Poor big brother.

Slump

I admit it. I'm in a blogging slump. I've tried to encourage Steve to write, but he cringes at the thought of transcribing thoughts to paper/type after a long day of tech support over email and phone. I can't blame him. We're both so tired tonight, the only thing I can think of are some blessings from the day.

* Steve getting up on time this morning. He hates mornings.

* Getting a chance to take a nap and relieve some nausea and anxiety.

* A surprise phone call from my dear friend Ricci! That was the total highlight of my day! =) I miss you, Ricci! You are an incredible woman! Again I say: I'm so thankful!

* Beautiful lunch date with Steve at Olive Garden - our first date restaurant.

* Getting to visit the Manns and say hi to Brother Mann whom we haven't seen in so long. In an earlier post about the church remodel, I posted some pictures of the murals he painted in the classrooms.

* Had a blast shopping with my mom-in-law, Cathy! She's so fun!

Right now, I'm almost falling asleep on the keyboard, but I have to (get to) drive to south Salem to pick up Steve from Jon & Kari's. Steve and Jon made a trip to Portland this evening to pick up a motorcycle for Jon. Kari and I are hoping they make it back in one piece! :) I'm not excited about going out since it's cold, dark, and raining. Warm clothes, comforting music, and a great friend at the end of the drive will make this much easier!

Good night!

Nearing The End

I'm nearing the end...

In a very good way, I'm happy to say.

So, here's the deal for those of you who are lost:

I went into the dentist for a routine root canal last Wednesday. I had no pain at all prior to my visit. The dentist said the root of my tooth had died from some previous trauma. When a tooth is hit or moved, it can tear or sever the nerve. The nerve then dies. Some die quickly and are unnoticeable, like my first tooth. Others die slowly and can be extremely painful.

The dentist performed the root canal and said the root had completely decayed and disappeared, and there was a little infection in the canal. He gave me a prescription for antibiotics to start in two days or so if there was any pain or pressure. Then I went home. I was fine that day. I even went to bible study, though my mouth was throbbing a little.

The next day my mouth was really hurting. I tried waiting it out. By Friday, I couldn't stand the pain so I got an emergency appointment and saw a different dentist. He suspected that the tooth next to my root canal may be decaying as well and need a root canal. He prescribed Vicodin for the pain and told me to start the antibiotics the other dentist gave me. The pain was so awful that the Vicodin wasn't touching it and I would wind of cradling my jaw and sobbing. Steve was heading toward his wit's end because there really was nothing he could do.

On Saturday I called my regular dentist on his personal cell (he's awesome, by the way), and he did all the footwork to set up an appointment for me, even though he wasn't working that day. I saw another dentist. She said there was no apparent pressure that she would be able to relieve, so she prescribed me more pain killers (ibuprofen - 800mg). I felt so much better after she gave me that. However, it wore off soon.

Sunday came. I made it to the first part of church. By the time we were done with Sunday school, I was lightheaded with pain and Steve had to take me home. I squeezed my jaw the entire way home, feeling every little bump in the road. I got out of the car and held Steve's hand tightly, while the tears started to flow down my cheeks. I made it in the house before I leaned against the wall and started bawling. He guided me to a chair and I stayed there for the next couple of hours while he headed back to church.

Steve was already having an awful weekend trying to get our car fixed. It seemed like a complete Murphy's Law weekend. He and his friend Jon have put in probably a good 20 hours on that dumb car. Sunday night I called Steve, almost screaming in pain, but he couldn't make it home because the car was in pieces. His mom and dad came and sat with me, prayed with me, and did what little they could to help. We called my dentist again, and he prescribed another antibiotic, hoping to speed things along. Robert (father-in-law) picked up the prescription for me.

I started the second antibiotic right away. That night it turned my stomach into a complete wreck and I think I slept about two hours. That was my going average of sleep over the whole weekend. I was barely keeping down any pain meds or antibiotics. So, the healing process had sort of come to a stand still.

I called the dentist's office at about 7am. They scheduled an appointment for noon, then (PRAISE GOD), they called back and told me to be there in an hour. Dr. Yoo (the Friday doctor) saw me and did a battery of tests. He conferred with my regular dentist and they concluded that the pain was coming from the tooth next to the one that had just had the root canal. The infection had spread and was draining puss into the pulp of the tooth next door. Nasty. I know.

Something that was a surprise was that this tooth next door had... lateral nerves? I think that's what the dentist called them. Even after he dug and scraped out the dying nerve of the second tooth, it was still throbbing along my jawline (anesthetic and all) up to my ears. He said that was because I had large canals with lateral nerves that came out the side of the tooth that were throbbing with pain and passing it along down the line. How nice of them to share, huh?

I was at the dentist a total of about 3 hours. Probably three of the most painful hours of my life. I'm thinking child birthing will be a breeze after these past four days. The dentist then packed in some medicine down the new root canal and put in a temporary filling. We made an appointment for June to check on how it all healed. If I have any increasing pain or other problems, I'm supposed to give them a call. I'm SO thankful for the health insurance and the skilled doctors that God brought our way. Thank you, Lord! Also, a huge thank you to those of you who were praying for us and sharing in our pain. We love you heaps. You are such a blessing to us.

I'm laying off of the Vicodin and second antibiotic so my stomach can settle down and I can feel somewhat normal again. I am hungry. ;) My sweet husband bought me some Jamba Juice (fruit smoothie). It's wonderful. I've been catching up on all of my lost sleep too. I slept for six glorious hours after I got home from the dentist with very little pain. I have a whole new appreciation for Paul the Apostle's phrase "thorn in the flesh". Let me know if you have any questions or wondering about something I missed. I'm not quite 100% in the head yet. I told my mom today, "Yeah, the noodles barely hurt since I've been in so much pain anyway" Noodles? Oh... Needles! I also ACCIDENTALLY texted my husband two letters, separately, that should not go together! They should not put the backspace button next to the enter key. Seriously...

I talked to Steve a few minutes ago and he said he and Jon finally got the car to the shop just before it closed so they can put on two new tires and align it. Then our car will be able to take me to Portland to get on my flight to see & meet some of the most precious people in this world!! Thank you, Jesus! Please say a very special prayer for Steve. He's had an incredibly rough week. There are also some layoffs happening at his work, which affect everyone in so many different ways. Layoffs are truly a sad thing. He's been extremely stressed at work and then has to come home to a difficult situation at home nursing a sick wife, trying to stay on top of daily stuff, part-time job stuff, and the maddening task of fixing the car. He's very burdened and needs to be encouraged and continually pointed toward Christ and His grace for every moment. He's such an amazing man. We're so thankful to have friends and family that will lift us up in prayer and give so much of themselves to help us out.

Anyway! I'm going to try to catch up on some more sleep and stuff. Emails and messages are more than welcome. I can't guarantee I'll answer my phone. If you really want to, you can call Steve and bug him. :)

¹³It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."^{b]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[b]}With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. ¹⁵All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away {funny, right??}, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Come, Lord Jesus! Come!

God's Word is perfect. Glory to God.

Tooth Pain Tips

Having dealt with extreme tooth pain lately, I thought I would share a few tips I've picked up.

1. Motrin/Ibuprofen. This helps with the inflammation. It's amazing how much pain swelling can cause. I prefer Ibuprofen over Tylenol, and even Vicodin, so far.

2. Hot, Moist Cloth. Applying a hot, moist cloth to the infected area helps to draw the antibiotics toward it. Or so says the dentist. It also helps hold off the throbbing pain until you can take your next pain med dose.

3. Rest. Get as much sleep and rest as you can between bouts of pain and nausea. It helps your body save up energy to fight infection.

That's all I can write for now. I'm going to take my own advice and try to get some sleep.

Treasuring peace

I got back from the dentist with good and bad news. The bad news is that it turns out I have an infection around my two front lower teeth. It was there when my regular dentist did the first root canal and it seems to have been exacerbated by the surgery and spread to a larger area. My teeth didn't hurt at all before this.

The good news is that we know what it is and I'm now on a course of antibiotics and am taking vicadin every six hours. The antibiotics aren't supposed to be effective until two days of treatment. The vicadin is great for an hour or two, but wears off quickly and I have to wait the next four or five hours in pain before I can take it again.

I'm learning to really treasure the peaceful times when the pain is lessened and I can sleep or enjoy what's going on around me. Thanks again for your prayers. I'm really thankful Steve doesn't go back to work until next Tuesday. Yay! He's such a comfort.