Yippee!!!

Oh, my goodness...it let me post.  Yippee.  So...hmmm...July was the last time I posted, I think.  Let's recap:
I spent 5 weeks in Phoenix...110 degrees or so...except the 4th of July...Phoenix was one of the coolest places in the US...a lovely 75 or so! Wierd!

Shao danced each day.  I drove her in and picked her up.  While she was there, I did a few things that were really great.  A couple of times a week for the last 3 weeks I was there, I went with my friend Lori, to a stable and played with horses.  I used to have dozens of horses back in the day, and this was such a blast for me! :)  I miss them...hi to Greta, Billy, Chile, Roxie, Riley, Tristan (or was it Trevor?)
Ginger pony, Spoof, ? and Pete.  I only forgot one name...not too bad for an old lady, huh? :)

The first two weeks we were there Lori was away, so I took advantage of that time and went to a woman's Bible Study at the church we attended (Phoenix First AG...DYNAMITE church!) called "Chocolate Talk."  What a blessing that was! 

Shao & I had tons of together time, and it was sweet and very special.  Once Lori came home from vacation we also spent a ton of time with her family...their daughters are from Shao's orphanage in China, and I traveled with Karl & Lori when they adopted their first, Sophie.  They went back 3 years later for Charlotte, my little firecracker.  I love these girls like they were my own! :)

Came home w/o Shao and went right to work at the kids's camp...loved every moment even though my osteoarthritis has reached a point of constant pain, at all times.  But the kids...LOVE the kids...and Skip & Colleen, who are the directors.  Hoping for another opportunity to serve next year.

Went back to work the end of August.  I am doing the same run as last year, for American School for the Deaf in West Hartord CT.  Makes for many hours of driving each day, but I enjoy it very much.  It is probably about the only thing I CAN  do these days, workwise, as I am not walking well at all due to the severity of the joint pain.  And boy am I stiff when I have to get out of the van after 3-4 hours of driving non-stop!!

Shao auditioned for "Nutcracker" soon after school began.  She got 3 different roles, one as a Demi-Flower, in which she has a solo part.  She has just finished up dancing Sat. night's show as I type.  She has had 5 shows since Thursday, and one more tomorrow.  I am going tomorrow, as her solo role is in that show!  Can't wait to see my beautiful girl dance!

We are in the midst of starting to plan for college...EEEK!!!!

Blogger is giving me trouble, so am going to try and post before I lose all of this!

Blessings...Nancy & ShaoXi

OOH...blogger may let me post something...it hasn't for MONTHS!!!!  I'm gonna try...this is a test!!!

Happy day after the 4th of July!

So we are enjoying our time here in Phoenix.  The best part has been the church we have been attending, Phoenix First Assembly of God.  Talk about mega church...but they work hard to get people connected.  Shao loves the youth group!  And we have been blessed to spend some time with Linny and Dwight Saunders and their adorable kids!  What a blessing, and such joy for me to stroke Princess Ruby Grace's sweet cheeks, to hold Elizabeth's hand, and to chat with all the kids.  Wonderful people.  We even got to meet friends of theirs who recently got home with their 3-days-short-of-two-year-old son, Jethro...I THINK from Uganda, but not positive.  What a cutie! 

Got a voicemail from my gastroenterologist that all tests are fine....YEAH!  I'll pick up dr's appts, etc., as soon as I get back to CT...well, a week after I get back...because the first week I am back, I will be working at Dustin's Place, a Christian kid's camp that I just love.  Shao is totally bummed that she will miss out on that, since she will be going from here to SD, to meet up with her team for a missions trip.  According to Shao, that's her favorite part of the summer, working at Dustin's Place.

So that's it for now.  We are blessed with the use of this adorable condo, and the car.  Such a blessing.  God is good...all the time!!!  AMEN!!

Hugs...Nancy & ShaoXi

Oh, and just in case anyone is still bothering to check in here...healthwise I seem to be a LITTLE bit better.  But my team of drs is still trying to figure out just what in the world is going on with me.  I have had so many tests that I have totally lost count.  But so far, they have all ruled OUT things, which is fine by me.  I CAN tell you that after 2 months of extensive tests and appointments, the ONE area I am totally aok is my heart.  BIG SIGH OF RELIEF.  I am currently working with a hematologist, a gastroenterologist, and my reg. dr.  I think the NEXT dr. I will be sent to is a rheumatologist.  OH...and my "woman parts" dr...but I think everything is fine there, too.  I also have an eye dr. appt coming up, and need to find a dentist who will take our insurance.  Aug. is shaping up to be just as full of dr appts as the past six months!!

So...that's the news on that front (I guess I should say fronts, huh?) :)
Keep praying for me, okay?

Nancy

Wow...so there is something wrong with my computer.  Because I have tried to do a new blogpost for a long time now...and couldn't.  But today I am on Shao's 'puter, and no problem.  Guess I have to get my guru friend Henry involved.  But not anytime soon...cuz ShaoXi and I are in Phoenix AZ for the next five weeks.  ShaoXi is dancing with Ballet Arizona and I?  Hmmm...that remains to be seen.  She will be dancing each weekday from 9-5.  I have hopes to actually meet Linny Saunders (of http://www.aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/ fame) in person...and do some heavy duty lovin' on her kiddos! :)
So I will try to keep you posted on our doings, and such.  Honest, I've been trying, but that crazy computer of mine was NOT cooperating!!!

Hugs...Nancy

Incognito

Good grief. I literally disappeared off the face of the earth...or at least, blog land. I have been sick. Pretty darn sick. For more than a year. It's been hard just getting one foot in front of the other. It still is. Now, I'm not dying or anything. But I have a myriad of physical things going on that all add up to not much of a life, outside of doing the bare minimum (that being work.)

My house is beyond disaster; my child is beside herself if I actually cook anything. Mostly, I don't. It is all I can do to exist. It would be so easy to be totally despondent and discouraged. But I can honestly say I am hanging in there. It helps that I have a new primary care dr. who actually LISTENS (imagine that?!?!?) and he has hooked me up with a host of specialists, all who are trying their darndest to figure out what in the world is going on with me, and how they can fix it! :) I have: a hematologist, a gastroenterologist, a cardiologist, a pulmanologist, and an orthopedic on my team. I'm thinking SOMEBODY has got to figure out the enigma of ME.

Meanwhile...I will try not to be a total stranger here. For the past few days I have actually been able to do a few things, like pay bills online, and do some laundry, without being totally wiped out for days on end. This is good. There's hope. Please pray.

OH...and on a totally COOL note. My treasure ShaoXi was accepted at Ballet Arizona in Phoenix AZ. We are BOTH headed to AZ for five weeks this summer. COOL BEANS!!! You GO, baby girl!!!

Nancy

YIKES!!!!!

I can't explain where I've been. Suffice it to say life totally overwhelmed me, and I had all I could do to just drag myself through each day. I am just coming out of the long dark tunnel now. Two months....plus. Long time.

Our thirteenth "GOTCHA DAY!" anniversary fast approaches. How can that be? Thirteen years of joy. I am blessed.

I promise, I will try to blog more often...MUCH more often (which, hey...that would be like, every TWO WEEKS, and that would work, considering my long hiatus from here!!!)

Blessings to all!!

Nancy