A Heart Procedure and a Band-aid
Two days ago, I underwent a catheter ablation. Similar to using a catheter to place a stent, the cardiologist inserted three tubes into an opening in my femoral vein and threaded them up to my heart. Instead of installing a stent, however, he "mapped" the electrical activity inside my heart, and located the node that was malfunctioning and causing occasional tachycardia (a too-rapid heart rate). He then cauterized the abnormal tissue using microwaves, so that now the electrical signal works its way through my heart in a healthy manner.
The whole procedure took about two hours, and I was left with two small puncture wounds--one in my hand for the I.V. and the other in my leg for the catheters. Both openings required only a band-aid! Amazing.
Paul Letter 3 June 15
Dear Dad,
Thanks for the letters you send me they help me more than you know . . . .
I really wish I didn't have to miss so much of everything that's happening with the family. It really bugged me to miss Rachels graduation. I'm going to miss her birthday too which I'm pretty down about it too. I don't have that much left here so I will try and do as much as I can with everyone when I get back . . . .
I've been out of Red Phase for almost a week. Now I'm in White Phase. Also to correct everything I will go to airborne stuff after basic when I get to my unit because that's not in my contract. Here I'm just learning to shoot as best as I can and blow stuff up. We blew up claymores last week they are really loud, you can look them up on YouTube. Then we'll be doing grenades, which we've started working on already. You can tell Mom that when she looks on Facebook and tries to find me if we're all wearing our helmets, mine will have a green 421 on front and back, or look for last name on the ACU (uniform/camos) that's about all we've done but I will keep you posted on what I do.
- love Paul
Belated Happy Father's Day (we were on vacation in Virginia)
[FRUA=national organization to help "Families For Russian and Ukrainian Adoption" ]
Dear FRUA Members, and especially Dads,
Being a Dad can often be a pretty thankless task. People expect you to be the strong, competent type who can fix a leaky faucet, stand hours at the edge of a wind-driven soccer field cheering on kids who have no hope of winning, make some sort of living that keeps a roof over the family, lead the Boy Scout troop, and whip up a mean hamburger casserole because mom has to work late. Sometimes all in the same day! Often our kids (or spouses) don't say thank you, at least out loud.
But that doesn't mean we don't notice what you do. Move over moms and give our dads room; especially in adoptive families, the role a dad can play can be vital. That's because adoptive kids can come with challenges. Often it can take two to sort out what is going on, give each other a break and take turns being the enforcer for the two thousandths time that 'bedtime is bedtime'....to say 'please and thank you', or to remind a kid not to hit his sister.
So thank you FRUA dads, for being who you are. We need you, and the very wonderful and different things you bring to the family dynamic.
Great News
Pastor told me a few days ago that in a recent letter from Paul, he described the Bible study he has started at boot camp. Three recruits attended the first meeting, and twenty came to the second. Paul asked Pastor to send him materials for the study.
A Prince and Sweden's Newest Princess
Royal Wedding Tomorrow
I follow news events in Sweden, and tomorrow's royal wedding is a big deal. If you'd like to watch, the Swedish national television service will be streaming the ceremony, as well as pre- and post-events. The coverage for the 4:30 pm wedding (in Stockholm) begins at 8:00 am CDT, with the ceremony at 9:30 am; the link to the TV streaming is:
http://www.svtplay.se
The groom (Karl Philip) is the second child of the King and Queen of Sweden. He is marrying Sofia Hellqvist, a former TV star. See below for my favorite photo of them (and there have been
many in the run-up to the wedding).
FYI, the woman on the right is Karl's older sister, Crown Princess Victoria. In 1980, shortly after she was born, the Swedish Parliament passed a law of absolute primogeniture, which means that the oldest child of either gender inherits the throne.
3 June 15
Paul has been very busy writing letters. Someone remarked that in this age of electronic media, he may never again write so much by hand. His correspondence is very special to us, and he's been sending them to his siblings, too. Here's the most recent letter specifically addressed to me:
Dear Mom
Thanks for the [post]cards that you send me and thanks for putting them into an envelope but I have all of them hanging in my locker. If you guys can send me some more stamps cause just 10 isn't enough and I'll send a $20 with Dad to buy me the roll of 100 cause I write too many people. I also told him [in my letter to him] what I've been doing while I'm here so ask him about it I just have like 15 others to write back cause we got our mail today and I only have a little time so just trying to put as much info into one letter as I can. Tell everyone that I'm thinking about them and miss you all and can't wait to see you all.
- love Paul.
20 May 15 Postscript
P.S. Mom Please put the [post]cards inside an envelope I want to be the only one to read them, because the drill sergeants read them to the whole company of 230 people, thanks. Second thing can you guys send me loose leaf paper and postage stamps I'm running out and only get to go to the store once every 3 weeks. I would appreciate that a lot. thanks . . . .
After receiving this request to hide the postcards in envelopes, I tried hard to remember what I had already written that 230 recruits heard!
20 May 15 Still Continued
Yes, not that many people would link up fun and basic training but for the most part I am having fun. I get to shoot guns big and small, that's pretty fun for me. And who doesn't want to march like 6 or 7 or 12 miles in one day? or wake up at 4 am, then go to workout? But it's fine. I'm getting bigger cause I work out on my own too, like before I go to bed . . . .
Tell everyone I said thanks for their letters and I miss everyone and can't wait to see you all.
- love Paul
Getting Older
Though our outer
nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For
this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen
but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient,
but the things that are unseen are eternal. For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly
home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens.
- 2 Corinthians 4:16b—5:1
Last Day of School
The high school students have been out for a week, but today Peter celebrated his last day of sixth grade. After the closing worship service, he and I went out for ice cream. He's pretty excited!
Relief
October 26, 2014
May 31, 2015
Reformation Sunday
Trinity Sunday
First big feast day of the season
Last big feast day of the season
NOW IT’S SUMMER!!
20 May 15 Continued
I'm really starting to miss home and I wish you guys would write to me so this isn't as hard but I also know you guys have other things to do. Most of the time I'm not doing anything so I get too much time to think and that's like the bad part about all of this. After Friday I have 6 weeks and I can go off of base for like 3 days. I'm still not sure if I get to stay out all night or if I have to come back at night . . . .
[excerpt about a recruit who has run away 3 times; seemed too personal for me to share on the blog]
And I got all of your guy's mail on the 21st and thanks to everyone who wrote me. I love reading them and they really help me get through this.
To be continued . . .
Letters
Yesterday, our family received four (4!) letters from Paul. He wrote not only to Jonathan/me, but also to Sarah, David, and Peter. They were thrilled to receive a personal letter from him.
Here's an excerpt from the letter to us, his parents, written on 20 May 15:
Hey everyone hope you guys are all doing good. So today I'm at the range. I was at the range yesterday too and I will be for the next like 5 weeks. We had our first physical fitness test and we went to the eagle tower which was just climbing up a 40 foot ladder then rappelling down to the ground. We did the obstacle course too. It's hard to explain it--you can just go on Youtube and look it up. Then I am supposed to get a phone call this Sunday but I don't think I'll be calling cause I have no way of paying my phone bill, but if I can, I will but I'm almost done with red phase this Friday and supposedly basic gets easier, but we'll see.
Paul tried to text and telephone us the next Monday on Memorial Day, but we were at the Field Museum in downtown Chicago and couldn't get reception. He did connect with Rachel for a few minutes before his ten minutes of telephoning were over.
Cool Art
My sister-in-law Gale posted these images on her website. I think they were made by a friend of hers. Aren't they exceptionally clever? Reminds me of the Picasso statue in Chicago's Daley Plaza.
