Some Prayer requests and Some Praise

The Fall is a busy time for us girls with getting kids back to school, soccer, cheerleading, music lessons, one off to college, one scouting colleges, two getting driver's licenses, SAT testing, senior pictures, choral tryouts, etc. Any parent can relate to this. We haven't been keeping up with the blog like we would like to but we would like to update you on the events of the last few days. Several days ago Dad misjudged and fell when going to sit down. He complained about having headaches and Mom took him to Greenville Hospital on Tuesday. A scan revealed some active bleeding in the brain and he was transported to Pittsburgh. Some adjustments were made to his medications to correct his clotting time and the results were about the same from a scan done on Wednesday. He has 3 slow bleed areas but there is no pressure building up in his brain. He was discharged on Wednesday and Mom is to monitor him at home. While he was being scanned and taken care of, Mom also had a follow up CAT scan and appointment with her doctor. He was pleased with how she looked and her results were unchanged from her previous scan. She will continue to be monitored with another scan in 3 months. Heidi was able to take the day off to help them with everything that was going on and see them off back to Greenville. Please continue to pray for them as they deal with their various health issues.

Before & After

Tomorrow is Tom's birthday. Seeing as we all have either work or school, I made a cake today. Here are some before and after photos. I also tried to make Heidi's chicken cacciatore recipe with the polenta. The cacciatore was fine but I misjudged the timing of the polenta. It was described by the kids as having a glue like consistency.... Heidi's was really good. Not glue like at all. Oh well, at least the carrot cake was a hit.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good bye...

Parting is such sweet sorrow and Sunday was the day of exodus. After a week of work, fabulous food, fun and much laughter, it was time to head out. But first I must reflect over this past week. We had such a great time with each other and with all the people that provided help, whether on the roof or with providing food. Heidi (our own "Miss Martha") spoiled us with such delicious food that we are thinking of starting a Murdock Roofing Cookbook. Maybe I shouldn't tell you that she used Jack Daniel's to marinate the ribs, and various other spirits in her cooking. Jacob told her that he was a little concerned with liver toxicity. Of course it would also have to include Ballock's fudge, orange marmelade cake, and pasta recipes ( we aren't sure about including the green bean soup recipe, we left before he brought that one over,) and other recipes from the ladies of the Crossroads Marvelous Meal Ministry (like Jan's homemade rolls.) Besides the food, much entertainment and comic relief was provided from Heidi's husband, Scott. (I wonder where he gets all his material from??) A close second in the entertainment department was Tom, Alison's husband, (he is his own material.) Mark did a great job of heading up all the projects and keeping us on track ( something akin to herding ants) and doing some on the job training. Let's just say that Tom no longer has an excuse when Alison wants a home improvement project done.
Anyway, after church on Sunday we gathered one last time for another round of pictures since we all were not present for the 50th photos. I wish we had a picture of the camera set ups as they were precariously perched on a ladder with flip flops under the cameras for final adjustments. At one point, Hannah's camera lost its balance and fell into Alison's camera and they both managed to take pictures on their descent to the ground, but not of us. But after much ado, we accomplished the task. The first two pictures are of our famous porta potty in case you couln't tell.

Raise the Roof - Day 7

Work continued on the kitchen floor. This presented some challenges to the cooking staff. Head chef Heidi threw in the towel on Wednesday night and pizza was ordered. However nothing can stop Jenyl when chocolate cake is the goal. The grandchildren were spreading mulch today - although I did hear screaming and Samantha and the word "wheelies" when the tractor was being used. We have been painting, putting up new baseboards, and modeling socks. No, that is not a typo. And, yes, the neighbors know we are crazy....New levels of craziness may have been reached as Tom was seen operating the saw WITHOUT SUPERVISION!!!!!

Raise the Roof- Day Floor

Mom and I were the first up and off to Pittsburgh bright and early for her CT scan and doctor's appointment. While the scan showed no clear evidence of cancer the doctor is watching her weight loss and other issues closely and we follow up again in another 3 months. Please continue to keep Mom and Dad in your prayers. While Mom and I were in Pittsburgh, Scott called to clarify how Mom wanted the flooring to go in the Den. The men did a great job and by the time we got home Tom, Scott and Ian were finishing the den and Mark and Jacob were moving into the kitchen. Since they made such great progress the Murdock women met on the deck to discuss the next project. This prompted the men to slow down and insist that the kitchen floor would take longer than we thought! The grill got a much deserved rest this afternoon as a fabulous lunch was delivered by Joyce Keeley. The Sloppy Joe's and Dee's coleslaw were delicious and inhaled by our hungry workers. Jan Nelson delivered more of her wonderful homemade rolls that we have been enjoying all week. The satellite hook up was restored and a very joyful noise was made by the Enokian, Arisman and Dolinich grandchildren...

Monday started bright and early. We had many helpers, all of whom came to work and work hard. A fabulous lunch was delivered and enjoyed by all. It became clear that we were making great progress. The only reason we did not finish the job on Monday was because we ran out of materials. As we enjoyed dinner that night we reassessed the goals for the week. So, now we are going to paint my parents' bedroom, put wood flooring in the kitchen and den, install a bathroom fan and a new kitchen vent, finish cleaning out the attic of the barn, and, (just to push Scott over the edge) put in a brick walk from the deck to the back porch. All before Saturday so we can have a few days to relax.

Raise the Roof - Day 2

Sunday was a day of "rest" which meant that, after church,we did some hard time in the attic of the barn sorting through our accumulated treasures. We have to take advantage of that dumpster you know. Of course, Heidi just moved her treasure from the attic to her car. (Scott will be moving it to the attic of their garage and someday Ian and Nick will be moving it........) I've been in a "throw it out" kind of mood. Tom finished up his second summer tour in Texas and had arranged to fly into Pittsburgh. Scott made the drive to the airport while I took the girls to see a production of "Into the Woods" by GACT - Greenville Area Community Theater. This is the same group that I did "South Pacific" with in 1982 - yes, unbelievably, 27 years ago. Heidi and Teresa continued to do amazing things in the kitchen putting Mom's new grill through an initiation that could almost be consider hazing. I think they might have even grilled the iced tea? We ended the evening with a multigenerational game of Phase 10 - although Jacob was the only male brave enough to take on Heidi, who has a reputation for being rather ruthless. It was Teresa's rookie game and she whipped us all.

Raising the Roof - Day 1 Part 2 extra

A few more pictures...

Raise the Roof - Day 1 Part 2

We were off to a good start today. It is amazing how the Lord brings together the right people at the right time. Billy, who none of us knew, was here before I was out of bed. He heard about our little project through our friend Bill Messer and asked if he could help too because he thinks roofing is fun (God bless him). Even though he didn't know us, he knew just about everyone else who came to help out. By the time the shingle lifting crane thing arrived we had plenty of people on the roof to unload them. Amongst our tireless workers were Chuck Murrin, Buster Grabb, his sister Eileen Trump (a faithful helper to Mom), Bill Messer and his brother-in-law Billy, and last but not least Lewy Hough. We all worked well together and yes we actually did have a lot of fun. We were blessed with skilled and hard working volunteers, and Mark was pleased with the progress we made today.

Raise the Roof - Day 1 Part 1 extra

Just one more picture. I couldn't resist....

Raise The Roof - Day 1 part 1

By the time I arrive in Greenville today, work was wrapping up. The crew had accomplished more than I imagined was possible in one day! Jenyl will update about that later. I was here for the moving of the port-0-potty. Yes! We are most excited about our brand new flushable john. But in typical Murdock fashion, it did not stay put. We had to move it around to get the best possible location. And , for your amusement, we have pictures.

Up On The Roof... There's room enough for two(or a few more)

We were all home the other weekend for a celebration of Dad & Mom's 50th anniversary, we are making this a summer long celebration. Dick Miller was kind enough to take some family photos. August 1st is fast approaching and the entire family & a few friends will be up for the entire week to put on a new roof on the house. Please be in prayer for a safe and productive week and since were asking 70 degrees partly cloudy and no rain would be nice as well. Feel free to stop in and encourage us during the week. Mom has officially graduated from Chemotherapy and we are so thankful that all went well- God has been so good to us. She will miss her weekly outing and chatting with all her Chemo friends and nurses but is happy to be done. Her next scan will be August 5th along with a doctor's appointment in Pittsburgh. Please continue to be in prayer for us all as we strive to glorify God in this situation. The following are some excerpts from my daily devotional for today.

He has overcome the world

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33 NKJV

The hope that God offers is unchanging, unshakable, and unending.

“You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence” (71:5 NASB).

There is never a time when we may not hope in God. Whatever our necessities, however great our difficulties, and though to all appearance help is impossible, yet our business is to hope in God, and it will be found that it is not in vain. George Mueller

Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord, let my hopes always reside in You. If I become discouraged, let me turn to You. If I grow tired, let me find strength in You. You are my Father, and I will place my faith, my trust, and my hopes in You. Amen

Ding Dong Bell, Scotty's in the well!

Scott and I are up to pick up the boys who have had a week long of fun and work helping to pick up lots of sticks, burning the burn pile and coon hunting. Coon hunting was very successful and they helped to thin the population a little or so they say! Scott did a few projects while we were here. The window wells are now covered and the dryer vent moved so as to keep the rain out of the basement and the dryer. Of course as is typical for the Murdock family there was quite a lot of customization that went into the project to allow for garden hose accessibility and cutting out for the deck! Fortunately Scott is used to the simple things taking longer than expected.

WalMart Disaster, Daughter in Doghouse

Well! It finally happened. One of the daughters had an accident with THE LEXUS. No one was hurt. Except the car. Which in the Murdock household is a BIG DEAL! At least to Dad. All I can say is thank goodness it wasn't me driving.....

Cherry Jubilee

Mom got away for some cherry picking this morning. That means that we have spent the afternoon pitting cherries. So, while Dad was watching Gunsmoke, Mom and Tommy and I tackled the cherries. Tommy had a blast with the cherry pitter, while Mom & I opted for the slower, less violent thumb method. There might be cherry pie tonight!!!

IN HONOR

I know this is short notice but....
Tonight there will be a hymn sing and dessert in honor of Mom & Dad and in joyous occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. It will be held at Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church at 805 Vernon Road in Greenville at 7pm. All are welcome to come and fellowship in song and celebration.

Celebrating the Golden Couple- Happy 50th!

Happy Memorial Day! Scott and I and the kids were up to visit this weekend. As usual there was lots of things to do and much excitement. A snapping turtle was found on the road and transported back to the little creek- Nick was great at finding it in the mud to show everyone. The dogs broke free of their new pen. They also managed to corner a raccon and tear apart a rotted stump in the process back in the woods. Mom was wanting the raccoon population thinned out a little as they are getting out of control. Nick, Ian and Scott managed then to get rid of the coon. Gardens were mulched, faucets fixed and a myriad of other things were ticked off the list. We had Dad out for a lovely drive in the convertible for some frozen custard from Hanks. There was only a little smoke from the engine but we made it back in one piece. Mom and Dad will celebrate 50 wonderful years of marriage on the 29th so please flood the blog with your well wishes.

Springtime in Greenville

Greetings on this semi-sunny Mother's Day. Hannah and I came up for the weekend to spend this special day with Mom. Mom is doing well although her hair is thinning out more. She has had 10 chemo treatments and has 8 to go. Dad seems to be more confused and in need of more help to do things. Mom continues to need your prayers not only for her own health concerns but for strength physically and mentally as Dad's care can be both demanding and stressful. I wanted to share with you some of Mom's gardening work and why she (any several others...more on this later) are working to clean up from the Amish logging mess. I confess these pictures are from previous years but it still looks the same.

For those of you who maybe didn't understand the title of the last post, let me explain. After Mom and Dad started attending Crossroads Christian Fellowship, they missed seeing some people from their former church and Jeanne Ball's playing of the traditional hymns. As a result, she started hosting hymn sings with attendance up to 25 people. Desserts and fingerfoods follow and good times are had by all. She has been doing this for four years now. So that is why it was especially nice that for a change, she was sung to. (If I ended that sentence wrongly with a preposition I admit that I was never really good at English.)

The Queen of Hymn Sings Gets Sung To

Mom and Dad received a special blessing on Good Friday. Five Amish buggies pulled in their driveway, horses were hitched to the trees and in came about 30 Amish, half of them infants and children. They then proceeded to have an Amish hymn sing and sang to Mom and Dad. They sang in English this time and all acappella of course. They sang and visited for about an hour. Amazingly compared to our children, theirs sat quietly in their parents' laps the entire time. A lot of the hymns were familiar Christian hymns but frequently the tunes varied as well as some of the verses. There were also a few unfamiliar songs. I have had the pleasure of being here one other time when a group of young adults came and sang around Christmas. That particular time they sang in their Amish German dialect. Unfortunately photography was banned at this event so we aren't able to share some of the sights that came with the sounds. The picture above was one I took a couple of years ago. So you will have to use your imagination from there. As the buggies were pulling out, the horses in the field across the road got excited and started running around the field as if to challenge them to a race around the bend.

And now for the events of the day....

Mom's chemo went well although she is starting to experience some thinning of her hair and as expected, her blood counts are down. Caleb was sick and running a temperature all day. Please be in prayer that Mom & Dad don't get whatever he has. All preventive measures are being taken that can be. And yes, Wendy, I did ask him if he drank any of the creek water.

Romper, Stomper, Bomper Boo, Tell Me, Tell Me Tell Me Do....

Well Mom got her scan results back and the results are good. They did not see any more tumors and commented on the surgical work that had been done. She will continue with her same Chemotherapy regimen which she is tolerating well. We will follow up with another scan in about 4 months. Do you know the TV show the title is from and do you remember the entire introduction? She said my name one day and I really believed that she saw me!

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support you have been Galatians 6:10 in action.

Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Hey Doc Why Didn't You....

Mom had a good checkup with Dr. Moser yesterday. He was very happy with how she was doing. Her incision is well healed and he is happy with how the chemotherapy is going. She has lost a little weight and Mom told him that he should have performed a little tummy tuck while he was in there anyway! He was glad to see that her sense of humor was back. She has a scan scheduled for next week and also in another 4 months. She is enrolled in a research study involving a lengthy questionaire. She gave them my name as a back up to call if they need to remind her to fill it out.. so I not sure who is truely enrolled. Thanks for all the prayers and acts of kindness. Please keep Dad in your prayers as well as he may be coming down with a sinus infection.

Upcoming Appointments

Mom completed her 2nd round of chemo last Friday so she has this Friday off. As expected, her white blood count and other counts are down. She is headed to Pittsburgh tomorrow for a follow-up appointment with her surgeon, Dr. Moser. She is also scheduled for a CAT scan on April 6th to see if the chemo that she is taking is working. If it is not, they will have to switch to a different drug. Please pray that the chemo that she is currently on is working. She seems to be tolerating it and hasn't had the typical side effects.

The Working Hard and the Hardly Working...

You be the Judge! A special disclaimer: although she is not in the pictures Alison did work hard, but someone had to take the pictures.... (she made me type this)!