Dengue Fever

David got back from Haiti on Saturday night.

 

He just lead a team of 17 people on one of the best trips to Haiti to date.

The team got along great, worked hard, and rolled with the punches when things didn't go as planned.  David could not have asked for a smoother trip. 

 

Unfortunately, David developed some troubling symptoms on Sunday night.  Nausea, fever, intense back pain.  So we headed to the doctor first thing Monday morning.  I was concerned about chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness that's sweeping the Carribean right now.  It causes extreme muscle and joint pain and comes with a fever. 

 

However, when we got to the doctor's office, David's symptoms were making the doctor way more concerned about black water fever (a form of malaria).  Initial test results came seemed to indicate this was possible.  But tests showed it might not be.  With the conflicting results, we waited for the labs to come back.  They ruled out malaria, black water fever, and a parasite.  They did not, however,  rule out chikungunya or dengue fever.

 

Tuesday David started complaining about his back itching.  I told him it looked like his sunburn was starting to peel.  That night, he developed a horrible headache.  He kept telling me it was hurting behind his eyes.

 

Wednesday, David had me look at his back again - said it was really itching.  I looked and he had red splotches across his shoulders. It wasn't peeling.  He had a rash.

 

I pulled up the symptoms of the two things the tests did NOT rule out, and...ding! ding! ding!

 

Dengue Fever!

 

It looks like it's a relatively mild case, as these things go.  It could be much worse.  David has felt pretty cruddy this week, but all he can do is wait for it to pass while treating the symptoms.  So he's taking it easy this week (and I'm making him!!).  But we're so relieved it's not something more serious. 

 

So, we're catching up on our time together, and working hard on getting David better as quickly as possible.

Photobooth Time

At the beginning of June, our church moved into a new building.  A small Baptist church in the area had a building, but few people.  We had a lot of people, but no building.  They proposed that we merge.  Both churches prayed and discussed.  An agreement was reached. And we agreed to buy the building for the amount owed.

 

Then a week later, someone stepped up and paid the balance owed on the building.  Yup.  We move in debt free.

 

With the two churches merging, we've been trying to get to know each other.  And after the merger, lots of new people have been coming to the church, trying it out.  So to facilitate everyone getting to know each other better, for the entire month of July, we had a cookout after church - free burgers and dogs - dubbed "Meat and Greet."  It was a tremendous hit and people are getting to know each other.

 

Today was the last "Meat and Greet" and someone donated a photobooth.  How cool is that?

Here's out family collage (and the individuals pics as well).

A huge group of girls from the youth group crammed in the booth as well.

Bekah, Cadie, Mikayla, Melissa, Elisabeth, Lauryn, Rachel and Sarah (and then a photobomb by Caleb on the last frame).

Lydia hopped in the photobooth with Oliva and Hope.  They took sets of pics so each of them could keep a set.

Silly girls.  And Hope and Lydia took some of just the two of them too.

All the staff at the church/mission were told to get their photobooth collage pics made for the church to use as well.  So this is David's "professional" pic for the Mission.  Ha ha!!  I love it!!

I have the hottest husband in the history of husbands!!

 

So this is the fun we had at the last Meat and Greet today.  Just wanted to share. 

Hornet Camp

 This morning, Lydia went to Hornet Camp - an orientation for incoming 6th graders at the middle school.

 How is my baby going to middle school?

(Shaking my head...)

Shawna and I worked out a plan where I would drop off Cassidy and Lydia in the morning, so she could go to work, she would pick up Cassidy and Lydia in the afternoon so I wouldn't have to get off work early.  

Perfect plan for these best friends!!

 So, we headed to the school.  Quick good-byes and "good luck" in the car. And they were off!

 

Lydia has reported back that all went well, and she already knows who she wants as her teacher!  She's looking forward to middle school.

Play Date Fashion Show

Now that my girls are in middle school, do I call them "play dates" anymore?  

I don't know.

But it sounded better than "Friends Came Over For the Afternoon Fashion Show."

 

Kennedy was in charge of everyone's outfits (and apparently with posing Rebekah, who refused to do model poses).

Hope (Lydia's friend) and Kennedy (Bekah's friend) came over for some afternoon hang-out time.  And after the lovely fashion show, we headed to the snow cone stand for some sno-balls.

A perfect afternoon!!

New Glasses

Just a quick post to show off the girls' new glasses that came in while we were gone.

 Super cute!!

 

A Visit from the Ramseys

You know a great way to top off a great vacation?  Getting a visit from your favorite cousin!!  David's cousin Scott, and his wife, Julie, and son, Aidan, joined us for a long weekend this past weekend.  And you know what?  We had such a great time together that we didn't really take many pictures.  That's the best kind of good time...you know...where you're talking and laughing and having a great time, you don't really want to stop for pictures. 

But we did manage to get a few.  We went to downtown Franklin for some yummy dinner at McCreary's and some Sweet Cece's.  While we were finishing our frozen yogurt, Lydia got thirsty and popped into Starbucks for some water.  She cracked me up drinking her water out of that Starbucks cup. 

Now, Julie is a fanatic for cake.  And if you like cake, it just follows that you would like cupcakes.  Well, Franklin is known for IveyCake - a high end cupcake shop that catered Carrie Underwood's wedding. 

They were closed by the time everyone got in on Saturday, and closed on Sunday, too.  Why is this important?  Because that little fact is what helped us convince Scott and Julie to stay until Tuesday!!

So Monday morning, I joined them on my lunch break so that we could visit Ivey Cake for some yummy goodness. Rebekah got the "Good Kisser" (mint chocolate cupcake).  Aidan and I actually got the same. 

Lydia got the BFF (cookies and cream cupcake).  Julie got a little "I do" (wedding cupcake) and a little "bad kisser" (chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting).  It was so incredibly rich.  Oh my gosh.  I didn't even finish it and it was still too much!  Definitely something to share!

Either way, it was a super sweet way to top off our long weekend with cousins we haven't seen in WAY TOO LONG.  Counting down to the next visit!!