this weekend... julito meets flora

operation puppylift; codeword: i love poopiesss!!!

friday, january 22, 11 am: one of our west coast operatives known by the notorious e-bay handle, fat harry tuna (aka franco the great pro) will fly east to jacksonville, fla to pick up and deliver...

one miniature dinosaur!!! i am going to die i'm so excited!

ever since n and i have been married we've wanted a baby dino and now our dream is finally coming true!!! how did this happen??? flora needs a baby brother and she was supposed to get one before we moved her folks to NM; there has never been a right time for all of us so we figured it's now or never. he was born around turkey day and will be 9 weeks old when we meet him on saturday. OMG. i can't wait!!!!!! we thought about a rescue, but my father-in-law is samuraimasterblackbeltpuppytrainer and insists on gettin' em young. i will be his protege. ah-so. be it noted that he is being extra nice as he wanted a black and white bully named cisco, but has let me have my way (i've always wanted a red staffie!!!!!!)and says it will be rockie's and n's dog. aw man. i can't believe it, can you? we know the little guy will be all of ours to cuddle and kiss and he has his AKC canine good citizen big sister frances (wally's newest name) to learn from. this is the first time n has said we could get a dog and is actually excited. it's a dream come true, folks.

what should we name our little butter cup??? his dad is mr. pibb and his mama is holly. you can see them under "our boys" and "our girls" at rockstaffs.com.

please vote or give suggestions, we need help!!!

A. Julio
B. Willie (Wilbur)
C. Redjack
D. Ollie (Oliver)
E. Billy
F. Pancho
G. Cloud
H. Paco
I. Ferdinand
J. Other... help! he'll be here in 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

winter update

last thursday n got a mini-surgery to get a port-o-catheter inserted into his chest so he can get IV nutrition since his weight has dropped so low once again. the docs and we don't know what else to try to help him get stronger in order to keep getting treatments to fight the pernicious lyme and other autoimmune/liver problems. n has a high risk of developing clots so we hadn't wanted to get a high risk line put in him unless there were no other choices. so here we are. the IV runs over 6 hours on a pump that fits into a backpack.

the surgery was nervewracking and more intense that i expected. the port is under his skin and they told us a needle would need to be inserted (by me!) into the port each time he gets hooked up to the IV. my knees got weak when they told me this. what i had done before (4 years ago when he had this same treatment) was connecting tubes that come out of his skin and using screwtop syringes and tubing with a very sanitary and precise method. the nurse trains you and then you're on your own. that was enough stress to keep me awake at nights. fortunately this nurse assured us that they would be putting a needle in that would stay all week and we just hook him up to the tubing, keep the line clean and patent, program the pump etc, etc. that's what's happening and it's going.... okay. it's a hard adjustment and n feels crummy today taking in so much liquid. they are going to make changes so he isn't so nauseated.

holding down the fort. this weekend i went to my office and abducted all of my unused plastic drawers and teaching tubs, washed them out, made labels and set up a nicely organized medical station in our bedroom for the ease of nurses, parents and myself. i am in awe that all this is going on. it's overwhelming, but full of the grace of Jesus. amazing grace. n is such a MAN.

today was a snow day so i got to stay home. actually i worked a lot here since i missed 2 days last week to help n. we have an excellent nurse who comes once a week to change the dressing, draw labs and check on us. a couple boxloads of medical supplies (including the IV formulas) arrive from coram healthcare weekly via courier. we get vitamin IVs from the doc and do those once a week. it's an intense regime.

commander of the fort and pack leader-- our hero, johnny d. no one knows how much he does for us and others; we are eternally grateful for his unending, humble service to us and to so many. he is amazing (and so is his woman, the great cho who keeps us smiling everyday) his reward in heaven will be GREAT!!!

speaking of our pack we are expecting a new addition this weekend. something special is coming our way at a time that may seem crazy, but we are ready for this most blessed distraction. most importantly n is excited. stay tuned. i will need your input.

have mercy

does anyone want to sponsor a little girl named mercy?

a couple of months ago nathanael read an article in world vision magazine encouraging all WV child sponsors (we have a "son" in myanmar) to find one other person to sponsor a new child. n took this earnestly and immediately called world vision to request an information packet on a child in need. unfortunately, world vision mistakenly, but apologetically, added this child to our account. we would LOVE to sponsor mercy, but cannot at this time. is anyone interested?

mercy pinyoloya is 7 years old. she lives in koro-bobi region of uganda with her sister and parents who struggle to provide for the family. she does not attend school. her main chore is carrying water, and she loves to jump rope. she lives in a community severely impacted by the HIV/AIDS crisis. this means that mercy is a "hope child" (a child who lives in an HIV/AIDS affected community). here is what a $35 per month donation will provide for a "hope child" like mercy:

-clean water

-nutritious food

-healthcare, including AIDS prevention

-educational opportunities (usually they provide materials and uniforms for kids to attend school... wouldn't that be amazing for mercy?)

-spiritual nurture

-care for sick or dying parent

-HIV and AIDS counselling

uganda is such an intense country, ravaged this past decade by a rebel army known for kidnapping children by night and making them child soldiers forced to do things to community and family members that are unspeakable. here is an article where i first learned about it: children at war. anytime i feel sorry for myself, i think back to this article i read in a WV magazine 5 years ago. nothing could be worse than such a life of survival-- parents sending children to travel each night to "safety zones" to sleep to avoid the terror of kidnapping, torture, enslavement, rape and mutilation. how awful that this rebel army, the Lord's Resistance Army, has now moved into the DR Congo, Southern Sudan and Central African Republic. there are so many kids in all of these countries who need sponsoring. i really wish i could do it and i'm sure i will someday!

if you are interested in sponsoring mercy please let me know. if you are interested in learning more about world vision, check out their website: worldvision.org. they are an internationally reputable, christian, non-profit humanitarian organization; my father-in-law has worked for them for nearly 30 years and can testify to their excellent stewardship caring for children, families and communities around the world. they also have the most moving and best gift catalogue in the world... you can buy goats, chickens, soccer balls, sewing machines, music lessons, job training, business loans, counselling and other gifts in honor of others: wv gift catalogue. it's amazing and great when you don't know what to get for someone.

here is one of many letters over the years from our "son" aung in myanmar. he calls me "auntie roxie" and informs me that he is studying for university entrance exams, which i think is high school in myanmar. i've sponsored him since he was 6 so it's amazing to see his yearly progress pictures over the years. if you want to search for other adorable, beautiful children who need sponsorship check out world vision's well-organized sponsorship page: sponsor a child!

thanks for reading!

too many potatoes

this is when you know.

i put one in the oven one day and look what happened. is it art or a sign to change dietary starches? actually i turned the corner in a gallery and he was resting in a kiva. creeepy...

we brined the heritage turkey in the cooler. sure was yummy...

tubbery had a nice birthday and thanks you all for your greetings, cards and unexpected gifts.

tomorrow we go to the hemotologist. i'm on winter break and franco's in town, feebird just left. it's been wonderful to be with family even though i get to be a bit of an emotional case as does happen during the holidays... and other days in between. sorry i have had no time for cards, emails, or winter greetings, but i do think of you all very often.

on another note, n's friend jeff the treasure hunter came over with some goods to show including:
-one bowie knife with an ivory hilt carved into a mexican highwayman complete with bandolero and the seal of mexico on his fitted coat (sorry, no photo-- it was incredible)
-one spanish pistol decorated with silver dragons and morrocan-influenced scroll work (n is holding above)
-one native american fetish-- a piece of jet carved into a little bear (a gift for n, my bear, from jeffrey)
n was quite blessed as he loves ammunition and ancient things. jeff commented that he looked like billy the kid on his bed artfully awaiting pat garrett and company. he thought n's pistol handling was eerily good and wondered about his past life. that's my cowboy! we'll keep you posted on how he's doing.

nathanael: my beloved and my friend

i remember the night n suffered the seizure that left him with a broken spine in 3 places. i curled up on the floor of the icu waiting room, sobbed and begged God not to take him home yet. he was unconscious and i didn't know why. he was 29 years old and i remember opening my bible and feeling an urgency to read psalm 30. it says in verse 3: "O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit." i remember feeling it was a promise that n would turn 30.

here he is in my little house in tacoma (2003) before we were married. he came over and we cooked lots of curries on that little stove.

i then proceeded to read psalm 31 and begged God for him to please reach 31, too, even though it says in verse 10: "For my life is spent with sorrow And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my iniquity, And my body has wasted away." But it also says in the end: "Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD."

these are awesome scriptures for us since we've both asked Jesus to come into our lives. they aren't just poetry for us since now "we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7.

every sunday after church we ate at vien dong with friends. it was wonderful except when you ate pho and your arms went numb and you couldn't drive home. scary!

here is our first house in lakewood. we spent our honeymoon there. basically, i moved in and we were happy enough with that. n was too sick to go anywhere. we still technically have reservations at the B&B we were supposed to go to. maybe someday, but i'm pretty much over it by now!

tomorrow (december 5th) n-ie pie turns 32 and i am rejoicing. not because i talked God into anything (although He says the prayers of the righteous avail much... and HE is that righteousness!), but because i am so grateful for each day with my man.

n is so amazing and takes such good care of me. people say i take great care of him (thank you, Lord for the HELP), but HE is an excellent and incredible husband. he cares for me like no one else and covers me with love deeper than anything i've known on this earth.

"Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?" i read this verse and always want to say it's me! it's me! with tubbery! we are in the wilderness, but we are together!

"Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised." Song of Songs 8:5-7

what can i say to a man like this? a beautiful scottish, irish lad of superior intellect, taste and humor. happy birthday, bear! each day with you is a gift and you are your namesake! nathan = gift/ a-el= of God!

you have been through so much and i am honored to be on this journey with you.


i don't know what's ahead of us, but i know God is faithful and true, i know His promises are forever, and i know it is Him we are leaning on in this wilderness.

"This is my beloved and this is my friend..." Song of Songs 5:16

cho's day

hello everyone, it's scoobie bear here. this month it was my mom's birfday and rockie forgot to post my post. i lub my mom.

rockie and n call her cho cuz i guess n made that up when he was little but it doesn't seem too spectful to me. anyhoo, my dad took her to taos to get away from it all including me which wasn't too nice. i slept with rockie all night on her head and snored a lot cuz i have a fat neck that makes it hard to breathe. she got a little mad at me one time so i went under the covers to soften her heart but it just made her hot. i do this with my mom everynight of our lives and she gets mad too even though i'm so cute cuz she sayz it hurts her back and makes her roast. i like to sleep in a big bed even though i am little and have my own wallybed.

that's my dad on the rio grande. i wanted to go but i couldn't cuz i have hurty legs.one weekend there was a dog show after my dog class and some dogs had to wear silly outfits but not me cuz i'm a big girl.

in my very last class i passed my akc canine good citizenship test and i was real good when people came up to shake my mom's hand even with their dogs and treats but right after i passed the boring test i was ready to kill a squirrell.

good night, weirdos.