Family Events

Family Events:
The beginning of 2009 has been the start of a dream realized! With about 40 worshippers, Claire and I celebrated the launching of the new year in a worship service and fellowship dinner at the church. Jet lag was still very much present, and so we slept in on new year's day until almost noon -- something neither of us could remember doing since it had been so long ago when we last slept that late. And thus our actual retirement began. Although we miss interaction with friends and students, neither of us have missed for a moment the rigorous schedule of preparing for and meeting classes each day. In fact, for the first time in both our adult lives we are sleeping in until sometime between eight and ten o'clock most mornings. To be sure, my sleep issues with the diabetic neuropathy limit my sleep time severely at one stretch. But earlier that period was about four hours with heavy sleeping pills, and much less if I failed to take the medication at bed time; now it is about five to seven hours without medication. So I'm usually up by five to six o'clock and manage to work in an hour or so of further sleep before Claire awakens and we eat breakfast together. That early getting up time is the opportunity for a cup of coffee and some reading, along with catching up on the news through the TV. My goal is to add several new words to my German vocabulary on a daily basis. Some of you may see my Skype connection activate before midnight your time, if you're still up working at your computer. Don't expect me to make much sense in conversation though, if you call me at that time.

On the health front, my situation amazingly continues to improve with the passing of time. My weight loss continues at a slow, healthy pace. I'm now down to around 215 to 220 pounds or 95 to 97 kilos. And that from 255 pounds about eighteen months ago. Clothes that I haven't been able to wear in years fit wonderfully well now; others nearly fall off me with all the weight reduction, mostly in the stomach area. It's been since I was less than 25 years old when my weight was at this level. The blood pressure levels are averaging about 130 over 74 for the month of January with a heart rate of 69. The blood sugar levels are down to about a 110 average with measurements three to four times daily. The twice daily injection of Byetta continues working its magic. And I'm so grateful.

Claire has not had quite as much success with her health. She has had a couple of bouts with vertigo since we arrived. Thus, with these instances coming about a week apart just after arriving, she was able to sleep an extra amount of time in order to get past the dizziness. Not having job pressures made it easier to cope with the illness. Last fall was such a high stressful nightmare for her that most likely she is going to have the ups and downs in the early months of suddenly moving from extremely high stress to hardly any stress at all. But she is transitioning into retirement remarkably well and enjoying every minute of it. God has been good to us by allowing this earlier retirement, in order to let her escape all the job pressures she has experienced most of her adult life. Her life long ambition has been to be just a home maker, and finally she is getting to realize this dream.

Please continue to pray for us and for our transition both into retirement life and living in the German culture. We are enjoying the move beyond what words can describe, but do encounter numerous challenges along the way as we adjust to our new life.

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