Please pray for Joel & here's another Memory Lane Monday~

So it's Monday and finally, Joel's surgery is scheduled to happen this afternoon. It has been such a long ordeal. So many times, I've wondered if we are doing something wrong by moving forward with this. His surgery was cancelled by anesthesia in June. Given his gastrointestinal history {premature birth with necrotizing enterocolitis and bowel perforation as an infant resulting in multiple abdominal surgeries and a colostomy}, and the fact that he had blood present in his stool the night before surgery in June, they felt it best to do some tests and reschedule. It's been such a difficult thing. No one wants to take responsibility for this...his pediatrician ordered the tests but then initially refused to clear him for surgery even after they came back clear as a bell. Anesthesia wouldn't approve the surgery until another doctor would...again, even though his tests were perfect. The surgeon felt the blood was a "non event" or strictly isolated. But still, we were made to visit a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. He was a God send though. Loved him. And really, am relieved to have one for the future if needed. His words to me were, "This is crazy. Blood in his stool? One time? And they cancelled his surgery for it? This is crazy." So he was really nice about all we've been through trying to get this surgery done. And he cleared him on the spot.

But you know me. I start to wonder and worry that we are doing something wrong. That maybe we are facing headwind because this isn't God's plan for us. But then I have to remember that God's people walk by faith and not by sight. And that as we pray and trust Him to lead us, He will do so within His will for us. He will keep us as He wants us to be...and so we rest in that.

Please pray for Joel and for us. He is supposed to not run, play, jump, etc for 9-12 days postoperatively. Huh? So, this will be a challenge. But I can deal with all of that. It's just giving my baby over to strangers to put him to sleep, manage his breathing, and operate on his body! Once that's over and done with, I think I will manage! So we ask for and appreciate your prayers today and throughout the coming days. I will update here asap and will do so as things happen via Facebook.

And now, Memory Lane Monday:

This is the 5th entry from my dad's photo journal~

In the summer of 1960, we moved to 3770 Larkspur Terrace near Glenwood Road. I started school at Peachcrest Elementary. My first grade teacher was Mrs. Sigenthaller. Her son is a big time newscaster with ABC today in New York. We lived here two years and watched Towers High School get built.

My girlfriend in the first grade was Deborah Sims who would later marry my cousin Tommy Willingham. I was the fastest runner in the first grade. We had presidential relays and tests in competition for various areas to try to get kids in better shape physically. These were some good days.

It was during this time in my life that I had the best time with our cousins, especially the ones in Statesboro where Nana and Papa {my mother's parents} lived. Mama's real mother died when she was a little girl and Papa remarried less than a year later being as how he had 6 kids and all. This was the first house where we had an outdoor pool, which had no filter and went green many times a summer. Dad never got the hang of chlorine and such. One time we had about 100 tadpoles growing in the pool which we had drained down to just a couple of inches of water. Really stunk bad!!! Al was born while we were here and we needed a bigger place, so we moved. Again.

By the way, 3770 was our house number here and also later at Rockbridge Road. This is a picture of the fence that circled the house. It had, still does, barbed tops and one day I dared Tony to hit Paula with a toy hoe. He chased her around the house and yard where she tried to jump the fence. The barb got her leg where she needed 4 stitches. But the big trouble came when he hit her on the head where she needed another 3-4 in her scalp. I got in trouble for daring him, but Tony got the brunt of the belt.

A man came along one day with a pony, a Shetland pony, and we got dressed up in our cowboy outfits and sat on the pony and had our pictures made. Mom still has this picture today.

We walked to school, one and a half miles. I clocked it when I made the pics for this book. Seemed like 3-4 back then but, it was a different time then, and kids weren't snatched away like they are today. One of the best highlights of our days at Larkspur, was going to the Glenwood drive-in which was just down the street. We saw every Tarzan, Flipper, and Elvis movie that came out. I was a good time. There were swing sets, huge ones and round about merry go rounds that you pushed, not electrical, with many monkey bars. Mom would pop corn, bring burgers and cokes and we would sit on the roof of the car, in front of the car or watch the movie from the playground area. I saw "The Ten Commandments" here.

Glen Haven Baptist Church was just around the corner and though we did not go regularly, we did go some. My mom and dad were married by Brother Randy Hardeman at that church and this is where your father and mother met first.

The picture below is an area at the end of the street where your uncle Tony set fire to the woods, ran home to tell me he couldn't keep it from spreading and I called the fire department. He got a major spanking for this.