A wedding

Isn't this a beautiful scene? We attended a wedding recently and the reception was at a marina on East Lake Tohopekaliga (or Toho), St. Cloud, FL. We enjoyed the view very much.

It was cold enough outside that we didn't stay there long but it was still beautiful.

Deb worked with both Aaron and Katie at Campus Crusade for Christ. They married here but now live and work in Ohio.

Vernon got to travel to Atlanta for a business trip one day this week. And he surprised his mother before leaving the city by taking her a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. The donuts could have been an early birthday celebration but we didn't think of that until now. Her birthday is the 28th.

We are approaching Feb. 4 , the 3rd anniversary of Vernon's heart transplant. Three years have passed quickly in one way. And yet when I think of all that has transpired since that day, it seems like it has been a long time. We both remain very thankful for the gift the McKinnon family shared with us.

Weekend Guests

Last Friday evening we welcomed to Orlando Vernon's brother, Richard, his wife, Susan, and their daughter, Morgan. We enjoyed dinner together at a Pizzaria Uno. Morgan made her own pizza to be baked for her to eat. In this pic she is wearing the plastic apron that was supplied. In front of her on the table is the pizza dough spread with sauce. She hasn't added the cheese yet. Doesn't she look pleased to be making her own pizza? While Morgan wasn't wearing her new Minnie Mouse hat, Richard put it on his head and posed.

There was a balloon artist in the restaurant. Look at what he made to wear on his head, some kind of alien. He's making something for Morgan to wear. She let him decide after he asked her questions like her favorite color. Can you tell what he's making?

Morgan approved of it - a castle!

Here's another view. Notice he drew on the balloons with red marker to make it look more like a castle.

Now her pizza has arrived and she's ready to eat it.

Here's the bee I asked the guy to make for me. Cute, isn't it? I chose a bee because Deborah in Hebrew means "bee".

Saturday morning they left our house by 8:30 to spend the day at the Magic Kingdom. Morgan is dressed for it. She took her autograph book along and got quite a few signatures of the Disney characters. It was perfect weather and even a full moon that night.

Sunday noon we ate at Cheescake Factory and celebrated Vernon's birthday a day early. He doesn't look very happy in this photo but the picture I took when he was smiling didn't turn out. He also could look unhappy because we were singing to him. Ha!

Our guests returned home Monday morning. Since Morgan is home-schooled, they didn't have to leave on Sunday or have her miss a day at public school.

We didn't celebrate Vernon's birthday on Monday because he didn't feel good that night. In fact, he slept several hours after getting home from work. We hope to celebrate with friends this weekend. Maybe I can get a happy picture of him to show you.

Great visit to Shands

Sunday afternoon Vernon and I drove to Gainesville to spend the night in advance of his clinic appointment with Dr. Hill Monday morning. We like to have extra time at Shands in order to visit the two areas that he spent lots of time during the 10 months we were there. Here are 3 of the CICU nurses we saw that night. We shared hugs and heard, "You look great!" They always thank us for stopping by, explaining they seldom see a patient after they leave CICU, and when the patient leaves, they aren't in good health yet. And recently there have been some deaths, so to see a healthy former patient really encourages them. Of course, we are glad to do that!

We were well-stocked with Dove chocolates, Werther's creamy caramels and Reisen chocolate caramels. Vernon offers candy to everyone he meets, even on the elevator. Some doctors or nurses people don't recognize Vernon until they see the candy and then we hear, "Oh you're the candy man."

This picture shows Jean, our post-transplant coordinator, with Vernon in the clinic examination room. She is the one we call with any questions. She assists Dr. Hill and gives us expert care and attention. One outcome of the office visit was some medications were changed. He's now off Slo-Niacin, which has a very unpleasant side effect: hot flashes. He won't miss that torment.
Vernon is very happy while we're at Shands, whether we are talking to nurses or doctors we know or meeting new patients (he talked to 2 men waiting for transplant) or even family members of patients. We encouraged one family group whose father/grandfather/husband was in emergency surgery by telling them how excellent the surgeons and the nurses are. Of course, the fact that he'd recieved heart transplant there nearly 3 years ago added weight to what he said. We first talked to them Sunday evening and were glad to learn Monday noon from one of the family that he'd come through surgery well at 6 AM.

We enjoyed this trip to Shands very much and look forward to the next one, Feb. 18. That one will involve a biopsy to check for any rejection and "full study" to check all the functioning of Vernon's heart.

Happy New Year

Vernon and I spent the first day of this year at home all day. He's sick with a cold and is coughing a lot so was either in bed or in the recliner. I enjoyed taking down some of our Christmas decorations and reorganizing the storage. We ate the traditional black-eyed peas and turnip greens for dinner.

I worked only Monday this week but Vernon has the week off. He isn't happy to be spending it sick, though. This next Monday we are scheduled to be at Shands in Gainesville for an appointment with his heart transplant doctor. It is just a check-up It is 7 months since we were there last. Depending on how he feels tomorrow, we might ask to delay the appointment.

Family Christmas photos

Since the title of this entry is "family" Christmas photos, how does this picture qualify? Morgan, our 10 year old niece, drew it and I think she draws quite well. Don't you?

Morgan is playing a game on the computer while her grandmother watches.

This is the view from the other side.

Morgan's mother, Susan, is glad to get her feet up at the end of the day but much more glad to have her other daughter, Emily Ann, home for Christmas from Cincinnati. Emmy faced ice-covered roads to get home, alone except for her cat, Daisy.

Sisters Emily Ann and Morgan are glad to be together again.

Emmy's cat loves to sit in her lap.

Singing carols on Christmas Eve.

Vernon and I prepared a breakfast casserole on Christmas Eve that would bake while we opened stockings Christmas morning. I held the camera for this picture. Emily Ann took the next one.

Morgan is delighted to get to choose a chocolate from the box that Emily Ann brought.

Emily Ann & Daisy

Christmas morning, waiting for Richard, Vernon's brother, to say we could enter the family room where the tree and presents waited. Three generations: Morgan, her mother, Susan, Emily Ann and Grandma Brady.

This is how the room looked. The presents were arranged this way by Morgan so the cats had tunnels to explore.

Morgan was thrilled to find Santa had brought the American Girl Tree House for her doll, Kitt.

Emily Ann displays a cat-themed quilt her mother made.

Morgan is holding an ornament that she gave her grandmother. If I remember correctly, Morgan used her own money to purchase this gift.

This is a quilt we gave Vernon's mother. It was made by a quilter and donated as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. I thought it appropriate to purchase since Vernon had radiation this year and my mother is undergoing chemo. She's had 3 rounds and the chemo has successfully stopped stage 4 liver cancer from growing.

Vernon's brother, Richard, and his daughter, Morgan, enjoy a break from opening gifts.

Morgan brought one of the books she received to dinner, walking to the table while reading and sitting very still while waiting to eat.

Notice she's sitting on her feet. She's wearing clothes she received for Christmas.

Morgan and her doll are modeling matching nightgowns.

The Bradys ready for Christmas dinner. Merry Christmas everyone!