Friday, June 6, 2008

Fun Stories

I have to share a few fun stories for the day.

1. Bryan Hanna told us this story through email the other day. On Sunday morning Bryan & Lisa took Zeke to church with them. As they were pulling into the parking lot, Zeke spotted Valerie Shoup a few car lengths away. As Zeke hopped out of the car he yelled over, 'Hey Mrs. Valerie...my mommy & daddy have moved to Germany!' I guess he thinks that Brad & I moved & he & his sister have permanently moved in with his 'brother Jack & sister Callie.' I can tell by his enthusiastic statements that he is really broken up over the idea too. HA!

2. I called my parents the other day to check on the kids and to see how everyone was getting on without us. Mom put Kaelyn on the phone to listen to me talk to her. I said, 'Hi Kaelyn..I miss you!' She replied with a 'Hi!' Yea! Another first...I've never heard her say that before! It was so cute! I miss the kids so much...Brad & I are VERY ready to see them at this point....we can't wait for Tuesday!!

3. Sandra, David, (& now me because Brad got a roommate in his hospital room) are staying in an 'apartment' next door to the hospital. I should preface this story with saying that my mother-in-law is not a 'roughing it' kind of woman. The 'apartment' (as they call it) is about 8 feet by 10 feet in length. So, it's a little small to say the least & we'll say that the amenities are not up to Sandra's expectations. No tv. No phone. 2 pillows (there are 3 of us). She seemed very shocked after the first day when the 'maid' didn't make the beds or clean the room. I told her that I didn't think the apartments had a maid. She seemed surprised when she unfolded her towel to find that it was the size of a large washcloth. 'I'm supposed to dry what with this?' By day 2 we were completely out of toilet paper. Sandra was less than amused when I told her the Germans are big on recycling and she might was to consider using her towel/washcloth. David & Sandra were also surprised to find that the apartment didn't offer any soap. My resourceful father-in-law went down the hall to a mini-kitchen and found some Palmalive which he now uses a multi-purpose soap. The Palmalive is now used by him as a dish-cleanser, a body wash, and (this is the best) a shampoo!

Because I moved into the apartment with them last night, I got the fancy bed (with an actual mattress) while David and Sandra share the fold-out couch thing. The couch is similar to the big foam kid chairs that fold out into a bed. There is about 3 inches of foam seperating Nonnie and Granddad from the floor. David said it was the 'safe bed'... no worries about anyone falling from the bed and injuring themself. Plus the mattress is about 3 feet wide so there is quite a bit of 'togetherness' on that couch. David claimed that Sandra slept diagnally across the bed last night (taking up his 15 inches of space) but I told him that I didn't think that it was possible to lay diagonally on that bed (it't not wide enough).

4. Oh, and Brad is doing well. We left him for quite a while today to go out and see the city. He didn't sleep at all last night so we were hoping that if we left him alone he would rest some. So, I guess we are now praying for a good night's rest for everyone tonight.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

We are praying for you guys! And please tell Brad that the Cox family's brown thumbs have managed to keep the flowers alive and kickin! We have been removed from duty until your visitors leave, so let's hope they can keep up the pace!

Jamie

debralynne said...

I love your stories. They will be such memories for you all. Take care and enjoy as much as you can while you're there.

david said...

Brad & Jenny,

While I've not taken my spouse to Germany for cancer treatment, I do share your emotions, so many of them. They all came back to me as I read of your experiences, talking with Drs & staff whose English is difficult to understand if at all, watching your spouse be wheeled into surgery with no one you have met before, learning to trust that this is where you should be, doing what you should be doing, sleeping in cramped quarters without most of the comforts of home.

Let me say this, the Lord is with you, trust Him to be there. It will come to be an experience of His presence like you have never had before. Know all our prayers continue with you night and day. As Brad said, it will all be used for His glory.

Our prayers, thoughts, and hopes remain with you.

david & kim

SheridanLeftwich said...

Kind of sounds like that apartment we stayed in in Cebu! Ha! At least there aren't roosters. Wasn't it roosters that woke us up very early every morning? You have to laugh at crazy living conditions. Even though they sure aren't always funny at the time.

In all seriousness. I can't imagine. Your courage and strength is amazing. I would be a complete mess. I see Jesus in you and your ability to let God have control of this situation, and the peace that you have. Your faith is such an example for all of us. As our prayers go up, may the blessings come down. We love you guys.

sarahdawn said...

I got this fabulous mental image of Snadra trying to sleep on Vivie's Dora bed! Thanks for sharing the funny stuff. We are in constant prayer for you all. I was on your blog recently and Paris wanted to know who that was. I said "That's mommy's friend Brad and all of his family." Her eyes got all big and she says "The one we pray for?" I think she was in awe. Love you guys!

Perks said...

I'm trying my hardest not to wake the girls up from their nap with my giggles. The mental image of Brad's sweet parents trying to sleep on that "bed" is too much.

I'm praying for everyone on the trip now!! :)

much love...

tamandscott said...

I love you guys because of your faith in each other and your mutual faith in our God! This is definitely another step in revealing God's glory to so many of us. Continued prayers from Fort Worth (not Dallas, Brad--it is not all the same).

On another note--iodine--hmmm, maybe a quick dip in that for me would keep me from looking so scared of the sun?

Scott

Lisa Hanna said...

While I"m reading about David and Sandra in that apartment, I"m picturing you guys and us in that hut in the mountains in Thailand...may be similar!!
We are missing you guys, and sad that the kiddos are leaving tomorrow, but we know you'll be so happy to see them!!