Dain's eyes

Today was our 1st consultation with the ophthalmologist, Dr. C. She did a very thorough examination of Dain's eyes, including dilation. There was one test she did with prisms to measure the extent of Dain's crossing. 1 is perfectly straight, with 50 being as bad as you can get. Well... guess what, Dain measured a 50.
Technically, Dain has what is called Strabismus, which means the 2 eyes don't line up. The form of strabismus he has is a mixture of Congenital and Accommodative Esotropia (eye turns inward). He also has a chance of developing Amblyopia, (or may already have it) which means that he sees better out of one eye than the other (thus the patching to prevent it).
Dr. C said that with patients in the 30 - 50 range, she typically recommends surgery. So, here we go! So far we haven't nailed down the time-frame for the actual surgery. However, Dr. C wanted to do a few more measurements to make sure that his degree of crossing stays steady. She has also recommended that we get a CT scan done in order to rule out the minute possibility of any neurological problems that could cause the strabismus.
Please pray that God will give us wisdom in moving forward, and for peace for Dain's mommy and daddy who are a bit apprehensive about the prospect of their little boy having any kind of surgery.

More pictures of Dain

Respecting and Remembering 9/11

This evening the TV happened to be tuned to the History channel. There was a program on (it's actually been running for 20 minutes as I write this) called "102 minutes that changed America." It is footage from that awful day 7 years ago. I made it through the first 15 minutes of it and had to turn it off. Watching it made me feel as I felt exactly 7 years ago when we watched it live on TV. My heart is in my throat and I still have wet tears on my face.
What happened to the righteous anger that we had 7 years ago? What happened to our passion for justice? Why should terrorists, who have no consideration for the right to live of the thousands of people they killed that day, be granted "rights" today?
On one hand, it is very hard to remember what happened that day. No one likes to re-visit the pain, the tears, the incredible suffering and death that took place. However, maybe it can serve to rekindle that passion, that anger, that love of our country!
Today, let's take some time to remember those who unwittingly lost their lives because of terrorists, those who willingly gave theirs to save some that would have otherwise been lost, and to pray for all the families that lost someone because of that terrible day of tragedy.
Let's also look forward to the future... the bright, beautiful future of living in this country, this gift from God, who has said, "Vengeance is mine."

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I saw this book at Costco, then heard lots about it, so I decided to give it a try.

I really enjoyed this book.

The story is about a young man who suffers a major loss and then finds himself working with a circus. At the circus he meets my favorite character of the story, Rosie, who also excited my sympathy.

There were parts of the story that I did not like, such as animal cruelty and a "sex scene" which is why I rated the book a 4.

However, the story puts an interesting spin on life during the Depression.

I enjoyed reading it very much and have already passed it along to another reader.


View all my reviews.

New Pictures

Well, we broke down and bought a new digital camera. We've been using one that we bought 6 years ago for approx. $400, and it doesn't do half of what a $150 digital camera does today. So I played with the new one quite a bit and got some cute pictures. Enjoy!

Dain in our front yard by the flower bed. He practically posed for this one!

Our one and only kitty, Butters. Doing what he does best... being cute and cuddly. Oh yeah, and sleeping. He does that a lot.

Goofing around outside.

This is a rare moment indeed... Dain is not pulling Butters' tail, and Butters is not running away. Yet.

Silly boy!

Heeeee's Baaaack!

Hooray!
The little terror we traveled with to Nebraska(aka Dain) is gone! Back is the sweet little boy we're used to. Laugh and play all day... with the occasional mishap... Welcome back, son! At least for today. :)

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Although this book had a very slow start (it took me a few days to actually get into it), once it got going it was captivating. Stephen King once again strikes with horror... only this time it is the horror inside the human psyche. It is a very dark novel, but provides light at the end of the tunnel. I would recommend this book to someone who doesn't mind dark reading and has the time to invest in a good book.


View all my reviews.

Road Trip, Labor Day and pictures

Well, yesterday we got home from a short road trip to NE. We went for Jeremy's childhood friend Brandon's wedding on Saturday, in which Jeremy was a groomsman. I was designated as Dain-chaser. Dain was not a very easy kid to travel with, and we caught our first glimpses of the two's, which seem to be starting a bit early! He learned how to throw a tantrum to a captive audience (in the car) which gave Mommy and Daddy a headache! I'm so thankful that the trip is over! Unfortunately, there were no pictures taken in NE.

Today, after a nice long sleep (even Dain slept in till almost 8 am) we decided to go to the zoo since Jeremy has the day off. We met up with my parents and 2 of Dain's cousins. Here are a few pictures from it:

I guess this is from Jeremy playing with the camera or something.

Here's Dain with Grandpa on his first Carousel ride ever! He was a bit unsure but liked it by the end of the ride.

Jeremy and Dain at the playground at the zoo. Dain loved the slide!

Dain and Jeremy watching the grizzly play underwater. What a cool exhibit!