Hi! Yesterday we attended the baptism for Chloe Marie and Allison Ann Popanz, daughters of our good friends Tony and Cee Cee Popanz. Tony was one of my roommates when I studied in Ireland. He is also a godfather for our oldest daughter, Aubrey. Kelly and I were very honored to return the favor and serve as two of the four godparents for his beautiful baby girls. This is the best picture we got with our camera. As you can see, Jack found a way to sneak into the picture of the babies, parents, and godparents. We had no idea he was standing there until pictures were over! : )
I watched a little football over the weekend I was glad to see that Notre Dame has shown improvements in another losing effort. They might squeak out a win or two sometime this season. And Nebraska managed to pull off an upset over perennial gridiron powerhouse, Ball State. I was impressed that they showed so much heart and perseverance a week after their heartbreaking nailbiter loss to USC. We Husker fans have to be so grateful to AD Steve Pederson for recognizing the countless flaws in Nebraska's 30-year-old tradition of winning and for his brave willingness to make decisions during the past four years that ensure the Big Red will not succumb to mediocrity. ; )
I resume my radiation schedule again today. Ugh. The only good thing about it is the nice older couple who is always in the waiting room when we arrive. We kind of have our own personal support group. The husband, who is there to support his wife through her treatments for advanced colon cancer, says things that just make me crack up. The other day, the wife was complaining of leg pain she has been having. I asked if it was caused by the tumors pinching her nerves. She nodded yes, but her husband interrupted: "I think it's caused by her hemorrhoids," he blurts out. It was all I could do to keep a straight face. That might not seem very funny to anyone else, but you take what you can get when you're in an oncologist's waiting room!
On a more serious note, I heard a story this weekend about the parents of an old grade-school classmate. Evidently, the husband had fallen and broken his rib recently. The doctors performed a chest x-ray while patching him up and discovered a lung cancer lesion. It was in its early stages so the doctors could remove it surgically and he will not need radiation or chemotherapy. Talk about serendipity. I was sorry to hear about the discovery of the cancer, but at the same time I also was overwhelmed with gratitude that they caught it early. This couple has been so supportive of me during the last nine months; maybe God heard all the prayers they said for me and chose to answer by helping them catch his cancer while it was still curable. That would be something good.
Jeff
9 comments:
Jeff and Kelly,
Thanks for the mention and the nice pic. We are so privileged to have you both as godparents to our daughters Allison and Chloe. God has bestowed two precious miracles under our care, and we picked godparents like you who show unflagging faith, hope, and love, because it is our duty to ensure that they get the best caregiving we can secure for them.
God's Blessings to All,
Tony and CeeCee Popanz
Hi Jeff,
Your football commentary is hysterical. Thanks for keeping us posted on your progress.
Sincerely, Mark and Katie
Hi Dodds! Loved the picture of the family and sneaky Jack. Tony congrats on the girls - hope to meet them someday. Jeff, I hear from Kelly you're talking about an Ireland reunion. Count me in... can't believe its been 15 years. Wow! Continued prayers and best wishes for your successful treatment and miminal side effects. Love Katie and Ed
just wanted to stop and say Hi and let you know that my family and I think about you every day.
Jeff, Thanks for the wonderful picture - what a special day. We're so happy for Tony and CeeCee.
I hope your treatments are going well this week and there aren't too many side effects. How's the physical therapy going? You're in our daily thoughts and prayers. Our love to the family,
Meaghen & Brendan
Hi Jeff!
It's been quite awhile since I put a note on the blog but I do keep checking in. I like the photos! Fun to see your kids, and Tony's, too. My take on ND football is that this season is merely one long practice. I'm hoping for better next year. At least the Packers are doing well again. That's been fun to watch.
Brian and I keep you and your family in our prayers. We'll add a note for God about the latest nausea. You may not know that Brian-the-farmer and I got married on August 18th. We're just over one month in and so far so good. :) Getting ready for the wedding kept us busy all summer.
God Bless!
Nicki
sitting here rehearsing my singing on itunes. thought i'd post a hello. hope treatments are going as good possible for you this week. just realized yesterday michael's wedding is only a week away...wow! looking forward to seeing you and all there! love you very much! your sis,
michelle
Hello Milwaukee Peoples, I read the blogs faithfully, but never post comments; it took me a second to remember my password, so here goes...I don't really know what to write, so I'll just give you and update of what's going on in my world ok. First off, prayers go out to you all the time from down south. At St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Hartselle, Alabama says prayers for you out loud during service during "prayers for the people" and "Jeff and Kelly and their children" is on the prayer list and printed on every handout every week for church too. Sometimes people are on a prayer list for a while or is added and no one is familiar with such person, but we pray anyway. Ashton has a cross from his baptism hanging on a wall of crosses at the church. I took the picture that Kelly gave me of your most recent family photo and I have it on the cross wall secured directly behind Ashton's shiny silver cross. I feel that maybe the family photo on a wall of crosses could help out and also, people down south here can put faces to the prayers. We think about you guys all the time down here. And now for something completely different... I got shot today! My "not getting shot streak" was officially broken today; let me explain. We train all the time in the police dept. With real bullets and fake bullets. During real firing my "not getting shot streak" is still going (which is good right). But my training with simunitions went differently today. During police academy I went through a week of firing and never got shot, during active shooter school I never got shot, and today I was in another active shooter school and during the course of the whole day...I finally got shot. Active shooter school is where you go through real buildings and have real bad guys to deal with (other police). You use simunitions which are real bullets with paint ball tips with bright pink paint. Good guys and bad guys wear vests, gloves, crotch guards, helmets, and hoods. So there are some exposed areas. (and it's still about 90 degrees here daily, so the gear is very sweaty and hot too). Anyhoo, you go through as if you were in a Columbine type situation (and other scenarios). I remained unscathed today for 3 of the scenarios in a row and then on my fourth and last scenario, "POW", I got shot! Of course it wasn't on anywhere padded or protected mind you, I was shot on the front thigh near my groin area. It hurt, is still red, but I'm glad it was all scenario because that probably would have made me bleed out in real life. That is a main artery area ya know. That's about it for now I guess, tomorrow is me and Amy's 10th wedding anniversary, we will be trying to celebrate it somewhat on Sunday though, Amy has court for a shoplifter tomorrow and for my unit there will be only one other besides me so I wasn't allowed to take off for the #10. Talk to ya'll later!
Can't wait to see you guys in a week. It will be nice to have everyone together. We are almost done with the Home Improvement saga. We'll have pics of the place when we get to Lincoln.
Have a safe trip down.
Talk to you all soon-
Patrick and Tracy
Post a Comment