Hello again!

It's been a month since the last blog post (posted by Nikki) and enough is enough! To tell you the truth, I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that we are in a new year (shew!). Our holiday in the Cederberg was wonderful but, as always, definitely not long enough! My face is improving daily but the vision in my left eye is still blurred and I battle to focus so I tend to get very tired by the end of the day. But I am confident it will all come right soon.

The children have settled back into their routines at school - Hannah in Grade 2, Megs and Dan are in the same Grade R class (loving it!) and Sydney is being a very brave Tiger in Grade 0 / Tigers Class.

Nix is as amazing as ever. She is positive and strong and full of wit (how did you like her last post?) even though her new chemo makes her quite nauseous and tired. The doctors told her that she would lose her hair permanently after the intensive radiation she underwent in July / August last year. They said the dosage and intensity would permanently damage the hair follicles. As usual, she didn't accept their diagnosis and her hair is now growing back beautifully, with a lovely blonde streak down the middle parting!!!

Our mom went in on Friday for a 3rd operation on her arm after she broke it a year ago. This time they removed the titanium pin and screws they put in initially and replaced it with a plate and about 10 screws along the length of the humerus. They had to do a bone graft where one of the screws had worn the bone away. She came home from hospital yesterday and, although still very tender and nauseous from the anaesthetic (don't I know that feeling?!?!), she says that her arm already feels better. If you examine the xrays taken this time around, you can see that the bone had not bonded at all in a year. The doctors are not sure it ever will now so the plate will hold everything together for her.

Col 1:9-12 is VCC's scripture for the year, hence it is ours too:

"We ask God to give you complete understanding of what He wants to do in your lives, and we ask Him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honour and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things to others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with His glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people." (New Life Bible)