CRAZY BUSY

That pretty much sums up life around here lately. We are slammed. How does it happen so quickly? I am crazy busy at work. The foreclosure buyers are out in huge numbers. The "flippers" have been bored to tears for two years and are itching to get back in the game. A few of the properties are a lower dollar value . . . ha . . in S. Florida that means they are under 200K. I have met some sweet people and some crazies as well. Today I am juggling and negotiating 5 contracts. That is a praise as early in the year I was uncomfortably quiet. Dale is slammed as well. He has lighting jobs backed up to April at this point and is working in Palm Beach on some entertainment lighting.

Another praise is the new church we have been visiting. Treasure Coast Presb. Church is a small PCA church in a little historic building in the downtown area near the water. We Love It!! It took awhile to find it but God is good and led us there at the right time and for the right reasons. The youth, both middle school and high school are pretty strong. C wants to be there all the time. They are going on a mission trip to the Gulf Coast hurricane hit area to minister to areas that are still in need, neighborhood ministry, clean up, etc. M feels a bit left out as his age does not have as much going on at this point. Small world. The pastor and his wife were married at CSPC and her parents still live in Village Green. I think this church has been the missing peice for the last couple years here in S. Fl.

One last note and I have to run. My sis-in-law has started aggressive chemo. She is a stage 4 with her cancer and rather than double post, we started a blog for her updates. They have friends and family all over the country and a blog seemed to be the best answer for updates. Please check it out regularly and pray for her and her family as they walk through this part of her "story". http://www.sharonjewett.blogspot.com/ and feel free to post and introduce yourself. Her department at the hospital had a prayer meeting for her in the hospital chapel. Keep in mind that even though we are in the "south" part of the US . . S. Fl is FAR removed from the Bible Belt. God is very much at work through this illness in Sharon's life.

Have a great week.

Update on Sharon

I thought I would give a quick update on my sis-in-law, Sharon. She has had a bunch of tests this week and we found out today the cancer is in the liver as well. She gets her port placed on MOnday and will begin Chemo right away. They are going to have to be very aggressive in her treatment as this cancer is a meanie. Please continue to pray for her and her family. Her oldest is planning a wedding in August and is taking her to her appts, etc. Her youngest is in pre-med at FSU and wants to be home and not finish the semester. Her hubby is staying strong and they have a SUPeR support group with their church family. We were not able to connect there but they have been absolutely surrounded with love, etc. The picture above is a couple years old but it will put a face with a prayer. Thanks.

I'M TRYING . . . REALLY!

I really am trying to post on this lonely little blog more and more. I cannot always promise pictures but if you will be happy with my words . . anyone who knows me knows I have plenty of those!!!
So this weekend was CRAZY!! The kiddos had a swim meet in a nearby town (no overnight travel, yea!!) They had to be at the pool by 7:45 each morning (Saturday and Sunday) and the meet was over by 12 noon. My phone must have rung about 10x Sat morning and 4 or 5 times Sunday morning . . all business calls. yikes. I got back to as many people as possible. I am currently working about 40 foreclosure homes and the calls pour in. I have become a bit . . . um . . I will call it professionally direct but others may call it cold. Bottom line . . I am not wasting my time running all over South Florida so show a home to someone who has all of $500 in the bank and a lousy credit score. Sorry. Not going there. Ask the kids. Not happening.

The kids had an excellent meet. Especially C. He lowered all of his times . . . some by 4 seconds . . which is huge in the world of swimming. He really needed it. He had one swim, the 50yd breast stroke, where I saw a side of him I have never seen. He is defiately on the small side, in height and weight and he is on the blocks with these large boys . . but he has good techinique so that often compensates. As he was coming into the first turn, the other boys were already on their way back to the wall. So sad really, but let me tell you . . the look on his face was intense . . which of course was accentuated with the goggles. To put it crudely . . he was PISSED! It was like one of those slow motion life moments. He knew he had "left it all in the pool" as his coach says. He truly gave it all he had. The other swimmers were just bigger and stronger. The anger I saw on him was on one level disturbing but on another level, refreshing. The bottom line is he came in last in his heat . . but shaved 4 seconds off his best time. He had to pull something from deep within himself . . although it did stem from anger/frustration, that neither his coach nor I could give him. He had to do it himself. Growing up. *sigh*

The afternoon? I met two buyers at two foreclosure. Wrote an offer on one and am getting an offer with deposit on a second one tomorrow. Manna

We did have a hard week this last week in our family and our small S. Fl family. My sister in law who has been down here a couple years longer than us, was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. Ugh. They tested 5 lymph nodes and it was positive in all five. Ugh again. Sharon is 53 and a respiratory therapist at the local hospital. She has been able to sort of circumnavigate the system and get a lot of tests run early. She had a bone scan and that came back fine. Praise God! She has a PET scan on Monday and a MRI on Tuesday. Please pray for clear results. She will meet with the oncologist later this week. Needless to say this has rocked their world. My neice is planning a wedding in August and my other neice is at FSU in pre Med. Please pray for them.

Thats about it. D and I are both working hard and the kids are working themselves into more and more responsibilities at home. That's a good thing.
One more happy note. We have started visiting a small PCA church here locally. Small world. . the pastor and his wife were married at Cedar Springs. It is a small church, the teaching is rich, the music is . . . new to us . . more praise and worship with instruments/piano but the childrens programs are pretty large. (considering the size of the church) The middle school has a strong program and C BEGS to go. Now the younger two want to go as well. All the time. Our new routine is to get up on Sunday like it is a school day, get ready, go to Panerea Bread for bagels, sweet rolls, etc, go to the service at 9:30 and be home by 11:30.

Okay . . I'm done.
Remember Sharon in prayer.
Thanks.