Wrapping Up the Year

These past several weeks have been so full of celebrations, traditions, friends and good times that there’s been no time to sit and even reflect on all our blessings. 

Kory turned 69 before Thanksgiving, which means I now have less than a year to plan an appropriate 70^th birthday party for him.  When Kaleb was born, Kory did the math and started joking right away that when Kaleb grows up and turns 15 and needs to learn to drive, he’ll be “an old man trying to teach him.”  I guess when you are 55, looking out toward 70, it seems old, but now that he’s almost there, he just laughs and wonders why he ever thought 70 was so old because he sure doesn’t feel it.  Thank God for that. (Photo below is of Kaleb teaching Kory about Facebook and email - which is all he wanted for his birthday....)

Kory had his one year post-stent check up with the cardiologist a few weeks ago.  Thankfully, he is now off blood thinners and his numbers all look good.  His total cholesterol is 128 but his HDL had dropped so the doc told him he needs to raise it.  He told him he should take fish oil, as that will help raise the HDL, so Kory asked if he could have some “fish with that oil,” as he’s so tired of being fat free and vegan.  I tend to have a big say over all things concerning his health, so I told him if he starts exercising, he might get treated every now and then with a bit of salmon.  That got him going.  He’s been doing five miles on the elliptical several times a week, so hallelujah for that.  He’s never been motivated much to exercise, but it’s so critical to keep his heart healthy.  His mantra has been a take-off of those beggars on the side of the street with signs that say “will work for food” but his has been “will run for fish.”

The cardiologist joked that Kory and I should lead seminars for all his patients on how to eat properly with heart disease, but he’s sure no one could be as diligent as Kory’s been.  I’d have to agree, but I’m still experimenting with recipes and I’ve found several things worth making again, so our horizons are expanding.

We had a bountiful Thanksgiving feast that was all fat free vegan except the turkey and gravy, but no one would have ever known if I hadn’t pointed it out.  Everyone ate until they were stuffed and the party lasted well into the night.  We were thankful for many things this year, but mostly that Kory is still with us.

I downsized our Christmas traditions this year, everything from not fully decorating, to not even making a Christmas card and cutting out a few of our annual events.  We are only home a few months before we take off again and there’s too much to do between times, so simplifying was the only way it would work.  And it worked just fine.  Christmas comes whether we’re fully prepared for it or not and this year felt much like ones in the past as the families we always share it with were with us and Santa even showed up on Christmas Eve.

Kaleb turned 14 a few weeks ago and just this week finished an on-line Honors Biology course with Johns Hopkins University.  It’s a one-year course he completed in less than two months but he worked on it for five to six hours a day in order to do that.  Since it’s a class that requires the internet, he had to finish it before we take off on our next trip.  He got an A-, which is pretty amazing in my mind since it was so detailed and technical with all kinds of fancy words I’d never remember.  He’s still doing a little math, piano and writing a novel, but they took a back seat to completing that class.  We’re all glad that’s behind us.  He’ll start up Honors Algebra II when we return in March.

The biggest thing to happen in the last month is that God has dropped the opportunity in a lifetime into Kaleb’s lap.  I was just wondering what to do with him since he’s now completed all the high school science classes a kid can take, yet he loves science and wants to learn more.  Through a mutual friend, we found out about a physicist living in LaConner that is more than happy to mentor him!  He’s also offered him an apprenticeship and wants him to learn the programming language he uses so he can help with some of the research he does for Johns Hopkins University!  Small world and boy do we feel blessed.   While we are on our road trip, the physicist will write a grant to get Kaleb his own MAC loaded with the software so they will be ready to roll when we get back.  It’s a win/win as the scientist believes he’ll be able to justify paying Kaleb for his work in a few years, and Kaleb will get to spend time sitting at the feet of “the master.”  This was a gift from God, for sure, and we feel very blessed by it.

Life is good even with the challenges we faced this year.  We have friends, a home, food in the cupboard and adventures that await - so we are anxious to see what the new year brings.  The best part is knowing God will be with us, no matter what.