For the last couple of years, our family has been making use of some of the Advent traditions to help us focus on the true meaning of the Christmas season. Although I’m generally committed to waiting until after Thanksgiving (which is one of my favorite holidays!) to let my Advent/Christmas juices start flowing, the guys at The Rabbit Room have gotten me off to an early start. This post about Living Between Two Advents is the kickoff for a “Virtual Advent Wreath” series of weekly posts they’re going to be having. I’m really looking forward to it!
Checking In
I realized today that I haven’t posted an update on the house for a few days. It’s just that pictures of the various layers of the drywall process aren’t distinguishable from one another. However, though I haven’t pictures to post, I can report that we are making progress!
We have a few ceiling joints that need one last layer of mud. Hopefully, Jonathan will be able to finish up that tonight and we’ll get the rest sanded. Work is running late, so we’ll see how much we get done before we crash. We’re planning to paint the ceiling tomorrow, and hope to be able to get both coats done so that we can move over the beds and such on Saturday and start sleeping in our new house! We’ll paint the walls next week probably, but we can scoot furniture away from the walls for that.
No profound thoughts from me today, but this post from Molly shook my boat (she has that way about her, I’m finding).
Drywall
Last week we started drywalling our new room. Monday night, Jonathan and I worked on it some Monday night, but were only able to get a sheet and a half up on the ceiling. Tuesday, Jonathan and his dad got quite a bit done. 
Then Wednesday, Alan and Joe (and their lovely families) came over. The guys worked together and got almost the whole room drywalled!
And no, it didn’t take three of them to put up every piece, but they were obliging and posed for me.
Then, while I was gone this weekend for the doula training, Jonathan and Joe finished the drywall and got on a first coat of mud. Yay! Yesterday afternoon we went over and started the 2nd coat. Later in the evening, Dad Smith helped finish up the 2nd coat.
Serious progress!
Barn Dance
Recently our dear friends Alan and Sue hosted their annual fall barn dance. It is always a great time of fellowship and good wholesome fun, and this year was no exception!
Though it was disappointing to not be able to dance (still not quite recovered from surgery at that point), I had a wonderful time and took lots of pictures. Please excuse the spots… our camera doesn’t seem to like cooler work conditions.
We stayed late visiting after the dance (of course!) and Stephen and Gracie T. had nice time playing and reading together. Aren’t they cute?!
Do you see what they have in common when it comes to reading?
Please pray for Noah!
I have lots of updates, and hope to get to a few of them tomorrow. But for the moment, I’m just logging in to ask you to please pray for little Noah Estes. He’s dangerously sick right now.
Happy Veterans Day
Thank you to all who have given of themselves for our freedom.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nJTqpKlZ9U&hl=en&fs=1]
Some friends of ours
… were on the front page of the St. Louis paper today. Here’s the article – be sure to watch the video as well as read the article!
And a Thank You
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmHgwjXlsPY&hl=en&fs=1]
Inspiring Story
A Marine friend of mine got a link to this story from one of the eyewitnesses. Unfortunately, this is the kind of story you don’t hear on the news…
Corpsman saves life of drowning Iraqi boy
By Lance Cpl. Achilles Tsantarliotis
1st Battalion, 3rd Marines
KARMAH, Iraq (September 28, 2008) – Corpsmen are often considered the medical ray of light for Marines in a combat zone.
Sometimes their light shines bright enough to reach local Iraqis in need, whether it is during a routine combined medical engagement, or for one Iraqi child who almost drowned, on the spot emergency medical attention that saved his life.
Navy Chief Roger Buck, a 34-year-old battalion medical chief from Niceville, Fla., with Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, saw the limp child cradled in his father’s arms during an Iraqi key-leadership, joint-forces dismounted patrol.
Buck ran toward the boy and immediately began administering CPR on the drown victim.
“(Our) interpreter explained I was like a doctor,” said Buck. “They told us they found him face first in a canal. He had a light, faint pulse. I tried to calm the parents down then immediately started applying medical treatment. I cleared his airway and started giving him CPR.”
Within a few minutes the boy regained consciousness, coughed up water and was taken to a local hospital for follow on care.
“He did everything he should have,” said Gunnery Sgt. John Schidlmeier, a platoon leader with Lava Dog Assesment Reaction Team, 1st Bn., 3rd Marines. “His actions were admirable; especially for the situation. He reacted even though he was posting security—made sure a Marine took his position and treated the kid immediately.”
Buck said he was merely in the right place at the right time and just doing his job, and the look of gratitude and appreciation on the terrified parents was all the thanks he needed.
Buck insisted that all corpsmen carry a great load of responsibilities, starting from the first day of corpsman training, to adapt and be versatile with varying situations. To him, it was just another day of life in the operating forces.
“I was just happy I could bring the kid back,” he said.
Days later, the battalion recognized Buck’s heroic actions and awarded him a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his reactive measures and successful treatment.
“There are a thousand things a day that corpsmen do that go unseen,” he said. “It’s always good to save a life. You don’t always get to save everyone, so when you do it’s very rewarding.”