Still on the couch

I have asked Shannon several times if he would update the blog for me.  Can you guess his answer?  It was an obvious no.  That is why I'm laying here on the couch doing an update.  I don't really have much to say due to the fact that I'm still on the couch.  I found out Monday that I had a bladder infection and I've been in a lot of pain from that.  I went back to the doctor on Wednesday because of the pain and I was told to take my medicine and stay down until Tuesday.

While laying on the couch I've been thinking a lot about Ecuador and how much I miss it.  And then I think, when I finally get back there will I be thinking about how much I miss the states.  It really is a crazy feeling.  I love Ecuador but I don't like all the legal stuff that has to been done with we get there.  I don't like that a law can change overnight with on notice.  As of right now we have no visas, our drivers licenses have expired, and our tags/taxes on our car is due.  We have no place to live and we don't even have a place to stay when we get there.  Ethan asked us the other day where we were going to stay when we got there and we told him that we didn't have a clue and he said don't you think you need to be figuring that out because we are leaving in three months.  Ethan is just like me, he doesn't want to wait until the last minute to make plans.  He needs a plan in place.  With that being said, one of the hardest things that I've learned this year in the states is just to trust God.  Often times we worry over things that we have no control over and it's such a waste of time.  I'm sure when it gets closer we'll have everything taken care of because God has a plan for us and we trust Him.

I've really been aggravated since being home because of my health issues.  It seems like I haven't been able to do all the things that I've wanted to do or see the people that I've wanted to see because of health problems. Every time I turn around it's something else.  But I'm believing that this will be the end of it and I will be 100% by the time we get back to Ecuador.  So, as soon as I'm released from the couch I plan on being busy seeing friends and family.

And we have a newsletter due to go out the end of this month but I haven't been able to work on it due to the fact I'm back on pain medication.  Wouldn't you love to read a newsletter that I wrote on pain meds.  haha!  Speaking of pain meds, I'm on them right now, so if this whole post doesn't make since you'll know why.

On a happy note we are at 90% and are on schedule to leave in August.  Yay!

And here's a picture just because it makes my heart happy.

WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR?

Sharing!

Friends are for sharing.  We share stories, life's ups and downs, card games, pots of coffee, late night movies, bus rides, vacations and now blogs.

Thank you Susan for sharing!

Now Susan will die when she reads this.  But I have access to her blog and can write what I want to.  And I want to write about our friendship.  This will require some bragging on her. She doesn't like that.  She hates attention.  She never really tells you her struggles, hurts or successes.  That's just how she is.  

My husband and I met the Pruitts in Costa Rica in language school.  They are salt of the earth real people.  And we love them.  Their friendship was mentally sustaining while we struggled to learn Spanish in a foreign country.  We became great friends and have a hundred stories to prove it. We now serve in different areas of the world but our friendship continues.  Recently Susan and I faced another challenge together, death.  I know that sounds dramatic, but it's not.  She was suffering with severe digestive issues.  Susan won't tell you this but she almost starved to death because her body rejected everything she tried to eat.  She was really sick.  While she was fighting her monster I was fighting my own.  A lovely round of breast cancer.  What are friends for?  Sharing.

And we did.  We shared our fears, frustrations, moments of doubt, desires to quit but then we would rally and rise.  We shared our strength.

While Susan is recovering from a recent surgery she has agreed to let me guest post on her blog.  Once again, we are sharing.

Today is my birthday.  Never thought I'd be thrilled about turning fifty-one, but to quote my friend Nina, "Every birthday after cancer is a blessing."  Nina is a survivor.  She knows.


Last summer after a little run-in with no white blood cells courtesy of the big C (chemo) I wrote a book. 

My doctor strongly recommended I stay away from people for a week.  So I locked myself in the house and wrote a book to pass the time away.

My hand was forced.  My life shut down.  I had no further excuses so I picked up the computer and finished what I had started over and over again.  Only this time with the encouragement of my friend, Jackie, I actually finished it.  She was so funny, honestly, I couldn't write fast enough.  She ate it up and begged for more.  That will motivate the most unmotivated!  Thank you, Jackie.

The inspiration for the book came from my nephew's wedding several Septembers before.  Joel and Keri's wedding came at a very low time in my life.  I was truly struggling with whether or not God loved me.  Things had not gone the way I had expected and to be flat out frank I felt thrown away.  But as the minister began to share the greatest love story ever written tears flooded my face.  The healing power of the Holy Spirit transcended my lowly state and I knew I was loved.  Then he said something that became an "ah ha!" moment for me.  The dots connected.  I contemplated the truth, everything declares his glory.  The message of love and redemption is all around us.  It is even hidden in our fairy tales.  From that inspiration came my book "The Princess, The Gardener and The Visitor.  I hope you see an old story in a new light and you also have an "ah ha!" moment.  Fairy tales are real.

Thank you Susan for sharing your blog with me and letting me share my story and my book with your readers!  And don't be hating me for bragging on you.  That's just how I am.

~ Tammy Ogden
www.missionarytrek.com 


The purchase of this book will help fund the work in El Salvador.  Thank you ahead of time for your purchase.

Don't. Do. Drugs.

I decided since I'm officially off of all pain medication that I can write a blog update.  Now, the beginning of the week would have been a different story.  I actually really wish I would have wrote a blog post just so I could have went back and read it.

I went in for surgery on Friday and was suppose to come home Saturday but I came home Sunday.  It was a little tricky getting me home on Sunday because of Shannon's schedule but we did it.  Megan came and set with me on Sunday morning and Shannon was back by lunch and I think I came home around 3:00.  But, who really knows what time it was?

I was on some serious drugs.  And now that I'm back to my normal self I have "memories" of things that I did, said, and agreed to.  I have no idea why Shannon let me talk to people or answer emails but he did.

I agreed to go camping.
I told Megan that she could run a 5k a week from tomorrow and this was brought to my attention yesterday.
I agreed to be greeters at a statewide AG event in May.  (District Council)

I asked Shannon where he got my prescriptions filled and he said, you were with me.  I was?  He also took me to Starbucks.  Again, don't remember.  He took me back to the Dr. on Monday, don't remember that.

Who's knows what else?  Only time will tell.

After I asked Shannon if there were bugs crawling on the wall I decided no more pain medicine for me.  They were making me crazy.  I know what some of you are thinking, a hysterectomy, and no more pain medication after 5 days.  Or was it 4, I don't remember.  I have a huge pain tolerance and I think I will be fine with over the counter medications.  Now, don't get me wrong, if I need something stronger I will take it.

And to end with a happy note.  I saw this on Megan's FB yesterday and it made me smile.  It was on one of her photo albums.

Just some pictures of how my life has been here!  Met some awesome people!  Got to know my cousin more who is now my best friend!  And most of all, I realized how much I love my life in Ecuador and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

As most of you know our time here is dwindling down and I'm getting nervous about how our kids are going to do when we leave.  They've had such a great time here and I'm afraid it's going to be hard on them when we leave, so that little message helped me out a lot.  Not to say that it's not going to hit them hard because it will but I think God will take care of it.  Please pray for our kids!

Prom 2013

Well, we survived the prom.  I'm not going to lie I was nervous about Ethan driving by himself but he did great.  We are so glad that they both were able to have this experience before leaving the country.

We've actually been out of town for the last three days and I haven't had time to blog, so I thought I better get it done today while I had the chance.

 This is what the back of Megan's hair looked like.  

They are really nice looking kids.  (I think I might be a little prejudice)

Here they are with their dates.

Moving on to the birthday.

Monday was Megan's birthday and since we were going to be out of town Shannon went and got her Starbucks and Chick-fil-a that morning.  We are going out to dinner tonight for her birthday.  Of course we will be going to church after dinner, incase you were wondering.

We are still busy raising money and traveling every weekend.  We are at about 85% and need to raise about $1500 in monthly support before leaving in August.  But I'm pretty sure that God already has this worked out.  We would still appreciate your prayers for this though.

And I'm usually not this open about my personal health (I have no idea why I'm not) but I would appreciate your prayers this Friday.  I will be having surgery and will be down for a few days, ok more like a few weeks.

Thanks and I'll let you know how I am sometime next week.

Easter 2013

We finished up the sectional tour last Tuesday and couldn't be more happier to have a few days off, eleven to be exact.

We all went to church yesterday and Shannon wasn't the speaker.  How great is that?  Nothing against Shannon but everyone needs a break every now and then.  He would amen this if he could, I promise.

I was able to get a couple of pictures after church, in the wind.

Ethan, Megan, Madison, and Macen.  (Madison and Macen are our nieces.)

And check out the wind-blown look.  Me, not anyone else, just me.  I had high hopes to use this updated picture in our next newsletter that is scheduled to come out this month but I think it's a no go.

I do like the windblown look of the girls, though.  (Is there a rule that when you get your picture taken to put your hand on your hip?  If so, I missed the memo.  haha!)

Now you're probably wondering where is a picture of Ethan and Megan together.  I did take one but it wasn't that great.  I have a problem with Ethan taking pictures.  He doesn't want to and he's not very cooperative.  He always makes faces or raises his eyebrows.  Drives me nuts.

The kids are going to prom this weekend so maybe I will have better luck then.  I better, or I will not be a happy camper.

We really enjoyed our day off and Easter in the states.  I was also surprised by how many stores were closed.  Has it always been that way?  I don't remember it being that way four years ago.  Anyway, I like it.

The countdown has begun, four months left.  Ethan keeps saying that this year has went by really really fast and he's right.  Please start praying now for my kids as they finish up the school year here and say good bye to their friends.  It's going to be hard on them, I know.  We are believing for a smooth transition.

And a little inspirational saying to finish this blog post.

If you pray to God regularly, irregular things will happen on a regular basis. ~Mark Batterson