And Then There Were Four...

Meet Buddy (as if getting Merrit one dog was ever going to be enough). We had Moe all of two weeks when Merrit began commenting, "Moe's really lonely. I mean who is going to keep him company while we're gone at work?" And then, just like that, she answered her own question with Buddy. Originally we considered calling him Poudre (pronounced Pooder) but after a day of testing it out we reverted back to Buddy.

And thank goodness we have Buddy!! Matt was so resistant to getting another dog, but now that we have him, Buddy has become "his" dog. He is the entertainer in our family and provides us with lots of laughs.

I'm quite content...

And Then There Were Three...

I have the cutest husband (true story) :) He gave me the biggest suprise for my birthday...

My big day started out with breakfast in bed. I love waking up to Belgian waffles, strawberries and whip cream. Yummy, yummy. And he gave me an adorable birthday card.

Inside was a silly poem...

ATL Breakfast Rap

It's your birthday breakfast

So you shouldn't feel awful

Just wag your tail

And eat a huge waffle!

So go ahead, take a paw-se

Savor it nice and slow

And when you eat it all up

You can have a little Mo'e!

Word!

For lunch Matt whisked me off to eat at Moe's Mexican Grill. Again, yummy, yummy:)

Around dinnertime Matt took me to a park for a picnic. Little did I know he planned a surprise party for me. Amongst our friends was our favorite couple from South Carolina (Brian and Laura Jean). Matt handed me my birthday card again, this time with highlights:

ATL Breakfast Rap

It's your birthday breakfast

So you shouldn't feel awful

Just wag your tail

And eat a huge waffle!

So go ahead, take a paw-se

Savor it nice and slow

And when you eat it all up

You can have a little Mo'e!

Word!

Had I been paying attention throughout the day the hints were there, but it wasn't until I read through my card with the hints highlighted that I understood my birthday present was Moe-Moe. That is a total lie. Ever since Merrit witnessed the birth of a litter of dachshund puppies up at Brian and Laura Jean's house she has been asking for the little chocolate one that came second (affectionately dubbed #2). Even with all the hints and highlights throughout the day she didn't "get it" until she actually saw little Moe's doggy tag which reads "I belong to Merrit".

Our Family Dr. goes to D.R.

On my way in to the office yesterday morning I shut off my A/C, rolled down the windows (it was actually more comfortable this way), and cried. (The D.R. is incredibly hot and humid with rolling blackouts courtesy of the Dominican government. A/C becomes a luxury that is so unreliable you make do and adapt to the otherwise unfavorable climate.) The immense joy of serving our Dominican and Haitian brothers and sisters overwhelmed me. As I looked out on the road in front of me I realized I was back in my life again--familiar streets, neighborhoods, traffic, restaurants, etc. My mind drifted back to the downtown area of Bani and its dilapidated feeling. I imagined the scores of people waiting for us, hoping for one more chance to be seen and experience the awesome power and freedom from an Upper Cervical Specific adjustment. It finally rested on a solitary figure sitting in a rusted out, urine-stained wheelchair. His smile and his new found hope gripped my soul.

He was pushed into town Friday morning, July 9th, and sat slouched, head hanging. A Spanish-fluent colleague explained to me how this husband and father had broken his spine a year ago after falling from a tree. I slid my hand down his back and felt the gnarled, broken vertebrae. What could I do? I'm not a surgeon. He was paralyzed below the break rendering his legs and feet useless; his bladder leaked uncontrollably. In these moments you simply act. Be it out of love, duty, and by whatever knowledge or skills you may have acquired. I hoisted him from his seat--his urine running over my arms--and laid him on the ground in a position to receive an upper cervical specific adjustment. This is what I know how to do. All of my training, studies, and knowledge confirmed that this was one thing he needed. I delivered the adjustment, lifted him back off of the ground, and sat him in his wheelchair.

The next day I joined a group of doctors in a small Haitian village about 45 minutes from downtown Bani. A number of my colleagues returned that day in my stead and continued to check and adjust people there. This same man came back, this time with his family. He no longer slouched, wore a bright smile, and had not soiled himself. His body had already begun the healing process. That night I listened to my friends recount this miraculous change and wondered if I would ever see him again. Three days later this picture was taken.

That day he shared how he was now able to slowly and with great effort move his feet. The tears fell.

It hit me so hard yesterday morning--the reality that these people were also waking up to a Thursday morning...a new Thursday morning...a different Thursday morning. No more sickness and disease winning the battle for their bodies. The choice to move forward and live out a full life becoming a reality. Another day to spend with their children and spouses.

This is a good thing. This is a God thing.

A New Journey Begins...

The Proper Way to Use Your Cornhole

Continuing our honeymoon...

We've decided to extend our honeymoon. You see, after we got married we had about 2 days to enjoy a honeymoon and then I was back in school. Now I'm graduated...and we've tacked on another 3 days...at Disneyworld!

One of my fellow Upper Cervical friends helped us out by introducing us to one of his local friends who performs at Disney. He scored us 2 park hopper day passes! After watching him perform acrobatics in the Lion King show he got us backstage for a photo-op with the cast.

Good times!

Graduation!

March 26th, 2010 is a day I'll never forget. It's the day my wife breathed a sigh of relief knowing that soon enough she would never have to work again. ;)

Thank you to everyone who has supported me through the years to achieve this great victory. I love you all.