Christmas pictures and starting to pack

Check out our Christmas photos at www.picasaweb.google.com/dananddebvanalstine/christmas2008.

Isn't this the cutest 17 month old on the planet?!

We had a terrific visit and Christmas with the kids. Amy and Adam live in a nice neighborhood with friendly neighbors, we met some. One highlight of the Christmas season in Yuma is the Parade of Lights and everyone comes out for it. We watched the parade across the street from their house, sitting on some hay bales. The parade is a long line of cars with lots of Christmas lights and other decorations, drivers and riders dressed like Santa or other festive costumes, honking horns and waving to everyone. The people watching would clap and cheer for their favorites. The weather was clear, crisp and a little breezy, perfect parade weather. Sunsets in Yuma are beautiful, this evening's sunset was no exception.

Dan and I rejoiced to worship with the kids at their church, First Christian Church in Yuma (www.fccyuma.org). A huge church and extremely loving group, the pastor is very down to earth, the music terrific, we felt very welcomed. It's great to visit another church once in a while without having to lead, teach, or "be the pastor" so to speak...to worship and to observe how others worship is very refreshing and we came away blessed.

Another treat was Christmas Eve, Adam took us all for a drive down "Storybook Lane", actually 55th Street in Yuma, but it's called Storybook Lane at Christmas time. I've never seen such a display by an entire street. At the entrance to the street is a big sign welcoming you to 55th Street, then in front of every other house is a big lighted sign with a few lines from "The Night Before Christmas". Every house was decorated to the hilt with lights, Frosty, Rudolph, Santa, you name it. At the end of the block is a sign turning you around to the other side of the street to finish the story. The last few houses really went all out, one had a bonfire, one had a carousel and merry go round for which they charged a nickel to ride, and one neighbor handed out lollipops to everyone walking by and even knocking on car windows to give candy and wish a merry Christmas. It felt like being in a Courier & Ives picture. Swen sure enjoyed the parade and the lights, and we enjoyed his lollipop.

We ate way too much during our 5-day visit. Amy cooked a delicious honey glazed spiral ham dinner, homemade cookies and chex mix, and her table setting was very festive. We discovered Del Taco and their Taco Del Carbon - this is the way tacos should be served, if you like cilantro and more meat than veggies on your taco, this is for you. We also discovered Texas Roadhouse, the best steak and rib place ever, sadly none in Hawaii. Their "fall off the bone ribs" literally do fall off the bone. And Christmas lunch was delicious at the Happy Greek Chef, about a block from the California border, and extremely popular with the locals, we got their just in time before a huge crowd arrived. Food is served piping hot, and plenty of it, and very reasonable. Yuma sure has changed since Dan and I were kids, Yuma used to be nothing more than a Marine base and a McDonalds to stop at on your way to San Diego. Now it has a population of about 100,000 with many more during the winter season, and has become quite the tourist destination.

We left for Phoenix after lunch on Christmas day, after smothering the kids and Swen with hugs and kisses. Adam may be getting transferred in March to a new construction job in Vancouver, BC and it was tough leaving them, but what a joy and blessing it has been to be with them while we've been in Phoenix.

Dan's folks are spending Christmas through New Year's with Roxanne and Joe in Colorado, and Dan has been very busy packing most all our stuff to FedEx back home. We're 99% done, just need a big picture box and maybe one more medium size box, then we're done. We'll get by with what fits in our suitcase for the next week or so. January 6 is coming up soon! Dan has Mayo visits this week, the last on Friday.

One more prayer request: we both have had colds since we got back from Yuma. Not that serious for me, but Dan doesn't have a working immune system anymore now that he's on anti-rejection meds, and a cold could be serious for him. We've been in contact with the transplant coordinator twice now, he has labs and a chest xray tomorrow so they will advise if he needs antibiotics, in the meantime he is allowed to take Tylenol and Robitussin DM and also Coricidin HBP. Please pray for his healing, particularly with a plane trip coming up next week.

Another prayer request: Dan senses God may possibly be leading him to write a book about his experience and lessons learned (thanks, Roger, for your encouragement, you are a good friend). And he senses God may also possibly be leading to offer to share with pastors, or with churches, or with anyone. He plans to send a letter to Hawaii Pacific churches with more info and how to get in touch with him. For Dan, the most humble and non-self-serving person I know, this is very scary for him to put himself out there like this. We don't know if anyone will contact him, but Dan's passion now is to share what God has been teaching him about living with pain and difficult health situations, so we'll see what God does with Dan's obedience. And how in the world do we publish a book? God, we sure need your direction. I love Psalm 119:105 KJV: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." He shows me just enough of His will...'a lamp to my feet' to see where I am standing (sort of like my current spiritual status, in relation to His holiness)...and 'a light to my path', just enough for me to see the next step (it's best not to know too much too soon...if God had told me years ago that His will for us was to go through a liver transplant and all the trimmings...I'd probably be in Kahi Mohala).

Aloha from the desert,
Debbie and Dan

We're coming home!!!!!!

Halleluia is not a big enough word to express our praise and just plain giddy-ness today!

Gift #1- Dan needs to be able to climb stairs both at home and at church and we weren't sure he'd be able to do this for quite some time. Well, Dan had outpatient PT today, and was able to climb 26 stairs, up and down, unassisted, and wasn't even out of breath! Richard, Dan's therapist, was shocked and could not explain how he was able to do that, as he didn't have this much strength two days ago in PT. We saw several other PTs and OTs who worked with Dan while he was still hospitalized, and they all shared kind words and compliments to Dan on how great he looks now. But the most humbling and blessed of comments shared today was from a lady in the rehab office, we don't know her but she's watched Dan while he's done rehab since November, and she said Dan has given her hope for her own life.

Gift #2- Next, Dan had outpatient OT, this was his third appointment with Michelle who was assessing Dan's ability to start driving again, testing for strength, reflexes, and eye-hand coordination. And he passed! Dan will start driving around the neighborhood at first until he feels confident to try freeways.

Gift #3- Later, Dan saw Dr. Byrne, one of the liver doctors. He also had labs first thing this morning, and results were excellent, the only lab a little off was kidney function, that creatinine number was 1.8 which is great for Dan but normal is lower, the dr. said Dan may never get to that number but he wasn't overly concerned either. It was profound to me that we saw Dr. Byrne today. He was the first doctor Dan saw when he was being assessed for the Mayo transplant program last year, he has seen Dan's health go from bad to worse, and now today told us how fabulous Dan is doing and how good he looks - kind of completes the journey for us to have come full circle with Dr. Byrne. Dan has a few more appointments left like cardiologist, pacemaker check, and 2 more PTs, the last on Dec. 31. So....drum roll please....Dr. Byrne released Dan to return home to Hawaii the first of January!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gift #4- This afternoon, I received a love gift that will cover my airfare for last week's trip to Hawaii.

To be sure, tears flowed freely as we received each of these gifts today. Do we feel blessed? You bet. We are living Ephesians 3:20-21 (HCSB): "Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think—according to the power that works in you—to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever." Amen and Amen!

Can't stop smiling,

Debbie and Dan

(PS: In case you're wondering, yes we already have our flight reservations, we'll be flying home Tuesday, Jan. 6th.)

Praises galore!

We have so much to be thankful for!

Today, Dan had labs, follow-ups with doctors and then PT. His labs are great, as the doctor stated "his liver is stone cold perfect", his creatinine continues to drop, his red cell count is normal, only his INR is elevated, meaning his blood will not clot as well, so they took him off Warfarin for a few days (also called Coumadin, this med is the blood thinner he takes). And today was the first day Dan walked in to these appointments using his cane instead of a wheelchair or walker. Dan was commenting this evening at the great improvement in just a short time, just last week he was struggling to stand up from the wheelchair; as Dan put it "The Lord's just showing off!"

A wonderful surprise this morning, we ran into Tim and Lily at labs this morning. Tim and Lily are from Hawaii Kai, fellow Kaiser patients (even the same Kaiser liver doctor), and Tim just received his liver transplant at Mayo. It was great seeing them again, Tim looks great after his surgery and some challenges that followed. Tim and Lily are also believers, they attend Central Union Church in Honolulu, and actually found our blog a while ago and had followed our journey. We had a great time of sharing and I hope we continue the friendship and fellowship when we all get home.

Dan and I have been out Christmas shopping, eating in restaurants, and just enjoying spending time together. Dan's strength, drive, mental state, and passion for life have improved so much over the past few weeks, every day we notice something new. Like today, we noticed the hand tremors are gone and Dan is able to eat and write with no problems.

Dan woke up this morning cheering, saying "I'm going to be 50 tomorrow!" I don't think Dan has ever rejoiced about getting older before. The last several years, he has been so sick that he said he felt 80 years old; so turning 50 must seem like he's getting younger. We are looking forward to celebrating tomorrow with shopping, lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, then pizza, birthday cake, presents, and games with the family in the evening.

I'll be going home for a week to visit Mom and take her to a few doctor appointments, worship with our Mililani ohana, as well as box up the rest of Amy's stuff and get it sent to her (I know, she's been married for several years now, I guess procrastinating sending her stuff was a way of not completely letting her go - sorry, punkin). I'll be in Hawaii from Dec. 7-14. Then Dan and I will celebrate Christmas in Yuma with Amy, Adam and Swen (who is now walking!) from Dec. 20-25. It won't be long now until we return home to Hawaii together!

Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow....

Debbie and Dan

Swen was in his first rain storm recently - love that hair!