Merry Christmas to you all!!

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The Road to Recovery

It has now been almost three weeks and Richard is getting stronger every day. He can now rise out of bed, stand up and sit down all on his own. He is not allowed to bend or twist for three months and has a back brace to remind him of that. He is also able to go on short walks outside to stretch his back and get some fresh air.

Unfortunately, blood tests have revealed that his liver enzymes have quadrupled and we need to see a specialist in a couple of weeks. Please pray that it is nothing to be concerned about. A liver scan and blood screen came up negative for all types of hepatitis, as expected, which was good news. We will have to wait and see what they come up with.

Also, please pray for my mother, Laura, who is having a biopsy done on a spot in her throat tomorrow. Pray that all test results come back negative and that she will have relief knowing that she is as healthy as can be.

Thank you all! I will be in touch...

Oh, by the way, we had our first snow fall here in South Dakota! It was very exciting for us all to look out the window and see white! It was not exciting, however, to go outside to warm the car up to take Noah to school and find about 1/4 inch of snow INSIDE the car! I went grocery shopping the night before with all the kids and forgot to shut the trunk and the slide door to the family van!!! Rich and I were wondering what that whistling sound was that we heard from the bedroom window. It was probably the wind blowing through the car!! Hello McFly!!!!

A Week Ago Yesterday

I no longer have finger nails left to bite and I can't stop eating. These are the things that I do when I worry. As we enter into the second week of recovery for Rich, I ask that you all keep praying. Symptons like low grade temps, body aches, chills and nausea continue to haunt him, and us loved ones around him are getting concerned.

We have an appointment tomorrow to see our primary care Dr. to have him looked at. As the neurosurgeon's nurse says, that although the symptoms of low temp and pink around the incision site are normal, it won't hurt to go in and confirm that he is okay and recovering normally.

I know that God does not want me to worry. The worry that I have is not of a spiritual nature but of a selfish one. I want my husband, the father to our children, to successfully survive this physical trial. I want to get back to normal living and continue on serving the Lord as ministers of the gospel in God's kingdom, here in Sioux Falls.

It does help for me to remember that we are only in the second week of at least a 3 month recovery process and that there have been bits of progress in between the setbacks. On Monday, Rich joined us all downstairs for an after-school Monster Truck party for Noah's 6th Birthday. He was even able to snap a few pictures from the sofa and watch our kindergartener have a great time with his new school buddies. It was wonderful.

On the Mend

Please continue to pray for Rich. His pain levels have been between 6 & 8 today. Be sure to thank God for bringing his temperature down.

Love to all...

A Little Setback...

After a long night last night and long day thus far, I can admit that there has been bit of a setback for Richard on this road to recovery. Since coming home yesterday, he has experienced lots of pain, nausea, dizziness, light-headedness and now his temperature is rising. Please pray for him. If you are able, please take one minute right now and ask that God heals him.

The neurosurgeon's CNP says that these symptons are not typical of a fusion but that they sound like metabolic problems. Please pray that, as he rests, God will restore his body back to good health and proper healing. Thank you all. I will keep you updated.

If you are finding your calls to us going unanswered or unreturned, please forgive us and know that we will return them as soon and as best we can.

He Looked Great Today!

I didn't realize just how rough Rich looked yesterday until I saw him today. As I entered his room this morning, he was in the middle of standing up for the first time since the procedure. The team of people who helped him stand, helped him sit in a chair nearby. He was able to sit for 40 minutes before getting back in bed, which was very good. The swelling in his face was gone, his color was back, he was more 'with it' and his great smile had returned too. I was so glad to see that my hubby had improved.

We were able to spend all day together, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa's visit here to South Dakota. By mid-afternoon, a PT staffer had him walking down the hall. Although it was pretty painful, it was progress, which led us all to believe that this is going to be a good recovery.

I returned home at dinnertime to relieve my in-laws from child-duty so they can pay their son a visit as well. It was so nice to walk in the door and enjoy a delicious home-made chicken and rice casserole. As I sit here typing this blog and thinking about the events of the day, I feel so thankful and think to myself,

"It has been a very good day."

Richard is... Recovering

"Mrs. Flood, you do know that he will have back pain this afternoon..."

It was one of the first things I heard the neurosurgeon tell me after giving Rich his much needed spinal fusion this morning. To be honest, I really was not sure if he was serious or just kidding around with me! I was just relieved to hear that my husband, who I love so very much, was okay after the 2 hour procedure and waking up in recovery. The Dr. told me that all went off without a hitch, and I thank God for that. I also thank all of you who prayed for a successful surgery.

May I ask that you continue to petition our Father in heaven for a positive recovery and healing? Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

I got to see Rich late afternoon and he looked, as I expected, a little rough. He probably felt worse than he looked (turned out that he did) but still managed to tell me how happy he was to see me.

Good night everyone. I'll be in touch.

Back Surgery for Rich

On Tuesday, October 21st, Rich will be going in for back surgery. Please pray for a successful operation and speedy recovery. My in-laws will be coming into town this weekend to help with the kids while I nurse my hubby back to health. Although I wish they were visiting under different circumstances, it will be so great to see them again and have them meet our new church family.

This time around, Rich will be getting what is called a spinal fusion in his lower back. It will be great once all is said and done. They told him they will be having him playing tennis in three months. Of course, I don't think they realize that in three months there will be lots of snow on the ground!

Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers! I will keep you posted.

Here you can view our latest photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/RJFlood/SiouxFallsSD#

Anna's Unexpected New 'Do'

As I was making my bed the other day, Jonah & Anna came upstairs to see me and I thought to myself "she looks different for some reason..." Anna disrupted my thought process with "Mommy, Jonah cut my hair!" She was so happy.

*GASP!!!*

That's all I could do. I brushed my fingers through the right side of her hair and *gasp*...it's all gone!

*Gasp* what..how could...OH NO *gasp*

I ran downstairs and as soon as my eyes laid upon all the beautiful curls on the dining room floor, I just started to cry. I don't think I cried solely because my 4 year old cut the entire right side of his 3 year old sister's hair all off because "she told him to," but that's what it took to bring me to tears.

Well, to make a long story short, after receiving some encouragement from Richard and a few sisters from church, I gave her a new "do" and I think I really like it. It's cute and makes her look all grown up. Here she is before & after:

Come to find out, it's happened to lots of people! I've heard countless scissors-to-the-hair stories from friends and family ever since I've experienced this Mommy "rite of passage."

And I'm sure there's lots more to come...

A Positive Update!

Richard visited with the local neaurosurgeon this morning and left feeling very encouraged. After spending at least a half hour with Dr. Fox, it was a relief to know that the dr. did his homework and knew much about Rich's medical history and recent injury. He showed Rich all of the MRI pictures and explained them in detail. Ok, here's the deal. Rich injured his back about a month ago, which resulted in a significantly herniated disc in his lower back and a few torn ligaments. The trauma of the injury landed him a week in the hospital where he was treated for pain and inflammation. The anti-inflammatory steroid did wonders for the nerve that was badly injured, so today Rich can tell you that he feels pretty good. Dr. Fox told him to resume normal activity, with mild to moderate lifting, and if he can exist without significant pain, he will not have to have surgery. This is great news! A complete answer to prayer, I believe. On the other hand, if Richard does experience significant pain after several weeks of resuming normal activity, then Dr. Fox will revisit the possibility of fusing his lower spine. Either way, Rich is on his way to living pain free. And to that, I truly say "Thank you, Lord."

Please pray for Richard

Hi all,

Although life in Sioux Falls has been great, we have encountered a little 'hitch' in our adventure. Last Tuesday Rich herniated a disc in his lower back and has been in the hospital since. Lord willing, he will be able to come home on Monday after he receives a cortisone epidural that afternoon. Please pray that his body responds well to the treatments and that the pain he is experiencing subsides and eventually goes away completely. If he does not feel relief, then possible back surgery becomes a reality.

The church here has been such a blessing to our family as they continue to provide meals for us, help unpack the hundreds of boxes in our house and even provide free babysitting so I can visit Rich alone in the hospital. Although this trial has been a difficult one to deal with, the Lord continues to be our strength and holds the victory in our life.

The kids are doing well and they miss having Daddy around. Noah loves Kindergarten and is making lots of friends, Jonah is getting a little used to not having Noah around all the time and Anna and Josiah continue to be the dynamic duo of the house. As for me, well, I'm hanging in there! Although I did not envision having to squeeze a 2500 sq. foot house into a cozy 1300 sq. foot house, having my hubby spend a week in the hospital with a slipped disc and taking care of a Kindergartener with 3 siblings surrounded with boxes from floor to ceiling, it's all okay and just part of the big adventure of life. All I can say to that is "Praise God!" for the many trials in our life that build strong character and produce wonderful godly hope.

Love to all...

All is well in South Dakota!

Ah, a chance to blog...how wonderful. It has been a whirlwind of a month for the Flood family! We have made it safe and sound to Sioux Falls, South Dakota; in fact, we have been here for a week and two days thus far. The trip up was...interesting to say the least! After 3 days and 2 nights of travel it was a relief to arrive at our destination. Rich, me, four kids, a dog and a fish (and all our luggage) fell out of the van and into our beds late last Sunday night. Since then, we toured the entire city, fellowshipped with encouraging brothers and sisters in Christ, found a great house to live in (should be closing early next week) and enrolled Noah in Kindergarten which began two days ago. Talk about whirlwind!

Another update will come again soon!

Movin' on up!

There is great news to share with you all about this Flood family. (No, baby # 5 is NOT on the way! We really are done with adding more people to this world!)

We've lived here in Northern Alabama for three years and have enjoyed every minute of it. From the beauty of the terrain to the wonderful friendships we have made, living in Alabama has been a blessing in so many ways. Not only did we complete our family here, but we have also been able to craft good memories with some extended family members, to enjoy living in beautiful country, to learn how to cook up some tasty southern cuisine and to fellowship with amazing christians who attend the Mayfair Church of Christ in Huntsville.

I'd like to announce that God is calling Richard Flood and his family to higher (or more northern) ground. Although we consider our life to be our full-time ministry, it has been six years since we've been involved in ministry on a professional basis. God has opened the doors for us to serve a congregation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota as thier full-time evangelist. Rich and I were blessed to visit with the wonderful members of the Church of Christ in Sioux Falls (www.wefollowjesus.org) two weeks ago and it quickly became apparent to us all that we were a perfect match. These people want to win the city of Sioux Falls for Christ by sowing gospel seed and have chosen the Floods to help them do it! We are so excited about this new upcoming spiritual adventure.

Of course, the transition will be a bitter-sweet one. As we venture on to exciting new ground, in a territory that's pretty far from here, we leave behind good friends and loved ones, including Richard's parents. We are also moving about 200 miles further from my family in New York City. The only thing that keeps Rich and I thrilled about going is knowing that we are living out God's will for our life. Knowing that this is God's answer to our prayers and actually doing what He is calling us to do motivates us to move on and serve Him with all that we have.

We love you all and ask that you keep us in your prayers as we transition Northward. Thank you for keeping up with our family through this blog. It has been a joy for me to be able to keep you up to date. I will post all of our new contact information as it comes.

Until then!

Our Nature Boy

Jonah Benjamin loves the outdoors and every creature that lives in it! While Noah loves to learn about living things through books and at arms length, Jonah has the need to experience them hands on. Here are a few photos of him with the some creatures we have come across out here in the country in Northern Alabama.

These first few are my favorite. It's like the lizard knows that Jonah is his friend!

I love you Jonah Benjamin!

Father's Day 2008

Here is a tribute to Daddy this Father's Day, June 15th, 2008.

Our children are so very blessed to have a father who is so wonderful; a father who loves them unconditionally, who desires to spend time with them, who wrestles with them just about every night; a father who shows them the way to Jesus and teaches them to obey God's word not only by mouth but by example; a father who is patient, kind, caring and thoughtful.

Richard, you truly are an amazing father. Thank you for loving our children the way you do. I love you so much!

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Easter 2008 Slideshow

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A Great Easter Sunday

A beautiful day was ahead of us. Although expected to be a little chilly, the sun was going to shine and highlight the beautiful white pear tree blossoms that had bloomed overnight. Rich and I woke up early this particular morning, anticipating an exciting tradition that has been in our lives as far back as we can remember. This time, it was our own children's turn to wake up with puffy eyes to realize that the 'Easter Bunny' had come for a visit.

"There's no such thing as the Easter Bunny Mama," Noah told me one day last week. "Is that right?" I said, amazed at how my children come up with these ideas despite the absence of conversations of such things. Contrary to how Rich and I grew up, we both agreed that we were not going to raise our children with the belief in things that are not really real. Instead, we would raise them up in believing in who is real ~ Jesus Christ~ and let their own imaginations come up with the rest of the stories. It's really cute having the boys come up to me during Christmas time, one day telling me there is no such thing as Santa and then the next asking me if Santa was going to put coal in their stockings because they've been pouting.

Although it was a little stressful getting four little ones out of bed to see what's in their baskets and then quickly get ready for church, seeing their excitement about it all was a joy to Rich and me. We even gave in a little bit and let them each have one candy from their baskets after they were dressed and ready to go. Of course, Josiah was already through opening and eating his two mini Cadbury eggs he found in his loot.

So off to Huntsville we journeyed, to join our church family for a finger-food breakfast before an enriching Easter worship. As I listened to Gary Bradley's thoughts about the empty tomb and the hope we have as christian believers, I was brought back to the realization I had a few years ago about our risen Savior. Born and raised catholic and then baptized into the Lord's church at 19 years of age, I must have heard the resurrection story hundreds of times. However for some reason, on this normal day in the life of Rachel Flood, I realized that if Jesus died on the cross on Friday, came back to life on Sunday and then ascended into heaven later on, then that means...he is STILL ALIVE! How amazing is that? Jesus is still alive, to this day, living up in heaven with God, waiting for those who love him to join him. To me, that is AWESOME. I hope it serves as an encouragement to you all as well.

After all of the festivities of going to church, sharing an Easter dinner at Uncle Richard's and Aunt Janice's, hunting for easter eggs and playing at the park, the kids fell into their warm beds at 7:30 pm and didn't get up until 7 am. If you ask me, I thought it was a great Easter Sunday.

A Calm Day

Well, it certainly has been a nice, quiet and calm day today! Richard took Noah and Jonah out to Grandma and Grandpa's to have lunch and go to a big moonbounce place called "Off the Wall". It's a place where 4 and 5 year old boys can release all of their never-ending energies out on a wide array of climbing, bouncing, jumping and sliding things for a few hours. They will be nice and tired tonight!

While they are out doing that, I'm here at home with two little ones taking a nice long nap. Ahhhh...it's just what the doctor ordered! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa, for treating the boys to this adventure, and thank you Daddy, for accompanying them.

It's nice to have these kind of breaks!

Family Circus

"Who did this???" I ask.
"Jonah" Noah says.
"No, I didn't. Anna did!" Jonah says.
"No, Yiyah did!" Anna says referring to her baby brother, of course.

Josiah just looks up at me, waiting to see what I will do next. "Who is going to get into trouble this time?", he thinks. I felt like I was in that comic strip called "Family Circus". You remember those adorable clips that illustrate what everyday life is like with little ones. Whenever something breaks or spills, those little ghosts named 'Not Me' and 'I Didn't' come out and take the blame.

There certainly never is a dull moment in the Flood household! I consider today to have been a difficult one only because I threw my back out yesterday. It was the strangest thing! I was doing my weekly grocery shopping at the Super Wal-Mart and all of a sudden, my back gripped me. Of course, as I shopped, it got worse. I got home, cooked dinner, gave baths and that was all it took to cripple me some more! Well, this morning as we woke for church I could not continue on. I got back in bed with a heating pad and to rest some more. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband who decided to stay home with me and help take care of the kids. I did not realize the things you cannot do when you hurt your back~ and that's just about everything!

As I wrap up this long day, I am still thankful for the over-all health of my family. I am so glad to have Rich back in our daily routine again. Although our four angels do not act so angelic at times, I am so thankful that they are healthy as well. I am saying these things because we were recently reminded of how short life really is. A dear friend of my in-laws, who is also a friend of ours, lost her 50 year old daughter-in-law to a battle with cancer. Please pray for the entire McCulloch family. There is also a 5 year old boy named Brandon, a friend of my nephews, who continues to fight Leukemia. Please pray for him and his single mother who has devoted her life to getting him the proper care he needs. I have those people on my heart tonight.

Thank you all so much for keeping up with us...

Richard's on the mend!

Well, it has been 6 days since Richard's procedure and he is improving each day. I imagine that he will feel like a new man by the weekend. Thank you all so much for the prayers, emails and phone calls that we have received thus far. That truly has meant so much to us!

The kids are doing well, enjoying peculiarly warm weather this February in the south. It is so pretty and peaceful out here, we really do love it. Despite the stressful situation with Daddy recovering and Mommy with divided interests all day, we are all surviving : ). Noah is especially ready to have his Daddy back at bedtime when Daddy sing's him his favorite song called 'The Noah Song' (of course). I just can't seem to sing that one right! Jonah is ready to get back to their 'wrestlemania' routine, because Mommy is getting tired of being attacked from behind, and is Anna ever going to stop saying "Mama, Daddy ok?"?

A big Thank You to Grandma and Grandpa Slesinski for taking care of these little ones at such crucial times!

Hope you all are doing well and enjoying the favor of the Lord.

Until next time...

Meeting Gov. Huckabee

This was such a great experience! Last Saturday, we ventured into Huntsville to see a political rally for Gov. Mike Huckabee where he gave a speech at a large Methodist church. Not knowing they pushed the rally up one hour, we showed up when Mr. Huckabee was half-way through his speech. We enjoyed the last half hour listening to him pump up the crowd with great motivation. Afterwards, our entire family was interviewed by Huntsville's very own WAFF 48 News' Jeanie Powell and ended up on the 10 O'Clock News! How fun!

At the top of this entry is a photo of Rich shaking the Governor's hand outside and thanking him for a job well done. He was so nice. At Noah's request, he signed his brochure for us. It was a wonderful family outing. We also got to meet Chuck Norris and his wife who were traveling along with the Huckabee entourage.

Rolled the Stone Away...

Well, it's been done! Richard's stone was removed this morning and all went as planned. I am thankful to God that Richard made it through the procedure just fine, although I am concerned about the terrible discomfort he is now experiencing. I know it is just a matter of time where he will feel like himself again. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. Thanks so much.

Our day began at 3:15 am when my mother-in-law called to tell us that they were going to be a little late getting to our house to watch the kids. Richard was to check in at 5:30 am which meant we had to leave the house at 4:30. Mom & Dad were delayed because there was a large outbreak of severe weather here in the Tennessee Valley. Several tornados touched down, one of which was headed right for Decatur where they live. Although their nieghborhood was spared, there were 91 homes damaged (30 of those were completely destroyed) and over 45 fatalities across the southern states os Miss., Ala., Tenn. and Georgia. Please keep the families that have lost their homes and family members in your prayers. Please ask God to wrap his loving arms around them and bring them the peace that only He can provide during this difficult time.

The kids are all healthy and doing great. The boys are getting so tall, Anna is talking more clearly every day and Josiah can put his hand in the air and say "hi" which is really cute. It is so hard to believe that Noah will be starting Kindergarten this year. They all just grow up too fast!

Take Care Everyone,
RJF

Surgery has been scheduled

Ok, Richard is scheduled to have surgery to remove his kidney stone next Wednesday, Feb. 6th. Please continue to pray for him during this time. He would be thrilled if he passes this thing before they have to operate! There is a bit of anxiety here on all levels so please pray for our entire family to get through this. I know God is listening and that he will take care of it all.
Love to all,
Rachel

Update on Richard

Ok, so Rich just found out that he still has this kidney stone! It has been 6 weeks and this thing is officially good and stuck. This means he's got to talk to the doctor about when he can get it taken out. Please continue to pray that all goes well in this situation. That Rich's surgery will be successful and that he will have very little discomfort afterwards. Thank you for praying for him thus far. I truly appreciate you all and I will of course keep you posted through this blog.



Other than that, the Flood clan is doing well and the kids are healthy, thank God. It's been a while since I painted with the kids and was reminded today why that was so! Although it was fun watching the big boys make pictures while Anna and Josiah finger painted, clean-up was massive! The little ones have short attention spans so they were ready to finish up within 20 minutes. However the boys and I were enjoying creating pretty pictures and then of course I thought of the brilliant idea of giving Noah and Jonah a dog and cat face. So while Josiah (who of course was covered with paint) fussed to get out of his chair, Anna decided to raid the fingerpainting tubes, Noah decided to paint the tablecloth instead of his paper and I, worrying about how late lunch will be now, was only half-way done giving Jonah a cat face. AHHH! It was just one of those moments...but we did have fun, right?



Well, I gotta love life~ it truly is an adventure in this household!



I'll be in touch...

Rachel

It's been a great day!

It was great being back at church today. It seems that during the winter months our attendance there is sparse because cold viruses have a field day in our home! You know how it is; when one gets it, we ALL get it. That's okay, as long as we get it at different times. I cringe whenever I remember those days when the kids were all sick at the same time. Yikes, those are tough times. But God is good, and always takes care of us no matter what. I believe that Jonah is as well as he is today because of all the prayers that were offered last week on his behalf! It's just been a little over a week ago since he was in the hospital and today he is cough free. To that I say, Praise God!

I'll be in touch soon...

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It snowed here today!

It was so exciting to see all the white stuff come down from the heavens! The boys were so thrilled to get out and make a few snowballs this afternoon. Believe it or not, it was actually their first snowfall to remember. The last time we saw snow was back in January 2003 when we lived in New Mexico (see photo). Noah was almost 2 then and Jonah was a little baby. Daddy made a snowman with Noah that day and it seems so strange that Noah doesn't even remember it! It isn't often that it snows here in Northern Alabama which makes it very exciting for us all!

The boys are doing great, praise God. We had a typical day in the Flood household, which was nice to finally have. Noah and Jonah are coughing minimally; Jonah finished his antibiotic and steroid medicine this morning. The cold air affected Noah a littlebit, but once we got inside he was fine.

Well, that's all for now. I really enjoy keeping you all up to date like this. I hope you all enjoy it as well!

Love,

Rachel

Prayers of Thanksgiving

Hi all,

I have another prayer request. Prayers of thanksgiving! Please be sure to thank our Heavenly Father for answering our prayers regarding my boys because today is a day of improvement. Noah and Jonah are finally acting like themselves again~ eating better, running around and fighting~ like typical boys : ). I am so thankful for all of your thoughts, encouragement and prayers! Having family and friends to rely on during difficult times is such a relief to me. Now we must pray this kidney stone out of Richard (or he'll have to have surgery : ( ).

I will be in touch!

Rachel

Update on Jonah

Well, Jonah seems to be improving slightly although he is all drugged up now. He is actually not coughing continuously while in the family room watching "A Bug's Life". Unfortunately Noah, who has been the one diagnosed with asthma a few years ago is now coughing non-stop! I believe Anna brought a cold into the house last week but she recovered in two days. I'm learning that those with asthma do not recover from colds quickly, especially if the virus moves into thier lungs which causes thier asthma to flare up. Josiah is also coughing slightly so all of my boys are getting breathing treatments regularly and hopefully this will all end soon. My poor babies! I'm so worried for them but I know that God is taking care of all of us and will get us through this tough time.

By the way, Richard still has that kidney stone stuck in his ureter, so please continue to pray for him as well. Thank you so much for all of your encouraging comments and prayers. It is so nice to know that we are loved during times like this!

Love to all,
Rachel

Pray for Jonah

Hi everyone,

Jonah is in need of your prayers. Yesterday he was admitted into Huntsville Hospital Women's and Children's Unit due to an asthma flare up. They have been giving him breathing treatments and steroids to clear his lungs, which seems to be working, however he is still coughing constantly. Richard is with him and will be taking him home in a couple of hours. The Pediatrician is sending him home with 4 different meds. Please pray that Jonah is healed quickly and is able to get back to his very active self. Thank you. I will keep you posted. Just check in to this blog for updates. Love to all.

Rachel