We finally closed on the property last Tuesday! ALLELUIA! Thanks for all your prayers, keep em coming. Go here to our web site for pictures of the property, and other updates.
Even though Hurricane Dean is far, far away, the mere presence of a major storm on our end of the ocean has raised some anxiety levels amongst folks here.
Meanwhile our volunteer pool at Camp Coast Care (and all the work camps on the coast) is almost non-existant. We understand people not wanting to come down in the August heat, but if you have a church group (or any group) looking for some great mission work, we really, really need your help, and will for years to come. CCC is operating at a high level as to the number of families we are getting back in their homes, but we just cannot do it without volunteers. Click here to sign up or to find out more about CCC. THANKS

The good news – I have had two Sundays off in a row. The bad news – the rest of the “vacation” has not been very …um…vacation-y.
It’s just one of those things. Due to recent medical issues in the family and my wife’s work schedule having to be adjusted accordingly, and the RIDICULOUSLY early start to the school year for my son – who is attending a new school where he knows absolutely NO ONE, since Katrina ramifications caused his old school to drop its middle school completely -the time off for me has required me to stay in town. This is NOT a good idea.
I am supposed to be off all this week as well, but I am pretty convinced I will return to work tomorrow (Wednesday). There’s no sense wasting the precious off days if they are not doing for me what I need them to. Sigh.
On another note, my best friend on the Coast is leaving. It’s great news for him and his family, I am so excited for them. But it sucks for me, personally! It’s a fantastic opportunity for him, so I will just have to GET OVER IT. But I plan on throwing a pity party in the near future, anyway.

My daughter is feeling MUCH better. Not quite back to normal, but getting there. Thanks for those who have prayed. We are awaiting one repeat lab to get any final ideas on what’s going on, but truth is we may never know for sure.

It’s been another adventurous week in my household. Monday of last week, my middle child suffered shortness of breath (she’s 20!) while driving, alone, home from a weekend at her college (she is living at home this summer and working). She pulled over and began hyperventilating. She finally reached me on the phone, and I got her mom on the phone (a nurse, ya know), and we were able to get the sheriff’s office in that remote area to begin looking for her. Two ambulances were dispatched, my daughter passed out while talking to the dispatcher, but they finally found her. She was taken to a hospital about 30 minutes from where she was. The LW and I of course had already left, headed in that direction. I turned a 3 hour drive into about 2 hrs and 15 minutes, and had a friend meet the ambulance so she wouldn’t be all alone.
The ER ran some tests and eventually discharged her with no diagnosis. On Tuesday, it happened again, but I was home with her and got her breathing managed before it got too bad. Wednesday she went for a battery of tests, and Thursday her shallow breathing got MUCH worse. She could hardly talk or eat or walk. She was admitted to the local hospital Thursday night.
After running a multitude of tests, involving both cardiac and pulmonary stuff, as well as testing her for every known virus and infection, she didn’t fare real well over the weekend. She began having sharp chest pains and her breathing did not improve.
She did finally turn a corner Sunday, and was discharged to bed rest last night. Her breathing is improved but chest pain continues. They have mostly eliminated any “bad” cardiac reasons for this, but don’t really know still what is causing the shortness of breath. One lab test was not good and will be repeated soon, for auto-immune related stuff. So we are very concerned and she is struggling with the pain.
Please pray for Mackenzie and all our family, when you have a chance.

A couple of posts ago I talked about the sweltering heat we are experiencing (I know, it’s nothing new). But it is worse now for the Knight family – our home A/C died yesterday!
It was 85 degrees INSIDE when I got home from work yesterday. I kick started the compressor a couple of times but it wouldn’t stay on. We slept with windows open – it was miserable. Our temp yesterday was 92 but the humdity was 96%! Heat index over 100.
The other problem with sleeping in the heat was the memories it triggered. For my LW especially, it was a vivid reminder of all those days post Katrina with no electricity, no cool air, no fans, etc. She was STRESSED to the max. Sleep was difficult. When you are so acclimated to the A/C, missing it is hard. I know I am whining, but …… YUK.
On top of that my daughter’s car died on her way home from work, making a horrible noise. It’s a 99 Civic with over 100K miles. I expected the worst. Had it towed to the local repair shop, but got good news, a pulley had broken that supported the fan belt, fairly minor repair. WHEW.
My LW and middle child have headed to the Gulf Shores area where family is gathering for the 4th. I am staying here tonight, praying the repair dude shows up and it’s not a major effort to fix it. With the holiday tomorrow, this is going to be expensive no matter what!
On top of all that, my smoke alarms started giving off false alarms all day today, finally found the “offender” and yanked that baby out of the ceiling. I think it was dust from the windows being open and the fans blowing, so will put it back once the AC is running.
Pray I don’t have to sleep on the floor of my office trailer, which, by the way, was ROCKING during today’s thunderstorm. Isn’t life an adventure???