Larson Quest

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Lyme's Disease

Quick update on health in the Larson household. Scott tested positive for Lyme's last summer, I believe. Noelle has just tested positive. It is likely that she has been suffering from the symptoms for about 4 years. Jake and I will be tested tomorrow. We have all had tick bites. Sabrina also had one this summer but for now we will wait to test her.

Please pray for us as we pursue treatment. The two doctors we are aware of are not local. The one we are intending to go with is in Missouri. Noelle has an appointment in November, Scott in January:( Nothing is covered by insurance. The materials that they sent were a little scary. Lyme's disease and its treatment are controversial. Please pray that we would be led to the right doctor, that he would have wisdom as he treats us, that the side effects of treatment would be minimal. Please pray that Jake and I would not test positive. It seems likely that Jake will. Please pray that if we are to stay with this doctor that our appointments would be moved up. We have told them that we will travel within 48 hours if there is a cancellation.

I considered including a picture of a tick/tick bite, but it was nasty. Each of our stories with tick bites have been pretty funny. Not so much now. I found mine wiggling in my abdomen and FREAKED OUT! We found Noelle and Jake's first bites as they got back to school hair cuts about 4 years ago. We had to leave Great Clips without finishing their hair cuts. Jake's came right out. Noelle's was very stubborn. So Scott "gently" slapped her to distract her as he removed it:) Jake has had many since then. Scott has also had numerous bites. He is the only one we know to have the rash. Though since Noelle and Jake's were on their heads that may have hidden the rash.

We appreciate your prayers!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

The Ritter boys

Our back door neighbors have three boys.

Without them Sabrina would be so bored.

Benjamin and Harrison are pictured here.

Layton is the oldest.

The other day they rang the door bell.

"I am playing barbies with my mom."

We close the door.

Door bell rings again.

"Can we play too?"

I think this is later the same day when they decided to dress up.

Wow.

First days

Three different kids in three new schools. Pretty sure that is a first for us!

Teme is in sixth grade, which is middle school in Waterloo.

This means a building change to Hoover Middle School.

Many moons ago I went there for eighth and ninth grade.

It was a Junior High then.

Noelle went there for parts of seventh and eighth grades.

Jake played football there when he attended private school.

Teme had orientation on the 15th, so he was first back to school.

He might look a little older than sixth grade:)

August 16th, official first day!

Noelle will be attending Cedar Falls High School this year.

She is a junior. She is ecstatic not to have a uniform.

Sabrina is in kindergarten at Waterloo Christian School.

All I could think is, "She looks so little."

Her good friend Aerz is pictured with her.

They are only about 2 weeks apart in age:)

With our new teacher, Miss Smits.

There are only 9 kids in her class!

I expected her to be exhausted, but she is reselient as ever!

Look out world, here we come!

And, yes, I did sob in the parking lot. Kind of took me by surprise.

Noelle and I had a big prayer request answered on the first day. She was understandably nervous to attend a new high school as a junior. As she arrived for orientation and received her schedule she learned that she did not have "B" lunch with all the kids she already knew that attend her new school. Major crisis! She called me and asked me to meet her to talk to the counselor. When I pulled up she said, "Can I come cry in your car first?" We drove around the block and she received a phone call from a good friend..."I have "A" lunch with you!"

"THANK YOU, JESUS!"

Sunday, July 29, 2012

The other women

The hardest part of missing the trip to Ethiopia was missing meeting the other women in my children's lives. Though I had met Sabrina's grandma, I had not spent much time with her. Scott said she is a spitfire and that Sabrina's personality is more like hers than her birth mom's. He said she looks the most like her aunt Mona. I did not get to meet her. Scott has met her twice. We did not realize that we would be able to meet Sabrina's birth mom. Apparently Sabrina's family called her mom and said she should call Scott. Near the end of their trip she did and they were able to meet her.

Sabrina's mom, Ada. Apparently you pronounce it like S'ada.

This is Teme's mom.

Scott was able to meet her on his previous trip to

pick up Teme. So she has now met Scott, Jake and Sabrina.

I have not yet met her. I wonder what she

thinks of Teme's American mom that cannot seem to make

it to meet her.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Interrupted Plans

May 30th we drove to Minneapolis and boarded a plane to Washington, D.C. During all our planning we know our biggest obstacle was Noelle. Struggling with migraines, anxiety and a general lack of desire to travel made her travel very iffy. Before the plane left the gate we had to rearrange so that I could sit by Noelle to comfort her. She sobbed all the way to D.C. In all my planning I truly thought our biggest struggle would be her migraines. I never imagined the heights her anxiety would soar to. After arriving in D.C. we had a planned overnight. Noelle was able to sleep fine, probably aided by the medicines we tried on the plane. The next morning we made it all the way to the gate...But she just could not board that plane. So Noelle and I spent a week driving back to Iowa from D.C. We tried to make it fun. Meanwhile the rest of the family is experiencing momentous things in Ethiopia. Here are a couple of pictures that they have sent.

This is Sabrina and her nanny from KVI.

If you notice the pictures in back they are from the

day Sabrina came to the orphanage at 9 months

weighing 8 pounds and then shortly before we

travelled to pick her up, at 17 months.

Sabrina was the first baby at the Nazaret KVI.

This is Sabrina and her grandmother.

Scott said she is a spitfire so now we

know where Sabrina gets it!

Apparently, they had the extensions put

in in Addis Abba. Sabrina has longed for
long hair so I am sure that she is thoroughly
enjoying her new hair.

Teme and his siblings. I am unsure if the baby is his niece
or his little sister. Lots of babies have joined the families
since we last visited. Sabrina has a brother and Teme
has a new sister and a niece.