Prayer Request

The last few days we've been hearing things about my little cousin Holly. Many of you have heard about her problems in the past. She has been struggling with different medical issues most of her life. A few years ago she was battling with leukemia. Well she had to go in for a surgery last week and it did not go as planned. She will live, but she is in a lot of pain and has a lot of problems. They found her intestinal walls to be very thin and actually put some holes in them (accidentally). She is not taking it well. She knows about God and asks for prayer, but she also questions how He could love her with all the hardship she is facing. She is 13 years old and just wants to be a normal kid. She is asking for a "creative miracle" one in which all of the weak parts of her body are replaced with full and healthy parts. Please pray with us!

Visitors

Well, this post is a little late, sorry. Betsy has continued to feel better lately with only one small bout of nausea a few days ago. My parents came last Thursday and we have spent the last week showing them around.

Yesterday was a rather fun day. We decided to give them a look at the "outskirts" of the city (i.e. the part that is NOT the downtown business district) So we got on the MRT(Mass Rapid Transit), which is above ground once it leaves downtown, and enjoyed the view of mile after mile of 12-25 story apartment buildings. At the end of the line we did a little shopping, got some wonderful lunch, then went to the Chinese gardens. It was a nice place. This site has a few pictures. If you click on them it will give you a closer view. The building in the first picture, the Pagoda, is seven stories high with a spiraling staircase all the way up. I decided to run up it, so my dad could take a picture from the bottom with me looking over the railing. I made it to the sixth floor before I had to start walking, then my legs were jelly for a while. It was fun, but probably not the best idea! I'll post some pictures next.

Now it is the weekend so we will probably spend some time at the pool, but not go out much as it gets pretty crowded!

Thanks for your love and prayers.

The Pagoda

The centerpiece of the Chinese Gardens, it was a beautiful view from the top, and a nice breeze too!

Looking up the center

Daddy waited at the bottom while we climbed to the top. 30 stairs per flight (one circle is one flight), a total of 180 stairs, but the view and breeze were definitely worth it!!

Walking back down

Now a picture as we head back down, I wasn't feeling the best, so I walked instead of running this time! Betsy got a head start, you can see her almost down.

Looking Down the Center

We made it. This time Mama waited at the top to take the picture.

T minus 73 hours

Well, summer vacation is almost here! We've been working hard all summer and are ready for a vacation! In 73 hours Danny's parents arrive for a two week visit. This will be our vacation time as well. Pray that Danny is able to get everything done at the school before Thursday.

Yesterday evening we returned from our housesitting adventure. It was nice to be in a slightly more comfortable home, but we were definitely ready to be home! It was great this morning to be able to leave for work at 8:50 instead of 8:00.

Hmmm, let's see, what else can I say to prolong this post before getting to the part you all really care about. . . Went grocery shopping today, was nice to be able to simply walk home with the groceries, though the 30 lbs were definitely getting heavy by the end of the trip. The swimming pool was a soothing treat.

Thank you for all your prayers and congratulations. Betsy has been feeling much better for the last few days. This was good as we had dinner with friends on Friday and Saturday, then moved back home Sunday. Please continue to pray for us (especially Betsy and LW) during these next 7 months. We look forward to having another look at LW (little Whittaker) when we go back to the doctor August 11.

News You've All Been Waiting For

On Wednesday, July 6, we got to see the heartbeat of our little baby. Now we know why Betsy hasn't been feeling well lately. Everything in the ultrasound looked really good. The doctor set our tentative due date as February 19th. We are very excited! We covet your prayers as we prepare to be good parents. Below is a picture of the ultrasound. Our next visit to the doctor is in a month, we will keep you posted on new developments.

Little Whittaker