Mississippi Summer Part I

We spent a very nice weekend with Paxton's family up in Pleasant Grove, MS. Paxton's brother Chris needs a double lung transplant and he's really sick. The cause is sarcoidosis - an auto immune disease that has basically destroyed his lungs. He's at a point now where he has to decide when to get on the transplant list. A transplant will not cure his problems -- the survival rate for lung transplant recipients is not great. There's a 50% survival rate at 5 years, and about 20% survival at 10 years, so you can see why they want to put it off as long as possible. His pulmonologist wants him to have the transplant soon, but he is going to talk to the transplant doctors and see what they have to say in a few weeks.

Deb thought it would be nice if we could all have a work day in his yard and get everything pruned back, cleaned up, and plant some of the many of plants that Christina has collected! So Paxton loaded up the truck with mulch and several plants that we had and we spent Saturday in the sun working in the yard. We tilled up the areas in front of the house, pulled up old weeds and overgrown stuff, and planted lots of things - Some irises, a Natchez crape myrtle, glossy abelias, peonies, some really cute little flowers called gazanias, and Christina's roses. We didn't find any nice shady spot to plant all the hostas, but once the crape myrtle grows up a little there should be a little shade in that front bed. They also pruned back the largest fig tree I've ever seen to a much more manageable size. Christina was inspired and took a lesson from Paxton and cut back the Japanese magnolia. It turned out great. The whole project was a great family time for all of us. I was trying to explain to Christina how much we love them and since we can't do anything to help make life easier on Chris or make what they're about to go through any less difficult, we can at least help make the yard look nice.

Chris is an atheist, and part of me feels like if we can show him Christ's love on earth then his eyes will be open and he will see the truth. I'll post before and after pictures when I get home.

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I must tell you that it was sunny and 80something degrees all weekend. Just gorgeous. Lakelyn & Kylie swam in the pond and got lots of new freckles. Lake ended up with a bit of a sunburn on her cheeks and the girls were totally exhausted on the way home Sunday.