Merry Christmas 2004

Until 2004, our little family was never interesting enough to send out a Christmas newsletter. 04 changed that. Here it is.

Merry Christmas
From
Rick, Pam, Josh & Erin Lingenfelter

December 9, 2004

I have toiled for two days trying to write a "Christmas Newsletter" in the traditional style. Trying to write on a template is tough. Pam read, reread, and reread again the first two drafts and decided the first was simply too depressing and the second was a weak attempt at coming from the 3rd person point of view. Pam wanted it written the way I write my emails, so I emailed myself this letter and transposed it for you with photos. If you opened this and find yourself reading, pause and admire the stamp (it is like a bow), the envelope (wrapping paper), and this letter (your gift...really...Merry Christmas you just opened your gift from us). Please excuse me in advance if anything in this letter offends or shocks you, I know no other way to write. To some of you this letter contains old news. Others will find out for the first time how much '04 has held for us and say "Wow, glad we're not you!"

God blessed us with a great, fun church to worship in. The kids we work with in church have almost as much fun as we adults have working together to serve God. We are blessed with great families and friends who rally around us and take care of us. Thank you all. Pam works with great people (me too, but that is family) while teaching sixth graders. Pam went on a DQ cake diet from April to October, quit running, and still looks fantastic (see photo below). We took a great vacation in June (3700 miles in the van) to South FL to hang with family and just relax (see photo above). Erin is 4 and she is 100% girl. Her interests range from purses to makeup to purses. She hears like the bionic woman and has a comeback for everything. Blessing (mixed). Josh is 8 and gets nearly perfect grades, never gets in trouble, really athletic, rides a motorcycle, shoots a gun, does magic, and on and on and on. Blessing. I run and workout everyday now and even eat things that were grown and not processed. I am actually in better physical shape now than 10 years ago. We are blessed. We know God has a plan for us and we are willing to follow Him no matter what happens.

In 2004, WHAT happened. (this is where this newsletter gets weird)

My heart couldn't hold anymore cream filling from Ding-Dongs and Ho-Hos and attacked me on Feb. 16th. I was home when it happened and waited 30-45 minutes for it to stop then immediately dialed 911...er...***-7170 and had Pam's dad drive 15 miles to pick me up to drive me 20 miles to the hospital. I am not quite as smart as I look. I survived. I got to be in rehab for several weeks with a bunch of very old people and I got a free tee shirt. That was the start of my diet and exercise routine.

Pam found post heart attack life stressful and turned to comfort food, DQ ice cream cakes, bought one every Saturday. She ran out of energy and quit exercising, she battled physical ailments, went to the ER, got CAT scans and blood tests, got her teeth re-straightened, you name a test or a type of doctor and she got it or saw them. Erin, always perceptive, wanted a little of her own medical attention so on April 28th she got a new set of ear tubes. The doctor also cut out her adenoids, all in the hope of not having another ear surgery (this was her fifth). It worked, all the way until Aug. 11th when she had another new set of tubes put in. We have always known she was tough, but six surgeries to prove it? Come on Erin, just beat up your brother if you want to make a point about your toughness. Not to be left out of the medical circus we live in, Josh faked a receding gum line issue and went in to have oral surgery on Aug. 12th (notice the date compared to Erin's last surgery). Through it all, Pam stayed true to her diet and non-exercise program, but started to feel somewhat healthier with fewer headaches and a little more energy.

I have a birthday every year on October 19th. Always have gotten something nice from Pam, so it is usually a good day.This year Pam got something. She wouldn't actually get it (them) until Nov. 24th, but it all originated on my birthday. On Nov. 24th Pam got an oobay objay (family newsletter so I disguised boob job with pig latin). Let me back up. An hour or so before that she got a mastectomy on her left side. Before that she had a dozen Dr.'s visits, two MRI's, two sonograms, a mammogram, and two lumps of cancer in her left estbray (breast). Those she found on my birthday. The internal battle her body was waging may have produced a lot of the ailments she fought during the year. Unfortunately we could find no link between her cancer and DQ, so no lawsuit can be initiated. The Dr. believes she removed all the cancer, but Pam still gets chemo starting in a week or two. She may lose her hair, which means we will start getting places on time. Blessing (mixed again). That is just the short term deal and is better than having cancer, right? Especially this kind which is contagious.

We are physically tired, emotionally drained, and tired of doctor's bills, but we are still alive and contributing to society. Our faith in Jesus Christ was strengthened through the trials we have faced this year. Our family and friends, and even some strangers, have showered us with love and kindness, fed us, cleaned up for us, cared for our kids, driven us, prayed and prayed and prayed for us, sent us gifts and encouraging letters, shopped for us, scooped snow out of our driveway, taken us on exotic vacations (not yet, but we are willing to go if anyone is offering), covered for us at work and church, you name it. We can't repay the kindness we have been shown. All we can do is say thank you and be there for you when your " year" happens. For now we will just try to live a life pleasing to Christ and serve Him in any way He asks. We love you all.

Rick, Pam, Josh & Erin

PS - Pam must have oral surgery before chemo starts...believe it or not!