Update on the Kings

Did ya think I was gone forever????????? I bin so busy, I can hardly think! 1. Jon left yesterday for MCC (Meridian Community College). He arrived safely and got checked in and got into his room. 2. Em is back in school and has signed up for cross-country running so she has to stay everyday after school and run. We found out at her sports physical last week that she has scholosis (curvature of the spine). It is pretty pronouced - I had noticed it very recently since she has lost so much weight. Doc says we jus****ch it, but a brace or surgery may be in her future. And he did not limit her physical activities. She has lost down to about 140 lbs. She is wearing 6's and 8's. 3. Jim had a bone scan. We find out the results next week. He also has an MRI of his kidneys in early Sept - they think he has arterioscolrosis (sp) (hardening of the arteries) in his kidneys. The good news is that he went back to work on Monday. No news on the foot - at last count, he showed very little or no signs of healing yet. He still cannot bear weight on it, but he doesn't have to sit with it propped up anymore. He is in a wheelchair (ain't we a pair!) since he terrified the nurses when they tried him on crutches! 4. I have finally lost a couple more pounds and am down 246 lbs total!!!! I have not been swimming in a week or so because I haven't had time. (Jim has had about 30,000 doc appts in the last two weeks!!) I feel good and am crocheting alot while waiting at the docs! 5. We have 16 Ukranian kids age 17 - 22 living in our neighborhood. They are here on a workstudy program thru McDonalds. They are all in college and are from Ukrain, Muldova and Soviet Georgia. We have pretty much adopted them. There is no public transportation and their sponsor in the program isn't worth squat! So Jon and I and some of the other neighbors have been hauling them around and getting to know them. They have been keeping us hopping!!! They are so much fun and we are learning alot. They kept me from getting so sad yesterday when Jon left. Did you know that the average worker in the Ukrainian region of what used to be the Soviet Union earns about $50 to $75 a MONTH??????? (one of the girl's father lost his hand to cancer and he is on FULL disability and he draws $50 a month!) And that Russian dogs say, "Grump, Grump" rather than "Woof, woof"? MOST of these kids are Christian and they are just all around great kids to be around. (Polly is a s'bacha - that's the phonetic spelling of dog in Russian!) 6. I have not read the board in ages, but will make my way back thru it. Please know that if you have asked for prayer, I will pray for you. And if you are new to the board, I am so happy to meet you and will do what I can to support you. I prolly won't reply to the posts, but I WILL read them. Know that I love each and every one of you dearly and have missed you severely! Love and kiss, smoochies and Hugs Your Queen Arlies

GOLLY!!! What a life you are leading over there!! I'm glad to hear some good things on the King. Hopefully he'll continue to heal... that is my prayer. You have been deeply missed around here! We love ya! Kimberly

Boy, you have been a busy lady. No wonder you haven't had time to keep all of us straight on here. We have actually been behaving quite nicely. You should be very proud. We have missed you, though. Melissa

Love you too Arlies and glad you are doing good with the weight loss.

Whoa! I am thinking you and yours are busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest! I kinda figured that something like that was going on. Sorry to hear about Em's back. That really stinks for her. The good news is that you caught it and something can be done. Glad to hear about the King. Please keep us posted. We miss you!!!! Meghan

I have seen older teenies walking with McDonald's uniforms around there lately, didn't know what was up with that..Wonderful that you are taking time for them, I bet that helps them not miss their parents so much. I have scoliosis too that is pretty pronounced, but other than a few x-rays and a few exercises the doctor gave me to strengthen and stretch my back when I was a teen, nothing ever had to be done as they found it when I was mostly through growing. Hopefully, they can jus****ch it and it will not get worse, specially if she is through the major growth spurts. I have not been on the board much, just every few nights or so either...GOT to be working harder and making a little more dough, also recovering from hysterectomy.... Miss ya, love ya, hope to see ya soon....Deanna.

SO GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!! IT' S JUST LIKE YOU TO DO SOOOO MUCH FOR OTHERS. But gee whiz I get a new computer at home and you are off the boards. I did not know you DH was having more problems. Whats up w his foot???? I am coming to Brandon soon so watch out --- I' m gonna call yall. glenda

Jim was walking across a level carpetted floor and did not trip or stumble, but he heard a snap in his foot. It broke!!!! It seems the 4 bones to his big toe thru his next to little piggy toe were broken sometime in the jpast (and he never knew it!) and they healed crooked and put pressure on his little piggy toe bone which finally gave up the ghost! Now he is in a cast and can not put weight on his foot and it is showing little sign of healing.....Only Jim King could have come up with this one! I will start carefully monitoring my caller-id!!!!!! LOL!!!! love ya, smoochies and huggies Arlies