2 emails

Sent this one on friday:

Date: December 9, 2005 1:53:49 PM PST
Subject: prayers please....

Hello dear friends,

It's a sick-y time around here and I"m writing to ask for prayers and patience.

I've been coughing for almost a month, and now Eli's picked it up and turned it into pneumonia. As of yesterday, he is in Children's Hospital, where he'll likely remian thru the weekend. (Doing much better, btw, under the influence of wonder drug - straight oxygen up the nose). Now, I have totally lost my voice and Jeff's got a fever. Luckily, my Dad is arriving from Wisconsin tomorrow (SAturday) and he'll help out considerably.

In the meantime, I know i have meetings or phone calls or other obligations scheduled with some of you, and I'm just writing to say I dont know when I'll be back on my feet to get back to you individually. Dont know when I'll be back at email, and I obviously cant really talk on the phone right now. For sure anything this weekend and the early part of next week is out, and possibly later. We just all have to get better before we can be out in the world again and I dont know how long that will be.

Thanks in advance for prayers and etc,
Blessing to you and yours,
Jennifer

...and this one today

Date: December 11, 2005 6:40:03 PM PST
Subject: eli update

Dear Ones,

Just a note to thank you for your many kind prayers and help and visits and etc - we are now home from the hospital and Eli is doing so much better. Those doctors actually told him he could go back to day care on Monday which seems, a little, I dont know, hasty or something, considering he had to be hooked up to machines to make sure he was breathing just yesterday. They have great faith in antibiotics, I think.

Anyway, we'll be taking it easy for the next couple of days - I still cant talk at all and I took a nap today from 11 to 4:30... Jeff is somehow the healthiest of any of us. :) My dad is here and he is being a big help. I am so grateful right now for all my family near and far!

All this is making me feel weirdly full of Christmas Spirit and helping me think alot about the real sacrifice of the One Among Us. Discuss among yourselves: Did Christ ever get a head cold? If not, was the Incarnation all that it could have been in terms of really coming to terms with being human?

Oops, getting punchy. Better go.

Thanks again and love, love, love,
Jennifer and the rest of the B's

And did I mention that today I turn 37? So happy (um, or whatever) birthday to me, too.