Bick's Quicks

Olivia Update: Saturday

Happy to see our little girl smiling today for the first time in a while.  The labs are back and the Drs confirm that this was most likely Brown Recluse spider bite that began all the excitement of the last few days.  

As of noon today she's fever free, the rash is subsiding and vitals are normal.  The bite area continues to be painful and we are seeing some migration of the swelling.  She is switching pain meds and will be monitored over the next few hours to determine how she'll do at home and if she can be released today.

We are so very thankful for our many friends @TheJourneyStl and beyond who have prayed, messaged, tweeted and commented on FB to let us know they have been praying.  Also, we are grateful for those who have checked in on the Big Kids, dropped by for a visit and provided us with meals and encouragement.  I can't begin to tell you how much that means to have a supportive extended family.

 

Olivia Update

This morning Liv let us know that she wasn't feeling well.  She had a sore spot under her arm on her side and was experiencing some nausea and had a high fever.  One of our good friends, a peditrician, was able to check her out and recommended we go to Children's Hospital as her symptoms indicated an infection of some type.

Barb and Liv arrived around noon and she began tests and was later admitted to the ICU for observation as her blood pressure and heart rate were causing concern.  As of 9:30pm this evening she is stablizing, enjoying her first meal of the day and looks to be improving.  It's likely the symptoms are due to some sort of toxic reaction due to a spider bite, a strep infection of the skin or toxic shock as a result of either of those.

She is receiving high dose antiboiotics and lots of fluids which are doing their work and helping her feel better.

We appreciate all the prayers and messages.  It's great having many of you as family both near and far. We will mostly likely be here a few days as they wait for both the tests and the toxins to work their way out of her system.

Liv is in good spirits, entertains the many doctors, nurses and students who visit her and is all in all a plesant patient.

We'll keep you posted.

Me in St. Louis

Here are some quick hits from the town with the arch, rabid baseball fans and a dearth of fine mexican food restaurants....

• House search update: we've made an offer and are waiting to hear back-likely we'll be in countering mode for awhile.
• Our TX house has sold, we close and move at the end of July-hopefully we won't be homeless! 
• The weather has been incredible-it feels a lot like Colorado or California, highs in the 80's, cool breezes. 
• Salsa here is a cross between picante, pico and pickle relish which makes me very sad. 
• The Journey Church is filled with young, talented, Gospel centered creatives who are passionate about Jesus, the Gospel and transforming their cities. 
• Our four campuses are each very different and yet very similar. 
• We/I have been well taken care of by my incredible hosts the Beckemeir's.   
• Duffy's in Kirkwood makes a mean hamburger. 
• I know of only one Chic-Fil-A in the area, which again makes me sad. 
• Mission St. Louis is doing incredible work in the city.  @MSTLjosh and crew are getting it done-if you are serious about Missional impact you have to come and visit their work.
• Our team is making the switch to google apps in order to better communicate across our campus network 
• Remote office"ing" is a way of life here at The Journey 
• I'm ready to be united with my family-miss them terribly 
• Keep praying for our transition, our housing situation and our new work here in STL. 

10 in Ten

The past 10 days I've been busy doing demo and remodel work on our old house.  It's now completely renovated and on the market.  I've learned a lot in the past two weeks and I've lost close to 10lbs.  We could not have made it without our really great and incredible friends who pitched in and helped us transform the house.

I've learned....

• People want to help you-ask them.  It's been humbling to have shared both our need and our lives with our friends. They never hesitated to jump in and respond.
• Expect surprises and delays-it's part of the territory.  Sheetrock is the great concealer of the construction world.
• If you purchase a tract home, produced by a quantity not quality home builder you can count on having a home with less than superior quality.  You'll have to repair or upgrade systems and components.
• Do the work yourself and you'll save HUGE $.  If you don't know how to perform a particular task you can always consult youtube-it's all there.
• Remodeling/updating/painting an entire 2100 sq foot home in 10 days is hard on family, friends and your body. 
• I don't believe I have another one of these major overhaul's in me-done them the last two places we've lived.  I'm looking for a new home that's ready to go.
• Buy expensive paint (Sherwin Williams, BEHR) it's worth the cost that it will save you in time.
• Plan for food, especially when your kitchen is part of the remodel-otherwise you'll be eating alot of Fast Food.
• Remodeling stresses your dog(s) out.
• When you find a home, do all the work first-enjoy the benefits of all that energy on the front end and make your home into a real home for everyone to enjoy.

Pray for us, our kids and our home to sell quickly.

We can't remember where we packed some of our items-and we haven't even moved to STL yet....Sheesh.

Welcoming My Wife

I'm welcoming my wife to the blog world today.  You'll hear more from her in the days to come.  We'll be blogging on a topic of interest to every married couple.  Stay tuned here and there, I think it will be worth your time.

I love you babe.

From the Road-Christmas Travel Updates

We've been out on the road four days now, just arrived in Missouri this afternoon.  Here are some of the highlights...or lowlights as the case may be.

• Arrived safely at my parents house in Arkansas-it was 70+ degrees didn't see that one coming.
• As the kids are older now most of the gifts were small (giftcards/cash etc.) so nice when you're traveling 1000 miles by car. 
• My teenagers fell ill (either a virus or bad food) and barfed most of the day Saturday AM-I got it on Saturday PM.  Blew my five year non-throw up streak! 
• Weak and reeling I watched the Cowboys choke.  
• Bringing the Wii was the best move of Christmas 2008. 
• Paid just over $30 for gas to date.  
• Missed the opportunity to photograph the city I grew up in due to barfing sickness and bad weather...bummed about that.  
• Laughed with family, looked at old pictures. 
• My kids are getting along fabulously (I realizing that typing this could curse it for the rest of the journey but...we have truly enjoyed them)
• Horseback riding on the schedule for tomorrow. 
• Aunt Holly's cooking!  I may gain back the 9lbs that I lost while throwing up the souls of 10,000 dead pirates. 

  
  
  

Post Dinner Conversation

Tonight as we (me and my 13 year old daughter) were cleaning up the dishes....

Me: So, is it confusing to be a woman?

Her: No, it's complicated though.

Me: Really?

Her: Yeah, I don't think you could handle it.

Destin Daily-Final Edition

We're home....worn out but filled with some awesome memories.  Last night we were sharing our "favorite" moments from the week with our good friends the Cuccia's.

Emily enjoyed the go karts
Alex the waves
Olivia the pool
                                   Barb the time on the boat
                                   Bob wave runners in the bay

Some of the most meaningful memories I'll keep with me are those where laughter was shared as a family and with each of my kids individually.  It's been a busy few months and I've not been around or very available.  Vacations don't make up for that but they do provide an opportunity to re-calibrate and remember what's most important.  Fortunately, my schedule will return to normal in the near future.  Family time is important, especially vacation time together.  I realize that our family vacation opportunities will change in the years ahead with summer jobs, boyfriends/girl friends, college, marriages and grandchildren.  Time isn't on my side.

Growing up as a kid I never remember particularly enjoying vacations that our family took.  They comprised hours of being trapped in the car with the only musical choice being Southern Gospel, trips mostly to visit relatives and a few amusement parks here and there.  My parents were and are good people but they were not outdoor people nor were they active-at least like I was as a kid.

Family vacations are for the FAMILY.  Parents you need time on your own with just the two of you away from kids, be sure alone time with our spouse makes your calendar so that your family vacations are really "family friendly"

I'll remember this week with laughter and smiles. 

Destin Daily 1st Edition

Day one is midway done, great stuff here are some notes....

• There's no hiding the shape you're in or not in on the beach, it's all out there baby and most of the people here aren't fitness models-self included.
• It's nice not wearing a watch
• After taking a few waves straight in the face, my sinuses are super clean, might be time to netti after all.
• Why is it that you're always super hungry after swimming/time at the beach?
• We saw only 1 or 2 seagulls during this morning's outing, in Corpus they are everywhere but not here...NICE.
• Baywatch moment: old guy who had to be at least 3bills falls over, can't get up, very obvious, he's beaten and tossed about by the waves, battling to keep his swimsuit up, he's actually laying over like a beached whale... family says I should do something...I run over and ask "you okay?  Need a hand?"  He replies; "Not yet, thank you."  I walk back slowly after running like David Hasselhoff now somewhat defeated....5 minutes later his 14 year old grandson and daughter extricate him from his sandy shame...I drank a dr pepper and shook it off.

Vacation begins....

We're heading to Destin this week, I'm looking forward to some slow down chill out beach time with family and friends.  I may post a few pics and tweets for all my good friends back home...stay tuned.