So far, so good!

Thanks so much for all the well wishes.  Karl came out of surgery yesterday about 4.  He was groggy but feeling pretty well.  He has a happy button that dispenses meds as needed.  We got him up and moving last night and will do more today.  He's still on an ice chip/liquid diet.  Hopefully solid food will come tomorrow.  The doc removed about a foot of colon.  She saw no immediate signs of cancer beyond the tumor, but we don't know definitively until the labs come back later this week.  The surgery was laparoscopic and he only has two little holes~ one of them is in the belly button.  Karl will still be able to wear bikinis!  Or not.  We're praying the lymph nodes are unaffected and chemo won't be necessary.  But also confident that God will equip us to face whatever lies ahead.  

Today Karl has to sit up and walk more to get the plumbing moving.  Hopefully food tomorrow.  I'm staying with him here in the room on the oh-so-lovely recliner chair.  I keep telling myself that this chair would be a reward item if I were on Survivor.  Perspective changed.  

So some answers to prayer on the trip cancellation.  Our travel agent suggested we reschedule our trip for the fall just to prolong the life of our ticket. We would still pay the $1600 change fees with British Airways.  She suggested a travel insurance company to insure the new trip against further changes.  If we did need to change, the insurance should cover that.  So I called the insurance company from Iowa and explained the whole situation.  The agent asked what day we had paid for our trip.  It turns out we  were still within the window to purchase insurance for the current trip.  If we bought the high end policy and the option for "cancel for any reason" we could get back 75% of the original purchase price.  The insurance cost and the 25% would mean were only out a few thousand rather than $10,000.  We're also not beholden to a specific airline in a specific timeframe.  The insurance with this option would cost roughly the same amount as the airline change fees.  So on the last possible day I purchased insurance and then canceled our trip for good.  The next day I filed a claim with the insurance. 

 I cried when the lady told me it was possible to insure the trip.  She probably thought I was a nut job.  Probably right.  The intensity of the trip planning and subsequent unplanning... Along with report cards, a few difficult class parents, end of year job concerns (my job is now presumed ok, just not sure what grade level I will be).. It was no wonder my nerves and emotions were on edge.  And oh yeah... Karl has a mongo malignant tumor that must come out now.  

We finished up our trip to Iowa.  Kody's team had a great time trading pins with kids from other states and countries.  We got to spend some time with cool parents and coaches.  We got to watch our team and many others demonstrate 9 months of creative genius.  The kids had a ball in the dorm, the activities for them, all you can eat cafeteria meals, and creative transportation in our rental SUV.  In the end, we competed against 54 other teams from around the world and placed 19th.  We are thrilled.  

Hannah spent the weekend with the youth group on a local mission project called Mark 520.  They helped residents at an assisted living facility in mid Tucson build a garden, do handy man jobs, paint walls, read to blind residents, and just live life together.  

Karl did some home jobs hanging out with the dogs while we were gone.  

Thanks friends and family for your love, prayer, and support.  Many of you have walked this road before ands we appreciate your words of advice and encouragement.  We are taking each day as it comes and not planning anything even though we're home. Except.....  The girls will now get to go to part ofPhoenix  Comicon thanks to my rock star dad who agreed to take them.  He wants to cosplay as Professor Xavier so he can roll through the convention center-except he doesn't want to shave his head.  I told him he can borrow the Darth Vadar or Yoda uniforms... We also have a wide selection of Star Trek uniforms.  Stay tuned.. I will post pics next week.  Feel free to message or email him with your suggestions.  

Now you're up to date as of now.... Keeping our eyes up with perspective, gratitude, and trust!