SamBeller.org

Saturday, December 20, 2003

Christmas '03 News from the Bellers

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Family & Friends,

We hope Christmas has been full of family, friends and love.  2003 was a phat year (as opposed to lean, and in the newer sense of great, cool, or excellent, soon to appear in the Oxford English Dictionary) for the Bellers.

As a family, we enjoyed our second big family road trip in June when we drove 3 days to get to California to visit Kelly’s family. On the way out we took the long road by the Grand Canyon. Sam’s disabled placard got us front row access to breathtaking views. We goofed on road choice and hit hairpin alley, beautiful but carsick—whew! Our time in SoCal was delightful. ‘Twas a revolving door of four siblings. Kelly’s brother, Mark, escorted us to Disneyland. Cousin Melynda (Saphire’s) came home with us for a while and did swimming lessons and vacation bible school. We got to play with Michael’s new girl-baby & Mark’s 2 rugrats. Steve biked with them (and later came to visit us in Dallas!).  We also spent 4th of July watching a great small town parade in Belton, TX with David’s clan – Michael & family, Cathy & family and his folks and Grandmom – finally photos with us ALL there!

We had a low-key13th wedding anniversary in town. Candlelight dinner? No - movie, popcorn, and home to sleep. Tired, but we still really like each other—you might even say we’re “in love,” but don’t want to nauseate anyone. David is a Lord of the Rings freak, so we’ll be seeing the final installment as our final date of the year, following the final Matrix installment in November. Geek! Kelly’s been converted and is also a freak… I mean, Geek.

David has been with HKS in Dallas for 6 ½ years now.  This year, he managed and architected a 7,500-seat arena and 12,000-seat stadium for Dallas schools. In July he “hired” a coach, “The Beast,” to urge the completion of the Beauty (of God) thesis (must be complete March 2004). Drafts of 4 chapters are done. Refinements are progressing. It’s going to happen! Otherwise work has kept him downtown all year. Next year will begin a stint in HKS’s building code department.

Kelly still rocks the Beller household. She moves and works like crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon. She carts the kiddos, fills the juice, makes lunches—all the while giving them spiritual perspective—no small task!  We pray God will lead us in this great responsibility daily. Her weekly bible study (with Simone along) keeps her soul nourished. School activities proved overwhelming this fall as Jacob started school, but overall she passes with flying colors.

Sam had another terrific year—10.92 years old and enjoying fifth grade. New in ‘03: wheelchair, ceiling lift, portable ventilator, bathroom, garage ramp, and bigger pants! Minor pneumonia this fall, but he stayed home for the IV antibiotics. The nursing schedule was a little weird again, beginning with our longest tenured victim: Ursula. Yikes, we love her! Ursula and her husband, Larry, are a part of Beller life. Yes, we’re like the Borg on Startrek: we incorporate people into our existence. Larry had another heart attack this year, so we got to see him more than usual during his convalescence. Now he’s better than before. Nurse #2: Cara has been working a few days a month for Sam for six years. She’s the only near competitor to Kelly’s frenetic effectiveness, but somehow the two manage to thrive as friends and keep work separate. Numero Tres: Cynthia had to leave us this year after almost three years – many good memories. She was a fixture at the hacienda for a while, but duty calls elsewhere. Nurse #4: Michelle, the baby nurse, has been with Sam for nearly 2 years. Michelle encouraged all of us this year by reading the whole bible in less than 3 months! We are grateful to have each of these women help with Sam, keeping him healthy, making him more “abled” than “dis-.” We are blessed that they mesh with the family, or stress would reign. Last year’s ceiling lift project expanded into a remodeled bathroom with a bath table. It’s awesome for Sam to comfortably & safely move from bed to bath and back (for all of us!).

Tevah will be 9 soon and is trying to figure out the meaning of life as a third grader.  She has taken up piano lessons with a talented teacher and had her first recital last Saturday at an area shopping mall. She and Kelly studied the bible more in-depth this summer and at Tevah’s request, David baptized her August 3rd. School has brought chapter books and multiplication tables. As parents, it’s scary to see your own child doing things that you remember doing. Do you remember 3rd grade?

Jacob just turned 6. He’s in full-day kindergarten and making lots of friends. A few days ago he said, “Dad, I want to study science.” When asked what he meant he replied, “You know like bodies and muscles and stuff” - another example of the curiosity that characterizes him. He is still more like David in this respect: head in the clouds, pondering everything from nails to snails. Jacob started hockey 12 weeks ago, primarily learning to skate and fall. Lots of yankees at the rink teaching their young’ns to love the cold. Putting hockey gear on that “Dick Van Dyke” body is … adorable, but don’t tell him that. He also got a basketball goal, inline skates, and spent hours on his bike.

Simone just turned 4 and this year her “Baby John” became Baby Audrey, then changed to Samantha. She continues to interact with her dolls and toys – She has imaginary discussions, feeds and doctors them. All of her babies have Sam-like maladies so she tube feeds them, changes their trachs, and has important medical debriefs with them. If we listen too closely to her “world,” we’re asked to leave the room. Kelly’s parents were here a few weeks ago and Simone told Ellen, “Hey, do you know you’re going to die soon?” Thank heavens she laughed! She loves to sing and really belts it out with emotion (just don’t look!).

May God shower you with mercy and grace in 2004 … with love,
David, Kelly, Sam, Tevah, Jacob & Simone