Adjusting to a Life in Mansfield, TX

It has been one month since my family and I moved to Mansfield, TX. I finally have a new full-time job teaching 7th/8th Grade Math at Red Oak Jr. High School. So far I am enjoying it. My wife, Jamie and I are trying to car-pool to work on Mondays and Wednesdays to spend more time with each other. (She works in Waxahachie, TX at the Ellis County Children's Advocacy Center.)

We found us a great rent home in Mansfield and as of today (Oct. 22) our home in Longview, TX is under contract to close on Nov. 2nd. This will eliminate our mortgage payment, allowing us to use my salary to make larger payments toward our remaining debts. Dave Ramsey would be happy.

The kids are still enjoying home school, although they do miss getting out to mingle with other kids. We are looking into getting Caleb a car, so they can get out during the day while Jamie and I are at work. We are also looking for a new church home. We have visited a couple of great local churches and plan on visiting a couple of more before we narrow down our choices and try to settle in somewhere. We are hoping the kids get involved with the youth group and Jamie and I can get plugged into some good classes or small groups to make some new friends.

The only bad thing that has happened since we have moved here is my blood pressure has gone back up and I am back on blood pressure medication. I guess the stress of the move, the stress of teaching/disciplining kids at school and me not eating healthy, have triggered the rise in BP.

We are slowly unpacking and turning this rent house into our new home. We have an option to buy and the neighborhood is great. Maybe once we get most of our remaining debt paid off, we will see about buying this home.

Good luck to the Texas Rangers on going to the World Series for the 2nd year straight!

Blood Pressure Update & Zoo Trip

After talking to the Doctor on Friday, I am now on a temporary BP medication until I see my regular doctor on Wednesday. So far the new medication is working. I have an extremely dry mouth, but my BP was 140/92 when I arrived at work this morning. So maybe things are getting better.

My family went to the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, TX on Sunday afternoon. We took many pictures (See below for a few of them) during the trip. We had a great time together as a family. The only disappointment was that the Cheetahs (my son's favorite animal) were apparently napping or hiding out of site, so we didn't get to see any of them. We may have to make a return trip later in the summer.

Caleb and Rachel Feeding the Birds at the Caldwell Zoo

Yet Another Thing to Turn Over to God.

Apparently This High-Blood Pressure Thing is a Serious Matter!

I woke up this morning feeling much better than yesterday. I went to work and taught all my classes without any feeling any ill effects. After classes I went to the offices of the Nursing classes of my college. I asked them to check my blood-pressure again just to see if it was any better. The results...183/110. Apparently this is still high. Not as high as yesterday, but still serious enough that the Nurse/Teacher instructed my supervisor to send me home for the day and to call my doctor to get some kind of medication to bring my blood pressure down.

After doing a little more research into my incident yesterday...I found out my blood pressure was so high, yesterday, that the EMT's and the Hospital was worried that I might be on the verge of a stroke. Wow! Needless to say, when the nurse at my college told me my blood pressure was still us, I am a little worried. I called my doctor and I am waiting for him to return my call. If he cannot contact me before the end of the day I might have to make a trip to the Emergency room again just to have someone give me something to bring my blood-pressure down.

I really don't want to have a stroke or heart attack or anything else related to high blood-pressure. Apparently I will soon be taking another Rx soon.

In the meantime I will look up some info on the Internet to see if there are some natural remedies to help until I see the Doctor. I will also be doing a lot of praying. With my OCD I will probably worry way to much about this, which won't help at all. So I'm going to have to let God take care of me! Imagine that, God taking care of his boy. OK, God I'm all yours. Go to work.