a wide variety of Polen stuff

Hey everyone. During our current hardships, God has blessed us continually with wonderful people. The owners for both Zachary's gymnastics and Harrison's karate have been very generous and understanding - and allowed them both to continue practicing. Last Sunday morning I finally checked the mail and in it was a check (from someone we know, but will not reveal their names) for $300. That very afternoon we got a call from someone else about a previously delayed bill that needed paying as soon as possible. Can you guess how much that bill was?? $290! You can't tell me God's hand wasn't at work there.

Later on this week our mortgage company told us that we didn't have to pay our mortgage (minus escrow) for 4 months!! This is such a huge blessing. That is, of course, our largest monthly bill - especially since we have rolled a few other bills into it. So now for the next 4 months we are paying only 11.5% of what we had been. Woo Hoo!!!

Another positive note is that Brian has a lot of job opportunities on his plate right now. Over the next couple weeks he should be pretty busy with interviews (for companies that could keep us here, elsewhere in the country, or even London!)

So now on to my boys. Poor Elijah and Zachary have the most sensitive skin, which is always worse in the summer. Zachary's (in the summer anyway) seems to be triggered by both salt water and chlorine swimming pools. Elijah's is triggered by seemingly all sunscreen. (and the chemicals in pools). They are both on a steroidal ointment for when they have outbreaks. When their skin gets irritated, anything on it seems to burn and sting. I feel so badly for them. They were both in tears recently when we had been swimming in public pool (thus a ton of chlorine). Here are some pictures of them.


This is Zachary's back. For some reason it has migrated there this year. It's also started to get itchy and act like it could be viral. I don't know. But this isn't a bad case. He also gets it very badly behind his knees and on the inside of his arms.












This is the inside of Elijah's arm - after 2 applications of medicine. He typically gets it here, the back of his neck, and all over his face even his eyes) :(