New Tuttle Family Update!

A great update from the Tuttles!

"I have downloaded some pictures today, and I thought I should probably write an update for you, since SO MANY FOLKS have asked about why we haven't had a blog update since April. Sorry. it has been such a busy time for all of us, I think!!

I am writing this note from my kitchen table in my new house--2 Breton Place, Durham, NC 27707, by the way. We love our new house. It is so much good space, and it is just perfect for all of us. We hope we'll live in this house for a VERY long time! That is a really nice feeling. It is also a nice feeling to not be juggling the details of 3 houses! It was starting to make me a little crazy (yes, many of you are laughing about whether this would have been the first time I thought I was a 'little' crazy, I know!).

We closed on the Greensboro house on May 28. We had a lovely morning clearing out the rest of the yard stuff with some of our good buddies, the Burris family, and we are grateful to Betty Rissmiller, who took such good care of us in getting that house sold! Once again, thanks to our wonderful families and friends, we got moved on memorial day weekend to our new house (and celebrated a very exciting 6th wedding anniversary in the middle of mounds of boxes!).

The guys from TROSA moving company were awesome! I am constantly "moved" by how generous our families (and friends) have been to us during this crazy roller-coaster time in our lives. We really couldn't do it without them.

Our toughest time recently has been in the very sudden death of our dear friend, Bill Bartholomay, who chaired the search committee that brought Chris to Westminster. He died suddenly on Memorial Day afternoon, and we ask you to keep his family in your prayers. I will say i can feel myself smile as think of the glorious way his life was celebrated at Westminster last Monday morning.

"How are you really doing?" folks keep asking. Really, fine. Tired, yes. Heath's health continues to improve. He is still not sleeping very well, although we are realizing that it might be due to some bad sleeping habits (yikes, normal kids stuff!) and not anything else. We had a scary night 2 nights before we moved with an ear infection that kept him up all night. My instinct told me it was not like the last emergencies, but it is so hard not to feel your anxieties rise once you have been through all that we have with his health. He is well-recovered and giving us all a run for our money. Anyone who is around him says, "wow, he is BUSY!" He is walking everywhere. We were also given a slight break on the getting out in the world stuff too. We were able to start going to church at the 8:30 service (less people) this week. He was so excited. When we were in the car later, Ella Brooks said, "Mom, it was so much fun to have Heath at church today!" It made me smile. it is funny how we still cherish the little things. Ella Brooks is doing very well--she is so tall, and full of mommy-ing and orders (I can't imagine where she gets that from...) She is such a joy.

We have been excited to get to see old friends recently (the picture is with Dana and Caroline Irons)--friends from college with their kids, from Burlington, from Greensboro. We have even been able to get out on the town a little bit, thanks to our dear families and friends (Beth and Barrett Patty even got a night of medicine, play and bed this weekend! thanks!) Mattie Anne Walker, one of my former youth and now college student, has been coming to help me out with babysitting all semester and this summer as we have moved, which has been such a blessing. Ella Brooks will say, "is it a 'mattie anne' day?" and it makes me laugh. Her coming made it possible for me to get out of the house a little and get some much-needed moving stuff done. And tomorrow, we're headed for the first of two short trips to black mountain/montreat to see family and good friends coming in from far away!! We can't wait!

We watched today as the green lumina was carried away by the WUNC donation people. Yes, it finally was time to say good-bye when the words "stranded" and "blow up" were used in the sentence by the car guy...luckily we have use of a few cars of family members for the month, and then we'll start CAR SHOPPING! The fun never ends. But, I am reminded as I say that that it is normal life "fun" stuff. We're grateful to be there for a while.

Heath has an appointment on June 25 at Duke, and we're waiting for a date (probably somewhere around then) for his 6-month cath! I can't believe it. I went to get medicine the other day at the Duke pharmacy, and ran into one of the cardiologist fellows who took such good care of us. It is amazing how much the folks at Duke feel like family. On another wonderful note, Olivia, Heath's roommate in the PICU who we have asked you all to pray for periodically, has been released from the hospital. She had a heart cath today, and hopes to be headed home to Asheville soon! We are hoping to have the two of them meet next week sometime for the first time. We'll take pictures, I promise!

Well, there you are. I am sure there is something else I would have liked to write, but Chris just said, "are you still writing the blog update??" That is my cue.

Blessings to you all. Hopefully we'll have even more good updates soon. Love to you all. Cherish every moment--we're trying!

love, carrie"