Blessed Thanksgiving!For blessings past and blessings today,
We thank you dear Lord.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
(Picture approx. 1988- Justin, Jaime, Rebecca, Jim and Emmalie)
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Blessed Thanksgiving!For blessings past and blessings today,
We thank you dear Lord.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
(Picture approx. 1988- Justin, Jaime, Rebecca, Jim and Emmalie)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Christmas Excitement
I love Christmas!!I love Christmas! I love that we are celebrating with good health this Christmas! I love the sounds, smells, memories, and traditions of Christmas. The kids in our family always open new pajamas on Christmas Eve. This began with a purpose to have the children look cute in their Christmas morning pictures and quickly became an expected gift regardless of the age of the children. On Christmas morning, all children must pose for the annual "at the top of the stairs" picture before racing into the family room to tear into presents. After presents, we have the standard home-made biscuits and all the fixin's followed by hubby reading aloud the Christmas story. What is your family's tradition? I'd love to hear.
Enjoy the picture from last year's "top of the stairs" very early Christmas morning picture.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Precious Time
Time is such a precious commodity but we tend to waste so much of it on meaningless tasks, conversations, whims, and worries. The past 2 months have made me recognize this fact even more so. I feel as though the Lord has given us another chance to do life "right". I know we won't accomplish that every day or every minute but at least as a result of cancer touching our lives, I am aware of the need to try. I am aware that every minute sleeping next to my spouse, watching him breathe, engaging in conversation together, sharing a laugh or tears are special......special never to be regained moments but yet moments that make memories. It is my choice what type of memories are made. Now, I do not live in fear but in the very reality of the present because that is all any of us are promised.
On October 15th, Jim's scans and lab work were clean and the lesions on the lungs remain unchanged. That's good news! We have a 3 month reprieve before a repeat performance in January. We have laughed, loved and lived so much more since the diagnosis in August simply because our perspective has changed. Our faith has grown and become tangible in so many forms. You know faith truly is a gift wrapped in many layers. We have unwrapped so many of those layers lately and are just getting to the precious gift inside. A gift that is indescribable, uncontainable...the very character of God Himself. Faith is believing that God is....simply that He is the great I AM and all that that entails. I am finally able to say, thank you for allowing cancer to touch our life. Thank you Lord, for making me aware.
On October 15th, Jim's scans and lab work were clean and the lesions on the lungs remain unchanged. That's good news! We have a 3 month reprieve before a repeat performance in January. We have laughed, loved and lived so much more since the diagnosis in August simply because our perspective has changed. Our faith has grown and become tangible in so many forms. You know faith truly is a gift wrapped in many layers. We have unwrapped so many of those layers lately and are just getting to the precious gift inside. A gift that is indescribable, uncontainable...the very character of God Himself. Faith is believing that God is....simply that He is the great I AM and all that that entails. I am finally able to say, thank you for allowing cancer to touch our life. Thank you Lord, for making me aware.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
To My Little Bit
Happy Birthday, to my Little Bit. Twenty-four years ago today the Lord blessed us with you, our sweet Emmalie Joy. You have lived up to your name....devoted one filled with joy. You have taught us so much through the years. Your optimisim and spirit of encouragement have been a balm in our home and lives throughout the years. I will never forget the day, you were 4, and you asked if had not miscarried the baby before you if I would have still had you? WOW!! I quickly replied, I am sure we would because our lives would not have been complete without you and God knew our family would not have been complete had you not been born. I still feel the same way today! Today, you celebrate as a married lady, but forever you will be my baby. I'm glad you are my friend, my teacher, my encourager, my sunshine, my tiny-tot, my little bit, my child, my daughter....heart of my own heart. I love you so much! Continue to grow in God's grace! Happy Birthday! I celebrate you today! I'll love you forever; I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be!
Monday, September 29, 2008
STORMS
Storms seem to come in waves..... At least that's how my life, our life, has been since August 27th. That is the day that will forever be etched in my mind as "the" day we discovered that something was not quite right with my precious hubby. On August 28th, CT scan results were relayed to us. A very large mass was inside his left kidney, renal cell carcinoma, kidney cancer. The big C that naively I thought would never touch us. No family history, no symptoms, no abnormal blood work, perfect physical in May, nothing that would have indicated there was this vicious disease brewing in his body.
We have seen many of God's miracles already....a very "in tune" GI doctor that felt the enlargement during one of those routine palpitating on your tummy type exams and who had received "cancer" news himself about his toddler-he understood where we sat that day. An appointment at MD Anderson was scheduled on the following day all because Jim "just so happened" to miss a meeting with a customer on August 28th who "just so happened to be" the vice chairman on the board of directors at MD Anderson. We were in for the appt on Sept. 3rd, less than a week after diagnosis, with one of the top surgeons/urologist that specializes in large tumors of the kidney. While there we asked when would surgery be (understand I thought you have a mass this big...it's coming out tomorrow! This is my man! So I packed bags prepared to check into the hospital. NAIVE!). Usually it takes 2-3 weeks to get on his schedule but "he just so happened" to have a cancellation for that Friday morning! So this whirlwind got crazier....radical nephrectomy of the left kidney, 26 lymph nodes removed and many other areas biopsied, probed, pushed and shoved (oh, and the gall bladder came out which is what sent us to the GI dr. initially). Four days after that, Jim was doing "better than the doctor ever dreamed he would be" but it made him uneasy to send him home just 4 days post surgery. We came home on Wed., 5 days post surgery and 48 hours before the hurricane.
IKE entered our world on the 12th of Sept. Our home and family were spared but not our electricity. One week we played 'survivor' with no water (we have a well), no flushable toilets (we have a septic system), and no lights. Our kids located a generator and window a/c on Thursday before this storm making life bearable. Poor hubby, couldn't help do anything before or after the storm and it wore on him emotionally.
God's power has been evident. The staples are out, biopsies and lymph nodes were clear but the mass, a little larger than a grapefruit, was indeed clear cell kidney cancer, which appeared to be confined to within the inner wall of the kidney! Now, a grey cloud looms over our heads as we await Oct. 10th for rescans, to check out 3 very, very, small lesions in the lungs that looked suspicious. If there is no change or increase in numbers of lesions we just continue to rescan and observe. If there is a change, we begin drug therapy. Please pray....we covet your prayers so much. God's hand has been in this since the beginning and we know He will walk the journey with us whatever that entails. I long for many more days alongside my spouse that I entered into covenant with 34 years ago and selfishly I beg God daily for that!
The songs and scriptures that come to our mind during these days...and it's only been a month, are those we learned as little children...back to the basics. "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves ME! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, JESUS loves me, for the Bible tells me so!" No matter what, no matter where, no matter the name of the storm.
We have seen many of God's miracles already....a very "in tune" GI doctor that felt the enlargement during one of those routine palpitating on your tummy type exams and who had received "cancer" news himself about his toddler-he understood where we sat that day. An appointment at MD Anderson was scheduled on the following day all because Jim "just so happened" to miss a meeting with a customer on August 28th who "just so happened to be" the vice chairman on the board of directors at MD Anderson. We were in for the appt on Sept. 3rd, less than a week after diagnosis, with one of the top surgeons/urologist that specializes in large tumors of the kidney. While there we asked when would surgery be (understand I thought you have a mass this big...it's coming out tomorrow! This is my man! So I packed bags prepared to check into the hospital. NAIVE!). Usually it takes 2-3 weeks to get on his schedule but "he just so happened" to have a cancellation for that Friday morning! So this whirlwind got crazier....radical nephrectomy of the left kidney, 26 lymph nodes removed and many other areas biopsied, probed, pushed and shoved (oh, and the gall bladder came out which is what sent us to the GI dr. initially). Four days after that, Jim was doing "better than the doctor ever dreamed he would be" but it made him uneasy to send him home just 4 days post surgery. We came home on Wed., 5 days post surgery and 48 hours before the hurricane.
IKE entered our world on the 12th of Sept. Our home and family were spared but not our electricity. One week we played 'survivor' with no water (we have a well), no flushable toilets (we have a septic system), and no lights. Our kids located a generator and window a/c on Thursday before this storm making life bearable. Poor hubby, couldn't help do anything before or after the storm and it wore on him emotionally.
God's power has been evident. The staples are out, biopsies and lymph nodes were clear but the mass, a little larger than a grapefruit, was indeed clear cell kidney cancer, which appeared to be confined to within the inner wall of the kidney! Now, a grey cloud looms over our heads as we await Oct. 10th for rescans, to check out 3 very, very, small lesions in the lungs that looked suspicious. If there is no change or increase in numbers of lesions we just continue to rescan and observe. If there is a change, we begin drug therapy. Please pray....we covet your prayers so much. God's hand has been in this since the beginning and we know He will walk the journey with us whatever that entails. I long for many more days alongside my spouse that I entered into covenant with 34 years ago and selfishly I beg God daily for that!
The songs and scriptures that come to our mind during these days...and it's only been a month, are those we learned as little children...back to the basics. "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves ME! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, JESUS loves me, for the Bible tells me so!" No matter what, no matter where, no matter the name of the storm.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
I HATE SNAKES
ALL snakes are bad!!!!!!! I hate them all, even if God did create them. They belong outdoors away from people and pets. They should definitely NOT be in your house. Imagine my surprise when I returned home from Wal-Mart to walk into my bedroom and discover a 2 foot long, ok just about 14 inches, snake on the floor near my bed of all places!!! Adrenaline gushed into overdrive and my one mission in life became "Kill the snake!" While screaming bloody murder, I chopped that baby into smithereens (is that a word?). Now my older daughter was on the phone, on speaker, listening to my screams and not having much empathy for me at all. I really thought her Dad had taught her that it is not polite to laugh at other people's misfortunes. I'm pretty sure she was laughing at me and not the snake's misfortune. Did I mention how much I hate snakes? I was a very brave girl klling that snake all by myself, don't you think? No lingering around being seduced by this serpent for me! Now the next mission for hubby is to find how in the world a snake got into our house!!!???? (oh, and pick up and dispose of the dead snake and then I will clean up the blood and guts.) I wonder where I will sleep tonight? After the kill, I checked and it was a non-poisonous snake but I don't care because there really is no snake that is good unless dead...in my opinion! Now that the heart palpitations have stopped I think I will go check and make sure that that ginormous snake is still dead!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Out of the mouths of Babes
Deuteronomy 11:19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
This past weekend we had the privilege of keeping our son's children...(precious angels, I might add!) Memories poured in all weekend while they were here.....sleeping "3 deep" with my grandparents and them never once complaining; watching Justin play all over again through his children; the mistakes I made while parenting; the thousands (probably millions) of back scratches given through the years; my kids favorite songs being sung in the car; taking a 4 year old to Big Church for the first time; getting 2 preschoolers dressed and to church on time; balancing chores and play time with them; silly uninhibited laughter; the sudden urges of a 4 year old to need to potty when no bathroom is near; taking the time to stop and look at the world while explaining God's hand in it all; big bear hugs and multiple I love yous; picky eaters; wonderful imaginative stories; hours spent with Pops playing legos; baby laughter and snuggle time; putting tiny bows in baby fine hair; searching for a quiet 16 month old; washing laundry in Dreft; trying to wipe a face that is a moving target; and the list could go on and on.
The BEST was getting the phone call the next day and hearing the sweet words, "I miss you Granna and I remembered the song you sang to me! Want me to sing it to you?" And THEN, out flowed the words of "God is so Good" in perfect pitch....the simple song which contains such a big, big TRUTH!
You just never know what those little ones are picking up on and how that TRUTH will carry them one day. This is the song that carried me so many times through my Dad's stroke and 3 1/2 years of being in a nursing home, paralyzed. GOD IS SO GOOD....regardless! So teach them to your children, and to your grandchildren. I love making memories! We all make them every day...what kind are you making? What are your children and grandchildren observing in your life, hearing from your lips that is becoming TRUTH to them? Yes out of the mouths of babes!
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
This past weekend we had the privilege of keeping our son's children...(precious angels, I might add!) Memories poured in all weekend while they were here.....sleeping "3 deep" with my grandparents and them never once complaining; watching Justin play all over again through his children; the mistakes I made while parenting; the thousands (probably millions) of back scratches given through the years; my kids favorite songs being sung in the car; taking a 4 year old to Big Church for the first time; getting 2 preschoolers dressed and to church on time; balancing chores and play time with them; silly uninhibited laughter; the sudden urges of a 4 year old to need to potty when no bathroom is near; taking the time to stop and look at the world while explaining God's hand in it all; big bear hugs and multiple I love yous; picky eaters; wonderful imaginative stories; hours spent with Pops playing legos; baby laughter and snuggle time; putting tiny bows in baby fine hair; searching for a quiet 16 month old; washing laundry in Dreft; trying to wipe a face that is a moving target; and the list could go on and on.
The BEST was getting the phone call the next day and hearing the sweet words, "I miss you Granna and I remembered the song you sang to me! Want me to sing it to you?" And THEN, out flowed the words of "God is so Good" in perfect pitch....the simple song which contains such a big, big TRUTH!
You just never know what those little ones are picking up on and how that TRUTH will carry them one day. This is the song that carried me so many times through my Dad's stroke and 3 1/2 years of being in a nursing home, paralyzed. GOD IS SO GOOD....regardless! So teach them to your children, and to your grandchildren. I love making memories! We all make them every day...what kind are you making? What are your children and grandchildren observing in your life, hearing from your lips that is becoming TRUTH to them? Yes out of the mouths of babes!
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