Haley's Sweet 16

This evening we were able to have a little celebration with some special friends. Haley is so special that she had guests come in to share her special day from all over the world. Mr. Craig was there from the Middle East. Of course Mrs. Cindy and Sarah are always honored guests at our home. Mr. Rob represented his family (including the other Sarah who Haley wanted here) from Florida. The evening was complete with chocolate cake and a few gifts. Tim and I gave her a purity ring (another post) and her first string of pearls that she'll wear to prom tomorrow. Mix these special events in with the beautiful day we had and we have a very happy 16 year old.

Let the Gray Hair Grow!

It's so hard to believe that our baby is old enough to drive! We gathered all the needed items and headed out to the department of motor vehicles. She took her test with flying colors - 90%! After she had the piece of plastic in her hands we stopped to pose for the picture above then she drove to Tim's office, which is the next parking lot over. She gave Tim a call and asked to take him to lunch. She then drove us all to Wendy's and back to the Reserve center. While we have some learning to do, she will be a great driver.

Decisions, Decisions!

Before I get too far into this, I do want to let you know that my mom, Maggie, and Emily are all home from the hospital and are recovering at home. I'm sorry I didn't get this posted earlier.


As we are preparing for this upcoming move, there are a plethora of decisions that need to be made. Should we keep something or thow it out? Alexandria, Woodbridge, or Stafford? Older home or newer? While some of these are time consuming in the thought process, they're all minor compared to some bigger decisions that need to be made.


One such decision is the one that is faced by my mom. She has to make the decision of whether to continue with treatment for her cancer or stop it. While things started off well, she is at the point that the radiation is significantly altering her lifestyle. Eating and drinking has been a struggle to her and causes much pain. There is nothing more frustrating than to see her in pain and not be able to do anything about it. We did go to see the radiology doctor today and received a couple of new meds. Hopefully they will help. No one has been able to tell us based on past experience how long they think this treatment will extend her life. While we realize that only God knows the number of our days, estimates in this area would prove helpful. The doctors did say that barring a traffic accident or something similar, this cancer is what would ultimately take her life. Our thoughts are, does the cost in side effects outweigh the promise of a longer life. Something that makes you say, "hmmm." This isn't a matter of what color cabinets are in the kitchen, but a real life and death decision. I have promised my mom that I will support her decision either way. While the thought of losing her is devastating, seeing her suffer is even worse. We do believe that God could use His power to supernaturally heal her. However, we have surrendered to the fact that He is soverign and will do what He wants to accomplish His purposes and bring glory to Himself.


I had an important decision to make once. That was the decision to make Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord. I was only 7 years old, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I knew that way back Adam and Eve had disobeyed and caused havoc for all the world. With disobedience, there was punishment - eternal death. As a 7 year old, punishment was easy to understand. Then I learned that Jesus, a man who walked the Earth, God's Son took the punishment for MY disobedience by His death on the cross. Not only that, but he came back to life three days later! I'm sure most everyone believes that. The Bible even says that the devil does. Not only did I decide to believe that He is my Savior from an eternity in hell, but I chose to make Him my Lord. I want Him to help me make other decisions and direct my life. So far, He's done a pretty good job. The mistakes come when I have my say and not Him.


My mom has made that decision as well. Jesus is her Savior and Lord. When cancer does take over her earthly body, her soul will be in Heaven - forever. Now that's a way to live in a Mansion!


So I have some questions for our readers. What would you do if you were in her situation? Would you continue treatment? Is it wrong not to? I will add, that this isn't like some of the "curable" (5-10+ years survival rate) cancers. They say half of lung cancer patients die within a year. We want to do the right thing for everyone involved. Proverbs 15:22 says, "Without counsel, plans go awry. But in the multitude of counselors they are established." Also - have you made the decision to make Jesus your Savior and Lord? If not, and it's a decision you want to make, give us a call sometime.

No one is coming home today

We were able to get a good amount of school done this morning before the girls had to be at class. Hunter, Holly, and I then headed out to the hospital. Mom was doing better. They were able to remove the drain from her arm and she was eating better too. However, despite all of that, they kept her one more night so that she could get a quart of blood. Her counts were a little low.
Maggie remains in the hospital in Ohio. Evidently there was a complication from her first surgery, so they had to do a second procedure today. They're keeping her overnight as well.
We said goodbye to some special neighbors today. Sloan, Jen, Dylan, and Lucy have left for South Carolina. They are fantastic neighbors and will be greatly missed. Technology is wonderful as I feel like our friendship will continue via the Internet although it's not the same as taking the dogs for a walk and running into each other.

Happy Easter!

The day before Easter all was going well. Mom and I went out and got a Honey Baked Ham and other ingredients to make a great meal. While it wore her out a little, she rested while I put some of the side dishes together. In the late afternoon she was complaining that her hand hurt. This has been an ongoing problem since January, so I asked her if she'd like some pain medicine. She declined so I went on and took Hunter to a birthday party. When I returned, she was in extreme pain. Her fingers were tingling and turning blue, so I left Tim with burgers on the grill and ran her down to the ER. They were able to take her right back to a bed and had her some morphine within 30 minutes. I'm very thankful for the efficiency of the ER at University. They ran some tests and decided at 3:00 am that they would admit her. The pain medicine wasn't working as well as before, so it was off and on pain. I got home and back in bed at 4:30 am and convinced Tim that we go to the 10:45 service.

It was a beautiful Easter Sunday morning with the sun shining brightly. The kids were dressed in their best and we were off to a wonderful Resurrection Sunday with one of the most awesome congregations of Believers. What a beautiful service it was. When we got out, however, we got a call from Mom saying that they were going to take her to surgery at 2:30. We hurried home, changed clothes, and were able to meet Tim's dad at the hospital before they took her down. Sure enough, there was a blood clot that was restricting flow to her left arm. The surgeon was able to remove it and get her on the road to recovery. During this time, though, we discovered another problem. Acid reflux caused from the radiation is making it difficult for her to eat. Even water is difficult to go down. Maurice, Mom's nurse who found a pain medication that worked for her hand, went to work on this issue too. He's a great nurse! We're hoping that Mom can be released today (Tuesday). There's something to be said about recovering at home.

Some other updates: Tim's grandma, Margaret, got to come home from the nursing home yesterday (Monday). She's well on her road to recovery. My cousin, Emily, is recovering from her surgery last week and hopes to go home on Friday. They are watching her liver and spleen for swelling. Tim's other grandma, Maggie, went to the hospital on Monday to have a pacemaker put in. They're hoping she can come home today.

So, the question is asked, "Can we still celebrate Easter with all this mess?" The answer is, "ABSOLUTELY!!!" The reason being is Easter is not about fancy clothes, ham dinners, bunnies, chicks, and egg hunts. While all of those are fun, having them taken away doesn't ruin Easter. Jesus, who took the punishment for our sin, is still risen from the grave and has victory over death! He's still alive! Having loved ones in the hospital doesn't change that. It even makes them being in the hospital more peaceful. All of us face death whether we're old, young, healthy, or have some kind of medical problem. Because of Easter and what Jesus did, it's the promise of eternal life in Heaven. We know that for those who claim Jesus as their Savior and Lord, this is not the end. What a wonderful thing to celebrate! Are you celebrating Easter too?

New Concerns

I'm sorry that I didn't update yesterday, our last day of round 1. Things went really well yet again. She's still eating well and even gained a pound. To us, that's celebration. I was a little worried today as she came of one of the biggest anti-sickness medicines, but she was going strong. We're trusting that the next days will bring the same. We know that all of this good news is the presence of the Lord through the prayers of our family and friends. If you would, we'd like to ask you to join us in praying for my sweet tweenage cousin, Emily. She is not getting any better and they are going to take her into surgery tonight or early tomorrow. I'll keep everyone updated on her as well. Grandma is still in the nursing home waiting to be well enough to go home. Again, thank you so much for all your prayers.

Second Day Done!

Our second day went as well as the first. A big thanks to Steve & Lisa for schooling Hunter & Holly and taking them to the park. Mom was able to eat a nice dinner when Tim brought her home. Thanks so much for your prayers.